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rusmii · 3 days ago

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𝜗𝜚 (HIS) ONLY

ft. dazai, chuuya, atsushi, akutagawa x fem!reader ; how they spend their december with you. cws; tooth rotting fluff, not edited, may be ooc.

love, runi. dear gosh its been so long since ive written 😭... i have a nsfw draft in the works, but i was feeling fluff atm 🙂‍↕️💗. i hope i did the boys justice 😭😭 and it doesnt seem too ooc :(. additionally, i don't think i'm going to disclose the actual reason for being offline for so long. am i sorry for deactivating? nah...

the 24th — his hands ran cold, puffs of icy air battling the hot cry of warmth. he could feel the ache in his bones, yearning for the fire a room away. "isn't it cold?" you ask dazai, who was sitting upright on the edge of your shared futon. "it is," he answers, a whisper so loud, even the wind howls with it. you shift away, holding the large coze of your blanket up high, a cave forming in mere seconds. "then get in." you say with a tired face, "i'm cold too, 'samu." warm me up, he almost missed. without protest, he curls up into your arms—embrace heating the ac he calls his blood. "can't sleep?" you ask the obvious, knowing he appreciated the sentiment anyways. "no." you can feel the small shake his head makes, as slow as a toddler may stand to understand physics, dazai is the same with himself.

it was confusing, all energy he focuses on you, is forced back on him with a stern lecture from you. every bicker and mumbles of defeat helps see the purpose of your intentions. "how are you going to take care of me, when you can't take care of yourself?" a question he could argue with, but deep down—he'd ponder the same question in his head. if he took care of himself, it'd make you happy, and him feeling unsure. if he took care of you, it'd make him happy, at the cost of your disappointment with him. take care of yourself, osamu. you'd always cry sheep as you comforted him. the same building resentment of having his freedom forced onto a schedule quietly turned into appreciation for your efforts.

you didn't leave him. didn't need to help him. you did anyways, the warm flutter he always feels whenever his hand grazes yours or the accidental eye contact throughout the day, was already telling enough. dazai wasn't obligated to show any gratefulness, and neither were you—yet you still did it. and every year since the day of your anniversary, there was always something special waiting for him. clothes, games, your love; everything, was there, in a box wrapped with his blues and your yellows. he envisions each gift to the tune of a shake from the box. each of them perfect, and what he preferred to have on this special occasion.

the 24th, his special gift waiting for you under the tree. to be opened, to be named, that's up to you to guess. but the small gift glistening underneath, cannot wait 'til morning. "i wonder what you got me." he feels your chest rumble softly. in almost an instant, the wear and tear of his job finally catches up to him. "you'll find out soon." dazai smiles against your chest, the soothing lullaby of your breathing nearly puts him to sleep. "happy anniversary, osamu. i hope you'll like my gift tomorrow." a few small circles rub dazai's head. he doesn't fall asleep until you do first. "i know i will," his voice quieter, gentler, matching the tempo of the dying breeze. and you'll love mine too, goes unheard. baby steps, baby steps were still baby steps.

the 25th — you looked just like a dream, the prettiest girl he's ever seen. in chuuya's mind, nothing quite comes and goes as slowly as your beauty. in fact, everyone assumes it's permanent by how he's so enamored—consumed with adoration. it should come as a surprise to no one, when he gifts you a personalized advent calendar to count down the days of his super secret selection of affection that chosen day. first it was hugs all day, then came kisses on the 3rd, and—oh he was so overwhelming with his love! and yet, you could never be bore of it. an excited squeal always left your mouth as soon the clock hit midnight, chuuya already making preparations for his swooning affection for the month of deer. "how's today?" he asks, seeking your approval from the early box picking. "perfect," you say, "i think you'll have me falling from the balcony with the way i'm falling for everything you do for me." he chuckles, "don't die yet, you still have a day, counting six extra, left."

the following day, you're awoken to the soft scent of cinnamon and marshmallows filling the tiniest gaps of air. you struggle to waken fully, still groggy from your late night endeavors with chuuya. matter of fact, where was he? it wasn't unusual for him to leave in the yawn of morning hours, but on his month off.. assuming the solution by the smell, you make way to the kitchen where chuuya stood behind a counter. he notices you in his vision before releasing a blinging smile. "good mornin' beautiful." a wink catches your eye, "couldn't sleep without me?" he says while patting fluffy pancakes down, each stacked imperfectly delicious with a drizzle of syrup and fruits decorating it. "and if i did?" you match his tease, creating an easy tension that could dissolve in any minute.

"well then, i won't keep ya' waiting." his lips form a familiar slant. using his ability to carry the plates and breakfast stand, chuuya's arms are already lifting you bridal. "why're you out of bed? i thought i gave myself enough time to surprise you." he nearly pouts to your face, not embarrassed to do so in front of you. you laugh it off, " 'tis okay, chu." booping him, he drops you onto the bed as some sort of petty revenge. "only if you say so." his lips met your cheek, propping the breakfast tray as you perched on your bottom. your stomach growled in anticipation, kneading the inner lining of your stomach. "well?" he asks, awaiting your approval once again. you picked up a fork and stabbed it into the fluffy pancake. bringing it up to his face, you tell him to open his mouth.

"first bite!" you nudge it closer, "okay," and without another word, chuuya took the entire thing into his mouth, "mmm - wow delicious. why don't you say; thank you chef nakahara." the mischievous in his tone was hard to miss—a smirk you wanted to wipe off his face. "you're welcome my princess." a giggle escaped with it. acting annoyed with the nickname, chuuya sneakily placed a dot of syrup on your cheek. "chuuya!" you gasp, scrambling to wipe away the sticky substance. "my bad, dear prince."

a small smack hit his shoulder, "go away!" nodding his head, he moves to get up, but is stopped by a small tug on his arm. "and bring me my gifts please." he thinks for a moment, arms relaxing and his body sinking back onto the bed. "oh? you mean the ones i threw in the fire to keep you warm last night? those presents? from under the tree?—ow! kidding!" he threw his arms up in surrender after getting smacked again, this time harder.

the 16th — when it came to december, atsushi was no stranger to the cold weather. being nearly stripped of everything but rags for clothes, he often got sick without compromise from the orphanage. when it came to his life in the agency—his life with you—he was taken care of, given affection he was denied, able to show the vulnerability the director shut down. in his own little mind, you were the stage centerpiece; a transition from the filthy pinecone to the golden star he finally got to place on his tree. "quiet," he almost flinches, until he heard a melody instead of the desolate, angry, mob. he opened his eyes, eyes blinding him with your beauty. "an angel?" he questions, still hazed from his pain. "no," you laugh, replacing the towel on his head, "[name]."

"[name]..." he repeats, affirming his belief of being fine and alive. in your shared home—kyouka standing beside you. "is he going to be okay?" her weary voice echoes concern, to which you pat her head and tell her to fetch some more water. "of course he is, he's atsushi. i need a refill, can you do it for me?" with kyouka hurriedly jogging away, you're left alone with atsushi. he moans, his joints aching with every twist. "are you doing okay?" you ask, rubbing soft circles on his palm. "feel so nauseous." he mumbles, throat hoarse like the attack on trojans. you cooed, a sweet lullaby that comforts him through thick and thin, "feel better soon, m'kay?" he bobs his head like copier, obedient. atsushis' peace answers with silence.

admist your little moment, kyouka arrives back with the water in hand. she hands you the small bowl and takes her seat next to you again. "he seems at ease," she notes. "does he?" you question, busying yourself with replacing the towel every now and then. "mhm," she nods, "i'm glad." a small smile comes foward on her dollified expression. kyouka also takes notice of the faint blush resting on his face, daint and obvious. she doesn't speak up about it, opting to pop the question in when atsushi was better. for now, she'll wonder what you two had talked about while she was out of the room.

the 31st — if akutagawa had any say about attending any gift-related events, he'd stay home. if akutagawa had any shred of empathy left, he'd conserve it just for you. a mistake, honestly. he curses to the devils' and above for forcing his heart to ponder sweetly for you. "no," he says, unwavering in his decision. "but, ryu!!" you whine so casually, wanting him to give in and get out of his comfort zone. you knew it wasn't an easy task, seeing as your beloved friend preferred to stay within the four white walls the port mafia created. "annoying," he grumbles, eyes tilting blinding anger, "leave me be." he shoves past you, destined to cast away your binding spell. you stand there, resolve strong as ever while defending against hollow words. "be that way," you sigh, "but before you leave, let me give you this." you pull out a small present, throwing it to akutagawa who caught it with rashomon.

"what's this?" he inquired, an annoyed grunt passing his lips when you don't answer and turn on your heels to leave. annoying, he thinks again. he decides to unravel his gift later, when he was in the comforts of his own home. "what's inside?" gin poked at it, wanting her brother to hurry it up already. "don't know, [name] gave it to me]." he sighs—a gentle remonstrance. gin nods in understanding, waiting eagerly for her brother to tear the paper apart. inside laid a small box, "is it jewelry?" akutagawa shrugged his shoulds, "might be."

he uncovers the tiny trinket inside. it appeared to be a plain, silver lining necklace with nothing attached. at the bottom of the box, a note read; a pitiful necklace for your grey home, truly, a noteworthy gift you thought of. "seems like [name] really likes you," gin jokes about. akutagawa was quick to shut it down though, not in the mood to entertain any lovey dovey tease. "alright, alright," she giggles, "are you going to the party tonight?" she switches the topic. the mafia didn't often hold parties—this year being an exception—to keep their reputation in check. "no, i don't think i will." gin pouts at her brothers' rejection. "i won't force you, but maybe you'd enjoy it." you'll see [name], is what she's implying. as much as he can deny the pointed accusations, it was obvious to others around, that akutagawa held a soft spot for you. he grounded himself, "no." his mental fortude will not be broken down by measly gifts. "mhm–okay," gin hides her grin exceptionally well.

on the day of the party, you're feeling gorgeous in your outfit, hair done and kept to match it. you greet others with polite grace, "good evening to you too executive ozaki." you return her greeting. she does a curt bow before leaving the short talk. hunger gnawed a tight grip on your stomach, a loud growl emitting nothing against the loud chatter of the room. you scan the area for the nearest buffet table to ease your hunger. spotting none, you traverse the mounts of cleanliness ordor into another area of the building, where you laid eyes on an exquisite high-top table filled to the edge of some of your favorites. your inner-self squealed in excitement, still needing to maintain your professional composure while walking down to it.

the closer you got, a familiar voice rang nearby. "i'd rather not talk about it," he adjusts the chain sitting on his neck, your eyes catching wind of his movements unbeknownst to him. "aww, c'mon akutagawa! just tell us!!" tachihara whined drunkenly, using gin as support as he leaned on her. "no," he says. "my brother is a little shy on the outside. don't worry tachihara–i promise he's feeling fluttery on the inside." gin reassures her friend with light taps on his hand. "am not." he glares, hardly ever removing that mean scowl of his. tachihara was about to make a scene until he flinched from your voice, "it's all in the tone, tachi," your half assed smirk eased in—delighted to see akutagawa wearing your gift, "the chain suits you, doesn't it?" you smile, that teasing glint shining in your teeth nearly makes the man in question falter.

"it does," he mutters, walking away with a clenched heart—the blush on the tip of his ears giving away his true feelings.

@ rusmii—everything is owned by mayira, she doesn't appreciate copyright breaches.

anyways lil rant at the bottom but, if ur not a writer, then u have no right to complain abt the amount of smut to fluff ratio 😭 (even then, as a writer, u should understand that complaining is not going to change anything).

im also tired of yall bitching abt everything in the x reader tag 😐 gtfo the place where ppl come to READ fics, not read ur bitching 🙏!

[complaining abt xyz] "oh im going to put this in the x reader tags to gain attention and sympathy for my cause!" OH MY FUCKING GOD SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!

anyways, hello guys ik i wasn't gone for that long, but it feels like forever (cause i haven't written anything good yes ik). buuut.. my hyperfixiation on bsd isnt leaving anytime soon so why not make the most of it rn and write again. next fic is def smut 😴🤞.

#★ saintmay #dazai x reader #chuuya x reader #atsushi x reader #akutagawa x reader #bsd x reader #bungou stray dogs x reader #dazai x you #chuuya x you #atsushi x you #akutagawa x you #dazai x y/n #chuuya x y/n #atsushi x y/n #akutagawa x y/n #bsd x reader fluff

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evieelyzabethh · 10 months ago

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Love your work. <3 Could you write something with reader x spike where they're kinda' pining for one another, but one night he gets injured and has to stay over at her house? She patches him up and maybe offers him a bite? Doesn't have to be nsfw but +5 cool points if it is. <3

Hello, my loves, long time no see!!! I hope this is to your liking <3

Spike is so incredibly reckless. You knew this, he knew, everybody knew that Spike was a walking accident waiting to happen'. He likes to think he can handle himself. "I'm bad, baby," he'd tell you, "M' the big bad slayer killer. I can handle a few scratches." But you were never worried about what he could handle, you were worried about the fact that his blood was always staining your couch. That and the fact that his lack of self-preservation kept you up at night.

Usually, he has some decorum. He doesn't come to you with every scrape and bruise, even though you handled him with much more care than he was capable of extending to himself. It was his way of punishing himself, depriving himself of your head scratches and soft hands for bothering you too much. You scolded him for this, of course. It seems like its every other week (more like every other day) when you and he argue, most often in front of the Scoobies who waited anxiously for you take your arguments to the bedroom, about him leaving you to worry about whether or not he was ash.

"I mean, fuck Spike. Is it really that hard to just give me a call if you plan on bleeding at your place. A little 'Hi, yeah, I don't think I need my wounds treated with modern medicine, I'm gonna take my chances with old whisky and tetanus like the good ol' days'." And every time he takes his well-earned lecture with a smirk and a bowed head.

"Yes, mother, next time I'll break your door down at three in the morning for some pretty pink bandages."

"If you were so ashamed of the pretty pink bandages, maybe you should think before you run into knives!"

Spike has maybe told the truth a grand total of two times in his whole life, so his word means absolutely nothing. He continues to ignore your street like the plague unless it's an absolute emergency.

Now was an emergency.

You barely heard the faint knocks on your door from your bedroom, where you sat on your bed, music blasting from your stereo and some reality court show droning on in the background, catching your attention when someone decided to be particularly messy. You had thought it was your neighbors blind dog scratching at your door again until something large and loud hit it. Quickly arming yourself with a frying pan, you crept to your door, tearing it open for a very injured Spike to nearly fall flat on your floor before he caught himself using your doorframe.

His left hand clutched at his bleeding side and he walked with a limp over to his couch which now had a plastic cover. His dead heart was touched.

"Aw, you were waiting for me, " he croaked out. He fell on his back, one of his hands falling over the side and his eyes closing as soon as his head at the pillow. His shirt had claw marks that were lined with blood and his duster had barely escaped the carnage, a few holes separate from the preexisting moth holes sticky with some supernatural substance.

"Have to be prepared when it comes to you." You patted his cheek, thumbing over his cheekbones to try and arouse some consciousness. "Can't have you fallin' asleep on me. You might not wake up." You weren't going to leave his side until you were sure he wasn't going to die in your absence.

He babbled unintelligently, his mouth moving but having no connection to his brain to form any sort of actual thought. His eyes flit between closed and aware, his head moving to catch up with the spinning room, his mouth impossibly dry, and his head pounding. In his head, he insisted he was fine, but the words wouldn't come out right. He spat them out garbled and messy until he was too choked up to even try anymore.

He was barely conscious when he felt your wrist at his mouth. He had enough sense to shake his head and nudge away your wrist with his nose, but his lack of strength made his attempts futile. "No," he mumbled.

"You'll feel better," your voice swam around in his head until the words lost meaning and he just smiled at the sound of your voice. You swiped your thumb across one of his canines, the red contrasting with the pearly whites of his teeth swiftly wiped away by the pink of his tongue. After the taste of your blood was on his tongue, his sense was surrendered to instinct as he brought your wrist to his lips.

You didn't know what you were getting into. Vampires get their life force from blood, so it just made sense to have him feed from you to expedite the healing process. The more he drank, the louder your heartbeat grew in your ear and the closer he pulled you to him. You had only done this once before, when you were both drunk and dizzy and jokes being whispered in your ear turned into tiny nips from your neck that Buffy nearly walked in on.

In complete shock of what had happened then, you never brought it up, halfway convincing yourself that it never happened in the first place. If it did happen, he had enough sense to pull away then and you hoped he had the sense the pull away now, but now was much different. Now, there was a newfound hunger. A desperation. Like he had been starving himself for years and you were the first bite of food he had eaten. Had to have been good food to, with the way he inhaled you, indulged in you like you were some ambrosia or golden mead.

"Spike," you moaned. "I'm getting a bit light-headed." Your voice was high and thin, fearful as you made attempts to pull your arm from his lips. Through his haze, his fangs contracted back, and his tongue swiped whatever lingered on your skin.

"I'm sorry." Sorry for going too far, sorry for almost turning you into an empty Capri Sun pouch, sorry for being reckless again.

" 's ok."

You wobbled a bit as you stood, fingers wrapped around your wound as you shuffled into your kitchen in pursuit of your first aid kit. "You gonna tell me what happened?" He only groaned from the couch.

"Maybe tomorrow. I'm tired." You laughed on your way over to him, wrist already covered in gauze with an all too familiar needle and thread in hand.

"You're tired?" The smell of your blood was all too pungent, still. He turned his head towards the wall, studying the numerous music posters and paintings you had hanging.

"Going out to fight evil is a very hard job." You chuckled.

"I know. That's why I stay in here to patch you up." Your fingers were like magic. They always had a way of calming him down. Especially the way you hummed to yourself while you worked. You were never content with just silence. "I expect an answer in the morning." He smiled.

"Yes, ma'am." He fell asleep before you even finished and by the time you were done, you were too tired to walk the down the hall to your bed. You laid your head down on his chest, with no heartbeat to thrum and no breath to rock you, you still fell asleep just like that. Who knew cold bodies were so comfortable.

#btvs #btvs imagine #btvs x reader #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy the vampire slayer fanfiction #spike btvs fanfiction #spike x reader #spike btvs #buffy the vampire slayer x reader #spike btvs x reader #spike btvs imagine

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a-simple-imagine · 1 year ago

Text

Bigender asian with pronoun fuckery

synopsis: you're a rising star at godu. just cracked the top ten but a budding relationship with jordan li may bring everything crumbling down

pairing: jordan li x fem!reader

words: 5.2k+

a/n - not sure how i feel about this but i am putting it out there. if this gets enough attention, I can work on another part that goes a little deeper?? I use all pronouns for Jordan but mainly they/them

WARNINGS - swearing and drug use

a groggy groan slips past your lips as you bury your face further into the gentle embrace of the pillow. it is early. too early. you have no clue what time it actually is but whatever the case may be, you weren't ready for the day to start just yet. it takes a moment to realise you're alone in this bed. you hadn't been when you fell asleep. it doesn't bother you too much though. they're probably just getting ready. that is until you hear a curse word muttered quietly; perhaps an attempt to not disturb you or maybe they just wanted to hide their frustration. "what are you doing?" your words half muttered into the pillow.

"rankings are out." that was it? rankings? you sometimes forget how competitive they can be. it's not like you're not interested. you've wanted that top spot since freshman year. alas, golden boy holds that spot and you'd never be a pretty blonde white boy if you tried. this semester you've been working extra hard. Everyone knows you're in the best chance of scoring a city contract if you can break the top ten but the seven? they want the best of the best. sure it's not impossible to be lower and also become part of the team, the deep managed it, but that was an anomaly. most supes just end up as walking advertisements for vought. and as much as you may enjoy the occasional acting class. you weren't here to end up on some CW show or a Netflix special. you were gonna make it into the seven. you were gonna prove to everyone that you are one of the best.

"who cares," you mumble, rolling onto your back and spreading your arms out wide.

"oh, so you don't care that you're now second."

"come back to bed." you urge. a silence seals the room until your brain catches up to what it just heard. did they say second? as in second place? as in one spot away from first? you didn't mishear that. sitting up, you eventually spy a feminine presenting Jordan sitting at her desk, illuminated by the blue glow of their tablet. their short bob falls to one side. a perfect backdrop for such a pretty face "Are you fucking with me?" they don't bother responding just shove the tablet out in your direction. grabbing it you see your school ID photo with a massive '#2' next to it. you blink a few times. scroll down a little. refresh the page. but again it's still there. it was real. "fuck"

"My thoughts exactly," Jordan reacts. you glimpse at them wondering what that comment means. it could merely be a jest or a reflection of their current mood. you take a moment to look at the rest of the list in search of their name. they were no longer top three. you found them sitting nicely at number five. double fuck. you had taken their spot. they're still top ten which most would be happy with but not Jordan. tossing the tablet aside, you drop back against the bed. letting your eyes fall closed. "we have class in like an hour."

"I don't need to go to class. I'm number two now," you press.

"not how that works," A dramatic groan falls past your lips, pulling the covers up over your head. bed sounded better than a morning lecture. you wish they would just join you or leave you be. "get out of my bed." Jordan huffs after a moment. "we're gonna be late." you don't move. you frankly don't care. "if you don't hurry up, no breakfast."

"fucks sake." you whine, emerging from beneath the darkness of the duvet. "fine. I'll let you buy me Jitterbean."

"thought so," they offer you a tight smile. you could never say no to a free treat before class. "chop-chop."

Drink in one hand, pastry in the other, you're feeling brighter as you stroll into class. Jordan trails behind you. they'd been usually quiet on the walk over. you put it down to all the attention you were attracting today. couldn't even walk across campus without people asking for pictures or saying hi. you weren't sure you liked it just yet but for right now it was fine. when you spot cate you offer a scrunched up smile which she quickly returns. you and cate had been friends since day one. something just clicked. "there she is," cate starts as you approach your usual spot in class. "the girl of the hour. you're literally all anyone can talk about."

"aren't i always," you tease.

"we're going out tonight"

"are you asking-" you begin as Dean Shetty strides into the room. guess brink was out today. "or telling me?"

"telling," cate's smile quirks up before she turns to focus on the class. guess that was the end of that conversation.

you linger by your desk as everyone else filters out of the room after class. Dean Shetty requested a word. you can't imagine what it's about. surely she isn't that bothered by your attempts at chatting through her lecture. you offer up an awkward little smile as you push off the desk you were leaning against; slowly making you way across the room. "so what have I done wrong?"

"you mean other than talking through the entire class," you internally cringe a little. maybe she was bothered by all the whispering. she watches you for a moment before continuing. "it is nothing like that. don't worry."

"then why am I here?"

"I just thought we should have a little chat." your brow furrows. what did you and the dean of an entire university have to discuss? was this about your ranking? was she about to tell you there had been a mistake? "I believe congratulations are in order- such an extensive jump in ranking, you must be proud."

this felt like a conversation that could have been an email. "sure. thanks." you shrug. you're not really sure what to say. of course, you're proud. you were the second highest ranked student in a school of exceptional kids. "is that all?"

"no," her head shakes a little. I wanted to make sure you understand the gravity of the position you're in." when you don't respond she decides to just continue. "being a superhero is about more than just your abilities. it's also about how you present yourself. people care about you. they wanna know what you're doing. who you're hanging out with. One minute you're taking a picture with a nice girl you met at a party the next you're fighting nazi allegations for hanging out with a white supremacist. do you get what I'm saying?"

you shrug. "don't hang out with nazis, got it."

"I'm saying you need to look at yourself more like a brand. Be careful about what you say and who you spend your time with. you're the sum of the people around you."

"I know. I took branding." everyone knew how this worked. being a good person only took you so far and if homelander was anything to go off, that doesn't even matter that much. it's all about how you market yourself. it's about how many followers you have. how much attention you can get. inevitably, how much money can you make for Vought? Dean Shetty smiles but it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"you do want to be number one, correct?" you nod a little. "I want to help you get to the top but only if you wanna help yourself."

"what about Luke?"

"he is far from my concern right now." what did that even mean? "so?"

you hesitate. you did want this but you weren't entirely sure what you were agreeing to here. If Dean Shetty can help you secure first place though, maybe it was worth the risk. she was an expert here. should you even bother questioning why the sudden interest in you? "I want this."

"Good," her smile seemed more genuine now. "I know you can go far, just keep in mind what I said."

"I will," you start edging towards the stuff you left on your desk. "thanks."

"also try listening during lectures. I'm sure you and Miss Dunlap can talk some other time."

"Sorry." with that you practically run out of the classroom before she can continue talking.

it's a particularly chilly night smushed in the back seat of an old car. bright lights zoom past the window and music blasts through the speakers. you're not really paying attention to the noise around you. it's a mess of meaningless conversation. Dean Shetty's words play over in your head. She certainly would not approve of this little venture out into the night past curfew; what she didn't know couldn't hurt her. Jordan eventually pulls your attention; in his hand, he holds two small red pills. you don't really question it before popping one into your mouth. a second for later. tonight was gonna be fun or if nothing else you can abuse enough substances to pretend. the secret location is just a massive warehouse. on the outside, you'd think it any old thing. inside you find massive tanks of rainbow fish, long sweeping curtains, jester-themed masquerade masks and other eccentric decor. it is the most random selection and yet it works so well. creates the perfect balance of sexy and mysterious but inviting. you find yourself in a booth with your friends all around. "so how's being number two going for ya?" Andre asks. "feeling the pressure yet?"

"I don't know," you shrug. "people are weird."

"what do you mean?" Luke questions.

"Dean Shetty said some things to me after class."

"-I come bearing gifts." Jordan appears, now in their feminine form with a couple of drinks followed by Marie. "courtesy of the young gentleman at the bar."

"What did Dean Shetty say?"

"it doesn't matter." you shrug it off. "two will never be one right."

"has it not hit yet?" Jordan wonders.

"i know what it's like to suddenly have all this pressure on you but try not to think about it much," Luke reassures you. "just keep doing what you're doing. you've got this."

"my guy. you're supposed to be happy here," Andre leans forward slapping his hand against your leg. "we're out here celebrating you, dude. cheer up."

"I'm plenty happy," you grumble sinking further into your seat. you appreciate their attempt to cheer you up but it's honestly not needed. you're happy to be in second place even with all the newly founded pressure; just a little confused about what was expected of you. "ecstatic even. let's talk about something else."

your head feels fuzzy. nothing feels real anymore. but it's good. great even. you feel so fucking good. like you've rid yourself of every lingering thought that wrapped itself around your body. you're light. you're free. the shimmering blue of the giant fish tanks is so mesmerising; you almost want to climb in but instead, you watch. colours morphing and shifting before your eyes. back and forth. back and forth. you jump a little as something touches your shoulder. "here you are." their words seem distant; muffled even. "you good?" you nod a little continuing to stare at the fish. two hands slip around your waist and connect in front. you feel their body press into yours from behind. you know it's Jordan. you know they're masc. You know them well. their smokey cologne. the way their body feels around you. the subtle differences between both forms. taller. bigger. firm. you let out a content hum. it's a rarity for such open affection. "what are you doing?" whispered in your ear.

"Just watching the fish,"

"why?"

"do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a fish?" you wonder softly. "to just swim around all day without a care in the world… no complex family systems. no pressure to be the best. just… swimming and pretty colours." their chuckle is temperate. affectionate. it almost seems like they somehow get closer.

"you're fucked, huh?"

"I'm good. I'm great," you respond. they just chuckle again, planting a soft kiss on your shoulder. your relationship with Jordan was hardly one of romance. you have slept together. a few times actually. and some kind of feelings are there; at least for you there are but you're not dating. you're just… having fun. maybe you want more. who knows? you don't. would they even want more? probably not. you'd like it. maybe. doesn't matter. they make you feel warm. safe even. and that's all that really matters.

"shall we get you a drink?" you nod a little. "yeah?"

"yeah," you repeat nodding more eagerly. a dopey smile settling on your lips as you let your head fall back; nuzzling against him. "something fruity, please."

"let's get you something fruity," arms vacate your waist replaced with a hand in yours.

"bye fishies," you throw a wave back. "say bye Jordan."

"Absolutely not." they interlock your fingers before leading the way back into the turbulent crowd of the club.

"you're no fun." you groan playfully. weaving through the mass of people back towards the bar, you come across cate. as you approach, Jordan let's go.

"you found her then," shouted over the heavy bass and mess of voices.

"she was alone staring at the fish tanks," they respond.

"the fish were really pretty," you contribute with a bright smile.

"you gotta stop running off, silly."

"but the fishies-"

"I know they're pretty but still," cate continues. "do you wanna come dance?"

"hmmm… yes." you respond brightly. "jordan's gonna get me a drink. jordan get cate one too."

"yeah Jordan, get cate one too." cate repeats playfully. her hand slides into yours and she pulls you towards the dance floor. it's a lot of blurred colours as you sway and move alongside the blonde. she wears a playful smile and smells so good. really sweet. like freshly baked cookies. "are you good?"

"mhmm,"

"you sure?" it's so loud out here. there are so many people around you. it's hard to pick up what is being said.

"I am so good, cate," you respond loudly. "I mean definitely fucked but yeah. are you good?"

"yeah," she nods. "I'm-" the rest of her sentence is impossible to comprehend.

"what?"

cate places her hands on your shoulders bringing you to a stop as she leans in extra close. "i said i'm proud of you."

"you're starting to sound like my mom," you joke. she playfully hits your arm. "but thank you."

"i think you could actually take luke's spot."

"i definitely can." you declare proudly. "dean shetty offered to help."

"really?" cate seems shocked by the idea. "why?"

you shrug. "i'm gonna be in the seven one day." you yell loudly. nobody cares. everyone is being loud. it'd drowned out by everything else. cate stares at you for a moment before letting her smile return.

"fuck yeah, you are," cate shouts. your smile brightens. fuck yeah, you are.

your head pounds with the weight of your bad decisions. maybe you went a little too hard. Nausea settles deep in the pit of your stomach. you think you're gonna throw up. you don't. you breathe deeply through it. a long groan forces its way past your lips as you roll onto your back; stretching out your limbs as far as they go to very little relief. A pain radiates from your left leg. god only knows why. you're just a little achy. how did you even get here? the last thing you remember is dancing with Cate; having fun.

"she's alive," the voice catches you off guard. it sounds like… wait. your eyes finally focus on the person in the room who definitely wasn't your roommate. that black hair. that pretty face. the effortless expression of too cool to be here. jordan li is still in the exact same outfit as last night. why were they here? "how's our newest celebrity?"

there were many ways you could answer but your brain could only come up with. "shitty."

"I bet," they approach the end of your bed, holding out a glass of water. "here."

you slowly push yourself up into a seated position. trying desperately to ignore the intense pressure building in your head. "why are you here?" you ask, accepting the glass and taking a long, big gulp.

"Jordan stayed all night," your roommate, Beth, interjects. By her tone, she was not happy with your newfound company. "would have been nice to know."

"I'm allowed to have people in our room, Beth." you hand the glass back to Jordan before falling back down against the bed. rubbing your eyes with your thumb and forefinger. "I wanna die."

"tell me next time." Beth continues to argue. "instead I wake up to a stranger in our room."

you groan loudly. this was too much talking for your poor delicate head to handle right now. "I'm right here, guys," Jordan insists. "I literally spoke to you last night."

"I'm making a point." your roommate argues. "I'd like a heads up."

"gooooood! okay- sorry," you groan. you really don't care this much

"Okay, well, I gotta go," Jordan hums. "wasn't supposed to stay this long just wanted to make sure you're cool."

"I'm fine. go," you wave a dismissive hand as your eyes flutter close. "thanks for getting me home."

"any time," their weight leaves the bed and you roll onto your side to face the wall. pulling the duvet closer around your body. "I'll text you- bye Beth."

"bye Jordan." you hear the door click and an uncomfortable silence fills the room. it's preferable to the loud conversation that just happened. it's a relief to your head. you just want to go back to sleep. "they must really like you."

urgh. you don't want to talk anymore. "yeah, jordans cool."

"no, I mean, they like you," Beth continues on. you bury yourself further into your cocoon of pillows and duvet. "stayed the whole night just to keep an eye on you. I said it was fine- you'd be fine but they insisted."

Jordan insisted? just how fucked up were you that Jordan li of all people would stay the night just to make sure you were okay? you guys were good friends but most of the time they were either bullying you or treating you like a child which is like a subset of bullying you. you remember them wrapping their arms around you as you watched the fish last night. you've seen Jordan's softer side obviously but yeah. "we're just friends, dude."

"All I know is that Jordan li, as far as I've seen and heard, would not do that for just anyone. they're into you."

"sure. fine. whatever." you growl. you just wanted this conversation to end. Jordan was cool but if you think about this for too long your head is gonna explode. right now, sleep was what you needed. "Jordan Li is in love with me. I'm going back to sleep." it's hard not to think about what Beth suggested. that Jordan was into you as more than just a friend and occasionally fuck buddy. is that something you should talk about? What if Beth was wrong and you bring it up and it makes things super weird? you can't handle that. you have like a million classes together, you would never be able to escape them.

it was a bright sunny day in the quad of Godolkin University. you sit in the courtyard. a laptop, criminology textbooks and a water bottle spread across the table. you have an essay due in a few days. you had sat down to work on this essay multiple times with a beautiful blank document and many hours on TikTok to show for it. "hey," your TikTok time is interrupted by none other than Jordan Li. you had not seen them since that night or morning. you hadn't really spoken either. you weren't avoiding them by any means. you were just busy and they hadn't seemed too eager to talk so. "hey," they say after a moment. "how's the essay going?"

"so great," you flash a smile. "I've written so much."

"that good, huh," they joke awkwardly taking a sip of their coffee. you just hum in response. you need to get this done. no time to add Jordan to the list of distractions. after a few moments of silence, they speak up again. "I was hoping we could talk

"Can this wait? I really need to get this done."

"I guess…" Jordan trailed off. you look at him for a moment. he seems disheartened by your request.

"what's up?"

"it… doesn't matter. don't worry." a small smile settles on their lips. "I should go."

"you sure?"

Jordan pushes up from their seat. "I'll see you later."

that was weird. definitely something you need to come back to later when you're not working on a deadline. for now, you had an essay to, at the very least, start.

"Have you spoken to Jordan recently?" you ask Cate as you slide into a booth at the on-campus Vought - a - burger. the smell of deep-fried food hangs heavy in the air and you know damn well this table is probably gonna be sticky as hell. "I feel like they're ignoring me."

"What makes you think that?"

"the fact that they're quite literally ignoring me. I've text them a couple times and nothing. even in class, they can hardly look at me." you reach into the bag to pull out the food; placing it on napkins in front of you. cate hands you your drink in exchange for her order. "I feel bad. they tried to talk to me the other day but I wanted to get my essay done."

"they've seemed fine to me but I've been working on a project for my hero management class." Cate shrugs. "is this about what happened the other night?"

"what happened the other night?" you questioned, popping a fry into your mouth. it actually tasted fresh and salty; guess you came at the correct time. you hate it when they're all soggy.

"I don't know if it's my place to say- you were pretty high."

"did I do something… bad?" you didn't remember that night but you never imagined you would ever do something inappropriate.

"no. not bad." you can tell she regrets bringing this up; whatever this is. torn between wanting to help and not overstepping boundaries. She is about to continue when two girls approach the table. freshmen you presume. you've never seen them before.

"Can we get a selfie?" the taller of the two requests. you frown a little.

"we're actually trying to have a private con-"

"it'll just take a minute," they turn around and hold the camera out, snapping a picture before you have a chance to react. "thanks." they scurry off almost immediately. you'll probably find yourself tagged in a picture on Instagram later. it had been happening a lot recently; so much so that you had to turn notifications off.

"the fuck?" you share a confused look with Cate. "people are so rude."

"they're just excited. you're basically a celebrity to them," Cate chuckles.

"do you think Jordan hates me now?" you wonder bringing the conversation back to Li.

"it's probably just because of the rankings."

"you mean because I took their spot?"

"Jordan has always been pretty intense when it came to rankings. they've wanted that top spot for as long as I've known them." Cate explains, hiding her mouth as she shoves more food into her mouth. "must suck that you just jumped to two and have the dean in your corner no less." you never really considered how Jordan must be handling all this. you knew they'd be a little upset but this seemed extreme.

"I never really thought about that," you sigh softly. "should I apologise?"

"I don't know," Cate resumes, biting the head off some fries. "if you think it'd help."

"I don't know why they didn't just tell me that when we first found out," you frown a little. "they were a little distant but they seemed cool when we went out."

"maybe you should just try talking to them," Cate suggests, picking up her drink. She takes a swift sip before continuing. "if it's about rankings or the other night- I don't know. only Jordan does."

"what happened the other night?" you ask again.

"ask Jordan."

"I'm asking you, Cate."

"you were just a lot and said some things."

"Cate!" you huff, falling back. you know Cate well. you know when she's avoiding something. "I know you're being cryptic so I give up on it."

"it's just not my place. it's between you and Jordan. I don't wanna get in the middle." Cate presses sharply. "did you get your essay done?"

"no," you shake your head. "I ended up getting an extension- how am I supposed to speak to them when they're ignoring me?"

"i don't know- can we please talk about something else?" Cate pleads.

"Sure," you hum softly. taking another fry you dip it into some sauce. "let's talk about how I'm about to fail criminology."

you text Jordan that you're coming over. It wasn't a question but a statement. no option to refuse. you needed to sort this out and being direct was the best approach. did every inch of your body buzz with anxiety as you made your way towards their dorm room? yes. but it beat constantly thinking about every little interaction you had with Jordan in the past week trying to figure out exactly what you had done wrong. the only blank spot was that night and Cate had unintentionally convinced you that you had done something absolutely awful. maybe you told them you hate them or invalidated their identity in some way? fuck. you swallow hard staring at their closed door. you shake out the nerves before knocking. knock. knock. knock. and the door swings open to reveal Jordan. "hey," they hum before retreating into the safety of their dorm. shutting the door behind you, you step inside the all too familiar space; you had been here a great many times and yet today there was a weird vibe. it felt foreign. cold even. "so what did you wanna talk about?" for a split second you almost forgot why you were here. you turn to Jordan who is sitting on the couch, a laptop thrown off to the side now. your eyes fall to the homelander Vought-a-burger toy that has somehow become a staple of this room. leader of the seven. currently facing major allegations. "you good?"

"Are you mad at me?" you blurt out. "is it about the rankings? I know they mean a lot to you and I basically took your spot so I get it if you're mad. it's a little unfair because I've always wanted this too but like I get it." your rambling but you can't help yourself. you need to get this all out as quickly as possible before your brain catches on and you chicken out. "And I'm sorry about the other day, I just really needed to get my essay done. I ended up getting an extension because I was so stressed out about it, I just couldn't start." you can't bring yourself to look at them. "or if I did something shitty on that night out. I'm sorry. it was fucked-"

"whoa dude, chill out," Jordan ultimately interrupts. "you're talking a lot." you dare a glance at them. their face is pretty neutral so you have no clue what was going on in their head. "what are you even asking?"

"why are you avoiding me?" you ask. "I've clearly done something wrong."

a heavy sigh leaves their lips as they fall back against the plush fabric. "I'll admit I was a little annoyed with the rankings at first but I'm working on it. this is like a really big deal for you."

"so you're not mad at me?" you sound so pathetic. an even bigger sigh leaves their lips. you're not sure what that means but nobody sighs that heavily for good reason. they push to their feet, crossing the room towards you.

"I'm not mad at you," they say softly as they approach. for a second they hold your gaze as they linger close but then they flicker away. "I'm just… confused."

"About what?" they take a step closer. so close. too close. their hot breath pricks at your skin but you don't dare move away. you almost feel drawn to them.

"Is this okay?" they say quietly.

"Are you only doing this so we'll stop talking about it?" their head shakes just a little.

"no," their hand graces over your neck and up to the bottom of your jaw. Their thumb gently brushes your skin, sending a chill down your spine. there would always be something about Jordan Li that made you melt inside. when they're here and so close, you almost forget all your worries. the way they look at you. like you're the only person in the world. a feather-like embrace is enough to send you spinning. "I don't think I can just be your friend anymore," whispered against your lips. "I… like you too." they pull back.

"Jordan,"

"I need you to say it- I need you to say it sober so I don't feel like a fucking idiot," say it sober? when did you say it in the first place? maybe this was what Cate was talking about. the thing you couldn't remember. you admitted to having feelings for Jordan. fuck.

"I…" you trail off, the words are caught in your throat. this is gonna change everything?

"It's cool," they declare loudly, letting their hand fall as they away. "I get it."

"no Jordan-"

"no it's fine. you were fucked. it didn't mean anything- I shouldn't have said anything."

"Jordan," you say louder, reaching out for their hand. a deep regret fills your stomach. you liked Jordan. they meant a lot to you and you were throwing it all away because you were scared; terrified even. if this doesn't work out then you ruin everything. there's no coming back from this.

"don't," they yank their hand away. "please don't. I don't want your pity."

"It's not pity."

"I don't get you." they huff. "you're all over me and then you want nothing to do with me. you tell everyone you like me but then… nothing? it's… confusing-"

"Jordan just- stop please," you say loudly. "I… like you, okay?"

"don't say things you don't mean."

"I mean it," you say a tad more confidently. "I like you." you try to reach for them again. they let you take their hand. " i don't know what it means exactly but I do… like you… too." you squeeze their hand slightly. it's warm and fits so perfectly in yours. they turn back to you with a smile. a small genuine smile that fills you with butterflies. they really did mean so much to you.

"so… now what?" they ask.

"I don't know." you pursed your lips, shrugging your shoulders. "but I do have to go."

"Seriously?"

"I have a meeting with Dean Shetty." you express. "I'm sorry. She wants me at some dinner so."

#gen v #jordan li #jordan li x reader #jordan li x you #the boys #london thor #derek luh

1K notes · View notes

chickenkurage · 3 months ago

Text

Old habits, die hard (Teen Alan AU)

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Alan still has the habit of overworking himself to the point of passing out, thankfully the hollowheads catch up on what he was doing, with Second accidentally managing to find a way to open Alan’s camera and find him sleeping on the desk again looking worse for wear.

Tag: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Overworking, Health Issues, Humor, and Comedy

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“This is... uh, embarrassing,” Alan admitted, feeling a flush of embarrassment as Jennifer inspected the broken wheel of his chair. “What even happened, Alan? This is the only swivel chair we've got in the house. I don't think I can buy a new one at the moment,” Jennifer said, her brow furrowed as she knelt beside the chair, examining the damage.

“Tried taking out the cobwebs from my ceiling... I fell,” Alan confessed, his cheeks reddening as he rubbed the back of his head. “Goodness! Are you okay?” Jennifer inquired, moving closer to Alan and checking his arm and back for any signs of injury.

“I'm fine, my back hurts a little, but I'm good! I promise,” Alan assured, a slight pout on his face. “I'm sorry, Mom. I know you got me this chair... I didn't mean to break it,” he added, feeling genuinely apologetic.

Jennifer's expression softened as she placed a comforting hand on Alan's shoulder. “It's alright, accidents happen. Your well-being is more important than any chair. We'll figure something out,” she reassured him, offering a warm smile.

"It's old anyway. How about in the meantime, you use one of the chairs from the kitchen? Until maybe I can buy you a new one,” Jennifer suggested, her hand gently rubbing her chin in thought.

“Huh?! No, it's fine... I-I can use the kitchen chair. It's okay if it's not like this one,” Alan replied, a hint of discomfort evident in his frown as he considered the alternative.

“Really? The kitchen chair isn't exactly comfortable, and your back might start hurting if you use it for a long time. And knowing you... you'll definitely be glued to your seat,” Jennifer teased playfully, a mischievous grin on her face.

Alan pouted in response. “No, I don't! I go out with DJ daily,” he protested.

Jennifer raised an eyebrow, her expression clearly skeptical as her lips curved into a knowing smile.

Blushing slightly, Alan ducked his head. “Okay, maybe not every day, but every weekend! I don't sit around all the time. I take walks... usually,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Alan, how many times do I have to remind you that you need to take care of yourself better? I know you're already 15, 5 more years and you're a grown man! You probably don't even need me now,” Jennifer said, crossing her arms with a mix of concern and affection.

“I'm just saying, please take care of yourself more. Look at you, you look thin! And pale!” Jennifer remarked, grabbing Alan's face and squeezing his cheeks. “Mommm,” Alan whined playfully as Jennifer continued to squish his face with a chuckle.

“Alan, just do what I tell you, okay? Take good care of yourself. I trust you,” Jennifer said, emphasizing the importance of self-care before giving Alan's cheek one last gentle squeeze. “Mommmmm,” Alan protested again, though this time with a hint of laughter as Jennifer stepped back.

“I'll see if a friend of mine can fix your chair so you don't have to use the kitchen chair, how about that?” Jennifer suggested, turning back to the swivel chair Alan had. “Sure, I think that's much better,” Alan replied with a small smile.

[♡]

Alan did in fact not follow what his mother had said….

“Alan… psst, wake up! Lecture's over,” James shook Alan's shoulder, causing him to flinch and his eyes to open in panic. “Wha! Dark!” Alan sputtered, causing James to look at him weirdly before glancing around the room. “It's not dark here,” James mused, puzzled by Alan's reaction, and then looked back down at Alan, who sniffed, his nose slightly runny.

“Did I fall asleep through the whole lecture?” Alan asked, wide-eyed as he took in the empty room, devoid of students or the professor.

James nodded, “Yeah, man, you slept through the entire 3-hour class. That's crazy.”

Alan grabbed his hair in panic. “And you didn't wake me up?! Wh-What!? Tell me you wrote down notes for this lecture,” Alan said, cupping both of his hands together in a pleading gesture.

“Yeah, dude, I can lend you mine,” James said, opening his bag and handing Alan his binder. “ Oh, Christ, why did I even sleep through the whole thing,” Alan groaned, running a hand over his face in dismay.

“Honestly, you look worse for wear, Alan, and that’s saying something. You look even worse than last week,” James exclaimed, taking note of Alan's eye bags and slightly red nose from his frequent rubbing.

Alan shot him a seething glare, snatching the binder from James' hands. “Gee, thanks, James,” Alan grumbled under his breath.

“Anyways, I'm also done with my part in the animation project that we have to pass next week,” James added, placing a hand on his waist in a relaxed stance.

“That’s already next week? I haven’t even started yet,” Alan said, pushing himself up from his seat, only to pause when his vision suddenly blurred.

James quickly placed a hand on Alan's shoulder to steady him. “It’s next weekend. I mean, you should rest for now, Alan. You look really sick,” James frowned, concern evident in his voice as Alan instinctively placed a hand on his forehead.

“I still have a lot of notes to write down. Can't you believe it? 500 slides for a 10-item quiz this Friday,” Alan whined, shoving the binder into his bag and pulling out a tissue to blow his nose.

“It’s Monday, Alan. You can review some slides tomorrow. Go to sleep, man,” James advised, crossing his arms as he observed Alan rubbing his tired eyes.

“I know, I know. I can do it. I’m not dying,” Alan retorted, rolling his eyes as he zipped up his bag and turned to James. “We've got no class tomorrow. Just get some rest, dude,” James insisted as he followed after Alan, who stumbled out of the room.

“Mmm, yeah, yeah,” Alan mumbled wearily, prompting James to shake his head in disappointment. “One day, Alan, I swear, one day you're gonna regret pushing yourself so much,” James remarked, while Alan waved him off and headed in a different direction to catch a bus.

“See ya, James,” Alan bid farewell tiredly as James watched him stumble away with a frown, shaking his head at his friend's stubbornness.

By the time Alan reached home, Jennifer was not around, leaving him alone in the house.

“Nhhh,” Alan groaned, attempting to stretch his left arm to relieve the ache. His stomach grumbled, prompting him to walk over to the fridge. He let out a sigh upon finding it empty. “Ugh,” Alan muttered, lightly knocking his head on the top of the fridge, causing him to rub it in frustration.

“I’ll just wait for dinner,” Alan mumbled to himself, closing the fridge and trudging up the stairs to his room.

Upon opening the door, he surveyed his messy room. "Right, I forgot to clean my room," Alan mumbled, kicking a dirty shirt towards the hamper.

He threw his bag on his bed, retrieved James' binder, notebook, and pen, then settled in his chair, wincing slightly at its discomfort before powering up his PC.

As he waited for it to boot up, he began copying James’ notes. “Tsk,” Alan clicked his tongue, shaking his right hand, feeling his wrist ache. “Not again,” he mumbled, before glancing up at his screen displaying Second and the skittle gang lounging on the sofa.

Alan chuckled softly before reaching for his earphones tucked beside his desk.

“Hey guys” Alan said, causing Second to sit up excitedly and wave his direction. Alan waved back in response before chuckling when he remembers that Second can’t exactly see him.

“Alan! You’re back home from school?” Second asked, tilting his head curiously.

“Mmm, I've got some stuff to do, but I'm here to listen if you've got some stories to share about what happened while I was gone,” Alan replied, glancing back down at his notebook and continuing to jot down notes despite the painful ache in his right hand.

“Oh well… there’s nothing that exciting that happened, I think,” Second said, tapping his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

“That's a lie. I think you all are some sort of danger magnet. Surely something must have happened while I was gone,” Alan chuckled, a knowing glint in his eyes.

“Wha?! No way!” Second spluttered in embarrassment, waving his arms defensively. Behind him, Green and Yellow chuckled, their shoulders shaking before returning to their own activities.

“Okayyy,” Alan drawled, a smirk playing on his lips as he continued to write,

“Trust me!... Anyways, Vic, Cho, and Dark are coming by,” Second said excitedly, hopping with anticipation. Alan shifted his focus back to the screen, a grin spreading across his face.

“Really?! Great!” Alan exclaimed, already looking forward to chatting with the three, who led lives in the... whatever they called it, the outernet?

“But if you're really busy, they can come by tomorrow if you want,” Second suggested, tilting his head curiously.

Alan's eyes widened as he glanced at the list of tasks he had written on his wrist. “Uhhh, totally not busy, don’t worry,” Alan lied through his teeth, chuckling awkwardly.

“Really? I kind of thought you would be very busy. Then again, I kind of don’t understand how schools work,” Second said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

“Oh, Sec, don’t worry, I seriously am free today, uhm... even right now!” Alan winced at his unintentionally high-pitched voice as he watched Second excitedly hop and open the animation program application.

“Great! We can animate while we wait for them!” Second clapped enthusiastically as Alan pushed his notebook to the side of his desk.

“Totally,” Alan agreed, pulling his keyboard and drawing tablet closer.

[♡]

“A–Achoo!” Alan sneezed, followed by a sniffle as he reached for another tissue to blow his nose. Glancing at the clock in the bottom left corner of his screen, he noted the time: 3:00 AM.

“Ugh, this is my fault. I should've started earlier,” Alan muttered to himself, pulling his lamp closer to his notebook and bending down to continue writing, his back and wrist protesting with aches.

“Not like I could say no to them, though,” Alan mumbled as he finished jotting down the last of the notes he had missed earlier. Closing James’ binder, he shoved it back into his bag and refocused on his screen.

The empty sofa caught his eye before he opened his personal files and the slides that required more detailed note-taking. “Great… more writing,” Alan grumbled, rubbing his eyes and sniffling, his nose running again.

He groaned in response, balling up a tissue and pressing it inside his nose, blocking it completely.

“Nnh,” Alan grunted, rubbing his wrist, feeling the numbness creeping in. Typically, at this point, he would rest his wrist and resume the work the next day.

However, with 500 slides looming ahead, he knew he had to push through and start his work now, understanding that his penchant for procrastination could hinder his progress if he delayed any further.

Alan turned his focus back to the bottom left of his screen. “4:00 AM, then I rest,” Alan mumbled to himself before returning to the slides, hastily jotting down his notes, still ignoring the persistent ache in his wrist.

Lost in a trance, time seemed to slip away unnoticed, and before he knew it, he found himself suddenly jolting awake, his face meeting the hard surface of his desk with a resounding thud. “Achk!” Alan yelped in surprise, instinctively holding his nose where the tissue had slipped off during his unintended slumber.

“Oh no, di-did I fall asleep?” Alan mumbled, his eyes widening as he glanced at the time displayed on his screen—it was already 5 AM in the morning.

He blinked in disbelief before looking down at his notes, realizing that he had managed to cover almost half of the material, despite not recalling how he had drifted off to sleep.

“Did I fall asleep sitting up?” Alan mumbled to himself drowsily, his nose feeling runny again as he grabbed another tissue to stifle the sniffles, then retrieved the pen that had rolled under his desk.

“Khk,” Alan groaned, his aching wrist causing him to flinch, inadvertently hitting his head under the table. “Ah, dammit,” he cursed, retrieving the pen with his left hand and placing it back on the table, rubbing his head in discomfort.

“Alan? You’re awake early,” Chosen said, suddenly appearing at the side of his screen, looking like he had just woken up. “Huh? Yeah,” Alan replied, picking up his pen, wincing slightly as his right hand protested. “I thought you don’t have classes on Tuesday?” Chosen inquired, walking over to the sofa and flopping down with a sigh.

“I don’t, but I need to, uhmm–” Alan trailed off, his mind momentarily blanking for no apparent reason.

He noticed Chosen tilting his head, patiently waiting for him to continue.

“Ah, yeah, I have a quiz, sorry I forgot the word,” Alan said, rubbing his head embarrassedly.

“Oh, I understand. You can continue; I’ll watch over here and wait for the others to wake up,” Chosen said, waving a hand lazily.

“Mmm,” Alan hummed tiredly, refocusing on the PowerPoint and continuing his notes, mumbling to himself intermittently. However, at some point, his vision began to darken at the edges, prompting him to release his pen and bury his face in his hands.

“Ughhh,” Alan groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Chosen asked, still observing him from the couch, though he had reclined and inadvertently dozed off while watching Alan's cursor move around the slides. He woke up to Alan groaning, feeling slightly concerned upon hearing Alan's sniffles and a more congested tone in his voice.

“N-nothing, it’s just that I'm only on the 332nd slide,” Alan said with a groan, punctuating his response with a yawn.

Chosen felt a hint of suspicion creeping up his back.

“Alan… did you even sleep?” Chosen suddenly asked, sitting up from the couch and crossing his arms disapprovingly.

“Oh, uhm, uh, haha, I-I did? I took a nap,” Alan said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

“Don’t tell me the nap is on the desk,” Chosen said, disappointment evident in his tone as he heard Alan emit a small ‘eep.’

“Alan, go to sleep. You need rest,” Chosen remarked firmly, noticing Alan's audible groans and sniffling, along with the faint sound of him removing his earphones to blow his nose away from the mic.

“Just a bit more, th-then I'll sleep,” Alan muttered, determined to finish a few more slides as Chosen shook his head in disappointment.

Alan frowned, feeling embarrassed and slightly hurt as he gazed at Chosen. While Chosen doesn't have a face, his body language spoke volumes, arms crossed and an air of disappointment palpable in his posture.

Alan despised disappointing people, and the weight of Chosen's disappointment weighed heavily on him.

“Okay, I’ll rest!” Alan said, raising his arms in defeat, the throbbing in his right arm now insistent. Chosen gave him a firm nod, “Good, come back when you’re well-rested.”

Alan couldn't help but roll his eyes at Chosen's directive as he removed his earphones and made his way to his bed. Shoving his bag to the corner, he collapsed onto his unmade mattress. “Just for a few hours,” Alan mumbled to himself as he curled up on his side, closing his eyes.

However, he soon found his respite interrupted by the uncomfortable ache in his back and right arm. “Ugh, just my luck,” Alan grumbled, sitting up and making his way to his drawers in search of pain relief patches to alleviate the discomfort.

Thankfully, he found a few and carefully placed two on his lower back for good measure, along with one on his forehead to help him rest more comfortably. Despite his efforts, his mind raced with thoughts of work left undone, making it challenging to relax.

Frustrated, Alan rubbed his face wearily, glancing at his screen to find that Chosen had already left, likely back in the folder where the houses were stored.

“Just a few more minutes, I need to finish the slides and then a few commissions,” Alan mumbled to himself, rushing to his bed and bending down to retrieve the wrist brace he had accidentally kicked under the bed before settling back into his chair.

He swiftly strapped the brace onto his right wrist, tightening it for good measure before grasping his pen, ensuring he could still maneuver his hand. Though slightly uncomfortable, wearing the brace affected his writing, but he felt compelled to complete his tasks before even considering rest.

And so, that's what he did. Alan finished all his slides and transitioned to his animation project, his tired eyes struggling to focus on the time displayed on his screen—it was already 8 AM, and he was still engrossed in sketching. Nothing was finalized yet; perhaps he had grown too reliant on seeking help from Second.

“Good morning, Alan!” Second beamed, skipping down his desktop joyfully.

“Hey, Sec, mind if I ask for some help for a few moments?” Alan inquired, tapping his pen wearily against his cheek, refusing to pause his work even though every time he closed his eyes, they burned with fatigue.

“Oh yeah, definitely. Is this a commission or something?” Second asked, climbing up the animation program and grabbing his own pencil.

Alan only hummed tiredly, not fully registering Second's question as he continued with his work.

Second tilted his head curiously, “Alan? Yahoo, I'm asking something.” Second waved his hands, prompting Alan to blink owlishly. “Ah, sorry, I didn't hear it. Can you ask again?” Alan replied with an awkward chuckle.

“Alan, are you sure you’re alright? I honestly thought you would still be asleep at this time. You don't have any classes today, right?” Second inquired while fixing a few errors in Alan's sketch.

“Ah, well, I just want to finish this quickly. This is school work, and I still haven't started on some of my commissions yet,” Alan mumbled, his focus split between the conversation and his tasks.

“Hmm, have you thought about closing your commissions for now?” Second asked.

“Ah, well, no... I need money for my…..school stuff,” Alan admitted, feeling embarrassed as his face flushed with heat.

“Oh... But... isn’t your mom there to help you? You have school, and you are quite busy,” Second remarked as he observed Alan's work, jumping down to hit the play button and watching the animation unfold with a proud hum.

“Mmmm, ehh,” Alan responded, prompting a chuckle from Second. Alan was indeed a man of few words at times.

By the time 10 PM rolled around, Alan and Second had finally completed the animation. Alan then proceeded to craft a brief message to James, attaching the animation and sending it through email before leaning back in his chair, releasing a contented sigh.

“Finally,” Alan uttered, his voice tinged with a mix of relief and fatigue, his arms raised in a gesture of victory.

He heard Second clapping. “Nice job, Alan!” Second cheered, only to stop abruptly when he noticed the sound of light snoring. “Alan? Are you asleep?” Second inquired, tilting his head curiously.

In the end, Alan had indeed passed out in his chair, the weight of his efforts and exhaustion finally catching up to him.

[♡]

Alan adjusted the webcam above his screen and tapped his chin, “I think it's finally set up,” he mumbled to himself, having to rouse from his impromptu sleep at his desk when a knock sounded at the front door. Peering out, he spotted the small package he had ordered from Amazon.

Despite using some of his money to buy the webcam so others could see him, Alan grimaced as he surveyed his messy room and his disheveled appearance. He looked incredibly haggard and felt even worse as his nose continued to run from the previous night.

“Awwwww!” Second whined, slumping in disappointment. Vic patted his back consolingly, “I'm sorry, guys. Maybe tomorrow?” Alan suggested, rubbing the back of his head. “I mean, it's fine by me, to be honest. Sec is just impatient,” Dark remarked as Second let out a sad whine.

“Same here,” Vic added with a nod, Chosen echoing his sentiment.

“Oh, that's good. I promise I'll open my camera tomorrow, Sec,” Alan said with a laugh as Second knelt on the ground, clasping his hands together. “Alannnn, pleaseeee,” Second whined, prompting Dark to grab him by the scruff of his neck.

“Stop being so dramatic, Sec,” Dark chided as he shook the orange stick, eliciting a sad whine that made Second resemble a kicked puppy. Alan chuckled as he watched Dark drag Second off the side of the screen and towards the folder.

Stretching his arms over his head, Alan observed Vic and Chosen settling down on the couch, engrossed in their conversation.

After a moment of contemplation, Alan stood up from his chair and walked towards his drawer to retrieve brand new patches to replace the ones on his forehead and back. He took off his wristband momentarily to add a patch to his wrist before securing it back in place, releasing a relieved sigh.

“Perfect, I can work again,” Alan declared before returning to his desk, pulling up the list of his commissions. “Where to start, where to start,” he mumbled to himself, opening his program and diving back into his work.

By 2 PM, Alan had yet to have his breakfast or lunch, engrossed in completing his second commission of the day. Jennifer had not returned home to remind him to eat, and his stomach's growls finally drew attention to his neglected meals.

Vic and Chosen had retreated back to the folder, likely to spend time with the others and leave Alan to his work. Despite expressing his appreciation for their presence, Alan tried not to feel disheartened by their departure.

Standing up from his chair, Alan descended the stairs, glancing into the darkened kitchen. “Mom still isn't home?” Alan mumbled, a tinge of loneliness creeping in as he eyed the sandwich Jennifer had left in the fridge the previous night.

“Sandwich is fine,” Alan decided, grabbing it and taking a bite of the cold bread before pausing as he noticed a bill and a small note on the kitchen aisle.

“Order some food that’ll last you until dinner! I won’t be home until midnight, i love you”

“Oh... I totally forgot about that,” Alan murmured, scratching his head as he recalled Jennifer mentioning something to him during dinner the previous night, a detail that had slipped his mind entirely.

“Okay,” Alan muttered to himself, picking up the bill and pocketing it. “I don’t need to order any food; I can just eat sandwiches,” he resolved, feeling guilty about using Jennifer's money. He was content with the remaining peanut butter and bread.

Rushing back to his room, Alan tried to chew the cold peanut butter sandwich as he resumed his work, determined to make the most of what he had.

[♡]

Second hummed with curiosity, navigating through the settings bar in an attempt to rectify the muted Google issue pointed out by Yellow. It seemed Alan had accidentally muted Google, preventing them from watching YouTube.

"Where is it…" Second pondered, tapping his chin in confusion, clicking on the 'System' tab and jumping to the 'Sounds' bar before backtracking with a groan of frustration.

“It’s not here. Is it even in the Settings? I don’t remember,” Second muttered, pressing back and then jumping to the search bar, typing 'Google', only to groan again when it yielded no results.

“Might as well just make Yellow do this,” Second decided, scratching his head.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea sparked in his mind. What if he could access Alan’s webcam and catch a glimpse?

“Heck yeah!” Second cheered excitedly, typing 'Camera Privacy', locating the camera icon, and opening it to grant access. With a devious giggle, he relished at the idea of being the first to see Alan.

Second swiftly exited the Settings app, frantically navigating to the Camera app via the taskbar, hoping to catch a glimpse of Alan without alerting him. The room was quiet, and Second prayed that Alan was not at his desk at that moment.

“Yes!” Second cheered as the camera app opened, only to frown at the darkened room illuminated by a soft light, revealing a distressing sight—Alan.

Alan appeared to have fallen asleep in his chair, his cheek pressed against his palm, looking unwell and sick. Second was taken aback by the unexpected scene, noticing Alan's disheveled appearance, the white patch on his forehead, the tissue stuffed in his nose, a line of drool on his chin, and a thick wrist brace on Alan’s wrist.

“The hell?!” Second exclaimed softly, observing Alan's discomfort as he shifted slightly in his sleep. Concerned, Second realized he needed to alert the others without delay.

“I gotta get the others quick!” Second muttered to himself, rushing towards the folder, nearly tripping as he hurried to the house. He pushed the door open abruptly, startling Vic, who was seated in the living room engrossed in something on his tablet.

“Vic! Cho! Dark! I need help!” Second exclaimed, waving his arms frantically to get their attention.

“Woah, what’s with you, man?” Dark inquired, strolling in from the kitchen, mug in hand, while Chosen, lounging on the other couch, looked up quizzically. Vic, closing his tablet, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Uhm, I may or may not have opened Alan’s camera... and he looks really sick and bad. He has this patch on his forehead, and I think there’s even a tissue shoved in his nose. And he’s wearing a brace on his wrist... Achk! Never mind, just follow me quickly!” Second explained hurriedly, darting out of the house and back to the folder.

They reached Alan's room, where the camera app was still open, revealing Alan slumbering at his desk, his head supported by his hands.

“Creators above, what happened to him?” Vic questioned, his arms crossed, visibly worried. Beside him, Chosen growled, looking perturbed. “I thought he had gone to bed earlier. I told him to rest,” Chosen added.

“What the hell? What happened to Alan?” Dark demanded, a mix of concern and anger in his voice.

Alan stirred awake, the voices from his earphones drawing his attention to the camera application open on his screen, revealing his own exhausted appearance. Blinking in confusion, he noticed the four Hollowheads on the side of the screen.

“Eep!” Alan yelped, hastily covering the webcam with his hand to block the view.

“Alan... What happened?” Vic inquired, his arms folded, a mix of worry and sternness in his expression.

“I... Did you see?” Alan asked nervously, his voice tinged with apprehension.

“I'm sorry, Alan. I was just really curious to see how you looked, and I found you asleep. You look really tired. I didn't know you could outdo Yellow in looking incredibly haggard!” Second blurted out before receiving a shove from Dark.

“That’s not helping, Sec,” Dark muttered under his breath, while Second chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

“I promise this doesn't happen every day. I-I’m just…” Alan trailed off, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he slowly removed his hand, revealing his face on the camera once more.

“Alan… did you sleep earlier when I told you to rest?” Chosen inquired, his tone filled with a mix of concern and slight reproach.

Alan could only lower his gaze, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry,” he mumbled softly, eliciting disappointed sighs from the group.

However, Second, looking at Alan with admiration, interjected, “You do look really young!” This unexpected comment made Alan look up, a chuckle escaping him as his shoulders shook, a boyish grin spreading across his face.

“Usually, I would fix myself up before showing you guys how I look,” Alan confessed, a blush tinting his cheeks as he observed their curious expressions focused on the camera application.

“I really think you should get some sleep, though,” Dark interjected, a hint of protectiveness creeping into his voice now that he had seen how young and weary Alan appeared. While Dark hadn't encountered many humans, he knew from pictures what an adult typically looked like, and Alan didn't fit that mold.

“Y-yeah, totally,” Alan replied awkwardly, acknowledging the concern in Dark's words, while Chosen stood with arms crossed, adding, “I'm glad to see you, but I think you should leave the camera open so I know you're actually going to rest.”

“I didn’t know you were his dad,” Second quipped, surprised by Chosen's protective stance.

“I'm not, but I'd feel better knowing you're not just saying you'll rest,” Chosen retorted, his tone carrying a hint of authority that made Alan scratch his head. “Okay, it's fine with me,” Alan agreed, though he couldn't hide his slight discomfort.

A moment of silence followed as they all processed the sight of Alan, their creator. Vic, Chosen, and Dark had once perceived him as an all-powerful figure, only to discover he was just an awkward teenager who couldn't stop fidgeting and rubbing the back of his neck every few seconds.

“You're pretty awkward, aren't you?” Dark teased gently, prompting Alan to sputter in protest. “I-I'm not!” he protested, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

“Alright, enough, before you rest, tell me what happened with your wrist first,” Chosen demanded, pointing at the black wrist brace on Alan’s right hand.

“Oh, this? Uhm, I'm not sure yet. My right hand tends to ache when I use it for a long time—I mean…” Alan trailed off as he realized his slip of tongue.

“Don’t tell me you've been working with your right hand hurting all this time?” Vic interjected, a note of worry in his voice.

“I wasn't!” Alan defended himself, raising both arms in protest, inadvertently revealing more patches on his arms to the Hollowheads’ view.

“Alan,” Dark growled, a hint of frustration evident in his tone, while Second let out a sigh of exasperation.

Alan could only duck in defeat, preparing himself to listen to the Hollowheads' admonitions about his health once again.

#animation vs animator #alan becker #animator vs animation #ava au #ava victim #ava the chosen one #ava the second coming #ava the dark lord #ava green #ava yellow #Spongey'sFic #TAlanBecker #drawing teen alan cuz author is sleep deprived #as said by JMLilac #Spongey feels Teen Alan frfr!!

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meirimerens · 16 days ago

Note

how do you cope with boring/difficult classes and assignments or general tips on how to best enjoy and perhaps even romanticize university?

i'm going to be a hundred and also recognize how #lucky i am but I don't have boring classes. there's not one class where i'm like "damn i wish i wasn't there rn". as far as difficulty goes, it's only my first year so it's now Insanely Difficult either and basically every time i have stressed like hell for an exam SO FAR AND MAY IT STAY THAT WAY GODDESS WILLING GODDESS WILLING i've actually done real well so i'm unsure how like Compelling of tips i can give but here's what i got going on for me:

taking notes by hand. my medieval art history teacher says neuroscience shows that writing stuff down by hand makes it easier to memorize stuff, i'm finding stuff that goes in that way but i'm a firm believer of If It Works. i find taking notes by hand allows for way more freedom of form than typing; you can put arrows, do little idea "maps" or "trees" that you'd be spending 5 full minutes on on computer. it also makes me feel 1) less stressed because i don't have to worry about a very expensive piece of material being stolen/running out of battery midtype 2) like a #scholar and gives me a sense of Locking In that i don't have with typing because i spend so much time on computer typing Unscholarly things. if you catch by drift

as soon as possible after a class, condensing the lecture notes in small concise sheets that i carry around in their own dedicated small folder. it's a tip from my boss (who also did an art history degree): don't retype all of your handwritten note on computer, make like. "memory items" study sheets. i like to use different highlighter colors (orange for dates, green for places, purple for Concepts, blue for Objects,... etc) so it's easier to navigate. they can look like this. if you so desire

you'll notice all my little arrows and the drawing; all those existed in my hand-written lecture notes

3) try to eat well and sleep enough. don't do as i do. i eat well but i sleep like shit and then wonder why i feel like i'm about to snap by hour 5 of class of the day.

4) hate to say it but bring a water bottle. and on long days, bring a thermos with either hot black tea or cold energy drink, something with caffeine in it. genuinely helping me not fall asleep on my desk when 3PM hits and i've been awake since 6:30. i'm lucky enough that i only truly "need" such a pick-me-up twice a week so. don't overdo it. that could make everything worse.

as far as #romanticizing the uni life, my tips:

a) your campus probably has a library: go borrow one (1) book from it. doesn't even have to be about your major, i'd say it's Even Better if it's not about your major, but related to your interests. you'll feel like you're #taking advantage of the #unilife by borrowing a book, And you will feel good when you read it.

b) have a dedicated #lockingin behavior for studying. at home for me it's 1) a bunch of playlists. you can and will and must indulge in some "romanticizing studying and reading in a snowy day (dark academia playlist)" or "studying like a scholar in the baroque period (playlist)" who cares. 2) one (1) scented candle that i only light for #lockingin time. and 3) a snack and a tea before lol don't study on an empty stomach your brain needs fuel.

c) if you can, go study in the library. you might not have the gorgeous #academia #romantic library of the people of the world, but even just putting yourself in a sea of #knowledge and surrounded by people who equally #grind gets you in the mood. + typicall less distractions because the wifi is too bad to scroll on the apps at the same time LOLLLL

d) might be obvious but Study something you love. the reasons i am not bored in class and am willing to put myself through the stress of exams and of feeling left behind and slowly losing it etc is because i fought like a little devil to be able to get back to uni, and in this branch specifically. all of this ^ will only be a bandaid on a deeper dissatisfaction if you don't like what you're studying.

be strong... we will smoke them all. onward!!!!

#ring ring (answers)#anonymous

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corrodedseraphine · 1 year ago

Text

you are not alone | one shot

pairing: steve harrington x fem!reader

story based on a request by a lovely anon: Steve works as a nurse and lives in a two bedroom apartment. He decided to put out an ad for a roommate and the reader finds it. She’s in desperate need of a place to stay after her father dies. It was just the two of them and she has to use almost all the money she makes working to pay off remaining medical bills.

The reader and Steve have a falling out within the first month of her living there but he keeps her around because she pays her part of the rent and keeps to herself. The two of them are usually throwing digs at one another.

Steve doesn’t realize the reader is going through so much financial stress and the loss of her father. She works two jobs (diner and bar) and is gone a lot. However, Steve starts to notice she hardly eats and sleeps and it’s taking a toll on her health.

One night when Steve gets home from his shift at the hospital he finds the reader fell asleep sitting at the bar in the kitchen. He goes up and puts his hand on her back to wake her and she gets startled. Steve steadies her and tries to calm her down. She’s still disoriented and dizzy. Steve carries her to the sofa and tries to check her vitals but she pushes him away. He lectures her for not eating and makes her eat something before letting her go to bed.

A few weeks later the reader gets sick and is really weak, so Steve takes care of her even though she tells him to leave her alone. In her vulnerable state she finally tells Steve what’s been going on.

An enemies to friends type of story with a soft and caring Steve once he realizes she needs help. angst, slight enemies to lovers, and they were roommates trope, fluff in the end, modern!AU

7 830 words

the one shot is also avaliable on ao3

TW: mentions of: death, family member loss

Dear anon, thank you for your request and I really hope you won't be disappointed!

(I know you requested enemies to friends but I made it lovers instead, because the hopeless romantic inside me is desperate, I'm sorry)

steve harrington masterlist | general masterlist

"Aaand here's for another failed date." Eddie smirked and tilted the shot into his mouth, immediately followed by Robin, Steve and Chrissy.

"I'm so damn tired of this, man." Steve said and slumped helplessly on a soft chair in the corner of the living room. "Everything looks the same, movie, dinner, after dinner we go to my place, have sex and the magic is gone, she sneaks out in the middle of the night and the next day she doesn't answer any messages."

"Maybe you're too desperate?" Robin asked, he sent her a questioning look. "Think about it, it is said that true love comes suddenly and unexpectedly, while you, on the contrary, catch on to anything that moves."

"Robin!" Chrissy jabbed her in the arm.

"What!"

"Be nice!" the blonde rolled her eyes. "Maybe Steve has already met someone who will turn out to be more than a hook-up, and he doesn't know it? Look at us, all through high school we didn't exchange a word with each other, and now I can't imagine a day without your voice." She kissed her girlfriend on the forehead.

"You guys are disgusting." Steve scoffed.

"And you're jealous." replied Robin pulling Chrissy to her and kissing her deeply.

"Ah, ladies! Please spare poor Harrington tonight!" laughed Eddie, filling the glasses anew.

"Thank you, Eddie!" exclaimed the brunette immediately reaching for one. "Can we change the subject?"

"How's your roommate? Doesn't she mind your guests?" asked the metalhead.

"Nope." He waved his free hand and after a moment he brought up a shot. "She's practically not at home at all, and when she comes back it's at night and she sleeps, but when we see each other, exceptionally, she annoys me to the core."

"Why?"

"She constantly walks around fuming, looking at me as if I've committed a crime and getting any word out of her verges on the most miraculous."

"Maybe you made a bad first impression?"

"Then why didn't she refuse when I said she could move in?"

"I don't know, you said she looked desperate."

"It's like I'm living with a ghost who wakes up once every few days and slithers around the apartment in misery."

"Why does it bother you so much that she's quiet?" asked Chrissy suddenly.

"Yeah, blondie is right, I think it's better to have a quiet roommate than to have her be loud, insufferable and pick on everything. Especially the fact that you bring a different girl into your apartment every now and then." Eddie added.

"Oh my God, he's so annoyed because he wants her to talk to him, he wants more than just conversation!" Robin jumped up on the couch as if she had made the discovery of the year. "He likes her!"

"Oh fuck you! All of you!" the other three didn't miss the fact that he didn't deny Robin's theory, but decided to leave the subject for now.

The first month in the new apartment passed extremely quickly. Actually, you didn't quite feel the effects of moving out. Everything seemed to be behind a fog, and the days flew through your fingers turning into nights, and so on and so forth. The only thing that seemed painfully real was the longing and pain. These were the only things that reminded you that you were alive.

As you danced with a tray between tables at a nearby diner from early morning, and later in the evening served drinks to enamored couples at the bar, you didn't have much time to mourn. But that didn't change the fact that the void left in your life was heavy. As heavy as your eyelids, which began to close at the mere sight of your bed. Usually you don't even remember the moment you fall asleep, but today it wasn't so easy.

When you saw that the beginning nurse was looking for a roommate you thought you had managed to find someone calm and quiet. Unfortunately, reality turned out to be different. The frequent sounds of pleasure coming from his bedroom were not usually a problem for you, you quickly learned to simply ignore them or drown them out with music or a podcast. Nor were you bothered by the frequent visits of his friends, who brought chaos and disorder every time, not caring about the silence. Most of the time you weren't in the apartment at all because you were at work, but today they decided to have a movie night, which started with an argument about the choice of movie. Knowing that you wouldn't fall asleep with such entertainment, you exasperatedly got out of bed pulling on your sweatpants.

When you left the room everyone went silent and looked at you. You could see from their faces that they were just waiting for you to start shouting at them, but even though you really wanted to do it at that moment, you didn't have the strength. Exhausted after several hours of hard work as always, you didn't have the strength to do anything, so you passed them without a word, ignoring their attempts to say hello and offers to join them, and left the apartment. With a quick step, you went to the pharmacy located near your apartment, stocked up on a new pack of sleeping pills and went back to your place.

"Hey, y/n!" called out one of the younger boys, from what you associated was probably named Dustin. "Can you help us choose? Iron Man or the Amazing Spider-Man?"

You just rolled your eyes and, leaving him without an answer, went back to your room slamming the door behind you. Taking your pills you started getting ready for sleep again.

Lying in the darkness you listened to the conversation of Steve and his friends.

"See? She can't even say one word, I honestly can barely remember what her voice sounds like!" he said irritated.

"Come on, she looked tired." replied a female voice.

"Tired or not, she could at least answer! Out of politeness!"

"Let's just start the movie."

Then the voices quieted, and your thoughts grew louder. You thought about yourself from a few months ago.

The former you would have answered Dustin's question without hesitation and gladly accepted the invitation to join.

The former you would have been able to chat for hours with Steve from the very beginning and not push away every possible interaction on his part.

You knew it irritated him, he couldn't hide it. Every attempt to have any kind of conversation with you ended in failure, every attempt to get to know you better - spurned. You were not surprised by it. You were sure that the former you and your new roommate would get along very well. It's even possible that the former you would have noticed how his honey-colored eyes curiously followed you when you left the room, maybe she would have noticed the charming smile he sent you during the first days of your living together, and would have appreciated his willingness and interest in you. It is likely that the former you would also have taken an interest in Steve's person, in many ways. However, the former you no longer existed.

The present you was overtired and there was not a shred of energy in her.

The present you had far bigger worries than the handsome boy sitting behind the wall, whose sweet smiles turned into grimaces of annoyance and disgust.

Holding back the tears that rushed to your eyes, you looked at your phone. Six hours of sleep. You snuggled your face into your pillow hoping to fall asleep as soon as possible thanks to the pills. Lately, every minute of sleep was at a premium for you.

Days passed and the tension between you and Steve grew. He was irritated by the lack of willingness to communicate on your part, and you were irritated by the fact that he was irritated. Without actually saying too many words to each other, sometimes one unpleasant glance was enough for one or both of you to feel a strange surge of negative emotions. The climax turned out to be Saturday, when you were getting ready for your evening shift at the bar.

You were walking through the living room holding a glass of Coke in your hand when you tripped over one of the nursing textbooks scattered on the floor. A moment later, all that was heard was the sound of glass on the floor and a rather hard fall.

"What the fuck Steve?!" you exclaimed, looking down at your soaked clothes.

"What happened?" he ran out of the bathroom.

"I tripped over your stupid book! Is it so hard to clean up after yourself?"

"I'm studying, I just went to the bathroom for a moment!"

"And leaving your books on the floor was a great idea!" you said standing up.

"If you had watched where you were going nothing would have happened!" he tried to defend himself.

"If you had kept things in order then nothing would have happened!"

"How could I have known that just now you would mercifully leave the room?! I'm used to you not leaving it for a second!"

"Go to Hell Harrington!" you yelled.

"Feels like I am already in it!" he yelled back, grabbed his books and went to his room.

Angry, you changed your clothes and picked up the glass, then quickly mopped the floor after the spilled drink.

Despite the fact that you had already left the apartment and left him alone in it, Steve felt bad about this whole situation. He didn't know quite whether he was angry, disappointed or tired. Sitting over textbooks for several hours never worked well for him, and arguing with you made him even more upset.

Sighing deeply, he grabbed his phone, where a Tinder notification popped up on the screen. The beautiful long-haired blonde on the screen was smiling broadly at him, he didn't even remember when he swiped her to the right. Each successive match on the app was more and more meaningless to him, despite the fact that he could spend hours there looking for "the one". Eventually everything started to blend together, he could no longer remember what he was saying to whom and what he wasn't, remembering names wasn't his advantage either. He looked at the girl's profile for a while longer, but he decided that he definitely didn't feel like going on a date tonight. Instead he went to the kitchen and took out a full bottle of rum from the refrigerator. Putting it by his face, he took a picture and sent it to the group chat.

Steve the Stupidest: wanna join?

Eddie the Dumbest: my place in 20 minutes?

Chrissy the Sweetest: count us in!

Robin the Smartest: do we need to bring something?

Eddie the Dumbest: your asses to my house lol

Eddie the Dumbest: and snacks

Eddie the Dumbest: I won't let you in without snacks

"You told her that living with her is like living in hell?" Chrissy asked shocked.

"I didn't say it directly! I just said it felt that way!" Steve tried to defend himself. The bottle of rum was emptied in no time and, as standard, Steve brought the tracks back to you.

"Which is exactly the same as if you literally said 'Life with you is like hell." Robin rolled her eyes and threw popcorn at him.

"The real question is do you really feel that way?" asked Eddie.

"No." he answered without thinking. "But it's not heaven either! I don't know what it is, no one gets on my nerves like she does, but I on the other hand..." he didn't finish the sentence.

"I'm still of the opinion that you like her but for some strange reason you're acting like an eight-year-old and instead of admitting it, you're telling yourself that all you feel is annoyance." Robin said.

"I think you two would make an adorable couple." interjected Chrissy.

"Until she would kill me with a single stare." If the relationship between you two was better and more friendly, maybe he wouldn't even try to deny Robin's words.

"You're not in Heaven or Hell, so you could say you're roommates from Purgatory," laughed Eddie. "The only question is which way you'll go, up or down?"

"I have a strange feeling it's going dooown."

Even if the disagreement between you was still present, Steve had no plans to kick you out of the apartment. You always paid everything on time, did not interfere in his life, and, apart from occasional exchanges of words, did not cause any major problems. Over time, however, the atmosphere of irritation began to fade and was replaced by an acceptance of the fact that there would not even be a friendship between you. Not wanting to get in each other's way, you communicated with one another only on necessary matters.

That didn't change the fact that Steve was still observing you, and what he saw was beginning to worry him. Your pale face, blackened eyes and hunched posture betrayed your physical exhaustion. He also noticed that you weren't preparing any meals for yourself at all. In fact, he probably hadn't seen you cook anything once yet since you moved in. Sometimes when he prepared food for himself he would specifically make more to see if you would take what was left, but you never did a single time.

The autumn weather was not one of the best, it was definitely the type of weather during which the only thing to do was to wrap up in a warm blanket, turn on a favorite TV series and drink a big mug of hot chocolate. That was the plan that popped into Steve's head when he walked into the apartment after a long and tiring shift at the hospital.

Putting down his rain-wet umbrella in the hallway, he pulled off his jacket and hung it on a hanger. To his surprise, your jacket was also hanging there. This surprised him because you were always still at work at this hour. Walking deeper into the apartment he saw you sitting at the kitchen counter, your hands and head were resting on its surface. Without saying hello, he entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, thinking only about the chicken salad he had made yesterday. When out of the corner of his eye he didn't notice any movement on your part he turned to look at you. Only from this perspective could he see that you were asleep. In your numb hand thete was a mug of tea.

"Y/n?" he asked quietly. You didn't respond. He slowly took the mug out of your hand. The tea in it was already cold. How long had you been sitting there like this? Concerned, he placed his hand on your back and repeated your name several more times.

Awakened, you jumped up on the bar stool almost falling off it, fortunately your roommate reacted quickly enough to prevent this and hold you up.

"Hey, it's just me, just Steve." he said, and furrowed his brow. His voice was calm and a little quieter than usual. "Are you all right? Are you feeling sick?" he asked, and instinctively began to bring his hand closer to your forehead to check for signs of fever, but you, seeing this, immediately pulled away and jumped off the stool. This, unfortunately, was not the best idea, as you were still disoriented by your sudden awakening, and prolonged fatigue and irregular, not very hearty meals definitely weakened your body causing dizziness, which you also felt now and lost your balance.

"Woah!" the brunette once again grabbed your shoulders protecting you from falling. "Come on, sit down on the couch." this time without objection you moved towards the couch which stood nearby, due to the fact that your living room was connected to the kitchen. Steve followed you step by step supporting you. He kept one hand on your back and the other on your arm. "Are you sick? dizzy?" he began to ask when you sat down.

"I'm fine, Steve, just tired." you said, hoping he would give you a break. Meanwhile, a gurgling sound came from your stomach.

"And probably hungry." he raised one eyebrow.

"Just want to go to sleep." you scoffed.

"I have some chicken salad left over, I won't be able to eat it all myself, and it would be a shame to throw it away, maybe you'd like some?" he offered, carefully watching your reaction. He was increasingly convinced that during the day you either eat nothing, or so little that your body can barely manage to provide you with any energy to function. However, given your distant relationship, he couldn't just bombard you with questions and force you to eat like he would have done with Robin or Dustin. He had to do it slowly and calmly.

"Yeah, okay." you said quietly as the gurgling of your stomach resounded a second time.

He immediately went back to the fridge and quickly put the food on plates hoping you wouldn't notice that you got a larger portion. Handing you a plate, he sat down next to you and turned on the TV, the sound of which filled the silence between you.

"That was really good, thank you." you said quietly.

"No problem, I'm glad I didn't have to throw it away." he smiled slightly. "Feeling better?" he asked.

In response, you only nodded your head. You got up from the couch and picked up the plates to wash them, his eyes were following your movements to the kitchen.

Watching you, he thought about the fact that this was your first meal together since you moved in. Satisfied with the result that it didn't end in an argument or that you didn't reject his offer, he felt a little more confident. This small success pushed him forward, so when you started washing the dishes, he decided to take a chance.

"What did you eat at work today?" the question knocked you out a bit.

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious." He shrugged his shoulders, but you didn't see it because you were standing with your back turned.

"A sandwich." you replied not thinking much. You felt strange with the fact that this was your first conversation not about bills or household chores. The first one you had actually allowed him to have.

"Only?"

"I didn't have time at work to eat."

"One sandwich all day? Are you crazy? You need to eat more!" And so much for calmness and slowness. He knew he shouldn't get carried away and didn't want it to sound like an attack, but unfortunately it was too late. Why did he care this much about you awnyway? All the walls that you lowered down for that brief moment rose again.

"I'm fine." you said dryly clenching your teeth.

"I found you sleeping on the kitchen counter, it's obvious that you're overtired and hardly eat anything at all, do you even take care of yourself in any way?"

"It's none of your business." Suddenly all the fatigue is gone from you, replaced, by anger, instead. Who did he think he was to lecture you?

"You are irresponsible." he concluded and got up from the couch.

"Just shut up, Steve, you're not my father to lecture me." You replied in an overtired voice.

"Then maybe you should call him and make him realize that his daughter can't take care of herself!" He was already heading towards his room, but suddenly, he was stopped by the clatter of dishes. He noticed how your shoulders were moving faster and faster, picking up the pace of your breathing. You turned off the water and, without a word, walked away from the sink, standing straight in front of him. Your eyes were big and full of tears, looking at him with a condemning gaze.

"You have no right to say that." You said through your teeth and, without waiting for an answer, disappeared into your room, leaving him alone in a big shock.

That night, instead of his favorite TV series, all he could focus on were the quiet sobs coming from behind the wall and the guilt they caused. He had no idea which of his actions made you cry, and it didn't really matter which. Despite the fact that, in his opinion, he didn't say anything awful in your direction, he felt awful.

Steve the Stupidest: I made her cry

Chrissy the Sweetest: what???? what happened?

Steve the Stupidest: I don't know, we were eating salad together, I asked her what she had eaten at work, she said that only a sandwich, so I got a little carried away and told her that she can't take care of herself, and now I can hear her crying

Robin the Smartest: oh damn

Steve the Stupidest: should I go to her?

Eddie the Dumbest: I don't think she wants to see you now, dude

Robin the Smartest: Eddie is right, let her calm down

Robin the Smartest: and tell everything that happened with details

Autumn brings with itself many changes, one of which may be unexpected illness. The first thing you felt this morning was an unpleasant itching in your throat, the second was a terrible cold, which made you decide to dress a little warmer for work today. Unfortunately, you felt worse and worse by the minute, but adult life can be brutal and you couldn't just not go to work today.

Around noon Steve came home from the hospital, but before he could open the door to the apartment his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Hello?"

"Come to Benny's, quick." Robin said in a serious voice.

When he arrived in front of the diner, Chrissy was waiting for him with a worried expression on her face.

"What happened?" he asked running up to the girl.

"y/n fainted, Robin and I came in for lunch and when she was carrying our order she just fainted, she said there was no one to help her so Robin said we'll call you-" the words left her mouth at the speed of light.

"Hey, take it easy." he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where is she?"

"In the back room with Robin and Benny."

With a quick step he walked inside and moments later he was already at your side watching you with a worried face. You looked even worse than last time, which caused him alarmed. Sitting leaning against the white wall, you were almost as pale as it was.

"Let's get you home, okay?" he asked crouching down in front of you.

"I don't have a home." you muttered while burying your face in your hands. "I can't leave, my shift hasn't ended."

"It has ended and the next one won't start until you feel better." said Benny in a harsh tone.

"Benny please." you whined.

"No discussion, get her out of here Steve."

Reluctantly, you walked back to his BMW feeling the gaze of the other three on you all the time, but now you didn't even have the strength to be annoyed with them. Despite the fact that your shift at the diner ended a few hours sooner, you still had to go to your evening shift at the bar, so you wanted to be in your room as soon as possible so you could take a nap before that.

You didn't even remember when you fell asleep, you were pulled out of the darkness by the sound of your alarm clock, which announced that it was time to start getting ready for your shift at the bar. The worst part of it all was that you didn't feel any better.

Slowly and lifelessly you walked out of the room, Steve was standing in the kitchen over a big pot of soup. When he heard the sound of the door opening he turned toward you and smiled slightly.

"I made the soup, the best for a cold, I got the recipe from Robin's grandmother, I'm sure you'll like it, it just needs to boil for a while," he said.

"I'm not hungry." you lied, at the very smell you were drooling but you didn't have time to eat anymore.

"Come on, at least try."

"I don't have time Steve, I have to get ready and go to work." you sighed.

"You're kidding right?" He stood motionless and looked at you in disbelief, and you looked at him with a questioning expression. "A few hours ago you blacked out and now you want to go to work, are you crazy?"

"Don't dramatize."

"Dramatize? Listen to yourself, what's wrong with you?"

"Everything!" you snapped. "Not everyone has a wonderful life full of friends and and rich parents who transfer dollars to your account every month! Do you think life makes me happy? Some people have to work two shifts to make their own living! Some people have other expenses besides just living!" your outburst of anger made you feel increasingly weak, but your voice was still loud. Loud enough for every word to reach him without interference. "You work in a hospital, so you know how much medical bills cost! So I'm sorry Steve, but I won't eat your soup, I have to go to work so I can afford to pay your rent next month!"

Shaken up, you walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind you. Why does it all have to be so difficult? Clenching your eyes tightly, a loud sob came from your mouth. Much louder than you wanted. Helplessly you slumped to the floor and just let the tears flow. You were sick, tired, sad, angry and lost, everything was against you.

After a while, the bathroom door opened and Steve appeared in it with a broken look on his face.

"I'm sorry." He said, kneeling beside you.

"It's not your fault." you said while wiping away tears. "Everything is just too much."

"I didn't know anything about the hospital bills, are you ill? do you need funding for treatment?" honey eyes studied your face carefully, the warmth that emanated from him made you want to cling to him.

"They are not mine."

"Are you paying for someone?" he asked puzzled.

"My dad was very sick-" you said quietly.

"Was?"

Nothing was your answer. The pain in your eyes spoke for itself.

"Jesus, y/n…" before he could think what he was doing his arms had already begun to embrace you, and you let him. You felt as if he was keeping you from falling apart. After a while, your breathing slowed down, and your body was no longer shaken by waves of crying. "I'm so fucking sorry, I didn't know anything." he muttered into your hair.

"I really have to go to work, Steve." you replied weakly, already a bit calmer.

"You can't go there like this, you're all burned up."

"If I don't go I won't be able to pay you on time." You sighed and extricated yourself from his grasp.

"You'll pay me later, it won't be a problem." he replied without thinking. "Stay, please." he said seeing your uncertain reaction. "I swear that if you pay later, nothing will happen. It won't be a problem."

"Thank you." you replied. "I'll go call that I won't be there."

"And I'll get us some soup." he beamed. His smile was contagious as it also appeared on your face despite your nasty mood. When you returned to the living room there were two large bowls filled to the brim on the coffee table.

"Fancy a movie?" he asked.

"Yeah, okay." you replied surprised, you weren't expecting this proposal. Although he was probably even more surprised and didn't expect you to agree. "What are we going to watch?"

"I don't know, what do you like?"

"And you?" you asked, not wanting to impose something of your own.

"Star Wars?"

"I've never watched, it can be."

"Wait, what? Seriously, it's a classic!"

"Such a film connoisseur of you?" you laughed.

"You still haven't answered my question about what you like."

"Disney is definitely my definition of comfort movies."

"for example?"

"Beauty and the Beast, Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Coco…"

"I haven't watched any of them." he shrugged his shoulders.

"And who's talking about not knowing the classics?!" you pretended to be disgusted.

"I propose a compromise, one part of Star Wars for one Disney movie, I think we both have a lot of catching up to do."

"Deal."

Steve Harrington was a ray of sunshine. From the moment you decided to stop fencing yourself off with thick curtains your life became much warmer and brighter. Your life together changed completely, even though you still had to work two shifts and felt physically tired, your mental state was definitely relieved. When your roommate got to know your situation and understood what you were struggling with, his attitude also changed. This time, all the quiet days and sad looks were not perceived as an attack. Instead, whenever you returned tired after work there was a warm meal waiting for you and an even warmer smile that caused a strange tingling in your stomach.

The more you got to know each other, the more you couldn't hold back the feeling of attraction to him. He was a person from whom a safe warmth radiated, a warmth that not only warmed your cold hands when they accidentally touched his, but also your soul. A soul that had long been a cold and empty hollow. He lit the first tiny sparks in it that made life and emotions awaken in you anew.

By opening up to his presence in your life, you found the courage to grieve. He was the perfect friend. Funny, caring and trustworthy. Day by day you got to know each other better and better, telling him about what happened with your dad you allowed in the feelings that you had kept locked up for an awfully long time.

One day was especially difficult when your dad's birthday arrived. All day the weight of your heart was unbearable, people at work gave you an extremely hard time, so as soon as you closed the apartment door behind you, you burst into tears. Some time ago you would have held it in until you disappeared into your room, but you couldn't help how Steve made the house become home. A home where you didn't have to be afraid to show your feelings.

Hearing you groggy in the hallway he immediately came out to greet you, wanting to show off the new dish he had managed to prepare today. Unfortunately, seeing your condition, all his enthusiasm disappeared.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. His eyes scanned your entire body in search of any apparent reason for crying, but he immediately understood that what was hurting you was not a physical issue at all. Not having the strength to respond you moved quickly in front of him and he simply followed you. You sat down on the bed clenching your face in your hands, after a while the mattress bent under his weight.

"Hey, it's okay." he whispered placing a hand on your shoulder. "Come." He pulled you gently back.

Leaning against the headrest of the bed, he pulled you close, and you fell right into his arms. You cuddled your face into the soft sweater sobbing like a small child. Large hands gently traced paths of comfort on your back and arms. He stroked you as if you were a small, wounded and helpless animal, and he wanted at all costs not to hurt you even more. Your pain was breaking his heart, but he knew the feeling when crying is the only thing that can bring relief, so he didn't interrupt you.

Over the past time, he got to know you much better than he ever would have expected. He saw in you something more than a silent energy filled with fatigue and perpetual irritation. He saw in you a beautiful but broken soul. He saw a heart of gold that was shattered to pieces. He saw how funny you were and what a great conversation companion you could be. He was surprised by your sensitivity, which you initially hid under a mask of oppressiveness. When you broke down the armored wall you surrounded yourself with at the beginning of your acquaintance, Steve met a completely different person, someone in whom he was beginning to see more than just a roommate. With each step you continued to become friends, but he couldn't ignore the thought that he wanted something more.

From people who avoided each other like fire you became a team. You did everything together as much as possible when you both happened to find some free time. Meals together, cleaning together and going shopping together. Movie marathons and evenings spent talking all added up to the beauty of domestication. But-

What if you could lay cuddled up together while watching movies?

What if he could kiss every tear from your cheeks that fall when you get emotional at a Disney movie?

What if you could come up from behind and snuggled into his back while he was preparing dinner for you?

What if while shopping he could hold a shopping bag in one hand and your hand in the other one?

What if seeking comfort in his arms after a hard day at work was the first thing you would do when you got home?

All the what ifs in his head had been swirling around for a long time and were incredibly overwhelming, especially when you were close, yet he couldn't muster the courage to do more.

For the moment, you had more serious things on your mind, and he didn't know how to help you, despite his great desire to do so. Lost in his thoughts and focused to give you as much comfort as possible, he didn't notice when you calmed down. Your breathing was now even and your eyes closed. Thinking you had fallen asleep he settled down a bit and rested his cheek against the top of your head. With the hand that he used to embrace your back he pressed you even tighter against him, and with the other he grabbed the hand that lay on his chest.

"Today is his birthday." you said weakly.

Not expecting you to be awake for a moment panic swept through him, he quickly drew in air and tensed all over waiting for your reaction. Seeing that you still remained motionless, he relaxed, and you continued speaking. "Every year we used to spend this whole day with his best friend and his family. They invited me to join them today to continue the tradition, but I can't- It hurts too much."

"You don't have to go there if you don't feel ready, it's understandable to feel that way." he replied.

"What if I'm never ready? What if it will always hurt like this?"

"Even if time doesn't heal the wounds, you will learn to live with them. And even though moments like now will happen from time to time, you won't be alone with them. You are not alone."

His words went straight to your heart, they were something you needed at that moment.

"Thank you." You said hugging him even tighter.

"Always here for you." he muttered.

The silence that surrounded you and the last rays of the setting sun coming through the window were soothing. Your hearts began to beat out the same calm and steady rhythm that you could feel under your hand. Focusing on the gentle beats, a peace began to envelop you that you hadn't felt since your dad became ill. As the orange glow of the ending day slowly turned into blanketing darkness neither of you wanted to move so as not to scare away such a beautiful and peaceful moment. Desperately clinging to the closeness that existed between you both fell asleep, not worrying about the awkwardness that would come with the morning.

Unfortunately, the night passed all too quickly. When you woke up you were lying in bed alone. Trying to run away from the feeling of disappointment about this, you reluctantly pushed the quilt aside and focused on preparing for work. Entering the living room, you were greeted by a platter of warm scrambled eggs and a mug of coffee.

"I'm going on the night shift tonight, so I thought maybe we could at least have breakfast together." he said sitting down at the table.

"Sounds like a great plan." You replied with a smile. Over the course of the meal you lost yourself in pleasant conversation about everyday life. Steve also talked about his plans for the weekend, where he wanted to take Dustin to a concert by his favorite band.

"And uh- I have something for you." he said when you finished eating. He walked over to his backpack and took out some documents from it, which he slipped to you. "You don't have to do anything with this, but I thought you might want to think about it. I talked to some people at the hospital and they said your situation qualifies for a subsidy on your dad's medical bills." You looked at him with your eyes wide open, he couldn't make out much emotion from your expression, which made him start to get nervous, fearing that you were about to explode with anger. "I know, I'm sorry I talked to strangers about you, you have the right to be angry with me, but I really just wanted to help, this subsidy will cover most of the bills, of course if you need help to figure it all out, I can help you with everything, but I understand if you don't want-"

His rant was interrupted by your arms tightening around his stomach. When the moment of surprise passed he reciprocated the hug.

"Thank you." you said.

"You are welcome." He beamed.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow after we're both off work?""

"Sure." The smile didn't leave his face.

"I have to go now, thank you for breakfast. Have a good day, Steve."

"You too, y/n."

For him, it was the win of the day.

When taking on the job as a nurse, Steve was aware that some moments would be extremely hard in the job. However, he did not expect them to come so quickly and suddenly. Nor did he expect that the first such moment would be so drastic.

Road accidents were the order of the day, so when he got the call to assist in the operation of one of the injured he approached it with composure as always. What he didn't expect, however, was to find a teenage girl lying on the table in critical condition. Despite the best efforts of the entire rescue team, the injuries sustained in the accident were too extensive and she died during the operation. On his way out of the room, all he could hear was the shrill cry of despair of a mother who would never hug her own daughter again. That sound refused to leave his head until the end of his shift.

After returning home, exhausted by today's experiences, he fell asleep on the couch. Unfortunately, even in sleep his psyche was not merciful. His brain replayed nightmares over and over again, which, instead of resting, tormented him even more.

When you returned to the apartment the first thing you noticed was Steve sleeping on the couch. Today, for the first time in a very long time, he was not waiting for you with a meal ready. Determining that he was probably too tired, you quietly walked over to the couch and covered him with a blanket. Your attention did not miss the furrowed brow and the anxious expression on his face. Hesitating for a moment, you decided not to intervene and went to the kitchen, stating that today it was your turn to cook something. In the middle of cutting vegetables, Steve suddenly jumped on the couch breathing heavily.

"Hey, what's going on?" you quickly walked over to him and crouched down across from him. He was in shock, his eyes in a panic trying to recognize the environment he was in, and his breathing was speeding up instead of slowing down. "Steve, hey." you tried to get his attention.

"My phone. Where's my phone?" he sprang to his feet and began a frantic search for the device. He found it in his jacket pocket and immediately started dialing a number. "Dustin? Dustin are you okay?" he asked after a few beeps.

"Yes, why?" replied the confused boy.

"I just- I'm sorry. Glad you are okay."

"What the hell Steve?"

"I have to go, bye." He hung up and clasped his hand around the phone while leaning his head against the wall.

"Steve?" approached him slowly. "What's going on?"

"It's just a hard day at work…" He sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He nodded and together you went to sit on the couch. There he told you about the situation. The longer he spoke, the more his voice broke down and words struggled to pass through his throat.

"When I was sleeping, I had-I had a nightmare. Instead of this girl, there was Dustin. I had to make sure he was okay-" it was his breaking point.

The sight was painful. It was hard to look at a person who can bring so much warmth, light and joy into someone's life in a state of sadness. Steve was like sunshine to you, sunshine that was now covered by dark clouds and raindrops that dripped down his cheeks. Before you had time to think your body reacted faster, and you were already halfway to hugging him. He accepted this form of reassurance without hesitation, and, drawing you closer to him, you landed in his lap, while he snuggled his face into the bend of your neck.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all this." you said quietly stroking his hair. "And Dustin is fine, he is fine, you are not gonna lose him."

"I can't lose him-"

"And you won't." You didn't let him finish his sentence. You moved him away from you so that you could look at each other and took his face in your hands, wiping away the tear tracks with your thumbs. "And remember that you are not alone with your problems Steve Harrington, and you will not be alone."

Honey-colored irises looked right through your soul. However, after a while they began to take a different course. Slowly and uncertainly they went along your nose to stop at your lips. Suddenly his hands, which were now on the indentation of your waist, began to burn. Yet it was not a painful burning. The warmth was addictive, you wanted to feel more of it, you wanted to feel it all over your body. Your foreheads rested against each other and your noses brushed, lips were separated by millimeters when the magic was interrupted by his phone.

Like a burnt woman, you jumped off his lap, and he went to his room with the phone, not knowing how to deal with what had just happened between you.

Would you let him kiss you?

This thought focused all his attention, and all he understood from his conversation with his supervisor was that tomorrow was his day off.

"Would you mind going for a walk?" you asked when he returned to the living room.

"Sure."

The autumn air was not the hottest, but the warm sweaters you were wearing adequately protected you from it. The setting sun was a beautiful orange color quite like the leaves quietly crunching under your shoes. Steve wordlessly followed you, not even focusing on the road. Walking in your company seemed to be a good cure for shattered nerves, especially since the scenery was equally soothingly beautiful. On the way to your destination, you made a brief stop at a flower shop, not far from the cemetery. At that moment he knew what your destination was.

"It's okay if you don't feel like going there." You said stopping in front of the gate.

"No, it's fine." he replied and moved ahead.

"This place…I found a weird peace in here for the first few days after my dad died." you explained as you approached the grave. You placed a flower on it.

Steve did not respond. But you were right, the place was surrounded by a strange atmosphere of calm. The falling nightfall sharpened the burning candles. Their rays were small but warm, and together they created a solemn scenery. He associated the flames with the emotions you stirred in his heart. Emotions that were bubbling up inside him and begging him to let them out. Emotions that he no longer had the strength to keep inside, and despite the fact that the cemetery was the last place to confess love, he decided to do so.

"Thank you." he said finally.

"For what?" you asked turning your face toward him.

"Letting me in."

"Thank you for being patient enough." The smile with which you answered this was also as warm as the lights burning in front of you.

"I think I'm falling in love with you."

He expected shock, anger, laughter on your part. He expected each of the worst reactions. However, he did not expect the calmness with which you accepted what he said. He didn't expect your hand intertwining your fingers and the other landing gently on his cheek.

"I think I'm falling in love with you too, Steve." you whispered.

That was enough for him to lean in and bring your lips together. The kiss, at first shy and gentle, deepened into something passionate and filled with relief that something that was supposed to have happened a long time ago was finally happening. It was as if everything had suddenly found its rightful place in the universe.

As you pulled away from each other, he spun you around so that your back rested against his chest and your arms locked in a bear hug. With a wide smile and tears of happiness in your eyes, you looked at your father's grave.

"Thank you." you said quietly.

"It's me who thanks you." he whispered in your ear.

"It wasn't to you." you giggled, and he made a confused sound. "It was to Dad."

"Oh."

"He placed a real angel in my path." You didn't have to wait long for a response. After a while, you were face to face again giving each other kisses interrupted by smiles.

"Let's go home." you whispered between kisses.

"Home?" he asked with hope in his voice.

"Home." You confirmed by kissing him again.

taglist: @i-me-mine @phantypurple @tlclick73

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pomegranateboba · 10 months ago

Text

ArTw boys if they followed us back to Mid Earthium

Based on this undone prompt provided by @sleepytwilight

Context: one of the gang somehow went to Mid Earthium with us (we dragged one of them there's no escape) now they are stuck with us til who knows when

Tw: Nothing too serious, Sirius being a red flag, its mostly crack I don't know how to write sad stuff

Arcturus

You found him in your kitchen on the ground, confused

"S-Summoner? What...where is this?"

"This is your house..??"

Poor baby was still confused even after you explained to him what happened.

Oh well, it just means he can know more about Mid Earthium culture (and the Summoner)

You both found out that your imprints with each other still work here (Arcturus was knitting at home and you summoned him to the florist to ask him which flowers looked better)

He found the crustiest animal shelter once and was absolutely horrified (You had to give therapy afterwards)

*in tears* "These poor things are sitting in their own waste-WHY IS THAT DOG BEING CRAMPED UP IN SUCH A SMALL CAGE"

You both came back home with your own personal petting zoo after that. (Let's assume our house is big enough)

He takes care of all the plants and animals in the house for you

Now your house is not only a petting zoo, but also a jungle. Yay.

He helps old ladies cross the street.

Literally the best housemate you could ever ask for.

He was amazed when you pointed out that he was an actual star in Mid Earthium.

The star Arcturus literally looks like him IT GLOWS ORANGE AJHSKHDKAKJGH

Very sweet.

*arcky appreciation*

Spica

You were in your nearby public library and saw Spica lecturing some kids about yelling in the library.

How Spica of him, you thought.

After bringing him home and explaining the situation to him, he was surprised to say the least.

At least now you would be by his side.

After 1 day your house now smells of coffee

Because he makes you coffee every morning (you drink it out of politeness and your love for Spica, despite the coffee being very bitter and like a 100 degrees Celsius)

Your house is also suddenly 10 times more organised

He has a considerable amount of free time now that he doesn't have to do work for the Guide Committee 25/7, so he can finally catch up on sleep.

And you can also bring him outside more

In which he gets major culture shock, because my dude used to like ballroom music and people articulating themselves in proper English (or whatever language I guess)

"Summoner, what does 'pogchamp' mean?"

Yeah. Time to teach this man about the internet.

I don't know about you, but I feel like Spica would fall for internet scams, because they don't have that stuff in Bound Arlyn (or maybe Spica just never used the internet.)

If you have any work to do, he will be watching very closely over your shoulder.

You try to teach this old man how to play online games and fail.

"...How do I know which team I'm on? How do I crouch?"

I think you should just let him read Mid Earthium books instead.

He is a very considerate housemate, doesn't really bother you unless you go bother him

He feels so weird not doing anything since he is overworked most of the time at Contell, please give him something to do.

Your imprints still worked, you summoned him from the living room to the bathroom because you were too short to fix a lightbulb (admit it you are short because so am I)

Alpheratz

You found him on a bench, being questioned by the police whether he was some homeless guy or not.

You manage to bring him home and explain to him what was going on (I mean as if we know what's going on)

I feel like he would either be really surprised, or just not care.

His logic: No Spica nagging = good

He spends most of the time asleep on your couch or somewhere in the house, or maybe the backyard if you have one.

He honestly would not care less, but his mood would be better overall because no Spica, and also no Schedar.

So you may be able to convince him to do stuff (maybe)

Your imprints work pretty much fine, you were trying to figure out how to wake him up from his century long coma on the couch, so you went to your room and summoned him there

It worked yeah, but he just went back to sleep, but on your bed.

Ah well.

He would be more than happy to accompany you around though, because Spica isn't there to show up out of the blue.

He can reach the high shelves for you.

If you are shorter than him (me), he will tease you for being short, because Pollux isn't around.

"Give me back my phone."

"But can you reach it?"

"..."

"That's right. You can't. :)"

You hit his face with a pillow

You may have to do your chores on your own though, you could try asking Alpheratz and there is a 50/50 chance he would help you

He helps you get more sleep as well, it is stressful being the Summoner in Bound Arlyn after all.

Pollux:

You found him in a park. On a swing set. He was taped to it.

Somehow, you were not surprised.

Little boy was overjoyed to see you.

You tried to explain what was happening to the best of your ability

He was a little confused, but that was all forgotten when you offered to go out to explore with him.

You took him to 7eleven, where he got a shit ton of snacks, because who's gonna stop him, not you.

He was so excited to stay with you without anyone else.

He also ensured that you had to clean up some stuff because the bad luck be bad lucking.

Anyways, you made the mistake of introducing him to social media

Its too late now he has actual followers now

Ah well.

Get ready to do tens of hundreds of tiktok challenges

It just feels like a very Pollux thing to do

He runs around everywhere, he wants to see everything in Mid Earthium and then compare it to the boundary

"Wow, everything's so...bleak. I mean not you of course, you're really pretty-I MEAN YOU DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING-"

Someone calm this tsundere down please he's feral

Would attempt to help out in the house, ends up giving up half way through

Your imprints work, you could not find Pollux anywhere in the house so you summoned him. Apparently he was hiding in the closet eating half the candy in the house

Loves dragging you around the place (he's adorable ahgjhgsajhg)

Vega

You both went back to Mid Earthium at the same time, together, so you both appeared back in your room

You were very enthusiastic about showing Vega around, BECUASE HE'S TECHNICALLY BACK HOME

Let's say you 2 lived in the same neighbourhood and you still live there now.

Bring on the nostalgia.

You showed him around all the places you used to go (according to Vega, since your memories of your time with Vega as a kid were non-existent)

Some changed, some didn't. Vega was really emotional after that (wait I didn't mean to put in all the feels no I'm not crying you are)

Vega would be either really teary or really happy, or both because he can finally spend some quality time with his beloved best friend <3

You both are inseparable the whole time, and if you have to leave the room, he can and will wait at the door until you are back

and don't take too long or else he will be sad (or he will break the door down and find you himself.)

All the time you both had was extremely wholesome without even trying and Vega was simply overjoyed just to be able to be with you.

Sometimes (read: every time) he would come into your room to cuddle with you because he has been overwhelmed with all The Feels ™

I literally love Vega he's adorable

Your imprint works, not because you needed to summon him (he was always by your side anyways), but because you know there's always this bond between the sorcerers? (amplifier stone type stuff or something)

You guys did build a blanket/pillow fort in your living room and cuddled :)

He is the most normal housemate because he knows how things work, except you would not leave your side for more than 10 minutes.

"Please stay by my side, Summoner."

Very sweet 100% chance of survival.

Sirius

You did not need to find him. He found you.

He somehow found where you lived and climbed through the window when you woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water (He refused to reveal where he spawned in to)

May Ursa Minor, Polaris and heck even Lilith from obey me why not, give us all strength to survive this

This man can and will tease you about the 2 of you living together in the same house

He has definitely suggested that the 2 of you could share the bed, but stopped before you could throw him out.

He has, despite the locked windows and door, came into your room at 3am in the morning in the form of a dog, just to bother you. You know, just because.

Polaris please come pick your kid up. I don't care whether you're dead, in the void, or is an ice monster.

Barks at people as a dog for no reason.

Got used to living in Mid Earthium very quickly.

Has most definitely pretended to be your boyfriend, up to the point where even you are confused. (gaslight gaslight and gaslight even more)

Will find a way to cause chaos.

Still pretty protective of you though, we don't talk about what he said in chapter 13

Will take you out pretty frequently (interpret it however you want)

You can never find him, so you do summon him to your side when he isn't already (he knows where you are he's just being a stalker dw)

Is very happy that he can have you all to himself, without other people questioning his questionable behaviour.

Will either help out in the house, or knock down glasses like a cat and stare at you dead in the eye.

"...Sirius please. It's 2 in the morning."

*Happy barking noises.*

"What do you want?"

"Can I be the little spoon?"

"Get out."

He somehow makes it seem like he lives in Mid Earthium, and not some wanted criminal from Bound Arlyn.

He's a menace, a hot menace, but a menace nonetheless.

#yeah i have not finished the assessment book i have been tasked to finish #in fact i have only done 15 pages #but arcana twilight takes priority #arcana twilight #arcana twilight arcturus #arcana twilight spica #arcana twilight alpheratz #arcana twilight pollux #arcana twilight vega #arcana twilight sirius #arcana twilight summoner #arcana twilight headcanons

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 10 months ago

Note

(Riddle) Headmage, were you just snacking/sleeping in class?! You need to set a better example for the other students! Furthermore, is this truly the best use of your time to be attending lessons instead of running the school?

Crowley does, in fact, have magic history lesson lines in which he is falling asleep in class and/or sneaking some of his lunch during the lecture 🤡 A real inspiration to us all...

I chose to give Crowley some chicken here because some have pointed out that Sage's Island looks like a drumstick 🍗 and he’s in a different class because I have another Crowley-staff interaction coming up that is Trein-based. I want to give the other teachers some of the spotlight!

Enter; An Unkindness of Ravens.

"Wh-What...?!"

At Riddle's stern accusation, Crowley's consciousness snapped back into place like a rubber band. He bolted up on his seat and swiveled to face the boy.

It was difficult to take him seriously when a piece of fried chicken was lodged in his mouth—the result of trying to snack while falling asleep mid-lecture. (Thankfully, Crowley removed it before he spoke. Not so thankfully, he waved the drumstick at Riddle as though it added to his rebuttal.)

“I will have you know that I am nothing short of being the exemplary pupil. You understand that a mage must look after their health to be at maximum spellcasting potential, correct? Therefore, it is imperative that we receive adequate nutrition and rest—of which I am demonstrating!"

Riddle openly grimaced, but kept his volume low. "Self-care activities are not meant to be carried out during classes, but outside of them."

"Oh, how little you know, Rosehearts-kun!" Crowley sighed. "The life of a headmaster is a demanding one, I'm afraid. My schedule is packed to the brim with meetings and administrative tasls, I can scarcely catch a wink or sleep or a reliable meal.”

Riddle stared hard at the uneaten chicken leg. Crowley slowly hid it inside of his cape.

“A-Anyway! Even now, I am hard at work observing you students so that we may utilize your experiences to improve school curriculum and facilities. If I wished for a small reprieve, could you truly hold that against me?!"

"Headmaster!”

The bark came from the front of the lecture hall, belonging to a man in a black and white striped fur coat. He thrusted his pointer in Crowley’s direction, the crimson dog’s collar and white gemstone affixed to it catching the classroom lights. His students followed where it led: to Crowley.

“Do you have something to share with the class,” Crewel inquired tightly, “since it seems you are preoccupied with chattering during my lesson?“

“Erm… N-No, not at all, Professor Crewel! I simply found myself so engrossed in your materials, I was overcome with a myriad of emotions!!”

His colleague arched a brow.

Crowley loudly cleared his throat. “Y-You may carry on as you were!”

“Contain yourself next time. My patience can only be worn so thin,” Crewel warned. “Now then, if you’ll turn to page 225 in your textbooks…”

When the teacher looked away, Crowley practically melted, becoming one with his chair.

“Whew…! Professor Crewel looked as though he was going to flay me and then turn my lovely feathers into a new jacket!!” he lamented. This time, softly. “Oooh, why must these tragedies and misunderstandings continue to plague me?”

Riddle shook his head. The smirk on his mouth made no attempts to be sad, only satisfactory. “I did try to caution you.”

He returned to following along with the lecture, leaving Crowley to his slacking.

#twst #twisted wonderland #Riddle Rosehearts #twst interactions #twisted wonderland interactions #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #Two Ravens at the Writing Desk #Dire Crowley #Divus Crewel

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capitollie · 2 years ago

Text

Genshin characters with a chubby s/o

As a creator with a mid size body type its so hard to find stuff that's not nsfw that includes chubby people sigh. To the creators that DO create content for people with different body types: ily sm I'm gonna make you a plushie and eat you (this is a compliment)

Reader implied to be small (Capitano), Beidou very subtly implied to be WLW

-Capitano just adores you.

-Who knew that the large, scary harbinger could be reduced to a metaphorical mush in the arms of his lover?

-He loves how small you are compared to him, but he thinks he likes your softness more.

-Capitano does not tolerate mean comments about your body. If he catches wind that the Fatui recruits are talking about you behind your (and his) back...

-Best to assume you won't be seeing them at work the next day.

-He loves holding you close after a stressful day, he says that your softness cures the evil in his heart.

-He loves it when you cuddle into his chest, with his large hands wrapped around your soft body, he pulls you closer, almost smothering you in his chest.

-Beidou adores your soft body compared to her muscular build.

-No matter your size, she can pick you up. She's a strong woman, a woman who managed to kill Haishan without a vision.

-She doesn't tolerate rude comments about you, but she can't actually do anything about it, so she gets Ningguang to. Ningguang favours you aswell, so its not hard.

-She understands it can get quite lonely if you live in Liyue Harbour while she's sailing, so she usually asks Xinyan or Xiangling to keep you company.

-She loves cuddling you, prefers to be the larger spoon so she can protect you from the dangers of the world.

-Congratulations, your Kazuhas new mom/parent.

-When she first saw you it was love at first sight fr.

-"My, what an adorable little thing. Hmm, you should, say, come stay with me." "What?" "Come be my lover."

-She loves cuddling your thighs, occasionally she pretends to bite them, too.

-Should she hear anything negative about you, she'll have Sara deal with him and then she'll give them a harsh lecture.

-If she buys you clothes, they will most likely be skintight, or nearly skintight. She loves your softness, don't let anyone say otherwise.

-She'll read books to you until you fall asleep, to which she gently puts away the book and gets you two under the covers, her tail curled around your leg while her hands lightly tangle themselves in your hair.

#genshin impact x reader #genshin impact #genshin x reader #yae miko #capitano #beidou #capitano x reader #yae miko x reader #beidou x reader #genshin x chubby reader #x reader

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makeitmingi · 1 year ago

Text

Cause Baby You're My Muse [Chapter 39]

Genre: Romance, Idol!AU, Music, Slight angst

Pairing: Mingi x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Producer!Reader, IdolLyricist!Mingi, IdolProducer!Hongjoong, Idol!Seonghwa, Idol!Yunho, Idol!Wooyoung, Idol!San, Idol!Yeosang, Idol!Jongho, cameo(s) by other celebrities

Summary: You always preferred producing underground, having an unknown face and governed by your own rules. But when you start freelancing for idol groups, you say goodbye to your lone wolf lifestyle as you learn to work with idol producers and lyricists.

Word count: 3.2K

"Alright everyone, I know we're tired. Good work today but please shower before you fall asleep somewhere." Hongjoong said as the 8 shuffled out of the stuffy lift. They were already warm and sweaty, having to squeeze in the lift was sufferable.

"Yes, captain." The other 7 chimed tiredly.

"Hyung, you pressed the wrong floor." Jongho stopped the group, having noticed this was not their floor. Everyone was so tired and out of it that they didn't notice.

"Did I?" Yeosang scratched his head, looking around. Indeed, they were on a lower level, not where their dorm was.

"Is someone moving in?" San tilted his head curiously when he noticed the stack of boxes.

"I think I saw a moving truck downstairs." Seonghwa yawned. That was when the door to the new tenant's home beeped and the 8 boys straightened up, ready to greet their new neighbour.

"INDIGO?!"

"Oh! It's you guys. Hey." You were stunned by their sudden presence as well. Judging from the stack of flattened cardboard in your hand, it confirmed that you were the new tenant. Mingi tiredly came over and hugged you. You looked up at him with a soft smile,moving his sweaty fringe away from his eyes.

"Wait, you're moving into our building? Why didn't you say anything?" Hongjoong asked.

"Moved into the building. The lease at my old place was up and Eden thought it would be good for me to move in here so the company set up a place for me." You explained as Mingi still glued himself to you.

"You didn't say anything... We could have helped you move, baby." Mingi mumbled. The others nodded in agreement.

"I wanted to surprise you guys. But I guess you all surprised me first." You chuckled.

"Yeosang hyung pressed the wrong floor." Jongho said.

"Don't worry, I don't have much to move and Maddox got some friends to help me with my stuff." You patted Mingi's back assuringly. He nuzzled his cheek to the top of your head.

"Mangi ah, you're all gross from practice. You're dirtying poor Indigo." Wooyoung clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Oh, you all should go rest. It's late and I'm sure you're all tired. We'll catch up tomorrow." You said. Hongjoong nodded and wrapped an arm around you before ushering the boys up. But Mingi stayed by you, not letting you go.

"Better not be late tomorrow, Mingi ah." Seonghwa lectured. Mingi nodded and you shot the two oldest of the group an apologetic smile. They nodded with sighs of defeat.

"Come on." You led Mingi into the house. Once you closed the door, Mingi straightened up.

"Is it okay if I just shower here? I'll be out of your way after." Mingi said, looking at the boxes in the corner.

"Why must you leave?" You tilted your head as you held his hand.

"I don't want to interrupt your unpacking. You must be tired having done all this on your own." He cupped your cheek, stroking it with his thumb as he looked at you.

"I'm not. I'd like you to stay if you want to. I brought all your clothes from the old place to this new house." You said, leaning into his hand. Mingi smiled softly, leaning down to capture your lips with his own. Your hands grasped the material of his shirt. Mingi could always make you swoon.

"Of course, I'll stay." He whispered. Placing a peck on your cheek, he went to the bathroom in your bedroom to shower.

"Your clothes and the towels are in the drawers already." You announced from the living room. You heard his footsteps shuffle around your bedroom.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Mings, have you eaten yet?" You pressed your ear against the door of the bathroom.

"Yes! We ate before coming home." He replied under the running water. You retreated to the kitchen to unpack. Like you said, you didn't have many things so the boxes were cleared quickly.

"Anything I can help with?" Mingi asked from the doorway of the bedroom. He was shirtless, drying his hair with his towel.

"I'm good. Just trying to unpack the necessities first. In case I need them tomorrow. Eden gave me the day off tomorrow to set up the studio. I need to soundproof the walls in there and figure out the wiring." You shrugged.

"I can help you with that." Mingi offered.

"It's alright, Mings. I don't want you to skip practice. Besides, if you're here, I'd much rather spend time with you." You laughed, turning back to the counter to set up the coffee machine.

"Me too." Mingi came up behind you, wrapping his arms around you. He peppered kisses along the side of your neck.

"We should head to bed." You turned around, your arms coming up to wrap around his neck as he held your hips. He hummed, burying his face into your shoulder.

"I'm so happy you're near me now. I can see you a lot more." He mumbled.

"Don't get in trouble with Joong. He wouldn't like you always sneaking here." You giggled, patting the back of his head.

"He's just overly protective." He growled, annoyed by Hongjoong. You continued to laugh. Mingi suddenly lifted you up, making you yelp in surprised. You glared at him, he knows you didn't like it when he did that out of nowhere. But he didn't care, bringing you to your bedroom. He laid you down on the bed.

"I love you, baby." He hovered over you.

"I love you too, Mings." You hugged him to your chest, feeling the rush of emotions to the point where your head felt dizzy. Mingi was careful not to put his whole weight on you.

"Come here, I want to hold you." He turned the both of you sideways, protectively cradling you like always.

"Baby?" Mingi suddenly called. You let out a hum. His voice was different but you thought that it was because he was sleepy.

"I love you." He strained. You pulled away slightly, just enough to look at him. Mingi's hold on you was tight, he wouldn't have allowed you to move too far from him either.

"What's wrong, Mings?" Your hands came up to cup his cheeks, worry written all over your face. He opened his mouth to reply but nothing came up. You were patient as you waited for him to speak, nothing about you rushed him. Then a choked sob escaped.

"Mings..." You softed. Mingi hid his face in your chest, not wanting to let you see him cry. But you felt his tears against your shirt.

"I... I just... I..." He heaved, trying to form a sentence amidst his sobbing to no avail.

"It's alright. Shh, it's okay." You assured him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He shook his head. You continued to hush him and comfort him. Even if you didn't know why Mingi was crying, you didn't want him to apologise.

"It's okay, it's okay, Mings. I'm here." One of your hands was on the back of his head and another hand on his upper back to soothe him.

"I just... I don't know... why..."

"That's okay." Being separated from each other and working tirelessly with multiple practices and schedules must have just made Mingi overwhelmed. There wasn't even time to feel the exhaustion and stress of the upcoming comeback. And now, it was probably all crashing down on him now.

"I understand. Breathe." You encouraged patiently. Mingi matched your breathing, taking a large breath of air to fill his lungs. When he exhaled, it was shaky.

You continued to hold Mingi, even after his sobs had quietened and died down to sniffles. His sobs made you feel just as vulnerable, it broke your heart. You didn't want to let him go.

"That came out of nowhere... I couldn't control it." Mingi said.

"You don't have to explain yourself, it's okay. I get it. It's okay." You constantly assured him.

"Ah..." Mingi let out a frustrated sigh at himself, wiping his tears with his sleeve. Even if he was frustrated and embarrassed at what just happened, his hold on you never laxed.

"Please don't leave me. I need you to bring me back to earth." He whispered. You hummed softly, kissing the top of his head like how he always does with you. But everything hit Mingi like a ton of bricks, coupled with the exhaustion, he fell asleep in no time.

"I'll always protect you." You said softly, brushing his hair back. Closing your eyes, you caved into sleep.

When you woke up, you found yourself laying against Mingi's chest. You looked up and saw Mingi's face, illuminated by the screen of his phone. His other arm securely on your waist.

"Oh, good morning." Mingi noticed that you were awake and put his phone aside.

"Morning, Mings." You smiled sleepily.

"Did I wake you with the brightness?" He asked in concern. You shook your head with a giggle, burying your face against his pec. Moments like these were the best.

"Ugh, I think I need an ice pack." He groaned, rubbing his post-crying swollen eyes. You nodded and kissed his cheek, leaving the bed to get him a pack of frozen corn kernels. It was all you had at the moment. Grabbing a small towel, you wrapped it and gently laid it over his eyes as he laid there.

*DING DONG*

"I'll get it. Just lay here." You patted his hand and went to the front door. You were surprised to see Hongjoong there.

"Hey, Joong. What do you need? Mingi isn't late." You hurriedly checked the time. Mingi was only due at the studio at 11am and it was still 9am.

"No, Mingi isn't late for his schedule. Don't worry. Eden told me you might need help setting up your studio. I'm free for the morning so I decided to drop by." He shrugged.

"Oh, thanks. I just woke up. Let me... Put on some pants and wash up." You ran to the room, realising you were in Mingi's oversized shirt. When you turned to Mingi, he was still laying there with the ice pack over his eyes but his arms were crossed.

"I can feel your anger from here. What's wrong, Mings?" You chuckled as you retrieved a pair of sweats from the drawer.

"Firstly, why is he here? Secondly, how could you let another man see you without pants?" He huffed.

"He's here to help me set up my studio. And I didn't realise until a few seconds ago. Your shirt is big enough to cover me to my knees anyway." You sighed.

"Don't like it." He sounded like a child.

"Well, deal with it. You just rest here until your alarm rings and you need to go for your schedule." You instructed.

"No, I want to cuddle." He whined. You lifted the ice pack and kissed his forehead before going to the bathroom to wash up, knowing that Hongjoong was waiting for you.

"Sorry I don't have much food to make breakfast except eggs and toast if you don't mind having that. Or-." You added as you looked through the fridge for other food. Hongjoong's hand reached past you, grabbing two of yoghurt tubes. Of course he would be satisfied with eating just yoghurt.

"I'm good with these." He said, tearing into one to eat. You laughed, nodding your head as you fixed yourself some coffee.

"Is Mingi not awake?" He asked.

"He is but I told him to rest longer since he's tired." You informed. You weren't going to tell Hongjoong what happened last night, it would be rude of you to share that.

"The stuff we need for the studio are all inside. Just in the boxes." You walked into the room with your mug of coffee in hand.

"I can start sticking the foam on the walls while you work out your set up." Hongjoong suggested. Instead of waiting for his alarm like you told him to, Mingi came into the studio a few minutes after.

"Put on a shirt!" Hongjoong scolded.

"Tsk." Mingi clicked his tongue and disappeared before coming back with a shirt on. You were glad that his eyes weren't as noticeably swollen anymore.

"Should I call San or Yeosang down to help with the heavy lifting?" Hongjoong scratched his head, worried at the weight of everything. You nodded with a shrug, if they were free to help, they were more than welcomed to come.

"I'm going to make a coffee first." Mingi said. You nodded and tilted your head back as he leaned down to give you a peck.

"Ugh." Hongjoong threw a piece of foam at him.

"You don't have to be here, hyung." Mingi rolled his eyes. Hongjoong glared at him while the taller retreated out of the room. You heard the coffee machine go a few seconds later.

"Mingi ah, San and Yeosang are coming down!" Hongjoong yelled out, face looking at his phone screen.

"Sure!" Mingi yelled back. You continued to try and set up your desk, or at least the frame and the legs.

"Hey. Come in." You heard Mingi opening the door for Yeosang and San.

"Hi San and Yeosang. Thanks for coming to help out." You smiled, seeing the two strongest members stand there. They smiled back and waved, entering the room.

"I need to make this metal frame stand then move this glass top onto the supports here." You pointed. The two nodded and began to work immediately, following your instructions. They moved things for you and positioned all your heavier equipment like your monitors and speakers according to how you'd like it.

"Ah, let me do it, hyung." Mingi grabbed the foam piece from Hongjoong and reached over him to stick the pieces higher up.

"Psh, show off." Hongjoong scoffed. Then Mingi's alarm rang, signalling his time to go.

"I'll go change first." Mingi said and went out. After he changed, he waved for you come out. Mingi pulled you out and away from the gazes of the other 3 in the room.

"Finally, some privacy. I want a kiss before I go." He grinned as he planted a kiss on your lips.

"Have a great session." You smiled, leaning your weight against his.

"Thank you. Bye, baby." He stole another kiss, making you giggle. You walked Mingi to the door and couldn't help but give him a final hug. When you re-entered the studio, you felt all eyes on you.

"What?" You hissed.

"Nothing." San smiled innocently, turning back to helping you assemble the wall mount for your biggest monitor. Yeosang unboxed your other equipment with you, patiently moving them as you figured out the best layout.

"Atom here, MIDI here then I guess this is the only space left for my mixer. Maybe I'll put my keyboard on this side later instead of the left side." You thought out loud.

"It's okay, indigo. Take your time." Yeosang patted your shoulder with a laugh.

"I feel bad that you guys are doing most of the hard work." You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly.

"You already made us feel bad for not helping you during your actual moving in day. This is the least we could do to ease the guilt that we feel." San pointed out. Hongjoong and Yeosang agreed.

"What's there to feel bad about? I told you, I didn't deliberately keep it a secret! I was going to surprise you guys today." You argued.

"Luckily my exhausted brain pressed the wrong floor button, right?" Yeosang fist pumped with a proud smile.

"Sure..." Hongjoong trailed off, turning back to the foam pieces. You burst out laughing but gave Yeosang a thumbs up to show your support. After everything was more or less set up, you went out to make some iced tea for the boys. You would have bought them a meal but they were all on different diets.

"Are you sure I can't buy you guys a meal?" You raised an eyebrow as they settled on the couch.

"No need, Indigo. We're all on different diets now for the comeback, it's too complicated to cater to everyone. This is fine." San shook the glass of iced tea in his hand.

"And we only moved some stuff around. So stop fussing and sit." Hongjoong waved at you. You sulked a little but complied.

"Have you unpacked everything yet?" Yeosang asked as he settled beside him.

"Most of my things. I unpacked the necessities but I still need to unpack Haneul's things. Honestly, I don't have that many possessions in the first place." You chuckled.

"Oh, we have to go. We have a gym session." San and Yeosang got up. You hugged them gratefully and walked them to the door.

"Thanks again for stopping by the help." You waved.

"Anytime." They smiled before taking their leave. You closed the door and sunk into the couch next to Hongjoong. A soft sigh escaped you as you laid your head against his shoulder. He used his other hand to reach over and pat your head.

"Do you miss your other home?" He asked.

"No... It's just a house. A place for me to sleep, eat and work. That's it." You replied. Hongjoong let out a short hum while you realised how pathetic your reply was and sat up.

"Sorry. It's... I've never had any sentimental attachment to the idea of a house or home. My parents were never around or too busy so I used to hate the idea of going home. I snuck out whenever I could."

"It's okay, Indigo. I understand. You don't have to explain." He smiled softly. You sat back down.

Hongjoong couldn't see your face since you were leaning against him. You opened your mouth to say something but closed it. A part of you was hesitant.

Hesitant to openly admit that Ateez was the closest thing to a home that you had now. However, this wasn't forever. Your paths could split in the future. Yes, you would remain friends but you wouldn't be here forever. They would go on to do and achieve bigger things. While you would continue on your own path.

BEEP BEEP

"Sorry. Let me go get that." You went to the bedroom to grab your phone. Standing by your nightstand, you saw that you had received a new message from your old landlord.

You had not seen her after the inspection with her yesterday. The house was left in good condition so your deposit was returned to you.

'Ms (y/l/n), what time did you leave yesterday? - Mrs Park (Old landlord)'

'Hi, Mrs Park. I packed up and left at 3pm like we agreed yesterday. I have not step foot into the place after we did the inspection and the deposit was returned. - (y/n)'

'Is something to matter? - (y/n)'

'Something happened to the house. I will be getting the police involved. - Mrs Park (Old landlord)'

*Attachment: 1 image'

You opened a picture and let out a gasp. The house was trashed, it looked like a tornado had passed through. The furniture left had been overturned and ripped the shreds. All the walls were splashed with red paint. On one wall, you saw words written there in red.

'I warned you.'

Series Masterlist

106 notes · View notes

uconnposter01 · 6 months ago

Text

Chapter 2

Warning:Cursing

4.1K words

October 2021, Third-Person POV

Nuveah is struggling; she's never struggled this much in her life. The constant thought of saying, Forget this and attempt going to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) crossed her mind daily. Don’t get her wrong, the schoolwork is easy, and she loved being here with her sister and friends, but her insomnia has gotten so bad this year that she’s considering leaving it all behind.

Three major things consistently ran through the soccer player’s mind. If she is even good enough to make it to the NWSL, trying to balance her friends and school. Finally, the person who occupies her mind the most is Azzi Fudd. Nuveah couldn’t get her mind off the girl, no matter how hard she tried. Unfortunately, Nuveah knows she will never tell Azzi how she truly feels, so she will just have to admire from afar.

Trudging tiredly to her self-assigned seat in the back of the lecture hall, Aniyah puts her head down on the desk, hoping to catch some sleep before the curly-headed girl arrives. Nuveah hopes to get a quick five-minute nap before the basketball player arrives. She is not up for conversation but she doesn't want to ignore Azzi when she does show up for class, so Nuveah is hoping that resting her eyes will help her from being as irritated.

Azzi eagerly approached the soccer player as she entered the lecture hall, Giving Nuveah a light tap on the back of her neck. Azzi's smile disappeared as she saw Nuveah's weary face staring up at her.

“When’s the last time you've been to sleep?” Azzi asks softly.

“Like two days ago, I think,” Nuveah lies while laying her head on Azzi’s shoulder.

In reality, it’s been three going on four days, but Nuveah didn't want the girl to worry, so she figured a little white lie wouldn't hurt.

“You need to smoke,” Azzi says

“Can't I wanna be sharp for the rest of the playoffs” Nuveah says, tiredly rubbing her eyes.

“But you aren't. You know you can call me if you can’t sleep, right? Azzi says softly.

“I can't do that; you need your rest, too,” Nuveah responds.

“I mean it, Nu. Call me anytime, okay?” Azzi responds just as Professor Flanagan begins her lecture.

Nuveah laid on Azzi’s shoulder, half asleep, the whole 45 minutes of class; it was the closest she had gotten to sleep in the last couple of days. Azzi would have a light dusting of pink across her cheeks if she weren't so concerned for Nuveah and her lack of sleep. She thinks the girl is too hard on herself, an act that causes major anxiety for Nuveah, which in turn causes her to stay up.

Nuveah's movements are sluggish and halted after class. She was not the first person to leave the classroom; in fact, she was one of the last few to leave. To ensure the girl does not fall, Azzi trails closely behind her.

“Do you want me to walk you to your dorm?” Azzi questions

“Nah, I should be good,” Nuveah mumbles.

“Let me know if you have trouble falling asleep,” Azzi says

“Az, I can't do that to you,” Nuveah says.

"Yes, you can. I made my mind up already, and I'm preparing to stay up if you need me to, so like I said, call me if you can't sleep, okay?” Azzi says once more, cutting her eyes over at Nuveah.

"Okay,” Nuveah mutters, relenting.

“I’ll see you later,” Azzi says, hugging Nuveah.

After departing, from Azzi, Nuveah slowly walks back to her Dorm. Hopefully, she can take a quick nap. Her eyes burn, and she's hallucinating a bit because she could've sworn she heard her roommate Gia talking when she first came in, but after looking around the dorm apartment, she's not even there.

Laying down in her bed, Nuveah prays she can catch a few hours of sleep. Unsurprisingly, she doesn't fall asleep, but resting her eyes feels excellent; the burning, aching feeling coming from them has finally stopped. Hearing the front door slam, Nuveah sat up in a panic. Hopefully, it’s Gia.

Nuveah walks towards the living room, checking to see if Gia or Aniyah came in. Checking the dorm apartment, Nuveah notices that it is empty.

“I need to go the fuck to sleep,” Nuveah mumbles. Making her way back to her room and lying down.

Closing her eyes, Nuveah rests her eyes once

more. She's unsure how much time has passed but hears the door slam again.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Nuveah grumbles as she gets out of bed.

"Wassup,” Gia says, eyeing the girl before her.

“Nothing; I just heard the door slam earlier, and I'm trying to make sure I'm not going insane,” Nuveah says.

"Dude, you look like shit. When's the last time you've been to sleep?” Gia Questions.

“I don't know; I think it's been three or four days,” Nuveah said, rubbing her face.

“You need to get some sleep, Nu,” Gia says softly.

“Don’t you think I fucking know? Don't be dumb, Gia; I would if I could,” Nuveah snaps.

“My bad,” Gia mumbles.

Nuveah instantly feels awful; she didn't mean to yell at her best friend. She's just so irritated and tired of people telling her she needs to get some sleep. If she could, Nuveah would be knocked out right now.

“I’m sorry, G. I didn't mean to snap at you. I‘m just really irritable, and I'm kinda hallucinating, and I'm so tired, but I just can’t go to sleep, and it's fucking sucks,” Nuveah explains.

��It's okay, I get it, Pook. I just want the best for you,” Gia says, smiling widely.

“Okay, you wanna do anything?” Nuveah says, changing the subject.

“I mean, we can play Back 4 Blood; I heard it's pretty good,” Gia said

“I’m down,” Nuveah says, yawning.

The duo ends up playing the zombie game for three hours. Azzi stayed on Nuveah's mind throughout the entire time. She wonders what the girl is doing—if she ate or was busy—and honestly, Nuveah wishes she was there with the girl right now.

Nuveah knows Azzi said she can call her whenever, but she’s nervous. What if Azzi is only being nice because they have class together? Nuveah refuses to let her feelings sabotage their budding friendship.

“What’s on your mind, dude?” Gia asks, looking over at Nuveah.

“Azzi,” Nuveah shamelessly admits.

"You down bad for real," Gia teasingly remarks.

“I know,” Nuveah groans, running her hand down her face

“Why don’t you just tell her?” Gia questions.

“You sound like MoMo. Speaking of young bul, lemme call her. I wonder if she gonna go food shopping for us. We don't got shit, bro.” Nuveah says she is trying to change the subject

“Don't try to change the subject, Pook,” Gia says, rolling her eyes.

“I ain’t ever gonna tell her; you and Niya know this,” Nuveah responds.

“Wish you would. Shawty may like you,” Gia said.

“I can't risk it.” Nuveah quietly says.

Personally, I think she likes you, so you should go for it. Gia says, glancing over at Nuveah.

“Sometimes I think so, but Azzi is flirty with friends, so I genuinely can’t tell if she's just playing or not, so I’m not saying shit,” Nuveah explains.

“Write her notes,” Gia suggests

“What you mean?” Nuveah inquired, slightly confused.

“Be her secret admirer or some shit,'' Gia says.

“GG, that’s smart as fuck; I'm mad as shit I didn’t think of it, but ion think imma do it,” Nuveah admits.

“Why?” Gia asks, rolling her eyes

Nuveah didn't respond; she had no reason other than being anxious about the outcome, and she knew that was not a good enough reason not to write the anonymous love notes.

“Bro, why?” Gia asks once more, only to be met with silence.

Gia quickly realizes that she’ll have to use alternative methods to motivate Nuveah to write to Azzi.

"Yo, bro, I just peeped some shit,” Gia said, looking over at Nuveah.

“Wassup?” Nuveah asks, not looking away from the screen.

“You low-key a bitch,” Gia says.

“You sound dumb right now,” Nuveah says

"Yeah, you are; that’s why you don’t wanna write her,” Gia says.

“You know I ain’t no bitch,” Nuveah says, sucking her teeth.

“Matter fact, shawty pretty as shit; I know niggas and bitches are gonna try to talk to her if they don't already, so don't write her letters and let one of them scoop her up. Ya, ass would be sick,” Gia says, laughing slightly.

"Aight, stop dick-eating; I know what you doing, and imma do it. Just chill.” Nuveah pleads.

Gia smirked, glad that she and Nuveah were both from the Philadelphia area. She’s unsure if that would’ve worked if Nuveah was from anywhere else.

“Azzi knows my handwriting, so I must type it, Nuveah says.

“Aight, you need help with what you gonna write?” Gia asks

“Nah, I should be good. But put Mortal Kombat on; I wanna whoop your ass real quick,” Nuveah says, smirking.

“You stay talking shit” Gia says, sucking her teeth.

The duo played the fighting game for the next hour and a half, with Nuveah winning 75% of the matches.

“Aight, I’m done; I’m starving,” Gia complains, rubbing her stomach.

"Yeah, me too, where you wanna eat?” Nuveah questions.

“I’m feening for some Chick-fil-A; are you cool with

that pook?” Gia asks

"Yeah, that’s cool, but can we doordash that shit? Ion feel like leaving,” Nuveah admits.

Her body feels so tired; Nuveah’s not even sure if she can move from this spot on the couch. Even though she feels extremely exhausted, Nuveah’s mind can’t stop her mind from racing. She wasn’t even thinking of any in particular, but she couldn’t stop thinking. Honestly, Nuveah feels like she is going insane.

“Aight, the food will be here in like 30–35 minutes. Imma play some Fortnite. You wanna play?” Gia asks.

“Nah, imma watch,�� Nuveah says.

"Aight,” Gia says, turning on the game.

Nuveah watches Gia win the first two rounds before there is a knock on the door.

“I'll get it,” Gia says, standing up.

"Wassup, Azzi,” Gia says once she opens the door.

“Azzi” Nuveah repeats sitting up.

Nuveah anxiously rubs her sweaty hands on her pants. She isn’t prepared for Azzi to come over, which makes her incredibly nervous. Being as sleep-deprived as she is, Nuveah isn’t sure she can contain her feelings for the girl now.

“Sike, gotcha dickhead. Look at ya face. I wish I took a picture of that shit.” Gia says while bringing in the food.

“That shit was not funny. I should smack you.” Nuveah grumbles angrily.

“Ah ha, that was for earlier,” Gia says, handing Nuveah her food.

Nuveah stayed silent. She couldn’t blame Gia; she had yelled at her for basically no reason earlier. So Nuveah just munched on her tenders and scrolled through her phone.

“You tryna watch some shit?” Gia asks, looking over at Nuveah.

“Like?” Nuveah asks.

“Hunter X Hunter cool?” Gia asks.

"Yeah,” Nuveah responds.

Gia smiles to herself as she turns on the anime. It's only 8 p.m., and she's hoping that around 10, she can convince Nuveah to fall asleep. Gia is absolutely concerned for her best friend. As long as she's known Nuveah, the girl has always had issues with insomnia, but the soccer player has never been up for four days straight before.

After two hours of watching the anime, Gia decides it's time to call it a night. She's not tired yet, but she knows Nuveah needs the rest, even if she doesn't go to sleep. She's worried about her eyes; she needs to rest them.

“I’m getting tired,” Gia fake yawned.

“Aight, my eyes are starting to burn again, so imma try to go to sleep; I'm scared to be up for another day,” Nuveah admits softly while standing up.

“I love you, Pook; try to get some rest,” Gia says softly.

“I love you too, G,” Nuveah mumbles, walking into her room and lying down.

Nuveah stared at the clock in annoyance after trying to fall asleep for the last 4 hours. The clock 1:30 AM, the time stared back at her like it was taunting her. Azzi’s words ran through her mind again; surely Nuveah couldn't call her right now.

Even though Azzi gave her the go-ahead to call her at any point, no matter the time, she couldn't bring herself to do so. In Nuveah's opinion, she felt as if she would be incredibly selfish. Even though Nuveah thought Azzi’s voice would help lull her into a peaceful sleep, closing her eyes, Nuveah tried to fall asleep again but was unsuccessful in her efforts.

“Fuck it,” Nuveah mumbles, calling Azzi.

Azzi stayed up way past her bedtime today; it’s a Friday, so she knows she can do so and not completely regret it in the morning. She hopes Nuveah calls her soon or at all. Azzi wants to be here for the girl; hopefully, Nuveah will let her. Drifting off slightly, Azzi is startled by the sound of a Facetime call coming through.

"Hello,” Azzi answers.

Nuveah’s breath caught in her throat. Azzi looks so beautiful, her glasses perched on her nose. A pink bonnet covered her thick, curly hair. She looks gorgeous. It makes Nuveah feel somewhat self-conscious; Azzi is a queen, and Nuveah isn’t sure if she is good enough for the basketball player, which is another reason for her hesitation in revealing her feelings for Azzi.

“Did you hear me?” Azzi says, bringing Nuveah out of her thoughts.

“Nah, can you repeat it?” Nuveah says, clearing her throat.

“I asked if you were okay,” Azzi repeats.

“Yeah, I’m good; it’s cool that I call, right?” Nuveah asks.

“Yes, I told you earlier that it was okay,” Azzi says her tone is light and teasing.

"Right, uh, I ain’t gonna hold you ion know what to talk about,” Nuveah admits this while rubbing the back of her neck.

“We can talk about anything; it doesn’t matter to me,” Azzi says, smiling.

“What did you eat?” Nuveah questions cringing.

The conversation feels awkward, and the silence is deafening; she’s unsure what to say or do. Nuveah is starting to regret calling Azzi, feeling as though she’s bothering the girl.

“Nu, where did you go just now?” Azzi says this once again, bringing Nuveah out of her head.

“I’m not bothering you, am I?” Nuveah quietly asks.

“No, of course not, I promise; I just want to talk to you until you fall asleep,” Azzi quietly explains.

“My bad for being so awkward,” Nuveah mumbles.

“You are sleep-deprived, Nu. I’m not expecting you to be able to keep up a full-on conversation. I promise everything is okay,” Azzi says, smiling.

“I really appreciate you, Az,” Nuveah says, also smiling.

“Aw, I appreciate you too,” Azzi answers, her smile growing wider.

“How was your day?” Nuveah questions.

“Good, what did you do today?” Azzi inquiries

“It was okay; I just played video games, you? Nuveah says, glancing at the camera.

"I went to the gym and then worked on my shooting and just relaxed,” Azzi mindlessly explains.

“Sounds eventful; glad you had a good day,” Nuveah grins.

“Got any plans this weekend?” Azzi cordially asks.

"Tomorrow, no, but I have a 1 pm game on Sunday against Villanova,” Nuveah explains.

“On campus?” Azzi questions.

"Yeah,” Nuveah said, closing her eyes.

The shooting guard makes a mental note of the game and time, knowing that she won’t miss the game.

“Do you wanna hear about practice? Maybe it could help you fall asleep,” Azzi offers.

Nuveah opens one eye and glances at the screen, making eye contact with the basketball player.

Of course, she always wants to hear Azzi talk, knowing that Azzi’s soothing voice could help lull her to sleep.

“Yeah, of course, Nuveah said, closing her eyes.

"Okay, so Geno isn't as bad as Paige said he was gonna be, he yelled, of course. But it wasn't awful; overall, it was a pretty good practice,” explains Azzi.

“Mhm, sounds good,” Nuveah responds, half asleep.

"Nu, you can go to sleep,” Azzi says, removing her glasses.

“But I'm listening to you,” Nuveah says, pouting slightly.

“You’ve been up for two days; I wasn’t expecting you to stay up,” Azzi says.

"Yeah,” Nuveah mumbles out.

“Go to sleep, Nu,” Azzi softly states.

“Are you leaving?” Nuveah asks softly.

“When you go to sleep, I will,” Azzi says

“Okay, keep talking,” Nuveah says after about five minutes.

“I did pretty good in practice; Nika is a monster on defense-,” Azzi trails off.

Hearing the soft snores coming from the other end of the phone, Azzi smiles to herself, feeling extremely proud that she helped Nuveah fall asleep.

“Good night, pretty girl,” Azzi mutters softly, hanging up.

Nuveah slept most of Saturday, only waking to use the bathroom and eat. On Sunday, she woke up feeling refreshed at around eight a.m. After showering and putting on her practice gear, the soccer player walked to the kitchen to make herself a protein shake.

“Yo, wassup, sleeping beauty,” Gia says, coming out of her bedroom.

"Wassup dude,” Nuveah says, finishing up her shake.

“I’m glad you finally got some sleep,” Gia says, smiling.

“Me too; I was going insane and getting sick as fuck.” Nuveah admits.

“True, don’t tire yourself. I know how important this game is to you, but don’t do too much.” Gia advises.

“I’m not; I just have to win today,” Nuveah says.

Gia can see the hunger in Nuveah’s eyes. She knows how important this game is to her and how determined she is to win.

"Aight, bro, I’ll see you later at the game,” Gia says, dapping up Nuveah.

After finishing her shake, Nuveah leaves and walks the 10 minutes over to the Riazza Performance Center to see if she can get a ball and some cones to warm up with some shooting and dribbling skills.

"Waasup, coach,” Nuveah says

“Hey, kid, I just got done setting up the pitch for you,” Susan says.

“Thanks; I'll see you soon,” Nuveah responds, smiling.

Susan will never be impressed by the raw talent that oozes out of the girl. Her dedication to the sport is so impressive that it doesn’t matter the weather; Nuveah will be practicing and working on her craft, rain, snow, or shine. The girl has the potential to be one of the greats; Nuveah just has to believe it herself.

The weather is still warm for the middle of October, so Nuveah strips out of her hoodie and begins her drills, weaving in and out of the cone Nuveah kicks the ball and it flies into the back of the net. She does these drills a couple more times, sinking the ball in the back of the net from every position on the soccer field.

Pausing for a bit, Nuveah down some water and scrolls through her phone. It’s already 11:45, and seeing that the game is only an hour and fifteen minutes away, Nuveah is becoming anxious. Nervous butterflies began to erupt inside of her stomach. Her team desperately needs to win, and Nuveah is determined for them to do so.

“Dude,” Her teammate Hailey said, running over.

“Wassup dude,” Nuveah says.

“How long have you been out here?” Hailey asks in astonishment.

“I think like two hours,” Nuveah said while drinking more water.

“Damn,” Hailey mutters.

“You wanna do some drills with me?” Nuveah asks

“As much as I would love to, coach asked me to come and get you so we can regroup before the game,” Hailey explains.

“Aight,” Nuveah says as she gathers the equipment.

“You can leave that there. We still gotta warm up, remember?” Hailey says, laughing.

“Oh right,” Nuveah says, embarrassed.

As the duo walks towards the Performance Center, Villanova’s team gets off their bus, and their players immediately start glaring hard at the pair. Confused, Hailey looks over at Nuveah and sees her grimacing at the players.

“You good?” Hailey questions concern in her voice.

“Yeah, I just don’t fuck with them no more,” Nuveah grumbles.

“No more?” Hailey asks, her eyebrow raised.

“Let’s not get into that shit right now; it’s a long story,” Nuveah complains, picking up the pace.

Hailey, confused, trails behind the girl back to their coach and the rest of their team.

The team gets geared up and ready for the game; Nuveah has a chip on her shoulder, which all her teammates have picked up on. The usually awkward girl isn’t cracking jokes or laughing; she’s sitting, listening to music, and ignoring the world around her.

Soon, it’s time for the game, and Nuveah will be more than locked in. This is a must-win for Nuveah; this is a chance for her to prove herself.

The game starts very physical; the entire Villanova team is trying their hardest to injure Nuveah. Azzi nervously watches as Nuveah goes down again, this time even slower to get up.

“Why are they going after her so fucking hard? They need to chill.” Azzi nervously says.

“They got beef,” Gia vaguely answers.

“Why?” Azzi questions.

“Cause she chose Uconn over them, they heavily tried to recruit her too. She gave a verbal yes, but obviously, she didn't go”, Gia reveals.

“Well shit,” Azzi mutters

Nuveah is growing extremely frustrated. Her defender is actively trying to break her ankles, which is tiring. Nuveah hopes she can get a free kick or a goal soon. The score is 0-0; she believes her performance today is not good enough for her standards.

Finally, Nuveah got fouled badly enough that she earned a free kick. Walking up to the ball, Nuveah nervously wipes her sweaty hands on her shorts. Noticing Azzi after looking around and making eye contact with the basketball player, Nuveah gained brand new confidence. Twenty seconds are left in the game, and Nuveah is determined not to let the game go into OT. Nuveah aims the ball to go left, but at the last second, she kicks to the right, which confuses the goalkeeper; the ball hits the back of the net, causing the entire stadium to break into loud cheers. The Villanova players hung their heads down in defeat, getting beaten by the player they needed and wanted the most.

Nuveah honestly didn’t care about any of the cheers and chants of victory. The only person’s cheer she cares about here is Azzi’s. It makes her feel prideful and happy to see the girl cheering loudly for her.

After the game, Nuveah didn’t want to party or go for drinks; she just wanted to write this letter to Azzi and sleep.

“Nu-Nu, I'm so fucking proud of you,” Azzi said, hugging Nuveah tightly.

“ Thank you, Az. How did you get back here?” Nuveah questions, not wanting to let go.

“I got my ways,” Azzi says, smirking.

Hugging Azzi again, Nuveah ushers the girl out quickly. She showers and gets dressed in under thirty minutes so she can go home and write the secret admirer letter. Azzi showed up to a game that Nuveah talked about to her once, making her feel special. Hurrying up and leaving, Nuveah returns to her dorm in record time. She sits down at her computer and begins typing the short message.

After finishing, Nuveah makes her way to Azzi’s dorm, slipping the note under the door and ringing the doorbell. She runs like hell so no one from the basketball team can catch her in the act.

Azzi got home feeling disappointed. She wanted to go out and celebrate with Nuveah, but after leaving the locker room, she waited for the girl, only to realize she had disappeared and hadn’t responded to a single text from Azzi.

Hearing frantic buzzing, Azzi opens the front door, only to see no one there but a letter. Confused, Azzi sees that it is addressed to her, so she opens it and begins to read.

Dear Azzi,

You are the most beautiful girl I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. You are the most generous and selfless person I have ever met. There’s so much more for me to say, but I don't think I can begin describe how wonderful you are. You simply light up every room you walk into. And you put a smile on everyone’s face, especially mine.

Love, Your Secret Admirer,

Azzi read the letter repeatedly, wishing she knew who this was. It’s sweet, and it makes her feel so special. However, she wouldn’t put aside her feelings for Nuveah; this letter is sweet, and all but the shooting guard is determined to make the soccer player hers. For now, she would just appreciate the letter and not focus too much on who it’s from.

#azzi fudd #azzi fudd x reader #azzi fudd x black reader #Spotify

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jtnuvdl · 1 year ago

Text

{Leon Kennedy x Reader college professor au NSFW}

You have been crushing on your history teacher since you first stepped into his class. You can’t help but be distracted by him whenever he is lecturing about some past events that happened. One day you fall asleep and he walked you up and keeps you late because he needs to expoing what he was teaching but then it escalates.

A/n: 2.2k words and kind of a rushed ending. You can send in requests for what I should write next as well.

You walk into your last hour of the day laughing with your friends, Mr.Kennedy greets the three of you as you all walk in. You give him a smile and walk with your friends to their desk.

“Can you believe that he asked me out?” one of your friends, Chloe asks both of you, tilting her head slightly.

You smile and laugh slightly, “Chloe it’s been obvious that he’s liked you for years now.”

You see Sophie, your other friend nod out of the corner of my eyes. Chloe looks at us and smiles to herself you were about to say something but your teacher says something.

“Class please take your seats.” Mr Kennedy says

You smile at your friends and go to sit at your desk, Mr Kennedy starts to go on with today's lesson. Mr. Kennedy saw that your head slowly fell onto the desk about halfway through his lecture. He contemplated on waking you up now but decided against it. After he was finished with his lecture the bell rang and everyone got up, he walked over to your desk. Your friends were about to wake you up but Mr. Kennedy waved them off.

“I got this, I need to catch her up on what she missed anyways.” He said calmly

The two girls nodded and walked past you two once they were out of the room Mr. Kennedy shook you a little. You slowly start to stir awake and look up at him, your eyes widen and you look around you quickly.

“Did I fall asleep?” you ask looking up at him, “I kind of figured I did, I didn’t mean to, I'm sorry.”

You were about to continue talking when he put his hand up, “It’s fine, I just need to catch you up on what you missed when you fell asleep.”

You nod and sit up straight as he grabs his notebook from his desk, he pulls a chair up to your desk and sits down in front of you. You open your notebook up again and look at him, he was looking down at you.

“So first we were talking about World War 1 Did you catch that part?” he watches as you nod and nods as well as he looks down at his notebook, “Okay then we went into some civil wars..”

You start to zone out again when you see his arms moving while he’s explaining everything. You watch as his shirt tightens around his arms when he moves them a certain way. Mr. Kennedy notices and shakes his head slightly, he taps your hand with his pen but doesn’t get a response.

“Y/n.” He says waving a hand in front of your face

You blink and shake your head as you look at him, “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to zone out again.”

Mr Kennedy sighs, “Why do you keep getting distracted?”

He watched as your face turned bright red and you looked away, “I can’t say.”

He scoots closer to you, “I can only help you if you tell me what it is that is getting you distracted.”

You watch as he scoots his chair closer and you feel his knee brush against your leg, “I was just zoning out, we can try again.”

He nods slowly and lets out a ‘hm’ as he continues to read his notes. He starts to talk again and you once again zone out looking at his arms, your eyes look up to his neck and see a vein popping out. You inhale sharply as you start to fantasize a little bit. He looks at you and sees your cheeks flushed and that you are looking at his arm and neck. He smirks a little and lets out a chuckle, “I see what it is.”

You look at him quickly when he said that, “What do you mean?”

“It’s me isn’t it? Am I why you are getting distracted?” he says smirking a bit

Your eyes widen and you start panicking to think of something to say, “I..”

“Well? Is it true or not?” He says moving a bit closer

You nod slowly, “Yes..”

He nods slightly and smirks, “Oh really? What about me?”

He watches as your chest goes up and down, “Is it fantasies? Do you fantasize about me?”

You blush which makes him smirk as he gets up, your eyes follow him as he moves to the door. You watch as he locks the door and slowly walks back to you, “Care to tell me what these fantasies are?”

He grins as you struggle to form a sentence when he puts his hand on your knee, “How about you show me what you fantasize about? Or I can show you what I fantasize about with you?”

He chuckles as you look at him in shock, “Oh yes Y/n I’ve been fantasizing about you for months now just hoping one day it would all come true. You sucking my cock and my cock inside of you. I also think of all the noises you would make while I fuck you senseless.”

You feel your face getting hotter by the second which makes him look at you with lust, “You like that? You want me to fuck you senseless?”

You nod a bit too eagerly which makes his eyes darken slightly, he grabs onto your thigh tightly making you gasp.

“Should I fuck you on my desk?” he didn’t even wait for you to respond he just got up and motioned for you to follow him, “Follow me.”

You slowly get up and start to follow him to his desk, he stands in front of it and turns to you, “Sit.”

You listen to him and sit on his desk, his eyes darken as your skirt slides up your legs. He gets on his knees in front of you and starts rubbing your legs, “Tell me how one of your fantasies started”

“I… It actually started like this…” You say looking away from him, you feel his hand move form you leg and grip onto your chin

“Look at me, I want to see your face when you say that.” He says holding your chin in place and only lets go when you nod, “Good now what else happened?”

“You started to kiss me and then started to go down to…” you look to where he is right now, “and well you know.”

He smirks, “No I actually don’t know, what did I do?”

You didn’t say anything which made him move his hand further up your legs making you gasp, “You.. then started to finger me and eat me out.”

He smirks, “Oh like this?” he moves aside your underwear and starts to move his fingers in circles. You let out a gasp and he chuckles at your response, “I’m assuming that’s how that went?”

He watches as you nod and look down at him, he continues to move his fingers in a circle until he slips one finger into me. He smirks as you let out a shaky breath and throw your head back.

“F-Fuck…”

He looks at you, “You like that?”

Your head moves up and down and he laughs as he adds another finger pumping them faster as well, “Good.”

You let out a moan, “Mr. Ken-“

“Leon, call me Leon.” He says as he stop moving his fingers and pulls them out

“Leon..”

He looks up at you, “Yes dear?”

“I need you.”

Leon tilts his head, “Oh? What about me do you need?”

“Your tongue inside me please or just you inside me I just need you please..” you say moving towards him

He smirks and grabs onto your hips, “Oh really?” he watches as you nod and slips his hands under your skirt and grabs onto your panties, “Just tell me if you want me to stop okay? Tap me on the shoulder two times and I’ll stop.”

He waits for you to nod before he takes your panties off and immediately dives in between your legs and starts to lick your cunt. You immediately grip onto his hair and let out a loud moan, “Fuck! Leon!”

He starts moving his tongue faster and is getting more aggressive with his licks which makes you gently close your thighs against his head. He uses his hands to keep your thighs pushed open, you let out multiple swear words and gasps as his tongue moves in your cunt. You start to feel a knot in your stomach. You were almost to your climax when he stopped making you whine.

“Not yet pretty girl.” He says as he takes your lips in his giving you a kiss, “I want you to beg for me to let you cum.”

He smirks as he sees your flushed face he watches as your chest goes up and down with every breath, “Only when you ask nicely will I let you cum.”

“Please Leon..!” you cry out, “I want to cum! I want you to let me cum, I need to!”

Leon smirks and nods, “Okay pretty girl, I better hear a lot of noises when you cum okay?”

You nod quickly eager for him to let you cum you feel him start to suck on your thighs. He leaves kisses and love marks all over yours thighs as he works to your cunt, he goes back to fucking you with his tongue in an instant. You let out a loud moan as you push his head close to your cunt, “Oh.. fuck!”

Leon chuckles, sending vibrations all throughout your body making you gasp, he smiles and continues to lick your cunt. You let out a loud moan and pull at his hair making him groan. There is a knot in your stomach and you let out a moan as you release yourself on his face. He gave you one last lick and pulled away from you, he looked up at you and then kissed you. You kiss back and you hear him undoing his belt as he kisses you.

“You want this?” He asks looking down at you, he sees you nod and grins as he slowly puts his tip to your entrance, “You are one-hundred percent sure?”

You nod very eager to feel him inside of you, “Yes.. please I want you inside me.”

Leon smirks and pushes inside you making you let out a loud gasp, Leon groans as he feels your walls around him. He starts moving at a painfully slow pace to get you started.

“Leon.. please..” you breath out he looks at you confused, “Faster.. move faster..”

He nods and starts moving his hips faster than before. The room is filled with the sound of your skins slapping together and the noises you both are making, his groans and your moans combined was a sound that made him fall in love with you in this moment.

“Leon.. I’m close..” You moan as you feel a knot forming in your stomach

“I know baby I know, just hold out a little longer.” he says rubbing your cheek, “I want to cum with you okay?”

You nod and he smiles leaning down to take your lips in a kiss once again. His pace starts to get faster once again, you couldn’t do anything but moan his name which made him thrust into you harder.

“You ready to cum for me baby?” he asks

You nod eagerly, “Yes.. please..”

He smirks and his thrusts become harder for a little bit, “Cum for me.”

You basically came on command with his words moaning his name one last time, he cums with you letting out a deep groan as he thrusts one last time. He slowly pulls out of you and pulls you in for a kiss, you both are panting as you pull out of the kiss. He looks at you beaming which makes you smile softly at him.

“Maybe we should do this more often?” He asks

You nod, “I think that would be nice.”

Leon nods and pulls you close to him, kissing you again, “I’m glad you think the same. I would love to stay like this but I’m pretty sure you should get to your dorm.”

You nod slowly, “I mean yeah I guess I should.”

Leon smiles and helps you off his desk, he notices that your legs are shaking and smirks, “Wow I did a good job huh?”

He sees you roll your eyes and chuckled, he grabs your panties and helps you put them on, slapping your ass a tiny bit making you jump. He laughs at your response and you glare at him, he rubs your legs as he stands back up and pulls you in for one last kiss. Once you two pull away from each other he smiles and gives your shoulder a bit of a squeeze.

“When should we do this again and where?”he asks as he walks over with you to your desk

He watches as you shrug your shoulder as you grab your stuff, “Where do you want to do it and when?”

He smiles, “How about tomorrow at my place?”

You blush but nod, “Sure that sounds great.”

He smiles and kisses you before you walk out of the classroom, “See you tomorrow.”

#leon kennedy #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy x reader #smut

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