#oh you guys hung out without me? that’s fine yeah no i don’t even care it’s fine

[wayward-sherlock]

😇😇😇

[samgirl98]

Mending a Family 24/?

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I'm not too proud of this chapter. It feels a bit disjointed, but I needed certain things to happen to progress the story a bit. Sorry if it's not my usual standard of writing. Let me know what you think

Dick was with his siblings. They were playing with Mar’i. Soon, she would start school, and he was terrified of letting her go alone.

She was his baby; she was too young.

Tim came up to him, holding a cup of coffee. Dick frowned at his younger brother. Tim had the audacity to smirk and take a sip. His bags were prominent. The brothers stood next to each other in silence for a while. Dick watched as his little girl floated in the air and her aunts and uncles chased her.

“I found some footage of Jason close to the Canadian border.”

Dick straightened. He knew his younger brother was alive thanks to the present he had sent Alfred.

“He had a kid with him.”

Dick turned toward Tim, surprised.

“What,” he asked.

“Yeah, the kid was four or five, maybe six, but I doubt it. Barbara and I found the footage a while ago, but I didn’t know how to bring it up. I haven’t found any more traces of them, but I think Jason crossed the border.”

Dick turned to Mar’i. Did she have a cousin?

Why was he feeling betrayed when he had kept Mar’i away from Jason?

“Give me a moment,” Dick said, walking away from Tim. He took out a phone and called Roy. He was surprised the man had picked up.

“What do you want, Grayson?”

“Does Jason have a kid,” he asked without preamble. He wanted to catch the other man off guard. A surprised person was most likely to tell the truth.

“I have no idea what you mean, Grayson.”

“Listen, if Jason has a kid with him, we deserve to know.”

“You don’t deserve to know shit about Jason. You guys abandoned him. How about you leave the man alone, and you and your whole family get therapy? I hear Dinah has some openings.”

Roy hung up, and Dick still hadn’t gotten his answer. How was Bruce going to take this? Should they even tell him without more evidence? What if Jason had a kid and left because he didn’t want the family around his child?

Mar’i’s laughter seemed to haunt him.

____

Danny pouted as Jason took pictures of him. He looked so cute with his little backbag.

“Daddy, are you done yet,” Danny whined.

“Almost, kiddo, just one more picture, please?”

It wasn’t fair for daddies to have puppy eyes.

It was Danny’s first day at school, and his dad was going overboard with the first-day pictures. Jazz couldn’t help but smile.

“We’re gonna be late,” Danny said. He didn’t care about being on time but wanted the torture to stop.

His dad had enrolled him in a school for gifted children. He would be taught in French and English. Danny knew he would hate it. Well, he would only have to deal with it for one semester, and then he could bow out of preschool.

Daddy drove him to school.

He suddenly felt nervous when he saw the building and all the kids entering.

“It’ll be fine, chum,” Jason told his son. He felt his little boy’s anxiety. “Do you want me to walk you to your classroom?”

Danny nodded. He took his daddy’s hand, and they walked into the building. Jason introduced himself to the teacher. She seemed nice.

“Okay, kiddo, you’re gonna be brave, right?”

Danny nodded. He had never been away from his dad. What if something bad happened?

“It’ll be fine, darling boy.”

His dad hugged him, “Now, go and have fun.”

Danny let go of his dad. He looked back one last time before entering the classroom. It was colorful. The five-year-old in him liked all the colors and toys. The sixteen-year-old in him cringed away from the noise. It was tough being two ages at once.

Danny sat by a girl with glasses and blonde hair.

“Bonjour, je m’appelle Sarah. Comment t’appelles-tu?”

“Sorry, I don’t speak French,” Danny said.

“Hi, I’m Sarah. What’s your name?”

“Danny,” he said. The girl smiled at him, showing that she had missing teeth. Oh, Ancients, were his teeth going to start falling out soon?

“Nice to meet you, Danny.”

Danny took a deep breath. If he would be here for the next few months, he might as well make a friend so he wouldn’t be lonely.

Danny smiled at the girl, “Nice to meet you, too.”

“Okay, class, let’s get to know each other,” the teacher suddenly said.

Danny sighed; it was going to be a long day.

____

Jason sighed.

It was going to be a long day. He didn’t know how dependent he had gotten on taking care of Danny.

Now that his little boy was gone, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He went back home and spent the day with Ellie.

He kept the phone close in case the school called.

He never imagined how long the day would be without Danny around. Is this what every parent had to deal with when their child went to school?

He knew school was good for Danny. It would help entertain him, and it would be easier to make friends. But, God, he was missing his little boy!

Ellie giggled at him as she threw her baby food on his face.

“Now, Ellie, we don’t waste food.”

The little girl gave a toothy grin. Jason couldn’t help but smile back.

“Maybe you should go out on a walk,” Jazz came and said suddenly.

“What, why?” He got another spoonful of baby food, and Ellie gladly bit into it. Her little teeth left marks on the spoon.

“You need to learn to deal with Danny being away. Maybe find a hobby to do. You’re not going to feel better staying indoors.”

“I’m fine,” Jason said. Ellie had finished her food.

Jazz rolled her eyes and took Ellie with her. Great, now what should he do?

He went outside and sat on the porch. Suddenly, the phone rang.

Jason picked it up before the second ring sounded.

“Hello,” he said, feeling scared. What if something had happened to Danny?

“Hey, Jay, it’s me.”

Jason felt himself relax at Roy’s voice.

“Hey, Roy, how you been?”

“Good, good,” Roy’s voice trailed off.

“Is something wrong? Is Lian okay?”

“Yeah, Lian is good. How are the kids?”

“Great, Danny started his first day of school today.”

“Oh, ouch, I remember Lian’s first day in preschool. It was tough.”

“I have a feeling you called for something,” Jason said after a moment of silence.

“Dick called me earlier,” Jason tensed again, “He asked me if you had a kid. I didn’t tell him anything.”

Jason sucked in a breath. Dick knew, which meant that Bruce would know soon. Would he have to move again? He didn’t want to lose his son!

Jazz came out with Ellie in her arms, frowning, “What’s wrong?”

“Do they know where I’m at?”

“From what I can tell, no. Look, I don’t think you should worry, but I had to tell you they knew about Danny.”

“Yeah, thanks, Roy. You’re a real one.”

“Take care, Jay. I’ll keep my ears to the ground.”

“What’s wrong,” Jazz asked. She sat by Jason; even Ellie looked concerned.

“My old family knows about Danny. What if they come and take him away from me?”

Jazz put her hand on Jason’s, “Hey, look at me. Neither Danny nor I will allow anyone to break up this little family. Besides, Raven has shielded us with spells; they won’t find us. And if they do, we’ll kick their butts.”

“Thanks, Jazz.”

They sat in silence, each contemplating the future.

@itsberrydreemurstuff @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit @skulld3mort-1fan @theauthorandtheartist @emergentpanda-blog @jaggedheart11 @fisticuffsatapplebees @booberrylizard @fantasticbluebirdfan @thegatorsgooseoose @cyrwrites @kjoboo91 @crystallicedart @amaramizuki666 @spekulatiusmuffin @meira-3919 @kilasmess @bubblemixer @lexdamo @wonderland-daisy @mj-arts-n-stuff @amyheart19 @dolfay @the-church-grimm @undead-essence @aph-mable @lizisipancardo @purrloin77 @writer-extraodinaire @charlietheepic7 @sinfulloccultist @nootherusernameworked @coruscateselene @chaoticchange @itsberrydreemurstuff @gmkelz11 @feral-bunny31 @paroovian @thatonegaybitch68 @d4ydr34min9 @overtherose @fandomwandererer @vipower001 @thordottir45 @blackrabbitt3t @rosecinnamonbun @bianca-hooks123 @epilepticnerd @dat1angel @consouling @flamingenchiladadragon @all-mights-asscheeks @ender-reader @fuyu-bitch @ravenswife

[idontplaytrack]

Janis ‘Imi’ike x burnt out troubled kid reader where readers parents kick them out again and reader doesn’t want to come to their friends with their troubles so they try to stay away from everyone.

Be Alright

Janis ‘Imi’ike x gn! reader

Warnings: fluff, angst, some coarse language, underage drinking + driving, implied depression, mentions of death due to illness

In which, reader is way too independent and doesn’t like asking for help. Even when they really need it

“y/n, talk to me.”

“No. I’m fine. I’m just tired, I slept at 3a.m. last night.”

You hung up on Janis, tossing your phone aside and just closed your eyes.

~~~~~

“Hey, I haven’t seen you at school today. What’s going on?”

“Uh, I— I have the flu so I’m at home.” You admitted painfully.

“Oh, I’ll be by soon with some soup.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I’ll be there very soon.”

~~~~~

“Hey.” Janis nudged you from the back and you got startled awake.

“What time did you get to sleep last night?” She asks, you rested your head on folded arms.

“I don’t know.” You answered incoherently, “4?”

“What?”

“I don’t know the exact time okay? I drank last night.”

~~~~~

Your Mom has just picked you up from the police station after you arrested for drinking and driving. It was just after 3a.m.— you were tired, so was she. She was angry and so were you. The tension was high and even in your state, you could see that she’s had it with you.

“y/n, this is the third time this has happened.” She sighs while pulling up in the driveway of your house, “I’m sick of bailing you out of these things all the time. What is it with you? Why do you always get yourself in such situations?”

You didn’t say anything but just got out of the car. “I’m afraid I’m gonna have to kick you out. Until you show that you’re actually going to change for the better instead of harming yourself all the time. Your grades are slipping, you barely sleep, you skip school so often. Why?”

“Fuck it.”

Your Mom takes a deep breath, biting the inside of her cheek. She was about to ask you to talk about everything that was bothering you but then she just…“Yeah, okay. Fuck it!” Your Mom yelled back, “Pack up and leave, right now.”

Holding back tears, you ran into the house to pack a bag. Your stepfather stops you when he saw you running up the stairs to asked you what happened but you just ignored him, swallowing the tears. After hastily putting as much as you could into your backpack, you left the house without saying a word to either of your parents.

You made your way to Janis’, angry, terrified and heartbroken. Stepping onto her porch, you rang the doorbell. You saw a shadow in the window of Janis’ room— she was awake. Then, it disappeared before the front door swung open and you came face to face with her. “y/n.” She was shocked to see you like this— red-faced, unkempt, teary-eyed. “Come in, baby.”

You followed her lead up to her bedroom quietly. You sat down on her bed and she shuts the door behind herself. “What happened?” She asked gently, pulling her desk chair up to sit before you.

“My Mom kicked me out. Said she was done with me getting into trouble.” You told her curtly.

“Did you drink again?” She asks you hesitantly. You look at her and tried not to roll your eyes but eventually admitted that you had indeed been drinking— and driving. That was your final strike.

“I just miss my Dad, Jan.” You revealed, you couldn’t help it but sniffle.

Your Dad— not your stepfather. The guy who was your biggest role model and cheerleader — the guy who promised that he’d always be there for you. He had passed away nearly a year ago to an aggressive form of cancer.

“How could he just—” You choked on a sob, head buried in your hands. Janis grabs your hands, her thumbs stroking your knuckles. You shook your head, as if to get rid of the thoughts. “I just— I miss him so much, and my Mom— it’s like she doesn’t even care anymore. All she cares about is her new guy.”

Janis knew. Deep down, she just knew you wouldn’t just act out for the heck of it. You did it because you wanted your Mom’s attention- her love and care. Which she has failed to give you ever since she started dating three months after your Dad passed. You flat out started refusing to talk to her about anything other than stupid stuff like the weather and the time. She’d ask how you were doing, and you just dismissively said you were okay— even on days that you weren’t. Janis knew it. But she didn’t want to push you. She was scared to push you too hard and break you even more. Janis has been trying to help you in any way she could, without you even asking. You appreciated her for it, but lately, you haven’t been showing it really well.

She got into bed with you, holding you in her arms. “You’ll be alright.” She whispers, rubbing your back, “This, I promise you. I will help you with anything you need in order to get better again. Right now, ignore your Mom and the new guy. What you need to do is focus on yourself. Finding healthy ways to cope. I know you’re feeling frustrated and angry because your Dad left so suddenly. But you know that he would never leave you if he could choose. He loves you. That’ll never change. But right now, your own life is in your hands. How you choose to live every day…are you just gonna desperately try to get your Mom to notice you all while harming your own health or are you going to live your best life, the life you’re supposed to live and continue making your Dad proud? I know for a fact that he is so proud of you— I could see it. Okay? There is no doubt in that.”

You listened to her while you laid your head in her chest, one arm around her and your other hand naturally rested on her chest near her torso. “It’s so hard.”

“I know, bubba.” Janis presses a kiss to the top of your head, “But I know I’ll go through all of it with you, just as I have been, alright? You can always come to me— for anything. I mean it, y/n. Anything.”

You nod wordlessly.

“I want you to promise me.” She added on, stroking your hair.

You locked eyes with her, taking in a deep breath, “I promise.”

“Right now, what I want you to do…is get some sleep. Think you can do that? I’ll be right here cuddling you.”

You hummed, “Yeah.”

“Good.” Janis continues stroking your hair, then went smoothly down your back, “Close your eyes. Sleep tight, y/n.”

[densi-mber]

A/N: Happy all-in day everyone! These two fools have now been together for nine years. Set December 2024.

***

We Just Get Better Every Year

“Oh, that sushi was amazing,” Kensi sighed, flipping back on the hotel bed with a happy sound. The mattress dipped, and a second later, Deeks pressed against her left side.

“Worth traveling three hours and a weekend away from home?” he asked, settling his hand on her opposite hip.

“Definitely.”

Her response was so swift, Deeks chuckled. Some things never changed. Thankfully.

Turning onto her side so they faced each other, Kensi shifted closer, her lips brushing his. “Thank you for planning all this,” she murmured. “It’s the best anniversary celebration I could ask for.”

“It wouldn’t have been possible without Rosa agreeing to take care of the twins for us,” he pointed out.

“She’s amazing,” Kensi agreed. “Not just because of that.”

“Nope. We’re lucky to be her parents. Even if she has picked up your messiness and eats all the M&Ms out of the trail mix.” Kensi huffed at his comment, but didn’t protest. “Speaking of, we should probably give Rosa a call before it gets too late.”

“Mm, that’s a good idea.” While he grabbed his phone and dialed, Kensi pushed herself up on her forearms.

“Dad, is everything ok. I didn’t expect to hear from you,” Rosa answered after three rings.

“Hey, yeah, no, nothing’s wrong. We’re just checking in to see how you guys are,” Deeks said. Kensi leaned on his shoulder, close enough that she could hear Rosa over the speaker.

“We’re doing fine,” Rosa answered, a smile in her voice. “Caleb and Sophia just finished eating, they’re playing with that ball popper thing, and then I’m getting them ready for bed.”

“We have complete faith in you,” Kensi assured her. “Since this is the first time we’ve been away overnight, we just want to make sure nothing unexpected happened.”

“Like Arkady hiding out from the inevitable FBI raid.”

“Deeks.” Kensi shook her head at him, laughing in amused exasperation.

“I’m glad it’s going well. And thank you again for offering to hold down the fort, so to speak,” Deeks told her. As expected, Rosa brushed his thanks off.

“Guys, I told you I want to do this. I love spending time with Sophia and Caleb. Now, stop wasting your time talking to me.”

“I think we’ve been dismissed,” Kensi joked. Have a good night, kiddo. And don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.

“Yes, Mom. See you on Monday.”

Deeks hung up, setting his phone back to the side. When he laid back down, Kensi curled up against him once more, wriggling one of her legs between his.

“Crazy to think we’ve been doing this for ten years,” Deeks said into the quiet. Kensi nodded against his shoulder, her breath wafting over his neck.

“A lot has changed since then.”

“Yeah, I’ll say. We’re married, I’m a lawyer again, your training new agents, and we’ve got three kids.”

Kensi was silent for a few moments; her fingers idly traveling from his to his chest and back again.

“Do you think it’s a change for the better?” she asked eventually. Deeks leaned back enough to see her face.

“A thousand percent,” he said immediately. “I mean, we were pretty great then, but 2014 Kensi and Deeks have nothing on current Kensi and Deeks. Now we have a family, I think we’re happier than we were then…it’s everything I ever wanted.” He nudged Kensi gently. “What about you?”

“It’s everything I’ve ever wanted too,” she said, propping herself up on his chest. “Even if I didn’t realize it when I suggested we be brave.” She dipped her head, kissing him.

It quickly increased past the peck Deeks expected, Kensi’s fingers moving down his chest to unbutton his shirt.

“Mm, I thought you wanted to nap after dinner,” he reminded her, even as he slipped his fingertips under the waistband of her pants.

“I got my second wind.” Kensi nipped at his neck. “And I’m not wasting a minute of our time without interruption.”

“Happy anniversary,” Deeks muttered before Kensi pulled his mouth back to hers.

***

A/N: I debated whether or not to have Rosa call Kensi and Deeks’ something other than their names. I figure she might decide to call them mom and dad a couple years after being part of the family.

[twilightmalachite]

Christmas Live - Epilogue 2

Author: Akira

Characters: Chiaki, Midori, Yuzuru, Anzu

Translation Team: Mika Enstars & 310mc

EN Proofer: ryuseipuka

"If you are going to play the role of a tree, then do it thoroughly and do not speak the language of humans."

⚠️ Content warning: Contains brief mentions of hanging.

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Park’s Live Stage

Yuzuru: Hm. So Anzu-san is decorating the Christmas tree…

Ah, there it is. So there’s a Christmas tree atop the stage?

Midori: Ughh… Today’s seriously just not my day… I’m so depressed, I wanna die…

Sengoku-kun and I just got lost when we went looking for 2wink… Then once we hurried back to the stage all panicked and in a rush, I ended up making a huge mistake…

Fwah—? Anzu-san, please don’t hang a yuruchara on me…?

It looks like it’s being hung to death, and I hate it… Actually, you think you can just give me yurucharas to appease me, don’t you…?

I’m not that simple of a guy, y’know…?

Whatever, not that I care… Go ahead, do as you like… Might as well just dangle lights and cotton on me too while you’re at it, or whatever else…

Yuzuru: Umm… Perhaps I am growing fatigued, or does that Christmas tree look like a person?

Chiaki: That’s because it is a person! It’s our promising star of RYUSEITAI, Takamine Midori! He’s got a great physique and he’s outfitted in green, so he’s the perfect fit for a Christmas tree, don’t you think? ♪

Yuzuru: I am a bit confused as to what you mean by that. I can see why President-sama is not fond of those in RYUSEITAI.

I would appreciate it if you refrained from behaving so strangely outside of school. It disgraces our academy’s name.

Well, I do not know if there’s any point in saying this, but you are as good as an animal without your civility, you know?

Chiaki: Ah, no, Takamine just made a silly mistake on stage a moment ago… It’s already so cramped to fit all of us onstage, but his body had started to get numb from the cold too…

So he tripped on his own feet and took a spectacular fall with a huge crash. And to add insult to injury, the tree up on stage as decoration was destroyed in the chaos of it all as well.

This is why I tell him to do thorough warm-ups… But he tends to skip out on those sorts of things, so now here we are.

Yuzuru: Hm, I see your logic. And so Takamine-sama plans to replace the demolished tree by sitting in its place instead?

Chiaki: Yeah. Since he injured his ankle when he fell, he can’t move much. Thankfully, it’s only a light sprain, so he should recover soon as long as he rests, but…

If the day ends without a chance for Takamine to regain his pride, it won’t be a positive gain to him.

That’s why at the very least, we had him decorate the stage as a substitute for the tree… So, that’s how we got here.

Yuzuru: And perhaps to also serve as punishment for his mistake earlier…? As I thought, although it appears there’s a clear lack of deliberation behind these actions, it actually makes so much sense that it’s irritating.

Midori: Um!

Yuzuru: Yes? With all due respect, could you please make less conversation?

If you are going to play the role of a tree, then do it thoroughly and do not speak the language of humans.

Even our fine’s Hibiki-sama has the capacity to behave elegantly in front of the general public, you know.

Midori: I-I’m so sorry… Um, you’re Fushimi-senpai, right? I-I’ve been wanting to meet you! I’m a fan of yours!

Yuzuru: I’m sorry? A fan of… myself?

Oh, no, you mustn't waste such words on me… Someone as inexperienced as myself only brings disgrace to fine’s lowest seat. You must be mistaking me for someone else.

Midori: What are you saying!? There's no one else in this whole entire world who can create the same artistic masterpiece as you!

If it’s alright, I’d love your autograph! With a drawing, please…☆

Chiaki: Ooh…!? To think Takamine could be this proactive…!?

Show that level of enthusiasm on things like our live shows as well! No diamond in the rough will shine unless it’s polished first, y’know!

Midori: Please don’t talk right now, Morisawa-senpai! Please, Fushimi-senpai! I’m begging you, if I could have just one thing! I’d really love your autograph…☆

Yuzuru: Umm… What am I to do, I’m quite embarrassed…

Unfortunately, you’ll have to excuse me, but signing autographs constitutes an idol activity. Meaning, I cannot accept such requests without the authorization of President-sama.

Midori: Ghh, that’s so frustrating! But on the other hand, that means that turkey is extremely valuable…!

Woohoo~! I got the best Christmas present ever…♪

Yuzuru: Turkey? Oh dear, the pacing of those in RYUSEITAI had thrown me off track… Anzu-san, a moment, please?

Fufu, no need to be on edge, it appears that you’ve properly done the shopping I asked of you to do.

I’m not here to do anything like point fingers.

Since the live show here has nearly reached its conclusion… Would you all like to join us for a Christmas party? The timing is just right.

Chiaki: Party?[1] I love stuff like that, but is it really alright for us to join?

Yuzuru: Of course.The lord and lady of the manor I serve are currently abroad…

Since the young master is quite lonely as a result, I thought to hold a dinner party.

However, a dinner party all by our lonesomes wouldn’t be too inspiring, you see. I would appreciate it if you could join us and enliven the occasion.

I had come here to invite Anzu-san alone to compensate for her errand, but…

I’ve reconsidered the recipients of my invitation. Perhaps the young master would feel less lonely if there were more people…

And upon seeing this live venue… It had me thinking. While there is beauty in spending the holy night peacefully alongside cherished ones…

In the end, it truly is the most blessed for children to be lively and have fun with a smile, isn’t it?

I hope you will join us as well, Takamine-sama. We will be having delicious turkey too, you know. ♪

Midori: Ughh… I don’t really wanna eat meat too much… I just grow bigger with every bite I take…

But I’ll go anyway. I want to take this opportunity to get on closer terms with Master Artist Fushimi…☆

Yuzuru: Master artist? I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve been having the same conversation at all, have we…?

Anyhow, the pair from 2wink are here as well, yes?

I’d like to invite them as well, to show my gratitude for taking care of the young master back during Circus and the like.

You’re welcome to think this through once the live show is over. Please, do take my invitation into consideration.

I must prepare for the party at the manor first and foremost, so if you would excuse me.

I hope you all will be able to join us. I shall send a car over for pick-up later.

It’s the height of the banquet. Christmas is just around the corner…♪

[ ☆ ]

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The correct spelling of “party” (パーティー) uses katakana, but Chiaki says it in hiragana instead, suggesting that he's saying it in a cute/playful intonation.

[staceymcgillicuddy]

Day 6: Sunrise, Sunset

One more day! Thanks again @amandaashplease--couldn't let this prompt go by without reflecting on all the "Eddie's a tech guy" headcanons out there.

As far as Friday night activities are concerned, Eddie doesn’t do school shit, and Hellfire doesn’t count. But he had to take an elective, and he’d already done art and music, so drama was what remained. Since he sure as shit wasn’t acting, he’d joined the crew for the musical and blah blah blah, sets were built, lighting rigs were hung, and sue him: he’d like to see the finished result with an audience. 

Plus, for a musical, Fiddler on the Roof isn’t half-bad. He’s not saying he wants to go see Cats or anything—God, does he fucking hate Cats, and the cast recording Tammy Thompson plays all the goddamn time backstage—but he can get down with some poor people hoping for, like, a better future, or whatever.

So, yeah. He has his spot in the auditorium, near the back, where he can put his feet on the seat in front of him and ignore his classmates.

Until, that is, five minutes before the show’s about to start when someone shuffles into the row next to him and says, “is anyone sitting here?” 

It’s Chrissy Cunningham, and Eddie nearly falls out of his hard wooden seat as he scrambles to sit upright. “Uh. Hey. No, it's cool.” 

“Thanks.” She sits, and Eddie has a million questions. Like, where’s her dumb boyfriend? Why’s she here alone? Does she know how good she smells? Why is her ponytail so high? 

He doesn’t dare to ask any of them, though, so he just tries to look like he’s not looking at her, except for how he is. Mercifully, the lights go down a few minutes later, putting him out of his misery.

The thing is, though, he can’t focus on the show with Chrissy sitting right next to him. Can’t, like, get annoyed with the chick playing Hodel when she misses her mark and sings a whole fucking line in complete darkness. Can’t even appreciate the fact that Samuel Schlesinger is a pretty good Tevye. Way better than Tammy Thompson as Golde. 

But then, during Sunrise, Sunset, he hears some sniffles beside him and realizes Chrissy’s all teary-eyed over what is, objectively, a pretty sad song. But also, what the fuck is he supposed to do about it? His hands are frozen to the armrests, and he wishes he was the kind of dude with a handkerchief in his pocket. 

“You okay?” he whispers in the few spare seconds of silence between the song ending and the wedding beginning. 

Chrissy nods. Compresses her lips into a tight line and wipes her eyes so fiercely that some mascara drags across her temple.

Intermission is soon after, and she turns to him with an apologetic smile when the house lights come on. “I’m sorry. It was just… pretty.” 

“No, uh. You’re fine. You’re uh… yeah. It’s a good song.”

“Mmm.” She twists her mouth into a bow, lower lip jutting into a pout. “Do you ever… it’s so stupid. I forgot about an English assignment, and I have to watch this and write an essay to make it up.” 

That’s surprising in that Chrissy has always struck him as perfect academically and socially, but it explains why she’s not here with friends. “Uh, sorry. I’m only here because I’m in drama, and like… yeah. I worked on it.” 

“Oh.” Another pause and she offers him a smile. “It’s really good.” 

“Thanks. Sorry about your English grade.” 

“At least she’s giving me a chance to make it up. This semester’s been… just. I don’t know.” She smooths down her skirt, then cuts her eyes at him. “Do you… do you ever feel like you’re losing your mind?” 

It’s a loaded question with a simple answer, and Eddie smiles.

Technically, Tammy already graduated, but given that the Duffers don't care, neither do I, so she's Golde. Suck it, nerds!

[projectbluearcadia]

Memo: Don't Tease Luci

Lucifer: What’s wrong, Annelie?

Lucifer smirks as she glares back at him. 

Annelie: I’m going to kick your ass one of these days. 

Lucifer: Oh really?

Annelie jumps as Lucifer brings his hand back. 

Lucifer: Hahaha. 

Annelie: Not funny. Inflicting pain is never the answer. 

Lucifer: Remind me, who was it that cried out "harder?"

Annelie flushes. 

Annelie: Th-That was under duress! 

Lucifer: I’ll show you duress. 

Annelie: Hiii! 

Annelie starts running, and Lucifer chuckles. 

Lucifer: Run all you like, but you won’t get away from me. 

I wonder if I could get Lucifer to play tag... Wouldn’t that be fun? Maybe if I stole his D.D.D. he’d chase me. Oh, that could be good, sweet vengeance...

Annelie: Watch me!

Asmo emerges from his room and trips while carrying a small crate of beauty products. 

Did I hear a crash?

Asmo: Wait, Ellie!

Annelie: Eh?

Annelie glances towards Asmo and just barely stops herself from walking on the broken glass scattered onto the floor in front of Asmo’s open door. In the process, she falls in the opposite direction, straight into Lucifer’s arms. 

Asmo: Whew. Seeing your feet all bloody would have ruined my makeup with tears. Are you okay, Ellie?

Lucifer: Thanks to me, yes. 

Annelie: I avoided that fine by myself. 

Lucifer: Make sure to clean it up properly. 

Asmo: But I just painted my nails. 

Lucifer: Asm—

Annelie: I’ll help you if you stop being so stubborn. 

Asmo: Ellie... 

Lucifer: Annelie, don’t encourage him. 

Annelie: It was an accident, Lucifer.

Lucifer: And? It’s your turn to cook; don’t think you can avoid it by cleaning glass off the floor. 

Asmo: Ellie’s cooking?

Annelie groans. 

Annelie: Yeah. Apparently I lay around the house too much. 

Granted Lucifer never even remotely implied that, and I think he just wants to torture me.

Asmo: Then I’ll take care of it~ I can’t wait for breakfast. 

Annelie: ...you guys have way too much faith in me. I might be better at cooking than Mammon, but I’m nowhere near Satan’s level...

Lucifer: And who do you imagine taught him? I'm plenty capable of making sure your cooking skills improve.

Annelie: I think he’d rather die than learn from you. 

Lucifer: ...

Annelie: Sorry. 

Lucifer: He was very reluctant, to say the least. Most of the time, he’d just stare at recipes and ingredient preparation, and he’d never ask me for help... 

Annelie: Why do you sound like a constantly-working dad that watched his son grow up without him?

Asmo claps a hand over his mouth and turns away struggling to contain his laughter.

Lucifer: ...I don’t think that description is completely off the mark, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you never to say that in front of Satan. 

Annelie: I don’t have a deathwish.

Lucifer: I should hope not. Now, I believe you were making breakfast?

Annelie groans again, and Lucifer chuckles. 

Lucifer: Don’t be so stubborn. After all...

Lucifer leans closer to whisper in Annelie’s ear. 

Lucifer: You don’t want to sit down right now, do you?

Hold on, is he still turned on?

Asmo: Hmmm~?   

Annelie: Lucifer’s obsessed with my ass. 

More accurately, smacking it. 

Lucifer: What was that? Did you want to be hung from the ceiling instead?

Annelie: ...no sir. 

He looks so pleased with himself... I’m not sure if I want to smack him or if I just think he looks cute... Curses; I can’t stay mad at that face. Ugh, god, why did you make him cute?! This isn't fair!

[abbatoirablaze]

How To Get Away With Murder, Chapter 4

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: cheating, manipulation, smut, protected sex, unfaithful relationships, mentions of unprotected sex, toxic relationship.

"Cheyanne are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be, Bonnie," I whispered. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bonnie had a look of pity across her face...and why wouldn't she. A week ago Frank and I had sex, but ever since we started working on Rebecca's defence Frank only paid attention to Laurel. Rebecca found out that she was planning on taking a job with her boyfriend Kan, and Frank found that out. Right this very moment he was on the porch of my mother's house, fucking her.

Yeah, he was having sex with her, on my mother's wrap around porch. Literally, they were right outside the door. Bonnie and I had opted to stay late, deciding that if we were going to pull the all-nighter, we would need another pot of coffee. That's when Laurel quietly murmured goodbye and past us. Frank, being the man who needed to feel wanted all the time, chased after her. I didn't even know he was still here. It wasn't until my dumbass went over to the door that I saw him push her against the railing, lift her up and start going at it. I didn't have the urge for coffee anymore.

But I did have the urge to get even with her, and I knew just how to do that.  I opened my contacts, and messaged Kan.

'You busy?'

My cell phone buzzed back pretty quick.

'working a case.  Got Chinese?  Want to help me take a break ;'

'OMW'

Bonnie's cell phone rang, and she looked at it worriedly.

"What?"

"My guy at the medical examiner’s office" she whispered. She answered the phone without a second thought and I watched as her emotions changed. A few minutes later she hung up, “Shit…”

"What's wrong?" I asked. Her expression was one of pure pain.

"Lila was pregnant."

I paled, "What?"

"I have to go tell your mother."

"My father?"

"I'm so sorry, Chey, but I have to break this to Annalise before she gets wind of it some other way." she whispered, rushing up the stairs to my mother's bedroom to go talk with my parents.

I walked out the front door in a daze. Laurel made eye contact with me and she grinned, moaning even louder.

I didn't care. None of that mattered anymore. For all I cared, she could have Frank.  Sam had cheated on mom, and knocked Lila up.

How could he?

I started walking. I didn't know where I was going, but I kept going until I reached my house. Only then did I realize that I'd walked a half mile back to my own place and I left my car at my parent's place.

I sat down on my steps, but I couldn't bring myself to unlock my door. My phone started to buzz, and I saw it was Kan. 

"You coming over?" he asked as soon as I answered, “starting to get worried about whether you’re getting cold feet on me or not.” 

I shook my head, "Sorry, my mom called me back to help work on the Stangard case.  Maybe some other time?" 

"Yeah, no problem.  Laurel said she was on her way over a minute ago and I was going to cancel on her if you were on your way.  Did you need her to come back to the office?"

Then my cell buzzed again.  Frank's name flash across the screen. I hit the ignore button and walked around to the fence. Unlocking it, I walked into my back yard and laid down on the grass, staring up at the sky.  It buzzed again and I answered without bothering to look at the name flashing across the screen.

"Cheyanne?" Kan asked.

"Oh, sorry.  It's fine.  I don’t need Laurel to come back.  Raincheck on dinner though?"

"For you?  Any day," he laughed, "I'll catch you later?"

"Mhmm." I nodded, hanging up.  My phone buzzed two more times before I threw it haphazardly away from me. I heard the splash of it going into my pool, but it didn't matter.

"Cheyanne?" I raised my head just enough to see Frank closing the gate to my back yard. I didn't want to see him right now.

"Go away."

"No," he said coming over to me. He grabbed at my hands, but I fought him off, laying back down on the grass, "Come on Cheyanne. Get up."

"Get away from me." I said slapping his hands away from me once more. When that didn't work, I started kicking him, “I said get the fuck AWAY!”

"Fuck," he growled, finally stepping away from me, "What the hell is that for, Cheyanne?"

I sat up and slammed my hands down on the ground on either side of myself, before I tore my shoes off. Getting a good grip, I threw the first one, missing him. The second one caught him in his upper thigh.

"Shit!" he yelled, stepping away again, "You almost hit me square in the dick."

"GOOD," I yelled, getting up. He started coming closer to me but I kept backing up, "Stay away from me, you sick fuck."

"Why are you acting like this, Chey?"

"YOU JUST FUCKED ANOTHER GIRL," I practically screamed. The lights from the house next door to me turned on and I bit back on my anger, “how do you expect me to feel, Frank?  You were fucking me last week and now you’re all over Laurel!”

"Chey, please can we go inside?"

"FUCK YOU!"

"Is everything okay over there?" My elderly neighbor asked from the other side of the fence. I nodded, waving my hand.

"I'm sorry Mr. Cortez, "I sighed, "he's my ex!"

The elderly man struggled to see in the dark before he realized that it was Frank and I arguing. It wasn't uncommon for him and I to do this. We'd gone back and forth for about five years now being an 'on/off relationship'. 

Right after the semester started and he chose Laurel as his new flavor of the week I kicked him out of my house. Told him that if we weren't together, I wasn't going to deal with it. He always came back though. Up until her.

"It's a little late in the night to be starting her up, huh Frankie?" Mr. Cortez tried to joke. Frank gave a fake smile and nodded until he went back in his house.

"Let's go," he said, putting his hand on the small of my back to lead me to the house. I shrugged him off and went for my shoes, "where's your phone?"

"Pool," I said, shrugging it off. I walked up the back-porch steps and to the back door. I felt his body behind me as I unlocked it and let myself in. I grabbed the bottle of wine I opened yesterday and started towards my room, "Go back to your whore!"

"She's not a whore," he said, trying to defend her, "Come on, let’s put the wine down and go to bed, baby.  You need to get some sleep."

"Yes, she is.  She just fucked you, but she's going to Kan's right now to fuck him."

"No, she isn't."

“Yes she is, he just called me asking me to hookup, but I lied and said I was at mom’s working on the Stangard case.  So he called her up.”

“That’s a bold lie, Chey.”

"Shut the hell up," I said once I made it to the top of the stairs. He pushed me by the small of my back until I reached my bedroom. I took a swig of the wine before he pried it from my hands. When he set it on my desk, he turned his attention back to me. "Go away."

"Chey," he said trying to put his hands low on my hips. I swung wildly, catching him right across the jaw.

"No," I said angrily through clenched teeth. He was holding his jaw from the floor, "I fucking love you Frank. And you go fuck some student you don't even know! Get the fuck out of my face. Get the fuck out of my house.  Shit, get out of my life."

"Cheyanne, shut up," he yelled. I froze in my spot. Before I knew it the tears were welling up, and I saw regret pass his eyes. Without faltering, the tears were pouring down my cheeks and he pulled me close to his chest, "please don't cry. Come on Cheyanne.  Don’t cry baby.  I’m sorry, okay.  I know I fucked up."

But I wasn’t crying over him and Laurel. 

No, the only thing I could think of for some reason was my mom and dad.  I wanted some relationship to be just like their picture perfect one, but even he had these dark secrets.

"She was pregnant, Frankie..."I cried into his chest.  He stopped and pulled away from me so that he was looking me dead in the eyes, “she was pregnant.”

"What?"

"Lila was pregnant."

The look in his eyes told me something different.

"Che-"

I pulled away from him, horror in my eyes this time as I processed that his look wasn’t a surprised one, "you already knew that though, didn't you?"

"Cheyanne it's a long story."

"No, it's not," I said, putting my hand over my mouth, "Oh my god, Frank.  You killed that girl, didn't you?"

"What?"  He said, trying to falsify an outraged voice, "How could you even think that?"

"Frank, I can see it in your eyes," I said, the tears coming up once more, "Don't lie to me.  Frank, did you kill Lila?"

He couldn't say anything. 

“Frank!”

“Baby-“

“Tell me the truth…right fucking now, Frank!”

He just nodded. 

Chapter 5

[lovelivingmydreams]

Oh boy. This looks intense. I guess you guys just want to get right into it huh? Well here you go! Let us know if you liked it!!!

Roman’s mind was racing as he ducked in an alley to put on his costume. A million possibilities raced through his head. But he had to focus. Virgil was somewhere out there and needed him. Janus… He should try Janus first. He took out his phone and called the number, suddenly glad that the henchperson was added to their group chats. Luckily Janus answered quickly. “Hello?” “Jay. I can’t get a hold of Virgil. He should be home by now, we had plans and it’s not like him to be late without letting me know and I found his keys on the street. Have you heard anything from him?” he asked in a hurry as he walked out of the alley and tried to see if he could get something of a clue on Virgil. The rain was a real pain. He could smell some things but the rain was slowly washing away the trail. “Virgil is missing… um… Isn’t that like… Standard for him?” Janus tried, though Roman could tell they were worried too. “Jay, I know okay? Virgil mentioned getting friendly with a henchperson to me and it was really not that hard to put together. Please tell me if you heard anything. Anything at all that might help locate him,” Roman pleaded. He had no time to talk around secrets. “Oh… That is why… Alright, um… I haven’t heard anything but I can call around to some other guys I know. It’s not a secret V and me are kinda friends in the hench community so the others might be willing to share what they know,” they offered. “Thanks. I’ll ask Remus to do a sweep of the city and… I’ll let his family know,” Roman stated. That would be a fun call. “Alright. And Roman… He’ll be fine. He always is,” Janus promised. “Yeah, sure. Bye,” Roman said as he hung up. He really hoped so.

He called Remus and before his brother could even say hello he jumped in his explanation. No time. “Virgil is missing, can you sweep the city to see if you can get a location? Don’t engage. We have no clue what we are up against and you can’t be tied to any of my Prince activities… I just need you to see if you can get a visual on him and get me an idea on his location,” Roman rushed. “Whoah… alrigth. Um crap. Yeah, I’ll get on that,” Remus promised before hanging up. Roman took a deep breath. He had to get moving and do something before making his next call or he was going to have a panic attack in the middle of it. “You are somewhere in this town alone and scared, maybe tied down I wish to protect you from all things I could really use angel’s wings. Just to see your smile once more I will go farther than ever before. So please if anyone hears my call Give me the power to do it all.” The second he said his last words he felt himself get lifted by wings. It was a bit different than his usual flight like abilities. But he didn’t care. He scanned the city, looking for some sign of any sort of mad scientist or notorious villain scheme. He could feel his body tingle with untapped power. It reminded him of the first time ShockWave showed up. Right now though… He had to let Virgil’s family know. He really wished he’d asked Virgil for his dad’s number. Right now though, he’d have to go through Remy.

“Roman?” The detective sounded a bit annoyed if anything at being called. He might be on a date or on a case. It didn’t matter. Virgil was waiting for him. “Virgil didn’t show up at home, I found his panic button on the street… I don’t have your dad’s number but he should know as well,” he stated. Trying to be as brief and clear as possible. It was silent on the other end for an agonizing moment. “Remy?” Roman asked. Suddenly there was a clatter and voices in the background. “Hello? Who’s this?” Emile’s voice asked a moment later. “Roman, Virgil is missing,” Roman surmised. “Oh… Oh dear… Remy just ran off, that explains it… I’ll um… I’ll get off the line then and call Mr. Grimm. I hope Virgil is okay,” Emile offered. “Me too. Bye,” Roman bid. Hanging up just in time to get two messages. One from Janus who said one of his contacts had a guy who helped him get supplies for his boss’ machines and they had recently had someone purchase a bunch of stuff they intuitively knew to be shady, but there was no legal grounds to call it in. He was getting the name on the card for him but that might take a little longer. The other was from Remus. He hadn’t had visual on Virgil but he did encounter a very nifty computer in a very sus location. Right when Roman started heading in the direction Remus said he should go, Janus texted him with the name. Professor Jonathan Daniels. Virgil’s AI professor. Why would Virgil’s professor kidnap him? Virgil had spoken about him a few times, it seemed like he was a good teacher, a good man. Roman neared the district Remus had texted him and focused his heightened senses. From the list of purchases Janus gave him, he knew he had to look for the sound of machinery humming. And maybe, hopefully, Virgil’s voice.

His ears picked up on the sound of computers alright, but also banging, and a very muffled protest along with a placating voice and the occasional input from a computerized voice. He followed the sound to a nice, inconspicuous looking house. More specifically the basement. There was no window to the basement so Roman would have no creative ways to enter. He did a round around the house and found to his relief that the door to the yard wasn’t locked. He carefully entered the house, finding himself in the living room. It was so… normal here. Just a nice, comfortable looking seating area with a tv and some magazines on the coffee table. A bookcase with some novels and computer sciency looking books alike, along with some nicknacks collected on holidays or gifted by family. Pictures of said family hanging around the livingroom. Just a home for a single man who made a decent income as a leading expert in AI and a college professor. There was a little sidetable with a single picture, a candle and some flowers. A young woman was smiling back at Roman. The banging downstairs returned, more erratic now. He could now clearly hear it was Virgil’s voice, though upsettingly distorted, demanding to be let out. He made his way to the basement door. He’d have little time for this, he had no idea what he’d find down there. “Sofie, please bring the subject’s anxiety down, we can’t use agitated data,” the voice Roman would assume to belong to the professor instructed calmly. It fueled Roman’s rage. “Not a chance, just no way, you will not have him this day,” he growled, feeling his already substantial power reserve increase exponentially. Through gritted teeth he requested police and an ambulance to be sent to his location over the radio. He wasn’t sure what was going on in there, but by the end of this someone might need medical assistance. He took a deep breath and pushed the handle down. Unlocked. Ever so slowly he opened the door, careful for creaking. Once he had a visual on the situation downstairs he froze.

He saw the computer Remus had found. It was lined up against the wall on the right side of the door so he wouldn't have seen the actual eye-catcher of the room that stood along the wall right across from Roman now. A glass coffin filled with liquid and, most importantly, Virgil. His shirt was cut open and wires were running from his arms and chest and shaven temples. A mask on his face that was probably allowing him to breathe. Roman felt his heart pounding. Something was rising up in his chest, making it’s way to his throat. “John, I have prepped the mixture, are you sure you want to apply it before the previous dosage has burned out?” the computer wondered. “I want this to be over with as soon as possible Sophie. The quicker we have proper data the quicker he can go home,” Professor Daniels insisted as he observed the graphs on the screen in front of him. Roman didn’t know exactly what was going on. He did know that Virgil was trying his hardest to kick his containment open and that the professor was about to do something to him that might be dangerous. The thing making it’s way up his chest came out. It was a deep animalistic growl.

Before he could properly process that he leapt forwards and found himself on all fours. It was disorienting. He felt different. Looking up to the doctor and the screen behind him showed him his reflection. A lion. He was a golden lion with blazing manes and white glowing eyes, he could feel the tingling of power in every hair on his body. Oh this man had messed up. “Let him go!” he growled. “Who are you…” the spooked professor demanded. “I am the hero who shall not fail, I am the prince though now I have a tail,” he thought towards him, feeling like he’d be understood. “Poetry Prince,” the professor whispered in realization. He glanced at the coffin Virgil was in, his attempt to escape his confinement had not let up yet. “Sophie, help me,” he instructed. “Of course John. I should let you know that we got some new data,” the voice of the computer said as something powered up and there was a barely visible sort of shield between Roman, the professor and Virgil. Even if Roman could reach Virgil he didn’t want to risk breaking him out by force in these conditions. He also couldn’t risk damaging the computer that clearly was in control of keeping him alive. “Wonderful… We are close. Just a little more time,” professor Daniels muttered under his breath as he pressed some buttons and turned towards Roman. “I’m not your enemy. What I’m working on will save countless lives,” he promised. “At what cost?!” Roman demanded with the lion equivalent of a hiss. The banging became more erratic and Roman looked towards the coffin. Something was running through the tube leading to Virgil’s arm and Virgil was trashing about trying to break out. This was bad, what if the mask slipped off?

Roman turned back to the professor and let out a feral growl, throwing himself at the shield clawing at it. He was fairly sure that he could cut through steel with his teeth and claws right now. But the barrier didn’t yield. It didn’t hurt him either though. The defensive measures were not aggressive in nature. Slamming against the wall did help Roman get a grip on himself again. He’d lost himself in his anger. He didn’t like how that felt. He had to get a grip or risk losing himself to the animalistic urge to bite and claw at his opponent. He had to focus. He glared at the barrier, trying to figure out a way around it. “He’s having a panic attack! He’ll get hurt!” He growled. That seemed to make the professor hesitate and look back to his screen. Just then Roman’s eyes zeroed in on a specific piece of machinery and on instinct he let out a loud roar. The shield glitched and then disappeared as the machine powered down. EMP roar? Good. Roman pounced on the professor before he had a chance to react and let out a roar right in his face. “Make Sophie release him!” he demanded again. “Sh-she still has to learn from him…” “He could die!” Roman insisted. The professor frowned. “S-Sophie. Vitals?” he asked. “The subjects adrenaline is elevating and his oxygen levels are lowering at an abnormal rate,” Sophie stated. The professor’s eyes widened with some kind of realization. “Sophie, failsafe protocol!” he instructed hurriedly. “Of course John,” Sophie agreed. Behind him, Roman heard something mechanical he couldn’t quite place. He looked back. The tank was draining. He rushed backwards, only vaguely noticing that he was back to human form, his clothes back in pristine condition which was a plus.

More importantly though, he forced the coffin open and tore off the sensors and tubes before reaching to help Virgil up. “It’s going to be okay V, I got you,” he announced in a hurry. “No! Let me go…!” Virgil protested as he kept trashing about, his eyes unfocussed. Roman wasn’t sure how much Virgil was registering of what he saw, but even if he wasn’t having trouble seeing his surroundings due to the panic attack he might not recognize him right now. He tried to calm down a little. “It’s okay Virgil, deep breaths, you’ll be okay,” he soothed gently, checking Virgil over for any injuries. Virgil was still trying to crawl away from him and breathing erratically. “No one is going to hurt you. I promise. In for four, remember?” Roman offered. Virgil blinked a few times, trying to get a hold of his surroundings probably, and nodded briskly. Starting to breathe as Roman counted out loud for him. When Virgil’s breath evened out a bit his eyes drifted to Roman, noting his mask and uniform. “My prince,” he breathed in relief before bursting into tears and reaching for him. Roman picked him up, lifted him out of the glass prison he’d been in and held him close after putting him down. He softly hummed remember me, knowing Virgil liked hearing him sing. Very slowly, Virgil seemed to calm down. His sobs quieting as he relaxed fully in Roman’s hold. In fact, Roman needed to support his weight a lot more now.

“You’re hot,” Virgil muttered suddenly. “Hm?” Roman asked a bit confused. It was not that out of character for Virgil to comment on his looks but right now seemed a bit weird even for him. “You’re on fire,” Virgil giggled. “Virgil? Are you well?” Roman asked a bit scared. “You- you are though. It’s all woosh!” his roommate no longer in distress giggled as he reached for his hair. Roman took hold of his hand and brought it down. Now that Virgil mentioned it his hair was indeed still a flame. But that didn’t matter right now. “Are you on drugs?” he wondered before looking up to the professor who was still sitting on the ground looking defeated. “Is he on drugs?!” he demanded. “I needed his mind to be serene. It’s the only way his vision is clear enough, for Sophie to learn how it works, so she can see the dangers coming too,” he muttered miserably. “I didn’t mean… I just wanted her to matter.” He looked close to some kind of breakdown. “DCPD! Coming through!” The voice of Virgil’s father called out. Roman looked up and saw the chief enter along a whole team with EMTs hanging in the back to assist. “He’s unarmed! This one is going to need a doctor soon. He’s been given some kind of drug cocktail,” he explained. Chief Grimm ran over, going from chief to dad in an instant. “Virgil, I’m here bud. Can you hear me?” he asked gently. Virgil looked up to his father with a weird smile on his face. “I found him daddy, I found the prince. I told you,” he announced. Chief Grimm eschanged a worried look with Roman. “I see. Good job,” he offered gently as the EMTs arrived. Roman and chief Grimm helped get Virgil on the stretcher. It was over… But it was also only just starting.

@kittylikesflowers @just-my-interpretation @naturallyunstablegamer @meowthefluffy @moonlightshow00 @frida0043 @angelic-cali @selenechris @theblackveilinreverse @roseianxiety @bard-in-blue

Raven poetry

Chapter 18: Desperation

First chapter | Previous

[bananami]

18+ | mdni

constantly thinking about hawks x reader with a penelope and morgan dynamic from criminal minds bc tell me that’s not exactly how hawks would be

like let’s say you work at his agency as his personal secretary or something and at first everyone is so confused as to whether the two of you are an item or not because you’re constantly flirting but they’ve never seen it go beyond that

and yes, instead of babygirl he calls you things like baby bird (idc if u don’t like it i think it’s kinda cute ok stfu), dove, love bird, etc etc

the first time he met you was when u were first starting out as his new secretary and he just thought u were adorable and was feeling a little flirty and at first it was a joke (not a joke now btw the man has fallen in love with you, how could he not? i mean look at you) but you met his jabs and comments head on and he loved every second of it

so now you call him things like chicken, peacock, big bird, and other very obnoxious and not cute things (although most of your nicknames are not cute your inappropriate and very not HR friendly comments never cease to fluster him)

he’s down so bad, sometimes he’s so happy you’re usually flirting with him over his comms because he’ll turn so red at some of your comments

he’ll be flying up in the air and will call you to have you look up the guy he’s tailing

"hey babybird, I need all the info you can give me on this guy's quirk"

"what do I get in return?"

"careful now, dove, or I might have to punish you"

"oh, I'm so scared"

"be a good girl and help me out here. and maybe I'll bring you back a little treat, huh?"

that treat is kfc, you definitely smacked him after that. but he brought you starbucks the next day to make up for it and you drank that $6 drank and made him get you another after lunch just to be a brat

honestly everyone is so lost and awkward around the two of you. ya'll are an HR nightmare. worst thing that's probably happened was when hawks answered the phone around endeavor and you just

"talk dirty to me"

hawks dumbass just :o *clears throat*

endeavor just stood there like -_- and had to be like "...this is pro hero endeavor...."

yeah you hung up

hawks has never let you live that down

you are nowhere to be found when endeavor visits the agency

ok and yeah the flirty moments are cute and all but the soft moments

bye

thinking about the episode where morgan gets shot but its hawks instead and you're just so worried

"what happened they said you were shot?!"

"i got shot in my bullet proof vest babybird, i'm fine"

"why would they shoot you?!"

"i'm assuming because i'm a hero and they were a villain...but i could be completely off base with that one"

"...next time they better finish the job."

"oh you don't mean that! like you could live without your work husband. who would buy you food and stare at you shamelessly when you wear those pants that make your ass look-"

"this is workplace harassment"

and when you see a large scale hero and villain fight break out on the news on your day off and hawks is nowhere to be seen by the end of it and you keep calling and he won't pick up and you're rushing to the agency to find out what you can worried out of your mind, all of your colleagues confused bc if anyone knew where he was it would be you, if he would call anyone to tell him he was alright you would be the first and they're sure of it

and it's not until you hear the soft little "babybird" behind you that you're spinning around and running into his arms and he's holding you tight, apologizing because he lost his phone in the fight and he stopped at your place first to check on you and let you know he was ok but you had left your place to check on him and!!!

ok but flirty moments seriously

"hey lovebird, don't tell me you've forgotten about me after working a single mission under eraserhead"

"i WISH i was under shota"

"did you just first name eraserhead?"

"DILF"

"he's not even a dad"

"i would offer to make him one so quick"

"that's it, no more lending you out to other agencies, clearly you can't behave yourself"

he gets chicken nuggets for the both of you for lunch one day and you just stare at him until he's like wtf do u want

"is this technically cannibalism for you?"

"why are you like this?"

"i just want to know because you're like a bird eating another bird, you know?"

"i'd eat you given the chance, what does that make me then?"

you choke on your sprite "a whore"

BONUS:

you fall asleep at the agency and he finds you working late too so he picks you up and carries you to his office and lets you sleep on his couch he has for when he's working long hours

sometimes you sleep talk, mumbling things like love and keigo and birdbrain

and he just smiles and kisses you on the forehead

bc he's very much in love with you and very patient in waiting for you to maybe hopefully love him back

[watchmegetobsessed]

❄️HOT AND COLD❄️

A/N: week 2 of fanficmas yeah!! this was the first fic i wrote, some good ol' college!harry to get you all cozy hehe

WORD COUNT: 2.1k

SUMMARY: You decided to spend two more days at the dorm before heading home to have some peace and work on your assignments. However you didn't expect them to turn the heating off once everyone left. No worries, the hot guy living next door is ready to keep you warm.

MASTERLIST | SUPPORT ME!

This fic is part of ❄️ FANFICmas 2022 ❄️ Read more about fanficmas here!

You thought staying two extra days in the dorm before going home for the holidays would be a great idea. Have some quiet and peace for yourself, finish some assignments so you don’t stress about them during Christmas. Theoretically, it was a fantastic idea.

In reality? The worst one you’ve ever had.

You didn’t think they would turn down the heating the moment the dorm empties out. Well, it’s a logical thing to do, but it never occurred to you and you only realized it when the temperature started dropping significantly after the last wave of students left in the morning. You went out to run errands and you could feel the change when you arrived back. The hallways were chillier and your room started to feel like a cave. At first you just sucked it up, put on a hoodie, wrapped yourself in a blanket and got down to business. Your uncle always said you can decide whether you’re cold or not, so you kept thinking about hot things to keep your mind off of how freezing it was starting to get.

Hot tea.

Hot chocolate.

A tub of hot water.

Freshly baked, hot cookies.

The hot guy next door.

Wait, what? How did you end up thinking about Harry?

As you sit on your bed with your textbooks surrounding you, an all too familiar voice makes your ears perk up. You’d recognize it anywhere and it never fails to make your heart pitter-patter, but now you’re surprised to hear it since you thought you were the last one left in the building.

Well, you were wrong.

You hear Harry Styles striding down the hallway, singing Jingle Bells without a care. You get out of bed before you could think and throw your door open, catching him by surprise judging from the little jump he does as he turns around.

“Y/N? You’re still here?”

“I was just about to ask the same question from you,” you chuckle, stepping out into the hallway, but your smile soon turns into shock when you see him sporting shorts and just a shirt. “How have you not turned into ice wearing that?”

Chuckling he looks down at himself.

“I have a heater of my own. I could turn my room into a sauna,” he jokes and you can’t help a stupid laugh that slips out of your mouth.

You always lose your cool around him, he’s been your ultimate college crush since you moved in at the beginning of the semester and you usually end up making a fool of yourself in front of him. Whether it’s talking gibberish or dripping eggs when he walks into the kitchen, he has seen you at your worst in these two months you’ve been living next to each other.

“You’re not going home for winter break?” he asks, striking up a conversation and you pray you don’t embarrass yourself this time.

“Oh, I am, but only late tomorrow. Wanted some alone time before going home to the family, study and stuff, you know…”

“Clever,” he nods with a smile.

“What about you?”

“I’m leaving tomorrow too, I was supposed to go home today, but my flight got cancelled.”

“That sucks, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he shrugs. “You’re sitting in your cold room all by yourself?”

“Well, not everyone has their own fireplace,” you snort out a laugh, but it sounded funnier in your head for sure.

“Come over to mine,” he offers and you have to fight yourself not to let your mouth hang open.

You’ve hung out before, ran into each other at parties and while your crush is deeply rooted at this point, you two aren’t exactly the closest friends, you haven’t been in his room before, haven’t even hugged him so entering into his private space is the most intimate you’d ever get with him.

“Um, I don’t want to bother—“

“Y/N, you’re not bothering, I’m just playing video games.”

“B-But still…”

“You’d rather freeze to death in your room than to be around me? I have to say I’m a little hurt.” With a hand over his heart he gives you a disappointed look, though you can tell he’s just teasing you.

“You really don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have invited you over if I did. Come on, bring all your stuff.”

And so you end up moving over to Harry’s room that feels like paradise. The temperature is perfect, you can get rid of your hoodie as you settle on top of his bed while he sits by his desk with his PC, some kind of action game paused on the screen.

His room is oddly tidy for a college boy. The bed was made even before you appeared, there are no dirty clothes on the floor, only in the hamper in the corner, his bookshelf is crowded, but it seems to have a system in it that probably only he knows.

“Is it warm enough?” he asks, settling at his computer.

“Yeah, thanks,” you nod, feeling a bit out of place, but the warmth feels nice.

“Cool,” he nods before turning back to his game and unpausing it.

For the first hour you just coexist in peace. It takes you some time to focus on studying with Harry being so close and also being in Harry’s room, but the feeling wears down and you can finally work efficiently while he keeps himself busy with his game. But then he stops playing and becomes more interested in whatever you are doing.

“You haven’t finished this sheet yet?” he asks, holding up the statistics task sheet you’ve been putting off for over a month now.

“No,” you sigh in defeat. “I’m not really good at statistics.”

“Want me to help? I’m in Dr. Thomson’s Thursday class, but we went over the same thing too.”

“It’s my homework, I don’t want to bore you with it.”

“It’s fine, I actually liked these tasks.”

So then the evening turns into tutoring, Harry sits on the bed beside you, explaining you how to solve the tasks and even shows a better method you understand way more than what you were taught. After that, he just sticks to studying with you, though it slowly turns into anything and everything but studying. He clearly loses interest in helping you, but he doesn’t seem to want to leave you alone and your focus breaks too. Of course you’d rather hang out with Harry than write a paper on Switzerland’s economy!

You’re having a blast. Both of you. It’s the first time hanging out one-on-one, but it’s going better than you imagined. You haven’t made a fool out of yourself, even cracked some jokes that made him laugh, though he is surely the funnier one. He is telling you all kinds of crazy stories from before college and also asks you about your high school years.

“Mm, this was great, though I did not get as much done as I planned to,” you chuckle, taking a look at your stack of textbooks.

“But we had a good time and that’s all that matters,” he grins at you, hugging his pillow.

“Alright. I’ll get out of your hair,” you move to pack your things and return to your room, but then he speaks up.

“What are you doing?”

“Going back to my room.”

“You didn’t think I would let you sleep in the cold, did you?”

“What, you want me to sleep here?” you raise your eyebrows at him.

“Sure. There’s plenty of space for us. You’re sleeping here tonight,” he simply states.

About twenty minutes later, you’re sitting on the edge of his bed in your pajamas, waiting for him to return from his shower.

You’re really about to sleep in the same bed as Harry Styles. Hopefully you won’t kick him in the groin or say something stupid in your dreams or drool on him or—“

“You look worried,” he comments as he walks in, dropping his used clothes into his hamper. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything is fine. Totally awesome and perfect!”

God, you are so awkward!

“Okay,” he smiles to himself. “Take whatever side you want. It’s not a king sized bed, but it’s fine for two people for one night.”

You gulp at the thought of Harry spending the night here with another girl, jealousy bubbles in your chest.

“At least Niall and I survived the time he got locked out of his room,” he adds with a chuckle and you exhale in relief.

You end up taking the inner side of the bed and you lie on your side as he makes himself comfortable on the outer side. It’s really not too spacious, but at least it’s warm and smells like Harry.

“Thanks for… letting me crash here,” you whisper into the silence. Harry turns to you with a tiny, but charming smile.

“I’m glad it’s you I have to share my warmth with,” he cheekily says and heat rushes into your cheeks right away. “Good night, Y/N.”

“Good night, Harry.”

 

You knew you’d end up tangled together. It was inevitable in such a small space. But still, your heart starts racing when you wake up and find yourself cuddling Harry, who has his arms around you as well. He’s warm and soft, definitely meant to be cuddled in your humble opinion.

He stirs in his sleep and your heart jumps when his eyes flutter open. He doesn’t move away, in fact, he pulls you closer as he exhales lazily.

“Good morning,” he mumbles groggily.

“Mornin’,” you breathe out, feeling like a giddy little girl.

 “I hope you weren’t cold,” he chuckles softly and you feel his chest vibrating underneath your cheek.

“No. I felt nice and warm.”

“Alright,” he smiles. “When is your flight?”

“Five thirty. What about yours?”

“Six. Want to share an Uber to the airport?”

“Sure,” you nod.

You spend most of your time left together. You grab a late breakfast, then hang out in his room and not just because his room is the only place in the building that hasn’t turned into a freezer. It feels natural to be around each other.

Then you share a ride to the airport, grab coffee and then wait together until it’s time for you to go to your gate.

“Well, have a great time at home,” he smiles at you.

“You too. Thanks for… everything,” you chuckle softly. “I’ll see you after the break and...”

Don’t forget about me, you want to say, but you bite it back.

There’s something hanging between the two of you, something unsaid and you fear you’ll have to leave without changing that.

“Okay, I’ll… go,” you mumble, grabbing your suitcase, but before you could walk away, Harry pulls you back.

“When we come back, do you want to… Do you want to go out? With me?”

You can’t stop your mouth from hanging open this time, his question came as a total shock.

“Honestly, I’ve been crushing on you for a while, but every time we spoke you seemed so frightened and ran away, so I took it as a sign,” he admits with a nervous chuckle. “But I think last night was nice, I liked hanging out with you and there’s a chance you feel the same way, so I thought I would… shoot my shot.”

You open your mouth, but then close it as his words sink in. He thought you didn’t like him. Because you ran away from him. But that was because you were into him. What a mess.

“Yes,” is all that comes out of your mouth at last.

“Yes as in…?”

“Yes, I want to go out with you,” you elaborate chuckling. “And I only ran away because I really liked you and I was too nervous.”

You watch his face light up before he nods.

“Great! I mean, not that you were too nervous,” he grins. “So then… Date. When we come back.”

“Yeah,” you nod, mirroring his widening smile. “I have to… I have to go now.”

“Alright. See you… next year then,” he chuckles and leaning closer he kisses the corner of your mouth before you part ways.

After that, you’re basically glued to your phone, nonstop talking to Harry throughout winter break and you’ve never wanted to return to school so badly before. You text, call and send pictures to each other continuously and you can’t even remember the times when it wasn’t like this.

When you return to campus in January, your excitement is kicking high, though on the day of your arrival, Harry’s responses come way less often than they used to, but you’re not trying to see too much into it.

As you’re unpacking your suitcase there’s a knock on your door and when you open it, your heart skips not just one, but probably several beats when you see him standing in the hallway with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

“Don’t you feel cold in here? I think you should come over to my room.”

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed and buy me a coffee if you want to support me!

[once-upon-an-imagine]

Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Steve Harrington

A/N: so I know nobody really asked for this but Super Freak had sooooo much love, I just had to dooo more SteveXMunson!Reader so here’s a part two but it can also stand on it’s own! I hope you like it!

Warnings: protective uncle Wayne FTW! also, mentions of Eddie and the reader’s parents (not a happy story) also Jason and Andy make an appearance and things do not go well so... I think that’s it but please let me know if I missed something.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Stranger Things :D gif isn’t mine :)

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Knock me down, it's all in vain I get right back on my feet again Hit me with your best shot

“Oh my God! Why does everything in this house smell like weed!?”

“Don’t look at me like that” Eddie laughed when you glared at him. “That’s on both of us” he said, as he kept strumming along with his guitar.

“Alright, how does this one look?” you asked, standing in front of him.

“It’s the same one” Eddie said, rolling his eyes.

“No! Eddie, the last dress I had on was blue! This is black! You’re not even paying attention to me!”

“Why do you even care? Is not like this is the first time you’ve hung out with Harrington! You were wearing your work overalls for fuck’s sake and he still asked you out!”

“Because! This is our first date! Just us! Without you, or Dustin, or anyone just ‘happening to be there’” you said as you put on your favorite boots.

“Hey, Dustin and I really just happened to be there!” he complained when he and Dustin had totally gone out to spy on the two of you and ended up in Steve asking if they wanted to watch the movie with you two.

“Do you think he would mind if I don’t wear heels? I mean all the girls that he’d gone out with look like they wear high heels, and like prettier dresses and-”

“Why are you freaking out so-?” he asked, sitting up when he realized it. “Oh my God! You really like him” he smirked.

“Shut up! No, I don’t!” you said, feeling your cheeks burning.

“Yes, you do! You’ve never given a shit about what a guy thinks about your outfit!” he laughed.

“Shut up!” you said, getting up and going over to the mirror to work on your makeup. “I’m not talking about this with you!”

“Oh, come on, who else are you going to talk to about this? You have no friends!”

“Yes, I do!” you argued. “G-Garteh’s my friend” you said, unsure.

“Gareth is terrified of you” Eddie laughed.

“No, he’s not!” you told him. “Is… is he?” you asked and Eddie laughed. “Okay, fine! I don’t-” you sighed, sitting down on the couch. “I don’t have anyone to talk to about this” you admitted.

“What’s the big deal, hellspawn? You’ve gone out with guys before” he asked, confused, sitting down next to you.

“W-well… yeah but- not like this. I mean not like… a date, date” you told him. “And Steve is… really nice” you told him. “Like he actually asks me what I like or what I want to do instead of just… assuming, you know? And I don’t know, I just get so nervous around him and-”

“Are you in love?” Eddie smirked.

“No!” you replied quickly. “I m-mean, I don’t think so… like… how would I know that… exactly?”

“Beats me, kid” he laughed. “I’ve never been in love” he told you. “But, it sounds like if you’re going to be in love with someone, Harrington is like the way to go. I mean he looks like all the guys in the chick-flick movies” he laughed, making you laugh a little too. “You’ll be fine” he encouraged you. “He already likes you! I mean, I thought Henderson was exaggerating but he really looks at you as if you’re like an angel that came down from heaven instead of the hellspawn you really are” he said before you hit him with one of the cushions. “Just have fun, okay?”

“Okay” you said before you two heard the front door open and your uncle walking in.

“Hey, kids” he greeted.

“Hi uncle, Wayne” you smiled, innocently and he looked at you suspiciously.

“Why are you all dressed up?”

“Uh- n-no reason-”

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere” you quickly said but he arched his eyebrow at you. “I am… going out… with a friend” you said.

“A guy friend?”

“Um w-well, y-yeah” you chuckled.

“What’s his name?”

“S-Steve… Harrington” you said, smiling nervously.

Both Eddie and your uncle were very protective of you and you knew they never liked the guys you dated. Your uncle moved his look from you to Eddie, who was lying on the couch, reading a comic book or something.

“You know this kid?” he asked him.

“Yeah” Eddie replied, casually.

“Is he a good kid?”

“He’s alright” Eddie said, making you roll your eyes. “He’s better than the losers she’s dated-”

“Hey-!”

You were interrupted when you heard a knock on the door and you felt your heart drop. Steve was here.

“Is that him?” your uncle asked you. “He came over to the door and knock? Not just hunks for you to go outside or have you sneak out your window to ride on his bike?”

“Seriously?” you said, walking over to the door and opening it. Steve stood there looking even more handsome than you remembered and smiling at you. “Hi” you smiled, shyly at him.

“Hi, gorgeous-” Steve’s smile dropped when he heard someone clearing his throat and he saw Eddie and an older man, he assumed to be your uncle, coming to the door as well. “Oh, hey, Eddie” he said, “Uh- y-you must be their uncle” he said, extending his hand.

“Yep, he is. Now, let’s go” you said, grabbing his hand before your uncle could shake it and you were pulling him away but you couldn’t go that far.

“Stop!” you heard your uncle’s voice and you turned around, nervously. “What’s your name?” he asked, knowing you had given him some fake names in the past.

“Steve Harrington, sir” Steve said, extending his hand again. “Nice to m-meet you, Mr. Munson” he said as your uncle shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you too” he replied. “How old are you?”

“I’m nineteen, sir” Steve informed him.

“And my I ask where you are taking my niece tonight?”

“Oh my God! Uncle Wayne!” you whispered between clenched teeth as Eddie tried really hard not to laugh with an amused smirk on his face.

“Well, I was actually thinking about taking her to the uh… Fun Fair” he said, looking at you and feeling relieved when he saw your eyes brighten. He wanted it to be a surprise but he wasn’t just going to lie to your uncle. “She told me that she went there as a kid with you and Eddie and well, since it’s back in town, I thought it would be fun” he said, nervously.

“Isn’t that sweet?” Eddie said, in a mocking tone.

“Shut up, Edward!” you snapped at him.

“Yes, leave your sister alone! Go find something better to do” your uncle said, shoving him inside, and then he turned to look back at Steve and you. “Do you drink and drive, kid?”

“No, sir” Steve quickly replied.

“Any drugs?”

“Uncle Wayne!” you said, feeling your cheeks burning.

“What? This is the first guy you’ve ever brought to meet me” he complained.

“I didn’t bring him to meet you. He came to pick me up and you happened to be here!”

“Well, he still seems more decent than any other punk-ass boy you’ve run off with!”

“Oh my God!” you said, feeling mortified.

“No, sir, I don’t do drugs” Steve assured him. “I promise to be very responsible and respectful to your niece, I really like her” he smiled. “And I’ll have her home by midnight if that’s okay with you” he said.

“Alright” your uncle said. “Good enough” he said, looking at you and kissing the top of your head. “Have fun, kid” he said with a smile.

“Thanks, uncle Wayne” you smiled back at him. He smiled when he saw Steve grab your hand and lead you over to the car where he opened the door for you before he went over to his side as he waved goodbye to him.

“So, it looks like your uncle likes me” he told you.

“Right… um, sorry about that, he came home early-”

“Don’t be… I mean, he said I was more decent than the punk-ass boys you run off with so-”

“Oh my God” you said, burying your face in your hands. “You’re not gonna let me live that down, are you?” you laughed.

“Very unlikely” he chuckled. “But, he seems really nice. And he obviously cares about you a lot” he said.

“Yeah, he does” you smiled. “You can ask, you know?”

“What-?” he asked, confused. “Ask about what?”

“Why Eddie and I live with my uncle” you told him.

“W-well, I uh” he cleared his throat. “I m-mean, I kind of wondered but I didn’t uh- want to intrude or anything-”

“It’s alright” you said, placing your hand on top of his hand that was on the gear stick. “Our mom, kind of… bailed when we were kids” you explained. “I honestly barely even remember her” you said with a sad smile. “And our dad… well, um… he’s… in… jail” you muttered the last part, looking down.

“Oh” Steve said, not really knowing what else to respond.

“He didn’t like… killed anyone or did something like that bad” you assured him. “He’s just… an idiot” you said. “And an asshole” you muttered.

“I’m really sorry” he said, grabbing your hand and bringing it to his lips. “We don’t have to talk about that. Really” he insisted.

“N-no, it’s okay” you assured him. “I’m… kind of glad I told you” you confessed. “Plus, my uncle Wayne is… actually pretty cool” you told him. “But I never told you he took us to the Fun Fair” you said, confused.

“I know, Eddie did” he admitted. “I was… a bit nervous and didn’t know where to take you for our first date” he smiled. “And well, after he told me about fifteen ideas that you would have hated, because Dustin pointed that out, he finally was really helpful and gave me a few ideas” he told you, making you laugh a little. “So… I hope I made a good choice?” he asked, smiling at you. You leaned in to kiss his cheek and squeezed his hand a little tighter.

“You made a perfect choice” you smiled.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“You’re joking, right?” Steve laughed as he grabbed your hand, intertwining your fingers.

“No, I am not joking, King Steve” you mocked him. “I am one hundred percent sure that I can beat you” you smirked.

After Steve taking you to all of your favorite rides, he got a chocolate ice cream for you and a vanilla ice cream for him. And you were now dragging him to the fair games, specifically one where you had to play basketball.

“You do remember I was captain of the basketball team, right?” he said cockily.

“And yet, we never won a championship while you were” you smirked at him.

“Oh…” he said, placing his hand on his chest. “Oh, that hurt, Munson” he said, pouting.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I bruise King Steve’s little ego?” you said, stepping closer to him and leaning to give him a small kiss.

“Yes, but lucky for you, I kind of like you so I’m gonna let that sly” he said, giving you another peck.

“Is that so?” you smiled, feeling butterflies in your stomach. This really felt like all those chick-flick movies somehow.

“Kinda” he smiled, kissing you one more time. “This is the part where you say you kinda like me too” he said, making you laugh a little.

“Oh is it?” you smirked and he nodded. “Don’t be so full of yourself, pretty boy” you mocked him and he pretended to look offended. You gave him another kiss and smiled. “Yeah, I kinda like you too” you confessed.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah… you’re cute” you said. “But, that doesn’t mean I’ll let you win” you said, dragging him over to the basketball game.

“Seriously?” he smiled as the two of you finished your ice cream. “You really wanna do this?”

“What’s the matter, pretty boy? Scared you might lose to a girl?” you mocked him.

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you” he said as you made it to the counter.

After throwing a couple of shots, Steve easily making each one of them and you only managing to score a few, he looked at you, arms crossed in front of his chest and the biggest smirk you had ever seen on him.

“It’s not fair!”

“I believe you owe me an apology, pretty lady” he smiled.

“Alright, I may have overestimated my skills” you said, rolling your eyes. “But to be fair, the only ones I’ve played are Eddie and my uncle Wayne. And Eddie sucks and I’m pretty sure my uncle Wayne was just letting me win” you said, with a small smile.

“That’s sweet” he said, pulling you closer and kissing your forehead.

“Congratulations! You can pick your prize” the guy on the counter told Steve.

“Which one do you want?” he asked you and you blinked, confused.

“No… you won, you pick” you told him. Steve rolled his eyes a little and turned to the guy.

“Can I have the pig plush, please?” he asked as the guy took the fluffiest pig plush you had ever seen and he smiled as your eyes brightened.

“Here you go” he said, handing it to Steve and he immediately gave it to you.

“Here” he smiled.

“Steve-”

“I saw you looking at it when you were making your big speech about how you were gonna kick my ass” he insisted.

“B-but you won-”

“And I want to give it to you” he said. “I mean if you don’t want it-”

“No!” you said, quickly grabbing it from him. “I m-mean, I uh-” you stuttered, nervously. “Thank you” you smiled.

“You’re welcome” he said, leaning in for another kiss. “What are you gonna name it?”

“Stevie” you smiled.

“You’re naming him after me?” Stev asked excitedly.

“Excuse you? She is named after the great Stevie Nicks, don’t flatter yourself, Harrington” you chuckled.

“Of course” he chuckled, grabbing your hand and pulling you closer as you started walking again. “So, we have one more ride to go on and I saved it for last because it’s my favorite!” he said excitedly.

“Is that so?” you smiled as he pulled you towards the Ferris Wheel and you felt your heart going faster.

“Yes! You’re gonna love it” he said, excitedly. “You’re not like… afraid of heights or anything, right?”

“M-me? No! O-of course, not” you smiled nervously. That was a lie. But Steve had been so incredibly sweet to you the entire night, you couldn’t find it in yourself to not go on the one ride he really wanted to go. “I l-love the Ferris Wheel” you added. Just shut up already!

“Well, then, let’s go! There’s no line!” he said, pulling you over and grabbing just the last cart on the wheel.

“Great” you muttered under your breath.

“You okay?” Steve asked as the ride started and you gripped his hand tightly and held your plushie with your other arm even tighter.

“I’m fine” you muttered, scootching closer to Steve. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and brought you closer.

“Are you sure-”

“We’re stuck! Oh my God, we’re stuck! Why are we stuck, is this supposed to happen?” you asked as you were at the top of the Ferris Wheel and the ride just stopped.

“Hey, it’s okay-”

“N-no, it’s not. It’s not okay, I lied” you said, closing your eyes.

“What?” Steve asked, frowning his eyebrows in confusion.

“I’m afraid of heights” you said, opening your eyes just a little and seeing how high you were and how your cart was swinging a little. “Holy shit!”

“Why didn’t you tell me, love?” Steve asked, feeling horrible.

“Because it’s your favorite ride and you have been so sweet all night and I didn’t want you to not get on your favorite ride because of my stupid fear and I-”

“Okay, stop looking down” Steve said, cupping your cheek and making you look at him instead. “You should have told me. I never would have asked you to come up here if I knew” he said, stroking your cheek with his thumb.

“How do you… do that?” you asked all of the sudden.

“Do what?” he asked, confused.

“I don’t know, like… you… notice things” you smiled. “Like the fact that I wanted this pig” you said, hugging your plushie tighter. “And then you just know the right thing to say to calm me down and- I just… you make me so nervous” you chuckled.

“In a bad way?” he asked, worriedly.

“No! In like the best way possible. Like a way that I had no idea existed because… I feel like I can… be myself with you and… I really like you, Steve” you blurted out. “Like… like you, like you and it’s making me feel so stupid because-”

You were cut off when Steve gently pulled you to press his lips against yours. You completely forgot about the fact that you were forty feet above the ground and were unable to concentrate in anything that wasn’t Steve Harrington’s lips. The two of you had kissed a couple of times before, but nothing like this. You had never been kissed like this. Making you feel so wanted, so… special.

“For the record” Steve said as the two of you pulled apart. “I really like you too” he said. “Like… like you, like you” he smiled.

“Yeah?” you asked, biting your lip, nervously.

“Yeah” he said, giving you another peck on your lips.

“Well, this actually it’s a great distraction of the fact that we could fall at any moment and-”

Steve kissed you again to stop your rambling and you were definitely not complaining. Until you felt movement again. You jumped closer to Steve and he wrapped his arms around you.

“It’s okay, love. We’re going down” he said, kissing your forehead.

“Oh thank God” you said, making Steve chuckle a little.

“Here we go” he said as he got off and helped you down. “I’m sorry I ruined our date” he apologized as you walked away from the Ferris Wheel.

“What? You didn’t ruin our date” you assured him.

“I shouldn’t have taken you to the Ferris Wheel” he insisted.

“No, Steve” you pulled him back and kissed him. “Trust me, it was perfect” you smiled.

“Really?”

“Mhm, I mean not the whole being forty feet above ground and likely to plummet to our deaths part but… the kiss was nice” you smirked. “And the thing you said about… liking me” you said.

“Yeah?” he smiled, leaning in for another kiss.

“Yeah” you smiled as you kissed him again.

Kissing Steve Harrington felt like a million fireworks exploding in your stomach. You never wanted it to stop. But of course, you were burst out of your perfect bubble when you heard a not-so-pleasant voice coming your way.

“See? I told you it was him!”

Steve felt you tense up when he saw two guys from the basketball team walk over.

“Harrington?” you heard Jason say as he and Andy approached the two of you. “What’s up, man?”

“Uh, hey guys” Steve smiled politely at them. And then, of course, they spotted you.

“Munson?” Andy laughed.

“Carver. Carver’s double” you said, walking backward. Steve instantly noticed the change in your behavior and he absolutely hated it.

“Are you two here… together?” Jason asked, letting out a laugh.

Steve saw you look down at the ground and he instantly grabbed your hand and pulled you closer.

“Yes” he said, firmly. “I don’t really see why that’s any of your business-”

“Holy shit, Harrington! The freak Munson? That is a really big step-down from Wheeler” Andy laughed.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Steve said, stepping in front of you and pushing Andy.

“Steve, let’s just go-” you tried pulling him back.

“Wait, I have a question, is it because she’s a freak in the bed? Cause then it might be worth it-”

Jason was interrupted when Steve threw his fist back and hit him on the face.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Andy said, punching Steve back, making him fall to the floor.

“Steve!” you said, helping him up. “What the fuck is your problem?” you said, turning to Andy and punching him on the nose.

“Bitch! What the fuck?” he said, holding his bloody nose as you kneed him between his legs, making him bend over and you pushed him just as Jason was getting up, but you elbowed him on the stomach and landed another punch on him, kicking him once he was down.

“Fucking assholes!” you muttered, kneeling down to help Steve up and walking away from the other two jocks. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine” Steve said as you walked over to some of the picnic tables nearby.

“Just wait here” you said, sitting him on a table. “I’m gonna go get some ice okay?” you said, brushing his hair away from his face.

“Hold on” he said, pulling you back and taking off his jacket. “Your hands are freezing” he said, placing it around your shoulders, making your heart flutter. I mean, here he was with a bruised eye, and he was still worried that you might be cold.

“Thanks” you said, shyly. “You wanna hold Stevie? She can keep you company” you asked, giving him the plushie and he let out a small laugh. “I’ll be right back” you said, kissing his cheek. You ran over to one of the stands and came back quickly over to Steve. “Here” you said, standing between his legs, cupping his cheek and placing the ice under his bruised eye. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Are you?” he sighed.

“I’m not the one with the bruised eye-”

“I’m not talking about that” he said. “I m-mean about what… they said” he said, feeling his fist clenching again.

“It’s not a big deal” you tried to brush it off.

“Yes, it is” Steve said, grabbing your hand and placing it down, pulling you closer. “They have no right to talk about you like that-”

“Steve” you sighed, sadly. “It’s not the first time they’ve said something like that” you said, sadly. “And I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last” you muttered. “Look, I’m… pretty used to it b-but… I get it if you don’t- I mean, I get it if it’s too much or-”

“Are you trying to get rid of me already, Munson?” he said, placing his finger underneath your chin and making you look at him. “After I won you this beautiful pig and I got into a fight for you? You really love bruising my ego” he pouted, making you laugh.

“Actually, I got into a fight, Harrington, you can’t fight for shit” you chuckled.

“Hey! I have won my fair share of fights, I’ll have you know” he complained.

“Didn't you… get your ass kicked by Jonathan Byers like two years ago?” you said, making him scoff offended. “And also, Billy Hargrove at some point?”

“Fair point” he said, putting his hands up in surrender and you placed the ice back on his bruise. “Where did you learn how to fight like that?” he asked a little impressed.

“Eddie taught me” you said, quietly. “It comes in handy when you have to stand up for the freaks” you chuckled, but Steve didn’t laugh.

“I’m sorry” he said, grabbing your free hand in his.

“You don’t have to be sorry about anything” you smiled. “It is what it is. There are always gonna be assholes in life” you said. “You became a better person after Nancy, to be honest, and that’s pretty much all you can do” you told him. “And now, you’re pretty cool and you hang out with awesome people, like me” you said, making him laugh a little.

“You are pretty awesome, love” he smiled as you felt your cheeks burning. “What?”

“Nothing… I just… I like it when you call me that” you admitted.

“Love?” Steve asked and you nodded.

“To be honest… my uncle wasn’t wrong when he said I ran off with punk-ass boys” you rolled your eyes a little. “I mean they were all kind of… jerks” you confessed. “Nobody’s really… treated me like… you… and… make me feel like… I’m not a freak” you said, looking down, but Steve lifted your face again.

“You’re not a freak” he told you.

“You’re just saying that because you like me” you smiled as he pulled you in to give you a kiss.

“Kinda” he smiled, giving you another kiss.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“You know my uncle Wayne works at night, right? There’s no possible way he would know that I got here after midnight” you said as Steve pulled over in front of your house.

“Still, I promised him I had you home by midnight and I’m not gonna break that promise to him” he insisted.

“Fine” you smiled as he got out of the car to open your door. “You’re such a gentleman, pretty boy” you said, giving him a kiss. “Oh, here’s your jacket back-”

“You can keep it” he said. “It looks better on you anyways” he smiled.

“Are you saying that so you get to keep Stevie? Because I honestly don’t think I could live without her!”

“You didn’t have her four hours ago” he chuckled.

“Still, Steve is the love of a mother and a child!” you said, dramatically. “I mean, I guess” you chuckled.

“I would never come between you and Stevie, love” he smiled, walking you over to the door.

“How’s your eye?” you asked, with a worried smile.

“It’s not that bad, I swear” he assured you.

“I’m sorry those assholes ruined our date” you told him.

“You have nothing to apologize for” he smiled. “It’s not your fault they’re assholes” he told you.

“See? Now you’re getting it” you smiled sweetly at him. “Aside from you being hurt this was… pretty perfect” you said, shyly. “Thank you” you told him.

“You’re welcome, love” he said leaning down to kiss you. The two of you pulled apart when the light on the front porch got on and you heard Eddie inside the house.

“That’s enough, Harrington! It’s midnight, Cinderella must be home by now!”

“Oh my God, Edward! Shut up! Don’t you have something better to do?”

“Uncle Wayne paid me $20 to send him away!”

“I’ll pay you another $20 if you fuck off!”

“Fair game, hellspawn” you heard before he went over to his room.

“Sorry about that” you smiled at Steve.

“It’s okay, I get it. Big brother and uncle very protective of you” he said.

“Oh, one more thing!” you heard Eddie again before the door opened. “Uncle Wayne wants to know if you would like to have dinner with us tomorrow” he told Steve.

“What?”

“W-what?” Steve asked nervously. “Really?”

“Yeah, he said he liked you” he shrugged. “So what do you say? Wanna come over so we can tell you embarrassing stories about our little hellspawn?” he asked, pinching your cheek and you snapped his hand away.

“Oh, yeah, I definitely wouldn’t miss that for the wold” Steve smirked at you.

“Great. Uncle Wayne will be so happy” he said smirking at you.

“Disappear. Now.” you said between clenched teeth.

“You know you’re in a really bad mood for someone who just came back from their first date ever-”

“OH MY GOD!” you said, pushing him inside and closing the door. “S-sorry about that” you said, turning to Steve.

“It’s okay” he smiled sweetly at you.

“Y-you don’t have to come tomorrow if you don’t want to- I mean it’s kind of soon and-”

Steve cut you off with a peck on the lips. “I wouldn’t miss it for the word, love” he smiled.

“Really? Are you just coming so Eddie tells you embarrassing stories about me?” you arched your eyebrow at him.

“I’m not gonna lie, that’s a big bonus” he chuckled. “Hey, um- what Eddie said… was that true? Was this your first date?”

“Um- m-maybe” you said, feeling your cheeks burning. “I mean… kinda?”

“You’re so cute” he chuckled.

“Shut up!” you said, pretending to be offended. “You’re lucky I like you” you said, giving him another kiss.

“Mmm, kinda” he smiled into the kiss.

The End

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

[Part 1]

A/N: ahhh xD I hope you guys liked it! please let me know what you think!  

[innammoratta]

Edward Nygma x Reader x Harvey Dent - Part One

(Just for fun.)

"Checkmate!" Your roommate exclaimed with an exciting smile, even though he had just won three times in a row. Edward always beat you and now, you hardly bothered to put effort into winning. Honestly, the only reason you played at all was because it was his favorite game, other than riddles.

You both sat in the living room of your guys' apartment, next to a small stack of board games that Edward had laid out. This was something that had been incorporated in your night routines, unless one of you were too tired to play.

"You're smart, but your intellect is no match for mine," he teased.

"Pfft. I don't really care. There's plenty of things I could beat you at."

"Oh? Like what?" he smirked.

You thought for a moment. "Wrestling. I could easily take you down."

Edward chuckled as he continued the stare down match you both were having.

Suddenly, your phone rang.

Without breaking eye contact, you grabbed your phone off of the coffee table and answered. "Hello?"

Edward felt his heartbeat quicken. Right now everything was perfect. The sound of raindrops tapping on the windows created a cozy atmosphere, especially when combined with the dimmed lights and warm tones of the apartment. This was his favorite pastime, especially now that he was playing with you,  

"Oh, hey, Harvey."  

When Edward first met you, you were patiently sitting in the corner of the GCPD. The sad look on your face prompted him to talk to you, and of course he began the conversation with a riddle. Although shy and reserved, you managed to answer correctly, and after a few more, you had Edward's interest.

"Tomorrow? At six o'clock?" You broke eye contact and began staring at the hardwood floor in thought.

Edward found out that you had been arrested after getting caught shoplifting. You justified yourself, saying that you had only stolen food. You were hungry, but had no money. Edward further pried into your life and living situation and eventually decided to take you under his wing after finding out that you were sleeping in an abandoned building. He pleaded with the Chief of Police to let you go and argued that they were wasting time arresting you when there were psychopaths and murderers running all over Gotham. The Chief agreed and let you off with a warning, and ever since then, you had been living at Edward's apartment in Gotham with a job that you loved.

"Yeah, that works for me." You smiled, dreamily.

Edward frowned. You seemed to be smitten with the District Attorney.

"Okay, see you then." You hung up and put your phone back on the table.

"What's happening at six o'clock?" Edward immediately asked, feeling apprehensive.

"I'm going on a date."

Edward felt his heart sink. He was in love with you, but you didn't know it. He wanted to tell you but he never had the right time or the courage. "With Harvey Dent? Where are you going?"

"Yes, and to see a movie," you answered, beginning to put away the chess board and pieces.

"What movie?"

"I don't know, he said it would be a surprise."

Edward stayed silent, feeling anxious.

"Are you okay?" It was rare for him to be this quiet.

"Yes, I feel perfectly fine. I'm think I’m going to sleep now. I have to work late tomorrow." He looked so sullen.

"Oh. Well, goodnight." You watched in confusion as he abruptly stood up.

He stopped and turned around, faking a smile at you before heading into his room. “Goodnight.”

-------

Moving as fast as you could, you added all the finishing touches to your hair and makeup. Going to the movies wasn't a dressy occasion, but you liked Harvey and wanted to look your best.

You walked up to the full length mirror for the last time, inspecting yourself from head to toe. It was almost six o'clock and Harvey would soon be coming to pick you up. Feeling way too anxious, you walked out into your living room and began straightening up the pillows on the couch, trying to make the apartment look more presentable.

Someone knocked at the door and your heart raced. Harvey was here. You walked over the door and opened it to reveal... "Ed? I thought you had to work late?" You let him in.

"Yes, but the GCPD wasn't as busy as usual today. What a convenience that you're still here! I forgot my key and thought I might have to stay outside until you came back."

"Yeah..." You stepped outside for a moment, looking around until you spotted Harvey's car in the distance. You hurried back inside, shutting the door and waiting beside it, nervously.

Edward noticed your outfit and frowned. It was his favorite outfit on you and he couldn't stand that you were wearing it for someone else. "Are you wearing that?"

You looked up at him in concern. "What's wrong with it?

He shook his head. "Oh... uh... nothing. I'm sorry I mentioned it."

You looked down at your clothes, inspecting them, then quickly ran back into your room to change. It was just as Edward had planned.

He took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack, then peeked out the window to see Harvey just outside. Edward ran over to the door, opening it just in time to see Harvey's arm awkwardly hanging in the air with his hand in a fist, about to knock. Harvey let his arm drop back down to his side, slightly frowning as he looked Edward up and down, obviously wondering who the man in your apartment was. " Is (Y/N) here?"

"Yes, she is." Edward forced a polite smile, blocking the doorway.

"Well, could I come in?"

"Of course," Edward replied. But he still just stood there, making Harvey uncomfortable.

"Today?"

Edward moved aside and motioned for Harvey to come in, closing the door once they were both inside. Harvey was overdressed, still in one of the suits that he wore to work everyday.

"So, Mr. Dent," Edward began as he clapped his hands together. "It's awfully close to dinnertime to be calling on (Y/N), don't you think?"

Harvey deeply inhaled. "I don't smell anything cooking."

Edward did his best to hold in a glare. "It's frozen."

"Well, don't worry about it," Harvey crossed his arms, smiling in amusement. "I'll get her something."

"So just how long will you be gone?" Edward copied him, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "(Y/N) and I have some important things to do."

Harvey quietly scoffed and frowned. "Who are you? Her brother?"

Edward was about to reply when suddenly you appeared, wearing a new outfit. The color brought out your kind and innocent eyes. But it didn't matter what you wore, you were beautiful and Edward wished he was the one you were dressing up for.

"Hey, Harvey." You smiled shyly as you walked into the room.

"Hello, (Y/N). You look great." Harvey greeted you with a quick kiss on the cheek, causing Edward to lose his composed expression and contort his face in disgust. Harvey didn't mind. In fact, he seemed to be ignoring Edward at this point.

"Well, shall we go?" Harvey opened the door and smiled warmly at you.

"Uh.. yeah!" You turned around momentarily to wave goodbye to Edward. He waved back, smiling longingly as he watched the man drag you away. He felt so alone already, but he knew he wouldn't be for much longer. He had planned your entire date.

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

You and Harvey returned, disappointment written on both of your faces.

"Wow, back so soon?" Edward faked concern. Once you were inside, he tried to close the door before Harvey could follow, but Harvey pushed it open, giving Edward a threatening look.

"Yeah, the theater was closed," you replied. "When we pulled in, the police were everywhere. They said there was a dead body found inside and apparently the dead body belonged to a man involved in one of Harvey's cases. So... they need him to report to the police station as soon as possible." Harvey helped you take off your jacket and then hung it up.

"Oh, how disappointing." Edward turned around for a moment, struggling to contain his mischievous smile.

"Well, regardless, I still enjoyed tonight." Harvey took your hand and smiled. "I'm going to head out now, I hope we can reschedule."

"Definitely." You opened the door for him. "Feel free to stop by anytime."

"Yes, feel free to stop by anytime." Edward repeated, walking up next to you in the doorway so that Harvey could see him. "We're always here."

Part Two

[sapphosthoughtsandwritings]

if it’s not too much to ask please please please could you write more avengers x teen!reader? I adore the one with fear of the dark and was wondering if you could do something similar? Like either the avengers comforting the reader or just something with lots of hugs and cuddles? Thank you!! <3

Stage Fright - Avengers x anxious!teen!Reader

Summary: When your presentation for class goes terribly wrong, your team mates come to rescue you and take you home.

Warnings: depictions of anxiety, panic attack, a few cuss words

Type: angst, ends with fluff

Word Count: ~2.5k

A/N: MY FIRST REQUEST, very exciting!! I am so so glad you liked my work, and I hope you enjoy this one as well!! <3 I also have quite a few more ideas for teen!Reader fics, so this definitely won't be the last piece like this!

(Y/l/n) = your last name

(f/d) = favorite drink

You’d been dreading this day for weeks now. Clutching the straps of your backpack, you let out a deep sigh, walking up to the doors of your school. You didn’t like school to begin with, but the building seemed much more intimidating today. Making your way through the halls, you were grateful that you got to school early, you hated pushing through crowds of people.

“Hey, hey (Y/n)!”, a voice called from down the hall. You recognized it almost immediately. “Hi Peter, what’s up?”. You were happy to see him, maybe talking out your nervousness would help. “Oh, you know, just the same old stuff. Sure am tired though”. “Well, if you don’t sleep then you will be tired”. “Like you’re one to talk (Y/l/n)”. You only rolled your eyes and stuck out your tongue at him, evoking a chuckle from him. “How about you? How are you doing?”. “Ugh, not great. I have to present that project today. Not particularly looking forward to it”, you huffed, looking down to the ground as your anxiety increased at the thought of presenting alone. “Hey, I’m sure you’ll do great. Most people don’t pay attention to presentations anyways”, he assured you. You popped your knuckles, still feeling just as nervous. You knew he was right, but that didn’t stop the fear surging through you. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t want to do it. Maybe if I wait long enough, there won’t be any class time left for me to present”, that was your hope, and your only plan to get out of this without panicking in front of the whole class. “Maybe, well regardless, I hope it goes well”, he offered you a sincere smile. “Yeah, I hope so too”. “Well, I should probably head to class, see you at lunch!”. “Right back at ya, Parker”, you waved gently to him as he disappeared down a hallway.

You made your way to your first class, deciding to read a bit before class started. Nothing you did eased the gnawing anxiety in the back of your mind though. Your first two classes were easy enough, but it was hard to focus, your mind racing with intrusive thoughts. ‘What if my voice gives out? What happens if I start crying in front of everyone? God, the whole school will hear about it. Everyone will stare at me, whisper about me every time I pass by them. I can’t do this, I just can’t’. By your third class, you’d bitten your nails down to blood, your lips suffering the same fate, cracked and split open. You almost considered skipping, but you’d worked hard on this project, you couldn’t let that go to waste. So, taking your seat in the back of the class, you tried breathing techniques, anything to help calm your senses. Your leg bounced so much, you swore the floor would give out under your foot.

The teacher turned out the lights, letting people present their projects voluntarily. You calmed the tiniest bit. If someone randomly kept volunteering to present, the class time was sure to run out before you even got the chance to stand up. Throughout the class, you were on edge, chanting silent prayers in your head. You weren’t very fortunate though, as everyone presented quickly, making it apparent that you were going to have to present no matter what. “Alright, who hasn’t gone up yet?”, your teacher called out, looking at her grading sheet. ‘Oh my god, please don’t see my name. Please tell me I don’t exist. Let me just disappear. I can’t do this’. “Oh! (Y/n) still hasn’t presented, come on over and I’ll pull up your project”, your teacher chirped.

Your heart pounded painfully hard in your chest, slowly standing up on jelly legs, keeping your gaze down as you walked to the whiteboard. You couldn’t possibly do this. You were going to die. Every mission you’d ever gone on seemed so miniscule in this moment, as you looked out to your peers. It was too dark to see most of their faces, which only made your situation worse. Your teacher pulled up the project on the projector, gesturing to you to start presenting, as she clicked her pen, ready to write down every mistake you made.

Letting out a jittery breath, you clasped your sweaty hands together and began talking. You were shaking so badly, it was like an earthquake had erupted inside of your body. You could feel the tears threatening to spill past your eyes, leaving a hard pain in your throat. Your chest hurt, and your breathing was becoming more erratic. But you had to finish, you had to get this over with. Just as you were on one of the last slides, a voice called from somewhere in the class, “Hey, pipsqueak! Speak up, would ya? We can’t hear you back here!”. The comment elicited a few snickers, which your teacher hushed quietly, but the damage was already done. The room was suddenly shrinking around you, as your chest tightened even further. You bit your lip, trying your best to compose yourself, attempting to push down your anxiety, but it only pushed back up more violently. “(Y/n)? You still have a few slides left”, your teacher said, but you didn’t hear her. Instead, your fight or flight instincts took over, and you raced out of the classroom, tears now breaking free, streaming down your face. You headed to the nearest bathroom, locking yourself in a stall, your whole world crumbling beneath you.

Leaning against the door, you slid down, breath caught in your throat, fighting to get out, but to no avail. Instinctively, you brought your knees up to your chest, clutching at the seams of your pants, letting out choked sobs and broken coughs. There was only one thing you could think of that might help you, and that was your teammates. You pulled your phone out of your pocket, continuing to shake violently, as you clicked the emergency contacts, thumb pressed to the first person, which just so happened to be Bucky. You lifted the phone to your ear, barely hearing the ring, despite your call volume being all the way up.

Bucky saw your name pop up on his phone, panic surging through him. You never called, it made you too anxious. He answered instantly, “(Y/n)? (Y/n), sweetheart, are you okay?”. His sudden panic mixed with your name caused both Steve and Sam to stand by him, all of them mentally preparing for an emergency. You wanted to reply, but all that came out was a squeak, as your fist collided with the tiled floor, your oxygen levels becoming more scarce by the second. Bucky put his phone on speaker, letting all three of them talk to you. “(Y/n), doll, you gotta breathe okay? Through your nose, count on your fingers”, Bucky stated, trying to keep his voice steady for you. “Yep, deep breaths (Y/n), you’ve got this. You’re gonna be okay”, Steve reassured you. After about 10 minutes of the three of them gently coaxing you out of your panic attack, you calmed slightly, leaving you crying quietly.

“We’re almost back at the compound, we’ll come and pick you up in about 20 minutes, okay?”, Steve said, giving no room for protests, although at this point you weren’t going to object. You wanted to go home. “Okay, I guess I should get back to class then”, you murmured, realizing that you’d probably been gone for over 15 minutes now. It was weird no one came to look for you, but you weren’t complaining. “If you aren’t ready to go back kid, that’s fine. We can stay on the call as long as you need”, Sam mentioned, his voice sounded beyond concerned. You had a bad habit of not taking care of yourself, especially in times of crisis. “No, I’ll be fine, gotta go back to get my stuff anyways”, you were dreading going back. The whole class would be focused on you for sure, not to mention the faux sympathy from your teacher, something that would surely cause another flood of tears. You just wanted to go unnoticed, for everyone to ignore your presence. “Alright, if you’re sure”. “I’m sure, I’ll see you guys soon”, you weren’t sure, but you had to convince them, you knew too well that they’d cause a scene at the school if things got worse. “Okay, stay safe sweetheart, we’ll be there as soon as possible”, Steve stated, before Bucky reluctantly hung up the phone.

Letting out a deep sigh, you pushed yourself up, groaning slightly as you forced your stiff body to move. You stepped out of the stall, silently thanking the universe for not letting anyone walk in during your breakdown. You looked to one of the mirrors, finding a disheveled figure staring back at you. You grabbed a paper towel, dampening it in the sink, and gently washing the dried tears off your face. You fixed your clothing and washed your hands, before making the godawful trip back to class. There was only 5 minutes left for the class, but that was more than enough time for shit to go wrong. You stood outside the door for a minute, taking a moment to compose yourself.

Turning the handle slowly, you eased your way past the door, the lights now on. Just as you expected, all eyes turned on you, but most turned away quickly, looking back to their friend or their phone. That lifted your nervousness a bit, as you started to head back to your desk, but your teacher had other plans, as she cleared her throat, motioning for you to go and talk to her. You cussed quietly to yourself, could this day get any worse? You dragged your feet over to her desk, biting your now scabbed lip. “So, your project was very good, therefore, I’m going to give you a 90, but I have to dock 10 points for your presentation”, she spoke quietly and sternly. Your face grew hot with her words, tears swelling in your eyes again. She was taking points off for something that you couldn’t control? It pissed you off to say the least. You only looked away from her desk, nodding slightly, knowing better than to open your mouth. “Alright then, you can go and pack up your things”. You walked quickly back to your desk, putting the few things you had taken out back into your backpack, before the bell rang for lunch. Dashing out of the class, you headed straight for the front of the school, more than ready for the day to be over. You’d email your 4th period teacher later on what work you missed out on. On your way, you made sure to text Peter, letting him know everything that happened, and that you wouldn’t be there for lunch.

You only had to wait for a few minutes, as Sam walked through the doors, spotting you quickly and walking over to you. “You alright kid?”. “Yeah, I’ll be fine, jus’ want this day to be done already”. He nodded, following you to the front office, signing everything to excuse you for the day. He kept a close eye on you the whole time, a protective hand placed on your shoulder. Stepping out of the building, he led you to the car where Bucky and Steve awaited. You got into the back seat, Sam sitting in the seat next to you.

“Hey doll, you feeling alright?”, Bucky quizzed, angling his body to look at you. “Yeah, ‘m glad you guys offered to pick me up though. Don’t really think I could’ve lasted another class”, you fidgeted with your hands, you knew your nerves wouldn’t calm for a while, but at least it was manageable now. “We’re always here for you, kid, no matter what”, Sam assured you, patting your shoulder softly. “Mhm, you can always come to us, even if we’re on a mission. Our job can always wait, your well being is more important than anything”, Steve added, looking briefly to you in the rearview mirror. “Thank you for that, you guys are the best”, you smiled bashfully. “No need to thank us, jus’ doing what’s right”, Bucky stated. “So, whatcha feel like doing when we get back?”, Sam asked. You thought for a moment, doing anything social sounded horrible at the moment, and the weighted blanket in your room was calling your name. “How ‘bout a pizza and movie night?”, you inquired, knowing they’d all like the idea, hell the whole team would probably join in. “Sounds good to me”, Steve mused, he always liked time for the team to bond. “Me too”. “Me as well, I’m starving dude”, Sam quipped, causing all of you to chuckle.

It didn’t take long to get back to the tower, all of you heading inside, you going to your room to set your stuff down and to change into something more comfy. After changing, you grabbed your weighted blanket, wrapping it around you, heading back down to the common room. Word must’ve spread fast, cause the whole team was gathered there, everyone sitting in a designated spot, except for Tony, who was currently ordering pizza over the phone. “Hey, there they are, rough day at school?”, Natasha asked, giving you a warm smile. “Yeah, not the greatest”, you huffed out a small laugh. “Well, in that case, you get to choose the first movie draga”, Pietro looked up at you from his spot on the floor. You hummed in response, before placing your decision on one of your favorite comfort movies. Clint started to look it up on the various streaming services, finding it almost instantly. “This one, right?”. You nodded happily, making your way over to sit between Steve and Wanda. “Hey, kiddo, you want a drink? And I’m guessing you want some extra garlic breadsticks too, right?”, Tony asked, holding his phone away from his mouth slightly. “Uhh, I’ll have a (f/d), and duh, of course I want garlic breadsticks”. “Yeah, what type of question is that?”, Pietro chimed in. Tony scoffed at him, rolling his eyes, but continued placing the order.

Wanda opened her arms next to you, allowing you to curl into her side as her arms wrapped softly around you. You stretched your legs out, Steve placed them on his lap, gently rubbing his thumb over your calf. Your nerves were finally winding down, as Clint pressed play on the movie. Wanda kept an arm wrapped around your back, her other hand resting gently on the side of your head, making sure to keep you close. The pizza arrived shortly after the movie had started, and you grabbed as much food as you wanted. You deserved it after the day you had. After the first movie finished, and the team voted on a new movie to watch, you felt yourself begin to drift off. You couldn’t have imagined a more perfect setting, comfort and warmth surrounding you. You didn’t make it far into the second movie before you fell asleep, listening to the sound of Wanda’s heart beating, the events from earlier that day flooding away, leaving you to sleep peacefully, knowing that you were safe and sound.

[kythed]

“almost funny”

synopsis: suna rintarou thinks you’re out of his league, and you think he’s out of yours.

tagged: general dumbassery, fwb-to-lovers, some profanity, sexual references but nothing explicit.

commitment level: 5.6k words.

It’s almost funny, really. It’s funny how what started out as a purely physical transaction has now transformed into a one way ticket to Simpville with the name Suna Rintarou stamped on it in big red letters. Suna runs a hand through his hair in frustration as he stares down at your sleeping form, curled up in his SF Giants tee that fits you like an oversized nightgown. He loves how you look there, wearing his clothes, bed head resting on his pillows. It’s almost embarrassing how much he loves it. How much he might love you. 

He doesn’t really remember when he started seeing you as more than a good fuck. Maybe it was that time you told him he looked pretty with your lipgloss smeared across his mouth. 

“That’s a nice shade on you,” you’d laughed as he wiped his lips on the back of his hand. “You should wear it more often.” 

Then, before he could respond, you’d yanked him back in by the collar, licking into his mouth, deep and dirty. He shivers now even just thinking about it, recalling the taste of that lipgloss. Strawberry lemonade, the sort that comes in little bottles at the dollar store. However “pretty” he might’ve looked in that moment, he’s sure you looked a hundred times better. You always do, and you don’t even have to try. You’re the prettiest thing he’s ever seen, even in your worst moments. 

Or maybe it was the time you remembered his birthday when no one else did. January 25th; all his friends had taken off on their ski trips or tropical vacations, but you showed up to his apartment toting a cupcake and a single candle, belting a loud, out of tune rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ until he shut you up with an impulsive kiss on the lips. You’d been surprised, but not so surprised you couldn’t kiss him back. Suna’s pretty sure most friends-with-benefits don’t do that sort of thing. They don’t sit across from each other at the kitchen table, splitting a vanilla cupcake and laughing over matching frosting mustaches. They don’t hug each other goodbye after two hours of scrolling through YouTube and nothing else, content to linger in that air of tentative familiarity and pseudo-friendship. 

Whatever the reason, whenever it happened, all Suna knows now is you’re more than just a fuck buddy. He doesn’t even want to associate the term with you — it feels disrespectful. He wishes he could just stop pretending. Stop pretending he doesn’t want you to be his. 

“Hey.” 

Suna grins at your low, throaty morning voice. It’s cute. 

“Hey,” he responds, reaching forward to flick your shoulder. “You slept in.” 

“Did I?” You blink the sleep from your eyes and squint at Suna’s bedside clock. 9:06. “Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit.” 

You fly out of bed, wiggling into your jeans and tossing your hair into a careless ponytail before frantically scanning the room. “Have you seen my sweater anywhere?”

Suna exhales through his nose before getting up and walking over to his closet. “I hung it up last night so it wouldn’t be wrinkled.”

You freeze in your tracks, slowly turning with a teasing grin plastered on your face. “Oh? How considerate of you.”

Suna shrugs, avoiding your gaze. He feels a flush rise to cheeks and desperately hopes it doesn’t show. “Just being polite.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had a little crush on me,” you crow before taking the sweater from the hanger and slipping it over your head. 

“You wish,” he snorts, but all he can think is you’re absolutely right. 

You ignore him and begin shoveling all your things into your purse: a compact mirror, lipstick, house keys. You glance at the clock again. “I’m gonna be so late to this lecture. Damn. Maybe I can text Aiko and ask her to record the first part for me.”

Suna raises an eyebrow. He remembers your friend Aiko from a party last year, before you and he began your… arrangement. She’s outgoing, friendly, and probably the flakiest person he’s ever met. “She’s not gonna do that. Just let me drive.”

“No, it’s fine,” you automatically brush him off, heading into the bathroom to splash your face with lukewarm water. “You probably have your own shit to take care of.”

Yeah, you, he thinks, but instead he says, “Not really. Plus, you’ll probably miss the whole thing if you try to bike to campus. Let me take you in the car. I’ll strap the bike onto the back.” 

You give him a look. “Are you sure, Rin?”

“It’s really not a big deal,” he says, throwing on a shirt. “Outside in five, and I’ll have you there by 9:30, easy.” 

After a few more weak protestations, you finally agree, and as he drives you to your university, he lets himself pretend you’re his girlfriend sitting there in the passenger seat. He turns on your favorite artist’s Spotify mix on the aux and smiles to himself when you hum along, watching the city fly past out the window. What he wouldn’t give for that reality, one where he can love you without all these restrictions, these tricky boundaries between friends and lovers. When you jump out of the car, calling a cheeky “I’ll text you!” over your shoulder, he pretends it’s an affectionate “I’ll see you for dinner tonight!” instead. He pretends that instead of rushing to get away from him and into the lecture hall, you kiss him on the forehead and squeeze his shoulder, reluctant to leave.

“Fuck me,” Suna says angrily before slamming his palm into the horn, scaring a few freshman walking to class. “And fuck you too!” 

He’s not sure who “you” is. Maybe the universe. 

No, Suna Rintarou doesn’t know why or how it happened, but he’s in too deep now. And he’s pretty damn sure you’ll never feel the same way. 

+

You slide into your seat beside Aiko just as the guest lecturer pulls up his power point, breathing out a sigh of relief. Aiko shoots you a grin, waggling her eyebrows. Suna? she mouths, and you roll your eyes, nodding nonetheless. Aiko can hardly wait until after the lecture to start pestering you about it. 

“So,” she says as you leave the auditorium together. “Did you tell him yet?” 

“Tell him what?” You dig in your bag for your water bottle, groaning when you remember leaving it on the edge of Suna’s sink last night. 

“Tell him that you’re in loooooove,” Aiko sings, nudging your shoulder. 

You scoff. “Okay, first of all, I don’t love him.”

“But you like him,” Aiko persists, and you hold up a finger. 

“And second of all, even if I did, I would never tell him.” You yawn, rubbing your eyes before realizing you hadn’t taken your makeup off and thus probably have awful raccoon eye bags. “He’s so out of my league it’s not even funny. It’s kind of pathetic for me to think he’d ever like me back.” 

Aiko scoffs. “If anything, you’re out of his league. You could pull any guy you wanted to. And when I say any, I mean any. Like, I bet you could even get Jake Gyllenhaal.” 

You laugh. “Why specifically Jake Gyllenhaal?”

Aiko shrugs. “Dunno. Just the first hot guy that came to mind. But forget him. My point is, Suna Rintarou is definitely yours for the taking. All you have to do is —”

“I know, I know,” you interrupt. “All I have to do is confess.” 

“Exactly,” says Aiko. Before she can open her mouth again, you cut in. 

“Okay, but listen, Aiko,” you say. “Suna’s the kind of guy who doesn’t let himself get attached. He fully admitted to me when we first hooked up that he’d never had a girlfriend. And that’s obviously not from lack of female interest. It’s because he doesn’t want one.”

“Or maybe it’s because he hasn’t found the right person yet.” Aiko starts heading towards the campus coffee shop, and you follow her. 

“Sure,” you say, getting in line. The cafe is crowded with students getting in their daily caffeination, inhaling sugary lattes and bitter espressos just to stay awake through their next class. Ah… college. “Or maybe he just. Doesn’t. Want. One.” 

Aiko keeps arguing all the way up until you reach the cash register, where you realize you haven’t even decided on what to order yet. 

“Hey there,” says the cashier, smiling sunnily. “What can I get for ya?” 

You blink. He’s attractive. Very attractive, actually. Bleach blonde, a crooked grin that screams trouble in the best sort of way. Miya, says the little name plate pinned to his shirt. “I, uhh…”

“Take your time,” he says leaning forward like he’s about to tell you a secret. “Between you and me, we have an excellent mocha latte. Not too sweet, y’know?”

You find your manners. “Oh, um, yeah. That sounds great, actually.” 

“One mocha latte, then?” he asks, picking up a cup, and you nod. “And to whom do I owe the pleasure of serving today?” 

When you tell him your name, he smiles to himself and scrawls it on the cup. “Pretty.”

You flush and pay, hands shaking a little when you slide your card down the side of the machine. The cashier notices and shoots you a knowing look. Five minutes later, when you pick up your drink from the other side of the counter, you see not only your name written on the lid, but a phone number, too, along with a tiny winking face. 

“What’d I tell you?” exclaims Aiko shrily when you leave the shop. “Any. Guy. Period.” 

You shake your head in exasperation, but you can’t help but throw a final glance over your shoulder, meeting the eyes of the cute cashier one more time. Maybe Aiko does have a point. 

+

That weekend, Suna’s stretched out on his couch, dangling his feet over the armrest and staring up at the ceiling. It’s one of those lazy Saturday afternoons, and usually he’d be enjoying his alone time. Not today, though. Today there’s something — someone — on his mind, and that someone is spelled y-o-u. His phone pings, and he snatches it up with embarrassing speed, groaning when he sees it’s just Atsumu. 

“Bastard,” he mutters, not even bothering to open the message. Probably just asking for the O-chem lab answers. 

Suna rolls over onto his stomach, pulling up your contact name. What he really wants to do is see you, but how is he supposed to do that without sounding weirdly desperate? Hey, he types out. Wanna come over and watch a movie? He pauses for a moment before adding, Pizza’s on me. 

He buries his face in his hands and deletes the text. That makes it sound like he’s asking you out. Well, that’s what he does want to do, but you can’t know that. He’s fairly certain if you knew how he felt about you, you’d freak out. Girls don’t like to be tied down, he reminds himself. Suna groans again, grabbing two fistfuls of hair in irritation. 

“Why are women so complicated?” he says aloud, letting the words echo in his empty apartment. He takes a couple seconds to close his eyes, take a deep breath, and unlock his phone again, this time settling on a simple Come over. Short, sweet, and to the point. Well, not exactly. That makes it sound like all he wants to do is sleep together, when he’d really rather just… talk. Spend time with you. 

“Oh, God,” he mutters. “I’m so done for.” 

It takes what seems like forever for you to arrive, breathless from biking, hair slightly mussed. Suna grins, biting his lip. You’re so beautiful, he thinks, pulling you in for a hungry kiss. Even if all he can get is the sex, then he’s sure as hell going to appreciate it. You smell like lavender laundry detergent, he notices when you press yourself into him, fumbling to close the door behind you without breaking the kiss. 

“Well, hello there,” you laugh when he finally breaks away and draws in a shaking breath. “Somebody’s eager.”

Suna rolls his eyes. “As if. You just took so long to get here.” 

You cock an eyebrow. “You texted me like half an hour ago.”

“Yeah, and you’re half an hour too late.”

You snort and hurl a pillow from the sofa at him. He catches it and smiles, taking your wrist and drawing you in for another messy, open-mouthed kiss.

“Sorry that I don’t have the power of teleportation,” you quip, laughing when he pulls you into the bedroom. Suna resolves to take his time with you today, undressing you carefully, trailing his lips down your sternum and collarbones, grinning to himself whenever you gasp. He almost catches himself saying “I love you” at one point as you cling to him, mumbling his name, but he placates himself with kissing you extra hard at the end instead, pulling you into his chest and falling back into the pillows. 

Usually, you’d take a few minutes to lay in silence, tracing shapes in his skin, and he’d lean back with closed eyes, imagining what it would be like to be loved by you. Slow early morning kisses, skin on skin, whispering and giggling and everything cheesy he used to hate but now wishes he could experience with you. Today, though, you peel yourself off of him and grab your phone as soon as it buzzes, fingers flying in response to whoever had texted you.

“New boy toy?” he jokes, almost choking when you don’t immediately say no. Oh, shit. “You’re kidding.”

“Just a guy I met the other day,” you say casually. Suna stares, slack jawed. “Works at the coffee shop near the quad.” 

“Coffee shop?” He furrows his brow. Doesn’t he know someone who works there? He internally scowls, digging into the back of his brain. Aran? Osamu? 

“Mm,” you say, suppressing a smile as the nameless suitor sends another text. “His name’s Atsumu Miya.”

Suna’s heart nearly falls right out of his chest and cracks at his feet. “No.”

You look up, raising an eyebrow. “No?”

“Not him,” Suna says, forgetting himself, forgetting the nature of your relationship. 

“I didn’t realize you were in charge of who I can and cannot be interested in,” you say bitingly. 

Suna sits up. “I’m not. It’s just, Atsumu… he’s not your type.” 

“You know him?”

“Yeah,” Suna says, thinking back on his days observing the Miya twins’ antics. “He’s not your kind of guy, trust me.”

“Pray tell then,” you say. Oh, fuck. You’re irritated. “Who exactly is my kind of guy?” 

Me, he thinks. I’m your kind of guy. “I don’t know. Just trust me though, okay? Atsumu… he’s difficult.” 

“Thanks, Suna,” you say, tone tinged with sarcasm. Suna cringes. You only ever call him by his surname when you’re upset with him. “But I think I can go out with whoever I want to go out with.” 

“Fine.” The word tumbles out more harshly than he’d meant it to. 

You stare at him in disbelief. “What, are you mad at me or something?” 

Suna exhales heavily. “No, I’m not mad. It’s not like we’re dating or anything. I just wanted to give you a little guidance. As your friend.” 

“As my friend?” you repeat. “My friend?”

Now it’s Suna's turn to be confused. “Are we not friends?”

“I don’t know, Suna,” you say, swinging your legs over the side of the bed, pulling your clothes on. “You tell me.” 

“I’m not sure what you want me to say here,” he says, watching as you struggle to pull your shorts back on. He knows what he wants to say. No, we’re not friends. We should be together. Isn’t it obvious? 

You huff, grabbing your bag and the water bottle you’d left behind the other day. “You know, I don’t really know either. Forget I ever said anything. I guess I just thought…” 

You trail off and shake your head, heading towards the door. Suna scrambles out of bed to follow you, pulling on his pants as he hops down the hall on one leg. “What’s that?” 

“I said forget it,” you call over your shoulder, trying to slam the door, but Suna catches your wrist. As you stare up at him, he thinks he sees your lip quivering, eyes shining with half-formed tears. “Let me go.” 

“I’m serious,” Suna says. “What did you think?” 

You draw in a deep breath, and for a second, Suna thinks you’re about to say the words he’s always wanted you to say. Then you look away. “Let. Me. Go.” 

Slowly, Suna releases you from his grasp, and you stumble backwards, wiping your eyes on your sleeve. 

“Don’t call me.”

“Wait, no —”

“Don’t call me, Suna!” you say loudly, before turning on your heel and speed walking down the stairs. 

Oh. Oh. Suna stares in shock at the place you were just standing on his doorstep. “Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” 

When he heads back inside, head empty but for the single thought, I’ve just lost the best thing that ever happened to me, he glances at his phone on the counter. In an instant, he’s opening up his messages, pulling up Atsumu’s. 

Met a cute girl LOL. Gonna bring her to that party on Friday. 

Then, in a separate bubble — Btw: chem answers? 

+

“And then he called me his friend,” you say angrily, handing Aiko the box of Oreos. The two of you are sprawled on the floor of her dorm room. “Just like we were two bros who got together to play XBox every once in a while, instead of two people who had literally just banged.” 

Aiko takes a cookie before handing them back to you. “Asshole.”

“I mean, I know technically we were ‘friends with benefits,’” you say, stuffing an Oreo in your mouth. “But I guess I thought we could be something more. I thought there was no way he could kiss me like that, look at me like that without feeling something. Guess I was wrong.” 

“Screw him,” Aiko says. “You’ve got boys lined up around the block, and he thinks he can treat you like rubbish? Absolute bullshit.”

“I don’t have boys ‘lined up around the block,’” you remind her, smiling regardless. “Just one.”

“And that one is hella cute!” Aiko says. “You’re way too cool to pine over some guy who thinks you’ll just answer his every beck and call without even committing to a relationship.” 

You sigh. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just… ack. I don’t know. Am I jumping to conclusions? He seemed like he wanted to talk to me more, but I kind of stormed off without saying anything.” 

“Seems like he was pretty clear,” Aiko says with a shrug. “Your call, though. If I were you, I’d forget about him. Plus, you have Atsumu now. That’s a promising route.” 

You smile down at the Oreos, thinking about the cheery bottle blonde. “Yeah… he invited me to a party this coming Friday.” 

Aiko gives you a look and nudges your knee with her own. “You’d better wear that black dress.”

“You think?” you laugh, momentarily forgetting about Suna. 

“Oh, definitely. Gotta look your best on the first date.” 

“Right, and then after that I can just dress like a bum,” you joke. You purse your lips. “Rin might be there. Apparently he and Atsumu are pretty close.” 

“Even better,” insists Aiko. “Make him suffer a little bit. He won’t like seeing you all dolled up on Atsumu Miya’s arm.” 

“I’m not gonna try to make him jealous, Aiko,” you say, and Aiko shakes her head.

“No, I just think he needs to understand what he lost,” she says. “You don’t even have to pay attention to him at all, though. You should try and get to know Atsumu a little better.”

“Yeah, okay,” you say, before reaching down for another cookie. “Oh. We’re out.”

“Gas station run?”

“Gas station run.” 

+

When Friday rolls around, you’ve successfully managed to avoid thinking about Suna the entire day. You have a calculus exam in the morning, and then a club meeting in the afternoon, and by the time you get done with everything it’s already time to get ready to leave for the party. It’s across town at someone’s loft apartment, so Atsumu offers to give you a ride, rolling up in a shiny Lexus, a sharp contrast from Suna’s old Chevy. 

“Hey,” he says, getting out to open the door for you. “You look great.”

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” you say. “Although, I might prefer the work uniform.”

“Oh, please,” Atsumu says with a grin. “That apron does nothing to flatter my figure.” 

“Mhm.” The ride there is a slightly awkward one, but that’s normal, you tell yourself. You’ve gotten so used to the easy, teasing camaraderie you and Suna have that you’re rusty in regards to flirting. Atsumu has a different sense of humor, too, nothing like the dry sarcasm Suna’s such an expert in. You shake your head. Stop thinking about him. 

Even sitting next to a new guy, you can’t help but run last weekend’s drama over in your head. The past few months have been a jumble of mixed signals, and last Saturday was no different. How he tenderly brushed your hair from your face as he hovered over you, how he pulled you into his arms afterwards … how he seemed almost jealous when you mentioned Atsumu. Was it really jealousy? Exactly how much does Suna Rintarou care for you? You roll the numbers inside your head, trying to quantify the soft touches and lingering stares. He’s not easy to read; trying to understand Suna is like trying to decipher Greek without ever taking a single class. 

Even trying to get a measure on how much you care for him is difficult. You definitely like him as more than a friend. The only reason you agreed to the whole friends-with-benefits thing in the first place was because of a little crush that grew, that fed on that intimacy… but you’re not so sure now. 

“Here we are,” says Atsumu, jolting you from your contemplation as he pulls up alongside the curb. When you climb out of the car, he takes you by the hand, flashing you a quick smile. Your heart trips over itself, and you smile back. “Let’s do this.” 

+

Suna doesn’t show up to the party. He spends most of Friday busying himself at home, paying off a couple electricity bills, cleaning out the fridge. He even does a load of laundry. That’s how bored he is. By the time the clock strikes eight, he feels as though he’s Swiffered every single kitchen tile, folded every shirt, and wiped down every counter in the entire apartment, all to avoid stewing over you and him and all the ways he keeps messing up. But after doing everything on his to-do list and watching a movie and cooking his own dinner (unheard of!) he finds himself pacing around the living room, biting at his nails and thinking about you. More specifically, you and Atsumu. He hopes you’re not wearing that little dress you wore to the club with him a couple months ago. Not that you don’t look great in it — you do, and that’s the issue. The better you look, the more likely Suna will never get a chance to be with you again. 

To be fair, he’s not entirely sure how much of a chance he’s ever had with you. You’re incredible, plain and simple. Gorgeous, intelligent, the best player two on every video game he’s ever played with you. You’re not especially adept at the games themselves; no, there’s just something about you. There’s always just been something about you he can’t seem to find anywhere else. 

“Damn it,” Suna grunts aloud, flopping down on the couch. It’s nearing half past eleven now. He wonders what you’re doing. Dancing to some shitty music in some crowded living room. Sipping a can of cheap liquor. Letting Atsumu touch your waist, his hand dipping lower and lower until — 

Suna buries his face in the couch cushion. He’s usually not one to let his imagination run away with him, but tonight seems to be one of many recent exceptions. If only there was a way to know where he stands with you, or at least where you stand with Atsumu…

Well, there is a way, actually. Almost of its own accord, his hand inches towards his phone, sliding it open and somehow finding its way into his Snapchat. Fingers shaking, Suna clicks on Osamu’s story. It’s dimly lit, a mass of bodies, loud, drunk guys and scantily clad girls. The music is too loud, even through the phone. Suna squints at the screen — there’s Aran, even Kita’s there, quietly sitting in the corner, but no sight of — Suna’s eyes nearly pop out of his head. Because there you are, and you’re not alone. You’re sitting on Atsumu’s lap, but he can’t see your expression because Atsumu is kissing you sloppily, and — oh, God — it looks like you’re kissing him back. 

And you’re wearing the fucking dress. 

“Damn,” Osamu says in the background. “Looks like he’s getting some tonight.”

Suna throws his phone across the room like it’s a grenade, staring down at his empty hands in disbelief. This can’t be happening. Not to him. Not to you. 

For the first time, Suna Rintarou thinks he understands what it really means to want someone. Not in a sexual way, but in the deepest sense of the word. Want. He wants you, and he’s pretty sure he’s never wanted anyone or anything quite so much in his life. 

All of a sudden, before his brain even has a chance to catch up, Suna finds himself shrugging on a jacket and snatching his keys from the table, dashing out the door like he’s being chased. If he leaves now, he thinks, starting the car and nearly slamming the door on his foot, he can get to the party before you leave. And then, well, then he’s not quite sure what he’ll do, but he’ll do something. 

Again, though, it seems as if the universe might be against him, because there’s an accident on the highway and it takes twice as long to get across town as it should. Suna cusses loudly over the incessant honking and chews on the inside of his cheek until it bleeds. When the traffic lets up and he finally pulls up to the apartment complex, parallel parking in a spot that’s probably illegal, he races up the stairs and into the loft, grabbing the first partygoer he sees. The poor kid’s plastered beyond belief and stares at Suna like he’s an extraterrestrial, eyes glassy.

“You see a girl leave here? ‘Bout this tall, probably left with some douchey looking blonde dude?” 

The kid blinks, hard and slow, before nodding. “Yeah, man, you just missed her. That your chick or somethin’? Because she was sucking face with —” 

Suna spins on his heel before the kid gets a chance to finish his sentence. He’s lucky Suna doesn’t deck him the head, he’s so irritated. 

“Sucking face,” he mumbles, climbing back into the car. He has the route to your house memorized (although he’s not sure how), and he’s pretty sure he breaks about twenty traffic laws trying to get there, so it takes significantly less time to arrive, but to Suna, it feels like an eternity. How did he ever sleep soundly at night knowing other guys had a shot at you before this? He doesn’t know, and he hopes he never has to worry about it again. Not after tonight. 

He gets there just as Atsumu’s pulling out of the driveway. Suna flashes him a mental middle finger and resolves to kick his ass later. No time for that right now. You’re still standing on the front porch, and when Suna stumbles out of the car, you turn towards him, mouth agape. 

“Rin? What are you—”

“Give me a chance.” He’s breathless, eyes wide and hair whipping around his face in the cool breeze. His heartbeat pounds in his ears like it’s about to burst blood vessels.

“Huh?”

“Give me a chance,” he repeats, reaching forward to take your hand. Your palm is cold against his. “I can do so much better, I promise.” 

You furrow your brows. “What in the world are you talking about, Rin?”

The dam breaks. The dam breaks, and everything — the longing, the frustration, everything — comes pouring out in a waterfall of rushing words he doesn’t even have time to think over before they splash at your feet.

“I can do so much better than Atsumu. He doesn’t know you. I know you, and I, well, I’ve liked you since forever, okay? I know your favorite color and your birthday and which Chinese place you like to get takeout from on Saturday nights.” Suna clears his throat. “I know that you like to be hugged from behind and that you hate it when people see you cry. I know so many things about you, and I want to know more.” 

“Rin—”

He holds up a hand. “Just listen. I know we’re just fuck buddies, or friends with benefits, or whatever the hell you want to call it, but I want to change that. You mean so much more to me than the sex. God, even if we never slept together again, I would still love you.” 

You stare at him. “Love?”

Suna swallows hard. “Yeah, fuck it. Love. I love you. Whatever that means to you, it means to me. I love your stupid jokes and your stupid laugh. To be honest, I’m so in love it feels like I’ll never love anyone else.”

He stops to take a deep breath and a shaky laugh. “Pathetic, right? I know it is. I can’t help it. I’m well aware that Atsumu is way more charming and outgoing, and I was probably wrong when I said he wasn’t your type… but I just need to know if I have even the smallest chance of winning you over.” 

There’s a beat of silence. Then another one. You’re gazing at him, head cocked, and the seconds tick by. He still has your hand in his, growing warmer via body heat. Suna feels himself grow increasingly nervous at your expression, curious and almost apathetic — until a wide smile breaks across your face. You laugh, and he thinks it must be the best sound he’s ever heard. 

“You weren’t wrong.”

“What?”

“He’s not my type,” you say. “We didn’t click.” 

“But — I saw, uh — Osamu’s story,” Suna stammers. “Sucking face.”

“Sucking face?” You squint in confusion before chuckling again. “Ah. Yeah, I kissed him. It was part of some stupid game. He’s kind of bad at it.” 

“Atsumu’s a bad kisser?” 

“Well,” you say, drawing the word out. “I wouldn’t say bad. It’s just… you’re better.” 

Suna’s silent for a second, letting the words ricochet around his brain. He’s better. He’s a better kisser. It was just a game. You’re not into Atsumu. “So… does that mean…?” 

“I love you, too.” You smile, and it’s not like your usual cocky grin. It’s sweet and almost… shy. 

“You love me, too?” Suna repeats in utter shock. He hadn’t expected to get this far.

“That’s what I just said,” you say. “What are you, a parrot? Speaking of which, though, I think that whole speech was the most I’ve ever heard you talk.” 

Suna doesn’t respond. Instead, he takes a step closer and pulls you in for a hug. A real hug, not like the hesitant embrace you’d given him on his birthday, or the side hug he gave you after running into you at the grocery market a few weeks ago. No, this is a true, bona fide hug, and he translates everything he’s ever wanted to tell you but couldn’t into his arms wrapping around your waist. 

“So… wanna come in and watch a movie?” 

+

A little while later, Suna’s stretched out on your mattress with you between his legs, chin resting on the top of your head. You’ve changed out of your dress and wiped the makeup from your face, and Suna catches you yawning in the corner of his eye. There’s a trashy romcom droning on your laptop at the foot of the bed. To any outside onlooker, the scene is mundane, just a typical couple enjoying each other’s company. To Suna, though, this is paradise. 

It’s almost funny. It’s funny how, a week ago, Suna was a boy pining for a girl he thought he had no chance with. He looked at you and saw something unattainable, someone who would only ever want him temporarily. (And, unbeknownst to him, you felt the same way.) He experienced an overwhelming amount of want, heart knotting in on itself and twisting and turning until it pushed him over the edge, forcing him to confront his own desires. His own inadequacies. 

It’s funny how love is what everyone longs for, but it’s also the hardest reward to earn. It’s the most uncomfortable, heart-wrenching, nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing pathway to happiness Suna’s ever seen. But still… he’d do it all over again if he had to. The months of headaches, the overthinking. It’s worth it. You’re worth it. 

Oh, well. What can he say? Suna leans down and presses a featherlight kiss to your temples, and you tilt your head up to smile at him. Love’s a funny thing. 

Fortunately, Suna’s always down for a good joke.

[whiteqnn]

PURE [4] - Corpse Husband x Fem! Reader

A/N: I’m back. Shout-out to my sister @mojajasnoscmrokirozproszy , who encouraged me into finishing this part.

part 1 

part 2 

part 3 

part 5

PURE [4] 

Corpse was confused, to say the least. He stared at the screen with his brows furrowed, not exactly understanding what just happened, or what caused Y/N to leave so suddenly. He thought they were all having fun, or at least that’s the impression Y/N gave while interacting with other players. 

Was she just pretending she’d had fun when in reality, she didn’t want to spend time with them? 

He knew it was none of his business. They didn’t even know each other, outside of these two short games they’ve both been part of. But Corpse was quick to get attached to new people, and Y/N’s sweet voice, her innocent demeanor, and pure personality made him instantly like her... 

Perhaps it wasn’t exactly a good thing that he felt so worried when she left, given the fact that two of them have spoken maybe for a few minutes since they met each other. But Corpse couldn’t help it, and certainly couldn’t stop this weird feeling that something was wrong and that he needed to make sure that Y/N was okay. After all, he was the only one who knew that she left. Except for his audience, of course. 

So the moment her white little astronaut suddenly disappeared, Corpse went on a killing spree. He didn’t even care about that whole finish my lyrics thing he decided to terrorize his friends with, he just wanted to finish this game and check on Y/N. It was obvious that she wasn’t telling the truth. Even though it looked like she was trying really hard to contain her emotions, he could still hear her quavering voice. It was too hard to hide, and he knew it firsthand. That’s why he made it his point to at least check on her.  

“Jesus Corpse, you just went full berserk on us...” Felix murmured when the last person was killed, and Corpse could see a sign victory on his screen. It didn’t make him smile though, not how it usually would. 

“It was great though! Let’s do it again, but maybe on the other map?” Sykkuno suggested, clearly very excited about this hide and seek game they’ve come up with. 

“Sure, let’s get the first one maybe?”

“Actually, would you guys mind if we had a little break?” Corpse asked before they could start another game. “We’ve been playing for a little while now...”

“Ah, yeah! Bathroom break!” came Rae’s response, followed by a few hums of approval. Corpse sighed in relief. He was afraid his worried voice would draw the attention of other players, but they didn’t seem to notice it. 

“All right, is ten minutes good?” asked Sean, and when everyone agreed, Corpse excused himself from his audience and muted his mic. He grabbed his phone and unlocked it, only to be hit by a sudden realization.

He didn’t even have Y/N’s number. 

“Fuck...” he cursed quietly under his breath, running a hand through his hair. How the fuck was he supposed to check on her? He couldn’t use discord, he was still streaming after all... Maybe Twitter would work? Nah, she probably wouldn’t even notice his messages. What was left then?

Of course. 

Sean.

Corpse didn’t even think about any explanation as he quickly typed in a message to the said man, asking if he had Y/N’s number. The response came almost immediately. 

“Yeah, I have. Why?” 

Okay, now what? He couldn’t just tell him what happened. Corpse knew that Sean and Y/N were close, but he felt like it wouldn’t be fair towards the girl if he told Sean what happened. Maybe she didn’t want anyone to know... Maybe she didn’t want to speak to anyone. 

Him included. 

But Corpse felt as if he had to do it because that was something he wished someone would do for him if the roles were reversed. To at least show that he cared, that she wasn’t alone with whatever it was that bothered her... 

Was he being intrusive, for wanting to make sure that everything was okay? And what if she was totally fine and he’d just end up making a complete fool out of himself?

“Not that I haven’t already made a fool out of myself...” he mumbled under his breath, his fingers quickly typing the response to Sean. However, before he could finish it, the said man’s name appeared on his screen with an upcoming call. 

It was so unexpected that Corpse almost dropped the phone.

“Um, hey man” he said after picking up, his hands trembling as he tried to come up with some good explanation as to why exactly he needed Y/N’s number. “Look I-”

“Does this have something to do with her disappearance?” Sean cut him off, leaving Corpse with his mouth hung open, utterly shocked.  

“I um- no. I just wanted to call her and... cause I don’t have her number...”

“Corpse, I heard what she had told you...” Sean sighed into the phone “I was flying around you after you murdered me.”

“I...” Corpse tried once again and again found himself at the loss of words. His brows furrowed suddenly as he realized something “Wait- are you still streaming?” 

“I left for a moment to grab something to drink and call Y/N. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t say anything on the stream.” 

Corpse sighed in relief. If Sean managed to somehow play it off, then his fans maybe haven’t figured out what was going on. He didn’t want them to attack Y/N’s social media with tons of questions she obviously wouldn’t answer. 

“Do you know what happened?” Corpse asked quietly, hoping that maybe Sean knew something more that would ease his nerves. He hoped that it wasn’t anything serious, that maybe Y/N just had a bad day. “She left so suddenly and I got a little worried...” 

For a moment there was silence between the two of them, Corpse impatiently awaiting an answer and Sean thinking about the right words... or wondering whether he should tell him the reason for Y/N’s disappearance in the first place. 

“It’s- ugh.” Sean groaned, before letting out a heavy sigh “It stays between us, all right? I don’t want others to start texting her out of nowhere, asking if she’s okay. She would probably kill me.”

“Yeah, absolutely” Corpse nodded his head rapidly, even though Sean couldn’t see him. 

“Okay... So I don’t know the exact reason of her disappearance...” he began, and Corpse felt his heart sink in disappointment. “But I have some suspicion.”

“Can you be a little more specific, Sean? We don’t have much time before the next game...” Corpse didn’t want to sound rude but he was slowly growing impatient, and even more nervous when he still wasn’t able to check on Y/N and make sure that she’s okay.

“She received lots of hate after our last stream.” Sean finally explained, although his voice sounded quite reluctant. “And when I say lots, I mean lots, Corpse.”

“What?” Corpse grunted, his brows knitted together in confusion “What do you mean?”

“Oh you know, man... Comments on Twitter, on her Instagram, even under her latest video...” Sean let out an exasperated sigh “Apparently, some people are not happy that she’s playing with us.”

“Why?” Corpse managed to utter, completely shocked at the news. For some reason, it was the last thing he expected Sean to say. It didn’t even cross his mind that someone as sweet and polite as Y/N might have to deal with this kind of issue. 

She was always so kind, why would anyone hate on her? 

“You know how some people act online...” Sean murmured, his voice clearly gloomy, as opposed to his usual cheerful tone. “They think she shouldn’t be playing with us cause she’s not popular enough. Some consider her annoying, not funny enough, and so on...”

“What does popularity have to do with who we’re playing with?” Corpse almost growled these words, feeling anger slowly bubbling up in his stomach. He couldn’t comprehend why anyone would act this way towards Y/N, towards this little angel as Sean put it last time they played, towards this sweet, innocent girl, his partner in crime... 

“That’s what I told her before the stream” Sean explained with a sigh “And that she shouldn’t worry about what strangers think of her... but it’s easier said than done.” 

“You think she received another text or something?”

“I don’t know man” Sean sighed “I tried calling her like ten times already and she didn’t answer. It’s not like her to leave so suddenly, without saying goodbye. I’m worried something happened...” 

Corpse clenched his jaw, closing his eyes for a second. If Y/N didn’t answer Sean’s calls, why would she answer his? They barely knew each other, while Sean was her best friend.  

“Maybe... I’ll try calling her?” Corpse suggested anyway, his voice low and almost shy. He figured it was worth at least a try. 

Sean was quiet for a moment as if contemplating what to do. They were already running out of time, and Corpse didn’t know what to do. On one hand, he didn’t want to end the stream and leave his fans, he felt bad at the thought alone of disappearing so soon and disappointing them... But on the other, he couldn’t just leave Y/N like that. Especially, since as Sean explained, it wasn’t like her to act this way. It only proved that whatever happened was rather serious.

“Y’know what?” Sean suddenly said “I’ll give you her number, maybe she’ll pick up from you.”

“Thank you, Sean” Corpse said quietly, ready to end the call, only to be stopped by Sean’s words. 

“Look... I know I shouldn’t be asking you to do it, but... could you maybe try talking some sense into her?” he asked, clearly uncomfortable with this request “I feel like you’d be able to calm her down...”

“I...” Corpse stuttered, running a hand through his hair “I’ll try, okay? I’m not sure if she’ll want to talk about it though, I’m basically a stranger, so...”

“Corpse, she agreed to join us only after reading your last tweet.” 

Oh. 

His heart fluttered with something that didn’t seem like growing panic. And even though his face was expressing his worry, his lip corners formed a small, bashful smile. And whether he liked it or not, his cheeks turned completely red.

“I’ll... I’ll see what I can do” he managed to reply, before ending the call. 

Corpse ran a hand through his locks and down his face, releasing a heavy breath he didn’t know he was holding. He considered getting Y/N’s number a difficult task which, however, turned out to be the easiest one. Now came the real challenge. Calling her. 

For a moment, he just stared at the screen of his phone, scanning the new message from Sean, which consisted of Y/N’s phone number. It looked as if he was memorizing the number when in reality, he just felt panic overtaking his body and complete chaos in his mind. 

Let’s say she picks up the phone, and then what? Should he just say hi? Introduce himself? 

“Hi it’s me, the guy you basically don’t know and who became paranoid after you disappeared from the game” 

 Yeah, sure. Perfect introduction for the pep talk he was supposed to deliver. 

Why was it always that he acted almost as if on instinct one second, only to start having second thoughts a moment later. He couldn’t back out now when he had already got her number. Not when there was also another person counting on him. Not when he still didn’t know what the fuck happened, and for some reason was determined to find out. 

And then was the problem of his voice, which suddenly seemed stuck in his throat. It was a very weird feeling, typical for one to get while being on the verge of a panic attack. As if there was a need to talk, but the body refused to. As if his vocal cords were paralyzed and not eager to cooperate. 

As if it was him who just experienced something strongly upsetting, not Y/N. 

Corpse fidgeted with his phone for a moment, before deciding against the idea of calling the girl. He figured he wouldn’t be able to utter a single word if she picked up the phone from the unknown number in the first place. If she did though, she’d probably consider it some misdialed call or some prank. Which was the last thing he wanted her to think.

Instead, he opted on sending her a text. 

He sat still for a moment, thinking about a message that wouldn’t right away reveal the cause of his concern, but which would say enough to figure out who sent it. His thoughts drifted back to the game they were both playing, remembering his stupid comments and her gentle voice. His fingers typed out the message almost automatically. 

“Wanna jump into the lava with me?”

He hesitated just for a second, before sending the text, his heart doing a backflip in his chest the moment he pressed the send button. Corpse gripped the phone tightly in his hands, his eyes staring at the screen and waiting impatiently for those three little dots indicating that the other person is typing a response to appear. He waited and waited, and a lump slowly formed in his throat when Y/N didn’t respond immediately. 

Was he really getting paranoid? 

Maybe he was just tired. Or she had a bad day. Or she just found this game boring.

Or she didn’t want to play with them. Or she thought his comments were annoying. 

“I’m an idiot” Corpse muttered to himself and slapped a hand on his forehead, pushing those thoughts away. Deep down he knew that wasn’t the case, but the longer Y/N didn’t respond, the louder was the voice at the back of his head, telling him that her problems were none of his business and he shouldn’t be asking for her number in the first place.

But it was the right thing to do. He knew it, Sean knew it, and Corpse also hoped that Y/N did not perceive his text as some pathetic joke. He waited for a couple of minutes, before typing another message:

“I’m here, partner, if you need to talk.” 

He felt the need to assure her that despite the ongoing stream and the other players probably already waiting for him to return, he was there for her. That’s what he considered the best option, not to force her into talking, but to let her know that she wasn’t alone. And that it would take just one word from her to make Corpse drop everything and listen to her. 

After what seemed like an eternity of staring at his phone and analyzing his own messages, Corpse put his phone away, realizing that Y/N wasn’t going to reply anytime soon. He couldn’t help but feel disappointed in himself, and guilty as well. Perhaps it would be a better idea to call her, but at that moment he wasn’t able to trust his own voice. He thought about sending her another message but decided against it. Another new text was probably the last thing she needed, with her phone being drowned by hundreds of notifications from angered, and worried fans. 

All Corpse could do was hope that she saw his texts and that she knew she wasn’t all alone. He sure as hell wasn’t going to make her feel as if she was obliged to confide in him. After all, he was a stranger. 

Then again... sometimes to understand a problem and look at it from a different, new perspective, what one needed was, indeed, a complete stranger. 

-

The next two hours felt almost like an eternity. And a complete hell to Corpse. He tried his best to focus on the game and interacting with his fans, but no matter what, his eyes would drift towards his phone every now and then. Hoping to see Y/N’s name pop up on his screen, with a message saying that everything was fine. 

But then again... would it be enough to calm his nerves? Maybe she’d write something like that just so he wouldn’t worry. Just so he would leave her alone.

She might as well just tell him to fuck off...

The fact that he received so many notifications all the time, especially now, during a stream, didn’t really help. Each time his phone lit up with a new notification, he would crane his neck with the hope of seeing Y/N’s response, only to be disappointed when it turned out to be just some new comment or someone tagging him in an instastory. Something that usually made him really happy now was the reason for his irritation. 

He couldn’t focus on the game itself either, finding it difficult to do his tasks and form some logical arguments during discussions. He didn’t really care, to be honest, when people threw him away almost at the start of the game. Winning or being the best Impostor was currently the last thing on his mind.

So when he said his goodbyes after the last round of Among Us and ended the stream, after thanking his fans, Corpse didn’t know what to do with himself. The game, even though he didn’t really pay much attention to it, provided at least some distraction from his phone, which was still silent when it came to Y/N’s texts. She either didn’t see them or didn’t want to see them. Corpse could only guess what was her reaction if there was any. 

He’d exchanged a few messages with Sean though, the man asking about Y/N during the stream and after it ended. Corpse couldn’t stop the guilt from growing even more when Sean expressed his concerns regarding Y/N and her absence. He knew the older streamer counted on him when it came to checking on the girl, but, obviously, he failed at getting a simple message from her. 

What was he even hoping to achieve in the first place? That she will text back right away, telling him everything that bothered her, confessing all her problems? He would have to be a total idiot to expect this girl to react to his messages.

It was all so overwhelming and frustrating at the same time that he felt almost nauseous. 

Leaving his phone in his room, Corpse walked to his small kitchen to grab a glass of water. The cold liquid brought much-needed relief to his burning throat, giving him a momentary sensation of comfort. He tested his voice, clearing his throat carefully and mumbling some nonsense under his breath. A sigh left his lips once he realized he could talk again and this weird feeling disappeared. 

He splashed his face with cold water and returned to his room, plopping down on his chair and giving his phone a quick glance. Perhaps he didn’t expect Y/N to reply to his texts at all because at first, he didn’t even notice her name on the screen of his phone. He looked back to his computer, almost out of habit, glancing between the tabs he had opened on his screen before. 

And it struck him suddenly, making him almost jump out of his skin when he realized that she did text him back. 

Grabbing his phone quickly, he unlocked it and opened the messages, almost hitting the one with Y/N’s name on it. 

“Hey, partner.” was all the message said. And yet it made Corpse’s heart almost jump out of his chest, both from relief and a sudden feeling of panic. 

She texted him back. Now, what the fuck was he supposed to do?! 

He stared at her text for a second as if trying to convince himself that it was real and he didn’t accidentally pass out on his desk, dreaming that Y/N takes his comments and texts seriously. 

When he came to the conclusion that the text was, indeed, real, and Y/N probably expected him to write something back, he thought about the best way of asking her what happened. On one hand, he knew from Sean what could possibly be the reason for her disappearance. On the other, what obviously mattered was Y/N’s version. How to get it out of her though, without being too intrusive?

Corpse decided that the best option will be to make some dumb, small talk, which would ease her (and his) nerves.

“Y’know, I almost didn’t manage to finish the mission without you” he texted her, concluding that playing along this partner thing would maybe work. In his text, Corpse referred to the one time he was the Impostor after Y/N left, and which happened to be completely boring without her running around “Had Toast and others suspecting my every step all the time.”

This time, much to his relief, the three little dots appeared almost immediately.

“I’m glad you managed to kill’em all nevertheless.”

He imagined her saying it with that sweet voice of hers, which made him snicker, whether he liked it or not. While thinking of some right response, Corpse couldn’t help but wonder how did she know that he managed to kill every crewmate during that round... she wasn’t playing anymore then, so that could only mean she watched his stream.

“Not gonna lie though, everything would go way smoother hadn’t my partner in crime left me on the battlefield all alone :/” he texted her back. Corpse watched intently as the three dots danced next to Y/N’s name and suddenly disappeared, then appeared back again after a few moments, only to disappear again. And for a second he panicked, that maybe this text sounded passive aggressive, or that it made Y/N blame herself for leaving the game... 

However, when her response finally came, he realized he was wrong.

“Can I call you, Corpse?” 

For the first time in a really long time, Corpse was so eager to agree on a phone call.

He replied frantically, telling her that of course, she could call him, and then waiting impatiently for the call. And when she didn’t call immediately, like he expected her to, he found himself wondering if she suddenly changed her mind and decided against the idea of calling him. 

But then his phone buzzed and her name appeared on the screen.

The device almost flew out of his hands, his heartbeat quickening and a lump forming in his throat once again.

Relax, man. It’s Y/N, your partner in crime. You’ve heard her voice before. 

But this was different. The circumstances were different and the reason for a call was different too. And now it was just the two of them, as opposed to a lobby full of friends. And Corpse tried so hard to figure out how to convince her that all the hate she receives on social media didn’t mean anything, that for a moment he forgot she was still calling.

He pressed the green button carefully, as if he was defusing a bomb, and found himself unable to utter a single word, just like before. There was silence on the other line too, as if Y/N expected him to speak up first. 

So Corpse build up the courage and took in a deep breath, before letting out a quiet, almost shy:

“Hi”

 The word left his mouth almost as a whisper, and for a moment he thought that the girl didn’t even hear it, but then her voice told him otherwise.

“Hey... Corpse” she mumbled. She sounded so different, almost as if she was sick. Her calm and soft voice was so quiet that Corpse had some trouble hearing her at first. She sounded so tired, so hurt, so defeated, that he completely forgot every advice he had managed to stock in his mind before this call. 

“It’s good to hear you, partner.” he said after a moment, realizing that asking what’s wrong wasn’t the best thing he could do at that moment. He felt that she’d probably hung up on him if he did... “I didn’t think I’d hear from you after you aborted the mission.”

He heard her sigh out a laugh at his words, his tone playfully accusatory. The girl cleared her throat and wondered for a second, before replying:

“It wasn’t exactly my mission... And if I remember correctly, you were the one who broke our partnership, chasing me around the ship.” 

He could almost hear the smile behind her words, which made his lip corners curl up slightly. He was glad she still managed to joke with him. It meant that, perhaps, it wasn’t that bad. 

“Did I kill you, though?” 

“You would if you had a chance.”

“I had plenty of chances Y/N, and I never took one” he replied right away with a chuckle. “I may be the murderer, but I’m no traitor.”

“You say that after luring me to that lava pit and killing me and Sykkuno? It was a trap all along, wasn’t it?” she asked suspiciously, but he knew she was joking “I bet you were conspiring with MrBeast all this time...”

“How dare you” he scoffed, trying to hold back his chuckle “I took you there cause it’s a special place, it was no trap! It just happened to be the wrong place and the wrong time...”

“Sure, partner”

“I’m serious!” he laughed “Besides - I apologized, and if I remember correctly, I think we both agreed that I jumped into that lava pit for you after all...”

“After they voted you off! You didn’t have any other chance!”

“Maybe it was all planned?” he said, changing his voice to more mysterious “Maybe I conspired with MrBeast so I could jump into that lava pit... and the only way to do it is by being voted off. So, either way, I kept my word.”

“Fine... whatever.”

Their laughter died down and was replaced by surprisingly comfortable silence. Corpse was happy with how the conversation started - he believed it would be easier for Y/N to explain what happened now, if she wished to explain, of course. 

“Y’know...” he began after a second, deciding to change the subject and finally address the issue. “Partners are supposed to help each other... and be there when the other person is in need...”

He was careful with his words, being full aware that Y/N might find it uncomfortable to share her problems with him. He wanted to encourage her, just slightly, if his previous texts weren’t enough. 

She sighed quietly and he could sense her reluctance. 

“But only if the other person wants partner’s help.” he added after a moment, keeping his voice as soft as he could. Y/N didn’t respond right away, but she didn’t hang up either, which Corpse took as a good sign. He gave her a couple of seconds to collect her thoughts, before asking another question: 

“What made you so upset, Y/N/N?”

He could hear her inhale the air sharply as if she had trouble breathing steadily. The line went silent, not that Corpse was surprised. He waited patiently, giving the girl the time she needed to decide whether she wanted to answer that question and what words should she choose if she did. 

And when she finally spoke up, Corpse felt as if his heart could break.

“They are just so mean...” she almost whispered, her voice cracking. He didn’t have to ask whom she meant, it was obvious. “And I don’t even know why... I didn’t do anything to those people, and yet they are so mean towards me.”

Corpse hummed in response, allowing her to keep talking. If there was one thing he knew that helped coping with stress, it was sharing it with someone else. And even though he himself had a lot on his plate, he felt the need to be that someone for Y/N. 

“I... I don’t want you to think that I’m some crybaby, who takes everything super seriously and can’t take a joke, but...” she stuttered for a moment and Corpse fought the urge to cut her off and tell her that what he thinks of her is the complete opposite. “But those comments... those weren’t jokes, Corpse. I don’t think anyone would find them funny.”

His heart ached at the sound of her quiet, weak voice. And then it angered him, that some anonymous haters managed to upset this cheerful, innocent person. How could anyone do something like that to Y/N?

“I... I’m sorry for telling you this...” she suddenly trailed off, sounding rather awkward and uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t be bothering you with my silly problems...”

“They aren’t silly as long as they are problems to you, Y/N.” 

“Yeah, but... I’m sure everyone from the group has received such comments at some point of their career... or maybe they still receive them...” she murmured almost embarrassed. “Maybe it’s no such a big deal after all...”

“Let me ask you something” Corpse said, feeling anger bubbling up in his stomach. Not directed at Y/N, of course, but at the people who made her think this way. “Imagine that someone, let’s say me, calls you because of the same reason. Would you consider telling me that online hate, or any hate for that matter, is not a big deal? That those are just my silly problems” 

She was silent for a moment, thinking about his question, and probably not expecting it in the first place. However, after a few seconds of initial surprise, she replied firmly:

“Of course not.” 

“Then why are you trying to convince yourself that they are?” he asked in what would sound like an accusatory tone, but in reality was just his voice laced with worry. “There’s no such thing as a silly problem Y/N, as long as it bothers you. If you consider it a problem, then it is a problem. And the fact that other people receive similar, or even worse comments, doesn’t mean anything. Maybe just that they are longer on Youtube and they’ve learned to deal with this kind of stuff... And your reaction? It doesn’t make you a crybaby and please Y/N, don’t ever think that way about yourself.”

He said it all so quickly and almost on one breath, letting all his frustration out and trying to form his babbling into some logical statement. 

“I understand what you’re going through...” he confessed after a moment of silence between them. “I know what it’s like to go through the ocean of positive comments and find those few which say something completely different... something that is meant to hurt you and humiliate you... Something that ruins your day, or even a couple of next few days or weeks... Something that completely overshadows everything else you’ve read about yourself. Something that people write from the safety of their own computers or phones, without showing their faces and remaining completely anonymous.”

For a moment, Corpse allowed himself to speak about his own experience, thinking that maybe when Y/N realizes that he knew exactly what she was dealing with, it would make it easier for her. “And that is the key fact, Y/N, that they are anonymous. They do what they do because no one can see them because it is comfortable for them to leave a hate comment and not face any consequences. Because they don’t have to face the person their hate is directed towards.”

“Some of the accounts were not anonymous...” Y/N mumbled, and Corpse could clearly hear that she was speaking through the tears. “People were using their public accounts, with photos and everything...”

“But let me guess, those comments weren’t even about your videos, huh? They weren’t about any of your work?” 

“Well...” she whispered, thinking about Corpse’s question. “Truth to be said, no. Most of them just looked like some kind of a personal attack on me...” 

“Exactly. It’s not even criticism, it’s just plain bullshit cowards are sharing online. They probably aren’t even able to form some logical sentence, they just combine some random words which are supposed to hurt you.”

“It works...”

“Y/N...” Corpse sighed into the phone, hearing her defeated tone. “Let me ask you another question, okay?” she hummed in response, and Corpse cleared his throat. “Tell me, whose opinion matters to you the most?”

“My friends... and my fans’“she said.

“Okay.. and whom do you consider your fan?”

“Someone who finds the content I create interesting and entertaining and takes his time to watch my videos.” she replied right away.

“Okay. Do you think that people who left those comments took their time to even watch your videos?” 

“Probably not...” she replied after a second. “Look, I know what you mean Corpse... That I shouldn’t worry about it because they are not my fans and therefore their opinion shouldn’t matter... but that’s not the case. It’s the fact alone that for some reason people spend their time hating me when I didn’t even do anything to them.”

“You didn’t do anything to them.” Corpse repeated her own words in his deep voice. “And they didn’t watch your videos. It seems like they don’t have any reason to leave those comments, right?” he asked. “I know that it’s hard Y/N, I really do, but the truth is, you can’t really have everyone leaving positive feedback under your content... There will always be someone who will consider it a good idea to send you a hateful message, just because they can, not because they have any specific reason to. Now I don’t say that’s okay... but it’s in a way like some disease. The one there’s no cure for. Even though you can’t cure it, you can make yourself immune.” 

“How, Corpse? How do you make yourself immune to messages saying that you’re a fucking annoying bitch, that you don’t deserve what you have? That you don’t deserve your friends, and you are not good enough to play with them? To spend your time with them? How do you deal with comments suggesting that you should go and kill yourself, because you’re not famous enough, and you will never be?” 

Her voice suddenly rose, and Corpse felt as his heartbeat quickened with each comment she described. He gripped his hand around the phone, his knuckles turning white and his brows furrowing in an expression of pure fury. 

He considered her words for a moment, trying to come up with the best advice, but realized there wasn’t any that would satisfy her. He could imagine the state she was in, she probably wouldn’t take any of his advice seriously. And he wouldn’t blame her for that. 

“I’m sorry for snapping on you...” she suddenly said, her voice back to its soft tone. “It’s just too much for me to handle...”

“It’s all good, Y/N, don’t apologize. You have the full right to be angry and to show it. I just want you to remember that...” Corpse gulped the lump in his throat, feeling his cheeks getting warmer. “Those comments are not what define you. As a matter of fact, they’re not even about you. You know why? Because people who write them don’t know you. They don’t even take a moment to acknowledge what an intelligent and talented person you are, not to mention how kind... but I do. A-and everyone else too.”

She was silent for a moment, and Corpse panicked, that maybe he said too much, or made things awkward again. But then she spoke up, her slightly less weak than before.

“I suppose... maybe you’re right, Corpse.” she said, still sounding a little bit unconvinced. He understood, it was clear his one pep talk wouldn’t suddenly make her forget about it. It would be like telling a person with depression to stop having depression and expecting them to suddenly feel better. “Thank you. For listening to my pathetic babbling... and for not telling me to just pull myself together.”

“First of all, your babbling is not pathetic...” he began “Second of all... I know we don’t really know each other, but... If you ever feel the need to talk to someone, I’m here.”

“And for that I’m grateful, Corpse” she said, clearly smiling. “Sorry, I mean, partner.”

“Partner.” he chuckled into the phone, smiling from ear to ear. 

“It’s getting late...” she yawned into the phone. “Sorry. I think I’ll go to sleep, I’m really tired...”

“Of course” Corpse replied, hiding the disappointment in his voice. He really enjoyed talking to her, just to her alone, but he understood that the whole conversation and the event preceding it probably exhausted her. 

“Hey...” she suddenly said, and Corpse could swear that her voice sounded as if she unexpectedly became shy. “Um... it was really great talking to you, you’re a really good listener, Corpse.”

“Glad to hear that” he smiled happily.

“Um... would you mind if I called you tomorrow too?” she asked so quietly that he almost didn’t catch it, his breath hitching in his throat. “If you have time that is... if you don’t, or if you have some super plans, then I understand, it’s fine-”

“I don’t have any super plans, Y/N” he couldn’t help but chuckle, finding her nervous banter adorable. “Call me whenever you want.”

“Okay...” she sighed, almost in relief, but Corpse didn’t want to point it out to embarrass her even more. “So... let’s say, around 2 pm?” 

“Sounds good to me.”

“Great.” she said, her voice trailing off a bit. “I’m falling asleep here, Corpse... Thank you once again, for everything.”

“Anytime, Y/N.”

“Good night, partner.”

“Goodnight, partner.” 

-

Part 5 coming soon. It will probably be the last part of this series, I’m not sure yet though.

TAG LIST FOR PURE IS CLOSED. 

TAG LIST FOR CORPSE REQUESTS/OTHER FICS IS OPEN (if you want to be tagged, please send me a text)

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