#love me little cheese wedges <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[agbpaints]

I couldn't sleep so now the Men Shen MS1-O is ready to cause problems. I'm getting a bit better at the squad markings- a friend of mine who actually knows how to read Chinese suggested I look up a stroke guide for the characters I was using instead of just trying to copy off of Wikipedia. I probably should've figured that out a bit sooner :/

[louisferrignojr]

little (big) snippet from the next aka the last chapter of and i'll use you as a focal point aka my saltommy fic especially for riley @rdng1230 <3 and shoutout to kayla @agenttommykinard for saving me from having to google american beer names. again.

Sal’s already started on dinner by the time Tommy comes into the kitchen, having changed out of his jeans and into a more comfortable pair of sweats, and there’s something rattling around in his head about having had stripped out of his clothes in Sal Deluca’s bedroom without ending up in bed with the man. 

“Ooh, bacon,” Tommy reaches for a piece from the block Sal’s cutting into little square-shaped pieces, popping it into his mouth.

Sal looks up, shooting him a glare, though there’s an undercurrent of fondness in his gaze, the corners of his mouth threatening to pull back. “It’s guanciale, you heathen,” Sal shakes his head as he returns to the task at hand. “Why do I even bother to cook for your unappreciative American ass?” 

“Excuse me, Mr. Italy.” 

Tommy tries to grab another piece but Sal swats his hand away; he doesn’t look up this time, but Tommy can see the easy grin curving his mouth, charmed by the back-and-forth between the two of them. He looks most like himself in this setting; Tommy’s come to know him well enough that he knows when Sal is at ease, without that tension that he carries in his shoulders at work and around his family. He wonders when it might’ve happened, the first time Sal put his guard down in front of him, if he would have even noticed it − maybe if he hadn’t been so caught up with holding up his own with an iron grip. 

Tommy goes to fetch himself a bottle of those fancy beers that Sal mocks him for liking but still keeps a stock of a few bottles in his fridge, and pulls up a chair and plops down at the island, sipping on his drink and watching the chef work. He spins the bottle in his hands idly until Sal tells him to make himself useful and grate some cheese, pulling out a wedge of pecorino from the fridge and setting it down in front of Tommy next to the grater. 

Tommy’s glad to have something that’ll keep his hands busy. He’s barely had a few sips of the Wisconsin Belgian Red but there’s a warmth flowing through his veins and he doesn’t think it’s the 4% alcohol that’s the reason for it. 

“We could go to Hi Tops again,” he says after a moment of silence, the pair of them working in tandem.

“Oh yeah?” Sal turns to the stove, the guanciale dropping into the hot pan with a loud sizzle, then turns around to face Tommy. “No, no! Tommy!” He reaches out and flips the triangle grater over to the finer side, shooting him a pointed look. 

Tommy blinks, his face the picture of innocence. 

“Just give it here,” Sal grabs the cheese from his hands and gets to work. “Can you get the eggs from the fridge?”

Tommy rolls his eyes as he gets to his feet. He tries to not be too annoyed that the conversation has been derailed. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a control freak?” 

“You love it.” 

“The bartender asked me if you were my boyfriend,” Tommy finally says. “Last time we were there.” 

“Oh yeah?” Sal breathes a laugh. “What’d you tell him?”

Tommy reaches for his drink in lieu of answering. The cool liquid helps settle the nerves rising in his stomach. It’s ridiculous that he has to put this much effort to keep himself grounded for something as simple as this. “He also said you might have been trying to make me jealous.” 

Sal laughs again. “That’s a very observant bartender.” There’s an ease with which he speaks the words as he moves around the kitchen that drives Tommy crazy, both with the desire to pin him to the wall and kiss him stupid, and in the sense that he’s way too fucking nonchalant about this − about everything. 

“I’m gonna tell him you are,” Tommy says finally, a certain type of solid determination in his tone. “Next time we go.” 

“I’m what? Trying to make you jealous?”

“No. The other thing.”

Sal spins around slowly, and his eyes meet Tommy’s. He’s smiling something soft. He puts the wooden spoon down on the counter, rounding the corner of the kitchen island towards Tommy, a hand at the back of his neck to pull him down for a kiss, chaste and closed-mouthed, his plump lips slotting between Tommy’s like they were made for it. His thumb is caressing Tommy’s cheekbone when they break apart, eyes meeting again. 

“You can tell them whatever you want,” Sal’s voice is merely above a whisper. “To whoever you want.” 

“Really?” Tommy asks, but he doesn’t give the man a chance to reply before he drapes his arms around Sal’s shoulders, tips his head down to kiss him again. Sal’s arms wrap around his waist and pull him closer and Tommy smiles against his mouth. “You don’t think you’re exaggerating a little bit maybe?”

“No, I’m not,” Sal says, jutting his chin out. “You want me to call my mom and tell her?”

Tommy breaks into a fit of nervous giggles at the thought; God, he wouldn’t be able to ever look Mrs. Deluca in the eye ever again. He drops his head against Sal’s shoulder to hide the blush on his cheeks. “You wouldn’t.” He says, because he knows that Sal is just trying to rile him up, make him squirm. 

“I’ll call her right now.” 

“Shut up.” 

Sal presses his lips to Tommy’s neck before disentangling himself from the man, pulling away entirely. “Let me make us some food, yeah? You just sit there and be quiet.”

[castletown-cafe]

Castletown Café Episode 22: Gamer’s Delight

Berdly, the annoying bluebird, wants to work with Queen, the main antagonist of Chapter 2. Understandably, Queen can’t stand him, and runs or hides whenever she hears him approach. One of Berdly’s attempts to get her attention is to tempt her with some pie that he calls a “Gamer’s Delight”, which shares the same sprite as Queen’s Battery Acid Pie that she offers to Noelle. Berdly claims to have baked it himself, but did he really just steal a battery acid pie and claimed it was a “Gamer’s Delight”? We may never know. Another thing we may never know is what a Gamer’s Delight even is.

Many fans believe a Gamer’s Delight would be a pie flavored like Mountain Dew and Doritos. Yuck! Or even include those as ingredients: Dorito chip crust with Mountain Dew filling. Personally, it sounds very unappetizing to me, so I took a different approach and made a different kind of pie: pizza!

I’ve heard it said that pizza is the ultimate gamer food. Or at least it was before Mountain Dew and Doritos took over. But those are just snacks! Why not have a pizza loaded with fresh, nutritious toppings? Caramelized red onion, bell pepper, spinach...okay, children probably won’t find that very appealing, but it can be delicious served this way, with the pepper and onion having been cooked and seasoned juuuuuuuuust right. Before being added as pizza toppings, the onion and pepper are cooked with garlic over the stovetop until noodly, with a squeeze of lemon juice to add to the flavor. Add salt and pepper, and a pinch of Italian seasonings as you cook it in olive oil, and you got yourself a lovely layer of pre-cooked veggies for your pizza. The top layer of spinach is added toward the last 5 minutes of baking the pizza, so it resembles the sprite a little more. As much as it can, anyway.

You can use either pre-made crust and pizza sauce or you can make your own. Doing it yourself will be healthier and taste better, however, it will also take much longer, which is why it’s easier to go with pre-made. Either way, it’s sure to be delicious.

GAMER’S DELIGHT:

1 pre-baked pizza crust

About 1/2 cup pizza sauce

1/2 red onion, chopped

A generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp or less of Italian seasoning

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pepperoni, real or plant-based

1 & 1/2 cup spinach, stemmed and chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Slice a lemon into wedges. You’ll only need one wedge, so save the rest to use for whatever you’d like.

Wash and chop onion and pepper into thin strips and mince garlic. Grate Parmesan cheese and set aside.

Heat olive oil on medium heat and begin cooking the onion and bell pepper. Add garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until soft and noodly. Remove from heat.

Place pre-baked crust on pizza pan and spread pizza sauce over it. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Add pepperoni and top with the cooked onion and bell pepper.

Bake for 10 minutes while chopping up spinach. Remove pizza from oven after 10 minutes, top with the spinach, and return it to the oven and bake again for another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven one final time, slice up, and enjoy.

[freesia-writes]

For the soft asks!! Curious about 3,7, and 13!🕯️🫶🍪🌿

Hellooo! ☺️ Alrighty… love the emoji’s, by the way!

3. Favorite candle scent? 

Something light and fresh and floral and clean. Honeysuckle or jasmine or gardenia… 😍

7. Color that brings me peace? 

Man. Anything on the teal spectrum? From a rich dark shade to a sea foam green with hints of blue… 😍 Maybe another reason why I love Howzer. 😏

13. Comfort food?

heheheheh imma copy and paste from the other one cause I’m a little unhinged about food apparently. 😜

Umm, is "yes" an answer? LOL. If I had to choose ONE, it would be some kind of rich chocolate... Like perfectly gooey brownies. Agh. You're gonna get me going on a whole tangent here. Cheesecake, carrot cake, cinnamon rolls (warm, with a crapton of icing), pocky sticks, a bowl of cereal like cinnamon life or honey nut cheerios, brie cheese (like just fisting a straight wedge of it, LOL), a melt-in-your-mouth steak, really good macaroni and cheese, ridiculously gourmet pasta (which now makes me think of that Tech smut with the breadstick, LOL) or, most of all for the savory sort, SUSHI.

xoxo

[liverobinreaction]

Do you have any pets? I have a betta fish and he is so sassy. Like the lilo and stitch badness level except replace bad with sass

OHHH I LOVE HIM ALREADY, pet fish fuck severely!!!

And yes!! I have 3 cats!

The oldest is Mabel (13), and she is so so small but has massive eyes. She looks like the autism creature which fits bc she is absolutely autistic. She only eats chicken flavoured food. She has to have different textures on her bed. Her special interests are (special cat) milk and licking people. She purrs so so loudly and likes to just. Trot into a room, lick your legs, and then leave.

Next is Sammy (12), and we've had him the longest, since he was a kitten. He is my baby boy. My darling little man. My baby bastard. He is such an asshole and loves me so so much and he means the word to me. His full name is Dr Sammy Sausages bc he, you guessed it, steals sausages. And cheese. And chicken. He takes up sooo much space when he sleeps on my bed bc he MUST be wedged against me but also needs all the room. He is my boy.

Then we have Lottie (8)! She is just. An absolute whore. If you are not paying attention to her and petting her then she will complain soooo much. She makes little squeaks and reaches up to paw at your chest, or rests her tiny little head against you until you give in. She is so annoying and i love her. She curls around people's heads and she is terrified of the brush, but she sheds the most so she has to be tortured (brushed). She then immediately forgets it. She is so so stupid and I adore her.

And here they all are together!

[ai-for-writers]

The Woodcutter (AI, 1900 words)

Once upon a time, a young man named Damien worked as a woodcutter in the forest. Each day, he would venture into the trees, the sound of his axe echoing through the stillness as he chopped and stacked the fallen logs. Though his days were filled with backbreaking labor, his mind often wandered to thoughts of a beautiful princess named Adrianna.

Damien had first glimpsed the princess months ago, as she rode through the village on her white stallion, her golden hair flowing behind her. In that moment, he had been captivated, his heart racing at the sight of her delicate features and graceful movements. Since then, he found himself constantly thinking of her, wondering what it would be like to be near her, to speak to her, to perhaps even touch her soft skin.

As he worked, Damien would catch himself pausing, the axe suspended in mid-swing, as images of Adrianna filled his mind. He imagined approaching her, summoning the courage to introduce himself and tell her of the feelings that consumed him. Would she smile at him? Speak kindly? Or would she look upon the humble woodcutter with disdain, her eyes filled with disinterest?

The uncertainty gnawed at him, making it difficult to focus on his tasks. More than once, he had narrowly avoided injury, the axe slipping as his concentration waned. Still, he persisted, driven by the hope that one day he might find a way to cross paths with the princess once more. For now, he could only dream of her, his love growing deeper with each passing day.

--2 One afternoon, Damien finished his work early and decided to rest by a nearby brook. He found a smooth rock along the water's edge and lowered himself down, his tired muscles aching. Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out a small loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese, preparing to enjoy his simple lunch.

As he took his first bite, a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Turning his head, he watched as an old frog hopped towards him, its webbed feet propelling it across the pebbled bank. The frog stopped just shy of Damien's boots and fixed him with a steady gaze.

"I'm so hungry," the frog croaked. "Could you spare something for me to eat?"

Damien paused, the food halfway to his mouth. He looked down at the frog, then back at his meager provisions. Though he had little to share, he couldn't ignore the plea in the frog's voice.

Tearing off a small piece of bread, he extended his hand, allowing the frog to hop closer and take it from his fingertips. The frog opened its mouth, swallowing the morsel in a single gulp.

"Thank you," it said, its eyes shining with gratitude. "For your kindness, I will grant you one wish when you are in desperate need."

Damien chuckled, dismissing the frog's words as mere nonsense. He finished his lunch and returned to work, the encounter already slipping from his mind.

--3 The news spread quickly throughout the kingdom. Princess Adrianna had fallen deathly ill, her condition worsening with each passing hour. The royal physicians tried every remedy, but nothing could alleviate the princess's suffering. Finally, an old sorceress came forward.

"There is a blue apple," the sorceress announced to the king. "It grows in a hidden place deep within the forest. If someone can bring this apple to the princess, it will cure her illness."

The king's face lit with a spark of hope. He summoned his servants and declared a royal decree - the man who could retrieve the blue apple would be rewarded with the princess's hand in marriage and half the kingdom.

The news quickly reached the ears of Damien, who was tending to his daily chores in the forest. The princess was deathly ill, and the only cure was a blue apple that grew in the hidden depths of the forest. He lowered the axe, the metal blade thudding against the earth, as his mind raced.

A blue apple - he had never heard of such a thing. Where could it be found? And how could he, a humble woodcutter, hope to retrieve it and save the princess? Still, the thought of Adrianna's suffering tugged at his heart, igniting a spark of determination within him.

Abandoning his work, Damien set out into the forest, his eyes scanning the trees and undergrowth for any sign of the elusive fruit. He followed the winding paths, ducking beneath low-hanging branches and pushing through tangles of vines, his focus unwavering.

Time slipped away as he searched, but the princess's plight remained at the forefront of his mind. If he could just find that blue apple, he might have a chance to not only save her life, but to prove his worth and win her affection.

With renewed vigor, Damien pressed on, driven by the hope of a future with the princess by his side.

--4 Damien slumped against a tree, his shoulders sagging in defeat. He had spent hours scouring the forest, his muscles aching from the endless searching. But the blue apple remained elusive, nowhere to be found.

With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes, resigning himself to the fact that he had failed. The princess would die, and he would never have the chance to stand before her, to see her smile, to feel her touch. All his dreams had crumbled to dust.

Suddenly, a familiar croak reached his ears. Damien's eyes snapped open, and there, hopping towards him, was the old frog he had encountered weeks earlier by the brook.

"I told you, you would need my help one day," the frog said, coming to a stop at Damien's feet.

Damien stared at the creature, his brow furrowed in confusion. "How can you help me now? The princess is doomed, and I have failed."

"Not so," the frog replied. "Follow the brook north, upstream, for three miles. There you will find a waterfall, and behind it, a hidden cave. Inside that cave is an old apple tree, and upon it, a single blue apple."

Damien shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. "But how can I get to it in time? The princess has only hours left."

"You must hurry," the frog said, "the princess has only hours left.", its voice laced with urgency. "Go, and do not stop for anything. The princess's life depends on it."

Without another word, Damien leapt to his feet and raced towards the brook, his renewed hope propelling him forward. The frog's promise had given him a second chance, and he vowed not to let it slip through his fingers.

--5 As Damien approached the familiar brook, a melodious sound reached his ears. He paused, his gaze drawn to the treetops where a vibrant bird soared through the air. Its feathers shimmered with an array of brilliant hues, captivating the young man.

Though he had spent countless hours in the forest, Damien had never seen a creature quite like this. He watched, mesmerized, as the bird danced among the branches, its wings effortlessly carrying it through the sky. The sweet song it sang filled him with a sense of wonder, causing him to momentarily forget his urgent mission.

Damien knew he needed to hurry, that time was of the essence. But the allure of the enchanting bird was too strong. He found himself abandoning the path, his eyes fixed on the colorful figure as it glided further away. Without a second thought, he gave chase, his legs propelling him deeper into the dense foliage.

The bird led him on a winding journey through the trees, flitting from one perch to the next. Damien followed, weaving between the trunks and leaping over fallen logs, determined not to lose sight of the magnificent creature. Each time he thought he might catch up, the bird would dart away, enticing him to pursue.

Exhaustion began to set in, and Damien's throat burned with each labored breath. Still, he pressed on, unwilling to give up the chase. The blue apple and the princess's fate faded from his mind, replaced by a singular focus on the elusive bird.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the forest in a warm, golden glow, Damien finally came to a halt, his muscles aching. The bird had disappeared, leaving him alone and disoriented, unsure of where he now found himself.

--6 Damien hurried down the path, his mind racing as he neared the familiar tavern. When he arrived, he pushed open the door and stepped inside, his eyes quickly scanning the dimly lit room. To his surprise, he spotted his best friend, Liam, seated at a table in the corner, a mug of ale in his hand.

Liam's face lit up when he saw Damien. He waved the woodcutter over, rising from his seat to greet him. The two embraced, clasping each other's forearms in a gesture of friendship.

"What are you doing here, my friend?" Liam asked, gesturing for Damien to join him.

Damien hesitated, his sense of urgency warring with his desire to catch up with his companion. But the warmth of Liam's welcome and the prospect of a cold drink proved too tempting. He pulled out a chair and sat down, accepting the mug of ale Liam pushed towards him.

As they talked, the minutes ticked by. Liam regaled Damien with tales of his latest adventures, and Damien found himself laughing and nodding along, his previous worries slipping away. The cold beer quenched his thirst, and the familiar company of his friend soothed his nerves.

It was only when Damien drained the last drop from his mug that he suddenly remembered his urgent mission. He cursed under his breath, earning a curious look from Liam.

"I'm sorry, my friend, but I must be going," Damien said, rising from his seat. He clasped Liam's hand once more, thanking him for the hospitality, then hurried out of the tavern, his steps quickening as he retraced his path towards the forest.

--7 Damien's heart sank as the old frog materialized before him, its eyes narrowed with disappointment.

"Why didn't you do as I said?" the frog croaked. "Five hours have passed and the princess is dead."

Damien lowered his gaze, unable to meet the frog's accusing stare. He opened his mouth, fumbling for an explanation, but the words caught in his throat. How could he admit that he had squandered the precious time, allowing himself to be distracted by a bird and the company of his friend?

The frog continued to gaze at him, its expression unwavering. Damien shifted uncomfortably, the weight of his failure heavy upon his shoulders.

"Well, you know, old frog," he finally mumbled, "I saw the most beautiful bird. And I had such a good time with my best friend. I'm sorry the princess is dead, but maybe she was not meant to be mine. Maybe she would nag at me, and maybe she had a bad breath. Maybe the best thing happened after all."

The frog's eyes narrowed further, but it said nothing, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as it had arrived. Damien stood alone, the realization of his mistake settling over him like a dark cloud. The princess was gone, and with her, any hope he had harbored of winning her heart.

[crazyblondelife]

The Cheese Obsession Continues and Notes From the Weekend

“What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon? And the day after that, and the next thirty years?”

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

Life is about pursuing your passions and I’m sharing a few of mine here today…my amazing grandsons, beautiful objects, fabulous food and more! I hope you enjoy!

Last week, I made a visit to Shop on Blair, which is a fabulously curated shop in Greensboro, NC owned by my friend Lisa Johnson. I went to look for a beautiful bowl to put on my desk and, of course, I found one. I also found this absolutely fabulous antique French board and had to have it. There were so many other things I wanted to bring home, but I tried to show some restraint, knowing I would be back soon.

My daughter Rebecca and son-in-law came in from Richmond this weekend and I decided to make a special cheese board for all of us to eat while sitting by the fire on Saturday. I had so much cheese left over from the Valentine’s Day cheese post, so I used that cheese and added roasted nuts, olives, strawberries, dates and dried cherries. These delectable additions, along with a few pansies from my yard, made the already beautiful board even more beautiful and it was a hit! Later in the evening, we had hamburgers and pesto pasta and the evening was perfect!

Food & Fun

These two little cuties spent the night with us on Saturday night and when they got up, they wanted cinnamon rolls, so I decided to try out the TikTok Viral recipe. I know I’m probably the last person on earth to try it, but now I certainly understand what all the hoopla is about! These cinnamon rolls are truly decadent, easy and delicious! Scroll down for the recipe!

{"image":"https://i.imgur.com/wyIqrko.jpg","name":"TikTok Viral Cinnamon Rolls","prepTime":"PT10M","cookTime":"PT35M","totalTime":"PT45M","description":"You can't believe how delicious these cinnamon rolls are!","yield":"4 - 5","recipeIngredient":["1 package cinnamon rolls (package of 8)","1/2 cup heavy cream","1 stick butter, melted","1 cup light brown sugar","1 teaspoon cinnamon","For the glaze:","Mix together the icing from the cinnamon roll container (use 2), 2 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cream cheese, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 3 tablespoons mill. Whisk until smooth"],"recipeInstructions":["Line a baking dish with cinnamon rolls and fill the pan evenly with 1/2 cup heavy cream.","Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and pour on top of cinnamon rolls.","Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes.","Glaze cinnamon rolls, serve and watch them disappear!"],"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Recipe"}

Anytime I’m looking for a recipe, the first website I go to is Half Baked Harvest! Tieghan Gerard’s recipes are always delicious and her blog is beautiful. This week, I’m planning to try her Baked Artichokes with Honey Whipped Feta and I know it will be amazing!

Movies & YouTube

"The Law According to Lidia Poët" is inspired by a true story: that of the first lawyer in Italy, of the daily injustices for which she fought, of her fierce defense of the innocent, of the studies and investigations to discover the truth and the revolution that has taken place in the world of jurisprudence thanks to her. This is one we’ll be watching this week!

If you haven’t already watched Vogue’s 73 Questions with Jennifer Lopez, this is one you’ll love. Her home is stunningly beautiful and she is, as always, inspiring!

Fashion

The trees are budding, the daffodils are blooming and spring is coming! Of course, I’m making a wish list and this pink suit from Veronica Beard is definitely on the list as are the fabulous white wedges! Everything is linked below!

When I was in New York with my daughters in December of last year, I bought my first scarf from Hermès scarf. I had been wanting a scarf for a while and found one with just the perfect color palette to suit me. I knew it would go with so much of what was in my closet…but I have one slight problem. The way I’m wearing it above is the only way I know how to tie it. I’m doing my research and will hopefully be able to do a fun scarf tutorial in the near future. For any of you that are scarf wearers and even more importantly scarf tiers, I would love to have any advice you have to offer! I know this is a scarf I’ll keep for the rest of my life and hopefully my daughters will wear it one day, but for now, I want to wear it as stylishly as possible!

From Around the Web

It’s safe to say that most of you who are reading this blog are middle aged or close so I’m sure you’ll enjoy this interesting article from The Guardian titled Whatever happened to middle age? The mysterious case of the disappearing life stage.

Below you’ll find a boutique with all the things mentioned in this post plus a few extras! I always want to update my basics when the seasons change, so I’m including a few things that you’ll want to have ready for spring! Enjoy and have a great week!

[tastesoftamriel]

Rustic apple sweetroll

Here's a surprise Solstice recipe from me to all of you! Now, it's pretty obvious that I love apple desserts. Cinnamon gorapples? Cream cheese frosted gorapple cake? Princess' Delight? Yum! But I've decided to put a Talviel spin on a Tamrielic classic today, and I am pleased to unveil the apple sweetroll! I personally found it sweet enough without icing, but nothing is stopping you from decorating it the traditional sweetroll way! This cake can be a little recalcitrant coming out of the tin, so don't feel bad if it peels or looks a little rough- it's still delicious!

You will need:

3 big green apples (I used Bramley), cut into thin wedges

3 eggs

250g butter

250g brown sugar

250g plain flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla essence

3 tsp cinnamon

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C/356F. Grease a large bundt tin with butter, and evenly lay out apple slices to cover the sides and base of the tin. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs and continue to beat the mixture until smooth and even.

Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon. Continue mixing until a smooth batter forms. Pour the batter into the bundt tin, making sure that the apple slices are all covered well.

Wrap the tin in foil and bake on the middle shelf for 45 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean if you poke it. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before flipping it out onto a large plate or serving platter. Fabulous with custard and ice cream!

[jennagrinsoverml]

Do you have any Adrien-centric angst fics? Like, fics that will completely gut you emotionally and you have to lay down for an hour after you read it just to decompress?something like that?

I've recced angst fics before, but let's have some SADRIEN hours around here, shall we?

a fight that you were born to lose by @captainkirkk

When the prosecution starts throwing around the word victim in reference to Adrien, he has to stuff his hands under his thighs to keep himself from bolting out of the courtroom.

Adrien had felt unsafe during those last few weeks, but, until he had woken up and seen Father silhouetted in his bedroom doorway, that had only been paranoia. Father was controlling and cold, but he wasn’t hateful. Adrien was isolated. He was often hungry. And some weeks ago, when he had snuck out to visit Nino, sitting thigh-to-thigh on his bed while Adrien cried in that silent, crumbling way of his, he hadn’t argued when Nino put a hand on his shoulder and said, tentatively, That’s abuse.

But Adrien remembers being small and Father touching his hair after he’d aced another test; Father holding his scribbled drawings like they were something precious, and framing them around his office; Father, dressed as Hawkmoth, his eyes wild behind the mask, lashing his sword against Adrien’s baton; Father, collapsed against Mum, crying into her ashy hair.

Adrien finds out Gabriel is Hawkmoth, and Gabriel gets to bring his long-waited plan into action.

One-shot. (But a LONG one-shot--it's 18k.) This one really digs deep into the abuse that Adrien suffers at Gabriel's hands and the emotional fallout from that. Gabriel is really, really, really terrible here. Worse, I don't think it's OOC at all. This fic is gorgeous, but it's a hard read and it goes to some dark places.

Anhedonia/When Adrien Met Marinette... by @mikauzoran

Chat Noir hadn’t been lying when he told Ladybug he’d moved on. It was only when he found out that Ladybug was Marinette that he realized he was wrong. Meanwhile, Marinette thinks that she’s missed her chance when Adrien insists that he’s gotten over his feelings. Now, they’re roommates and making themselves miserable as they pine for one another, thinking the situation’s hopeless. Things finally come to a head, and they’re forced to sit down and have an honest conversation about their feelings.

One-shot. Adrien's just so sad and lonely and pining here, and I'm here for it. I really found myself getting swept away in his feelings as I was reading. This isn't dark and doesn't get into any heavy issues like some of the other fics on this list, but I found that it was very relatable and evoked a lot of emotion.

Adrien and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by @vickyvicarious

Chat Noir's used to bad luck - it kind of comes with the territory. But detransforming in the middle of a crowd of reporters is a little worse luck than he’s used to having.

And he hasn’t heard a thing from Ladybug since.

(AKA the "everyone finds out all at once" angst fic no one asked for.)

One-shot. Oof, does this one ever hurt. Adrien's painfully in-character, and the way he's trying so very hard to stay positive even as his life is completely falling apart and everyone keeps hurting him...it's so him and it packs a punch.

The Importance of the Black Cat by @chatonne-rousse

Plagg gets down almost two full wedges of cheese before Adrien sits down on the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh.

“Hey, Plagg?” His voice is quiet but doesn’t betray any emotion yet. That’s actually more worrying.

Steeling himself, Plagg swallows the last big bite of cheese and zips from the desk to perch on top of the globe, facing his holder. “What’s up?”

He heaves another sigh before looking up into Plagg’s eyes, emotions still unreadable.

“How important is the black cat?”

*****

Adrien has a lot on his mind - concerns, questions, doubts. And right now, he has only one being to confide in. There is not enough cheese in the world to make Plagg want to handle this situation, but his holder needs him, and he knows two things with certainty: his very important place in the world, and that no one hurts his kitten. Not if he has anything to say about it.

One-shot. You want some season 4 flavour Adrien angst? How about some post-Optigami wallowing? I love the portrayal of Adrien and Plagg's relationship with the mix of light and heavy. Pretty sure I still owe Rosie a sequel to this one because I wanted to see more resolution afterwards and made the mistake of sharing my thoughts on that 🙈 It's just very thought-provoking!!

Working Past It by Taitai83

Chat is deeply hurt by Ladybug's actions, and he needs to process those feelings. He finds that confiding in a friend is helpful in finding clarity.

One-shot. Here, have some more season 4 angst! This one is shamefully overlooked. Go read it and help fix that!! Remember when Gang of Secrets came out and we all wondered how Chat would react when he found out Ladybug told someone her identity? This was an early stab at that, and I found the reactions and thought processes here to be so in character. Plus there's some nice marichat hurt/comfort, though purely platonic.

Timetagger 3 by rosebud1000

Years after Hawkmoth's defeat, Marinette and Adrien encounter Timetagger for the third time. And this battle hits closer to home than any other.

One-shot. Here we have some more of the fallout from Gabriel being a shitty parent, only we have an adult Adrien who is a father himself struggling to reconcile how his father acted with his own parental feelings. As a parent, I really felt this one.

Chat Noir's Family by fleurjaune

The thing is-

The thing is Adrien doesn’t actually mean to lie. Not at first anyway, but they have to keep their secret identities secret don’t they?

And his family, well, their tragedy is out there for the world to see and the world did see it.

One-shot. The more Chat lies about his life and his family, the more we learn about Adrien and see how he wishes his life was. And that chasm...really fucking hurts. I wish this sweet boy could have the kinds of relationships and family dynamics he lies about.

Partners by @karkalicious769

"Um." Alya fidgeted nervously as her earrings beeped their countdown. "Ask me a question that only Ladybug would know the answer to."

Chat Noir barred his teeth, and— Were they always that sharp? At least he wasn't growling again. "You are not Ladybug," he snapped.

"Just do it!"

It was all Alya had to go off of and she really needed to pull this partnership together before the akuma got any worse. She wasn't deluded enough to think that she could do this without Chat Noir.

One-shot. SPOILERS FOR HACK-SAN!!! And yet some more season 4 feels because let's be serious, this season is putting our kitty through the ringer. And this fic definitely does it, though by playing with the episode a little. Although we've got a tight Alya POV, Adrien's hurt and suffering is palpable, and made all the worse by how resigned he is. Read this and sufferrrrrr.

[purrincess-chat]

ML Big Bang: Adrien and the Ladytective: Who’s Working for Hawkmoth? CH3

It’s Ladrien Wednesday, which means it’s time for the next chapter of my BB story! If anyone has been following me a while, this chapter concept might look a tad familiar. I conceptualized it a couple years ago and decided to throw it in. A little reverse Troublemaker ;) RIP Adrien.

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Chapter 3

Adrien slumped through his routine the next day, going through each motion on autopilot while his mind wandered. He barely paid any mind to Gorilla ushering him into the car until the engine roared to life. Not even going to school was enough to cheer him up today.

Why did he have to open his stupid mouth? All he wanted was to tell Ladybug how amazing and smart and pretty she was, but he couldn’t do that because of his stupid identity. And now, his biggest goal in life—to finally exchange their secrets and know who the love of his life was under all those spots—was his biggest dread.

Ladybug probably hated him. If she found out who he was, she would totally remember him saying he didn’t want to date her, then she wouldn’t even give him a chance. She’d get swept up by some other guy who was cooler and better with words, then Adrien would spend the rest of his life locked in his father’s house pouting at a camera because that was his only useful skill. Then when he was too old and ugly to model, his father would probably just lock him in the basement, never to be let out, lest he bring shame to the whole family.

His life was over.

“Can you lighten up? All of your sadness is making it hard to enjoy my Camembert,” Plagg said, though he had no problem shoving a whole wedge down his gullet.

“Sorry. I just can’t stop thinking about how I screwed things up with Ladybug yesterday. She’ll never fall in love with me now.” Adrien leaned against his fist, watching buildings pass out the window of his town car.

“So apologize to her next time you see her. It’s not like you haven’t screwed up around her before,” Plagg said.

“Yeah, but that was as Chat Noir. I’ve specifically built his persona to be goofy and bumbling. Adrien is supposed to be the put together one, and I totally flaked.” Adrien rubbed his hands over his face. “Not only that, but I told her I’d never date her. What if she believed me? I was hoping this mission would be enough for her to see a different side of me and fall in love with me, but I bet she won’t even consider it now that I said all that stuff about danger and Hawkmoth.”

“Just give her a gift when you apologize. Girls love gifts. I’d personally recommend a sharp Cheddar or a Brie.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “I need advice from someone I can trust. Preferably someone who thinks about things other than cheese.”

“I’ll have you know that I don’t only think of cheese. Sometimes, I think about bread to go with my cheese!” Plagg huffed.

The car slowed to a stop in front of the school, and Adrien hopped out, taking the front steps two at a time. The courtyard was crowded, like always, with groups dotting nearly every corner of the room. Adrien didn’t want everyone to know he was in trouble because then everyone would want to know the story. He needed someone he could trust not to blab his secret to the whole school. Someone like…

“Good aftermorning, Adrien. I-I mean! Good mornoon! Nooning- ohh!” Marinette slapped a palm to her forehead.

“Marinette!” Adrien perked up. “You’re just the person I wanted to see.”

“Wai- really? Me?” She blinked in disbelief.

“I need some advice. Come with me.” Adrien took her hand and toted her up to the same secluded corner of the library Lila had taken him just days before. When she seemed uneasy, he flashed her an apologetic wince. “Sorry. I just don’t really want anyone else listening in. Is this okay?”

Marinette relaxed, taking the seat beside him with a kind smile. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well, there’s someone that I…care about, and I think I might have said something to upset her. I’m really not good at all of this stuff yet, so I don’t know how to fix it.” He explained, lowering his gaze to his lap. “She’s important to me, and I’m afraid I hurt her feelings.”

“I’m sure she knows you didn’t mean it.” Marinette assured him. “You’re so cute- I mean, sweet! And it’s clear that you didn’t do it on purpose.”

Adrien flicked his gaze up to meet hers with a frown. “So, what do you think I should do?”

“Just be open and honest and apologize to her. You’re so handsome- and sorry. You’re so sorry. I’m sure she’ll forgive you,” Marinette said.

“So, you don’t think she hates me?” Adrien asked.

Marinette smiled, reaching a timid hand out to touch his shoulder. “You’re a great guy, Adrien. Everyone knows you’d never intentionally cause harm. Talk to her, and she’ll forgive you. I promise.”

Adrien searched her expression, earnest and warm, and relaxed. He was right to pick Marinette. If anyone had experience saying the wrong thing, it was her. And she was right. Ladybug was the most amazing girl on the planet. She’d never stay mad at him over something so trivial.

“Thanks, Marinette.” Adrien pulled her in for a hug as the bell rang.

They both stood up and gathered their books, Marinette’s cheeks a rosy pink. Adrien shrugged it off as they walked to class together, more occupied with what he would say to his lady when he saw her again. He couldn’t wait to get back in her good graces.

The rest of his day went by smoothly after his conversation with Marinette. He passed their pop quiz in Mme. Mendeleiev’s class with flying colors, his team won the basketball game in gym class, and he even got picked to attend a special training camp for fencing over the summer. Some of his teammates were a bit bitter about it, but Adrien paid them no mind.

“I take it you figured out what to say to Ladybug since you’re in such a good mood?” Plagg asked, floating lazily above Adrien’s desk with a wedge of brie.

“I’ve been rehearsing an apology in my head all day. Marinette is right. If I tell Ladybug that I didn’t mean what I said, she won’t hold it against me. Besides, she’s the one always telling Chat Noir the same thing, so I’m sure she understood where I was coming from.” Adrien shrugged.

He stretched up to retrieve a photo from his trophy, smiling down at the newspaper clipping. She’d forgive him, then everything would work out. They’d figure out if Lila was working for Hawkmoth, take him down, reveal their identities, fall in love, get married-

Three knocks on his window drew his attention, and he swiveled to see her red suit dangling outside. He tucked the photo into his pocket, reaching for the remote to open the window.

“Hey,” he said as she touched down on the floor.

“Hey.” She waved, fastening her yoyo to her hip.

“Listen, I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn’t mean to imply that no one should ever date you because you’re a superhero.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re just so strong and smart and amazing. I get flustered when I’m around you sometimes, and I say the wrong thing.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I shouldn’t have stormed out like that either. Believe me, I know what it’s like to stick your foot in your mouth, and I know you didn’t mean any harm.”

“So, are we still partners?” Adrien asked.

Ladybug smiled and extended a fist to him. “Of course. Who else is going to help me catch this slippery fox?”

Adrien reached to touch his fist to hers, but a flash of white in his periphery drew his attention. Ladybug was in front of him in an instant, shoving him back a few paces to ready her yoyo.

“So, the rumors are true after all. You two are dating,” the akuma said.

“No, we’re not! Really, we’re just friends. Acquaintances, actually.” Adrien insisted.

“Yeah, totally. We are so not together, and Hawkmoth should absolutely not touch a hair on his head!” Ladybug said.

“I’m not here to pry into your love life, Adrien. I’m here to take what’s rightfully mine!” the akuma said. “You won’t be going to that training camp this summer—I will! My name is En Garde, and I’ll shred you to pieces!”

Ladybug deflected his attack, turning over her shoulder to call, “Hide in the bathroom! I’ll hold him off.”

She didn’t have to tell him twice.

Slamming the door shut, he opened his shirt for Plagg and issued the command without hesitation. Chat Noir climbed out the window, vaulting around to the other side where Ladybug was tussling with the akuma in his room.

“Looks like someone forgot to invite me to the party. Such a shame, these rich kids always have the best snacks,” he said.

“Feel free to jump in any time, kitty.” Ladybug tossed one of his trophies at the akuma, and Chat Noir’s back stiffened.

He needed to get them out of his room—fast.

“Uh, where is the Agreste kid? You should take him to safety.” Chat Noir suggested.

“Adrien is mine! Once I’ve eliminated him, M. D’Argencourt will have no choice but to send me to the training camp! But first, I’ll be taking your Miraculouses!” En Garde barked.

Chat Noir sighed, taking up post between Ladybug and the trophies on the shelves. He parried En Garde’s strikes, redirecting him across the room. He crashed through the TV, and Ladybug sprang toward him. En Garde recovered quickly, twisting to kick Ladybug out of the air. Chat Noir braced as she crashed into him, flinging them both back into his bookshelves.

Trophies teetered and fell, Chat’s stomach jumping up to his throat as dozens of photos rained to the ground at their feet. All of the action stopped, every eye fixed on his secret stash of pictures now splayed out in front of the last person he ever wanted to find them. He needed to do damage control. Fast.

“Wow, m’lady, looks like this Agreste kid is a big fan of yours,” he said.

“I knew you two were lying. You really are a couple!” En Garde smirked.

“I-” Ladybug blinked, cheeks rosier than her suit.

“Uhh, l-look, Ladybug! Adrien just ran out of the room. We should go after him and totally get out of his room right now,” Chat Noir said.

En Garde broke first, leaping toward the door. “I’ve just learned your weakness, Ladybug! If I capture your little boyfriend, you’ll surrender your Miraculous.”

“No!” Ladybug’s head snapped away from the photos as En Garde dashed from the room. “We have to go after him! We can’t let him get to Adrien.”

“Wow, you really do care about this boy, m’lady. Should I be jealous?” Chat Noir asked.

“Ugh, seriously? Adrien is just a…” Her eyes swept across the photos on the floor, and Chat’s pulse quickened. “He’s in danger. We have to protect him.”

“You’re right. We should go,” Chat Noir said.

As Ladybug raced after the akuma, Chat let out a ragged breath. There was no way he was getting out of this one. Ladybug saw his photos! The only option was to flee the country. Should he start packing his bags now? Unless she was also secretly into him. Was she? No. He didn’t have time to think about that. They needed to defeat this akuma before it revealed any more of his embarrassing secrets. Adrien would have to deal with Ladybug later.

Ugh, he just hoped she wasn’t disgusted with him. Misspeaking was one thing, but he would never recover from this.

***

Adrien left his window open that night. It was only a matter of time before Ladybug showed up, so he didn’t bother closing it. They defeated the akuma in record time after the mishap. Ladybug wanted to check on Adrien immediately after, but Chat Noir managed to convince her to recharge first. He was only delaying the inevitable, and part of him wished he’d let her come on a timer. They’d have plenty of time to talk about his secret photos now, and she’d have all the time in the world to tell him what a creep he was. He’d been too frazzled in the moment to think about it, too desperate to get her out of there. When was this rollercoaster of a day going to be over?

The whizz of her yoyo sent his heart into a sprint, bracing himself for the inevitable heartbreaking lecture. Somehow getting rejected as Adrien was way more nerve-wracking than any of his failed attempts as Chat Noir. He swallowed hard and turned to face her.

“Hey again,” he said with as much casualty as he could muster.

“Hey, you okay?” Ladybug asked.

No. He was absolutely mortified, but he plastered on a smile.

“Yeah, totally. I’m just glad the akuma never found me.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You, uh, did a great job defeating him.”

“Yeah…” Her gaze flicked to his trophies, and Adrien’s stomach flipped. “Listen, while we were fighting the akuma, Chat Noir and I knocked over some of your trophies and…”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure you guys messed up my room, but the Miraculous Ladybug fixed everything. It’s all good.” Why was he even pretending at this point? Plagg should just Cataclysm him now.

“Well, before that, we kind of found some pictures in one of them, and I was just wondering…” She twirled a pigtail around one finger.

“Those? Uh, yeah… Look, I’m really sorry. It’s just that I’m such a huge fan of you—and Chat Noir! You’ve saved my life so many times and done so much for the city.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “My father is kind of strict about the décor, so I have to keep those photos hidden. I hope it doesn’t bother you.”

That sounded convincing enough to him. But was it enough to fool her? He held his breath.

“Thank you. I’m flattered,” she said.

Adrien exhaled, flicking his gaze up to meet hers. Those crystal blue eyes were partially hooded, a small smile tugging at rosy cheeks. If only he could sneak a photo of that moment, he could have stared at her for hours.

“I should be thanking you for saving me. Again,” he said. “You really are amazing, Ladybug.”

“I’m glad you think so. I’m really happy you’re a fan of mine. I actually have pictures of you in my room too.” She admitted, then seeming to catch herself added, “I, uh, just- you, Clara Nightingale, Jagged Stone, ya know celebrities and stuff. It’s definitely not just pictures of you.”

Adrien wasn’t expecting that, but what a thrilling turn of events! His lady had pictures of him on her wall! And she didn’t totally hate him!

“Well, I’m flattered that the heroine of Paris is a fan of mine.” He gave a theatrical bow.

“Yeah… Something like that.” She clapped her hands together and gestured over her shoulder. “Anyway, I should probably go. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Right, yeah. I’m fine. Never better.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, far more at ease than he had been minutes prior, still reeling from Ladybug’s confession.

“We’ll regroup to talk about Lila soon,” she said.

“Of course. See you then.”

She rushed out the window without another word, and Adrien returned to his desk with a contented sigh. Somehow everything had worked out. He narrowly evaded two disasters in the same day, and now he had the added bonus of wondering what Ladybug’s bedroom looked like. Which pictures of him did she have on her walls? And how many? Did she stare at them as much as he stared at hers? Why did she look so beautiful when she blushed?

He was going to be up for a while.

[softyoongiionly]

BlackHeart Bakery

Who says Halloween can’t be romantic?

Pairing: Emo! Jungkook x Reader

Word Count: 3.7k

Genre: fluff

A/N: HI OMG IM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE. I love you, I hope you like it. I’m sorry it isn’t longer but, I still can’t wait for you to read it.

-you never imagined that the quirky lil bakery down the street from your university would change your life  

-But it did

-“Omg shut up, you’re so dumb.”

-“Rawr xD”

-“Did you just say rawr xD out loud??? That totally defeats the purpose of its existence...”

-“Don’t cite the deep magic to me witch, I was there when it was written.”

-“And now you’re quoting the chronicles of narnia- alright just go back to sleep you big dummy...”

-“Mmm but you married a big dummy so what does that say about you”

-“Jungkook don't spoil it oh my god!”

-“Like they don’t know what’s coming already- spoiler alert losers! I get the girl.”

-“I hate you...”

-“Mm yeah- I love it when you talk dirty to me baby. The last time you said that- we ended up fuc-“

-“Ok! That’s enough! Our story begins...”

-Jungkook’s bakery was quite famous around your city

-If people didn’t come for the gaudy Halloween decorations  

-They came for the music  

-Exclusively pop punk, if you’re wondering

-It was like 2009 everyday  

-Which was comforting, considering the world has gotten a little

-Tricky

-Since then

-But anyways

-If they didn’t come for the music or the decorations

-They came for the AMAZING espresso  

-And the spooky themed treats

-But if you’re being honest

-You think the main thing that keeps them coming back

-Is Jungkook  

-If his sweeping black hair didn’t get you

-Or the adorable cheeky twinkle in his eyes

-It was the tattoos and the piercings  

-He looked like he walked right off of a black veil brides music video set  

-He was hot

-This was obvious

-But he didn’t seem to think so

-You had come to the conclusion that he was oblivious  

-he shoved his feet into his big black doc martens every morning  

-Slipped on his beaded bracelets and studded chokers

-Pulled his fall out boy t-shirt over his

-Massive

-Tattooed

-Biceps

-And just thought hm

-I’m pretty average I guess (lol)

-That’s a direct quote from him btw

-Men truly are hopeless

-Jungkook opened the bakery two years ago

-He had mentioned to you that he had saved up money from his 3 part time jobs to put a down payment on the building  

-Which was wedged between a sex shop

-And a thrift store

-And honestly his bakery

-Blackheart Bakery, if you’re being specific  

-Fits right in

-Jungkook refuses to hire new staff

-“They won’t do it right.” He whined to you one day

-“One time I tried to hire this guy and he put the sugared googly eyes on the cookie skeletons ALL WRONG”

-“How do you put googly eyes on wrong?” You had giggled

-“you just do- i- See? This is exactly why I can’t hire anyone...”

-You had started chewing on the end of your pencil in the midst of your laughter

-It was an unconscious habit

-And it makes Jungkook shift uncomfortably, his hands moving off of the top of your table

-“Don’t do that...” he had muttered, smirking to himself as he walked back behind the counter  

-he did that a lot

-He’d mutter something  

-Mildly flirtatious under his breath and then  

-Just walk away

-It was quite confusing

-But honestly you had a feeling he was just a filrty person  

-You certainly weren’t the only girl he smirked at

-Not that you pay attention

-Ok  

-Maybe you do  

-Kinda  

-Pay attention  

-but it’s not your fault!!!!  

-You just  

-Can’t help but feel a little jealous

-You kiiiiiinda have a little thing for him

-Ok

-Maybe it’s a big thing  

-Maybe it’s a massive

-Gigantic

-Towering  

-Crush  

-But look at him!!!

-You simply couldn’t be blamed

-It was his fault  

-Yep

-That’s what you’re going with

-It was Jungkook

-And his tight t shirts

-His ripped jeans

-His dangly earrings

-His tattoos

-His big

-Stupid boots

-Ugh ok

-Focus  

-You have work to do

-The whole reason you began coming to Jungkook's cafe was so you -could find a consistent place to study for your exams

-You were in school to become a teacher :)  

-And teachers have to study very very hard  

-Educating the youth is no easy feat  

-Jungkook had asked what you were studying during the first week you arrived at his spooky house of baked goods

-“Oh I’m an education major”

-“Ahh so you’re getting an education about...education.” He concludes

-“I love it.”

-“So meta.”

-“Are they educating you on the disparities between impoverished children and wealthier children?”

-His wide eyes were brimming with genuine curiosity  

-You kind of got a kick out of how candid he was about such heavy conversation topics

-“Not as much as they should be but, I’m actually writing a paper on a similar topic right now...”

-This caused a brilliant grin to come over his face

-It was almost blinding really

-And it made your heartbeat all wonky  

-“Of course you are. You look smart like that...”

-He had backed away from your table then, seemingly satisfied

-Had you passed the vibe check?

-“I’ll leave you to your paper.” He nodded to your laptop but as he walked away, he pivoted back towards you on and the heel of his combat boot, “welcome to Blackheart Bakery by the way, let me know if I can get you anything.”

-Another brilliant smile is sent your way  

-“Thank you.” You had smiled back, sending a tiny wave his way

-Which in turn, made HIS heartbeat all wonky  

-You’re cute

-Like really cute

-And despite how often it may seem like his eyes are elsewhere

-They are ALWAYS on you

-Every chance he gets he is glancing your way

-Smirking to himself at how endearing you are

-Brow furrowed

-Lips pouted in concentration  

-Completely oblivious to his gaze

-He has to remind himself to look away  

-He doesn’t want to be a creep

-“Creepy men deserved to get kicked in the teeth...”

-He’s said this to you before when another patron had made you uncomfortable

-Jungkook kicked him out immediately  

-“If you don’t leave, I’ll have no choice but to kick you in the teeth. One, because I can’t compromise my personal philosophy and two because you’re making my favorite customer uncomfortable.”

-Oh look there goes your heartbeat again

-WONKY

-The guy leaves in an angry rush, flipping Jungkook off in the process

-Saying something about leaving a bad Yelp review  

-He doesn’t care tho

-He definitely doesn’t want to be a creep

-You’re just so  

-Pretty

-Ugh

-He rolls his eyes at himself behind the espresso bar

-The latte in front of him neglected  

-In need of a bit of foam

-“Focus Jeon, she’s just a chick...”

No wait

-“She’s just a woman. A woman who I respect, like I respect all women...”

-He’s been watching a lot of feminist theory on YouTube

-He likes staying educated  

-And also fuck the patriarchy

-The man waiting for his drink has arched a brow at this point, wondering if his barista has lost his mind

-“Uhhh medium...” he checks the cup for his awful hand writing, “ghostly toasted marshmallow latte!”

-“Thanks.” The guy mutters, throwing a judging look Jungkook's way  

-He gives him a lazy salute as the guy struts away with a briefcase in tow

-“Thaaanks.” Jungkook mocks him, his face scrunching up in annoyance  

-Stupid man

-With his stupid briefcase  

-As Jungkook is pulling out a batch of cream cheese frosting stuffed pumpkin muffins  

-Or as Jungkook calls them

-PUNK-in Muffins

-Movement at the counter catches his eye

-is that

-”oh shit...” He grunts, hastily wiping his hands on his apron and rushing over to the counter

-normally he would meander

-stroll

-or even slump to greet any new guests at this hour

-and by this hour

-he means 45 minutes before closing

-Jungkook’s bakery is open til midnight on weeknights

-9pm on Sundays

-and 3am on Saturdays (for the culture of course, gotta keep it spooky)

-tonight happens to be a Friday night and the person awaiting his assistance is

-you

-”You’re still here?” He gawks, the black polish on his nails glimmering as he punches in a few keys on the register

-You offer him a tired and slightly amused smile, “No. Y/N died around 4:30, you’re speaking to her ghost. Please leave your message after the tone.”

-Jungkook cracks a smile, his palms resting on flat on the counter, “Do ghosts check their voicemails?”

-“Oh of course not but, I will be checking yours because you have access to caffeine.”

-Jungkook laughs

-no...he giggles  

-and it’s fucking cute

-but you digress

-“I feel like I should cut you off...this is your 4th latte; I’m pretty sure you’re 80% caffeine at this point...”

-“Noooo, don’t do that.” You whine slumping against the counter, “I just need to finish this one page...”

-He quirks a brow as he scribbles something on your cup, unimpressed with your statement, “You said that three hours ago. I’ll make you another one but I’m not putting an extra shot in.”

-Your face turns up in protest but he click his tongue against his teeth , shaking a manicured finger at you

-“Ah ah- nope. I don’t want to hear it. You either take that or I’m making you a hot chocolate and shutting the buildings power off.”

-With a dramatic sigh, you concede

-“Ugh fine. Here-” You go to hand him your debit card but he shakes his head

-“Put that away.”

-You want to protest but given the fact that he’s made the rules thus far during this interaction, you doubt you’d be able to stop him.

-A smile appears on your face then, appreciative of his generosity

-“Thank you.”

-He merely grins, waving you off before rolling up the sleeves of his black Blink 182 shirt

-as soon as his tattoos are out

-all the moisture leaves your mouth

-you try your hardest not to stare at him

-expertly, he eases the espresso shots into the milk, tongue poking between his lips in concentration

-and you

-being sleep-deprived

-and a little loopy

-decide to  

-flirt????????

-if you could even call it that

-which you could but you shouldn’t

-“For the record, when I finally dig my way out of this of mountain of death I’m stuck in, I will definitely take you up on that hot chocolate...”

-Jungkook’s brow quirks at the tone of your voice, his hands suddenly itching with nerves

-was that

-was that flirty?

-should he flirt back?

-“My hot chocolate is legendary. You won’t be disappointed.” His lips display a small grin as he places the lid atop your finished latte, “Also mountain of death is a great name and I WILL be stealing it.”

-You giggle

-again

-“and I WILL be suing you for copyright.”

-He laughs now, wiping up the bit of milk he spilled

-the sinewy muscles in his forearm tensing and untensing

“Good luck getting me to show up to court.”

-and that’s kinda how it was between you and Jungkook

-for like six months

-it was a little bit flirty but never anything to push either over you over the edge.

-and speaking of being on edge

-recently, you had gone from vacationing in your timeshare on the edge

-to signing a 35 year mortgage contract  

-4 bedrooms

-2.5 bathrooms

-of pure

-unrelenting

-stress

-you could feel it in the middle of your back

-shoving itself up between your shoulder blades

-your body seemed to ache with it

-the worst part being

-it was Halloween

-You should be out with your friends, having fun

-wearing itchy costumes and drinking sugary drinks

-but instead, your headed towards the bakery to work

-Jungkook was behind the counter, smiling happily at a family dressed like the cast of scooby doo

-from what you could see he was wearing a skeleton onesie

-his jet black hair tousled perfectly above his head

-he looked adorable

-(and hot)

-He notices you instantly, his face turning up in surprise

-you offer up a small wave and head over to your table

-you know he’s going to say something about you being there but

-you don’t really have much of a choice

-this work has to be done

-it takes him a second to spot you but when he does

-he seems to perk up

-his smile brightening as he looks back towards his customer

-as you’re setting everything up, you feel a presence (not the spooky kind) at the end of your table

-it’s Jungkook and he has your regular order in one hand, along with something wrapped in skeleton-patterned parchment paper

-“I know, I know.” You acknowledge before he’s even able to chide you for being here

-He smirks “What are you doing studying on the holiest day of the year??”

-You giggle

-“The holiest day of the year huh?”

-“Of course. Halloween is the one night a year that the homies can dress like total -sluts and no one can say anything about it.”

-This makes you giggle again

-“And you went with slutty skeleton huh? I love it- it’s like as naked as you can possibly get.”

-He chuckles, gesturing to his costume

-His floppy black hair getting in his face

-“Damn right baby.”

-The way he grins tells you the pet name is a joke

-But the deepening of his voice gets to you anyway

-“Thank you for this. I promise I’ll get out of your hair early tonight.”

-“The only thing I’m worried about getting out of my hair is this white spray paint. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

-He’s put a streak of white spray paint in his raven locks

-Why? You’re not certain

-Does it look good on him, like everything else does?

-Absolutely

-Its been a few hours since your night of studying began

-Jungkook’s dropped off two free lattes since you’ve arrived  

-As well as a slice of his ‘I write cinnamon not tragedies’ bread

-Which was equally hilarious and delicious

-You caught him glancing over at your table a few times but you didn’t think anything of it

-He’s probably just checking to make sure that no one needs your table

-His bakery is packed most nights but Halloween is a special night at Blackheart Bakery

-He has a trick or treat counter set up with free (homemade) candy

-A photo op complete with a fake haunted house backdrop

-A Halloween playlist

-And a bunch of discounts on his signature lattes and food

-you watch him amongst the chaos

-He is completely unfazed

-He seems elated at the amount of customers he has

-he grins and laughs at something a man dressed like Thor says at his counter

-he seems entirely in his element

-you realize that the denial tactics you’ve been trying out haven’t been working

-because this floppy haired, tattooed, slutty skeleton/baker kind of has a hold on your heart

-you’ve been friends for a long time now

-he always makes sure you’re taken care of

-he always asks if you’re ok

-he always gives you this little grin

-it feels like a secret sometimes

-but maybe it’s been his way of letting you know where he stands

-he’s been bringing you lattes and pastries for months now

-he never charges you full-price

-he always reminds you not to work too hard

-he

-fuck

-he likes you doesn’t he?

-you look back over at the counter to see him bending over and handing a skeleton cookie to a little girl dressed like Captain Marvel

-he laughs at something she says

-his eyes focused entirely on her and whatever she seems to be proclaiming to him  

-your heart goes wonky again

-alright

-enough is enough

-you’re doing this  

-Jungkook’s done so much of the work thus far

-it’s time for you to seal the deal

-and if he rejects you, well…

-you can just crawl into a hole and never come out again

-easy peasy

-You can feel his eyes on you as you get up to take your place in line

-luckily there isn’t anyone else behind you

-rejection with an audience would certainly be worse

-Jungkook has his witty comment ready for you as you approach the register

-“I know for a fact you haven’t finished your third latte and I’m not making you another one until-“

-“I’m not here for another latte.” You laugh, trying to ignore the thrashing of your heartbeat

-“No? Well, are you finally going to try my Welcome to the Blackened Chicken Parade Burger then? I’ve been asking you for like three weeks…”

-god he’s fucking cute

-“I’m here to ask you out.”

-Jungkook swears he feels his heart stop

-“You’re here to…”

-He repeats the first part of your response as his he didn’t hear you

-his black fingernails anxiously tapping against the countertop

-“I’m here to ask you out- on a date.”

-Jungkooks face seems to go through various stages of confusion before a shy smirk presents itself on his pretty mouth

-“Me? You’re asking me-“ He places a hand on his chest, “-out on a date?”

-“Yes!” You laugh, slapping the counter a bit too hard, your nerves getting the best of you, “Are you down?”

-He shakes his head but his answer contradicts his movements

-“So down, beyond down. There is no one on Earth who is more DOWN than I am. Yes. My answer is yes. 50000% yes.”

-you can’t help the smile on your lips

-“great. So are you free next Friday then?”

-He grins with his teeth this time, nodding emphatically  

-“Consider the shop closed.”

-and so it was

-you returned to your table moments later  

-feeling on top of the world

-you did it

-you asked Jungkook out

-and he said yes

-and now you

-NOW YOU HAVE A DATE WITH JUNGKOOK

-LOOK AT YOU GO

-TAKING CHARGE

-you try your best to engage with your studies but with Jungkook on your mind

-its really hard

-roughly two hours later, things at the bakery have finally started to slow down

-“Hey uh- Y/N?”

-Jungkook's voice that pulls you out of your studying trance

-he’s standing at the entrance of his back room, waving you over with his hand

-and who are you to deny him?

-you make your way over there, annoyed at the instant increase in your heartrate

-he stands awkwardly to the side and gestures to the boxes on the metal rack

-“I just remembered that I’ve never given you a tour of the place. I give all my regulars a tour of the stockroom and my office and uh-”

-he cuts himself off and clumsily cups your cheek

-he pulls you into a kiss

-a really good kiss

-his lips are so warm

-he smells like cinnamon

-you could literally die happy

-The ridiculous nature of his first attempt to kiss you, makes you giggle into his mouth

-you feel him smile, his hands smushing your cheeks together as he pulls away

-“Ok I lied. There is no tour. I’ve just been watching you focus on your computer for the last two hours and you’re just really fucking cute and-”

-this time, it’s you who cuts him off

-“You better give me an actual tour next time. How else am I going to steal your secret recipes?”

-he scoffs in mock offense

-“Ah ha! So that’s the only reason you asked me out huh? Should I be calling you Plankton instead of Y/N? Ew no wait- that would make me Mr. Krabs and he’s a dirty capitalist...”

-You laugh, “Oooh good point. Guess you’ll just have to be Karen, my computer wife.”

-This makes him laugh now and the sound warms your soul

-“I could live with that- I like your last name better anyways.”

-with another kiss, your adventure with the emo baker of your dreams begins

-It may have been Halloween but it sure felt like Christmas to you

[loghainmactirs-archive]

OC PROFILE

Tagged by: @voelds​. Thank you, my love! Tagging: any moots!

GENERAL

Name: Aenorean Surana.

Alias[es]: Nor/Nori (Leli’s pet name for her), Warden-Commander.

Gender: Non-binary woman (she/they).

Age: 20 in 9:30 Dragon, 34 in 9:44.

Date of birth: Nubulis 12th, 9:10 Dragon.

Place of birth: Denerim, the Alienage.

Hometown: Denerim, though she hardly remembers it, considering the Circle to be their home.

Spoken language[s]: The King’s Tongue.

Sexual preference: Lesbian.

Occupation: Warden-Commander of Ferelden.

APPEARANCE

Eye colour: Green.

Hair colour: White blonde.

Height:  162.56 cm / 5′4.

Scars: Standard Blood Magic scars, though they’ve all healed and are mainly condensed on her hand.

FAVOURITE

Colour: Dark blue & black.

Hair colour: Redheads <3

Song: There Are Some Remedies Worse Than the Disease • This Will Destroy You / Tranquility • Collapse Under The Empire. Not so much their favourites, but ones I heavily associate with her.

Food: At first, classic Ferelden dishes like lamb & pea stew, cheese by the wedge, and pickled eggs. Once she gets out in the world and after the Blight, she visits Orlais with Leliana and picks up a taste for butter soup, sweets, and baked goods (specifically The Blessed Apple. Literally just Orlesian apple pie). 

Drink: Dandelion Wine! After she convinces the City Elves of Orlais to let them try some.

HAVE THEY

Passed university: Does completing the Harrowing and saving the Circle count?

Had sex: Yes.

Had sex in public: Yes 👀

Gotten pregnant: No.

Kissed a boy: To make sure she was gay.

Kissed a girl: Yes.

Gotten tattoos: A horrible and wrongly done vallaslin of Dirthamen that her and her Dalish friend thought would be a good idea. The ink is completely faded and only the scar is left. More scarification than tattoo.

Gotten piercings: Two cartilage piercings in her right ear!

Been in love: Once, still is.

Stayed up for more than 24 hours: Absolutely.

ARE THEY

A virgin: No

A cuddler: Won’t admit it, but begs to be little spoon.

A kisser: Yes, but not in public.

Scared easily: Sometimes.

Jealous easily: No.

Dominant: Switch™️

Submissive: Switch™️

In love: Yes.

Single: Married to Leliana the minute the Blight ended. She realised how close she had come to dying, even with the Ritual performed, and they decided they didn’t want to wait any longer. 

RANDOM QUESTIONS [tw for self harm/suicide mention!]

Have they harmed themselves: Blood mage, so you tell me!

Thought of suicide: A few times.

Attempted suicide: Never.

Wanted to kill someone: Yes, and has.

Have / had a job: Warden-Commander, baby.

Have any fears: Dying before she can find the cure, never seeing Leliana again, and the dark rot caused by the Taint that is spreading up their left arm. She also used to fear being made Tranquil.

FAMILY

Sibling[s]: None.

Parent[s]: She remembers her mother’s name as Fenora, but has no recollection of her father.

Children: Her and Leli’s nugs

Significant other: Leliana

Pets: Barkspawn the Mabari, several nugs, and a Blighted raven that scouts the path ahead and delivers messages to Leliana for her.

[gryffindorcls]

Step In The Light

Summary: While on patrol, Adrien notices that his Lady is nervous and upset, so he gives her a good luck charm that had been gifted to him by a "very good friend". In return, she helps him realize that he was in love with the giftee all along. Length: 5,936 words Hello, lovely readers! This was written for the 2020 JV Art and Fic Trade on Discord. There is accompanying art for this fic by @supergirl9130.  Be on the look-out for it soon! The song featured in this is "Extra Ordinary" sung by Lucy Hale from “Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song”. Enjoy! (Shout out to my betas for this fic, @falling-oceans and @chanceuseladynoire!) --- AO3

Fanfiction

“Hey, Chat, do you think we could skip patrol tomorrow?” Ladybug’s words stopped Adrien in his tracks.

Worry poked at the back of his mind as he gave his partner a once over. He could feel a crease setting in his brow as he watched Ladybug look at the ground and shift between her feet.

“Is everything alright?” He took a step towards her. “You never cancel patrol at the last minute.”

Ladybug clutched her yo-yo against her chest and shook her head. “I’m fine! I just have to do something tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? You seem kind of upset.” She looked like she needed a hug.

With a groan, she slumped and buried her face in her hands. “Ugh, yeah. Please don’t worry about me. I’m just really nervous. It’s something I’ve never done before, and I hope I don’t make a complete fool out of myself.”

Adrien slung his arm over Ladybug’s shoulders and pulled her close. “My lady, you are one of the most amazing people I know. You’ve shown the world time and time again that you can do anything you set your mind to.”

Her muscles relaxed under his touch, sending his heart into a frenzy. Even though he was doing his best to move on from his crush, there were still some residual feelings that caused a few involuntary reactions. However, Adrien knew that Ladybug needed him to be his friend, and he was determined to fill that role.

He was grateful for how his friendship had evolved with his partner since she’d become the Guardian in Master Fu’s stead. Even though they had been comfortable around each other for a long time, now that their mentor was gone, their trust in each other had increased exponentially, and lately, his Lady seemed to enjoy their casual touches far more than she used to. Today was no exception.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chat, but I’m not so sure I can do it this time.” Ladybug scooted closer to him and nuzzled against his side.

He swallowed and tried not to focus on the feeling of her head pressed against his collarbone. “And why is that?”

“Because I’m a klutz, and I just know something is going to go wrong.”

“You a klutz? No…”

She laughed. “Yeah, Tikki definitely helps me stay on my feet. I’ll have you know that when I’m not wearing a magical suit that enhances my reflexes, I’ve been known to trip on air. One time, I walked into the same door three times after spilling coffee on my best friend and dropping all my books down the stairs.”

“Oof.” He stifled a chuckle. “I’m sorry to hear that, but if it’s any consolation, clumsiness is an endearing quality.”

“Is that so?”

“Yup, there’s this girl in my class who’s kind of clumsy, and I know she gets embarrassed, but it’s honestly adorable.”

“You might think it’s adorable, but it seems to get worse when I’m nervous. I don’t know how cute it’s going to be if I wind up tripping and destroying everything in the room. I’m a disaster.”

“An adorable disaster.” He corrected, his lips curling into a smile that hurt his cheeks. “Just like Mar...I mean, my friend.”

“It sounds like she and I would get along.” Adrien could still hear the worry in her voice.

“Probably. You two are a lot alike.” He tapped his chin. “Well, except for the fact that she always seems to freak out when she’s around me. She’s amazing though. She’s smart, talented, generous, and an incredible friend. You would like her.”

Ladybug pulled away from him, crossed her arms, and smirked. “Ooooh! Does someone have a crush?”

Heat rushed to his cheeks, forcing Adrien to turn his head away from hers. “No! She’s just a friend.”

“Ugh, if I had a euro for every time I heard my crush say that about me, I’d be richer than he is.” She leaned back. “Poor girl. You’ve probably broken her heart every time she’s heard you say that.”

“What do you mean?”

“My brain stops working every time I’m near my crush, and if she’s as nervous as you’re saying she is, this girl is probably madly in love with you.”

Adrien fixed his eyes on the ground below and tried to process Ladybug’s words.

I can’t be in love with Marinette.

True, she’s the kindest and sweetest girl he’d ever met in his entire life, and he’d be lying if the idea of dating her hadn’t crossed his mind in the past. But she’d told him that she didn’t have feelings for him...unless she’d been lying. She didn’t like him like that. Marinette was…

“Just a friend,” he whispered to himself.

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Ladybug nudged him with her elbow. “Just something to think about, kitty.”

“But you’re the only girl I’ve ever fallen in love with. I mean, it’s different now, but still, I’ve never really loved someone the way I loved you.”

“I’ve recently learned that love comes in many different forms. Even the romantic kind. Maybe you love her, too, and you just haven’t realized it yet?”

“Hmmm...I guess that could be true. But what do these other loves feel like?”

“I don’t know. I think it depends on the person. Honestly, I wish someone had this conversation with my crush. It sure would have made things a lot eas...OH NO.” Her hands flew to her face and all the color drained from her cheeks. “That’s going to make things even worse!”

Startled by her reaction, Adrien pulled her back into a hug. Her body trembled in his embrace, driving a wave of panic through his chest.

He held her tighter. “What’s wrong?”

“My crush.” Her rasped words barely made it past her lips. “He might be there. I don’t know, but if he is...I can’t do this, Chat.”

“Come here, my lady.” With his arms still wrapped around her, Adrien held her until the tension in her muscles began to subside. “I’m here.”

“I can’t even get through a sliding glass door when I’m with him! I really am going to ruin everything!”

“No, you’re not.”

“I might.”

“Well, if you’re anything like the girl I know and you do break something, I can guarantee that your friends will still like you. I think it’s literally impossible to not like her.”

“Yeah, but I’m not her.”

It would be nice if you were. Adrien shook his head. NO. Stop that! Marinette is just a friend. Ladybug is sad. FOCUS.

He wracked his brain for a solution to her problem.

What would Marinette do?

The idea hit him like a truck. “Sounds like you could use a good luck charm.”

If his lady needed a little extra luck, he was going to give it to her.

“I’ll be right back. Wait right here!” He hopped onto his feet, scurried behind a chimney, and called off his transformation.

“Kid, what are you doing now?” Plagg groaned. “At least tell me you brought some cheese for me to eat before you make me transform you back.”

Adrien shook his head and reached into his coat pocket. “Ladybug needs my help.”

“Uh-huh.” Plagg crossed his arms. “And it’s not something you can do while you’re still Chat Noir?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll transform again before I go back.” He fished around for a few seconds before pulling out his “Marinette Lucky Charm” and waving it in front of his Kwami’s face. “I just needed to get this.”

Plagg’s eyes grew wide. “Uhh, what exactly are you planning on doing with that?”

“I’m going to give it to her.”

“To who?”

“Ladybug.”

“Oh, no, Adrien, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You could accidentally…” Plagg was cut off by a shrill ring that pierced to the silence.

Adrien fumbled around his pockets until he found the culprit behind the noise. He pulled his cellphone into the night air and silenced it by smashing his fingers against the screen.

“Whew, that was a close one.” He repocketed his phone and looked at Plagg. “Okay, what were you saying? I have to get back to Ladybug soon.”

"Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was going to say..." Plagg was cut off again.

Adrien’s phone buzzed in rapid succession, prompting him to take it out once more. He swiped his fingers across his lock screen, he squinted as the space around him illuminated.

Nino: [20:17] dude

Nino: [20:17] DUDE

Nino: [20:17] why aren’t you picking up ur phone??

Nino: [20:17] DUDEEEEEE

Nino: [20:18] I need to know if you’re going to the masked singer jr thing @ school tomorrow

Nino: [20:18] alya is about to buy tickets

Nino: [20:18] she needs to know if we should get 2 or 3

Messages continued to bombard his phone as he desperately tried to type out a response.

Nino: [20:18] do you think ur dad will let you go?

Nino: [20:19] alya is telling me that she needs an answer RIGHT NOW...like immediately

Nino: [20:19] bro?????

“What is it now?” Plagg hovered above Adrien’s phone. “Don’t you have to get back to patrol?”

“Yeah, I do.” With a frustrated huff, Adrien pulled out a wedge of Camembert and tossed it to his Kwami. “But I just need a few minutes, okay? Then we can talk before I go back.”

Plagg shrugged, landed on Adrien’s shoulder, and began devouring the cheese. "You know what, kid, do whatever you want. It's about time we moved on from all of this nonsense anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean? If you have something you need to say, just say it. I’ll stop texting and listen."

"Doesn't matter anymore. Carry on."

Doing his best to ignore the chewing next to his ear, he finally managed to compose a response before Nino had the chance to send any more messages.

Adrien: [20:20] Tickets for the what?

Nino: [20:20] THE BOY LIVES

Nino: [20:20] alya was getting ready to BLITZ ur phone

Nino: [20:21] you lucked out my dude

Nino: [20:21] can u come with us??

Adrien: [20:21] I don’t know what you’re talking about

Nino: [20:21] it’s for that singing competition based off that tv show 

Nino: [20:22] there’s been flyers for it all over the school

Adrien closed his eyes and tried to picture one of the flyers that Nino was talking about, but nothing popped into his mind. He’d been relatively out of it over the past few weeks. His father had pulled him out of school for countless photoshoots, and every time he’d actually attended class, he’d been too tired to function. However, with his father out of town and his evening free from patrol duties, the thought of unwinding at an event with his friends sounded really nice.

Adrien: [20:23] I still don’t know what that is, but it sounds cool!

Nino: [20:23] so that’s a yes??? 

Adrien: [20:23] Yeah

Nino: [20:24] SWEET! it starts at 8

Nino: [20:24] alya is making signs for us to wave

Nino: [20:24] she’ll give you one when we meet up tomorrow

Adrien: [20:24] Signs?

Nino: [20:25] yeah for marinette

Marinette.

Just reading her name on his screen made his heart skip a beat.

Marinette was going to be there.

Ladybug’s words rang through his head, but he shook them away. Marinette was definitely just a friend. He was looking forward to seeing his friend, and he knew that the feeling in his chest was a totally normal response to his excitement.

Nino: [20:25] marinette lost a bet or something and now she’s singing tomorrow

Nino: [20:25] that’s why alya is trying to snag these last minute tix

“Chat?” Ladybug’s voice carried across the rooftop, giving Adrien the push he needed to wrap up his texting conversation. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! I’ll be right there! Don’t come over!” Adrien called back, tapping his fingers furiously on the keyboard.

Adrien: [20:26] Sounds good! I’ll see you tomorrow!

He shoved the phone back into his pocket, called for his transformation, and ran back to Ladybug.

As he approached her, he noticed that her eyes were filled with concern. “Are you sure everything’s okay? You were behind the chimney for an awfully long time.”

“Oh, yeah that...don’t worry about it.” He waved his hands dismissively before holding out his lucky charm in an open palm. “Anyway, this is for you. I think you need it more than I do.”

Instead of seeing the smile on her face that he’d been expecting, Ladybug stared intently at the charm in his hand, as if she were waiting for it to explode or spontaneously combust. She sat quiet and unmoving, and Chat began to fear that she had been turned into a statue by an unseen Akuma.

“M-my lady?” He swallowed in an attempt to combat the desert that had suddenly appeared in his mouth, but his efforts proved to be fruitless. “Did you want to borrow it?”

Her eyes remained locked on the charm. “Chat, where did you get that?”

“Well, I got it from that friend I was talking about. The girl in my class?” Using his other hand, he scratched the back of his neck. “You know, the one you think I have a crush on.”

“Oh my God.” She opened and closed her mouth a few times. “This isn’t happening.”

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to take it.” He closed his hand around the charm and began to retract his arm.

“No!” She grabbed his hand. “I want it, but…”

“What is it?”

“I-”

“My lady, are you okay?”

Her eyes flitted up, locking their gazes together. “I need to know something.”

“Ummm, okay?” His internal body temperature rose under her unwavering stare. “What...uh...what is it?”

“Have you ever imagined yourself in a romantic relationship with the girl who gave you that charm?”

“I don’t understand.”

She took a deep breath. “Okay, let me put it this way, have you ever thought to yourself ‘I wonder what it would be like to go on a date with her’ and then played it out in your head?”

Of course, I have.

“I, uhh…” He swallowed again.

It’s Marinette. But she’s just a friend.

“Chat, I need an answer.” The desperation written on her features did not ease his frazzled nerves. “Please.”

“She’s just a friend.” His words were beginning to sound like a lie. “She’s always been just a friend.”

She leaned in. “Are you sure?”

“No.” His response tumbled out before he had the chance to censor his thoughts.

Adrien clamped his free hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. She’s just a friend. Marinette is just a friend. There was no way that she was anything more than just a friend...right?

“You love her.” Ladybug looked away, smiled towards the heavens, and released a tear-filled laugh. “You really love her.”

“I...love her?”

His brain was slowly arriving at the solution to a problem that had been plaguing his subconscious for months. Loving Ladybug had created a hazy and beautiful cloud that consumed his thoughts and dreams, but embracing the idea of loving Marinette swept the confusion away. True, he’d always love his Lady, but he could no longer deny the ever-present voice screaming the truth in the back of his mind.

“I love her.” He arched his back, held up his arms, and declared it to the heavens. “I love her!”

“Yes, you do. You really do!” She launched herself at him and pulled him into a tight embrace. “I’m so happy!”

“You are?”

“Yes! I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long. I just...I never thought it would happen like this. Oh, Chat I…” She stopped and pulled away. “I might cry.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you’d be so happy to see me paired off with someone else.” He snorted. “Should I be insulted?”

“No! No, I just...I’m sorry. My words...I…”

“My lady, are you okay?”

“What? I’m freight! I mean grine! I mean...NO…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m fine. I’m just so happy. You have no idea.”

“You sound just like her right now.”

He closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to wander back to Marinette. A familiar warmth filled his chest and made his heart soar. It was a feeling that he’d lost the day his mother disappeared. It felt safe. It felt secure. It felt like home.

But his happiness proved to be short-lived as a second realization hit him like a tsunami. “But she’s in love with someone else...just like you are. I can’t go through something like that again.”

“She’s not.” Ladybug shook her head. “You keep comparing her to me, and, kitty, if she’s anything like me, I can promise that she loves you.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.” She reached out and gently pulled the charm free from his grip before standing up and unsheathing her yo-yo. “I’m suddenly feeling a lot more confident now. I have to go, but I promise to give this back to you the next time I see you.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Chat hopped onto his feet. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“No, thank you, Chat Noir.” She clutched the charm against her chest. “For being the coolest cat I know.”

“I guess I am pretty paw-some.” He pretended to flip his hair, eliciting a giggle from his partner.

“My wonderful, dorky, Chaton.” She tossed her yo-yo and hooked the wire around a chimney on an adjacent rooftop. “See you soon.”

“Good luck tomorrow!” He called out as she swung off the roof and into the distance.

***

That night, sleep became his enemy as thoughts of Marinette bombarded his mind. Adrien tossed and turned for what seemed like an endless number of hours before falling into a fitful, dreamless slumber. When the alarm on his phone woke him up, he wanted nothing more than to throw it across the room and sleep for another week.

But he knew that staying in bed was not an option. If he didn’t get ready, he wouldn’t be able to go to school. If he didn’t go to school, he wouldn’t see Marinette. And if he didn’t see Marinette, then there was a good chance that his head might explode.

With a groan, he pulled himself out of bed, brushed his teeth, and managed to find an outfit that matched before grabbing a piece of toast and hopping into his family’s car. During the short journey, he closed his eyes and rested against the cool glass.

By the time he reached the school, he was half asleep and was barely aware of his surroundings as he made his way to the classroom. He’d grumbled a few half-hearted hellos to his friends before slumping into his chair and putting his head in his arms. It wasn’t until Marinette came barreling into the classroom five minutes after class started that he snapped out of his sleep-deprived haze.

Despite finally feeling awake, school was a nightmare. The knowledge that Marinette was sitting behind him drove him to the brink of insanity. She was only a few feet away, and there was nothing that he could do about it in the middle of class.

At lunch, she’d run back home to finish her costume, leaving him with no other option but to go home and eat. As he sat alone at his dining room table, he considered how life would be different with Marinette as his girlfriend.

If they’d been a couple, then he most likely wouldn’t be sitting by himself in an empty, loveless room. He’d probably been dragged over to her house and been allowed to watch as she excitedly put together her costume for the show. He’d have been granted the opportunity to become a part of her inner world, a place that he knew was full of creativity and wonder. He’d have been there to celebrate her little victories and encourage her through her downfalls. He wouldn’t have been alone.

And he didn’t want to be alone anymore.

He wanted to be with her.

He was going to ask her out.

Adrien dropped his fork on his plate and pushed away from the table. He rushed back to his room, flopped into his desk chair, and turned on the computer.

“Oh, good. You’re back.” Plagg whizzed into view and landed on the keyboard. “We’re almost out of cheese. It’s time to order more.”

“Not right now.” Adrien opened a new browser and began a search for local flower shops. “I only have a few minutes before I have to go back to school.”

Plagg looked at the screen and crossed his arms. “That’s not cheese.”

“That’s right.”

“And why not?”

“Because I’m pretty sure Marinette would rather have some nice smelling roses over a stinky wheel of Camembert when I ask her out after the competition tonight.”

Plagg flew in front of Adrien’s face and blocked his view of the monitor. “Please tell me you’re serious.”

“I am.” Adrien shifted his body to get a better view of the screen. “Why do you care? Usually, you make fun of my...oh how do you usually put it? ‘Stupid human love rituals’.”

“Have you really moved on from Ladybug? For real this time?”

“Yeah.” A burst of happiness coursed through his system, causing a smile to form on his lips. “I guess I have.”

“Then tonight is going to be even better than I thought it was going to be.”

“Why are you being so cryptic lately? Last night and now this. What are you talking about?.”

“Oh, nothing!” Plagg dove into the trashcan next to the desk. “Don’t mind me. I’m just here for the show.”

He rolled his eyes and resumed his search. He didn’t have time for his Kwami’s cryptic shenanigans. He was on a mission.

Adrien was determined to make tonight perfect.

***

That night, Adrien got to the school within five minutes of the first act going on stage. After taking his time choosing an outfit and picking up the roses he’d ordered, he knew he’d be cutting it close. Luckily, his friends were waiting patiently on the school steps upon his arrival.

If he hadn’t been so nervous, he’d have been infinitely more impressed by the way the crew of the Masked Singer Junior competition had transformed the courtyard. At one end, there was a stage with a black backdrop that almost looked as if it was studded with stars. Large speakers had been placed at either end of the stage. The rest of the space had been filled with rows of folding chairs.

The school had managed to get Alec Cataldi to MC the event, so as each act was ushered onto the stage, he riled up the crowd with jokes and charm. Throughout the competition, Adrien had been vaguely aware of the other performers, but he’d been focused on his mission--Operation: Ask Out Marinette. He tapped his foot as the anticipation built in his gut. He didn’t know how he’d feel when he finally saw her, but he didn’t know if he could wait much longer.

After over a dozen acts, Alec once again sauntered into the spotlight with the next contestant in tow. The singer wore a black cat mask that covered half of her face, a rhinestone-studded tiara that sparkled under the lights, and an electric green dress with a flared skater skirt that ended just above the knees.

Alec waited for the courtyard to fall silent before bringing the microphone up to his face to speak. “Is everyone having a good time so far?”

Everyone around Adrien screamed and clapped.

“I can’t hear you!” Alec held the microphone towards the crowd and held his other hand up to his ear.

The audience released a deafening roar.

“Excellent! Our next contestant calls herself Princess Kitty! How are you feeling tonight, Your Highness?” Alec put the microphone in front of the girl’s face.

“Purr-etty good, Alec!” Adrien’s ears perked up at the sound of her voice. “I was feline kind of nervous before, but now I’m cat-tastic!”

Everything came to a screeching halt.

He knew that voice.

He’d heard that voice tease him countless times.

He trusted that voice with his life.

That was his lady’s voice.

And she was dressed like him.

“She looks so good!” Alya held up her phone and snapped several pictures. “I can’t believe she pulled all of that together in one night! My girl is the best!”

“Your girl? Alya, who exactly do you think that is?” Adrien shifted nervously in his seat. “You don’t know that person, do you?”

“You really can’t tell?” Alya switched her phone’s camera to video mode. “And here I thought you’d recognize her right away. You did buy her flowers after all.”

Marinette.

He shook his head. “No, that’s impossible.”

They can’t be the same person.

“Of course it is!” Alya laughed dismissively. “I helped her get ready earlier tonight. I just didn’t realize how cool all of that was going to look under the lights.”

Adrien knew in his heart that the girl on the stage was his lady, but his mind told him that his partner couldn’t possibly be that close to him in real life. There was no way he’d fallen in love with the same girl twice. He wasn’t that lucky.

Or was he?

Marinette was his every day Ladybug, and he’d often thought that she’d make an incredible Miraculous holder. He’d once told himself that he’d love whoever was behind the mask, but he knew deep down that was a lie. Every time he’d scratched the surface of the truth behind his lady’s secret identity, he’d only been happy when Ladybug was Marinette.

He wasn’t just in love with any girl.

He was in love with one girl.

I’ve been in love with Marinette all along. The burst of clarity eviscerated the remaining fog and struck him with an overwhelming sense of admiration that brought tears to his eyes.

Of course, it was her. Of course, he’d fallen in love with the same girl twice. Of course, Marinette was Ladybug.

“Wow!” Alec’s voice cut through his thoughts, forcing him back to earth. “What’s the secret to all of your confidence, Princess Kitty?”

“Well, last night I was a tiny bit nervous, and I was given a good luck charm by someone very close to me. I already had one from him, but having a second one is making me feel extra lucky.” The girl on stage held up two colorful, beaded charms that were both held together by red string.

“See!” Alya snapped a picture, blew it up on her screen, and showed it to Adrien. “That’s the charm you made her for her birthday. She carries that thing everywhere. And I’m guessing that the other one is the charm that she gave you.”

“Yeah.” Adrien couldn’t take his eyes off the image on Alya’s screen. “It is.”

“Hold on...she just said that it was given to her last night. Did you two see each other last night? Wait! Is that why you got her flowers?” Alya grabbed his shoulders and turned him towards her. “Are you two secretly dating?”

“I...uh...I…” There were too many things happening all at once for Adrien to properly process Alya’s questions. “N-no?”

“But you did see her last night?”

“Ummm...well…” He found himself breathing a sigh of relief when he was cut off by another roar from the crowd.

Alya switched her phone back to video mode and shook her head. “You’re off the hook for now, Sunshine, but I know there’s a story there.”

Adrien returned his attention back onto the stage, mesmerized by the love of his life.

She flashed a dazzling smile to the crowd. “Tonight’s song is dedicated to the coolest cat I know, and I’m just hoping he catches on before the performance is over.”

Me! his mind screamed, She’s talking about me! She’s doing all of this for me!

“Ooooh! Sounds like we have a romance brewing tonight! Any chance we could get the name of the lucky guy?” Alec winked at the crowd.

She chuckled. “A lady never tells.”

“A lady? Pardon me, Your Highness, but I thought you were a princess.”

“Purr-haps I’m both.” She turned her mask-shrouded gaze towards the crowd, but Adrien felt as if her eyes were fixed on him. “Maybe I have more than one mask.”

“How mysterious!” Alec’s laughter bounced off the walls surrounding the courtyard. “Well, good luck, Princess Kitty! The stage is yours!”

A hush fell over the crowd as the music started blasting through the sound system.

I'm imprisoned, I'm living a lie

Another night of putting on a disguise

I wanna tear it off and step in the light

Don't you, don't you?

The voice that rang through the courtyard was clear and pure, sending the audience into a frenzy and rendering Adrien speechless.

So now I'm knocking at your front door

And I'm looking for the right cure

I'm still a little bit unsure

'Cause I know,

Yeah I know

That most people see me as ordinary

But if you look close you'll find I'm very

Interesting and hard to know

You can never tell where this might go

'Cause I'm not your average, average person

I don't know much, but I know for certain

That I'm just a little bit extra, extra

I'm just a little bit extra ordinary

As the first refrain came to an end, another revelation hit him at full force.

This was a declaration of love. Marinette loved him. Out of all the people in the world, she loved him.

All this time, he was the other boy.

Even without his good luck charm, he was the luckiest person in Paris tonight.

I can see it from the spark in your eyes

You believe in all the things you deny

You wanna fly and leave your worries behind

Don't you, don't you?

Well now I'm knocking at your front door

And I'm looking for the right cure

I'm still a little bit unsure

'Cause I know,

Yeah I know

She was reading his soul with a song, and while he felt exposed, the familiar warmth returned to him once again. Her sentiments wrapped around him like a blanket and promised him a life filled with love and devotion. He wanted nothing more than to love her just as fiercely in return.

That most people see me as ordinary

But if you look close you'll find I'm very

Interesting and hard to know

You can never tell where this might go

'Cause I'm not your average, average person

I don't know much, but I know for certain

That I'm just a little bit extra, extra

I'm just a little bit extra ordinary

He didn’t think he could love her any more than he already did, but he was wrong. As the song came to an end, he was struck with the sudden and urgent need to go to her. Adrien stood up and tightened his grip on the bouquet. “Hey, I need to go do something. I’ll meet up with you outside.”

Worry flashed across Nino’s features. “You okay, bro?”

“Yeah.” Adrien swallowed against a dry throat. “I just need to go ask out Marinette before I lose my nerve.”

An ear-shattering shrill emanated from Alya as he turned and quickly made his way through the crowd. The rest of the world faded away with each step. He kept his gaze fixed on his destination, determination driving every cell in his body forward.

His feet kept moving until he finally saw her. She was sitting on a chair behind the makeshift stage with her mask in her lap and her chin resting on an open palm.

“Marinette,” he called out, “I need to talk to you.”

Her head snapped in his direction. “Right now?”

He took several long strides towards her until they were only inches apart. Adrien took her hand and gently coaxed her out of the chair.

“I came to get my lucky charm back.” He laced his fingers through hers and couldn’t help but smile as he watched the tips of her ears turn bright red.

She turned her head away and bit her lip. “That’s all?”

“No.” He held out the bouquet for her to take. “I was also hoping that you’d finally accept a red rose from me.”

Her breath hitched. “With all of it’s intended meanings?”

“Yeah.” He took a step closer to her and leaned his forehead against hers. “Did you mean what you sang?”

She took the bouquet and held the flowers against her chest. “Every word. I don’t want to hide anymore.”

“I love you so much, Marinette. Both in and out of the mask.” Tears that had been building in the corners of his eyes threatened to fall. “I don’t know where this will go either, but I want nothing more than to find out.”

“Oh, Adrien. I’ve loved you since the day you handed me your umbrella, and when I thought you loved someone else I tried to move on, but I couldn’t. And if it weren’t for that, I would have fallen for Chat in a heartbeat because he’s not only the greatest partner I could have asked for, but he’s also the most wonderful person I know.” He watched as her gaze flitted to his lips, and without hesitation, he closed the remaining space between them.

Their lips crashed together in a dazzling explosion of electricity that awakened every inch of him. Fireworks exploded inside him as his heart pounded against his chest. He lost himself in the sweetness of her lips and the faint scent of vanilla that clung to her hair. Kissing her immediately became his favorite thing, and he never wanted it to end.

All too soon, Adrien reluctantly pulled away, only to alleviate the burning in his lungs. He cursed his need for air.

“Wow.” She was just as breathless as he was. “Can we do that again?”

“My lady, we can do that whenever you want.” As he spoke, he felt the soft brush of her lips against his.

Adrien moved in for a second kiss, but the sound of Alec calling for the contestants to return to the stage stopped him in his tracks. He groaned under his breath.

Marinette looked up at him and smiled. “How about you come over tonight and we can continue this conversation without a hundred people looking at us?”

“I’d like that, but I don’t think they’ll let me stay out much later.” He deflated. “I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

She leaned in and whispered into his ear. “Who said I was inviting Adrien over?”

Her warm breath against his skin sent a shiver down his spine. “What?”

“I’ll leave the hatch unlocked.” She pecked his cheek, winked, and began walking towards the stage. “See you tonight, kitty!”

Adrien traced his fingertips along his cheek, the skin still tingling from the touch of her lips.

Wow, he thought, unable to hide his excitement any longer, I really am in love with that girl.

[5-falsehoods-phonated]

Tell Me You Hate Me

Summary:   Story contains some intense intrusive thoughts, please mind the tags. Remus always has episodes where his emotions seem to completely shut down, leaving nothing but thoughts pounding in his skull begging for a reaction. When he finally breaks down, Logan is there to hold him together.

Warnings: intrusive thought, implied self bruising, depictions of violence and death, hurt with comfort, mild swearing

Ships: Logan x Remus, Intrulogical

WC: 3, 602

General Taglist: (ask to be tagged generally or in specific writing.) @im-an-anxious-wreck

Remus huffed as he flopped over to his other side yet again, kicking his feet out from underneath them and burying his face into his pillow. Finding it still too hot he quickly picked his head up and flipped the pillow to the cooler side, flopping face first this time as he fought to quiet his groan. Squeezing his eyes shut tight did nothing unfortunately and neither did leaving indents in his palms from his fingernails. Flopping over onto his back he tried taking deep, calming breaths- something Virgil had said sometimes helped them sleep- but he gave up after a few minutes. Shadows from the corners of his room licked at the edge of the safety of his bed and a spike of anxiety in his chest forced his feet back under the covers. A stupid false sense of security that died along with the anxiety as quickly as it had made itself known. The dull buzz of his fan did nothing to drown the ringing in his ears and he wiggled a bit to get the sheets unstuck from his back as his newest position began to get uncomfortable.

He closed his eyes again and sighed deeply before throwing the blankets to the floor and hurrying to the light switch to flick it on. Eyes still shut he stumbled into the hallway running his hand along the wall for a sense of direction wanting nothing more but a spike of caffeine to jump start the day. He left the kitchen light off since he didn't actually know how early it was and didn't want to wake Logan, instead holding his hand out and shuffling forward until his toe stubbed the bottom of the cabinets. Swearing he placed his hands on the counter and felt around until he found the coffee pot, finally deciding to open his eyes to the dim room so he didn't end up smashing the pot and getting glass in his feet...again. Filling it with water and grounds was simple enough, the routine so ingrained he had to force himself to actually concentrate on the action instead of drifting off into his own head again.

Briefly he thought about wedging his head under the spout and letting the freshly brewed coffee flow down his throat but he decided he liked the new creamer they had gotten too much to attempt that this time. Idly picking at his fingertips while he waited he glanced out the window of the shared apartment and wondered how hard it would be to climb down the building from there. Realistically he could do it- just squat in the sink and back up as carefully as he could to find footholds and balance. The thought of neighbors seeing a random ass sticking out of a window, wiggling as he got into a better position brought a flicker of a grin to his face, but the thought of then someone calling the police to report a break-in and the subsequential argument hed most likely have with Logan over his reasoning it had seemed like a good idea made him dismiss the thought immediately. Things were already on the rockier side with his husband, he didn't need something else making him regret he had ever proposed to Remus.

Things weren't at all bad in their marriage, new as it was and with as small of a space they shared. Remus just went through moods- quiet ones where he was mostly lost in his head and didn't want to make things tense by finding his way out of it. Moods where everything was exhausting, even engaging in activities with someone he loved more than anything else in the world seemed dull and tiring. He'd never tell Logan that, never even think about hurting him that badly, but sometimes he got so tired it was all he could do to get out of bed. And now his emotions were broken again and that certainly didn't help anything.

It didn't happen often, but every once in a while for whatever reason his brain had thought of, he couldn't feel anything. Not even sadness. Smiles were hard, crying was harder, brief spikes of anxiety died before he could think about them and anger or irritation which he usually relied on in these states were so far away he couldn't even think of what to do to make them appear. His world was dull and heavy and numb, pressing in from all sides in a way that would have been overwhelming if he could care to put any name to it. Instead he grew quiet, filing away thoughts and feelings to deal with when he could actually grasp them. Logan noticed; of course he did he noticed everything. Usually all Remus really needed was space and a little time to get his bearings. He would stay in bed a lot, even if he didn't manage to sleep, and watch youtube videos at random for hours on end until Logan came in with water or food or a reminder to get up and stretch. Remus would get up stiffly and stretch for a moment, maybe go to the bathroom, eat, drink and then go right back to curl as tight as he could under the blankets to blankly stare at the screen. He'd hear a soft sigh and feel fingers run gently through his tangled hair before the door would shut once again and he'd be left alone to his nothing and cold and numb and thoughts.

The thoughts were the worst even if he didn’t attach anything to them. Constant and intrusive and violent as they were they didn't even make him afraid anymore. It often seemed, in whatever fucked up process his brain had made up, that if his emotions shut down the intrusive thoughts needed to step up to compensate. Usually nothing more than a suggestive buzz in the background he had long ago learned to simply brush off they became a battering ram against the inside of his skull that he had to actively reason his way through to stop the twitch in his muscles. Boiling water for tea became sticking his hands in his pocket so he didn't stick it in the pan to watch burn and stick to the bottom, flesh pulling like hot cheese until it snapped away from his muscles and left his blood to be boiled by the heat. The want to tip his chair back became his teeth frigging as a graphic image of his head cracked open like an egg and leaking through the carpet presented itself to him like a proud child with macaroni art. A constant barrage of images and impulses that left him exhausted rather than disturbed and made him simply want to sleep them all away, which of course was when the insomnia kicked in and left him making coffee at- his eyes snapped to the oven clock and he sighed tiredly- 4:30 on the morning.

Thanking whatever gods were real it was a Saturday morning he brought down a mug and filled it with coffee and an obscene amount of creamer, chugging it in seconds and ignoring the sickly sweet taste before getting a refill and shambling to the couch to turn on the news. The news always had something going on lately and he was hoping it would be enough to distract from the thoughts of smashing his head through the glass coffee table or making another pot of coffee to chug through. Granted the latter was the better option of the two should he make it a choice but he knew his limit with caffeine and wasn't keen on his heart thumping in his chest throughout the day when he had no energy to do anything with the fake adrenaline rush.

"Remus?" The man winced as he heard Logan's sleepy voice in the hallway and turned to see him walking to the couch, face pinched in concern. "Are you alright? It's nearly five in the morning."

Running his dry tongue over even drier lips Remus nodded. "I uh- I was gonna go on a run today. Get out of the house you know- and I thought an early start might be good."

Logan studied his face carefully, though thankfully not seeming to notice the deep bruises under his eyes in the shifting light of the tv. Remus offered a weak smile and gripped his mug tighter, firmly dismissing the thought to smash it over Logan's head while Logan stepped back and nodded tiredly.

"I'm going to sleep for a bit longer. Please be careful Remus, I love you."

"Love you too, Logan." Remus turned away before he could see any more puty in Logan's eyes, anger licking up from his stomach but he simply clutched his mug to dissipate it before it could take hold, not that it really could. He listened as the footsteps died and the others door was shut, bringing the mug up and chugging the rest of it. Groaning slightly he realized he'd actually have to go out now, he couldn't lie to Logan anymore than he already had. Screwing his mouth to one side he decided biking would be easier. More chances to simply coast and he could wear his headphones without risk of his phone bouncing out of his pocket. Figuring he may as well go now rather than wait, since if he did he was sure he'd simply go back to curl up in bed, he quickly tidied up the kitchen and went to throw some clothes and a helmet on. Tugging his bike out of the hall closet he found himself on the street without quite remembering how he'd gotten there but in the end he supposed it didn't matter. This early in the morning there was virtually no one on the sidewalks giving him ample space to go as fast as he wanted down the hill. Hed ride back up the hill on his way back so he'd get some actual exercise to make up for just coasting for about a quarter mile later.

The wind was on his face before he even registered he had started heartbeat picking up slightly as the buildings on his right began to whip past faster and faster. He contemplated breaking a bit to slow down but his thoughts suddenly demanding he do a hard break, making him flip over the handlebars and skid into the road made him dismiss it quickly. Hed slow down eventually and he was fine for now. The streets were quiet and dark, the air was cool but the wind was so cold it felt like needles against his face. He probably should have worn at least a jacket from the way his arms were going numb but dismissing it was so much easier than thinking about how tiring it would be to turn around, go all the way back to his building, back up the stairs and into his room to get a jacket and gloves- and by that time he'd just went to stay in bed anyway since that would be closer so there really wasn't any point. The fold felt nice, it as waking him up along with the coffee and his heart was thumping loudly in his ears drowning out any thoughts that might slip through and his hands were gripping the handle bars so tight his cold knuckles were a stark white-

Instinct swerved his bike and slammed the breaks before he even noticed the truck speeding down the road. The driver didn't even acknowledge him as his hands slipped off the handle bars and his vision grew spotty. The sudden panic felt distant, dull and unimportant even as his breathing sped up and a thought rose up that told him he could have died: images of his cold body splayed in front of a sideways truck slammed it's way through to the front of his mind, blood pooled around the driver’s feet as his panicked voice called for help. Distantly Logan's screams could be heard as footsteps ran to his unresponsive body and everything was simply white and static and cold. The sound of another car's horn snapped him back to himself suddenly, looking around in confusion as he saw how light it had gotten and the quiet streets now coming to life with people Getting off night shift or waking up for their morning shift or running to coffee shops. His sweat soaked hands were nearly frozen on the handlebars and when he tried moving his legs he felt like he was trying to tread through a thick vat of glue that threatened to pull him down and under the second he decided to stop fighting. 

As much as he wanted nothing more than to collapse and hope something on his bike punctured a lung on the way down though he simply turned and started back up the hill towards home. He didn’t know how long he had been standing on the sidewalk but he judged it to have been an hour at least with how bright  the sky was now. Hopefully Lgan hadn’t worried too much, the thought bringing a wave of guilt that nearly drove him to his knees with the fierceness with which it crashed onto him but just like with everything else it disappeared almost as quickly as it decided to present itself and Remus was left to simply stare blankly at the concrete before him as his stiff legs took him to Logan step by mind numbing step. He just had to make it to Logan. Logan would know what to do, what to say; Remus knew all he ever had to do was ask. Logan was getting better at asking whenever he needed help so the least Remus could do was show that same courtesy.

 But then- what if he didn’t understand? What if he couldn’t? What if he thought Remus was just crazy or having a mental break or because he couldn’t feel things sometimes Logan thought that meant he didn’t love him anymore? What if he decided to leave? What if he left and Remus was alone with only his thoughts and the cold and-

“Remus?” He snapped his head up at Logan’s voice, a quick brush of panic curling around him as he saw that he was back in the apartment with again no recollection of walking the rest of the way up the block and up the stairs and through the door. Logan was looking at him, that same pitying concern wrinkling his face as he stood in front of Remus with a mug of black coffee held tightly in one hand while the other reached out to him gently. And Remus, with the overwhelming feeling of nothing, nothing, nothing and still frantically beating heart with wild eyes full of tears that hadn’t fallen in a week, couldn’t think of what to say to make anything better for either of them. So he did what he did best.

“Tell me you hate me.” The words blurted out with his characteristic impulsiveness as Logan’s eyes blew wide and he only briefly registered his own surprise before the world turned gray again. Of course, the most painful thing for him to hear is what he wanted. No amount of horror movie jump scares or gore, of late night metal blasting at full volume through his ears, pf slamming his fists repeatedly into his thighs until he could barely walk the next day would be as painful as having someone he had cared about more than anyone else for six years now telling him that they hated him. That they couldn’t stand him because he was useless and unfeeling and so, so stupid to even think someone like them could love someone like him. He needed to hear the words he knew Logan was probably itching for permission to say, and now that he had it he could go all out, and maybe then something could get through his constant swirl of thoughts.

“Please I can’t- I’m so numb Logan. I haven’t felt anything in a week I just need- this is your chance to lay it all out.” Logan considered  him carefully before reaching ver and setting his coffee down on the counter and stepping towards him. Gently, so gently it almost hurt, Logan took both of his hands and tugged, walking backward and around until he could sit them both down on the couch. Squeezing his hands slightly he took them away only to place them gently on with side of Remus’ face and hold him as if he was made of fragile porcelain, thumbs caressing his cheekbones in a steady rhythm that had his heart finally calming down and body relaxing into the touch.

“I love you.”

Remus’ breath caught as he locked eyes with his husband, who was simply smiling gently as him with the same loving look he had been giving him for years. Pressure built behind his eyes suddenly and he widened them to keep it at bay, shaking his head in defiance.

“You are safe. Whatever you’re feeling or not feeling is perfectly alright. You are with your husband who cares for you very much in the apartment we’ve shared for four years. You haven’t been sleeping well which may be contributing to your mental distress but that’s okay too because we can work on fixing that. I could never tell you that I hate you.  Love you more than anything, Remus.”

Remus wasn’t sure why that’s what finally broke him, but the flood of emotions that crashed over him barely gave him time to breath before he gasped out a sob and smashed his face into Logan’s chest. Steady arms wrapped around him in a tight, comforting embrace as his legs were brought over his lap, essentially making Logan cardle him like a child but Remus couldn’t bring himself to care as he gasped and shuddered out weeks worth of pent up emotions that he was just now able to feel and it was too much, too much, too much all at once. His hands came up too fist in Logan’s shirt and snot ran freely down his face and his throat began to ache form the noises desperately escaping his throat. This was too much at once, he couldn’t handle this much at once.

But all the way through it Logan rocked them back and forth, hugging him tightly and whispering how much he was loved and cared for and how much better his life was with Remus in it even if he did leave the cabinet doors open and hog the blankets when they shared a bed. Careful fingers carded through his hair as he was told that it was okay to cry, it was okay to not feel anything or to feel everything and Logan would be there regardless. Logan would be there for him through everything Remus needed as long as Remus needed him for. The rocking and whispering didn’t stop until Remus pulled away, a little ashamed and embarrassed with snot covering his face and hiccups preventing him from saying anything but it was okay because Logan only smiled as him and laid a hand on his cheek before getting up and telling him He’d be right back.

It was only a few seconds before he was back with a cool washcloth pressed to his face, carefully wiping his sore, red eyes and rubbing gently as his cheeks and nose. It ws cool and refreshing and instantly Remus felt better than he had in weeks. His wild curls were brushed out of his face and a kiss was pressed to his forehead before Logan made to leave again, making Remus let out a pathetic whine in protest.

“I’m only going to the kitchen to get you water, Remus. Did you want to come with me?”

As ridiculous as it was, he did. So he slipped his hand into Logan’s and followed him out to the small kitchen, watching as he awkwardly poured a glass of water from the fridge one handed and passed it to Remus who downed it in five seconds and handed it back sheepishly. Receiving only an encouraging smile in return the glass was filled once again before he was tugged back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Logan turned to him and squeezed his hand gently. Always so gently and lovingly.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Remus knew they would have to eventually but he was so tired. Not the kind of tired he had been where everything was exhausting and irritating and just on the side of too much, but the kind of bone tired you can only be after having an emotional breakdown in your husband's arms at eight o’clock in the morning after only getting two hours of sleep the night before. So he shook his head, hoping against all odds Logan could read minds and understand.

To Logan’s credit he picked up that it was something best addressed at a later time, simply nodding again and reaching for the remote. “How about a movie instead then? As a distraction?”

Smiling a tired but genuine smile, Remus nodded and curled up into Logan’s side, eyes slipping shut before he could even see what Logan had picked. But that was fine. The volume was low and Logan’s arm came to wrap around Remus’ shoulder as he drifted off peacefully. He was safe and loved and right now, that was all that mattered.

 I promise I write happy things sometimes XD As always, this work is available with other on AO3!

If you like this, please consider reblogging. Sharing works helps creators.

[giuliafc]

Betrayal Chapter 11: Volatile Victory

<< 1 -- 2 -- 3 -- 4 -- 5 -- 6 -- 7 -- 8 -- 9 -- 10 -- 11: Ao3 || FFN -- 12 >>

Written by: JuliaFC

Beta: @itsagrestebug

Summary: Big trouble in Chinat… er, I mean, the Agreste mansion. Gabriel thought he won, but his victory was volatile. And now... the Butterfly Miraculous is gone? Nathalie is sick? OMG! (998 words)

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Written for the "Snippet July" challenge of the Miraculous Fanworks Discord server @miraculousfanworks AND for LadyNoir July @ladynoirjuly Day 22 — Volatile/heal. Let me know what you think!

oOoOoOoOoOo

Back at his lair, Papillombre’s eyes widened in shock, mirroring the expression of Sentijacques. "You know who I am?" he asked the blond boy in the cage. Adrien smirked at him.

"There are so many things you don't know about me, Father!" he said as he patted the head of the little black kwami that had twirled out of the ring and came to rest in his hand. Adrien proceeded to take a wedge of… cheese… from the pocket of his shirt and give it to him. The kwami was very quiet as he chewed his food.

Papillombre groaned. "What else d'you know?"

"I know everything. Why you want our Miraculous; and although I'd love to get her ba—"

"So help me!" interrupted Papillombre. "We can bring your mother back and be a family again."

Marinette's gaze darted to Adrien as SentiJacques said that. His eyes were full of tears, and she saw him gulping audibly and sniffling. "She's gone! She won't come back and it wouldn’t be fair if she did! That wish can have serious consequences, someone could die if you tried to revive Maman. Instead of fixating yourself on bringing the past back, look around, and think about your present, your future! You need to heal, and you won't until you let her go!"

SentiJacques banged a hand against Adrien's cage. "SILENCE! You ungrateful brat! You will nev—" But as he said so, the Sentimonster froze.

"Father? Are you alright?" asked Adrien, but SentiJacques didn't reply.

In his lair, Papillombre looked in horror at the figure coming off the lift. He tried to speak, but his whole body was paralised.

"It's over, Gabriel," said Nathalie, (or better, Natha...bee?) when she approached. She looked very different. Her hair was in a ponytail in the shape of a bee's sting and her uniform was gold striped with black. She wore a 1930s style dress similar to the one she wore as Mayura. Her smile was hard, devoid of softness as she took the Peacock brooch from his chest. Duusu appeared in a flash of light and Papillombre changed back into plain Papillon, who was left staring at his assistant saying it quietly, her eyes still trained to his, "Duusu, Pollen, Unify." A flash of energy wrapped around her and a familiar blue toned woman took the place of his previous opponent. She was different, in the sense that her hair was still long and combed into the same ponytail and a yellow and black striped mask covered her face, creating a strange contrast with the blueness of her skin and the purple of her eyes.

"Adrien doesn't deserve this, Gabriel," she whispered. Then, she grabbed a small boat figurine that Papillon held into his hands. The sentimonster in the room with Marinette and Adrien flinched.

"What's going on?" asked Adrien as SentiJacques approached his cage, opening both with a key that came from nowhere.

"I couldn't leave you like this, Adrien," said the Sentimonster. Adrien's eyes widened in shock.

"Nathalie?" he whispered. "You're sick. Why are you wearing a Miraculous? It could damage your health even more!"

The sentimonster coughed. "I'm okay. I couldn't stand by and do nothing. Mlle. Bourgeois isn't a threat any more, I have her Miraculous and Gabriel is paralised. Now don't waste time talking. Transform!" The tone of voice was harsh, but the eyes of the sentimonster were full of love.

"You've unified Duusu and Pollen?" said Marinette out of the blue. Adrien's eyes widened. "Nathalie, that’s extremely dangerous in your condition! You should never have done that, the power of the two Miraculous combined can kill you!"

They both watched in horror as the sentimonster crouched over itself and fell to the ground, a fit of coughs shaking its frame. "I'm okay," it whispered, but it said nothing more after that. In fact, it didn't move at all.

"NATHALIE!" shouted Adrien. "PLAGG CLAWS OUT! I can't leave her like that. M'lady, we need to do something!"

Marinette had tears in her eyes as she whispered her transformation phrase. "She sacrificed herself for us. She really loves you, Adrien." Chat Noir hugged the crouched figure of the sentimonster and let his sobs flow freely. Reluctantly, he let go of the sentimonster and they wiped their eyes. With a single look they jumped out of the window, running across the rooftops to reach the mansion.

Unseen from anyone, someone muffled a laugh in Papillon's lair. The figure approached Papillon and, without being seen, took his brooch off. A blob of purple wrapped Papillon's body and Gabriel Agreste appeared in his place, looking stiff and extremely uncomfortable being unable to move a single muscle. "You won't need this anymore," said a female voice, but when she took a breath in and was going to continue, a portal opened in front of them as Gabriel heard the thief running to hide in the darkness.

Gabriel wanted to scream, but could utter no sound. In a few minutes he had gone from being victorious to having lost everything. That's when the figure of a girl wrapped in a brown and white costume came into view. She reminded Gabriel of Rena Rouge, but her hair was combed in a ponytail and instead of having the fox tail behind her back, she displayed a fluffy horse tail. Next to her stood Carapace.

"Monsieur Agreste?" said the superheroine. "Damn, we're too late. What's going on?"

Carapace had approached Nathalie's listless body. "She feels cold, babe. She’s not moving."

Gabriel's heart sank. No, it was impossible. Nathalie hadn't fallen into a coma like Emilie, right? The Peacock was fixed now, why should she? He still couldn't move and his eyes stung with tears he didn't think he was ready to shed. As Carapace picked Nathalie up and started walking towards the lift, the horse superheroine moved his hands behind his back to tie them up. Then she grabbed hold of him too and followed her partner to the lift.

To be continued… Day 23

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

Author's Note

Here we are, day 22. Did you really think I'd leave Adrien and Marinette like that? Nathalie on the other hand… poor woman. Gabriel is also devastated (he deserves it though, Nathalie doesn't!). And… the Butterfly is gone again. I wonder who took it… ;)

I hope you liked the chapter and will leave me a comment. I love reading your feedback!

Until tomorrow, bug out!

[alyasgf]

Just the Two Of Us?

Part 1 || Part 2 || Masterlist

Part 3 of Everything’s Gonna Be Okay

Summary- Adrien is excited for his date with Marinette, but unbeknownst to him, it’ll go differently than either of them planned.

Word Count- 1570

AO3

Begin

Adrien was practically floating by the time he got to his room.

“Plagg! She asked me out! Marinette asked me out!”

Plagg zipped out of Adrien’s pocket and watched his holder fondly as he threw himself onto his bed.

“I’ve been telling you since the beginning to go for pigtails. Good to know you’re finally listening.” He said before catching a large wedge of cheese that Adrien threw at him in his mouth.

“I told you to stop leaving cheese by my pillows!” He scolded the black kwami. Plagg laughed in response so this time Adrien threw a pillow instead, which he dodged effortlessly.

“Did your girlfriend ever tell you what you’re doing? Or better yet, when?”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” He blushed. “But no, she didn’t. She could hardly ask me out, I’m guessing it must’ve slipped her mind. I’ll have to call her.” Adrien mused.

While Plagg disappeared to relax for the night, Adrien texted Nino to ask for Marinette’s phone number.

After a little of teasing on Nino’s part, he got it, and immediately called.

“Hello?” Marinette’s voice came through the phone and he swooned a little.

“So when’s our date?” Adrien asked, not bothering with introductions.

“Adrien! I- how’d you get my number?” Her voice raised an octave after she realized who it was, and even though Adrien preferred the confident teasing Marinette, he had to admit bashful Marinette was absolutely adorable.

“Nino gave it to me when I realized you didn’t tell me anything about when I’d be seeing you.”

“You couldn’t have asked Nino? Not that I mind you calling! I think you’re amazing! I mean it’s amazing!”

Adrien swore he heard her throw her face into a pillow and chuckled.

“Thank you Marinette, I think you’re amazing too.” He teased. A squeak sounded from the other end of the phone.

“It’s tomorrow at 2.” She stuttered out, and Adrien could just envision the adorable flush on her face.

“Sounds good. I can’t wait to see you. Sweet dreams Marinette.”

“You too.” She said, dazed and dreamlike.

Adrien hung up the phone. He wanted to stay on longer, but he figured why talk on the phone when he could just go see her.

That night when Chat Noir swung by Marinette was off in a distant world, constantly spacing out with a lovesick expression Adrien was all too familiar with.

———————————

The next day Adrien was late by nearly half an hour. He warned Marinette of this as soon as he saw the traffic. So, he was surprised to find that the only one there was Marinette.

As he walked up he could hear Marinette angrily whispering into her phone. As he got closer he could just barely make out what she was saying.

“... was your plan all along! Did you even plan on coming?” She whined into the phone. “I can’t be alone I told you this..... Well that’s the problem, I don’t believe in me! You’d better get over here I-“

“Marinette?” He called, interrupting what seemed to be a heated conversation. “Is everything okay?”

She spun around, dropping her phone to her side. “Adrien! You’re here. On our date! That I invited you to!” She said in a strangled tone.

“Yes?” Adrien could never really understand her, but he loved her anyway. “Where’s Alya and Nino?”

Marinette lifted her phone and placed it on speaker.

“Yeah where are you guys?” She said passive aggressively, as though she already knew the answer.

“Well Adrien,” Alya voice came in, cheery as ever. “It seems there was a slight scheduling problem. See Nino invited me to have lunch with him and he family last month and I completely forgot it was today! So it looks like it’ll just be you and Marinette.”

As she finished this Marinette lifted the receiver to her ear and said, “Sure will be!” Aggressively before pressing the red button.

“So just the two of us? Could be fun.” Adrien strode over to Marinette’s side and winked.

For a second, he saw her Ladybug side kick in as she rolled her eyes, witty comeback at the top of her tongue before she realized it was Adrien and not Chat Noir. Immediately a blush took its place upon her face.

“What’s the plan for today?” He asked as Marinette began to walk down the sidewalk with him in tow.

“Well, the ice rink is just around the corner and no date is complete without André’s.” Then she caught herself. “If that’s okay with you of course!” She added quickly.

“I think it’d be pretty cool.” Adrien said, side eyeing her to see if she’d catch it. There was a beat of silence before he received a light punch on his shoulder.

“That was horrible!” She laughed. “I didn’t know you were the pun type.”

“Everyone should be.” He replied simply. It seemed jokes were the way to calm her nerves. He made a mental note of this before continuing.

“Are you doing better?” He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to bring up her mental wellness, but he genuinely wanted to know how his bug was doing.

She sighed. “I’ve been trying to know my limits. Saying no to commissions is hard, but juggling them with my other responsibilities is really what pushed me over the breaking point. So yeah, much better now.”

She stopped in front of the rink.

“We’re here!” She announced, hands on her hips as though finding it were a huge accomplishment.

Adrien laughed before taking her hand and pulling her inside.

They rented their skates and sat down before putting them on.

“Remember the last time we were here?” She asked, pulling on her skate.

“Yeah, all fun until Frozer was akumatized.” Adrien replied. He wanted to steer the conversation away from Kagami, away from Luka. This day belonged to them, and them alone.

“Yeah crazy day.” Marinette replied carefully ending that conversation.

Adrien could tell she was treading lightly, as she often did when akuma attacks were mentioned. He now knew it was so she wouldn’t accidentally let anything slip. Funnily enough she avoided the topics fully to minimize any lies. That was something Adrien could relate to.

As he finished lacing his skates, he stood up and reached a hand out to Marinette, who took it with a blush.

The skating was a little clumsy at first, but as they got used to each other they began to sync up. It reminded Adrien that they were partners, whether she knew it or not.

Marinette seems to be more comfortable with him, which he loved. Still, teasing her was just too much fun.

“Wow Marinette your eyes look gorgeous in this lighting.” He said, earning a blush from the girl.

He smirked, and she caught it.

“Hey! You’re doing this on purpose!” She accused, still blushing profusely, but now sporting a false expression of anger.

“Guess you could say I’m on thin ice.” He quipped.

She rolled her eyes before adding, “Very thin ice Agreste.” Before speeding up slightly, but Adrien could see her trying to hide a smile.

———————————

They skated for a couple of hours before Adrien suggested they go for that ice cream.

They both blushed as they received their ice cream from André, blackberry and peppermint.

They walked towards a bench overlooking the Seine and sat beside each other to share.

They sat in comfortable silence before Marinette broke the spell.

“Adrien,” Marinette’s voice was laced with worry and Adrien tensed, unsure of what was to come. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Adrien’s eyes widened, but he nodded for her to continue as he took another bite of the blackberry ice cream.

“Before this goes anywhere you have to know, there’s some things that I won’t be able to fully tell you, some truths you can’t know. I promise I’d never lie to you unless it was absolutely necessary. That’s the reason me and Luka didn’t work out, and I understand if you can’t accept that.” Her voice cracked as she said the last sentence. She looked down toward the sidewalk tears welling up in her eyes.

Adrien couldn’t bare to see her look so down, he’d seen it before and it broke his heart every time. He put the ice cream down beside him and took her head in his hands.

In her eyes he saw a brief flash of shock before he leaned in.

He caught her lips between his, and she let out a small gasp before relaxing into his touch. She tasted like their ice cream with a hint of something uniquely Marinette.

He pulled away and held her in his arms.

“So it’s ok?” She asked, tone still laced with doubt.

“Only if you can accept the same from me.” He whispered into her shoulder. He felt her relax in his arms.

“Okay.” She whispered back.

Despite the slight chill in the air, she was warm in his arms. Her weight against him was comforting and everything felt perfect.

End Notes- I figured I couldn’t put them in a relationship based on post season 3 without resolving a few of the problems in episode 1 and 2 of season 4 so there’s that! Just letting you guys know I have two exams next week so slight chance there won’t be an update😅