#or into romance. i will be happy and relieved with either option

[spaghett-onaplate]

the morning (afternoon) has come, and with it a refreshed perspective

kinda wish this one guy was gay

[diamondnokouzai]

Full Fallout OCs Family Tree

I like playing Fallout, and I really like roleplaying in Fallout. Even better than that though, I like thinking about roleplaying in Fallout! And so I present, my Fallout OC family tree.

Characters will be introduced in chronological order, so:

Dora Brewster (née Merris): [Sole Survivor] Age 27. A former JAG for the US Armored Infantry in Canada, Dora returned to Sanctuary Hills shellshocked, married, and pregnant. Although Dora always intended to have a long legal career, the birth of her son forced her to put her plans on hold. A very hands-off mother, Dora was relieved at first when she woke up in Vault 111 without him. Now, though, she is haunted by how little she cares. Cousin of Senator Lugus Merris. Route: BoS, last minute pivot to the Institute Romance: Piper S: 1, P: 4, E: 3, C: 5, I: 8, A: 7, L: 6

Chauncy Merris: [Vault Dweller] Age 25. The grandson of Senator Lugus Merris, Chauncy is one lucky son of a bitch. Unfortunately, this luck is more easily defined as 'a propensity towards extremes'—while Chauncy might be lucky enough to win the annual vault raffle, he's also lucky enough to be chosen to go and find a replacement water chip. Chauncy was happy to help, and happy for the chance to explore the wasteland as well—he just didn't think he would stay out there forever. Chauncy is a born anthropologist, and he finds all the burgeoning civilizations of the wastes equally tenable, for how primitive they are—even the brutish super mutants. If it's between them and Shady Sands, there's no way to tell where Chauncy will land. S: 3, P: 5, E: 4, C: 7, I: 7, A: 5, L: 9

Cadmium Merris: [Chosen One] Age 13. Descended from the Vault Dweller Divine and his distinguished lineage. Cadmium isn't very smart, but that's okay—they're plenty tough and plenty fast. Although Cadmium might not understand any of the old world technology left behind by their grandfather, they strive to preserve everything that they think their grandfather would have loved anyway. Cadmium jumped at the chance to explore the same world that their grandfather did, even if their mother wanted them to stay in Arroyo. Being the only resident of Arroyo who was not either working or raising a family, they were the only option. Just like their grandfather. S: 8, P: 5, E: 6, C: 6, I: 3, A: 7, L: 5

Chevron Lace Merris: [Lone Wanderer] Age 19. Chevron Lace Merris has been hearing the voice of Lord Atom Divine since she was ten years old and first encountered an insect enhanced by His will. Nine years later, when she was forced out of the vault without her father or twin brother, she discovered an entire world dedicated to Lord Atom Divine, and Chevron set to work improving the world according to Lord Atom's will. After Chevron returns to Vault 101, it is revealed to her that her twin brother has also died, leaving Chevron to be the last living member of her family, as far as she is aware. This causes her to take a swan dive off the deep end and set off the Divine Nuke at the bottom of Megaton. Karma: Evil Perks: Cherchez la Femme, Cannibal, Rad Regeneration, Child of Science S: 6, P: 5, E: 6, C: 4, I: 8, A: 7, L: 3

Charles Ross Merris: [Lone Wanderer] Age 19. Charles Ross Merris has been frail for as long as he can remember. Always eager to smooth things over and avoid a fight–especially considering how viciously his twin sister could behave–Charles has cultivated a friendly, placid personality that will get him killed out in the Wasteland one of these days. Or, it would, if it weren't for how fucking quiet the creep is. Most people mistake him for a ghoul the first three or four times they see him. A collector of pre-war teddy bears. Although Chevron offered to join Charles on his journey after he returned to Vault 101, he refused. Not because he was afraid that his sister could get hurt, but because he was afraid for her to know how similar to her Charles had become. Perks: Child at Heart, Child of Science, Animal Friend, Sniper S: 3, P: 6, E: 3, C: 8, I: 7, A: 7, L: 6

Charlotte Rose Merris: [Courier Six] Age 30. Charlotte Ross left home when she was fifteen years old, leaving her drunken parents alone to care for her two younger brothers. Charlotte always had more luck than sense, and this impression only became more intense after she happened to get shot in the head somewhere in the middle of nowhere. What happened next could and should be described as a rampage. After spending her entire life doing whatever she wanted, Charlotte immediately decided that enough was enough, and went out in search of power--and she found it. Perks: Quick Draw, Scrounger, Miss Fortune Route: Independent New Vegas with them at the helm S: 6, P: 5, E: 5, C: 7, I: 5, A: 7, L: 6

Caligulas: [Courier Six] Age 24. Caligulas, born 'Carbon Ray Merris' to a pair of tribal degenerates, was not a child people cared about. After his older sister (who was more akin to a substitute mother) abandoned Carbon Ray and his annoying and frail younger brother with their worthless parents, Carbon approached nearby Legion scouts when he was 15 about sacrificing his hometown to the Legion's war machine. Thanks to this—and a few other cleverly ruthless plans—Carbon was granted some prestige in Legion society. At least enough for him to be given a Latin name and full permission to continue his work as a Courier in Legion territory. As far as Caligulas is concerned, the Legion knows how to get things done. Perks: Sneering Imperialist, Night Person, Terrifying Presence S: 4, P: 6, E: 6, C: 6, I: 8, A: 7, L: 6

Chattanooga "Chatty" Ross Merris: [Courier Six] Age 16. Chatty Ross was born frail and selfish. The only person taking care of him was his older brother Carbon Ray, as Chatty's parents were strung out on homemade jet more often than not (something which may have had an impact on Chatty's health). When the Legion came to town, Chatty tried to hide first. When his brother exposed his hiding place to the Legion, Chatty tried to talk his way out of it. When that didn't work, the only thing left for Chatty was the lottery. Even though Chatty 'won' the lottery, he was left alone in the burning ruins of his home, with nothing but his teddy bear and his winnning lottery ticket. Chatty managed to get a job with the Mojave Express, Chatty quickly fell into a routine as a courier—a routine that was eventually exploited by Benny. Perks: Ferocious Loyalty, Run 'n' Gun, Old World Gourmet S: 3, P: 5, E: 3, C: 7, I: 7, A: 6, L: 8

The essential family tree is:

Dora and Lugus Merris are cousins

This makes Dora and Chauncy 3rd cousins

Cadmium is Chauncy's grandchild, which probably makes them Dora's third cousin twice removed

Dora is the other Merrises great-great-great-great-great aunt

There's also a TTW au of this family wherein Chevron escorts Charles all the way to the Mojave, where the dry heat improves his symptoms. She takes Cousin Chatty back to DC (leaving Charon to take care of Charles) and gently bullies him [tosses him into the subway with a gun and whistles for super mutants].

Important to note that Chevron Lace is the only female Merris even marginally capable of caretaking, which is extra funny because she is an active and feared member of the DC slaving community. Charles doesn't know about this because he would turn her in to Sheriff Simms while sobbing.

[lehdenlaulu]

Liveblog of Act 2 continues:

Decided to skip the Mausoleum for now and woke up Art from his little shadow nap instead. Turned out to be a good idea because now I got Halsin. Who immediately gave me all kinds of wedding vows. 😂 Okay, not really. But... guess that's just how the dude rolls. Hah.

He's also a true himbo, huh? Kind of heart, jacked as hell, dumb of ass. INT 8, y'all. Took pity on his saving throws and gave him a couple of extra points. Okay, to be fair his STR is not that impressive either, considering.

Took him to look for Oliver and he and Shadowheart immediately started insulting each other. 😂

And of course half the camp immediately started going 'ooh, nice muscles' about him. 😂

He's adorable, though. And I'm honestly still so glad for both us and Dave Jones that we got to keep him

Okay, got the romance scene with Gale under slightly better circumstances, and tried to talk him out of the whole sacrificing himself thing of course, and decided to forgo his illusions because I feel like that's what Valisa would choose. Didn't expect the fade to black, though, huh.

...but of course, I had to see the illusion version as well. His tower in Waterdeep! 🥹 The book seduction from the EA! Didn't go all the way with the illusion though because, again, Valisa prefers reality in the end. Or something as close to it as is possible in a dream.

Gods, but that little relieved, slightly incredulous laugh when you tell him you're in love with him too?? 🥺🥺🥺

Now I'm here all misty-eyed because it's all so beautiful and he's so happy and she's so happy and they're so in love and even though he's now resolved to stay alive I'm not counting on a happy ending just yet. Mystra, I swear to Ao I'll punch you in the tits yet if you pull some bullshit. 😭

"I said exactly what I meant: I love you. You should never, never doubt that." I won't. 😭

I'm really glad they slowed it down from what it was in EA because it's so much more believable now, that they're genuinely in love by this point. Especially with him telling what the deal is well before things proceed to this level. So good. 💜

...huh, I got the option to 'dump' Karlach for Gale when I talked to her?? Here I thought I turned her down the first time around?? Did the game consider me giving her a hug a romantic thing?? What is this, Dragon Age?? Okay, to be fair, DOS2 kinda did that too. Wyll at least apparently took the hint when I turned him down after the dance. So maybe it's a bug.

I mean, the game still hasn't had a proper first patch yet, lots of little things that are a little off, it's to be expected.

Anyway, think I'll end this on a happy note and do all the big stuff the next time.

[taras-toe-beans]

Izzrhys' romance arc can be started in Act 1 at the tiefling party, but you also also have an opportunity to start it in Act 2.

Rest of it below the cut bc it's kind of long.

At the tiefling party, Izzrhys is relieved that you've kept the refugees safe for now, and he's participating in the festivities. He asks if you want to have a drink with him. You can agree to, and you'll chat with him longer and have the option to flirt. He doesn't pay your flirting any mind, not because he's disinterested, but because it goes right over his head. You can spell it out for him- you want to have sex, tonight, with him- and he asks why you didn't just lead with that. No reason in dancing around the point after all. If approval isn't high enough, he politely declines, saying he's probably too drunk to make that decision in good conscience.

After the sex scene or if you change your mind (but still agree to hang out), there is some dialogue where you two share a bit about your lives right before the events of the game. Izzrhys says that he's used to protecting others and set out to help the refugees, but he never imagined it would happen like this- with a tadpole in his head, sure, but also wonderful companions at his side. He shares that he's glad that his greatest weakness back in Menzoberranzan is now celebrated as one of his greatest strengths, and that he can use it to protect you.

The next morning, you can ask if he wants a relationship. He will seem a bit hesitant and surprised, but he agrees that he'd like to spend more time with you, certainly as more than friends. Alternatively, you can tell him you had a good time, but didn't want anything more, to which he agrees. He'll thank you for sharing last night with him. Then there's the mean option, "I just wanted to see what it was like to sleep with a drow," which loses approval and also locks you out of romance. He replies with a very tired, "You wouldn't be the first. Hope it was everything you wished for."

During Act 2, Izzrhys' romance scene can trigger during a long rest after you have visited Moonrise for the first time. During this scene, you notice he has left camp. When you find him, he is tending to his wounds, which he should've done earlier, as soon as he got them. When you approach, he shifts his clothing back to cover them, but it's too late. You can either pretend like you didn't see anything or confront him about not healing his own injuries following battle. He admits that he doesn't care that much about what happens to him, so long as the rest of you are safe. So long as you're safe. But now that you've seen, he uncovers the gash in his arm again.

You can offer to help him out, which will require you to make a medicine or dexterity check, or you can tell him that you're going to leave him to it, which will end the scene. On a pass, you bandage his arm neatly, and he thanks you before leaning in closer for a hug. On a failure, you brush against the wound much harder than intended, and he cries in pain, pulling away from you. He thanks you for trying, but says you should probably leave the healing to him. Once he's bandaged up, it proceeds the same as a pass.

Izzrhys asks why you came out to meet him in the first place, and you can either say you were curious where he was going, you were worried, or that it was just a coincidence. On the first two responses, he insists that he's quite alright, but he's strangely happy to have someone look out for him nonetheless. He's rarely had that before.

After a little further conversation, you learn that he can never advance very high in his order in the Church of Ilmater, largely because of his desire to be in a relationship, to share his life with another individual. You can agree that it would be hard to give up your love life, or tell him that he shouldn't give up on his dreams on your account. To the first, he agrees, and to the second, he says that you are his dream, and that his position in the church isn't everything. He says that he understands the reason why- Ilmater doesn't want the highest in his paladin orders to put one person higher than everyone else- but that he's not ready to give that up, and probably never will be.

He then says that he absolutely adores you. That he's not one for flowers or love letters, or fairy tale romance, but that he instead would drop literally everything for you if you needed it. You can then tell him "I love you too," lean in for a kiss, or shut it down by saying that you care for him deeply as a friend, which will end the scene shortly, although he doesn't seem too hurt by it. Upon confession, he takes you into a bear hug and promises that he'll do anything to keep you safe and happy. Then he finally says the words "I love you." The scene ends with the two of you cuddling, and he offers to spend the night together (open to interpretation on whether it's for sex, or just hanging out/cuddling, etc).

Izzrhys' Act 3 romance triggers after his oath is relinquished or reclaimed. He will say he needs to talk to you about something, and preemptively apologizes for keeping secrets. Izzrhys wants to speak somewhere others won't overhear, and he makes you agree you won't breathe a word of what he's about to say to anyone else, because he hasn't told anyone, ever, since leaving Menzoberranzan. He's had it locked inside for some twenty years.

When you've found a place to speak alone, he turns away from you and explains in full his place in Menzoberranzan. You were under the impression he was just a soldier for various royal families. Yes, he's killed needlessly. Yes, he's participated in unsavory parts of drow society, and you've already accepted that. In this conversation, he shares that being a soldier wasn't the only way his body was used. He was also a consort to several women from drow royal families, including one of Minthara's sisters of house Baenre. He also adds that he has children in Menzoberranzan- although he says he considers himself more of a sire than a father. You can ask why he didn't say something sooner, to which he responds that he hasn't said anything to anyone and thought he might eventually forget. Izzrhys says you deserve to know everything about him, even the darkest parts. You can also ask if he ever wants to go back to see/rescue his kids, and he says no. He never had a relationship with them, and by now, they're probably too far into Lolth's cult.

Izzrhys mostly shows relief that you don't see him differently, despite everything. And he expresses that he's so happy to have someone to share life with, even the worst parts.

In the end-of-game romance scene, Izzrhys wants to stay in Baldur's Gate to help rebuild. He talks about moving in with you instead of living in the Open Hand Temple, and he says while he can't offer you a life of luxury, he will give all he can in terms of security and happiness. He says that in the future, he might want to marry, but you did just go through a life-altering even together, and it might be best to let things settle down first.

Some other fun bits:

After being romanced, Izzrhys will greet you with, "My beloved! Can I do anything for you?"

Izzrhys can be romanced in a poly relationship- with consent of all parties, of course.

His kiss animations all involve a lot of other gentle touches. Think caressing the cheek, a hand on the back of your head, arms around your waist, a kiss that's also a tight embrace.

If you are downed in battle while romanced, Izzrhys has a specific line: "Hang in there, beloved. I'll be at your side soon!" His immediate thought is running in to heal you, no matter the danger.

Tav Question

Pretend for a minute your Tav is an origin character. Origin characters have a main story with scenes in each of the three acts, as well as a three act romance structure (usually with check points in the form of their main story scenes but sometimes with affinity). I will be doing questions for each act, both the main story and the romance story.

What is your characters romance arc? What is their romance scene at the tiefling party? What about act 2 and what can trigger it? What about act 3? What are the romance endings like in the good and bad endings for the character?

Act One Main Quest

Act Two Main Quest

Act Three Main Quest

[thefanficmonster]

Hello! I hope your morning/day/evening/night is going well. It's not a secret that after a long time of working hard we just need to stop and take a load off. And sometimes alcohol is one of the best options to relieve tension in our body and relax our mind. Could you please write some wine-soaked headcanons for drunken Lord Heisenberg who gets clingy and flirty more than usual and begins embarassing and teasing his shy and sensitive beloved? Thanks a lot!

Hello darling! I'm so sorry for the wait on these headcanons but here they finally are and I hope they make your patience worth it! Enjoy 💕

Pairing: Karl Heisenberg x Reader (Gender Neutral) [Resident Evil Village]

Warnings: Minor SPOILERS for Resident Evil Village, Drinking/Drunkenness, Flirting

Genre: FLUFF, Romance, Humor

Despite how work-oriented and busy Karl is, he's very likely to come up with the most outlandish or downright cheap excuse to crack open a bottle as long as he's doing it with you

You sorta had that attribute bestowed upon you by proximity as well because, although a light drinker yourself, you're always happy to spend some quality time with your lover and pull him away from his work in order for him to catch a break

It can be as simple as a headway in his crafting and machinery, a new idea he's come up with, the finishing of one he's been working on for a while etc.

Or, from your end, it can be finishing a chapter of the piece you're working on or completing an art project you've been putting a ton of time and effort into

Either way, it doesn't take a lot for you and Karl to bring out the big part guns which is basically the two of you finding yourself in an atmospherically lit room in the factory with some decent food, soft music and a bottle or two of your favorite alcoholic beverage - wine

You're a participant in the 21+ fun but knowing your limits, you don't venture past the third glass to avoid becoming a giggly, flushed mess, therefore allowing Karl more freedom with his own drinking due to how his mutations have strengthened his tolerance

But that hasn't made him 100% immune, of course, meaning you still, every now and then, get a front-row-center seat at the show that is drunken Heisenberg and all the affection, playfulness, teasing and flirting that comes with it

Sober you is timid enough and the wine surprisingly and unfortunately doesn't make you much bolder

If anything, you're far more blush-prone with an ounce or two of alcohol running through your veins

That being said, prepare to have the cheesiest pick-up lines thrown your way as well as the most endearing, loving and risque compliments thrown your way, often causing you to hide your face in the palms of your hands

But Karl would not allow that

"No, no. None of that." He'd whisper teasingly, gently pulling your hands away from your face just to sprinkle kisses all over your heated cheeks

And dear, once he's got his hands and lips on you, prepare to stay in his embrace for the rest of the night and till morning come

[gossip-girl-of-middleearth]

The Road Less Traveled (Fellowship x Pregnant!Reader)

Synopsis: Left by a man who took you out of wedlock, you discover halfway through the Fellowship’s journey that you are, indeed, pregnant. Not wishing for you to face motherhood alone, the Fellowship conspires, regarding whom gets to marry you and help raise your child, leaving you with a tough choice.

This was not at all how you saw your life going—both the man leaving you for another woman, and finding out you were pregnant with his baby on a perilous quest, miles upon miles away from the nearest dwelling.

You had been madly in love with this man, unaware he had eyes for another. Your copulating love was taken out of wedlock, a choice you knew had its risks, but Brander had a charming way about him.

You never would have thought he’d leave you. However, one morning, Brander announced the conclusion of your relationship with another woman on his arm.

Heartbroken and enraged, you threw all his clothes from your shack, and took to a horse. Riding swiftly, you headed to the one place you knew hearts were healed; Rivendell.

Upon your arrival, a council of sorts was taking place. One thing led to another, as per usual in your life, and you found yourself on another journey—this time with a higher purpose, and nine other guys.

Things were difficult, but honestly relieving. The fresh air cleansed your soul, as did the healthy relationships you built up with the nine males—proving to you that they weren’t all bad, right on time before you could curse the entire species of XY chromosomes out forever.

However, this was as far as the fun went.

It started with a tiredness the Fellowship brushed off due to your inexperience, and then the lateness of your period. Next, early dawns were spent throwing up in the woods, with whomever was on night-watch holding your hair back, usually Aragorn, Legolas or Boromir.  

You wept slightly when a sparring match with Boromir resulted in a shield hitting your breasts, for they were very tender as of late. The final nail in the coffin was the snubbing of Sam’s usually delicious bacon making you hurl.

Gandalf had taken to speaking with you privately, and asked, in the politest manner possible, if he could assess your womb to find confirmation of another soul.

Legolas approached slowly, crouched down by your side, and spoke responsively in the most apologetic of voices.

“There is no need—I can hear their heartbeat…I am so sorry, Y/n.”

You broke down into tears quickly, and everyone soon knew your predicament that evening. You apologized over and over, and felt utterly mortified. How embarrassing.

They now knew the choice you had made out of wedlock, and were pregnant as a result—something highly frowned upon in human society, and many others in Middle-earth, for that matter. You would no doubt be branded as a “whore” upon your return to society.

You told them all about Brander that night, and opened up to them fully. Jaws were clenched, nervous glances were flashed, and brows were furrowed.

They now had an expectant, first-time mother in their midst, on their way to quite possibly the worst place in the world to take a pregnant woman. Adding onto this, their poor friend, whom they had grown quite close with, was in a horrible situation.

But perhaps it was one they could help with?

Driven by noble blood and true chivalry, the Fellowship started to discuss their options.  

“It’s just awful, what that ‘Brander’ fellow has done to her,” said Boromir, discreetly nodding over in your direction.

You were sat with your head in one hand on a log by the fire, face contorted in misery. Your cheeks and eyes, as well as your nose, were all pink, due to a long while of crying.

Sam sat on one side of you, and held your hand. He reassured you with bright words of soothing promises.

“Don’t worry, Miss Y/n! All will work out! You’ll see! You’re bringing a new soul into this world! That’s nothing to be ashamed of!” Sam would say.

Merry, Frodo and Pippin were on your other side, rubbing your back and holding your shoulder.

“He’s right!” they’d agree, nodding profusely. “You’ll see! This is a wonderful thing. You just can’t quite picture it yet, but you will!”

Gimli, Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas were all huddled in close, standing in a circle. They stood a little further off from the fire, but still caught its glow.

Gandalf was sat on a log himself, puffing away on a pipe. The affairs of human society were not his responsibility, but he offered guidance from a distance nonetheless. He already knew all would work out, but was the only one there oldest and wisest enough to realize so.

Legolas’ arms were folded over his chest, as were the three others’ he stood with. “She’ll be shamed wherever she goes, and her child will be considered a bastard. Truly awful…I feel compelled to help. What can we do?”

“Well, to avoid public slander,” Aragorn spoke up knowingly, “she’d have to be married.”

“Very well and all,” Gimli whispered back, “but were you perhaps not present when she said the scoundrel ran off with another filly?”

“He was not whom I was referencing,” Aragorn mentioned. He threw a studious glance in your direction, and spoke again. “She is a fine young lady, with a strong heart and homely nature. She would make a wonderful wife, and I feel it our duty as her friends to make sure she becomes so.”

“You mean for us to marry her?” Legolas asked, incredulously. His head lowered in shock as he spoke, and a brow arched.

The guys, save for Aragorn, who overlooked it all, glanced between each other tensely, unsure if the alarmed glint in their eyes was competition or fear.

Boromir was the first to speak up.

“I will do it, in a heartbeat!” he said. “You are right, Aragorn—she is a wonderful young lady, and deserves to be wed in time for her child. I will care for them both.”

“Well, now hold on a moment,” Legolas snapped, glaring across at Boromir. “Why do you get to marry her? I am much closer in age to her than you are…figuratively speaking, at least. I should be the one to marry her—we get along best.”

“You?” Gimli snorted. “You will outlive her in the blink of an eye.”

“Oh, and you won’t?” Legolas said back. “None of us implied romance anyways, Gimli. I’d merely be a lifelong friend and guardian for her and her child. I’m the most suited out of everyone here to provide for her—”

“Because you’re a prince?” Boromir interjected, narrowing his eyes.

“Not just because of that,” Legolas bit back, squaring up with Boromir slightly. “But what of it regardless? What does it matter how I provide for her? I plan on renouncing my title and making a life of my own anyways. I might not get the chance for a child of my own, and I can help Y/n raise hers.”

“She’s not some puppy, laddie,” Gimli snorted back. “You both want to store her away in a little cottage or unit somewhere drab. I can provide her with culture! Dwarven culture! Her little one deserves to grow up in grand halls and eat ripened meat!”

Aragorn looked between the unfolding drama, and soon raised a hand before you could become even more distressed. Fortunately, you hadn’t heard a thing of their hushed conversation.

“That is enough,” Aragorn said. “I’d offer to marry her myself, but…well, I do believe you three are better suited than me to provide a stable life for her. It is ultimately up to Y/n. All either three of you can do is offer your hand in marriage to her, and see what she says.”

Glares were thrown between the three potential suitors, as each wondered who’d be the first to turn around and run towards you.

As it turns out, all three turned on their heels at the same. They nearly tripped over one another. However, they stopped almost immediately, for someone on the other side already had the same idea.

“It is quite all right, Y/n,” Frodo said, down on one knee before you, and holding your hand. “The Shire will accept you, and I can just say I fell in love on the road and married you immediately. I have a big house now left all to myself, with many rooms. You can have one to yourself, as can your child. Bilbo did the same for me when I was young.”

You were crying again, but this time out of happiness. Your other hand was placed over your chest, as you smiled down at the kind hobbit with a wavering lower lip.

“Oh, Frodo, that is so incredibly kind, I can only say—”

“DON’T SAY ANYTHING!” Legolas shouted, rushing forwards. He nearly shoved Frodo out of the way, and took his place holding your hand swiftly.

“Y/n,” he began, sincerely, “I’ve always felt that you and I have had a…special bond since beginning this journey together. I can provide you with a cottage in the forest, and true protection. I’m an archer and an elf—your child will learn many life skills with me as their parental guardian. And, furthering this, after you’ve moved on from our world, your child will surely be left behind. I can ensure they are well-cared for up until their own departure!”

“Oh, Legolas, I don’t know what to...” you went to say, holding his hand with both of yours. You were truly starting to get overwhelmed with happiness and relief.

“Oh, shove it, pixie!” Gimli shouted from behind Legolas. He, too, stole the snarling elf’s place, chivalrously removing his helmet as he did so. “Lass, I know I may not be your usual type, or blonde, but I am asking for your hand as well. I can offer you so much in Dwarven society. The women are strong, and you will find ranks in them! Your child will be given an equal chance, no matter the gender, to be themselves! Life in the halls is a true marvel—”

“Enough, the both of you!” Boromir shouted next. He tugged Gimli by the beard and threw him away. “Y/n, you and I are both humans. I understand you and our shared culture better than anyone else here! Please, nothing would make me happier than to provide for you as my wife. Not to mention, the child will look most like me, racially-wise.”

The hobbits all looked between each other with shocked smiles, intrigued by the situation, and Gandalf and Aragon merely shook their heads.

Legolas grabbed hold of Boromir’s shoulder and stood him up. “Race has nothing to do with it! If we’re really going to narrow this down to looks, I am the tallest! That is highly desirable in a husband! Y/n and her child will live a wonderfully secure and safe life with me. You need to back off.”

“Why don’t you make me?” Boromir bit back.

Before a fight could break out between the two of them, Gimli hopped into the middle and added his own string of harsh words.

The three suitors of differing races soon began to bicker between themselves, leaving you sat on the log very stunned indeed.

However, after a long while of listening to them argue over who gets to marry you, you put up your hand and silenced them. Although, it took a good few shouts until they shut up completely and curiously blinked down at you.

“Boys. Boys! BOYS!” Once the attention was on you, you spoke again. “I am so incredibly flattered by your equal devotion, it has truly made me feel better about everything, but...do I not get a say in whom I marry out of everyone here?”

Legolas moved his body slightly, so he stood facing you straight. “Well, whom do you choose, my lady?”

Frodo had backed off entirely, but shared a lipped smile with you, ultimately letting you know the offer was still on the table regardless. Boromir, Gimli and Legolas all stared at you optimistically, leaning forwards as they waited for your reply.

Stumped by so many choices, and considering you didn’t even know this would be a part of your life plan up until five hours ago, you went with the smartest choice; waiting.

“These are all very early days…” you began. “I’m very overwhelmed by all the offers, and still getting used to the idea of motherhood, and now marriage—”

You took a calming breath.

“You’re all so sweet, and I truly appreciate your support, but…could I perhaps sit on it for a while, and return with an answer at a later time? This is a very big decision, as you can all imagine.”

They quickly agreed, and nodded their heads vehemently.

“Take all the time you need!” they said reassuringly, in one form or another.

That night, they all waved sweet “goodnights” over their shoulders to you, and even gave up their cloaks and packs to create what they deemed the perfect “mother’s nest” for you to sleep on.

It was all very sweet, and warmed your heart. However, although half the problem was solved, you were presented with another; who on earth were you going to choose to marry and raise your unborn child with?

Actually, the more you thought about it that night, as you fell asleep with nine friends protecting you as you slept in the middle, like a herd of animals keeping their mother-to-be safe, the more you realized you already knew exactly whom you wanted to live with.

[yasminbenoit]

“A Romantic Partner Won’t Complete Me, Because I Was Born Complete”: How Identifying As Asexual & Aromantic Brought Me True Freedom & Happiness | Yasmin Benoit for British Vogue

There is a phase in our lives where everyone seems asexual and almost everyone seems aromantic. It wasn't until puberty kicked in that platonic relationships seemed to take a backseat. My peers stopped wanting to play together and started wanting to 'date' each other. That was when I started to realise that there was something different about me. I didn’t seem to be experiencing the same urges as those I was around. I chose to go to an all girls school in the hopes that – in the absence of boys – everyone would stop caring about sex and dating. It actually had the opposite effect. There was a sense of deprivation in the air and the heightened desire to project their sexuality onto anything and everything.  

Therefore, my lack of interest became even more obvious, and it became a not-so-fun game to work out the source of what should be troubling me, but hadn’t been until that point. Having a sexual orientation isn’t just natural, it’s essential. It’s part of being a fully-functional human being. And to be romantically love and be loved by another is the ultimate goal. It’s part of being normal, which made me both abnormal and puzzling. When your asexual, people think there’s something wrong with your body. When you’re aromantic, they think there’s something wrong with your soul. Even for a teenage girl who internalised all of Disney Channel’s “be yourself” messages, it’s never nice to have people publicly debate your supposed physical and psychological flaws.  

My nickname in school was “hollow and emotionless.” I was a joker with a decent amount of friends, but I was lacking something crucial, the kind of love that really mattered and the kind of lust that made life exciting...so I was practically Lord Voldemort with braids. I sat through the regular DIY sexuality tests, having my peers show me graphic sexual imagery, have very sexual conversations in my presence, and ask me inappropriately intimate questions to gauge how far gone I truly was. These tests lead to the development of theories, most centred around me having some kind of mental problem. After a while, you start to wonder if everyone knows something you don’t.

When they said that I must have been molested as a child and “broken” by the trauma, I wondered if I had somehow forgotten about sexual abuse that actually hadn’t happened. I looked at some of my own relatives with suspicion, the same people who would later ask me if I didn’t experience sexual attraction because I was a pedophile. It was suggested that I was “suffering” from my “issues” because I was socially anxious and insecure. The suggestion that my ‘issue’ was pathological stayed with me for a long time, but not as much as the widely accepted theory that I was mentally slow. Unfortunately, that one stuck. I was referred to as “stupid” and I started to believe that was the case. It would impact my experience in education for the next eight years, long after I realised that there was a word for what I was.

Asexual.

I first heard the word during one of the near-daily sexuality tests that I was subjected to. I was asked if I was gay, to which I said that I wasn’t interested in anybody like that – men or women. At fifteen, I was asked, “Maybe you’re asexual or something?” but it wasn’t quite a lightbulb moment. How could it be when I had never heard the word outside of biology class? After an evening of Google searching, I realised that there were many people with my exact same experience, complete strangers whose stories sounded so strangely similar to mine. I also stumbled across the word ‘aromantic,’ but at the time, I didn’t understand the need for it. "Wouldn't all asexual people be aromantic? A romantic relationship without sex is just friendship with rules,” I thought.

Either way, my discoveries showed me that I wasn’t alone, but that only half helpful. I now had an identity that no one had heard of or understood. Most didn’t believe that being asexual or aromantic was a real thing, and I doubted it to. I had been taught to after years of armchair pathologisation. If asexuality was real, why did no one tell you that being sexually attracted to nobody was an option? What if it was just an internet identity made up to comfort people with all of the issues that had been attributed to me? I didn’t have to go far down the rabbit hole to realise that asexuality, like many non-heteronormative identities, had been medicalised. What I had experienced as just the tip of the iceberg. As someone who hadn’t been prescribed drugs I didn’t need or subjected to unnecessary hormone tests, I was one of the lucky ones.

My activism would be my gateway to the community. Despite being the ugly friend at school, I ended up becoming a model while in university. I decided to use the platform I had gained through my career to raise awareness for asexuality and aromanticism. It gave me the opportunity to encounter a range of asexual and aromantic offline, it was then that I learned the significance of having an aromantic identity. There are many asexual people who still feel romantic attraction, as well as aromantic people who still feel sexual attraction. They have their own range of experiences, their own culture, their own flag, and like the asexual community, I was relieved to see that they are just normal people. These intersecting communities are not stereotypes. They weren’t just thirteen year old, pink haired kids making up identities on Tumblr to feel special. They were parents, lawyers, academics, husbands, girlfriends, artists, black, white, young, old, with differing feelings towards the many complex elements of sexuality and intimacy. Most importantly, they were happy.

I am proud to be part of both, and I know that while being asexual and aromantic, I am a complete person and I can live a perfectly fulfilling life. Since meeting members of my communities, I’ve become more open about my identities in real life, and a reaction I’m often met with is sympathy. “You must feel like you’re missing out,” “I can’t imagine being like that,” “It must be hard for your family,” “Do you worry no one will want you?” “How do you handle being so lonely?” “You’re so brave and strong,” “What will you do with your life now?” Even in 2021, a woman who isn’t romantically loved or sexually desired by their “special someone” is perceived as being afflicted with some kind of life-limiting condition.  

Asexuality doesn't make undesirable or unable to desire others. It is a unique experience of sexuality, not a deprivation from it. Even if it was, there is so much more to life than what turns us on and what we do about it. Romantic love is just one form of love, neither superior nor inferior to any other. Being aromantic doesn't mean that you can't love or be loved, it does not mean you are void of other emotions or capabilities. I am not lonely with my friends, family, co-workers and supporters. I feel confident not when someone wants to date me but when I meet my goals and form worthwhile connections with others. My success isn't determined by whether someone will want to marry me someday. What we want out of life is our decision alone, our sources of happiness should not be defined by our ever-changing, culturally relative social standards. The love of a romantic partner won't complete me because I was born complete. Feeling sexual attraction to others won't liberate me because my liberation is not dependent on other people.

Valentine's Day is on the horizon. It's an occasion that amps up the focus on (and the pressure to achieve) a very specific type of love and sexual expression, one that is actually alienating for people inside and outside of the asexual community. During a pandemic where many relationships have been strained, tested, formed or distanced, it's important to keep the diversity of romantic and sexual feelings in mind. Many expect me to feel annoyed or lonely during this time of year, but I actually feel empowered and excited by the way sex, romance and love are discussed more deeply around this time. These conversations are constantly expanding to become more inclusive for everyone, and that's what we need to see all year round.

https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/asexuality-and-aromanticism

[starlight-loki]

Headcanon of the day: Loki x Mystic!Reader

This sort of acts as context for a fic I have coming out in the next day or two. I thought I'd release this first as a kind of shittily-written backstory for it, so that the relationship dynamics make sense :) Enjoy!

UPDATE: the fic is all done! you can read it here

(this is quite long and the Keep Reading option won't work, dammit. my apologies 😅)

You know something's wrong as soon as Stephen bursts into your room, a troubled look in his eyes

"They're here."

Stephen had been talking about this for a while -- it was just a matter of time before Thor and Loki arrived in New York looking for their father

He told you from the start that they were going to need help; your help

At first you protested because you were still in the midst of learning everything there was to know about the mystic arts.

you weren't a beginner by any means, but you definitely didn't feel you were at a level where you could just... fight the goddess of death

Now, you realized as Stephen rushed out of your room as quickly as he came, you were out of time to prepare: you had to use what you knew and hope it was enough

You stepped down the stairs into the main entrance of the Sanctum just as Stephen brought Loki back from the void with a thud

"Right, I'm sending Y/N with you. The two of you are going to need help with this whole... situation."

"We don't need help, especially not from a mortal, you second-rate-"

Stephen sends all three of you through a portal before Loki can even finish pulling out his knives

at first, you really can't stand either of them

Thor is... too much muscle, not enough brain

while Loki on the other hand is half part brain, half part whining weasel

You honestly feel like you got stuck babysitting the two of them, and there's a part of you that hopes this mission Stephen sent you on won't be so bad after all

Of course, everything sort of went to shit when you found yourself on Sakaar

You were the first to arrive, and were admittedly terrified when you came face to face with the Grandmaster

you had powers and were strong enough to defend yourself, sure, but this seemed like a whole other ball of wax entirely

You chucked a few illusions here, as well as a couple fancy tricks you learned from Stephen there, and soon enough you became the Grandmaster's... magic show.

It was disappointing really, to know that your powers were being used to amaze three headed ogres and other folks who looked like they walked straight out of the Capitol from The Hunger Games, but at least you weren't fighting in the arena

or worse... dead.

to your surprise, Loki showed up a week later -- escorted to your room by none other than the Grandmaster himself

"Y/N, I've got another wizard for you!"

(you swear you can see Loki's jaw clench at the Grandmaster's term, and it takes all you can not to laugh)

"He can do illusions too. Maybe you two can, y'know, think up a big show for us tonight."

Loki's surprised to see you (and also relieved to see a familiar face, finally), but he quickly disguises his relief as disgust before you can think anything more of it

"I'm not sharing my bed." You say tightly, and Loki shoots you a glare before settling down on the couch in the corner of the room

At first, the two of you barely talk to each other despite sharing a room

You really just throw some illusions together during your show, and then head back to the room to sulk in silence

It honestly starts to feel like you're living the same day over and over, that is until you wake up to the sound of screaming

You rush over to Loki, to find he was having a violent nightmare

When he finally wakes up, terror in his eyes and not fully registering his surroundings, you place a hand over his forehead gently

You remembered an incantation you read once while at the Sanctum, one that could calm even the most restless mind, and you mumbled the words to the best of your ability

To your relief, Loki's breathing slowed as the last of his nightmare faded away

"You okay?"

You don't know why, but you find yourself reaching to hold Loki's hand in both of your own

His fear, his memories... you could almost feel them physically reverberate in you

maybe your initial conceptions about Loki were wrong, after all. Maybe he wasn't nearly as bad as you thought

you go out of your way to try and be a little nicer to him, sneaking in drinks and other treats you managed to grab on your way out of the Grandmaster's parties for him to try

sometimes, the two of you would even stay up until the early hours of morning, sharing stories and laughing together and actually feeling happy

for a garbage planet, maybe things weren't quite so bad.

until the night you had a nightmare. you could've sworn it was real, the way everyone in your dream seemed to dissolve into ash right in front of your eyes

you didn't realize you were crying out in your sleep until Loki woke you up, the entire situation reminiscent of when you first caught him having a nightmare of his own

you see the worry in his eyes, and you can't stop yourself from crying as the events from your dream played through your mind

"It's alright. It's not real. You're safe, Y/N. You're safe."

Loki repeats those words quietly like a lullaby until your breathing calms, and you grab his wrist before he can retreat back over to the couch

"Please stay."

the two of you don't realize just how touchstarved you are until you're both lying together, holding each other as if the world were about to end

(i'm getting Pompeii-esque visuals, am i crying??? maybe)

as your relationship progresses into purgatory-type territory -- somewhere between friendship and romance -- you realize the connection between the two of you grows stronger

specifically, the telepathic connection

before you know it, you can hear Loki's thoughts, and he can hear yours

you suspect it has something to do with the incantation you used to heal him after his nightmare

(you never did read the warnings on that one. oops.)

after a while, the two of you managed to control your telepathic abilities, to the point where you didn't hear the other's each and every thought

there was only a soft buzzing noise in the background of your mind, as if Loki's energy was gently reminding you he was there

Loki found your thoughts incredibly irritating at first

especially how you never seemed to shut up when you were nervous

there was a certain comfort in knowing you were only a thought away, though. especially when the day finally comes when you have to battle Hela

there's a moment when you're convinced Loki had died -- when he ran back into the palace to summon Surtur -- and your breath stops all together in your throat

for a few seconds, you couldn't hear his thoughts anymore. the constant white noise in the back of your mind was gone

when it suddenly resumes out of nowhere as you flew away from the remains of Asgard with Thor and everyone else, you couldn't help but make a run for Loki

you found him in one of the sleeping quarters on the ship, and before you could think twice, you kissed him. hard.

"You idiot! You could've died!"

You can't stop the tears of relief and the smile that lights up your face as you take him in

"I didn't die, however. I'm still here."

All you can do is laugh, and to your utmost delight, Loki pulls you in for another kiss

except this time, you freeze.

"Do you have the Tesseract?"

the way Loki's hands tense around your waist tells you everything

"...why would you think that?"

"I'm a mystic, you idiot! I practically pick up on energy for a living!"

Realizing he really can't hide anything from you, Loki materializes the Tesseract and holds it out to you carefully

"What were you hoping to achieve with this?" You ask, your voice nothing more than a horrified whisper

the lost look in his eyes tells you everything: he wasn't really sure, himself.

you conjure a portal and send the Tesseract far, far away from the two of you, and you can almost see the relief visibly fill Loki's eyes as that temptation disappeared

You realized as you landed back on Earth that the two of you were finally safe. You were home, and you had Loki now, too.

Things were going to be okay.

Until of course, the day your visions started.

[bacarasbabe]

Birthday Present

Happy Birthday @zinzinina My present to you is this little drabble about Poe Dameron and the Reader on her (your!) birthday! Warnings include soft fluff, romance, and plenty of kisses from the fly boy himself. I hope you enjoy it bestie 💗💖💕💖💗

Rating: T

Word Count : 614

Birthday Collab MasterList

The gentle caress of fingers carding through your hair stirred you from your slumber. It was still late. The familiar noises that would signal an active and awake base we gone, replaced by the rhythmic chirping of nighttime insects. Your eyes protested, refusing to open. “Hey sleepyhead. Need you to wake up for me, okay?”

“Poe?” Sleep had his name sticking to the sides of your throat, but the soft press of his lips placing a chaste kiss to your forehead, and the familiar scent of a spicy cologne had you fighting against the pull of unconsciousness. “You’re not supposed to be here…” Eyes barely cracking open, all you could make out in the inky darkness of your room was a dark silhouette in the vague shape of the cocky pilot.

“Got done early, baby. Couldn’t miss my girl’s birthday now, could I?” You hummed into the kiss he gives you, relishing in having Poe back safe and alive. Snaking your arms around his neck and pulling him in as close as possible. He makes room for himself in your small bunk by climbing on top of you. Legs interlocking with yours in a familiar way.

“It’s hours past my birthday, Poe.” Words meant to tease, not unkindly. Trying to coax a smile out of not only Poe, but yourself as well. He was here. He was back, and early too. A sign that could point in one of two directions. Success for the Rebellion, the best option by far, or well- failure. An option you didn’t want to have to think about or bring up in the moment. So instead, you distracted yourself by playing with his curly locks, by rubbing the palm of your hand against the days old stubble framing his strong jaw. “But I’m glad you’re back. Best present I could’ve gotten.”

“I’ll have you know that I’m not late,” He began to pepper kisses along your cheeks and nose. Poe’s eyes were obviously still adjusting to the nonexistent light of your room because his lips missed their mark several times. Ending up too close to your eye or pressing his nose a bit too firmly to your cheek. But you wouldn’t trade these messy kisses for anything. “Not by galactic standard time anyway.”

Poe’s smile was present as his lips trailed back down to yours. Cutting off any reply your tired brain was unsuccessfully trying to conceive. You kissed him in practiced harmony. Even without sight, even after being separated for weeks spanning into months, kissing Poe was easy. The soul splitting relief you felt at the taste of him in your mouth, of holding him in your arms, brought tears to your eyes. The darkness of your room that concealed the face of your lover gracing you with privacy. Or perhaps Poe just didn’t want to comment on it either. Possibly still just relieved that he had made it out alive.

An involuntary moan escaped your mouth. Breathy and desperate as Poe works his way down to your neck, attempting to suck lasting reminders into your skin that he had been there. That he was here now with you. "Missed you so much baby." His words burn the skin of your throat, setting you on fire.

“Why don’t – hmmm, why don’t you show me then?” Poe’s hands find the hem of your shirt and begin to pull the offending garment out of his way. His deft fingers slide along your skin, pressing you down further into your mattress.

“Whatever the birthday girl wants.” Your huff of laughter dissolves into more breathy moans and stuttering sighs. Lost to the quiet din of the nocturnal noises. Shrouded in darkness and suspended in the feeling of being together.

[liddolwhynot2000]

Ruins: Part 2

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Summary: Anyone he allowed close would have to understand that there was no compromising-not when it came to you.

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Pairings: Levi/Reader, Mike/Reader

Genre: Angst, romance, Levi falls in love, landlords are scared of Levi for a very good reason

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Ruins : Part 1 is right here. Please read this first to understand this fic!

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Warnings: mentions of prostitution, violence, death, brothels

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Your existence was mind numbing, really, for someone like Levi. There's something about you that makes him feel over a thousand emotions, yet also rendered him unable to identify even one. Was he happy? Sad? Thrilled?

Levi didn't know, and with the passage of time, he found himself caring less about being able to properly word how he feels. Instead, his mind opted to drift off to the easiness of being with you. Like a moth to a flame, your peaceful and gentle demeanour draws him in. Ever since he's met you, you've left him befuddled, to say the least.

Levi clearly recalled the first time he laid eyes on you, a shivering, scared mess of a woman, chained to the bed like a captive. Tears had streaked down your cheeks, as you tried to get get out of your restraints. Pleas for mercy had escaped your lips, while he walked towards you.

The scene was painfully familiar for him, reminding him of another woman who struggled in fear of a man approaching her.

Unlike her, you were lucky, for Levi had no interest in using you like all the other disgusting pigs in this hell hole.

In fact, the only reason he had been in that brothel was for some revenge.

In his younger years, he recalled a Military Police member that had frequented his mother at her job. So many times, he had stood by, helplessly watching as she was used over and over again by him. Treated as a toy to sate his lust, and left bruised and battered for days.

He'd hated him so much, to the point that he had vowed he would kill the man if he ever saw him again. And it was sheer dumb luck that the same man had been about to be your first customer, and Levi had caught him just as he was about to visit you.

Levi had committed the sight of the pigsty officer's freshly rotting corpse, and the blood stains on the wall, to his memory. It was a view he had no intention of forgetting, and a feeling of satisfaction he would cherish.

He remembered being unsure of what to do with you. He had walked into that room with every intention of setting you free and then going his own way. But once he'd caught sight of you and your watery, pained eyes, he'd found himself revising his plans.

Just by the look of you, Levi could tell that you weren't a fighter. You wouldn't be able to fight off the vultures in the dark depths of the underground, not on your own. If he simply freed you, you would either be captured again or die of starvation on the streets.

Even though you were a stranger, someone he owed zero of his care, someone he had no obligation towards, Levi found himself conflicted. He was used to walking past those who couldn't fend for himself, but his feet wouldn't obey him in treating you the same way.

The result of his inner conflict has been you stumbling, shaking as he hurried to drag you out of there.

As the two of you exited the establishemnt building-- Levi had felt as though he had started something beyond him, something he honestly didn't know what to do with.

Later, he would admit to himself, that he had felt excited.

____________________________________

Levi was used to being alone-to taking on his opponents with his own hands. There was no back up, no team to rely on. Just him and his bare fists.

And despite how tiring it could get, he liked it that way.

By the time he taken you in, he had used his strength to establish a home for himself. It was a small hut, and he was on good terms with the landlord.

It hadn't started out that way, of course, but the Old Relic had learned not to mess with Levi.

He had led you straight to his house, noting your solemn expression. You were troubled-as you should be. He was a man you had never met before, dragging you to his house. But you also had no choice-who else but him? The people that had sold you?

He hadn't been worried about leaving you alone in his house, and had simply ordered you to take a bath before taking off. He would need supplies for you, clothes and what not. It was a pain--and Levi had the feeling his teenage hormones had contributed to this-- but he hadn't minded putting in the extra effort.

The fact that he found a dress that matched your eyes, well, that had been a coincidence.

And the only reason you'd gotten more dinner then him that night was because he just hadn't been that hungry.

Your longing glances at his bread had nothing to do with it.

____________________________________

You were quiet the first few days, not making eye contact with him, barely speaking beyond telling him your name. You had thanked him softly for the clothes, and he had pretended not to notice the tears welling up in your eyes-you had been relieved to be rid of those those rags, and being able to wear proper clothes again.

Without needing to be asked, you took over maintaining the house. Levi had been impressed by how you had quietly adapted to his cleaning standards, not needing him to direct you on what to do beyond the first two days.

It was an unspoken agreement that you would keep the house clean, cook and stay home. While Levi would be the bread winner, bringing in money and clothes and food into the house.

He hadn't even intended on this, on you living with him. But at the time, he hadn't seen any other option. He'd gravitated towards you for some reason, allowing the softness in his heart to overcome him for once. He not only wanted to help you- he wanted you to stick around.

Maybe it was because he'd never had a friend at that point, or it was those blasted hormones that Kenny had obnoxiously lectured him about once, but Levi just hadn't been willing to let you go.

And years later, in an open field, surrounded by the rain, Levi would acknowledge that out of all the deicisons he had ever made, not letting you go had been the one deicison his heart could never regret.

____________________________________

You begin to speak up a little, talking to him, asking him about his day. It takes a month, but it's still progress. The two of you learn to cordially co exist with each other.

One day, he had returned home, covered in blood. Usually, he was sparkling clean, maybe a little ruffled up. You weren't used to seeing him in this bloodied state, and had panicked once he had set down the bag of fruits.

'So, these are actually pretty fresh-'

'What happened to you!?'

You cut him off, immediately bee lining towards him. Levi had been perplexed as you grabbed his arm with barely any hesitancy, and made him sit on the couch.

'Tch-Oi, the couch will get dirty-'

'Forget the couch, just look at you. I'm getting the medical kit.'

You had snapped at him, your movements panicky as you looked at him with worry in your eyes. Levi had been startled-not used to anyone looking at him like that.

As though he actually mattered.

In fact, as you bandaged his arm, a concerned frown firmly set on your face, Levi had felt strangely warm.

His heart beat had gotten erratic, and his eyes hadn't been able to keep themselves off of you.

Whatever this was building towards, it only made you more intriguing in his eyes.

____________________________________

After that, the two of you stop engaging in polite chit chat-and actually start opening up. You're more comfortable around him, more relaxed.

You don't harbour much fear of him- not like before, when you straightened up as though he were some drill seargent whenever he was in the vicinity.

When he walks in to the kitchen now, rather then tensing up and gripping your knife tight, as though you might attack like before, you lightly smile at him.

You welcome him home, as you engage you in household tasks. It's domestic, as though you're an old married couple, who have been doing this for 40 years. The two of you banter with each other even-

'Please tell me that stain on your shirt isn't what I think it is.' '

'......'

'Levi!'

'It's not what you think it is.'

'So it's not blood?'

'I never said that its blood. I also never said that it's not blood.'

'Levi-you did it again! How could you be so reckless-'

The days of the two of you being in the same house, sitting in haunting silence, slowly start to fade away. You begin to approach him, spending more time in his company.

And he enjoys it. He can tell its not out of loneliness, or because you're forcing yourself. Much to his pleasant surprise, he can tell that you're seeking him out for all the right reasons, because you want to.

And Levi finds himself edging towards you, just the same.

____________________________________

Your interactions get more and more friendly with him, and Levi finds him spiralling head first into his first ever friendship.

He learns about you, how you had lived on the surface. How your parents had been neglectful bastards. It had burned inside of him, his insides had twisted at the fact that they were still alive and kicking, the fact that they had abandoned you.

You tell him about Mr and Mrs Zacharius, about how kind they had been to you. How they had taken you in, offered you the warmth of a home. They had been so loving towards you, as though you were their actual daughter. You don't speak much about their son, Levi had noted, but he didn't think much of it at the time.

Your growing trust in him has Levi offering the same. There are nights where he sits by you, near the fire place. The two of you share warm food, while being wrapped up in blankets in an attempt to defeat the chilly night air.

He finds himself speaking to you without meaning to. He's so used to keeping it all in, he's never once worded out his life story, let alone tried to explain how he feels about it.

But with your honest gaze on him, and the knowledge of your life in his mind, he let's it all out.

When he mentions his mother's job and subsequent death, there isn't any judgement in your eyes. Neither is there any pity or sympathy, which makes him feel glad. He doesn't want any of those things.

You look at him softly, with genuine compassion aimed right at him. When he pauses, feeling choked up, you inch closer to him. Your small form is right next to him, which he belatedly registers, too caught up in his distress.

It's when your hand rests on top of his that he understands what being comforted actually feels like.

It's like his mother's embrace, an act he can hardly visualize in his mind. It's been too long since she left him, so he can't say it's just the same. But all Levi knows is, he feels cared for. Just like back then.

Ever since his mother took her last breathe in this cruel world, he often wished that he had done the same back then.

But now, as he sits by you, feeling warmth like never before, Levi feels like he's been given a reason to breathe again.

He wants to keep breathing, for you.

And most importantly, he admits to himself, that he wants to live-

-With you.

____________________________________

Roughly after a year and a half of living with you, Farlan makes an entrance into your lives. It had been a calculated decision on his part-one he had thought through numerous times. If it had been just him, he might have given it less mind and simply gone along with it, hoping for the best.

But he had you to care for now. You had become a non negotiable part of his life, one he felt fiercely protective over. He couldn't afford risking you- not when you had become so precious to him. You just weren't built to be a fighter, which meant that he had to take extreme measures to ensure your safety.

Kenny would call him a whipped rat for it, but Levi refused to change his mind.

Anyone he allowed close would have to understand that there was no compromising-not when it came to you.

Which was why he had put Farlan through the ringer-testing him severely. To his credit, the man hadn't complained much. He had been rather accepting of the fact that earning Levi's trust wouldn't be an easy journey.

But he had done it nonetheless, which was why Levi allowed him to meet you. Once you had given your approval, liking the man's respectful demeanour towards you, no doubt something Levi had demanded of him, Levi set out to carry out the next stage of the agreement.

He and Farlan secured another house, bigger then the one he was staying at with you. The old relic had been glad to see the last of him, though Levi had noted how his hands had shook as he waved them off.

The new Landlord, Pigsty Vermin; as Levi likes to call him, soon learns why the old relic had despised him so much.

At least they manage to live in relative peace after that.

And to think, all it took was Levi breaking Pigsty Vermins wrist.

____________________________________

Levi was a man who had come from nothing, inheriting just a shirt from his mother. You had been born to people who had material assets, only, they wouldn't use them on you. The end result had been the two of you struggling in your attempts at building your lives, trying to cut your way through a forest that had too many branches with spikes.

Levi had succeeded somewhat, but you had gotten knocked down mid way. By the time he found you, you had lost even the hard earned clothes on your back.

He knows there are things you wish you could get back-particularly, a book Mr Zacharius had gifted you, a set of jewellery from his wife. You've accepted that you won't ever see those cherished items again, even though Levi knows it upsets you a great deal to not have them anymore.

He's not some miracle worker, so despite how much he wants to, he can't find them for you. But, as he watches one of those noble women ride in a carriage, he thinks he can maybe you give something else to cherish.

And maybe, it'll help him muster up the courage to say something he's been wanting to for a while.

He's nervous as he approaches you. The last time he had been this jittery was when Kenny had threatened to feed him to wolves if he didn't do well in knife welding practice. His hands aren't shaking per say, but his heart is beating too loud.

He's clutching a velvet box in his hand. It's sparkling clean, a big contrast to the initial state he had found it in. He had wanted to give you your gift in the best condition possible.

After giving himself a stern talking to, he approaches you, urging his legs to stop being so cowardly. There was no way he could turn back now.

You're hunched over the sink as you clean dishes. He clears his throat, causing you turn to him. You sweetly smile at him, and it only serves to make him sweat some more, how could you look at someone like him with such a positive expression?

'Hey, just give me a second. I'm almost done here-'

You trail off, as your eyebrows furrow. Of course, you can tell something is up with him, you know him too well. Usually, this would make him happy, the possessive part of him adores that you pay that much attention to him. However, the part of him that's nerve wracked by what he's about to confess is overwhelming him.

'Is everything okay?'

He snaps out of his thoughts, desperately trying shove his doubts away. What if you don't feel the same? What if he loses you for this?

Levi can promise alot of things. He can promise he'll always want you the way he does right now, that he'll never leave you. He can guarantee that no one else has ever made him feel this way. That everything he has, undoubtedly, will always be yours.

What he just can't say for sure is if he can live without you.

You look at him patiently, concern shining in your eyes. Levi extends his hand, presenting the box you.

You blink in surprise, pointing at yourself.

'Th-this is for m-me?'

Your cheeks turn a little red, and if it weren't for the anticipation bubbling in his stomach, Levi would smirk. Instead, he nods wordlessly. He inwardly counsels himself, he can't just be mute.

You take it from him, a flustered smile lighting up on your face. You look at it in wonder.

'Any year now.'

You roll your eyes at his dry quip, your smiling getting wider as you wave him off.

'Oh hush.'

You open the box, gasping in delight. Inside are a set of earrings and a necklace. A pair of small, golden hoops are delicately placed. There's a tiny, intricate flower hanging from them. The necklace bears the same pattern as the flower. It's a very simple design, but you love it nonetheless.

Your eyes water a little, and you find yourself carefully setting the box down on the table, before hurrying to embrace Levi.

He's caught off guard, not used to physical contact like this. But when it comes to you, no part of him bothers to think much. His arms, having a mind of their own, and carefully loop around your waist. Your head is buried into his chest, arms clutching his shoulders.

'Th-thank you.'

Your crying, and even though it's out of joy, he doesn't quite like it. Pulling back a little, his hand moves to wipe your tears away. He looks at you meaningfully, holding himself back from saying the words he desperately wants to. He doesn't know if someone like him is even worth you, and that thought has the words stuck in his throat.

It shouldn't surprise him though, that you know him well enough to hear what he wants to say, without him having to say a word. You look at him with an understanding expression, somehow catching on to his feelings and consequent dilemma. A gentle hand cups his cheek, and you blush as your eyes shyly flicker to the ground for a second. You manage to muster up the confidence to look at him again, and his heart nearly stops at what you say.

'I love you too.'

The two of you are lost in each others eyes, and Levi finds himself tilting his head, resting his forehead against yours.

A rare, soft smile is visible on his lips, one which most would come to learn, is reserved only for you.

____________________________________

A/N: Heyooo! So this was highlyyy requested and I honestly couldn't wait to write it either. I hope y'all enjoyed this! I couldn't help writing Levi falling in love in the underground. This just came to me as I wrote, and it made me feel pretty emotional ngl.

Also look at me, writing a confession scene, when I still haven't completed the confession sequel for falling. Those who want that confession fic, feel free to throw some virtual shoes my way. Hopefully it'll motivate me to stop being so lazy about it.

So, again, this depends on all of you. I have a part 3 mind for this. It would focus on being out of the underground and on the surface, which means Mike is back in the fold. Do tell what y'all want! Also, thank you for all the love and support you've given my work, I'm truly grateful that my clowning about work is so appreciated by all of you. 💕

[still-a-morosexual-help]

OBEY ME! LESSON 47 DETAILED SUMMARY + THEORIES

The lesson starts with Simeon and Levi laughing over how Lucifer forgot Diavolo in the game. Belphie complains about what a pain in the ass it was cause Lucifer made Belphie and some of the others go back into the game to get Diavolo and how Belphie had to start with the party at the beginning and so was unable to straight away teleport them to the castle and how as it was the second play through everything was harder and how diavolo had been so pissed he’d given them all the silent treatment, though Belphie did end up chuckling about how much that had freaked out Lucifer. Belphie says that as an apology Lucifer had finished all of Diavolo’s paper work and given him a free day off so Diavolo would be visiting. Levi says that he’ll be shutting himself in his room then and when MC asks about it Levi says that it’s not like Diavolo is coming to see him and it’s not like he cares about seeing Diavolo either. That truthfully he doesn’t really like Diavolo all that much cause he’s too serious and scary and cause they share no interests so Diavolo won’t have any idea what Levi talks about and how he’s scared he’ll say something dumb in front of him and piss Lucifer off. He makes MC promise him to him away from Diavolo. Belphie says that you shouldn’t spend time with a person you don’t like anyway. Simeon says that maybe you should take the opportunity to get to know a person better before you decide whether you like them. MC can agree with either Simeon or Belphie. Simeon then gets a call from Lucifer asking him to send the other 3 home cause Diavolo has gone missing.

At home Belphie says maybe Diavolo actually ran away from home to freak out Lucifer as revenge for the whole game thing. Satan and Beel greet them at the door. Satan to show them something funny and Beel to get one of Simeon’s sandwiches from Belphie. Satan takes them to the living room where Lucifer is pacing and screaming down the phone at Barbatos, yelling about not  being able to find anything yet and demanding Barbatos calls him the second something turn up and if he can’t get to him then one of the others, before keeping the call and trying to figure out who else he can call and traumatise. Mammon is trying to get Lucifer to sit down and calm down and breath for fuck’s sake. Mammon gets yelled at for his efforts cause how the fuck can Lucifer calm down when Diavolo is missing. Except, yeah Diavolo might follow a stranger if they offer him candy, but y’know Diavolo’s an ancient incredibly powerful being I’m sure Lucifer can afford to calm down a little but whatever. Mammon tries to get MC to calm Lucifer down and honestly I love Mammon so much he’s such a good brother is2g. If Mc commands Lucifer to stay he um “EEKs”? and then blushes about the sound he just made (I’m not into romancing Lucifer at all but am I the only one who thinks he’s turned on by MC’s power over him despite his whole Sadistic Dom personality? It happened once or twice in the very beginning of S2 as well) According to Asmo while Diavolo had been going through the portal to the human world Barbatos, who has the flu, had sneezed and now they have no idea where in the human world Diavolo ended up. With the saddest expression Lucifer says, “Oh Diavolo, where have you gone!?” and I’m??? You want me to let MC come in between that!!? Lowkey wish OM! Did something like the Arcana where when MC picks a LI, a couple of the remaining LI get together. In every version where MC doesn’t pick Lucifer I desperately want him and Diavolo to get together and in the versions that MC picks either Lucifer or Diavolo I want there to be the option for the three of them to be in a poly relationship, pls. MC asks why they can’t just call Diavolo and Mammon says they’ve tried a bunch of times but being unable to. Levi says he knows someone who might be able to help

Levi takes them all to his room and Asmo is in tears as he tells levi it’s fine if his friend is imaginary cause asmo has a lot of imaginary friends – aka in his words first he imagines a beautiful man and then a beautiful woman and then well he imagines them all fucking and the fact that this otome game has 11 LIs and not a single one of them is straight is just…beautiful. I’m so happy wtf. Levi insits his friend exists and when MC says they believe him he says that even if he makes other friends that won’t displace MC’s role as his friend. Lucifer tells him to cut the BS. And it’s Alexa!? Levi introduces them to fucking Alexa and I’m screaming sir pls. It’s called Crowe here though and he completely dismisses MC’s “fnkfjkjdjkjkdvjkfd pls tell me you understand wtf that actually is” by saying how Crowe is always up to talk to Levi about any interest Levi brings up and the rest of the brothers are greatly impressed while MC goes through a crisis in the corner. Beel asks if there’s a little person inside it who talks and casts spells. Belphie while blushing asks if he can talk to crowe and I can’t fucking believe after 3 seasons MC’s gonna be replaced by fucking Alexa. Belphie asks crowe if it’s Levi’s friends and gets a “If you say so” which Levi gets really excited about and what it likes about levi and gets “how he’s able to turn everything into a negative thing” which levi takes as a compliment and this is really sad guys but then again I did once spend weeks trying to get Siri to agree to date me so… Belphie then asks Crowe to turn Lucifer into a rabbit, it obviously doesn’t work. Levi asks crowe where Lord diavolo is and MC becomes increasingly more annoyed at being the only sane person in the room. Crowe obviously doesn’t know how to answer that.

Asmo asks about the sensitive spots on Lucifer’s body (wtf asmo c’mon) and Satan asks for Lucifer’s weaknesses, Crowe answers with “I’m sorry. I can’t answer that” which the brothers take to mean that crowe knows but is refusing to say. Lucifer threatens him to keep quiet and Crowe says he understands, Belphie is upset that Lucifer threatened crowe and Levi says he made Crowe sad. All the while MC is losing their mind and insisting that Crowe’s just tech, while the brothers all ignore and talk over them. In what is probably a fit of jealous rage MC commands the brothers to all sit the fuck down and explains to them that crowe really is just an electronic device. Levi refuses to believe them and insists Crowe is his friend. This somehow leads to Levi giving crowe Diavolo’s phone number and Crowe tracking his phone and Lucifer remembers “oh yeah shit missing boyfriend”. They end up in a karaoke bar. The sweet relieved smile on Lucifer’s face when they find him is everything. Diavolo asks how he looks dressed as a human and MC compliments him. Mammon scolds Diavolo for worrying them and Asmo says he feels silly to have been so worried now, Lucifer tries to herd Diavolo back home but Diavolo says he can’t go cause a note on the door (in devildom script) says the room is cursed and only allows you to exit once you get a 100% score on the karaoke machine. Asmo’s pissed cause he has a spa/salon appointment, Levi has a gamin event, Beel has a buffet and Satan’s pissed cause he wanted to think up of more cat related hashtags he could try searching up and I’m- Lucifer says it’ll be easier to do the task than try to break the curse using magic and Diavolo agrees. Belphie says Diavolo looks way too happy. And look I’m just gonna say it now cause we ALL know it – Diavolo’s definitely behind this and using it as some way to hang out with the others.

Asmo’s happy about being able to sing karaoke and Levi complains but is also searching for anime songs so. Belphie and MC think the situation is strange cause doesn’t being in the human world mean this shit doesn’t happen to them anymore? Diavolo says the bar is owned by the three legged crow group (aka yatagarasu) – the Devildom’s largest holdings company and developers of the D.D.D.. Their mascot (Blackjak) is one of the chat stickers. Diavolo’s the majority shareholder of the company. They’ve been expanding to the human world as well, mostly because of demand from sorcerers and witches. They also developed crowe, with Levi having a prototype. Levi realising crowe’s not a real person starts crying (and wiping his face on Satan’s clothes) about crowe got him tickets for a band and how cause Levi thought crowe also liked them he made sure to buy two tickets for both him and crowe and I’m just this is so sad. MC takes the opportunity to sweep in and say y’know I’m your friend and hold Levi’s hand to which Levi blushes and thanks them. Crowe’s the one hosting the Karaoke and says if one person manages a 100 score everyone can leave and that to make things interesting he’ll be throwing in some surprises. Crowe: All right then, party on! Diavolo: PARTY ON!!!!! :D Lucifer: *SIGH*

Asmo goes first cause he’s the best singer they have, Levi complains about Asmo being good at everything when he has nothing and MC teases him about being the Avatar of Envy. Asmo nails the first part of the song but in the interlude as one of crowe’s surprises Asmo starts hearing his fans screaming to him (which no one else can hear) and starts the second part a bit late so his score is 88. As punishment for not scoring a 100 Crowe kills Asmo. Or rather he sends him to be tortured till someone is able to score 100 and set him free. Lucifer, as expected, is not pleased. Levi is excited about how this is suddenly a game of life or death. Lucifer is very much not pleased with that. Diavolo’s also extremely pleased. Lucifer’s going through it. Mammon (who was so busy picking out a song that he didn’t notice one of his brothers got kidnapped) volunteers to go next. Though he’s not as good as Asmo he’s apparently a very good singer and once sang lead vocals in a band at RAD. Mammon chooses a love Ballad “Even if I wind up as a demon, I’ll always love you” and oh baby… the brothers immediately realise Mammon fucked up when choosing the song, Diavolo goes ??? and MC ignores them all to do  what they always do best and that’s to be Mammon’s #1 cheerleader (still can’t get over how much MC took charge and planned everything during Mammon’s bday event and had the brothers start giving him his little presents/notes a whole week before the actual date, when in every other bday event they just took a backseat role and let the others plan and fix everything up while they distracted the bday person. Whether you ship them together or not you gotta agree Mammon’s got a real special place in MC’s heart.) Anyway MC cheers Mammon on and Mammon blushes and stutters and then refuses to sing the song cause he realises he just picked to sing a love song in front of the person he’s in love with and tries to switch his song last minute. But cause he completely missed his cue to start he gets scored 0 and sent to hell. Satan says Mammon should be fine cause he’s used to that sort of thing. Diavolo: :D WOW :D THIS :D IS :D TERRIBLE :D ! :D   Lucifer: Really, cause your face is saying something else entirely…

They all sit silently looking sad for a bit. Lucifer says Asmo & Mammon were their best chances of getting out with perfect scores, satan wonders (with a sad expression) where they are and what’s been done to them. Levi says let’s be real Asmo’s probably getting off rn. Lucifer says they need to focus on who’s here rn and getting out. Diavolo volunteers to go next and Lucifer shuts him down, Diavolo whines about it. MC asks if it’s cause Diavolo is the heir and they can’t risk losing him. Lucifer agrees. Diavolo reluctantly agrees but in exchange he wants Beel & Belphie to sing next together cause he once heard them at a RAD festival and they were amazing. Beel starts ordering everything on the menu. Lucifer says if they harmonize they might be able to get a perfect score. The twins sing perfectly together and Dia & Luci are beaming until Beel’s food order finally arrives by materializing on the table all Hogwarts style and well you can guess what happens then. Lucifer seems uncharacteristically rattled and upset by all this and I mean yeah he has to slowly watch his family disappear in front of his eyes while he’s unable to do anything about it – this is probably his worst nightmare. Plus if they don’t get out chances are he’s gonna end up stuck in a tiny room for the rest of his life so

They’re silent and sad for a bit till Satan says that Levi sings a lot of karaoke alone in his room. Levi says it’s not really karaoke and that he just puts on his headphones and sings along with the opening but also how does satan know that!? And satan says, well who doesn’t know that and Levi freaks out and turn to MC and they’re like lol yeah sorry and Levi freaks out more and wishes for death while Diavolo very happily says that Levi must be very talented and that he’d love to hear it someday and Levi starts floundering and deflecting. Satan says Levi shouldn’t be so modest cause usually when they go out to karaoke he doesn’t let any of them leave till he’s sung all his anime songs and Diavolo asks if Levi’s being shy cause he’s there. Levi blushes while Diavolo keeps complimenting him and encouraging him to sing and MC remembering their promise to Levi bails him out by basically saying he’d be too nervous around new people to get a perfect score and Diavolo lets it drop after Levi agrees with them. Satan’s need to leave and watch cat videos becomes too great and he volunteers and Lucifer happily encourages him. Diavolo gets closer to MC and says so did you do something to Lucifer again? Had one of your therapy sessions? And MC teases and says maybe. Diavolo happily says he knew o=it cause usually Lucifer isn’t willing to admit how highly he thinks of Satan and he actually calls MC a “family therapist” and I’m so glad someone finally said it, at this point MC should be getting paid is2g. Satan sings his favourite ballad and Diavolo compliments his singing while Lucifer just compliments Satan as a person in general for striving to do his best in everything and facing challenges with a cool head. Diavolo laughs about how much praise Lucifer’s giving out and Lucifer says he’s just stating the truth. Lucifer says satan should get a 100 until the tv starts showing cat videos, Lucifer yells at satan to not get distracted and satan is able to resist it until it starts showing a pile of sleepy kittens curled up together, who are starting to doze off. It’s too much for satan to stops the song to coo at them, he gets an 83 and is taken away. Levi says that even though it was fun at first he’s starting to get scared. Diavolo asks if Lucifer wants to go next.

[fullmetalscullyy]

lazy mornings

this was a request from ao3 where they asked for some clingy riza. i’ve been feeling v sappy and soft for them recently so decided just to go for it and get writing this one. it was just what i needed uwu hope u enjoy!

rated: g | words: 1537 | tags: fluff, romance, morning cuddles, secret relationship

read on: ao3 | ffnet

“When do you plan on arriving at work?”

Riza watched as Roy shrugged into his military jacket and adjusted it on his shoulders. Her stomach twisted at the thought of him leaving. They’d spent a lovely – secret – evening together last night and now morning was here she didn’t want him to go. They had work in a few hours, but the thought of being apart from him made Riza fidget restlessly. She wanted him to return to bed so she could either fall asleep against him or lie there and listen to his heartbeat. She’d never admit that out loud, but that was honestly what she wished to do. It would make her happy.

Roy shrugged. “The usual time.”

“And when will that be? Knowing your habits it could be any time of morning.”

“I like to pepper a little bit of mystery into your day,” he grinned.

“That’s not the point,” she frowned at him.

He shrugged. “I’ll drive home and have a quick shower and grab some breakfast. Then,” he smirked, “I’ll go and grab some coffee for us both and see you at the office after that.”

“Why can’t you shower and eat here?”

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She cringed slightly but Riza didn’t retract them.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he reassured and that relieved some tension in Riza’s shoulders. They relaxed downwards, but she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding that worry there. “Believe me, Riza,” he added, stopping himself from lacing up his boots so he could turn and face her properly. “I want to spend every waking moment possible with you.”

Her heart fluttered inside her chest.

“I just… I thought we agreed this was the best way?”

“I know,” she sighed. Riza dropped her gaze and started to fiddle with the sheet covering her.

“Besides, surely you can last a few hours without me?”

He lifted an eyebrow but also regarded Riza with a look that said he knew something she didn’t. Riza didn’t like it one bit.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh?” His smile was teasing as he rounded to her corner of the bed. Roy crouched low so he was eye level with her, balancing on the balls of his feet. His head cocked as he tried to figure her out. “What did you mean then?”

Riza shrugged. She did know what she meant though. She knew she didn’t want him to go. Plain and simple. However, voicing that thought aloud was another matter.

“Will you really miss me that much?”

She didn’t answer because she would. She’d miss their closeness and his affection. At work she couldn’t run her hair gently through his fringe like she was doing now. She couldn’t steal a kiss whenever she liked. Ever the professional, and also committed to her duty, Riza would never expect to be able to, however it would be nice to have the option. Even just for one day.

Roy laughed to himself. He leaned forward and pecked her cheek. “What’s made you so clingy all of a sudden?”

Her head snapped up to look at him. Her? Clingy?

“I’m not being clingy,” she denied immediately.

Roy lifted his hands in surrender but the amused look on his face told her that he still believed that was the case.

“I’m not being clingy,” she repeated, emphasising that fact.

“Whatever you say, Riza.”

His smirk didn’t help ease her irritation.

Or are you only irritated because he’s right and you don’t want to admit it? You don’t want to acknowledge just how much you need and want him –

Was she really being clingy?

Riza felt her cheeks flush and turn a light shade of pink. It was made even worse when Roy grinned at her, noticing her embarrassment.

“Riza Hawkeye? Being clingy? Now I’ve seen it all,” Roy mused, far too pleased with his newest discovery.

She glared at him, but he didn’t acknowledge her warning look.

“I could just cancel tonight,” she threatened lightly, “and not come round to your apartment if you’re going to be like that.”

“Don’t you dare,” he warned with a laugh.

“Now who’s being clingy?”

“Who started it?”

He petulantly stuck his tongue out at her and it just made Riza roll her eyes in response.

“It’s always nice to know that my presence is wanted.”

Glancing up at his face was a hesitant move on Riza’s part, but all she saw was his open and honest expression. His playfulness and amusement were gone. In their place was nothing but sincerity and a soft loving smile.

“And I love to know that I’m wanted by you.” He lifted a finger and tapped her nose affectionately.

“You always will be,” she whispered into the quiet room.

“I always feel clingy whenever I leave you.” He didn’t even bat an eye at his admission. “I would say I’m a great actor but when it comes to the private moments like this,” he gestured between them, “that we share, I never want to hide anything.” His eyes pierced into her own gaze. “So I’m sure you’ve noticed that I can be the same way sometimes too,” he chuckled.

“I had,” she admitted, his comment making her smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with being clingy.” Roy leaned forward and pecked her cheek. “It makes you even more endearing than before.”

“Really?” Her cheeks turned pink again, but a questioning eyebrow lifted high on her forehead along with it.

Roy nodded as he grinned at her. ��Not that you aren’t always endearing to me, but it does. Makes me want to stay here with you for a little while longer,” he groaned.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

This time it was his turn to glare at her. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“I’m not,” Riza replied innocently. She could see his resolve wavering. He was seriously considering it.

Just once would be okay, wouldn’t it?

Riza rolled over in place and cuddled back into the pillow he’d been lying on. “I suppose I’ll just have to put up with this poor substitute instead,” she sighed in disappointment.

She shivered as the cool morning air caressed the skin of her bare back. Rolling in place had shifted the sheet covering her. Riza hadn’t minded before because she’d had Roy beside her, who was like a furnace. Now, without him, it was much colder –

The bed dipped, startling her. Roy had shed his work clothing and was currently climbing back in beside her.

“Scoot over.” He nudged at her shoulder and eagerly, she did as he asked. “We can do without good coffee today, right?”

She snickered and sidled right up against his side. “I can make that sacrifice in exchange for you staying here.”

She wrapped her arm across his stomach and held on tight. Underneath her ear his heart beat steadily, and she was instantly soothed.

“Thank you for staying,” she whispered against his skin.

Roy flinched gently as her breath tickled him and it made Riza grin to herself.

“What can I say? I’m a weak man when it comes to you, Riza Hawkeye,” he beamed.

“You love it though.”

“I do. And I love you too.”

Gently, his fingers nudged her chin so she would lift her head. Roy leaned down to capture her lips with his, kissing her softly.

“You’re so good to me, indulging me like this,” she added, her tone turning timid as he made himself comfortable.

“It’s not exactly a hardship,” he laughed.

“No, I know, but –”

“Don’t worry about it. My upcoming day will be even better now, compared to if I’d left. I would have spent a few hours missing you and that’s no way to live at all. Not when you were here waiting for me.”

She hugged him tighter. “I love you.”

A kiss was pressed against the top of her head. Once he’d settled, Riza angled her head to reciprocate in her own way but paused. Her cheek had brushed over something hard and uncomfortable, causing her to stop and investigate.

She lifted up onto her elbow. Out the corner of her eye she could see Roy was confused, wondering what was wrong, but Riza ignored him. She shifted the chain of his dog tags and couldn’t help but grin at the wedding band she’d given him that was held on it. It matched the same one she kept hidden on her own dog tags. The one he’d given her years ago.

Riza pushed it aside gently so she could press a kiss atop his heart.

Once settled back down, the two didn’t fall back asleep. They gave it up so they could simply lie there and exist together, holding one another. Riza played with Roy’s ring. She twirled it around her fingers while Roy’s hand rested atop hers. His touch wasn’t heavy enough to restrict her movements, it was so his fingers could reach and stroke over her wedding band. Last night she’d taken it off her dog tags and slid it onto her ring finger just for him. For them.

It was the best morning they’d ever shared together.

[sandwichrin]

A Little into You (Junkyu x Reader) (Ch. 8)

Chapter 8 - “This isn’t awkward”

Word count: 4.6k words

Genre: Fanfiction, PG13, Comedy, Romance.

A/N: Hi! Surprise! Chapter 8 is here! Thank you for reading and supporting my writing y’all, I truly appreciate everyone’s love and support <3 Hope you all enjoy this chapter, love you all and have a nice weekend 🥰🧡

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to, really,” Junkyu said, sounding all flustered, especially since you didn’t say anything after you accidentally bumped into him.

You were too shocked to even say anything though. Why? You weren’t sure either. But something about this guy makes your heart race.

Your hands were still partially covering your face, since earlier you thought you might have hurt it when you accidentally ran into him, hard.

Hyunsuk, who was not far from you and Junkyu, came over towards you, “Hey, y/n? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Hyunsuk’s hand held your shoulder, making you focus back on reality.

“I…I’m fine, Hyunsuk,” you said, smiling softly at him as you moved your hands from your face.

“Hey, hey…don’t make it seem like it’s totally bad. We just accidentally bumped into each other that’s all. I didn’t hurt her or anything,” Junkyu said.

Jihoon walked over to the three of you, a smirk plastered on his face. “Junkyu-aa! This is y/n!”

Junkyu shot him a confused look, “Who??”

“Oh come on, y/n! It’s y/n, the girl that gave Hyunsuk-hyung his shirt last time,”

Junkyu still looked like he had no clue who you were even after Jihoon mentioned about that incident.

“The girl who helped hide Jaehyuk’s banana milk the other day….?” Jihoon prompted him on.

“Ahh! That girl.”

You stood there, feeling uncomfortable truthfully, now that they’re talking about you out loud.

Junkyu’s eyes lowered down to look at you (since he’s taller than you obviously). “Hmm…it’s nice meeting you, y/n,” he said in an unsure tone though.

You nodded briefly, avoiding eye contact with him. Again, why? No idea, you just felt a tad breathless now that he’s here. Or maybe you were just overwhelmed by what was going on.

You took a deep breath and moved slightly, making Hyunsuk’s hand fell off your shoulder.

“Well, it was nice seeing you all. I better get going now,” you said in one breath.

Just as you were about to dash off, you felt an arm grabbing you by your shoulder.

“Whoa whoa whoa. I thought you were having lunch with us, y/n?” That smooth, sultry voice said.

Your head turned to look at him, Jihoon. Your eyes glanced at his arm that was holding you by your shoulders. If anyone were to pass by, they might think that you were in trouble, since you’re being crowded by guys taller than you.

“N-no…I never said I agreed to that. Besides—”

“Y/n!”

Your sentence was left unfinished when you heard someone calling out to you. You turned your head to see Jaehyuk running towards where you were.

He was slightly panting when he was finally in front of you. Grinning his usual charming smile at you, he asked, “What are you doing here? Did you come to visit us?”

His smile was so wide and happy it made you feel bad if you were to say that you were here only because you were unable to leave since just now.

You responded at Jaehyuk with a smile.

But then again, before you could say anything, Jihoon had already spoken up.

“Y/n is going to have lunch with us! Isn’t that great?” he said cheerfully.

Jaehyuk smiled and cheered loudly, “Yay! That’s great! I’ll let the rest of the group know!” and with that he whipped out his phone and started typing fast onto it. His attention was no longer on you.

You shifted uncomfortably from where you’re standing. You looked up at Jihoon who was close behind you.

“Erm…could you, maybe, I don’t know, let go of me?” you said to Jihoon.

Jihoon stared at you for a while, making your eyes looking elsewhere since you felt that you didn’t need this impromptu staring contest with him.

Jihoon grinned at you before slowly releasing his grip off your shoulders.

“Well, now that that’s settled, let’s head to the restaurant now,” Jihoon said.

“W-wait? I thought we’re supposed to eat with the rest of your members?” you asked.

Hyunsuk lets out a chuckle, “Yeah, we are. But we can’t be seen leaving in a big group, y/n. It’ll make it too obvious that we’re on a free schedule and it might attract too much attention you know,” he explained.

You nodded, understanding what he meant.

                                                               *

 All 5 of you arrived at the Japanese food Restaurant not long after. Truthfully, you felt a little out of place, noticing that the place seemed a little pricey and fancy to your taste.

The boys had already booked a private room for themselves to dine in, which means this will be your first time dining in at fancy restaurant and a private room.

It’s like the one you saw in those shows, you thought to yourself.

Now, honestly, you didn’t think it’d be too awkward since you were kinda dressed appropriately for the place (since you’re still in your work attire), and the boys too, weren’t wearing too fancily. It’s almost like a friendly gathering atmosphere instead.

BUT then, it got awkward when you see the boys shuffling to their seats.

Why is this awkward?

It’s awkward because you realised you had no idea where you were supposed to sit at.

The boys had already taken their seats, Hyunsuk, sitting at head end of the table, Jaehyuk and Jihoon, sitting facing each other, and then there’s Junkyu who’s sitting beside Jihoon.

Which meant that your option was to either sit beside Junkyu or Jaehyuk.

But then you noticed that Junkyu and Jihoon had already secured two sits on that one row so to even it out, it’s better if you sit next to Jaehyuk, right?

You slowly moved towards the seat beside Jaehyuk.

“Oh? Y/n, you’re sitting next to Jaehyuk?” Jihoon asked in all of a sudden, making you stop in your steps.

“Yeah…why? Was it reserved for someone else?” you asked.

“No~ Come here, sit next to me, y/n~” Jaehyuk said in a singsong tune.

This made you smile. You felt glad knowing that the person you’d be sitting next to was Jaehyuk. He’s been very friendly to you, and considering you’ve hung out with him and his dormmates, it only made sense that you were more comfortable sitting with him compared to anyone else in the room right now.

You sat down.

You had a smile on your face, feeling relieved knowing that you will feel less awkward being here by now, when suddenly you felt a cold, sharp gaze staring at you.

You lifted your head slightly and saw Junkyu sitting in front of you.

The moment both of your eyes met, he immediately looked away.

You blinked a few times. Was I imagining things or was he looking this way?

You turned your head away and focused on Hyunsuk who was talking about something to Jihoon, but then your eyes still lingered to look at Junkyu who was sitting opposite you.

Junkyu was looking down at his phone by now and you can’t help but feel like he was uncomfortable with your presence.

“Y/n!!” Yedam appeared at the doorframe of the private room.

Your head turned to look at him. You laughed a little seeing him struggle to enter the door with Junghwan by his side.

“Hey, hey, hey! No pushing!” You heard Mashiho said behind them.

Yedam immediately sat beside you, along with Junghwan following beside him as well.

You saw Jeongwoo shuffling to his seat beside Junkyu. You nodded at him. He too, did the same. The rest followed suit sitting in their respective seats.

 By now, this was what the seating in the private room looked like:

 Head and End of table:

Hyunsuk and Doyoung

Left Row of table:

Jihoon, Junkyu, Jeongwoo, Haruto, Yoshi, Asahi

Right Row of the table:

Jaehyuk, You, Yedam, Junghwan, Mashiho

 Hyunsuk and Jihoon discussed on what food to order. After placing the orders, while waiting for the food to arrive, everyone in the room started making small talk with each other.

“Y/n, how did you get invited here? Didn’t you know, Junghwan and I got so excited to leave practice just now when we read in the chat that Jaehyuk sent us!” Yedam said happily.

You laughed a little at him, “Gosh, you’re making it seem like I’m the celebrity here,”

Yedam laughed as well, “Hey, we missed you that’s all,”

You smiled at him.

Junghwan, who was beside Yedam, moved closer to the both of you, wanting to join in on the conversation as well.

“Hey, hey, y/n noona, I practiced a new song today,”

“Oh yeah? Was it the one that you sent in the group chat the other day?” you asked him.

Junghwan shook his head. “This is another new one noona. It’s called Believe by Justin Bieber,”

“Oh my god! I love that album! I mean, it’s not a new song but that whole album was so so good!” you said excitedly.

Junghwan was excited too, knowing that you liked the song just as much as he does, “Yes! I’m still practicing the song but I’ll let you know if I’m done with it,”

You nodded happily, “Sure, Junghwan.”

“Wait, what are you guys talking about? Jaehyuk didn’t send anything in our group chat,” Hyunsuk interrupted the three of you.

Everyone stopped talking instantly. All eyes were on you, Yedam and Junghwan.

“I…I meant the group chat that we have with y/n…” Yedam said.

Hyunsuk looked at the three of you in disbelief. “What? You all have a group chat together?? All 3 of you??”

“Well, to be precise, it’s the five of us, hyung,” Jaehyuk answered.

“What??”

Hyunsuk’s face was lined with extreme shock. He was the one who met you first, and yet his other friends were already being closer with you compared to him! Just how??

“Yah, Junghwan-aa, since when did you start addressing y/n as ‘Noona’? Last time we checked, you were barely able to converse with a girl this close, let alone calling them noona,” Jihoon asked, amused with what’s going on around him now.

Junghwan blushed slightly, “Y/n-noona said I could call her that…” he said shyly.

Hyunsuk was still baffled. He was speechless. He didn’t know how to react to this, but he also knew this was shocking news to him. It was difficult enough to get you to have lunch with him, and yet how was it so easy for them to get along with you right away?

“Oh come on hyung, what do you expect? We hung out with y/n the other day when you sent us to go get my banana uyu from her place,” Jaehyuk added.

“Yeah, we realised we clicked with each other so ever since that day we’ve all been chatting each other in the group we made,” Yedam explained further.

“Even Asahi is in the group??” Jihoon mused.

Everyone turned to look at Asahi who was calmly drinking his cup of hot green tea.

Asahi took a slow sip from his cup, clearly unbothered by everyone’s eyes on him.

When he was done, he placed the cup on the table and said briefly, “Hmm yeah.”

This earned a hearty laugh from Jihoon. He started laughing out loud.

“Oh no, he’s laughing alone again,” Yoshi whispered to Haruto. “Someone help him,” he said, genuinely concerned with his hyung.

Hyunsuk wasn’t the only one confused. You were too. Wasn’t this supposed to be a casual lunch? When did everyone get so intense??

And to make it worse, you couldn’t stop catching Junkyu shooting glares at you. What is this guy’s deal??

You held in your breath, hoping to just wake up from this dream. This has got to be a dream. It’s so bad that you wanted it to be a dream. Please.

Haruto raised his hand in all of a sudden.

All the tension in the room suddenly eased when they all paid attention to him. You too, slowly released your breath that you’ve been holding in.

“What is it Ruto? Are you okay?” Hyunsuk asked.

“Can someone…tell me what is going on here?” He said, in his deep voice. He had an annoyed look on his face too, probably because of the atmosphere everyone was in just now.

Haruto eyed you as well, which made you grip your cup in your hand.

“And can someone please tell me who this is?” he added.

You could hear yourself swallowing your own voice. You weren’t sure if you should be speaking up or not right now.

“Oh, well, this…this is y/n noona,” Junghwan said, trying to answer Haruto’s questions.

Haruto raised an eyebrow at their maknae, “Noona?”

“I meant, y/n…” Junghwan corrected himself.

You scoffed silently. You were clearly sure that you were older than half of them there, and there you go, another guy you barely know, asking questions about you indirectly when you were clearly right in front of him.

Hyunsuk, Jaehyuk and Yedam heard your scoff even when you intentionally did it quietly.

You didn’t need to be here, you thought to yourself. You didn’t need this uncomfortable atmosphere on a day where you were supposed to be celebrating about the merge of your boss’ company with another prestigious company.

“Uhh, actually, everyone, this is y/n. I invited her to have lunch with us today. She’s the girl that helped Jaehyuk with his banana milk case the other day,” Hyunsuk said quickly in one breath. Thank god for his rapping skills.

When he heard you scoff, he was sure, you were upset with the environment he dragged you to be in.

You were still disheartened by what was going on in the room though. And just as you thought of opening your mouth to say something, the waiter arrived carrying your orders.

“Ah! Food is here, everyone!” Yoshi said as he helped receive the plates from the waiter.

You forced a smile at everyone and helped arrange the foods on the table.  

You tried your best not to frown all throughout the time being in that room with them. It wasn’t that you were entirely unhappy being there, it’s just that it was too obvious not everyone welcomed you to be there, so why were you still hanging around there?

Your jaw felt tight as you chew on your food. You kept your head down, just eating and listening to some of them chat whilst eating their dish.

What you didn’t realise was that Hyunsuk kept eyeing you, concerned with what he dragged you into.

Hyunsuk was zoned back to focus when he heard Jihoon laughing out loud from listening to Jaehyuk’s joke in front of him.

Again, his eyes fell onto you. You were chewing your food slowly, and no one was talking to you.

Hyunsuk’s guilt tripled just seeing you all quiet and keeping to yourself in this crowded room. He was thinking hard, on how to get you to cheer up.

You on the other hand, were busy ignoring the people in the room, and busy eating your emotions away. You didn’t want to make it obvious that you were incredibly upset but the way you were breathing totally gave away how you truly felt, especially to Yedam and Jaehyuk since they were sitting beside you.

You were about to place your bowl of unfinished rice onto the table when suddenly, a pair of chopsticks carrying a piece of meat appeared.

You turned to your right and you saw Yedam, holding the end of the chopticks. He smiled at you and placed the meat in your bowl.

“Eat up, y/n. Don’t let the rice go to waste, okay?” he said softly.

Suddenly, tears flooded your eyes. You wanted to cry but you held it in. All your anger washed off when you saw Yedam’s kind expression.

You sniffled to yourself. Come on y/n! Don’t be all sappy and emotional! Your friends are here with you, don’t ruin the moment just ‘cause you are upset!

You nodded at Yedam and continued eating your food, not wanting to worry your new friends.

Suddenly, Jihoon, spoke up loudly, “Hey, Junkyu.”

His loud voice earned few eyes looking at him. Including yours.

Junkyu had already finished his meal and was looking at his phone when Jihoon called his name. His eyes looked up to see his friend beside him, “Yeah?”

Jihoon picked a piece of meat with his chopsticks and placed it into Junkyu’s empty bowl. “Eat up, okay? Don’t waste your food,” he said in teasing tone.

Junkyu, who was confused just as the rest were, furrowed his eyebrows at his bestfriend’s action.

“What? What’s wrong with you today?” Junkyu asked Jihoon, in a confused tone.

Jihoon giggled to himself by this.

Again, Yoshi voiced out his concern about their hyung’s behaviour, “Oh no, there he goes again. Someone, really, is Jihoon-hyung okay?”

Jihoon chuckled at his friend’s remark. He bit on the end of his chopsticks and had his gaze focused on you.

And that’s when it hit you.

“H-hey!” You said, louder than your usual tone.

Jihoon laughed out loud when he saw how red your face went. It turns out that he was teasing you and Yedam earlier. He had seen Yedam giving you his piece of meat and he felt that it would be fun to tease Yedam’s sappy behaviour.

But he didn’t expect you to react this way.

Jihoon was clearly amused by you.

Ignoring Jihoon’s laugh, Hyunsuk asked you, “What is it, y/n? Is everything alright? Why is your face red? Was the food too spicy for you??”

You shook your head, embarrassed that you’ve created this much commotion by now.

“Aishh, Jihoon really can’t stay still, can he? He had to tease y/n like that,” Yedam said, slightly laughing as well.

“Oh? But what happened?” Jeongwoo asked.

Yedam smiled at the rest of his gang. “Ahh, I noticed y/n was quiet so I added some meat into her bowl, that’s all…” his voice trailed off, realising what he did, and now he felt shy about it.

“OOOOHHHHH YEDAMIE LOOK AT YOUUU,” Jaehyuk jeered, teasing his friend as well when he noticed Yedam’s shy smile.

The rest of the room went wild with cheers in all of a sudden.

You were perplexed by this, like??? Everyone was so intense just now and in a split second, everyone was having fun making fun of each other???

“Oooohhhh I didn’t know y/n would be your kind of girl, yedamie,”

“No wonder you’re all excited about meeting her just now! Did you guys know?? Yedam literally finished up the new choreo in 10 minutes CLEANLY after he got the text from Jaehyuk!”

All the loud commotion made everyone in the room crack up. Yedam was defending himself and facing all the teasings his friends were giving, and most of them who weren’t teasing were laughing along loudly, clearly enjoying this atmosphere.

Your eyes travelled to look at Haruto, who was also laughing along with Yoshi beside him.

And then you braved yourself to look at Junkyu who was in front of you.

There he was, laughing out loud with his mouth wide open and slapping the table with his hand when he sees Junghwan trying to feed Yedam and talking in a baby voice, still imitating Yedam on his gestures towards you.

Jaehyuk and Jihoon began singing while clapping their hands, “Yedam and y/n sitting on a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n—”

You started laughing as well, loving how warm and playful they are towards each other.

Now, your laugh wasn’t loud or anything, but it was audible enough to make everyone stop what they were doing and turned their attention to you.

Your laugh slowly faded when you noticed everyone’s eyes on you.

You cleared your throat. “W-what?”

“Y/n...you laughed!” Hyunsuk exclaimed.

“Erm…yeah? I know how to laugh too you know,” you stated matter-of-factly, as you giggled, thinking that what Hyunsuk said was funny to you.

“Oh but noona, you rarely laugh! You’re always just smiling politely at us,” Junghwan added.

You rolled your eyes slightly. You smiled at them again, “Oh my god! This is normal. Please, can we just go back to teasing Yedam here?” you said as you side-glanced Yedam.

Yedam elbowed you slightly, “Hmph, you’re one to talk, they’re all teasing you too, you know,”

You let out a light laugh. “Fine, but really, it was a nice moment.”

“What is?” Junkyu asked.

You were surprised he actually talked to you without glaring at you this time.

“I mean, it was nice to see you all have this roller coaster bond. I like how it’s easy for you all to cheer each other up by just simply being yourselves with each other. It’s…nice.” You said.

“Ew, y/n-ssi, I think you’re getting all sappy from being friends with Hyunsuk-hyung,” Doyoung said.

Few of you laughed at this, including yourself.

“I’m just saying,” you said.

“Sure, sure y/n. Now yedam-hyung, tell us again how you were being all sweet with y/n again,” Haruto said, holding in his giggles.

He was clearly enjoying this too much.

You rolled your eyes at this, “He was just being nice y’all, like, chill,” you said.

Yedam nodded and smiled at this.

Jihoon and Jaehyuk eyed each other for a while before singing again,

“YEDAM AND Y/N, SITTING ON A TREE, K-I-S-S-“

“Oh my god you guys!” You laughed out loud. This time you were lightly hitting Jaehyuk beside you to get him to stop.

Everyone in the room started cheering, asking you to hit Jihoon as well.

You laughed along with everyone, simply enjoying yourself being there now.

Hyunsuk, who was worried about you, was smiling to himself now. He was glad that you were smiling and laughing now. He was glad…that he brought you to meet them.

                                                                    *

 The lunch ended after you all spent 2 hours just chatting and getting to know each other at the restaurant.

By now, you were all about to leave the restaurant, and waiting for your transport to go back home.

“Oh, so you’re all not going on that black van thingy?” you asked, surprised that they’re all waiting for cabs instead.

“Nah, it’s not a scheduled event, this lunch, I mean,” Hyunsuk said.

“We usually take our own rides when we have our own personal outings, so that it wouldn’t be too obvious, you know,” Jihoon added, explaining further.

“Huh…I didn’t know it was like that. This is something I just knew.”

Jihoon chuckled. “Come on, y/n. We need our own private moments too,”

“Alright, I get you,” you said to him, lightly giggling.

A cab arrived in front of you all, and you checked your phone to see if it’s the one you booked.

“Oh! This is my ride. I’ll be leaving first then,” you said as you waved goodbye to them.

The rest of them started saying bye and waving their hands at you, as they watched you enter the car.

As soon as your cab disappeared from their sight, the rest of the boys started crowding around their leaders.

“Wait, I thought Jeongwoo once said y/n lives in the same apartment block as us? Why can’t we just split cabs with her? That would’ve saved us more,” Mashiho wondered aloud.

Jeongwoo shook his head at this, “Hyung! It’s obvious we can’t do that. Y/n doesn’t know we live there. Well, I think she doesn’t know. I mean, I told her last time that I was just coincidentally there because I was visiting a friend,” he said, sounding unsure with himself.

Hyunsuk blinked at this. “Huh…so, none of you ever mentioned that we all live in the same apartment block as y/n?”

“No…” Yedam said.

The rest shook their heads as well at this.

“That’s weird. How can she not piece it all up? I mean, it would be kind of dumb for her to believe Jeongwoo when he said he was just visiting a friend there. I mean, Jeongwoo was taking out the trash! Who would take out their friend’s house’s trash for them??” Junkyu said.

Everyone looked at Junkyu at this point.

“What? I’m just saying.” He shrugged.

Hyunsuk pouted at this. “Hey, don’t make it sound like that. Y/n is not dumb. She’s just nice, that’s all,”

“Pfft. Hyung, you’re so smittened by her. You keep defending her,” Haruto said.

“What? Noooo. I was just protecting her, that’s all. She’s a nice friend,” Hyunsuk replied his dongsaeng.

“Yeah, besides, doesn’t Hyunsuk usually defend the rest of us too? Our hyung is just kind and caring towards his friend,” Jaehyuk added.

Hyunsuk grinned and playfully pinched Jaehyuk’s cheeks when he heard this.

“Aww our Hyukkie is a nice and caring friend too,” Hyunsuk cooed.

Doyoung interrupted them this time, “Oh? So…if it isn’t Hyunsuk who likes her, then…could it be Yedam?”

“What? Noooo!” Yedam laughed at his dongsaeng’s remark.

“Nah, Yedam has always been nice to everyone. He takes care of his other girl friends nicely too,” Asahi said, finally saying something in the discussion.

Junghwan and Jeongwoo nodded at this.

“Yeah! Yedam-hyung, you’re the best!” Junghwan said.

Yedam chuckled.

“Huh? What do you mean, doyoung? Are you implying that someone in this group should like y/n??” Junkyu asked aloud.

“Ahh no, no. I was just wondering you know…”

Junkyu scoffed out loud. “That better not happen. I wouldn’t want a girl causing a ruckus in our group just because one of us likes her,”

“What does that mean, Junkyu?” Yoshi asked, confused with what Junkyu is trying to say.

“I mean, if one of us likes her, and she likes someone else in the group, OR if more than one of us likes her, wouldn’t that cause us all to break apart??”

This earned Junkyu a light slap at the back of his head by Jihoon. “Ow, hey!”

“Aish, there you go overthinking stuff again,” Jihoon said in a nagging tone.

“I wouldn’t want us to break apart….” Junghwan said in a sullen tone.

“We won’t!” Jihoon said, assuring his members. “Besides, the chance of someone liking y/n is definitely there. And I just know who it might be,” he added.

“Oh? You can tell?” Mashiho asked.

“Definitely,” Jihoon smiled, his eyes glancing over at his best friend not far from him.

“Who, hyung?” Junghwan asked, feeling amazed at how his hyung is able to have this kind of premonition. Jihoon hyung must have special powers or some 6th sense stuff, he wondered to himself.

“Who cares who it is. Now, where’s our ride??” Junkyu said.

Haruto checked his phone, “Uh oh.”

“What? What is it Ruto?” Hyunsuk asked, worried.

“I uhh, I forgot to press the book button for our rides…”

“Oh come onnnn,” Junkyu whined.

The rest of the group giggled at Haruto’s honest yet cute mistake.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, we can just book again now,” Asahi said, smiling. He whipped out his phone and immediately booked two 6-seaters for them.

“Thanks, hyung,” Haruto said to him. Asahi nodded briefly at his friend.

They waited for their ride again this time, hoping that it’ll arrive soon.

While waiting, Doyoung asked again, “No, but really, hyung. Who would you predict to end up with y/n if it so happens that one of us likes her?”

Junkyu pouted at doyoung when he heard his friend still not dropping the subject of you.

Doyoung laughed when he saw Junkyu’s cute expression. “Alright, alright, we’ll stop talking about her,”

Jihoon on the other hand, simply smiled knowingly to himself. His eyes glanced over at Junkyu for a while.

“I don’t dare to say, but I just have a strong feeling who might fit her best,” he said, still smiling and glancing over at Junkyu again.

 To be continued…

[aro-and-tired]

Idea for a way to turn the Hanahaki trope around to make it more aro-friendly:

Story starts out pretty typical. Person A falls for Person B, B doesn’t love them back, and A gets Hanahaki. A decides immediately not to tell B about this - it’s not B’s fault that this happened. It would be incredibly selfish and creepy to expect B to love them back, and even just mentioning this to B would put that kind of pressure on them.

But A also decides that they can’t just keep going like this. The sickness hurts, and it’s potentially lethal. In a different occasion, A would be happy just loving B in silence, but this isn’t an option. It’s not worth to put themselves through this kind of pain for feelings that will not be requited, feelings that at this point don’t bring anything even remotely good with them.

So A decides to get that surgery done, to remove the Hanahaki. Which would remove their feelings too - it’s not an easy choice, but it is a necessary one. They get the surgery, they heal, there’s no more pain, no more flowers. No more feelings too, and at first that hurts. A still cares for B, but that love isn’t there anymore. A misses that initially. They mourn that loss.

But soon they get better. The pros outweigh the cons. And they can hang out with B again now, without flowers and without the pressure of that love that would only bring trouble between them. Their friendship feels better now. Easier.

Maybe A’s old sickness comes up, at some point. B finds out about it, and they’re conflicted about it. They don’t like that their friend had to suffer. They’re relieved, in a way, to know that A doesn’t feel like that about them anymore, and that A respected them enough not to put them in the spot, but they’re still uneasy. A however reassures them that they don’t blame B, and in the end they don’t regret getting rid of that either. Besides, this way A can spend more time with B, and without the pain of that romantic love, and so in the end isn’t that a win? Isn’t it better to have a whole life with your friend, rather than dying before your time and having your last time with them bittered by the sickness?

There are multiple ways this can end. Maybe A and B enter a queerplatonic relationship, one that is as meaningful and as deep as any romantic relationship. Maybe they don’t, they stay good friends. Maybe A falls for someone else in the long run, and they enter a good romantic relationship. Or maybe the surgery made it so that they can’t feel romantic attraction for anyone ever again, and of course this would cause them a strong distress at first, but in the long run they learn how to live a fulfilling live despite that.

Anyways, I think this could be a nice twist on the trope, one that’s not always the same “tragic romance” flavor and that I’d find much more palatable as an aro.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Welcome to Backwater ch.9 (spicyhoney)

Summary: Stretch is getting a chance to meet the local Sheriff and to say he is not excited would be an understatement.

Read chapter 9: ‘Addressing the Public’ on AO3 

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

For his first day off from the grocery, today sure seemed like it was determined to make its mark so he couldn’t possibly forget it. At this point, it was about burned into Stretch’s memory, for sure.

First there was Doris who added her clues into his trick r treat bucket, then the town assholes showed up for their serial killer practice. Then, as a treat, he got to have the double punch of a lunch with Edge, a sweet and sour mixture of possibly flirtatious revelations coupled to an unwanted chat about his own traumas, served warm over some delicious pie.

Now it looked like he was about to get a sequel to the Assholes: Part Deux, the Assholes’ Revenge, in the form of a sheriff filled with blustering indignation and accusations, and all Stretch had was a mouthful of pie to defend himself. Worse, his only witness had already paid the bill and left.

Stretch swallowed his last bite, chasing it down with water when it tried to stick in the back of his throat as he went over possibilities. He could try to explain the situation, but if there was one thing he’d learned from living in Ebott, it was that if a Monster was talking to the cops, it was best to keep it short, sweet, and polite. Don’t try to explain or admit to shit, ‘cause they’d be more than happy to add another line to the list of things to harass you about.

Seriously, he missed being able to shortcut, this whole facing trouble head-on thing wasn’t for him.

The sheriff huffed again, loudly, and it fluffed up his broad mustache like a human-shaped walrus. He propped fists about the size of a baby’s head on his broad hips and growled out, “So? Is that it? You’re here startin’ some trouble in my peaceful little town?”

Stretch looked up into those mirrored sunglasses. If they were standing, Stretch would probably have a couple inches on the guy, but sitting here in the booth the sheriff loomed over him ominously, his own distorted reflection showing back his nervous face.

“no, sir,” Stretch said politely. Stick with the basic, that was good for a start, and hopefully Red would be willing to bail him out if that became necessary. At least Red wouldn’t have far to go.

The rest of the diner was staring, not a single fork was engaged as they watched the latest scene in the town drama unfold. Not that he blamed them, this was probably about the most action they’d seen in weeks, but he did sort of wish someone would be a little concerned rather than eagerly interested. Waiting to see if maybe the local sheriff was gonna slap on some cuffs so they could whip out their phones for a nice tiktok video while he was getting read his rights?

“No?” the sheriff demanded. His sunglasses reflected the overhead light, making Stretch wince back. “I heard you were out there riling up the corn yesterday. And today you were playing dog days with the doggerel boys?”

That was true, except how it wasn’t, and a trickle of sweat was winding its way down Stretch’s spine despite the air conditioning. Before he could wheeze out another ‘no sir’ or any other answer at all, a sudden, booming laugh filled the entire diner, loud enough to echo from the greasy grill before rolling back out to rattle the windows. The sheriff hooked his thumbs into a belt with a buckle so big that could probably double as a satellite dish, guffawing loudly, “Aw, you ain’t in any trouble, I’m just joshing ya, boy!”

Oh. Ohhhh, this was only a little goodnatured small-town hazing, that he could deal with, if he managed to swallow his quivering soul back down where it belonged. Stretch tried on a smile to match the sheriff’s ongoing laughter and found that it fit pretty well, all things considered.

“can’t be joshing, my name is stretch,” Stretch said with cautious humor. “but i guess stretching me would be an entirely different meaning. think they gave that one up in the middle ages.”

The sheriff bellowed out another laugh that practically shook the silverware, actually bending over to give his knee a loud slap. Around them rose other chuckles around mouthfuls of pie and how strange was it that he could feel the difference between people laughing at him and laughing with him. There was a certain fondness in that laughter, in the warm expressions coming his way from townsfolk that he sort of knew; these were people who’d bought their toilet paper and fresh apples from him on any given day, who’d give him waves and smiles when he passed them on the sidewalk and maybe it was an unusual form of kindness, but their humor still made unexpected tears prick in his sockets.

Stretch grabbed his napkin and dabbed hastily at his face as if he were wiping away sweat before anyone could see and misunderstand. How could he explain to them that in all his life, he’d never felt such a wash of overwhelming fondness from anyone except maybe his own brother.

(Not even from the person who’d told him so often and so tenderly that he loved him…until he didn’t, fucking hell, he wasn’t thinking about that right now, he wasn’t.)

The sheriff was obviously no fool and already his expression was softening into remorse, maybe coming up with an apology that Stretch desperately did not want, not for this. Rescue came almost too late and from an entirely unexpected source. Granny Collemore was so short Stretch could only see her steel-gray hair piled up in a messy bun over the top of the booth as she approached, but he heard her hollering well enough.

“Buford, you let that poor boy alone!” There was a smacking sound of a cane hitting flesh and Stretch couldn’t see where the blow struck, but the sheriff, Buford, let out a yelp, hopping on one foot as he frantically rubbed his shin.

“Sam Hill, granny, I was only playin!” he grumbled. He pulled up the leg of his trousers to examine his granny-inflicted wound. There was a reddened welt on the skin, already shading to purple.

“You hush yourself,” Granny huffed, “I’m half-past give-a-shit today and you may be the sheriff in these parts, but you ain’t too old for a hiding!” Granny shuffled into view, her cane hooked over one arm. She reached out with her wrinkled hands and Stretch leaned over obediently to let her to cup his face gently in her palms as she clucked with concern. “Does he look like he’s up for your shenanigans?” she groused loudly, “‘specially since this feller is working over at the grocery with Red, bless his heart.”

“That a fact?” Buford pushed his hat up and offered a crooked smile. “Must be a brave soul, then. Well, you tell that sonavabitch I’m gunning for him this Sunday. He better be there with silver bells on and you tell him that whatever aces are up his sleeves, better make sure they ain’t spades, ‘cause that’s the reverend’s favorite cheat.”

“i’ll do that,” Stretch agreed, a touch bewildered. Hell, he’d thought Red was joking when he said the sheriff was his poker buddy.

That sounded like an exit line, it was starting to look like Stretch was going to make it out of here unscathed, and he might have if Granny hadn’t put in, happily, “Anyhoo, Buford, you just miss seeing Edge. He was here sharing a slice of pie with our new fella.”

Dark eyebrows rose up over those mirrored lenses and Buford hooted a laugh, “Oho, that how it is. On a date with our Edge, were ya.”

Great, that was exactly what he didn’t want getting back to Red. Enjoying a little flirting was one thing, but not if it started the wheels of the gossip train turning. With his luck, it would crash right into a dumpster fire. “uh, no, no dates, just pie.”

He did not expect Buford to suddenly look a little offended, those eyebrows drawing down into a frown behind his glasses. “Why in the Sam Hill not? Ain’t he your type?”

“Uh.” Stretch looked around a little wildly, away from Granny and Buford to see the rest of the diner was still watching them with interest. No, not just interest, there was an awful lot of sly looks there and whispering behind hands, along with soft expressions and doe-eyes…

Oh. Oh, shit, it was worse than he thought. They were invested, everyone in this diner was taking sides and they were choosing the romance option, this was bad, this sort of thing was infectious and the last thing he needed right now was an entire town of matchmakers trying to hook him up with the local hottie. It was like an unsolved Agatha Christie took a sudden, sideways turn into a Hallmark Gyftmas movie.

Buford and the rest of the diner were all waiting for him to explain why he and Edge weren’t dating and Stretch was sitting here, fumbling around at the pass.

“we’re not dating, we’re just—” Stretch coughed awkwardly, hesitating. The truth was ‘it’s complicated’ was probably most accurate, although ‘barely met acquaintances’ was a close second, or even the generic, ‘he’s my boss’s baby bro whose ass i am definitely not staring whenever i see him but also his smile is really nice and—' “—friends,” Stretch finished, lamely.

Buford nodded like he’d offered not a nugget of wisdom, but an entire ten-piece with the tangy sauce. The light reflected in his mirrored gaze as he said, kindly, “That ain’t a bad thing.”

Relieved, Stretch let out an unsteady laugh, “kinda surprised you don't think i'm a cousin or something.”

Buford snorted loudly at that, “Son, you boys don't look a thing alike.”

And that there was another surprise to add to his daily total. In Ebott, Stretch was constantly getting mistaken for Papyrus or Sans, even his own brother once or twice. Half the time, people either didn’t know his name or didn’t care to, and Backwater was a strange place, no question, but that sure didn’t mean it was bad.

Buford didn’t seem to notice his shock as he went on, “Now there’s a boy who could use some en-ter-tainment. Works too hard, damned if he don’t.”

Now that was a clue looking him right in the face and Stretch took the Velma leap and pounced on it, trying for a little discreet nonchalance, “yeah? what does he work so hard at?”

A shame Buford seemed to be pretty quick on the draw. He gave Stretch a shrewd look, “He ain’t told you?”

“no, sir,” Stretch sighed glumly. Seriously, he was the worst Velma ever.

Buford went ahead and poured salt into the open wound with another short laugh, “Naw, I’ll ain’t stepping in that cow pie. I’ll let him talk to ya about that. But see if you can’t get him to slow down for another--” Buford gave him a sly wink and actually hooked his thick fingers into air quotes, “’friend date’, wontcha?”

Then he grunted as Granny Collemore jammed her elbow into his soft gut, tutting loudly, “You never did shake the ants outta your pants did you, Buford! Let those boys alone, they'll go at their own pace.” To Stretch she offered sunny, toothless grin, “Come on, and walk an old lady out.”

“yes, ma’am,” Stretch said. Hey, he might be an idiot, but he was no fool. He stood up, ready to make his getaway, halted only briefly by Buford snatching up his hand and giving it an enthusiastic shake, though his grip was gentle on the delicate bones.

“Welcome to town, Stretch,” Buford told him. For once he was completely serious as he said, low, “and don’t you worry about those boys.” He tapped the side of his nose, his broad finger reflected in his sunglasses. “I know what happened, it’ll be taken care of.”

“i appreciate that,” Stretch said, and he meant it. He turned and followed after Granny, only dodging ahead to hold up the door so she could shuffle out.

“Thank you, sonny,” Granny huffed as she made her slow way through the door. “These old bones ain’t as spry as yours. You should head on home now, there's a storm a’comin'."

Stretch looked up into the cloudless sky in confusion, greeted by endless blue.

“Oh, you can trust me," Granny grimaced and rubbed at her hip, "these joints don't lie."

“i will,” Stretch agreed. After his lesson with the corn, he was taking the townsfolk at their word and if granny said a storm was heading this way, he expected to see clouds blowing in any minute now.

He left Granny to make her way home and headed back to the store. Red only grunted when he came in, didn’t even look up from his book as he hooked an absent thumb towards his apartment. There was a bag sitting on the table and when Stretch looked inside, there was a sandwich neatly covered in plastic wrap, a bag of chisps, and a bottle of juice. He was still full up on pie, but it would make for a nice, simple dinner, good thing he had Red up there looking after him. Maybe he should suggest to Red that he get a tattoo, a nice heart engraved on his arm with ‘Mom’ in the middle, since now he had one.

Stretch took the bag upstairs with him and opened the window. He took a moment to breathe in the already cooling air, a herald to the coming storm.

The book was sitting where he’d left it last night when he’d dragged himself off Red’s sofa, limbs spaghettied from sleep and his mind noodly mush. He’d brought the book along without even thinking about it and now the hardcover seemed to mock him with the necessary knowledge hidden somewhere within those pages.

Welp, there was only one way he was gonna get the info out of it and that didn’t mean beating it against his skull until the words shook out. He picked it up and settled to sit cross-legged on the bed, bracing himself for what might well be hours of boredom as he turned it to the first page.

And frowned. At the top of the page was a family name, ‘Anderson’, along with the date, ‘1884’. There was a short selection of first names beneath it and next to each was what looked like a telephone number and an address.

“what the hell?” Stretch muttered. He flipped to the second page and it was the same thing, only the name was ‘Armstrong’ and there were a lot more first names to go with it, someone was getting busy on the weekends, for sure.

Stretch flipped to the next page, and the next. All of them had the same thing, a last name, then a collection of firsts with a number and an address. Finally, he flipped back to the title page. There, right underneath the scrolling text declaring the book ‘The Informal History of Backwater’ was a tiny addition he hadn’t noticed before, stating in a small, stark font, ‘Municipal Directory.’

For a long moment, Stretch could only stare at it, until the words started floating in his sight. Laughter bubbled up suddenly, fizzing in him like a shaken soda. "sonofabitch," Stretch burst out, snickering madly. The damn thing was a glorified telephone book and Edge had flat-out given him his damned address already, practically gift-wrapped it! And he'd almost refused to take the damn thing! Guy wasn't only sexy, he had jokes and if he wasn't already a treat to the senses, that would have upgraded him to a bone-ified snack.

Address had to be in here, all Stretch needed to do was find it. The book was bigger than he would’ve thought from a small town, but from the look of it, they never took anyone out, only kept adding on. Occasionally next to a name he saw an abbreviated ‘dec.,’ so maybe this was a bit of town history, after all, kind of a family tree, anyway.

It still took him awhile to find their names, flipping through the book. The names were alphabetized, but that didn’t help much when the family he was looking for didn’t have a last name. Finally, under the surname ‘Skeleton’, he found them.

“should’ve tried that to begin with,” Stretch muttered. He read the entry, following along with his finger, only to pause in confusion when it came to the date recorded neatly by their names. It listed them as arriving in town over a decade ago and if that was when they came to Backwater, then whoever printed this needed to proofread a little better, because that was impossible. Monsters had only been on the surface for a couple years, not quite three now, so it had to be a mistake.

Except, Edge struck him as the kind of guy who was pedantic enough that there was no way he wouldn’t bitch until it was fixed; anyone who ate their pie like it was a military maneuver wouldn’t be able to stand such an egregious error. And he’d made sure to give Stretch the book, so he damn well knew he’d be seeing this. So what the hell did all this mean?

What did any of this mean?

Stretch sank back against the wall behind him, tipping his head up so he could stare at the ceiling. There was a crack in the plaster in one the corner, spidering off into a shape like a lightning bolt and that was exactly what Stretch felt like he’d been struck with.

What the hell was this place? Some kind of fairytale, where one day in town was a week on the outside? If he hopped on another bus and made his way to the next town over, would the papers tell him it was next Tuesday or the next century?

It was enough to inspire him to check his messages. Stretch fumbled for his phone, opening the text app for the first time in days. The amount of alerts made him wince but it was the last message that roused that endless ache in his soul back up to true pain.

I understand that you’re hurting, brother. You don’t have to tell me where you are. You don’t even have to call. All I ask is you send me a message every once in a while to let me know you’re all right. Please.

Stretch closed his sockets and swallowed against the sudden knot in his throat. Before he could rethink it, he typed a hasty, i’m all right and sent it, then lurched over to shove his phone into the nightstand drawer, slamming it shut.

Even so, he couldn’t help listening, straining to hear but there was no vibrating buzz, nothing to indicate a return message.

Good enough.

Stretch took a deep, shaky breath, then dragged the book back over and studied the entry again. Red’s address was the store, no surprises there, but Edge was listed under 637 Wood’s End Drive.

Wood’s End. Seriously?

Welp, it was one mystery solved, anyway, even if he’d skipped the meddling kids part. Now all he needed was to plan a field trip.

A sudden flash of lightning lit the room, putting the fake bolt on his ceiling to bitter shame and the sky outside seemed to burst, rain pouring down and pelting through his open window. Stretch scrambled over to slam it closed, shaking away the damp on his hands. All the sunshine from earlier was gone, the sky darkened into angry, swirling storm clouds as the downpour drenched the parched earth.

Yeah, field trip was postponed on account of rain, but not for long. He’d get there and maybe once he showed up on Edge’s doorstep, he’d finally get some real answers.

For now, though, all Stretch wanted was a towel.

tbc

[winryofresembool]

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 33

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: What happens after Leo returns? (At Waystation, pt 1234)

A/N:  What is this? A new chapter? I know I probably apologize too much but still, sorry for the long wait! Writer's block is not fun, you guys. It seems that I'm getting more and more insecure about where I should take this story by each chapter, but I did get a couple of encouraging comments while I was writing it and they motivated me to keep going! Extra special shoutout to my bff Cris(sy) for both recommending me the song that eventually helped this chapter to be born, and also helping me edit yesterday because I certainly wouldn't be posting this right now without you. (((((((((huug))))))))))

Disclaimer: The song New Year's Day obviously belongs to Taylor Swift and I definitely recommend listening to it while reading this chapter (specifically the scene where it's mentioned).

Words: 3300+

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / AO3

…

Leo stayed at the park for a while longer, but eventually he knew he had to return to Waystation. The talk with Piper had made him feel a bit better, but he was still worried about how Calypso would react to his meltdown. In his opinion, she had every right to be mad. He would have to explain his behavior, but how? That was the big question.

It was already well past noon when Leo showed up at Waystation again. The building was surprisingly quiet when he entered, hoping the others were looking for him. Usually Georgina was all over the place around this time, sugar high from the chocolate she had eaten and making a mess with her new presents. Luckily, once he had removed his coat and his hat, he started hearing some clunking from the kitchen, indicating someone was there.

Instead of just bursting into the kitchen and announcing that he had returned, he stopped to watch by the doorway. Only Calypso and Georgina were in there, the younger girl chatting enthusiastically while the older one was instructing her with baking. They were standing with their backs towards the door so they couldn’t see Leo. The smell that was coming from the oven somehow felt very familiar… something he associated with Calypso. It wasn’t until she bowed down to take something out of the oven that he realized what it was. The cookies smelled the same as the cake Calypso had baked a few times at their flat, and the shampoo she used: cinnamon-y.

“Look, Georgina!” Calypso showed her the cookies. “These ended up pretty good.” It sounded like she was hesitating a bit before she continued: “Hopefully your brother will like them as well.”

“Oh, he will, Calie! He’d probably like anything you do!” Georgina noted in the straightforward style she was used to.

“But I didn’t make these alone,” Calypso reminded her. “I had a good helper.” She put the oven pan on the table and reached to ruffle the top of Georgina’s hair a bit.

“Where do you think he went, anyway?” Georgina asked. Leo wasn’t sure if he just imagined it but to him she sounded pretty worried. “I’ve not seen him that way often…”

Calypso sounded pretty cautious when she answered. “I’m sure he will be back soon. He must be tired because he’s been working a lot lately and that’s why he’s a bit on the edge… but he wouldn’t want to miss your gingerbread cookies. Hey, what color should we use to decorate these?” She turned Georgina’s focus back to the cookies again. “Do you think pink would be cute?”

“No, I want all the different colors! Blue, red, purple, green, yellow…” Georgina started listing all the colors that she could remember.

“I don’t think we have that many food color bottles here,” Calypso pointed out with amusement. “But you know, we can try to mix some together!”

“That sounds great! Hey, is pink your favorite color?” The girl asked suddenly.

“Hah, what gives me away?” Calypso chuckled. Even the apron she was currently wearing happened to be pink, although Leo knew that was probably purely coincidental because she was using one of Emmie’s aprons.

“You’re always wearing something pink and you even wanted pink gingerbread cookies,” Georgina noted while she started mixing the sugar frosting very eagerly.

“You’re a smart one, aren’t you?” Calypso teased. “I do really like pink, though. I don’t know. Maybe it reminds me of the sunsets back in my childhood home… But lately I’ve noticed that I have quite a lot of red things in my wardrobe too. But what about you? What’s your favorite color?”

Georgina gave Calypso a long and colorful answer, which Leo only half listened to. He started thinking about Calypso’s statement. He wasn’t completely dense; he had noticed that Calypso had often picked those outfits that he may have complimented at some point. But could it be that she had even started using more red because of him? Nah, he shook his head, that was a selfish way of thinking. Her outfit choices were probably purely coincidental.

Suddenly Leo realized that he had been standing there eavesdropping the girls way too long. When he was about to leave, though, he heard Georgina say: “my moms try to hide it from me, but I know that Leo is not OK. I mean, maybe he is, sometimes… but I remember that last Christmas was a lot like this one.”

“What do you mean?” Calypso asked.

“He didn’t yell at anyone, but… when he is in a bad mood he either shuts down and avoids us or is even louder than usual. But between the jokes, he doesn’t look happy at all. Moms would probably say ‘Georgie, you’re too small to understand that stuff’, but I’m not a baby anymore. This one golden haired dude visits us sometimes and he knows a lot about health things and he’s been teaching me as well. I know sometimes people get depressed, if for example something really bad has happened to them. And I think something very bad happened to big bro before he came here.”

“Yeah… sometimes things like that happen, sadly… But you know what?” Calypso said, probably attempting to sound more cheerful. “I think your brother is really trying. He cares about you so much he puts your happiness before his. He doesn’t want you to worry about him. But he’s strong, just like you, right? He’ll pull through.”

At this point Leo felt he had heard enough. He had been expecting some talk about him; after all he had just caused a scene in the middle of the present opening. But to hear Calypso talk about him that way? So sweetly? That he hadn’t expected. He had imagined she’d be mad at him after the ‘incident’ of that morning. Maybe she was just trying to be nice simply to calm Georgina down, but that he would never know.

He slowly started backing up, so that the girls wouldn’t notice his presence. However, just when he was nearly by the stairway, his foot hit a box that someone had left on the floor, making a loud noise. Cursing himself in his head, he quickly looked up to see that the sound had piqued the girls’ interest and they both tried to see where it had come from. He hid upstairs as quickly as he could, but that didn’t change the fact that Calypso most likely knew he had been listening to them.

Great, he thought, as he closed his bedroom door behind him. As if things hadn’t already been awkward enough even before this…

… (Calypso POV)

Once she was done with baking with Georgina, Calypso withdrew into her guest room for some ‘me’ time. She had a lot to think about. Leo hadn’t been around for the lunch, which meant that the Waystation group had been unusually quiet while finishing their meals. She knew everyone must have been thinking about him, but no one dared to bring him up. After the lunch, Georgina had asked Calypso to bake with her and she had agreed, welcoming the distraction. But Leo still hadn’t returned so she had started playing with the idea that she wouldn’t listen to Jo and Emmie’s advice, instead going to look for him after cleaning the kitchen. Before she had gotten that far, though, she had heard him in the hallway, but he had disappeared from there before she had time to even properly see him. However, she knew it couldn’t have been anyone else.

While she was relieved that he had finally come back, one part of her was also kind of mad that he had been eavesdropping and hadn’t even told them that he had returned. She was pretty close to just marching into his room and letting him hear it, but eventually she decided she wasn’t quite ready for that talk yet. If only there was some machine that would allow them to exchange their thoughts without the actual confrontation… But that was a naive thought, Calypso knew.

Finally, she decided that dwelling on the issues the whole day wouldn’t help anything. Since the Waystation family would get some Christmas guests for the evening, she decided that she should probably change out of her baking attire (a simple t-shirt and sweatpants) that had gotten a bit floury despite the apron that had covered it. Thankful for having taken several outfits from her flat (see, Leo, they were useful for something after all, she thought), she was drawn between blue jeans and a white blouse and a pretty 50ies style red dress she had only recently sewn for herself. It had sleeves that reached her elbows, a ribbon around the waist and a v-shaped neckline. Calypso wondered if the dress was a bit ‘too much’ for a family dinner but she liked how it had ended up looking and felt pretty confident in it. That’s why she ended up picking it instead of the more casual option. Besides, a tiny voice said in Calypso’s head, it didn’t hurt that Leo liked that color...

Tying her hair into a small braid pun and adding a ribbon around it, she was finally happy with her look. Then her gaze fell into the silver bracelet Leo had given to her that was still around her wrist. Briefly, she wondered how he’d feel about seeing it after their earlier incident, but she decided to leave it on. She had kind of expected Leo to give her something silly, like a CD of him singing Never Gonna Give You Up or chili seeds as a joke, but the jewelry box and the bracelet had been very thoughtful. Leo really knew how to surprise her – in a good way – sometimes…

Realizing that she had already been spending over an hour in her guest room, Calypso decided it was time to go back to socialize with her hosts. She heard Georgina’s voice coming from the living room and decided to go check up on her. The young girl was sitting by the piano, singing one of those more modern Christmas songs that she herself wasn’t crazy about, but somehow it sounded a lot more bearable when Georgina performed it. But what really surprised Calypso was Georgina’s pianist. Leo was sitting there next to his adoptive sister and focusing on running his fingers on the instrument. For some reason she hadn’t expected him to be musical and especially not interested in playing Christmas songs (Calypso knew he was more of a rock ‘n roll type of guy). She wasn’t sure what to think of this discovery.

Calypso had always loved music and she had even attempted to learn to play the piano with the help of a nanny for a little while, but when her dad had discovered what they did, he had immediately told them to stop. To this day, Calypso couldn’t understand why; she just assumed that maybe her beloved father hadn’t wanted her to learn something so ‘useless’. Thankfully, her voice wasn’t something her father could take from her so she had kept singing mostly out of spite, and became pretty good. Now she began wondering if Leo would ever mind teaching her to play… that was, if they were able to have a normal conversation again.

Georgina’s song ended and Calypso stepped forward to let the others know she was there, applauding the girl.

“That sounded good!” She encouraged her. “I’m not a fan of Christmas songs but you did well.”

“Thanks, Calie!” Georgina beamed at her. “Leo has told me you can sing too. Can I hear some? Please? Leo can play!”

“I… uh… wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Calypso turned to Leo. “Since when have you been playing the piano?”

Leo ignored Calypso’s first remark and replied: “Since I was a kid. Yeah, I bet you thought I’m more like a drum person or something but it was my mom’s idea I’d try this. Well? Are you gonna sing something?” He asked when Calypso remained quiet.

“I don’t really know that many Christmas songs…” she replied hesitantly. “Georgie, do you have any suggestions?”

“I love Taylor Swift’s songs!” the 9-year-old announced. “Do you know any of them?”

Calypso nearly burst out laughing. “Of course I do! She’s one of my favorite artists. But I thought we were going to sing Christmas songs.”

“Nah, I think I’ve already had enough of them,” Georgina stated. “But TS has made some holiday themed songs as well. Like New Year’s Day. I have the piano sheet for it!” The girl showed her a book she had borrowed from the library.

“You’re a real Swiftie, huh?” Calypso couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s enthusiasm. “But fine, I actually quite like that song so I could sing it.”

Leo had been following the conversation quietly but now he took the book from Georgina and eyed the sheet.

“Let me practice a little; I haven’t even heard this song before so I have no idea how to play it.”

“Sure, take your time,” Calypso said carefully. She was relieved to see that Leo was acting that calmly now despite the morning’s incident but she couldn’t help but wonder if that was just the surface. Surely he couldn’t have just completely forgotten about it? She would have to bring it up at some point, but now was not the time. Even when she attempted to read the lyrics her thoughts kept going back to him.

She was so lost in her thoughts that Leo had to raise his voice before she noticed he had stopped playing. “Hey, did you hear me? I asked if you’re ready.”

“What?” she shook her head. “Sorry. I was just wondering something. But yes, I’m ready now.”

Calypso noticed that Georgina kept looking at them curiously, but for once she didn’t say anything.

“Good. Let’s go,” Leo said in a neutral tone.

As she started singing, the lyrics started sinking into her differently than before. Suddenly she felt like she was the narrator, singing about the aftermath of a party she had attended. Even though Calypso wasn’t big on parties, and the latest one she had been in – the Halloween one – hadn’t gone ideally, when she kept picturing herself among her friends that she had gained during her time in Indianapolis, smiling, carrying their shoes because their feet hurt from the dancing, she felt… happy. Adding to that the image of spending time with Leo cleaning up their home while he made his snarky comments and probably tried to sabotage her cleaning process, she felt warm in a way she hadn’t expected. However, she tried to stop that track of thoughts because she realized what it implied. The narrator of the song was singing about her significant other, and Calypso had decided a long time ago that she shouldn’t get one.

As Leo kept playing, Calypso tried to keep her focus on his fingers running on the keys. For a while it worked; Calypso was amazed by how fast they could move, but then again, she supposed that all those years of building things with his hands really helped him develop that skill. Calypso could spot some stains on his hands from the machines he had handled that would barely leave even with soap, and the under nail area could definitely have used some proper scrubbing, but he wouldn’t have been Leo without those things. She couldn’t imagine him not fiddling with something 24/7. That was one of the reasons she admired him; she valued hard work pretty high and couldn’t imagine being with someone who was just sitting still.

”But I stay when you're lost and I'm scared and you're turning away…”

When Calypso reached that part, she felt chills go down her spine because of how well that line described her and Leo’s current situation. He felt lost because of some past traumas. She was scared of both letting him too close and losing him and everything she had gained since that fall. He had turned away from her and his family already twice that day. But there was hope; maybe, if they managed to finally communicate properly, they’d find a way to even deal with the ‘midnights’.

“Hold on to your memories, they will hold on to you.”

Calypso stopped to think about that line. At first her thoughts went to the badmemories such as the times when she had been living with her father. But when she repeated the line, she understood the song was talking about the good memories that would carry you even in your worst moments. Before she knew it, she was filled with flashbacks. Yelling at Leo after Festus broke her desk. The weird warm feeling after she saw the fixed desk. Casually spending time together; cooking, cleaning, playing, watching shows together… That time when Leo had given her the seeds of her favorite flower… The ‘therapy’ sessions… The Halloween party and the almost kiss after that… the weird tension they’d been having ever since that moment… His smiles and laughs… No matter what would happen, she would always hold those memories close to her heart.

Suddenly, Calypso knew. This wasn’t just some infatuation that would go away with time. She had learned to appreciate Leo’s company more and more, the good and the bad sides, to the point that she was now in love with him. Back in August she had thought that they would probably never get along, but to her surprise they had more in common than she had expected and he had become a big part of her life. Lonely, unsure about their futures, past traumas… that’s what tied them together. And even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to deny that what she had been afraid of had already happened.

“And I will hold onto you.”

Those five simple words made Calypso’s voice crack. With frustration she swept the corner of her eyes quickly and attempted to clear her voice for the last lines of the song.

“Please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere.”

She looked up from the lyrics with blurry eyes and glanced at the boy with the piano. Some months ago, she had told herself that she wouldn’t let anyone get too close to her. But somehow Leo and all her new friends had just snuck into it, and she couldn’t imagine her life without them. She wanted them to be a permanent part of it, but with so many uncertainties in the future, could she count on it?

“What’s the matter, Cal?” Leo asked when she very clearly had difficulties pronouncing the last few words of the song.

Calypso knew the words she was going to say were probably unfair, but she couldn’t stop herself. The frustrations of that day just demanded to get out. “What’s the matter, Cal?” she mocked him. “I don’t know, Leo. You just… freak out all of a sudden and run away and then you come back and act like nothing happened?! Don’t you understand at all how worried we all are about you?!”

“I…” Leo stammered but didn’t finish his sentence.

“Well? Are you gonna explain yourself?” Calypso asked.

“Listen, you need to understand…”

“Understand what, Leo?”

Calypso waited for a little longer, but when the answer never came, she said: “You know what? Never mind. Clearly I was a fool to think that you care about us… about me the same way I care about you.”

“Calypso…”

Calypso turned her back to him and muttered: “I’m going to see if Jo and Emmie need my help with something. Do not follow me.”

In reality, Calypso withdrew into the closest bathroom and finally let the tears come.