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emma-nation · 4 years ago

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The Devil In I - Bela x OC (Resident Evil Village AU)

“Step inside, see the Devil in I”

Summary: Aleena Novak is a 19 years old orphan who desired more than living in a village in the middle of nowhere. A talented artist with a big future ahead, she gets the scholarship of her dreams in United States. But everything changes when her twin brother, Auryk, steals an important artifact from Castle Dimitrescu.

In this adventure, Aleena will find way more than she expected.

“You’ll realize I’m not your Devil anymore”

Pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x OC

Genre: Between T and M (Trigger warning for violence, blood, abuse and eventual smut)

Tag List: @nydeiri

Notes: This is my first RES fic, so I'm sorry if I mess it up a bit. English is also not my main language, so a mistake or two may happen. I hope you enjoy it :)

Trigger Warning: Language, abuse, blood and violence.

Eastern Europe - July, 2009

"If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?"

Mother closed the book, placing it on the bedside table between Auryk's bed and mine. Then, she lowered herself and kissed my forehead like she did every night. Her long, blonde hair tickled my face and left a trace of her sweet lavender fragrance in the air. I giggled.

"Good night, sweetheart," she spoke.

"Good night, momma."

"Cherish your last night as a six years old. Tomorrow you will become a..."

"Princess?!"

"A seven years old girl. The prettiest girl in the village."

"Pffft," Auryk let out a displeased grunt from his bed, covering his head with the pillow to avoid listening another word from the conversation.

"And you too," mother sat by his side on the bed and repeated her nightly ritual of kissing his forehead to wish him a good night too. "You'll become the most handsome and brave warrior in this village. Do you understand?"

"I hope so. Good night, mom."

"Good night, buddy."

Mother left the room, leaving us both in the dark. However, we couldn't sleep. Not because we were thrilled about our incoming birthday party as any regular child, but because we knew our lives were about to change. Seven years old was the age every child from our village was introduced to the truth and started being trained to fight the evil that haunted our lands. Auryk and I spent minutes, or maybe hours, in silence, staring at the ceiling.

"Leena?" He was the first one to speak. "Do you believe a spell can broken? I mean, like a curse?"

"I don't know, Ryk," I answered, feeling my thoughts starting to drift away. "Maybe we're doomed after all. Or... we could learn how to love the beasts."

The birthday parties always happened during the daytime, rules of the village. We could no longer be outside after 6 PM. Mother got help from the other women to prepare the treats and organize the decorations. Auryk was disguised as a pirate and I... I was Belle, from the Beauty and the Beast.

"So, what do you think you will be getting this year?" My best friend Elena asked while we were playing with our dolls. She was about two years older than us.

"I don't know," I shrugged. Being a merchant, my father always returned home with the most unusual gifts: a magical music box, a voodoo doll that had a life on its own or a fragrance that chased away the monsters - and everybody else too. "A new book. I'm hoping for a new book."

It was only by the end of the party Adrian Novak made his entrance. That was the mystery about him. Nobody knew when he would show up, or if he would show up at all. He still had that same annoying smirk on his face. The corner of his mouth holding a cigarette. The months away made his beard grow longer, as well as his dark hair. In the sunlight, the scar above his eye was even more visible.

"Auryk," he shouted, "come here, son. I've got something for ya."

My twin brother, who had been climbing trees with his friends stop frozen in spot for a second. I couldn't tell if he hated or feared that man. Maybe both. He slowly followed father's command, approaching him cautiously.

"Hi, dad."

"Happy birthday, son," father ruffled his dark straight hair with his strong and calloused hand. "It's about time you grow up."

He handed my brother a large package. From our experience, we knew exactly what it was, a shotgun.

"T-Thank you, dad."

"I'll be spending some time at home. Tomorrow we'll start practicing."

Auryk consented. He shot me a quick glance. From our twin bond I could tell my brother was far from happy. When he blew his candles that afternoon, he didn't wish for a weapon. We wished to be a normal child.

"What did you get, Leena?" He asked once we were locked in the safety of our bedroom.

"Pencils and a drawing book. Dad thinks I'm talented."

Not really. Adrian Novak would never allow his daughter to hold a shotgun. That was, according to him, 'a man thing'.

"Good, at least one of us got what they wanted. Happy birthday, sister."

"Happy birthday, brother."

4 Years Later - October, 2013

It wasn't easy to be the weakest of the twins. Although he was born first, Auryk was the tinniest. The one who was always getting sick or getting injured. The one who couldn't hit a single fucking target when he had the alcoholic breath of his father on his neck.

He aimed for a crow, sitting still on a fence. How hard could it be? Even the eldest man from the village could do any better than that.

BANG! He shot again. And missed.

"Again?!" Adrian angered, shoving him hard on the shoulder. "What the hell is your problem, kid?"

"I don't know, okay? This gun... it's heavy!"

"Heavy? And why do you think we've been exercising for all these years, huh?! We do not live in Disneyland, Auryk. We need to fight monsters, abominations. Someday I won't be home and you need to be prepared to protect our people. Do you understand?"

Tears started forming in the corners of the boy's blue eyes. He couldn't cry. Not in front of him. Crying was a sign of weakness and he couldn't be weak. Not right now. Auryk started to think about all the things he could be doing. He thought about the ocean, as he had seen on TV and books. He could feel the warmness of the sun on his skin. The sand between his toes. His mom and sister were also there, of course - they'd carry them with him everywhere. And he would study Math and Physics. There would be no guns, no monsters, no blood, only numbers, only formulas, only theories. He smiled. He no longer felt like crying.

"I'm sorry, dad," kindness was always the answer, his mother said. "But this isn't for me, you know? I don't like it. I... Remember that boarding school my teacher mentioned? I thought maybe I..."

His words were interrupted by a hard slap on his face. Auryk could taste a small amount of blood coming out from his lower lip.

"So that's what you want? To become one of those little fancy fags? Maybe you're not my son after all."

Adrian started walking away, leaving his son alone, sitting on the floor.

"I AM!" Auryk yelled, enraged. "I am your son."

"Then prove it."

"You shouldn't take so hard on him," Savannah poured her husband a cup of tea. "He's just a boy."

"He's eleven years old, for god's sake," the husband punched the table strong enough to make it shake. "He needs to man up a bit. You should stop spoiling him."

As I left my bedroom I found my brother sitting on the stairs. He didn't have to be so close to listen to the conversation between our parents, father's voice was loud enough to echo through every wall of our small and cozy home.

I sat down by his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Maybe you should do it, Leena. You'd do it better, I know."

"I'm not so sure. Remember when I tried to shoot a scarecrow and almost shot that old witch?"

"Come on, you aimed on purpose! I know."

Auryk finally let out a small laugh at the memory.

"You're good at everything, Leena," he spoke fondly. "You're an extrovert, you're everybody's friend, you can cook, you can draw and paint... you're a true artist. I'm a mistake."

"You're not a mistake, Ryk," I pulled my brother closer, resting my cheek against the side of his face. "We're only at the wrong place and you know it."

Going back to our bedroom, we pulled from the drawers the postcards our grandma Louise sent us from San Diego. Mom had been born in California and lived there her entire life, until she met father during one of his trips. God knows what made her fall in love with that man. Adventure? Danger? I expected better from myself when I turned eighteen. Otherwise, I'd never want to fall in love. Love could be my ruin, just like my mom's.

"Leena..." Auryk held the postcard tightly, "do you think... if he died... do you think mom would take us to nana's home?"

"I don't know, Ryk," I didn't want to think of my father's possible death. But I also dreamed of a better life. "Maybe."

"What the hell?" Father's voice in the kitchen made me jump in fear. I knew that tone. I grew up used to that. Something was wrong in the village. We had to hide.

"To the basement, now!" He emerged at the bedroom, holding a rifle. "Lycans were seen surrounding the area."

We barely had any time to react, mom came and dragged us both to the basement. Father left, carrying his arsenal of weapons as usual. There were other hunters in the village but we always knew how badly it could end. Somebody could always get seriously hurt. Or worse.

The basement had been carefully prepared for that kind of situation years before. It had a big bed, two armchairs, a heating source, some stored food and a shelf. Mom sighed and forced a smile.

"So," she walked to the shelf, "what is it going to be today?"

"Frankenstein," Auryk suggested. My brother loved mystery and horror. As if his life hadn't enough of it.

"Romeo and Juliet," I spoke. There was something about forbidden romance that always caught my interest.

"Okay. I... I'm gonna say a prayer and you two can read the books you picked by yourselves. What do you think?"

"Great!"

Mom kneeled down by the bed's side, holding a crucifix. I could join her if I wanted to, but I'd rather watch in silence. I grabbed my book, sitting on one of the armchairs and pretending to pay attention, while I tried to distract myself from the fact my father could be the Lycans' next prey. Or all of us, if they managed to break into our house.

"Leena?" I woke up hours later with my mom shaking me. "Leena?! Where's Auryk? Where's your brother, Leena?"

I had no idea. I had fallen asleep and apparently, so did mom. She checked for the basement's door, it had been locked from outside.

"No..." she tried to force it open. "No! I can't be..."

All Auryk had to do was to successfully kill and take a Lycan's carcass as a trophy to his father, right? That was what that old douchebag wanted him to do, to prove his courage, his manhood. We had his shotgun, a binoculars and a knife, that should be enough, but first, he needed a good plan.

Looking down to his hands, he had the most perfect idea. Without thinking twice, he sliced a cut through his palm, letting some blood pour on the ground. Then, he found a tall tree. He climbed it and observed. The smell of blood his trail left behind should be enough to attract a creature.

"Come on... come on..."

From a distance, Auryk could hear the sound of destruction and death. There was a battle going on somewhere nearby. Once again Lycans should have found a family or a group of hunters.

And then, he could hear it. The heavy footsteps, the screeching sounds, the sniffing. The mutant creature was only a few meters away from the tree. He aimed, but it was still too distant. He needed to move to a closer branch.

It all happened in one second. He was almost there, reaching for the spot he had picked, but his weight was too much for the tree's branch. In a blink of an eye, he was lying on the ground. His vision was blurred. His head hurt intensely, as well as his arm. It was broken for sure. He possibly had a concussion too. He tried to stand up and run but his legs wouldn't follow his commands. The Lycan was coming straight at him.

"AURYK!" His mother screamed behind him. "NO!"

Time seemed to freeze in that fraction of second. How did she manage to escape the basement? How could she have found him?

But without hesitation, Savannah threw herself on top of her son, protecting him from the jaws and claws of the monster. Auryk couldn't see much, but he could smell it. He could feel it. Blood. There was blood everywhere. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, he or his mom's.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A fast sequence of shots suggested the hunters had found them. The creature stopped moving, stopped howling. It was finally dead.

"M-Mom... it's dead. We... We're safe."

She didn't answer. Instead, he heard another familiar voice.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" It was from his father. "Savannah! Savannah!"

"D-Dad..." Auryk tried to speak, but the words got lost along the way. "I... I..."

Adrian lifted him by his jacket, holding him inches above the ground.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED YOUR MOM, YOUR STUPID BASTARD!"

"I..." tears streamed down the boy's face, his injured brain trying to process what had just happened. "I'm sorry.'

After he was thrown back to the ground, he was hit with a hard kick on his stomach. He turned his head around to notice a small figure hiding behind a tree, watching the whole scene in pure horror.

"L-Leena..." he muttered.

"This is all your fault, Auryk. You're a disgrace to this family."

And then, he passed out. Rumors said he was unconscious for days or maybe weeks. When he woke up, he wished everything had been a nightmare.

Present Days - July, 2021

Nobody mourned Adrian Novak when he died. Not his children. Not his village mates. No human being would ever feel any sympathy for a man who abused and blamed his eleven years old son for his mother's death. It had been two years since Adrian left this world and I couldn't feel any more free.

"Hey," I left another message on my brother's voicemail, "in case you've forgotten it's our birthday today. I'd like to have my twin home, you know? Call me when you get this message."

It was useless, I knew. Auryk would only pick up his phone when he wanted to. Or when he was too drunk. God knew where that guy would be at that time, probably waking up at some girl's bed or getting some rest from... working.

After grabbing myself a cup of coffee, I checked the door's mat. Bills, bills, newspaper and... California Institute Of Arts? I remember having an argument with Auryk about this matter at some point. He wanted me to fill the application and send them my portfolio. I insisted we had no money, not even to pay for the tuition. I won - I always win every argument by the way.

"Your damn son of a..." I placed the envelope on the kitchen's table. I was a coward, I confess. However, I didn't know which pain was worse - to be sure I wasn't good enough or to be sure I was, indeed, but I'd never have money to leave that hellhole. Anyways, I decided to leave it alone. I had more important things to do.

My morning routine: to go to the middle of the woods and do some training. My father used to say fighting wasn't a girl thing, but I was no regular girl. And never in this life I'd allow someone to tell me what to do.

After running, climbing and doing a set of push-ups, it was time for combat training. Travelers from abroad taught me some different set of moves, I'd like to think I created my own fighting style. I was also very good with knifes, daggers or any kinds of short blades, they were useful during a close distance combat. My shooting was a work in progress, once or twice I'd miss the center of my handmade targets.

Then, like everyday, I'd go back home, shower and follow to my shift at the village's pub.

"Hiya, Leena," Gustav greeted me when I arrived. "I heard today is a special day... the day a little girl..."

"NO!" I stopped him. Gustav was my best friend. We had known each other since we were children and somehow, he liked to make my birthday a special - and embarrassing - event.

He placed a handmade fairytale-like book on the table. There were some edited pictures, mixed with some messed up drawings about my birth and childhood. He called it 'The Princess Who Carried The Light'.

"God, you're soooo stupid..." I rolled my eyes and moaned, before wrapping him into a very tight hug. "I love you, you know that?"

"I know. You'd probably marry me, if you weren't into girls."

We laughed together, as Olga, our boss emerged from the kitchen, bringing a cake with nineteen candles.

"Here's to another year," the older woman opened a wrinkled smile, "make a wish, my darling."

I fell pensive for a moment, besides having my twin brother back home, safe and sound, what else could I wish for? California, that scholarship, a new life... that's for sure.

"I wish for... a new life, a new adventure," I pronounced aloud while blowing the candles.

"Careful," a male voice spoke behind me, "words have power, little sister. You may get what you want."

"Ryk!"

I jumped straight to my brother's arms. I could swear that in only a few weeks he had gotten a little bit taller, and stronger too.

"I wouldn't miss my own birthday, right?" He smirked. "So, where's the cake? Please, chocolate... tell me it's chocolate."

"Your silly boy," Olga spread some icing on his nose. "Of course it's chocolate, as you love. And with cherries too."

Auryk responded with a satisfied smile. Olga and her husband, Kristoff, were those responsible for taking care of him after the Lycan attack, years ago. They sort of adopted him like one of their biological children.

"Oh!" The woman exclaimed taking a closer look at Ryk's forearm. He had gotten a tattoo. I hadn't been informed of those news either. Apparently, my brother had more secrets than I could even start to imagine. "This is... new. It seems like my kids are really growing up."

"And only now you noticed that, Olga?" Gustav joked.

Olga shook her head, grinning at herself and returned to the kitchen. The customers were starting to fill the pub. I stared at Ryk again, wondering what other secrets my brother could be keeping.

"So, what does that mean?" I pointed to his newly gotten tattoo, a strange and ancient symbol it seemed.

"Protection from the evil. This is what we need the most in our lives, especially in a place like this. What reminds me -" we turned around, taking a small box from the pocket of his jacket. "Your gift."

I took the black velvet box from his hands, it contained a golden necklace with a magenta gemstone as pendant. My blue eyes drowned themselves in the stone. It had a mysterious glow. Something hypnotizing. Something magical.

"Whoa..." was everything my mouth could pronounce. "And I bought you an Astronomy book."

Auryk stood up from his chair and went behind me, taking the necklace from my hands to wear it around my neck himself.

"This is supposed to protect you from any supernatural and inhumane beings. I won't lose you to them, Aleena. Not like I lost mom."

"Ryk, I... I can't even thank you enough."

"You don't have to. Just... stay alive."

First, I was overflowing with happiness. It either had to do with the fact my brother was home, alcohol, or both. Also, Olga should thank me. Most of the costumers of the day only stopped by the bar because of me. They absolutely loved me and knowing it was my birthday, they had to come and see me. A few of them even gave me some extra tips or a small gift, which was even greater.

"Okay, party girl..." Auryk helped me to get inside of the house as I tripped over the door mat. "Time to go to bed now. Don't you think?"

"Come on, Ryk! Have some spirit! You're home, Olga gave me the day off tomorrow, I earned some money..."

"You told Mrs. Hansen you secretly had a crush on her daughter during Middle School, you danced on top of a table, you're gonna get a hangover..."

"Party pooper!"

I threw myself at the couch. Auryk stood in front of me with arms crossed, looking like a father about to give his child a lecture.

"What?!" I yelled. "It's not like you've never been drunk before. Remember when you stole Adrian's..." I started to laugh, remembering the episode.

"When you were going to tell me about this, Leena?" He showed me the envelope. The Art Institute envelope. The one I had been struggling to open.

"Oh! I forgot. My bad, I didn't open it myself yet. I probably didn't get in anyways."

"You did."

I did?

"It's not like we have money to pay for my tuition. Also, how are we supposed to move to California, Ryk? I work at a pub and you..."

"I've gotten more than enough for that. You know that getting out of this place has always been the plan, since we were children. Leena, I've done some big jobs those last few months. I have the money to grant us a comfortable life in California."

"Smuggling, Ryk!" I raised my voice, saying aloud the information that was supposed to be a secret or not. "You've been stealing to grant us this life."

My brother stared at me in silence. I couldn't tell if he felt offended or embarrassed about my words.

"I'm getting out of here, whatever it takes," he ran a hand through his dark hair. "And you are coming with me. In two weeks, we move to United States for your enrollment."

"But..."

What I was trying to protest against? Leaving the village and starting a new life with my brother was everything I always dreamed.

"Look, I promise you," Auryk placed both of his firm hands on my shoulders, "once we settle down, no more smuggling."

"Okay," I sighed. "We leave in two weeks then."

There was a loud knock on the door. Being drunk as I was, I figured out I should have forgotten my purse at the pub. Or it could be a neighbor with some very stupid emergency.

Auryk opened the door and there was a strange looking man standing there. We wore sunglasses and a hat, behind his back he was carrying a giant hammer. According to the rumors and stories I heard from my parents, that was one of the Lords of The Four Houses, Karl Heisenberg.

"Auryk Novak?" He asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Come with me, kid. You've gotten yourself in big trouble."

#resident evil village #resident evil 8 #bela dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu #alcina dimitrescu #bela x oc #resident evil fanfiction #the devil in i

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mayans-sauce · 4 years ago

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Birthday Party 🖤

For @woahitslucyylu 🎉Birthday Challenge🎉 ❤️Masterlist❤️ for the rest of the birthday fics. Check them out please!

Pairing: Angel Reyes x Female Reader

Word Count: 900

Warnings: tiny bit of angst, cursing, slight mention of smut

A/N: thanks for tagging me for this challenge! Enjoy this cute and fluffy Angel fic!

Join my ‼️group chat‼️ if you want to get notified when I post❤️

💖Main Masterlist💖 💖Angel Masterlist💖

Thank you so much for reading and supporting! It really means a lot! I love you all❤️

━━━━━━━🥳🎉🎂🎈🎁━━━━━━━

Angel had been sad the entire day because it seemed that everyone had forgotten his birthday. The day had gone as usual, with no one even mentioning it. No birthday hugs or “happy birthday” from his brothers, not even his flesh and blood, Ezekiel. The only one that had sent him a birthday text was you. Your sweet text and the cute picture of your face kept him going throughout the day.

The sight of Angel being gloomy all day killed his brothers. They all wanted to cheer him up with hugs and praises. But they didn’t want to ruin the surprise that they had planned for tonight, because it was all going to be worth it in the end.

Angel walked into the house with his head hanging low after his day at the clubhouse. His face lit up when he saw you sitting on the kitchen table with a little cake in front of you that said, “Happy Birthday, My Angel.” “Come here, birthday boy.” You got up from your chair and held your arms out, signaling him to come and get his much deserved birthday hug. He snuggled into you, getting lost in the sweet scent of your skin as he nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck. Your arms softly caressed his back to make him feel better.

It was your job to keep Angel entertained for an hour or two while the guys set up everything at the clubhouse.

After eating some of the cake, you cuddled up on the sofa with the TV on. A show was playing on the screen, but neither of you were paying much attention to it. You held Angel in your arms, his head laying on your chest while you played with his soft hair, getting lost in the way your fingertips felt against his scalp.

You had offered him some birthday sex, but he turned it down for now. “I want to, but later. I just want you to hold me for now.” It was very rare for Angel to turn you down. He only did so when he was feeling down. You felt so incredibly bad, but you knew that it would all be worth it in the end. He just needed to be miserable a little bit more.

When it was finally time for the party, you came up with a ridiculous lie as to why you needed to go to the clubhouse now and that he was the one that needed to drive. It was the worst lie you had ever told in your life, and you were sure that Angel would call your bullshit. But he got up, not even thinking about it twice. You texted Ez to let them know that you would be there in 10 minutes.

”I’ll wait in the car.” “No, please come in with me. I’ll be quick, just come with me, please.” He didn’t protest at all, taking his hand in yours as you walked up to the entrance. He was the first one to enter.

As he entered, the whole room erupted in a “SURPRISE!” Confetti came raining down from confetti cannons that were triggered. Angel could swear that his heart almost flew out of his chest. Both from nearly shitting his pants and the joy he felt. He couldn't believe that they had put all this effort into surprising him.

The place was decorated in balloons with the Mayans logo on it. A huge banner that said happy birthday hung from the ceiling. Food and drinks already laid ready to feast on. Everyone was wearing cute black party hats.

You saw Angel started to tear up a bit, but he managed to keep it in. ”Surprise, baby.” You hugged him from his side. “You knew all this time?” “I did, and it was so hard to keep it a secret from you.”

All of his brothers came to give him hugs. Congratulating him and saying sorry for earlier today. “Happy Birthday, big brother. Getting older and uglier by the day,” Ez teased. “Shut up.” Angel pushed him playfully before bringing him in for a big brotherly hug.

The Birthday Party was a blast. Everyone was having the time of their lives with friends and family.

Chucky had baked Angel his favorite cake, which made him almost jump up in excitement. He loved cake (wink wink).

The guys had organized little mini-games to play throughout the night. The most popular one was Pin the Patch on the Prospect (yes, they used Ez as the target, and he was miserable the entire time).

Finally came the time for presents. Everyone had come together to buy Angel something exceptional that he had been wanting. The brand new PS5 with a tone of new games to play. “Fuck yes!” He was ecstatic about the gift, already planning to play with Ez and Coco as soon as possible.

The night was coming to an end. You and Angel were sitting on the sofa, watching as the clubhouse started to empty out. “This had been the best birthday I've had.” He awarded you with a sloppy kiss on your cheek. “I have one more gift for you, babe.” “You do?” You nodded your head. “Mhm at home.. or.. I am wearing it now, but you can unwrap it when we get home.” His lips turned up in that cocky grin of his, and he couldn’t wait to go home so that he could open his favorite birthday present.

#AngelsBirthdayChallenge #happy birthday #mayans mc #mayans mc x reader #mayans mc fluff #mayans x reader #mayans fluff #angel reyes #angel reyes fluff #angel reyes x reader #clayton cardenas #angelsbirthdaychallenge #mayanssauce writes

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izzytheauthor · 4 years ago

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Peppermint Winter (Weasley Family x Weasley!Reader)

Pairing: Weasley Family x Weasley!Reader (I'm pretty sure it's gender neutral, but let me know if I missed something!)

Summary: Christmas Eve is always magical at the Burrow, but there's something special in the air this year. Based on the song Peppermint Winter by Owl City.

Author's Note: I meant to have this done last night for Christmas Eve, so sorry for the delay! I don't think I've ever listened to a song as many times as I did for this fic. Thanks to my new website I now know exactly how insane I am listening to this song for 5+ hours. Whoops. I picture this fic happening in the Twin's first year and the year before you attend Hogwarts, but I suppose it can be read however you wish. Just a really fluffy fic for Christmas because it's my favorite holiday and this is one of my favorite songs.

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: Food, but I think that's it. Just a bunch of fluff.

General Taglist: @dogweedanddeathcaps @jenniweaslee @sanitisegermsfree @lostaurorax @loony-loopy-lupinn @freddielupin @lxvegoods

There's the snow, look out below // And bundle up cause here it comes // Run outside, so starry eyed // A snowball fight breaks out

Life at the Burrow was always a bit crazy no matter the time of year, but there was nothing quite like Christmas with your family.

This year was even better than normal. You hadn’t had a Christmas all together since Bill graduated from Hogwarts to become a curse breaker. That changed this year when he finally got to take a few days off to be with the family.

But even with the extra magic in the air that came with having your family together, there was something missing this year. Something big.

For the first time in your life, there was no snow on the ground here at the Burrow on Christmas Eve.

You had made the best of it though. You and Molly had baked dozens of cookies to give to the neighbors. Celestina Warbeck’s Christmas album had been playing every waking moment for the last week. And of course the house was decorated from top to bottom like something out of a muggle magazine (minus the stupefied gnome that topped the tree).

Christmas Eve dinner had been delicious, as usual. Molly was quite possibly the best cook in the world, and she always proved it during the holidays. The meal had been filled with smiles and laughter, as well as the occasional argument between Percy and the twins. But overall, it was everything you could have asked for from your family.

Molly passed around a tray of cookies you’d baked together earlier that day, everyone taking more than their fair share.

“These look great mum.” Charlie complimented.

You coughed dramatically and stared at him expectantly.

“And Y/N of course. How could I forget? You helped by licking the spoon.” He winked.

Your jaw dropped open, but Molly interrupted before you could get a single word out.

“Now, now. Y/N helped me decorate some of them.” She smiled, digging through the pile to find one you had done. “Ah, there’s one. Doesn’t it look wonderful?” She asked, showing off the cookie that was completely covered in frosting and sprinkles.

“It looks like a unicorn threw up on it.” Fred said, causing the table to erupt into laughter.

You sat pouting, but Molly came to your rescue.

“Well I think it looks wonderful.” She said, putting it on her plate before passing the tray to you.

“LOOK!” Ginny yelled, pointing out the window.

You almost dropped the tray in surprise before turning to see what she was pointing at.

Outside a steady stream of fluffy white flakes drifted down from the sky, illuminated by the light from the full moon. At some point during your dinner a blizzard had started outside, creating a pristine layer of snow.

You abandoned the cookies, rushing to the window and pressing your face to the glass. Within seconds you were fogging it up, but you didn’t care. You were just happy to finally see the snow.

“Let’s go!” Ron exclaimed, already out of his chair and running to the door.

“RONALD WEASLEY!”

He stopped in his tracks, turning back to face his mum with wide eyes.

“You can’t possibly think you’re going outside at this time of night.” She scolded, hands on her hips.

His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, unsure of what to say.

Arthur looked around at the longing eyes of his children that were still trained on the window behind him and smiled.

“Now Molly, it’s Christmas Eve. Let them go play.”

“I’ll go too mum, I’ll keep an eye on everyone.” Bill added.

Everyone’s eyes drifted to their mother, waiting as she thought over her answer.

“Oh, alright!”

She had hardly gotten the words out when the sound of chairs scraping against the wooden floor filled the room, all of her children eager to get their coats on and head outside into the winter wonderland.

You were halfway to the door when you spun back to grab a cookie. As you did, you saw that Percy was still sitting at the table with your parents and you shook your head with a smile.

“Come on Perce!” You said, tugging on his sleeve.

Despite his protests, you didn’t miss the little twitch of a smile he tried to hide. You knew he loved you all, he just didn’t always know how to show it.

You and your siblings stumbled over each other trying to get your snow gear on and be the first out the door. Ron won that race having had a head start, but the rest of you followed quickly behind.

You and Ginny held hands and spun in circles together, heads thrown back and mouths open to catch snowflakes on your tongues. Giggles erupted from the two of you as you began to get dizzy, but neither of you wanted to stop.

That is until something hard hit your shoulder.

The two of you snapped your heads to the side, seeing the twins laughing to themselves.

You had hardly processed what had happened when you felt a half-formed snowball slam on the top of your head. Your jaw dropped as your hands moved to your hair, suddenly regretting that you’d forgone a hat in your hurry to get outside.

You turned to Ginny who was now laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

“It’s every wizard for themselves!” You yelled, quickly packing a snowball and throwing it at an unsuspecting Ginny, running away before she could get her revenge.

Runny nose, my frosty toes // Are getting cold but I feel alive so I smile wide // The snowflakes start falling and I start to float // 'Til my mean older brother stuffs snow down my coat

The snowball fight died down after a while, a truce being declared when your fingers became too cold to form any more snowballs.

Unfortunately, the terms of the truce included the twins claiming victory. You all disagreed with that call, but the fight would have gone on for another hour if you hadn’t agreed with it.

You could hardly feel your toes anymore, and you’d begun sniffling about halfway through the battle, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. As cold and tired as you were, you never wanted this moment to end.

While the snow was no longer untouched, you still thought it was the most beautiful sight you’d ever seen. The snow was still falling, but at a much slower rate, and the wind had died down as well, leaving the flakes to dance gracefully to the ground on their own. The tree branches were topped with a layer of snow, and you wondered how long it would last before it melted and turned to icicles instead. But best of all, the front yard was now home to eight snow angels, one for each of you.

A figure appeared at your side, and when you turned around you found George next to you studying the snow angels just as you had been.

“I can’t believe we got Percy to make one.”

You shrugged. “He’s not that bad.”

He turned to look at you in disbelief. “He sucks the fun out of everything. Hogwarts has been great, but he seems to be around every corner ruining all the fun. I’m sure it’ll be even worse next year if he makes Prefect like Bill and Charlie did.”

“You probably deserve it though.” You laughed, but your smile faded as you noticed the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“Perhaps.” He winked.

Before you could turn around, you felt something ice cold drip down your back.

Your eyes widened as you spun around to catch Fred laughing behind you, his mittens still covered in snow.

“FRED!” You screamed. “What happened to the truce?”

He and George spun around and ran, laughing all the way.

“That wasn’t technically a snowball!” They chorused in sync.

You grabbed a handful of snow of your own, and ran after their retreating figures, determined to give them a taste of their own medicine.

All this holiday cheer // Heaven knows where it goes // But it returns every year

Molly eventually put an end to the winter shenanigans and called you all back inside. As you walked through the doorway and stripped from your winter clothes, she handed you each a mug of hot chocolate.

“Thanks mum.” You smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek as you walked into the living room to cuddle up by the fireplace.

You and Ginny sat on the floor together, sharing a blanket. It was just large enough to wrap around both of your shoulders as long as you sat close enough. The warmth that radiated from the blanket and the fireplace was nothing compared to the warmth in your heart as you looked around at the rest of your family.

Molly and Arthur sat together on the couch cuddled up together, Arthur pressing a gentle kiss to Molly’s cheek. Percy had hardly touched his hot chocolate, instead giving his complete focus to the book he was reading. Bill sat in the rocking chair with his eyes closed, gently rocking back and forth to the beat of Celestina Warbeck’s Nothing Like a Holiday Spell as it played on the radio. Fred and George sat by the tree whispering to themselves as they pointed at different presents, probably trying to guess what was inside them. Charlie seemed to be doing the same thing you were, sitting in the arm chair and stirring his hot chocolate as he looked around the room with a content smile. And you could just barely see Ron from where you were sitting. He was in the kitchen by the cookies, and you had no doubt he was stuffing his face with them.

There was something in the air tonight. Maybe it was the Christmas miracle of getting a white Christmas just hours before Christmas arrived. Maybe it was because for once in your life your family was quiet and peaceful, just enjoying each other’s company. Or maybe there was just something about the holidays that felt magical.

Whatever it was, you wanted to savor it while it lasted.

What's December without Christmas Eve?

62 notes · View notes

your-daily-biaswrecking · 4 years ago

Text

Serva me, Servabo te

save me and I will save you

pairing: photographer!Taehyung x f.reader

genre: angst, slight enemies to lovers, slow burn, lil spooky, lil fluffy

word count: 8k | reading time: 45 min

chapter summary: even more bonding over food

warnings: nothing much, just a lil spooky house

All chapters | Masterlist | Read on AO3

Chapter 3: No man is an island

Even though it had taken you a lot of turning around in the bed to actually fall asleep, once you did, it proved hard to wake up. Something about the heavy covers and the thick curtains seemed to have sealed you in with a spell. When you first opened your eyes, you found it hard to move, and by the time you finally rose, the sun was peeking through the window which could only mean one thing: it was late. The fire across from you was crackling and the air smelled of-

Wait, what?

You did a double-take on the fireplace. Yep, it was lit. You scratched your head trying to remember if you had actually managed to light it last night, but you were fairly certain you had discarded the wood inside with no success. Had you lit a small spark that had turned into a big fire through the night without your knowledge? Probably not. Somebody else had probably lit it and you had an idea of who that might be. As you were getting dressed, you noticed the floor was clean, too. That is, from all the wax that was on it due to last night's accident. What the hell? Was he trying to get on your good side or something? Trying to make you like him? It was a little too late for that, didn't he think? A tat difficult to change your impression of someone after you had already formed it three years ago.

You wandered around the east wing of the Manor, not sure which room was Taehyung's. But you took a guess when you saw that there was only one door closed amongst the rest of them. You knocked, and when you didn't get an answer, you walked in. The room was definitely bigger than yours, boasting a king-sized bed with dark colors opposite of the entrance, along with a large balcony to the left. You could see Taehyung's stuff lying around, yet not the man himself.

You jogged down the stairs, questioning your next move. Going left, you walked to the sitting room, however, apart from the lit fireplace, that, too, was quiet and soulless. You even checked the library but were met with the same results. As you walked back, you kept your eyes out the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of him anywhere around the house. To be more certain that he wasn't blocked from any plants or flowers in the garden caught up in his photographing like last time, you went so far as to go out and have a stroll up and down the pathway. After having been disappointed yet again, you set the way for the small kitchen. Unsurprisingly, that was empty too, and you were running out of ideas of where the man could be hidden. Alas, any time you wanted to avoid him he magically appeared in front of you, yet now that you were looking for him, he had vanished.

"Well, well, well... look who finally decided to get up," you heard a raspy voice coming from behind you. You jumped slightly and frowned at the well-dressed man standing by the door, offering you a smirk. Where on earth had he been and how had he managed to materialize right behind you without you realizing? Was he a ghost, or something?

You almost asked him where he was, but quickly realized that would sound like you cared about him. Instead, you decided to comment on his uncalled-for remark. "Why, had you been waiting for me?"

He chuckled, leaning against the doorframe. "No, but the pancakes got cold by now. They won't be as tasty."

"Pancakes?" With a motion of his head, your eyes fell on the plate with a tower of medium-sized, fluffy pancakes on the counter. "You made these?"

His eyes rolled to the side. "No, the fairies did," he mocked you.

You shook your head. "Why? Why are you doing all of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean making me breakfast when I didn't ask you to."

Taehyung watched you with his half-lidded eyes, his tongue running over his teeth. "Relax. I didn't make you breakfast, princess. I just made it for myself and had some leftovers. If you don't want to, don't eat it."

It felt like he was teasing you for wanting nothing to do with him. Why was he teasing you? Hadn't he acted like that, too, for the past three years? "Oh, yeah? Then what about the fireplace? And the candlewax?"

His cheeks swelled up with air as he slowly let it out. "Yeah, I'm- I'm not following. What fireplace?"

"My fireplace."

He frowned. "You mean... the one in the sitting room?"

"No! I mean the one in my bedroom."

He continued to look confused. "Okay. What about it?"

You bit your lip at his reaction. Now, you were confused, too. "Didn't you light it?"

"No... Did you want me to?"

Your mouth froze mid-sentence, trying to figure out what was happening. "I... I woke up and it was..." You took a look around you. "Did the housekeepers come here this morning?"

Taehyung shrugged. "I didn't see anyone, but maybe... It's a big house, it's easy to miss someone."

Not as easy as missing him, though. Big house and you always ended up in the same, small space. "I guess they came," you mumbled as you started to notice other little things, like the clean plates, were also in their place. "I mean, I found the fireplace lit and the wax was gone..."

Then Taehyung laughed. "Wait! Are you telling me cleaning ladies came into your room, lit a fire, and cleaned the floors while you were sleeping...? And you didn't understand a thing?" Well, you didn't usually sleep so deep but be it the fatigue or the aura of the Manor, you slept like a dead person that night. Taehyung's laugh continued. "And you thought that was me?"

Thinking he had perhaps done those things for you turned out to be a better feeling than realizing he hadn't. You felt so silly. And what were you even supposed to say now? You turned around, scratching your head. The plate with the pancakes seemed rather inviting now, a good change of the subject.

"Thank you for the breakfast," you simply said.

Taehyung smirked at you yet again, his eyes following you around as you grabbed the plate and sat down to eat. "Sure thing, love," he purred. You shot up, a tingling sensation covering your cheeks that you were sure it was shock and distaste, and nothing else. But he kept his stare on you, making you look back down. "What are you going to do after, if you don't mind my asking?" you heard him say in an exaggerated formal tone.

"Why?" you simply asked.

Taehyung looked over his shoulder. "Well, I've got some work to do. On my laptop. I was thinking about occupying the sitting room if that's alright with you."

You took a bite out of the pancakes, shaking your head. "Do whatever you want. You don't have to ask my permission, you know." You made eye contact one more time. "This is your vacation here, too. Don't let me stand in the way."

He turned around and left without another word. You scoffed, rolling your eyes, but decided to not dwell on the boy's acts. You weren't sure what he was trying to do, get on your nerves or the opposite -whatever that was- but you didn't want to use up all your energy on thinking about him. Instead, you enjoyed the pancakes with the pine tree honey, as it was labeled, and some fresh butter. You weren't sure if it was because of the organic toppings or Taehyung's skill, but those ended up being the best pancakes you had ever had. You scrunched your nose. They were so good, I guess you had to compliment him, say something, anything. It was only fair.

You found a piece of paper and a pen in the next room and wrote a small note for him to find on the counter, instead of having to say something to his face. And after having cleaned up your mess, you went back into your room.

Really, what were you going to do?

You fixed the flame, then marched in the bathroom to find your dress, now clean, hanging to dry. The signal wasn't good enough for you to contact Yoonji or anyone else, so you were left with whatever was in that house to occupy you. Well, a house like that should have enough things to keep you busy, right?

You set out to explore the rooms and the floors. The portraits on the walls of people unknown to you, people that seemed to be long gone. The sculptures at the corners of the halls that you couldn't decide whether they were very classy or very outdated. The embroidery pieces adorning the furniture, even some frames, and the random, vintage objects used as decoration. You discovered a room that seemed to be a home office on the first floor, with a big, wooden desk with old pen and ink on one side of it and a typewriter on the other. A metallic globe the size of your hug standing by the window, inconsistent books about the classics all around. A dining room, two rooms away from the kitchen, that boasted the longest table you had ever seen, set with pretty porcelain plates, crystal glasses, and silver cutlery. Another room, next to the library, whose only purpose seemed to be that of a museum; more paintings and sculptures, bizarre collections and jewelry presented all over.

The basement didn't share any of the upstairs' atmosphere. There was no decoration, no natural light. The air was humid and chill. The colors were grey and brown, none of the crimsons or the golds. You found the main kitchen, the one that seemed to be made for a whole staff to work in, but it was empty and dull. Anywhere you stood, you felt uneasy. As if you were standing in the way of someone; perhaps all the ghosts of the workers that slaved themselves away for the elites living above. A breeze made the hair on your arms float, and you deemed the moment perfect to get out.

Not letting the uncomfortable setting get to you, you continued exploring. Going up three flights of stairs, you reached the highest floor, the attic. The halls there were significantly less extravagant, the rooms notably smaller. It didn't quite reach the tone of the basement, but some similarities had to be pointed out. Some doors were locked, and the ones that were open, lead to places that had nothing to keep you there. The view from the windows wasn't much changed from the one from your bedroom, definitely wasn't worth a swap. You noticed that although there were beds and wardrobes, none of the rooms were made for guests. Maybe you weren't supposed to be up here.

That thought, instead of making you flee the way the basement had, made you want to dive deeper. You looked around the few pieces of furniture as if you were searching for something specific, looking over your shoulder as if someone would walk in and scold you for snooping around any time now. A wind blew your hair around your neck, almost like it was telling you to stop. But why did you have to stop? What weren't you supposed to see? The windows in the corridor were all closed, anyway, so where was the wind coming from in the first place? You felt it again, caressing your ears nearly like a whisper. Like a voice calling to you.

Amy...

Was it the wind, or was it the walls? Was it all the olden, inanimate objects that had gained life from the numerous generations they had incorporated? Or was it all just in your head?

"Amy!"

You jumped. You heard it, you actually, definitely did. A voice. Not just the wind, not just your imagination. There were voices coming from these rooms. You rushed outside and ran to the stairs. Then you heard it again, and you froze in place.

You frowned slightly, still not having entirely grasped the reality of the situation. "Yeah?" you shouted back.

"Food's ready."

Right. The mystery voice that whispered your name through the wind at the attic wasn't a spirit or a ghost; simply your vacation buddy shouting from downstairs. Well, good. That was good.

"I'm coming!" you let him know as you skipped down the steps.

You hadn't realized when Taehyung had moved from the sitting room to the kitchen, had no idea he had taken it upon himself to cook once again. Having had a late breakfast and a lot of exploration to do, the time had gone by unnoticed, without any thought of lunch. That was until the delicious smell reached your nose as you were getting closer, making your stomach immediately protest in hunger.

"Hey," you called when you walked in, finding Taehyung setting the table. "I didn't know you were cooking."

"Why, would you have helped me if you did?" he said smiling at you. Don't get confused, he wasn't smiling because what he had just asked was genuine, and thought it was sweet. He was definitely teasing you again.

You took a plate from his hands -well, more like grabbed- and set it on the table yourself. "I thought you were a great cook, why would you need my help?"

His stupid smile got wider. "Maybe you just wanted to spend more time with me."

"Does anyone ever spend time with you unless absolutely needed?"

Taehyung gasped and then chuckled right as he set the food in the middle. "Well, you're welcome for the lunch, I guess."

You rolled your eyes making sure he would see it, dragged a chair out, and sat down. "Thank you. What did you make?"

"Mushrooms," he said, pointing at the plates in front of you. "And other vegetables, since you wanted to have an organic meal. And I found those in the fridge, so I think it's safe to assume they won't kill us."

You shot him a tight smile with your eyes narrowed. Just as you were about to reach for the rice, he started serving you himself. "I can do it," you let him know.

He groaned in response. "I bet you're also the kind that won't let a guy pay for dinner or walk you home, aren't you? Let a man be chivalrous for once, Amy. The Mansion demands it, don't you think?"

You bit your lip trying to stop yourself before an apology escaped you. "Right, I'm sure chivalry runs through your veins and fuels your every action." You tried to take the vegetables, but he blocked you again.

"Well, no," he annunciated through his teeth, then started serving you again. "But at least when I make an effort, it should be respected, don't you think?" He finished your plate and raised his head to look at you. Why were his eyes staring into yours always putting you in an awkward space?

You cleared your throat. "Alright, your actions are noted and appreciated," you murmured, picking up a fork and preparing a bite. "If they're not fake," you added under your breath and popped the food in your mouth.

But he heard you, and like always, he laughed. "You really think I have some ulterior motive in being nice to you? What, am I trying to trick you into thinking I'm not a terrible person?"

You looked at him out of the corner of your eye while you chewed, trying to hide a tiny smile. "Yeah."

His eyes read yours for a second before he reciprocated your smile. "Is it working?"

You finally swallowed, taking a moment to close your eyes and take in all the flavor you had just experienced. "With this food, kinda, yeah." The vegetables had just melted in your mouth like cotton candy, had managed to taste like a honeycomb.

"You like it?" his face lit up as he asked you.

You nodded. "You know, I hate to admit it, but it's really good. Now, I don't know if it's the organic ingredients or the cook..."

He dismissed you with a wave of his hand. "Oh, it's the cook. Considering the pancakes were also... Ah, what was it? Superb?" You put your fork down to glare at him. "It couldn't have been easy for you to write that," he laughed at you. You knew you shouldn't have left that note; compliments only made his ego grow, and he already had plenty of that.

"Do you always talk so much when you eat?" you snapped. "You haven't even taken a bite."

"Apologies," he mumbled with a grin and started eating, too.

But the silence was too awkward. In the silence, all you were left to do was stare. And staring at your plate would quickly become tiring, and staring out the window would quickly become boring. And then, all you could stare at was the man in front of you. Staring at his brown flocks falling over his eyes as he swallowed down huge bites. His lips, shiny and slippery from the grease, moving around and making sounds. The veins in his hand popping and following down his long fingers, longer than you'd call necessary. You thought he hadn't noticed, since he hadn't looked your way. But when he suddenly glanced up and found your eyes right away, it was obvious he already knew where they were. And the look he gave you was worse than just saying out loud I thought you didn't want to talk, yet you're gawking at me.

You choked on your food, immediately looking away and trying to clear your throat. "Uh... Have you- have you been up at the attic?" you asked, needing an escape.

"Very briefly, why?" he casually answered.

You shrugged, playing with your food. "Oh, nothing. I was just up there and..." Well, you didn't know what to say. And you thought there were ghosts calling you when it was actually him?

He shook his head slightly and looked back down. "I don't like the atmosphere up there," he said. "It's kind of creepy."

Your eyes widened. "Oh my God, I know, right? You felt that, too? It wasn't just me?"

He grabbed his shoulder with one hand, rubbing it. "Yeah, I don't know what it was about it, but I wouldn't go back up there again."

You nodded in agreement. "The basement was even worse, felt like it was haunted."

"Haven't been down there, but I believe you." He gave you a small smile and, paired with his words, it made you smile back with warmth. "We should just stay here, on this floor," he added. "It's nice and cozy down here."

You chuckled. "Yeah, even my room is a little scary, especially after last night."

He looked at you again in a way you couldn't look away, almost like holding your hands so that you would stay close. "You shouldn't be scared. If you are ever scared, you should come to find me."

What... What do you respond to that?

"I mean, there's two of us in this house," he continued when you didn't say anything. "You don't have to sit alone and afraid."

"Um... yeah, I guess," you mumbled and immediately cleared your throat upon realizing how hoarse your voice sounded. "Same goes for you, or whatever."

Taehyung suddenly got up and smiled down at you, while you had to crane your neck to look at him. "Good to know. You'll do the dishes, right?" You frowned momentarily at the abrupt change of subject.

"Ye- yeah..."

"Great, I'm going upstairs." And with no more input, he was gone. Didn't even put away his plate or something, didn't even wait for you to finish.

What a dick. I mean, sure, you would've offered to do the dishes anyway, but now that he had just assumed it like that, it bothered you. You exhaled, pushing your plate away. Oh, it bothered you a lot. You looked over your shoulder, looking at the empty hallway he had just passed through. How was this man managing to make you hate him one moment, then warmed you up until you lowered your guard the next, and then pissed you off again right after? Staying with him there just felt like a big headache.

You cleaned up everything and then moved upstairs, passing by him on the way, but neither of you spoke. You went straight to the bathroom. You deserved a nice bath after that, to calm your nerves. And there was a long, porcelain bathtub inside the well-lit, room, along with many bath salts for the warm water and candles to set the mood. It was indeed relaxing. Moments like this made you really appreciate your chance to stay in that Manor. It wasn't all the moments, all the time, but there were enough of them.

After soaking up in there for nearly an hour -or maybe it was more- the water started getting cold and you decided to get out. You wrapped yourself in a big, soft towel and went to your room. You took your books with you and went looking for that office that was near the library. Taking another look at it and really taking the time to light the lamps and sit on that desk, made you like the room even more. You enjoyed some peace and quiet for the rest of the afternoon in there, switching between studying and exploring the place. You only wished you could have an office like that. The heavy atmosphere really sealing you inside and making you lose track of time.

Lost track of time so much it had felt like only two minutes had passed when you heard the door opening.

"Oh, there you are," Taehyung said in a low voice after he peeped through the door. "Are you working?"

At the moment, you had your feet propped against the bookcase behind the desk and a leather hardback copy of Frankenstein. You let it drop on the desk and close. "No, just chilling," you explained. "Why?"

The young man appeared more behind the door, yet still just standing there instead of coming in. "Can I ask for your help with dinner, then?"

Your eyebrows rose high while your lips pursed up. "Oh, the great cook needs my help?" Regardless of your comment, you got up and started switching off the lights to follow him.

"Actually, I need some help with the fireplace."

"The fireplace?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at you. "Yep. We're barbecuing tonight!"

You gasped and jumped to him. "Oh, really? We can do that?" No thought that would normally cross your mind about your behavior and distance toward this man seemed to be appearing now. He extended his arm to you, almost to catch you, and your hands wrapped around his forearm instinctively.

Taehyung chuckled as he held your arm back, and guided you into the hallway. You followed suit, still glued to him. "Yeah," he told you. "I found a grate that we can use. Have you ever done this before?" He looked at you over his shoulder.

"I have been a part of barbecue parties before, but I didn't exactly do the barbecuing," you mumbled, smiling and looking down.

Taehyung pushed a door open and you appeared in the sitting room. The fire had died down but had left a decent amount of coals behind it. The man broke free from your hold and moved closer to the fireplace, picking up a metal poker, and started annoying the low burning, red coals emitting warmth. You looked at him, wondering if he knew what he was doing because you certainly didn't. And he had asked for your help... Well, we'll see how that will go.

"The fire is almost out... Can we really do this here?" you asked while your fingers played with the hem of your shirt.

Taehyung glanced at you and nodded. "Yeah, this is the perfect level of fire you need. Which is why I thought about it in the first place." Then he pointed at the corner of the inside of the fireplace. "See? I have already put in some potatoes to cook because they need more time." Something shined in the direction he was showing you. Something covered in tin foil.

You opened your mouth in understanding. "Alright... What do you need me to do?"

The boy moved his jaw around as he checked you out before he motioned towards the door. "Let's go to the kitchen and get things ready."

The kitchen island was covered with what you could only assume was everything edible found in the fridge and cupboards. Plates and platters filled with raw meat, vegetables, cheese, spices, sauces, salads... Had he invited something like 15 people to dine with you, or was he under the impression you eat as much as bigfoot does?

"What- is all of this?" you stammered. "You know it's just the two of us, right?"

He rolled his eyes at you, but with a smile. "We're not gonna everything, I just have it out trying to decide what's best." He grabbed two plates, one on each hand, and pointed them at you. "For example: sausages or pork ribs?"

"Um..." You kept looking back and forth between the plates with your jaw hanging low, struggling to pick the most delicious looking one.

"A little bit of both?" Taehyung offered with half a smile when you still hadn't chosen.

Your face lit up. "Yeah, a little bit of both sounds good!"

He nodded immediately. "Do you want to make some grilled tomatoes and peppers as well? They always turn out great."

You shrugged. "Sure, maybe a few. Let's not make too much and have to throw them away, though."

Taehyung nodded once again and handed you the plates with the veggies and some cheese. "Alright, take these inside while I get the rest ready, please."

"Sure thing, chef."

You cleared the table in the sitting room, making room for every plate that you brought in. Following Taehyung's orders, you organized the veggies on the grate and the other appetizers on the platers while he marinated the meat. You paid great attention to the way he poised the grate on top of a little old metal thing a small way over the burning coals. Juices started falling once the tomatoes got hot, landing on the fire and immediately evaporating with a loud, sizzling sound that filled the room like the rhythmical beat of a lo-fi song. The smell that invaded your senses was something between smoke and sautéed onions and your stomach hurt in anticipation as you sat there and waited.

You sat there and waited quietly, watching the boy squatted in front of the fireplace looking over the food. As his eyes were otherwise occupied, yours had the chance to travel down his form once again. He looked small and fragile the way he was sitting, drowned in his large, knitted sweater, but you knew the moment he got up he would assert himself differently. Not that he was particularly tall and at all bulky, but there was something about his stance that demanded everyone's awareness. Maybe it was something about his eyes that made it hard to look away or his face that tricked you into thinking you were gazing at a piece of art. And you stared, not thinking you'll get caught, not thinking he will smile at you the way he did when you still hadn't noticed he was now turned towards you.

"Uh- Bread!" you squealed in panic. You got up, dusting your clothes off the nothing that was on them. "Should I bring the bread now?" you added in a weak voice.

Taehyung gave the grate over the coals one last glance. "Yeah... These are almost done, I think we can toast some bread and start eating now."

You nodded once and ran out of the room. Your hands were shaking slightly as you tried to slice the bread and you couldn't understand why he put you in such an unnerving state so easily. Okay, so you got caught looking at him. So what? You were allowed to look at people, right? He did it all the time, anyway. And, okay, you kind of don't like him... But is it really to the point that being next to him makes you hold your breath and numb your limbs? He didn't seem bothered by your presence at all, and he apparently didn't even remember you. You should really do better than this.

When you walked back into the sitting room, Taehyung was arranging the ribs that he had just taken off the grill on a platter. Then he took the bread you handed him to place it near the fire. The whole table was a mouth-watering view, and if these tasted even half as good as the food he had made up until now, you were sure this was going to be the best barbecue you've ever had. Well, if you could pull yourself together and actually act like a normal person, you would be able to enjoy this. Perhaps talking to him would be better, it had worked the last time. Kind of.

"Are the potatoes ready?" you asked. Alright, it wasn't the best conversation starter, but your hunger controlled you more than you'd admit.

"Oh," Taehyung chuckled. "I forgot about those, let's see." He fished them out, squeezed them a few times, then gave you one. "What do you think?"

You looked at him, then at the tin foil covered potato. "What, am I supposed to know if they're ready?"

He chuckled again, trying to hide the fact that he had just rolled his eyes. "It's soft, isn't it? Must be cooked."

You squeezed the potato the way he did. "Uh, yeah... I guess."

"I'm just trying to teach you how to do this, princess," he called as he grabbed the potato out of your hand again and placed it on the table.

You snorted. "Why do you keep calling me princess?"

Taehyung shrugged without looking up at you, keeping his gaze on the potatoes as he uncovered them and cut them up. "Well, didn't you choose the princess room?"

"It's not that and you know it. You say it as if it's a bad thing."

He took the butter and began to apply a very generous amount on the steaming, soft potatoes. "Hmm, I don't know..." he mumbled as he added seasoning and cheese. "Sometimes you just seem a little ungrateful and condescending, like a real princess would be." He gave you a quick, tight smile with his lips pressed together.

You couldn't help but scoff, folding your arms over your chest. "I'm condesc- Well, if I'm a princess then you- you are a king, 'cause you're worse than me!" Taehyung paused and looked at you. You looked at him, too. "Wait," you mouthed, mentally scratching your head. "Wait! Why does princess sound so insulting but king doesn't? That's not fair!"

Taehyung burst out laughing. "Sexism," he blamed with a shrug. You chuckled along, forgetting you were supposed to be upset. Something easy to forget when the man in front of you served you the potatoes he had been preparing, giving you the cue that it was okay to start piling on the food now.

You started with the sausage and a soft moan left your lips before you could stop yourself. But it was alright since Taehyung seemed to be doing the same as he bit down on the ribs. You moved on to the peppers, and the potatoes, and anything else your hands could reach. You had ended up making more than enough food, probably because neither of you could decide on what to eat exactly, but you didn't fear there would be any leftovers. No, you would fill up to your lungs and then hibernate the rest of the week if you had to.

You took a break to cut up the food on your plate and observe Taehyung. He kept looking at you every time you put something in your mouth, perhaps trying to read your reaction, desperate for praise. Or desperate to please you. He said you were ungrateful, but he didn't act as if he meant it. Sure, he never missed a chance to banter with you, but he also seemed to actively try to be nice to you. Give you something to be grateful for. Was he even the one who believed what he had said, or did he blindly have some idea of your character with no proof?

"What has Jimin told you about me?" you asked then, breaking the near silence.

His eyebrows rose high and he looked at you with wide eyes, kind of lost, as he munched on some well-toasted bread. "Wha- what? What do you mean?"

You resumed your eating, trying to appear nonchalant. "I mean... You said you don't remember meeting me, yet you know who I am. Jimin must have spoken about me, then. What did he tell you?"

Taehyung swallowed hard avoiding your eyes -something that he hadn't done before- and falling back in his seat, almost like he was trying to take up less space. "Nothing," he chirped. "Just... that you... exist."

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Really? So he just said my name and nothing more?"

Taehyung nodded. "Pretty much. I don't remember," he rushed to say and stuff his face with more food.

Well, he was clearly lying. Not that you thought Jimin would have said something bad, you knew he liked you. But you were intrigued. "So you know nothing about me? I'm just a stranger to you?" Taehyung looked at you without replying. "You stayed in a house in the middle of nowhere with a stranger?"

He pushed his hair back with his free hand. "No, well... You're Jimin's friend. And my friend's friend... is my friend," he said without sounding too convinced with himself. Probably because of the graceless way he kept repeating the word "friend". You were about to say something when he suddenly turned the focus on you. "What about you, then? Am I not a stranger to you?"

You were caught off guard. Was he a stranger to you? You looked at his face, those eyes you had seen before, that nose and lips you had inspected a lot. His voice and his attitude that you remembered clearly, even though it had been years. He wasn't a stranger to you because you knew him. Pretty well, you could add. But he wasn't your friend just because you knew people in common, either. Nor your enemy since you didn't care enough to concern yourself with his person. What was he to you?

"No..." you simply said, avoiding a longer explanation. "Because I remember meeting you."

"Sorry," Taehyung whispered while biting his lip, having caught the innuendo easily. He wiped his mouth and looked up at you. "But you treat me like one. Don't you?"

You chewed on the inside of your cheek. Did you? Were you cold to him because he was like a stranger, or were you cold to him because he wasn't? "I don't see you as a stranger," you sounded more confident than you felt. "If I did, I wouldn't have stayed here with you."

"Right... Big, old house with a strange man in it... Not ideal."

You eyed him for a second, not sure if he was mocking you or not. "Right..." you repeated and you both kind of nodded at the same time.

It was true. You obviously wouldn't have stayed if it was someone you didn't know. But you stayed. Which made you realize that, no matter what you had been telling yourself or what Yoonji knew, or perhaps even what he thought, in the end, you knew Taehyung was in that house and you didn't leave, which could only mean one thing. You hadn't stayed in spite of him. You had stayed because of him.

"Or perhaps this house and a stranger sound less scary than this house and all alone?" he added with a chuckle then, and you laughed awkwardly, thankful that you were thrown out of your thought process.

The food was almost over, or at least your ability to eat had reached its peak, and you were gazing at the dying fire since you didn't know what else to do. Was this the time you part ways again? You had only agreed to eat together and that's what you've been doing up until now, but for some reason, it felt like whoever would get up first now would be rude. It's not like you needed to leave, you didn't have anything better to do. You just wished you had something -anything- to do instead of sit next to Taehyung silently.

"Do you play cards?" you heard him say eventually, and you almost cracked a huge smile at him in relief.

Then you frowned for a second when you really thought about what he had said. "Um... used to when I was a kid. Why?"

Taehyung grinned at you. "Well, I found this deck, was thinking we could play and the loser has to do the dishes. What do you think?"

Ah, the dishes. If you had to be honest you had completely forgotten about those. But that was good, considering you would probably have to do them anyway. At least now you had a chance to get out of it. "Depends on the game we play," you answered.

"Any game you want," he exclaimed as he jumped up and ran on to some drawers at the other side of the room.

"Oh man, I don't remember any games..." you mumbled, scratching the back of your neck. "Hold on, give me a second." Taehyung returned with a metallic, little box and sat right in front of you, cross-legged. He opened the box up and revealed a rather dark deck of cards with golden flares at the back. "Beavers," you finally settled. "Do you know it?"

"Beavers? No, enlighten me."

"Well, it's normally a game with its own cards, like Uno, but I remember we used to play it with regular cards all the time when we were kids." You turned to face him better, crossing your legs the same way he had. "Uh, okay... I might not remember the rules very well, but here goes," you started explaining while showing him at the same time. "We both get four cards dealt in front of us, but we only see the two on the side. The goal is to have the smallest score, so you want to have cards like two or ace or- oh, the joker counts as zero. Good so far?"

"We add all the cards and the one with the smallest number wins?" he asked, fully focused on your words.

You nodded. "Yes. After we see our two cards, we start picking cards from the deck and if we like it, we can change it with our own, if not, we discard it. If you get a Jack, you draw again. A Queen means you can switch one of your cards with one of the other player's, and the King means you can look under any card and see what it is. When you think all your cards are small, you say 'stop' and we reveal our cards. And that's it."

"Huh," Taehyung mumbled and started shuffling the deck. "Sounds pretty simple. How many times do we play?"

"As many as you want. Do you want to play one introductory round just to see if you understood everything?"

"Nope. I got it." And with that, he dealt both of you your cards.

You were silently laughing at him, thinking you would kick his ass and definitely not do the dishes that night. Then he picked his first card and changed it with a hidden one. "Uh, Tae..." you mumbled, thinking he was confused. "You should change the ones you know first, or wait for a King to see what you've got. You don't know what's under there, it might be something good."

He simply said: "I know." Then he changed his other hidden card too. Throwing away a three, too.

"Tae, you-"

"Stop."

You blinked at him. "What? You're done?"

He just nodded. "Uh-huh. Stop."

There was no way, you thought. You drew one card for the last round, begging to get a Queen so that you could steal one of his cards or something. But no, just a nine. You sighed and revealed all your cards: a three, a four, and under the ones you hadn't seen you boasted a six and another nine. "Ugh," you exhaled. "I got twenty-two. What have you got?"

Taehyung smirked at you before he started revealing his cards. A joker on the left, a two on the right, and then an ace and another joker in the middle. "I got three."

"What?" you screamed. You fell forward, trying to look at his cards better. "What?" you yelled again, slapping your own cheeks. "Two jokers? Motherfucker, there's only two in the entire deck and you got both of them right away?"

Taehyung was just laughing. He started picking up all the cards and shuffling them again while you were still having a mental breakdown. "Do you wanna play something different?" he asked you.

Hell no, you didn't. No, this was a matter of dignity at this point, the bet of the dishes long forgotten. "No way!" you let him know passionately. "That was just beginner's luck, anyway! I'm gonna beat your ass."

But you didn't. And that wasn't just beginner's luck. There are just some people that have fate on their side, always, no matter what you do. Taehyung seemed to be one of those people. Oh, how it got on your nerves. He always got all the aces and all the jokers, even when they were hidden and he didn't know about it until the end. You barely got some twos, the occasional ace. Out of about twenty or thirty rounds, you had managed to say "stop" only a few times. The worst times were the ones you thought you could beat him, and then right at the end, he got a Queen and stole away your only good card.

"I love this game," he was chuckling after having won yet another round with an embarrassing on your part gap.

"Of course you do," you groaned.

"Do you want to stop?"

You shook your head maniacally. "No, no... One more round, I need to get ahead."

"Amy, you have, like, sixty points more than me. How are you gonna get ahead?" he teased you, lowering his head to meet your slumped form and make you look into his eyes. You did him the favor and looked at him, but were pouting the entire time. Then he did the unimaginable -or, well, perhaps you should have gotten used to it by now- and gave you a sweet smile. He was enjoying himself and still being nice about it, which made it all that worse for you.

You clicked your tongue and looked away in the process of rolling your eyes. "Fine, I guess I'll do the dishes."

Taehyung helped you take all the plates back to the kitchen, and they were a lot. You tried not to sigh in front of him or complain too much since you didn't want him to have yet another reason to be calling you a princess, but it was really hard when it was nearing midnight -god, you played a lot- and you had just lost all sense of honor to a game of cards. A silly, childish game of cards. Playing poker and losing money perhaps would've felt better.

The moment he laughed and left to go upstairs, however, you had a whole new thing to concern yourself with. You were alone. And it was suddenly silent and cold as if Taehyung was radiating heat himself. The single lamp in the kitchen only offered a bleak, white light that flickered every now and then, and the hallway stood in the back dark as ever. The windows that in the morning provided sun and a change of scenery now only stared back at you from your reflection, making it impossible to see anything that was outside. The thought alone made you uneasy. You looked at the hallway over your shoulder, then back out the window, again and again as if you were trying to catch a glimpse of something that wasn't there.

You gathered all the plates on one side of the counter and put some water to boil to help you with the grease. You had to stop imagining things, it only made you paranoid. Made every little sound seem suspicious. Even the running water, or the plates clicking together, or the footsteps in the hallway... Wait, what now?

"Hey."

"Jesus Christ!" you shrieked just as you turned to see Taehyung standing by the door.

He raised his hands defensively. "Wow, sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

You took a couple of deep breaths and turned back to the sink. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just a little edgy, it's not your fault."

You could see out of the corner of your eye that he was rubbing his neck as he walked closer. "No, it is my fault. In a way. I shouldn't have left you here all alone, it's kinda scary." He leaned on the counter next to you, displaying a smile.

You hummed, maybe in agreement but he'd never know. "What do you want?" you asked, having immediately assumed he needed something in order to be there. Especially since he was dressed differently now, in black sweats and a black t-shirt; what you could guess was his pajama outfit.

"Oh, I thought I'd help you a bit with these," he replied, making you turn to face him just to make sure you were hearing that right. He had already turned to the sink, picking up a plate.

"You don't have to."

"It's too much work."

"It's alright, I lost fair and square." Your tongue probing your cheek, you were trying to understand why he was there, but you couldn't read him. All he did was give you a quick glance, followed but a scrunch of his nose.

"I'm not sleepy, anyway."

You didn't object any further. Perhaps because you wouldn't know how to object to that statement in the first place. But you just stayed there, standing close to each other, exchanging the plates you washed and cutting down the work to a half, in what might have been the first comfortable silence between the two of you since you got there. But you couldn't help but occupy your mind with why he was there when he didn't have to be, and what he had said. He wasn't sleepy. That didn't mean he had to come back down, he could have hanged around in his room. "I'm not sleepy, so I thought I'd do the dishes" is what you first assumed to be the full sentence he wanted to say. Yet that didn't feel right. You knew the dishes weren't his true concern. You knew he could have left you like you both had been doing all along. Maybe he was scared up there, too. Maybe he had nothing better to do. No, no... The longer you were next to him, the more apparent it became; that what he really wanted to say was:

"I'm not sleepy, so I thought I'd spend more time with you."

Next chapter

#kim taehyung #taehyung fanfic #bts #bangtan #v #fanfiction #multichapter #taehyung x reader #taehyung x oc #enemies to lovers #slow burn #angst #bts x reader #serva me servabo te #save me and i will save you #chapter 3

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mithranqueersmusings · 4 years ago

Text

I Think I'll Love You Too II

Chapter: 2/?

Rating: U

Summary: George and Ringo have been going out officially for a couple of months. Ringo anticipated that dating a stripper would be complicated, but he didn't understand exactly how complicated it would be.

Tags: Modern AU, Established Relationship

Pairing: George Harrison/Ringo Starr (Background McLennon)

AO3 link here / Fic masterlist here

The following clean-up from their nocturnal experiment was far from easy, the wax seemed to crumble into tiny pieces and was determined to cover each inch of the carpet. George was insistent on doing most of the work, a struggle of manners ensued in which Ringo was adamant that he should help but eventually gave in and took up George's offer to relax in the bath.

Soaking in the warm water, Ringo's mind began to wander to their first official date. It seemed like such a long time ago now, although it had only been a couple of months at the most. Ringo could vividly picture arriving at George's house for the first time and picking him up for dinner, bruises still dotted across George's pale skin from the somewhat embarrassing but retrospectively rather comical fall at the club. Ringo had struggled to figure out the best place to take George, unfortunately the only advice available was John's.

"He's a vegetarian." Ringo emphasised for the fourth time, John had once again offered up a meat-only establishment.

"Oh, well you could've told me sooner." John scoffed, sometimes Ringo couldn't tell whether he was joking or truly that oblivious.

"What about sushi? That can be veggie, right?" Ringo was fiddling with a bouquet of flowers that had been left on John's kitchen counter, a small card had the name 'Paul' written on it, punctuated with a kiss.

"Sure." John offered "You could always, and hear me out, ask where he wants to go."

Ringo rolled his eyes "Great advice John, thanks. What if he doesn't know either?"

"Then you're both helpless and you belong together."

In the end Ringo had settled on sushi, which only calmed his panic somewhat because he still had to find which sushi place was best. He'd forgotten all about how stressful dating could be, and it'd been a long time since he'd been a proper date. Eventually he settled on a fairly affordable place that wasn't too far from his house, he felt rather silly calling up to make a reservation an hour in advance but he didn't want to risk embarrassing himself by not having a table booked.

This struggle with the restaurant left Ringo only an hour to get himself looking presentable for the date, his closet was emptied onto the floor and bed as he rummaged around for something suitable. He felt like making more of an effort than usual, this was one date he didn't want to screw up, especially knowing how fashionable George was likely to look. In the end he settled on a paisley blazer, it had been a gift from John years ago and had hardly been worn, and a black shirt underneath which he experimented with the buttons of.

He left himself just enough time to brush his teeth, sort out his hair and tidy the room as quickly as he possibly could. Hurrying over to George's in the car, he'd almost forgotten to be nervous about the date itself. Almost forgotten, because as soon as he knocked on George's door Ringo felt a wave of dread washing over him. He hadn't even thought of any conversation starters, or what he was going to order at the restaurant. As he waited for an answer, the dread only festered further. Yet once the door finally opened, revealing George draped in a decorative kimono, all fear subsided.

"Hi." Ringo spoke, suddenly sheepish.

"Hey." George replied with a grin, stepping out onto the street and locking the door behind him.

The two of them looked at one another for a few moments, eyes tracing from head to feet with no words being said. George was wearing makeup: his eyes darkened with liner and mascara, his gaunt cheekbones sparkling with highlight and his lips painted a tempting shade of red. Ringo could see that he'd tried to use foundation to cover over the bruises on his face but it wasn't entirely successful, not that it mattered.

"You look great." Ringo managed to get out without stumbling over his words as they walked over to his car.

"Thanks, so do you." George responded but Ringo supposed he was only trying to be polite.

Passing a shop window, Ringo stole a glance at the reflection and found himself presently surprised at how good the two of them looked together. Ringo was even beginning to believe George's compliment, a surge of confidence arising merely from being stood next to George. He'd anticipated that George would only make him look worse, but there was something complimentary in how the two of them were dressed. It was a small boost that Ringo needed to quash his nerves, he was determined to not ruin the night just because he was feeling anxious.

"So... Where are we headed?" George asked, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"Sushi." Ringo replied more curtly than intended "Is that alright?"

"I love sushi." George answered cheerily.

"What a relief." Ringo chuckled "I'm not gonna lie I was struggling to find a place to eat, with you being a vegetarian and all."

George paused for a moment "You remembered that?"

"Of course I did." Ringo panicked for a moment, afraid he'd said the wrong thing and given too much away but the smile that spread across George's painted lips calmed him back down.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the restaurant, it was rather busy but not so much that it would become uncomfortable. Ringo still couldn't believe his luck, that he'd actually been able to get a date with George. Looking back on how their relationship started, it was strange to consider that they'd end up here.

"Is your face alright?" Ringo asked when they'd been seated, it was hard to not notice the swelling on George's lip.

"Oh yeah, it's fine." George provided evidence with a genuine smile "I've had way worse, don't worry."

"You fall over a lot then?" Ringo joked, looking down at the menu and feeling a little intimidated by the amount of choice.

"Only when I know you're there to catch me." George winked "No, I've had my fair share of scraps here and there. That's just life, isn't it?"

Ringo chuckled "Not in my line of work, no."

"Don't be so modest, I haven't forgotten when you beat up that creep in the club." George was studying his menu with far less fear than Ringo "Any idea what you're gonna order?"

"Haven't the faintest." Ringo read the same words over and over again as though it'd help him understand "What about you?"

"Hmm, I think so." George answered with a confidence Ringo envied "Want some help?"

"Please." Ringo smiled sheepishly, laying down his menu and looking to George for assistance.

The date was hardly going as Ringo had anticipated, but while George went through dishes on the menu with a clear expertise Ringo couldn't stop himself from smiling. The intimidating Spike was describing in detail the difference between maki and temaki with such delicacy, it was such a strange moment of realisation for Ringo that made him truly understand how far they'd come. Ringo realised too late that he hadn't been listening to what George had been saying but it didn't matter in the end because George ordered for the both of them.

"So..." George began, drink in hand.

"So." Ringo repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"How long have you been waiting to take me out?" George asked with a knowing smile.

Ringo half expected this line of questioning to begin, he only wished he'd prepared some answers "Does it make a difference?"

"I'm just curious." George leaned in a little closer, a devilish look in his eyes.

Ringo sighed "Now I'm debating whether to lie so you don't think I'm a loser."

"I wouldn't bother with that, I already know you're a loser Ringo." George spoke deadpan, staring without expression then burst into laughter "I'm sorry, I had to."

"And that's meant to encourage me to be honest?" Ringo laughed nervously.

"Come on, tell me." George sounded almost whiny, a tone Ringo had heard before but never in regular conversation.

"Fine, fine." Ringo conceded after drinking his beer "In all honesty it was probably the first time I saw you... Not that I thought you'd ever say yes, of course."

The answer seemed to satisfy whatever itch George had "Really? I'm that good looking am I?"

"Not to sound cliché, but have you seen you? I don't think I've seen anyone more attractive." Ringo spoke somewhat seriously.

George blushed just slightly, having to look away from Ringo's intense gaze "You're sweet. But why were you even in the strip club in the first place? You didn't seem too at home, at least from what I remember."

Ringo felt rather complimented that George even remembered how he'd been acting all that time ago, he'd always supposed he hadn't left much of an impression at all and whatever he did was surely negative.

"John dragged me there. He, uh-" Ringo stopped himself before saying too much "Thought it'd cheer me up."

George squinted his eyes in suspicion "What aren't you telling me?"

Ringo paused, debating the best verbal exit strategy but the good beer and even better food was slowing his thought processes "Uh... Nothing?"

"Oh come on." George kicked Ringo lightly under the table "You think I'm gonna judge you?"

"Well, yes... But fine, I'll tell you." Ringo chuckled, pausing for an anticipatory breath "I'd been going through a bit of a... dry spell, so to speak."

A grin spread across George's face "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Ringo repeated, hiding his shame behind his beer.

"I find it hard to believe that you were having a 'dry spell'." George rested his hand on Ringo's own, his finger tracing around the metal of the rings.

"Well, I'd, er- I'd still be having one if you hadn't come along." Ringo stammered "Shit, that sounds really pathetic, doesn't it?"

"Just a tad." George smiled reassuringly "I'm just glad I could be of service."

"For a while you were making it worse, actually." Ringo had finished his beer and was itching for another "With all my pent up frustration and then I see you undressing on that stage, I nearly lost my mind."

George chuckled, looking rather proud of himself "I can only apologise for being so tempting." He emphasised the word by running his tongue over his top lip onto his sharp canine tooth.

"No need to apologise, it's your job after all." Ringo tried to remain composed "And in the end it all worked out so... No harm done."

"My aching body disagrees." George pouted his still somewhat swollen lip.

"Well... That was your own fault really." Ringo joked, finally catching the waiter's eye so that he could order another beer.

"You're right, you're right." George's hand was still pressed against Ringo's "Hopefully from here on out all the pain will be consensual."

Ringo blushed "Hopefully."

Later that night it was clear that there was no longer any need to be hopeful.

#the beatles fanfic #beatles fanfiction #the beatles fanfiction #the beatles #starrison #george harrison/ringo starr #george harrisonxringo starr #ringo starrxgeorge harrison #ringo starr/george harrison

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braindeadskeletons · 5 years ago

Note

Hello!! Can I have a matchup please?? It seems like every time I ask someone for one, something happens in which they can't 😂😂 but that's fine lol,, I'm a cisgender bicurious female of which the curious part is aimed towards males! The only men I've ever liked are fictional smh,, my friends tend to think I'm bubbly and very open, and they relate me to the colours orange or yellow! I'm also British and I have a love for horror movies and psychology. I would go on but,, happy writing!! Love ya

I'm a very naturally femine person in appearance. My room is full of pastel colours, mainly pinks and purples, alongside plushies and lots of duck ornaments! Since my favourite animal is a duck (fuck geese they scare the shit out of me). Despite this, a lot of people don't expect this? Apparently I seem like the kind of person to have a much simpler or perhaps darker room. So I usually tend to shock people when they see what my room looks like lol. I love unique fashion! Stuff you see on cat walks - christmas themed dress, teacup shaped t-shirt, whatever! You name it, I've probably seen something like it! Because of this, I also have a love for weird decorations. My kitchen is flamingo themed, my bathroom is winter themed (yes, I have a santa clause toilet), and my office is fulled to the brim with 90s and 80s memorabilia. Stuff you wouldn't find nowadays without some digging!! I'm currently in college taking an accounting degree, also alongside business. After that, I also wish to take a literature course to help with my fanfiction writing (perhaps I could eventually write a novel? I don't know haha) Crude humour is the key for me to be happy. As much as silly humour and stuff is great, say something vaguely offensive and I'll crack up! As long as it's not meant to be taken genuinely, then I'll find it funny. Although I have to be close to the person for me to actually start laughing at stuff like that

Hey there! I'm so sorry this was a wait! I basically had some stuff come up and it delayed my work a lot. Plus the added time from the added information you gave me, which I thank you for by the way <3 I had a lot of fun writing this! I hope it doesn’t disappoint lol. Instead of delaying this further let's just get right into the matchup, shall we?

I match you with Undertale Papyrus!

This might've been a little too obvious huh? I just couldn't help it, you two seemed like such a natural pair! I try not to go with matches that are too obvious but sometimes you just have to go with it.

The first thing that naturally attracted Papyrus to you was how open and bubbly you are! He can relate a lot to that himself and seeing how much of a natural you are while interacting with others just convinced him further that he just had to talk to the pretty lady! Of course, the moment you two start talking you both hit it off. It’s kind of physically impossible for anybody to hate Papyrus or for Papyrus to hate anybody. You know those fanfics on AO3 that are slow burn, friends to lovers, 140+ chapters? That’s what this is. There is no better way to put your relationship before you both are dating. Papyrus means well, and by god is he a good person, but he’s a bit of an airhead when it comes to romantic attraction. You could literally tell him that you want to marry him and have ten monster/human hybrid children and he’d still be like ‘BUT,,,AS FRIENDS,,,?’ You’ll need to wait for him to understand his feelings himself. It’ll hit him at one of the dumbest times possible. For example:

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You: geese are just,,,,kinda,,,,horrible

Papyrus:

You: fuck geese

Papyrus:

You:

You: Papyrus are y-

Papyrus: I THINK I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU???

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Yup. Just like that. No warning, no proper build-up, nothing could have predicted this. It’s just silly moments between the two of you that make him so smitten. Like you’re such??? A dork??? How could he not fall in love with you?? It’ll be a huge smack in the face for him that he’s fallen in love with you. Probably it’ll be the same for you if you’re the type of person who is oblivious with love. If not, then it was horribly obvious he likes you and you were simply waiting for him to say something first. The blushing, constantly trying to impress you, his lovestruck gazes at you when you laugh at his antics, etc. The signs were all here if you’re able to spot them. Now that Papyrus is aware of the fact that he likes you he isn’t going to let this opportunity pass by. Time for the dating manual!

This part is actually going to be the worst. Yes, the hard work and effort are absolutely precious and you’re very flattered he’s trying to “court” you as he puts it but it’s going to be overwhelming. Unless you’re fully on board with flowers being left at your door, love letters, great “acts of love”, serenading you with a not so great voice, randomly inviting you out to “friend dates” that are actually regular dates in disguise, complimenting you every waking moment, and more you might want to stop him and just tell him you like him too. Once you tell him you feel the same way, prepare for the most wholesome hugs and kisses from the big goober. Fully expect to wake up the next day and everybody already knows you’re his date-mate. Papyrus is going to tell everybody and their great grandmas that he landed himself with the greatest human ever.

So you mentioned that your kitchen is flamingo themed? Uh,,,don’t get used to it. Not that Papyrus would ever openly try and change your home, he loves your decorating! He doesn’t really understand how people wouldn’t expect you to have such an adorable home! He has named all the duck ornaments, become well acquainted with your stuffed animals and the real animals, is slightly afraid of the Santa Claus toilet because Santa is the evil man sans told him about, etc, etc. But we all know how he gets in the kitchen. If you care about the wellbeing of your flamingo decorations maybe move them somewhere else? Papyrus swears that he won’t set fire to your home but we both know how that goes for everybody involved.

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Papyrus: HUMAN

You: Yeah?

Papyrus: HOW ATTACHED WERE YOU TO THE FLAMINGO DECOR

You:

Papyrus:

You:

Papyrus:

You: Hun, I love you

You: but if you fucked up the flamingo decorations I swear to god-

----------

This is a regular conversation you two need to have. Somebody, please stop him.

He really really loves your sense of fashion! Since the two of you have been dating, he’s actually gotten into it a bit himself. Papyrus tries not to invade your privacy but one time he stumbled into your office and saw all of your memorabilia dedicated to the 90s and 80s and immediately fell in love with the aesthetic. It’s all he could talk about for weeks and god knows he isn’t stopping anytime soon. Try introducing him to some more fashion! Papyrus probably won’t get enough of all of it. Watch him show up to your home dressed like the whole circus.

When Papyrus hears of how you’re studying right now, he’s going to go on a little bit of a rant about how he knows plenty of stuff about school! Not really. He just thinks he does because he has his face in a shrub at Toriel’s school. This isn’t to downplay his intelligence of course but monster education and human education have a lot of differences. When it comes to accounting Papyrus isn’t exactly going to understand anything, but he will be very supportive! He may not understand much about accounting but he surprisingly knows a lot about business?? Yeah, it’s a little strange but I guess you shouldn’t be that shocked. Papyrus is supposedly the ‘mascot of monsters’ and he’s also friends with the monster ambassador. To say the least, he’s surrounded by a lot of really important people. If you’d like, he’ll even take you to meet a couple higher-ups! Whatever he can do to support you he will.

As for your love for writing, Papyrus would probably have to redirect you to Alphys. Don’t take this the wrong way, it’s just that the humans on the surface have been a little…intense...for Papyrus and Sans. He’d like to take a break from any sort of writing for a long long time.

Onto the final section! Date nights! Which for Papyrus might as well be every night. His idea of an ideal date would probably be something extremely outlandish, but he knows humans can’t handle a lot of the stuff he can so he tones it down. Making dinner and watching a movie is good enough, right? Papyrus knows you love horror movies in particular. This poor guy is trying his very best. Please be patient with him. He wants to prove that he can protect you and be the bigger monster but he’ll end up clinging to you the whole time and maybe even crying?? Just a little. As a treat.

Yeah, so go gentle on the horror movies. Poor guy is gonna pass out.

His main goal during the date will be to make you smile at every possible turn. You’re in luck with the crude humor! Now you may be thinking ‘but Papyrus isn’t crude, he’s such a sweetheart!’ and you’re not wrong really. Most of the stuff he says is entirely on accident or he’s just genuinely oblivious to the implications of what he just said. If anything that only makes it all the more hilarious to witness. If Papyrus catches himself with what he said he’ll try apologizing profusely only to be met with your adorable smiling face. He may not get what’s so funny but seeing how your smile reaches your eyes makes whatever he just said worth it.

#AAAA IT IS D O N E #It was so fun writing this lol it just took me so long again I'm very sorry about that!#thank you for being patient <3 #thank you for sending this in!#Undertale #Undertale matchup #Undertale Papyrus #Undertale Papyrus x reader #matchup

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euphoriclove777 · 6 years ago

Text

My Girl

Hello cuties!!! So you asked for more Fezco and I'm gonna give it to you. This one is actually a dream I had and its inspired by the song My Girl by The Temptations. I really hope you like it! And as per usual my love, give me some feedback in the comments and leave some requests! I really hope you like this one :) ALSO: If you'd li km e to get tagged in these, comment or leave an ask to let me know so you can stay updated whenever I post :D

Warnings: mention of guns, a bit of cussing, some blood/injuries, and PURE FLUFF

°☆•¤●□°♡•◇▪♧¤♤°☆° ▪♡°•♧▪○▪°

I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day

You covered Fezs eyes as you led him to the kitchen.

"Almost there baby just a few more steps!" you said giggling softly.

"It'd better not be a huge mess babe...with that glitter and shit you put on your eyes? I found that on me when I was making a deal, not cool." He said laughing as he spoke, holding his hands out in front of him clueless as to where he was going.

"Oh hush Fez!" You said with a bit of embarrassment in your voice. "Okay you can sit down."

He sat down hesitantly, putting his hands over yours, rubbing them softly. You giggled at the small affection, something he did often when he was anxious.

"Okay I'm removing it on three.....one...two...three!" You removed your hands revealing to him a beautifully decorated kitchen. Red and orange tassles hung from the walls, balloons almost everywhere. You had one a red party hat with the words Happy Birthday written in white cursive on it, much like everyone else. Rue, Jules, Lexi, Cassie, McKay, and Ashtray sat around the dinner table sporting the same look, except Ashtray had a red noise maker in his mouth which he blew once you removed your hands.

"Happy Birthday Bro! I hope y'all bitches can sing. One, Two, Three! Happy Birthday To You...." he said as they all sang happy birthday to Fezco who was in awe of the entire situation. He looked almost as if he was going to cry. No one had ever remembered his birthday before, let alone threw a party. He grabbed your hand and held it in his giving it a squeeze.

You touched his back and rubbed it softly. "Make a wish baby"

Fez looked at you with so much love in his eyes and smiled, blowing out the candles.

When it's cold outside I've got the month of May

You sat next to Fez with your legs on his lap.

"Listen man, I don't want that shit in this neighborhood. I got nieces and nephews that live out here. I don't want them getting fucked up." He said with a calm yet distressed voice.

His hand was on your thigh, holding onto it as a form of security. Fez had on a 90s type grandpa sweater with jeans.

You smiled at him softly and looked at Mouse, waiting for his response.

"Look man, this is business. So unless you got a way to pay, you're gonna fucking sell it. Got that?" Mouse said with a smirk on his face looking at you. "Mmm what about this pretty baby. She's good enough payment."

Mouse stood up and walked over to you, touching your face.

Fez stood up abruptly and pulled a gun from its hiding place.

"Yo get the fuck off of my girl man. Don't fucking touch her." He said sternly with anger in his eyes.

Mouse put up both of his hands. "Chill out, chill out."

"Nah man! Cause I don't think you fucking get it! Stay the fuck away from My Girl and this fucking neighborhood! I don't want these fucking drugs in here man! We good?!" Fez shouted angrily, still with the gun against Mouse's head. You jumped slightly, startled at how angry he'd become.

Mouse nodded his head yes and backed up slowly, leaving the regular amount of stock on the coffee table. "She must be real special cuz all these years I ain't ever seen you this worked up before." Mouse said slowly. He looked at you and smiled "I got a girl at home who does the same thing to me that you do to him. Make sure he takes real good care of you or Mousey will get him."

You nodded slowly and looked at Fezco, still holding up the gun. When Mouse and his crew filed out the house you stood up slowly and hugged Fez from behind. "Baby... they're gone....you can relax...."

He slowly put down the gun and set it on the coffee table. He pulled you in and kissed you hard with passion.

The kiss startled you initially but you wrapped your arms around your neck kissing him back

Well I guess you'd say, What can make me feel this way?

"My Girl" Fez said softly against your lips. "What?" You said with a giggle. You looked into his eyes.

He picked you up, wrapping your legs around his waist. "Talkin' bout my girl" he said looking at you again and smiled, peppering you with kisses and taking you into the bedroom. Your laugh echoed throughout the house.

I've got so much honey the bees envy me. I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees

You walked into the gas station with a white sundress on and a basket in your hand, smiling. You knocked on Ashes freezer and he opened it quickly.

A smile spread on his face. "Does my nose deceive me or do I smell those bombass brownies?" He said excitedly. "Yep! Make sure you share with Fez." You said laughing with him. "Where is he anyways?"

"He should be out back" Ash said in between chews. You nodded and smiled, walking to the back if the gas station. You held a brownie on a napkin in your hand and approached Fez wearing a wife beater and jeans, covered in oil and grime from the car he was fixing up.

"Special Delivery for the best man in the world!" You said beaming at him. Fez looked at you with admiration and wiped off his hands on a towel. He walked to where you were standing and held you by the waist.

"Is it one of those kisses I crave?" He said smirking. "Mmm I think it's something you've been missing...." you said, handing him the napkin with the brownie. Fez's eyes widened and instantly he turned into a little kid. He had a smile from ear to ear, biting into the brownie with crumbs on his face.

"Y/N baby you're an angel!! You've blessed me with these delicious brownies!" He said excitedly. You laughed and kissed some of the icing and crumbs off of his face.

He picked you up and wiped his face all over yours. Youboth stood there being a laughing mess with brownie all over you.

Well I guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way? My Girl, Talkin' bout My Girl

"Fez! I'm home!" You said, putting the keys in the blue key dish that remained on the kitchen counter. You put down your purse and put groceries on the table. You grabbed a fresh dish towel to wipe down the counter but quickly stopped as you heard a groan of pain sound from the hallway.

Your ears perked up and anxiety immediately rushed into your heart as you held onto the dish towel tightly. "Fez....?"

You walked slowly into the hallway to see him laying there, his eye swollen and lip busted. You ran to him and sat by his side. "Fez?! What happened?" You said as you elevated him up into your lap.

He groaned again, frustrated that he couldn't speak properly. "He...he came looking for you. But I...I stopped him...I tried".

Tears filled your eyes as you pulled up his shirt slowly to reveal bruises all over Fez's stomach.

"Who baby?" You said sniffing and dabbing at his mouth lightly, cleaning up the blood.

"Nate....he wanted to get back at me....but he won't be back ever...ever again...nobody touches my girl..."

A tear spilled out of your eye and onto Fezs cheek. He slowly reached up to you and wiped your face.

"Don't cry, imma be okay....we're gonna be okay..." he said smiling softly, holding onto you. "As long as I've got you...."

You awoke and felt the bed next to you. "Mmmmm...Fezzzzz" you said with a yawn, you opened your eyes and wiped them and sat up.

"I don't need no money, fortune or fame...." Fez said on his knees holding your hand and kissing it.

You looked down at him on the ground. "Fez baby what're you doing?" You said, adjusting your eyes to look at him.

"In this light you look like an angel...a queen....after what happened last week with the whole Nate situation I realized something.." he said with a bit of nervousness in his voice.

"What'd you realize?" You said, putting your hand on his cheek, lightly running your thumb over the faded yellow green bruise on his cheek.

"I've got all the riches baby, one man can claim" he said.

I guess you'd say

You laughed softly "What can make you feel this way?"

"My girl" he said smiling "talkin' bout my girl....will you marry me Y/N?" He got on one knee and reached into his pocket, pulling out a red velvet box and opening it slowly.

Tears welled up in your eyes and you nodded lost for words.

"Yes?" He said.

"YES!!!"

#euphoria hbo #kat euphoria #jules euphoria #rue euphoria #euphoria #euphoria fanfiction #euphoria fanfic #fezco x reader #fezco euphoria #fez euphoria #maddy perez #maddy euphoria #euphoria hbo fanfic #euphoria hbo fanfiction

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stressedspidergirlsfandomblog · 6 years ago

Text

Pt17

(Conversations around consent, sexual activity, and descriptions of torture and attempted suicide. I will put a little - before a paragraph with torture/assault and another - when its over. May or may not also include implied consensual activity. We'll see where this goes.)

Curtis wakes up to soft little regular whimper-moans from behind him. Unsure if his lover is dreaming of torture, or if it's a happy kind of dream, he shifts back a bit, pressing into Takashi to check. Smiling a little in relief it's definitely not torture. Sighing a little, he's awake now. And hungry. They didn't eat dinner last night. They'd gone to bed. Worth the missed meal in Curtis' opinion. However, he's ravenous.

Digging through the cupboards he finds oatmeal, spices, and dried fruit. Surprised to find so many seasonings in the cabinets of a man who rarely cooks, Curtis wonders if it's a holdover from living with Adam. Especially considering Takashi doesn't even buy himself proper self grooming products. Probably just habit to keep the spices around.

The fridge has a few flavors of almond milk. Some non dairy creamers, and not much else in it. Overall the food choices are somewhat depressing. There's more in the freezer, thankfully. Frozen meat, vegetables, and fruit. Shaking his head a little, he sighs.

But another look through the pantry shows plenty of rice, beans, potatoes...cereal. He's feeding himself.

Finding a flat pan, he starts some of the last of the bacon. Whisks some eggs in a bowl. And adds vanilla almond milk to the oatmeal with cinnamon, nutmeg, and fruit. It can sit until Takashi wakes up.

Curtis likes the simple ritual of preparing food. He doesn't mind doing this. Although once they live together he figures if he cooks, Takashi can do the shopping. He usually already does the cleaning up.

Some time later he hears a weird noise somewhere between "blech" and "ugh" accompanied by soft but vehement cursing.

"You okay?" Curtis calls when the swearing doesn't stop but he hears water running. "Did your dream not have a happy ending?" He asks, heading into the bedroom.

"If you can call it that," Shiro snaps back, voice cracking.

Takashi is naked from the waist down and he throws the washcloth into the sink as Curtis comes in. His face is red and his eyes are full of tears.

"What's wrong? You okay?"

"I don't know."

"What happened?" He gently thumbs a tear off Takashi's cheek.

"I don't know. My body never did this. I was, I was finally feeling like I was in my own skin and then this happens!"

"What, as a teen you didn't get wet dreams? God you were lucky." Stroking back Takashi's hair he gently kisses his cheek.

"I didn't even know this was possible," he protests.

"It is," Curtis assures him. "It happens. Not super common, I don't think. But yeah. It's normal."

"Not for me," Shiro protests. "Maybe the clone?"

"You had his memories and he thought he was you, right? Do you remember that happening?"

"No."

"This makes sense to me, love, I'm sorry. It's been years, right? And you have been so stressed, and so anxious, and so sick... You got a little last night... And your body wants more. Is that so awful? Years and years without any.... What'd you dream about anyway?"

Shiro turns red again, scar livid across his face. "You." He swallows. "Us."

"Oh yeah? You wanna tell me what we did that rocked your world so hard it made you come in your sleep?"

Ducking his head down, the tips of his ears are red, too. His silvery hair just makes the blush look even brighter.

"Is it embarrassing?" Curtis asks gently. "Or are you just shy about this stuff?"

"I never really talked about it with anyone. My family was.... Traditional. It was really hard to get used to the idea I liked guys at all. Adam... Had to be patient for a long time. I came out because of him. I admitted to myself... Who I was. I get to be with you because of that," he says softly. "But ... I'm not as... Blase about it as you."

"Am I allowed to ask you about it? Or tease you if it's just us? Will you be okay talking about stuff? 'Cause I'm... I'm not comfortable sleeping with you until we hash out do's and dont's." He meets Takashi's eyes. "I can wait. It's no rush. Nothing like that."

"We can talk about it," Shiro mumbles, leaning into Curtis. "I was dreaming about...us. You were um, your mouth...I think that time we talked about it has been in the back of my head this whole time."

Curtis smiles and kisses his temple. "The real thing will be a lot better," he promises. "Put some pants on, breakfast is almost ready." He slips away to make sure nothing's burning and to heat the oatmeal mix.

Shiro comes out in different sweats, still embarrassed. Still he's done worse in front of Curtis. Such as thrown up on himself in his sleep back on the Atlas. One of the first nights Curtis started checking on him. He hadn't even really woken up, either. Curtis had had to help him clean up. Change the sheets. He'd brought tea to help with his stomach. And never said a word to anyone about it. Not once.

They eat relatively quietly, seated at the counter with their knees touching.

"What time is it anyway?" Curtis mumbles, mostly to himself. Glancing at his watch he blinks. "We woke up early."

"Hm?"

"Its 0600. I usually get up closer to 0700. Guess I have time to lie around." He smiles a little.

"What'd'ya want me to pick up at the store?" Shiro mumbles. Already trying to decide on what kind of grooming products he needs. He knows most of Curtis' favorite snacks already. The man has a sweet tooth.

"Something not frozen or dried...how long am I staying?"

Turning red he shrugs. "We haven't really had a chance to talk and I don't want to do that before work if that's okay."

"Fine by me," Curtis agrees.

Done with his food he hops up, taking the now empty dishes and heading to the sink. He cleans up automatically, glad to have something to do. For all it's a hair harder with just one hand. He has to set the dish down to swab it out. Then he loads them into the dishwasher.

Curtis contentedly watches him move around the kitchen. They've only been together a few months as a couple now. But this feels right. He loves this man. Scars and all. And he knows Takashi feels the same way. After all he's been through, it's nice to let himself again. It's nice to be loved. It's nice to know the person he's letting himself be with is worthy of it. After his partner had died, Curtis had had a string of one offs and bad decisions. And he'd treated them and himself like trash.

One of the absolute best things about Takashi is that he makes Curtis feel so loved. So wanted. So incredibly safe and special and like he matters more than anything else in the world. Takashi has this special way of focusing on him that makes him feel like he's the only other person in the world.

"If I go in early I can leave early," Curtis says, and Takashi nods a little. "Gives us more time tonight?"

"Yeah. Sounds good." He smiles a little.

It seems a little forced but they've been through a lot. "Hey how's your back feeling?"

Blinking in surprise, he stretches a little, his hand on the small of his back. "Good."

"Lemme feel," Curtis smiles. When Takashi comes around the counter and leans over to present as much of his back as possible to his partner.

"Hey look, still not purple," Curtis teases, running his fingertips up and down Takashi's back. He laughs when Takashi arches under his touch, just like a cat. "I love you so much," he says affectionately.

"I love you, too. Please don't stop," he adds.

"Well. I will have to eventually. I can't be late." But all the same he scratches up and down his partner's back. He enjoys the way Takashi shifts under his hand. Deciding that both hands might be best in this situation he shifts on the stool to make it easier to give scratches.

Eventually it's time to go. They kiss goodbye and head out together, but part ways outside the building.

Shiro sends Keith a message.

Stuck going to the store. You need anything?

0645

Probably should grab some basics. Meet you at the store?

0647

Sounds good. No plants.

0648

Mom says you should bring 'your mate' a gift. Yes plants. Apparently. Or the skulls of your enemies. But that seems excessive.

0650

That would not match his decor, no.

0650

See you in 10.

0651

Keith finds Shiro in the personal grooming section of the store.

He looks up when he notices the Red Paladin. "Curtis also has a problem with my taste in body wash."

"I see."

"Problem is I have no idea what to pick," Shiro shrugs.

Keith peers over in the basket. It looks like Shiro has managed to pick up fruit, vegetables, and some kind of meat in the time it took him to wait for a train to pass. "Sorry I'm late, by the way."

"Stuck at the tracks?"

"Yeah. Slowest train I've ever seen. Couldn't have been going much over 80."

"Disappointing."

"Seems like you're mostly done."

"Still need snacks. And candy of some kind. Curtis is an addict."

"Where's your protein crap you always used to get?"

"I always hated it. And medical says I'm healthy now... So. I didn't buy any."

Keith looks over at Shiro and notices some things that disturb him. For one, every time he reaches out to maybe pick a bottle, there's some kind of tremor in his hand. Two, he's sweating and the store is chilly. Three, he's a little flushed. Four, his eyes seem glassy. Getting in closer, he lightly squeezes Shiro's shoulder and hides his expression. Shirt is damp. He's been distressed for a while.

"What about pine? You always had some weird thing for forest scented crap."

"No, that was Adam. I was the one who liked spearmint and wintergreen."

"So why did you always smell like-.... ? Ah."

Shiro turns red. "I know Curtis likes cinnamon. But I don't see that here."

"There's stuff that's kinda minty," Keith points out. "You can buy whatever you want." Personally he thinks having to change your scent to please your partner is ridiculous. Probably why he's not much for dating. "See this one?" He cracks the lid to sniff and then hands it over, watching Shiro's hand like a hawk.

The shaking is still there. He's still beading sweat around his hairline and his hair is starting to stick to his face.

"That's kind of the problem," Shiro mutters, sniffing the bottle. It smells nice. Shampoo. Okay. So now just body wash. Maybe something for dry skin? He's been itchy lately and Curtis is probably right. He's probably drying his skin out. He can take care of himself a little better for Curtis. "Is there matching body wash?" He asks, trying to read labels without giving away the entire aisle is swimming. He's so stressed out. Which is how he ended up just grabbing a random bottle and bailing the first time around.

Keith looks at him and back at the shelf quizzically before picking it up from right in front of Shiro and handing it to him. "Says ultra cleansing. Isn't that code for: will dry your skin out?"

"Oh. Maybe I should pick something else."

Unsure of what to make of this, he shrugs. "You could just get the same brand you used to, and pick a different scent."

Shiro shifts uncomfortably. "I can't remember what it was," he admits. "I'm missing a lot here and there," he tugs absently on his bangs. Remembering how his skull had been cracked open.

"It's this stuff in the red bottles. It's got some stupid names, though." He tries to keep his expression neutral. He knew Shiro had issues remembering everything that happened while he was enslaved as a gladiator. He had no idea Shiro had also lost any time before then.

"Whatever's there is fine."

"Maybe Lance would be more helpful," Keith suggests. Then they both look at each other and laugh. "Okay so definitely not. But hey there's only four options, so."

They test out each bottle, Shiro hates the first. Keith the second. The third and fourth take a while to decide between. Shiro just picks up the matching shampoo and dumps it in.

"Do you think I need more clothes?" He asks hesitantly.

Keith kind of stares. "Judging by your apartment? Probably." Watching Shiro looking over at something on the other end of the men's care aisle, he realizes he doesn't want to help shop for the next thing. "What kind of candy? I'll grab that while you finish up here."

Realizing Keith figured it out, he turns red. "Uh. He'll eat pretty much anything that isn't black licorice. But he's kinda partial to anything sour and then chocolate with almonds or peanuts."

"Got it."

"Thanks." Shiro wanders down to the other end of the men's aisle. There's an overwhelming amount of things and he's realizing he's not sure if Curtis has preferences. And his personal comm is off at work. And Shiro isn't going to call him about condom brands on a Garrison line. They're all recorded. While he's not sure if it will be days, weeks, or months until they need any supplies he'd rather have them on hand.

Thinking about what he's used before, he doesn't see any familiar packaging and the aisle blurs in and out of his vision for a minute. There, he grabs a few things. He's not into anything all that interesting, and looking at some of the grocery-store approved toys makes him feel uncomfortable. A few things look like something the Galra would have found a way to weaponize and use and while he's sure before all this he would have been game... Now he isn't. He realizes he doesn't even really want Curtis on top of him, either. Or at least, not inside him.

He can still feel the blood running down the inside of his thighs. Sometimes just dripping steadily down without touching his body at all. They'd ripped him open in a new way. Trying to find some other way to torture and scare him. He has no idea how they guessed that, or if it was half accidental. They hadn't realized that human joints really weren't that flexible when they broke his elbow. Just testing his limits.

Shuddering he's terrified of the scarring ripping open again. Of just anything tearing into him.

Trying to imagine if he could go down on Curtis his throat tightens and he swallows hard against a gag. What if it feels like the feeding tube they'd forced down his throat? He'd been refusing to eat after. Had tried to hide the bleeding. When it stopped he'd been so depressed he'd given up hope and reopened the wound. Tore skin. Hadn't cared. He'd wanted to bleed to death. They'd stapled the wound shut, drugged him with a paralytic that did nothing about the fact he couldn't sleep, shoved a tube down his throat, and chained him spread eagle so he couldn't move so much as an inch and inflict more damage.

Keith finally can't spend more time in candy and goes back to find Shiro. He's worried. He recognizes the stricken look he sees and gently takes Shiro's hand and pulls him away. "You can't get pregnant anyway, you don't need those."

Blinking and coming to, "school really failed you, didn't it?" He asks absently.

"You're cleared of any and all diseases and so's he. Nothing he can give you or vice versa."

"Maybe he doesn't like to swallow," Shiro says conversationally, still shaky. He knows Keith hates when he talks bluntly about this kind of stuff. So it'll stop the conversation in its tracks.

Keith makes a face. "Let's go find you a shirt that isn't black or grey?" He suggests.

"I look good in those colors."

"Yeah Shiro everyone does. What colors does Curtis like?"

Everything, Shiro wants to say. Curtis is full of life and color in spite of everything. "Purple. Galaxy purple like in those hubble telescope photos..." He says softly, thinking of the prints he's seen in Curtis' apartment. "Dark blue..." His bedroom.

"Great. There you go."

"Black and grey used to bring out my eyes..." Shiro teases, fluttering his eyelashes and trying to recover from earlier.

"And match your hair." Keith just shrugs and smiles blandly.

They wander over to the clothing section and browse. Shiro ends up with a simple deep purple henley, a dark navy vneck sweater, and Keith convinces him to try a maroon vneck tee and deep green henley, too. "Add some color old man."

They drop the groceries off, Shiro throws the meat and some seasoning into the crock pot. He can't bake to save his life but he can dump things in a pot and walk away. While he's busy Keith discovers Shiro's battered running shoes. After lecturing the other man about his knees and feet taking unnecessary damage he forces Shiro back out to get new shoes.

Then he drags him to get some nicer towels, a second set of sheets, and some actual jeans, and some nice button ups so Shiro can dress up a little without going full uniform. Shiro only has 2 pairs of black pants and Keith feels odd realizing what they're doing. Maybe he he should have let Curtis do this. But Shiro started on his own. Keith just helped him finish. And made sure he had more than just the absolute bare minimum cheapest crap he could pick in two seconds.

When they get back Keith helps him load all the fabric into the wash so it'll be ready before Curtis gets back. He has a feeling the other man will appreciate all the changes. Looking at the clock he's surprised its only a little after 1400 hours.

He notices Shiro never really stops shaking, and he seems uncomfortable the whole time. Not unwilling just not himself, either. "Do you remember forcing me to pick out clothes?" He asks suddenly.

"Yeah you were a real shithead."

"Thanks for not returning the favor."

"Wouldn't know how to be that obnoxious even if I tried," Shiro smiles.

"So magnanimous."

Shiro shakes his head a little. He flops tiredly onto the couch unsure what to make of all of it.

Keith lets Shiro sleep, fear mounting in his chest cavity. He switches the laundry into the dryer. He's not sure what to do to help Shiro. But at least the man has food. Nice sheets, soft towels. New, clean clothes. The food smells good, and Keith finds himself puttering around looking for things to do, because he's afraid to leave Shiro alone.

Eventually he settles on the couch, putting a hand on Shiro's chest to feel his heartbeat. It seems steady. Normal. Healthy. But the tremors, the sweating, the indecision... It's all so concerning.

Eventually the dryer dings softly. Keith gets up and finds himself remaking the bed, folding clothes and more or less pacing around again. Somewhat amused he's the one taking care of Shiro for a change, he settles back down on the couch when the housekeeping is done, watching him sleep.

He dozes off eventually, and wakes up to the door sliding open.

Curtis smiles as Keith hastily exits, and sniffs the air appreciatively.

Kneeling down by the couch he presses a gentle kiss on Takashi's forehead. "Hey handsome," he smiles gently. "Wake up, love."

Takashi blinks awake, and smiles when he sees Curtis. Curtis gently strokes his cheek and kisses him.

"You hungry?" He asks gently. "Food smells good, what is it?"

"Brisket, and I have veggie salad in the fridge. Just needs dressing."

"Sounds good to me, you ready?"

"Yeah. Keith ran me ragged."

"I can see that. Once we eat do you just wanna go back to bed?"

"No, we should talk."

"Okay," Curtis agrees. Kissing his forehead again he stands up. Watches Takashi shift an arm under himself and sit up, and ease his body off the couch. He seems like he's moving easier. Less stiff.

Takashi quietly gets out plates and silverware, still half asleep. Pulling the salad out he has 2 choices for dressing and lets Curtis pick. Dumping food onto his plate, he settles at the counter and waits for Curtis to do the same.

When he's done serving himself, he unbuttons his uniform, and settles the jacket across the back of his chair. "Thanks for dinner."

"Of course," Takashi smiles back. They bump knees as they eat. He's happy to eat quietly, the hustle and bustle of running errands and dealing with people has him drained. The nap helps but just sitting there with his leg against Curtis' makes him feel better. That and not being required to talk around the food.

Half wondering if they should have talked first, in case he made himself sick, he breathes out a sigh through his nose.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I didn't mean to wear myself out so badly, though. Sorry."

Curtis nudges his leg, "it's fine."

When he finishes he rinses off his dishes and loads them.

"You cooked, I would have cleaned up."

"You do most of the hard work in our relationship, I think," Shiro smiles. "I can handle some dishes."

Curtis frowns a bit, but decides that can be part of their conversation later. He's absolutely not going to let that slide. Their needs just look different. He smiles when Takashi pulls out a sack of candy. And then laughs when he realizes how full it is. "Trying to fatten me up?"

"I just... There'll always be some here for you."

Holding out his hand he takes Takashi's gently as he comes around the counter and tugs him in close, between his legs. Tipping his face up they kiss for a few moments. Soft and gentle. They pull away and smile. Takashi is a little pink and Curtis smiles. Seems like everything works fine now.

#curo #shurtis #curtashi #takashi shirogane #curtis #voltron #my fic #keith kogane #vld keith

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