#okay var just took it away

[emeraldcitynerdfighter]

A LYNN WILLIAMS GOAL IN THE FIRST MINUTE???

ON A SET PIECE?????

[hp-hcs]

carnations — mlm! disaster! simp! enzo berkshire x male! mlm! muggleborn! gryffindor! reader

hooooo boy, alrighty, a few things:

i am in fact alive, hello! i just got really bad imposter syndrome about my writing and didn’t post any fics for like three months <3

i did actual RESEARCH for this fic. using an actual physical BOOK.

one of my lovely little darlings suggested an enzo + male reader + picnic date drabble, and it spiraled into 1.4k words of gay

you will get secondhand embarrassment from enzo in this. just warning you. but it’s in like a cute way so yk

ty all for not getting mad about me not posting i literally adore y’all sm 🤟

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Y/n,” Ron loudly whispered, elbowing you in the side. “Do you have a spare quill I can borrow?”

“Can you last one day without breaking something, Weasley?” You rolled your eyes fondly, giving him the quill in your hand and reaching down to grab another from your bag. Instead, your hand brushed against something else.

You retrieved the mystery object from your bag with furrowed eyebrows. It was a small rectangular object, no bigger than your palm, wrapped in brown paper and tied up with a pretty lavender ribbon—with a single green carnation in the center of the bow.

You set aside the carnation, unwrapping the tiny gift and being met with the sight of a small book, bound in leather, which bore the gilded name: FLORIOGRAPHY: A Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers.

~~~

The first flower you found was pressed between the pages of your Runes textbook. A combination of a rich purple and vibrant yellow color, with a striking dark center that spread out onto three of its five petals.

You carefully tucked the flower back away in between the pages of your textbook, vowing to look it up after class.

You couldn’t focus for the rest of the lesson.

~~~

It took a while to flip through every entry of the two-hundred page book, squinting at the tiny illustrations, but you eventually found a match to the mystery flower.

————— PANSY Viola tricolor var. hortensis

Meaning: You occupy my thoughts —————

~~~

“Parkinson!”

Pansy stopped in her tracks, looking back over her shoulder with a look of distaste. “Yes, lion?”

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“We’re talking right now,” she drawled, but grabbed your sleeve and pulled you into a nearby empty classroom. “What is it?”

You root through your bag, drawing out the Runes textbook.

“Homework?” she scoffed. “I’m not a tutor, little lion.”

“No, not the book.” You rolled your eyes, carefully opening it. “I found this in between the pages this morning.”

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the pressed flower you cradled in your hand. “It’s you?” She looked baffled. “Huh. I never would’ve guessed. Anyways, congratulations on solving the first clue.”

~~~

An odd hot-pink flower, with little shoots sprouting from the center and reminding you a bit of those light-up fiber optic lamps from the Muggle world, sat in the palm of your hand. A second green carnation was tied to the stem of the mystery flower with another lavender ribbon.

Pansy had abandoned you as soon as the flower was in your possession, saying that she hadn’t been paid enough to stick around.

(You knew she was just as invested in this as you were.)

Finally, after flipping through the little leather-bound book for what felt like the hundredth time, you found the strange flower.

————— MYRTLE Myrtus

Meaning: Love —————

Huh. Well. Okay then. A little on the nose, but alright.

~~~

“Um, excuse me? Miss…Myrtle Warren?”

“A boy!” the unsettling ghost girl shrieked. “Twice! In one day!”

“There was another boy in here?” you asked hopefully. “Who was he?”

“Get out! This is the ladies’ room!”

“I’m real sorry, Miss Myrtle,” you said placatingly. “I’m just on a…scavenger hunt of sorts, and I thought a clue led to you. My apologies for bothering you.”

“A scavenger hunt?” Myrtle questioned, suddenly interested. She uncrossed her arms and floated down from the ceiling. “What are you looking for?”

“A flower of some sort? The last one I got was from a myrtle tree.” You held the offensively pink flower up for her to see. “It’s why I thought you might be the next clue.”

She looked flattered. “Well…the other boy who came in here earlier did have something with him. A package.”

“Did he leave it in here?”

“Yes.” Myrtle points to the dusty windowsill on the far wall. “Why is he leaving things for you?”

“I don’t know,” you said vaguely, hoping to bypass the conversation. As much as you’d love to discuss the intricacies of queer relationships with an annoying ghost girl who died in the forties, you’d rather do literally anything else.

So you merely picked up the brown paper-wrapped item, familiarly decorated with a lavender bow and a green carnation, and tucked it safely in your bag to be opened later.

“Thank you for your help, Miss Myrtle.”

The ghost giggled and her cheeks turned a silvery-white; probably the phantasmic equivalent of a blush.

You quickly hurried out of the girls’ bathroom.

~~~

————— CLEMATIS Clematis

Meaning: Cleverness —————

“I’m at a dead end,” you groaned, resting your head on your arms.

Ron patted your shoulder from beside you, only half paying attention to your queer plight. “You’ll figure it out,” he mumbled around a mouthful of pie, spewing crumbs all over the table.

Hermione made a face. “Charming, Ronald.” At his weak protests, she just rolled her eyes and turned back to you. “How do you even know it’s a boy anyways?”

“Carnations,” you mumbled. “Green carnations. Oscar Wilde’s secret symbol of homosexuality in the late nineteenth century.”

“Okay, so your secret admirer is a dork, is what you’re saying,” Ron drawled.

You looked up with a scowl, ready to throw back a witty remark, when you were interrupted by Lightning Boy-howdy-how-has-he-not-died-yet.

“What’s with the whole bouquet you’ve got going on, L/n?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at the half-dozen flowers spread out across the table.

“Trying to decode some fuckin’ Victorian bullshit.” You smacked the book down on the table, frustrated.

Harry picked up the large dark purple flower you’d unceremoniously tossed in front of you.

“Oh, this is a clematis flower,” he said offhandedly. “My aunt and uncle have this exact shrub in their garden. The blooms never get this big though.”

You perked up in surprise. “You’re familiar with it?”

Harry nodded. “Yep. Tricky little bugger. Lord Neville’s a pretty aggressive feeder and needs lots of fertilizer, although that’s true of all clematis plants, I suppose. They’re also—”

“What did you just say?” you interrupted.

“It’s an aggressive feeder…?”

“No, no, the other part. Lord Neville?”

Harry quirks an eyebrow. “Yeah? It’s just the name of the subspecies, Y/n. No big deal.”

“Oh my Godric— I have to go!”

You shove everything into your bag, almost tripping over the table’s bench in your haste to get up.

“What about lunch?” Ron called after you, affronted.

“No time!”

~~~

You hesitantly opened the door to Greenhouse No. 5, peeking inside the warm shed.

“Neville?” you called out cautiously, giving one plant actively trying to wriggle out of its pot nearby a wary look.

You fully stepped inside the greenhouse, your attention immediately caught by the neat trail of green fan-shaped petals on the ground.

You followed the trail through the front room of the greenhouse, crossing through the threshold to the second room and looking up, only to see—

“Berkshire?”

Enzo rocked back and forth on his feet nervously, chewing his bottom lip and fiddling with the cuffs of his uniform shirt. “Surprise?”

You didn’t know the boy too well. You’d been his assigned partner on a few school projects here and there, and he’d always been friendly when you passed him in the halls, but he’d always seemed a bit reserved and shy around you.

You took a moment to draw your gaze away from him to look around the greenhouse. A silver and green Slytherin blanket was spread out neatly across the ground by Enzo’s feet. A proper wicker picnic basket, two crystal glasses, and a bottle of wine sat on the edge of the blanket, waiting.

Enzo himself had a green carnation pinned to the pocket of his shirt, tied with a lavender ribbon. You grinned.

“You did all this?”

He must’ve misinterpreted your tone of surprise, because he immediately panicked. “U-um, yes. Yeah. Yep. Sorry. I should’ve asked before trying to court you, right? Oh— rats, I didn’t I ask— I just thought you were so handsome, and nice, and— and I didn’t really know how to ask you out—” he rambled nervously.

“Thank you,” you interrupted, for his sake. “This is adorable.”

Enzo’s face was bright red, and you couldn’t help but grin at the sight.

“Why flowers?”

“Oh! Uh. Big part of pureblood culture. Flowers. Daphne, Astoria, Pansy…all flowers.”

You nodded, still grinning.

Enzo cleared his throat awkwardly and motioned to the blanket. “Please, sit.”

You settled down on the soft blanket across from him, sitting cross legged. At your perpetual grin, he seemed to relax a bit.

“Y’know,” you started, as he uncorked the wine and started pouring the glasses, “I think this is the perfect place for a first date.”

His hands trembled as you said that and he looked up at you hopefully. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you grinned. “Perfect place for romance to bloom.”

“That’s a terrible pun.”

“I know. Can you be-leaf it?”

“That’s worse.”

“Be nice. I’m a budding comedian.”

“Shut up.”

“Why don’t you use your tulips to make me?”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[please comment if you enjoyed this! this author needs constant positive reinforcement, like a literal toddler!]

[tsukiusagi180]

varian x reader

Your POV

Today is a special day, you see Varian and I have been friends since the day Rapunzel Cassandra and I went to him for Raps hair. After that a friendship is linked, it seems to me a lot of alchemy even if I didn't understand anything about it I try to listen to him despite everything, and after months of friendship I wanted to ask him to go out with me:

Raps: Come on (Y/n) you can do it! He will surely say yes to you

Eugene: or maybe not but it’s not super serious

Raps/cass/Lance: Eugene!!

Eugene: bha what?

(Y/n): but no, you see, even Eugene doesn't believe it!

I sat at the foot of the bed of raps putting myself in fetal position, I felt their looks showing their pity but I didn't pay attention to it until a hand was placed on my shoulder, it was Eugene:

Eugene: (Y/n) Varian and in love with you for sure, whether he knows it or not he certainly does

Lance: I can already see you in a boat looking at the lanterns

Cass: And you could go horse riding!

Raps: but for that (N/N) he makes you go see him okay?

(Y/n): yes! I'm going there, wish me luck! I

stood up confidently and they applauded me then I went to look for Varian, as expected he was nowhere in corona nor in old corona, he was in his laboratory when I returned I ran into his father and we it's exchanged brief politeness then I went to see my crush.

(Y/n): hi Varian!!

Varian: Ho hey (N/n) are you okay? What brings you here? You're good, I need your help

(Y/n): are you okay? I'm not allowed to go see my friend? And yes I can help you tell me everything

Varian: yes thank you um you see Cassandra? I'm in love with her but I don't know how to tell her

My heart is broken at this precise moment, ok he was in love with a girl who was 8 years older, ok they will never be together but he doesn't love me...

(Y/n): Var, she's an adult, she doesn't love you like that

Varian: just help me please

(Y/n): I...

I pretended to watch the time so I could make up an excuse

(Y/n): MY GOD DID YOU SEE THE TIME? I HAVE TO GO RAPS NEEDS ME!!

I ran away and started crying, I took refuge in my room at the palace because yes I lived there. I didn't want to see Varian for a few days, then one day we were confronted:

Varian: (Y/n) what's going on?

(Y/n): I don't want to talk about it

Varian: You want me to use a truth serum!?

(Y/n): DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S WRONG? I AM FUCKING IN LOVE WITH YOU!

Varian: but... we are friends?

(Y/n): and you like cass I know!

Varian: I'm sorry I don't love you but love isn't always reciprocated

(Y/n): I know...

I said this while crying because I knew we would never date

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

Prince of Hell au

Vaggie and three year old Varian are in the hallway staring daggers at each other. Vaggie had caught Varian writing on the walls just a minute ago and was trying to give him the business

Vaggie: Seriously it’s like all you do is try and drive me and your poor sister insane! Querido Dios, you young sir, have got to be the biggest brat of the Adam’s spawn I have met!

Varian simply gives her a glare back and glances out the hallway where not that far away his parents were out in the lobby talking to Charlie. He looks back at Vaggie and as hard as he could slams his head in the wall causing a loud sounding knock. Varian bursts into tears and runs to Adam

Varian: MAMA!

Vaggie realized what he was doing and says in a scared tone

Vaggie: Oh, mierda

Adam: I don't know if-

Bang!

Varian: MAMA!!

Adam turned to see his youngest son who was holding the side of his head with tears in his little golden eyes.

He opened his arms and scooped up his baby.

Adam: Var! What happened baby?

Adam checked the hurt spot on his head and it was red, he gently placed a kiss there to make it better.

Varian internally: Show time.

Varian: V-V-Vagina hurt meeeeee!

Oh he took such delight in seeing his mama's eyes darken at the mention of Vaggie's name.

Charlie: What!?

Adam: Oh did she?

Adam handed Varian over to Lucifer and stomped off to find the bitch that hurt his baby.

Adam: You got a fucking problem bitch!? You like hitting kids?

Vaggie: What!? No! I didn't even touch him he did that to himself!

Adam: Right, Varian would just hit his own head.

Vaggie: I watched him do it!

Adam grabbed her by the front of her shirt and lifted her up: If you EVER LAY another finger on any of my kids I will make it so Lute cutting out your fucking eye was an act of mercy.

Vaggie: He's manipulating you!

Adam: He's 3 fucking years old!

Adam drove her into the wall as hard as he could, Vaggie got her head stuck like an ostrich.

He went back over and took Varian back to cradle him in his arms, Charlie ran to Vaggies side.

Adam: There baby, that mean bitch won't hurt you again. Are you okay?

[jahayla-parker]

Never Steal From The Devil: Kaz Brekker × Reader

Part 4

NSFTD Mini-Series Masterlist Navigation

Desc. & Warnings: 2.8k wc, see mini series masterlist navigation page for description and warnings

When Kaz could no longer saw any rise or fall of Judson’s chest, he stepped back and signaled for Jesper to handle it.

Jesper slowly neared the man, his eyes squinting as he winced at the sight. He reached down and checked for a pulse for a moment before nodding to confirm Judson’s death. “How do… how should I … dispose…?” Jesper mumbled.

Kaz sighed loudly as he glanced around the outside empty room as he pondered over the question. “Don’t bother, Wylan will handle it” he concluded.

“No he won’t” Jesper defended.

Kaz shot him a look that told Jesper his boss and best friend thought he was stupid for thinking he’d meant Wylan would see or touch the body.

“This whole place is going to burn” Kaz stated, grabbing his cane from the floor and limping back to the door. He wasn’t going to let some building- much less this torture chamber- still stand after it had served as a place to inflict y/n with more trauma.

Jesper hummed and followed after Kaz.

Y/n had tried to get her friends to back off as politely as she could. Every inch of her body hurt despite Nina’s best efforts. It had been awhile since Nina had to heal people rather than… well, the opposite. As such, y/n knew Nina was struggling a bit when she tried to keep up with all of y/n’s external and internal injuries.

Every time someone tried to hold y/n up, she wanted to scream for them to stop. But, she knew they were just trying to help.

Y/N’s eyes hadn’t left the door across from her after she’d first opened them again. She only opened her eyes when Inej reached her and told her that Kaz sent her to help y/n down. Only at that time did y/n take Inej’s presence as clearance from Kaz to open her eyes. She of course, promptly noticed the field of bloody bodies and severed extremities scattered around the room. But it wasn’t as nauseating when she remembered it had been done for her and that Inej swore Kaz and their friends were all okay.

Yet, y/n knew Kaz and Jesper were in the back room with the man she’d deduced to be the head of the group that had captured her. She could easily imagine different scenarios of what was likely happening behind the door. Despite the fact that y/n was somewhat distracted by the attentive concern and mothering behaviors of her friends beside her.

Y/n’s eyes remained trained on the door until the moment Kaz stepped through it.

Their eyes immediately met and Nina noticed how both of their breaths hitched simultaneously. She signaled for their friends to let go of y/n’s body. They were reluctant to do so after having seen Y/n struggling to support herself only minutes before. But, they quickly complied when Nina glared at them.

Kaz limped quickly to y/n, holding his hand up with his palm facing forward when Y/n took a shaky step closer to him.

As Y/n waited for Kaz to reach her, her eyes trailed his body for any injuries.

Kaz was doing the same with her body and the grip on his cane intensified each time he noticed one. Kaz struggled to breathe through his emotions; the fear, anger, relief, guilt, and hurt mixing toxically inside him.

Y/n slowly reached her now thin and frail hand towards the droplets of blood splattered diagonally along the left side of Kaz’s face.

Kaz didn’t back away or signal for y/n to stop. He just stared into her eyes, letting her loving gaze metaphorically embrace him as her hand touched his face. Kaz heard her breath hitch and he realized her fingers were touching the red spots of the bloody splashback from earlier. He saw the fear, pain, and guilt in her eyes and quickly shook his head.

Kaz grabbed y/n’s hand in his gloved one as he delicately lowered it from his face and held it in his hand instead. “Stop worrying. It’s not mine” He told her quietly.

“None of it?” Y/n’s voice cracked as her eyes examined the various patches of red that donned his clothes, exposed skin, and cane.

Kaz slowly tilted her head up to lift her gaze back to his face, desperate to see her comforting y/e/c eyes. “None of it” he choked out.

They were both still whispering but neither of them knew why. Given the overall silence in the room it was likely the Crows could still hear them anyways. It was almost like they both had silently agreed to whisper as if to not risk breaking the relieving comfort they’d found being back in each other’s presence.

“Zenik needs to-“ Kaz began as he tried to find y/n’s most pressing wound.

Y/n shook her head, “she did her best. I’m fine”.

Kaz squinted and dropped y/n’s hand as he went to slide the ripped fabric by her leg out of the way. He visibly and uncharacteristically winced as he saw the discolored and dirty scab covering y/n’s deep stab wound on her thigh.

“No, really, I'm fine." Y/n told him, covering her leg.

Kaz could see through y/n’s typical stoic attitude and impassive gaze. “Liar. Move your hand and let me see” He stated, his eyes not wavering from their focus on her leg even as her hand blocked the wound. Kaz sucked in a sharp breath as y/n moved her hand. He could now fully see the details of the puncture that was undoubtedly majorly infected.

“It’s my fault” y/n mumbled.

Kaz’s eyes snapped to y/n’s in a sharp and judgmental manner.

Y/n knew the stare was Kaz silently arguing with her. So she tried to explain herself. “They shouldn’t have been able to capture me, I need to train mo-“ y/n argued shyly.

Kaz growled and shook his head. “They drugged you. Training wouldn’t change that” he pointed out.

Y/n let her embarrassed eyes look into Kaz’s gaze. When she saw the sincerity and intensity behind his gaze, she nodded as they settled into a soft agreement on the subject.

As Kaz went to move his hand to y/n’s side to brace her for their departure, she turned to him with confusion. “Why are they all tailored while you’re not?” She asked.

“You know I don’t care for having Grisha abilities used on me” Kaz reminded her.

Y/n nodded, “but then how did you... The law states that only Shu-“.

Kaz chuckled sarcastically, "do you truly believe that anything so little as a rule, or a law, might have stopped me from protecting you?”

Y/n felt her lips slowly curl up until she gave into a wide grin.

Kaz cleared his throat and rubbed his neck as he nodded to the exit, “ready?”.

Y/n nodded and Kaz hooked his arm around her for support but noticed her instant increased tension.

“That hurts” Kaz stated, stepping back.

Y/n nodded with a weak shrug but Kaz still sighed loudly.

Kaz examined y/n’s irritated wrists and crossed off the idea to hand her his cane. “Matthias” he called out without looking away from y/n.

As much as Kaz wanted to be the one to be able to carry Y/n home, he couldn’t. He had worked on his touch affliction, but this would be a very long trip. Kaz knew he would struggle to handle it even though he planned for them to take breaks along the way for y/n to rest.

Kaz wasn’t going to let Y/n experience more pain from his body trembling as he tried selfishly to carry her. He needed Matthias to carry her. She would not be walking, she was visibly frail and struggling to keep herself up even after Nina’s help. Not to mention Kaz was worried the wound on y/n’s thigh would rip open if she moved her leg too much.

Matthias stood silently beside them, giving Y/n a small smile.

“Carry her” Kaz ordered simply.

“Kaz-“ Y/n groaned. But it was a futile act of resistance as Matthias had already scooped her up in his arms as Kaz had ordered.

Nina smirked at y/n’s annoyance as she tried to not giggle at her frustrated expression.

Meanwhile Inej nodded her head in agreement with Kaz’s choice.

Kaz turned to Wylan upon their group having reached the exit. He nodded his head towards the building and Wylan smirked.

“They’re all in place” Wylan stated, to which Kaz nodded back.

“What’s in place?“ Y/n asked, her voice cracking before she began coughing loudly.

Kaz snapped his eyes to her, “stop talking”.

“That’s rather rude Kaz” y/n weakly bantered in a raspy tone.

Kaz glared and shook his head. He reached blindly into Wylan’s bag, his eyes still not leaving y/n. Kaz’s fingers felt around the inside of the bag until he felt the item he was searching for. He pulled his hand back as he removed the last of their water supply.

Kaz pressed his hand towards Y/n, "Drink all of this and don't argue with me".

Y/n glanced at it hesitantly as she saw how much was left. She instinctively knew it was the last of their water and couldn’t help but hesitate to drink it knowing the others likely needed hydration too.

Kaz had begun walking again but stopped and turned to her after not hearing the sound of her drinking it. His eyes thinned as he huffed "drink it, or l'lI pry your mouth open and pour it down your throat.".

The Crows all shared a shocked yet amused glance.

Y/N’s eyes looked up towards her eyelids in a failed attempt to roll her eyes. But, she nonetheless opened the glass bottle and drank the remaining liquid. Y/n felt as if her dry throat were burning from the contrasting feeling of the water.

The group huddled around a campfire their first night. Kaz hadn’t let them make one on their way here, despite the cold as he feared it would give away their presence. But, tonight he knew they’d earned it and Y/n needed the warmth.

Kaz sat beside y/n, his body brushing against hers. The couple was only separated by their respective clothing. He was just close enough to remind her of his presence while not hurting her wounds or triggering his anxiety.

But, Kaz did give in to his need to hold y/n’s hand in his ungloved one as their friends chatted. It helped him remember she was truly there. That she was safe now.

Kaz’s eyes hadn’t left y/n that night, even as his exhausted mind zoned out the conversation around them. All he cared about was her and he was going to take in her presence as much as he could.

Y/n felt Kaz’s gaze and glanced over at him with a small smile. The way it made her eyes narrow from her cheeks rising made Kaz bite his lip as he tried to not stare at her lips.

“Thank you for not forgetting about me” y/n teased softly.

Kaz squinted at y/n despite her playful tone. He shook his head definitively, “I wouldn't forget you. Not if the whole world turned to ash."

“Which it almost did thanks to Kaz” Jesper retorted, making the others laugh.

Y/n raised her eyebrow at Kaz questioningly.

“The Barrel might be a bit more… disfigured, than you recall” Kaz confessed, his cheeks flushed.

“Please, he desecrated the place while trying to find you” Matthias remarked.

Kaz shot a harsh look at both Matthias and Jesper. However, it only increased the laughter of his Crows.

Y/n tenderly used the hand Kaz wasn’t holding to tilt his head to her, smiling brightly at him. “Thank you for coming for me” she said, serious this time.

Kaz hummed softly as he stared at y/n the way she felt like she needed to be looked at. Kaz looked at y/n like the whole world could crumble around them and he wouldn't blink. Given Jesper and Matthias’s remarks, y/n supposed that might be exactly the case. Regardless, the look Kaz gave y/n steadied her in a way nothing else could. Kaz was her rock and y/n was his. This was what kept y/n going during her captivity. That was what kept Kaz going during y/n’s absence.

It took the Crows several days to return home, but Y/n was already in better shape by then. Nina had been able to rest and retry her attempts to heal y/n’s multitude of wounds. It was a several day affair and even after Nina did all she could, Y/n was still in less than ideal condition. But, she’d live and recover over time. Kaz wasn’t exactly pleased, but he could suffice with that compromise.

When they’d made it back to the Slat, Y/n expected that the Crows would all go their separate ways to rest. Instead, she noticed they remained downstairs. Well, except for Matthias who carried Y/n up the stairs so he could place her in Kaz’s bed.

Kaz moved his office chair to the end of the bed and lowered himself into. It was angled so he could see everything he needed to; the door, his window, and of course Y/n.

Matthias excused himself after Y/n was securely in bed.

After he’d exited the room, Y/n lifted her head to see Kaz better. “Why aren’t they going to rest?” She asked.

Kaz shrugged, not looking at her in order to hide his tell; the one only y/n had ever picked up on.

“Kaz,” y/n sighed.

Kaz deflated into his seat as he closed his eyes to rest some, “they’re working”.

“Kaz, honey, it can wait” y/n argued on her friends’ behalves.

Kaz softly shook his head with his eyes still closed. “They’re standing guard” he mumbled.

Y/n felt her heart warm at the implication. “Kaz-“ she began quietly.

“I had them sleep in, at our last stop. They’re fine” Kaz promised.

“Okay but-“ y/n argued stubbornly.

“Stop talking” Kaz stated as his eyes opened. “I’m not changing my mind on this. They’re guarding the Slat and that’s that” he explained, positioning his cane between himself and the door. “No one is coming in here until you’re healed and we’ve found Mirko Birkland” Kaz firmly argued.

“I love you too, Kaz” y/n hummed soflty as she laid back down.

Kaz stiffened, his heart beating fast as he struggled with forming a repsinse. “If I say…” he hated the way he was resisting saying the words he knew he felt. The words he knew y/n deserved to hear. “If I say….. then… it’ll put you in even more danger” Kaz said, looking over at her with sad guilty eyes.

“I didn’t say it to have you repeat it. I just needed you to know” y/n told him lovingly.

Kaz watched y/n’s eyes close as she’d melted into the pillow under her head. “I do” he rushed out. Kaz sighed, “do… you…know…?”. He struggled with trying to get even the vague implicating question to leave his lips, “know that I…… I mean…”.

“Yes, Kaz. I know.” Y/n hummed, a smile on her lips as she peaked her eyes open to stare down the bed at him. “That’s why I said too” she smirked softly at him and shot him a playful wink.

Kaz formed a small smile for her, one that grew when her eyes closed and he didn’t have to hide his embarrassingly wide grin. “Sleep” his raspy voice soft as he set his bare hand down on her blanket covered foot. Kaz saw y/n’s brief hesitation and her sudden stiffness and realized his fingers had slightly touched her ankle. While he knew it wasn’t a reaction to pain now that Nina had healed it, he knew it was triggering since it had been where she was chained to the wall for days.

Kaz delicately rubbed the blanket over y/n’s ankle with his thumb as he watched her tension slowly slip away. “Jesper and Matthias are on the main doors. Inej is covering the roof. Nina and Wylan have the stairs. I’m covering our room. Sleep” he ordered soflty.

Y/n felt her body relax as Kaz kept his hand on her ankle. Unlike the chains that had been there a few days before, the pressure was soothing. It reminded y/n that Kaz was here with her. He’d come for her and brought her home. And she could sleep comfortably knowing that she was safe now.

Y/n felt herself drifting off as she began picturing the way her friends were willingly guarding the building from their respective stations. Her mind truly relaxed enough to let her actually sleep when she visualized how Kaz was sitting at her feet; one hand on her despite his own trauma, and one hand gripping his cane in case someone tried to enter. She was home and once her body and mind embraced that wonderful realization she fell into a much needed deep sleep.

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Kaz tags: @dil3mma @ell0ra-br3kk3r @b3kk3r-by-br3kk3r @directioner5life @nikfigueiredo @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @winstonthecow22 @missdreamofendless @supergaybish1 @alex-kazbrekkersimp @wolfmoonmusic @phoenix666stuff @twlegit @kentucky-criedfricken @twlegit @valeridarkness @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

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[eryanlainfa]

tell me about aiden cause idk shit about them 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Wait let me just get in costume-

Okay. so Aiden. They're my special guy.

I have a masterpost about them linked in my pinned post.. somewhere- if you wanna go further about them- you don't have to, its okay, no worries-

But anyway. Quick summary!

Aiden is my TTS oc. They're genderfluid and use any pronouns (I am a bad exemple I almost only they/them him 😔) they're a witch! Because those are a thing in my worldbuilding. And their magic speciality is similar to hypnosis (because this is always fun)

She's around a year and some months older than Var, their parents were friends. So technically Aiden and V are childhood friends but they genuinely drift apart like... 4 times-

Aiden is a nerd and is studying under the castle's physician to become one himself.

Also he lost his right leg to the storm in Queen for a day. They took some time to recover but ultimately decided helping his friend to break out of jail was better than coping like a normal person. So they helped the saporians to take over the castle.

They got grounded afterward. Rest of tts isnt much important- they get back to assisting the royal physician. But said physician really wants to retire so Aiden is stressed out about it.

Then he follows Var in his journey through the 7 kingdoms because she wants to run away from her problems again.

The 7k journey happens. More shenanigans. Add witches and family drama to the mix. And the worst love triangle ever.

I assume you know I ship him with both Varian and Hugo 😔 bunch of nerds

Anyway they lived happily ever after (after more family and witches shenanigans)

The end

[atopearth]

Norn9: Var Commons Part 7 - Akito Shukuri Route

I am very intrigued by the relationship Akito and Nanami share since he obviously knows her powers and whatever she's done in the past. And I have a soft spot for Akito because he's always so considerate towards others by cooking for them all the time and teaching others. I'm glad Heishi stood up for Nanami when Akito couldn't hide his utter disdain towards having to be paired with Nanami. Akito's hatred for Nanami really runs quite deep, although I can understand why he slapped her hand away and wouldn't want Nanami to touch him since touching someone is how she erases memories. I love how Nanami is basically stalking him lmao, I mean I guess it is monitoring haha. I died when Akito was confused about whether he was scared or not of the Hiyoko? that looks like a penguin hahahaha, even his fear is confused😂 HAHAHA, I love Hiyoko Channel and how they bribe Natsuhiko with books and stuff to interview him. It's so cute how one alcoholic drink is his limit, lmao when he took the gun out when the hiyoko called him adorable for that being his limit though😂 Can Akito see and talk to Aion?? Maybe after talking to her, she gives him the water powers? Honestly, it always feels so bad to see and hear how much guilt Nanami feels, enough that she's basically ready to die if Akito wants it and that's very saddening. Of course Akito is too kind to even think about wanting that though. His look of concern towards Nanami when he grabbed her as she nearly fell to her death was very telling of how he really feels. Lmao, I love Kakeru so much, he's had enough of their arguing so he got some handcuffs specifically made just to force them to get along better hahaha. How will Akito cook in peace?!

Heishi is so random it's hilarious. I love how he was talking about rainbows with Ron, and he was like can you just get to the point hahaha. Poor Akito got electrocuted lol! I guess having Kakeru get sick now is the only way to keep Akito and Nanami stuck together haha, a mad Koharu is always the best. It's tough seeing Nanami and Akito together because as Masamune said, Akito gets hurt when he says crap about Nanami too. He tries his best to distance himself from her so he won't know anything about her circumstances and can keep on hating her, but the more he talks with her, the more he's starting to understand that she hates her powers and for having using used it in the past, and that makes it hard for him to continue hating her. Akito reassuring Nanami that Mikoto and Ron will be okay in his own rough way was sweet. Seeing Nanami so genuinely smile and feel happy that Akito truly is a kind person even to someone he hates so much is so heartwarming. The first thing I thought of was they could just check if the barrier around the ship is still up to see if Mikoto is alive, so I'm glad Nanami realised that haha. LOL at Nanami nuzzling herself against Akito's fluffy ears in the dream hahaha! It was so cute when he ran away lmao. Even though Nanami is still understandably confused, I was really happy when Akito hugged her in real life after the dream and tried to tell her that the one who tried to kill her wasn't him. I'm glad he's communicating with her trying to tell her that he knows that whatever happened in the past isn't completely her fault and that he doesn't blame her as much anymore, or at least not to the extent that he still wants her to die for it.

It's actually pretty hilarious that Nanami has a solid reason for ruining food, or at least Akito's food, and it's because she doesn't want to get used to how good it is otherwise she won't be able to eat ninja/emergency rations anymore haha! I really like how considerate and thoughtful Heishi is in this route. He always asks Nanami what she wants, checks how she's doing, doesn't force her to do anything but basically lets her know that if she doesn't want to stay with Akito as his partner, she can change any time. It's really nice to see how supportive and kind he is to watch out for her all the time because she doesn't watch out for herself. Akito so thoughtfully caring for Nanami is still the best though, so cutee🥰 I can totally understand why Nanami is scared though. I don't think I could handle Akito hating her again either when he's been so gentle now, it would break my heart too. Omg, when Akito called Nanami cute, I died, they're so adorable. I was so happy for Akito and Nanami when they finally talked and Akito acknowledged that he was selfish and confusing because of his actions towards her. It was so nice when he hugged her. And I was so happy when Heishi was happy and relieved for them because they both finally had a proper talk. I appreciate Heishi so much in this route. It was so sweet when Nanami told Akito that she told Heishi she wanted to stay by Akito's side🥹 On the other hand, I am very curious about this love triangle with Kakeru, Koharu and Senri, like I'm so invested in what's going to happen to them, I hope no one dies. HAHAHA, I died when Akito basically said Nanami was prettier than Koharu and Mikoto, and Nanami responded saying he needs to see an optometrist😂 Omg, I loved it when Nanami asked for Akito's necktie instead of jewellery, that's definitely much more special! Akito so straightforwardly calling Nanami pretty because he finally realised that Nanami doesn't understand his tsundere attitude was so cute hahaha, he tried so hard that Nanami even fainted because of how overwhelmingly sweet it was hahahaha.

I feel really silly for not realising that Senri is actually Akito's younger brother when they both have the power of water. I was so happy for Senri when he realised he has a brother, it must have been so heartbreaking for Akito all this time to have been right next to him but not be able to be with him because Senri doesn't have memories of Akito. How could he not hate Nanami when Senri was always there reminding him of what he could have but can't have now. Akito kissing Nanami was so cuteee, how did Nanami even resist hahaha. It was nice to know that Akito asked Kakeru to take care of Senri and that's why he always bothered him. I won't say Kakeru was always "right" in the way he dealt with Senri but I do agree with Akito that it did help Senri come out of his room more. I thought Shiro was Kakeru's real dad all this time but he actually captured Kakeru when he was really young and brainwashed him before he was saved by The World?! I feel so bad for Kakeru... Seeing Akito push himself using powers when he's not a proper esper and slowly kill himself is just so tough to watch, especially since you can see how concerned Nanami is. I won't deny that Akito kissing her to reassure her was pretty cool though hahaha. I'm so glad Nanami remembered Akito's advice and stopped herself from adding random stuff to the rice porridge she made for Akito haha. Funnily though, I just realised that Akito hasn't cooked in his own route much at all lol! Now that we know Senri is Akito's little brother, it really makes all those times Akito cooked Senri's favourite food and stuff so much more meaningful, especially when they go back into the past and see how happily Senri talked about loving Akito's cooking and how much he loved Akito.

I don't blame Nanami because she was forced to erase Senri's memories of Akito, especially since the village people really might have killed Akito to make Senri continue to provide water for their village at the cost of his health and probably his life. But I can understand Akito's hatred especially before he got to know Nanami. Not only did Akito lose his little brother and their whole relationship, but he also lost the ability to protect his brother properly because of it, and that's caused Senri so much pain considering how Akito was the only one who actually cared for him. Senri became all alone and became afraid of people to the point that he doesn't want to interact with anyone, how could Akito and Nanami not feel guilt over that. I couldn't help but cry over Akito and Senri's past. It's so disgusting that the village people chased after Akito who was still a child to kill him just in case Senri remembers him. I can't imagine how terrible Akito must have felt to be forced to leave Senri behind. And I can't imagine what kind of life Senri had to live as basically a doll to give water to this village that just uses him and destroyed the only person who cared about him and made him all alone and think that he can't trust anything or anyone.

I can see why Akito blames himself and why he couldn't help but hate Nanami as a way to cope with everything, and yeah I can understand that the villagers were desperate but if you're so desperate to save yourselves that you lose your humanity for it, is there even any point in living? If you have to kill a child and force another child to basically be a slave that only exists to do your bidding, is that kind of life worth living? I don't have the answer for that, because many people desperately try their best to live for their own reasons, but knowing that these people didn't even hesitate in choosing to kill children to save themselves disgusts me, especially since the only reason presented in the game was that they didn't want to move somewhere else because this land has always been their ancestors etc so they had to keep it alive. Land that is only prosperous from exploiting children shouldn't exist at all. And lol as usual, this game really likes to skip over the plot, because they literally just said Aion broke and that's all! Lmao when Akito hid in his bed to hide from facing Senri, they're both so scared of facing each other, they're both so adorable😂😂 I really enjoyed how happy the ending was but I really wanted to see Akito and Senri talk!! Hopefully we get it in Last Era. The tragic love ending was pretty sad because Akito chose to live in a fake past where he could protect Senri and save the village, and Nanami chose to stay with him there. Akito trying his best to make jounamagashi because Nanami didn't get a chance to try it was so sweet. Seeing him do so much research and try his best to make it properly was so cuteee, especially when he faced against the hiyokos and didn't let his fear overwhelm him because he prioritised wanting to make Nanami happy.

Overall, I think Akito had the most satisfying route from beginning to end out of everyone so far. There's still some flaws of course but negligible because Akito was great. I loved seeing the progression of Akito's hatred to understanding and then love. I think the best thing was that even though you know Akito really hated Nanami for some reason, you could also see that he was too nice of a person to truly hate her, I'd say Nanami hated herself more than Akito did. It was really cute to see them awkwardly dance around each other's feelings, be confused about their romantic feelings for each other but still want to be beside the other despite the past. I love how he acknowledged that he distanced himself from Nanami not only because he hated her for what she did, but also because if he didn't know her, it was easier to hate her and blame her. Honestly, I really wished we got a proper reunion between Akito and Senri but I loved their back story and Akito's hatred was totally understandable in the end even if Nanami was forced to do what she did. And the romance was honestly really cute! They're both so shy and awkward at times, but also super adorable in how honest they can be. I loved it when they both tried to get the other to say their first name haha, definitely the best overall route! Kakeru is still my favourite guy though!

[dancingwiththoughts]

Medwhump May Day 28: Head Injury

I've decided to bring back a ridiculously old story I wrote when I was ten or so for TTS. Enjoy!

Why did it have to be happening now?

They were miles away from any other people, and there was no time to find a doctor. Rapunzel screamed, and Varian made a mental note to never go anywhere with a pregnant person near their due date.

+++++++

“This was such a fun idea, Hugo!” Rapunzel beamed.

Hugo smiled back.

“Well, I can’t take all of the credit. As much as I hate to admit it, it was also Fitzherbert’s idea. He thought that some fresh air would be good for you; and for Goggles.”

“Huh?” Varian’s head shot up from where he had been hunched over a book.

Hugo rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Var. What about a vacation don’t you get? You’re supposed to be relaxing, not working.”

“Hugo, I don’t have time for a vacation,” Varian ran a hand through his hair,”I still have a full schedule to work through.”

“Varian, it’s only a short trip for the weekend. You can take a vacation. In fact, I’m royally decreeing that you take one.” Rapunzel cut in.

Varian opened his mouth to argue, but seemingly decided against it.

“So what’s Eugene planning on doing while we’re away?”

Rapunzel thought a moment before replying.

“I’m not really sure. I think he said something about running drills and maybe taking Sunny to a park if he had time. But I’m sure he’s doing fine.”

+++++++

In Corona

“Lance, quick! Go grab the girls, and I’ll get Sunny. Rapunzel is gone, and this is the perfect time to try out that new sled.”

“But there’s no snow.”

“Who needs snow!? We have stairs!”

+++++++

“Yeah, he’s probably fine.”

“Hey, there’s the water!” Hugo called.

They turned to face the front of the cart. There was a vast expanse of shimmering blue. The sun glinted on the surface, causing the water to glisten magically. There was a small strip of sand between the land and ocean, which was also bathed in the sunlight.

“Wow, this is so beautiful!”Rapunzel exclaimed.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!

+++++++

“Varian!”

The group had been at the beach for a few hours, splashing around and chatting. Hugo had left a few moments ago, leaving Rapunzel and Varian alone. Varian had been brushing sand from Ruddiger’s fur when Rapunzel’s cry caught his attention. Ruddiger started sprinting towards the queen, and the alchemist followed. Rapunzel was sitting on the beach towel, color draining from her face.

“What’s wrong?” Varian exclaimed, kneeling down next to her.

“Varian, my water just broke.”

“What! We have to go back-”

“Varian, there’s not enough time. The baby’s coming now. You’re going to have to help me.”

“Me!? No, no, no, I can’t! I don’t know how to deliver a baby! What if I mess something up! I’m not qualified to-”

“Varian.”

Varian focused back on Rapunzel. She gazed at him, a soft smile dancing on her lips.

“I trust you.”

Varian took a breath

“O-okay”

+++++++

Hugo ran through the forest.

He had left the beach a few minutes ago to take care of business, leaving Varian and Rapunzel by themselves. He had just been walking back when a shrill scream caught his attention. They were the only ones nearby, so Hugo immediately broke into a sprint.

He turned a corner along the road, his shoes slipping in the sand. He could see Varian kneeling next to Rapunzel, who was breathing raggedly. Varian’s head turned as Hugo reached where they were, his face pale.

“Rapunzel’s going into labor. I don’t know what to do!”

The alchemist looked close to tears.

Hugo quickly shot into action.

“Okay. Var, get some towels, and wet them down with one of the canteens. I’ll stay with Rapunzel.”

Hugo glanced at the queen.

”Ready to have a baby?”

+++++++

“Come on, last stretch. You’re so close. One more push!”

Rapunzel let out a cry of pain, before gasping for breath. Hugo grinned, holding up the infant, who was now wrapped in a towel.

“Congrats on your new baby girl!”He said, handing the child to Rapunzel, who smiled, tears running down her blotchy skin.

Hugo turned to Varian, who had been relatively silent, but helpful.

“Thanks for the he- are you okay?”Hugo asked, eyebrows knitting together in concern.

Varian had gone ashen, swaying slightly where he stood.

“I’s… I’s alotta blood… sorry.” Varian’s eyes rolled into his head as he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“Varian!”

Hugo kneeled down next to the alchemist, propping his head in his lap. He felt his hands grow sticky; pulling them away from Varian's head, he saw that they were smeared with blood.

“Oh Fu-”

“Hugo, what happened? Is he okay!?”

Rapunzel propped herself up, the child letting out a few noises of protests.

“He passed out and hit his head. I should’ve remembered the whole blood thing. I’m going to go grab bandages; he’s bleeding. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a concussion. Can you keep an eye on him?”

Rapunzel nodded.

“Great. Holler if you need anything. I’ll be right back.”

+++++++

Varian groggily blinked, trying to clear his vision. His head hurt, and everything was blurry. He could just make out a blond figure in front of him.

“Hugo?”

“Oh, good. You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“M’fine. What happened?” Varian tried to move from his position, but Hugo quickly grabbed his shoulder.

“Quit moving, idiot. You cut open your head, and now I have to bandage it. Just hold still, and I’ll be done in a sec.”

They sat in silence, before Hugo stepped back.

“There, that should stop the bleeding until we get back to Corona.”

Hugo sat down next to him, placing Varian's hand in his own.

“Be more careful, Goggles.” He murmured, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Varian blushed, before turning his attention to Rapunzel.

“So, how are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m good. Not my first time.”She beamed, cradling her child closer to her chest.

“So, what’d you name her?”

“I think I’m going to call her Beatrice Cass Fitzherbert , or Bea for short.”

“That’s a great name. I wonder what Eugene will think?”

“Well, we’ll see when we get there!”

+++++++

Hugo got out of the wagon first, helping Rapunzel and then Varian down. They opened the castle doors, ready to show off the new baby, when Sunny ran up to them; well, limped over.

Rapunzel gasped.

“Sunny, what happened! Oh, your face!”

There was a long scrape along the child’s forehead, and bruises were quickly forming on his arms and legs.

“I’m okay, mommy. But daddy’s a little stuck.”

Sunny pulled on Rapunzel’s dress, guiding her and the group down one of the halls.

“What do you mean daddy’s- EUGENE FITZHERBERT! YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU’RE STUCK IN THE FAMILY PORTRAIT !”

[panfluidme]

Alternate Ending #1

Chapter Twenty

March 24th, 2023

Varian walked around his room, smiling widely as he gathered his things. He was so excited to go back to Corona. Sure it meant going on a plane. Which wasn’t at all exciting. But he got to go back home, so it was worth it.

Even after seven years, Corona was still his home.

Gene chuckled. “You’re so cute when you’re excited, love.”

“I just love going to Corona. I know we can’t live there because of our jobs are here. Your family’s here. My family’s here.” By that, he meant the Murphys. “We can’t just uproot our lives just because I want to live somewhere that’s far away from everything we know.”

“It’s okay. We can always move there.”

“No. I can’t do that. Besides, Willow’s life is here.”

Willow was their adoptive daughter. Technically, she was Gene’s niece, but his sister and her husband had passed away. So the two agreed to take over and raise her as their own. Of course, making sure she’d have stories of her mommy and daddy.

“She’s two, Var. It would be a little scary for her at first, but she would get over it.” Gene grabbed his hands. “If you really, really wanted to, I would be just fine moving there.”

He chuckled lightly and gently squeezed Gene’s hands. “Thank you, Gene. I’ll think over it.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He kissed Varian’s forehead then helped Varian pack their things.

Ruddiger chittered, deciding to sit on Varian’s head. Varian didn’t acknowledge him since he was used to the feeling of Ruddiger on his head.

Varian blinked, something suddenly feeling very wrong. He fiddled with the engagement ring. Anxiety arose inside him. He looked down then froze.

Stone was quickly going up his legs.

“Not again,” he whispered softly before the stone took over his face.

[theyluvkarolina]

hi hi!!

i just read your lando angst fic. so good ahhhhhh😩🤌🏻

um.. and if your requests are open… could i request a max verstappen x manager! reader where she is real madrid’s or mancity’s social media manager or something and she’s sorta famous herself and has a really good relationship w her team. and max goes to one of the games and meets her and all the guys are teasing her (like how brothers tease their sister over things haha) and they get together after a while ?

sorry if that was so specific😅 love your works!! and i understand if you don’t want to do it!! have a lovely day <3

౨ৎ BIG BROTHERS ౨ৎ

masterlist / rules / requests & talks with me!

SUMMARY౨ৎ Meeting a f1 driver at your job wasn’t on the bucket list. However, crushing and getting teased by your new team members as if you were their little sister makes this much more worse interesting.

PAIRING ౨ৎ max verstappen x fem!reader

WARNINGS ౨ৎ GOOGLE TRANSLATED SPANISH!! Y/n is a major fangirl for Max 😭, sex jokes again

A/N ౨ৎ i’d like to apologize for how long this took and that i definitely could have done this request better than this considering how happy I was to do this but my writers block has been out of control lately :( as for the teasing, i went the more “over-protective brothers” route. I hope that’s okay with you!

A/N 2 ౨ৎ … safe to say i did NOT plan for this to be finished and come out on the one race max got a dnf 😭😭

INSTAGRAM (1 YEAR OLD)

realmadrid ✔︎

realmadrid ¡Al Real Madrid FC le gustaría anunciar a nuestra nueva gerente de redes sociales, la Sra. Y/N L/N! Nos gustaría felicitarla por esta increíble oportunidad y por su dedicación no solo al Real Madrid, sino también al equipo. ¡Bienvenido Y/N!

-

Real Madrid FC would like to announce our new Social Media manager, Ms. Y/N L/N! We would like to congratulate her on this amazing opportunity and her dedication to not only Real Madrid, but to the team. Welcome Y/N!

INSTAGRAM (PRESENT TIME)

fabriziorom ✔︎

fabriziorom ✔︎ Who’s gonna win 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧��� 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞? 🏆

𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒 ⤵️✨

Atlético or BVB 🆚 Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain.

Real Madrid or Manchester City 🆚 Arsenal or Bayern.

5,643 comments

username1 Real hardest matchup again

username2 Let's all laugh at vardrid we're going to see 5-1 aggregate again 😂

→ username3 bro thinks barça has been doing shit for the past 5 years 💀 → username4 at least we don’t rely on VAR → username5 at least we have 14 champion league wins

username6 Real Madrid revenge arc coming soon.....

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ WTF

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ guys i can’t do this

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ i’m stressing

username6 someone check on Y/N rn

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ me because we are versing Man City in Champions League.

2,345 comments

judebellingham ✔︎ what is that photo of me.

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ art.

username7 DON’T REMIND ME

username8 girl aren't you supposed to believe in your team?? 💀

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ even it's okay to admit defeat once in a while. → judebellingham ✔︎ BE CONFIDENT BLOODY HELL 😭 → y/n_l/nmadrid IT’S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE WATCHING 😞😞

tonirudiger ✔︎ BELIEVE IN US 💪 💪 🔥

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ i wish I had your positivity toni 🥹 → tonirudiger ✔︎ don’t worry y/n! we will win! 💪 💪 🔥 → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ i think you can stop with the emojis → tonirudiger ✔︎ 👍

y/n_l/nmadrid

y/n_l/nmadrid you guys are in a crisis…. i’m on my way.

2,341 comments

camavinga ✔︎ jude has been influencing you too much.

→ judebellingham ✔︎ and? supernanny is a good show. → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ someone is jelly they haven’t seen peak british tv. → judebellingham ✔︎ it’s telly you fake 🙄

vinijr ✔︎ those headphones look familiar 🤔 🤔

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ shhhhh

username9 what even is the “crisis”???

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ man city. → rodrygo ✔︎ stop this rn.

y/n_l/nmadrid has posted a story 1 hour ago!

realmadrid ✔︎

realmadrid up up and away! ✈️ Onto Manchester 👊

5,423 comments

username10 i still forget it’s y/n making these posts for the team 😭😭

username11 i love how she does a whole 360 with the actual team insta posts than her own 💀

username12 WE DEMAND MORE LUKA POSTS!!

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ I WOULD BUT THE OLD MAN IS GETTING ANNOYED BY IT → judebellingham ✔︎ yeah because you have an entire album dedicated to him and then cry when you think about him retiring??? → username13 EXCUSE ME??? → username14 y/n crying because of modrić being close to retiring 🥹🥹 → username15 WHY ARE WE IGNORING THE FACT SHE HAS AN ALBUM DEDICATED TO HIM??? →username16 because who wouldn’t cry about him retiring → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ @ username16 is right → judebellingham ✔︎ @ username16 i second that → rodrygo ✔︎ @ username16 make that 3. → camavinga ✔︎ @ usernme16 4. → fedevalverde ✔︎ @ username16 5 😅 → lukamodric10 ✔︎ I’m retiring not dying 😓

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

realmadrid ✔︎

realmadrid ✔︎ Miss Y/N hard at work! What do you think she is writing? 🤔 ✍️

3,456 comments

username17 how to win against Man City

username18 how to not piss herself watching the game.

ardaguler ✔︎ she works?! 😧 😧

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ you get playing time?! → username19 SHOTS FIRED 😭 → ardaguler ✔︎ :( → username20 WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU 😭😭 → judebellingham ✔︎ be nice to the baby he hasn’t been here that long to know your harmless 😞 → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ @ judebellingham don’t say that as if you haven’t been here for less than a year either. → judebellingham ✔︎ this is what you sound like: wah wah wah

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ congrats to my favorite boys!! onto the quaters! 🫶🫶

2,479 comments

username21 she’s actually so unserious 😭

pablogavi ✔︎ imagine not believing in your own team

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ imagine being on a team that lost 7-2 in the champions league against bayern munich → pablogavi ✔︎ you won’t let barca live this down will you? → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ nope. 🫶

judebellingham now you believe in us??? 😒 😒

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ shush. be happy i even posted about you guys.

tonirudiger ✔︎ working hard! 💪 🔥

lukamodric10 ✔︎ great teamwork! 👏

toni.kr8s ✔︎ what a game 😮

username22 toni and luka are such parents 💀

y/n_l/nmadrid has posted a story 1 hour ago!

judebellingham replied to your story!

judebellingham Y/N YOU ARSE LOOK AT THE GROUP CHAT PLEASE y/n_l/nmadrid … y/n_l/nmadrid should I be scared? Read at 5:32 PM y/n_l/nmadrid wowww okay i see how it is

mxverstappen1 has posted a story 5 minutes ago!

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f1 ✔︎

f1 ✔︎ Max wins it in Silverstone! 🦁 An outstanding performance once again by the Dutchman! 👏

6,432 comments

username22 another day, another gp max ate.

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ NO WAY THIS IS THE MAN THAT KEPT ME COMPANY WHEN I WAS LOST

→ username23 no way homegirl didn’t recognize THE max vertsappen 💀💀 → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ damn i’m sorry my entire sports knowledge is the one i work for 😞

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ lowkey… he kinda fine 🤭

→ judebellingham ✔︎ bloody hell → camavinga ✔︎ we need an intervention for her rn → fedevalverde ✔︎ euthanize her. → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ FEDE??? → usernme24 y/n gets the appeal → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ when you do work with men in sports your forced to see apeal.

username25 DU DU DU DU 🔥 🗣️🔥 🦁 MAX VERSTAPPEN 🏎️🔥 🗣️

maxverstappen1 ✔︎

maxverstappen1 game of padel before race day!

tagged ; landonorris, fernandoalonso, danielricciardo

3125 comments

username25 f1 is just a jobby for him at this point 😭

username26 the goats and some guy named lando

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ is he single

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ that’s a handsome man right there 🥴

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ he can paddle me anyday 😊😊

→ username27 MA’AM ??? → username28 the Real Madrid boys are NOT gonna be happy → judebellingham ✔︎ WHAT IS THIS??? → rodrygo ✔︎ i wish i can bleach my eyes out rn. → camavinga ✔︎ tell luka to giver her meds now. → tonirudiger ✔︎ already messaged him! 🔥 → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ CAN I THIRST IN PEACE???

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ fun trip to manchester and london!

2,347 comments

judebellingham ✔︎ we should have left you at the flower shop

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ but then who will make you guys do silly dances that the fans demand 😞

lukamodric10 ✔︎ kćeri moja ❤️

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ lukita 🥹 → username29 the day luka leaves is the day i die.

maxverstappen1 ✔︎ very pretty lady 🙃

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ 🤭 🤭

maxverstappen1 ✔︎ is she single by chance 🤔

→ brahim ✔︎ woah woah woah → aurelientchm ✔︎ what do you think you are doing? → vinijr ✔︎ back up dutchie → judebellingham ✔︎ away from our girl → tonirudiger ✔︎ no she’s not actually ! → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ yes i am very much single 😚 → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ don’t listen to them!

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maxverstappen1 ✔︎ ; Date #1

maxverstappen1 ✔︎ karting and fifa is my kind of date 🏎️ 🎮

tagged ; y/n_l/nmadrid

5,628 comments

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ ofc you use Barcelona 🙄 🙄

→ maxverstappen1 ✔︎ is it bad to support my favorite team? 😅 → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ if you wanna be with me then it is 🤨 → maxverstappen1 ✔︎ noted.

toni.kr8s ✔︎ is this why you took the day off??

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ …noooo… → rodrygo ✔︎ she’s lying lock her up in the locker room. → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ no thank you i don’t need to smell you stinkers → camavinga ✔︎ okay we don’t smell THAT bad after a game. → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ 😬 about that..

username30 HELLO???

username31 the sports collab we didn’t know we needed

username32 this was NOT on my 2024 calendar…

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ Date #2

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ busy trying to make a new Madridista 🤍

tagged ; maxverstappen1

3,456 comments

maxverstappen1 ✔︎ you’d look good in blue and red 🥴

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ i was going to agree until i realized what you were doing. → maxverstappen1 ✔︎ i don’t know what you are talking about.

username33 they are lowkey so cute

judebellingham ✔︎ why are you collaborating with the enemy.

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ he literally drives fast cars and is not a barca player?? → ardaguler ✔︎ that’s what he wants you to think 🤫

pablogavi ✔︎ why convert him if you can join him? 😉

→ vinijr ✔︎ get out of OUR pr managers comments. → pablogavi ✔︎ make me → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ i’m literally gonna block both of you if you don’t stop acting like kids. AND THAT’S COMING FROM ME → vinijr ✔︎ …yes ma’am. → pablogavi ✔︎ 😶

rodrygo ✔︎ stop acting like a couple in the stands. it makes me wanna puke.

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL WITH YOU AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND.

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maxverstappen1 ✔︎ Date #3

maxverstappen1 my good luck charm 💙

tagged ; y/n_l/nmadrid

7,346 comments

y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ stooopppp you’re making me blush 🫣

→ maxverstappen1 ✔︎ liefje 🫶 → vinijr ✔︎ ew 🤢 → maxverstappen1 ✔︎ sounds like someone is sad and single. → landonorris ✔︎ what’s wrong with being sad and single 😞

redbullracing ✔︎ wonderful job out there 👊 🔥

→ ferrari ✔︎ hey @ redbullracing ! please stop winning so some of us have a chance! 😊 → realmadrid ✔︎ no thanks @ ferrari! we like that the newest golden boy of the family i winning :) → judebellingham ✔︎ oh! → ardaguler ✔︎ :( → lukamodric10 ✔︎ since when was there a new golden boy?!

username33 DU DU DU DU 🔥 🗣️🔥 🦁 MAX VERSTAPPEN 🏎️🔥 🗣️

username34 it’s them against the world

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f1

f1 Max Verstappen and his #1 Fan! 👫❤️

tagged ; maxverstappen1 & y/n_l/nmadrid

6,734 comments

landonorris ✔︎ okay maybe i am sad and single

→ ameliadimz ✔︎ ??? i’m right here 🙄 → landonorris ✔︎ your right my bad 🫶

judebellingham ✔︎ …fine i’ll let this relationship slide.

→ maxverstappen1 ✔︎ am i bellingham approved?? 😮 → judebellingham ✔︎ don’t get your hopes up mate. i’m doing it for her not you 😑 → y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ jude 🥹🥹

lukamodric10 ✔︎ ti razbiti ona srce, odrezat ću ti kurac.

→ y/n_l/nmadrid ✔︎ i’m → maxverstappen1 ✔︎ yes sir. → username35 ✔︎ HELLO??? → username35 ✔︎ LUKA?? → rodrygo ✔︎ i don’t know much croatian but i know that is not good.

TRANSLATIONS

cro: ti razbiti ona srce, odrezat ću ti kurac.

eng: you break her heart, i’ll cut your dick off.

[all-the-things-2020]

All Our Future Prospects - Chapter Twelve

Summary: Claire says goodbye to Ezra and Cee.

Rating: PG

Things had been awkward between her and Ezra ever since their argument. Claire alternated between wishing she’d never contacted Salah in the first place and indignance that Ezra could be so stubborn as to refuse to take the chance of a lifetime, all because it involved signing a limited contract with a corporation.

Cee had picked up on it right away, of course. They were having their farewell dinner at the diner where they’d eaten on Claire’s first day on Galadon. She would leave in the morning.

“Okay, I know you guys are sad and everything, but something else is going on,” Cee said, taking a sip of her eye-blindingly yellow Lemon Bright.

“Nothing is going on,” Ezra said sharply. Claire barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. That tone would instantly put all of Cee’s teenage instincts on alert.

“If you say so,” Cee said with a shrug.

The table fell silent, Cee innocently sipping at her drink while casting shrewd glances at both of them. She was calculating which one was most likely to crack under her interrogation. And it would be an interrogation … the girl would make an excellent attorney, if she could stomach the years of law school and corporate politics it took to pass the bar.

“I just think, whatever it is,” Cee said, “you should forgive each other and put it behind you. This is Claire’s last night here. Nothing can be bigger than the fact that we have to say goodbye.”

Ezra sighed. “You are correct, birdie,” he said softly. “The impending farewell far overshadows any dispute Claire and I may have.”

“So you had an argument,” Cee said, looking supremely satisfied. “I can’t believe you two. Just days left together and you fight over something silly.”

“It isn’t silly,” Ezra said, then immediately bit his lip. He’d fallen into Cee’s trap.

“Maybe it is,” the girl said. “Maybe to a disinterested party — like myself — it’s nothing. Or maybe it is something important, in which case, I think you could use some input from the third wheel in this relationship.”

Ezra shook his head. “Birdie, you have surpassed me in cunning and guile. I can no longer offer you guidance in this area. But that still does not mean you have a right to pry into a private conversation that Claire and I had. It is between the two of us.”

“It would affect her, though,” Claire said. She knew she and Cee were ganging up on Ezra, but that core of bitterness as his out-of-hand refusal prompted her forward. He shot her a murderous look.

“Aha!” Cee cried. “So it’s something about Ezra, something he could or should — or shouldn’t — do once Claire’s gone. You aren’t thinking about another questionably legal ‘project’, are you?”

“No,” Ezra said firmly.

“Because I don’t really care,” Cee went on. “I know what it takes to survive, Ezra. What’s right and what’s legal don’t always match up.”

“It is perfectly legal,” Ezra said. “I just don’t morally agree with it. Look, I promised I would consider the proposal, and when I have finished considering it, and have made a decision, then and only then will I decide whether to divulge the details to you, Cee.”

“Okay, okay,” Cee said, holding her hands up. “Excuse me for caring about you.”

Ezra sighed deeply. “I know you care, birdie,” he said. “But … this is something I need to decide for myself. Please understand that.”

“He’s right,” Claire said, already regretting saying anything. “He’ll tell you when he’s ready. And neither of us should pressure him.”

Ezra gave her a look of gratitude. “Thank you, little owl,” he said softly. “Now, no more poking and prying. We are here tonight to end our little respite from reality the way it began: with the best burgers in the galaxy!”

As always, Ezra had impeccable timing and the waiter arrived at their table as the last syllable fell from his lips. The burgers were as delicious as they had been on Claire’s first night; perhaps even more so, for there were memories layered among the various flavors this time around.

*******************************************************************

They left Cee at the school gates, after multiple promises and even a pinky swear that Claire would not go to the terminal in the morning without her. When she had realized that Claire’s departure time fell during the work and school day, she had begged to be allowed to accompany her and properly send her on her way. “Look, if Ezra misses work, he’ll get fired, but if I miss a couple of classes, I can make up the work,” she’d argued. And Ezra had a hard time denying her when she truly wanted something. So he’d agreed.

Now he was alone with Claire. The evening was at that dusky stage when the tops of the trees were still bright with color but everything else was beginning to fade to shades of blue and gray. He took a deep breath. “Let us walk slowly,” he said, taking Claire’s hand. “Let us savor this last stroll down the boulevard together.”

Claire gave a little chuckle. “I’m not sure this street qualifies as a boulevard, but it certainly is lovely this time of day,” she said. They walked quietly toward her hotel, their hands entwined. Ezra knew she was taking in the scene one last time, and he left her to her reveries.

“Are you sure you want to do this?,” she asked him when they neared the hotel. “Would it be easier to say goodbye now?”

He shook his head. “I am determined to spend every moment possible with you, little owl,” he said softly. “I can lose a few hours of sleep for that privilege. A whole night if necessary.” He never spent the night when he had work the next morning. His shift started so early that Claire insisted he get as much sleep as he could, always sending him to his bed at a reasonable hour. They always made up for it on the weekends, but this was their last chance to be together and he would be damned if he let it slip away just because he might be a bit tired at work the next day.

Once in her room, they stood awkwardly. So momentous an occasion would be sullied by simply falling into bed, and yet Ezra yearned to cover her with kisses and make her cry out his name one last time.

“This is ridiculous,” Claire said after a moment. “Why do I feel so shy all of sudden?”

“Because this will be the last time,” Ezra said, his throat threatening to close over the words. “Because we want it to be perfect and we don’t know how to do that, because it’s never perfect. There is always an elbow in the wrong place or an embarrassing noise or a muscle cramp. We are merely humans, my dear, and perfection is beyond our grasp. Yet we still strive for it.” He cupped his hand against her cheek and leaned in for a kiss. “Let us strive once again.”

After that, it was easy. They disrobed and tumbled into bed, letting their hearts — and less noble parts of their anatomy — lead them. Ezra tried not to think of each moment as the last of its kind and instead let himself revel in the taste of her, the feel of her, the sound and smell and sight of her as they took their pleasure from each other. When it was over, and she lay with her head against his chest, right over his pounding heart, he felt teardrops fall from her eyes, and he closed his own eyes, letting the salty warmth slide from them as well. His heart ached as it beat against her cheek. So this is the price of love, he thought.

**********************************************************

Claire excused herself to use the lavatory and while she was in there, she indulged in a brief but cathartic cry. She didn’t want to sob all over Ezra; not that he hadn’t seen her a complete mess before, but because she knew if she started crying then he’d start crying, and she wanted to let him keep his dignity as long as possible. Ezra was a gentle man, deep down inside, but he was also proud.

She flushed the toilet, splashed some water on her face, and went back to bed. Ezra was lying on his side, facing her. When she started to spoon against him, he stopped her and indicated he wanted her to face him instead.

“I want to look at you,” he said softly. “All night, if I can keep these old eyes open.” He smiled sadly. “I want to talk until our voices run dry, and then commune silently until the sun rises and we must part.”

So they did. They talked about the things they’d done on Galadon, recounting mishaps and exquisite meals and things that still made her face flush. They talked about Cee, but that made them both sad. Claire was going to miss the girl, and Ezra admitted he was worried how she would take losing another adult from her life. They talked about each other, and that was the hardest part.

“I have never in all my journeys through the galaxy met anyone who has made me feel the way you do,” Ezra said. “I have always been suspicious of the notion of soulmates, believing it to be nonsense. With all the billions of people in the galaxy, it seems ludicrous that there would only be one person for each of us. And yet, now that I have met you, my little owl, I would concur wholeheartedly with the poets and hopeless romantics. You are my one and only, Claire. No one else will ever take your place in my heart.”

“I always thought love was something for other people, something I wasn’t capable or deserving of,” she told him. “It came so easily to everyone else, but never to me. But I also knew it was something that others took lightly and I just couldn’t be that way. So I accepted that I would never have it, that my path in life wouldn’t allow for the depth of connection I needed. And then I met you. We connected so quickly, and you respected me, and … I was afraid to hope for anything more than friendship, afraid to open the door just a crack, until Cee convinced me, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for pushing me. Because once I opened that door … you came in. And you’ll always be there in my heart and mind and every cell of my body, Ezra.”

They cried then, not heart-rending sobs, but quiet, gentle tears that ran down their faces and mingled in their mouths as they kissed and nuzzled together, until finally, exhausted with emotion, they fell asleep, pressed tightly against each other.

**********************************

The insistent peeping of the alarm prodded Ezra from sleep. With a groan, he reached up to tap the blinking panel on the wall. “Don’t get up,” he told Claire. “Stay warm and comfortable under the covers.”

“Of course I’m getting up,” she replied, even though she hadn’t moved yet.

“No, you are not,” he said firmly. He sat up, his head groggy with lack of sleep. His eyes felt like they were full of sand and every muscle in his body weighed a thousand pounds. “I want my last memory of you to be snuggled up in bed, not standing bleary-eyed in the doorway.” He planted his feet on the floor and levered himself out of bed. He shuffled to the lav, emptied his bladder, then came back out to search for his clothing, which was somewhere on the floor — or maybe he’d folded it neatly on the chair? He couldn’t remember. It was too damned early.

He found his pants on the floor and his shirt draped over the arm of the chair. “Let me help you,” Claire said, suddenly beside him. She carefully helped him step into his pants and shrug into the shirt. Getting dressed was always the time he felt the most helpless and awkward, but not with her.

“I told you to stay in bed,” he chided softly.

“You looked so lost,” she said. “You were standing right next to your pants and couldn’t find them.” She laid her hand against his cheek. “I told you you should have gone home and gotten a decent night’s sleep.”

He took her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm. “And I told you the sacrifice of a few hours rest is nothing compared to the moments I spent with you last night,” he murmured. After a moment, he shook himself. “I need to go if I’m going to get to work on time.”

“I know,” she said.

“Go back to bed,” he urged her. “I’ll feel better if you promise to get a bit more sleep. You have a long journey ahead of you and those transport bunks are never comfortable.”

She smiled wanly. “And you get to bed early tonight,” she said. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” he said. He kissed her gently on the lips. “Goodbye, my precious little owl.”

“Goodbye, Ezra,” she said, her voice quavering with tears.

He kissed her forehead and walked away before she could see the tears in his own eyes. When he was safely in the lift, he let them fall, and he was glad there was no one in the lobby to see him sobbing as he walked outside into the dark early morning. He glanced at his wrist chrono: just enough time to get back to the boarding house, put on a clean shirt, and grab something from the breakfast table to eat on his way to the factory. Enough time to cry himself out before he had to face the world again.

***********************************************

Claire tried to go back to sleep but she couldn’t. The bed felt empty without Ezra beside her, even though she slept alone most nights. She burrowed under the covers, wrapping herself in his scent, refusing to accept the fact that he was gone now, that she would never see him again. A tiny part of her brain still believed in miracles, that there would be a last minute reprieve and she would be able to stay on Galadon, with Ezra and Cee.

When the alarm chimed again, she crawled out from under the blankets, casually tossing them back so they skewed across the bed and half onto the floor. The hotel staff would strip the bed as soon as she was gone; there was no need to tidy things up. Her bag was packed, all but the clothing she would wear that day. She used the lavatory, washed her face and ran a brush through her hair, tying it back with an elastic. It had grown a bit while she was here and she knew she’d get it trimmed to a more practical length once she reached her new job location, but she would miss the way it fell like a curtain when she kissed Ezra, hiding their faces from the world. And how Cee would play with it, practicing new braids as they talked about everything and nothing.

She gave the room one last glance after she had dressed, to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She hadn’t acquired many belongings during her stay, just the book bag she’d bought on her first day and a few other odds and ends. Years of job rotations had made her practical and unsentimental about objects. Her hand slid to the pendant that hung from a finely wrought chain around her neck. It was a small oval of heartstone, a local mineral that was common but very pretty, a deep reddish-brown shot through with flecks of black and gold. Ezra has purchased it for her at the Founders Festival. It was a trinket, something that was sold in huge quantities to the tourists who visited the planet, but he had pored over every one on display until he found one he felt was perfect enough for her. It was the first piece of jewelry she’d ever owned.

With a sigh, she lifted her bag onto her shoulder and left the room. As the door clicked shut behind her, her lower lip started to quiver, but she bit back the tears. In the lobby, she quietly handed in her door fob, grateful that the usual desk clerk wasn’t on duty yet. The early morning clerk was all business, reaching the end of her overnight shift and disinclined to chat. “Thank you for staying with us,” she said flatly. “We hope to serve you again in the future.”

Claire smiled weakly and walked outside before she broke down. This was the last time she would make her way through this lobby, the last time through the heavy double doors, the last time she would pause on the front step and admire the blossoms on the rose bushes, so carefully nurtured in their planters filled with soil chemically balanced to mimic that back on Earth. She’d had several nice chats with the gardener who tended them, and she hoped he would get that elusive camellia bush he’d been trying to import. Galadon had a multitude of beautiful plants, but there was still a nostalgia for Earthly flowers among serious gardeners.

She walked slowly toward the school. Her heart was still bruised from saying goodbye to Ezra and now she had to do the same with Cee.

The girl was waiting at the gates, and rushed toward her as soon as she was in sight. “I could hardly sleep,” Cee said, throwing her arms around Claire and squeezing tightly. “And when I did, I dreamed that you left without saying goodbye and I was so mad at you!”

“I would never do that,” Claire assured her through a wash of guilt that flooded her body. She’d been tempted to do just that, to slip away without another heart wrenching farewell scene, but she knew she couldn’t do that to the girl. Cee hadn’t had the chance to properly say goodbye to her parents before they had died, and she deserved the chance to lose Claire on her own terms.

“Come on, I don’t have a whole lot of time,” Claire said as the hug threatened to go on too long. Cee pulled back and nodded.

“Yeah, me neither,” she said lightly. “Ezra said if I missed my history class he’d give me what for.” She paused. “What does that mean, anyway?”

Claire shook her head. “It’s one of those phrases adults have used to threaten children for centuries,” she said. “My grandfather used to say it, according to my mother. I’m not sure anyone knows exactly what it means.”

Cee seemed satisfied with the answer. She insisted on carrying Claire’s bag for her, even though it wasn’t very heavy. “One last good deed to remember me by,” she joked. “To make up for the times I was a jerk-ass kid.”

Claire had to laugh. “When were you ever a jerk-ass kid to me? Ezra, yes, but not me.”

“Oh, I’m sure I was,” Cee said. “But you were probably distracted by Ezra and didn’t notice. I got away with a lot of snarkiness while you two were mooning over each other.” She was silent for a few steps. “Was it hard? Saying goodbye to him?” Her voice was small.

Claire nodded. “Probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she admitted.

“You love him,” Cee said simply.

“I do,” Claire replied.

Cee slipped her hand into Claire’s. “So do I,” she said quietly. “I don’t think I could be so calm, knowing I was going away and would never see him again …” Her voice trailed off.

Claire squeezed the girl’s hand. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” she said. “Ezra and I will survive, and so will you.”

“Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Cee said bitterly. “Life sucks sometimes. And I know things get better, blah blah blah, but right now it’s just …”

“Yeah, it’s just ….”

Neither of them knew how to finish the sentence, so they walked in silence through the town.

*************************************

The shuttle port was not busy this early in the day. Claire checked in at the service desk and was given a plastic boarding pass, which held all her travel information.

“Gate four, fifteen minutes until boarding,” she read off the paper ticket taped to the pass.

“I’ll walk with you to the gate,” Cee said stoutly, before Claire could even begin to suggest they say their goodbyes. The girl hitched Claire’s bag higher on her shoulder and set off toward the far end of the building, where the various boarding gates were arrayed like portals to other worlds.

Gate four was as drab and utilitarian as all the others, a large grey swinging door framed by a metal detector frame. A bored looking guard sat in a chair next to it, with a chipper ticket agent on the other side.

“I guess this is it,” Cee said, lowering the bag to the floor.

“I guess so,” Claire said. She picked up the bag and sat it on a worn plastic chair. “I … I have something for you.” She unzipped the bag enough to pull out the colorful woven book bag she’d bought on her first solo day on Galadon. “I won’t be needing this once I’m back at work, and I thought you could use it for trips to the library, or … or whatever.”

Cee bit her lower lip. “Oh, wow, Claire, I — are you sure?” She ran one finger along the stripes and figures woven into the cloth. “You don’t want it as a souvenir?”

Claire pressed the bag into Cee’s hands. “I already have a souvenir,” she said, lightly touching the pendant. “I’ll think of Galadon — and Ezra — and you — every time I put it on.”

Cee put the strap over her head and across her body. The bag hung snugly against her hip. “Thank you so much, Claire,” she said. “Um, I have something for you, too. It’s not as nice as the bag, but …” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object wrapped in tissue paper.

Claire took it and unwrapped it to reveal a wooden figurine. “It’s an owl,” Cee explained. “I carved it myself in shop class. Well, Dex helped a little with the details because I kept messing up the beak. But most of it’s mine. And I did all the painting.”

It was a bit lopsided, but very clearly an owl, its talons tightly gripping a square base, its eyes round and piercing in vivid yellow and black paint. The feathers on its back were outlined in black and grey, with just a hint of purple. “It’s beautiful,” Claire breathed.

“I’m glad you like it,” Cee said, clearly relieved. “I wasn’t sure … I mean the owl is Ezra’s thing … I wasn’t sure if it was okay for me to …”

Claire cut her off by wrapping her in a tight hug. “It’s perfect,” she said. “It will remind me of both of you, of how happy I was …” Her voice caught in a sob.

“Claire, I wish you didn’t have to go!” Cee wailed. “It’s not fair. I’m going to miss you so much. I … I love you Claire.”

Claire took a deep breath and nodded. “I know, sweetie,” she said through tears. “I love you, too.”

“Fuck!” Cee said, stamping her foot. “It’s like losing another mom. Ezra warned me … but I couldn’t let you go all by yourself.”

“And I’m glad you didn’t,” Claire said. “It’s hard but it’s also a little bit easier this way.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”

“Five minutes to boarding,” the ticket agent said brightly. Claire wanted to punch her in the throat.

“I’d better go,” she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and tucking the owl into her pocket. “Promise me you’ll go straight back to school, and that you’ll make sure Ezra eats tonight and goes home to bed early.”

Cee nodded, tears streaming down her face. “I promise … Mom.”

Claire closed her eyes. “You don’t have to …”

“I want to,” Cee said. “I forgot what it was like and it was nice to have a mom again, even for just a little while. I’ll never forget you, Claire.”

“And I’ll never forget you, Cee,” Claire said. “Never in a million years.”

“Two minutes to boarding!”

Claire took a deep breath. “Goodbye, sweetie,” she said.

“Goodbye.”

Claire showed her pass to the ticket agent and walked through the doors. She didn’t look back.

[queensharotto]

Translating NORN9: Akito’s Story

Welcome Back to “Translating NORN9”, the series where I translate NORN9 related content. Today it involves, not really a surprise to those who know me: Akito Shukuri. Let’s begin: Oh, and uh… Var Commons Spoilers

Page 1

Story

Akito is a person who is grumpy and blunt towards everyone, especially towards Nanami. Nanami notices Akito and chooses to pair with him. The secret of their seemingly inexplicable relationship was in the past, long before they boarded the Norn.

"What are you doing...! You!"

Nanami fell through the hole in the wall and was thrown into the sky, but Akito quickly grabbed her hand. Knowing her abilities, Akito knows what it's like to touch her. Still, Akito never let go of her hand.

“I just… I don't want to know you anymore”

No matter how awful things were said, Nanami never left Akito. Because that's what she, who stole something important from Akito, can do for him. Nanami has always hated her abilities and blamed herself. Akito didn't want to know Nanami any more, and told her to break up the pair with the kindest and mildest words of rejection she had ever heard.

“What are you doing?! Let me go!”

Akito, whom she encountered in her dream, had ears and soft fur wrapped around his neck for some reason. Nanami, who was still sleeping, pushed Akito down, saying, "This is a dream, so you don't have to worry about it" and savored the softness of the fur to the fullest.

Page 2

“I… I don’t you’re all that bad”

In the dream, Nanami, who was about to be killed, did not resist at all. Nanami wakes up from her dream with the help of Akito. Akito visits the room and hugs Nanami painfully and asks, "Are you okay being killed by me?!" Upon her asking, "What should I do?" He doesn’t answer her question and leaves her room, leaving only the feeling of his embrace.

“I’ll force you to be mine. Are you really okay with that?”

Nanami was with Akito to make amends for the past. Considering what she had done, she can't help but do anything to him. However, before he knew it, Nanami had confessed her honest desire to be by Akito's side. When Akito hears this, he swallows the feelings for her that were rising to his throat and simply tells her to “wait a little longer.”

Page 3

“I’m sorry I left you alone”

Akito visits Senri's room in the middle of the night to show off his abilities. Akito, who originally did not have an ability, had taken away some of Senri's abilities. And now transfer all of Senri's abilities to himself. Senri, who has no memory of his brother, went to sleep feeling happy that night, realizing that he’s no longer alone. With nothing he can do for his brother anymore, Akito asks Nanami to erase Senri's memory.

“Don’t run, you idiot”

Seeing Akito suffer from the recoil of taking all of Senri’s abilities, Nanami begins to cry. Nanami remembers Itsuki's words that non-power users will die if they have powers. Seeing Nanami shed tears for his sake, Akito confesses that he likes her and kissed her many times to express his feelings for Nanami.

Page 4

“It will be okay, I’m not going to die.”

Ever since he took over Senri's power, Akito's health hasn't been good and Nanami has been worried. One day, when the two were talking on the roof of Norn, ivy suddenly appeared with murderous intent. Akito tries to fight off using his abilities. Silencing Nanami with a kiss as she begged him not to use his abilities, Akito created water and repelled the attacking ivy.

Story Keywords

Brother

The fact that Senri is Akito's younger brother is never revealed in the Senri route. However, as the saying goes, "I felt lonely because there was someone by my side all the time" Senri's empty loneliness is confirmed by the memory of his brother's existence.

Ability Transfer

Abilities can be transferred to basically anyone. However, if you don't know how to do it, you can't do it. Of the current members, Akito only knew what he had heard from Aion and that Itsuki had inherited his abilities when his sister died.

Page 5

"Why... do you like me?"

With Masamune's ability, Akito and Nanami go 6 years into the past. On her father's orders, Nanami erased Senri's memory of his cherished older brother, Akito. Frustrated with his weakness for not being able to protect his younger brother, Akito spent his life blaming himself. Nanami tells Akito, who is about to sacrifice himself, that she wants to be with him from the bottom of her heart, not out of guilt. Akito felt like he was finally able to forgive himself after being called "good" instead of "liked".

Akito’s Happy Ending and Normal Ending

"Somehow, I feel like I just got attacked by you."

Akito's physical condition was getting better. When Akito finishes eating the porridge, Nanami complains. To call her by her name, but Akito doesn't call her by my name. While repeating the question of not calling her by name, the two enjoy the time between lovers. The two of them heard a knock echo in the room.

Page 6

“I’m not embarrassed!!”

When Nanami opened the door, Senri and Koharu were standing there. Nanami didn't erase Senri's memory. Akito and Senri walk up to each other, with the former embarrassed. Senri told his brother, who he loved so much, that he had a lot to talk about.

Akito’s Tragic Love Ending

“I'm glad I was able to save the village and Senri..... With this... you can finally rest”

Returning to the past, Akito deprived Senri of all of his abilities and created a large amount of water to moisturize the village. Akito, who is smiling brightly at saving the false village and his brother, refusing to return. Nanami, who chose to stay with Akito, who was trapped in a false past, vowed to stay by Akito's side until the day came when she could forgive her.

[wizkiddx]

hiii could you do one of tom asking your dad to marry you?? thankuuuuu

okay so I don't believe in boys having to ask the dads, because we are strong independent QUEENS and no man owns me ever, but I hope this is still okay <33

not proof read and written super quick so sorry!

summary: Tom's terrified to ask your dad a very particular question question

///////////////////////////////////////////////

“Mr Y/l/n” Tom called your dads attention from the dishwasher he was loading up. The holidays spent at your parents meant a lot of good things- but mainly food. So much so the dishwasher was almost continually on, just so you didn’t run out of crockery.

“Its Y/d/n Tom, we’ve been through this.” He was joking but with your Dad - Tom could never really tell. At heart your dad was an absolute softie, except no one really saw that except your mum and you. Always a daddies girl, Tom knew how much your dad had meant to you. He had guessed before he’d met you parents , that he would be protective.

And that he was, never frontally rude or cruel. It was more subtle - though to Tom it was very damn clear, he had his doubts. As a people pleaser, Tom didn’t like the fact he didn’t like him. Time and time again, he’d tried to prove just how much you meant to him and yet it seemed to fall on deaf ears. So three years down the line, it was safe to say he was bloody terrified. Heart-in-mouth sort of event. Tom did a lot of ‘terrifying things’: talking to massive studio heads; going on stage with thousands of people screaming; jumping out a plane even.

But no, a single conversation with your dad had his adrenaline going like nobodies business. Asking to marry you.

“You going to just stand their gawking? I hope the moviestar doesn’t make my Y/n do all the housework?”

“No sir I-of course I don’t” Stammering his way through with wide eyes, Tom practically leapt across the kitchen to the opposite side of the dishwasher to your dad. Secretly your Dad was chuckling away to himself, taking absolute delight in how terrified the ‘movie star’ was of him, but managed to keep a steely outershell. In silence, the two uunloaded the dishwasher, Tom desperately racking his brains for conversation starters.

This is what he did for a living, learnt the speech he’d spent hours preparing, then retell it. Why then, was Tom having such an issue with the script he’d arguable practiced the most? Deciding he needed a buffer, Tom went to the safe space of small talk.

“So how was the pub? Y/n said you were meeting some old friends?”

“Watched the match, bloody awful game and Wilks was crap, I don’t know why he even started.” Now this football talk was something Tom felt safe in. He had learnt as much as he could about your dads team - just so there was some mutual conversation.

“Yeh tell me about it, I caught the last half. Though the ref made so bad decisions too, that penalty never really was VAR or not.”

“Thats the most respectable thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

The next couple of minutes were spent with both men raving fanatically, letting all their anger out on the pretty subpar game this afternoon. In fact, Tom swore your dad actually laughed along with him at one point. Admittedly he’d caught himself almost immediately- but for two seconds, he had cracked it.

With the last mug placed in the cabinet, Tom was quite frankly shocked at what your dad said next. He had presumed that since it was late and everyone else was in bed, Y/d/n wouldn’t want quality time with his daughters boyfriend.

“You fancy a nightcap son?”

He’d never called Tom that either. Frankly, you dad preferred the nickname ‘moviestar’ because he knew it infuriated Tom. Made the tips of his ears flush bright red, that was Toms tell - one that your dad had noticed too early on.

Jerkily Tom nodded, swallowing down the lump in his throat as he followed the elder man to the sitting room - where he kept the scotch glasses and bottle. No sooner had the drinks been poured, that Tom practically exploded with his thoughts.

“Mr Y/l/n-sorry I mean Y/d/n I-I um I needed to ask you something.” All he got was a long sigh and a nod, encouraging him to continue. “I-uhm….”Tom scoffed, clearing his throat because all of a sudden it felt like he hadnt had a drink in 10 hours, mouth completely dry.

“Well first off-and all respect. I know I don’t have to ask you. Y/n is the most independent and strong woman and we aren’t living in the 1950s. But, well but she loves you alot.” Tom stressed that last point especially, looking up to your dads poker face. It put him off for moment.

It was just how grumpy he looked, it was bloody terrifying. Taking a big gulp of the malty liquid, Tom steeled himself once again. “ And she respects you, your opinion always matters and I’d never come between that. And Y/n, she likes her traditions right? Like the stupid hat game you all play at Christmas dinner which makes no sense to me? Or the puzzle that you don’t start till everyone’s pretty drunk and tired at 3 o’clock in the morning on christmas? So that is… uhm thats why I’m asking you.”

Again all Tom was met with was a stern gaze, once again taking another generous sip of the scotch.

“Look I know you have your doubts about me- “ That got a response, a snort of agreement from your dad as if saying ‘you think’.

“But-but I really love your daughter. She’s my whole world and I can’t imagine being without her. And I know my lifestyle probably doesn’t fit with how you imagined your daughter to have. I mean-I’m not always at home and I’m away for months but- but…. look.” Tom sighed, shifting awkwardly on the sofa to directly face your dads armchair. “When I’m homesick and tired and grouchy from filming and I get back to the hotel I facetime Y/n. Everyday. And just seeing her smile, you-you know, the really soft small one that makes her dimples pop out? One look at that smile and everythings fine. Because all I’m thinking about is seeing that smile for the rest of my life. When she finds out she’s pregnant with our kid, when we’re taking them to college. I mean even when we’re 80 and probably sick of each other- she’ll still have that little smile that puts me into this sort of stupor. I just- I love her. And I’d do anything for her, I always will, I promise you that. So-so” With a shaky breath, Tom delivered his hitline.

“This is me just letting you know that I’m going to ask her to marry me and- I really hope she says yes.”

Tom was almost out of breath, and the breath he did have was shaky, looking up desperately at the older man across from him. He watched with wide eyes as your Dad placed his glass back on the drinks table with a clink, before leaning forward and standing up from the chair. He groaned slitghtly at the movement (his knees werent what they used to be) and took the two steps forward to be stood right infront of Tom’s seat. In that moment, Tom honestly thought he was getting a punch to the jaw at the very least. Afterall, he had just pretty much demanded that he were to propose to you.

As he braced for impact, tensing all his muscles, instead what he felt was a light pat to his right shoulder. Tom trailed his eyes up your dads figure to see what he thought was a gentle smile on his face too. Though he hadn’t ever seen your Dad smile at him before, so couldn’t say for certainty.

“You’re a good kid Tom, and you make Y/n very happy. Just pull yourself together when you ask her alright son? Didn’t think moviestars got stage fright.” And with that, your dad turned his back, heading toward the doorway that lead to the stairs to the bedrooms. Stunned, it took a moment or two before Tom processed - long enough that he had to leap up and call your dads name to get him to halt in the hallway.

“So is that a yes? You’re giving me permssion?”

“Oh Tom….” Your dad sighed in the lowlight of the hallway, in a more muted voice - now they were closer to the bedrooms where both you and your mum were sleeping peacefully. “ You already said, Y/n is strong and fiercely independent. I don’t control her, heck I don’t think she’s ever listened to me and never will. But…. for the record, I hope she says yes too and… I know she will.”

Scoffing in excitement, Tom combed a hand through his scalp, feeling such a wave of relief it was almost indescribable as your dad turned and trudged up the stairs. Once he heard the door of your parents bedroom close, he couldn’t help himself. He ran back into the kitchen, where he preceded to do an excited jumpy dance thing.

Because it meant a lot. To have your dads approval, to have your dads support. That meant the world. Not only for the sake of proposing but also, everything Tom said was true. He wanted to build a family with you - which meant that man was going to be the grandparents to your kids one day. That man had helped to craft you into the person you were today - his ‘person’. His perfect angelic, sweet woman.

Whenever he felt this excited, this happy, this elated - theres only one person he wants to be with. So, after turning all the lights off and checking the doors were locked (with a very obvious spring in his step) he then hopped up the stairs. Tiptoeing around, he got ready for bed in no time, before getting to the highlight of each evening.

Delicately he crawled into bed, sliding under the covers, so as to not disturb you. Naturally though, feeling the bed dip made you turnover- hooking your legs round his and resting your head on his chest. Tom chuckled quietly at your cuteness, stroking your cheek lightly with his thumb. It was enough to rouse you awake, enough to make you acutely aware of the thundering sound from his chest. With tired eyes, you propped your chin on his breastbone looking up at him with concern.

“You alright T? Hearts really racing.” He only replied with this loopy lovesick grin, his right hand coming to cup your cheek.

“Go back to sleep darling, I’m okay.” He did look okay, but he was almost too smiley and even with a foggy sleepy brain, you were still suspicious.

“Whats going on, you’re being weird?”

“Nothing…. your dad and me just had a chat… He called me son.” That shocked you too - clearly the conversation you’d had with him about being nicer to Tom had rubbed off.

“He did?”

“He did…. you are beautiful you know?” Now he was definitely being weird. You furrowed your eyebrows, as if trying to read his mind because something odd was going on in there.

“Now you’re just being creepy. What’s up?”

Tom just leant forward to kiss your forehead, then pulled you down onto his chest.

“I just love your family and I love you, you know that?”

“Are you trying to get into my pants? Because my parents are literally in the next room.”

“Oh shut up and kiss me.”

[oddpriest]

Swedish Lessons (Five Hargreeves)

A/N: Based off of this prompt. I’m sorry if the Swedish is broken and/or incorrect, I don’t actually speak Swedish and had to translate the best I could :-( Please, if you speak Swedish, feel free to correct me!! Also sorry for the back to back dialogue in places. Translations are numbered at the bottom! Enjoy

Genre: Fluff 

Warnings: S2 content

W.C: 1,478

Summary: You accompany Five, Diego, and Lila at the Mexican Consulate. While Diego and Lila search for the Majestic Twelve, Five decides it’s the perfect time to review a little Swedish. 

An anthem of trumpets filled your ears as you entered the room, causing you to subconsciously sway with the melody as you followed close behind Five. The room was slightly crowded with elegant figures, poise and polite, incredibly well dressed. You told Five a silent ‘thank you’ for helping you with your look tonight, otherwise you might have felt out of place.

“I don’t see Dad anywhere.”, Diego announced. 

“Just be on the lookout for the Majestic Twelve. You two can take upstairs, [Y/n] and I will keep an eye out down here.”, Five instructed, “Oh, and Diego, try not to do anything too stupid.”

Five matched his words with a sarcastic smile, making Lila to chuckle as they took off. This left just you and Five, alone together at one of the fanciest gatherings you’ve ever attended. The glistening chandelier hanging from the ceiling caught your eye, and you began to get lost in thought. So lost in thought, you hadn’t even noticed Five tugging on your hand.

He gestured toward the open floor, “Come dance with me.”

Only half paying attention, you blindly followed him with your hands still enclosed. Your face began to flush a bit as you both came to a standstill. Briefly, you examined your surroundings and your current position; you finally realized, Five had invited you to dance. At this point, your nerves had completely taken over, making your face redder by the minute as you started to shake. He seemed to notice your change in behavior because his resting deadpan face was replaced with one that was rarely seen. His gaze had softened, and the slight smile on his face was genuine. 

“Follow my lead.”

His hand took to your waist, protectively gripping the small of your back. Your back straightened instinctively, your free hand moving to his shoulder. The other was preoccupied, tightly holding onto his hand. The dance began as simple swaying, taking small footsteps as you looked into each other’s eyes. A small, surprised squeak escaped you as you were twirled, and you hoped the quick hand over your mouth was enough to hide it. 

“You know since we’re going against the Swedes now, I think it’d be best if you learned some Swedish.”, he broke the silence as he dipped you, “No better time than now for a quick lesson.”

“But, I have learned Swedish already.”, you said, confused.

He stopped, the deadpan expression returning, “Okej älskling. Säg mig då, vad säger jag till dig just nu?”1

You hesitated, “Okay… what did I just-”

He interrupted, “Exactly.” 

Five turned you rather swiftly, your back suddenly pressed up against his chest. Your fingers were still intertwined, and his hand never left your waist. The dance was a little clumsy, feet stepping over and bumping into each other from time to time. However, you both kept a steady pace as you swayed back and forth. 

“Now, repeat after me.”, he murmured into your ear, “Mitt namn ar [Y/n].”

You rolled your eyes, “Mitt namn ar [Y/n].”

He tsked, spinning you back around so you were facing him, “Repeat in English, please.”

“What?”, you questioned, “You didn’t say that. Why should I?”

“Because, how else am I supposed to know that you actually know what you’re saying?”, Five replied, his classic sarcastic smile returning.

“Fine.”, you huffed, “My name is [Y/n].” 

He nodded, “Jag är den bäst utseende här, även om jag inte vet det.” 

“I am the best looking here, even though I don’t know it.”

“Jag kanske inte heller vet detta, men jag gör Five också väldigt glada.”

That familiar heat returned to your face and ears as you replied, “I may not know this either, but I also make Five very happy.” 

“Kanske den lyckligaste han har varit på länge.”, he smiled. 

Your bodies were practically glued together, your heart beating against his chest. He tilted his head with a slightly confused expression, obviously waiting for you to continue. 

“Perhaps the happiest he has been in a long time.”, your response was meek. The nervousness had returned to your voice and your head was dizzy, but you still managed to comprehend the unfamiliar sentence. 

“Han älskar varje sekund han tillbringar med mig.”, he continued. 

“He loves every.. second he spends with me?”, you were unsure of your answer. 

“See? You got it.”, he said with a nod of his head, “Han vet inte vad han skulle göra om något hände med mig.”

You became more confused, yet still replied. “He does.. not know what he would do… if something happened to me.”

“Ja, [Y/n], det är rätt. Du gör ett bra jobb.”, his calm voice spoke unfamiliar words, “ Allt du just sa var förresten sant.” 2

“What?”, you asked, “Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.” 

The boy twirled you, yet again, pulling you back into his warm embrace. You felt his breath against your neck, your bodies still moving in unison. The other couples surrounding you swiftly avoided you as they danced past, but that was the least of your concerns. The music had become significantly smoother, the band’s melody resembling the sweet motion of honey dripping off a honey wand. His eyes were deep, gentle. You almost forgot what you were doing before his words yet again interrupted your running mind. 

“That’s fine, I got a tad carried away.”, he acknowledged, “Just keep repeating what I say. Jag vet inte hur jag annars säger det här.”

“I do not know how else to say this.”, you repeated confidentently. 

“Och så mycket som jag inte vill säga det, jag kan inte vänta längre.”, the words rolled off his tongue. 

He pulled you in closer, lifting you off the ground ever so slightly. One of your legs was closer to the ground than the other, your foot pointed as it drug across the floor. Though he was spinning both of you, your eyes were locked with his. Despite your voice wavering, you tried to remain confident with your demeanor. You were struggling to.

“And as much as I don’t want to say it, I can’t wait any longer.”, you were genuinely confused. 

“Jag kan ärligt talat inte dölja det längre”, he continued to speak, ignoring the confusion in your voice. 

“Wait, what?”

“Keep repeating.” 

The mix of the sentimental music and his delicate tone clashed in your brain, and the fuzzy feeling returned. You hesitated, “I honestly can’t hide it anymore.” 

“Jag är ledsen om du inte känner på samma sätt.”

Your pace increased in harmony with the song’s tempo, furthering the haze. 

“I’m sorry if you don’t feel the same way.” 

The song came to a close as he dipped you a final time, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear with the hand that wasn’t holding you. Your heartbeat was loud in your ears, which were burning at this point. 

“Men jag älskar dig, [Y/n].” 

Clapping sounds filled the room as other partygoers showed their appreciation for the mariachi band. Five had gently positioned you upright, his hands still in their protective position. Your face kept its shocked expression as you continued to process his words. The situation would just become more awkward and a little embarrassing if you mistranslated this sentence, so you made sure to repeat it in your head as much as possible. Doubt continued to swell in your heart, but you could tell Five was becoming increasingly uncomfortable waiting for an answer. You two were still standing in the middle of the ballroom floor, pressed against each other, and others gave quick glances as they passed. Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer, you finally replied. 

“But I love you, [Y/n].”, you choked out. He let out a weak chuckle at your response, and he began to let you go. You quickly pulled him back with a smile, “I love you too. I really didn’t know how to say it either.”

He smirked, “Well, I’m glad you finally understood. It took you long enough. For the record, this is the corniest thing I’ve ever done and I don’t think I could’ve kept it up much longer.” 

You laughed, walking close beside him with your arms linked, “I sincerely doubt that’s the corniest thing you’ve done.”

“Yes, you’re right.”, he said, “In fact, I’ve wooed a woman in every language I know.” 

You lightly elbowed him, continuing to giggle, “It must be nice to know more than one language.”

“Hey!”, Diego interrupted, “Are you two lovebirds gonna come help us, or what? We got a lead on where Dad might be.” He ushered for you both to join him before being drug away by Lila. 

Five kissed your forehead before gripping your hand and guiding you in Diego’s direction, “And I can tell you I love you in all of them.”

1. “Okay, love. Tell me then, what am I saying to you right now?”

2. “Yes, [Y/n], that’s right. You’re doing a good job. By the way, everything you just said was true.”

[random-imagines-blog]

Teenage Queen {Viktor Krum x Reader}

Requested by: Anonymous Wordcount: 2835 Summary: Related to one Champion, ex of another and the budding love interest of a third. It’s one weird year.

Your final year at Hogwarts was not turning out to be as perfect as you had expected. You were just hoping that everything would go as normal; no deadly and dangerous adventures for your little brother Harry and his friends, no fighting with your boyfriend Cedric. Just a perfectly mediocre year where you focus on your studies, get good NEWTS and move on to train at your dream job. And then along came The Triwizard Tournament. Well, at least it was for Seventh Years only, and you had no intention of entering - and your fourth year brother certainly wouldn’t have a part to play in it, would he?

You couldn’t have one simple year at Hogwarts, could you? Not that you blamed your brother but ever since he had come along in his first year, things have been going wrong left, right and center. First, your boyfriend Cedric had been chosen as the Hogwarts champion, which he didn’t even tell you that he had entered. You were mad about that, but then when it came to the interviews and Rita Skeeter poking around, you had enough of it. Even his friends were coming along and asking questions about your personal life, since he was the only one of the FOUR champions to have a partner. This ended up in you breaking up with him, because he didn’t see the big deal about all of the intrusive questions. It was mutual, eventually, but you had to wear him down in order for him to see that it would be better if you spent some time apart.

And then Harry, sweet little Harry Potter who couldn’t catch a break, was chosen to be the Fourth Champion, which was entirely unheard of. You had charged into the room where the champions were and you gave Dumbledore a mouthful of words, as well as the Minister of Magic, but the rules were the rules and he had to compete. You tried throwing back that the rules had stated that it was only for Seventh Years, and that there was only to be one champion per school, but they claimed that their hands were tied. After that, you took Harry’s hand and pulled him out of there so the two of you could talk alone.

You were devastated. Especially in the coming days when it became apparent that a lot of people, including his best friend, thought that he had put his name in the Goblet of Fire. It was completely far away from Harry’s personality, and you vowed to help him through everything, studying your ass off on his tasks on top of your school work. He still had Hermione, though, and that was a relief. You were more worried about him than you had been about Cedric, whom you were convinced would do absolutely fine in the Tournament, and probably didn’t need your assistance.

-

You were sitting by the lake one day, doing your extra-curriculars. You took just the necessary classes this year, having dropped Divination and Arithmancy so you wouldn’t have to study as hard. But you were doing studies of your own, particularly in Russian. You wanted a job in which you got to travel the world, so you decided that taking languages, a course only done through talking books, was a good way to go. You were fluent in French, and learned more about pronunciation through the Beauxbatons students, but you didn’t know much Russian, so you decided to take that up so you could communicate with Durmstrang as well.

You were coming along pretty well, though your pronunciation needed some work. You were practicing in the weak sunlight of the Scottish Autumn, muttering to yourself. “Ya chuvstvuyu-” You started to pronounce, then realized it didn’t sound right, so you tried again. “Ya chuvstvuya,” You put more emphasis in, “-tvoyu lyubov segodnya.”

“Ochen khorosho!” The book praised back to you. You smiled, the romantic phases being something that you wanted to master. Okay, so maybe you weren’t entirely over the break-up with Cedric. It wasn’t him in particular, it was just having someone to care about, someone to care about you that you missed.

“Who var you talking to?” A puzzled voice said. You looked up from the speaking book to see that there was a student in front of you. You were so into your book that you hadn’t even noticed anyone approaching. The sun was behind him, casting his face in shadow, though the robes showed Durmstrang.

“Myself,” You said, then held up the book to show what you were doing. “Practicing Russian. I’m on the chapter of romantic phrases.”

The student looked delighted, and much to your surprise, he sat down with you, looking over the pages. It was only as he leaned over to take a closer look, his finger running across some of the words, which made the book giggle aloud, that you realized exactly who it was. You turned red at this realization - because it was nonother than celebrity champion Viktor Krum, who you had just seen at the World Cup. You remembered the way that Cedric had gushed over how good of a seeker he was, and how amazing his flying techniques were.

“This one good-” He said, pointing to a certain phrase and then said it out loud. You read along with it, your eyes following his finger, but he added more to the sentence, words that you weren’t sure of.

“What does that mean?” You asked, realizing that you were still as red as a rose at his close proximity. You tried to tell yourself to act natural, pretend that it wasn’t a celebrity - a very handsome celebrity - that was this close to you, but you found it impossible. It wasn’t everyday that someone came into your space like this. The last person had been Cedric, but the two of you didn’t spend any time together since the break up. Just nods in the hallways, and awkward grins if you had a class together. You haven’t tried to date anyone else since, though Rita kept coming up with stories about you cheating on him with other boys. You hoped she wasn’t snooping around now with that damn quill of hers.

“You var my paradise,” He said, in his heavily accented English. That part was in the book. “-My...” He looked around, as if having trouble with translation. He pointed up at the sky, and then did little flapping motions with his hands. When you gave him a puzzled look, he put his hands above his head, his index and thumbs together to make a circle.

“Heaven?” You asked. He shook his head so you took another guess after piecing it together. “Heaven?" He nodded, with a smile and then continued to look around. He then pointed straight towards the sun, which was hiding behind clouds. “Sun?” You guessed once more. He nodded again.

“You var my paradise - my heaven - my sun.” He said, looking quite proud of himself. And he was saying it while he was looking right at you, which just made you feel all the warmer. You hadn’t really given anyone attention since Cedric, and since most of Hogwarts thought you two were the dream couple, no one else had tried to hit on you. But here was Viktor Krum, reciting such lovely things for you in a language that you were only beginning to understand.

“Beautiful,” You muttered in his mother tongue, and he beamed as he recognized the word. Until it was no longer light enough to study, and you had to conjure up a light and keep it in a jar - thank you Hermione for that idea - in order to see anything, he helped you along with your studies. And yet, you never seemed to get past the chapter of romance. He introduced you to new phrases, and would practice with you until you had the pronunciation down perfectly. The book had been quiet for a while, having no critiques for you, you were doing so well. “Thank you so much - you taught me a lot,” You said, getting onto your feet.

“You’re velcome,” He said, bowing his head respectfully, jumping up effortlessly. You scrambled to put your book into your bag, and he helped you, holding your bag open for you. “Maybe you can help me,” He suggested. You tilted your head, questioning what this man could ever want help with. The first task had gone swimmingly for him, he was a Quidditch star, he was handsome to boot. “With een-glish.”

“Oh, of course!” You said with a grin. “I would love to help. Why don’t you meet me in the library on Saturday?”

-

Four different boys asked you to the Yule Ball, and you had said yes to only one of them - sort of. Unfortunately for Harry, it wasn’t his best friend Ron who just seemed desperate to go with anyone. When you told the two boys that you already had a date, your brother kept questioning who it was. He seemed to have a theory that you were back with Cedric, which couldn’t be further from the case. You just left them guessing, looking forward to seeing their faces when you appeared.

Thanks to the small fortune that your parents had left for you and Harry, you were able to afford a stunning dress. And with some small alterations, you could probably make it last forever. It was your favorite color, floor length with see-through sleeves and a pinched waist to really bring out your body shape.

That, along with your confident smile and you were ready to go.

Your date wasn’t in your house, in fact he wasn’t even from this school. You flushed as you remembered exactly what Viktor had done in order to ask you, and you had to applaud his trickiness. He had written out ‘Will you go to the ball with me’ in Russian, and asked you to translate it. You had done so, thinking that perhaps he wanted to ask out one of the many Hogwarts girls who had fawned after him throughout the hallways, but instead of repeating it back to you, he had said ‘Love to.’ It took you a minute to realize what he had done, and you couldn’t stop laughing once you had it figured out. You agreed with that, and your date was set.

You were going to the Yule Ball with a champion. That was what worried you the most. The attention that you were going to get since you and Viktor had to participate in a dance in front of the student body. He hadn’t had the time to practice, since his own Headmaster was keeping him busy with studying for the tasks, but you did have another willing partner. Your brother Harry. It was easiest with him since he had to do the same dance at the same time.

As you walked down the stairs with a couple of other girls who were meeting their dates, you were nervous to see if all of that practicing had paid off. You caught your brother’s eye as he went down the stairs and gave him a confident wink. He had asked out one of the Patil twins, you had heard, and you were very much looking forward to teasing him about it after all was said and done. Your date wasn’t at the bottom of the stairs in the herd like many of the other males, but further back, trying not to bring attention to himself. He stepped forward when you reached the foot of the staircase, maneuvering expertly through the people in his red suit, and held his hand out to you. You took hold of it, making many in the crowd gasp.

“Krum?” You heard your brother and his best friend say in unison.

You gave a teasing little wave to them as you were lead into the Great Hall, which had been transformed into a beautiful ballroom for the occasion. It looked like a winter wonderland in here, and it took your breath away. You were given a grand entrance, where Viktor, Fleur and Harry were also introduced, before taking part in the dance. You couldn’t help but notice that you were also getting looks from Cedric, who was here with Cho Chang, a pretty Ravenclaw.

You ignored all of those looks, focusing on Viktor, and Viktor alone. He remained the stiff, very concentrated man that you had gotten to know through your studies, though once in a while, when no one was looking, he smiled. The dance went off without a hitch, which was amazing considering he had to lift you. That’s the part that you were nervous about, but his strong arms managed to do the task and you felt safe throughout. You did feel a little better once both feet were on the ground.

Once the dance was over, and the band began playing something less traditional and upbeat, you were able to blend more into the crowd. “I get us drinks,” Viktor winked, giving you a thumbs up as he departed from your side for the first time of the night. You felt even more flushed by the wink than you did by the dance, so you leaned back against one of the columns and took a glance to see who had brought whom.

You smiled as you watched Harry and Ron sitting, refusing to dance with their dates. An older Gryffindor had asked Hermione, and the two of them were out on the dance floor. For the first time, it seemed like the school was entirely at peace. Houses with other houses and schools with other schools. You couldn’t help smiling as Hagrid danced with Madame Maxime. Even Dumbledore had a turn on the dance floor.

“May I have a dance?” A familiar voice said from next to you. You turned to look into those honey colored eyes that had made you swoon the year before, but now - now you just felt nothing. And it was great to just feel nothing.

“I don’t think so,” You said, smiling through your rejection. “Viktor will be back any minute with some drinks. I’m absolutely parched.”

“He wouldn’t let you dance with an old friend?” Cedric asked, raising an eyebrow. You saw through what he was doing, unfortunately. Playing the nice guy. You realized that him seeing you with Viktor must really have gotten under his skin.

“I’m sure he would,” You said, demurely. This was like something right out of a book for teenagers. A love triangle - but you weren’t going to let it be that way. That required feelings for the third person, and you no longer had that. Still, you felt like some sort of Queen with all of the attention that you were getting. “But I honestly just want to save every dance for him. He’s a wonderful dancer, must come with being a professional athlete. Did you see him out there?”

“I did,” Cedric conceded. “And I saw how happy you were - so I’m happy for you, y/n.”

“I’d hope so,” You said, spotting Viktor coming forward. You excused yourself from Cedric, and went to meet him, taking the glass of punch from his hands. You noticed that for the first time in the night, he wasn’t looking at you, but was scowling over at Cedric. You had told him about your past with Cedric, and about your brother being Harry. It hadn’t worried him at all that you were close with two of the other contestants, or at least it hadn’t until now. “Thank you,” You said, laying your hand upon his arm as you took a sip from the glass goblet.

“Vhat did he vant?” Viktor asked, pointing his chin towards Cedric, who was still standing by the column, looking at you solemnly. You shook your head as the ugly beast called jealousy made an appearance.

“He wanted to tell me that he’s happy for me, that I’m here with you,” You said, smiling, since it was a truth, though maybe not the whole truth. “And I must say, I share the feeling.”

The stoic look remained on Viktor’s face for a moment more. You didn’t like it. This was supposed to be a happy occasion. You leaned in and pressed a kiss onto his stubbled cheek, and grew excited as it seemed to light up. He was finally smiling once again, and you both turned so your backs were towards your ex. “Vant to dance?” He asked, draining his own cup.

“With you?” You said, leaning in so you could rest his head on his broad shoulder. “All night long.”

[catboymingi]

bittersweet

navi/masterlist

pairing: mingi x reader

genre: angst, fluff; best friends to strangers to enemies to lovers

word count: 7.7k

warnings: self harm, mental illness, suicidal thoughts (though no behaviour described in detail at all), addiction (alcoholism to be precise), language

a/n: this one’s heavy... also this is heavily based on personal experience so don’t come jumping at me for inaccuracies thank u - also the links during the story take you to the same song as the first link, but they have the swedish og lyrics on hover (sorry mobile users)

när jag var liten kändes alltid som att det var du och jag mot skiten / så jag ville att vi skulle göra allt tillsammans / men jag märkte tydligt att du ville nånting annat / behandlade mig sämst / vi var bara ungar - when i was small it always felt like it was you and me against the world / so i wanted us to do everything together / but i noticed clearly that you wanted something else / treated me worst / we were just kids

you had no idea what happened. you’d been so close with mingi ever since you moved, him being the first friend you’d made in the new school, and eight-year-old you really appreciated him. he fought off the bullies for you, he was always there, but suddenly he wasn’t. you were in high school, and everything had been as always, until it wasn’t. until he started avoiding you like you had a deadly and contagious disease, like you’d killed his parents. he hated you and you had no idea why, had no idea why your best friend suddenly decided that some random people he’d barely ever talked to before were a better company than you, who’d been with him through thick and thin for the past decade. saying that you were heartbroken was an understatement.

it took you so long to get back on track after the day mingi had started avoiding you, hating you, but eventually, you managed to do it. you banned all thoughts of him from your head, deleted all messages, pictures, and other traces of him you had on your phone and got rid of all physical memories, too. your parents knew you weren’t okay, and they were so relieved when you asked them if you could set something on fire in the backyard, because it finally seemed like you were getting closer to healing. it had been months, and they’d been worried for your life, but they had no idea how to get your now ex-best friend to reach out to you. they couldn’t call him up and just tell him that he needed to talk to you before you killed yourself, even though they wished they could.

by the time you started university you were almost back to normal, the only outward signs of what you’d gone through being the scars covering your arms and your refusal to drink alcohol, at all. you got obsessed with your major, studying to become a therapist so that you could maybe, hopefully help people feel understood and okay when they were in a similar situation to the one you’d been in. this passion made you the best of your year, acing all exams because every free minute was spent on revising the materials and taking on extra projects and doing all you could to keep yourself busy.

but you weren’t okay, not actually. the worry was still there, the fear, and it was the reason why you hadn’t made a single friend even when the fourth semester of university was almost over already. it was after a particularly hard exam (that of course you’d aced again) that you, for the first time since your other half had left, agreed to go out with someone, a random dude from your course that you’d consequently ignored up to that point who invited you to some maths major’s party.

“it’s gonna be fun, and we deserve some fun after that fucking hell of an exam” was how he had convinced you, and you decided that it couldn’t hurt.

what you didn’t know then yet, however, was that he’d ditch you the second you’d taken off your jacket at the party that same evening, saying that if he’d known that you were a nutcase he’d never have asked you out.

“you’re hot but that’s just not what i wanna put up with.” and that from a psychology major. great.

the evening got worse when you found out whose party this was. you didn’t even know that mingi went to the same uni as you, and he’d obviously moved out of his parents’ house by now, so the address didn’t ring a bell, either. it was first when you saw him that you realised. and everything came crashing down on you again, all the things you’d convinced yourself you were over. and even though you’d promised yourself you’d never touch alcohol again, not even cough medicine including it, you broke that promise now, going straight for the hard liquor. that seemed to impress the horny idiots around you, how you downed it without even flinching, and because you didn’t care about what you should and shouldn’t do right now you let the first one to make a move touch you up and down, making out with you (which had effectively stolen your first kiss from you, but what did it even matter anymore?) and whispering to your ear just how hot you were. you didn’t care for him, but you knew that the one you cared for couldn’t give fewer shits about you. you were tired of being alone, of being hurt, of being lonely, and you just wanted to forget. so you let this dude whose name you didn’t know and didn’t care to know make out with you on the kitchen counter, because by now there was no way your situation could get any worse anymore, anyway.

your lack of interest seemingly didn’t stay hidden to him, though, so at some point he left you with a displeased grunt. it was obvious he’d expected a little more excitement from you, and now he was looking for the next drunk girl he could get to fuck him. you didn’t care. you got some more alcohol, pushing every thought of your parents as far away as you could, because you knew they’d be so disappointed. they’d always cared, but it hadn’t changed anything for you. the one you needed to care didn’t even notice how you were slipping. you’d be surprised if he’d even known that you got hospitalised after graduation.

but now you were here, in his house, and you hated it, hated him, hated yourself. you wanted to get out, to disappear before he’d ever even notice you’d been there in the first place, so you stole a bottle of whatever was closest to you and left the house.

it was embarrassing that you weren’t even drunk yet. you had no idea how much you’d drunk, but you barely felt tipsy. so when the one you wanted to leave you alone the most came outside after you, you had to deal with the emotions that that caused in you entirely sober.

“the fuck do you want?” you hadn’t expected yourself to be able to be angry at him when you’d get to talk to him again. you’d expected yourself to cry, to break down and beg for him to come back, but maybe at least that the alcohol saved you from.

“i want to check up on you. since when do you drink?”

you hated him. you fucking hated him more than anything else you’d ever hated, except for maybe yourself, and you hated that he thought he had the right to check up on you now when he was the reason you were even in this state at all.

“let’s see. i think you last talked to me on the fifteenth of january, two years ago? so it’s gotta be the sixteenth.” maybe it wasn’t fair to confront him with the effects of what he did like this, but it hadn’t been fair of him to leave you hanging like this either. he deserved this, deserved to know what the fuck he’d done to you. that he’d destroyed the happy, passionate, excited you that you’d been, replacing her with a bitter, suicidal bitch with trust issues through the roof.

“why?” he seemed confused, and you wanted to spit in his face. you wanted to punch him. you wanted anything but to have to talk to him.

“take a wild fucking guess.” and with those words you turned on your heel, leaving him with his emotions as you left with the bottle of alcohol that wouldn’t make it to the next morning.

you were slipping again. picked up all the bad habits you’d had, barely getting sleep because you still had to study, were still obsessed with getting the best grades, but now also had unhealthy habits to feed, so there wasn’t a lot of time left for sleep. it didn’t matter, though - why sleep if you’d only have nightmares either way?

luckily you didn’t see mingi again after that night. that was, until he’d somehow figured out your major, your classes, your schedule, and was waiting for you in front of your classroom after your last class for the day. you tried to bolt, but he grabbed your wrist instinctively to keep you from running away. when you yelped out in pain, though, he let go as if he’d just burned himself. until now he hadn’t even noticed what you looked like. but now that he did, it broke his heart.

“what do you want now? want to fuck me up again? because i can do that by myself now, thank you very much.” your voice shot daggers at him, and he looked like a hit puppy. what made this worse was that he knew you were right.

“please talk to me. i brought vodka.” he didn’t intend to give it to you, but you didn’t have to know that. and his weak bribing worked, which only made him feel even more awful. just how fucking hurt did you have to be to talk to him, the guy you very obviously hated, just because he offered you free booze?

“come.” and you did, followed him to a park near uni you knew was notorious for getting fucked or wasted, and you intended to keep up this reputation as you sat down next to him.

“alcohol.” it wasn’t even a question, you just demanded the bottle, but he wasn’t about to comply.

“first you talk to me.”

the angry glare you gave him could have killed him had you kept it up for longer than a couple seconds, but you sighed in frustration and looked away.

“fine then, talk. but this vodka better be damn good.”

he didn’t know how to start, though. ran his hands through his hair and shifted constantly and looked everywhere but at you. but then, finally, he got his shit together.

“what happened to you?” his eyes were fixed on your arms, the arms whose skin was a lot smoother and healthier the last time he’d seen it, and his voice was soft, almost as if he cared. maybe it was because of that that your reply held less sharpness than the past ones had.

“what do you think?” and his heart broke. he didn’t want it to be him, he didn’t want this to be because of him, he didn’t want to be at fault for so much pain and suffering.

“it’s me.” and when you nodded he wished someone’d beat him up, hard and good, just so he’d feel at least some pain as a payback for all the pain he’d caused you.

your voice was surprisingly soft when you continued, and you didn’t even know why yourself.

“it’s nothing big. i just… slipped, i guess. had a really hard time. i don’t even know what happened to make you hate me like that, and that got to me. like, we didn’t argue or anything, so it wasn’t like i had a reason to stop caring about you. it just felt like without you nothing mattered.”

you sounded calm, collected, but voicing it like this brought back all the hurt, and you just really wanted the alcohol now. you grabbed around him in order to retrieve the bottle from his bag, but he caged you in a hug, effectively making you unable to move.

“it’s a big deal. fuck, y/n, look at you. how is this not a big deal? you can’t even talk to me without getting wasted.”

and even though he was right you hated how it sounded like that was your fault, not his. you hated how it sounded like you were weak for this when he had no idea what the fuck you’d been through these past two years. it made you angry.

“and you’re better? straight up ignoring me for however long it took me to get the hint like some pussy instead of talking to me? we used to be best friends, for fuck’s sake!” you tried to hide your heartbrokenness behind this anger, and once more the person who used to always be there to hold you when you needed it let go of you as if you’d burned him. not even now could he man up.

“you know what? fuck this. fuck your vodka and fuck you. don’t fucking talk to me again. as i said, i’m fucking my life up enough without you there to aid in the process.” and you tried to get up, but he grabbed you by your waist, not wanting to hurt you but refusing to let you go in this state when he hadn’t even gotten to talk to you yet. it was selfish, he knew it was, but he wanted to explain himself. he didn’t know if it’d help you, but he needed the closure. he needed you to know why he’d acted like that and then decide if you still wanted to hate him.

“i’m not letting go”, he said as you struggled in his grip, “not until you’ve listened.”

“i don’t fucking want to hear it!” now you were yelling, and it was only because everyone else in this park was too busy or too knocked out to fully comprehend what was happening that he wasn’t getting his ass beat by a stranger coming to your aid.

“you’re going to listen. you know i’m stronger.” this was an asshole move. it was a massive asshole move, using his strength against you to keep you trapped with him. but your state had him throw out any ethical concerns he otherwise would’ve had, instead pulling you into his lap and holding you tightly.

“then fucking talk and get this over with.” your body had gone slack in his arms, because you knew struggling against him wasn’t going to work. your voice still held the same sharpness to it though. you really hated him.

“you act like i didn’t have a reason”, he started quietly, covering your mouth with his hand when you tried to interrupt him. “but i did. the fuck do you think i felt when you kept being better at everything than me? everything was easy for you, you just went with your feeling, and i was doing awful but i kept trying even though it was hard as shit and you didn’t even notice. you went out to meet people and have a good time while i was sitting home alone trying to keep up. you didn’t even care. i told you i couldn’t join and every single time you just said ‘okay, another time then!’. you didn’t notice how much i missed you. and i got sick and tired of being the only one that’s missing their best friend.”

you listened to what he said and couldn’t believe he was serious right now. he completely broke you because you didn’t spend enough time with him?

“what the fuck, mingi. what the fuck. you wrecked me because you were sulky about me not being around 24/7? let go of me right now or i’m going to break your nose, you know i will.” he knew you would, so he did as you told him to, but not without trying to defend himself.

“it wasn’t that, it was that you never even tried to make follow-up plans! you kept going out with other friends, friends that didn’t have to spend all their nights home studying. you just replaced me.”

“and you didn’t think to fucking talk to me about it? i missed you like crazy, you fucking asshole, but i went out with others because i knew you had to study and because i didn’t want to keep you from that. because i dared to care more about your success than about what i wanted. and then you just dumped me, one day to the next, without an explanation, because you thought i didn’t care? does breaking off all other social contacts look like not caring to you? do hospitalisations look like not caring to you? does this”, you motioned to yourself, “look like not caring to you? i knew you were a coward, but back then i thought it was cute. now i just think it’s pathetic.” you all but spat those last words at his face, and he knew you were right. he knew all that now, but back then he’d been so scared of losing you that he forced himself to lose you. fucking idiotic.

“you act like it didn’t hurt me, too.”

“you sure didn’t act like it when you started fucking around with some people you’d never even talked to right after you decided ignoring me was the way to go!” you were crying now, crying and screaming at him, and you despised yourself for the vulnerability you were showing.

“give me the vodka, mingi.” but he didn’t. and when you tried to grab it he took the bag from you, leaving you staring into the air.

“give me the fucking vodka or i’m gonna leave right now and get my own. and then you’re never gonna see me again.”

but instead of handing you the bottle he all but jumped up, wrapping his arms around you tightly and sounding so incredibly desperate that you felt your anger vanish at his next words.

“please don’t- please don’t do that. please don’t kill yourself. hate me, break my nose, whatever, but please don’t go like that. i can’t handle it. i’m nothing without you.”

and it was now that he started crying, tears soaking the fabric on your shoulder, shaking as if there was an earthquake inside of him that would make him fall to shambles any second. you hadn’t even realised that you might have implied what he obviously thought you meant - what you meant was that this time you’d be the one to ignore him, pretending he didn’t even exist. but his reaction to potentially losing you in a whole new way made you think that maybe, he cared.

“i’m not going to kill myself over you, butthead.” and while your words held a similar level of sharpness to them as they had before, your voice was much softer, calmer - you patted his hands that were linked together in front of your stomach to keep you from leaving, trying to comfort him for whatever reason. he didn’t deserve it, and you were still so angry at him, but he’d been your best friend, your other half, and you still didn’t like to see him suffer like this, even though the part in you that wanted him to feel all the pain you’d felt wouldn’t agree.

“i don’t want to lose you again”, he whimpered against your shoulder. “i never want to lose you again.”

“so what’s your plan? i’m never gonna forget what you did, mingi, i’m never gonna forget how as soon as i start getting happy you come back, crashing into my life as if nothing had happened. i’m never going to let anyone hold me back again.”

“i’m not going to hold you back”, he pleadingly spoke into your skin, “i’m not going to message you, i’m not going to ask to meet up, i’m not going to wait in front of your class, nothing. i’ll only be there when you ask me to.”

“and you think that’d help? having me do all the work again, having me beg for your attention again? you think that’s even remotely what i want?” you weren’t angry at him, because it seemed like he was saying this for you, but you were frustrated. he still didn’t seem to understand at all what you wanted from him, what you’d wanted from him ever since he started ignoring you. you wanted him to fight for you, not vice versa.

“then let me fight for you. let me do the work. i’ll do anything, just please give me another chance. one very last chance. and please… stop all this.” you didn’t need to see him to know what he meant.

“that’s not how it works. i can’t just stop like that when i started. and you’re not gonna be able to fix me, if you think that.”

“i know, of course not, but… please try. it’s summer break soon. maybe then you could… i don’t know what you could. do something. i want to be there for you.”

you didn’t want to give in to him. you didn’t want to believe him. you wanted to keep being angry, you wanted to keep hating him, you didn’t want to risk the same kind of heartbreak you’d felt the first time he left. but this was mingi. and even though you refused to admit it even to yourself, you still missed him like crazy.

“let go.” and he did, hesitantly, but he did as you told him to.

“look at me. look me in the eyes and tell me you know what that’s gonna mean. tell me that you’ll be there when i’m in rehab and can’t go places and i’m angry as shit and hate everything and everyone and mainly you because you made me go to that stupid place. tell me you’ll be there when i relapse, not just once but so many times, and that you won’t get angry. tell me that you fucking know what it means, that you know you won’t be a priority, that there’s gonna be days where i won’t want to hear from you at all. tell me that you know you’re gonna have to fight for me, and tell me that you will. and if you can’t tell me that, let me leave right now to spare both of us the pain because it’s just gonna be a waste of time otherwise.”

“i’ll be there. every single day, or like. whenever i’m allowed to, i don’t know how rehab works. and when i can’t be there i’ll call you and text you, even if you hate me. i’ll hold you until you don’t hate me anymore. even if i have to spend the entire day holding you that’s how it is. i don’t fucking care what i’ll have to do, i’ll do it all. i miss you.” with those last words he pulled you into his chest, holding you tightly as he whispered a silent ‘please’ into your hair. and you didn’t want to believe him, didn’t want to get your hopes up, but part of you was still so soft for him. so, even though your mind was screaming at you to tell him to fuck off, your heart won, your heart made you wrap your arms around him and hold on tight.

“if you fuck up i’m breaking your legs.”

“if i fuck up i’m breaking them myself.” he knew this was his last chance. he knew that if he messed up now he’d be losing you forever, and that was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.

his hands were rubbing up and down your back, as gentle as you remembered him to be, while you were standing there and hugging and trying to calm down. you’d missed him so incredibly much and you wished you could stay in that moment forever.

“how are you feeling?” he could feel you were shaking slightly in his arms, though he wasn’t sure why. it could be the cool air, it could be the emotions running through you, it could be something he didn’t even want to think about. but either way he knew you should probably leave.

“it’s all so fucking much. i’m still pissed at you, but i guess i’m also glad that you’re here. and i’m fucking horrified.”

your shaking was most definitely at least partly owed to your emotional state, because it got worse now, you grabbing his t-shirt and clinging on to it for dear life.

“what are you scared of?” he sounded so fucking soft and calm and you wanted to crawl into his shirt and hide there and never leave for the real world ever again. you wanted him to keep you safe and to protect you because life and the things that were coming for you were scarier than you wanted to admit.

“you. rehab. my parents are gonna be so fucking hurt when i have to go back. fuck, i want the vodka.” but to your surprise you didn’t move to get it, you didn’t try to leave mingi’s embrace.

“you’re staying the night at my place”, he informed you, and you looked up at him in surprise.

“this talk was long overdue, but to be honest even i could use some vodka right now. i don’t want to imagine how you’re feeling, but i know i’m not gonna leave you alone in that state. no won’t count.”

“you know you won’t be able to just make me stop like that?”, you asked, wanting to be sure he didn’t have some weird saviour complex that made him think that just because he was there all your problems would suddenly vanish. but he seemed to know, even though he wished that was how it worked.

“not forever, but tonight’s a good start. i just want to be with you right now.” and even though you really wanted to get drunk you wanted to spend the night with mingi more, something that surprised you, especially considering how you’d just told him he wouldn’t be able to make you stop.

“i’m not going back there yet though, so if anything we’ll go to my place”, was the compromise you offered, and he gladly accepted. he held your hand almost the entire way, refusing to not be touching you in some way now that he might get you back, and this was less awkward than having his arm around your shoulders, which he’d tried first.

your apartment was a mess, you knew it was, but instead of judging you the tall male just kicked whatever trash you’d left on the floor out of the way to make his way to your bed, where he intended to spend the rest of the day and the entire night. he wrapped his arms around you as soon as you’d settled next to him, pulling you close like he used to when you were younger.

“i’m so sorry for all this”, he whispered, “so so fucking sorry.” and even though you’d somewhat sorted what had happened in the past, this was the first time he actually apologised. you hadn’t known how much you needed to hear him apologise until he did, whining out slightly as you pressed yourself closer against him. you wanted him to keep talking, keep apologising, keep promising that he wasn’t going to leave. but he was quiet after that, so instead of his comforting words your thoughts filled the silence in your head.

“keep talking before i get up”, you told him, the choice of words making it sound like a threat but the pleading way you said it making it clear that you were all but begging him. and he complied, luckily he complied, because you wouldn’t be able to keep your thoughts away for much longer.

“i missed you every day. it wasn’t fun to sit at lunch without you, or be in class, or do anything, really. i know it’s my fault, but back then i expected you to fight more, and when you just stopped trying after a while i thought i was right, even though you tried to talk to me every day for like two weeks and every single time i just straight up acted like i didn’t even hear you. i have no idea what i expected you to do, actually. sing me a love song in front of my window?” he chuckled a little, though it sounded somewhat bitter.

“i think that’s what i was secretly hoping for, if i’m real. not a love song, maybe, but some kinda confession. but instead of opening my mouth myself i just hoped that you’d get the hint i never even dropped. guess i really am a coward, huh?” he was running a hand through your hair, gently scratching your scalp whenever he dragged his fingers down because back then you’d liked that and he hoped you still did.

“you’re an idiot”, you mumbled, though his somewhat-confession made you feel all weird inside. you’d liked him back then, too, but admittedly he hadn’t been the only coward. and before you’d ever had the chance to gather the courage to confess he’d cut you off.

“i know. i don’t think i’ve ever done anything more stupid than that. and now i’ve wasted my chance and have to live with the fact that i’ll die without ever having gotten to kiss you. it’s my own fault, though.” there was a hint of playful resignation in his tone, as if this confession was more to get it off his chest than it was for him to actually confess to you - as if it hadn’t even occurred to him that you might feel the same way.

“just do it now.”

he hadn’t expected that, surprise apparent when he asked: “can i?”, and you knew you should say no, you shouldn’t be doing this, you shouldn’t be in your bed with mingi so close and telling him to kiss you, but you’d missed him, and you were hurt and happy and desperate, and you just wanted to feel loved. and though this didn’t have to be love, this didn’t have to mean as much as you wanted it to, you could pretend. you wanted to pretend, so you didn’t say ‘no’ as you should, but ‘yes’ as you wanted.

and he did it, leaning in to press his lips against yours but not moving any more until you hadn’t pulled away even after a few seconds. then he actually kissed you, his one thumb stroking your cheek while the other was fondling with some strands of hair at the back of your head. and you knew your breath was gross, still reeking of the alcohol you’d drunk earlier that day, but mingi didn’t care. you were warm and soft against him and you were there and he’d take whatever he could get from you, even if it was vodka breath.

you didn’t want him to pull away, because you feared that once he did your world would come crashing down again and he’d tell you that now his curiosity was stilled and this should remain a one-time thing.

and you feared that you’d been right about this being a one-time thing, because he apologised as soon as he broke the kiss. but he didn’t apologise for what you thought he’d apologise for.

“i shouldn’t have done that. not like this. fuck, i just took advantage of this entire situation, i’m so sorry. fuck. feel free to break my nose.”

“don’t break my heart and i won’t break your bones. deal?” the big smile he gave you was so easy to see even though it was starting to get dark outside now, and you felt a small smile tug at the corners of your own mouth. he was here, and he’d kissed you, and maybe he’d do it again. maybe you’d finally be able to be okay again, actually okay, really okay.

“i promise.” he pulled your head into his chest, resuming to run his fingers through your hair and telling you sweet nothings.

“you’re so beautiful. so kind and so strong, such a fighter. i’m so glad i’m here right now, so grateful you let me, and i’m never going to leave again, ever. i’m here now, and you won’t have to be alone anymore. i’ll try to make it right, all the things i did wrong. i’m sorry. but i’m with you now.”

you were pretty certain he wasn’t even thinking much about what he was saying, just saying anything that was on his mind, as much for you as for himself. but even if it wasn’t for you that he was saying all this, it still helped you, comforted you, gave you some hope. one thing you had to clear up, though.

“we’re not a thing”, you murmured into his chest, though the way you were clinging to him betrayed your words, showed how much you wanted to be. “we’re not a thing because you don’t know anything. you can’t play a video game on easy and then enter the world championship and think you’ll win. i can’t talk to you for a single day and then think it’d work out.”

and mingi got it. he knew that this was a decision that had to be made logically, not based on what he wanted in that moment. but that didn’t mean he was just going to give up like this. he told you he’d fight for you, and he would.

“talk to me more, then. i told you i’m not going to leave.”

“you say that now.” there was sadness in your voice, resignation. “but it’s different when i’m shitfaced. when i’m crying my eyes out because recovery is hard and i don’t want to anymore. when i call you at 3 in the morning begging you to come over and check on me and make sure i’m not dying because i’m scared i went too deep this time. when i tell you i hate you even though you didn’t do shit just because i need someone to take my anger out on. none of this shit is pretty or romantic and the sooner you realise that, the better.”

“i’m going to be there.” he didn’t say more and you were glad about that, because even though you’d been the one to bring all this up you didn’t want to talk about it, you just wanted to be held and comforted and protected. and he did, he held you until you fell asleep, and was still holding you when you woke up the next morning.

//

it was weird to be back with mingi. it was familiar but completely different, and it was hard, as you’d told him it’d be. but he kept his promise, even though it hurt to see you struggle and in pain, he was there when you needed him and he was there when you didn’t. he was there to hold you when you called your parents to tell them you had to go back to rehab, and he was there to calm your nerves the day before you left, force-feeding you snacks to keep your mouth busy because by now he’d learned the signs of when you really craved alcohol and while he learned that the most he could usually do was to make sure you didn’t drink yourself into a coma that night he made sure you didn’t drink at all, because you were going to rehab the next day and he wanted you to have decent starting conditions and he knew you wanted that, too, and a hangover was the worst starting condition you could possibly have. he was there to kiss you that night, because even though you’d been the one to tell him to not try anything until he’d proven he meant it the snacks just didn’t do it and you needed something else in your mouth. he knew it was just your desperation that had made you beg him to please kiss you, but he did, he was there as he’d promised, even when it hurt like this. he was there to hold you when you cried into his chest after, promising you that it would be okay and that he would be right there the entire time and when you got back, too.

he was there the next day when you clung on to his hand with a force that could probably break his fingers sooner or later, horrified of entering the building in front of you. he was there to hold you in place when you tried to bolt as soon as they started the admission process, he was there to tell you that he was so proud of you and to promise you that it would be okay. he was there to call you that night, relieved that you were allowed to, and he was there to talk you through all your fears. he was there a week later, when you were first allowed to get visitors, with a rather big teddy bear wearing one of his shirts and a self-made card that read “one week sober!”, small celebratory drawings all over.

“i wanted to bring a cake, but they don’t do that with people that just started. you’ll get one at the one month mark though, pinky promise.” you linked your pinky with his for maybe two seconds before you threw yourself into his arms, clinging on to him as if your life depended on it.

“please take me home. please just take me home”, pleaded into his shoulder repeatedly, like a mantra, and he held you so tight.

“it’s worth it, my strong little angel, it’s okay. i promise.” he was rubbing up and down your back comfortingly, continuously saying how proud he was until you let go just enough to look into his face and see the warmth in his eyes.

“you’re going to stay right here until they kick you out”, you ordered, though what you were actually doing was begging him to please not leave you alone until he had to. you felt like the odd one out here, the only alcoholic still in their twenties, and their early twenties at that. the only other person roughly your age was a guy with an anxiety disorder that looked at you like you were the filth of the earth, and that didn’t exactly make you want to talk to him. you missed mingi, you missed seeing him, and having to watch the other patients be able to go out and meet people outside the therapy times when in your state you’d have to stay until the staff could be certain you weren’t going to relapse only made it worse.

“they’ll have to drag me out by the ears”, he reassured you, and finally you smiled, a genuine smile that made his heart hurt a little less.

“call this one mingi”, pointing to the teddy bear that had been discarded when you’d flung yourself into his arms, “and pretend he’s me. not as good as the real deal, but at least he’s wearing my t-shirt.”

“butthead.” but you looked at him with, as he hoped, the same feelings he had for you, which showed him that he’d chosen a good gift.

he brought you a small gift whenever he came by, and after bothering the nurses continuously (which resulted in them begging the staff in charge of your unit to please let him get his way) he was allowed to bring you food, though only in sealed packages which they checked closely for both the ingredients and even the slightest chance of him having managed to put alcohol in. it was somewhat of a hassle, but the way your expression brightened when he brought you your favourite cereal from when you were 12 and which you’d stopped eating by age 15 because it was ‘for children’ was definitely worth it. things still weren’t easy, especially with how cut off you felt from the outside world, and there had been several nights where you’d screamed at mingi on the phone about how much you hated him for having caused all this and then being cut off by the nurses because your phone time was over before you’d had a chance to tell him that you were sorry for screaming like this, but he never got upset with you for that. instead, he texted you an apology to see after dinner, along with telling you how proud he was. and he stayed, as he’d promised you.

your one month of sobriety was the day you were discharged, because you’d been doing surprisingly well and because you’d managed to convince your responsible treatment team that you’d do better if you didn’t feel so alone and cut off, if you had the chance to do things rather than sit in the hospital all day and overthink your situation. you had an outpatient treatment plan and when you’d told mingi about being dismissed he kindly but sternly told you that he’d kick your ass into next monday if you didn’t follow it. and now he was here, picking you up both from the facility and from the ground, twirling you around as soon as you were in his arms. you’d agreed that you’d spend the first few days at his place, so that’s where he brought you now.

the tall male carried the few things you had with you into his flat while you stood next to the car, taking a little while to get used to the thought of being a part of the outside world again. you were glad mingi was there, because while you were so happy to be out it was still scary to know that now it was up to you alone whether you relapsed or not.

you were delighted to see that he’d kept his promise about the one month mark-cake, because while it wasn’t exactly pretty you soon found out that it made up for that in taste, and also because it was so sweet and thoughtful. it seemed like he’d prepared a little party for you, with one of those silly ‘welcome home’ banners hanging in the living room and colourful plastic cups on the table, next to various kinds of juice and soda. you had no idea how, but he’d even managed to organise strawberry soda, something that you hadn’t seen in stores in ages.

“butthead.” you didn’t know how else to react to all this. it was so much, so unnecessarily much that you didn’t know whether to cry with happiness or to smack him because this probably took a lot of time and money. you decided that calling him butthead again would be a good compromise.

“angel”, he grinned at you, entirely unbothered by your (admittedly weak) insult. then his expression turned serious, walking over to stand right next to you with a few long steps before he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a hug.

“i’m so glad you’re back, you know that? i missed you like crazy.”

“i missed you too. don’t let go.”

he wasn’t planning on doing that anyway. he’d be so stupid if he did. and he’d be so stupid if he didn’t tell you how he felt.

“i love you. i love you i love you i love you. now break my nose for being a butthead.”

“be my butthead and i’ll consider leaving your bones intact.” you tried to play it cool, but your heart was beating so hard you feared it would jump out of your chest, and this time you could be 100% sure that it wasn’t withdrawals. it was just mingi, the boy who’d kept his promise to be there, the boy who’d helped you piece yourself back together in some way again. the boy who wanted to be with you even though the way you’d pieced yourself back together was so far from who he’d known before you shattered. it was mingi, the boy whom you loved back.

“so the b in bf stands for butthead? that’s what you’re saying?” he was teasing you, just a little, but it was okay because you could tell he was just nervous and scared that he might have misunderstood you and was trying to mask that through his joke.

“or maybe it stands for big beautiful boyfriend, you decide.”

“i’ll take the boyfriend! i’ll take the boyfriend. please let me be your boyfriend.” looking at you pleadingly, though also somewhat excited, and you knew you’d never let him go again.

“then you’re my big beautiful boyfriend. what am i?” 

you were expecting him to joke, but he didn’t. he was entirely serious when he said: “you’re my world.”

and this seriousness overwhelmed you just a little bit, so that you were left speechless. and he continued.

“you’re the most beautiful person i’ve ever seen. you’re my strong little angel.”

“you’re not supposed to be so sweet, i don’t know how to handle it”, you whined out, but he just smiled down at you, taking in every detail of your face.

“get used to it.” you knew you wouldn’t ever get used to it, you knew you wouldn’t ever get enough of him telling you sweet things like that. maybe you’d get better at reacting over time, though. but since right now you were very much not good at reacting yet, you said something that maybe wasn’t the most appropriate reaction to his sweet-talking you.

“you know i still hate you though, right?” even though your voice gave away that you didn’t, far from.

“makes for a great enemies to lovers storyline”, he teased, smiling down at you with entire galaxies in his eyes.

“just kiss me, butthead.”

it didn’t take more than a few seconds before he did. he kissed you slowly, because you had all the time in the world, thumb tracing all your features while your hands were wrapped around his neck. and while your first kisses had been bitter with alcohol and desperation, this one was sweet with cake and love.