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saveyourblood · 5 months ago

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Pretty Boy - Ch 11 (Buddie x Reader)

Summary: You can feel Buck staring. When your eyes meet his, you realize he’s staring at your hand, which is still on Eddie’s knee. You slowly retreat, which makes Buck turn his attention to your face. You smile softly. He just looks out the window. The one where you’re an advanced paramedic, Buck and Eddie are firefighters, and you think you might be in love with both of them.

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch 10

Chapter Summary: You and Buck deal with the aftermath.

Word Count: 3.6k Warnings: Mentions of blood/violence

You’ve never fully understood the phrase “see your life flash before your eyes.” It always felt like some silly hyperbole. You’ve had more than a few near-death experiences, and it’s nothing but oblivion. There’s no slideshow, no flash of colors, no time to dwell on all the good you did or all the things you could’ve done better. It’s just… black.

But lying on the concrete, watching one of the men you love bleed out in front of you… you get it. You can see it. You see the slideshow of memories, starting with when you first met him. You see the flashing colors of his eyes and the way they light up when he laughs. You think of all the meals you shared with him and the weight of his body in your arms after his wife died.

You’re watching one of the men you love bleed out in front of you, and your life is flashing before your eyes.

The other man you love rolls under the engine and starts army crawling. You use the opportunity to sprint across the way to an open rig, grabbing the first bag you can get your hands on. You try to stay low as you run back, and you swear you hear something zip through the air behind you. You keep running.

By the time you get back to the engine, Buck is pulling Eddie out from under it. Eddie shouts in pain, and though the sound hurts your ears, you take it as a good sign.

“We gotta get him in the cabin!” you shout, climbing in first. You’re already unzipping the bag and pulling out supplies.

You see Buck throw Eddie over a shoulder and heave him into the cab. You grab under Eddie’s arms and help pull him in the rest of the way. One of your hands becomes soaked in his blood, but you rip into bandages anyway. Buck rips his shirt off the rest of the way.

“We got you,” you promise, pressing gauze into the wound.

His head is resting in your lap. His eyes look up aimlessly, coated in a glossy sheen. His lips are pale.

Buck leans over and applies pressure to the front of the wound so you can work on the back. “Just stay with me, okay?”

Eddie’s head lulls to the side a little before he looks at Buck. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m good,” Buck promises. “You just hang on, okay?”

“We’re three minutes out,” you say as you put an oxygen mask over his face. “Stay with us, Eddie.”

There isn’t much more you can do other than wait for three painstaking minutes. You use a free hand to run it through his hair.

He probably can’t hear you; his eyes are fluttering shut, and you can feel the bandage under his shoulder saturating with blood. You need to say it anyway.

“I love you.”

Buck is the first to get out of the rig, screaming for the ER staff. They quickly move the gurney against the door, and everyone helps pull Eddie out of the engine.

“Through and through, upper torso,” you shout, climbing out after them. “Large caliber.”

“We’ve got a transfusion ready,” a doctor says. “Did you say large caliber?”

You’ve seen more than your share of gunshot wounds, and this is a gnarly one. It’s the type you see when hostage negotiations go wrong, and LAPD has to snipe a suspect. ““I… I think it was a sniper.”

“Trauma Bay 2, let’s set up for a thoracotomy!” Another voice shouts.

They wheel him away, leaving you standing next to Buck. Your body is buzzing with adrenaline, and all you can hear is your own breathing. You feel Buck brush a hand against your arm, and you reach out to him, pulling him against you.

“He’s gonna be fine,” you whisper, voice shaking. “He’s gonna be okay.”

You’re not even sure if you believe it.

At some point, a hospital worker brings you and Buck inside and shows you where the bathrooms are. She gives you both a pair of disposable scrubs to change into.

You close the door, and all you want to do is collapse against it. You refrain, instead moving to the front of the sink. You look at your reflection, and it takes your breath away.

The splatters of blood on your forehead stayed as mostly small dots, only the occasional drop forming. The bottom half of your face, however, is a mess. There are random smears that are thicker in some places. At some point, a few bigger drops formed and ran down your cheeks like sinister tear tracks. There’s some dry spattering on your lips. You lift a shaky hand to wipe them off, but you’re quickly reminded that your hands are covered, too.

You hold both out in front of you, observing your palms. Your right hand is worse, stained either dark or bright red. You flip your hands over, and it’s no better; much of the blood settled into your cuticles, leaving crimson half-moons on your nailbeds.

You turn on the sink and start washing your hands first. You scrub viciously, rubbing your curled fingers against your palm before switching hands. The smell of copper quickly greets your nose. You hold back a gag.

You move onto your face, cupping your hands and bringing water to your face. You close your eyes and start scrubbing. When you open them, red-tinted water drips from your face and into the sink.

You rest your elbows on the counter and hold your head. You take a few deep breaths, trying to focus on the sound of the faucet and not the sound of Eddie’s screaming or Buck’s cries. Each time you breathe out, your hands shake a little more.

You and Buck sit in the waiting room for a long time. You don’t speak a word, but at some point, he took your hand. You haven’t let go.

It doesn’t take long for the rest of the team to show up. Everyone cycles in and out, taking turns asking for updates and getting coffee. You don’t leave the chair you’re sitting in.

“Hey,” Buck says softly, touching your knee.

You look up, forcing a small smile on your face.

“Hen and I are gonna pick up Christopher,” Buck explains. “I think it’s best if he hears it from me.”

You nod. “Yeah, I think so too. I’ll call you with any updates.”

Buck kisses your forehead and pats your knee before leaving. After a few moments, Bobby takes his seat.

“How are you holding up?” He asks.

You scoff out a sound similar to a laugh. “I’m… not. When it was Buck, at least I was able to do something, you know? But this… I think I… I think I felt him dying. I don’t know how else to explain it. When I close my eyes, I still see him bleeding on the pavement. I can still feel his blood on my skin. I don’t know how I’m supposed to deal with that.”

Bobby sets a hand on your shoulder. “You did the best you could. Whatever happens next… it’s out of your hands.”

“Yeah,” you say, running a hand down your face. “That fucking sucks.”

You wait for hours. You occasionally get up and pace around the waiting room, but for the most part, you stay seated, rubbing your hands together. You watch the Sun set; you see the sky go from blue to red to black. And finally, finally , you see the surgeon walk out of the double doors.

“You’re here for Mr. Diaz?” He asks.

You stand up. “Yes.”

He frowns a little. “Are you family?”

“Yes,” you answer instinctually.

He looks a little suspicious, but he doesn’t push it. “I’m Dr. Williamson, the trauma surgeon. Things were a little more complex than we thought, which is why it took so long. All things considered, though, he’s doing well. He’s recovering in the ICU on a ventilator.”

“Complex, how?” you ask. “I’m a paramedic, so you don’t have to dumb anything down.”

“The bullet nicked the lateral thoracic artery, which is what caused the hemorrhaging. After we got the bleeding under control, we found a comminuted fracture of the scapula. We had to use three plates to fix it completely. He needs ventilatory support for the severe hemopneumothorax and pulmonary contusion.”

You nod slowly, taking everything in. “Wow. Okay.”

“Would you like to see him?”

You find yourself in the doorway of the ICU room. The nurse dismissed herself to give you some time alone with him, but you’re having trouble mustering the courage to actually step into the room. Even with him right in front of you, it’s still hard to believe that he was shot right in front of you.

You take a step forward. You watch as one of the many medications goes from the bag to the drip chamber into the IV tubing.

You take another step forward. You see Eddie’s chest rise and fall with each hiss of the ventilator.

You take another step forward. You listen to every ‘beep,’ trying to distinguish where each one came from.

You take a final step forward, and you take it all in.

He looks… peaceful. You'd think he was sleeping if it weren’t for the tube in his mouth. His brow is relaxed, and his eyes are closed. The rest of his body is purposefully positioned, each limb having a pillow under it. You carefully pick up his hand, hoping not to disturb anything.

“Buck told Christopher. He’s staying at your place so Chris can sleep in his own bed. Buck and I will rotate who spends the night until you’re better. And you will get better. You have to , okay? Because I don’t know what the hell any of us will do if you don’t.”

You’ve spent the last few days rotating between the hospital, work, and Eddie’s house. When you’re at one, Buck is at one of the other two places. Today, Buck is coming off of a 24-hour shift and is heading to the hospital while you’re leaving Eddie’s house to go to work. It’s been at least a day since you saw Buck in person, maybe two; they’re starting to blur together.

You yawn, pouring yourself your third cup of coffee for the day. It’s been almost three months since you went into cardiac arrest, and it’s taken the same amount of time for your caffeine addiction to come back into full swing. You’ll try to cut back again once the dust settles, but for now, you’re looking to keep consistency in your life, how and wherever you can.

You sit at the table, setting your coffee mug in front of you. You run your hands down your face, taking in a deep breath.

Hen, who’s sitting across from you, looks up. “How’s everything going?”

You smile softly. “Fine. Pretty smoothly, really. With Carla’s help, Buck and I have managed to keep Chris on his regular schedule.”

“How’s he handling everything?”

You pick up your mug. “I’m not sure. He’s young, but he’s smart for his age. I’m not entirely sure how much he understands.”

Hen nods. “What about you?”

“I’m… alive. And I’m not in an ICU. So compared to some of us, I’m doing great.”

“Are you taking care of yourself?”

You shrug.

Hen says your name like it’s a warning. “Are you eating? Are you sleeping?”

“When and where I can,” you answer.

She gives you a look.

“It won’t be like this for much longer,” you promise. “They’re thinking about extubating him today, said the damage to his lungs is healing faster than they thought.”

“You better not put yourself in the hospital,” Hen warns.

You let out a chuckle. “I won’t. I promise.”

Your phone vibrates in your pocket. You retrieve it, and the caller ID says that Buck is calling. You press the green button and raise your phone to your ear. “What’s up, babe?”

“It’s about Eddie.”

You’re running as fast as your legs can physically move. Everyone around you is a blur of bright-colored scrubs and white lab coats. You slam the elevator button a few times before opting for the stairs, deciding it’ll be quicker.

You make it to the ICU in no time. As you turn the corner, you can see through the window that Buck is standing beside Eddie. You slide open the door, chest heaving from exhaustion. Upon hearing you, Buck turns his head and takes a step back.

Eddie smiles softly. The ET tube is gone, and a small nasal cannula takes its place. He’s a little pale, and his eyes are a little sunken in, but otherwise, he looks normal. He looks like Eddie again.

“Hey,” he says quietly.

You place a hand on your chest, rubbing it up towards your neck and back down your sternum; it’s one of your (many) self-soothing techniques. It isn’t working, though. You’re still having a hard time catching your breath.

“Babe?” Buck asks.

You collapse against the wall, rattling the window behind you. You sink to the floor. You raise your knees to your chest and run your shaky hands through your hair.

He’s alive. He’s okay. Everything is okay.

“Woah, hey!” Buck shouts, rushing to you.

You squeeze your eyes shut as you try to catch your breath. The top of your lungs constrict as they start begging for oxygen.

He’s alive he’s okay he’s alive he’s okay he’s alive he’s okay he’s alive he’s okay

You repeat the words over and over and over in your head until they finally start to sink in. The tightness in your chest starts to loosen. Your breathing becomes more even and less ragged.

Buck sets a careful hand on your knee, gently calling your name.

You slowly raise your head. You meet his eyes, warm and full of concern. You’re afraid that if you look for too long, you may drown again.

“Are you okay?” He asks softly.

You nod, swallowing past the lump in your throat.

Buck is kneeling beside you; just past him, you can see Eddie. He’s sitting up in bed as much as his injury will allow, watching you both intently.

You open your palms to Buck. “Help me up?”

He takes your hands wordlessly, helping lift you to your feet. You adjust your clothes, shifting your weight between your feet. An awkward silence settles in the room until your wet laugh breaks it.

“Sorry,” you say, covering your mouth. “Sorry, I just… It all hit me. I was really starting to think you weren’t going to be okay, but you are, and my brain is just catching up, I think. I’m sorry.”

Eddie extends his good arm. “Come here.”

You hug him, collapsing into him as much as possible without hurting him. You tightly tuck your forehead in the crook of his neck. “I’m really glad you’re not dead.”

Eddie chuckles softly, turning to kiss your forehead. “Me too.”

You let out a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. He rubs his hand up and down your back.

Everything is okay.

You finish your shift; as much as you’d love to stay at the hospital, it only feels fair that everyone gets to cycle through and visit Eddie. Thankfully, you were only scheduled for a 12, so when you’re done, you head back to the ICU.

Eddie is asleep when you get there. While you know he appreciated the visitors, it clearly took a lot out of him. You smile at the sight of him resting peacefully. It’s nothing like when he was on the ventilator — most of the IV drips are gone, and the room is almost dead quiet, absent of any hissing or beeping.

You sneak into the empty rocking chair close to his bed. You set your bag on the floor between your legs. Careful not to make too much noise, you unzip it and retrieve the laptop inside. You open it, set it on your lap, and log in. You get about 10 minutes of work done before Eddie wakes up.

“Hey you.”

You smile, slightly closing your laptop. “Hey back.”

“Are you okay?” he asks, eyelids hanging heavy. He’s probably still high on pain medication.

“I should be asking you that,” you chuckle softly, “but yeah, I’m fine.”

“What are you working on?”

You close your laptop and set it aside. “Uh, it’s my nursing school application.”

That seems to wake him up a little more. “Nursing school?”

“Yeah, I’ve been on the fence for… god, almost a year now. I think the last few days sort of tipped me over the edge.”

Eddie frowns. “How so?”

“I’ve felt completely fucking useless.”

“You did the best you could with what you had.”

“It’s not about you getting shot,” you explain. “Or, at least, it’s not just about that. It’s about all of this: the… after. I love what I do now, and I wanna keep doing it. But I think I need to see the other side of things too, you know? I need to know that something comes after the blood in the street. Besides, you boys tend to end up here on an annual basis, so it only makes sense, right?”

At that, you get a chuckle. A small smile lingers on his lips. “I remember what you said.”

“You’re gonna have to be more specific: I say a lot of memorable things.”

Eddie’s smile widens a little before softening again. “In the engine. I heard you say you love me.”

They say hearing is the last thing to go when someone is dying. You aren’t entirely convinced Eddie wasn’t dying in your arms. You probably should have known better.

Or, maybe you did know better. And maybe that’s why you said it.

“Did you and Buck figure something out?” Eddie continues.

“I don’t want you worrying about that right now.”

“I want to,” Eddie pushes. “I want to know. I want to worry.”

“...it feels more like Buck’s place to say something.”

A smile returns to Eddie’s face. “Him too?”

You still feel like it’s not your place, but you’re also not the person who brought it up.

You return Eddie’s expression. “Is it really that surprising?”

“No,” Eddie replies, “but it’s still nice to hear it.”

The only thing that could make this moment better is if Buck were here.

It’s been a long week, but it’s finally coming to an end — in more than one sense. Eddie officially has discharge orders, so you’re packing up some random belongings in the hospital room.

“Okay,” Buck says as he re-enters the room. "The nurse is getting your discharge papers ready, then we can get out of here.”

You and Buck will be staying with Eddie until he’s recovered. Eddie initially put up a fight, saying he didn’t want to disturb your lives more than he already had. Neither of you was going to take ‘no’ for an answer. You’re still working out the fine details, but for tonight, the three of you will be under the same roof. Well, the four of you, including Christopher.

“Great,” Eddie says with a single nod. “Hey, since I have both of you here…”

You frown, pausing your packing as you turn to Eddie. “What’s up?”

He pats the free space on the bed next to him and nods towards the empty chair in front of the bed. Buck’s closer to the bed, so he sits there while you sit in the chair.

“Is everything okay?” Buck asks.

“Yeah, I’ve just… been meaning to talk to you both about something.”

You lean forward, quite literally on the edge of your seat to hear what Eddie has to say.

“We all know how dangerous this job is. Ever since I moved out here from Texas, I’ve been wondering what would happen to Christopher if I died.”

Both you and Buck start to voice your protests, but Eddie cuts you off with a raised hand.

“I know I didn’t die,” he says. “But it was a close call, and it probably won’t be my last. I need to know that if anything happens, Christopher is taken care of… by you guys.”

You and Buck share the same puzzled look.

“What?” you ask dumbly.

“A few months ago, I went to my attorney and changed my will. If I die, you both become Christopher’s legal guardian. Well, technically, you’re each other’s alternates: if something happens to one of you too, the other person becomes the guardian.”

“H-How does that even work?” You ask. “Don’t you need our consent?”

“My attorney said you could refuse…”

“...But you know we wouldn’t,” Buck finishes.

Eddie smiles. “Nah, I knew you wouldn’t.”

You shake your head as you try to wrap your head around things. “He has living relatives. Don’t you think they would fight for him?”

“After Shannon left, they all tried to guilt me into giving Christopher to them. It's not what I wanted then. It's not what I want now. Would they fight for him? Probably. But no one will fight for him as hard as you guys.”

Buck rubs his face. “Why are you telling us now?”

Eddie looks at Buck. His vision goes from the other man’s eyes to his lips and back up to his eyes. Their faces slowly inch toward each other until their foreheads are pressing. It reminds you of your moment with Eddie, which already feels like light years in the past. Still, butterflies swirl around in your stomach. Their lips meet, and a smile blossoms on your face.

It isn’t exactly an answer to Buck’s question, but it’s enough.

#911 abc #evan buckley #evan buckley x reader #911 show #911 on abc #911 reader insert #evan buckley/reader #eddie diaz x reader #eddie diaz #evan buckley x eddie diaz x reader #Buddie x reader #buddie x reader #pretty boy fic #i can write

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wandasgf · 2 years ago

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MOVIESTAR. mdni. 18+.

pairings: natasha romanoff + camgirl!reader

summary: your girlfriend offers to help during one of your streams

warnings: dom!top!natasha, sub!bottom!reader, handcuffs, edging, fingering, mouth fucking

wc: 1.5k~

a/n: this very vaguely fits this req so, i hope you enjoy this anon !

When you had told your girlfriend what you’d been getting up to in your free time and why you were suddenly spending more money online shopping than you ever had before, this is not exactly how you expected her to react. Not that you thought she’d react poorly, she would never, but you certainly hadn’t expected her to want to appear in one of your streams.

Natasha doesn’t know why you’re so surprised, really. She just needs to make sure all the pathetic men and women watching know that you’re taken. That you only pretend to be interested in them because they throw money at you, nothing more than that, because you belong to her. And you would never belong to anyone else.

Well, that and you expressed that you weren’t entirely comfortable in front of the camera just yet, still shy and nervous about what to do and say, but your viewers didn’t seem to mind too much. And, well, if that was the case, who was Natasha to deprive everyone of seeing just how cute you are when you really get shy? It seemed a shame, really, to deprive them of that when you'd recently been talking about how much you wanted a new couch. Natasha was sure she'd get them to pay for it for you.

"C’mon, pretty girl... Show ‘em how you touch yourself for me,” Natasha murmurs into your ear, dipping her head down to nip at your earlobe. Her rough hands slide up and down your sides in what is supposed to be a comforting manner, but really just makes you squirm in her hold. “I thought you said you’ve done this before, princess? Don't be shy…” You huff at her words and roll your eyes, she’s acting like she doesn’t have your hands cuffed behind your back, like you’re disobeying her words on purpose.

Her hands move down to your thighs, blunt nails raking against your skin before gripping them and pulling them apart, showing off the damp spot on your lace panties. “Just look at how wet you are already—” she’s interrupted by the, in her opinion, incessant dinging sound of the donations finally starting to pour in and she takes a glance at the comments that accompany some of them.

[user2340293] donated $5: quit playing around and just fuck her already

[scarletmommy] donated $200: oh, a guest? how cute

[user04930291] donated $15: you’re so fucking hot

“Everyone's gettin’ so impatient, baby. C’mon, be a good girl.” Natasha smirks, a teasing laugh escaping her lips. She leans down to kiss at your neck, and then takes the opportunity to scrape her teeth against the soft skin there, threatening to bite down and leave her mark. “Tasha.. cut it out.” Her words and actions make your cheeks feel like they’re on fire.

You don’t usually get so worked up when she teases you like this, but knowing that you’re streaming right now makes you more embarrassed than usual. “What? You need me to do everything for you now?” She squeezes your thigh before moving her hand up closer towards your core, ghosting her fingers along your skin, up your thigh, across the waistband of your paintes. You jolt when you feel it snap against your skin, the stinging feeling pulling a whine from your throat, “Natasha, please.”

“Hm? What was that?” She's just being mean now, wants to hear you get all desperate for her. “Please what? I can’t do anything if you don’t tell me what you want, princess.” Natasha smirks, not that you can see it from where you’re sitting between her legs, but you can practically hear it in her voice. “Please, touch me.”

She had been teasing you practically all day, groping you whenever she could, whispering things into your ear, you couldn’t take it anymore. You know she probably planned this all along, getting you all desperate and then all of a sudden suggesting she appear on a stream with you. “See, was that so hard? All you had to do was ask.”

Natasha’s hand slides down the front of your clothed cunt, the heel of her palm grinding against your clit and pulling a whimper from your throat. Her fingertips ghost along the edge of your panties, teasing, for what feels like forever until she finally uses her other hand to pull your panties to the side. She hooks her arm under your leg to keep them apart just in case you decide to try and get shy again. She's reminded of the stream once more, when that awful dinging sound of the donations picks up again when your glistening cunt is exposed to the camera.

[user0012394] donated $15!

[mvriahill] donated $100!

[user1205938] donated $10!

Two of her fingers dip inside your drooling hole, but they’re gone just as fast as they came because she’s leaning forward to really show the camera how wet you are, pushing you forward with her. Your breasts are now on full display as well, threatening to spill out of the flimsy lace bra you’re wearing. She moves her fingers around in the light and spreads them apart to show off the string of slick dripping from them. “Look how excited our little moviestar is,” she grins, spreading your slick around her fingers before bringing them up to your mouth, “open up, princess.”

Her fingers push past your lips before you can even react to her words and you wrap your lips around them, tongue tracing the length of her fingers and then pushing between them, cleaning your slick off of them. Natasha pushes her fingers further into your mouth and you choke a little, gagging around them as tears begin to prick at your eyes. You look a little pitiful and Natasha’s not even being as rough with you as she usually is.

She's showing you off to the camera like some sort of whore now, really getting into it, looking at the screen showing the live feed. “See, isn’t this better? You just needed me to come here and show you how to properly stream, isn't that right, baby?” She uses her free hand to tug your bra down, “need to let them see all of you,” she says casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

You're drooling around her fingers as she starts to play with your tongue, drool dripping down onto the bed sheets. “Just look at you, making such a mess already.” She hums as she starts to thrust her fingers into your mouth, and then you’re choking on her fingers again as she shoves them down your throat, tears starting to spill from your eyes. “Crying already? We're just getting started, princess,” she laughs, “you didn’t think I’d go easy just because we’re on camera, did you?”

[user8674439] donated $20!

[user5693842] donated $5!

[captaindanvers] donated $500!

She leans back and lets you settle against her as she continues pushing her fingers to the back of your throat. She holds them there for a second before pulling them out completely and letting out a little chuckle at the way you gasp for air.

She hooks her hand under your leg again to keep them open before moving her other hand back to your cunt. “Maybe I'll go a little easy. I have to keep some things just for me.” She murmurs, kissing the top of your head tenderly. Her fingers teasingly circle your clit as she speaks and you shiver slightly at the feeling of her spit-covered fingers against your slick cunt.

“Tasha, please, inside.” You plead, pulling against the cuffs around your wrists. If you could grab her wrist and force her hand down lower you would, stupid cuffs. “Well since you asked so nicely, sweetheart.” She grants you a little mercy by moving her hand lower and immediately sinking two fingers into your heat. The heel of her palm grinds against your clit as she thrusts her fingers in and out.

Little moans and whimpers slip past your lips as Natasha fingers you, curling her fingers every few thrusts just to hear the sounds she can pull out of you. The pads of her fingers drag against a particularly sensitive spot at the same time as her palm presses against your clit and your thighs try to snap shut instinctively. “Keep them open. Be a good girl.” Her other hand grips your thigh tightly and forces it open, her blunt nails digging into your flesh.

She can hear the annoying dinging of the donations and she tries her best to block it out. What a horrible noise. She finds the perfect way to drown it out when she picks up her pace and your moans get louder. You can feel yourself getting closer and your fists clench behind your back, “Tasha, f–fuck, please.”

“Are you close, baby? Are you gonna cum for me?” When you nod in response, Natasha does the unthinkable and takes her fingers away. You whine pathetically and she laughs, squeezing your thigh. “I didn't say you were allowed to cum. I told you, I have to keep some things just for me, baby.”

Natasha’s starting to think maybe this camming thing isn’t so bad after all.

#alice's fics !#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff smut #natasha romanoff x female #natasha romanoff x fem reader #natasha romanov x reader #natasha romanov imagine #natasha romanov smut

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adviceformefromme · 8 months ago

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GLOW-UP LIKE NEVER BEFORE SERIES

Ladies, we are here. This is the beginning of your glow-up like never before by 2025. We are not sleeping on ourselves in the remaining four months of this year. There is no more putting yourself second, wishing and wanting to be a better version of yourself, because this is your opportunity to show up for you. I will be providing the steps and guidance so stay tuned, its going to be a journey. One that kicks off today.

youtube

Week 1: CREATING THE VISION

This week is for getting into the energy of how you want to feel come January 2025. The vision should excite you, you want to feel like your wildest dreams are possible and this where you lean into faith, trust and imagination.

Step 1: On the first page of your new journal script 3 pages in present tense of what your life looks and feels like on January 1st 2025. You want to get into the small details, using all your senses, what you can hear, see, smell, feel, go all in. Write as much as you can to embody the version of you in your highest expression. It might seem crazy to write this, especially in such a short amount of time, but once you start moving correctly timelines can easily be collapsed. I am a walking testimony of this, as I went from sharing a room in the UK to moving into a spacious 2-bed open view apartment overseas, within four weeks. Did I believe? Yes. Had I been doing all the steps I am sharing with you? Yes. By scripting your life, as crazy and whacky as it may seem you are moving your dreams from thought to reality. A dose of faith is also required for step 1.

Step 2: Vision board, this is where you get to have fun. Find those images on Pinterest that make you feel ‘omg is this my actual fucking life *screams internally* ‘. Again, no playing small. If you want the G-wagon and you’re driving the Honda, add it to your board, if you’re wanting to write a book, add a New York Times bestseller sticker to your vision board, bring your dreams to life. Save to desktop, screensaver, phone Home Screen. You want to see your vision board at the very least a few times per week.

Step 3: Write supporting affirmations for your new vision life. I am, I feel, it feels so good to….Lean into the feelings, be creative. As you write your affirmations a minimum of five, you want to record these on your phone and loop them before bed. You can extend these affirmations, and turn it into a rampage - this is where you really speak life into yourself, going into more details. Your recording can be 1 min - 5 mins. It doesn’t have to be crazy long, the main point is to keep it simple and inspiring. You want to feel inspired when you listen, your own voice, speaking life into your dreams, declaring them. Once you’ve got the recording - LOOP IT. You want this on loop when you’re out on walks this week, when you’re overthinking, but most importantly before you go to bed. Leave it on loop overnight. The goal is to do this every single night for one week.

Step 4: In the back of your journal in short hand write your 1-3 top goals. It might be earn £10k per month, move into your dream apartment, work for x company. Whatever it is, in very simple words write them, 1-3. And do this EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you skip write it in your phone notes or on the nearest piece of paper. Set a reminder on your phone, because this is such a simple step to manifesting that actually WORKS.

I know it might seem like some effort to do steps 1-4, but do you want to live the life of your dreams and invest in your expansion and be so proud of who you are come 1st Jan 2025, or do you want to scroll like a cabbage, and watch everyone else live their dream life, and feel like another year, another of unfulfillment ? Your task, put 30mins - 1 hour aside today to do the above. Homework for the rest of the week, read your affirmations, listen to your recording daily before bed and write those goals down!

Coming next: Week 2: Living by your values + creating space for your dream life…

#manifestyourreality #levelupjourney #levelup #lawofattraction #manifesting #levelup confidence lawofattraction powerofthemind #growthmindset #adviceformefrommeanswered #manifestingmindset #manifest #advice for women #advice for life #advice for artists #Youtube

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hoonieyun · 3 months ago

Text

question and answer

welcome to, "is he mr. right?", the dating game! where a lucky girl who is looking for love has the opportunity to go on a date with four handsome and eager bachelor's who are also looking for love.

this is an interactive dating show au where the readers can vote on "yn's" decisions, ultimately leading to who she will be with at the end... but more on that later!

heeseung 𐐪♡𐑂 jongseong 𐐪♡𐑂 jaeyun 𐐪♡𐑂 sunghoon

warnings: not much! lmk if i need to add smth though! 18+ not proofread.. hehe!

wc: 3631

episode two: question and answer

the reception you received from the first episode was very kind. you didn’t expect so many people to like your personality and to root for you to find love. you were scrolling on social media and looking at the comments about you from the first episode, people were posting clips from the show and screenshots of their favorite moments.

“yn is so pretty. how is she single??”

“yn if you don’t find your mr. right, i will be mr. right for you.”

“does yn like girls… by any chance?”

you laughed as you read some of the comments, grateful that people were so kind and complimentive towards you. you’re waiting for filming to start as you sit in your makeup chair, the hair and makeup stylist doing their part to make you look tv show ready. they had provided you with several outfits to choose from and although they were all very pretty, you decided to choose the blue outfit as it seemed to be the most comfortable to wear for long hours on end.

they had done your hair the same way as the first time and kept your makeup simple, just the way you liked it. you had gotten pretty close with the stylists because they were taking care of you and it felt nice to have other women on your side as you tried to navigate the world of tv dating shows.

“yn, 5 minutes until we start filming. we need you in your spot.” one of the PAs says as he pops into your dressing room with a knock. you give him a nod before the stylist does their final touches and wish you good luck. you thank them with a small hug and follow the PA to your spot so that filming could begin.

you weren’t necessarily nervous anymore to film after how great the first episode went and how nice everyone has been to you online. you were also excited to get to know the bachelor’s of the show as you hadn’t learned anything about them from the previous episode. you weren’t allowed to watch the episode so everything you saw last night was only provided to you by the show’s production team. they took your personal phone and provided you with one from the show, it only had a few things on there where you could only see content about what people are saying surrounding you that the show picked out for you to see and document your personal thoughts for the show’s behind the scenes.

there seemed to be so much more that went into filming a show and you were grateful to just be on the other side of the camera where you didn’t have to think much about the logisitcs that went into making a whole tv show.

you can hear the love guru doing her usual routine of getting the crowd hyped up for the episode and setting up the structure for the second episode. she explains that this episode would be focused on the question and answer where you would have the chance to ask the bachelor’s questions to learn more about them.

the production team had given you a list of questions to ask the boys and from that you chose a certain amounto of questions that you would have to give to production so they can build the storytelling of the episode around those questions.

before you knew it, you were once again being announced by the host but this time you would be walking down the stairwell they had built for the set that was in the center of the stage. you smiled brightly and waved towards the audience as you walked down the stairs and made your way towards the love guru, a stool waiting for you to take a seat on.

“hi, yn! how is our little dove doing?” she asks and you tell her you were excited and so happy to be there. the love guru briefly touches on what happened in the last episode and even brings up all of the positivity you’ve been receiving online.

“from what i’ve seen, everyone has been really nice to me! so shout out to production for only showing me the nice comments and keeping the mean ones away.” you jokingly say and the audience laughs along with you and the host.

“of course! we try our best to uplift our contestants so all of those assholes online can kiss my ass.” the love guru says, winking and blowing a kiss towards the camera. “so, i’m sure you know how this episode will go, we’re going to bring out our bachelor’s and you’ll be able to ask them questions so you can get to know them better before you ask them on a date.” she explains while you nod and smile in response.

“ready?” she asks and you enthusiastically answer.

the crowd goes wild as the parition slowly descends from the sky, blocking your view of the boys as they all take turns walking down the stairs and taking their seats. the love guru greets them one by one and asks them a few questions before going into the nitty gritty, the Q&A.

“well, i’ve done enough talking, now it’s time for our dove to get to know our bachelor’s. yn, what is your first question and who is it for?” the love guru asks and before you ask your first question, you take a deep breath and take a look at the cards in your hand that have the questions written on them.

“i’ve only got a few questions but i think they’re the perfect questions for me to get to know all of you… so here it goes..

this question is for all of the bachelor’s, do you believe in love at first sight?” you ask and the crowd interjections with a curious sound while you wait for their answers.

bachelor no. 1: no, i don’t; but i think that love is built on memories and if your first sight with someone is the stepping stone to love then, sure. bachelor no. 2: yes but i think it isn’t always romantic, sometimes when you see someone for the first time you know they’re going to be a part of your life forever. so, yes? kinda..? haha.. bachelor no. 3: yes, i feel like knowing how you feel about someone at first glance is really important because it’s your first impression of them and when you feel those sparks and it seems like a love song is playing in your head; you know that it’s love. bachelor no. 4: i would say… yes! i’ve definitely felt like i’ve loved someone when i’ve first seen them but it doesn’t mean it will last, sadly. i probably shouldn’t say this but that’s how i felt about my ex, seeing her for the first time i knew i’d love her and i think that’s something that people should experience with love at least once in their lives.

you processed their questions and although you appreciated all of their responses, bachelor number one’s short and clear response stuck out to you, especially because he was the only one that said that he doesn’t believe in love at first sight. you also took the time to take in their voices, tone and inflection, and how they’d look depending on their voice.

it was hard to try to come up with how you think they would look but you took note of their voices and how it made you feel. one had an australian accent, another was smooth like honey, one was deep and low, while the other was surpassingly comforting.

“interesting answers guys.. personally i don’t believe in love at first sight because you can never know if you love someone until you’ve grown to learn who they are but i loved all of your answers…

bachelor’s one and three… who is your favorite person?”

there was a comfortable silence as the two bachelor’s tried to come up with their answers, you watched as the crowd intensely watched the guys on the opposite side of you to read their reactions but there wasn’t much besides furrowed brows and heart eyes for them. at least you could deduce that they’d be handsome even if you don’t know how they look.

this was an important question for you, one that you had asked to write in, and although you wanted to ask all of them this question, production only allowed you to ask two of them because they had chosen certain questions to be for all or some.

bachelor no. 1: my favorite person is my mom. it may seem like a generic answer but she’s the best person i’ve ever met. she is kind, loving, and everything i owe my happiness to. she’s taught me how to live a life where i won’t regret who i was and will be proud of the person i become. she’s my hero. bachelor no. 3: my favorite person would be my dad. i attribute a lot of things to him because he introduced me to many things as a kid to allowed me to exercise my brain in different ways. he was a strong, respectable, and kind man and he’s fully supported me in everything i do and i know it’s cliché but i wouldn’t be the man i am today without my dad.

both bachelor’s answers were very touching and it made your heart swell to know that both of them answered with a family member in mind. family values were important to you but it wasn’t a deal breaker; it’s just nice to know that they have people in their family that support them. you watch the crowd closely as you listen to their answers and much like before, it was all adoring looks and you couldn’t help but feel more eager to meet them all as you take in their responses to your questions.

you also make a point to remember that bachelor number one had spoken quite a bit and knowing it was because he wanted to share his admiration and love for his mom, it was very endearing.

bachelor number three’s answer also brought the same type of warmth as number one since both of them chose one of their parents. you loved to see that they both admired their parents and attributed the good things in their lives to the way they were raised and treated by their parents.

“for bachelors two and four… give me your best pickup line!” your question is instantly met with laughter and cheers as people seem to think the question is very amusing as everyone in the studio awaits the two bachelor’s pickup lines. this was a question on the list they had given you and you thought it was a good way to test their charisma and humor.

bachelor no. 2: if you had three wishes, what would you wish for? well… i guess you only have two wishes left now that i’m here. bachelor no. 4: do you play soccer? because you’re a keeper!

the crowd laughs at both men’s pickup lines and although you weren’t expecting much as the question to you was more of a personality test than anything serious like the question you had asked prior, it told you a bit about each of them.

bachelor number four must play soccer since he was keen to include soccer in his answer opposed to just using a typical pickup line while bachelor number two surprised you with his answer. it was not only a pickup line you hadn’t heard before but it was smooth and you could feel butterflies form in your stomach as if he said it to you directly while looking into your eyes. it was so direct yet playful. his voice also added to the effect, it was deep and smooth; like a warm cup of tea. comforting..

the other guy’s voice felt oddly familiar to you but you weren’t sure why. his accent was strong and it definitely lingered in your mind as you replayed his voice over and over. it was sweet and you could tell the crowd loved his accent as they’d swoon whenever he spoke– you found yourself intrigued but not in the same ways the crowd had fallen for him. maybe you just needed more time..

“wow! those surely were some pickup lines..” you say with a chuckle and the crowd laughs alongside you and the love guru as you poke a bit of fun at their pickup lines as if you didn’t enjoy them.

“okay, this question is for number one and four: in one action, how would you impress your girlfriend’s parents when meeting them for the first time?” this question was somewhat important, obviously you cared what your parents thought about your boyfriend but it doesn’t necessarily mean it would be the end all be all if they didn’t like him, unless he did something incredibly bad, then yeah; it’s over. this question was more to test their skills with parents and a way for you to analyze they’re ability to present themselves to people that mattered a lot to you.

“now remember boys, these are all hypothetical questions BUT we are airing this show so our dove’s parents will most likely see this.” the love guru adds in and all of the boys nod as if they weren’t aware of that circumstance in the first place.

bachelor no. 1: for me, i’d probably take care of the whole night. instead of meeting them half way to some restaurant or having her parents take care of the meal, i’d plan the meeting myself and all they’d have to do was show up. that way i can show them that i’m not only capable of taking care of their daughter, but also them. bachelor no. 4: i would impress them by showing her parents how well i know their daughter. i think a lot of parents are turned away from their children’s partners because they think they may not be worthy but by showing how well i know their daughter on more than just a superficial level, i think i’d make a good impression.

both of their answers were very good, you were constantly impressed with bachelor number one’s answers because they were so well thought out and clear but number four’s seemed to always leave you with a sense of curiosity that led you to want to know more. “number four, can you elaborate? what do you mean by “more than just a superficial level””? you asked with a shrug and everyone’s eyes were glued onto him.

it was like he was put under a spotlight and although you didn’t mean to do that, you were genuinely curious and wanted to learn more.

number four didn’t hesitate or falter to answer, “by that i mean i want to show them that i know their daughter enough to take care of and that means also knowing everything about who and what she loves. i’d do my best to accommodate and alleviate all of her worries, always consider how things would affect her and doing that will show her parents just how much i love her. of course i can go on and on about how much i love their daughter, but showing them is a lot more effective, don’t you think?”

it was in that moment that the familiarity you felt with number four finally hit you, the realization was like when you suddenly realize you may not have turned off the stove or if you had forgotten to lock your front door.. an uncertainty that lingered and it instantly made you feel anxious.

“everything ok?” the love guru asks as if she had caught onto your shift in behavior. you nodded and put on a smile that was convincing enough because everyone cheered as you straighten yourself out and moved onto the next question.

“okay! moving on..” you say with an awkward chuckle, one that doesn’t go unnoticed by quite literally everyone in the studio, you even noticed a weird expression from one of the cameramen.

“numbers two and three, how would you react if your girlfriend introduced you to her best friend who happens to be a boy?” although there was a clear answer to this question and you didn’t even have a best friend who was a boy, you wanted to hear their answers and have it be in front of an audience just in case that they ever turned their back on their word.

bachelor no. 2: i’d be like… that’s cool. to be honest i’d be somewhat intimidated, not because he’s a man but because he probably will be protective over her so he’s just another person’s trust i’d have to gain. my girlfriend’s friends are my friends. bachelor no. 3: i wouldn’t care much. i’m secure enough to know that my girl only has eyes for me and that we can trust each other. we’ll become friends because of our mutual love for her.

their answers weren’t anything out of the ordinary but you liked that number two admitted to the possibility of being intimidated by another man but following it up with his reasoning made you breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he was secure in his manhood– same with number three.

“this is my last question and its a very important one.. if you were a season.. what season would you be?” you had hyped up the question like it was some complex and well thought out inquiry but it was very simple– but to you; it told you a lot.

bachelor no. 1: autumn bachelor no. 2: fall bachelor no. 3: winter bachelor no. 4: spring

you were a bit surprised that no one said summer because you associated summer with joy and hanging out with loved ones– but it wasn’t your favorite season either.

to you, summer means spending time with your loved ones, being outside in the sun, enjoying the warmth on your skin, being lively, bright, and energetic. summer was bright and wild, something for the extroverts.

spring was about renewal and rebirth, a fresh start, and a way for people to enjoy something new. it’s for people who look forward to the first ray of sunlight after winter because it represents perseverance but also a new day. it’s like stepping outside after being cooped up indoors all day and taking your first breath of fresh air.

autumn, a fairly popular season, is all about cycles. when the leaves fall from the trees after they transition to the array of vibrant colors that represent warmth partnered with the crisp air that fall brings; this season is for those who find comfort in the simpler things like enjoying the way leaves crunch beneath their shoes or slowly watching the last leaf fall from a tree. it’s a season that brings warmth despite often being chilly.

winter, of course, is usually connected with the holidays. the icy cold air and the fluffy white snow, it’s nostalgic as you’re reminded of the holidays as a kid. hot chocolate made by your mom without her reminding you to put on warm socks and a sweater, getting excited to open gifts, looking out the window with wide eyes as you wait for the first sign of snowfall. winter was nostalgia with a mixture of desire as you think about the new year.

“thank you guys! i won’t elaborate further but telling me what season you’d be tells me a lot about yourself.. think of it as a little secret just for me!

i really appreciated all of your answers, they were all so thoughtful and funny and i’m very excited to get to know more about each of you as we go on dates these upcoming weeks!” you announce and the crowd cheers as they all get excited for the upcoming episodes where you’d go on a date with all of the boys and finally get to meet them.

you thought about the dates too, since you had no control over the dates and the boys would be the one planning it out, you were a bit nervous.. it also doesn’t help that the audience today and those watching at home are the ones choosing who you go on a date with first. you also recalled the awkward tension between you and one of the bachelor’s. the wall separating the two of you was so thick yet so thin, like it was a veil that served no purpose to it’s intended use.

there was no reason for you to feel that way with him since you didn’t know him so you just tossed it up to nerves and that you were equally nervous to meet all of the boys.. even if you were more nervous to meet one over the others for no apparent reason besides of a weird inkling.

you’ve began to tune out the rest of the filming as you get in your head a bit, not paying attention to the love guru as she signs off for the show’s closing; nudging you a bit to pull you out of your thoughts as you say goodbye to the crowd and blow a cheeky kiss to the camera, one that is received well by the crowd as they applaud in glee at your gesture.

“isn’t she cute, guys?” the love guru says and with a simple phrase, the producers and directors call for the end of filming. you immediately get up from your seat and jog to your dressing room, earning awkward stares from the production team and the crowd.

all of the bachelor’s unaware of your sudden action.

prev ep 𐐪♡𐑂 next ep

hoonieyun notes: the mystery begins!! you guys now have the opportunity to vote on who you want yn to go on a date with first based on the answers to her questions! keep in mind that the pictures do not reflect who each bachelor's are depending on what or who answered for the question the pictures are sectioned with or the order of the photosets. it's simply just for visuals as how i think they'd dress for this week's episode! don't forget to vote below but i will be ending the poll two days early so i can write out the chapter and leave it a bit of surprise on who won the poll! also PLEASE leave your theories below on who you think each bachelor is based on the answers!! i tried to match it the best i can to what i think each hyung line member would say :3

update: poll has been completed and ive deleted it so it can be a surprise every week on who the next date will be with! (feb 10, 2025)

copyright 2025 - present © hoonieyun all rights reserved all writing here is fiction & not in any association with characters mentioned. if you enjoyed reading this please consider reblogging and following <3

ᡣ•.•𐭩♡ @pagemiah @jiiyen @jnysaln @xh01bri @rairaiblog @laurradoesloveu @17ericas @manaah02 @heeseung64 @zorange13 @firstclassjaylee @leipforggy

@berries-n-blues @simsungsims @softpia @enhastolemyheart @ilovbeshotaro @zwithae @pjselee @heebear @milanco @bbsantc @elairah @wintereals @mariahxrrera @wonuziex

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aewon · 10 months ago

Text

HEARTS ON FIRE - YANG JUNGWON

SYNOPSIS: you lived your life buried in your parent’s routine for you. a perfect princess with a perfect life…or so one would think. now you’re being married off to the prince of valdenia for a trade operation. problem is, he already has a girlfriend, and he is not happy.

pairing: prince!jungwon x princess!reader

genre: royalty au, arranged marriage, enemies2lovers, non-idol au

word count: 8.1k

You don’t know what you did to deserve this. Here you are, a young woman with ambitions and dreams, being married off to some low-life prince.

Being a princess is not easy, fuck everyone who says it is.

From age 5, you have been taught, more like forced, to be a good princess.

Following every rule, never stepping a toe out of line.

You learned how to walk, how to talk, how to eat, how to be.

You were heavily reprimanded and punished if you ever appeared in a way your parents didn’t like.

You can only be yourself when you’re alone, in your room.

You are not allowed to indulge in your interests in front of your parents, who will shut you down immediately.

Your most immense love is art. You remember being ten years old and admiring the paintings your family kept in the palace. You pointed out every stroke, every color, every detail your eyes could find. When you told your parents you wanted to paint, they scolded you. They said art was a waste of time and that you had better things to do.

The following week, your parents had a professional painter come to do a family portrait.

You got scolded for not holding still because you wanted to watch the painter.

The only good part of your life was Estelle. She was the head maid, and you loved her.

She treated you as her own and let you indulge in every interest you had in secret.

One day, Estelle showed up in your room with paint and a canvas.

You were so thrilled you almost screamed.

You spent the rest of that day painting. Of course, you weren’t good, but that was okay.

As time passed, you garnered a collection of paintings you had done, inspired by the ones you saw in the castle. Eventually, you got good! As much as you wanted to show your parents, you knew they would disapprove. And you didn’t want Estelle to get in trouble either.

Here you are over ten years later, still hiding your paintings in your room. You’re not worried about your parents finding them because they never enter your room.

It’s almost time for dinner, and your parents said they had important news to share.

As you make your way down, a pit forms in your stomach. Something suddenly doesn’t feel right. You do your best to ignore it, entering the dining hall.

Your parents barely acknowledge your presence.

“Before we start dinner, you must know something, Y/N,” your father says.

“Does this have to do with the news you told me about?”

“Yes, you’re getting married.” Your mother responds.

What? Did they say married?

“What are you talking about?” You ask, and that pit inside your stomach grows.

“You’re getting married to the prince of Valdenia. This is an opportunity to do business with them, and they only offered if we gave them your hand in marriage.”

“Are you kidding? I'm being sold off for a business deal?”

Your father stands abruptly, slamming his hands on the table. “Don't speak to us that way! You have no choice in the matter!”

“This is my life we’re talking about. Who are you to give it away!” You can feel your eyes prick with tears.

You knew your parents didn't care for you the way they should've, but this was too far.

“We’re doing what's best for the kingdom!” Your mother argues.

“So, giving me away is what's best for the kingdom. I knew you didn't love me, but this is sickening!”

With that, you rush out of the dining area.

You can feel the tears rushing down your cheeks.

Slamming your door shut, you climb onto your bed, still sobbing.

After five minutes, you hear your door slowly open.

You figure it's your parents, and you're ready to tell them to get out until you hear a soft voice call your name.

You look up and make out Estelle’s figure through blurry eyes.

You spring up off your bed, running into her awaiting arms.

“Estelle, they're marrying me off,” you sob, burying your face into her dress.

“I heard, sweetheart. I hate to be the one to say this, but this could end up being a good thing.”

You sniffle, looking up at her, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, maybe you’ll find love. A love who will cherish you and let you be yourself. Look at this situation with an open mind. You never know what’s in store for you.”

You stop crying, taking Estelle’s words in.

Could this be a benefit to you?

Could your life take a different turn?

You go to bed that night, a million thoughts racing in your mind.

The following day, you don't speak to your parents as they tell you that you’ll all be meeting with the king and queen of Valdenia, along with their son.

Of course, they're acting like nothing happened. That's what they always do.

You're in one of your best gowns, a beautiful blush pink ensemble.

Unfortunately, Valdenia is a long 3-hour carriage ride from your kingdom.

The only thing you have to cure your boredom is a book.

As you read, no one speaks. You're surprised your parents aren't whispering to each other as they usually do.

Time passes slowly. When you finally look up from your book, it’s mid-day.

Looking outside the carriage for the first time, the once dull gray that was painted in the sky turned brilliant blue.

The kingdom of Valdenia comes into view. As your carriage rolls through, you see people all along the streets. Kids, vendors.

Every person you see has a smile on their face.

Compared to the people of your kingdom, this looks like paradise.

Outside the palace doors, the king and queen stand alongside their son.

Your parents step out first, and you follow.

Coming face to face with their son, he looks away from you, not meeting your eyes.

You scoff, looking down at your heel-clad feet.

You're broken out of your trance by the queen's loud voice.

The queen cups your face, squishing your cheeks together.

“Look how beautiful you are! Isn't she perfect, dear?”

She turns to her husband, who smiles, gracing his features.

They both usher you and your parents inside.

The prince follows you grudgingly.

As you enter the palace, you are welcomed into their charming dining room, where tea and finger foods have been prepared for your enjoyment.

You end up sitting across from the prince as your parents make small talk.

You can feel him glaring at you.

It’s so obvious, yet everyone seems to be ignoring it.

You look up, finally meeting his eyes.

He doesn’t look away or soften up. He continues to glare.

You haven’t even introduced yourself, and he’s already looking at you with hatred.

You won’t stand for that, so you quickly slip him your middle finger.

His expression finally changes from anger to surprise before he’s frowning.

Jungwon’s never hated someone so much.

You’ve done nothing to him, but your existence already hinders his life.

And here you are, flipping him off.

How rude!

Yes, he was glaring at you, but even so, that doesn’t mean he deserved that!

He’s about to say something, hoping to get you in trouble, but he’s interrupted.

“We’ve set your wedding for next week,” his mother says.

“Next week!” You both say simultaneously.

Your parents send you a ferocious glare, making you shut your mouth.

“Yes, next week. Y/N will be moving in as well. We’ve already arranged for your things to be packed and brought here for tomorrow.” Jungwon’s mother gives you a genuine smile, and you almost feel a twinge of relief for a second.

You can't remember the last time you had a genuine smile directed your way by your parents.

Maybe moving here won't be so bad?

“Can I say something?” You ask out into the open.

Your parents send you another glare, but the king of Valdenia nods, signaling you to speak.

“I’m honored that you're opening up your home to me. Can I ask that I bring someone with me?”

“And who would that be, dear?” The queen asks, looking at you with warm eyes.

“Our head maid, Estelle. She’s someone I rely on very much, and I'd hate to be without her,” you respond.

You look at your parents for approval, as do Jungwon’s parents.

“If you are okay with it, then we are as well,” your father says, gesturing to the king and queen.

“Then it’s settled!” The queen claps; she’s delighted.

As both families continue discussing arrangements and wedding planning, you zone out.

This could either go good or bad.

You'll have to wait and see.

All your belongings had been moved into Yang’s palace by the next day.

Your room is enormous, more extensive than your own at home.

Or should you say, your former home?

Your parents didn't even say goodbye to you; although you expected it, it still stung.

Luckily, you had Estelle.

She, with her belongings, arrived in Valdenia that morning.

You rushed out to meet her, squeezing her tightly.

“Thank god you're here. I don't know if I could do this without you.”

The Yangs (minus Jungwon) welcome Estelle with open arms. She helps you unpack, hanging up your dresses, blouses, and pants in your closet.

Meanwhile, you rant to her while sitting on your freshly made bed.

“He didn't even let me introduce myself! He left the second the meeting ended, even when his parents told him not to!”

“Maybe he's shy, darling.”

You huff dramatically, “He’s not. He was glaring at me with such hatred in his eyes. If looks could kill, I'd be buried 6 feet under!”

Estelle sighs, “Maybe he just needs time to adjust. This is probably sudden for him, too.”

You take a deep breath and nod your head. Still a workaholic, Estelle leaves for the kitchen to see if there’s any work she can do.

Boredom finds you quickly, so you leave your room to tour the castle.

You hear hushed whispers as you reach the end of a long corridor.

You lean in, straining your ears to hear the conversation.

“I know this is upsetting, my love, but we’ll figure it out.”

You immediately recognize the prince’s voice, but who’s he talking to?

“I just want us to be together like we promised, and now you’re being taken away from me.”

That’s definitely a girl’s voice.

It’s easy to piece two-and-two together. This is the reason why Jungwon hates you.

He has a girlfriend.

Jungwon speaks again.

“She’s not gonna come in between us. She’s nothing compared to you, Maylee.”

You can’t help but scoff. It’s not like you’re hurt, but he doesn’t even know you.

“It’s not like you can tell your parents no…just marry her. We can still be together. It’s not like you love her.” Maylee chuckles, and you roll your eyes, silently mocking her.

As soon as you hear the sound of lips smacking, you rush out of there and go back the way you came.

You return to your room, staring at the paintings leaning on your desk. You managed to smuggle them out of your old room without your parents noticing. Maybe now you’ll be able to indulge yourself in your art.

There's a knock at your door.

“Come in!” You shout.

The open door reveals Mrs.Yang, and she smiles at you warmly.

“I came to see how you're settling in.”

She spots your paintings and is immediately intrigued.

“Did you paint these?” She asks, taking one into her hands and admiring it.

“Yes. I've loved painting since I was little. My parents never allowed me to indulge, so I had to do it secretly.”

“They're amazing.” The Queen gawks, and you feel a twinge of pride.

“You must keep painting!” She says, “I'd love to hang up your paintings in the palace.”

Your eyes widen at her suggestion, “Oh no, I’m not that good. I’m nothing compared to the professionals.”

“Nonsense.” She waves her hand, “You must allow me to display these. You deserve to be praised. And please allow me to buy you more supplies.”

You try to decline, but she insists, and you don't have the heart to tell her no.

By the following day, you see your paintings hung in multiple areas of the palace.

You decide to explore outside the castle, finding yourself in its large outdoor area.

There's a beautiful garden in front of you, and you take your time smelling every flower.

There's a bench in the center, and you sit down and take a deep breath.

“You can't be here,” a voice behind you says.

Turning, you look Jungwon directly in the eyes, “Says who?”

“Says me, you're not welcome here.”

You bring your finger to your chin, pretending to look up in question.

“Hmm, according to your parents, I’m welcome anywhere and everywhere in and outside this castle. You wouldn't wanna go against their authority, would you?”

You see his jaw clench, “Can you just leave? This place is reserved.”

You gasp, “Ah! This is you and your girlfriend's little spot, right?”

His eyes widen as he starts to sputter.

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me…or is it?”

With that, you get up making your way back inside the castle.

It takes a few seconds before you hear his footsteps rushing to catch up with you.

He grabs your arm, spinning you around to face him.

“You’re not gonna say a word about her to my parents, or else.”

You pout playfully, tilting your head, “Or else what?”

He can't help but chuckle in disbelief. He’s never been faced with this kind of attitude.

“I will make your life a living hell.”

It's your turn to chuckle, “I'd love to see you try.”

You take his silence as your cue to leave.

That night at dinner, Jungwon eats his food roughly, pissed off.

How dare you speak to him the way you did! I mean, are you crazy?

Now, he can't help but keep his eyes on you, praying you don't expose his relationship.

“What did you do today, Y/n?” Mrs. Yang asks.

“I spent some time outside today, in the garden. I ran into Jungwon, and we had…a lovely conversation.”

Jungwon can feel his heart speed up. This is it. You're going to expose him.

“Oh? What did you talk about?”

You smirk at him from across the table, “Just how excited we are for the wedding!” Only five days to go!”

Jungwon visibly relaxes, and you catch his eye, sending a wink.

He glares at you, sucking his teeth.

The eye contact is broken once his mother squeals, clapping her hands excitedly.

“I’m so happy you're both excited! It’ll be beautiful. We’ve made sure of it.”

“It will truly be magnificent,” his father adds, patting Jungwon on the back.

He smiles, trying to hide his anguish behind his wine glass.

Dinner continues with Jungwon’s mother raving about the wedding: cake, decorations, guests.

“Mrs. Sim said she’s ecstatic to see you get married!”

Wait…the Sim’s? Jungwon suddenly starts to panic inside his head.

“The Sim’s are coming?” He asks, looking at his mother.

“Of course they’re coming, dear! You, Maylee and Jake were the best of friends growing up!”

A lightbulb suddenly goes off in your head.

Maylee? Of course, his girlfriend was his childhood friend. This new information sets a fire ablaze in your mind.

You smirk to yourself, shaking your head at the thought.

“What’s got you smiling, honey?” Mrs. Yang asks.

“Nothing! Just thinking about my dress. I know you said it comes from the best in the world.”

“Oh absolutely!” And she starts a long tangent of how renowned the maker of your dress is. She tells you small details so as not to ruin the surprise. Maybe it’s weird you haven’t seen your wedding dress, but you trust her word.

Your eyes meet Jungwon’s again, and you blow him a kiss, chuckling as he looks at you in pure disgust.

5 DAYS LATER

When you wake up, your ladies-in-waiting immediately rush you into your bathing chambers. Your hair and body are thoroughly washed and scrubbed, your teeth are brushed, and your skin is prepped.

They bring you to Mrs. Yang’s room where you’ll be getting ready.

She smiles at you, ushering you forward.

“Are you ready to see your dress?”

You nod, and your nerves are playing with you for some reason. Why are you nervous?

She unveils it, and you gasp in disbelief.

It’s beautiful. The neckline dips into a beautiful bodice with a butterfly in the middle. The design continues into the middle of the dress and its sides, with another butterfly at the bottom.

The sleeves are loose and flowy, and the skirt shines.

“Mrs. Yang…it’s stunning.”

“Only the best for a stunning girl,” she says, “I noticed that you paint a lot of butterflies, which is why I requested they be incorporated into your dress.”

It’s true. You do love butterflies. You loved trying to catch them when you were younger.

Your mind begins to wander a bit. You remember imagining the day you’d get married. You didn’t expect it to be arranged, but the one thing you always hoped for was for your mother to be the one to see you in your wedding dress.

She wasn’t here, yet Mrs. Yang was, and that’s more than you could ask for.

Mrs. Yang brings in the stylists. They sit you down and begin to dote on you.

You see Estelle out of the corner of your eye and smile at her, giggling as she responds with two thumbs up.

Once your hair is dried and styled, they move onto your makeup. You decided on a light style, not wanting your makeup to outshine your dress.

Once it’s finished, they get you into your dress.

It fits you perfectly, and you almost squeal at how beautiful you look. Not to brag, but you think you look amazing. Once they place the veil on your head, you look complete—a perfect bride.

The wedding is being held in the palace courtyard, with friends and family of the Yang’s filling up both sides of the seating.

You’re not surprised to learn your parents didn’t come.

But you have Estelle, and that’s all that matters to you.

You make your way to the palace doors, knowing it has begun when the music starts to play.

Estelle stands by your side, ready to walk you down the aisle.

“You look beautiful. I never thought I’d see this day.”

“You’re all I need, Estelle. Thank you.”

As the doors open, you see everyone standing and looking your way.

You keep your gaze forward, walking one step at a time.

Jungwon looks handsome. You can’t deny it. His suit is white to match your dress, and his black hair contrasts beautifully with it.

As Jungwon stares you down, he can’t deny you look beautiful.

You hear gasps and whispers as you make your way past the crowds.

“She looks stunning.”

“What a beautiful girl.”

“Jungwon is a lucky man.”

You chuckle to yourself if only they knew.

Once you reach the end of the aisle, you stand across from Jungwon as Estelle takes her seat up front at your request.

Jungwon carefully lifts the veil, putting it behind you.

As you look into each other's eyes, you see something in his, an emotion you can’t put your finger on.

The minister clears his throat, bringing everyone’s attention to him.

“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to witness the union of Y/N and Jungwon. Two souls brought together to become one. One soul, one body, one heart, and one mind. If anything should object to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

No one says a word. The silence is almost deafening.

“Let’s begin. Marriage is a partnership of trust and dependence to one another while walking life’s long path. Marriage is about communication and commitment, sacrifice when needed, and love in the best and worst times.

It takes time to build a good marriage, and we hope for nothing but the best for our bride and groom.”

The minister turns to you.

“Y/N, do you take Jungwon to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you love and cherish him; trust and commit to him, through joy and pain, in sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?”

You take a deep breath, “I do.”

“Jungwon, do you take Y/N to be your lawfully wedded wife. Will you love and cherish her; trust and commit to her, through joy and pain, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” he says, and as he smiles at you for a second, you almost think it’s genuine.

“Then, with the power invested in me, I pronounce you, huband and wife. You may now kiss your bride!”

Kiss? Nobody mentioned a kiss.

Jungwon knows what his parents expect, so he takes your face into his hands with a heavy heart, pulling you forward and molding his lips to yours.

You want to feel disgusted, but you can’t. You kiss him back, wrapping your arms around his neck.

The cheers in the background drown out as your lips move passionately.

What’s happening? Are you and Jungwon not supposed to hate each other?

As you pull away, you notice your lipgloss has transferred onto Jungwon’s lips.

Instinctively, you raise your hand to wipe the lipgloss off, making the crowd chuckle.

Jungwon takes your hand as you turn to the crowd, waving as pictures are taken every second.

You walk back down the aisle, entering the castle for the reception in the grand hall room.

There’s food, drinks, music and most importantly the cake.

Everyone sits to eat. There’s a large selection on the menu.

You decide on a crab-based dish, putting on a bib to avoid getting anything on your dress.

Jungwon sits beside you, eating his food and being quiet.

Once everyone has finished eating, people start chanting for you to cut the cake.

You and Jungwon, along with everyone else, gather around it, and you cut the cake together.

Cheers erupt, and without thinking, you put some frosting on your finger before smearing it on Jungwon’s cheek.

Laughter fills the air as Jungwon looks at you in shock.

He doesn’t hesitate to fire back, targeting your cheek.

You laugh as he kisses your cheek, smearing the frosting.

After enjoying the cake, a delicious vanilla custard that you adored, you make small talk with all of Jungwon’s family and relatives.

“Where are Jungwon, Jake, and Maylee?” Mrs. Yang asks.

“Those three are always doing something secretive. Y/N, would you be a dear and go find them?” Mrs. Sim asks you, and you nod, getting up and leaving the room.

You don’t care to find them, so you wander the halls aimlessly until you hear shouting coming from an empty corridor.

“What the hell was that?” That voice definitely doesn’t belong to Jungwon so it must be Jake.

“What are you talking about?” Jungwon asks, confused as to why he’s being yelled at.

“You were practically all over her!” Jake yells.

“You looked so in love,” a feminine voice says, that must be Maylee.

“I’m not in love with her. We hate each other!” Jungwon insists, looking between the Sim siblings.

“Well, it didn’t look that way to me!” Jake retaliates.

“I just watched you marry and kiss another girl. Don’t you realize how terrible I feel?” Maylee asks.

“I get it,” Jungwon says, “But I had to look convincing to my parents!”

“That bitch certainly didn’t seem to mind having you to herself,” Maylee says.

You clear your throat, smirking as the three look at you like deer caught in headlights.

“The next time you wanna argue and talk shit about somebody, maybe don’t yell and cause a commotion about it.”

You walk forward, standing in front of Maylee, who’s between Jungwon and Jake.

“And next time… come say it to my face. Don’t be a pussy.” You throw the bouquet in her face, turn around, and walk back.

“You may need that,” you say as you leave the three dumbfounded.

You devise some weak excuse about how you couldn’t find them, but within a minute, they all come shuffling back into the grand hall.

The night ends with everyone congratulating you and Jungwon as you hang off his arm. You catch Maylee’s eye as the Sim’s are leaving. You can’t help but be petty, shooting a wink and waving her way. She glares ferociously before being ushered out by her mother.

You yawn, the day's events catching up to you.

“Are you tired, sweetheart?” Mrs. Yang asks, cooing at you as you nod sleepily.

“You’re in luck. We just had your bedroom cleaned and prepared for you both,” Mr. Yang says.

“Wait,” Jungwon interrupts, “What do you mean for us both?”

“Well, now that you’re married, it only makes sense to share a bedroom!”

You and Jungwon look at each other and then back to his parents.

“I understand your point, but we still barely know each other. Isn’t it a bit soon?” you ask, Jungwon nodding in agreement.

“Nonsense! If anything, this will help you get closer!” Mr. Yang responds.

Before you can argue any further, they bid you both goodnight.

You both stand there for a few seconds, taking in this absolute setup.

“We could just not sleep in the same room? They don’t have to know,” you suggest.

Jungwon shakes his head, “They’ll know. They’re parents, they know everything.”

“So you wanna sleep in the same room?”

“I don’t want to,” Jungwon says exasperated, “But we’ll have to.”

It turns out that the bedroom is the second-best in the castle, only after the king and queen’s.

“We can move all our stuff in here tomorrow. Let’s just wash up, get changed, and go to bed,” Jungwon says before making his way to his now-old room.

“Wait!” You call out.

He turns around, raising an eyebrow.

“Can you unzip me? I can’t reach it.”

Jungwon doesn’t think anything of it, reaching to unzip your dress.

That is until he sees the expanse of your smooth skin. Before he can stop himself, he’s gently running his hand down the middle of your back.

You freeze, not expecting his touch.

He snaps out of it and, before you can say anything, runs, leaving you in the corridor.

You turn to your room, undressing and wearing comfortable sleepwear.

You enter the bath chambers and wash off your makeup, putting your hair into a protective style.

You return to the bedroom, finding Jungwon hasn’t arrived yet.

The room is even bigger than yours. When you check out the closet, it expands even farther than yours.

The bath chamber has a tub, a separate shower, and two sinks. On one side of the room, there’s even a couch.

It’s perfect for two people.

You hear the door close behind you, and Jungwon clears his throat.

“I can sleep on the couch so that you can sleep in the bed,” he says, already making his way to it.

“No, I’ll sleep on the couch!” You protest, grabbing an extra blanket from the closet.

“I can’t allow that. As much as we don’t like each other, I can’t let a lady be uncomfortable.”

You sigh, “Then we’ll both sleep in the bed, just keep some space between us.”

Jungwon nods, and you both make your way to the bed.

You get in first, making yourself comfortable, and Jungwon follows suit.

Neither of you say anything, nor do you say goodnight.

Sleep overtakes you quickly.

When you wake up, you notice an arm around your waist.

Looking beside you, Jungwon is still fast asleep.

You carefully remove his arm around you and leave the bed.

Heading to the bath chambers, you quickly shower, brush your teeth, and wash your face.

Jungwon is still asleep when you return, so you head down to breakfast without him.

The king and queen are nowhere to be found, but breakfast is still laid out, ready to be eaten.

You sit down, preparing your napkin before digging in.

About ten minutes later, Jungwon enters the dining hall, hair disheveled and pajamas slightly unbuttoned.

He says nothing as he sits next to you and starts to eat.

He looks cute, you hate to admit.

His eyes are puffy from sleep and his cheeks are slightly bloated.

“What are you staring at?” He asks.

“Nothing!” You respond, quickly turning back to your food.

It’s quiet for a few minutes before you speak again, “You must’ve slept well last night, considering I woke up with your arm around me.”

Jungwon freezes beside you, side-eyeing as you try to hold in your chuckle.

“I normally hold a pillow when I sleep. It must’ve been an accident.”

You hum, not believing him for a second.

“I ran into my parents before coming here. They said we’re having dinner with the Sim’s tonight.”

You sigh, “Do I have to deal with your girlfriend and her brother again?”

“No, but maybe don’t provoke her either?”

“But it’s fun,” you pout playfully.

“Not for me. I get all the backlash!”

“Well, maybe tell them to knock it off!”

With that, you get up and finish your breakfast.

You go to your old room where all your clothes reside and bring them into the new room.

Jungwon had the decency to take up only one side of the closet with his things.

Next is moving your paintings. The room has enough space to line them up nicely by the large window.

You prepare for the rest of the day, taking a long, hot shower and getting dressed in one of your gowns.

You head to the garden, sitting on the bench with your paints and canvas.

The sky is still shedding its orange rays.

So you sit, and you paint.

You paint until your hands become numb from holding your palette and brush.

By the time you’ve finished, the sky has shed its previous colors and welcomed a beautiful blue.

You paint that as well, blending the colors seamlessly.

You paint the clouds, their shadows, and the scenery before you.

Each flower is painted with details someone else might never see.

But you see everything.

You hear footsteps approaching from behind you, and Jungwon’s voice graces your ears, “The Sim’s are here. I was sent to get you.”

Your eyes widen. How rude of you not to be there when guests arrive.

You quickly gather up your paints, brushes, and palette.

Finding your hands full, you look to Jungwon for help.

He takes note and carefully takes your painting into one hand, his other occupied by your easel.

You take numerous fast-paced steps ahead of him, rushing to get inside.

“Calm down, they’re not upset.”

You send him a glare as you walk even faster.

When you reach the bedroom, you put everything away, Jungwon carefully setting down your easel and painting.

You stand in front of the full-length mirror beside the closet door and fix your appearance.

Rushing wasn’t a good idea as your hair is now disheveled, strands flying everywhere.

You brush your fingers through it, calming any flyaways and loose hair.

Turning around, you see Jungwon still there, staring you down.

“What?” You ask. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, you look fine. Let’s go.”

He holds out his arm, looking for you to interlock yours.

You do as such, putting your other hand over his.

When you arrive in the dining hall, the Sim’s, minus the siblings, look at you both warmly.

Jungwon pulls your chair out, and you thank him quietly before he sits beside you.

Everyone begins to eat while the parents start a quiet conversation.

You can feel eyes on you, but you don’t look up to catch them.

“So,” Mrs. Sim says, “How’s married life treating you both?”

You put on your “fake but real” smile. “Well, it’s only been a day. I don’t think we’ve experienced any real marriage life yet.”

Mrs. Yang interrupts you, “Nonsense. I heard them having a couples spat the other day. Of course, I don't know what it was about, but it’s not my business. They’re both adults. They can keep it between themselves.”

The Sim’s laugh, and the Yang’s as you and Jungwon smile awkwardly.

“Oh, and they don’t know this, but I went into their room to check on them this morning. It was so cute how Jungwon wrapped his arm around you while you slept,” Mrs. Yang says, turning to you.

Jungwon suddenly chokes on his food, coughing violently as you hit his back.

Mrs. Yang looks at Jungwon, “Careful, sweetie. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but I couldn't help it! My baby boy is embarrassed,” she coos.

“Mom,” Jungwon grumbles as he finally stops choking.

He looks at Maylee to find her glaring straight at him, and he gulps heavily.

“Excuse me, I have to use the restroom,” Maylee says, quickly ushering herself out of the dining hall.

After five minutes, her parents question her whereabouts, and Jungwon takes this as his chance.

“I’ll go look for her!”

He rushes off, running through the corridors looking for her.

Suddenly, he hears a crash coming from the bedroom.

He darts to it and finds himself in the middle of Maylee destroying your paintings.

“What the hell are you doing!” He yells, dragging her away from the now slashed canvases.

His yell alerts everyone still at the table, and they’re rushing in within seconds.

You get one look at your destroyed paintings before you collapse on your knees, tears streaming down your cheeks.

“What did you do?” you ask, looking at Maylee and Jungwon.

“This is what you get for stealing my man, bitch!”

The Sim’s and Yang’s look between you and Maylee before Mrs. Sim speaks up, “Sim Maylee, what on earth are you talking about!”

“You wanna know the truth,” she starts, “Jungwon and I have been dating for three years. 3! And all of a sudden, this bitch makes her grand entrance as his soon-to-be wife? Are you fucking kidding me? She’s been cuddling up to him this whole time, and I’m sick of it!”

You get up, and before anyone can blink, you slap Maylee across the face, “How dare you. You’re mad about our arranged marriage, so you destroy my life’s work?”

She holds her now red cheek, staring at you in disbelief.

You turn to Jungwon, “I know you hate me, but this is too far.”

With that, you turn and leave the room, running through the corridor and leaving the castle.

You run and run as far as your feet will take you.

Jungwon turns to Maylee, “This…this was too much Maylee.”

“So it’s true?” Mrs. Yang interjects

“Yes, mother, it’s true. I said nothing because I knew we’d be forced to break up if you found out. We planned to keep our relationship a secret even after my marriage.”

He turns back to Maylee, “How could you do this?”

“Why are you defending her?” she shouts. “I’m your girlfriend; you should be on my side.”

“But you’ve crossed the line, Maylee, and dragged me into your mess, too!”

Mrs. Sim crosses the room and yanks her daughter by the arm. “Let’s go! Say goodbye because, as far as I’m concerned, you two will not see each other anymore.”

She drags Maylee out as she struggles in her mother’s hold while Mr. Sim puts his hand on Jake’s shoulder, dragging him out as well.

The Yang’s are left in the room, glaring at their son.

“I’m very disappointed in you,” his father says.

Jungwon hangs his head in shame, “I know. I just… didn’t want to end my relationship with Maylee. We fell in love over time and never had the guts to tell any of you. But I don’t condone this! I would’ve never done something like this!”

“You need to find Y/N and apologize to her immediately. You should’ve stopped Maylee’s actions when she first showed hostility.”

Jungwon nods, and with that, he begins his search for you.

He passes some maids, asking where you went, and they tell him you ran outside the castle.

As he makes his way outside, a guard rushes up to him. “Prince Jungwon, the princess ran out here in a frenzy. We tried to go after her but were ordered not to leave our post. She ran into the woods outside the castle!”

Jungwon books it, running as fast as he can, shouting your name. He runs through trees, swatting branches out of his way.

Then, he hears it. Soft sniffles came from in front of him.

He approaches you carefully, not wanting to startle you or make you run away.

“Y/N?”

You turn around, glaring once you see it’s him.

Standing up, you begin to walk away from him, but he’s faster and grabs your arm.

“Wait! Please let me explain! I had nothing to do with Maylee destroying your paintings. I didn’t tell her to do it. I didn’t participate. I don’t hate you. I’ve been in the wrong this whole time. I treated you terribly when you did nothing wrong, and I’m sorry.”

“Those paintings were priceless to me, Jungwon. What am I supposed to do now?”

He takes your hand, “Make new ones and new memories?”

You bite your lip, “You’re right, and I’m sorry, too. I was hostile towards you when you were also in a shitty situation.”

He waves his hand, “Let bygones be bygones and regarding Maylee, I think it’s fair to consider her my ex now.”

Jungwon holds out his hand, “Let’s go home?”

You take his hand, and the both of you make your way back to the castle.

Mr. and Mrs. Yang welcome you back with open arms, literally holding you in their arms. For the first time in forever, you feel like you’re with family.

Estelle helps you and Jungwon clean up the destroyed paintings. You decide to throw everything away, wanting to make new memories like Jungwon said.

That night, you and Jungwon get into bed with a newfound friendship.

The morning light shines through the curtains, and it makes you squint.

You look beside you and see Jungwon is gone.

Sitting up, you stretch before preparing to get out of bed.

“Hold it right there! Breakfast in bed for the lady.” Jungwon comes in with a whole tray of food. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and toast, with a glass of orange juice.

“Jungwon, you don’t have to do nice things for me. We’ve forgiven each other for past mistakes. There’s no need for this,” you say, smiling at him.

“I want to do this. I want to make up for my wrongdoings, so please, just let me,” he pleads.

He sets the tray down in front of you.

You pick up your fork and knife, cutting into the pancakes. You hold out your fork for Jungwon, “Say ah!”

A light blush dusts Jungwon’s cheeks, but he accepts the food graciously.

You gesture for him to sit next to you in bed, “Let’s talk.”

He complies, “Talk about what?”

“Anything,” you say, “What are your plans for today?”

“I didn’t have any plans for today. I thought maybe we could go out and paint! I’ve never done it before, but it looks fun!”

You smile as you eat, “I think that’s a great idea.”

When you (and Jungwon) have finished breakfast, you gather all your art supplies again and make your way outside the castle, this time with Jungwon in tow.

“So, first things first. There are no rules when it comes to art. You can do whatever you want, as long as you like it.”

You’re facing the woods, so you tell Jungwon to paint that. He begins, and within half an hour, he’s finished. He presents his final product to you like a shy kid, and you can’t help but coo.

Surprisingly, it’s not bad for a complete beginner.

“So right off the bat, I can tell you understand color. What you’re missing is lighting and shading. Notice how some are lighter when the sun hits the trees while the branches in the back are darker?”

As you ramble on and on, Jungwon can’t help but think you look beautiful. You’re talking passionately, and he can’t stop staring in awe.

He doesn’t even realize you're calling his name until you snap your fingers in front of his face.

“Are you listening? This is important!”

“Sorry,” he says, shaking his head. “I can just tell how much you love art, and I think it’s cool.”

You hum, “Well, thank you. What about you? What’s your favorite thing?”

Jungwon contemplates momentarily before looking down at the grass, “I don’t have one.”

You frown, sitting next to him on the bench.

“That’s okay!” you say. “We can find your favorite thing; we just have to experiment!”

Painting class for the day officially ends there, as you’re now determined to help Jungwon.

As you walk the corridor castles, you ask, “So, what do you like to do?”

“I like sports. The guys and I usually play rugby when we’re all free.”

You recall being introduced to 5 other boys who Jungwon said he grew up with, Jake included.

“I don’t think you can teach me that.” You laugh as Jungwon smiles shyly beside you.

“What else?” You ask.

“Well, I like to sing.”

“Really?” You ask, surprised.

Jungwon nods, “I always loved putting on performances for my parents when I was younger.”

“Well, sing for me!”

“But I’m shy,” he says, looking down as his cheeks become red.

“Come on,” you whine, dragging out the n, “I’m your wife. You don’t need to be shy in front of me.”

“Not you pulling the wife card.” He laughs.

“Please.” You pout, putting on your best puppy eyes.

Jungwon takes a deep breath before he starts to sing, and you’re immediately captivated.

His voice is like honey. It’s smooth but slightly raspy, and it’s like an angel singing in your ears.

When he finishes, you clap excitedly.

“Jungwon, you’re so good!”

He gives a small thanks while you keep walking.

You think you’ve found a new obsession.

Jungwon sits on the picnic blanket beside you, singing quietly to you as you watch the sky.

You sit up abruptly, causing Jungwon to stop.

“Do you think in a different universe, we would’ve been friends first before anything?”

Jungwon ponders for a moment, “I don’t see why not. Let me ask you something: do you think we could make our marriage work?”

You turn to Jungwon, eyebrow raised, “You mean, like, romantically? I didn’t know you felt that way about me.” You smirk, causing Jungwon to turn away quickly.

“I mean, you’re beautiful. I can’t help but think, now that things are good between us, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try. The last thing I want is to be in a loveless marriage.”

“Sure, we can try.” You turn yourself towards Jungwon, touching his cheek to make him face you.

“Kiss me,” you say.

Jungwon’s eyes widened. They dart to your lips quickly before finding your eyes, “So suddenly?”

You figure he’s not going to do it, so you do.

Leaning forward, you capture his lips with yours.

He kisses you back, pulling you closer with a hand behind your head.

His lips are soft, and he tastes like the strawberries and chocolate you had.

It’s passionate. It feels like sparks are going off. This kiss is different from the one you shared on your wedding day. This one feels natural like it’s a kiss with love and not for show.

Before it can go any further, you pull away, giggling as Jungwon chases your lips.

He whines, “Don’t tease me!”

“I’m sorry! You’re just too cute.”

“Don’t wanna be cute to you,” he mumbles.

“You don’t wanna be cute? Do you wanna be more than that? Like what?”

“Handsome, hot, sexy?”

“Who said I don't find you hot, handsome, and sexy?”

Jungwon smirks, “Do you?”

You push Jungwon’s shoulder back, throwing your leg over his, straddling his lap.

He brings his hands to your waist, holding it tightly.

“What if I said I think you’re the sexiest, hottest, most handsome man I’ve ever seen?”

He rubs circles into your waist, “I'd say you're the sexiest, hottest, most beautiful woman I've ever seen.”

You lean in for another kiss, nipping Jungwon’s bottom lip.

God knows how long you spent there. After coming inside, you sit down for dinner with the Yang's.

“So, what did you two do today?” Mrs. Yang asks.

“We had a picnic!” You respond. “Jungwon prepared everything, and it was amazing.”

Mrs. Yang asks for details, and the two women talk excitedly while Jungwon looks at you with fondness.

As you lay in bed that night, you think about how drastically your relationship with Jungwon has changed.

You dreaded this marriage, being forced to be with someone you didn't love. And now? Your perspective has completely changed.

Jungwon is a fantastic person. You wish you had seen it earlier.

Do you think you could fall in love with Jungwon? You believe you already have. While the thought almost scares you, your feelings for Jungwon overcome that.

Your thoughts are interrupted when Jungwon comes out of the bathroom, having thoroughly washed up.

He joins you in bed, turning to face you as you smile at him.

“What?” He asks, smiling back at you.

You raise your hand, stroking the area above his eyebrow, moving the hair in the way.

“I think I love you, Jungwon.”

Jungwon's eyes widen, and then they soften.

“I think I love you too, Y/N.”

You don't say anything else as you lean in, kissing him.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, my love.”

2 WEEKS LATER

Jungwon plays with your hair as your head lays in his lap. His nimble fingers find their way to your cheek, grazing over it.

You look up at him, meeting his eyes.

Puckering your lips, he laughs, bringing his to yours in a sweet kiss.

“There's a festival in the town tonight. Do you wanna go?” He asks.

“What’s it gonna be like?”

“Games, music, food, the works.”

“Sounds fun, I'd love to go!”

Night comes quickly, and you've just finished preparing for the festival.

Jungwon comes out of the bathroom, ready as well.

“You look beautiful, my love,” he says, coming up behind you to wrap his arms around you.

“And you look dashing.”

The festival is in full swing by the time you and Jungwon arrive.

People greet you as you pass, giving you gifts and free things.

You take them all graciously, thanking them for their generosity.

You and Jungwon find a private spot, taking time to admire the view of the town ahead.

“I got you something,” he says.

You turn to him, eyebrows furrowing when he pulls out a small box.

“I know we had a rocky start, but I have to say that these past few weeks with you have been some of the best I've ever had. I know our vows weren't exactly the most genuine, but now, I mean those words genuinely. You are an amazing, passionate, loving, caring woman, and I love everything about you. I truly promise the rest of my life to you.”

With that, he opens the box, presenting a beautiful gold necklace. You gasp in surprise as he shows it to you.

“Jungwon, it's stunning.”

“I got our initials engraved on it, so we're always together no matter what.”

As he puts it on you, you think to yourself, maybe this life was meant for you.

In the end, you got your fairytale ending.

note: this took me entirely too long but it's done!! i hope you all enjoy!

taglist: @jiamini @dokidokior @26796i

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tonguetiedraven · 4 months ago

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Yukio cares a lot about perception and keeps a distance because of that

Even while his twin is going on a journey of realizing he sabotaged his own past ability to have friends and is welcoming the new opportunity to make them (he'll fuck that up but figure it out eventually,) Yukio will not allow himself to go on a similar journey until much, much later.

Welcome to part three of my Critically Reading Yukio analysis. Part one here, and part two here. I intended to pause on this series for a moment to focus on my girl Izumo, but I'm actively watching the Yukio analysis and discussions deteriorating before my eyes so he got priority for now, but expect that Izumo analysis soon.

In this part of my analysis we will focus some on Yukio's interaction with his peers and how the way he carries himself relates to that. This, like the other parts, will be a start to a study we will want to keep up through the entirety of his story. I talked last time about Yukio's role of responsibility with Rin and others, and that is directly applicable to this section, because Yukio? Has so much responsibility.

Also, apologies but we're going back to chapter 5. I will get to the double digit chapters, and maybe even triple digit. (Dare we dream?)

I want to point out this moment after the students have taken their exwire certification exam, which they think is a practice exam. Izumo, Paku, and Shiemi have gone to the bath where big dramatics are about to happen and Shima is talking about going to spy on them.

Now aside from the incorrectly translated 'Renzou' there (it's supposed to be Shima as always, sorry), this is one of the first panels where the students acknowledge that their teacher is in fact a student and honestly, younger than most of them. Renzou, Ryuuji, and Izumo are all older by a few months.

Renzou is the only student that will point out Yukio is a student on more than one occasion. Some of you are probably inclined to point out Shiemi, but she very much treats him as a teacher and mentor and someone to put on a pedestal, and I still intend to come back to them in their own post so hold that thought.

Renzou offers a companionship branch (granted on perving but it is Renzou) and Yukio firmly rebuffs it. He does not engage in such things and cannot allow himself to be too familiar with them. One, they are his students and propriety is something Yukio sticks with. Two, he is trying to keep a rather large secret and Rin is not being much help on the secret keeping end.

Yukio has not, as far as we're aware, had real friendships. We know he became popular as a kid/teenager at some point, but his early and formative years were spent being heavily bullied. That he not only could see demons and the terrors that go bump in the night, but that humans treated him cruelly too.

He became popular, but we do not hear that he had friends. How could he when he had a secret full time job at age thirteen and pulled good enough grades to be the top student of his grade in True Cross?

Yukio separates himself from them over and over again and you'll see that all through the chapters in little touches and big moments.

Here's another example from chapter 7 (the chapter where Neuhaus tries to kill Rin and they fight on the roof and Yukio breaks the summoning circle) where the new exwires have been bought a meal for their victory.

Yukio is shown to be standing outside and away from them. He gets called in by one of them and joins the group, or so we think until a few panels later when we see

He only sort of joined them. Now it is possible he's sitting with a few of the students, likely Takara and Yamada if anyone, but however it happens, he's still not sitting with the group in this shot. Even Mephisto is more connected to them. He is facing away and at his own table watching them, but never joining.

He is excluded from his fellow exorcists by necessity, always treated a bit strangely because he is so much younger and he was Shirou's protégé, and eventually he's outed as the other son of Satan and that furthers the gap between him and his coworkers. He excludes himself from the exwires and other students his age because he can't be like them. He has to be their teacher and leader and he has far more going on in his mind and life than thinking about the girls taking baths. He has been given a very lonely and isolating path to walk.

Made worse, I will once again say, by Mephisto.

Moving forward, I want to touch on this moment from chapter 8 before I hit Kuro:

Yukio gets a lot of flack for, well, everything, but this one bugs me in particular. Yukio tells Rin not to fight a certain way because HE KNOWS MORE THAN RIN. If Rin relies more on the demon part of himself without doing anything to try and control/restrain that part of himself he will be controlled by it. He is essentially turning the demon tap all the way on without any idea yet of how the handle works and what the size/strength of the spray will be. He needs to do this slowly or it will lead to problems, and it does. Rin gets taken over by his demon half later on in this story and it almost goes very poorly for the exwires. It is only Mephisto and the Paladin that stop it from happening.

Rin does not know what he's playing with when he's just going ham on the flames and injuries.

But more on that later.

Yukio is seldom not willing to explain something to Rin. The problem is that Rin doesn't want the lengthy explanations from Yukio that Yukio likes to give. He wants a quick and interesting yes or a no that feels more like a yes later, and he doesn't really want any 'no' from Yukio who he doesn't see as an authority because he still sees his brother as smaller and weaker even if he shouldn't. Now Yukio probably could use a less condescending tone, but honestly he's not being that condescending and I think the guy is permitted some annoyance at Rin. Neither of them want to be stuck in this situation and the horrible heat is amplifying everyone's sour mood.

Rin gets mad and growly and tells Yukio to shut up because he saved Yukio and Yukio isn't Father Fujimoto. Rin is referencing the incident with Neuhaus on the roof and grossly simplifying it. While it could be argued that Yukio was aided by Rin, it is not apparent that Yukio was at all saved by Rin. In fact, it was Yukio that got rid of the demon and saved Rin.

However Rin is right, Yukio is not Father Fujimoto.

Rin does not know that Yukio has basically been raised to replace Father Fujimoto. Yukio does know that and it simply adds to his own complicated feelings about their entire situation.

There fight escalates through Shiemi to this:

Yukio getting mocked. Now it's friendly sibling banter at a glance, but we know that Yukio has been bullied and made fun. He is trying very hard to have a serious conversation and Rin will just not have a serious conversation with him and strikes out, sends Yukio's glasses soaring, destroys them, and then laughs at that fact.

Yukio is still on that babysitting duty and it's moments like this that make it seem more like actual baby sitting.

I can feel people getting tense and wanting to interject that I'm being harsh to Rin and mischaracterizing him and he's just goofing or what does it matter when Yukio is so bossy and mean anyway?

Take a breath, hold on, and remember that the vast majority of aoex fandom text is lauding Rin and tearing Yukio apart. This is a Yukio centric study so I'm not going into Rin's emotions and drives as deeply as I'm trying to cover Yukio.

I love Rin and I also find the way the glasses landed hilarious. Kato has a fantastic sense of humor that lines up with my own far more often than not. However, as a sibling who has had her own items destroyed by siblings who just found it funny, I also see this so clearly from Yukio's side. Especially with the fact that he carries himself in a way that makes it seem he doesn't feel safe to express any emotions over this and doesn't get a chance to properly express his mounting frustration before he's being called to the job he shouldn't be stuck with.

He is not permitted to be upset. Rin quite literally just yelled at him, but Yukio yelling back gets him ganged up on. Yukio does not allow himself to express his real emotions and fights them down so that when they do come out, they come out in a snap that's usually intense because they're so far from his usual even demeanor or perfected customer service smile. A "This isn't funny!" from any of the other characters wouldn't be shocking, but with Yukio it is because he never lets himself show that much anger or frustration. Even in chapter two when he was leveling the gun at Rin he did so with an even expression and voice. It was not an emotional thing for him. It was a testing thing.

No one represses an emotion as quickly and efficiently as this 15 year old.

Yukio was bullied from childhood and even his own twin calls him a cry baby, though from what we see, Yukio hasn't cried since he was a child pulled into Exorcism work by Shirou. He has spent more years not crying, but will never lose the conception of wimpy cry baby in Rin's eyes, and it is Yukio's deepest fear that he will always be that. Rin does not realize that is one of Yukio's biggest fears and would certainly not constantly push and poke and deliberately prod that very tender spot if he did. He's an idiot, but he is very rarely a purposefully cruel idiot.

Yukio does not confide himself in anyone because it has never been safe to. He couldn't tell Rin most of what was really going on through the majority of their life because they couldn't risk the seal that was on Rin. Knowing too much and certainly knowing about demons would weaken the seal and an unsealed Rin is a Rin that would be killed by the Vatican. Shirou was someone Yukio couldn't bear to appear weak in front of, and Yukio has no other friends.

There's Shiemi, and he lets himself be more open to her than most people, but he also doesn't quite see her as she really is, and he's slow and tentative about being open with her because he doesn't want her to see the darker parts of him.

But I'll cover them later, I promise.

Focusing on chapter 8 again, I have to say that Rin is a damn menace on this mission. He follows Yukio, shoves himself into the mission while reminding Yukio that he broke his glasses, disregards Yukio's orders in front of others (something that continues to frustrate and upset Yukio visibly and something Rin does a lot, and Shura will as well when she shows up shortly.)

We find out that Shirou had a familiar and it was Kuro who is unquestionably the best boy and deserves cat treats and a warm sun beam to nap in, and who Yukio watched Shirou tame last time he went feral.

Shirou is brought up a lot in this chapter. Over and over by everyone in it. He is haunting this chapter particularly hard. He's been haunting the narrative since he died, but it gets especially cranked up here. The memory of him and the pressure of what he'd do and the way the knowledge of him, of who he really was separates the twin.

Yukio has a super secret package from Shirou, presumably a weapon, specifically for if Kuro loses it. Yukio does not know what this package is and can only assume it is a weapon because he knew Shirou as a warrior. As strong and brave and never afraid. He raised Yukio to fight and defend so of course Shirou would anticipate this and make a weapon to stop Kuro's rampaging.

(Also this is mark two on the tally of Shirou seeming to know he was going to die. Just saying. There's a lot of signs.)

Anyway, Yukio orders everyone away to use his presumed weapon. Rin disagrees with the attack and has been hearing Kuro this entire time but Yukio doesn't know that and Rin doesn't get how he's hearing it, and goes to confront Kuro himself. He literally uses his head and tells Kuro that he gets why Kuro is sad because he misses Shirou too, and Yukio:

Yukio remembers. He remembers Shirou saying almost the same thing to Kuro and sees himself further and further away from being the image of his father he so idolizes while Rin makes it look easy to be like that.

They decide that Kuro will now be Rin's familiar and a lot of people saw Rin take the headbutt from a cat sidhe without any kind of issue, so more stress on Yukio to keep Rin's secret underwraps.

By the way, this is the sort of thing I'm talking about when I say Rin does not work hard to keep his secret. Flame lapses aside, Rin just doesn't pause and think about how something he does will be perceived by anyone. He does not slow down to think. Yukio has to carry that load and Rin will not listen to him. To be fair, no one has taught Rin how to hide a secret. It's not something he's had to do, and Rin has spent most of his life avoiding people and interactions, so it's not something he's good at even without having to keep super strength under wraps.

Rin and Kuro will from here on be inseparable. Rin will have a small buddy at the worse moments and honestly, Kuro is fantastic and I adore the bond they both have. Rin needs and deserves that kind of friend.

Moving on now that Kuro has joined the party!

Chapter 9 starts with everyone getting an assignment to hunt a ghost. Rin embarrasses Yukio because he very obviously stares at Shiemi in all her not-in-a-kimono state. Small spat and everyone goes out and about on their stuff.

It's a dramatic chapter and once again shows that Rin is just not doing well on keeping the whole Satan son thing under wraps and that it is really just the benevolence of those that do know keeping it quiet that is keeping him safe at this moment. His secret will come out and it will almost certainly be a moment of their choosing, because Rin is also easy to manipulate.

Yukio reappears at the end of the chapter. After the roller coaster has been destroyed and Amaimon has returned Rin's sword and they have destroyed a good portion of the amusement park and come horrifyingly close to killing Shiemi.

We get this moment.

We get Yukio running and visibly upset as he should be. This was obviously Rin's doing what with the flame damage and how much strength would be required for this. He doesn't know Amaimon was here at this point.

Yukio comes running up and Yamada, the hoodie wearing team work refusing student that has been hanging out in the background is standing their and holding the bag that Kurikara is in. Yamada is standing there, holding the secret of Rin's flames and his heart, and Yamada speaks.

(Also, apparently 'Yamada' is the Japanese equivalent of John/Jane Doe. Gotta love how low effort that was on Shura's part xD )

Yamada speaks and Yukio immediately knows who Yamada actually is. Whatever Yukio's history with her, it's enough of a history that Yukio recognizes Shura Kirigakure's voice without seeing her face or signature clothing style.

The chapter ends with her saying who she is. The next chapter Rin is getting dragged to the Tokyo headquarters and Yukio is silent for most of it until they're in the building and Shura is saying she will have to report Rin and wants to interrogate him. Mephisto has shown up as well, and it's when Shura starts to walk away to interrogate Rin that Yukio breaks his cooperative silence.

And now I'm gonna skip to chapter 15 before I explain this, because damn it, there is just not enough analysis on the relationship between Shura and Yukio and how messy it is. Shura is such a complicated character and that complication shines with Yukio in so many ways. They bring out the most interesting and sharpest edges of each other and were both rivals for Shirou's attention and neither one has any of their Shirou baggage at all resolved and they can't work together because they can't take the other seriously and they both care about each other and man, the complexities amplify every time they're in a scene together.

I want to focus on this moment in chapter 15. Chapter 15 is at the start of the Kyoto/Impure King arc and is right after the trial and right before they all leave to Kyoto.

During that moment we see Rin getting his new training to burn candles and try to burn specific ones. Shura tells Yukio she wants to spar while Rin is doing that, and it's made apparent it's something they used to do. She uses her sword and he uses his guns, and they both see who can destroy more of the targets in the time limit.

Yukio says no and Shura orders him to do it, and makes it clear that if he loses she expects him to buy him dinner.

This is yet another example of someone who refuses to see that Yukio has grown and changed from who he was, and there's a tremendous power imbalance in this situation. Shura loves to treat Yukio like a kid brother, but she has authority over him and a lot of years on him, and she uses both to try and manipulate him into doing what she wants.

That's a core piece of who she is and absolutely from how she was raised, but I'll probably expand on that later. It's enough to see that she often pushes and manipulates and ridicules Yukio into doing things her way and makes fun of him when he's trying to be serious.

Chapter 15 goes into a flashback after she orders him to join her in the spar. It shows us a scene from when Yukio was in training to be an exorcist, likely around 10ish though I'm not certain of the exact age, and Shura, who is more than ten years his senior, beats him. Unsurprisingly. Because he's ten.

Shirou sees it and sees Shura laughing and mocking Yukio and calling him names and leaving the room, and we get this moment of reflection from Yukio about why he hates Shura. (And a bit of wisdom from Shirou.)

Yukio, understandably, hates looking stupid. He hates that she's immensely talented and acts like everything is a joke because it makes him and being serious look dumb because if someone who isn't taking it at all seriously can beat him, then what chance does he have when he's giving it his all?

(Also the size of that gun in his tiny hands kills me. Take the gun away from the child. I know why you did this Shirou but it kills me and it's awful. ;-; )

Once again we see the problem of perception on Yukio. Of the way he is seen and mocked and how he continues to hate that. He does not want to be seen as weak and stupid, and two of the most important people in his life at this point both see him as weak and stupid, or at least give him the opinion that they see him that way. Rin would probably say he doesn't think Yukio is weak, and Shura would certainly say she doesn't think he's stupid, but that's the way they make him feel and it is a problem as it pushes him to keep showing that he is not those things.

No one in this manga will be as successful as breaking Yukio of his cool as Shura will be.

We will explore the rest of chapter 15 later because it is a Yukio gold mine.

Back to the moment where Yukio finally speaks up in chapter 10. At this point we see him begging to be taken in Rin's place. He knows much better than Rin what is likely waiting on an official interrogation, and chances are he's been carefully versed by Shirou on what to say.

But also, this is his brother and he wants to protect Rin. Everything he's done up to this point has been in an effort to contain and protect Rin and he will continue to work to protect Rin.

Remember the end of chapter two. Shirou brought Yukio into all this madness by asking him if he wanted to get strong and protect Rin, and Yukio steps fully into whatever game he believes Mephisto is playing, knowing he is stepping into a game and that Mephisto is manipulating everything. He does so willingly to continue to protect Rin. It is undeniably his expressed goal. Say what you want of Yukio, he works hard to keep Rin safe from Rin's own self destructive actions and he works hard to keep the secret and shield Rin from the Vatican and this.

Shura dismisses Yukio and his growth. She takes Rin away and leaves Yukio there with Mephisto.

We do not see him again that chapter.

The next time Yukio pops up is in chapter 11 when he's shown sleeping as Rin slips out to go to the roof with Kuro.

Or Rin thinks he is asleep.

This is a tremendously tiny moment that Kato gives us and is easy to skip over as just a funny little ha ha, but it tells us more about Yukio. He's fully aware of what Rin is doing and like always, he is watching. He is aware of Rin slipping out and hears Rin talking about him. Rin is not pulling something over on him.

He is smart and observant. He is a step ahead of Rin. (Probably several.)

We then skip to the next morning and the exwires having some sort of training camp coming up. Will it be a real one this time since their last training was a fake training and actually a test?

Methinks not, lol.

The exwires gather at the bottom of the stairs near the True Cross Midway Station and we see Yukio with what I call his customer service smile.

This smile is ALWAYS a lie. If Yukio is wearing it he is frustrated and pretending not to be. In this moment Shura is almost certainly the reason for the fake smile.

He leads them into the forest for their mission, and it's like mid July in the middle of the day in Japan in Tokyo and it would be so damn hot and humid out there. This is just the nastiest sort of mission to send the students out on. If you do not live in a humid place then know that there is no relief unless you're in the ac. Shade does not help much because the humidity carries the heat and it is an exhausting kind of heat. You should not be going on a hike like this in high humidity. Especially not with those kind of packs and not in a heavy coat.

Yukio's careful façade cracks a lot on this mission. He is starting to show himself and his breaking cool to the students more and more despite trying not to. While Rin is getting lazier about his secret and struggling with figuring his powers out, Yukio's carefully gathered control of himself is starting to fray.

His response will be to double down in the next arc.

A few notable examples of this fraying are:

(Kato fucking kills me with the exwires all :o at Yukio's outburst in that last scene. I laugh every time.)

Hot, stressed, dealing with a person who irritates him more than anyone else, watching as the one person he really considers something like a friend goes more for his brother, Yukio is fighting a hard battle to remain always composed and smiling. This forest is not only a trial for Rin.

None of this is ever only a trial for Rin.

Yukio forces his façade back in place and continues his explanation of the mission.

The last shot we get of Yukio in that chapter is with the customer service smile firmly back in place. The façade cracked but he shoved it back in place. He's pleasant and in control again, not giving the appearance of being emotional, weak, or a cry baby.

The very next close up we get of Yukio is in chapter 12, and needless to say

That smile died again.

I'm going to end part three here with this strip. Yukio visibly loosing his cool and exhausted with Rin while Shura laughs in the background. Yukio saying audibly "I can't hide his power much longer."

This was never just a trial for Rin.

As always, you can see more of my aoex meta by looking at my tag #raven ramble and I'll post another part to this series and hopefully Izumo's analysis soon (๑•̀ㅂ•́)ง✧

#ao no exorcist #blue exorcist #yukio okumura #raven ramble #okumura yukio #rin okumura #aoex #aoex analysis #i love this series so much #i want to read a shura and yukio anaylsis #every character has such interesting relationships and kato gives us so much to play with

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hitomisuzuya · 1 year ago

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Self aware! Aventurine x fem!reader. Yandere! Aventurine cause why not. Something for giggles at the end.

No smut guys. This is just me being silly, and self indulgent cause Aventurine evaded me. It stings, ngl so this is more to make myself feel better😂 Pay zero attention to this nonsense omg 😂

Aventurine could instantly feel the sadness caused by the crushing weight of life through your hands the moment you played his character demo. He knew what that was like, so to be nice and so you could shut your brain off for awhile, no damage was taken at all from enemies.

Oh, but what's this? You started playing this game just for him. There were 5 days left for him to "come home", but sweetheart, it was an unrealistic gamble. You were still very wet behind the ears. Trailblaze level 39 and barely even aware of your own abilities to play the game.

Aventurine could definitely feel how scared you were observing you struggle and ultimately triumph over certain tasks once you got a feel for it down. It took you a lot of nerve to even play. He would hear you think, "I hate messing up and not doing things right the first time."

Dedication squeezed at your heart. Made you lose sleep. Dedication all for him.

Please quiet your pounding heart, darling. You have a better grasp than you think. It was quite frankly amazing to see.

It was both amusing and endearing to see you soak up information like a sponge. Only to have you try and pull when you had a comfortable amount of currency.

As the days went by, and your time window got closer to slamming shut until the next opportunity, he supposed that it was a good thing Dr. Ratio was helping you out.

Supposed, anyways

You were starting to cheer for Ratio when he started to crit high. That was starting to irk him, but the rush of fulfillment he felt through you when you cleared something made it worth it.

After all, you were doing all this for him. Aventurine was only able to feel your emotions because he is was always on your mind every second you played. Even after logging off.

You are his, damn it. That was that. There really wasn't anyone else you needed. He craved to spoil you.

Of course, he had his own ways of keeping tabs on you. Dr. Ratio was starting to be more use to him that he thought.

Aventurine truly hated shutting you down, especially when he felt your heart sting and a few tears well into your eyes. You held your head high and soldiered right on, brushing them away from your eyes with your delicate hand before they even fell.

He wanted you flourish first. He wanted you to have 10000% confidence. He knew he could've just come home and did everything for you, but he wanted to fight by your side as well as fight for you. He wanted you set up the party with him in it and think with a smile, "I can do this. I know I am capable. And I have you, Aventurine. Nothing can go wrong."

It was a pleasure for him to watch you. Especially in the Simulated Universe, and the Critter Pick quest. How you smiled and giggled at the cat cakes. You cooed at them. Even lamented about not having something like them in another game.

When that time finally came, and it would, don't you worry your pretty little head. He already knew your dedication level was incredibly high, and there would be extra insurance provided by both you and him.

Aventurine realized that you were irrevocably, totally, and completely dizzy in love with him. The words in your head exactly. They made his heart skip beats.

When he realized he was in love with you, it was during the end of Critter Pick mission. It snuck up on him, and slapped him hard in the face. It was when you were facing down the Swarm for the final Curio.

You loathed The Juvenile Sting and Lesser Sting from the Swarm in particular. You'd retreated over and over, getting intimidated when they multiplied. Until one night, you'd narrowed your eyes in determination and said, "Okay, you fucking bugs. Let's go. I won't be bullied by you today. I will do this for the sake of the cat cakes."

You dug your heels in, and didn't run. You wanted to do many times. You were already terribly fragile with your confidence to begin with. He watched you so close, and the surge of pride he felt when he saw you refused to yield in the end was undescribable.

"That's my girl," He'd murmured when the final bug exploded. Ratio may have taken care of you, and he was glad for that. Aventurine knew he would've been better for you.

Until that day when he could come for you, darling, he was still going to be there. Hovering patiently unseen. Maybe your shields around your characters would last a little longer in tight spots. Maybe a mysterious extra skill point would appear that you thought you didn't have. Maybe, just for you, Ratio would have an extra follow up attack.

And okay maybe sometimes when you had to pause battle for whatever reason, Ratio would get downed mysteriously now and then. He really, really was starting to hate that you relied on him so much.

Aventurine sought out a certain master hacker to put traces on your phone. That would was the only way to keep you close off game. Perhaps he would find a way to just come to you. And poof, you would disappear from your world and go with him.

He felt much better knowing where you were, and what you were doing when he so desired. He lived for when he could hear you say his name outloud. It sounded so sweet to him to even hear you think it.

It was ideal, really.

And just who was Scaramouche anyways? He was immediately shut down with such a spine chilling shock when he tried to investigate.

#honkai star rail #honkai star rail imagines #aventurine #self aware aventurine #aventurine x reader #aventurine x you #aventurine x y/n

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idciminlove · 6 months ago

Text

Take a Slice

Part Three- Catch

f!reader x Tashi Duncan x Art Donaldson x Patrick Zweig

Cinnamonacid on AO3

warnings- age gap, flirting, possessive behavior, implied sexual relations but no sex, etc.

It seems like your dreams have finally come true.

Tashi had already started to walk away, not letting the two men respond. They both chased after her.

“Wait, what? Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Art asked.

“Let me go with you.” Patrick insisted. Tashi paused, turning on her heel and facing them.

She looked at Art first, soft and reassuring. “It’ll be fine. It’s just a possible coaching opportunity. Nothing serious.”

Then, her gaze shifted over to Patrick. “No.”

“What? Why not?” He frowned.

“Because you come on too strong and I don’t want you scaring her away.”

“Bullshit.” Tashi gave him a dirty look. “Okay, maybe sometimes I can be a little blunt, but it’s just one of my charms. And you’re one to talk about scaring people away. You’re intimidating as hell. If you look at her like you’re looking at me right now, you’ll send her running.”

She leaned in close to him, tilting her head up so their eyes were level. “I’m the coach here. Not you. You should know that out of anyone, Patrick. Especially after I saved your ass and your career. So don’t try to interfere with one of my potential proteges. She’s mine. Stay away.”

She was right. Patrick knew that. He could fight it all he wanted, but time and time again, she had proved to him that she wasn’t his peer. Not when it came to tennis, at least. She had chosen to forgive him, to train him and help him win not one, but three grand slams in the span of a year. She made his career, bumped his rank up from 271st all the way to the top 5. He owed her everything.

So, he slumped back, letting her walk past. “Fine. Just don’t come running to me when she says no.”

She didn’t even bother to look back at him. “I won’t.”

–

You paced back and forth in the parking lot as you listened to your mother’s voice. You were still high from the win, still feeling the rush. Pride bloomed in your chest as she spoke.

“I’m so proud of you, baby. I knew you could do it! The next thing you know, you’ll be at the olympics!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I’ve still got a long way to go.”

“Well, with how hard you’re working, I’m sure that’ll be very soon.”

“Thanks, Mom.” You smiled to yourself, before you noticed something in the corner of your eye. You looked over, spotting your coach waving at you. You felt your heart jump in your chest as your eyes fell to the woman standing beside him. It was Tashi.

You could hardly process what your mother was saying, her words turning into white noise. You could barely speak. “Mom? I gotta go.”

“Okay, call me later?”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you more than anything, sunshine.”

You hung up and fumbled with your phone as they walked over, unsure what to do with it or your hands. You were completely starstruck.

You must’ve looked like an idiot, standing there and gawking as your coach introduced you, but you couldn’t help yourself. You spent years and years dreaming of this moment, knowing that it was just a fantasy, that the chances of it actually happening were damn near impossible, and yet, here you were with Tashi standing mere feet away from you. She was even more gorgeous in person.

You could hardly even hear what your coach was saying over your racing heart, blood thumping in your ears. “This is Tashi Duncan and she’d like to speak with you.”

You nodded dumbly, watching as your coach walked away, leaving the two of you alone in the empty parking lot. You’re going to lose it.

“Congratulations.” She reached over to shake your hand. You hoped she couldn’t feel how sweaty your palms were.

“Thank-” You cleared your throat. It felt dry and tight, making it even harder for you to speak. “Thank you.”

“I know you don’t have a lot of time right now, so I’ll get straight to the point. I was impressed with what I saw out there today, and I’d like to coach you. Here’s my number, if you want to talk.”

She handed you her business card, it was pale white, her name imprinted on it in gold letters, along with a number. You flipped it over to see another number scribbled in black pen. “The number on the front is for business, for the foundation and such, so the best way you can reach me is through my cell. I hope we can talk soon.”

With that, she left. You watched her go, before staring at the card in your shaking hands.

Holy shit.

–

You sprinted over to Anneliese the moment you got the chance, after all the interviews and pictures and such. She was standing in the parking lot, waiting with the other girls for your bus to arrive and take you back to campus. Thankfully, the ride wouldn’t be too long, since you were only an hour out from Stanford.

You screamed her name, grabbing her hands. “What? What is it?”

“Tashi fucking Duncan talked to me! And she gave me her number!” You squealed, handing her the card.

“Holy shit! This is way better than an autograph!”

“I know, right? I guess she was impressed with how I played today, and she said she wanted to coach me. And look at the back, that’s her number- her personal cell phone number!” Anneliese’s jaw dropped.

“That’s amazing! And her cell phone too? Oh my god, she totally wants you.” You couldn’t help but get flustered, giggling nervously. “Noo, I wish though.”

“I don’t know, giving someone your personal cell phone number? As a professional and a celebrity? That’s bold. She better not steal you away from me.”

You threw your arm around her, pushing her body against yours, rolling your eyes. “You know that no one could ever steal me away.”

You looked around, making sure no one else was listening, before you leaned in closer, pressing your mouth against her ear. “Not from my pretty girl.”

“Stop.” She giggled and pushed you away, her cheeks all cute and rosy. “Make me.”

The bus then pulled up, getting everyone’s attention and ending your little banter session. But with the way she was looking at you, you knew there was much more to come.

–

You should be exhausted from the day. It was mentally and physically draining, in almost every way possible, and yet you still couldn’t sleep. You sat up in bed and made sure to be quiet, to not disturb Anneliese, who was asleep beside you. You stared at Tashi’s card on the table. Then, you grabbed your phone and put her contact in.

A few days later, you managed to work up the courage to text her. You sent her your name and a reminder of who you were, just so she wouldn’t mark it off as spam.

You: I’m ready to talk

She didn’t reply immediately, which wasn’t surprising. She was a busy woman. But that didn’t stop you from checking your phone constantly, opening the chat to see if she sent a read receipt or anything.

An hour or so passed and and just when you were about to give up, you saw the three dots appear, making your heart rate instantly spike.

Tashi: Great

Tashi: What day/time works best for you?

Tashi: I know just the place to meet

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georgeweasleyslostearhq · 2 years ago

Text

JUST ASK

Pairings: George Weasley x Fem! Summary: George asks you to the ball. Warnings: none?

George watched you from across the room as McGonagall announced the Yule ball, you were sat between Hermione and Angie, smiles covering all your faces.

you looked over at them and leaned towards Angie

"I bet 5 galleons Fred asks you" you whispered, a smirk on your face

she looked at you and shook her head

"fine" she sighed.

he walked out of the room with Fred, going to lunch while thinking about the ball.

he'd been in love with you for a while now and this would be the perfect opportunity to act upon that. but he would never do anything

"Freddie!" he heard your sweet voice call out. coming up behind him and his brother

"hey, Love" Fred grinned, waiting for her to catch up, pulling you in a hug as you got to them

George would never do anything because you're his brothers best friend.

you pulled away from Fred and looked up at George, his heart fluttering at the eye contact.

you smiled gently at him "hi George"

"hello" he smiled back

"so, have you been planning any pranks lately?" you questioned as you walked with them to the great hall

"do we ever really stop planning?" Fred joked "but no, yeah, George had the great idea of- you know, it's too good, George you tell it" Fred nudged his brother and made him tell you his idea

"it's stupid it doesn't matter" George grew nervous and brushed it off

"it's not stupid, it's brilliant!" Fred exclaimed excitedly

"yeah, I bet it isn't stupid. c'mon George tell me" you pleaded as he looked down

"well I was thinking maybe one of will pretend to be Trelawney and teach a class" He explained sheepishly

"it will surely make her go more crazy, she'll probably think she has a twin or something" Fred laughed

you didn't mind Trelawney, she was crazy art times but she seemed misunderstood too. but you couldn't deny it was a good idea

you laughed along with him and agreed

"well that's definitely not stupid" you told George, he smiled and felt his cheeks warm up

as you sat down, the twins on the other side, already filling their plate, you decided to bring up the ball

"so, who are you guys planning on asking to the Yule ball?" you asked curiously

Fred shrugged "haven't thought about it yet." you looked at George and tilted your head at him

"I don't know" he bit into his chicken, trying to avoid the subject

"what about you? who do you want to ask you?" Fred smirked at you

"I don't know" you mimicked George's answer, he looked up at you and furrowed his eyebrows, swallowing his chicken

you would probably say no to anybody but George, but he doesn't have to know that.

"We'll it's not for a while so. Just sit back and relax for now. No need to worry" Fred smiled

"I'm not" you scoffed

"And if worse comes to worst then George will always go with you" Fred nudged him. Making George look up in shock. Frantically shaking his head

"What? No I won't" he huffed. Making a face.

You're smile faltered. Is that really his reaction?

"yeah, Fred, I would rather go with Draco Malfoy than George" you played it off, chuckling lowly

that hurt George. you would rather go with a stuck up Malfoy who only cared about blood status than him?

so George only laughed along, nodding his head

it was finally December and George was trying to work up the courage to finally ask you.

he was sick of hearing you talk about the ball with your friends saying you still didn't have a date.

and he didn't want to go alone either.

and he would also hate himself for not asking you and seeing you with somebody else.

so he tried thinking

he couldn't just go up to you and ask, that's not like him, he needs to go big. fireworks was so overdone though so he needed something else.

he tried to start conversations with you, One on one, which was going well

but he had ran out of ideas

so he had one choice, go to your best friend.

"Fred, I need help"

his twin looked up at him as he scribbled ideas for pranks

"what is it?" He asked

"promise you won't tease me" George mumbled

"depends on what it is" Fred shrugged cheekily

George sat on his bed, his shoulders slumped as he played with his hands

"I want to ask Y/n to the ball" he muttered

"blimey, yell it out to the world then mate" Fred said sarcastically

"I said I want to ask Y/n to the Yule Ball" George repeated louder

"my Y/n?"

the younger twin looked at him dully

"I need your help" he pleaded

"why?" Fred questioned

"because I don't know her like you do" George sighed

"why do you want to go with her?" Fred got up, standing in front of his brother

"because I like her" George confessed sheepishly

"awww, Georgie fancies a girl" Fred teased, earning a glare

"just do a firework show for her" Fred shrugged, not knowing what to say

"that's so basic, we do fireworks all the time, I want to impress her" George replied

"ah, ok then, just give her a gift" Fred suggested

"I don't know what she likes" George exclaimed, waving his hands around

Fred furrowed his eyebrows "then what the hell do you know?"

"nothing! that's why I'm asking you!" George whined loudly

Fred let out a deep breath

"fine, I'll tell you what she likes" he agreed to help

George went to his bedside table and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, looking to see his brother looking at him like he had two heads

"what are you doing?" Fred shook his head, confused at his brothers behaviour.

truth be told, Fred was happy for his brother, he did have his suspicions about how George acted around the girl. but now he knows.

"writing this stuff down, for ideas" George smiled innocently

the two brothers discussed everything George wanted to know about you

down to your favourite flowers, colours, time or day, food. they went into how you have multiple teddy bears on your bed and how you almost have a full collection of cards from the chocolate frogs.

"what does she like to do in her free time?" George asked, looking up at his almost filled page

"she liked going down to the black lake, she spends time in the library to read. other than that just hanging out with friends" Fred answered.

"alright" George mumbled, scribbling it down and smiling gratefully at Fred

"think that will be enough?" Fred asked, by now he was sat next to George, watching him as he wrote down what he said

"do you think it is?" George furrowed his eyebrows

"I think what you have down will be more than enough to figure out how to ask her, it also gives you a lot of space to get to know her too, this is just the bare minimum" Fred nodded his head.

"alright" George looked down at the piece of paper again, smiling at it "thanks, Fred" he whispered to his brother

"don't worry about it, she'll say yes" Fred nudged him, sensing the nervousness in his brothers voice.

George could only hope that this information could help him. because he was slumped.

you came back to your room after dinner to find a letter on your bed, your name written in a rough messy handwriting on it. with a chocolate frog box on top of it.

you picked them both up and decided to go for the letter, you unfolded it and read it to yourself

meet me at the astronomy tower after after you read this.

sincerely, Wait and see ;)

you put it down and took the chocolate, opening the box, catching the frog as it hopped out,

"not so fast, bugger" you murmured.

after the frog stopped struggling you took out the card, noticing to name that you always looked for, the finishing touch to your collection since you started since 1st year.

you smiled as you saw his face in the card, the name reading

Celestina Warbeck.

you contemplated going or not, and when Angelina came into your dorm, she excitedly told you you should go, because you never know what it could be?

you put on a jumper and went off to the astronomy tower, hugging yourself protectively, your wand in your pocket in case.

you walked up the stairs and went in, noticing his tall figure in the darkness of the room.

the sun was almost fully and it was coming to the time where it started to snow for the winter.

you walked closer

"George?" you recognised him from behind, it couldn't of been Fred, you saw him in the common room when you left

he smiled at you nervously, his grin seeming lopsided

"hello" He swallowed deeply

you looked around the tower, no one else in sight

"disappointed?" he sighed

you looked back up at him and shook your head vigorously

"no- No I'm not disappointed, shocked? surprised? yes" you replied quickly

he revealed a bouquet of your favourite flowers from behind his back, handing them out to you

"oh? thank you George, they're my favourite! how'd you know?" you took them from his hands

"lucky guess, I'd say" he chuckled

"so why'd you bring me up here?" you interrogated him, smelling the flowers

"well I was hoping that maybe- only if you want to, of course, that you'd might- maybe, want to go to the Yule ball, with a certain Weasley?" he rambled sheepishly

"and who might that certain Weasley be?" you smirked

"me" he whispered, his eyes wide with anticipation of your answer

"I wouldn't rather go with anybody else" you beamed up at him

"good- great that is perfect, thank you- um, amazing" he stumbled on his words

he couldn't describe the feeling of you saying yes even if he tried, he was more than every word that describes happy.

"well then, shall we go back, or do you want to stay and watch the start come out" he looked up at the dark sky, noticing a few little shining stars

"I'd like to stay here for a bit it that's ok with you" you replied

"perfect"

you guys got closer throughout the weeks leading up to the ball, you got to know each other and went out to Hogsmeade for a date.

and tonight, the ball. you hadn't seen each other all day

you walked up to him as he stood facing Fred, away from you.

he noticed Fred averting his eyes to something behind him, making him turn, seeing you, in a long dress, looking like it was made of silk

you looked breathtakingly beautiful to him

"bloody hell" he whispered Fred whispering the same thing beside him

Fred had never seen his best friend look so beautiful. and when he looked over to his brother, he saw the love that was held in his eyes as he looked at you.

"Hi" you looked at them

"Hey, Love" Fred smiled, hitting George in the arm to make him answer

"Hi" he said, looking like he was in a trance

"Angie's on her way, t be honest I have no idea where she went, she was beside me one minute and gone the next" you giggled, looking at Fred

"gorgeous" George stopped Fred from responding by blurting out suddenly

"pardon?" you apologised, asking his to repeat

"you look. absolutely gorgeous" he breathed

you blushed profusely

"thank you George, you look really handsome"

"ready?" he holds out his arms for you. you look over at Fred and furrow your eyebrows

"go on, i need to wait for Angie, I'll see ya in there" he smiled

you smiled and locked your arm with George "let's go"

Fred watched as you two walked into the hall, a big smile on his face as he saw his two best friends together.

------------------------------------------------

#george weasly x reader #george weasley x fem #george weasley #fred weasley #fred and george #harry potter imagine #imagines #fluff #best friends brother #yule ball #hogwarts #angelina johnson #oliver phelps

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pandapool · 2 months ago

Text

Sea You At The Beach

a fic for @the-writerwoman // divider by @moosgraphics

Logan/Wade | 1,3K | General Audiences

No Powers AU, Surfer Logan, Meet Cute

The sun was just peeking up on the horizon when Logan’s alarm went off. He groaned and rolled over, opening one eye to squint at the time. 5:30am. Logan turned the alarm off and gave himself a couple more breaths before sitting up and swinging his legs off the bed. Not even fifteen minutes later, Logan felt soft sand in between his toes, still cool from the night. In a few hours it’d be warmed by the sun and almost too hot to touch. He adjusted the grip on his board, giddy excitement fizzing under his skin. Having worked the nightshift this week meant getting home at three or even four in the morning, robbing him of the opportunity for an early morning surf to start his day. But now he had a glorious two days off. A smile was tugging at his lips as he fell into a light jog across the beach, eyes set on the water, waves crashing onto the shore. Moving to the coast after dropping out of uni, he’d quickly found a new passion: surfing. If Kid Logan, who had been obsessed with boxing, could see him now, he’d laugh in his face. As it was, the sand underneath his feet turned from dry to wet and then he was knee deep in the ocean. Logan stopped for a moment to close his eyes and just breathe, taking in the feeling of cool water licking at his thighs, the salt in the air, the peace. Gods, how he’d missed this. It was the perfect way to clear his head. Any residual stress or agitation from a rude customer would be washed away after this. Working as a bartender was an interesting experience after years of being on the other side, but for now, Logan couldn’t see himself doing anything else. He had fun and it was good money, even better when he was doing the nightshift, and his boss, Charles, had hinted he might be getting promoted to manager soon. Logan noticed his thoughts had been drifting and shook his head to come back to the present, opening his eyes and letting his gaze wander to the horizon, already in search of some good waves. A quick dip to get his body wet and then his stomach was pressed to the board as he was paddling out. “Let’s fucking go.”

---

“Hey! Hey, you!” Logan inhaled sharply. He was reclined on his board, legs hanging into the water on either side and just drifting until his breathing and heartrate came down again. “You, in the water. Can you hear me?” For a split second, Logan was tempted to just ignore the voice, pretend he didn’t hear them and stay where he was. This was his time, time reserved for his board and the waves and nobody else. The few local surfers who made it out this early knew not to disturb him until he was back on the beach so this must be a tourist. “Hello!” With a deep sigh, Logan sat up. “What’s up?” he yelled back, furrow between his brows. There was a figure on the shore, clad in jeans and a red hoodie, completed with a baseball cap. Huh. Interesting choice of clothing. “Is there some sort of breakfast place here?” Logan let the waves push him closer to the beach, getting a closer look at the guy. The cap was drawn into his face and the sleeves were pulled down over his palms. “Sure,” he said slowly, giving the guy a last once over. “Summers is just down the road. They open at eight.” “Perfect, thank you!” the guy said, way too chipper for this time of day. Logan might get up early, but he sure as hell wasn’t a morning person. He grunted in reply and watched the stranger walk away in the direction he’d pointed him, then noticed the beach had become a little more populated during his time out on the water. Logan decided to call it a day; the mention of breakfast had made him acutely away of his own empty stomach. On the way back over the beach he was stopped by Storm and Rogue, two other surfers, for a brief chat. “Good waves?” Storm asked, pushing her sunglasses into her short, platinum blonde hair. “Yeah, had some nice ones,” Logan said, zipping up Rogue’s wetsuit without needing prompting when she wordlessly turned her back towards him. He knew she could easily do it on her own, but he’d always been bad at saying no to her. “When’re you back at work?” “You’re only asking because you want cheap drinks,” Logan told Storm, but added, “Saturday.” “Kurt said he’ll probably stop by tonight and Bobby mentioned he’s free as well. Storm and I are definitely going,” Rogue chimed in. “Sounds like the whole gang will be there if Jean and Scott show up as well. You should come too.” “I’ll think about it,” Logan promised, wrapping up the conversation shortly after. The problem with working at the most popular bar in town was you ended up at work even on your days off. Luckily, he liked his co-workers well enough that he didn’t mind. “See you around.” Logan raised his hand in a motionless wave, picked his board back up and set off towards home.

---

The incident on the beach with the stranger was shoved to the side and forgotten until three days later. Logan was just about to take stock of what he needed to get from storage when the door opened. He looked up. Technically they were open, but the first hour was always slow, so it was a surprise they already had a customer. The person slid on a barstool off to the left and Logan put down the notepad and wandered over. “Anything I can get for you or you still need a minute?” “No, I--” he finally met Logan’s eyes and a spark of recognition flashed over his face. “You’re that guy from the beach! The surfer!” And yeah, switching out the black hoodie for red and adding a cap… Logan gave a tight smile and nodded. “Thanks again for your recommendation.” “No problem. So, are you gonna order?” Maybe he was a tiny bit rude, given that there were currently no other customers. “Right, yeah. I’ll have a coke, please.” Logan got the bottle from the fridge and set it in front of the guy. “Thanks. Logan.” Logan raised an eyebrow, and the guy smirked. “I mentioned to the woman behind the counter that a grumpy surfer sent me there and she laughed and said that was probably you then.” “Jean needs to learn to shut up,” he muttered, but there was no heat behind it. Logan knew she loved to make friends, and this guy seemed chattery enough to probably make friends at the drop of a hat wherever he went. “I’m Wade, by the way. Just so we’re even.” In lieu of an answer Logan just hummed and turned to go back to take stock of the bar.

--- Wade became a new fixture at the bar. He’d usually turn up around half an hour into Logan’s shift and stay for a couple hours, nursing two or three bottles of coke and use every moment Logan wasn’t busy with customers to talk to him.

And despite how much Logan pretended to be annoyed and not to care, he couldn’t help that slowly, he developed a soft spot for the man.

“So.” He put the bottle down in front of Wade before he’d even sat down properly. “Do you surf?”

“A little,” Wade said, tilting his head with a curious look on his face. “Why?”

“Would you… wanna go out there together?”

A small smile spread on Wade’s lips. “What, like a date?”

Logan wasn’t blushing, he was not. “Yeah, like a date.” He rolled his eyes good naturedly.

“Okay. I’ll need a board though,” Wade said, now grinning from ear to ear.

“No worries,” Logan promised, smiling back.

“See you at the beach.”

“See you at the beach,” Logan repeated, and he thought maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something great.

#wolverine #deadpool #wade wilson #logan howlett #poolverine #poolverine fic #tumblr fic #panda's fics #pandapool

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dc-marvel-life · 1 year ago

Text

That Dang Snake

Pairing: Hermione Granger

Summary: Hermione starts to get the attention of an unlikely Slytherin girl

Word Count: ~1.9k

A/N: I see some people like this series so far. If you want to request a Hermione x reader, go right ahead. I enjoy writing this

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Hermione P.O.V

I finished getting dressed and walked down the stairs into the common room to find Ginny all ready to go to the quidditch game.

“Hey Hermione, you look nice,” Ginny says about my outfit which is just blue jeans and a maroon sweater. A basic outfit for me.

“Hey Ginny, thank you. You look nice too” I say back at her.

“So you are really going on a date with Ron huh? You looked awkward saying yes to him the other day” Ginny questions me.

“Yes, I am. To be honest I just froze on the spot when he ask me, and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to make things weird between us if I said no” I say to Ginny.

“It is okay to say no if you don’t really like him. Plus it will be even weirder if you start going out with him and break things off because you don’t feel anything for him. Plus he will get over it” Ginny says with a smile. She has been a great friend to me over the years and is always there for me.

“You are right. I just don’t know what there is between us yet, so today will be a great opportunity to see that��

“Well, that's good,” Ginny says and smiles. Then the boys come down the stairs to meet us.

“Hey girls, are you ready to go to the match?” Harry says and we nod at him.

“You look really nice there Hermione,” Ron says looking me up and down.

“Thanks, Ron,” I say shyly.

“Are you not going to bring a scarf, Hermione? It can get cold sometimes” Harry warns me.

“No, it says it is supposed to be warmer today so I will be fine,” I say and Harry nods at me. We all head to the pitch and get seats in the stands. It was a pretty day with the sun out with a nice breeze. We got there early to see the teams warm up. The first team to warm up was Hufflepuff. After a bit into their warm up the clouds started to cover up the sun and the nice breeze turn into a cold one.

Hufflepuff was done with their warmup and went into the locker room, then Slytherin came out of the locker room all cocky. Normally I would just turn away because I didn’t like to watch people be all cocky, but this time was different. I was staring at Y/N walking onto the pitch and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Y/N and cocky just work well together. I guess she could tell that I was staring at her because the next thing I know we are making eye contact with each other. She smirked and got onto her broom and started to do warmup laps.

At this point, I would tell that she was showing off because she has never gone this hard in warms up, not even when she was going against Gryffindor. I could hear Ron and Harry talking about the formations that the Slytherins were doing but I didn’t pay any mind to them.

I was starting to get cold and shiver because of it. I wrap my arms around myself trying to warm up. Ginny took notice and nudge Ron a bit. He didn’t even notice at first so Ginny does it again but harder.

“Ginny, what are you doing that for,” Ron says annoyed. Ginny doesn’t say anything but points her head at me. Trying to show Ron that I was cold.

“Oh, are you cold Hermione?” Ron asks and I nod my head.

“See Harry told you that you needed to bring a scarf,” Ron says and goes back to his conversation with Harry. Ginny hits him upside the head. Ron looks around confused not knowing what he did wrong. I just shook my head and continue to look at the Slytherins warm-up.

I see that Y/N is right in front of us staring at me. She then goes to one of her teammates and whispers something to him. He nods his head and Y/N flies down to the ground and goes into the locker room. It was strange that she went into the locker room during warmup, but she could have had to pee really badly. After a minute she comes out of the locker with her house scarf.

She hops back on her broom and comes straight for us. She stops right in front of me and all eyes are on us.

“You looked cold there Hermione so I brought you my scarf. May I?” she asked in a soft voice. I say yes and she comes a little closer and she puts her scarf around my neck.

“There you go, you’ll be nice and warm now,” she says and smiles, “you look absolutely amazing in that outfit by the way. Also green looks really good on you” Y/N winks and flies away to continue to warm up. You can see Malfoy and a few other of her teammates scold her for her actions, but she just shrugs it off.

“That damn snake!” Ron yells and I look at him.

“The nerve of her to come over here and do that to you Hermione” Ron says and I look at him confused.

“What do you mean? She was just trying to be nice” I say in defense for some reason.

“Come on Hermione, how can you be so stupid? She is a part of Malfoy’s gang who likes to pick on us all the time. She is also a pureblood and a Slytherin, she is just bad news. I bet she put a hex on that scarf to get to us” Ron says and Harry nods in agreement.

“So I am stupid now huh Ron? I knew this was a mistake. Come on Ginny” I say and get up to sit somewhere else in the stands away from them.

“I can’t believe my brother said that. Don’t mind him, I will deal with him later” Ginny says and gives me a hug. We find seats next to the twin in another section.

“So what was that all about Hermione? I have never seen Y/N show any affection toward a girl in public” Fred says and my face goes red.

“Are you guys dating?” Greoge ask.

“No, we are not dating. I don’t know why she is doing this all of a sudden” I say honestly to the twins.

“Well I bet we can get some information out of her tonight,” Fred says. Ginny and I look at him confused.

“Y/N invited us and a few other students to the Slytherin after-party tonight. It is a true honor because Slytherin doesn’t really invite other houses to their parties, but who is going to say no to Y/N? She is well-liked and at the top of the Slytherin house,” Fred says and I nod.

I didn’t even notice that Slytherin was done with their warm-ups and about to start the game. I turn my attention towards the game and watch it begin. Y/N starts off the game strong getting the first 50 points on the board. Every time she made a score she looked at me to make sure I was watching, I was watching every move she made.

She made it look so easy out there playing that anyone could pick up a broom and start playing. She was just so graceful with it all. Even Greoge and Fred were impressed with her moves. The game went on for about an hour until Malfoy caught the snitch and the score was 460-210.

It was a blowout thanks to no other than Y/N herself. She really put in the effort like she said she would in the library. Both teams shake hands with each other and go back into the locker room.

We all start to get up to head back into the castle

“Y/N did really well today. If she keeps playing like that we don’t stand a chance against them” George says shaking his head.

“Don’t worry, we will kick their asses when we play them” Ron says coming out of nowhere.

“Hey Hermione, I just want to say sorry,” Ron says to me.

“Do you even know why you are sorry Ron or are you just saying that just because?” I say back to him and he stands there not knowing what to say.

“I don’t know to be honest. Y/N is a no-good snake like the rest of them and I didn’t want her to be around you” Ron says in defense.

“I can take care of myself, Ron. Thank you very much” I say and walk off. I could hear the twins laughing and Ginny yelling at Ron about how he doesn’t know anything about women. I started to hear someone yell my name but I ignore them not wanting to talk to anyone, but I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I turn around and I see Y/N all sweaty and out of breath still in her quidditch gear.

“Hey Hermione, didn’t think you could leave without saying bye did you?” Y/N says with a smile. A smile that could make anyone’s day better.

“I am sorry. I bet you want your scarf back” I say taking off the scarf and she stops me.

“No, keep it on until you get back to the castle. I don’t want you to catch a cold. You can give it to me another time. That way I have an excuse to see you” Y/N says and I start to blush. We stood there for a second without saying anything but just staring at each other.

“Do you want to come to a party tonight?” Y/N asks quickly.

“Slytherin always has a party after a game to celebrate or to get over a loss. I wanted to invite you to come. You can also bring Ginny, Ron, and Harry all in good fate. I don’t want you to feel alone. Even though the twins are coming and I know you know the twins. There are going to be some Ravenclaw, and-” I put my hand on Y/N’s shoulder to stop her and let her breathe.

“You are rambling Y/N,” I say and she takes a breath.

“Sorry, I ramble when I am nervous,” Y/N says and I smile.

“What got you so nervous?” I ask wondering what got her so nervous all of a sudden. She seems confident every time I see her.

“If I am being honest, you make me nervous. Have you noticed that I am mostly quiet when I am around you? I don’t want to say anything to make myself look like a fool” Y/N says looking me in the eyes, and things start to click in my head. I start to think back on things and Y/N never talked when I was around until this year.

“What change all of a sudden?” I ask wanting to know more.

“Let’s just say some stuff happen over break and now I am a different person,” Y/N says leaving some mystery.

“So I will see you tonight right?” Y/N ask.

“Yes, you will,” I say and Y/N jumps up and down.

“Perfect, I can’t wait! Dress casual by the way” Y/N says when walks off with a group of Slytherin players walking past. I go back to the castle with a huge smile on my face.

Taglist: @fanficaddictcore

#hermione imagine #hermoine granger #hermione granger x reader #hermione x reader #hermione granger #harry potter

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