#normally I don’t want to assume oh I would write this guy so much better than in canon but. astrid

[spectacledraws]

past doodle of girlfriends

[raainy-daze]

Hidden In Plain Sight

halloween special !

2012 raph x gn!reader

summary: do you ever wonder about what’s really lurking around on halloween? what can so easily walk among normal people without even earning a second glance?

well, you hadn’t until you realized this principle could probably apply to your mutant boyfriend. the hard part, really, was convincing him to help you babysit.

word count: 2302

warnings for some swearing

a/n: welp, here you have it guys. by far the longest oneshot that is going to be in these seasonal oneshots. i don’t know if it’s because i had this more planned out, or because raph’s my favorite, or what. yknow actually now that i think about it it’s probably because im out of town and i write better in hotels for some reason. OH WELL whatever the reason, happy halloween!

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Ah, October, the month of spooks and scares. There’s a chill in the air, and celebrations have begun.

The moon was rising in the sky. It was a beautiful sight. It wasn’t full, but maybe the was a good thing. A full moon on All Hallow’s Eve would be quite the omen.

The crescent you had instead was arguably more beautiful, really. The clouds also quite added to the atmosphere. You would’ve grabbed your phone to take a picture, but you knew it would just come out blurry.

“(Y/N).” You were pulled out of your musings by a voice next to you. “That child is staring at me.”

Your attention was drawn to a child standing a few feet away from your front porch. A little girl dressed as Wonder Woman, her eyes were wide, and her father was distracted talking to one of the other neighborhood parents. Raphael was staring right back at her. He’d been on edge all night, and you could imagine why. He wouldn’t exactly be used to being up top without hiding, or even having any kind of attempt at a disguise.

“It’s fine. Kids don’t have a great grasp on ‘special effects makeup’.” You finger quoted around the cover story. “I had a friend do zombie makeup last year, little kids did not like it.” You reached aside for the candy bucket and held it out, attempting to ease the tiny Wonder Woman out of her fear. “Hey! Want some candy?” Only on Halloween was that not creepy.

With some encouragement from her father, she tentatively approached. “Trick or treat.” She held out her basket, and you dropped a Snickers in it. “Thank you!”

“See? She’ll forget by next week.”

You and Raphael were sitting on your front porch, handing out candy to the first trick or treaters of the night. For the first time in basically ever, Raph was without disguise in plain sight. It was Halloween, so you doubted mutants would bring much attention to themselves, especially with how good people were getting at costume makeup. It took significantly less convincing to get him to hang out with you tonight than you thought. You suspected some part of it was likely to spite Leo’s warnings, but hey, a win’s a win.

“So, when’s the kid going to be here?”

“Oh, Angie?” You checked your phone. “Any minute now, I think.”

“Trick or treat!” You looked back up and smiled, passing each child a piece of candy. “Why don’t you take a turn for a bit?” You held the bucket out to Raph, who only narrowed his eyes at it. “Alright then, geez. Grump.”

“Hey, I’m not a grump!”

“Yeah, sure, hun.”

Over the course of the next few minutes, you’d pass out candy to trick or treaters. When you saw a certain little girl in what you could only assume to be a yeti costume approaching, you set the bucket down atop a paper sign you’d made, which instructed those who read it to take two pieces.

“That’s Angie.” You nudged Raph, still sitting. “Hi, Angie!”

“Hi, (mr/ms/mx) (Y/N!)” She waved a hand at you eagerly. Mrs. Milner trailed behind her daughter, practically jogging to keep up. Her hair appeared somewhat frazzled. The woman herself often seemed somewhat frazzled, really.

The Milners were family friends, and you babysat Angie on the weekends more often than not. She was a sweet kid, if a bit hyper.

“(Y/N), hello!” Mrs. Milner smiled at you. “It’s good to see you. Thank you so much for this.” She reached into her purse before noticing Raph. “Oh, who’s this?”

“Mrs. Milner, this is my boyfriend, Raphael. Raph, Mrs. Milner.”

“And Angie!”

“Yes, and Angie.” You watched as she reached into the bucket on the porch, pulling out two Starburst candies.

“Oh, it’s very nice to meet you. Your costume is very impressive. Are you a samurai alien?”

“Uhh, sure.” Watching Raph stumble as he attempted to adapt to this environment was… well, it was entertaining to say the least. It seemed like everything cut him off guard. “Ninja, technically.”

“Oh, I see!” Mrs. Milner pulled out a wad of cash from her purse and handed it to you. “Thank you again, (Y/N), it means a lot.”

“No problem! I’ll drop her off at your house in a couple hours.”

Mrs. Milner gave you a grateful wave of the hand and began strolling off. “Have fun! Angela, be good!”

“I will!” Angie waved back at her mother. You were pretty sure she already had one of the Starbursts in her mouth.

“Hey, no more candy until we’re done, okay?”

“Okay,” she spoke with her mouth full. You turned back to Raph, who was standing somewhat stiffly.

“It’s alright if you want to go on home, Raph. You don’t have to stay.”

“No, no! I’m fine! Why wouldn’t I be fine?” As per usual, he immediately jumped to the defensive.

You shrugged. “If you’re sure. It’s fine if it gets a little too much, though. Angie, you ready to go?”

“Mm-hm!” The girl instantly jumped up from her gremlin crouch on the porch. She was practically jumping up and down; you couldn’t help but wonder how much candy she’d already had today.

With that, you were off. From the moment you began crossing the street, Angie was pestering Raph with every question she could think of.

“Why are you coming with us?”

“Because (Y/N) asked me to.”

“Why is your face green?”

“Face paint.”

“What are those?”

“Sais.”

“Can I hold them?”

“No.”

Angie ran up on her own to the first house. She was outgoing enough that you usually could just stand back and keep an eye on her.

By the third door down, Angie had already successfully begun tearing at Raph’s nerves.

“How is it that one kid can talk so much?”

“She’s six, she doesn’t have a filter yet.”

“Hey, cool costume, dude!” Every time someone passed and made a comment on Raph’s ‘costume’, he seemed to tense up a little more. This time, he instinctively reached for your hand. You gave it a squeeze. “You’re sure you don’t need a break?”

“What, you calling me weak?”

“Being overwhelmed isn’t the same as being weak, Raph.”

You were met only with a huff. Angie came running back up to you. “They’re giving out full size candy bars!” She waved a Hershey bar in your face. This house gave out candy bars every year, but you weren’t going to point that out.

“That’s so cool!”

And so you continued around the neighborhood. Angie started asking you to go up with her at the more creatively decorated houses. You couldn’t help chuckling at the giant skeleton in the Delaney’s front yard. Where do you even get a lawn decoration that size?

“Trick or treat!”

“Oh, now aren’t you the cutest… white monkey?”

“No, I’m a sasquatch.”

“Oh, I see!” Mr. Delaney dropped a small bag of M&Ms in Angie’s basket. “And what are you supposed to be, (Y/N)?”

“I’m the scariest thing of all. A normal person.”

Mr. Delaney chuckled. “Oh, remember when you were little and you came in that Disney costume? Oh, which character was it…” You glanced back at Raph, knowing you’d be here for a couple minutes. Mr. Delaney’s nostalgia always took up a bit of time for Halloween.

By the time Angie successfully got you away from the old man’s stories, Raph seemed to have eased up a bit. He didn’t flinch at people anymore, at least. Angie ran ahead again, to no one’s surprise. “Hey, stay close!”

“I will!”

You slipped your hand back in Raph’s. “Well? How’s all this?”

“I have had three different people try to start a conversation.” Time for your favorite game! Is Raph pissed, or does he just have resting bitch face? “People up here are too social.” He’s pissed! You weren’t sure the ‘resting bitch face’ theory ever proved true. “Other than that, it’s pretty okay though. But I swear to god, if that kid asks me one more question-“

As if she heard that statement and decided she did, in fact, want to drive Raphael to the brink of insanity, she ran back up to the two of you, attention directed at him.

“Mr. Raph, what’s your favorite candy?zl

He seemed to just stare in disbelief at Angie. You wanted to say you had enough faith in him to not loose his temper in front of a child, but maybe it’d be better to step in anyways.

“Raph likes Twix. Twixes? Twixi.” You paused. “I don’t know the plural.”

“Pretty sure the answer is ‘none of the above’.” Raph raised a non-existent eyebrow at you.

“Shut up.”

You came up to the Carters’ house. The Carters were known for one thing around the holiday season, and that was how all-out they went on their decorating. Whenever you watched Christmas with the Kranks, you couldn’t help but think of the Carters.

This year was certainly no different. The trees across the front lawn were covered in fake spider webs, and the arch over their front door had been decorated to look like a mouth. You even thought you noticed some fake blood smeared here and there.

Angie had hidden herself behind you, just as most six year olds would. “Spiders. No.”

“They’re not real, Angie.”

“But spiders!”

“Do you want to skip this house?”

Angie looked up at the house, as if examining every risk factor. “No…”

“Well…”

Raph tapped your shoulder. “I’ll take her.”

Of all the things you weren’t expecting. “You sure?”

“You’ve asked me that, like, two dozen times over the last hour.”

You took that as a yes. “Okay then.”

Raph crouched down. “Oi. Kid. Come on.”

“But I don’t like spiders.”

“Does anyone like spiders? Look, they’re not gonna hurt you. And hey, if they wanted to hurt anyone, they’d go for the kid in front first. You’d have plenty of time to run away.”

Angie narrowed her eyes. “But they can’t move.”

“Exactly.” You could practically hear the ‘says who?’ he bit back.

Angie had been coaxed towards the door within just a couple minutes. You stood on the sidewalk, trying to process what the hell just happened. Raph never would’ve done something like this without an ulterior motive. Or at least an ulterior motive to use as an excuse. Especially not in front of so many people, even if they were strangers.

Your questions were answered when he came back into sight, munching on a Kit-Kat. You should’ve figured.

“The spiders didn’t eat me!” Angie smiled at you.

“Yeah, I see.”

Raph handed you the second Kit-Kat in his hand. “Grabbed one for you, too. If you’re going to take a kid trick or treating, you should at least take advantage of it. I mean, c’mon.”

You laughed, unwrapping your own chocolate. “Fuckin’ bastard.”

The Milners’ house was just on the next block. You let Angie collect candy from the last couple houses, and then you walked up to her own porch with her. You rung the doorbell for her, and were quickly answered by Mrs. Milner.

“Trick or treat, Momma!” Angie threw her arms open.

“Oh, well what a surprise!” Mrs. Milner laughed. “Did you have fun?”

“I had lotsa fun! Look at all my candy!” She held her candy basket up to her mom. You smiled and looked up to Mrs. Milner.

“Was she good?”

“She was great. Good luck with the inevitable sugar rush!” You quickly briefed Mrs. Milner on the night, Angie occasionally interrupting with her own story. You were astonished that Raph made it through the entire interaction without any sarcastic comments.

Just as Mrs. Milner was about to shut the door, Angie exclaimed, “Wait!”

She stepped up to you and Raph again. She set one of your favorite candies in your palm, and a Twix in Raph’s.

“Happy Halloween.”

You grinned. “Happy Halloween, Angie.”

“Happy Halloween, kid.”

You and your boyfriend began the walk back to your house. “See? She’s not so bad.”

“Yeah, sure. She still talked my ear off.”

“But she gave you candy.”

Raph didn’t respond, probably due to the fact that he was in the process of chewing said candy.

You fished around in your pocket, and pulled one of the two twenty solar bills Mrs. Milner had paid you with and handed it to Raph. “Here you go. You helped, so you get half the pay.”

Raph looked down at the money, and back up at you. “(Y/N)?”

“Yeah?”

“How often do you think I actually use money?”

You paused. “… Just appreciate the feeling. Money, capitalism, yay. Isn’t that nice?”

Raph grinned. “Yeah, sure.”

As you climbed back up on your porch, you picked up the nearly empty bucket you’d left. The last trick or treaters of the night were beginning to filter out, so you thought it was a good time to take the rest for yourself.

“Come on, you enjoyed yourself, admit it.”

“Okay, fine, I enjoyed myself. You happy?”

“Very.” You grabbed your keys and inserted them in the door. “Tell the guys I said hi, okay?”

Raph nodded. He took a step in the direction of the street, but quickly backtracked and gave you a kiss. It wasn’t long, more a peck than anything, but you always enjoyed any kind of kiss from him.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight. Don’t let the bed-ghouls bite!” And Raph vanished into the night.

You glanced one last time at the sky. You internally said ‘fuck it’, and pulled out your phone to take a picture. It came out blurry, just like you were expecting, but it was a nice way to commemorate your first Halloween with Raph.

[urfavbooblover]

Is requesting Jill x Nemesis T-Type Reader ok like they meet and the reader is a weak version of the Tyrant but alot nicer and develops a curse on her, sorry if this one is weird.

Hi, thanks for the request! And it’s totally okay, I actually like writing something more exceptionally! I also hope, that I wrote this after what you’ve imagined, so enjoy reading :)) I’m sorry btw for how long this took me, i was taking a quite long break and i apologize this is kinda short

Nothing like him || Jill Valentine x female/non-male reader

Warnings: nemesis alike reader, slight cursing, fluff

(remind me if I missed any)

- Resident evil 3 masterlist link -

Y/N’s pov:

I walked down the street, lost in my thoughts. This city is a total mess and I don’t know how all of this happened. I was used in of the umbrella academy’s projects, but it didn’t work out like they wanted it to.

I also have no idea where I’m going right now, till I heard someone shout something, standing right in front of me. “Don’t you dare, coming any closer!”

My eyes moved up from the ground, landing on a attractive woman. I even did what she told me to do, lifting my hands slightly up. I gave her a confused look, before deciding to talk myself.

“Listen, I know you can’t trust anyone you meet in this apocalypse, especially because I may look a little different, but I’m not a threat.”

She scanned my whole body, still having her gun pointed at me. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Y/N. You probably know of the Umbrella Academy? They used me for one of their disgusting experiments. That’s the reason why I look not so much human like you do.”

That’s the truth. I got much taller than before, actually taller than anyone else, just like Nemesis. I may look a bit terrifying to someone, also due to the fact, that I got much more muscular, but also not “normal”.

“Do you mind telling me your name?”, I asked, in the nicest way possible, so she won’t just leave or even worse put a bullet through my head. “My name’s Jill… I was already attacked by a big guy. You must know more about him.”

“Fuck. He must be Nemesis. He’s just as tall as I am but much more terrifying and dangerous. He supposedly wanders through the whole city and must still be somewhere around here”

Jill had a terrified look plastered all over her pretty face and i couldn’t help but get kinda lost by staring at her. She must have noticed me zoning out tho, “are you okay, Y/N?”

“Oh! Yes, i’m fine. But i think we should get going, you also would be better off sticking by my side, by the way. A little help is very much needed, no? You’re probably short on bullets anyway.”, i told her, as she caught up with me, now walking right beside me.

“You’re right, how did you know though?”, Jill asked while tilting up her head a little to look at me. I stared down at her, but quickly tried to avoid staring holes into her eyes. “It was just a guess, you know. It’s quite obvious after all.”

It was a long silence between us but it wasn’t awkward. I assured her, i would bring us somewhere safe for now and she seems to trust me. Jill’s the first person, that i met on my journey, who didn’t try to kill me, instead she was down to listen to me and now she’s not scared of me anymore.

My mind told me she was still unsure of this all and my whole being, she didn’t ask nothing much and i know many questions were flowing through her head, if only she would just ask.

“Okay Jill. We’re here.”, i spoke up after awhile and jogged up to the entrance of an abandoned hospital. “Didn’t take as long as i expected, are you positive however, that this is really not filling over with infected and all?”

“I know this place enough for that. Just trust me once more, alright?”, i opened the door and let her in first, before i shut and locked the doors behind us. She looked around the whole place and was very much assured for the moment. I heard her footsteps, assuming she’s finally stepping around.

“Doesn’t seem bad, huh?”. Jill spun around to face me and nodded her head, “It’s definitely a place to stay.”

We barricaded the doors a lot more with everything possible we could find, making sure not a single soul can enter. We can defend us in any case though, we’re pretty good equipped with weapons. Not even low on bullets anymore.

I finished treating and fixing up my fresh wound from earlier so that i can finally relax for a bit. I found Jill sitting down on the floor and leaning against a wall. She seemed to be confused on something and i decided to join her.

“What’s bothering you, Jill?”. My voice caught her by surprise, but she smiled softly at me, when she saw me standing there. “It’s nothing honestly, maybe i just need some company.”, she laughed and was delighted when i sat beside her.

Our body’s now very close to each other, i could even hear her breathing. The hospital is quiet, i could’ve sworn she was able to hear my heartbeat, that was going crazy only by just admiring her.

“I mean, you have me.”, i let out a nervous chuckle and noticed the change of the look in her eyes. They suddenly shined so differently and it couldn’t just be the light, but she quickly looked away after giving me one of what seemed to be her usual smiles.

I don’t know why, but i still couldn’t take my eyes away from her and she must’ve felt my gaze on her as she locked eyes with me again, i even saw them lowering to my lips once. I wasn’t paranoid, that’s for sure.

Jill has been moving slowly closer to me, placing a hand on one of my thighs. Her touch on my nearly exposed skin heated up my body to the point i felt my cheeks flushing.

Her face wasn’t far away from mine, our eye contact never broke apart and our lips were almost touching. “May i kiss you, Y/N? Or is this too early for-“

I knew what she was going to say and i couldn’t help but interrupt her by pressing my lips against hers. It’s like they were made to be put together, as much as they fit, my lips moved so smoothly on her soft ones.

The kiss didn’t last so long though, we’ve known each other for only a few hours after all. It’s just like we get along so well, i don’t think this would fuck any relationship we have up anyways, in this case. And who knows if we survive this and what has become out of this town.

“Uh ha, i think we should get some rest, no?”, i spoke in a calming voice, getting an agreement in return from Jill, who still had a big grin on her face.

____________________________________________

The next morning i woke up from weird noises, as my eyes shot open, thinking of the worst scenarios possible. I got up from the hospital bed, i slept on, seeing Jill isn’t laying on hers anymore, so i started searching from where the sounds are coming from.

Once i came closer to the place, i realized it has most definitely been Jill, who made those noises. I heard her groaning and complaining, like if she was in pain.

I sped up my walking and jogged to the room she must be in. I slowly opened the door, peeking through the small gap, grasping in the situation right in front of me.

There she was standing, her hand gripping her head, while the other one was holding onto her stomach. Her coughing got louder on top of that, which made it obvious that she’s sick. But what kind of sick?

I decided to make my way over to her, asking what’s wrong with her. “Jill? What happened to you?” Her head spun in my direction, a worried look in her eyes. She was gritting her teeth, before finally responding to me.

“I-I’m afraid i got it in me.”, her words almost coming out in a whisper. “You mean… you mean the curse?” She only nodded her head, hitching in pain again, as she almost fell down on the floor.

I luckily grabbed her in my arms, taking a closer glance at her state. She couldn’t have been bit, right? Thousands thoughts were coming in my mind at the same time, as i couldn’t make any of this up nor believe this is just happening.

My eyes went wide, thinking of yesterday. I gulped real hard, shaking my head. “No… no no no.”, i muttered to myself, as i came to conclusion.

Did I put the curse on her?

[silvery-bluish]

Tell us about Ars, Danny, and Ricardo? What are they like together? Does Ars act differently around Danny as they do Ric? Where do they all stand at the end of Retri?

Haha oh we’re inviting walltext. Sorry for the delay, this took me a few days to write out LOL dropping it beneath a cut bc it's pretty long.

tldr: ricardo means a lot to them and has always meant a lot to them, but theyre real bad at communicating. Daniel makes them better at communicating in some ways but they're very aware they fucked that up before it started. They're stuck in Ortega's apartment and theyre gonna implode dramatically.

Arsinoe and Ricardo have the weight of their past behind them, the 8-odd years of being at its complicate (with a break to be presumed dead) has comfort to it, Ricardo’s part of their normal, it’s like falling back into orbit when they’re near him. But there’s lots of things left unsaid, undefined, unclarified, because they felt they COULDNT in the old days and they certainly feel like they can’t now. Which is part of why they spend most of Retri avoiding him, whoops.

I think Ricardo’s afraid to push them too hard to clarify, these days, bc that might make them run again, and he wasn’t ready to push for things like publicly officially dating, in the Sidestep days. They trust each other in ways that are practically automatic at this point. They’d die for each other. They keep assuming they’re on the same page when they’re in entirely different books.

Arsinoe and Daniel sure don’t have that inertia behind them, so in some ways it’s easier to talk plainly? Daniel’s earnest bluntness and mental openness make Ars answer in kind. It's easier, smaller, maybe, for now, not as entwined as their relationship is with Ricardo, but that's safer, in some ways? They like his determination, his Decision to see the best in people.

They do have the, uh, fact that Arsinoe is So Very Aware that they fucked up his knee at the gala, because at the time he hadn't made it to the list of people they give a shit about and they'd decided that hurting him was the fastest way to be sure he wouldn't get in their way again. Whoops. This affects their interaction with him in two main ways-- they're pretty constantly worrying that they're taking advantage of the fact that he doesn't know - which is also kinda true - and they're hyperaware of not wanting to hurt him again, in a way that means they probably back off a little too fast when they're training which probably makes Daniel think they're going easy on him, sometimes?

So. They won't commit to anything real and firm and solid with either of them, because Arsinoe is very aware that the villain situation means anything they're building right now is going to inevitably fall apart except oops! car crash!! ortega knows theyre a regene and the world didnt end! Arsinoe's staying in Ortega's apartment, because it would feel like taking too much advantage of Daniel to stay in his apartment, and they don't want to leave Los Diablos to get to the Ranch, and Ricardo's apartment has been something like safe for them before so maybe it's safe now--

(They're rapidly running out of excuses to avoid talking about their relationships. I want them to villain reveal before they get anything firmed up relationship-wise, because they are-- very stressed out about building something they want and having it ripped away from them, inevitably. Safer not to name it. Probably going to accidentally imply to the guys theyre ready for a poly relationship talk and then actually hit them with the villain reveal. Sorry All.)

[daydream-cement]

Stately Sequoia Ch. 10

Hi-ya guys! A little more here for ya! Should be off my phone for the day. Maybe I can write more tonight! Enjoy!

Warning: NSFW

When you awoke the next morning, Larissa shook up lightly, “Come on. Time to get up, Fern.”

You groaned, shifting yourself closer to the edge of the bed, but the movement made you realize how incredibly sore you were. Larissa noticed the discomfort on your face, “We are going to take a bath. You will feel much better afterwards.”

You nod, head still against the pillow. Against your body’s own desire, you sat yourself up, swinging your legs over the side of the bed. Larissa was in front of you, completely naked.

You sleepily smile and lean your head forward, resting it on her stomach. Your hands encircled her waist, and a satisfied hum started at the back of your throat. The principals hand brushed through your hair, “Up you go.”

———

In the bathtub, you sat between Larissa’s legs, enjoying her sweet kisses to your neck and shoulders as you allowed yourself to soak. You had both been very quiet since you settled into the steaming water. You were assuming the breaking of sexual tension between the two of you was making things a little easier. After a while you lost, track of time in the tub.

Larissa Weems was incredibly gentle with you. She washed your hair and you returned the favor. At one point you had turned around, your legs on either side of her, so you could kiss for a bit. Each caress of the hands and lips was energizing and loving. This was the most sensual experience of your life. Were you falling in love with Larissa Weems? 

———

Rowan found you in the lobby and cornered you. She had grabbed you by the wrist, pulling you into the business center, “Spill it. I need every last detail.”

“I-Uh.” You didn’t know where to start. You didn’t know if you wanted to share anything, part of it feeling incredibly private.

“I could hear it, Fern. I could hear you last night. You are in 106 and I was in 110. Just to put that into perspective.” 

You face grew warm. While you certainly had no regrets, you didn’t love knowing that so many people may have heard your torrid affair last night. You could tell Rowan was growing incredibly frustrated with you at your lack of communication.

“Okay how about this? I ask you what you did and you shake your head yes or no?” 

You nod.

“Were you guys the ones holding up the line to the bathroom?”

You nod.

“Did you hook up on the elevator?”

You shake your head.

“Hmmm. How many times did she orgasm? One, two… three?” 

Finally, you nod. Glancing out the business center window to see if anyone was eavesdropping.

“I’m so proud. How many times did you? One, two… three? Four? Fern… be serious… Five? Six!?”

You tap your finger on the tip of your nose and begin smiling. That’s when Rowan let out a shriek and began jumping up and down, “Oh. My. God. She fucked you didn’t she?”

The smile that grew bigger on your face told her all she needed to know. 

“One small step for women. One giant leap for womankind.” Rowan misquoted, causing you to roll your eyes and shake your head, “I don’t need any more details, but this is incredible.”

———

Today was the last day of the conference. You opted to stay in one lecture room as different presenters funneled through as the soreness between your legs was an aching reminder of last night. Walking wasn’t particularly fun and now you truly understand the term ‘walking funny’ in regards to sex. 

During the 2pm lecture, you were happy as Larissa opted to sit next to you in the darkened auditorium. Quickly you realized she had sat next to you through the guise of friendship. Her lips were next to your ear, “Who gave you all those marks under your collar? You must be a very naughty girl.”

Now that you were in public you felt a bit of bravery to act more obstinate than you would normally with Larissa, “That’s not what she said last night. I was told I was a very good girl.”

“A good girl would open her legs a little wider for me so I can play with your pussy while you try to focus on this seminar.” Larissa’s voice was husky. You were off to the side in the darkened auditorium, but you certainly weren’t 100% out of sight either. But you did what you were told, spreading your thighs open so Larissa’s hand could slip between them.

“Don’t you make a sound, sweet girl. Too many people hear you last night.” Larissa brought her hand to your face first, offering her fingers to suck before she put them to work. You knew this wasn’t a request but rather an order. Taking her fingers in your mouth, you left them nice and wet so she could use them on you.

She massaged you clit through your panties. After a few seconds, the soreness gave way to pleasure. What was this woman doing to you?

You gripped the edges of your chair, face unwavering, trying to prove to Larissa you could take it. This afternoon, it was taking a bit longer for Larissa’s touch to bring you to orgasm. You could tell she was frustrated when she whispered, “You better hurry. The lecture is almost over. You don’t want to be punished, do you?”

You actually did. Well you thought you might like to be punished by Larissa, especially if it was anything akin to last night. 

You reached your tipping point, however, when Larissa pulled your panties to the side. Her fingers dipped into your sex and used the wetness to rub your clit. The change from the friction of your underwear to the slippery surface of her fingertips was too much to handle.

You eyes squeezed shut involuntarily as your swallowed a moan. As you felt Larissa’s fingers slip away from you, you give her a sideways glance and she is sucking your juices off her fingers. Red lips around her fingers made you lick your own lips.

Larissa Weems was going to be the undoing of you and there was no stopping these wheels that were in motion.

Link to Chapter 11

[suniix]

overnight shift | inumaki x reader

synopsis | working the overnight shift means you’ve seen some weird things, but this guy by far is the weirdest (yet also the cutest)

word count | 6k+

warning | creepy themes, some violence

note | this was meant to be a short writing practice but became a lot longer than i expected, inspired from an idea my friend Mina gave me 🫶

DAY 1 | MONDAY 1:56 AM

You stared blankly at the shelves in front of you, anger beginning to fizzle up inside causing your eye to twitch. Bags of chips had been ripped open, making it seem like a tornado passed. You had been gone for five minutes to take a bathroom break, but that short amount of time was enough for this mess to happen. You could only assume it was the group of teens loitering outside the store.

You could hear them chuckling from outside the store, but you paid no mind to them. You didn’t get paid enough to confront them, let alone deal with the aftermath of their mess. So instead you do what you get paid for— stand at the register and wait for someone to buy something.

Normally you’d feel bad for not cleaning the mess, if you worked the morning shift you’d want the previous shift to clean up, but your manager is, to put it nicely, a bad person. Cutting your hours, calling you to work on your off days, and leaving you to work all alone during an overnight shift— what kind of asshole does that? Your manager apparently.

Luckily for you, he always came in the morning to open up shop and let the morning shift in. You knew the moment he walked through those doors and saw the mess he’d be furious, but there was nothing he could do since you were hired as a cashier, not a janitor. Not cleaning up this mess is the nicest way to get back at him without getting fired. You’d figure out a way to make it up to the morning shift later.

Glancing at the clock, you saw it strike two am. Only four more hours to go before you can sink into your nice comfy bed and take a long, well deserved, nap.

Right in the middle of you thinking about how nice a nap sounded, you heard an automated beep ring throughout the store signaling someone had entered. You immediately turned to the door, ready to glare the teens down, only to see a guy around your age limping in.

At first you were confused, but then you grew concerned upon seeing the giant gash on his side and oh my god is that blood?

The guy walked straight to the pharmacy section and grabbed all of the throat medicine you had, which was a lot given no one really bought any. He placed the small bottles on the counter and you stood there stunned for a minute. Shouldn’t this guy be more concerned about the blood dripping from his side than a sore throat?

“Um, will that be all for you today?” You asked awkwardly.

The guy nodded and you began to scan the items. You didn’t even bother asking him if he needed a bag, already knowing the answer. You told him the total and he pulled out his wallet to pay. While he did that you walked away from the register and walked over to one of the fridges. You grabbed a tuna salad sandwich along with a drink. The guy gave you a confused look upon seeing you place the items in the bag along with his medicine.

“It’s on the house. Hope your, uh,” you point at his side, “situation gets better.”

His eyes gleamed happily and you could’ve sworn he was smiling, but you couldn’t tell because his high collared clothing was covering his mouth. He bowed, a silent thank you. As he left the store he cheerfully waved goodbye. You had no idea where the sudden cheerful attitude came from, but you waved back nonetheless. If your manager said anything about the missing food you’d blame it on the sketchy teenagers.

Curiously, you leaned over the counter and saw small drops of red leading from the door to the pharmacy aisle to the counter. You pull away in disgust, as much as you hated your manager you don’t think he’d forgive you if you left a trail of blood for him to find in the morning, neither would your coworkers.

Sighing, you leave your spot at the register to grab a mop. While cleaning your mind goes back to the guy you saw earlier. You took one final glance at the door, wondering what happened to him to make him bleed out like that.

What a weird guy.

DAY 2 | TUESDAY 1:20 AM

You really need to learn how to say no to your manager. Then again, you don’t think saying no is even an option.

Once you got home last week you immediately passed out on your bed, not even bothering to change clothes. You woke up to an angry voicemail left by your manager which was quickly deleted.

So now here you are, working the overnight shift again. Part of you thinks this is your manager’s way of getting back at you, but part of you also knows that no one else would’ve accepted it because they actually have a life. Despite the slightly higher pay, no one wanted to ruin their sleep schedule for a shitty job, which was understandable. The manager knows that you’re not busy and that you need the extra money so you were the only option.

I should just quit.. you thought to yourself. But no other job would hire me because I have no experience, but how am I supposed to get experience without a job? Ugh, this is so annoying..

Normally you wouldn’t complain, but these days you were beginning to find the store to be scary. The store was hauntingly quiet, save for the barely audible classical music playing. People barely came instead, heck, it’s like they avoided this street all together. Even those sketchy teens who would constantly loiter outside seemed to have run off. You hoped your manager wouldn’t blame you for ‘scaring’ off the customers.

The familiar beep of the door rings softly throughout the shop. You turn to see a familiar face.

“Oh hey, you’re not bleeding this time.”

He holds a hand up in greeting, “Kelp.”

You hold a hand up and confusingly repeat, “Kelp?”

He then disappears into the aisles. Weird.. is this some new trendy way to greet people? Oh well, at least I don’t have to clean up his blood this time..

You go back to scrolling on your phone. Soon enough you come across a coworker’s post. It was her and a couple of other coworkers having brunch, posted a day ago. They looked so happy in the picture, laughing happily like it was natural. It brought a sad smile to your face, you wished you were like them.

“Salmon cod roe.”

You look up to see the guy from earlier. He placed a tuna salad sandwich on the counter along with some throat medicine bottles. Ignoring the fact he used an onigiri ingredient to get your attention, you’re surprised to see he grabbed the sandwich you gave him for free last time.

You smiled, “Seems like you liked the sandwich.”

He nodded excitedly. You laughed, “I’m the only person I know who likes these, so it’s nice to see someone else who shares the same taste in food.” When you start to scan the throat medicine you notice he grabbed less than last time.

“Does your throat hurt often?”

He sheepishly nods. “I heard gargling salt with warm water helps, oh chamomile tea too.” You suggest.

He pulls out his phone and begins to type something. You assumed he was writing down what you said, but instead he shoves his phone in your face to show you what he typed.

‘I’m sorry for bleeding on your floor. I got in a fight with a raccoon.’

“A.. raccoon?” You ask.

He nods his head in confirmation. You’re sure that he’s lying, the giant wound was way too big to be from a raccoon, but the determined look in his eyes almost made you want to believe him.

“Must have been one vicious raccoon. It’s a wonder how you made it out alive.” You held back a giggle.

You hand him his bag and tell him his total. He gratefully accepts it and types something on his phone again.

‘Extremely vicious! So vicious that I might not survive another attack to see your cute face! :(‘

You felt your face heat up at the compliment. “Are you trying to get another free sandwich? Sorry buddy, your sweet words won't work on me.” You tried to laugh it off, but you still felt your cheeks and ears burning from his comment.

He smiled, at least you think he did, and pocketed his phone. He paid and walked out the store, but not before turning back to look at you one last time to wave goodbye. You waved back.

He was surprisingly smooth.

DAY 3 | WEDNESDAY 1:48 AM

This is becoming an ugly habit. Working late nights was something you did not want to get accustomed to.

The color on your nails are beginning to chip due to you constantly picking at them. You couldn’t blame yourself though since there was nothing better to do. Your phone died and your charger is slowly deteriorating causing it to charge slowly. It’s been dead for a few minutes now.

The silence was deafening. Earlier in the day before your shift you noticed that classical music no longer played throughout the store, so you decided to bring your speaker to play your own music; except you forgot to bring your speaker and your phone was dead. Without your music you could swear you heard whispers throughout the store. They whispered so often you were beginning to think their conversations were your own thoughts, but you knew they weren’t. Their words were far too horrific to be your own. It was unnerving.

The familiar beep of the door rings, startling you out of your thoughts. It’s nice to know at least that still works.

You’re almost relieved to see the familiar sight of platinum blonde hair. His eyes immediately find yours and suddenly, the voices stop whispering. The air feels lighter and it feels like you can breathe normally again.

He raises his hand in greeting and you do the same. “Hello Mr. I survived a raccoon attack, here for some more throat medicine or are you just here to see my cute face?”

He stifled a laugh, understanding the small reference from your last meeting. He types something out on his phone and shows it to you.

‘I was just in the area and decided to stop by. Luckily I managed to avoid getting attacked by a raccoon this time! :D’

You couldn’t help but laugh. You found it weird how he communicated with you through his phone, but you decided not to ask about it; at least not yet anyway. “What do you do with all that medicine anyway? I doubt it’s healthy for someone to consume that much.”

‘It’s a secret! ^^’

“Mm really? You won’t tell me even if I give you a free sandwich?”

His eyes widen for a moment and you can imagine him drooling at the mention of the sandwich, but he quickly shakes his head.

‘Maybe next time?’

“Oh so there’ll be a next time?” You smirk.

‘Of course!’

“I knew it, people can never resist a face like mine.” You laughed dryly, feeling fatigued.

You felt his eyes on you, almost as if he was examining every detail on your face. Suddenly the skin under your eyes felt cold and the lack of sleep caught up with you, you felt vulnerable and exposed. His face is serious for a moment before he starts typing on his phone.

‘Are you working alone? I never see anyone else here with you :(‘

“Oh, yea.. I’m the only dumbass that accepted working this late. It’s ok though, since I need the money.” You lied, it’s not ok.

It was fine at first but this was beginning to affect your school life. You never completed homework and always fell asleep in class, that is if you even decided to show up. Not to mention you were failing most of your classes. Your appearance was also beginning to feel the effects of your lack of sleep.

Your reasons for quitting just kept piling up.

‘You shouldn’t do that to yourself! Working at night all by yourself is dangerous. It’s also unhealthy!’

You laughed, “Says the guy who came in bleeding!”

He froze, then began to scratch his head innocently. You laughed once again. You didn’t know why, but simply being with him made you feel better. Maybe it was the fact that having him with you meant you weren’t alone, but you also felt safe.

‘Let’s ignore that and focus on your cute face :)’

You laughed. “I already told you compliments won’t work on me.” You lied, they’re working. Extremely well in fact. You hoped he couldn’t see the blush on your face.

Suddenly his phone rang. He took a look at the screen and sighed. “What? Is it past your bedtime?” You smirked.

You didn’t expect him to actually nod at your comment, but seeing as he always has on his school uniform you’re guessing he goes to some fancy private school, so you’re not surprised. If he’s dorming at his school they probably have a curfew or if not his parents probably have one for him.

You leave the counter and run over to the freezer to pull out a sandwich and some onigiri. You hand it to him. He shook his head and tried to hand it back to you, but you stopped him. “Think of it as a thanks for keeping me company.” You smiled.

Watching him leave made you feel lonely again, you hoped he’d come back the next day.

DAY 4 | THURSDAY 2:02 AM

Your eyebags are definitely more noticeable now.

You don’t know when your insomnia got worse, but you’d bet all your money it was because of this job. The customers weren’t to blame, heck you barely even got them anymore, it was the store itself. No one even came in during the day time. Sometimes when you’d begin to space out you swear you’d see movement out of the corner of your eye.

You decide to be a good coworker and restock the shelves. It’s not like there was a line of customers waiting to be helped, plus it’d lighten the workload for the people working in the morning and it kept you entertained.

You opened a box and began placing bags of chips and candies on the shelves, neatly arranging them so they looked organized. Having everything neatly organized was very pleasing to the eyes in your opinion, it helped the store look a little less chaotic.

As you were neatly putting away the products you didn’t hear the door open or the footsteps that were closer coming closer and closer. You stood up holding the box in your hands when suddenly a hand tapped you on the shoulder, startling you. You dropped the box and yelled, quickly turning around to face whoever it was that scared you, only to come face to face with your favorite customer.

He raised his hand in greeting. “Kelp.”

Angry, you grabbed skittles from the box and began chucking them at him. “You scared me! I thought you were some stranger about to attack me!!”

He managed to dodge most of the bags, except for one that hit him square in the face. He looked a bit shocked and for a moment you felt a bit guilty upon seeing his face.

“Sorry, guess the lack of sleep is putting me a little on edge.” You began to pick up the skittles and he helped you. You walked over to the register and placed the skittles on the counter, telling him to do the same.

“Nice to see you didn’t get attacked by another raccoon today.” You comment, attempting to lighten up the mood.

He chuckled and suddenly, things went back to normal. If he noticed you acting strange, he didn’t comment on it.

The two of you stayed ‘talking’ for a few minutes. It felt nice having another person to talk to. You didn’t feel alone anymore.

“Ok, genuine question. I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but why do you talk to me through your phone’s note app? I’ve heard you talk before, so why don’t you use your voice?” You asked.

He became stiff at your question and you immediately regret asking. Before you got the chance to say nevermind he began typing. He quickly showed you his phone.

‘It's a long story, I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you :(‘

“Trust me, working this late means I’ve seen some weird shit.”

You weren’t kidding. Two days ago after raccoon guy left, some guy started licking the window. At first it was funny but after five minutes it was just creepy and weird. You gave him a sandwich and told him to leave before you called the cops.

The guy thought for a moment before sighing. He began to type and so began the long convoluted story of why he can only speak in onigiri ingredients.

—

“Ok ok, I think I got it down.” You tapped the paper where you wrote down your notes about his cursed speech.

“So basically the reason you can’t speak normally is because of your cursed speech, which I kind of understand? So you use onigiri ingredients which are safe words?”

He nodded.

Confusing? Yes. Did you understand? Partially. Did you believe him? As surprising as it sounds, yes, you did.

You don’t know whether it’s because it’s almost three am and the lines between reality and fantasy were blurred, or because the look in his eye was dangerously convincing, but you believed him.

“Kinda cool. So curses are kinda like ghosts?”

He thinks for a moment before shaking his hand, a silent so-so to answer your question. You lean over the counter and motion for him to get closer. He does and you lean in to whisper something in this ear.

“Are there any in the store?”

His body becomes stiff and his face almost looks shocked, but he quickly changes his expression to a cheerful one while crossing his arms. He shook his head saying “bonito flakes”.

You quickly glance at your notes and see that it has a negative connotation. You pretend not to notice how hesitant he was to tell you because maybe he is right and there’s nothing lurking in the shadows, but you just don’t want to face the reality that there might be something sinister waiting for the perfect opportunity.

He notices your stare and pulls out his phone to type something. His face got serious, you didn’t like it. You prefer it when you could tell he was smiling just by looking at his eyes. He showed you his typed note.

‘If anything ever happens, hide and call this number’

Below it was a number, you assumed it was his. The air was serious, now you knew he wasn’t telling the truth earlier, and you’re sure he knew you were aware of this, but no one said anything. You wrote it down nonetheless.

That statement basically confirmed your suspicions.

“If you wanted me to have your number you could’ve just said so!” You laughed, attempting to brighten the mood.

It sort of worked, you managed to hear him stifling his laugh.

After he left the voices returned. You were left alone with nothing but a phone number and no name to match it with.

DAY 5 | FRIDAY 2:59 AM

The street lamp outside the store keeps flickering. You fear it'll turn off any minute now, making the street pitch black.

Normally you didn’t fear the dark, or being alone, but when you opened the door to the dark storage room you couldn’t help but feel something lurking in the darkness. You stopped going outside to throw the trash because it didn’t feel safe, so you left a sticky note near the trash apologizing to the morning shift for the inconvenience.

Your hallucinations got worse, if you could even call them that. You would see shadows out of the corner of your eye more often now. You thought they’d go away if you didn't acknowledge them, but that only made it worse. They’d come closer, demanding your attention until you gave it to them. It feels as though you’re constantly being watched and if you close your eyes for even a moment too long you'll be screwed.

You quickly shake your head. Get yourself together, those things aren’t real! They're just figments of your imagination due to lack of sleep! Yea.. just, very ugly, figments of your imagination..

To keep yourself entertained you decide to look over the notes you took when raccoon guy was explaining his situation. If you were a little more awake you’d slap yourself for believing a total stranger, but you were currently running on five minutes of sleep so you believed anything was possible. You flip a page and scan the words. Kelp, usually said as a greeting.. you remember the day he came in and scared you, he had said ’kelp’.

Now you felt even worse about that day, he basically said ‘hi’ and you responded by throwing things at him.

You shake your head and decide standing behind the counter is only making you even more sleepy and guilty so you decide to do something productive; restock the shelves. Luckily for you, you don’t have to go back into the creepy storage rooms to grab more products since your lovely coworkers left them under the counter for you.

You grab a box and walk past the entrance, standing to stare for a minute. So far your favorite costumer hasn’t come in yet, is it bad to say you miss him?

Shaking your head you walk over to an empty aisle. You stare blankly at the shelves, noticing what was missing the most. It's always chips and condoms. Strange combination but at least people were being safe.

Squatting, you grab chips and begin stocking the bottom shelf. This goes on for a minute before you hear the automatic doors ring. You never thought you’d be so happy to hear that sound. You quickly turn your head expecting to see a certain platinum blonde, only to see no one.

“Hey raccoon guy, don't hide! I know you’re here!” You laugh, quickly walking to the door to see if he was hiding behind a nearby shelf, only to find no one. Your smile instantly dropped, why did the doors open if no one entered?

Suddenly you didn’t feel like you were alone anymore.

You step outside to take a quick look but find nothing. It was dead silent, you swear you could hear your own heart thumping rapidly. The street lamp above you burns brightly for a second before it suddenly shuts off. You quickly run back inside and stand behind the register. The hair was thick and the store smelled like rotten eggs, it wasn’t like that before. The note from that stranger pops up in your mind.

‘If anything ever happens, hide and call this number’

Your hand immediately hovers over your pocket containing your phone, but you hesitate. He hadn’t come in yet to check up on you during your shift. What if this was a prank? What if something happened to him? What if he didn’t pick up and you were left to die with the false hope of him coming?

The lights in the store suddenly started to flicker and that was your final straw. You couldn’t take it anymore.

You didn’t care if your manager yelled at you or fired you for this. You quickly grab your things and run out of the store, not daring to look behind in fear of what you might see.

You didn’t get any sleep that day when you got home.

DAY 6 | SATURDAY 3:32

After this, you’re putting in your two weeks notice.

Never again will you work at a twenty-four hour convenience store.

The only customers that came in now were shitty, the hours left you with you questioning your sanity, and your boss was an asshole.

After you left the store you received a call at six am from your boss, screaming at you for leaving the place unlocked and a mess. You told him what happened and how you’ve had enough and he said you still had to come in because he couldn’t find someone to take your shift on such short notice. You told him to check the cameras and he replied that they weren’t working.

So here you were, standing behind the register for the final time.

The automatic doors stopped working entirely, you nearly had to pry them open just to get inside. You should’ve taken that as a sign to turn around and head back home. The smell of rotten eggs refused to leave the store despite mopping the floors with fabuloso not once but twice.

Things are so calm that you almost begin to think yesterday was some sick and twisted dream. Almost.

Your eyes kept going back to the door of the storage room. Simply staring at the door was enough to fill you with anxiety. There was something behind that door, you could feel its presence. You had no plans on opening it.

You grab your phone and immediately notice you have no service. Did I forget to pay my phone bill? Great, just my luck..

It was now 3:50 am. You were debating whether or not to leave early. It’s not like anyone would notice, right?

You glance at the security camera placed in the corner of the room. How convenient it only works when you do something that’ll get you in trouble with your boss and not whenever there’s some paranormal activity happening.

Lights begin to flicker and you immediately freeze. Your eyes instantly go to the storage room door. You type in the number the guy gave you but pause. Remembering your situation from last time you decide there’s too many ‘what if’s’ and instead type in the number for emergency services. Your finger hovers over the call button waiting for something to actually happen.

A moment later the lights go out and you quickly hide underneath the counter, momentarily fumbling with your phone from the nerves. You quickly press call, trying to keep your breathing quiet. The phone rings about twice before someone answers.

“Please help me, there’s some weird shit going on, I don’t feel safe and I think someone’s here with me.” You quickly whisper into the phone.

You don’t even get to hear what they’re saying because the moment you finish talking it finds you. The grotesque figure resembled a disfigured human with a disturbing smile. You scream and jump over the counter, almost dropping your phone in the process.

You quickly try and open the door but realizing it’s glued shut you give up and run to the back of the store. You didn’t have to look back to know that thing was chasing you. Up and down the aisles you ran while throwing whatever you could grab at the monster.

Nothing seemed to slow it down, you were beginning to lose hope.

At this point you were covered in scratches and bruises from bumping into the shelves, you were getting tired. As a last ditch effort you ran to the back of the store, waiting for the monster to catch up. It quickly did and once it was close enough you opened the door to the freezer and the monster ran in. You quickly locked it and leaned against the door, catching your breath. Your moment of relaxation quickly ends when the monster bangs against the door, hard. So much so the hinges are coming off.

You take this moment to run to the front of the store and pry open the doors. You only had a limited amount of time to get those doors open and time was running out. Beads of sweat rolled down your face and your hands got clammy. After several attempts you got the door open, immediately hearing the freezer door break open. The moment you step foot outside you run into someone. You’re filled with a sense of relief once you notice who it is.

“Raccoon guy!”

His clothes look torn just like the first day you saw him and there’s beads of sweat rolling down his head, it seems like he ran here. You’re not sure if it’s due to lack of sleep but you thought he looked cute. He quickly moves so he’s in front of you to shield you from the monster.

You’re confused for a moment, not expecting the scrawny boy to be able to do anything against that thing. You remember what he said about his cursed speech but you still had your doubts. What if he was lying about being able to kill things like that?

Any doubts you had are erased the moment you hear him yell.

“Explode.”

The curse stopped for a moment. Its eyes began to bulge out of its head before they popped out entirely, its body following the command. Pieces of its body littered the ground making you almost puke at the sight. You scrunch your nose at the smell, you were definitely about to puke.

“Mustard leaf?” He asked with a raspy voice turning to look at you.

It was now you saw how tired he really looked.

You couldn’t say anything, heck, you didn’t even know what to say. You could only stare in shock as blood began to drip from his mouth and he began to fall forward. You caught him in time, almost falling to the floor with his added weight. For being scrawny he sure is heavy.. you thought as you gently lowered him to the ground.

You stayed there on the floor with him for a few minutes, slowly processing what just happened. A phone begins to ring which jolts you out of your thoughts. You don’t recognize the ringtone, so you know it’s not yours. A few feet away from you is a phone, you assume it belongs to raccoon guy.

You slowly stand and walk over, picking up the phone. The screen is cracked and the person calling is labeled ‘Panda’. What’s up with this guy and wild animals?

You decide to answer, hoping that it was just a weird nickname for a friend and maybe they’ll be able to help.

“Toge! Where are you?! I can’t believe you ditched me to fight this thing all by myself!

“Um.. hello?”

The line is quiet for a few seconds. You hear wind and distorted muffled from the other line and you debate whether or not to hang up. What if these guys were part of a cult and since now I know about curses I’ll be killed?

Thinking the worst, you go to hang up but a voice stops you.

“Who are you?”

“Uh.. I’m (Y/n), your friend is at my job and he’s passed out.. and bleeding.”

“Where are you?”

You give him your location and he tells you not to move, saying he’ll be there in a few minutes. You don’t know whether or not to believe him, but you don’t have much of a choice. If you were to call the police you doubt they’d believe you about a monster chasing you throughout the store. Now that you think about it, you called the police awhile ago.. where were they?

You text your manager saying you quit after the call with Panda ended.

DAY 7 | SUNDAY 12:05 PM

This was the best sleep you’ve had this week.

The morning was wonderful. The skies were clear, the sun was shining, and birds were singing happy tunes. This must be a sign— today will be a good day!

After waking up you felt so energized, yesterday almost felt like a dream. The scrapes and bruises were enough to prove otherwise. You tried not to think about the events of yesterday too hard in an attempt to forget your near death encounter. You still don’t know how you made it out alive.

You open up your phone to see ten missed calls from your manager and a couple from your coworkers. I should just block him.. or better yet I should just report him to the police for exploitation.. you think while scrolling through your call history.

While scrolling you notice the name ‘Racoon Guy’ in your call history. It says you called him, which leaves you confused. According to the time it says you called around the time of the attack. When did you call him? You only remembered calling the police—

Then it hit you. The moment you ducked under the counter you fumbled with your phone, that’s likely when you accidentally called raccoon guy, or should you say Toge?

Toge.. so that’s his name.. you thought. That explains why he came so fast.

You were oddly touched, despite looking like death itself he still came to your rescue. Then again, fighting them was his job, you remember him talking about that awhile back.

You looked at your clock. It’s the afternoon and there’s no school, you finally have a day off to relax. You lay back in bed, deciding to spend your day watching movies and eating snacks.

—

5:53 PM

The sun is setting now.

Your day was well spent, you caught up on shows and now your fridge was empty. Though, you avoided your backpack the whole day. You didn’t want to think about all the missing assignments you had piled up waiting to be completed. That was a problem for you to solve another day.

There was one final thing you wanted to do before the day ended.

You wrap your jacket around you tightly, making sure to lock the door before leaving the house. The air was cold, not cold enough to the point you’re shivering but cold enough to wear a sweater to avoid getting sick. As much as you wanted to stay home for the week and catch up on more sleep, struggling with a stuffy nose was not worth it.

You walked down the street, letting the street lamps illuminate your path. You won’t lie, the thought of walking alone at night after what happened yesterday at work terrifies you, but this might be the last free night you have before catching up on school work and you were going to enjoy it to the fullest.

The familiar sight of swings fills you with a childish joy. Taking a seat, you take a few steps back before lifting your feet, letting your body move back and forth. The rusty metal squeaked as the swing moved. When you were younger you thought that meant the swing was about to break. You laugh at the memory, you were so naive back then. Heck, maybe you still are after believing a stranger’s fantasy story. You let your thoughts wander and you begin to think of what happened after work yesterday.

You stared in shock as Toge’s friend lifted him and placed him on his shoulder. Turns out the nickname Panda was not just a nickname, he was literally a panda.

“Thanks for looking after him! It’s a good thing he got here in time, that curse sure caused a huge mess!” He laughed.

You don’t know how to respond, it’s not everyday you survive an attack from a supernatural being then meet a talking panda afterwards. You were beginning to think you actually died in the attack and this panda is secretly an angel about to guide you to the afterlife.

“Am.. Am I dead?”

The panda went oddly quiet for a minute before he started to chuckle. “That’s a surprisingly calm reaction, but no, you’re not dead. In a state of shock? Probably. I’ll walk you home to make sure nothing happens.”

Ok, so you weren't dead.

Maybe this was all just a dream.

You were tempted to pinch yourself, but you’ve gone through enough pain today, that’s proof enough that none of this is a dream. Panda starts walking away with Toge on his shoulder.

“Well? You coming?”

“Wait.”

You quickly run back to the store, grabbing a plastic bag and empting the shelves of cough medicine. You slowly walk to catch up to Panda. It was a quiet walk as you led the way home. Once you reach home you hand the bag to Panda.

“Tell him I said thank you.”

Then you walked inside, feeling as though your body was as light as air.

A gentle ring brings you out of your thoughts. You pull your now cracked phone out of your pocket to see who messaged you. Maybe it was your manager trying to tell you off again.

Your eyes scanned the contact name and a small smile appeared when you saw who it was.

Raccoon Boy:

Hey! Are you busy right now? (・◡・?)

You should really change his name now that you know his real one.

You:

Nope, just relaxing at a park

Toge:

Which one?

You give him the location and don’t receive a text back. A part of you feels sad by this but you try to ignore it. You have no reason to feel sad, if he doesn’t respond it’s likely for a good reason. He’s probably busy fighting another curse and saving more lives.

Continuing to kick your feet, you debate whether or not you’ve spent enough time outside. I should sleep early since there’s school tomorrow, but I really don’t want to go.. you sigh. The struggles of being a teen, choosing between school or sleeping in, the right answer is debated among many.

You see a shadow appear in the dirt and quickly turn around half expecting to see someone asking for money to buy cigarettes or another curse, only to see the person who saved your life.

“Kelp.” Toge raised his hand in greeting.

You sigh in relief. “I told you not to sneak up on me.” Despite trying to sound angry you can’t help but let a small sneak its way onto your face.

He takes a seat on the swing next to yours. The light from a nearby lamp illuminated him; he almost seemed to glow in the light. It was your first time seeing him without being sleep deprived and needless to say, he looked even better.

He begins typing on his phone then shows it to you.

’Thank you for the medicine. It really helped :)’

“It’s no problem, that’ll be the last time I give them to you for free though since I quit.”

His eyes widened in shock, you never realized they were purple.

‘You quit?’

“Yup, after I got home yesterday I texted my boss that I was done. It’s improper but I literally could not deal with that hellhole anymore, especially after what happened.” You lean back on the seat, getting a good look at the sky.

The stars were barely visible thanks to all the light pollution in the city, but there were still a few specks of light that you could see if you squint hard enough. They sort of reminded you of Toge in a way. Even though you couldn’t see him, you had a feeling he’d be there to save you again.

“Salmon cod roe” He nudged you with his phone.

‘Does this mean no more free sandwiches? :(‘

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Yup, no more free sandwiches.”

‘Well then I guess it’s my turn to treat you to some. I know this place that sells amazing breakfast sandwiches, are you free Saturday?’

You felt your cheeks and ears begin to burn. Despite it being cold out you were beginning to heat up inside your jacket. “Is this your way of asking me out on a date?” You tried to play it off, but the way Inumaki stared at you you couldn’t help but look away. You were flustered and he probably knew it too.

‘Depends, do you want it to be?’

You clench your fist. This guy.. seriously?..

“You know what, yes, I do want it to be a date. And yes, I am free on Saturday.”

‘So it’s a date?’

“It’s a date.”

Sure you were never invited to have brunch with your coworkers, but at least you got a date with the cutest customer.

thank you for reading till the end! :D

masterlist

[hairstevington]

i can't tune you out (part 2)

Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley x Chrissy Cunningham

Summary: Eddie and Steve do not like each other, but the fans still want them together. Eddie explores other options, Steve explores the dark side, and Robin experiences gay panic.

(part 1, link to Ao3)

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Rockstar!Eddie/Musician!Steve, modern day au, enemies to lovers, they are VERY in their enemies era, they are both assholes, BUT IT'S BUCKINGHAM TIME, codependent Stobin as usual.

A/N: I am having SO MUCH FUN writing this, and I can't wait for you to see some of the future scenes I've planned :) This chapter is a bit of set-up, but I'll get the next one out soon I promise!

“Great job, Eddie!” Carla said on the phone. “People are really talking now. And did you see your follower count? It’s -”

“I don’t want anything to do with that guy,” Eddie interrupted. 

He’d made his decision. His life was comfortable, and he could find success some other way. Or, if he didn’t, he’d make peace with that, too. The idea of Eddie having to basically beg on his knees for attention from a total dickwad like Steve Harrington in hopes that it would boost his career filled him with a kind of rage and self-hatred that he thought he’d left back at Hawkins High. 

There was no way. No fucking way.

“Y-you -” Carla stuttered in surprise. “Why not? What happened?”

“He’s an asshole is what happened,” Eddie huffed. “Look, I appreciate what you did, and I gave it a shot, and I’m saying no. We’re dropping it.”

She didn’t press any further. She knew better than that. 

After the call ended, Eddie reflected on the previous night. Other than the Steve stuff, he actually really enjoyed himself. He thought about Chrissy, then got curious. He pulled out his phone to look her up, then realized that he didn’t know her last name.

Oh god. 

Chrissy knew Steve, which meant they probably followed each other. Eddie was at least glad people weren’t notified when he looked them up on Instagram. He started with the HARVEST account.

Yup. The page was all kinds of weird. 

HARVEST was following 0 people. Meanwhile, his follower count was in the millions. There were only a few posts, and none of them made a lot of sense. Maybe they were references to songs or something. Eddie wouldn’t know. 

Eddie clicked on the followers and his eyes widened. A LOT of verified people were following him, even some that Eddie himself followed and would kill to interact with. He went to the search bar and typed - crissy - seeing a long line of potential women that would take Eddie a bit to get through. He sighed, then clicked off HARVEST’s profile and instead searched the name he hated to his core - Steve Harrington.

Oh joy. Steve’s profile still had more followers than Eddie. It was far more manageable though, and at least the posts were normal. Steve at the beach with Robin. Steve playing piano at a show. Steve raising his glass at a bar. Robin in the HARVEST getup.

Jesus. They really were close. Why weren’t people shipping them instead? Was it too obvious or something? He read some comments to double check. A few people assumed they were together, but most knew that Robin was a lesbian. That tracked. 

He scrolled until the posts became less focused on Robin and more focused on another woman. And God, Steve was totally in love with her. The way he looked at her was far different than the way he looked at Robin. It was like this other woman - Nancy, it seemed like her name was - had been his entire world. 

Huh. Apparently, it was heartbreak season for Stevie-boy. 

Eddie scrolled back up to the top and clicked on the followers again, this time seeing the ratio between followers and following to be way more balanced. He typed in crissy again. One profile, not her. He tried chrissy next. 

Bingo!

She was the first result, and her bright blonde hair in the profile picture confirmed it. Chrissy Cunningham. Actress, model. 23 years old. 

Waaaaay too fucking famous and successful for Eddie to just reach out. The pictures on her profile were all from photoshoots and sponsorships. He followed her, obviously, immediately backpedaled to Steve’s profile, and then clicked on Robin’s out of curiosity. 

Aww, she was cute. Much more approachable. She had even posted a photo from the previous night of her with Steve. It was a good photo. From a distance, Steve seemed like a chill guy.

But, Eddie knew better than that.

He closed out Instagram and did his best to forget about the whole thing.

-

“Steve.”

It started as a whisper. 

“Steve.”

Still a whisper, now accompanied with a poke in the shoulder. 

“Steeeeeve.”

Okay, he was being shaken now. Steve stirred with a groan. 

“What.”

“I need you to wake up.”

“I’m awake,” Steve said. His eyes were still closed, and he had an urge to pull the covers over his head. “But I feel like shit.”

“Yeah, you feel like shit,” Robin replied. “I think you drank more of those cocktails than anyone else at the bar. Congratulations.”

Steve exhaled sharply from his nose. Almost a laugh, but not quite. 

“Why’re you waking me up, Robs?” He was too nauseous to turn around and face her, and he was also pretty sure her reason for waking him up was going to be something stupid. When he was less hungover, he humored her, but this particular morning he mostly just wanted to throw up. 

“Chrissy Cunningham liked my post.” 

Steve almost opened his eyes for that one. 

“Oh, shit.”

It was no secret that Robin had been in love with Chrissy from afar for a while now. When Steve and Chrissy first became acquaintances, Robin had begged him to introduce her. Unfortunately, Steve and Chrissy weren’t close enough to hang out, and were doomed to only run into each other at parties and events. Last night the girls met for the first time, technically, even though they’d said nothing other than introductions. 

“Oh my god,” Robin said. “She commented.”

Steve’s eyes snapped open. Now he was invested.

“What did she say??”

“She said - holy shit, she - oh my GOD Steve! What the fuck!”

This was big for Robin. Steve knew this was big. He risked the flip of his stomach to roll over and take her phone so he could look at the comment with his own eyes. 

chrissycunningham: yessss this jumpsuit! I love!!😍 

“Oh, wow,” Steve said, impressed. “Damn, Robs. Chrissy got one look at you and fell in love.”

“She loves the jumpsuit, Steve,” Robin insisted.

“Yeah, sure. The jumpsuit,” Steve dismissed with a smirk. 

“Don’t you dare do this to me,” Robin warned. “Do we even know if she likes girls? She literally ran off with Jason Carver last night.”

“So?” Steve mumbled. A notification popped up on Robin’s phone that made him chuckle. “All I’m saying is, you’re hot, she’s hot, and she just followed you, so I wouldn’t rule out her being interested.”

“Shut up,” Robin said. Steve grinned and handed the phone back to her. She looked at it, stunned. “Shut up. Shut up! What? No way. What? Holy shit!”

“Robin, please,” Steve whined. “My head. It hurts.”

“FUCK YOUR HEAD, CHRISSY CUNNINGHAM JUST FOLLOWED ME!”

It took a while for Robin to calm down. He told her to reply to the comment, then listened as she rattled off possible responses from the kitchen, where she was assembling something like breakfast for their hangovers. She returned with toast, water, and aspirin for the both of them. 

“Thanks,” Steve said as he grabbed one of the plates. She got back under the covers and joined him in eating, still contemplating the whole Chrissy situation. 

Steve and Robin didn’t share a bed all the time when she stayed over, but recently she chose it over the couch because she found out Steve had sex with Nancy on that couch, and it grossed her out. Steve tried to explain that he and Nancy had also had sex in the bed, but Robin said it was different because of the sheets. Fair enough. It was a King size bed (obviously, fit for the King himself), so there was plenty of room. 

Steve was still kind of pissed that Nancy had told her about the couch thing, though. He knew that girls talked, and Robin and Nancy had gotten pretty close over the years, but still. At least Steve won Robin in the breakup (not that there was ever any doubt in his mind). 

Robin responded with something simple. Chrissy liked the response. There was more squealing. 

God, help him. 

-

Here was the thing about Eddie Munson. He was always at a 10. 

Whether he was angry or annoyed or happy or enthusiastic or whatever, he felt it at max capacity. He didn’t really know how to let things go, either - try as he might. Actually, he didn’t try that hard. He still held a grudge with his fifth grade teacher because she refused to give him credit for a drawing he did of his family.

He drew a bunch of random shit. Dragons. Princesses. A talking dog. She told him he didn’t do the assignment, but what the hell was he supposed to draw? His dad behind bars? 

Anyway, he never forgave Miss Kendall for that. And he never would. 

Yeah, Eddie was dramatic. Obviously. But it’s what made him so captivating, and what had gotten him all the things he loved. He wasn’t evil, he was just passionate. When he loved something, he loved it with his entire soul.

Same for when he hated something. Couldn’t help it. Even if he wanted to let it go, he couldn’t. The rage fueled him. It fueled his work. His music. His career. His everything. Without anger, without that passion, without something to hate, he couldn’t do what he loved.

So, no. He couldn’t just stop thinking about stupid Steve Harrington. Even though the whole thing was stupid and Eddie didn’t need it. He didn’t. He didn’t, okay?!

Fuck. 

-

Unlike Steve, Robin, and Eddie, Chrissy Cunningham had stayed out all night. She danced with Jason for a while, made her rounds at the bar, then at 2am when last call hit, Jason approached her again. She enjoyed his company enough to leave with him, but not enough to accept his invitation to stay overnight. 

Well, technically they did spend the night together, considering they roamed the city for a while and then got to his apartment at 4am. Then, the sun was rising, and he was telling her to stay, and she said she lied and said she had a photoshoot to get to. 

This happened kind of often with men. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t like these guys, she just had no interest in dating them. She’d always been that way. She’d dated a few guys before, but something about it just felt off. Like, she even believed she loved one of them, but she couldn’t imagine a future with him. So, she figured maybe she just wasn’t meant for relationships, and she’d accepted that. She didn’t mind, actually, because her favorite part of all of it was the beginning. 

The attraction. The chase. The build-up. The desire and eventual release. Everything that came after that she was just not into as much. 

She got home, took a shower, crawled into her own bed, and scrolled Instagram. Sometimes, it was hard for her to see all the pictures of her fellow models, because she couldn’t help but compare her own body to theirs. She almost closed the app, but then for whatever reason she started thinking about Eddie, and she wondered if her matchmaking helped the guy out in any way. 

But, she just knew the first name. Eddie. And he was a musician, apparently. Not much to go off on, there. 

Out of curiosity, she went to Steve’s profile, then searched his photos and his tagged photos in case there were any of him and Eddie. 

Nope. But there WAS one of Steve and Robin. Aww. 

She would have been at a dead end, but then she got a notification that Eddie followed her, soooo....that made things a whole lot easier.

Now, she knew Eddie's last name - Munson, of Corroded Coffin fame. Once she figured that out, she realized she had read something on Twitter about him and Steve being together. Hmm.

She wasn’t sure why any of this was appealing to her, she just needed something to occupy her mind until she fell asleep.

Her eyes were heavy and she was nearly delirious from staying up all night. That's probably why she did one final thing before passing out.

-

Chrissy sent you a message: soooo what’s going on with you and Steve?? 👀

Uhhh. What the fuck?

Never in a million years did Eddie think Chrissy would give him the time of day ever again. Their interaction the night before had been circumstantial, and he figured she’d forget about him the moment she was whisked away by the hot blonde. 

He stared at the message for quite some time, unsure how to respond. “Absolutely nothing” was the first potential response that came to mind. It was the honest truth, but a boring one. Eddie hated Steve, but he liked Chrissy, and maybe befriending her could boost his career in the same way befriending Steve would. It was worth a shot, right?

Okay, so now he had to be strategic. He thought about it for most of the day before getting back to her.

Eddie: Kind of a long story. Next party I’ll tell you all about it 🙂

Now, Eddie just hoped Chrissy would take the bait. He waited another hour or so, then checked his phone immediately when she responded.

Chrissy: Why wait? I’m nosy and I could use a drink.

Oh HELL yeah. Things were about to get very, very interesting. 

He agreed to the time and place, then got ready and brainstormed what he would tell Chrissy, if anything. If she wanted gossip, he sure had it, but he wasn’t certain he should be sharing everything. He was going to hold his cards to his chest and keep things vague, for now. 

In 24 hours, he’d gone from low-level fame to mid-level fame and was grabbing a drink with a high-level fame model. 

Take that, Harrington. 

-

“What the hell?” Steve shouted to Robin once he saw the Instagram story. “She’s out with Eddie tonight. Like, at a bar.”

“Chrissy?” Robin asked with wide eyes. 

She hadn’t left Steve’s apartment yet. They’d taken the entire day off to groan about their hangovers and micro-analyze every interaction Robin and Chrissy had thus far. 

“No, the other chick we’ve been talking about all day,” Steve replied. 

“Okay, what did we say about referring to women as ‘chicks,’ Steve?” Robin reminded him, pulling out her phone.

She jumped to Instagram to see what Steve was referring to. In the boomerang, Chrissy was clinking glasses with a man whose face was cut off. Even though it was obviously Eddie, Chrissy tagged him - as if the long brown hair and ringed hands could belong to anyone else. 

“Do you think that they’re, like -?” Steve asked. “You know?”

“What? No!” Robin shouted back instantly. “I mean - no! Like, because she - I mean, I’m pretty sure Eddie’s gay, right?”

“Is he?” Steve asked, nonplussed. There had been a rumor back in high school, but Steve never cared too much about people’s sexualities. 

“Steve, come on. This is juicy information,” Robin insisted. 

“I dunno if it is,” he replied with a shrug. 

“You seriously don’t care at all?” Robin wondered, dubiously. 

“What are you implying? After last night, I mean -”

“Yeah, but I know you,” Robin dismissed. “You’re the one who pointed Chrissy’s story out in the first place.”

“Because you’re into her, Robin!” Steve shouted. “It has nothing to do with Eddie. Nothing, I swear. It’s just -” He sighed, heavy, pondering whether or not he should just come out and say it. It was only Robin, after all. “Fine, okay. It’s a Nancy thing.”

“Ah,” Robin said with a nod. “I had a feeling.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Yes I did!” she insisted. “Anyway, you’re upset about Nancy moving on. That’s totally normal.”

“Yeah, and I -” God, why is this so hard? “I just want - I want to -”

“You want her to feel the way you’re feeling, so you’re thinking about capitalizing on the Eddie thing even though you don’t like him because then at least you can pretend you’re in a perfect relationship that other people love and you can drive your ex crazy.”

Oh. Oh, wow. Yeah, he should just tell Robin things more often.

“Am I…am I a bad person?” Steve asked. After hearing it out loud, it kind of sounded really horrible.

“No,” Robin answered. “I mean, it’s not great, but I think a lot of people have those thoughts.”

“But do they act on them?” Steve wondered. 

“Um.” Robin cocked her head in confusion. “You’re actually thinking about doing this, Harrington?” He shrugged. 

“I don’t know, maybe,” he answered truthfully. “It’s not just Nancy. My album - I mean, for whatever reason, people are going crazy over Eddie and I, and I really want this album to succeed, Robs.”

“I get that,” Robin said empathetically. “Especially about your career. I know how much this album means to you.”

“But?”

“But,” she continued. “Look, I’m team Steve forever and always, but Nance was my friend too at one point. And I just - I mean, she’s allowed to date Jonathan and be happy, just like you.” 

Ah, there it was. That was the difference. Nancy was happy. 

Steve knew Robin had a point. He didn’t want to be the jealous ex boyfriend. He didn’t want to feel anything for Nancy at all, but he did. Maybe he needed to just start dating someone else again. The problem was, he didn’t have a lot of time to build actual relationships. He was always super busy, and it tended not to mesh well with anything other than hook-ups. Steve was kind of done with the whole hook-up thing. 

If Eddie and Steve had gotten along at all, this would have been a no brainer. Why not fake date the hot musician, right? But they didn’t get along, so now Steve had to like…think. And he had to consider other people’s feelings. And he had to pay attention to things people said about him online. He had to be a good person. He had to do the right thing.

Or….

“Robin, how down would you be to do something a little crazy?” he asked. 

“What are you thinking?”

“The bar they’re at is down the road. Wanna go?”

Look, nobody’s perfect.

(part 3)

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

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[i-luvsang]

［ ☆ fakedating + meetcute!au — kim hongjoong

1K MILESTONE EVENT ☆ OPEN

¿ ｡′ for @matzstars , sorry omg my writing here kinda sUCKS LOL but i hope it's still enjoyable!! also mostly not proofread sOrry , gn!reader , fluff , cw: none , wc: 1.9K ！！

✧ it’s one of your close friends weddings, it’s actually kinda crazy because they’re your first friend to get married

✧ it’s a great reception though, the vibes are chill and their husband yunho’s side of the family/friends are very very nice and cool to be around

✧ so you’re just vibing on the dance floor having a good time

✧ you just might be a little tipsy, like nearly everyone around you, so it make sense that you might not be as balanced as you normally would

✧ and you, blissfully unaware of your immediate surroundings, find yourself squished up against someone whose face you remember seeing several times throughout the night, but who’s name you can’t quite remember

✧ there’s a slight grimace of pain on his face while his hands support your elbows to keep you from toppling over

✧ “oh! i’m so sorry!” you apologize, assuming you were the one that crashed into him “are you okay?”

✧ “it’s alright! i’m okay! you’re kinda still stepping on my food, though” he laughs good naturedly, clearly not upset or anything of the likes

✧ this time you pull yourself away from him immediately, letting a million apologies tumble out of your mouth as you do so

✧ “no no it’s alright!” he insists, telling you he didn’t want to pull his foot away for fear it’d make you trip again

✧ you grin at these words, taking in just how handsome he is

✧ “i apologize again though, i can’t seem to remember your name,” you tell him. “you’re one of yunho’s close friends right?”

✧ “yeah, i am! and don’t worry about that, i think we’ve all heard too many names to remember them all. i’m kim hongjoong. you’re y/n, if i recall correctly? afraid i can’t remember your last name though”

✧ “yep! that’s me. it’s l/n, if you happen to be curious. it’s nice to meet you, hongjoong!”

✧ “you as well!”

✧ at this point you’ve both drifted closer to the edge of the dance floor as to not disturb the others using the space for its actual purpose

✧ “would you like to sit down?” you ask, silently praying he’ll take you up on the offer

✧ “oh, yeah sure! sounds good to me, it was my friends who dragged me out to the dance floor anyways”

✧ so of course the two of you find a place to sit and begin to just casually talk about yourselves to get to know the other better, because for some reason or another, it’s easy and comfortable to talk with each other

✧ and whether it be out of interest or the other or just because the setting of a wedding made the subject arise easily, your conversation drifts to romance in your own lives

✧ quickly, you both come to know that neither one of you is taken or even interested in someone else

✧ but you do mention to him your arguably poor fate in being forced on blind dates as often as your friend can make it happen

✧ you’re aware not everyone gets the chance to meet so many people, but you admit to him that blind dating just isn’t your scene, because you much more prefer to know someone well before going on dates

✧ the conversation continues to flow naturally, when he tells you he know’s just what you mean

✧ the same friend you insisted he have fun on the dance floor, wooyoung, has reportedly been trying to get hongjoong to attend a blind date, even after the last one was a bit of a disaster

✧ the both of you chuckle at your shared misfortunes, but let the topic flow elsewhere until you’re interrupted by you’re well-meaning, but often overbearing friend

✧ “y/n!” they chirp as they stoll up to you

✧ you wave at them cheerfully, assuming they sought you out just to say hi

✧ but that hope is dashed when you hear the tone of voice they uses as they tells you their sorry for interrupting but they just had to let you know before they forgot again

✧ “there’s this guy i want you to meet. he’s a busy guy so i’m not sure when he’ll be able to meet, but i’m pretty sure he makes a lot of money but i knew him in college he’s really nice. brunch would be fine right? he likes breakfast foods”

✧ “babe, i love you, but no! i told you i’m really done with this blind date thing. i know you mean well, but please?”

✧ they pout a bit, relenting just a bit “okay okay, just think about this one, yeah? i’ll send you a picture and let you know when he’s available”

✧ “go ahead, but i mean it i’m not going!” you insist

✧ “alright, alright. i hope you’re having fun tonight! i’ll text you later. and not just about the guy, i promise” they bid you goodbye with a polite acknowledgement towards hongjoong before disappearing back into the crowds of people

✧ hongjoong speaks up just seconds later “listen, i don’t want to overstep my bounds, but, if you’re willing to hear it i’ve got an idea that might help us both”

✧ you raise an eyebrow in curiosity, urging him to tell you this idea

✧ he suddenly looks shy and a little hesitant, but he goes on anyways

✧ “i know you said you like to know people well before dating them, and i 100% agree so i’m absolutely not suggesting we actually date, but if you wanted… we could pretend to be dating to get our friends off of our backs, maybe? or even to just say we’re interested in the other if that’s too much. i’m not normally the type of person to suggest that kind of thing, but i just thought, i don’t know, maybe it would actually work and–”

✧ at this point he’s rambling, a bit nervous to hear your response maybe, so you decide to cut him off to settle his nerves as best as you can

✧ “hongjoong that’s actually a really good idea. i wouldn’t normally say yes, you know, but i think we could pull it off.”

✧ he grins and tells you that he’s glad you like the idea

✧ “but just so you know, you can back out of it whenever you want. and let’s revisit this decision tomorrow. i want to be sure we both think it makes sense when we’re not tipsy.”

✧ you smile back and tell him that’s very considerate and smart of him. “that sounds perfect. if we still feel like it, we can start to figure out the details sometime this week maybe?”

✧ he nods, glad to know you can both easily agree on the most responsible course of action

✧ you spend practically the rest of the night chatting with each other, happily exchanging contact info and parting ways with the promise of texting to next day

✧ it’s even easier than you would have expected for the two of you to hash out the “rules” of your fake relationship, just because the two of you find each other to be increasingly like minded the more you talk

✧ the story is easy too; you met at the wedding and instantly felt attracted to the other and now you’re in the talking stage

✧ honestly, from the very get-go it’s just a bit hard for you to figure out just how fake this all is, because it’s certainly not a lie to say you felt attracted to him when you met

✧ but either way, you were grateful for the guise of it being fake, because you weren’t quite ready for commitment just as you had mentioned to him when you first met

✧ plus, the excuse comes in handy quite quickly, when, as promised, your friend texts you about that guy they mentioned just a little over a week later

✧ and before you know it, just about every single one of your friends is aware of your “relationship” with hongjoong, and with your newly married friend being one of those people, hongjoong’s friends hear the news too in no time

✧ it becomes only a matter of time before you’re asked to appear in public together, when wooyoung quite literally insists that hongjoong take you with him to a night out

✧ hongjoong tells you that you don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but you insist that it is what the agreement is for anyways

✧ and besides, who are you to turn down time with him

✧ it turns out that you’re not so confident the night of; suddenly the thought of lying in front of all of his friends is making you nervous

✧ or maybe it’s just the fact that you’re meeting all of his friends like this is what’s making you nervous–for some reason you want them to like you

✧ when you comes to pick you up, you’re officially just a ball of jittering nerves, and he’s quick to notice

✧ he sends you a comforting smile as he opens the car door for you, and the second you’re both settled, he reminds you that you still don’t have to go

✧ but you insist it’s alright, so he starts the car and turns on the radio so you’ll have something to listen to

✧ once you get close to the restaurant, he gives you gentle reassurance, telling you that, regardless of this being a fake relationship, his friends will love you

✧ you’d be lying if you said his words didn’t help, but what helps far more when you step out of the car is the way he grabs your hand after asking quietly for permission to do so

✧ he leads you inside, and then spends all night making sure you’re as comfortable as possible

✧ and by the end of the night, both of you would be lying to say that the subtle touches and sweet words that you shared with each other didn’t feel far more natural than the definition of “fake” that you had agreed to label your relationship as

✧ yet, you let that label drag out; every outing is full of your casual flirting and comfortable hand holding, but you both refrain from anything of the likes the second you’re alone

✧ and quite frankly, you’re beginning to get tired of it, because god, you are just itching to kiss his handsome face

✧ so one night after another hang out with your friends, you ask him to accompany you to your door

✧ he happily obliges, walking with you until you halt before going inside

✧ “joong..” you only call him that when you’re around others

✧ “i– yeah? is there something i can do for you? is this not working for you anymore? just let me know, you know i just want you to feel comfortable, so we can call this off whenever you need.”

✧ you have to hold back a small giggle at his hastiness to make sure you’re alright. “no, no it’s not like that. at least not the way that you think,” you begin

✧ “i’m– i’d like to kiss you, if that’s alright. because i’d rather we call this off as fake, and relable it as real.”

✧ he can barely hold back his grin, and he most definitely can’t hold back his blush as he tells you that he’s beyond glad you said so

✧ “i’d like to kiss you too. you know, if that’s alright with you?”

✧ this time you do let out a small laugh. “of course that’s alright.”

[hurlumerlu]

I find it quite simple

a little Not Me fic about Gumpa and Black (sort of) bonding over being older siblings :

It was an evening like many others. Yok and Gram had already left, Sean with one of them, or both of them, or off to one of Namo’s haunts, leaving Gumpa to clean the table like a dissatisfied housewife. Except this time, Black was still here.

"These fuckers, I swear," he said, contemplating the wasteland of dirty plates and empty bottles, unlit cigarette already firmly in mouth. "This is how you can tell they’re all only children."

Gumpa almost pointed out that Black generally didn’t stick around to help either, but decided against it : the kid talking about anything else than their next move was a rare enough occurrence. Better not nip it in the bud.

"I don’t know about that," he mused instead. "My younger brother has three siblings and I don’t think he’s picked up after himself even once in his life."

"That’s what elder siblings are for."

"Ha ! Good thing my sisters didn’t see it that way. I would have gone mad, always taking care of a four-people mess all by myself."

"Aren’t you taking care of a five-people mess right now ?"

"You’re helping me, aren’t you ?"

Black snorted. They’d brought the dishes to the courtyard and set out to clean them. "So, you’re the eldest of four ?"

"Two sisters, one brother. You ?"

"Eldest too, by an hour. He took his sweet time."

"A twin ?"

"You think ?"

"Okay, smartass." He flicked water at him. Black rolled his eyes, but said nothing. The heat of the day had lessened, and the night air was companionably warm – the silence too.

It remained that way until they were back inside, cigarette smoked, dishes stored, table wiped, and Gumpa took two beers from the fridge.

"About what we do," asked Black. "Do your siblings know ?"

Gumpa opened his bottle and swallowed a mouthfull. It gave him some time. "No. No one does. A few years ago, my sister – the oldest – was arrested for helping women get illegal abortions." He tensed despite himself, bracing for the usual comments and questions, but Black didn’t talk. He just kept looking at him with the aggressive focus typically reserved for their plans. "As you can guess, this was a pretty hard time for the family. Harder for her, of course, she’s not done building herself back up, but – if I can save my parents some worries over another child… I have to try, at least."

"But you didn’t tel your sister either. The oldest, I mean."

"Nah." He couldn’t help but smile.  "She’d try to help."

To his surprise, Black was smiling too, and raised his beer in an I’ll-drink-to-that gesture. It seemed as good a time as any to pry.

"And your brother, does he know ?"

The smile vanished like it’d never been there.

"We were separated," Black said, after a long enough moment that Gumpa had wondered if the conversation was over. "When our parents divorced.  Father took one, Mom the other. I tried to write, but I assume they intercepted my letters – don’t ask me why, I won’t answer. And don’t tell me that’s fucked up because I already know."

What was there to reply to that ? Gumpa took another beer and held it out. Black nodded curtly.

"I don’t want him anywhere near all that anyway. He’s not like me, he’s..." He gave a vague handwave, leaving it for Gumpa to figure out. Softer. Fragile. Better, maybe, as in worth more. "It’s ugly here, and it’s only gonna get worse."

There they were.

"Things getting worse, is that why you didn’t leave tonight ?"

"Nothing gets past you."

"Come on, Black."

"My roommate, my – the guy I’m crashing at, I told you about him."

"Todd."

"Hmm. He’s more crooked than I believed, I think. Or exactly as much, but I’m only facing it now."

"Black..."

"I don’t need comfort. I don’t need your input at all. I’ll deal with him if I have to, and that’s the end of it. Understood ?"

"Normally I’d tell you off for bossing me around under my roof, but you get a pass this time. Understood, I won’t meddle."

"Thanks."

"Don’t make me regret it."

"Oh, piss off."

The impulse came, unexpected : to ruffle the younger man’s hair, give him an embarassing hug. He didn’t indulge. They weren’t brothers.

"Gumpa ?"

"Yes ?"

"Can I stay here tonight ? I’ll sleep on the couch, and I’ll be gone first thing in the morning."

You can stay as long as you need, he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure it would be well received.

"Sean might not even come back tonight. You could sleep in his bed."

"I’d rather gouge my eyes out," replied Black quite genially, and they went back to their drink.

"I met your brother the other day."

Black, of course, doesn’t answer.

"Kid just showed up at your uni, all dressed like you and ready to poke his nose into everything. He’s in over his head, and scared shitless, but he holds on for your sake. You should be proud."

Gumpa sighs. He can’t stay long – it was a bad idea, coming here, but he had to.

"I don’t know who told him about you. And I don’t know how to convince him to trust us. But I’ll look after him, you have my word. I’m trying to make him stay at the garage. Let’s hope he’s less of a loner than you."

He rises. There is nothing more to say, nothing more to do. No point in ruminating his failures. He still looks back before he lets the curtain drop.

"If he does take me up on the offer," he says. "I’ll make him room with Sean. With any luck, that’ll piss you off enough fo you to wake up."

[us-the-voices-and-more-voices-2]

i think you’d find life to be much more enjoyable if you stopped consuming content that makes you write rants that have several paragraphs. maybe you should stop being on the internet actually and find some hobbies that bring you joy…..hope you have a nice life

I still don’t know why people think I don’t have irl friends, or something. that I go out and do stuff with. (Dude I’m actually super happy and have a strong support system of people I love. And I go out and do stuff more than twice a week lol. You guys assume I’m some basement dwelling freak who’s- I don’t even know.- I’m just a completely normal ass guy)

Like, yeah I spend like 4-5hrs online these days but like again it’s a much healthier balance than it used to be.

I’m 100% sure this is about the Hasanabi post, which honestly I was being quite kind with my remarks.

like I wrote 11,000 words worth of stories in just this month alone, a couple paragraphs on tumblr is not even half the in-depth critiques I have.

I just didn’t wanna spend time pulling up all the clips, and hateful vitriol that man spews.

yeah I say it. he’s not very cool headed or a civil man, he yells and screams at polite questions and well meaning people.

I may be snarky and mean spirited but the violent vitriol that man has spewed to people is just not okay and is against everything I stand for in this life.

I’m not “nice” but being kind to others is what matters to me, and if someone is pushing hateful rhetoric or just being an asshole I don’t think it’s wrong to call it out. Honestly I’d @ him on YouTube and ask many questions, which he’d probably yell at me for and call me horrible things and say I should die.

because that’s just how some people are, they’d rather people be hurt and dying than reform or be helped.

again, a kindness is not a niceness.

Many people before me have been nice and also extremely civil when asking well meaning questions and he blew up and said horrible horrible things about them.

and also I do think Hasan is the worst introduction to leftist ideals and theory.

like, fucking anyone else. Like I can pull up some amazing people who encapsulate everything that I want to see in the future, and so much more.

(Crippled-peeper on tumblr, spot-the-antisemitism on tumblr, aloeverawrites on tumblr, valcaira on tumblr, god so many more.)

but again I do not think it is mean nor unkind to have pointed this out to people.

Hasanabi has cultivated a community of ravenous people who at the smell of blood will swarm.

he is not a kind man, he’s actually an asshole, and people who keep saying otherwise have not been DEATH THREATENED by these types of people and fans and these types of leftists.

again this comes from experience and me learning the hard, hard way that people would rather defend someone who’d like to see people like me dead. Then help people towards a better future.

genuinely, again this is a long post wow look.

I’ve been so grossed out by the way Hasanabi talks to people and about people for YEARS now, it’s nice to see I’m not alone about it.

again, he’s not a good guy. He’s an asshole who platforms the wrong types of people and hurts the ones he says he wants to protect.

he uses his fans, the people he says he wants to protect and help, and the people around him. And for what? Vanity?

I’m no idiot, I’m not stupid.

I can read people and despite being autistic as fuck, I’m not fucking stupid.

it’s there in neon signage, and it’s so utterly performative.

again, why are you calling out me?

Who literally just said “he’s an asshole and has literally platformed terrorists”

which is the truth???

why is that so mean or unjust a thing to call out?

you’d do it too i hope.

but just, why do people come out of the woodwork to say “oh this guy who in 4K LITERALLY tells people to kill themselves, and voiced his support for TERRORISTS. Is just a little baby, he’s my blorbo, he’s not an asshole for that. you’re being mean and awful”

like, no. I’m not?

my god, how thin are people’s skin. If I have had to suffer through 100+ people over my lifetime telling me to off myself.

I should get a say in how that is an inhumane and cruel thing to do to people.

like, he’s a dick. He’s not kind, he’s an asshole and I do genuinely hope his twitch and YouTube get banned rightfully for spreading terrorism.

I regret nothing in this life, the people who I’ve helped and the people who I love and value deeply have given me more than enough to keep going.

and I will continue to fight with them and for them.

and yeah Hasanabi is the antithesis of my values, and he should get more shit and more flack for being genuinely just awful.

and I’m not afraid to say it, because I’m a tough motherfucker who’s been through hell already and there’s nothing left of me to feel fear anymore for bully’s and assholes.

they are all bark no bite, they are just sucky.

and honestly I love people and I don’t think Hasan is whatever.

he’s just a big ass asshole who needs to change his tune.

Actually show us he means to help and care for people, I hope he turns a new leaf and realises he’s been awful.

[lavenoon]

In the comic of Robin meeting Eclipse, their daydream had a Sun & Moon ring. Is that also the ring they would get when they eventually actually get married/engaged?

and if so- Who proposed? I can only assume Sun because he's a peacock, but it would be immensely cute if it was Moon. OR EVEN BETTER IF BOTH OF THEM PROPOSED SEPARATELY DJKFAHAJ

Hi, I'm normal about them <3 -G

So the short answer is "All of them but also no one but also all of them again"

The long answer is… 

Sun and Moon want to, very very much. But they simply can’t settle on how to ask Y/N! They have a ring (not exactly what Robin envisioned, maybe, simply because that one was a fantasy, but a celestial engagement ring combining both a Sun and a Moon just seemed… like the best choice. The most obvious, too) and they know they both want to be there, but… How? Their eclipse mode is out of question - as much as they love their little brother, no one knows if another split wouldn’t fry something irreparably, and they can’t risk that. They were already an experiment, combining two AIs in one body, and Eclipse ended up being even more of one - they can’t do that anymore.

So they bicker back and forth about who'll get to actually pop the question, not settling on any clear plan - but we know how well their plans to tell Y/N something important usually goes. 

One day, just around the switch, with both of them still active, Y/N pops into their room after a little knock, looking just like they usually do (which is to say, to the idiots in love, stunning, breathtaking, gorgeous - oh wait, they’re talking)

“What?” 

“I said, legally, do you guys count as one person or two?” 

Tricky question - one they haven’t thought about themselves, either. They feel like individuals, but they also can’t imagine being without the other, and there aren’t many other animatronics like them. They aren’t even sure if the law knows whether they count as one or two.

“... Why?” 

“Well, I was just thinking, if we wanted to marry, how that’d work?” 

Bluescreening just barely avoided, but they need a moment. With audible strain to their voice they ask again - 

“What?” 

That’s when Y/N gets flustered, too. Looks away, raises their shoulders a bit, hides their face. Quieter and quieter, they elaborate.

“I mean, just. Hypothetically. Some day. If you guys want to.” 

And, even quieter, barely audible: 

“I’d want to.” 

The boys rush forward then, taking their hands in their own, gently tilting their head back up so they look at them again. 

“Did you just propose to us?” 

More fluster - because, well, this! Was supposed to be a hypothetical conversation! Nothing set in stone, but if they’re asking… 

“I mean, I guess? I kinda just wanted to know if we could, legally, before I actually propose!” 

Boys start wheezing, gently lowering themselves towards the ground, still holding on to Y/N. Just more and more hysterical giggles as Y/N looks on like “whelp. accidentally proposed to my boyfriends and officially broke them bc I forgot how to be subtle around them”

They decide to snap them out of it with a tried and true method. 

“Please don’t die because I proposed. Eclipse would never let me live it down.” 

It… works, and it doesn’t. The boys first wheeze even more, but then look up at them with just the giddiest smile on their face. 

“Love, we’ll gladly take that bullet for you - Eclipse will never let us live down that we hesitated so long you ended up being faster than us.” 

Now it’s on Y/N to blink and process. Boys get up, leaving them for a moment to grab the ring box. Dark blue, but with crimson red velvet inside. And of course the ring - which you’re not getting a picture of because I’ve been looking for like 20 minutes without finding something that sparks pure joy and I simply want to write instead. It’d be a combination of the sun and moon somehow - maybe even one of those double rings usually meant for couples, one sun one moon, both to be worn by Y/N. Go ham! It’s both of their symbols, because they love the thought of that kind of irrefutable claim, but apart from that, I simply cannot settle. 

Whichever boy is currently backseat driving does accept this outcome - it wasn’t planned, and he’ll get his own conversation about this later, but for now he stays awake and watches (with commentary in their head)

The other goes down on one knee, all traditional (but still seems ridiculously tall), and then officially asks the question. 

“Will you marry us?” 

Not traditional, now Y/N breaks out in giggles - not as hysterically, but still very very giddy. But when they grin at their boys their eyes shine with unshed tears, and the happiness is just radiating off of them. They reach past the ring to cup their boyfriends’ face 

“Yes, you goobers. I’d do it right now, and without hesitation. I decided that I want you in my life ages ago, and I’ve already kissed you for it. I’ll declare it to the world and kiss you again, and again, and again. As often and for as long as you’ll have me.” 

Here I think the boys would react a li’l differently. 

Moon would grin, playfulness through the roof. “Can I get that in writing? Wait - wait, we know. Write it in your vows!” as Y/N laughs at this new level of antics. They can already see it coming, how much he’ll enjoy it, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. They let go only to slip on their new ring, and then he cups their face instead to pull them in for a kiss <3 

(He’d also be the one who’d love to make fiancé/ future husband his brand. “Jilted husband” jokes in the same style as the Miette post, he’d pretend he’s withering and dying because they haven’t kissed him in almost an hour, and really, how’s he supposed to do his job under these conditions? But also demands soo many cuddles because “fiancé privileges”) 

Sun would regard them with such warmth in his expression he’s giving his namesake a run for its money. “We could start with forever, then.” He’d slip the ring on himself, babbling a bit about how if they didn’t like this one, they could always get a different one, and this one could be a placeholder, how they didn’t mean to presume- Y/N interrupts him with a kiss, not in the traditional sense, but because he’s easily distracted by physical affection. “It’s perfect,” they say, and then he just has to kiss them again. 

(He’d be the one who’d love to stage a public proposal with Y/N’s permission, bonus points if they permit multiple proposals at different locations simply for the fun of it and also maybe to get some sort of reaction out of people; prompt discounts, elicit excited gasps, maybe even just make things really uncomfortable for someone who flirted with either of them a little too much. Also bonus points if it’s a meant to be extremely flashy diversion at a mission, dramatic bastard /aff)

(They also all have a very mature conversation about their timeline, their general hard boundaries for married life, the fact that they'd need to figure out the law exactly, how it'll affect work, what they'll do about work, stuff like that. And then kiss each other silly again <3)

[four-loose-screws]

Hello there, so I saw your Louis and Hector post and it really got me thinking if Louis is really that different between Japanese and English. From everything I’ve been able to gather, whether it be support/bond conversations or his Ally Notebook, it seems to suggest that he’s still in general a people watcher just with a general preference towards women. The way I see it, the only really major difference between the two versions is that his preference is more clear in Japanese while in English it’s more subtle, but still present through a couple of his supports (particularly his C support with Chloé and B with Ivy), as well his personal skill. But even with that preference, he still very much has interest in watching men as well, what with his supports with Clanne and Zelkov, and of course his bond with Hector. There seems to be a consensus that Louis was meant to be a reverse Nina from Fates, and while there’s some sort of truth to that, i don’t think it’s an entirely accurate description. I say that because if Louis really was meant to be a reverse of Nina, then things like the aforementioned examples would come across as really odd and seemingly random. Plus I went through a admittedly rough translation of his Ally Notebook pages where it states that he always keeps an eye on his friends and enjoys seeing them get along, not necessarily specifying a particular gender. With this in mind, I take it that Louis’ particular preference was toned down or made more subtle in English as they didn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea about him, as his pretty strange hobby aside, he’s a very caring and thoughtful guy who just loves helping out his friends and wants nothing more than ensuring that they’re in good states of mind, which is a heavily recurring theme in his support conversations. But that’s just how I see Louis, I’m interested if you share any similar thoughts on this matter.

Once again thank you for all your hard work you do for this community, it’s all very much appreciated.

For me, Louis is in that category of Fire Emblem character that has existed mostly post-Awakening, where the writers wanted both a “joke character” and a “nuanced character” all rolled up in one package, and the two sides don’t always mesh so well, for better and for worse. In general, I’ve come to be neutral on it, because it’s simply one of Fire Emblem’s tropes at this point. He’s both “Ha ha creepy dude stares at women” and “sweet man who picks up on everything about everyone, men and women, because he’s wholesome and just wants his allies to be happy” all at once. I can both love him as a sweet caring friend to his allies, and think “wow, creeper” all at once. It’s Fire Emblem doing a Fire Emblem. The writers just write like that. I can wish FE’s sense of humor didn’t have to be like this, but I also know what to expect at this point.

So fun story, the first Louis support I happened to unlock was his one with Alear, and it took me nearly the entire C conversation to get why Alear was weirded out. And I was reading the Japanese version of the convo!

I assumed Louis was like this, vibing in social situations, until finally at the end of the C convo I said to myself, "Oh, that's what the game is getting at! He's kind of a creeper!" ...And that's my humorous story, that I didn't even get the joke that probably should have been obvious.

Like... people watching is super normal to a certain degree. Multiple people have explained to me that they like to sit in a crowd and not listen in on conversations or anything... especially when I was in college! The main dining hall was built into a slope, so there were three 'tiers' of seating, each one elevated slightly lower than the last. It was a common hobby to sit at the edge of the top tier, and just hang out and look at everyone in the 2 lower tiers for a while. They weren't snooping, eavesdropping, or staring on purpose... just enjoying the vibe. Because humans are social creatures and often just like the vibe of being in a social situation, without having to be social themselves at the moment.

I'm honestly a little surprised Treehouse didn't do more to tone down the “staring at women” side of Louis’ people-watching. Anon, you mentioned the Louis/Chloé supports, and they are worth bringing up again, because the localization really did nothing to change the weirdness of them, in my opinion.

 Let's look at a direct snippet from Louis/Chloé C:

Japanese w/ my quick translation:

[クロエ]そうして堂々と言われると、 まっとうな趣味のように勘違いしてしまいそうよ。▼ Chloé: When you describe it so magnificently like that, you almost make me mistake it for a respectable hobby. [ルイ]仲良く話す女性たちを眺めるのが好き。 それが趣味なのはおかしなことでしょうか。▼ 触れたいわけでもなければ、 会話に加わりたいわけでもないのに。▼ Louis: I like gazing upon women chatting amicably. Is that really such a strange hobby to have? Considering I do not want to bother them, nor join in the conversation? [クロエ]本当に見ているだけがいいのね。▼ Chloé: And you are truly happy just watching them? [ルイ]美しい風景を楽しむのと同じですよ。 心を穏やかにし、静かに眺めるんです。▼ 無害で健全な趣味だと思っていますし、 クロエさんなら理解してくれるはずでは？▼ Louis: It is the same as enjoying beautiful scenery. It calms my heart, and I watch quietly. I think both are a harmless, healthy hobby. You of all people should understand.

Localized English:

Chloé: The way you talk, it sounds like you were taking in fine art at a gallery. Louis: To me, there is no greater art. The finest galleries fall far short by comparison. There are so many subtleties and nuances to be seen that I could do so all day. Chloé: That's really the whole reason you do it? Louis: It's no different than appreciating a beautiful landscape. I sit quietly and let it soothe me. I see no harm in people-watching, and I'm sure you of all people must agree.

Of course everyone will have their own reaction, but calling it a work of art to stare at the subtleties and nuances of women who might not know he's there... feels even more weird to me than the Japanese, where he directly says he likes watching women talk. The exact words of the conversation are different, sure, but I get the same feeling. 

As I’ve said before, I feel like certain groups of conversations get assigned to different staff, and the two (or more) translators/localizers don’t always meet up to make sure they are on the same page with the same character. Some chunks of the localized text feel like the localizers tried to make Louis’ people-watching more gender-neutral, and others feel like it's still very much a thing he mostly does to women. Just an observation, nothing to quote me on.

And so, I think that’s all I have to say on Louis for the moment! Thanks for the question anon, he is a character that makes for interesting discussion.

[didfusion]

Something to explain about us is that we have multiple alts that can fuse together and aren’t always active, we are currently writing an introduction to everyone written by themselves but it will probably be updated a bit. (Note we suck at names)

Steven - Everyone merged - he/him

Hi there, I’m Steven, and yes I know that the show Steven Universe has fusion and junk, I’m not that creative with names.

Despite this I like writing, I like coming up with scenarios that characters normally wouldn’t be put in and asking “what if this happened?” Me and technically Steve actually work on writing stuff, I say technically since we fuse to do it

I absolutely HATE how nobody is giving cartoons proper attention because “it’s a cartoon so therefore it must be for kids” it drives me crazy, I will rant for literally hours explaining how annoying it is, and if you think that’s long wait until I get the the Velma show!I guess that makes sense for a ambavert ADHD autism filled guy though so??????

It’s weird being able to exist one second then the next, not? It’s hard to describe, while fused there’s a sense of wholeness but loneliness and while unfused it’s the opposite. Though I guess I get the best of both worlds though.

Steve - Front - he/him

Hey there, I’m Steve. I’m not exactly “Steven but less” but I’m more like “Core aspects extracted” if that makes sense. (It probably doesn’t -Sans)

I am a writer and I love to hyper focus on dissecting characters to explained how they work, that’s actually one of the differences between me and Steven.

I am more introverted so I can do what I want without anyone bothering me. Fun memory, I remember walking around my city when I’d fall half asleep and separate, leaving Ren would have to walk back (I yea, remember that - Ren)

I also have the highest pain tolerance because my body is trash and constantly aches, whenever I get a bad ache while split I am basically shoved into the front seat because no one else can handle it (Oh yea… I remember THAT - Ren)

Ren - Protector - he/him

Hi there, I’m Ren. I kinda act like the guard of everyone, though everyone is to much of a coward to let me front with someone near by.

I speak my mind, unlike everyone else who only speak up when someone ELSE is in trouble. I don’t like our parents since they caused us a lot of trouble (they are good people, we are just different Ren, don’t blame them for random human junk - Steve)

I am also the ONLY person that uses swears normally!!! Everyone else uses the mom censored ones

Theo - Inner child - they/them

Hello I’m Theo!

I like talking to people, playing with our cat, playing games with people, walking around, taking our cat for walks, talking about what we like, sweets, and swimming!

I REALLY like taking about stuff but I think I’m mute, I don’t really like talking, Steven and Steve also didn’t like their voice but after our wisdom tooth surgery thing a wile ago, our voice got better and stopped cracking and stuff, I still can’t talk to people though.

I mostly just do the physical work everyone talks and stuff, I don’t do complicated stuff though so I just walk and sweep and stuff, I like painting but we haven’t painted on paper yet, I also like modeling and making stuff to!

Shadow - Caution - he/him

(he’s basically Celeste Part of you, just worse. Also fuck you shadow - Ren)

Sans - Inner calm - he/him

To everyone who automatically assumed I was a pun loving skeleton, sorry to disappoint but we just suck at names.

To be honest though I don’t really care what you think as long as you can separate your mental image of undertale sans and me, I don’t care what you think of me, I roll with whatever is going on.

Beside Theo I do most of the fronting when Steve/Steven is on autopilot, I probably took his job when I appeared. I do damage control whenever everyone is in a panic, though they usually keep spiking adrenaline and running around the mindscape while I do things.

I really like music actually, though Steven doesn’t listen to any big bands so I don’t know any bands or anything, I mean I wouldn’t bother to remember them anyway but still.

(Ann?) - Freedom - she/her

(We don’t know a lot about her yet, it feels like she’s there but not outspoken enough to be actively speaking when not… poked with a stick. - Steven)

[phoenixyfriend]

When Obi-Wan gets to AotC, there's also about two dozen Anakin clones on-site. They're all girls because... IDK Anakin is trans. They have a hive mind and are developmentally a few years younger than Anakin himself.

It's incredibly unsettling to Obi-Wan.

It's almost definitely a "fuck with Anakin's already fragile mental health" ploy by Palpatine, along with a "what if Jedi Black Widows, for me, a Sith Lord. Wouldn't that be neat? That would be neat."

Anakin is torn between "this freaks me out" and "GANG OF BABY SISTERS LET'S GOOOOOOO."

(I just finished reading Like Real People Do by glimmerglanger, so this is definitely inspired by that and the obligatory 'lay back in bed and daydream variations on plot points of that fic you just really enjoyed,' and also a little by Same Heart, Same Blood by loosingletters.)

They're physically like 14-16 on average, and Anakin's vibrating out of his skin with a million conflicting emotions, but when he tells Padme she's just like "oh, you have a handmaiden gang!"

I told this to @willowcrowned and she suggested:

Once Anakin decides to repress the part of him that’s weirded out and just regard them as baby sisters he gets. A little strange about it The first time one of them dies he may or may not slaughter every person he can [in response to Padme's comment] Anakin starts worrying that he needs to get them cool matching outfits

I also chatted about it with @firebirdeternal and they said:

Gang of Unsettling Smol Siblings is exactly the Karma that Anakin deserves

Do you think the Clones have a kind of Collective Name that they use at first that eventually just kind of morphs into a new last name? Skysisters or something? Like Palpatine was trying to be clever and name them like the Nightsisters.

I initially went with "functionally one person" hive-mind but I'm torn.

I think maybe they're BASICALLY one person on Kamino but drift into Separate Consciousness once they're far enough apart physically that their minds don't blend from proximity anymore.

Then they start Dating (like half of them are dating Fett clones because they grew up with these dudes, it's like childhood friends romance), and Anakin loses his mind about Protecting Them and They're Too Young.

Padme: You're nineteen and we just got married, they can date. Anakin: THEY'RE EIGHT. Padme: And the Fett clones are ten and dying for us in the field. Get them rights before you panic about their love lives.

Firebird:

it could be worse, one of them could imprint on Obi-Wan. "Anakin I promise I won't yell at you for the next five stupid things you do if you can figure out a way to stop this baby from having a crush on me" (I like the idea of Obi-wan bargaining not with "I won't be mad at you ever" because they Both Know That's Not True, and instead haggling with specific allowances. Like he's handing out Stupidity Coupons)

Please imagine Mace and Obi-Wan's personal responses to the idea of suddenly having to deal with not one, not two, but OVER TWENTY SKYWALKERS.

Plo is delighted to take one off their hands.

So is Yoda.

Willow:

Mace is like. okay suicide isn’t the Jedi way but on the other hand. i physically cannot deal with this Yoda: a skywalker, you say? one who is tall enough to reach the top shelf, you say? such a skywalker, bring me

Anakin would be given at least one because fuck you, suffer with us, but he's still a padawan so Ugh, fine, no.

I want to say one stays on Coruscant to hang out with the Guard, and ends up half-adopted by Padme. She keeps dressing up the Aniclone left with her in handmaiden outfits and sending selfies to Anakin.

"Hanging out with the little SiL!"

Anakin has so many issues about WHEN his genetic material was acquired.

And there's some confusion from the Fett clones about how much of a hive mind is normal for Jedi. They are confused that the answer is basically none, and "this is WHY nobody clones a Jedi"

ONE OF THEM STEALS BOBA FROM THE ARENA ON GEONOSIS.

Firebird:

"I have followed in our progenitor's footsteps and acquired a sibling." holds up a struggling Boba "He bites."

Willow:

Ooooo okay so if they have a sort of hive mind then they probably don’t have names other than their designations on Kamino right BUT When they SEPARATE The one that picks Boba up on Geonosis gets a name specifically for that. Okay what if the one Padmé picks up gets some variant on ‘pretty’ because she’s always being dressed up BELLE Maybe Yoda’s Ani has a name that means thief? Because obviously Yoda is using Anakin to steal sweets

So, to make the timeline work...

I don't think anyone would give Anakin one of his sisters until after he's knighted at least.

So obviously when they're doing initial placements none of the sisters go to him or Obi-Wan.

Once he's knighted, of course they're already all placed with someone, and Anakin instead gets Ahsoka. He loves Ahsoka. She is also a little sister. He said so.

At some point afterwards, one of the sisters is left without a place because the Master that was in charge of her died in the field battle.

That sister then gets placed with Obi-Wan, because he's already mostly-successfully raised one Skywalker, so he can do it again.

Anakin gets to hang out with her basically all the time.

Ahsoka is very very jealous of this girl stealing Anakin's attention.

Anakin is oblivious to the rivalry.

He asks Barriss to look after them while he's discussing Adult War Things with Luminara and Obi-Wan, and Barriss gets an eye into This Mess, which is quickly colored by Ahsoka growing a puppy crush on the lovely Miss Offee herself.

Firebird:

Ahsoka: Ah yes, my nemesis. Anisister: Ah yes, my new older sister whom I want to impress so bad.

"I will impress her by being Stoic and Competent" "Oh my god she must think she's so much better than me what a bitch"

Anakin is oblivious to most things to be fair Anakin: Laser focused precision fighting machine who can read the tiniest body movements and predict your moves seconds in advance, who also cannot understand even the most basic social nuance. I was originally writing this as to Dunk on Anakin but then I made myself sad, because none of those things are really his fault.

So you know that post about like, Sasuke and Brooding, specifically in the context of "Brooding" as it's used to refer to Nesting Chickens? Grouchy and protective and sitting on a tennis ball trying to hatch it because they're just. "These are my Babies." Anakin Broods. Baby sisters. Must protecc. "I'm actually fine and extremely deadly in combat." "MUST PROTECT."

Bad Guy: [catches Ahsoka in a Trap] Aniclone: Must rescue sister! Aniclone: [fights, is not winning fight, gets ouched] Ahsoka tearing her way out of Trap: I lived bitch. Also: stay the fuck away from her. [murders so hard]

Ahsoka catches the Protective Older Sib feels by the traditional method: "Hey, only I'm allowed to be mean to them."

Willow:

Oh Anakin has no clue what’s going on. He walks in on Ahsoka glaring at the Ani and is like!!! Little sisters!!! Bonding!!! When Ahsoka was about three seconds away from tossing her out of the airlock. Ahsoka mistakenly assumes that Barriss has a crush on the Ani, and gets even MORE jealous.

Obi-Wan is like oh god. I can’t take care of an Anakin going through puberty again. He’s great with periods and other stuff because he read about a billion books. He is TERRIBLE with everything else, as he was the first time.

Barriss is like???? YOU'RE BOTH CHILDREN, PLEASE CALM DOWN, I HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN DATING ANYONE, LET ALONE SOMEONE YOUR AGE.

IDK how old Obi-Wan's Aniclone is, probably physically the same age as Ahsoka?

Per @atagotiak on discord:

Also something something, similarities btw Anakin and Obi-Wan where like. "Am I a parent? That seems uncomfortable, I'm too young to be a dad to a kid this age, I mean I'm cool with being a mentor/caretaker but..."

Obi-Wan can't even sidestep parenthood this time.

"Is Anakin basically your dad?" "Uhhhhhh" [Muffled discussion] "So Obi-Wan is your dad." "Okay!" "WAIT NO I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS"

Ahsoka: She's stealing my brother, that BITCH. Obi-Wan's Aniclone: new sister new sister new sister gotta make a good impression

Firebird:

I feel like the Sister Squad would make very effective interstellar espionage agents Even like, kind of by accident. They just get encouraged to branch out in their interests and figure out what they want to do with their lives and end up all over the dang place, and since they're all pretty dang competent they tend to gravitate towards Important Positions wherever they end up. Except for one sister who just retires to raise Space Sheep.

I like that in this AU Palpatine is just like "I will create an army of Loyal Murderers who will obey my every whim and also be a big psychological lever on my Other Pet Murderer," and then they all just Baby Duckling imprint on the first Jedi to be nice to them instead and he has to just be like "Wait no not like that."

AND one of them Steals Boba

I want Obi-Wan's Aniclone to start dating Fives. All the sisters judge her for it, because he's a Goof. A very competent, ARC Trooper goof! But a goof.

Not as goofy as Anakin, though.

Firebird:

Who expects a clone of Anakin Skywalker to not make questionable lifelong romantic choices impulsively?

[adoringhaikyuu]

they reject you and regret it afterwards

CHARACTERS: kuroo + iwaizumi + osamu + (gn!reader)

REQUEST: pspspsps i hope its okay if i drop my request here since i saw that yours are open :D can you maybe do how kuroo, iwaizumi and osamu rejects reader confession ( they are best friend ) because they have feelings for another person but later they regret it when they moved on? i love it when the boys realize it later how much the reader means to them but y/n took the chance to move on and have a sexy glow up ✋😩 yessss i wanna see them suffer at the end >:) • by anonymous

WARNINGS: dumb boys hurting your feelings and you hurting them right back :/

NOTES: i feel like i’m not too good at writing angst lol but i made these blurbs instead of hcs! 

kuroo let you down easy, not wanting to hurt your feelings––to be honest he did feel something for you, but he wasn’t sure if it was what you wanted it to be. he felt more certain of the feelings he had for someone else. someone you slowly watched him admire from afar until he worked up the courage to start joking with them, then offering to buy them lunch and so on. 

you still remember the awkward smile he gave you when you confessed to him, the smile that absolutely broke you because it showed you how much he didn’t want you the way you wanted him. not enough to give up his efforts with someone else. “i’m flattered y/n, but i’m sorry i just––you know i have a date this week...” 

you’d looked down immediately, unable to look him in the eyes longer and swallowed back the lump in your throat that was aching to come up in a sob. “yeah yeah, i’m sorry i just––let’s forget this ever happened, yeah?”

you gave him your most convincing smile and he agreed, wanting everything to be normal between the two of you.

but it wasn’t until he’d gone on a few dates with them to realize that it didn’t feel right. it didn’t feel familiar, the way he thought it would. it wasn’t the same comfort he felt in your presence. when they texted him, he didn’t feel the same burst of happiness he felt when you messaged him. he tried to wait it out, to see if things would change, but they didn’t. they just weren’t you.

it’d been a few weeks since you’d confessed and gotten rejected, but you decided to move on instead of dwelling on his unrequited feelings––it wouldn’t do you any good to wallow and weep over your best friend. you wanted him to be happy, and you deserved to be too. so you knocked yourself out of that sad headspace and changed yourself up a bit. you started to value yourself better than you did before, you dressed the way you wanted to but were always afraid of doing and everything about you just brightened up. and other people noticed as well. 

kuroo had kind of been too preoccupied to notice, if he was being honest. he didn’t realize what he had in front of him until he practically sprinted over to your place to surprise you and be honest about his feelings. you opened the door, already dressed up and kuroo took a step back, eyes widening as they took you in. did you always look this breathtaking?

“wow...”

you smiled gratefully, straightening out your clothes. “thanks, that’s what i was going for.” you walked back into your apartment to get your shoes, “not that i mind but what are you doing here?” 

he blinked out of his trance and stepped in, closing the door behind him. “oh i just––i brought us some food.” he raised the bag he was holding even though you weren’t facing him. “i was kinda hoping we could spend some time together...” he scratched the back of his head, “maybe talk about a few things...” he trailed off when something clicked in his head as he watched you slip your shoes on. “wait why are you all dressed up?” 

you turned and looked at him apologetically, “oh...i’m sorry kuroo,” you paused, “i actually have somewhere to be. can i take a raincheck?”

he opened his mouth for a few seconds as he watched you, but no sound came out. “oh um...well could i just––wait here? until you get back?” 

you looked to the side awkwardly bringing one hand up to hold your other arm. “it’s just that...i might not be alone when i come back.”

as soon as you uttered those words, he could feel his heartbeat falter in his chest, a faint ringing noise in his ears. 

“...a date?” 

you nodded with a smile and though it’s selfish, he felt a part of him dim on the inside when he noticed how excited you were. he didn’t really have a right to stop you now did he, not when you chose his happiness over your own what felt like way long ago. so he wouldn’t.

he nodded as well, “oh” he forced a smile onto his face and stepped back towards the door, “that’s exciting. i’m happy for you, really.” he turned the door knob, “i’ll catch up with you some other time then, yeah? you’ll tell me how it went.” he looked at you one last time, his gaze wavering under the undeterred happiness radiating from you.

when he finally stepped out and closed your door, all the emotions hit him at once. he didn’t know what hurt the most, the fact that he was too late, or the fact that you didn’t stop him, didn’t notice the pleading look in his eyes as he silently begged you to stay with him. 

iwaizumi froze when you told him how you felt. it was the smallest reaction you’d ever seen from him before, the calmest––yet it did anything but soothe you. you could see the hesitation in his eyes, the uncertainty of what to say next in the way his mouth opened but produced no sound. you already knew what he was going to say.

he will admit, seeing the tears in your eyes that you barely managed to blink back when he rejected you did strike a blow to his heart. but he just couldn’t tell you what you wanted to hear, he wouldn’t lie to you. “i––i’m sorry y/n i just...don’t feel the same.” 

his eyes were apologetic, almost pitiful as he watched you take a step back, “right, right. that’s––that’s okay.” you tried to smile but it felt more like a grimace. “i just didn’t want to keep it to myself, that’s all. i’m sure i’ll get over it soon.” he nodded but wasn’t sure what else to say. so he didn’t say anything. 

things were a little awkward for a couple weeks between the two of you, but you didn’t want to lose your friendship, so you eventually moved on. 

it wasn’t until one day you were at the café you always went to together that you noticed him taking longer than usual to bring back your drinks. you looked over to see him chatting with the barista, both of them with nervous smiles on their faces. he came back a few minutes later with a note in his pocket that you assumed was the barista’s number and a blush on his cheeks. he placed your drink in front of you, eyes looking down, and didn’t mention anything, probably since he didn’t want to rub it in, so you didn’t bring it up either. 

but you did wonder if they were the reason he didn’t feel the same for you––you wondered if they weren’t in the picture, if he would have fallen for you instead. 

he didn’t want to hide anything from you, so he told you when he had a date coming up. you wished him luck and told him you hoped he’d have a good time and that was that. 

they ended up dating but you didn’t mind. he seemed happy and you truly did want the best for him. you started focusing on yourself and eventually found a boyfriend, one who appreciated you and loved you and you couldn’t ask for more. 

iwaizumi was happy for you as well, but he couldn’t ignore this piercing feeling he felt when he first heard the news, then when he would see you two together, on your double dates, at parties, anywhere, really. something just ticked him off. he knew he didn’t have a right to feel this way, but he couldn’t help it, couldn’t make sense of it. he couldn’t even figure out what it meant. 

only once he realized the ache he felt in his chest when you smiled at your boyfriend the way you used to smile at him, the pull at his heart when you kissed his cheek, completely enamored. only then did he realize that he was jealous, that he’d made a mistake, that he’d lost the one chance he had of being with his soulmate. 

osamu had just gotten his new restaurant, he was achieving his goals, living his life without fear, and you took inspiration from that. you decided to be upfront about your brewing feelings and ask him out just as he put the finishing touches in the establishment.

he was wiping down the counter as you sat at the bar, swallowing your nerves as you watched him. “hey samu?”

he hummed and glanced up at you for a second before looking back to what he was doing. 

you took a deep breath, “would you maybe...want to go out to eat tomorrow?” 

he didn’t look up, but his brows furrowed, “yeah? why are you even asking?” 

you paused, of course he wouldn’t realize what you meant, you guys ate together all the time. you blinked a few times before clearing your throat, “um i just––i meant as a...date?” 

this time, he paused, well more like froze. he kept his eyes on the counter, his face blank, but you could tell he was internally processing everything. did he hear you right? “what?” 

you considered taking it back, but you had a feeling he did hear you, he just wasn’t sure how to respond. “um...i asked if you wanna go on a date? with me...”

he nodded and straightened up, “right.” he brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head, finally looking at you and the look in his eyes was enough to make your wavering confidence crumble. “i sort of have my eye on someone else right now...” you nodded, trying not to let the tears form in your eyes. he went on, “my new neighbor needed to borrow something and we got to talking...was thinking of asking them out, actually.” that was the final twist of the knife. 

“oh...” your voice was small ”thats––that’s great!” you smiled but kept your eyes cast down, “forget what i asked i just...wanted to see what you’d say haha,” you tried to play it off as a joke, “i got you!” 

he stared at you silently for a few seconds, clearly contemplating whether or not he believed you, but in the end, he let it go. 

you never brought up that night ever again, but you thought about it constantly. it haunted you, in a way. of course the one time you’re finally able to speak up about your feelings, it backfired. 

you were in a very upsetting and self deprecating headspace for a while, wondering if this was your sign to never make the first move, if you were the problem. it took you a little while to snap out of it, but once you did, you realized your worth and stopped looking at the world through a grey lens––you felt like you’d bloomed as a person. 

things didn’t go very far with osamu and his neighbor, but you didn’t take that as an opportunity to try again with him, you didn’t want to wait around for him, even though you thought about it for a second at first––you learned to respect yourself more. 

meanwhile, your best friend was beside himself, going through the process of reflection and realization. it’s not that he was desperate after a failed relationship, it’s more so that he suddenly realized he had someone perfect right by him all these years––it only made sense. but he was too stupid to realize that, to realize that he cared about you as more than a friend. he had foolishly mistaken his feelings for you as caring for a friend––you two had been inseparable since you were kids, he couldn’t even notice when his feelings shifted from caring for a friend to loving his best friend. 

he decided to talk to you about it, it’d only been a few months since you’d joked? about going on a date with him, but part of him felt confident that you might have meant it for real. he was sure you’d be open to it still. he called you during his break at work and found himself smiling as soon as he heard your voice. 

“hey samu what’s up?” 

he started to answer, but he trailed off when he heard you laughing at an unfamiliar voice in the background. “hey...just wanted to talk. what are you uh up to?” 

he heard you shush whoever was with you. “nothing much.” he heard you sit down.” i can’t stay for long but what did you want to talk about? i’m all ears.”

he was going to brush it off, maybe it was just a friend, but when he heard a faint ‘babe’ and what sounded like a small kiss on the other end, that was all he needed to confirm his suspicions. “yeah i just...i’ll actually call you back later, okay?”

you paused on the other end, most likely confused, but you let him go nonetheless. 

osamu sat there in his office at the back of his restaurant, surrounded by silence, complete disbelief and an indescribable ache running through his body. was he really too late? 

[rancidpancakebatter]

Grip Tape-Chapter 8 [P.P.]

Pairings: Peter Parker x AFAB Reader

Summary: Peter offers to teach you how to skateboard and who are you to say no? This is a pre-bite fic so we get to enjoy Peter Parker in his full Dorky Display.

Word Count: 3.3k words

Content: MINORS DNI: 18+ Swearing, Marijana Use, Underage Drinking, Bullying,

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Chapter Summary: Dinner with the Parkers and meeting the 'parents'. Maybe been a first kiss.

A/N: Look, I didn’t have a plan for this story. I am writing as the events are 'happening'. I too am surprised by what happens.

Ben stood in the door frame and cleared his throat. But not in a way that would indicate that he was upset. Perhaps he was uncomfortable. You sat up releasing Peter’s arm so you could face the man. He gave you a polite smile. 

“Hi, you must be Peter’s friend we’ve heard so much about.” He looks smug as Peter groans. You stand making your way over to shake the man’s hand. 

“Hi, I’m (Y/n). It’s nice to meet you! I’m assuming you’re the emphasis Uncle Ben. Peter’s told me a lot about you.” He hadn’t actually but you didn’t know what else to say. He grabbed your hand, giving it a firm shake.

“Oh Yeah? He talks about me huh?” You continue to smile, unsure of how to respond. 

“All good things I hope.” He almost muttered that last bit, but you heard it. He looked past you now, making eye contact with Peter. 

“Did you ever take a look at the oven?” Peter sighed before coming up with a lame excuse of why he forgot. Ben reminded him that May would like it fixed before she gets home so she can make some dinner. Peter promised that he’d work on it and then the room was silent. Everyone froze, taking in each other. Actually, it’s entirely possible it was just you who was frozen. But everyone was definitely taking in each other. Or maybe just you. 

You gave him a small thank you as he walked away from the room. After a brief pause, you sat back down next to Peter. He lifted the blanket and you shuffled in next to him. It seems you guys had settled on reruns of NCIS. You weren’t truly paying attention. You were focusing on the feeling of Peter’s shirt on your skin, his fingers on your side, and the rise and fall of his chest. 

“Do you think he knows?” Peter shifted slightly to look at your face. He moved some hair from your face, to get a better view. You could feel a trail of body heat in the wake of his gentle touch. 

“Knows what?” Peter’s hand is now resting just under your chin, his thumb stroking your jaw. You dart your eyes to the doorway before locking eyes with Peter again. 

You brought your voice to a small whisper, afraid of being heard. “That we’re high”

Peter threw his head back in laughter. His neck was fully stretched out and you wanted to litter it with kisses. The skin looked so soft. He gifted you with a smile. 

“I don’t think he would have invited you to dinner if he knew. Or let you stay for that matter.” He was looking at you so intently. You could only give a soft 'oh' in response. He was still holding your face, his other hand loosely on your hip from where you were cuddling earlier. You arch your back a bit, bringing yourself closer. 

Your heart was racing. You wanted to kiss him so bad. Your normal sensory input was dialled up to eleven and the only release you could even consider was the boy in front of you. You wanted to drown in him, to be completely consumed, or consume. Your hands moved from your thighs to his chest. 

You could feel his heart hammering in his rib cage. It reassured you knowing he was nervous too. His hand moved to cradle the back of your neck. You felt goose bumps rise on your skin. You broke eye contact to look at his lips. They were parted and you could see the muscles move with each exhale. 

His tongue darted out to wet his lips and you couldn’t stop staring. You watched almost in a trance as his mouth got closer. You glance back up to his eyes and they were watching you. You lose your breath. You can see heavily bodies in his gaze. A maelstrom of hues pulling you in. His eyes were locked on your lips too. 

Peter watched your breath hitch and that was enough. He pulled you in closing the gap. His lips reached yours and they were firm. A sure pressure. All too soon he was gone and you chased after him. More pressure. He gave a small moan and you dug your fingers into his shirt. He tilted his head, the hand on your neck bringing you impossibly closer. His fingers had made their way under the hem of your shirt. 

He was gripping your side and you wanted to be branded by his fingers. To keep this part of Peter Parker forever. Your hands slide up to rest on the back of his neck. You curl your head in, carding your fingers through the nape of his curls. You parted your lips and his tongue came forward. He licked your bottom lip before probing further. He was hesitant and cautious. 

The sound of someone closing a kitchen cabinet pulled you apart. You whipped your head to look to the kitchen. Peter took this moment to observe you. He took in the light from the window gracing your features. You looked gentle. Your hair across your face, so he moved it, to see you. This broke your attention from the sound of the kitchen. He gazed at you with a smile on his face, his hand still resting on yours. 

“What?” You asked him. Those honey pools were fixated on you and you couldn’t quite read them. You felt self-conscious under his ardent gaze. He granted you a soft chuckle for your question. One that made your heart melt to goo. 

“You’re pretty.” He said it so simply, so matter of fact, that you couldn’t help but laugh. He delighted in the sound. He laughed with you though he was completely serious. 

“Really! You are!” You continued to laugh and so did he. Your laughter slowly died out and he was still gazing at you. You closed your eyes unable to maintain eye contact. 

“You are,” He said it so softly you almost missed it. You couldn’t look at him so you tackled him instead. Burying your head to his chest and your arms around his back. He landed on the couch with an unceremonious 'oof'. You continued to lay on him and he rested his hands on your back. And there you laid until your eyelids started to droop. Peter’s heart played a lullaby and it wasn’t long until you were asleep. 

You were awoken by the front door opening. You opened your eyes slowly. You were still on the couch but instead of Peter, there was a blanket. People were talking and laughing. It took you a minute to focus on the conversation.

“How was your shift?” That was Ben. You heard some keys hitting a counter. 

“It was okay. Peter, how’s the stove going?” You heard some clinking before a voice echoed out. 

“It was just a faulty selector switch. I should be able to fix it but I’ll need to go down to the hardware store for some parts.” 

“Stovetop dinner it is,” a woman said. 

You sat up from the couch feeling very shy. You walked into the kitchen taking in the scene. An older woman was sitting next to Ben. They sat at the island holding hands and murmuring to each other. The sight warmed your heart. They were so in love. 

“Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty.” Peter was now standing in front of you. He had some pliers in his hand and his face was covered in soot and a blinding grin. He pulled you in for a hug and you buried your head into his chest. He pulled away keeping his hands on your shoulders.

“How long was I out?” You asked.

“Two hours” You looked pasted Peter’s shoulder to Ben. “I told him not to wake you, you seemed tired.”

You gave him a nod and a small 'thank you' as you removed yourself from Peter. You made your way to sit down with everyone else. 

“Hi, I’m May! It’s so nice to meet you (Y/n). I’ve heard a lot about you.” She squeezed your shoulder and her smile was just as dazzling as Peter’s. 

You laughed softly, “I’m beginning to wonder what else Peter talks about.” The older folks both laughed with you while Peter’s face turned crimson. 

“I was gonna make spaghetti for dinner if you’re interested in staying.” The woman gave you a warm smile. 

“Yeah, I’ll just call my dad.” You made your way upstairs to Peter’s room. At some point, he must have finished the laundry because you see a basket of clothes on his bed. You consider changing shirts but decide against it. You want to hold onto the one you’re wearing for as long as he’ll let you.

You see your phone on the bed and reach for it. No notifications. You dialled your dad’s number and he picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, Honey! What’s up?”

“Hey, Dad. Nothing much. I know we didn’t say officially what time I needed to be home but is it okay if I stay for dinner at the Parker’s?”

“Of course, Honey. What time do you think you’re gonna be back?”

“Uhhhhh, I dunno. I’ll probably stay for a little after dinner but I shouldn’t be home very late.”

“Okay…How’s Peter?” You groaned into the speaker.

“Daaad”

“What, I’m just asking?”

“Peter’s fine, he’s fixing the oven.”

“Oh, so he’s handy? It’s nice to have a handy guy around.” You rolled your eyes.

“Oh yeah, Pops? What do you know about that?” He let out a dramatic gasp.

“You wound me oh child of mine. I happen to be very handy!”

“Pops, please! You cut your hand on a screwdriver changing my dresser knobs, I’d hardly consider that ‘handy’.” You both laugh at the memory. You hear a knock on the door and turn your head to see Peter leaning against the frame. You hate that you find everything he does attractive.

“Alright Pops, I’m gonna go but I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Alright Honey, have fun, I love you.”

“I love you too Dad.”

You hang up, playing with the phone in your hands. “My dad says it’s fine for me to stay.”

Peter muttered a small 'cool'. You stood there awkwardly before Peter moved to sit on his bed. You moved to sit down next to him. 

“Can we talk?” You looked over to Peter but his gaze was fixed on his hands, picking at his nails. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” You were nervous. A lot had happened today. It could have been seen as too much for such a short amount of time. You had liked Peter for forever so it didn’t seem like you were moving too fast to you, but who knows what Peter thought. Did he regret it? Maybe he didn’t like you how you thought. But he kissed you, like really kissed you. But maybe he just likes kissing, maybe it’s not about you. Before your thoughts could spiral more he spoke up again.

“I-It’s just that…uhhh.” You reach your hand forward resting it on his wrist, sensing his hesitancy. He took a deep breath, placing his other hand on yours. 

“Earlier, you said you liked me.” He paused again, his leg was bouncing. “Did you- did you really mean that?”

“Yes.” You said in a quiet voice. There was no point in lying. You had said it, even if it was under the influence of dancing fairies. You wouldn’t want to lie about it anyway. He took a deep breath then and he seemed more at ease. He finally looked up at you. 

“Really? You really like me?” You almost laugh but you can see his eyes are wet with unfallen tears. Was he really going to cry before? The sight broke your heart. You made a promise then to never let him cry again. Even if he hadn’t actually been crying this time. You swore to make sure he never had a reason to come close. 

You brought your arms around him, you wanted to bring yourself in closer but you couldn’t because of how you were both sitting. Legs draped over the bed, space between your legs. You didn’t think much of the distance until now. 

“Yeah, I really do. Is that okay?” Peter hugged you tighter. 

“Yeah, yeah it is.” He pulled away from you and moved the hair out of your face before resting his hands there. You want to be branded there as well. For his touch to never leave you. May called upstairs notifying you that dinner was done. Peter stood up and offered you his hand. You took it and followed him down the stairs.

The table was set and it was quaint. There was a white table cloth that wasn’t on the table before. The plates were all olive green and the napkins navy blue. Ben and May were seated on opposite sides of the table. Peter moved ahead of you and pulled out a chair. You sat down and he pushed you in. You thanked him as he made his way across the table. In the middle of the table were two bowls. In one a salad and one of pasta and between them a plate of what smelled and looked like garlic bread.

Ben grabbed the salad and passed it around making small talk. You tried your best to focus but your gaze continued to drift to Peter. He couldn’t stop smiling. He felt almost overwhelmed with joy. Here you were having dinner with him and his family. You were Perfect. You were kind and sweet. You were crazy smart. You had an interest in skateboarding. You liked his music and you even liked him. 

You were currently talking to May about school and all he could do was look at you with a dopey grin. Ben kicked his foot under the table breaking his focus from you. His uncle only laughed when Peter glared at him.  

Dinner went by without event. Everyone talked about their days and upcoming plans. The Parkers were interested in you and your life. You’re not a very timid person, so you answered any questions they had candidly. They asked about your mom but didn’t press. Many in your position would say that they were “grateful” that they didn’t pry but you weren’t uncomfortable…they were. 

You insisted on helping clean up after dinner. Despite all of her efforts, May could not dissuade you from helping with the dishes. She was rinsing plates off and passing them to you to load into the dishwasher. 

“He really likes you, ya know” You grabbed the dish she was passing to you. You straightened up, using a towel on the counter to dry your hands. 

“That’s good I guess. I like him too.” You offer her a smile and hers is grand.

She didn’t say anything else, she just hugged you. It was a nice hug. It had been a while since you had been hugged by a maternal figure.

She let you go telling you Peter was upstairs. You made your way up to see Peter looking through his CDs. You knocked on the door and he gazed at you with a smile.

“Hey, I’m heading out soon. My father’s expecting me.” He stood up and hugged you. You dissolved in his touch. Taking in as much as you could, you clutched his shirt and took a deep breath. He pulled away and laughed.

You gawked at him, “What is so funny?” He only laughed harder then. His laugh always won you over, and you eventually surrendered.

“Nothing, it’s nothing.” He continued to laugh.

“No, what? Do I have something on my face?” His laughter died down and he cradled your face, smooshing your cheeks.

“No…You’re just adorable.” He kissed your forehead and pulled away.

“Uhh Muusst” He furrows his brows and stops smooshing.

“What was that?” You huffed, doing your best to look cross.

“You missed.” He chuckled again.

“Oh, is that so?” You grinned up at him nodding your head. Your hands still on his sides.

“I apologise, malady.” He said leaning in. It was sweeter than before, less urgent. He took his time. His hands took refuge on your jaw. His lips kneading yours brought you peace. His thumb gently pulled on your chin parting your lips. At the feeling of his tongue, you moaned, shifting your head to the side to deepen the kiss. 

One of Peter’s hands dropped to your waist. It found its way under Peter’s your shirt and rested on the warm skin there. One of your hands made it to the back of his neck. His tongue was delicate as it played with yours.

You pressed against each other. You could feel his shirt wrinkling against yours and his belt pushing against your belly. His body was firm. He wasn’t particularly muscular but he was lean. The perfect balance of hard and soft. 

He pulled away, your bottom lip between his teeth. You opened your eyes and maybe it was the drastic change in lighting but everything seemed to be glowing. Your heart was beating fast and your lungs were working hard to recover from the lack of breathing before. 

“It’s cold out, let me get you a jacket.” Peter stepped away leaving you to recover as he made his way to his closet before returning with a grey zip-up hoodie. He held it up behind you and you pulled your arms through it. You were delighted to find there were thumb holes in the sleeves.

You made your way to the front door, Peter hot on your heels. You grabbed your keys by the door and stepped forward to open the door before Peter stopped you. 

“Can I see you tomorrow?” He was so sweet.

“What? You can’t get enough of me?” He laughed before hanging his head.

“Yeah, something like that.” He was quiet and you watched as he played with the hem of your his jacket.

“I can’t. Every Sunday I hang out with my dad. It’s our…thing.” Peter nodded his head in understanding.

“So, I’ll see you at school right?” You stretched out your hand to hold his face.

“Peter, I’m not going anywhere.” He gave you a sad smile, nodding his head. You kissed him on the cheek before stepping outside. You pulled out your phone to let your dad know you were on your way home. You made your way to the car about to open the door when you heard the front door open. You smiled as Peter ran over to you.

He stood quietly just looking at you. He was grinning like a fool. He abruptly wrapped his arms around your waist. You wrapped yours around his neck, giggling. He pulled away enough to kiss you on the cheek.

“I needed to give that back, you almost left without it.” He started walking back to the house before he turned around again. “Oh, and text me when you get home, yeah?”

You sat down in the car and something fell out of the pocket of his hoodie. You didn't notice the weight before, maybe he slipped it in when he kissed you. It was a great distraction. That Peter Parker boy is awful smart. It was the album you were listening to. 

As you flipped it over you saw that one of the songs was circled in black pen, stars drawn around it. You put it in the CD player in the car and skipped to the eighth track. You pulled off your street as “A Message” by Coldplay began. This was the song that played when you held hands. It seemed appropriate. No, maybe not, love was too strong for your feelings now. 

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