#like he clearly realized he'd said the wrong thing to get me to keep the door open

[starstruckpurpledragon]

So my doorbell rang and I went to answer because I was hoping it was my new bookshelf being delivered.

It was not.

Pest company doing door to door. And I tried to very politely send him on his way, but he really wanted to give his spiel. So I answered one or two questions in ways that were basically 'i am happy with the company I already use and am entirely uninterested in changing companies.'

Did I just have a cricket wasp invasion? Yes. Did it clear up within four weeks of treating my attic? Also yes. They're not the cheapest option but not the most expensive either and they only do inside treatments when they're necessary, since their outdoor treatment is usually enough to keep the house protected. The wasp problem is honestly the first big issue I've had since switching to them many years ago - which considering I had an on again/off again ant problem before the switch and 0 ant problems in the... I dunno, eight years I've used this company... that's a pretty good track record TBH.

I'm not gonna say I didn't consider switching if the wasp problem didn't clear up or that I wasn't frustrated with their policies regarding going up into attics. But if I make the decision to switch companies, I'm not going to switch to a company that's sent someone to be pushy at my doorstep.

So this guy has already lost from the get go, but he did not help things by assuming I didn't already have a pest company. I get it, there's a month's worth of spider webbing build up on the eaves (the devil works hard but the spiders in my neighborhood work harder). And he claimed there were no traps out despite the two super obvious traps in the front flowerbeds if he'd bothered to look to his left or right like... at all. Dude was being very condescending for someone lacking observational skills.

At this point, he tries to get me to tell him how much I pay for my pest company having ignored what was already a polite invitation to go away now please (not in those exact words) so I was realizing subtle was. Not working.

Thus I told him no. He didn't need to know that, I didn't care if it wasn't 'privileged' information, it wasn't any of his business. I was busy and needed to go now.

His attempt to joke me into telling him something I'd already said no to having failed, he goes 'oh yeah, I've got a lot of other people to visit, but...' and I just cut him right off at the knees right there. Metaphorically, of course, no actual knees were maimed.

"Well, then I'll let you get to it. Have a good evening."

At that point he acknowledged he'd lost, mostly because I was already closing the door. He hopped on his Segway (or whatever that was) and left.

Anyway, the last time I had a door to door person come by, she accepted my first subtle not interested with grace and then asked if I minded giving advice on how to become a home owner because I was young, with my own home, and she and her husband were wanting out of their apartment into a house. That was a much nicer interaction and I'm glad that I gave off 'safe person to ask advice' from because that's just not stuff they teach in school anymore. (And she meant it too, as there was no further mention of what she was selling.)

But I really wish I had remembered to check my camera this time before opening the door because I could have avoided today's door to door guy interaction entirely instead of being greeted by disappointment over no bookcase and irritation over a pushy salesman trying (and failing) to bulldoze me.

[buckyalpine]

Just a fluffy little thought. A grumpy, moody, broody Bucky, moping and grumbling through the compound with a scowl on his face. He was restless and annoyed the whole jet ride home. He tosses his bags off to the side, throwing off his tactical gear without a care in the world and Sam and Nat are utterly baffled because the mission was a complete success. Bucky's plan worked perfectly, his strategies were what got them in and out, he'd even saved a group of civilians that were unexpected.

Why was he grumpier than usual?

Because something is not right.

Everyone gathers for dinner and he barely takes a bite. He's shifting his food around his a fork before getting up and sitting on the couch instead with his arms across his chest and shoulders tensed. No one breathes a word, letting him storm to himself. Except you. You'd noticed Bucky's less than pleasant attitude but it doesn't scare you and you felt bad seeing him sitting by himself clearly stewing over something.

Maybe you had a crush on the soldier too. Maybe.

"Hey" You give him a soft smile as you take a seat beside him, still giving him space, "You okay?"

He gives you a shrug in response but that was normal with Bucky. You'd check in again and if he still didn't want to talk, you'd leave him alone.

"What's wrong"

Usually his standard answer of telling people to fuck off was easy but not with you. Never with you. Not when you turn him into a pile of mush and fluff. Bucky's grumpy face turns more into a pout as he contemplates telling you what's been making him so mad.

"My tummy hurts" he mumbles and you have to hold every fiber of your body together to keep from melting into a puddle because he could have said he felt unwell. Stomach pain. Stomach ache.Felt sick. Felt off. He could have said absolutely any other variation of what he was feeling but no.

The poor, grumpy, angry soldier was huffy and puffy because of a tummy ache.

"I'm sorry bub" you coo, not even realizing what you'd called him,"What would make you feel better?" You ask but Bucky doesn't actually know the answer. When he usually felt queasy he'd just grit it out until it went away.

"When I was little, my ma would make me some soup" He wasn't sure if it actually cured anything but he remembered it always being the yummiest thing he'd tasted and the one thing that made him feel all better. "But that was for when I had a cold"

"What about for tummy aches" You asked, noting the way the soldiers cheeks turned pink, his fingers fidgeting with each other. Of course he knew what his ma would do for his little achy belly but it's not like you could help...

"Um, sometimes she'd tuck me in bed and then.."

"Then?" You cock your head in curiosity while Bucky's voice dies on his tongue.

"Then she'd rub my tummy till I went to sleep" He rushes out with a small voice while keeping his eyes trained on his hands. His eyes grow wide at the giggle you let out, worried he'd made a complete idiot of himself, what were you to do with that information, it's not like you'd-

"C'mere" You take his hand gently in yours, gauging his reaction before moving him to lay his head on your lap. Bucky's stomach is now a mess of butterflies and whatever was upsetting him, his muscles melting into Jello as soon as you'd touched him. "Is this okay?" Your hand rests closer to his hip than right on his stomach and Bucky is barely able to squeak out a yes along with a quick nod.

You hum, moving your hand to rub soft circles around his tummy, his firm muscles under making you giddy on the inside. You recollect your nerves, focused on soothing motions, your other hand moving to play with Bucky's hair. You card your fingers through his short chestnut locks, smiling at the way he closes his eyes, his breathing starting to slow, muscles releasing their tenison.

"Better?" You whisper, giggling to yourself at the deep purr he made in response, relaxing with your gentle ministrations. He rolls over, smushing his face against your stomach, far too relaxed to care. The soft snores that follow after let you know the remedy certainly worked. As soon as you move your hand away, he blindly reaches out, placing it right back where it belongs and going back to sleep immediately after, tummy ache all gone, flutterly little butterflies replacing them. He's already dreaming of all the ways he could return the favour.

Isn't he an absolute precious baby.

So cute.

Bonus scene:

Of course the team gawk at what they see; the grumpy soldier now happy as a clam on your lap.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Bucky's tummy hurts" You reply with a smile and honestly the answer sends everyone into chaos.

"Awww Buckyyyy"

"So that's why he was so grumpy. Should've known when he kept pouting everytime we had turbulence"

"AWWWW The winter soldier as a widdle tummy ache?" Sam coos, only to silence his cackles when Bucky's eyes shoot open, staring daggers at him. "Don't give me that look when you're curled up on y/n's lap like a cat"

"Does rubbing it help ya feel all better-oh fuck"

Bucky's glare sends everyone scrambling right out, the empty room leaving him all content again.

Yes.

Rubbing his tummy made him feel all better.

[sunnycantaloupe]

"Since when was this marriage valid?!" Piece 1

Leona's segment

This with Leona, where he snuck out of the castle as a kid and met you for the first time. It was a rocky start and you got off on the wrong foot, with you accidently tripping over his tail and scraping your knee. Your mother always told you to collect debt if it's due, so you said you'd only forgive him if he "married" you (you didn't think candy was enough, give yourself a break). After a lot of back and forth, he agreed.

The next time you met him, you upheld the proper proposal traditions (you asked your mom and she laughed it off and told you, not thinking anything of it). Bringing a bracelet you spent all night making, you gave it to him as a proposal gift. With some paper and charcoal, you wrote up a fake marriage certificate and you both signed your name at the bottom, your ability to read and write not very good.

With that, you forgave him. Turns out you just wanted to know what it felt like to get married. You made him keep the certificate because you knew you'd loose it somehow. Only then did you actually give him your first and last name, since he demanded it because of your poopy handwriting. You didn't think to ask for his. Surprising to both you and him, the rest of that day was enjoyable since you actually got to know each other a little bit.

After that day, your mother got a better job opportunity and you moved far away. As you grew up, you finally realized the weight of your actions. You weren't too worried though, because you doubted the both of you would even remember the entire thing and you were sure he lost the fake certificate and proposal gift. Even though life went on as normal, with you eventually moving back with your mother to Sunset Savana, you never forgot. Neither did he.

...

It's been 20 years, and Leona is 29 now. Stuff happened in life, but he got through it. That was one of the few good things about being the second born. You weren't expected to do much, which meant you didn't have to do much. Unfortunately, with him being royalty, he was expected to get married some day. With his brother getting worried about him about him ending up alone for the rest of his life (*scoff*), he was set up with countless arranged proposals with the hope that he'd find "the one" somehow.

Now, don't get it twisted. Leona didn't want to get married in the first place and he had no care for it. However, if he was going to get married, he refused to marry someone so...annoying. The first suitor was annoyingly agreeable, the second one very clearly only cared about one thing, and the third was forced into this as well and they mutually agreed not to go anywhere with it. It had been months, and Leona was tired. As he lay in bed after a date with his 4th suitor (someone who he swore wanted him dead-), he recalled a memory.

You. He was 9 at the time and snuck out of the palace. He ended up at a small park where you tripped over his tail. As compensation, you demanded that he "marry" you, stating that "My mom told me that when there's debt that's owed to you, collect it.". As a kid, he hated it and found it bothersome. As a teen, he found it embarrassing, and as an adult? He thought it was funny. So funny in fact, that it gave him an idea.

He never threw them away, your proposal gift and the marriage certificate. He was going to, but the memory of someone so bluntly demanding something of him was amusing, and it helped keep him just a tiny bit humble in some ways. So, he put both items away in a lock box, where he kept other life memories that he deemed important. He knew where they were. The marriage certificate did contain both of your signatures, and there was a proposal gift given, so technically it was valid.

To his utter surprise and relief, it worked. His brother got off his back, and all was good. Well...until the royal ambassadors and council demanded that you live in the palace, with you being his spouse and everything.

...in his defense, he didn't expect them to actually take it seriously. Don't worry though. Do this favor for him, and he'll repay this debt. He'll repay it by making sure you're taken care of for the rest of your life.

[luludeluluramblings]

Conner Kent's Obsession with Smalltown!Reader

A/N: I saw a few people liking the Superfam stuff and finally went nuts attempting this Conner bit. I tried. I tried so hard. I added dialogue. I'm used to the YJ Conner, but this is my attempt at Comic Conner. If he's OOC, oops. Yeet. (I attempted to research, I swear.) Might edit this some later.

A/N: I write Reader with an accent. One, cause that's how I talk. Two, cause I like it like 'dat.

A/N: I'm also almost done with Part Seven, but I'm adding dialogue to that too to make the breaking point a tad bit more impactful. I've never really written dialogue before.

Warnings: Slight Yandere themes. Romantic Yandere. (Very subtle.)

Conner’s run-ins with Reader always seemed to piss Tim off. Especially after Tim started researching into Reader. He would occasionally always beg Tim to invite Reader to hang out. And, he would find himself rejected every single time. Before it was probably due to Tim being dramatic. Now, he certain of this, it's because Tim dramatic and jealous overprotective.

On other occasions, he'd just by pass Tim, leaving him to his cases (and creeping) so hecould sneak and bother reader. They’re kinda cute, in his opinion. Of course they call him a big city boy and said he clearly lived off of his daddy’s money. Which was only kind of wrong. But, they way they said it made his a trail of heat crawl down his spine.

After some time had passed, he knew that Tim and the other members of the family were suspicious about him coming to the manor so much. He never tried to hide his reasons There was no point in hiding behind weak excuses. He respected the Bats too much to even think he could fool them. Plus, lying to the Bats was a good way to get stabbed with a kryptonite knife. Even though they had made it pretty clear that they disapproved of him coming around so often, He was still going to keep visiting. Could they really blame him? It wasn’t his fault he was enamored so easily. 

He kept his distance just a bit. Like he was silently (commanded) requested. He could tell he made the newest addition to the family a bit uncomfortable. And, he understood. The clone thing was kinda freaky after all.

Well, at first he had assumed it was because he was a clone. That would make any normal person feel a bit weird. But, then he heard them keep call him that nickname. City boy. The way it rolled off their tongue and how often it was said was clearly a sign. They weren’t bothered by the clone thing. They just didn’t like his personality. He could fix that. That wasn’t that hard. He was adaptable.

So when he approached them again, for the million time, he tried to play up the cool and collected act. Going as far as to emulate the Batman. Which, surprising made the ice break. When they laughed at him.

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

"No, seriously why are you acting like that?" You're still giggling at how hard he was trying to play up the serious act. Cause that's all it was. You don't doubt he could genuinely be serious for a moment, but this wasn't one of those moments.

"I'm just letting you see a different side of me, is all." Conner replies, trying to keep it up even though he had been quickly caught.

"You mean the imaginary side, city boy? I didn't realize you liked to play pretend." Another teasing snort. God, how you needed that laugh.

"I'm not pretending."

"Yeah, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah."

"No."

"Yes, you are. Don't be lyin' to me now. Or, Imma start gettin' upset."

"Okay, okay... How could you tell?" He conceded after a moment. The way he scratched the back of his head suited him much more than that little Oscar performance he was putting on a few seconds prior.

"I'm observant." Comes the mock arrogant reply. It was hard to give him a cold shoulder when he just made you laugh so genuinely in the last few weeks.

"Oh, look who's playing pretend now." The snark on his tongue doesn't have any heat, but it does bring you some relief. A bit of much needed normalcy.

Maybe it's the fact that the loneliness has slowly crawled into your chest and burrowed it's self deep in that hollow part of you, but it's easy to let your guard down around him for once. You had noticed his efforts to get to know you before, and maybe you let those preconceived notions cloud your little head. But, there was no need for them anymore. The twinge of glee he sparked was enough to burn them away and make you pause before you would rebuild those walls of yours.

"Are you saying I'm not observant?"

"Yep."

"The audacity!" The outrage nothing more than a sham. A simple way to fill the air between them. Cause even if the talk was small, just the hint of it filled something in you. That didn't make your curiosity fade, however. "But, seriously, why are you impersonating Bruce? And in his own house, no less."

The brief silence that washes over you both has you already regretting this. Had it really so long since you've had a proper conversation that you were this out of practice?

When he finally speaks again, it is gives you relief and more regret.

"I just wanted to finally get your attention."

Well, doesn't that make you finally fit in with the rest of your family?

Your tongue brushes over your teeth in an attempt to get the lead coating that made your words weigh heavy in your mouth off of it.

"I'm sorry, Conner. I- I've been smallminded haven’t I?"

"No, I get it. The whole clone thing is freaky." He starts, a light flush on his cheeks. He wasn't expecting an apology, and especially one so soon and so heartfelt.

"Oh, yeah, that... Really it didn't have anything to do with it. I kinda just thought you were a typical concrete jungle flirt. Momma warned me about men like you." You try to hide your sheepishness by adding humor to your voice, praying he catches your sincerity under all the different layers.

He catches something, judging by the beaming smile Conner gives you.

"Really? I had hoped it wasn't, ya know, that."

"Nah, nah. It wasn't. Still, I am sorry." You assume silence is about to befall the pair of you again, but he doesn't let it happen.

"My family owns a farm out in Kansas, you know?" The cheeky grin on his face screams that he's going to be getting his revenge in the form of mild bullying.

"No!" The resounding smack of your palm hitting your forehead nearly echoes in the halls. "I feel even worse now."

"So much for being observant, little detective."

"I never claimed to be no detective. But, I might be more... oblivious then I initially implied..."

Now, it's Conner's turn to guffaw at you.

"The audacity."

"Don't you throw my words back at my. I can't handle it." You can't help by click your tongue. There's hardly any annoyance from your words. "I really misjudged you."

"It's fine! I figured you might still be adjusting to Gotham and the whole Wayne lifestyle. Tim mentioned you're from a pretty small town when I started bugging him about you." He's clearly playing up the charm, but you let it work on you.

"More like I'm still suffering from culture shock." Slowly, you can feel this conversation starting to shift to something deeper than surface level. Things that haven't been allowed into the open air start to ripple underneath.

And, he takes that chance to draw it out.

"Still?" Empathy mixing into his tone. Those icy blue eyes looking incredibly warm. You'd never really taken the time to look at him. Sure, you knew he was attractive. Hell, everyone that seemed to show up at the manor was attractive. But, now you were finally looking at him. Too focused were you in taking in his appearance for the first time, that you completely missed the way those eyes shined with opportunity and desperate want.

"Yeah, still. It's... different."

"Different as in the food's a little weird or different as in the people are a little weird?"

"It's all a little weird, and it's... kinda... lonely?" You can't help the wince. You really don't wanna trauma dump on someone who you had initially misjudged. He didn't deserve that.

But, as he moves closer you can't help it. That desolate part of you longing for comfort when you haven't had it in such a long time and the way he's giving you all this undivided attention when you can barely catch Alfred in the halls these days fills that acute craving in your gut.

"Lonely?" God, the concern in his voice doesn't make you want to cry, but it does make you want to choke

"I... I think it's not here that's different. I think it's me that's too different." The way he sucks a breath in after the words leave your mouth makes you want to backtrack immediately. "I'm so sorry. God damn, am I mess right now."

"No. No. No. You are fine." The reassuring words oddly sound more like a purr, but they capture your attention all the same. "I get it. I really really do."

Why does he have to give you such a disarming smile. He's practically beaming at you now. There's a festering tension blooming around them like spores.

"You are really not helping me fell less like a jerk to you now." The click of your tongue attempting to defuse the budding blooms.

"Hey, if you're feeling guilt... you could, maybe... let me take you out for dinner sometime? Just to make it up to me."

After a stunned moment of thought, you finally find the words to reply.

" Honestly, I'd-"

"CONNER!" Tim's sudden interruption sends the words crawling back down your throat.

"Tim." He calls back in a cool greeting, but he strangely doesn't step back from you. Which is nice. You haven't had anyone close to you other than Dick and a few of your remaining friends at Gotham Academy. And Damian, Cassandra, and Duke get a bit huffy, or in Damian's case murdery, when they are within an arms reach of you.

"Sorry, am I interrupting anything? Conner and I had plans for the day." Tim's pleasant voice sends a wave of unease over you. He's not staring at you when he speaks. Just Conner. It's annoying how he's ignoring you despite you being right. In. Front. Of. Him.

But, then he does finally look at you and his dark grey eyes soften ever so slightly. You're not too mad. Clearly he's exhausted, judging by the bruises under his eyes. There's still a slight reflection in them as he's gaze meets yours, despite how dry the appear. Probably from looking at a computer too much.

"You really shouldn't bother with this guy. He's not worth it." The words are clearly meant to be joking. Casual banter between two close friends. But, you can't help thinking they come off a bit strong.

Conner seems to bristle at them, but he does brush them off.

"That's right, we are hanging out today. Can you blame me for getting distracted, though?" That cocky smirk of his is back, and he actually touches your shoulder. It makes you feels warm, but like a prize at the same time.

All Tim seems to do in response is twitch, but giving nothing away. His grey eyes going steely as they drift to Conner's hand.

When the moment finally passes, Conner lets his hand fall. You can feel it grazing down your back as he pulls away. Slow, like he's trying to strike a match and light something inside you.

"I'll see you later, sweetheart. Just think about my offer and get back to me on it!" Conner calls out as Tim storms behind him. Both heading in the direction of the library.

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

As soon as their in the Batcave, Conner can tell he probably pushed it too far. Not that he has any regrets. He finally got somewhere and confirmed all of his previous theories about Reader. They were so adorable apologizing to him, and so deliciously sweet about it too.

He should've realized Tim was watching them, though. Dude was a creep. He maybe his best friend, but he's still a damn creep.

As expected, the rest of the family is also giving him the patented Bat-glare when he sees them. But, as he stated, he has no regrets. He's not stupid enough to stick around, though. He saw Jason loading a suspicious looking green bullet into the chamber of his gun. And, while he knows Tim wouldn't kill him, he's not so sure about the rest of them.

He's confirmed what he's wanted, what he's already suspected. They're absolutely perfect for him and ripe and raw.

[d1g1tal-d1ary]

Part 2 of my addicted!Simon headcanon!!

Price always had a lot going on; being the Captain of a Task Force demanded a lot of time, energy and most of all - nerves.

So when one of the nurses on base had pulled him aside and said that she suspected someone stealing Morphine, all he did was nod and call in a meeting. Luckily, everyone had obliged to giving him a urine sample to let it be tested for drugs.

What no one seemed to notice was Simon's eyes staring into nothingness as all he did was pray that his heavy heart wouldn't give his covers away. His head was spinning because he searched for a way out of this - there had to be a way he didn't have to take it. And suddenly his mind started to wander off to you; the only one who'd met him without knowing he was Ghost. The only one who knew he had a problem - a fucking big one right now - and the only one who understood him was you.

One hand tightly gripping the little cup, the other one knocking loudly on your door. He didn't hesitate when the door opened; he simply pushed it open and walked into your tiny apartment.

"Simon?" you asked with a frown plastered on your face. You hadn't expected him - of course you hadn't so all you were wearing was one of your cute pyjamas you avoided to wear around him normally. "Is everything okay?"

"I messed up," was all that came across his lips with a heavy sigh. When his gaze met yours, all he could do was put the cup on your kitchen table and point at it. "I need your help."

You stepped closer and eyed the little cup and when you realized what exactly he'd asked you to do, you shook your head. "No, I'm not helping you fake a drugtest."

"Please, luvie," his eyes studied your face - he reduced the distance between you two quickly and took your face into his rough and calloused hands. "I'll never ask anythin' of you ever again. Just let me keep my job, fuck- it's the only thing that's been keeping me sane all this time."

Of course your heart sank when you heard his pleading and even more so when you looked up at him and you could see the desperation in his blue eyes. After moments had passed - which felt like years for Simon - you'd finally nodded and given in to him.

"I knew you'd understand," he whispered and pecked your lips before letting you go take the drugtest.

You'd never felt so dirty in your life. Pissing into a little cup while Simon waited impatiently outside the bathroom made you feel greedy and so, so worthless. But if you were being honest; there was nothing you wouldn't do for Simon. Of course you weren't supporting his addiction - that was the main reason you had broken up, after all. But he was your Simon. The closest you'll ever get to finding unconditional love.

A few days after Simon had given the sample to Price - he'd been the last to hand it over - the test results finally came. And Price would never doubt his team; they'd done everything together for years at this point, but he could also imagine one of his soldiers having an addiction as it was nothing new.

To his surprise and relief, all the test results came back negative. But looking at Simon's results made him frown - or more so, all he could do was huff at the result.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Simon had stepped into Price's office; not even thinking that it could have anything to do with the drugtest as he knew you hadn't taken any.

Price's eyes never left Simon's form. He watched him intensly as he took the seat across from Price's desk. "Yeah, well, the results came back and since you're L.T., I thought you'd deserve to know before everyone else."

Simon hummed in response while leaning back, silently thanking you again.

"Luckily, everyone's negative," Price announced which made Simon even more relaxed. "But.. The Lab was a bit confused and thought something went wrong as Simon Riley's clearly a male name."

"Captain, I don't think I can follow you," Simon had frowned under his balaclava.

Price barked a bitter laugh as he looked at the Lieutnant in front of him. "They found the hormone Beta-hCG in your piss. You wanna know what that means?"

All Simon could do was nod; unaware of what's to come.

"The fuckin' piss is from someone who's pregnant," Price lowly said. "So now we not only know this wasn't your piss, but I think you two would've been smart enough to know we‘d find out. So, Riley, should I say congratultions?"

Y‘all wanna read part 3???!!! 🙏😭

[spacequokka]

It's the (Right) Time

Pairing: Jaebeom x Reader Genre: fluff, humor Rating: G Summary: Doing the White Elephant gift exchange with Jay B and the boys. Word Count: 0.6k Warnings: None, just meme7 doing their thing.

A/N: Can you guess which song the title came from?

"Play White Elephant with us," they said. "It'll be fun," they said. Honestly, you should've known better considering who was involved. Since when has GOT7 done anything with an ounce of control? The second the last person invited to BamBam's place walked through the door, drinks were passed out and chaos ensued. You ended up sitting cross-legged in a circle with the boys, clutching your carefully wrapped package—a vintage record player you found at a flea market—hoping it wouldn't be the most memorable gift for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't impossible to find vinyl records…right? You added it to the pile while the guys fought over snacks and refills.

"Number seven!" BamBam called out with way too much enthusiasm, waving the little paper slip. You took it with trembling hands. Seven, last pick. That could ever be really good or really bad. You crossed your fingers.

Jackson was practically vibrating with excitement then drew number one. "First pick! The universe loves me!" He kissed the slip of paper then crawled forwards on his knees to survey the pile of presents in the middle of the circle. Each one was wrapped in different patterns of holiday paper, but the designs chosen hinted at who wrapped what. After much deliberation and dramatic pointing, Jackson went for a small box wrapped in silver.

The game moved quickly after that. Youngjae picked a tall gift back and found a mini karaoke machine inside, which Mark immediately stole. Jinyoung carefully selected a medium-sized box that turned out to be a rare book collection, which made his eyes light up. BamBam ended up with a designer scarf after three different steals, and Yugyeom somehow landed a set of limited edition Deadpool plushies.

Then it was Jay's turn, right before yours. He studied the remaining two gifts with that intense focus he usually reserves for reviewing song lyrics. His gaze landed on your package and you held your breath. The record player would be a perfect fit for him--you lowkey picked it with him in mind, knowing he already had a collection.

"This one," he muttered as he reached for your gift. Of course.

You watched as he carefully peeled back the paper, his eyes widening when he realized what it was. "No way," he breathed, running his fingers over the vintage wood. "This is…this is incredible." It's the look in his eyes that does it, a tender joy that leaves him with a barely there smirk.

You're last and there's only one gift left—a squishy package wrapped in red and gold. For a minute you panic. Soft gifts in a game of White Elephant can mean trouble. Inside, you find the softest fleece hoodie you've ever touched, clearly oversized and perfect for winter.

"That was mine," Jay scoots closer to you. When you look up, he's smiling gently in a way that makes his eyes crinkle. "Seems fair, doesn't it? You got my gift, I got yours."

"Did you know?" you ask, wondering if somehow he'd guessed which present you bought.

He nods, still smiling. "As their leader, it's my job to keep an eye on everything going on." He glances at the record player then back at you. "How did you know I've been looking for one exactly like this?"

"I didn't! I saw it—"

"Okay, but can we talk about how I ended up with socks? Socks?!" Jackson launched himself across the circle at Mark. "I trusted you!"

The room erupted with laughter. Jay caught your eye again, mouthing a silent "thank you" before getting to his feet to wrangle Jackson back to the couch. You pulled on the new hoodie. It smelled faintly of vanilla and coffee, just like him. Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you don't plan for.

[bunnysnuff]

A brothers advice.

Pairing: Elphaba Thropp x reader, sibling!Fiyero Tiggular x sibling!reader.

Trigger warnings; none.

Requests.

Fiyero had always been protective of his younger sister, but lately, he'd noticed something that made him smirk with amusement. You were always sneaking glances at Elphaba, your eyes lingering on her whenever she wasn't looking. Fiyero, being the observant older brother, was quick to pick up on your quiet crush. But rather than tease you directly, he decided to step in—with his own brand of help.

One evening, as the two of you walked through the halls of Shiz University, Fiyero leaned in with that devil-may-care grin of his. "So," he started, his voice low and teasing, "I’ve noticed something interesting."

You raised an eyebrow, trying to keep your composure. "What do you mean?"

He grinned wider, clearly enjoying himself. "You like Elphaba, don’t you?"

You froze for a second, embarrassed, but then you just shrugged. "Maybe," you admitted, unable to deny it. "She’s smart, kind, and..." You trailed off, feeling like a schoolgirl caught with a crush.

Fiyero chuckled, clearly amused by your bashfulness. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to know a thing or two about getting someone's attention."

"What, like teaching me how to play tricks and impress people with my dazzling personality?" you asked, half-joking.

He winked. "Exactly. Flirting 101, taught by none other than your big brother."

You laughed, rolling your eyes. "I’m not sure if I should take that seriously. You and your 'charming' ways."

But despite your skepticism, Fiyero launched into his version of flirting advice—much of it ridiculous, but entertaining nonetheless. He had you practicing how to toss your hair just so, how to make a mysterious entrance, how to speak in a tone that conveyed both confidence and intrigue. Every time Elphaba was near, Fiyero would whisper, "Show her what you’ve got," his voice both teasing and oddly supportive.

You tried, not expecting much. But when Elphaba looked your way, a glint of curiosity in her eyes, your heart fluttered. Fiyero caught that look on your face, satisfied with the effect. "See? Told you. You’ve got this."

But the more time you spent with Elphaba, the more you realized that what Fiyero had been teaching you wasn’t what was needed at all. It wasn’t about playing games or acting coy; it was about being honest. You saw Elphaba for who she really was—the fiery, passionate, complicated person who wasn’t interested in pretending. And you were no longer interested in pretending either.

One day, after another round of Fiyero's antics, you found yourself alone with Elphaba in the courtyard. No flirting tricks, no overthought gestures—just you and her, speaking openly.

"Fiyero’s been teaching me how to flirt," you said with a laugh, shrugging at how absurd it sounded. "But I think I’ve been going about this all wrong."

Elphaba tilted her head in curiosity, her lips curving into a soft smile. "Oh really? And what exactly have you been doing wrong?"

You took a deep breath, deciding to abandon all the tricks and just be yourself. "I guess... I’ve been trying to get your attention in all the wrong ways. What I really want to say is that I like you, Elphaba. I’ve liked you for a while."

There was a long pause, and your heart raced. You half-expected her to laugh or turn away, but instead, Elphaba took a step closer, her eyes searching yours. "I’m glad you said that," she said quietly, her voice soft. "Because I’ve been feeling the same way."

Suddenly, it all clicked. The charm wasn’t in Fiyero’s advice—it was in being genuine. And as Elphaba took your hand, you realized that maybe your brother's ridiculous flirting lessons had led to something even more precious: a chance to be honest with the person you cared about.

The next time you saw Fiyero, he caught your smile and raised an eyebrow. "So? How did it go?"

You grinned at him, feeling both amused and a little exasperated. "You know, you might be good at making people laugh, but I think I figured it out without your so-called 'charming' tips."

Fiyero chuckled, pride in his eyes. "Well, whatever works. I’m just glad it all worked out."

And just like that, the brother who had once teased you about your crush had become the one to nudge you toward the love you’d both been waiting for. You, Elphaba, and Fiyero—three unlikely people, brought together in the most unexpected of ways.

[bedoballoons]

─⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿─

A/n: This is a part 2! Angsty! They try to apologize, readers unsure if they can forgive them and lots of pleading/apologies! No happy endings so I apologize in advance! Thank you @0vendettaself for the idea!

Requests/asks open!

{༻~They said something they didn't mean~༺}

(Includes: Diluc, Albedo, Alhaitham, Xiao, and Scaramouche!)

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𑁍༄Diluc:

"Just leave me alone. I don't need you bothering me, I deal with that enough already."

Diluc took a step closer to you, feeling guilt swallow him whole...how could he have said that to you...the person he loved so much. "You're never bothersome to me... I should have never said that..I'm so sorry." His voice was pleading with you, his hand reaching out to touch your face just like he always did, but before he could actually touch you, you pulled away from him...

"Diluc, you can't just say things like that...and then say you're sorry and think that makes it all better." You crossed your arms, covering yourself protectively as warm tears started to make their way down your cheeks...your heart hurting at the thought of being...bothersome...to someone you loved so much. He couldn't just say that and not mean it...right?

He swallowed harshly, racking his mind for some way to fix this...take away what he had said, "You're right, I just...is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" You looked away from him, unable to answer because in truth...you were asking yourself the same question.

𑁍༄Albedo:

"Could you please just get out of my way, I have very important things I'm working on and you're not helping."

Albedo reached out, grabbing you by the wrist harder than he meant to, in a attempt to stop you from leaving. His bright blue eyes looking at you with so much guilt in them, "Please don't leave...I like when you're with me, I was just having issues and I took that frustration out on you...I'm so sorry. I swear you're not in my way my love." His voice cracked as he begged you to stay, but you felt like you were just in the way now...and honestly you weren't sure if that feeling would go away easily.

You pulled your wrist out of his grasp, trying desperately to not cry in front of him..."Albedo, you never say things you don't mean and clearly I was bugging you,...I'll just leave for now." Your voice was barely above a whisper as you rushed out the door, leaving him on the other side of it, wondering if you could ever forgive him...if he could ever forgive himself.

𑁍༄Alhaitham:

"This isn't something you'd understand, not unless you've doubled your IQ overnight."

Alhaitham closed his book, sighing at his own ignorance when it came to love...to people, he could tell he had upset you greatly and yet he had no idea how. "I truly didn't mean to hurt you... What did I say that upset you? I'll make sure to keep it to myself next time..."

You could barely believe what you just heard...he didn't even realize what was wrong and he'd just keep it to himself next time...which meant it wouldn't solve a thing. "All of it Alhaitham. All of what you said, your tone of voice, that annoyed look you give me...you make...you make me feel stupid. Like I'm not smart enough to even compare to you...and it hurts because I already worry about things like that."

He stared at you, his eyes widening as you spoke...but he said nothing in return, what could he say, even he didn't know. In the end you left, not another word said by either one of you...

𑁍༄Xiao:

"Leave."

"No I'm not leaving...it's not your choice wether I stay or not Xiao, it's mine and I would rather spend all my days with you with that slim chance of you hurting me, then spend my life without you and always be hurting." Your words sounded so fragile now...your mind racing with the horrible thought of possibly never seeing him again. How would you even be able to stay in Liyue... everywhere...everything was showered with memories of the two of you together.

"You...you can find someone better. Someone who doesn't have that risk to begin with...I'm sorry. I shouldn't...I shouldn't have given you hope, I just...wanted so badly to love you, but my love is dangerous and even though you're right, leaving is your choice...it's also mine. I'll leave." As he spook your heart sank deeper and deeper, into a bottomless pit of depression...it was like drowning but so much worse. You opened your mouth, wanting to yell at him not to go but...he disappeared before you even had the chance...leaving you...

𑁍༄Scaramouche:

"I don't love you, honestly how could I when you're just a mortal and I have the power of a god."

You backed up more, your back up against the wall as hot tears rolled down your face... everything you once believed about your relationship suddenly wavering. "H-how could you..." You stuttered, unable to properly think as he apologized over and over...trying to take it back, but it had already sunk in. It was like a knife shoved into your stomach, twisting with each meaningless apology.

"I don't know! I just spoke without thinking, I wanted to hurt you but not...not that badly! I'm sorry I didn't fucking mean that, you're the only one I've ever loved." His voice cracked as he continued to move closer to you, his hands shaking with anxiety...if you left because of this.. he'd be all alone, again. "You can say something rude to me, or I can do something to make you feel better...just, just don't go. Please."

You shook your head, using your arm to wipe away your tears as you shoved past him, bolting towards the exit, why would you stay...for someone who didn't love you.

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ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚Have a good day!*⁠.⁠✧

[stolitzsings]

It's just SO fucking good and so fucking gutwrenching how much sense both of their mistakes make for them

And how backed into a corner both of them felt

It's completely understandable that Blitz would feel blindsided by Stolas’s confession- from his perspective it's coming out of nowhere

But this is something Stolas has been wrestling with for months now, and it's slowly killing him. He starts off his day with an anxiety vomit bc of how stressed he is about this conversation, and he also thinks this might be his one and only chance to tell Blitz how he feels. He's giving Blitz the crystal, no strings attached, so for all he knows he might not ever see Blitz again after tonight. He needs to lay it all out there if he wants Blitz to understand

Also Stolas has been trying to show Blitz he cares for so long: inviting him to hang out for things, suggesting movies and comfort after the turmoil of Ozzie's, letting Blitz take the lead on whether to see him for the full moon each month, plus everything Blitz mentioned to Fizz! Liking his pictures and asking him how he is and all those things that Blitz dismissed because he simply couldn't fathom that Stolas would actually be interested in him. Stolas has been giving him space and checking in on how he's feeling and offering to talk about things, presumably for months now, all in a bid to show Blitz they could have more than a transactional relationship.

And he'd been hyping himself up to have this conversation, telling himself it could go great! Maybe Blitz would be just as happy as he was! Maybe he felt the same and this would all work out!

But even though Blitz does care about him, he's fucking terrified to show or even acknowledge it, because feelings mean getting hurt. And he's been shutting himself off from the possibility of Stolas having those feelings for months as well. He can't allow himself to hope for anything more, and anyway it would just complicate things, so best to stick to nice, safe sex stuff like he's sure Stolas wants to anyway.

So he completely misses all the times Stolas is trying to give them a way forward, and as a result he just can't believe Stolas’s confession could be real. And then he REALLY fucks up. This has to be a sex thing, right? The one thing he's convinced himself Stolas wants, especially tonight? He's thinking "there's no way anyone could love me like this," but all Stolas hears is "there's no way YOU could love me like this."

Because while Blitz has been shutting out any hope that Stolas could love him, Stolas has been CLINGING to scraps of hope that Blitz might love him, in order to give himself the strength to have the conversation they're having now. I don't think he understands why Blitz wouldn't leap at the chance to believe him.

To Stolas, this is confirmation that Blitz still sees their relationship as the same as it was after Ozzie's, when he said their relationship was just sex and Stolas SAW how unhappy he was. Clearly, Blitz still feels this whole thing is about Stolas wanting Blitz to fuck him, and it's not fair to keep him trapped in that dynamic. He thinks the conversation is over, he has his answer because Blitz wasn't happy then so he clearly isn't happy now.

Stolas spends the rest of the scene trying to bow out gracefully. He thanks Blitz for changing his life and tries to escape before he really breaks down. Remember, he's going through an acrimonious and, to be frank, VIOLENT divorce right now, with the person that he's terrified of becoming in his relationship with Blitz. He would do anything to get out of his shitty relationship quietly, so clearly the kindest thing he could do is let Blitz go without making a fuss.

But Blitz is only just realizing that he read the situation so wrong. When he chases after Stolas, Stolas might see it as just another person following him around his house to yell at him. For Blitz, though, he's scared, he's angry at Stolas for springing this on him, and he feels like Stolas is trying to discard him because of one dumb thing he just did. Stolas doesn't know how many times Blitz has been dropped before because of one fuckup. He doesn't get how close he's gotten to Blitz's past trauma. Meanwhile Blitz is trying to get Stolas to give him a second to figure shit out, to just stick with him and not expect him to have all the answers right away.

And when Stolas doesn't give him that, because he's convinced that Blitz is still unhappy and is now just trying to make this hurt as little as he can, Blitz retreats back into anger. Finally Stolas is discarding him just like he always knew he would eventually. Their relationship has been such a rollercoaster for both of them and he just needs a little time, dammit! So now this feels like just another case of someone throwing him away for not living up to their expectations.

Stolas can't hear him asking for time, though. All he sees is Blitz following him to curse him out, to yell about how shitty he is, just like Stella has always done. And Blitz is right!!! Stolas was so crushed by the initial rejection that he didn't give Blitz the space he needed to process things. Blitz wants to talk and yell and fight through things and get all the shit out there. But Stolas is so focused on holding himself together for just a little longer.

Stolas's biggest fear was that he'd trapped Blitz in their arrangement, and the way Blitz tries to ask for time and engagement unfortunately hits directly on that. Blitz is yelling that Stolas doesn't get to just dismiss him, he deserves a chance to be heard and to figure shit out, and to have an actual conversation about this. But Stolas fixates on Blitz’s accusation that he's treating him like a servant, and assumes that he's referring to their entire relationship. It confirms, in his mind, that Blitz was never with him willingly and would never want to be with him willingly.

And it must hurt so much to hear Blitz call him a "pompous, rich asshole" in that moment, when he has been trying so hard to be selfless about this. He made himself so vulnerable with this confession and the gift of the crystal. He put everything he had out in the open. But if Blitz thinks he's an asshole, well, there's no way he could share his feelings, right? He's being vulnerable, and probably expected Blitz to do the same and lay his true feelings out there as well. And Blitz really is trying, but he's still using anger and insults because they're familiar and safe. PLUS there's the added panic of "Oh fuck, how badly did I hurt him that he thinks of me like this?"

Stolas doesn't know how many times Blitz has been abandoned for fucking something up, and Blitz doesn't know how many times Stolas has had to shut down and endure tirades of abuse he couldn't escape from. Stolas thinks he's done all of this and Blitz still can't see him as anything but a stuck-up, frigid jerk. And if this desperate, grand gesture wasn't enough to get Blitz to see how much he cares, well, what hope is there?

He's still reeling from what he perceived as Blitz’s mockery of the very idea that Stolas could care for him. He tried to leave peacefully but Blitz won't let him bow out, still wants to yell at him and tell him how shitty he is, won't even give him the dignity of breaking down in private. Never mind that those weren't Blitz’s intentions at all. Stolas was so scared, so tentative about this, that Blitz’s almost inevitable incredulous/messy reaction was bound to hurt.

Both of them are working off their own assumptions, their low opinions of themselves, and their past traumas, and can't see enough of each other's histories to understand that's what they're doing.

[lu-is-not-ok]

Any particular thoughts on Fanghunt Hong Lu?

Yes, one very specific thought in fact.

Fanghunt Hong Lu is the most violent Hong Lu ID we have had thus far, being one that not only revels in violence like Tingtang Hong Lu or Hook Hong Lu, but also one that is actively shown torturing his victims in some genuinely stomach churning ways.

He is also the one Hong Lu ID which, while mentioning his Family, is one that doubts the very nature of what a family even is the most clearly.

This, to me, highlights a very noticeable pattern among Hong Lu's IDs.

When a Hong Lu ID is shown to be actively under his Family's control, he's either completely uninterested in violence (such as Liu) or so bored with the role he's forced into that violence is the only way he's able to push back against that boredom (K Corp and W Corp).

On the other hand, a Hong Lu ID that seems to be heavily disconnected from his Family is often one that is actively enjoying the violence he inflicts and is notably kind of fucking unhinged (Tingtang and Hook).

Fanghunt Hong Lu adds another nuance to that spectrum, being an ID that still has contact with his Family, but one who isn't specifically in a position chosen by them and who is led to doubting what a family even is by his experiences.

He shows us a possible outcome of a Hong Lu who has to actually reckon with reality and doubt what he knows about his circumstances, and the results are not pretty. After all, like I said earlier, Fanghunt Hong Lu is the most violent and most hate-filled Hong Lu we've seen up to now. He pulls out a guy's fucking teeth one by one for fuck's sake.

...And this made me think a bit. We actually have quite a few Hong Lu IDs with a Wrath Sin Affinity by now. However, Fanghunt Hong Lu is only the second we have with a Wrath Skill 3. The other one being, of course, Liu Hong Lu.

Both Hong Lu IDs with a Wrath Skill 3 seem to be to some extent aware of something being wrong regarding their Family, in very different ways that lead them into reacting to it very differently.

Liu Hong Lu seems to be aware of the fact he has no real control over what happens when he's under his Family's watchful eye, leading him into being the least violent Hong Lu of them all. He's aware of what his Family is doing to him, but he's unaware of it being abnormal.

On the other hand, Fanghunt Hong Lu seems to be unaware of the specific horrors of his Family. Rather, he's become aware that Family itself is a concept that he can't quite understand. He's seen Bloodfiends who abandon their previous families to be with their new Bloodfiend families, and it's a point of focus for him. What even is a real family?

...This, I think, is where Liu and Fanghunt Hong Lu differ the most. Liu Hong Lu knows he's being hurt, but he doesn't see any way out, that it's just how things are supposed to be, so he simply tries to live through it.

Meanwhile, though Fanghunt Hong Lu doesn't have that piece of the puzzle, he does have a different one - the seed of an idea that he could escape. Proof that one's "Real" Family doesn't have to remain their only family. He just doesn't yet realize what he'd want to escape from, so he channels the feelings he's experiencing because of that information against the immediate source of it. Instead of using that idea to free himself, he directs his anger towards those that actually tried it and succeeded.

I don't mean to keep pushing my "Hong Lu will go apeshit in Canto 8" idea, but like... The more info we get about him, the more likely that possibility becomes. After all, Fanghunt Hong Lu is a clear example of the fact that a Hong Lu aware of an escape route from one's Family could become extremely violent. That added onto the potential of Lorenzo's story told by the Priest being a parallel to Hong Lu, and the fact that the Sapling of Light Hong Lu is likely going to parallel is Chesed... It's all a lot.

[mattmurdocksscars]

Exes

Summary: After a dare to call an ex goes the opposite way you thought it would, you and Matt reconcile.

Word count: 3k

It started out as a normal enough night. You and your girl friends had gotten together after a long week and were having some drinks. Then someone suggested shots. Then someone suggested truth or dare. And that's how you found yourself in your current position.

Your phone was held in front of your face on speaker as it rang. You had been dared to call an ex and after a moment of panic, you'd realized exactly who to call. There was no way he would pick up. Not only had the two of you ended on bad terms but it had also been quite some time since either of you had spoken to each other. Plus, he had nightly activities that would keep him busy. So surely he wouldn't answer-

“Hello?” You froze as Matt's exhausted voice cut through the chatter of the bar. All of your friends immediately began to giggle, covering their mouths to hide the sound. When you didn't answer after a moment, Matt said your name with concern. Clearing your throat, you blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“I didn't think you'd answer.” You heard the sound of him moving around on the phone followed by a small hiss of pain.

“Of course I answered. You never call. So clearly something must be wrong.” Your brain was quickly putting together the hints he was giving off, even in your inebriated state. He was obviously home, exhausted, and the sound of pain he'd let out all told you he was hurt. Without further thought, you took your phone off of speaker and walked away from the table, much to the disappointment of your friends. You told Matt to wait a second before you moved so you were outside the bar where it was slightly quieter. 

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called. To be honest, it was a stupid dare from my friends and I genuinely thought you wouldn't answer.” Matt sighed on the other end.

“It's… fine. I just thought… nevermind. I'm glad you're okay. Do you need anything else? If not, I'm gonna go.” His voice was cold but you could still hear the exhaustion.

“Are you okay?” You blurt out, before you can second guess yourself. The line is tensely silent and after a minute, you find yourself rambling

“It's just that I can hear the exhaustion and pain in your voice. I don't mean to pry but I'm just worried about you. Did you get hurt again?”

“You're worried about me?” You feel your cheeks heat at his question and look down at your feet, kicking the pavement.

“I-...of course I am. It sounds like you're really hurt. I know we're not together anymore but that doesn't mean-” Your brain catches up with what you're saying and you abruptly cut yourself off.

“Doesn't mean what?” Matt asks, his voice quiet but hopeful. You sniffle, feeling tears prick at your eyes as the realization really hits you. You miss him. So damn much. And in your inebriated state you can't help but to tell him the truth.

“It doesn't mean that I don't care. Because I do, Matt. I care so much. I miss you so much. Where did we go wrong?” You ask brokenly. Matt's heart shatters at your words and he grunts as he gets to his feet.

“Sweetheart, where are you?”

“Why?”

“Cause I'm gonna come get you. You're obviously drunk and I don't want you walking home alone.”

“No, Matt, you're hurt. You don't need to be worrying about me right now.” You wipe your eyes and sniffle again. “I'll be okay. I'm sorry I called.”

“Are you?”

“...No. I'm not. I missed your voice.”

“I missed yours too.” Matt admits quietly. “I'm sorry I couldn't be who you wanted me to be. I know you wanted me to give up Daredevil but-”

“No, Matt, no! I never wanted that, I just wanted you to slow down some and take care of yourself. You were so hurt all the time and it got to the point I was scared you wouldn't make it home at night. I never wanted you to stop, I just needed you to understand that you were running yourself into the ground.”

“You- Really?” 

“Really.”

“All this time, I thought… God, where did we go wrong?” 

“I don't want you coming out because it sounds like you're hurt but… can I come to you? Can we talk this out?” You bit your lip as you waited on a response. 

“Are you sure you're sober enough for this?” You laughed, hearing the teasing edge to his voice.

“I will be by the time I get to you. Please, Matt? The thought that we could fix this…”

“It is a very tempting thought.” Matt murmured. “My place is a bit of a mess but it's open to you. It always will be.”

You immediately grinned and turned back to the bar.

“Let me pay my tab and say goodbye and I'll be there soon.”

“Stay on the phone with me? Since you won't let me come get you.” You chuckled but agreed. Swiftly, you paid your tab, said goodbye to your friends, and hurried to Matt's. The entire time, the line hung open between the two of you. Soft conversation flowed freely and you felt yourself getting giddy the closer you got to Matt's. By the time you reached his apartment complex, you were almost breathless. The alcohol had worn off on the brisk walk and you were almost wishing for the liquid courage it would have provided you. Instead, you pulled open the door and hurried up the stairs. You made it to Matt's door and got ready to knock when the door swung open. Still holding the phone to your face, hand comically in the air, you grinned. 

“Hi.” You breathed out. Matt smiled at you nervously, ended the phone call between you two, and let his hand fall to his side.

“Hi. Come on in.” He said softly. He stepped to the side, and you entered. You kicked your shoes off and slowly walked down the hall into the living room. You took everything in, from the empty beer bottles on his dining table to the open bottle of painkillers on his coffee table. Turning back to him, you looked him over.

He was dressed in a hoodie and sweats. The hoodie was zipped all the way up for once and you knew it was to hide the extent of his injuries. His hands were tucked in the pockets of the hoodie and he slowly made his way over to you. You felt sympathy well up at the way he was limping and opened your mouth before you could think it through.

“Are you sure you're up for this? You look like you're in a lot of pain.” You told him. His glasses glinted in the light from the billboard as he tilted his head at you. There were bruises hiding behind the lenses and across the bridge of his nose. His lip was split and it highlighted his frown.

“I'm fine. Like you said, the thought that we could fix this is something I can't ignore.”

“We could always fix it later, when you feel better.”

“Having second thoughts?”

“Not at all. Just worried about you.” Matt sighed and walked over to you. He hesitated before reaching out and taking one of your hands in his. You welcomed the touch and told him so by gently squeezing his hand.

“I'll be okay. I promise. Now, do you want anything or should we just get into it?” 

“Let's just get into it.” You told him. You gently squeezed his hand again before separating from him and sitting on the couch. You leaned forward and put your elbows on your knees, looking up at Matt.

“I am so sorry that I made you think I wanted you to stop being Daredevil. That is the last thing I wanted. I know how important it is to you and I would never come between you and your nightly habit. That being said, I did want you to slow down. You were getting so hurt and it killed me to spend my nights wondering if you were even going to make it home because you kept going out even when you were really hurt. If we're going to reconcile, I need to know you're going to take better care of yourself.” Matt nodded slowly at your words. There was a frown etched across his face and his head tilted as he regarded you. 

“I'll be honest, since we've been broken up I've been more reckless. With no one to come home to, I felt like there was no point in being home. Not that I'm blaming you or saying it's your fault. I just spiraled. Foggy and Karen had to set me straight. They made the point that if I ever wanted balance in my life, I was going to have to take more time as Matt and less time as the Devil. It took some time but I finally got it through my head. I'm actually home tonight because I'm healing. As you've already guessed. I won't trouble you with the details but it was bad. This is my second night home. Even with Claire patching me up, I knew I needed to give my body time to heal. So I like to think I am taking better care of myself.”

“Oh, Matt. How bad is it?” His sightless eyes darted back and forth as he shrugged, shifting on his feet. 

“Not as bad as the Nobu fight but close. Claire and Foggy stayed with me through the next day. Once I promised them I was staying home for a couple of days and would take care of myself, they left. When your phone call came through, I… I was so nervous. I was afraid you were calling because you were in trouble and I was too hurt to help…” Matt told you quietly. You teared up at his last words and put your hand over your mouth.

“I'm so sorry I scared you like that. But at the same time…I'm glad I got dared to call you. If it's alright with you, I'd like to keep an eye on you. Check in on you over the next couple of days as you heal.”

“Even if we don't work things out?” The tip of Matt's mouth curled up and you laughed.

“Even if things don't work out. But I have a feeling.”

“You have a feeling?”

“Yep. I have a feeling that everything's going to start getting better from here.” You smiled up at Matt, who finally moved to sit down next to you on the couch. He left plenty of room between the two of you and a part of you longed to close that distance but you let him have it for now. 

“Wow. So you're psychic now?” Matt teased. You laughed and settled back into the couch, turning to face Matt.

“Totally. That's how I really knew to call you. My new psychic abilities.” That caused you both to laugh though it was cut short when Matt gasped in pain and clutched his side. You immediately sobered watching him flinch in pain.

“When was the last time you took anything for pain?” 

“It's been a bit. Probably due for something.” You immediately stood up and headed to his kitchen, opening the cabinet he kept his cups in and pouring him a glass of water. You returned to the couch and took the painkiller bottle off the coffee table. You knocked out enough pills for a dose and then handed them and the water to Matt. He softly thanked you and took them. It was quiet for a few minutes before Matt finally spoke. 

“I missed this.”

“What? You, writhing on the couch in pain? Masochist.” Matt smiled and shook his head.

“No. Having you here. Being able to hear your heartbeat and know I'm not alone.” He admitted quietly. 

“You're not alone, Matt. You've got Claire, Foggy, and Karen to keep you company.”

“Yeah, but they're not you.” You suck in a sharp breath at his words. It never really occurred to you that Matt would miss you so much. You'd thought he would just keep himself busy and be fine. You realize now it was selfish of you to think of him like that. You hesitantly reach out and grab his hand.

“Do you want to try this again? I'm willing to give it a shot if you are.” You tell him and the smile that lights up his face has your heart skipping a beat. You'd almost forgotten just how handsome Matt could be.

“I'd love to try this again. I promise I'll try to be better. I don't ever want you to feel like you don't matter to me. Because you do. So much.”

“You matter to me too. And don't change too much, okay? I love you for you, Matt.”

“Say it again.” He whispered.

“Which part?”

“That you love me.”

“I love you, Matt Murdock.”

“I love you too.” 

And so the two of you spent the next couple hours catching up. You told him everything that had happened in your life since the two of you split and he did the same. It wasn't until you realized it was almost 2 am that you realized you should probably leave. You told Matt as much and he frowned.

“Don't go. Please? It's not safe out there this late. You can stay here.”

“Is that a good idea?” You asked him. 

“I'll stay on the couch if it makes you feel better. Just don't try to walk home this late.” He was serious and you could tell the idea of you leaving really made him anxious.

“Alright, I'll stay. But you're staying in your bed, mister. You are too hurt to be sleeping on this couch.”

“But-”

“Those are my conditions, Matt. I won't have you hurting yourself more for me.”

“Okay.” He sulked. But he stood up and pulled a blanket and an extra pillow from the closet, handing them to you. 

“Thank you. Goodnight, Matt. I'll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

He shuffled his way over to his room and carefully laid down. You noticed he kept his rolling door open and smiled. 

“If you want clothes to change into, you know where to find them.” Matt called out. You nodded and quietly padded over to his room and pulled out an old shirt and some pants. You then disappeared into his bathroom. Once changed and ready for bed, you laid down on the couch and pulled the blanket over you. You noticed Matt was breathing evenly and were glad he was already asleep. You settled down and let yourself drift off.

Only to be woken an hour later by Matt's quiet shouts. You immediately shot up and ran over. Realizing he was having a nightmare, you gently carded your fingers through his hair and cooed softly.

“It's okay, Matt. You're safe. You're just dreaming. Wake up, baby. It's okay.” You just kept whispering sweet nothings to him until he finally lurched awake, eyes darting everywhere in his panic. Once he seemed to realize where he was, he settled. He swallowed thickly. 

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.”

“Okay.”

“Do you need anything?”

“Will you…  will you please stay with me? I don't think I can go back to sleep on my own.” You nodded slowly then rounded the bed and crawled in beside him. There was a tense silence for several minutes before you finally sighed.

“Come here, Matt.” 

“I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You're not going to. I know you're not going to go back to sleep unless we're touching, so come here.”

Matt didn't say anything at first, he just laid there. For a second you were worried you had made him uncomfortable but then he sighed and carefully rolled over. Your heart broke for him and how badly he seemed to hurt. Before you could second guess yourself, you opened your arms to him.

“Come here, Matt. I've got you.”

Matt's breath hitched and then he was moving. He crawled into your arms and settled himself on top of you, laying between your legs with his head on your chest. You heard him inhale as if to say something but before he could, you settled your arms around him. He immediately relaxed into you, a soft rumble coming from his chest. You ran your fingers through his hair and gently rubbed at his back. Before long, you felt your shirt start to get wet and you felt your own eyes tear up.

“I missed you so much, sweetheart.” Matt said brokenly. “Please don't leave again. I'll do anything just don't l-”

“Shh, Matt. Calm down, I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm here and I've got you.” Like a dam breaking, Matt fell apart right there in your arms and all you could do was hold him through it. The sobs that wracked his body had to hurt but it didn't stop them from happening. You did your best to soothe him, assuring him quietly. Slowly the sobs began to fade and his breathing finally slowed as he calmed down. The odd tear still fell from his eyes but he relaxed and let himself sink into your arms. 

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologize, Matt. Everything has clearly been hard on you and you finally let it out. That's okay. I'd rather you let it out then bottle it up.”

“Thank you. For holding me and for being so understanding.”

“I'll always hold you and I'll always try to be understanding.”

Matt smiled and dug his head down into your neck, taking slow deep breaths.

There, wrapped in each others arms, the two of you slowly felt the broken pieces of your hearts start to heal.

[sanspuppet]

Another 18+ scenario of San because i can't stop thinking of him and his huge chest.

smut, angst

Jealous/angry San: hard, rough sex

You entered into San's dorm, which he shared with his bestfriends, during the university year. He wasn't there, and you knew it, because he had one other class before the school day would finish. You looked around, searching for someone to talk with, when you noticed Mingi was laying on the couch, watching his phone. You saw his eyes staring at your body through the corner of his phone, it was quite understandable, given the length of your miniskirt, showing completely off your legs. Something went wrong in your head, and a sudden thought of you sitting on him, flowed in your mind.

"Hi Mingi! What are you watching??"

"Uhm... a f-film." he couldn't stop looking at your exposed skin, at the revealing tank top you were wearing, all for teasing him and his friends.

"Can i join you?" you asked, approaching him with an innocent smile, while taking off your shoes.

"S-sure." he only could respond, he knew what was your purpose, and he also knew it was completely wrong. But you wanted just to watch a film, right? He couldn't refuse, so you instantly sat next to him, your left hand resting on his tight. After some minutes, knowing that San would come back soon, you choose to make things a mess, like you were doing for some days:

"Min, i can't see clearly, can i sit on your lap?" you asked looking at him with your puppy eyes.

"Uhm... i dont think it's a good idea..." his nervousness growing under his oversized sweatshirt.

"Pleaaaseee Min" you begged him, already moving on top of him. You could feel heartbeat speeding up, so you layed your back against his chest. The film was catchy, but your focus was only on the face San would have seeing you like that. You started to rub yourself against Mingi's lap, and you could immediately feel his boner growing harder, under your panties.

And it was when, you heard the door closing, and saw a strong figure staring at you: San.

"H-hi bro..." Mingi's face was red for the embarrassment (and for how hard you made him "involuntarily")

"Hi Sannie!" on the contrary, you smiled as if nothing was happening.

"My room. Now." was the only thing your boyfriend replied, and a smirk was placed on your face once you were following him.

He shutted the door behind him, angry. The look in his eyes was intimidating, you could tell he was really upset.

"Tell me, kitten. Why the fuck do you keep teasing the others?" he said with a strange calmness.

"San- i-" you tried to say something, despite you perfectly knew he was not expecting an answer.

"Wanna behave like a slut, huh?"

You always thought your boyfriend was a calm and kindhearted person, so much that you questioned yourself if he would ever get upset with you. That's how you started to slightly tease his bestfriends, and see if he'd get jealous, and oh yes, he really would, but that stupid little joke turned in a serious way, when he decided that you had reached the limit.

"You like to rub yourself against Mingi's cock, with that little slutty skirt of yours, huh?"

"No please- i didn't mean-" you immediately felt scared, realizing that you maybe had exaggerated.

"You know you got him so hard, do you?"

"San, im so-" you got goosebumps, as he grabbed your hips with one hand, squeezing them with his fingers, so desperately that it would probably leave bruises on your skin.

"Shut up, i better mark you as mine, right?" He walked a few steps towards you, and placed his index finger under your chin, forcing you to look at him. But the only thing you could do was staring at the floor, too embarrassed to even see his mad face, you were used to a sweet San, who cuddled and praised you everytime he could, his angry look, was now seriously scaring you.

"Fucking look at me, what? Now you feel guilty?"

"Y-yes..." was the only thing that escaped from your mouth, you were trembling under his stare.

"Oh we'll see if i should forgive you, take your clothes off."

"But...Mingi-"

"Huh? What? you want him to join? You'd like to be fucked like him, yeah?"

"No i didn't mean that-"

"It seems like, seeing you behaving like a whore."

Tears started to fall from your eyes, you've never seen him like this, making you realize you've really messed up. You wanted to apologize but you knew he wouldn't forgive you, not until he could hear you screaming for him. San grabbed your hips with both of his hands, and threw you on his bed with force. His look was cold, like he didn't feel anything for you now, he was extremely upset, and you could tell it.

"I said, clothes off. Want me to call one of my friends to do it for you? You little slut."

"N-no, i can do it myself." you almost choked with your saliva, panicking by the thought he hated you by now. You got immediately naked, under his gaze.

"Spread your legs."

"Yes d-daddy-" when you called him like that he used to like that, so you thought it would somehow help his angst.

"Dont call me like this." He said before lefting the bedroom. When he came back, behind him was standing another person: Mingi. You gasped and instantly tried to cover yourself with your arms. San chuckled:

"What? Never seen a slut being shy for her naked body."

"San- i really-"

"He'll watch. If that's what you really want, he will see how much of a whore you can be, maybe you'll learn something."

"Uhm... San i dont think i should watch-" Mingi said, hesitant.

"Yes. You should." San replied, making him sit on the armchair, in front of the bed.

You eyes were now red from how many tears have fallen from your eyes. You barely cared about Mingi's presence, what you really wanted now, was your sweet San.

"Please im sorry San..."

"i'll forgive you once you'll be completely emptied from your cum." he started to untie his belt, and dragged down his jeans.

"San. Mingi has nothing to do with it, let him go." You tried to look more serious, hoping you'd convince him. In facts, he turned back and looked at Mingi. San rolled back his eyes, sighing:

"Okey, leave."

Mingi instantly stood up and left you two alone. San got closer to you, his face a few inches from yours, you could feel his deep breaths against your skin.

"If i fuck you mercilessly, you'll learn your mine, right?" he took your neck in his hands, squeezing it slightly.

You nodded, preparing yourself. He sat on the bed behind you, and dragged his hands down on your body, until they reached your clit. He whispered in your ear:

"One orgasm for each day you kept flirting with my friends, this is for Tuesday." he suddenly slided three of his fingers inside your pussy, pounding them into you relentlessly. His other hand keeping your leg still, while the tip of his fingers were touching your g-spot at every thrust.

"Come on, i know you'd like to moan, don't you? Fucking scream for how much you enjoy to be fucked."

The only thing you could do now was obeying, he had you, he owned you. You groan extremely loud, when he sped up his pace even more, his fingers rubbing against every single part of your walls.

"That's it, that sounds exactly like a slut."

"Please- San- im c-close-" you kept moaning, your body started to shake by the immense pleasure: he has never touched you like this.

"Already? That's so humiliating, how sensitive your pussy is." He placed his other hand on your clit, moving his fingers in a circular motion, harshly. Your pussy clenched intensely around his fingers as you felt your first orgasm coming. And in no time, you completely wetted San's hand. You've never released so much cum in your entire life, and it felt incredibly good.

"I should clean this mess up." he said, and moved in front of you, on his knees, his eyes facing your throbbing pussy.

"W-wednesday?" you trembled, knowing you probably couldn't take again all of that pleasure, since you still had to get off of your recent high.

"That's it." His lips were now placed on your clit, kissing and sucking it. Then he licked your walls with his warm tongue, sliding it inside you a few times. You arched your back, your eyes shutted as you tried to ignore all the pleasure that was taking the control of your body, you couldn't stop shaking, your fingers gripping the fabric of the blankets, desperately.

"So fucking wet, all because of me, right?" he asked you. Despite you were too fucked out to respond.

"Right?" he repeated, squeezing your pussy with his fingers.

"Y-yeah! F-fuck-" you choked.

He looked at you, smirking. His tongue was now rubbing against your folds relentlessly, licking them like it was his last meal, the tip of his nose pressing against your clit. His hands were keeping your legs opened widely. You were already reaching your climax again, so quickly that it was embarrassing. You couldn't help but scream his name:

"San! San- please! Im yours-"

He groaned, and let his fingers pleasuring you.

"Don't try to escape it like this. You have 2 days left." he said, before you squirted on his face, exhausted. He licked his lips, tasting it, and took his remaining clothes off. His dick was standing straight, his tip red, thick and pulsing for how hard he was.

"Doggy style." obviously, he loved seeing your ass slapping against his hips, everytime he fucked you. You immediately placed yourself on your hands and knees, barely standing, because of the tiredness. He didn't wait before taking his dick inside of you, already thrusting in you deeply.

"Thursday."

A couple of minutes passed, before you felt your walls pulsing and clenching way too much around his dick, warning him you were hitting your orgasm once again. God, poor Mingi, the amount of screams and groans he was forced to hear, it definitely seemed like a pornographic film stage.

San's thrusts became sloppy and messy, segnaling he was close too.

"Gonna fill this pussy with my cum, and you'll take all of it." he said, before releasing inside of you, until his cum was sliding out of your folds. You layed your chest on the bed, too tired and fucked out, that you couldn't even think concretely.

"i-i can't-" you tried to murmur.

"Oh yeah, you can. You'll regret what you did to Mingi."

"s-sorry. i'm s-sorry."

"I know, i know. Just take it one more time, ok baby?"

Baby, that fucking word convinced you.

You tried to nod, turning yourself so you could face him. He looked at you, his stare was now more relaxed, and less angry, which it made you cheer up a bit.

"Good. I give you some seconds before the next round."

He layed on the bed, beside you, looking at you. His hand was resting on your tummy.

"Why did you do it?" he asked, with a sad tone.

"T-that was stupid, im sorry..."

"I asked you why."

"B-because you were just too kind, was thinking if you would ever get angry with me."

"Why would i? you're perfect."

You turned your head, looking at him, tearing.

"Im so sorry San, i swear i only want you."

He got closer to your ear, and whispered:

"I know it, i'll try to be more gentle now. Okey?"

He said, before sliding his cock inside of you again. He threw his head back for the amount pleasure, and moaned your name.

"You're so weird y/n... but i still love you."

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

i highly recommend this song, don't know.. it's just sooo good and they need more recognition :/

[writingsbymo-mo]

How you found out Takeomi is Sanzu's brother...as his secretary in Bonten

🎟 Also...you may use your tickets now 🎟

One minute, you're Sanzu's secretary, and the next, you're his glorified therapist. It all started when he came back from a mission drenched in the blood of traitors he personally put to rest. He wasn’t quite himself, even being under the influence of drugs. This was very unusual.

Sanzu threw off his bloodied waistcoat and tie, throwing them across the room. He fumbled in his steps to the couch in his office, collapsing onto it with a heavy sigh squeezing the bridge of his nose. "I'm an only child." He kept repeating over and over.

You dropped what you were doing, setting the stack of papers onto your desk and stepped over to him, sitting in the chair across from him. "Do you want ot talk about it, Sanzu?"

Sanzu repeated his sigh and shook his head. "Just let me rest a bit."

You nodded, patiently waiting for his next move. Sanzu mumbled under his breath, clearly annoyed by something. "Fucking Takeomi....you're not my brother anymore....don't need to tell me how to do my shit...."

"Wait...Takeomi is your brother?"

Sanzu froze. His eyes widened as he realized what he said out loud. He quickly grabbed your hand, bringing you closer to him and placed his hand over your mouth, staring at you, warning you not to say another word...yet. His shoulders slumped, moving his hand away when you nodded and dropped a heavy sigh. "Yes....that asshole is my brother..." His eyes darted to your chair, giving you the cue he was ready. "Where do I begin with this...."

Sanzu started with the times Takeomi punished him for the things Senju did then proceeded to blame him for not taking care of his sister because of it. Over and over again. He hated it. It wasn't his fault at all and yet, he'd be punished whether Takeomi knew or not. He wanted to say something, anything to keep it from happening but he could never stand up to his brother. At one point, he couldn't take it anymore and left. He wasn't Haruchiyo Akashi anymore, he's now Haruchiyo Sanzu.

"Hold on, Takeomi is your brother...and he did all that to you even though it wasn't? The fuck?!! You bolted from your chair in disbelief and fury. "Who the fuck does that?!"

Sanzu stared wide eyed at you from the couch. You didn't raise your voice often but how could you not after hearing everything?

"Sanzu, one slap. Just one slap across that bastard's face is all I ask."

Sanzu couldn't help but smile at the thought. What he would do to witness such a sight. He sat up, directly facing you now. "So, you want to slap my bastard of a brother?"

"Yes, please Sanzu! He deserves it!"

"Alright, let me call him in here." He stood up to get his phone from the table.

You gasp in shock, "Wait, right now? Really?!"

Sanzu picks his phone up, eyeing you with a smirk. "But of course. And I'll make sure he doesn't say anything."

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

"What the hell did you call me for at this hour, Ha-Sanzu?!"

Sanzu let him in with a straight face. "My secretary found something interesting that requires your attention."

Takeomi sighs, taking a puff of his cigarette, "alright, what is it?" He peers over to you with tired eyes.

You let out a breath you had been holding since he stepped in, making your way over to them. "Can you lean forward for me a bit?" Takeomi does what you ask unknowingly what's to come.

Slap

Takeomi was now looking at a laughing Sanzu in disbelief. "The fuck—"

"The fuck is wrong with you is more like it. That's what you get for punishing him for things he never did!"

And just as Sanzu promised, Takeomi never said a word. He never told you what was said but you had an idea.

[greasergirlxoxo]

You knew...didn't you? ‧₊˚💣⊹

Ponyboy x Reader

author's note ᯓᡣ𐭩 I was really in the mood for angst and after writing this, I really hated that I was in the mood for angst. Also I feel like I need to write an apology letter to Ponyboy now. Don't worry tho, it ends happy!

warnings ᯓᡣ𐭩 angst, Pony almost cries

It had been a long day, the kind that felt like it would never end. Even as the sun slowly set to night, the air in Tulsa was thick with summer heat, but the blazing Oklahoma air wasn’t what bothered Ponyboy Curtis as he sat on his front porch steps. It was you. You had always been a part of his life, whether you realized it or not. From the moment he met you, something inside him had clicked. He had fallen for you, hard.

The problem was, you never saw him the way he saw you. You'd always been there for him—laughing, talking, and keeping him company when he needed it—but you never noticed these gestures were more than just friendship. To you, he was just Ponyboy, your best friend, the guy who was always there when you needed someone to lean on.

It hurt more than Ponyboy could explain. He’d been there for you, no matter the situation. Whether it was helping you with homework, walking you home after school, or just sitting in silence because that was what you both needed, he had always been there. And in return, you never saw him as anything more than your friend.

Ponyboy didn’t know how much longer he could keep pretending it didn’t bother him.

He found himself waiting for you on his porch steps like a lost puppy waiting for its owner to get home. He felt pathetic. And when you walked up, your eyes lighting up when you saw him, all he could feel was frustration.

“Hey, Pony!” you said, flashing him a smile that made his heart ache.

He forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey.”

You didn’t notice the change in his tone, too wrapped up in your own excitement to see how hurt he was. “So, I was wondering if you could help me with that English project we have. I don't understand any of it,” you said, sitting down on the steps right next to him.

There it was. Another favor. Another request. It should’ve been a simple task, just like the dozens before. But it all started to pile up, and he was starting to ask himself: Is there even a reason? A point to helping you anymore? Clearly, no matter how hard he'd tried, she never saw him the way he wanted. And that was it. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Stop,” Ponyboy snapped, his voice sharper than he intended.

You blinked, taken aback. “What? What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, his anger bubbling to the surface and tears trying to fall, but he wouldn’t let them. “You don’t get it, do you? All the things I’ve done for you, hoping you’ll… and you don’t even see it.”

You frowned, confusion flashing across your face. “Ponyboy, what are you talking about?”

He took a deep breath, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Even his attempts to calm himself down didn't stop him from nearly bursting at the seams. “You knew. You knew I loved you and took full advantage of the fact that I’d do anything for you. And I knew that. I just kept at it, hoping that one day you’d love me back.”

His words hit you like a ton of bricks. For the first time, you saw the pain in his eyes. The pain that had been there all along, buried under layers of silence and unspoken feelings. You thought if you didn't tell him, it would be better. That if you didn't tell him, nothing would be ruined or screwed up. But you were clearly wrong, because not telling him you loved him had ruined and screwed things up all the same.

“I—I didn’t know you felt that way,” you said softly, your voice trembling.

Ponyboy laughed bitterly, looking away, unable to meet your gaze. “Of course you didn’t. I’ve been nothing but a backup. A safety net. Someone you could count on when you needed something, but never the guy you wanted—”

"That's not true!" You were quick to cut him off, your voice shaking as you spoke the three words you had fought so long to say—the three words Ponyboy had been waiting to hear. "I love you."

His eyes searched yours for a long moment, finding any hint of a lie, any sign that you were bluffing, but there was none. And then a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

The truth felt like a weight on your chest, and you couldn’t keep pretending anymore. That weight slowly got lighter and lighter as the truth continued to spill out of you. “I was just scared. I was scared that if I told you, you wouldn’t feel the same way. I was scared that it would ruin everything between us. I never wanted to lose you, Ponyboy.”

“You’re not gonna lose me,” he whispered, his voice softer now. "You could never lose me."

And this time, when you looked at him, you knew everything had changed. You weren’t just his friend anymore. You were the girl he had always wanted, the girl who had finally admitted she wanted him back.

And for the first time in a long while, everything felt right.

[halfbaked00q]

aaand here are the ficbits I started coalescing based on my previous concept post -- as a reminder: 00Q are together, Q takes Bond for granted/accidentally hurts his feelings slash breaks his heart by being unintentionally hurtful and also unthinkingly dismissive of the thing they have going on between them. there is more to it but these are the parts that coalesced

(as it says in the tin these are more so like the... vibes-based pre-alpha demo drafts of a fic, as opposed to anything so respectable as an actual drabble or ficlet. and, as such, some parts may perhaps be a bit overworked, tenses are all over the place probably, punctuation is more abt the vibes than actual grammar tbh- but anyway please enjoy our featured program, hot off my notes app presses-)

///

===

They're walking and talking, and then suddenly, it's just him walking and them not talking. Too late, he realizes that the growing silence from beyond his elbow had gone quite still rather than companionable. Too late, he glances back around, just barely catching the tail end of…

…..

The thing is, even in hindsight, he’d be hard pressed to pinpoint what exactly he saw cross Bond's face… only that he was suddenly left feeling rather as if a door he hadn't even known was there had unceremoniously and quite ignominiously shuttered sharply in his face. /// [[only that he was suddenly rather left feeling as if he'd blithely walked into a door that materialized just to shutter quite ignominiously in his face.]?]

As it stands — and unfortunately far too late— as he desperately rolls back the last few moments to try to find- as it slowly, far to slowly, begins to dawn on him-

“007- Bond- wait, I,” was about all he managed to stammer out before Bond somehow manages to evaporate from sight, leaving him blinking at the afterimage of crisp suiting and unbreachable impassiveness.

Oh. Oh shit.

—

Eve took one look at him and immediately swept herself up from her desk and him away to - he paused to gather his bearings - what appeared to be an empty conference room.

“Well,” she said without preamble. “Out with it then.”

Q wrung his hands. “It's Bond,” he finally manages to get out. When is it not.

(maybe sth about a moment too long passed, then another, then another- and he admits. It's me, really, but it is also to do with Bond. / Eve is either not surprised or is waiting him out- no visible reactions one way or another yet)

////

I think he must have said something about anniversaries, and I joked back- or thought I was joking back- something about how he surely wouldn't be expected to keep track of all of his anniversaries like this, or else his rolodex would be fit to bursting. And then when I saw the expression on his face I hastened to reassure him that I certainly had no expectations on that front, ta very much. But it was entirely the wrong thing to say.

What he didn't - couldn't - confess to Eve was the way Bond had — oh, earnestly, seriously — brought up the subject of their upcoming anniversary, and how — yes, unintentional though it might have been, but nonetheless— absurdedly callous his casual dismissive burst of laughter must have been.

//

“…and speaking of, our anniversary is coming up too, you know.”

That accursed involuntary, misplaced, mocking peal of mirth. Then, worse- carelessly, unthinkingly- “Oh don't injure yourself on my account, I'm hardly expecting you to keep track of all of your little anniversaries from your various escapades, let alone ‘ours.’ Goodness, your little black book would be fit to bursting - well, even more so than it is now - if we're expecting you to note down anniversaries and nonesuch as well now.”

////

“Q,” Eve called after him. He paused and turned, saw her regarding him. “Be careful with him,” she finally said.

“You're the one who warned me off him in the first place!”

“Be that as it may, but., well. clearly James Bond deserves for you to take some care with him.” with his heart, goes unspoken, but certainly not unsaid

[hyuckkaiji]

even the stars do not compare to you - abby anderson × f!reader

summary; you and abby are both fools. fools who have loved each other while thinking the other incapable of reciprocating. fools whose feelings are finally out in the open.

word count; 1.8k

warnings; momentarily sad abby

note; abby anderson brain rot. she is my precious baby girl, and I'll give her the whole world if she'll let me

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Owen had been Abby's first, well her only, everything. But truthfully, he'd never been her first choice. He was what was left when she realized she couldn't have what she wanted.

And don't mistake that for her not having love for Owen. She does. She loved him once. It was a true love of sorts. And he has cemented his place in her heart, albeit small. There wasn't much room for him to take up, not when you occupied the rest of it. You occupy it still.

You have seeped into her, mind , body, and soul. She is infected by you. It seems the more she tries to stop it, the further you spread. You've claimed her, soiled her, left her unattainable to those around her. And you don't even know it.

That's the fucked up part, gods be good, she's yours and you don't even know it. She has to satiate her desire for you with mere friendship. She feels like a dog on the streets begging for scraps, for any measly form of sustenance. But if you need her to beg, she will.

Clearly, you need her to beg. It's been almost two weeks since she's seen you. You were fine last she saw, but it feels like you're avoiding her.

Volunteering at any open tasks, never on patrol with her. She doesn't understand. For years now, the two of you have been attached at the hip. Going so far as to switch shifts just so you can patrol together, but now, all of a sudden. She doesn't get it.

She did something she not particularly proud of, she's already established she'll beg ... it just has to be in person. She can't write down these thoughts to get your attention, she'll seem ... weak. So instead she asked Manny to find you, to tell you she's looking for you and it's an emergency.

There's no emergency, no that's a lie. The lack of your presence is an emergency, and you're the only solution.

"Abby." The sound of your voice startles her out of her thoughts. You didn't knock. You never do. Abby doesn't mind. She actually enjoys that you walk into her space like you own it. Because you do, not that you know that. At the very least, it makes her happy that you know she'd never deny you her space.

"Manny said you were looking for me, something serious." Concern laced your voice but you'd still yet to walk up to Abby the way you normally would, keeping your distance. Standing at the base of the stairs as she looked up you.

Her braid was loose at the end, starting to fall apart, she'd just finished pulling the band out when you interrupted her. She looks pretty with her hair down, at least you think so. But she hardly ever has it down, it's a vulnerable thing for her. And how she's hates being vulnerable.

"Yea." She stands, rubbing a sheepish hand over the back of her neck, "I've been trying to catch you for over a week now." She's walking towards you, and you want her to come closer. Want to feel the warmth that radiates off of her, want the scent of pine waft around you. But you take a step back.

A look of hurt passes over Abby's face, stopping in her tracks. "Why have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?" Her thumb nails flicks against her forefinger, picking at the skin around her nail. An anxious habit.

"No." Your voice is small. You're not sure what else to say, how to voice what you've been feeling, if you even should. You had decided against it, decided just to distance yourself as much as possible, but now, being confronted like this, your decision wavers.

People underestimate Abby. Yes, she's big, but she's also fast, faster than you. She up the last few remaining steps, inches away from you, fingers locked around your wrist, all before you have time to say another word.

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not."

"Liar." You are a liar, you've always been a liar, at least when it came to Abby. The truth was a weight you chose to bear alone, you say choose but really your fear had forced the decision. Fear of losing her should you come clean.

"Abby." You try and pry her hand away, but her grip holds firm, just enough to keep you near her, but not enough to hurt you. Never enough to hurt you, Abby would never hurt you. You let out an exasperated sigh, giving up, letting your hands fall at your sides.

"Sometimes... people grow ... apart." She says nothing, a beat of silence before you continue, "It's a part of life. People get older, they change, friendships don't always last forever." Her brow is furrowed, she nawing at the inside of her lip. The two of you ... grow apart ... it's not possible.

"You were fine last time I saw you. How long have you been feeling like this?" Her hair had fallen loose in her rush up the stairs, falling in waves around her face. Damn every God, she looks so beautiful with her hair down.

"A while. I didn't know how to tell you." Abby looks you over, you're lying. She's known you for as long as she can remember, she's loved you for as long as she could remember. She knows you, do you not know that? She knows when you're lying.

"Tell me the truth."

"I am-"

"The truth. Now." She's angry, like she has any right to be angry at you. This is her fault. Your resolve is shattered, how dare she be mad, how fucking dare she. This is her fucking fault.

"You wanna know the problem, Abigail?" You sneer at her. "You're the problem. You. I cannot stand being around you. I can't stand seeing your face everyday, hearing your voice, smelling you in the air. For fucks sake that stupid scent  of that stupid fucking soap clings to everything and I hate it. You are the problem."

She finally lets you go. She's on the verge of tears, but the tense tick of her jaw tells you she's not going to let them fall. "Alright... if that's how you feel." The guilt settles, deep in the pit of your stomach, you feel nauseous.

"Abs..." Your voice trails off.

"Just go."

"Abby." You reach out for her hand but she pulls it away.

"Go."

"I can't. I can't because you're right, I'm a liar." And a coward, damn the universe for making you, damn it for making her. She says nothing, only stares at you her anger is palpable, no, not anger, hurt, her hurt. Liar, coward, you add monster to the list.

"That wasn't true ... I don't know why I said it like that."

"It sure felt true."

"Abby..."

"How else could you have possibly meant it?"

Liar, coward, monster, idiot. Your list of personal descriptors is ever growing.

"I do hate those things." Abby huffs, looking away from you. "But not because I hate you ... Abby, even the stars do not compare to you. I have never see so beautiful a person nor I have I been enamored with anyone other than you."

"Do you know what it's like? To be in love with someone for so long and you can't say or do anything about it? To watch as they get with some ignorant douche who doesn't treat them the way they deserve?"

"To be in love with someone who only sees you as a friend? To be the shoulder they cry on about their shitty partner?" You shake you head, running a hand through your hair. You catch Abby's eyes, she's staring at you with this look of utter shock.

"I don't know when the years just became one too many, but they did and I can't keep doing this to myself. I can't get over you if I'm always around you."

Your name slips from her lips, like a mortal who has just come across their deity in the flesh. Oh she must be dreaming, then she's laughing.

It's your turn to be hurt, to cross your arms over your chest defensively. Watching as she giggles like a mad woman before wiping away a stray tear. "Pinch me, I want proof I'm awake."

"Abigail."

"Yes?" She smiling at you, big doe eyes watching you. Fuck you're so hopelessly in love with her, what made you think you had the self control to stay away from her.

"I'm not joking ... I'm in love with you."

She pulls your arms free just to take one of your hands in her own, running a callused thumb over your knuckles.

"Do you remember, when we were sixteen and we'd snuck out to watch the stars?" You nod.

"Do you remember asking me what I dream about? Asking me if you think the stars would grant our wishes if we told them?"

"You told me you dreamed of freedom and that the stars were just gas in space, not genies. And that they weren't even that pretty." Abby let's out a breathy laugh.

"I've never dreamed of freedom, I dreamed of you. And the stars are just gas, I'd come to realize that by then. If the stars could grant wishes they would have answered mine."

"I used to tell them my secrets, but they never made them come true."

"What...what did you tell them?"

"That I was in love with a girl, a girl so beautiful she took my breath away every time I saw her. I told them that I wanted to be hers, I wanted her to love me the way I loved her."

"When we were sixteen I hated the stars for ignoring my prayers. But it seems I was wrong, they had been listening all along. Though I maintain they really aren't that pretty, not in comparison to you."

Abby leaned in, her lips ghosting over yours, asking permission, you closed the gap. Wrapping your arms around her neck.

It was soft, sweeter than any kiss either of you had before. All gentle caresses and light wandering fingers trailing exposed skin.

Abby pulled you to her bed, pushing you down in between pecks. She hovered over you, "If i wake up and this was all a dream, I'm gonna be so fucking mad." Her lips are back on yours before softly trailing down your neck.

Her kisses are cool and open mouthed on your warm skin. She kisses her way down to your chest before letting her weight slowly settle on you. She rests her head, using your breasts as a pillow. "Promise I won't wake up by myself."

"I Promise." You wrap one arm around her, tracing random patterns on her clothed shoulders and back, the other falls into her hair running gentle fingers through her dirty blonde tresses. With in no time she's fallen asleep, feeling safer and more loved in your arms then she ever did in Owen's.