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sequinsmile-x · 4 months ago

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Our Field of Dreams, Engulfed in Fire

She tells herself that she’ll get used to it, that the pain she feels over her friend's happy news will fade, but it only gets worse.

-x-

Hi friends,

This is truly up there with one of the saddest things I think I've ever written, so please take heed of the tags/warnings.

As always, please let me know what you think <3

-x-

Words: 4k

Warnings: pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

She laughs as her husband shepherds her into the conference room, his eyebrow raised as he passes her a cup of coffee as she sits down, her eyes narrowed when she eyes him playfully, “What are we doing in here? I have work to do upstairs you know.”

“I don’t know,” he replies, sitting next to her, “JJ called the meeting. I’m sure Counterterrorism can live without their Unit Chief for 30 minutes.”

She rolls her eyes and sips her coffee, “I’ll remind you that you said that next time I try and steal you away for lunch.”

She’d moved departments just before they let everyone know about their relationship, not wanting any technicalities or rules to get in the way of them being happy and together. Aaron had asked her several times if she was sure, as if he was forcing her out of her job, and she’d assured him she was more than sure. A change had been what she’d needed, her desire to pretend everything was as it always had been when she came back from Paris wearing thin. She’d worked her way up in Counterterrorism quickly and often made fun of her husband for the fact she’d made it to his level so fast, a quip that he was clearly the troublemaker out of the two of them always on the tip of her tongue.

Any response he may have, his smile full of mirth as he looks at her, is cut off as the rest of the team filters in all together, JJ rounding them up before she pulls the door closed behind them, nervous excitement written all over her face.

“What’s going on, JJ?” Derek asks, sinking into a chair on Emily’s other side, “Can’t be work-related if Mrs Hotch is here.”

Emily rolls her eyes, shaking her head as he hides his smirk behind his mug, “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?”

“Always at least once more, Princess,” he says, winking at her, and she can’t fight her smile. JJ clears her throat and they all look at her, her amused smile tinged with an edge of nervousness, “Sorry JJ.”

“It’s okay,” she says, “I wanted to tell you all something and it’s almost impossible to get us all into one room these days.”

Penelope sits forward, “We’re all listening.”

Emily watches her friend carefully, the way she smiles widely, how her hand twitches at her side, almost touching her lower belly before she stops herself. Emily feels the ground beneath her disappear, her stomach rolling as she realises what her friend is about to say. It’s like her senses disappear all at once, the happiness and lightheartedness she’d been feeling just moments ago long gone as she reaches for the small pendant around her neck, a disc with an E carved delicately into it that Aaron had bought her close to two years ago now. She presses her thumb against it, feels the curve of the letter pressing into her skin, the sensation something she focuses on as JJ’s announcement rings around them.

“I’m pregnant!”

She’s grateful no one is paying attention to her, because the joyful cheer from their friends makes her jump, the sound of it drawing her back into herself as she looks around the room. Aaron is still next to her, his hand now on her thigh, and she looks at him, their eyes only briefly meeting before she looks away, sure she’d fall apart if she let him look at her too long.

She forces herself up, grateful for once for her upbringing, that she’d been taught the language of good manners before anything else when she was young. She congratulates her friend, hoping she doesn’t see past her smile that was only half fake, her genuine happiness for JJ clouded by the grief she could never quite pull herself away from.

No one knows. She has to remind herself of it, that no one knew, that it was her decision that they didn’t, and it’s the only thing that keeps her in one piece. She manages to stay in the conference room for 10 minutes until she feels like she could drown in the happiness, the taste of it bitter as it washes into her lungs, and she excuses herself, hugging JJ one more time before she leaves.

She knows Aaron will follow her so she doesn’t go far, sneaking into his office and sinking onto the couch as she waits for him, her eyes fixed on the floor. She isn’t there long before she hears his footsteps followed by the sound of the door to his office closing. He joins her on the couch and he purposely keeps a distance from her, always keen to make sure he takes her lead.

“Em-”

“Don’t. Please,” she says, shaking her head, her gaze still fixed on the ground, “I just need a minute,” she begs and she’s grateful when he obliges, the room silent other than the clock on the wall. She reaches for his hand and squeezes it, grateful for the press of his ring against her skin, a reminder that no matter what she’d lost she still had this. “I wasn’t expecting that to…” she chokes on a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh, “That felt like a gut punch.”

“I know,” he says, lifting their joint hands to kiss her knuckles, “Same for me.”

She turns to look at him, not surprised to find his eyes shining with tears too, “It’s been nearly two years. I thought…I don’t know what I thought.”

The grief of it, of the babies she’d lost, that she’d never get to know, was something she was strangely used to. An old friend that lingered in every corner and had a seat at every table. A part of their daily lives she thought she had built herself back up around, but this had pulled the rug from under her, her friend's happy news leaving her unsteady.

They’d tried for a baby for a long time. When she fell pregnant the first time, a sense of finally in the air around her as the test she was staring at had two lines on it for once, she’d felt nothing but happiness. It had been short-lived, a moment of joy brought to an end by familiar cramping in her back and bleeding that stained her thighs. She still remembered the look on the doctor’s face, a strange type of kindness in her smile as she told them they could try again.

They did, and the second time she fell pregnant quicker, something she tried to tell herself was a sign things were going to work out this time. Her anxiety had lingered, all the fears she couldn’t outrun from losing her first baby still in the back of her mind, but as she entered her second trimester she relaxed. It was something she now cursed herself for, anger that she’d let herself believe she was finally going to have everything she’d ever wanted the very thing that made what was to come even more painful.

No one knew she was pregnant either time, only Aaron and her doctor, and when she had nothing to show for either of them except for a broken heart and a box full of ultrasound pictures and tests with faded lines, she was grateful for it. Aaron had tried to encourage her at first to talk to someone else if she wanted to, but she’d only ever wanted to talk to him. To share it with someone who understood, and who already shared in the loss. The thought of having sympathy and well-meaning but empty words from other people enough to make her want to scream.

“Want to talk about it?”

She shakes her head, “Not here,” she says, smiling tightly at him, “Otherwise I think I’ll start crying and never stop.”

He nods in understanding, “Later? I can ask Jess to take Jack. We can sit in bed and cry whilst we eat all the candy from the pantry.”

She laughs, the sound wet and thick as it catches in her chest, “You know me so well.”

“You’re my wife,” he says, reaching out and tucking some of her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger on her cheek, wiping away a tear he otherwise doesn’t acknowledge, “If I didn’t know you it would be pretty sad.”

___

She tells herself that she’ll get used to it, that the pain she feels over her friend's happy news will fade, but it only gets worse. JJ stops trying to hide it now she’s told them, the clothes she now wears to the office show off her small bump, her smile wide and happy whenever someone congratulates her. Emily talks about to Aaron about it and decides she needs to talk to JJ, to give her some context on why she was suddenly avoiding her, and why she’d come up with an excuse that sounded lame even to her ears when Penelope mentioned a baby shower.

When she’s standing on JJ’s porch less than two weeks after her announcement in the conference room, Emily doubts herself. A moment of anxiety flaring in her gut before she forces herself to ring the bell, bravery she knows is fake washing over her as she waits for someone to answer the door. She paints a smile on her face when JJ pulls the door open, her surprise obvious as she finds Emily standing on the other side of it.

“Emily,” she says, standing back to let her in, “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” she replies, her gaze drifting to JJ’s stomach, the t-shirt she’s wearing gathering around her small bump. Emily forces herself to look away, sadness and envy and so many emotions she isn’t proud of burning in her chest, “If that’s okay.”

“Of course,” JJ replies, furrowing her brow as she leads Emily towards the living room, “Will is on bedtime duty tonight so you’re not interrupting anything. Do you want a drink?”

Emily shakes her head, “No, that’s okay.” She sits down on the couch and waits for JJ to join her, but when she opens her mouth no words come out, everything she’d rehearsed on the drive over stuck somewhere in her throat, threatening to choke her as she tries to figure out how to talk about something she’d only ever discussed with her husband.

“Are you okay?” JJ asks, beating her to it, “You haven’t been acting like yourself lately.”

Emily chokes on a laugh at that, unsure when she had last been herself. She felt adrift these days. Aaron and Jack and her routine the only things that kept her above water. She clasps her hands in her lap, putting more pressure on her own knuckles than necessary so she can feel something, anything, other than the empty ache low in her belly, “I…I don’t know where to start.”

“Wherever feels right,” JJ says, her voice so kind it makes Emily want to scream, everything she’d been suppressing for days just below the surface.

She nods and sighs, “A few years ago, just after Aaron and I got married, I was pregnant,” she says, clearing her throat when her voice catches on the word that makes JJ’s face fall, “Twice actually,” she hates the silence as JJ stares at her, so she carries on, “And I lost both of them.”

It’s an unnecessary addition, she knows that. JJ knows she doesn’t have any children other than Jack, and Emily wonders if her friend is replaying interactions they’d had together and as a group from the last few years. How Emily’s smile and shoulders would tighten if one of the team mentioned little Hotchner babies, how Aaron would throw daggers at anyone who brought it up. Emily had always assumed they thought she either couldn’t have kids or had chosen not to, their curiosity slowly petering off as the years drifted by. Their friend's thoughts of them having more children disappearing, the hope and possibilities nothing more than flecks of dust in the wind.

“Oh, Em,” JJ says, her voice hollow, like all the joy had been mined out of it, empathy rushing into it’s place like flood water that Emily does her best to ignore. “Em, I’m so sorry. You never said anything.”

“We…I mostly, decided we didn’t want to,” she says, “The first time we knew for a handful of weeks,” she smiles wistfully as she thinks of it, of a time of innocence she’d burn the world down to get back, “But then I lost it, I was about 8 weeks along. We told everyone we had the flu and took a week off work. The second time I was almost 18 weeks along,” she says, ignoring the shake in her voice and the gasp JJ can’t hold back. Emily is glad she’s sitting down, that she can’t be physically knocked off her feet by the wave of grief that threatens to take her under, “We were waiting until I hit 20 weeks to tell anyone. I woke up in pain and I was bleeding…and I just knew before the doctor even spoke to us.”

“How did you keep it a secret?” JJ asks, her curiosity winning out as she finally speaks, and Emily shrugs half-heartedly.

“It was winter and baggy sweaters hide a lot,” she sighs, “When I…after I had the baby we took time off work again. Close to a month that time. I can’t even really remember what Aaron said we were doing. We went to Europe for a little while. I don’t remember much about it.”

“He told us you both had leave Strauss was making you use,” JJ says, filling in a gap for her that she’d never quite been able to ask Aaron to fill, aware that she’d let him deal with a lot of the practicalities during that time, his own grief at their loss pushed down in favour of looking after her.

“Afterwards, my OBGYN said she thinks the losses were because of my injuries from Ian. I had no issue getting pregnant, but staying pregnant until viability seemed unlikely. We decided to stop trying then,” she sucks in a breath, the air burning her lungs, “I couldn’t go through that again,” she laughs bitterly, the sound strange and wrong but she can’t help it, the thought she’d never been able to entirely shake off chasing it out of her chest, “I can see the irony in it. I took Ian’s son from him and he took mine from me.”

“You had a boy?” JJ asks, her gaze a mix of shocked and sad that makes Emily’s stomach twist, a strange sense of anger she knows her friend doesn’t deserve rolling in her gut.

“Yeah,” she replies, “I had a boy.” She looks down at her hands, her focus on her wedding rings as she twists them back and forth, “Sometimes…sometimes I feel guilty that we’ve never told anyone else about him. But most of the time I’m glad we didn’t,” she looks up at JJ, her smile tight as she sees the devastation on her friend’s face. She doesn’t reach out, doesn’t try and comfort her, finding no room in her chest to take on someone else's emotions about it, “It makes him just ours, you know? Mine and Aaron’s,” she wipes a stray tear from her cheek, pushing it away with the heel of her hand as she turns away for just a second, “He’s just ours.”

“What was his name?” JJ asks, the question slipping free before she thinks about it, her eyes going wide as Emily looks up at her in surprise, “You don’t have to-”

“Elliot,” Emily says, smiling as she says her son's name. A name she’d never call out in a park or hear as he crossed a stage at graduation, but she could say it here, her smile soft and sad as she grips the disc-shaped charm on her necklace, her thumb pressed against the engraved E. “We called him Elliot,” she feels her smile tremble as she looks away from her friend, the empathy in JJ’s eyes almost too much for her to bear, “Thank you for asking.”

“Thank you for telling me,” JJ replies, resisting the urge to press her hand against her small bump, desperate not to draw attention to the very thing that had started this conversation in the first place, “Elliot’s a lovely name.”

Emily sighs, the breath catching on all her ribs on the way out, the space in her chest that was left empty the day she lost her son aching in a way she knows would never go away, nor would she want it to. It was one of the few reminders she had that he’d existed. A hollowed-out part of her that would always be that way but that she’d learnt to live with.

“I just wanted to tell you why…” she closes her eyes and shakes her head, her tongue peeking out to lick at her lower lip, “Why I’ll struggle to be involved with parts of this,” she swallows thickly, “Maybe all of it. And I’m so sorry-”

“No, Em,” JJ says, finally closing the gap between them and reaching for Emily’s hand, squeezing it tightly as she encourages her to look at her, “You have nothing to apologise for. Thank you for telling me. I won’t tell anyone, not even Will, if you don’t want me to. If I had known, I would have told you separately, not in front of everyone.”

“Thank you, and I know you would have. I guess I didn’t realise how much something like this would impact me until it happened. I am sorry though,” she squeezes JJ’s hand, “I’m sorry that I can’t be a better friend for a while.”

JJ pulls her into a hug, careful to make sure she doesn’t press her bump against her, desperate to make sure she doesn’t upset her friend any more than she needs to, “No matter what, you’re still one of the best friend’s I’ve ever had, okay?”

Emily laughs humourlessly and pulls back, “Okay,” she smiles tightly, her gaze drifting to the pile of toys in the corner, brightly coloured bits of plastic she’d only ever bought for her friend’s children, and she blows out a shaky breath, “I should go home, Aaron will be waiting for me.”

They exchange hugs and goodbyes, both of them aware this would be the last time they’d be together like this for a while. Something that weighed heavily on both of them, but was the right decision, neither one of them wanting to hurt the other with things out of their control. Emily texts Aaron to say she’s on her way back, and she’s proud of herself for making it back to her car before she bursts into tears.

___

He’s waiting for her when she gets home, the house silent apart from the quiet of the TV that he switches off the moment he hears the front door open and close. She slips off her jacket and her boots and walks into the living room, her shaking smile doing nothing to distract him from her red eyes and puffy face.

Aaron lays down, already knowing what she needs, and she crawls on top of him, wedged partially between him and the back of the couch as she presses her cheek on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat a comfort she’d never get enough of. He wraps his arms around her and one of his hands cups the back of her head, holding her in place as if anything could pull her away from him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asks, his hand running up and down her back, the other still tangled in her hair, “Or do you just want to lay here.”

She knew that what they’d gone through could have easily broken them apart. Both of them so weighed down by grief, so busy drowning in it, that they could have forgotten to reach for each other. But he’d been her rock, and somehow she’d found it in herself to be his. They’d held on tight and weathered the storm and come out stronger, her love for him now ten times what it was when she married him, something she would have at the time said was impossible.

“She understood. I..I told her about Elliot,” she says, instead of answering “I didn’t know if I would but I did,” she feels him hold her even tighter, his kiss against her forehead firm, “It felt nice talking about him.”

He kisses the top of her head again, “It always does,” he says, scratching at her scalp, something he’d done for her since those long nights at the start when she’d cried herself to sleep, “How does it feel to have told your best friend?”

She smiles sadly and shifts so her chin is resting on his chest so she’s looking at him, “You’re my best friend,” she says softly, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair, “So my best friend has always known.”

He turns his head and kisses her palm, “You’re my best friend too, sweetheart,” he kisses her palm again, “I’d ask how you’re feeling, but I guess that’s a stupid question.”

She shakes her head at him, “Never stupid,” she says, her smile tinged with sadness, “It’s strange to think in another life we’d have an almost two-year-old.”

It was a thought she could never outrun. A ghost of another life walking in tandem with her, forever tapping her on the shoulder and reminding her of what she’d lost, as if she could forget even for a second, whenever she saw a little boy who would be around Elliot’s age. A child’s loud laughter in public that would stop her in her tracks and remind her she’d never know her own son’s laugh or even his cry. A gap in her knowledge of him that could never be filled, the possibilities of what he could have been neverending.

“I think about that too,” he says, tucking some of her hair behind her ear, “I wonder what he’d be into. What gift we’d get him for his birthday and what theme the cake Penelope would make for him would have.”

She laughs, the sound weak and sad as it settles into her hollowed out chest, “When I picture him, I just see a tiny version of you. Right down to his eyes.”

“I always imagine him with yours.”

It’s a conversation they’d had countless times since the day they met and lost their son, and one she knows they’ll have for the rest of their lives. The what could have beens and what should have beens as painful as they were happy. Wistful and full of sorrow, as deep and full of unknowns as the sea.

“I wish things could have been different,” she says, not even attempting to stop her tears, smiling shakily at Aaron as he immediately wipes them away, “I…” she drifts off, not sure that she could ever put it into words, and he nods, encouraging her closer so she can press her face into his neck, his tears splashing into her hair.

“I know, sweetheart,” he says, because he did, he understood the loss because it was something they shared, something that was theirs, “I know.”

“I’ll always remember what the nurse said,” she whispers, thinking of the kind woman who’d looked after them before they were sent home with a memory box they kept safe in their bedroom, “Clara. She told me that he’d only ever known love and warmth. That this world hadn’t had a chance to hurt him and never would,” she sucks in a breath and reaches for his hand, linking their fingers together, “I like to think that’s true.”

He rests his cheek against the top of her head, damp with the tears he’d shed, and he holds her close, providing her with an anchor as he uses her just the same.

“Me too sweetheart,” he whispers, “Me too.”

#aaron hotchner #hotchniss fanfic #aaron hotchner fanfiction #emily prentiss #hotchniss fan fic #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #emily prentiss fanfiction #hotchniss fanfiction #aaron x emily #hotchniss

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farlynthordens · 2 years ago

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SKB Short Story 2 - Mushroom Keeper Caravan

summary of a short story published in Dengeki Bunko, vol 62. takes place between v1 and 2.

this is the only short story that had original art with it (above), and I love it so much🥺 anyway...

Milo is taking a bath alone under a cold waterfall. as you do. it’s transitioning into winter, so bathing in the tepid waters isn’t really appealing to most people, but milo seems to be glad that he’s clean.

He gets out of the water and dresses himself. he wonders if bisco is still busy, since he hasn’t shown up yet to take his own bath.

He finds bisco by their camp, helping actagawa finish pulling off the shell layer he’s shedding. once free and feeling better, actagawa goes to play in the river.

B: “I’m beat. He hadn’t shed in a while, so I thought he was done growin’... but looks like he’s still got a lot left to do.” M: “Come on, you should go take a bath! I’ll make lunch in the meantime.” B: “Can’t, still got one more thing to do. Actagawa’s markings came off ‘cause he shed, so I gotta paint those back on before--”

Bisco picks up on a faint noise, then gives a look to milo. they draw their knives just as steel arrows come flying at them. the arrows are knocked into nearby trees, and explode into mushroom clusters.

Actagawa comes to help. he makes a beeline for the waterfall and bashes the cliff with his claws, causing a person who was at the top of the cliff to fall into the pool in front of them.

Milo saves the person from drowning. he and bisco realize it’s a male mushroom keeper. bisco angrily asks if he had come after them for the bounty money, and wants to know which tribe he’s from.

The guy explains that because actagawa had no markings, he thought they were part of some enemy group. he then looks up at bisco... and seems to recognize him?

??: “It’s me, Chaba! Y’know, grandson of Gana from the Tottori tribe. Wow, this takes me back. I used to read to you all the time!” M: (“Do you know him?”) B: (”Uh... maybe... but I don’t remember him at all...”)

Chaba says that his caravan, the entire Tottori tribe, was about 30 minutes behind him while he scouted the path. gana, who is the tribe’s elder, decided that they should all move to Imihama now that it’s become a mushroom keeper refuge.

He’s about to go bring the caravan to their location, but then looks bisco over again and gets teary-eyed. C: “...Man, you really became a right mushroom keeper, didn’t you Bisco? I bet gran will be happy to know that. And I’m sure Jabi is happy too, from up in heaven...” B: “Uh? Wait, Jabi isn’t....!” Chaba runs off without listening.

Slight skip ahead to when they meet up with the caravan. bisco and milo talk with gana as she skillfully paints the mark of the god enbi onto actagawa��s shell. after she finishes painting, she starts smoking from a pipe.

Gana asks how “akemi” is, and bisco tells her that he is not only alive but doing well after having his rusting cured. G: “Monster with the devil’s luck, he always has been. I was lookin’ forward to defacin’ his funeral portrait, but s’pose that won’t be happenin’.” M: (”Who’s Akemi?”) B: (”That’a Jabi - Hebikawa Akemi. If you read ‘hebikawa’ different, it’s ‘jabi.’“ M: (“What, it was just a nickname...?!”) G: “And his little brat, too, just narrowly avoided leavin’ this mortal realm and grew up strong. Guess I should give praise where it’s due. ... You even managed to nab a pretty girl. Well, it don’t matter how strong ya get if ya can’t pass it on to the next generation.” B: “Wait, by ‘pretty girl’, you mean him?”

Milo is uncomfortable under their stares. M: “Um, hello. I’m Milo, Bisco’s--” G: “My, yer even cuter up close. Lemme see yer hands. Do ya know how to use a bow?” M: “Y-yes! Bisco taught me...” G: “Well ain’t that great! At least this kid did somethin’ right finding such a nice wife. But yer just all muscle... ya don’t look well suited to breastfeedin’.” M: “Wife?? Huh? Wait- what...! GYAHHHHH!!”

Gana pinches milo’s chest with incredible strength and milo starts yelling in pain. he doubles over and bisco just stares at him, not knowing what to do or say. he then gets slapped on the head.

G: “Damn fool! Do I gotta hold yer hand to bring ya to yer wife? Don’t ya know we’re havin’ less mushroom keeper kids these days?!” B: “I never fuckin’ said that I got a wife, you old bitch! Jabi retired and this is my new PARTNER! I gotta spell it out?” G: “Oh, is that right? With a face like that, I thought he was a lady! Hehehe... ahaha!”

She bursts into a fit of laughter. everyone seems happy seeing their leader in a good mood. they crowd around bisco and milo, asking them for favors like if bisco can fire a shot for them or if milo can read books to the kids. gana then calls on the tribe to bring out their best alcohol and meat, and of course good food for actagawa too.

Bisco turns red in embarrassment and tries to tell Gana something. B: “Uh... ma’am. Sorry, but I don’t really--” G: “Oh I know, ya think ya won’t like what we got. Don’t worry, I like to drink so I have lots of good stuff. Ya won’t be bored here, I tell ya.” Milo was the only one who knew that Bisco didn’t drink alcohol, and he snickered as he whispered into Bisco’s ear. M: (“It’s okay, I’ll take your drink if you take some of my food. If they bring out centipede karaage, make sure you eat it for me.”) B: (“O... okay. Let’s do that.”) G: “Would yer panda friend like his own tattoo? I’m good at ‘em, unlike the other elders. How about one that gives divine protection from a real strong god?” M: “No way! Really?! Okay, then I also want mine under my right eye here...” B: “Hell no, stop! Calm down, old hag! And stop listenin’ to her, Milo!”

They spend the entire night partying with the caravan, getting strung around teaching people archery and medicine and other things. off to the side, actagawa just quietly ate his food and played in the river.

THE END

Other notes:

Chaba means tea leaf, and Gana (her name written in the story as ガナ) might be a reference to Ghana (ガーナ) chocolates?

#sabikui bisco #rust eater bisco #sbkb summary series #akaboshi bisco #nekoyanagi milo

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sirowsky-stories · 2 years ago

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Part 30 - The Finale

Pero Tovar and Female Reader (nicknamed Bee) Modern AU

The happily ever after awaits, but as always, there's a bump in the road.

Creator chooses not to use Warnings! This is 18+ONLY! Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that's read and commented, liked or lurked. I'm sorry to leave these guys, but I am very happy with this ending, so I hope you'll like it too <3

Word Count: 9485 Masterlist (this story) Author’s Masterlist

<><><><><><><><><><>

You were getting married in a few days. That was a tough thing to wrap your head around, even though it was the most wonderful thing ever. Not that it technically changed anything, it was just such a… Thing. Everyone you’d told had been completely ecstatic about it, adding to the love-fest, but also unwittingly adding a level of pressure that you hadn’t really anticipated.

You would’ve been fine with simply bringing your father and best friend to church, had a short ceremony and then just made dinner together and had a relaxed party at home. But word had spread, not just through your family and friends but through your customers as well, and what was most surprising about it was that it was your old clientele that had been most excited, calling to congratulate and asking if they could join the festivities.

And you hadn’t been able to turn them down. Not after they’d all been so understanding about your injuries and inability to draw anymore. Which was why the wedding had become a gigantic THING. Over a hundred guests were coming. You’d had to close the shop for the entire week just to give Abby enough time to organize and prepare everything, from flower arrangements to cakes, not to mention decorating.

Your chosen venue was an old barn outside of the city, which had long since stopped being used for hay, and become a local dancehall instead. And while it couldn’t seat such a large crowd for a meal, it could seat them for the ceremony, and then they’d all have to take their chair with them out behind the barn, where the tables would already be set, and the lunch already served.

All of which had been Abby’s idea, and while it had sounded a little spartan to you, your trust in your chosen sister was absolute, so you hadn’t questioned her choices even once. She’d roped in both Dean and Claire to help with the food, cakes, and snacks, while other acquaintances of hers had provided the furnishings and the logistics of moving them to the location.

So, thankfully, you hadn’t needed to do much at all, beyond deciding what you wanted to look like on the day. But that was perhaps also why you felt somewhat detached from the whole thing. Like it wasn’t actually happening to you. Meanwhile, Pero was so wonderfully unbothered. He couldn’t care less how it happened, so long as you were happy with everything.

And he’d heard you on the phone with so many of your old clients, hearing how moved you’d been to hear from them, so to him, it had never been a question of whether you should turn anyone down from attending. To him, each guest was just a testament to your kind heart and the open arms with which you’d approached the world throughout your life.

However, he was also completely drunk on you, ever since you’d decided to try for another baby, so you weren’t entirely sure that his perspectives were all that reliable.

The morning before the big day was a Friday, and he seemed to wake up in some kind of breeding mode, perhaps as a result of the overall love-theme of that weekend, but in any case, he was downright feral from the moment he opened his eyes. For forty minutes straight, he had you pinned under him, scarcely letting you move at all, whether you were on your front or back, while he relentlessly drove into you.

His arms strained to constantly keep your hips elevated against him, and every time he came deep inside you, he refused to let either of you rest, or a single drop of his seed from going to waste. Not until you were both so spent that your every muscle was trembling, and your bodies just couldn’t move anymore, did he finally let up and allow himself to collapse beside you.

“Honey…” you breathed after a long pause. “Are you okay?”

He was so exhausted that all you got in response was a small grunt at first. But after another few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked at you.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rough.”

“Don’t worry about it, I would’ve told you if I didn’t like it, you know that. I’m just wondering where that came from?” you clarified, and he huffed a laugh, but it seemed like it was directed at himself.

“You are ovulating, mi amor. It always drives me crazy, but since I will not get to touch you tonight, or tomorrow, I needed to make sure you would be full of me until then,” he explained, prompting you to ignore the fatigue in your body so that you could rise to your elbows, because you needed your head to clear.

“Wait, what? How-… Since when can you tell if I’m ovulating? I didn’t even know that!” you exclaimed, truly thinking that he must be joking somehow.

You weren’t actively keeping track of your cycles, beyond having a general idea of when your next bleed would be, because you and Pero rarely ever went a day without sex anyway, so it seemed superfluous. Surely, he’d just counted the days since your period, how else could he possibly know?

“You smell different,” he elaborated, turning your jaw slack in the process, leaving your mouth hanging open, which only seemed to amuse him. “It is a very enticing type of smell for me, it always makes me want to put my mark on you. Figuratively, of course.”

“No way… that can’t be real,” you challenged, but he just smiled and scooted closer, demonstratively sniffing the skin of your lower arm.

“Oh, yes, it is. You always smell nice to me, but for these few days, it gets… muskier. Richer and more noticeable. You smell like you normally do after sex, even before I’ve touched you.”

“Seriously?”

“Mm-hm,” he hummed, and he sounded really pleased.

“Huh… I never would’ve thought that. I mean, I know we all have our own scent, but I really didn’t think that it could be that noticeable to anyone. But wait, what do you mean you can’t touch me tonight? We never said we’d do the traditional night before the wedding stuff.”

“We never said it, no, but I have a feeling it will happen anyway. There is so much to do today, and we will need our sleep for tomorrow, when we’ll both need to get up early and get started on preparations for what is also going to be a very long day. And to be honest… it is a distraction. At least for me. And I don’t want to be distracted this weekend, I want to be in the present, with you, for all of it. We have each other to enjoy carnally for the rest of our lives.”

You sighed lightly, ending in a smile, because this man was just too damned sweet.

“Well, when you put it like that…”

He smiled with you, reached up to kiss you softly on the lips, and then started trying to coax his body back to life so that he could get up.

<><><><><>

Pero really was very excited about the wedding. He wasn’t even sure why, but it just felt like such a wonderful thing to get to celebrate his love for you among so many people, all of whom had had some form of positive effect on your life, and vice versa. The only thing he was slightly saddened about, was the knowledge that the extent of the groom’s side was William and no one else. He had nothing more to bring. The rest of them would all come for you.

But he was tremendously happy that so many people wanted to be there for you. And he was immeasurably proud that he’d get to stand before all those people and hear you confess your love for him. The sadness he felt lay only in how poor he felt in not having anything but himself to share with you in return. An irrational sadness perhaps, since you’d already proven that none of that mattered to you.

It was just such a harsh reminder of how alone he’d been before you. But also, of how rich you’d made him.

Saturday did see the two of you waking up tired, following late night preparations and fixing of last-minute problems that had of course occurred, because it wouldn’t be a big celebration without at least a few mishaps for you to bemusedly recall in the future. But you were both happy, even as you first woke up, despite the terrible fatigue and the comfiness of the bed that you now had to leave.

You kissed good morning and then rolled out of bed to get the day started. You’d agreed that breakfast was going to be a nice and calm affair, with just the three of you, plus Groot, both to give you a good start of the day, but also to make sure that you’d eat something before all the stressful stuff. Because once that started, you knew that you wouldn’t have time to sit down for a meal.

Mae wasn’t in the best mood, though. She was sleepy in the mornings in general and didn’t approve of being woken extra early, so she was cranky throughout breakfast. But it was still just a regular morning, and it was nice to just sit there and talk and let your minds have a rest from the party. From now on, it would have to sort itself out anyway, because it was too late to change anything, and if something went wrong at this point, you’d just have to go with it.

After the meal, however, it was time to split up. Pero would take Babybee with him, while you went to get your hair and make-up done with Abby, after which, your bestie would bring your daughter back to you while he went to a barber and then Dean would help him with the suit. And then it was pretty much gametime.

William was gonna go with him to the barber and get a little makeover, or really just a tidying of his head-hair, after all his time in the bunker. He was living in the country house with Dean and Abby now, so they’d brought him to the barn when they’d left that morning, making it easier for Pero to pick him up. And getting there, he was astounded at how good it all looked in the daylight.

Everyone but Will had all been there the night before, putting up the flower decorations, twinkle lights, and all the finishing touches, but it was still something else to see it all come to life under the sun.

“There’s my boy! How you feeling, son?” Dean greeted him as he stepped into the barn with an impressed whistle.

“Like the luckiest human being in the world,” he grinned in return, hugging the small mountain of a man.

“Oh, I do believe you are, Mr. Tovar. Although, I am somewhat biased.”

“As a father, I think you are allowed to be.”

“Thank you,” Dean laughed warmly, before the men pulled apart.

And right then, Mae came waddling through the grass, having made her way across the lawn on her own bare feet, with a watchful eye from her father, of course.

“Babybee! My sweetest little angel, how are you?” the grandfather giggled, in his own uniquely booming way, and the child was immediately excited.

“Baba!” she squealed and giggled, and then promptly fell on her butt when her focus was disrupted.

She’d been quicker to learn how to walk than talk, but mama had unsurprisingly been her first word. Closely followed by baba, which she called both Pero and Dean.

“Oh, my gosh, you’re getting so big! Soon you’ll be running off doing all the stuff you’re not supposed to do, and then we’ll all be in trouble,” the older man cooed while scooping her up in his big arms.

“Mm, especially now when her parents will soon be busy with two of you,” the younger man added, making Dean splutter in shock.

“What!? You guys are pregnant?”

Ooops… He’d assumed that you’d told your father that the two of you were trying, you always told him everything. But apparently, you’d been too busy to mention this part.

“No, not yet… Ay, forgive me. I thought she had told you that we have started working on it,” he sheepishly admitted, but the older man just laughed heartily.

“Nope. But that’s fantastic news, my boy! The family keeps growing. What a truly wonderful thing,” he chirped, and pulled his son into another hug.

But as they parted once more, Pero’s eyes went around the room, looking for the only missing piece of the moment.

“He’s out back, by the treeline,” Dean said, much more mellow as he noticed where the younger man’s focus had gone.

“He did not wish to come inside?”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know what he wishes. It’s been a year and a half since Bee first got through to him, and still, it’s like he actively resists anything that might put a smile on his face,” the older man sighed with a mild shake of his head.

“Well, let’s leave him be for now. I am sure Abby has left some things for us to do.”

Together, the three of them put together the finishing touches in preparation for the guests, although Mae mostly just tagged along and babbled. Their chores included fixing the welcoming drinks, putting the tablecloths out and then setting the tables, making sure all the chairs were accounted for since there weren’t any spares, and checking and double checking the sound systems for the microphones.

Then the musicians arrived. You’d insisted on a live orchestra instead of a DJ, and that was what you’d gotten. Thirty performers strong, in fact. And while the men listened to them warm up and test their instruments, they both had to agree that you’d been right. Living music being performed live would never top recorded music blasting through speakers. That was simply a fact.

Shortly after that, Abby came back to take Babybee over to you so that the boys could start getting ready, and Pero couldn’t help but ask.

“How does she look?”

“Happy and very much in love,” was your chosen sister’s answer, and while it wasn’t what he’d meant with the question, it was still the perfect answer.

“Good,” was all he could think to say in return, and then he darted off to find his brother.

It took him a minute, because the man had moved from where Dean had suggested he’d been earlier, to sitting just outside the tent where the food was being prepared.

“Hey. Ready to go?” he asked once he got close enough to be heard.

“Sure,” was all the other man replied, getting up and falling in beside Pero on their way back to the car.

He was no chatterbox, nor particularly positive in general, but that morning he seemed even more down than what was his usual these days.

“Look, if you don’t want to do this, it’s fine,” the Spaniard reassured him, reiterating what he’d told him half a dozen times already.

“I know,” Will answered dispassionately, as if literally nothing could ever excite him again.

Once at the barber shop, both men took their seats beside each other while their barbers got to work, and throughout their visit, William never said a word. Pero kept up a decent conversation with the young man working on him, who really was a chatterbox and seemed to love all things wedding-related, but after twenty minutes of hitting a stone wall, the other barber gave up, and joined their conversation instead.

So, by the time they left, the Spaniard was somewhat annoyed with his comrade.

“Are you even the least bit happy for me?” he asked quietly after parking the car back by the barn, but before stepping out of it.

“Pero…” the other man sighed.

“No, tell me honestly: do you want to be here at all today? Because no one is forcing your hand, but if you’re going to be here, then at least try to be part of the love, instead of sitting like a thundercloud in the distance, waiting to block out the sun.”

Will closed his eyes and let his head fall forwards a bit then, seeming to struggle with something, although what that might be, his brother could only guess at, because the man seemed determined not to share his innermost thoughts with anyone. For all his progress, he still kept himself cut off from the world around him, rarely even engaging with it even on a superficial level, much less in any meaningful way.

“I’m not sure that I remember what happiness is, Tov,” he started, still with his eyes closed, but he opened them before continuing, staring out at the fairytale wedding your best friend had created with little more than nature and electricity. “But I see how happy you are, and I want that for you. I want you to have everything that I never could.”

“Ay, hermano… I know you do not see this, but you can still have those things too,” Pero tried, but then Will’s eyes fell shut again and he shook his head firmly.

“No. Even if my heart somehow allowed it, my fear would never let me go there. That’s one part of me that even your wife can’t reach.”

“Hey, do not get ahead of yourself, she’s not my wife yet.”

“Sure, she is. Just not legally.”

That made Pero chuckle, because it was absolutely true, and it was as close to a joke as he’d heard from his old friend in what felt like forever.

<><><><><>

Abby returned with Mae after just twenty minutes, at which point, the only thing you had left to do was put the dress on, which was going to be put off for as long as possible to prevent mishaps. Which meant that there was nothing preventing you from just playing with your daughter for a while.

You were back home while you waited for the boys to get ready, so all her toys and favourite things were available, and she had you all to herself, with the exception of one very pleased German Shepherd. Groot had had his own little spa-day while you’d been in hair and make-up, getting bathed, blow-dried and combed until his coat shined, by the local dog-grooming specialist. And he was so proud of his impeccable exterior.

Although, not too proud to still roll around on the floor and play. Mae had learned that if she stood up and started walking, the dog would come to her side and let her use him as a crutch, or just keep her from hitting her head against things. But the thing she loved the most, was if she happened to fall, because then he’d mirror her, dropping to the floor and rolling over as if he too had taken a spill.

Almost like he knew that she might consider falling a failure, and wanted her to know that there was nothing wrong with falling, because everyone does sometimes. In any case, it always made her smile when she saw him do that, no matter how sad or upset she might be, but since she was already happy today, it made her laugh hysterically instead.

Soon enough, though, the door opened, and your father’s voice came booming through the house. He had quite a tight schedule the poor man, but he seemed to love it. He was used to it, after all, as well as military level planning, and precision execution, so in truth, this was where he really thrived. In the thick of it.

“Bumblebee? You still here, sweetheart? No cold feet?”

“In the living room, dad. And my feet are currently too hot,” you called back, and watched him walk in and absorb the sight before him.

Mae had decided to build a castle out of pillows and blankets, and for some reason, you needed to be the base of this castle, which was why you were on your back on the floor, with about twenty things on top of you, including the dog.

“Hah, look at that. You might have a future architect here, Bee.”

“Let’s hope so,” you chirped, just as your daughter realized that her grandfather had stepped in, and immediately abandoned the castle.

“Go on and get dressed now, Bee. I’ve got everything set up outside, as soon as you’re ready, we’ll get going,” he smiled at you while picking up Mae.

“Okay. Will you get her changed in the meantime? Her clothes are hanging on the crib.”

“Yeah, we got it, mama.”

Your baby had repeatedly proven herself to not like dresses, which was why her wedding outfit consisted of a crème coloured overall, soft and stretchy so that she’d be comfortable, and her favourite sneakers, which were green. She was gonna have as good a day as possible, and that didn’t require her to look perfect.

The same could be said for you, but you actually wanted to look a little dolled up. This was likely to be the only time in your life when you were gonna have an opportunity to play Cinderella at the ball, or Belle at her dance with the prince, and you wanted to take the opportunity to live in a fantasy, just for this one day.

Still, your makeup wasn’t over the top and while your hair was certainly better tamed than you’d ever manage on your own, it wasn’t tied up in any complicated fashion. Most of it hung freely, with just a few tendrils pulled back so that there’d be something to attach a few small white flowers to.

The dress, however, was in a league of its own. It was a sweetheart cut tulle dress, with a top layer of snow-white lace that had been embroidered with leaves and the same type of flowers that were now in your hair. The skirt wasn’t flared, but there the lace had been bedazzled by thousands of beads and glass diamonds, most thickly gathered at the waist, carrying on down to your mid-thigh, before they started getting more scattered.

It was a masterpiece, made and tailored just for you, by the wonder woman that was your sister Arabella.

Stepping out of your room once it was on, your father momentarily lost all his marbles on the floor somewhere, along with his jaw, which was all the proof you needed that it was indeed perfect. You smiled at him, and his mirroring smile was enough to bring tears of joy to his eyes.

“Oh, my baby… you’re so beautiful,” he said through the stocking in his throat, while carefully stepping closer to hug you.

“Thank you, dad. I feel really special today. Just so full of love…” you croaked in return, trying not to let your own tears spill, even though your makeup was waterproof.

“I know what you mean. So, let’s go celebrate all this love, shall we?” he suggested, stepping back to pick up Mae, who was trying to grab the hem of your dress because it was shiny and much too tempting for baby fingers.

But you weren’t bothered by her potentially picking a few little sparkles off, so you reached for her once he’d gotten her up, and he handed her to you without complaint. Instead, he picked up your bag of essentials for the evening, slinging it over his shoulder before grabbing your phone and keys from the shelf in the hall, and then held the door for his girls so that he could lock it for you once you and Groot were outside.

There was a small train on the back of the dress, just enough to make it fan out behind you, and he was quick to sweep it up while you made your way to the carriage. Like the true romantic that your father was, he’d insisted on taking you to your wedding by horse and carriage, and it wasn’t some rickety old thing either. It was a retired Royal carriage that he’d bought on auction and restored to its former glory. A convertible model, black, with silver detailing and deep green velvet on the seats.

He helped you and Mae get in via the step that fell out whenever the door on the side was opened, letting Groot hop in last, and then he climbed into the coachman’s seat and grabbed the reins. Happy and Ike were excellent carriage horses, content to trudge along at a moderate pace and would always stay perfectly still whenever they were brought to a stop, needing no groomsmen or helpers.

Your daughter absolutely loved the ride, and joyously sat in your lap, pointing at everything she could see, for once not speeding past too quickly for her to even make anything out, getting increasingly excited every time you named what she indicated, even though she had no idea what most of it was. Meanwhile, the dog sat on the seat opposite you, happily letting his tongue catch the wind.

Since your house was already on the outskirts of town, the ride wasn’t that long, which resulted in you reaching your destination a little too quickly. But, as it happened, that would turn out to be most fortuitous. Because while you stopped a bit down the road from the barn, along a stretch that was lined on either side by very old maple and beech trees, a familiar frame came towards you.

A gangly, middle-aged black man, with a digital camera that probably cost more than your average monthly salary, slung around his neck.

“Mr. Okusanya… Hi. It’s so good to see you again,” you said, smiling at the memory of the only other time you’d seen him, nervously trying to order a drawing of a diamond-decorated cock, much to Pero’s polite confusion.

“Thank you for letting me invite myself, Mrs. Tovar.”

You glossed over the premature use of the name, because you already loved how that sounded, and really, what difference did an hour make?

“After your kind response to my handicap and the loss of your order, how could I not?” you replied, unable to stop the slight sorrow that always accompanied any reminder of your lost skill and passion, from slipping into your voice and your expression.

“Oh, never mind that. As it turns out, just voicing that particular interest without being ridiculed or belittled in any way, helped me to be a more confident person. Thanks to your kindness, I’m getting married too, next year. And I never would’ve dared to tell him anything about that if you hadn’t opened the door for me first, so believe me, I am only ever grateful to you.”

His words sent a flurry of warmth and compassion through your chest, as well as a slight swell of pride that you’d been able to do something so profound for this man, by just being yourself, leaving you speechless but smiling widely.

“And on the subject of my gratitude, if I may, I’d very much like to repay you,” he added, after wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye. “Will you let me take your wedding photos?”

Stunned, you just stared at him for a moment, and then nodded your agreement, because it was just such a wonderful thing to offer. You hadn’t even considered hiring a professional photographer, because you hadn’t felt up for the whole idea of structuring a photoshoot into your schedule and then having a stranger, and essentially a paparazzi, lurking about all day.

But this wasn’t a stranger. And as a photographer, he was used to nature motifs, including animals which were generally mobile and required him to blend into the background not to startle them away. Odds were, you’d never even notice him moving around the guests.

“That’s very kind of you, sir,” your father suddenly entered the conversation, having stayed out of it while you got reacquainted, and because you hadn’t remembered to introduce him.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry! Amari, this is my father, Dean. Dad, this is one of my former clients, Amari Okusanya,” you hurried to correct your mistake, and then remembered your child, still sitting on your lap. “And this is my daughter Mae.”

The two men exchanged pleasantries and then Amari suggested taking some photos right there, with the gorgeous trees for a backdrop, while you waited for the clock to strike. You stepped out of the carriage and followed his instructions, letting him move the skirt of the dress around to experiment with angles and movement, all the while feeling mildly lost since you’d never posed for anyone before.

But he noticed and suggested taking a few pics with you by the horses, which instantly set you at ease. And then with Groot, then Dean, then all of you, then just you and Mae, and he kept going like that, just keeping you occupied, allowing him to snatch candid photos in between the posed ones. Until you were suddenly out of time.

<><><><><><>

Pero heard the carriage arrive on the road outside the barn. The shoes that he had put on your father’s horses clapping against the pavement in a double rhythm, bringing him his bride and partner in all things. It made his heart swell just knowing that he was about to have you beside him again, ready to declare to all these witnesses, that you had chosen him.

He didn’t know who anyone in the room was, save for Abby, Will, Claire, Kate and Cody, but it didn’t matter. They were all there to celebrate your love, and for that, he appreciated each and every one of them. William had taken the stage with him as his best man, but stood like a statue behind him, participating only with his presence, not his joy or excitement, which Pero could forgive because at least he was there. For a long time, that was more than he’d dared to hope.

Abby was across from him, on the other side of the altar, ready to free your hands and support you in any way you might need, already smiling with tears in her eyes before you’d even arrived. The two of you had been through so much together, throughout your lives, and been able to stick together through all of it, creating an unbreakable friendship that he would always cherish and protect.

The orchestra was lining the entrance of the barn, so when they started playing, it was because you and Dean had told them that it was time. That you were ready. So, when the music started, everyone rose to their feet, and Pero sucked in a nervous breath, suddenly unable to see anything but the sunlight that shone through the door.

Mae was too small to be a flower-girl, but Groot wasn’t. He came first, walking down the aisle while pulling his little sister in a tiny cart, attached to him via a harness, both of whom Pero had designed and constructed especially for today. And, ever the princess, Mae smiled and cooed as she was paraded in front of all the fancily dressed guests, all smiling at the adorable scene.

Then suddenly… there you were.

As if the sun itself had beamed you into that wide doorway, you seemed to glide into view, shining almost too bright for him to make you out at first, but as you stepped closer, the golden light released you, letting him see all of you. His breathing slowed even as his heart pounded harder. Because however nervous he’d been before, your presence always soothed him. Even now.

Unknowingly, he tried to step towards you, but a hand on his elbow held him back, reminding him that there was a procedure to this. He heard Will’s voice somewhere behind him whisper almost reverently about how beautiful you were, and he could only nod in agreement. He heard Abby snivel quietly, and saw your eyes turn to her with a tear-filled smile, just as you reached the altar and handed her your small bouquet of wildflowers, picked from around your house and the meadows around the barn.

Then Dean’s large hand was suddenly on Pero’s shoulder, and he was slightly startled to realize that he’d never even noticed your father walking in beside you. The older man was a mess of tears and smiles, pulling his adopted son in for a hug before he could bring himself to step aside, and let Pero step up to take his place at your side. The two men laughed quietly together for a moment, at their own overflowing emotions, and when they pulled apart, you were smiling at them with an equally overwhelmed heart.

With pride oozing from his every pore, Pero stepped over to you, offering you his arm for support as you climbed up the two steps onto the altar, while your other hand lifted the dress to keep you from tripping.

“You look so beautiful, my love,” you suddenly said, while Abby fiddled with your skirt so that it wouldn’t twist around your legs.

He hadn’t expected that hearing your voice would made his heart jump and pinch and bounce with excitement and gratitude, so when his own eyes abruptly filled with tears, he didn’t know what to do except just smile at you.

“My sun…” was all he managed to choke out in response, but you understood.

He had always been a star in your orbit. And he always would be.

<><><><><>

The entire ceremony was overwhelming for so many reasons. Walking up that aisle and seeing him standing there, actually in awe of you, was almost more than your heart could bear. Your ears registered Mae cooing and babbling when Groot brought her to Claire on the front row, next to the empty seat where your father would sit, but your eyes saw only the stranger.

And in a single second, you saw everything that had happened between you. From that first unwelcomed kiss, to finding him on your porch, inviting him in, letting him claim you… and everything that had followed because of it. So much of it had been bad, but you’d still suffer through all of it again, a hundred times, for the love and joy and wonder that it had brought into your life.

Then he was taking your hand, and his touch brought you back to the moment, to the reality of the man before you. The man you’d chosen, risked everything for, and allowed yourself to love without boundaries or restraints. The words came of their own, from some part of your brain that you weren’t in control over right that second.

You wondered if your face mirrored his in that moment. If you too looked as though the protective dam around your heart had burst open, flooding the air around you with rainbows, sparkles and sunshine. You hoped so.

The priest took over then, and as per your instructions, kept it short, sweet and light-hearted, as churchly rituals could so easily become stuffy and stale. But this pastor was young and had a modern view of church, believing it to be something that needed to adapt to the present, as all things did, and had no trouble drawing laughter from the crowd and thereby stripping the ceremony of all nervousness or tension.

You’d written your own vows, and just getting through them without forgetting every other word became another humorous spectacle, but one that you both felt entirely comfortable with. Because how were you supposed to say such powerful and incredible things to one another, in front of a hundred people, without getting flustered? It was impossible to begin with, so there was nothing to do but laugh at it and soldier on.

The engagement ring that he’d made for you had been made of steel, polished until it shined and then engraved with a planet. And the wedding rings told the story to completion. Identical in every way, except that yours added a star next to your planet, while his depicted that same star, but falling into a symbol of infinity. So simple, and so perfect.

And then, finally, there was the kiss.

The priest had only barely gotten through the sentence when Pero surged forwards. And you weren’t far behind yourself, resulting in a minor crash of your bodies against each other, and more laughter from the crowd, followed by cheering and applause. But you barely even heard it over the rushing of your blood and the happy pounding of your heart.

His arms held you so tightly to him, even long after the kiss had ended, unwilling to let you slip even an inch away from him. But not out of fear or possessiveness. He just didn’t wanna let you go. He wanted to feel your joy just as much as you wanted to feel his. To touch your skin and feel how it warmed with the desired contact. But most of all, both of you just wanted to live in that moment and never let it go.

<><><><><><>

The guests saw nothing strange at all about being asked to bring their folding chairs with them to their seats, and without complaints, grabbed one each and started making their way outside to the tables, where the food had been served during the end of the ceremony. You hadn’t scheduled any speeches or really, anything at all past this point. From now on, it was just a feast, where the goal was simply for everyone to enjoy themselves.

There were no seating arrangements and no folder with any program for anyone to read or stick to. Just good food, an orchestra that took requests, plenty of wine and beer for those that fancied it, and an announcement from you that everyone was welcome to dig in. That was it. The rest would happen if it happened, and however it wanted to happen.

During the meal, Pero really struggled to look at anything but you, or occasionally Mae when her sounds drew his attention. But she was with her grandfather and as happy as any kid could be, so his focus kept coming back to you. He found himself watching the silliest little details about you, like how you held your fork, or how your throat moved when you chewed. The tiny hairs on your arms that fluttered in the breeze.

Not one drop of alcohol crossed his lips, and yet he felt utterly drunk all day.

“If I may have your attention, dear guests…” Dean eventually found the microphone, unable to keep from giving a speech to his only daughter on her special day. “I can’t let this occasion pass, without saying a few things.”

His rich, strong voice carried to every ear across the open area, and everyone fell into a deeply respectful and complete silence.

“A father’s greatest fear in life, is that his children won’t be safe. But when that life is good, and his children are safe, his fear instead becomes about their happiness. And for a long time, I thought I knew what a happy Bumblebee looked like. But as it would turn out, I was very wrong.”

He paused then, needing to swallow against the tears that were already coming.

“When Pero entered her life, my daughter became something new to my eyes. Something I’d never seen before. It would take me some time to figure out what that was, but eventually, I realized that it was in fact, security. It was the comforting and effortless happiness of knowing that her heart is safely held by someone else’s hands. Someone who truly values that gift and without hesitation, returns it. Now, that doesn’t mean that life is suddenly perfect. But it does mean that the good moments, truly are as good they can be, and that’s something to be grateful for. That’s what you give to my baby girl, Pero, and that is why I will always love you, my son.”

If he had planned to add more to that speech, that plan was halted then, because that was as much as he could get through before the emotions became too overwhelming. And not just for him. Unable to let such amazing words go without acknowledgement, Pero rose and stepped over to the man, pulling him into a strong hug that saw them both break down for a minute.

But when they pulled apart, it was with smiles in their features and joy in their hearts, even if their faces were drenched in tears. And you were right there behind him, throwing your arms around your father’s neck as soon as it was free, letting him lift you off the ground with how tightly he held you. The crowd applauded again, and there weren’t many dry eyes among them.

After that, the late afternoon flowed in its own kind of rhythm, sometimes slow and mellow, with conversation and mingling, and sometimes energetic and loud, filled with dance and laughter. It rose and fell, over and over, but Pero seemed to be sailing his own river in the middle of that ocean, remaining steadfast at the same pace, no matter how rowdy the seas churned around him. Undoubtedly lulled by his continued drunkenness on love.

Until Groot suddenly placed his head in his lap and whined unhappily.

The sound was so unexpected that it made him pause and turn his entire attention to the animal, and when he did, Groot got up and started walking away from the festivities. He stopped when the human didn’t follow, looking back at him with another whine, so he got up and fell in behind the dog, wondering what he could possibly want to show him at that particular place and time.

The canine led him across the entire field that connected to the barn, passed the horses that had been set free to graze while the festivities carried on, all the way down to the creek, the same one that trailed past your house, further up the road. And when they got there, Groot indicated something of interest down by the bigger rocks that were closest to the water.

“Of course, it must be down there…” he sighed, looking at the dog with a quizzical brow. “Do I have to? Can you not go down there and bring whatever it is you want me to see up here?”

The animal just kept looking at the rocks, slowly wagging his tail while he waited for the human to get the message.

“Fine. But just so you know, this suit was very expensive,” he griped as he loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves.

Carefully climbing down the slippery bank, he miraculously managed to reach the bottom without any mishap, and started looking for whatever the dog was indicating. At first glance, he missed it, because he wasn’t expecting it to be something that connected to his past. But once he saw the small hidden package, he already knew what it was going to be, and his heart skipped a beat.

At the Falcons, they’d been taught that if they ever got separated from their partner and were fatally injured, to hide an identifying mark within a scarf or sock, and then use nature to conceal it. They hadn’t worn dog-tags or anything specifically identifying like that, but their partners had known their every item of clothing and every one of their possessions.

And since William had still refused to rejoin society, Pero was very much aware of exactly how few things the man now owned, and exactly how each of those things looked. A worn and frayed cap that had once belonged to a young Dean, so old now that it no longer had any colour, had been bundled up and jammed down between two larger rocks, and then almost completely covered by mud and leaves.

He pulled it out, placing it on one of the larger rocks before gently prying it open to find a neatly folded note, protected by a plastic bag, inside. Sorrow filled his soul as he stuffed the bag into his pocket and started climbing back up the bank, somehow managing to escape without muddying up his pants, only to then sit down in the soft grass back at the edge of the field.

Groot instantly knew that he wasn’t doing well, and sat down beside him, leaning his entire body against Pero’s side, for support as well as comfort. He gratefully scratched the dog’s chest for a few beats, to thank him, but also to delay opening the note. Because even if it wasn’t as bad as he feared, it wasn’t going to be anything good.

He hadn’t seen Will at the party for a while, but he’d assumed that the man had just wandered off to escape the positive atmosphere for a bit, since he wasn’t susceptible to it, which probably made it grating to listen to and be surrounded by. He really hadn’t thought that something like this might happen. Especially not now, after so much time had passed and so much progress had been made.

But there was no avoiding it. He’d have to read it sooner or later, so he might as well get it over with now, when the atmosphere of love that was waiting for him back by the barn, would help him endure whatever pain this would cause him. So, he pulled the bag out and ripped the plastic open, shoving it back in his pocket so it wouldn’t fly off on the wind while he unfolded and read the piece of paper, unbiddenly recognizing that it was a sheet from the shopping-notepad on Dean’s fridge.

Which meant that he hadn’t done this on impulse. It had been planned, since early that morning, at the latest. But probably much further back than that.

~Pero, I know that this will hurt you, especially today, but I can’t put it off any longer. My life was supposed to end that day, with them. Everything after that has been wrong. Just layer upon layer of wrong. I didn’t have it in me to end it back then, and I still don’t. But I’m also not gonna fight for a life that isn’t meant to be. I’ll leave my fate to nature, and if she decides to end me, I’ll finally get to rest. If she doesn’t, then I guess that’s just my penance. Either way, this is our ending, brother. I never deserved you, but I have loved you all the same.

Please, tell your wife that I will forever carry her bravery and kindness in my heart. Tell her I’m sorry. I am so very sorry. Will~

He read it three times before he could accept it. And then another three before the tears made it too hard to see. The pain made him want to blame the man for giving up, after all your effort spent trying to save him, to give him a chance to live again. It made him want to scream and curse his brother to hell for making all that struggle and heartache and misery pointless.

But he couldn’t, because that wasn’t true. The harsh truth was that Will had never been given a choice. You and Pero had decided to try and undo Lang’s conditioning, unable to trust anything he’d said while under another man’s thumb. And then, when you’d finally started breaking through, the two of you still hadn’t believed him when he’d asked you to stop.

No matter how much progress he’d made, you had never heard him when he’d said that he didn’t want this life. Because you hadn’t wanted to hear it. Either of you. And that now left the Spaniard with two questions.

Should he wipe his tears away, plaster a fake smile on his lips and go back to try and let the positive atmosphere purge his sorrows? Or should he take you aside and tell you what had happened, ruining the day for both of you? But he already knew the answer, because there was no way that you wouldn’t see the pain in his eyes, no matter how well he tried to hide it.

You knew about the conversation that had taken place between him and William that day when you’d invited him to the house, so you knew that he hadn’t been doing so good. Still, Pero felt certain that this would somehow hurt you even more than it did him. Because to him, his brother represented his only good childhood memories, the only positive influence on his entire existence prior to meeting you.

But to you, he represented something far greater. Even with how briefly you’d known him, the poor man had somehow become tethered to your sense of hope, your belief in miracles and the healing power of love and acceptance. And your husband feared that losing that was going to rip a hole through your soul.

Even so, he couldn’t lie to you. Not today, when you were celebrating togetherness.

He got up and started walking back, wiping his tears and straightening his tie on the way, doing his best not to let all the guests see how hard he was fighting to hold himself together, as he made his way through the crowd to find you. But you knew at first glance, before he’d even reached you, and came to his side to follow him out of earshot from everyone.

He couldn’t say it, so he showed you the note instead, and watched with a sinking heart as the words drilled through your being like blunt swords. You didn’t say anything at first. You just closed your eyes and tried to breathe. Tried to keep it from overpowering you. And you managed it a lot better than he had.

“He’s gone,” you whispered, but it felt like you were saying it to yourself.

As though you were trying to tell yourself, convince yourself, that this was the new reality and that you had to let it be.

“I don’t know what to do…” Pero admitted, gesturing blindly towards the guests and the party, feeling so torn between the joy of the wedding and the sorrow of this unexpected tragedy.

“There’s nothing we can do,” you said, and your voice was so sad, but also unexpectedly strong. “He’s gone.”

It seemed that you had decided to lean on love, and to let that hold you up, at least until this day was over. And in your surprising resolve, he somehow found a path back to the light of his heart. And as the day turned to evening, and the world darkened, revealing the thousands of twinkle lights that hung above the crowd and throughout the barn, the two of you did somehow manage to find your way back to a resigned sort of peace.

Perhaps in the knowledge that he was still alive, or in the fact that at the very least, neither of you had made this decision for him. That for the first time in a very long time, William Garin was free.

-=¤=-

“Daddy!”

“Hey, Mae-Mae! How was school?” he asked as his daughter came bouncing towards him, smiling widely as she waved a piece of paper in her hand.

“It was fun! Look! We made pictures of our hands!” she excitedly explained while handing him the picture.

“Oh, wow! That does sound like fun. Maybe we should ask mama if she has any fun paint at the shop, and we could all make pictures of our hands.”

“Yeah!”

“Yeah, let’s do that. But right now, we must go home and let Groot out.”

“Okay, daddy.”

He opened the car door for her, and since she was three years old now, she could climb in and up into the car-seat by herself.

“Hi, Jace!” she called once she was in her seat, but Pero gently hushed her.

“Shh… He is sleeping, angel. We will wake him when we get home.”

“Oh. Sorry,” she whispered, trying to peer at her little brother at the other end of the backseat.

“It’s good that you are excited to see him, just remember that he is still very small and has lots of growing to do.”

“And we grow best in our sleep, right daddy?” she proudly repeated what you’d told her on numerous occasions when she’d been trying to stay up past her bedtime.

“That’s right.”

He booped her nose and then made sure she was safely buckled up before closing the door and getting in the driver’s seat. Once home, he let her out first, handing her the house keys once she was on the ground, before rounding the car to pick up his nine-month-old who loved nothing more than to sleep, and especially in the car.

“Hey, dormilón… time to wake up, we’re home,” he cooed once the boy was in his arms.

Meanwhile, Mae was already unlocking the front door to let the patient Shepherd out, giggling as he playfully bounced around her before running over to greet Pero and make sure that everything was alright with the family, before he felt okay to go relieve himself.

While they waited for you to get home, Pero played with Mae while simultaneously tidying up the house, getting dinner started, changing Jace’s diaper, and doing some laundry. The trashcan in the kitchen was full, so while his son had gone back to sleep, he told Groot to keep an eye on the girl while he took the garbage out to the bin. He had absolute faith that the dog wouldn’t let his daughter anywhere near anything dangerous in the minute that it would take him to get back.

But just as he’d dumped the bag into the bin, a movement to his left caught his eye. It was so small that he assumed it to be a trick of his own senses, which seemed to be confirmed when he looked towards the imagined movement and found nothing there. Dismissing it, he turned to walk back inside, only to find himself stopping halfway there. And this time, he wasn’t imagining anything.

Before he’d even turned, he knew that it was real. As though the pressure in the air had suddenly changed, he felt the man’s presence. Slowly turning his head, his long lost brother came into view between the trees. Alive, and by the looks of it, doing alright. A tear-filled smile spread across Pero’s face, and then the man was gone.

He waited until after dinner, when the kids were tucked in and sleeping soundly and the two of you were huddled up on the couch together, trying to stay awake after a long day, to tell you about it.

“I saw him today,” he said softly into your hair, as you rested your head against his chest.

“Who?” you answered, sounding comfortably sleepy.

“William.”

It took you a second to absorb that, and then you sat up so that you could turn your body around and look at him. As if you needed to see his eyes to believe that it could be true.

“He only gave me a glimpse, but… he’s alive, Bee,” he continued once you could see him, and suddenly your entire being seemed to shine.

You didn’t say a word, and you didn’t need to. He could see how that part of your soul, that part that he’d been so afraid would get ripped to pieces by losing Will, came back together right then. You’d been so composed after you’d read that note that he had come to believe that he’d been wrong about how you’d take it. But now, a year and a half later, he could see how you healed as your faith in miracles was restored.

You didn’t know it yet, but as your children would grow up, a mysterious stranger would watch them from the shadows. Time and time again, he would shield them from harm in an ever more dangerous world, and even though they’d get frightened on the few occasions that they’d happen to catch a glimpse of him, their father would always tell them to trust him.

And when they’d ask him why in the world they should do that, he would tell them the three most important lessons that life with you had taught him:

“Because even a killer can be a good person. Even a mother can be a terrible person. And even a stranger can be a brother.”

THE END

===============

#pero tovar fanfiction #pero tovar x female reader #pero tovar x reader #pero x reader #the great wall fanfiction #the great wall modern au #modern!pero #modern!au #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal character fanfiction #sirowsky stories

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keefwho · 1 year ago

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July 22 - 2023 Saturday

10:31 AM

I don’t think it wise to draw comparisons between current dynamics and old ones but I can’t help but notice similarities sometimes. My ex and I were in a situation where he clamored for my attention but I didn’t want to give it to him. In my case it’s because he made me feel uneasy and guilty for not being everything he wanted me to be. My strategy to deal with him was to not entertain is behavior or requests but he never let up. Sometimes I feel like I’m in his position, simply being put up with until it gets too much for them or I settle down. Of course people are different and I could be misinterpreting behavior. IF it is true though, it might not be a total loss. I have the experience to know that I do need to lessen my grip and lighten up. Thats what I wanted him to do at least.

This is also my first time openly acknowledging said individual as my ex. As much as I don’t want to admit that we were technically dating and everything fell through, thats what happened. It’s the reality of my past.

8:33 AM (The Next Day)

Forgot again to journal because last night was drinkin night.

Yesterday my intent was to keep busy no matter what so my thoughts didn’t get too out of hand. I was mostly successful, I actually consider yesterday to have been a good day for once. Breakfast was some potstickers and a poptart. In the morning I worked on fixing the image compression in my VRchat furry world and adding new pics to the gallery for about 30 minutes. I did a couple other random little things I don’t really remember. I watched some more of the Chris Chan documentary while I was busy. I remember getting horny enough midday to message my friend but it was mostly to distract myself from my commonly upset midday tummy so I deleted it before she read it hopefully. I wasn’t actually able to follow up with that request even if I wanted so that would have been irresponsible. Lunch was spaghetti and meatballs. For the afternoon I spent a few hours finishing up my bathroom world in David’s server. I finally finished it so I’m happy to move onto other projects finally. As I was finishing up, my friends were down to watch the first Rugrats movie so we did that while I was uploading the world. It was a good movie. Afterwards I really wanted to get in VR so I could check out the world and make it a little surprise so we did that. BUT I somehow overlooked the fact that NONE of the animations were global which really put a damper on my experience for awhile. Most of the night I was thinking about how I’m gonna fix this instead of just enjoying my time. I did have a lot of fun though. I was trying to request a little along time with my friend but I can’t tell if she was avoiding that or didn’t see what I was trying to say. After she went to bed I focused on fixing the world’s networking which I did fairly easily but then I had an issue where the particles were all black which took me 40 minutes to realize it needed a Unity restart to fix. Now the only problem is that animations aren’t buffered for late joiners so there can be some de-sync with the animations but it’s not a massive problem. I also stayed up until 2 am because I got too horny, I wish I hadn’t. I really don’t like how horny I can get being a guy.

I’ve been trying to make my desires known to others instead of bottling things up and expecting them to be mind readers. I’d much rather have a yes or no answer instead of dropping hints trying to determine if they are ignoring me or not picking up on the hints. I think it’s a toxic thing I do to avoid direct communication. It’s an exercise in self respect to tell someone exactly what I want from them and accept whether they want to give it or not.

#journal #diary #ex #vrchat #movie

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jpsportsinternship · 2 years ago

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Entry 1

Assimilaton and Preparedness

The main emotion surrounding the anticipation of an internship was eagerness & excitement. The opportunity to complete an internship in the Sports Media landscape was a massive drawing point to this course for me.

Any internship would be a fantastic experience to learn more about the industry, whilst gaining experience and potentially putting my foot in the door. I applied for seven or eight internship partners, this included a wide variety; internship partners based in sport I didn’t know much about or have much passion for and partners based in sports that I know and love.

After having a brief interview a few weeks prior, I’ve been taken on by Outer East Football Netball, a football/netball league which, as it states, is in the East and is not close the CBD. Their headquarters are on Colchester Rd in Kilsyth which is handy as it’s an eight minute drive from my house. Two people who commentate there are people I’m friends with through Holmeslgen.

After hearing back from a few internship partners, that they hadn’t selected me, I was slightly disappointed but was still excited and hopeful about the prospect that I could land an internship with Outer East Football Netball.

Being a massive football person, this was a great fit for. It was also a great fit for me because I love writing and I love analysing things, being a highly analytical person myself.

My first day (31st of August) was exciting, I arrived at 10am and was sat in a room at a desk, after being introduced to all the staff there who very warm & welcoming, where I’d start my first task; writing Grand Final previews for both football and netball.

It was the Division 2 Grand Finals, played out at Healesville. My previews were of the following; football- u19s, Reserves and Seniors, netball- A Grade, B Grade, C Grade, D Grade and 17&U.

This took me all day, from 10 until 5:30pm with a 30 minute lunch break. I was quite tired from all that typing and writing (notes in my book with pen) but I was happy what I had managed to achieve.

Researching players statistics, past matchups (between the competing teams), leading goal scorers and possession getters etc was quite fun and something I do as a hobby anyway (with AFL stats).

The feeling the in air at the Outer East Football Netball headquarters was one of vibrance and positivity. Asking questions and sharing a laugh was something that could be done easily and there was no awkwardness to speak of. This was helpful in me settling in at Outer East because I am quite a bubbly outgoing person.

Not just for me, an intern, but the for all involved, it’s highly important that the workplace environment is healthy. This may seem obvious, whilst academic literature affirms this notion. According to Theorell et al (2015) poorly functioning work environments can lead to depressive symptoms.

Forbes magazine goes further, “assimilation is not only desirable, but also necessary for the success of the organization. In many companies, assimilation to some degree or another is also necessary for the success of the organization.”

For my first day, my excitement was satisfied with the writing of reviews and it’s my belief that I fit in well into the work environment.

Reference: Theorell et al. BMC Public Health (2015) 15:738

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3rensgf · 4 years ago

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stupid/annoying, but endearing, things they do in a relationship eren, armin, jean, connie, erwin, levi, reiner, bertholdt, porco, zeke, colt, hanji, mikasa, sasha, annie, pieck

word count: 2.3k

warnings: one mention of sex in erens, reader uses makeup in jeans, mentions of injuries and dilf!reiner in reiners

notes: this is a gn!reader. there are mentions of makeup being used, but i feel like any gender can use makeup. it's not even anything serious like a beat face. just some lip gloss n mascara. chapstick too but thats not makeup. it's just one line, so you can skip over it if you would like to!

✩ eren bites you. its not even in a sexual way, he just likes to bite. they’re like a second form of kissing to him. you could be chilling together on the couch watching a movie, and he’ll just chomp on your shoulder. even when you were trying to focus on something, he swings by, bites then leaves. eren has no shame, so he does it in front of your friends too. you could be having a normal conversation with mikasa and he’ll just bite you, then the two of you carry on as if it was normal. it’s not normal. but you love it. sometimes you bite him back too. but only in private.

✩ armin gives you random things he finds. armin likes to go out and explore, with or without you. when he comes back after an adventure you opted out of, he always has something for you he found. a rock, a seashell or a cool flower are just some of the things he gets for you. if he can’t find something, he finds a gift shop to get you something instead, saying, “well, (y/n), i did find it in the gift shop.” he always looks so proud giving it to you, rambling about the story of how he found your gift. you have a small box tucked away with all the treasures he gives you.

✩ jean steals your things. whenever he comes over, he likes to mooch off your possessions. if he’s spending the night at your place and needs a shower, he’s using your shampoo, conditioner and body wash. if his lips are chapped, he swipes your lip balm to use on himself. one time you even walked in on him trying your mascara and lip gloss. another time he had your clothes on his giant frame. but he always replaces whatever he uses, venmoing you within the next few days with some cash and a sorry note. “sorry for using ur lip balm baby, buy some more <3” with $20 attached to it. you tell him that lip balm doesn’t even cost that much, but he tells you to treat yourself to lunch with the extra money.

✩ connie makes plans without letting you know beforehand. at 3am, you are woken up by an influx of messages and calls from your boyfriend. in your sleepy state you go to answer him, only to be told to get dressed and come out. he’s right outside of your house and hungry. you remind him it’s very early in the morning and you both have class. “but i’m hungry and craving burgers,” he repeats. you have no choice to get in the car with him. this can happen throughout the day, not just early in the morning. one time he whisked you away in the middle of your online class because he didn’t tell you he bought tickets to a movie showing in 30 minutes. the memories you share on these spontaneous dates are always your favorite ones with him.

✩ erwin buys you whatever you like in bulk. it’s not even an exaggeration when you say bulk. you mention one thing to him, and the next day there are boxes upon boxes sitting on your kitchen counter. “these oranges taste pretty good,” you mumble to yourself as you peel your 2nd one. erwins sharp ears hear this, and first thing in the morning he’s off to buy multiple bags of your supposed favorite oranges. it takes you days, sometimes weeks, to finish whatever he decided to buy you. you always tell him he doesn’t need to buy so much, but he never listens. though, you always appreciate how attentive he is to your likes and dislikes.

✩ levi cleans up for you and ruins your organization. it’s always a blessing when someone else decides to take on the burden of cleaning for you, and you thought you hit the jackpot with a boyfriend who loved to clean, clean, clean. but it could get annoying when you suddenly couldn’t find anything you placed anywhere. if you’re anything like me, you’re messy but organized. you know where things are. when levi comes to clean, he places things where he thinks they should go. you’re sent on a wild goose chase looking for your pencil case, only for it to be in a completely different drawer than the one you usually kept it in. despite this behavior, it’s always nice to come home from a long day from school to see your desk organized. what was once a mess of papers and other supplies have been filed into their correct places, the table wiped down from any lingering coffee stains and your supplies being organized in a way so you knew where everything was. sometimes there’d be a plate of fruit with the note, “good luck on your exams,” written in your boyfriends neat writing beside it.

✩ reiner coddles you too much. whenever you express any sort of discomfort, reiner is always rushing to your side. “are you hurt? do you need medical attention? how many fingers am i holding up?” he asks, checking you for any cuts or bruises. thank you, honey, but i’m fine. just bumped into the counter. despite that, he’s dragging you over to the bathroom to fix up your imaginary injuries. you always find it a bit much when you’re fine. it’s during the times where you’re actually hurt where you learn to appreciate it. he’s so gentle cleaning your cuts, kissing them softly once they’re dressed. you wonder if he’d be like that with your future children.

✩ bertholdt is too nervous around you. it’s been years since the two of you got together, and he still refuses to make eye contact with you. his hands get sweaty and shake when you attempt to hold his hand. he always stumbles over his words when speaking to you as he tries to find the right words to say. he even blushes when he introduces you to other people as his significant other! you remind bertholdt over and over again that he doesn’t need to be so shy around you. but you cant help but coo over him showing up for your date, flustered mess and thrusting flowers into your hand. “they reminded me of you,” he said quietly, refusing to meet your eyes. you giggle and press a kiss to his hot cheeks.

✩ porco is too cocky for his own good. he’s always parading around the house, boasting about his latest achievements. he beat colt in a video game colt was a supposed god in. he can throw a baseball farther than zeke. he can run faster than pieck. if he’s taller than you, he's always making fun of you for being shorter than him. if you’re taller, you’re not exempt from his wrath either. he’s boasting about how he’s perfect height to not hit his head on doorways. he never goes as far as to hurt your feelings, always knowing when to stop. though he has a big ego, he would let it crash and burn just to see you smile after beating him at smash bros. you laugh and taunt him, happy you beat him in one thing. he doesn’t mind, instead watching you with a soft smile on his lips and love in his eyes.

✩ zeke forces you to work out with him. and it’s not like in the afternoon to help you stretch out. it’s not light yoga or a couple minutes on the treadmill. no, this man wakes you up at ass crack in the morning to take you on a 5 mile hiking trip. you barely have any time to register what is happening around you before you’re already standing at the start of the trail with your gear. “come on! we can’t slack off!” he says, clapping his hands together. the sun is beating down on you and your feet hurt, but this man doesn’t let you stop for a break. “we’re almost there,” he says. your complaining goes out the window when he shows you the view at the top. its one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen. hiking up long ass trails to see beautiful views with your boyfriend was so worth it in the end.

✩ colt accidentally turns your dates into babysitting sessions. you show up at his house with the promise of a good time, only to be met with a guilty looking colt and his little brother falco behind him. “sorry,” he says sheepishly, “gabi got sick with the cold, so i couldn’t drop him off there. i hope you don’t mind him staying.” you hide your disappointment behind a wide smile, nodding enthusiastically as to not hurt either of their feelings. you just wanted to spend some alone time with your boyfriend, and it would have to wait. hanging out with falco wasn’t actually that bad. the three of you had an amazing time together, watching tv, playing games and even baking together. if you hate kids, you can’t bring yourself to hate falco; he’s just the sweetest boy you’ve ever met. you and falco are already asking colt when the three of you can hang out again when you have to go back home.

✩ hanji is always talking. you don’t discourage them from talking about their interests. they’re very passionate about the things they love, and can’t help talking about them. its like the scene where hanji kept eren up all night talking about titans. when you’re trying to focus on something or go to sleep, hanji is just yapping away. you’re honestly amazed at their ability to never run out of things to say about the most mundane things. hell, one time they talked for an hour and a half about a building color they saw when they were out one day. but hanji just looked so happy when talking. their face would break out into a huge grin, and their arms would fly around as they told their story. it was too cute for you to tell them to stop.

✩ mikasa hovers too much. every corner you turn, every place you go to, mikasa is following. she claims she’s not clingy, but in reality she is. it’s like a cat who hates affection, but needs to be in the same room as you at all times. you don’t mind her following you into the bedroom or living room or kitchen. you had to draw a line when she tried to follow you into the bathroom. even when you’re out, she’s always following you around. you tell her it’s okay to break off from you and spend some time by herself, but she always shakes her head and follows you to your next destination. you’re always grateful for her hovering when a group of drunk people try hitting on you, whistling and telling you they’ll give you a good time. but one look at your girlfriend who showed up from out of nowhere, and they’re running away with their tails between their legs.

✩ sasha eats your food. she can’t help it. she likes to snack. she’s always hungry. and you get that. to stop things like this from happening, you have separate places to keep your food. just so sasha and you have your favorite snacks and takeout separated. you respect the rule, but your girlfriend seems to lose her reading skills when hungry, one too many times you have walked in on her with her hand deep into a bag of your chips, something you’ve been waiting to eat all week when you were supposed to watch that new horror movie on netflix with her. you huff and puff and retreat to your bedroom. sasha comes back after a few hours, looking upset with tons and tons of snacks in her arms. “i’m sorry i ate your chips,” she frowns. she sets down all the food she got on your bed. “i got all these snacks you liked as an apology. and 3 bags of your favorite chips.” you could never stay mad at her cute face.

✩ annie complains about spending time with you. “i like my alone time,” she says, brushing you off when you asked why she didn’t want to watch a movie with you. some people were introverted, preferring to spend time by themselves rather than with someone else. you were like that too; you had your moments where you didn’t feel like being around your girlfriend. but it became an annoying problem when she constantly shot down your attempts to hang out with you. when she finally agrees, she’s always finding something to complain about. but during important dates or when you’re not in the best mood, she’s always the first to remind you or initiate a hang out/date. she shuts her mouth and enjoys her time with you, not one criticism or groan leaving her lips. she would never admit it, but being around you made her so happy.

✩ pieck is always sleeping. you have to wait a few hours to get a text or call back from pieck because she’s always dozing off somewhere. “sorry sweets,” she yawns into the mic, “was taking a nap. need something?” good luck trying to reach your girlfriend during an emergency. when you come home with takeout for dinner because neither of you wanted to cook, she’s sleeping at the dinner table. when you’re watching a movie she wanted to watch, she’s snoring away, curled up at the end of the couch. during lectures you share together, she has her head in her arms and has the audacity to ask you for your notes in the end. and it’s not like she’s not getting enough sleep, no. she gets her recommended 8 hours of sleep and then some. it’s nice to have a sleepy girlfriend, though, when you’re dead tired from living. you drag your feet into the bedroom to see her about to take her nth nap for the day. she notices your zombie-like state and opens up her arms for you. the two of you cuddle and nap together, sleeping the stress away.

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almatiarau · 3 years ago

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Finding Hope (JHS x F. Reader One Shot)

Ø Pairing: Dilf! Hoseok x Teacher Assistant! F.Reader

Ø Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut

Ø Rating: M (18+)

Ø Warnings: Mentions of side character’s death, mentions of infertility, mentions of woman’s related health issue (endometriosis, preeclampsia), reader will ponder around self-deprivation a lot so if you are triggered by this please beware, adoption talks, curse words, kissing, groping, oral (m. receiving), fingering, unprotected sex (don’t be silly, safety first guys!)

Ø Word Count: ~12k

Ø Disclaimers: I don’t own BTS - they simply inspire me! Also don’t mix up the visual for this fic with their real life, be wise 😉

Ø Summary: Jung Hoseok relies on you, the lovely teacher assistant of his child’s daycare to help him ease the chaotic life of a working single dad. Finding mutual bond over the tragic incidents happened in both of your past, will you be able to find hope in each other to move on and live a more “hopeful” life?

Ø Songs to be listened to: Lay your head on me – Crush, Angel Baby – Troye Sivan, Someone like you - lullaboy

Author’s Note: Hi guys so in celebration of Hobiuary, and to celebrate the day of love too on Feb 14th, I’ve decided to release this earlier. I’m scared I will have things to do by the 18th so I hope you dont mind. However this fic is a celebration of Mr Jung Hoseok’s birthday on the 18th so HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOBII, wishing him all the best in life, full of love and tenderness and I wish him lifelong happiness and health! Happy reading and as always, your comments and feedbacks will be hugely appreciated. Thank you.

It’s just 15 minutes after 4PM when drops of rain starting to pour outside the windows. You always love the rain, the sound of little droplets, and the smell of rainwater meets the grass is just calming to you. Same with this room, might not be big in size, but filled with many things you love. Drawings pinned to the wall, racks filled with fairytale books you would never be bored to re-read, colorful paper garlands across the ceilings. This classroom is your tiny world.

People will say you’re torturing yourself, strangely to you though, you found more strength within pairs of innocent eyes looking up at you, eager for you to guide them for the next activities to have fun that day. Putting it simply, you just love kids. You’ve always loved them, even when you were younger, your aunts will gladly ask you to look after your younger cousins, they say you’re a natural.

So when at the age of 19 you were diagnosed with a severe case of endometriosis, your world was crashing down. You went out to 3 different OBGYNs who said the same thing, either you go for surgery to remove your uterus, or it would endanger your life.

Long story short, the money your parents saved up for your college tuition went out for your surgery. Within the confusion about your future and career, you found out that you could pursue a certification as a day-care assistant teacher. So you went for it. Your parents were worried since you’ll be working with children while actually, you just lost the ability to carry your own. But you thought the other way around. It’s the only way you could take care of children, nurture them, and it would be enough for you.

“Miss Y/N, can I have another candy please?”

Jung So Mi, the last child left in your class because her father just informed you that he was stuck in a last-minute meeting and would require an additional 30 minutes before he could pick her up. You don’t mind it though, as you don’t have anything to do anyway. You live alone in Seoul, leaving your parents at your hometown to pursue better job opportunity. Seoul being the country’s capital offers you a higher remuneration, so you packed your bag 4 years ago and left your town.

“So Mi dear, I think your father will come soon, no? You already had 2 candies after lunch today, it’s already on your limit.” You pat her hair gently. She has her hair in two braids and one of it is already loose.

“Why don’t you sit here while I tell you another story as I braid your hair?” You motion her to sit next to you on the bench just beside the classroom’s door.

“Can I braid Barbie’s hair while you do mine?”

“Sure dear.”

So Mi is only 3.5 years old but she’s very bright for her age, always polite and also very neat. She always cleans up after herself properly. She’s also very empathetic and never hesitate to help her friends in class. You always wonder how her mother is, since her father is the one who always drop and pick her up for the past 1.5 years you’ve known her.

You were just finished tying up her little braid when you hear gentle knocks on the door.

“So Mi, that must be your father.” You pat her shoulder, motioning both of you to the front of the classroom.

You open the sliding door slightly and find yourself eyes to eyes with Jung Hoseok, So Mi’s father. He’s quite young compared to other kids’ fathers in your class. He also always dressed so impeccably in your opinion, making him looking even younger. If you passed by him on the street, you might not think that he has a daughter. His hair had been looking a bit lighter too nowadays, from the usual jet-black hair you’re familiar with, now he’s sporting more of a dark brown with lighter highlights. He’s definitely handsome, and when he smiles, you can feel it in your heart.

“Hello Ms. Y/N, I’m very sorry for troubling you again today.” He bows slightly. “I know I’ve been asking for extensions a few times now.”

“Hello Mr. Jung, no worries at all, I always like hanging out with little So Mi here.” You stroke So Mi’s hair gently as she giggles and hugs her father’s leg.

“I really appreciate it.” He takes So Mi’s backpack from you before handing out a paper bag towards you. “I came across the bakery on my way and please accept this as a token of my appreciation.”

You can’t help but surprised. You never received anything from the parents so far, and you never expected ones too.

“Mr. Jung, you really don’t have to.” You bow to him.

“Please Ms. Y/N I insist, I heard the earl grey cake from this bakery is really good, please try it.” He flashes you his contagious smile and you feel like you don’t have any other option but to take it.

“Thank you very much Mr. Jung.”

Hoseok kneels down to be at eye level with So Mi. “Honey, say thank you to Ms. Y/N before we go?”

So Mi nods and looks up at you with her sparkling eyes. “Thank you Ms. Y/N, see you tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome sweetheart.”

Hoseok nods one more time before stepping away.

“Wait, Mr. Jung?”

He stops in his track on the hallway and looks back at you questioningly. You move forward a few steps to get closer.

“I-if… if maybe you need someone to watch over So Mi, I mean, outside day care schedule… Uhm… I can do it for you.”

You feel a bit shy to offer, but you’ve been thinking about it for a while. Mr Jung had been asking for time extensions a few times now and you can see how distraught he look when he picked So Mi up, so you thought maybe he really need a helping hand. In addition to that, you could always use the extra money.

Hoseok can’t help his surprised face at your offer. Honestly, it’s a very tempting offer since he really is swamped with work right now. He’s the head of Visual Merchandiser Team at a very well-known retail store nationwide, and the company is planning to revamp their current main store in Itaewon, with deadline of the re-opening getting closer and closer, he really works his ass off every day. But he also can’t help but think that you will be overqualified to “babysit” So Mi.

“Ms. Y/N, I appreciate your offer very very much, and I really do in a dire need of a helping hand, however aren’t you too overqualified just to look after So Mi? I mean, I don’t want to burden you…”

You shake your head. “No Mr. Jung, I mean, I’m just a teacher assistant, so I’m not that “overly qualified” and I won’t be offering if I didn’t want to. Honestly, I really enjoy spending time with So Mi, and I do have lots of free time…” You look down slowly, hands fidgeting right above the hem of your shirt. “And… I could also use the extra money, if that’s alright.”

“Oh, in that case, I would glad to accept your offer Ms. Y/N, are you okay with staying with So Mi until night? I mean, I’m so sorry I have to be honest with you upfront, but yeah, work had been so hellish.”

“No problem Mr. Jung, just text me when you will be needing me.”

Hoseok smiles and nods at you before walking back to the entrance door, hand in hand with little Jung So Mi.

It’s been almost 3 months now that you regularly visit the Jung’s house. Usually, your schedule is three times a week on weekdays, even though So Mi visited the daycare every day, aside from weekends. Hoseok said he tries to get away from work at least twice a week, to go home on time so he can spend quality time with his daughter. So, for the other 3 days, he usually got home at around 9PM at night, looking very tired but still maintain his lively attitude.

You also finally found out what happened to So Mi’s mother. Just two weeks into your schedule, Hoseok came back home earlier than usual, and he brought dinner, so he asked you to stay to eat together. You weren’t trying to pry, but when Hoseok and So Mi started to say a prayer for the late mother, you got the idea. You couldn’t help to feel sympathy for both of them. How challenging and hurtful it must be to be losing a wife and a mother like that.

Tonight is another one of your “shift”. So Mi however already exhausted with playing jumping rope with you in the afternoon, so once you gave her a bath after dinner, she dozes off into slumberland. Hoseok tells you to make yourself comfortable in his house, allowing you to eat or cook anything in his pantry or fridge, also you are welcome to watch any movies you’d like in his living room. So, here you are, with a cup of hot chamomile tea and a bag of chips, scrolling through his Netflix account.

The clock just turned 8.00PM when you hear a car parked in the garage, not long after followed by beeping of keys before Hoseok comes in. He’s wearing a crisp black shirt tonight, sleeve rolled to his forearms, hair pushed back with a pair of tight black jeans and a pair of red and black Air Jordan sneakers. He always looks good, but tonight you feel he looks exceptionally hot too.

“Oh Mr Jung, you come back early.” You stand up from the couch straighten up your crinkled shirt.

“Just call me Hoseok, Y/N, we’ve talked about this right.” He winks at you while neatly place his sneakers onto the shoes drawer.

“Oh yes, Hoseok… I mean I don’t want to be impolite, since you’re older than me.”

“Nonsense, you’re just 2 years younger, no big deal, my juniors at work even calls my name too.” He walks toward the kitchen island just behind the living room and put down a tall paper bag.

“So Mi slept kinda early today, she’s exhausted after playing jumping rope, so I think you need to be aware that maybe she’ll awake earlier too tomorrow.” You walk to the kitchen island too, standing just opposite him as he pours himself a glass of water.

He peers at you while drinking, making you distracted by his Adam Apple’s bobbing up and down.

“Is that so?” He puts back the glass and wipe his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Y-y-yes.” Darn it, why does he have to look so good, you practically having a hard time to concentrate. “So anyway, since you’re here, I think I’m just gonna get going…”

“Y/N wait, well, there was some celebration in the office today, so they packed me this bottle of wine and some chicken. Do you wanna eat dinner first? I can call you a cab later?” He takes out the dark-colored bottle with red cap on and other boxes of packed takeaway foods from the paper bag.

You hesitate a little just because you don’t want to intrude his peaceful night, but then again, it’s Jung Hoseok you’re talking about, the man would always encourage you to take better care of yourself every time he has the chance.

“Okay, if it’s not too troublesome for you.”

“None of that.” He waves his hand nonchalantly. “Can you please take these boxes to the dining table? I will prepare the plates and chopsticks.”

You nod and carefully carry the three boxes to the table. You also come back to grab the bottle of wine and put it down. Not long after, Hoseok comes back with plates, chopsticks, wine glasses and a corkscrew. He expertly pops off the wine bottle and pour the red liquid into both glasses, passing one to you.

You spend the next hour eating the delicious chicken cuisines and downing the divine wine. Your once tense nerves are calming down and you found yourself in delightful conversation with Hoseok. He tells you funny stories about the stunts his team usually has to pull to meet some deadlines, how stressful his work is but at the same time he loves it so much. He’s a creative person and you know it, always has keen eyes on beautiful things, arts, clothes, even his home is very stylish, considering he’s a single father with a toddler.

“I really envy you for having so much love for what you doing.” You relax on the single seater just beside Hoseok who leans back on the couch in the living room.

“Yeah, I think I’m just lucky… or else, I would be the most unfortunate man on earth.” His gaze fills with longing, just a bit glassy, and the first thing comes to your mind is probably he misses his late wife.

“By the way, Hoseok, I’m so sorry for your wife.” You only tiptoed over topic so far, never really ask him directly or telling him that you know, but with tonight’s atmosphere, you feel like you need to say something about it, give your respect and condolences.

He smiles weakly at you before putting down the wine glass on the coffee table.

“Thank you Y/N, it’s actually been almost 4 years now?” He furrows his brows as if trying to remembering something. “Hee Young passed away when she gave birth to So Mi…” Hoseok smiles painfully as he stares ahead.

“You don’t need to tell me anything if it’s too much for you, I’m sorry for bringing it up.” Unconsciously, you reach out for his hand and squeezes gently.

“No, no, it’s okay. I mean, you are with So Mi almost everyday, I mean we’re friends too, right?” He squeezes your hand back. “I’m okay now, and maybe I need to let it out once in a while.”

You nod gently, thumb grazing over the back of his hand.

“It was quite sudden actually, the pregnancy was going very well for the first and second trimester, but then, when it’s entering 8 months, Hee Young’s blood pressure raised up very quickly… and it was blurry for me because one day everything is fine, we were just discussing the theme of the nursery and the next thing, the doctors are asking me for emergency surgery and asked me… worst comes to worst, who will be my priority to be saved…”

You squeeze his hand a little bit harder to show your sympathy. It breaks your heart dearly to hear such a horrific situation came upon someone as good as him. It also reminds you that people do have their own hardships. You can’t help but reminiscing a bit about your past heartbreak, the thought of losing something forever.

Hoseok squeezes your hand back; he looks at you with glassy eyes but still with a warm courageous smile.

“Of course Hee Young wanted me to save our child, and I… I just couldn’t say no to her…” He shakes his head slowly. “But in a way, the universe kind of saving me from having to decide undecidable thing like that, we just lost her, she lost too many bloods and… it was not an option for me anymore.”

When Hoseok buries his head between his palms, you can’t help yourself to move besides him and gently pat his shoulder, letting him know that he can confide in you any time, that you will always listen, just like tonight.

It doesn’t take long for him to smile back at you, sniffling a little bit, but you can see in his eyes that he copes with it well.

“I’m sorry Y/N, it’s not supposed to be a somber night like this.”

“No, it’s alright, I mean, please understand that if you need someone to talk to about this, you can talk to me anytime.”

He chuckles lightly while patting your hair slightly, giving you goosebump all over, even if you know it’s an innocent touch.

“No way I would burden you with sappy stories like this again.”

“Well, Hoseok, if it makes it better for you, my story is not also rainbows and unicorns.” You smile weakly.

“Oh? Oh, I’m so sorry, I talked too much about myself I haven’t even asked of yours…”

“No, no, it’s okay, and I swear I’m not trying to get your pity or something, it’s just… hearing your story, feeling how devastated you must have felt, kind of bringing back some memories from the past.”

Hoseok looks at you questioningly, lips pouting a little bit.

You divert your eyes sideways, somehow your heart aches to see him straight in the eyes when you wanted to tell him your “baggage”. It’s funny, considering you think you are not in any way would end up in a situation with him that would make your condition is, a little bit concerning right? So, why hesitate? Why scared?

You wet your lips a couple times, just a little habit of yours when you’re nervous. Your hands also clenching and unclenching several times. You don’t realize that Hoseok pays attention to you, so he takes both of your hands in his and sooth his thumbs over the back of your hands.

“Y/N it’s okay, you don’t need to tell me anything if it’s too hard for you…”

You shake your head as tears starts brimming in your eyes.

“No, I mean, I want to tell you because… I think… I think in a way, I can understand the feeling of losing something forever.”

“Okay… What happened sweetheart?”

You can barely register the pet name he uses, but you have to remind yourself, it’s just the situation, it’s not a big deal.

“When I was 19, I had my uterus removed because of severe Endometriosis.” You take a deep breath. “So, I will never ever have a chance to carry my own child.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Hoseok pulls you in for a hug as his hand gently stroke your hair. “It must have been very hard for you, Y/N, I’m so sorry to hear it.”

Your hands fall limb besides you as tears started to flow. You haven’t thought about it for a long long time, or maybe you did but you always try to suppress it. It’s not like you can complaint to your parents, because it’s not their fault. Moreover, you’ve seen your mother crying so hard the day you decided to take the surgery. Your friends? They couldn’t understand the severity of the situation at that age. They thought having a child were not a priority, even some considering they might better off without them, and that’s okay, that’s their own choice. But you did need to talk about it, about the possibility of disappointing your future partner when you had to tell them that sorry, you can’t carry their child, ever.

People said you need to talk to a therapist, but it costed a lot. Your parents could barely afford the cost of your surgery, let alone to pay for additional therapy sessions. So, you’ve been trying to accept it every day of your life since then. First, you made yourself busy with certification. Second, you didn’t get involve with boys. And that’s how you’ve lived your life for the past 8 years. Yes, you cry from time to time, especially when watching movies alone where the characters are having a baby. But you always reminded yourself that once you throw away all the used-up Kleenex, you are to move on. You can’t afford being sad, you need to work for yourself and especially for your parents back home.

Hoseok pulls back a little bit when he feels that you are too quiet. “Y/N, are you okay?”

You hurriedly swipe away your tears with the back of your hands, the thought of him looking at you with puffy red eyes and possibly snots all around horrified you.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Hoseok leans over the coffee table to take a box of tissue and hand the sheets to you gently.

“Y/N, listen to me, it’s not something you should be ashamed with to share with me, okay? I’m not going to judge you.” He puts his hands on both of your shoulder, motioning you to face him. “You’re a very strong girl, you should be proud of yourself.”

“Thank you Hoseok.” You nod weakly. “You and So Mi also very strong.”

He smiles kindly, hand slowly stroking your hair, tucking a loose strand behind your ear. “So Mi and I are here too whenever you need us okay? We are a strong unit, aren’t we?”

You give him your warmest smile, for the first time in your life, you feel like you’ve been really seen.

It’s just another chill Friday for you and So Mi, lazily sprawled on the rug in the living room, crayons in hands as you both draw some pictures while humming some Disney Movies’ soundtrack. It’s barely 7PM and you just finished dinner. Usually, you spend the remaining time with some short movie or reading before tucking So Mi into bed at around 8PM. However, So Mi asked you whether she could draw some things first, and with those sparkling eyes, who are you to deny her request?

The sound of car engine makes your head turns towards the door, and not long after, Hoseok makes his way into the house. So Mi’s eyes light up and she hurriedly run towards his father.

“Appa!!!”

Hoseok crouches down to welcome her into a tight hug. “Hey honey, how are you today?”

“You come home early!” So Mi excitedly jumps up and down while still in his embrace. He slowly stands up with her still in his arms.

“Yup, appa wants to tuck you to bed tonight, is that okay?” He kisses her cheeks.

So Mi nods quickly as she cutely pinches both of her father’s cheeks.

“Ouch, what’s that for?” Hoseok playfully pouts his lips in annoyance.

“Because appa is the cutest!”

He laughs along with her and you can feel something stirs in your heart. How lovely it is to come home to this view every day, a gorgeous devoted loving husband, an endearing beautiful child who adores you. A picture-perfect family in your mind.

When Hoseok finds your eyes, you blink a few times to cast the thoughts away. You smile and nod to him.

“We were just drawing, So Mi wanted to draw some cocomelon characters.” You giggle as you put up her drawings towards Hoseok.

“Aren’t you my little artist?” He bops her nose lightly.

“I like to draw appa, and I like coloring too.” So Mi cutely explain with her hands all over the place, she is the cutest ever.

“I can see that, and look at you so good at it.” Hoseok then crouches back down and put So Mi back to the ground. “Why don’t you wash your hands with Ms Y/N and go to your room? Appa will wash up a bit and catch up with you guys.”

You nod understandingly and motion So Mi to follow you upstairs, while Hoseok gives you the warmest smile and mouthing Thank You.

By 8.00 PM, you have just finished tidying up So Mi’s crayons and plushies from around the living room. You look up at the stairs, hesitating whether or not you should go up to say goodbye to Hoseok before leaving the house, however, he’s tucking So Mi in, probably not a good idea to interrupt the little girl from slowly falling asleep. You walk over the couch and about to take your purse with you, when light footsteps are heard making way downstairs.

“Y/N, are you ready to go home?” Hoseok in his colorful pyjama pants and plain t-shirt calls out.

“Yes, I wasn’t sure whether I should go upstairs to say goodbye.”

“Oh, it’s okay, So Mi already asleep, she was really excited with her drawings for sure.” He chuckles.

You laugh lightly too. “Yes, she was very determined to do it, guess she gets that artsy side of you.”

Hoseok touches his ear lightly at your compliment.

“Speaking of art, Ms Y/N, wow, I’m impressed, you also have a very good hand on it.” Hoseok makes his way to the kitchen island and pulls up your drawing from between So Mi’s.

Drawing is a hobby of yours for years now. One of your ways of cheap therapy in your opinion, but you never seriously thought you are any good at it. You just love mixing some colors together and create some gradation of it inside a simple drawing of flowers, or hearts, or clouds. Sometimes you add like a dotting effect to add more textures to the drawing.

“No, please it’s just mixing some random colors.”

“Hey, seriously, I’ve been wanting to add more paintings, or drawings to the kids’ sections of the store, do you think you can make something like this but maybe bigger?”

You blink several times to digest his words. Is he asking for your doodles to be hanging up on his store?

“Hoseok, it’s just a doodle, is it even proper enough to be there?”

“Yes, I’m seriously asking you to make me a bigger doodle, as you called it, and we seriously going to commission you for this.”

You literally lost for words. “I… I…”

Hoseok walks closer to you as he searches your eyes. “Hey, Y/N, you need to have more confidence in your work, whether it’s in the daycare, which I think you’re doing a very very amazing job, So Mi literally couldn’t stop talking about you, and now this, art that you making.”

You smile shyly, cheeks flushing red. “I don’t know, it’s just weird to be taking all the compliments.”

“When you’re doing a good job, you earn it, just like every other person out there.” He lifts your chin slightly with his finger, a bit frustrated that you seem to like avoid his gaze.

“So, will you do it Ms. Y/N? I’m thinking around 100x100 cm of canvas?”

And just like So Mi did with her sparkling eyes, Hoseok’s genuine smile and warm gaze will always be your weakness.

“O-okay… any specific requests of color? Any specific theme? And when’s the deadline?”

“I’ll text you the detail later okay, I need to run through the specifics with the floor team.” He winks.

Your cheeks are still warm, as his fingers still linger on your chin. For a moment, you feel like the clock is stop ticking. You feel goosebumps running through your spine when you feel Hoseok runs his fingers from your chin, up to your cheek and finally tucking your hair besides your right ear. His hand lingers there, slowly cupping your cheek, as tensions become more palpable. His gaze flickers to your lips and you do the same, yearning to feel those luscious lips of his. You swear he moves a little bit forward and you are about to close your eyes when his phone suddenly rings on the kitchen counter. Both of you take a step back simultaneously, you scramble to take your purse and Hoseok swiftly walks to pick up the call.

You take time to adjust your breath, not realizing that you have been holding it back for a moment there. Holding your purse tightly, you wave your hand signalling Hoseok that you are leaving. He furrows his eyebrows a bit but nod to you nevertheless.

As you walk over to the bus stop, you can’t help yourself to replay everything in your head. What was that? Why did your heart beat so fast? Did he really about to kiss you or was it all just in your head? Unconsciously, you touch your lips, wishing that whatever happened, it wasn’t just in your mind…

Hoseok really goes through with his plan of commissioning you for your art. He sent you the detail of what he and his team envision for the store and it’s actually not that hard for you to bring it to life. They didn’t demand anything too much, but at the same time gave you enough details on what to focus on. He even gives you time off from babysitting So Mi so that you can have enough time and energy to do the drawing. Since they require you to get it done in just three weeks, just barely enough time before their scheduled grand re-opening.

You did ask Hoseok though, if So Mi is not with you and he obviously needs to work extra considering the approaching deadline, where would she be? Turns out before you offered to babysit, Hoseok usually drops So Mi off at his sister’s. But his sister is pregnant with her second child and it got harder and harder for her to take care two kids at the same time when her pregnancy is getting bigger. His mother had offered to come from his hometown, but he doesn’t want to burden her too much, luckily you came along with your offer.

Standing in front of your work now hanging on the wall of a well-known retail store in the city of Seoul feels surreal for you. You consider your art as something very simple, just a gradation color of baby blue, pink and lilac, inside some drawings of clouds, Hoseok says it’s cotton candy clouds, and it really suits the theme of the girl apparel section of the store.

The said man is standing next to you, also looking at your work, a proud smile plastered on his handsome face. You’re still amazed by his immense and never-ending support for you to do this drawing.

“It’s perfect, just like how I imagined it would be, you’re incredible Y/N.”

“I owe you so much for this Hoseok, this definitely one of the proudest moments in my life, thanks to you.”

“Don’t mention it, talent needs to be appreciated.”

You move forward and slowly touch the edge of your drawing’s frame, still feeling like an out of body experience.

“By the way Y/N, I’ve been meaning to ask you…”

You turn around to look at Hoseok. He’s looking straight at you, making you squirm a little bit on your spot. Since that night, the two of you never really address the situation. Things just started rolling as per usual, and maybe because you also very focused on completing your drawing and Hoseok is literally chased by deadline, you didn’t really put much thought on it.

But now, being alone with him reminds you about that night, how you were mere seconds away from colliding your lips together. However deep down inside you know, you shouldn’t feel that way. You are not allowed to feel that way. Hoseok and So Mi are too precious to you, they don’t deserve to be roped in into your doomed future.

“Yes?”

“For the grand re-opening next Friday, do you want to come along?”

“Come along…?”

Hoseok clears his throat. “Well… I mean you have your work displayed here, you definitely deserved to be invited.”

Why do you get the feel like he’s nervous or something? Or is it just in your mind again?

“Oh, well, I mean if I don’t have to accompany So Mi for you… because you’re going too, right?”

Hoseok can’t help letting out a small chuckle at your confused state. “Don’t worry about So Mi, my mother is visiting my sister this weekend, So Mi will be staying there for a while.”

You let out a nervous chuckle too. “Well in that case, okay, what time should I be here?”

Hoseok takes a step forward, moving closer. “I’m going to pick you up at 6, the event starts at 7.”

You can’t help the blush on your cheeks. If he picks you up, does it mean you go together? And if you go together, what will his co-workers say? And does this also means it’s a…

“It’s a date Ms. Y/N.” Hoseok takes you by surprise when he reaches your hand and kisses the back of your hand gently.

You can only freeze when his eyes peer slowly from your hand, gives you a wink before letting it go.

Clearing your throat so you won’t let out a squeal, you need to ask another important thing since you’ve never went to a party like this.

“Uhm… Hoseok… what kind of dress should I wear for this kind of… uhm, invitation?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” He smiles widely and grab your wrist, motioning you to follow him.

“Hoseok, where are we going??”

“One of the perks of working here of course, let’s find you a dress.”

“B-but, the store isn’t open yet? There’s no staffs around, no cashier…” You look around confusedly at the empty store. The racks are already there filled with clothes but how can you try on or pay for it if it’s closed?

“Hey, aren’t you with a staff here? Am I not a staff?” Hoseok finally slows down his walks when you both reach the Women Dress area of the store. He finally let go of your hand as he starts to scour the racks.

You stand still, eyes wide filled with confusion.

“Y/N, come here and look around, tell me which one do you like.” He motions you to come closer to the racks of floor length gowns.

“But… I… I don’t know if I can afford dresses from here, it’s kinda steep for my pocket.”

Hoseok takes out a blush chiffon gown from the rack. The neckline is v-line, and the chiffon material drapes off the shoulder, creating a flowy arm, the skirt is flowing into an A line too, it’s beautifully ethereal and quite modest, just like your style.

“I think this will fit you so beautifully, and I notice that you wear lots of this muted pastel colors, it suits you a lot.”

“It really is beautiful Hoseok and I love it, but…”

“Come on, let’s see if it’s fit.” He takes your hand again and leads you to the dressing room. It’s still felt weird for you to roam around a closed store like this but at the same time, you love the new thrilling sensation. You’ve never had an adventure like this before.

In 10 minutes, you are facing a huge mirror inside a dressing room, ready to open the curtains to show Hoseok how the dress fits you like a glove. He really knows your style and the dress really accentuates your shape and skin tone, making you glow like a fairy.

“Okay, here it goes.” You open the curtains slowly, stepping out of the small room into Hoseok’s view who is now sitting on a sofa just outside the rows of dressing rooms.

He stares at you with glint in his eyes but no words come out of his mouth.

“Well?” You make a twirl. “I honestly think this fits me well and I do love the color and the style.” Busy looking down at the gown’s flowing skirt, you don’t realize that Hoseok has move closer.

You let out a surprise gasp when he takes your right hand, pull it up with his and motion you to take another twirl.

“You look absolutely gorgeous.”

You can’t help the blush on your cheeks.

“This is a bad idea.” He chuckles lowly.

“Oh? Oh my god, I’m so sorry Hoseok, I know we shouldn’t be doing this, if they found out we take the clothes and…”

A delicate finger presses on your lips, retaining you from finishing your sentence.

“Sssh… Y/N, it’s not that. Don’t worry about that at all.”

You want to ask him why, but his finger still lingers on your lips, and you enjoy it too much to remove it away.

“It’s because…” He looks away slightly, before focusing his eyes on yours again. “You look so damn beautiful it makes me losing my mind.”

Your heart beats rapidly, making your body trembles a bit. You have never been in such intense situation with a man before. You have always evaded any situation that would lead the relationship to grow more than platonic way. You didn’t want to bare your baggage to them, afraid that you would get rejected.

But deep down you know, with Hoseok, you had crossed the dangerous territory within yourself. You let yourself yearn for him. You didn’t stop your mind into imagining how perfect life could be with him and So Mi by your side. You thought it would be harmless, because he would never look at you that way, right?

“Uhm, by the way how am I supposed to pay for this with no one around??” You try to distract yourself.

“Uh? Oh… Uhm… No worries about that, I will put it on my tab.” You can see he startles a bit as he takes a step back.

“You can cut it from my salary too.” You start to walk back into the dressing room. As you draw the curtains back, you feel like your heart stings when you can hear him muttering back as his face falters.

“Don’t worry about it Y/N…”

You would have thought that after what happened at the store, Hoseok would cancel on you Friday. But his text told you otherwise.

[Jung Hoseok][14:15PM]: Hey Y/N, I’m going to pick you up at 6 okay? See you.

So, you have been spending some time now, curling your hair and put some makeup on, to match that beautiful blush gown you’re wearing tonight. You also have bought a pair of gold strappy heels to match with it. You feel nervous but excited at the same time, nervous because you don’t know how to behave with Hoseok, especially if this is indeed a date. But you also excited to see how people will react to your drawing.

Giving your lips a last touch of rosy hue lip tint, you take a closer look at yourself on the mirror. Everything looks okay, you look decent to go to a party, and if only you don’t have your baggage, you would enjoy it to the fullest. Having Hoseok in your arms, enjoying the night out, and maybe, maybe you can finally get that kiss… But, will it be fair for him and So Mi to carry your burden with you?

The sound of ringtone from your smart phone cuts your train of thoughts.

“Y/N? Are you ready? I’m downstairs.”

You look up at the clock and it is 6 on the dot. “Yes Hoseok, I’ll come down in a sec.” You gather your purse and phone and make your way outside your apartment.

There might be hundreds of times when you think Hoseok is literally the finest man you’ve ever laid your eyes own. Because how could someone look so good even in colorful pajama pants, baggy t-shirt and a beanie hat, but he always pulls that look for you. And don’t get you started when he dresses for work, sometimes casual sporty with cargo pants, long sleeve shirt and a funky vest, looks so cool and delectable. But of course, there’s a dark horse for his finest look, and that’s when he dresses formally, like now, in a double breasted dark grey suit and white shirt, a black leather belt adorning his slim waist, and the most dangerous feature is his hair swept back, exposing his forehead with his undercut on display, he looks extraordinarily gorgeous.

The said man is leaning into his wine-colored Hyundai Palisade, arms crossing in front of him. But when he heard your heels against the asphalt just in front of your building, he looks up to you and you swear his face lights up. He walks towards you, stretching his arm for you to take.

“Miss Y/N, you look so beautiful.” Lips kissing the back of your hand, sending heat waves to your lower region.

“Mr. Jung, likewise.” You giggle as Hoseok leads you to the passenger seat and swiftly opening the door for you, even holding your hand tightly to anchor you as you climb the SUV.

Once he buckles up, he ignites the car and steer the vehicle away. Crush’s Lay Your Head On Me softly playing while you look around to see the city lights sparkles under the moonlight.

“Y/N?”

You hum as you look to your side, Hoseok’s eyes still on the road.

“About the other day.”

You hum again, Hoseok takes a side glance for a second, and then look straight up to the road.

“I feel like you closing up on me, is that true?”

You freeze on your seat. Clearing your throat, you try your best to sound casual when you reply him. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s just be honest here, Y/N, I like you, I’m attracted to you, that’s why I asked you to come with me tonight. I thought I get the same feelings from you, but please enlighten me if I was mistaken.” Hoseok’s voice is serious and stern even though you see him glancing sideways at you again and gives you a small smile.

“I…” You are very nervous to have this conversation with him, God knows how you have tried to avoid it, but seems like tonight you don’t have anywhere to hide. You fiddle with the chiffon of your skirt but suddenly, Hoseok’s left hand takes yours in his, giving you a squeeze.

“Please don’t hesitate to say whatever you want with me.”

“Hoseok… it’s just… you know I can’t offer you anything.” Tears pricked on your eyes as you look away to the left side.

“What do you mean anything? You are a whole human being Y/N, are you hesitating because you… because…” He hesitates to finish his words but you know he knows it.

“Because I can’t give you a child? Yes. I know that this sounds way so serious for a first date, and I may be way out of my mind to think about this way future with you, but I don’t want to be just a passer-by in someone’s life. I’d rather be on my own and it’s okay.”

A tear escapes your eyes and rolls over your blushed cheek. “I… I treasure you and So Mi so much, I’d rather have you as friends than being with you and then have to leave you guys one day.”

Hoseok unclasps your hand for a moment as he manoeuvred the car into a parking lot on the basement of the store’s building. You just realize that you indeed have reached your destination.

He unbuckles his seatbelt and adjust in his seat so he can look at you.

“Y/N listen to me, I completely understand your concern, and I want you to know that, it’s not easy for me too. It’s the first time, after 4 years that I… I really wanted to move on… I would always feel guilty whenever I feel just the slightest bit attraction towards another woman.” He chuckles a bit. “But maybe it’s Hee Young’s way of telling me that it was not the right person.”

He takes both of your hands, intertwined his fingers in between yours. “But I think, you are exceptional, you are perfect just the way you are.”

“Hoseok…”

“At first, I’m mesmerized at how good you are with So Mi, she always has the biggest smile on her face whenever she talks about you and it really warms my heart… But more than that, I’m completely astounded of how strong you are, for me, your scar is the thing that makes you more beautiful.”

You sniffle, his words are like poetry to your ear, you need to shake your head a little just to make sure that you are alive and this is all happening in reality, not in your dreams.

“Are you seeing me as perfect? Is that why you’re scared?” Hoseok takes a tissue and dab the tears from your cheek carefully, minding the effort you’ve put for your makeup.

You nod quietly.

“Well, I’m not Y/N, I’m full of baggage myself, I’m scarred, just as you are, and maybe that’s what makes us good for each other? You make me want to get out of my grieve, and I, I want to try to help you to accept yours.” He kisses your hand gently.

“What if in the future, you want another child Hoseok? I can’t give it to you and I will not be able to live with your disappointment…”

“Y/N… we have So Mi, and if we really want to have child of our own later, we can always adopt, there are many children out there waiting for a home to come to, we can give them that too.”

“But… it’s not your flesh and blood, will you be okay with that?”

“Will you?” He asks back.

“I’ve always thought of doing it later in life… to be honest…” You confess. Yes, you have been thinking about it, if maybe in the future, when you are already settled in life, you want to adopt a child and care for him/her as your own. You never thought the possibility of sharing that dream with someone else.

“It settles then, if you want it then I will support you.”

“But how about you? I mean, I don’t have any choices, but you have Hoseok.” You caress his cheek just because you really are touched with how beautiful his mind is.

“And I choose you.” He kisses your palm. “Come on, let’s go inside, you’ve worked hard to dress up tonight, let’s not ruin your makeup before people can see how beautiful you are.”

You smile and nod, praying silently for Hee Young, may she rest in peace and love, and if you are allowed to love Hoseok as much as she did, you would be the luckiest woman alive.

“Miss Y/N! Oh my God, your drawing is incredible, it’s so pretty and really suited our space!” Taeri, one of Hoseok’s team running to you when you are stepping into the girl’s section of the store. It’s almost 30 minutes after you’ve arrived, but Hoseok had been introducing you around to some people from his office and also the associates and vendors.

There’s no absolute reason for Hoseok to be more attractive than he is, but he always proves you wrong. Seeing him discussing work, looking very serious and attentive ignites more flames inside you, and it makes you very restless. The occasional brush of his hand on your lower back when he steers you from one group of people to another also adds the butterflies straight into your stomach.

“Thank you so much Taeri, you also helped me a lot with everything.” You hug each other.

“Oh no no, Mr. Jung was right, you are very talented, don’t tell anyone but I think I’ve heard that they would ask for another art for stores in another branch!” Taeri claps her hands in excitement and you can’t help to get excited with her too.

“Has Mr. Jung introduced you to the Manager from Incheon area?”

You glance at Hoseok who is deep in talks with Mr. Han, one of the top vendors in the company. “No, I don’t think so Taeri.”

“Come on, let me introduce you to Mr. Lee.” She takes your wrist and pulls you closer to whisper in your ear. “Fair warning, he’s so handsome!” She giggles.

You laugh lightly at her, Taeri is a fiery young woman, very outgoing and friendly, that’s why it was easy for you to get closer to her even after the art project is done. You never told her about the dynamic between Hoseok and you though because you don’t want to put Hoseok in a tight spot since he’s technically her boss.

“Mr. Lee, let me introduce you to the artist whose drawing you’ve praised earlier, this is Ms. Y/L/N Y/N.”

“Good evening Ms. Y/L/N, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Lee Junho, General Manager from Incheon Area.” He outstretches his hand for a shake and you take his. Taeri was not exaggerating when she said he’s handsome, because he really is. Fluffy wavy hair, jet black suit on, black shirt and a deep emerald green tie, he is definitely attractive.

“Nice to meet you too Mr. Lee.” You nod respectfully.

“Champagne Ms. Y/L/N?” He hands you a flute while taking one for himself too.

“Thank you.” You take the flute and sip on the gold liquid slowly. Taeri excuses herself as she suddenly receives a call.

“So Ms. Y/L/N, I see your work really are match with the artist herself.”

“Oh, why is that Mr. Lee?”

“Both equally beautiful.” He winks as he sips his champagne slowly.

Oh so he’s a charmer too. You give him a polite smile. “You’re giving us both too much credit Mr. Lee.”

“Please call me Junho, and I’m most certainly not. I’m interested to have your art too for Incheon stores if you’re up for it?”

“Oh I’m flattered Mr. Lee, but really, it’s just a doodle of mine…”

“Well, Ms. Y/L/N, your “doodle” is currently hung at our main store in Seoul, so I’m sure the Visual Merch team had approved it, and that’s enough validation for me.” Junho moves closer to you, gesturing his flute to meet yours in a salute.

As you were about to move your flute to cheers with him, a hand snuck its way around the back of your waist, making you let out a little gasp in surprise.

“Here you are, I’ve been looking for you.” Hoseok whispers just above your ear but loud enough for Junho to hear.

Just as you are trying to find words for yourself. Hoseok extends his right hand towards Junho, his left still snuck behind your waist, pulling you a little closer to his side. “Hey Junho, how’s it going?”

Junho smirks at him, catches the way he subtly claims you as his. “I’m great man, just talking to Ms. Y/L/N here, fabulous art she created, propose her to do it for our Incheon stores too if she’d like.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Hoseok kisses the crown of your head as he smirks back at Junho. “Would you like to do it sweetheart?”

You blush at his pet name, also a little bit confused at how confident he is to be calling you that in an office environment. “Yes… I think it would be great, don’t you think?”

“I’m supporting any of your decision, that’s for sure.”

“Anyways, Ms. Y/L/N, our team will be in contact for the details, and Hoseok, great to see you man, come by anytime and we’ll eat at that barbecue spot you love so much.” Junho dismisses himself with a nod.

“Sure, I’ll text you Junho.”

You are about to ask more questions when Hoseok grabs your hand and leads you out to the main store area and finally to the elevator towards the basement parking lot.

“Are we going home now?” You peer at him, seeing him clenches his jaw a bit.

“Let’s just leave first.” He answers shortly, taking your hand again into the elevator once it opens.

“Wouldn’t people be looking for us, we haven’t said goodbye to Taeri and then…”

But your words are cut short when Hoseok hovers over you, hand cupping your jaw gently but firm. “I can just text them later, but Y/N, this can’t wait, can I kiss you? please?” Leaning his forehead against yours, you can feel his breathe on your lips. Unable to form a word, you tug at his suit’s lapel to close your lips upon his.

The electrifying feeling all over your body is definitely something you won’t easily forget. The tingling sensations within your stomach, the giddy feelings of your head, as if your body is floating on air. But there’s not much things you can think about when Hoseok pulls your nape closer, deepening the kiss. You move along with him, following the sensual rhythm of his lips. When he prods his tongue along your lips, you open your mouth a little bit, to give him more access exploring your warm cavern.

With a last soft bite on your lower lips, he pulls back, chest heaving, eyes darken and hazy, stilling on yours. His hands are still cupping your jaw, thumb stroking the apple of your cheeks lazily.

“I’m sorry Y/N, but I can’t see you with other man like that, all I want to do is to claim you as mine.”

The elevator door opens at Basement 1, just where Hoseok parked his car. He takes your hand again, intertwining your fingers in his as he opens the door to your side, placing his right hand just above your head to make sure you don’t bump onto the car.

Once he gets inside, you waste no time to pull him towards you for another kiss. All your insecurities and doubts evaporate when you see the determination in his eyes tonight. You’ve never felt that wanted in your life, and for once, you wanted to let go. You want to savor him just the way he is, and if God forbid you don’t work out, you will soldier through it. But for now, you want him just as much as he wants you and you need to show him that.

Your hand travels to his hair and down towards the back of his neck, scraping the ends of his dark brown locks. While his are moving up and down your shoulders to your arms, eventually one hand squeezing your waist making you whimper. He gives you one last peck before coming up for air.

“Come back to my place?”

You brush the strand of hair falling on his forehead and nod. “Okay.”

The journey home fills with thick tension that makes both of you unable to speak much, however Hoseok keeps his left hand over your thigh, slowly caressing whenever he’s able to, sending shivers running down your spine. You are anxious for sure because, you haven’t told him yet, but you haven’t had sex with someone for a long long time. Ever since you moved to Seoul, you haven’t been intimate with anyone, not only because you’re scared about relationships but also you’re just very shy.

The car parks seamlessly outside Hoseok’s house. He kisses your temple before going out and opening your door. Since there, everything feels like a blurry scene from a movie, from the moment Hoseok gets down on his knee to unstrap your heels, to the way he carries you bridal style to his room, that you’ve never ventured before no matter how many times you’ve been here.

He slowly lowers you down to sit on the edge of his bed, while he towers over you. His hand caresses your cheek gently, even when his eyes are dark with lust.

“Y/N, sweetheart… I want you, all of you, so much, will you let me have you tonight?” He gets down to his knees again, in between your legs, hands slowly hiking the skirt of your dress up to accommodate more of himself, closer to you.

You lean over to kiss him slowly. “I want you to… but, I haven’t done this for a long while…” You say timidly.

He looks at you with eyes full of adoration. “Me too, I haven’t been with anyone too since…”

You cup his cheeks with both of your hands. “Wanna get lost together then?”

He kisses you with urgency now, hands sneaking inside your skirt that’s now pooled around your thighs, making you whimper with needs. Yours are busy too, unbuttoning his suit’s jacket, helping him taking it off without stopping the kiss. Once you throw the jacket away, your hands go down to untuck the white shirt from his slacks. He helps you unbuttoning the shirt and again, the clothing is thrown to the other side of the room while you two giggle.

His kisses travel to your jaw and slowly lower to your neck, while his hands go behind your back to unzip your dress. When it hits the end of the zipper just on your lower back, he slowly slides off the dress down your shoulder, exposing your nude silky strapless bra.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He captures your lips for another kiss, while his hands slither around your shoulders and finally find the clasp of your bra before releasing your tits out of its confine.

Soft moans escaping your lips when he palms you over, calloused fingers thumbing your hardened nipples, you’re sure the matching nude panty you’re wearing are soaking wet now. Becoming more and more restless with the way Hoseok touching your body, you tug on his belt, and hurriedly unbutton and unzip his grey slacks.

With the pants loosely hung around his waist, Hoseok rises up to his feet and pick you up by your waist, moving you further up on bed. You both let out another giggle as he tries to tuck down your gown, wiggling around, you help him to take the rest of your underwear, leaving you bare under his stare.

Instinctively, you cross your arms around your chest and look slightly away. Hoseok leans down, kissing you slowly while unwrapping your arms away from your chest.

“You don’t need to be shy around me ever again, sweetheart.” He mumbles between kisses. His hand guide yours to palm the bulge on his pants. Gasping a little feeling his erection for the first time, you gather all the confidence in you and start squeezing it gently, earning hisses from him.

“See how hard you made me? You’re gorgeous.”

While he kisses all the way to your chest, tongue circling around your buds, you raise your knee a bit to put some pressure in between his leg, making him squirm. With every groan and moan coming out of his mouth, not only your arousal keeps building up but also your confidence. Ensuring you that he wants you as much as you want him.

“Hnhh… Hoseok…” Your fingers threading his brown locks as he envelopes your tits. Suddenly the urge to please him kicks in you, as you try to push him back and sit back up on the bed.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Hoseok’s concern face melts your heart.

“I… I want to make you feel good…” You tug on his waistband.

“Are… are you sure?”

You nod eagerly, tugging down his pants along with his boxer. His fully erected dick slaps on his abdomen, veiny shaft pulsing with glistening precum oozing from the head. Your confidence falters a bit just because you kind of taken aback by how big actually it is, would it fit in your mouth? And what if you accidently scratch your teeth on it, you don’t want to hurt him…

“Y/N… sweetheart… it’s okay, we’ll take it slow okay?” Hoseok caresses your cheek again, still amazes you of how incredibly sweet he is, but you know it must be painful for him to hold back, so you need to get yourself together.

You reach both of your hands to engulf his shaft tentatively, and when you peer up at him, you can see how even a single touch from you really affect him that much, his eyes closed, head thrown back a bit. His hands cover yours to help you move up and down, covering his length with his precum.

“Sweetheart, put a little bit more pressure on it please…” He squeezes your hands and you understood the assignment.

“Hoseok, why don’t you sit down, I can do this…” You tug him down and he follows suit, making his way to lean back against the bed’s headboard.

You position yourself across his knees, just when you about to lean down and take his length into your mouth, he cups your jaw and kisses your lips.

“You are doing amazing, you know that right?” With his words of affirmation, your chest swells with pride and even more determination to make him feel good tonight.

You nod and start licking his shaft right from the base towards the tip. With several more licks, you grow more confident and open your mouth as wide as you can, taking all his length into your warm mouth.

“Ah, shit, Y/N…” Hoseok’s hands create a makeshift ponytail of your hair and guide you to move your head up and down.

You squeal a bit when his tip meets the back of your throat, but the way he squirms and hisses makes you feel aroused rather than hurt, absentmindedly you move around, brushing your wet folds against his knees. Moaning at the friction, Hoseok feels even more pleasure with the vibration within your mouth.

“Baby, baby, stop, please, I don’t wanna cum now.” He holds your head from continue bobbing. Releasing his dick from your mouth, you come up for air, wiping your dripping saliva from the corner of your mouth with the back of your hand.

“Come here.” He motions you to sit further up on his lap. Lips capturing yours for the nth time tonight. One of his hand travels south to your core, thumbs circling around your pulsing clit, making you moan against his lips.

“Please… please… Hoseok…”

He hums against your mouth. “What is it sweetheart?”

He inserts his middle finger slowly inside your sopping folds. Pumping one finger in, exploring your spongey walls.

“Feels so good…” You move your hips quicker against his finger.

“Yeah? Ready for one more okay sweetheart, I need to stretch you out.”

With that said, he inserts his ring finger and thrusting even more quickly, making you moan louder. Closing your mouth on his jaw to mute yourself, your arms are thrown around his neck, while your hips ride his fingers desperately.

“Oh my God!” You can’t hold back your scream when you feel like something inside your stomach is about to snap. Hoseok’s fingers keep scissoring inside your clenching walls and he can feel you’re about to come. So he put more pressure on your clit with his thumb, lips making way to your tits to stimulate you further.

“Come on sweetheart cum for me, I know you’re close, let go for me.”

Within seconds, you feel the knot within your stomach snaps, dotted stars behind your closed eyelids, hips jerking and then weakens against Hoseok’s thighs. Heart still beating rapidly when you feel his hand tucking loose strands to the back of your ear. He kisses your sweaty forehead gently.

“I need to see your face the next time you cum, you’re so beautiful.”

Hoseok then lifts you up to lay you back down on his bed. Stroking your hair, he holds himself with his elbows above you, eyes filled with adoration.

“I like you so much Ms. Y/N, do you know that?”

You can’t help but giggle. “I like you too Mr. Jung, so so much.” Feeling his hardened dick brush against your wet folds, you gasp.

“Do you trust me? I don’t have any condom with me Y/N, but I haven’t been with anyone I promise.” He kisses your forehead.

“I trust you, and I too haven’t been with anyone.” You hold his hardened length and guide it into your warm entrance, legs widening even more to accommodate him closer.

Once his tip slides in, you both moan in unison. Been deprived from intimacy for so long, you both savors each passing seconds as he pushes further and further inside. It hurts for you, not going to lie, but the pleasure it brings overwhelms your other senses. Your heart filled with adoration and love for this man that every surface of yours touched by him makes your heart flutters.

“Is it hurt?” He caresses your cheek.

You shake your head, taking his nape closer to you, you kiss him with fervor while your hips ruts against his, silently pleading for him to move.

He starts to thrust languidly, concern that you will get hurt if he picks up the pace even though he desperately wants to. But to his surprise, you’re the one who raises your hips to meet his thrust hastily, making it harder for him to hold back.

“Shit, slow down sweetheart, won’t last long if you keep doing that.”

Your hold in his forearms tighten. “Msorry… it’s just… feels so good, please…”

Feeling he can’t hold it in any longer, Hoseok puts your thighs above his elbows and start thrusting in faster pace, eager to reach that high with you.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God.” You clench his bedsheets tighter, feeling your high is approaching.

“Baby, I’m gonna cum.”

“Cum inside, cum inside me.” Your breathing becomes more labored now you can feel you’re really close. Sneaking your hand down to your clit, you rub your finger in circling motion, and with Hoseok’s rapid thrusts, your orgasm hit you with another delirious wave.

The additional clenching from your pussy pushes Hoseok over his edge as he spurts ropes of cum inside your walls, hips stuttering against your pelvis, he lets out a satisfied sigh while he sits back on his knees, your thighs still spreading over his. Mixture of your cum and his dripping slowly from your swollen pussy as he slowly takes his softening dick out.

“Wait here.” He kisses your forehead before getting down from the bed and makes his way to the door just besides his drawers, that you assume must be the bathroom.

He comes back to bed in just few minutes with a damp towel. “Let me clean you up.” He wipes the drying cum from between your thighs thoroughly, making you letting out quiet giggles because you feel ticklish in some areas. With another towel, he wipes the sweat off your foreheads, and from your arms, even in between the valley of your breasts.

He kisses you again on the lips. “Go pee sweetheart, bathroom is over there okay, I’ll get you some water from downstairs.” He takes your hand to guide you up. Then, he takes a pair of pajama pants from his drawer before putting it on and goes outside the bedroom.

You slowly walk to his bathroom, the black and white granite with black brass faucets and showerhead is minimalistic yet very stylish. The smell of sandalwood from a reed diffuser adds calming and relaxing mood. Toiletries are lining up neatly above the countertops. You can’t help but smiling widely, being allowed to be in Hoseok’s personal space like now. Seeing a white bathrobe hanging behind the door, you decided to wear it before going back to the bedroom.

“There you are, have some drink okay.” Hoseok motions you to the glass of water on his nightstand. He himself is standing just near his desk where you see a Harman Kardon speaker, and in no time, you can hear Lullaboy’s Someone Like You playing softly.

You sit on the edge of his bed, just admiring the movement of his back muscles. Hoseok is lean, but he definitely has strong muscles as you could feel it under your touch just minutes ago. Your eyes suddenly meet with his as he turns and makes his way to you. Sitting just besides you, he takes your hand and kisses it.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?”

You shake your head, adjusting in his bed so you can look straight at him, you circle your arms around his neck.

“Hoseok?”

“Yes?”

“Do you feel guilty?”

You can feel him taken aback by your question, but you know you needed to ask him this. He looks down for a moment, and you give him the space he needs.

“I… I don’t think I do… if anything, I feel, relieved?”

You knit your eyebrows questioningly.

“I feel like… all the weight in my heart just disappear… like I’m at peace, I think Hee Young will like you too if she’s still around, that’s why I feel relieved.”

You hug him tightly, burying your face on his neck.

“I… For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel lonely anymore…”

He tightens your embrace and kisses your temple. “Me too… you wanna come along tomorrow to pick So Mi up?”

You pull back from him, cupping his cheeks. “Isn’t she with your mom and sister?”

“Yup, wanna introduce you to them if you don’t mind.” His eyes sparkling with excitement you can’t help but giggle again.

“You think they’ll be okay? You with me?”

“Sweetheart, they’ll love you as much as I do, I can guarantee that.”

5 years later

“Jung So Mi, you ready to meet your little brother?”

The young girl stands up abruptly from the grey couch of the living room when she hears her father’s voice.

“Oh my God, he’s here??” She jumps up and down excitedly. Her long jet-black hair bouncing around.

Hoseok helps you with the baby bag as you take careful steps towards the living room, carrying 8 months old baby boy named Jung Dae Hyun.

2 years ago, Hoseok asked you to marry him, and also to legally adopted So Mi as your daughter. So Mi was very happy to have you as her mother, even though you always remind her that Hee Young should always live inside her heart as her birth mother, and to always send prayers her way.

Life had been very fulfilling for the three of you, until just a year ago, Hoseok brought up the conversation. Thinking that if you still had the dream of adopting another child, you should start the process as it could take you some time to comply all the legal activities. Initially you told him that having So Mi is enough for you, but Hoseok knew you better, that you would always want to raise a baby. All the legal and administrational activities finally brought you to this day, with Dae Hyun in your arms, all giggling and smiling.

“He’s so cute, oh my God!” 9 years old So Mi can easily hold Dae Hyun in her arms, pinching his chubby cheeks.

“Oh my God, congratulations you two, he’s so precious, Dae Hyun isn’t it?” Hoseok’s mother joins you from the kitchen as she takes off her apron and put it on the kitchen island.

“Thank you eomma.” You hug her tightly as she pats your hair. Hoseok had been right all years ago when he said that his family would welcome you with open arms. That you shouldn’t feel embarrassed or afraid with your condition. His mother, father and sister really treated you as if you are their own family member.

“Is your mother & father coming in today Y/N?” She asks while cooing at Dae Hyun.

“Yes eomma, they will come later to see him.”

“He’s so precious, isn’t he?” She then takes him from So Mi’s arms.

“He is.” You pinch Dae Hyun’s cheek again and give your mother in law’s cheek a peck.

Hoseok put his arms around your waist from behind, head resting on your shoulder, watching his mother and daughter playing around with his youngest son.

“How do you feel sweetheart?” He whispers in your ear, kissing your earlobe gently.

“Happy, very very happy.” You glance at him on your side, planting a sweet kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He kisses you back.

“Now we are complete, aren’t we?” You lean back to him, basking in the precious moment.

“We always are sweetheart.”

Author’s Note: Thank you very much for reading Findng Hope and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. As always, comments and feedbacks are really appreciated. Stay safe and healthy everyone!!

#jung hoseok #jhope #bts jhope #hoseok x reader #jhope fluff #hoseok fluff #jhope ff #hoseok ff #jhope x reader #hoseok smut #jhope smut #bts smut #bts fic recs #jung hoseok fanfic

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petri808 · 3 years ago

Note

If you're open for nalu requests, can you write a smut fic where nalu goes to a lingerie store because lucy wants to try on some lingerie and natsu ends up getting aroused? But if you can't it's fine just ignore this ask😊

Hi Nony, this is the last request I’ll do. Decided to save this for @thenaluarchive Sinfully Nalu event Mirror prompt. What did Lucy expect by dragging Natsu lingerie shopping?

“I’ve just got one more stop to make.” Lucy pointed towards the other side of the mall.

“Ugh…” Natsu’s shoulders dropped, “but we’ve been here for 2 hours already, Lucy, and I’m getting hungry.”

“I’ll spring for lunch. Anything you want.”

“I’m holding you to it,” he grumbled, but allowed her to pull him forward.

Natsu knew the mall well enough to know that the section they were heading towards were mostly women’s clothing stores— definitely not where he wanted to be. All these fancy clothes, and accessories, and… stuff that his girlfriend loved to wear. Sure, he didn’t complain cause it made her happy, he just didn’t wanna shop for it. Forever twenty something, Cache or Channel— whatever, “oh, uh-uh, no way,” he jerked them to a halt. “I ain’t going in there.”

“It’s just Victoria’s Secret.”

“Well Victoria can keep her secret. Lucy you’re crazy if you think I’m going in a women’s lingerie store!”

Lucy turned to face, then grabbed both of Natsu’s hands, holding them together close to her chest. “Please,” her eyes begged. “I need you to tell me what you think will be nice on me.”

Thinking about his girl, in lingerie, while standing in a mall was *not* the image Natsu wanted conjuring in his mind. But between the soft, puppy-dog expression, and her whimpering pleading— he was powerless to turn Lucy down. He sighed with a whine. “Fine. I’ll go.”

“Yay!” She giggled, kissed his cheek, and took his hand again, entwining their fingers together. “I’ll make it as painless as possible.”

Yeah, uh-huh, right… Painless.

As they walked down the rows and racks of lingerie, Natsu hummed in his head as a distraction. Bras, panties. Low cut, high cut, thongs, g-strings. Sets, individual pieces. Lace, satin, cotton. So many choices! He let the colors blend in his vision, the scents of brand-new clothing mixed with perfumes sold, or miscellaneous accessories. How do women pick anything when there’s so many options? Give him a t-shirt and jeans and he was good to go.

Every so many picks, Lucy would ask his opinion. ‘Yeah, that’s nice. No, that looks itchy. I like that color. Eww, it doesn’t match you.’ Finding her size in the styles she wanted wasn’t always easy, but after 30 minutes, Lucy had half a dozen or so items to try on. So, they head towards the fitting rooms.

Natsu stopped in front of the doors, and readied himself to stand around and wait—

“You’re coming in with me.” Lucy tugged on his hand. “I need your final opinion.”

Up until now, Natsu had managed to avoid thinking about anything even remotely related to sex, but now?! “Uh-uh, no way!”

“Please…” Lucy turned on the pouty lip-action and puppy-dog eyes again. “It’s not like you won’t see me in them later.”

Natsu gulped hard as the naughty images were unlocked. “Are you trying to kill me in public?”

“Pfft, no,” she giggled. “Stop exaggerating this.”

‘You have no idea, woman…’ “Alright, fine. But don’t blame me if anything happens in there.” Because if the twitch in his pants and slight bulge growing was any indication, it wouldn’t be what she’d be expecting.

“Tch.” Lucy rolled her eyes. “It’ll be fine, Natsu, you’ll see.”

The dressing room was a lot more spacious than he was used to seeing. Men’s fitting rooms, at least the ones he’s been in are like closets with just one full length mirror, and maybe a small bench inside. This one could easily fit them both, with wrap around mirrors to catch every angle. It had a small, cushioned bench along one wall, and a couple of hooks on the inside of the door. But most noteworthy was the fact it was a fully enclosed room— not those partial-length doors at lower-quality stores. It was very, very private.

Natsu sat down on the bench and closed his eyes while Lucy fiddled with her options. He could hear the plastic and metal hangers going up on the hooks, as well as the sounds of his girlfriend shedding her clothing. His mouth suddenly felt dry… Lucy’s voluptuous body bared for him to see with only her regular panties left on— he squeezed his eyes tighter shut. ‘Don’t think about it! Don’t think about it!’

“Ready— Natsu, silly,” Lucy giggled. “How are you gonna tell me if it’s good or not if you can’t see?”

“No.”

Lucy threaded her fingers gingerly through his hair. “Just one peak…”

‘Fuck…’ he groaned as the tightening in his shorts grew uncomfortable. “One peak.”

Natsu opened his eyes and immediately slammed them shut again from the screaming bra and panties glued to her frame. A sheer red with solid fabric only over the nipples and a strip covering her crotch. So much flesh revealed in these outfits, was there even a point to wearing anything at all?

“Great!” His voice squeaked out. “Looks fine.”

Her giggles only added to his demise. The sounds of more fabric rustling, and the twitch in his shorts… Natsu shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable, but he couldn’t. Lucy had grabbed about six of seven different pieces to try, and this was only the beginning. She was too damn sexy, and he swore, derived pleasure out of torturing him like this! Ugh, his cock was so hard right now…

“Okay, next piece,” Natsu heard her say. “I’m not sure about it, cause the color doesn’t seem to look good on me.”

Tch, it could be multi-colored polka dots and Lucy would still be a man’s wet dream. He cracked open one eye. It was a dark green, combo with frilled lace along the waistband. Natsu gulped hard as she did a turn around to reveal a thong and curvy swell of her backside.

“You do realize I’m biased, right?” Natsu blurted out. “Everything looks good on you to me.”

“Awww,” Lucy bent down and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. “I still think I’ll add this to the maybe pile,” she spoke as she started removing the pieces. “I think you’ll really like the next one I found; it has these cute flames on them.”

“You know what I’d prefer to see?” Natsu questioned, for he was done holding back.

Lucy stopped mid-way, bent slightly over with the thong down to her thighs. “What?”

Without answering her, Natsu got off the bench and started helping her take the thong off.

“Natsu, what are you—”

Once off, he moved onto her regular panties down.

“Nat— s-stop!” Lucy grabbed for his hands, but she couldn’t do much without twisting or tripping. “What are you do—”

“Keep your voice down.” He tugged those off too leaving her exposed from the waist down.

“Natsu this isn’t funny!” She seethed in an exasperated whisper.

“Neither is this,” he gestured at the bulge in his shorts. Guiding her against the mirrored wall as he spoke. “You said I could choose whatever I wanted for lunch, and I’ve decided to put you on the menu.”

Lucy whimpered when she felt the cold mirror against her bare skin. “But we’re in public.”

“I warned you didn’t I…” Natsu leaned in with a whisper, cheek to cheek. “Then I suggest you not make any noise,” his words wisp out, warm breath fanning down the barren skin as his lips burn a trail over her neck. Lucy dug her fingers into his hair, holding on but not stopping him as he moved lower.

His stops were brief, lips ghosting burning marks along her chest, a mountainous journey over the pillowy bosoms, a few licks against the pert nipples, and lower… down … snaking over her torso to what he was truly after. “Breathe, baby,” Natsu teased at her halted, bated breathing. “Just look forward and watch.”

She sucked in a gulp of air and stared forward at the mirrored image of Natsu going down on her. It was strange to literally watch every move he made like a voyeur living through another’s body. Lucy’s fingers tightened their grip on his hair in anticipation as he spread her legs a little wider…

“Mmm,” he mused in thought on how to get the best angle. “Hold to me,” Natsu suggested, and before she could reply, lifted Lucy’s left leg, and rested it on his shoulder. “Perfect…”

Natsu dove right in, latching his mouth onto the moist folds he knew so well, humming at the quick squeak his girl couldn’t catch in time. But he knew from the pull on his scalp exactly what she was experiencing. He kept one hand on her raised hip, while the fingers of his other toyed around the edge of her wet opening. His tongue pressed and circled around her clit, sucking, palpating, interspersed with soothing flicks and long strokes to lap up the growing sap gathering in the area. He closed his eyes as he relished in the warmth oozing over his face from her beautiful sex.

Heaven help her, Lucy couldn’t stop staring at that mirror… her gripped fingers to his hair and nails digging into his shoulder for dear life from the seasoned oral ministrations that slowly undid her sanity. Just his tongue alone… but the teasing fingers… Oh! Oh— Her thighs clenched to the sides of Natsu’s head as she felt one, then two fingers slipped through her walls. Lucy’s body arched slightly, and head tilted back as those fingers began swiftly pumping.

“Natsu…” Lucy moaned softly through sealed lips. She could feel his grin against her flesh, hear the squishing sounds, and smell the light scent of her extreme arousal. Damn him…

In a race against time, Natsu pumped fast and hard while his mouth and tongue devoured Lucy’s sex and sanity with an intensity to rival any known battle for supremacy. Each passing second, drawing the heated coil at her core closer to snapping. Her legs trembled, yet clenched and stiffened as his fingers pummeled, bumping the swollen sex being driven to his knuckles reach. He could feel Lucy start unraveling and held firmly to her hip bone as the jerky spasms rocked her body in orgasmic euphoria.

“Stop, stop, stop—” Lucy clawed at his back and neck as she whimpered from the immense pressure boiling in her body, and radiant moisture pooled in her eyes. “Please… enough, Natsu my legs are gonna give out.”

After giving her pussy a few more licks to clean up the excess juices, Natsu finally obliged and put down Lucy’s leg, then stood up while still supporting her as she caught her breath. He licked around his lips and cleaned off his fingers. “Best lunch in the world,” he grinned.

“Oof!” Lucy playfully slapped his chest with a short laugh. “Not what I’d meant. And now I don’t have time to try on the rest.”

“Why not?”

Lucy started putting on her regular clothes. “We’ve been in here for too long, it’ll be suspicious.”

“Tch, then just buy all of it if you like them, cause I’m telling you they’ll all look great on you.”

She glared at him. “Fine, but after pulling that stunt, now you owe me lunch!”

Natsu shrugged and grabbed all the hangers of clothing. “Okay, since you’ll need your strength later.”

“Later?”

The widest seedy grin bloomed on Natsu’s face. “You’ll see…”

#nalu #sinfully nalu #prompt mirrors #nalu smut #nalu au #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #nalu fan fiction #nalu fan fic #smut fic #fairy tail

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floralseokjin · 4 years ago

Text

⤑ made-up love song vii (m).

Your first encounter with Kim Seokjin doesn’t go so well, nor your second, or your third… and maybe that’s because it shouldn’t work on paper. You’re an elementary school teacher, never left the country despite hitting the third decade of your life not so long ago, and you’re unable to remember the last time you dated. He’s the dad of one of your students, nearly a decade older than you and divorced. Oh yes, and just another minor detail – he’s a multimillionaire.

Your lives are lightyears apart, yet somehow, your paths having now crossed, things just seem to fall into place…

pairing; kim seokjin x reader au/genre/warnings; strangers to lovers, romance, single dad! seokjin, ceo! seokjin, elementary school teacher! oc, age gap (oc is 30, seokjin is 37), seokjin is a dilf, smut; includes jacuzzi (oral) sex, outdoor sex, the angst/drama comes knocking! words; 8,336

↪︎ chapter index

chapters; i • ii • iii • iv • v • vi • vii • viii • ix • x • epilogue (+ drabbles)

A few days after Arin’s birthday party school started back, and just as you’d known you got incredibly busy, incredibly fast. With admin and getting to know your new students you found that you were too distracted to dwell on all the things that had been worrying you. Yes, it was strange not being able to see Seokjin practically whenever you wanted, and yes, you missed him – and the summer, but with work so hectic it cushioned the blow. You didn’t have time to live inside your own head or get sad about stupid, tiny things.

Letting the school know about your relationship wasn’t mandatory now that you weren’t Arin’s teacher, but you felt better for it, meeting with Hoseok one morning to inform him. Eunbi already knew, being quite a close a friend to you, and slowly, over the next few days you let some of the other teachers you were friendly with know too. You found it quite exciting. You’d been single for such a long time so finding yourself in conversations about your boyfriend filled you with a happiness you weren’t quite used to. You liked talking about Seokjin, bigging him up, some could call it bragging… He’d even very kindly donated money for a new playground to be built in the kindergarten area. He wanted to help Primrose Hill any which way he could. It meant a lot to you and his daughter.

It only took around three weeks to get yourself into a routine. For both of you to find a rhythm and make it work well. Your lunch break wasn’t long enough for you to zip to Seokjin’s office and join him so he always made an effort to come to you. Sometimes you’d eat in his car, sometimes yours, or sometimes you’d meet in a small café near the school. You cherished that short time together because sometimes that’s all you could have. Depending on how busy you both were you often couldn’t spend time together in the evenings. You tried to at least once in the week, but weekends were reserved for things like spending the night.

It was Tuesday today and you somehow had a night free from lesson planning which meant you could join Seokjin and Arin for dinner. You were glad really, because Seokjin had been stressed since yesterday and you hadn’t had a chance to see him properly. He had to go away on last minute business this weekend but it coincided with Misook’s family vacation. He’d asked Nana if Arin could stay with her this weekend but she was busy too. He didn’t know what to do, other than try and postpone the trip. Key word: try.

Misook had left for the day just as you were arriving, Arin in her room, too busy playing on the Nintendo Switch she’d gotten from Nana for her birthday, so it gave you some brief time alone with Seokjin. You were shocked to see him still in his suit, sat in contemplation alone in the family room. Oh, boy. You hated seeing him so stressed. He was never one to mope or even show his mood. You knew him well enough by now to be able to tell when he was drained, but he still didn’t let it affect him too much, always smiling, always joking around. This evening was different. He’d barely said a few sentences, mostly it involved apologising for his bad mood. He felt selfish, not being much company, yet still needing yours. He had nothing to be sorry for, you reassured, resting your head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around you, holding you close. You reached for his hand, and there you stayed like that for a little while, fingers laced together.

Arin made her way in soon enough, stomach rumbling, a hopeful lilt to her voice as she walked over to you both, hands behind her back. “Can we have pizza for dinner?”

Seokjin shifted, unlacing your fingers and dropping his arm from your shoulders as you both sat up straighter. “Didn’t we have that yesterday, Arin?”

Arin didn’t miss. She was a professional. “But Y/N wasn’t here yesterday. She missed out.”

Her comeback even managed to draw a quiet chuckle out of her dad. “We’re not having pizza, sweetie.”

She sighed softly, crossing her arms around her chest as she looked your way. “Daddy is moody today.”

You raised an eyebrow, your mouth unable to stop quirking up in amusement. “He is?”

“Why do you say that?” Seokjin asked. His tone was light, but you could tell by his frown lines her casual words had him worrying.

“I heard you on the phone this morning to mommy. There’s no one to look after me when you go away this weekend and she can’t do it.”

Seokjin faltered, not expecting such a frank answer. He composed himself quickly. “She’s just really busy, Arin. She wanted to look after you, she just couldn’t this time.”

“I know,” she replied simply, nodding her head.

There was a beat of silence and then Seokjin reached for her, kissing her cheek, his voice quiet with apology. “I’m sorry. Was I really moody today?” He looked unsurely your way too.

“Uh huh. You hardly smiled, and when I tried telling you about the field trip I’m going on next week you weren’t even listening properly.” Arin’s small voice filled with such attitude was comical.

Seokjin chuckled. “Daddy’s really sorry. I’m smiling now, though, right?” Arin nodded. “And if you’re kind enough, you can tell me about your trip again over dinner. Is that okay?”

“Hmm.” She thought allowed. “So can we get pizza?”

Seokjin snorted. “Nice try, young lady. It’s still a no.”

Seokjin ordered from one of his favourite restaurants, helping you set the table as Arin went to check on her rabbits. You ate together, listening as Arin spoke all about her upcoming field trip, finally having her father’s undivided (and interested) attention. However, halfway in, she completely changed the topic, throwing you both.

“Can’t I stay with Y/N this weekend?”

“Hm?” Seokjin looked over at her, visibly surprised.

You swallowed what was left in your mouth just as Arin’s eyes found yours. “I can just stay with you while daddy has to go away.” Your lips parted, trying to think of something to say, your years of teacher training falling short.

Seokjin beat you to it. “No, no, sweetie,” he shook his head, sounded a little flustered, taken by surprise. “Y/N will probably be busy on the weekend. That’s her only free time, she can’t look after you.”

With a small shrug, she put her fork to her mouth. “It was just a thought.”

Seokjin looked over at you, expression apologetic as he mouthed sorry.

Hey, listen…” You began, feeling oddly nervous as you looked up at your boyfriend. It was a couple of hours later, Arin was in bed, time was getting on, you had to leave soon, but cuddled up against him, both curled up on the sofa as you watched mindless television, you really didn’t want to go anywhere. Seokjin had relaxed a little by now (the wonders of food), but you could still tell his mind was exhausted as his gaze fell on yours. You took a breath, deeper than intended, psyching yourself up. “I really don’t mind looking after Arin this weekend.”

You didn’t miss the way his eyes widened a tad, obviously taken by surprise, but then his mouth lifted at the side, his head shaking from side to side lightly as he let out a breathy chuckle. “Y/N, don’t feel like you have to just because she brought it up.”

You found yourself relaxing. He didn’t want you to feel obligated. You’d thought so, but the teeniest tiniest most worrisome part of your brain had thought he might now have wanted, or trusted you, to look after Arin. That wasn’t the case. You could tell by the look on his face. He didn’t want to put you out, ask too much of you.

You moved and straightened your back, eye to eye now. “No, I honestly don’t mind at all, Seokjin.” You reassured, talking faster as you noticed him open his mouth. “Seeing as Arin was the one who suggested it, I guess she’s fine with the idea. I…” Hesitating, you added something else. “I wanted to suggest it myself but… If she’s comfortable with it, I’d love to.”

It was the truth. Ever since Seokjin had called you at lunch time, telling you Nana couldn’t manage this weekend, you’d wanted to tell him you were up for it but something had stopped you. Even as he’d tried to think of options this evening – maybe his mom could stay for the weekend, his aunt – you’d held back and bitten your tongue. What if you were pushing boundaries? Inserting yourself into situations that didn’t concern you? Arin liked you, yes, but being entirely in your care for 48 hours was different. She might not want to, she might feel uncomfortable. However knowing that it wasn’t the case, suggesting it herself so casually over dinner had given you the confidence to push through. Seokjin needn’t be worried about asking too much of you.

Regarding you silently, he considered your words. Lovingly, you glided your hand up his arm, reaching out for his cheek. He pressed into your touch automatically. “I want to help you out.” At that, he smiled gently, lips turning up in a way that rounded his cheeks, making him appear at least a decade younger. It was wholly unfair.

Turning slightly, his lips grazed your palm. “I’ll ask her about it in the morning.” You grinned, visibly pleased, and Seokjin took your hand to tug you gently to his chest. This time he placed a kiss on your mouth, humming happily. “Thank you.”

Arin was more than happy about it. Seokjin suggested you stay at his home for the weekend, seeing as that would be easier for the both of you, but she was pretty adamant she wanted to stay at your place. You understood, kid’s curiosity and all. She wanted to know what your home looked like, she wanted to meet your “pretty best friend” she liked to ask about sometimes. Honestly, you felt touched that she wanted to learn more about your life. It was just another reminder of her acceptance when it came to you, and you’d be forever touched by how easily she’d let you into her life. She was more than welcome to come stay at your place, but of course you’d run it by Soojung first. She’d agreed quite easily, even after you informed her you’d be sharing her bed all weekend, Arin of course using yours.

On Thursday night Seokjin’s guilt was getting the better of him. He had you on the phone, making sure you were 100% okay with looking after Arin. He didn’t want you to feel as if you were trapped just because you felt compelled to help him. He could cancel his trip. You told him how stupid he was being. Cancelling would put so many people out, including himself. Besides, you not only wanted to help him out, you wanted to take care of Arin. You felt as though you were capable, and if you were being even more honest with him, you felt really happy it was happening. Knowing Arin trusted you this much was a great feeling. Knowing he trusted you enough…

“Why wouldn’t I trust you?” He scoffed in disbelief. “You’re great with her. She loves you.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” you laughed.

“How come?” He was hellbent on proving you wrong, voice softening as he continued. “You’re so easy to love.”

You felt your heart skip a beat. He’d said it so casually, so easily, you felt dumb searching too much into his words. It was far too early to think of things like that – for confessions like that. Right? Still, he sounded genuine enough. He meant it, even if it wasn’t in that way. Not that you were expecting anything. You were perfectly happy with how things were, your feelings growing stronger each day. You weren’t in a rush, neither was he. That’s what made your relationship so great. But your heart still felt all fuzzy regardless. You found yourself smiling down the line, your thanks obvious in your tone. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more.” He ignored your noises of complaint. “I’ll video call you a lot – and Arin of course.” Then he laughed. “Although, I’ll have a feeling she won’t miss me at all this weekend.”

The next day you finished up work early, it was a Friday anyway, so you never made a habit of sticking around too long, but this time you were packed and ready to go the same time as the kids. Arin would be waiting in her classroom, ready to go home with you for the weekend. Seokjin had dropped off her things early this morning before his flight, indulging you in a few sleepy kisses before he had to go, a promise of ‘I’ll see you Sunday night,” slipping from his slightly downturned lips, hands reluctant to let you go.

Arin was visibly excited when she saw you, seconds away from jumping up and down on the spot, your first name rushing out of her mouth without realising. It was no big deal of course, but her reaction was cute, eyes widening as her lips parted into a circle, a noise of realisation leaving her. She looked very much like her father, which made it even funnier. You took her hand, saying your goodbyes to Mr. Moon, her second grade teacher, and left the building for your car.

“This is a really nice car, Y/N,” she complimented as you made sure she was strapped in properly. You weren’t nervous, but you were slightly on edge, cautious, being a better word, to make sure everything was okay. You needed all bases covered. Arin was in your care for 48 hours after all. You told yourself to calm down, if Seokjin knew you were being this antsy he’d be highly amused. You wouldn’t stop hearing about it for a week.

“I’ve always wanted to ride in it,” Arin continued.

You smiled down at her. “Thank you.” She was one of the sweetest kids you knew. Your car was average. Not that she knew anything about makes and prices and whatever else there was. You didn’t either. As long as it drove you from point A to B you didn’t care what it looked like.

“Will your best friend be home when we arrive?” She asked as you got inside the driver’s seat, sticking the key in the ignition.

“Soojung? She’ll be still in work. Remember I told she works at a department store?” It was adorable how excited she was to meet Soo. Your best friend’s head would be double the size soon, ego inflated.

“Mhmm,” Arin hummed responsively.

“She won’t be done until around 6.” You turned back to look at her, knowing your next sentence would make her day. “I think she wanted to get pizza for dinner. Would you like that?”

“YES!” Arin exclaimed immediately, eyes lighting up. “Soojung likes pizza too?”

With a chuckle, you started the vehicle up and started backing out of your spot, replying as you did so. “She does.” But in truth, the pizza tonight was Seokjin’s idea. He’d given you one of his bank cards to spend on the food bill with strict instructions to only feed her the doughy delicacy once this weekend. He knew what she was like – you both did. She’d eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner if she could. If you suggested it tonight, then that was it. She’d be eating your menu come Saturday and Sunday.

“How far away is your house from the school?”

You’d lost count of how many questions she’d already asked you since you’d arrived to collect her. It was comical. Seokjin had not warned you about that, but your years of experience had told you to expect it. What was a kid without questions? You’d be worried if she was silent.

“Not too long.” You replied, glancing in the rear view mirror to see her happily looking out of the window. “When we get in, I’ll text daddy and see if he’s free to videocall.”

“Okay.”

You tried to stop the smile that wanted to break across your face at her nonchalance. “Do you miss him yet?”

With a brief shake of her head, still staring at the whizzing scenery outside she answered pretty simply. “Not really.”

This time you burst out laughing, unable to stop. She looked over at the noise, meeting your eyes in the mirror as you took a right turn, giggling along. “Don’t tell him though, Y/N. It might make him sad.”

“I won’t, Arin.” You reassured with another chuckle. “It can be our little secret.”

She settled in well that night, immediately warming to Soojung (who despite her lifelong insistence, was great with children). You thought perhaps Arin would begin to get homesick once it was time for bed, but after watching a movie you tucked her in and said goodnight. You thought she’d have trouble sleeping because she was in a strange bed but checking in on her twenty minutes later you found her fast asleep, hugging her rabbit plushie. You on the other hand got ready to share a bed with Soojung – the bed cover hogger…

The next day Arin had you awake at 6am. You already knew about her liveliness in the mornings, so it was no surprise. You’d been woken up countless times over the summer by a knock at Seokjin’s door, Arin’s voice calling out for him. On days you weren’t there she’d even barge in and jump on the bed. Where she got her energy from so early in the morning was a mystery. This morning however, she caught you on the way out of the bathroom. You’d been tossing and turning all night, wresting the covers from Soo. You’d thought about maybe taking a blanket and having an hours nap on the sofa, but there Arin was creeping out of your room, a smile on her face as she saw it was you.

There was no tempting her back to bed, so you sat her down at the table and made her some breakfast, snapping a picture to send to her father. (Captioned: Guess who had me up at 6am 😴) You had a few things planned today. Seokjin always made sure Arin was busy on the weekends, it was the only time he got to spend with her fully unless she was with her mom, especially now that she was back in school. Even if it was just something as simple as going to the park, he always made plans. So, to do your part and to keep her entertained, you were going to run by her house to make sure the rabbits were fine (fed and watered), then go to the mall. It was simple, yes, but you needed to get a few things anyway, and you promised after all that walking around you’d stop by the food court. Then she had to accompany you to the grocery store to get ingredients for tonight’s dinner.

She was pretty damn excited regardless. “I like going to the mall with mommy because daddy finds it boring,” she informed you as she picked out her clothes that you’d helped her unpack yesterday. That definitely sounded like Seokjin, you thought to yourself, laughing along with her. “Mommy told me that next weekend she’s going to take me shopping and buy me anyyy-thing I want.”

“That sounds like great fun,” you smiled, telling yourself you’d pretend you never heard that… Seokjin was keen not to spoil Arin so you didn’t think he’d be best pleased to find this out. “What do you want to buy?”

“Hmm. Something for Olive and Ariel, I think.”

You smiled again, admiring her caring nature. Her rabbits were the most well looked after in this entire country. She adored them. “I think they’ll really appreciate that.”

You continued helping Arin get ready first, and thankfully by the time you were done Soojung had risen. You left them watching cartoons together while you showered, eager to leave by 10am.

Arin you found out, didn’t just like the mall, she loved it very much. She was practically skipping around the place as she held your hand, helping you pick out the things you needed for your craft session with the students on Monday. While she was recommending paint colours to you, she surprised you with a confession. “I wish you were still my teacher, Y/N.”

“How come?” You asked gently.

She gave a tiny shrug. “I’d get to see you every day.”

Oh. You didn’t know what to say to that, touched at her matter-of-fact revelation. Instead you wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a loving squeeze.

“But actually, maybe I wouldn’t like it.” She added as an afterthought. You waited, curious as to why she’d changed her mind so suddenly. “I’d have to call you Miss Y/L/N. I’d get too confused.”

You laughed, this child was far too funny for her own good. “Me too, Arin. It’s better this way, right?”

“Right,” she agreed with a nod.

“Y/N, this is pretty,” Arin cooed, calling your attention as you rounded the stand. You’d gotten everything you needed and were now browsing around some other stores. You’d let Arin pick a couple out, worrying she might be getting bored, and one of her choices had been Claire’s. She was holding up a charm bracelet.

“Very pretty,” you agreed.

And then she struck. “Can I have it?” She didn’t give you time to answer, eyes widening as she began to beg, voice soft and hopeful. “Please. Pretty please.”

You chuckled. You were practically immune to cute kids, so that wouldn’t work on you. However, she had been really well-behaved all morning, in your eyes she deserved a small treat. “You can. But just this one thing, okay?”

“Thank you, Y/N!” She squealed, rushing up to you. She gave your arm a squeeze. “I like you much better than daddy.”

“That will hurt his feelings,” you burst out laughing. She didn’t have to butter you up, you’d already said yes.

As you were paying the cashier, she wondered off to a stand of keychains, her eyes catching something instantly. “Oooh, pretty,” she purred and the cashier, a woman no more than a few years older than you, laughed.

“Best escape before she wants something else,” you joked, handing over some cash.

“My daughter is just the same. Kids, who’d have them, right? We’re glutton for punishment.” She joked.

“Oh, no, I’m –” You stopped yourself dead, unsure what to say. Had this woman just mistaken you for Arin’s mother? It definitely sounded that way. But just how could you correct her?

“Don’t get me wrong,” the cashier said, shaking her head. “They’re definitely worth it.”

You forced yourself to smile, feeling a little wooden, but the chuckle you got out sounded better. “Yeah, yeah they are.” You glanced over at Arin, thankfully she was too distracted by the abundance of cute animal keychains. You turned back and took your bag from the woman, trying to shake off how awkward you felt. “Thank you. Bye.”

Walking over to Arin you took her hand. “Hope to see you again soon,” the cashier called behind you and you gave a wave, telling Arin to do the same.

“Thank you,” she sang sweetly as she did so.

“So, something weird happened today,” you told Soojung as you prepared food, careful to keep your voice low even though Arin was well and truly distracted inside the living room. Taehyung was a master with children. The guy needed a career change immediately. You’d never heard Arin laugh so hard. She’d been in stitches for the last hour. You were worried she’d be way to hyperactive for bedtime once it came.

Soojung looked up from where she was chopping onion, interested as her eyebrow raised.

“The woman at Claire’s mistook me for Arin’s mother.”

Soojung scoffed, lifting her shoulders in a casual shrug. “I’m not surprised. It was bound to happen. It’s normal.” She added, reassuring you as she saw the look on your face. “People just naturally assume.”

“I guess…”

“What did you tell her?”

Your expression turned sheepish. “I just went along with it,” you confessed, placing spaghetti in a pan of bubbling water. You caught the look she gave you. “I didn’t know what to say!” It was the truth. “I’m her father’s girlfriend seemed too… I don’t know…” Too impersonal?

“That’s what you are though,” Soo snorted.

You gave up, knowing you were probably making a huge deal out of this. Was it that serious? Probably not. “I just felt awkward.”

“Because you hate correcting people, or because you didn’t like someone mistaking you for Arin’s mother,” your best friend pried.

“It’s definitely not that. It’s just…” You sighed. “How would Arin feel about it? What if she’d heard?”

Soojung shrugged. “She loves you. You’re great with her.”

That wasn’t the point you were trying to make. “It still might have upset her though. She adores her mom.” You weren’t trying to take Nana’s place and you didn’t want her to ever think that.

It was Soo’s turn to sigh, dropping the chopped onions into a fry pan. “Do you want my opinion?”

“Please,” you requested meekly.

“I think you’re looking way too much into it.” Obviously. “It’s not a big deal at all, and Arin didn’t hear anything so nothing to worry about.”

“You’re right,” you agreed, telling yourself to shake it off.

“Of course I am,” she quipped, rooting around in a cupboard now. She turned back, a can of tomatoes in her hand. “I’m sure Seokjin will be able to ease your mind with his sexy Dilf powers or whatever he calls them.”

“Shut up,” you groaned. You weren’t even sure if you were going to tell him. Like she kept saying, it wasn’t a big deal, right? It was an easy mistake to make. Probably happened all the time.

From inside the living room you heard Taehyung roar loudly, mimicking a lion (possibly) and Arin shrieked out his name, laughter exploding from her. “Quick, let’s get dinner ready as soon as possible.” Soojung begged, dramatic as always. “I’m scared Tae might be getting ideas. I’m too young for kids!”

The rest of the weekend went by smoothly. Despite the excitement levels that Saturday night brought, Arin was knocked out by 9pm. You, Soojung and Taehyung stayed up for another hour before he had to leave and then Soo made her way to bed, needing to wake up early tomorrow for work. That left you on the couch, awaiting Seokjin’s video call. He’d already called once today, but Arin was so hyped, talking a mile a minute about her day, you couldn’t get a word in edgeways. (Neither could he.) You were thankful for some alone time. You were missing him. He’d gone away on business trips a couple of times in the summer but it didn’t mean you’d get used to it. You both talked about your day, and you decided there and then not to tell him about the Claire’s “incident.” Soojung was right, it was no big deal. It was a common misunderstanding, one you’d probably made unknowingly before too. After you’d said your goodbyes you went to bed, already strategizing how you were going to steal the covers back from Soojung. As much as you’d enjoyed looking after Arin, you couldn’t wait to have your own bed back. Sharing with your bestie was torture. Taehyung was an admirable man.

Sunday was a chillout day, although Arin still had you awake at 6am. You made her breakfast, watched some cartoons and shared turns on her Switch before you both got ready for the day. You checked in on Olive and Ariel briefly before driving back to your place. There was a park nearby and you promised you’d take her. The weather was still warm despite September trickling by. It was crazy how fast this year had gone, autumn already nearly here. For the rest of the day you both relaxed in front of the TV, waiting until Soojung was home to watch a movie, and then you made dinner. Seokjin was due back around 7pm, so you made sure all of Arin’s things were packed up ready to go. It was just gone eight when he turned up at your door. Arin had already passed out on the sofa after her hot chocolate so he couldn’t stay long. You thought with how entertaining this weekend had been it had finally all caught up with her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night?” He asked, careful to keep his voice down as he strapped Arin inside his car. (Still sleeping.) You’d followed him out as he carried her towards the vehicle, wanting to say your goodbyes.

He straightened up, closing the car door as he stepped closer to you. You rubbed his arm. “You must be exhausted.”

“Don’t baby me.” Reaching forward, he wrapped his arms around you, squishing your arms to your side. “I missed you.”

You hummed, pressing your lips to his, careful to keep your voice a whisper. “Your dick missed me.”

He scoffed in disbelief but couldn’t argue. “That’s…not a lie. My heart missed you too though.”

“How sweet,” you joked, but couldn’t keep your charade up for much longer. “I missed you too.” This time the press of your mouth was much firmer. He matched it, letting you slip your arms around his sides, holding him too.

“Tomorrow, then?” He asked hopefully, tip of his tongue wetting his bottom lip slightly as he pulled away. “I know it’s a school night but I swear I only get a good night’s sleep lying next to you.”

Laughing, you nodded your head. “Tomorrow.” You agreed wholeheartedly. Sleeping alone was no fun anymore.

He captured your mouth again, humming happily. “Can’t wait.”

The following weekend Arin was with her mom so you and Seokjin had the entire weekend to yourselves. Saturday was busy, you’d both probably been a little too ambitious when you’d decided to cram as many different activities as you could into the day, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. You didn’t get many days to spend together likes this; walking hand in hand as you explored the local market, having brunch together, checking out a new museum exhibit, watching a movie at the theatre… You treasured days like these. And what better way to end one with? Jacuzzi time!

Seokjin’s jacuzzi was fast becoming one of life’s staples lately. Who were you? A changed woman, that’s who. This was your favourite space in Seokjin’s garden(s). An area of decking, solar lights draped over the sleek fencing. In the middle was the jacuzzi, set into the wood. Now that the nights were drawing in, it was especially cosy out here, summer holding on for just a little bit longer as the weather stayed quite warm. It wouldn’t be like this for long so you had to make the most of it right now.

You were sat inside the jacuzzi, water gently bubbling around you as you gazed up at the stars that had just started to appear when you heard Seokjin emerging from the house. His footsteps sounded against the wooden steps as he made his way towards you. You didn’t bother looking but when he didn’t join you straight away, you glanced over curiously. To be met with a rather naked boyfriend.

“What are you doing?!” You exclaimed, eyes bugging out.

He grinned. It was hardly innocent. “Jacuzzi’s are much more enjoyable naked, didn’t you know?”

You tsked, watching him climb into the tub and make his way over to you. His mouth was immediately on yours, arms around your waist as he tugged for you to stand up. This wasn’t just any type of kiss. Like you’d said before, you knew Seokjin very well by now, and besides, you’d already noticed his dick was half aroused as he stood above you… He had a plan.

On cue, he broke away, corners of his plump lips tugging upwards with a suggestion.

“Join me?”

“Seokjin…” You warned, voice low, hands grazing the tops of his arms. He couldn’t be serious.

“No one can see us,” he reassured you with a wider smile.

You mean, he was correct. This time you let your hands make their way to his shoulders, massaging them lightly. “You’re crazy.”

“Yeah, crazy for you,” he smirked, leaning in to kiss you once again. His lips were slow, coaxing. Even more so as they made their way down your jaw and to your neck. You keened into his touch, his hands grazing down your sides, fingers toying with the sides of your bikini bottoms. “C’mon…” He sunk his teeth into your skin gently and you whined. “I know you want to.” You did indeed. Very much so. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed, voice suddenly hoarse. You cleared your throat just as his fingers began to untie the strings of your bra, mouth still peppering your neck with kisses. Until that was your chest was bare, and then his lips were wrapped around one nipple, water rippling with the sudden movement. You moaned as quietly as you could, wanting to encourage him because it felt good, but also nervous as hell because you were outside. You didn’t care if there was no one around for a good mile, you were still out in the open.

Cupping your breasts in his palms he gazed down at them, sighing dreamily. “Have I ever told you how much I love your tits?”

You raised an eyebrow. “One. Don’t be so crude.” (Not that you didn’t like it.) “And two. Yes, yes you have.” You broke off with a laugh, reaching for him to mesh your mouths together. He couldn’t help but chuckle too, but elsewhere he had a hand down your bikini to grab your ass.

“What’s gotten – Seokjin!” You practically roared, cutting yourself off as he suddenly dived down into the water, fully submerged, hands attempting to tear your bottoms off. “What are you doing,” you giggled, clinging to his back as you tried to stay upright. He had one of your ankles in his hand, wrestling with the fabric.

A few moments later he arose successful, flicking his head back to stop his wet hair from dripping in his eyes. He pushed it back further with his hands, forehead now devastating, skin glistening with water droplets. You heart stilled, he looked gorgeous – and naughty. Behind him your bikini bottoms floated to the surface. A smirk spread across his face as he finally replied. “Getting you naked.” And then he was on you.

He kissed you hungrily, his erection pressed up against you, hot and eager now, just like his tongue. Your fingers threaded through his wet locks, letting him push his body weight into you until the backs of your legs hit the seat.

“Up here for me,” he pulled away briefly, command light, tapping his hand against the deck behind you. You let him slip his hands around your hips and lift you up, legs spread to accommodate his body, feet still in the water atop of the seat.

“You’re not too cold?” He made sure to ask, concerned despite being ravenous. You shook your head, desire for him enough despite the night air cooling the water against your skin. Satisfied he immediately dove in, leaning forward to place a kiss against your wetness. You pulsed against the touch, moving back on your elbows to get comfier just as his tongue came out and flicked against your clit. Suddenly you didn’t care that you were outside.

From up here you had a great view of the expanse of his broad, wet back, muscles rippling as he ate you out. You moaned softly, running a hand through his hair, gaze falling to his face. His eyes were closed, water droplets caught in his dark eyebrows and as if he could feel your eyes watching him, he looked up, smirking against you before he sucked the sensitive bud into his mouth, actions growing more eager as he heard you go crazy for it.

He knew your body well, which is why he cruelly held off slipping a finger inside of you. Actually, on second thought, he knew damn well that the second he did so, your orgasm would soon follow. It wasn’t hard to tease your body, to control it how he wanted. As soon as you felt his middle digit push inside, you clenched around it, hips bucking into Seokjin’s face as a stifled cry forced its way out of your mouth. He grunted, inserting another finger, curling and uncurling them as his other hand gripped your hip, trying his best to keep you still. It was no use, you were a woman possessed, pleasure beginning to hurtle through your body at an alarming rate. You stretched out, fingers of one hand sliding along the wood beneath you, desperately trying to cling onto something as you moaned uncontrollably. Seokjin hummed along, encouraging you, coaxing the orgasm through your body. With each wave your breath shuddered harder.

You only started coming to when you felt his fingers slip out of you, his tongue ceasing, mouth now at your inner thigh, kissing you wetly, passionately. Your hands reached for him, wanting him close, but he was already on it, straightening up to meet your mouth. “I need you,” he breathed. You could taste yourself, it was intoxicating. “Here.”

“Here?!” You exclaimed weakly, unfocused eyes trying to concentrate on his face.

He kissed you once more, moaning a little. “Yeah.” His hands wrapped around your hips, lifting you further up the decking before he climbed out of the water and crawled over your body, reaching for something behind you. “Look – let’s use this.” He had a beach towel in his hand, the one you’d left draped over one of the wicker chairs, and he hurriedly laid it out, pressing you into it to kiss you again. His cock was hard and wet, bobbing against your inner thighs.

“Are you sure you’re not cold?” He asked, wet hair now having fallen in his eyes.

You cupped his face, nodding your head as you leaned up. You were still thrumming from your high. “Yes.” Your tongue curled against his open mouth, slipping in to meet his own. The kiss was messy, distracted, as he spread your legs, hooking one up under your thigh.

Breaking away from your mouth, he straightened his back and aligned himself at your entrance, needing no hands he was so erect. You clung to his shoulders, waiting for the first thrust. His skin was still dotted with water droplets. “I’m too impatient, baby,” he told you simply, and then he pushed inside.

Slowly, savouring the feeling of your walls stretching around him, both of you gasping as he bottomed out. With a slow thrust he groaned. “You feel like heaven.” As he leaned in to kiss you, he noticed you trying to hold back a giggle. “What?”

You burst. “That was so cheesy.”

Chuckling, he kissed you again, tips of his ears turning red. “Don’t laugh at me.” You snorted, unable to help it, reaching for him in silent apology, despite laughter still escaping you. “Seriously, stoppp,” he whined, dropping his head.

You grinned. “Or what?”

That got his attention. Looking up, his top lip twitched. His hand cupped your face, thumb brushing over your lips. “I’ll have to teach you a lesson,” he murmured, voice an octave lower. You opened up, sucking the digit into your mouth, looking up at him knowingly. He knew what you were thinking. That didn’t sound so bad.

“My mistake.” He smiled, gaze intense as he pulled away, his thumb leaving you with a silent pop. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

You were seconds away from agreeing but became distracted, watching him lift both legs up by the back of your thighs now, hiking them above his shoulders. He dick slipped so deep you choked, feeling so full you didn’t know what to do.

“S-seokjin,” you panicked, your hands clutching his arms.

He cocked his head to the side, voice soft. “Trust me?”

You nodded, something already so addicting about feeling him inside you like this. You felt beyond sensitive, beginning to tremble as he slowly thrust in and out of you, bringing the tip of his cock almost all the way out before sinking back into your warmth. You moaned out, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes with a pleasure so overwhelming. He sped up, going harder now that he was certain you were enjoying yourself, wet squelches sounding along with your moans and his grunts. You loved watching him fuck you like this, towering down over you, the wet spikes of hair falling down around his face, fucking you with his entire body weight, your ass sliding back and forth against the towel.

However, you also loved kissing him. Holding him as he thrust inside, keeping him to you.

“Seokjin,” you breathed, voice tight, hands reaching for him. He got the message, easing your legs to the ground carefully as he took one of your hands and brought it up to his mouth, kissing it tenderly, your name slipping from his lips, breathless and husky.

He moved closer, capturing your lips eagerly and you hooked your legs around his waist, clinging to the back of his neck in the process as your hips jutted up to meet each roll of his own. You were both panting by now, grunts of exertion slipping from your mouths as you continued to make out. His movements were messier, wet bodies pressed up close, enough to provide enough friction for a second orgasm.

“Ah… I’m close,” he panted, mouth grazing down your throat as he attempted to keep the same momentum.

“M-me too.”

That spurred him on, hips snapping into yours with a cry, newfound determination, lips pressing into yours once more. You came together, out of breath and quite sweaty, but mouths unrelenting. You’d never get enough of kissing him. It was addictive – especially like this.

Spent, he slid out of your dampness naturally, having grown flaccid, kissing you slowly now, indulgently, until he was moving south, capturing your left breast in his mouth, tongue encircling your nipple. You shuddered as he pulled back, one of his hands cupping the right breast to give that a parting kiss too. It wouldn’t be long before you started growing cold, but you were so content here you didn’t care.

Seokjin lifted his head up, gazing straight into your eyes. His were warm and soft, drunk on your beauty (or so he would say). “I want to give you the world,” he breathed, sealing his confession with a press of his mouth.

Your heart swelled, heat prickling your skin and you clung to him. But despite that, you felt the need to joke around. Call it a defence mechanism, who knew. “Men are so weak,” you chuckled, running your fingers through his hair to pull it back, revealing his face again. The tips had already started to dry. “Let them cum inside you and they’re like putty in your hands.”

He laughed too, genuinely amused, but his eyes were still soft and he leaned into your touch, content with the way you held his face now. “I mean it though,” he whispered. “Tell me what you want. Anything. I’ll make it happen.”

You raised an eyebrow. He was being ridiculous, acting drunk. Still, you were pretty simple. You didn’t have many wishes, many dreams. “I want to travel on a plane.”

It was his turn to lift an eyebrow, intrigued. “Like a private jet or?”

“No,” you giggled, “just a plane in general.” You kissed his nose. “You know I’ve never been out of the country before.”

“You want me to take you on vacation?” He hummed, turning suggestive pretty quickly. “A sexcation?”

“Seokjinn,” you whined, dropping your hands from his face.

He nudged his nose against yours playfully. “Well, of course there’ll be sex involved, but,” he grew serious, genuinely interested, “where do you want to go?”

“Hm, anywhere?”

“Anywhere,” he confirmed, adding, “unless it’s another planet, or the moon.”

You smiled, amused, yet deeply preoccupied now. Where did you want to go? What was your dream destination? You’d had one place in mind since you were a child. Running a hand down his bare chest you suddenly felt coy. “I want to visit Paris.”

He grinned. “France, Mademoiselle?”

You matched it. “Oui.”

“Done.” He kissed you, sealing the deal. “Let’s go there tonight.”

You burst out laughing at his idiocy. “I have school. You have work – a daughter!”

He laughed too, but he was distracted, gazing at you tenderly once more. He opened his mouth, about to say something but hesitated. Instead he smiled, nodding his head resolutely. “Okay, soon. Very soon.” He laughed when you squealed in excitement, bringing one of your hands to his lips. “I’m going to take you to the most romantic city on earth, baby.”

It was Sunday the next day, which meant only one thing. Lazy morning sex. It was his favourite, his time to indulge in all things beautiful and pleasurable he told you. (i.e. You). You’d grown used to his lame lines, he couldn’t help it, and deep down you secretly loved them. A man so shameless with his desire, his devotion. You really had hit the jackpot.

Sundays were also your excuse to just be lazy in general. You usually skipped breakfast in choice of an early lunch, but today you wanted to picnic outside. You knew in a week or so the weather would begin to change more drastically so this was your last chance. You made a reluctant Seokjin get out of bed and shower with you, ignoring his advances as you did so. He was like a dog in heat. Not that you usually complained, but today you really wanted to hit the grocery store before rush hour. Sundays were always busy.

A few hours later you had everything ready, outside in the spot that saw the most sun. It bleated down on you as you kneeled, arranging all the dishes across the blanket you’d placed down across the lawn.

“Oh, shoot. I forgot the salad.” Seokjin realised by the side of you. “I’ll be one sec, honey.” He kissed your cheek as he stood, smacking your ass playfully in the process. “Don’t start without me.”

“What will you do about it?” You called out to him, unable to help it.

“If you’re feeling brave, I guess you’ll find out.” He called back with a laugh, retreating into the house.

A good girl, you waited patiently, but then time started to tick on. One minute, then five… At ten you stood up with a sigh. Where was he? You had visions of the salad bowl on the floor smashed to smithereens. You made your way through the doors that led inside the back of the house. You past his study, calling his name. “Seokjin? Did you get lost?”

You were met with silence, which wasn’t surprising, his home was big after all. Down the corridor, closer to the kitchen you began to hear voices. Seokjin’s familiar rumble, although you couldn’t make it out, and then a louder, unfamiliar voice – female. You followed the sound, realising it was coming from the living room nearest the front door. A sick feeling was slowly creeping its way up your throat, but you didn’t understand why. As you got closer your heart began to race, blood rushing through your ears. There was this sudden feeling of dread. It was so strong you could practically taste it, and you were so frazzled you couldn’t concentrate on the words you were hearing as you rounded the corner of the open door, although you did acknowledge them.

Immediately as you came into view you heard them loud and clear though. Directed at you.

“Oh, and this is her, right?”

They were coming from a woman, her dark eyes piercing into yours. She was beautiful, was your first thought. Tall and slim, with long black hair, so silky she could have come straight from a shampoo commercial. It reminded you of someone. Her hair just as dark and shiny. Arin.

At the thought of the child’s name, you looked down, spotting her beside the stranger, clinging to her hand, eyes wide and shiny with worried tears. Everything clicked into place then. Confusion clearing, yet the sick feeling got stronger. This wasn’t a stranger. It was Arin’s mother. Seokjin’s ex-wife. Nana. And she looked angry.

You glanced around, spotting Seokjin who was looking your way with apologetic eyes. His face looked torn. He murmured your name, stepping towards you, a protective hand reaching for your own. He held it tight, giving you a comforting squeeze. His palm was clammy.

“Yes, here she is!” Nana laughed harshly, needing no reply. It made you wince. Beside you Seokjin groaned quietly, rubbing his free hand across his face before he took a deep breath. As if he was gearing himself up.

You looked at Nana, chest a little tight, something heavy in your stomach. When your eyes locked the corners of her mouth curled upwards.

“The stepmom!” She sneered.

Written 2020 - 2021. Please refrain from posting my work elsewhere. No translations allowed. © floralseokjin 2021

#seokjin smut #seokjin fanfic #bts smut #bts fanfic #fic:mls #floralseokjin:writings

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ooffies · 4 years ago

Text

ᴋᴀ��ʏᴀ, ᴄʜɪʟᴅᴇ, ᴠᴇɴᴛɪ, xɪᴀᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʙᴇᴅᴏ ᴀꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ (ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀꜱ)

characters x gn!reader, modern AU

a/n: this wasn’t edited/proof read so I apologize if there are any errors

warnings: none

requested by no one

tagging @genshin-obsessed (heyyy pocket lmao- 🍷❤)

Tip jar

Kaeya → the cool dad

He’s a very chill parent (pun intended)

Has rules but is very loose with them

Just cause he’s the cool parent doesn’t mean he’s not strict at times (he can be very strict if needed)

He’s a very affectionate and doting parent, always showering the kids with love and hugs

Spoils both you and the kids, he can’t help it cause he just loves you guys so much

All of your kid’s friends call him dad and constantly say they wish they had a cool dad like Kaeya

Always willing to drive the kids somewhere or take them out for a day if you need a break

He still makes sure you two get alone time together and takes you on dates frequently

Sneaks kisses whenever he can. A peck on your cheek or your lips, he also loves seeing your reaction to his surprise kiss

Family game night is a tradition for your family and Kaeya is the king of losing on purpose to make is kids smile

He absolutely loved playing with kids when they were younger and you still often find them playing fighting in the backyard when they come to visit

He really tries to be the best father he can and sometimes puts way to much pressure on himself

Loves styling the kid’s hair and will let them play with his hair. Sometimes you'll walk downstairs and be greeted by Kaeya with a head full of bows, hair clips and mini ponytails.

Whenever the kids would have nightmares he’d go into their room and fight the “nightmare” monster. He’d come out of the room 3 minutes later and tell the kids he beat it with his super awesome sword skills

Childe → the tries too hard to be hip and trendy with kids dad

First off he is a very doting dad, he loves his children so much and calls them his precious babies and often says he cannot live without them

He’s very much a *ahem* malewife *AHEM* (don’t try to change my mind, it will not change no matter what you say). Even though he’s hella rich he wants to spend all the time he can with his kids.

He cooks, cleans, packs the kid’s lunches in the morning and makes sure to give you a kiss whenever you return home from work and say “How was your day at work babe?”

He really, and I mean really, tries to be cool with kids. Spends time looking into “the latest and hip’ trends that all the kids are hopping on. They thought he was the coolest when they were younger but now they call him cringe and say he’s trying too hard and that he’s cool just the way he is.

It broke his old man's heart when they said it to him the first time and he cried for 30 minutes straight, you made them apologize to him even though you know they meant no ill intentions. Now calling him cringe is a family joke :)

Encourages the kids to learn something that will “help them wins fights and emerge victorious from all the battles they fight”

You put a quick stop to that and told the kids that they can do any activities they want

He’s still very supportive of what they choose to do and will always be their number one supporter

He’s a big cuddler and often initiates family cuddle piles.

Venti → wine dad

Chill dad #2. He wants his kids to be free and be who they are. You still set some basic ground rules for them.

Very doting and affectionate and will always give you and the kids all his love

Stopped drinking as much when they kids were born/adopted

He acts like a wine aunt (hence wine dad)

LOVES reading the kids bedtime stories but this also became a family activity since you’d always accompany him. He’ll also sing them lullabies and he’ll sing you lullabies every night too

Even when your kids are older he’ll still read them stories and sing to them.

Doesn’t really like to do household chores but he’ll do them for you (He will complain though)

He does enjoy cook though and likes to help make dinner for special occasions/holidays

He will teach his kids how to play instruments and sing. He won’t force them into it but wants them to at least try it

Get’s pouty if the kids get taller him and will tell them to stop growing or he’s gonna steal their height

Another family tradition you guys have is weekend picnics. Venti usually chooses the location because he somehow finds all the prettiest places in town. He would tell the kids it was his magic talent when they were younger.

Encourages the kids to go to summer camp so they can “build unforgettable memories and be closer to nature. (But really he just wants to have some alone time with you)

Xiao → the emo dad

On the outside he seems cold and very un-affectionate but oh boy he’s quite the opposite

He’s willing to do anything for you and the kids because you guys are the most important things in the world to him

He’s also somewhat of a malewife too but it was completely his choice. He just wanted to take care of his family.

He doesn’t like it when you come home from work and start doing chores. He’ll force you to sit down and relax. He’ll say that he’s got everything under control and there no need for you to stress yourself over chores

The main way he shows you and the kids affection is through acts of service.

Like I said before he’ll do the majority of the household chores, the kids also have their few assigned chores (and you help out with chores if he lets you)

He’ll help the kids with their homework, make them lunch, read them bedtime stories, brush their hair for them, take care of them when they’re sick, ect.

Only shows a limited amount of affection in public. He’ll hold your hand and carry the kids but that’s about it

In private however he is willing to accept all the affection you and the kids give him

He often struggles helping his kids out when it comes to emotional problems/issues but he always does his best. He’s always there to a lend an ear

He’s not vocal about it or always showing it but he’s your guy’s number one supporter.

Evening walks after dinner is a family tradition you guys have had ever since the kids started walking.

When they were young he’d let them sit on shoulders and would give them piggyback rides

He can be very strict and overprotective sometimes but that’s just cause he wants the best for his kids

Albedo → the art dad

He may not be the best at giving affection but he is a very supportive and doting dad

He likes draws pictures for the kids, even when their older he still does because he said seeing their smile when he give his art to them is a very special and happy feeling that he never wants to go away

Helps out with household chores but absolutely despises mopping.

He’s always there to listen to the kids talk about their latest obsessions/interests

He’s not very good at comforting but he really does try too

Makes you guys take family photos every so he can paint them later

Teaches the kids about art and alchemy if they show interest in either

When they were young he used to make kid safe experiments for them

Road trips are a family tradition. Albedo enjoys them cause he gets to draw the pretty scenery and thinks it’s one of the best to to spend quality time with family

He wakes up like a mom so whenever the kids would wake him when they’d have a nightmare he’d get startled and almost launch himself out of bed with a high pitched screech

Encourages the kids to have playdates with their friends often (he actually just wants more alone time with you)

He’s also the type of parent that draws on the walls with the kids when he finds them doing it. And yes he doesn’t care if they’re using sharpie he’ll still join in. Yes you’ve scolded all them multiple times and no they never learn their lesson, Albedo too. He always promises that he’ll “clean” it up which results in most of the wall in the house being murals cause his “cleaning up” is just him painting over it.

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reidgraygubler · 4 years ago

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skater boy (spencer reid)

Title: skater boy

Request: no

Pairing: dad!spencer reid/child!fem!reader

Category: fluff

Content Warning: not much tbh, mentions of the following: broken bones; getting broken bones, possible hospital visits

Word Count: 3,453

Summary: Spencer wants to spend more time with his daughter. So she teaches him how to skateboard

A/N: im back with another dad!spencer one-shot. We don’t need to address where all these dad! one shots are coming from. im just realizing that this is my favorite trope and this makes me very soft. And it made me very happy to write. thank you all so much for the support! i really do appreciate it. check out my masterlist!

{***}{***}{***}

Spencer’s daughter had always been a dare-devil. Ever since she began walking, she would show-off. She would always give her parents heart attacks when she would show them a new trick she learned at school. Spencer vowed from the day she was born that he’d protect her like his life depended on it. But he didn’t know just how hard that would be.

While Spencer’s partner was gone on a business trip, he had to take on both parental roles. Usually it was no problem, he would get the help of the other members of the BAU team when he got stuck. But on the weekends, he was left on his own. He had no problem with that. His daughter was old enough to have her own forms of entertainment.

The list of hobbies she had was ever growing. Drawing was probably the safest one she had, but in her eyes it was the most boring. It was, however, Spencer’s favorite because he could keep an easy eye on her while he worked or made lunch/supper.

His daughter’s favorite hobby was skateboarding. Although she wasn’t very good at it, she loved the feeling of danger and risk it had. The majority of her friends at school also liked to skateboard. After all, she did pick it up from one of them. It didn’t take much convincing for her to jump on a skateboard.

When Spencer found out about his daughter’s new hobby, concern instantly took over. Concern for her wellbeing, her safety, and health. Skateboarding could be very dangerous if not wearing the correct protective gear. He didn’t want to take away his daughter’s new joy. But he also didn’t want her to get injured.

The day she came home with her friend’s old skateboard was very memorable for both her and Spencer. But for different reasons. His daughter was excited about her new hobby, and being able to show off cool tricks she was learning. As for Spencer…

She was in the middle of showing him a trick that a friend taught her. She was very confident in what she was doing, and told her father she could do it and that he just needed to stand off to the side. That was until she fell off the board and landed hard on the ground. Thankfully she didn’t hit her head, but the only reason for that was because she caught herself on her hand and broke her wrist.

This hobby was picked up only 3 months ago. Her wrist was still in it’s cast, though her determination to ride her skateboard never went away. Even though she knew her father was scarred for her safety, he didn’t stop her from riding. In fact, he got her the proper safety gear and a new skateboard. Of course Spencer only did that after he talked to the team, and got advice from them.

“Dad! Uncle Rossi’s here!” the teen shouted from the front door. David Rossi looked down at the girl, and the skateboard in hand. “I think he’s in his office.”

“I’ll head that way. Then the kitchen,” David nodded before entering the home more. Spencer’s daughter pulled the door shut before sprinting down the front yard to the sidewalk. She placed her skateboard on the ground before getting on and riding up and down the street.

Inside the Reid household, David was with Spencer. The father and daughter had decided to invite the team over for dinner since it was just the two of them, and it was the weekend. David was talking about the most recent case while Spencer read over some essays he needed to grade.

“Has she asked you to ride that thing yet?” David asked as he looked out the window. Spencer’s daughter was talking to one of the neighbor boys.

“Oh, uh, not yet, no. It’ll be the death of me the day she does ask,” Spencer laughed as he looked out the window. Spencer breathed out a laugh as he watched his daughter do a kickflip, landing it perfectly before looking back at the boys. Her hand was sticking out and a smirk grew across her lips. “I told her not to place bets.”

“Like father, like daughter?” David raised an eyebrow as he looked at Spencer.

“The least she could do is place bets with adults, not the kids next door.” Spencer looked back at David as he stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Would you ever ride that death trap?”

“Who says I haven’t already?”

“Of all the people I've asked, why do you surprise me the least?” Spencer laughed as he looked at his co-worker. David shrugged off the laugh and looked back at the young girl. The pair stayed silent as they watched the girl continue to show off to the boys.

A green mini van pulled to a stop across the street from the Reid’s house. Spencer’s daughter stopped skateboarding and looked at the van, watching 4 kids tumble out.

“Looks like the Simmons’ are here,” David spoke as he looked back at Spencer.

“It would appear that way. I’ll show you to the grill?” Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at David. David nodded before gesturing towards the door to his office.

“Lead the way.”

Back outside, Spencer’s daughter was talking to Matt’s sons as they stared at her skateboard. Matt and Kristy exited the car and quickly pulled out the baby carrier holding Rosemary. The girl was quick to go up to see the baby, a smile growing on her lips.

“Hey there, Chickadee. How’s it going?” Matt asked as he raised a hand for a high five.

“It’s going,” she replied, giving him the high five before peering into the carrier.

“When’s the cast coming off?” Matt asked as he looked at the girl. She looked down at the aqua blue cast and shrugged.

“Soon I think. I can’t wait because dad’s being such a drill sergeant about it," she shrugged again before dropping her skateboard to the ground.

“He’s just trying to protect you, Chickadee,” Matt smiled as he watched her place her foot on the skateboard. “Just be careful.”

“I’m always careful, Mr. Simmons.” She looked up at him with a smile.

“It’s Matt…” he laughed and watched as she rode away. Kristy looked at Matt then watched as the younger Reid fell off her skateboard and into the grassy yard.

“Looks like she’s always careful,” Kristy laughed as she lifted up the baby carrier. Matt looked over at the girl lying on the grass and laughed.

“Well, you better wish she doesn’t start teaching our kids how to skateboard,” Matt replied with a laugh.

Over the next 30 minutes, the rest of the BAU family arrived at the Reid household. JJ brought her kids and Will to keep Spencer’s daughter more company. Once everyone arrived, David started cooking the food while everyone sat and talked, or played in the drive-way.

“Why don’t you give it a go, Spence?” JJ asked as she watched Spencer’s daughter zoom past the house. Spencer looked over at JJ and shook his head.

“Yeah, I’d pay to see that happen,” Luke chuckled as the girl rode past them again. She came to a screeching halt and looked at Luke.

“You’d pay to see dad skateboard?” She picked up her skateboard and held it by the wheels. Luke smiled as he looked over at Spencer. “How much are you talking? Because, I’d love to get money to see my dad skateboard.”

“Peanut,” Spencer spoke up as the girl kept talking about money and bets, and trying to get her father to ride her skateboard.

“Yeah, Dad?” she looked back at her father once she was done babbling about getting him to skateboard.

“Go play," he nodded towards Matt’s children as they were playing with her toys.

“B-but,” she stumbled over her words as she pointed towards Luke.

“Go play.” Spencer repeated, that time a little slower. His daughter let out a sigh before placing her skateboard back on the ground and skating away.

“You sure you don’t want to try, Reid?” Emily smiled as she looked back at her friend.

“No, no. I’ll leave the skateboarding and dare-devil activities to her,” Spencer laughed before taking a sip of his water. JJ raised an eyebrow before looking over at the kids. Her eldest son was talking to Spencer’s daughter, asking her if he could ride the skateboard.

“She’d probably love it if you did,” JJ looked back at Spencer.

“Not for $100 will I ride that death trap,” Spencer declared before taking a sip of his water.

“What about $150?” David asked before sipping his drink. Spencer nearly spat his water everywhere as he looked over at David.

“If you say that loud enough she’ll hear you… And then I’ll never hear the end of it,” he pleaded as he looked back at his daughter, who was helping Henry on the skateboard.

“Maybe we should say it louder,” Luke chuckled as he looked over at the girl.

“You go ride it then,” Spencer nodded at Luke then at the children and skateboard. Luke looked back at Spencer and the rest of the team before standing up. “Oh, I didn’t mean it.”

“Shouldn’t have said it then.” Luke smirked as he walked past Spencer and towards the group of kids.

Everyone watched in silence as Luke approached Spencer’s daughter. She cocked her hip and looked up at the man that stood in front of her. An evil smile grew across her lips as she undid the helmet on her head and held it up to Luke.

“Dad says you have to wear it if you’re going to ride the skateboard,” she explained as she kept the helmet between their bodies. Luke looked down at the girl, watching as she guarded the skateboard with her life.

“Fine, I’ll wear the helmet-”

“And the knee pads.” She smirked.

“And the knee pads.”

“And the wrist splints,” she quickly added as her smirk grew evil.

“I’ll wear the helmet,” he grumbled as he put the helmet on his head and clipped it on. The young girl smiled as she handed him the skateboard.

“Okay, well, don’t come cryin’ to me when dad tells you should’ve worn the knee pads and the wrist splints.” she stated a matter of faculty as he placed the skateboard down. Luke playfully glared at the girl before getting on the board. “Do you even know how to ride a skateboard, Uncle Luke?” “I was skateboarding before you were even born, Twerp.” Luke glared at the girl before taking off, only to fall off and into the yard beside him. The girl smiled before walking over to him, a smirk growing on her lips.

“You sure about that, Twerp?” she looked down at him. Luke sat up and looked at the girl. “Good thing you wore the helmet.”

“Yeah, yeah good thing I wore the helmet,” Luke rolled his eyes as he pushed himself up. The girl grabbed her skateboard and looked back at Luke. “When you teach your dad how to skateboard, make sure you get it on video.”

“Obviously,” she stated with a laugh. “That’ll get a bunch of views.”

“You’re terrible. You know that? Does your dad know you’re this mean?” Luke raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the young girl. He wondered how a man with book smart knowledge like Spencer Reid had such a street smart daughter. They were total opposites. Luke just blamed it on her other parent. And all of her unofficial aunt and uncles were cooler.

“Food’s done!” David shouted before the girl could answer. She looked up at Luke with a smirk.

“I’ll let you play with it while I eat. Since you’re still wearing the helmet and all. I’ll leave my knee pads and wrist splints on here for you.” She smiled as she pulled the gear off and placed it on the ground. The girl smiled at Luke one last time before skipping off to get dinner.

{***}{***}{***}

The following day, Spencer went to the store, and returned, before his daughter even woke up. He bought himself a skateboard, a new helmet, and all the correct paddings and splints he knew he would need. If he was going to let his daughter teach him how to skateboard, he was going to need the proper protection. He wasn’t going to risk any sort of injury. And, if nothing worked out for him in the end, at least his daughter would have a brand new skateboard.

Spencer waited until his daughter woke up before he started messing with something out of his comfort zone. He knew his daughter would be more than excited to teach him how to skateboard. It’s secretly all she wanted to do for the last 3 months. And if Spencer had to be honest, he wanted it too. Just a little bit.

Spencer could hear the sounds of feet hitting the hardwood floor. He sat up and placed his book on the side table beside him. The footsteps went down the stairs, and then entered the living room.

“Oh! Mornin’, Dad!” the young girl smiled at Spencer. Spencer looked at her and nodded in her direction.

“Good morning, Peanut,” Spencer smiled before taking a sip of his coffee. His daughter looked at him with squinted eyes and cocked head.

“What’s going on?” she asked as she rested her fists on her hips. Spencer’s eyebrows inched up his forehead before he shrugged.

“What do you mean? Nothing’s going on.” Spencer sat up more and looked at his daughter.

“But you’re… talking in that weird tone… And you definitely only do that when somethings up.” She lifted her hands from hips and crossed them over her chest.

The thought of her parents getting a divorce came across her mind. But she knew her parents loved each other too much for that to happen. She knew better than to think that either of her parents would be dying too. All she knew was something was definitely off.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Cross your heart?”

“Hope to die,” Spencer spoke as he lifted a hand to rest over his chest. “How about you go get breakfast and get ready for the day… Then I’ll tell you what’s going on, okay?”

“So something is happening! I knew it!” she shouted as she pointed at her father. “How am I supposed to eat and get ready for the day when I know that something is happening?!” she clapped her hands together. “Is it a good thing or bad thing?”

Spencer stared at his daughter for a moment, and then he realized she was definitely his. He was also getting a taste of his own medicine as she rapidly began shooting out her questions and thoughts or theories.

“Is Uncle Luke and Aunt Penelope finally getting married?”

“What? No! They’re not.”

“Aunt JJ having another baby?”

“Peanut, go eat and get ready. Then I’ll tell you. But I promise you that it’s a good thing. Okay?” Spencer asked as he tried to keep his tone calm and steady. The girl grumbled a little before walking away.

She tried being quick, wanting to know what Spencer was up to. It wasn’t like him to keep secrets from his daughter. He was up to something, and it was her job to figure it out.

Once she was finished getting ready for the day, and shoveling cereal into her mouth, she went back into the living room. There, she found Spencer, still sitting on the couch, reading a book. However the only thing that changed was that sitting on the coffee table was all the gear he had gotten this morning.

“No way! A new skateboard!?” she exclaimed as she ran to the coffee table and fell to her knees. She picked up the board and looked at it with wide eyes.

“Yes that would be a new board. But it’s not for you.”

“What? Who it for then?”

“Me.”

“You don’t even know how to skateboard.” She stood back up and looked at her dad. Spencer closed his book and placed it on the side table.

“Well, Peanut, I was hoping you could teach me how to skateboard.”

“You want me… To t-teach you how to skateboard?” she stared at him with wide eyes. She had to hold back her laughter as she started imagining Spencer on a skateboard and inevitably falling to the ground. Then she thought back to her conversation with Luke the night before. She wasn’t going to miss the chance of recording the epic fails of Spencer falling off the skateboard.

“Well you always seem so excited about it! I want to experience and understand why you get so excited. And, if anything, if I don’t do good, or I don’t like it, you can have my skateboard.”

“You mean it?!”

“If I didn’t mean it, I wouldn’t have said it, Peanut.” Spencer smiled as he watched his daughter pick up the new skateboard.

“Can we do it now? Please!”

“Did you do your chores?”

“I’ll do them after!” she exclaimed as she hugged the board to her chest. Spencer looked at her with a raised brow. “Promise!”

“Alright, alright. We can practice for an hour okay?” Spencer stood and grabbed the rest of the gear.

“Sweet! I’m gonna go grab my stuff!” She shoved the board into Spencer’s hands before running outside.

Spencer eventually met his daughter outside, on the driveway. She could sense his nervousness and terror as she helped him with his stance. “When you’re ready to move, just bring your foot to the ground and kick off. Then when you want to turn, just lean your body in the direction you want to turn,” she explained as she got on her own skateboard.

“That… that seems easy enough,” Spencer whispered, his voice trembling as he spoke. His daughter looked at him with a smile. She was trying to hold back her laughter when she realized that his hair was sticking out weirdly from under his helmet.

“It’s not that hard, Dad. I don’t know why you’re so scared about it.”

“Well for starters, Peanut, you did break your wrist while skateboarding.”

“Yeah, but… I could’ve broken my wrist by just falling. It’s fun! Come on! If you fall we can try again," she smiled as she started riding around him.

Spencer laughed nervously before kicking off and riding down the driveway. He was doing good, he thought. That was until he went over a rock, throwing him off the skateboard and on to the grass.

“Are you okay?” The girl asked as she walked up to him. He looked up at her and nodded.

“Yeah, just startled.”

Although they agreed on an hour, the father and daughter were outside for a lot longer. Spencer was determined to get it right on the first day. He thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent with his daughter. He could see that she was getting frustrated with his little mistakes, which would end in him falling, but she still remained calm and helped through it.

“Dad… I mean this in the nicest way possible… But you’re bad. You’re not even on the way to getting good... You’re just straight up bad.” She watched as Spencer fell off the skateboard and into the grass for what seemed like the 100th time. He looked up at her from his spot on the ground.

“Yeah, yeah I know,” Spencer sighed as he stood up, “I don’t think I’m built for skateboarding.” He picked up the skateboard and looked down at it. “I might just leave the skateboarding to you, Peanut.”

The girl looked up at him with wide eyes as he offered her the new, nicer skateboard. “You don’t want to keep trying?”

“I think for today I’ve had enough practice. We can do it again another day. But, in the meantime, you can use my skateboard.”

“Really?”

“Do your chores first then you can use it all you want.” Spencer smiled as he handed her the skateboard. She looked down at the new item in her hands with wide eyes. Her old skateboard was no longer a thought in her mind.

“Right! On it!” she exclaimed before running back into the house.

Once Spencer was sure his daughter was inside the house, behind closed doors, he flipped over her old skateboard and stepped on it before doing a successful kick flip and riding it up the driveway. He was just pretending to not know how to ride a skateboard.

After all it was just easy geometry and physics.

if you want to be a part of a taglst or have any comments about this one shot, let me know here

taglist: @thebluetint @muffin-cup @itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto @spencersmagic @babebenhardy @spenciegoob @reidspoet @ash19871962 @flipperpenguins

#shadow writes stuff #masterlist #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid fan fic #criminal minds fan fic

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babyjamiebarnes · 4 years ago

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Build-A-Bear

Part Nine

Featuring: Bucky x Stark!reader, dad!Tony, Sam, Steve

Warnings: gun-related violence (this is the primary theme so please be cautious), language, reference to smut

Summary: With reader back to work in the Tower, new threats arise and new approaches are taken to her safety. Kind of a filler but also kind of important.

Author’s Note: The next part is gonna be a 0 to 100 chapter so please hold while I hammer that out. I usually try to add multiple scenes/days/events but this is just one situation the reader is caught in. It’ll be getting to the primary climax soon though so I’m thinking maybe 3-4 parts left? Unless there’s more drama I want to add later 😈 And as always, feel free to send me a coffee!

Series Masterlist

Tags: @amourmarvel @fangirlvoice @kennedywxlsh @devilswaldorf @what-the-hap-is-fuckning @alyispunk @fredweasleysbitchh @wearegroot @sunflowerbebe107 @prestigious-tea @brckenmemories @angelbabymed

The next few weeks were thankfully uneventful. You had ordered a bed for Steve to put in the living room, including a curtain so he could have a little privacy, especially when Sam woke up extra early to start making breakfast. Bucky kept the inflatable mattress on your floor, but spent every night with you in his arms instead. “It’s safer this way,” he’d say. It was his excuse just in case your dad ever showed up unannounced.

The one time your dad did show up unannounced, Steve and Sam were at your front door with their weapons drawn and Bucky was shirtless in your bedroom doorway with his own gun aimed at your father. Fortunately, none of them were trigger-happy and lowered their weapons when they realized who it was.

Your dad learned three things that day:

1. He needed to call ahead if he planned on stopping by.

2. You were in very good hands in the safety of your apartment.

3. He wasn’t a fan of seeing a shirtless Winter Soldier leaving your bedroom — or seeing a shirtless Falcon and Captain America in your living room, for that matter.

Regardless, you were never worried about your safety when you were home, or even when the boys let you go out and about with them flanking you on every side. Needless to say, you didn’t go out much.

But you were able to go back to work at the Tower, mainly because the boys hadn’t been able to properly train or attend any missions while you were holed up at home — and it looked like things were clearing up around you. Your dad said one of them would have to stay with you even if the other two went on missions and had fortunately let you choose who that one lonely man would be. Not that you’d ever let Bucky actually be lonely.

The media buzz over you had died pretty quickly, but there were still a few relentless reporters that would crowd around you when you left Stark Tower. You always parked under the building where none of them could get in, but that didn’t stop you from going out to get lunch instead of staying inside and having it delivered. The weather was getting warmer and you wanted to get out while you could.

One gloomy Thursday, your dad decided to join you, Bucky, Sam, and Steve when you went out for your lunch. There was a falafel place just down the street that you liked, so the five of you decided to make it a group date, of sorts. Bucky was nervous at first, but you assured him it would all be fine.

“If you get a little cozy, just blame it on staying close so no one else can,” you said, holding his jaw in your hands. “You’re just keeping me safe.”

You pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead as you stood in the middle of your lab. You weren’t required to have protection while inside the Tower, but Bucky insisted on visiting when his training hours were over.

“I’ll always keep you safe,” he said softly. He pulled your hands from his cheeks and kissed your knuckles before tugging you out of the lab to meet the rest of your lunch crew at the elevators.

Now that everyone knew who you were, you were able to be more playful and casual around your dad. Things that would usually have earned you some questioning stares from your work friends instead led to laughs and high-fives. You could make jokes and digs without getting in the same kind of trouble as Sam or Bucky. Steve still had the most immunity.

That was one of those days. You and Steve poking fun at Tony and making playful jokes he was quick to quip back at. The five of you were alone in the elevator the whole trip down, probably because Tony had Friday set to not allow anyone else in when he was in the lift.

Everyone was all smiles and laughs until the elevator doors opened. You took about three steps before you were practically tackled to the ground, a loud bang followed by the sharp ding of metal on metal stunning you more than the pressure of a body pressing against yours. Before you could even comprehend what was happening, the plaster of the wall above you shattered and crumbled around you at the sound of another loud bang echoing in the Tower lobby. None of the debris actually hit you, probably because of the large, heavy body of your boyfriend curled over yours.

Since you were on your hands and knees, you turned just enough to see Bucky’s blue eyes blown wide as he looked down at you.

“Are you okay?” he asked frantically.

“I--I think so?” you replied, not entirely sure what you were supposed to be okay from. You hadn’t really processed what was happening, just that Bucky was completely covering you with his body. “Are you okay?”

He just nodded. “The bullet hit my arm, no damage.”

“The bullet?!” you half-screamed. “Is anyone hurt?” You pushed against his metal arm to see the rest of the lobby; everyone was crouched to the ground, and the sound of more bangs and dings of Tony’s suit getting hit told you why. Tony was just a couple feet from you, letting his Iron Man suit build around him, but started waving his hands at you, shouting “get her out of here!”

Bucky’s arms swooped under you and he swept you past the elevators and stairwell to a back room that only unlocked after Bucky scanned his hand in a hidden compartment. The door opened to a separate, smaller stairwell that you assume only led to the Avengers’ floors… 30 floors up.

“This way,” Bucky said, drawing your reluctant gaze from the towering steps to a hidden elevator behind the staircase. Thank god.

He quickly ushered you in and pressed the button for the private rooms. You’d never been above the common rooms, save for the one time you sat in Bucky’s room after surgery. Your eyes flicked to Bucky’s that were already trained on you looking for any injuries.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. His hands rested on your shoulders, his eyebrows furrowed as he scanned your face and body again and again.

You just nodded, still trying to process having literally been shot at. But the secret elevator was much faster than the main elevator because you arrived at Bucky’s floor seconds later. He grabbed your hand and led you to his room, keeping you close and constantly looking around even though only verified Avengers could access this floor.

“Your dad set up a whole plan in case something like this ever happened,” he explained. “We’re supposed to stay on this floor until one of them comes to get us. Chances are you’ll end up working from home again since you’re somehow safer there with us than here with everyone.”

He sounded annoyed, but you couldn’t blame him. You assumed you’d be safer in and around the Tower than in your apartment. Your apartment didn’t have all the gadgets and gizmos the Tower had. Sure, you had installed your own security system and now had constant video recording, but the Tower had Iron Man.

“Are you okay?” you asked again. Bucky looked up at you with his eyebrows drawn together, but nodded at your question. “Are… are dad, Steve, and Sam okay?”

It was harder for Bucky to answer that when he didn’t know. He silently pulled up the Tower video feed on his TV and found the main entrance. Tony already had the shooter face down on the ground with blasters aimed at him and an iron boot on his back; Steve and Sam were checking on bystanders. Knowing the rest of your little team was safe eased some of the tension in your body, but that just made it easier for you to realize you had nearly been shot.

“Thank you for saving me,” you said quietly. Bucky stepped closer to you, letting you wrap your arms around him as you forced back tears brought forward by the onslaught of fear that ran through you.

“I’ll always protect you, princess,” he said just as softly. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head and just held you. It was just as important for him to hold you as it was for you to be held by him. While his embrace helped ground you and reminded you that you were okay, it reassured him that you were safe with him.

Bucky had grown so used to being the cause of people’s fear, not their source of comfort. You changed that.

You just stood there in each other’s arms for a while, needing the security to calm both of your nerves.

“Can we just… lie down?” you asked.

Bucky had never seen you this fragile before. He always saw you as his spunky little spitfire, so seeing you gradually crack and splinter as the seconds ticked by made his own heart break. Without a word, he led you over to his bed. He laid down first, letting you curl your legs over his abdomen and rest your head against his shoulder.

“I know you’re physically okay, but do you wanna talk about it?” Bucky asked softly.

You were quiet for a second, nervously playing with the hem of his t-shirt. It took a few minutes, but the gravity of what just happened ran over you like a freight engine and your mind wasn’t having a good time trying to get back on track.

“How many shots were fired?” you finally asked.

That’s not what he wanted you to ask.

“I counted five before we got out.”

The pause before your answer just made Bucky’s nerves even more frazzled. He wasn’t used to consoling anyone. That was Sam’s specialty, not his.

“Someone tried to shoot me five times,” you said solemnly. “Someone tried to… to kill me five times.”

“Hey, no,” Bucky hushed. “We’re not doing that. When I said I’ll always keep you safe, I meant it. I can’t lose my Build-A-Bear. Those things are expensive,” he teased.

You huffed a soft laugh before snuggling your head against his chest. With his right arm wrapped around you to trace his fingertips across your skin and his left hand hooked over your calves, it wasn’t long before you fell asleep. The stress of what appeared to be an attempted assassination didn’t sit lightly on your shoulders.

Bucky managed to stay awake, slowly and carefully grabbing his remote to find something to watch until he received word to let you go.

Nearly three hours later — after Steve, Sam, and Tony had spoken with the police and tried to get some info out of the shooter — all three came barreling into Bucky’s room, quickly silenced by the sight of you sleeping on Bucky. You had adjusted your position in your sleep, slipping your body between Bucky’s legs and resting your head on his abdomen. This left him to play with your hair since you were too low for him to continue to hold. He knew you’d have one hell of a time getting to sleep later that night and probably hold your messed up sleep schedule against him until you got back on track, but he wasn’t going to wake you up.

“What’s going on?” Tony asked, more curiously than accusingly.

“Uh, she seemed pretty, um, unsettled by the whole thing and just wanted me to, to hold her,” he explained quietly and slowly, attempting to avoid revealing anything.

Tony just nodded in understanding.

“When she wakes up, I want you to find me.”

The way he said it didn’t sound upset or threatening, but Bucky felt ice shoot up his spine at your dad wanting to sit down with him — and only him. Nonetheless, he nodded as everyone left the room.

When you woke up not long after, he made sure you were okay before leaving to “talk things over with the guys,” he said.

Tony was waiting for Bucky in one of the conference rooms. He didn’t have anything with him other than his phone, so Bucky figured he wasn’t in any trouble… but that just confused him more.

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna fire you for… cuddling with my daughter,” Tony said with a cringe. “Take a seat, please.”

Bucky hesitantly sat across from Tony, clearly still worried about what was going on. Tony’s silence was unnerving.

“[Y/N] is going back to her place full time. I’m sure you already figured that out. You three musketeers are clearly better at keeping her safe than I am. And before I continue, I need to say that Sam’s a good guy — most of the time — and Steve’s… something, usually something good, even though he loves getting on my nerves. But today, you were the first line of defense. Don’t think I missed the sound of that first shot hitting you. If you had been on the other side of her, you’d be in medbay right now having a bullet fished out of your arm.”

Tony paused again. He spun his phone in his hands, clearly working up to something and unknowingly setting Bucky on high alert. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Steve and Sam are going to stay with her at her place, of course, but I don’t want you to leave her side,” Tony finally continued. “If she goes into the kitchen for breakfast, you’re in the kitchen getting breakfast. If she goes to the bathroom, you’re right outside the door. That mattress stays right next to her bed. When she wants to order food, you send one of the other guys and stay with her. Bucky.” Tony paused once again. He leaned forward now just to make sure the severity of what he was about to say was fully understood. He didn’t want to say it, but he knew it was the right decision. “I’m trusting you with my daughter’s life. I don’t take this shit lightly and as much as I want to dislike you… you’re the person I trust the most right now.”

Bucky couldn’t describe the emotions running through his brain. Confidence? Joy? Maybe even fear? Sure, it was nice that his boss was giving him such a huge responsibility, but it was something entirely different to hear his girlfriend’s dad say that he trusted him. Wasn’t that part of why you weren’t telling Tony? Would this change things? Could you finally be open with your relationship?

“Thank you, Tony. That really means a lot. Uh, I-I won’t let you down,” Bucky managed to squeak out.

Tony just nodded before patting Bucky on the shoulder and leaving the room. Bucky sat alone in silence for a second to fully process everything. Was it ironic? Tony Stark was trusting the man who killed his parents to now protect his daughter. But wasn’t it already fucked up that Howard and Maria’s granddaughter was knowingly and willingly dating their killer?

Bucky had gone through a lot to come to terms with his past, but moments like this cast doubt on him again. But he couldn’t dwell on it. He had to find you, Sam, and Steve to get you home.

When he got back to his room, he found all three of you sitting on his bed and talking. You were still lying against the headboard with Steve sitting criss-cross applesauce and Sam lying on his stomach. You looked like a group of high schoolers at a sleepover.

“Hey,” he said softly. You smiled and made grabby-hands at him until he sat beside you.

“Slight change of plans.”

Everyone looked at him in confusion, Sam and Steve clearly not up to date on the team’s roles.

“I just sat down with Tony and, uh, I guess I’m basically your bodyguard now.”

“You already have been for a month now,” you said with a confused laugh.

“Well, yeah, but your dad said I’m not supposed to leave your side. Like, if you move to another room, I move with you.” Your eyes widened at this. It felt excessive, to say the least. You were basically already attached at the hip, but sometimes you just need a minute to be alone. “He said I’m the one he trusts most to protect you.”

“Come on, man, you could’ve just told me to go fuck myself,” Sam joked, earning a punch to the shoulder from Steve.

“Aw, you finally got parental approval,” you cooed, cupping his jaw in your hands.

“I don’t think the approval extends to me hitting it from the back until you pass out,” Bucky chuckled. Sam whistled lowly while Steve just shook his head in disappointment (approval?).

“Speaking of hitting it from the back, we should probably get back to my place before it’s too dark,” you said.

A light knock on your door drew everyone’s attention but before you could see who it was, you toppled over at the force of Bucky shoving your body behind his. You managed to catch yourself on his shoulders to lift yourself up, wrapping your arms loosely around his neck with your head perched on his shoulder. It was admittedly very couple-y, but your dad seemed unfazed in your doorway.

“Hey pops,” you chirped.

“I see I made a good decision,” he said, noting how quickly Bucky hid you from what could’ve been a potential threat. “By the way, Barnes is in charge of this operation now. Sorry Cap.” Steve just held his hands up in surrender. You figured he didn’t mind handing the reins over for once.

“We were just about to head out,” Bucky said. You’d have to make sure this newfound power didn’t go to his head. Which just meant you’d have to get him on his knees…

“I just wanted to give you this.” He held out what looked like the remote scanner cashiers had in checkout lanes. “I know [Y/N] has been getting a lot of fan mail so this will scan up to 20 items at a time for hazardous devices, poisonous toxins, and anything else that’s potentially harmful.”

You hadn’t gone through your mail in at least a week, but you’d already gotten the green light to have the next day — a Friday, thankfully — off after what happened, so you and the boys could hammer through everything and clear off your dining room table.

“Thanks, dad.”

You hopped off the bed and wrapped your dad in a much-needed hug. You both needed one after the stress of the day gradually wore off, but you could tell he needed one even more. You had Bucky to run to; Tony was worried about you. He held you tight and gently scratched right below your neck, just like he would do to get you to fall asleep as a baby. Some things never change.

“I love you,” you said quietly.

“I love you too, pumpkin,” he replied, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. After another moment, you pulled apart and he went right back into business mode. “Okay, Rhodey and I are gonna follow you guys home in the suits just in case anything happens. Barnes, you’re in the backseat with [Y/N].”

With your dad standing behind you, he couldn’t see you mouth “backseat” to Bucky with a wink. The super soldier’s cheeks turned light pink, but so did Steve’s, which made it hard for you to keep from laughing as your dad continued discussing what changes would be made for your safety.

•

When you finally — safely — got home, you just wanted to take a bath and go to bed. You hadn’t even had supper, but you almost didn’t want to eat anything. If it hadn’t been for Bucky bringing you stuffed peppers courtesy of Sam, you probably wouldn’t have eaten. But he ate his dinner beside you on your bed, then joined you for a long, hot, bubbly bath.

Both of you knew it needed to be a slow night without saying a word. Bucky’s hands lazily ran over your skin before chasing the rinse of water with his lips. He wasn’t rushed or aggressive; he took his time and savored being with you. Even when you were lying in bed and desperately grabbing at his arms, back, shoulders, everything, his strokes were sensual and deliberate. His body acted as a fortress over yours, keeping you guarded from the rest of the world, even if it was just in your bedroom.

And as you fell asleep in his arms that night, he promised himself he would get to the bottom of your attack whether the law wanted him to or not.

#bucky x stark!reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x stark!reader #bucky barnes series #Bucky fanfic

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penumbramewtwos · 2 years ago

Text

I posted 196 times in 2022

That's 196 more posts than 2021!

57 posts created (29%)

139 posts reblogged (71%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@xxtc-96xx

@martysgachaworld

@xhunterbeatsx

@the-project-and-the-ghost

@secret-mewtwo

I tagged 129 of my posts in 2022

Only 34% of my posts had no tags

#mewtwo - 75 posts

#pokemon - 58 posts

#newtwo - 20 posts

#babytwo - 17 posts

#beginner artwork - 15 posts

#fanfic - 11 posts

#rotom - 5 posts

#fanart - 5 posts

#mew - 5 posts

#pokemon cafe remix - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 102 characters

#(when do i level-up from beginner artist and ameture fanfic writer. can someone point out my exp bar!?

My Top Posts in 2022:

I attempted drawing a Mega Mewtwo Y for the first time... I am not happy at all with how it turned out, but it can only get better if I keep trying, I guess.

Bonus bad drawing of the day, pen ink Mewtwo: No eraser, lots of worrires!

14 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

Updating 'Mewtwo OC' info: 'Okita'

Name: Okita Spes. (THR-M2E-ID#141/150) She/Her.

Pokemon Species: Mewtwo (one of many spliced clones of Newtwo).

Nature: Gentle. Likes bitter, Dislikes sour.

Birthdate: April 30th. 2034.

Pronoun: She/Her/They.

Gender: Intersex. (Identifies as Female)

Sexuality: Ace, Lesbian. Aro* (She's moderate on the Aromantic spectrum, it would take many factors to convince her)

Height: 1.9m (Adult) (shorter than average). Human form (Adult): 1.77m.

Weight: 118kg (Adult) (less than average). Human form (Adult): 55kg.

Region: Aunura [Fan-made: Based off Australia]

Likes/Interests (non age specific):

Her hobby of inventing weird and wonderful gizmos. The only drawback being - She's the only one who can understand them.

Drinking bitter coffee flavoured milk.

Playing video games with her human parents Pokemon, Hoopa.

Hugs from her parents.

Collecting bits of old hardware to fuel her hobby.

Dislikes/Dreads (non age specific):

Making friends, and having to talk to people in public.

Sleeping. (Nightmares are common)

Fighting. (She will if she has no other choice)

Talking about her childhood.

Fear of blood, and medical treatments* (Especially invasive ones).

Creation info:

The Team Rocket faction in the Aunura region created 76 Mewtwo, with the DNA and data left over from Newtwo's escape.

The 76 Mewtwo we're created by flooding a host's body with Newtwo's DNA.

A Host/Vessel had to be very young, and Psychically gifted: Either a Psychic Pokemon with full IV, or a human child of strong Psychic type trainer parents.

The steel plates on the back of her head and upper-back are unique to her: The bottom plate has a mixture of Dread plate and Dusk stone. When introduced to her bloodstream it forces the Mewtwo DNA to almost nullify completely. leaving her with a human guise. Within the top plate, the dust of a Mind plate can be drawn upon once her 'medicine' runs out. to help with reinstating her true Mewtwo forme.

Fun Facts:

Okita loves listening to electronic music on the lowest setting (she has good hearing, like most Mewtwos).

See the full post

15 notes - Posted December 5, 2022

I got a couple of birthday gifts this morning

See the full post

17 notes - Posted November 24, 2022

Hope you're enjoying your lunch/snack/what ever meal you'd like call it @paradoxiusblack

I had a spare 30 minutes before I had to drive home, and couldn't stop laughing at what you randomly said xD

Sorry for how Ocunan turned out in my rush, I'm looking forward to learning more about his character another day when I have a clearer mind and more free time.

(Ocunan belongs to @paradoxiusblack )

Now I know why he's yellow... Jks xD

24 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

My first ever Fanart! I have such mixed feelings about it, but overall proud that I could pull something off after such little experience.

Brain: DO IT!

Me: Why? I just want to draw Pigment with a simple pose...

Brain: Toast!!!

Pigment and Huey belong to @xxtc-96xx

Okita belongs to me.

TC was one of the first Mewtwo artists/bloggers I came across, I fell in love with their rollercoaster series, and brilliant art very quickly after trying to find out more about Newtwo. Newt from the anime (and their story) was and still is so amazing to me! such a different characteristic to her Brother. I can't thank them and other Tumblr blogs I've discovered enough for my first creative spark!

I still can't shake all my nerves about making Fanart, but I loved making this so much! Now I want to draw my OC in a GLaDOS costume for Halloween because she loves robots xD

178 notes - Posted October 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

A Year in Review... I joined in July... Or. I think August? O_o idk

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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aka-ashi-keiji · 4 years ago

Note

Hi love ! Here is my Shouto Todoroki OS request, quite simple, yet deep: in your opinion, what would it take for Shouto to actually comprehend, then acknowledge his feelings for reader ? Like, I love Slow burns and I think Todoroki's character is perfect for this kind of development. But I wonder how many time it would take him to realize what has been growing in his heart for who knows how long, in a canon way?

Or, to put it in a simple way: How long does it take to Todoroki to come to terms with his feelings, and what does he do about it ? How ?

Here it is, you're absolutely free in this request (But please give us a happy ending with lot of Fluff eidkdud). Thank you so much in advance, ILY ❤💖

Love Made of Broken Iron

Shoto Todoroki

Understanding love, best friends to lovers

One shot, soft angst to fluff

tw: mentions of child abuse.

a/n: this is for one of the kindest mutuals i have! @luluwiie i hope you love this, it was challenging but so so so much fun. hopefully this fulfills your gorgeous request. i love you!

You waited patiently on the porch as your uniform skirt moved with the early morning wind. The cherry blossom trees had just started to bloom and that fact alone was enough to warm the tips of your frozen fingers as your smile crept to your face. But nonetheless, you were freezing and it seemed as though your companion was running slightly behind schedule. You checked the time on your phone and just like you suspected, Shoto was running 5 minutes late to meet you outside his house.

“God shoto, how long does it take you to slip on a uniform?” You huffed out as you placed your phone back in your pocket and turned to knock on the front door. However, before you even got the chance to, it swung open and duel chromatic eyes stared back into yours.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting, I made us sandwiches for lunch.” He greeted you in his usual calm but hard front demeanor. Instead of commenting about how cold you were and that he should’ve made lunch faster, you simply took it and placed it in your bag. With that, you both started your commute.

You and Shoto have known each other since you were young, but due to his own family issues you both had just recently become friends. As a child, you always admired his splitone features and the way his eyes lit up in two separate ways when he was excited. At age five, you thought he was cool. But now at age seventeen, you can’t help but think he’s absolutely and utterly gorgeous.

Shoto had accepted your companionship your first year of highschool. Both of you always seemed to keep to your desk and shy away from the large groups, that similarity between you two caused you to naturally gravitate towards him. Asking for his number and inviting him to get coffee with you after school was single handedly the scariest but best idea you have ever committed to. Because if you hadn’t done that, if you had just let that day during your first year continue as always and gone to get coffee by yourself, you wouldn’t be where you are right now.

Currently, Shoto is walking on your right, he always insisted on doing so, just so that he could put some distance between you and the street. Your hands wrapped themselves securely around his forearm closest to you, trying to draw from his warmth. Well, that’s what you told yourself. But, in all honesty you just wanted an excuse to be close to him, to connect to him.

It was embarrassingly obvious how in love with Shoto you were, everyone seemed to notice except for him. And you weren’t the only one to take notice of his beauty and fall for his contrasting features. However, with you it was different, you knew that your romantic feelings couldn’t be grouped together with all of his other admirers. You didn’t fall in love with Shoto just because he was beautiful, but because you were able to connect to him and see past that iron wall he fights so hard to keep up.

Slowly, over the past three years at UA, you found yourself becoming immersed with your own feelings, not entirely sure how to deal with them. Your first year wasn’t too bad, you felt the normal butterflies when he would pat your shoulder when you did something well, one of his only signs of affection. And your cheeks still dusted rose as he would greet you in the morning and compliment something about your hair or the way you wore your uniform. But your second year was drastically different. You had a mere teenage crush on Shoto during your first year, but the amount of time you spent with him the summer after allowed for your feelings to expand to new points you didn’t know your heart was capable of feeling.

The intensity of your love spread like wildfire with every passing day you spent with him in the summer air. You’d find yourself growing overly excited about study sessions you would normally dread due to you thinking summer was your time for a break. And you personally hated silent reading with people around, the silence was uncomfortable. But sitting next to Shoto in your own home, you both on the couch with your legs over his lap, the books you read in silence on those days, that silence was comfortable then.

And if your legs weren’t over his lap, your head found its way to his shoulder or his would fall to yours. His peppermint hair sweeping to the side and tickling the nape of your neck and also covering his observant eyes. But no matter how subtle the touches were, no matter how brief the physical connection, the fire within your heart only blazed warmer.

Shoto was notorious for keeping his distance, but he let you get close. He allowed for you to take part in his interests and he took time to explain to you what he feels and why these things bring him so much joy. He let down his iron wall with you, even if it was just a little. But eventually, you learned what that iron wall was hiding. You come to understand why he’s afraid of boiling water and why he flinches so hard when you hug him without warning. You learned the heart-wrenching story of the scar that covers his sapphire eye, and the damage that it caused and still tolls on him today. You now understood why he always insisted on hanging out with you and anywhere outside of his home. And knowing you could provide that sanction for him ignited your heart’s flames all over once more.

Deep down you wanted so badly to expand your connection to him beyond just friends, but something stopped you. This ‘something’ was so definite, it felt nearly physical. It was as if an iron wall stood between you two.

Shoto had never shown any romantic interests in you, but then again he never took notice of anyone in that sort of way. No matter how many girls threw themselves his way, or when countless guys tried to catch a sliver of his attention, he barely even glanced in their direction. And it wasn’t because he was trying to be rude or blow them off. He genuinely just couldn’t tell when someone was trying to flatter him, his social skills still not up to speed. Shoto was capable of feeling, he just wasn’t sure if he should feel.

You knew this first hand, all the hints you dropped about the flames in your chest never were picked up. He simply believed you were platonically complimenting him, that iron wall still plastered around his heart. And no matter how rapid your feelings grew, the fear of rejection always halted your confessions. You loved Shoto so deeply, but you cared for the strength of your guys’ friendship to a much more powerful extent.

One night during finals week of your second year, you and Sho had been studying nearly all day. It was a Saturday and it was around 10:30 at night. You personally were hungry and Shoto himself said he could go for a snack. A late night soba vender had just opened up down the street, seemed like the perfect spot. So you both threw on sweaters over the sweatpants you had sat in all day, texted your parents since they had already gone to bed, and just like that you and shoto were walking down the dimly lit street through the quantum hours of the night sky.

The stars were scattered abundantly that night, the chill that went through your spine with every gust of wind went merely unnoticed due to the night’s beauty. Your hand clutched Shoto’s bicep, he insisted on it as a precaution. It made you feel safer as well, knowing abductions had been more frequent and took place mainly at night. But along with the security it provided, it also warmed you from the inside. The manifestation of love in your heart turned to flames, and the flames seemed to ignite your senses and tint your cheeks pink. By your luck, Shoto didn’t notice any of this, he never noticed how flustered you became when you shared these small touches that seemed to break that iron wall. But, maybe that was for the better.

You guys had ended your commute to the soba vendor, seating yourselves at the counter and ordering respectively. Shoto had insisted on paying since he somehow managed to swipe his father’s credit card, but if it was Enji’s money, you really couldn’t mind. By the time you each had finished up your meal, the time was nearly 11:45. Your walk home was slightly more eventful than the first time around, you decided to take a detour through a park near a quiet pond.

Shoto’s feet dragged after yours all while you tugged his arm as you nearly skipped to the water's edge. You had a slightly more pep in your step than he himself, but that was nearly symbolic of you and Shoto. You two were nearly identical in the way you always held a calm expression, your short but precise remarks, and even in the demeanor you both present when you become even the slightest bit irritated. These similarities manifested from the tough love in which you were raised with, Shoto’s father being mainly all tough and no love. Your parents drilled it into your mind that anything less of perfection was utter failure. But the love he lacked, you still received to some extent as a child. and that’s what set you apart. You had the ability to skip through the night and feel the joy of the starlight reflecting off your eyes, Shoto simply watching and observing your ecstasy. Not entirely processing a feeling he sees now, but has never felt for himself.

Both you and Shoto came to a standstill at the edge of the water, barely any words had been exchanged since you left the soba vendor. The shoes you both wore began to sink into the sand of the bay. You leaned over the edge, Shoto mimicking your actions. Your reflections on the water surface rippled by the Koi fish that swam beneath. The light the stars cast onto their scales bounced back and onto Shoto’s eyes. His focus connected to the fish as it swam down stream and your reflections became whole once more. While his gaze never shifted, you found yours following the change of his features. You watched through the mirror of water as his eyebrows relaxed, the corners of his mouth weren’t pulled tight, but instead they tugged upward in the most subtle of ways. The flames erupted once more, rising from the ashes like wings of a phoenix, the feeling of love you forced yourself to keep inside was fighting back against your will. You averted your gaze in hopes the heat rising in your chest and your face would subside, but even though you stood at Shoto’s right hand, that wasn;t enough to cool the flames. He noticed your sudden change of focus through the movement reflected on the water, and that's when his focus shifted, shifted to meet yours.

When your eyes connected to the brown and blue of his, you couldn’t help but take notice of just how beautiful he truly was. The way his scar emphasized the brightness of his left eye, the way of how they sparkled just as the stars did against the pond you currently stood near. Your mind had become so utterly consumed by your admiration, his words of concern passed right through you.

“Y/n? Are you okay?” He spoke softly, the time of night affecting his tone. He waved his hand slightly in front of your eyes, breaking the trance you were trapped inside. His pupils were blown out a slight bit more, his eyebrows furrowed together like they tend to be. You nodded your head, bringing yourself back to reality. Shoto brought his hand down to your elbow, slowly ushering you back to the sidewalk. What happened in the following ten seconds seemed to span for eons. Shoto turned to walk back, still keeping his grip on your arm, gentle but stern. Before you could stop yourself your hand pulled on his shoulder lightly, his attention back to you. Your hand found its way to his chin and his grip on your arm tightened in the smallest bit.

“Wha-”

Your lips cut off his protest of confusion, your eyes squeezed shut as his eyes flew open wider than ever before. You hand caressed his jaw gently as his grip on your arm fell entirely. This connection and such deep affection that was poured into that single kiss was nearly three years of confined emotions, the crave and depth of your love finally sprung free from your soul. But as you enjoyed the brief moment, your senses began to override your heart. You suddenly remembered that what was between you and Shoto was nothing more or less of a close and two way friendship. You were the first to pull away, although the look on Shoto’s face when you finally came back down from your high, he looked as if he had pulled away first.

“Sho, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happ- I shouldn't have done that please-” You rambled on as you took a step back, shame replacing the flames that were there just seconds before.

“Let’s go home, it’s late.” He cut in, his voice possessing an edge it wouldn’t normally.

“Sho please-” you pleaded, but were cut off once more.

“Y/n, please.”

The way he said your name, the motion of his back turned to you waiting for you to follow, it was enough for you to realize this was territory that shouldn’t be touched. And so instead of trying to explain yourself or make sense of what the hell just happened, you both made your way back to your house in complete and utter silence. The street lights and stars your only guide through the wordless lack of warmth. For the first time ever within your connection to Shoto, the silence couldn’t even be described as uncomfortable. It was absolutely unbearable.

Shoto had made sure you made it inside your house before walking down two blocks to his own. The usual goodnight text you received, the reminder to actually sleep, never danced across your phone screen. The conversation labeled with his name remained silent and only held the traces of the goodnight text from the night before. You couldn’t recall crying or ever falling asleep, but you remembered feeling the dampness of your pillow as you woke up the morning after.

Monday soon rolled around and you were in the middle of gathering your things for school. You couldn’t deny you were nervous to repeat your normal routine of walking to school with Shoto, but you decided the least you could do was try. You packed an extra snack for him just in case, just as he did for you on days where you were particularly struggling. You were in the middle of slipping on your shoes when a knock was heard on the door. Your parents left for work before you even woke and so that left you to answer. You expected it to be your neighbor or a local vendor, but there he stood. His uniform nicely pressed, his tie nice and straight, and his hair perfectly parted down the middle, not a single strand of white mixing with red.

“Sho! We don’t have to start walking for another half hour what are-”

“Let’s take a walk. We should talk.” He stated quite plainly, turning and walking down the steps of your porch and waiting quietly on the sidewalk.

You quickly regained your bearings and your bag and made your way to his side as your steps fell in time with his. He began to lead you through a left turn when you two would usually turn right. This is the long way to school, you thought. Maybe he really did finally have something to say. You weren;t sure if you actually were ready to hear it. it all depended on how he felt about your affections. Your fear of rejection still failed to waver even after the act of courage you displayed two days before.

Without knowing, you were walking on Shoto’s right side that day, closest to the street. Shoto only noticed as you accidentally bumped his side as you moved away from a speeding car. Without a word, he placed his hands on your biceps and moved you to his left, putting distance between you and the street. Your breath caught in your throat as he did this, the action that was so natural in any other circumstance. But in this moment in time, it showed that the connection between you two was still there and it held through the tense air that filled the space between.

Suddenly, Shoto stopped. His movements stopped entirely just a few strides in front of you. You as well came to standstill, your gaze connecting to the back of his school blazer. Then, as if the world had suddenly started to move in slow motion, Shoto turned and faced you. His hands flew to the sides of your jaw, his fingers placed behind your ears and at the curve where your jaw meets the start of your neck. His lips crashed into yours, the force behind them angry but warm, much more force than yours had conveyed. He didn’t back away, his eyes were shut as his lips explored yours. The electric that ran through his fingertips and danced across your shoulders and down your arms, spurring into your fingertips. Your hands came up to grip the front of his blazer, trying to ground yourself and not disassociate from this moment. But as quickly as it started, his lips left yours, Shoto pulling away first this time. Both of you heaved, your chests falling and rising rapidly. Saliva glistened across your lips, your own pupils blown out along with his. He brushed his bangs from his vision, focusing his hazed eyes back to you. His silence was broken as he breathed out something similar to a confession and an explanation.

“Y/n I’m gonna talk. And let me say it all before I forget please.” You nodded your head and the intensity your eyes held was enough of an indication that you were ready to hear it all. Shoto was ready to let down his iron wall completely, and welcome you into his heart that was so sheltered it didn’t know what it was necessarily welcoming.

“Look, I’m so sorry for blowing you off and dismissing the kiss that night. I should’ve at least said something, anything. But please understand that rash acts of affection is something I don’t know how to process. You know me and you know how I grew up. The last time I was ever shown any sort of physical love was from my mother, and I was five when she was taken away. I had been feeling a certain way whenever I would spend time with you. My chest would tighten and it seemed as if my heart was going to leap out on my throat. I could feel the heat of my left side intensify, it spreading to my right whenever you smiled at me. I have never felt this way, I never have felt anything close to this. I don’t even know what it is, but it draws me to you. It’s as if I’m being pulled by an unknown force that surrounds you. And it scared me, I was terrified to indulge in this feeling because it was so strange to me. A knot was constantly tightening in my stomach, and when you kissed me it snapped. And it shocked me, the feeling shocked my common sense entirely. I don’t understand this and I don’t know why. I feel these things for you but my body isn;t capable of processing it. And I could see that hurt you, and I’m sorry. I- I just need time. I still don’t know what this is. I can;t say it’s love because I’ve never loved anyone. But I’m trying to understand it because I know one thing. I care about you and I want to always be there to care about you. I feel for you beyond the feelings of a friendship. Maybe this could be love that I feel, but I’m still trying to figure that out. What I’m trying to say is that I want to love you. I’ll teach myself how to do that. But please be patient with me, let me understand these feelings.”

As his voice trailed off, your mind held onto one specific detail he spoke about. It all made sense now. His reaction made so much sense and you cursed yourself for not realizing it before. Shoto wasn;t shown the same love you were as a child, therefore his heart and mind aren’t equipped to process such strong acts of affection. You were, you were shown that extent of love, even if it was just a little. His heart was completely overwhelmed, and his entire ability to reciprocate that affection was held back by those iron walls. Something you failed to realize was that those iron walls don’t only keep feelings out, they also keep his own emotions in. And that kiss that night broke the walls and those pent up emotions flooded his body, rendering him unable to explain his bluntness. It all finally made sense.

“I’ll wait Shoto. I get it, I should’ve known. But I’ll be here to help you understand those feelings. I’ll be as patient for as long as you need because I’m able to understand my own emotions. And from that I know that I love you.” You spoke gently, cupping his hand between yours, silietly promising to be there to help his iron walls come down.

And with that, you pulled him to your chest and wrapped your arms around his waist, his gripping around your shoulders. As you embraced, Shoto vowed that he would work to understand, work to tear down the iron walls around his heart, he would do this all until he could say he loved you too.

Back to present day, nearly a year later. You and Shoto had made your way to the UA campus, about to split to different ends of the hall. His arm was wrapped snugly around your waist as he pulled you closer. His lips connected to your temple as he mumbled something about remembering to eat the sandwich he had given you that morning. You simply nodded and hugged around his waist before he pulled away. You waved him off as he began to walk his own route to class. And before you started to walk your own way, you called out to him just as his back turned.

“I love you sho.” You said loud enough for him to hear, but not so much for everyone in the halls with you two to turn their heads. He turned back around, his bangs hanging low over his two toned eyes, his scar peeking out from behind as he smiled faintly at you.

Shoto waved to you subtly as he mouthed back, “I love you too.”

There it was. You could almost hear the crash of his iron walls fall.

He holsted his bag once more and disappeared into the crowd of your fellow peers. You also began your commute as you smiled extremely brightly to yourself. His iron walls had finally come down, and his heart accepted this emotion now as something it knew. Shoto only knew the feeling of true love because he knew you, and your heart expanded because you knew him. And you now also knew everything hidden behind the walls of his mind and heart. Your guys’ love entirely constructed from the broken fragments of iron that Shoto broke down piece by piece.

>>>>>>

a/n pt. two: gonna take the time to explain why i struggled with this piece. it wasn’t because i didn’t like the prompt or i didn’t have inspiration from it. it was solely based on the fact that i’m terrible at writing love stories! also todoroki is such a complex character and i haven’t completely analyzed him like i have with bakugou and deku and kirishima. that’s why this piece was a little rougher than ones i’ve written for bakugou. nonetheless, i love this story and id love to see shoto smile again :,)

#my hero academia #comfort character #boku no hero headcanons #mha #mha todoroki #bnha shoto todoroki #todoroki x y/n #todoroki fluff #mha shoto #todoroki shoto x reader #mha tododeku #comfort headcanons #friends to lovers #best friends to lovers #ua dorms #domestic #cold soba

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