#it matters that they never argue about it and always buy new for each other if they notice the other running out of it

[karlachismylife]

It's convenient for Johnny to kiss Simon's neck. When they're about to go on a mission, he pushes Ghost's bally up just enough to be able to capture the pale skin over his Adam's apple between his lips and leave a hot, wet hickey there. Works better than kisses on the lips when it's already work-ready Ghost and not his soft domesticated Simon.

Johnny is hopelessly in love with Simon's eyelashes. He looks downright pathetic every time he notices the way sunlight or a harsh floodlight play on them, like they're little hoarfrost needles; Johnny's got zero thoughts in his head in these moments and only pure puppy's adoration on his face. Simon will never admit that it helped him overcome his trichotillomania.

Simon's got sensitive teeth. Johnny's got horrible intolerance for mint and herbal flavours they put in most toothpastes. Their bathroom cabinet has an overpriced fancy shmancy paste with ultra mega super additives made of elephant trunk bones and ground golden dental crowns of the Queen and a Brush Baby strawberry unicorn tube.

[sectumsempraaa]

Send Him My Regards

Pairing: fem!reader x idk they’re all in love with you LOL, but Draco's down bad

Summary: You aren’t one to provoke the aggressive nature of your closest friend group (a bunch of reckless Slytherin boys) but when the new hire at your favorite bookstore makes you uncomfortable, you’re forced to ask for their… “help.”

Word Count: 2.5k

Featuring: The whole damn crew. Draco, Theo, Mattheo, Pansy, Blaise, Lorenzo

TW: Implied non-consensual touching/comments, implied violence, panic/mental distress, cursing, disgustingly fluffy

Notes: This is based on something I recently experienced, as many of you have, too. I tried my best to convey my very real thoughts on this matter. Avoiding threatening men is a constant, everyday struggle. If you can relate, this is for you.

“Love, you already own every book in the world.” Draco proclaims, staggering behind you with his pack of Slytherin watch dogs.

Whenever you go anywhere as a group, they always let you lead so they can keep an eye on your surroundings. You think it’s silly, but it’s their thing, and you secretly appreciate the protection, so you let them be. It makes them feel important, and you find it endearing.

“I most certainly do not! Only like… two hundred.” You respond, muttering the number under your breath.

“Then I’ll buy you every book in the world. Must we come here every weekend?” he groans. Of course, Mattheo interrupts, shooting Draco a furrowed brow.

“Mate, for the love of god, either stop coming on these trips, or use some of that fancy cash you love to go on about to take us elsewhere. Pick one.” Mattheo sneers. Naturally, he’s carrying your bag and coat, making sure you never lift a finger. His response earns a smirk from you.

You’re not really listening though, more so taking in the beauty of Hogsmeade. You love escaping the castle for the little town on perfect, brisk days like this one, hitting everyone’s favorite shops and downing a couple of butterbeers.

The boys continue arguing in the background as you make your way down the cobblestone street, your hair blowing softly in the chill of the November breeze. Blaise and Theo share an eye roll with each other before coming to your side, leaving the two to bicker as they trail behind. Theo steps in, heaving a dramatic sigh and throwing an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to him. His words drip with that rich Italian accent.

“Ignore them, bella. We’ll wait for you outside.” You smile at him and he gives you a wink. A man of few words, but oozing with charm. He will occasionally act as a grounding force when the others get rowdy. You hear Draco drag on about how he “earned” his money or whatever.

“Oh wow, a real rags to riches story!” Mattheo shouts, lunging at Draco. You shake your head laughing with Blaise, sending you a look that reads as “I’ll take care of them.” You enter the bookshop, making the bell ring as the door opens.

The first thing you notice is the shiny new display of fantasy books you’ve been dying to get your hands on. You make your way towards it, not being able to contain the thrill on your face. You’ve been waiting for this series to restock and here they are, all of them, ready to be yours. You touch the smooth covers, tracing your fingers over the author’s name on each one.

The second thing you notice is… him. Your heart drops as your sheer excitement instantly morphs into dread.

Please, not again. 

The new hire at this bookstore has ruined the last couple of trips for you. You were hoping he would stop working weekends but… there he is. And he eyes you right away, like you’re on his radar.

The first time you came in, it was the comments. Calling you pet names, pointing out his favorite features on you, and it was relentless. You somehow got through it and attempted to shake it off, praying he would quit or just get fired before your next trip.

The second time, it was the touching. Brushing against your back when trying to “get through”, his hand grabbing your arm too tightly while he led you down an aisle. You tripped on your way out while trying to make a swift escape, and of course he was there to “catch you”, only giving him an excuse to grip both hands around your waist, hesitant to release you.

Your eyes go between the book display and his movements as he starts creeping his way out from behind the counter. You have to make a split-second decision to either stay and endure, or leave safely and empty handed. It pains you but your nerves heighten as he gets closer. Panic sets in as colors blur and sounds become muffled. Your brain and your body and your heart scream together in unison: “danger.”

You burst through the door back outside with a speed and force that could only be conjured by your anxiety. Facing the door, you stumble backwards and let out a gasp when you land in someone’s familiar arms. You recognize the brown suede material of Theo’s jacket as you attempt to catch your breath. It seems no amount of oxygen could suffice at the moment.

“Bella, bella, what’s wrong?” He asks urgently, hoisting you back up to your feet. The others notice the incident and immediately stride their way over. Draco, always leading the pack, puts his hands on your shoulders and lowers his eyes to your level.

“Hey, look at me,” he coos, forcing you out of your episode. He speaks with a tenderness that is almost heartbreaking. “What happened, love? Are you quite alright?”

There’s too many thoughts and feelings swimming around in your head to give an honest answer. Everything is moving in slow motion and you need time to regroup. Swallowing your fear, you decide to lie, at least for now. The last thing you want to do is impulsively encourage their hostility.

“Yeah, I’m good,” you respond, avoiding his gaze. He looks at you, deciding whether to believe you. “Really, I am.” You add. He glances down to your empty hands.

“You left without a book. You always buy a book.” He says, speaking with suspicion in his voice. The others stay back, knowing when to give Draco his space. They all adore you, but Draco would do things you’d rather not think about in order to keep you happy and safe. And he has. It’s been like this since you can remember. 

“Just didn’t have what I wanted, is all.” You explained. The doubt on his face is evident. He speaks just above a whisper.

“Y/N, you know we would take care of anyone that so much as breathes near you wrong, yeah? It’s important to me that you know this.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Mattheo ditching his cigarette and cracking his knuckles. You give a small nod and a shrug, releasing yourself from his hands and walking back in the direction of the castle. Your head is still reeling, but not enough to block out the boys’ debriefing behind you.

First, Mattheo. “She rarely ever gets like that.”

Then Theo. “Only when she panics.” And Blaise. “Her face was almost as pale as Malfoy’s.”

And Draco, but with a tinge of hurt in his voice. “She barely looked at me.” He glances in your direction, contemplating. “Give her time. We’ll look after her tonight. Someone tell Pansy.”

The rest you don’t hear, feeling embarrassment creeping in. You wish they’d just let it go and forget about it, cowering from the attention it’s bringing to you. Your pace quickens as the heat spreads across your cheeks, eager to be alone in your hideout at the castle.

Too focused on your path, you slam into someone’s chest as they’re coming out of the bakery you’re passing.

“Ugh, Lorenzo, I’m so sorry,” you say frantically, smoothing out his jacket and moving past him, never meeting his gaze. His face contorts with confusion and concern. He watches you take off then turns back to the group.

“Something off with that one...” The boys give him a knowing look.

“No shit, Berkshire.” Mattheo sneers.

—

After what felt like an eternity, you had reached the castle and darted to your hideout: a corner balcony high up in one of the towers facing the pitch. Leaning your elbows on the edge of the balcony, you watch the sun slowly descend into its eventual bed of twilight. Then, the spiraling begins.

Thinking back, you’ve never really dealt with something like this because of who your friends were. No one dared to even step too close to you, aware of what the consequences would be. But you weren’t on school grounds this time. You felt… unprepared. Lost. Violated. Guilty.

Does running away make me weak?

Why can’t I stand up for myself?

How did he gain control so quickly?

Did I ask for it? Did I do something wrong?

This is too much. It feels ridiculous and quite frankly enraging that you considered this being your fault. The stress is exhausting.

You let yourself relax, laying down on a stone bench and staring up at the black night sky. You start to mentally identify the stars in view, something Draco taught you to do when you’d get anxious. It always worked, as evident by the many hours you fell asleep. Upon awakening, you gasp as your watch reads 1AM.

You hear footsteps rustling around nearby, and echoing voices calling your name. Shit. They’re looking for me.

Sneaking around corners, you tiptoe around, trying not to get yourself noticed. Maybe, just maybe you can get back to the dungeons without getting caught. Until you hear the voice of your best friend, who admittedly, you could really use right now.

“Pans?” You whisper, catching a glimpse of her shadow down the corridor. Her head whips around before running to you urgently.

“Where the hell have you been?! The boys are going mad looking for-” She stops abruptly when you force yourself into her arms, hugging her tight and burying your face in her shoulder. Her tone softens to that of an older sister. “Oh, Y/N,” She rubs your back while your eyes well up.

“Fuck, Pans, I don’t know what to do.” You say through subtle sobs, holding back as much as you can for her sake. She looks at you with a questioning look before your words stumble out, caked in distress.

“There’s a boy at the bookstore, MY bookstore, and-and, and he’s there all the time now, following me around, and…”

“Y/N, calm down. You’re okay. It’s just me, sweetie.” She says, running a hand through your hair as her eyes shift to someone behind you; their voice deep, slow, and filled with angst.

“There’s… a… what?” He asks, the voice you recognize as Draco’s ringing off the walls. Mattheo, Theo, and Blaise walk into frame behind him when they realize he found you. The sight of them strikes you; your fiercely loyal group of friends that would go to the ends of the earth for you. To your surprise, you are relieved to see them.

But their anger is palpable. Draco’s jaws clenched tight. Theo’s heavy eyes claiming the darkness. Blaise’s hands rolled into fists. Lorenzo steps forward, eyes soft, holding out a gentle hand. 

“Let’s get you to the common room, and you can tell us-” he turns to the other boys before emphasizing his next words, “-what you’re comfortable with, if you want to talk at all.”

You nod in agreement, taking his hand while Pansy takes your other one. In your head, you’re thanking whatever higher power put Lorenzo on this planet. The voice of reason amidst all chaos.

—

It’s nearly 2AM now. You’re sat on the common room couch in front of the blazing fireplace under a mess of blankets, warming up after your frigid nap. Theo on your left, Lorenzo on your right holding your tea, Draco and Mattheo sitting on the coffee table facing you, with Blaise and Pansy on the floor. All with mixed looks of curiosity, empathy, and sheer rage.

After thinking it over, you decided to prioritize yourself for once. A lot of people don’t realize how hard a decision that can be. This is a risky favor to ask for. But there’s only a couple truly precious things in the world you can’t live without, and this is one of them. You want your fucking bookstore back.

So, you tell them. Everything.

As you recall the events of the last few weeks, you feel the air become tense. Blaise looks like he’s about to combust. Theo reaches for your hand, letting you fiddle with the bracelet on his wrist. You hear Pansy call this boy every name in the book under her breath, your favorite being “bastardly filth”. Draco and Mattheo listen, periodically looking at each other with knowing stares, having their own wordless conversation. You know those looks. Plotting looks.

When you finish, you’re briefly met with silence, temporarily paralyzing you. Do they believe me?

You break the stillness. “I suppose I’m making a big deal out of something quite trivial.” You say to them, diminishing your story, and for what?

Mattheo stands up, ushering Blaise and Pansy out of the way as he kneels in front of you. He rests a comforting hand on your knee, his eyes glowing with brutal honesty.

“It’s really very simple, little dove. You’re in danger, we take down the threat. I can assure you we all agree that your safety is anything but trivial.” He states. He gives your knee a squeeze. “Gonna be honest though, Y/N. It’s going to be ugly for him when he meets us.”

You look up to Draco, who’s been oddly quiet since you all got back. You hold his gaze as you respond.

“Good. Send him my regards.” You reply, earning a wicked grin from him, his eyes suddenly crinkled and brimming with pride. Everyone shifts a bit in their seats, wrapping up the late night discussion.

Draco strides over to you, taking the teacup from your hands and setting it down on a side table. He looks so handsome like this, facing you on the couch with his hair disheveled and the top of his shirt buttons undone. The glow from the fire accenting his features, so sharp yet yearning for sleep. He takes your face in his warm hands.

“I need you to hear me right now. Listening?” he asks. You give an unconvincing nod as his thumb caresses your cheek. Yes, but damn you make it hard to.

His stare intensifies, pulling you from your trance and forcing you to dial in to his statement.

“Never feel bad for wanting them to pay for the pain and discomfort they inflict on you. Their reasons were senseless, yours are justified.”

For the first time tonight, just for a moment, you feel sure of yourself. You wrap your arms around him, pulling yourself closer, his body becoming your safe haven. His hands nestle you to his chest as you feel him place a kiss on the top of your head.

He loves you and you know it. He’ll wait for this to pass, for things to be right. He’ll wait for you to feel whole and secure again. And he’ll do whatever it takes to help you get you there, even if that means giving you space.

As Pansy sees the two of you off to bed, you repeat his sentiment to her. “My god, that bloody boy is down bad, and I mean bad, for you Y/N.”

Ascending the staircase to your dorm, you faintly hear Draco informing the boys of the plan.

“Tomorrow. Noon.” He demands. The boys nod. He pauses before adding another instruction.

“Oh, and we’re gonna need a bag. We’ve got books to bring home.”

🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

[zorosangell]

zoro and his girl who are always bickering and fighting and breaking up and getting back together again. atp, the other straw hats are used to it now. I can also imagine zoro NEVER apologizes and his idea of getting back together with his girl again is just acting like buisness as usual (just going back to her and sitting with her, throwing his arm around her shoulder, kissin her cheek, acting like nothing ever happened, etc) and usually, she’s receptive to it. Because even though she’s as stubborn as zoro (maybe even more), she hates arguing (and loves him too much).

but imagine during one of their arguments, Nami drags her out to go shopping at a island they stopped by, and she sees all these happy couples holding hands and being affectionate and just being sweet and soft with each other. she realizes…zoro is never sweet and soft with her. and he NEVER says I’m sorry (I imagine maybe she sees an arguing couple in the market, but the guy comes with flowers and an apology and it makes her wonder). She makes up her mind, she won’t take him back until he says those words, no matter what. I know this isn’t so descriptive, but I’d love to see you take on this! ❤️

⛥ﾟ・。 pit

synopsis: time and time again zoro has forgotten about your outings, leaving you dressed up and alone on several occasions. but after nami witnesses it in person, she finally puts her foot down... and you finally confront your swordsman.

cw: angst, very little comfort, happy-ish ending (left up for interpretation), zoro's kind of an asshole, nami's a girl's girl, reader is better than me.

a/n: listen to promise by laufey or casual by chappell roan if you want the full experience. i've never written a trifling zoro before this was crazy

"Why don't you stop wasting my time and give me a real discount?" Nami asked, firmly slamming her fist on the counter.

"Please don't be angry! I'm doing my best!" the cashier apologized, "But, c'mon, I can't take fifty percent off no matter how much you buy. They're marked down enough already!"

The man looked to be on the brink of tears, and you couldn't help but snicker.

"Nami, leave the poor man alone..." you smiled, feeling a little bad for him, "He's just doing his job. And besides, it's not like you can't afford it."

"Nope," she denied, popping the p as she grabbed another humongous pile of clothes. "It's the principle of the matter, (y/n). If I have the option to pay for something half-off, why would I pay full price?"

"They're not half-off!"

"Besides..." her gaze drifted to your outfit, a small pout settling on her lips as she looked you up and down with saddened eyes. "I can see that you are clearly trying to out-glam me, so I gotta glam back!"

She turned to the cashier, placing down the new pile.

"You drive a hard bargain. I'll buy these, too. But I want ninety percent off."

The man nearly fainted and you laughed, surprised by Nami's playful rivalry.

"Nami, you've owned more clothes than I've ever worn. I think it's safe to say that between the two of us, you're the one that's out-glamming me," you assured, resting your cheek in your palm as you leaned on the counter.

"But look at you!" she playfully whined. "Your outfit is killer! And your hair is on point, too!"

Though, just as quick as she examined your outfit, she realized that it was really good.

Too good to be shopping in.

"Wait, (y/n), were you supposed to be going somewhere? Why are y—"

The moment your face fell, the glimmer in your eyes dimming at the memory, reality finally donned on the navigator, hitting her like a sea train at top speed.

He did it again.

Anger rushed through the woman's veins like wildfire, her face not even attempting to conceal her fury as it twisted into an expression of absolute rage.

You knew it all too well.

"Nami, ple—" "I'll KILL HIM!"

The clothes on the counter were suddenly a thing of the past as the red-haired woman drew her Clima-Takt and stormed toward the exit of the boutique, the dangerous aura she was emanating sending a shiver down even your spine.

Like magnets, everything began to click for the woman.

The beautiful outfit.

The done-up hair.

The glum look on your face.

'That bastard stood her up again!'

That's why you had been wandering around town aimlessly.

You were waiting for him.

This scenario had become commonplace over the past several months you and the green-haired swordsman had been dating, much to Nami's severe indignation.

It was always the same.

You and Zoro would plan a date.

Zoro would get caught up training, or get caught up drinking, or just plain, old fucking forget.

You would end up alone, having gone through all the trouble and embarrassment.

She would have to console you, and you would have to keep her from bashing his head in.

Then you'd have to face the jerk the next day, who, instead of apologizing, simply acted like nothing ever happened.

As if the entire ship see how utterly crushed you were.

And then the whole cycle would repeat the following week.

Nami was sick of it.

'This shit ends today.'

"Nami, please! It's not worth it!" you ran out the store and after her, grabbing onto her arm. "It's not gonna change anything!"

"The hell it isn't!" she barked, brows cinched tightly together. "(y/n), I won't stand for this anymore! This is what?! The twentieth time?!"

"Twenty-third... but I'm not counting..." you corrected, meekly.

"(Y/N)!"

"I know! I know!" you sighed, plopping yourself down on the curb, defeated. "I don't know what's wrong with me..."

"There's nothing wrong with you! There's something wrong with him not realizing just how much of a fucking catch you are!" she groaned, exasperatedly, as she threw her hands in the air. "Twenty-three times, that bastard... I oughta chip his swords twenty-three times."

"I guess... I just don't get why..." you mumbled, looking down at your lap with glassy eyes. "Is it me? Am I doing something wrong?"

Nami turned to you, heart aching at your saddened form.

"Don't think that for another second!" she denied, quickly moving to take a seat next to you, pulling you into a small side hug. "You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this. Zoro's just being a real jackass."

"But there has to be some reason," you attempted to rationalize, tone rising. "Does he not care? Am I just that insignificant that he can't even waste an hour or two to spend time with me? His girlfriend?"

"That's what I've been saying!" Nami agreed, loudly, calling the attention of some passersby. "(y/n), you've given him chance after chance after chance, and he still hasn't cleaned up his act."

She gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze, flashing you a sincere smile.

"I'm not saying you have to break up with him, unless that's what you want to do, but I'm saying that you really need to realize just how amazing you are, and hold him accountable for his actions."

Shooting up from her seat, she stood before you, pointing a manicured finger at your chest.

"You're the prize, girl! You're strong, smart, kind, compassionate, and drop-dead gorgeous! What guy wouldn't want that!" she turned to a few of the men passing by, a smile on her face. "Right?"

"YES!" they cheered, eagerly.

Your face burned with embarrassment.

"Nami!"

"You get my point!" she laughed, resting her hand on her hip. "You deserve someone who will treat you like the princess you are. Whether that's Zoro or not is up to you, but know that his track record begs to differ..."

Taking a moment, you let her words sink in, your confidence rising slowly but surely.

Maybe you were that great...

Maybe you did deserve more...

Maybe it was time to start anew...

"Y'know what... you're right! It's time for a change!" you smiled, slowly standing up from the curb. "No more tears!"

"Nope!" Nami cheered, proudly.

"No more excuses!"

"None of 'em!"

"No more pretending!"

"Not around here!"

"From now on, I'm gonna start living life for me! And if that means going out clubbing tonight and getting drunk to forget my problems, then so be it!"

"Y'know what, I'll take it! Let's go!" Nami squealed, the two of you quickly charging back into the boutique.

You couldn't fight off your smile, your shoulders feeling like an insurmountable weight had been lifted off them.

For the first time in a while, things didn't seem so bleak.

"Ooo, I think I saw the perfect revenge dress for you, (y/n)! It's gorgeous!"

Walking out of the girls' quarters, you felt like a million bucks—and were probably wearing it too with the amount of money you and Nami spent in town.

But price be damned, the result was phenomenal.

The provocative dress.

The decadent perfume.

The glittering jewelry.

The leg-extending heels.

You were absolutely breath-taking.

Not to say that you weren't before, but just significantly more so.

The dress itself was just the right amount of short, and helped carve out your curves deliciously.

Your hair was done courtesy of the ship's archaeologist, its style elegant yet loose to fit the club scene you were going to.

And your skin was practically glowing thanks to the oils Nami had picked up in the market.

So, it was safe to say you were at least a quadruple threat.

Looking down at yourself, you smiled, feeling like the prettiest woman in the world.

No longer concerned with the feelings of others, or the wrong-doings of yourself, you felt freer than you'd ever had.

And you had Nami to thank for it all.

'For finally knocking some sense into me...'

Sensing someone's presence, you pulled yourself out of your thoughts, only to see your swordsman standing right before you.

His eyes dragged over your body, almost analytically, a grin rising to his lips.

It seemed he finished his training early...

"Where are you goin' all dressed up?" he smirked, his hand coming up to rest on your hip, pulling you closer. "You look good... an' smell good, too."

Quickly, you pushed yourself out of his grasp, your legs pressing forward to stride across the balcony, leaving the him to stand there, surprised.

You had never pushed him away before, much less ignored him.

'What the hell?'

"What's the matter with you?" Zoro's voice lowered an octave, brows furrowed in confusion as he followed after you.

You didn't answer, keeping your gaze trained ahead as you pressed on, heading toward the stairs that led off the Sunny.

"(y/n)," he tried again, voice slightly firmer, as he grabbed your arm, stopping you in your tracks. "(y/n), what the hell's your problem? Where are you going?"

Harshly, you flung his hand off, brows slowly beginning to crease at his audacity.

He was acting like nothing happened.

Again.

He knew exactly why you were fucking upset, but was making the choice to completely ignore it in favor of acting stupid and playing in your face.

Your jaw set tight, all your thoughts grinding to a screeching halt.

For the first time ever, anger and resentment began to claw at your chest, your hand itching to rise up and slap him right across the cheek.

Enough was enough.

"Don't fuckin' touch me," you spat, voice dripping with venom as you went back to walking. "I don't wanna see you right now."

"See me?" his brows furrowed as his finger pointed toward his chest, now even more confused. "The hell did I do?!"

Or maybe he was just fucking stupid...

Either way, you finally cracked.

"IT'S WHAT YOU DON'T DO, ZORO!" you roared, whipping back around to face him, the man flinching at your volume. "FOR GOD'S SAKE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN WHAT YOU DON'T DO!"

The leak in the dam of your heart had finally turned into a full-on flood, and you were now outpouring months upon months upon months of pent up anger.

"You stand me up! You forget our dates! You make it abundantly clear that you would much rather spend the day nursing a sake bottle than with me!" you scoffed, throwing an exasperated hand in the air. "Do you even remember what we were supposed to do today?!"

The swordsman paused a moment, scouring his brain for recollection of the event.

"Hey, Zo'," you piped up from your spot in the corner, shutting the book Robin had loaned you. "I'm gettin' kinda hungry. You wanna grab lunch?"

He nodded, grinding out another squat as he lowered his knees to a ninety-degree angle, somehow perfectly controlling the two ton weight on his back.

"Yeah, you go on ahead," he grunted, holding the position. "I'll catch up. Gonna finish up this set."

"'Kay," you nodded, flashing him an eager smile. "I'll meet you at that sushi place we saw in town."

Zoro's eye shot wide, a sudden sense of dread sinking in his stomach as he finally remembered.

"Oh, shit..."

"Yeah... Oh, shit," you scoffed, turning to head off the ship. "I'm done with this..."

"Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute," he grabbed your arm once again, pulling you back. "(y/n), it was an accident... I didn't mean it."

"How the hell am I supposed to know that?! You never fucking apologize!" you yelled, jerking sharply away from his grasp. "At least that way it could seem like you're at least trying to pretend you care about me!"

"Of course, I care about you, (y/n)!"

"YOU CERTAINLY DON'T ACT LIKE IT!" your voice cracked.

He halted, expression falling and chest tugging with pain as a few stray tears fell down your cheeks.

You were hurting... bad.

And it was all his fault.

All of the times he left you hanging, all of the times he screwed up.

They were all coming back to haunt him, each one doubling the weight of the sinking pit in his stomach.

How could he have not seen?

You had been so patient with him—never raising your voice, never holding a grudge—and he supposed his mind had unconsciously took that as the green-light to proceed.

Granted, he never forgot anything or stood you up out of malice or actual lack of care.

It just... slipped his mind.

Though, in that, he could see where his thinking was flawed, and where you could find a problem.

"Am I... just that forgettable to you?" you asked, voice suddenly small.

Zoro snapped himself out of his thoughts, eye wide at your tone.

It sounded so distant.

"Of course, not, (y/n)," he quickly denied, lurching forward to hold you out of instinct. "I—"

But you stepped back, avoiding his grasp as your arms raised to hug yourself, hoping to keep everything together.

"Every time I look at you, I feel more alone," you continued, letting out a few sniffles. "I'm always, always reaching out to you, always down for whatever you want to do. But you just... never reach back... and you don't even bother to apologize..."

Glancing out at the sunset, you fought off the wobble of your lip, hugging yourself even tighter.

"Zoro... I can't be with someone that doesn't care about me..."

That's when everything suddenly came to a screeching halt.

Zoro felt like the words cut right through his chest, tearing through his heart and opening it up like force hell-bent on making him see.

He'd rarely felt this feeling, but he knew what it was instantly.

Fear.

"(y/n), don't do this," he started, panic slowly spiking in his veins. "I'm sorry for being such an idiot... but we can work this out. This doesn't have to be... it doesn't have to end like this..."

"But it does," you countered, quickly. "It isn't like this is your first time doing this, Zoro... or your third... or your tenth... or even your twentieth."

You scoffed, half-laughing at the situation.

"If I hadn't said anything, you probably would've made it to thirty."

Zoro's chest stung at the comment, the man almost letting out a wince.

It was harsh... but not without truth.

"I'm freeing myself of all of this, Zoro. I deserve better," you stated, firmly, slowly regaining your confidence as you turned away, heading for the stairs. "This conversation is over. And thanks to you, I'm late."

The swordsman looked just about ready to shit his pants, the finality of your words scaring him more than any enemy.

You were his girl.

His best friend.

His ray of sunshine.

Seeing you so upset, so jaded, because of his actions?

He felt like shit.

And, in that moment, he honestly wanted nothing more than to hold you.

To shower you with a thousand apologies.

To make it up to you in any and every way he could possible conceive.

But you were slipping through his fingers like smoke, blowing father and farther away.

"(y/n)... please..." he tried one final time, voice softer than you'd ever heard it before as he carefully grabbed your wrist.

And you nearly broke, the sound of his voice pulling a sharp string on your heart, nearly making you take everything back.

But Nami's words from earlier replayed in your mind, and you fought the feeling, pulling your arm away.

You had to stay strong, for both your sakes.

"We're done, Zoro," you finished, finally descending down the steps. "I'm moving on."

The swordsman watched as you disappeared in front of him, now suddenly feeling as if you were worlds away.

He'd finally done it.

He'd pushed you over the edge.

And rather than feeling angry or upset, or even sorry for himself, he felt empty.

Truly and utterly empty.

The rest of the crew watched from cracked doors and open windows as the man stood there, staring at the place you had once stood like he was in a trance.

Nobody wanted things to turn out this way.

It was clear as day that the both of you loved each other a great deal... but Zoro needed this.

He needed the wake up call.

And now that he was presented with all the necessary truth, he could finally work toward remedying the situation; and, by the will of the Gods, making up his dizzying amount of transgressions against you.

It would be hard work, and for the first time in his life, he would have to be completely vulnerable.

But the crew believed in him.

And the crew believed in you, too.

The both of you would come back from this stronger than ever.

And Zoro would come back to the crow's nest with a calendar hanging front and center on the door.

Courtesy of the ship's navigator.

[florencesf1blog]

Hi :) Can you write an imagine - enemies to lovers with Oscar. They both have been in love with one another but for whatever reason pretend to hate each other. They’re at the same party and some weird guy doesn’t want to leave reader alone so she goes for help to the first person she recognises at the party: Oscar. She goes to him and kisses him and he’s a little surprised at first but he returns the kiss and even grabs her waits (and maybe her butt) and deepens the kiss . And she’s like begging him to play along because that weird guy doesn’t want to leave her alone. And when he hears this he gets into a protective mode and then doesn’t let her alone/ out of his sight for the rest of the party. And the ending can be whatever you want - maybe they confess their feelings or not

please, please, please.

Oscar Piastri x Reader

In which you attend a party, and an unlikely someone saves the day.

Words: 964 Warnings: language, alcohol, inappropriate touching?

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Being close friends with Lando Norris was a struggle. Although, right now it wasn't about his own childish antics. No, this was about his teammate.

Oscar Jack Piastri.

It seemed that everything about him ticked you off. The way he always spoke in such a calm manner, the way he walked around the paddock, his stupid and yet adorable smile, his distracting biceps...

What you probably hated the most about him was how you couldn't seem to hate him at all. You had done a great job at hiding your feelings from him, especially since you two could only argue once you were in the same room. In reality, both you and Oscar are just terribly oblivious and everyone but you two could see it.

"What are you laughing at?" you almost sneer towards your friend, Lando, who couldnt hide the wide grin that was plastered on his face. "Nothing...nothing..." he trails off but he continues to snicker. You nudge his arm callously, a stern look on your face. "Oh come on...you can't expect me to believe that act you put on" he grins. You let out a scoff, brows furrowing. "What act?" you ask him, annoyed that he seemed to be catching on. "You can lie to yourself all you want, but you do not hate Oscar"

-

It was extremely hot in the club, feeling as if you could melt to the floor any moment. It was crowded, loud and flashy. Usually you'd avoid places like these, but with Lando getting his first win here in Miami you felt obligated to come.

You head over to the bar to get yourself a new drink, when you're suddenly reminded of what you hate most about these places. A man, a strange man you had never seen or spoken to before suddenly places a hand on your waist to pull you closer. Before you can even react, he leans down to whisper in your ear, completely invading your personal space as he speaks. "Let me buy you a drink, bonita. You look like you're in need of some company"

Immediately, you push him off of you. In a gentle manner that is, not wanting to cause any trouble. But even as you shake your head no and politely insist that you can pay for your own drink, he wouldn't go. He kept trying to get close to you, putting his hands on you and insisting he'd keep you company.

A sense of panic washed over you, especially once you realized this man was intoxicated. You looked around, continuing to brush the man off while trying to stay polite with your ways and words. Somewhere in the crowd, you spot a familiar face already staring back at you.

Oscar fucking Piastri. Of course. Usually, this would only make matters worse. The guy you hated (or at least pretended to) being the only familiar person around in a situation like this. He stared back at you. not looking away as he noticed the somewhat panicked look on your face. For someone who is supposed to hate you, he felt awfully worried.

"Excuse me..." you mutter, grabbing your drink as you hastily make your way through the crowd. Being left behind confused, the man takes a moment to realize you were walking away from him before he follows after you. He was determined, you'd give him that.

Once you reached Oscar, het put on his usual annoyed face. With an eye roll, he begins to ask: "What are you doi-" before being bluntly cut off with your lips crashing on his. You stood on your tiptoes, leaning forward to reach him with your hands on his neck to stabilize yourself.

It took Oscar a while to react, both his hands on your arms as if he was making sure you wouldn't fall over. He pulls you back for just a moment, but keeps holding on to your arms. "What is going on?" he asks, look behind you to see the same man that had been bothering you before.

"Please, please, please, just play along..." you begin to softly plead. "...this guy won't leave me alone and-" before you could finish your sentence, he leans down to press his lips back on yours. His hand moves down to grip your waist, moving you to stand chest to chest as his other hand moves down to your rear.

The man was left in shock, not wanting to disturb the scene in front of him. He leaves, and once you realize he's gone you pull away. Oscar looks down at you with an unreadable expression, almost disappointed now that you've pulled away from him. You let out a small sigh, feeling your cheeks redden from both the drinks you've had and the situation you put yourself in.

"Thank you" you give him a soft smile, and he gives you a reassuring nod in return. "Maybe it's best if you stay here with me tonight, you know? To make sure no one else bothers you"

The suggestion (though it sounded as if he wasn't going to let you out of his sight either way) makes butterflies swirl around in your stomach. The thought of Oscar being protective over you like this, making sure no one else would bother you, definitely did something to you.

And so for the remaining of the evening, Oscar was plastered by your side. At some point Lando even spotted you two standing awfully close together, his eyes narrowing with a knowing smirk.

You wouldn't tell Oscar how you really felt at the end of the evening, and he wouldn't mention how glad he was you came to him for saving. But after tonight, you could no longer pretend to hate the man you felt so deeply for.

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A/N: my very first work on this account. rewrote this a couple of times and im still not sure if its good or not. it ended up being a little shorter than i imagined, but i didnt want to go too deep into a story i wasnt going to continue. definitely enjoyed bringing this request to life, and i hope its what the anon wanted. let me know what you guys think! :)

[orionremastered]

Could you write something about the Bat-Family where they date an Athlete?

Masterlist

Batboys Dating an Olympic Athlete

Dick Grayson [Acrobatic Gymnast]

Helps you train and stretch

You two are literally the same and start doing acrobatics without warning

The entire batfam was baffled on how Dick managed to find someone as... acrobatic, basically, as him

Tim deadass started calculating the odds one time and Jason, Bruce and Damian SUPPORTED IT

Sometimes the two of you do flexibility competitions when you're bored

Always goes to your events to cheer you on

Jason Todd [Shooting]

Jason 100% owns a private shooting range somewhere and goes with you there often

You buy each other guns for your birthdays

There's a constant fight between the two of you for the title of best marksman and you use Alfred as a judge

Alfred wins every time???????

He's your coach and goes to every competition, hyping you up every time

Tim Drake [Tennis]

Loves playing with you even though he's never really played

Buys you tennis bracelets and don't even try to argue (they were named tennis bracelets because a pro female tennis player was wearing one, served so hard that it flew off her wrist. Tells you that every time you complain about him spending too much money on you)

Flies you out to all your competitions and gets you the best hotel rooms

He will and always has put your comps before vigilantism, just like the rest of his brothers

Buys you a private tennis court if the manor doesn't have one already

Damian Wayne [Any Martial Arts Sport]

Trains (with) you no matter what martial arts you do thanks to his League training

Like Jason, he's probably your informal coach

He will never tell you how truly proud of you he is. Don't ask why he can't stop smiling at you when it's only the two of you

Quietly relieved you want to stay out of vigilantism and focus on competitions

Pulls strings to have the two of you stay in some of the fanciest places in the area of your competitions. Whether it's with his mother's or father's last name you'll never know for sure

Will teach you new martial art styles if you ask

[daenysx]

Hi! I hope you're doing well. Idk if my request got lost honestly but is it okay if i re-send my request?

This is about modern!Aemond's family. You hc that Aelyx is a mommy's boy. How do you imagine Aelyx and Aemond bond? Is there a time where they get to spend with each other?

hi, lovely !! i'm sorry, it's probably my fault because i remember seeing your request during the sleepover but i didn't answer it and it all got messy in my inbox. thank you for taking the time to send it again, i hope you enjoy <33333

modern!aemond targaryen x fem!reader, fluff

aemond targaryen is quite literally addicted to buy new books.

he has a perfect excuse for it now, it's not only for me- the kids will enjoy it as well. you like that about your husband, even when he puts his books everywhere at home. he's not messy, never, but he likes being able to reach any book he wants any time. he says they are organized in their own way. you won't argue with him, he knows how to charm his way out.

tonight you're taking alyssa for her first official girls night. aunt helaena invited her with the biggest smile on her face, she said it'll be fun, jaehaera will be there after all. there'll be lots of snacks, lots of conversations, and maybe alyssa can sleep early but it's okay. she's almost seven years old now, she likes being included.

she says goodbye to aemond with a big kiss on his cheek. he returns the kiss with an even bigger one, and a good hug that lasts for a few long seconds. you also get a kiss from him, and give him a promise to send pics of alyssa and jaehaera playing together.

aelyx hugs you next. he's a bit more clingy these days, an adorable boy with chubby cheeks and aemond's eyes. you kiss him many many times, tell him to have a good time with daddy.

when you leave, the boys of the house are alone. aemond takes his son in his arms, carries him to the couch because he always gets a bit upset when he sees you leave. he holds aemond's sweater in his tiny hand as aemond settles down on the couch.

this is where the books come into the picture. aelyx adores books. he's like a mini aemond, at least that's what aegon says, he likes touching the pages and looking at the pictures. he likes when one of you reads a part out loud for him. he falls asleep quicker when aemond goes through his favorite sleep story.

it's almost his bed time. aemond got him his favorite book, it's full of pictures and short paragraphs for his daddy to read out loud.

"shall we look at the pictures first?" aemond asks as his baby settles down on his lap comfortably. he'll probably fall asleep in a few minutes but it's okay. aemond rubs his big hand on his son's back in circles.

"yes, please." the boy says. "this one."

his tiny finger points the picture of a princess, there's a knight standing next to her. this was alyssa's favorite picture once. aemond gets a sense of nostalgia.

"oh, yes." aemond says softly. "do you like the princess?"

"looks like mommy."

"she does look like mommy. what about the knight?"

"hmm." aelyx lifts his head and puts it back on aemond's chest. no lovely thoughts about the knight apparently.

"can i read this part?" aemond asks. "it's the one about the knight saving the princess."

"okay." aelyx agrees. his eyes are half open, silver hair messy from being snuggled to aemond.

daddy always uses his softest voice when he's reading. it doesn't matter which book he reads. there's one about quantum physics, another one about ethical theories, there's alyssa's favorite fairytale, and it's always the same tone of his voice.

you told aemond that the kids adore his voice once, he quickly fell in love with this thought. he reads out loud until his throat hurts and aelyx loves it. it's a story book now because of his bed time but he'd gladly listen to one of aemond's politics books if it meant to hear daddy's voice for minutes.

"so they ran until they could reach to the forest. the knight turned to look back when he heard a voice, someone was behind the trees-"

aemond stops when he hears a tiny snore. a nice breathing sound coming from his baby on his chest. he takes his phone and sends a quick selfie to you, letting you know aelyx is asleep.

he stays there for a few minutes. it's always a nice feeling to hold his son in his arms, he resembles aemond in many ways but he also doesn't. he looks like him, thinks like him, talks like him. aemond knows he'll be better, though. at least aelyx will have a dad who tries his best to be included in his kids' lives.

[cranberrv]

⪩⪨ dating johnny cade headcanons

a/n : i hate this, i’m so sorry this took me all of 15 minutes but i needed to post something !!!!! maybe ill make a better version sometime, stay tuned <3 requests open btw (not proofread not proofread ignore any mistakes lovely)

- you’re his saviour

- you know the saying, ‘when you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light?’

- you’re his light

- if he’s having a bad day or his parents have kicked him out again, guess who he’s going to?

- not even to talk about it, just to be surrounded by this warmth that makes him forget about all his problems

- unlike dallas, he loves hugs and cuddling all. the. time.

- well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. he hates cuddling in front of the gang. the gang will just tease him but his relationship with you is something he doesn’t wanna be teased about

- he doesn’t like big gestures

- he’s not the type to write you a poem (ponyboy cough cough) and he’s not the type to buy you cliche gifts like chocolate and flowers

- he does things that mean something, like a necklace with your favourite flower on it, a shirt of a band you two like listening to together

- one of his favourite pastimes is listening to music w you actually!

- i like to think johnny really likes music, like elvis and van morrison

- he’ll always buy new cassettes to listen to with you

- he wishes he could take you to concerts, but he’s too broke for that :(

- ugh i should probably move on but imagine spooning with johnny on your bed listening to music that’s adorable

- if he sees you laughing with a guy he doesn’t know or trust, he’ll feel a mix of jealous and insecure

- he doesn’t act on his jealousy, he just patiently waits until it’s his turn to talk to you

- if you bring up that he’s acting up, he’s not gonna talk about it, denying it

- “nah man idk what you mean, im fine”

- you guys argue occasionally, but only about things that really matter

- he doesn’t want you talking to socs, or you don’t want him to live with his parents anymore

- it’s a reasonable and patient conversation over an argument in his mind

- he has never made you cry and never will, or else he’ll cry

- sitting in the lot gazing up at the stars is his idea of a date. pointing out the moon and making a wish on the first star. smoking cigarettes and sitting back on the cheap fabric of some old thrown-out furniture

- him wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you closer to him, the two of you falling asleep under the stars

- sometimes you’ll catch him just staring at you. not in a creepy or weird way, just admiring.

- noticing his shoulders relax when he’s in a poor mood but then suddenly you come around is your favourite feeling

- he makes you feel so special, like you’re worth a million bucks

- he practically worships the ground you walk on (and vice versa!)

- puppy love

- you two like each other soooo much and it’s so obvious

- sometimes he gets a little insecure around the gang or socs, not being all mushy (not like he usually is anyway)

- he’s usually more reserved, saving the cuddling and gifts for alone time

- anyway you two are in love probably and it’s really cute

- sorry lovely this was rly rushed :( ill post a better version soon 💋

[sappyspeare]

wymack and kevin hcs post-canon

currently writing a 5+1 of kevin and his dad trying to talk to each other without screaming and crying (mostly on kevin's part). so here are some hcs that i cant fit into it

after Kevin goes pro and Wymack retires and moves in with Abby, there is always obviously room for their foxes, but a small, single room for Kevin. it's unspoken that that is for Wymacks son, Kevin Day. he tells everyone who comes into the house that it's his son's room but they can use it while he's gone. Kevin will always stay there and they never talk about it.

They do eventually talk about Kayleigh. Wymack helps Kevin by telling him stories about his insane girl boss mother and they have a good cry about it.

Wymack Abby and some new foxes are watching a pro game where Kevin is playing and there's a moment where Kevin stands with his hands on his hips and yells at a player and all the foxes are like omg. it's mini wymack and wymack threatens to put them through a marathon

Wymack goes to all of Kevin's games. no matter where it is or when it is, he will be there because he is a proud father first and foremost

There is always a front-row seat kevin keeps for his father

Kevin calls Wymack every week to update him on life and stuff. the new foxes realise that wymack is significantly happier after a 20-minute call in the privacy of his office once a week

Wymack walks Dan down the aisle according to EC but have you considered he does it for Kevin too. because those two are his Kids bro

Wymack loves seeing how close Kevin and Abby are because i said so

Kevin and Abby try very hard to get Wymack to stop smoking and drinking and Abby is nice and patient and Kevin is ofc a bitch about it

anytime its a holiday Kevin Andrew and Neil will always come to see him. the others will come too but those 3 will come first and leave last

when Kevin gets his hall of fame moment he dedicates it to the man who taught him how to love the game and himself aka his dad and lets just say wymack needs a moment

kevin gets more tattoos over the years and also looks more like wymack as he gets older

sometimes when kevins in town wymack lets him run foxes practice and its always fun for the kids to see them standing next to each other, father and son because it just looks so Right until Kevin yells at them to run faster or get off the court

Wymack keeps in touch with all his foxes, but Kevin later learns that he also keeps contact with Jean which makes him. so happy because finally Jean has more good influences in his life

ALSO their first father son heart to heart is after rikos funeral where wymack is like 'so. do you want to get blackout drunk' and kevin obviously agrees

Kevin starts calling wymack Dad or sometimes Father after he graduates . sometimes he refers to him as Coach in interviews or in public but everyone knows who he means

Wymack buys the first racquet for Kevin's daughter (she exists in the EC)

(also i dont like thea. sorry. so smth smth kevin adopts a little baby girl and single-dads so hard that wymack is put to shame)

wymack loves his granddaughter like crazy and spoils the shit out of her

Kevin takes a rough hit during a game and Wymack almost charges into the court to take out the punk who tried to hurt his kid

wymack often gets badgered by media trying to get comments about kevin or the other foxes post-graduating and going pro and if hes in the mood he will give them a line about how proud he is of x kid but in such a cryptic way that only that kid could know what he means

this is especially true for neil and andrew but sometimes kevin calls him the next day like 'did u have to talk about the time i did X when they asked u for a comment on my game' and wymack is like. yes. next question

Wymack and Kevin argue a lot it is their love language

but god forbid you talk shit about David Wymack in front of Kevin or in any public space because not only are you bringing down the wrath of the Foxes on you, Kevin Day is a petty bitch and will ruin your life, your career, and your will to live if you fuck with his dad

and vice versa because who the fuck do you think you are messing with david wymack's kid?

TRAUMA ALERT: in the EC it says neil only cries when he gets the call about wymack. but consider: kevin has to make the call. goodnight

ok im done now i just have a lot of feelings

[maochira]

Hii I hope you're doing well🫶🏽

Can I request raichi, shindo , kaiser, Ness and gagemaru with a younger gn!sibling when they're like at a hotel and they're doing like at hotel stuff

like running up and down the hall together, waking up to get breakfast, going to the pool

You can also add the dad coaches too

Have a good one!!

I'm only doing the big bros for this request because I have many other requests for the dad coaches!!

Tags: gn!younger sibling!reader, the sillies

Raichi

-the type of big brother who snores and will barely let you fall asleep but the moment you make a noise he scolds you as if you were a little child

-he refuses to go anywhere without you. He always drags you along because he thinks it's boring to do something on his own when on vacation

-every evening you two get a lot of snacks and funky drinks from a nearby store and watch a movie together (after arguing about which one for almost an hour)

-as much as you love each other, you tend to get into fights more often than at home because you're constantly around each other and getting on each other's nerves

-also, sometimes you provocate each other intentionally but that never ends up in an argument

Shidou

-he eats all the snacks you brought if you only look away for a second

-when you're upset he pretends to not have eaten them and tries to gaslight you into thinking you ate everything

-that obviously doesn't work. So to apologize he buys new snacks (and ends up eating half of them)

-you spend most of your time at the pool and come up with silly games to play together!!

-Shidou likes to pick you up and throw you into the water without warning. Sometimes he picks you up and jumps into the water with you in his arms

-he also constantly wants to do swimming races with you because he can't go a single day without getting competitive over something with you

Kaiser

-he only wants to relax and not do anything, but constantly gets dragged into the pool by you

-he doesn't want to admit how much fun it is and pretends to be annoyed

-every evening, he takes you to a nice restaurant and always pays for everything because your brother just loves to spoil you

-no matter how much you beg, nothing will ever be enough to get Kaiser to come along to the beach with you. He hates the feeling of sand on his feet and he knows you'd put sand into his hair as soon as you get the chance

Ness

-he always wakes up earlier than you, so he uses that time to order breakfast so you can eat together when you wake up

-he's open to doing whatever you want. All he cares about is his beloved little sibling having fun

-you and Ness always try your best to avoid being around your parents and older siblings. You just know they'd ruin your fun because they think you're childish

-most of your day isn't spent at the hotel because of that, but rather at the beach or in the city. You only have to be with the rest of your family at dinner because your parents insist on eating together every evening

Gagamaru

-he always sleeps in and only wakes up early noon. But you do the same. Because both of you spent way too much time talking about the manga you're currently reading until 4 am

-both you and Gagamaru can eat A LOT so you're the worst enemies of the all-you-can-eat buffets in the area

-your brother always wants to explore the nature around the hotel. He doesn't like swimming in pools and prefers the beach or a lake

-one time he was like "I heard there's a nice area nearby" then spent three hours dragging you through the city until you arrived at a forest. At the end of the day you were too tired to walk back and wanted to call a taxi but your brother just ended up carrying you back to the hotel

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Dirty Work 12

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as bullying, familial discord/abuse, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You start a new gig and find one of your clients to be hard to please.

Characters: Loki

Note: I'm having too much fun with this.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

As you enter, you hear Leslie. It's an unusual homecoming as you're used to only the blare of the television and swaths of cigarette smoke. Both are missing as you peek into the living room.

“Now, Charles, you heard me,” the nurse chides.

“Yeah, I got it,” your dad says with less spite than usual, “this one.”

Dread curdles in your stomach. The call you got at lunchtime was short and Leslie assured you all was well but you couldn’t tell if she was only being polite. You could hear your father yelling in the background.

You look around the door frame and find your father sitting forward on the couch, one hand on the handle of his oxygen tank as his shoulders obscure his other. You tiptoe closer as Leslie sits in one of the wooden chairs from the dining room. You spot the half-finished jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table as you come forward. 

“Well, give it a try,” she encourages and he pushes the piece into another. He grunts, a noise with some pride. “Looking good, Charles.”

You've never heard anyone talk to your dad like that. Not without being told to cut the shit. And no one ever calls your dad anything but ‘Chuck’.

“Yeah, yeah,” he sounds almost bashful.

“Ah, hello,” Leslie sees you first, “come on in.”

You put your bag down and cautiously inch forward. Your dad doesn’t acknowledge you but that’s not too unusual. You stop behind the couch as he puts another piece in place.

“And how was your day?” The nurse asks in a sunny tone.

“Um… good,” you answer. You don’t usually get that question.

“You look tired. Must have been a long one,” she remarks.

“Mhmm,” you stare at the puzzle as your dad continues to piece it together. You’ve never seen him do anything but watch television or doze on the couch. And rarely without a cigarette between his lips.

“Been a good day for us, too. Me and Charles are just getting to know each other,” she grins.

Still, your dad is silent.

“Charles, come on, say hi, your daughter’s home,” she scolds.

“Hi,” he grunts. She sighs.

“You’re a funny man,” she tuts and stands up, “I got another hour,” she faces you, “why don’t we have a chat?”

“Sure,” you accept and she takes the lead, waving you into the kitchen. Your father mutters to himself as he holds a handful of pieces and picks through them. You give him one last look before you follow the nurse.

Leslie turns to you as she stops just by the counter, “no more cigarettes. We got in a row about the things but I tossed ‘em.”

“Huh?” You can’t help the shock bulging behind your eyes.

“Yep, and he ate all his vegetables,” she smirks proudly, “I know it’s hard to say no to our loved ones but I don’t wanna come back to a fresh pack tomorrow.”

“Uh, yeah, I…” you don’t try to excuse yourself. You don’t buy him smokes, he finds a way, but you still gave up arguing about them.

“I also have some information for you. Some stuff about diet and all that. The meals you made are lovely but there are some recommended staples for his condition that would be better,” she explains, “and an exercise plan. Light duty but he can’t be on that couch all day.”

“Thanks so much,” you say, “I really appreciate it. I… I’m so sorry it’s such a mess-”

“Are ya kidding me? I’ve walked into much worse. He’s a bit crotchety but no skin off my back,” she scoffs, “don’t worry, hon, I got it.”

You could cry. You feel the weight slowly lifting from your shoulders; still there but less. It’s not just having help, it’s having someone to guide you, someone you can speak your concerns to. Someone who can tell you you’re doing the right things.

🧹

It’s eerie entering the house knowing that you’re completely alone. The leash is no slacker without its holder near. You still feel the oppression of the empty house, curtains drawn and shadows pooling.

It won’t be for long. The carpenter will be there soon to inspect the gazebo and the landscapers are due for their scheduled work in the garden. There’s enough to keep you busy and unaware of your employer’s absence.

Still, it’s a strange feeling to walk those empty halls. You half-expected Mr. Laufeyson to appear and berate you, as if he is a wraith who does not abide time or space. He doesn’t and you press on, holing up in the library for the morning.

There’s another mystery in the folder. A riddle you can’t solve. A page taken from a notebook, with little flowers framed around the lines. It’s a list but it’s not for this place. It can’t be. As far as you know, there isn’t a fire pit around here or a lake… both are mentioned among the clustered bullet points.

You earmark it but don’t know if you’ll ever get to it. You want to ask Mr. Laufeyson but then, you’re not sure he would even know. It could be something only his wife would be privy to. You wouldn’t want to reopen old wounds.

You go down to the kitchen to eat your lunch. A plain peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat, the same thing you have every day. It isn’t much but it’s enough to keep you going. You wipe up stray crumbs and put the container back in your bag. 

The doorbell rings just as you come back to the staircase. You descend and for a moment, you let yourself pretend that this is your home. That you are the lady of the estate. That all these fine ornaments and the sprawling gardens belong to you. The fantasy dissolves as you reach the last step.

You go out to meet the new arrival at the gate. It must be the carpenter as the landscapers can let themselves in. You recall his name is Ronan from your brief phone call. You remember because it seemed so unique.

He’s a tall man, hunching slightly as he sees you approach between the slats of iron. You pull the gate open from within and muster a smile to welcome him. You’re at a loss as you can eke out only a mousish ‘hi’.

He says your name, tenuously, as if he isn’t sure.

“That’s me, sir,” you close the gate gently behind him. As he steps past you, his height becomes even more obvious. In his hand, he has a brown leather bag, squarish and bulky. “You’re the carpenter, Ronan?”

“Yes,” he answers as he looks around, “this is a nice place.”

“Erm, thanks,” you utter, “well, er, I suppose I should show you…”

You trail off and scurry around him. You hear him following as the contents of his bag shifts noisily with each step. You take him around the back and divert away from your usual route. You lead him into the thick brush that overgrows the path to the gazebo. You stop before the derelict structure as he comes up beside you.

“There’s a hole in the floor and one of the pillars is cracked,” you explain, pointing, “just wondering if it can be repaired.”

“Ah,” he takes a breath and lets out a thoughtful hum. 

You peek over as his pale blue eyes examine the steps and front columns. He steps forwards and sets his bag on the lowest step before climbing up. His footsteps sound hollow as he traverses the wood, walking the perimeter, stopping to check the broken post and then the boards across the floor. He squats to get a closer look as you remain where you are, rubbing your sweaty palms together.

“I’ve seen worse,” he declares as he stands, his voice booming as he rolls into the open air. He comes back to the archway and rests his hand on the top of the railing, “definitely not a lost cause. Did you have anything in mind for the restoration?”

You shake your head, “I’d have to ask my boss.”

“Your boss?” He wonders as he comes down the stairs and bends to unbuckle his bag.

“Uh, yes, I just… I’m… the house manager?” You say uncertainly. “He’s out of town so I’m seeing to the property.”

“Oh,” he takes out a measuring tape and a level. “I thought it was yours.”

You almost laugh. It's flattering that he would assume that. You just smile sheepishly.

“Well, I’ll have to do a proper inspection, check the integrity for sure, but I’ll leave you my notes. What needs to be tended to, my suggestions…” he says, “when it’s ready, where would I find you?”

“Oh, well… I’ll… I’ll be working on the patio,” you point back to the house as the idea flashes through your mind. Without Mr. Laufeyson, you can enjoy the sunlight. “I’ll be there.”

“Right, thank you miss,” he faces the gazebo and squares his shoulders. You feel as if you’re missing something.

“Um, sir,” you begin, “would you like some water?”

You think that’s right. You should be polite. It’s what Frigga would you think and she seems to know everything.

“That’s very kind of you but no thanks,” he says as he begins up the stairs again.

You twiddle your fingers as you stay there for a moment and watch him. That wasn’t as bad as you expected. It’s always difficult meeting new people. While he’s not overly friendly, he’s not rude or scary or anything like that. He’s just there to do his work, much like you.

You turn on your heel and leave him. Your excitement builds as you trace your way to the backdoor. You can’t wait to bring your things out and sit on the patio. It will be a nice breath of fresh air. Literally.

🧹

Your first day alone proves to be the calmest since you began working for Mr. Laufeyson. You can’t help but bask in the peace of his absence. Even so, you are mindful to stay within his lines. You haven’t forgotten the camera on the mantle.

You leave the house after double-checking that the security is enabled and the doors are all locked. The gate clunks loudly into place and you shake it just to be sure. You exhale and turn off down the street, eager to get home and relieve Leslie of her duties.

The bus comes on time and you find a seat, staring out at the city as it passes. You hug your bag in your lap as you recognize that moment. That rare occasion where you’re not bound up in knots. There is no Mr. Laufeyson to shadow and rebuke you. And your father is taken care of and seemingly content. 

As you get off at your stop, you take your time as the sky sets slowly above. You are met by a similar scene as the previous night. Your father is at the coffee table, bent over as he pushes pieces into each other. Leslie is singing in the kitchen as she tidies and looks up as you enter.

“Ah, hello hon,” she beams cheerily, “dinner’s in the oven for ya.”

“Um, oh, thanks, you didn’t have to…”

“More than enough,” she smiles, “long day?”

“Not too bad,” you glance back over your shoulder into the living room, “how was he?”

You turn back and she cackles, “I’m sure you know how he can be. He’s calming down a bit. We got in a right tiff over the cigarettes again but he ran out of air to bluster.”

“Oh…” you scratch your neck, “I’m sorry, I hope he’s not too much.”

“Like I said, nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” she shrugs.

You nod and return to the living room. You near your father as he rubs his chin. He’s almost done the puzzle.

“Wow, you got a lot done,” you comment. 

“Eh, cause I don’t got you to distract me,” he flicks his fingers at you derisively.

You wince and back away. A sigh escapes you. You’re too tired to try. As you retreat, you can’t help but stumble in realisation. There’s something happening to you. Some sort of indifference. Apathy, maybe?

You look back at your father. You love him and you desperately want to make him happy and healthy. You want him to be proud of you. You want him to tell you that you’re good enough and yet you just don’t have the energy to keep fighting him. 

When you see how he is with Leslie, it feels as if he’s taunting you. He can be nice to her, he will listen to her, he will talk to her, but you, you’ll never earn that. Thirty years and you just aren’t worthy.

Well, he is happier and healthier than he was. It doesn’t matter that it has nothing to do with you. It only matters that he’s okay. It’s all you ever wanted for him.

You take your bag up to your room and trade it for a paperback. You come back down and sit on the porch until she’s gone. You go inside and lock up, your father still sitting vigil at the puzzle. You notice his grey hair is tidy and clean. He wears a shirt that isn’t wrinkled and he looks more lively.

You ask him if he needs anything before you go to bed. He doesn’t answer. You leave him to the puzzle and pack away the dinner Leslie left for you. You’re not very hungry. 

You put both your phones on the night table beneath the lamp. You keep the light on as you finish the chapter, or try to. You doze off, awaking only as a buzzing rattles the wooden table against the side of your bed. 

You move the book off your chest and mark the page. You reach for the phone as you sit up. It unlocks with the tap of your thumb and the alert covers the screen. ‘Movement detected’. Oh!

Mr. Laufeyson enabled the app for the lock system while he’s away. The abrupt swipe of the phone from your hands was startling but it wasn't exactly yours to begin with. The memory plucks at you as if you should have seen this coming.

You rub your eyes as you press the alert and check the time in the corner. It’s nearly two in the morning! You jolt out of bed and stagger on your feet. Oh no!

Did you leave something unlocked? Maybe it’s just a squirrel or the wind? No, it says it was the front door. Shoot! Should you call him? Would he get the alert too?

You scramble to find some clothes. You pull on a pair of greyish blue sweatpants and a hoodie. You don’t have time to worry about how you look. You have to get to the house.

You snatch up your work bag, too frantic to fish out your change purse, and barrel down the stairs. Mindless of the noise or disturbing the silence, you race out the door, slamming it and locking it shakily behind you. You run up to the curb as you dial a taxi service.

Was the gate really locked when you left? Did you put the security code in right? A thousand doubts crowd your head and churn your stomach. It doesn’t matter, all you know is you messed up again.

[celestoria]

He can’t his leave his girl’s feet hurting in her heels, can he? || 600 words

Childe would immediately buy you new shoes. He can’t let you suffer on a nice day, can he? He would take you to the nicest boutique he could find and reassure you it will be alright since the mora will eventually come back to him. Just get something you like and it better be comfy. While you were picking which one to get, he was thinking if you two have more time soon, he’ll take you out shopping and buy you more shoes as long as they follow the same two conditions. His reasoning would be “A warrior can’t have nimble fights if they are feeling sore” though you’re pretty sure that's just his way for you not to reject him. He tells you that if you ever feel bad, just give him a peck on the cheek and he’ll call it even.

Diluc would take off his boots and insist you wear them until you feel better. As much as you were grateful for his kind gesture, you were baffled by it. You know Diluc is a noble and he shouldn’t let himself look like a fool. You were willing to just bear with the pain since you bought and wore those heels for yourself in the first place. However, he argued back that it’s more shameful for him to let a woman be in pain and do nothing about it, especially if it was you. After bickering like an old couple, you accepted his offer and he held onto your heels, not caring if he was walking on the cool stone steps of the city. He’d rather take care of you than let his status get in between you.

Thoma would notice you struggling and constantly ask if you are alright. You keep on telling him that you’ll be fine and that you were used to it with how often you are wearing your heels. Instead of reassuring him that you’re okay, this raised much more concern for him. The moment you finally got back home and readied yourself for bed, he brought out the body oil and massaged you. He can’t imagine how much pain you have been going through today but he hopes this will make you feel better. The smell of lavender and his hands skillfully rubbing your sore feet eased the pain you’d been tolerating the whole day. Your wellness is always Thoma’s top priority and boy, is he great at spoiling you in every way he can.

Ayato would tell you that you’re in no rush and leads you to a milk tea shop you have never tried before. That way you can give yourself a break and as well have a refreshing drink with him. His treat, of course. Oftentimes, Ayato would make you take a sip of his “unique” milk tea order but today he’s making an exception, understanding the last thing you need right now is more trouble. The two of you won’t leave until he is sure you got enough rest. Ayato doesn’t mind if it would take you hours to just sit around and enjoy each other’s company. It’s his favorite thing in the world to just see you enjoy the timid, quiet times with him. For Ayato, it shows that love is all about the little things you share and enjoy in the world.

Itto would make you stop your steps so both of you can switch shoes. Yes, switch shoes. You wear his and he wears yours. You rebutted him by saying your size is far much smaller compared to an oni like him and there is a high chance that the heels would snap which might lead the him to a surprise visit to the hospital. Instead of insisting on his idea, though he knows he would defo rock those few inches if only they would fit him, he simply agreed with you. Still, he can’t let you walk with your feet in such immense pain. Then a light bulb lit up on the top of his head. Itto scooped you up your feet and decided it was best to carry you back home. He wouldn’t listen to you when you said to put him down. Besides he has you in his arms and that’s all that matters to him.

[mylahrins]

02. to the gas station!

your eyes flutter open, and you shift in your seat, looking around—a bit dazed and confused as you notice the car had stopped.

akaashi, whose shoulder you had to thank for a comfortable drive, smiled at your drowsy face.

“it’s 11, you’ve been asleep for almost the entire drive” he answers your question before you have the chance to ask.

you look around the car, “where is everyone?” you ask, noticing the lack of passengers and your driver.

“inside,” he states, using his head to gesture towards the gas station which the car was parked in front of, “koutaro needed to use the bathroom and kenma wanted snacks.” 

it was a building you were very familiar with. you happened to spend most of your days after school with friends at the station, grabbing snacks and chatting while walking home or eating them on the curb. such a simple spot held so many memories.

“you don’t wanna go inside too?” you ask, stretching your body a bit.

“i do, but i didn’t want to leave you alone in the car or wake you up.” he explains, “do you wanna go in?

you nod your head, unbuckling your seatbelt and opening the door. you stretch your body now that you’re free and look around, “i used to come here all the time after school.”

“yeah?” akaashi steps out of the car, closing the door behind him.

“yeah,” you say grinning, “i’d always treat my friends and buy them snacks.” 

“you were rich in high school too then?” he asks humming as the both of you make way towards the gas station.

“i was loaded,” you joke, hearing the familiar jingle as you enter the shop. it was all the same, as if you had never left. though the worker was not someone you recognized. in your earlier years, it had been an older man around his 60s who worked at the store every afternoon. he was kind, occasionally giving you and your friends discounts and even free snacks. you wondered if he finally retired and let himself rest. you hoped he was still doing well.

you roamed around, grabbing a couple familiar snacks and some new ones too until finding kenma and kuroo crouching on the floor bickering about noodle flavors.

“you’re not gonna like the spicy one ken!” kuroo argues to which kenma rolls his eyes, standing up. kuroo shakes his head as he stands up with him, glancing at you and akaashi.

“morning sleepy head.” he greets, flashing you a smile.

“i wanna try it,” kenma stuffs his already very full basket of snacks.

“if you’re just trying it, why are you grabbing so much?” kuroo huffs as he follows kenma out of the aisle into another, with you and akaashi trailing behind them.

“incase i like it.” he states, grabbing more snacks from the shelves, barely reading the names. akaashi chuckles at his actions, “who’s gonna eat all that if you don’t like it?”

“bokuto probably.” 

akaashi’s eyes light up at the name, suddenly recognizing bokuto’s absence,

“speaking of, where is he? he’s not still in the bathroom is he? it’s been 10 minutes” akaashi asks with a concerned face, grabbing a small package of thumbprint cookies and placing them in kenma’s shopping basket.

“oh man, has it?” kuroo looks around the convenience store, searching for bokuto’s familiar tufts of black and white hair, to which akaashi sighs. 

“i’ll go check the bathroom.” akaashi leaves the group in search of bokuto.

only now, do you and kuroo realize kenma got a second shopping basket already half way full with more snacks.

“seriously who’s gonna eat all this stuff? these are bad spending habits!” he scolds kenma, struggling to take the other basket from his hands

you sigh, smiling as you watch the two of them fight.

part of you was envious, kuroo and kenma had been friends for years, and even after graduation they still found themselves at each others side. they never let time nor distance tear them apart. you couldn’t say the same with your own childhood friends. you didn’t even bother to let them know that you were coming home, though of course you didn’t think it mattered. you all lived far apart and barely talked anyway. you didn’t plan on seeing them ever again, nonetheless talk to them. you moved on, and you hoped they did too.

“he was in the bathroom having a conversation with a stranger.” akaashi says, sighing as he walks towards you, pulling bokuto’s over by his wrist like a child.

“he wasn’t a stranger ‘kaashi! he’s my teammate’s brother. i know him!” bokuto defended himself with a pout, you giggle at their antics, pinching bokuto’s cheek.

“did you grab any snacks too, or were you just stuck in the bathroom the entire time?”

“bathroom.” he says frowning, gently taking your hand from his cheek and holding it in his own, “do you know if they have dog treats? i want to get mimi a snack.” he says looking around.

“i think i saw something at the aisle near the front of the store.” kenma states, standing with both his shopping baskets now full to the brim with kuroo looking defeated beside him.

bokuto books it to the front of the store, searching for dog snacks with akaashi still attached.

“can we please just go buy all this stuff?” kurro asks, “this is probably enough food for the entire trip.”

“should we get your grandma something too? i feel rude staying at her home and not bringing any gifts.” kenma questions as he looks around some more, earning a whine from kuroo

“she’d probably feel bad if we got her anything too expensive. really, she’s just excited to have guests and have people to take care of again.” you state, as you rub your chin in thought, “but she does like eating biscuits with her tea, so you could grab a pack for her if you want.”

kenma nods his head as he walks through the small store. bokuto and akaashi walk over with a couple bags of cutely-shaped dog treats and set them in one of kenma’s overstuffed baskets.

“can you guys go check these out? i’m just gonna get some tea biscuits then we can leave.” kenma hands over the baskets to kuroo.

as kenma momentarily leaves the group, you all head over to the front counter and start checking out the many items kenma put in the basket. you watch with a nervous smile as the number on the register goes higher and higher.

ready to pay, you take out your wallet until a hand stops you. you glance up to see kenma's returned quickly, looking at you with a raised brow.

“did you seriously think i was gonna make you pay for all this?” he shakes his head, setting a pack of tea biscuits he found on the counter for it to be scanned.

“i’ve got it. you can wait outside or in the car if you want.” kenma states, pulling out his own wallet, as he waits for the cashier to finish scanning. you smile at him with thanks and walk away from the counter, making your way to the door.

you could’ve paid for the snacks just fine, you definitely have enough money to do so—but you appreciate kenma’s willingness to pay. you’ve spent most of your life covering for others, not that you minded, but it's nice having someone take care of you every once in a while.

you walk outside the gas station and sit on a bench in front of the window to wait for your friends. you glance inside, watching as the expressions change on their faces whilst talk. almost discreetly, you take out your phone and snap a picture of them. 

“taking pictures of strangers? i know it’s been a while since high school, but i would’a never guessed ya’d turn out to be some creep.” you hear a voice chuckle, in a way it’s recognizable yet still somewhat foreign. 

when you turn your head to the voice, you see a familiar pair of deep grey eyes. his hair is darker now, no longer dyed and styled differently. his eyes look more tired than they did, dark circles surrounding them. you wonder if it’s from how hard he’s been working. he looks stronger too, more than he was in high school anyway. but strangely, no matter how many years it’s been, he still dresses the same—comfortable and clean.

“samu.” you say, a bit shocked from his presence. you didn’t expect to see him here, to see him home. usually he’s back in tokyo manning his business.

“that’s me.” he says, “i was talkin’ with bokuto in there. he’s always been unpredictable, but i didn’t expect to see him in hyogo.” you stand up from your seat on the bench, dusting the imaginary dirt off your clothes.

“it’s been a while, y/n. what’re ya doing back home?” osamu looks genuinely glad to see you, it’s a bit surprising. 

“i’m here for a photography competition, and i just figured it’d be nice to finally visit home. i didn’t think i’d see anyone i know though. what are you doing in hyogo? i thought you had your business in tokyo?” as you talk the bell on the door rings, your friends flowing out of the gas station.

they all walk over to you, bokuto goes to greet osamu again as akaashi moves beside you, setting a hand on your shoulder, “we’ll be in the car, but there’s no rush. talk as long as you want.” akaashi assures you before heading to the car with the others.

“i’ve been working at my shop over here. it’s only right that i visit the original onigiri miya every once in a while, right?” he says chuckling lightly as he moves a hand to rub the back of his neck, “and y’know, ma and pa are getting older. he’s been getting sick a lot lately and ma’s been stressing ‘bout it, so i came over to help ‘em out. i don’t know how long i’ll be out here.” he explains. your eyebrows furrow at the mention of his parents, they were kind people you met a while ago.

“i hope your dad get’s better samu.” you look at him with a saddened smile. 

“it’s no problem y/n. sorry, i don’t mean to make ya feel sad.” he smiles back apologetically.

“it’s okay, it’s been nice seeing you. are… the others here too, or?” you ask, looking around for your other old friends. osamu shakes his head, keeping his smile.

“not with me, no. but tsumu’s home too and so is rin. ya should come sometime, those two are always hanging out at onigiri miya. we could have a reunion. ya can bring your friends too if ya want.” he says using his thumb to point towards your car behind him.

“maybe, but wouldn’t that be a little awkward? it’s been so long.”

“it’s not awkward right now, is it?”

you look at his smile and realize he’s right. it’s been years since you’ve properly spoken—other than when you’d occasionally order from onigiri miya at bokuto’s matches, but you’re talking so casual. as if you’d never left, as if you guys were still close friends.

“no, i guess, it’s not.”

“we’re open all week from 7 in the morning to 10 at night, so come over whenever ya’d like. ya don’t even have to pay.” he winks at you cheekily, you smile at his offer. 

“you don’t have to do that,” 

he shakes his head at your words, “i know but i want to, we don’t see ya enough. so, if ya do decide to come over, let me treat ya, alright?”

“alright.”

he smiles, satisfied at your answer.

“see ya around snapper.” he says, leaving and walking to his own truck. you smile at the old nickname, it was given to you back in high school because for some reason samu couldn’t bring himself to remember your name. but he did remember you always carrying your camera and taking pictures for the yearbook club, hence the name: snapper.

for the longest time the nickname weirded you out, cause you thought he was naming you after a type of fish.

“later, samu.”

masterlist | next, 03. from when we were young | back

author note: "yay! it's winterbreak im gonna update a lot more now!" is what i say when i LIE. sorry it took so long :-(( but i tried writing a bit more to make up for the lack of updates!!! ALSO! for anyone wondering, no!!!! there is not gonna be any osamu x reader content, they're just good friends—i think if i did that id cry or something.

indented names mean i cant tag you!!! :-(

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[antebunny]

There’s something wrong with Jason. 

Early autumn of Cass’s first full year as Bruce Wayne’s daughter. Trees droop, browned and unbearably brittle, onto the cracked sidewalks. Children skip and slouch and trudge their way back into classrooms for another dull year of learning. The exception is Cass, happily at home with Barbara and Bruce, Tim and Steph and Dick and all the new members of her new family. None of them know quite how old Cass is, and resolutely refuse to have anything to do with Lady Shiva or David Cain, the only people who could tell them. But Barbara went to bat for Cass, arguing that the American education system was not beneficial for all American children, much less Cass, who was still adjusting, as Barbara put it. Learning to come out of her shell. So there’ll be no school for Cass this autumn or any autumn. Only apple cider and hot cocoa, safely tucked away by the fifth fake fireplace of Wayne Manor, curling up in window frames just to listen to the psithurism before the rain, and a flood of scarves and mittens and boots as every member of her family tries to prepare her for the incoming Gotham winter. 

Personally, Cass doesn’t get why introverts are always encouraged to become more extroverted. She thinks extroverts should be told to shut the hell up more often. Perhaps it is an American thing, she muses, but then, she loves her new family for their relentless positivity and inability to shut the hell up. From Steph, who drags her on girl’s night after girl’s night with Barbara, Harley, and all the other crazy girls of Gotham who want to paint their toenails neon purple with little stars and crack skulls open just to feel something. (Whenever Harley robs a department store she always sends Cass a dress she thinks she’ll like in the mail. Bruce always gives her a look, sends it back, then buys ten variations of the same dress). To Tim, who is hard at work learning ASL so they can communicate better and shares all of his embarrassing interests with her. Niche anime, questionable manga, decrepit video games, card games, board games, and a stash of Batman and Robin photos he swears her to secrecy over. To Dick, who remains upbeat and cheerful in the face of all her silences and stony stares. He always makes time to take her (and usually some of his other little siblings) to a pizza parlor, or an ice cream parlor, or an abandoned parking lot perfect for doing donuts. Dick Grayson is a busy man who gained most of his current family after turning eighteen and losing most of them beforehand. Yet his heart opens, bottomless and sincere, for every new orphan that shows up on Bruce’s doorstep. When he drops by Cass’s ballet studio, exhaustion crinkling in every forehead line and eye wrinkle, how can she not love him back? 

So she takes it personally when Jason continues to avoid them. Perhaps she could ignore it if it was clear that he wanted nothing to do with them, no matter how much the others missed him. But everytime they run into Jason it is clear to Cass that he misses them fiercely. She may not be an expert on the standard personality and behavioral ticks of Jason Todd, but she is an expert on body language, and everything about Jason screams bad, wrong, liar, liar, LIAR–

Cass goes to Barbara. 

These days Barbara spend the vast majority of her time in the Clocktower. Ever since the Joker, Cass has been told, and hung up the Batgirl cape. She rotates between the library and the tower, retreating from regular life while her law degree collects dust. And even though Dick gets sad whenever he see her, and Barbara feels guilty and helplessly furious, he never says anything. The two of them dance around in silent conversations–I love you, I know, I’m sorry–that start all over again the next time they see each other. As if Cass can’t tell.

“Cass! So good to see you.” Barbara smiles and wheels herself over to the window when Cass drops in unannounced. She’s in pain.

Cass is not a vigilante but she was trained to kill them. When she takes to the rooftops of Gotham, she wears a nondescript black mask. She shucks this mask off now so that Barbara can see her face and plods over to her dearest friend and surrogate mother. Steph tells her the term is “mom friend” and not to get weird about it, but Cass believes she’s well beyond the point of being considered weird. 

“Jason,” Cass announces. 

She leans down awkwardly to hug Barbara, so she misses everything that is said in response. By the time she straightens, Barbara’s face worries, deep emotional lines of someone whose loved ones spend 80% of their time in mortal peril, and her body twitches backwards, itching for the long row of computers and tech equipment on the far wall. Barbara is concerned about Jason, but she believes the trouble lies in whatever Jason’s doing right now. That she’ll know what to do with just a little cyberstalking. But Cass’s concern is more long-term than that. 

“Is there something wrong with Jason?” Barbara’s cadence indicates that this is not the first time she’s spoken. Oops. Cass missed her out-loud words because she was so busy paying attention to what Barbara was actually saying.

Cass points at the computers. She doesn’t know how to explain it with words.

Barbara takes the hint and wheels back over to her computer lab, where she pulls up all the surveillance footage she can of Jason’s usual haunts until she finds him disappearing up the fire escape of an old brick apartment building in the very edge of Burnley. Any further south and he’ll be in Gotham’s Upper East Side, and Jason can’t stand that neighborhood. 

As Robin, Jason had to be bullied into the Diamond District and the Upper West Side, but Bruce dragged him into Chinatown to practice his Cantonese and Jason went to Old Gotham willingly for the vibe. A lot of gargoyles, Cass has been told. Worn bricks, gothic spires, flying buttresses, and properly intimidating gargoyles for brooding. There is so much that Cass knows about Jason from other people. The reverse cannot be said, because Jason doesn’t really talk to them anymore. 

Barbara boots up a drone from the Bat-hideout closest to Jason’s apartment and flies it over. It’s a lovely little three-room apartment on the third floor of an old brick apartment building. One bedroom and one bathroom, which Barbara does not attempt to enter, and a kitchen/living room area. All the furniture in the living room looks new. A comfy armchair, two bookcases overflowing with newly-purchased novels, shiny new wood cabinets and a marble finish to the kitchen island. Three wooden stools, two of them as sturdy as the day they were bought. 

Remotely, she and Cass peer through the window as Jason makes his guns disappear before he reaches his kitchen island. Stripped down to a form-fitting black shirt and brown pants, Jason washes his hands, preheats the oven, and sets about making lemon and herb salmon.

“This looks pretty normal to me,” says Barbara.

Jason slides into one of the wooden stools around his marble kitchen island counter. He drums his fingers on the marble. He checks the time on his phone. The salmon, now covered in garlic, thyme, and rosemary and such, is still baking in the oven. 

“He’s just making himself dinner,” Barbara observes. She won’t call Cass a liar, but this isn’t worthy of the label “trouble.” 

She doesn’t see it. Cass is at a loss. If Barbara cannot see what is in front of her eyes, how can Cass possibly explain it? 

“Look,” Cass insists. 

After checking the time on his phone again, Jason gets up and paces. At over six feet tall, he makes his cozy apartment seems small. He picks a book out of his shelf, seemingly at random. He examines the cover. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. He puts the book back and resumes pacing the perimeter of his small home. 

Barbara sighs. “I don’t understand.”

She wants Cass to be able to just spit it out, but won’t say so because she knows Cass cannot. They’ve reached a stalemate. 

Here is what Cass cannot articulate: Jason Todd is lonely. Loneliness is built into Jason’s bones. It gathers in his bed at night like a soldier returning from war. It lashes at the confines of his self-imposed cage. When the loneliness threatens to break him, it explodes in the form of rage at anyone who dares to be near him. Ah, but what a liar that rage makes of him. Claiming he loves nothing and no one when all Jason has ever done is love. Raging against the state of his beloved city, fury at the father he will not forgive, and hate–blackened love–for those he once called family. A cruel, self-perpetuated cycle. The lonely drives him to rage which in self-delusion to hide his shame he lies about until everyone learns to stay away. Thus creating more loneliness for Jason to feast in until he inevitably withers away from eating nothing but emptiness. 

And Cass fears she is the only one who sees it. But Jason is a fool for thinking no one else understands. Is Cass not the unwanted daughter of a world-class assassin and the wanted weapon of a monster? Her first months in Gotham she did nothing but drive people away because she didn’t know any better. The only reason she has good people around her now is because there is something so irrefutably good about the Bats. Barbara never withdrew her hand even when Cass bit her literally and metaphorically. Bruce took her in without a second thought for her background. Tim tries his hardest to be a good brother to her even when he’s hurting. Steph and Dick didn’t blink twice at the half-feral, non-verbal, former assassin addition to their family. They bring their good cheer out for Cass even when she can tell it’s fake, and she can always tell. 

So why does Jason, who is hurting and so lonely that it hurts Cass to look at him, insist on pushing them away? 

[thejakeslayla]

╰─▸❝ enhypen as brothers 🧸❞

pairing enhypen x gn! reader ୨୧ genre fluff ୨୧ warnings profanity ୨୧ wc 1.7

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ yang jungwon 양정원 ✩

Jungwon is the type of younger brother that you just adore with your whole heart. If you could, you would protect him with your life.

He’s younger, but sometimes it feels like he’s older than you, the fact that he gives you such a wise advises each time you have a problem. When he sees that you’re stressing out over something, he brings you to karaoke so you guys can sing your hearts out.

When you were younger till now, he always follows you like a puppy, he’s always excited to show you his new stuff he bought, his new outfit or the skill he just learned and you’re always so proud of him. You always talk about him to your friends, praising him for just being there.

Also! Jungwon with your friends, he met all of them, it’s almost like he’s also a part of your friend group, he gets along with everyone.

If you’re in relationship, he always sees when the person you’re dating is toxic, it’s almost like he reads them perfectly and always informs you that this person specifically is not good for you. You argued about it, but in the end you always trust your brother.

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ lee heeseung 이희승 ✩

God, don’t even get me started. He is one of the top 3 most annoying brothers in ENHYPEN. Obviously, he’s older than you, and when he introduces you to his friends, he always mentions that you’re his younger sibling, his little precious sibling. He’s so overprotective of you; to his friends, he always mentions that you’re "off limits" and don’t even mention that you’re dating someone when he’s near. He absolutely hates your dating partners. It doesn’t even matter that he hasn’t met them; he just purely hates them because they are dating you.

He would always ask them so many questions, asking if they thought that they were good enough for you and always telling them that he would find them if they hurt you.

Heeseung never knew how to show you that he loved you as his sibling; he thinks that being overprotective is a sign of love, but he also does different things. If you’re a teen or young adult, he always takes care of your inner child. No matter how old you are, he still treats you like a child, in a good and healthy way, of course. He takes you out for ice cream, buys you stuff, takes you out to amusement parks, always holds your hand when you’re scared, and just simply takes such good care of you.

He would randomly come up to you and just hug you when he realised that you had a bad day or were just tired.

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ park jongseong 박종성 ✩

Jay is also annoying, but you both have this playful relationship. On family gatherings, you always cook together; you help him cut the vegetables and grill the meat. You both always get annoyed when the rest of ENHYPEN mentions that you’re almost the same, but deep inside you’re glad.

You would always hit him playfully, and he does the same, which ends in a pillow fight or just bickering. You’re the loudest when you’re with him, always teasing each other. When the pool is around, just be prepared to be picked up and thrown into the water by Jay.

You’re so similar that Jay almost has these brotherly senses; he knows how you feel by just looking at you. He doesn’t say a thing when he notices how sad you are; he either brings you into a warm hug and then cooks you food or knocks on your door, entering the room with a warm meal, prepared to have a deep conversation with him.

You trust him with everything; he’s a good listener, he waits patiently when you’re struggling to find the right words, and he always gives you the best advice. No matter if it’s a small thing like "should I wear that tomorrow?" or breakup advice,

Also, when you were younger, Jay always stayed near you, either reading you to sleep, singing, or just talking to you about nonsense. After bad days, where you ended your day with crying on his shoulder, he always stays after you fall asleep, just keeping you safe and making sure that you’re sleeping peacefully.

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ jake sim 제이크 심 ✩

He would either be older or the same age. Even if he’s older than you, it would feel like he’s the same age. He would encourage your stupid ideas, promising that he would do them with you, but then he actually dipped, leaving you alone when you messed up. "Y/N! Come on, add the salt to Jay’s coffee; he won’t notice!" and when Jay notices and looks at Jake, he’s all defensive, screaming that it was your idea. After begging your parents for a pet, you guys got a dog for Children's Day. Choosing a name for the puppy took you almost two weeks, but somehow you agreed to the same one. Layla was your little baby, and you were always sulking that she liked him more. Jake unconsciously created a core memory for you when he picked you up from school after a bad day. When you noticed the fluffy ball near his legs, you couldn't control the big smile appearing on your face. You run to them, instantly greeting Layla with lots of pets and Jake with a hug. It was like his "brother instincts" told him about your bad day. While walking home, Jake agreed to go to the dog park. You remember taking a lot of pictures—selfies, pics of Layla alone, Layla with Jake, or just the beautiful scenery around you. To this day, when you have a bad day, you catch yourself thinking about this moment and how Jake listened to your worries and encouraged you that everything would be fine. Sometimes you even scroll down your gallery and look at the pictures. You never deleted them; why would you? You want to remember this moment forever.

When you’re sad, he doesn’t even think; it became a tradition to force you into his car late at night, listen to music together, scream the lyrics until your throat hurts, and then talk about everything that’s happening in McDonald’s parking lot while munching on chicken nuggets.

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ park sunghoon 박성훈 ✩

The other older brother that’s overprotective and teasing. He always jokes around about being protective, but he’s so serious. If anyone hurts his little sibling, he’s ready to k word them.

But he always teases you whenever you have a crush; he gives them "don’t mess with me" looks, but he’s happy as long as you’re happy.

The random texts he sends you??? It could be 2 a.m. and you get a text from Sunghoon about the most random shit you've ever read.

But it’s also his love language; he always texts you when you’re away, asking if you’re okay, how your day is going, and if you need anything.

As kids, he always held your hand while walking to school, being too scared to lose you. When someone made fun of you in school, he ALWAYS stood up for you, protecting you from bullies. In high school, it got to the point that everyone was scared to mess with you since they knew you had a crazy brother. (In a good way.)

When you’re sad, he either turns into "WHO DID IT TO YOU?!" or he’s awkward and doesn’t know what to say. You have to be the first one to ask for a hug because he completely freezes when you’re crying. He’s bad with his words and emotions, but he’s always there for you. Hug? A good listener? Someone who would rush to the shop for your favourite ice cream after you only mentioned it? It’s Sunghoon.

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ kim sunoo 김선우 ✩

Sunoo is the younger brother, who’s also your best best best friend. You’re so close with him; you were the one to teach him about fashion and makeup. He absolutely adores you, and as a kid, he always said that he wants to be like you when he grows up. If you’re super interested in fashion and makeup, he will always ask for advice on his outfit or makeup. It would be normal for you to get ready together, do each other's makeup, and stuff.

You still remember your first breakup and how Sunoo was the first one to actually run into your room with makeup bags, nail polish, and fashion magazines. You guys talked for hours, not only about your breakup but about everything. You drew faces on models, laughing your ass off. He would always hype you up, making the atmosphere way better.

"Y/N! Men AINT SHIT! You’re better; you CAN BE BETTER!"

You always invite him out with your friends, as they also absolutely adore him. He always wants to stick around, and you always agree.

Each Sunday night, you guys do masks together—just a skin care night—as you watch dramas and enjoy each other's company.

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ nishimura riki 西村 力 ✩

If you could k word him, you would. Niki is such an annoying younger brother. You absolutely hate him, but then you look at him and you want to cry because he grew up so fast. You just want to hug him and never let go while crying at the same time.

About crying: the amount of times that he made you cry as a kid because he hit you too hard or threw you off the sofa He’s always panicking, almost apologising on his knees, because he never wanted to seriously hurt you.

When he grew older, he became taller than you, and he always teases you about how small you are.

Compared to Sunoo, Niki actually forces your parents to make you take him everywhere with you. He just wants to be with you, no matter if you want him to stick around or not. If you go somewhere and something interests him, even a little, he is in fact BEGGING YOU to let him do something or go somewhere.

"Y/N! Please~ just one try! I’ll do good; I’ll win the prize for you!" He says this as he drags you towards the claw machine. You spend a fortune there, but after a thousand tries, he actually wins you the plushie you wanted. Until now, it's been on your bed.

When he sees that you’re sad over your date, he’s just like Sunghoon; he freezes and tries to loosen the atmosphere by joking around, and it always helps; you always laugh so genuinely, tears still in your eyes. He hugs you so tightly that it sometimes hurts.

. . . . . -ˋˏ ✎ author's note! hello!! thank you for reading! im still getting used to tumblr so sorry for any format mistakes! hope you enjoyed! requests: open © 2023 — all rights reserved to user thejakeslayla, please do not steal, plagiarise or translate any of my work !

[waitingformysandman]

Remember Me

Part 4

Summary: After years of being separated from your love, James (Bucky) Buchanan Barnes, you finally find him again. But he’s different. Too different. Not only does he forget himself but you and Steve as well. Can he get his memories back?

‼️Trigger Warnings will be noted if needed at the beginning of chapter.‼️

Masterlist

“Ya know what? Fine. Sit here and wallow in your pain and his bloodied tattered clothes and books of faded memories. It’s not going to help bring him back!”

And with those last stinging words Steve left. Making sure to slam the door behind him like the dramatic ass he is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You knew Steve made a point about the wallowing. It did no one any good and definitely didn’t help bring Bucky back.

You were convinced nothing would though.

Steve had been enough to break through last time. But if his trigger words and been removed and HYDRA was still able to use Bucky against his will…you don’t know what would get him back.

That’s where most of your pain was.

Having gone through the five stages of grief in two weeks while no one else in the compound had even processed anything.

You’d processed. Not healthily, but you had.

You made plans to get him back. They sounded stupid to you though so you scrapped them all. Maybe if you swallowed your pride Steve would help you form a better plan. To be honest anything was better than whatever crap you had come up with. You were too stubborn however to even start thinking about asking for his help though.

You had been sleeping in Bucky’s t-shirts. His room was kept just down the hall from yours when he stayed at the Avenger’s compound before he went to Wakanda.

Eventually you just started sleeping in his room. It was more convenient considering you spent 90 percent of your day in there anyway.

That’s about when Steve thought you were a lunatic and once again tried to intervene.

“This isn’t healthy. What you’re doing. Living in his room, sleeping in his shirts. He wouldn’t have wanted this for you.”

You rolled your eyes.

“He’s not dead Steve.”

Steve leveled you with a glare.

“Then stop acting like he is. Get your shit together and do something about it.”

Like last time he was there you knew he was right. Even when you wanted so badly for him to be wrong, he usually wasn’t.

You took a deep breath.

“I assume you’ve already started looking. When’s the mission?”

Steve looked surprised. He didn’t actually think you’d get up and do anything. But you would. For Bucky you would burn down the world and then build it back up if he asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 Weeks Later

“What do you mean he’s escaped Steve?!” You practically screamed in Steve’s face.

“I mean just that Y/N! He up and escaped in the middle of the night murdering one third of the Dora Milage when they tried to stop him!”

This was going to make your rescue mission a lot harder. You could handle a manic Bucky. A Bucky who didn’t know what was going on. Who was confused, and scared. But intentionally violent and one who chose to push you so vehemently away because he didn't want you around...that's very different.

You don’t think you’d be able to put him down if you needed. No, you know you wouldn't be able to. He was your everything. You'd rather die.

You take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself from punching Steve in the face. You've been wanting to do that ever since Steve "allowed" you to help find Bucky and bring him back. He'd forgotten what exactly you were capable of while you were otherwise indisposed.

He had clearly forgotten who you and Bucky were to each other. Clearly had forgotten the half of his life before his new one.

You and Bucky would never be separated. Never truly. When he dies, you die. That was always what the two of you had said. You'd die old together. Have children. Buy a house. Argue incessantly but love each other deeply no matter what happens. You would always find your way back to him. Even if it took 80 years.

[cloudywriting05]

don't delete the kisses

chapter two.

Coriolanus stared at the back of her head. Was he angry? Intrigued? Upset? All the above? He didn’t know. All he knew was there were two ways to go about it, to have her under his arms, or have her go under. Coriolanus wasn’t insecure about his intelligence up until her arrival. How was it possible she was able to be smarter than both him and his father? It was an insult to the Snow family name for her to be in the same room as him.

He hated her already. He didn’t care that she was painfully gorgeous, or that she seemed sweeter than fruit, easy going or any of the above. If she was at the academy, his entire plan and legacy is threatened. No doubt on earth she would get the Plinth’s prize, absolutely no doubt. Coriolanus needed that money more than life itself. He refused to let a scummy district girl who bought her way into the Capitol take it from him either. 

His irritated thoughts were cut short by the sound of the bell, concluding the class. Coriolanus remained seated, eyes pinned to the back of the girl's head while she packed her book and pencils away hurriedly. The bodies of his classmates rushing towards the exit, he continued to glare, seething in his seat, wondering what he could do to get her under control in some way. The girl seemed to have finally have her stuff arranged, tugged at her skirt, and leaving her seat. Coriolanus, now standing, was still glaring at her; she now noticed. What’s this guy’s problem?she wondered to herself as she continued up the stairs.

“You alright there, blondie?” she asked, stopping at the start of Coriolanus’s row. They stood across from each other in silence for a moment.

Coriolanus, taken aback, admitted to himself she was even prettier up-close, “I’m fine, did I scare you?”

“No, you didn’t. Just try not to stare at me like I stole something from you, and if you are gonna stare– say hi… or something?” she smiled, turning her foot to walk away.

“What’s your name?” Coriolanus blurted out, his own way of getting her to stay.

“What’s yours?”

“Coriolanus Snow,” he said proudly. 

“Ah, so it was you at the top of the academic list– right after me, at-least.”

Coriolanus’s forced smile dropped, instantly angered by the snarky statement at the end, “I guess I’ll just have to learn from you, ma’am.”

“Ma’am? I don’t even look old.”

“Debatable.” Coriolanus snapped back, earning a gasp from her.

“Do you have a problem, Snow?” she asked, the anger in her tone was apparent. She took steps closer towards him, refusing to break eye contact. She raised her head to look Coriolanus in the eye: her nerve impressing him.  

“Not necessarily, doll, just stay out of my way. I don’t really like beggars or district scum; it doesn't matter how pretty or smart they look, or even how rich they appear to be.”

“I don’t necessarily like stuck-up schoolboys with bad bleach jobs but here I am,” she laughed. 

She placed her hand on his arm, sliding it down at an excruciatingly slow pace. “Your anger is reasonable, Coriolanus, but I simply refuse to apologise for being better than you. Second place sucks but are you seriously gonna punish me because you aren’t smart enough?”

“Second place isn’t in my vocabulary, beautiful; I would say whatever floats your boat but I’m not sure if you district people have ever seen water…” he snickered, looking down at the girl. 

She let out a short laugh and rolled her eyes, “Funny one, idiot. You can make fun of me for being from the districts, but you will always be second place to me, a district girl. Hey, at least it’s proof that people in the Capitol can’t buy everything they need– like in your case, braincells.”

“You can charm your way up the top with your pretty eyes, but you will never be Capitol. Never.”

“That shit doesn’t bother me, why would I wanna be grouped with you? Fucking dingus.”

Coriolanus, fuming, watched his new enemy storm off.

-

Coriolanus spent the remainder of his lunch scolding himself for arguing with her. How could he let his jealousy take over like that, and insult her? A part of him was satisfised, yet he felt like a phony. He called her district scum while he didn’t have a penny to his name, it was ironic. He didn’t have a clue on earth was he going to repair the relationship between them, or if he necessarily wanted to. He wondered briefly if it was best that they stayed enemies and ruthlessly competed for the Plinth Prize.  

He walked to his final class, Literature, continuing to ponder about the girl. He slid through the door with his head down.

“Coriolanus Snow, better late than never.” Professor remarked, Coriolanus shot his head up towards him.

“Sorry, I was just putting stuff– “

“It’s alright, Snow. Take a seat.” 

Coriolanus breathed a sigh of relief and looked for a seat, his eyes grazing over the girl he’d been losing his mind over for the past hour. She was glaring at him from the front, she rolled her eyes and turned to face the front again. She sat beside two girls Coriolanus could not name, and in front of Sejanus, who was staring at her as well. What’s that dumb-ass staring at? Coriolanus thought.

The Professor cleared his throat, “As you all know your grades in this class are vital to pass your final year. The assignment for this semester is slightly different from others we’ve done in the past. I’ll assign you a partner, your jobs are to find a novel that’s been adapted into a movie. You are both going to analyse and submit a document detailing what the difference are between both works, and how it positions the audience to feel and think.”

Coriolanus sighed eternally. Partnered work? Sounds like hell, he thought to himself. He hadn’t watched many movies due to the lack of money to rent or buy any. He’d seen a few as a child but could not remember the last movie he’d watched, before his parents’ demises, at-least. 

“I’ve already organised your pairs, please come forth when you hear your name,” the professor requested, taking a seat on his desk, “Coriolanus Snow?”

First, as always. Coriolanus shot up from his chair and made his towards the professor, everyone erupted into pointless conversation. 

“Yes, Professor?”

“I’ve paired you with the recent transfer, you are the closest to her in academic terms– “

“Sorry? Sir, that is a reason to not pair me with her,” Coriolanus protested. His plan was to aim for a grade higher than the girl, not have the same grade as her.

“Snow, I don’t like your tone, neither do I like your back chat. I like you, don’t bug me. Grab your task sheet, collect the girl, and find space in the library and begin your planning. Thank you.” the professor hissed, not raising his eyes off the papers in front of him. 

Coriolanus stood there, stunned. He was going to be stuck with the district girl for weeks completing this assignment. Was this the worst situation? No. He had her to herself, there was still a chance to get on her good side. The idea of being paired with her shifted in his head, he was now eager.