#idk if i’ve mentioned it already but i need to hug his waist and squeeze his tiddies very bad…

[kelin-is-writing]

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT GUYS 🗣️

[jackrrabbit]

Sleepless /// Tanjiro x f!reader (18+)

Request: Hi!! I'm not entirely sure on how to request since this is my first time EVER requesting something here on tumblr 😳😳 so im not sure if im doing this right,,,but um,,,,could you do a soft dom! tanjiro kamado x reader nsfw??? (he's aged up of course)

A/N: Y’all I’ve been working on this practically since I made this gd blog…idk why it took so long since I LOVE the concept. Reader is a traumatized bby who just needs her kitty licked  ✊😔 and honestly same

Tags/warnings: soft dom, daddy vibes but without the ‘daddy’ (onii-chan vibes?), brief mentions of past demon violence & PTSD, fluff?, historical inaccuracies probably, reader is implied to be inexperienced, mild overstimulation, lowkey yandere lowkey romantic who knows, all characters are adults

It starts out with little things. Harmless things. Tanjiro sees you barely ate anything at dinner, and later that night he comes to your bedroom with a plate of food for you. “You should eat,” he tells you.

“I’m not hungry,” you say, almost a little petulantly. The food looks good and you know he’s trying to be nice, but you’re not a child. You can take care of yourself, and even when you can’t it’s not his job to do it for you.

“Eat,” he says again softly. It’s not a command. It’s like he already knows you’re going to eat, and he’s just patiently waiting for you to give in.

You pick up the chopsticks and eat the food he prepared for you. All of it. Tanjiro sits there and watches and then when you’re done, he smiles at you and pats your head and takes the plate away. You think it’s weird, but the next morning you don’t question it. He’s a big brother to everyone—doesn’t it make sense that he would want to make sure you’re eating enough?

He probably can’t help it.

You decide you’re going to let it slide, until a few days later after breakfast with him and the others when Tanjiro pulls you aside and holds your face in his hands and tells you you’re looking a little tired lately—are you getting enough sleep?

The truth is that you aren’t. You want to deny it, but somehow you have a hard time lying to him. “I used to sleep with my siblings in our bed, so it’s hard to fall asleep since…” since the demon who made you an orphan murdered them. “And, you know. Nightmares.”

Tanjiro understands. Of course he understands! He used to have five younger siblings, did you know that? Now Nezuko has her own room and the rest…well, you’ve heard the story. It’s hard to fall asleep when you’re by yourself, isn’t it? He’s been there.

“How many hours are you sleeping every night? On average?”

You’re trying too hard to ignore the brush of his callused fingertips over your cheekbones, so you tell him the truth without meaning to. “Um, like four hours? On a good day?”

His eyes go wide and suddenly both of his hands are wrapped around one of yours and squeezing, maybe a little too tight. “Is that the truth, (Y/N)? Four hours is too little. Sleep deprivation isn’t good for you.”

“I know, but—”

“No. The next time you have trouble getting to sleep, I want you to come to my room.” You open your mouth to mount a denial, but he frowns and cuts you off. “Promise me. Okay? It’s really bad for your health, so promise.”

And once again, you say yes even though you don’t want to.

It’s fine. It’ll be fine, you think. You’ll just pretend you’re sleeping better. Tonight you’ll lay in bed with your eyes open and stare at the ceiling and try to listen to your own breathing, in and out and in and out, and hope it drowns out the memories that stick fast in your head whenever you’re by yourself. Then when you’ve been laying in the dark for a few hours, you’ll finally fall asleep and all your nightmares will play out in technicolor and you’ll do your best to be quiet so you don’t wake anyone else up and in the morning you’ll splash cold water on your face to make your eyes less puffy and pinch your cheeks to get some color in them and it’ll be fine.

You can take care of yourself. You have to, since everyone else is gone. So you’re not sure why, when the sun goes down and you’re looking into the face of another sleepless night, you find yourself knocking on the door of Tanjiro’s bedroom.

Maybe it’s just that he made you promise. You hate breaking your promises.

He lets you in, the half-asleep affect mixing with the same caring, serene look as always (and it’s a little insulting that he’s not surprised at all). Tanjiro sits on the bed first and you can’t help staring at him in the flickering orange lamplight. He’s more muscular than you remembered, and taller than when you first met. He can play the role of a big brother all he likes, but he’s still an adult. A man. And he’s not family.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” you say, fidgeting with the sleeve of your shirt.

“It’s okay, (Y/N),” Tanjiro murmurs as he lies down, his voice still scratchy with sleep. Somehow it relaxes you. He just has that way about him—when he says it’s okay, it feels okay.

Tanjiro pats the spot on the bed next to him. It looks really warm, and there’s a winter chill in the air even though it’s only September. It’s a bed made for one person, but Tanjiro—ever considerate—has moved over to one side to make space for you.

“Come on. Come sleep,” he instructs in that soft, non-demanding way of his. So you sit down on the edge of the bed and (carefully, carefully, like you’re making your way into a hot bath) fold your legs and pull the covers over you so you’re lying next to him. The bed is even warmer than you thought it’d be. Tanjiro radiates heat—he’s so warm, you think, how fitting—and then before you know it you’re drifting into the first dreamless sleep you’ve been afforded in a very long time.

That first night, you sleep with a good six inches of space between the two of you. You don’t want to touch him, don’t want to cross that invisible boundary—at first. But it doesn’t matter, because every time you wake up next to him, you’re curled up to his side like a puppy seeking warmth. It’s not like he minds. Judging from the gentle smile on his face when he wakes you up in the morning (and tells you that you should go back to your room before anyone notices you’re not there) he likes it.

Never again, you think. No way. But you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in so long, and it’s nice to be well-rested for once, and the next evening you only lie in your bed for fifteen minutes before you’re knocking on Tanjiro’s door again, silently asking if you can take advantage of his kind nature for just one more night.

He says yes. Of course he does. So you sleep next to Tanjiro again, you keep half a foot of space between you again, and you wake up hugging him. Again. And then you do it the next night, and the next night, sleeping beside Tanjiro over and over until you no longer bother trying to leave room between your body and his.

Is this okay? you wonder sometime around the two-week mark. It’s the longest you’ve gone without having nightmares since the demon came. Sometimes you think you’re betraying your loved ones by trying not to think about their deaths; letting yourself off easy while they suffered. You tell this to Tanjiro while the two of you are lying back to back under his blanket, quietly enough that (you hope) if he’s already sleeping you won’t wake him.

He hears you, and he turns around and lays his arm around your waist. “Don’t be silly…of course they wouldn’t want you to be unhappy.”

“But how do you know?”

“I know.” Tanjiro’s voice is half muffled by your hair, but it’s steady. “You believe me, don’t you.”

You do.

“Don’t think about that anymore.” His hold on your waist gets a little bit tighter, arms a little bit less forgiving.

“I won’t,” you say, hoping that the promise will be enough. The two of you fall asleep like that, and when you wake up in the morning it’s the first time ever that you haven’t moved in the night.

As if it wasn’t enough to be spending every night together, at some point you start to dream about him too. Usually it’ll just be a flash or a snippet that you barely remember once you wake—the reassuring tone of his voice, a smell like a campfire, or a few notes of laughter—but tonight you’re watching him train in the courtyard. In the dream, he moves through his forms with inhuman grace, position to position to position, balanced with perfect agility like he’s a dancer and not a swordsman. With how beautiful it is, you can almost forget the raw power behind his movement, the strength that has subjugated more demons than you care to know.

He pauses to stretch, rolling his shoulders back, and you notice that he’s shirtless (which is how you know it’s a dream). Tanjiro’s arms flex as he raises the blade into position, and the sun shimmers over the thin sheen of sweat on his chest. He looks ethereal like this, and as you sit on the porch and watch him, you feel heat stir inside of you that has nothing to do with the sunlight.

Tanjiro, you call out softly. He looks around to you, deep red eyes resting on yours, and whips the blade down to replace it in its sheath.

Can I come closer? The grass is cool and wet under your bare feet as you pad lightly into the courtyard toward him. You can taste the humid summer air in your mouth. Fingers tangle themselves in your hair, tilting your head up to meet his.

Tanjiro…

“(Y/N)?”

Tanjiro’s voice cuts through the dream and you scrunch your eyes shut, reluctant to leave the dream world where he wants to touch you, not out of pity or because he thinks it’s his duty to take care of you but because he wants to. But it’s too late—his hand is on your shoulder, gently shaking you out of your slumber. “(Y/N)? You said my name.”

“Sorry, I…sorry.”

“What were you dreaming about?”

He kissed you, in your dream. Now that you’re looking at the real version, your cheeks feel warm…and so does that same spot below your belly. Suddenly the room feels uncomfortably hot, and you wish you weren’t trapped under the covers with Tanjiro. You shift your legs to try and get a little more air between the two of you, but the heat persists.

“I think I should go back to my room.” You must be sweating—you feel damp for some reason. He’s too close.

Tanjiro ignores you. “Can you tell me what you were dreaming about?”

“I—you,” you admit. “You were training.”

“And?”

“And…I don’t know. It’s kind of warm in here, isn’t it? I think I’ll just…” You push the cover aside and sit up, but before you can get yourself off the bed, Tanjiro is tugging you back down, holding to the mattress so he can hover over you in that way he likes.

“Tell me,” he says to you, voice as firm as it is gentle. Sleep-mussed locks of red hair flop over his forehead but his face is serious, and you can’t look away.

“You kissed me,” you whisper.

That takes him by surprise. You can tell by the way his eyes widen, but his hold on you doesn’t ease up. You want to die. Why did you say that? He’ll think you’re disgusting, sleeping next to him in his bed and having perverted dreams about him. Why couldn’t you have just lied? Why can’t you ever lie to him?

“I’m going back to my bedroom.” You try to project more confidence than you actually feel, but there’s no use. Tanjiro doesn’t seem like he’s going to let you get away from him any time soon.

He’s straddling your body carefully, one elbow folded next to your head while his other hand comes up to stroke your cheek. “Your face is all red.”

“You’re…you’re too close.”

“I don’t think I’m close enough. You have goosebumps, look...” Tanjiro folds up the sleeve of your sleep shirt, exposing your arms to view. “…here…and here, too…”

His hands are wandering further down to the hem of the shirt, pushing it up so slowly and gently that you’re not even sure it’s happening until you feel him stroking over your belly. It’s true, you do have goosebumps. It feels like every hair on your body is standing on end. “Tanjiro…?”

“I guess you haven’t been able to touch yourself, since we’ve been sleeping together. That kind of repression is bad for your health. Even I’ve been a little…frustrated.”

Your mind has to work overtime to understand what he’s telling you as he strokes over your stomach and onto the sensitive skin of your sides, and then up to the flesh covering your ribs. His thumb teases over the underside of one of your breasts for a second, but the shock must have shown on your face because he retreats immediately.

“I’m not. I’m not frustrated,” you say, knowing he won’t believe you.

Tanjiro shakes his head in dismissal. “I don’t think that’s true, (Y/N).”

What are you supposed to say? Of course it’s not true. But admitting that you’ve been feeling heated around him lately would ruin everything, so refuse to say it. “I…I don’t know what to say…”

“You don’t have to say it. Can I prove it to you?”

What does he mean? Your head jerks up and down in acquiescence. You barely have to wait a moment before Tanjiro’s hands are slipping down your sides to the waistband of your pants and tugging them down over your hips. A tap on your hipbones prompts you to lift your hips and let him remove the clothing, not that you know why you’re complying so blindly.

Just like you always do.

Is he still trying to take care of you? Putting himself in a caretaker’s role because he thinks you need him? This is going a little far, too far maybe, but you can’t deny you want this. The heat of his body is no longer stifling—instead, it feels like it’s pulling you into him.

When your pants are out of the way, Tanjiro reaches into your underwear and dabs against your slit. It’s not until you feel his finger sliding between the puffy lips of your cunt that you realize how wet you are…and of course he can feel it too. Your knees jerk together to try and push him away from you but he’s unfazed, his touch steadily becoming more intrusive as he seeks out the syrupy dampness from your pussy.

“What am I feeling right now? I want you to tell me.”

“You’re—you’re touching me?” you gasp out.

“And you’re all wet. You can’t tell me you haven’t been frustrated when you’re getting this wet with just my fingers.” At this, you feel him prodding deeper into your pussy and stretching you open.

“Nn—okay, fine! Fine!” The words come out of you in a rapid burst, and you finally muster up the resolve to push Tanjiro away from you by his shoulders. “I’ll go back to my room and deal with it, okay? You don’t have to do it for me.”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I can trust you to take care of this problem by yourself. You’ve been lying to me about your needs.”

You wish he wasn’t able to be so calm while you feel like your entire face is on fire. He pulls his hand out of your panties and backs up on the bed so his torso is framed between your legs. “Can you let me help you, (Y/N)? Let me take care of you.”

You lick your lips without realizing you’re doing it, and Tanjiro’s eyes follow the motion. You can barely comprehend what he’s asking. You want it. You want his hands on you; you want to be taken care of in the way he’s offering. But whether or not you can actually ask for it is another story. “Tanjiro…”

“You need this. I know you do.” He skims his palm over your bare thigh in a soothing motion that, oddly enough, puts your barbed nerves a fraction at ease. “I want you to be honest with me about what you need.”

It’s too much. The warmth of his body so tantalizingly close to yours, his shadowed eyes searching yours for a response you don’t know how to give him…and the sticky mess in your panties. Tanjiro’s giving you a free pass to get something you’ve wanted for longer than you can comfortably admit to yourself, and you’re not sure you could deny him if you tried. What can you tell him except the truth? “I want you. I need you.”

“Good girl. See how good it feels to be honest?” Tanjiro bows down and mouths over your pussy through the wet spot on your panties.

It’s not the honesty that feels good, you think as his tongue pads at you through the fabric.

Too impatient to wait another second to taste you, Tanjiro nudges your rear up and slides your panties down your legs. As soon as you kick the undergarment off your feet, he’s pulling your thighs back apart and curling his thickly-muscled arms around them to hold you securely as his head dips back down to your bare pussy. He wastes no time in laving his tongue over your slit and up to the button at the top.

The sensation of this hot, wet muscle pressing up against your most private area is…weird, to say the least. You’ve never felt anything like this—to be honest, you don’t even know exactly what Tanjiro’s doing. When you think about what’s actually happening on this bed—your (friend? partner? bedmate? crush?) ally has his mouth angled between your legs and is licking your pussy—you think you might spontaneously combust. You’ve never felt anything like this before, and however strange the feeling is, you’re more than aware of your hips grinding up toward Tanjiro just so you can feel more of it.

“Here, let me help…” Tanjiro effortlessly lifts you to place a pillow under your lower back, and then moves back down to continue his relentless licking, this time at a new angle that allows him full access to every millimeter of your raw cunt. He’s eating you out like your pussy is the last meal he’ll ever have.

And how can he help it? You taste so good, so sweet on his lips and over his tongue. You must have been in so much pain lying next to him every night with your desire leaking out between your thighs. Just thinking about is making heat rise low in his groin, and his grip on you is getting tighter by the second. How awful that you tried to keep this to yourself…it was remiss of him not to realize before tonight that you needed him so badly.

But it’s going to be alright, because judging from the muffled noises you’re making, every swipe of his tongue licking up your slit is more than making it up to you.

You probably don’t realize how much your hips are wiggling under his minstrations. He barely has to exert any effort to keep you still, but the way you keep trying you push yourself closer to him is enticing, not to mention the way you’re trying (and failing) to keep your voice down through your moans.

“Tanjiro…T-Tanjiro,” you whimper. It’s like you can’t think of anything except for his name. All of your attention is focused on the pressure building up deep in your core, each stroke of his tongue over your clit taking you higher and higher. You feel tense…wound up so tightly that you have to bite the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from letting the shallow puffs of air turn into full-fledged cries.

Just like that, please, please… You think the words rather than saying them, even though you want to. It’s too humiliating to be begging Tanjiro for more while he’s already giving you more than you deserve, but it’s almost like he heard you anyway, because his tongue writhes down across your clit again and your back arches up off the bedspread.

Your thighs twitch around his head, trying involuntarily to hold him down. He just chuckles and keeps you firmly in place, and his voice hums out over your pussy making feel even more wild. “Please, I’m—I’m cumming…” Your voice trails off and you crush the heels of your palms into your face to cover up your expression while the wave of pleasure hits you so hard you think you might faint.

Tanjiro doesn’t stop. You’re crying out in whimpers so high-pitched he can barely hear them, but he doesn’t stop. The delicate muscles in your pussy are throbbing under his tongue, but he doesn’t stop licking until you’re almost crying, panting out “it’s too much it’s too much, please Tanjiro” and pushing his head away with your hand.

When he finally pulls away, his hair is tangled and disarrayed from where you’ve been running your hands through it, and his mouth and jaw are shining wet. Tanjiro licks his lips and if you didn’t feel shaky before…you do now.

It takes a second for the power of thought to return to you, but when it does you just sigh weakly and flop back down onto the bed. Tanjiro’s next to you before you hit the pillow, and he grips your jaw with one hand to angle your head to meet his, and—

He’s kissing you. He’s actually kissing you. His lips are surprisingly soft over yours, but as usual there’s an unnecessary degree of pressure attached to the contact that has you sinking deeper into your blankets under his force. You can detect the lush, slightly bitter taste of your arousal coating the inside of his mouth as his tongue (skillful as ever) traces over yours. Tanjiro is kissing you, and it’s a hundred times better than any dream you could come up with on your own, so you kiss back.

It takes him a long moment to break the kiss, long enough that your lungs are pleading for air by the end of it. When his lips leave yours, a thin trail of saliva connects the two of you until it breaks and drips down your chin.

“Tanjiro…” You search for the right words, but what are you supposed to say at a time like this? “I…what did we just do?”

“Shh, don’t worry.” Tanjiro leans in again, this time just to press a chaste kiss to your forehead. “I’m going to take good care of you, okay?”

You take a moment and then duck your head into a nod. It doesn’t make any sense—how does he do that?—but once he says it’s okay it always is.

[t0shii]

hi could i request kita, tendou, and mattsun and it’s your first time sleeping at their place and they find out you cant sleep in the dark and need to sleep with a night light?

% s/o who can't sleep in the dark

.! timeskip! kita, tendou, matsuwaka (sep) x gn!r

.! fluff/ mention of food in kita's, mention of rainstorm in tendou's, water drinking in mattsun's- not proofread.

.! hi! ty for the request <3 sorry u had to wait so long :(( (idk why these ended up to be so long)

kita

to say you were nervous to stay the night as your boyfriends place for the first time would be an understatement... your heart raced as kita placed your back on the ground to unlock the front door, "make yourself at home." he opens the door, "down there is the bathroom... and that's my room." he shows you around and you crack a joke about how clean his house is compared to your apartment. you both decide on a movie night with take out which he insisted you choose.

you yawn and rub your eyes as the third movie of the night ends. you'd been laying in between his legs, back pressed against his chest. you sit up and he follows, wrapping his arms around you and perching his chin on your shoulder, "sleepy? we can head to bed if you want." he mumbles into your neck before planting a kiss there, "mhm, let me change first though." you try standing up to reach your bag but his hold on you doesn't loosen, "i have clothes you can wear." he says bluntly, standing up and bringing you with him. he leads you to his room, rummages through his dresser and hands you a shirt and shorts, "these should fit, yeah? i'll leave so you can change."

you start to internally panic as you both settle into his bed, and he begins turning off every light in the room. suddenly theres only one bedside lamp illuminating the room, he reaches to turn it off and lays down, pulling your body against his which makes you giggle. "good night." he mumbles into your hair, "night." you sigh. 'maybe if you close your eyes you'll forget it's dark' you think to yourself, squeezing your eyes shut. thirty minutes pass you're still awake. you sigh, a little louder than intended, "y/n? are you still awake?" you mentally scold yourself, "yeah" he props himself up with his elbow; you angle your head back to look at him, "what's wrong?" the sleep in his voice evident. "well... uhm... i..." his eyes soften as he notices you becoming nervous and he cups your cheek with his free hand, "you can tell me angel."

you can help but lean into his touch "it's embarrassing" "not it's not" "okay well... i can't sleep in the dark. ever since i was a kid, i've never been able to." you can see eyebrows furrow from the small amount of moon light peeking through his curtains, "why didn't you tell me before i turned all the lights off?" he frowns, reaching over to turn the lamp on, relief filling your chest at the illuminated room. "because it's embarrassing." you mumble as he lays back down and pulls you against his chest again, "it's not embarrassing, baby, at least not to me. so no need to embarrassed, i won't judge you for i and besides, i don't mind sleeping with a light on." he places and kiss on your temple and you sleep well, secure and comfortable in his arms.

tendou

you'd been over to tendou's apartment plenty of times before and every time you made up some lame excuse for why you couldn't stay the night, "i need to feed my cat" "my clothes are still in the washer" literally anything to save you from the embarrassment of having to tell him you couldn't sleep in the dark. tonight was different though, with a storm passing over town and not looking like it's letting up any time soon, he wouldn't let you leave. "ten, i dont have any clothes here, my cat's by herself-" he cuts you off "babe, babe- you can wear something of mine if you want and i'm sure she'll be fine. she's a cat." he holds you firmly in your cuddling position on his couch. "fine." you grumble.

really, if he had to be honest, it hurt tendou's feelings a little bit that you were always against the idea of staying the night with him- but he had no choice but to celebrate this small victory and thank the rain storm, "it's for your safety, angel." he says proudly, placing a kiss on your cheek. you choose to ignore the nervous feeling creeping up your belly and rest your head back on his chest, "yeah yeah let's just continue with the show, i'm invested in the plot." "you mean the hot main characters?" "exactly... the plot." you giggle while he pretends to be offended. three hours later you find your eyelids getting heavier and heavier until you can barely keep them open and your boyfriend seems to take notice quickly.

"are you falling asleep on me? we haven't even finished season 3 yet." he mumbles and you let out a groan, "it's two in the morning, of course i'm getting sleepy." you rub your eyes, "i'm just giving you a hard time, babe. you're the one who wanted to stay up though but i guess we can go to bed now." you sit up and stands from his position on the couch and helps you up, "c'mon sleepy head, you can make it." he grins taking your hand and leading you to his room. he lets you sit on his bed while he looks through his dresser, "hmm is this shirt okay?" you nod as he hands you an old band shirt "i'll be right back." he leaves the room with his own change of clothes. once he's back you both lay down, "oh babe, i almost forgot, you wanna see something cool? he gets out of the bed and you respond with an "mhm" as he begins to turn all the lights off, a familiar nervousness creeping up your belly as the room gets darker and darker.

"okay okay, so i don't sleep well in pitch dark but the lamp is just too much light so i got this-" he plugs in a small object into the wall, stars illuminate his bedroom ceiling as well as your other surroundings and he smiles wide, "see it makes stars, theres a moving option too but i don't really like it that much. oh, and don't make fun of me." he says seriously, sliding back into bed with you, arms wrapping loosely around your waist, "well i can't make fun of you for that, satori." "i was just hoping you wouldn't, honestly." he chuckles. "babe, do you wanna know i always avoided staying the night here?" you ask, ready to confess your secret. "i didn't wanna force it out of you but now that you're ready, yes." you both turn your heads to look at each other. "the truth is, i was embarrassed because i also cant sleep in the dark, been that way for as long as i can remember. but i'm glad theres someone i can relate to." "how ironic" he mumbles, placing his face into the crook of your neck. you sleep like a baby in his arms that night.

matsuwaka

you were over at issei's place so he could help you study for an exam coming up, honestly you didn't want to stay as late as you did and when the both of you finally noticed the time he just wouldn't let you leave. "c'mon baby, it's too late. it would be irresponsible of me to let you go home now, i don't mind you staying the night." he hugs you tight like you'll disappear if he lets go, face buried in the crook of your neck. you sigh in defeat, "okay fine." his head perks up as you say it and he smiles at you, "i can get you something to sleep in if you want."

that's how you got in this situation, awake hours after your boyfriend had already fallen asleep. finally after two hours of laying in the dark listening to his snores, you sigh quietly, slipping out of his loose embrace and tip toeing your way to his kitchen to get a glass of water and sat at the dining table. you'd been sitting there for about thirty minutes before you heard the bedroom door creak open and heavy, rushed footsteps make their way towards you. "y/n?" you recognize a panic in your boyfriend's groggy voice, "i'm in here." you croak out hearing a sigh of relief escape his lips once he sees you. you look up at him, his hair was an absolute curly mess and his eye lids were droopier than they already were, he was obviously still half asleep. "y/n there you are. he sits in a chair next to you, "you scared me, i woke up and you were gone. i thought you left." he leans his head on your shoulder, "sorry." you mumble, bringing a hand up to run through his hair a few times resulting in a groan from the man.

"'s okay, how long have you been awake?" "hmm about two and a half hours now." you reply honestly, "what? baby, why didn't you wake me up?" he raises his head and you both turn to look at each other, "you were tired, issei-" he interrupts you, "so? you shouldn't have had to be awake by yourself." "it's fine, i knew it was gonna happen, i knew i wouldn't be able to sleep" "why's that?" you sigh, internally scolding yourself for the hole you've dug yourself into. "i... i cant sleep in the dark." he looks at you for a moment, "that's all? that's what kept you up this whole time?" he asks and you nod. mattsun can't help the grin that makes his way onto his lips, "baby, you should've just told me, i could've kept a light on for you." "no- look i shouldn't have told you now you'll think i'm immature." you mumble, looking away from him. "no no baby, it's totally normal, honestly and i don't think any less of you. i just wish you would've told me sooner because then we'd both be sleeping right now. he hugs you before standing the both of you up, "c'mon we're going to bed." he grabs your glass and leads you back to his bed. you sleep in his embrace, table lamp illuminating the room the rest of the night.

[hateswifi]

I Only Have Eyes for You

A quick Daminette blind!Mari Au with a twist at the end. I hope you enjoy! Go check out my other stories after you finish reading.

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"I'm so sorry," Marinette said, brushing herself off as she stood up.

"Watch where you are going next time!" a  deep voice angrily exclaimed before she heard his footsteps rush off in front of her.

"Marinette! That was so rude why would you draw attention to yourself like that!" Alya exclaimed.

"Well I'm sorry that you all didn't want me to draw attention to my cane, none of you warned me!" Marinette said back. (Ok quick explanation, needed a reason why Marinette didn't have her cane out.)

"Whatever, pay more attention next time," Alya muttered.

"How would you like me to do that?" Marinette asked, leaning to one side.

"I had a friend who overcame her blindness, they did a transplant on her eyes," Lila spoke up, 'attempting' to break the tension.

"Ya because that sounds realistic," Marinette mummers to herself.

"Because it's not realistic," Chloe said, rejoining the group, she had gone to grab Marinette's cane from the bus.

"You've just never heard of it, the doctors probably never told your parents so you wouldn't get your hopes up. I mean you're not too rich," Lila pointed out.

"Girls calm down, it's time to begin our tour," Ms. Bustier said, walking back from the front desk.

"Hello, Francis DuPont, welcome to Wayne Enterprises. I'm your tour guide, Richard," The tour guide greets. *Insert Lila lying and normal field trip shenanigans here (if requested will write later) * "I hope to see you all at the celebratory gala at the end of the week, please enjoy your stay here in Gotham."

She was tired of her class, she convinced Chloe to take her to the nearest park so she could hear the sounds to hopefully inspire her in her next song. She has been practicing with the help of Uncle Jagged with writing, well someone writing down, songs and singing them. Uncle Jagged thinks she has potential.

Chloe had left Marinette for a couple of minutes to grab ice-cream, they both deserve it after putting up with Lila and her sheep. She hears footsteps approaching her that sounding similar to Chloe's when she wears shoes, not high heels like today, (she's not very used to Chloe's footstep when there not in heels, sue her). 

"Hey, Chloe what ice-cream did you end up getting?" She asked, facing the footsteps.

"Wait you're blind! Why didn't you have your cane earlier?" The voice, definitely not Chloe's, asked approaching her.

"Are you the guy from earlier, the one I ran into?" Marinette asks, avoiding his question.

"Ahh... Yes. Sorry about the 'watch where you're going' that was incredibly insensitive, even for me," he responded.

"Don't worry about," Marinette says, nonchalantly. "I'm Marinette."

"Hi, Marinette, my name is Damian," he responds. "So why are you alone in the park in the most crime-ridden city in America."

"Why? You trying to kidnap me?" Marinette answers with a giggle. "I'm waiting for my friend to get back."

"What have I told you about not talking to strangers, especially ones that look dark and angsty," Chloe says, walking up with two ice-creams in her hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chloe. I forgot to ask, 'hey, Person, I've never met before, are you dark and angsty? If so by my dear friend Chloe's rules, I'm not allowed to speak with you' because I can totally trust someone's answer," Marinette says sarcastically.

"I'm the sarcastic one! You're supposed to be the sweet angel, who is sometimes terrifying," Chloe wines, placing Mari's cone in her hand.

"Whatever you say, Bee. Damian this is Chloe, Chloe this is Damian. Ya know the person I supposedly 'made a scene over'." Marinette said.

"Nice to meet you, Chloe, I should be off, I don't want to disturb you both anymore and my father will call me soon for a meeting," Damian says, standing. He turns to Marinette and says. "I hope to meet you again." Before he exited the park. 

"How... you can't even see how hot he is," Chloe complains, slouching beside Marinette. 

"Chloe, ya know looks don't matter to me because it's what's on the inside that counts," Marinette says a smile on her face, already knowing how Chloe would respond.

"Plus you're blind so you don't have to worry about how they look," Chloe snickers before checking her watch. "If you want time to walk around the store a bit before dinner, we should get ready to go."

"Cool, let's go then, I promised Mama something I need your eyes to help me," Marinette said, standing up. She tucked her cane away and let Chloe lead her to the shopping district.

The finished shopping, Marinette got her Mama some homemade tea from one of the small business, and a fun new apron. (I'm not funny, so I'm not going to attempt to come up with something clever.) They got back to the hotel with enough time to get ready for dinner. Marinette put on an outfit, with the help of Chloe, high waisted black ripped jeans, a white lace tank crop top, and a pink mid-thigh cardigan, paired together with a silver moon necklace. (idk, it be 1:30). The bus surprisingly didn't leave without her, which she was happy about. The dinner was phenomenal and she has hopes for a good rest of her night, that was until she went to the bathroom and found out her group left without her. She sighs, pulls out her flip phone (I'm like 98.9% sure blind people can't use smartphones.) and dials Chloe's number.

"I tried to get Bustier to wait for you, but little miss liar lied and said you were already on the bus," Chloe explained.

"It's fine... I need a walk anyways, see you later," Marinette said, hanging and putting her phone on silent and exits the restaurant. Not too long after she hears light footsteps touch the ground.

"Miss do you need help getting back to where you are staying? You know this is the most crime-ridden city in the world," A somewhat familiar voice comes from behind her.

"Seriously Damian we're back to Miss?" Marinette laughs.

"Robin, I told you to stay on the roof," another voice comes from landing beside them.

"Damian, you're friends with Richard? He was my tour guide earlier," Marinette adds.

"Umm yes, I'm Damian's brother," Dick said. "You can call me Dick though."

"Hi, Dick, my name is Marinette," She says, holding out her hand in his voice's direction, which he grabs and shakes. She scrunches her nose at the feeling of leather. "Why are you wearing gloves? It's not that cold out."

"Oh I'm a germaphobe," Dick answered quickly.

"Oh I'm sorry, I should be getting back to the hotel," Marinette said, turning her back ti were their voices where.

"Let me walk you ok? Where's your cane?" Damian asks.

"Well Chloe was here with me earlier, so I had put it away in her purse. The class left me behind though, so I was just going to walk home," 

"Wait you're blind? You didn't have a cane earlier as well," Dick asks.

"Oh, that is literally nothing. People think I use it to seek attention," Marinette said. "Damian, can you help me find my hotel?"

"Yea, sure, umm... what hotel are you staying at?" Damian asks. "You can hold on to my arm if it would help you."

"Ok, thank you, I'm staying at Wayne Hotel," Marinette said, grabbing the crook of his elbow.

"See you later, you guys. Call me when you're down, I'll let Brucie know what's happening," Dick said his voice trailing off as they walk off in opposite directions. They walk in silence and when they get to the hotel Marinette squeezes his hand.

"Thanks for walking me, Damian," Marinette said, smiling while looking in where she thinks his face is.

"Bye Marinette, don't be left alone again, people aren't always as nice as me," He snickers. "Good night."

"Night, Dami," Marinette says. as the door opens.

"Marinette! I'm so happy you're ok!" Chloe said, hugging Marinette. She then smacked her arm. "Don't hang up on me again!"

"I'm fine Chloe," Marinette said.

"Thank you so much, Robin! I didn't know how she was going to get back without her cane," Chloe exclaimed. "What have I told you about talking to strangers, even heroes."

"Heroes?" Marinette mutters to herself. "I'm sorry Chloe. I didn't realize that I wouldn't be safe with one of Gotham's heroes."

"I'm messing, come on," Chloe says, grabbing Marinette's arm. "Night Robin."

"Ya night Robin," Marinette says confused. When Marinette gets to her and Chloe's room, she sits on the balcony with hopes of Da-- Robin dropping by. Not too long after she stood outside she heard someone land being her. "Chloe, I'm going to be writing, you can go to bed, I'll be in a bit later." She heard Chloe confirm. "So you're Damian and Robin."

"And you figured it with only meeting me three times, you figured out Grayson with only two times. You know you can't tell anyone," Robin said.

"Well I don't see the difference between you guys, I can only hear the similarities in your voices," Marinette explained. "I wouldn't tell anyone, I understand to have secrets."

"What do you mean?" Robin asks.

"Well for the past couple of years, there had been an akuma problem in Paris," Marinette said.

"What's an akuma and how were they a problem?"

"A villain named Hawkmoth terrorized the city by using their negative emotions against, a hero team named Ladybug and Chat Noir rose to meet the terrorist," Marinette sighed.

"How come no one had mentioned this?" Robin asks,  leaning on the railing beside her.

"Tourists weren't allowed to enter Paris as much and no international news was allowed to do reports. The mayor wanted to keep the whole thing under wraps and we didn't include the Justice League because we realized that people with extra training and sometimes powers would be too hard to take down," Marinette explained.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Robin asks, studying Marinette's face the moonlight highlighting her hair making it more blue than normal along with accenting her cheekbones. 

"My partner, Chat Noir, and I, well just me now," Marinette said, putting her head in hands. 

"You were Ladybug?" Robin asks in disbelief. "Not to sound rude, but how did you manage to do that with your condition."

"While being Ladybug, the magic let me see. They were the best times of my life besides the fact of Hawkmoth. But because of being Ladybug, I was able to see my parents' faces and see the beautiful world. All good things come to an end though, Master Fu took my earrings and Chat Noir's ring and ran away," Marinette accounted a tear slipping down her cheek. "Now I know what I'm missing out on, and there is almost nothing I wouldn't give to see again."

"Why are you telling me this?" Robin asks, looking out over the city.

"Because no one will believe you and I needed someone to talk to who would understand."

"What about Chat Noir?" 

"He's gone, his father killed him and there was nothing I could do," Marinette responding full-on tears streaming down her face now.

"Alfred told me the best way to comfort someone, who is distressed, is to hug them. Do you need a hug?" Robin said, standing up straight.

"Please, he promised he would have my back, but he left me here to deal with the aftermath of Hawkmoth and my class," Marinette said into his shoulder

"Does it have anything to do with your class leaving you behind?" Robin asks, rubbing small circles into her back.

"One girl turned them all against me Adrien tried to help me but her lies were just too convincing. They say I bully her and I lie about everything. They took my cane earlier because they didn't want me to draw attention to myself, that's why I ran into you earlier."

"I was rude earlier which was bad in my part especially since you fell," he said quietly.

"No it was my fault for running into you, I'm just happy we're both ok," Marinette smiled, breaking the hug. She leans against the railing again with Robin following not too long after.

"You said something about writing earlier, what was that about?" Robin asks.

"I write and sing songs," Marinette says.

"Any songs I would know?"

"I don't know, but I sing and write with my uncle Jagged a lot."

"Would you sing?" he whispers almost inaudibly.

"I haven't sung in front of many people, and Chloe is right you're still a stranger," Marinette says with a giggle.

"I bet you have a lovely voice," Robin says. "But you don't have to, I won't force you to do anything that would make you uncomfortable."

"I will but give me a moment, I want you to be brutally honest because no matter how I love my family and friends they won't tell me if I'm bad," Marinette whispers. "I'm only going to sing the chorus I haven't figured out the rest." (not my song In My Head by the Bedroom. Highly recommend, underrated song.)

It consumes my mind

It consumes my soul

It wants my life it wants complete control

Somebody help me before it's bad

Somebody help me before I end up dead

I feel alone, all of the time

It's still quite, lurking inside

"I was right, the voice of an Angel," he says, breathlessly.

"Robin, time to go, have a good night Miss," Dick says, dropping onto the balcony.

"Night Damian, Dick," Marinette says, walking towards the door.

Now Dick and Damian stood on the rood of the hotel. "So you want to explain how she knows who both of our identities?" Dick asked his arms crossed across his chest.

"She recognizes our voices after her friend pointed out that I was Robin she put two and two together," Damian says uninterested.

"Besides knowing your name and that you are Robin, does she know that you are Damian Wayne," Dick asks. 

"No, I don't think she does," Damian answer. "Now that we're done gossiping, can we go back to the manor?"

"You gonna tell Brucie," Dick asks, standing.

"I mean it is kinda important," Damian shrugs before running in the direction of the manor.

At the end of the week at the gala, Marinette wore a floor-length off the shoulder red dress the skirt of the dress looks like a flower. She loved the feel of the smooth fabric, Chloe said that the color complimented her skin. She was sitting at a table with Chloe when she heard the almost familiar footstep of Damian. 

"Nice try Damian, I can tell you are there," Marinette smiled.

"Well, I wasn't trying to sneak up on you, because if I was trying you wouldn't have heard me," Damian says quietly."I was coming to see if you wanted to dance."

"That would be lovely, I'm not too good at dancing," Marinette says.

"I'll lead, I'll make sure that you are comfortable," Damian reassures.

"I trust you," Marinette says, letting herself be lead out to the middle of the floor. "So tell me more about you, all I know is that you have a night job. How old are you because you sound on the younger side to me."

"I'm about to turn twenty in the upcoming month," Damian says.

"I just turned eighteen. What do you want to do in the future?"

"I help run my father's company, I know you want to be a singer," Damian asks, spinning her.

"That's true. What company does your father run?"

"He owns and runs Wayne Enterprises."

"That means you're a Wayne? Is it your choice that you want to work at WE or is it being forced onto you?"

"It's my choice."

"Does it bring you happiness?"

"Yes," Damian says pressing his forehead to hers as the song ends.

"Then that's all that matters then," Marinette says,

"Oh my god! Dick wasn't lying!" A voice screams with fast-approaching footsteps following. Marinette turns to the voice's direction. "How'd you get someone so adorable?"

"Jason! I told you to-- he wasn't lying!?" another voice says, coming from the same direction.

"Marinette, meet my other two of my adopted brothers," Damian said. "The first one is Jason and the second one is Tim."

"We're numbers now? What happened to us being people?" Jason whines.

"You're bothering me," Damian said.

"Damian, be nice to your sibling, I bet they're lovely to have around," Marinette says, playfully smacking his arm.

"Well, then I would win that bet," Damian snickers.

"Well it's nice to meet someone that can stand being around Demon Spawn," Jason says.

"Are you guys dating? Dick said you guys were and that Damian calls you Angel," Tim asks.

"We're not dating," Damian says.

"He has not called me Angel, but he compared my singing voice to one," Marinette responds.

"I forgot to tell you that there was no way the Jagged was complimenting you to be nice. You have a heavenly voice," Damian says, kissing her hand.

"Jagged... like Jagged Stone, Jagged?" Tim asked, squeezing in between her and Damian.

"There are a lot of people with Jagged in the world, what makes you think I'm talking about Jagged Stone?" Marinette asks, speaking towards the spot where Tim had been standing.

"Well, is it him?" 

"Yes, it is him, but--" Marinette said now looking on Tim's direction. 

Tim screams. "Seriously! You're his prodigy?"

"More like his niece but prodigy works," Marinette explains.

"That's awesome, can I have an autograph?"

"I don't know when I'll see Uncle Jagged again, but--" Marinette starts.

"No from you, your voice is calming and helps me focus on my work," Tim says.

"Umm, sure!" 

"After she signs it, will you leave us alone?"

"Yes, we'll leave you two love birds alone," Jason said, grabbing Tim's arm.

"They seem nice," Marinette said. 

"They can be but they are a bit overbearing," Damian said, pulling her into another dance.

"It's nice to have people support you in their own unique ways," Marinette said. They dance in silence at one point Marinette almost falls Damian pull her close.

"You're adorable when you blush," Damian says, lifting her chin so he could get a good view of her face.

"That's not fair, I can't see if you're blushing," Marinette pouts. "Can I feel face?"

"Why?"

"You don't have to, but feeling is like seeing for me along with other blind people," Marinette said, quickly.

"Umm... do you want to go out to the garden so it's quieter?"

"Ummm ok," Marinette said, letting Damian take her to the garden. Damian leads her to the nearest bench. Marinette puts her hands in his. "I don't want to jab your face can you?" Before she finishes, he takes her hands and places them on his face. "Don't worry I recently washed my hands."  Damian chuckles. She runs her fingers over his jaw and cheekbone. "What color are your eyes?"

"Jade green, I also have black hair, and tan skin," Damian says.

"You're handsome... umm I mean you have strong facial features...?" Marinettes stutters.

"You're beautiful as well. Thank you, Angel," Damian says, kissing her forehead. “Will you come to dinner at the Manor tomorrow night?”

“That would be lovely, but I can’t be out too late, we are leaving the day after tomorrow,” Marinette said.

The next day leading up to dinner with the Waynes was uneventful besides some of Lila’s normal lies about Marinette and fabulous stories about her old famous friends that she ran into without anyone else around. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of seeing Damian again. Sure she had been less willing to let herself be open ever since Lila and the loss of Adrien, who had stood with her. 

She got dressed in a white tank crop top with a pink floral pattern, a high waisted skater skirt, and paired with white converse. Chloe helped her, obviously, she said that Marinette looked appropriately dressed. 

“Thanks, Chloe, I’m going to head downstairs. Damian said he would be here at 5:30,” Marinette said, hugging her. 

“Well it’s 5:25 you should hurry,” Chloe said pushing her out the door. 

“Oh crap! Bye Chloe!” Marinette said, rushing down the hall to the elevator. As she ran out of the elevator she heard the lobby doors open. 

“Marinette, did you just run down here? Where’s your cane?” Damian asks, approaching the girl. 

“Hey aren’t you the boy that danced with Marinette yesterday?” Lila’s voice came from what Marinette remembers to be the sitting area. 

“If I am, why does it matter to you?” Damian growls. 

“Because she’s a bully,” Alya’s voice came from near where she heard Lila. 

“I don’t what you’re talking about, she’s sweet, kind, even after I was rude to her and incredibly strong,” Damian said, taking Marinette’s hand. 

“She forgets her cane on purpose for attention,” Lila states. 

“No, from what I was told, you complained that her cane was bringing her too much attention. The cane is what helps her see,” Damian says. “Come on, Angel, Alfred is waiting.”

“Thanks, Dami,” Marinette says. As they get into the back of the car Marinette says. “You know you didn’t have to do that, they stopped affecting me months ago.”

“Just because I didn’t have to doesn’t mean I didn’t want to,” Damian says, kissing her hand. 

“Thank you Dami,” Marinette said, a pink blush spreading across her cheeks. 

“You’re adorable,” Damian said. 

“Now Master Damian, I know I raised you better than that,” Alfred said from the front. 

“Pennyworth, this is Marinette, Marinette this is Alfred our butler and unofficial official grandfather,” Damian said. 

“It’s nice to meet you Monsieur!” Marinette says enthusiastically. 

“Miss Marinette, if I may be so bold, where is your cane?” Alfred asks. 

“Ummm I didn’t realize you knew, but I ran out of the hotel room without it,” Marinette said. 

“Hey, Mari I don’t think I ever got your number. May I have it so we can stay in touch once you leave?” Damian asks, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Oh yeah!” Marinette says, taking out her phone. “Sorry I can text because they haven’t exactly made a smartphone for blind people yet.”

“We can skype,” Damian offers, putting his number in her phone. Before she recites her to him and he names her contact Angel. 

“Of course!” Marinette says as they pull up to the Manor. 

“There are seven steps coming up, I’ll let you know when there are left by squeezing your hand,” Damian says quietly, respecting her wishes to not use her cane. As they get close to the top, as Damian promised, he squeezed her hand. Alfred opened the door to reveal the rest of the Wayne family. 

“This is Marinette,” Damian says. “Marinette this is my family”

“My father, Dick, Tim, Jason, and you already met Alfred,” Damian said, pausing for each of them to say hi in between each introduction. 

“Well dinner is ready if you would like to follow me to the dining room,” Alfred said. 

“Alfred made Shepherd's Pie,” Damian said, pulling Marinette’s seat out for her. 

“That’s lovely, thank you for having me by the way Mr. Wayne,” Marinette said, picking up her fork. 

“It’s my pleasure, please call me Bruce,” he said. 

Dinner went on fine until Jason realized something, Marinette never looked directly at anyone she always looked slightly to the side or a bit above whoever was speaking. 

“Marinette, are you blind?” Jason asks. 

“Jason! That’s very rude,” Dick says. 

“No it’s a valid question, I am in fact blind,” Marinette said.

“You’re very independent,” Bruce notes.

“Well I don't like being seen just for my disability or for being weak because of my blindness,” Marinette explains.

“Angel, no one would think that,” Damian said. “You’re incredible.”

“Thanks, Dami.”

“So Marinette you know our identities, do you plan to keep them?” Tim says.

“Of course,” Marinette answered.

“She used to be a hero,” Damian said. “Ladybug, the hero of Paris.”

“I saw a video of a battle, how were you able to defeat the akuma?” Dick asks.

“Well, I used to have a kwami, her name is Tikki, she gave me sight while I was transformed,” Marinette explained. “But sadly, Master Fu took back my earrings along with Chat’s ring and disappeared.”

“How do we know you're telling the truth?” Jason asked, receiving a smack from Damian. “Hey! It’s a valid question!”

“I’ve seen the footage, they look the same,” Dick says.

“From what I’ve heard, I have scars up and down my back from the countless akuma attacks,” Marinette explained. “And because I was supposed to become the next guardian and I was the holder of the ladybug miraculi, I have with the Miraculi mark.” She then bent her leg to show the mark on her ankle. 

“Ms. Marinette speaks the truth, I have the mark of the peacock miraculi,” Alfred said.

“Adri-- Chat Noir had the same mark.”

“Before he went missing you mean,” Dick cuts in.

“Not missing, Gabriel, his father, and Hawkmoth, killed him before he realized it was his son,” Marinette explained.

The conversation moved into a brighter topic after that. When it was time to leave Damian decided to drive her back to her hotel. He walked her to the lobby. 

“Be my girlfriend?” Damian asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I would love to!” Marinette said, hugging him. She went up on tip-toes and kissed his cheek. “Bye Damian, I’ll count the minutes till I see you again.”

“I’ll see you off to the airport tomorrow,” Damian said, kissing the crown of her head.

(Sorry for the skips, I just wanna get to the part that the whole story has been building to.) Their relationship didn’t falter with distance after Marinette graduated, she moved to the states to attend Gotham Academy. Uncle Jagged promised her parent to check up on her him being in America for recording and shows. Not too long after they graduated college Marinette became a hit as Nettie. Damian proposed to her on the date of her debut. They got married on their fifth anniversary of dating. A year later they had their first son Thomas Adrien Wayne-Dupain. 

On Thomas’ second birthday, Damian prepared a surprise.  “Not too much longer Angel, just a couple more steps.”

“Today on the show we have Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Wayne or as most of you know her as Nettie,” the hostess says. “What most of you all don’t know is that she is blind. Nettie, will you give a wave to the crowd?”

She waves and whispers to Damian. “I might murder you, why are we here?”

Damian just chuckles, kisses her head, and says “Don't worry it’s about to get better.”

“So not too long ago, I reached out to Damian Wayne, her husband, to bring her onto the show so we can we have her reaction for a first time using E-Sight.” At that Marinette hugs Damian, and whispers graciously.

“So today is our son’s second birthday and I know it’s not a gift him, but it will be the first time she sees us for the first time,” Damian says.

“So we have an E-Sight technician here today to help her with the glasses, which she’ll be able to keep,” the hostess says.

 “So I’m going to slide this on your head,” the technician says, placing it over her eyes. “Can you give a look around for me? Can you see?”

“Yes! Yes! I can see,” Marinette exclaims, turning to look at the two most important people in her life. “You guys! You’re both as beautiful as I imagine.” Marinette cries, tears streaming down her face. 

“Come on, Angel, don’t cry,” Damian says, wiping her tears away before pulling her into a hug.

“Thomas, honey, you’re so cute…. I can’t believe it! I can see you both!” Marinette says, taking Thomas. “Hi honey, Mama can see you!”

“Nettie, we brought the rest of your family here so you can see them as well,” the hostess says, welcoming her family to the stage.

“Guys! Mama! Papa! You guys!” Marinette says, letting herself be enveloped in a hug.

“We’re so happy for you, Pixie-Pop!” 

She couldn’t be happier, she was happy before but now she can see the beauty of the world once again. She loved her family more than words can explain and now she didn’t have to just picture them, she can see them for real.

[angelguk]

→ heartfelt — a jeongguk scenario

member: jeon jeongguk

word count: 6.4k

genre: angst idk maybe + slow (slow!) burn + best friends! to we could be lovers but we’re both to nervous to ask each other out

warnings: mentions of cheating / that’s it lol / jk is soft for oc and vice versa honestly / a lot of mutual pinning / mentions of virgin!jk

soundtrack: against the tide, will fox

Summer is gone. It's evident by the crisp breeze that sweeps through the air, idly plucking at the copper leaves dangling precariously from the branches that long to be free of them. Your hands are cold, even though they're are snugly buried in the pockets of your jacket - which is too flimsy for the current weather raging through your town. You'd misjudged how cold it was becoming, mind still clinging onto the warm reminiscences of summer. There was still a slither of golden sunlight splaying onto the ground, but the chill that filled the atmosphere negated the minuscule effects of the sun. You brave through it regardless, ignoring the goosebumps settling across your skin with every fierce gush of wind that travels through the air. But it's easy to ignore it, a slight spring in your steps as you trudge through the sodden ground, feet steering you down the familiar hill. The soil slips under your feet, but you already know which areas to avoid. Your steps are sure as you descend, heart thumping hard in your chest. You rather not focus your attention on that so you train your eyes onto the ground. One comfort is that you know you don't have to look for him. He's already waiting, back turned to your loud footsteps. The lake spans out before him, cold and murky but you're not afraid of it. The stillness is actually serene, the immobile water before you calming the rush of blood in your head.

You give it a moment, each step you take towards him another deep inhale of autumn air. Then, fondly, you knee the back of his leg.

"Oh fuck off!" He's turning swiftly, hand raised to punch your shoulder. You take it was soft laugh tumbling from your mouth, lips turned upwards in a smile. It echoes on his face a second later, petal pink lips spreading into a grin that makes your heart jump sharply.

"Hello to you too," You murmur, slinging your arm around his neck. You have to stretch out to reach him, he's been taller than you since freshman year. Jeongguk leans down in response, giving you the chance to ruffle his soft brown curls without protest. "You called me out here and you don't even acknowledge my presence. That's not very cash money of you."

Your laugh turns into a loud huff when he elbows your rib roughly. "Shut up. Let me hug you."

And you do, nuzzling your face into his wide chest as he wraps his firm arms around your waist. It's nice, to feel Jeongguk surround you, a sure presence that you know you're going to miss. But you don't want to focus on that right now, mind instead zeroing on how his body feels pressed flush against your own. There's taut muscle flexing underneath your fingertips, hiding beneath the billowy fabric of his sweater. He feels different. Very different from how you first meet him. The once scrawny kid that crushed your play-dough castle by mistake when you where nursery school and cried while helping you rebuild it because he felt guilty about it, is now bulky and tall. The memory coaxes a tiny giggle from your lips, one that Jeongguk catches on to despite your face being buried into his sweater.

"What are you laughing at?" He murmurs, giving your frame a tight loving squeeze. You lean into it, the press of his palm against the low of your back sending a strange tingle through your system.

"Nothing," You respond, tilting your head to get a glimpse of his face. He looks different too, his round baby gradually transforming into a bold jawline and pretty brown eyes throughout your time together. The change had resulted in half your school developing a crush on him, which you understand. Jeongguk is cute. Very cute. It's hard to deny, even though he's your best friend.

Maybe he can hear what you're thinking because he stares back, gaze holding an intention you can't decipher but it makes blood rush to your face. "You're not just thinking about nothing," He whispers, voice carried by the autumn breeze.

You hum, knowing his caught onto your lie but hasn't found what's truly ruminating in your head. "Just thinking about how much you've changed. And how much I'll miss you." Which is true, you will miss him immensely. He squeezes you hard at that revelation, tight like he's afraid you'll vanish from his hold right now.

"Of course I've changed," He retorts, tone light but you can sense something wavering beneath it. "So have you. And I'll miss you too. You and your stinky socks living in the back of my car."

You give him a sharp look, face warm from the way he laughs gently. "Please," You say, "How many times have I found your boxers in my car? Or your dirty shoes? Remember the time I found a condo-”

"Hey! We said we wouldn't discuss that. And," He continues loudly, gaze noting your open mouth. "It wasn't used. It probably fell out of my pocket.”

"Why would you even need one? It's not like you were sleeping with anyone," You say, an eyebrow quirked. Jeongguk flushes at that, cheeks a pretty rouge that you fondly poke at.

"Taehyung gave it to me," He says, arms still snug around your waist, the gentle lapping of water drifting through the air. "Just in case, you know."

"In case of what? You don't talk to girls." Maybe that's harsh to say but it's the truth. Jeongguk does not talk to girls.

"I do," He pouts. "I just don't want to lose my virginity to just anyone you know. I want it to be special." There's a faraway look in his eyes that makes your stomach to a funny thing. You poke his cheek again, forcing him to glance down. "I don't know how that's going to work out for you in college my dude."

He grins, cocking his head. "It'll work out, don't worry. I'll find someone."

For some reason the last comment makes you feel strange, skin prickling at the mere idea of Jeongguk with someone. He'd never dated anyone. Ever. No matter how many pretty girls threw themselves at him, the star quarterback with good grades and a sheepish grin, he'd never fallen into anything serious. He'd fooled around, of course, you'd heard the stories, seen some of them occur in the corner of some party. But as far as you know Jeongguk had never gone that far. He'd never really explained his reasoning, but the fact that he was now leaving you, moving far away into a world unknown, the thought kept reappearing in your head. You wonder who he'll choose, who he'll trust enough to do that with. It makes your heartache with an unfamiliar pain, which it shouldn't at all. Jeongguk is your best friend, not your boyfriend.

Your boyfriend is waiting for you at the cinema right now. And you know he wouldn't be happy to know that this is what you're thinking as you bid your closet friend goodbye. But you can't help it, not when Jeongguk pulls you closer to him like he wants to print your body against his forever.

"I hope you do," You murmur. You don't expect his body to still when you say that but it does. "I mean," You try again, "Not like that. I just hope you find someone who really loves you, you know. You deserve that." For some reason, the words feel clunky coming out of your mouth.

Jeongguk is staring at you hard, eyebrows furrowed together with an emotion you can't pinpoint, but the look itself makes your heart swiftly sink to your gut. "Do you love me?" It's an odd question, the words tumbling over themselves as they rush out his mouth. You naturally blanch, mouth agape as your search for the right answer because Jeongguk is still looking at you, brown eyes glittering in the soft sunlight that basks over his face.

"O-of course I do," You splutter. "You're my best-friend why wouldn't I love you?" He hums, eyes fluttering shut like he longs to snatch that sudden question back into his mouth. "Never mind," He mutters. "Stupid question. I love you too."

"It's not a stupid question," You insist but Jeongguk is squeezing you again, a silent plea not to prod. You clamp your mouth shut reluctantly.

"It is," He laughs. "I know you love me - as friends of course. Are you going to see Changwoo today?"

You raise an eyebrow, perplexed by his sudden curiosity. "Yeah, we have a date this afternoon."

"That's nice. You look good together." There's a coldness in his tone that you read easily. But you don't comment on it, too afraid to prod at him too closely. You don't want your farewell to end in a childish fight.

"Thank you," You say instead, careful with your tone. "Let's not talk about him though. I'm gonna miss you, you that right. Why'd you have a pick a school so far away?"

He sighs. "I'll miss you too." Then his gaze falters, head turned towards the quiet lake beside your joint bodies. There's a lump in his throat that you hear when he speaks. "I just thought...I just thought it would be nice to getaway. Go to a place where no one knows me. No expectations hanging over my head. A clean slate, you know. So I can explore who I am. I don't have to fit into what others think of me anymore."

You pause, flummoxed by the sudden confession. You had meant to joke about the distance of his university but instead, you'd stumbled into this. It makes your breath stick inside your chest, brain trying to process the torrent of words Jeongguk had just dumped into the air. You hadn't even known he was carrying all of this on him. He hadn't seemed down during senior year or graduation for that matter. You still, with clarity, remember his bright smile on that day. And the ringing sound of his laughter that floated through the air constantly, his happiness tangible at that moment. But maybe he was celebrating finally being free, from everyone's projections on his being, and not necessarily being free from the prison of the education system. It makes your heart sink your stomach, at the mere thought of Jeongguk feeling like he could be him, around the people who cared about him most. And you feel even worse for not picking up on that earlier.

"Really?" You quietly comment. "You hadn't said any of that before. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because you'd worry," Jeongguk reasons, a small laugh drifting from his lips. He licks them, pink tongue poking out innocently, like his regretting saying anything in the first place.

"Of course I'd worry, that's my job. I'm your friend Jeongguk. I'm meant to worry about you." It comes out with more vehemence than you thought it would, but you mean it. Every word. What were friends for if they didn't care about each other? And you care about Jeongguk. Very much.

He must sense that in your words because he's suddenly looking at you, gaze sharp like he's trying to navigate through a precarious situation in his head. It's blatantly clear to you though, reading like black and white. But Jeongguk looks like he's lost in the grey, searching for a way out that won't dismantle what you have. You see it in the way he hangs his head, nose bumping against yours. Your heart hurts from how hard to slams into your ribs.

"I know. But you worry too much sometimes." He says it gingerly, as if he's attempting to walk across ice that looks frozen but isn't. "It's something I had to deal with on my own. I hope you understand that. Don't take it to heart." "You know I will," You murmur, the pain in your chest making your grip the front of his sweater desperately. "You should have told me."

"I know," He hums. "I know, I'm sorry. Forgot it. It's resolved now. I wanted to have a nice goodbye with you. Not this."

You bite back the words you long to say because that's what you wanted too. You won't see Jeongguk until next year. He'd decided beforehand to spend Christmas at his grandparents, who lived (inconveniently) across the country. And he wasn't keen on coming back for spring break either. So this was your last official meeting before he departed for the airport tomorrow morning. You didn't want to leave on bad terms, you wanted him to go knowing that'd you'd always be here for him. Still his best-friend even with the distance between the two of you.

That's what keeps your mouth shut. Instead of prodding further, you let it rest, rocking hard into Jeongguk.

"Fine. We need to talk about it someday, though."

He makes a small noise of acknowledgement, deep in the back of his throat. There's a hand running down your back. "I know. Someday. God, I'm going to miss you."

The pain in your heart spreads violently through your body, fingers clinging desperately onto his sweater. "I'm going to miss you too."

You remind yourself of summer. This past summer, where you practically lived in Jeongguk's pocket and the coming one, where'll you see him again. That's what quells the ache you feel. The reminder that you'll see him again.

—

Your eyes hurt. But you still keep them open, staring at the bright computer screen before you. You need to conjure up another four hundred words for this essay to be complete but for the life of you can you can't think of any. There's a hollowness inside of you, body and mind drained from the demands of your education. Your head is completely and utterly empty, fingers already itching to scroll mindlessly through your twitter feed. Maybe you will stumble on something funny that'll force your brain to produce an inkling of serotonin. You could really do with some serotonin right now.

Fortunately for you, the device emits a loud ping as your reach for it. You hurriedly toss your laptop aside, into the jumble of blankets you're currently huddled in. It's too warm for them but you don't care. There's a comfort in being wrapped up in a fluffy blanket. One you desperately need because there's no one around right now who'll stomach your constant whining and need for touch. Jeongguk would have - if he was here. But he wasn't. Something you're still not quite used to. The blankets keep your warm thought, a gentle heat that travels through your body. Even with the sun still raging outside, the onset of summer irrefutable, you don't shrug them off. But when your eyes land on the contact name flashing before your screen, you freeze. Despite the stifling heat filtering into your room, your blood runs cold. It takes you a moment to regain your breath before you muster the courage to tap the message open.

You don't know why you're nervous though. He's not a stranger. You don't talk as much as you would like to, the presence of distance weakening your bond. But that bond was still unbreakable. He was your best-friend after all. And yet, your palms still warm when you tentatively press on his contact name.

gukkie (04:23 pm)

hey

are you busy?

sorry for going mia

university is hard

You roll your eyes because he's acting like you're not in university too. But for once, you brush it aside, ignoring the essay hanging over your head, fingers swiftly typing out a response.

you (04:24pm)

hello 2 u 2 stranger

im good thank u for asking

and yes uni is hard jk i would know im a student too

gukkie (04:29 pm)

fuck sorry

i hope im not interrupting ur work

i just wanted to talk

i miss u

The text makes you pause, fingers stagnant above your keyboard. You chew your bottom lip as you respond, the strange apprehension you're harbouring overtaking your system.

you (04:31 pm)

i miss you too

how are you?

u doing okay?

don't worry i didn't want to do this work anyway :)

gukkie (04:33 pm)

uhhh i wouldn't say im doing great

but im alive

if that counts for something good

i don't know anymore it's kinda hard out here

You're blinking hard as you type, the sudden meekness in his tone makes your heart seize in your chest.

you (04:36 pm)

what's wrong?

talk to me please

are your class that hard?

gukkie (04:38 pm)

yes :(

i hate it here

i miss u

it's just really stressful

i don't mind the people

i've made good friends

it's just

THE WORK

IT'S SO MUCH

:(((((

you (04:41 pm)

u wanna drop out?

sorry im not being helpful i don't know what to say

prioritise? start a bullet journal?

i suck at stress management too u know that

but feel free to rant

gukkie (04:43 pm)

drop out and what? start an onlyfans?

you (04:44 pm)

im not saying that's an option but like.. that is an option

u would be very popular

hot bod big dick

i can see the dollar signs already

gukkie (04:47 pm)

how do YOU know my dick isn't average sized? huh?

where r they small penises rights

big dick this big dick that

it's not the size of the boat that matters. it's the motion of the ocean!!

SMALL PENIS RIGHTS I DEMAND IT

also

the work isn't bad it's just like, a lot. i can handle it im just really fucking tired

you (04:50 pm)

damn okay mr skinny penis

regardless!! don't forget to take care of yourself!

drink water! sleep! masturbate!! and eat u dumb bastard i know u forget to eat

gukkie (04:53 pm)

ASKLGJRK I HATE U

leave us skinny penis men alone

damn u r right i did forget to eat today

u know me so well

did i already say i miss u

i miss u

There's a warmth spreading through you that melts away the apprehension you were previously feeling.

you (04:58 pm)

i know u said it like ten times dumbass

when are u coming? wanna see ur ugly face

gukkie (05:02 pm) oh

i was texting u to tell u i wasn't coming home for summer

i've got a trip planned with my friends

maybe i'll stop by towards the end of summer

i probably will

but i might also go to my grandparents...moms staying there for summer and she offered to bring anything i needed

sorry

i wanted to see your face too

but i'll be home for christmas this year!!

i promise

The warmth immediately ebbs away, your hands suddenly clammy as you stare at the screen. It's been months since you'd seen Jeongguk. You hadn't hugged him, touched him, elbowed his ribs since last year. And while you're happy that he's settling into his new crowd easily, it still hurts. You feel like you're standing on the edge of his life, gradually being pushed out of view as shinier things replace your relationship. And you don't want to lose Jeongguk. You've lost enough this year already. Yet you tack a smile onto your face, like he's here in the room with you, observing your false expression. Your fingertips flash across the keyboard sure in their movements, even though you know everything you're saying is a lie.

you (05:10 pm)

that's fine!

i'll see u at christmas then

i have something to tell u btw

gukkie (05:12 pm)

i have something to tell you to

u go first

you (05:13 pm)

no u go first

gukkie (05:15 pm)

okay fine

guess who's not a virgin anymore

Oh. That's not what you expected to read. At all.

you (05:18 pm)

what poor girl fell for your trap

You're vehemently ignoring the ache gripping your heart.

gukkie (05:19 pm)

haha so funny

her name is miyeon

she's really sweet

Oh. That makes it worse. You don't know why but that makes it so much worse.

you (05:22 pm)

that's nice

i bet she said ur dick was small

gukkie (05:24 pm)

quite the contrary, my dear watson

she came back for seconds

and thirds

and im seeing her tomorrow

You really want to hit something. It would be very nice to smash your fist into something right now.

you (05:26 pm)

okay okay mr massive schlong

are you dating her?

gukkie (05:27 pm)

no lol

it's just a casual thing

you (05:30 pm)

do u like her tho?

gukkie (05:31 pm)

maybe? idk

it's weird

she's nice and pretty

and really fucking smart

but i don't really feel anything towards her

if u get what i mean

Your heartbeat finally calms down for a second, but the pain is still there, it's fingers digging into your heart tightly with no intention of letting go.

you (05:32 pm)

i do

use protection please

i don't want little demonic yous running around

gukkie (05:32 pm)

awww u know i would make a great dad

what did u want to tell me?

you (05:34 pm)

u? would make a good dad? that's funny tell me another joke

i kinda have to go now

i can tell u later

gukkie (05:35 pm)

don't leave meee :(

and don't lie to yourself i would make an awesome dad

why can't you tell me now?

but okay if you've got something to do go

i kinda need to run to a study group anyway

you (05:37 pm)

that's a lie and u know it

go run to your study group!! and remember to eat something 2 i'll call u later

gukkie (05:40 pm)

i will i promise

bye!!

CALL ME LATER

you (05:41 pm)

i'll call u :)

There's a harsh ping that indicates Jeongguk has sent you one more message, but you've already tossed your phone across the room, not even bothering to glance at it when it thuds loudly on the edge of your bed. You roll over, cocooning yourself in the blankets that smother you in their heat. It helps, a mild distraction from the bizarre pain that grips your soul with no remorse. There's an ache with every hard thump of your heart against your ribcage, eyes squeezed shut as you attempt to work through the foreign emotion that threatens to swallow you. It takes a while for you to find it, that place in your heart that isn't consumed by the overwhelming disappointment that consumes everything in its wake. You should be happy for Jeongguk. You know you should. He's out there, moving forward in life, meeting people that are important to him. And yet, that little tidbit about Miyeon makes something in your crumble. You can’t help but ball your fists up, involuntary folding in on yourself. Sometimes Jeongguk feels so far, for someone that whole so close to your heart. But it’s worse now that you know he’s found someone who he trusts like that. You never expected it. Well, you did, but you’d just refused to acknowledge that one-day Jeongguk would move on. He’d already moved out of the town you knew like the back of your palm, and now he’s drifting further and further away. In reach of your fingertips but too far away for you to grasp onto him and draw him back.

It would hurt a little less if your heart still wasn’t shattered from Changwoo. You can’t even bring yourself to Jeongguk about it. All the lies and false pretences that you blindly believed. Some part of you had loved Changwoo, but it was clear when you found him with his mouth on another girl that he never loved you. And after all of that, he had the audacity to accuse you of lying to him during your relationship. You remember it with a clarity that burns, the way he’d stood at your door, hands folded on his chest and that pretty mouth you once loved to kiss twisted into a scowl.

“Jeongguk. You love him. You’ve never loved me. It was always him. Always.” He’d spat it out with such vehemence, aiming right for your heart with his heated glare. It hurts even now. But what’s worse was the spluttered. At a loss for words because your boyfriend was jealous about your friendship with your best-friend. Yet he’d taken that as confirmation of his assumptions and nothing you could do could rectify that in is mind. It was always Jeongguk. Always. No matter how you phrased your words and tried to redirect the situation to his blatant cheating. He found a way to blame you. Blame your closeness to Jeongguk. Blame your love for your best-friend.

Maybe that’s why you had pushed him away. But it’s not like Jeongguk had noticed. You’d seen enough of his Snaps and Instagram stories to know how fast-paced and wild his life was. Too busy learning who he was to care about your silence. 

You curled up in a ball now, face hot with the promise of tears. You blink them away before they can spill down your cheek, heart sore from the loneliness that consumes you. The blankets hold you as you mull over everything; the conversation you’d just had with Jeongguk, the screaming match you’d had with Changwoo, the questions that you ask yourself deep into the night when sleep has insisted on passing you by. It’s not something you can admit to - because then Changwoo would be right. And yet, you can’t help but turn that thought over and over again in your head. Jeongguk was too far from you now, but that doesn’t stop your heart from clinging onto the fond memories you have of them. He was your best-friend for a reason. There were days in high school when his obnoxious laugh and ridiculous jokes got you through the mountain of assignments that constantly weighed you down. You can’t forget the way his body feels pressed against yours, a sure hold, it’s intent comfort. Nothing had ever felt like that. Not even Changwoo’s hugs. You treasure those moments so much, to an extent that’s unhealthy sometimes if you're honest with yourself. But there’s also a small tiny part of you that quietly wishes those moments were more. More what? You’re not sure. Or you refuse to acknowledge what you mean by ‘more’. It’s there though, that slither of your heart that always wanted more. 

—

gukkie (03:21 am)

heyyy

hi :)))

y/n

missss u

imissssuuuuu

so mcuh

gukkie (03:23 am)

wneh i cum back we need 2 talk

hae soething 2 teel u 

i have

fuck

whatber

i really ned 2 talk 2 u

thts it

okai now i go 

mmmmis u!!!

we tajl soon!

gukkie (10:43 am)

omg im so sorry

ignore those messages  

i was really fucking drunk

summer has been interesting…

I DO MISS U THO

so much dude

can’t wait to you at christmas!!

you (01:12 pm)

lol okay

can’t wait to see u then 2

tell me what day you’re coming!

wanna surprise you

gukkie (01:37 pm)

how is it a surprise if you tell me you want to surprise me?

you (01:46 pm)

just tell me which date u dingus

gukkie (02:14 pm)

nope :)  it’s a surprise

—

You don't hear the first thud, probably because your ears are filled with the melodious hum of piano keys skipping over a lofi beat. There's the familiar image of the anime girl studying on your laptop screen as you switch between documents, fingertips hitting the keyboard of your laptop swiftly. This essay is due in five hours and you'd only just started it, after wasting the whole morning laughing at memes on Twitter and taking naps in between the intervals of your boredom. Sunlight had already begun to wane when you'd finally parked your butt on your bed, somewhat motivated to power through this essay. What was left of the sun was still able to spear through the cloudy sky and constant snowfall, albeit in thin pathetic slithers. You blame the weather for making you sluggish and not your poor work ethic. Even though it's really just your poor work ethic. It's only after the third loud thud of a snowball smashing into your window, that your tear you gaze from the research paper you're scouring through for your essay on the implications of the social cognitive theory. There are about a thousand tabs open on your screen and you know sorting through your citations later will be chaos.

But you instantly forget the pile of work awaiting you, when your eyes land on that dark curly tuft of brown hair that you've grown accustomed too. You push your laptop off your lap so fast that it nearly tips towards the floor, your legs tumbling through the thick blanket you'd wrapped yourself up as you pluck your earphones from your ears and toss them onto the sheets behind you. The floor is chilly beneath your sock-clad feet but you're moving to fast to care. There's a frenetic thumping in your chest, mouth sore from how broadly you're grinning. He's standing at the foot of your window, thoroughly bundled up in a thick jacket and black scarf wrapped snugly around his waist. Your heart does an Olympic worthy back-flip with you spot the smile gracing his lips. It's a warming sight, how his petal pink lips are upturned and the slightest glitter in his brown eyes when you lock gazes. The buzzing in your head is deafening as you struggle with the clasps on your window.

"Jeongguk?" There's an immediate billow of cold slamming into you but you brave through it, your body warms from the blood pounding through you. "What the hell! You said you were coming tomorrow!”

He cocks his head, a behaviour akin to his lively cocker spaniel Miri. "Surprise! I told Mom to tell you the wrong date." It's followed by that sheepish smile of his, a small grin that makes your stomach flutter. But then you note the way he shivers, feet lodged in the snow-covered ground and ivory flakes softly settling into his hair. Your fingers itch with the desire to brush them away.

"Dude you're freezing, come inside before you get hypothermia."

He shakes his head, snowflakes drifting to the ground were the vanish among the vast sea of blinding white beneath him. "Nope. Come outside. I wanna go to the lake - that is, if you're not busy."

You blink, immediately thinking of the essay waiting for you to return. But this is Jeongguk, you're best-friend that you haven't seen for a month now, standing right in front of you. Professor Bang would get his essay when you were in the mood to write.

"Nope," You lie. "I'm not busy." And when he smiles, cheeks rosy from the cold, you know it's worth it.

It doesn't take you long to get ready, snatching your winter jacket from the closet and a scarf similar to Jeongguk's. Absentmindedly you grab a beanie for him too, remembering the sight of his rouge tinted ears and snow-coated head. He accepts it without question, tugging the thing over his head the moment you had it too much, boots kicking through the snow as you trek off.

"When did you arrive?" You ask, struggling to keep up with his fast footsteps. He's always been faster than you, even when you were kids. Too much energy in him since birth, like a puppy on steroids.

"Just now," He responds, twisting around to snatch up your gloved hand. Your heart jolts dangerously in your chest, eyes focusing in on the wisps of unruly brown curls peaking from underneath the olive knitted material of the beanie. You give him a look, despite the heat spreading across your chest when he gently tugs your forward, bouncing down the wet pavement.

"Now? Like now?"

"Like now," He reiterates, a glow in his eyes when he glances at you. "I had to come to see you first. You're my best-friend, you know."

"I know, you dimwit," You say, bumping into him. There's a sharp jolt that travels through your body when your shoulders touch, hands still clasping onto each other as you drift towards the massive lake down from your neighbouring homes. "You're my best-friend too."

You don't mean to read into it, but Jeongguk eyes linger on you for a moment too long. Or at least you think they do. But you're staring at him too. He's been gone for a couple of months now, due to his sports scholarship placement at SU. But those few months felt like an eternity, even with the countless calls and chats you'd never been that far away from Jeongguk. Not since you'd tied his hair into a ponytail on the playground and coaxed him into playing princesses with you. You can't help but peer at him now, carefully examine his face. There's a smidgen of stubble poking out from chin which had turned into a squared firm jaw somewhere in the middle of high-school. His shoulders look broader too, even under the bulky fabric of his jacket. But this most jarring change is his hair, tumbling into his face in pretty loose brown curls. There's tucked away now, but it was the first thing you'd noticed when you spotted him smiling at your window.

You wonder if he'd let you tie it up into a ponytail now?

It's a thought you tuck away, for now, mind concentrating on the sudden anecdotes spilling from Jeongguk's mouth. You learn the name of his roommates all over again, the reckless shenanigans of Taehyung and Hoseok first-rate comedies from how hard you laugh at them. But he keeps his words from straying to a certain aspect of his life that you're more curious about than you should be but you can't help it. You'd never been one to pry into his love-life but Jeongguk had been extremely silent on that subject since he'd moved away. Only dropping Miyeon’s name once and then never talking about her again. Like she never existed in the first place. He’s quiet on the subject of love. More so than when he lived here and you used to bump into him on dates at the mall. It stings a little, you won't lie, that he’s been vague about it. But you don't have the right to demand that from him, even when it leaves you sitting up at night, wondering if he's with someone else at that very moment.

By the time the lake drifts into your line over vision the conversation has died, a natural silence sitting over the two of you that's not demanding to be filled with noise. You let the crunch of snow beneath your boots echo between the two of you, a satisfying familiar noise that eases away some of the tension plaguing your heart. 

Jeongguk slings his arm around your waist a moment later, effectively tugging your body into his as he halts right before the shoreline, murky grey sand piling over his sneakers. The calmness that had selected over your heart vanishes, replaced by a frenetic beating. There’s a roaring in your head, cheeks hot when his palm settles on your side. A firm soft touch. Your tummy tingles even with the thick fabric of your jacket separating his skin from yours. He hums when you bury your face into his chest, nose full of a scent that is purely Jeongguk. It’s crisp and musky but also sweet and light. Sharp just like him. Soft just like him. There are not enough words in your possession that you can use to describe how it affects you. But the serenity that blankets you is evidence enough. You wallow in it, the smile on your face involuntary. It’s because of comfort that Jeongguk’s bring you that you miss the contemplative furrow of his eyebrows, his own cheeks tinged rose. He’d forgotten how nice you feel in his arms, clinging onto him in a manner that makes him what to protect you. There are thoughts that meander inside his mind, the brittle wind biting his face gently drawing him away from them. The warmth of your body pressed against his keeps him put. But it always raises a torrent of questions in his head. There are things he needs to ask, clarify really. You hadn’t told him about it but news travels fast in your small town. He knows about Changwoo. Not the minute details but enough of the story to want to punch that asshole in the face. He’d only kept it to himself because he was waiting for you to tell him. But you never did. That’s why he’d taken back what he wanted to tell you during that drunken summer night. He couldn’t spill the contents of his heart out like that. Not if you weren’t able to reciprocate his feelings. Sometimes Jeongguk thinks you still love Changwoo. 

He hopes you don’t. He really hopes you don’t love Changwoo anymore. Maybe it’s the fear of breaking down a wall he’s grown to cherish that keeps his mouth shut. He would love to grow closer, get to know you in a way a friend never could. But he’s not sure you want the same. He doesn’t know what he would do if he took that step forward and you turned your back on him. Even the mere thought of the rejection has his heart panging painfully inside of him, aching at the idea that you wouldn’t be able to love him the way he loves you. So he holds you, for now, tugging you as close as your thick jackets will allow, not caring that the wind is nipping at his face. This can be enough, for now, he tells himself. One day he’ll tell you. One day. But for now you sway together like this, content just be in the presence of each other. Not wanting more or less, just together. For now, you can be together.

[firemblem-fics]

Smitten Kitten [Finale]

one | two | three | four | finale

-> Pairing: Felix x Female!Reader | Hybrid!AU (mostly platonic idk)

-> Warnings: Abuse mentions, Like Two Sex Jokes, Yelling

-> Genre: Angst, Fluff

-> Word Count: 1.6k

-> Summary: You never wanted to be involved with hybrids. They were risky and had too many rules for you. But what will you do when a little black and white cat that you take in turns out to be the very thing you steered clear of?

-> A/N: Okay so the more i wrote this the more i realized it was more platonic than anything and also it barely fucking features felix and i’m just very unhappy with it i suppose ... maybe in the future i’ll rewrite idk i’m really sorry for this i kinda hate it but i’ve been working on it for so long i didn’t want to make people wait longer

Soon, the bell rang once more and you turned your head, finally making eye contact with those red eyes you'd been longing to see for weeks.

"Fe!" You nearly stumbled forward as you rushed towards the hybrid, your heart leaping as you reached out to-

"Don't touch him!"

Karen's shrill voice was like an invisible wall that was keeping you away from Felix. You almost shrunk back as she yelled, but you stood tall. The Hybrid Services needed to see that you were strong and fully capable of taking care of Felix and you were determined to do just that.

You only looked at Felix expectantly. He went to walk over to you, but was stopped with an extremely harsh tug on his leash. He hissed at Doug, who was talking to an HPS officer with a hardened gaze.

Karen, on the other hand, walked coolly up to you. "What's your problem?" She sneered.

"My problem? You're hurting Felix."

"We're just disciplining him," She rolled her eyes, "Sometimes a savage animal needs a few hits to get the rules in their head. Felix plays too many games that we don't feel like dealing with."

"Then why do you keep him?"

"Have you seen the boy? He's gorgeous. He's won multiple awards and thousands of dollars at Hybrid Shows. A bit of pain is worth the prize."

It was your turn to roll your eyes. "He's gorgeous, yeah? Is that why you felt the need to cover his bruises with makeup? I took care of Felix for two months and he never caused any trouble. He was polite, respectful, thoughtful, and never once did he need to be 'punished'. He's not the problem- you are."

"Why you-"

"Mr. and Mrs..." An officer called the couple away from you. He began showing them all of the messages between you and Felix- proof of their wrongs.

You, on the other hand, turned to the cat-boy and finished what you started, throwing your arms around his torso and squeezing him tightly. In return, Felix only stiffened up. He didn't know where to put his hands, choosing to rest them on your shoulders as his chin laid on the crown of your head. You only got a few seconds of alone time before another pair of arms wrapped around the two of you.

"How sweet, a reunion! I'm sniffing out a kiss and some 'I missed you' sex later on- OW!"

Felix's hand went from your shoulder to Sylvain's stomach, stopping him in his sentence. "Go fuck yourself."

"Only if you watch me~"

You laughed, pulling back from the hug and looking over at Ashe, who was now engaged in a conversation with one of the HPS officers. You were more than thankful to have him at your side. Ashe had gone through the same little trial to get custody of Sylvain, so he was more than willing to help you get Felix out of his shitty situation as well.

Ashe had explained to you how Hybrid cases worked. Evidence would be presented to officers or a Hybrid Facilitator, such as Nancy, and they would make the call as to what happens next. You would be presenting evidence of Karen and Doug’s abuse to them and asking for Felix to be placed in your care. Lucky for you, Felix could speak on your behalf as well since he had stayed with you for two months.

You were scared. Felix was a big boy. He hid his emotions and stayed strong throughout the shit that his owners put him through, but even the strongest people have their limits. Unfortunately for you, Felix was still a hybrid. Legally considered an animal and treated as even less.

You couldn’t give him the freedom that he deserved, but you would try your damn hardest to give him a happy life.

You nearly teared up thinking about it and Felix must have noticed, for amidst his and Sylvain’s bickering he subtly placed his hand on the small of your back. It stayed there when the officers gathered everyone together, letting both sides present their cases. You spoke first.

“Two months ago, I found a little black and white cat in a dumpster. He was cold, hungry, and unhappy. I took him in and learned later on that he was Felix. Felix stayed with me for two months. I was under the presumption that he was kicked out of his old home- that was what he had told me, anyways.” That earned you a glare from the man beside you. “But I sheltered him for about two months, waiting for someone to come looking for him. They never did, so I took him here to get some papers filled out and make him legally… mine.”

You spat out the last word. God, did you hate the idea of having a human as a pet. Felix’s thumb brushed your back again, providing you with his own quiet form of comfort and amping you up to continue.

“I came, got some papers, and left. I should have known that he would have had papers under Doug and Karen’s name, but since I believed that they no longer wanted him, I went ahead and took ownership. Then they came up to my door later that day and took him. He had actually run away from them.

Felix put up a fight at first- he didn’t want to go. I gave him Sylvain, the other hybrid’s, phone so that he could still message me if he needed anything. The minute he left, he sent me a voice recording of those two screaming at him in the car. Since then, all of those messages had been sent as evidence that Karen and Doug have threatened him and harmed him emotionally, verbally, and physically. I want Felix to stay with me. They called him a behavioral issue, but I know how to treat him. I’ve never had an issue with him. Ever. I want full ownership of Felix Hugo Fraldarius.”

Nancy nodded and pointed to the couple, who were fuming on the other side of the room. Karen practically stormed up to Nancy and the officers, her face redder than Sylvain’s hair and voice more annoying than Sylvain himself.

“She obviously stole Felix from us!”

“What the fuck?” Said hybrid suddenly interrupted. An officer shushed him and motioned for Karen to continue.

“Felix is an award-winning, purebred Fraldarius tuxedo cat. He’s won thousands of dollars in prize money and trophies and awards, so of course a lower class girl like her would want such a high end Hybrid. He would win her money. She could have easily turned him into the facility, but she didn’t, so she stole him from us!”’

Karen had a point- you should have turned Felix in, but you couldn’t. The little cat had wormed his way into your heart more and more every day- even if he was kind of an ass in the beginning.

He still is an ass, but a little less now. You knew that when his arm moved from your back to around your shoulders, thumb now soothing the skin there.

“Wh- I didn’t even know he was a show cat until you two showed up and told me!” You defended. His hand gripped tighter as if already trying to hold you back. You were rather ready to tear this lady to shreds, honestly, so he was helping.

“You’re such a little liar- and those videos, too! They’re obviously fake. You don’t deserve Felix, you deserve to be jailed for stealing our precious prize!”

“Prize?! You don’t even see him as a real being with feelings and emotions or anything! Look-“ You suddenly licked your thumb, turning around and swiping underneath Felix’s eye. “He’s got bruises that you gave him and hid. Your face and fist are in that video. I’ve got selfies I took of him and I when he was in my care- there are no injuries, so they obviously happened in your care.”

“And how do they know you didn’t use makeup to hide the bruises you gave him?” Karen accused. God, she really was going the extra mile here. “Listen, little bitch, Felix is ours and he will be if I have to pry it from your little dead fingers.”

“You won’t lay a hand on her.” Felix speaks up. He turns to Nancy and sighs. “I wasn’t going to say anything because my pride heavily prevented me, but I am afraid of Karen and Doug. They have abused me in the last few years that I’ve been in their care and I can’t do it anymore. I can recount every single instance where they have harmed me and I will gladly do it if it means I can get the hell away from them and go with people who actually treat me well.” His face stayed straight as he spoke, his eyes hardened in a desperate attempt to show everyone how he wasn’t affected. Felix never was one to show his feelings- you were proud that he did this.

The officers, who had stayed silent for the entire time, looked at each other.

One sighed and spoke up. “You two are under arrest for Hybrid cruelty and will be investigated further and punished as charged.” He turned to you, “Do you mind if we keep the phone for a while to extract evidence?”

“I mind-“

“Not at all.” You cut off Sylvain, “He can go a little longer without his phone. He needs to go longer.”

The officer thanked you and led the two away, nearly kicking and screaming.

Nancy watched as they left, typing some things into her computer before standing up. “If any of you can follow me to the back, I need to put the proper information on a new collar tag.”

Ashe volunteered and dragged Sylvain back with him, leaving you and Felix alone at the front. You turned back to him and slipped your arms around his waist once more. Felix looked around, making sure nobody was near before holding you back properly this time. A purr erupted from his throat- quiet, but soothing as your ear was pressed against his chest.

“You’re coming home, Fe.”

“I’m already home right here with you.”

[ladywinterwitch]

Run Away (One - At the beggining)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Avenger! Reader

Summary: You and Steve complete each other. Your love is that strong and devoted kind of love that pushes people to things like marriage, making a family. You couldn't imagine that a baby would be something you really wished, until the possibility wasn't your choice anymore.

Warnings: mentions of sex, swearing, pregnancy talk, sadness, LIKE A LOT, badly written medical diagnosis, FLUFF, cheesy af, feels (im sorry this one's a little emotional k)

Word Count: 3316

A/n: I don’t know why this idea came to me, honestly. One day I just stopped and asked myself, why do actually people decide to have kids? At first I didn’t really understand, I always saw around that parents made a big deal of the idea of it. The whole pregnancy, having a baby to ‘show’ around and such without realizing that said baby will become an actual human being that you’ll have to educate. Which I still think is the case for some people, I’m not gonna lie. But then, thinking a bit more about it, seeing people really in love, and that want to spend the rest of their lives with each other wish to form a family because that’s something that they want to kind of experience and grow together. But honestly Idk, I mean, I don’t have any experience so I could be saying a lot of bullshit. Something that did inspire me tho is the song ‘Run away’ by Ben Platt, so being a little undecided on how to name this, I decided to pay tribute to this beautiful song. But still, I hope you’ll enjoy this. Also, making a multi-chapter series it’s a first for me, keep that in mind.

                                                   (gif not mine)

Steve will always remember the first time he saw you. You were a new recruit for the avengers team, you came from SHIELD and were one of the best, so Fury decided to add you to the heroes’ team.

You didn't need any superpower because you already were a force of nature of your own. Skilled in combat, a perfect spy, spoke eight languages, could aim a target and get the middle of it with closed eyes.

That day Steve was going to the gym with Bucky and when they arrived to the gym, they saw you. There you were. You wore a catsuit like Natasha's, all black and tight. Damn tight. Your fit but shapely body wrapped around that leather like it was made for it. And that's what Steve saw first, mainly because you two girls were moving in a sort of quick but graceful dance, shooting at simulation targets around the room.

And then all of a sudden you stopped, the simulation ending, and started to laugh. You gave Nat your guns and turned around. That's when Steve knew, he just knew that he was doomed. Your smile was the most beautiful thing that he'd ever seen. Your sharp but sweet features, your hair hair tied up in a ponytail with just a few strands of hair down in the corners of your angelic face.

When you saw them you stopped laughing, not having realized their presence, and smiled shyly. Steve was literally melting.

-Hey fellas. I'd like to introduce you to one of my best friends and best agents I know, Y/n. She's the new recruit sent by Fury.- Natasha came back without the guns while the two men edged closer.

-Hey there. Welcome to the team, i'm- - Bucky offered his hand, which you took gladly.

-Bucky Barnes, yeah not exactly a stranger.- you joked smiling, he returned the smile.

Steve was still looking at you, not realizing that it would've probably scared you off, but instead you offered your hand to him too, locking eyes.

-Y/n. I guess you must be Captain Rogers.- you teased with a smirk. He cleared his throat and shook your hand.

-Uh, yes. It's a pleasure Y/n.- he breathed out giving you a little smile.

-All mine.-  you responded, he chocked on his spit widening his eyes for a moment. Bucky was trying not to burst out laughing for how awkward his best friends was being, meanwhile Nat was looking at him like he was an alien.

-P-pardon?- he coughed out. You frowned a little biting your lip to stop smiling.

-The pleasure to meet you, captain. All mine.- you explained.

-Yeah, obviously. Uhm, alright see you, uhm.. later I guess. Welcome, again. Oh, call me Steve, please.- he blurted scratching his neck with his hand. You smiled sweetly.

-Thank you, Steve.- his name rolled on your tongue so perfectly that made him think of a few different scenarios, but before he could embarass himself further he gave a slap on Bucky's back, making him jolt forward in surprise.

-What the f-- he looked at the blonde with confusion.

-C'mon Buck, we have to take take of that business.- he basically dragged him towards the door.

-What business?- he furruwed his eyebrows.

-Fury's goddamn business, now hurry the fuck up.- he smiled through gritted teeth and whispered the last part.

And like that they left the gym. The two girls looked at each other and bursted out laughing.

-They seem nice.- you commented, cossing your arms.

-They are. But i'm gonna be honest, i've never seen Steve so flustered before. You must have left him quite, interested.- she marked the last word. You looked at her confused and she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

-Oh, for god's sake, Nat. He just met me, and i'm really nothing special. He's fucking Captain America, c'mon.- you rolled your eyes. She rose an eyebrow.

-Okay, if you say so. But it's true, what I said before. Also, you're a bomb, so shut it.-

-

Yeah. You gave that day exactly a month before you found yourself pressed against the wall, with Steve’s lips on your neck and moans spilling from your mouth.

-I've wanted to do this since the moment I saw you in that goddamn suit in the gym.- he muttered in between kisses. You smiled, taking his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you.

-Well, i'm glad you finally took a stand, cap.- he groaned and kissed you feverishly.

You ended up spending the night together, and when in the morning you woke before him, you started to dress yourself up, but he grabbed your wrist gently, making you turn to look at him.

He was really a sight. Dirty blonde hair a mess, bright blue eyes still sleepy, mouth curled in a smirk and his features soft. And cherry on top, he was stark naked, the sheets covering just above his groin. It really took all your mental strenght to not jump on him right then and there.

-Hey handsome.- you said lowly before continuing to get dressed. You put on your nude lace bra and panties before slipping on the simple dress that you wore the evening before. Tony had organized a little get together, nothing too fancy luckly.

-Where are you going?- Steve said, getting up. He put his boxers on, walking close to you. You looked down.

-Back to my room?- you asked rethorically. Steve stayed silent for a couple of minutes. You looked up again and saw that he looked a little hurt.

-You regret...tonight?- he muttered and your heart sank.

-What?- you asked.

-Did...did I do something wrong?- you shook your head. You were kind of confused by his behaviour. He just wanted a one night stand right? Or that's what you thought.

-No!- you exclaimed quickly -No, no, why do you say that? I mean..you don't- you don't want me to go?- this time it was his turn to be confused.

-What? No! I..I mean if you regret it or just consider it a one time thing, then I'm never gonna talk about that again, but-

-Was it, for you?- you interrupted him. He looked at you.

-Not for me, no. But if you want we can forget ab- you interrupted him again, this time with a kiss. You latched your arms aroud his neck and he hugged your waist tight. You kissed for a few seconds and then parted to breathe.

-I take it as a no?- he smirked and you chuckled.

-

The team almost threw a party when you said that you were officially together a copule months after. They all saw the chemistry between the two of you, plus Bucky and Nat were finally free from both your rambling about the other. Months passed and you and Steve became closer and more in love every day, so exactly one year after, he proposed to you. Needless to say that you said yes.

After a few months from the wedding you had some things in your mind. You and Steve always used protection in the first six months of your relationship, but then you just stopped. At first it had been a silly and quite risky decision, but then you noticed that no problem had come up, so you didn't thought about it anymore.

But now, you were actually married, in love, and you both wanted children. You didn't actually decided to try, but it was in the air. And the fact that neither of you came up with the prevention stuff actually confirmed it.

So while doing a little reckoning you realized that it was a bit more than a year that you were having unprotected sex, and nothing happended. Sometimes all it takes is just one time to 'fuck up', but...you didn't knew what was bothering you. So one day you decided to ask Bruce for advice. He was a doctor after all.

So you did just that. You went to the labs’ floor in the avengers tower and asked Friday in which one he was.

-Doctor Banner is in the biology lab with mr. Stark right now, mrs. Rogers.-

-Thank you Friday.- you headed to the biology lab and knocked, then came in. The two men smiled at you.

-Hey Y/n. Friday informed me that you wanted to see me?- Bruce asked sweetly. You nodded, stepping closer. They were busy with some papers and Tony was handling some files in hologram form.

-Yes. Uhm, can we talk alone? Or maybe I can come back later if you want.- Tony closed the files with a swirl of his hand and shook his head.

-Don't worry sugar, it's nothing that can't wait. I'm gonna grab a coffe in the meantime. Banner?- he squeezed gently your shoulder before heading to the door. The doctor shook his head, removing his glasses.

-I'm okay.- Tony nodded and closed the door after him. Bruce invited you to sit on a stool near him. You did and then took a deep breath. He was waiting, and also a little worried from the look you had on your face.

-Okay, first of all, I know that it's not your field and I actually came to you for medical advice so, uhm..if you're not comfortable- you started to ramble a bit, and that's when he placed his hand on yours. You looked up at him.

-Y/n, I am a doctor, but first, I'm your friend. Also, in the last years I dealt with many things that weren't exactly in my field, so there's a little left to surprise me.- he gave you a lopsided smile.

You bit your lip nervously. You weren't this shy and awkward usually, quite the opposite actually. You trusted Bruce with your life, but speaking with him about your sex life wasn't really on top of the list. Also you wore a sort of armor made of irony and cold minded decisions, but the truth is that when things came to a more personal level it made you uncomfortable. That's why you were going to leave Steve after your first night together in the first place. To try and protect yourself before others made you.

-Okay. Uhm.- you swallowed hard before talking. -I'm starting to wonder if there's, you know, something wrong with me.- he frowned.

-A little more specific, please.-

-I'm starting to think that I'm infertile.- you said just above to a whisper. Bruce remained quite surprised. He didn't really know what to expect, but he didn't expect that. His features softened and he concentrated, trying to remeber the few lessons that he attended in college.

-Oh. Okay, first of all, how are things between you and Steve?- he asked, knowing that you would understand what he meant.

-We are fine. We were using uhm.. condoms until a few months before the wedding, but since then we stopped. I made a few countings and it's a bit over than a year, circa.- he nodded, narrowing his eyes a little, thinking.

-Okay. And nothing happened? Like a false alarm, symptoms of some kind? Your periods are regualr?- you shook  your head.

-No, nothing happened, and that's actually the reason that I'm here. And no, I'm quite regualr, I suffer a lot the first cuple of days, but that's normal.- you shrugged. He nodded again.

-But, are you two actually trying to have a baby? Or it's just a doubt of yours?-

-Well, we did talk about kids a long time ago, and it's kinda why we stopped taking precautions, but no, we are not organized or nothing.-

-But you want to.- he says, more like a statement than a question. You bite your lip, realizing that you might cry.

-Yes.- you confess.

-Okay, listen Y/n. You're right, it's not exactly my field, but I can ask to a trusted person that I know for advice. I know already that we'll have to do at least a couple of ecographies, and It must be while you have your period.-

-It should arrive in a few days actually, next week maximum.- you say, looking at your hands in your lap. You were already feeling a little pain in your lower belly and you were hungry all the time, so it was quite certain.

-Alright. I'm gonna make a call, and then I'll tell you what we have to do.- you nod and raise from the stool.

-Thank you, Bruce.- you smiled a little, trying to hide your worry.

-Of course. If I can ask, does Steve know?- you feared that he would ask, but you shook your head anyways.

-No. I want to know first. It may be just a preoccupation of mine and I wouldn't want to upset him. Also, please, this stays between us.-

-Don't worry, this is safe with me.-

-

Bruce asked you to come in the infirmary five days after your conversation. You were in the first couple of days of your period, like he asked. You came down from your room to the lab and Friday let you in.

-Hi.- you saluted Bruce that turned from the ecography machine and smiled.

-Hey sweetheart. You okay?-

-Yeah, just feeling a little shitty. Usual pain.- you shrug.

-I'm sorry.- he said softly -Please open your hoodie, raise your shirt and unbutton your pants.- he asks calmly. You do as he says while he puts on latex gloves. You hop on the medical couch and wait, hands resting on your chest.

-Okay. So, I spoke to this old colleague which is a gynecologist. She told me that, like I said, we have do to two ecographies. The first at the beggining of the period, and the second at the end. Then I will send her the results, and if there's something else to do, we will. Or it may be that everything's fine and it will end there. At that point you should talk to Steve about an ovulation schedule, that  doesn't sound romantic at all- he chuckled a bit -But it could help.- he explained. You nodded, silently.

-For now let's stick to this. Sorry, the gel's a little cold.- you didn't really felt it when he applied it though. A trained spy sure isn’t scared off by some sold gelatine. He started to examin your lower belly, remaining silent. A few minutes later he cleaned the tool and put in his place.

-Here are some paper towels, clean up and you can dress up.- he palced his hand on your shoulder for a second. He had a calming effect, and you couldn't be more greatful for it.

You cleaned yourself from the gel and stood to button up your pants. He was writing something on the laptop, but then he directed to you his attention.

-You okay?- you nodded.

-Good. Well, that's it. We'll have another in...four days?- you responded with an okay, thanked him and went out.

While you were going towards the kitchen, you heard a few laughs and considered to turn your heels, not in the mood, but a voice stopped you.

-Hey doll, how you doin'?- Bucky jogged towards you smiling. He always called you that, for affection and also to piss Steve off, but you didn't mind at all. You loved Bucky.  You became fast friends in the moment you arrived. That's why as soon as he was less than a few feet away you started to cry. His smile dropped and his brows knitted in worry. He came to you and enclosed you in his arms. You face on his chest, sobbing.

-What happened? Sshh, honey. C'mon, let's go somewhere a little private.- He looked around and you both stepped in the elevator and he pressed the button for the private rooms floor.

You arrived and he lead you to your and Steve's shared room, you press your hand on the handle and it opens automatically, thanks to your fingerprints.

Bucky closes the door and you sit on the bed. You hold out a hand for him and he takes it. You both lay down on the bed while he hugs you.

-What's wrong honey? Uh?- he asks softly. Someone could say that it's not that normal for you to stay that close to him, being married to another man, but it wasn't the case. You considered Bucky like a big brother-best friend, he cared too much about Steve and you to even do something bad. He even cried like a baby the day of your wedding. You all teased him for months for it and he just said that pollen was making him lacrimate. But he actually told you that he was happy, and that no one more than you two deserved to be happy.

-I'm just a little stressed. Also, my belly fucking hurts. I need to cuddle but my husband's away on a mission. Again.- you sniffed, and snuggled closer to his chest, he tightened his grip a little.

-I'm sorry sweetheart.- he said. After a few seconds he tried to move, and your head snapped up.

-Where are you going?- he got out of the bed.

-I'm just going down to grab a few things, It'll be a minute.- he kissed your forhead and headed out.

You took a deep breath and took off your shoes, changing in your sweatpants and Steve’s sweater. Then you procedeed to take off your bra, ‘cause your boobs hurt like hell. You played a little with your phone, upset that you couldn't call Steve.

The rule on mission was that the one away should always call first, that means they have time to talk. He had been away for two days and it was expected to return in three days along with Nat, Tony, Wanda, Thor and Sam.

You just needed to cry. You've never been one of those cry babies, it came to you just when you were really really upset and angry. And now you just needed a break from all the thoughts in your head.

Bucky came back knocking a few minutes later. When you opened the door you saw his hands stuffed with things. He had brought choccolate, some water, latte, knowing that you prefer coffe over tea, a few aspirins and at least four or five movies. You smiled at him fondly and when he had finally put down all what he had brought, you jumped on him, hugging him tightly. He just chuckled and reciprocated the embrace.

-

You both go on the bed, surrounded by all the food that he brought, sipping your drinks. You had taken an aspirin right away, so now you were feeling a little better. You had decided to watch Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, but you weren't really paying attention to it. It was one of your favourite movies, you could basically play it by memory line for line, but right now you realized that you had to talk to someone or you would explode.

So you told Bucky about all the stress, the fact that Steve was often away, not by his choice, on missions, and that you missed him terribly. With a little of courage you even told him about your doubts and the exams with Bruce. He looked a little taken back by the reveal, and said that Steve never mentioned anything about trying to have a baby, but he said that he would accompany you to the next ecography. That's because you didn't want to tell Steve, even if he said that you should because he would want to know, but he didn't push you.

He was really understanding and sensitive about it. He told you that no matter what there wouldn't have been nothing wrong with you, and that anyway there are other options to have a baby. You cried a little more until you fell asleep on his chest.

End of part one. How is this so far? What do you think will happen? Could it be interesting? Please let me know. Even tho I sure hope y’all are bc I already have some more parts ready, but it’s not finished yet. 

Also, I’m REALLY trying not to write the reader too affectionate with Bucky, but it’s making me literally sweat. I just love him too much.

[whumpity--whump--whump]

Idk if you do continuations but if you do then can I get a continuation of the story where the villain rescues the hero's sidekick from years of abuse?? Love your stuff

I do now! Thanks so much! I had so much fun, I might make even more continuations to this!

https://whumpity--whump--whump.tumblr.com/post/189007378149/the-villain-cornering-the-weakest-and-crouching

When Villain wakes up, it takes him a bit to remember what on Earth he was doing. Why is he in bed with a sixteen year old, much less Sidekick, still in their supersuits? Before he fully remembers, he moves to push himself away from her, but she clings to him desperately, as if her world is ending. 

And then Villain remembers.

The scars, the bruises, the tears, the pure terror, the rules.

He remembers it all.

Most of all, he remembers just how much he hates Hero for what he did to Sidekick since she was merely ten years old. How much he wants to kill Hero in any way he can, because that's exactly what he deserves. Hero abused Sidekick for years. He went below, far below Villain. In all honesty, Villain is seeming a lot more heroic than Hero at the moment.

Villain settles back down on the bed, for Sidekick's sake. Does he want to kill Hero? Yes. But Sidekick needs him. Hero can wait. Villain feels like a father with a young child who came to sleep in his bed after a nightmare as he holds Sidekick. She snuggles up against his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his torso. Her breathing is deep and even, much better than it had been when Villain had drugged her. 

That is something that worries Villain. Sidekick didn't exactly come willingly. She was kidnapped and drugged by her lifelong enemy. And, based off when she explained why she was so hurt, it sounds an awful lot like she thinks Hero was in the right. She thinks she should be hurt so she can be "good." Would she panic because she isn't with Hero and Villain won't hurt her when she wakes up?

Speaking of which, Sidekick begins squirming in Villain's arms. Villain looks down to see what is the matter. Her eyes are squeezed shut and small whimpers make their way past her lips. "Sidekick? Wake up, Sidekick, it's just a bad dream," Villain says as he gently shakes her shoulder. 

Sidekick's eyes are immediately open. "S-Sorry, Sir, sorry! I didn't try to w-wake you up, I s-swear!"

"Hey, hey, you're doing just fine, Sidekick, shh, it's okay." Villain gently rubs her shoulders. "You didn't wake me up, Sidekick. I was already awake."

"S-Sorry I kept you waiting, Sir."

"Shh, ya don't need to apologize. Ya did nothin' wrong."

"Th-thank you for your m-mercy, Sir," Sidekick whispers gratefully.

"Don't mention it. You're with me now, remember, and I'm not like Hero. You'll be safe, and no one will hurt you ever again."

"H-How will I be good then?"

Villain tenses, warding off his anger at Hero. 'Sidekick doesn't know any better, I've gotta be patient with her.' But it is too late. His tenseness didn't go unnoticed.

"I, I, I'm sorry, S-Sir. I dunno w-what I said, but I won' say it a-again." Tears cloud her eyes and she starts shaking. "Please, please make me good again, Sir. Please fix me, Sir."

"Hey, it's alright, Sidekick, it's alright. But remember what we talked about? Ya don't have to be good, Sidekick. Ya can just be, well, you. I'm not gonna hurt you ever, Sidekick. Ya don't have to be trained and punished and good. I just wanna help ya."

"I can be good without punishment?" Sidekick sounds genuinely confused. "How does that work?"

'Okay, so she still thinks she needs to be "good," but that's okay, she needs time. We can take baby steps. We can start with not having to be punished to be "good." And slowly change the definition of "good" until she gets a little bit better. ' "Oh, yes, certainly. Punishment is cruel and inhumane. And, well, anyone that uses punishment isn't good. Like Hero. He isn't good. He's been very, very bad. He shouldn't be talking about being good if he's as bad as he is."

"H-Hero? He's b-bad?"

"Definitely."

"But he said that y-you and me are, are really, really b-bad! And that he wants to m-make me g-good."

"All Hero is a conniving, manipulative piece of crap who claims to be all high and mighty and perfect when he spends his nights hurting you. But he'll never touch you again."

"If Hero is bad, c-c-can you make me good?"

Villain sighs. He knows that Sidekick wants this, and he needs to take baby steps, but this is still incredibly hard. Pretending to be Sidekick's "teacher," promising to make her "good." "Sure. But you're already so good."

"But didn't Hero make me b-b-bad?"

Sidekick looks up at Villain worriedly, so terrified that she's "bad." It seems that Sidekick is more loyal to "being good" than to Hero. And now that she's been told Hero is bad, she desperately wants to be "made good" by someone else. So gullible, so vulnerable. Villain makes a mental note to always be honest with her, because she will take his word, no matter what. And to protect her from everyone else that might try and take advantage of her. "No, no, no. Hero could never make you bad. You were never bad. But he wanted to use you, so he made sure you'd be confused. All of his rules are meant to confuse you, not to make you bad, not to make you good."

"Will you help me not be confused?"

"Of course I will, Sidekick. But, right now, I bet you're hungry."

"I c-can eat?"

"What did Hero say about food?"

"C-Can't have without per-permission."

"When did you last eat?"

Sidekick pauses as she tries to remember. "I, uh, I think it was last week?"

"That's no good at all."

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'll eat more often! Or do you want me to eat less often? Whatever you say, I'll do it!"

"Hey, hey, I'm not mad at you, Sidekick, I'm mad at Hero. It's really bad to not let people eat. You're so, so good, Sidekick. It's Hero that's bad. This is something he's confused you about."

"When should I eat then?"

"Ya need at least three proper meals every day. Everyone does. Not to be good, ya need that to be healthy."

"So much food…. Are you sure you can pay for that much for me?"

"Don't ya worry about money. We'll manage."

"S-Sure?"

"Seriously, don't worry about it, Sidekick. I'm not gonna let ya starve. How about we go eat something now? Ya must be hungry if it's been a week since you ate."

Villain helps Sidekick out of bed. Her legs shake a little, a symptom of her lack of nutrients, and Villain snakes an arm around her waist in order to keep her steady. Sidekick leans against Villain's chest, fingers curled in his shirt, head resting on his shoulder. After a few steps, Sidekick's knees go out from underneath her. Villain easily catches and carries the too light body of Sidekick out of the room, down a flight of stairs, and into the kitchen. Sidekick weakly holds on to him, muttering apologies for making Villain carry her, and Villain is quick to tell her she's being good and doing nothing wrong.

Villain sets Sidekick down in the breakfast nook and makes sure she's comfortable before he goes off to cook her some food. Needing something simple and fast to make, Villain cooks his guest and himself pancakes and fried eggs. Once they are done, Villain grabs some dishes to put the food on. A plate for Sidekick, a plate for himself, and a plate for the food that doesn't fit on their plates. Villain brings the plates, two forks, maple syrup, and ketchup with him back to Sidekick in the breakfast nook.

Sidekick looks at the food in awe. "You made all of this, for me?"

"Well, we're sharing, but I'm not too hungry, so most of it is for you. And, if we need to, I can cook more."

"You're eating too? With me?"

"Yeah. Lemme guess. Hero didn't."

"Only on important days, like Christmas or birthdays. B-Because I was b-b-bad an' didn' deserve t' eat the same food as him, at the same time and place."

"Hero is the worst, isn't he? If you want, I'd love to eat with ya whenever I can."

"R-Really? You want to do that?"

Villain shrugs. "Of course I do. I wanna spend time with ya."

"Even though I'm bad? Wait. No, I'm not bad. You told me I'm good."

"So very, very good."

"And Hero's bad."

"Extremely."

Sidekick smiles excitedly. "I'm good! I really am good!"

Villain smiles back. "Yes, yes you are. You're so good. So extremely good."

Sidekick throws herself into Villain's arms, catching him off guard. "Thank you for helping me not be confused. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She snuggles into his chest, hugging him tightly, lips drawn into a smile, a couple tears of joy on her cheeks. Villain lightly massages her back as he hugs her, smiling himself. 'Today is a good step to Sidekick's recovery. If I can keep this up, she'll recover soon.'

[rogerina-deacon]

Could you write hcs of how the boys from Queen would react to your scars? I'm feeling real bad rn and idk.. you don't have to, obviously, but if you do, thanks!

A/N: So I’m not completely sure what type of scars you mean, but given some context clues I’m going to guess self harm scars? If not, let me know and I’ll rewrite this (don’t pay attention to requests being closed for this, if this isn’t what you wanted I’d be more than happy to redo it for you). Also, if anyone reading this is struggling with depression, self-harm, or any unpleasant thoughts along those lines, please seek some form of help and treatment. If you need someone to talk to and relate to, I’m here. I’m not a proper therapist, but I’ve been in therapy for years and am a good listener. But of course, if you can, seek help from a therapist. They can do a much better job than I can.

WARNING: MENTIONS OF SELF HARM

Brian (Three years clean)

When Brian found out you used to harm yourself, it felt like his heart sank into his stomach

His eyes softened and welled as he took your hands in his, moving them to show your inner forearms

“Love, I can’t see them” he noted, squinting to see anything

“It’s been years and they were never that deep, but you can faintly see them if I point them out” You said, and he released your hands as you brought your right index finger to your left wrist and pointed to one

“This was my first, oldest yet most noticeable” You said, pointing out a pale line two inches down from the bottom of your hand

“Holy shit, I can see it… Y/N, love, why did you do this?” He asked, almost pleading as he brushed his calloused thumb over the faded scar, a lone tear escaping his eyes

“Brian, don’t worry about that, it’s all behind me, and I don’t really want to rehash that. I just… figured you should know this part of it, I guess”

“So you don’t want to do this?” He asked, wondering if he needed to be worried about you more than he already was

“No, oh God no! Brian, I’m pretty much over what happened to me. I’ve got coping mechanisms now that work, and my meds control the depression when I do have it. Trust me, babe, I’m fine.” You assured him, making sure he knew that you were doing much better than you were when you created those scars

“Okay, love. But you can talk to me about anything, okay? I am always here for you. Always.” He said, now holding your hands again and lightly shaking them for emphasis

“I know, Bri. Thank you.” You said, nodding your head as it hung, your forehead resting against his

“Any time. I love you.” He said, moving his head to an angle where his lips could reach yours to connect them in a sweet kiss

“I love you too” You replied once he pulled away, and he led you to the couch where you two spent the rest of the day cuddled up together

John (Six months clean, thoughts of relapsing)

When you and John met, it was autumn, so you had an excuse to constantly wear a hoodie

He figured you just got cold easily and never pushed it, and that whenever he tried to take things further and you wouldn’t take it off, he thought you just weren’t ready

And he never brought it up, wanting you to not feel pressured

But months passed, and it was the warmest day yet and there was no way you could survive the day in long sleeves, especially when he had planned a picnic in the park to celebrate the weather

So you figured it was best to tell him that day, and so you invited him inside your flat when he picked you up so you weren’t springing it on him in public

Especially since you were having some thoughts you haven’t had in a while and were planning on asking him for help, and you didn’t exactly want to cry in the park

You were wearing your hoodie, of course, and John was a bit confused, especially since your AC hadn’t been put in yet

“Dear, why are you wearing your hoodie inside?” He said, slightly chuckling as you led him to the couch

“Um, well I don’t normally, but I, uh, I need to tell you something.” You said, and he was concerned right away

“What is it? Have I done something wrong?” He asked, worried he had fucked things up with you

“No, no, John you haven’t done anything wrong. But, um, I did a while ago…” You trailed off, and he seemed confused about this but watched as you peeled off the cotton hoodie, slowly revealing the scars littering your arms

His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief, almost studying them as he looked at the reddened skin, some smooth, others the slightest bit scabbed over as they healed all these months later

“Wait, did you- did you do this to yourself?” He asked, his hand reaching out tentatively, wondering if he could touch them

Nodding, you gave him the okay to brush his fingers along your skin before responding

“Yeah, I um, I was in a really dark place, and this was my way to cope. I haven’t done it in half a year but…”

“But? But what, Y/N?” He asked, noticing the way your eyes seemed distant as you pondered what to say next

“But, um, I’ve been having some thoughts, and I’m kind of scared, John. I feel like I might relapse and I’m scared that I will, that I’ll fuck up six months of progress, that I’ll-” You rambled, but he cut you off, pulling you close into a tight hug, a few tears falling from your eyes and onto John’s t-shirt as he rubbed your back and soothed you

“You won’t. Not with me here to help you. Not with my love and support, not with the love and support of the guys. But if you do, that’s okay. Recovery isn’t perfect. But I will always be here, love, okay?” He said, and you nodded, sniffling a bit as he wiped away the tears from your cheeks

“Now, are you ready for that picnic?” He asked, and you chuckled as you got up with him and made your way to his car, without your hoodie.

Roger (Eight years clean)

“C’mon, love, we’re gonna be late!” He called to you in the bathroom from the bedroom

You were currently sat on the toilet just staring at your arm, squinting as you looked at the just barely present scars

“Love, what’re you doing-” he started, entering the bathroom

“What’s so special about that arm that you have to stare at it while you use the toilet?” He teased, walking closer before crouching next to you

“Oh, nothing, just let me wash my hands and we can go.” You said, rushing to stand up and pull up your underwear

“What’s going on? Why are you acting so strange?’ He asked, moving to stand behind you at the sink, his hands trailing down your arms from your shoulders, trying to gently move your forearms so he could see what was so interesting

“I don’t see anything, love. Have you finally gone mad?” He joked, smiling at you in the mirror

“Rog, don’t joke about that.” You warned, and his face turned into that of a confused puppy

“What’s going on with you?” He asked, and that was the straw that broke the camels back for you

“What’s going on is that I’m not a fan of when people use ableist slurs in their jokes, okay.”

“Ableist… what? Love all I’m saying is I don’t get why you were staring at your arm, no need to-”

“Rog, I have depression. You know this. ‘Mad’ is a term used against people with mental illness. I don’t like when it’s treated lightly.” You explained, though you were still all over the place to him.

“I don’t get how this explains your arm-”

“I used to cut myself, Roger.” You said, face blank and tone cold, your words shocking your fiancee into a state of shock

“Y-you, you what? Why did I never know this?” He asked, stepping towards you

“Because it’s a part of my past I’m not proud of. I did it, but I don’t like that I did it. I’ve been trying to suppress it, but I could still see the scars on my arm so I guess I just froze.” You explained, plopping down onto the bed with a huff

Roger just did the same, laying next to you at the edge with his legs hanging off the edge

“You know I love you, right?” He said, and you just dryly chuckled, taking his hand

“I do, Rog.”

“And you know I’d never intentionally say something to upset you, right?”

“I know, Rog.” You said, squeezing his hand in emphasis

“Wanna spend the night at home?” He suggested, his thumb reassuringly brushing your hand

“What about Freddie’s party? You know he’ll throw a fit next time he sees you if you don’t show tonight.”

“Well screw him, I want to spend the night alone with my girl and he’s just gonna have to deal with him. Besides, it’s been awhile since he’s been mad at me for something besides my drumming, so I guess I’m due for it.” He said, the two of you laughing as he pulled you into his side, your leg throwing itself over his waist to get as close as possible

But he soon adjusted to to lay at the top of the bed and dragged you with him, the two of you not caring to change out of your party clothes and opting to just cuddle and fall asleep like that.

Freddie (platonic) (Struggling to get clean)

Keeping secrets from best friends is always hard, but it’s even harder when your best friend is so good at reading people you’d think he’s a mind reader

He could tell your mood as soon as he saw you, so of course you couldn’t hide your depression

But luckily no matter what you wore he couldn’t see the scars on your upper thighs, all your jeans, dresses and skirts covering them

Until one day he wanted to catch his friends in candid moments with his new camera, and decided he wanted to give you a Marilyn Monroe moment, turning a fan on that made your skirt fly unexpectedly, giving Freddie the perfect view of fresh cuts from the night before

“Darling, where did you get those?” He asked, putting the camera down

“Oh, um, you know how my cats get-”

“Cats aren’t that persistent, dear, nor are their claws that wide. Now, care to tell me the truth?” He asked, sounding like a disappointed mother who just smelled booze on her child’s breath.

“I, um, well-” You started, not sure how to tell him

“I know you did this to yourself, though to be honest I din’t know why.” He said, alleviating some pressure from you

“I guess I just feel like I deserve it…” you said, looking down

“No one deserves that, and you know it. Only the most horrendous people do, like rapists and murderers, and you are neither, my dear.”

“I know, I just-”

“No need to explain, I understand that your depression gets the best of you. But now that I know how shitty it makes you treat yourself I’m gonna keep an eye on you. Every day, you’ll show me your thighs, and I’ll-”

“Fred, that’s not necessary-”

“Y/N, you are cutting yourself, it’s necessary. Why don’t you come live with me? That way I can-”

“I don’t need that, Freddie! I don’t need you hounding me and guilting me into stopping! What I do need, though, is your help and support in getting clean. Can you do that?” You asked, taking his hand

“Of course I can, darling. I just worry, you know. I don’t want to get a call from some hospital and think I didn’t do everything I could.” He said, tears ready to fall from his eyes

“You won’t, Freddie.” You assured, tears ready to fall from your eyes as well

“Now, I think I have another idea for a candid photo of you. Just, stay there.”

“Freddie, don’t-” You said, but it but then he already had the camera up to his face and was adjusting the exposure before taking the picture

The shot he had gotten was of you, sitting on the couch, hand up blocking your face, skirt of your dress pulled up, revealing you scars

“I think I might have an eye for edgy photography, love” He announced before going back to the couch to sit with you, where you just sat and talked for the rest of the day.

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[boyfriend-kisser]

“Stark’s Shadow” Fanfic/Oneshot/Headcanon thing I wrote?

Characters: Tony Stark and a daughter character I made up ‘cause Morgan didn’t exist yet. JARVIS is also there.

Summary: Tony Stark and his daughter Avery have the dream father-daughter relationship. After starting early at MIT, just like her father, Tony notices that something seems wrong with Avery, and the answer surprises him a little. Avery’s birthday’s in a few days, so Tony decides to show her present early to cheer her up.

Warnings: Nothing super intense - there’s a bit of angst. Mentions of Tony being promiscuous in the past.

Important notes about this Marvel AU I have in my brain: - IW/Endgame haven’t and won’t happen.  - Pepper and Tony got together, but not for a very long time. Pepper left Tony completely shortly after the events of Ironman 3 - Tony didn’t destroy his Iron legion nor did he have his arc reactor heart removed - I made up something called the “New Avengers” project just for the hell of it but I feel like it’s explained well enough

Author’s Note: Idk this was just an idea dump that I kinda fell in love with so I hope you guys enjoy? Lmk if you want me to write more? Feedback’s appreciated? ALSO - I WROTE THIS BEFORE ENDGAME HIT. THAT’S WHY I DIDN’T JUST USE AN OLDER VERSION OF MORGAN OR WHATEVER. I WROTE THIS TO HELP MYSELF SUFFER THROUGH THE EVENTS OF INFINITY WAR AND I’Ve evidently picked it up again to help myself through Endgame so enjoy?

Tony sat in his living room, tinkering with a new, prototype helmet as he waited for the door to open. The house was quiet, nothing but the sound of the fountain in the entrance hall, metallic clicks and clangs from the project Tony was working on, and the constant quiet whirring of the thousands of machines in the Stark building was to be heard. Soon enough, Tony heard a new sound, a modern doorbell and JARVIS’s voice alerting him that his daughter had arrived home, just on time. Tony stood up with a huge smile, and went into the entrance hall, welcoming his child home with a small “Hey, kid.”

Avery glanced up at her father and gave him a small smile. Still, Tony noticed that her green eyes were missing their normal sparkle, and her usually confident stride was replaced with that of a heartbroken child.

“Hey, dad,” she replied in a voice near silence, before trying to casually trudge away. Tony stopped her by quickly stepping into her path and putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Wait, what’s up?” he asked in a calmer tone, suddenly worried for his young prodigy. He knelt down as to look up into her eyes. Avery took a long breath in, and was silent for a second, before grinning and shrugging.

“Nothing, dad. I’m tired is all – first month at MIT is way different from what I’m used to, y’know?” she laughed.

Tony knew his daughter was lying, but he still gave her shoulder a squeeze and smiled back, saying “You worried me there for a second, thought you were about to tell me it’s too easy for you... Or that you miss my lectures.”

“It’s not too easy,” Avery said, blushing embarrassedly and wiping her dad’s hand from her shoulder, “and I’m having a great time in real lectures with other... People.”

Tony laughed and stood up, “It’s okay to admit it, it was easy for me too.”

She seemed to falter for a minute, and looked like she was about to say something but stopped. She shook it off and gave him one last grin before starting back off to her room.

“I’ll be working so if you need me, just let JARVIS know!” Tony called as he went toward the stairs down to his lab, picking up the helmet he’d been working on on his way down.

Once he got down there, he collapsed into one of his seats. Something was VERY wrong with Avery, and for once – Tony didn’t know how to fix it. He looked at a series of pictures on his desk – one was from last year, a thirteen-year-old Avery wearing a party hat posing with the Avengers (also wearing party hats on top of their costumes) and a poster in the background with the words “HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVERY!” written across it in huge letters. Beside it was a picture of Tony and his daughter dancing at one of the many red carpet events they went to together. She was only ten and standing on her dad’s feet as they danced among all the adults. Another photo showed a seven-year-old Avery wearing an extremely oversized Iron-man helmet while sitting on Tony’s shoulders, Tony being in a full Iron-man suit, save the helmet. The final photo was of him holding his newborn baby with none other than Pepper Potts holding the child’s hand. Pepper had left when Avery was incredibly young, and Tony had been left to raise his daughter alone. Avery was the only girl in his life – and Tony discovered that that’s all he really needed. The pair were inseparable. Recently, however, Avery’s been different. She’s been more distant ever since she started her early scholarship at MIT. Tony had just been assuming it was a boy and that she’d tell him when she was ready, but he’d been getting more and more unsure as days turned to weeks. What had happened?

He slammed the photo of Pepper's face down on the table as JARVIS’s voice cut through his reminiscing.

“Sorry sir, but Avery’s having something of a breakdown – one to rival even your worst moments. Most of the smashing has calmed down, but the crying has not subsided no matter how much consolation I offer – she has also requested that I not tell you any of this, but I feel that you’re the only one who can fix her emotional state.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “What makes you think that?”

“Well, bec-” JARVIS started, but Tony was already standing up.

“Save it. Just give us some privacy for a second, would you?”

JARVIS fell silent, and Tony began the slow walk upstairs to his daughter’s room.

Tony stood outside of Avery’s door and took a deep breath before knocking.

“Avery?” he asked. There was no response.

He slowly opened the door to see Avery laying on her bed facing the ceiling, with one hand draped across her waist and the other by her side. She took no notice of her dad. School supplies and various other items lay scattered and broken around the room. Tony carefully stepped over everything and gently lay down beside his daughter, facing the ceiling with his hands clasped together over his waist. Avery made no objection.

The pair lay in silence for a while, before Tony sighed.

“What’s his name?” he asked, turning his head to look at Avery. Avery continued to stare at the ceiling, but Tony saw a puzzled look cross her face.

“Whose name?” she murmured.

“The boy,” Tony replied.

“Which boy?”

Tony sighed again, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyes as he tried to think of the best way to approach this. He accidentally whispered his private thoughts aloud, saying:

“This was meant to be Pepper’s job.”

“Well Pepper isn’t here,” Avery shot back, bitterly.

“That’s MOM to you,” Tony responded sharply without thinking, before quickly relaxing again.

“That’s Miss Potts to you.”

Tony was quiet for a second, before trying again.

“Look, just tell me which boy is giving you trouble – I want to help you, you know I do but-”

“Anthony,” Avery suddenly said, “his name’s Anthony. Anthony Stark.”

Tony was taken aback.

“You’re mad at me?” he asked, quietly. Avery sat up and hugged her knees into her chest, Tony rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow. His daughter still refused to make eye contact with him, but he didn’t look away from her.

“I don’t know,” she started, “I’m not MAD I’m just... tired. I’m smart, I know I am, but it’s getting harder and harder to fill your shoes, dad,” Avery finally confided. She threw her hands in the air and slumped back down to her original position.

“Everywhere I go on campus, there’ll be a plaque or a trophy or an awards board with your name or picture on it! Everybody holds even higher expectations from me because I’m YOUR daughter. Hell, half of the teachers there remember when you were their student and the other half were students that you banged back when you were there and now they’re PROFESSORS! And if that’s not the case, they WANT to be someone who was in that position. Even some of the students in my class have huge crushes on you.”

“Ew,” Tony murmured.

“I know,” Avery said, looking across at her dad for the first time since he came in, “and now I’m questioning my own abilities! Like, if I can’t be just as good as you then I feel like everyone will judge me and I’ll be a huge failure and you’ll... and... and...”

Avery curled up in a ball again without bothering to sit up, and Tony knew she was about to cry.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” he began, putting his free arm around the girl, “I get that you’re probably feeling the pressure, and I’m sorry you had to grow up more or less in my shadow. And I’m sorry that it seems like everyone only knows you through me. I know that it’s scary enough having to get into college before you’re even sixteen, and having everyone be so much older than you and dumber than you is probably tough, but you have to remember that you’re one of the smartest people I know, and in no time at all, you’ll probably surpass even the likes of me.”

“You’re my daughter, Avery. Not only that, you’re my best friend. I want you to know that...” Tony picked his next words very carefully. The words that he’d never heard from his own father.

“I’m proud of you, Avery. I’m so proud to be Tony Stark, father of Avery Stark. I love you so much, and I know you’re going to do great things. So great that one day I’ll be a footnote in your successes. First, you just need to get through this, and you’ll be on your way.”

Avery was sobbing at this point. She let go of her knees and wrapped her arms around her dad, burying her face in his chest and resting her head against the softly glowing arc reactor. Tony hugged her tightly with one arm, before slowly laying himself down properly and wrapping his other arm around the small girl as well. Memories flooded back of all the times she’d cried over the years and Tony would have to hold her till she felt better. Memories of him coming back after fighting and her clinging to him like she hadn’t seen him for years. He took a deep breath and let his eyes close, drowning himself in those memories. He thought back to when Pepper had first left and he was alone with a tiny Avery, her childish innocence and happiness contrasting to his immeasurable pain. Her obliviousness to their situation had helped Tony pull himself back together and become the father she needed. He tightened his grip, fragments of memories of him soothing her nightmares, her laughing and giggling and lighting up even his worst days played through his mind. He was so grateful for her. She meant the entire world to him and more. 

Slowly but surely, she was calming down. Sure, she still hiding her face in his chest, but he could tell.

“Hey, you want to go for a trip?” Tony asked quietly after Avery’s sobs had turned to sniffles.

“Wh-where?” Avery asked, looking up at her dad with tear-stained eyes.

Tony bit his lip, before gently unravelling himself from the hug and standing up.

“Flying,” he said, nonchalantly.

“But, isn’t 48 damaged?” Avery muttered, confused.

Because Tony’s newest suit, mark XLVIII, was made of nanobot technology, it was the only suit he had that could fit Avery due to her height and figure. Normally when they went out, he’d use an older suit and let her use Bleeding Edge – but today he had a better plan. Instead of making more nanobots for his broken armour, he’d been busy setting up something else.

Tony bit his lip before grinning excitedly

“I’ve got to show you something,” he said, holding his hand out to Avery. Avery sat up on the bed and swung her legs over the edge. She looked at her dad’s outstretched hand, then at him, and snorted. She lightly bat his hand away. And he quickly straightened his jacket, clearing his throat.

“That’s not the first time I’ve been horribly rejected by a woman,” he said, looking away and pretending to sniffle. Avery rolled her eyes and stood up.

“What do you want to show me?” she asked slyly.

“It’s in the lab,” Tony said. Avery nodded, before bolting to the door.

“LAST ONE TO THE LAB IS DOCTOR STRANGE!” she laughed.

Tony immediately chased her out of the room and down the hall, but he was no match for her, as she’d already hit the staircase before he had even made it to the living room.

“JARVIS! STOP AVERY FROM GETTING INTO THE LAB BEFORE ME!” he yelled, loud enough for Avery to hear.

“Certainly, sir,” JARVIS replied, and almost immediately, Tony heard Avery screaming. He laughed as he slowed to a walk, and as he got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw his Mark XLVI suit of armour, hovering above the ground.

“Sorry, kid. It’s called parenting,” he grinned at the armour.

“Screw you, dad. You just didn’t want to be Doctor Stephen,” came Avery’s voice from inside, “also, you’ve really got to clean this suit. It smells like blood, sweat, tears and piss.”

“Guess what it’s full of, kid. And hey – language.”

Tony knocked on the chest and the suit opened up, a slightly startled Avery fell out, but Tony caught her, and set her down.

“That’s disgusting, Uncle Steve.” Avery rolled her eyes at her dad, who snorted.

The suit dropped to the ground and walked itself back into its display case, where it powered down.

"Look at you, not letting Cap forget dumb things he said that you didn't even witness. You really are my daughter," Tony murmured.

"Judging by your history, I'd be less surprised to find out Pepper Potts isn't my mother," Avery shot back with a small smile, “you got around so much that I’m sure the laws of biology could’ve been broken.”

"Hey," Tony began, trying to hide his smile as he held up a disapproving finger, "first of all, your mother is absolutely Pepper Potts. I witnessed your birth in horrible detail. Besides, nobody else would be crazy enough to insist your second name be 'Justice.' Second of all, you know nothing about my past. At all. Too young. I'll tell you when you're 45."

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. That was your self-officiated title, wasn't it?" Avery said, dragging out the word 'playboy'.

Tony cleared his throat, dropped his hands to his sides and stared his daughter in the eye for a moment. She stared back with an evil smirk.

"You know far too much," Tony said, straightening his suit jacket again and shaking his head. Avery simply giggled. Tony quickly moved and stood behind Avery, covering her eyes. She groaned annoyedly.

“Really, dad?”

“It’s a surprise, honey. Relax.”

Tony lead his daughter into the lab, and noticed that the “surprise” wasn’t assembled. He let out a sharp whistle.

“JARVIS, please could you assemble the uh, birthday present?” he muttered.

“But sir, Avery’s birthday isn’t for another two days.”

“A birthday present?” Avery murmured.

“Just assemble it, bud,” Tony said to the AI, ignoring Avery’s confusion.

All Avery heard was whirring, whooshing, clicking and clanging.

“You ready?” Tony asked Avery, bending down so he could whisper it in her ear.

“You know I am,” she responded eagerly.

“Happy birthday,” Tony said, moving his hands. Avery clasped her hand over her mouth and gasped. Tears sprung to her eyes as she moved toward the Iron suit in front of her.

It was an exact replica of her father’s Mark XLVIII, but smaller and more feminine.

“It’s the newest nanobot tech, even better than mine – for now. I’ve called it the AVS-I,” Tony smiled as his daughter examined the suit, “stands for Avery Stark – of course.”

Avery was stunned. Never did she think she’d be a REAL part of this aspect of her dad’s life, though she’d always wanted to be.

She tore her eyes away from the armour to look back at her father, who was beaming at her. She wiped a few happy tears and ran at Tony, jumping on him, throwing her arms around his neck and holding on tightly. Tony stumbled a little, but managed to keep his balance as he held his little girl close.

“Thank you so much, dad,” she whispered.

“You’re getting a little bit big for this, you know that?” he murmured, but truthfully he didn’t mind. He laughed as she gripped him tighter. Slowly, he put her back down, Avery’s grip loosened, but something was wrong, so Tony continued to hold her close by the shoulders, looking into her eyes as she stared at the ground looking puzzled for a moment.

“Wait, but what about Riri?” Avery asked, looking back up at her dad.

“Who?” Tony asked, confused. He let go of his daughter and looked around his lab as if it’d give him a hint.

“Riri Williams, sir,” JARVIS cut in, “a brilliant seventeen-year-old girl who was enlisted in the Ironheart program three years ago.”

“Oh, she’s been fired. She failed her final test,” Tony said dismissively, looking back at the armour.

“What’s the Ironheart project? And what was the final test?” Avery asked, shoving her hands in her hoodie pockets and turning her attention back to the armour as well.

“The Ironheart program was SHIELD’s idea,” Tony began, gazing at the suit, “a subdivision of a ‘New Avengers’ project. A type of “gifted youths” thing. Taking kids with abnormal abilities and sort of testing their skills to see if they should take SHIELD classes. Riri Williams, fifteen at the time, was above average brilliant. She was enlisted in my subdivision of the program where I’d test her mental capacities to see how good of a mechanic, engineer and scientist she was. She was incredible, true, but she failed to recreate a full suit of functioning Iron-man armour. Plus, she failed in the fact that I didn’t like her much.”

Avery nodded, “I always thought she was meant to be a replacement for me.”

Tony’s gaze didn’t shift from the armour, but he put an arm around her shoulders.

“Never. I didn’t want to use you because I didn’t want you to be in danger.”

Avery looked up at her dad for a second, before looking back at the armour and leaning her head against him.

“I love it,” she whispered, “thank you so much.”

Tony spent a moment in comfortable silence with his daughter. He could tell how happy she was with the gift, and that made him smile.

“Try it on, I want to make sure it doesn’t implode on the wearer,” he grinned, tapping her on the back and nodding towards the armour. Avery smiled widely at him before moving towards the armour.

“JARVIS, enable embarrassing parent mode,” Tony said nonchalantly. Avery shot him a passive-aggressive grin and he simply waved back.

“Cameras are recording, sir,” JARVIS responded immediately.

Avery gingerly touched the armour, before looking back at her dad. He motioned for her to go on, before tapping the centre of his own arc reactor. Avery nodded, took two fingers and double-tapped the dark arc reactor in the centre of the suit. It immediately began to glow and the suit began to dematerialise until only the back half remained. Grinning widely, Avery got into position before stepping backwards into the armour. The nanobots began re-materialising around her, and soon enough she was covered head to toe in her own armour.

The helmet clamped shut over her face and the eyes glowed blue as Avery squealed. Tony felt himself beaming – he was so proud. Avery looked down at her hands, clenched them into fists, twisted them about. Then her feet, she stomped around a little, jumped up and down. She slammed her hands down on her stomach and chest and ran her hands down her shoulders and arms.

She looked up at her dad.

“This is SO cool,” she said – her voice sounded slightly digitalised as it came out.

“Oh, by the way,” Tony began, looking at his nails with a smirk as Avery gazed up at him, curious, “did I mention you can change the colours?”

Avery let out another squeal which quickly turned to laughter.

Tony was looking forward to their first flight.

[inkjackets]

Epilogue

I wrote an epilogue for A Matter of Ace-ceptance!

So I originally I didn't plan on doing a little epilogue type thing, however as soon as @freedom-shamrock​ mentioned it, ideas started popping in my head. And to be honest, I wasn't even going to write out those ideas, but idk, for some reason inspiration hit me these last few weeks and I was like, you know what? I'm gonna write this thing!

So... yeah, they say you shouldn't fix what's broken, and I'm a little hesitant about putting this epilogue up cause I'm kinda proud of how the last chapter turned out, and I'm worried this epilogue won't live up to the rest of the story, but I've written it now and it seemed a shame not to share it with you guys :)

Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5

It’s also on AO3 if you’d rather read it there.

~TWO MONTHS LATER~

Adrien stood with his back straight, hands clenched by his side, and head held high. It was taking everything in him not to cower and fidget; something which was only getting harder with every second his father remained silent and bent over his desk.

Adrien clenched his jaw as he watched the words he had uttered but moments prior dance around the sunlit room. He felt nausea swirl in his gut. It was impossible to snatch those words back now. He could only stand there, helpless, as they taunted him.

Originally, Adrien hadn’t planned on coming out to his father. However these last few months with Marinette had made him feel more confident in himself than he’d ever been before. He had been comfortable in his skin for the first time in a long time, and he had realised that he shouldn’t, no… he didn’t want to hide who he was. 

Adrien winced as his father scratched out a potential design with an angry red line.

That realisation didn’t make this any easier though.

Adrien grimaced. All he wanted was to grab those words back and hide them away in the safety of his room, somewhere his father would never find them.

Adrien slowly angled one foot towards the door…

No! Adrien drew his feet back together and lifted his head higher. 

He refused to be intimidated by his father’s power games. 

The silence stretched out painfully.

Adrien swallowed. The scratching of his father’s pen might as well have been scratching on his brain it was so grating.

Finally, Gabriel capped the pen and placed it neatly next to his workbook. He then reached for a pencil and starting sketching potential amendments in the designs.

“Asexual,” he said slowly, without looking up.

Adrien’s posture tautened and his heart leapt in his throat. 

“Am I right in saying that that’s the orientation that lacks sexual attraction?” Gabriel asked while still sketching in his pad.

Adrien swallowed, “Y-Yes, it is.” He internally cursed at how weak his voice sounded.

The deafening silence enveloped the room once more, only broken by the soft scratchings of his father's pencil on the paper.

The blood pounded in Adrien’s ears.

“Then there’s no chance of you ruining the Agreste name with any sort of sex scandal?” Gabriel spoke clearly and precisely.

Adrien blinked. “N-No,” he stuttered, “Of c-course not.”

Only then did Gabriel pause in his work to lift his head and meet Adrien’s eyes. Adrien’s breath stuck in his throat, but he met his father’s gaze and held it steady.

“Very good,” Gabriel nodded before turning back to his work. 

Adrien exhaled and almost collapsed to the floor with giddy relief, but Nathalie’s hand on his shoulder steadied him and steered him from the room.

Adrien’s features were creased in a slight frown as he ambled along the Seine in the late morning sunshine. A slight squeeze of his hand pulled him out of his mind and he looked down to see a pair of warm bluebell eyes gazing up at him in concern.

Adrien smiled. Those eyes never failed to lift his spirits. 

Adrien let go of Marinette’s hand and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. She in turn wrapped her arm around his waist and they walked along together in a comfortable silence.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Marinette spoke softly after a while.

Adrien’s smile slipped. He thought back.

“I don’t think there’s really anything to talk about,” he said truthfully. “While Father didn’t seem overly enthusiastic at the idea of me being asexual…” Adrien hesitated before lifting his mouth into the barest of smiles, “he accepted it.” He turned his gaze to the glistening water of the Seine. “And I think that’s all I can expect of him,” he said softly.

Marinette squeezed him gently, “If you’re sure.”

Adrien closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as a fresh morning breeze washed over both of them. Adrien relaxed and let his features loosen into a tender smile.

“Yes, I am sure,” he said, opening his eyes. He was pleased to feel the truth of those words reverberate through him. “My father accepts me and I’m happy with that.”

He looked at Marinette. Her eyes reflected the dancing of the water and her freckles were dark from the sunshine. He leant over and kissed the top of her head. Her hair was hot from the heat of the sun, and she smelled of warmth and fresh bread. 

“And it’s all thanks to you,” he murmured.

Marinette flushed, “I didn’t do anything, I wasn’t even in the room with you.”

“No, but knowing you were just outside was enough.”

Marinette met his loving gaze before kissing him on the cheek. 

“Come on,” she said, releasing their hug and grabbing his hand instead, “We deserve some pastries!” She giggled and pulled him into a run. Adrien grinned, her enthusiasm infectious, as they dashed up the stairs to the main road. Marinette smiled deviously back at him before releasing his hand and accelerating into a flat out sprint. Adrien laughed and rose to her challenge. He felt his grin widen with exhilaration as he chased those bouncing black bunches through the streets of Paris, expertly weaving through pedestrians and jumping fences as he did so. He let out a peal of laughter and was pleased to hear Marinette giggle in response. Being with Marinette, having fun like this, it was like he didn’t need Chat Noir anymore. Adrien gave a little burst of speed so he was level with Marinette. Together they ran, an unstoppable force, even without their suits.

Too soon they reached the Dupain-Cheng Patisserie, they burst through the doors, both breathless with adrenaline.

Sabine smiled bemusedly from behind the counter as the giggling pair strolled up to her.

“My what have you two been up to?” she said.

Marinette’s chest rose and fell as she tried to get her breath back, “Oh, you know,” she said breathlessly, she glanced at Adrien and grinned, “just enjoying the sunshine.”

Adrien eyed the shop, as his breathing steadily returned to normal. He spied a lone croissant from the counter that had survived the breakfast rush and swiped it.

“Those are for paying customers!” Sabine admonished him with a twinkle in her eye.

“Ah!” Adrien exclaimed, half the croissant already in his mouth. He swallowed, “Apologies Miss Dupain-Cheng, but your pastries look so good, I just croissan’t help myself!”

A burst of deep laughter came from the kitchen. “Adrien! Is that you?” Tom appeared with a plate of fresh cookies, the chocolate chunks in them still melted. “I’d know your puns anywhere!”

Adrien beamed, “All I wanted was to bake your day a little better!”

“Haha! Well you’ve certainly rose to the occasion!” 

“It’s the yeast I could do,” Adrien said with a little flourished bow before collapsing into giggles.

He and Tom only laughed harder as Sabine and Marinette groaned.

“That’s enough you two!” Sabine said, failing to hide her smile, she waved Adrien and Marinette out the shop, “Now off you go, I’ve put a plate of fresh pastries for you to munch on at the bottom of the stairs.”

“Thanks Maman!” 

“Thank you Mrs Cheng!” Adrien waved his half eaten croissant at her before finishing it off.

Sabine pulled her still laughing husband into the room, “And you,” she pecked him on the cheek, “enough with the puns and go put those cookies on the display.”

Adrien felt a smile creep onto his face as he watched them. They were exactly the sort of parents he wanted to be when he grew up. He turned away as Marinette tugged on his hand and led him up the stairs, picking up the plate of still warm pastries as she did so.

Marinette placed the pastries onto the coffee table in the living room as Adrien flopped onto the couch.  Immediately, Tikki and Plagg dived on the plate and started munching away.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” Marinette asked as she made her way over to the dvd selection.

Adrien didn’t respond for a moment. His heart rate was almost back to normal but he could still feel the effects of the adrenaline in his veins. He watched Marinette. Her back was to him, but she could still see her skin was flushed from their spontaneous sprint. Her hair too was coming loose from her bunches, strands drifting lazily across her neck.

Adrien shook his head, “Come here,” he said, patting the space next to him.

Marinette stopped fiddling with the dvd’s and turned to look at him in slight surprise, her lips were parted and her eyes were shining. Adrien lost his breath. She was stunning. 

With a smile, Marinette went over and cuddled up into his open arm, nestling her head under his chin. The warmth radiating from her body seeped into his, soothing his mind as it  mimicked the sensation of safety. 

Adrien held her tight.

Marinette returned his grip.

Adrien closed his eyes and curled up around her. The love and passion that Adrien had thought would never be a part of his life flowed through them. He breathed deep. He honestly didn’t know how he had survived so long without it. And this amazing girl was willing to give it to him, no strings attached. 

Adrien gripped her tighter.

He had no idea how he’d gotten so lucky.

Eventually, Marinette slowly peeled herself back. Adrien opened his eyes to see her gazing lovingly at him. She pecked him on the nose, “I will love you,” she said, a soft smile dancing on her lips. 

Those words had almost become something of a running gag between the two of them. It was more than just an acknowledgement of their affections for each other, however it was not quite yet a synonym for an expression of love itself.

Adrien opened his mouth respond with the words he had uttered many times over, but they didn’t come. They didn’t… feel right. Snuggled up here, in the safety of Marinette’s arms, feeling her complete support, both physically and mentally… he felt something click inside himself.

“I love you,” he said.

Marinette’s eyes pierced his, a light came on in them, making them sparkle like never before.

Adrien couldn’t contain the emotion flowing through his veins. “I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” his voice was soft and oddly hoarse. 

Slowly, Marinette sat up. She kissed him gently once on the forehead, then nose, before finally planting a soft kiss on his lips.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say those words,” she murmured as she sat back. Her eyes were large and unusually dark. Adrien felt a shiver run down his spine. “I love you too,” she said, her voice slightly deeper than normal.

Marinette then swung her leg round so she straddled Adrien’s lap and, before Adrien could comprehend the flash of panic in his gut, she kissed him fully on the mouth.

Adrien’s panic subsided as he relaxed into the familiarity of Marinette’s soft mouth. They had kissed a fair few times since that first night and he had come to welcome them. Marinette’s kisses were always light and warming. Adrien saw them as more of an extension of their embrace than the beginnings of anything sexual.

Marinette leant into him a little harder.

This was starting to feel different though.

He wasn’t uncomfortable yet, and neither had much time passed, so he didn’t say anything and let Marinette lead. 

There had been a few times in the past where they had made out for a bit longer than Adrien would have liked, but Marinette had sacrificed so much for him that he usually didn’t mind letting her have her way for a bit. 

However this time Marinette’s kiss was starting to shift from light and fluttery, to deep and moving. Adrien felt arousal swirl uncomfortably in his gut. This was definitely entering new territory now. 

He became aware of his arms resting limply on the couch. He didn’t quite know what to do with them. He gently placed them on Marinette’s hips. That was the most obvious place to put them… right?

Suddenly Marinette’s hands disappeared under his shirt. Adrien gasped as her cool hands met his warm skin, but still, he didn't pull back. He felt a curiosity course through himself  as to his own limits, almost touching on morbidity in nature. He let her hands flow over his skin, tracing his stomach and sides. Adrien tried not to laugh, her light fingers tickled. She continued drawing them up, up over and around his shoulders, before moving back down.

Down.

Down.

Down.

“No.” Adrien grabbed her wrists.

Marinette instantly jerked her whole body back and slammed her hands over her mouth. 

“I-I’m so sorry, Adrien,” she stammered, blushing furiously as her eyes widened with mortification, “I-I just got moment up in the caught a-and I, no, no,” she shook her head, “I mean caught up in the moment and didn’t t-think and I-“

“Marinette,” Adrien placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. She froze and held his gaze. “It’s okay.” He ran his hands down her arms. “Just,” he hesitated and glanced away, “don’t do it again,” he met her eyes, “okay?” 

Marinette nodded frantically and lowered her clasped hands to her chest. “Of course! Of course.” She visibly relaxed with relief at Adrien’s forgiveness. “I won’t do anything like that again until you’re ready.” She tilted her head in a gentle understanding smile, but Adrien felt a coldness seep into his stomach.  

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Adrien…” She went to stroke his cheek but Adrien jerked his head away. 

“Don’t!” He cast his eyes away, “I don’t…” He bit his lip. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Marinette let her hand fall limply to her side. 

The silence enveloped them. The warmth between them faded fast.

“Adrien, you need to talk to me,” Marinette said eventually. Adrien clenched his teeth. “Was the touching…too much?” she quested with caution.

Adrien clenched his hands in his lap, the metal of his ring pierced the warmth of his skin. 

He nodded.

“And…the kissing?” Marinette asked.

Adrien swallowed. “Usually… fine,” he twisted the ring on his finger as anxiety crept through him, “But tonight, it was different.” His gaze flicked to hers before shying away again.

Marinette remained silent a moment before getting up off his lap and kneeling next to him on the couch. “Adrien…”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured once more. 

Adrien started as Marinette suddenly grabbed his jaw and forced him to look into her fierce eyes. “Stop saying sorry,” she said firmly, “None of this is your fault, none of this is my fault. We are just two people trying to find that perfect balance in our relationship, just like any other couple.” She released his jaw. “We are bound to have a few misunderstandings along the way,” she softly, “And when we do,” she continued, “we need to promise to forgive each other, we need to promise to forgive ourselves.” Adrien blinked at the intensity of her expression. “Can you do that for me? For us?”

Adrien felt a familiar pricking sensation behind his eyes. “Yes,” he whispered.

“Good, I’ll start,” Marinette sat up straight, “I apologise for taking things further than you were comfortable with, and for assuming you’ll one day be ready for things you’ll probably never be ready for.”

Adrien’s eyes widened, “You picked up on that?”

“As soon as I said it, I knew I’d said something wrong. But all I meant was I won’t try anything like that again unless you want me to.”

Adrien felt relief flow through his veins.

“So…” started Marinette, “do you-“

“-I forgive you!” Adrien spoke quickly. Marinette grinned, causing Adrien’s cheeks to flush. “And, I apologise for not communicating with you,” he said.

“I forgive you,” Marinette spoke softly.

Adrien felt warm emotion bubble up inside him. But, as much as he tried, he couldn’t remove the tinge of doubt.

Adrien shifted in his gaze. “Are you honestly all right with this?”

Marinette raised her eyebrows in exasperation but didn’t say anything.

Adrien looked at her, heart pumping as she grinned deviously. 

Suddenly, she leant in and pecked Adrien on the nose. Adrien blinked, but before he could do anything Marinette attacked again, with a peck on each cheek.

“Wha…?”

Before he knew it Marinette was peppering him with a flurry of little kisses, all over his face and down his neck.

Adrien giggled, “Marinette!” he cried out, “No! It tickles!” Marinette pulled back to check he was all right, before grinning and throwing him down to actually tickle him.

“Marinette!” Adrien cried out, properly laughing now. He twisted and turned instinctively but couldn't escape, and so he was stuck laughing helpless on the couch under Marinette’s barrage of tickles.

Wheezing and out of breathe, Adrien couldn’t take it anymore. With a burst of strength he broke free from Marinette’s relentless fingers and flipped her onto her back.

Marinette let out a shriek of laughter as Adrien attacked with his own onslaught of tickles. 

“Adrien!” she squealed, squirming under him. 

“Ha ha! Revenge!” Adrien yelled triumphantly, before Marinette caught him off guard by poking him in the side. 

Tikki and Plagg both paused in their munching to watch the ridiculous antics of their respective charges, rolling their eyes at each squeal.

Marinette and Adrien continued playing for a while, squealing and giggling as the person who had the upper hadn’t continuously rotated. Exhilaration flooding them both as they revelled in simple happiness. 

Eventually their attacks grew weaker, and their laughter faded as tiredness set in. Adrien had managed to land the final attack and had Marinette pinned down under him. He swiftly kissed her on the forehead before flopping down next to her. 

They both breathed heavily, faces flushed with laughter. He rolled over to face Marinette. Her bunches had started to slip out and her fringe was in her face, fluttering gently with every breath. Marinette turned over to face him. She reached out and mussed his hair.

“You want to be careful no one sees you like this,” she said, her voice still breathless, “You look like Chat Noir.”

Adrien pecked her on the nose, “M’lady.”

They both lapsed into giggles once more.

Adrien exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. From coming out to his father, to having deep conversations with Marinette, his emotions this morning had hit all corners of extreme and he could start to feel the effects.  

His breathing steadied as Marinette stroked his hair, her gentle touches reverberating throughout his whole body. He let a soft smile dance on his lips. He never wanted to leave.

“Hey, Adrien?”

Adrien reluctantly opened his eyes to see her blue eyes gazing into his, the echoes of laughter still shining in them.

“I’m honestly all right with this,” she said tenderly. Adrien felt his breath stick in his throat as her soft words pierced his heart. 

“I love you so much you can’t imagine,” she continued, “and, just being with you,” her smile deepened, “it brings me more pleasure than any amount of sex would.”

Adrien’s face went devoid of expression. He bore his eyes into Marinette’s, searching for signs of hesitation, doubt or reservation. For anything at all that would signify her dishonesty.

He couldn’t find it.

Those beautiful sparkling blue eyes held only the truth.

Adrien clenched his eyes shut. Once more he could feel the warm sting of tears behind them.

Marinette wrapped her arms around him and snuggled in close until their foreheads were touching.

Adrien couldn’t help it, he felt the tears seep through his closed lids

Marinette gently wiped them away with her thumb, “What are you crying for you silly kitten?” she murmured. Adrien could hear the smile in her voice.

He shook his head. “I love you so much, Marinette,” he said, voice cracking.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

“I love you so, so much.”

Thank you once again for all your beautiful comments, and I hope you all enjoyed this final chapter... cause it really is the final chapter this time haha :) xxx

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