#it’s a funny rom-com right now

[fyepertine]

Something to Cry About, Part 2

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Part 1

[chunksworld]

Swim

IZ*ONE Kim Minju x Male Reader | (Tags: Smut)

A/N: #BreedMinju. Thank you to Kaede for beta reading as always.

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You never imagined in your wet dreams, in all of the times you masturbated to her, or even that time you drunk texted her a picture of you shirtless after one too many drinks at the bar that the woman you met inside the elevator during your first day at the company some two odd years ago would be in your apartment watching some rom-com from the 90s that you are too inebriated to remember the title of. Your heart is pounding, partly because of the double serving of triple shot espresso you perhaps shouldn’t have drank this morning and partly because she looks devastatingly stunning in that white shirt that completely conceals whatever shorts she maybe wearing underneath which further accentuates those long legs of hers—

“I don’t remember the TV facing this direction, unless there’s something on my face?”

Shit.

Aside from her God-given physical features, it’s the way she can toy with your feelings and flirt with you so effortlessly that always leaves you wanting for more. Every single little interaction with her is an adventure on its own; the way she would wink at you every time you pass by her in the office, the way she would walk up to you to fix your tie while telling you how your perfume “smells like the oceanside on a summer day” —whatever the hell that means— or how she would always give you words of encouragement with that bright smile of hers during stressful days. 

It should mean something, has to mean something. Right? You can’t ask anyone for advice either, not when you’re the only two people born on this side of the century in your department. Your coworkers are either divorced or having a midlife crisis, and quite frankly, you might be having a quarter-life crisis if such a thing exists. You can’t stay professional any longer, and you are more than thankful that you’re not at the workplace right now because the thoughts swimming inside your head are absolutely not safe for work. And it’s all because of this fucking woman that’s laughing as if everything is sunshine and rainbows: Kim Minju. 

It doesn’t help that she’s the prettiest woman you know. even more so than the handful of girls you’ve hooked up with during college. Evidently, you are not the only one that shares that sentiment because you don’t miss the old way some of your older male coworkers would give her a certain, disgusting look that you wish to erase from your memories and you know she deserves better than them. She deserves someone like you, but you don’t exactly know if that feeling is reciprocated. But as to how far you can push your luck, you haven’t found out the answer to that yet—perhaps tonight is the night. 

“Are you still with me? Or did my goddess face lure you in too deep?” 

That now makes the two of you not paying attention to the movie—granted you’ve already seen it at least a dozen times during college when you were a hopeless romantic but who are you to turn down Minju when she specifically requested it? Plus, that’s not your concern at this very moment when she scoots ever so closely to you and the heat her skin radiates is enough to burn you. “Honestly, I don’t blame you if you have a crush on me. I sort of have that effect on guys.” There’s that fucking wink again, and the way she pouts her lips as if she is posing for a selfie. “I admire your resilience though, most guys would have me moaning their names on their bed already by this point.”

“Not funny, Minju.” It really isn’t, not when she’s mere inches away from you and if you were just a bit more drunk now those irresistible lips of hers would be meshed with yours now. You try to look away but you can’t, they captivate you to no end and you don’t even want to look away now—the sheen on those cherry red lips, the way they stand out against her milky white skin, the way she then bites her lower lips as to tempt you even further, the way sweat slowly drips down the side of her face and to her neck and you think they’d look good with your bite marks all over them.

Even if you look down, her succulent thighs and legs are all that will pervade your senses and you won’t be able to stop thinking about how you just want to rip whatever garments she’s wearing underneath and have her spread her legs while you eat her out like she’s your last meal on Earth. “You can’t just keep doing this for years and not expect me to make a move eventually.”

“Then what’s stopping you, hmm?” 

Minju somehow shifts even closer to you, her lips practically brushing against yours, her eyes staring deep into your soul, her hands resting on your thighs. She probes into you even deeper, much deeper than any other time and emergency sirens are popping up in your head. There have been many close encounters like this, way too many for your liking. 

The way she would wear pencil skirts on certain days and make it her mission to bend over in front of you as much as possible to show the unreal curvature of her ass—then proceeding to smirk as if she doesn’t know how much your cock wants to burst through your pants. The way she would purposely bump into you and pretend to fall so you can pull her into an inadvertent hug. 

Or when she would wear those dresses that hug her curves tightly during galas and she would give you a courtesy hug for a second longer than corporate policies would allow. Or when she kissed you during Christmas party last year and claimed that she had to do it because you two were “underneath a mistletoe.” 

It all has to end tonight, because God forbid you have to spend another night alone on your bed making a mess while you shoot ropes after ropes all over yourself thinking about her. It’s exhausting having to play these games with her when you’re 99% sure she is into you and you have to take action now before someone else does.

“Minju, I don’t think you’re ready for what I’m packing down there.” You test the waters even further, carefully studying her facial expressions while trying not to get lost in her eyes. It’s quite a difficult task when the alcohol is hitting you harder by the minute but when a sly grin appears across her face as if to challenge that statement, you know you have her right where you want her.

“Oh trust me, I know what you’re packing down there.” Minju glances downwards at your erection and your sweatpants are doing a poor job with how it’s about to poke through your pants. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be spending my Friday night here when I could be hanging out with Chaewon and Yujin.” It’s getting dangerous now, her hands traveling down your body and cupping your length through two layers of clothing.

And honestly you might as well be naked now with the way your cock reacts to her touch —your tip is leaking heavily and your breath starts to shorten. “So what’s it gonna be? You can’t tell me you have a different plan for how this night is going to end.” You can’t push back any further, you won’t push back. You take the first dip, lips pressed hungrily onto hers and she takes this opportunity to swing her legs over and straddle you on your couch—the movie in the background is long forgotten and all you care about right now is her.

You straighten yourself up and wrap your arms around her waist possessively; two years of pent up sexual frustration finally coming to an end and you make the most of it. Her lips are everything you’ve dreamed of; soft and sweet and succulent and you can’t help but think about how they slot in with yours perfectly as if you were meant to kiss her all this time. Your hands travel to her face to cup her cheeks, pushing her head deeper into yours and you notice her hands encircling around your back. 

You take a break to catch your bearings, staring deep again at her now lust-filled eyes and you get a front row seat to the facial expression you’ve been dying to see for forever now.  She moans into your mouth when one of your hands slides underneath her dress shirt to feel her smooth skin and the ridges of her abs which itself isn’t a surprise—what is surprising is the lack of bra when you travel further upwards and you come into contact with tits that you are sure is perky and round. “What a fucking slut, Minju. No bra?”

Your suspicions are confirmed when you practically rip the buttons off her shirt and throw it somewhere in your living room and your mouth waters at the sight of her breasts, they are definitely not the biggest you’ve seen but the way they sit on her perfectly shaped body with all of her curves and intricacies is more than enough to make up for it. “What’s the use of wearing one when I knew we were gonna end up like this anyways?” But before you could dive down to taste them you find your shirt being removed as well and the hunger in your eyes is mirrored by the way she’s staring down at your own pack of abs. 

“I mean if I had it my way I would’ve told you to be shirtless already with only your boxers on before I came over but you can’t have everything in life right?” She is as handsy as you, those delicate fingers mapping your chest and your stomach with every little touch as if to decipher where her lips would go later. But you absolutely cannot wait any longer, grabbing her hand and placing it on her sides while you devour her nipples. Taking her left breasts between your lips while massaging the right one and the whimper of your name that escapes her lips is downright sinful while you alternate between the two. 

You lick, slurp, and at times even get your teeth involved—just anything that can get her squirming and writhing on your lap is enough to fuel you. Even more so when she pushes your head deeper into her chest and she’s moaning “more please, fuck” in between whimpers.

Minju is one needy girl and that’s one fact that you find out quickly when she starts to grind on your hips and you can feel just how warm and wet her shorts are. You inadvertently bite on her nipples and she screams your name at the sensation. You utter a “sorry” in response but it doesn’t really matter when she gets off of you and you think you’ve absolutely screwed up. Fucking great. She stands up and you are about to give a more sincere and heartfelt apology but those thoughts are quickly washed away when she removes her shorts and then her panties.

“I want to see that cock. Now.”

You don’t waste a single moment before you proceed to do the same thing to your undergarments and the sight of her fully naked in front of you causes you to leak even more precum with your cock freely exposed to the air. Minju looks hot—which in itself might be an understatement with the way she’s fucking you with those wide eyes of hers, the way her nipples are glimmering under the lights of your living room thanks to your saliva, the way her abs contract with every breath she takes, the way those stocky thighs are slick with her essence. Forget those wet dreams because none of them could match witnessing the actual Kim Minju naked in real life in your apartment.

Minju squeals when you drag her back down towards you to make her straddle your lap again. No more games, no more foreplay, you slowly sink her down your cock and drink in her moans when she buries her face in your shoulder. She is suffocatingly tight, extremely wet but tight and you almost spill mere seconds after finally inserting your entire length inside her. You wince slightly as her manicured nails press into your shoulders and eventually your back. “Fucking—shit—If I only knew—” 

Your pace is slow and methodical, even though you want to just pound her into oblivion and have her screaming to the point your neighbors will complain the morning after. She is Minju after all and she deserves that respect, but as to how long you can control yourself you don’t know. For now, you are content to just have her in your arms and revel in this moment that you’d never thought would ever come. Just feeling how your cock molds perfectly inside her and how her small bunny hops gradually increase over time and her face becomes lost in pleasure is more than enough.

Especially when you feel every inch of her goddess-like body pressed against yours when she arches up to you; her thighs bouncing against yours, her abs grinding against yours, and those breasts pressed against your chest. “—so deep, fuck—harder!” It’s about time you take control and you do just that, you plant your feet to the ground and you grab handfuls of her asscheeks with each hand before thrusting up in time with her thrust and Minju’s gone completely delirious now. 

Gone are the coherent sentences as they are now replaced by expletive-filled chants of pleasure. She’s damn near crying on your cock, tears welling up in her eyes due to pleasure and so you pull her face away to get a glimpse of her sweat-misted face and how her eyes are unfocused. You don’t know what came over you but you feel your heart skip a beat seeing such surreal beauty up close and personal so you pull her in for another makeout session, continuing your long and hard thrusts while your tongue ravages her mouth much like your cock does with her pussy.

“Fucking hell, we should’ve done this sooner.” Another kiss on her lips, then another lick of her nipples—make that two licks, no in fact, you devour them once more. It’s becoming clearer that they’re starting to become your favorite part of her body and it’s completely justified. “ I can’t believe I had to jack off to your pictures when you were just one call away.” The woman in question doesn’t respond but she blushes, the raw honesty of your words is enough to reveal that shy and demure side of her again despite the situation you two are currently in. 

Minju just brushes her hair aside in response while looking away, taking the initiative to bounce on your cock and you let her take over once again. “W-Well I’m here now—“ A particularly hard thrust deep into a certain spot inside her has her clenching around your cock much tighter than usual, you take mental note of this “—I hope I’m as good as advertised.” Of course she is and even better than whatever scenario you were cooking up inside your head, but instead of showing it through words you just smile at her and hope that it’s enough to show your admiration and you let your body do the talking.

You’re noticing how tired she’s becoming being on top so you don’t waste any more time and pick up the pace while still letting her guide the way. It’s silence between the two of you aside from the sounds of passionate lovemaking and that is just enough to push you two closer to the edge. You feel her clench tighter around you again and likewise you can feel your balls throbbing in anticipation too. It’s been a stressful week at work and there’s no better place to unload than inside her welcoming pussy. You’re just as close to her as reaching your orgasm and it’s becoming extremely difficult not to do anything but to burst inside hers. 

Forget the lovemaking, you lift her up by her asscheeks and stand up from the couch and you immediately feel her limbs coil around your body as she gasps at the sensation of being fully seated by your cock. You start to thrust up again, this time more relentlessly without the restrictions of the couch and she’s leaking even more now and you can actually feel her juices stream down your cock and you know she’s extremely close. “D-Don’t stop, please. Don’t you ever fucking stop!” She’s bouncing much higher than before, almost completely unsheathing your length before she crashes back down on it again and now she’s actually crying in pleasure. 

“Hnnghhh! Fuck! I can’t, I can’t—” There was certainly no way she was going to last any longer. “—G-Gonna cum on your cock!” And a few more of those wild thrusts is all it takes to set her off, going limp and forcing you to grab hold of her even tighter so she doesn’t slip off—a task given difficult given how much sweat is emanating both of your bodies but you don’t care especially when all of those juices causes you to slip out of her for a minute and you don’t care about the mess you two are making on the floor at this very moment when you’re about to follow her with your own orgasm. 

“Such a fucking good girl for me, Minju.” You slide back inside her, this time it’s easier thanks to the lubrication she provided and you can’t help but grit your teeth and close your eyes. It’s too much, all of this. What transpired tonight and what it means for your future. It’s all too much to handle and you can’t hold it any longer. You’re about to give her the biggest load you’ve ever given anyone.  “You deserve all of this, I’ve wanted you so fucking bad.“ All she can do is nod as she is still sensitive from her own orgasm but with the way she’s wrapping her arms around you tighter she wants it as badly as you do. “Gonna fucking cum inside.”

“Please! I want your hot—hnggh—I want your cum. Please. When a beautiful woman like her gives you such a permission you don’t waste it, you hold her tight as you begin to pump ropes after ropes of cum in her pussy with every deep thrust. You don’t want to stop cumming, can’t stop cumming—your legs going weak and forcing you to sit down on the couch while you continue to unload deep inside Minju. It feels fucking euphoric, feeling your load drip back down to your cock and balls as that seemed to drain the soul out of you. 

You’ve been holding back from the moment you first saw her all those years ago and there’s no better feeling than this, not even a promotion could rival how addicting having sex with her feels and you want more. You want to continue diving into the ocean that is Kim Minju even if it means drowning, nothing else matters but her.

As if to try to coax more cum out of you, Minju continues to grind her hips while kissing you. This time it’s much more slow and gentle while you lay her on the couch and hover on top of her. It’s beautiful how her hair, though disheveled, cascades down her shoulders and fans out on the cushion below. 

Her limbs are still wrapped tight around you, your softening cock starting to harden while you begin to fuck her once more—you’re making a mess of the couch with how you’re fucking your cam back into her but it doesn’t matter when she’s going to be filled again. “You still have enough cum for me? I’m surprised.” 

You place kisses on her neck this time, making sure to leave marks dark enough that no amount of foundation can conceal it once Monday comes around. Surprisingly she doesn’t protest, perhaps she does want everyone to find out about you two. “Guess I didn’t do a good job of draining you, huh?” You respond by fucking her harder into the couch, feeling the furniture creak and move with every thrust and you render her speechless once again. 

Lean down to capture those bouncing tits in your mouth and continue to work her to another orgasm which wasn’t difficult to accomplish considering how sensitive she still is. It didn’t take long to set you off either and you unload whatever remaining load you have, which is still plenty considering you almost passed out with how much you left inside her just ten minutes ago.

She urges you to sit up on the couch again and she gets off of it to kneel down in front of you before then taking your flaccid cock in her mouth to clean you off. The sight is pornographic, the way she shows off your combined juices on her tongue before making a show of swallowing it all. “Hmm, we taste good together. I don’t mind having some more of that.”

Minju gets off her knees to sit down right beside you and the way her naked body glistens under the natural light outside your apartment is an unparalleled sight that has your heart swooning and doing backflips. “Well, I’m free this entire weekend.” And perhaps shooting your shot when all of this has already happened is quite a ridiculous predicament to be in but you don’t want to be selfish after all. Surely a girl like her has plenty of suitors you’re not aware of and you don’t want to tie her down especially when nothing is official yet.

“I guess I could be convinced.”

Those ten seconds of silence felt like an eternity. But it was all worth it the moment she gives you that smile that makes your heart race even faster. And despite kissing her for what seems like a million times already, this one has special weight. As if to tell the world that the most beautiful woman you have ever known and perhaps will ever know is now yours and there’s nothing that could change that. Screw all of those disgusting old men with their mid-life crisis because your quarter-life crisis just ended in the most satisfying way possible.

You’re embarrassed by the way you whine the moment you don’t feel her lips on yours anymore but you are quickly consoled the moment she stands up and turns around to flaunt that perfectly shaped ass of hers. Suddenly, blood rushes to your cock again as if you didn’t cum twice already. 

“Come on, take me to your bedroom.” Minju eyes you like a piece of meat once again when she pulls you up to your feet. 

“There’s one more hole you forgot to fill.”

[the-tarot-witch22]

Your future spouse late night thoughts about you 18+ - Pick a pile

Pile 1/ Pile 2/ Pile 3

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Hello everyone ! This is my another pick a pile or pac reading so please be kind and leave comment or reblog, and let me know if it resonated with you!

Note : This is a general reading or collective reading. It may or may not resonate with you. Please take what resonates and leave what doesn't. And it's totally okay if our energies aren't aligned!

How to pick : Take a deep breath and choose a pile which you feel most connected to! You can choose more than one pile, it just means both pile have messages for you!

Note : This reading is based on my intuition and channeled messages from tarot cards.

I worked really hard on this pile please show some love by leaving comments, likes and reblogs!

Pile 1:

(The cards I got for you guys - The magician, 6 of cups, wheel of fortune and 4 of swords)

Their thoughts about you is quite solemn or like emotional, they are quite a softie when it comes to you honestly, i wanted to give something 18+ for you guys but the energy here is so pure honestly or atleast that's how they wanna start with, i feel they don't want to scare you away just yet, like not much r rated haha, but i will channel everything i can, okay so i feel they are quite in awe or in love, like they want to meet you a hopeless romantic energy, looking at moon asking universe or upper power if they will meet you soon, they want to hurry honestly, I heard "you're mine baby" "no matter whatever you are doing right now, whoever is with you", "i am the one for you hope you know that", they want to kiss you a lot, like every part of you, want you to feel loved and you belong with them, like your body, soul has a name of their engraved on it, that's how much they want you to feel at home, at first they were being quite secretive not opening everything or feelings they have for you but I feel they are trying now, I also feel or heard that they want to push you on bed, tie you up, watch you while they fuck every part of you, they are sweet as hell and as well as horny for you, they want you to watch while you suck them, they want to fuck you deeper so you forget everything but them, They definitely want to put you on pedestal in every way they can, they wanna give you after care, touch every part of you they crave your soul and body, they feel they have knownn you for lifetimes, a literal past life connection here, yet they don't have you, they miss you, your time with them , i heard it's honestly funny "how someone can never meet and yet crave for each other", they wanna lay in your arms relax with you, watch silly rom coms, horror anything you desire, but they want you very badly, "when we meet i will tie you up till you get bored of me" in a very teasing tone, he is quite balanced individual in both his sexual desires and emotional desires.

WoW pile they are quite a romantic, huh? you guys deserve it! they are waiting for you too I feel you will meet them very soon.

Pile 2:

(The cards I got for you guys - 5 of swords, 8 of wands, 4 of wands and 6 of swords)

Okay so first thing i feel is very passionate, like they just want to fuck the soul out of you, holy shit, starting with big words and love for you, they are definitely not feel like themselves when they are with you, like they are different person "i cant control my feelings, my desires i have for you" how my body reacts when it sees you, it needs you as much as i do, I also heard i am quite jealous that you are not with me right now, is it because it's a payback for me to meet you late?, i hear them sighing a lot, they want to compete with everyone who has ever been with you even your fictional crushes like they can't make you feel like i do, they are definitely very competitive, their thoughts about you at night is quite filled with lust and desire, i see a scene where they are letting off their steam jerking off with the desire and spark they feel within themselves how they just want you, and only you I also feel they want to be very rough with you like just show you who you belong to, for some of you, you both are into hardcore sex, and they wanna make you cum with their mouth, they want you to sit on them, show that little pretty thing which is wet just for them, they want to tease you a lot too, like not letting you come at first, i feel they want to hear you say "please let me come", i see them smirk a lot, satisfied how much you react to them, "keep running away from me, but you can't go far because our souls are intertwined, my darling" gosh pile 2 they are quite very hungry for you, they want to fuck you all day or night touch you in a way no one ever has, they want you to fuck in the mirror they might want to record these moments for you both so you have special memory of it, more than their pleasure , they want YOU to feel pleasure in a way that no one ever had, they want to use dildo on you such foreign objects, i also feel they want you to wear vibrator while you go out with them, and when they feel jealous they will turn it on, i heard "my dirty little slut".

Wow pile 2 they are quite fiery aren't they, they just had so much to say to you their thought about you is so deep and filled with love and lust. Love it for you guys!

Pile 3:

(The cards I got for you guys - 10 of pentacles, 7 of wands, 6 of wands, 5 of cups, ace of swords and 8 of wands)

Okay so first thing I feel is they are missing you like a lot, when i started doing your reading and cards my heart felt sad for some reason they could be yearning you and they definitely want me to tell you "how much your absence in their life is impacting them", they are quite turned on by thought of you, your body is their temple, they want to worship you, they want to feel comfortable with them sexually or non sexually, they just want you to feel at home with them, they are feeling quite lonely without you, i heard "i love her laugh", their thoughts about you is quite desperate, but okay let me channel something 18+ for you, they are quite needy for your body, they want you to touch yourself or you to touch them or their intimate parts, they want to gently fuck you, I feel they are quite sensible or have gentleman thoughts for you. They are quite respectful, i also feel they wanna put efforts while they fuck you, politely touch you like you will break in their arms, they are quite caring, and soft for you and with you. i also feel they would want to or love to suck on you breasts to make you feel very good. They want to hear you scream their name, They think of you as their biggest achievement their prize, that they got for good or past deeds, they also want to be sneaky with you like I see a place where you are both only and emotions are so overflowing that you end up having sex their, a beach at night, or some abandoned or deserted place, their energy is quite calming they even calmed me down, they want everyone to see you belong to them, As I said they could be very sad for you like they miss you, "needing you by their side energy", they want you to know that sex isn't only two people having orgasm its more than that, its filled with love spark, connection, when they think of you all they want is to rest by your side, just be their while you do your own thing, they want you to know they have much more to show you when you guys actually meet! You guys can check out pile 1 too!

Good luck pile 3 xD! Their thoughts weren't much 18+ but more sweet. And I feel it's because they take sex much more seriously or not much openly, so that could be why this pile ended up being sweet lol.

Thank you for stopping by! Take care and remember you are loved <3

[unrealisticlea]

Tommy Kinard is literally Megan Fox in Transformers, he’s too cool to be true, he’s a fantasy, he’s the Cool Girl Monologue from Gone Girl.

He’s hot. He has a cleft. Everyone around him becomes immediately enamored with him. Chim likes him. Eddie likes him. Chris likes him. Bobby likes him.

He’s not only a pilot but he was a war pilot and he can fly helicopters into hurricanes and he can land helicopters on capsized cruise ships and leave unscathed.

He’s a firefighter with 10+ years experience and can spend 24hr firefighting and still show up in time for a wedding and he apologizes for being late.

He’s a mechanic and he can repair vintage cars and he has a mechanic shop in his garage.

He likes craft beer, he’s a Muay Thai expert, he’s into MMA and he has tickets to sold out shows in Vegas. He’s also good at basketball.

But he also like rom coms, trivia karaoke and doesn’t like broody people. He’s funny. He’s sarcastic. He has a dry and dark sense of humor. He admits he’s jealous but doesn’t let his jealousy take control of him.

He’s patient. He’s kind. He’s willing to put his life on the line to help people. He apologizes when he hurts people even if he didn’t do it on purpose. He pays on the first date. He gives people a second chance. He always knows what to say. He doesn’t push but he tries to keep up.

This is why people who say “I don’t know why people like Tommy Kinard” are either dense or deliberately missing the point. He was written to be liked. They spent three episodes driving home how likable Tommy Kinard is.

They wanted Buck’s first relationship with a man to be well received by the audience so they wrote the perfect man. Someone that audience either wants to be or date.

I’m not saying everyone has to like him, it’s impossible to write a character that’s universally beloved because liking someone depends entirely on your taste in characters.

I’m just saying if you don’t understand why people like him that’s entirely on you. This is a character that in s7 was written to be liked, it’s not subtle, right now there’s no subtext that implies that he’s secretly an awful person and he’s gonna turn out to be a piece of shit.

In season 7 Tommy Kinard is canonically a cool guy and he’s canonically a good person. People who denies it are straight up lying.

[eternalmoonlight18]

Maybe This Time...

Akagami no Shanks x afab!Reader

NEXT CHAPTER

synopsis: You and Shanks were raised together in Roger’s crew. However that was over a decade ago, and now that you reunited with him once again, he doesn’t plan on letting you go.

cw: sfw, childhood friends to lovers trope! fluffy and then angst and then fluffy again in the end… should this be a two part series?! lmk!

a/n: this is not proofread, i just got the sudden urge to write at midnight LOL. real ones will notice that this is based off of a song by the same title, esp if you grew up watching filipino rom com movies!

wc: 2.6k

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It was a cool and calm night as the Oro Jackson gently swayed against the calm waves of the Grand Line. The ship was filled with pirates, dreaming away after a long day of fighting against Marines. Loud snores can be heard echoing through the ship and into the quiet night sky.

A young 12 year-old-girl crawled up to the deck, trying to find a peaceful area to sleep away from the grown men who snored loudly in their bedchambers. She lightly scampered up to the deck and up to the crow’s nest, only to find it was occupied by a boy with red hair, who was leaning up against the pole at the centre of the nest.

The boy heard the scuffling and turned around to see you. He flashed a bright smile that shone with the stars the littered the night sky. You reciprocated as you made your way to sit beside him.

“What’re you doing here Shanks?” you quipped.

“Couldn’t sleep. These geezers snore so loud that one day I think they’ll attract Sea Kings in the middle of the night.” he jokingly said.

Shanks’ comment made you giggle. “Hey, that’s going to be you one day. A loud old man who snores like beast.” you shot at him.

The boy pouted as he crossed his arms. “And you’re going to be a wrinkly old granny who’s going to be all alone.” he retorted.

You stood up and pointed down at him. “That’s not nice!” you whined.

“You literally started it!” he scoffed as he looked up at you.

Before you couldn’t answer back, a sudden light flashed by. You whipped your head around in surprised and ran to the edge of the crows nest and saw a shower of shooting started to decorate the night sky. Gripping the rail of the nest, your breath hitched as you lightly gasped at the sight before you.

“Oh my gods, look Shanks! Shooting stars! Quick make a wish!” you squealed as you jumped up and down in excitement.

The red-haired boy lightly laughed as he got up and made his way beside you. With his arms leaning up against the rail, he watched the light show with you. He turned his head to his left and rested his eyes on you as your attention was focused on the falling stars. As the light continued to shine and fall, Shanks was mesmerized by the sight in front of him. He swore that you were lighting up just like the stars, with your lips pulled back in a genuine smile as your eyes gleamed in excitement. As he continued to observe you, he saw the reflection of the stars in your irises and his breath hitched in awe. An uncomfortable feeling started to churn in his stomach and chest as he felt his eyes soften at the sight of you.

You turn your head to the right to see Shanks staring at you.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” you questioned, noticing the weird expression on his face.

He quickly broke away from the trance that you put him in and pulled his eyes away. He scratched his cheek in embarrassment as a light pink colour started showing up on his cheeks. He shyly glanced back to you and saw that your face plastered with innocence and curiosity.

“You looked funny while you were looking at the shooting stars.” he said in excuse.

The smile that graced your lips fell as you furled your eyebrows in annoyance. “I was making a wish for you information.” you snarked at him.

Shanks hummed. “What did you wish?” he asked.

When he asked the question, your gaze softened as you turned around and faced the sea once more. “I wished to stay forever like this. With Captain Roger and the whole crew, with you and Buggy, forever sailing and looking for adventure.” you sighed.

The boy raised his eyebrow as you confessed. “You’re so cheesy.” he laughed.

Not breaking away from the sight of the vast sea, you hmphed. “Shut up. What was your wish?” you asked back.

Shanks turned around and faced the same direction as he rested his head on his arms. Silence took over as he thought about your question.

“Wishing on stars is for little kids.” he finally spoke. His voice was mixed in with a slight hesitation that you failed to notice.

You lightly punched his left shoulder. “We’re both twelve stupid. We are kids.” you giggled.

The boy laughed with you as the both you watched the shooting stars finally come to an end. Another pregnant paused filled the air until you broke the silence.

“Can you promise me something Shanks?” you quietly asked as you turned your entire body to face him.

“What is it?” he answered as he tilted his head to face you.

You bowed your head, refusing to meet his eyes. Your left foot scrapped the wooden floor as you fidgeted nervously. As courage started to swell in you once more, you raised your head and looked right into Shank’s deep brown eyes.

“You’ll stay by my side forever right?” you shyly and quietly asked him.

“Hah?” the boy gasped in surprise. He stumbled back and started looking away. The pink tinge on his cheeks started to deepen as he glanced back at you. As he found his footing once more, he rubbed the back of his head with his left hand and laughed.

“You’re so silly (Y/n)! Of course I’ll stay by your side. We’re best friends right?” he joyfully replied.

A giggle escaped your lips as you smiled widely at the boy in front of you. Shanks reciprocated the smile as he reached his right hand out. You gladly took it with your left as he pulled you into a hug.

“Don’t ever leave my side okay?” he whispered.

You tightened your arms around him as you buried your head into his right shoulder.

“You’d have to pry my dead body off of you if you want to get rid of me.” you joked.

The light breeze touched the skin of the two friends as they sat back down to watch the stars together.

————-

The rain fell hard as it splattered onto the concrete ground of the town. People were scampering around in chaos mixed with yells and screams. The sky was dark and clouded, reflecting the mood of the area.

You were now 15 years old, and Gold Roger, your captain, was just executed.

You ran across town chasing after Shanks after you saw him run away after your captain was killed in front of everyone. As you maneuvered around the town, you spotted Buggy and Shanks who were standing in front of each other. As you ran closer, you saw that Buggy turned his back from his friend and ran away to your direction.

“Buggy!” you called out as he ran. But he ignored you, running past you in silence. You get a brief glimpse at him and see that his face was painted with a scowl with light tears running down his face.

Your legs continued to move forward as you ran towards Shanks. His head was bowed down with his hands dangling from his sides. As you reached in front of him, he looked up with a heavy expression resting on his face. His eyes were void of emotion as he scanned your eyes.

“Shanks…” you trembled as your emotions caught up to you. The rain started pouring down harder as you and the red-haired 15 year old stared at each other in defeat.

“He’s gone…” he muttered quietly.

“I know Shanks, I know.” you choked as hot tears started to pour down from your face.

The boy’s lips started to frown as he watched you cry. As your sobs grew louder, you crouched down in a fetal position, burring your face into your arms as you continued to cry. Shanks’ resolve slowly started to crumble as he tried to choke back sobs that was threatening to escape his throat. Lifting his right arm up, he tried to reach out to you, but drew back in hesitation. He turned his head to the side as he started to speak.

“I’m going.” he said plainly.

Your head shot up. With glossy eyes, you stared at your red-haired friend. “Then take me with you.”

“No.” he said curtly.

“What? What do you mean no?” you started to raised your face as you rapidly got up from the ground. “Shanks, you promised me that we’d stay together!”

In that moment, he gripped the handle of his sword so tight, that white started to appear on his knuckles. Shanks lowered his head, allowing the raindrops that fell on his straw hat to drip down onto the concrete ground.

“I’m going back to the Grand Line on my own. You should stay here, or somewhere, away from the seas.” he said.

More tears started to stream down your face as you walked up to him and shook his shoulders. “What nonsense are you talking about?! Who are you to tell me to not go back to the sea? Shanks you promised me that you wouldn’t leave me!” you wailed.

The red-haired boy swatted your hands away from shoulder and started to back step away from you. Your eyebrows scrunched in disbelief as you watched him slowly turn around and walk away from you.

“Goodbye Y/n.” he said as he walked away in the rain.

“No!” you screamed at him. “No Shanks don’t leave me!” you yelled. Your calls were futile has he continued to walk away, not looking back.

You didn’t understand. Why did everything you have get ruined?

You clutched your chest as you fell to your knees, not caring that the impact of the fall banged up your knee caps.

The only thing that could be heard was the bloodcurdling scream of Shanks’ name echo throughout Loguetown.

—————

You come face to face with the man you vowed to never see again.

It’s been fifteen years since you last seen Shanks at Loguetown. You’re now 30 years old and working as a Pirate Hunter. You were docked at a remote island for a two days and was heading back to your small ship before you found yourself facing the man who left you crying in the rain.

He was now a full grown man, taller, stronger, with three scars slashed on his left eye, and missing a left arm. His signature straw hat was also missing from his head.

Shanks didn’t expect to see you in front of him either. Looking down at you, he saw that you were now a full grown woman. But he knew that it was still the same old you, the same best friend he had.

And he knew that you still held a grudge against him.

You glared at him, then attempted to walk past him without saying a word before he spoke up.

“It’s good to see you Y/n.”

Ignoring his greeting, you made your way to your ship at the sanded beach. Hauling a sack at your back, you threw it over your shoulder and onto the boat as you prepared to leave the island.

The red-haired man pulled up next to your boat and watched as you prepared your sails. In the distance, his crew watched curiously as their captain followed this mysterious woman.

“Out of the way red-haired.” you snarled. You glance down at the man and threw a sour expression his way. He smiled back.

“You’re the same as always.” he sighed.

“You have some nerve pretending everything is good between us.” you snapped at him.

Shanks ran his one good hand through his red locks and laughed. “You got me there. But it’s been 15 years Y/n. I’m sure we can put grudges away hm?” he said lightly.

An apple flew at his direction, but unsurprisingly he caught it.

“Shut the fuck up.” you growled. Before you could throw a bigger item at him, your ship suddenly splintered into pieces as a cannonball hit it. You flew out and landed on the sand. It seemed that the pirates you were chasing after caught you off guard and tried to shoot you down.

Shanks quickly tried to help you up from the ground while you sputtered the sand out your mouth. Realizing that he was holding onto your right arm as he hoisted you up, you shoved him away from your side.

“Don’t touch me.” you lowly said.

“You should come in my ship. Those guys are coming for your head.” he replied. He saw that the pirates that shot down your ship were running your direction.

“No.” you muttered as you attempted to limp away from him and the enemy. But this time, Shanks hoisted you up and threw you over his right shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Startled, you started to flail around as he started to make his way to the his ship.

“Yo! Get ready to sail!” he called out to his crew.

“Put me down you ogre!” you yelled as you attempted to punch his broad back. You swore you could feel Shanks grin as he ignored you.

“No can do Y/n! I’m not leaving you this time!” he cheerfully spoke.

You continued to wrestle against Shanks’ tight grip on the back of your legs. Once he climbed on the ship, he gently placed you down on the desk. As soon as your bum hit the floor, you scrambled to get off, only the find that the ship had already sailed away from the island.

“You asshole!” you screamed. Whipping your head to see the infuriating red-haired man shooting a smile your way. “Get me off this ship right now!” you demanded.

He simply shrugged. The his whole crew was now up on the deck, laughing at your suddenly burst of anger.

“No can do, unless you wanna sail to your death on your own out there.” Shanks answered smugly.

Stomping towards Shanks, you jab a finger into his chest as you snarled at him. “You fucking kidnapped me! You had the nerve to show your face after fifteen years and kidnap me onto your ship! You’re a lunatic Red-haired!” you shrieked.

Shanks’ chest rumbled with laughter, with the rest of the crew following suit. He placed his hand onto your right shoulder as he stooped down to your left ear.

“Well, I’m here now to keep that promise we made hmm?” he lowly purred in your ear. The man pulled away and raised his eyebrow in amusement as he saw your face turn red. A deep frown was plastered on your lips as your eyebrows furled in anger.

The palms of your hand collided with his sturdy chest as you shoved him away from you. You stomped away to the other side of the gigantic ship, not wanting to come in contact with your former friend at all.

“Y/n!” he called out to you as he watched your back walk away. He grinned widely as you twisted your upper body to shoot up a middle finger at his direction.

By the gods above you were back in his life, and it somehow felt just right. Maybe this time, his wish would come true.

“What did you wish for?” he recalled your 12 year old self asking him.

“For you to be my partner in this lifetime.” he finally admitted to himself, 18 years after that one fateful night when he fell in love with you.

This time he would make things right with you.

[starkeyisthelastname]

I need to see some soft moments with Step Dady!Rafe. Does he comfort her after a nightmare? Does he let her cuddle him when they're watching a movie?? I'm literally starving for some soft!step daddy.

Don't get me wrong tho, I still very much love and thirst over our regular Step Dad!Rafe.

(That’s his princess. 🎀😩)

There was no question that Rafe handled you when you were acting like a brat. Bending you over his desk until your ass cheeks were red. He would make you take his dick until you were crying out daddy when you’d bat your eyelashes at some sucker that complimented the too short of skirt you had on. Not to mention his stalker like tendencies he had on you anytime you’d go out. You were his princess though and too fucking pretty for him not for him to have a soft side for you.

When there was a storm, he’d make his way to your room knowing you hated the loud thunder and bright lightening. He would lay next to you in the overly pink bed, letting you rest your head in the crook of his neck to hide from the weather outside. “It’s just a little thunderstorm babydoll.” He would whisper in that naturally raspy voice, muscled arms around your smaller frame.

He wasn’t a fan of sitting there watching movies, especially ones that were girly. You had asked so sweetly though, and taken a good pounding earlier. There he was, your mother gone and sitting on the couch as you laid your head in his lap as the 2000s rom com played. He was bored, his focus on you as his large hands ran up and down your body. “Got me fucking pussy whipped, don’t you princess?” His voice soft as he squeezed your fleshy hip in a ringed hand.

A rare occurrence was when Rafe kissed you. It wasn’t something he did often, always feeling like that was too intimate. There you were though, upset because you couldn’t go with him on his business trip. You had been sulking all day, tears threatening to spill as time got closer to him leaving. Ward had rushed this trip onto him, that he didn’t even have time to give you a proper goodbye. So when he saw you sitting on the back of his truck, swinging your legs with a pout on your glittery lips, he sighed.

“I gotta leave, alright?” His voice firm as he motioned for you to get up.

“You weren’t gonna tell me bye?” You sniffed, arms crossing over your bare midriff as you looked up at him through thick lashes. You sat still, not budging as he threw his bag into the backseat only to walk over to you after.

“What do you want from me, kid? I can’t give you dick right now.” Rafe said, coming to stand between your spread thighs as he cupped your cheeks together. “Hmm, you gonna stop acting like a brat?” He asked, a silent warning for you to quit or he wasn’t going to make it out of town.

You let out a little huff, looking at his handsome face as you tugged at the dress shirt he wore. “Kiss me.” You mumbled.

Rafe let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he gripped your chin roughly. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to your glossy lips. He didn’t do this often, so when he did you completely melted. Your tummy dancing with butterflies, a grin across your face as he pulled back. “That better princess?” He asked, voice almost catching in his throat as something about kissing you made him feel funny. (In a good way.)

Rafe Cameron had it down bad for his stepdaughter.

[sodavizz]

—Island In The Sun!

ct: @the-phantom-peach of their amazing art of my bb <33

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ

Pairings: Daisuke x F! Reader

Wc: idk 1k+

Warnings: None, just pure fluff :3

Daisuke had always loved the beach. The salty air, the endless stretch of sand, and the way the waves whispered secrets as they hit the shore—he felt at home here. But today, there was something different. Maybe it was the sun, sinking low in the sky and casting everything in gold, or maybe it was just the way she stood out in the crowd.

He had been sitting there for a while, mindlessly playing with the sand, but his eyes kept drifting over to her. She was laughing with her friends, her hair shimmering like threads of gold in the sunlight, her smile so effortless it almost looked like it belonged in a movie. She wore a white sundress that fluttered in the breeze, and to him, she was... perfect.

He didn’t believe in love at first sight. Honestly, he’d always thought that was a little cheesy, the stuff of rom-coms. But in that moment, watching her from across the beach, something inside him clicked. He had never seen anyone quite like her before, and before he knew it, he couldn’t stop staring. His heart started racing, and all he could think was: Who is this beautiful lady?

But she wasn’t looking at him. Not at first.

Her attention was on her friends, who were goofing around and splashing in the water. Daisuke watched from a distance, hoping she might glance his way, but the more he stared, the more he realized she was completely oblivious. Maybe that was for the best. What could he possibly say to someone like her?

Then, a voice broke his concentration.

“Dude,” one of his buddies teased, nudging him lightly. “Are you gonna just stare at that girl all day?”

Daisuke froze. He didn’t know if he should laugh or die of embarrassment.

----

You looked over, your gaze scanning the beach, and sure enough, your eyes landed on him. For a split second, both of your eyes met, and then he quickly looked away, as though he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

“Seriously?” you muttered, half-smiling and half-rolling your eyes. “He’s still looking.”

Your friends burst out laughing. “Looks like someone’s got a crush!”

You shot them a look but couldn’t help the flush that crept up her neck. You turned your attention back to your friends, pretending not to care, but you had to admit—there was something a little funny about being the center of his attention.

----

The hours passed, and soon the sun had dipped below the horizon. The beach bar, a cozy little spot right on the sand, began to fill up with people wanting to make the most of the evening. She and her friends decided to grab a table, the mood light and easy. Daisuke was still sitting at the bar, nursing a beer, but now, instead of just glancing over at her, he was watching her from across the room.

He’d been trying to build up the nerve to go over and talk to her for what felt like forever. He wasn’t a shy guy, but there was something about her that made him feel out of his league. She was beautiful, sure, but there was more to it than that. It was like she had this effortless confidence that made him second-guess everything he was going to say.

“Just go talk to her, man,” his friend had said earlier, giving him an encouraging nudge. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

The worst? He didn’t even want to think about it.

So he stayed put, watching from a distance as she laughed with her friends. And then, just as he was thinking maybe it wasn’t meant to be, he saw her glance in his direction. Their eyes met again—this time, not for a fleeting second, but long enough for him to feel his heart race.

Okay. That was it. He couldn’t put it off any longer.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up. His palms were sweaty, and his stomach was in knots. He wasn’t used to feeling this nervous, but there he was, walking toward her table.

She noticed him coming, her eyebrows raising in mild surprise. She’d probably thought he wasn’t going to approach after all the staring he’d been doing earlier.

He stopped in front of the table, feeling like he might faint any second. “Hey,” he said, his voice surprisingly soft. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I just, uh... I had to come over and say hi.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “You’re the guy from the beach, right?”

Daisuke couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Yeah, that’s me. I mean, I guess I’m the guy who stared at you all afternoon.” He immediately cringed, cursing himself inwardly.

The girl chuckled. “No, it’s fine. You just caught my attention. It’s not every day a guy spends hours staring at you.”

He winced. “Yeah, that wasn’t... ideal. But, hey, I thought I should at least introduce myself. I’m Daisuke.”

She gave him a playful smile. “[insert y/n].”

There was a brief silence, and for a second, Daisuke wondered if he should just walk away. But then, She spoke again, her tone light.

“So, what made you finally come over? After all that staring?”

Daisuke smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know. I guess I figured I’d regret it if I didn’t say something. And I didn’t want to be that creepy guy who just stares and never does anything about it.”

[Insert y/n's] smile softened, and for a moment, he thought maybe she was going to laugh at him. But instead, she just looked at him with a kind of warmth in her eyes that made him feel a little less ridiculous.

“Well, I’m glad you did,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “So, uh, what’s your deal, Daisuke? What brings you to this part of the world?”

And just like that, the awkwardness started to fade. The conversation flowed, easy and natural. They talked about everything—how they both loved the ocean, their favorite kinds of music, the weirdest things they’d ever seen on vacation. They joked about everything from childhood memories to the most embarrassing things that had ever happened to them in public. Before long, the tension had melted away completely, and it felt like they’d known each other for years.

The night wore on, and eventually, the bar began to close. But they weren’t in a hurry.

As they stood up to leave, Daisuke found himself feeling... content. There was something real about this connection. No forced pickup lines. No awkward silences. Just two people talking, getting to know each other in the easiest way possible.

“Hey,” Daisuke said, pulling out his phone. “Maybe we can grab coffee sometime? I know, super original, right?”

[insert y/n] smiled, her eyes bright. “I think I’d like that.”

And just like that, what had started as a nervous glance across a crowded beach had turned into something more—something that felt, for the first time in a long while, like it could actually be the beginning of something good.

-----

testing, hehe

[honeekyuu]

take the edge off. [suna rintarou x f!reader] chapter one.

>>You struggle with your weight and body image, but Suna extensively and thoroughly undoes all the damage done by other guys.

or

You haven't gotten laid in over a year, and your best friend takes it upon himself to fix that for you.<<

series status: [complete]

masterlist. || next.

a/n: suna has two brain cells that rub together like little housefly hands when it comes to yn and literally at no other point

[feel free to buy me a cup of coffee!]

---------------------------------------

“You know what’s crazy? I haven’t gotten laid in, like, a year.”

Looking back, there was absolutely no need for you to admit that.

But right now, there’s a bottle of wine in your system, and you’re about halfway through a trashy rom-com on a Friday night. It’s not shy on mature scenes, either, which is why you’d said it, your eyes trained almost wistfully on the screen as the two leads stumble through the girl’s front door together and get straight to business.

And it’s only Suna here, also a bottle of wine deep. He won’t judge you for saying it, not when there’s over ten years of moments far worse than this, very securely tying you two together.

He is, however, far more scandalized by your words than you’d expected.

Suna flies up from his sprawled position on your couch, kicking his legs off the coffee table as he turns toward you.

“I beg your most genuine pardon?” He asks, jaw dropped as he stares. You laugh into your wine glass, incredibly tickled and very tipsy.

“You heard me,” You answer, nodding pathetically. His eyes bug out of his head, and you’re glad he’s intoxicated enough to be reacting to this with his most authentic self, the one that’s kind of an idiot and about 150% more expressive than any of your friends could ever peg him to be. 

“A year ?!” He yells, dragging it out annoyingly. “There’s no fucking way, Y/n. No fucking way.”

“Tell that to my dry spell, Sunarin,” You laugh again, shaking your head. “I’ve gotten to know my fingers and also my vibrator rather intimately.” 

You certainly would not have admitted that while sober, but Suna’s just as gone as you are, not skipping a singular beat as he slumps in place.

“That’s so fucked,” He groans, dropping his head to his hands. “This has to be illegal – this is cruel and unusual punishment. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

“Well, believe it,” You snort, pointing at the ongoing sex scene on the TV. “A year without rain, truly.”

“But why ?” He laughs pathetically, shaking his head as he turns fully to you and leans against the side of the couch. “ Why ?” 

“I don’t know-” You shrug, waving your hand over your own body sarcastically. “Maybe it’s got something to do with this?”

You watch as he drags his gaze down the length of your body slowly, following the trail of your hand. He shakes his head afterward, finding your eyes with unspoken confusion.

You scoff, lifting your glass to him in acknowledgement. “That’s funny.”

“What?” He tilts his head. “What’s your body got to do with it?”

You look down at yourself, wondering if you’d magically become attractive overnight. 

No, still the same. Thighs too thick, a tummy that pushes against your clothes and bunches up into little rolls, stretch marks and cellulite and all the lovely things guys hate to look at.

You’d always been a bigger girl. Food had been a happy place, a place of love and care. Ice cream dates with your dad after school, dinners out with your parents on weekends. Standing in your kitchen at the house in Hyogo – the childhood home that had come with the open doors of your neighborhood friends running in and out to play and snack on your mom’s cooking – and learning the family recipes, listening to your mom’s stern but warm guidance as she’d told you ‘ Do it this way instead, don’t add too much salt ’, the crickets buzzing loudly just outside the window.

High school had made food into a more complicated matter, because it had come with girls who’d poke fun at your uniform, bigger than theirs and still tighter than you were comfortable with. It had come with crushes on boys who would only talk to you to get information about other girls, girls who were worth their time. It had come with a strained relationship with your mother’s cooking, once so safe and kind and pure. You’d tried just about every diet known to man, and nothing had ever worked. 

You’re in a place now where you’re just happy to be able to enjoy food to its full extent, whatever the cost. Good food in the body is more healing for the soul than starving and then binging and then starving again, viciously repeated. You fully believe this, and your mental happiness is the best it’s been in a long time, 26 years old and focused only on feeding yourself with good, clean ingredients and going to bed happy. 

But it had taken a lot to get here, and you’re still recovering from the damage.

Luckily, high school hadn’t been all bad. In fact, Inarizaki High had had a weird way of changing your life. Boys and girls, nameless and faceless now, had ignored you and passed you over, only noticing you so they could use you – their personal entertainment, someone had admitted once. 

But they’d also flocked to and thrown themselves at the feet of the most popular boys in school, vying for attention. The Inarizaki High Boys’ Volleyball Club.

The team was nearly legend, despite being just a group of regular teenage boys. Each player had his own group of fans, all unhinged in their own ways. The worst, unsurprisingly, were the girls attached to Miya Atsumu.

When he’d been assigned as your deskmate at the beginning of 2nd year, you’d felt a deep sense of dread. Would he make fun of you, too? If he did it, the entire school would be pelting insults at you by the end of the week. Would his fangirls start targeting you in worse ways, in the bathroom and during lunch?

But he’d been shockingly kind. Not a word uttered about your appearance or the things you’d eat. But not ignoring you like most boys do, not passing over you like he hadn’t even seen you. 

He’d sat down that first day with a bright grin and a hand stuck out in your direction, all but yelling in your ear that it was nice to meet you and asking why he hadn’t met you before, his drawl heavier than your other classmates’ and a bit endearing, even on first meeting.

‘ I’m a bit forgettable ,’ You’d admitted quietly, but he’d just shot you a strange side glance.

‘ Says who? That ain’t nice. ’ 

You hadn’t known what to do with that.

You hadn’t known what to do with any part of Miya Atsumu, really. Not the daily greetings, screeched down the hall the moment he’d see you. Not the notes he’d pass to you during class, badgering you to become the Volleyball Club’s manager so you could become better friends. Not the way he could always kind of tell if you were upset by something someone said, because he would somehow become even louder after the fact, distracting you via sheer ear damage.

Not the way he’d become cold and detached the first time he’d actually witnessed someone bullying you, the way his bright eyes had dulled into nothing and held no guilt as he’d made a girl cry in front of the whole class.

‘ I don’t want to switch seats with you, ’ You’d told her, shaking your head. ‘ This is the one assigned to me- ’

‘ I don’t give a fuck, ’ She’d spit at you, pointing at her own desk, piled high with snacks from the vending machine. ‘ I left you a trail of food, little piggie – go follow it so that I can sit with Atsumu and give him something good to look at- ’

‘ Somethin’ good, huh? ’ He’d materialized just beside you, staring at the girl emptily. You’d almost been scared of the look in his eye. ‘ And who’s s’posed to give me that, you? ’ He’d cast a cursory glance over her, looking entirely unimpressed. ‘ You look like you couldn’t get through a single conversation with me.’

You’d gasped, eyes wide and watching as he’d flopped down into his chair and thrown his legs up on the desk, forcing the girl to scurry back from where she was leaning threateningly over you. He’d hummed, assessing her through narrowed eyes. ‘ You look like an only child. You an only child? You look it- Oh, no, I got it-’ And then he’d clapped, laughing brightly and nudging you, as though you weren’t frozen in shock. ‘ Don’t she kinda look like a girl you wouldn’t introduce t’your parents? Sure as shit not mine, at least.’  

The girl had long started tearing up, the entire room watching in varying degrees of horror as Atsumu had just pulled a wrapped onigiri from his bag and offered it to you. He’d shot the girl a look of disdain when she’d started wailing, because Miya Atsumu was sharing his lunch with you, the girl that was forgettable.

‘ Yer makeup’s running, just so you know, ’ He’d state plainly, pointing up at her. ‘ My mom’s always talkin’ bout gettin’ waterproof shit- ’ He’d turned to you, eyes wide. ‘ You know ‘bout that waterproof stuff? Mascara, er whatever? ’

‘ I-’ You’d shaken your head. ‘ I don’t wear makeup, I don’t know- ’

He’d grinned in your face, eyes beaming in that bright way again, the way that you’d thought was guaranteed. You hadn’t realized how safe you’d found that brightness before now. ‘ You don’t wear makeup?’ He’d leaned back with a smirk, drawing the final line for everyone to hear and making it clear that you were not to be fucked with again. ‘ Naturally pretty, then. That’s how I like my girls. ’ 

The rest of high school had been a surreal experience. 

You were impossible to pass over now, because everyone knew who you were. Girls were still cruel, but only in private, where Atsumu couldn’t see. Boys would still mention your weight, but only the ones who were rejecting your quiet confessions, and even then, they’d tried their best to deliver it politely.

Atsumu had never been more than a friend, of course, but he’d been a good one. The best one, really, considering that not even a few weeks into knowing you, his brother would regularly have to physically tear him away from you so they could make it to practice in time.

‘ I’m talkin’ here, Samu! We’re chattin’! ’ 

‘ Save it, fucker, we got shit to do! ’ 

You’d always found Osamu a bit easier to digest as a personality, and you’d hit it off right away – He’d been reading a magazine about baking when you’d met, and you’d mentioned wanting to try the cake on page 12, because you had the same one at home. He’d taken to you like a baby bird, asking you to try the random rolls and cakes and breads he would make at home. You’d been so shocked the first time he’d shoved a banana roll in your face that you hadn’t thought to consider calories or sugar or carbs or any of it. You’d just taken a bite and then spent the rest of the free hour taste-testing it again and again, using every ounce of your brain power to help him figure out what was perfect and what need improving.

But, if you were honest, you’d been more comfortable in the presence of his twin, in the tornado of genuine and terrifying care that was Atsumu. He’d always been honest and tactless, and – on the days when someone was unfortunate enough to have been caught saying something to you – he was cruel and mean and terrible, brutal without remorse. But he was your first ever best friend, exasperating personality and all.

And the only person worse than Miya Atsumu, really, was Suna Rintarou.

Your lunch breaks, originally alone and then suddenly with Atsumu, were even more suddenly shaken with the introduction of the VBC. To Aran and Kita and – crucially – to Suna, whose snarky demeanor and lack of a social filter was well-known by the time he’d flopped down into the seat in front of yours.

Suna, whose usual reaction to girls approaching him at lunch was to mumble ‘ Fuck off, please ’ lazily, through a mouthful of food and without ever looking up from his phone.

Suna, whose introduction to you had come with him pointing at your chopsticks, halfway to your mouth, and quietly asking ‘ Can I try that ?’ about your mother’s spring rolls. He’d leaned over the moment you’d stuttered a response – taking a huge bite right off of your chopsticks, even though you’d just met the boy 30 seconds prior – and then trading you some of his own mother’s cooking in return, half a rice ball set casually in your container.

Suna, who’d pried your phone from your slightly terrified fingers and entered his number, a steady stream of memes and YouTube videos buzzing in your pocket from that moment on.

Suna Rintarou, who wouldn’t only say something when he’d catch someone else being explicitly rude to you. He’d say something if someone even looked at you the wrong way or whispered to their friend in a way that he didn’t like.

‘ You got a problem? ’

‘ Something you wanna share with the class?’

When he’d come around the corner and find someone making pig noises in your direction or laughing at how your uniform fit-

‘ Were you not loved enough by your mother?’

‘Have you ever thought of seeking professional help?’

And when one boy had pushed at your shoulder – just a prod of his fingers, but rude all the same – you’d felt Suna’s presence more than heard it, a sudden chill hovering at your back.

‘ Apologize – on your knees – before I break that hand.’

The boy had hesitated, but he’d dropped to the floor soon after, because Suna had taken a step toward him. He’d muttered that he was sorry, and then repeated it louder when Suna had crouched beside him and whispered ‘ Again – like you mean it this time’ while smiling down at the hand he’d just threatened to break. 

You’d been properly scared of Suna Rintarou for some time after that.

He’d noticed, his eyes following you in every room you’d walked into, an amused smirk on his lips.

He’d skipped practice one day to walk you home, hands in pockets as he’d trailed after you. No words had been shared, but he’d walked you home the day after, and then again. Atsumu had yelled at him for missing practice on the fourth day, so he’d started showing up in the morning instead, leading you quietly to school.

It had been raining one morning, about a week later, and you’d been rushing around your room to get ready, wondering if Suna would even bother to wait in the rain for you. Wondering when you’d started expecting him to be there. 

You’d looked out the window, almost 45 minutes before you’d usually leave, and found him there. Under an umbrella, leaning on the gate and scrolling through his phone. You’d gasped, scrambling down the stairs with your mismatched pajamas and bedhead and yanking the door open.

‘ Suna Rintarou! ’ You’d scolded, and his head had popped up in surprise. It was the first time you’d properly addressed him during one of these morning walks.

‘ Get your ass in here! ’ 

He’d lifted his brows but listened right away, pocketing his phone and passing through the gate to your front door. Your mother had stuck her head out into the hallway, shocked at your tone.

‘ Who- ’ She’d started, but you’d just gestured in annoyance at the boy standing in your foyer trying to find a place to put his umbrella. You’d snatched it from him and leaned it on the door.

‘ This is Suna. Suna, my mom,’ You’d grumbled, realizing the state of yourself when Suna had just stared at the mess on your head and then pursed his lips to hide a smile.

‘ Oh, the stalker boy! ’ She’d clapped excitedly, and you’d barked out a laugh at Suna’s face of horror.

‘ I-No, I’m not-’ He’d stuttered, and you’d saved him by leading him to the living room.

‘ She’s just messing with you. You sit here and wait while I get ready ,’ You’d pointed at the couch and then disappeared upstairs, hurrying even more than before.

When you’d come back down, your mother had been urging him to the table to eat. He’d followed, clearly feeling out of place. 

You’d eaten with him while your mom had been preparing a second bento, loudly exclaiming from the kitchen that athletes should eat more than three times a day. He’d just smiled gratefully and then eyed you, mumbling ‘ I liked your pajamas’ under his breath and snickering when you’d tried to swing at him from across the table.

It had been monumentally humiliating when, as you were pulling on your shoes, your mother had pulled him aside and very conspicuously thanked him for looking out for you.

‘ You’re such a nice boy, taking care of my girl. Kids can be so mean .’

You’d stood with Suna’s umbrella in hand, glaring at him over your mom’s shoulder, because he’d looked way too pleased with himself. He’d followed you out, forced to run as you’d stalked off into the torrential downpour with his umbrella. He hadn’t said anything for a while, just holding the umbrella and walking beside you for most of the journey. But just as the school had come into view, he’d smirked down at you and said-

‘ You told your mom about me .’

You’d run the rest of the way to school, preferring to sit all day in wet clothes over finishing that conversation. 

You’d been forced after that to get used to Suna’s voice in your living room while you’d dressed for the day, and then the knock on your front door after practice, your mother sending him up to your room to lounge on your floor and copy off your homework. 

You hadn’t been able to get rid of him, and more than ten years had passed just the same, college finding him more often in your dorm room than his own and post-grad life finding the two of you and the Miya twins in Osaka. Atsumu had been recruited to the Black Jackals, and Suna had opened a tattoo shop, practicing on himself through college until his skin had been covered in ink and a deposit had been put down on a small shop space not too far from your apartment. 

You had formed a kind of soul-bond with Osamu over all things food-related, even with your own strained relationship with it, and you’d co-signed on an empty shop across the street from the Jackals’ home gym. You’d opened a cafe on one side, your culinary degree put to use on an extensive knowledge of coffees and teas, and Osamu had set up a bakery on the other side, the two of you decorating cakes and testing recipes for hours after closing time. Your shared shop had seen wild success, both due to your talents and due to being located in a tourist and sports enthusiast hotspot.

You’d each had your various failed relationships throughout the years, Atsumu currently in the midst of a secret situationship with Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Osamu crushing rather pathetically on Hinata Shouyou’s friend Yachi Hitoka, who runs a flower shop down the road. You’d become friends with her, at first to subtly put in a good word for Samu, but now mostly because she’s likely to appear at your counter at least twice a day to hang out and try the special of the day.

Suna had had a few short flings with girls in the area, one a model-beautiful blonde who’d, offhand in the middle of your cafe, offered to be your ‘gym buddy’, should you want one. She’d been dumped on the spot, Suna going so far as to pluck the iced latte from her hand and pour it out inside her purse while holding eye contact with her. 

The girls after her had been equally beautiful, but he’d always find something about them that was unacceptable after a few weeks. This one too loud and bossy, that one too quiet and submissive, the other one too everything , as he’d put it. He’d never been happy with any of them, and you could only watch with bemusement and shake your head, brushing it off as being one of the many things about Suna that you wouldn’t try to understand.

All of your boyfriends – a total of three in the five years you’d all been in Osaka – had similarly found something wrong with you. It had always been the same thing, and you’d known it. You’d known it in the way their eyes would linger on other girls or the way they’d be less affectionate in public, less willing to hold your hand or put their arm around you.

You’d known it in the way Suna had hated every one of them, hands left unshaken during introductions and green eyes watching how you’d interact with them.

You’d always broken things off first, finding it a bit funny that they would get mad at you for it, as though they hadn’t just been swiping on dating apps when they thought you weren’t looking. Always mad at you for putting yourself first, because they thought themselves above you and couldn’t believe you thought you’d find better than them.

That’s why you’re sitting here now, on this Friday night with a bottle of wine in your system, wondering how Suna Rintarou is not understanding why your appearance is the barrier between you and breaking your dry spell. After everything , he’s not understanding.

“Dude, you clearly know what my body has to do with it,” You laugh. “You met my exes.”

“Well, yeah-” He waves you off. “But they were morons, so I don’t count them.”

“I feel like you probably should, since they have the majority opinion on girls like me,” You smile, taking another sip of wine.

Suna laughs, shaking his head. “I don’t think you’ve been fucking with the right dudes, if you think those losers were representative.”

“Do you see guys lining up outside my door?” You offer with a bemused smile. He flops against the couch, sighing.

“I cannot believe it’s been a whole year. There’s no way- Not a single one-night stand?” He tries, almost desperate to figure this out. You just shake your head. “ Why ? Where the hell are you lookin’ for ‘em?”

You laugh wholly, reaching to put your glass down and turn back to the movie. “It’s fine, dude. I was just making a passing comment-”

“Nuh-uh-” He crosses his arms over his chest, nearly pouting. “We gotta get you laid. I’ve become invested in this.”

You roll your eyes good-naturedly, ignoring him. He nudges you with his foot. 

“Let’s find you someone at Miya’s party.”

You groan, laughing a bit. The Black Jackals had recently had a home game, one where they’d positively obliterated the opposite team and subsequently sent hundreds of cheering fans into your shop after the match. Atsumu had invited a hoard of people to his penthouse to celebrate tomorrow night. You’d already planned to try finding someone, but it’s a bit worrying that Suna’s involved now.

“Okay, you don’t have to get so invested. I’ll try tomorrow, I promise.”

“Nope, I’m invested. This is happening. You’re getting laid tomorrow – it’s been decreed.” 

You salute him lazily, mumbling ‘ If you say so’ and going back to the movie.

–

When Suna picks you up the next night, he’s frowning down at you.

“What is this, what are you wearing?”

You’re taken aback, looking down at yourself. You’d chosen a cute red dress and thrown a cardigan over it – you look fine.

“What about it?”

“No, no, no-” He marches into your apartment, hands on your shoulders as he leads you to your room. “What is this nice girl shit? Take this off-” He pushes your cardigan off your shoulders, wrestling you out of it. 

You cross your arms right away, a bit self-conscious. It’s a dress with thin straps, and you’re not happy with how your arms look in it. “I wanna wear something over it, though.”

“Oh, that’s fine, sure,” He starts, poking his head into your closet and knocking clothes around. “Except that this is a party, not a church retreat. You’re not wearing the sweater or the dress.”

“But this is my best-” You start, but Suna’s seeing something all the way in the back and reaching for it, eyes bright.

“A- ha! ” 

You groan, because he’s pulling out the single sleeveless dress you own. It’s a body-hugging, little black number, one that you’d bought online when you’d been feeling particularly confident. It still has the tag on it.

“I dunno, Suna-”

“Just put it on and lemme see,” He thrusts it at you, and then he’s gone, leaving you with an outfit you would never have chosen.

You put it on, staring into your mirror with a grimace. The dress is too tight – your hips are too wide, your thighs too on display. Your boobs are too big, making the material stick to your chest in a way you don’t like.

“I don’t know,” You call. “I don’t like it.” You start to reach for the zipper to remove it, since you have no intention of showing Suna. But he’s bursting into the room, a loud ‘ I’m coming in-’ warning you with enough time to not unzip the dress.

He stops short, a pair of black heels swinging from his fingers – apparently, he’d been digging through your collection of shoes at the door for good ones. They dangle at his side, his eyes trained on your body. You watch in the mirror as he drags his eyes down the length of you and then back up, his lips parted in a way you don’t understand.

When he meets your eyes, he snapping his mouth shut and swallowing, ears turning a bit red. You frown, taking it to mean that he’s seeing too much. 

“Okay,” You sigh, turning to usher him back out. He blinks rapidly and backs up. “Go. I’ll find something else.”

“What?” He stops, not letting you push him anymore. “No, you’re wearing that.”

“Suna-” You laugh, planting your hands on his chest and trying to get him out. “I look ridiculous.”

“No, you don’t.” He shakes his head, steady against you. “You’re wearing that. You look really good.”

You blink, confused. “What? Did you see what I saw?”

“I saw the exact same thing you saw. You’re wearing that.”

“Dude, no-”

“Yes-” He cuts you short, rounding you and pushing you out toward the living room. You shake your head, trying and failing to go back. “Stop arguing with me.” He puts the heels in your hand and disappears to the table for your purse. You stand in front of the mirror by the door, turning this way and that to look at yourself. You don’t see what he’s talking about.

He comes to stand behind you, and you examine him, too. He’s got on black jeans and a silver belt, with a black tee tucked into his pants and a thin chain hanging loosely around his neck. There’s a long-sleeve shirt thrown over it, and his lip ring and heavily pierced ears glint in the light. His hair hangs low over his eyes, and he lifts a hand to push it back. He’s wearing a silver bracelet you’d gotten him a few years ago for Christmas, your matching one sitting in your jewelry box.

He looks really fucking good.

You sigh angrily. “I cannot be seen with you.”

He just lifts a brow. “Problem?”

You examine him again, pointing at his reflection. “Take your top shirt off. Lessen the whole… punk-rock, skater-boy vibe, please.”

He grins, handing your purse over and then stripping, the long-sleeve tossed carelessly toward your couch.

You roll your eyes. His black tee is tight on his biceps, and all his tattoos are on display. 

“That’s great. That’s really great.”

“What?” He laughs, and you just shake your head, bending down to put your heels on.

“You look like an entire meal, feeding women everywhere, and I look like a sausage roll.”

He doesn’t answer, and you glance at the mirror, finding his eyes trained very obviously on how you’re bent in front of him, both eyebrows lifted just slightly.

“Are you staring at my ass?”

“Huh?” He jumps, blinking. “What’d you say? Sausage roll?”

You stand, leveling him with an empty glare. “Don’t force yourself, Sweetheart. I committed to the outfit already.” 

He shakes his head, looking a bit dazed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. But you most certainly don’t look like a sausage roll.” He follows after you as you turn off the lights and leave the apartment, waiting behind you while you lock the door. “ Like a present that desperately needs unwrapping, maybe ,” He mumbles under his breath.

You pause, key in the door, and look over your shoulder at him with a brow raised in amusement. “What are you doing, Suna?”

He blinks lazily at you. “Honestly? Regretting that dress.”

You roll your eyes and pull the key from the lock, following him down the hall to the elevator while he shakes his head with a small sigh.

“Whatever. What time should we come back?”

He laughs, hitting the button on elevator panel that’ll lead to his car. “I thought we agreed. Not until you’ve been fucked stupid.”

You can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of you at his wording. “I think that was just you decreeing things. I’m a bit more realistic.” You smile mockingly up at him, and he nudges you as you walk through the parking garage. 

“You’ll find someone.”

You start to argue, but you see where he’s parked, and you’re not happy.

“You didn’t bring your car.” 

He leads you toward his motorcycle, tossing you a curious look over his shoulder. “Nope. Bike’s easier to park on the street.”

You gesture down at yourself angrily, snatching up the helmet he’s handing you. “I cannot sit on a motorcycle with my legs spread in this dress.”

He smiles, glancing down at your thighs. “Why? Not wearing anything under?”

You smack him with the helmet. He just throws a leg over the bike and holds a hand out for you. You do your best not to flash him as you hike a leg over the seat behind him. 

Suna waits for you to adjust and re-adjust the dress until you’re sure you won’t be giving anyone a show on the way there. But when you put on the helmet and pat his shoulders to signal that you’re ready, he reaches back and wraps both hands around your thighs, dragging you closer to his back. You scream, slapping his hands, but he just pulls your arms around his waist.

“Gotta make sure you’re safe and sound,” He says, muffled through his helmet, but you can still hear the laugh in his voice.

“I hate you,” You state loudly. He just kicks the bike into life with a snicker.

The ride to Atsumu’s penthouse is a nightmare of checking your dress at red lights and praying no one’s seeing anything. By the time you get there, you’re stressed.

“What’d I tell you?” Suna asks, sliding into a narrow parking spot right outside Atsumu’s building. “Easier parking.”

“I hate you,” You repeat, letting him help you awkwardly off the bike and immediately fixing everything. He pulls the helmet gently off of you and brushes your hair out of your face. And then he smiles lazily.

“You’re so getting laid tonight. I can feel it.”

You don’t bother responding, just following him into the lobby. The front desk girl waves you through, recognizing you. Her eyes trail down your body, eyebrows raised, and you’re immediately self-conscious. But she leans over the desk, calling out as you’re reaching the elevator.

“You look really pretty!”

You blink, looking back and then up at Suna. “She talking to me or you?”

“You,” He laughs. “Definitely you.”

“Oh-” The elevator dings, signaling Atsumu’s arrival to get you up to the penthouse with his key, but you’re calling back to the girl with an awkward laugh as the doors open. “Thank you!”

“Hey- Holy shit- ”

You turn, finding Atsumu inside the elevator, staring at you with comically wide eyes and a dropped jaw. He stares so long that the elevator doors close between you, and he’s rushing to open it again. You give him a weird look. 

“What?”

He shoots you a look of disbelief. “What d’ya mean, ‘ what ’? Look at you!”

You follow Suna into the elevator, mumbling, “I regret buying this dress.”

Suna shakes his head, leaning back against the wall and addressing Atsumu. “She won’t listen to me about the dress.”

Atsumu’s still staring. “What’re you tryna do, get laid?”

Suna looks at you with lifted brows and a pleased grin. “See? He gets it.”

“Damn, if Omi ‘n I weren’t-” Atsumu shakes his head, whistling. “You’d have trouble gettin’ rid of me.”

You flush, crossing your arms over your middle. “Tsumu… I really don’t look bad?”

“No way ,” He laughs, still staring. “I might go break up with ‘im, honestly.”

You laugh, face warm as you stare down at your feet. Suna scoffs beside you. 

“Oh, sure, believe him but not me.” He smiles when you nudge him, and then he claps once. “Okay, here’s the plan. We cannot be seen together.”

You furrow a brow. You’d only been joking earlier. “Why?”

“Because-” He gestures down at your outfit. “- you came to get laid, and sticking to me all night will obviously mess that up.”

“But-” You don’t like not being able to stick to Suna – and, by that logic, Atsumu or Osamu – when you feel this vulnerable.

Suna shakes his head. “Nope. You gotta put yourself out there. Find someone you like and seduce him until you’re getting dragged into one of Miya’s spare rooms.” He points at you, eyes sharp. “Don’t leave with him, though. I don’t need you getting murdered.”

Atsumu nods along, finally peeling his eyes off of you to stare at the panel. You’re almost at the top. “Got lots of ‘em, spare rooms. Use one.”

You swallow nervously, watching the last two floors tick away. Suna pats you on the shoulder.

“You got this. Don’t come find me until you’re done.”

The doors open, leading straight into Atsumu’s living room.

You’re forced to wave goodbye to your safety net – he sends you off with a wink and a mouthed ‘ You look good ’. You square your shoulders and shake out your nerves, heading to the kitchen.

After finding a drink, you wander into the living room. Suna’s on one of the couches, talking to Bokuto. Atsumu’s sitting a friendly distance from Sakusa, looking like he very much wants to be in the man’s lap instead.

You see Osamu near the window, talking to someone you don’t know but looking across the room. You follow it, finding Yachi and Hinata, and make a beeline straight for her. 

“Hi!” You say, and they both turn to look at you. Hinata flushes upon seeing your dress, and Yachi squeals as you sit beside her.

“You look so good, Y/n!” The younger woman hugs you tight, and you flush.

“Thanks… I’m really out of my element here,” You laugh, greeting Hinata. “Hi, Shouyou.”

“H-Hey-” He coughs. “You look really nice.”

You warm again, wondering if maybe you really don’t look half bad. “Thanks! You look good, too.” You point at his arms, seeing that he’s built some more muscle since you’d last seen him. “You really bulked up.”

He’s as red as his hair, eyes flicking to your thighs and then away. Your phone buzzes in your purse, and you peek at it.

[10:22 PM]

Sunarin : believe me yet?

You find him, seeing that he’s flicking his brows and glancing toward Hinata. You roll your eyes with a smile and start to put your phone away, but it buzzes again.

Sunarin: you got the poor guy stressed out

Sunarin: look at him

You glance at Hinata out of the corner of your eye. Yachi’s talking to him about something, and he’s nodding and giving the appropriate number of ‘ Uh-huh ’s, but his eyes are drifting toward you repeatedly, gaze on your thighs and chest and hips before he’s remembering to keep his eyes on Yachi. He shifts, swallowing hard and blinking rapidly.

Your stomach flips when you realize that Hinata really is checking you out.

Would you sleep with Hinata? You really like him as a person, and you trust him enough. But you’re not sure that sleeping with any of your friends’ friends is a good idea, in case things get weird. But – on the other hand – you do trust the people that you’ve gotten to know over the years, the Black Jackals all great guys. You don’t know if you’re ready to try to snag some guy you don’t know at all – that’s more likely to end badly. 

You sigh, taking a sip of your drink. You just got here. You should wait it out, test all the waters and see what calls to you. Hinata’s very cute, but you shouldn’t jump his bones just because he’s giving you attention.

He’s a friend , you remind yourself. And the party’s just starting.

You talk to Yachi and Hinata for a long while, and – when Osamu finally builds the courage to cross the room and engage Yachi in conversation – you’re left with Hinata. You fall into easy conversation with him for almost an hour, laughing and smiling and leaning against him when your head starts to get a little fuzzy. He cracks jokes and tells stories excitedly and asks about your shop and life, and you feel incredibly fond of him.

So fond, in fact, that you’ve unconsciously decided that Hinata’s not the right guy for this. You really do like him, and you really do like the energy you have together, but that makes a one-night stand with him incredibly unappealing. You’re not desperate enough to risk the friendship you seem to be solidifying with him right now.

So when you glance up and find that Kageyama Tobio has arrived and is glancing awkwardly at Hinata while he talks to Atsumu, you smile at the ginger next to you.

“You shouldn’t let me keep you, Shou,” You say, and he smiles at the nickname. “I’m sure there’s someone here who you’d have a better time with.”

He furrows a brow, so you tilt your head in Kageyama’s direction. When he sees his old friend standing there, he swallows and flushes.

“Mm-” He laughs, shaking his head and looking down at his lap. “I don’t know.”

“I do,” You nudge him. “Go.”

He eyes you, seeing that you seem set on not letting things between you go anywhere. And then he nods, snaking an arm around you and pressing a kiss to your cheek. “Okay, fine. But I better hear about whose heart you break tonight.”

You laugh, squeezing his arm as he goes. And then you sigh, a bit resigned. It was the best choice, you know it.

Your phone buzzes.

[12:11 AM]

Sunarin: WHERE IS HE GOING

Sunarin: GO GET THAT SMALL MAN

You snort into your cup, eyeing him. He’s still on that couch, but he’s not speaking to anyone, just staring at his phone and glaring at you when he sees you looking.

Sunarin: he was ready to risk it all for you bro

You shake your head.

You: hes my friend, i couldnt do it

Sunarin: you wont fuck a friend?? thats like 85% of the ppl here!!

You: NOT THAT ONE

Sunarin: christ,,,, okay get back out there, soldier

Sunarin: I expect to walk past one of these rooms in the next hour and hear you having the time of your life

You: youre so heinous

You stand, heading toward the kitchen for another drink. You feel Suna watching you, but when you glance at him, he’s scrolling on his phone and ignoring everyone who approaches him. You text him when you get to the kitchen, head down.

You: should we just go? 

You: i dont wanna keep you waiting

Sunarin: i mean this in the nicest way possible

Sunarin: stop being stupid

Sunarin: bc i will block you

You: hello??

Sunarin: idgaf how long i sit here

Sunarin: find a man and fuck him

Sunarin: that is your assignment

You: sir yes sir

You look up, intending to scan the room for your liquor of choice. Instead, standing in the corner by the other doorway, in a group of four guys, is one of the most attractive men you’ve ever seen. You have no clue who he is, but he’s got dark hair and a cool smile and piercings, and you are utterly stopped in your tracks.

He catches it, glancing over at you and nodding in greeting. You smile tightly and move to the counter, pouring out the first thing you can find. You text Suna discreetly, something incredibly elegant.

You: AHAAWEFJAWOIFEJKAE FUCK

The counter where you stand is actually a bar with beams on the side, so the living room is entirely visible from here. You see Suna perk up, his head lifting as he peers over someone’s head to meet your eyes. He glances over your shoulder at the group, but you go back to pouring your drink while you calm your nerves, so you don’t see his reaction.

There’s fervent whispering behind you, and then footsteps. You spot three of the guys passing into the living room, so you glance back. 

The beautiful man is still leaning against the opposite counter, but he’s got his phone out, invested in something he’s looking at. You see the three guys looking generally in your direction, and you wonder if maybe they’ve left their friend here on purpose. You glance at him again and then steel your nerves, turning carefully.

“Whatcha drinking?” 

The guy’s eyes flick to yours, his brow lifting. He lowers his phone but doesn’t put it away, and he smiles at you. “Rum and coke. You?”

“Uhm-” You laugh. “I have no idea. I think there’s tequila in it.”

He grins easy. “Oof. Tequila always gets me. Kinda scared of it.”

You smile into your cup as you take a sip. 

Across the room, Suna watches you talk to a guy he doesn’t recognize. There’s a weird feeling in his chest, the kind of bad feeling he’d always get around your exes. He watches the group of guys that have just come out, seeing that they’re eyeing you and whispering. 

Then one laughs, and he knows this isn’t good.

He stands, moving toward Atsumu without taking his eyes off of you. You’ve stepped a little closer to the guy, and Suna feels his heart hurt a bit. You’re putting yourself out there, and the guy you’re doing it with is bad news.

“Miya,” He says, cutting Atsumu off where he is struggling to keep a good distance between himself and Sakusa. The blond looks up, clearly drunk.

“Hah?” 

“Who are those guys?” He points with his cup, and Atsumu stands, squinting.

“Oh, I dunno. I think they’re friends of Bo’s.” Atsumu points toward Bokuto, who’s telling a story excitedly to a large group of people. “You know how he is. Always meetin’ people and makin’ friends. I let them up like 20 minutes ago, maybe?”

Suna swallows, watching how the guy you talk to lifts a brow at you. You must have tried to say something flirty, but he’s not taking it well. He’s starting to look like he’s looking down on you. 

Atsumu hums, seeing it, too. “Want me to go over there?” His voice is clearer than it had been a minute ago.

“No, I got it.” Suna’s gone before he finishes the sentence, moving quickly.

Atsumu watches him go and then finds his brother in the crowd, sitting with Yachi. Samu’s looking over his shoulder, trailing after Suna, and then he turns. The brothers lock eyes, sharing a knowing smirk. Samu just shrugs, and Atsumu shrugs back.

Whatever Suna’s about to do, there’s no stopping it.

In the kitchen, you realize that this guy’s resolutely uninterested in you when a girl comes into the room and his attention is entirely gone. 

You look, seeing that this unassuming girl is exactly what you’d expected. You glance at the guy again, finding a hungry gaze that trails over her body. Your stomach drops a bit, and you look over your shoulder toward his friends. 

They’re standing at the bar, peeking at you and snickering to each other.

Oh. 

Right.

You stare down into your cup, wondering when you’d let your guard down. 

It hurts a little more than expected.

You smile up at the guy one last time, raising your cup to him.

“It was good to meet you.”

“Uh-huh,” He mutters, not listening. You blink and turn away, heading to leave. You can’t help but look at the girl as you go, seeing how beautiful she is. She looks up, smiling kindly at you, and you smile back. She seems sweet.

You go to pass her, leaving the way you came in.

“Y/n.” 

You jump, turning back. Suna’s standing at the other door, by the guy you’d been talking to, his face relaxed but his eyes sharp. Only now do you realize they kind of look alike.

What is he doing?

“Oh-” 

“There you are,” He smiles easily, stepping into the room. 

Huh?

“Uh-”

“I’ve been looking for you all night.”

The guy looks between you and Suna. You look between him and Suna. The girl leaves with her drink, entirely unaware.

“Oh… Really?” You look out toward the living room, finding the other guys also watching Suna with confusion.

“Yeah. I was hoping you’d come,” He replies easily, stepping toward you. 

His eyes flick down toward a spot on the floor that’s closer to him, and you drift there, eyeing him. He moves around you and reaches for a bottle on the counter, pouring himself a drink. He offers it to you, too. 

You watch him glance over your shoulder at the group of guys, and you realize he’d turned you around and put himself in view of them. So they could see him.

Why?

“Sure,” You say, curious to see where this goes, and tilt your cup toward him. “Thanks, Suna.”

“Rin,” He responds, tilting his head to smile down at you, flirty and cheeky in a way you’d never seen from him. “You can call me Rin.” 

You almost snort. “Okay. Rin.”

“I missed you last weekend,” Suna says, making a point to drag his eyes down the length of your body before he takes a sip of his drink.

You lift a brow, smirking up at him. He’s the only one who can see the teasing look you give him before you respond, playing into his game.

“Really? I couldn’t tell by the five missed calls. I was sleeping, by the way. It was one in the morning.”

He smiles at your line, and you can tell it’s genuine. He shrugs, holding eye contact and leaning in a little. “What can I say? I know what I like.”

“What you like…” You smile down into your cup, nodding. “And what would that be, Rin ?”

“Well-” He swallows, running his tongue over his bottom lip as he eyes you. “This dress, for one.” And then he slides his free hand over your waist, playing with the material. “It looks really good on you.”

His eyes have darkened by the time you meet them again, and it makes you a little nervous to realize that you’re unsure if it’s real or not. Your mind flashes to how he’d watched you bend over in front of your mirror earlier. Your fingers start to tingle.

Someone comes in behind you, and you use it as an excuse to look away from Suna and glance over your shoulder. The guy you’d been talking to is still there, but he’s got his eyes on your dress, interest lingering around your thighs.

You quirk a brow and turn back to Suna, feeling annoyed that this guy had only found you worth looking at once another guy had. Suna eyes you briefly, and you read the expression.

Want me to leave you with him?

He doesn’t look happy about the idea – you’re not happy about the idea – but you can tell he’s hesitating to continue, because the guy is paying you attention now.

He must not realize that you’d lost interest in that guy the moment his gaze had drifted. It’s Suna’s attention you’re nervous about now.

Still, you know that he’d only come to show that group of guys that you’re worth considering, so you tamper the feeling and lean into his game again.

You step close to him, watching how his eyes light up a bit, and slide a hand over his bicep. You make a point to trace the outline of one of his tattoos there, watching with a smile as goosebumps form wherever you scratch your nail gently against his skin.

“Is there something you wanted, Rin?” You look up at him through your eyelashes when you ask, wide and innocent.

You see the exact moment that something changes.

Suna’s eyes widen marginally and drop to your lips, green eyes heavy on you as he pulls his lip ring between his teeth and plays with it. His hand tightens on your waist, fingers pressing into your lower back and pulling you toward him.

“Just…” His gaze flicks between your mouth and your eyes. “Wanted to see if we could make up for lost time. Maybe somewhere more private?”

Suna Rintarou means to pull you into one of Atsumu’s spare rooms. 

You blink, a sudden flush rising on your cheeks as your stomach flips. You squeeze his bicep, anchoring yourself to him. He just stares at your mouth.

You nod after a moment, poking your tongue out to wet your lips. He watches it. “Okay… That sounds good.” 

His eyes snap to yours, suddenly filled with something that hadn’t been there before. When he sets his cup on the counter and steps around you, hand finding yours and pulling you after him, you realize it’s urgency. You barely manage to put your drink down without spilling it. 

All four guys watch you get dragged out of the room and toward an open door not even 15 feet away. 

You have absolutely no idea what’s about to happen. 

You step into the room, closing the door with your free hand. “What are we-”

Suna spins, planting both hands on your hips and pinning you hard against the door. You gasp, eyes wide, and he lifts one hand and sets it on the door next to your head. 

“I want to kiss you,” He says bluntly, breathing out hard. “Do you want to kiss me?”

You blink, lips parted, searching his face. You only find heat in his eyes, and it makes a spot under your navel tingle. 

Do you want to kiss him?

“Yes,” You whisper, nodding shallowly. “Yeah-Yes.”

He breathes slowly, eyes dropping to your mouth. 

There’s a moment of nothing, one where all you can hear is the muffled music and laughter through the door, the space between you and Suna Rintarou completely silent.

And then he’s surging forward.

You cannot, for the life of you, understand why you hadn’t thought of doing this before.

He pushes his lips against yours with force, full and impatient. You throw your arms around his neck, angling your head. The hand he has on the door comes to cup the back of your head, holding you tight against him, and you card your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, scratching your nails against his scalp.

Suna pulls back with a sharp inhale, his mouth hovering over yours. You blink hazily, your head fuzzy and warm.

“ Oh… ” You mumble. 

“ More? ” He breathes, sounding just as shaken. The hand on your lower back pulls you flush against him, and you feel something pressing against your thigh. Your skin hums with anticipation, and you nod, your eyes still half-closed.

“More’s good…” 

Your back hits the door and your hair’s being tangled around his fingers, head pulled to the side as his mouth finds your throat. The ring on his lip is cold between your flushed skin and the burn of his mouth, and his tongue passing over your pulse as he nips at the spot has a weak whimper falling past your lips.

“ Louder ,” He murmurs, the vibration echoing through your throat and down to your toes. He sucks harder on the spot just under your jaw, and you moan properly and in his ear. “Good, just like that,” He bites down and then swipes his tongue over it, soothing and warm. “Want them to hear you.”

Your heart pounds, and you cling to his shoulders, letting out a noise of confusion. 

“Who?”

“You know exactly who.”

You remember that you’d just been talking to some other guy, that his friends had been making fun of you. 

You’d already forgotten.

“Why do you-” You gasp, shuddering when he pulls your hips toward him, pressing his own against you. He’s hard– He’s already hard, and you haven’t done anything. You swallow hard, your mouth suddenly dry. “Why do you want them to…”

Suna suckles at a spot under your ear before lifting his head and planting his lips on yours. His hand leaves the safety of your waist and slips up past your ribs. You push your chest out, silently urging him to keep going.

“I want them to-” He swears under his breath as his hand closes around your breast, fingers kneading gently. He kisses you hard. “-know what they’re missing. How badly they fucked up.” 

You’re out of breath when he pulls away, and you circle your arms tightly around his neck so you can lift onto your tiptoes and kiss him again. He touches you urgently, thumb brushing over your nipple once and then again when you mewl into his mouth. He drops his lips to your throat again, freeing you to make as much noise as you need.

You sigh loudly, because his other hand is falling to your waist and tugging at your dress. The material slides up your body, exposing your thighs and then even more to him. He leaves it around your hips, fingertips dancing down to your panties. 

“Can I-” He hooks two fingers into the band, mouth hot on your skin as he heaves out an unsteady breath. You nod furiously, not a single thought of how you look or feel passing through your head. Not a single thought that he might not want this, because you can feel so plainly against your bare thigh that he does. 

Later, you won’t be able to name a single other time you hadn’t been self-conscious in the exact same situation with different men.

He tugs your panties unceremoniously down to your thighs, fingers trembling just slightly when he presses them against your inner thigh. You whimper as he pushes your thighs apart, cold air rushing against your core and sending a jolt of realization through you. 

You haven’t been touched by someone else in over a year.

“Wait, Suna-” Your protest is muffled against his lips. “I’m not gonna-I won’t last long-”

“Good,” He breathes, tugging your bottom lip between his teeth briefly. “Fucking good . I don’t want you to last-” He pushes his mouth to a million different places in quick succession, almost like he’s losing his mind just as fast as you are. His fingers hover between your thighs, cold against your heated skin. “Just want you to come, just to take the edge off.” He kisses you forcefully and murmurs against your lips. “ Just want you to come for me .”

He pulls away just in time for a moan to fall past your lips, ringing through the room. It’s embarrassing how loud it is, how desperately you’d reacted to his words alone. But Suna just smiles breathlessly down at you, face open and honest and eyes gleaming with a wicked anticipation that makes you tremble a bit.

He’s still holding eye contact when he presses against your core, his two middle fingers sliding through your folds.

You gasp so loud that it spills into a moan, and your head falls back against the door with a hard thump , his name ripped from your throat in something close to a scream.

“ Suna- ”

“ Fuck, ” He groans, dropping his head to your shoulder and sliding his fingers against you again. “Fuck, you feel so good-”

“S-Suna-” You cry again, fisting the sleeves of his t-shirt with white knuckles. “Oh, my God-”

He latches onto the crook of your neck, kissing and sucking the skin there as he swipes the pads of his fingers against your clit. “Don’t call me Su- fuck -” He cuts short, because your hips are moving on their own, rocking against his fingers. The tip of his middle finger catches on your entrance, and you gasp loudly, pushing your chest against his as you stare up at the ceiling with wide eyes. 

You don’t understand. You don’t understand why this feels so good, why you can’t get this feeling on your own. Why the thought that the man doing this to you is Suna Rintarou makes your nerves tumble and twist and tug at the coil that’s warping under your navel, under his touch. You hadn’t thought to want him before, not really, because he’s Suna . Your Sunarin, your piece of home.

And he’s making you feel something no one before him ever had.

You don’t think you can come back from this.

All rational thought flies from your mind when Suna brushes his middle finger against your entrance again, with purpose this time. You gasp, clinging tight.

“ Su- ” He shoves his mouth against yours, murmuring his own name, murmuring ‘ Rin, call me Rin’ against you, suckling on your bottom lip. He pulls away to watch you again, to find your eyes like he had last time.

And then he pushes his finger into you, slowly and then all at once.

“ Oh, ” You gasp, your eyelids fluttering. “Rin- ” 

He pulls out, crooking his finger, and then slides back in, nodding as his palm slaps against your clit. “ ‘s good, baby ,” He mumbles, burying his head into the crook of your neck. “ Again, just like that .” 

You think the scream of his name when he slams his fingers into you repeatedly is loud enough to be heard over the whole party. He laughs against your throat, humming, and pushes a second finger in, drawing another moan out of you as his fingers reach places that yours never can. “That’s it, let them hear you.” 

The coil in your navel twists viciously when something cold and metal slides against your thighs with each thrust of his fingers into you, because you’re realizing that it’s the bracelet – the bracelet that you’d given him those handful of years ago, the friendship bracelet that you have in your jewelry box at home.

You don’t think your past self would ever believe this is where that bracelet is now.

Suna pants against your skin, still rock hard against your thigh. “Let them hear how good I make you feel ,” He breathes, and your heart skips, that coil yanking.

“Oh, I’m gonna-” You gasp, fumbling to tug at his shirt, to tell him. He lifts his head to look at you.

And then he promptly yanks his fingers out of you.

You jerk at the feeling, and your heart sinks as your orgasm starts to fade. All you can do is stare up at him with wide eyes, the disappointment written all over your face, because you don’t know what you did to deserve that.

It turns quickly to confusion when Suna spins you around, and suddenly your face is pressed against the door, hips pulled out toward him. You gasp, planting your hands on the door to steady yourself, your face rushed with heat at being bent over in front of him.

That moment in front of your mirror had not prepared you for this.

“What-”

“Please-can I-” He asks, the clink of his belt and then the zipper of his jeans loud as he yanks on it, and you nod against the door.

“Yes, yes please,” You beg, pushing your hips back more.

“ Shit ,” He swears under his breath. “I wanna do this better-” You jump when something hot brushes between your thighs, something hot and incredibly hard. “-Later, when we get home, I wanna-” He pushes the head of his cock gently through your folds, and his groan mixes with the choked moan you let out against the door. 

“Just wanna get you off once before we go, just wanna make you come once around me,” He finally gets out, hissed through his teeth as he guides himself to your entrance. “‘s that okay? Can I?”

You whimper loudly, nodding again and throwing his own words back at him, desperate and begging. 

“ T-Take the edge-jus’ to take the edge off- ” You stutter through it, your heart doing leaps and your nerves on fire. You push your hips back against him, whining when he brushes against you again.

Suna groans, and he pushes his hand against the door by your face as he drops his forehead to your shoulder, that bracelet staring you dead in the eye.

“Fuck ,” He whispers, shaking his head. “Fuck , Y/n. You-” 

He slips the head of his cock past your entrance, sliding into you slowly. 

You stop being able to feel your legs.

Suna moans your name, low and in your ear, and your eyes roll back into your head at the sound.

Why had you gone so long without hearing him say your name like that?

“ Rin ,” You whimper, and he presses a kiss to a spot behind your ear.

“You’re driving me insane,” He murmurs. “Why didn’t you believe me earlier? Why couldn’t you believe me? Can’t you see now how badly I want you?” He starts to pant in your ear, because he’s drawing his hips back with a hiss and then pushing back in slowly. “Fuck, you’re too-” 

You suck in a breath when his fingers find your clit, his hips stilling. You moan, feeling yourself clench around him. Feeling, for the first time in a year, truly full in the way that you’d craved. 

You clench around him again, and he groans into your neck.

“You’re gonna make me come if you don’t stop doing that,” He pleads, breathing hard against your ear.

“ Why won’t you move ?” You whine, unable to help it.

He chuckles, pressing a kiss to your skin. “You want the romantic answer or the realistic one?”

You can’t help but giggle, because he’s making a stupid, Suna-flavored joke in a moment like this. “The romantic one.”

You feel him smile wide, even as the pads of his fingers slide against your clit, the little bundle of nerves that makes you twitch. 

“I just wanna get you off, I don’t care about myself right now.,” He tries, laughing a little. “It doesn’t matter – all that matters is you, and I can get you off just like this.” He circles your clit again, and your laugh is breathy and sensitive.

“And the realistic one?” You smile when he bites down on your shoulder briefly.

“You’re so tight that it actually hurt when I tried to move,” He explains, and you clench unintentionally. “Come on , Y/n, don’t do this-” He swipes his fingers against you faster now, trying to get you close.

It doesn’t take long, not with Suna’s fingers on the most sensitive part of your body. Not with him buried inside you, throbbing and twitching with every whine and moan that falls past your lips. Not with his mouth pressed to your ear, his breath sending shivers down your spine and his quiet groans making your toes curl.

“ Come on, baby, ” He whispers, pushing his fingertips against you. “ Let me take the edge off, just like you said. Let me do this for you. ” 

Your moan comes out as more of a sob, and your eyes feel a bit wet. The coil in your navel tightens and pulls with every word.

“ Come around me, Y/n. I wanna feel it– I wanna feel you- ”

You gasp, your nails scratching against the door as your fingers curl into fists, and your voice is clear and sharp for the first time in a while. “Su-Suna, I’m-”

-close, I’m close-

“Fuck, I think I am, too-” He admits, even though he hasn’t moved an inch. He shudders against you, breath shaky. “You first, so I can pull out-”

“ Mm-mm- ” You protest. “ ‘s safe, ‘s fine, I’m- ”

You don’t have the time or energy to explain that you’ve been on birth control for years, but it doesn’t matter, because he groans. He understands. 

“Are you sure-” He chokes, and you hear a low whine in his throat. The sound pushes you to the edge, and you teeter there, sobbing.

“ Please, please, I’m-Suna- ” 

You gasp sharply, because he’s lifting his chest off your back and straightening you up, pulling your back against him. He clamps his hand down tight over your mouth, turning your head so you’re forced to look up into his eyes.

“ This one’s mine ,” He breathes, his fingers swiping viciously against you as he holds that cursed eye contact. “ No one hears this but me .”

The coil snaps, and your eyes roll back in your head.

Your vision goes white, and your ears ring, the sound deafening as your body jerks, your fingers scratching and digging into his arms for stability. You feel the scream in your throat, but you don’t hear it, can’t hear anything except the low, muffled groan Suna presses into the side of your head. He twitches inside you, and then you’re warm as he comes, filling you in a way that steals the last gasp of breath from your lungs.

He holds you tight until you both come down, arms wrapped around you. The hand on your mouth falls, curling around the side of your head and cradling you against him. The shuddering breaths you let out mix with his, and he sets his mouth on yours, unable to put the effort into kissing you properly. 

After a moment, your arms fall limp, dropping away from him, and your head slumps against his shoulder. He slides carefully out of you, holding you steady when you whimper and sway a bit. Then he reaches down, tugging your panties back up your legs and fixing your dress. 

You turn in place, forehead pressed to his chest, and straighten him out with your eyes half-closed. He shivers when you wrap your fingers around him and tuck him back into his pants, and his hand cradles your neck, a kiss pressed to the top of your head while you button and zip his jeans.

When you lift your head to look at him, there’s no need to ask him to kiss you. He drops his head without a word, lips just as soft on yours as they’d been the first time. 

“How you feel?” He asks, quiet against your mouth.

“Boneless, ” You say right away, and he smiles against you before pulling away.

“ Boneless, or tired ?” He prompts.

You shake your head. You don’t feel tired at all, your nerves still humming under your skin. “Just boneless.”

“Then,” He starts. “Can you find your bones on the way down to my bike?”

There’s a jolt in your body when you realize what he’s saying. That he’s taking you home.

“Yeah, I-” You swallow, meeting his eyes.

He doesn’t look tired, either.

“I think I can manage that,” You whisper, staring up at him.

A grin spreads across his face, wicked and terrifying in the way that only he is.

“I’m ready when you are,” is all he says.

You cling to him as he leads you out of the room and to the elevator, unable to process anything but him. Unable to process the way Hinata whispers ‘ Heartbreaker ’ warmly to you as you pass, or the way the twins give you matching grins of pride when you find them across the room. Definitely not the guy that you’d tried talking to, staring down at you when Suna shoves past him and all but carries you into the elevator.

All you can do is hold tight to him and trust that he’ll get you back to his place. 

He kisses the spot under your ear when the elevator reaches the first floor.

“Come on,” He mumbles against your skin as the doors slide open. “I still gotta fuck you stupid.”

Your face burns as he drags you out of Atsumu’s building and to his bike, unable to imagine how what had just happened doesn’t count as fucking you stupid.

What’ve you just gotten yourself into?

[zriasstuff]

The real thing— Theodore Nott x reader

Short n fluffy drabble

After everyone had left your dorm, you let out a sigh of relief. Finally, you thought to yourself. Unfortunately, due to the terribly cold weather, you had caught a cold. It wasn’t anything dramatic, but enough of a reason to not attend a class.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise even. Now you could curl up in your warm bed, enjoy a hot cup of tea, listen to some relaxing music- and most important of all, read your favorite books.

Today's read was “the Spanish love deception”. Although reading and understanding classic literature was amongst your passions, cheesy rom com books still hit differently. Besides, since you were sick, you didn’t feel like thinking too hard.

Having read halfway through the book, you have to internally laugh. Not because it was funny, but because it was so utterly ridiculous.

“What’s so funny?”, you suddenly recognize an all too familiar voice. You move your head up, and break into a smile upon seeing your boyfriend standing at the door.

“Feeling better?”, he asks gently.

Even if you weren’t, simply seeing him already brightened your day by so much. When you first started getting to know each other, seeing him always made you nervous and fidgety. Now, every time you saw him, there was nothing but warmth and intimacy.

“Yeah, I am”, you reply. “Wait, shouldn’t you be in class?”

“Why would I be in class when I could be next to you?”, he answered naturally, hopping right into bed with you. Immediately, he starts telling you about how boring his day was without you, while lightly caressing your hair. You look deep into his glistening brown eyes, realizing yet again how lucky you were to simply have him next to you.

While he’s talking, his eyes glance towards your lap, where your book was lying. Theo, seeming highly intrigued, picks it up and starts checking it out by flipping through some pages. Feeling happy that he has taken an interest, you start telling him what it’s about. Perhaps you could read it with him.

“Basically, there are these two people that work together and they hate each other. But, in reality the guy doesn’t hate the woman. Quite the opposite actually. Ugh- and he’s sooo sweet, does all these things for her, protects-

“Soo, you enjoy reading about perfect fictional men?”, he interrupts you mid speech. Theo didn’t sound so sweet now, rather a little doubtful.

“Well, it’s fun”, you admit. “It’s not the best literature ever, but a girl can imagine right?”, you say hoping for some form of agreement.

“Why imagine when you can have the real thing?”, he says insistently, which makes you chuckle. So that’s why he was a little off, he was jealous of a fictional man? Theo was of course just as perfect, and even better- he was real.

You take the book from him and put it on your night stand. “Theo, don’t take it that seriously, you shouldn’t care about what I read”, you say. Still, you couldn’t believe that his reaction was…well how he reacted.

“I don’t care, I just don’t understand why you would read about something like that, if you weren’t trying to tell me something…”

Hell, why was he being so difficult about this? You didn’t imagine that one could read into this so much. But, you had the perfect response for him.

Not letting him say anything else, you cuddle yourself into his arms and give him a small peck on his burning cheek. It was your way of telling him to stop worrying so much and to just shut up.

He must’ve picked up. Soon, he hugged you even tighter, and gave you a kiss on your forehead, whispering “I love you”. “And remember”, Theo adds quietly, “the real thing is so much better than anything you could ever read about”.

Ridiculous.

[urdreamgirls-dreamgirl]

watched that new jennifer lawrence comedy on netflix and like. should we make it steddie?

steve’s a rich kid who grew up having to be self sufficient because of his parents traveling constantly for work. he’s basically a mini adult, but because of that, he sees himself as a lot more mature than the rest of the people his age and by the time he’s ready for college, he’s missed out on a lot of the social milestones that young men his age are experiencing. instead of going to prom, he’d hung out around the house with his weird nerdy band geek best friend having marshmallow eating contests and watching bad rom coms. instead of going to graduation parties, the two of them had built a tent in the harringtons massive backyard and gone night swimming before camping out.

enter his parents, who are less worried abt steve coming out of his shell for his own independence and comfort and more worried that he’ll embarrass them at his ivy league in the fall. there’s been a long line of harrington men attending yale and they’ve paid a lot of money to even get steve a spot there, so if he fucks this up, if he doesn’t join the right clubs and make the right friends, they’re worried it’ll all be a waste.

so they put an ad on craig’s list. eddie and his bandmates are trolling the boards, looking for any odd jobs they can find to try and raise the cash they need to record a demo at the local studio. jeff points it out as a joke and, after laughing at the poor pathetic dweeb whose parents think he’s such a dud they’re trying to set him up with a stranger, they scroll on. but later that night, eddie pulls up the page on his own phone while he’s lying in bed. the offered amount is more than enough to pay for their studio time and then some. eddie calls them and sets a meeting.

when he gets to the harringtons beach house, he’s nervous. he’s a townie and townies are rarely invited into the massive homes that line the shoreline. he knows what he looks like and he knows that the rich tourists who infest the beachside towns every summer tend to steer clear of him when they see him around.

but he needs the money and after meeting with the couple, he thinks this kid probably needs all the help he can get and so he decides to meet their son steve.

turns out steve’s a lot more attractive than he’d imagined and he’s only a couple of years younger than eddie is. he’s also a lot more flirty and charismatic than eddie had assumed. turns out, steve doesn’t lack the ability to make friends or get dates, he just really hasn’t been interested in anyone… at least, not until now.

they hit it off almost immediately. eddie’s never had this much fun with anyone he’s ever tried to date before. steve is funny and smart in very specific ways and his best friend, robin, is a riot. eddie’s not sure how steve’s parents don’t see any of that, but then steve tells him all about how he’d grown up basically alone, how he’d had to make a lot of his own fun growing up, how he’d rarely ever even seen his parents between the ages of 11 and 18. they hadn’t even made it to his high school graduation. steve reveals to eddie that he’s not even sure he wants to go to yale at all, that he only agreed because he’s not sure what else to do.

and eddie tells steve about his dad, abt how he’d gone to jail when eddie was 13, on a job with eddie in tow. he tells steve abt how his mom was heartbroken afterwards, would barely get out of bed to even pick him up from school. he tells steve abt the car accident, the flashing lights of the police car that had picked him up one day and taken him to a foster home before wayne had been called down from upstate to come collect him. wayne had moved out onto the island, trying not to disrupt eddie’s life more than he had to, but prices down here were so much higher and he’d had to work all the time. he’d done so much for eddie and eddie is so grateful… he just wants to pay him back anyway he can.

they reveal things to each other no one else knows and suddenly, as the summers coming to a close, eddie realizes that he’s been falling in love this whole time. but before he can tell steve abt the deal, before he can apologize and come clean and confess his feelings, steve has some kind of massive blowout with his dad. and his dad—in all his anger—tells steve the truth. he tells steve how steve is so pathetic that he and his mom had had to buy him a boyfriend.

steve is, obviously and understandably, beyond devastated. he confronts eddie with tears in his eyes, begging eddie to tell him it isn’t true, that his dad was a liar and he’d just known where to hit him hardest. but eddie can’t deny it. that is how all this started.

eddie doesn’t see steve again, not around town, not at any of their usual haunts, and soon the school year is starting. steve, eddie assumes, has moved into his dorm at yale and is, hopefully, making new friends. by the time thanksgiving break comes around, eddie can finally think about steve with only a tiny ache in his chest. he and the band have recorded their first demo, thanks to that harrington money, complete with the saddest love song eddie’s ever written.

and suddenly steve is there in the bar eddie works at, where he’d been taking steve on their nights out all summer. his brown hair looks extra soft and he’s wearing a quarter zip with the yale logo emblazoned over his heart. they stand there and stare at each other for a moment too long before they both try to speak at the same time.

“no, me first,” steve says, and eddie really can’t deny him this. he’s the one who ruined everything, after all. “what you did to me was terrible.” it’s straightforward and factual, but eddie’s face burns. “you hurt me. a lot.” eddie watches as steve swallows. “i told you things i’ve never said out loud.” eddie opens his mouth to speak, but steve powers through. “but now i’m up in connecticut and i’m meeting all these new people. and some of them are great. but i can’t help but compare them to you. everyone i meet, i think of you. and no one is as fun as you, and no one makes me feel as good. no one sees me like you did.”

eddie’s speechless for a moment, mouth dry. he swallows. steve’s looking at him expectantly. “i was always honest abt how i felt about you, stevie. i really was falling in love with you. or… i mean…” eddie pauses, runs a hand through his hair. “i mean, i love you. i am in love you, like, currently. ongoing. probably in perpetuity which, uh, you know. is like, forever or whatever.”

“yeah?” steve asks softly, a small smile curving on his lips. “forever or whatever?”

eddie can feel himself returning that small smile, nodding. “yeah,” he responds, “ no biggie, though.”

steve laughs. “i kind of disagree. cause i don’t know abt you, but i’ve never been loved in perpetuity before. seems pretty big to me.” eddie shrugs as he watches steve close the distance, smiles widening. “i’m pretty sure i love you too, you know.”

“pretty sure?”

“i’m trying to be a little aloof abt it. not reveal my whole hand too soon.” they’re standing chest to chest now, eddie can feel steve’s breath on his face, they’re so close.

“right. makes sense,” eddie murmurs, staring steve’s wet pink mouth. and then they’re kissing.

and they kiss until gareth comes into the bar for the start of his and eddie’s shared shift and turns the club soda spout on them.

they have a lot to talk abt. but thanksgiving break is a whole week long and after that it’s only two weeks until winter break. eddie has a lot of time to make it all up to steve, in any way he can, in perpetuity.

[yuriyuruandyuraart]

WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO ME FROG!!!!!! >:'D

how can i just see this and not draw them??!! this is so cliché and overused and funny maaan i wish i could just draw a comic of these idiots getting together omggggg!!!!!!

i will not forget about this. mark my words >:'/ <3333

Fluffynightkiller but it’s a Romcom triangle

I told you I’d do it myself.

Did I do it well? Heh not reallllllly

Buttt my point still stands! Rom com story plot where they all end up together please.

Original nightmare by jokublog

Original killer belongs to rahafwabas

Original ccino belongs to black-nyanko

[nayedoll]

let the light in

joost klein x reader

warnings : fluff / not proof read

a/n: little scrap i wrote at 3am after listening to too much lana del rey and feeling romantic loll 💟

───────────────────────

“So, did you enjoy the film?” Joost asks as you both sit down on a nearby bench, the sea in front of you painted in a palette of oranges, pinks and purples because of the sunset.

You shrug your shoulders, “It was good besides the ending,” Taking a bite of the fries you and Joost had bought with the intention of sharing.

“How so?” Joost furrows his brows, his smile encouraging you to keep on speaking.

You sigh, “Well, in my humble opinion, she should have ended up with the other guy,”

Joost’s eyes are fixed on you, listening intently as you go on a rant about the movie you just watched; it was a rom-com that you, of course, had picked out and definitely didn’t expect Joost to agree to come along with you, knowing his taste in movies. Nevertheless, you’d given it a try because… well, because you really liked Joost, in all the years you’d been friends with him and you had always secretly hoped for something more— and when he actually agreed, you were dumbfounded to say the least; in his own words, it would be like a little date. You knew he meant it as a joke, but still it made your heart race with excitement. But you also knew that for him, you were just a friend— or at least you thought so.

As you finish talking, it is only now that you realize how tiring your rumbling must have been for Joost to listen to and immediately, you apologize for talking so much.

“No it’s fine!” He reassures you, his voice as comforting as ever, “You’re really cute when you get passionate about something,” You smile at him, scoffing at the cheesiness of his compliment but in reality, you like it.

You hold eye contact, like always, but now something feels different in his eyes, more intimate maybe? Your body reacts for you, your face turning to look at the sea, taking time to think; the idea of Joost reciprocating your feelings had never occurred to you before, nor did it now. Maybe you were scared of facing the truth because you couldn’t handle the possibility of things not working out and losing him altogether, or maybe you’re just a coward.

“What are you thinking about?” His voice rings in your ears over the sound of the waves hitting the shore.

All you can do is sigh. “Just think it’s funny that I have so much to say when I’ve never even experienced love like that before,” You say, referring to the film, forcing a dry laugh in an attempt to make your words sound less serious. Joost though, he senses the bitterness in your voice, sees the disappointment in your eyes.

“Don’t say that. I’m sure lots of guys would kill to be with you,”

A smile graces your lips as you feel a jolt in your stomach; could he also be one of those guys? You finally face him, and again, something feels different in the way he looks at you, it almost makes you want to confess to him right then and there. ,

“How would you know that?” You laugh.

“Because you’re the prettiest girl I know,” He answers immediately, and you pause for a second, unsure of how to react; did he mean it? Or were those words of pity?

“Hey,” He says in a low voice, his fingers gently lifting your chin, “I mean it.”

You scan his face as the sun now casts a warm glow on his skin, highlighting his blonde hair and the light blue color of his iris. He’s so beautiful, it hurts to hide from him.

He brushes a few flying strands of hair out of your face, then cups your cheek in his hand, caressing it with his thumb. You can feel him get closer, your body also instinctively leaning towards him, as if a magnet is pulling you to him.

“You’re beautiful,” Joost mutters, your lips almost touching; you hold your breath, your eyes flickering between his lips and his eyes, unsure of how much longer you’ll be able to keep it together.

Joost saves you the trouble and leans in, fully closing the gap between your mouths, gently at first before he deepens the kiss. Your hand reaches for his hair and you play with it, feeling him smile into the kiss.

He pulls away hesitantly to catch his breath, resting his forehead on yours. You sit in comfortable silence, taking in the moment of intimacy, Joost holding your hand tightly. You kiss it, yearning eyes looking up at him as you mouth ik hou van jou to him, this time not just platonically. Joost hugs you you, kissing your forehead, the warmth of his body comforting you in the midst of the cool summer breeze.

“I love you too,”

[soaked4mk]

Wade Wilson Boyfriend HeadCanons

👽:slowly but surely getting back into my writing 💅🏼 (not proof read just super horny like a clown 🤡 HONKAH HONKAH)

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

SFW ♥️

★ Wade is a silly guy. So silly in fact, he’ll crack jokes or shoot a sarcastic comment your way—mid argument. “How am I supposed to listen when you look this good right now?” Fear not! Because he knows when to shut up. (When you tell him to)

★ Bro defo has a Roblox account. Not elaborating.

★ Despite his chaotic and reckless behavior, Wade is actually super protective and would go to extreme lengths to keep you safe. And then some. “Hey! Back off! Don’t you fuck with her! Unless you wanna fuck with me too. In that case we’ll need a sit down discussion for—“ “WADE!” “Right—sorry.”

★ Expect big, wild romantic gestures. Like standing outside your window while holding up a boom box. (playing ‘what you won’t do for love’ by Bobby Caldwell) or (attempting at) writing your name with fireworks. (There were definitely ‘unexpected’ explosions)

★ “I know it’s only Tuesday, but I totally, legally rented a helicopter so we can pretend we’re in the aveng—no? Okay…plan B then: Breakfast in bed with (penis) questionable pancakes.”

★ Cuddle bug Wade. Are we surprised? This man lives off of physical touch and affection. Wrapping you up in his arms, not letting you go with a shit eating grin. “Nope, you’re not leaving this couch. We’re practicing the ancient art of Wade Wrapping, which requires at least three hours of cuddles, just sayin.”

★ He is nonstop teasing you. It’s a hobby for him, really. (And his love language) Coming up with silly nicknames for you, challenging you to random games or chores, he’s not below making fun of himself to see you smile either.

★ “Oh-ho? You think you can wipe the track with me in Mario kart? That’s cute.” “Honey—you look fine. Approachable even. Unlike me…” (he says while laying limbless on the bed. Literally….)

★ Uses his dark humor to comfort you in times of ‘what the actual fuck?’ Knowing how to turn even the bleakest of moments into something a little lighter. “Hey, I know life might suck granny tits right now…but at least we’re not in a rom-com where one of us has to die or something worse for the other to grow emotionally, right?”

★ Unwaveringly supportive of you in any conflict. He is going to take your side. Every. Single. Time. Backing you up even if he has literally no idea what’s going on or why. “You said Rick was out of line at work today? Well guess who’s getting a strongly worded letter in the form of interpretive dance in the parking lot?” “Is it Ri—“ “it’s Rick.”

★ Wade loves experimenting in the kitchen with you! Attempting to make meals that sometimes end up in hilarious disasters, followed up by a take out order.

★ He breaks this…’fourth wall’ sometimes. Like looking off into the distance and talking to an invisible audience or camera while addressing you. This dead ass bewilders you at times. But mostly you roll your eyes at his antics.

★ “Can you believe this shit?” He’ll ask, turning to an imaginary audience. “I’m over here being the perfect boyfriend—funny, handsome, protective, all that—and you guys still think Peter Parker is the ‘Ideal Boyfriend’ pffft. Get real.” *turns back to you* “anyway, where were we?”

★ This overgrown man child is a PDA enthusiast. Unashamed of hugging, kissing, or trying to dip you during a playful dance in public. He doesn’t care, he’s proud to be with you and wants everyone to know it. “You know what this sidewalk needs? A spontaneous make out session”

★ One hundred percent would insist on wearing matching or theme outfits. Whether it’s full on costumes or something little like matching socks. “Ta-Da! Matching Taco Cat shirts—no, no. Don’t fight it. This is how we show the world we’re a team. Through peak fashion choices.”

★ Loves movie nights. They’re full of commentary, with your boyfriend narrating or making fun of the movie plots. He’d insist on watching rom-coms or action movies for sure.

★ You’ll receive unconventional love letters in the form of doodles, short jokes, or notes saying “I love you more than The Golden Girls. And that’s saying something. ;)”

★ Wade is a pretty chill dude. He’s not overboard with jealousy. But that won’t stop the man from making his classic (not so jokey) jokes when he feels like someone might be getting too close to you. “Oh, flirting? With you? Cute. Should I go over there and casually mention that I’m the love of your life and also really good with sharp objects?”

★ Beneath all the jokes and chaos, he has moments of genuine, heartfelt affection. Whispering his love and gratitude for you at unexpected times. “I know I never take shit for real. But I’m serious about you, about us. You’re my safe space, the one part of my life that makes sense on this stupid chunk of rock floating in space.”

★ Remembers odd little details about you. Showing it with unexpected gifts that align perfectly with your interests. (Even if they’re a bit off beat.) “I saw this super limited edition action figure of (favorite character). I had to get it for you—don’t ask me how, just say thank you and let’s run—“

★ Randomly belting out terrible renditions of love songs at the top of his lungs, just to get a laugh from you.

★ Acts tough for your amusement, like he’ll pretend to be all macho around your friends to make you laugh. “Yeah babe, I’m like, indestructible. Just gotta…” *struggles to open a jar of pickles* “wait—hold on. This jar is definitely cheating…”

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

NSFW 🍆💦

★ Wade love love LOVESSS making you watch while playing with your pussy. Using his mouth, fingers and all kinds of cute little toys.

★ Tying your hands together, behind your back and sitting you in front of the mirror with your legs spread wide as he slowly circles your clit with a bullet vibrator, nuzzling into the crook of your neck. “You see how fucking wet you are for me, baby?” “Look. At. This~” “did I say to look away? Didn’t think so…”

★ He’s into all kinds of crazy shit—high key an exhibitionist.

★ Fucking you in a theatre bathroom, pressing you up against the stall while he covers your mouth, dipping the head of his cock teasingly into your aching cunt.

★ “I don’t give one shit if someone hears us, I need you. Now.” “Shhh baby, gotta stay quiet if you wanna cum.” “Stay still now…”

★ Eating you out in the back of the car, hands kneading your plush thighs while looking up at you with that knowing, shit-eating grin. Not even bothering to wipe you from his chin.

★ Struggling to keep your eyes on the man, a red flush taking over your face as the vibrations of his groans send shocks of pleasure through your entire body.

★ Fingering you under the table/using a remote control vibrator on you when you’re out having dinner. “Yeah that’s it for me and uh, what about you babe?” He asks nonchalantly, as if he weren’t bumping the bullet to its highest intensity or running his fingers over your panty clad pussy. All the tasty stuff. It’s the thrill of almost being caught for him.

★ Baby girl also LOVES when you take control. Straddling him, tying him up to the bed, slapping his face. He’s fucking into it.

★ F-fuckk~ wan—wanna touch you so bad~” he whimpers, hips bucking involuntarily while you ride him, bouncing in his lap with your hands on his shoulders and his cuffed. “Mmff—need to cum…please, please—I’ll do whatever you wa—aaah, fffuck!”

★ Wade loves to buy you new toys/lingerie sets all the time! He’ll come through the door with a bag full of new things to try out or on. “Oh, come on—put the bunny ears on…I’ll let you do that one thing you like.”

★ Costumes, dressing up, role play. Cops and robbers, Professor and student, Master and pet. He loves that shit and has a lot of fun with it.

★ “You have the right to remain silent, on your knees, now.” He’ll smirk, cuffing your hands behind your back, trailing a finger down your cheek before fucking your face. “Cock hungry bitch, aren’t ya? Such a good girl…” he croons, pulling at your leash.

★ “You call that begging, honey? Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but you’re gonna have to be louder than that if you want me to fuck you silly.” He teases, sending a sharp smack to your ass while prodding at your slick pussy with his shaft, making you arch and whine out for him.

★ If you’re into it, he has no issue with knife/gun play. “How does it feel…?” he purrs into your ear, slowly sliding the cold metal up your stomach, circling your belly button before trailing up your chest, then collarbone, pressing the blade/barrel to your throat/temple. “Scary? Hot? Scary-Hot?”

★ Loves making you squirt, finger fucking you into oblivion, thumb pressed against your clit until you can’t take anymore. “Fuck yeah, baby.” He pants, bringing his fingers up to his mouth and cleaning them with a simple ‘pop’.

★ “Mhhh…” Wade hums in delight before shoving the same fingers into your mouth—pushing past your teeth, forcing you to taste yourself with a groan “You’re so yummy, don’t you think?”

★ If you’re being a brat, expect proper punishment. “Oooh, talking back to me, huh?” He’ll ask, gripping your face with one hand, forcing you to keep eye contact. “Watch that damn mouth of yours, pretty bitch. And keep riding me—I didn’t say stop.”

★ He’ll make you grind your hips until you’re sore. It’s so fucking good it hurts. “Awww, my poor baby…look at you crying and riding. You must be exhausted, hmm?” Wade grunts, bouncing you on top his lap as if you were a rag doll. His cock slamming into you, hitting that sweet spot—never missing a beat. “Keep going—be a good girl and keep going…”

★ Once you’re both a spent, panting, boneless mess beside each other, he’ll shower you with praise and pepper your face with kisses, combing your unkempt hair with his fingers as he caresses your arm.

★ Wade would set up a diy spa in the bathroom for you. Complete with cucumber slices, a glass of wine (or whatever you want) and a bath that’s wayyy too bubbly. He’d try and give you a foot massage while joking “Only the royal treatment for my queen. Minus the actual royalty…those guys were more fucked up than half of Alabama…”

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

👽:I wanna be SAVED Deadpool PLEASEEEE SLUT ME OUTTTT

[littlexdeaths]

who doesn’t love a little double feature sabotage?

older brother’s best friend eddie x fem reader

warnings: sid really is the worst, so many dorky cliches and tropes oops, poor steeb just can’t catch a break, and a little bit of some boob grazing.

it’s a recipe for disaster masterlist.

it was the perfect plan, in theory.

a date night at the hawk and a movie that no one cared about. the darkness and the promise of a practically empty theater would offer you the cover you needed to spend the night with your actual boyfriend.

but as you’ve experienced thus far, nothing ever works out the way you want it to.

the trailers had barely started before he was on you, leaning over the armrest and cupping your jaw in his palm. the bucket of popcorn was knocked to the floor in his rush to get his mouth on you, but you really didn’t mind. it had been well over a week since you’d be alone together, and both were about to burst at the seams.

“i.” kiss. “missed.” kiss. “these” kiss. “goddamn.” kiss. “lips.”

he pulled back with a large grin, brushing his thumb over your swollen lips before they were back on yours.

but like all good things, this had to come to an end.

the opening scene of mystery date had begun to fill the screen when you heard the theater doors swing open. and the boisterous but familiar laughter of your brother and gareth spill into the mostly empty theater.

“god dammit… son of a bitch,” he curses harshly under his breath before he slides out of his seat and onto the floor.

eddie could feel the sticky soda and crushed popcorn beneath his knees, inwardly cringing as he began army crawling toward the end of the aisle.

“wow, what a crazy coincidence!” sid says when he finally spots you, but his shit eating grin told you this was anything but a coincidence. “didn’t know you were on date, mouse.”

they both look at you with a snicker, seeming to enjoy the scowl on your face.

“since when were either of you a fan of rom-coms? thought you’d take heather to see this sid, not gareth.”

they both seem a little taken aback by your response, and gareth sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.

“well speaking of dates, where exactly is yours at?”

that’s when the panic begins to trickle in.

“… he’s uh, getting us more popcorn.”

you gesture to the dumped bucket at your feet, and your ability to keep both your brother and gareth distracted gives eddie the opportunity he needs to get up from the floor and promptly book it out of the theater.

you let out a sigh of relief when you hear the theater door close, and you quickly shoot up from your seat.

“you know… he’s actually been gone for a while, i’m gonna go check on him.”

you scoot out of the aisle and past both males, quickly descending the stairs before either of them could say anything else.

once you’re out of the theater, you’re quickly yanked by the collar of your jean jacket and into a storage closet. you trip over a mop bucket and tumble forward into his strong chest.

“you know if you really wanted me all to yourself munson, you could’ve picked a more romantic spot,” you tease.

while it’s pitch black in the closet, but you practically feel him roll his eyes.

“oh yeah, real funny, baby.”

his hands reach up to cup your cheeks, and he leans down. only he completely misjudged the distance between you, and in a rush to feel your lips again— he ends up smashing his nose right into your forehead.

“oh jesus, fuck!” he groans, leaning back against the wall as he holds his nose.

“god, this is going so swell.” you sigh, “you know, we might as well just go in there tell sid everything.”

you turn to leave, blinding reaching for the door handle when he gently pulls you back.

“whoa, whoa, sweetheart— there’s no need to do anything drastic now.”

“well what do you expect me to do, eddie? it’s not like i can just waltz back in there with steve, now can i?”

it’s silent for a beat, then you feel him beginning to toy with the tips of your fingers.

“so, about that...”

eddie had somehow convinced steve to go see a different movie with a date just a few screens down, as a fail safe in case your brother decided to pull some shit— which of course he did.

and in the process of executing this idiotic plan, you pissed off not only steve’s date but half the theater full of people as you practically begged on your knees for him to help you. which ended with his date storming out, but not before slapping him square across the face.

you’d be working a lot more saturday shifts to make up for that humiliation.

but that is how you wound up sitting between your real boyfriend and your fake one… with your brother and gareth on the other side of steve. luckily both sid and gareth were convinced that eddie had gotten their message and showed up to the theater to help them sabotage your date.

absolute idiots.

but when eddie takes the seat beside you instead of the one next to your brother, sid looks at him like he’d grown a second head.

“don’t worry, sid. just making sure harrington here keeps his hands to himself.”

while it was said in jest, your brother somehow missed the underlying jealousy behind his words.

but you don’t.

so when you slip your hand in between the seat to hold onto eddie’s, you instantly feel him relax beside you. while it’s not the most ideal set of circumstances, you’ll still take the small victories where you can get them.

and later when eddie “accidentally” grazes the underside of your boob when he reaches across you for some popcorn, you have to stop yourself from swatting at him. all while trying to hold back a smile.

“and you were worried about steve being handsy.” you say under your breath, and he gently squeezes your hand.

“i don’t know, looks pretty handsy to me.”

you quickly glance down to where your arm was resting against steve’s, the tips of your fingers barely brushing against his larger ones.

“you’re an idiot,” you whisper to him fondly, before turning your gaze back to the screen.

you hear his small snort of laughter, which he quickly disguises as a cough.

“good thing i’m your idiot, sweetness.”

series taglist: @nailbatanddungeon @angel-eyes-and-devil-hearts @mugloversonly @eddiemunsonfuxks @munsonhoneybaby @alagalaska @creative1writings @missmarch-99 @stolen-in-moonlight @xxbimbobunnyxx @calumfmu

let me know if you would like to join the taglist!

[strniohoeee]

chris has a fat crush on reader but since he's scared of his feelings he just teases her / mistreats her bc he won't accept the fact that he has a crush but nick puts him in his place

Blue Flats

Pairing: Chris Sturniolo X Female Reader

Synopsis: Chris always had a thing for teasing Y/N, but what happens when he takes it too far? Annoyed by his actions she vowed to never speak to Chris again, but will it change when all that was done is forgiven? 👤

Warnings⚠️: None, this is lowkey enemies to lovers if you SQUINT. I kind of loved this one had me giggling and what not ☝🏽🤓. Hope you enjoy babesss🫶🏽

Song for imagine: There Goes My Baby- The Drifters

There goes my baby

Moving on down the line

Wonder where, wonder where, wonder where

She is found

Most 20 year old men would say their biggest fear is something stupid like crashing their new car, or getting a parking ticket. But for some reason Chris’ only fear was you. Well that sounds…. Scary? He liked you alot, well actually that was an understatement. A day without you was like a year without rain.

He yearned to see your smile light up a room, and to hear your annoying laugh that somehow made his heart burst with joy. Fighting back a smile every time he saw you or anytime your name was mentioned. He was scared of commitment and was scared of ruining things with someone he liked so much.

Everyday was a constant battle that started many years ago. For a long time Chris hated you, he found you annoying and anal about everything. A goody who was scared of the outside world. Constantly teasing you with his friends like throwing pebbles at you when you would walk by. To say Chris was an asshole was an understatement.

Flashback

“Chrissss stop it” Y/N yelled as she played a very unwanted game of tug-o-war with Chris for her shiny blue ballet flats

Danging them above her head, as he was surprisingly taller than her at his 10 year old age.

“Or what? Going to cry to mommy?” He asked her tauntingly as his friends laughed behind him

“You’re being so mean to me” The young girl replied hurt and mainly embarrassed by the crowd now surrounding them

“Snitches get stitches” He replies lifting the shoes higher

“You spit gum in my hair! I had every right to taddle to your mom” She squeaked as she jumped to attempt and snatch her shoes from his grasp

“No one likes you anyways” He replies pushing her away

“Just give me my shoes” She replies as tears threatened to spill from her eyes

“Since you want them so bad then get them” He states as he chucks them over his shoulder into a puddle of brown water

Y/N’s beautiful blue flats completely destroyed by Chris’ careless actions

As the crowd cleared out, Y/N looked over at Chris as she wiped her now dirty hands across her face to clear her tears out.

“I hate you Chris, I never want to see you again” She replied running home with her dirty shoes in her hands

Flashback over

His mind often went to that day. He couldn’t fathom the idea of liking you because you know girls had cooties at that age. So instead he teased you in hopes that you would think it was funny and would catch on.

However he should’ve known that wasn’t the case as you were a very sensitive person since you could open your eyes. Constantly kicking himself over the whole ordeal. Except in Sophomore year of high school when his crush made his heart feel like a tight rubber band ready to snap.

He had to talk to you and clear all this up, or any chance with you would be doomed. So when he approached you and you actually treated him like a normal human being, he felt even worse. Wincing at the cringey apology he decided was right, he felt an instant weight off his shoulders when the words “it’s water under the bridge” left your lips.

Like a record scratch, a pause in time, a slo mo from a cheesy rom com. His eyes slowly blinked as you smiled at him. Patting his shoulder and offering him a term of endearment. That changed his feelings towards you even more. Even after what he did to you, you had still been nice to him.

So as you walked away in those blue ballerina flats that were oh so similar to the ones from when you were a kid. He only had one thought in his mind…..” I have got to get her”

Yet as the both of you got close, not by choice might I add. Nick and Y/N had became best friends in junior year, so he always found his way to be near the girl. You would think he tried his best to ask you out.

But nope, instead he continued to tease you and mistreat you. Often bantering as you both crossed each others path. And even with their fame they stood friends with the flourishing girl. Splitting time between LA and Boston.

As they got more fame though they rarely came back to Boston as much as they used to. However it was Fourth of July which meant they’d be back in town. And lucky for Chris this meant sleepovers with you…. Well more like sleepovers with Nick, but he would still find a way to shimmy himself in and tease you.

Even while in LA if you and Nick were on the phone he’d waste no time throwing a jab at you. Nick often puts himself on mute to curse Chris out. Something you found funny and just the slight laugh Chris would hear would have him on cloud 9. He would even comment under your instagram posts. Many foolish boyish comments that had the young girl blushing and giggling.

Sliding into the island chair in his mom’s kitchen he grabbed a few chips and shoved them in his mouth. His mom is cooking some pasta in preparation for the fourth of July party that had just begun. Most of their close family and friends in their yard talking and laughing over the music playing. Their block is full of young kids running around and laughing, chasing each other with water guns and playing tag.

“Chris don’t spoil your appetite sweetheart” His mom stated as she handed a pan of food over to her friend to take outside

“Yeah Chrissy poo don’t mess up your appetite” Matt came in mocking him

“Beat it asshole” Chris replied shoving Matt’s hand off his shoulder

Rushing in the back door was Y/N.

Sliding around the island

“Is there anything I can help you with?’ She asked their mom

“Oh no sweety I’m all good here, thank you” She replied as she strained the pasta

“If you do need any help do ask” She says smiling at Mary Lou

“Still a brown noser even out of school” Chris states tossing a chip in his mouth

“At least she asked me if I needed help unlike you, so knock it off” Mary states looking over at Chris with a stern face

Rolling his eyes, he took a sip of his pepsi as Y/N smirked at him

“Hey, do you happen to know where Nick is?” She asked their mom

“Actually I don’t, but feel free to search the house for him” She replies to the girl

“I am shocked you don’t know where he is, you practically live up his ass” Chris replies sticking his tongue out at Y/N

“Real mature Chris’’ His mom states as she turns around and give him the stern mom look

“You better apologize to Y/N right now” She states turning her back to him

“What it was just-” but he was soon cut off

“Now! Christopher” She states sternly

Scoffing and rolling his eyes, he obliges and says he’s sorry

“Apology accepted Christopher” She replies sticking her tongue out at him. She knew he hated being called by his first name.

Sliding out of the kitchen Y/N soon disappeared to some part of the house to retrieve Nick.

That whole night consisted of Y/N and Chris bantering. Spitting watermelon seeds down each others shirts, Chris tripping her, and even pushing her into the pool ‘accidentally’

Now in the kitchen his parents made him clean up the kitchen with Y/N because they couldn’t take the childish behavior. They wanted them to talk it out and come back out once all issues were resolved.

“Why are you such an asshole?” She suddenly asks him as he poured himself something to drink in his red solo cup

“Am not” He states sipping on his pepsi

“After the childhood bullying from you. You would think you would have changed” She replies spraying down the counter and cleaning it

“I was a child and you take things too serious” He replied looking over at her

“And you are 20, so the stupid teen boy bullshit should have ended” She says slamming the counter drawer shut

“It’s all harmless my god you are still so anal” He replied drying the dishes

“So do you just like hate me?” She asks the boy

This causes him to get nervous, grabbing his drink and sipping it slowly he takes a while to answer.

“No, but you’re just easy to pick on” He states, screwing his eyes shut he mentally kicks himself in the head for that.

Scoffing at him she threw the rag down

“How mature.. You haven’t changed much Chris” She says rolling her eyes at him

“And neither have you, still a cry baby” He says shrugging his shoulders

What the fuck was he doing? Was all he kept thinking. Why was he being such a dick? Subconsciously pushing her away out of fear.

“I should’ve listened to Elena Sophomore year of high school” She states harshly as she begins to walk out the kitchen

“Yeah? And what amazing advice did two face Elena give?” He asks her

“To never forgive you for your actions because you’ll always stay the same… a bully” She replies shaking her head and storming off

Slipping right past Nick, sniffling as she wiped her eyes. Avoiding contact with him and heading out their front door

“Hey Y/N-” Nick began as his eyes followed you out the front door. Not getting to finish his sentence before you were out the front door.

Storming into the kitchen, to say he was shocked that Chris was in there was an understatement.

“What did you do now?” Nick asked Chris, watching as his eyes stared into his red solo cup

“Nothing” He replied guilty as hell

“Y/N practically ran out our door crying, so you must have done something to upset her” He says

“Crying?” Chris asks shaking his head

“You are such a moron. You need to come to your senses and stop being a complete dick. You have the biggest crush on Y/N, and your actions are pushing her far away. She likes you a lot too, but she will not stick around much longer for this cringey childlike behavior.” Nick states jamming his pointer finger onto the counter

“I’m scared Nick, what if I mess things up. You know how scared of commitment I am” Chris replied looking up at his brother

“If you don’t fix this now yall’s relationship will forever be fucked” He states

“I don’t know what to do” Chris exclaims

“Talk to her and apologize for being an asshole” He says getting frustrated with his younger brother

“I know, but what do I even say?” He asks his brother

“I don’t know, but what I do know is that your answer isn’t at the bottom of that cup, so put it down and go make it up to her.” Nick states as he walks to their back door

“Shit! You’re right” Chris states snapping out of it

Placing the cup on the counter Chris rushes out the front door. Locking eyes with the back of your head. You were sitting on the curb in front of their house.

Reluctantly he walked down the steps and approached you. Slowly sitting down he looked over at you.

“Hey” he stated as he sat

Looking over at him, Y/N rolled her eyes and straightened her posture

“Here to bully me some more?’ She asks him

“What? no…no “ He states furrowing his eyebrows

“So then what do you want?” She asks rudely

“I want to apologize” he replies looking over at her

“Well don’t say it if you don’t mean it” Y/N states

“Well I truly am sorry for everything I’ve ever done. Nothing I’ve ever said about you is true. I've been a complete asshole since I was 10. And I’m aware of it. And I’m so glad you forgave me in high school because…..because….”

But Chris suddenly stopped his ramble, he couldn’t form his next sentence. It became all too real as he looked into your eyes. Yours were searching for an answer and he was slowly panicking inside.

Its like those scenes in a movie where the main character is experiencing something traumatic and everything around them slows down and you only see the panic start to grow in their eyes. And their heartbeat quickens. Well yeah that was Chris right now.

But everything his brother just told him shot at his brain like speeding arrows. Piercing his memory with what just took place.

“Because I LIKE YOU, and I have always liked you since we were kids. And the moment you forgave me in Sophomore year all I could think about was getting you to be mine. But I’m an idiot because I’m so scared of commitment. I’m scared of ruining something that’s good and hurting not only myself but you as well. So I thought pushing you away and teasing you would be better. Because even if you did hate me you’d always be around for Nick and I’d always have my chance to slither in and annoy you. Because you’re the only person I want to spend my life with. And I know I’ve been a piece of shit to you for basically our whole lives, but I wish I could show you how I see you. You’re breathtakingly gorgeous, and you’re funny, and kind, and very smart. Your smile lights up a whole room and your laughter fills me with happiness. And it’s like…it’s like this love I have for you is bottling up in my chest and it’s like a rubber band ready to snap. And I guess… I guess I’m just….im just too scared to have admitted that to you a long time ago. So once again I’m sorry and if you hate me I get that; so just say the words and I’ll leave” He states never breaking eye contact with you

“I do… I do hate you” Y/N responds and his heart sinks to his stomach. Like a punch to the face, but to say he deserved this was a severe understatement

“I hate you because…. How could you wait so long to tell me those things? That you like me and that you think all those wonderful things about me?” She responds looking into his eyes for a deeper answer

“Christopher I have liked you since the day you cut my pigtails in second grade and I even liked you when you destroyed my favorite blue flats. It actually hurt me that I still liked you. So when you came to me in sophomore year, basically asking for forgiveness, I thought forgiving, you would be the doorway to you, asking me out or even telling me how you truly feel” Y/N states as Chris’ eyes saddened once more

“ and I’m sorry I wish I was able to man up and tell you this before, but I was so scared so scared of your reaction and so scared of losing you but then I realize doing this actually pushed you further” He responded as he scooted closer to the young girl

“I like you a lot Chris” she responded as she looked deeper into his blue eyes

“And I like you a lot Y/N” he responded leaning in closer

And before you know it the young attractive pair had shared a loving and passionate kiss. A kiss outlined by the sparkles of the fireworks in the sky. His hand caressing her cheek as large fireworks blew up around them. The light casting a colorful reflection against them.

Making them fall deeper in love with one another. Who knew that it would be those damn blue ballerina flats that would have haunted him forever?

The End

Boy do my fingers hurt from typing away on this laptop. I don’t know I kinda fuck with this one 🤭. Thank you all once again for the support. I LOVE YALL SOOO MUCH 🥺🖤🖤

-J💅🏽

[pdriesta]

“when your soul needs aligning, it's me you confide in”

pairing — alejandro x black!barca femení player

genre — fluff, sprinkle of angst

word count — 18k

summary — y/n, battling self-doubt and pressure from the media, seeks comfort and support in alejandro, who helps her rediscover her confidence. their playful training sessions turn into something more as alejandro realizes his growing feelings for her, challenging his alleged long-held crush on her teammate. as they navigate this unexpected shift, will alejandro's newfound feelings blossom into love, or will y/n’s walls keep him at a distance?

an — this thought came to me thinking how good alejandro would be in a rom com hes a) he's handsome and b) funny. literally the the full package. anyways, i had so much fun writing this

masterlist

the sun beat down on the turf, the heat rising in waves as y/n finished lacing up her boots, her fingers moving mechanically. her heart wasn’t in it today—hadn’t been for a while, really. the pitch that had once felt like home now felt like a stage where every mistake was magnified, every second slower than before a sign that she was losing her edge. the media didn’t hold back, and their words echoed in her head, swirling around with the doubt that had been creeping in for months.

“left winger, y/n!” the coach’s voice sliced through her thoughts, sharp and authoritative. she lifted her head, blinking, her stomach tightening as she jogged to her position. the joint practice between barça femení and the senior team was supposed to be light-hearted, a bit of fun and camaraderie. but all she felt was the weight of expectations.

across the pitch, alejandro balde stood, his eyes already on her. the easy smile on his lips didn’t quite reach his eyes, like he could see something wasn’t right. they knew each other, of course—how could they not? years at la masia together, growing up with football at the heart of everything. but they had never been close, just two people who shared the same space. today, though, something in the way he looked at her felt different, more observant, like he was picking up on things she thought she’d hidden well.

“you ready for this?” he asked when she reached him, his voice casual but tinged with something else—curiosity, maybe. concern, even.

y/n nodded, though her heart wasn’t in it. “yeah,” she mumbled, eyes dropping to the grass. she didn’t trust her voice to hold steady if she said anything more. her mind was too clouded with self-doubt, the constant barrage of criticism ringing in her ears. they said she’d peaked at 15, that she was slowing down, no longer the prodigy who had set the world on fire.

the whistle blew, and the first drill began. y/n took her position out wide, squaring up against alejandro. the ball came her way quickly, and instinctively she moved, but she was a fraction of a second too slow. alejandro easily closed the space between them, his speed a stark reminder of the gap between where she was and where she used to be. her chest tightened with frustration, the familiar sting of failure prickling under her skin.

but then, he did something unexpected. instead of pressing hard, alejandro eased off, just enough for her to recover and make a decent pass. he didn’t say anything, didn’t make it obvious, but y/n noticed. she glanced at him, her brows furrowing slightly, but he just nodded like everything was normal, like he hadn’t just thrown her a lifeline.

as the drills continued, y/n found herself locked in a strange rhythm with alejandro. every time she stumbled or hesitated, he was there, subtly shifting the pace to give her room to breathe, to remind herself of who she was. it wasn’t blatant—he wasn’t babying her—but he was deliberate. he set her up for success without making it seem like charity.

the ball came to her again, and this time, she saw the opening before her mind could get in the way. she darted forward, her boots skimming the grass, the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. alejandro was right there, tracking her movement, and for a moment, it felt like old times—like she was 15 again and nothing could stop her. she cut inside, beating two defenders before sending a sharp pass down the line, her heart thudding in her chest.

“nice one,” alejandro muttered as they jogged back to position, his voice low but approving.

y/n shrugged, trying to play it off, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going easy on her. “you’re holding back,” she said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

he gave a small, lopsided grin, his eyes flickering with amusement. “just making sure you get the spotlight.”

she opened her mouth to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. there was no malice in his tone, no patronizing edge. just… kindness. she hadn’t expected that from him. the drills kept coming, each one more intense than the last, but y/n was starting to find her groove again. it wasn’t perfect—far from it—but there were moments, flashes of brilliance where she remembered why she loved this game, why she fought so hard to be here in the first place.

near the end of practice, they ran a two-on-two drill, y/n and alejandro paired together against two defenders. alejandro was quick, always in the right spot, and his passes were sharp, precise. he set her up perfectly, threading the ball through to her in space, and without thinking, she drove forward, her body moving on instinct. she felt the defender on her heels, but she didn’t hesitate this time. her foot met the ball cleanly, sending it sailing across the pitch to her teammate, who finished with a clean strike into the net.

“there she is,” alejandro said with a grin, jogging over to bump her shoulder lightly. “told you you’ve still got it.”

y/n wanted to smile, wanted to feel the rush of accomplishment, but the knot of doubt in her chest hadn’t loosened entirely. she still felt the weight of everything—the pressure, the criticism, the fear that maybe she really wasn’t good enough anymore.

as they wrapped up, alejandro lingered nearby, his gaze flicking toward her every so often. when most of the players had started heading off, he finally spoke again. “hey,” his voice was softer now, more serious. “don’t listen to them, okay? the media, the critics… they don’t know you. they don’t know how hard you’ve worked to get here.”

y/n blinked, his words cutting through the fog in her mind. “what?” she asked, almost startled by the sincerity in his voice.

“they’ve been talking a lot,” alejandro continued, his tone steady but firm. “but you’ve done more at 20 than most players do in their entire careers. you were always the example, y/n. you showed all of us at la masia that it’s possible to make it big, and you did it at 15. don’t let them take that away from you. this is your dream, right? don’t forget that.”

his words hit her harder than she expected, striking at the core of the insecurity that had been eating away at her for months. she stared at him, feeling something shift inside her—something small, but real. she hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear it until the moment the words left his mouth.

“thank you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, but it carried all the weight of her gratitude, the relief that someone had seen her struggle and hadn’t judged her for it.

alejandro smiled, a genuine, soft smile that reached his eyes this time. “anytime,” he said, his voice light again, like he hadn’t just lifted a huge burden off her shoulders.

as he jogged off toward the locker rooms, y/n stood there for a moment, staring after him, feeling lighter than she had in a long time. it wasn’t a magic fix—there was still so much she had to work through—but his words had given her something she hadn’t felt in a while: hope. and maybe, just maybe, that was enough to keep her going.

the sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the pitch as y/n sat on the wooden steps of the common area, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and anxiety. alejandro's words echoed in her mind, a steady rhythm that pulsed with renewed energy. he had called her an example, a beacon for others, and that description lit a fire within her she hadn’t realized was still flickering beneath the weight of her recent struggles. it was a spark of hope in a time when she felt all but extinguished.

she had stayed back after practice, the late afternoon sun warming her skin while her thoughts spiraled. what if he didn’t want to talk? what if he thought it was weird that she was waiting for him? she paced back and forth, the nerves coiling tighter in her stomach. it wasn’t like they were friends; he had complimented her, sure, but that didn’t mean he’d welcome her showing up out of the blue. would he think she was a stalker? she could already imagine the headlines if anyone caught wind of this—barça femení star pining for senior team’s left back. her face flushed at the thought.

just as she felt ready to turn back, she heard familiar laughter. her heart skipped a beat when she looked up to see alejandro walking toward her, dressed in the same training kit she wore. he was flanked by a couple of his teammates, including fermín and lamine, who were both grinning mischievously.

“hey, what are you doing here?” alejandro asked, his brow raised in surprise. “you don’t usually stay back after practice.”

y/n swallowed hard, suddenly feeling small under their curious gazes. “uh, hi,” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper. “i actually wanted to talk to you.”

his eyes widened slightly. “me?” there was a hint of amusement in his tone, which drew the attention of his teammates.

“what could a start like you want with this guy?” fermín teased, elbowing alejandro. “looking for a new right back?”

lamine joined in, “or she finally giving you the autograph you wanted?”

alejandro rolled his eyes, shooting them a playful glare. “can you guys give us a minute?” he said, dismissing them with a wave. they exchanged exaggerated glances and giggles but retreated, leaving y/n and alejandro standing together.

“let’s talk here,” he said, nodding toward the wooden stairs. they settled down, the familiar scent of grass and sweat lingering in the air. “so, what’s up?”

y/n took a deep breath, her words tumbling out in a rush. “okay, so I promise I’m not stalking you or anything,” she started, her cheeks flushing at her own awkwardness. “but I’ve been thinking about what you said during practice. you called me an example, and honestly, I haven’t heard that in a long time. it kind of lit a fire in me. I want to live up to my potential, and I hate hearing the media say I’m not good enough.”

alejandro listened intently, his expression shifting to one of understanding. “I get it,” he said softly. “the pressure is real, especially for a club like Barça. it’s a badge that holds so much weight. it’s easy to feel like the world is crushing down on you.”

y/n nodded, grateful for his empathy. it felt good to share her struggles with someone who understood. “and that’s why I wanted to see you,” she continued, her heart racing. “I was hoping you could train with me. I know we don’t know each other that well, but when we practiced together, you treated me like an equal. I need that. I feel like I have to be perfect in training, and I just… I don’t know if I can do it alone anymore.”

there was a brief silence as alejandro processed her request, and she could see the confusion on his face. “why me?” he finally asked, his brow furrowing. “you’re y/n, the future face of fc barcelona. why would you need my help?”

“because I need to remember what it’s like to have fun,” she replied, a note of desperation creeping into her voice. “I want to feel confident again, and I know you could help with that.”

alejandro’s expression softened, but he still looked unconvinced. “if you’re getting all that, what do I get out of this? you know how busy our schedules are.”

y/n thought for a moment, a mischievous smile forming on her lips. “I could get you a date with one of my teammates, salma. I heard through the rumor mill that you have a crush on her.”

alejandro’s eyes widened in surprise. “how did you know that?” he asked, genuinely shocked. “I never knew you were such a gossip.”

her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she laughed it off. “it’s not gossip, it’s just… football news.”

“sure, sure,” he teased, shaking his head. “so, if you help me get a date, I’ll help you train?”

“yes!” she said quickly, her enthusiasm bubbling over. “so, what do you say? will you do it?”

“fine,” he replied with a grin, “but you better deliver on that date with salma. I’ll hold you to it.”

they shared a laugh, and it felt easy between them, the earlier tension melting away. “and,” alejandro added, “I need your number. for training schedules, of course.”

y/n’s heart raced at the suggestion, her shyness creeping back in. “why?” she asked, her voice soft.

he leaned in slightly, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “to make time in your schedule, superstar,” he said, a playful smirk on his face. “can’t have you disappearing on me again.”

after a moment's hesitation, she nodded, pulling out her phone to share her number. “okay,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, a smile breaking through her nervousness. “just don’t make me regret this.”

“never,” alejandro promised, his smile genuine as he typed her number into his phone. “you’re going to be just fine.”

and in that moment, y/n felt a warmth spread through her, a flicker of hope igniting once more as she realized that maybe she wouldn’t have to face this battle alone after all.

after a long, relaxing shower at home, y/n wrapped herself in a towel, her skin still warm from the steam. she wandered into her bedroom, grabbing her phone from the nightstand, and noticed the text from the unknown number again. she left it on read, sitting down at her vanity to start braiding her hair. her hands moved methodically through her curls, fingers finding a familiar rhythm, but her mind was elsewhere, thinking about alejandro’s earlier words. they echoed in her head, a reassurance she didn’t realize she needed.

as she finished the first braid, her phone buzzed again. this time, it wasn’t a text. it was a call from the same unknown number. hesitating for a second, she picked up.

"hello?" her voice was tentative, unsure.

"wow, you don’t have my number saved?" alejandro's teasing voice came through the speaker, making her smile despite herself. "this is why you don’t deal with celebrities."

y/n let out a small laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing. “i’m sorry! i don’t use my phone that much.”

she didn’t mention that, most days, she barely did anything at all. her days were filled with rewatching old telenovelas and occasionally reading the latest news about her career, the critiques that always found a way to cut deep. but she kept those thoughts to herself.

“anyway, i wanted to talk about this training thing,” alejandro said, shifting the conversation. “how’s this going to work?”

y/n paused, biting her lip. “honestly… i haven’t thought that far ahead,” she admitted, her voice a little softer. “i didn’t know if you’d actually agree.”

"truthfully? i don’t think i could say no to you," he said casually, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "you’re y/n. i think i could learn more from you than you could from me."

his words made her chest tighten, a warmth spreading through her at the unexpected kindness.

“but it’s been bugging me," alejandro continued, "why me?"

y/n took a breath, steadying herself. "i already told you why."

“yeah, but is that all?” his tone was playful now, the teasing lilt she was starting to get used to. “are you secretly in love with me?”

y/n let out a laugh, shaking her head. "no!" she said, still smiling. "but you are handsome, i’ll give you that."

there was a beat of silence, and she could practically hear his grin over the phone.

"so you think i’m handsome," he said, his tone mock-offended.

“that’s what you got from all that?” she laughed again, shaking her head as she tucked a braid behind her ear.

"well, it’s not too late to cancel this arrangement, is it?" she joked, feeling a little more at ease.

"way too late," alejandro shot back, sounding amused.

the playful banter between them continued for a few minutes longer until they finally got around to the logistics of training together.

“we’re both off tomorrow, right?” y/n asked, already checking her schedule in her head.

“yeah, let’s meet in the morning,” alejandro suggested.

"that works for me," she agreed, but then hesitated for a second before adding, “could we… maybe keep this between us? just for now. the last thing i need is more rumors.”

"dating rumors, huh?" he teased. "speak for yourself. i think the media would eat this up."

“yeah, well, let’s keep it low-key,” she insisted, though there was a smile in her voice. "at least until we figure things out."

"fine, fine," alejandro chuckled, his tone softening. “just don’t be surprised if it slips out anyway. i’m terrible at keeping secrets.”

"please, try," y/n teased.

"i’ll do my best," he promised. “oh, and save my number, superstar.”

“i will,” she smiled.

“see you tomorrow, then.”

after they hung up, y/n sat there for a moment, her phone still in her hand. she felt lighter, like some invisible weight had been lifted. maybe, just maybe, things were starting to look up.

the sun was barely rising as y/n entered the training facility. the familiar scent of fresh-cut grass and the sound of the sprinklers greeted her as she walked towards the field. it was quiet, almost too quiet, but that’s what she liked about coming here on her off days. there wasn’t much difference between being alone at home or alone here. at least at the facility, she could pretend she was working towards something, even if lately it felt like she was chasing ghosts.

as she warmed up, her muscles ached slightly from the previous day’s practice, but she welcomed the burn. it was better than feeling nothing at all. her thoughts were scattered, drifting back to alejandro’s words from the night before. it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to her like that—like she was still worth something, still had potential.

she was midway through a set of stretches when she heard footsteps approaching. looking up, she spotted alejandro jogging onto the field, already in his training gear, a grin on his face as he waved.

“you’re early,” he commented, stopping a few feet away from her.

“i didn’t have anything else to do,” y/n replied with a small shrug, though she avoided his eyes. “might as well spend the day here.”

“same here,” he said, rolling his shoulders and glancing around the empty field. “so… how are we doing this?”

y/n stood up and dusted off her shorts, crossing her arms over her chest. “well, first off, don’t go easy on me. i’m not looking for a light session.”

alejandro raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “i should be the one saying that to you.”

“you know i’m not this superstar everyone makes me out to be,” she muttered, her voice quieter now. the familiar self-doubt crept in as she added, “i’m just… me.”

he gave her a pointed look, and before she could continue, he interrupted, “that’s exactly what this is about.”

y/n blinked, confused. “what do you mean?”

“it’s not about skill, y/n,” he said, his tone serious. “it’s about confidence. and right now? you don’t have any.”

her lips parted in surprise, and she instantly felt her defenses rising. “i’m not always in my head,” she argued, frowning.

“really?” alejandro shot back, his eyes searching her face for any sign of denial. “then tell me the media, the expectations from the club—that’s not affecting you?”

y/n bit her bottom lip, the weight of his words settling uncomfortably on her chest. she didn’t respond at first, her gaze dropping to the ground, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her training shirt. after a beat of silence, she muttered, “so what if it is?”

alejandro sighed, watching her carefully. he could see it now, the frustration simmering just beneath the surface. it wasn’t just about the drills or the game. this was about her self-worth, the pressure that had been building for years, the expectations that came with wearing the barça badge.

"they want me to be perfect all the time," she continued, her voice tight. "what am i supposed to do? how can i live up to that? how can anyone?"

he studied her for a moment, feeling a spark of something—relief, maybe—because at least now she was letting it out. at least now, there was fire in her words. this was something he could work with.

“that’s exactly it, y/n,” he said gently, stepping closer to her. “you’re trying to be perfect when you don’t need to be. no one is perfect, not even messi was perfect every single game. but he had confidence. that’s what kept him going. you can’t play your best when you’re always in your head, doubting yourself.”

y/n looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “so, what’s your advice, then?”

“stop trying to meet their expectations and start meeting your own. find that part of you that loves the game. the part that used to have fun with it, not the part that feels like it’s a job you can’t afford to mess up,” alejandro explained. “you’ve made it this far because you’re you, not because you’re trying to be perfect.”

she didn’t respond immediately, the words sinking in deeper than she wanted to admit. but she couldn’t argue with him. deep down, she knew he was right. the love for the game that used to come so easily had been overshadowed by the constant need to prove herself, to silence the critics.

alejandro saw the hesitation in her eyes and decided to push a little more. “look, i’m not saying it’s easy. but if you keep thinking like this, it’s going to destroy you.”

her jaw clenched, and for a moment, she wanted to argue, to defend herself, but instead, she took a deep breath. “okay. what do you suggest?”

he grinned, stepping back and gesturing towards the empty field. “let’s start with the basics. drills. nothing fancy, just get out of your head and focus on the game.”

they started simple, running through passing and dribbling drills, alejandro pushing her to her limits but not overwhelming her. y/n could feel the tension in her shoulders easing as they worked through each set, his presence steady and supportive. there were moments where she slipped, the frustration creeping back in, but alejandro was quick to remind her to shake it off.

“you’re thinking again,” he said at one point, tossing the ball to her with a grin. “just play.”

and, for a few moments, she did. the voices in her head quieted, the weight of the media and expectations faded, and it was just her, alejandro, and the ball. the game she had fallen in love with years ago.

after what felt like hours, they both collapsed onto the grass, panting and sweaty. y/n wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, a small smile tugging at her lips. “that was… better than i expected.”

“told you,” alejandro said, his own grin wide as he sat up. “you’ve still got it. you just needed someone to remind you.”

y/n chuckled softly, leaning back on her elbows as she looked up at the sky. for the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope. maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as lost as she thought.

as they wrapped up their first practice session, the sun dipping low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the pitch, y/n was wiping the sweat from her forehead with the hem of her shirt. her muscles ached in that good way, the kind that came from pushing herself just a bit harder than she had in a long time. the drills with alejandro had been intense, but surprisingly fun too. she hadn’t felt this alive on the field in what seemed like forever.

alejandro, on the other hand, looked almost too relaxed for someone who had just trained. he rolled his shoulders, letting out a content sigh before turning his gaze toward her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“so,” he started, crossing his arms and tilting his head slightly, “did you save my number yet?”

y/n blinked at him, caught off guard by the question. she felt her face flush slightly as she fumbled with her phone in her hand. “uh, yeah, i did,” she said, pulling up her contacts and showing him the screen.

alejandro leaned in closer, squinting at the display before his eyes went wide with exaggerated shock. “alejandro balde?” he read out loud, his voice dripping with mock offense. he shot her a look, eyebrows raised as if she had just deeply insulted him. “really, y/n? that’s what you went with?”

she blinked, her face scrunching up in confusion. “what? that’s your name!”

he let out a laugh, shaking his head. “you could’ve at least put ‘ale’ or even just ‘balde.’ some personality, y/n!”

before she could protest, alejandro quickly reached for her phone, catching her by surprise. with his longer reach, he easily held it out of her grasp, the phone now completely in his control. “hey!” she exclaimed, half-laughing as she tried to grab it back, but he was too quick, stepping back and holding it just out of reach.

“oh no, no, no, you’re not getting this back until i fix it,” he teased, his fingers already flying over her screen.

y/n could only watch helplessly, half-amused, half-exasperated, as he worked his mischief on her phone. “what are you doing?” she asked, trying not to sound as flustered as she felt, but her heart raced a little, noticing how close they stood, how his effortless charm seemed to fill the space between them.

after a few seconds, alejandro handed the phone back to her with a self-satisfied grin. y/n looked down at the screen, and her eyes widened as she saw the new contact name: ale 😍.

“seriously?” she asked, her tone half-scolding, half-laughing.

“what?” alejandro raised his hands in mock innocence, towering over her with an unbothered smirk. “we already established you think i'm handsome. trust me, it’s much better now. some personality, right?” he said, clearly proud of himself.

y/n couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed how much the little gesture amused her. she glanced back at the contact name, shaking her head. “fine, whatever,” she mumbled, trying not to laugh.

“and wait for it…” alejandro interrupted her, holding up his own phone now, where he had apparently taken a selfie of the two of them in the midst of the small phone battle. in the picture, y/n was caught mid-laugh, trying to reach for her phone while he had it held high above them, the playful scene captured perfectly.

“oh my god, delete that,” she groaned, covering her face with her hand, though she couldn’t help the smile spreading across her face.

“never,” alejandro said, grinning as he tapped a few buttons. “in fact, i might just set this as my wallpaper.”

y/n reached out again, trying to grab his phone, but he pulled it away once more, still laughing. “alejandro!”

“it’s ale, remember?” he teased.

y/n shook her head, trying to hold back her own laugh, feeling the warmth of the moment settle in. alejandro had this way of making her feel light, of making her forget about everything else swirling in her mind. for a brief second, it was just the two of them, caught in their own little world, with no expectations or pressure weighing her down.

“okay, okay,” she finally relented, stepping back and sighing. “i’ll let you have this one.”

alejandro grinned, his eyes sparkling with victory as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “as you should.”

as they made their way off the pitch, the setting sun casting a warm glow over them, y/n couldn’t help but glance at her phone one more time. ale. she shook her head, a small smile still on her lips as they walked side by side, wondering how in the world she had ended up here—training with someone like him, feeling lighter than she had in months.

and yet, as ridiculous as it all seemed, she didn’t mind it one bit.

days paste since their first session, a gruelling day, y/n wrapped up her training session with the women’s team, her legs heavy with exhaustion, but her mind heavier still. as the other girls chatted and laughed, making plans for their evenings, she quietly slipped away from the group, her boots dragging against the grass as she walked towards the locker room alone. she loved her teammates, really, but lately, there was this gnawing feeling inside her, this sense of disconnect she couldn’t shake. every time she saw their smiles and heard their laughter, it reminded her of how distant she felt. they seemed so… carefree, so sure of themselves. meanwhile, she couldn’t help but think she was holding them back. maybe they felt it too, the weight of her underperformance. maybe that’s why she felt so isolated.

with her head down, she didn’t hear the footsteps approaching from behind until someone called her name.

"y/n!"

she turned, blinking in surprise as she spotted alejandro jogging towards her, still in his training gear, his face flushed from what she assumed was a men’s session that had just finished.

“hey,” he greeted her, a smile tugging at his lips as he fell into step beside her. “didn’t think i’d run into you here.”

y/n blinked, her heart racing slightly as she looked up at him. “oh, um… yeah,” she mumbled, awkwardly brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “i, uh, i was just heading back.”

“you always this quiet after training?” alejandro asked, his tone teasing, though there was a softness to it.

y/n felt her cheeks heat up, caught off guard by his easygoing nature. it wasn’t like she and alejandro were friends, not really. sure, they had trained together recently, but it wasn’t as if they talked like this. “i guess,” she replied, her voice quieter than she intended. “i just like to, um, you know… think.”

alejandro grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “thinking’s good. but you know, you don’t always have to overthink.” he nudged her playfully with his shoulder, and y/n nearly stumbled, her face flushing even more. “sorry, didn’t mean to knock you off balance there.”

“no, no, it’s fine,” she stammered, trying to laugh it off, though she could feel her palms sweating. god, why was she so clumsy? “i just, uh… wasn’t expecting to see you.”

he chuckled, clearly noticing her awkwardness but not calling her out on it. “yeah, i guess it’s not every day you run into the future face of barça, huh?”

y/n’s eyes widened, and she immediately waved her hands in front of her, flustered. “what—no, i’m not—i’m really not—”

“relax,” alejandro interrupted, laughing softly. “i’m just messing with you, superstar.”

there it was again. superstar. he always called her that. and every time he did, she didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or flattered. maybe both.

“you really need to stop calling me that,” she muttered, trying to hide her smile but failing miserably.

“why?” alejandro teased, his grin growing wider. “you don’t like it?”

“it’s just… not true,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced down at her feet. “i’m not really… all that.”

“hmm, i don’t know,” alejandro mused, pretending to think it over. “you’re kind of a big deal. and anyway, i thought you’d be used to the attention by now. you know, with the media always talking about you.”

y/n cringed slightly at the mention of the media, but alejandro’s playful tone made it hard for her to feel too down about it. he wasn’t teasing her in a cruel way, more like… he was just trying to lighten the mood.

“yeah, well,” she muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck. “i try not to think about them too much.”

“good,” he said, giving her a small nod of approval. “they don’t know what they’re talking about half the time anyway.”

y/n smiled shyly, her heart fluttering at his words. there was something about the way he talked to her—like he saw her, really saw her, beyond all the noise and pressure. it was nice, but it also made her nervous, like she didn’t know how to respond without tripping over her words.

“so,” alejandro continued, breaking the silence. “are you gonna keep making me do all the work at these training sessions? or are you actually gonna push me next time?”

y/n blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. “what?”

he grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “you know, the drills? don’t go easy on me, superstar. i’m starting to think you’ve been holding back.”

her face flushed again, and she stumbled over her words. “i-i’m not holding back! you’re just… really good.”

“oh, is that so?” he teased, leaning in slightly, his voice dropping playfully. “so you’re saying i’m better than you?”

y/n’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as she tried to come up with a response. “no! i mean—i didn’t—i just—”

alejandro chuckled at her flustered state, his smile softening as he watched her struggle. “relax, y/n. i’m just messing with you.”

she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, a small, awkward laugh escaping her lips. “you’re really good at that.”

“at what?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“making me look like an idiot,” she mumbled, though there was a hint of a smile on her face.

alejandro laughed again, his voice light and easy. “nah, you do that all on your own.”

y/n’s jaw dropped in mock offense, and she lightly shoved him with her shoulder. “hey!”

he grinned, not at all fazed by her attempt at pushing him. “i am just kidding. you’re far from an idiot.”

there was a brief pause, and for a moment, y/n found herself looking at him—really looking at him. the way the setting sun cast a warm glow on his skin, the easy smile on his lips, the way he made her feel less… alone. it was nice, but also scary, because she wasn’t used to this kind of attention. especially not from someone like him.

“anyway,” alejandro said, breaking the silence once again, “i’ll see you tomorrow for training, right?”

y/n nodded, her heart still racing a little too fast. “yeah. see you tomorrow.”

“good,” he said with a wink, turning to jog back towards his teammates. “don’t keep me waiting, superstar.”

as he jogged off, y/n stood there for a moment, staring after him, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. she wasn’t sure what just happened, but one thing was clear: alejandro balde had a way of making her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time. and it scared her, more than she cared to admit.

the afternoon sun filtered through the trees at ciutat esportiva, casting a soft glow on the grass where y/n and alejandro sat side by side, the atmosphere relaxed but carrying an undercurrent of something new, something that neither of them fully acknowledged yet.

alejandro tilted his head, studying her thoughtfully. “why are you still so shy with me?” he asked, genuinely curious. “i mean, you’ve known me for years, right?”

y/n tucked a loose braid behind her ear, her voice barely above a whisper. “i’ve never really been alone with a boy before.”

his eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he grinned. “and you chose me?”

she shrugged, feeling her cheeks warm. “i don’t see why not. you were nice to me.”

he smirked, teasingly nudging her shoulder. “you’re really beating those allegations of secretly being in love with me, huh?”

she rolled her eyes, playfully pushing him in return. “oh, please.” but there was a smile on her lips, and it felt lighter than she had in days.

they both fell back onto the grass, laying on their backs now, gazing up at the sky. the breeze was cool, but their conversation warmed the space between them.

“so, we’ve known each other for years, but i feel like i don’t really know you,” alejandro said, his voice softer now, more serious. “tell me something about you. like, when’s your birthday?”

“april 29,” y/n replied, her voice steady.

“april, huh? i’m october 18,” he offered, smiling. “we’re the same age, after all these years. funny how we never really talked.”

she nodded, feeling a bit more comfortable. “yeah, it is.”

“okay, what’s your favorite moment at barça?” he asked, shifting the conversation to something familiar, something that might put her more at ease.

they stayed seated on the grass, the comfortable silence stretching between them as they both leaned back, propped up on their hands, the sun warm on their faces. it was a moment that felt normal—easy—and y/n realized she hadn’t felt that kind of ease in a long time. she glanced at alejandro, noticing the way his dark curls caught the light, his expression open, curious, waiting.

“so… what about you?” she asked, her voice softer now, more at ease. “what’s your favorite moment at barça?”

he didn’t hesitate, his grin immediate. “my first goal, no question.”

“figures,” y/n teased lightly, shaking her head, but there was a smile on her lips. “you always seem so sure of yourself.”

alejandro chuckled, the sound rich and genuine. “not quite. you should’ve seen me back then when i use to play winger . i was nervous as hell, but once i saw the ball hit the net…” he paused, his eyes drifting as if he could still feel the moment. “it was like everything clicked. all the hard work, all the sacrifices—it felt like it was worth it.”

y/n looked at him, seeing the joy in his expression, the pride that lit up his face. it was the same look she used to wear, the same feeling she had when she was younger, back when football felt like a dream instead of a weight on her shoulders.

“you must’ve felt the same, right?” alejandro asked, glancing over at her. “when you scored your first goal? it was huge. you were, what, sixteen?”

“fifteen,” she corrected, her voice quiet, almost like she didn’t want to acknowledge it.

he let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. “fifteen? that’s insane. i was still trying to figure out my place in la masia at that age. and there you were, scoring for the first team.”

y/n smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. she felt the weight of his words, the pressure of them. she should’ve been proud—everyone else always said she should be—but all she could think about was how distant that moment felt. “yeah… but that was a long time ago,” she said softly, staring down at the blades of grass beneath her fingers.

alejandro noticed the shift in her mood immediately. “hey, don’t do that.”

“do what?” she asked, though she knew exactly what he meant.

“don’t downplay it,” he said firmly, his gaze steady on her. “what you did was incredible, y/n. most people only dream of what you’ve already achieved.”

she shrugged, trying to push away the heavy feeling that was creeping in again. “it’s just… i haven’t felt like that girl in a long time, you know? the one who believed in herself, who wasn’t constantly second-guessing everything.”

alejandro studied her, his expression softening. “what happened?”

y/n hesitated, unsure of how to explain it. how do you explain losing your spark? how do you explain the slow unraveling of confidence that happens when the world’s eyes are always on you, waiting for you to fail? “i guess… the pressure got to me,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “the media, the expectations. everyone always expects me to be perfect, and i just… i don’t know if i can do it anymore.”

alejandro frowned, his brow furrowing as he took in her words. “you don’t have to be perfect, y/n. no one’s perfect.”

she scoffed lightly, shaking her head. “tell that to the media. they don’t care about mistakes. they just want headlines.”

“yeah, well, screw them,” alejandro said with a shrug, his tone casual but his eyes serious. “they don’t know what it’s like. they don’t know what it feels like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders. but we do.”

y/n looked at him, surprised by his words. she hadn’t expected him to understand—not like this. but as she watched him, she realized that he did. he knew exactly what it felt like to be in her position, to have expectations so high that they seemed impossible to meet.

“that’s why we need each other,” alejandro continued, his voice softer now, more earnest. “to remind ourselves that we’re not alone in this. we’ve got to keep pushing, not for them, but for us. for the love of the game.”

y/n felt a lump form in her throat at his words, a mixture of gratitude and something else—something she couldn’t quite name—swelling inside her. she had spent so long feeling isolated, like she was the only one going through this, and hearing alejandro speak so candidly made her feel… seen.

“yeah, you’re right,” she murmured, her gaze dropping to her lap. “i just… i don’t know how to get back there. to that place where i felt confident, where i wasn’t constantly doubting myself.”

alejandro watched her for a moment, then a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “that’s what we’re here for, remember? to help you find that spark again.”

she looked at him, a little bit of hope stirring in her chest. “you really think i can?”

“i know you can,” he said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “you just need a little push.”

y/n smiled at him, a genuine smile this time, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she believed him.

alejandro leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out in front of him. “so, what else? favorite color?”

y/n chuckled, the shift in conversation catching her off guard. “blue. you?”

“green,” he replied with a grin. “but only because i look good in it.”

she rolled her eyes. “humble as ever, i see.”

“hey, it’s not bragging if it’s true,” he teased, nudging her lightly with his shoulder. “come on, your turn. what’s your favorite food?”

“pasta. literally every kind” she said quickly, and he laughed.

“good choice. can’t go wrong with pasta, ” alejandro agreed. “mine’s pizza. no contest.”

“of course it is,” y/n said, smiling to herself. “you seem like the type.”

“what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, pretending to be offended.

“it means you’re predictable,” she teased, her voice lighter than it had been in a long time.

he smirked, shaking his head. “oh, you’re gonna regret saying that, superstar.”

the nickname made her blush, as it always did, but she couldn’t help but smile. “yeah? what are you gonna do about it?”

“oh, i’ll think of something,” he said, his tone playful, but there was something in his eyes—something softer, something deeper—that made y/n’s heart skip a beat.

they sat there for a moment, the teasing banter falling away as the silence settled between them again. but this time, it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. it was… nice. comforting, even.

she stood up, brushing off her training pants, offering him a small, almost apologetic smile. “thank you, alejandro. for today.”

he watched her, the sadness in her eyes tugging at something inside him, something that made him want to take that look away. “wait,” he called, sitting up quickly. “let’s make a deal.”

y/n raised an eyebrow, curious but still guarded. “a deal?”

yeah,” alejandro grinned, his playful side returning. “if you score a goal this weekend, we’ll skip one of these training sessions and do something fun. like, really fun.”

her eyes widened, and for a moment, her sadness seemed to lift, replaced by intrigue. “alejandro, come on. be serious.”

“i am serious,” he insisted, standing now and stepping closer. “if you score a goal, you get to pick something fun to do, and we’ll do it. no training, no football. just… something to remind you there’s more to life than this.”

y/n hesitated, the thought of something fun, something light, was foreign to her lately. she hadn’t done anything for herself in so long, not since her siblings barged into her apartment to drag her out. but this? this sounded… nice.

“fine,” she agreed, a small smile pulling at her lips. “but don’t blame me if i don’t score and your stuck with me.”

he laughed, a sound that was becoming more familiar to her now. “deal. but you better score, superstar.”

the energy in the stadium was buzzing, the warm-up drills for match day in full swing as y/n jogged across the field, her mind half-focused on the movements, half-drifting into that space where anxiety and anticipation wrestled for control. the season had been rough, her confidence low, but she was determined to make today count. the chill of the late afternoon air hit her skin as she wiped sweat from her forehead, feeling the familiar weight of eyes watching her every move.

suddenly, the speakers blared over the stadium, announcing the presence of the barça men’s team. her head snapped toward the sideline, curiosity piqued, and her eyes immediately found alejandro. he stood casually among his teammates—fermin, lamine, and gavi—leaning against the barrier, looking out over the pitch. unlike the others, who wore their typical training gear, alejandro was in street clothes, a varsity jacket hanging off his broad shoulders, casual jeans that hugged his legs just right, and a pair of sneakers that completed his laid-back look. y/n found herself momentarily caught off guard, taking in the way he looked so different, yet so… himself. she hadn’t ever really seen him outside their training sessions, and something about him standing there in his jacket, hair tousled from the wind, made her heart skip a beat.

before she could stop herself, her mind wandered, analyzing everything about him—his easy smile as he talked to his friends, the confidence in his stance, and how effortlessly cool he seemed even when he wasn’t trying. her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly shook herself from her thoughts when she saw alejandro wave at her and call her over to the sideline.

“y/n!” his voice was playful, full of that teasing tone she’d grown accustomed to, and it was enough to break her from her trance.

just as she started to jog over, her captain, who had been nearby, raised an eyebrow and gave her a smirk. “your boyfriend’s here, y/n,” she teased, giving her a light nudge.

y/n’s eyes widened in shock, her heart stumbling over itself. “w-what? i—no! he’s not—” she stuttered, her words tripping over each other in a desperate attempt to clarify, though her face was quickly turning pink. did she know about the extra training sessions? were there rumors already spreading?

her captain laughed lightly, shaking her head. “relax, y/n. some culers noticed you two together during practice and thought it was cute, that’s all. i don’t know why you’re so red about it,” she said, her voice teasing but kind. “go say hi. we’re finishing this drill anyway.”

with her heart still racing in her chest, y/n nodded quickly, trying to shake off her embarrassment as she made her way over to where alejandro and his friends stood. she could feel the eyes of her teammates on her, probably waiting to tease her more later, but she focused on keeping her cool. when she reached the sideline, she gave alejandro and his teammates a small smile, still trying to regain her composure.

“hey,” she greeted, her voice a little shy, still rattled by her captain’s teasing.

alejandro grinned at her, leaning forward slightly. “hey yourself. looking good out there, superstar.”

y/n felt her face warm again at his words, but she managed a smile. “thanks, but the game hasn’t even started yet.”

he shrugged, his gaze steady on her. “doesn’t matter. i know you’ll kill it.”

his words were casual, but there was a sincerity behind them that made something inside y/n flutter. it was the way he said it, like he truly believed in her, even when she didn’t believe in herself. her throat tightened slightly, emotions bubbling up that she hadn’t expected. he wasn’t just teasing her now—he was serious. he believed in her, just like he had during their extra training sessions.

“i—thanks,” she managed to say, her voice quieter now, almost vulnerable. she wanted to tell him how much it meant, how she wasn’t used to people saying things like that to her anymore, but she couldn’t find the words. instead, she just looked at him, hoping he could see how much it mattered.

“no need to thank me,” alejandro said softly, his usual flirty tone fading for a moment. “i’m just saying what’s true. you’ve got this, y/n. i know you do.”

before she could respond, one of her coaches called out to her from across the field, signaling that it was time for the players to head to the locker room before the match. y/n glanced over her shoulder, nodding before turning back to alejandro and his friends.

“i—i have to go,” she said, a little shyly, not quite ready to leave the comfort of his presence just yet. but she knew she had a game to focus on.

“of course,” alejandro replied with a grin, stepping back a little but not before giving her an encouraging smile. “go show them what you’re made of.”

his teammates chimed in, all wishing her luck in their own way. fermin gave her a thumbs up, lamine offered a small grin, and gavi, ever the quiet one, simply nodded, but his expression showed that he was rooting for her too.

“thanks, guys,” y/n said, her voice a little steadier now, a bit of her confidence returning. as she turned to walk away, she glanced back at alejandro one more time, his words still echoing in her mind.

“hey, y/n,” he called after her, his voice playful again. “remember our deal.”

y/n couldn’t help but smile at that, rolling her eyes but feeling the weight on her shoulders lighten just a little. “i remember,” she said before jogging back to join her team, her heart still fluttering in her chest.

as she headed toward the locker room, she felt a small surge of confidence growing inside her, like a spark that had been reignited. maybe today would be different. maybe today, she could believe in herself the way alejandro did.

as the match started, alejandro tried to focus on the game, but he couldn’t help but glance over at y/n. she looked sharp, intense, but there was still that vulnerability in her, something that made him want to cheer her on even harder.

gavi leaned in, already smirking. “so… you and y/n, huh?”

alejandro frowned. “what? there’s nothing going on.”

“sure,” fermín chuckled, not convinced. “you canceled plans to be here, man. don’t play dumb.”

“yeah,” lamine joined in, grinning. “and what happened to salma? weren’t you supposed to go out with her? y/n even promised to set you two up.”

at the mention of salma, alejandro blinked. salma. the whole reason y/n had even offered to train with him. but somehow… it didn’t matter anymore. he hadn’t thought about salma in weeks. because all he could think about was y/n.

“salma?” alejandro shrugged, suddenly realizing how little she had crossed his mind. “there’s nothing going on there.”

fermin raised his eyebrow, giving him a knowing look. “nothing? or did y/n make you forget all about her?”

alejandro opened his mouth to argue but found himself pausing. the truth hit him hard, clearer than before. he had forgotten about salma. not on purpose, but because y/n had become something so much more important to him than he’d expected. she was on his mind constantly—the way she trained, the way she talked, the way she quietly doubted herself when no one else did.

y/n moved across the pitch with an elegance that didn’t fit the tension she had been carrying around lately. it was as if the grass was her canvas, and she painted every pass, every run, with deliberate, graceful strokes. the ball seemed to respond to her touch like it was waiting for her command, and alejandro couldn’t tear his eyes away.

he couldn't help but compare her to an artist—delicate yet bold, each movement calculated, yet instinctual. there was something mesmerizing about the way she played, a quiet brilliance she herself didn’t seem to recognize. she wasn’t just a footballer. she was a masterpiece in motion.

how doesn’t she see it? he thought, watching her weave between defenders like it was second nature. the same girl who shyly stuttered through conversations, who avoided eye contact with him like it was a crime, now controlled the pitch with ease.

alejandro felt his chest tighten, and it suddenly hit him. the reason he hadn’t thought about salma—the reason why he had forgotten all about the setup y/n had promised—was because… well, because it was y/n. it was always her. the more time he spent with her, the more he realized just how deep she’d worked her way into his thoughts.

her shyness, her uncertainty, the way she pushed herself despite the weight of expectations crushing her—it all drew him in. maybe it had been a slow realization, but as he sat there, watching her command the field, it hit him all at once.

he was falling for her. falling for the girl who didn’t know how incredible she was. shy, unsure y/n, who he wanted to protect and cheer for all at once. and the worst part? she had no idea.

his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden roar from the crowd. y/n had the ball at her feet, just outside the box, and before anyone could react, she sent a strike flying toward the goal. it was one of those moments where time seemed to slow down, the entire stadium holding its breath. the ball soared through the air, curving just right—and then hit the back of the net with a satisfying thud.

the stadium exploded.

alejandro was on his feet before he even realized it, cheering loudly along with the others. but his gaze remained locked on y/n, whose expression was one of pure shock. she stood there, frozen for a split second, before her teammates mobbed her, piling on in celebration.

and then, that smile.

that bright, beaming smile that lit up her entire face. the one that made the weight she carried seem nonexistent, even if just for a moment. and when it flashed on the jumbotron, bigger than life, alejandro felt his heart stop.

there it was. that was the confirmation he needed.

“you’ve got it bad, don’t you?” fermín teased, leaning in with a smirk.

but alejandro didn’t even respond. he just stared at y/n, grinning like an idiot. yeah, he thought. i’ve got it bad.

after the match, y/n found herself surrounded by a whirlwind of attention. teammates, coaches, staff—everyone was congratulating her, patting her back, telling her how incredible her performance was. it was always like this when you won, when you made a difference. the appreciation, the excitement—it flooded in, and yet, despite the noise around her, the only person she could think about was alejandro.

her eyes scanned the crowd, and when she finally spotted him waiting in the tunnel with fermín, gavi, and lamine, she couldn’t stop herself. the adrenaline from the match still buzzed in her veins, and before she knew it, she was rushing toward him, arms flung around his neck in a tight embrace.

alejandro froze for a moment, completely taken aback. he hadn’t expected that from y/n, especially not in front of all these people. but the surprise melted away quickly, and his arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her close. for a few fleeting seconds, it was just them in their own world.

then, reality hit, and y/n realized what she had just done. she pulled away awkwardly, her face flushed as she glanced around, remembering how it might look. but instead of awkward silence, she was met with playful whistles and teasing from alejandro’s teammates.

as y/n stood there, her heart still racing from both the game and the sudden embrace, she found herself surrounded by alejandro and his friends, all still riding high on the excitement of her goal.

"seriously, that goal? ridiculous." gavi said, shaking his head in disbelief. "i mean, from that distance? you're amazing!"

"we all saw it," fermín added with a smirk. "alejandro nearly jumped out of his seat. thought he was going to start sprinting onto the pitch."

alejandro gave him a playful shove, grinning. "i was just… caught up in the moment, alright?"

y/n laughed softly, her nerves still buzzing. "thanks, guys. but it was just one goal." she shrugged, trying to downplay it, though her smile gave her away.

alejandro tilted his head, giving her a look. "just one goal? nah, that was the goal. you were incredible." his voice was soft yet insistent, and it made y/n’s cheeks flush all over again. he leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping just for her, "i knew you had it in you."

y/n blinked, the words hitting her square in the chest. there was something so genuine, so unshakable in the way he said it, like he had no doubt in his mind. "i… i couldn’t have done it without you," she admitted quietly, looking down at the grass for a moment before glancing up at him. "i guess that means i owe you now."

"you can pay me back by being ready at six," he teased with a grin, nudging her shoulder lightly.

she smiled, rolling her eyes, trying to ignore the way her stomach flipped at his words. "fine, fine. deal’s a deal."

gavi laughed, shaking his head. "you two sound like you’re plotting something."

"yeah, alejandro’s got you working overtime, huh?" fermín teased, crossing his arms with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "what, did he promise to teach you his questionable dance moves if you scored?"

alejandro shot him a look. "at least i have rhytmn. my dance moves are great, thank you very much."

y/n giggled, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. "no questionable dance moves, i promise," she said with a grin. "but we might skip a few drills next time."

"oh, skipping drills, huh? that's dangerous," fermín replied with mock seriousness, waggling his eyebrows. "what else are you two skipping?"

alejandro waved him off with a laugh, but y/n found herself flustered, suddenly aware of the teasing. "nothing like that!" she stammered, glancing between them. "it’s just… he said we could do something fun if i scored."

"oh, we know what fun means," gavi said, grinning wickedly. "don’t worry, we won’t tell salma. i mean, she is on your team, right, y/n?"

the mention of salma hit y/n like a jolt, but before she could say anything, alejandro was already shaking his head, his face serious for once. "what about her?" he said flatly. "there’s nothing going on there."

y/n blinked, caught off guard by how quickly he shut that down. she could see it in his eyes—he wasn’t just saying it for the sake of it. he really… meant it.

"well, if you say so…" gavi trailed off, exchanging glances with fermín and lamine, clearly not buying it.

alejandro cleared his throat, his gaze softening as he turned back to y/n. "anyway, you were incredible out there," he said again, his voice low, meant just for her. "i’m proud of you."

the words hit y/n deep, and she felt a warmth spread through her chest. she wasn’t used to hearing things like that—not from someone like him, someone whose opinion mattered more than she cared to admit.

“thank you,” she whispered, her voice soft but sincere. “really.”

before the moment could stretch on too long, y/n’s coach called her name from across the tunnel, and she turned, realizing she had to head back to the locker room. "i’ve gotta go," she said, biting her lip. "but… thanks again. for everything."

alejandro nodded, his eyes lingering on her for just a second longer. "see you tomorrow, superstar," he said, flashing her that familiar grin.

as y/n walked away, cheeks flushed and heart racing, she couldn’t help but smile at the nickname. she felt lighter, more confident. it wasn’t just the goal that had her feeling this way—it was alejandro. his belief in her.

watching her retreating figure, lamine finally piped up, shaking his head in disbelief. "hermano," he said with wide eyes, "you’re smooth. like, real smooth."

alejandro just shrugged, but his gaze stayed on y/n until she disappeared down the tunnel. "what can i say?" he muttered, half to himself. "she’s special."

he had a feeling this was only the beginning.

y/n spent the entire morning trying—and failing—to focus on anything other than the conversation from the day before. gavi’s teasing about salma, alejandro’s nonchalant expression when the guys brought her up, the way he had just shrugged it off… it played on repeat in her head. she sat on the edge of her bed, holding her phone loosely in her hand, staring blankly at the wall, lost in thought. why did she care so much?

it wasn't like she had feelings for alejandro. she didn’t. he was just a teammate helping her train. right? but as she tried to brush off the thoughts that had been bothering her since yesterday, something kept nagging at the back of her mind. maybe it was the way alejandro had looked at her when he thought no one was paying attention. or maybe it was the teasing from his friends that struck a chord with her. salma. the name echoed in her mind. why did it matter?

she let out a frustrated sigh and stood up, heading to her closet. maybe a distraction would help. she needed to get out of her head. but even as she rifled through her clothes, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from wandering back to alejandro. she paused, pulling a soft grey cardigan from the hanger, her fingers brushing against the fabric as she absentmindedly thought of him. his easygoing charm, that self-assured way he carried himself, the confidence that seemed to ooze from him without even trying. y/n frowned slightly as she pulled on the cardigan over her tank top, pairing it with a flowy maxi skirt that skimmed the floor. alejandro was… well, he was handsome. undeniably so. she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t noticed that from the start. he had that kind of natural good looks that were hard to ignore.

but that wasn’t what kept her thinking about him, was it? it was more than that. it was his kindness. the way he had gone out of his way to help her, even though they barely knew each other. y/n rarely let people in, rarely let herself trust others so easily, and yet… alejandro had this way of making her feel like she could rely on him, like he cared.

she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thoughts swirling around her brain. why does this even matter? she wondered for the hundredth time. it’s not like there’s anything between us. yet, no matter how many times she tried to convince herself of that, something tugged at her, something she couldn’t quite shake. something that made her think about alejandro a little more than she probably should.

just as she finished getting ready, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. she picked it up, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the message from alejandro.

alejandro: ring me up when you’re ready

she stared at the message for a moment, biting her lip. why did even the smallest interactions with him feel like… something more? she quickly sent back a reply, not wanting to overthink it too much.

y/n: i’m coming

she slipped on her shoes, her nerves jittery, though she couldn’t explain why. when she opened the door to find alejandro standing there, her breath hitched in her throat. he was leaning casually against the doorframe, but there was something different about him today. maybe it was the way the sunlight filtered in behind him, casting a golden glow around his figure. or maybe it was the way his smile faltered for just a second when his eyes landed on her, his gaze sweeping over her like he couldn’t help himself.

he blinked, almost like he had been caught off guard. y/n tilted her head, unsure of what to make of his silence. “hi,” she said, her voice soft, waiting for him to respond.

it took him a second longer than usual to gather himself. “hey,” he finally replied, his voice a little too casual as he stepped inside. “sorry, I was… uh, distracted.”

“i could tell,” she teased, closing the door behind him. she didn’t often feel this comfortable with people, but alejandro had this way of making her walls come down, even if just a little.

he gave her a sheepish grin as he looked around her apartment, his eyes sweeping over the cozy space, the framed pictures on the walls, the little touches of her personality in every corner. his gaze landed on a family photo on the coffee table—a picture of y/n with her siblings, all smiling brightly at the camera. alejandro picked it up, studying the image for a moment. “you’ve got a big family,” he commented, setting it back down.

“yeah,” y/n nodded, walking over to stand beside him. “i’m the oldest. my parents and siblings went back home recently, so… it’s just me now.”

“that must be weird,” alejandro said, leaning against the back of her couch. “i can’t imagine being alone all the time. my house is basically chaos 24/7 even with my two brothers.”

y/n smiled, imagining the noise and energy of his family. “yeah, it’s definitely quieter now. but… i like it sometimes. the quiet, i mean. though I do miss the noise too. but… seeing my parents retire and finally get to relax back home? that makes it worth it.”

alejandro found himself watching her as she spoke, the way her eyes softened when she talked about her family, the way her voice carried this quiet strength. he didn’t know why, but he found himself completely drawn to her in a way he hadn’t felt with anyone else. not even salma. the thought of salma seemed so distant now, almost irrelevant.

y/n cleared her throat, pulling him out of his thoughts. “so… what exactly are we doing today?”

a playful grin tugged at the corner of his lips. “it’s a surprise.”

“i don’t do well with surprises,” she warned, though there was a teasing glint in her eyes.

“trust me,” he said, stepping closer, his voice low and sure, like he held the answer to a question she hadn’t even thought to ask. the way he looked at her, a quiet confidence in his eyes, made her breath catch for a moment. it wasn’t just his words; it was something more, something deeper in the way he said them, like a promise.

y/n had always been cautious—trust didn’t come easily to her, not after everything she had learned about people. but with alejandro, things felt… different. she couldn't quite explain it, but from the moment he offered to help her train, something in him had put her at ease. and now, standing here with him, that same feeling settled into her chest, warm and unexpected. she hadn't meant to trust him—hadn't even realized she did, not until this moment. maybe it was his steady presence, the way he made her feel like she didn’t have to carry the weight of everything alone. or maybe it was how he didn’t expect anything from her in return, just… patience, and belief in what she could do.

she wasn’t used to this. to someone like him. but, somehow, she wanted to be.

alejandro was waiting for her response, his eyes soft and unwavering as they met hers. she hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her cardigan, her mind racing for just a second. trusting someone this easily wasn’t her. but here, with him? it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

finally, she let out a small breath and smiled, the corners of her lips lifting as she looked at him, a mix of nerves and something else swirling in her chest. “alright, fine,” she said softly, her voice sincere, “i trust you.”

and she really did.

as the words left her mouth, she realized just how much she meant them. it was strange, unexpected even, but she didn’t doubt it for a second. with alejandro, it felt… easy. maybe that was what scared her most of all.

alejandro’s grin widened, and without another word, he motioned toward the door. “let’s go then.”

as they walked out of her apartment together, y/n felt a strange flutter in her chest. it was subtle, but it was there, growing with every passing moment. she tried to tell herself it was just excitement for the day ahead, but deep down, she knew it was more than that. it was something about the way alejandro made her feel—something that she wasn’t quite ready to admit to herself yet.

meanwhile, alejandro was trying his best to keep his cool, even though his heart was pounding in his chest. he didn’t know exactly when his feelings for y/n had shifted, but they had. the more time he spent with her, the harder it was to ignore. he knew this wasn’t just about helping her train anymore. this was something more. something that scared him and excited him all at once.

the cool evening air brushed y/n's skin as she stepped outside, the sky painted in warm hues of orange and pink. when alejandro had told her they were going out, she hadn’t expected an amusement park. it had been years since she’d been to one, not since she first arrived in spain as a kid. but it was clear from the twinkling lights, the sounds of excited screams, and the colorful rides ahead that this was going to be different.

"you’ve never been here?" y/n asked in disbelief as they walked through the gates of the amusement park. she glanced over at alejandro, who seemed almost too calm for someone about to experience their first visit. “like, ever?”

he chuckled softly, shaking his head. “nope, not once.”

her eyes widened as she processed the revelation. “and you wanted to come for the first time with me?”

alejandro turned his head, meeting her gaze, and flashed that signature grin of his, the one that always seemed to have a little extra meaning behind it. “well, who else would i wanna come with?” he teased, the question lingering in the air.

before she could respond, he reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a light tug as they moved deeper into the park. y/n's heart skipped a beat at the sudden contact, her brain scrambling to catch up. she wasn’t used to this—his touch, his warmth. she’d barely noticed him being so physically close during their training sessions, but now, walking hand in hand, it was impossible to ignore.

her mind raced, trying to figure out if this was just friendly or something more. of course, it had to be friendly, right? alejandro was playful by nature, constantly teasing and messing around, so maybe this was just part of his character.

yet, something was different today. he was still playful, yes, but there was something more intentional about his actions—less of the usual lighthearted shoves and pinches, more… warmth. affection. she could feel it in the way his fingers curled gently around hers.

but y/n, oblivious as ever, chalked it up to her overthinking. she hadn’t been around guys like this much outside of football. in fact, her whole life had been football. there wasn’t much room for anything—or anyone—else.

as they approached the line for a roller coaster, she couldn’t help but glance down at their still-joined hands before looking up at him again. alejandro caught her gaze, and a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"so…" he began casually as they waited. “you don’t have a boyfriend, right? no guy’s gonna be pissed that i’m taking you out like this?”

y/n blinked, caught off guard by the question. she laughed softly, shaking her head. “you have nothing to worry about. i don’t think anyone’s interested.”

her tone was light, joking, but the moment the words left her mouth, alejandro frowned slightly, his grip on her hand tightening just a fraction. “really?” he asked, his voice more serious than before. “you’re y/n. any guy would fall at his knees for you—you just don’t see it.”

his words sent a strange, warm sensation through her chest, making her heart flutter in a way she hadn’t expected. she tried to brush it off with another laugh. “yeah, right. i’ve never even been confessed to,” she admitted, surprising herself with how candid she was being.

alejandro raised a brow, clearly not buying it. “not for lack of trying. you’ve only ever been invested in football—even when we were younger.”

y/n blinked again, surprised by his response. “wait, how do you know that?”

“you remember my friend xavi? he was in la masia with us,” alejandro said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

her brow furrowed as she thought back, nodding slowly. “yeah… he plays in germany now, right?”

alejandro nodded. “that’s the one. he was obsessed with you back then. poor guy would leave sweets in your locker every day, and you never noticed.”

her jaw dropped as the realization hit her. “that was him?” she asked, genuinely shocked. “i thought my coach was just being nice or something.”

alejandro grinned, clearly enjoying her reaction. “yep, that was xavi. he was heartbroken for months when you didn’t acknowledge it.”

“oh my god,” she groaned, running a hand through her hair. “now i feel bad.”

alejandro chuckled, nudging her playfully. “you should.”

she nudged him back, rolling her eyes, but the smile never left her face. “poor xavi.”

“he’d probably die if he saw you here with me right now,” alejandro teased, the corners of his mouth quirking up.

“why’s that?” y/n asked, her tone light, but there was something about the way alejandro looked at her in that moment, something more intense.

he grinned, shrugging nonchalantly. “because i got what he didn’t.”

the words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, y/n wasn’t sure how to respond. they stepped forward in the line, their turn approaching, but the weight of his words lingered in her mind.

alejandro's grip on her hand didn’t falter as they moved closer to the ride, his thumb brushing against her skin absentmindedly. y/n’s heart raced, but she told herself it was just the adrenaline from the amusement park.

at least… that’s what she wanted to believe.

the day had turned into the perfect evening, the sun slowly setting and casting an orange glow over the entire park. y/n had the biggest smile on her face as they walked away from the roller coaster, her energy infectious, but alejandro wasn’t feeling as enthusiastic. his stomach churned, a mix of leftover adrenaline and the fact that he’d never been on a roller coaster that intense before. he’d tried to play it cool at first, but now, as they walked, he could feel his legs slightly unsteady, and his face a bit paler than usual.

y/n, still bouncing from the thrill of the ride, glanced over at him and immediately noticed. without hesitation, she gently grabbed his arm, her touch soft but grounding. “ale, are you okay?” her brows furrowed with concern, her voice light but sincere. “we can leave if you’re not feeling well. honestly, i had a lot of fun already.”

he looked down at her, surprised by the genuine concern in her eyes. even though she had just come off the ride with the biggest smile he’d seen, she was ready to drop it all for him. it made his chest tighten a little—not in the way it did from the roller coaster, but in a way he wasn’t used to. she was caring, gentle, and in that moment, he realized just how much he admired that about her.

but as much as he appreciated her offer, he couldn’t bring himself to cut the day short. she was glowing—so happy, so full of energy. and her smile, god, her smile was enough to make him want to endure ten more roller coasters if it meant seeing it a little longer.

alejandro shook his head, putting on a brave face. “nah, i’ll be fine,” he said, offering her a weak smile. “just need a minute to recover. but maybe we should get something to eat or drink, you know… to help settle everything.”

y/n’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “good idea. let’s find one of those booths! i could definitely go for some churros or something.”

as they walked towards the various food stands, the vibrant sounds of the amusement park buzzing around them, alejandro found himself watching her more than anything else. the way her eyes seemed to light up at each colorful booth, her soft laughter when she saw a child running by with a balloon too big for their small hands—it was all so… mesmerizing. the golden hues of the setting sun only added to the way she seemed to glow, making her look like something out of a dream. and for a moment, he forgot all about the roller coaster and the sick feeling in his stomach.

they stopped at a churros stand first, y/n excitedly ordering for the both of them while alejandro leaned against the counter, still catching his breath. when she handed him a churro, warm and covered in cinnamon sugar, he smiled, feeling a little better already.

“you good?” she asked, taking a bite of her churro and watching him with that same concern she’d shown earlier.

alejandro nodded, taking a bite as well. “yeah, i’m good,” he replied, his voice more stable now. “besides, i couldn't let you eat all these churros alone.”

y/n chuckled, shaking her head. “you’re the one who looks like you might pass out. but seriously, if you need to sit for a while, just let me know.”

he appreciated her concern, but he wasn’t going to let anything ruin the night—especially not after seeing how happy she was. “i’ll be fine, really,” he insisted, his eyes catching hers. “besides, seeing you smile like that made it all worth it.”

her cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment, and she quickly looked away, trying to hide her reaction by taking another bite of churro. but alejandro noticed. of course he noticed.

after they finished their churros and grabbed a couple of drinks from another booth, they continued wandering through the park, passing by a game booth where stuffed animals were displayed as prizes. y/n’s eyes immediately landed on a large, fluffy panda bear, and alejandro noticed the way her gaze lingered just a little longer than usual.

without saying a word, he grinned and walked over to the booth, pulling out a few euros to pay for a turn at the game—a classic basketball shooting game.

“ale, you don’t have to—” y/n started, but he cut her off with a wink.

“watch and learn, y/n,” he said confidently, stepping up to the line and taking the basketball in his hands. the first shot missed. and so did the second.

y/n couldn’t help but giggle from behind him. “you’re gonna have to do better than that if you want that panda.”

“i know, i know,” alejandro muttered, focusing. with a deep breath, he shot the next basketball, and it went straight in. “yes!” he cheered, turning to y/n with a triumphant grin.

the vendor handed him the large panda bear, and y/n’s eyes lit up as he presented it to her.

“here,” he said, holding it out.

y/n reached for it, her face bright with excitement, but alejandro pulled it back at the last second. “actually, it’s for me.”

her expression dropped in mock offense, and she pouted playfully. “what? after all that, you’re keeping it?”

alejandro laughed, watching her pout with amusement. “okay, okay, fine. joint custody, how about that? but just so you know, you can’t take my first child from me.” he said the last part with a teasing grin, handing her the panda at last.

y/n giggled, hugging the stuffed animal tightly. “fine, joint custody it is.”

they continued walking, y/n clutching the panda close, and alejandro couldn’t stop admiring her. everything about her—her laugh, her smile, her playful nature—it was more than he’d ever expected. she was something special. as the sun continued to set, casting a beautiful golden light across the park, he knew that this day would stay with him for a long time.

as they reached the exit, the night beginning to settle in, y/n turned to him, her smile softer now but still just as genuine. “thank you, ale. this was… really fun,” she said, her voice quieter than before. “i didn’t realize how much i needed this.”

he smiled back, feeling his chest warm at her words. “i’m glad you had fun. we’ll have to do it again sometime.”

y/n nodded, her eyes flicking between his. “yeah. i’d like that.”

as they stood there, the sounds of the park fading into the background, alejandro realized just how much he wanted that too. not just the amusement park, but more moments with her. more moments where he could see her smile, hear her laugh, and be the reason behind her happiness.

he didn’t say any of that, though. instead, he simply smiled at her one last time before they parted ways, the stuffed panda still in her arms as she waved goodbye. and as he walked away, his heart racing just a little faster than usual, he couldn’t stop thinking about how much he wanted to see her again.

“damn,” he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “i’m in trouble."

the next day in what was supposed to be a quiet lunch, a moment of peace in an otherwise hectic week. y/n had found a spot in the corner of the cafeteria with her plate of food, hoping for a little downtime. but as soon as salma and vicky lopez slid into the seats across from her, she knew she wouldn’t be getting any solitude.

"so," vicky started, her voice teasing as she leaned forward, eyes glinting with mischief, "we heard a little something about our y/n."

y/n paused, fork midway to her mouth, blinking up at them. "what are you talking about?" she asked cautiously, already suspecting where this was going.

salma smirked, leaning back in her seat as she crossed her arms, her tone playful but filled with curiosity. "don’t play dumb. word on the street is… you went on a date with alejandro balde."

y/n choked on her water, her eyes widening in panic. "it—it wasn’t a date!" she stammered, her face instantly flushing. she shot vicky a glare. "and don’t call me ‘little y/n.’ i’m older than you!"

vicky giggled, raising her hands in mock defense. "yeah, yeah, but you're not denying the date part."

salma leaned in with an amused glint in her eye. "both of you posted the same story at the amusement park. same rides. same sunset in the background. it’s obvious."

y/n felt her face heat up further. "he was just being supportive!" she rushed to explain, looking between them, trying to sound convincing. "he’s been helping me ever since the open practice. that’s all it was. just… support."

vicky grinned, clearly not buying it. "oh really? then why did he show up at our game the other day? i’ve never seen him do that before."

y/n's mind raced for an answer, anything that could brush it off as nothing. "he’s just… being nice. you know, we’ve been spending some time together. it’s not like that."

"mhmm," vicky hummed, her tone dripping with disbelief. "and what about the little make-out session in the tunnel after the game? i saw you two before coach cut you off."

"what?!" y/n squeaked, nearly knocking over her water. "we did not make out!" her voice was high-pitched, filled with embarrassment, as her cheeks burned. "vicky, i swear, we didn’t—"

salma’s eyes widened in mock surprise. "vicky, don’t make her more embarrassed than she already is!" she shot vicky a warning look. "and quit teasing her. go away, let the adults talk."

vicky pouted but obeyed, waving as she stood to go grab something else from the food line. "fine, fine. but this isn’t over, y/n."

once vicky was gone, salma’s expression softened. she leaned across the table, resting her chin in her hand as she studied y/n carefully. "okay, now that she’s gone… how are you really doing?" salma asked, her tone gentle and concerned.

y/n’s throat tightened as she stared at her plate, the food growing cold and untouched in front of her. the weight of salma’s words pressed down on her, but they didn’t do much to soothe the ache that had settled deep in her chest. she chewed on her bottom lip, trying to hold back the surge of emotions threatening to spill over. what was wrong with her? why did she feel like this? like her world was suddenly off-balance, spinning out of control because of someone who had never even shown her romantic interest in the first place.

but still… the thought of alejandro being drawn to someone else—specifically to salma—had a sharp, painful edge to it. it twisted her heart in ways she hadn’t anticipated, ways that felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable. her stomach had bottomed out at the mere idea, and now that she was sitting here, with salma right in front of her, it only amplified the feelings swirling inside her.

she glanced up at salma, guilt tugging at her insides. salma was so beautiful. effortlessly confident. the kind of person people naturally gravitated toward. and for the first time, y/n felt a twinge of envy. there had never been envy between them, never a moment where she had questioned their friendship or felt threatened by it. but now… now, knowing that alejandro might be interested in salma—might prefer her—made y/n feel small, inadequate.

how could she possibly compete with that?

"honestly," y/n began, her voice tight, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, "it’s nothing, salma. i’m not even sure why everyone’s making such a big deal out of this."

salma wasn’t buying it. her expression didn’t change, and her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she could see right through y/n’s flimsy attempt at deflection. "come on, y/n. i’ve known you long enough to know when something’s bothering you." she leaned forward, her voice soft but firm. "this isn’t nothing. you’re not good at hiding things when they’re eating at you, and this is clearly eating at you."

y/n swallowed hard, her gaze dropping back to her plate. she didn’t want to talk about this—didn’t want to feel it. but it was there, like a stone lodged in her chest, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the weight of it was suffocating her.

"i just… i don’t know," y/n muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "it’s all so confusing."

salma didn’t push her. she just waited, her hand still resting on y/n’s, her presence steady and reassuring. it made it harder for y/n to keep pretending, to keep brushing everything off like it was nothing.

and before she knew it, the truth began spilling out, piece by piece.

"he… he likes someone else, salma," y/n said, her voice cracking slightly as she forced the words out. "alejandro… he’s interested in someone else."

the confession hung in the air, heavy and bitter. y/n felt her chest tighten as she said it out loud, the ache spreading deeper, cutting into her with every breath. she didn’t want it to be true, but she had seen the way people looked at salma, the way they talked about alejandro. she had seen the rumors, the whispers, and even if she didn’t want to believe it, some part of her had accepted it as inevitable. of course he would like salma. of course he would choose someone like her.

salma’s expression softened immediately, her gaze filled with concern and understanding. she squeezed y/n’s hand gently, her voice laced with warmth. "oh, y/n… he’s an idiot if that’s true. you’re incredible, you know that, right?"

y/n’s heart clenched, the words washing over her like a balm that didn’t quite reach the wound. she wanted to believe salma, wanted to believe that she was enough, that someone like alejandro could ever see her the way she wished he did. but no matter how hard she tried, that lingering feeling of inadequacy gnawed at her, pulling her back into the darkness of her doubts.

"i just… i don’t know what to do," y/n admitted, her voice shaky as she looked up at salma, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "i’ve never felt like this before. and now, i can’t stop thinking about him. i… i didn’t even realize it until now, but i like him, salma. i really like him. and it’s scary, because i don’t think he feels the same way."

salma’s grip on her hand tightened, her expression fierce and protective. "y/n, listen to me. alejandro would be lucky to have you. he’s probably too blind to see it right now, but that’s his loss, not yours."

y/n looked down at her unfinished plate, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the napkin. lucky. the word felt foreign, like it didn’t belong to her. how could alejandro ever be lucky to have her when she felt so small in comparison to someone like salma?

"but what if he doesn’t like me that way?" y/n whispered, her voice barely audible. "what if… what if i’m just not what he’s looking for?"

salma shook her head firmly, her gaze unwavering. "you’re enough, y/n. more than enough. and if alejandro can’t see that, then that’s on him. but trust me—there’s no one like you. you’re strong, you’re talented, and you’ve got a heart bigger than anyone i know. and if alejandro can’t see that? then he’s not worth it."

y/n blinked back tears, her throat burning as she tried to hold herself together. salma’s words were kind, and they meant everything—but they didn’t change the sinking feeling in her stomach, the fear that no matter what she did, she would never be enough for someone like alejandro.

and that hurt more than anything.

salma's expression softened even more as she leaned closer, reaching across the table to grab y/n’s hand. "oh, y/n… he’s an idiot if that’s true. you’re incredible, you know that, right?" salma’s voice was firm but filled with warmth. "you’re beautiful inside and out, and any guy would be lucky to have you. alejandro included."

y/n bit her lip, trying to fight back the sting of tears that threatened to well up. she knew salma was trying to comfort her, but the truth was, it just hurt. because now, as she sat there, she realized something else—something she’d been trying to avoid this whole time.

she liked him.

and it hurt.

she liked alejandro more than she wanted to admit, and knowing that he might be interested in someone else made it feel like her heart was being crushed in her chest. how could she have let this happen? she hadn’t even noticed how her feelings had developed, hadn’t realized until now just how much he’d started to mean to her.

but it was too late.

"thank you," y/n whispered, squeezing salma’s hand. "i just… i don’t know what to do."

salma gave her a small, sympathetic smile. "you don’t have to do anything right now, y/n. take your time, figure things out. but whatever happens, remember that you’re amazing. anyone with half a brain can see that."

y/n tried to smile, but it wavered. she nodded, taking a deep breath and trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside her. "i’ll try."

as lunch went on, y/n’s thoughts were still in turmoil. she couldn’t shake the realization, couldn’t ignore the way her chest ached at the thought of alejandro with someone else—of him with salma, who was everything y/n wished she could be.

but now, there was no turning back. she had to figure out what to do with these feelings, and she had no idea where to start.

alejandro stood outside the dining hall, his heart racing with excitement for the upcoming training session. he had been looking forward to spending time with y/n ever since they’d gone to the amusement park together. it felt different now, as if they were building something special. he smiled to himself, picturing her laughter echoing through the park, the way her face lit up on the roller coaster.

but as y/n walked out, flanked by salma, his smile faltered. something was off. her shoulders were slumped, her gaze focused on the ground as she approached. the bright, carefree y/n he had come to adore seemed dimmed, replaced by a shadow of sadness. salma gave him a sideways glance, her eyes narrowed as if she was reading a situation he couldn’t quite grasp. he frowned, genuinely confused.

“hey, y/n!” he called out, stepping forward, his enthusiasm faltering. “you ready for our session?”

y/n looked up, and for a moment, their eyes locked. he searched her gaze for the spark he loved, but it was clouded with something heavy. “uh, hey, alejandro,” she replied, her voice softer than usual. “actually… I think I need to cancel today. I’m not feeling well.”

the words hit him like a cold splash of water. “not feeling well?” he echoed, concern flooding his chest. “what do you mean? is it something serious? did you eat something bad?”

salma crossed her arms, watching the exchange closely, her expression unreadable. alejandro glanced at her but quickly turned back to y/n, his brow furrowing. “you looked fine just a minute ago. are you sure you don’t want to just—”

“no, really. I’m fine,” y/n interjected, a hint of impatience creeping into her tone. “it’s just… it’s been a long week, and I think I need a little time to rest.”

alejandro felt a pang of disappointment wash over him, mixed with worry. he hated seeing her upset, especially when he couldn’t pinpoint why. “but we had this session planned. I was looking forward to it. I thought we could work on some new drills, maybe even grab some food afterward.”

she hesitated, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “I know, but I just… I really can’t today. I hope you understand.”

his heart sank further, a tightness forming in his chest. “yeah, I understand. but—”

“let her be, alejandro,” salma cut in sharply, a knowing look on her face. “if she says she’s not feeling well, you should respect that.”

alejandro’s confusion deepened, but he nodded, not wanting to press further. “okay, I get it. I just hope you feel better soon, y/n.” he tried to keep his tone light, but the disappointment crept in anyway.

y/n offered a faint smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “thanks, ale. I appreciate it. really.”

with that, y/n turned to leave, her footsteps heavy as she walked away. alejandro watched her go, feeling a mix of concern and frustration churning in his stomach. “what was that about?” he asked salma, trying to understand what had just happened.

salma shrugged, her expression softening as she glanced at y/n’s retreating figure. “she’s just going through something right now, alejandro. you should give her some space.”

“but why?” he pressed, his brow furrowed in genuine worry. “I just want to help her. I thought we were making progress together.”

“you’ll figure it out. just give her time,” salma replied, her tone more soothing now. “she needs to process things, and pushing won’t help.”

he let out a frustrated sigh, feeling helpless as he watched y/n disappear around the corner. he had thought their connection was growing stronger, but now he felt more distant than ever. “I just don’t get it,” he murmured, turning back to salma. “it’s like she’s closing off.”

salma gave him a reassuring smile. “you’ll figure it out, trust me. just be patient with her. it’s not always easy for people to open up.”

he nodded slowly, determined to be there for y/n when she was ready. deep down, he hoped that whatever was bothering her would fade, and she would return to the bright, spirited girl he had come to admire so much.

the days turned into a blur of practices and matches, each one a stark reminder of the void y/n had created between herself and alejandro. the cancelled sessions piled up like a heavy weight on his chest, and with each passing moment, he felt more and more helpless. he attended the barça femení matches, cheering for his friends from the stands, but y/n barely acknowledged him. it was as if she was trapped in her own world, her mind distant and unfocused.

alejandro hadn’t seen her in days.

what had started with one canceled training session, then another, had quickly spiraled into complete radio silence. at first, he thought maybe y/n was busy with extra practice or commitments to the women’s team. but then, when she started pulling away more, ignoring his texts and hardly giving him a second glance when they crossed paths at the facility, something didn’t sit right.

he still showed up to the barça femení matches, always with his friends, sitting in the stands where he had the perfect view of her on the pitch. but lately, y/n looked like a shadow of the player he knew her to be. the intensity she was famous for—the drive, the sharpness, the almost effortless way she danced past defenders—it was missing. instead, she seemed distracted, her movements more hesitant, her mind clearly somewhere else. game after game, he watched her get subbed off early, well before the final whistle, her head down as she made her way to the bench. it was heartbreaking to see her like that, so disconnected from the game that she loved.

and the worst part was that she wouldn’t let him in.

no matter how much he tried to reach out, no matter how many times he sought her out after matches or at the facility, she seemed to slip through his fingers every time, like she was avoiding him on purpose. and maybe she was.

he didn’t understand. everything had been fine, hadn’t it? their sessions, the way they clicked—he’d been so sure that she felt the same spark he did. but now she was nowhere to be found, and it was driving him crazy.

he was going to figure it out, though. he had to. if she wasn’t going to talk to him, he would find a way to fix it, to get things back to how they were. he couldn’t stand watching her fade away like this.

so when he finally spotted her later that week, sitting at the facility’s outdoor seating area, a spark of hope flickered inside him. his pace quickened, relief flooding his chest at the thought of finally being able to talk to her, maybe even convince her to train with him again, anything to break through this wall she’d put up between them.

but that spark was quickly extinguished when he saw who she was sitting with—ansu fati. his best friend.

alejandro stopped in his tracks, watching from a distance as y/n laughed at something ansu said, her smile wide and genuine in a way he hadn’t seen in weeks. they were sitting close—too close—their heads bent toward each other in what looked like a private, intimate conversation. y/n’s whole demeanor seemed lighter, more relaxed than he’d seen her in a while.

and something about the way they were together—it didn’t sit right with him. since when did y/n and ansu hang out? he thought back, realizing that she had always been close with ansu, but it never occurred to him that they might be… that close. she never got on with any of the other boys from la masia quite like she did with ansu.

he couldn’t hear the words, but the sight of them sitting so closely together ignited a fire of insecurity within him.

a sick, twisting feeling curled in alejandro’s stomach as he stood there, frozen, watching them. was that why she had been avoiding him? was it because of ansu?

he knew that ansu and y/n shared some common ground. they both had experienced media scrutiny at a young age, both forced to carry the weight of expectations that would’ve been too much for anyone. y/n had always admired ansu for the way he handled it all, and it seemed like they had bonded over that shared experience.

but still… this?

he watched as y/n leaned in closer to ansu, the two of them seemingly deep in conversation. what were they talking about? alejandro couldn’t hear them from where he stood, but his mind started to race with assumptions, jumping to the worst possible conclusion.

ansu was back from his loan, and now, here they were, chatting away, smiling at each other like they were in their own little world. y/n had canceled all their sessions with him, barely acknowledged him during her matches, and now, here she was, spending time with ansu like nothing was wrong.

alejandro’s chest tightened with jealousy. his mind played back every memory he had of them together—every moment where y/n had seemed distant, every time she had avoided his eyes, every time he had tried to reach out and she had pulled away. had she been pulling away from him to be with ansu?

he couldn’t hear their conversation, but in his mind, it was already filled with the worst-case scenario. he imagined them talking about anything but him, about ansu’s return, about how much they had missed each other. he could practically see y/n falling for his best friend right in front of his eyes. and what if ansu liked her back?

his fists clenched at his sides as he took a step back, willing himself to look away. but he couldn’t. instead, he stood there, rooted to the spot as he watched them.

what he didn’t know was that their conversation was about him.

“ale is my best friend,” ansu was saying, his voice sincere. “i’ve known him for years. he’s like a brother to me. and y/n, i can tell you—he’s crazy about you.”

y/n shook her head, her smile fading slightly. “no, he’s not, ansu. he… he agreed to train with me because of salma. everyone knows that.”

ansu raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “oh, come on. maybe it started like that, but i promise you—alejandro doesn’t care about salma. if anything, that was a childish crush that meant nothing. he likes you, y/n.”

y/n blinked, surprised by the certainty in ansu’s voice. “are you sure?”

ansu nodded. “trust me. i’ve known him long enough to know. ale is a good guy, and he likes you a lot. you don’t have to worry about salma.”

y/n bit her lip, her mind whirling with thoughts. it was hard to believe, but something about ansu’s words made her feel a tiny bit better. maybe she had been wrong about alejandro all along. maybe all those times she thought he was pulling away, he had actually been trying to get closer.

as their conversation wound down, ansu reached out and gave y/n a gentle hug, offering her the comfort she hadn’t realized she needed. she hugged him back, feeling lighter than she had in weeks.

but from where alejandro was standing, the sight of them hugging was the final blow.

he couldn’t take it anymore.

the jealousy that had been simmering in his chest now boiled over, consuming him entirely. he clenched his jaw, his heart pounding in his ears as he turned away, his stomach churning with the thought of y/n choosing ansu over him.

he didn’t want to see any more. he didn’t need to see any more.

she had made her choice.

alejandro was already feeling on edge when he arrived at the barça femení match that day. he and ansu had come together, something ale had suggested with a plan in mind. after days of being brushed off by y/n, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something had shifted between them. ansu, on the other hand, was all smiles and seemed more than eager to join him. alejandro told himself it was just so he could see what was really going on, but the knot in his stomach only grew tighter.

as they settled into their seats near the sidelines, alejandro spotted y/n out of the corner of his eye. she was warming up, the sun casting a golden glow across the field. she looked radiant, confident—so different from how she’d been acting around him lately. just seeing her smile made his heart clench.

but then it happened. y/n jogged over to the sideline, her eyes lighting up when she spotted ansu. alejandro’s heart sank as he watched her approach with none of the hesitance she’d shown around him lately. she didn’t flinch or avoid eye contact like she had been doing with ale, no awkwardness or strained silences. instead, she gave ansu the biggest, most genuine smile, and then… she hugged him. and not just a quick, polite hug either. she lingered for a moment, as though they were old friends, completely comfortable around each other.

"look at our star!" ansu called, his voice filled with playful pride. "you look good out there, y/n. i’m starting to think maybe you’d run circles around me."

y/n laughed, wiping the sweat from her brow as she stopped in front of him. "oh, come on, ansu. you know i'd leave you in the dust."

ansu put a hand to his chest dramatically. "you wound me. i am absolutely shattered." then, with a mischievous glint in his eye, he leaned in just a little. "but for you, i’d let it happen. gotta keep my pride intact somehow."

she playfully pushed him. "don't let me boost your ego any more than it already is."

"not as much as you, though," ansu retorted, leaning back against the barrier with a relaxed posture. "i saw you out there. making it look easy. is that what you do to the men’s team during joint practice too? i have to come back and teach you how it's done like before"

y/n smirked. "maybe i’m saving it for you next time we run drills together."

alejandro, standing just a few feet away, watched the interaction with a heavy feeling in his chest. he wasn’t close enough to hear every word, but the way y/n laughed, the way ansu leaned in a little too casually, and how natural their banter seemed… it made his stomach churn. the familiar tug of jealousy tightened around him, suffocating. he couldn’t help but overanalyze every movement, every glance between them.

ansu wasn’t making it any easier, leaning toward y/n with an easygoing charm that seemed too smooth for ale’s liking. he crossed his arms tightly, watching them with narrowed eyes as y/n tilted her head back and laughed at something ansu said.

alejandro felt his chest tighten as he sat there, forced to watch the scene unfold. why didn’t she ever look at me like that anymore? he thought bitterly. what did ansu have that he didn’t?

he tried to focus on anything but them, but his eyes kept drifting back, watching the way y/n and ansu seemed to click so effortlessly. they were laughing, their banter easy and flowing, like they’d known each other forever. it didn’t help that ansu nudged y/n’s shoulder playfully, drawing another laugh from her that sent ale’s heart into a spiral. the kind of laugh she used to give him. the kind of ease they used to share before everything started to feel so complicated.

then, as if it couldn’t get any worse, ansu turned slightly, catching alejandro’s eye with a knowing smile. “hey, y/n,” he called over, nudging her once more in ale’s direction. “don’t forget about this guy over here.”

y/n glanced over her shoulder at alejandro, her expression shifting ever so slightly. she gave him a quick, rushed smile. “oh, hey, ale,” she said, her tone casual—too casual—and then, just as quickly, she was back to talking with ansu. “well, I’ll see you both later, I’ve gotta get back on the pitch.”

alejandro barely had time to process the brief exchange before she was jogging back out onto the field, the sound of ansu’s easy laughter still ringing in his ears. it felt like someone had poured cold water over him. the wave of jealousy that surged through his veins was suffocating.

as soon as y/n was gone, lamine and fermín, who were sitting nearby, noticed his silence. it didn’t take long for them to start teasing him, completely unaware of the jealousy simmering beneath the surface.

“germano, what’s going on?” fermín said with a grin. “seems y/n likes ansu more than you”

lamine, never one to hold back, chimed in with a playful jab. “they do make sense, don’t they? i mean, look at them. they’re so cute”

alejandro’s fists clenched at his sides, the teasing only fueling the frustration that had been building up inside him all week. “shut up,” he muttered, unable to hide the irritation in his voice. he hated how easily the words affected him, how much it hurt to think that maybe… maybe y/n did prefer ansu over him.

his friends laughed, clearly thinking it was all a joke, but alejandro wasn’t in the mood. he stood up abruptly, leaving the others behind as he stormed off. he couldn’t sit there any longer, not when all he could think about was how ansu seemed to be the one making y/n smile now.

as he walked away, his jaw clenched, all he could feel was the bitter sting of envy. i should be the one she laughs with, the one she’s comfortable around, he thought angrily. what the hell happened between us?

despite his anger and frustration, alejandro couldn’t bring himself to leave the stadium entirely. he found himself lingering near one of the exits, far enough away to avoid his friends’ teasing, but close enough to keep an eye on the match. he didn’t want to miss y/n’s performance, even though every second of it was torture. watching her play, watching her shine, knowing that he wasn’t the one who put that smile on her face anymore—it hurt more than he could put into words.

and then, in the final minutes of the match, y/n delivered a perfect assist, setting up her teammate for the game-winning goal. the stadium erupted in cheers, and alejandro’s heart swelled with pride, despite everything. she was incredible, as always. but even that small moment of joy was overshadowed by the gnawing pain in his chest.

he should be the one she celebrated with. the one she ran to after a win. but now, it felt like she was slipping through his fingers, and he had no idea how to stop it.

as the final whistle blew and the match ended, alejandro turned and walked away, not even staying to congratulate her. it didn’t matter that she’d won the game. all he could think about was how he was losing her, little by little, and he didn’t know how to fix it.

alejandro was in a mood. a very petty mood.

he sat across from lamine, arms crossed, lips pursed, staring daggers at the empty seat across the table where ansu usually sat. lamine looked between alejandro and ansu, who was standing by the door, clearly confused as to why his best friend was acting like this.

“bro, what’s wrong with you?” lamine asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

alejandro didn’t answer him directly, though. instead, he kept his arms crossed even tighter and said, “tell ansu i’m not talking to him.”

lamine blinked, bewildered. “uh… ansu, ale says he’s not talking to you.”

ansu raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the doorframe. “what are we? twelve? why aren’t you talking to me?”

alejandro looked away dramatically, muttering under his breath. "tell him he knows why."

lamine, clearly done with this middle-man business, sighed and relayed the message. “ale says you know why.”

ansu groaned. “come on, hermano. what did i do this time?”

alejandro's eyes flickered with irritation as he turned to face ansu directly. "you really don't know? really?"

ansu raised his hands in surrender, confused. “no, man. enlighten me.”

alejandro stood up suddenly, pushing his chair back a little too aggressively, and walked over to stand in front of ansu. “you’re trying to steal y/n.”

ansu blinked, then blinked again. “steal? steal what? what are you even on about?”

"you know exactly what i’m talking about!" alejandro snapped, eyes narrowed. "you come back from loan, and suddenly y/n is canceling our training sessions. then i catch you two flirting not once, but twice. twice, ansu!"

lamine, clearly invested in the drama now, let out a quiet "ooooh" and looked between them like he was watching a telenovela.

ansu, however, was just beyond confused. "flirting? with y/n?" he started laughing, holding his stomach as he leaned against the wall for support. “bro, you’re out of your mind.”

alejandro's face turned redder. "this isn't funny, ansu! i saw you yesterday at the game, and then the day before in the common area. you're all up in her space, laughing and smiling. it’s obvious!"

ansu laughed even harder, which only made alejandro more upset. “hermano, you’ve got it all wrong. i was literally talking to her about you.”

alejandro blinked, thrown off guard for a second. “…about me?”

ansu nodded, wiping a tear from his eye from laughing so hard. “yes, you, dumbass. she thought you weren’t interested in her! she was all down about it.”

lamine leaned forward. "oooh, plot twist."

alejandro’s eyebrows furrowed as the realization slowly sunk in. “wait, she thought i wasn’t interested?”

ansu nodded, still chuckling. “yeah, man. come on, i’d never do that to you. y/n and i have known each other for ages. if we were gonna be a thing, it would’ve happened already. you’re the one she’s interested in.”

alejandro ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “how could she not know i’m interested? i mean, i’ve been… you know, obvious.”

ansu gave him a look. “obvious? bro, you’re only obvious when you’re on the pitch. when it comes to girls? you’re clueless.”

alejandro frowned. “i’m not clueless!”

lamine snorted. “you kinda are, bro.”

ansu shrugged. “listen, man. y/n’s whole life has been football. she’s not the best at understanding feelings, especially when it comes to guys. but trust me, she likes you, hermano. she’s just… y/n. she needs a little push.”

alejandro stared at the ground, chewing on his bottom lip as he processed everything. “so… she likes me?”

“yes, idiot,” ansu said, shaking his head fondly. “she likes you. you just need to actually, you know, talk to her instead of accusing me of stealing her.”

alejandro groaned, rubbing his face. “okay, fine. maybe i overreacted.”

lamine raised his hand. “you definitely overreacted.”

alejandro pointed at him. “no one asked you.”

ansu laughed again, slapping alejandro on the back. “look, just talk to her. clear the air. and maybe stop giving me death stares when i’m just being friendly.”

alejandro grumbled. “fine. but you were being a little too friendly, though.”

ansu rolled his eyes. “oh, shut up, ale. she’s yours. now go make it right.”

alejandro nodded, determination settling in. he was going to fix this. no more petty jealousy, no more miscommunication. it was time to let y/n know how he really felt.

and maybe… just maybe… he'd stop giving ansu the silent treatment too.

alejandro's phone buzzed, lighting up with y/n’s name across the screen. his heart leapt into his throat as he hurriedly unlocked it, eyes skimming the message.

hey. i’ve been thinking, and i don’t think it’s fair to keep dodging you when you’ve been the one constantly reaching out. i want to talk. can you come to the training grounds?

he didn't even finish reading the rest of the text before he was on his feet, fumbling for his keys. his mind raced as he grabbed his bag, heading out the door in a rush. it was his day off, but who cared about that when y/n was finally reaching out to him? he practically sprinted to the facility, thoughts swirling in his head, heart pounding in his chest.

by the time he arrived, he was breathless, eyes scanning the pitch until he spotted her pacing back and forth along the sideline. the sight of her, the way she nervously tugged at the sleeves of her training top, made his heart ache. he could see how anxious she was, and it only made him more desperate to be by her side.

“y/n!” he called, jogging over to her.

she froze at the sound of his voice, turning toward him slowly, her expression a mixture of relief and nerves. when their eyes met, the awkwardness hit full force, both of them standing there for a moment in silence, unsure how to start.

“hey,” she finally said, her voice soft.

alejandro smiled, but it was hesitant, unsure. “hey.”

the awkward tension between them hung in the air, thick and suffocating. y/n shifted from foot to foot, chewing on her bottom lip as she tried to find the words.

"i’ve been... avoiding this conversation for a while,” she began, her voice low, unsure. “and that’s not fair to you. you’ve been trying so hard to reach out, and i haven’t made it easy. i’m sorry.”

alejandro wanted to say something, anything, but he stayed quiet, letting her speak.

“i’ve been going through a rough time,” y/n continued, glancing down at her hands. “the last year... i was extremely depressed. i was scared. scared that my form had peaked, that i’d never be the player i once was. that the club would move on from me, and i’d be left behind. all those uncertainties... they were killing me.”

her voice wavered, but she pressed on. “but then... that day during the joint practice... you showed me so much kindness, ale. so much grace. more than i had felt in a really long time. it made me want to train with you. because when i was around you, i felt confident. i felt like maybe... just maybe... i could be that player again. you made me believe in myself.”

alejandro's heart clenched at her words, and he opened his mouth to respond, but she held up a hand, stopping him.

“please,” she said, her voice almost pleading. “let me finish before i lose my nerve.”

he nodded silently, urging her to continue.

“i’ve never had a real crush,” she admitted, her eyes locking onto his. “maybe because of football or... maybe because i just never imagined myself in a relationship. but with you... you made me start to think about those possibilities. and that terrified me.”

her voice dropped lower. “that’s why i’ve been avoiding you. i’m not like salma. i’m not confident, not sure of myself the way you both are. but being around you, ale... it made me happy. you made me happy. and i fell for you. but i also know you like salma, and... i’m okay with upholding our deal. i just... i needed to get it off my chest.”

she looked down at the ground, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her jersey. “i’m sorry if that makes things awkward between us. i just—”

“stop,” alejandro interrupted, his voice soft but firm.

y/n’s head snapped up in surprise. “what?”

without another word, alejandro stepped forward, gently cupping her face in his hands. his eyes searched hers for just a moment, and then, before she could react, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

it was her first kiss, and she froze, completely caught off guard. but alejandro didn’t rush her. he waited, the same patience he’d always shown her, giving her time to process what was happening. and then, slowly, she kissed him back.

the kiss was soft, tentative at first, but as they stood there, in the middle of the field, it deepened. when they finally pulled away, they were both breathless, eyes locked.

alejandro smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “my beautifully stupid y/n.”

y/n narrowed her eyes, playfully shoving him back. “hey!”

alejandro's heart was pounding in his chest as he looked at y/n. her confession had poured out so raw, so unexpectedly, and it left him breathless. he stood there, trying to take it all in, but there was no way he could just let her keep thinking he wanted someone else—especially not salma.

he let out a shaky breath, the weight of everything pressing down on him as he looked at her, still so surprised, so vulnerable. the air between them felt thick with unspoken words, and he couldn’t let this moment pass without clearing the air.

"y/n…" he began, his voice low, soft. "you’ve got this all wrong."

y/n blinked up at him, confusion washing over her face. "w-what do you mean?"

alejandro took a step closer, the space between them disappearing as he gently cradled her face in his hands. “it’s never been about salma, okay? never.”

her brow furrowed, her eyes searching his for the truth. "but… i thought—"

he cut her off, his thumb gently brushing her cheek. "the only reason anyone thought i liked salma was because of some stupid rumor that fermín probably started for a laugh. but the feelings i have for you, y/n… they’re nothing like whatever childish crush people thought i had on her."

y/n looked up at him, her lips slightly parted in shock. alejandro felt his heart race, beating faster as he saw the emotions flicker across her face—confusion, disbelief, hope.

“you’re the one i’ve been thinking about, y/n. not salma,” he said, his voice firm yet tender. “god, it’s you i’ve been falling for this whole time.”

her eyes softened, but she still seemed hesitant. "but i thought… i thought you and salma were…"

alejandro shook his head quickly. “i swear, it was never her. it was you. it's always been you.”

he let his hand slide down from her cheek, taking her smaller one in his and squeezing it gently. "you have no idea how much i've been holding back around you. from the very first time i saw you play, i was in awe. you’ve always stood out to me. the way you move, the way you think, the way you are… it’s impossible not to notice. it’s impossible not to feel something."

his voice wavered slightly, the flood of emotions finally catching up to him. "i tried so hard to keep it under control, to be patient. because i know you're new to this. i know you’ve been so focused on football, and you’ve got this pressure weighing you down. but i can’t—i won’t—pretend anymore.”

y/n’s breath hitched as she stared up at him, her eyes wide and glistening.

“you’re the strongest person i know," he continued, his words softening as his thumb traced circles against her knuckles. "you’ve been dealing with all this self-doubt, but y/n, you don’t see yourself the way i do. you don’t see how incredible you are. you make me laugh like no one else does. you make me care more about everything. when you’re around, i feel like i can do anything… because you’re there, right beside me."

his words were pouring out now, raw and unfiltered. “i’ve fallen for everything about you. the way you push yourself even when you’re scared. the way you care about others, but don’t always let yourself be cared for. the way you’re unsure about so much, yet so determined at the same time. you drive me crazy, y/n.”

she bit her lip, the emotions overwhelming her, and alejandro’s heart clenched at how vulnerable she looked.

“and look, i know you’re scared,” he said gently, his hand still holding hers. “i know you don’t feel confident, like salma or anyone else, but y/n, that’s not what matters to me. you matter. you, with all your insecurities, with all your questions and doubts… i fell for you. not the version of you that everyone else sees, but the real you.”

he paused, taking in the way her gaze softened, her lips slightly trembling.

“i want you, y/n. not salma, not anyone else. you.”

she stood there, stunned, her emotions all over her face as she stared at him. he could see the battle going on inside her—the disbelief, the uncertainty, the fear… but also the hope. the yearning.

and before she could say anything, before she could retreat back into her shell, alejandro leaned in again, closing the distance between them. his lips met hers for the second time, and this time, she wasn’t frozen. this time, she kissed him back, slow and tender, her hand lifting to cup the back of his neck.

the kiss felt like the answer to everything that had been left unsaid between them. it wasn’t rushed; it wasn’t desperate. it was gentle, filled with the patience alejandro had always shown her, filled with the understanding that this was something neither of them could have prepared for.

when they finally pulled away, her forehead resting against his, y/n let out a shaky breath.

“ale,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

he smiled, brushing his nose against hers. “i meant every word.”

she was quiet for a moment, processing, and then she let out a small laugh. “i don’t… i don’t know what to say.”

he chuckled, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer. “you don’t have to say anything. just… don’t avoid me again, okay? if you’re struggling, if you’re doubting yourself… talk to me. i want to be there for you. i want to help you.”

y/n swallowed hard, nodding as she looked up at him. “i’m sorry. i just… i was scared.”

“i know,” alejandro murmured, kissing her forehead softly. “but you don’t have to be scared with me.”

her lips curved into a small smile, and she leaned into his chest, resting her head against him. for a moment, everything was quiet, peaceful.

but then, alejandro broke the silence, his voice teasing. “you know… you almost made me fight my best friend for you.”

y/n pulled back, blinking in confusion. “wait… what?”

he grinned sheepishly. “ansu. i thought you were flirting with him, and that you wanted to be with him.”

y/n stared at him, completely dumbfounded. “are you serious? ansu?”

alejandro pouted, crossing his arms. “it’s not funny! i was burning with jealousy, y/n. poor lamine had to deal with me all week.”

and then y/n laughed. like, full-on hysterical laughter. she doubled over, clutching her stomach as the realization hit her, her laughter echoing across the empty training pitch.

“it’s not funny!” alejandro insisted, his face heating up as he tried to maintain his dignity.

“oh my god, ale…” y/n managed to say between giggles, wiping the tears from her eyes. “ansu and me? that’s ridiculous! i’ve known him way too long for that to ever happen.”

alejandro huffed, still pouting. “well, what about me?”

y/n’s laughter faded into a smile, her eyes softening as she looked up at him. “you’re different.”

alejandro’s pout disappeared, replaced by a smug grin. “i like the sound of that.”

there was a pause, and then y/n, still smiling, asked teasingly, “so… is this the part where you ask me to be your girlfriend?”

alejandro pretended to think about it, tapping his chin dramatically. “hmm… i’ll think about it.”

before y/n could protest, he started to walk away, but she wasn’t having any of that.

“alejandro!” she yelled, launching herself at his back.

they both tumbled to the grass, laughing as they wrestled, rolling across the field. they ended up throwing grass at each other, the tension that had weighed them down for so long finally gone. it felt light, carefree, like they had finally found their way back to each other.

as they lay there side by side, staring up at the sky, alejandro reached over, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently. “you know… this wasn’t exactly how i imagined this going,” he said with a soft chuckle.

y/n turned her head to look at him, her eyes shining with happiness. “no?”

“no,” he admitted, smiling. “but i wouldn’t change it for the world.”

© PDRIESTA 2024