#oh he most CERTAINLY came as an enemy and a rival that is not backing down

[cosmic-walkers]

I think the best way I could describe this episode is 'fear'. The absolute fear that Thomas feels after Jane's death when reality begins to weigh on him. The complete devastation in his eyes when Mary told him that Stephen had returned, the way that his relationship around Henry is different. Henry isn't a friend to him, he's a dangerous person, but now he realizes he's stuck. The way he accidentally let it slip that he would retaliate against Henry, in front of Risley, and the cold fear that we see in his face.

Thomas is genuinely terrified. I don't think he believes death, is looming in the air, but he knows that something is going to happen. And i mean, the fear he is feeling was enough to get him sick, and nearly die. It brought back his Italian fever but this time, it was worse, much much worse.

He can't even talk straight, he can't walk straight, he can't think. Thomas, a man who has been nothing but brave and resilient his whole life is finally being broken down, and finally succumbing to fear. Which is something he truly, truly, never thought he'd be able to feel fully.

What did Anne say in the first season, "Fear can unmake a man" , and well...it's happening.

[warningsine]

But nobody had more secrets–or prowled those gray areas better– than KALINDA SHARMA, the firm’s tough, savvy, leather-wrapped private investigator. For my money, she was not just the most interesting character on the show–over her six year run on the show she was arguably most entertaining and consistently intriguing private eye on American television.

In fact, despite the numerous modern touches (data banks, computer hacking, cellphone taps and the oh-so-modern nods to her ambiguous sexuality), Kalinda is in many ways a throwback to the genre’s roots.

As played by Archie (Bend It like Beckham) Panjabi, she presented a tightly wound professionalism rarely seen in the genre these days, never mind on mainstream television. The leather she sported was not the skin-clinging stuff of adolescent centerfold fantasy (although she certainly wore it well). Rather, she wore it like armor; a thick shell to keep the world at bay.

Her antecedents weren’t nice guys like Jim Rockford or Thomas Magnum. Nope, her roots went back much further, back to a time when private eyes weren’t automatically expected to be warm and cuddly.

Professionally she wasn’t just cold–she was Hammett-cold. Hard and brassy when she had to be. Hell, the way she dispassionately worked her cases, facing down her enemies without flinching,  and standing up to violence and staring it straight in the eye, she could be The Continental Op‘s illegitimate daughter.

But she wasn’t a one-note character, either.

A shrewd and clever investigator, she’d do whatever and go wherever it took (from dumpster diving to infiltrating high school locker rooms to, yes, sleeping with someone to pry information from them) to get what she wanted. She was a breath of fresh air and surprising complexity and moral ambiguity in a television genre that too often treats even major characters as shallow stick figures whose entire essence is delineated by the first commercial break.

The more we’re told about Kalinda, it turns out, the less we actually know.

Like much of the show, it’s not just her loyalty, ethics, allegiances and motives that are ultimately shaded in ambivalence–her personal life is also somewhere in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” area.

Is she a dispassionate hard ass who only lives for the job? Or an anything-goes party girl? Is she a lesbian? Bisexual? Straight as a crooked arrow? Non-binary? Asexual?

During her six years on the show, it was always hard to tell to pin down Kalinda. How much was really her and how much was simply a convenient persona to slip into?

But it was that frostiness, coupled with the murkiness of her background and her hard-boiled professionalism that kept me coming back. In  the first season, it was revealed that she used to work for Peter, but she seemed willing to sell him out to his political enemies. Or was she?

In the second season, however, Kalinda really came into her own, even as the veneer of her personal life oh-so-slowly started to slip. A merger brought Blake (Scott Porter), a professional rival, into the firm, but it was instantly obvious these two were not going to get along, either personally or professionally. And matters were exacerbated when Blake began to taunt Kalinda, dropping hints that he knew all about her past. Lucky him. We sure didn’t.

Suffice it to say she didn’t take it well. Given her buttoned-down aloofness, Kalinda’s hands-on attack on Blake’s unprotected car with a aluminium baseball bat is shocking and unsettling. But even giving into rage she’s still enough of a hard-ass to challenge a witness who stumbles her impulsive act of vandalism in the deserted parking garage. “What the hell are you looking at?” she demands of the awestruck citizen. “Call the police!”

And then, as the citizen scurries off to alert the authorites, she continues to destroy the car.

Now that’s cold.

Later on that season an old lover, Donna (brilliantly played by Lili Tyler), also shows up, with an unspecified axe to grind, although it has something to do with Kalinda not being “domestic” enough–whatever that means.

Alas, in the last few years of her run on the show, Kalinda’s screen time was severely reduced (she below), and she became just another great character in a show full of them.

Those last few years were particularly disappointing, but even then, Kalinda was always absolutely riveting to watch, the held-in-check ambivalence and ambiguity a facet of her evolving character; not a cookie cutter substitute for actual depth.

Imagine! An old fashioned gumshoe, actually working cases on behalf of a client. No ghostly visitors providing convenient clues, no psychic baloney, no CSI voodoo, no burned spies, no OC cases, no human lie detectors, no personal agendas on every single case – just a hard-boiled dick who gets hired to investigate and actually works cases.

How long has it been since we’ve seen THAT?

Her much trumpeted farewell, with Kalinda betraying a violent drug dealer in an attempt to protect her friends, ends with her facing off against the dealer’s slimy toad of a lawyer, who realizes what a ruthless piece of work she is. He asks her, almost in desperation–his own days may be numbered– if she’s consider teaming up with him.

“No, I’m good,” she says, her last lines of a six-year run.

No, she was great.

(x)

[aeoki]

SS Finals - Melee: Chapter 10

Location: ES Dome Idol Practice Room Characters: Mitsuru, Tsukasa, Subaru, Makoto, Ritsu, Mao, Arashi, Izumi & Leo

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ< At that time. “ES Dome” – Idol Practice Room. >

Tsukasa: That is enough!

You’re interrupting our Lesson, “Trickstar”!

Subaru: Come on, don’t say that! Let’s practise together, Cathy~♪

Tsukasa: Don’t call me that! If you want to practise, then why don’t you do it outside on the grass? Why do you insist on practising together!?

I don’t want to be rude to my upperclassmen, but you’re being an eyesore!

Subaru: Hmm~ You haven’t changed at all, Cathy~

Tsukasa: I don’t know anyone by that name here! If you’re here to ask for a favour, then how about showing some respect first!?

Subaru: Respect? You mean money, right? Oh, you greedy little thing! But we never have any money, so we’ll pay with our body instead! Go, Ukki~! Sari~!

Mao: Huh?

Makoto: We’re not your pokemon, Akehoshi-kun~

Well, I’m just glad you’re back to your weird self.

Mao: He could be putting on a brave front, though. But I guess it’s still better than how he was last year.

Subaru: Yeah! Nothing has been confirmed, so it would be stupid to be all depressed. That would cause you guys trouble, right?

I won’t think about the stuff that isn't real for now!

If I’m gonna think about something, I’d rather think about something sparkly like dreams or love or hopes or justice!

Makoto: Hehe. That sounds like something you’d say, Akehoshi-kun.

Mao: You won’t be causing us any trouble at all. We’ll be depressed about it together and also overcome it together, Subaru ♪

Ritsu: Could you stop flirting with other men in “Knights’” practice room, Maa-kun…?

Izumi: Yeah, you’re stressing me out! If it was just Yuu-kun by himself, then I might’ve wondered if he got nervous about the Finals and wanted to find some comfort in his Onii-chan but…

Why are the rest of you here? Have you come to stress us – the “White Team” – out?

Are you trying to tear us down by doing that? That’s a sly thing to do considering you’re last year’s winners!

Makoto: Ahaha. “Knights” won’t fall apart with something like this after all these years, right?

Arashi: The same goes for you. We’ve always stood right back up no matter what obstacles pushed us over.

Mao: …Things are kinda easy for us since we have a Seeds Ticket, but it looks like you guys had it rough.

Arashi: Yeah, it was a beautiful defeat against those awful bees.

We were hanging on by a thread during “Sudden Death”, but it was as if they had stabbed us in the area we were most proud of.

Now that the environment and the times are different, we can’t win using our old methods anymore. That realisation hit us during the Qualifying Rounds.

Tsukasa: Indeed. Our opponents had thoroughly investigated us and came up with a strategy to completely defeat us.

We must be aware of where we currently stand and produce a new strategy for survival.

So we no longer suffer any more bitter losses.

Makoto: We’re more or less the same. I also realised that too when I saw the others acting like that in Hokkaido… We’re not the same people we were when we first teamed up.

Tsukasa: Yes. We should have come to realise that earlier. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles, after all.

Makoto: Ahaha. Once the strong “Knights” have their guards back up, the other units won’t be able to stand a chance, though.

Tsukasa: I’d say the same for you.

You and your unit are like a calamity that swallows everything up, destroying everything in your path.

I’m sure if you strategise in a calm manner, then you’ll become a threat that even the strongest castle wall cannot defend against.

Makoto: A self-thinking and moving calamity, huh – That certainly sounds scary.

Tsukasa: You speak as if it’s got nothing to do with you.

We see each other as a threat… In that aspect, I suppose we’re still Rivals of equal standing, “Trickstar”.

Makoto: I’m honoured to hear that, “Knights”.

Subaru: Yup, yup! Fighting with an opponent of equal strength will make us stronger! Just like in shounen manga!

So back to our previous topic – let’s do as much “head-to-head training” as we can before the Finals begin! Let’s give everything we’ve got and grow stronger! Together!

Tsukasa: Like I previously mentioned, we respectfully decline. We don’t want to tire ourselves out before the Finals.

And since you don’t have your leader, Hidaka-senpai, with you, it would look like we’re just bullying you.

Arashi: Ehehe. A complete “Trickstar” is invincible, but without Anzu-chan or Hokuto-chan, you’ve lost about half of your original strength ♪

Tsukasa: Now that I think about it, is Onee-sa– I mean, the “Producer” not with you? I had completely thought she’d be working alongside you.

Subaru: Yeah. She did come to see us once during the break time and we were able to breathe a sigh of relief after seeing her… After that, it seems she was busy working with the “P-Association”.

Tsukasa: Oh, she came to see us too. She must have gone around to see all the units.

Arashi: Only to give a few “suggestions” for how the unit should be produced in the future.

I’m sure she would have been able to give “orders” based on her position, but I suppose it’s both good and bad that she didn’t.

Mao: She probably knew that we’d just oppose it if she did. In that sense, “orders” and “secret orders” have the opposite effect on us.

I’m sure they didn’t set those up just to see us rebel.

Makoto: It sounds like that’s very much possible, though. The “secret orders”... definitely had ill intentions behind them and it’s not something that’s shown up at Yumenosaki before.

No. We weren’t in the very centre of things, but it makes me think of the War. The final stages were awful, weren’t they?

Arashi: In fact, that’s when the evil intentions were exposed. You were there in person, but it was just a bad memory from start to finish, right, Leo-kun?

Leo: …………

Subaru: ? What’s up with Tsukinaga-senpai…? It’s rare to see him lying down in the corner like that. What a scary sight.

Izumi: He’s probably just jet-lagged. Apparently, he made a pretty good name for himself in the U.K. and was really busy over there.

Ritsu: He’s popular all over the world and was the last one to arrive as well. He’s the complete opposite of Secchan who was trying to lay low.

Izumi: Excuse me? I’m here for a reason, you know? And how dare you make fun of me after you brought shame to “Knights”!

Ritsu: I’m sorry.

Leo: Don’t scold Rittsu~... It’s all my fault~ Everyone but Sena is to blame~...

Izumi: Yeah! The fault lies with the rest of you!

Tsukasa: You go easy on Sena-senpai all the time and that’s why he keeps getting carried away, Leo-san!

Leo: But I promised that I would never blame Sena anymore.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[pocododo]

CHAPTER FOUR.

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Hours later, just before midnight, the queen of Straosia sat upon her bed, her satchel in hand. She’d partially forgotten about what she was supposed to do, or what the king had told her to do, as she didn’t pay it any mind. That, and she most certainly wouldn’t be taking orders from a foreign king, no less. That was an insult to her pride, although she’d only previously agreed to get him to back off. She had plans tonight, as she did every night, and a deceptively handsome man would not get in the way of them.

Slipping off the bed and pushing the doors of her bedroom open, she snuck past the door to his room, careful to make her footsteps quiet and light. It wasn’t long before she reached the private doors of her study, the room in which she exacted her revenge. Entering the room, she placed her bag down… although she didn’t lock the door. A careless mistake she didn’t think of in the moment.

She pulled out a doll made of muslin cloth, dipping it in blood as she’d done the previous night. This time she opted to pour another liquid on the blood drenched doll; hydrochloric acid. This particular enemy brought her great annoyance and inconvenience, the blood of her sister. While most would scorn her for this act, she didn’t quite care. Siblings only meant rivalry, and she would have no competition when it came to ruling. She would eliminate those who stood in her way to ultimate and true power, even if they were bound by family ties. Those ties would not stop the fabric of the doll from rapidly disintegrating until it was little more than a puddle in the metal bowl set before her.

In a small village just outside the outskirts of Lazara, Selene’s pestering little sister would finally suffer the fate she was ultimately destined for. It didn’t bother Selene at all, nor did it bring her any joy. She was simply doing what had to be done. Besides, nobody would suspect her of killing her own sister, now would they? Especially not when she was an hour away, safe in the confines of her palace. Nobody would know.

Oh, how wrong she was. She turned to leave after closing her satchel, only to stop in her tracks. There, in the darkness of the doorway, stood a tall figure, with piercing golden eyes. Her blood ran cold, and her heart began to race, already thinking of ways she could kill him and hide his body.

No words were spoken between the two of them as they stared at one another. Until he spoke up.

“I told you I’d find you if you weren’t at my door. But, personally, this is much better. Much, much better.” Bellion stalked towards her, a predatory gaze in his eyes. Selene stood her ground firmly, with a glare that would easily strike fear in the hearts of most grown men.

“You have five seconds to turn around and pretend you never saw anything before I do the same to you. I don’t care who you are, if you get in my way, you will die. I have no mercy for rivals or obstacles.”

“You wouldn’t be able to touch me. Not unless I let you, of course. Even then, I’m faster than you. I could run to the nearest advisor’s room and tell them your dirty little secret. But I won’t. I have a feeling you and I are not so different after all. I know what you want; power. So do I. Maybe I’m willing to compromise, but are you?”

“Describe your meaning of compromise. I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you, because as strong as you may think you are, I am stronger. And faster. And more agile. And smarter. If I wished I would have you bleeding from your neck within a split second.”

“So violent,” he mused, stepping closer once more to get a better look at her. “I don’t plan on hurting you, after all, I came here to do the exact opposite. When I ask for a compromise, I’m asking for your help. In exchange, I’ll give you mine. I can give you the power you want. You need blood for your magic to work. I have blood, all the blood you can think of. Your enemies will fall one by one, faster than ever before. Nobody will think of crossing you,” He paused, watching her closely, “But in exchange? I want your assistance in defeating this curse, like we’d discussed earlier today. And… I want you.”

Her eyes sparkled with desire, the desire for more power than she would ever dream of. The offer was sweet, and she was inclined to accept. But still she was curious. “You make a good offer, although, why do you want me? In what way?”

“In every way there is. I want you, mind, body, and soul. You know it as well as I that we are connected.” He stepped closer and brought her hand to his chest, making her feel the steady beat of his heart.

“There is a fragment of my soul within you, and a fragment of yours within mine. Feel it. Feel how our heartbeats resonate with one another.”

Beneath Selene’s fingers, she could not only feel his heartbeat, but she felt a warm, thrumming sensation. It was as if she were touching a heated blanket, and she knew the same feeling deep in her own soul. Perhaps he was right.. after all, it made sense. The dreams, and the nightmares, they were connected by their very souls. When he’d arrived at the palace earlier on in the day, she could feel a tugging sensation. She knew who it was without even having to think about it. And the same tugging sensation was presumably felt on his end, which may have been why he knew where to find her. After all, they were in the left, back wing of the palace, meaning the hallways were incredibly difficult to navigate by themselves.

“How do I know you’re not scheming against me? I have no reason to trust you.”

To this, he nodded, moving her hand up to his neck, the warm skin thrumming with life, and with power. In his other hand he held a sharpened steel dagger, which he then handed to her. “Perhaps you’re wrong. Here I am, vulnerable before you. With a flick of your wrist you could cut through my windpipe and leave me to choke on my own blood.”

Selene swallowed, and let out a sharp exhale, pressing the blade a little more against his neck, drawing the faintest amount of blood from the cut. Before she had the chance to pull away, he was moving down, until he was on his knees before her. She did not move the knife from his neck, instead holding it in place as she looked down at him.

“I am yours. Whatever you choose to do with me, I will accept it. But I know in my heart, and you in yours, that my place is with you. So, make your decision. Will you kill me, or take my offer? My life is in your hands, my queen.”

Selene let out a heady breath, eyes fixated on his own. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her stomach was twisting with heat. The sight of him on his knees before her, laying his life in her hands, even though he could easily gain the upper hand, made her incredibly aroused, unlike anything she’d felt before. The feeling of power she gained from such a simple gesture… the feeling of having a king before her… nothing could compare. She removed the knife from his neck, and discarded it on the floor.

“You have yourself a deal. Do not make me regret it. But… I have one condition. You will not touch me until I say you can. No more of those caresses, nothing. This is an alliance for power and politics, not an affair. I am not your lover.”

“As you wish, my queen. In exchange, I would like to request something. Just one thing. Please… allow me to hold your hand.”

To this, her eyebrows raised. She’d expected him to ask her for a sexual favor, but instead he was asking to hold her hand? How.. odd. Men these days did not ask for such simple things, and she didn’t expect this man to be any different. Especially since he was certainly not the type of man to ask before he took, or so she thought, as she’d seen what he was like within her dreams.

“You want… to hold my hand? Why?”

“You will not allow me to touch you, and I will respect your decision. However, I would be beyond satisfied if you would allow me the pleasure of feeling your hand within mine. Even though you have not touched me yet, you have already left an imprint on my soul and my heart. Your hands have touched me in such a way that no one has before, even if not in the physical sense.” He stood to his feet, looking down at her once more, ignoring the shallow cut she’d made at the side of his neck.

“However…” He leaned close enough to kiss, yet did not touch her. “There will come a day where you beg me to touch you. I swear it. But until that day, my hands will be my own, until you decide you wish to have them.”

“I suppose you can hold my hand. Do not think for even a moment that this means I hold a romantic feeling for you, it is merely so that you won’t… tease me. No teasing. We have much work to do, and we cannot afford to get distracted.”

“Very well then, Princess. Lead the way.” He gestured, and took her hand within his own. Just like how she looked, her hand was soft and warm, although he knew that these hands were the same to bring forth the death of hundreds without a moment of hesitation. He would not underestimate her, even if his actions said otherwise. He knew better.

If she was irritated at the nickname, she didn’t show it, instead choosing to wordlessly leave the room after locking it. He trailed behind her, practically dwarfing her in terms of height, even though she was well above average. He didn’t stop at his door, and instead followed her the next few paces to her own bedroom door.

“You have your own room. I will see you… tomorrow, where we can begin our work. Goodnight, Bellion.”

He gave her a soft smile, surprisingly genuine, and dropped her hand.

“Goodnight, Selene.”

[kmgkmg]

SOMETHING YOU KNOW - JEON WONWOO

word count: 2.7k...

pairing: wonwoo x gn!reader

synopsis: you and wonwoo have been rivals in your company since you both got hired. what happens when this dynamic shifts?

genre/s: fluff, non-idol!au, enemies-to-lovers, officeworker!wonwoo

warnings: alcohol mention

rating: pg-13

a/n: second fic for my absolute fave @yukihikos​! i was listening to blood orange while writing this fic hence the title, this was inspired by something you know by blood orange! 

You drag your feet walking into the office yet again, knowing that he will be there. It’s not like you had planned to make an enemy on your first day as an intern, but Wonwoo Jeon had basically declared his hate for you when you both were assigned to the Marketing team. You’ve seen your fair share of resting bitch faces, you yourself were considered the one with a rbf in your friend group, but Wonwoo’s glare was definitely more than just his resting expression. You can clearly recall the face of pure disdain he had when announced that you would be working together for the next two years, fighting for a permanent position in the company. 

You had tried to be civil towards him, even friendly at the beginning but each attempt was instantly blocked by his cold one-worded replies. To make matters worse, each time a superior came near your desks to inquire about an ongoing project or client, he would always - without fail - suddenly act as if he was the closest person to you. Wonwoo’s two-faced personality made you flustered the first time you encountered it, but the more you worked with him, the more your resentment grew, badmouthing him to friends so much that he earned the nickname of snake amongst them. You couldn’t even trash talk his quality of work because he was damn good at his job. 

As you had become determined to treat Wonwoo the same way he had been treating you, your department, and soon enough the whole office, knew of your rivalry. Many people had even placed bets on when an actual physical altercation between the two of you would happen. You had been seen bickering with him on numerous occasions, especially over the little things such as who was able to get on an elevator first. Everything was a competition to be won. Most of the time your coworkers would simply roll their eyes, used to the childish arguments, and laugh since you and Wonwoo never let your disagreements get in the way of working together. That is until it was the day to present your potential projects to the CEO of Carat Co., an opportunity that doesn’t come around often. You had spent countless hours on your presentation and were confident that your idea was innovative and fresh, two aspects that the company valued greatly. Wonwoo had gone first but you truthfully hadn’t paid attention, purely out of dislike for the guy. Going up to the podium you felt your heart race, slightly ready for presenting but also nervous since it was your first time seeing CEO Seungcheol Choi in person. 

“...And that is it for my proposal. I hope you enjoyed my presentation and consider all of the benefits that would come with accepting my idea.” You walk back to your seat in the meeting room and a fellow intern friend, Soonyoung, next to you gives you a pat on the back and thumbs up while a manager simply smiles at you, boosting your confidence. The CEO excuses himself for a small break since he received a call during the presentation and didn’t want to interrupt it, but the break gave you some comfort since you were able to collect your thoughts and calm your nerves. CEO Choi is nice but presenting in front of the CEO is bound to be a nerve-racking ordeal for anyone. But the happiness doesn’t last long as you can hear the oh-so familiar sound of Wonwoo’s irritating chuckle. You look over to his chair and see that he is looking at you and you raise your eyebrows at him to show your annoyance. 

“Wow, that was certainly some proposal.” He manages out between his chuckles and you can’t help but grow more annoyed at his aloofness. What made him think he was almighty? You entered into the company at the same time and he had no reason for all of his confidence. Sure, he was good at his job, but so were you. If anything, you would think that you are more suitable for the company than him. 

Through gritted teeth you impatiently ask, “What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Just as I said L/N, it was certainly some proposal.” He stops chuckling to look at you with a serious expression and before you’re able to prod him more for an explanation, CEO Choi walks back into the room, causing you both to stare back straight ahead to greet him. “Let’s continue the presentations, shall we?”

Seven presentations later, the interns were finally done showing their proposals. CEO Choi called for another break to decide with executives and other higher ups whose idea would be chosen to represent this cycle of interns. You tap your feet, anxiously awaiting the results. Even though Jeon’s comment still bothered you, you weren’t going to make that apparent and smiled with your intern friends. The CEO walks back into the room once again, with a piece of paper in his hands. Each intern is hanging on the edge of their seats for him to read the announcement. “The intern whose project we are going to execute for this period is…Y/N L/N.” 

The reality of what was just said doesn’t set in and you find yourself just clapping along with others until Soonyoung repeats, “Y/N your proposal was chosen!” You finally come to and thank the CEO and superiors, still shocked that your idea was picked.  The superiors walk out soon after the CEO, leaving the interns to converse alone for a while, to share feedback on presentations and such, and you all use it as a time to chat with your friends. Wonwoo immediately goes to his friends Mingyu and Jihoon, as you go to your friends Soonyoung and Chan. Soonyoung motions chugging drinks with his hand, “Celebrations are in need, yeah?” He asks you both and you and Chan laugh and agree. 

“Cheers to Y/N for killing that project proposal!” Chan brings his glass of beer up in the air, hinting for the rest of you to raise your glasses to the toast as well. 

“Cheers!” You all shout and you decide to let yourself get absolutely wasted tonight. You earned it after all the blood, sweat, and tears you spent on the proposal. It was a national holiday on Monday anyways and you had a three-day weekend, what could go wrong?

After a combination of lychee martinis, mojitos, soju bombs, and much more, you were properly wasted. You rarely got drunk, usually being a parental figure of sorts to your friends, but you knew that they would want you to fully enjoy yourself and your accomplishments. 

“Yeah, we’re definitely going to need to have you drive us home.” Hansol laughs to Minghao, sipping on his hard lemonade before tending to a crying drunk Soonyoung. Minghao nods his head in agreement, watching you complain sloppily to Chan about the usual annoyance, the snake.  

“I just don’t get how a person can be so mean! Does he have a vendetta against me? You know what, enough is enough, I’m going to call him and find out.” You complain to Chan before messily grabbing your phone out of your bag. Minghao’s eyes widen and he tries to stop you from calling your evil coworker he had only heard of, but it was too late. Within two rings Wonwoo had picked up, surprised by the loud chatter of what he can only assume to be a restaurant or bar. “Y/N? Did you mean to call me?”

You drunkenly giggle at his bewildered state, this was a rare occurrence for Wonwoo. “Yes, in fact, I did.”

Wonwoo, collecting himself at the fact that his intimidating coworker is calling, asks another question, “So what’d you call me for?” 

“There you go again with being curt. Who told you to be so rude to me? I tried to be nice to you but you hate me so much! It’s like you want us to be enemies forever-Oh Minghao!” Wonwoo hears rustling in the background and soon enough he’s met with an unfamiliar voice. “You’re the notorious Wonwoo, huh? Come to CHEERS Pub and finally show the face of the guy that Y/N won’t stop complaining about.” With Minghao’s agitated invitation, the call ends and Wonwoo looks at his black screen in confusion over what had just happened. That was the most relaxed he had heard you be, and although he had already been in his apartment, planning to game for the rest of the night, meeting your friends piqued his interest. But your words kept lingering in his mind, you thought he hated you? Surely that can’t be true. He throws on a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers before heading down to the garage to drive to CHEERS Pub. 

“I did not just call him.” You curse at yourself as your friends confirm that you did, in fact, call the coworker that hates you. Ending that conversation was enough to sober you up for the night, this is why you don’t get drunk. 

Minghao attempts to comfort you by saying, “We’ll see if he comes though.” Yet, almost as if he knew it, speaking of the devil, Wonwoo Jeon walks in looking for your table. You duck, attempting to hide yourself, but it's too late as he recognizes Chan and Soonyoung as well, waving to them before sitting down. Minghao, Hansol, and you all glare at Wonwoo, Minghao and Hansol, being friends outside of work who had never seen him before. You watch as he catches up with Chan who tried to remain neutral with work relationships, and he seemed so different from himself at the office. He was wearing a relaxed outfit but he still looked sophisticated, and since when did he wear glasses? 

“What are you doing there?” Minghao nudges you and you jump at the sudden question, breaking your focus from Wonwoo. 

“What do you mean? I’m clearly glaring at him, my most hated coworker.” You retort.

Minghao tilts his head in doubt, “You’re definitely staring, I don’t know about glaring though. Are you sure you hate him because your eyes are oozing with lust.” 

“They are not! He just looks…different outside of the office.” 

Minghao nods, slightly content with your reactions to his questions and leaves you alone before tapping Hansol’s shoulder and motioning to the door, Hansol confused but taking the hint. “Alright Jeon, we met you, and it was certainly surprising that you didn’t have horns growing out of your head or something. But Hansol and I have to go work on our last pieces for our fashion collection so we’re going to have to call it a night.” Wonwoo looks up at the already standing friends of yours and extends his hand to shake their hands before they made their exit. You realize that with them gone, the very drunk Soonyoung and Chan are left with you and Wonwoo. 

“Wait, Minghao was our ride! He only had half a glass of wine.” You gasp, suddenly realizing that you have no way home unless you all wanted to pay for a ridiculously expensive Uber back. Soonyoung whines at this statement as well, but Wonwoo reaches in his pocket and reveals car keys. “I mean…I drove here, I wouldn’t mind helping coworkers out.” You and Soonyoung sit with your mouths open, surprised that Wonwoo Jeon was offering you, Y/N L/N, help. Two other coworkers were involved, sure, but he could’ve left you to find an Uber by yourself. 

“That sounds great! Thanks Wonwoo.” Chan smiles and Wonwoo returns the smile, you had seen him smile countless times at work, but why did he look so handsome right now?

“Soonyoungie has to go to the bathroom!” Soonyoung declares and runs back into the pub, leaving just Wonwoo, yourself, and Chan. 

“Damn it, I have to go with him otherwise we all know how he acts at company dinners.” Chan sighs. 

Wonwoo laughs thinking about Soonyoung stripping in the middle of a sushi restaurant last year and nods for Chan to go help Soonyoung. “Should we head in the car and wait for them?” You nod, still thrown off at Wonwoo’s kindness. You open the door to his passenger side and sit down, closing the door and leaving the two of you to sit in silence. The silence lasts for a couple of minutes before he finally breaks the silence, “I don’t hate you, you know.” His comment makes you knit your eyebrows in confusion and you turn to look at him, “Is this because of what I said in the phone call? I’m so sorry about that, I swear I’m sobered up now. I get that I crossed a professional boundary that I shouldn’t have.”

“I mean, I did say what I did because of your call, but I’m telling the truth. I don’t hate you. I guess everyone at the office except me thinks we hate each other’s guts? I thought it was just playful banter and healthy rivalry between coworkers.” Wonwoo shrugs. 

“But then, why did you act so arrogant when I was done presenting, did you think I did that bad?” You ask.

“No! I was in shock, I didn’t realize my chuckles came off as condescending but they were incredulous chuckles if anything. I knew you were better than me at this job, but your presentation was a wake up call. I mean it was so good.” He awkwardly scratches the back of his head and your anger begins to dissipate as you realize you had misunderstood him the whole time. “To be honest, I was intimidated by you since we were assigned to the same team. I knew you were amazing at your job and I’m used to being the best, so I guess your skills scared me. I didn’t want to get close to you and have you realize how lacking I am compared to you.” Again, you’re shocked by Wonwoo’s confession and you can’t help thinking how hot he looks. Why was he sharing all of this? There certainly had to be a twist. But you couldn’t stop staring at him, admiring how attractive he looked in his hoodie, wearing his glasses. It had to be the alcohol still in your system, how could your opinions about him change so drastically in one night?

“Well then, we can be friends starting now. I was only rude to you because I thought you hated me.” You smile warmly at him, and he feels the weight lifted off his shoulders knowing that you won’t think he hates you anymore. “And, I’m sorry to say this but do you know how insanely hot you are right now?” The change in the conversation leaves Wonwoo flustered and he looks closer at you to realize that you had been staring at his lips for quite a while now. Before he can say anything, you lean in across the car console to kiss him. Your lips are met by his, Wonwoo still stunned, closes his eyes before kissing you back. He brings his hand up to gently cup the side of your face and support the back of your neck, going slow but still causing tingles to run through your entire body. Kissing him was unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, and you continued for a while before finally stopping to return back to sitting in both of your seats. “That was…” You begin.

“...amazing.” He finishes. You look at each other once again and laugh at how much things can change in a day. 

“I guess we’re more than just coworkers now?” You grin. 

Wonwoo smirks back, “I guess we are.” 

“Wooooooo workplace romance!” You and Wonwoo jump at the noise from outside and see Chan holding Soonyoung upright while they’re both waving, clearly witnesses to the two of you making out. Wonwoo opens his backseat doors and gets out to help Chan sit Soonyoung down and you both are red from being caught in the act. You knew that Soonyoung and Chan would immediately tell Minghao and Hansol in the groupchat, resulting in endless teasing, but that didn’t matter now. You had made amends with Wonwoo Jeon and something you know for sure is that he didn’t hate you.

[giggleeclown]

Laughust day 12: Trapped (Anpanman

THIS FIC HAS IMPLIED ANBAI (ANPANMAN X BAIKINMAN)

Baikinman wasn’t always an easy defeat, but he’s certainly the description of defeatable. This is why, whenever he gets a chance, he relishes in the short lived taste of victory.

Now, Baikinman, despite always waiting to win, always intentionally lets himself lose. He couldn’t tell you why, it was just an instinct to help before it was too late or accept his own defeat. On the inside, he really did have a soft spot for his rivals. He never did anything he knew they couldn’t handle, and, when he did, he ended up stepping in to save the day.

Like I said before, Baikinman doesn’t typically do anything he thinks Anpanman can’t handle. So, when he and Anpanman got into a battle for no particular reason and the Baikin UFO threw a rather large boulder at the hero, Anpanman caught it as expected, holding it up in the air and trying to keep his balance.

Baikinman giggled, parking his UFO. He walked down under the boulder, meeting Anpanman’s eye. Though he was a little nervous, he wanted to see if he would protect him.

“Why, Anpanman, how STRONG you are!” He teased, pushing his face close to his rival’s. Anpanman blushed. “S…Stop it, Baikinman!” He called back in return.

“Hmmm, I think not.” Baikinman giggled again, pacing around the struggling hero. He stood his ground, though the boulder was beginning to become heavy. “If you’re such a strong and brave hero, you’ll save me effortlessly!”

Anpanman wasn’t intimidated. He knew Baikinman was just toying with him, but when he saw his smirk, he knew something bad was going to happen.

“It sure would be a shame,” Baikinman began, slowly trailing his hand along his ribcage “if something were to… happen…”

Anpanman choked back a giggle. Baikinman knew how ticklish he was, and he loved to use it to his advantage. “Where are you the most sensitive again…?” The germ pondered to himself mockingly. “Oh, yes! Now I remember! Under your arms, right?”

Anpanman began to giggle before anything happened, his blush deepening. This caused Baikinman to turn a deep shade of red. He didn’t expect him to be so… cute. He shook off his blush before he expected anything, and tried to put on his evil disposition once again. “G-giggling already, I see!” He said, albeit meekly. “Well- erm! - that’s unfortunate for you!” He put his hands up at Anpanman, causing him to giggle more. He would typically be able to hold back, but not this time. He was too defenseless!

Fingers gently began to tickle under Anpanman’s arms, the interrogator watching as his enemy threw his head back with uncontrollable giggles. His arms never once moved and his legs didn’t give out once.

“A-AhahahahaHAHAhahAhahaAhah! *snort!* NhnhHahAHAahaha! B-Bahahaikinman!”

“Mwehehehehe! Tickletickletickletickle!”

Anpanman was extremely cute. There was no denying it. His baby face and sweet smile were enough to charm anyone, but hearing his silly laugh and seeing his happy face was something that Baikinman wasn’t necessarily used to, especially not up close. It was almost entrancing to him. There was no evil laugh or mischievous smirk on Baikinman’s face anymore. Only a look of genuine and pure countenance. His eyes sparkled and his face was dusted pink. It was a wonderful feeling.

“P-PLEehEEEhehehease! Ahahehehe! I- I cahahan’t take it anymohohore!” And he was right. The boulder was beginning to wobble in his grasp. Baikinman, knowing the hero would perish if crushed, immediately pulled out a remote control to his UFO and pressed a button. All of a sudden, the hands on the UFO came down and smacked the boulder out of desperate arms, landing far, far away and out of harm’s reach.

Meanwhile, Baikinman was being much too affectionate to the one he was born to defeat. He had since pounced, continuing his onslaught. When Anpanman had clamped down, Baikinman only told him affectionately how he was only trapping his hands there. Anpanman understood it just about as much as Baikinman, but he was beginning to feel the same way. He couldn’t move, but he certainly didn’t try to. He couldn’t stop blushing, but he didn’t want to hide it. It was a genuinely relaxing and stress relieving feeling.

Finally, Baikinman felt like he had proved his point. He slowly put his arms up in defeat, giggling at his dizzy and weak ‘lee. Anpanman giggled with him, still feeling the phantom of the onslaught from under his arms. Baikinman was positioned so that he was sitting on Anpanman’s torso. Anpanman was flat on the grass trying to compose himself. He looked up weakly, still shaking off the last of his giggles. “B…Baikihihinman… why did you do thahahat?”

Seeing Anpanman look up at him with nothing but affection in his eyes made him blush all over again. He realized how affectionate he had been and covered his face to hide his shame. “I, ugh… I don’t know…”

The hero knew from the moment he walked over to him that Baikinman meant no harm. He wouldn’t deliberately put himself in danger if he was going to really attack. Anpanman smiled knowingly.

“You saved me from that boulder on purpose.” He smirked up at the object of his affection, who looked away from him defiantly.

“Well, I, uhm… I couldn’t have you crushed! Or else I’d be bored all day with nobody to fight!”

Anpanman chuckled. A wave of silence and tension moved past.

“You know, Baikinman,”

The smaller figure lowered his arms halfway, now attentive.

Anpanman suddenly grabbed onto his wrists, laying the smaller figure down onto his back and reversing the position with a smirk that only a ‘ler could emit.

“This is a very unusual way to get my attention.”

[delimeful]

you can’t go back (4)

warnings: mentioned child neglect/bad parenting, mentioned awkward saucy teen flirting, arguing, emotional upset, the dubious ethics of over-excited teenagers

-

Roman had been acting strange, lately.

It was perhaps a harsh thing to think about his friend, especially considering he was bound to behave differently when the recent disappearance of his twin was taken into account, but it was also true.

Logan had known Roman for years, long enough that it was an effort to search back through his memories for a point that they hadn’t been together, if perhaps not always in the most amicable of circumstances. They’d gone through the entire gamut of enemies-frenemies-rivals-friends, and Logan liked to think that he had a fair grasp on Roman’s tells by this point.

All of Roman’s tells were currently telling him that the other student was trying to hide something, something big.

It wasn’t just the way that he had stopped sulking whenever something happened that reminded him of his missing brother, or that he was suddenly scrawling what almost seemed like notes in a glitter-covered notebook when he hadn’t had the inspiration to work on anything creative in weeks, or that he had all but given up on the pretense of paying attention in their shared classes.

No, the real sign that something was wrong was the way that Roman had begun to outright neglect his two closest friends.

Logan was hardly affected, of course. He was above the base emotions that so many of his peers were constantly fraught with, and less time with Roman gushing in his ear about whatever had caught his interest or complaining dramatically about those who had wronged him meant more time for Logan to focus on what was important, like his AP classes and many, many extracurriculars.

Of course, that didn’t explain why he was currently trailing after Roman on his walk home, when he really should be at violin practice. No matter how much of a soft spot the teacher had for him, he’d gained his skill through hard work, not skipping practice. Certainly not skipping practice to hound off after his erstwhile classmate.

However, he wasn’t the only one being abandoned in this scenario.

Logan Croft had been forced to sit at a lunch table with an increasingly secretive and distant Roman, and a mournful, kicked-puppy version of Patton Hertz, the most cheerful guy in their grade, if not the entire school.

Roman, stuck in his own thoughts as he clearly was, seemed to not notice the effect his lacking presence had had on Patton, and Logan was just about fed up of watching the slow decay of the half life of their little group.

The secrecy was ridiculous. They’d been there when Roman had been so worked up about the ‘police coverup’ that he’d actually considered trying to break into a government building, they could certainly be here for whatever it was that had him so bizarrely clammed up now!

Logan paused from a distance and watched as Roman hurried in through the front door of his house, counting backwards in his head. It would be a fair challenge to try and break into Roman’s room, particularly with Roman in the house, but if his deductions about the seeds constantly caught on his friend’s pant legs and the odd-colored mud left on the soles of his favorite tennis shoes were correct… There!

Sure enough, only a few moments later, Roman was pushing out through the back door, taking an unusually careful moment to close the screen door behind him before turning and walking determinedly down the path into the rural wilderness that made up half of the grounds his family’s farm sat on.

Logan waited until there was little chance that Roman would double back for something he’d forgotten, and then strode confidently up to the front door, rapping on it twice. Going by the fact that there was a car in the driveway and the door had been unlocked when Roman had gotten home from school, someone else was home to answer.

Mrs. Torres opened the door, looking surprised at the sight of him for a moment, before breaking out into a warm smile. “Logan! It’s so good to see you, are you here for Roman?”

“I’ve been meaning to meet up with him for a project, but he left school before me, so I came here,” Logan said, not above lying through omission to uncover the truth. “Is he home?”

“Oh, he just got back, but I don’t think he’s inside-- ROMAN!” she turned towards the stairs and called up them, frowning when there was no response. “He must be out in the yard again. Come in, come in!”

Logan stepped inside smugly, glancing around. The interior was much the same as the last time he’d been here. If it hadn’t been for the pile of faded missing posters under a mug on the counter and his own prior knowledge of the situation, Logan would have been hard-pressed to guess that this was the home of a recently-vanished child.

“Honestly, I’m just glad he’s not staying cooped up in his room anymore,” Mrs. Torres was saying. The woman speaking casually in front of him only added to the eerie composure of the home, and Logan made his way through the general pleasantries and politely refused any refreshments with an unpleasant feeling in his gut.

“They didn’t even bother printing out new missing posters this time,” he remembered Roman telling them with a quiet, bitter sort of anger. “He dyed his hair, and they won’t even pay to put a recent picture of him up when it could be the difference between someone recognizing him or not!”

On a logical level, Logan can understand something concerning happening over and over, repetition dulling it’s effects until it feels mundane or everyday. Roman has mentioned before how his parents believed that Remus was simply acting out for attention, mostly while thanking Roman for being above that, as though the metaphorical ‘good twin’ wasn’t currently building a career on literally acting for an audience's attention.

What Logan can’t understand is that Remus’s parents are apparently completely uninterested in finding out why Remus is so desperate for attention that he would resort to a maneuver he knows will only get him negative consequences.

Logan himself would certainly like to understand. All queries on the matter had garnered only uncomfortable evasion from Roman, as though his friend might have had an idea but wouldn’t say, likely due to irritating personal feelings that Logan couldn’t parse.

So, he’d reached out to Remus directly, on one of the few days that he’d actually attended classes.

The delinquent had been visibly confused by his approach-- the twins allegedly hadn’t had a mutual friend since the beginning of grade school-- and resistant to Logan’s questioning, which Patton had later informed him was likely far too blunt for the situation. They’d gone in circles for a bit, Remus making outlandish or confusing metaphors while Logan refused to rise to the bait, and then he’d made a simple observation about the hypocrisy of the twins’ parents, and Remus had stared at him with an odd tilt to his head for a moment.

Shortly after, he had made a very confusing comment about something that was anatomically impossible, and when Logan had enquired further, Remus had then hared off with pink cheeks and ditched school for a week. He’d asked Roman about the situation, but his friend had only covered his ears with an agonized look on his face, utterly refusing to explain.

Logan shook the errant thought away, and the odd pang of something like regret that Remus had vanished before he could follow up on the interesting interaction.

He turned his gaze away from the unharried setting. The odd dynamic between the Torres family was not what he was here to investigate, not even remotely.

There was only one Torres he was investigating right now, and he had a strong suspicion that his odd behavior had less to do with family than one might expect.

“Go on ahead, I’m sure he’ll hear you once you get out back,” Mrs. Torres encouraged, picking up a particularly irritated-looking calico cat. “Just have to make sure Lady Macbeth doesn’t escape and disturb your little session. Roman’s been worried about coyotes, so we’ve been keeping her inside.”

Logan nodded, though privately he was a little surprised. Coyotes? He hadn’t thought they would be so bold as to lurk at a farm this close to urban areas. Perhaps there had been sightings near here?

He pushed past the creaky screen door with a striking sense of familiarity, despite the fact that it had been quite a while since the three of them had gone wandering together in the foliage and dirt of the Torres farm. Patton’s allergies could be quite fierce, after all.

As expected, walking into the backyard revealed no signs of Roman, even when Logan cleared his throat and called out. He knew his friend well enough to know that he would have reacted audibly to his unexpected presence, so the only logical conclusion was that he wasn’t nearby.

Clearly, it was time to check the perimeter.

He walked in a careful, orderly line next to the old wooden fence, eyeing the peeling paint and refraining from setting his hand on it. He had more to worry about than potential splinters, such as keeping an eye out for any potential strangeness that could explain Roman’s behavior.

There was little to be found in the brush except a regrettable amount of sandburs catching along the hem of his pants, so when he spotted the barn, he felt a surge of excitement.

And if he indulged in a little bit of sneaking, hoping to catch his quarry unaware, that was his business. Roman was loud enough that he could hear him ranting a good few meters from the barn, anyhow.

He managed to make it all the way to the edge of the barn wall before the rant abruptly cut off, and he stalked forwards hurriedly, pushing the door open before Roman could hide anything incriminating.

He needn’t have worried: the evidence was standing there in the middle of the barn, strapped to a support rafter.

It also wasn’t human.

“What are you doing here?” Roman shrilled, taking a quick step to be in front of the creature. It was an ineffective method of hiding it, seeing as what appeared to be long, spider-like limbs were extending in the air a good few meters in either direction behind him.

Logan had known about Roman’s theory, the one that had been laughed right out of the police station. He’d walked with Roman and scoured the fields for any sign of what Remus had mentioned, though they hadn’t found anything. He knew his friend still believed that his twin’s disappearance had been unnatural, extraterrestrial.

Knowing was quite different from seeing an entire alien right in front of oneself.

Roman was still talking, in that nervous chattering tone that he always took on when he was working himself into a truly incomprehensible explanation, but Logan could hardly be asked to divide his attention at the moment.

Extra anterior eyes, odd shiny patches along the sides of the neck, exterior hinges along the jaw, organic plating that had visibly darkened since his first glance-- there was so much that he needed to understand the purpose of, so many questions he had about their origins. How close by was other life? Which star had they hailed from? How had they gotten here?

He was moving forwards without a second thought, enthralled by the way the legs rose up-- like a bird mantling their wings, and they appeared smooth, not hairy as an actual spider’s would be.

“Incredible,” he breathed, and then there was a hand fisted in the back of his polo and he was being yanked away. Where he’d just stood, all four of the strange limbs stabbed into the ground, their reach longer and their ends sharper than he’d anticipated.

There must have been an extra joint closer to their back, the flexible kind that would allow for such an extension. He itched to circle around and look for himself, to confirm his hypothesis before the limbs retracted, but Roman was still clinging to him like a shrieking barnacle.

“What did I just say?!” he demanded, gearing up for a scolding. “It’s not friendly! Do you want to get stabbed into next week?”

“How long have you been keeping an actual alien life form from the world at large? From scientists at large? From me?” Logan shot back, shaking Roman’s grip loose. “Have you had them strapped upright this entire time? Can they talk? How did this even happen?”

Even as he demanded an explanation, his gaze was drawn back over to the alien, taking in their every twitch with endless curiosity. He wanted to know how to read each motion, from the downturn of their chin to the scrunching of their smaller eyes to the way the flat plates where a mouth should be had seemed to twitch. He wanted to know everything.

“It’s been like a week, I didn’t strap them up they came like that, either they don’t speak English or they’re a really good actor, and they showed up in my barn after Remus was abducted, you do the math!” Roman rushed out, edging closer as though he thought Logan was about to try and get closer to the alien again. “And I didn’t tell you because I knew you would do this!”

“This is hardly the first time I’ve almost been stabbed in the pursuit of science,” Logan retorted, annoyed at the presumption that he wouldn’t risk his life for his goals.

“It’s only a little bit about the near-stabbing!” Roman’s voice cracked, and Logan finally pulled the other half of his attention away from the alien to stare. “This is my only lead on my brother, and you’re going to want to-- to-- to put it in a laboratory or National Geographic Magazine or something!”

“I’d be far more likely to write a thesis paper on the matter,” Logan corrected helpfully. Roman’s hands twitched, the body language possibly indicating that he was barely restraining himself from trying to throttle Logan.

“Whatever! The point is, this isn’t a science experiment to me!” His rival’s face was crumpling slightly at the edges. “You can’t just-- just use the alien I found as a ticket to get into some esteemed college while Remus is left to rot in the far reaches of outer space!”

To Logan’s horror, Roman’s eyes had become suspiciously shiny. He floundered for a moment, wishing Patton was there to smooth things over as he so often did, before firming his shoulders and lifting his chin. He could at least try to explain, and hope it didn’t turn out too badly.

“I’m not going to ‘leave Remus to rot,’” Logan started, remembering the recycled missing posters stacked up on the counter. “If you believe that this alien is key to finding out what happened to him, then that should be-- well, our first priority should always be furthering the advancement of human understanding, especially with a discovery as big as this, but I am an accomplished multitasker, so we can do that while we attempt to locate and recover Remus.”

Roman’s shoulders slowly loosened from their frustrated hunch. “You’re going to help me? Seriously?”

“Do you really think I’d joke?” Logan replied, gesturing to his tie. “The more information we compile on this specimen, the better we’ll understand them, and the closer we’ll be to understanding the motives behind Remus’s abduction.”

“And you aren’t going to tell anyone?” Roman asked, looking more hopeful by the moment.

“Why would I? I work more effectively on projects on my own,” Logan answered, the same sentence that had sparked a loud argument between him and Roman in the middle of Biology two years ago. This time, however, Roman looked excited rather than offended at the response. “We really should figure out something to tell Patton, though.”

“That’s… a good idea,” Roman admitted sheepishly. “There’s no way we can let him around an unknown alien fiend, especially not one so… spider-y. You almost got stabbed, imagine what it might do to poor Patton!”

“You handle our story,” Logan decided, turning to look back at the alien fully. “I’ll see what we can do about those extra limbs. We won’t be able to do any sort of up-close analysis with a constant threat hovering over us.”

He straightened his tie, studying the way the extra limbs in question were vibrating just slightly in the air, drawn in significantly closer to the alien's body than they had been before. Despite the movement of the legs, the alien themself was still as stone, all of their attention locked on Logan.

Through observation and experimentation, he was sure that each little motion of theirs would soon become as readable to him as everyday human body language, and from there, real communication would be in reach.

Communication with an extraterrestrial... This would truly be a project like no other.

Fueled by a thrill of excitement, Logan couldn't help but smile.

[xaharadesert]

Badass & Chill MC - Headcanon

Arcana Characters (Main 6) x MC

A/N: This one is for @sam-gad, although Tumblr won’t let me tag them for some reason!! They were very helpful in determining where I would take this prompt! The premise is fairly self explanatory— MC who is chill for the most part, but can absolutely kick anyone’s butt if necessary! Please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes :) requests are open! And thank you everyone who has continued to send in support over this past week, it means the world to me!

❤️Julian❤️

Oh, this man is more than excited to find out that you can destroy anyone in a fight

When he first met you, and saw how relaxed you seemed to be, he was worried that you wouldn’t fit well with his more… dangerous lifestyle

But the moment the two of you had ended up in danger, with seemingly no way out, you practically changed into a different person

He had been ready to defend the both of you, but clearly there was no need

From then on, it was usually you who would do most of the fighting (Julian would do his best to help, but let’s be real, you could probably take down two or three people in the time it took him to take down one)

Julian would likely find himself getting injured or arrested significantly less than before, which he would only be mildly disappointed about

When you weren’t helping him out in a fight, your relatively chill demeanour would certainly help keep him from doing anything more reckless than necessary

In personality, you seemed to be opposites, but your lifestyles complimented each other perfectly

Where you will calm, he was dramatic, and where he was clumsy, you were infallible

🧡Portia🧡

Admittedly, Portia isn’t exactly the kind of woman to need much help in a fight

She more than makes up for her lack of combat training with enthusiasm, and, honestly, most people would flee after she tries to bite them

However, having someone as skilled as you around for when some stubborn jerks refuse to back down is always a good idea

Portia is super excited to see how awesome you are in a fight, and absolutely wants to learn some of your cooler moves

(You might have to break her heart a little by telling her it takes a very long time to learn, but she’s nothing if not determined)

Your relaxed personality is a big help to her in day to day life, seeing as she’s so excitable

That’s not to say her enthusiasm is a bad thing, it’s just good to have someone around who can keep a level head and work through things calmly when she tries to charge ahead with nothing but her emotions

You two balance each other out perfectly— she makes sure your day to day life is exciting, and you make sure the adventures you take her on are as safe as possible

💛Lucio💛

As we all know, Lucio is absolutely one to talk about his past battles; or, more specifically, one to tell grand tales about his many glorious victories

With that being said, you would likely allow him to ramble on about himself, not too concerned about comparing your own skills to his

So when the moment to fight comes, and Lucio tries to step in front of you in an attempt to protect you, and you absolutely demolish the enemy within moments, suffice to say, he was shocked (and maybe a bit disappointed he didn’t get to show off)

He shakes off his initial surprise easily enough, and immediately starts declaring that “of course you’re one of the strongest warriors to walk the Earth, I have impeccable taste in romantic partners”

(And let’s be honest, he’s only all the more attracted to you after he finds out how amazing you are in battle)

He brags to everyone he meets that his partner is an undefeated champion of combat, even if you may be significantly more humble

Admittedly, he is slightly insecure about the fact that you could beat even him in a fight— he always prided himself on his combat ability, and thought it would be one of his more charming aspects that he could bring to the relationship

If you agree to spar with him, it might be in your relationship’s best interest to let him win a round or two, if only to motivate him into practicing harder until he really can defeat you

You having a more calm approach to life definitely helps keep Lucio grounded; he sometimes struggles with his temper and pride, and having you with him helps him to keep himself from flying off the handle at whoever dared breathe wrong in his direction

💚Muriel💚

You never lose a fight? Thank goodness, then he can let you handle yourself

Muriel doesn’t enjoy fighting, and generally prefers to not be involved at all, but he knew that if it really came down to it, he would protect you however necessary

But when he found out that you were more than capable of looking after yourself, his relief was monumental

He was still somewhat irrationally nervous about you going to dangerous locations alone, and insisted on accompanying you, but every time he witnessed you knocking someone out it only served to reassure him that you genuinely would be fine without him

Furthermore, your calm personality helped reduce his anxieties greatly

Spending time with you, enjoying the simple pleasures of life, and seeing how you were supposedly never really worried about anything brought him great amounts of comfort

You were like a rock he could always rely on for support: unshakable, strong, and dependable

Honestly, not a lot of people picked fights with the two of you

Between your completely relaxed demeanour in even the most threatening of circumstances, and Muriel’s sheer size and intimidating presence, most people did their best to stay out of your way

💙Asra💙

Asra is, perhaps, the only person who could rival your calmness on a day to day basis

The two of you seem to be completely in sync with your emotions (even without the help of your shared heart), and constantly exist in a state of relaxation

Even when you journey to the far ends of the Earth, the two of you seem to be completely comfortable with whatever situation you find yourselves in

You could be kidnapped and tied up in the back of a wagon, and you’d be joking with each other, seemingly not at all concerned with the circumstances

Of course, this is largely in part of the fact that both you and Asra now you could destroy anyone you really wanted to

Not that you would, but you absolutely could

Asra feels very reassured by the fact that he doesn’t have to protect you, even if he wants to do so anyway (although, the exception is anytime you appear to be sick, at which time he panics and refuses to allow you to do anything that may make it worse)

In all honesty, despite your skill, Asra doesn’t particularly want to encourage fighting

He would much prefer the two of you to cuddle up in the shop, drinking tea, and discussing what you did in the few parts of the day you weren’t together

💜Nadia💜

Admittedly, she’s a bit worried when she first witnesses your prowess on the battlefield

As incredible as your skills are, she worries about what you will do with him (her past with Lucio still makes her anxious, no matter how irrational the thought may be)

However, she’s greatly reassured when she sees how calm you are otherwise

She’s grateful to have someone relaxed in her life, to remind her to slow down and process what’s happening in her life, if even for a moment

Nadia enjoys hearing about your perspective on topics that are often emotionally charged— you seem to be able to remain level-headed when her couriers cannot

She also enjoys sparring with you when she has some time off

It’s a great way to relieve stress, and, since you’re a much more impressive fighter than she is (as outlandish as that may seem), she feels as though she’s actively improving for each moment longer she manages to stand against you

Please don’t go easy on her, she doesn’t appreciate being condescended to, and she’s eager to learn

Nadia appreciates that the two of you have so much to offer each other; learning and growing together is one of Nadia’s favourite parts of your relationship

[mrs-gucci]

Casting Couch {Charlie Barber x Reader}

author’s notes: hello, hello! I was driving home from work the other day and this idea just suddenly took over my entire thought process. so, naturally, I went ahead and wrote it up :)

warnings (what you see here is what you’ll get!): smut. the enemy of my enemy is my ally (with benefits). p in v sex. protected sex. rough oral sex. cum- swallowing.

(possible) tw’s: semi-public sex.

word count: 3.2k

charlie’s taglist peeps! {charlie currently doesn’t have any taglist peeps} my general taglist peeps! @frank-and-honey @shygirl268 @icarusinthesea​  @gildedstarlight​ @mrs-zimmerman @soldmysoulagain @roseepossee @pascalisfairyy​ @I-can’t-draw-faces @ahsoka1​ @babbushka​ @safarigirlsp​ (if you’d like to be added to or removed from any of my taglists, the link to the google form is HERE or on the top of my masterlist)

Two Years Ago.

“Y/N...she fucking did it again.” Nicole says as she barges through the door of hers and Charlie’s shared brownstone. “She got the fucking TV gig.”

Charlie’s eyebrows furrow a bit before looking up at his wife with an empathetic expression, setting the notebook and pen he’d been using down on the coffee table.

“Bummer. I really thought you had it in the bag.” He says, elbows on his thighs as he leans forward a bit, folding his hands. “There will be other roles; I wouldn’t worry too much. You win some, you lose some; that’s how it goes in this industry. You’ve taken plenty of roles from her.”

She sighs, nodding. “Yeah, I know, but this one I was excited about. And I really thought I had it, too. It just stung a little extra, you know?”

Her husband nods, patting the seat next to him on the couch. “C’mere, sit with me. We’ll have a glass of wine.”

Nicole gives somewhat of a dreadful grimace, a clear sign she really wasn’t interested. Charlie’s been noticing this for the past few months, her disinterest in being with him as much as she usually was, but he figured it was just her being tired. She’s been doing a lot of odd jobs to make some ends meet lately, so it’s probably a result of that.

“Are you sure?” He asks, a twang of longing sadness in his voice.

She nods. “Yeah, I’m just gonna go lay down for a bit.”

Charlie just nods, picking back up his notebook and pen, continuing to review and add to his notes from the day. 

“Let me know if you need anything.” He calls after her. “I love you.”

She only offers him a small smile over her shoulder in return before emerging into their bedroom, closing the door immediately behind her. 

Present Day.

It feels strange, holding auditions for a female lead. He hasn’t had to do so in almost a decade;  just yet another reminder of how much of his life has changed just in the past year.

The divorce had been painful, stressful, and he was honestly more relieved than anything when it finally came to a close, despite it not really turning out the way he’d hoped for in terms of custody over Henry. 

Luckily, he’s dove deeper into his one true love, directing, as a way to cope with the loss of everything he’d worked so hard to build for himself; the marriage, the 'American dream’ family and home he wished he’d had growing up.

Now, after six months of weekly therapy appointments and keeping himself busy with work, he’s feeling more like the old Charlie he was back before everything went to shit. Actually, he’s feeling like an even better version of that Charlie, the best version of himself there’s been in a while, perhaps even before he met and married Nicole.

The first audition comes onstage and Charlie can’t decide what’s worse, her off-pitch singing or her monotonous speaking voice. 

God, this was going to be a long fucking day.

-

You’d heard through the grapevine that the famed Broadway director had moved here to LA, and that he’d divorced his witch of a wife, Nicole. 

Nicole Barber had been your biggest rival ever since you swiped that first movie role away from her. She hates you, and you don’t particularly like her, either, thus your rivalry began. And it was pretty heated, too; the two of you were always trying to one-up each other.

It really was a back-and-forth battle, her swiping roles from you, you returning the favor; it was a game, to put it simply. Although lately, you’ve been getting more roles than she has, not that you’re complaining, and there’s a part of you that hopes she quits the business for good.

Word got around that Charlie is heading his first LA Broadway production and what better way to hit Nicole close to home than to show up at her ex-husband’s auditions? Even better, what if you got the female lead in her ex-husband’s production? Oh god, that would be fantastic, not only for the rivalry but also for your career.

You’ve been looking to branch out into more theater roles, and this is as good an opportunity as to dip your toe in the theater world water. Plus, you’re not necessarily complaining about having the chance to look at and work with Charlie Barber every day...

So you prepared your piece of dialogue and a section of one of the choice songs, heading over to the theater fifteen minutes before your set audition time. Your knee bounces as you sit in the waiting area, eyes running over your script and lyrics sheet one final time, solidifying it all in your memory.

Your name is called a few minutes later and you head out onto the stage, handing over your headshot and qualifications resume. The agent hands over your profile to the handsome director, but he doesn’t even really look at it, already knowing exactly who you are. A small smirk grazes his lips as he flips to a new page of his notebook, clicking the top of his pen.

“Whenever you’re ready, Miss Y/N.”

After you’re finished, Charlie scribbles one final thing in his notebook before looking up at you. His eyes trail over your figure for a moment, another smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Would you be comfortable coming back for a more intimate audition later this week? Maybe, Friday at four? I would like to get to know you better, see if you meet all of my... qualifications.”

The look in his eye tells you all you need to know about the true motivations behind his question. You nod, biting your lip.

“It’d be my absolute pleasure, Mr. Barber.” You purr.

He shifts in his seat suddenly and quickly crosses one leg over the other before opening up your folder, handing the top sheet to his assistant.

“Diane, go ahead and have Miss Y/N put down all of her contact information.” His gaze never leave you as he speaks to the timid-seeming young woman. “Make sure she gives her personal cell number.”

You pull a pen from your bag on the stage, clicking it open before Diane hands you the paper. As you write every means of contact you can think of, starting with your cell number, you playfully bite the end of the pen and tap it against your bottom lip, something that certainly keeps the already attentive director’s full attention.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Barber.” Your tone is innocent-sounding, but your gaze is anything but. It sends a chill down Charlie’s spine. “I promise I won’t disappoint.”

“Oh, I’m sure you won’t.” A small tug at one corner of his lip accompanies his response. “See you soon, Miss Y/N.”

You offer him a nod.

“Looking forward to it.”

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

In preparation for your upcoming...meeting with Charlie, you take a quick trip to the nearest intimates store, picking up a pretty little lace bra and panty set. Your lingerie wardrobe is long overdue for a bit of sprucing up, anyway.

When the time comes, you slip the fresh lace garments on before putting on your planned outfit, a cute-but-subtly-sexy low cut romper. You put on a light face of makeup, purely for professionalism’s sake, then head out with a small bag which contains various personal items as well as your script and composition page.

He’s not in his backstage office when you arrive, but he comes in a couple minutes later, a strong stench of cigarette smoke trailing behind him as he walks by your chair.

“I apologize for the delay. You weren’t waiting long, were you?”

You shake your head as he takes a seat behind the ratty oak desk, shifting a few small stacks of papers around on the heavily scratched surface.

“No, no I wasn’t waiting long.”

He nods, then folds his hands atop the desk, eyes flickering up to meet yours. For a moment, his eyes dart down to where your cleavage creeps out of your low-cut top.

“You’ve got the part.” Charlie says with a small smile. “You’re by far the best and most qualified audition we had yesterday, and I like the way you carry yourself. You’re exactly the type of person I like working with. Part’s yours if you want it.”

You’re overcome with joy, a wide smile spreading itself across your lips. “I’d love to be a part of this production, Mr. Barber. I’m really excited to get to work with you and the rest of the crew.”

“That’s great, I’m glad to hear it.” He nods, smile widening when as he processes your acceptance. His delighted expression falls after a few moments, replaced by one much more salacious.

“Now that we’ve gotten that part out of the way...I think you know why I called a meeting of such, uh, privacy.”

You smirk softly, shifting around in your seat slightly. “I believe I do.”

His feet plant on the ground as he pushes the rolling office chair out from under the desk, standing up and walking around the desk to tower over you. 

“Before anything happens, though, I want you to know that whether or not you do this with me will not affect my casting decision. Even if you decline, you still have the part.”

You nod before standing, quickly and swiftly, stepping forward to press yourself flush against him.

“Charlie?”

“Yeah?”

Your hands rest on his chest, neck craning slightly to look up at him. “Just kiss me, will you?”

He laughs, massive hand moving to cradle the back of your head before he bends down and connects your lips in a passionate kiss. There’s nothing tender or gentle about this embrace, it’s all tongue and teeth, raw lust coursing between your two bodies.

“Couch.” His voice is soft but husky.

“Unzip me first?” You ask, turning around so he can unzip you. He does, then his hands slide down to your hips and pushes you towards the leather couch tucked in the corner of his office.

The material squeaks when you’re laid down on top of it, head resting comfortably on the cushy fabric accent pillow as he climbs on top of you. He presses his hips forward while he tucks his face into the crook of your neck and plants kisses on the skin there.

Your eyes widen as his impressive bulge rubs up against your inner thigh and you quickly wonder how in the world you’ll be able to take him. His crooked teeth scrape over the taut muscles in your neck while his hands pull the backs of your romper down over your shoulders.

His hands grab and grope your breasts beneath where they rest in your nice bra, one you wore just for him, and your back arches slightly up off the cushions with a soft sigh. 

A small smile crosses his expression, teeth sinking gently into your neck. “I like the little noises you make for me, Y/N.”

“Yeah?” You smirk, running your hands through his hair. “Then I bet you’ll like my moans, too. If you think you can draw them out of me, that is.”

He laughs softly, sucking and licking at at the place his teeth have just abused. “Is that a challenge?”

“Well, it’s more like an invitation to prove yourself, but ‘challenge’ is also a good word for it.”

Charlie pulls away with a smirk, shaking his head as he sits back on his haunches and begins to unbuckle his belt.

“Brat.”

Once he’s undone his pants and pulled them down enough to expose himself to you, he leans down once more and pulls your romper the rest of the way off, leaving you completely bare, minus your undergarments. His eyes roam your figure for a moment before he dips a hand beneath the patch of black fabric nestled between your thighs.

Your breath hitches as his fingertips swipe over your erect clit, giving it a few little circles before yanking the panties off your hips and down your ankles, tossing them down alongside your previously-discarded romper.

His eyes widen in realization, cheeks flushing pink.

“Do you have any, um, protection?”

You smirk, nodding as you sit up and pat his chest. “Indeed, I do.”

He crawls off of you and you walk over to your purse, grabbing a condom from the mini-stash you keep in your wallet, the one you replenished just minutes before you left the house this afternoon. He takes it from you and pinches the tip, rolling it down his shaft. For a moment, you’re worried that it isn’t going to fit, but he rolls it on with little issue.

His hips press forward, then, entering you slowly but steadily with a soft grunt. You whine as your insides stretch out around him, hands reaching up to tangle in his hair.  “S-Shit.”

“You’re really fucking tight, jesus.” He growls between gritted teeth, jaw screwed shut as his hips begin to move. “I haven’t fffucked anyone in a while, Y/N, so I can’t guarantee that I’ll last very long.”

You nod, softly. “It’s alright, Charlie; it’s been a little while for muh--me, too.”

Your eyes flutter shut and your face begins to scrunch up with each time his fat cockhead brushes up against your cervix. His pace increases after a minute or so, a consistent slap-slap-slap noise now echoing off the drywall with each snap of his hips. 

“You’ve got a nice little pussy, you know that? Always knew you would be, too, knew you’d be a good little cccocksleeve.”

You moan shakily as he adjusts his position, towering over you and pinning your wrists above your head with one of his large hands. Your body begins to bounce, tits, thighs and tummy jiggling each time he thrusts in. 

He’s starting to sweat, a few dark hairs sticking to his dimly-glowing forehead, more and more accumulating there as his hair rocks back and forth in time with the rhythm of his hips.

“Touch yourself, now, rrrub your little clit.” His voice is getting shaky as he draws nearer to climax.

Nodding, your hand slides down between your joined bodies until your fingertips settle onto the small bundle of nerves. The hand that’s still weaved in Charlie’s locks clenches and he lets out a sudden deep growl, hips stuttering for a moment.

“Ooooh, Charlie.” You moan, hips lifting and gyrating against both his cock and your fingers.

“God, fffuck I love this cunt.” A vulgar squelching sound knits itself within the quilt of your salacious symphony. “Wrapped around my cock like a vice, gonna pull the fucking cum right out of it. Swear you get tighter each time I push back in...christ, I’m not gonna last.”

Your fingers circle your clit faster, setting a desperate pace, one that almost matches his quick and sloppy thrusts. You’re close now, too, and it doesn’t take much longer for your orgasm to hit.

You cream around him with a long moan and a string of various other noises, with a few profanities thrown in as well. The product of your release coats his shaft in a pearlescent sheen, dripping down his ball-sack soon enough. 

The sensations your climax creates around Charlie forces him to pull away almost immediately after, quickly yanking the condom off and onto his office floor, squeezing the base of his flaming red length. 

His hand seizes your jaw tightly, thumb pressing down on your tongue, prying your mouth open. “I’m gonna fuck your mouth and shove my cum down your throat, and you’re gonna take it all, isn’t that right?”

You’re nodding instantly, slacking your jaw to open even further in preparation for his upcoming intrusion. He smirks.

“Good. Now, on your knees.”

He sits down where you once laid, lazily pumping his throbbing length as you get into position between his spread legs. He pulls your hair up into a makeshift ponytail with his hand, then lines you up with his cock and eases your mouth down onto him.

“Thaaaaaat’s it, oh, gooooood girl.”

You start gagging about three quarters of the way down his shaft, but he still keeps pushing until you’ve got the whole thing in your mouth. Your jaw’s already getting sore as he begins thrusting upwards, fucking your mouth. 

Tears swell in your eyes and begin to spill down your cheeks the more he goes, mascara surely ruined and running down your face. The sight only arouses him further, a low groan rumbling through his puffed chest.

He’s trying so hard to keep himself together, to stave off his orgasm for as long as he can manage, but soon he finds it next to impossible to hold back. His bottom lip quivers ever so slightly as his length begins to twitch, balls drawing up.

“Fuck, I’m gonna--”

You taste and feel the salty ropes shooting down your throat before he can even finish his warning.

“Ah, fffuuuuck.” His head falls back against the couch cushions, hips bucking gently as each bit of release is spilled into your mouth. His grip on your head relaxes after he’s finished, cock softening while he catches his breath and re-grounds himself in reality.

Your chest heaves as full airflow returns to your lungs, knees and jaw aching a bit sore from their exertion. You grab your underwear from where they lay discarded on top of your romper, putting them back on before standing up on somewhat shaky legs. 

Charlie also redresses, standing and straightening himself out as you do the same. 

“Mind zipping me back up?” You ask, turning around again. 

He pulls the zipper up your back until it’s at the end of its tracks, then steps up behind you, placing a soft kiss to your shoulder blade.

“Thank you.”

A soft smile grazes your lips. “No ‘thanks’ needed; the sweet taste of revenge and spite is payment enough.”

He laughs quietly.

“Well, I’ll certainly be available, should you ever need a little replenishing of those feelings.”

“Mr. Barber, you wouldn’t be saying that because you’d like to see me naked again, now would you?” Your eyebrows raise and you look over your shoulder, a playful smile on your face.

He laughs again, blushing a bit. “Uh, yeah, sure, I'd like that a lot. But I’d also like to see you, um...not naked, fully clothed, maybe at a restaurant in the city for dinner sometime? I totally get it if you’re not interested, it’s not a big deal if you don’t want to...”

Holy shit, he’s asking you out on a date. Well, he’s trying to, at least.

You laugh, cheeks warming at his proposition.

“Sure thing. I just accepted this new job, though, so I’ll have to get back to you about my availability...”

Charlie smiles, shoving his hands down in his khaki pockets. “I’m sure your new boss would be more than willing to accommodate. He’s a pretty cool guy, or so I’ve heard. Handsome, too.”

“Oh yeah? Sounds like you have a reliable informant.” You turn around as you laugh softly, grabbing your bag off the chair before stepping up in front of him. Your lips plant a quick peck on his, hands resting on his broad chest. “See you soon.”

He nods, biting his lip to hold back his big, goofy smile.

“Can’t wait.”

[jadedxrealityw]

-Rivals- Hermione Granger x Female Reader

    ☼-☪-☼

    Kody: I’m using the owls grading system for the story so if that’s not right, sue me i guess idk. 

    Movie/Show: Harry Potter, ignoring the storyline

    House/Year: Ravenclaw / 7th year

    Request:  Can I request a bold ravenclaw reader (her attitude almost could pass as a slytherin ngl) she's been Hermione's rival when it comes to grades and they DON'T get along very well. Reader is the opposite of mione's reserved personality. But rivals don't kiss and make out with each other secretly in the lavatory 😭 pls enemies to lovers (with some tension;) ykyk and then one day, they walk the great hall hand in hand and everyone is like don't they find each other insufferable?

    Possible Triggers/Warnings: if you don’t like lesbians get the hell off my page, sexual tension, enemies to lovers trope, cursing

    ☼-☪-☼

    love came unexpectedly at times, you learned that at young age from fairy tales and such. Well all kids did, but kids eventually grew up and came to the realization that fairy tales were exactly what they were, fairy tales. Fiction. Not real. 

    people could call you cold hearted or rude, but you would describe yourself as blunt or brutally honest. Never afraid to speak your mind or point out injustice when you saw fit. To put it simpler terms, professors at Hogwarts preferred you didn’t speak at times. 

    “Your too outspoken Ms. L/n” 

    “Stick to your academics Ms. L/n”

    “You wouldn’t be in detention so much so if kept your mouth shut Ms. L/n”

    merlin, you were exhausted of hearing your own last name. You guessed the only reason you weren’t reprimanded as worse as the Weasley Twins was because you were one of Hogwarts brightest witches, always excelled in academics, in every subject. 

    you couldn’t explain it to others even if you tried other then it just came naturally. Your parents, when they were attended Hogwarts were both just as naturally skilled in there studies as you were. So you must have inherited there ‘big brain’ as your mother said many times before.

    you were never one to gloat though, it was never your style. You were more humble about what you could accomplish. That was until she got involved. That egoistical, hypocritical, Gryffindor girl. Hermione Granger became the bane of your existence early into your fifth year. 

   until then Ms. Granger had been the top of all her classes, no one even came close to her intelligence, naming her ‘The Brightest Witch At Hogwarts’ and Hermione wore that title with pride. Being a Muggle born put a target on her head as well as stereotypes.

    most students and some staff almost immediately came to the conclusion she wasn’t capable of achieving goals that regular half or pure bloods could. It was a terrible way to think, but it was unfortunately the reality of being involved with the wizarding world. 

   Hermione was lucky to have friends like she did that cared about her no matter who she was or what she became, but it didn’t stop her need to feel validated in her academics. It was the one thing no one could giver her shit for, because she was the best at it and no one else was. 

   until that fateful fifth year that was mentioned earlier. It was the time when you finally got your mind and heart into your studie. You blew past most of the student body rather quickly, earning the title of the fastest turn around at Hogwarts.

    it was nice

    then it wasn’t, for Hermione of course 

    ☼-☪-☼

    fifth year / past

    “It seems we have two students with an Outstanding this time around” Professor Flitwick spoke as the exams from the previous week had landed neatly onto the wooden desk in front of you. “congratulations Ms. Granger and Ms. L/n”

    Hermione’s head perked up like a cat who had heard a bag of hard food shake from the nest room over, eager. She had never heard that name before, it didn’t come as much as an surprise though considering how big Hogwarts was. She leant to the left where Harry Potter sat. 

    “Who’s L/n? Do you know her?” she asked, casually though Harry knew her better then most. He gave her a half hearted shrug “No clue, try Ron” he suggests. Hermione nods once before leaning over to the right, where the Weasley sat, scowling at his exam. 

    “Mum’s going to kill me” he muttered, bringing no reaction to Granger’s face. He never studied. “Ron, do you know who this L/n is?” she repeated the question she gave to Harry. Ron turns his head away from the parchment and to Hermione. 

   his brows furrowed as he searches the corners of his mind for where he had heard the name from, until the visible light bulb popped over his head- well not so visible actually. “Oh um- Y/n L/n. she’s a Ravenclaw, her parents are certified geniuses. They work at the ministry. Department of magical education”

   his words did not soothe the wracking thought in the young Granger’s mind. “Certified geniuses?” Hermione echos. “If that’s so how come she’s only getting Outstandings now? she must have cheated somehow” she thought aloud. 

    “I surely didn’t cheat”

   like an owl Hermione’s head turned over her shoulder, her two Gryffindor pals doing the same. In her sight was a girl, her age, in a Ravenclaw robe. She had S/C skin with H/L H/C hair and E/C eyes that were staring back at her. Hermione was almost stunned into silence- keyword being almost. 

    “the explain the good grade all of the sudden, L/n?”

   you looked rather confused. You had never met the girl and she was accusing you of cheating because you had never gotten an Outstanding before? Was this a prank of some sort or fever dream? “I studied for once. You have no right accusing me, i don’t even know you that well”

    Harry placed a hand upon Hermione’s shoulder, signaling for her to stop before she caused a scene. Looking back, she should have listened “No right? I have a right to point out people who are just trying to cheat their way through school while people like us actually care about our grades”

    what the Gryffindor girl wasn’t expecting was for you to start laughing. Her friend, Cho Chang joining in, finding it just as equally hilarious. Hermione’s face turned just as bright as Ron’s hair. “What is so funny?” you and Cho slowly come to a stop, breathing in and out. 

    “what’s funny is that your ego is so incredibly large, so much so that it can’t comprehend that someone, not a Gryffindor either was able to match your intelligence. Now shove off ” you said it all with a grin on your face, because you certainly knew you were right. 

    and from that day, you both despised each other

    ☼-☪-☼

    seventh year / present

    and with every exam, every questioned called on by a teacher, you fastly became Hermione’s rival. It was a term Cho used, but you didn’t really see it that way since you weren’t competing with her. You never studied harder to make sure you got the same grade, never tried to sabotage her in any way. 

    you didn’t care much about it actually

    but you did quite enjoy her face, the way her nostrils flared up an her cheeks turned a bright red in anger. It was cute seeing her so mad. Sending er a wink or sly grin when she glared at you became a daily routine as well. When at first you ignored her you now loved annoying her.

    never having to say a word was probably your favorite part. 

    that’s probably when feelings began to mix into it, but you either didn’t notice or refuse to acknowledge them at all. You genuinely thought you hated this girl, so why in the world would you ever think you liked her? Makes sense, right? Were not even going to mention the questioning your sexuality.

    “Sit still while i pass out your exams from yesterday. Once you recieve your paper you may get up and leave” 

    “You think if Snape got laid he wouldn’t be such a prick?” the Slytherin boy spoke, leaning towards you. turning your head ever so slightly, you lock eyes with Draco “Why are you even sitting here?” you whisper back, giving him a mock astonished look.

   he rolls his grey eyes, shrugging his shoulders “You never talk to me outside of class anymore” he grumbles. Is he- Is this- What is happening? “That’s because your a little shit and pushed Neville in the hallway yesterday” yeh, you caught his dumbass. 

    Draco’s eyes widen a bit, not knowing you had been in the hallway during the crime. “You saw that?- what are you his protector?” he says, clearly as an insult, but oh little did he know that you were indeed exactly what he just said and would say it with pride.

    “Yes-”

    “Ms. L/n, Outstanding as usual as well Mr. Malfoy. Good work, the both of you” Snape places the exams in front of each of you, but you were both to busy staring in shock. This bitter, old, mean, crude man just compliment you. Merlin, you had finally gotten fathers approval

    (what in the fuck am i writing)

    “Is this heaven?” Draco questioned, staring bug eyed forward. 

    “No”

    “How do you know?”

    “Cormac is here”

    “Yeah your right, feelings over” both you and Draco sighed, turning to look at each other before laughing quietly. He was a pretty chill dude sometimes. “What!?” the loud screech filled your ears. All heads turned behind you, so you followed that and saw the one and only Hermione Granger. 

    she was huffing and puffing. You feared for the stick and straw houses in the world for a moment. Harry quickly stood up and pushed her shoulders down, forcing her back into her seat “I've never gotten an Exceeds Expectations before” Hermione sputters out. 

    she

    got

    what

    now?

    oh this was rich, absolutely hilarious, so much so that Draco had already began to laugh. “Poor Granger, guess you really aren’t the brightest witch” he taunted. Hermione looked up, glaring daggers at the Slytherin. Merlin, he had such a big mouth.

    then her brown eyes strayed to you, but you only pursed your lips together, providing her no emotion to work off of. In a haste, she collected her things, leaving the cursed exam on the table nd rushing out the door, both Ron and Harry calling out for her. 

    fuck

    standing up, you grab your bag and look down at Draco. His laughter comes to an end and he looks up at you “What?” he asked. You copied his dementor singers from third year, making him look at your hands. You took that time to reach down and flick his forehead. 

    he pulls away, his palm rubbing his head in circles “Bloody hell, what was that for?!” he exclaimed. What an idiot. “This is why we don’t hang out” you deadpan before finally going to exit the classroom, leaving a grumbling, mumbling Draco. Something about you being  ‘mean friend’

    ☼-☪-☼

    only having ten minutes until Charms class you began to search the halls. Merlin where had she run off too? The school wasn’t THAT big- okay maybe it was. You had almost called quits, making a mental note to check up on her during lunch when you passed the restroom.

    sniffling and crys were heard. You’ll admit, it kind off hurt to hear. Taking a few steps backwards, you use the palm off your hand to slowly push the door open so it wouldn’t creak like the old shit it was. When it was open just enough for you to fit through, you slip in. 

    gazing around, you see Hermione bent over the sink, sobbing. You could hear her voice becoming rougher by the second as she destroyed her vocal cords. “Granger?” you say, staying a few feet behind her. Hermione looks up in the mirror, spotting you behind her. 

    her distraught expression quickly shifted to anger “You” she seethed. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion “Me?” you say back, crossing your arms. “Leave me the hell alone L/n!” she shouts, angry tears flooding down her cheeks. Raising your hands, you offer your surrender.

    “Shit, sorry. I was just trying to see if you were okay” you admit. Hermione turns on her heels, facing you directly this time before speaking “Oh so now your my friend, your a bully! All you do is step on my toes and try to make me look like a fool!”

    “Are you on fucking drugs Granger? Not once have i ever gone out my way to harm you of any sort. Your the one who is obsessed with trying to be better then me and i never gave a shit. I never wanted to be your rival for three years and i certainly never bullied you!”

    the words you spoke went out one of Hermione’s ears and out the other. For someone as smart as her, she could be quite dense when angry “You don’t get to play the saint, L/n! I have spent those three years studying as hard as i can and you don’t even have to try!” 

   throwing your hands up in the air a crazy person because she was honestly starting to make your brain hurt quite a bit, you laugh loudly “Oh my- no one asked you too! What is so wrong with us being the same?! ” you shouted, finally raising your voice as much as she had.

    “Because your not a Muggle! You don’t know what it’s like to have everyone you meet already assume your not worth their time just because your parents aren’t witches or wizards!” she crept towards you and which each step she took you took a step right the fuck back.

    this chick wasn’t going to hit you, right?

    “I have never judged you for your blood status Granger, i frankly could care less. What i do judge you for is you know, the giant ego thing” you spat back only causing her to gasp in offense “I do not have an ego!” she yells, stepping into your boundaries basically.

   you had tried to back up like before, but you were pressed up against a wall at this point. “Yes you do and it’s as big as Hagrid!” you reply. Hermione grabs the collar of your white uniform shirt, pulling you down a bit so her face was inches from yours, trying to intimidate you.

    “Take it back!” she threatens. In that moment your eyes scanned her face, noting her almost perfect skin, her brown eyes that looked more hazel up close then far away, and her lips. They looked so soft and inviting. You couldn’t quite understand why you were thinking like this all of the sudden.

    but it felt right, so right

    in a swift motion you place your lips on Hermione’s. You had thought she’d pull away, but only half a second later her arms were wrapped around your neck, pulling you as close as possible to her. You tangled one of your hands into her light brown wavy mess and the other pushed on the small of her back. 

    the kiss was messy and sloppy, not amount of anything really could make it appropriate. How did you two go from fighting to almost ripping each others uniforms off? A question no one could really answer but yourself as well Hermione. 

    it was over as soon as it began with Hermione pulling away, leaning her forehead against yours. You could make out the small smile on her face, it made you smile as well. “That was-” she started to speak, but was stopped by her own laughter. 

    “Yeah” you breathed out. What had just happened?

        ☼-☪-☼

    four months later

    ever since that day you and Hermione would casually meet up in the lavatory to kiss and feel up on each other after, btween, during classes. Anything really. You both had also not interacted at all outside of these visits. Just stayed away from each other as much as possible.

    most people thought you two had either made up after three years of rivalry or had decided to no longer interact with each other at all. Little did they know right? Speaking of that, you pull away from Hermione, panting for air “We have divination in three minutes” you spoke. 

   her face turned to worry instantly making you grin to yourself “Godric, i have to get out of here. Wait a couple minutes” she gathered her belongings and rushed out the restroom not even leaving you with an goodbye kiss. How rude. After about five minutes or so you leave as well

    once you get to class you look around the room and spot Hermione already sat with Harry and Ron on one side of the arch like sitting area for the students. “Y/n!” oh not again. Turning your head to the right, you spt the Slytherin boy with his mates.

   this guy just doesn’t quit. You plop yourself next to Draco Malfoy “I thought you were going to ignore me again” he admits. Ignoring his statement, you gaze around the people at your table “Where’s Parkinson? If i’m going to be stuck with you gits and Theo i rather it be with her” 

   Theo cracks a smile while Draco rolls his eyes “She’s sick, stuck in her dorms” he explains. You nod mindlessly and look over at Hermione. She was brushing through her hair with her fingers, trying to make it look like you weren’t tugging on it just minutes ago. 

    “What’s that on your neck?” Harry asks, moving the top part of Hermione’s robe with his finger, causing her to swat his hand away “It’s just a bug bite” she says with haste. quick thinking, that’s kinda cute. For some odd reason you liked seeing her explain her way out of a hickey that you gave her. 

    class soon started, but you kept your inventive gaze on her. It was adorable how she would catch you staring and turn a nice shade of red. It brought a smug smile to your face each time. Professor Trelawney had called upon Hermione to ask a question, but she seemed to be too busy avoiding your gaze. 

    “My dear, Ms. Granger” Trelawney said for maybe the third time until Hermione finally fell back down to reality. She looked at the Professor who gave her a kind smile “Oh um-” the Gryffindor put on a nervous smile, her eyes looking to you. You sent her a wink.

    merlin you were such an asshole

    Hermione looked at her lap, trying to muster up the words, any words actually. Her savior wore glasses “Hermione isn’t feeling to well. Can Ron and i take her to the hospital wing?” Harry asked. What a buzzkill. Trelawney nods, waving her hand to the direction of the door. 

    Harry tapped Hermione’s shoulder while Ron grabbed her things and off they went. 

        ☼-☪-☼

    a week later

    “I have to head to dinner, you should too. I saw that you didn’t eat during lunch” Hermione spoke, buttoning her uniform shirt. You smile, looking into the mirror so you could fix your hair “Watching me Granger?” you ask, turning away from your reflection.

    “You know i worry about your health” she said, which only made your smile wider “What is that stupid smile for?’ Hermione questions, an amused laugh in her tone. Shrugging, you lean against the sink counter “Stupid? I thought you liked my quote on quote ‘Goofy smile’” 

    Hermione shakes her head, grabbing her bag from the floor “I better see you at dinner or i’ll drag you there myself” she said playfully. An idea popped into your mind. “Then drag me” you smirk, tilting your head to the left. Hermione looks at you, shaking her head again. “You know i can’t”

    “Why not? It’s been four months. I would like to be your-” you stopped mid sentence. You both had never really gave each other labels before. It was always just the casual make out and flirting, but now you were much more. Fuck it “I would like to be your girlfriend in public”

    Hermione’s brow eyes went wide as she heard those words. It becoming a little too real. You saw her conflicted face and immediately felt some sort of shame. Averting your gaze to the ground, you take a deep breath. “Forget i said anything” 

    “No!- i mean. I’m ready. Plus i’m tired of being distracted by you during class” Hermione lightened the mood just a tad. You look back up at her, cracking a half smile “I’m most likely still going to distract you” you point out, making her chuckle. Cute.

    she inhales sharply “Let’s do this” she states confidently, letting out the breath. She reached out, opening her hand for you to grab. In that small gesture, you knew you would be with this woman for as long as you lived. Grabbing her hand, you intertwined your fingers with hers. 

    ☼-☪-☼

    hand in hand, you walk into the great hall. Heads turned and pupils dialated at the sight of you and Hermione walking in together. You honestly felt a little self conscious until you saw the bright smile of Cho and Luna as well as Draco who gave you a hidden thumbs up.

    both you and Hermione took  seat at the Gryffindor table. “So Hermione, how long as this been going on?” Harry asked. Hermione glances at you before her best friend “Four months, one week.” she said, gleaming with pride at her memory. 

    Harry looked taken aback at the time, but gave you both a smile “Well at least you both are getting along finally” he says, Ron nodding beside “Yeah- getting along” the Weasley jokes. You laugh a bit before leaning over to kiss the temple of Hermione's head. 

    rivals am i right?

        ☼-☪-☼

    Click here to join my Taglist so you never miss a new story from me!

    @the--queen-of-hell @sonbelleame @dracosathenaeum @queeriacs @marrymetheonott

    ☼-☪-☼

    Kody- Aye look its 10 am and i haven’t slept. Good night, my requests are open blah blah. Anyways, peace. 

[damselofblueroses]

Bambi, Prologue

You are my Bambi, girl, I am your candy, tell me what are you waiting for?

Summary: As an archaeologist who works on the Ancient Greece, you were on the verge of excavations' session. While you have been preparing your team, you learned that your institute decided on your team has to work with another team as they wanted the outcome as a collaboration. The head of other team was your biggest rival, a scumbag in your eyes: Byun Baekhyun.

You two were supposed to work together for three months, in a Greek Island, Chios.

Could you manage to not kill Byun Baekhyun for three months?

Content: AU, heavily Greek mythology, enemies to friends.

Warnings: Well, the story contains NSFW/Smut, please minors do not continue.

Note: This story will be four or five chapters if I will not change my mind in the meantime. It is inspired by my major; however, I do not have a complete knowledge on archaeology, I am a historian. If I will make a technical mistake, please let me know. I am willing to receive any kind of feedback; you are more than welcomed to drop a message.

Prologue

The Mid of April, Sejong Institute, the Department of Archaeology

“Could you give me Bulfinch?” you asked to your teammate. “I have to check the layers of the Underworld.”

“Here you go.” Junmyeon gave the thick book to you. While you were searching for the details in your mind, Junmyeon was dealing with the plan of construction.

You have been knowing each other since the last 10 years, working together was nothing but natural as breathing for both of you. Junmyeon was older than you and supposed to be superior to you, however he decided to pursue a career not in the field, but in the library, you became the leader of the archaeological team of Sejong Institute.

“Indy,” Junmyeon called you by your nickname. You automatically lifted your head, your nickname became your Pavlovian weakness, sometimes you forgot your real name. “Be a good girl and pass me the cookie jar.”

You wholeheartedly laughed at his face expression and threw him his favourite chocolate cookie.

“Do you want a cup of coffee?” you asked, stretching your body. “My battery is literally going down; let’s grab an americano.”

“Only if you buy me a carrot cake.”

Junmyeon had a sweet tooth, as he opened the package and swallowed the cookie just without even chewing.

“Okey, big boy.” you smacked his shoulder, standing up. “You are goddamn lucky for having that fast metabolism, you know.”

“My darling girl, I work out in a fucking routine.” he grinned like a 5-year-old boy. You really loved to see his cockiness. “My body ratio is not a heavenly gift; I gain every muscle with tears and blood.”

“What kind of god can reward you, shitty dandy?” you chuckled. “You are a walking blasphemy.”

“Still better than you.” Junmyeon pulled your hair by laughing.

“You are definitely right.” you lolled your tongue out of your mouth. “Come on, move your bloody but peachy butt!”

Actually, you were shy, quiet but quick to make sharp remarks. However, Junmyeon was more than a teammate; he was the closest one to a brother for you, you have been always so relaxed when you were with him. The outcome of your friendship was the freedom of speech, you could be vocal as much as you wanted. Junmyeon was never offended by anything you would say, the same applied also to you. You were his dear sister, your families became friends because of you.

You could not imagine your life without Junmyeon.

“What do you think about the digging session?” you asked to him when you were waiting in the line. Junmyeon was trying to select his dessert, carrot cake was already forgotten.

“Well, you will be the team leader, that is sure thing.” he huffed. “Most probably they will ask you who do you want in your team, and you will not name me if you want to live.”

“You are the last one who I am going to choose when it comes to work in the trenches.” you smirked. “Who wants a cry baby in the field?”

“Oh.” Junmyeon turned you, shooting a dirty look, which only led you to bite your upper lip in order to prevent bursting into laughs. “You need a brain; those muscular tough babies cannot figure even how to use tools out.

“But they do not run away when they see a bug.” you could not help but start to laugh. “Do you r-

“Shut the fuck up.” Junmyeon covered your mouth with his hand. “You are banned to talk about that incident from now on. Ever.”

“But,” you took his hands off you, tears forming in the edges of your eyes due to the memory you remembered. Junmyeon gave you a deadly stare, but you could not help. “You were running over the hill because you came across to a spider in your trench. Didn’t you give up on becoming Indiana in our first digging session?”

“No, I preferred to protect my own dignity.” he shook his head, then he also burst into laughs. “Jesus, I hate spiders and one Indy is enough for the family.”

“At least you learned that X never marks the spot before quitting.” you murmured, then pointed what you want to him. “Blueberry muffin, Jun. It looks yummy.”

“At least you learned that rolling in the dirt is not for the people who has a class.” Junmyeon ordered two americanos, one blueberry muffin and one red velvet cake. “Jokes aside, there are some gossips. Did you hear any of them?”

“Damnit, yes.” you exhaled and pinched the bridge of your nose. “The Executive Board is thinking to build a collaboration between us and Sunkyungwan people.”

“Yeah.” Junmyeon sat down on a chair, helped you to settle yourself. “And if they do, you know who is going to be the other team leader, right?”

“Do not tell me.” you covered your ears with your hands. You knew, you already heard the possible name, however even the possibility was giving you nothing but headache. “That’s why I asked your opinion. If that bastard will be my fucking colleague for Chios, I think I will pass this session”

“Hell, over my dead body.” Junmyeon aggressively grasped his little fork. “I know how much you guys despise each other, but this is your fucking career. Do not even dare to think you can turn your back to an opportunity.”

“But, Ju-

“No.” he was firm as fuck. “If they will give you the excavation of Chios, you will be fucking happy and you will accept their fucking propose. Chios will be the icing of the cake for you, you always want to lead an excavation in the Aegean.”

“You are right.” you knew when the occasion called to not push Junmyeon’s limits. Career came first, the rest is not important was his mentality. “You are right, but I really do not draw myself working with him.”

“Ignore him. You do not have to see him every day, ditch him in the field, goddamn.” Jun chewed a mouthful bite of his cake. “I do not want you to be facing with the Board, standing for no ground. If they will manage to build the connection, Sunkyungwan will appoint Byun Baekhyun as the leader for sure.”

You did not answer his god-fucking-damn-it prediction, but even thinking about it made you want to puke.

You vividly remember Byun Baekhyun, a fucking tease, and a smartass, from your bachelor years. You were not the type of people who could easily hate someone, but you hated Byun Baekhyun since the first day you met. He was a cockhead and dandy, he was a real scumbag, always so full of himself, underestimating everyone and their abilities, thinking he was the star of the universe. To your dismay, both of you were accepted from same university for your master and you had to endure his presence till he accepted the offer of Sunkyungwan.

You never tell this to Junmyeon, hell, he would not spend even a second to kill you if he would learn this, but you turned the offer of Sunkyungwan just because of Byun Baekhyun’s acceptance.

You hated him to the bits.

And you really did not know what the heck you were going to do if Sejong’s Executive Board was going to approve the collaboration. You looked at Junmyeon, he certainly was not going to let you to turn the offer down, and this time you could not hide the fact from him.

You grunted inside of your brain.

The Beginning of May, Sunkyungwan, the Department of Archaeology

Byun Baekhyun was happy.

More than happy till now.

He just stormed into his room, trying to register the news.

You? Were you really going to be his fucking colleague for fucking three months?!

He remembered you very well, and he was %100 sure of there was no person in this universe, he despised more than you. He even could not endure to share same atmosphere with you. He always wanted to fuck your attitudes out of you since he met you.

And was he really going to see your fucking face for three months, in an island?!

It had to be a bloody joke. A bloody plot on Baekhyun.

“I said,” he screamed when he heard his door was opened. “I do not want to see anyone!”

“Even an old friend?” a kind voice asked, Baekhyun immediately turned to the door.

Junmyeon was there, smiling to him. Baekhyun was startled, he was definitely caught off guard.

“Hyung?” he murmured. “Junmyeon Hyung?”

“Yeah.” Junmyeon’s smile widened. “May I come or not?”

“JUNMYEON HYUNG!” Baekhyun forgot you for a second and threw himself onto Junmyeon. He loved Junmyeon very much, enough to forgive his close relationship with you. “Welcome!”

Junmyeon smiled and hugged to Baekhyun but averted his eyes from him.

There was a plan in Junmyeon’s mind since years, and he had the chance of making it true after the news of collaboration. He averted his eyes also from you because he did not want anyone to understand his real intentions about you and Baekhyun.

Junmyeon smiled to Baekhyun.

[chemicalpink]

Outlaw: Intro ♡ Jung Hoseok

Pairing: Hoseok x Female reader

Words: 1.2k

Genre: smut, sci-fi (?, enemies to lovers, spy AU

Warnings: unprotected sex, kinda public sex but not really, brat!reader, kinda brat tamer!Hoseok, creampie, Y/N is imprisoned.

A/N: short one BUT it'll be my first attempt at a chaptered fic. Won't be too long but please do tell me what you think of the idea! Part of the BCC Summer Games. I was inspired to do a spy au ever since the LV x BTS came out.

Summary: How many surprises can life hold for you? The obvious tension you had with rival spy Jung Hoseok was evident ever since the two of you were training, and getting captured was definitely not in your plans, but who could really say a thing about it when he fucks you so good. Ohhh my sweetest @knjsnoona asked to be tagged ilysm.

The lights were kept off for the most part, giving you a barely there sense of what time of the day you were living in, you must have been captured somewhere along the first week of July… four? five? weeks of the lingering and stuttering red light outside the imprisonment capsule living a long life, somehow thankful for it being the only sense of continuity in your life, able to illuminate the otherwise empty room even for a few seconds at a time.

The door slides open with not so much as a beep, confident steps resonating inside the area until a shadow stands against the glass that keeps you from escaping, you don’t even get to bring your eyes up before he speaks “Ready to talk yet?”

You save the need to sneer for yourself, only a smirk painting itself on your face “Fuck you, Jung”

“Oh Y/N we’ve been down that road already” he crouches to your eye level, feeble body barely able to keep yourself awake after an extensive round of interrogation. Your left side hurting from the dry laugh you let out at the memories of just a few weeks back. A silent agreement between the two of you to give in to the accumulated tension of being each other’s mission, a merely physical truce for the day.

The way that you felt your head hit the wooden surface of his desk after feeling the strain on your neck and deciding to place it back for a bit, the table’s legs screeching underneath you each time Hoseok thrusts into you and the sounds taking over the room seem too loud for your liking.

The way that his left hand hadn’t left your hip as he partly supported you, partly just pushing you against the wooden furniture that was inside a workroom, a few steps down the hall where the rest of his team were. Your right leg had long been resting on his shoulder to give him better access to fuck into you, a loud moan escaping from the back of your throat as he turned his head towards it and bit the skin at one particularly hard thrust that had your eyes rolling back into your skull.

“Who would have though you’d make a better fuck toy than a spy, Y/N” his tone can’t really count as teasing with the venom in it as he leaned down to you, kissing your lips in the sloppiest way possible and he makes sure to swallow a moan from you; you could feel him losing his rhythm for a few seconds and that was enough confirmation that he was close, the room’s noises so loud and lewd around you as he sped up his pace while your cunt clenched around him; there was undoubtedly no way anyone outside the room hadn’t heard you two inside.

“U-ugh Hoseok p-please, speak for yourself” you didn’t even had to try to steal a look at the man to know that he was smirking down at you before you heard him groaning as you got a glimpse at his head thrown back in pleasure once you felt him spill inside you, your own climax taking over, spasming around him as he moaned through gritted teeth

“That’s it, Y/N, milk me fucking dry” you’re not even done coming down from your high as he decided to smear his spilling cum all over your folds, rubbing at your clit with the head of his cock, a moan drowning on the back of your throat when there was a knock at the door.

It had all gone downhill from there, Hoseok’s team coming in as you were barely dressed back up in your underwear, truce gone out the window when it clicked. This was his plan all along. So perhaps it had been really stupid to trust Jung Hoseok on that one, but the man was hot enough to abid to the consequences of it. Making up a plan to escape should have been easy enough if it weren’t for the fact that you were kept from your usual three meals a day. Confined to the regular visits Hoseok made throughout the day, just to question you further, always coming up empty. Some of the times are filled with so much sexual tension that if anyone were to walk in, they would be able to cut into the air. Lewd words, Hoseok losing his temper and grabbing your face to maintain eye contact for as long as it took you to lean into him before he tosses you aside, smiling and retrieving with a promise to come back later.

“I’m just saying, after he gets through her skin we should get rid of him” the words are barely audible as people pass by your cell, faces indistinct as they pass by where Hoseok had just left.

“That’s the plan”

As much as yours and Hoseok’s relationship (if you could even call it that) was certainly not ideal, you were good enough of a specialist in your field to acknowledge that he was a remarkable man in what he did, and knowing that his team, the people that were meant to protect him from people like you, were willing to get rid of him made your blood boil. Jung Hoseok was the only one person, besides yourself, that you knew from the training times to escalate as quickly as possible towards captain in the rouge ranks, it was really a pity watching him turn righteous and join your opposing branch, but the man knew what he was doing, that much was true.

Just as the thoughts kept spiraling inside your head, whether given your position and history with Hoseok, he was worthy of the intel you had, he walked inside the room for the second time in the day, just in time for the undersized meal serving you were allowed to have.

“Brought you lunch” he placed the container on the tray that allowed the food to go inside your cell before he closed the lid back up, a short silence following his arrival “What? No snarky remark now?”

You turned to him, fixing your eyes on him as if urging him to listen to you. When he doesn’t walk away, you take it as an invitation to open your mouth while trying to be casual about it, nipping at the odd-looking plate “Your team is planning on getting rid of you”

Much to your surprise, Hoseok dissolves into a fit of laughter, almost doubling over, eyes squinted delightfully “Oh Y/N, you’ve always been a slow one darling” he presses his body closer to the glass separating the two of you and lowers his voice, so as not to get caught by any of the cameras surrounding the room “Of course I knew that already”

“So take me with you”

He steps back slightly and smirks at your words “So that you try and kill me again?”

Your eyes look pleading as you see a flash of teasing in his gaze, letting you know that perhaps there was some type of hope for you to get out of that place “We’ll both go rouge if you take me with you”

He acts as if he’s pondering your words for a few seconds “Wouldn’t dream of leaving behind the best double spy this sorry-ass place has ever seen”

[consumeconstantly]

The Only Antidote is a Kiss

Summary: Scarecrow always did come up with the most whacky chemical formulas to test on people. Red Hood gets dosed with his latest toxin, and the only way to cure it is with a kiss. The only candidate? Long time rival and almost enemy, Ladybird.

____________________________________________________

“No,” Red Hood said, resolutely. “No way in hell.”

Red Robin’s exasperated voice crackled over the comm. “Hood, if you don’t, you’re going to die.”

“Do you think I care? Death is better.” 

“I would say that’s insulting if I didn’t feel the exact same way.” Ladybird nonchalantly twirled a yoyo at her side. “Besides, ten minutes is plenty of time to get him someone else.”

“You two are in the middle of nowhere. It’s thirty minutes to the nearest city.”

“Yeah, but the suburbs are always an option. You Bats always seem to miss the obvious solution.”

“I’m not kissing her,” Red Hood repeated.

“I know that you two are…” Red Robin tried to find a more delicate way to word their relationship, “Not always on the best of terms, but you are on the same side right now. Ladybird, you don’t want Red Hood to die, do you?”

Plying Ladybird was always easier than trying to convince Red Hood. The woman had a heart of gold. Today? No such luck. 

“He’s not going to die,” Ladybird scoffed. “If he dies over this instead of the many, many, many assassination attempts that I saved him from, I’ll feel insulted. But I’m also not going to help. I’m not going to kiss an unwilling party, and certainly not one with a mug as ugly as Red Hood.”

“You’ve never even seen my face!” Red Hood argued from safely inside his beauteous red bucket.

“Yeah, well you’ve never seen mine either, and yet somehow, you have no issue with calling me disfigured every time our paths cross.”

“You’re wearing a mask. Only people who are horribly scarred wear full face masks.”

“Oh, so you’re admitting you’re ugly then?”

“No, I’m wearing a helmet, not a mask. Big difference.”

Ladybird barely stopped herself from bashing her head against the cement and steel wall. If the action didn’t break her mask, she would have considered going through with it. “God, this is why I’m not going to kiss him, Red Robin. Can’t you use one of those zeta things and drop in a girl for him to make out with?”

“You know they don’t work like that.”

“I wouldn’t know, it’s not like I’m in the Justice League.”

“Not for a lack of trying! We’ve offered you the position at least ten different times.”

“Yeah, on the condition that I get Red Hood to join up too. That certainly doesn’t sound like you guys actually want my help.”

“Nine minutes on the clock,” an automated voice reminded them.

“I say we blow this popsicle stand,” Red Hood pointed a finger up at the cement ceiling.

“Wow, what a stupendously original idea, Red Hood. It’s almost like the next thing out of your mouth might be something vaguely resembling intelligence. Oh wait, that’s right. We can’t get out of this hell hole because there’s three feet of cement on every side of us and we have no weapons that can help.”

“I haven’t had a crack at it, yet.”

“Be my guest. I’ll sit back and laugh at your failed attempts.” Ladybird reclined on a wall. “We both know that between the two of us, I’m the one who’s better at escape and solutions that don't require firearms. You don’t think with either one of your heads, you think with your AK-47.”

“My babies are all I need to get the job done. Your plans are always so unnecessarily convoluted.”

“They’re convoluted so I can cover my tracks instead of leaving evidence, debris, and dead bodies behind.”

“Uh, guys? Can you have your spat after Hood’s life is out of immediate danger?”

“No,” both of them chorused, immediately glaring at each other for speaking in sync.

“I doubt Scarecrow actually came up with a formula that will make you die if you don’t kiss someone of the opposite gender within ten minutes. That seems like the kind of chemical compound that’s featured in all of those really trashy romance novels, except instead of being unable to control your instincts, you die.” Ladybird considered the empty vial on the floor. “I’m confident that Red Hood can ride this out with minimal damage. Even if he does get horny, it’s not like he’s going to go for me-- drug induced state or not, he can’t stand my guts.”

“Can I just say that I don’t want to bank his life on that assumption?”

“It’s not like your life is the one at stake. Just try to get someone out here that can break down this welded door for us sooner, rather than later.” Ladybird gives Red Hood a once over. “Besides, if he does try anything, we all know that I’m more than capable of tying him up.”

#

“Hey, why don’t you use that Lucky Charm of yours?”

“Do you think I didn’t think of that already? That was one of the first things I considered.”

“So why didn’t you use it?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that after I do, I detransform within five minutes? Not a big fan of exposing my identity, plus it’s not like anybody’s in any real danger because we’re locked up here. Scarecrow’s tied up, the goons that welded the door shut on us aren’t capable of using their brains, and a team is going to bust us out in thirty minutes anyways.”

For the millionth time, Red Hood pounded his shoulder against the steel weld, hoping that something would give. Nothing happened.

A beep sounded. 

“Ten minutes have passed.”

“See?” Ladybird crowed triumphantly. “I was right. Nothing’s--”

Red Hood fell to the floor, clawing at his chest.

“... happening. I jinxed it, didn’t I? I guess I’ll use it, then.”

Ladybird called for a lucky charm. No antidote fell into her hand. Just a sheet of paper, saying Kiss him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Tikki, don’t do me dirty like this!”

“Tikki? Who’s Tikki? What did the Lucky Charm give you?”

A wet cough sounded from underneath Red Hood’s helmet. He started to gasp for air.

Ladybird didn’t like Hood, but Red Robin was right. She had grown fond of him after saving his ass so many times. She wasn’t just going to let him die, especially not when she could help him. With a bone weary sigh, she knelt next to Red Hood. 

“I guess we’re doing this, aren’t we? Red Robin, comms off.”

“Off? But Hood sounds like--”

“Off,” she repeated, firmly. “Or I’ll break them.”

The telltale sign of static ceased in her ears.

Ladybird held Red Hood by his shoulders, maneuvering his mask off. 

“I hope you’re ugly,” she whispered.

He was not.

#

Even with blood on his lips, Jason Todd was unfortunately attractive. 

“Gonna--” he coughed again, the spray of blood accompanied by a wheeze. “Bless me with your face before I die?”

“I can’t believe that you’re still snarky while you’re on death’s door.” Ladybird touched the full face mask that she added during her years as a vigilante in Gotham. She still has the usual Ladybug eye cover, so her identity is safe. But the noh mask provides a sense of safety to her. She’s loathe to take it off, but in order for a kiss to work, it needs to be put aside. With a sigh, she places it on the ground and places a hand over Red Hood’s startlingly blue eyes.

“Kinky,” he spat. Ladybird grimaced. Why she ended up on this mission alone with Red Hood was beyond her, but they always ended up in the worst situations together somehow, anyways.

Her lips descended on his. 

Iron and sweat.

“Okay,” she said, wiping her lips with the hand that wasn’t preoccupied with shielding Red Hood’s eyes. “You feeling any better?”

He coughed again.

“Great, so Scarecrow was lying and I didn’t have to kiss you. You were just going to die anyways.” 

She placed her noh mask back on, then pressed a button on her comm. “You’re going to want to speed up the whole backup team. Looks like Scarecrow was lying.”

“You’re kidding me. Scarecrow never lies--”

Red Hood sat up shakily. 

“I’m fine, Replacement. Throat’s a little sore, but I’m fine.” 

“Good to know his MO hasn’t changed,” Ladybird remarked. “I’d suggest that you wipe your face with something. It’s covered in blood.”

“And Ladybird cooties.” Red Hood used his forearm to wipe the blood off. Ladybird had to admit that the man was objectively good looking. The artist in her wanted to take a picture or sketch him. The shock of white hair, symmetrical features, and prominent nose. His eyes had a certain darkness in them, like he had seen the worst of the world, but there was still a clarity to them that said he was fighting against those injustices. “C’mon, you’ve seen my face, don’t you think it’s time to exchange the favor?”

“Backup’s arriving in three,” interjected Red Robin.

“There’s nothing in it for me.” Ladybird tugged the hood of her cloak down lower. 

“Isn’t it weird that we kissed and I don’t know your face?”

“No.”

“You really are into some kinky shit.”

“Also no on that.”

“Then why not show me your face?”

“Stop being such a brat.”

“I know I’m older than you.”

“Bratiness isn’t measured in age, but in mental maturity. Which you have none of.”

“Please?”

“I’m almost tempted to take off my noh mask if only because that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say the word please.”

“If I say it again, will you?”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Pretty please, Ladybird?”

“... Fine.” She’d get a laugh out of this anyways, and the team was minutes away from picking them up.

She took off her noh mask to reveal the red and black domino.

Red Hood cursed.

@jasonette-july-2k20

it’s wild that yall are liking my fics when i basically vomit these things up im honestly scared to look back at some of the ones that have been posted because i do not proof read or edit 

[gellavonhamster]

in the bleak midwinter*: an asoue/atwq peaky blinders au concept

...also known as the idea that’s been living in my brain for what must be a couple of years now; I have reconciled myself with the fact that I will never write this fic because I simply do not have enough patience to think it out and write it down in the way that would give it justice, so here’s a plot bunny or something.

This is basically the Sugar Bowl Generation of VFD (still young, before kids and all) meets All The Wrong Questions (some of the events + some of the kid characters of ATWQ as adults) meets season one of Peaky Blinders, but I guess it could be read and understood without the knowledge of the latter simply as an organized crime AU.

It’s the beginning of the interwar period, and VFD is a gang. Which, yes, would require a certain amount of OOC of the characters, though I imagine their intimidation tactics would still avoid too much bloodshed. They deal with bookmaking, contraband, and sometimes art forgery because even this version of VFD has to have something sophisticated about it. There’s a number of places, such as bars and clubs, that pay them for protection, and there’s also a number of places they own, such as the Hotel Denouement with the Denouement brothers in charge and the nightclub ran by Ramona Browning**, alias the Duchess (her father was some kind of aristocracy, see, too aristocratic to ever truly acknowledge her). They use their influence to become the informal rulers of their part of the City. They claim to strive for power to make the City a better place, and these are not just words - they do donate money to schools and libraries, for example - but it’s not like they don’t enjoy being in power, and their rule is still based on crime, those who threaten it being eliminated swiftly. 

The Snickets are the Shelby family of this AU, of course. Lemony is Tommy - the mastermind, already a legend of sorts despite being the youngest, plagued by the horrors of war - but still hoping for the best, strange as it seems, because he’s still Lemony. Jacques is Arthur, the fighter suffering from PTSD. Kit is Ada, but she’s also Aunt Polly - she’s the one who ran the business while the boys were in the army. 

Now, season one introduced Grace Burgess as an undercover police informant spying on the Peaky Blinders.

Enter Ellington Feint.

Ellington’s father, the only family she has left, has been kidnapped by a gang called the Inhumane Society, and she’d do anything and everything to save him. So she agrees to infiltrate VFD, their rival gang, to find out the whereabouts of a shipment of weapons that was meant for the Society but was accidentally stolen by VFD. Apart from machine guns and shells, the shipment includes some “statue of a sea beast”, and no one cares to provide more explanations to Ellington about it, but apparently it is the most important part of that cargo. So Ellington takes on the position of a barmaid in The Black Cat Bar, one of the places that pay VFD for protection and the one frequented by its key members, and starts listening and watching.

Ellington needs to get close to the Snickets, because if anyone knows where the weapons are, it’s them. Steward Mitchum, the corrupt cop on the Society’s payroll whom she is to meet from time to time at the Natural History Museum (which she used to attend with her father) to pass on the information, suggests she should seduce one of the Snicket brothers. The problem is, Ellington has a chance to learn very soon that Jacques doesn’t know much about the stolen cargo, and Lemony is too taken with his girlfriend, the music hall singer Beatrice Baudelaire, to even look at any other woman. There’s no getting between them, even though it seems Beatrice also has something going on with VFD’s bookkeeper Bertrand Markson, and Lemony seems aware of it. 

So Ellington decides to approach Kit instead. Kit, who seems so lonely - Ellington doesn’t know the details, but there was some serious falling-out between her and her ex-boyfriend, who has since left the City (and won’t appear in this story. Olaf is the problem for the hypothetical season two of this imaginary show). Ellington doesn’t plan on anything other than a very close friendship - yet, the closer they become, the more she understands that she is attracted to Kit.

(There certainly is a variant of the “I warn you, I’ll break your heart” - “Already broken” scene in which Ellington sings to Kit)

Anyway. Things progress, and they fall in love. Well, Kit seems to have fallen in love, and Ellington keeps trying to persuade herself that she hasn’t, because Kit has to remain nothing but a task for her.

The location of the stolen weapons, however, still remains a mystery, even though Ellington once hears Kit and Lemony discuss it. Whatever the statue is, Lemony seems to believe it has great powers, and Kit seems to believe it’s nothing but folklore. Lemony tells her of the stories of a mysterious sea animal (or spirit, or whatever it may be) he heard from other soldiers during the war, about what Widdershins heard during his time in the navy. Kit tells him that everyone is a believer in a foxhole, and that she loves W like her own kin but he’s a bragging idiot. There was nothing on the sea other than enemy ships.

Elllington’s mission is complicated by Lemony clearly not trusting her. He tells her it’s because his sister has been hurt before, but she suspects it’s more than that. He even admits that he had his people make enquiries in Paltryville, the town she claims to have come from, and found out that no Ellington Feint ever lived there. When he suggests her secrecy is due to a child born out of marriage, she is eager to confirm that. (Cue him asking her if she’s read Les Misérables - yeah, even this version of VFD would be literature nerds, how can it be otherwise - because this whole situation reminds him of Fantine, and her lying that she hasn’t and thinking that she’s more of a Javert at the barricade, really).

Then there’s a masquerade party at the Duchess’s club, and Kit takes Ellington there as her date. (Which is okay, because if there’s any place in the City where a woman dancing with another woman or a man dancing with another man would not be looked at askance, it’s the Duchess’s club. If I was actually writing a fic, there would definitely be a scene in which Ellington observes Beatrice asking Bertrand to dance with her and Bertrand trying to decline by telling her that, since he didn’t have time to procure a mask, he shouldn’t be on the dancefloor at all, and then Lemony approaches him with a spare mask in hand and encourages him to dance with Beatrice and puts the mask on Bertrand himself and it somehow looks so intimate as if he’s undressing him and Ellington’s like “Oh, so it’s like that with them. This is probably of no use to me but still, good to know”). 

When Kit disappears at some point, Ellington follows her quietly and eavesdrops on her conversation with one of the Denouements. He tells her that his brother is all right and sends his regards. Later at the party, however, Ellington sees two Denouements. Why would one of them send the other’s regards to Kit if they’re all in the same room? A couple of drinks with the already tipsy Olivia (officially a fortune-teller, but who knows what purposes VFD really uses her salon for?), and Ellington learns that there used to be three Denouements, actually. But the third brother, Dewey, had a conflict with one of rival gangs which nearly resulted in a war, had not Lemony agreed to dispose of Dewey. To stop that gang from going against VFD, he killed Dewey with his own hands.

Except he didn’t, Ellington thinks. Lemony must have staged Dewey’s execution, and now he’s out there very much alive. Perhaps this knowledge will come in handy.

Meanwhile, the Inhumane Society, who have other beef with VFD apart from the stolen weapons, are getting impatient. There’s a gun-fight which results in Ike Anwhistle dying and his grieving widow, Josephine, telling Lemony it is all his fault and leaving the city. (I know I said this is based on s1 only, but they’re the John and Esme Shelby of this story). And Bertrand is severely wounded. VFD needs another bookkeeper while he’s recovering, and Kit, who knows from The Black Cat’s owner Dashiell Qwerty that Ellington has also been keeping the books of the bar lately and doing it well, offers this position to her. This gives Ellington an opportunity to learn more about the asserts and resources of VFD - and a chance to discover some interesting notes scribbled next to the name of Dewey Denouement. Dewey Denouement, who is only officially dead, but still has a grave at the cemetery.

Ellington tells Stew she has an idea where the weapons and/or the statue might be hidden.

When she meets some of the members of the Inhumane Society to take them to the tomb, she is surprised to see Hangfire himself among them. She’s only seen him in passing before, this mysterious man with his face covered in bandages. They say he’s been horribly disfigured during the war. They also say he came back mad. When they’ve done some digging and unearthed, instead of a coffin, several crates of guns - and opened one of them to find a small statue of what seems like a very scary seahorse - Mitchum and Flammarion are suddenly shot down, and Lemony Snicket steps from behind a gravestone. 

He’s been following them.

Of course he didn’t believe that all Miss Feint is hiding is an illegitimate child, Lemony tells them as he’s holding Hangfire at gunpoint. He’s been doing research. In fact, the man whose grave they’ve unearthed is presently in a unique position allowing him to make research away from the City. He’s found out that Ellington Feint is the daughter of a renowned naturalist Armstrong Feint, who’s recently gone missing. And then they managed to discover something more. 

This is when Hangfire grabs a gun and points it at Lemony, and Lemony aims at Ellington instead, which for some reason stops Hangfire from shooting. 

This is also when it turns out that Lemony has also been followed, and Kit Snicket steps from behind another gravestone, pointing a gun at her brother. He keeps aiming at Ellington, wearily telling Kit she isn’t really going to shoot him. 

Kit tells him that unless he drops the gun, he’ll find out.

(When Ellington tries to speak to Kit, she just tells her to shut up. And it hurts, because Kit has stopped being just a mission a long time ago. And now she knows that Ellington’s been lying to her from the start. And she may not want Ellington to die, but she would also hardly ever forgive her. And that would be fair).

And then Hangfire tries to shoot Kit, and Ellington screams, and Kit manages to spring back, and Lemony fires at the man who tried to kill his sister, and suddenly Hangfire is bleeding out on the ground and calling out to Ellington in her father’s voice. 

That is what they’ve also found out about Hangfire, Lemony tells her as she’s kneeling beside the body, unable to bring herself to uncover his face. He sounds genuinely surprised; he thought she knew.

Kit makes him let Ellington go and tells her she doesn’t want to see her ever again. And Ellington leaves. She takes a train to some seaside town she’s never heard of before and leaves. Her job is ended. Her father is dead. Her love affair that never should have happened is in the past. She still doesn’t know why her father lied to her when he could have just asked and she would’ve done anything, why he kept up this double life, what was the significance of the statue and what it might become in the hands of someone like Lemony Snicket. She is too tired and sick of it all to try to find out.

She manages to build a life in Stain’d-by-the-Sea. She works in a coffee shop and sings there in the evenings. She never sings the song she sang to Kit again. She marries a man she doesn’t have any truly strong feelings for.

Then, a year or so later, there’s a phone call, and the voice of the woman she loved and betrayed tells her she still can’t stop thinking of her.

*This phrase used by the Peaky Blinders upon the death of one of them is replaced by “The world is quiet here”. Obviously.

**My Last Duchess, referenced in ASOUE in connection with R, is written by Robert Browning.

[chinchillinbb]

𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞

rating: t warnings: strong language, yandere themes, waxing poetic except i'm not good at soft poetry word count: 1912 requested: no summary: a retelling of the story of daphne and apollo.

(Y/n) was a river nymph, a naiad, feared by most all beasts. They guarded their father’s sacred river and were proficient with both javelin and sword. They were as lovely as the Charites, three goddesses of beauty and grace, with (h/l), (h/c) hair, and (e/c) eyes that glimmered to rival the purest of gems. It was said they were blessed by Athena with their wit and wisdom. All in all, they could only be described as a headstrong, with hardly anyone to keep them in check regularly.

Unfortunately, around the same time, Apollo was feuding with Eros, mocking him for being among the younger of the gods, and using archery to create love instead of defeat enemies. Apollo was crafted with thick, black curls, honeyed skin, and, aptly enough, golden eyes like the sun. “What are you doing with that, kid? You’ll poke your eye out,” Apollo chuckled. “You might want to leave the fighting and weapons to the more skilled, who actually know what to use them for, instead of shooting people with love.” Eros narrowed his eyes and spit out, “Apollo, if you’re so sure my arrows are harmless, then I suppose I'm forced to prove the contrary.”

While Apollo was scoffing and ignoring Eros’ warning, Eros was plotting against him. Eros decided that he would shoot Apollo with a golden arrow, and a river nymph with a lead arrow. The particular nymph he chose was named (Y/n), and they already had a stern dislike for sexual and romantic relations, having taken strongly after Apollo’s sister Artemis instead. They expected that if they gave in to their father’s pleas for a son-in-law to continue ruling when he died, and finally accepted a spouse, they would lose most of their freedom. Besides the point, nymphs were generally immortal compared to humans. So long as (Y/n)’s river flowed, (Y/n) would live.

Eros’ golden arrow would make Apollo madly obsessed with them, and the lead arrow would only further (Y/n)’s hatred for him. Apollo would be forever courting them unless he apologized to Eros and begged for his help, which would be satisfying, to say the least, for the love god, and humbling at most for Apollo. Eros struck in the night when Apollo was asleep, and put his plan in place.

The next day, Apollo woke and sailed his chariot across the sky in his usual routine, distracted by thoughts of a river nymph he had flirted with the evening before. He couldn’t think of anything but them, their strong (s/c) legs, their smooth back exposed by their robes, their nourished, (h/c) hair. He went to visit (Y/n)’s river, in the hopes that he’d find them. And find them he did, as they were filling a vase with water.

He landed behind them, making them shoot up and grab their javelin from leaning on the tree before relaxing a little, seeing it was Apollo. Pursing their lips with a strained smile, more like a grimace, they forced out, “To what do I owe the honor, my lord?” (Y/n) had always tried to be civil with him, considering they took after his sister and wouldn’t want to displease her. Don’t be fooled, it was certainly not for Apollo. (Y/n) viewed him as nothing more than a man with loose morals, and in their eyes, he was untrustworthy and brash.

Apollo’s breath hitched in his chest at the sight of them. He had never seen a more beautiful nymph in his life, and that was saying something when it came to Apollo. He plastered on a confident smirk and leaned against a tree. “Oh, nothing, I just thought I saw a star on earth. I was mistaken, it’s only a lovely naiad.” (Y/n) was not impressed, and deadpanned at the thought of being involved with Apollo. “Thank you, my lord, but compliments are unnecessary and futile. I have no interest in companionship, and would prefer to stay with my river.”

Apollo’s smirk faltered for just a moment, before it fell to a frown as he said, “Pretty naiad, why do you hate me so?” (Y/n) stiffened. If they answered truthfully and said because the worms beneath their feet had stricter ethical boundaries, they could invoke his wrath and get turned into a sheep for his flock, but if they lied, they could be leading him on. In the end, they decided to twist their words and say, “My lord, I do not hate you, per se, not specifically. I just don’t feel the need for a lover, and fear that I might lose my freedom being chained to another person.”

Apollo, dejected, climbed back into his chariot. He furrowed his brow and pursed his lips, saying, “My love, I will return tomorrow to try again. I do hope you think about me fondly, and that your answer might change by tomorrow.” As he flew off, a frustrated scream that could be heard above a waterfall resounded through the trees.

(Y/n) stomped through the forest to their father, Peneus, a river god. Marching into his home, they pointed a finger at him and exclaimed, “Dad, you have to do something, and I mean right now. A man keeps coming around, a god in fact. I’m sure you know of him. Apollo. I thought we had agreed that I didn’t have to marry if I didn’t want to!” Peneus startled, a wrinkled, soft old man, seemingly worn down like a river stone. “My lovely child, what are you talking about?” He tilted his head and said, “I haven’t contacted any suitors since you asked me not to.”

(Y/n)’s face fell, and they apologized for yelling at him, “It's not your fault then. I'm really sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to blow up like that.” They wrapped their arms around him and sighed. “What am I supposed to do about this? I mean, he says he'll be back tomorrow, but Dad, he's worse than a pig! He does nothing but fool around and shirk his responsibilities.” Peneus chuckled and said, “Dear, there has never been an obstacle you couldn’t overcome. You are as wise as Athena, blessed, even. I have complete faith you will figure it out, but I am here to help you if you need it.” As (Y/n) walked out of their father’s temple, their head hung low. They didn't have a clue what to do, besides tend to the river’s wildlife and wait for Apollo to come back. Arriving at the river, they were taken aback by numerous jars of perfumes and oils, even one with a cream for their skin. They groaned and got in the river, sinking below the warm waters at the shore to bathe.

When they got out, they picked a vase at random and found a sweet smelling perfume within. Dabbing their neck and wrists with it, they then settled in for another night of watching the river and protecting it from men who would seek to desecrate it.

Come morning, as promised, Apollo came down grinning, yelling across the river, “Hello, my lovely nymph! How did you like the gifts I brought you?” (Y/n) hummed, their suspicions confirmed. Today, there was something different about Apollo’s grin, something wolfish. His eyes latched onto their every move like a falcon hunting a dove. He stalked across the river, which might have seemed normal in any other situation.

Meanwhile, Apollo was locked onto his target. Similarly, yet twisted, he thought they were as pure as a dove, or sacrificial lamb, all offered up for him. He relished in the slight fear in their beautiful eyes, and the way they froze like a gazelle at the sight of him. He absentmindedly wondered what it would be like to see them swathed in sunlight, in his element.

(Y/n), unfortunately for Apollo, viewed him not as someone in love with them, but as an enemy. And they did not bow to anyone. Mustering up their courage, they stalked over to him, feeling small in comparison to the aura of a god. Their (e/c) eyes were as sharp and rough as raging white waves, and their movements as swift as their river. “Apollo. I beg your forgiveness, but I do not return your feelings. The gifts were lovely, but I’d like to make clear that I will never love you. You are simply not trustworthy, and frankly, your ethics disgust me. I’d like for you to leave, and never come back.”

Apollo quite obviously did not take kindly to these words, and instead started glaring and setting fire to the trees around him like an unkind dry heat. He marched towards them, snarling like some wild animal, as (Y/n) rethought their false bravery and turned around to run away. As they ran through the trees, (Y/n) could hear him, feel his heat, constantly nipping at their heels like some sheepdog controlling their flock. They forced themselves to go faster, trembling and unwilling to become a lamb for him to control. They were right all along, and entertaining romantic feelings is what put them in this situation.

Apollo took his time, knowing they'd tire out eventually. He knew he had overreacted, but couldn’t they see they were meant to be together? It was a perfect fit: their cool, watery domain as opposed to his fiery, hot sun. And he knew they were a lovely singer; their voice was all he could think about! He had spied on them from the trees before approaching them, and their little musings while they played with the minnows were divine! If anything, in his mind, they overreacted. Looking to the heavens, he begged Eros to help him catch up to them.

While Apollo was obsessing over their every feature, (Y/n) stopped to rest a little, praying to their father and remembering his promise of help if they needed it, and oh, did they need it. Looking behind them and seeing him approach, they cried, “Dad, please, help me! Change my body! It got me into this mess and I hate it, please, save me from this man!” And at that, Peneus heard them and answered their cry for help, as their limbs got heavier mid run, and bark encapsulated their chest. Their hair became leaves, their arms became branches, and their foot, just now running, clings to the earth as a root. Their leaves brushed the water, and with a final creak, it was done. They had been changed into a laurel tree.

Apollo, despite (Y/n)’s fear of him and wish for him to leave them forever, simply could not. He felt he had to honor them, for even as a tree, they were the loveliest he had ever seen. “My love, my (Y/n), I will honor you forever. From this day forward, your leaves will adorn my hair like a crown, and I will make my lyres and bows out of your wood. The arrows in my quiver will come from only your branches, as a blessing, not to you, but me. You will be here for Rome’s rise to glory, and your leaves will be their crown as well. You can never lose your foliage, for it is beautiful and I cannot bear to see it go with Persephone in the winter.”

In the end, that was how the bay laurel tree came about, and to this day, Apollo treats Eros with respect, and wears a laurel crown. He remembers (Y/n) fondly, and although he will miss their nourished, (h/c) locks, their leaves are even softer. (a/n: discord is here)

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Meet My Eternal RivalAU: Iwa Gai Au

Words: 2608

Rating: General

Characters: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai

Warnings: None

Summery: Kakashi always knew that there would come a day where his new Genin team would end up meeting Gai. He was just hoping for a little extra time, and some support from his favourite summon.

Made with lots of help from @sakura-rpblog and @thegodsaregay

Peace and quiet. It wasn’t something Kakashi was used to having anymore. Ever since Lord Third had given him his latest genin team, his days had been filled with squabbling, endless questions, and more headaches than he had ever had in his life.

When Gai had told him that becoming a Jonin-Sensei would make him feel more complete, he had clearly forgotten to warn Kakashi about the unruly nature of pre-teens. Something he’d be more willing to scold the man for if this wasn’t one of the few chances they had to spend together.

The last thing he wanted to do was ruin their moment complaining about his genin team. All he wanted to do was cuddle up close to Gai and fall asleep. Forget about all of the responsibilities he had to deal with for just a little while.

Of course, it was never that easy. Maybe if he was back home in Konoha, relaxing in the arms of another Leaf shinobi, it would be different. But this was Gai.

The great green beast of Iwagakure.

Responsibilities and loyalties never left his mind when he was here in Gai’s arms. Stealing away a few hours where they weren’t enemies. Those rare, precious moments where the two of them could simply enjoy each other’s company and relax.

“So,” Gai rested his chin on top of his head and chuckled when Kakashi looked up at him. “You haven’t told me anything about them yet.”

Ruined. All of his plans for a nice relaxing day, completely ruined.

Keeping a calm façade, he stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “They’re the worst,” he whispered. “I mean, they’re amazing. I adore the brats, but they’re the absolute worst. One can’t stop pulling pranks and doing anything he can think of to try and get attention, the other doesn’t want anything to do with anyone but is at least smart enough to try and work as a team, and the third…”

Actually, there weren’t many complaints he had about Sakura. Her crush on Sasuke was a little annoying at times and certainly distracted her from her training, but otherwise, she was a good student. Attentive and driven, and always trying to put a stop to the fights between Naruto and Sasuke.

“You should have warned me,” he huffed, collapsing back into Gai’s lap and resting his head against his stomach. “Sometimes I think you just assume everyone’s as good with people as you are. You just...forget that I’m anti-social.”

His jab is met with a laugh. Loud and beautiful, just as it always was. How he wished he didn’t have to leave Gai’s side again. That he could just lay here and listen to that laugh for the rest of time. No other worries on his mind.

“I’m sure as difficult as you make them out to be, you’re doing wonderfully as a Sensei,” the feeling of Gai’s hand settling in his hair sent shivers down his spine. “I’ve had to battle you myself. I know that you have a lot to teach them.”

Well, at least someone believed in him. He certainly didn’t most days.

“Speaking of. Did you leave someone to watch over them while we’re together? I hope you didn’t leave your team alone, Rival.”

“Pakkun and Akino are with them,” He assured the other man. “I took a page out of your book on that one and decided to trust my summons to watch over them. Maybe they’ll actually do something to stop them from finding us.”

Not that he really blamed Ningame for not trying to stop Gai’s students. They had a right to know about what their Sensei was up to when he disappeared on them. He was just thankful that Gai was able to convince all three of them to keep what they had found a secret, and that they didn’t try to attack Kakashi.

He’d feel bad if he had to beat up his boyfriend’s students.

“It’s too bad,” tilting his head back, he stared up at Gai. A little confused about why he would say something like that. “I wouldn’t mind meeting the kids who were making my love’s life so difficult that he feels the need to complain about it. Someone has to tell them that they’re doing a good job.”

“Meh, one day,” when things weren’t so difficult. When the villages could maybe get along and work together as Obito had always dreamed. Then he’d be able to introduce Gai to his team. “Until then, we should enjoy the time that we have together. Who knows when we’ll be able to sneak away again.”

It was a little disappointing that they didn’t have much to do. If he had known beforehand that Gai would be nearby, he would have packed some snacks for them to have a mock picnic. Or he might have brought a present from Konoha for Gai to enjoy. He always liked Dango when Kakashi brought it, and seeing him chomp into the sweet treat was always an experience for Kakashi.

Still, he appreciated that Akino had told him he smelled a familiar shinobi nearby. He hadn’t actually told Kakashi who it was, but that playful look on his face had told him all he needed to know.

Reaching up, he poked Gai’s nose playfully. “Thank you,” he whispered, chuckling when Gai responded with a confused look. “You didn’t have to meet me.”

A soft expression appeared on Gai’s face. His eyes staring down at Kakashi with a fondness that Kakashi wasn’t used to seeing from anyone else. “Our moments together are often fleeting and rare,” he reminded him while gently running his fingers through his long silver hair. “I wouldn’t give up a single one of those moments for anything. So long as I am able to meet you, I will,” Leaning down slightly, he pressed a kiss against Kakashi’s forehead, as if the action cemented his words into Kakashi’s mind. “No matter the risk.”

Oh, and how much risk there was. Tenzo had almost given Kakashi up the one time he found him with Gai during their Anbu days, which would have quickly led to Kakashi following a very similar path to his father. Disgrace falling on his name, and the hatred of those he had lived for years to protect weighing down on his soul.

He had been lucky enough that Tenzo liked him. That he had trusted Kakashi when he assured him he’d never betray Konoha, not even for Gai. No matter how much it hurt his heart, or how he longed to just give up and find his place by Gai’s side.

The same couldn’t be said of his students. If they believed for even a second that their Sensei could no longer be trusted, they’d be in the right to tell Tsunade-sama about his private meetings with Iwagakure’s great green beast.

“Naruto!” Sakura’s voice cut through the air, and Kakashi’s body stiffened against Gai. His stomach twisting into knots as everything he had been trying to avoid came heading straight for him. “Naruto! You can’t just go running off! If Sensei…”

“If Sensei cared, he would have stuck around at the camp with us,” that was on him. He really should have known that Naruto would take his absence as a chance to act out. It was what he was known for. “Besides, he might be in trouble.”

Gai snorted above him.

“Should we…” It wasn’t preferable, but if he could at least look like he wasn’t cuddling up to the enemy, it was a win. Right?

Crawling off of Gai’s lap, he sat up in his spot and sighed. Was it really so much to ask for just a little time with the other man? Just a few hours uninterrupted for them to enjoy each other’s company? Without Kakashi having to worry about the fall out of being found with an enemy shinobi.

“Naruto!” Sakura’s voice called out once more as a blur of orange burst through the bushes and came to a hard stop in front of Kakashi and Gai, a familiar grin plastered on his face.

“There you are, Sensei!” Throwing his arms behind his head, Naruto chuckled. “You’re getting easier to find. Are you even trying anymore?”

Holding back the urge to yell at Naruto about learning some patience and staying at the camp where he left them, Kakashi slowly gathered himself to his feet and dusted his pants off. “Congratulations, you found me,” he responded with a bland, bored tone. “Now that this little game is done, we should head back home.”

“Sensei, you don’t sound so...oh!” Naruto’s eyes widened when he finally spotted the man beside Gai. “Hello.”

“Hello.” Gai waved back at him, chuckling when the other two finally caught up and landed by Naruto’s side. As soon as they had come to a full stop, Sakura lifted up a hand and brought her fist down across the back of Naruto’s head hard.

“I told you not to go after Sensei like that,” She scolded him. “He was clearly in the middle of something important!”

Glancing back to Gai, Kakashi couldn’t help but smile when he saw him staring at his students. It wasn’t how he had wanted them to meet, but just seeing the amused look in Gai’s eyes was worth it, and he had no doubt Gai would have some things to say about his students the next time they saw each other.”

“Though,” Sakura spoke up once again, her eyes zeroing in on the headband around Gai’s waist. “Why are you speaking with an Iwagakure Shinobi, Sensei? I thought the only village we got along with was Suna?”

Just what he didn’t want to deal with.

Surely he could just tell his team that he was on a mission. Doing some information gathering, and the informant he was meeting happened to be a shinobi from Iwagakure.

They would believe that, right?

“I think we’re done here. You got what you needed and I have to get back to my current mission,” Glancing back over at Gai, he watched as he gathered himself to his feet and smiled his way. “Until next time?”

“Until next time,” Gai agreed, disappearing from in front of them and into the woods.

Watching Gai leave was the worst part. They had no idea when they’d be able to see each other again, and if they were lucky enough to find themselves close to each other once again they had no idea if they’d be able to get away from their teams to spend even just a few precious moments together.

He hadn’t even been able to say a proper goodbye. With a kiss and a promise that they’d keep in contact. That they’d find their way back to each other’s sides again.

If something happened to one of them on another mission, it would be an empty goodbye. Something that Kakashi would never be able to take back, and all because he had to act like a good soldier.

Loyal and true to Konoha, even when his heart called out for him to stay with Gai.

“Why were you hanging out with an enemy shinobi?” Sakura asked, looking up at Kakashi with bright green eyes. “Were you...What…”

“Isn’t that obvious?” His heart dropped when he heard Sasuke scuff. This was it. The moment that he had been dreading since he had summoned the hounds and gone out to meet Gai while his students were sleeping, and he still had no idea how he was going to try and explain it to them. “Sensei got a mission while we were out. He was probably just getting information from that weirdo.”

Blinking, Kakashi glanced back down towards Sasuke. It was out of the norm for him to cover up for anyone else, and there was no way he honestly believed that Kakashi was there to gather information.

Making his way towards his students, Kakashi reached out and buried his hand into the Uchiha’s hair and laughed. Soft and happy, even as his heart broke a little knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see Gai for a long time.

“It’s always nice to know that you’re so observant,” He smiled. “I’m sorry I had to leave you behind. It was the only opening that we had to meet. Now, where are Pakkun and Akino?”

Surely they hadn’t left the kids unattended. They never failed Kakashi before.

“Oh, they’re back at Camp,” Sakura offered, smiling when she saw Kakashi frown. “Pakkun said it was your problem for running off and leaving them in charge of us. Muttered something about being able to catch us easily if he wanted to as we left.”

Of course. Pakkun always chose the worst times to try and teach him a lesson.

“I guess someone’s not getting the treats I promised him,” he grumbled. “Now let’s get going. We still have two days of running before we’re home.”

Dropping his hand from Sasuke’s hair, he turned away from his students and started to walk back towards the small camp that they had set up. Maybe during his next solo mission, he’d be able to sneak away for a bit.

Get a little more time with Gai. Just a few hours. Maybe even a day if he was lucky.

It wasn’t asking too much. Just one uninterrupted visit. No students or teammates to show up unannounced.

Arriving back at the camp, Kakashi waved a hand when Pakkun and Akino turned to look at him. “Yo. Hope You didn’t miss us while we were gone.”

“Akino might have gotten into your pack,” Pakkun commented, resting his head on his paws as Kakashi walked past him. “You left the dog treats, so he decided to help himself.

“Of course he did,” stopping beside the hound in question, Kakashi sighed when he was greeted with the biggest set of puppy dog eyes he had ever seen Akino pull off. “How is it that you can look so innocent when I’ve seen you tear enemies apart with your teeth?”

“Ewww,” Naruto complained, running past him towards his pack. The only one that wasn’t already put together and ready to go. Both Sakura and Sasuke simply had to pick their packs up off of the ground and they were ready to go, but Naruto’s sleeping bag was still laid out on the ground waiting to be rolled up and put away. “Gross, Sensei.”

“We’re shinobi,” Sasuke scolded him. “That’s part of our job. Killing the enemy. Just like the fight we had against Haku and Zabuza.”

“I know that!”

Tunning out the argument, Kakashi turned back towards Pakkun. “So, were they already before they ran off to find me?”

“They were their usual selves,” the pug huffed. “That’s not the most important question though,” raising an eyebrow, Kakashi waited for Pakkun to fill him in on what the ‘important’ question was. “How was your date with Gai?”

The sound of bags dropping back to the ground echoed in his ear, as well as Naruto screaming ‘Kakashi-Sensei’ at the top of his lungs while sounding like he had just been stabbed in the back.

There was no going back. He was going to have to explain everything to the three of them now.

“No treats for a month,” he growled at his favourite summon.

For a moment, Pakkun looked like he was about to argue. However, with one look towards the three kids standing behind Kakashi trying to figure out how they were supposed to respond to this new information, he gave Kakashi a smug look. “Worth it.”