#none of them can figure out what's wrong with him

[randompiecesofwriting]

Wrong Name (Part 2)

Summary: Part 2 of Wrong Name ft. an accidental proposal

Pairing: Jack Abbot x reader

Word Count: 2.8k

Warning: None! Just super cute!

Author’s note: And I present a part 2 I honestly never thought I would write! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who left likes reblogs and comments they all mean that absolute world to me I love hearing about your favorite parts it absolutely makes my day and I hope you like this part too!

Check out part one here!

He thought he had learned to stop being so surprised to see you just show up at the hospital.

It was always with an excuse, dropping off food for the staff, meeting him after a shift to walk home, giving him something he had forgot at home, but he thinks you actually just like being around, and the rest of the doctors of the Pitt certainly felt the same way. He was pretty sure they just texted you, asking you to come when they needed you, and you never hesitated to follow through.

It was nice to have someone outside of the Pitt. It was something he learned early on with you. Nice to have someone with what felt like objective eyes on the good and the bad, who could give perspective from a point of view other than a medical professional. And somehow, you’ve become that person for the people in the ED still too new to have that network yet.

So maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised to see you sitting on a bench across from the hospital, drinking a beer from a familiar looking cooler, surrounded by familiar looking young doctors.

“Have my med students kidnapped you” a part of him relished the way everyone in the group but you jumped a little at his voice, their immediate reaction to try and hide the beer as if they had been caught doing something wrong.

All except you who grinned up at him from the bench, tilting your neck back eagerly to give him a quick kiss in greeting with a hum of approval. “Kidnap? Please, I think I could take them”

Mel’s head tilted slightly to the side as if trying to figure out whether you were joking or not while Javadi’s eyes go wide and bounce rapidly between the two of you still trying to figure out if she was somehow going to get in trouble for this.

It was Whitaker who pipped up to fill the silence “Well Santos knows Krav Maga”

You looked at the intern with a raised brow, watching as she tried to bite down and hide her proud smirk behind her can. “That’s okay she’d be on my side”

“Damn right I would” she responded immediately, clinking her can against yours in a toast as you chuckled.

“Well now that your white knight is here what do you say we head home” he cut in putting a hand on your shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze.

“And that kiddies is my cue” You gave a dramatic groan as you stood up, raising your can in front of you to address them “to my favorite doctors in all of PTMC who work under Dr. Abbot” you gave a pause for dramatic effect “who I am incredibly proud of and did amazing work today”

Javadi gave a snort at that “you weren’t even here to verify that”

“Oh those weren’t my words” you assured her quickly “those came directly from Jack”

“Now hold on” he tired to interject but you steamrolled ahead.

“Goes on constantly about how proud he is of you guys”

“Wait a second”

“How you are the best residents he’s ever had”

“I certainly didn-“

“And that you’re all getting raises”

Jack tried to swallow back the chuckle that ruminated in his chest “And with that we are leaving”

You chuckled fondly at him, Jack beyond powerless to do anything but smile softly back at you.

“Alright I will see you all…probably fairly soon you’re kinda stuck with me now”

Mel pipped up just as you started to retreat “we’re still on for Friday right?”

“Yes” You responded eagerly, making your way over to Jack and not hesitating to take his hand in yours, giving the fingers a reassuring squeeze “your sister’s okay with it right?”

“Of course she is she likes you” Mel rolled her eyes like it was obvious only making your grin widen.

“Good I like her too. But I wanted to check. You can’t just crash a King sister tradition without checking” Pulling softly on his arm you started to lead Jack away from the benches, still calling out back behind you “text me if she doesn’t want me to come, no hurt feelings got it?”

Mel gave you a thumbs up in response, you just about to finally turn around and leave with Jack before Whitaker called out again.

“Goodbye Mrs.A-“

“Whittaker you finish that sentence I’ll sic Santos on you”

And finally, finally Jack had you all to himself. A comfortable silence falling over the two of you as you started to make the familiar trek home.

“You’ve met King’s sister?”

“You haven’t?”

And all Jack could do was laugh because of course you have. Of course you knew all about how she spent her time outside of work. Of course you had gotten yourself invited to their family tradition.

But still his mind was stuck on one particular part of that conversation. Unable to stop himself from asking even as he felt he shouldn’t. “Have you ever thought about it? Being Mrs. Abbot”

“Of course” you answered so quickly, so thoughtlessly, as if those two words hadn’t made his heart stutter in his chest “that’s why its written in pink glitter pen on every page of my diary”

And maybe you noticed the way his smile didn’t fully reach his eyes, or the way his laugh didn’t live in his chest as it normally did, but something made you pause before giving a more honest answer.

“Yeah I’ve thought about it”

He let the answer hang for a bit, let you enjoy yourself watching him squirm before he spoke “and?”

Like he knew you would you grinned back at him. Giving your interlocked hands a little swing “and I think I could go either way”

“Really?” he asked with a raised brow “you have no opinions?”

You shrugged in response “I think I’ve decided my priority is you.”

And truthfully he didn’t know what to say to that. In all the ways he had envisioned this conversation going, all the possible answers you could have given that was not one he had prepared for.

“I like what we have going” you shrugged, giving his hand a soft squeeze “we’re good. I like the idea of making it official, I don’t need it though” And finally you looked up at him, a soft smile on your lips, nothing short of complete devotion in your eyes “at the end of the day I’m going to spend my life with you Jack Abbot and there’s nothing you can do about it”

That finally pulled a real laugh out of him, the kind that rumbled deep in his chest, as he forced the two of you to stop, an action you didn’t seem at all surprised by.

He brought his palm up to cup your cheek, fingers threading lazily though the hair behind your ear as he rubbed softly back and forth on your skin, taking a moment to truly look at you, appreciate the beauty of the person he was so unfathomably lucky to call his. “You promise?”

“For you my dearest Jack Rabbit” you declared with a grin, going up onto your toes until your nose touched his, finishing on a whisper “I vow it”

-

“You know you two aren’t being subtle” Jack hadn’t even bothered to look up as he said it, had in fact spent the better part of the day avoiding their gaze as much as possible.

“Well I wasn’t going for subtle. Dana?” Robby stated matter-of-factly, glancing over at his charge nurse as he said it.

“I was going for overt” she shrugged.

And Jack knew exactly what their expressions would before he looked up, could guess the mixture of barely contained mirth and disappointment that would paint their features without needing to confirm.

“Well if you could keep your overt stares to yourselves that would be great”

“What is it Jackie-boy is it the ring?” Dana ignored him, leaning forward onto her forearms from across from him, bending down and seeking his gaze just as he usually did with people “I told you the ring’s perfect. It matches all of the stuff she already has well”

“No it’s not the ring” Jack cut her off with an annoyed look, keeping his head pointed down at the charting he had abandoned long ago “now if you excuse me some of us have a job to do”

“Well if not the ring then what?” Robby jumped in, mirroring Dana’s stance as he did so, the two doing their best to present a unified front, a fact that almost had Jack chuckling despite himself “You know when I told you she was too good for you I was mostly joking”

With a dramatic sigh Jack finally straightened and looked at the two across the desk from him, resigning himself to the fact that there was no escaping this conversation for much longer “no it’s not-“

“Dr. Abbot” Mel King his saving grace appeared next to him effectively catching the attention of all three of them, Jack more than happy to distract himself with whatever case she needed him on than withstand anymore grilling from his two so-called friends.

“Yes Dr. King”

“I just wanted to ask if-“ and he spoke too soon.

“No” Jack effectively cut off the line of questioning, turning back to his chart physically putting an end to the conversation

“But I just think that-“ Mel tried again

“No”

“Have you considered-“

“Still no”

“Dr. Abbot” Robby finally cut in, raising a brow at his friend as he put on his best teacher voice that only succeeded in pulling an eye roll from Jack “I’m not sure if you’re aware but this is a teaching hospital”

“It sure is” Jack responded in a similar tone “and teaching is exactly the thing I would love to be able to do today but thanks to some of us who have decided to be nosey and ‘overt’” he pointedly glared at the two of them “the rest of the staff have gotten it in their heads that they should get to be there when I propose”

And though he hoped that would be enough to get everyone back to work Jack was never that lucky, Robby immediately jumping in with “so it is for sure a when not an if then”.

Jack only glared at his friend, pointedly ignoring the shit-eating grin he wore as he stared unflinchingly back, Mel deciding this was the perfect opportunity to plead her case again “I just think that when it happens I-“

“Okay everyone listen up” Jack cut her off with a loud clap of his hands, effectively pulling the attention of anyone in the center of the ED.

“Dr. Abbot” Dana tried to call his attention, but he steamrolled ahead.

“I’m only going to say this once”

“Jack” Dana tried again as Jack once again pointedly ignored her.

“It will be done in private, just the two of us, at a time when I feel it is right alright?” He challenged the ED with a raised brow, his audience, despite his words, looking almost giddy before him.

“Sweetheart” Dana again tried to cut him off but Jack was too deep into his speech now.

“I appreciate your help with the ring and everything you all have done for the two of us but you need to stop pushing”

At this Dana had no more to say, little more than a deep sigh coming from the nurse as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the counter behind her.

“When I propose it will be on my own terms got it?”

The ED went silent around him, his students eyes wide as they did little more than stare up at him with rapt attention confusing Jack slightly.

“When you what”

Jack froze. He knew that voice. He knew that voice all too well. And even if he didn’t one look at the shit-eating grin on Robby’s face was more than enough to confirm it.

Jack spun in place quicker than his feet could really keep up to see you standing just a few feet behind him, frozen in place staring back at him with a wide-eyed gaze making Jack curse under his breath.

For the longest time no one said anything, the two of you frozen before one another as Jack’s head desperately reached for absolutely anything to say, finally settling on a defeated “what are you doing here”

“When you propose?” And God help him the way your lips twitched up at the corners as you said it made him nearly melt on the spot, Jack unable to fight the smile from growing on his lips in response as he took a few steps closer to you until he was almost chest to chest.

“Okay fine yes, when” he conceded with a soft chuckle, stooping his head slightly to fully meet your gaze as he drove his next point home “which is not this moment”

“But it’s going to happen?” Your question came back quick, your smile quickly growing to a full on grin that Jack wanted to be exasperated at. It would’ve been so much easier to shut down this conversation if he could remain stoic but the unbridled glee in your eyes had his resolve crumbling.

“In the future yes but I cannot stress this enough, not right now”

“Yes I say yes, or I will say yes” you eagerly grabbed at his forearms as the words all but spilled out of you. Jack helpless against the warmth that radiated within his chest at the action, his hands reaching forward to grab your face between them as a laugh threatened to bubble out of him.

“I am not proposing right now”

You all but ignored him, pulling his hands off your face but keeping them captured in your own as you continued on “have you already bought a ring? Can I see it?”

You were like a dog after a treat, oh so eager to barrel on ahead despite everything and Jack was finding it much too hard to be mad about it “I don’t have it on me because I refused to get engaged in the Pitt while I’m in scrubs”

And finally you seemed to properly take in the scene around you, the florescent lights ahead, the beep of machines all around you, the much too eager eyes of his coworkers who watched the scene before them unfold with rapt attention. “Alright fine”

Jack nearly sagged in relief at that, glad you were finally seeing things from his point of view before you cut him off again.

“But can I see it when we get home?”

A shocked laugh spilled out of the man as he shook his head, raking an exasperated hand over the lower half of his face “will you let me do it properly? Get on one knee, recite a speech I’ll pretend I didn’t spend hours writing. The whole nine yards” Never in his life did he think he would have to beg his fiancé to let him properly propose.

You pretended to think it over, the grin on your face telling him you were getting entirely too much enjoyment out of torturing him like this “Can we do dinner first? My favorite restaurant?”

He rolled his eyes at your response, unable to fight the fond smile from his lips as he did so “this isn’t a negotiation”

But you only stared up at him through your lashes, bottom lip pinned between your teeth, and Jack was putty in your hands, throwing  out the last resemblance of a plan he had with a sigh “we have reservations this weekend”

He barely got the words out before you were wrapping your arms around his neck and pushing your lips up against his, Jack grinning happily into the kiss as he pulled you by the waist deeper into him, finding that he didn’t much mind this part of this catastrophe of a proposal.

But like usual the ED chimed in at the perfect time, an abrupt cheer from his friends around him pulling the two of you apart as you were swarmed by his med students, the kids eagerly pulling you into their own set of congratulatory hugs.

But with a grin like that on your face Jack still found he couldn’t be too mad about it.

A hand clapping his shoulder pulled Jack’s attention away from the excited conversation happening between you and his students, Robby sliding up next to him with a smug smile on his face “You know I’m honored you’d want me here today to witness-“

“Shut the fuck up” Jack cut him off sharply but with a chuckle, not hesitating to pull him into a hug, Robby whispering into his friends shoulder “I’m happy for you brother”

[traumaone]

Mature

pairing: Michael Robinavitch x Senior Resident!Reader

wordcount: 2k

warnings: angst, reader is purposefully petty, mentions of robby being an asshole, age gap, mentions of injury (care pile up, car crash), mentions of death

synopsis: Robby's POV of my fic Immature

note: Did somebody say Robby's POV??? (it was me, I said it). i'm probably going to come back and edit this a bit in the morning.

!! not proofread so apologies for any mistakes !!

I’m your attending, and you’re my resident. Act like it.

What the fuck is wrong with him?

He’d been harsh, way too harsh. You made a difficult choice, chose to do a procedure you weren’t confident about in the interest of saving lives, and he’d torn you apart for it.

None of what he’d said was true; you didn’t lack discipline, you respected the chain of command, and respected him even more. He’d even taken a shot at Jack during his little spiel. 

The weight of his mistake had set in when he’d seen the tears threatening to spill, when you, so endlessly confident and sure of yourself, had refused to meet his eyes.

You’d bit back, put him in his place the way he deserved. He’d seen that kind of fire from you before, just never directed at him.

Robby watched you leave the hospital without even saying goodbye.

He calls a therapist after his shift, not his therapist, a therapist. It feels too real to sit down in an office, to let them open a file with his name on it, so he sticks to the phone, doesn’t even have the man named as a doctor in his phone.

He talks about you the entire appointment.

Day One

Robby texts you before he even gets out of bed.

He checks his phone while he’s making coffee, and finds no response from you.

He checks again before he showers, no response. 

And after he showers, still no response.

He leaves his apartment under the hopeful assumption that you’ll be waiting for him when he gets there, and you are. You’re pacing back and forth like a crazy person, but there none the less.

He smiles when he catches your eye, but the frown carved into your face stays.

“Do you need something, Dr. Robinavitch?” Ouch. That’s the tone you use with Gloria.

“I owe you an apology.” He’s starting to wilt under your frown.

“Yes, you do.”

“Tensions were high, I was struggling to keep it together, and I took it out on you. It was completely unfair, and I’m sorry.” He could say more, he could confess to you the millions of thoughts of guilt that had plagued him in his sleep, but it’s early, and you already seem tired of him.

“Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it.” He knows from your tone that you don’t. “I guess I’ll see you inside.”

Robby watches you turn heel and walk away from him as casually as you would any stranger.

Robby trails after you, hoping that you’ll turn around for just a second, but you don’t.

He needs to earn your forgiveness, he knows that now. He pushed you too far, poked the bear too hard while knowing he’d get bit, and boy does that bite sting.

Day Three

Robby leaves his apartment twenty minutes early and takes a detour to stop by your favourite cafe.

He orders his coffee black, and yours with two creams and two sugars, the same way you’ve been drinking it since he met you.

There's a bit more of a pep in his step today. He knows that one coffee isn’t a fix all, but you’d actually spoken more than a few words at a time to him yesterday, so he thinks it’s a good step.

You’re already tucked behind your desk when he comes through the door, frowning at your computer as if it’s wronged you in some way. Something about the sight makes his chest ache.

“Abbot told me you came in early this morning, figured you didn’t have time for a coffee.” He’s lying through his teeth. He knows you never drink coffee before noon, it makes your hands shake.

You don’t even look at him, or reach for the coffee 

“Thank you, Dr. Robinavitch.” He’s heard you sound warmer with Garcia.

That ache from before only deepens. 

He nudges your chair with his foot, pushing you away from his desk so he can slip between your knees. It’s the closest he’s been to you in days, and the proximity, the lingering smell of your shampoo, is enough to make him feel weak in the knees.

“What can I do to earn your forgiveness?” It’s earnest, genuine, the most vulnerable he’s been in a while, and you dismiss him immediately. 

“You’re forgiven. I’m just working on my ‘respect problem’ you had so much to say about.”

You reach past him for your coffee, and Robby has to fight the urge to lean into the warmth radiating from your skin.

“Buttercup, I-”

The nickname slips out before he can correct himself.

Abbot had come up with years ago when you were new to your residency. The three of you had been sitting around a table in the staff lounge, eating breakfast in silence after a particularly long night shift. 

You were Abbot’s resident, almost a stranger to him, but you were sweet, incredible at your job, and you put an obscene amount of butter on the blueberry muffin you were eating, enough to show teeth marks. Abbot had laughed, cracked a joke about having to give you a stent some day, and from then on, you were buttercup.

“It’s Doctor,” You’re standing so close now Robby can smell the mint on your breath. “or my first name, or nothing. Respect goes both ways”

You’ve turned into a spitfire within a matter of seconds, and Robby loves it. He hates that you’re mad at him, really, he does, but this is a side of you he never sees, and the anger looks good on you, very good.

“Pull it together, you two.” Dana’s voice almost makes him flinch. “Incoming trauma, two minutes out.”

“On it.” Robby abandons his reconciliation plan. He doesn’t want your annoyance directed at him, but at least you’re talking. “Buttercup’s leading.”

You stomp away like a petulant child.

“Am I actually leading this, or are you going to take over the minute the patient comes through?”

“Oh, this is all you.” Robby reaches for the ties on the back of your gown, he’s not as gentle as he should be, but he can’t help but let his fingers brush against the nape of your neck when you pull away. “I’m not even gloving up.”

“Let's see how long that lasts.”

Robby stands vigilant at the trauma bay doors, eyes fixated on you and only you. You’re brilliant when you work, you always have been. It’s what he imagines watching daVinci paint the Mona Lisa would be like. 

When you stabilize the patient, faster than Robby knows he could’ve, you turn to him, a fox-like smile painted on your lips. “See how incredible I am when I’m not being pestered by questions?”

You’ve never looked sexier.

“Believe me, I’m well aware of how incredible you are.”

Day Five

“I’m covering Parker on the night shift for the next couple days.”

The two of you had been surprisingly civil yesterday, so of course you’re switching shifts.

“And who’s going to be covering you?” You don’t need to be covered, but he wants to know what you’ll say.

“You have Langdon, Collins, Mckay, and Mohan, not to mention King, Santos, Javadi, and Whitaker. You don’t need me here.”

“Sure, but I want you here.” He wants you here more than anybody, even Dana.

You fix him with a frown. “No you don’t. I’m not being nice to you this week.”

“No, you’re not,” He almost wants to laugh. “But that doesn’t mean I want you gone.”

“I appreciate that,” It’s the most sincere he’s heard you sound all week. “But I want to be gone for a little bit.”

“If Abbot were here he’d be telling us to talk out our problems.”

You laugh, and that ache in his chest returns.

“Then let’s be glad he’s not.”

Day Seven

Robby has a routine for Sundays; work his shift, say goodbye to you, stay a little late so he can talk to Abbot, walk to his favourite cafe, enjoy a cup of tea and watch the world pass by through the window.

He hasn’t deviated from it in years, but things are different today. 

He doesn’t know if you’re still upset with him, opposite shifts have kept the two of you from having a conversation that’s longer than a few words and related to anything other than work, but that doesn’t change that tomorrow is the anniversary of your arrival to the ED.

It’s silly of him, but he wants to commemorate it somehow, which is how he finds himself in a flower shop ten minutes before close, staring cluelessly at a fridge full of flowers while his nose starts to run. He settles on a multi coloured bouquet of hyacinths, both the flower of forgiveness, and your favourite. 

He tucks the bouquet away in a vase on his counter, and falls asleep thinking about your smile.

Night Seven

Robby wakes to nine missed calls, five from you, three from Dana, and one from Abbot.

He gathers from your messages that there was an accident, a bad one that has quickly overwhelmed the ER. He doesn’t hesitate to grab his things and flee from his apartment, not even bothering to lock his door behind him.

You were on the verge of tears by your last voicemail, and Robby just can’t grasp why. 

He makes it to the hospital in record time, and you’re the first thing he spots, standing in the same spot you’d been waiting for him a week ago. You’re standing eerily still, eyes focused on your phone, but you look okay, untouched.

“Did you guys get everything handled, or do you still need help in there?”  

It’s an attempt at playfulness, at easing the tension that had no doubt formed during his absence, but it doesn’t work, because the moment he sees his presence register on your face, you crumble.

Sobs tear from your throat with a sound that makes Robby’s heart shatter. 

He pulls you to his chest as quickly as he can, nuzzling his face into your hair, breathing in the scent of your shampoo as he feels your tears hit his neck. You’re shaking in his arms and he grips you tighter, hoping to compress your nervous system, but it only makes you worse.

“Shh, it's okay.” You only sob harder. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

“I thought you were dead.” Your voice sounds so small, almost broken.

Robby freezes. “Why would I be dead?”

“The transport crashed through the cafe you go to every Sunday, and you weren’t answering your phone. I thought you were going to die thinking I was mad at you.”

Suddenly it all pieces together. “Oh… Oh, I'm so sorry.”

He buries a hand in your hair, presses a kiss to your head and the sobs begin all over again.

It shakes him to his core. You’ve always been a force to be reckoned with, stronger than any of them by a long shot, but right now, you’re fractured, broken into pieces right between his arms.

You pull away eventually, and Robby misses the feeling of you in his arms instantly. “You have nothing to apologise for, I was being ridiculous.”

“That’s not ridiculous, I would’ve gone down the same road.” It’s true, painfully true.

You lift your eyes to look at him and Robby feels his heart break all over again. Even with tears streaming down your cheeks, your hair mussed, and your nose starting to run a bit, you’re still the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

“I’m sorry.”

Robby smiles. “I know.”

“Everything’s mostly handled inside, we just have to get our shit together and prepare for the rest of the night.” You seem awkward now, unsure.

“I’ll come inside and help.” He’s not ready to be away from you yet.

“You don’t need to.” He knows you don’t mean it.

“I know,” He brushes the tears from your cheek, smiling again when you lean into his palm. “But I want to.”

[pineconepie]

perhaps ellis comforting a reader who had a nightmare? :)) - 🏔️anon

CHARACTERS: Ellis, Reader/You

WARNINGS/TAGS: Reader has nightmare, parental yandere, possessive behavior, cuddling, terms of endearment, light infantilization

WORD COUNT: 1.3k

"What are you reading?" You plop down next to Ellis and lay your head on his shoulder.

In response, he kisses your head. "A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens," he replies, turning another page. "One of my favorites." After scanning over the words for another minute or two, he closes it carefully, setting it down beside him to give you more attention. "It's almost bedtime, you know."

"For you," you laugh. "Why do you go to bed so early?"

"For us, because you need a full eight hours just as much as anyone," he chuckles. "And the reason is because I have insomnia. It takes me at least an hour to fall asleep. Maybe longer sometimes, and I even wake up in the middle of the night and have even more trouble going back to sleep." He sounds bitter about it, but he sighs gently to release the tension. "And on top of that, I have to wake up at six in the morning."

You frown in concern. "I'm sorry..."

"No, no, no. None of that now." He leans down and kisses your head. "Please stop worrying. It's better now that you basically live here. Everything is."

Now that you think about it, you really do basically live here. You have your own bedroom here, your own wardrobe, bathroom essentials, toiletries, etc. Almost everything that belonged to you previously, now belongs in Ellis's apartment.

"Everything? No exceptions?"

"Well, you could stand to come hang around me more often, but that's just me being clingy." He gives a little huff, almost like he's scoffing at himself. "If we didn't share meals together everyday and live under the same roof, I'd probably lose my mind worrying about you."

Your lips twitch into a small smile. "Remember, I'm not a kid." It's all in lighthearted banter. You aren't actually offended by his comments or statements anymore.

Ellis stands up, gesturing for you to follow. "Maybe physically you aren't. But mentally, well," he clicks his tongue, earning a playful swat from you.

He leads you to your room, pulling up a chair beside your bed after tucking you in, and crossing one leg over the other. "We finished the second book of Narnia, right?" You nod. "Good. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader happens to be my favorite installment in the series."

You've noticed how he reads to you to help you sleep nowadays. Even though it feels unnecessary and somewhat embarrassing, you can't complain too much. It is rather soothing, and makes you feel safe and cared for.

Not only that, but you can tell he clearly loves reading to you.

And with a doting parental figure like Ellis, would he really expect you to reject his constant offerings?

Not in the slightest.

Once he notices your eyes drooping, he closes the book softly and sets it aside.

"I love you, honey," he whispers, so quiet you barely even hear it. He bends down, kissing you on the forehead, and then lightly steps out, being extra gentle with shutting the door behind him.

...

Ellis wakes up around three in the morning, as per usual. He sighs, reaching for his glasses blindly and sliding them on his face, blinking in the darkness. He needs some water. Hopefully he can tire himself out again afterwards. On the way to the kitchen, he hears faint cries. A wave of dread washes over him immediately. Is that you?

He rushes into your room, only to find you sobbing quietly into your pillow. "(Y/n)? Baby, what's wrong?" Rushing over, he sees that you've accidentally thrown your blankets onto the floor and started whimpering in your sleep. "(Y/n)... oh, (Y/n)."

Ellis wraps an arm underneath you and cradles you to his chest, grabbing your blanket and wrapping it back around your shoulders. He rocks you back and forth while making low shushing noises.

"It's okay. It's okay." He wipes tears off your cheekbones, kissing your face. His thumb traces circles around your face and chin to soothe you further.

"Dad," you call out in your sleep, causing him to visibly perk up and halt his movements altogether. You cling onto him, nuzzling your face in the crook of his neck, making him crack a genuine, joyful smile.

"Oh, angel," he coos, "I wish you would call me that when awake." Ellis sways back and forth, humming softly. Even if you didn't do it on purpose, it still brought immense joy to him knowing that's how you view him as.

You stir in his grasp, eyes fluttering open in confusion. That's when you notice how hard you're breathing. "Why..."

"You had a nightmare," he whispers, smoothing your bangs to the side. "Seems like a bad one, too. How do you feel?" Instead of answering, you latch onto him tighter. A relieved laugh slips past his lips. "Ah, you'll be the death of me."

"You were hurt," you sniffle, "in my dream."

"Well, don't worry about that. Because I'm perfectly fine, see?" he hums, taking your hand and pressing it against his pulse point, letting you feel it.

You relax slightly at that. "Sorry I woke you up."

"Please, you've done no such thing. I told you, sweetheart. I rarely ever sleep. This was coincidental timing, that's all." He scoots onto the mattress and sits cross-legged, allowing you to stay curled up in his lap and clinging onto him like a lifeline. You wonder how you ended up with someone like Ellis watching after you, but you aren't complaining, either. If anything, he feels exactly like what you needed. Someone to fuss over you constantly.

Which Ellis definitely does.

"Do you need me to stay?" he asks after some silence.

"Only if you want to," you reply, yawning.

"That's a yes, then," he laughs softly. "Move over for me." After a moment of reluctance, you listen obediently. He crawls into bed after tossing his glasses onto the bedside table and pulls you against his chest. "Do I make you feel safer?"

"Yes, a lot," you mumble honestly. "Even if you kinda have a resting bitch face."

Ellis laughs, but quickly shushes you afterwards. "Watch your language," he warns, "even if we both know that's true." He rubs circles into your lower back with the tips of his fingers, feeling contented with the warmth radiating between you two.

"Do you get nightmares?" you ask curiously.

"Sometimes," he says carefully. "They don't happen often, thankfully. They usually consist of something bad happening to you. So far, that hasn't happened, thank goodness." He inhales your scent deeply, planting kisses along your temple and scalp. "It always starts with me not being able to reach you in time."

Your fingers curl into his shirt as you bury yourself against him further. "Trust me, you're stuck with me. Must be hard."

Ellis rolls his eyes. "For someone who's supposed to be going back to sleep, you sure aren't acting like it." His tone softens when he speaks next. "You'll never bother me, baby. You could wake me up at three in the morning just to sing the alphabet and I wouldn't complain at all. Because if its you waking me up, I know it means I'm still there to take care of you and that you need my help."

You close your eyes. "Can you stay here for the rest of the night? Or technically, morning?"

"I already planned to." Ellis smoothes down your messy hair and kisses the top of your head. "I will every single time you need me, just remember that."

His grip is almost suffocatingly tight, but not in a threatening sense. More like he's afraid that if he lets go for even a moment, he'll lose you forever.

So instead, he holds onto you for dear life, and you return the hold.

[lazyneonrabbitt]

Missing pieces

Bucky Barnes x Reader

After settling back into society, Bucky finds himself a new family.

Descriptions of night terrors forced upon Bucky. PTSD struggles. I'm uneducated about the mentioned medications and their effects. Not beta'd I finished this at 1am last night so I apologize for any missed typos.

After Wakanda Bucky had finally started to reinsert himself into society. With help from Sam, annoyingly frequent therapy sessions and his own amend-making he felt like he was doing well enough if he said so himself.

Getting rid of his long hair with help from Sarah took a huge weight off his shoulders as well. The long locks no longer shadowed his face and had him jump in panic at the sight of his own reflection.

He did still hide his arm from view, unsure how people would respond to it. Even though he himself didn't associate the new sleek black and gold arm with his past, he wasn't comfortable enough to have it on display.

Not even now, as he sat at the diningtable with with the woman he now dared to call his partner, or girlfriend, and her three judgemental teenage kids.

Triplets, he had learned. Two girls and a boy.

They all liked him now, all four people he shared the table with, and he felt welcome. Something he had only ever felt in Wakanda and eventually with Sam's family as well. It felt good.

It felt so good, he wanted to stay with her and stay happy forever. Because he did feel genuinely happy.

Until the nightmares came back.

Bucky had blamed them on a variety of things, none of them really making sense on second thought but he ignored those thoughts.

What he couldn't ignore was the clawing at the back of his eyes and the voice in his head trying to talk to him. He could never seem to make out the words.

He sat at the diningtable again, his phome laid out in front of him after having stayed in bed for so long he missed everyone leaving for work or school.

His phone sat ready for the call button to be pressed, Shuri's picture staring back at him as he smiled fondly at the memory for a second before the dread of having to admit to her that something was wrong with him took over once more.

With a deep, grounding breath he pressed call. The line rang as the timer counted the seconds until she answered.

"Barnes, friend, what can I do for you? It's been a while!" She knew Bucky wouldn't call just to see how she was doing. He wasn't that kind of person. Besides, if he did want to, he'd text.

It was best to just rip the bandaid off.

"Something's wrong with me." The line fell quiet for a moment before Shuri spoke up.

"Words, Bucky. I can't read your mind through the phone. Even Wakandan tech isn't that advanced." God, he loved her for always having some smart comment ready to lighten his anxiety.

"You said you freed me from him.. He's trying to talk to me, I keep hearing him in thr back of my mind. It feels like he's clawing at the back of my eyeballs but I can't figure out what he's saying. The nightmares are back, too. Always the same one.."

Shuri listened, giving an occasional hum to let Bucky know she was getting everything he shared.

Bucky told her about the Winter Soldier's tone, what was around him when he'd show up to maybe figure out a trigger. Bucky also shared about his nigntmare aa well as he could without talking himself into a panic attack. He shared how he felt like he was back in the Soldier's body, not his own but still entirely aware. The wires going into his prosthetic and the heavy shock collar that woke him up whenever his dream-self would disobey orders.

He shared how he was forced to watch something. A woman in labor, he never saw her face. She was restrained on a medical bed surrounded by doctors and equipment, straining as she was having her baby. Babies, sometimes. It differed, depening if his body behaved. Whenever he'd do as much as flinch or pull his chains too harsh he'd get shocked and woke up from the torment.

His voice trembled as he recalled the nightmares returning the second he fell asleep whenever he hadn't made it to a certsin part. It felt like his mind needed him to remember, for whatever reason it was.

Bucky was so lost in thought he hadn't even realized he had company.

"I can offer you some meds, for your head."

The sudden third voice coming from behind him almost sent him over the edge of the already impending panic attack.

"H.. how much did you hear?" Bucky sat half turned in the chair, staring wide eyed at Gabriel, your oldest son, who was holding out a strip of pills for the older man.

"Enough to know you will absolutely benefit from those." Gabe could see the lingering shock in Bucky's eyes and decided to not yet drop the other obvious thing in the room and instead keep on rambling to distract him.

"Trust me, these may kick in a bit slow, but at least they help you fall asleep with a quiet mind instead of your brain wondering if snails have feelings the second you lie down." He watched Bucky face scrunch in confusion. "They also make sure you wake up without the urge to stick a fork in the electrical outlet."

"You deal with all of that?" Bucky's initial worry had left the building at how Gabriel described his issues. Gabriel only shrugged, it was all normal for him.

"I can't just take anyone's meds whenever my head acts weird. Besides, I don't think our issues come from the same place." Bucky had turned back to sit in his chair properly while Gabriel rummaged around the kitchen, making coffe for them both, entirely unphazed by the very old man staying in his home.

It was Gabriel's casualness around Bucky's accidental identity reveal though a phonecall and shortsleeved shirt that he decided his own apartment could survive one more day without him in it.

The two spent the whole day talking. Bucky truthfully answered questions, and Gabriel shared the struggles of his family that he believed the older man could relate to.

Struggles like his sister Ava, who barely spoke and once threw a guy agross a room without breaking a sweat after bullying her for months. Or their youngest brother Michael who to everyone else seemed like the most normal of the bunch, a simple, easily bored guy, who was really the smartest of the bunch. No need for books after one quick read and in every advanced placement class the school had to offer. But all of that was came with the worst social life. No friends besides his siblings and the occasional stranger to chat about topics with online.

Gabriel kept some details to himself, in the end there were things not his place to share. Intel he had and kept hidden from his siblings because he was just too curious one day and dug too deep into the wrong end after one too many emotional breakdowns at his mother talking through her night terrors. It wasn't something they should be worrying about either.

Time passed and eventually the two were so deep into conversarion they barely registered the remainder of the household coming home, starting with the two siblings who darted to their rooms in an instant, followed by her.

Mom, girlfriend, who entered wordlessly and strolled into the livingroom expecting to find it empty but instead rounding the corner and seeing Gabriel, and "Bucky?"

Both turned to face her direction. Bucky turning to look over his left shoulder, arm casually slung over the backrest to get a better look at his girlfriend coming home. He was all sweet smiles excited to see her again, until he realized his mistake. The sheer panic in her eyes broke his heart as he quickly retracted his arm, trying to hide it behind the couch but the damage was already done and Gabriel was on his feet and on his way to support his mother.

Except she swatted his hand away without a second thought, backing up into the dining table and almost tripping on her own feet. "Why didn't you text me? Gabe?"

The wide eyed stare did nothing to hide her fear. Fear that faded into emptiness.

It was that same emptiness she fell into sometimes when she just got her new medication and forgot to take it in time.

'Falling back into memories.' was what the doctors had called it when they explained how people with PTSD would sometimes have episodes of reliving traumatic experiences inside their head. That was the clearest description they could give to a bunch of scared kids who had to watch their mom become this shell of a person out of nowhere.

"Gabe, talk to me. What's going on with her? Why does she disappear like that?" Bucky was on his feet, ready to lead her to the couch and sit her down but his moves were quickly shut down.

"Look, I think I know where she is right now, and it's a bad memory. I'll get her back, I used to be the one doing it all the time before until she finally got taking her medication into her routine. Just.. don't look her in the eyes. She's probably gonna be terrified of you."

"Sorry.." Gabriel quicky added before he set into his routine of getting his mother back like clockwork.

In the meantime two curious heads had shown up near the entryway, dead silent as they watched and observed. Neither knew why their mom went quiet after so long of doing fine. They knew to keep quiet so they watched as she slowly came back and started mumbling at their older brother.

Without looking in her direction Bucky focused on her words.

Soft pleas to make it stop, calling out for nurses, pain and tiredness until she went quiet again for a minute.

"Hey mom, what's for dinner?" Gabriel's voice called out not as loud as he usually would but still mimicing the simple tone of the daily annoying question of every teenager ever. The most normal everyday sentence that would always have her snap right back.

And she did, with a deep intake of breath she blinked rapidly and turned to face her son. "Oh! Eh.. Didn't I take food out of the freezer this morning?" She turned to face the kitchen and passed two curious faces in the process that immediately informed her of what had happened. With a sigh she turned back in her seat, catching something in the corner of her eye and settling once more on Bucky. This time without falling into a panic, but she still stiffened in her chair. While he wasn't looking at her, she still saw enough of him. His eyes, that were just a little too blue to be natural.

His hair. It was short and clean but it matched. And the arm. It was no longer silver and missing the red star but it was still there out in the open now instead of hidden under many layers of clothing.

He had succesfully hidden it from her for so long. Not sleeping in bed with her, never taking up the offers to shower.

"Soldier.."

That was Gabriel's que. He nodded over his siblings to come sit with their mom while he scurried off and came back with a blue file folder in his hands. He apologized as he handed it off, letting their mother see things she never knew about herself. Or, more about her children.

The stamps in the corner of the copied and reprinted documents sent a chill down her spine.

"Where did you get this? How, why?" With every word read more questions bubbled up, down to the second she had turned two, three pages over and slammed the whole thing shut. Papers dropped and scattered over the floor as she stared back at the man on her couch with--

Bucky couldn't make out the look on her face. She didn't speak either but at least she was still breathing evenly now.

"Here." A single piece of paper was held in front of Bucky's face. The only one needed to suddenly clear up a whole lot of confusion.

It wasn't that Gabriel knew from the second their mom brought Bucky home, he had no clue either. It wasn't until earlier this morning when he walked in on him and saw his arm that it all clicked and he suddenly understood why this guy was the one she was so sure about.

'I don't know what it is, really. It feels natural, you know? The other guys were all dating apps and forced evenings at the bar. With Bucky it was like a neon sign that screamed YES and he's so sweet he has to like me the same way, I won't believe any other explaination.'

Gabriel kept his eyes on Bucky who read every word on the page out loud with trembling hands and voice.

"Your head's all fucked because of me?" Bucky looked from Gabriel to Ava. "You have traces of my serum. Your strenght and anger issues are mine. And you," Michael crossed his arms, still partially hidden behind his sister. "I guess you got lucky getting the fast learning side effects."

Despite the bomb that was just dropped he smiled, not that his other half could see him. At least he now knew what the Soldier had tried to tell him. He knew the woman but the connection between him and Bucky was so weak these days he couldn't let him know, but it seemed his feelings were strong enough to go through.

Carefully he raised his head to look at the woman he prayed still considered them partners.

"I.. I swear I didn't know it was you they--" She didn't dare to finish her sentence.

"Neither did I. I'm missing a lot of memories. Turns out that, he," Bucky wiggled the fingers of his vibranium hand to make his point. "does remember you and tried to tell me."

Gabriel had by now plucked the paper from Bucky's hand and offered it to Ava and Michael, knowing it was easier for now to have them read it for themselves than to have either parent say the words out loud.

With news shared amd hunger on no one's minds the evening faded into night quietly. All kids retreated to their rooms as well as mom while Bucky opted for the couch. He had offered to leave but none of the kids let him. They all believed their mom just needed to sleep on the revelation and she'd be more open to talk in the morning.

Bucky woke up to the sound of her voice the next day. He listened to her calling in sick before waving off the kids leaving for school.

The second the door closed he sat up, carefully looking her way as she gave him the smallest wave of her hand while walking out of view into the kitchen. Against his better judgement Bucky moved and met her by the coffeemaker where, to his surprise, she was preparing two mugs.

"I'm happy, for them." were the first words that she shared with him. "They need a dad, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still head over heels for you. I needed a moment to think and last night I realized that I didn't care that I never got a choice. I love my kids and I--" She paused right on time to catch the words on her tounge before they slipped out.

She handed her his coffee, her fingers brushing his metal ones. "No I- I love my kids, and I love you, Bucky."

Bucky lowered his drink before he had a chance to take a sip. "Even after all of this?" He held up his prosthetic arm once again and watched her nod in agreement. Excited even, if he had to admit.

It all still felt weird to him. A family and people telling him they loved him in a way that wasn't how his friends said it.

"I love you too. And eh, so does he. He has for a while aparently. Turns out that's where the new nightmares came from." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide his face behind the mug in his hand but failing miserably.

"So, you're moving in now, right?" She started all nonchalant. "And you're officially banned from sleeping on the couch."

He couldn't keep the awkward smile off his face that was now turning darker shades of red at each of her words.

Yeah, there was no way he was going back to his apartment anymore after he went and moved over his minimal amount of possessions.

[aingeal98]

Her deaths being unknown to everyone makes me so sad but her first one especially because she just doesn’t care to think twice about having died of course she wouldn’t divulge to anyone else

RIGHT like in canon Babs is aware of her first death and tells Steph who reacts with appropriate wtf ness. My theory is that when Cass came back from her fight with Shiva she gave the most detached mission report she could, which Babs later listened to in horror. Babs then makes the decision not to tell Bruce the full story, because he's been doing a shit job at parenting recently and is at the point of his spiral where he's only going to get worse. So as far as the others are aware, Cass fought Shiva and won. That's all they need to know.

Her second death she wouldn't even tell Babs about. Not because of the death, but because of the shame she feels at what came directly after. Shiva can joke about that part, Cass feels like she deserves the brand of killer whenever her mother chooses to mention it. But no one can find out about the death that happened right before it. They can't see her as a victim, not when she ended that day by killing her mother. She fought Shiva and won. Again. That's all they need to know.

Sometimes I wonder if she gets tempted to talk with Steph and Damian and even Jason about their experiences in the afterlife. Because from what she gleaned it was different for each of them, and she wonders how it would compare to hers, if she could figure out the pattern of what certain people experience.

(Why Damian got trapped in hell at one point and she felt peace every time she died. That's not fair. No one should be in hell but if someone is, then Cass should be burning right alongside with them. How could the universe get that key fact so wrong?)

Bruce talking to her one night, when he's very tired and the painkillers are getting to him after a rough and fruitless fight, about all the ways he failed the children he was responsible for. Jason's death, Steph's death, Damian's death. None of them deserved it, and he knows he can never make up for the failures. He was supposed to protect them.

Cass listens and nods along and never once thinks to bring up her own deaths. She wasn't a child, stopped being one at the age of eight. It wasn't his responsibility, Bruce is supposed to protect the kids but Cass is supposed to protect everyone. It's not even about sparing him the additional guilt, she simply doesn't think he has anything to be guilty for and it doesn't cross her mind that he would think differently. He knows Cass isn't like the others, knows she's trying to be good instead of born with it. It's just different. Her deaths don't matter, not like the actual children.

[lej222]

Making Sense of 'Link Click'

(This post includes major spoilers up to the Bridon Arc of 'Link Click')

We always know that if a character in a time travel show warns about the dangers of changing the past, everything that can go wrong will go wrong.

With quite an unusual start, Link Click gives us an 'in medias res' beginning where almost nothing about the show is explained, but rather we jump right into the middle of the plot. In the first episode we only get to know that Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are friends who work at a photograpy studio, and by the request of Cheng Xiaoshi's landlady they use certain special abilities to transfer their conciousness back into the past.

Who are these people and why are they doing this? What are the rules of time travel aside the 3 conditions that Lu Guang tells us? These questions don't have immediate answers and viewers have to look for details in the subsequent episodes.

"Why are so many twists in my slice of life series??"

Link Click is really good at betraying our expectations from the very start. Based on the first couple of episodes, one might believe that the show is a slice-of-life series about a group of friends who help others with their past regrets, while time travel is just a means to an end for this goal. It's not until the earthquake episode that it becomes obvious that Cheng Xiaoshi is not in control of what they are doing and he has no idea just how dangerous it is to meddle with time. Just like how Lu Guang's watch, which at first only seems to signal the 12-hour time limit, also turns out to be an important clue in figuring out the timeline of the show.

I have already mentioned how the series jumps right into the middle of the plot in the 1st episode, which is exactly the reason why it's able to keep shocking its audience with every plot twist. At the start, details about the plot and the characters are intentionally left out, and are gradually revealed along the way, e.g. how CXS can also use his own strength in another body, his family owned the studio, Qiao Ling is his childhood friend, CCTV footage can be used instead of photos, etc. None of these things is directly explained to us, but rather they are mentioned in conversations and are rarely repeated for clarification. CXS experiences one traumatic event after another, and we are too caught up in his struggles to realize that there's one character who still remains a mystery, even by the end of the first season. In fact, the show's biggest question becomes:

Just who is Lu Guang?

Link Click's opening and ending songs long ago foreshadowed that the one in control of the time travel plot was not Cheng Xiaoshi, but his friend Lu Guang. Just a few examples:

In op1, he drops the photo, CXS is blindfolded, LG is standing in a church looking at what looks like to be the remnants of a photograph, CXS is trying to hold onto a rope(?) but it's actually LG who holds it firmly in his hand

In ending1, he's standing alone while CXS and Qiao Ling are together, his face gets a distortion effect, CXS and QL are both taking photos while LG is standing with his back to the camera

In op2, it looks like CXS is falling through time trying to reach LG's hand whose face is not shown, but as they touch he falls back again as time gets rewinded. It's almost like LG makes him stuck in a timeloop that he cannot escape.

In ending2, QL is instructing them (foreshadowing her powers as well) while LG and CXS are looking for a time machine that a man created to bring back his dead wife to life. Funnily enough, when the Bridon Arc dropped, people kept joking that CXS got the dead-wife filter in the new opening while LG wants to keep him alive, which is esentially parallel to the story told us in the second ending.

But it's not just the openings and endings that foreshadowed LG's twists, it was always him in control if we just think about their roles in their time travel experinces: LG was the one guiding CXS, he set the rules, he decided which requests to accept, while CXS was the one who empathized with the struggles of the people in the past and acted impulsively at times.

Lu Guang, in fact, is a hypocrite. He essentially breaks every single rule that he sets, all for the sake of trying to prevent Cheng Xiaoshi's unavoidable death. However, Lu Guang is aware that death is a node that cannot be changed, that's why he's surprised at first when he believes Emma is going to live. It is heavily implied that Lu Guang has rewinded time multiple times and the current timeline might be his last attempt. Moreover, we can also assume CXS's death is still yet to happen after the events of S2 considering LG still believes that the death node is inescapable; but we do know that in one of the previous timelines CXS died on the 13th of September, at 00:05 a.m, the date that is now used as the password on his phone (the year is blurred on his watch in the flashback).

In the current timeline, CXS first met LG while he was playing basketball in freshman year of university. (Which is already unusual in itself because as far as I know the director confirmed they met in high school. This might be a cultural difference? Or something else I'll get into later) LG was taking pictures which I just find odd for 2 reasons: 1) taking photos is not listed on LG's character profile as something he likes/good at, unlike CXS who likes and is good at it, and 2) what are the odds that someone with a special ability just happened to bump into someone else who not only also had a special ability, but one complementary to his own?? LG is an introvert but we're supposed to believe that he approached CXS in front of his photo studio (if we assume he's following the exact same steps he made in the past), I mean isn't that unusual? If he acted like this in the original timeline, it seems as if he approached CXS for a reason. (or maybe it's just me overthinking haha)

LG's age, blood type and birth year are still hidden. Logically speaking he should have been born in 2000 just like CXS if they were both freshmen at the same time. Not knowing his age might be one thing because he has been rewinding the past, but his birth year? It's no surpise theories of him coming from the future are popular. We know that there are characters who are after people who interfere with time, like Liu Xiao or Vein, in fact Vein tells LG CXS's death is their punishment for changing the past. In the second ending, LG and CXS discover a time machine. It's interesting how in a show about time travel only the future timeline hasn't been explored yet, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility that LG is indeed from a different timeline. Which means that even if he was able to return to his original time, him and CXS might never be able to meet again.

But when did LG and CXS meet for the first time?

In the Bridon Arc, LG uses a photo he took when CXS was a freshman at university and he was playing basketball. If we assume the first time he went back to the past was with CXS's powers (and ignore the possiblity that he's from a future where time travel might be possible), it means he couldn't have met CXS before the basketball scene because CXS would have remembered him. Which means that if LG has indeed been rewinding time multiple times, he might have reached the earliest photo he could use for meeting CXS. LG has to transfer his consciousness into his own younger self, and has to stay in the photo for a long period of time. CXS has never stayed in the past for more than 12 hours, which leads to what LG tells us in ep1 of the Bridon Arc:

By staying in a time where you do not belong, you can get lost in the flow of time.

LG knows that with time travel comes great responsibility and the ones who meddle in the natural order of things will have to pay the price. Him crushing a bug symbolizes the fact that he's ready to sacrifice anything, even himself, in order to protect CXS. LG has been living outside of his natural time for who-knows how long, and we are left to wonder if he still has CXS's abilities in the present. After all, CXS can still use his power and go back to the present even if he's possessing someone else's body. Which means LG should have his powers still, unless they have a time limit. In this case, if LG were to clap his hands intentionally, he would return to his original timeline, assuming CXS's ability can still be used by him.

However, there have been instances when LG's connection was cut off from CXS and LG looked visibly exhausted. It's possible in my opinion that continuously rewinding time has put a great mental burden on LG and his consciousness is close to a breaking point. There are times when he cannot easily tell dreams from reality, almost as if the timelines got mixed together (like him dreaming about being in the photo studio in the Bridon arc while his watch showed the date of CXS's death) and visual clues in the series support this argument:

Link Click has a specified timeframe. We know the present timeline takes place in 2021 based on LG's watch. In s1, QL tells us that the boys were abroad 3 years prior to the story, which would mean it happened in 2018. However, LG's watch shows 2019 in the Bridon Arc.

When LG goes back to the basketball court, the year is blurred out on his watch. On April 12th when LG is thinking about the butterfly effect, the year is still blurred. It should be the same day he meets CXS in front of the studio. On the 10th of June they go to the convention together, and when LG is about to walk away from CXS's life his watch shows that it's the year of 2019. Why wasn't it blurred out in this moment? After that, we know they go to Bridon in 2019.

Other people have pointed out, but there are inconsistencies sometimes in the background art as well

When CXS is afraid he might have changed the historical track by his actions in ep4, we see his first meeting with LG whose face gets distorted

LG says he might have created uncertainty within the certainty, which means that even if he knows that the death node is unavoidable, now there are unforeseen/unexpected variables that never happened in the past he knew (e.g. the actions of Liu Xiao and Vein who seemingly also keep altering past events)

The events of the Bridon Arc take place before S1 and we know CXS transferred his ability to LG when he died. In S2, LG visibly flinched when it was mentioned it might be possible that the special powers can be stolen. As of now, we don't know if they can only be transferred willingly but it's highly possibly they can indeed be stolen. CXS's parents have been missing in the last 10 years and key characters in the show seem to know who they are. The source of these powers is unknown and it also seems to be contradictory: the twins developed them similarly like a trauma response while their parents showed no signs of possessing them, CXS's parents both likely have them and he only awakened it as an adult randomly (he tells LG he used to know 2 people with the same eyes when they meet in the Bridon Arc and they both disappeared), while LG says his father discovered it when he was 7 years old. Obviously, LG could have easily lied in that scene as we know absolutely nothing about him (again, was it really a coincidence that he met CXS?) and he seems to know more than what he could have gained by experience only.

In the Link Click universe, CXS's powers are actually the most powerful because he has the chance to change the past. Ironically, it's actually LG who has been using his abilities and shouldering the responsibility of meddling with time. CXS's mother can also possess other people, but we don't know if it's the same method that CXS uses, he might have inherited one of his parent's powers or the combination of them. When CXS meets his mother, LG intentionally stalls the time so that Wang Qing can awaken in her own body, putting Vein in a death-like state. Again, LG displays knowledge that he should not be aware of. CXS's mom even says her plan to save her husband will work as long as others don't interfere (but they do). When we get a flashback scene of Liu Xiao as a child, he also talks weirdly like an adult, which makes me wonder if time travel is truly possible without CXS, or whether it became possible in a distant future because of him.

When LG tells CXS he'll stay by his side, CXS asks if it means they will be partners for life at the studio, but LG says he cannot promise forever. We know that both of their actions are abnormal occurences in the natural flow of time. As far as I know, the director of the show confirmed that there is only one timeline that always gets rewritten so there are no parallel timelines created. This again seems to be a contradictory statement because there were instances of something like an 'ouroboros' situation when we had a time loop, e.g. how QL was distracted by CXS from the future, or how the one saving CXS was himself in LG's body. However, if time is cyclical there's no beginning or end because they are the same thing (like the one we saw in the Netflix series "Dark"), just like how CXS's consciousness had already been transferred to LG's body before he actually went back to the past, and in the present they have to repeate the same actions so the cycle can continue.

It's like the snake eating itself that symbolizes what I said before about the possible cyclical nature of time in Link Click. Even so, if there's indeed only one timeline like what I read about the interview with the creator, and it only keeps getting rewritten, it kind of implies that LG's actions are part of the cycle, therefore, the outcome should always be a fixed point in time. It's also possible we haven't seen this end result yet, and all routes lead to this one conclusion - every time the timeline gets rewritten it happens like that because there's no other way it can happen. The characters might believe that they act of their own free will, but it's actually a predestined route, which could have been foreshadowed by the psychological test in the Bridon Arc when CXS said the fire was no one's fault. Basically, the events of Link Click indeed might be just the natural order of things where the outcome is always the same. UNLESS certain characters can go against the cyclical nature of time, like Vein or Liu Xiao, or even LG and CXS in the future season, who knows. It might even be a "Dark"-like twist where a past event created the timeloop. Huge spoilers for "Dark" on Netflix, but in that case the 'abnormalities' in time had to be eliminated, so some people had to cease to exist, in Link Click the one who has the power to alter the past is CXS himself. (I still cannot stop being suspicious about LG meeting him, it's a way too big coincidence). The time-travel plot has so much potential and we don't have enough information to make definite conclusions.

So these are just my ramblings, I'm interested to see what others think about the mysteries of the show and if anyone has other theories I'd really love to read them. :D I just wrote down every possiblity I could think of so I wouldn't forget the details until the new season.

[xhmeusworld]

go in blind | lee seokmin

genre: college! seokmin, friends to lovers, matchmaking

seventeen’s majors and minors here

pairings: lee seokmin x gender neutral reader

warnings: none

word count: 8.3k

note: this is not proofread and i’m not exactly proud of the ending, but i love seokmin so hopefully that makes up for it lmao

when you and your best friend, hayoung, entered college the most exciting part of seemed to be the rooming situation. you were both excited about getting away from your families and living your own lives, but you each had a rule that the other one should respect.

your rule was very simple.

hayoung was to have absolutely no sex in the dorm, especially not in your bed. honestly, that wasn’t hard for her to follow because she hadn’t even had a true relationship. you were sure something had happened between her and her friend jooheon, but he never admitted anything to you and you never asked.

the rule hayoung had set for you seemed very easy for you to follow.

don’t push me out of my comfort zone.

that’s it. that was her only rule.

yet, here you were breaking it.

“i’m telling you that they like each other. anyone who has eyes can see it!”

you were currently in the theater helping plan out everything for the newest student production, which happened to be by jeon wonwoo who was majoring in directing and telecommunications. that’s how he knew hayoung and which also explained why your best friend was glued to his side helping him figure out all the controls for the lightening and sound.

“seriously, just look at them!”

you turned your head at lee seokmin’s words, your eyes traveling to take in wonwoo and hayoung’s figures. their heads were pressed closely together as they discussed what a certain control did. you had to admit that they would be cute together.

“but isn’t hayoung with that jooheon guy that’s friends with jihoon?” jun asked. “i’ve seen them hang out a lot.”

“they’re just really good friends. they haven’t ever been together as a couple.”

seokmin and jun’s heads turned toward you, surprise in their features as a result of you contributing to the conversation. normally, when it came to theater productions you often kept to yourself, choosing to do your job as stage manager and leave.

however, this was your roommate being discussed. she was your platonic soulmate. there was no way you were just going to stand by while two actors talked about a relationship involving hayoung; something that she had no experience with whatsoever.

“see? y/n’s her roommate, which helps further prove my point that wonwoo and hayoung would make amazing babies.”

his words caused you to chuckle. “that’s where you are wrong, seokmin. hayoung has a very strict bubble that she lives in. she will not strive out of her comfort zone on her own, so there’s no way in the world those two will ever get together.”

seokmin seemed to ponder something before choosing his words to respond back. “well, you know her better than anyone and i’m good friends with wonwoo. we can help them get together. we can give them that push.”

jun scoffed. “this is definitely not going to end well.”

“just because minghao doesn’t love you doesn’t mean you get to kill the power of love!”

at the beginning of freshman year, you swore hayoung that you wouldn’t push him out of his comfort zone. however, if you didn’t help seokmin, she could very well possibly be missing out on being with the love of her life.

you sighed. “fine, I’ll help you.”

the grin on seokmin’s face grew as he threw his arm around you, excited that he finally had a partner in crime when it came to matchmaking. “we need a name for our plan.” jun rolled his eyes, but the brown-haired boy continued. “operation love scenario?”

“absolutely not.”

“operation love bomb?”

“sounds too violent.”

“operation love shot it is.”

•••

“seokmin, your dumb matchmaking plans always end up failing? you know this.”

the dark-haired boy looked at lee jihoon in disbelief. “what do you mean they always fail?”

“remember when you tried to set bang chan up with felix and they literally did not like each other, you just thought they did?”

“that was one time!”

joshua cleared his throat, glancing up from the medical textbook he had positioned on his lap. “love is an emotion that occurs naturally. no one is able to force two people to be in love, so in a way, you playing cupid is pointless.”

“you aren’t a doctor yet, so your opinion is also pointless.” seokmin threw an arm over your shoulder, which you have discovered was a gesture that he did with everyone. “however, this time is different. this time i have a partner in crime.”

a week had passed since you agreed to help lee seokmin set your best friend and jeon wonwoo up and you honestly wondering why you agreed in the first place. but there was no turning back now.

seokmin had already exchanged numbers with you and introduced you to his friends, joshua, jihoon, jun, and seungkwan. they were very easy to be around, but you did share the same fears as they did about operation love shot.

what if wonwoo and hayoung didn’t like each other? what if you and seokmin were just misinterpreting everything? what would happen then?

“and since i am your partner in crime, do you care to tell me why you insisted that i came to the quad area with you and your friends when i could very well be in my dorm watching youtube?”

a grin made its way onto seokmin’s face and the arm around your shoulder tightened. “well, the first stage of operation love shot is happening tonight and your assistance is required.”

“what’s the first stage?”

seokmin shook his head. “that’s for me to know and you to find out. i just need you and hayoung to meet me at this address tonight at eight.”

jihoon whistled as seokmin slipped a piece of paper into your hand. “this definitely isn’t going to end well if he won’t tell you what he’s planning.”

the gigantic grin never left seokmin’s face. “well, it’s too late for y/n to back out now!”

•••

it took a lot to convince hayoung to actually get dressed and accompany you to the address seokmin gave you, especially since she desperately wanted to know where you were taking her.

at the time, you didn’t have an answer for her, but how bad could it be? it was seokmin after all.

however, it was worse than you could have ever imagined.

seokmin directed you to the university’s most popular frat house.

and a party was in full swing.

you honestly didn’t know what to do as you grabbed a hold of hayoung’s hand and pulling her toward the kitchen where there seemed to be less people. it was easy to tell that she didn’t want to be here. she hated loud noises, crowds, and alcohol and this party had all three.

truthfully, you were going to deck seokmin the moment you found him for not making you aware of his plan. if you knew, you could have avoided the panic attack that your best friend was bound to have eventually.

the sound of loud laughter greeted your ears from the living room and you immediately recognized it as lee seokmin’s.

you quickly grabbed a red solo cup from the table, filling it with water and giving it to hayoung. you tried to ignore how bad her hands were shaking. “okay, i promise we can leave soon, alright? i just need to talk to somebody real quick. just stay here and do not, by any means, sit your drink down.”

“o-okay,” hayoung choked out.

you gave her a small smile before diving back into the crowd and heading toward the living room. seokmin wasn’t hard to find at all. he was the only one who was currently laughing his head off, but he stopped the moment he saw you.

“y/n, i knew you would come!” he cleared his throat, his eyes subtly darting to the boy next to him who looked severely uncomfortable. “where’s hayoung?”

wonwoo glanced up slightly from his feet at the mention of your best friend’s name, but quickly looked down once he realized that you were looking at him.

“she’s in the kitchen.” you crossed your arms over your chest. “i think we need to talk about something.”

seokmin’s grin faltered at your tone. he turned to wonwoo. “hey, you wanna go get us something to drink in the kitchen?”

the boy with glasses nodded, moving past you, leaving you and seokmin alone. well, as alone as you could get at a party. you immediately hurt him up side the head.

“ow, what was that for?”

“do you realize that you brought hayoung and i to a party? if i knew this was your first stage, i would have never brought her.”

seokmin looked at you in puzzlement. “it’s just a party, y/n.”

“no, it’s not, seokmin! hayoung gets panic attacks easily, especially around crowds, loud noises, and alcohol!”

the huge grin always on seokmin’s face reappeared. “see, that’s exactly the point, my dear y/n! him and wonwoo hate parties for the same reason and they share a similar major, which means the moment wonwoo finds hayoung in the kitchen, they are going to bond. and boom stage one of love shot is complete!”

your eyes widened in disbelief. “you are insane!”

“no, i’m a genius.” seokmin grabbed your hand, pulling you toward the kitchen. “i’ll show you.”

once you both reached the doorway, seokmin released your hand. what you saw in the kitchen surprised you.

seokmin chuckled. “see? what did i tell you?”

wonwoo and hayoung were sitting in the corner of the room, their heads bent low as they talked. you could see hayoung’s hands shaking and it was clear that wonwoo was trying to calm her down.

“wait until i tell jihoon and joshua that stage one was a success!”

that earned him another slap to the head.

“ow, why are you such a violent person?”

“because you’re an idiot.”

•••

even though you didn’t agree with the way seokmin planned stage one, you had to admit that it worked better than you had hoped.

wonwoo offered to drive your roommate back the dorms not even fifteen minutes after you had arrived at the party. you quickly reassured him that you would be seokmin’s ride home while the happy virus beside you tried not to explode from happiness at the thought of his plan actually working.

it was clear a few days after the party that wonwoo and hayoung had bonded. instead of just discussing the lightening and the sound during the theater meetings, you often turned to see hayoung laughing at something the boy with glasses had said. you also learned that they had exchanged phone numbers after the party, but hayoung still insisted that they were barely friends.

which meant it was time for stage two.

“okay, so if we are going to get them together, we are going to have to actually get them together,” you told seokmin as you were positioned next to him on his bed. he was currently playing an intense game of fortnite, his eyes staying glued to his tv.

“how are we supposed to do that?” seokmin asked as he violently punched the controls, trying to stay inside the safety circle where the toxic fog wouldn’t reach him. “the only reason my first idea was to get them together at a party was because i knew that both of shared a mutual hatred for crowds. like they literally share the same major. they have classes together, yet they aren’t ever around one another unless absolutely necessary.”

you hit your pen against your notebook paper, lost in thought. you wanted to think of a way that you could get hayoung and wonwoo together without making either one uncomfortable.

“maybe we can invite hayoung and wonwoo hang out with us, jihoon, joshua, vernon, and seungkwan?”

seokmin’s eyes got wide and he immediately started shaking his head. “no, no, absolutely not. soonyoung has been hanging out with us recently and that boy cannot keep his mouth shut. the moment he saw wonwoo he would make a comment the sexual tension between him and hayoung and then we will all be in trouble.”

“you do have a point.”

“do they even have similar interests?” seokmin asked, his attention focused back on the game.

you sat your notebook down in front of you and sighed. “aren’t you supposed to have all the answers? you’re the one that insists that you are close to wonwoo. aren’t you supposed to know his hobbies?”

seokmin let out a yell as he got attacked, resulting in his death. “you know what, i hate this game.” he threw the controller onto the floor before turning to face you. “literally wonwoo is so absorbed in his studies that i don’t even think he has hobbies.”

that set a lightblurb off into your head. “that’s it! that can be stage two!”

seokmin gave a look of puzzlement. “studying? you want studying to be a part of operation love shot? are you joking? i’m trying to do our friends a favor and get them laid, not get them smarter.”

that earned the dark-haired boy a smack on the back of his head. “will you stop doing that?”

“i will when you quit being an idiot. however,” you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear as you began to explain your plan. “you said that wonwoo is always extremely focused on his studies. well, so is hayoung, which means that’s how we get them together. hayoung and i will plan a study date in the library and you and wonwoo can as well, but somehow something is magically going to come up for us two where we don’t show up.”

seokmin’s eyes lit up as he began to understand. “which means hayoung and wonwoo are going to be there studying alone and possibly for the same classes.”

you smiled. “bingo.”

the grin on seokmin’s face widened. “you know what? i am glad you agreed to do this with me. not just because you are awesome at planning, but because you are really easy to hang out with. i really enjoy being around you.”

his words caused your heart to miss a beat, but you truthfully didn’t understand why. your cheeks were slightly red as you spoke. “i like being around you too.”

seokmin chuckled. “even when i play fortnite?”

“yes, even when you play fortnite.”

•••

“we did exactly what you suggested. tell me why it’s not working.”

seokmin’s tone of voice made you want to hit him on the side of the head for the thousandth time, but you resisted the urge. you and the dark-haired boy had been positioned behind a bookcase for about twenty minutes just observing the subjects of operation love shot.

saying hayoung was pissed when you bailed on your planned study date was understatement. you were honestly surprised that she hadn’t decided to lock herself in jooheon’s dorm to avoid you. she hated when somebody bailed on her, especially if that someone was you. however, you obviously couldn’t tell her that you were trying to get her together with wonwoo and that’s the reason why you cancelled.

at first, you didn’t feel bad about hurting her feelings because you knew she wouldn’t be lonely for long, but your plan was one hundred percent failing. wonwoo was seated all the way across the library from your best friend and you and seokmin honestly weren’t even sure if they knew each other were both in the library.

hayoung had her headphones in while glancing through her science textbook while wonwoo just kept his head down as he worked on his calculus homework.

“we need to do something,” you whispered, turning toward seokmin. “nothing’s happening. we have to make them interact somehow.”

seokmin seemed lost in thought for a second before a light blurb went off in his head. “i got idea, but you are going to have to help me.”

you raised your eyebrows. “what do you want me to do?”

“okay, so I’ll distract wonwoo and while i do that, you come up behind him and take his pen. if he doesn’t have a pen that means he can’t do his homework. he’ll have to get up and ask hayoung for one.”

although seokmin often had no braincells, he did manage to come up with good plans.

before you could even agree to participate, the dark-haired boy was already making his way toward jeon wonwoo’s table.

“hey, wonwoo, i have a question.” there was no surprise that seokmin’s major was acting. “when is our next theater practice? I forgot to write it down, but i know the day involves around you and hayoung’s schedules. oh, by the way, speaking of hayoung, did you notice that she is sitting right over there?”

seokmin’s eyes darted toward you and you took that as your cue to start moving. you were holding your breath as you delicately picked up wonwoo’s pen, hoping to everything out there that he didn’t hear you do so. luckily, he didn’t and you hurried back to your place behind the bookcase.

“okay, thank you so much!” seokmin remarked once he noticed that you had succeeded with your part of the plan. “i’ll see you tomorrow!” the smiling boy started walking back toward you, leaving a bewildered wonwoo in his wake.

“now, we wait for him to realize that we just double crossed him,” the boy remarked as he crouched back down next to you.

luckily, that didn’t take long and you couldn’t help but laugh as wonwoo glanced around his workspace, searching for the pen that was currently in your hand. after a few moments, the boy with glasses released a sigh before pushing back his chair and slowly making his way toward hayoung.

the younger girl instantly looked up from her book, a big smile appearing on her face as she saw who was approaching her.

you and seokmin watched as wonwoo explained to the girl that he needed a pen. both of you were definitely surprised when wonwoo bent down and started helping hayoung with a question she had about her homework.

next thing you knew, wonwoo moved back over to his table to gather all of his things before returning to hayoung, sitting down next to her.

“i think our job here is done,” seokmin whispered to you. “time to leave quickly as possible before we get caught.”

both of you quietly snuck out of the library, relieved sighs leaving your lungs as hayoung and wonwoo didn’t notice your departure.

“i feel like we are finally getting somewhere,” seokmin told you as you walked side by side toward his dorm. “they discovered that they struggle with the same class, so they could have study dates. you and i can drop hints about them working together.”

the thought of hayoung having a study buddy that wasn’t you sent a pang through your heart. you wanted her to be happy if she did decide to get with wonwoo, but at the same time, you knew that in a way you would lose your best friend.

you weren’t sure if you were ready for that.

•••

ever since the stage of operation love shot that occurred in the library, you and seokmin had barely had time to see each other because of gigantic tests and projects for both of you. of course, you saw him during theater practice, but you were just the stage manager. he was one of the main actors, which gave him limited time to actually speak to you.

both of you were missing one another although the thought was often just pushed in the back of your minds as a result of your busy schedules. however, today was different. you both had a free day and you were surprised when seokmin said that he wanted to spend it with you, but the world seemed to be against him.

he was forced to cover a co-worker’s shift last minute at the university daycare, but he wasn’t willing to break the promise he made to you, so he got it cleared with his manager for you to come in and help out with the children.

honestly, you were a bit nervous. this was technically the first time you and seokmin were going to hang out and not discuss the topic of getting your two best friends laid. what if seokmin found you boring as a person? what were you supposed to do then?

the fact that you cared so much scared you as well. seokmin was just your friend; a friend that was created from a plan to get hayoung and wonwoo together, not out of interest in each other. why were you so concerned about losing the relationship you had with him?

you quickly shook your head, clearing the anxious thoughts from your head as you entered the daycare. the first thing that greeted you was the smiling face of a blonde boy. you recognized him from somewhere, but you didn’t know where exactly.

“hi! i’m guessing you are here for seokmin,” he said, coming out from behind the reception desk. “he told us that he was having someone help him for the day.”

you nodded, your palms starting to sweat. “yeah, i’m y/n.”

the boy smiled. “I’m boo seungkwan. i’ve heard a lot about you from seokmin. he and i have known each other for awhile.”

the fact that seokmin actually talked about you to his friends made your heart warm and you were sure you were blushing.

“originally, seokmin was planning on showing you around, but he’s currently dealing with an especially fussy child right now. he wants me to show you around and he’ll join us soon.”

seungkwan gestured for you to follow him down a hallway. he turned to look over his shoulder at you. “what’s your major?”

“i double major in music education and stage management.”

“oh, so that’s how you know seokmin. you’re helping with wonwoo’s theater production.”

you both fell into silence as the blonde boy showed you all the rooms, explaining that there’s a daycare kitchen along with certain rooms given to each age group.

once you reached the final door to the left, seungkwan entered. “this is the playroom for all the toddlers, so basically kids from ages two to four. this is where you and seokmin are pretty much going to be today.”

a smile made its way onto your face as you observed all the little kids. some were running around while others were just quietly playing with their own toys.

seungkwan’s smile seemed to get even wider as he studied the children along with you. you turned toward him, a curious expression on your face.

“what’s your major?”

“child development,” he responded. “i love working with children of all ages, which is thankful because if i didn’t, i would have to change my major and that’s such a hard thing to do. i changed my minor and i never want to go through that again.”

you tilted your head to the side as you studied his facial features. “what’s your minor?”

it was as if on cue, seungkwan’s smile faltered, but he quickly recovered it. “my minor is human sexuality studies. let’s just say it’s a quite an interesting topic for me.”

before you could respond, a door on the opposite side of the room opened, revealing a small child and seokmin. the child rushed out to join the others and the dark-haired boy made his way toward you.

“hey, y/n, you made it!” he grinned, pulling you against his body in a hug. “i’m so happy you did!”

as you tried to slow the rapid heartbeat in your chest, you also tried to ignore the knowing look seungkwan happened to have on his face.

as if he knew something you didn’t.

•••

“so do you just watch the kids play until you get off of work?” you asked seokmin as you both were positioned at a small table in the corner of the room. various kids were running around while others were playing games amongst each other.

“not usually,” seokmin replied. “each worker gets assigned to a certain room each shift and i’m normally in the baby room.” he chuckled. “which means i change diapers and get puked on more often than not unless i have to calm him down from one of his fits.”

your eyes followed seokmin’s to the little boy who he had to take care of earlier. he appeared to be in a better mood based on the fact that he was sharing his blocks with another child.

“why does he always ask for you? can’t someone else calm him down, like seungkwan? he seems good with kids.”

seokmin grinned, a chuckle leaving his mouth. “daehyun is my one of my best friend’s sons. i’ve known seungcheol for a long time and i was there for him when daehyun was first born. because cheol is a single dad, although he’s trying his best, i think it’s caused daehyun to have temper issues. and don’t me wrong, he loves seungkwan a lot, but it’s more in a teasing way. he likes making fun of him, so he isn’t a good choice to calm him down when he’s having one of his fits. i am because he’s used to me.” he shrugged. “i guess i just know how to handle him.”

you opened your mouth to respond, but you were interrupted as one of the toddlers let out a scream before bursting into tears as she fell down. seokmin was up in a flash, pulling the young girl into arms and swaying back and forth.

“hush, it’s okay,” he whispered. “you’re not hurt. falling down just scared you, didn’t it? well, i’m here now. you’re safe.”

your heart felt like it was going to burst out of your chest at his actions.

and that’s when you truly realized that you were developing feelings for lee seokmin.

the feelings you experienced when he was around: the warm feeling in your chest, the happiness, the laughter. it wasn’t just because you enjoyed his company. it was because you liked more than a friend.

that thought was terrifying to you.

•••

“again, i would like to apologize for the fact that i had to work today. we could have went out and done something fun, but you had to watch me take care of screaming kids instead.”

you and seokmin were currently in the elevator, heading up to your dorm floor.

“i honestly didn’t mind. some of those kids were really cute.”

seokmin smiled. “yeah, i love working with kids. so does seungkwan, but i honestly think he wishes that his minor could be his major.”

you raised your eyebrows. “how come?”

“seungkwan picked human sexuality studies as his minor because he’s crushing hard on this psychology student. he picked the minor to help him figure himself out and it turned into something he really enjoyed.”

“so is he with this psychology student now?”

seokmin shook his head. “he’s never even talked to him. seungkwan just admires him from afar. it’s kinda creepy.”

the elevator beeped, signaling you were on your floor before the doors opened.

“maybe seungkwan can be the subject of our next matchmaking plan,” the boy suggested.

you opened your mouth to respond, but seokmin grabbed a hold of your arm, making you stop in your tracks.

“quick! over there!”

you and seokmin rounded the corner at the end of your dorm hallway before timidly peeking around the corner. relief spread throughout your body when it became clear that wonwoo and hayoung hadn’t noticed you two stepping off the elevator.

“what do you think they’re doing?” seokmin whispered, his voice extremely close to your ear. it sent chills down your spine.

“it looks like they’re just talking,” you replied.

“well, how long do you think they’re just going to take in the dorm hallway? it’s literally like nine at night.”

you scoffed at seokmin’s words. he was the one that desperately wanted wonwoo and hayoung together, yet he was complaining about how late they were together. “let them talk. it’s not like you have anywhere else to be.”

“i don’t know if that was meant to be offensive or not.”

you opened your mouth to respond, but before you could, your eyes widened as a soft “oh my god it’s happening” escaped seokmin’s lips at the scene in front of both of your eyes.

hayoung didn’t even see it coming when wonwoo leaned forward to attach his lips to hers. you could tell from here that the kiss was gentle and sweet; almost timid even. however, your best friend didn’t seem to know what to do.

her back stayed completely straight and it was apparent that she had no idea what to do with her hands. they were clutching the jean material at her sides.

wonwoo pulled away after a few seconds. he muttered something to hayoung with a small smile before hurrying down the hall and toward the stairs.

you and seokmin only moved when hayoung entered your dorm room.

seokmin had a gigantic grin on his face when you turned to face him. “i told you operation love shot would be a success.”

you rolled your eyes. “i never doubted your plan. jihoon did.”

seokmin’s eyes lit up. “oh my god, i have to call jihoon and rub it in his face that he was wrong.”

that earned a laugh from your lungs.

“i’m serious, y/n. if you don’t hear from me tomorrow, ask jihoon what he did with his paintball gun.”

•••

after witnessing the kiss between wonwoo and hayoung, you expected to enter your dorm room to find your best friend in a state happiness. instead, she was in a state of anger and anxiety.

“hey, what’s wrong?”

the girl flipped around to face you, tears streaming down her cheeks. “what was the one rule that i told you to never cross when i agreed to room with you?”

“don’t push you out of your comfort zone,” you replied instantly. “but i still don’t understand why you’re upset.”

hayoung wiped angrily at her cheeks. “I know. I know what you and seokmin have been doing. you’ve been trying to get wonwoo and i together.” her words caused your breath to hitch in your throat. “i saw you guys in the hallway when your first stepped out of the elevator and suddenly all made complete sense. the reason why you dragged me to that stupid party, the reason why wonwoo moved over to my table in the library. it was all because of you guys.” she let out a scoff. “and to think, i actually thought wonwoo liked me.”

you attempted to step toward your best friend, but she quickly stepped back. “of course, wonwoo likes you, hayoung. why wouldn’t he?”

the blonde girl took a deep breath, trying to calm her breathing. “why wouldn’t he? you’re really asking me that? think about it, y/n. i have been in classes with wonwoo since we started college and he hasn’t paid me any mind at all until you and seokmin started planning things. whatever wonwoo and i’s relationship is, it’s not happening naturally. it’s happening because you guys keep making it happen. and what if i’m not ready for relationship? i guess that doesn’t matter, does it? because i didn’t get a choice. you and seokmin took away that choice.”

you were surprised to find yourself holding back tears as well. “hayoung, i didn’t-”

your roommate shook her head, cutting you off. “i’m going to go stay with jooheon for a few days.”

a few days turned into a week and a half and hayoung still hadn’t returned back to your dorm. she was ignoring your calls and texts and theater practice had been cancelled as well because wonwoo couldn’t even get ahold of her.

you couldn’t take it anymore and that’s why you were currently standing in front of jooheon’s dorm room.

“hey, y/n, what are you doing here?”

you weren’t surprised when jooheon’s roommate, wonho, answered the door. ever since freshman year, you always had a crush on shin hoseok and it normally made it extremely hard to be around him. you would always turn into a blushing mess whenever he even looked remotely in your direction: however, when you looked at him now, you felt nothing.

and it was probably all because of lee seokmin.

you sighed, running a hand through your hair. “can i talk to hayoung, please?”

wonho looked behind him, his eyes connecting with something before he turned back around. “she’s actually sleeping right now, but i can take a message?”

hayoung had been your best friend for years and you knew that she wouldn’t talk to you willingly. she was too stubborn for her own good and honestly, in this situation, she had every right to be. however, you couldn’t stand the thought of you guys not talking for any longer.

“i’d rather talk to jooheon then,” you replied.

wonho opened his mouth to obviously deny your request, but you cut him off. “don’t you dare say that he isn’t home because i know very well that he’s listening to our entire conversation right now. besides, i know his next class isn’t until tomorrow.”

your words caused the orange-haired boy to appear beside his roommate with a sigh. “fine, we’ll talk, but hayoung actually is asleep, so we’re talking in the hallway.”

wonho gave you a small smile before jooheon stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

a few seconds of silence passed before you decided to speak. “look, i can tell that you aren’t very happy with me right now and i don’t blame you, but at least hear me out, okay?”

jooheon gave a slight nod and you took a deep breath. “i understand that what i did was wrong. trying to set her up with wonwoo was pushing her out of her comfort zone and i should have never agreed to help seokmin. but you know that i didn’t have any bad intentions. i care about her just as much as you do.”

“do you realize how scared she is?” the orange-haired boy asked quietly. “she hasn’t gone to any of his classes that have wonwoo in it for the last few days. she’s terrified to face him because she thinks wonwoo is going to want to talk about what has been going on. hayoung has never had a true relationship. she doesn’t know to let herself be that vulnerable to someone, yet you and seokmin thought it would be a good idea to push her into one when she clearly wasn’t ready. you, of all people, should understand why she’s upset.”

“i do understand why she’s upset and i am sorry. i am truly sorry, but you know that she won’t talk to me on her own accord. that’s why i’m talking to you. she listens to you. all i’m asking for you to explain to her that i meant no harm and that i’m done with helping seokmin, alright?” you sighed. “you you please do that for me?”

jooheon seemed to mull over the idea in his head before responding. “hayoung deserves to feel happy and safe and for the last few days, she has felt neither, and i believe a part of that has to do with the fact that she hasn’t been talking to you. I know you guys haven’t gone without talking every day since sophomore year and it’s taking a toll on her, so yeah, i’ll talk to him.”

you released a sigh of relief. “thank you, jooheon.”

“you can thank me by leaving wonwoo and her relationship alone.”

•••

“what if she doesn’t want to talk to me again? just because jooheon said he would talk to her doesn’t mean she’s going to forgive me. what if she decides to switch roommates? what if i ruined our friendship for good?”

seokmin sighed over the phone. “y/n, calm down, okay? hayoung just got his feelings hurt. she’ll come around eventually. wonwoo made me explain everything once he couldn’t get a hold of hayoung and he was upset too, but after a couple of days, he got over it.”

“but hayoung isn’t wonwoo, seokmin. you don’t know her like i do.” your voice cracked as you held back a sob. “i can’t lose my best friend.”

rustling was heard from the other end and eventually seokmin’s voice spoke. “i’ll be at your dorm in ten minutes, okay? everything will be alright.”

•••

you could barely get yourself to focus on whatever drama seokmin currently had displayed on the television. you were too transfixed by how close your bodies were.

he had his body turned toward you, his head propped up on his elbow. his fingers were playing with your hair and although you hated having your hair touched, you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him to stop.

you were extremely grateful to lee seokmin. he knew what you were going through with hayoung because he felt the same thing with wonwoo, but the issue was that hayoung was more stubborn than the black-haired boy. so the only way he knew how to help was to be by your side whenever you needed support.

and that was the exact reason why he was with you now.

he knew that there was nothing he could say to make things better, but as long as you weren’t alone, he felt like he was helping even if it was just a little bit.

relying on seokmin so much scared you. you knew how deep your feelings for the happy virus went, but you weren’t sure what you supposed to do. should you just confess? bury your feelings and never let them come to the surface? if hayoung was here, you would ask for her advice, but this time, you were on your own.

“are you about to fall asleep?” seokmin asked, a chuckle leaving his lungs as his eyes trailed over your facial features.

“no,” you replied, quietly. “i’m awake.”

“still thinking about hayoung?”

“kinda.”

seokmin gave you a small smile. “don’t stress over it, y/n. jooheon will talk to her and everything will go back to normal, okay? you just have to give it time.”

“I have been giving it time,” you protested. “It’s been a week and a half, seokmin! how long am i supposed to give her time before i completely lose hope?”

the boy next to you sighed. “have faith in her, y/n. she’ll come around no matter how long it takes, i promise.”

the two of you lapsed into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the noise from the television. you wanted to confess your feelings to lee seokmin more than anything, but you couldn’t seem to find the courage. however, he seemed to beat you to it.

before you realized what was happening, seokmin cupped your face, pressing his lips yours.

the kiss was gentle and slow, almost like he was scared to make any sudden movements. your brain was screaming at you to kiss him back, but your body couldn’t help but react exactly like hayoung’s had when wonwoo kissed her. now you understood the emotions your best friend had felt.

the uncertainty. the fear. the anxiety.

your back stayed completely straight and your hands stayed glued to the blanket underneath you. panic began to blossom seokmin’s chest as a result of your reaction. he couldn’t help but think he had made a massive mistake.

he broke away from you, eyes wide. “i didn’t mean to overstep your boundaries,” seokmin said quickly. “i’m sorry. i shouldn’t have done anything. i should have asked you if it was okay.”

you wanted to tell seokmin that it was okay. you wanted to tell him that you liked him. you wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to apologize for anything. but you did the exact opposite as you climbed off of your bed, running your fingers through your hair. your voice was barely a whisper as you spoke. “can you please leave?”

“y/n, i didn’t-”

you flipped around to face the dark-haired boy, tears now falling down your cheeks. those tears sent a pang of misery through seokmin’s heart. all he wanted to do was hold you and wipe your tears away. it was clear that you didn’t want him to do that. “just go away, seokmin! please!”

seokmin’s face instantly fell at your words, but he obeyed, standing up from your bed and stepping toward the door. once his feet made contact with the carpet that was in the hallway, he glanced over his shoulder for a brief second. his words made you want to cry even harder. “If you need anything, just text me, okay? i’ll come right back over. it wouldn’t be an issue.”

he hadn’t even been gone for half an hour before you had already exhausted yourself from crying.

you were glad that your roommate didn’t ask questions when she returned back to your dorm, plopping down on her bed, her back facing you.

at least you had your best friend back, but in the process, you may have lost one of the people you cared about the most.

•••

to say that you were angry with yourself was a severe understatement. why did you react like that? it was seokmin for crying out loud.

but maybe that was the problem.

through this mess of a matchmaking plan, seokmin had become an important person to you. someone that you could rely on. someone who you felt safe with. he made you laugh with his dumb antics, he cheered you up with coffee on a hard day, he was your video game partner-in-crime. what if committing to a relationship ruined that?

what if you guys tried to pursue something, but it just crashed and burned and everything never went back to normal? what if seokmin never talked to you again? you weren’t sure that you could handle it.

hell, it had only been a few days since the kiss in your dorm and you were about to go mad as result of not being around the dark-haired boy, which was clearly your own fault.

you were the one avoiding him like the plague. well, to the best of your ability at least.

you weren’t one to ignore all of your obligations, so you still forced yourself to attend show rehearsals since you were the stage manager. luckily, the performance was to the part where most of the actors were busy the entire time, which kept you and seokmin separated.

it was hard to ignore the looks he kept throwing your way. it was especially hard to ignore the looks everyone else was throwing your way.

it came as no surprise that seokmin seemed to have updated all of your friends about the recent developments. you wouldn’t have expected anything different, but you felt like a gigantic spotlight was targeted just on you, and you weren’t made for that. there was a reason why you worked behind the scenes instead of on the stage itself.

the only people who seemed to not be phased by the distance between you and seokmin were hayoung and wonwoo. granted, they obviously had better things to deal with than to focus on a relationship - friendship - that wasn’t theirs.

hayoung had been back in your dorm since the night everything changed with seokmin. everything was back to normal. she was acting completely like herself, she was interacting with you like normal. you just kept waiting for her to crack.

to scream at you for the part you played in operation love shot.

to scream at you for breaking the only rule she set for you when you guys agreed to become roommates.

but that never came.

hayoung and wonwoo appeared to be closer during stage rehearsals. smiling, laughing, but your best friend confirmed that they didn’t see each other outside of theater and agreed to remain friends, which meant seokmin’s planned failed.

and it took you down with it.

in attempt to try and clear your head of the situation with seokmin as well as theater obligations, you found yourself taking a walk through campus, hoping that the nature surrounding you would help.

spotting a cardinal, which had just taken off in front of you, you were lost in thought when a familiar voice called out from behind you.

“hey, y/n?” surprised, you turned to see boo seungkwan jogging slightly to catch up to you. “can we talk for a second?”

you nodded. “of course. what do you need?”

you thought that the topic of conversation would involve theater, rehearsals, or something to do with the stage production, but you nearly tripped over your own feet when seungkwan started speaking.

“i know it’s none of my business, and i normally don’t insert myself into other people’s issues unless absolutely necessary, but i just feel like i should say something here.”

he’s going to talk about seokmin.

“i get that admitting feelings is hard and the unknown is terrifying, but i���ve known seokmin for a long time and it’s a clear that he really really likes you. and if you don’t return his feelings, that’s fine, but at least tell him.”

tightening your hand around your backpack strip as you and seungkwan walked, you choose to focus on your feet, attempting to keep yourself grounded as the blonde boy’s words sunk in.

“i don’t have the option to tell the person that i like that I like him and-“

your head snapped up at his words, your mind going back to the time you had gone to the daycare with seokmin. how seungkwan’s face changed when you asked him what his minor was and how he answered human sexuality studies. seokmin’s mention of a certain psychology student that he liked.

that’s when it clicked. you had only seen seungkwan with one psychology student.

“you’re talking about vernon.” you didn’t say it like a question. you didn’t have to.

seungkwan rubbed the back of his head, eyes darting to the ground before moving back to you. he smiled softly. “seokmin always says you’re really bright.” his words set your cheeks ablaze. seokmin actually talked about you when you weren’t present. “but not being able to be true to myself and talk to vernon - it kills me inside. don’t do that to you or him. be honest with whatever you’re feeling. if it doesn’t work out, fine, but you have to try.”

deep down, you knew the boy in front of you was right.

•••

the sun was starting to set when you made up your mind. you were going to take seungkwan’s advice.

before you lost your nerve, your phone was in your hand and you were clicking on seokmin’s name, watching the phone ring. he answered almost immediately and he agreed to meet you next to the university’s fountain without any hesitation.

you arrived first, but it was a only few minutes later when seokmin arrived. your stomach started to do flips as your eyes met his. they were the same eyes you were used to although this definitely wasn’t the situation either one of you were used to. his dark eyes still held kindness; one of the many things that drew you to him in the first place.

you both opened your mouths at the same time.

“look-“

“i’m-“

seokmin chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “okay, you go first.”


god, you were hoping he wouldn’t say that.

“seokmin, i don’t even know where to begin. i didn’t agree to this dumb matchmaking plan with any idea that i would fall for you, but it just happened. and i don’t know why i freaked out.”

when you were upset, you rambled. you knew this, but for once, in this situation, it was easier to do that than try to deal with any awkward silence.

“i don’t know why i pulled away because you obviously felt the same way because like if you didn’t - why would you even kiss me in the first place. maybe i was just scared? what if this ruined our friendship? what if this ruined the entire friend group? what if this ended badly and we can never recover?”

you took in a deep breath as you finished speaking, exhaling as you studied seokmin’s face. he observed you quietly, a small smile on his lips, but he didn’t say anything.

why wasn’t he saying anything?

the silence felt suffocating and you needed to break it. opening your lips, you quietly said, “i’ve been oblivious to you because i’m afraid of losing someone i truly care about on this earth. if we were to ever date and break up, i really don’t think i could handle it.”

“you’re not gonna lose me,” seokmin’s voice spoke, “even if you didn’t feel the same, i’m content with loving you without it being returned. at least this way i can still have you in my life.”

without any hesitation, you closed the distance between the two of you and pressed your lips against his own, taking the taller boy by surprise before he finally melted into you, his hands cupping your face gently. you pulled away, looking into his eyes before saying, “i knew so early on that i was going to fall for you.”

seokmin only kissed you again, this time with the reassurance that you would never lose him. the kiss was soft, but conveyed everything you needed it to. seokmin was returning your feelings. he was forgiving you for putting both of you through hell the last week.

almost too soon, seokmin pulled away, a gigantic grin on his face as he rested his forehead against yours.

“so would you say that operation love shot was a success after all?”

[queeniewithabeanie]

Blue Rose Syndrome

Dpxdc Prompt #27

Turns out ghosts have their own fucked up version of Hanahaki. Instead of being a result of unrequited love, ghosts will start coughing up flowers from their core when they can't fulfill their obsessions.

It's always the same type of flower too, blue roses. Something so unnatural they mean 'unattainable'.

And it seems that whatever higher power there is in the world really hates Danny, because while he's at his happiest, he's also most susceptible to the disease.

Danny fought through a lot of shit, he escaped his parents, the GIW, and finally found a family that loved him, the Waynes.

His obsession didn't act up in Gotham because there were just so many vigilantes already helping there. And then of course that all went out the window when the family Danny prized so much turned out to be the very same vigilantes putting themselves into grave danger every night.

He tries to help out in his human form? He's told they can handle themselves and that he needs at least six months of bat-training before he can go out onto the field.

He tries to help out as Phantom? He's told "no metas in Gotham" and he can't exactly reveal his identity to his family. The more people that know about him, the more at risk he is to the GIW.

Danny's been coughing up blue roses for over a week now and his core gets weaker every time one exits his throat.

The longer he waits, the less able he is to protect, and the more dangerous the disease becomes to him.

It's a cycle of self-destruction and Danny can't do anything about it.

[mellohiizz]

may i humbly request more starfox or a blindfold bros :3 i’ll actually cry if they break up TT–TT

i had to draw more starfox im still losing my mind...

im normal about them guys im normal im so normal

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

They are trying to convince me Jason was always reckless and angry and impulse and tbh that fact is worse than them killing him

[barbatos-sama]

this is an ask to the creator of the show this is so ominous. raggattha npc theory real maybe??

[maskedbyghost]

cw: manipulation, possessive reader, suggestive language

You told him you didn’t do casual.

You didn’t make it a big deal. You just said it like you meant it, not trying to sound dramatic or emotional about it. Just honest.

“I don’t do casual,” you said, eyes on your drink. “It always ends up messy, and I’m not built for that.”

Simon leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “That’s alright,” he said eventually. “I’m not looking for anything serious.”

You nodded. No reaction on your face, no shift in tone. “Then we can just be friends.”

He raised an eyebrow like he was trying to figure you out. “You sure?”

You smiled a little. “Yeah. I like hanging out with you. We don’t have to fuck.”

“…Alright,” he said, after a pause. “Friends.”

And that was the start.

Except friends don’t show up to his gym when he’s meeting a girl for a workout date.

Friends don’t slip him a text during his Tinder dinner like,

“you left your hoodie here again. i’m wearing it. smells like you.”

Friends don’t show up to the pub when he’s got plans with someone, all dolled up like you just rolled out of a damn music video, giving his date a once-over and offering a tight smile that says run, babe.

You’d always act surprised when things didn’t work out. “Oh no, she ghosted you? That’s so weird.”

And Simon? He wasn’t completely oblivious. But he was tired, and lonely, and honestly kind of lazy when it came to trying to figure women out, and you were just so easy to be around, so warm and funny and low-maintenance and somehow always around when he needed someone.

So when he started seeing you more than anyone else, it didn’t feel weird. It felt right.

He told himself it was just friendship.

Even when you leaned against him on the couch. Even when you started sleeping over. Even when he started feeling a little sick thinking about you with anyone else.

The night it finally changed, he had just come back from a shit deployment — nothing too dangerous, just long and annoying and cold, and you’d been waiting at his place (with your own key, because somehow that had happened), and you were in his clothes, curled up in his bed with takeout, and when he saw you like that he just… stopped thinking.

“You’re perfect for me,” he said quietly, almost like he was talking to himself.

You blinked, looking up from your phone. “What?”

“I was so fucking stupid,” he muttered, dropping his bag, walking toward you like something magnetic was pulling him in. “I didn’t see it. I don’t know why.”

You didn’t say anything right away. You just looked at him for a second, then smiled, slow and easy, like you’d been waiting for him to finally figure it out, like none of it really surprised you, but you were still happy to hear it out loud.

From there, it was easy.

The relationship happened fast. Slipped into place like it had always been there. He’d gone from “I don’t do serious” to leaving his toothbrush at your place, to falling asleep with his face buried in your neck, to holding your hand in public without even realizing he was doing it.

He was happy. Stupidly happy. The kind that made his friends suspicious and his coworkers tease him. The kind that made you look like the hero of some cozy domestic fantasy where nothing ever goes wrong and love is enough.

It wasn’t one big moment. It was a bunch of little ones that slowly added up until he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Like how you always just showed up when he had plans, how his phone would buzz with a text from you right before he left for a date. Or how you’d casually mention how certain girls “weren’t his type,” even when he never brought them up to you.

And then one day, while you were going through an old playlist together, you said, “God, I remember this song. I used to listen to it every time I thought about you with someone else.” And you didn’t even blink after saying it.

And the more he thinks about it, the more it starts adding up.

You’d played him. You’d baited him.

And now he’s sitting on the couch, watching you walk into the room in one of his old T-shirts, holding a bowl of snacks, looking like home, and he honestly doesn’t know whether to laugh or be pissed off or bend you over the arm of the sofa and remind you who he is.

You plop into his lap like you do it every day (because you do), nestling in like you’re settling into your rightful throne, and he wraps his arms around your waist automatically, pressing a kiss to your bare shoulder.

“You know what I realized today?” he asks, voice low.

You hum. “What?”

He tilts his head like he’s thinking it through. “We’re together because you manipulated me.”

You pause for like… half a second. Then?

“Yeah,” you say, nonchalant. “And?”

He squints at you, mouth twitching like he can’t decide if he wants to smile or frown. “You sabotaged every girl I tried to hook up with.”

“I did,” you say, and lean forward to grab the remote. “Most of them were trash anyway.”

“You tricked me into thinking you weren’t interested.”

“Mhm.” You don’t even look at him. “Worked, didn’t it?”

There’s this long silence, and then Simon groans and lets his head fall back on the couch dramatically.

“I should be mad,” he mutters.

“You’re not,” you say, smiling down at him like he’s your prize. “You love me.”

“Fuck, woman,” he breathes, eyes locked on yours. “That turns me on.”

You grin, shifting your weight so you’re straddling him properly, hands sliding up his chest slowly until your fingers curl around the back of his neck. You squeeze—not hard, just enough to make him feel it.

“You belong to me,” you whisper against his ear. “Always have.”

He shivers. Actually shivers.

“…Jesus.”

You kiss his jaw, slow and smug. “Say it.”

“…Yours.”

“Good boy.”

And yeah. He is.

PART 2

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

@daydreamerwoah @kylies-love-letter @ghostslollipop @kittygonap @alfiestreacle @identity2212 @farylfordaryl @rafaelacallinybbay @akkahelenaa @lovelovelovelovelove987654321 @wraith-bravo6

[svbhuman]

idk man. i should be humble and whatnot but i have to defend myself

[4-the-l0ve-0f-art]

“The Captain’s beloved…wait, what?!”

Capitano x Gender Neutral Reader one shot

Work count: 2.2k

Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship

Rating: General Audiences

Trigger Warnings: none

Summary: The fatui discover that their Captain does, in fact, have a life outside of work and gossip between the ranks ensues. (Cue silly fatui shenanigans)

Ao3 Link

Capitano, the Fatui’s first lord and harbinger, contrary to popular belief, was respected and admired by his platoons rather than feared. There was a widespread misunderstanding both in and outside the organization that the Captain was a harsh and dangerous leader due to his mysterious nature. However, the people who worked under him knew better as they had grown to admire him the more they interacted with him.

He held himself with pride and treated his soldiers the same way he wanted to be treated: with respect and dignity. And in return, they learned the depths of this man’s strategic genius and strength. His strength was unmatched in combat and led his people well with good decision making and training. They could only hope to be as good as him in his various fields of expertise.

He was strict, and quick to discipline unruly fatuus, yes, but that did not stop others under his command from admiring him. And to emphasize this even more, it was clear that his fellow harbingers and even the Tsarista respected him, whether their goals and morals aligned with his or not. However, this made the people around him curious about aspects related to him outside of his work and title. He was a revered public figure and people were naturally curious about his personal life.

This is where you came in. You, his one and only beloved, the only person who held his whole heart in your hands. Not many people knew of this, but the Captain was a gentle man at his core, and you had somehow managed to uncover all of his being and see him fully as himself, without his title, without his strength. You knew this man inside and out, just as he had come to know you. It was a mutual love, one which even he did not know he was capable of feeling, and that made him all the more enamored with you.

This, however, people did not know. So you can imagine the surprise on their faces when you, an ordinary civilian, came to the Zapalyarny Palace and asked for directions to the Captain’s office. The clerk at the desk looked at you blankly, as if she were staring at an anomaly. This prompted you to try and explain yourself.

“..I’m here to drop off his lunch. So, if you don’t mind..?” You asked.

No response. The blank stare continued.

You already knew that you looked out of place in this grand palace with no Fatui uniform or mask on. But you were determined to make sure your beloved got his lunch, which you had specifically decided to make for him that day as a special treat for how hard he had been working while preparing for a business trip to Natlan.

“Excuse me..?” You said a little louder this time. That seemed to snap her back to reality.

“You cannot enter this place, only authorized personnel are allowed inside. If you’d like to meet our lord, please book your appointment accordingly.” She replied on autopilot, as if she’d rehearsed the same sentence multiple times.

“I’m sorry, I know you have your duties, but I’m here just to drop off his lunch. You can check with him yourself if you’d like..”

“He’s busy at the moment, please leave your package here and we will deliver it to him.” She replied. It seemed like you were being studied like a suspicious person who was attempting to sneak in.

Fair enough.. you thought. I was hoping I would get to spend a few minutes with him and see how he was holding up at work but that can wait till he’s home. And she’s not wrong, I did drop by without notice, so it makes sense for them to be suspicious.

Fatui soldiers passing by had also been glancing at the ongoing conversation at the front desk, eyeing the lunch box wrapped in patterned cloth in your hands with raised eyebrows. You decided to leave the food there, getting one last word in before leaving.

“If you could, please make sure it reaches him soon. It’s his favorite meal and I would prefer it didn’t go cold before he ate it.”

And then everyone watched as your ordinary self left, unaware of the number of eyes on you.

…

A pyroslinger skirmisher stationed near the entrance asked dumbfoundedly, “Did..did they just say that was the Captain’s favorite meal? Our lord harbinger?”

A cryogunner skirmisher who had also watched the whole thing go down as he clocked in asked another question right after, in the same state of confusion as the previous fatuus. “..Has anyone seen them around before? They don’t look like someone who would be seen standing next to Lord Capitano.”

And as the just as confused clerk left the scene towards his office with your goods in hand, excited chatter filled the halls.

Chaos would be the right word for it. You had left chaos in your wake with a simple visit to his workplace.

…

That night, as you and Capitano settled in to relax in your shared home after a long day of work, you asked him how his lunch was.

“It was delicious, my love.” He replied, gently caressing your face with his hands while looking down at you through his mask. “It felt like a treat to have your home cooked meal at work. You didn’t have to, but thank you. It made my day.”

You smiled and took his hands in yours as you nuzzled into his touch. “I’m glad you liked it. I was going to give it to you myself but I couldn’t enter the place.”

“You should visit more often. I’ll let the security personnel know to let you enter so you can come and go as you like.” He paused, clearing his throat. “..Seeing you in the middle of a long day would bring me relief.”

You felt slightly flushed at his straightforward choice of words. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you being so..open with me. But I like it, of course. I would like that as long as I’m not disturbing you at work.”

Capitano chuckled. It was like the angels decided to bless you today, really. “I will always make time for you, my love. Just as you do for me.”

You beamed. “Okay, okay, let’s get some sleep now, Mr. Loverman. We still have work tomorrow in case you’re forgetting.”

A kiss on the forehead and the rustling of sheets was all you heard before you were whisked away to dreamland.

…

Unbeknownst to you and Capitano, however, word about you spread like wildfire across the next few days between the excited fatui soldiers. Some from even the different departments under the other harbingers might’ve heard. The person who looked like a civilian, dropping lunch packed in pretty cloth for their Lord did not go unnoticed.

This was the only time someone unrelated to work had been seen asking for their Captain and questions about your relation to him were on the tip of everyone’s tongue during break times.

Two fatuus gossiped as they watched the Captain spar in training with his fellow soldiers, admiration evident in their eyes.

“Someone dropped off lunch for him? I thought he would be too busy having meals with high rankers from across Teyvat.”

And after a short pause the other replied, “Dude, hold on, does he even eat? I thought he was superhuman or something.”

“I know you’re dumb, but I didn’t know you were that dumb, my guy.”

“Hey! Just saying… anyway, are we even sure the people weren’t hallucinating when they saw the person drop lunch off for him?”

“I heard it was his favorite meal, freshly cooked, apparently. Who knows, man? Maybe it was a fan or something. Our lord does have a pretty big following, y’know.” The fatuus stated proudly.

Their lively chatter continued until they were called back into training.

…

A few days later, as soon as you found the time, you decided to visit Capitano at work with yet another home cooked meal. You wanted to make most of your time with him before he traveled to Natlan and having meals together would be a good way to wind down a little.

You entered the palace yet again, determined to meet him this time. It should be fine, right? He did say he would inform them..

And as you had hoped so, he did, in fact, inform them. As soon as the same clerk from before saw you, it seemed like her eyes were bulging out of her sockets. All you had to do was reach the desk and she confirmed your name and led you to the training grounds, where he was currently working. It seemed like some sort of training session was in the works, with all kinds of combat taking place between the soldiers in the distance.

Before you could ask her if you were even allowed to enter this place, she bowed and hurried back in the direction of the front desk. The strange behavior didn’t go unnoticed by you but now you had to find your way to Capitano across the opposite side of the field. Since you were here at last, why not just see things through?

The middle of the field was the most densely occupied with various people fighting in different groups, while what you recognised as skirmishers were practicing their aim at dummy targets on the right side. The soldiers were hard at work even in the harsh everlasting winter of Snezhnaya. The left side of the field, however, seemed less crowded compared to the rest as people seemed to be setting up their gear or resting. Your Captain, opposite to you across the field, was busy conversing with a group of soldiers who seemed to be listening to him attentively.

You decided your best option was to take the left side. It would be easier to walk through the calm atmosphere over there.

As you made your way through the crowd, people started to notice you. They were pretty intimidating with their weapons and muscled bodies at display so you decided to be extra careful to not bump into anyone and quickly made your way across, and as you got closer, Capitano’s voice became clear.

“The heat in Natlan will be unbearable. You will be stationed in the wild all day, so make sure you have the appropriate supplies to get you through the day. It is of the utmost importance that...what, what is it? Why are you all staring at me like that?”

The group’s attention shifted from him to you, as you stood behind him and tapped his shoulder.

“Capitano, do you have a moment..?” You asked as he turned around, his armor clinking from the movement.

“Oh, my love!” He exclaimed in a soft voice. “What brings you here? Hold on, let's get you back inside. You’ll catch a cold here.”

The group (and everyone nearby) watched in complete awe as his demeanor from before completely switched from authoritative to somewhat… joyfull? Was Lord Capitano being affectionate?

“I brought you lunch, but I can leave it in your office if you’re busy right now.” You said hurriedly, not wanting to keep him busy.

“No, that won’t do, my love.” He took the package from you and placed his hand on your back. “Eat with me inside.”

He then turned back to the group, who jolted straight up at his sudden change. “Finish the supply preparations once you’re done training. All of you are dismissed.”

“Y-yes, my lord!” They replied in unison and bowed. And yet again, they watched in awe as he guided you back inside the palace, ever so gently, one hand on your back and the other carrying a box wrapped up in a floral patterned cloth. A stark contrast to his all black and blue outfit.

…

As soon as both of you were out of sight, chaos erupted yet again, more loudly this time, with multiple voices talking over the other.

“”My love?” Did he just call them “my love?” Did I hear that right?!”

“What was that? What did we just witness?”

“That was so romantic, holy shit! Was that the same person we take orders from everyday? What the hell?!”

“DID THE LORD HARBINGER JUST… GET VISITED BY THEIR SPOUSE?”

“I thought that ring on his finger was for fashion…”

And that is how they found out that their beloved Captain, who seemed to have no soul outside of his work, was a married man with a loving spouse.

This proceeded to be the hottest gossip in the Fatui for the rest of the month, until they discover more about you from another future visit.

…

BONUS:

Sitting in the privacy of his office, you enjoyed your meal together.

“..You seem to work with very strange people, Capitano.” You said to him.

“Do I? How so?” He asked before you fed him a bite.

“Hm.. actually, nevermind. It would be even stranger if they weren’t strange, considering they work with you.” You chuckled.

You enjoyed your time together and went back home, leaving your beloved in confusion from your conversation, and the sight of you fondly feeding him for him to think about for the rest of the day.

[peachesofteal]

Raspberry Girl Previous + masterlist + AO3 Simon Riley/female reader CW: 18+ mdni, Reader POV.

His name is Simon.  

He’s still stuck in your mind as Captain Riley, like it’s dug in there, claws unwilling to let go, and he says you don’t have to call him Simon if you don’t want to. Which is comforting, in its own strange way. 

Comforting just like his presence, the one that’s been at the bakery almost every day. You’ve been trying to keep to yourself, agonizing over the moment when it all comes crashing down, when he figures out how weird you are, but it’s not that easy.

He doesn’t let you hide. 

“What do you do when you’re not at work?” You resist the urge to wring your hands together, keeping your focus on the sidewalk, concentrating on the cracks, the leaves. 

You’re on a walk. With him. He asked you earlier when he came by as you were closing up, before you moved on to the rest of your work. 

“Take a break. Walk with me.” 

You couldn’t say no, though it took longer than it should have to get your “yes” out. 

He didn’t rush you. He never does. 

“Um,” You’re not much of a doer. You bake, you go home, you read, you watch the occasional tv show or movie, you work on recipes. You learned to embroider last year, and sometimes you add little flowers or such here and there to your work aprons but there’s nothing outside those things, no extracurriculars or exercise, no circle of friends to get a drink with on the weekends. Sometimes you hang out with Mara, who works the front at the bakery, but it’s rare. You’re not good with friendships usually. You keep to yourself, and that’s fine. Everything is easier that way. 

You guess Captain Riley could be considered a hobby. All the minutes you’ve spent holding your breath and watching the front door, waiting for him to walk through and make his way to the counter, all the times you’ve caught yourself staring at his hands, thick wrists and palms the size of dinner plates. He could probably crush a skull between them, crush you. It’s unhealthy, the way you think of him. The way you daydream about a man who’s probably old enough to be your father. The way you close your eyes in the middle of the day when it’s busy and you’re overwhelmed and the sound of the dishwasher is grating on you, just to picture his face, hear him calling you baby, feel his-

He says your name. Oh right. 

You shrug, trying to feign indifference, trying to brush it off. “I’m usually at home. Work takes it out of me.” That’s true. Work can be exhausting. Bending, scraping, kneading, lifting giant mixing bowls, pulling dough until you’re tired. Wrists, elbows, neck, all of them, ache. Price you pay for passion, you suppose. “I’m pretty boring.” 

“No you’re not. Just a bit nervous, yeah?” Your stomach twists. 

“I like to stick to the things I know, I guess.” 

“Less scary?” The truth is full of shame and you wrap your arms around yourself, trying to raise a shield that doesn’t exist. A smoke and mirror act that wouldn’t fool anyone. 

“Yeah, less scary.” He’s silent for a beat, and then turns to face you on the sidewalk, a finger under your chin, tipping your head back until your eyes are locked on his. 

“It’s okay, y’know?” Embarrassment floods, fire burning in your cheeks, and he tsks, wiping one of the tears trying to trickle down your skin. “None o’ that.” You smile, but it’s hollow. 

“Sorry.” 

“None of that either,” he bites out, and your spine straightens like a string has been pulled from your tailbone up through your neck. “There’s nothin’ wrong with it.” With what? With you? He’s joking. You almost snort, but the seriousness in his gaze stops you short. Steals your breath. 

You’ve made it around the block already, standing in the parking lot of the bakery, twilight purple and orange shining in the reflection of the big front window. Disappointment settles in your stomach like lead. He’s going to leave now, go back to wherever it is he goes, and you’ll be alone, elbows deep in cream and sugar, trying not to think about him for the hundredth, thousandth time. 

Might as well rip the band-aid off. “Well, um. Thanks f-for, uh…” if you say thanks for the walk, will you sound dumb? Does that make it sound like you’re a dog or something he took for a stroll? “The walk.” Yep. Dumb. 

“Goin’ back to work?” 

“Mhm. I’ve got this catering order for early pick up tomorrow.” 

“What’re you making?” 

“Meringue. Lemon. Pies.” You cringe, but he places a hand on your shoulder. It’s warm, warm like a blanket, a soft fuzzy thing you can curl up with in front of a fire. “Meringue is really the thing about the pies. The rest of it doesn’t really matter, that’s why I- ah… why I put it first.” The two of you drift towards the back door, more so you in his wake, and when he closes it behind the two of you, it’s natural, you don’t even question it. Him. 

“It’s science.” You place the bowl in front of where he’s sitting on a stool, and try not to look at the bulk of his thighs. He’s in some sort of uniform, but it’s more casual, less stiff. The fabric breathes and stretches across his body, his chest, his middle… the heaviness of his legs. The room is suddenly very hot, and you try to shake the distraction off. “All of baking is a science, actually. Cooking, you can salvage anything. Cooking is easy. Baking? Baking is chemistry.” You pull the cradle of eggs over, and roll one in your hand before cracking it, separating yolk from white. “Meringue is a perfect example. It only has four ingredients. How hard can it be?” You feel a little thrill roll through you, the kind of excitement you get when you’re just about to start turning a handful of ingredients into something, and the pressure builds up in your chest, muscles in your arms and neck going tight as you fight against an overzealous outburst. You tense so hard you shake for a second before you get a hold of yourself. “If the eggs aren’t the right temperature, if the bowl isn’t clean enough, if you add the sugar too fast, it all falls apart. The protein in the egg whites mix with the sugar and make the meringue stable, it's literally chemistry. That's the cool thing about it.” You look between him and the hand mixer, and everything dries up. You’re suddenly very aware you’ve been prattling on about how to make meringue like he cares, and you have to hold onto the edge of the butcher’s block to practically keep yourself up. The mortification is enormous and threatens to drown you in its viciousness, vile things playing on a loop inside your head as you grapple with what’s just happened. Stupid. 

He’s standing before you can blink. “What’s wrong?” 

“N-nothing, I- I just uh… I’m sorry.” Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. 

“For what?” You shake your head, but he doesn’t let it go, just comes around to the side and covers your hand with his. Warm again. Safe. “Tell me what’s wrong sweetheart.” The gentle coax in his voice turns stern, and you find yourself obeying before you can stop it. 

“Meringue, it’s so… w-why would you care about meringue?” 

“I don’t know anything about meringue,” he rubs two knuckles against the apple of your cheek, “you were teaching me.” 

“Oh.” 

“Y’know you go somewhere else when you talk about baking?” 

“What? I do?” He nods. 

“You’re free from the scary bits. You’re excited and… weightless. It’s precious,” he cups your face, touch slow and careful, “like you, precious little girl.” The air in the room has vanished, and your knees go weak, struggling to support you as your pulse races, butterflies swarming in the pit of your stomach. 

“C-captain Riley- I-” He steps back, your heart free falls to the floor. He’s studying you like there’s a riddle to be solved, analytical and hungry, something razor sharp and rolling with darkness lurking behind it all. It’s so intense, too intense, but fleeting, and vanishes within a second. A light’s been snuffed out, leaving you in the cold and clueless. 

“Will you teach me the rest?” 

“Um, yes?” It doesn’t sound like the human language. More like a mouse’s squeak, and you glance around, trying to get your bearings as he leans against the table with his arms crossed. 

It takes you a minute, or ten, to get back in the rhythm. You have to start over, which is fine, but you’re shivering a bit too much to handle the yolk separation, a different kind of anxiety rattling in your bones. It’s not until he palms the small of your back and tells you to take your time, that you settle and succeed. 

By the time it’s over, you’ve made ten pies for your order and one extra. 

“Do you want to try?” You hand him a fork. 

“Course.” You’re on the edge of your seat as he takes his first bite, watching his jaw move, his throat bobbing with each swallow. Then he takes another, and another, and another until half the pie is almost gone. You try to smother your giggle, but the effort is paltry, and he smiles at you in return. “Somethin’ funny?” Your teeth press into your bottom lip so hard it stings. 

“Nope, uh… do you like it?” 

“It’s delicious sweetheart. You’re really good at this.” Tingles of pride flush through you from fingers to toes, and you bounce on the balls of your feet a little bit. 

“I’ll send the rest home with you.” You slide the pie tin into a box and he shakes his head.

“You don’t have to do that.” 

“I want to!” You blurt, and then bite your tongue, looking down at peaks of meringue. “I w-want to, it’s my-” you snap ‘love language’ back before it manages to escape, horrified at yourself. “I like it, feeding you, um, feeding people.” You’re sweating. You can feel it starting to bead along your spine, the back of your neck, and you wonder if you’ll get hot enough to melt into the floor and disappear. 

“If you’re sure,” he murmurs as he forks another piece of the pie free. “You didn’t have any though.” 

“Oh,” it’s your factory setting response at this point. Oh. Can’t you think of anything else? “Th-that’s okay, I don’t always eat my own… stuff.” 

“Why’s that?” You’ve turned fully towards him now, and he’s still so close, close enough to see the ribbons of caramel in his irises. 

“It’s not for me, usually. I mean, I eat of course, and taste test, but I don’t do it for me. I do it as a job and for other people.” 

“Hmm. That’s a shame,” the bite is still sitting there, waiting, and you’re just about to ask him if he’s going to eat it when he lifts it to your lips. “Open.” 

It’s not a request. It’s an order, a directive, and your thighs squeeze into one another, riptide of confusing want, desire, dragging you out to sea. 

Your lips part- 

and then Captain Riley is feeding you. It’s a small bite, tart-sweet on your tongue. Lemon and sugar crusted clouds linger as you swallow, but nothing matters except for the man in front of you, pulling a fork from your mouth, his eyes never leaving yours- 

“Good girl.” Heaven. Hell. Words disappear like you never learned a single vowel. Your body becomes a never ending live wire. You’re out of your element, you don’t even have an element, not truly. Your element is here, in kitchen of the bakery, alone with flour and sugar and piping bags. Your element isn’t… it’s not this. Not this man, this older man, this brutally handsome man who towers over you, this man with his perfectly imperfect nose and scar on his cheek, with big hands and a voice you could drown in. Not this man standing in front of you, telling you you’re a good girl, staring like he wants to consume you. “How’s that?” 

“U-uh, um. It’s… it’s good.” You don’t recognize your voice. It’s high pitched and trembling, the waver it in matching the shaking of your limbs, your entire body. 

“Do you want another?” Yes. No. You don’t know. 

“I…” you’re flailing, but he instead of pushing you, instead of trying to fit a circle into a square, he merely thumbs your cheek, drags the calloused pad down to ghost across your bottom lip.  

“It’s okay baby, take your time. Do you want another bite?” There’s a hummingbird in your chest, trilling a million miles a minute, and you nod automatically. 

“Please.” You whisper, and he obliges. You don’t care to have another bite of pie, but you do want more of this. So much more of something you’re not sure you can have, something you definitely don’t understand. Some sort of dream that doesn’t happen for people like you. 

Your phone vibrates. It lights up on the other side of the table and your stomach pitches, first out of panic, and then out of dread. 

Spell broken. Fairytale over. 

“That’s my bedtime. My bedtime reminder, I mean.” You just told him you have a bedtime like you’re five. Nice. “I’m usually in bed… by now. I get up really early on some days for prep and other stuff, and I’m a ten hours of sleep a night kind of girl, so, uh, I try to stay consistent with my routines and stuff, but I’m pretty bad at it. That’s why I have the alarm…” Stop talking. 

“I’m sorry I kept you.” 

“No!” You reach for him and then think better of it, fisting your hand at your side instead. “N-no, I’m glad you’re here. I just have this early pick up tomorrow, but it’s no big deal, I’ll-” 

“go home and go to bed. Do you have anything else you need to do?” Stern again, like he's serious about enforcing your bedtime, like he cares about you getting enough sleep. 

“Not really, I just leave the dishes in the sink for tomorrow.” He tucks the pie box into his arm and motions to the back door. 

“I’ll wait for you to lock up.” 

He gives you his number and makes you promise to text him when you get home, which you do, dutifully, laying in bed, curled up beneath your blankets, typing out a hazy message with one eye open. 

>Home. In bed. Thanks for hanging out. 

The text back comes only a few minutes later. 

>Goodnight sweetheart. 

>Goodnight Captain Riley. 

[ilylovelyz]

⍣ ೋ Rom-Com Gone Wrong

˚ · . bakugou katsuki x afab!reader

: ̗̀➛ takes place during their third year, mentions of injuries and blood, forced intake of aphrodisiac, unestablished relationship, mutual pining, love confession, both characters are 18, protected sex, implied unprotected sex, virgnity loss, misunderstandings, a bit angsty, bakugou is lowky ooc and gentle, this is really long

following a rough battle with a rather inconvenient villian and his quirk, y/n finds herself induced with aphrodisiac against her will. she wins the encounter, only to be told if she doesn't relieve her sexual desires within 24 hours with another individual she will die.

"i'll be the one to do it," mineta says, trying to sound nonchalant about the situation, flipping his non-existent hair off to the side if his shoulder. the girls, in unison, disagree verbally, knowing of his creepy tendencies.

"can't she just do it with a girl?" tsuyuri thinks aloud, attempting to find an easy way for you to feel more comfortable with the situation. "if that's the case, then i'll do it!" ashido declares, raising her hand in the air.

this has been the subject of conversation for the past hour or so. yes, your classmates and even teachers are conversing on what to do about your current state, on who will be the one to sleep with you. it's almost heartwarming, to know that your classmates care so much about you that they'd be willing to sleep with you if it means you'll live.

which is exactly what it means. exactly nine hours ago, you had a confrontation with a well-wanted villian. you knew of the risks, you knew of his horrendous and taboo quirk. you knew that he used his quirk to take advantage of women who were defenseless and practically leaving them for dead within 24 hours of interaction.

quirks like these were rare, none of your classmates nor teachers had any experience with this type of thing. originally, the teachers were going to discuss of this situation privately, but after almost three hours had gone by with no real possible solutions, they had decided to involve your dearest classmates to come up with something, anything to help save your life.

"no, according to the villian and the tiny information we were able to get out of him, it has to be done with a male." midnight had said, rubbing at her temple to ease her stress. your female classmates groaned with frustration, side-eyeing mineta with disgust.

"t-then i'll do it!" a new contender had volunteered. "y-you? y/n needs a real man, denki—," jirou had said, trying to play of her nervousness with a chuckle. "i agree." momo said sternly.

"no offense but.. how about the boys leave this discussion to the boys." she added on, having distrust in the intentions of her male classmates. "i know you boys just want to do what you can to help her, but we also have to think about how this will affect her mentally."

the topic carried on with the girls, occasionally one of the boys attempted to give a idea, but were almost immediately shot down due to it's risk.

admist to all the tension and debate, there was one who was uncharacteristically quiet. bakugou katsuki.

all of the boys were huddled into a circle, behind the girls, listening into their plan. however, it was bakugou who stuck out like a sore thumb. he kept his hands in his pockets, a rather stoic expression written onto his face as he stared up to the ceiling.

"i'll do it! you guys just gotta trust me!" mineta yelled once more, his body jolting with fear when he was met with clear resistance from the girls.

everyone was too wrapped up in figuring out a game-plan to even notice that bakugou had taken his leave, muttering a scoff at his classmates's immaturity and perversion.

he made his way to the dorms, his hand rubbing at the tense skin of his nape. bakugou stopped in his tracks, seemingly he wasn't the only one who had the same idea. his hands returned to their place in his pockets, his eyebrows furrowing at the sight of his classmate, todoroki shouto, standing a few feet away from your dorm room.

"what are you doing here?" bakugou asked, resting his body weight on his right leg. todoroki looked back at bakugou calmly, observing the blonde's stiff movements. "i want to help y/n-san." todoroki stated, glancing back at the door of your room.

bakugou scoffed at his answer, rolling his eyes to the back of his head. "yeah right—you?" he hissed, coming up to todoroki and shoving him away from your door. "don't make me laugh. i'll be the one to do it."

todoroki stayed in place for a moment, blinking at bakugou's aggression and determination. he glanced once more at your door, and then back to bakugou before sighing with defeat and turning around to head god knows where.

bakugou scoffed once more, not taking his eyes off todoroki until he was well out of his sight. bakugou turned around, his red eyes staring intently at your door. he chewed on the walls of his mouth, wondering how to go about the situation.

as brash as he may be—he's not an idiot. he knows that if you don't end up getting any help within a few mere hours, you'll die. and thats not what he wants. to stand and watch while his dumb classmates argue over who will be the one to have the honor of having sex with you is something he won't abide with.

ೄྀ࿐

a soft moan escaped your lips at the feel of your fingers caressing against your sensitive folds. a drop of sweat ran down your flushed face, running down to your collarbone and dampening the sheer tank you were wearing.

there was a knot in your abdomen, a very tight knot, that has been yet to be undone. normally, when you had this kind of urge, you'd be able to satisfy it yourself. but it's been nearly eight hours since you'be been drugged, and the effects only get more and more intense with every passing minute.

you're tired. your body is coated in a thick layer of sweat, the room smells grossly of your own scent, and it's been eight hours—yet no release. tears sting at your waterline, your hand coming up to cover your pathetic whines and cries as your fingers scissor their way into your cunt, trying to find relief to your frustration.

you gasp with pleasure when your finger nails press ever so slightly against that one spot, hazy eyes going wide when you finally find it. your back arches off the bed, toes curling when you can barely press your fingerpads against that sweet spot, but nonetheless it's something.

your body jolts when you hear a light knock at your door, hands flying to grab onto your blanket to hide your half-naked body. you sat frozen on your bed, eyes watching the door.

a couple of moments later, once again the visitor knocked, snapping you out of your haze. you rushed to find any pajamas or clothes to wear, eventually settling on a pair of grey pajama shorts. the visitor knocks again once more, earning a groan from you. "g-give me a second!" you hiss loudly, dusting off your body and finally walking up to your door.

with a deep inhale, you open up your door a few inches, hiding your sweat-ridden body behind the large frame and peeking out your head to see the visitor.

your heart drops into your stomach at the sight of the familar blonde, his red eyes lidded low at you. "b-bakugou?" you stutter out, your cheeks blushing intensely when you feel your core throb at just the sight of him. "what... are you doing here?" you say, swallowing down the fat lump in your throat.

bakugou stares at you, his facial expressions uncharacteristically calm and unreadable. "..isn't it obvious?" he says nonchalantly, taking a step towards the door. his low tone heats up your body, making you impossibly warmer with embarrassment to top it off with your seemingly insatiable desire.

still, you don't move from the door, and if anything, push it forward so only a few centimeters remain between the frame and the door itself. your forehead rests against the wood, contemplating your options.

bakugou katsuki has come to your door to do the obvious with you. for many others, this would be a dream come true—and it almost is, for you, almost. tears cloud your vision once more at the thoughts that run throughout your head, he's only here because you'll die.

"let me in y/n,—", "no, i don't want you here." you interrupt, still hiding behind the door. bakugou's eyes widen slightly at your refrusal, not expecting you to shut him down given the situation.

to you, it's almost insulting—bakugou katsuki is here to have sex with you, to save you. your crush of many years, is here to have sex with you, but only because he feels the need to save you, not because he wants to.

bakugou sighs silently, he knows its a sensitive matter, that you're practically forced to have sex with someome that you possibly don't like just to live. his fists tighten up into a ball, his eyebrows furrowing at your stubbornness. but he won't have you die, he won't knowing he could help you.

"y/n. open the door or i'm going to break it down myself." he says sternly, his voice raising slightly. it sends shivers down your spine, but still you hold your ground. alas, you find it within yourself to close the door, only for it to be held open by bakugou who most definitely overpowers you when it comes to strength. with a grunt, your already weak arms give in, quickly dropping back to the floor as the door slams against the wall now that bakugou has won the short game of tug-o-war.

bakugou makes his way into your room, not even caring to check if the door handle has made a new hole in the wall. his mouth opens, ready to say something, only to purse into a straight line when he sees the tears flowing down your cheeks.

"i don't want you here." you mumble out, attempting to hide your tears by wiping them away as quick as they came.

with a grunt, bakugou is pulling you up to your feet, his hands gripping onto your shoulders while his lips smash against yours. the kiss is rough, almost uncomfortably stiff. and yet, you almost let out a moan of satisfaction just by him giving the worst kiss ever. he pulls away a moment later, his hands keeping you in place.

not like you'd be able to walk away even if you wanted, your gaze was fixated on his soft features, eyeing those lips of his. this time, it's bakugou whose walking away—and it's you who is running after him.

with haste, you push yourself forward to the blonde, your hand wrapping around his wrist and pulling him back to you. bakugou breathes out a grunt when your lips collide with his once more, desperate and clumsy, more teeth than tongue. you can't help but grab into bakugou's broad shoulders before finding better purchase by wrapping them around his neck, feet on all toes in order to reach his lips.

bakugou pulls away from you, quickly shutting the door and locking it. though, he barely has time to do the second, as soon as the door is closed, you're pushing him against it and shoving your body against his, encapturing his lips with yours once again. he swallows your desperate whines, his tongue fighting for dominance against yours. it's messy, it's not at all in sync—but just that alone has your body heating up than what you thought was possible.

and bakugou can feel it. his hands find purchase on the small of your waist—your skin is hot to the touch, almost fever hot. he raises an eyebrow when the feel of his skin on yours alone has you letting out a soft moan, much to your embarrassment. experimentally, bakugou's hands travel down to the curve of your ass, squeezing the plump flesh lightly, earning a gasp from your lips.

seeing this, bakugou pulls away from you, a fat string of saliva connecting the two of you. his red eyes watch you tortuously, watching the way your delicate features contort with pleasure as his hands explore your ass, his squeezes getting more and more rough as your body reacts. his finger glides up to the hems of your shorts, playing with the drawstrings and eventually pulling on one to untie the knot, allowing your flimsy excuse of so-called shorts to drop and lay around your feet.

your cheeks burn at the way he stares closely at your half-naked body, eyes darting down to the ground when you realize that you didn't even put on any underwear. to you, bakugou is eyeing your body, looking for any imperfections and unsatisfying marks.

but to bakugou, he has to hold back a groan by biting on his lower lip at the sight of your bare cunt. his hands tighten it's grip on your hips, attempting to keep his composure. bakugou finally pushes himself off the door, leading you quickly by the small of your waist to your bed.

with a gentle shove, you're laying down onto your back, your legs dangling off the edge of the mattress. your eyes widen when bakugou's hands grab the hems of his shirt, pulling it up to his head and discarding of his shirt, revealing his rather toned abs and few scars he's gained in the various fights he's gotten into as a hero.

your mouth is agape in awe, practically drooling at the sight of his fit muscles and small waist. without another word, your hand subconsciously reaches for him, generously touching the muscles of his abdomen. for the first time of the night, bakugou finally shows some emotion, smirking widely at your infatuation with his abs.

"i know i got some great abs, huh?" he grins, his hand coming up to rest on the flesh of your thigh. his grin flattens to an slightly agape 'O' when your hand travels down lower to his lower pelvis, your nails caressing the skin, sending shivers down his spine. dangerously, it continues, your fingers meddling with the edge of his baggy pants, circling the metal button.

before you could do anything else, bakugou is grabbing your hand away, and much to your surprise, settles himself inbetween your bare legs, eyeing your exposed cunt. naturally, you rush to close your legs, but are stopped by his hands that rest on both of your inner thighs.

"don't try to hide yourself from me." he growls lowly, his cock growing hard in his pants at the fuller sight of your glistening cunt. a yelp leaves your throat when you are pulled closer to the edge of your bed, cunt mere centimeters from bakugou's face. your eyes close shut, palm hiding your face in embarrassment.

"open your damn eyes, you're gonna watch as i eat this pretty pussy." he hisses out before blowing lightly onto your folds, enjoying the way your thighs shiver. with a lick of his lips, bakugou dives into your cunt, his tongue dragging across your folds and into your core. you let out a rather loud moan at the feel of his tongue exploring your cunt, your hands diving down to entangle themselves in his short blonde locks.

as told, you watch bakugou devour your poor pussy through tears, moaning into your palm to not let anyone hear the way you're getting eaten out by one of your classmates. your eyes roll to the back of your head when you feel bakugou enter his index finger into your tight walls, massaging your gummy walls without mercy.

"bakugou.." you mewl out, back arching off the bed when you feel the knot in your stomach begin to unravel. the fingers tied in his hair pull tightly on his roots, earning a hum of satisfaction leave his lips, vibrating against your clit so deliciously it has you sobbing out his name within seconds and squirming within his tight hold as you cum. tears run down your cheeks as your body convulses with pleasure, eyebrows furrowed intensely as your first orgasm of the night washes over you.

a minute later, you finally come down to earth, chest heaving heavily as your eyes focus down to bakugou who licks up the remains of your delicious juices. it's so over stimulating, but it feels so good, the way his tongue laps up your cum as if he was a starved man.

for a second, you close your eyes, basking in the sweet after-glow of your orgasm before a familar vibrating sound snaps you out of your bliss. bakugou holds up the pink bullet-vibrator within his hand, cocking his head to the right. "this yours?" he asks teasingly, a sly grin painted into his face.

before you could respond, bakugou is pressing the bullet against your clit, sending waves of overstimulated pleasure up your spine. you wiggle and shift on your bed, attempting to get away from it, from him, but in the heat of the moment you seem to have forgotten of bakugou's trained strength. he pins your hips onto the bed with ease with one hand, and holds the bullet to your clit with the other.

he evilly chuckles into your cunt, his tongue gliding into your tight hole. your cries and pleas are melodies to his ears, and he only stops when your thighs are shaking for a second time around his head and your pussy walls are tightening up around his tongue. he hungrily laps up your fluids once more, the tip of his nose brushing up against your clit as he discards of the vibrator in order to grab onto the back of your thighs and practically smothers himself into your pussy.

finally, once he's deemed you cleaned up and not an ounce of your cum wasted, he pulls away from your drenched pussy. his chin glistens with your juices, his tongue lapping up any remains on his lips. his ruby red eyes watch as your chest heaves up and down, his hand grabbing your wrist that was covering your flushed face and discarding it to the side.

he passionately kisses you, not like the kisses you two shared earlier. rather, your inhaling his heavy breaths as his hips roll subconsciously into yours, his hard-on poking against your inner thigh. "bakugou.." you exhaled against his lips, your hand sliding inbetween your close bodies to palm his confined cock.

bakugou lets out a almost pained groan, his eyebrows furrowing at the feel of your hand brushing against his cock's tip. "fuck.." he groans, his head dipping down to your chest when your hand slides below his trousers and over his confined boner. "wanna help you too bakugou," you mumble shyly, batting those pretty eyelashes at him.

the tempered blonde seems to have been frozen in place at your unexpected boldness, his cock growing impossibly harder at your words. he curses under his breath when your hand glides in between the gap of his boxers, your fingers coming into contact with the skin of his cock.

you're so unexpected. it's all bakugou can ever think of. unlike all the others, you've surprised him the most. you've surprised him with your wits—instead of strength and speed. no matter how mean or offensive he's been to you, you've been nothing but a saint—going so far to even nurse him back to health after a particularly aggressive battle with a villian.

thats why he had to be the one to help you. after all you've done for him, he had to return the favor in the one time he could save your life, even if it meant having sex would save you. he wasn't about to let those ungrateful, clueless extras do it with you either when they didn't deserve the opportunity to have you so vulnerable for them.

and having sex with you doesn't seem too bad, not in the slightest. especially not when your hand is pumping his cock so deliciously. bakugou's lips apart slightly, a sharp gasp escaping when your palm tightens around his sensitive cock.

you jolt when bakugou's own hand wraps around your wrist firmly, practically slapping it away from his cock. you look up at him with filmy eyes, looking for an explanation within his own. "gotta focus on you," he mumbles under his breath, his hands coming down to your hips and dragging you down to him.

bakugou finally begins to undo his belt, the metal buckle causing your ears to tingle. he pushes down his pants to his lower thighs, for a second he glances up at you, to which you can see a small glimpse of the red tint that covers the apples of his cheeks and the way he stares intently at your features, most likely waiting to see your reaction.

he slides his dark red boxers down to the middle of his thighs, just enough to free his cock of his uncomfortable confines. and, just wow, maybe it's because you're quite literally drugged with a sex drug, or maybe he's just that perfect—but just the sight of his cock has your pathetic pussy walls clenching and throbbing around nothing.

your mouth salivates at the mere thought of his cock, and just now seeing it—god you just want him to fuck you already. without a thought, your hand reaches once more for him, only for bakugou to pin your wrist down to the side of your body, his own climbing on top of the bed. your legs come to rest on each sides of his hips, his thighs underneath yours while he sits on his knees.

it seems you're not the only one so horny, afterall, as bakugou wrapped his hand around cock, his hips inching closer to yours, his body jolted, eyes widening. his sudden movement has your heart dropping in your stomach, a cold sweat breaking out on your body. "w-what? what is it?" you stutter out, your hand crossing defensively over your clothed chest.

bakugou's cheeks seem to bloom more a shade of red as he leans back, searching for something in his pocket. "hah.. i almost forgot the condom.." he says, taking out the unmistaken small square packet out of his pocket.

you chuckle lightly at the mistake, feeling embarrassment for yourself as well. to think that you two were so wrapped up in the heat of the moment that you almost forgot the condom gives such a strange feeling in your stomach.

finally, bakugou puts the condom on, a bit shaky with embarrassment as he slides it on. all prepared, he looks up at you—possibly the calmest you've ever seen him, but there's a hint of seriousness and maybe even care with the way his eyebrows are furrowed lightly or how his eyes never leave your face.

"ready?" he asks cautiously, his hand gripped onto the underside of your thigh with the other resting on the side of your lower stomach. with your nod of approval, bakugou meets his thighs to your ass, his cock tip pressing lightly against your virgin hole.

before bakugou could go any further, your soft sobs stop him. his head immediately snaps up to yours, his eyes wide with shock. your eyes are once again wet with tears, eyebrows arched and lips frowning.

"i know this is not very convenient, y/n, but if we don't do this, you'll die-", he tries to say before he's interrupted by your sobs and hiccups. through fat tears and incoherent sentences, you finally manage to say something clear.

"it's not that." you practically hiss, surprising the blonde. "..then what is it?" he urges, a confused expression forming on his face. with a loud sigh, you groan loudly with anger and sadness, practically throwing your hands to your face as you try to wipe away your never-ending tears.

"i d-didn't want it to be like t-this!" you sob loudly, your shoulders jumping with every hiccup. before bakugou could press any further, the years of untold suffering and thoughts just came rushing to you, spilling out of your mouth like vomit. "i-i didn't w-want it to be l-like this! to happen like this!"

"oh my g-god! bakugou i've been in love with you since i've m-met you—and it–it hurts—for it to happen this way—you're only doing this just b-because you f-feel obligated to do i-it—not because you l-love me—" you mumble out, hands covering your eyes to avoid seeing his reaction.

"for it to ha-happen this way—it's like a whole prank..! like a fucking—slap in the face!" you say, practically yelling the last part as your hands fly down to the bed with frustration, finally meeting bakugou's gaze. your sobs quiet down, stomach churning at the realization of the word vomit you just had.

you thought he would be weirded out, maybe even make fun of you for it. but instead, bakugou is now looking at you with an unfamiliar gaze, full of something that seems to just be more than politeness and friendly care. sure, he's not smiling, but the way his red eyes are half-lidded, pupils dilated so big they might as well just be black, his eyebrows no longer furrowed but instead arched upwards with what seems to be surprise.

before you could say anything else, waves of sharp pain are shot up your spine as bakugou unexpectedly pushes in the tip of his cock, his arms now finding purchase by wrapping around your waist, lowering himself closer to you.

his lips press yours, slow and steady as he inches his fat cock into you. he pulls away from your lips with a grunt, his eyebrows arched downwards as he tries to set aside the way your cunt feels so heavenly wrapped around the end of his cock.

"i'm sorry for how i've been treating you." he says lowly, his teeth nipping at the pristine skin of your collarbone. "i just didn't know how to tell you—didn't think you felt the s-same," he breathes out, stuttering the last word when your walls clench around his cock. bakugou curses under his breath, trying to ground himself by pawing at your clothed breasts, sliding his hands under your tank to feel the bare skin.

bakugou's words has fresh tears forming once again at your water line. "the same..?" you think out loud, a hiccup escaping your throat at the realization.

"f-fuck, y/n—," he chokes out, his balls becoming flush with the curve of your ass. "bakugou.. the same?" you urge on, a small gasp leaving your lips when his cock tip glazes against your sweet spot. it takes bakugou to find the strength to answer, but he does with a groan, rising his upper body to have a better look at the sight of you.

"..yes the same you dummy." he finally confirms, his eyes unable to lock with yours, instead choosing to glue themselves to the sight of your tight pussy swallowing his cock. without wasting another second, your hands fly to his nape, pulling him back down to kiss him roughly. the two of you moan into the kiss, your hands desperately exploring the skin of his back while his continue to grope and massage your breasts.

"hah—i just couldn't allow it.. i didn't want the others to have you.." he groans out, his hips speeding up against yours. his teeth bite at your breasts possessively, leaving dark red marks over the unmarked flesh. his possessiveness sends a shiver up your spine, making you impossibly more hornier than you thought possible.

"baku—katsuki," you mewl out, your fingernails digging trails of red into the skin of his back. his head nods silently at your use of his first name, his ears tingling intensely.

his head tilts up to face yours, unprepared for what you were about to say. "please fuck me. i need you."

with a few words of heavy profanity, all previously known touches of gentleness are thrown out the window and bakugou is throwing your leg over shoulder and practically folding you in half. bakugou is quick to cover your mouth with his palm, if not your screams of pleasure would be heard by all the other people in these dorms—and he's not quite on board with any nobodies hearing your pretty moans.

bakugou practically jackhammers his hips into yours, his cock tip bullying your cervix. your eyes roll to the back of your head at the foreign feeling of your cervix being fucked, of your cunt being mercilessly destroyed by a fat cock. your hand flies up to the head board, desperately attempting to find purchase on anything to keep you grounded.

his cock grazing your sweet spot has you screaming once more into his palm, creaming around him for the first time that night. "f-fuck—" bakugou curses loudly, his teeth drawing blood on his lower lip in an attempt to hide own moans.

your cunt walls have a vice grip on his cock, practical almost leaving him unable to move as you cum around him. still, bakugou works his hips in and out, doing everything in his power to prevent himself from cumming just yet.

in an last ditch effort to do so, bakugou lifts his palm up from your mouth, flipping your body so you lay onto your stomach. he's quick to shove his cock back into your overstimulated cunt, rutting into you like a dog in heat. bakugou doesn't find it within himself to care when you're moaning so loud that the first floor can probably hear you, neither does he care that he's fucking you so hard that the bed frame begins to slam against the wall.

all he cares about is destroying your cunt, destroying you, something he's been wanting to do since he's met you. "fuck, fuck, fuck, y/n you feel so fuckin' good—i'm gonna cum," he babbles, his cock growing hard at the sight of your fat ass bouncing with every impact of his thrusts.

you're no better off than him, moaning his name desperately like a mantra. bakugou finally comes with a sharp and deep thrust, pushing his cock so deep it has the tip flush with your bruised cervix. he groans incoherent words, most likely profanities, as he cums into the condom, his hands gripping on the swell of your hips as he tries to ground himself.

you cum just at the unmistaken warmth that pools inside of you, tongue lolling out of your mouth pathetically. your body twitches underneath his weight, hands weakly grabbing onto his biceps. "katssshuki.." you mewl out, stars practically twinkling in your eyes.

bakugou pulls out of you with a sharp inhale, taking off the filled condom. his cock twitches when you stop him just as he's about to throw away, taking the cum-filled latex from his hand and holding it over your mouth, allowing the cum to drip onto your tongue and into your throat.

he watches you with wide eyes as you practically suck the cum out of the condom before throwing it into the trash bin on the side of your bed. you look at him with a grin, licking your lips generously before giggling.

bakugou's face twitches uncontrollably, any remains of the composure and the obvious "better safe than sorry", he has left is discarded before he practically pounces on you like a wild beast.

ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

bakugou is jolted awake, his eyes darting to the door of your room. theres a couple of knocks, his eyes look for your clock, '5:04 AM'.

he shuts his eyes, fully okay with ignoring the late visitor before theres more knocks. bakugou, begrudgingly, gets up, only because he doesn't want you to wake up.

he wraps his lower body in a spare blanket, taking a few seconds to rub awaken more before he's inching the door open, just barely enough to see who the visitor is. though, his shoulders relax when he sees it's just mr. aizawa at the door, most likely checking up on your state.

mr. aizawa blinks unexpectedly at bakugou, surely not expecting him to answer the door. his expression softens at the realization, being quick to offer an explanation. "i was just coming here to see if y/l/n was alright.. but i see it's under control, right?"

aizawa punctuates the last word of his sentence with the tilt of his head, his eyes pointing out bakugou's half-naked body. bakugou in response sheepishly shrugs, muttering out a groggy 'yeah' before closing the door.

he stands at the closed door for a second, rubbing his eyes tiredly before turning around to go back to bed, your bed more specifically. he stops in his tracks for a moment before continuing, seeing that you're now sitting up and staring at him.

"katsuki.." you breathe out tiredly, practically purring when you feel his hand settle onto your hip, bringing you back down onto the bed with him.

the two of you share a chaste kiss, departing only to get a short breathe in before you're pushing your body against his, deepening the kiss once more for the nth time that night.

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