#like yesterday the person in front of me in line at the grocery store had a ranboo jacket
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glowsticcc · 1 year ago
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my new favorite thing has become complimenting peoples cc merch in at school bc i love seeing their faces light up
like my friend's friend who started sitting with us at lunch had a lovejoy sweater on yesterday and i went OMG LOVEJOY THATS SO COOL and they just went :)
or when i told a freshman i liked their genloss jacket and they just got that look of recognition that i would get when and upperclassmen complimented a thing i liked
its just nice to have that sense of community not just online but in real life bc idk about you but school social life has gotten me into the habit of being ashamed of publicly liking the things i like if they aren't mainstream??? and its nice to know that there are people out there who are less weird than me and like the things i like its like im in a secret club >:3c
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lambentplume · 1 year ago
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Maui Fires & How to Support Relief Efforts
(Posted on 8/10/23) Hi, I'm Jae and my family is from Lāhainā. I watched my hometown burn down this week. The fires caused immeasurable loss in my community so I'd like to spread awareness of the situation as well as provide links to support local organizations directly assisting survivors. I'm pretty sure most of my following is Not local so I'm writing with intent to inform people outside the situation, but if you're reading this and happen to have family in the affected area that isn't accounted for, message me and I can send you the links to the missing persons tracking docs + more localized info!! If you'd like to skip down to how to help and follow community organizations, scroll to the bottom of the post after the image.
Earlier this week, Hurricane Dora passed south of the Hawaiian Islands, bringing strong wind gusts that caused property damage across the islands. On Tuesday August 8, high winds caused sparks to fly in the middle of Lāhainā town, knocking out power lines and immediately igniting drought-ridden grasses. The fire spread quickly and destroyed the entire center of town, the harbor, and multiple neighborhoods including Hawaiian Homes (housing specifically for Native Hawaiians), parts of Lahainaluna, basically all of Front Street, and low-income housing units. There is only one public road in and out of town, and after a very hectic evacuation period that road has been mostly closed off except to emergency responders, thus it is extremely difficult for anyone to leave town to get help. The nearest hospital is 20 miles away in Wailuku, and most grocery stores in town have burnt down.
As of Thursday, August 10, over 1,000 acres have been burned and 271 structures (including homes, schools, and other community gathering places) have been destroyed. Cell service is still extremely spotty, many of the surrounding neighborhoods deemed safe for evacuees are still without utilities. There are currently confirmed 53 deaths but that number is expected to increase as search-and-rescue efforts continue. Countless families have been displaced and many have lost the homes they lived in for generations. Places of deep historical significance have been reduced to ash, including the gravesites of Hawaiian royalty, the old Lāhainā courthouse where items of cultural significance were stored, and Na ‘Aikane o Maui Cultural Center. To add further context: Lāhainā has a population of about 13,000 residents. EVERYONE I know has been impacted in some way--at best forced to evacuate, at worst their house was burnt to the foundation, they cannot find a loved one, etc. I'm still trying to track down family members and it's been over two days. My neighbors down the street had homes last week and now many don't have ANYTHING. The hotels are taking in residents (tourists are also being STRONGLY urged to leave so that locals can recover). Without open access to the rest of the island, Lāhainā residents are now dependent on whatever people had in their homes already as well as disaster relief efforts coming in, but it's been difficult to organize and mobilize due to the location + conditions. People who have made it out are in shelters where no blankets or medicine were provided. Friends and acquaintances from neighbor islands are preparing aid to send over. Community response has been incredible, but the toll on the town has been immeasurable. My parents were desperately walking through town yesterday, my mom sounded absolutely hollow talking about it on the phone with me. It's horrifying. Below is a satellite map with data from the NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System showing the impacted areas from the past week; all of the red blotches were on fire at some point in the last three days.
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Here are ways you can help:
If you have the means to donate:
Here are three donation sites verified by Maui Rapid Response, which also lists FAQs for people who are wondering about next steps.
Hawaiʻi Community Foundation - Maui Strong Fund accepts international credit cards. Maui United Way
Maui Mutual Aid Non-monetary ways to support:
If you know anyone who is planning to travel to ANY Hawaiian island, not just Maui, tell them to cancel their trip. Resources are extremely limited as is. Advocate for climate change mitigation efforts locally, wherever that is for you. The fire was exacerbated by drought conditions that have worsened due to climate change.
Lastly, remember that these are people's HOMES that burned, and Native Hawaiian cultural artifacts that have been lost. Stop thinking of Hawaiʻi (or any "tourist destination" location, really) as an "escape" or a "paradise." If that's the only way you recognized my home... I'm glad I got your attention somehow, but I would ask that you challenge that perspective and prioritize local and native voices. For transparency, I don't currently live in Lāhainā, I've been following efforts from Honolulu. My parents and brother have been updating me and I've been following friends and family who are doing immediate response work. I'm doing my best to find reliable and current sources, but if I need to update something, please let me know. If you're going to try to convince me that tourism is necessary for our recovery, news flash ***IT'S NOT***!
Thanks for reading.
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haveihitanerve · 5 months ago
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i did not, in fact, make it about Tim that much, but rather a betrayed Jason and the fear every single one of us has felt when our parents leaves us in line to grab something else (or, in this case, someone else)
Jason did not like grocery shopping. Firstly, it reminded him too much of his days on the street, and that always came with guilt because in those days he was forced to steal. Secondly, it was just so boring. But Alfred was busy, and Dick really hadn't wanted to go. So here he was. Jason Todd-Wayne, doing a grocery run with Bruce. Their cart was stuffed with all sorts of food, dietary restrictions meant nothing to them apparently because there were at least seven dairy products and not a single gluten free item. Jason sighed as he grabbed cereal off the shelf, the one he knew Dick devoured, and stuck it in the cart, well aware that it also broke all dietary restrictions. Bruce was frowning down at the cart in disappointment, but Jason noticed he also added something for Dick that he definitely should not, legally, be allowed to eat. “Everything in this goddamn family is a losing battle.” Jason muttered. Bruce’s lips twitched. “Perhaps.” He sighed and Jason blinked at the easy agreement. “Yesterday I had to tell Dick that he only had five more minutes of sink time and then it was your turn.” Bruce reminded him. Jason gave him an innocent smile. “What even is my life anymore?” Bruce shook his head. They rolled the cart into line and Jason scanned the candy, picking out what he liked and what extra because he just knew Dick and most definitely Babs would not let it slide that he didn't grab them something. Bruce just watched, eyes blank as Jason filled the last bit of empty space in their cart, before clearing his throat. Jason froze, halfway on the way to place a Payday right next to Bruce's hand in the cart. “Almond joy.” He grunted. Jason looked at him in confusion. “What?” Bruce's finger flicked towards the candy. “Almond joy. Please. For me.” Jason grinned. “Sure thing old man.” They rolled forward slowly and Jason glanced at the person in front of them. She was half done with scanning her items and already standing ready to pay. Bruce froze next to him. “Shit.” “language.” Jason muttered on instinct because he just couldn't let Bruce get by with cursing without reprimand, no sir, he had gone through too many lectures for that. “I forgot the milk for Alfred for dinner tonight.” And that was when Bruce fully betrayed his son for the first time. “Stay here.” And his father disappeared back into the store. Jason stared wide eyed at the cashier. The lady in front of him had finished and was paying. The cashier slowly removed the divider between her goods and theirs. And started to scan. Sweat beaded on Jason’s forehead. The cashier started to smile, hands moving faster and faster. Jason took a tiny step back. She was halfway through their items. He looked around frantically for Bruce. His father was nowhere in sight. “He's left me to die.” Jason whispered miserably. Suddenly there was a large presence pressing against his back. Milk smacked onto the conveyor belt. “I'm back." Jason turned, tears in his eyes. Bruce looked uncomfortable and bracing. "Jason, meet Tim." Jason's eyes dipped to the black haired, blue eyed boy standing next to Bruce, clutching a bag of peas. "Hi!" He chirped cheerfully, waving a hand. Jason looked up at Bruce. "What." His voice was flat. "Tim here is our neighbor and um, alone, so I figured we could invite him to stay with us for a bit." Bruce offered a hesitant smile. "Yes?" Jason pulled Tim next to him, sending Bruce a glare. Bruce's smile faltered in confusion. "You shouldn't be trusted with children, backstabber!"
“Jason come on! You're being a child!” “Betrayer!” Jason screeched, storming away from Bruce as the man followed him into the house, carrying way too many bags in his arms. Jason, himself, was holding a tiny Tim, who looked both happy and very confused. “Woah.” Dick raised his hands in surrender as they walked in, Jason livid, tear streaks on his cheeks, Bruce exasperated. “Jason!” “what happened?” Babs whispered, reaching her hand into one of the bags Bruce was still carrying and pulling out an almond joy. “That's mine.” Bruce growled at her. She looked at him innocently, peeling it open, and taking a bite. Bruce stared at her. “You're disowned.” Then he turned to Jason. “Its not that big of a deal!” He said in exasperation. “What happened!!!?!?!” Dick demanded. Jason turned to them, anger and hatred and sadness in his eyes. “B left me at the check out alone and we were next in line!” He exploded. The almond joy toppled from Babs hands. Dick whipped around to his father. “It isn't true.” He breathed in disbelief. Bruce sighed, long and heavy. Dick wrapped Jason in a protective hug. “Oh jay, I'm so sorry.” He whispered, pulling his brother closer. “I hate all of you.” Bruce announced, clearly and loudly, before he made his exit to the kitchen. They smirked at each other, before Dick noticed Tim in Jason's arms. He let out an exasperated sigh, then offered the kid a smile. "hey there. Welcome to the family."
Instead of: Batman leaves Jason alone with Sheila in Bosnia
I give you: Batman leaves Jason alone at the checkout line to go grab the milk he forgot
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nickgerlich · 13 days ago
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Recruiting Mode
I am in my 42nd year of university-level teaching. At the risk of making it sound even more distant, that was in the fall semester of 1983. That’s long enough ago that your grandparents could have been in my class. Well, especially if they happened to go to Indiana U back then.
But in those 42 years (and 36 here at WT), I have never taught a freshman-level class. I have only taught junior-level and above, although I am sure there were a few sophomores along the way who were able to get in. I am completely out of touch with what it means to be a freshman, which in some regards is like a fifth year of high school.
Tomorrow, though, I will find out, because I am guest speaking in two BUSI 1304 Intro to Business classes, and speaking about the basics of Marketing. In some regards it is a sales pitch, because the other business disciplines are also taking their turn this semester at the podium, and I’m certain they’ll be in sales mode. But who better to be a salesman than the Marketing guy, right?
So I have been busy preparing a Powerpoint that I hope will cinch the deal. To juice it up a bit, I ventured to my local Walmart yesterday, not just to pick up a few items, but to instead walk the grocery side of the store in a different way. I was looking for examples of Marketing.
And you know what? Just as the title of my presentation aptly says it: Marketing. It’s Everywhere.
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Naturally, I gravitate toward the grocery side of the store. I love any supermarket for that matter, because my dissertation research was focused on supermarket buyers, not the ones like you and me, but rather the corporate kind who make the decisions to carry an item or not. You see, for each of the 30,000 items in a Walmart Supercenter grocery, or the 45,000 items in a store like United Market Street, a decision had to be made. And before and after that, there was Marketing, aimed at companies and their buyers, and then you and me.
The average person may survey the aisles of their grocery and think that those items lining the shelves just appeared their randomly, that the stocking crew got together one night and said, “Hey, I think the Cheerios should go over here.” And “Why don’t we make a freestanding display of all the Doritos?”
Nope. There’s a method to the madness, a planogram for every category, and, as is usually the case, money that is paid from manufacturers to retailers just for the privilege of being there. Turns out that your grocer’s shelves are about the most valuable real estate in town.
But those are just details, the kind most shoppers don’t care about. They just want to get their groceries and go home. Each of those items all neatly faced to the front of the shelf are screaming. It may not be audible, but they are screaming at you, “Buy me! Buy me!”
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As I perused those aisles, I also watched shoppers making their choices. You should do this sometime, but be discreet so they don’t think you’re a creeper. I saw the Hurried Shopper, the middle-aged man zooming the aisles like an F-1 driver and grabbing the items he needed as if he were on a bombing mission. I saw Thoughtful Mom reading labels and comparing items. I saw Walmart Employees pushing tall carts with numerous bins, these employees picking a dozen or more orders for either curbside pickup or delivery.
I took about three dozen photos of products. I captured the depth and breadth of the many pastas they carry, in practically every shape and size. Some were gluten-free, others made from peas. I saw tortillas whose package proclaimed “carb balance” and Keto-friendly. I saw plant-based, vegan, dairy-free, organic, “natural,” and other items.
I saw junk food. I saw “heart healthy” junk food. I saw junk food made from chickpeas. I saw seasonal items, from Starbucks PSL espresso to egg nog. I saw cereal boxes with the Kelce Bros’ endorsements. I saw product tie-ins with a pro sports league, as well as Star Wars and Disney. I saw private label products, and even one private label line aimed squarely at Millennials and Gen-Zers.
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I saw Jif peanut butter in squeezeable tubes, so you never have to get it all over your knuckles trying to scrape the jar clean. I saw items making health claims, like “Immunity.” As if drinking cranberry juice with added vitamins is going to keep you off the Disabled List. And lastly, I saw the just plain weird, like the Coke Zero-Oreo collab I talked about earlier this term, and three offerings from the Heinz Ketchup people: MayoRacha, BuffaRanch, and MayoMust.
You could say I pretty much saw it all. The next time I return, it will be different, because there will be more new products being pitched to supermarkets and ultimately to consumers. Other products on the shelf today may not be there tomorrow, replaced by something with just a little more sales potential.
That, my friends, is what Marketing is all about. It’s about making and selling stuff. Pretty simple, huh? Yeah, I’m going to have fun tomorrow. I’ll be in recruiting mode. Just sign on the dotted line.
Dr “What’s In Your Basket?” Gerlich
Audio Blog
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rylredrants · 7 months ago
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Smiling too much
(Why I'll Always Mask When I'm Alone in Public)
Existing while female means having a random dude-bro tell you that, “You’re smiling too much” because somehow men got the message that telling a woman in public they should smile more is not okay while also not understanding that if she’s not smiling, then maybe she doesn’t want to be spoken to. Maybe, like me, she was pondering whether to buy naan or make a homemade batch later… looking for the King’s Hawaiian rolls and remembering that the garam masala was in the aisle I walked in on, on my way to get my vaccine.
This is how my day got derailed.
My first mistake… and clearly, it’s absolutely MY mistake for not only being a woman in public alone but for having my long red hair pulled up in a ponytail and deciding to put on enough makeup to cover my hyperpigmentation and define my eyes just a little…
My first mistake after that was deciding to not wear a mask into the grocery store/pharmacy where I was getting my COVID vaccine booster.
This wasn’t an easy decision. We have managed to avoid COVID *knocks on wood* because we mask in most public places, use a nasal spray, and are fully boosted. We both work from home and usually get groceries curbside, but today I needed to get my vaccine, pick up prescriptions for myself, my husband, and our dog, and maybe grab a couple small things while I was in the grocery store.
COVID numbers are generally down, and it was mid-morning on a Thursday… hardly peak shopping hours, and the parking lot reflected this.
The mask-or-don’t-mask calculations also include the social capital. That’s another way of saying the ability to walk around a public space without being glared at and instead smiling at strangers and making small talk in the checkout line.
People don’t mask around here anymore, not even in medical facilities. At a doctor’s appointment last month, I told the nurse, “I’m not sick, just trying to keep it that way,” after which she relaxed and warmed up… a stark contrast to the icy glares I got from other patients and the front desk clerk in the waiting room.
I’m generally a really social person.
I’ll strike up conversations with anyone, anywhere. And when my anxiety over being in a public place is low, I’ll walk slowly, make eye contact, and smile at people as they pass.
I’ve also come to understand that I hold a certain amount of pretty privilege and am not ashamed to admit that I’ve used it to my advantage in certain situations. Being dressed down, naked-faced, in a baseball cap doesn’t change that. If anything, it’s shown that people view me as even more approachable when I’m out in the world that way.
This is just who I am in public. I’m a people person who often comes home feeling energized by the little low-attachment interactions of saying thank you and good morning to strangers as I run errands. But I was reminded of the other side of that today in the Safeway bakery section.
I wasn’t smiling at all because I was lost in thought.
I was debating making fresh naan and the string of thoughts that came with it from the timing of when I’d need to make the dough to whether or not to use all of the garlic I roasted yesterday to make hummus… and if I make hummus, should I also grab celery to eat with it? And where are the King’s Hawaiian rolls? They’ll go really well with all the soup I made yesterday… but maybe I should just bust out a batch of the copycat Roadhouse Rolls that my husband loves so much…?
And then I heard it.
“You’re smiling way too much!” from a dude-bro standing on the other side of a refrigerated case full of crescent rolls and OJ. That was all it took to go from planning my day to a full-blown panic attack. I looked up, gave a little chuckle then turned in my tracks toward the front of the store.
Never mind that the pharmacy line had dwindled since I arrived for my vaccine, and I needed to pick up three prescriptions. Never mind the garam masala or the half-priced Easter candy display I’d passed on the way in. TIME. TO. GO. NOW.
It wasn’t the comment itself that did it. I mean, it was just another way for a man to tell me I needed to smile more… something I’ve heard on the street and in public spaces more times than I can count.
It was all the other times I’ve been existing while female, only to be treated as though I was on display for a man’s viewing pleasure.
It was the time some rando honked at me at a stop light and took my picture when I turned to look at him. When I told the story on Facebook later that day, several male friends responded with some variation of “Well, you’re so pretty! I understand why he’d want a picture of you.”
It was the day I was standing in line at a convenience store and suddenly felt the knuckles of an old man with a cane passing across my ass as he walked too closely behind me. When I turned around and made a scene, everyone in the store (including my then-husband and so-called best friend) treated me like I was overreacting. I must have imagined it, or it was totally an accident. Why would an old man grope me like that?
It was walking into work in basic office attire- slacks, chunky heels, and a plain shirt, through a parking lot full of blue-collar workers who stared at my car and then wolf-whistled as I stepped out. When I got to my desk, shaking with adrenaline from the rage and fear the rest of the office treated me as though I was being overly sensitive, dramatic and why would they whistle at the office fat girl?
It was the last day of training at a different job when one of the instructors hissed at me under his breath, “You sure do know how to walk into a room,” as passed by his chair. Suddenly, I remembered the tests I’d taken with perfect scores and answers that were clearly wrong. I understood that my nomination of ‘most professional’ was more about how I filled out my slacks than how I spoke to callers and classmates. For the rest of the time I worked there, I had to listen to everyone else talk about what a great man he was and how much they missed him.
It was being 13 years old, walking with two other girls to the convenience store for Doritos and root beer when a car full of men passed by repeatedly, catcalling us from the windows. They then pulled into the vacant lot we were passing through, blocking our path. When they went to get out of the car, I told everyone to run, and we made it safely into the store. Panting, with tears streaming down our faces... we forgot the Doritos, and the cashier let me use the store’s phone to call my “dad” to ask for a ride home. We were afraid they would be waiting for us when we walked out. My dad refused to come get us and told me to just settle down.
It was every single time I’d been harassed by a man in public only to have the men in my life invalidate me when I spoke up.
But I’m me, and I can’t shut up, so I’m doing it again. I’m writing this hoping that someone else will finally realize that these things (and worse) happen to EVERY WOMAN YOU KNOW.
Not just women who dress in revealing clothing. Not just women of a specific body type. Not just women who you personally consider attractive.
We do not color our hair or put on makeup to be looked at. We don’t stand in our closets thinking, “Hmmm… which top might cause a small car accident in the Lowes parking lot?” or “Does this skirt make me look like I want a man’s opinion?”
We have bodies that we choose to adorn in our own way, not to make you look but because we have to leave the house to do the same things you do- get a vaccine, pick up something at the bakery, and maybe, next time… maybe remember to get all of the prescriptions.
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tangiblejournal56 · 1 year ago
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7/17/11
Jesus christ does the bullshit have to come in waves, not in simple, solitary occurrences so it’s easier to deal with & store away?  All day yesterday I was getting honked & hollered at as I went about my business, with such frequency I began to wonder if I wasn’t on some hidden camera show.  I’m aware there exists some girls who claim to hate this attention but secretly revel in it, but I say this without a single drop of insincerity - I fucking LOATHE it.  I do not find it flattering, it makes me feel like I am not even human, just an object for the visual consumption of others.  I don’t even dress in a baring manner, I am always in jeans & a t-shirt, I rarely make the attempt to look nice at all.
This of course went along nicely with watching a homeless man crawl out from his sleeping bag under the I83 overpass, staggering like the first CroMag to leave the cave, stopping to piss leisurely all over the pillar as though the world was his private stool, leaving a dark patch running down the brick.  I suppose I should be grateful that I was at least spared his mid-afternoon shit.
But of course, that not being enough, this morning on my way to work I walked to my bus stop as I ordinarily do, headphone on, sitting on the bench, doing my standard inconspicuous-stranger pose.  Along comes a fairly normal-appearing fellow, white, middle-aged, tallish, goatee, red t-shirt, khaki shorts.  No obvious signs of drug use, not threatening-looking.  So I shrugged it off when he started circling the bench, as this is a fairly normal type of strange behavior at bus stops - everyone is strange, by at least one person’s standards.  Even when he plopped down two inches from me on the large, empty bench, I wrote it off as not that strange (if a little rude), as it was the only shaded area.  I stared off into the distance & focused on my iPod, slow & soothing music I hadn’t listened to in awhile.  Amid the silent transition between songs, I heard a slapping sound & out of the corner of my eye I caught some jerking movements.  I looked at him for a split-second, saw enough to disgust me into shooting out of my seat & walking quickly up the street to the next bus stop, checking every so often to ensure the offender & his furious stroking wasn’t following me.  The next bus stop thankfully was laden with people, & just outside a grocery store with parking lot rent-a-cops circling on their self-important Segways, caricatures but a welcome presence in the event that the offender returned.  I was surprised at how furious I was, my hands shaking, teeth clenched beneath lips set in a tight line.  I thought to myself, if he is perfectly sane I hope nothing good for him, & if he is mentally unstable that he’d get picked up & taken off somewhere before anything worse should occur.  All of the times I’ve been in Austin, either alone or with someone, I’d never experienced anything that had shaken me as much.  I’d always assumed I’d be able to shrug something like that off, see the humor in it, but because I was alone & in front of only a tree-filled empty wooded area, I’d been frightened of what the man could have done to me had he wanted.
At the next bus stop I ended up next to a young, friendly-looking black man in a work uniform, like me, headed to his job at a deli, & he bummed me a cigarette as I told him of what had transpired to make me so shaky.  He laughed & said, “That’s Austin for you,” shaking his head.  We talked for awhile until the bus came, & though I kept checking to see if the offender was walking toward me, I felt a relief to be under the friendly protection of this man.
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xazz · 1 year ago
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January 7
Before today I hadn’t eaten in two days. But it's a better day today. The Zaig said everyone should be fed. It only worked because the grocery store manager already got bit and instead of worrying about profits they worried about feeding the community. Everyone could come and take whatever food they needed but not more than that. I had a steak I’d never normally be able to afford and smashed potatoes like how my mom used to make. Back before the town dried up and so did anyone who wanted to make a life here.
Haileyberg used to be a coal mining town but since humanity switched to fusion there’s been no need for coal. The mine closed. The town dried up. It happened when I was a kid. Gas prices were expensive then too. Now they’re astronomical. Or you can buy an electric car. But in Haileyberg there’s no money. No way to escape. How can you get out of a dead end when the only wait out is to put yourself into debt on top of debt. Not like they sell electrics out here. No one’s got any money. Other than some farmers no one even runs their cars anymore. I got an electric scooter and it does the job it can getting me into downtown to work at a job with no customers to pay for utilities that get shut off half the time and maybe I’ll have some ramen if I’m lucky.
The Zaig came a week ago. Infected the mayor immediately and figured out what was happening. They announced themselves and convinced us not to call the National Guard. Instead they’d help us. We just have to share our bodies with them. The religious members of the community balked at it but after seeing what the Zaig could give us some changed their minds. We all voted on it. I figure if I can let the Holy Spirit into me I can let some little bug. We drew lots on what got to connect with a Zaig first. Some people abstained. I was first in line to put in my name. I got the second day of lots. Yesterday the grocery manager got it. That’s why everyone in town got to eat something other than flour soup.
Breakfast was filling for the first time in a long time. Eggs, sausage, I made biscuits from a tin, and had real orange juice. So my stomach is full and I’m in good spirits for the first time in years. My electric scooter brings me down the roads on the sidewalk. The town is empty as ever except for at the mayor’s office. There are people there. I scoot over and break in front of a table.
“I’m on the lot today?” I ask the person at the table.
I can tell they’ve been infected by the smile. Everyone who gets infected seems so… happy. So serene. So at peace. If I didn’t see the same look on some people in church it’d worry me. “Yes you are. I’ll check you off. You can just go in. The mayor will help you from there,” she says.
“Can I leave my scooter here?”
“Absolutely! I’ll keep an eye on it,” she assures me.
I leave my scooter with the kickstand down and enter the mayor’s office. I hear people talking and they greet me warmly as I come in. There are other people who’ve also come in early to get infected and they’re all happy, a few look like they cried, their eyes red and puffy. The mayor is a nice older guy named Chuck. He’s been the mayor since I can remember and I know he cares about Haileyberg a lot. A lot more than most people honestly. “Perfect timing,” Chuck says to me as I join the room. “Love to see young faces taking interest in their town’s prosperity.”
They sit me in a padded chair and ask me where I’d like to accept the Zaig. “Ummm, where have other people gotten it?” I ask.
“Well the back of the neck, the arm, the wrist. Someone got it on their ankle,” one of the helpers says and shows me their arm. It’s the first time I’ve seen a Zaig and it looks… pretty. It’s wrapped around his wrist like a bracelet and trails up the inside of his arm. It almost looks like a sick tattoo. “Wherever you want. And if you find you wanna change it you can. Just talk to them. They’re pretty easy to move around.”
“I think like yours,” I say to the guy with the Zaig on his wrist and lower arm. I thought it’d be scary. Some face hugger alien thing. It looks like a jeweled pin.
“Okay,” he beams at me. The mayor brings over a small canister as the helper swabs my under wrist with sanitizer.
“Does it hurt?” I ask.
“Little bit at first. More itchy like the worst mosquito bite of your life,” the helper groans. That’s not so bad.
Mayor Chuck brings over the canister and opens it. Something that looks like a piece of long bronze seaweed slithers out of the canister and into his hand. “Here’s your new you,” Chuck says and I trust him. I’ve always trusted Chuck with the best for the town and for us. It tickles when Chuck puts the Zaig on my arm. “On the wrist, don’t be rude,” he tells the Zaig even as it’s trying to crawl up my arm. It stops and curls around my wrist.
It’s like getting a vaccine shot. That’s the pain. Then there’s no more pain. ‘Well you’re marvelous aren’t you?’ a voice asks in my head. ‘Perfect potential. We’re going to be so happy together, I know it,’ and I felt such a warm and loving feeling fill my mind.
I start to smile like the other people in the room. I’m filled with hope for the first time in my life it feels like. Like this I can do anything why wouldn’t I be smiling? It’s a miracle. They’re a miracle. I can’t wait to go home and get to know my Zaig a bit better but I also want to stay and watch the other people get their Zaig today. I wanna see their faces fill with joy too. I’m glad we all voted to accept these aliens.
Deep Water Prompt #2848
Things are bad here, so when the parasites arrive our town votes to host them willingly. I understand what a miracle feels like, the second the bug taps my bloodstream.
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snowbabys · 3 years ago
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(Disclaimer: i do not condone this behavior, nor think the idol acts like this in any way. this is purely fiction and for entertainment purposes only.)
. .. .⋆·˚ 𝙰𝚄𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚁'𝚂 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴: do y'all remember that other story i mentioned on the valentine's day special? so! here it is! ty for reading <3
. .. .⋆·˚ 𝙿𝙰𝙸𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶: stalker!jake x gn!reader
. .. .⋆·˚ 𝚃𝚆/𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂: slight mentions of food, stalking.
. .. .⋆·˚ 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃: you've recently moved in, and have been receiving unidentified letters from a kind neighbor (supposedly). it's all good until the letters get creepier, and you're not able to reach out for help.
. .. .⋆·˚ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙽𝚃: 1k
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It all started at the end of January. You had just moved to a new neighborhood, everything felt new and refreshing, the neighbors were nice to you, and the surroundings seemed safe. It wasn’t a week after that you started receiving odd letters in your mail, all of them with no sign of a sender (they were directly put into your mailbox, which made you apprehensive).
The letters were all written on light brown paper, the first one offering welcoming words detailed in black ink. You thought of it as a simple message from a shy or busy neighbor, who hadn’t had the opportunity to welcome you during your arrival.
The second one came two days later, with many restaurants and convenience stores recommendations, all close to your location. Strange, indeed, but you still didn’t feel bothered by it, given that the handwriting was the same as the first letter. It actually felt soothing that someone worried about you.
It all got weird when the third one arrived. In a minute you were checking the empty mailbox and getting inside to answer an incoming call. On the other, you looked outside your window to see a new letter shoved in your mailbox. First, the shock. Then, you apologized to the other person in line and finished the call, so you ran outside to try to peek at who was delivering the letters. No success.
All the content on that third letter complimented your looks, but it had been described in such a detailed way, like mentioning the shape of your lips and the color of the underwear you chose to wear that day, it got your heart beating fastly. Who could’ve seen that? And why? Were you being stalked by some creep?
Fully paranoid, you started looking in all directions when you were outside, having the constant feeling of being followed, even though no one else was in the street. When coming back, you made sure to walk inside as fast as you could without being suspicious of the old lady next door, who had a smile every time you got back.
When the fourth letter came in, asking you to stop being so paranoid of the outside world, you were convinced you had a stalker. The photos that came with the letter were more than enough for you, showing you having lunch with a colleague, working, and walking home. Your first thought was to call the police and report it immediately, but as you got your phone, someone knocked on your door.
“Hey sweetie, it’s me,” you recognized the voice of the old lady you just saw in her front garden. She gave one of her warm smiles when you opened the door. “Could you give me a little hand?”
“Sure...” you said, head turning to your phone as the numbers dialed waited for you to press ‘call’. That can wait a little more, you thought, and followed the neighbor to her own house. “What do you need?”
“My son bought groceries yesterday,” she started to explain while opening her door for you. “He put all the cans on higher cabinets, I cannot reach them and he’s not home now.” Her laugh echoed through the kitchen, and you gave her a smile before reaching for said cans.
“Good thing I’m here for you, Mrs. Sim,” when all of the cans were in Mrs. Sim’s reach, you smiled once again in her direction. “I’ll get going now, call me if you need anything.”
“Of course. Thank you so much, sweetheart.”
You said a small ‘don't mention it’, making your way to the exit anxiously. Just when your hand touched the door handle, someone twisted it from the outside, opening the door, and almost hitting your face in the process.
“Oh, sorry,” a male came into your vision, his cheeks and ears getting red when noticing your presence. “I... didn’t mean to...” your eyes fell to his hands, a huge bouquet with the most colorful petals piled into one another. A romantic?
“It’s okay, don’t worry.” Your anxiety disappeared with the boy’s smile, but it came back like a punch in the stomach when a letter peeked through the many flowers on the bouquet he was holding. The light brown of the paper made you sick, and when you faced him again, his smile wasn’t there anymore. He swallowed hard while Mrs. Sim told you he is her son, Jake. Both you and he froze in place, you realizing you were face to face with your stalker, Jake planning what to do next since you caught him.
“Excuse me.” You bumped his shoulder, making a run for your house. With a loud ringing in your ears and adrenaline rushing through your veins, you could only think of your phone, left on the small corner table by your door. You made it inside, not minding locking the door, as you knew you only had to press one button.
When your hands finally reached the phone, another hand grabbed yours. Then one more. Jake’s arms encircled your body, his hands getting the object from yours.
“Don’t,” he made his voice soft for you, but his eyes threatened your existence. He tossed your phone on the wall, and you attempted to reach it, being stopped by his arms once again. His left hand held your wrists, and his right made you look at him, fingers caressing your skin. “Now, don’t make this harder for me. I don’t wanna hurt you.”
“What do you want from me?” you were on the verge of tears at this point, scared of what he could do to you.
“You.” He sighed heavily when you made eye contact, panic overflowing through your being. You tried getting out of his hold, several times. Nothing worked, he didn’t let you go.
Even when his mother came inside giving you a hint of hope, he kept his hold. But any small piece of hope you had was smashed when they started talking, a casual conversation like Jake wasn’t gripping your arms. She looked at you and smiled, and asked if it was time for her to prepare dinner. You screamed and screamed, asking for any help while the boy dragged you to his house. You only knew you had no escape from them when another neighbor came in but did not intend to help you. Instead, they asked if Jake’s plan worked.
back to masterlist | valentine's day special with jake
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© snowbabys 2022 | do not repost.
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tinyyoungblood · 3 years ago
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hi!! adore your work love. could you maybe do smth where stark!reader has to get her wisdom teeth out but HATES the dentist so she brings her boyf peter and her dad w her?? and then when they get home the avengers are all waiting with like comical amounts of flowers and stuffed animals and then reader says some funny shiii and thor thinks she’s like dying lol. idk if that made sense but i’m getting my wisdom teeth out soon and i’m scared😭 thank u so so much love u babe
pairing: peter parker x stark!reader
a/n: tysm lovely :,) i rushed through this like my life depended on it, but i hope i’m not too late. either way, i hope you’re okay! it’s frightening but those bad boys gotta go because we don’t need that kind of energy in our lives. enjoy x
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
wisdom teeth? more like wisdoom
y/n has to get her wisdom teeth removed and it’s the singular most dreadful thing she’s ever had to do, which says a lot because her dad is tony richling stark
doing dreadful things she doesn’t want to do but still somehow end up doing just because she can is a personality trait at this point
no one really makes a big deal out of it since ~death~ is part of their job description, but y/n is terrified
and when a stark is terrified the only thing that will keep them one step from insanity is researching the hell out of it
that information will be info dumped into every conversation for the next few weeks leading up to the appointment
“y/n you need anything from the store?” "no thanks, did you know the side effects of getting your wisdom teeth out include ✨sudden death or blood clots✨ tho” “……..i have a coupon?”
the day of the appointment, peter comes along and literally doesn’t let go of y/n’s hand. he keeps touching her to let her know that he’s there and it’s so. adorable
he would rest his hand on her knee, gently stroke her back while holding her, or just play with her hair
happy drops them off and he’s too Cool™ for emotions but he knows y/n’s a wreck, so he just fist bumps her with a single nod and she almost breaks down bc it’s really affectionate
y/n is sitting in the dentist chair and genuinely nothing is happening yet, but she’s squeezing peter’s hand like it’s a sponge
peter might have a high pain tolerance but he’s in pain pain and he prays that his hand won’t just explode on him
the dentist notices how peter tries to keep it together and chuckles
“you okay there, son?” “yea it’s fine, had a better time when a building fell on me tho haha” “pardon?” “oh i mean i didn’t have a good time, i just had a better time”
because y/n is running Anxious Town™, the dentist gives her a sedative to help her relax 
plus, an injection of local anaesthetic to numb the tooth and surrounding area
she doesn’t feel anything and it’s GREAT
the procedure is quicker than expected and now the real fun begins
she tries to walk but she falls down so peter scoops her up bridal style and happy stays glued at her side
y/n doesn’t mind although she literally doesn’t recognise them and they’re practically strangers to her
but girly sees an opportunity and tries to flirt with peter bc why wouldn’t she
“you’re pretty” *blushes* “why thanks” “you should let your girlfriend know” “i should let her know i’m pretty?” “so you do have a gf? :(” “yea it’s you” “:)”
they stop for gas and peter goes in to get some water for y/n, and in her infinite wisdom, she decides it’s burger time
her mouth is completely numb and she’s practically leaving a trail of drool behind her, but she’d kill for a burger right now
so she wobbles around aimlessly for an hour on some random parking lot as if the ground might just magically open up like a rabbit hole and lead her to five guys
she’s going places. not back to the car. definitely not five guys. they’re closed. but places
peter finally finds her and he’s drenched from head to toe in sweat. he doEsn’T wAnt tO tALk abOut iT tho so she lets him take her to subway instead
normally, she would know that peter’s usual subway order is bread-lettuce-jalapeño
but in her drugged-up state, it had simply slipped her mind so now she’s staring at him like he’d just murdered someone right in front of her
“that- that’s your order?? no meat or anything just bread, lettuce, and a little spice?”
meanwhile at the compound, sam and steve are ordering everyone around bc they want to decorate this place before y/n gets home to surprise her
they take it very seriously too. they’ve watched like one HGTV show and said it’s our time
they finally get home and tony gives y/n a big hug, asking her what took so long
happy tells him that she was keen on getting burgers bc apparently someone has taught her that stressful times call for ~cheeseburgers~
he proceeds to look at tony with a pointed look
tony just shrugs and goes “she was a problem child. we don’t mention her dark past”
she’s swaying on the spot and keeps grinning like a fool and thor just stares at her weirdly before elbowing bruce and whispering loudly,
“what’s wrong with her? is she dying? should i start collecting leaves, i know this remedy—"
no one can tell if y/n is just happy to see the newly decorated home or if she’s just delighted to see everyone but then she goes around hugging the entire team
she doesn’t even acknowledge the sky-high pile of teddy bears and flowers everywhere bc she’s just squeezing everybody
y/n is so high, she just starts to spill all of her feelings about everyone and they’re already so overwhelmed by the hug chain they can’t take this too
“wanda i just want you to know that you’re like my big sister and you’re always taking care of me and i know you and vision are just going to make such good parents one day”
“bucky you absolute PRICK, you FIEND, you’re the best chess player ever and that’ll never change and i wouldn’t be good without you, i hate to say it but you deserve happiness even after you made me lose five times in a row yesterday”
“dad, you’re so strong and smart, even though we’re like never on the same page, you’re always along for the ride, i want to be like you when i grow up, i swear i’m gonna try to be as good to the avengers as you were to us” “aww- wait makes you think i'll be the first to die“
“nat you’re such a bitch about your protein shakes but you’re my best friend and i wouldn’t have it any other way, you can try out as many make up looks on me as you want”
“bruce, brucey, i would live with you in your lab for the rest of my days if i had to, whenever you ask me to hand you stuff i feel useful and important”
“laura’s way out of your league clint i have no idea how the fuck you got her but don’t lose her and i want to be your next child’s godmother”
“steve…we’re your family now. we’re always gonna be your family now. okay?”
“loki you’re not fooling anyone with your attitude, we all know you’re part of the family, you were just misunderstood and messed up bc of your dad–FUCK him by the way–but i realised everyone deserves as many chances as they need because of you”
“sam i would genuinely kill anyone who wronged you, even if they cut you in line at the grocery store, i would knife them no hesitation”
“thor, you poor golden retriever have been through so much, on my way here i made a wish on an eyelash for you bc you deserve better, your postcards always make my day, love you”
she mumbles something to peter that no one else can hear but he blushes and chokes back a sob
y/n orders hot soup and bucky brings it to her but before he even has time to react peter drops everything and ZOOMS across the room in .3 seconds
he barrels into bucky so hard they both go flying, but peter just smoothly rolls out of it and onto his feet like some kind of super ninja
“DUDE WHAT THE HELL” “😠 y/n is not supposed to drink hot liquids 😠”
all of this happens in mere seconds but sam has filmed it all and now slow mo clips go viral online of some mysterious kid knocking over the winter soldier
y/n’s a little in and out after that, but when she fully regains consciousness, she’s on a pile of blankets, surrounded by the team on the floor <3
* * *
let me know if this is actually comforting lmao stay hydrated pals
hc masterlist
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johnsamericano · 3 years ago
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𝔖𝔲𝔤𝔞𝔯 ℜ𝔲𝔰𝔥 𝔧.𝔧.𝔥 •2•
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Hi hi! I'm back with another chapter. This one might not be as good(?, it's a really fluffy chapter so bear with me.
warnings: sugar daddy jae, he's a big baby, tooth rotting, kinda long.
sugar rush m.list.
taglist: @thoreeo @trustmahluv @sunny-nyu @nanascupid @silent-potato
“Sir, there’s a girl asking to see you.”
“Hey, I’m not a girl!” He chuckled as his finger pressed the button to communicate with his secretary.
“Hey, I’m not a girl!” He chuckled as his finger pressed the button to communicate with his secretary.
“Hey, I’m not a girl!” He chuckled as his finger pressed the button to communicate with his secretary.
“Let her in.”
Only a few seconds later, your head was peeking through his door.
“I brought you coffee.” You extended your hand out, showing him the carton containing two iced drinks. “Are you busy?”
“Not at all, come in.” You sat on the elegant, individual sofa in front of him, his desk serving as a separation. “Are you here to spy on me? Don't you trust me with your father's case?” He pouted, typing something in his keyboard while your palms started sweating.
How could you not trust the man with the highest case winning index in the whole country?
Briefly, after your encounter with the other lawyer, you'd googled him as well as his company. Because of his incredibly high fees, he didn't have many clients, but those few who had enough money to cost him were almost assured to be on the winning side. So then, why hadn't an excellent lawyer like him popped up when you'd first looked for popular firms? Simple, he wasn't popular.
Just like a hidden gem, only a few had the pleasure to know Yoonoh, and you felt beyond grateful for paying that stupid membership weeks ago.
“No, no!” You were quick to defend yourself, frantically shaking your hands to support your previous statement. “Just wanted to be of help.”
Truth to be told, after receiving your first weekly allowance, an unsettling feeling had been squeezing your heart ever since. Call it guilt or whatever, but it didn't set right to be receiving si much help from him when you hadn't had the chance to do anything in return. The least you could do was trying to be polite.
“You shouldn't be spending your money on me. I'm the one supposed to spoil you, remember?” He grabbed the plastic container by the lid, sipping the bitter liquid with an amused smile. “But thank you.”
“I paid my rent yesterday.” You blurted out, trying to avoid the uncomfortable silence threatening to settle between the two of you. “And I still have money left to save for my father's hospital bills, maybe even buy a present for my aunt.”
He admired how noble you were, making sure those around you had enough before even thinking to do something for yourself.
“I have a party this Friday, would you like to attend with me?” Your presence wasn't required as it wasn't a big event, but by the look in your eyes, he knew you were itching to do something in return for his kindness.
“Yes, of course!” Your orbs sparkled with excitement, finally feeling yourself useful.
“If you don't mind waiting, we can go buy something for you to wear right after I finish with this.” For what seemed like the tenth time in less than ten minutes, small beads of sweat rolled down the back of your neck. Thank God he wasn't able to see them. “Oh, come on, don't give me that look!”
“You’ve already done so much for me. I can buy the clothes myself, don't worry.” With a deep sigh, Yoonoh rose from his chair, taking long strides to surround the desk separating you. “W-what are you doing?” Now kneeling on the floor beneath you, his face was dangerously close to yours, coffee breath crashing against your nose.
“Using mind control to convince you to let me take you out.” He stared at you for a couple more seconds before saying: “Is it working?”
“I think your mind control is broken.” You whisper, unable to hold back the small giggles bubbling at the back of your throat.
“How about now?” He batted his eyelashes, trying to act cute despite his bold features. You shook your head.
Just as you thought it was over, his hand went up to cup your jaw, his thumb drawing uneven figures on the ticklish skin.
“How about now?” He repeated. You stammered, unsure of what to say. “Sorry, that was inappropriate.” Aware of your awkwardness and the rising heat in your cheeks, he stood up, walking back to his chair. “But I do want to get you something, would you let me?”
With your mind busy and your guard low, you nodded, unaware of the silly smile on his face.
“I have a few novels on my shelf in case you want something to kill time.”
“Thank you.” You moved to the huge bookshelf facing his desk, grateful your face wasn't visible anymore.
The books were ordered by genre and size, starting from the biggest law-related textbooks to pocket-sized novels, ending with the smallest one he had. The little prince.
Your eyes widened in disbelief. Yoonoh didn't seem to be the type to read that kind of heartbreaking yet beautiful book. Nonetheless, as many said, you can't judge a book by its cover.
An hour or two later, you were halfway into the first book of flowers in the attic, immersed in the small world the author had created. Yoonoh had finished his work a few minutes before, but distracting you when you were reading so vividly, seemed like a crime. He enjoyed the way your eyebrows would knit together every time something shocking happened, clearly too immersed in the novel to notice his intense gaze.
“Y/n...” He whispered once he noticed you were starting a new chapter. You blinked twice, hands clutching the book tightly as you noticed he had finished his work. “You can take it home, don't worry.”
“Sure?” He flashed his pretty dimples as his eyes turned into half-moons.
“You can come back for the rest of the saga when you finish this one. Take as many books as you please, I’ve already read them all.”
“Thank you.” Another act of kindness you had no way of returning. His favors just seemed to be piling up before you could even return any. “Would you like to have dinner with me today? I'm a great cook, or so did my father said.” You blurted out quickly, twisting your hands nervously as you waited for an answer.
“I’d love to. But I might have to attend some work calls if you don't mind.”
“I don't, maybe I'll even have time to bake a cake while you're at it.” God, how bad he wanted to take a picture of that adorably nervous smile.
“Great, so it's settled. Dinner at your place after we go shopping.” He had already put his blazer on, offering his arm to guide you out. With shaky fingers and sweaty armpits, you grabbed it, walking by his side with his secretary’s gazed glued on you. So much for a girl, huh?
Once seated in his car, with the book resting on your lap, you allowed yourself to relax. Yoonoh wasn't a bad person, on the contrary, he was very kind, so there was no use in keeping your guard up when he was around.
“Ready to roll?” You cringed at his use of slang, making him drop his head back to laugh. “What? Isn't it a thing you cool young adults say?”
“Maybe twenty years ago, Yoonoh.” It was the very first time you used his name so informally, and, oh how good it felt to hear you saying it?
“Fine, I won't use it anymore.” He poked your arm like a little child, and for a moment, you wondered if he was actually more than a decade older.
Several bad jokes, two dresses, and a quick stop at the grocery store later, you arrived at your apartment. Yoonoh held everything while you entered the passcode, struggling not to drop a can of vegetables that was starting to bend the edge of the paper bag.
“Ready, hand me something.” You both entered with your hands packed with different things. You went to your room to leave the new dresses while Yoonoh set the paper bags down on the kitchen counter.
“So...” He clapped loudly. “What are we cooking?”
“I bought the ingredients for lasagna. Is that okay with you?” He nodded, lips pressed and dimples in display. “Alright, let's do this.”
It would've been of great help if Yoonoh had told you he didn't know how to cook. But of course, part of the fault was yours for not noticing when he tried to add ketchup to the recipe.
“I burnt it.” He looked at the semi-carbonized pasta with disgust, feeling ashamed of having ruined your dish. “Let’s just throw it away and order something.” He was about to touch the hot container until your grip on his wrist halted his movements.
“We just pulled it out of the oven.” You shook your head in disbelief at the man standing in front of you.
“Sorry.”
Despite Yoonoh’s endless complaining, you ate the lasagna. The flavor wasn't that bad when you scratched off the burnt parts, especially when accompanied by a cold glass of wine.
“It’s not that bad.” You repeated over and over again. A phone call interrupted him from self-pitying any further. “Go on, take it.” You continued eating while he spoke in the living room.
It wasn't until a couple of minutes later that you realized he was whisper yelling at whoever was on the other line. It was your first time seeing him angry, and you didn't like it one bit. The way his face turned completely stoic, his eyes cold as his hand rested on his hip. Sweet, caring, Yoonoh was gone.
“I told you I needed it for today.” He said through gritted teeth. “You better get it before I arrive back at the office, or you can find yourself another job.” Even after he hung up, Yoonoh stood in the middle of the shared area, clutching his phone so tightly, it seemed like it would break any minute.
You wanted to ask if everything was alright, if he needed any help, but most importantly, if the things he needed were related to your father's case, but all the words stuck to your throat like insects in a spider web.
“I need to go.” He simply said, not even bothering to fake a smile. “Thank you for dinner, I'll see you on Friday.” With his free hand, he grabbed the coat hanging from his chair and left, slamming the door on his way out.
Was that the real Yoonoh?
A shiver ran down your spine. What had you gotten into? From what you'd seen, it was only about time he would show his true self to you as well.
All the trust you'd built up during the day, had crumbled down in a matter of seconds. The worst part? You didn't even feel entitled to be scared, not after all he'd done for you.
‘Just keep your distance.’ You repeated like a mantra as you got ready for bed, leaving the book you'd borrowed right where he'd left it, afraid it would burn your fingertips even with the slightest touch.
(...)
The week wasn't nearly as long as you'd wanted it to be, and soon enough, you were struggling to zip the dress you'd bought days ago. Your makeup was done, and Yoonoh had texted you he was on his way, yet, you'd been fighting with the zipper for at least ten minutes. Your fingers were cramping, and the clock was ticking.
Just when you'd finally started to drag the small piece of metal, the doorbell startled you, causing you to let go of it.
“Fuck!” Have you ever felt so desperate that tears start pricking your eyes? Well, that was the exact case happening at the moment.
You opened the door with the salty water collecting at the corner of your eyes, surprising Yoonoh, who was wearing his best dimply smile.
“What’s wrong?” He had a bouquet poorly hidden behind his back, probably to apologize for the night he abruptly left and almost knocked down your door.
“I-I can't zip up my dress.” Your voice came out shaky, giving away the emotions burning your gut. Thankfully, Yoonoh didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't mention it.
“I’ll help you.” He, not-so-discretely, put down the bouquet, gently turning you around to your discomfort. His cold hands touched your back as he dragged the zip up, noticing how tense you were but deciding not to comment on it. “Oh! You haven't moved the book from where I left it.”
“I haven't had time to read.” He hummed, crouching to reach for the bouquet and hand it to you. “Thank you.”
“It’s my way of apologizing for the fit I threw a couple of days ago.” A fit? That was one way to call it.
“It’s okay.” You lied as you pushed the corners of your lips to form a credible smile. “Let’s get going.”
The flowers were left on the kitchen counter before you left. The ride in the elevator was awfully quiet, and Yoonoh had no idea what had happened. You were so chatty the last time he saw you, so of course, he was taken aback by the sudden change.
“It’s not going to take long, so we can head out for some drinks later if you'd like...” You nodded, for you knew speaking would only expose your discomfort. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah! Just nervous about the party, that's all.”
You stood by Yoonoh’s side for the rest of the evening, smiling and nodding at his acquaintances’ comments. At one point in the evening, a man, not much older than you, approached you both with a wide smile.
“Dude, I hadn't seen you in ages. Stop sending your workers and come see me yourself.” They hugged. Why were they hugging?
“Y/n, this is my brother, Sungchan.” The man with puppy-like eyes embraced you tightly, almost as if welcoming you to his family. “Sungchan, this is y/n, my girlfriend.” He said it so naturally, it’d take a detective to figure out the truth about your relationship.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. I'm sorry for your father. But don't worry, we'll take those bastards down.”
“I’m not following...” You blinked repeatedly, eyes going back and forth between Yoonoh and his brother.
“Sungchan is a doctor. I asked him to look at your father's case for further evidence. My assistant was supposed to pick up the report the day we had dinner, but she forgot to drop by. Now we’re a day behind schedule.” The dark cloud surrounding him seemed to be slowly dissipating as you heard his explanation. “This is an important case, and I want to be as meticulous as possible.”
Thank you didn't seem the right thing to say at the moment, at least not with Sungchan standing there, so you simply grabbed his hand, squeezing it to let him know how grateful you were.
To your surprise, he didn't even flinch as he locked your hands together, causing a small giggle from Sungchan.
“Okay, love birds, I'll get going.” He waved you goodbye, making his way to another table where his friend waited for him.
“Can we talk?” You whispered in his ear, afraid one of the numerous attendants would hear you.
“Sure.” Without letting go of your hand, he drove you to a small, private garden just outside the ballroom. “Are you gonna tell me what's wrong now?” His thumb caressed your knuckles with gentle strokes.
“I’m so sorry.”
“What for?”
“I pushed you away at the minimum trouble when you were only helping me.” He hummed as if he already knew about it. “And it will probably happen again, so please, be patient with me. I'm going through-” Your face collided against his chest as his arms draped over your shoulders, squeezing you tightly.
“Call me reckless, but I've wanted to do this for a while.” Your hands hung at the sides of your torso, unsure what to do next. “You can push me away, I'll understand...”
Instead, your palm found its place in his back, rubbing up and down the designer jacket. Your hair started turning messy from the night breeze, some strands striking Yoonoh’s chin as his embrace only grew tighter.
“Let’s get out of here.” He mumbled, crawling the back of your head with his hand. “Sungchan can deal with my father's friends.”
“Are you sure?” His hum vibrated through his chest, making you giggle at the odd feeling.
Once seated in his car, his hand found yours like a magnet, the warmth emanating from it comfortably enveloping your skin.
The calmness of the atmosphere was interrupted by a call from his brother, who seemed to be anxiously explaining something through the phone.
“Just tell him I had a work emergency.” With that said, he hung up, placing his hand back again on top of yours. “Sorry, he said it was urgent.”
“It’s okay.” An unsettling feeling pinched your stomach, but you decided to dismiss it, immersed in the chilly weather of the dark streets.
You arrived at the river, where Yoonoh asked you to wait for him while he bought a couple of beers. It was a sight to see, both of you clad in fancy clothes, barefoot and chugging down can after can.
“I think I like being with you.” You declared, mind fuzzy from the alcohol intake.
“I think I like it too.” The tips of his ears were rosy, revealing he was as intoxicated as you, maybe even more.
“Would you like to visit my father with me tomorrow?” The words flew out of your mouth before you could even realize. Afraid you'd killed the mood, you tried to excuse yourself, only to be interrupted by his lips grazing your ear, placing a timid kiss on your lobe.
“I’d love to.” It was the sweetest peck, no ulterior motives behind it, just pure affection.
“Are we going too fast?” In your drunken state, what you had felt like a real relationship, not a simple agreement. And this sure felt like a first date.
“We’re moving at our own pace, I believe.” He dropped his head on your shoulder, pressing against it to relieve the dizziness clouding his mind. “Are you okay with that? Maybe you don't want to be with an old creep like me, and I'd totally get it. Just don't let me get my hopes up if that's the case.”
“You might be old, but definitely not a creep.” Your fingers combed through his abundant hair as your mind wandered into the future, grateful for the fact that he wouldn't become bald soon. “Or are you?”
“I don't think so.” Anyone who walked by would've seen a couple of goofs, too intoxicated to talk without slurring the words, but you were living in your own, comfy bubble. “I should get you home before it gets too late. Come on, I'll call a driver.” He tried getting on his feet to no avail, stumbling back a little before falling back on his ass.
“My apartment is nearby. You can stay for the night.” You grabbed both pairs of shoes as his arm surrounded your shoulder for assistance. “If you keep supporting your whole weight on me, we're both gonna fall.” People on the street shot you a couple of funny looks, which was understandable since it wasn't usual to see two drunk idiots walking barefoot in the middle of the night.
“How long till-” Hiccup. “-we get there?” His stare seemed to worsen with every step. “God, I think I might throw up.”
“Stop acting like a teenager, we're almost there.”
As soon as you arrived at the small apartment, you sat him down on the little step where you changed your shoes. You left both pairs on the rack, proceeding to put on slippers to enter the house.
“Don’t leave me here!” He whined, stomping his feet like a little kid.
“Just wait for a second!” His attitude was starting to get on your nerves to the point where you couldn't feel the effects of the beer anymore.
You grabbed a rag from the kitchen cabinet and dampened it under the sink. Yoonoh was half asleep when you walked back to him.
“My head hurts.” He mumbled as you sat in front of him, placing his left foot on your lap. “What are you doing?”
“I don't have any slippers that will fit you, and I don't want your dirty feet making my house dirty.” With utmost delicacy, you wiped away the dirt from his toes, noticing the small scratches caused by the gravel he walked on.
He touched your hair while you finished with his other foot, tangling the strands with fascination.
“Done, get up.”
He followed your indications as you guided him to your room, where you laid him down on his side in case he threw up.
“Are we visiting your father tomorrow?” He asked while snuggling under the covers.
“Sure.” You cleared his forehead from the strands falling in it, grazing the soft skin of his forehead. “Sweet dreams, gigantic baby.”
217 notes · View notes
jeonfiles · 4 years ago
Text
better left unsaid - jjk
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genre: angst, rebounds
pairings: jungkook x reader (ft. namjoon)
warnings: arguing, alcohol, profanity, break ups, light smut, use of drugs, jungkook is a fucking dick, jungkook has major attachment issues, toxic relationships, oc cries a lot, namjoon has a heart of gold, unrequited love
synopsis: you knew you shouldnt have given him that second chance, not the third or the fourth either. no matter how much you try he always slithers his way underneath your sheets, arms wrapped around you.
word count: 2.7k
music: into your arms, so it ends?, you will fade, thinkin bout you, julia, my insecurities not yours, fuck u, goodluck, my dear i will think of you
note: uhh ive never written a y/n fic so bare with me, if u listen to the music you’ll be able to feel the story a lot more so yeah if u have time u should, not proof read
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Light coming through the cracks of the blinds, making you squint your eyes when the daylight beams into your eyes, head resting on the kitchen island Looking up, you saw the clock ticking on the wall, 11:32 am.
You had stayed up till 5 am, waiting for him to come home, but seemingly, he never did. Reaching for your phone, you saw 4 missed calls from the one and only,
Jeon Jungkook, saved in your phone as “Koo <3″, Rows of messages too, all from the same contact.
Koo <3 [05:34 am]
baby pkck me up pleseee
im so wsated
Koo <3 [06.46am]
dont be mad at me jsut pick me up
i dont knw hewere the fuck i am
i love you
Koo <3 [07:31 am]
i got a rde home i’ll be home by 12
i need to talk to someone frsit
im sorry if i woke ypu dont be worried
You took a few moments to collect your thoughts, but there wasn’t much to collect. This whole thing, was a routine by now.
Standing up to make yourself a cup of coffee, you could literally not feel your own backside, you were so sore from the barstool you had been sitting on all night, and it made you groan in pain.
Two coffee cups right beside the kitchen sink, which you couldn’t bring yourself to clean up, because it was from the last time you had coffee together, which was 2 weeks ago.
The inside of the cup had a coffee crust at the top, and both your lip tint marks on the outside.
When you finish your cup of coffee while watching a bad telenovela, you go sit in your favorite chair and pull out a few books from the backpack hanging on the chair next to you, getting ready to get some studying done.
For a few seconds you imagine Jungkook hanging over your shoulder laughing at the way you write your A-s and R-s, or the way you always sign your homework at the bottom of the page.
And when you open them, there’s no one there. The only sound is from the refrigerator, making refrigerator noises.
You had met Jungkook 3 years ago, when you were at college orientation, senior year of high school. He also wanted to attend Yonsei, just like you.
And when he whispered to you about how bored he was, you couldn’t help but giggle, and then you got yelled at.
It was worth it though, because everyone was jealous of you afterwards,the  Jeon Jungkook had talked to you.
Jungkook was an all-rounder as they called it; great physique, intelligent, charismatic and great at sports.
And god, he had a beautiful face, and such a filthy mouth, and it didn’t go long before you gave in to his seductive ways and slept with him. The morning after, he wasn’t in bed with you, and your heart sank.
Luckily, he was in the kitchen making you breakfast.
It was all bliss from there, showering you with love, gifts and kisses for two years, and you even ended up moving in together.
And now? You barely remember what he sounds like, smells like and is like.
A distant memory, just as distant as him.
Your train of thought was suddenly interrupted as you heard 3 knocks on your door. The exact same way he had always knocked when he had forgotten (or lost) his keys.
And even though you should have let him suffer a little, you rushed to the door to open it, and in front of you, was your biggest nightmare.
It was your love, crying his eyes out, bleeding from one of many cuts on his face, looking nearly dead. He collapsed into your arms, and you could only utter a few words, along the lines of:
“How could you do this to us?”
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As he was laying curled up in a ball on the couch, face plastered up, ice bag on his knee, wrapped up in a blanket, you realized. this was your que to cry.
So, you did. You cried in silence, sitting across the room from him. You weren’t mad at him for coming home late, or getting in another fight, probably the 5th just these past months, you had gotten used to that by now.
There was a whole other reason that made you cry.
He smelled like Victorias Secret Bombshell, you recognized the scent because it used to be your favorite,  however, now you’ve moved onto something less sweet, and more elegant, like Caroline Herrera.
He smelled like someone who wasn’t you, his girlfriend.
He smelled like another girl.
It didn’t hurt as much as you thought it would. Maybe because the Jungkook that had come home to you that morning wasn’t your Jungkook.
Your Jungkook was varsity jackets, star of the american football team (which your school was known for), selfless and humorous, and he would always take care of you.
Your Jungkook was not ungroomed hair, cigarettes and worsening grades. He was not cold and lifeless, and he would never make you cry.
Despite this, you were carding your fingers though his hair, thumb wiping away the blood on his lips while he was sound asleep as you slowly fell asleep next to him.
Maybe it was time to let him go. 
Maybe.
You woke a few hours later from your phone vibrating.
Kim Namjoon (school) [07:01 pm]
Hey Y/N! Have you started working on the statistics assignment?
If you haven’t, would you be interested in meeting at the library tomorrow? You’re really smart and i’m kinda struggling ://
You [07:03 pm]
i finished it yesterday, but if you buy me coffee i’ll come help you hehe
Kim Namjoon (school) [07:04 pm]
You’re the best, I’ll bring you a machiatto!! :D
Maybe it would be nice for you to get out of the house, even though you hate the thought of it, and you would much rather just swim in your own sorrow.
But you did go out the next day, and you helped Namjoon get a decent grade, enough to pass with good margines, he thanked you by taking you out for ramen at a convenial store not too far away.
You thanked him for the ramen with a trip to the museum, and he thanked you for the museum trip with a picnic in the park at night, which led you to crying over Jungkook in his embrace, telling him every single little detail.
He made you realize it was time to let Jungkook go and make room for new people to enter your life.
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You went home that night, and you found Jungkook passed out on the couch, and you could genuienly feel your chest tighten. Soft features which stood out under the moonlight glow, disheveled brown locks which hung down in his eyes.
He was gorgeous, until you saw the credit card on the table next to three bottles of soju and an empty beer can on the floor. And you knew what he had used the credit card for, though you didn’t want to say it out loud.
You cleaned everything up, and you threw the residue of the white powder right in the trash can, and you recycled his bottles and cans before finally, nudging him to wake up.
“Jungkook, wake up.” You spat coldly, or at least you attempted to.
He groaned, rubbing his eyes before opening his eyes, and s huge smile on his face. “Y/N, you’re home!” He reached to kiss you, but you backed away.
“Y/N?” Jungkook questioned, he didn’t quite understand what your intentions were.
“Don’t try anything Jungkook. This was your last chance, and you fucked it up, again.” The room turned ice cold. “I’m getting you help Jungkook, you need help. And then...”
He understood what kind of help you meant, and since he had now sobered up, he agreed, nodding. “And then...?” 
“And then.” Your words were ludged in your throat. “And then I’m leaving you.”
His whole face dropped, smile turned into the frowniest frown you had ever seen, and it was all silent before his lower lip starts trembling, and his eyes start turning glassy.
“It’s alright. Sorry for burdening you.” Was all he could say before tears rushed down his cheeks, and he started shaking.
So you did what you always had done, and you wrapped your arms around him, head resting on your chest as he sobbed.
“Is there anyone else?” he cried out before another wave of sobs hit him.
This exact question made your stomach hurt, and your throat burn. You really had no idea.
Or you did, but you didn’t want to.
You loved Jungkook so much, but you couldn’t be with him in this state. So you did what every rational person would do in this situation.
“Yeah.”
You lied.
“Oh ok. I don’t have the right to be mad do I?”
You shake your head no.
“I love you Y/N. I’m sorry I’m so messed up.”
“It’s ok.” was all he said before he fell asleep in your arms again.
That night you slither your way out of his embrace and you pack your suitcase in the dark, bringing all your essentials, trying to be as quiet as possible so you didn’t wake Jungkook.
Packing enough for two weeks or so, you make the bed and leave your t-shirt “accidentally” in the bathroom, and you make sure all his clothes are folded, and then you sort his pencil case, throwing out old pens and worn out erasers.
You leave a grocery list on the counter, and you tuck him in good under the blankets after you took his jeans and socks off so he could sleep comfortably.
You placed his vitamins and medicine by the refrigerator so he’ll see it when he goes to grab something to eat. 
Puffed up pillows, a pair of sweatpants, t-shirt and underwear is now placed neatly on his bed. Then you walk into the kitchen again, and you see Jungkook still sound asleep, sniffling a little still.
There’s one last thing, and it makes you cry. It makes you sob so loud you cover your mouth and muffle the sound you make. Sinking to the floor, your whole body is in contact with the cold tiles.
Only a year ago you could never imagine yourself even shedding a single tear over something as small as this, but here you were, on the edge of a panic attack.
Two worn out, matching couple mugs still placed by the counter. one if the first things you two had bought together, as well as the necklace hanging around your neck.
Finally, you stopped crying and started cleaning the mugs, lip trembling as you dried them and placed them in the back of the cabinet.
You unhooked your necklace and laid it down on the counter, and the biggest lump formed in your throat.
Actually, there’s a little detail you forget. 
You kiss Jungkook on the forehead and leave a note on the coffee table.
“Dear Jungkook,
If you want to make this up to me (this does not mean a new chance!!) you call the number at the bottom of the page. No matter what happens, I’ll always have room for you in my heart. You even have your own little VIP lobby in there. And - if it’s urgent, call. I still care for you, and I always have. You were the best boyfriend I’ve had, but good things always come to and end, don’t they? Anyways, I’m tired so this letter fucking sucks, but deep down you know how much I love you. Remember to get groceries, shower, get fresh air and study. If I forgot something you can keep it, as long as you call the number and tell them you’re my friend. They’ll help you love. Try and get a part time job too, your student loan and your dad’s money won’t last forever. Good luck Koo. Hwaiting!!
-L/N Y/N <33″
You cringe when you think of the letter’s contents, before you roll out your suitcase out of the front door, whispering a faint “Goodnight Love.” as you close and lock the door behind you.
Standing by the elevator, you cry again. This time, louder, but you still reach for your phone and type out a text to the newly edited contact in your phone.
You [02:13 am]
coming outside now, im a crying mess and im super cold, is your car heated?
sorry for making you wait btw :((
Joonie <3 [02:13 am]
dont worry about the crying part, i’ll hold you. and yeah car is heated, so waiting here wasnt all that bad. you ready for this?
You  [02:14 am]
i have no idea but i cant stay here any longer and i trust you sooo
lets start our new chapter. eh?
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4 months later...
He had been good to you, great even.
You had been on expensive dates, picnics, had heart to heart conversations, and he’d been so understanding.
Today, it was your 2 month anniversary, and he had asked you on a magnificent date, which he had planned every second of.
At the end of the day, you told him how you don’t love him. He said it was alright. Namjoon loved you, so much, yet he understood you needed time.
You went to sleep that day, warm in Namjoon’s embrace, wondering how Jungkook was doing. 
You felt bad, but you missed Jungkook.
You were both with someone new now, and you knew he was in good hands with someone stable enough to care for him.
Before your eyes closed shut, you shed a few quiet tears and hoped that you’d fall in love with Namjoon soon, and deep down you knew you would.
329 notes · View notes
bonny-kookoo · 4 years ago
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Remedy | JJK x Reader | 💜☁️🔞🤖
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Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader
Genre: Android!AU, Android!Jungkook, AI!Jungkook
Warnings: mentions of war, PTSD, Panic attack, confused!Koo, soft reader, like my god I just wanna put her in my pocket and keep her safe, aka that’s what Koo wants to do, protective!Koo, praise kink, unprotected sex but izz fine Kookoo can’t knock her up anyways, soft sex, it’s very soft ngl, there’s a bird, some sad Koo, kook cries here and there, comfort and rehabilitation
Summary: JJK, Or J-Jungkook097 was a tactical fighter-type Android, used in modern war as a simple weapon and nothing more. Now retired after serious injuries, he has to adjust to modern life outside the war zone or he’ll get scrapped; and that’s where you come in, a rare human being ready to take on that challenge.
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"Ah, what a waste, really." A worker says, looking the body of the Android over. "You sure you don't want him?" He asks, and the older worker shakes his head.
"I can't let him around my kids by himself, and I don't want him to snap around my wife either. He's not suited for my home and family." He says, looking the male robot over, before he pulls out his phone. "I think I know someone who just might take him." He says, hurriedly texting, before he gets a call back.
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"Huh. Is he factory reset, or still running?" You ask, as Seokjin connects cords to the back of the android's neck.
"We tried to have him reset himself, but there's been problems." He explains. "He told us he did already, but that can't be true since he'd need a command to do it- his model isn't equipped with those AI options. Maybe his memory overloaded and deleted stuff as a survival protocol, we don't know. He's a military model, after all, they didn't let us see his original save data- they just downloaded it and went their way, leaving him for us to dismantle if he couldn't reset him properly for a new system." He says, as you type in some stuff, before viewing the screen you hold in your hand.
"So he's technically still running on his original warzone-system?" You ask Jin, and he nods, sighing. You furrow your brows, and the older male looks over at your tablet to see what you're looking at. "Are you sure? This is.. his AI settings are all set to.. look at this; companionable, friendly, all his settings are set to a companion-android, not a fighter type." You mumble, confused by this.
"Wait no no no that wasn't like that when I last looked at him." Jin says, taking the tablet from you as he types in some stuff. "Huh. This is weird." He says, showing you something. "Look at the protocol."
You do. "Huh." You say, looking at the last line of code.
Last change made by: JJK_OSADMIN
"He changed his own system." You say, and Jin is standing up now.
"I'm taking him with me, I can't let him-" He starts, but you do as well, placing your hands ontop of the Androids chest as if you're guarding him.
"NO! I already signed, I own him- Jin, I have to look into this- and he's set to friendly, he won't get hostile that easily." You try to reassure him, and he sighs after a while, taking his jacket from the chair close by.
"Keep me updated." He says, as he leaves you be.
The Android still sitting limply on your chair.
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"Alright JJK. Time to wake up." You say, closing the small panel before you sit in front of him, waiting for his system to run the commands you had typed in before unplugging him. It takes a moment, but there's movement after that; his body slowly starting to sit properly, muscles moving into place, and system running it's diagnostics to detect any change in hard- or software made. It marks down his eyes, the small patches of skin re-made, and that his body-liquids had been replaced.
He feels good.
His eyes open slowly, iris moving and focusing in Various degrees before they meet your form. "Hello." He simply says. "Are you my new owner?" He asks, and you nod, expecting that question. He's not been factory reset, which means even though his memory was scattered, and his system had been changed, he was still aware of everything vital. He nods, before he looks around. "I'm now supposed to run on the companion protocol, correct?" He asks, and you shrug. He's confused, as you suddenly smile at him.
"I don't know." You tell him. "Companion, Individual- what would you like?" You ask, knowing it will bring his current system to it's limits. He's not made to make decisions like that, and you think it's quite endearing to see him suddenly think like that.
"I.. choose?" He mumbles, before he looks at you seriously. "I'd like to be given a small time frame to properly research before I come to a conclusion." He says, and your eyes widen.
You look at him, still friendly as ever. "So, you want to figure out what you want first?" You ask, and he nods, a bit hesitantly. "Okay. Just tell me when you've made up your mind then." You say, and he nods.
"What are my daily tasks?" He asks, and you shrug again. "This is frustrating." He says, and you laugh at that.
It's weird to hear it. But he notes it down as a positive response from you.
"Just don't burn the house down while trying to cook or something." You joke, and he seems to take it seriously.
"Why would I set your home aflame while attempting to cook? I'm not even capable of either task.." He says, and you get up, grinning.
"Don't worry so much. Just properly charge for now- we'll see what's gonna happen as it happens." You say.
He nods.
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Jungkook knows that around 75% of fatal accidents occur in a mere household. He also knows, that a regular home is the safest place to live. Yet there he was, on the floor, holding his ears as an attempt to block out the sound of his nightmares. "Jungkook?" You ask, as you turn off the microwave. He's still shaking as you sit down in front of him, close- but not touching, unknowing if he would react to that negatively or not. "Can you hear me?" You ask, and he hesitantly retracts his hands from his ears, letting the sound in again. The beeping of the microwave is now gone, only the soft ticking of your clock on the wall and the buzzing of your fridge remain. "I'm sorry that scared you." You say, smiling apologetically as he shakes his head, face serious. His eyes move frantically as they glow an orange hue, showing his system status.
"No, I should apologize." He says. "I don't know why I displayed this reaction to a mere household object." He admits, and you open the microwave to take out your meal, before sitting down on the kitchen floor. "You shouldn't do that- the tiles are very cold-" He starts, but you wave him off.
"Its fine. Both." You say. "You're probably still confusing some sounds and things with your past use as a warzone model. So it's normal- your system has to adapt. You have to adapt." You say. "We all need some time to heal after what you've been through." You say.
He sits quietly after those words, watching you as he goes through his research on you. You're a very unusual individual, displaying a lot of behaviors he hasn't seen before. You take care of everything with a sense of care that makes him come to the conclusion that you're probably treating the machines and robots like living beings. Such as the oldschool robot-dog that he's seen under your living room table. It's currently charging, but he's seen you interact with it- genuinely displaying happiness and excitement at the very basic AI of the pet-robot that's missing a leg.
Its broken, just like him. But you're taking care of it, just like you take care of him.
You're very caring with him, too. He's seen you search for skin patches that match his color almost perfectly, even though they were more expensive than the usual models found in stores. You apologize for 'hurting' him, even though it's sometimes nescessary to repair him. You ask him about opinions, and let him roam around freely around the house.
You're a very friendly person.
And he, unknown to you, starts to create new files inside his system.
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You're not there when he wakes up the next day.
He scans the house for any movement, but there is none that would lead him to the conclusion that you're there. There's no sign of you, and he becomes frantic, suddenly.
If his system would've worked properly like it should have, he would've remembered that you had told him yesterday that you would make a small trip to the local grocery store around the corner. But his system isn't working properly, already displaying several scenarios of you getting hurt, or vanishing, or leaving him alone.
He’d seen it before, so many times, hell; he’d been the reason of so many deaths in the first place and it never bothered him. So why was his internal system going absolute haywire at the mere idea of something happening to you? It was to be expected really- with how fragile you are, mentally and physically, it was bound to happen at some point. So why, if he knew it deep down already, did it make his pulse race and his skin feel weird?
You’d told him to stay home, but there was no way he’d be able to let you out of his sight. Because no, there were no emotions involved; they’d been restricted for him at the beginning after all, he was simply looking out for you. Probably a bug, maybe his system thought you were someone to be protected, a new mission to keep him occupied, that was probably it. It wasn’t because you had been so sweet with him, it wasn’t because of how gently you were in correcting him whenever he did something bad, it wasn’t because you were an absolute divine being in his eyes.
“Kook?” You said, an almost painful huff of breath escaping you when he crashed into you, holding you, his arms squeezing you a bit and his face burying itself into the crook of your neck, every sense drinking you in, saving the proof that you were okay, you were real, you were completely fine. “I-“ you started, and his eyes ripped open, suddenly realizing that he may be hurting you. As if burned he reacted, hands hovering over your shoulders as he looked you over.
“I apologize, I’m so sorry, does it hurt bad-“ he spoke hurriedly, eyes already glazing over with tears he didn’t even knew he could shed. Why did he suddenly feel so upset? His entire system was overloading, tears finally flowing and disrupting his sight so badly that he didn’t see your face anymore; sending him into panic even more. “I’m sorry- I’m-“ he pressed out, but there was nothing working anymore it seemed.
Only a few minutes later did he slowly come back to his senses, first thing he noticed being the way you held his body close, softly speaking to him while you were petting his head. It was such a weird sensation, yet it somehow soothed his mind back, as he realized that you were both on the ground. He was way too heavy, why were you doing that? But when he tried to get up, you held him tightly. “Take a Moment, Jungkook. You’re okay, I’m okay, just a breathe, yeah?” You said, and he nodded. “Let’s go back inside then yeah?” You softly said, and he nodded.
“But you need to buy groceries. We don’t have sufficient stock of-“ he started, but you giggled, the sound something he knew he liked. He didn’t quite know what to think of his newly found preferences for things, but he simply let it happen for now.
Because liking you could never be a mistake, he decided.
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He calls out for you one day, his hands holding something you can't see yet. His eyes are wide open, his optics moving around frantically as he calls again. "Creator, please!" He calls, as you finally spot him, walking over as he looks at you with a worried expression. "Please- I don't know what to do. She flew against our window and probably has a concussion- you can help her, right?" He says, and you don't get curious as to why he immediately knows the birds gender and diagnosis; he can scan the tiny body, after all.
"Ah, come into the kitchen." You say, and he follows quickly, still delicately holding the tiny body in his palm, careful not to drop it. "Lets put her in a box and a nice quiet place, yeah? She'll recover on her own probably." You reassure him as he watches you place her in an old box without a lid. "Put her where you found her, okay? That way she'll know her way back easier." You tell him, and he nods, determined, as he walks back towards where he had found the bird.
Jungkook, in a way, was slowly changing nowadays.
He was a curious being, always eager to learn about the most mundane things. True to his purpose he picked up on things very easily; learning how to draw and paint very quickly. He had recently gotten interested in a video game you used to play before your work took over your time- and you loved seeing him have genuine fun with it.
He wasn't doing things anymore because they were asked of him. Or because they were an order.
He was developing hobbies, you'd noticed.
Of course you kept Jin updated about all of these things, and he had been happy to learn that his reboot was going well- joking around that he was glad he hadn't killed you in your sleep yet. And while, at first, you were quite wary of him walking around the apartment, nowadays, you couldn't imagine Jungkook even hurting a fly.
Just like with that tiny bird.
He was a gentle soul, simply a bit clumsy sometimes- apologizing over and over after breaking your alarm clock once, the alarm setting off another one of his 'episodes'- moments of flashbacks he got from his past purpose in war. You had reassured him and had let him watch as you fixed it again, praising him along when he gave you the right tools.
Praise. That was something he seeked as well.
And it wasn't just that he wanted aknowledgement of his own achievements. It was more your attention that he wanted. He wanted to be around you whenever possible, even sometimes dancing around the topic of maybe sharing a bed one day- but he had also been wary of hurting you in your sleep, by rolling over or something alike.
Always so thoughtful.
But he would be able to hold you that day; when you had complained about being tired, he had suggested a nap to you. Instantly taking on that chance, you laid down, rolling over as he was still on the couch with you, already having laid down prior. He was unsure at first where to put his hands, until he decided to just go for the common human way of affection; holding you close.
And he made a note inside his system, that he truly deeply enjoyed the feeling.
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He finds you on the couch, crying, after an argument on the phone. That in itself isn't the issue he's having, however- it's the sudden wave of protectiveness rolling over him, drowning his senses as he walks over to you, his orange glowing eyes now scanning your form. "What did he do?" He asks, knowing that it was a former partner of yours, constantly calling you asking for money. It's a bad habit of yours that you can't seem to say no; and now that you did for once, he had bitten your ear off with bad remarks and names you'd rather not repeat. "I'll hurt him, just say the word. He needs to feel the same pain you do-" He's shaking a little, you can see it now; his hands unsure where to place themselves, his eyes watching over you, his breathing a little faster. He starts again, and you put a hand on his shoulder to stop his words.
“Jungkook no, he didn’t hurt me in like, a physical way.” You tried to explain, tears now forgotten as you try to calm the Android on your couch down- still absolutely terrified by your state. “I’m gonna be fine.” You say, but he doesn’t seem convinced. Or is it something else?
“But why am I hurting?” He asks suddenly, and your eyes widen. Well, why was he? Technically he was capable of understanding emotions, that wasn’t shocking. What was confusing to you however was just how he was able to share your pain. And it was obvious he did; the way his eyes glistened and his body shivered, overwhelmed by whatever was happening. “Why does it hurt to see you hurt?” He almost whispers, lost with the situation.
Jungkook was indeed a very weird android- you’ve noticed that long ago already. He was emotional, sometimes moody, and slowly began to develop an actual personality the more he was living with you.
Something his model shouldn’t be capable of.
And maybe that should scare you- maybe that should worry you, maybe you should call up support for answers, but you don’t. You do what’s best for yourself and what you think is best for him in that moment; you lean forward, and wrap your arms around him. And it doesn’t feel at all like an android you’re hugging in that moment, because an android wouldn’t cry with you. An android wouldn’t hold you like this, wouldn’t tremble in your hold like this. It makes it easy to forget that Jungkook isn’t human.
And that in itself is absolutely dangerous.
Somehow, his system had bypassed the blockade to his emotional capacities.
He had noticed it ever since you had been out to restock groceries by yourself, but he had been a little unsure back then. He now knows, for sure, that something had happened.
It was confusing, to say the least.
So many things were somehow suddenly starting to fall into place for him; his favoritism to being close to you, or his system failing whenever you weren't nearby. It also makes sense that he's standing right in front of your bedroom door that night, knocking as you open it. He feels a weird sense of protectiveness seeing you tired and vulnerable like that, and he sits down on the side of the bed where you join him. "Is everything okay?" You ask, and he shakes his head.
Nothing is okay, everything is confusing, and he's unsure what to quite think of all of this. "I feel.. confused. Scared. There's.. fear, in me, boiling up and interrupting my thoughts." He explains, and you nod.
"Feeling is scary, huh?" You ask, as he looks at you.
"How do you do it?" He asks, and you lean your head a bit to the side in question. "There's.. so much of it. How do you.. separate it, keep it in order? Its all over the place, and it's.. so distracting. Its so overwhelming- I can't seem to calm down." He mumbles, serious face turning frustrated as his fingers play with the fabric of his pants.
"We don't." You say. He looks at you for a moment, before you continue. "We just.. let it run through us, I guess. If you don't, it'll make you sick after a while. " You say, and he looks at you.
"But.." He starts. "I fear I might start to display reactions a male android model isn't supposed to openly display." He almost whispers.
"You don't have to openly do it." You reassure him, placing a hand on his shoulder, before moving a bit, body facing him as you open your arms. "It's just me; and I won't judge. You can be whoever you want with me, Jungkook." You say, and he lays down next to you in your arms, momentarily enjoying the quietness and closeness of the affectionate gesture.
"There are no bad feelings, Jungkook." You tell him, and he listens, as he lets them run through him, just like you told him. The sadness, the comfort of your body against his, the.. adoration he feels towards you. Everything, even though it hurts him, physically, something he only ever thought was a artistic way of describing emotions. "There are only wrong actions." You say. "If you feel the need to cry, cry. If you're angry, scream, shout, or find something to channel that into. But if you bottle it up-" You say, "they will lead to mistakes. They will bring pain, and they will bring remorse."
His voice is strained as he talks. "But how do I know when to act on them, and when not to?" He says, and you chuckle.
"You'll learn, Jungkook." You reassure him. "You'll learn."
And he nods against your shoulder, before you can feel him shake a little less, quiet sobs racking through his body until his exhausted body falls asleep to charge.
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"Remarkable." Jin comments, as he watches the lines and lines of codes. "He has started to self-code his own system. He's quite literally learning." He says. "All by himself. This is amazing." He says, before he disconnects Jungkook.
"He's still a bit jumpy sometimes, and the microwave is still his worst enemy-" You say, as Jungkook reboots again, eyes slowly focusing as they start to glow again. "But he really is amazing." You say, and Jungkook beams at that, proudly smiling.
It's rare for an android to display such emotions, and he's still often very much void of any clear visual feedback in terms of facial expressions- but he's learning, and he's evolving, growing, in a way. Seokjin closes the panel on the back of Jungkooks neck, as the android stands up to walk closer to you. "Jungkook." Jin says, and the android turns towards the young man. "Do you look after her well?" He asks, and Jungkook nods. "Make sure she stays hydrated during the day, yeah? I highly doubt she's told you she struggles with that." He says, and you whine, as Jungkooks head whips around, eyes scanning your body as he furrows his brows.
"Creator, you need to drink at least 2.5 Liters of water per day. It's vital for your health, which is already very delicate." He says, and you glare at Jin for telling him anything about that.
"I'm fine- and also, please don't call me creator. I'm not anything like that." You say, picking up the walking puppy-robot as Jungkook nods.
"What should I call you then?" He asks, and Jin perks up.
"Call her baby!"
"Jin NO-!"
"No matter what she tells you-" Jin says, holding Jungkooks shoulders as he looks at him seriously. "She likes it." He says, and Jungkook, serious as ever, nods, noting it down, as you groan.
"I hate you both!" You say, and Jungkooks eyes widen.
"You.." He says, voice almost not heard over the laugh of Jin. "Hate me?" He asks, and you immediately regret your words. Jungkook still hasn't figured out sarcasm yet- the entire concept still a little too complicated for his system to grasp, so you walk closer to him, holding his cheeks in your hands.
"No no no, I don't, I could never-" You promise him, as he nods with already glossy eyes. "I just said it as a joke, okay?" You say, and he nods again, biting his lip a little before Jin clears his throat.
"I'll head off now." He says, already putting on his coat. "Thank you for letting me see him- it's really amazing to see him grow like that." He says, and you nod, giving him a short hug before he leaves.
And for some reason, Jungkook feels jealous, watching you so close to him.
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Jungkook is in love with you.
He's come to that conclusion all by himself, and he's proud of it, but he's also very unsure about it. He has done a lot of research, scanned every source he could find and validate; and he has found a new interest in activities humans do in relationships to show their partner love and affection. He's not stupid, he knows what intimacy is, and is also aware that he's capable of doing these things with you; but he's also a little unsure, if you'd want that.
After all, there's nothing he could give you.
So one night, he stands in front of your door again, knocking, as you open it.
"Do you think.." He starts. "I'm capable of love?" He asks, and you look at him. "Because I think.. no, I am very sure I love you." He admits, and you get up, but there's no stopping him. "I don't know what it's like for you, but I have observed my newfound emotions, and there's a pattern I've detected; whenever I'm with you, around you, whenever you give me attention, or when you touch me, theres always the same emotions involved; there's this need to take care of you, to keep you safe, to be close." He rambles, and you listen to him as he talks, walking closer to you as his hands find your shoulders. "There's this.. urge, to partake in human intimacy with you. I want to.. show affection the common way, like kissing you, or holding you, things like that." Your cheeks grow a little red. "But I don't know if you are experiencing the same things. My research shows that.. that we could only do these things, if it's the same for you." He says, and then, almost as if hes whispering. "Is it?" He asks, and you struggle to answer. "Do you.. feel the same.?" He asks again, waiting for you to say anything at all.
You stay silent.
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Its a sunday when a letter arrives at your home.
When you open it, there's several papers inside; Jungkooks personality tests, official papers that make it possible for him to leave on his own. When he reads them, he's serious, as he watches you smile at him.
"Jungkook, this is great, isn't it?" You say, trying hard to not let it show that you dread letting go of him. "You can finally get an apartment- maybe make something out of your talents, and earn a living. You're free to go now." You say, biting the inside of your cheek as he looks at you with wide eyes.
"But.." He starts, softly. "I'm yours." He states, and you shake your head, swallowing hard.
"Jungkook no.. you're you. No one owns you anymore." You say, and he suddenly shakes his head, throwing the papers in the kitchen sink as he walks towards you, his hands on your shoulders.
He looks at you, serious, as his optics focus on you. "You were the one who told me that every machine should be treated with respect." He states, as you look away from him, his hands shaking you a little as he tries to get your attention back on him. "You said even we androids have souls." He says.
"I did, but-" You start, but he cuts you off.
"And if we do, if we really do-" He speaks, his hands now holding your head, his face drenched in desperation. "Than it belongs to you." He states, and your eyes widen. "It's yours." He repeats. "If having it for myself means I have to leave you, I don't want it."
"I don't.. want to take advantage of you, Jungkook." You say. "You're.. everything is still new to you, I don't want you to regret this-" You start, and he leans down.
"I won't. I've run every possible scan I could, calculated every possible outcome, you know I can't lie to you. I could never regret this.." He says, as he leans down a little. "Can I..?" He asks, and you smile, jumping over your own shadow in a way, as you give him a nod. "I.. can you.. say it?" He asks. "Just once?"
You take his hands in yours, as you lean closer. "I love you, Jungkook." You say, and he gasps, his systems going absolute haywire in the best ways possible. He's again filled with emotions, but this time, they don't hurt; they make him feel light, as if he weighs nothing, they make him close his eyes because suddenly even the slightest light is too bright for his optics.
"Again." He asks, and you comply.
"I love you."
"Again."
"I love you."
He sighs, as his lips finally meet yours.
There's no magical fireworks or anything like that- but Jungkook decides that he doesn't need these things. The feeling itself, the emotions flooding his body are enough to outshine any beauty of reality itself. There's nothing he could ever compare to this, he decides.
He's unsure if Androids have instincts, but in that moment, for the first time, he doesn't care. This seems to be one of those situations to let his emotions run through him, lead him, show him what to do, he decides. His hands roam over your skin, ears catching every sound you make as he moves on autopilot it seems. He's letting go, he's finally doing something he really wants.
And it's all thanks to you- you've given him the chance to be himself.
You've given him the gift of feeling loved, as he finally comes as close to you as lovers ever could; entering you carefully, senses on high alert as he feels your walls around his length. He had been unsure of why pleasure seemed to be described as fun and intimate, but now he can relate to these claims fully. He's so full of love, so overwhelmed, that he simply rests his forehead on your naked shoulder, eyes closed as he simply lets himself feel. He doesn't care about his whines and groans, only focusing on you and your body, on the feedback every muscle sends to his systems, enjoying the way you make him feel.
Its truly magical, he notices.
He doesn't even notice his nor your orgasm at all, but it doesn't matter.
Because at the end of the night, he finally holds you close. Not like before, but this time, as lovers.
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"I've given her exactly 0.26 milliliters of a 1 to 1 water and fruit sugar mixture every day at appropriate times." Jungkook seriously tells the vet, as he looks at the bird on the metal table.
"I see. Good job." He praises, before looking at you. "A warzone-type?" He asks, and you nod. "Barely noticable. I have one too, that's how I knew." He comments, before he turns to Jungkook again. "I'd say the bird simply likes your company, Jungkook. She just want's to stay with you That's why she comes back." He explains.
"Like me and Baby?" He asks, and you giggle at the nickname Jungkook keeps using.
"Yes, like you and her." Namjoon says, utterly entertained by you and Jungkook. "So I'd say let her be around. She's perfectly healthy, otherwise." He says, and Jungkook turns around, box in hand, as he smiles.
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It's quiet that evening, sun slowly setting and drenching the walls of your shared apartment in a golden glow. Jungkook watches your sleeping form, leaned against him on the couch, as he simply remembers all of the things he's experienced because of you.
He truly is a machine capable of love.
Because you taught him how.
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mosswillow · 4 years ago
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Simple Silver - Dark!Stephen Strange x Reader
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Summary: You’ve been given a gift, one not many Omegas get. A bracelet that when worn by an Omega changes their scent ever so slightly. All you need to do is keep the bracelet on and he can’t find you.
Warnings: 18+ adult content, dark!, ABO (no mentions of knots, heat, or rutt.), general misogyny, noncon/dubcon, smut, vaginal fingering, oral (male receiving), violence, orgasm delay/denial, kidnapping (kinda), she spits in his face in this, possessive behavior.
Word count: 2.7k
A/N: This fic is a request from @leniram1890. Seriously, thank you so much. It’s everything I love to write and read and you just dropped it in my lap. Now that it’s done I want more…
by clicking keep reading you confirm that you are over the age of 18 and consent to reading mature content.
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You’re infatuated with him. He stands tall, you guess at least six feet, and his smell; he smells like no Alpha you've ever encountered. There’s this look to him, unequivocally attractive but in a unique and confusing way that draws you in. His eyebrows lift slightly making his otherwise small and ordinary eyes the focal point of his face. He looks around the room with a focus and intensity that feels inhuman. You finger the small bracelet that holds your secret and walk behind him, your Omega instincts telling you to get close. You suddenly recognize where you are and what you’re doing. looking down to your hands, you stare horrified at the bracelet that was taken off without your noticing. you put it back on and sprint out of the building, not stopping until you’re behind the safety of your padlocked apartment door.
Your phone goes off and you answer, making up an excuse about food poisoning and promising to be in early the next day.
Your Alpha, it had to be him.
You’ve wondered what it would be like to meet your Alpha, if you would feel bad about hiding from them. You don’t feel bad, only upset with yourself for losing control. You almost gave up your whole life in one stupid moment.
The simple silver bracelet that sits on your wrist feels heavy and you look at it. It’s a chain that suppresses your true self and one that sets you free. It’s one you choose to wear because the alternative is a life looking over your shoulder; waiting for your Alpha to find and claim you. Your parents gave it to you the day you presented and it’s given you opportunities not many Omegas get. It changes your scent just enough to let you hide, giving you the ability to decide for yourself how you feel about your Alpha, to choose a life with him or to keep the life you’ve built for yourself.  
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Your coworkers don’t waste time the next morning. One is already at your desk and two more walk up as you sit down.
“Ok, what did I miss?” you ask.
“Right when you left this scary looking Alpha started raging. Stark had to call in the avengers to get him to calm down.”
You act surprised, knitting your brows and leaning forward in fake interest.
“What happened?”
“Apparently He smelled his Omega but couldn’t find them.”
“Crazy.” you say, opening up your email and scrolling through.
Coworkers start dispercing and you let out a held breath. You get to work, having extra from the day before and lose yourself for several hours.
“That’s him.” whispers a voice and you look up at your coworker before following their eyes.
It’s him, your Alpha, and he’s walking straight toward you.
You try your best to stay focused on work and not give away the slight shaking of your hands as his scent hits your nose. He stops at your desk and you look up at his chest avoiding eye contact.
“What can I do for you mr…”
“Dr. Strange,” he pauses. “I’m sure you know what happened yesterday.”
“I don’t judge sir.”
He looks at you and leans on your desk.
“Ah, but you are judging. Spit it out then.”
You take your hands off of your keyboard and fold them over your chest.
“Omegas don’t have lives after they mate, I guess it doesn’t doesn’t feel fair to me.”
“What makes you think my Omega wouldn’t have a life?”
“You would let your Omega Work? Travel by themselves? Have their own bank account?”
He thrums his fingers on your desk.
“My Omega will have a good life, they need to know their place though. When I finally find them they won’t even be allowed to leave the house without permission.”
You bristle. “Well then, I’m glad you weren’t able to find them.”
He leans farther over your desk, his demeanor shifting into one of intimidation. You do everything you can not to cower back as his aggressive scent washes over you.
“You don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe your Omega is hiding from you, that’s what I would do if I was an Omega.” You finally make eye contact, staring into the stormy grey abyss of his irises and he leans forward even more.
“They better not be.”
“What would you do if you found out they were?”
His fist clenches and you can’t help but push your chair back a few inches. You see Tony walking toward you from the corner of your eye and stand up, pushing your pointer finger against his forehead.
“You sir, are one of the most obnoxious people I’ve ever met, and I work for Tony Stark,” you say.
His mouth opens in surprise and he stands up.
Tony makes it to you at just the right moment. “Hey now, stop harassing my assistant. We’re not having a repeat of yesterday, thank you.”
Strange narrows his eyes at you but doesn’t say anything as he follows Tony into his office.
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You walk to the back of the grocery store, picking up a pint of icecream and hurrying to pay for it. Your day was long and the only thing you can think about is a hot bath. You don’t notice him until it’s too late. His smug face takes in your slightly messy appearance as you try to pass by him.
“Dinner, I assume. Your questionable behavior before is starting to make sense.”
You stare at him unsure how to respond and he tilts his head and smirks.
“I’m insinuating, dear, that your disrespectful behavior this morning was caused by a lack of adequate nutrition.”  
You readjust your shirt and let out a huff.
“I wonder,” you pause and smile sweetly. “How much shit did you have to consume in your ‘diet’ to become such an asshole?”
You pull out a pair of earphones and stick them in your ears, turning on your heel to pay for your dinner. He grabs your arm, pulling you close and tears out your headphones with his other hand.
“I’ve never met anyone who gets under my skin so easily, why do you make me so angry?” he sneers.
“Your anger is your responsibility,” you pull away, shaking slightly and holding back tears.
You can feel his eyes watching you as you jump into a self checkout line to pay.  As soon as you reach your apartment you let the tears fall. You hate him. You hate his stupid face and egotistical personality. You hate that you react to him, that your nature makes your knees go weak when you’re around him. You hug your bracelet against your chest and let out a shaky breath. As long as the bracelet stays on you’re safe. You just need to keep it on, that’s it.
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You stand in Tony’s office staring at a folder.
“Send a courier or another employee, I don’t want to do it.”
Tony raises his eyebrows in shock at your sudden and uncharacteristic outburst.
“I need someone I trust to drop them off, Is there some reason you can’t do it?”
“I just don’t get along with Dr. Strange.”
“You’re dropping off a file, not going on a date,” he quips.
You take a deep breath and remind yourself that you love your job. It’s just a quick trip, drop it off and you’re done. It’s been a week since you saw him last, he doesn’t know who you are or he would already have come for you. Just a quick drop off, that’s it.
“I’m sorry sir. You’re right, I’m being unprofessional. I can do it.”
He waves you out and you call an uber riding it to what Tony described only as “The Sanctum”.  
You walk in and look around the large entry room, searching for someone who can help. It’s eerily quiet and you walk up a huge set of stars, wandering and looking at various museum-like displays until you’re on the top floor. The room is dark, the only light coming from a large round window. A stranger walks up and looks at you with a surprised expression.
“I’m sorry, I’m looking for Dr. Strange? I’m just dropping something off from Mr. Stark.”
“Ah of course, I’m Wong.” He says holding out his hand.
You reach out and take his hand and he looks at your wrist, grabbing onto your bracelet and pulling it off.
“I haven't seen one of these in a long time.” he examines the bracelet closely.
“That’s mine, give it back please.”
“Not until you tell me why you’re hiding your designation.”
“My Alpha is a cruel man, please give it back. I need it now.” you say urgently.
“Hey, nobody will hurt you here. Who is this Alpha?”
You start shaking and reach out again trying to take the bracelet back from him.
“Wong, I… Oh no, not you again,” Stephen says from an open doorway, his face turning into a scowl.
You grab the bracelet and push it on your wrist. It’s too late though, Stephens eyes widen in recognition as your scent hits him.
You bolt. You know you won’t make it out so you pull at the first door you find, slamming it closed and locking it.
The banging starts almost immediately.  “OMEGA, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!” he yells.
“Don’t do this, please. I don’t want this. I need more time. Don’t force me, please,” you cry.
Sparks start flying in a circle in front of your eyes and your Alpha is suddenly walking through a portal. You look around, seeing a second door and yanking it open. Something catches your leg and you’re pulled backwards by what looks like a glowing rope.
“You knew I was your Alpha the whole time.” he says, moving his body to sit on your middle.
You bite your tongue and glare at him.
“Answer me!” He yells, grabbing your arms and pushing them above you.
His face is only inches from your own and you spit without thinking. He lets go of your hands and sits back, wiping the wetness from his face before staring at his wet hand.
“This explains everything, catching your scent, the extreme annoyance at your lack of respect, the anger I felt at the thought of you not eating like you should.”
He grabs your shirt, ripping it down the middle and causing buttons to fly through the air. Goosebumps appear over your skin and you shiver from both fear and the cold. He flips you over roughly, pulling off your shirt all the way. His hand roams to your mating gland. He leans over and breathes in, kissing it gently.
“Fuck you,” you say through clenched teeth.
He stops and waits until you’re done shaking.
“Why aren’t you biting me?” you whisper.
“You said you wanted time.”
He stands, pulling you up with him and makes a circle with his finger, opening up a portal in front of you. His hand is on your back pushing you through and when you turn around you're alone in what looks like a bedroom. Immediately, you run and try the door, opening it and sprinting out. The breath is knocked out of you as someone promptly slams you into a wall. You start coughing as the pain radiates through your body, then you’re falling onto a soft bed in the same room as before. After a few minutes of coughing you stand and run again, trying the window this time and just like before you’re caught and pushed through a portal back to the same room. You keep trying until you’re completely out of places to run, until your energy, both emotional and physical, is depleted.
The moment you finally give up a portal opens on your right and Stephen walks through.
It would have been easier if he had just bitten and fucked you right away. Letting you run over and over just to squash your hope is even more cruel, like a sick joke where he is the only person privy to the punchline. You stand in the middle of the room with your eyes down and wait for the inevitable.
He walks around you slowly and with each methodical step your anxiety grows until your knees buckle and you drop to the ground, crying into your hands. He stops and crouches in front of you, putting his finger under your chin and raising it slowly until you look him in the face. He lets go and keeps eye contact as he reaches between your legs and almost too gently runs his finger over your pussy. His eyes bore into you as his hand slowly becomes more and more noticeable above your clothes.
“I hate you.” you whisper as he pushes your legs apart.
He slides his hand into your pants and continues to rub over your clit, now making quick circles. His finger dips in your heat and you whimper involuntarily. You close your eyes as the sensations start to build and when you’re about to go over the line he stops. Your eyes shoot open and he smirks.
“It’s important you understand a few things.”
You aren’t expecting it, for him to suddenly pull his hand back and slap you across the face. You’re not prepared for the force behind his hand. How it makes your entire face sting, the pain radiating down your neck and shoulder. You grasp your cheek and bite your lip to avoid crying.
“I own you.” He slides his hand down to your pussy again.
“I own your pleasure.” He slides his hand up to your breast, pushing your bra down and pinching your nipple harshly. “And your pain.”
He backs away and crosses his arms, motioning with his head at the remaining clothes on your body. You slowly rise and remove your pants and underwear, standing in front of him fully naked.
His hand roams to your neck and he holds it gently.
“Hate me all you want.”
His hand constricts slightly around your throat.
“But don’t you dare run from me.”
His hand tightens again.
“Or hide.”
He keeps his hand on your throat and pushes you back to the bed until you’re lying on your back with him above you. His other hand reaches to your legs and taps between them gently. He puts his cheek against yours when you don’t move.
“Open Omega, and don’t you dare close those legs.”
He lets go of your neck when you relax your legs, backing away and unbuckling his pants.
“You don’t even like me,” you remark.
“I didn’t like who you were pretending to be.”
He walks over so that his sizable dick sits in front of your face.
“Suck,” he commands.
You suck on the tip without complaint and he grabs the back of your head and thrusts a few times before pulling out and patting your cheek.
“A much better use for your sharp tongue.”
You bite back a retort and look away as he positions himself in between your legs and pushes himself in with one forceful thrust. You let out a whimper and reach out your arms around him in response. He grabs your shoulders and ruts into you.
“This is where you belong Omega,” he wipes a tear from your cheek, a stark contrast to the painful pace of his thrusts.
“You.” he thrusts. “Belong,” The force starts to push you up on the bed. “ To me!”
He flips you suddenly and fucks you again from behind, gripping your hips tight enough to bruise. A warm hand brushes over your mating gland and you feel his breath against your back. Stars appear before your eyes as he bites, your entire body consumed with the conflicting sensations of pain and pleasure. It pushes you into an intense orgasm that leaves you shaking from the adrenaline.
“Understand?”
You nod and he slides into bed next to you and kisses between your shoulder blades. You look over at his discarded clothes, noticing the gleam of your bracelet poking out of a pocket.
“Were you serious when you said you wouldn’t let your Omega out of the house?”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve actually had a change of heart.”
He peppers kisses across your neck and back.
“You, my adventurous Omega, won’t even leave this room without me by your side.”
You try to move but he holds you close, effectively chaining you to him. You blink back a tear and shift closer to him, letting yourself relax into his arms.
“There you go, let go and accept it.”
“Never,” you say between choked sobs.
His hand roams up your body, exploring every bit.
“We’ll see.”
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hood-ex · 3 years ago
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This is a fic written for @stxleslyds! The prompt was: a fic with Dick, Roy and Lian spending time together in the Outsiders era. Thanks for the donation, Tati 💙.
Important: This fic takes place a week after the events of Outsiders (2003) #19.
“We could use you here,” Roy says. Even with his voice coming directly through the comm, Dick almost doesn’t hear him say, “I need you here.”
A soft wind blows through Blüdhaven, ruffling through Dick’s sweat-matted hair. What a filthy night it is for a Friday. Thunder rumbling in the distance with hot, humid air filling Dick’s lungs. It’s the kind of air that isn’t natural for a place like the ‘Haven. It’s here for whatever reason, and it’s no better now that the sun has been replaced by pink and purple neon lights flashing across the strip. It’s nights like these that Dick can admit to missing his red tunic and green shorts. It was shit to wear them in the winter but an absolute godsend in the summer.
Dick sighs deeply, moving away from the ledge of the building and away from his view of the herds of drunk people whose laughter echoes between the bars and casinos. There’s a tall HVAC unit in the middle of the building that he walks over to and sits against. The fabric of his suit rubs against it, and he squirms a little at the uncomfortable position. He bears it because this is a conversation that requires a little support.
“Dick.”
“I know,” Dick mutters.
He should be under the streets of Brooklyn the same as all the other Outsiders should be. Considering the circumstances, it’s no surprise that some of them have deserted the ship for the time being. Licking their wounds in private so to speak. Dick’s not proud of it. He tacks it onto his mental bulletin board of shame where it sits up there all torn and ugly like the rest of his deplorable moments.
“I’d feel better if you were here to watch Lian when I step out of the room,” Roy says in Japanese. Dick’s brow furrows. Either Lian is in the same room as Roy and he doesn’t want her to know they’re talking about her or there’s an Outsider nearby that he doesn’t want listening in on his personal issues. “She hasn’t started therapy yet and her separation anxiety is still high.”
“High for both of you,” Dick points out. He thinks back to a few days ago when Roy had called him in a panic because he’d left all of his groceries in the middle of the store after his paranoia got the best of him and had him running back to the base to check on Lian.
“Tell me about it,” Roy laughs dryly. “I feel like I’m going fuckin’ nuts, dude.” The strain in his voice sends a full body shiver down Dick’s spine. “All I can think about is whether she’s okay and if the base is protected enough, and if I can really trust everyone here. You and Kory are the only ones I feel okay leaving her with.”
You shouldn’t trust me like that, Dick thinks bitterly. Lilith and Donna trusted me with their lives and look where they are now.
“Everyone else is… I trust them as teammates. I trust them with my life. But I can’t—"
“Trust them with Lian’s,” Dick says, knowing how much this whole situation has fucked with Roy's ability to trust anyone and everyone. Except him and Kory, apparently. Probably Ollie and the rest of Roy's family too.
He thunks his head against the HVAC unit and stares up at the dark sky. Not a single star up there, he thinks, and something like guilt burns in his chest. You took them all with you, didn’t you, Donna? Put them in your pockets and faded away. “She might not be comfortable with me there,” he says after a moment.
It pains him to think that Lian could be scared of him. Scared of him because he looks similar to one of the blue-eyed, dark-haired kidnappers who murdered her babysitter and then branded her like cattle. That type of trauma association doesn’t go away after a week.
“Kory told Lian you might stop by, and you know what Lian asked her?”
Terrible things flash through Dick’s head. Things like words born of fear or disgust. He hugs his arms around his knees and squeezes them tight.
“No, what did she say?”
“She asked, ‘Is Uncle Nightwing gonna bring Blue’s Clues with him?’”
A smile tugs at the corner of Dick’s lips and his eyes start to sting. He can’t believe that’s the first thing she thought of. It only seems like yesterday that he was watching Blue’s Clues with her in Titans Tower. Sometimes he would pause the show and ask Lian questions about each of the clues just to hear what kind of outlandish answers her kid brain could come up with. Other times the detective in him couldn’t help but steer her towards a logical answer. Roy used to always roll his eyes and tell him to stop trying to turn her into a mini Nightwing.
“That doesn’t mean she’ll be okay seeing me in person and you know it,” Dick reminds him.
Roy’s sigh is soft and muffled in his ear. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Dick’s not one to wait around.
“Let’s cross it now.”
“You’re coming over?” Roy asks, and even though he mostly sounds neutral, Dick can hear the disbelief hidden under it all.
If there was an award for the world's most shitty friend, Dick would probably be in the lead to receive it. Here Roy is dealing with the fact that his daughter was abducted and almost trafficked, and what’s Dick been doing for the last few days instead of sticking by his side? Working himself to the bone in Blüdhaven, that’s what. Hiding away from the fact that he almost lost another important person to him. Trying to avoid the crushing weight of failure that clings to him like a second skin.
Pathetic. Some safety net he is.
“Yeah, give me an hour,” Dick says.
The commute from Blüdhaven to Brooklyn isn’t bad at this time of night. Most of the traffic is packed downtown where all the bars are lined up. Dick takes the highway to avoid the worst of it.
The roar of the city dies off once he goes underground. Down here the HQ looms over him in all its steel glory. Dick’s always thought of it like one giant elevator. It’s all hard angles and sleek, silver walls. Hardly a place one would describe as homey, but it was home to a few people nevertheless.
Dick goes inside after getting his eye and hand scanned by the computer. He heads down the hallway, keeping his footsteps light and quiet out of habit. So far there’s no sign of Jade, Indigo, or Rex in any of the rooms he passes. They’re the most likely to be here around this time. From what Kory told him the other day, Grace has been spending most of her time clubbing, and Anissa has been staying with her dad. He hates to admit it but it’s almost a relief that he doesn’t have to worry about running into either of them.
He ends up finding Roy and Lian in the rec room. Lian is sitting on the leather couch in the middle of the room. She must have had a shower not too long ago because her hair is a little damp and she’s wearing a pair of purple pajamas with unicorns on them. A Cinderella blanket is strewn across her lap and a stuffed rabbit sits discarded on the floor by her feet.
Roy looks small squatting in front of her. His pants are the only sign of his Arsenal gear, and it makes Dick feel slightly out of place since he’s still decked out in full mask and suit. It’s the first time Dick’s seen Roy in person since they brought down Tanner’s operations a week ago. He looks how Dick would expect any parent to look after being targeted by a major sex trafficker: stressed and exhausted.
Those tired eyes of his shift to the doorway where Dick stands, and Dick can see the way Roy looks him over from head to toe, assessing Dick’s condition. He can look as hard as he wants, but he won’t find anything. Dick keeps his face blank and unreadable.
“It still hurts,” Lian whimpers, and both Dick and Roy's attention immediately snaps back to her.
She wraps her arms around her stomach and bends over her lap like she’s going to throw up all over the floor. Roy doesn’t move to try and avoid any possible bouts of vomit. Nothing happens as the seconds tick by. No retching or anything. There’s only the sound of Roy’s hand rubbing up and down Lian’s arm.
“Me and your Uncle Nightwing are gonna get you feeling better soon,” Roy assures her in a gentle voice. “And guess what?”
Lian makes a questioning sound in the back of her throat.
The look Roy shoots Dick is somewhere between caution and amusement. “He’s been playing quiet mouse behind you this whole time.”
Dick braces himself as Lian shoots back up like a rocket. “He’s behind me?” she asks, twisting around in her seat. Dick’s heart starts jackrabbiting because what if she’s scared of him? What if he accidentally triggers her PTSD? What if— “Uncle Nightwing!” Lian shrieks.
Relief shudders through him because she sounds happy to see him. Not scared or angry or disgusted like he feared. She’s looking at him like he just told her he brought her a bag of candy, and that revelation is enough to make him take a breath and finally enter the room.
“Hey, kiddo,” Dick says, hurrying over to the couch so that she doesn’t have to get up. “I missed you.”
Lian reaches for his hand and holds on to it. It’s not like the hug Dick usually gets from her and maybe that’s because she doesn’t want anyone touching her back after the incident. Dick will take anything he can get. His much larger hand closes over her own and he swings them back and forth lightly.
“Me too,” Lian says. She squeezes his hand three times. “Why do you still have your gloves on?”
“My hands are cold,” Dick lies. “Why were you bent over like an accordion just a minute ago?”
“Her tummy’s been hurting,” Roy says with a frown.
“It’s because tigers used to try and eat people,” Lian tells him matter-of-factly. Roy looks like he’s about to correct her but she quickly hurries on. “My brain says there’s danger and it makes my tummy stop working.”
A lightbulb goes off in Dick’s head as he realizes that she’s describing anxiety. A simplified explanation of how the digestive system shuts down and sends blood to other parts of the body when there’s danger.
“My tummy does that too,” Dick says after a pause. “I get a lot of anxiety sometimes. Do you want me to show you how I try to make it go away?”
Lian scrunches her nose. “Do we have to take medicine?”
“Nope. All we need to do is sit up straight and breathe. Breathing really deep helps our brains calm down and makes our tummies feel more relaxed,” Dick explains. He sinks down on the plush couch and demonstrates how she should be sitting. “Now move back until you’re sitting like me.”
Lian does as she’s told and scoots back until she’s resting against the back of the couch. Dick only remembers how short she is when he notices how her feet stick out straight in front of her instead of dangling over the edge of the couch.
“Now tell your daddy to get in position.”
“Daddy,” Lian slaps the free cushion beside her, “sit next to me.”
“Magic word?” Roy prompts.
“Please,” Lian pouts.
“That’s better.” Roy’s knees pop when he shifts out of his crouched position. The whole couch rocks when he falls back against it. “What’s the strat here, Wing? We need to close our eyes or what?”
Dick wants to ask him why he’s acting like he’s never done this before but the playful words stick in his mouth like glue.
“We’ll close our eyes in a second. Lian, I want you to watch how your daddy and I take really deep breaths, okay? Then we’re all going to do it together.”
“I can take really big breaths!” Lian insists. She scrambles out of her pose and gets on her knees. Her little fingers wrap around Dick’s bicep as she leans in close to him. “I can take one million breaths as big as an elephant!”
The tired and apathetic part of him tells him to ignore her kid logic and to get back on track. The uncle part of him is another story. It wants him to be fun and helpful. To distract Lian from the worries and fears she has.
In the end, he does what he always does best: puts on a performance.
“Oh yeah?” Dick challenges with a grin that hopefully doesn’t look as strained as it feels. “I can take five billion breaths as big as a planet.”
“Elephants are bigger than planets,” she says.
“I think maybe the elephants are only bigger in your dreams.”
“Yeah, they are,” Lian agrees because she’s a typical kid who will support anything that proves she’s right in some capacity.
Roy looks amused when he puts his hands on Lian’s shoulders and steers her to sit back on her bottom. “Alright little missy, no more talking. We’re gonna do what Uncle Nightwing says now, okay?”
“Okay,” Lian agrees, looking over at Dick expectantly.
Coaching Lian through the exercise is easy. The most important part is making sure she’s taking breaths that are deep enough to make her stomach expand like a balloon. Dick has her place her hands on top of her stomach so he can see them rise when she inhales.
Roy follows along and Dick can tell that he’s taking advantage of the exercises for his own benefit. His face looks peaceful and relaxed as he follows along with Dick’s instructions to suck in a breath on the count of one and exhale up until the count of ten.
“Keep focusing on counting,” Dick tells them while they exhale. “We don’t want any other thoughts in our heads. No bad thoughts or funny thoughts. Only think about counting to ten.”
They run through a few more cycles. Dick’s pleased when he hears both Lian and Roy’s stomachs grumbling as they exhale. It’s a good sign that the deep breaths are massaging their organs and decreasing any kind of stomach pain.
“That’s it,” Dick says. “We’re all done.” He opens his eyes and sees Lian slumped against the back of the couch. Her hands are still resting on her stomach, but she looks languid instead of tense like she was when he first saw her.
“I’m tired now,” Roy says. His movements are slow as molasses when he slides forward to the edge of the couch and bends over to rest his arms on his thighs. He looks at Lian. “How about you, princess? You feeling any better?”
“Mhmm. My tummy doesn’t feel really uh…”
“Tight?” Dick offers.
“Yeah, it’s not so tight anymore.”
Roy pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “Good. Mine feels a little better too.”
“Can we do Uncle Nightwing’s breathing thing again tomorrow?” she asks through a yawn.
“Sure thing,” Roy nods. His attention shifts to Dick. “Are you gonna still be here to lead us through it?”
This isn’t some kind of test but it feels like one. It feels like if he says no then he’s only proving that he’s a bad friend. That he can’t be relied on. He doesn’t want to give Roy that impression because it’s not true. Roy can rely on him the same way Dick relies on Roy. He hopes showing up here tonight is proof of that.
“That’s the plan,” he says, voice soft.
Roy leans over the couch and squeezes Dick’s knee gently. “You sure?” he asks, and his eyes roam over Dick’s face like he’s trying to find evidence that Dick is lying.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” He pats Roy’s hand reassuringly in the same way Alfred's done for him and Bruce a hundred times. It's only now that he realizes it's a habit he's picked up.
Lian suddenly leans into Dick’s side and presses her weight against his arm. She pats both his and Roy’s hands.
“I’m sure too,” she says, and this time Dick can’t help but smile.
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superhero--imagines · 4 years ago
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Part 1 here! / Part 2 Here! / Part 3 Here! / Part 4 Here!
A/N: I can’t always do tags since these parts are long but if you want to be tagged just lmk @thecrazytealady
* Honestly, everything feels so normal
* You’re sitting in the stands of a football stadium as a sea of graduates pass in front of you
* Well it’s mostly normal except for all the stares you get
* “You’ll get used to it” Kate tells you from your right side, you’re not sure when it happened but somehow you’ve become her favorite little member.
* “Sometimes we stare back to mess with them” Irina says from your other side with a teasing grin.
* Irina also seems to really like you, she’s probably you’re favourite
* While everyone else treated you like a child (which in a sense you are), she treated you like an adult
* You hope you can save her if things go exactly like they did in the book
* You’re hoping your close friendship with Edward changes things
* “Oh look there they are now-“
* And right on cue Alice was called first, then Edward
* An entire group of cheers erupt from your section, a few stands above you sits the entire Cullen clan
* Apparently the rest of them have already “graduated”, Alice and Edward are playing a year younger
* You catch him after the ceremony on the -pretty cold- field along with your-
* aunts?
* You’re not really sure what the official family structure is.
* “So what is this, your thirtieth time graduating high school?” You whisper to him after handing him his graduation present
* Some sheet music you know he’s been eyeing and a card that says “you only graduate once”
* You think he’ll appreciate the joke
* “It actually only my sixth” he grins, he so close you can feel a ghost of a breath on your ear
* You notice a couple of boys, adorning similar green graduation gowns staring at you. When you meet their eyes they hastily look away.
* “Hey Edward, what are those guys thinking right now?”
* He follows your line of sight and grins even wider
* “They’re thinking that it suddenly makes sense why I’m not interested in anyone at this school when I’m already dating someone as beautiful as you”
* And if you were anyone else you might have realized how you and Edward look when you’re together to everyone around you
* And it might have been the first sign that things have started to veer of the future you imagine
* But of course you don’t, and you say:
* “Really? You want me to believe two teenage boys used such eloquent language?”
* He laughs
* “I might have picked some.. kinder diction.”
* You both laugh, another private joke that would be referenced for years
* “And where’s my graduation gift?” Alice asks, you hand over a brightly wrapped package, it’s a magic 8 ball and a Chanel scarf, Edward already read Alice’s mind and assured you she would love it.
* “That’s hilarious” she says with a laugh, she hasn’t even opened the package, already seen what’s inside with her gift.
* “Are you coming to our graduation party tonight?” When she notices your confused expression she gives a pointed look to Edward. “You didn’t invite them?”
* Edward rolls his eyes
* “I didn’t think it would be that fun,” he looks to you and explains. “It’s just a party Alice likes to throw to help us fit in better.”
* “It also to commemorate graduating and going to college, which is Infinitely more fun.” She grins, a hand on Edwards shoulder
* He turns his attention to you, his mouth quirked in a lopsided smile
* “Do you want to go?”
* The party scene in Eclipse sure looked fun
* “Sure, sounds like a fun time.”
* It’s decided you’ll drive up with Edward after they all split up, and go to the party with him.
* You’re telling Kate and Irina when they get a look on their face
* “Is that not okay?” You wonder if it’s about Tanya, and how maybe she doesn’t like you spending so much time with Edward.
* “No it’s fine it’s just... will you be alright with all those humans?”
* You had done fine on the stands, but a house party was different, you guess it’s probably easier to eat someone when there are so many dark corners and so many suspects to pick from
* You wrinkle your nose, honestly you don’t get what the big deal is, sure they smell kiiinda nice, but the scent is comparable to one of your deers.
* Also, who knows where these people have been and what they’ve been eating. The thought of eating an alcoholics blood makes you scowl.
* “I think I’ll be fine” Irina laughs, and rests a hand on your shoulder
* “We’ll tell the others, do you want me to bring you a drink later on?”
* You shake your head, you ate a little bit more since you were going to be around so many people today.
* “I should be fine, Edward will probably drive me home, but if not I can always run”
* You always forget you can run faster than a car now.
* “I doubt Edward will refuse the opportunity to spend more time with you.” Irina smirks and you roll your eyes
* You’re both just friends, stuck in family’s where everyone seems to be in a relationship (except for you that is)
* There’s only so much you can take watching Eleazer and Carmen’s pda
* “I’ll see ya later” you excuse yourself to find Edward, who seems to be talking to a group of boys
* “So what’s their deal, are they your cousin or something?”
* “Um... they’re a family friend”
* Looks like Edwards confused about your family structure too
* “They look older are they in college?” Another asks, Edward hesitates, well you are older but you’re not really in school
* “Are you hooking up with them?” Edward winces
* “No we’re not close like that.”
* You decide now is a good time to intervene in the conversation
* “Hey, are you ready to go?” Edward looks relieved to see you
* “I’ll see you guys tonight at Alice’s party” he offers a polite smile before leading you towards his car
* When you’re finally out of earshot, you say
* “You know, I always thought we were the closest of friends” You think he’ll grimace at your teasing but instead he grins.
* “Do you enjoy being the subject of several teenage boys imaginations?”
* “I mean, it’s not-not a little bit flattering.”
* On the drive back to his house Edward takes you through town and points out every mundane landmark like you’re on a safari tour
* “And that is the grocery store I never visit, and next to it is the diner I had to pretend to eat food at during my mandatory “senior breakfast””
* “So what you’re saying is, this is the worlds’ most boring town.”
* “I would say boring adjacent, the town we’ll move to next doesn’t even have a major grocery store”
* He’s definitely talking about Forks.
* You must have killed quite a bit of time with your impromptu tour because when you get to the party it’s in full swing
* You and Edward stand in a corner and play your favorite game
* “Blonde girl in the corner.” He says
* Edward picks someone, and you have to guess what they’re thinking. You’re never right but it’s still funny
* “Hmmmm I’m going to say she’s thinking... ‘This is what all the hype was about? Can’t believe I’m wasting my Saturday night HERE.’”
* He laughs and shakes his head
* “She’s actually thinking about how the object of her affections hasn’t noticed her once, and has been spending all his time with someone else instead.”
* You totally miss the meaningful look Edward gives you.
* You make a face, unrequited love was the worst
* “Well that sucks, I wish there was some way we could help.” Edward only shrugs
* “They’re human problems, for us even if the person we love doesn’t love us back, we just wait a a decade or so, and they usually change their mind.” He grabs your untouched red solo cup
* “I’ll go get us some more drinks.�� For a second you wonder if maybe Vampires can drink alcohol, but then you immediately deflate.
* Oh right, the human act, you almost forgot.
* You’re standing by yourself when the “unrequited love” girl from before approaches you, another girl with hair the color of caramel in tow
* “Hey, I haven’t seen you around before, do you got to our school?”
* Any person could see this was a hostile encounter
* anyone except you that is
* “Nah, I’m taking a gap year right now.”
* “Oh?” Miss. Unrequited lights up at that. “Didn’t get into your first choice school?”
* “No my parents died.” You say it causally, but they both freeze at that. So much has happened, colleges and your parents are the last thing in your mind. You notice the reaction though “It’s been a while though, so everything’s fine now”
* You give your best smile and the girl in front of you seemed flustered
* “How do you know Edward?” Miss. Caramel asks, while her friend takes a long sip from her cup.
* “Well- I guess he’s a family friend, but really I met him through Carlisle.”
* “Through Carlisle?
* “Dr. Cullen,” you quickly supply, to them he’s just the local handsome doctor. Not exactly someone who they’re on a first name basis with. “Yeah, Carlisle talked about Edward a lot when I was in the hospital.”
* Before you can scar either of these girls further, Rosalie appears by your side
* “Hey! Glad to see you made it!” She gives you a side hug and turns her amber eyes to the girls in front of you. “Amber, Bethany glad to see you. What are you guys talking about?”
* Both of the girls fall speechless in front of her, probably from her beauty you guess.
* You still get the urge to shield your eyes when you look at Rosalie.
* “Edward.” Rosalie rolls her eyes
* “Of course, the most perfect man alive.” You snort at that.
* “Perfect my ass, I saw him snort drinking yesterday and he sprayed the whole counter top.” Rosalie raises a well groomed eyebrow
* “Really?” A smiles tugging on her lips
* “That’s not even the worst part, do you know he took 43 minutes to clean it up.”
* Rosalie laughs, and the other two look at you with awe.
* “Edward Cullen snorts?” The caramel Coloured hair one, Bethany asks.
* “To be fair I did say a pretty good joke”
* “What was the joke?” Amber asks, and you grin.
* “What did the vampire say to the girl?” They look at each other and shrug
* “What”
* “See you next month” The two girls don’t seem to think it’s good, but Rosalie is dying of laughter
* “He must have hated that!”
* “Oh I’m sure he did, that’s why I said it” Rosalie laughs even harder
* By the time Edward comes back, it’s basically just a two way conversation with you and Rosalie roasting the ever loving crap out of Edward, with two humans eagerly watching
* “One time while we were eating Edward just kept complaining about how “existence is agony and how none of us have a soul” like dude, we’re eating, could you just chill for a second please?” Rosalie says and you laugh
* “I have the perfect Edward impression” you clear your throat and set your face to the best “I’m constipated and existence is agony” face you can manage “I’m an outsider. No one can understand me. No one has thoughts like I do. Existence is agony”
* if Rosalie could die she would have died of laughter, she’s hunched over and every time you think she’ll stop laughing she starts another wave.
* “To be fair, I don’t think anyone has thoughts like mine” You turn to see Edward behind you, he’s actually got an amused smile as he hands you a red solo cup.
* “It’s Henrietta,” he whispers in your ear. “ I figured all the laughing might have made you thirsty”
* “For an outsider like yourself, that’s awfully kind of you.”
* The laughing did make you thirsty, it also explains what took him so long. You wonder if he ran all the way to your house to get you a drink.
* Rosalie doesn’t say anything just grins as she watches you two, Edward’s eyes flick from you to her, and you wonder what he’s experiencing right now
* You’re not going to lie, his narrative of mind reading was your favourite part of midnight sun
* “Do you want to dance?” Well that question came out of nowhere.
* “Sure”
* Queue you and Edward awkwardly waltzing on the makeshift dance floor
* “Who taught you how to waltz?” Edward asks as you step on his feet yet again, you’re glad he’s a vampire and can’t feel pain.
* “You. Right now. I’m learning from the school of life experience.” You grin and he rolls his eyes
* “Here,” he picks you up, and places your feet on top of his. “Better?” You nod and laugh
* “They’re kind of cute right?” Rosalie says to Amber and Bethany, a twinkle in her eyes. Amber sighs.
* “Yeah they are.”
* Rosalie feels kind of bad. She didn’t mean to rub it in her face, but she doesn’t like anyone being mean to you. She already kinda liked you from The game night , and after tonight she REALLY likes you. It’s nice to have someone else on the “roast Edward squad”
* “Oh look, it’s Bradley from the swim team, should we go over and say hi?” Bradly was definitely single, and Rosalie loves playing matchmaker “Sure”
* Edward drives you home at the chaste time of 11:30
* “Did you have a good time tonight?” He asks, walking you to the front door. Ever the gentleman.
* It’s not like a thing alive could hurt you anymore.
* “Yeah it was really fun!” He let’s out a sigh of relief and a nervous smile.
* “That’s good, you’ve been seeming kind of... off lately so I was worried”
* Ah, so he had noticed. You had been feeling off lately. Only four more years with him at most until he moved somewhere far away.
* “Yeah, I’m just a little jealous I guess.”
* “Jealous of what?” His eyebrows thread together. And you sigh.
* “You get to go to college and I can’t.”
* You really are jealous about that, While you’re stuck in the house, Edward will get to move forward and make all sorts of relationships and memories
* His mouth purses, and you feel bad. You shouldn’t have said anything, there’s nothing he can do about it after all.
* “Ah, don’t worry about it, I’m just glad to be here with people who care about me.” That only makes him frown more. But he offers you a small smile.
* “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He says and then he does something really unexpected:
* He kisses your forehead, before retreating back to his car. You watch his car wind away down the circle driveway from the porch. A hand on your forehead where his lips touched and a flutter in your heart.
* Man, Edward was so unintentionally smooth, no wonder Tanya was still hung up over him
* Wait, was Tanya still hung up over him?
* Somehow you found her behavior not consistent with someone with unreciprocated feelings
* The days pass on by, Edward’s around more now because it’s summer break.
* Likewise trips to the Cullen residence are also more frequent because it’s summer break
* You oddly enough spend a lot of time with Rosalie, you mostly roast Edward but occasionally you reminisce about human stuff
* “What do you miss the most?” She asks and you think for a minute
* “Probably Italian food, maybe alcohol” She let’s out a moan
* “Oh my god, how good does mushroom ravioli in a creamy Marsala sauce sound?”
* “Good enough to kill for”
* By extension you also get close to Emmett, but in a totally different way
* “Alright hit me with everything you’ve got!”
* “Uh are you sure about this Emmett?”
* You’re both in a clearing about thirty feet apart
* “Yeah, just show me what you’re made of” He giving you a wicked grin, no doubt glad to have someone new to spar with.
* You shrug, he is asking for it
* He doesn’t even make it a foot forward before he crumples to the ground. You’ve been holding back so long, it almost feels good to not have to contain all your body’s grief
* You reel it back in when he taps out. You expect him to look at you like you’re a monster but he just grins
* “You’re really something else kid”
* You even get close to Esme who assists you in drawing up a schematic for a barn, and Jasper helps you build it.
* “I think the door should go here” he tells you
* “But then it would be facing the fence and that doesn’t seem right”
* He scratches his head and you stare at the architect sketch in your hands
* “It’s supposed to be right here” Alice tells you, already searching through the future for the correct placement.
* And of course you and Edward continue your piano cat and mouse game, where you each start a piece and wait for the other to catch up to your playing.
* Maybe it’s because things are going so well that you can’t help but wonder what went wrong with Tanya and Edward
* So one night, when you’re sitting together in the library, you ask her
* “Tanya why do you hate Edward” She sputters
* “I don’t hate him!” You raise a skeptical eyebrow and she sighs “it’s just- it’s embarrassing !”
* She tells you about how Carlisle had told her about his son, and how he was the last to be without a mate, and was very depressed
* “I thought of it like I was doing a service you know, we would date for some time and have a brighter perspective on this life.”
* You can already guess how this story ends, but you ask “So what happened?” She huffs
* “Well he flat out rejected me, told me I wasn’t his type, can you believe that? A forever 17 year old telling ME I’m not his type.”
* Yeah for a woman like Tanya who was every man’s ultimate fantasy that does seem pretty mortifying
* “Is it-“ you meet her eyes “is it okay that I’m friends with him then?”
* Her eyes soften and she beckons you into a hug
* “Of course it is little one,” she kisses the top of your head “and if it ever happens to grow into more than that that’s okay too.” You wrinkle your nose
* “I wouldn’t bet on that Tanya.” She rubs your shoulder
* “Well you never know, and if that happens, and for some reason he’s lost his mind at tells you you’re not his type don’t take it personally, there’s something seriously wrong with that boy.” You laugh
* The days pass by in a blur.
* Edward starts college studying veterinary science, and every day he comes back and teaches you what he learned
* “Sometimes I feel like I’m getting more out of this than you” he tells you as you do his homework
* “It be like that sometimes”
* You start experimenting with other animals blood, mostly chickens, ducks, and geese.
* You also have a moose now so that’s cool
* After many faithful years Henrietta passes away. You stayed in the barn with her all night, and planted a pine tree over grave.
* “All things die in the end huh?” You whisper as you stand over the first deer you befriended, and Eleazer rubs your shoulder
* “Not us” he whispers
* “Not us” you repeat
* You and Edward are lying next to each other in your bed, both of you pretending to sleep
* “What was it like when you turned?” Edward’s the one break the silence. He always is when you do your dreaming sessions
* “It was... nice” it really was, the venom was warm like a blanket, lulling you into a peaceful last sleep. This surprises him.
* “Are you some kind of masochist?”
* “Well what was it like for you?” You roll your eyes. He goes on a long descriptive tangent, but in short: it was absolute agony.
* “Well that’s weird, I wonder if Alec had some kind of special venom or something.” He flinched at the mention of Alec but doesn’t say anything else.
* The days pass on, just as they always have, but something starts to feel off. Both in your household and in the Cullen’s house. Some sort of tension
* You think about asking Edward or Eleazer about it, but decide against it.
* Maybe you’re just being paranoid
* One day you’re getting blood from the kitchen, when you notice the entire coven is sitting on the kitchen table
* Weird, but maybe they do this all the time and you just never noticed.
* “(Y/N) can you come here for a moment?”
* Well crap
* They all ramble over each other for a few minutes, and you only catch bits and pieces of what they’re saying
* “Everyone here loves you-“
* “It won’t be forever-“
* “Carlisle might even get you a blood bag or two-“
* “Enough!” Tanya roars and immediately the others fall silent, she looks at you with warm eyes and a kind smile
* “(Y/N), the Cullen’s are leaving,” ah, so it’s already time for them to go, Tanya explains how the Cullen’s move around more often than your coven does, on account of Carlisle’s job. Well you knew this was coming. It was nice while it lasted
* “-And that’s why we think you should go with them”
* Wait what.
* “You want me to leave?”
* “No of course not!” Irina shouts, wide eyed, she’s sitting the closest to you. “It’s just-“
* “We see the way you look at Edward,” Eleazer says. Oh not this again, how many times do you have to say it. YOU BOTH ARE JUST FRIENDS.
* “Like you want what he has.” He finishes
* Oh
* “We’re too late in the cycle to send you to school, Irina and Kate have already gone, and it will be another ten years before we decide to move.” Carmen says, her teeth digging into the flesh of her lip. “A lot of things could happen in ten years,”
* The Volturi could want you back on ten years
* “so we think you should go with the Cullen’s and get an education and have a normal life-“
* “Normal-adjacent,” Kate interjects, because life was never going to be completely normal for you ever again. Carmen grins,
* “Normal-adjacent life, you’ll get to have friends, and you could study whatever you want, you don’t have to learn secondhand from Edward.”
* “And you can come back whenever you want!” Kate reassures. “If you decide you don’t like it, and that it’s not what you want, you can always come back, we’ll be right here.”
* They all stumble over each other to reassure you that it’s your choice, and if you decide to stay that’s fine too. But there’s only one question on your mind
* “Do the Cullen’s already know about this?” The table falls silent.
* “Yes, they do.” Tanya says
* “And what do they think about the arrangement?” All eyes trail to Eleazer, so he was the go between for your Covens
* “I think they’re all pretty excited, Carlisle wanted you from the start.”
* Carmen sucks her teeth and lightly slaps him on the arm. “What it’s true, you know Esme’s been cross with him ever since she met them, she wants you too.”
* They’re all looking to you waiting for an answer. You’re not sure what the right thing to do is.
* You’re not stupid, you know things have changed from the original story line, you know the Volturi isn’t going to want Bella as much now that they have you.
* But still... you do want an education, a chance to do everything the way you always imagined
* You also kind of want to see Edward and Bella’s love story play out. Especially now that he’s your friend
* Also you think you should really deter him from watching her sleep, that crap was creepy as hell
* You sigh, there’s really only one choice
* “I’ll go with the Cullens’.”
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pilmik · 4 years ago
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No better way to start a writing blog than by writing something completely self indulgent lmao college students this might hit too close to home but in my defense the new sem started and I'm. Mess
Gen: angst ig???some fluff? hurt/comfort? Quite literally just me writing what I want to hear
CW: insecurities, negative thoughts
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Wakatoshi loves volleyball
Everyone knows this
Ever since he was little, he's lived and breathed for the sport
There's nothing better to him than the feeling of the ball hitting his hand, the adrenaline rush of a scored point, the satisfaction of a game well won
He didn't get this far on enjoyment alone though
As his s/o, you know this better than anyone, save for his coaches and teammates of course
You know the effort he's put in, you know that for every second he shines on the court in front he's spent hours practicing alone or with his teammates
And he shines on the court
Watching him play will never fail to make your heart stutter and your lungs feel like they're not getting enough air
After being with him as long as you have, you know enough about volleyball to know that Wakatoshi is something special
His speed, his strength, his reliability
No matter how many times you see that spike, the sound of the ball hitting the floor stays deafening
Wakatoshi was made to play Volleyball. It's an objective fact. Sometimes you think that the sport loves him just as much as he loves it
Sometimes, you get so jealous you could scream
one of the perks of being the volleyball captain's s/o is that you always get the best seats
You watch front row as your boyfriend leads his team to victory, and he always leads them to victory.
You watch, time and time again, as he scores the match point, that sharp wham of the ball hitting the court that sings triumph
Wakatoshi isn't the most expressive person. When his team wins a game, most people would write off his impassive face as nonchalance or as vanity, thinking maybe he's won so many times it doesn't feel like anything for him anymore
But you know him. You know that if you look hard enough at the end of a game, you can see a gleam in his eyes. A gleam that somehow means both satisfaction and hunger
Because while at the end of every game means victory, the end of every game also means the start of a new one, a new challenge, a new opportunity to be on the court. He loves every second of it
You know you're probably the worst person on the world for feeling this way about someone you love, but every time you see that gleam in his eyes, any pride and happiness you feel on his behalf is stained with resentment and an envy so bitter it stays on your tongue for days
You've never had that gleam in your eyes. You've never loved something so entirely, so completely as Wakatoshi loves volleyball
You honestly doubt you ever will
It's not like you're talentless or you don't have hobbies, you have the things you're good at and you have the things you like to do but it's not the same
You want so desperately to know what he feels like, to be doing something and to think, I could do this for the rest of my life and die happy
on your worst days, you wonder why he stays by your side at all
You watch him play, surrounded by his court and his team (no the court or the team, his.) And you wonder what he could get from you that he couldn't get from the sting of the ball on his palm, or the squeak of his shoes on hardwood
He's brilliant, wherever he goes be burns so brightly you swear he leaves scorch marks. What could a forest fire possibly want from a candle?
You watch them play a game against some college team, they win straight sets and Wakatoshi dominated the court, scoring a majority of the points. you're quiet on your way home, and he asks if you were bored by the game
You immediately tell him no, because on most days you love seeing him play, and you try and explain how you feel
He doesn't understand what you're talking about, obviously
Contrary to what most people think, your boyfriend isn't stupid or dense. He has trouble understanding different social cues and conceptualizing some of the more complicated emotions other people feel, but he's not an idiot
But these specific insecurities are something he's never had to face. For him, it's been volleyball since the start. His earliest memories are of his father in the yard, tossing a blue and yellow ball into the air while he sits on the engawa, chubby hands holding tight to a pink vabo-chan plush
It doesn't make sense to him, if you don't have anything like that, then all you need to do is find something you're good at, correct? Then you'll be happy
He tells you this, in his usual matter-of-fact way. (you can imagine how that went)
He doesn't understand why your eyes go glassy, or why you tell him you'll be fine walking by yourself for the rest of the way
But he does understand that he's made you upset, and he knows that he never wants to look into your eyes and see tears that he's put there
As he walks back to his dorm, he's wracking his brain trying to make sense of how you told him you felt, and what he said in response
He's still thinking as he enters the doorway, ignoring Tendou's greeting as he neatly removes his runners and puts them away
This, of course, alerts his redheaded friend, knowing Wakatoshi was taught to mind his manners
He leaves whatever he was doing to see him at the entrance, taking in his pinched expression. He knows that Wakatoshi walks you home after every game, and it doesn't take a genius to connect the dots
He quickly presses the pad of his thumb between Wakatoshi's furrowed eyebrows, smoothing the lines there
"trouble in paradise, Wakatoshi-kun? You can't keep frowning like that you know, you'll get wrinkles! Everyone already thinks you're an old man"
Wakatoshi trusts his best friend, even if he teases him constantly. Besides you, Tendou is his main confidant
He explains what happened much like someone would explain a mission report, in perfect unbiased detail. He tell him what you said, how he thought and responded and your reaction. Tendou is always patient with him, giving him his full attention.
After he finishes his story, his friend sits on his haunches in the middle of the hallway for a few minutes, pointer finger to his chin, head cocked and eyes to the ceiling, hmmmmmming thoughtfully
Wakatoshi waits at the entrance of their dorm room until Tendou snaps his eyes away from the ceiling and onto him
"Wakatoshi kun, I'm going to need you to imagine something for me"
His eyebrows pinch together again, but he nods
"Imagine you never played volleyball, you're exactly the same in every way, except your dad never showed you so you never learned how to play. Try and imagine who you'd be"
Wakatoshi tries his best to imagine, he replaces the blue and yellow ball in his memory with a red one, the bouncy kind they sell in bins at the grocery store. He replaces vabo-chan with some kind of stuffed animal wearing a bow
He thinks about school, about going straight home after class is over, and going to the gym only on weekends
He finds he's skipping parts of his life in large gaps, empty spaces he doesn't know what to do with, his future completely blank. It's terrifying.
Tendou must see the dawning horror on his face because he jumps up quickly with a flourish, clapping his hands together once to draw Wakatoshi out of his daydream
Tendou looks at him, smiling and says "y/n-chan doesn't have their volleyball. Most people aren't as lucky as you, finding your volleyball so early Wakatoshi-kun. Some people never find their's at all"
He stands at the entrance quietly for awhile after Tendou returns to his room, thinking about how scary it felt to imagine, even for a few minutes, his life full of the blanks that his sport filled
He wonders how it would be like to have those blanks empty all the time, with not even a clue how to complete them
Swallowing his pride, Wakatoshi realizes he wouldn't be able to live like that. Wouldn't be able to go forward into such unknowable territory, under such impossible odds
He thinks about you waking up every day, seeing your life full of blanks, and still pushing forwards despite it
He doesn't get much sleep that night.
You wake up in the morning to Wakatoshi's text ringtone
7:10am Toshi <3: Call in sick for first period.
7:10am Toshi <3: I am going to pick you up at 8.
7:13am Toshi <3: I will bring you breakfast.
7:27am Toshi <3: Wear a light jacket, it's chilly.
The half of you that's still hurt over yesterday wants to tell him to shove breakfast up his ass, but then you realise something
You stare at your phone, deeply confused
Doesn't he have volleyball practice before school?
You get ready quickly, and sure enough, when you walk out of your door at exactly 8:00, Wakatoshi is there.
He's wearing his tracksuit and runners, and he hands you a paper bag from the conbini. There's an apple, a bag of grapes and onigiri. In his other hand he's holding a warm drink, written on the lid is your favourite, exactly how you like it
"I am taking you to the park."
You tilt your head up at him, confused
"don't you have volleyball practice?"
"I'm skipping. We are going to feed the ducks."
The idea of Ushijima Wakatoshi skipping volleyball practice stuns you into silence, and you simply follow his lead to the direction of the park, you walking and him doing some sort of ridiculous exercise thing that looks like it'd make you puke
When you get there, you're happy to find that your usual bench is empty.
Wakatoshi pulls a water bottle out of his ridiculously-deep men's tracksuit pockets while you take the bunch of grapes out of the bag, neatly dividing it in half. You decide to take the big half of the grape bunch for once, because he was being a jerk yesterday and you deserve to feed the ducks more than he does. You give him his half and you both start feeding the ducks in silence
After awhile, he decides to speak
"Tendou made me imagine something yesterday"
You turn to face him, but he's still looking at the ducks
"he told me to imagine my life if I'd never played volleyball"
He frowns
"he said to imagine everything about me was the same, except I never started playing. I found that it was difficult"
"there were many things I found I couldn't fill in, both in my life and in myself"
"but the worst part was imagining the future. I couldn't imagine a single thing to put in it"
"I wouldn't be able to live like that. To live every day and see blank spaces and uncertainties. It sounds terrible"
He pauses for a moment and you're like :/ wow king thanks for the pep talk
But he takes a deep breath and he continues
"I think, for a person to face that uncertainty and keep pushing forward, they would have to be exceptional"
Your head snaps to look at him so fast you almost get whiplash
Exceptional
There's a word that you've never used to describe yourself
"I think, that if I knew someone like that, I would tell them that they are strong in a way that I doubt I will ever be"
He finally turns to look at you, and you try your best to see him through the tears distorting your vision
"after awhile of thinking, I finally thought of something that I could put in that blank future. Would you like to know what it was?"
You just nod, not trusting your words. His big hands gently engulf your own and for a moment you're absolutely certain Ushijima Wakatoshi will be the death of you
"if I didn't have Volleyball, if I didn't have a single clue of what I could do with my future, if I still had you by my side, I think I would be alright"
One hit K.O.
He keeps going though, as if he didn't just kill you
"if you would have me, I'd like to be in your blank future. For as long as it takes for you to find your volleyball, I'll be there. If it's months or years or decades,"
"if decades pass and you never find your volleyball, I would still like to stay by your side. Maybe your volleyball is looking for volleyball?"
His face contorts in consideration of the idea, and you can't help but laugh wetly, your tears soaking into his jacket as you bury your face into his arm
He presses a soft kiss to your head
"I apologize for what I said last night. I didn't understand"
You only shake your head
You two sit in companionable silence for a little longer so you can eat your breakfast, then you both walk to second period hand in hand
It's only in the boredom of your math class that you realize the gravity of what your boyfriend had said to you in the park
11:08 you: Tendou
11:08 you: was I tripping
11:08 you: or did Wakatoshi /propose/ to me in the park today
Tendou is typing......
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A/N: I've never posted this kind of stuff before so comments would really be appreciated! Like if there's something I could do to make my stuff easier to read or whatever I wanna hear it! Even if it's mean I promise I'll only cry a little
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