#ooc: I haven’t seen you before so welcome!!!

[twoforflinching-ktbedition]

//Sucker\\

Hey, relatively new to the mercenary scene in the area. Had to make a few stops through union space to throw off HA "asset recovery" teams.

Been hearing they've been giving you and the rest of the Dawnline problems.

Let's just say I know how they operate on the ground level from experience.

@callsign-sucker

Kiddo, HA’s been givin’ the Dawnline more’n trouble. The whole damn Armory’s been at war with the Baronies for years now across the whole Shore.

Somethin’ somethin’ the Baronies were promised control of the planets but HA want ‘em too so they’re fightin’. Conflict’s way bigger than you or me. Your efforts are gonna be best spent runnin’ to one’a the nobles and lookin’ for work. I can’t help ya, kiddo, bein’ an indentured servant doesn’t exactly give me much sway.

-Han Jae-

[coochieannihilator]

Love in a Hopeless Place

Synopsis: "Fake" affection evolves into real chemistry, forcing Hiromi and you to confront hidden feelings.

Content: Hiromi Higuruma x F!Reader, Fake Dating, A bit ooc?

Word Count: 3.8k

The wine bar is the kind of place that people think is moodier than it is: low lights, deep booths, and overpriced charcuterie boards. You’re halfway through your glass of wine, fiddling with the rim of your glass, when your friend leans over the table with a giddy little smirk that instantly puts you on edge.

You sigh, tipping your head back. “This is either going to be a brilliant idea or a slow, painful descent into secondhand embarrassment.”

She grins. “You’ve met Hiromi before. It won’t be that awkward.”

You arch an eyebrow. “We’ve met like… three times. All at your birthday parties. He barely speaks. I’m not even sure he likes me.”

“You terrify him,” she says, not even trying to deny it. “Which is exactly why this’ll work.”

You’re about to respond when the door opens. You don’t need to be told it’s him—you just know.

“There he is,” she whispers.

You follow her gaze toward the door—and stop short.

Hiromi Higuruma walks in like he’s stepping into a courtroom. Smooth. Controlled. He wears that charcoal-gray suit like its armor, that fits like it was tailored for him this morning. His tie slightly loosened, just enough to suggest he’s been fighting deadlines and depositions all day. His hair’s a little messy in a way that almost feels intentional, and his eyes—sharp, thoughtful, with a tired kind of elegance behind them—scan the room like he’s doing a threat assessment.

Your friend sips her wine, looking pleased with herself. “You’re welcome.”

Hiromi spots your table, makes his way over with that quiet, deliberate stride of someone used to commanding rooms with silence alone. When he reaches you, he offers his hand, firm and steady.

“Hey,” he says. His voice is smooth, low, and polite—like velvet over a blade.

You shake his hand. “So formal. Are we closing a business deal or fake-dating?”

A small pause. His expression barely shifts, but you catch it—an almost-smile. “I like clarity in arrangements.”

You grin. “Great. Here’s mine: you pretend to be completely in love with me for one evening, and I’ll stop calling you ‘lawyer boy.’”

His eyes flick down to your hand before you let go, then back up to your face. “And what do I get if I’m too convincing?”

You blink. “What, like convincing people we’re actually together?”

“No.” His gaze is steady, unreadable. “Convincing you.”

Your friend coughs—chokes, really—into her drink, already sliding out of the booth with a hasty “I’m just gonna give you two a minute” before you can say anything, though you barely notice.

Because Hiromi Higuruma is still looking at you like this is a negotiation he intends to win.

You lean back, arms crossing loosely. “Do all your dates start like a cross-examination?”

His lips twitch. Just barely. “Do all your fake boyfriends come with legally binding clauses?”

“Oh, absolutely,” you say. “Clause one: must be photogenic. Clause two: must make my ex question his life choices. Clause three: must not fall in love with me. It’s bad for the brand.”

Hiromi hums thoughtfully. “Clause three might be hard.”

There’s that silence again—comfortable and electric at once. You hate how interesting he is already. You hate it more that you want to see what happens if you keep pushing.

You raise an eyebrow. “You’re awfully confident for someone who hasn’t even flirted properly yet.”

He leans forward just slightly, voice dropping lower. “You haven’t even seen me try.”

Your pulse flutters and somewhere in the background, jazz hums through the speakers like it knows exactly what’s happening.

You narrow your eyes. “So are you now flirting with me, or are you just incredibly good at playing pretend?”

“I’m incredibly good at reading people,” he replies. “And you’re enjoying this.”

You are. Way more than you should be.

“So,” he says, with a calmness that feels like mischief. “When’s the wedding?”

You swirl the last of your wine, pretending not to notice how Hiromi watches you over the rim of his glass like he’s studying your tells. His drink of choice is whiskey—of course it is. Neat. No garnish, no ice. The man is a walking contradiction: polished but understated, intimidating but—annoyingly—kind of charming when he wants to be.

“It’s next Saturday,” you say finally, setting your glass down. “A lovely garden wedding where I get to sit across from my ex, his perfect new girlfriend, and pretend my heart isn’t shriveled like a week-old grape.”

Hiromi doesn’t flinch. “And you think bringing a stranger with a law degree will help.”

“I think showing up with a man who looks like you will help,” you correct. “If we’re being honest.”

That almost-smile flickers again, fleeting but real. “So I’m set dressing.”

“You’re stagecraft,” you say smoothly. “Very convincing stagecraft.”

He leans back in the booth, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, the movement natural and confident in a way that makes you way too aware of how long his legs are. “And what’s my character, then? The doting boyfriend? The emotionally distant but devastatingly loyal one? The reformed bad boy?”

“Please don’t be emotionally distant,” you groan. “I’ve dated enough of those to start a support group.”

His gaze sharpens just a little. “Then what do you want me to be?”

The question lands heavier than it should. You don’t answer right away, eyes drifting to the condensation on your glass. He’s quiet, giving you space, but not looking away. He’s watching the way you think. Another lawyer habit, probably.

“I want someone who looks at me like I’m the best part of the room,” you say after a beat. “Even if it’s just pretend.”

Hiromi’s brow twitches. “That’s a very specific request.”

You smile, slow and sure. “I’m a very specific person.”

“I can work with that.”

And it’s the way he says it—so steady, so certain—that you actually feel a little warmth creep up your neck. You look down, trying to hide it, but he notices. Of course he notices.

“So what about you?” you ask, redirecting. “Why say yes to something this stupid?”

He shrugs, like it’s not a big deal. “Your friend said you needed help, and I don’t mind being useful.”

You blink. ‘That’s… surprisingly earnest.’ “That’s very noble of you.”

“It’s not,” he says, and his voice dips a little—lower, more careful. “I like helping people when I know how. And pretending? That’s just acting, and acting is easy.”

You tilt your head. “Relationships aren’t.”

“No,” he agrees. “But lying is.”

There’s a pause. Something about the way he says it makes you wonder what kind of lies he’s had to live with. What truths he’s buried under all that careful composure, though you don’t ask.

Instead, you lean forward, resting your chin on your hand. “Alright then, counselor. Let’s get our story straight.”

“Hmm?”

“If we’re going to fool a bunch of emotionally stunted wedding guests, we need a backstory. How’d we meet?”

Hiromi thinks for a moment, then gives you a dry, straight-faced answer: “You sued me.”

You snort into your drink. “Okay, that’s too believable.”

“And yet you still fell for me,” he says, unblinking.

‘Damn, he’s good at this.’

“Oh? Confident, are we?”

“No,” Hiromi says, and this time when he smiles—really smiles—it’s slow and surprising and just the tiniest bit shy. “I just think I’ll have an easier time faking it than I expected.”

And suddenly, the whole fake-dating idea doesn’t feel quite so fake.

The reception was golden in a way that made everything look softer than it really was. Lights strung across the ceiling cast a gentle haze over the room, catching on sequins and champagne flutes, blurring out imperfections. It was the kind of beauty designed to be photographed—curated, polished, perfect.

You belonged to it like it was your element.

Hiromi watched you from a distance, half-hidden near the bar, one hand tucked into his pocket while the other held a drink he hadn’t touched in twenty minutes. His tie was slightly loose, collar unbuttoned, and he looked every bit like someone who didn’t quite belong here, but you did. Damn, you did.

You were standing near the flower arch with your friends, laughing as someone tried to get the perfect group shot. Your dress shimmered with the movement—light catching on delicate fabric in a way that made you glow. You threw your head back laughing at something one of them said, and Hiromi felt it somewhere deep in his ribs, like a tug.

You weren’t even trying to be beautiful. That’s what made it worse, or better, or impossible.

Someone told you to look over your shoulder for the next shot. You did—smiling just slightly, lips parted, eyes narrow—and Hiromi’s grip tightened around his glass. The kind of smile that didn’t belong in photographs. The kind meant to be seen in private, from close up. The kind you remembered even after you’d sworn to forget.

He didn’t even realize you caught him staring until the photo snapped and you turned, holding his gaze for a second too long. Something passed between you two—acknowledgement, maybe, or an invitation.

Minutes later, you wandered over to him like it was the most natural thing in the world. Barefoot now, heels dangling from your fingers. You were a little breathless, a little hot on the cheeks, and your hair had started to come undone.

“You look miserable over here,” You said, reaching past him to set your shoes down. “Had to come rescue you from your brooding.” There was something playful in your tone, but it didn’t land fully. Too much unsaid, too many what-ifs lingering just out of reach.

Hiromi raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t realize I needed rescuing.”

There’s soft music, clusters of clinking glasses, and enough flower arrangements to trigger a seasonal allergy. Long tables lined with white linens stretch across the lawn, while servers weave between guests carrying hors d’oeuvres on delicate ceramic trays, and you don’t notice most of it, not really.

Because Hiromi is doing this thing—this infuriating thing—where he plays the role so well you forget it is a role.

His presence is steady, commanding—like he’s spent his whole life moving through rooms like that. He always kept one hand at your back as you navigated through tables and flower-draped walkways, always just a touch away, always aware of your pace. Every time someone greeted you, he offered a polite nod or a handshake, never overdoing it, but always enough to make them remember him.

His hand always rested gently at your waist as he guided you through the crowd. Not possessive, not showy, just there. Present. Steady. The kind of touch that says ‘I’m here, you’re safe, let’s do this together’, and somehow doesn’t come off as an act at all.

He leaned in when you spoke, his breath grazing your cheek. He laughed in low, knowing tones like every comment you make is a shared secret. Every move he made was smooth and natural, like he’s done this a thousand times before—but never with anyone else.

It’s the stillness that makes it work. The way his touch lingers just enough to anchor you. The way his eyes drift to your face more often than to the room around him.

He glanced at you again, not just a glance, though. His eyes lingered—just for a second too long—on your mouth, your collarbone, the way your shoulders tensed when you caught him looking. You didn’t pull away.

“You’re hard to read sometimes,” he murmured.

“Maybe I don’t want to be read.”

“But you still want to be looked at.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “You saying you’ve been looking?”

“Would it be a problem if I have?”

You didn’t answer. Just shifted closer, slow and smooth, like it meant nothing—but it did. Your shoulder brushed against his arm. Your hair fell forward a little, loose hair pieces brushing his shoulder when you turned your head. He could smell you—something soft and clean and faintly floral, and he swore the air between them changed, grew heavier somehow.

You tilted your face toward his, eyes searching his like you might find something you left there.

“You ever get the feeling,” you said, low and steady, “that you’re one bad idea away from something really good?”

Hiromi’s mouth twitched. “Every time you look at me like that.”

You didn’t smile and neither did he. You looked at him then, really looked, and the kind of silence that followed was sharp at the edges. He leaned toward you, like it had weight, like if he leaned in just a little more, gravity would take care of the rest.

You were close now. Closer than made sense for two people who weren’t something. Close enough that he could feel your breath ghost against his lips when you spoke. His eyes dropped to your mouth again—just a flicker—and yours did the same.

Neither of you moved. Just… leaned. A millimeter more. Then another.

Your hand was resting on the bar now, his just beside it, fingers almost touching. The music from the dance floor swelled, but it felt far away. Like you guys were suspended in something quieter, something just yours.

“Say it,” You whispered, barely audible. “Whatever it is you’re not saying.” Your breath fanned across his lips, warm and soft and heavy with the sweet tang of champagne. His heart knocked against his ribs, slow and loud and stupid.

Hiromi opened his mouth.

And then—

Someone called your name.

Not loud, not urgent. Just enough to slice through the moment like a letter opener through ribbon.

You turned your head, reluctantly, heart still suspended somewhere behind your ribs. A cousin, maybe. Or one of your friends, already tipsy and flushed from dancing, waving you over for a photo, for a toast, for something.

Hiromi’s breath eased out slow as you stepped back, like a camera lens refocusing. He looked down at his hand still on the bar, like he wasn’t sure when it had tightened into a fist.

You hesitated, eyes flicking back to him with something close to apology. “I should—”

He nodded. “Go ahead.”

But there was something in his tone that had shifted. Not cold, just… neutral. Controlled. Like a courtroom door swinging closed.

You didn’t want to leave. Not really. But you also didn’t know how to stay—not after what almost happened. Not with your pulse still stuttering and your skin still lit up in the shape of him.

So you went.

Hiromi watched you fade back into the golden blur of the reception. Watched you laugh and pose and dance barefoot with your friends beneath the fairy lights.

And for the first time that night, he wished he wasn’t pretending.

⩇⩇:⩇⩇

The wedding had wound down. Laughter faded into the hush of music playing for no one, and sparklers had long burned down to silver sticks, discarded on the edge of the patio.

You didn’t remember grabbing his hand. Or maybe he offered it first—you couldn’t tell anymore, but you were walking now. Past the dance floor, past the tents and tables, through a narrow path lit only by string lights overhead and the soft glow of garden lanterns tucked among the hedges. The gravel crunched beneath your bare feet. You didn’t care. Your shoes were somewhere behind you, and so was the noise.

Hiromi walked beside you in silence, his jacket draped over your shoulders. He didn’t offer it with words, just settled it there when you shivered once, the fabric still warm from his body. His sleeves were rolled up now, forearms bare and hands in his pockets like he didn’t know what else to do with them.

“I didn’t expect to enjoy tonight,” you said eventually, your voice low and quiet in the hush of midnight. “But you’re��� kind of annoyingly good at this.”

“At pretending?” he asked, without looking at you.

“At making it feel real,” you corrected.

He stopped walking. You did too, almost out of reflex.

The garden opened up a little ahead—just a small clearing with a bench, some flowers you couldn’t name, and the distant sound of water from a hidden fountain. You turned to look at him, pulling the jacket tighter around yourself.

“It’s easier with you,” he said after a beat. His eyes met yours in the dark—soft, unreadable, and so full of quiet longing it almost hurt to look at.

“Why?” you asked.

Hiromi’s gaze dropped to your mouth, flicked back up. His voice was soft. “Because I like the way you look at me… even when you’re trying not to.”

That did something to you. A warm crack down your spine, a flutter in your ribs.

“I’m not pretending anymore,” you said, and the moment the words left your mouth, you realized how true they were.

Hiromi took a step closer, and your breath hitched—just slightly. He raised a hand, slow and careful, like he was testing gravity again, brushing your hair back from your face. His fingers were warm, gentle, grazing your jaw before dropping away.

“You can still walk away,” he said, low and honest. “Tell me it was just for show. We go back to being strangers tomorrow.”

You looked at him, and he looked back, and whatever tension had lived between you all night thickened, slow and certain, like molasses in warm air.

His words hung between you like smoke—heavy, suffocating. You didn’t step back. Couldn’t. Your chest ached with the weight of everything unsaid, everything felt too deeply for something that was supposed to be pretend.

You stared at him, heart hammering like it wanted to crawl out of your throat. “Is that what you want?” you asked, your voice raw.

Hiromi’s jaw flexed, a muscle twitching near his temple. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”

“The hell it doesn’t,” you snapped, and suddenly you were close, closer than either of you realized. Your hand had found his chest, fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt. His breath hitched, yours did too.

His eyes flicked to your lips, then back up, dark and unreadable. “Say it,” he said. “Say it wasn’t real.”

“I can’t.” you said, your voice barely above a whisper, but shaking with emotion. It came out like a confession, like a wound.

He moved then—not forward, not away. Just leaned in, so close your noses brushed, so close the heat from his mouth ghosted over yours with every breath.

“I wanted to stay scared of you,” he murmured, and you swore your heart stopped. “But you kept looking at me like I meant something… and now I can’t stop needing that.”

Your hand slid up his chest, fingers clutching at his collar. “Then don’t.”

He exhaled shakily, like he’d been holding it in for too long. His forehead touched yours, eyes closing just for a second. But he didn’t kiss you. Not yet.

“This feels like a bad idea,” he whispered.

“It is,” you breathed. “But I still want it.”

There was a beat of silence. One beat. Two.

Then his hand slid around your waist, firm and deliberate, pulling you against him—not tender, not hesitant, but like he was tired of pretending he didn’t want to. Like if he didn’t touch you now, he’d lose his mind.

Your mouths hovered inches apart, breaths mingling, hands gripping fabric like anchors, like you’d both fall if you let go.

Still no kiss. Just the unbearable closeness of it.

His breath was warm against your mouth, uneven. Like he was fighting it, like kissing you would mean losing something he couldn’t get back, but you were done pretending too.

So you tilted your chin up—just enough to close that impossible gap—and your lips brushed.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t soft.

It was desperate.

Hiromi’s mouth crashed into yours like it was the only language he had left. His hand slid up your spine, rough palm splaying between your shoulder blades, holding you like he didn’t trust you to stay otherwise.

You gasped into him, and he swallowed the sound with a low noise from deep in his throat. Not quite a growl—no, something more human than that. Like pain and hunger and relief all tangled together.

Your fingers tangled in his shirt, knuckles white, dragging him closer even though there was no space left. He tasted like heat, like fury held back too long, like he was finally letting himself feel and it was too much.

He broke the kiss with a curse, resting his forehead against yours again, chest heaving. “Shit,” he said, voice ruined. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

You kissed him again.

Faster this time. Needier.

His hands found your hips, fingers digging in just enough to ground himself. One of them slid up, tracing your jaw, brushing your cheek, like he didn’t know whether to hold you or memorize you.

You pulled back just enough to breathe, eyes glassy. “Do we still go back to being strangers tomorrow?”

Hiromi’s eyes searched yours—wild, flickering. And then he shook his head. Just once.

“No,” he said, hoarse. “Not after this.”

He didn’t move. Neither did you.

His hand was still at your jaw, rough and trembling, and your breath was uneven against his. Every inch between you charged, heated, collapsing.

You leaned into him, and he met you halfway—mouths clashing again, nothing sweet or soft about it. It was a kiss that bruised. A kiss that breathed. His mouth was hot, demanding, like he was trying to consume the moment, like he didn’t want to remember what it felt like to be without you.

Fingers curled in his shirt. His grip tightened at your waist. Each touch dragged you closer, a slow burn spilling through your chest and twisting in your stomach.

You kissed him like you wanted to stay lost in him. He kissed you like he never planned to stop.

There was no space left between your bodies. His thumb brushed your cheek like he couldn’t help it, like he wasn’t ready to let the moment end, and your hands slid into his hair, holding, grounding, needing.

The world around you was silent, but everything between you—every breath, every brush of skin, every beat of your heart—was impossibly loud.

And still, you didn’t let go. Not yet.

His hand found yours, warm and certain, and for a moment, the night felt like it belonged to only the two of you.

[hgfictionwriter]

First Impressions

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Summary: Varsity athletes are all the same. They aren't interested in a real relationship or connection. And Jessie Fleming - you've heard about her - she's no exception. But maybe, just maybe, first impressions aren't everything.

Warnings: Suggestive language, but nothing overly explicit.

A/N: I've gotten a few requests for frat boy Jessie. This is my version of that. Out of character (OOC) Jessie. From my perspective anyway lol. But hopefully it’s entertaining!

“Oh, sorry.”

“Sorry.”

You retracted your hand after reaching for a bottle of liquor at the same time as someone else and they did the same.

“Go ahead,” you offered with a nod to the bottle and the girl offered you a smile in return.

“Thanks. Here - I’ll make you your drink. What were you wanting?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll make mine after,” you dismissed as you stepped back.

The girl gave you a teasing frown before giving you a quick once over that caused you to avert your gaze and cross your arms. She chuckled.

“Please. Let me make you a drink. It’s the least I can do for accidentally cutting in line,” she offered once more.

While you’d felt neutral about the whole exchange initially, now you felt irritation starting to brim. Between this brunette’s charming smile and varsity athletic gear, you really didn’t need to know more. They were all like this. They were all the same.

Unfortunately, one of your friends was now dating a member of the Bruins soccer team and, despite all odds, you found yourself tip-toeing into this world you'd heard all about and really had no interest in.

You rolled your eyes.

“Fine,” you relinquished flatly with a tired sigh. “Vodka cran.”

“Fancy,” she said simply with a smirk as she turned her back to you and made the drink.

You rolled your eyes once more though she couldn’t see you this time. You mustered up a stiff smile as she turned back around holding out the drink for you.

“Thanks,” you offered plainly and was about to turn to leave when she interjected.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you at one of Teagan’s parties before,” she commented lightly as she began to fix her own drink. “Who’d you come with tonight?”

You arched an eyebrow. “No. First time. And I’m friends with Mel.”

The girl frowned in thought for a moment as she took a sip of her drink. “Oh - [teammate’s] new girlfriend! Got it. Alright, cool. Well, welcome. Teagan’s winter break parties are the best,” she finished with a smile before extending her hand. “I’m Jessie.”

Jessie? Jessie Fleming, likely. So this is the famous captain of the Bruins. She’d heard about her through Mel. And seeing her now, all the stories and rumours made sense.

There she stood before you, smiling sweetly and acting so polite. And with that curly hair, those freckles and those eyes, she seemed perfectly nice, perfectly harmless. But you’d also heard of the girls she’d won over with her innocent charm and left in her wake.

You smirked as you took her hand.

“Y/N.”

She smiled wider, eyes travelling discretely once more and you retracted your hand as you lifted your eyebrows at her.

“Thanks for the drink, Jessie. Have a good night,” you said politely with a smile as you turned on your heel, admittedly enjoying the subtle flash of surprise on her face at your departure.

——————

A new semester started and you sat down in the one of the front rows of a class. You were opening your laptop when someone sat down in the seat next to yours. You paid them no mind until they spoke.

“I thought that might be you.”

A frown of confusion immediately crossed your face as you turned towards the voice.

“Jessie?” You asked, your tone not remotely veiling your surprise. She laughed good naturedly as she pulled out her own laptop.

“So you do remember me. You were in such a rush to leave I thought you’d forgotten our introduction,” she teased with a smile.

You rolled your eyes immediately and huffed. “I was not in a rush. We finished our introductions and that was that.”

“We exchanged names,” she said in mock contemplation before giving you a look. “I suppose that’s an introduction.”

You shrugged lightly returning your attention to the front of the class. “Suppose so.” You heard her snicker as she began prepping for class.

You couldn’t quite help yourself as you spied on the various lecture documents and notebooks she had pulled up.

“I didn’t take you for an environmental studies kind of person,” you said. This time she gave you a frown.

“Why? I wish I could take more of these courses actually,” she countered.

You blushed, feeling a bit foolish now. “I don’t know,” you mumbled as you tried to choose your words carefully. “I guess I’ve just seen, you know, other people, not have much interest in this kind of thing.”

She smirked. “By ‘people’ do you mean jocks? AKA,” she paused to shift in her seat to face you more directly, “elite level athletes who, despite stereotypes, have to maintain a particular academic performance to remain on said teams and can actually be fully developed individuals with interests and passions outside of sports?”

You gave her a withering stare, but hated to acknowledge the way your cheeks burned under her scrutiny.

“I recognize that,” you said pointedly before turning up your nose at her. “But yes. That’s mostly what I meant,” you said facetiously.

To your surprise she laughed, sitting back in her seat once more.

“Well. You’re not entirely wrong. Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason,” she acquiesced mildly. “But I, for one, don’t like being painted that way,” she said, mimicking your tone and demeanour. You had to laugh.

“Touché,” you relented. “So,” you started slowly, finding yourself fidgeting for some reason. “What is your major, then?”

“Materials Engineering,” she responded easily, not even bothering to make eye contact. “And considering a minor in environmental studies if I can make it work.”

“Oh,” you said, taken aback. You didn’t see that one coming.

“And you?” She asked, now looking over.

It took you a beat but you gestured vaguely to the front of the room. “Environmental studies.”

She smiled and gave you a nod before focusing on her screen momentarily. “It’s important work. Do you know what you want to do for a career?”

“Um. Government work - hopefully influencing policy,” you answered somewhat slowly, still processing that you were having this vein of conversation with Jessie. You nearly shook your head as you refocused. “What about you? I mean. I’m guessing you’re going to go pro?”

“That’s the hope,” she said as she turned to you. “But I know I’ll have a life and career after soccer. That’s really important to me. So I’m looking to find something that allows me to help promote sustainability in some way.”

Okay. You really didn’t expect this. The Jessie you’d heard about was not the Jessie you were actively conversing with. You were really having trouble reconciling the two images.

You had another question on the tip of your tongue but the professor began her lecture.

You couldn’t help but notice how attentive Jessie was throughout class and how thorough her notes were. Maybe there really was more to her than all of the team antics.

Still, academically-minded or not, the very real fact is that she was very casual with girls. That was not the kind of situation you wanted to get entangled in. She just wasn't your type.

Class ended and you were about to close your laptop when she reached across and started typing on your computer.

“My number. In case you want to talk about the readings or assignment,” she said simply as she began packing up. She stood and offered you another charming smile. “It was really good to see you again and to get to know you better.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and gave you a wink. “Same time next week? See ya.”

——————

“Hey, want to study together for the mid-term?”

You paused your movements as you turned to Jessie at her question. If she noticed your hesitation, she didn’t acknowledge it and merely continued packing up her things.

“I guess…,” you offered slowly.

You felt conflicted. She’d sat next to you each class and despite yourself you actually found yourself looking forward to seeing her. You didn’t even want to admit it to yourself but you’d started showing up earlier for class in case she did too and you could talk longer. You'd even started walking to your next classes together or grabbing a coffee in between.

This was dangerous territory.

She chuckled and gave you a sidelong glance.

“You don’t have to. I just thought we could.” She crossed her arms as she stood and gave you a smirk. “I was hoping by now I’d proved that I actually have a brain. I was also hoping, heaven forbid, that we might even be friends.”

You clicked your tongue as you stood, giving her a chiding stare. “Study buddies,” you said with a smirk of your own before going on facetiously. “Friends is really pushing it.”

She held up her hands in jest. “My apologies.”

“Yes, let’s study together,” you clarified, giving her a slight nudge with your shoulder and she beamed at you.

“And hey, bonus, practices start up next week. Even practices can be a lot of fun to watch. It’s a good time and we go out after. You should come. Support your new study buddy,” she finished with a grin.

“Mm that’s quite alright,” you said with a playful smirk. “Soccer’s not my thing. As you know.”

Jessie exhaled and placed her hands on her hips. You inadvertently looked away.

“Fine. Don’t come for the full thing. Just join us after. Won't Mel be there?” She asked. You shrugged a shoulder.

"I'm not sure," you replied patiently. "I haven't exactly asked."

She tilted her head as she gave a winning smile. “I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Yeah?” You asked in jokingly flirtatious matter. “And for how many other girls?” You couldn’t help but ask.

Her expression faltered briefly before she subtly narrowed her eyes, something dawning on her.

“Oh. I see. Well, I can’t say other girls are my study buddy,” she said with a sly grin before dropping it. “No. Seriously. I feel like we’ve had some very good conversations. I-,” she paused, blushing lightly now, “don’t talk to a lot of girls outside of the football world. It’s been really nice and different talking about real matters and serious things. I like it.”

You felt your cheeks heating up and you forced an eye roll while you folded your arms against your chest.

"Yeah, I'll bet," you teased.

"Come on," she coaxed. "Admit it. You like me at least a tiny bit." She tacked on quickly and placatingly, "As a friend."

You chuckled giving your head a light shake. "Sure," you relented as you cracked a crooked smile. "You're alright."

She made a fist a gave a single pump of her arm jokingly with a mouthed "Yes". She offered a playful grin. "I knew it."

"Oh my gosh," you said as you gave her a light shove and you two began to exit the lecture hall. "Now I'm definitely not coming."

----------

"You made it," Jessie said, freshly showered and with a bright smile as you walked down the bleachers to greet her at the sidelines.

"Don't get too carried away," you replied dryly. "I only got here 5 minutes before the final whistle. I didn't exactly see this skillful mastery everyone seems to rave about."

"There'll be lots of other times for that," she replied without missing a beat as she poised an elbow on the barrier and rest her chin in her hand.

"Uh huh," you went on flatly. "That's not presumptuous at all."

"Did you see my freekick goal at the end there?" She asked, again undeterred.

"I don't know what a freekick is, but I saw you score, yes," you went on allowing the faintest smirk as you recalled her waving to you as she jogged over to take the kick. You smirked further. "How many points do you get for a goal?"

Her face dropped and her arms fell to her sides as she looked at you in dismay. "You're just messing with me now." You laughed.

"Maybe. It's kind of fun." She smiled at your comment and you had to stop yourself from smiling too much in return. You cleared your throat and looked away briefly. She was still smiling at you when you looked back.

"Ready to go?"

Your stomach flipped over and over as you two caught up with the rest of the group on the walk over to a nearby bar. You were nervous - she made you nervous. In good ways and bad and you questioned yourself on if you should be here, but yet your feet carried you forward and your eyes found her throughout the night anytime she wasn't next to you.

So much for keeping your distance.

The drinks flowed and though Mel was there and you made a point of not staying too focused on Jessie, you might have to admit you weren't entirely successful.

"Here - and with some water this time, too. You should try to stay hydrated," she said as she returned with another refill for you.

"How thoughtful." You meant to say it sarcastically, but it didn't quite come out that way. She merely winked and took a sip of her drink.

You must be drunk because that stupid wink was enough to disarm you even further. A part of you tried to coach yourself into biting your tongue, but instead you spoke your mind.

"What are you doing?" You asked, spurring a perplexed expression from her. She took another sip.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you doing?" You asked as if it was entirely obvious. "I saw your little fan club at practice. I saw that girl chatting you up at the bar. Why are you here talking to me?" You went on putting on an air of both teasing and indifference.

She arched an eyebrow, holding your gaze and you had to steel yourself to not look away.

"Sounds like you're watching me pretty closely," she relayed with a similar nonchalance and you immediately scoffed.

"Don't deflect. I'm just curious," you said lightly with a shrug and a swig. "Mel's in this world now, so I've heard stories about you, Fleming," you finished as you set down your drink and leaned back, waiting expectantly and rather smugly.

This time Jessie was the one to scoff. "Yeah? Like what."

You didn't flinch or shy away, instead leaning in. "Oh you know, just about the girls you don't text back."

Her freckled cheeks started to turn pink and she broke your gaze momentarily, leaving you feeling vindicated.

She opened her mouth to speak, but paused and shrugged a second later instead.

"I won't lie. Yes...first year here things were a little...eventful. It was my first year away from home, living this new life, a fresh start where I could build whatever personality I wanted. And I had fun with that. But things are less so like that now." She held up her index finger. "And, I need to point out, that I don't make promises. I think I'm pretty clear that things are casual."

You digested her words and eventually gave a nod before taking another measured sip.

"Okay. Fair enough. So casual's all you're into then."

"No," she answered easily with a slight shake of her head. "That's all I was interested in before. There wasn't anyone I wanted to actually date. And, honestly, that's easiest with my schedule. But," she gave a light shrug, "if the right girl came along, I could commit."

You felt a smile forming and tried to hold back a laugh, but failed. She shot you an offended look and you waved in apology.

"Sorry. It's just kind of funny. You 'could' commit. Okay," you snickered a bit more as you took another sip. A hint of regret washed over you at the hurt expression on her face.

"I'm being serious here," she said. "And you asked me why I'm talking to you instead of those other girls. Because. I want to talk to you. I'm interested in you. And 'no' - because I know you're going to make a comment about it - this is not what it was like with the other girls. We've actually talked and I genuinely like you and want to know you better. And for the record - I actually hate studying with other people. I find it distracting and it slows me down, but I respect how smart you are and I love hearing you talk about things you're passionate about and I want to spend more time with you."

The rim of your glass was held poised at your lips as you blinked at her. You abandoned your drink, setting it down on the coaster before leaning forward, folding your arms across the top of your legs.

"Okay. I'm sorry. I hear you," you said, humbled by her declaration and feeling guilty about judging her the way you had.

She gave a quiet sigh and took a sip of her drink.

"It's okay," she went on quietly. "It's not your fault. You didn't create this reputation. I'm sorry," she went on. "That was a bit much."

"No. I'm glad you were honest. Thank you," you corrected her.

You two sat silently together, the din of the busy bar a continuous rumbling around you before you spoke once more.

"I am sorry, Jess. I judged you and I shouldn't have. And I've been holding onto that image of you even though, you're right, our conversations have relayed otherwise," you said.

"Thanks," she said with a soft smile before she turned her attention to her glass, swirling the remainder of her drink. She looked back up after a moment. "And, you know, hopefully we can still be friends. Oh wait," she paused with a teasing eyeroll, "sorry. Study buddies. Totally understand if you're not interested in something more."

You smirked and nudged her knee with yours. "We can be friends," you returned her eyeroll and spoke as though the offer was a great sacrifice. You smiled as she laughed warmly. She drained her drink and held out her hand to you.

"Friends?"

"Friends," you said as you shook her hand. Admittedly, it took you a couple of seconds too long to drop her hold. Your chest warmed as she smiled at you.

"Hey," you went on as you leaned in a touch. "Do you want to get out of here?"

She gave you a blank stare and it took her a beat to reply before she gave a shake of her head. "Yeah. Course. Let's go." She rose from her chair and offered you her hand. You took it.

Conversation was quieter between you two than normal as you walked back towards the dorms, but it was comfortable and easy all things considered. Any tension you were feeling right now was a kind you'd been too afraid to acknowledge previously.

"Your dorm's the other way," you said as Jessie walked past her turn alongside you.

"I know. I'll walk you back to your dorm," she replied easily and gave a nod of her head, urging you to continue walking with her.

Soon enough you were at your door, the two of you facing one another.

"Well, I'm glad you came out tonight," she said with a hint of a smirk. You mirrored it.

"Yeah. Me too," you agreed. "It was nice." A beat passed and you said in a rush, "Hey, are you busy this weekend?"

"Mm, I'm doing a few things with Teags, Mia and the crew, but, yeah, I have time. Did you...have something in mind?"

Your gaze shifted away and you felt your face begin to heat up. "Oh I don't know. I was just thinking if you're bored maybe we could, I don't know. Do something."

A smile grew across Jessie's face and she looked at you unwaveringly despite the way your gaze flit around the hallway.

"I'd love to do something. And not because I'm bored," she chuckled. "Can I take you out to dinner? Or is that too much."

You scratched the back of your neck distractedly, tucking one hand behind your back. "Oh, no, that's fine. Sounds good."

"Okay," Jessie chuckled. "We can go to that Mediterranean place you wanted to check out."

You gave a pointed nod of your head. "Ah. You were listening and paying attention."

"Of course," she laughed. She gave a half smile and held up her index fingers as though something just came to mind. "Oh. And, me and the girls are gonna play a pickup game Sunday morning and grab lunch after. It'd be cool if you came."

"Cool, huh?" You smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"I'd like it if you came," she corrected with a lopsided grin.

You sighed as though the request was a chore. "I suppose I have a few things to learn about soccer. Watching a game might help."

Jessie laughed. "If you think I talk your ear off about engineering and sustainability, just wait 'til you get me talking about soccer."

"Can't wait," you said without your usual sarcasm and with a quiet smile instead.

A beat passed and the tension between you was high. You rose onto the balls of your feet briefly before dropping back down. "Well, good night, then. Thanks for walking me home."

"Happy to," she said.

You pulled each other in for a hug and whether it was the liquid courage or something more, you found your hand weaving through her hair. She held you close and neither of you pulled back right away. And when you did, your cheeks brushed and it was only far enough for you to look at each other, seeking silent approval from one another before you captured her lips in a kiss.

All of your hesitation and careful control went straight out the window and soon your hands were wandering and exploring her body, as were her hands on you. Before you knew it, you were pulling her with you so your back was against the door and your kisses grew heavier and deeper.

Your core pulsed with want and you could feel arousal starting to pool in the fabric of your underwear as you both subtly ground against one another. The one shred of restraint left in you couldn't believe you were honestly contemplating inviting her in. Thankfully, she spared you the rashness as she broke off the kiss, resting her forehead against yours as you both caught your breath.

She chuckled with a smile. "Right. I said I was going to go." You bit your lip, your eyes trailing down to her mouth that you were craving more of. She kissed you slow before pulling back.

"We can take our time," she promised and it brought you back to your senses.

"Yeah, of course," you agreed, nodding readily. She took a step back, wishing you a good night.

"Text me to let me know you got back safe," you told her. She gave you a shit-eating grin.

"Aww, you care."

"Don't start with me," you warned her though you both laughed. She snuck a quick peck on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams," she said with a wink as she turned around. You watched her retreating form for a few seconds before calling out.

"On a scale of 1-10, how casual is this?"

She turned around with a smile, placing her hands in her pockets and cocking her head.

"How casual do you want it to be?"

Whether it was 'cool' to say it not, you said, "Not very."

Her smile widened and she gave a nod. "'Kay. I can do that. Legitimately though, I am on the road a lot. Is that okay with you?"

"Depends. Do you fuck around on the road?" You asked easily.

"If I'm committed to you? Then 'no'. Hard to believe based on the stories you've heard, but, context is key. To the people I care about - I'm really loyal. Ask anyone who knows me. They'll tell you," she said.

"'Kay," you said, ignoring how you toed the hallway floor like some silly school girl. "Don't break my trust Fleming and we'll be good."

She winked and began to turn on her heel. "See you in class tomorrow."

A/N: I was going to write this as smut, but it became too long! I definitely have a vision for Part Two (I.e. smut) in this story if there’s interest though.

[agaypanic]

Hey! Could you do Charlie Swan x wife fem!reader where she own a bakery and they first met there (sort of flashback) and their journey through their relationship. And please add Bella (as someone nice & she accept her). Tag me later! Thank :)

Black Coffee and a Bagel (Charlie Swan X Baker!Reader)

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Summary: Chief Swan coming into your bakery for breakfast one day turns into a life full of love, baking, and coffee.

A/N: this took forever to write holy shit. i usually dont add the word count to the actual fic, but i feel like i should tell yall this is over 5k words… when i read the twilight books (its been so hard getting through them bc they’re lowkey boring guys…) i envision charlie as billy burke but with kinda curly hair bc that’s what he has in the books, so that’s how he looks in this lol reader’s age isn’t specified so she can be read as charlie’s age or younger (legal obvi). maybe a bit ooc charlie but idc

***

It was a usual cloudy day in Forks, Washington. Like most other town residents, you didn’t really mind the gloomy weather. As long as your heaters worked and you had a decent jacket, you didn’t really care.

You were always the busiest in the morning. You owned a bakery in the middle of town, the only one open at six in the morning. Almost everyone came through your shop for breakfast or a drink before heading to work or school. 

But every now and then, you had a first-time customer.

The bell above your front door jingled, and you heard footsteps enter with a bit of hesitancy. You looked up from the espresso machine you were cleaning to see a man with curly dark hair, a mustache, and a badge.

“Chief Swan,” you smiled, moving to the counter. He was looking around the bakery with mild curiosity. “Haven’t seen you here before.”

“Yeah, I uh… I forgot to grab a coffee before I left the house.” He sounded like he was a bit embarrassed by his mistake. Then he finally looked up, chocolate brown eyes locking with yours. “And a lot of people talk about this place, so I figured it’d be a good opportunity to check it out.”

“Well, I’m glad to have you here. Welcome to Bear Claw Bakery.” You smile at him, maybe a bit too cheerfully for how early in the morning it was, but it was all part of your brand. Seeing such a handsome face also helped. “I can make any coffee you’d like.”

“I can see that.” Chief Swan said, gesturing to the convoluted drink menu on the wall behind you. He seemed a bit intimidated by all the choices.

“How about a black coffee?” He lit up, seemingly relieved by your suggestion.

“Yes, please. Large.”

As you made his coffee, you fell into a comfortable silence. You became focused on his drink, and he decided to peruse your display cases of baked goods. After all, this was a bakery.

“See anything you like?” You ask as you put the lid on his cup, remembering to add a sleeve so he wouldn’t burn his hand.

He hummed, staring at a tray of bagels for a few seconds before looking at you. He straightened up, pointing to the baked goods.

“Could I get a bagel? Plain.” 

“Of course!” You slid the glass door open and grabbed a bagel with your tongs, putting it in a goody bag and folding the top a few times. Chief Swan watched you for a small moment before fumbling for his wallet, keeping his eyes on the counter in front of him. You watched him pull out a bill and waved your hand. “Oh, no. On the house.”

“What?” He looked up at you in surprise, and you just smiled at him.

“Think of it as a first-time discount.” You shrug as you push his coffee and bagel towards him. 

He folded the bill but didn’t put it back in his wallet. Instead, while maintaining eye contact, he dropped it into the tip jar beside him.

“Thanks, uh…” He said as he pocketed the wallet and grabbed his coffee. It was then that you realized that he didn’t know your name.

“Oh! Y/n.” You stuck your hand out without thinking. But before you could pull it back, he shook your hand with a polite smile. “And you’re obviously Chief Swan.” You said with an airy laugh.

“Please, call me Charlie.” He punctuated his name by squeezing your hand before letting go. There was a softness to his tone that you didn’t suspect, but you enjoyed it.

“Charlie,” you repeated, liking the sound of it. “I hope you like the coffee and the bagel.”

He nodded once, grabbed the goody bag still on the counter, and left with a small wave. You didn’t have much time to think about the interaction because a group of high schoolers soon came in, chattering loudly about different things. One thing you knew for sure, though, was that you hoped he’d be back sometime soon.

***

You were surprised to see Charlie back at the bakery the next day. You were unlocking the front door when he pulled up next to your car in his police cruiser.

“Right on time.” You laughed as he exited the car. “I’m just starting to open.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know your hours,” he said, checking his watch. The sun was barely starting to peek out from the clouds. “I have to go to the station early today, was hoping I could get coffee and a bagel.”

“Of course! Come on in,” you say, holding the door open just long enough for him to catch as you rush to behind the counter.

You started on Charlie’s coffee before going to the back to get a bag of fresh bagels. At the front, he was leaning against the counter, waiting for you.

“So I’m guessing you liked it?” You asked with a smile as you bagged up a bagel for him, putting the rest in the display case. “The coffee and bagel? Since you came back.” You added after a moment of silence.

“Oh, yeah!” He said, sounding as if he was a bit distracted by something. “Both were delicious.”

“I’m glad.” You placed his bagel and coffee on the counter.

“Now I’m hoping to actually pay this time,” Charlie said, raising his brows, and you couldn’t help but giggle. You told him the total, and when you gave him his change, he dropped it into the tip jar. “Thanks again. And sorry for coming so early.”

“It’s no problem, Chief-” You cut yourself off, receiving a knowing look from him. “Charlie. It’s really no problem. Hope you have a good day.” 

“Same to you, Y/n.” 

Charlie grabbed his things, waved at you, and walked out. After watching him drive away, you continued to open the bakery for the day. As you served the people coming in, you wondered if Charlie’s coming in would become a regular occurrence. Deep down, you hoped so.

***

Charlie Swan coming to the bakery became a daily habit. It pleased you not only because you were proud to have such a loyal customer, but also because the man was handsome and very nice, despite his usual awkward demeanor. He’d be one of the first people to come in, or the first if he had to go to the station early. You always savored the small talk you shared with him, silently begging for no one to come in when he talked because then he’d stay a little longer, no matter how many times he said that he should really be going.

You were really starting to like Charlie Swan, both as a friend and something more. Of course, you kept that part to yourself.

“Black coffee and a bagel.” It was more of a statement than a question as Charlie opened the door. He ordered the same thing every day; honestly, you admired his consistency.

“Yup.” He responded, pulling out his wallet before he even reached the counter. “Oh, by the way, I was wondering if you did like, deliveries? Or something like that?”

“Depends.” You answer. “I do catering and delivery for parties and stuff.”

“Ah,” Charlie clicked his tongue, seeming a little disappointed. “Was just wondering because I’ve been having to work a lot of late nights with all those bear attacks.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard a bit about those,” you sighed. “Poor people.”

“Yeah, I know. And anyways, if I’m being honest, your coffee’s better than the stuff we have at the station. But I get it if you don’t do that sort of thing.”

“I can do it!” You decide before even thinking about it. But when you gave it some thought, you remembered that you were the boss. If you went while one of your employees was working, they could surely hold down the fort for the ten minutes you’d be gone. “I, um, I can do that for you.”

“Really?” Although his expression didn’t change much, you could tell that Charlie’s eyes were lighting up. He must’ve really loved your coffee.

“Yeah! Perks of being your own boss.” You laugh, grabbing a piece of paper and writing down your number. “We don’t have a phone for the bakery yet; I just keep forgetting to do that. So this is my number.” You slid the paper over to Charlie, who grabbed it without letting his eyes leave you. “Just call me, and it’ll probably take me five to ten minutes to get to the station. We close at nine, but I stay way later than that most nights, so feel free to call whenever.”

Charlie pocketed the piece of paper like it was a precious item he didn’t want to get wrinkled or crumpled. 

“I’ll do that,” he said, reaching for his breakfast. “I’ll see you later, Y/n.”

“See you later, Charlie.” You watched him leave, and once he was out the door, you finally realized that you had just unabashedly given the cute Chief of Police your phone number. Telling him to call you anytime. 

And he did. At around eight that night, you got a call from an unknown number, and a somewhat groggy Charlie was speaking on the other end.

“Y/n?” He asked, as if he was unsure whether or not you had actually given him your number.

“Hey, Charlie!” you responded, clearly more awake than him. “Need a coffee?”

“Please.” He sounded desperate, and you were a bit embarrassed by the fact that his tone needed you to take a moment to recompose yourself. The way he said it was a bit whiny, but his voice was husky, probably from his tiredness. A long sigh came from the phone. “I feel like I’m going crazy over here.”

“Then I’ll be over soon.” 

You and Charlie said quick goodbyes to each other, and you went to the counter to make his coffee. You told Maddie, who was working the closing shift with you, that you’d be back soon, but she could lock up without you if needed. Then you were on your way to the police station.

The parking lot was empty except for one cruiser, which you guessed was Charlie’s. Walking into the building to find it empty and dark, aside from an office at the far end, confirmed your suspicions.

“Delivery for Chief Swan.” You say, knocking on his office door, which was cracked open the slightest bit. Charlie looked up at you from his desk, and you wouldn’t be surprised if your presence had awakened him from an unplanned nap. His dark curly locks were a tousled mess, probably the result of his hands constantly running through them, and his eyelids seemed heavy.

“My savior,” Charlie grumbled, sitting up the slightest bit and reaching for the large cup. You stood in silence as you watched him gulp down the hot liquid, wondering how he didn’t immediately stop in pain. You guessed that his fatigue made him immune somehow, or less caring about burning his throat. “Good stuff.”

“Maybe instead of drinking it and scalding yourself, you should head home?” You suggested with a small laugh.

“Too much to do,” Charlie said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair. “Too much going on for me to stop.”

“Well, it’s better to stop before you reach your limit, or you might be stopping for good.”

Charlie thought about what you said with a slight hum. His half-lidded eyes scanned his messy desk, cluttered with reports and other papers. To be completely honest, he was starting to doze off a little by the time you came, and words were starting to jumble together when he tried to read. 

“M’kay.” He sighed, taking another sip of coffee, this time wincing a bit at the heat. “You got a point there.” 

You watched as Charlie somewhat sluggishly got ready to leave. He threw on his jacket and turned off the lights, gesturing for you to leave the office first. When you got to the station’s front entrance, he held the door open for you.

“Thanks for the coffee.” He said after walking you to your car. “And drive safe.”

“Anytime,” you respond, opening the door and getting in the driver’s seat. “And the same goes for you.”

Charlie smiled, patting the top of your car as a farewell before walking over to his cruiser. Although he had turned on his car before you, he didn’t start driving until you left the parking lot.

***

A few months later, you were at your absolute busiest. Graduation was just around the corner, and almost every senior’s parent in Forks called asking if you could cater or do pick up orders for graduation parties. Although it meant your business would be booming for a while, you were slowly losing your sanity.

“Just a second!” You yelled from the back room after hearing the bell above the door ring. Carefully, you slid a large tray filled with cupcakes into one of your fridges and closed the door.

“Take your time!” Charlie yelled back, making you want to be as quick as possible. You wiped your hands on your apron and ran to the front, where Charlie greeted you with a smile. “Hey, Y/n. You busy?”

“Always am,” you laughed, leaning against the counter. “But I always have time for you, Charlie. Black coffee and a bagel?”

“You know me so well.” Charlie watched as you moved around, making his hot drink and picking out a bagel from the stack you had made this morning. “How are things?”

“Hectic.” You answer, rising from your crouched position to bag up the bagel. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle. Almost every parent has been ordering at least seventy-five cupcakes for their kids’ graduation parties, and there’s at least three parties happening every week.” You grabbed Charlie’s coffee, putting a lid on the cup before handing it to him. Despite it being scalding hot, he took a sip while he listened. “I’m grateful, obviously, but if I have to frost another cupcake, I think I’m gonna get carpal tunnel.”

“I forgot graduation parties were a thing,” Charlie said with a slightly embarrassed laugh. “I don’t know if Bella would want one, though; she kind of hates being the center of attention.”

“Well, if she decides to have one, you know who to call for the baked goods.” You say with a smile, taking Charlie’s cash and watching him put the change in the tip jar. You loved the familiarity and routine that you had with Charlie. Every day, he ordered the same thing without fail, asked how you were doing, used a bill that was anywhere between a few dollars more to over twice the amount needed, and put the change he got into your decorated tip jar. 

“I’ll ask her about it.” To most, it looked like Charlie was wearing a straight face. But you could tell that there was a slight upward curve to his lip. “Kinda hoping she says yes. I think it’d be fun.”

“Have a good day, Charlie.”

“Have a good day, Y/n.”

Later in the day, the bakery was crowded. School had just gotten out, and most of the kids came for a little pick-me-up, whether it was some kind of caffeinated drink or a sweet treat. Plus, some parents came by to pick up their party orders.

You didn’t expect to see Charlie in the crowd today, accompanied by a girl who seemed around high school age. You assumed that this was Bella, his daughter.

“Hey, Y/n.” Charlie greeted you once they reached the counter. “Place is packed.”

“Yup! I think finals are just around the corner, so these kids need all the help they can get.” You looked over at the young girl who stood next to Charlie. “Is this your daughter?”

“Yeah. Y/n, this is Bella. Bella, this is Y/n.” You greeted each other before Charlie spoke again. “I asked Bella about the whole graduation party thing, and she said it sounded like fun. So I decided to meet her here on my break so we could set up an order.”

“Awesome!” You grinned, grabbing an order form. Usually, you would be slightly dying on the inside if someone was making an order like this. But there seemed to be something about Charlie that diffused any annoyance or dread you would normally feel. “So, what were you thinking? Cupcakes?”

“Actually, we were thinking of a cake.” This answer made you perk up. Bella nodded, confirming the decision, which you quickly jotted down. While the three of you talked, Charlie’s radio on his shoulder sounded. “I gotta take this, I’ll be right back. Bells, just tell Y/n what you want, and I’ll pay for it. And if you want a drink or something, go ahead and order. Oh! Could I get a-”

“Black coffee?” You finished, giving Charlie a knowing smile. His usually pale cheeks seemed to turn pink, but you just chalked it up to the slightly warm and crowded room. “Of course, now go take your call.”

You waved Charlie away, who fought against the small crowd of students to get out of the building. You asked two of your employees to get on the register and start taking orders before turning back to Bella. As you wrote down what she wanted, she spoke somewhat timidly, as if she was saying something that was supposed to be a secret.

“He talks about you sometimes.” You looked at her with slight confusion. “My dad.”

“Oh?” Your heartbeat quickened at the information. It surprised you that Charlie thought of you outside of the bakery, let alone talked about you. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She bit her lip, trying to keep more from spilling. But it didn’t work. “Half of the time, he’s raving about your coffee.”

“It’s just black coffee,” you said with a shrug, flipping the pen around with your fingers to release your giddy energy.

“Yeah, but you’re the one who makes it. And the other half of the time, he’s talking about how nice you are.”

“He thinks I’m nice?” You were glad your employees were taking care of the other customers because you were now completely distracted from the task at hand. Bella nodded, and you couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Well, I think he’s nice, too.”

“Who’s nice?” You and Bella jumped at Charlie’s surprise return.

“Uhh, no one.” You brushed off, quickly filling out the rest of the paper before turning it around and handing Charlie your pen. “Sign here, and we can get started on the order. Oh, did you want to do pick up or delivery?”

“Delivery,” Bella answered before Charlie could, eyes darting from you to her father. Neither of you opposed, so when you got the paper back, you marked the delivery option.

“Delivery it is.” You said, putting your pen in one of your apron pockets. “Charlie, I’ll get you your coffee. Bella, did you want anything?”

“No, I’m fine, thanks.” You nodded and quickly made a large black coffee. After checking them out and Charlie putting his change in the jar, you waved goodbye to the two Swans. “See you next week, Bella. And I’ll see you tomorrow, Charlie?”

“Of course.” He said with a smile before guiding Bella out of the shop.

You couldn’t wait to see Charlie Swan again.

***

A week later, you loaded Bella’s finished graduation cake into your car. After telling Maddie you’d be back soon, you got in the driver’s seat and drove to the Swan house. Everyone knew where everyone was in this town, but you still had your eyes glued to your map when they weren’t on the road, too scared to miss a turn. 

Soon, you pulled up to a white two-story house. You were confident that it was Charlie’s place when you saw his police cruiser and a red truck, which must have been Bella’s. There were a few cars scattered up and down the street, but you found a free spot right in front of the cop car. When you got out and grabbed the two-tiered cake, Charlie emerged from the front door.

“Y/n! You made it!” He jogged over to you as you closed the car door with a swing of your hip. “Here, lemme get that for ya.”

“You’re sweet, Charlie.” You carefully handed the cake to him and followed him inside. The place seemed to be packed with teens and their parents. Some stood out, and you knew exactly who they were from their pale complexions and beautiful features.

“Did you wanna stay for a bit?” Charlie asked as he set the cake down on a table. He scratched the back of his head, growing a bit shy. “You, uhh, you could taste your masterpiece. Mingle and stuff.”

“I should probably be getting back to the bakery…” You looked down at your watch. You supposed you could spare a few minutes. After all, you were the boss. Maddie was responsible; she would call you if she had any problems. “Well, I think I could stay a few minutes.”

“Great.” Charlie put on a large grin, one that you had probably never seen before. But it suited him nicely. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Charlie laid a hand on the small of your back to guide you through the small crowd. You already knew most of the people here, either regulars of yours or having recently become well acquainted with them because of delivery or pick-up orders. But then Charlie took you to a small group of people that you don’t remember every meeting, but you knew of them well.

“Y/n, these are the Cullens.” Charlie introduced. “Doctor Carlisle, his wife Esme, Bella’s boyfriend Edward, and his sister Alice.”

“It’s nice to meet you all.” You said kindly, shaking each hand that reached out to you. Their hands were cold, but that didn’t bother you. It was actually a bit refreshing after having your hands in and out of ovens for the past few weeks.

“Y/n made Bella’s cake,” Charlie said, proudly pointing to your creation on the table. “She owns Bear Claw Bakery. She’s… pretty amazing, at what she does.”

“I see that,” Carlisle said, looking at the cake. “Amazing detail, I bet it looks even better up close. You’re quite talented.”

“All you need is a steady hand.” You said, not used to compliments or attention like this. 

“Well, I know a thing or two about that,” Carlisle said with a laugh. You laughed along, and you couldn’t help but notice Charlie’s hand move to wrap more around your waist.

“Thank you for making Bella’s cake,” Edward said, his voice cool and even. “I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“She will,” Alice said with finality, as if she had already seen Bella’s reaction to the cake.

“Thank you.” You couldn’t help but lean slightly into Charlie; he was just so warm and comfortable. He seemed a bit surprised but didn’t reject your actions. Instead, he welcomed them with a squeeze on your waist. “I was happy to do it, really.”

“Do you want a drink?” Charlie asked, leaning close to you to ask.

“Sure.” As Charlie guided you to the kitchen, you looked over your shoulder at the Cullens. “It was nice to meet you!” They all gave similar and polite responses. And then they were out of view, and you and Charlie were alone in the kitchen.

For a while, you and Charlie stayed in the kitchen, watching people pass by to talk to others or get a refreshment. This was the first time you were around Charlie in a non-professional environment. You were both nervous and ecstatic.

“So, how’d you get into, uh, baking and stuff?” Charlie asked, taking a swig of his beer. You took a sip of your Coke before responding.

“My mom, I think. Every birthday or special occasion, she always insisted on making a giant cake or cupcakes or whatever, instead of buying it from the store. I liked to help her, mainly because she’d let me eat the leftover frosting and pour the batter in the pan.” You leaned on the counter, smiling fondly at the memories that ran through your head. “Even when you’re by yourself, I think it’s really special. I dunno, that’s kind of a sappy answer, but-”

“No, no.” Charlie shook his head before smiling at you. “I think that’s really sweet.”

After a brief moment of eye contact, you both took a sip of your drinks, lifting them to your lips and setting them down simultaneously.

“Are you doing anything this Saturday?” The question surprised you and Charlie, even though Charlie had asked it. But he didn’t take it back. Instead, he waited for a response while anxiously tapping his fingers against his beer bottle.

“Maybe.” You said with a shrug. “Why do you ask?”

“Well…” Charlie’s fingers smoothed over his mustache, which you had noticed to be a habit of his when he was thinking. “I’ve never really baked before, I think. And you make it sound like a lot of fun. So… I dunno, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come over or something, and we could make something?”

“I’d love to.” You said, butterflies filling your stomach. 

“Really?” Charlie seemed relieved by your answer, and you nodded swiftly to solidify it. “Great! Maybe this time, I can make you a coffee.”

“I’d like that a lot.” You took a sip of your Coke to contain your growing smile, but it didn’t help much. Your giddiness was infectious, Charlie feeling the exact excitement you were.

***

When Saturday came, you had an extra pep in your step. You made sure to put a slight bit more effort into your appearance before you left. You knew you didn’t have to impress Charlie in any way, but this felt like a sort of milestone. You were going to spend time with him outside of work, doing one of your favorite activities together.

“Bella’s out with Edward,” Charlie said as he let you into the house. “So we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

“Sounds good to me.” You responded, setting your bag on the kitchen counter and pulling out a recipe card.

“So, what are we making?” He asked, clapping his hands and rubbing them together as he looked over your shoulder.

“Black Forest gâteau.” You answered, looking down at the card and then up at Charlie. He seemed slightly confused, but looked like he didn’t want you to know he was confused. You laughed lightly. “Basically, a chocolate cake with cherry filling.”

“Ah.” Charlie nodded in understanding. “Sounds delicious.”

While you started taking ingredients out of your bag, Charlie made a pot of coffee for the both of you. After pouring himself a plain black coffee, he asked you what you wanted in yours. When he was finished, he handed you the warm mug, and you both simultaneously took a sip. You sighed in delight.

“Delicious.” You said, giving him a wink before turning back to your ingredients. Charlie took another gulp of coffee to hide his flusteredness before moving to stand next to you.

You guided Charlie through the recipe, working together to measure ingredients and mix them. While pouring the batter into a few cake pans, you made light conversation about your days since Bella’s party. After the pans were put in the oven to bake, you made the cherry filling to put between the layers. 

“This is really nice.” You said, slowly dropping down to sit in front of the oven to watch the cake layers bake for the next few minutes. Charlie dried his hands and walked over to you, looking down at you curiously. “Thanks for having me over.”

Charlie crouched next to you and sighed, probably because he wasn’t used to sitting on the floor. He mirrored your position, legs crisscrossed and elbows resting on his knees.

“No problem.” 

The two of you watched the cakes slowly rise through the small oven window. Basking in the quiet and comfortable moment, you couldn’t help but lean over and rest your head on Charlie’s shoulder. 

“This is really nice.” You repeated, albeit quieter, even though there was no need to whisper. Charlie’s head tilted to rest on yours, lifting his bent right leg and planting his foot on the floor to be more comfortable.

“Yeah…” Charlie’s hand drifted towards yours, and in a moment of bravery, you grabbed it and intertwined his fingers with yours. “It is.”

***

Over the next two months, you and Charlie grew closer than you ever thought possible. He still came to the bakery every day for his coffee and bagel. But almost every weekend, you’d go to each other’s house to make some kind of treat, and Charlie always insisted on making coffee for both of you. 

Getting closer to Charlie meant you also got closer to Bella. She was a bit reserved, spending most of her time with her boyfriend and his family. But you were able to make conversation with her whenever you were both at the Swan house. It was usually only a few minutes, the sweet spot where you had arrived and Bella was about to leave. But it was special to you.

You were a bit shocked when you found out that Bella and Edward were getting married in August, just under two months after they had graduated high school. Bella hadn’t even turned nineteen yet. But you knew love when you saw it, and it wasn’t like you had a say on the matter. Bella was grateful, however, for you being able to calm Charlie down when he found out about it.

When she told you she was getting married, Bella asked if you could make the wedding cake. You didn’t even think before saying yes, feeling honored that she wanted you to do it. After some talking, you both decided on a green triple-tiered cake covered in fondant flowers to resemble a meadow.

“You did amazing.” Charlie had snuck up behind you during the reception, the two of you looking at the cake you had worked so hard on.

“Thank you, bear.” You don’t really remember how Charlie’s nickname came about, but it fit him so well that you started to refer to him with the nickname more than his real name. Although you weren’t together, it was said with all the affection and love you held for him.

Music echoed throughout the Cullens’s backyard, where the wedding and reception were held. It was a beautiful forest, lit by fairy lights strung around tall trees. 

“Do you wanna dance?” Charlie asked timidly, looking at the dancefloor littered with people for a moment before returning to you. “I mean, I’m not much of a dancer. But if you want to, I-”

“I’d love to.” You cut him off with a bright smile, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the crowd.

Despite saying he wasn’t a dancer, Charlie moved well. He kept one of your hands in a gentle grip while his other was planted firmly on your waist, radiating warmth. As you listened to the music, you rested your head on his chest, sighing contently. 

“I love you, Charlie Swan,” you said softly, too relaxed and in the moment to keep your filter. You felt Charlie stiffen under you briefly before he, too, relaxed. He held your hand tighter, keeping it to his chest.

“I love you too, Y/n L/n.” You lifted your head just enough to look at him. The soft look he gave you made you weak at the knees, but you found the strength to reach up to kiss him. 

“Alice,” Bella said softly to her new sister-in-law, the two girls watching you and Charlie closely, unbeknownst to you. “Do you think this’ll last? Them, I mean.”

Alice turned to Bella and smiled before looking back at the two of you. You broke apart from the kiss and continued to dance.

“I’ve had the same vision of them since I met Y/n. They get to grow old together.”

“So Charlie will be happy? And Y/n?” Alice placed a comforting hand on Bella’s shoulder, knowing why she was asking these questions. The Cullens knew what Bella wanted, and Bella knew it would probably kill Charlie when she got what she had been chasing after for so long.

“The happiest. Whatever it is they have, it’s special. You won’t have to worry about either of them.”

Bella sighed in relief, patting Alice’s hand.

“Thanks.”

[r4fe-cam3ron]

CHRISTMAS STORY TWO | STARDUST — r. cameron x reader

warnings; ooc rafe (definitely 🥲) , does not follow outer banks, fluffy, just cuteness all around (hopefully)

an; sorry for repeating myself again — but i’m only on season two of OBX so this is completely an ooc rafe with a tad bit of issues as well 😔 i’m hoping soon i’ll finish i’m just awful at finishing shows. ANYWAY, i still hope you all enjoy this rafe story :p

There’s a soft breeze that causes everyone to slightly shiver, smiling at the feeling over their skins. It’s different than the scorching, hot days — more welcomed. 

The Cameron’s hosted a ‘Christmas Eve eve’ party. It was silly, but also a way for Ward to invite people to his home so he could gloat about anything new he’s bought even though he does that yearly. 

Sarah had told him the only way she’d really come out of her room long enough is if she could invite her friends. Which leads Rafe to do the same. Ward reluctantly agrees — he’s hoping that there would be no fights against anyone. That would look bad on him. 

It’s bad enough Sarah had invited people from the cut to the party. JJ grins when he grabs a champagne flute, taking a sip but his face immediately screws from the taste. He spits it back into his cup, earning a few looks his way. “God, that is awful.” 

You watch with a lifted brow as his blue eyes search around, a small and quiet ‘ah’ leaving his mouth as he discreetly switches out his glass with some older man’s scotch, taking a sip. “Better.” 

“I cannot believe you—” Your eyes widen when you watch the man take a sip of the spit champagne, a look of confusion on his face. 

“Look away.” JJ whispers. You both quickly turn. He stuffs his hand into his pocket as he whistles to the Christmas tunes over the speaker playing in the corner. 

You roll your eyes, but smile and shake your head as you look away, eyes traveling over the sea of guests before landing on one individual host. Shifting on your feet slightly, you stare at him quietly with parted lips. 

He was in a black suit, a black button up underneath. You watch as he brings his cup to his mouth, sipping whatever drink he had chosen from the bar. 

Your hand smooths down your dress as you glance away before quickly looking back over, afraid you might lose sight of the eldest Cameron. 

His blue eyes find yours and you're quickly turning away from him, eyes landing on JJ’s smug face. “I see you making googly eyes at Cameron,” He takes a sip of his stolen drink. “I wouldn’t recommend.” 

You roll your eyes for the umpteeth time, shaking your head. “Of course you wouldn’t recommend it, JJ. Besides, I wouldn’t. It’s not like he’s interested in me.” You wave your hand around dismissively. 

“Well then,” His voice turns into a southern drawl that has you trying to hold back a laugh. He drapes a heavy arm across your shoulder as he leans close. “That’s his fault, the prettiest one here!”

“Mhm,” You glance at him, nudging your head against his. “Go find Kie. You haven’t seen her yet, then.” 

He thinks a moment and blinks. “You know what, you’re right,”

He places the cup down next to the man. He seems confused again, staring between the new glass he ordered and the one that had been stolen right under his nose. 

“I shall go find my…soon-to-be-woman,” He bows playfully. “You’re still one of the prettiest here.” He playfully knocks his knuckles against your chin when he lifts, giving you a quick wink. You smile and watch as he walks around to look for Kiara. 

Letting out a small quiet sigh, you glance over at John B and Sarah, a small smile pulling at your lips once again as you watch her giggle at something he had said. A soft touch from his fingers against her cheek when he pushes a strand of hair behind her ear before it drops to his side, their fingers casually brushing against one another’s. 

“Sickening, right?” You flinch and glance over at the tall figure before quickly looking away to the couple once again, blinking. 

“I-I don’t know,” You shrug. “I think it’s cute.” You nod, clearing your throat a bit. 

He glances at you quietly before looking away. Rafe and you have spoken more than once, and yet, you’re still nervous to even be around him. 

He has that sort of effect. To make you feel dizzy. 

His finger taps on the glass, taking another sip, downing the rest of his drink before placing the empty cup on the table. He wipes away the remnants above his lip. “Come with me.” 

You turn your head and look at him, lifting a brow. “What?” 

He reaches down and grabs your hand, pulling you along without repeating himself. You stumble over your words, yet nothing coherent comes from it, your eyes staring at the back of his head before looking over your shoulder. He leads you inside and up the steps. 

There’s an extra set that has the both of you dunking so your heads wouldn’t knock on wood. He pushes something open, his grip leaving your hand and you frowning. You watch as he steps through something before stretching his hand back inside towards you. 

You stare at his hand before peeking back up at him. “You trust me?” 

You lift your brows and tilt your head. “Do you want me to answer that honestly?” 

He debates and shakes his head. “No. Not really,” He wiggles his fingers slightly. “Trust me this once, at least.” 

You couldn’t really say no to that. Or to Rafe in general. Slipping your hand through his, he grips softly and pulls you through the small window, quickly catching your waist with his other hand. 

You're quick to grip his shoulders, looking over your shoulder as your eyes widen slightly as your breath begins to quicken and legs start to shake. 

“Why did you…” You trail off, fingers digging into his shoulders now. 

“Hey, you’re okay.” He reassures you, gripping your waist. It didn’t feel like you were. You felt like you were about to slip and fall. 

“Open those eyes,” He whispers. You didn’t even realize you had them squeezed shut. You shake your head regardless. He chuckles softly. “I won’t let you fall.” 

Slowly opening your eyes, you look up at him. “Do you promise?” 

“I swear.” 

You stare at him a moment longer before hesitantly looking over. His hand quickly pulls your head back towards him, shaking his head. “Looking down will only make it worse,” He says. “Look up.” 

Blinking once, you tilt your head back, feeling his hand drop from your chin and towards your neck, fingers gripping softly. There were more stars out than you had realized. 

You smile a bit, though you’re still holding onto Rafe’s shoulders for life, the beating of your heart starting to slowly return to normal and not as if it’s about to pop out of your chest. You let your hands fall to his forearms now. 

“Oh,” You breathe softly. “It’s so pretty out here. Or up here.” 

Rafe smiles and glances towards the sky before looking back at you. There’s a piece of hair that bothers him, obscuring the view of your pretty face. Reaching out, the tip of his finger drags against your cheek softly, before tucking it behind your ear. 

You flush, but remain looking up at the sky so you don't have to look at the pretty boy in front of you. 

“Do you come up here often?” 

“Sometimes,” He shrugs. He still allows you to hold onto him for support, which is strange because he wouldn’t let anyone else do that. “Not all the time. But when I do it’s to think.” He taps your forehead softly. 

You laugh softly and finally look at him. “You? Think? That’s not a combination.” You shake your head. 

“Oooh, really?” His brows lift, stepping a tad closer. Your laugh slowly fades when you notice, gulping slightly. 

“I-I mean—”

“I’m joking,” He chuckles, shaking his head. His fingers pinch at your sides softly causing your back to straighten slightly and a small laugh to leave your lips. “It’s usually not a good combination. I try not to think and just keep everything silent. Sometimes it becomes too loud.” 

You frown and watch as his eyes dart away from you as he stares up at the sky once again. He’s not used to being vulnerable in front of anyone. He’s tried once with Ward and that was quickly dismissed. 

He thinks the only other time he was able to be vulnerable around anyone was his mom — she made him feel safe. Loved. She made him feel like his feelings and thoughts actually mattered. 

You make him feel safe. 

“That’s why you can’t hold it in, Rafe. It’s not healthy for you,” You shake your head. “You need to talk to someone.” 

He scoffs. “Yeah, right. If dad found out that I even thought about going to therapy, he’d la—”

“You don’t have to go to therapy if you don’t want to,” You quickly cut him off. “Sometimes they don’t give you good advice, even if they’re ‘licensed’ - few rarely even care about patients and it’s only about money. I’m talking about friends. Family.” 

“What friends and family do you see down there that would be easy to talk to and looks like they’ll talk me down from doing something that isn’t exactly…” He trails off but you get what he’s insinuating too. 

“You can talk to me.” 

He looks at you and you stare back at him. With a small nod, you repeat yourself. “You can talk to me,” You say softly. “I’ll always listen. I might not know what to always say, but you deserve to have someone who—”

Your words are cut off by his lips pressing against yours. Your eyes widen momentarily — you’re kissing Rafe Cameron. 

They slowly close then, hand slowly lifting to cradle his jaw in your palm when it actually sinks in — you’re kissing Rafe Cameron. 

He pulls you closer by your waist, his right hand sliding up and resting on the side of your neck, his thumb pressing softly into the corner of your jaw. 

He pulls away slowly, the tip of his nose brushing against yours. “Sorry,” He whispers. It shocks you to hear him even apologize. “I didn’t…uh, you might not even be on the same page as I am.” 

Your brows furrow together and you press your forehead against his. “Same page as you? What do you mean?” You play with a button on his shirt. 

“As in…you might not see me in the way I see you.” 

You hum softly, letting him sweat at the thought of him jumping at something he shouldn’t have. Then you have mercy on him, pulling his head a bit closer before meeting halfway, pressing your lips to his again. 

He lets out a small sound, fingers gripping at the back of your neck. The hand on your side slides to the middle of your back. Both of your hands now cradle his face. 

You're the one to break away this time, smiling when he chases after your lips. You peck his lips softly. “I thought you realized I was on the same page as you. I was always too nervous to talk to you — even looking at you.”

He shrugs a bit. “I just thought you didn’t like me. As a person.” 

You shake your head, brushing your thumbs softly over his cheeks. “Couldn’t be further from the truth,” You brush your nose against his softly, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. “You’re not perfect — but that doesn’t make me like you any less. You can work on those things.” 

“What about JJ?” 

You hum softly, pressing another kiss to the other side of his mouth - you’re addicted now. “What about JJ?” 

“Well, you two just seem so close and he said—”

You pull your head back slightly and look at him. “You heard what he said?” He winces slightly at the question but nods. You shake your head with a small laugh. “It shouldn’t bother you - you both hate one another.” 

“It does bother me,” He shrugs a bit. “I don’t know. It shouldn’t. I’m being…weird about it. Why should I care what he thinks?” 

“Because somewhere deep inside, it does bother you what others think about you,” You nod. “No matter what type of front you put on. I can see right through you, Rafe Cameron.” 

He smiles a bit, pulling you closer as if there was any space left. His hand leaves your back and cups your cheek while the other remains on the side of your neck, the pad of his thumb dragging along the underside of your jaw. 

“Maybe that’s why I immediately was fond of you, rather than any of the others.” 

You smile softly and lean in slowly, nodding. “Yeah…Maybe.” 

He grins and meets you halfway, pressing his lips onto yours once again. 

Merry Christmas Eve Eve to him.

| tags — @oceanblvd111 ; @starkeyvhs

| please do not copy my work! comments, feedbacks, reblogs, & requests are welcomed and greatly appreciated! ❅

| border — @/silkholland

[drxmxss]

Our Eternal Novel °❀.ೃ࿔*

LADS Xavier x Reader

Summary: A cozy bookstore, a love for classics, a small town, a secret and an eternal promise of forever...What could happen when Y/N meets a stranger at her local bookstore who is not who he seems?

Content Warnings: Vampire! Xavier x Human!Reader, 18+, mentions of murder, missing persons, blood, death, injury, stalking/obsessive tendencies, biting, smut (will have a separate and more descriptive warning when included in chapter), more warnings to be added as the story progresses, maybe some oocness (this is my first xavier fic bare with me) reader discretion advised

a/n: EEEK hi!!! welcome to the very first chapter, this is very tame and a little boring just to set up everything, i hope you all enjoy! also are yall as excited for the banner as i am!!

Find the masterlist here

Chapter One - The Newcomer

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

______

Novel Haven was notoriously dull, quiet and peaceful. Perhaps that’s what made you think it was the best job you had. While you weren’t a huge reader, you enjoyed the atmosphere and kind clientele. The included coffee bar was fun to work at as well, offering a small arrangement of sweets and lattes.

You spent most of your time there, living alone in the city got lonely so it was nice to visit with customers daily.

After almost two years, you had pretty much knew every regular customer by first name, like Margret who frequently bought various crafting books and told you about the joys of crochet and DIY pottery, and occasionally her husband Greg would join her to retell you stories about his model planes.

You felt like you knew everyone, so when a newcomer came along needless to say you were intrigued.

It was early spring, the mornings were chillier still and the day was gloomy with rain, when he walked into the store. Immediately you made a mental note in your mind addressing him as Newcomer.

Newcomer was tall, tall enough to reach the top of the shelves in the fiction section, with light blonde hair. He was younger than your usual patrons. You didn’t get a good look at his face at first, but you decided to walk over after helping another customer to meet him.

You approached him quietly, his back facing you. “Excuse me?” you said “I’m Y/N, I work here at Novel Haven, I just wanted to introduce myself since I haven’t seen you here before. Are you finding everything okay?”

Newcomer stiffened slightly, you heard him set whatever book he was looking at down, and slowly turn to face you.

Shit, you thought, he’s handsome.

Newcomer had dazzling blue eyes, beautiful facial features , and a soft expression, but to your dismay quickly turned colder.

Without saying a word, he shoved past you and quickly walked out the door. The bell ringing in your ears.

Stunned, you stood in the fiction section. No one had ever been so rude to you, especially here. You were also angry at yourself for still thinking he was cute even after looking at you so coldly. Whatever you thought maybe he was just some jerk passing through town.

You walked back behind the register, trying to clear your mind of the rude and handsome newcomer.

*

The days passed normally after that, you pushed the thought of the newcomer to the back of your mind.

“Have you been listening to the news?” Cassidy, your coworker asked you one slow afternoon. She was one of the only other workers besides the old man who owned Novel Haven, she was bubbly and made sure you knew every piece of gossip she heard.

“No?” You responded, Cassidy’s eyes widened. “Theres been a couple of people missing for days, it started last week! Everyone’s saying there might be some serial killer around.”

“You shouldn’t spread rumors like that. It could scare people.” You told Cassidy, even though you found yourself nervous.

“I’m just saying!” Cassidy whisper yelled. “You live in that apartment all by yourself, all the people missing were alone! Just be vigilant!”

You chuckled, “I appreciate the concern, I will. Thanks.” Cassidy beamed at you “Anytime. I gotta get going soon. Thanks for closing for me!” With that she left the store.

You carried on, the store was completely empty and you started making a latte for yourself when you heard the bell on the front door ring as it opened.

“Hi welcome to Novel Haven, let me know if I can help you with anything.” You said, not turning around.

“Hello.” A deep voice you didn’t recognize replied, you turned around to see the rude newcomer from the other day. You almost dropped the mug in your hand, thinking he wouldn’t come back. It irritated you that he still looked handsome, and you did your best to push those thoughts aside.

“Oh, hello.” You replied, setting the mug down. “Is there anything I can help you with?” You said curtly, half expecting him to continue being a jerk.

The newcomer looked at you, emotionless. “I wanted to apologize for the other day, my name is Xavier. You’re Y/N right?”

Xavier… you thought, it fits him. Though you never would’ve guessed that was his name.

You stared at him for a moment, taken aback by his apology. “That’s..alright. Nice to meet you, Xavier.” You held out your hand for him to shake, he just stared at it. After realizing he wouldn’t shake it, you just put it down. Gosh this guy is strange, you thought. You tried to look busy by cleaning up the counter, Xavier still stood awkwardly, watching you.

“Do you have any recommendations?” He asked you, making you look up at him. His expression was still unreadable. He was here the other day and didn’t ask questions like that…maybe he’s just trying to make up for before?

“Um, it depends..What do you like?” You replied, and for the first time you saw a hint of a smile on Xavier’s face.

“Classical fiction.” He replied, you smiled at him kindly, “We have a lot of that here, if you go over to that shelf theres plenty of options.” You pointed towards a shelf across the room, Xavier nodded and walked over. You continued your cleaning duties and he came back to the register with a copy of Hamlet.

“Hamlet huh? I could never get into Shakespear like that.” You said, trying to make conversation, you heard Xavier chuckle.

His change in demeanor from the other day was refreshing yet made you wonder if it would switch again. Maybe he was having a bad day then, you weren’t going to let it bother you anymore. Plus he seemed kind enough. (And he was just so cute.)

“I guess I’m a bit of an old soul then.” He replied. You smiled, and handed him the book. “Enjoy then, come back anytime.”

Xavier takes the book and nods, “I’ll be back tomorrow.” And with that he left the store.

You can’t help but find yourself excited for his next arrival.

[uselessmoonlight]

Stranger part 18 Hermes’ version

Reader is Telemachus' friend, and when he leaves for his "diplomatic mission" he asks her to watch over his mother. Later, once the king has returned, she stumbles upon an injured Poseidon.

Previous / series masterlist / character sheet / next

Content specs: she/her pronouns used, afab reader, Platonic! Telemachus x reader, Epic!Hermes x reader, possible OOC!Hermes, Polites’ daughter! Reader, unrequited love, blood, fighting, nudity, illusion, possibly more?, trying to avoid using y/n, slowburn, suggestive themes.

A/n: Welcome to the Hermes au! Everything leading up to part 18 will have happened the same way, but from this chapter and onwards, things will happen differently.

The trickster God had been popping by every so often, during her time in the woods. Mainly to deliver messages from a very insistent Poseidon. Each time he’d done so she’d tried to refuse listening to his message, but would relent, as the God’s company was quite enjoyable. They’d turned it into an exchange, he’d tell her whatever message Poseidon had for her, and she would share secrets with him about his uncle.

She’d learned a surprising amount of information about the earth shaker during the time she’d spent with him, and Hermes was not complaining about the leverage it gave him over the God. Their banter was enjoyable, and Hermes liked speaking with the girl, but he was getting annoyed with the amount of messages coming from the grovelling God.

“I could tell him to take a hike, or something. Get him off your back.” He offered. Ónoma’s head whipped around to face him, narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. She studied the mischievous God for a moment before replying.

“And what would you ask in return?” She raised an eyebrow, emphasizing her suspicion.

“Smart girl.” The God said, practically patting her head. Ónoma glared at him, unamused at his patronizing tone. “Alright, I’ll tell you, no need to plot my death. That glare of yours is something else.” He mumbled. “All I want is for you to spend a day with me, while I do my duties.”

“That’s all?” She asked, uncertain. There had to be more to it. With a nod of his head gave his answer. “Will it be a specific day? Or will you show up one day and have me drop everything to follow you around?”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow’s fine, how am I supposed to follow you around? In case you haven’t noticed, I can’t fly.”

“So many questions. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, darling. Smile, I could be asking for more in return.” He said, playfully.

“What if he doesn’t back off.” She asked, the idea of this possibility had her feeling defeated.

“Oh, he’ll back off, you’ve given me plenty to work with these past days and I can be rather persuasive. If all of that isn’t enough, then we’ll face him, together.” His voice was serious, but he gave her a soft, reassuring smile. “Now, do we have a deal?”

“We do.”

“Let’s seal it then.” He offered his hand, then quickly retracted it, mischief brewing in his eyes. “How about we seal it with a kiss.” Ónoma smiled at the offer and nodded. Had Hermes been paying attention to her eyes, he would’ve seen her mischievous look. She placed a kiss on the God’s cheek with lightning speed, then sat back as if nothing happened.

“You never specified what kind.” She grinned at him.

“Why you little- Darling, you are trouble.” The God of trickery had been out tricked, and he was not mad at it.

The next morning Ónoma awoke in her own bed, once again rising with the sun. Aside from not having to sleep in the woods, or being woken up at ungodly hours of the night by Poseidon, it was surprisingly relaxing to sleep in her own bed. She didn’t have to tiptoe in the kitchen in fear of waking her guest, didn’t have to share breakfast, she was free to do as she pleased in her own home, and it was incredibly liberating.

For the first time in what felt like ages, she could take a walk as the sun was rising, though she did not get too close to the sea. After she had the time to play the lyre, something she’d also do every morning, at least, when Poseidon hadn’t been in her home. Just as she was starting to wonder if Hermes had forgotten about their deal, he approached. She moved to get up from underneath her tree, but the God stopped her.

“Don’t let me stop you from playing, darling, finish your song, I’ll wait.” He said, sitting down in front of her. As she finished her song, she offered him a peach, which he accepted gratefully. “It’s a shame I traded the lyre, if I hadn’t, perhaps I would’ve been able to listen to you play all day.” He grinned at her as he spoke. “Alas, there’s work to do, but before we leave, can I wash my hands?”

As she glanced him over, she realized he was pretty much covered in peach juice. Aside from his sticky hands, there were droplets trailing from the corners of his mouth, down to his chest. Ónoma giggled, and flushed, at the state of the God, and led him inside to wash off.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” She asked.

“So many questions darling, just wait and see.” The God spoke as he exited her bathroom, still dabbing his chest with a damp cloth. “Though I do have a bit of a surprise for you, but you’ll see it when we get there.” Ónoma tilted her head at the man, questions whirling around in her head, but she didn’t ask them, for she knew she would get no answer. One, however, escaped her still.

“I thought you told me to ask questions.”

“I suppose I did, but I never said I would answer them.” He replied, giving her a lopsided grin.

next

@apollos-dodgeball-target @barrythestrawberry041 @darling-eos @doodle-with-rhy @glaciuswduo @hardbarbarianfox @h0ne4bee @isla-finke-blog @keikeiluvyou @missam @suckerforblondies @trashcannotbealive @visha1965

[fluentmoviequoter]

The Freak and The Princess (I)

Summary: Eddie lets you walk by during his rant in the cafeteria, stumped by your quietness and manners toward the town freak. He then decides to be the perfect gentlemen. [Part 1 of 5 depending on if anyone actually reads it.] 2k+ Words

Warnings: none! Just more fluff than a Pomeranian. There is also a very good chance Eddie is OOC but Imma risk it (if you get that reference, we should be friends).

A/N: (I'm terrified to do this.) This is the first thing that I've ever posted so constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated! I've been writing stories like this for years but have been too scared to post them for a variety of reasons, but I love writing and reading so if one person can get a little joy from this, then my goal is reached. I edited this and proofread it, but please point out any errors or things that you like! And please send requests; all the characters I write for are under my tag #characters! Hope you enjoy! :)

The Freak and The Princess

Part One: My Princess

Being as quiet as I am has its pros and cons. 

Pros: I don’t get noticed often, can easily observe everything around me, and can escape my real life whenever I want. 

Cons: when I do get noticed, it gets real. 

I’ve lived in Hawkins since eighth grade. Now I’m a senior. I don’t have any consistent friends, although Steve Harrington came to be someone I knew I could trust and talk to after dealing with the Russians side by side last year. The only person I noticed for myself was Eddie Munson. He was a big, bad high schooler when I moved here, and I guess that hasn’t changed. Since he’s two years older than me, we’ve never talked or met, but I know who he is, and he’s one of the few people who can make me smile without even realizing I’m there. 

I was walking through the cafeteria, trying to get outside away from all the noise and people, when I heard a voice I’d recognize anywhere say, “But as long as you’re into band, or... science. Or parties. Or A GAME WHERE YOU TOSS BALLS INTO LAUNDRY BASKETS!!”

I watched as he walked down the Hellfire lunch table, stopping at the end and responding to Jason’s comment with fake devil horns. He continued talking, jumping off the table and finishing. He stepped back, motioning for me and another girl ahead of me to walk by him. 

“Thanks,” I whispered, smiling as I met his eye. I felt his eyes on me as I walked by, and I decided he was trying to figure out who I was. I waited in an empty classroom until most people cleared out before walking to my locker and gathering my things. 

“Hey,” someone said beside me. I jumped slightly before turning to see Eddie leaning against the lockers and looking at me. 

“Hi, Eddie,” I said quietly.

“You know my name?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“Man, now I feel bad. Let me guess?” 

I laughed lightly and nodded, closing my locker and picking up my bag. 

“Marcie? No, that doesn’t fit. Kelsey? Too cheerleader-y. Princess?”

“That your final guess?” I smiled. He nodded, a proud look on his face. My watch beeped, and I pressed it to silence it. 

“That’s my cue. See you around, Eddie!” I said, walking out the door. 

“See ya, princess!” he called. I blushed, glad to have my back to him. The next day I went to school as usual; until lunch. I walked into the cafeteria, on my way through as always, when I felt someone walk up beside me.

“Hey, so I haven’t seen you around before and wanted to introduce myself. I’m Jason Carver.”

I kept walking, not talking to him. “What, I can’t even get a name? Pretty girl like you has to have a pretty name!” I was at the door when he grabbed my wrist, “Look, I get that you’re shy. All I’m asking for is a name, beautiful.” 

He was surprisingly cordial, but I knew there had to be a catch. 

I thought quickly, deciding to say, “Arwen.” 

I pulled my hand from him and rushed outside. After my last class, I walked to my locker, hoping to see Eddie again, but soon my watch beeped, and I headed to work.

“Hey, kiddo, how was school?” Steve asked as I walked into Family Video and pulled my vest on. I shrugged and started stocking tapes. I heard the door open then close before Steve spoke to me again. “Something happen?” I shook my head no. “I’m gonna go check on Robin. I’ll be right back,” he said, moving past me quietly.

“Princess?” I heard from the other end of the aisle. 

I looked over to see Eddie with two tapes in his hand. I smiled at him and quietly said, “Hi.”

“Fancy meeting you here. Should'a known The Hair got to you,” he smiled, standing closer to me. 

“Take it easy, Munson,” Steve warned as he returned to the counter. 

Eddie rolled his eyes, causing me to laugh lightly. His smile widened, and he held two movies from the new release pile. “Which one?” I gestured to The Goonies, watching as he nodded and slid the other back where he’d pulled it from. 

“Didn’t see you at lunch today. You race through the cafeteria again?”

“Munson, leave her-“ Steve started before stopping when he heard me talking.

“Got corned by Carver and had to make a run for it,” I answered.

Steve jumped the counter, pointing at me as he rounded the corner into the aisle. “Did you just answer him?” Eddie and I nodded, Steve’s jaw dropping further. “How long have you two known each other?”

“Uh,” Eddie looked at his watch, “thirty-six hours.”

“And you’re already talking to him?” Steve asked incredulously. I shrugged in response, continuing what I was doing. 

“She talk to you?” Eddie asked Steve.

“Yeah, but it took her a lot longer to start.”

“I just have a welcoming and calming persona.” I laughed, shaking my head. Eddie walked past me to check out the movie, still bickering with Steve. He turned to me as he walked out, waving. 

“Let me know what you think,” I said, pointing to the tape with my chin. 

“Absolutely. See you tomorrow, princess.”

“Did Eddie 'The Freak' Munson just call you ‘princess’?”

“Yeah. He didn’t know my name, so he started calling me that.”

“Why didn’t you tell him your name?”

“Couldn’t. I don’t mind though.” I fell silent again, ignoring Steve’s questions and comments. I went home a few hours later, finishing my homework and hoping to see Eddie again tomorrow.

~

I exited my fourth-period class, ready to sit by myself for lunch. I walked into the cafeteria, taking a new route the other way around to avoid Jason. I ended up closer to the Hellfire table, smiling as I saw Eddie in a heated conversation with the boys.

“Hey, beautiful,” Jason said, slinging an arm around my shoulders as he came up behind me.

I was too far from the door and knew I couldn’t speak more than a few words. I only had one choice. I shrugged his arm off me and made a beeline for the Hellfire Table. There was an open seat by Eddie, so I slid into it, looking at him as they all silenced, staring at me. I flitted my eyes toward Jason, who glared at me and Eddie. I was shrinking into myself, wanting the floor to swallow me, when I felt Eddie grab my hand, his thumb rubbing the back.

“Guys, this is my princess. Princess, these are the guys,” he said. Then leaned in and whispered, “I won’t let anything happen to you, ‘kay?”

I nodded, squeezing his hand slightly. Jason stormed off, and I breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t move to leave, choosing instead to silently listen to the guys talk about their new Hellfire campaign as I played with Eddie’s rings. Walking out of my last class, I saw someone leaning against the locker beside mine.

“Thanks for the help at lunch,” I said, walking by him and opening my locker.

“Anytime, princess. You working today?”

“No, I’m off the rest of the week. Scheduling error by my idiot boss, Keith.”

Eddie nodded. We both looked out the window when a loud crack of thunder sounded, and rain started pouring down.

“You have a ride?” Eddie asked, pushing off the locker as I closed mine.

“No, but I don’t live far.”

“Absolutely not. I’ll give you a ride.” He slipped his jacket off and laid it over my shoulders. 

“Eddie, you don’t have to. It’s completely fine. I’ve walked home in the rain before.”

“A princess should never walk home. Let alone in the rain. As long as I’m here, it won’t happen again.” He extended his hand, “Milady.”

I placed my hand in his, our fingers interlacing as I said, “Why thank you, kind sir.” We ran to his van, and I gave him directions to my house. “See you tomorrow?” I asked, beginning to take his jacket off as he parked in my driveway. 

“Of course. Keep the jacket, you still have to walk in.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I can pick you up in the morning if it’s still raining like the forecast said.”

“I’d really like that. Thanks for the ride, Eddie.”

“A pleasure, princess.”

I ran to my front porch, shaking the rain off and unlocking my front door. I waved to Eddie as he backed out, then went into the empty house. There was one more day, then solitude. At least I had Eddie and Steve to make the days more tolerable.

~

Eddie kept his promise, pulling up in front of my house as I stepped outside. I moved to return his jacket, but he shook his head, “That’s yours until it stops raining.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep. Have to keep my princess dry and warm.”

‘My princess.’ His princess.

We walked into school together before going our separate ways for classes. I walked into the lunchroom, setting my sights on the Hellfire table. I was just a few steps away when Jason stopped me, standing between me and the table.

“You have a lot of nerve ignoring me,” he said loudly. I saw Eddie pick his head up and look over, making eye contact with me over Jason’s shoulder. He stood up but didn’t move toward me, waiting. 

“You gonna say anything? Can you even talk, Arwen?” I heard a few laughs before Jason continued, “What? Did The Freak sell your soul and your tongue to the devil?” I clenched my jaw, starting to see red. “Just a matter of time until he sacrifices you. Or worse,” he whispered. He backed up with an evil grin. Now everything was red. 

“How do you know he hasn’t sacrificed your soul? Oh, that’s right, your head is so far up your butt you’d notice the extra room,” I responded quickly.

The whole cafeteria broke out into yells and clapping. 

“What’d you just say to me?”

“I said to get your ears checked. Your ego seems to be clogging everything up.”

“Who do you think you are?”

“Not half the person you think you are.”

“If you want attention, baby, just come out and say it.”

I saw Eddie step toward us but gently shook my head, stopping him.

“Maybe I do want attention. But I promise I don’t want yours. So, if you’d be so kind as to move out of my way, I’d appreciate it.” He took a single step to the side. “Oh, and if you so much as look at me or any other member of Hellfire again, I will shove my foot up your butt until your heart stops. Got it?”

Jason nodded and rushed out of the room, everyone cheering again as I walked toward Eddie and grabbed his hand. He nodded, following me to an empty classroom. 

“Why did I do that?” I groaned as I sat down, burying my face in my hands. 

“Because you’re amazing.”

“Now people know who I am, and they’ll talk to me.”

“I’ll become your personal bodyguard. Nobody will be able to talk to my princess.”

The bell rang, and we reluctantly returned to classes, meeting by my locker at the end of the day. 

“Let’s drop by Hellfire real quick.” We entered the room, and he dug through a box before pulling something out and turning around, unfurling one of the signature Hellfire Club t-shirts. “This should fit. You called yourself a member at lunch and we have a very strict policy regarding verbal agreements.”

“Oh, of course,” I smiled and slid it over my other shirt.

We stopped by Family Video to return Eddie’s tape, Steve’s eyes widening as we walked in together, asking, “What’s happening here?”

“Someone stuck it to Carver today, in front of the whole school,” Eddie smiled. 

“Good job, babe,” Steve said as he began returning the movie, “How ya feelin'?”

“I’m ok,” I shrugged, “hoping this doesn’t lead to people trying to talk to me.”

“Well, keep hanging with this freak and it won’t be a problem.” Steve smirked at Eddie.

“Whatever, Hair.” Eddie playfully rolled his eyes. “Let’s go, princess.” He wrapped his arm around me, and I waved to Steve before walking toward the door.

“Take care of my girl,” Steve yelled.

“I’ll take care of MY princess,” Eddie yelled as the door closed.

A/N2: If you read this far, thank you so much! Please leave a comment or send me a message with any recommendations or requests (or if you're interested in more parts of this story). :)

[raineynightswrld]

𖥻 Light my cigarette? 𖥨 🚬

greetings. welcome to my first blog ever :). im going to keep this short and simple, my name is raine and i haven’t seen much vito scaletta fanfics on here, so i decided to step up and share some silly imagine/one shot or whatever. not proofread, cliche trope and lazy ending !

overall warnings: reader is implied to be female, smoking, strangers to lovers, cliche moments, kissing, stealing, romantic tension, swearing, slight ooc, really really lazy ending 😭

setting and fandom: mafia 2, 1951.

It was a normal, rainy night in Empire Bay. The trees were rumbling, as droplets of water fell from the night sky at a slow rate while the moon shined its light on the streets of Small Italy. You’d be either insane in the head or in a rush if you were walking around with this weather going on, especially without an umbrella.

Speaking of people insane in the head, you unwillingly stepped in a big puddle, staining your brand new coat and shoes. You hissed in annoyance and took a step back, raising your arms and cursed under your breath: “Fucking hell… can’t even go somewhere without bad luck smudging my fucking asscheeks! Shit was expensive as fuck too.. goddammit.”

Not only did you stain some expensive clothing and pair of shoes, you also forgot your umbrella at home, making this situation even more worse. You just wanted the earth to split in two, gobble you up and never let go of you again. Your hair was wet, and mascara ran down your cheeks like a river. Your coat didn’t help in keeping your black button up blouse at least semi-dry semi-wet. I’m other words, you looked like shit and looked like you just jumped in a river. The rain wasn’t even heavy!

You were always known for having bad luck. Ever since you were a child, nothing went your way. Not even assignments you pulled all nighters on and knew the answers like the back of your hand. You couldn’t figure out how you didn’t die yet, guess something went right in your life at least once.

Grunting and eventually stomping your foot on the moist cemented floor beneath, you shook your head and began walking towards a nearby 24/7 store, not wanting to go back to whatever route you were taking to go to whatever place. You were late anyways.

Lightening up a cigarette, or, at least attempting to, you groan in annoyance and breathe in to not make a tantrum in the middle of the street at two in the morning. Eventually, you manage to light the thin and long cigarette up, the smell of chocolate and whipped cashmere smoke entered your nostrils, which seemed to have calmed you down a bit.

Opening the door to the medium sized convenience store, you inspected your surroundings, just to see no one was there. Might as well rob the store. Taking a big puff of the cigarette, you walk around the store, blowing the smoke out of your nose and mouth. You find yourself roaming the store endlessly.

Not like you had anything else to do. You were sure as hell you wouldn’t be stepping out until the rain outside stopped.

Eventually getting bored, you grab a new pack of cigarettes you wanted to try out for some time now. You squeeze the cigarette you had in your hand from outside with the tip of your boot, and decide to betray your initial thoughts, going outside through the back door of the store.

You thought you’d be alone - that no one would be there, but just you, your thoughts, and your soul. Startled by the man who was also smoking a cigarette, you take a step back and close your eyes for a bit, breathing in before quietly greeting him. He was a tad bit taller than you. If you weren’t wearing boots with heels, he’d probably be more taller.

Raising his eyebrow at the sudden change of somewhat quiet environment, the stranger eyed you, his brown eyes staring into yours. For a moment, none of you said anything, before the man in front of you broke eye contact and moved his head so he was facing the street, and not you. Were you that ugly? You internally cackled at the thought. Sure, he was attractive, with his gel slicked back hair and the mysterious clothing choice but hell — you weren’t THAT interested.

After a moment of awkward silence, the man takes a drag from his cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke before finally breaking the quiet tension. "Nice night, huh? Or, at least for me.” he remarks, a faint smirk on his lips.

“Yeah.. I guess.” You didn’t even know you were holding your breath. Exhaling, you open the stolen pack of cigarettes and take one, before stuffing the pack into your coat’s pocket and grabbing your lighter.

You try to light it up, but to no avail, it fails. You try again, and again, and again. Nothing lights up. You sigh loudly, before rolling your eyes. You’re starting to get pissed off.

“Need some help?” The man asks.

“Mama told me to not ask help from strangers.” You smirked and raised an eyebrow, before huffing out a laugh from your somewhat dry throat, then nodding and getting closer to the stranger. He smelled really good. Cigarette and some perfume. “Light my cigarette?”

He first puts his cigarette in his mouth, holding it still as he takes his lighter from his coat’s pocket. Due to the poor lightning, you thought both of you had matching coats - except for the fact that yours was stained with wetness. You point your cigarette to his lighter’s tip, before it shined fire. After the cigarette finally got lit up, you pull back and take a puff.

“Vito.”

“Huh?”

“Name’s Vito. Thought you’d need my name to thank me, sweetheart.”

“Oh!” Your mascara stained cheeks flushed in embarrassment, before huffing out the smoke in another direction than Vito’s face. “Thank you, Vito, for the light.”

You genuinely smiled at him, before you two started to talk about life. Though you were the one who talked more about your job, your overall life.. your bad luck.

“Yeah.. that’s how I got my clothes all wet and dirty. I was actually thinking of going to meet my friends and all at a club but I was already running late and I obviously wouldn’t show up at a club looking like this. When I was walking to the club, I even forgot where I was walking to and just decided to ‘crash’ here.”

You sigh loudly as Vito nods. He already finished his cigarette and didn’t bother lighting up a new one. You, however, were on your second cigarette of the pack you stole. After a few moments of silence, you look at Vito, who was looking at you too.

Your hair was now pretty dry and styled way better. The mascara that ran itself down your cheeks was gone since Vito was kind enough to give you something to wipe the mascara off. The rain stopped a while ago and you just found yourself talking to him endlessly.

Taking one last blow of your cigarette, you flicked it away somewhere on the wet cement and sighed.

“I’m out of things to say.” You laugh and look away before gazing up at Vito, who was slightly smiling.

“That was a lot of stuff to take in.” He huffed out in a slightly raspy voice.

“So.”

“So?”

You blink, breaking the eye contact. There was silence followed, as you breathed in. Leaning in just a bit, you straightened your back a little, before Vito leaned in fully, breaking the tension. His rough lips met your soft ones, as you closed your eyes, placing your palms on his cheeks. Your thumb traced over the scar on his chin, as he held your waist just right. You pulled back for air and breathed in the satisfying post-rain smell. No words were needed. Just a look and another kiss. After another, which turned out sloppier than the other two. Obviously, you stopped at his place after.

Guess you didn’t always have bad luck.

[life-winners-liveblog]

Oh hello Scar! Nice to meet you!

As the other whispers mentioned you came at an unfortunate time, but honestly, I doubt there would've been a right time. There were only bad times, and worse times

Thought I'd give you some welcoming gifts. *I drop a Jellie cat plushie; a holographic picture that seems to alternate between the earth, Mercury, the death star, and a supernova (ooc: admittedly, I haven’t seen anyone give Scar supernova symbolism, but I think it fits him well so I'm adding it); as well as a soft felted blanket*

Oh! Something to mention, Martyn is unable to hear us whispers, so we must communicate through notes with him. This makes sense to us but not to anyone else, especially not Martyn himself. This is hilarious.

-Saph

Scar: Oh! More Jellies! And an holographic thing! How does this work? I can put it in Therapists Scars! As for Martyn not being able to hear you, thats hilarious!

Grian: ehm ehm... Scar?

Scar: Yes Grian? Come for a sess-

Grian: No.

Scar: Oh.... why are you here then?

Grian: I am going to run a diagnostic on your code, I need to check something.

Scar: O...k? Haven't you looked at my code enough? It seems a bit personal-

Grian: It's one last check before I am ready to actually fix those hearts, just a last thing...

Scar: Alright...

Grian: This is going to feel... weird and unconfortable.

Scar: Oh! Your eyes are glowing! Are you doing it right no?-ooh is this what you meant by feeling weird????? It's uh... Very weird...very...ok ok ok and now I see the unconfortable...

Grian: It's analyzing every bit of your code, I heard people describe that it's like having grains of sand stuck in every cell of your body.

Scar: Yeah.... I can definitely say that it's accurate... I don't like sand, It's course and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere.

Grian: Chill it Anakin.

Scar: You got the reference!

Grian: I lived with my Scar in a desert, you think it never came up?

Scar: To be fair I didn't know that.

Grian: I also did watch the movies...

Scar: ...

Grian: .... It's done now, I know everything I needed to know... I'll come back soon.

( in hope for more in character reblogs, those are always great to read)

[madlittlecriminal]

Hello! I noticed you said you’re opening requests. If you’re not too busy, may I please request a Kylo Ren x female reader fluff/smut? Maybe they haven’t seen eachother in a while and have missed eachother? It’s not very original, haha. Thank you for reading this!

Feels Like Ages ➟ Kylo Ren × Female!Reader

you're welcome anon! now, just be mindful i tend to make aggressive characters/villains soft for their s/o so, kylo is DEFINITELY ooc & if you or anyone else in the fandom doesn't like it, i apologize. this is also pretty short, but anyway, here you go & i hope you enjoy!

Warnings: fluffy mild smut and kylo, mosty making out, so there isn't much smut, i apologize, the use of Ben like once or twice, reader and kylo were in a relationship in the past and never actually ended it

You paced back and forth, waiting the arrival of their leader. You heard of the First Order and knew their leader, Kylo Ren, was ruthless. He was apparently known for letting his anger get to him that he'd destroy anything that was near him.

However, when he entered the cell, he froze. "Why are you here?" With his mask on, you didn't know who it was, so you gave him an answer you figured he'd be okay with. "Your people captured me. Said I would be a good edition to the First Order or something like that." He nodded slowly. "What's with the mask though?" He chuckled. "Still the same old (Y/N), aren't you?" You raised an eyebrow at his question.

"How do you know my name?" He clicked the side of his mask, watching as it opened. Once he took it off, you gasped and he gave you a small smirk. "Ben?" He sighed. "It's Kylo, now." You walked over to him and rested a hand on his face. "Sure, but you will always be Ben to me." He sighed and touched your hand that was on his face. "You know, you've been on my mind for as long as I can remember." You smile. "I could say the same to you." He let the mask slip out of his hand and when it hit the floor, you jumped slightly.

"We never actually ended the relationship, did we?" You shook your head. "I haven't been with anyone either." He chuckled before nodding. "Me either." You couldn't hold yourself back anymore when you kissed him. He rested his hands on your waist and pulled you closer to him, kissing you back. You felt his tongue run across your bottom lip and you gasped when one hand gripped your thigh, moving it towards his hip. You jump and wrap your legs around him, not breaking this kiss.

He pressed your back against the wall and you moan softly. He groaned and broke the kiss for a second to catch his breath. "I missed you, beautiful." You ran your fingers through his hair and tried calming down your breathing. "I missed you too, handsome." You looked down at his clothes and smirk. "You look good in black by the way." He snickers. "You're in for a surprise if that's the case, baby."

[sugar-glaze-donut]

OMG AKUNEKO WRITER??? I LOVE YOU ALREADY.

may i request headcanons where aruji-sama comforts butlers after bad day/bad dream? if that's too much, then maybe just comforting basement butlers? they're really like a family to me, especially after reading the newest episode...

thank you!! may you have a great day!!

Hello hello! Is this an anon I see? AND THEY LOVE ME????? >:O (ily too anon >:) )

TW: OOC butlers, spoilers from butler cards, Episode 2 and 3

Aruji-sama comforting the butlers has gotten me thinking... are they touch-starved?

Most butlers lost their families and haven't felt that warm, safe feeling in centuries probably. Some were mistreated and others were not even accepted into society at all (and still are).

So Aruji-sama giving them hugs and comfort after a long day/ nightmare would definitely bring them to tears.

~ 🐸 - 💜 - 🌟- 💜 - 🐸 ~

One of which, I think our energetic and bubbly Lamli would have a full-on breakdown the moment you hug him and praise him for working hard. It's not the same feeling when Lucas praises him. It's... a new feeling. A feeling so warm, his heart aches and he smiles while crying tears. His 1st-anniversary card (I think), reveals that in the past, he had been neglected by his mother who made him work for money. Perhaps all that neglect and a pinch of the influence of Lucas (from one of Lamli's free stories) made the boy we know today.

~ 🍪 - 💙 - ✝️ - 💙 - 🍪 ~

Another is Haures. In Episode 2, can take a glimpse of how Haures and his sister Tristia lived in the past. Haures coming back home to see Tristia all healed up and waiting at the doorstep for his arrival seemed to be a daily routine for both of them (until the events from Episode 2 happened).

When you hug Haures and welcome him back to the mansion after a trip to the Grosvenor mansion, he tenses. The feeling is so nostalgic to him, he was frozen in place for a few moments before hugging you back with tears running down his face. He's been through a lot :(

~ ☕️ - 🧡 - 🥀 - ❤️ - 🍵 ~

And our newest addition to the Devil butlers, Yuuhan and Teddy! Only recently they had felt enough “despair” for them to become Devil butlers (from Episode 2 and 2.5). Even though it has only been a few months after the incident happened, waking up everyday realising your life style changed because of 1 thing they weren’t able to stop will definitely weigh more burdens upon themselves. Both wear happy smiles everyday trying to hide the ugly past chasing them everyday.

That’s where you (and Grandpa Hanamaru) come along and comfort them. Even though they may have lost what was dear to them… now they have a new goal. Protecting you from the reason why their happiness got stolen from them.

~ 🧵 - 💖 - 🌿- 💖 - 🕯️ ~

As for the Basement butlers, we haven’t seen the ending for Episode 3 yet but it is hinted and theorised that Lato may “despair” and lose control

So after when all the events come to a close, Aruji-sama is here to the rescue!! Summoned to comfort the Basement butlers!!! Words of reassurance are in need! QUICK QUICK QUICK!!!!!

All the stress weighed down upon them ever since Lato got taken away by the Grosvenor soldiers vanished, leaving a sense of relief. From the new chapters of Episode 3, we can see that the Basement butlers were the most affected, leaving us more almost-beyond-repair butlers. I think at this point, you need to have a sleepover with the Basement butlers and hug them to sleep.

~ 🌼 - 📝 - 🍩 - 📝 - 🌼 ~

That’s all Anon! I hope yo liked it 💕 (sorry for the OOC butlers 😅)

[1askthescrappedtoons]

INTRO

Hello! Welcome to my very first oc blog for Dandy’s World! I’m the mod name is SD or Soi, when speaking in ooc!

‼️also reminder this is an alternative universe for Dandys world my two ocs that I created was made before Dandy and Astro and the other toons and before the place being called gardenview but when the place got shut down they don’t know about the toons or twisteds since both have been in the abandoned closet that they made into a room they haven’t seen what the museum looks like now (or that imma add in rping they could discover when gardenview is open and when it’s shut down or when the game takes place)‼️

The two ocs on here, here's there names

the Kitsunes name on the left is Vixen The Kitsune and the Hedgehog on the right is Fiadh The Hedgehog (They are both girls and yes they look like sonic like characters but let me or let them explain their story their character sheets will come very soon please be patient thank you)

( I forgot to mention that Vixten talks in orange as Fiadh talks in blue and me the mod talks in black or white depending on your screen)

!!!RULES!!!

1: NO NSFW/Kink asks

2: No OP role-playing, But I don't mind regular role-play

3: Magic anons are allowed!

4: OCS and other fandoms are welcome on here

5: and other Dandy's World blogs are also welcome too

6: and sometimes i'll responded with text or images

7: be patient cause I go to college so sometimes it takes me a awhile to respond

8: please no bullying on here

9: Swearing is allowed but please don't go overboard

10: have fun! And please you can ask about anything don’t be shy I don’t mind at all! Just don’t ask things that are not allowed ^^

( update: 3/28/2025)

ASKS ARE NOW OPEN!!!!!!

[sherbet-shivers]

Introduction

Hi friends! You can call me Sherbet/Sherbie (25yo, she/her). I write sick!fics (fan and OC) that’re mainly snz-centered or oriented. **Due to the nature of my content, I ask that none of my fics be shared to minor or non-snz/whump k!nk blogs!!!**

I’ll be pinning this post so anyone can feel free to refer to the following section (below the cut) where I detail more about myself and my writing preferences! I’ll also include a fic master-list at the bottom there. Otherwise, thanks for quickly stopping by! I finally have the nerve to share my stuff with the community, so I hope you guys can find something you enjoy! <3

A few personal notes:

I’ve never actually posted to tumblr regularly before (this is my first time sharing fics in general), so please be patient as I learn the ropes! Feedback or formatting advice are always welcome and appreciated!!

I respectfully ask that minors dni with my page, please!! This is a k!nk blog and I do write explicit content sometimes.

I'm a BIG rpg gaming and anime fan (who dabbles in live action series on rare occasions)! Most of my fics feature my favorite characters and series atm. Watch and game recommendations are invited!

I’m EXTREMELY private, thus I’d prefer not to share any PID or other information I haven’t already posted/included in my bio. Messages are welcome, but please be respectful!

This is NOT my main page! So while I won’t be able to like posts, I can follow and reblog! Hopefully this suffices so that I can spread and celebrate the wonderful talents you guys have <3

Fic-relevant notes:

I include: a quick summary (blurb), estimated word count, a feat. character list, and TWs at the start of ALL my fics. Please check them out prior to reading anything of mine in case there’s something icky you don’t vibe with. If you feel like a TW or tag is needed that’s not already there, just dm me!! Smart reading is safe reading <3

Things I write: I typically favor M allergies, but do write F/NB characters, colds, and fevers too (equal snz rights bc snz is snz)! I eat up hurt/comfort, so whump and very minor injury are often applicable to my stories. Again, keep an eye out for the TWs if you have concerns!

Things I DON’T write: I’m NOT an emeto person at all (I’m phobic IRL), but personally won’t turn away if it’s mentioned in a fic. You’ll never see a full fic from me where emeto is central to the story, but it could be mentioned (check TWs to be safe). I am also NOT into writing about real people or making furry content (sorry)! I’m self-conscious about writing OOC, so I don’t typically write characters from series I haven’t seen or am at least vaguely familiar with.

Since I’ve never published my writing before, I have never taken requests, but I do love the thought of receiving recommendations, so feel free to reach out via dm or ask if you have a fic idea! I’d love to give it a try, just please be patient with me!

Fic Masterlist (Title // Fandom // Character(s) // Length // + Hyperlinks):

A Minor Malfunction (D:BH, Co/nnor R/K800 (M), ~12k words total -> Parts One, Two and Three

Catch a Break (T/he W/ire, M/cNulty (M), ~2k words -> Here

Thanks again for checking out my blog guys! Many a snz to all!! <3

[realfeitan]

Hullo i suddenly got back to hxh after all these years and got back to reading until the updated manga chapters. Did— did you like how the Troupe's backstory got revealed/told so far?

While first reading it, i did not like it? All that much?? (idk, my brain told me it was ooc for some reason) But once i re-read Yorknew arc, I sort of was fine with everything. I guess I expected a more... intense/hardcore/very personal backstory for each of the Spiders.... that's just my take tho

Hi! And welcome back :D

As for me, I never found it ooc given its, well, written by Togashi himself lol but I think I get what you mean by saying it felt different than what we’ve known of the troupe so far.

I wasnt.. entirely sure how to feel about it at first either, just kept kind of waiting for things to unfold as we went along and seeing where it was all headed. While it certainly is a lot more light hearted of a gathering origin than I had expected (other than perhaps that last tidbit), I feel like it’s Togashi’s way of reminding us that they were also kids once, and that the band of misfits and rivals and whomever else came together for a fun hobby of theirs and not for any nefarious means.

They went through a similar arc as many shounen characters do; of having fun, finding unity, experiencing loss, and then searching for power to ensure they wouldn’t have to lose again.

And in this sense, Chrollo was very much treated like his own protagonist, and if a manga were to have been made in his pov I’m sure a lot of people would cheer for him even as the group slipped more into the dangerous and illegal. Heck, people cheer for him now when he’s an antagonist in Gon (and also Kurapika’s) story. But this is how Togashi treats his characters, and it’s something I’ve very much come to appreciate about his story telling…

Did I really want some more background on particular characters? Yes, especially for Feitan (though I feel that’s obvious haha), but there’s still some time before the ending of HxH and I think we haven’t seen the last of their backstories. It’s usually not been good storytelling to give your audience everything all at once anyways, so I certainly think we will have more opportunities to see the individual characters both before and after the formation of the troupe as we have come to know it.

Even if (given how the storyline is currently going) that ends up being around the time they’re about to die :’)

[fayewalters-theladygb]

(OOC:

Hey, it’s been awhile hasn’t it?

First things first I’d like to make an apology for leaving this blog and so many threads up in the air for so long. Life’s been a hurricane in the past year what with moving halfway across the country and a severe drop in my mental health. Through a chaotic schedule I haven’t gotten back here to make a statement or decision about this blog’s fate even in the better moments, it’s time I changed that.

As of now my life seems to be becoming more stable which brings me to my second point: in the coming months I have interest in making this blog active again.

Faye quickly became an important outlet for me and a connection to one of my most loved fandoms in a difficult time. She was a reflection of a part of myself and I know that if I ended this abruptly a part of me would die with the blog -dramatic I know. However, at this point in my life I don’t have much in me to spend on a blog if it won’t go anywhere, no matter how much it means to me.

There are still parts of her story I’d like to grow, threads I can continue if other mods want to, and ideas to share with the community. But if there’s no interest I’ll just leave this blog as a record and nothing more will be posted.

Please leave thoughts in the notes or my dms if y’all would want to include Faye and her story in the current community or if you want to continue past storylines. This post will be reblogged several times in the next few weeks so anyone interested has a chance to view it before I make my decision.

If nothing can happen with her now I might revisit making this blog active in the future when seen fit.

I do hope this is not the end, but either way, thank you all for welcoming her into your stories and for creating an experience I’ll always treasure.

-Jay/Luna (Faye Mod))