#please don't take offence to that

[theamazingmaddyas]

You said you were willing to here constructive criticism of this take, and I have a few, so I thought I'd share my own opinion.

Before I start, I'd like to point to the fact that Percy is an unreliable narrator, and that the PJO series, therefore is unreliable when it comes to the feelings of every character other than Percy. Not saying Percy is purposefully misleading the audience, but he's a neurodivergent child/teenager, and that's going to lead to some misunderstandings. It's also important to remember that the world is filled with heteronormativity that is easily internalized, and therefore leave people to pick up different social ques between people of opposite genders as inheritely romantic. Percy is 100% not doing this on purpose, but it does leave us, as people analysing characters, to question the validity of some of his claims of character's motivations.

So back to the original take you had: Nico liking Juniper and Annabeth, and Rick retconning that later.

I'm going to talk about the first part first, and then get to your claim of retconning later, so that this is slightly more coherent.

I'm going to start with Annabeth, as you gave pictures of the pages here, but we do need to talk a bit about Nico's feelings towards Percy before we dive in.

It's complicated. We know from HOO that Nico had a crush on Percy at this time, and that he really struggled to say no to him (don't have exact page number for this, but I reread this year and have a memory of this. If someone can find the exact quote, I'd be indebted.) We also know that Nico struggled extremely with internalized homophobia as a biproduct of his upbringing (while he was dipped in the Lethe, it is heavily implied in both TTC and TSATS that Bianca and Nico spent some time in Washington DC in the 1940s post memory wipe and pre Lotus Casino, which is where these feelings could have originated). Nico blamed Percy for his queer thoughts because of it, even if he did like him.

Nico also blamed Percy for Bianca's death, because it was easier than for him to put the blame on someone other than his older sister who, even if she did leave him, he idolized and admired as his caregiver and only family member he has in his memories. There's also the fact that there could be some jealousy of Percy in BOTL when Bianca appears because he's been trying to talk to her for months, and the second Percy tries, she appears. That definitely could make anyone (and especially an 11/12yo) jealous as it seems like Bianca cares more about Percy than him.

All's that to say: it's a lot. And as a neurodivergent kid, it's no wonder that Nico isn't able to fully comprehend and channel his emotions in a healthy way.

Now, if Nico had trouble saying no to Percy, than how come he didn't agree to Percy, but Annabeth? The reason's pretty simple and has to do with the complex emotions detailed above, mainly denial.

Nico was going to end up agreeing to go with Percy, and saying no at first was his sense of agency over his emotions. He didn't want to be at Percy's beck and call, and I think he knew he was going to say yes eventually, but wanted a little sense of autonomy over his decision, rather than blindly following Percy (even if that's what the end result is).

By agreeing to go with Annabeth in this scene, it's allowing Nico to internalize two things: first, he's not at Percy's beck and call, he has autonomy and the ability to say no to Percy (when in reality he's so deeply obsessed with Percy that he's not actually able to say no, no matter how unhealthy that is), secondly, he didn't say yes because of Percy, again having full autonomy over his choice, but because of Annabeth. (Even if the real reason was Percy). If Annabeth had asked first, I doubt Nico would have agreed as quickly, but since she didn't, and he knew Percy wanted this, he can agree with Annabeth without seeming like he's stop the world from spinning if Percy asked. And by verbalizing that it's Annabeth he's following is a way to try and convince himself these internalizations are true.

This is also incredible foreshadowing on Rick's part—if intentional—because Annabeth says in I'm pretty sure Mark of Athena (correct me if I'm wrong, it could be House of Hades) that she always had the feeling Nico liked her romantically, when in reality, as I pointed out, is just Nico agreeing with her in an attempt to pretend he's not going to do what Percy was going to say anyway.

And you're right, it is written like a crush, and not because he's missing Bianca, but it's extremely likely that's because Percy thinks it's a crush. Back to the earlier claim of heteronormativity, I don't think it crossed Percy's mind that Nico could like him. Percy's not homophobic in the slighest, it's just, as a straight (or percieves himself as straight, as people hc him as bi but he says in I think Greek Gods? Could be Greek Heroes, that he is straight, so if Percy is bi, he's in denial about it) man, it's not that surprising he sees Nico as liking Annabeth. As we know, Percy is incredibly perceptive when it comes to emotions and crushes, just not when it involves himself (case in point: Rachel).

Now, I'm no romance expert, but I do study psych, so Percy could also be, at least a bit subconsciously, transferring his own crush on Annabeth he refuses to admit is there and putting it on Nico. Especially since he's in such denial about it at the beginning of BOTL as seen with the scene with his mom. Because someone in the room likes Annabeth, and it's not Nico.

Now, onto Juniper. There's a few takes of the blushing scene we can interpret. I'm going to put a picture here, because I grabbed my copy of TLO to fact check my claims:

The first one is Nico didn't actually blush, which I think is highly unlikely, but is still plausible if you take into consideration that Percy is an inreliable narrator and has internalized heteronormativity as previously stated. Even if it's not true, it's important to bring up. However, the fact that Percy says Nico gets "redder" could disprove this, but a trick of the light, while very unlikely, I guess could be possible.

And I know you said you don't see Nico as blushing for Percy, but I'd like to offer this different perspective on that: He's blushing because Percy thinks that Nico is into Juniper. And the reason his blush darkens is because for once, someone is trusting him.

I haven't delved into this yet in this, but Nico, throughout the series, deals with a lot of insecurities because of his parentage and self-isolation. I don't think Nico's had anyone ask him to do something because of his parentage before this point, instead being used to being not able to do things. It is very possible, in my opinion probable, that his blushing has to do with the fact that he's being seen rather than being complimented by a quote on quote pretty girl.

I hope you don't think I'm doing mental gymnastics to justify these "crushes", and that my points make sense because I've thought about this a lot, and really hope I coherently was able to explain my opinion with facts and evidence from the texts.

Next, I'd like to touch upon your claim that Rick retconned Nico's "crushes" on Juniper and Annabeth (I apologize if putting "crushes" in quotes seems a bit condescending, but I've already shown I do not see them as crushes, rather platonic relationships, and I don't know how else to put it). Now, obviously, since I don't see these as crushes, I can't see Rick having retconned anything, but personally, I think that this is (I'm not sure intentional or not) foreshadowing for Nico's coming out scene. I talked a bit about Annabeth claiming she thought Nico liked her, which also I think plays into the foreshadowing because it uses Annabeth's fatal flaw, hubris, against her: Annabeth seems pretty certain Nico likes her, and her pride leaves her to believe she's right and not able to see other points of views until evidence is so strong she can't deny it. She got this idea and ran with it. I can't remember which book, I think it's HOH or BOO, but if anyone knows what quote I'm talking about please, I'll still be indebted to you, that she's good with understanding emotions. When she's not.... We see this often throughout all the series, Annabeth is analytical and actually is bad with emotions. Not that this is a bad thing, but she's neurodivergent, and being bad with emotions comes with the territory. But also, she's the daughter of the goddess of wisdom and strategy—those things are often blinded by emotion. Think back to the BOO scene with Piper, where Piper has to tell Annabeth to feel and not think, that's the most prominent example. Annabeth is an emotional character, she just doesn't comprehend emotions well, and bottles things up. Being wrong throws her into a loop, but I think the most telling part of her character growth is the high five with Nico when he comes out. Annabeth is finally able to let go a bit of her hubris like Piper had wanted and see things for how they truly are.

Now, for why Percy internally seeing Nico as straight can be seen as foreshadowing is a bit more subtle. Again, there's multiple interpretations I can think of:

First, the books are in past tense, it's possible that Percy wrote this (or Rick wrote Percy writing this) after Annabeth told Percy she thought Nico liked her and he internalized that, but that's a deep thought process and I doubt it's true, it's just interesting to think about.

Lastly, and the one I believe, is that Percy saw small signs and ran with it. It makes Annabeth's claim make more sense since if Annabeth said Nico liked her with no "evidence" it would be out of character and out of left field. This gives the reader a sense to trust Annabeth's opinion later on in the series.

Two more thing; one, Nico is very much not bi coded, as he explicitly states in TSATS that he's gay in the same scene where Will says he's bi, so that last point is null and void, but I guess someone could try and argue against it? I just don't see how they'd succeed in that.

Two, as an aro/ace person myself, I 100% agree with the fact that people push romance over platonic relationships often, but I'd like to counter that Nico's relationship with Percy would not truly have been a good platonic one, because Nico was a bit obsessed with him in the first series (see, the Hades scene in TLO) and Percy also kind of hated him at the beginning (maybe hate is a strong word, but he was definitely annoyed with him constantly) and that would not make a good friendship. I think Nico's friendship with Annabeth just on the first series before character growths has more merit personally.

I hope you don't take offense to this as well, but I really wanted to give you a different perspective on Nico's queerness. Now, of course Nico's representation isn't perfect (being forced out is a horrible thing to have to experience) I think it does have merit, but you can disagree all you like! And if you, OP, would like to discuss matters further on this, I am open to continuing this conversation.

I'm prolly going to get flamed for this, but I'm actually sick and tired of people defending Rick's tokenist queer rep. I feel it is insulting to authors who genuinely write good LGBTQ+ characters.

Now let's take Nico, for eg. People pull out wildest mental gymnastics to make sense of his implied,small PJO crushes on Juniper and Annabeth. Rick retconned it later (nvm the fact that he forcibly and violently outed his first gay character, and basically treated the said outing as a plot point to convey that he's gay...)

But anyways, whenever you try to explain it's tokenist, people say "oh he was blushing around Juniper because Percy was right there!"....yeah, like totally...his so-called crush invited him to his (Percy's) birthday, and Nico didn't even bat an eyelash, yet I'm supposed to believe he's blushing around a random girl because Percy's standing there? Like how does that even make sense...?

Personally, I also feel so miffed that he turned Nico's deep, beautiful platonic love into a crush. (Call me biased if you like; I'm aspec so I always feel put-off when people pretend that platonic love can't be as deep as romantic love).

Also, If that interaction with Annabeth in BotL is brought up, arguments are "oh, he misses his sister"... honestly, it was written like a crush:

Anyways, I'm sorry if this came across as offensive; I'm willing to hear your constructive criticism. This is just an opinion.

Lastly, I'd like to add that Bi and bispec people exist, and Rick could've considered that.

[steviesbicrisis]

I take your

Steve: Oh, it's okay to like both?

And I raise you a

Steve: It's absolutely not okay to like both. I love girls okay? girls are great, they are so pretty, they smell amazing, they're loving and caring- I could go on and on about them. Girls are perfect-

Robin: *in the background* tell 'em bestie!!!

Steve: But then there are some exceptions, like Harry Styles or my gremlin of a boyfriend, that make me like boys as well. Some boys. A very few boys. But I don't want to like them at all!!! I've been tricked!!!

Steve: *pulls Eddie's face into the shot* see?? it's the Bambi eyes!! He deceived me and when I realized it was too late!!

[bratbarzal]

Hey, sorry for bringing this up but I was wondering if you could give any advice on how to spot AI in fic or writing? It makes me feel weird to think I'm reading or enjoying fics on here and the content is AI generated :(

I'm not necessarily the one to be policing this but I'll do my best to help bc I understand how disheartening it is to think you're unintentionally consuming AI generated content when it doesn't align with your own morals. I'll do my best to be helpful, but if anyone has any other advice, please feel free to add on if you can!

I'll also preface these points by saying, I'm talking about using AI to write a fic. I'm not talking about AI to translate, I'm not talking about AI to generate a prompt, or any other ~innocent use of AI within this sort of space. I don't intentionally use it at all as a personal decision/dislike, but I can understand it's place and the fact that it can be unavoidable for certain things that there is no ~easy alternative to.

Imperfection! I don't want to sit here and say perfection in writing is anything to be alarmed by - people proof read their work, or have people who do so for them, to make sure it flows or reads as well as it can, and obviously no one wants to be putting out anything that isn't their very best - but if I see any sort of mistake in writing, I feel safe enough to assume it wasn't generated by AI. Spelling errors, grammar mistakes, this boy doesn't even know the difference between there, their, and they are sort of thing. Imperfections are human. Ramblings are human - does a sentence go on way too long (me)? Does it seem like the writer is running out of ways to avoid overuse of the same word and are getting a migraine from scrolling through power thesaurus (me)? All indicators of someone who doesn't know when to stop, and isn't interested in keeping things looking perfect, therefore most likely not AI. The same can also be said about imperfections in written speech. Stutters, hums (uhms, ah's, ehh's, uhh's etc), saying phrases that are incorrect (like "could care less" which should always be "couldn't care less" lmao) are all human, and would not be replicated in speech generated by AI.

Personality! I think it's impossible to write something without inserting a little bit of yourself into it, and often you can see a consistency between someone's personal posts, and their writing. I acknowledge I'm saying this as someone who signs every sentence off with lmao like it's a period, and then writes 81k word fics with excessive use of the oxford comma and that often read like unhinged ramblings, but what I'm saying is, you will see their personality in their writing. I'm admittedly and to a fault sarcastic, and a raging idiot, and the shit I say on here reflects that, but my writing, and the people I write specifically, reflect that, also, and do so in a way that shows there is a human being behind it. I've never read an AI text that isn't robotic, or monotone, or lifeless. It doesn't matter how many prompts you give it, or how many times you run it through the mill, it cannot manipulate the essence of a person. I also recognise that not everybody shitposts in the way I personally do, but if you can get a good read on a person through their blog, through posts they make otherwise, or tags they add, or asks they answer, you should be able to tell if their writing is their own.

Language! Similar to the above, is the language used throughout consistent with the kind of language that writer uses elsewhere. Is any of it unnecessarily formal? Does the fiction that you are reading, read like fiction, does it read like there is thought and intention behind every word as there would be behind something a real person wrote?

Emotion! Again, tying into the above few points, is there more to the story than just action? I see a lot of AI that is - this happens, this happens, this happens, speech, movement, telling and rarely showing. It's all very specific, and again, robotic. Shoutout katie @nol-pat bc we were just discussing examples and she brought up a valid point which is that there is never anything beyond the action of it all, because the bot isn't capable of the emotion or explanation that goes along with any of it. There is little thought, there is little feeling, there is little grit, if that makes sense? And sometimes, people write this way, but if they have the power to be writing a story, they usually have the power to add beyond the bare minimum of basic human movement. And in a similar vein, does what you are reading make YOU feel something? Beyond a description of flushed cheeks and heart hammering, can you really relate to what you are reading, to how the characters are reacting and responding to what is happening? Do you feel immersed in what you are reading, and do you feel that way throughout?

Consistency! Chances are if you are reading anything multi-chapter or that is a continuation of a previous work, it won't be AI generated. If there is a story you can follow through each chapter, if there are call-backs and references and repeated traits and characteristics, that make the story flow, there is someone putting a whole lot of pain-staking thought behind it. I think the same goes for generally longer fics. From what I've seen of AI in other works, the longer it is, the more likely it is to go off the beaten path. There will be inconsistencies later down the line in an AI fic because of the way it is set up - it usually takes more and more prompts to make it longer, and the more you instruct it to expand, the more it forgets what it originally gave you.

This last one I was hesitant to bring up because I see it all over, and I see people pointing the finger at it's use, and I don't generally agree that the EM-dash is the devil, but in looking at a few proven and assumed AI works while I've been thinking about this, I feel like it's something I want to raise for you to look into yourself, because it is very much something that keeps cropping up.

I'll preface what I'm about to say with I don't think the use of an em-dash necessarily an outright indicator, but bare with me on this whole thing, because there is something to say about its overuse.

-, a dash, is typed outright, and a part of most regular keyboards, certain writing tools will autocorrect this to a longer version, which is an EN-dash (e.g. I use pages, when I type a -, it will often elongate it to an – within the app. - vs –) when it is used to signify an "up to" or a "until" like you'd see on opening hours or something, but when works are copied into Tumblr, it will usually just revert to it's regular dash size. An EM-dash is a longer dash and the correct use of this would be to indicate a break/change in sentence structure —. So that is - vs —.

- which is a dash/hyphen (eg. book-end, co-worker, etc.)

– which is an EN-dash (eg. 9am – 5pm, pages 4 – 5, etc.)

— which is an EM-dash (I'll use an example from merriam-webster here, because as I will go onto say, I would usually just use a regular dash “That is—I suppose it is concerning.”)

If you type in a DOUBLE hyphen into most tools, it will correct to an EM-dash, and I don't know if it's the tool I'm using, but when I have then copied this into Tumblr, or written straight into Tumblr if you're the kind of live-life-on-the-edge maniac insane enough to rely on doing that, it usually ends up coming out as a double hyphen (--, so that's -- vs —). Again, I'm not saying em-dashes are a certain indicator, but something to consider if the rest of the text seems off. There's a lot of research and debate around this, but in my personal experience, as a creative writer, as a reader, as a general enjoyer of fiction, when I see an EM-dash outside of a corporate email or an essay, it feels generally misplaced, and you'll notice it replacing commas, colons, semi-colons, etc and you will be able to see what I mean for yourself. I (again, PERSONALLY) have always just written a hyphen, never even a double that would auto-correct, which is why it's shifty to ME. An em-dash, despite it's definition and it's place in grammar and punctuation as a whole, reads more like a personal or professional function, and not something I would see or use in creative writing. I'll attach some reading on this, I've tried to find anything not behind a paywall, and a few different opinions on the matter. (1) (2) (3) (4)

Something I will say to look out for specifically when it comes to the EM-dash, is how it is being used. If you think it's being used to cover up where a human imperfection may be, especially in speech, like a stutter, or a pause to think, or fillers like "uhh" or "erm" you have your answer.

Overall, AI is a complex and ever-evolving beast, and it's borderline impossible at the end of the day to ever know for sure, but I can tell you as someone who has been on this site a long time, there are a lot more creatives on here than there are those who are fraudulently posting AI works as their own. Sometimes it can feel like a plague, and sometimes the tags are riddled, but if you're ever unsure, ask around. People will direct you to fics that made them feel something - fics that made them laugh or cry or think, and you'll find the authentic writers behind them 💕

All we can do as a community here is continue to push for authenticity and honesty - and encourage people to post their own works, no matter how rough they believe them to be. I'll make more of an effort to reblog fics I love if it helps, and celebrate the thriving creativity that still remains in this space.

I've said it a million times by now, I'd rather sit here and read bullet pointed thoughts/fragments of a story than the same regurgitated nonsense I keep seeing people paste from chatgpt.

Also, the obvious would be running it through an AI detector, although this can be subject to error as with everything else, my above points are kind of to make you think without having to copy and paste fics into the below, but they're always useful too!!

UndetectableAI, Grammarly, ZeroGPT, QuillBot

And I’ll follow on by saying, if you’re using one of the above, use a couple. I ran a text that I knew to be AI through QuillBot, and it said 0% was AI generated, but ZeroGPT said 94% of it was.

[abyssmita]

ok guys I need you to hear me out on this one

Me and my bestfriend were fucking around on that astrotalk app, just looking at our kundlis and shit just for fun and we noticed the kundli matching option there.

Now since we're both holding PhDs in Bitchlessology, we obviously didn't have anyone to match our kundlis with, so we decided to match random couples we know from our life

Tell me why each and every couple we strongly opposed are highly compatible. Every couple I said won't last/not good has an almost perfect match score.

Are you BEING FR BRO THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING??? 😭😭

i think this is my calling

I think now I must step up and be the Panauti Pandit the world needs.

Contact me to find your compatibility, if I don't like your partner, congratulations, you're soulmates.

[edgydroned]

do you agree that love is an open door?

[bisexual-in-denial]

Absolutely no hate or condescension to anyone who enjoys the ACOTAR series, and to be clear I have only read the first book, but I'm going to be so fr rn

Why does Every. Single. Character. In the book have an IQ of room temperature? Nobody thinks about the long game (Rhysand is sort of an exception), nobody knows how to put two and two together, and nobody knows how to be subtle--especially when subtlety would solve a whole host of problems.

tbh though, this book wasn't really plot-based; it was more centered around character relationships, especially romantic ones. And, as I have a greater affinity toward books and book series that place greater emphasis on plot, world-building, and impactful conflict + resolution, it's just not my cup of tea, and that's ok.

[ihaznoclue]

Can I request platonic headcanons for Knuckles, Shadow, and Sonic reacting to gn reader, who met him for the first time, searching for a photo of what animal he is & comparing side by side please? I learnt what an echidna is because of Knuckles 😁

Pairings -> Knuckles, Shadow and Sonic x Gender neutral Reader

Warnings -> None

Notes -> Reader searching for a photo of an animal and comparing side by side

Genre -> Fluff

Knuckles the Echidna

Knuckles was really confused on what you were doing

Look back and forth of a piece of paper that you had in your hand

He thought you were doing some voo-doo shit or something

"What are you doing..?"

"I'm comparing this photo I found on the internet with you"

Now he was even more confused on what you had on this piece of paper

You were just simply comparing an animal with Knuckles seeming to see the similarities of an Echidna

Knuckles was more red and huge than a original Echidna on Earth

But that was maybe because he came from a different universe

"May I see what this piece of paper holds?"

So you turned the photo around to show what you had

It was a little fella with spikes on its back with a long snout

You thought it was adorable

But Knuckles look closely as he tilted his head in confusion

What is this creature

"It's a Echidna"

"I do not look like this creature"

"That's because these are on Earth but since you came from a different universe, you're more bigger and more redder than this cutie"

His purple eyes was still focused on the photo as he saw not resemblance that he had on this 'Echidna'

"Knuckles, you've been staring at this for 20 minutes now"

"I still do not look like that"

Shadow the Hedgehog

He was basically created

Even though he was meant to look like a hedgehog

I believe that he wouldn't know what a hedgehog even looks like at first

Until you were comparing him with a actual Hedgehog that lives on Earth

"May I ask what you are doing?"

"Oh Nothing, just comparing you with a animal I found online"

He raised an eyebrow as tilted his head a little bit to the side

"What does the photo have on it?"

"A hedgehog, well basically a hedgehog that is from Earth"

"But Aren't I a Hedgehog?"

"Yes, but you're more human like, bigger and a little more fluffier than these Hedgehog that lives on Earth"

"May I see what they look like?"

"Sure"

Shadow carefully took the photo from your hand as he looked at the little creature on the photo

So that's what a hedgehog looks like from Earth

He never knew how small they are and all the spikes they have on their bodies

"They are so small"

"Yep they sure are, but they are really cute"

Shadow gave you back the photo

He also wondered what other animals he hasn't seen on Earth yet

Sonic the Hedgehog

Well he already knows what animal he is compared to

But I doubt he knows what the actually animal looks like on Earth

Like he seen turtles, birds and other stuff

But I wonder what he thinks of Earth Hedgehogs

"Um.. What are you doing?"

Sonic was just resting on the couch with Ozzie then he spotted you

You had one eye closed as you look back and forth to the photo and sonic

"You don't even look like it"

"Look like what?"

"Like a Hedgehog"

"I'm taking full offence to that, I'm sonic the hedgehog of course I look like the thing you are looking at on the photo"

You then looked at sonic as if he never saw a real Hedgehog

"Sonic, Do you even know what a real Hedgehog look likes?"

"Pfft Of course I do"

You raised an eyebrow as you turned the photo over to let sonic see what you were actually looking at

"What is that? It looks so small and cute"

"That is a hedgehog"

"Huh? I thought It would be more bigger"

"These are basically our hedgehogs on Earth they are more smaller than you"

"Huh I never knew how small they can be"

"But you are still adorable sonic"

-A<3

[etherealyoungk]

crush on you | choi seungcheol

SUMMARY: in which seungcheol is completely smitten by you and will do anything to hangout with you, even if it means eating spicy food.

PAIRING: seungcheol x reader

THEMES: acquaintances, friends to lovers

WARNINGS: flirting, fluff, just seungcheol being down bad for you.

WORDCOUNT: 2593

A/N: i just love seungcheol so much <3

the warm aroma of freshly ground coffee fills the air as you work behind the counter, expertly crafting yet another latte. seungcheol casually leans over the counter, his gaze fixed on you.

"are you free later after work?" he asks, his voice light. he seemed more interested in your response than in the coffee you were preparing.

you glance up, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "don’t you have better things to do? you’re always hanging out here. seriously, i’ll have to kick you out if you don’t order anything, it's store policy, sorry", you say, not bothering to look at him.

seungcheol chuckles softly, unfazed by your mock threat. "please, i know you secretly love having me around," he says with a grin that could rival the sun for brightness.

you snort, shaking your head as you continue to steam milk and fill cups, preparing orders. "yeah right, you’re a pain in the ass actually, go hang out somewhere else", you tell, which only makes him chuckle more.

it had become something of a routine—seungcheol dropping by the café, engaging in playful bickering, and sometimes even dragging out his visits just to be around you, but you enjoyed it. you enjoyed his company even though you sometimes didn't want to admit it.

you’d known seungcheol for almost a year now, having met him through your mutual friend, and as fate would have it, he also went to the same university as you, which meant you crossed paths with him more often than not.

"why?", you ask after a moment, looking up again, meeting his big, brown, sparkling eyes.

"just asking, i thought we could grab a bite to eat later, doesn't smelling all this make coffee and pastries all evening make you hungry?", he asks. you pause, a sigh escaping your lips as you consider his offer. because he was right. the only downfall of working in a cafe was the constant smell of pastries and cakes wafting in the air and it always made you so hungry.

"i guess we could, i don't have anything planned", you admit and seungcheol's face seems to light up at your response "great", he says.

seungcheol waits until you finish your shift and now you're both walking down the road, the evening slowly turning into night.

"what do you wanna eat?", he asks, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockes as he glances over at you.

you tilt your head to the side, thinking. "tteokbokki", you say slowly. "i want to eat tteokbokki", you say. so, that's how you both end up at at a small restaurant - the one you always went to when you craved tteokbokki. you order the food and you're waiting, and seungcheol kindly pours some water in a glass, placing it in front of you.

"you haven't eaten here before have you? this place really has the best tteokbokki in the area. i've tried all the tteokbokki in this area and this place really makes it the best!", you explain.

seungcheol's smile softens, his eyes crinkling at the corners. it was clear he was more amused by your enthusiasm than anything else. "you’re talking like you're a tteokbokki expert," he teases.

you raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms over your chest in mock offence. "of course i am. who do you take me for?", you say making him smile wider, his dimple peeking out and your heart does a little flip at the sight.

the food arrives and the rich, spicy red sauce glistens. the scent of the perfectly cooked rice cakes mixed with the spicy sauce makes your mouth water. your eyes light up with anticipation and you can't wait. you grab a piece and pop it into your mouth, only to wince as the heat catches you off guard.

"ahhh, it's hot!" you exclaim, fanning your mouth dramatically.

seungcheol is quick to react, handing you the cup of water. you take a grateful gulp of water, trying to cool your burning mouth. "slow down, the food isn't going anywhere", he says and you nod.

"aren't you eating?", you ask after a moment, as you take another rice cake, blowing on it this time before putting it in your mouth. you watch as seungcheol picks up a tteokbokki and carefully takes a bite out of it, chewing carefully.

"what do you think? it's good right?", you ask, leaning forward slightly and he nods. "yeah, it's good", he says, putting the rest of the rice cake in his mouth and chewing, before taking a sip of water, trying to hide his nervousness as he picks up another piece of tteokbokki. he had never told you, but spicy food wasn’t exactly his forte. you notice his discomfort and look at him with concern. “is it too spicy?”, you ask.

"no, it's fine, it's really good", he says immediately, taking another bite as he looks at you. though he was struggling to keep up with the heat, he didn't want to admit it to you, not right now. so instead, he took slow measured bites, each one followed by a quick sip of water and despite the heat, seungcheol kept eating, determined.

he really didn't know when he came like this - eating spicy tteokbokki even though he couldn't handle spicy food. but ever since he met you, he started doing things he would never do before. before he met you, his mornings were a blur of snoozed alarms and missed classes. but now, he woke up early with a smile, eager to get to campus. the reason? you. seeing you in class and catching your eyes across the lecture hall or seeing you on campus, that made every early morning worth it. and then there were the café shifts. he’d become a regular, only because it meant he could spend time with you. and now, eating spicy tteokbokki even though his mouth was on fire right now - all because he had a crush on you.

after eating, you both walk to the bus stop, the cool night air refreshing as you walk. "gosh i'm so full, that tteokbokki always hits the spot when i'm craving spicy food", you say.

as you reach the bus stop and the bus pulls up and he turns to you with a serious yet caring expression. “text me when you get home, okay?”

you laugh softly and give him a playful nudge. “so overprotective,” you tease, stepping onto the bus. you glance back and wave at him with a grin, your heart feeling warm from the simple, sweet gesture.

when you're waking back home, you happen to run into seungkwan, your friend whom you met seungcheol through. "seungkwan!", you call out and he lifts his head up, looking at you.

"yn! what are you doing here?", he asks. "i'm on my way home", you say. "i was just about to head somewhere for dinner, do you wanna join me?", he asks.

"oh, i actually just ate some tteokbokki not to long ago", you say and he nods. "the usual spot", he asks and you nod. "yeah, that's the best place. i took seungcheol there today, he had some too", you add.

seungkwan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "seungcheol?" he repeats as if he needed to be sure he’d heard you right.

"yeah, i'm pretty stuffed actually, i ended up eating most of it, but seungcheol did eat some of it", you say and seungkwan seems to have a realisation and laughs softly to himself. "seungcheol ate the spicy tteokbokki?" he asks again, disbelief in his tone.

you nod puzzled. "yeah, why?"

a smirk spreads across seungkwan’s face. "wow, there’s something wrong with him. he can’t handle spicy food at all, and you’re telling me he willingly went to eat spicy tteokbokki with you?", seungkwan asks, baffled.

you furrow your brows, taken aback by this new information. "he can’t handle spicy food?"

seungkwan laughs softly, shaking his head in disbelief. "yep, he’s a bit of a wimp when it comes to spice. his stomach is definitely not going to forgive him for that, poor guy".

"well, i guess i’ll see you around. get home safe," seungkwan adds after a moment, offering you a wave before heading off.

you are left alone, you mind going over he new revelation about seungcheol. he couldn't handle spicy food? if that was true, why had he agreed to eat tteokbokki with you? why hadn’t he mentioned anything? why didn't he tell you?

the next week when you see seungcheol, he's his usual bright self, smiling when he sees you and following you around and once again, hanging out at the cafe with you. he's sitting right up at front at the first table near the counter, his eyes fixed on you as he watches you make more coffee orders. he looks at you with almost a lovesick gaze, like he can't get enough of you.

"seungcheol", you finally speak once the rush seems to slow down and you are winding down, your shift coming to an end.

"yes?", he says, standing up and leaning against the counter again, waiting for you to continue.

"wanna grab some tteokbokki again?", you ask. "sure", he agrees.

so that's how you're sitting at your usual tteokbokki spot again with seungcheol. the tteokbokki arrives and you both eat and seungcheol eats some too, though he doesn't show any signs that it is too spicy for him. but after what seungkwan said, you know better.

you both are walking back after eating and you glance at seungcheol. "are you okay?", you ask and he looks at you. "yeah, why?", he asks.

"wasn't the tteokbokki too spicy for you?", you ask again and he shakes his head, denying it. "no, it was really good, just right", he says. and that's when you can't take it anymore. you stop in your tracks, seungcheol stopping a few steps ahead of you before he turns around.

"why'd you stop?", he asks, coming closer. you look up at him and do the only thing that seems to come to your mind - you smack his arm, hard.

"OWW", he exclaims, clutching his arm as he looks at you, utterly confused and also worried. "what was that for?", he asks, rubbing his arm as he continues to look at you.

"that's for lying to me", you tell and seungcheol furrows his brows. "seungkwan told me everything, i know you can't handle spicy food, but yet you were eating that deathly spicy tteokbokki for me? you're such an idiot", you say, digging into your bag and pulling out a bottle of banana milk.

"here, this might help ease your stomach a bit", you add quietly, shoving it in his hands before you continue walking, leaving seungcheol behind. he looks down at the banana milk you had handed him, then back up at you. he catches up to you, falling in step next to you. he really doesn't know what to say.

"are you mad?", he asks softly and you glance at him. "i'm mad because you put yourself through that and you didn't even tell me. you could have just told me you can't eat spicy food", you say, your expression softening a bit.

"i just wanted to experience it with you", he says, hoping he could redeem himself. "i thought it would be worth it, just to see you smile", he says.

you look at him, and the sincerity in his eyes stirs something in your chest. there'sna moment of silence as you process his words and the evening seemed to pause, the hustle of the city fading into the background. seungcheol shifts nervously, his fingers fidgeting with the edges of his sleeve as he tried to think about how to navigate this tender moment. his eyes, usually so confident, now held a vulnerable gleam.

“i guess i was trying to use that as an excuse to spend more time with you” he begins softly and he pauses, his gaze dropping to the floor before he looks back up, meeting your eyes with a mixture of apprehension and sincerity.

“i don’t know if you’ve noticed, but i really like spending time with you. even in small ways, like this... it means a lot to me.”

he took a deep breath as if drawing strength from the air between you both before he speaks again. "i like you yn, i really like you", he confesses, the words tumbling out of his mouth.

your heart skips a beat at his confession and his cheeks are slightly flushed, and he looked at you with a hopeful, almost earnest expression, as if he was bracing himself for your reaction. as you took in his words, you could no longer deny the affection that had quietly grown within you for seungcheol. it would be a lie to say you weren't fond of him, you liked spending time with him too, liked his presence, liked him.

“i like you too,” you finally whisper, your voice barely more than a breath. the words felt like a weight lifted off your shoulders, and the relief in his expression was palpable. seungcheol's eyes brightened as he took in your response. there was something profoundly sweet about the way he looked at you, like he would do anything for you.

you watch as a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips, before breaking out into a full-blown smile. it was one of those smiles that seemed to light up the entire room, making his eyes sparkle as his lips curved upwards, and a deep dimple appeared on his cheek, a tiny but unmistakable mark of his joy and happiness.

"that's good", is all he finally says, looking at you. "good?", you question and he nods bashfully.

"yeah, because i'm sort of head over heels for you already. so if you like me back, then that's really good", he says, emphasising his words.

his words are so sincere and the way he says them makes your heart swell with warmth. the casual but gentle way he admitted his feelings, combined with his adorable smile and that charming dimple; it didn't make his confession feel heavy. it felt right.

“so you're really head over heels for me huh?” you tease gently.

"i wouldn’t have it any other way", he says giving you a wink and making you smile, warmth blooming in your cheeks.

as you both continue to stroll down the softly lit street, the evening air is cool and refreshing. you glance at seungcheol, who’s still holding a bottle of banana milk that you had given him, but now it’s slightly crumpled from being clutched tightly, and the sight of it makes you chuckle.

“drink it up soon,” you say, gesturing toward the bottle with a small nod. “your stomach must be in a bit of a war right now".

seungcheol quietly pokes the banana milk with the straw and sips on it. he bumps his shoulder against yours gently, his gaze full of affection when you turn to look at him.

"want a sip?", he offers but shake your head and you pull out another banana milk bottle from your bag instead, showing it to him. "i see you came prepared", he says.

"yeah, i had to neutralise the damage on your poor stomach", you joke and the sweet sound of his chuckle fills the air, his dimple deepening as he grins wide and looks at you.

god, how he was hopelessly in love with you.

taglist: @paindivinemp3 @naaaaafla @icyminghao @weird-bookworm

@blue-jisungs @wheeboo @joshuaahong @wootify @fallingforshua29

@n4mj00nvq @itsvernonicaxxx @lvlystars @mirxziii @anniag

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@ppyopulii

[xan-izme]

Dubble Life 14 (Batfam x reader x ACTSV)

Summary: No matter how much you think you know yourself, you seem to still not understand why you do the things you do.

Part 13,

When you wake up, things felt, more tense. Bruce was stricter on not letting you out on certain hours. Even Alfred wouldn't let you slip out the door without him coming along. Dick clung onto you, kept trying to do everything for you till he had to go back to Bludhaven. Damian was weirdly distant. Not cold, just Distant. Tim seemed take over what Dick was doing to you, just a lot less clingy. Helping you more than usual, even when he was clearly tired.

And Jason?

He was pushing your damn buttons.

"You should stop."

"Huh?"

You stare at the older man with confusion. You two stood in an abandoned building. You were in a spider suit that was darker to blend within the dark. Jason had just taken care of a few thugs just as you finished throwing an anomaly into a portal to the Spider Society HQ.

"This thing with Alchemax, I can handle the fighting, and you can-"

"Whatever bullshit your trying to say. Spit it out. Don't beat around the bush." You cut Jason off, you didn't have to take your mask off for Jason to know you were getting pissed off already.

". . . It's getting dangerous."

The moment Jason said those words you immediately throw your hands in the air while letting out a scoff of disbelief.

"You gotta be kidding me. Are you serious right now?"

"Just hear me out God damn it!" Jason wasn't going to let you just brush him off anymore.

"Joker, Scarecrow and all those other psychos are out now. Trust me when I say your screwed if you run into any of them, doesn't matter if you're meta."

You had your back faced to Jason. Clearly frustrated and upset of this topic. Jason lets out a sigh and shook his head. Before speaking a little more softly

"Come on kid, you haven't even talked about what happened with the fear gas."

". . . That doesn't matter-"

"Yes, it does! Whatever is going on up there-" Jason points to his head; "Will affect your insect ass out here."

". . . Spiders aren't insects."

"Oh, for fucks sakes You know what I mean!" Jason lets out a frustrated sigh.

"Just wait till those psychos are put back in Arkham. . . Please?" Jason walks closer to you. But you walked to an open window to jump out. Before doing so you spoke one last time.

"Fine."

Jason felt slightly relived once you agreed, watching you jump out of the window and swing up to a building.

Miles was working on a new invention, the upbeat music you put on faintly in the background. Miles puts a screwdriver in his mouth as he uses both hands to connect the wires on his invention. But he pauses as he felt a pair of eyes on him. He slowly turns his head to see you on his bed, a book in hand, just staring at him with a small smile.

"What?" He gave you a look of confusion. Your brow quirks up at his confrontation "Hm?"

"You're staring at me with that creepy smile of yours." Miles takes the screwdriver out of his mouth and waves it around as he spoke. You gave a fake offended gasp.

"Exuuusse me??" Your hand now on your chest, exaggerating the feeling of offence. You expected some form of amusement from Miles, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere

You tilt your head "Hey, space boy, what's got you so distracted, I come here to spend time with you and you're not even yapping about your usual nerdy stuff." You spoke in a joking manner, but there was a hint of concern.

Miles stayed silent for a moment. Your playful demeanor falters as you see that he's bothered about something. But he doesn't want to talk about it. But you know it was about you.

You sighed as you scoot closer to the edge of the bed where Miles sat.

"Your upset." You nudged his shoulder with your own. His silence only confirms your suspicion. After a few moments Miles finally spoke up.

"Me and Uncle Aaron found out who was responsible for the explosion at the bridge. The one that got your mother killed. . ."

You paused at the last sentance.

"Oh . . ."

"It was Kingpin."

You hum and nod. "I see. . . he's in prison right now, right? He won't hurt anyone else for a long awhile." You rub his shoulder to reassure him. But this only angered him.

"Why are you so calm!?" He brushed your hand off and let out a huff of annoyance as he stood up from the bed with his back faced to you. Your brows furrowed at his sudden burst of anger.

"Miles-"

"It doesn't matter that he's in jail now. He's going to get out. He has the money, Has the connections. No matter what we do they always come back and they hurt more people!" His frustration on the situation felt, familiar. You had the same feeling once.

"Miles. . ."

He ignores your first warning he goes on. "What's the use of fighting crime when they just end up killing more people!? Why- why can't we kill people like Kingpin!?"

"Miles Gonzalo Morales! ¡Ya es suficiente de ti!" Your stern voice almost booming. Silence falls upon the room. Miles, still upset spoke again.

"He killed your mother."

You were not having his attitude today.

"Do not use her death as an excuse! you know killing has been and never will be an option for us. It makes us no better than them."

Both of you were angry. Angry at each other, at the world. Just two angry teens in a room.

The disagreement with Miles dragged. The two of you didn't speak to each other for a few days, and you were agitated to get back out on patrol feeling Alchemax is up to something and the longer you wait the worse things will get.

You were able to slip away from a nagging Alfred. You made it past a very sleep deprived Tim who usually , once you made it through the doors of the manor you were met with a surprising view of Ms. Dean walking up the stairs to the doors.

"Mrs. Dean! What are you doing here?" Your brow quirked up in confusion and a little curious. "Aw, do you miss me? we just had a session two days ago." You spoke in a joking tone, but Mrs. Dean was not amused.

"I'm actually here to, discuses a few more things with you."

You sighed, you walked up closer to the older woman, circling her.

"And I'm assuming Bruce is making you do house calls now?" Your tone uninterested on whatever Bruce is trying to get out from you. Whatever it is. You must admit, the man is more insistent than you imagined.

"Actually, I'm here on my own accorded. I was hoping we could talk, off the records of course."

Mrs. Deans words caused you to gain interest.

"Seriously?" You gave the woman a look of surprise mixed with suspicion. Mrs. Dean nods "Seriously."

You don't sense any interior motive. At the moment. So, you agreed. The two of you going into Gotham city and stopped at a bat-burger place.

Mrs. Dean watched you with a blank expression as you devoured your burger.

"Mmm, these are, okay. I honestly like the burgers back in New York." You say this while your tray is literally empty.

"So, what did you want to chat about. My childhood? any daddy issues you assume I have? oh oh! trust issues. Yes, I remember you said that was one of my problems, no?" You of course were acting sort of passive aggressive; you have just been so frustrated with the recent events that it was getting harder to be or even act positive.

And Ms. Dean saw this, her own daughters show this sort of attitude when keeping in their anger for too long.

"Actually, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

You gave the older woman a look of confusion and slight suspicion.

"Ms. Dean-"

"Please, call me Alice." Ms. Dean- Alice insisted.

You stayed silent for a moment before letting out a small scoff of amusement. "Alright, Alice. Is this something you normally do with your clients? or am I just, special."

"Just think of this as a friendly meet up."

You almost scoffed

"Come on, Alice. What is this really about?"

Alice inhaled deeply. Seeming to almost bracing herself before speaking.

"I just- I don't understand why you didn't confront me about the camera. You knew the whole time. Yet, you didn't say anything for weeks." The older woman was clearly stressed on this topic. Which made you smirk in amusement as you just shrugged.

"You're the therapist, you tell me."

Alice's eyes narrowed, sighing as she leans into her seat.

"You weren't completely lying in our sessions. . . You told the truth. Half of the time. You're like an open book, but in a whole different, complex language." Alice glanced up to see your invested into this conversation. Curiosity in your eyes as you leaned into the table that kept the distance between you two.

"And because of that, you assume no one will take the time to truly understand you. But when someone actually does take the time to try and understand you. You panic. And you change yourself to . . ." Alice stops. She doesn't stop because she came to an understanding of something. Quite the opposite. She doesn't know why you do it.

You sighed, slightly disappointed. "You almost nailed it. Your pretty scary actually, haha!" You laughed.

". . . I'm scared. I change myself because I'm scared." Your cocky facade fades, just a little. Still present but fades enough to shock Alice to an extent.

"Why?"

"Donno. . . was kinda hoping you'd figure that out for me."

Silence falls between you two. One thing is for sure, your not paying for the food.

---___---___---___---___---___---___---___---___---___----___---___

A/n: This is really short, but you all deserve at least SOMETHING! So here yall go❤️

@huening-ly,@mariadvorak, @superherosdystopiafreak, @chelluv, @houseissofine, @esposadomd, @greyeyedmockingbird, @1-800-daisy, @c0c0-puffsxxx @arthurswife, @h0rr0r-10ver-69, @josiepapen, @natashanice165, @amber-content, @mahbeanz @azurewisteria, @seraph101, @skepvids, @lara20aral, @iwasveronica, @jackrabbitem, @nickey-diano, @idonthaveanameforthisacc, @sekidekiboombeki, @masters-blog, @lulpeepkins, @sgarrush-blush, @redsakura101, @danart501, @definitely-not-sammie, @khaleesihavilliard, @reallynotsoconfident, @uknowimdumb, @bat1212

[plumipal]

I just had a thought- how would Grim and the ramshackle ghosts feel about all the stuff happening to us?

Especially if the yandere(s) are coming over to our dorm too! Would they, depending on the severity of the yandere and their specific actions, range from supporting it cuz yknow reader gets to be happy with someone who treats them well and loves them to concerned because sweetie please get yourself outta there 😭

I can imagine Grim is NOT alright with it and for a multitude of reasons, they are taking away your time with HIM, and once he pays more attention to the bigger picture? Yeah messed up things be occasionally happening that could very well hurt you!! He does not like that!!!

im just imagining Grim being visibly not alright and reader will not have it either when it comes to him, they are a PACKAGE deal and that is that no matter which yandere comes their way 🗣️

we have many people more alright with Grim being reader’s number one priority, or yknow silently(?) wishing it was them, poor Grim and Reader man encountering yandere after yandere 😭

Grim would give us a look if we expressed any sort of romantic interest in any yandere I think lol

‘Pologies if it was too long or ranty, though I am curious who you think would be the most and least alright with this? I imagine Leona and Ace (legally required to bring up Ace he’s my all time fav next to Grim) would NOT like it lmao

.. first off, this is the longest ask ive ever gotten, I gotta just say oml thank you so much????? You, wrote all of this, fpr me?? 🥹🥹🥹💖💖💖 this literally made my week thank you so much bestie 🥹😭 second off, this inspired me to rant too, I hope you enjoy!- (not proofread btw)

So im mainly gonna focus on grim, no offence to ramshackle ghost fans, I just really like the silly little fire-cat/rat/weasel/creature. He was literally our first friend, our first companion (I bet Ace and grim bicker on who was your first).

And oh boy, guy is NOT HAPPY when he sees all these dumbasses vying for your attention and either trying to butter him up with tuna (which will not work on the mighty grim!) or ugnore him completely! Like you stated you and him are a package deal! Get the prefect and get their silly hungry companion!!

Now, grim surely uses his position as your closest companion as a safety net, they can't kill off the closest you have to family in this world! Guess they gotta live with him if they wanna have a life with you.

Ace hates that grim was your friend before him, feeling annoyed whenever he bullied (Juice) Deuce about being friends with you before him only for grim to butt in. Ace isn't too annoyed with grim though, and grim thinks that Ace is one of the better choises of the roster you have, they're both friends after all.

Of course most students in the cast don't liek "sharing" you with grim, especially the more territorial ones. Leona is probably the worst, I mean come on they're both feline looking creatures. With scent being a heavy thing for felines (yes even beastmen dont come at me) Leona is not happy to have his scent on you be muddied by the little rodent (the greatest mage of all, grim). Probably the worst choise since they're just gonna bicker to the end of the world..

Floyd doesn't like this either! Not fair that he has to share!! And with grim no less.. Floyd results in biting you instead of scenting, his chompers being good for nibbling on you. He also has the advantage that grim is sorta afraid of him (honestly who wouldn't be? Especially yan Floyd...).

Kalim tries to brime grim, with anything he could ever think off! Unlimited tuna for grim, and the best there is as well!! Nything grim could ever want on a silver platter, only if grim let's kalim marry you! That alone doesn't sound too bad, but that unsettling horrifying servant that follows Kalim around. He knows what jamil can do, and he sure does NOT want you with that dude!- guy is manipulative and creepy (he would definelty seperate you and grim!-)

Malleus... Malleus scares grim, guys is honestly horrifying. Threatening to curse him into an eternal slumber so he can whisk you away from him, he doesn't want that! You would also get sad id malleus did that, so luckily the possessive dragon had to share (for now...)

Whoever you choose, grim would probably disapprove, guy thinks of you as family (he will never admit that tho). He cares about you, and he is not okay with the invasion of privacy from these teenagers! >:(

I know you didn't ask fpr any drawing or such, but I couldn't help myself sorry 🤭 hope you like my ramblings back at you!

[iinsertblognamee]

kiss me, please?

summary; alexia doesn't really do PDA, but she might make an exception for you.  pairing; alexia putellas x footballer!reader spanish | english translation

The first time you noticed was after your win against Levante UD Femenino. You had managed to score two of the seven goals throughout the match. The final whistle blew as the crowd went wild, Ona pulling you into her embrace as the two of you cheered with the surrounding atmosphere. Other teammates made their way into your embrace, congratulating each other with kisses on the cheeks and pats on their backs.

"Creo que alguien te está esperando" 'I think someone is waiting for you' Aitana giggles into your ear, pushing you towards the friends and family section seating section. The celebrations continued around you, as you made your way towards the cheering crowds - giving waves to fans before coming face-to-face with Alexia and Mapi. The younger woman pulls you into her embrace as she plants kisses all over your cheeks. Congratulating you over and over again.

"Gracias Mapi" 'Thank you Mapi' You laugh out, pushing yourself out of her embrace and wiping your face dramatically as she sticks her tongue out at you. Ingrid manages to join your little huddle, taking her girlfriend's attention off you as you make eye contact with your captain.

"Hola bebé" 'Hi baby' your words much softer than your conversation with Mapi, a shy smile playing on your lips as you take in your girlfriend. She pulls you in a small hug, a small tap felt at the back of your head before she pulls away.

"hola mi bella dama" 'Hello my beautiful lady' the pet name heats your cheeks up, Mapi pretending to hurl as Alexia scoffs and (softly) pushes Mapis's head in the other direction. You take notice of the pink blush covering your girlfriend's cheeks, and the small frown appearing on her eyebrows as she looks around the surrounding areas before her attention falls back to you.

You know your relationship was fairly new, not even hitting the six-month mark just yet but the pair of you had been friends since you signed for Barcelona two years ago. You could read Alexia like an open book, and you knew she was feeling on edge. Taking hold of Alexia's hands that were holding the barricade, you gave them a slight squeeze - trying to help her calm down just a little.

"The girls wanna go out and celebrate the win tonight" You start, trying to grab Alexia's attention once again, she gives a small hum in response. A clear indication she was only half listening to what you were saying.

"I think it'd be fun if you came with me?"

"No sé. I don't know if I'd be much fun mi amor" 'I don't know. I don't know if I'd be much fun, my love' She responds back, the frown only growing further. You wanted to run your fingers along her eyebrows, removing the tension appearing on her face. You don't, instead you pout your lips as you pull the best puppy dog eyes you could master.

"Por favor" 'Please'

You know you've hit the jackpot as a small smile appears on her lips once more, her eyes rolling back as she shakes her head. "Okay! Okay. But only to watch over you and keep you protected from Mapi"

The jab at the tattooed lady next to you takes offence, giving Alexia a slight push before crossing her arms and pouting "Soy una gran influencia!" 'I am a great influence!'. Alexia snorts but doesn't give her best friend any form of response.

"I think that's a great idea" you mumble soft enough for Alexia to catch what you are saying, but your words become lost on Mapi's.

Alexia's guard finds its way back up once fans start calling out for you in the next section over, she gives you one last squeeze before letting go of your hand and creating some distance between the pair of you.

"Ve a saludar amor, te veré en el vestuario." 'Go say hi love, I'll meet you down in the locker room'

Ingrid takes your hand from your girlfriends, pulling you away from the barricade and towards the screaming fans, both of you signing items and taking photos over the next couple of minutes.

As much as you tried to forget the shift in Alexia's actions, you couldn't help but feel a little pushed aside. Alexia had never been one to shy away from affection, you weren't sure if it was just a Spanish thing or an Alexia thing, but from day one she had always managed to be touching you in some way. A tap at the back of your head, an arm wrapped around your waist, a leg pressed up against yours - you were no stranger to Alexia's physical touches.

You let yourself believe it was just the fact that your relationship was still fresh. The move from being friends to more only official as of four months ago.

It had been after one of your matches, the defence clearly picking on you throughout the game - although you weren't backing down which had led to you being subbed off just before the 80th minute. A late-timed (or perfectly timed depending on who you asked) tackle from the opposing team landed you on the ground gripping onto your ankle.

You had been led down the tunnel, towards the designated medical room, a physio waiting for you - alongside a fuming Alexia. Her arms were crossed, and a firey look flashed across her eyes as she watched every wince and jump you gave out as you got assessed.

The physio diagnosed you with deep bruising but nothing that couldn't be fixed with some rest and strength training over the next two weeks. The door hadn't even closed completely before Alexia was yelling at you in Spanish. Her arms flew in the air as she walked back and forth, her attention would fall you on every once and a while before it dropped down to your iced ankle before she started all over again.

You could make out the jiff of what she was ranting about, but your attempt to answer her questions was blocked, as she would ask another question before answering it for herself.

It wasn't until about five minutes later that she finally stood firm in her place, her arms hanging by her sides as she looked at her once again.

"What were you thinking? Getting yourself injured like that!"

You blamed it on the fact that you had just played a rough 80 minutes, your arms now crossed across your body as you let out a scoff - you felt like a child getting scolded by their parents.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Alexia! I was playing the game, that's it. I can't help that they were targeting me"

Her eyes flashed with something that definitely wasn't anger, her lips suddenly on yours, as she pushed you back into the bed you were sitting on.

It wasn't until Ona and Lucy had come to check on you after the game finished that the two of you broke away from each other.

The club is up and pumping by the time you make it through its doors. Mapi hand-in-hand with you, Alexia and Ingrid trailing behind. Shots are pushed into your hands before you can make your way around to say hello to everyone, a countdown is yelled before you drown the shot.

An hour or two flew by, Ona, Claudia and Patri were dancing with you, the music completely in Spanish but at this point, you couldn't really care. You felt one of the girl's hands on your waist, spinning you around before attempting to dip you. A small squeal left your lips before followed by laughter pulling yourself up to their chest and yelling that you were grabbing a seat and getting some water.

The table booked out for the team is half empty, Lucy is in a deep conversation with Frido and Keira, Marta laughing with Ingrid at something Mapi said - and your girlfriend sitting, watching over the table with a glass of water in her hand.

"Hola ladies!" 'Hello Ladies' You announce, squeezing yourself onto Alexia's lap - kissing her cheek before taking the glass of water out of her grip and up to her lips. Too busy with the glass in your hand, you miss the kissy faces Mapi makes towards Alexia, teasing her best friend. Alexia seemed to tense up, her grip around your waist tightened enough for you to turn your attention towards her and her red cheeks.

"Are you okay?" you ask, tilting your head a little to get a better look at your girlfriend's face.

"si, yo solo..." 'yeah, i just...' she trails off, her eyes flicking to the group surrounding the pair of you before it clicks.

"You don't like PDA?"

She seems to physically relax when she realises you understand her discomfort, the tension that had been present now non-existent. A little shy smile appears on her lips before her head hides in the crook of your neck. You feel her lips plant a small, hidden kiss on your shoulder before she brings her attention back to you.

"Not really. I just... no sé. I just don't like the idea of people watching us... be like that. Only I get to see you like that" 'I don't know'

You can't help but feel yourself fall just a little more in love with the Spanish woman in front of you, a smile growing on your lips as you throw your arms around her neck. Your lips trace her ear before you mutter "But what if I can't help myself?"

You almost freeze at the sound of a moan slipping from her lips, low enough that only you can hear - but it still has the same effect. "mi amor" 'my love' she warns, and you swear you see her swallow before her gaze is directly on you. "Please don't"

You want to push and see how far you can go before she snaps but you also want to enjoy the rest of the night out with the girls. Ultimately, you give her a small nod before shifting yourself off her lap and into the free spot next to her.

You don't miss the smile on her lips, nor do you miss the dark look in her eyes. Her body reaches over you, as she grabs the glass in your hand - her mouth right next to your neck before she whispers "Later"

You notice the change slowly, the way that she would hold your hand just a little longer before pulling away or when she would congratulate you at the end of games her lips linger against your cheek as her hands held onto your waist.

It wasn't until her first game back since her injury, you cheered alongside the crowds as she made her way back onto the playing field and again when she scored her first since being back. The whistle signifies the end of the match, and before you can turn your attention towards your girlfriend her arms wrapped around your body. Pulling up into her embrace as she brings her lips to yours.

"I thought you didn't like PDA?" you ask onto her lips, smiles matching one another.

"Just shut up and kiss me"

You didn't need to be told twice.

[ramirezmindset]

ʙᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇ.

ᴛʏʟᴇʀ ᴏᴡᴇɴs x ғᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

→ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒: yourself and tyler go way back, further than you'd like to admit, but after a brutal end, it's been years since you've spoken. until one night when your roommate brings him home.

→ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: ANNNNGGSSSSTTTT, talks of fighting and yelling, reader and tyler having history, use of feminine pronouns and description, awkward asl atmosphere, sexual implication, longing, flashbacks will be in italics. ↳ wc: 4671 (not sorry)

→ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: this came to me when i was sat on the couch with MY roommates hahahaahah - requests are open!

↳ ❝ [ i shouldn't have called, cause we shouldn't speak. you do make me hard, but she makes me weak - save all the jokes you're gonna make, while i see how much drink i can take. then be my mistake ] ❞

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"Y/N, Emmie just texted me, she's found a male at the bar and he's coming back here" Your roommate Caroline slaps a hand over her mouth, biting back a laugh as you shake your head and chuckle. "I knew we should've joined her, but for some reason you refuse to go into that bar!"

"Carol, you know why I don't go there!" You scoff back, a playful smile on your face. You put the teaspoon in the sink and take a sip of the tea you just made, pushing a mug over the kitchen island to where Caroline sits. "I know that he tends to go there a lot and I just- I don't really want to be bumping into him and getting all weird and sad when I'm supposed to be having fun with my best girls"

"Yeah, yeah, Tyler this, Tyler that" You give her a disapproving look. "Ok, I'm sorry, that was rude. But I'm serious, Y/N, it's been four years. We never even met the guy, or even saw a photo! Surely if you were that spent on keeping him locked up in that little brain of yours for your eyes only, it can't have been that serious?"

"Oh, it was serious!" You defend, laughing and holding up your arms in mock offence. Carol wraps the blanket tighter around herself and leads you towards the couch, settling with her cup of tea, urging you to sit in front of her. "It was on and off like a strobe light, but I was crazy about him. And as far as I know, he was crazy about me. We just didn't mesh well. I mean, we had been together since we were fifteen, we grew out of each other, I guess"

"But you still have a photo of him in your wallet?" Your eyes widen at this statement, your face growing pale. "Relax, girl, I went in there to put your Costco card back and I saw a photo of some guy from the back. I assume it was him anyway and not some secret guy you've been hiding from us"

You bury your face in your hands in embarrassment, chuckling lowly to yourself. "That's Tyler alright"

"Y/N/N, will you just get in the truck?" Tyler said, holding his hand out for you to take. "Please?" You could never resist those puppy dog eyes, the one's you fell in love with all those years ago.

You smile at him, taking his hand and letting him lead you down the stairs of the porch towards his beat up old truck. Opening the door for you, he helps you climb in, a smile plastered across both your faces.

"Ty, where are you taking me?" You laugh, shaking your head at him as he just winks and shuts the door behind him, walking round the truck to slide into the drivers side.

"Now what would I gain from ruining the surprise, hm?" He turned the keys in the ignition and sped off down the dirt track of your parent's ranch, but instead of turning off onto the freeway, he heads in a different direction.

Deciding not to question him, you sigh and lean back into the headrest, staring at his side profile as he concentrates on the road. The furrow of his eyebrows, the clench in his jaw when he hits a particularly rocky piece of track, the slight smirk that flicks at the corner of his mouth when a song he likes plays on the radio.

"What are you staring at, pretty lady?" He jokes, glancing over at you and placing a hand on your thigh. "Something got your attention, hm?"

"Just my gorgeous boyfriend" You smile once again, interlocking your fingers with his hand that rests on your leg. "Thinking about how lucky I am to have such a beautiful man that loves me and drives me around and surprises me and buys me flowers and doesn't let me spend a dime."

"Yeah, you are pretty lucky" You both erupt into a fit of laughter as the truck pulls to a stop. He takes his hand off your thigh to take the keys out of the ignition and hops out the truck to open your door. "Here we are"

You look around you, confusion etching your features. "Tyler, this is the woods" He tuts at you.

"I knew you would say that. Just come with me" He takes your hand, leading you into the trees down a makeshift trail that's been made through hikers over the years. "You maybe know about this place, you maybe don't. I'm hoping don't"

You're walking for about 15 minutes before he tells you to close your eyes, grabbing your other hand to help you balance and show you the way. "Tyler, I am going to die out here!" You joke as you stumble over what feels like a branch.

"Relax, oh my Christ!" He laughs back, he pulls you into a stop as you find your feet on somewhat smooth ground. "Ok, keep your eyes closed. No peeking!" He lets go of both your hands and you feel him walk away, the crunch of his feet getting slightly further away before coming to a stop.

You take a deep breath, you arms still held out to the side slightly to keep your balance on the unfamiliar terrain.

"Ok, open" You open your eyes to find yourself on a wide cliffside at the edge of the woods, a picnic blanket sprawled out a few feet away from you where Tyler stood, and a basket full of what looks like all your favourite foods. A bottle of wine and two glasses sit comfortably on the blanket, and the city lights from below you glittered as the sun set below the peaks of the mountains miles away.

"Tyler, this is-" You place a hand on your heart, and you move your eyes to meet his, slowly walking towards where he was standing. "Tyler, this is incredible" You put your arm around his waist, pulling him in closely as you admire the intricacy of the set up. He places a kiss to your temple.

"I thought considering I'm leaving tomorrow for that storm, we could have a nice final date" He smiles, letting you go to sit down on the blanket.

"Nice?!" You exclaim, feigning offence. "Tyler, this is more than nice. This is perfect"

"Only the best for my girl" He winks, reaching for the wine and the corkscrew. "Now are you gonna sit down and enjoy this picnic with me, or are you gonna stand there staring?" He jokes again, fiddling about with the wine.

Before he could pester you again, you reach into your bag for your polaroid camera, an old thing Tyler got you for your seventeenth birthday that travels in your bag with you everywhere. Snapping a photo of him from behind, sat on the picnic blanket, the sun creating a silhouette of his frame, and all you could think in the moment was how beautiful he was, and how beautiful this could be.

"Earth to Y/N!" Caroline snaps her fingers from the couch opposite you. You flick back to reality, shaking your head and sheepishly apologising. "You OK?"

"Yeah!" You reply a little too enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit tired"

"Do you mean tired or Tyler?" Caroline giggles as you half-heartedly fling a throw pillow in her direction. "Sorry, sorry! But seriously girl, it's been this long and he's still on your mind? He must've had you whipped, you haven't even been on a date since!"

"Yes I have!" You defend, placing your tea down on the coffee table and crossing your legs under your blanket.

"Fucking some guy on the gross sinks of the club handicap stall is not a date" She got you there. Suddenly, you hear the front door open, and Emmie's laughter echo around the hallway. "Christ, here she comes" Caroline sits up on the couch and fixes her hair, as if Emmie and her mystery man would come in the room anyway.

You were proven extremely wrong when the door is pushed open and your second roommate strolls in, three beers in hand. She throws one at you and one at Caroline, using her foot to keep the door open.

"I come bearing gifts!" Emmie exclaims, holding her own beer in her hands as you try biting the lid off the beer open. "We're gonna chill in here for a bit with you guys, Tyler's just taking his shoes off"

"Who?!" Caroline exclaims, as you choke on your own breath. "Who is gonna chill in here for a bit?" She looks between the two of you as you scramble on the couch to find the missing beer cap.

Confusion etches across Emmie's face, staring at you as you frantically sit back up, pushing your glasses back up your nose. "Oh shit!" She exclaims, her eyes widening in realisation. "Oh shit!"

"Oh shit what?" that all to familiar voice asks from behind her as he strolls into the living room, making eye contact with Caroline before turning towards you. His eyes grow wide, his hands immediately reaching to take his hat off and hold it to his chest. The hat that you bought him. That stupid, stupid hat that you spent a stupid, stupid amount of money on, but somehow all seemed worth it to see that stupid, stupid smile on his stupid, stupid face.

It seemed like forever that he was staring into you before Caroline broke the silence by clearing her throat. "Um, it's nice to meet you, Tyler. How are you, Tyler? What's going on, Tyler?" She raises her eyebrows at him, as you shoot her a glare.

"Uh- yeah, I'm good, you must be Caroline" He finally tears his eyes away from you to spare an awkward, tight-lipped smile. A familiar gut-wrenching embarrassment fills your body as you look down at your lap as it hits you that your ex-boyfriend is in your apartment, with the intention of fucking your best friend, and you're sat on the couch in your pyjama's drinking tea at 10pm on a Saturday night.

Emmie awkwardly sits on the couch next to Caroline, slipping her shoes off and mouthing a 'Sorry', reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone.

I'm so sorry, she texts you. I had no idea that was the Tyler, I'm gonna ask him to leave, tell him I don't feel well. I'm so sorry

You reply: you don't have to do that, i'm just gonna take myself off to bed

No this is my mess, Emmie's next text reads. I'll sort it all out.

Tyler's still standing awkwardly in the doorway as you launch yourself off of the couch and into the kitchen, pouring your beer down the sink out of pure humiliation. He still wore the same cologne, you could smell the sandalwood on his skin as you pushed past him, his warm flesh brushing against the bare skin of your arm. He still had that same look in his eyes all those years ago when he looked at you, that one of adoration.

You rub your eyes and look out the kitchen window of your apartment at the city lights, the rain pattering slowly against the glass panes as you sigh and lean your back against the counter. It was almost like mother nature was mocking you, laughing in your face as the memories of your last meeting with Tyler flooded your mind.

"Baby, just come back inside, we can talk!" He bellowed from his porch. "It's storming, Y/N, just come inside!"

You continue down his front path as the rain and hail slammed on the pavement. You didn't know what you were doing, your house was a forty-five minute walk from Tyler's place, but you knew you'd regret it if you gave in. Suddenly, his hand grabbed your bicep from behind, twisting you around. He saw your bloodshot eyes and puffy lips and immediately his features softened.

"Darlin', I'm sorry, please just come inside and we can talk it all out" His palm came up to cradle the side of your face, and you had to fight the urge to lean into his warm, tender touch.

"There's nothing to talk about, Tyler" You replied, shaking your head. Another tear rolled down your cheek, unrecognisable as the rain hammered down on your head. "You made your choice, let me make mine"

Tyler's eyebrows furrowed. "My choice? I choose you! I always chose you, I will always choose you!" His hand left your face, falling limp at his side.

"Tell that to Boone" You shook you head. "Tell that to everyone on that stupid fucking tornado chasing team! That's what you'd rather be doing!" He scoffs, wiping a hand down his face. "What? It's true! All I've done for the last decade is support you, I let you go off and do whatever it is you do in that stupid truck, I supported you in college when you didn't have a clue what you were gonna do with your life, I came with you on chases even though I fucking hate thunder, and I hate the danger, I do everything for you! And what do I get?"

"You get to be with me!" He cut you off, you were both yelling now, drawing attention from the neighbours as lights in the houses around you slowly turned on. "Isn't that enough? Am I not enough?"

"Don't you dare turn this on me!" You turn your back on him, wiping your face. You're too far in to let him see you cry. "Tyler, of course you're enough. I'm in love with you, I have been for ten years, but all I do in this relationship is hurt. I don't feel loved, I feel like you're not satisfied until you've got your adrenaline fix on some tornado hundreds of miles away from you. Am I supposed to sit on the porch knitting, waiting for you to show back up? God forbid my boyfriend cares about me and what I want!"

"If that's how you feel, maybe we shouldn't be together!" He exclaims, his hands flying into the air as the rain beats down harder and harder.

"Maybe we shouldn't!" Your shoulders slump as you stare at him, the hurt in his eyes clouding over as any ounce of hope he had in his body to remedy this is blown away by the wind and washed away by the rain. "We're not fifteen anymore, Tyler. I can't keep doing this, I can't keep hoping and praying that you'll come back to me alive. I just can't."

"Hey" Emmie's voice sounds behind you. You turn your head towards the kitchen door, where she's shutting it behind her. "I told Tyler I wasn't feeling well, and if I'm honest, he couldn't get out of here fast enough" She awkwardly chuckles and walks over to you, giving you a hug. "I'm so sorry, Y/N/N, I didn't know that was your Tyler. I would've never have spoken to him, let alone brought him home if I knew-"

"Emmie, relax" You reply, a dry laugh leaving your throat. "It's fine, there's no need to apologise. I was just shocked to see him, that's all. It's okay, I'm okay, I promise."

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You climb out of the cab, Caroline and Emmie hot on your tail as the three of you link arms and giggle as you stumble towards the bar. The three bottles of wine you had in the refrigerator went down a treat as Emmie and Caroline coaxed you into drinking with them, and you let them convince you going to the bar that Tyler frequented was a fabulous use of your time.

It had been two weeks since your encounter with him, and you'd be lying if you said it wasn't all you thought about. The look on his face, the smell of his skin and that goddamned hat that he still refused to part with all these years later.

You'd spent the majority of the past few weeks reminiscing on the relationship, thinking about what everything was and what it could've grown into. Where would you be today? On your own ranch, like your parents, but bigger, and would you finally have gotten that ring, maybe a couple of kids? Even today, when you pictured your future, it was always with him by your side.

The atmosphere in the bar was lively, music blasting out of the jukebox as you had to elbow your way to the bar for a drink. Your eyes take a scan of the room, but he wasn't in sight. A twang of disappointment struck you, as if you would've approached him anyway.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asks, but before you could open your mouth, someone responds for you.

"Black label, on the rocks" Tyler slides up beside you, the slight redness in his eyes indicating he was just as buzzed as you were. "Hey" He rests his elbow on the bar, passing the bartender his card and shooting you a smile.

He looked somewhat the same, his shoulders were broader and his smile no longer reached his eyes, but he was still your Tyler. The mischievous glint in his eye was gone, and he had grown some stubble, even with all the differences he was still just as charming as he was all those years ago.

"Hi" you reply, taking your drink from his hand and throwing it all down.

"Woah, slow down there, cowgirl" He laughed, his old nickname for you making shivers run up your spine. You glanced over your shoulder to find Emmie and Caroline, but they had scuttled off to a dark corner of the bar, no doubt to watch this interaction.

You had never felt more awkward in your life. All of a sudden the top you thought was cute three hours ago is too much for the atmosphere you're in, and your makeup is too perfect to be ruined by the tears that would inevitably fall within the next fifteen minutes.

Tyler nods his head towards the door, taking your hand delicately in his as he led you to the deck of the bar. Sparks shot up your arm and through your body at his gentle touch, his grasp far from firm, as if you were glass that would shatter. You follow him out and perch at an empty table overlooking the street.

"How are you?" He asked, looking at you, as if he could see inside your brain. You stare back, eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm fine" You reply, nervously licking your lips and twiddling your fingers on your lap. This is so fucking awkward.

He gives you a knowing look. "No, you're not" He looks away from you and wipes his face with his hand, something he always did to stop himself from crying. "I know you're not, because I haven't been fine since we broke up. And we're cut from the same cloth, you and me, we've been interlinked since we met"

You were sat on the back porch of your parents ranch. It was a sweltering summers day, sweat licking at your skin as you shifted uncomfortably in the deck chair. Your friend Hannah was over, bringing a bottle of some sort of dark liquor with her as she sat next to you, pouring you both another glass.

"Say, when is your brother gonna be home?" She smirked at you as you playfully swatted her arm. "What!? He's hot!"

"Hannah, behave!" You laughed. "But it should be any minute now" You winked at her, reaching for your glass. Usually you wouldn't condone any of your friends getting with your twin brother, but Hannah had liked him for years and you kind of just wanted her to shut up.

As if on cue, the french doors of the patio slid open and your brother walked onto the porch, grabbing Hannah's glass and downing whatever concoction she had made for herself. She playfully giggled, and the sight made you sick to your stomach, but you laughed along anyway.

"Hello, Hannah" Your brother gave her her glass back before turning to you and grimacing. "Hello....thing...."

"Hello, ugly" you responded, pulling your sunglasses on top of your head and sitting up properly to face him. "Why did you have to come out here and ruin my time with my friend?"

"Um, it's hot, you fucking idiot, and the AC is broken, so Tyler and I are gonna chill out here. I see you have liquor, so we're gonna be enjoying that just as much as you are" He pulled up a chair opposite Hannah, so close to her that their knees touched. You wished he'd swallow his pride and make the first move, because you knew damn well Hannah wouldn't.

"Tyler?" Hannah asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "Who's Tyler?"

"I am" he said from behind you, a shadow was cast over your face as he moved to stand next to you. You looked up, and there he was, the most beautiful man you'd ever seen, and probably would ever see. "And you must be Y/N?" You nodded. "I've heard a lot about you"

"Good things I hope" You joke, a laugh bubbling out your throat as your brother clears his throat. "But if they're coming from my brother, I can't imagine it's anything but slander"

You all erupt into laughter, and that was it. After that day, Tyler never left your side.

You lean back into your chair, avoiding eye contact with Tyler. He wasn't lying, you two were eerily similar, and he'd always been the one person, aside from your brother, who could read you like a book. There was no denying your souls were hand crafted for each other.

"How's your brother?" He asks, a lame attempt at conversation.

"I thought you would know" You turned to look at him. "He married Hannah a few months ago. I was half expecting to see you there"

Tyler shook his head. "Corey hasn't spoken to me since we broke up. I think he's angry I broke his sister's heart"

Your lips form a tight line. "What do you want from me Tyler? Have you dragged me out here away from my friends to make pointless small talk or did you have anything of value to say to me?"

"Is it so wrong to want to talk to you?" He asks again, hurt brushing over his features before he regained composure. You roll your eyes and stand up, making your way back into the bar. Before you could walk in, Caroline runs over and slams the door to the deck shut in front of you, Emmie furiously pointing at Tyler, mouthing "fucking talk to him!"

You sigh in defeat and turn around to see Tyler smiling, shading his eyes from the heat lamp burning down on his skin.

"Guess you have no choice" He joked. "But I can't talk to you knowing your roommates are staring at us"

"Well, what do you propose?" You asked, pulling your jacket tighter around yourself. You were not leaving the bar with him.

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You left the bar with him. You found yourself strolling down the street, buying a case of beer from the gas station and suddenly, twenty minutes later, you were sat on the cliffside Tyler took you to years ago, moderately buzzed from the mixture of beer and hard liquor.

"I still carry your photo in my wallet" You admit, looking at him on the other side of the bench. "The one I took of you here, in this exact spot, when you made us a picnic before you left on a chase"

"I'd be lying if I said I haven't done the same thing" He reached into his pocket and pulled a polaroid out of his own wallet. It was crumpled and faded, but you could still make out your own face in the moonlight, smiling up at the camera, eyes squeezed shut with Tyler's hat adorning your head. You laughed to yourself.

You settled into a comfortable silence, the subtle admission of lost love still hanging in the air, weighing down on you.

"Why?" He asked. You looked back at him. "Why did you keep it?"

"Why did you?" You retaliate, raising an eyebrow at him in suspicion.

"Why do you think?" He sighed and shuffled ever so slightly closer to you. "I remember when you broke up with me you told your brother I was the biggest mistake of your life. He came banging my front door down, probably ready to beat me to a pulp. I would've let him. But as soon as he told me that- as soon as he told me that you said I was a mistake, every bit of anger in me just dissipated. I was in love with you, hell, I am in love with you, and all I could do was question how I managed to fuck up so bad that our decade together felt like a mistake to you."

"You were never a mistake, Tyler" You whisper softly, choosing to ignore the fact he just admitted his love for you all these years later. "I was mad, mad that I let go so easily, and it was easier to blame you than admit that I broke up with you over something so- so mundane"

He had moved closer to you, his thigh pressing against yours on the bench as he leant down to put his empty beer bottle on the floor. He sat back up, putting one arm around you as you rested your head on his shoulder. You fit in the crook of his neck like a missing piece of a puzzle, and a satisfied sigh left your lips.

"Tyler?" You say, he hums in response. "You're in love with me?"

His shoulders tense as he sucks in a sharp breath. Maybe you should've continued to ignore it.

"Of course I am" he replies softly, lifting your head up and cupping your jaw. Finally, you lean into his touch, a smile tugging at your lips. "I have been for fourteen years. I could never love anyone like I love you, you're it for me"

You stare at him, allowing yourself to fall deeply into his gaze. His features had considerably softened since you first saw him in the bar. The glint of hope in his eyes had returned, and the crease in his brow has gone. The slow breeze pushed his hair slightly back, and you had to resist the urge to run your hands through his blonde locks.

He was slowly leaning in, and before you knew it, your eyes were fluttering shut as you felt his lips lightly graze yours. His other hand found the other side of your face, cradling you like you were the most precious jewel. Your hand instinctively goes up to hold his wrist, his skin rough against your palm.

"Can I- can I kiss you?" He whisper's against your mouth. You nod.

His lips finally pressed against yours, gentle and full of years of love. He tasted the same as he always did, the distinct flavour of vanilla from his chapstick he carried around in his back pocket. His lips slotted against yours perfectly as your arms made their way around his neck. For the first time in years, you felt at peace.

Tyler reluctantly pulled away, resting his forehead against yours. "What do you say?" He whispered. "Be my mistake."

[mapis-putellas]

Princess treatment

Pairing: Leah Williamson x reader

Words: 1645

Warnings: none

Summary: based on this request

Notes: this didn’t write as well as I wanted it to, so I apologise

[prompt list]

"You have two perfectly working legs, you know?"

Leah groans from her place on your back, her head bouncing softly against your shoulder as you carry her through the tunnel towards the changing room. She'd just played a full ninety minute match and due to the numerous tackles sent her way by the opposing team, her legs ached and everything just hurt.

The second you'd gotten close enough, she'd hugged you briefly before rounding your body and jumping on your back, your taller frame catching her with relative ease. Sometimes she helps hold herself up, but today she was fully limp in your arms and incredibly grateful you were strong enough to do so for her.

"I know, but you love me and my legs hurt." She whines as you push the changing room door open with your foot, ignoring the playful teasing sent your way as you carry Leah inside before sending her down beside her cubby.

She sighs audibly as she wraps her arms around your midriff and rests her chin against your chest, your hand cupping the back of her head and tugging playfully on her ponytail. "And you think mine don't?" You raise an eyebrow.

Leah simply glares, and you laugh softly as you place a kiss to her sweaty forehead before gently pushing her towards the showers. "Go shower. You stink."

Leah's jaw drops in mock offence as she places her hands on her hips. "And you think you don't?” She mocks you. “The audacity, man."

"I never said I didn't.” you shrug your shoulders, picking up your towel and playfully flicking it at her as you pass.

"Hey! Watch it!"

*

Twenty minutes later, you exit the shower fully clothed with your hair tied back into a loose braid. You're immediately greeted with the sight of Leah. She too was showered, clad in grey sweats and a matching hoodie with her damp blonde hair tied back into a messy ponytail. On her lap were her shoes and socks, her lips quirking up into a guilty smile when she catches your knowing gaze.

By now, the changing room was completely empty, and you sigh gratefully at the fact because you knew your next actions would have you both teased relentlessly. With a kiss to her forehead, you crouch down in front of her.

"Thank you, baby." She mumbles as you take the balled up socks before undoing them and slipping one onto each of her feet, her shoes following which you make sure to tie as tightly as she likes.

Obviously, Leah was more than capable of putting her own socks and shoes on, but back when she'd done her acl, that obviously hadn't been the case. She was unable to put her own pants on let alone bend to tie her shoes, so of course you'd taken over despite her many, many protests of being able to do it herself.

You'd once watched her try and stubbornly do so for over twenty minutes, and that had not been a fun experience for either of you.

It was something that had continued even as she got better, and had eventually shifted over to training too. (Though she did thankfully tie her own boots.)

"There we go, all done." You use her knees as leverage to return upright before holding out her hands. Leah was quick to take them, a content smile on her face as she leans up on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to your cheek.

"Thanks my love."

"You're welcome, Lee. Are you ready to go?" You hoist your kitbag onto your shoulder, brushing a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of your braid behind your ear.

Leah grins mischievously, and you raise an eyebrow as you watch her gather up her things before stepping up onto the bench and holding out her arms.

You give her a look that says, are you fucking kidding me, but all Leah does is bounce impatiently on her toes as she wiggles her fingers. You open up your mouth to say no, absolutely not, but your resolve gets thrown out of the window the second she pouts.

"Baby, please?" She murmurs, and you groan internally as you drop your bag and make your way over to her. The pout was immediately wiped from her lips as she grips your shoulders and turns you around, wrapping her arms around your shoulders and wrapping her legs around your waist.

"I love you." She kisses the side of your head, arms draped across your chest.

"Yeah yeah, I love you too." You grip her thighs and bounce her up slightly before once again picking up your bag, making your way out of the changing room.

She scoffs lightly as she lightly kicks your thighs, the pout audible in her voice as she speaks. "Alright, don't sound so thrilled about it." 

You laugh softly, "Lee, of course I love you. I wouldn't carry you literally everywhere I go if I didn't."

"Hey! You don't carry me everywhere!" 

"I don't? What about last week when we were at the shop? You didn't want to walk so I carried you the whole way round. Oh! Also the other day when went on that walk that you wanted us to go on and you literally lasted ten minutes before I had to pick you up. I also carry you to and from training practically every single day, with the exception of your fr-"

"Okay! Okay! I get it. You carry me a lot is it really that big a deal?"

"Oh no," you make it to the car, setting her down onto her feet before grabbing the keys and unlocking it. "I don't mind. It was you who got all defensive." You pull open the passenger side door and gesture for her to climb in.

"I did not get defensive!" She practically stomps her foot as she crosses her arms against her chest.

You purse your lips to stop your laugher as you nod your head. "Okay, you didn't. In the car please. I want to go home."

"But-"

"Baby, car."

"Defensive she says. How dare you?" she complies this time, slipping into the passenger seat whilst simultaneously continuing to grumble under her breath. You roll your eyes as you close the door and place your kitbags into the trunk before rounding the car to the drivers side, slipping inside and closing the door before buckling up your seatbelt.

When you see she hadn't done the same, you reach over and do it for her, lips quirking up into a smirk when you see her smile subtly at the action.

"Such a princess." You tease, giving her a gentle nudge before starting the engine.

Leah immediately gapes at you as she reaches over and slaps your thigh. "You take that back right now! I am not a princess!"

You laugh as you rub away the stinging sensation the slap had left behind, your free hand on the steering wheel manoeuvring the car out of the carpark.

"So you want me to lie?" You glance her way.

"Baby!" She whines as she drops her head back against the headrest of her seat, and you laugh softly as you reach out and place your hand on her thigh, giving it a soft squeeze.

"I'm just teasing, Lee. I'm sorry." You genuinely apologise despite knowing you'd only told her the truth. If your words had genuinely upset her, you wouldn't let them slip from your lips again.

Leah's pout slowly drops from her lips, and she hums in satisfaction as she tangles her fingers with your own. As you drive, you absentmindedly graze the pad of yours thumb over the back of her hand, the soft skin warming slightly beneath your touch.

The journey home was silent with the exception of the radio, so it was no surprise that you find Leah fast asleep against the window of the car as you pull into your driveway. Deciding your kits would be fine in the trunk until tomorrow, you exit the car almost silently before making your way round to the passenger side.

You open the door partially at first, slipping your hand through the gap to keep her from falling.

"Lee? We're home baby." You murmur as you pull the door open fully, reaching over her sleeping body to unbuckle her seatbelt. You gently trail the backs of your fingers against her cheek, hoping it would rouse her so she could make her own way inside.

But to absolutely no one's surprise, she remains asleep.

With a knowing smile, you lean into the car and pull her upper body flush against your own. Holding her there with your least dominant arm, you use the other to haul her out of the car and into your arms, her legs hanging loosely around your waist.

"Jesus." You grumble as you nearly topple backwards, bracing yourself against the car.

"Easy." You hear mumbled against your shoulder, and you automatically freeze with a quiet sigh.

"Of course you're not actually asleep.” You groan as you let go of her waist, her legs hooking tightly around your waist in response. 

"I was until you practically manhandled me out of the car." She shoots back defensively.

You can't help but scoff as you slap her butt before wrapping your arms back around her waist, figuring if she was going to get down, she would have done so already. "Well excuse me for trying to be a good girlfriend." 

"Sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm grouchy." She whispers as you single handedly pull out the house keys and shove them into the lock, twisting them to the right before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

"It's okay, baby," you assure as you place your keys on the small ceramic plate. "Dinner and then bed, okay?"

"Okay."

**

Tags:

@simp4panos @girlgenius1111 @codiemarin @goldenempyrean @liloandstitchstan

[jewreallythinkthat]

One of the reasons I think there has been such a breakdown between the "progressive" left and the Jewish community is actually something that I've watched before fostered in left wing spaces for well over a decade and that is looking for offence.

When someone says something antisemitic, that does not mean they are an antisemite. I remember when the BLM marches took place, people rightly pointed out that there is a lot of unconscious bias against PoC and that being called out for eating something you didn't realise was problematic does not mean you are actually racist, just that you need to think a bit more when talking about a subject which in many cases, doesn't affect you as such. The same principle should apply to antisemitism.

If I say someone has said something antisemitic, their first reaction (on the left wing - because the right will proudly nod that yes, it was antisemitic) is often "you're calling me an antisemite and trying to silence me, Zionist". This is not true. What I am saying is that you are saying something that is discriminatory, invoked blood libel, accused Jews of ruling the world etc etc. I fully believe most people do not realise they are doing this. The point of dog whistles is that you are not supposed to recognise them, that's how they propagate. Anti-jewish racism is one of the oldest forms of hatred and it stretches back multiple millennia so it makes sense that it's literally inside the common vernacular. That doesn't mean everyone using it is an antisemite.

Instead of immidiately jumping to the defensive, I wish people would take a moment to ask, in good faith, "why would a Jewish person find this antisemitic?" Take the opportunity to learn, to better themself. Do not assume every Jew is trying to silence you - assuming the worst every time of Jewish people is a type of antisemitism so please try and put yourself in their shoes and maybe even ask them to explain so you can do better in the future.

Just a general overview, here's a couple of ones to look out for (a non exhaustive list).

1. Replace the word "Zionist" in what has Ben said with "Jew". If it sounds like something leeched out of Nazi Germanh or the Soviet Union, it's probably going to be antisemitism.

2. Saying you don't think any country should exist but focusing exclusively on the destruction of Israel. The only thing that makes Israel unique is that it's a Jewish majority country. So why is that the only county you actively want to get rid of?

2.1 Holding Israel to a higher standard than any other country is antisemitic as laid out above in point 2.

3. Assuming the worst of Jews and Israel every time is antisemitism. It's no different to assuming Black people are always out to get you or all Muslims are terrorists. If it's racist to do this to one minority group, it is racist to do it to any.

4. Tokenizing extremists in a community (Ben Gvir and the West Bank settlers on the right wing in Israel, the Neturi Karta by the progressive left when discussing I/P) is racist. If you only listen to Jews who prove your point, you are actively excluding the majority of a community so you can beat them down, this is racist.

I don't like calling people antisemitic because most people are not actually that, what they are is uneducated on antisemetism because the majority of that education is not being done by Jews - let alone Jews who represent the majority of the community.

But if you refuse to talk to Jews in good faith when they try to explain why what you have said is antisemitic, you are running the risk of moving from "ignorant user of antisemetic language" to "antisemite" (also a note, ignorant not meaning stupid but rather that you do not know something).

[ddejavvu]

Omg! I saw that fic you wrote based on friends tv series and i love it! Its so freaking cute!! Reading that fic remind me of another scene of friends tv series if you dont mind writing it?

Where chandler is having a bath and everyone just comes in at one point and start having conversations in the bathroom.

Maybe reader is like the therapist of the group and everyone wants her opinion on smtg and while reader is taking a bath, one by one just starting to enter and start having conversations with her and the rest until one of marauders (reader’s bf) start shooing everyone out so reader could have a peaceful bath?

i changed this a teeny bit, i'm sorry! but i've never seen friends so i think that's okay

--

"Y/N," Sirius is the first to interrupt your warm bath with James, meant to soothe his sore muscles after Quidditch practice, and lull you to sleep against his chest. Thankfully, James has poured a liberal amount of strawberry bubble bath into the water, so there's foam up to your necks.

"What's'a matter, Pads?" James answers for you while you try clearing the almost-sleep from your brain, but the man scoffs at him.

"Prongs, no offence, but I need help with makeup. And you're the last person in this castle I'd come to for that."

Before James can make an affronted retort, you pipe up, smoothing a soothing hand on James's thigh beneath the bubbles, "What do you need, Sirius?"

"Black or blue liner?" He shows off his outfit, then the two eyeliner pens in his hand.

"Black," You decide with a wrinkled nose, "Blue doesn't match your earrings."

"Thanks," Sirius grins, tossing the blue pen onto the counter and leaving with the black one, "Oh-! Sorry, Rem, go ahead."

Just when you'd been about to settle back against James's chest, Remus steps in, clearly having run into Sirius on the way out. James groans, but Remus incurs less of his wrath than Sirius often does, the price of becoming siblings as well as brothers.

"I left The Nightingale on your bed," Remus informs you, "Can I take Falling Leaves?"

"The smaller one," You nod, "Not the special edition. Sorry, Rem, I know you're careful, but I can't afford a chocolate stain on it."

He rolls his eyes good-naturedly, but he'll respect your wishes. After all, he's careful in lending out special editions of his books, too.

"Thanks, Y/N!"

"Remus," James calls at the retreating form of his friend, "Do me a favor: close the door behind you!"

Remus does so, and James hooks an arm around your waist beneath the suds. It's warm and slightly pruned, and you sink into it gladly, reclining once more against his bare chest.

"Now that that's over," He gripes, his hand travelling below your waist, fingers hooking into the pudge of your thighs, "We could..."

"Don't even think about it," You pinch his thigh, just above the dome of his kneecap, ignoring his yelp in response, "This bath is to fix your sore muscles, not make new ones."

"I'm fine," James insists, burrowing his nose into the nape of your neck where fine droplets of water cling to your wispy hairs, "Please, darling, I swear I can-"

"Y/N?" Lily calls, the sweet tone of her voice matching the strawberry scent heavy in the air, "I know you're bathing, I'm sorry, but it'll only take a moment."

James holds his breath, but you use yours to call, "Come in, Lily," And he releases his in a scoff, fingers finally abandoning your thigh.

"I was just wondering if I could borrow your green sweater," Lily hums, politely avoiding any eye contact with James's muscled shoulders as he drapes his arms over the sides of the bathtub.

"G'head, babe," You smile sweetly at her, "You going to Hogsmeade?"

"The whole dorm is," She nods excitedly, "You wanna join?"

You consider it despite James's hand plunging back into the water and latching tight to your hip. Finally you decide, "No, but I might end up joining you if James can't learn to keep his hands to himself."

"Hey!" He tears his hand away from you once more, spilling water over the side of the tub when he finds purchase against the edge, "If you keep letting people barge in here, we won't be able to do anything anyways."

"Excellent point," You nod thoughtfully, and James's exasperated groan brings a smile to Lily's face that she shares giddily with you, "Lily, if you happen to see Professor McGonagall on your way over, send her in."

[cherryblossompink303]

Patience: ~The twins fight!~

➼ pairing: Kyoya Ootori x Reader ➼ summary: The twins get bored and decide to play around with the two girls of the host club and chaos breaks loose. ➼ what to expect: "I'd look out , for a moment there it sounded like you care" ➼ warnings: none ➼ Part Four | Part Six

"Let's Play the 'which one is Hikaru?' game" The twins chime out, introducing the game that they have played with the clients ever since the host club started.

"So? Can you tell which one of us is Hikaru?” the twins tease in unison.

“Well, it’s hard to say!”

“You’re identical!” The guests gush over the twins in awe.

“Many ladies have tried to tell us apart, but so far none have succeeded.” they wag their fingers in a demeaning fashion.

"That's the dumbest game i've ever heard" Haruhi comments, sat with you having coffee. "They've always done this, it is silly but the girls seem to like it" you shrug.

"You just don't like it because you never guess right y/n" Hikaru appears out of seemingly nowhere as if they heard you from across the room. "No, I never guess because you lie, statistically someone should guess right 50% of the time and yet they never do, I wonder why that is" You taunt, Kyoya chuckles from a nearby table.

The twins gasp dramatically in offence "We would never lie!" the two of them exclaim in unison. "You're jealous because we are so popular" Kaoru accuses, sticking a finger in your face "I'm not even a host, why would I be jealous?"

"Apparently you don’t understand the merits of having a pair of twins as members of the Host Club.”

"Other than you driving Tamaki up the wall?" you tease, knowing what they meant, your the host club's manager you've seen the numbers of it all, next to Tamaki the twins were extremely popular, although you never fully understood the appeal.

“Listen up! Having a couple of good-looking guys with homosexual tendencies earns the club high points. It also helps if the two struggle between their attraction and their friendship.”

You nod, trying to turn away and out of this conversation but they follow your gaze. "And in our case, because we’re twins, our relationship is taboo, and therefore more intriguing.” you grimace, you never try to put too much thought in Hikaru and Kaoru's relationship for the sake of your job, so saying it directly wasn't fun to hear.

The twins appear surrounding a guest. Hikaru tilts her chin his way, whispering into her ear.

“And besides, who hasn’t fantasized about twins? Having two lovers is better than one, don’t you think?”

Kaoru replaces Hikaru’s hand with his own, directing the guest his way, “It’s a young woman’s romantic fantasy.”

The guest stammers, “Well, I- um… yeah, you’re right! I can’t take it!” other guests join in on her squealing. "So you see y/n-"

"Don't, I get the picture, just get back to work"

"Hikaru! Kaoru!” Tamaki appears screaming

The twins mirror each other, hands perched on their hips, “Hm?”

Enraged, Tamaki continues, “When I have control of the club’s website, I did so on one condition! That you take it seriously!” Tamaki shrieks in mortification.

“We take our job very seriously, Boss,” Hikaru assures.

Kaoru waves his hands eccentrically, “In fact, last night we worked on it till dawn.”

Tamaki opens his laptop aggressively, “Is THIS what you worked so hard to create?!” He smacks the keyboard, showing images of Haruhi and You pop up.

"What the..."

Haruhi had been photoshopped- Suprisingly well- to make her appear shirtless, although it was obvious that it was fake since obviously Haruhi does not have the chest of a guy. Meanwhile the twins had edited pictures of you to show more collarbone, one photo being taken from behind had you with a completely exposed back.

"Hm, I didn’t notice that change in the website.”

You nearly jump out of your skin at the voice adjacent to you. None other than Kyoya stands emotionless beside you, observing the picture on the monitor.

“Please don’t tell me you were involved in this.” You plead, knowing that if anyone were to supply the photos used to create these it would be Kyoya. "No, but they are doing remarkably well"

It takes all the strength within you not to hit Kyoya up the back of his head. "Why did you even do this! I'm not even a host, not to mention the fact that the host club has an all female demographic!" You cry, voice increasingly getting higher.

You were going to lose your mind, you know the body in the photos wasn't yours but you were uncomfortable showing a lot of skin regardless, even if it wasn't technically your skin.

“You look great, y/n-Chan!” Honey exclaims from behind you. You make a quick movement and cover his eyes with your hand, much to his confusion.

“Oh! We never see much of y/n! I wanna see!”

“That’s why.” Kyoya points with his pen to the girls fawning over the revealing photo of you.

“Plus, I’m sure our male hosts don’t mind taking a glance at it from time to time.” he shrugs. Oh you were going to kill him.

“You-!”

Tamaki snatches the laptop from you and hands it to the awaiting girls. You exclaim in protest and reach for it, but it’s too late.

“Tell me when!”

“Huh?” the twins tilt their heads.

“When did you take naked pictures of y/n and Hruhi?!”

“Oh, dear god.” You shove your face into your hands and resist the urge to scream.

“You bribed her, didn’t you!” Tamaki starts to cry, grabbing at his hair anxiously.

“You’re imagining things.”

“It’s obvious that the photo’s been altered.”

“It was photoshopped?” Tamaki whimpers, facing the twins with dread.

"Trust me Tamaki I knew nothing about this"

“We did a pretty good job, huh?” Hikaru slides next to Tamaki with Kaoru, shrugging identically.

“We’ve got some major photoshopping talent.” Kaoru brags unabashedly.

“You idiots! That’s a waste of your skills! Have you no shame?!”

Tamaki’s attitude takes a swerve, now kneeling before the twins, pleading, “But if you’re going to do it anyway, can you photoshop Haruhi into this idol photo book?” He presents the twins with the photo book excitedly.

This time, it’s Haruhi’s face that pales, becoming white-faced. You can’t help but laugh.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Boss, why don’t you just-”

“-ask her if she’d wear an outfit like one of those.” the twins suggest, much to Haruhi’s dismay.

Tamaki glances at Haruhi with hopeful eyes, “I never thought to ask her…” he tip-toes behind her and presents her with a pink, frilly dress.

“What do you think about this, my dear?”

“What are you doing with that dress?” Honey tilts his head.

“I would have to agree with Tamaki; I’d love to see what Haruhi looked like if he dressed as a girl!” A guest abandons the laptop to pay attention to Haruhi and Tamaki’s interaction.

“Oh, he’s so cute! I’m sure he’d look great no matter what you put him in.”

Haruhi sighs in exasperation, turning to look at Tamaki with a half-assed glare. Tamaki bursts into tears and drifts away.

You snatch the laptop while it’s unattended and slam it shut, irked. "Okay that's enough, no more creepy photoshops of me and Haruhi you perverts, what do you take us for anyway?"

The twins share an identical smirk with a hum, “Isn’t that obvious? You’re our toys.”

♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡

As we were saying, in order to entertain one’s self in this otherwise boring life-”

“One must find himself stimulating toys.”

You and Haruhi groan in unison “we are not your toys, okay?” The twins shrug with mischievous chuckles.

Suddenly, a door appears behind the three of you, revealing someone cloaked in darkness and peeking out from behind them.

“You want a toy?”

The voice calls your attention as well as the twins’, the three of you glancing over with a chorused confused, “Huh?”

“Toys, toys, if you like toys, then you should come and visit my black magic club.” the figure with a deep voice holds a candelabra.

The pieces fit together in your brain, and you realize the intimidating figure only to be Nekozawa-Senpai. You sigh heavily.

“We’ve opened a marketplace that boasts black magic items from across the globe. We’re also holding mass around the clock.”

Neko’s voice pricks the hairs standing straight on the back of Tamaki’s neck, drawing his attention and fear over to him.

“If you visit right now, I’ll even throw in a free curse doll. You can have Beelzenef as your free gift.”

You snort at the mere name of the doll. The twins struggle to hold in their laughter as well.

“Why is he talking to us through a crack in the door?” Haruhi asks from beside you.

“Wait a second, has that door always been there-?”

Kyoya meanders to the four of you with his infamous folder, “Nekozawa-Senpai likes to hide, he doesn’t really care for brightly lit places.” he clarifies at Haruhi’s question.

You raise your hand childishly, “I still have a question about the door-”

Tamaki stalks up behind Haruhi and speaks abruptly, “Don’t get involved with that guy, Haruhi.”

Haruhi leaps into the air with a yelp at his sudden appearance.

Tamaki isn’t phased in the least, “If you do, you’ll end up being cursed!”

“Do you have any basis for that?” you can’t help but snicker at Tamaki’s attitude toward the clearly harmless elder student.

Dramatically, “Yes! And you should know that! It happened during final exams at the end of the last school year! It’s terrifying just to talk about it.”

“On that fateful day, I accidentally stepped on that weirdo Nekozawa’s cursed doll, Beelzenef. Afterward, I took my exam and the entire test was written in some strange lettering! I looked to the others around me for help and realized I knew none of them! I was all alone in a different dimension!”

Honey cries in the backdrop, “Scary!”

“Did that really happen to you?!” Haruhi gasps.

Kyoya clarifies, “That only happened because you were so scared you accidentally walked into the beginning Greek class and took their exam.” he rolls his eyes.

“No, it was a curse! I know because three days later, I woke up and my legs were as heavy as lead! Just how do you explain that?!” Tamaki challenges.

"your legs were heavy because you ran a marathon the day before, remember?” you point out

Nekozawa appears near you, Kyoya, and Tamaki with a warning, “You shouldn’t underestimate the dark powers of Beelzenef the curse doll! All you have to do is write the name of someone you hate on his back. Then that person is certain to come face to face with misfortune!”

Wow, this guy is dark in more ways than one,” Hikaru observes as Tamaki shakes in fright.

“Supposedly, he hates bright lights,” Kaoru glances at his twin with a glint in his eye, “I wonder what he’ll think of this?” He brings a flashlight out from behind his back, flicking it on and off.

The light shines brightly onto Nekozawa, and incidentally, Tamaki, startling them both.

“You murderers!” Nekozawa shrieks as he dashes back to the safe darkness of his club room, slamming the door behind him.

Tamaki lets out a harrowing shriek, “How on earth could you do such a thing?! Obviously the two of you don’t know the true terror of black magic!” he attempts to scold the twins as they wander off.

They throw themselves into chairs alongside each other boredly.

“Ugh, I am so bored.”

“Isn’t there anything fun we can do around here?”

Being ignored is one of Tamaki’s worst nightmares. So he confines himself to his sulking corner and crouches in shame, “My dignity as the club’s leader is being ignored.”

“It sure is.” you tsk as you shake your head at the twins’ behavior.

“Hey, y/n, we’ve got a favor to ask you.” Both Hikaru and Kaoru raise their hands in unison, gaining your attention. “What is it?”

“The next time we get a day off,”

“Can we come over to your place and hang out?”

You tense up at the question "Why would you do that?" in the two years you had been living in Japan you never really had the club members round to your place, while they all lived in mansions you lived in a small apartment not far from the school.

“We’re curious! We wanna see where you live.”

Without hesitation, you have an answer, “No way.” Your response is immediate.

“Aw, pretty please?” they plead annoyingly. "You never let us come round" Kaoru spoke up.

"I’ve been curious as well; I don’t think any of us have been to your house before.” As per usual, Kyoya appears beside you

“No way in hell, Kyoya,” you deadpan. The crease between Kyoya’s brows becomes more prominent at your response. "Besides, it was your family who set me up with my place, I honestly thought you knew where I live"

Kyoya shrugged "I know your address but I haven't seen it in person, I don't go that far in depth in my research"

“We can settle this with a game!” The twins adorn their green caps.

“If you can’t pick out which one of us is Hikaru, then your penalty will be the two of us coming over to your house later tonight.” They shuffle themselves back and forth, spinning.

“Okay! So which one of us is Hikaru?”

Relief floods your system that the game is so simple- they’ll never have to come over. You point confidently, “This one’s Kaoru, this one’s Hikaru.”

The twins prance in accomplishment, “Uh oh! You got it wrong!” They grin.

You raise an eyebrow that they were still choosing to lie even to you “No, I know I’m right. You guys may look alike, but you’re very different.” you clarify.

The twins let out a mildly frightened laugh, trying to keep their composure.

"How did you do that, y/n? Whenever they wear those hats to cover up which way they part their hair, it’s practically impossible to try and figure out which twin is Hikaru and which one is Kaoru!” a guest catches your attention.

“How can you tell them apart?” Another asks.

"I have to spend every day around them for one, you slowly start to pick up on little things, Hikaru is more impulsive than kaoru while kaoru is more mischevious with his plots"

Kaoru snorts and covers his mouth with his hand, “Sorry, Hikaru, I don’t mean to laugh.” But as he says it, his light chuckle transforms into full-blown laughter.

“Well, I don’t see what’s so funny. I’m honest, I speak my mind, and I don’t hold back.” Hikaru closes his eyes and holds his head high.

“It’s sneaky people like Kaoru who are the troublemakers.”

Kaoru’s eyes open wide and the laughter stops. He rises from his hunched position and glares at Kaoru, suddenly serious.

“Don’t turn this on me, Hikaru. After all, I’m the one who’s always going along with all of your selfish games.”

“I may suggest them, but you’re the one who really gets into them, Kaoru. If you hate it so much, then why don’t you just stop?”

“Because I’d hate to see you make an ass of yourself in front of everyone. It was your idea to call y/n our toy, but I noticed you were quick to make a pass at her,”

You slowly try to creep away from the twins, no longer wanting to be apart of whatever is going on, accidentally backing into Kyoya, who grasps your shoulders to stabilise you. "Are you alright?"

“What’s going on?” your voice is unsteady. He follows your finger and shrugs. “I’m not sure.”

“Admit it, Hikaru, you’re actually in love with y/n, aren’t you?”

You're eyes widen in pure shock, in the years that you had known the twins neither had expressed any romantic interest in you, or at least none that you had noticed. Kyoya's grip on your shoulders tighten a little.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Kaoru! Man, you’re such a freaking idiot!”

“Why would I fall for her? I mean, she looks like a tanuki.” Hikaru reasons.

“Wow, thank you so much Hikaru, appreciate it" you mutter.

“Awesome. This is just perfect!”

Something powerful shakes the ground and rises from the floor.

The motor carries Renge, much to your dismay.

“Our beloved y/n is in the middle of a beautiful yet poignant four-sided romantic relationship!”

“Four-sided-?” You glance around cluelessly.

“And to make it even more exciting, two of y/n’s admirers are twins, torn apart by love! Just the thought of it could make me eat three bowls of rice!”

“Oh butt out, Otaku.” The twins groan. You speak up, “Actually, this is the first time she’s acknowledging my existence so-”

“You guys are meanies, you shouldn’t say something like that to your manager!” Renge cries.

“Never mind.” you pout.

“I’m confused, I thought that you had decided to go back home to France, Renge.” Haruhi points out.

“Well, I was going to start up a host club of my own, but I don’t think France is ready for a host club just yet.” Renge explains.

“Cut it out, already!” The exclamation draws everyone’s attention back to the twins.

“You’re the one who’s always crawling into my bed! Talk about annoying!” Hikaru huffs angrily.

“I only do that cause you look lonely! I wouldn’t choose to sleep in your bed, you idiot!”

Somehow, the twins’ guests find their bickering to be dote-worthy.

“Who are you calling an idiot, you’re the one who sucks at math?” Hikaru fires back with rage.

“Oh yeah? Well, you’re failing your foreign language class, you big dummy!”

“The way you grind your teeth is deafening!”

“At least I don’t toss and turn so much that I fall out of bed!”

“Sex Pixie!”

“Sicko!”

“YOUR MAMA WEARS TOO MUCH MAKEUP!”

“That’s it! We’re over!”

Silence falls over the host club, you look up to see kyoya's equally shocked face.

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By the time you had reached lunch the next day everyone was getting sick of the twins fighting. Haruhi had told you that the twins had showed up to class with dyed hair and nearly tore the classroom apart.

As you along with the rest of the host club entered the refractory the twins were still arguing, this time over what they were ordering for lunch

“I was wondering what all the fuss was about. I can’t believe the two of you are still fighting, you’re a disgrace to the host club.” Tamaki says as you all enter.

“Hey, look who it is.”

“Oh, I love them…”

“I’ve never seen them all together like this…”

"We've had enough of this! You're both to blame for this!" Honey demands.

You turn to Kyoya "I'm surprised you joined us Kyoya, you never normally eat here" you point out, Kyoya still scribbling in his notebook. "Yes well given the circumstances I figured that it would be best that I come and keep an eye on things lest they start chucking things around the room again. I don't want someone to get hurt"

"Someone?" You ask, sending him a pointed look, kyoya glares at you over the rim of his glasses "Don't want to see you needing a doctor, we both know how that would go" he smirks.

You laugh "I'd look out Kyoya, for a moment there it sounded like you care about me" you faux horror. He tutted through a smile "Well we can't have that can we?"

“I don’t care if my boxed lunch is in an embarrassing heart shape! I will eat it!” Tamaki’s shout echoes in the expansive dining hal, leaving the two of you to stare at him in confusioon.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it’s evident that your fantasies are completely incoherent.” Kyoya departs, carrying his meal on a tray.

“y/n, you wanna sit here with me?” Hikaru pulls out a seat next to him and gestures to it, suddenly calm, separate from Kaoru.

“Uh, okay.” You approach sceptically, sitting down next to him.

“So what’s that?” He points to your little container you’ve brought with you, “What’d you bring for lunch?”

“Just some food I made before school" you shrug.

“You wanna switch with me? I had to order something different than Kaoru, so I ended up with stuff I don’t really like.” He pushes his tray in your direction and swipes up your container.

“That’s fine with me.” You shrug, taking a fork and poking at the food on your new spread. You begin to chew on a bite, humming with satisfaction and chewing thoroughly.

Kaoru pulls out a chair on the other side of you, “So, y/n, is that any good? How would you like to taste mine? Here.”

He slides his fingers under your chin and aims a spoon toward your mouth, tilting your chin upwards. Your face flushes at the proximity.

Hikaru leans forward and eats what’s on Kaoru’s soon, “Quit butting in, get lost, Kaoru.” He deadpans. You squeak and jerk away, separating yourself from the twins glaring at each other.

Kaoru hesitates before chucking a bowl of soup in Hikaru’s direction.

Although it looks like Hikaru has received the blow, he pulls on Tamaki’s tie to reveal that he shielded himself with his own boss. He smirks.

Before you know it, you’re caught in another crossfire between them. Chairs, plates, food, and even Honey is thrown between them.

You slip away and somehow yet again ended up sat by Kyoya yet again “Weren’t you enjoying yourself over there? I'm sure the twins are excellent company”

“Very funny.” Your eyes roll exaggeratedly, opening up your food. "Why have you brought your own lunch? I understand why Haruhi requires a boxed lunch but you and I both know you are in a vastly different situation to her"

"I don't know I just... I've felt weirdly homesick this week, I figured making some food from where I am from would help" you shrug, Kyoya hums back in understanding "Could I...try some?" He asked, slightly sheepishly which was a rare look for him.

You nod, smiling back as you slide over the box for him to stick his fork in, patiently awaiting as he took a taste. His face lights up in a mix of surprise and delight "This is really good"

"You think? I don't think myself to be that much of a chef" you shrug, sliding the box back to take a taste for yourself "You made this?" you smile back at him nodding "yeah"

Kyoya hums, staring back at you with a look that you couldn't quite place. "You should tell me about your home country more often" he lightly commented, returning to his own food. You stared back at him in mild shock, "Yeah"

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"Looking at the numbers, if this situation isn’t resolved, I’m afraid we’re going to have to stop offering our brotherly love package. We’re down one pair of loving brothers.” Kyoya grumbles, sitting directly across from you.

“Oh, y/n, I just want you to know there’s no reason for you to feel responsible. Even though it was your tactless comment that started this whole feud between the twins in the first place, right?”

Your shoot him a dead pan glare. Clearly he did blame you despite the fact that the twins kind of started the fight themselves.

Honey fidgets solemnly with Usa-Chan in his lap, “It’s weird for Hika-Chan and Kao-Chan to be fighting like this. It’s never happened before.” a frown etched upon his face. Mori nods with a bleak hum.

“They’ve never fought before?” Haruhi chimes in from beside you. You nod grimly.

“I’ve known Hika-Chan and Kao-Chan since we were pre-school. We weren’t in the same year, so I never really got to talk to them, but I remember that the two of them always played together.” Honey recalls.

“Yeah, that’s true. I mean, I’ve only known the twins since they were in middle school but they definitely stood out. It seemed like… they kept everyone at a distance except each other to protect themselves. I mean, they were even more isolated back then, I couldn’t even imagine how they’ve turned out now when I knew them at first.” Tamaki chimed in.

“Maybe this fight is a good thing for them.” He extends his arms to emphasize his next point, “Maybe it means that the twins are expanding their horizons a bit. We should just leave them alone and let them work it out.”

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You quickly realise that leaving them alone to work it out wasn't quite going to cut it. By the time the next day rolled around you all realised that you could not open the host club that day as the twins were yet again hurling things at eachother.

“Don’t you guys think that maybe, it’s time you give up all this fighting? It’s driving me insane!” Tamaki cries, looking like he is one more argument away from having a breakdown

“What’d you say? It’s driving you insane? You’ve got to be kidding me- how do you think I feel right now?! Every time I look in the mirror, I see his face! I’m sick and tired of constantly being mistaken for you, Kaoru! The truth is, I hate your guts!” Hikaru yells across the room.

“You took the words right out of my mouth. In fact, I hate you so much, I bought this! Belzenef, the curse doll!” Hikaru produces the wooden cat doll from his blazer. Tamaki shrieks.

“I’m going to complete the curse, Hikaru. I’m going to write your name on his back.” Kaoru pulls a marker from thin air threateningly, Hikaru growls.

Rage and frustration filled you, this was too far, it was all getting out of hand.

“From this day forward, you’re going to experience nothing but misfortune and sorrow!” The marker squeaks as Kaoru scribbles onto the back of the doll.

Tamaki screeches in horror, his palms cupping both his cheeks.

You march up to him, snatching the doll from him and throwing it to the ground. "Are you insane!?" Kaoru stares back at you in shock. "You don’t bring something like this into a petty fight! Both of you are at fault here, but what’s really sad is that you’ve brought everyone else around you into your big mess!”

At this point you are staring down at the two of them like a mother scolding two small children, “Now apologize to each other! If you don’t make up right now, I’m never gonna let you come over to my house, have I made myself clear?!”

You hadn't even registered the words before they left your mouth, pausing as you processed what you actually had just said. The twins stare up at you in shock and horror, however that does not last long as the corners of their lips twist upwards into a smirk.

“So then what you’re saying, y/n, that if we make up, we can come over to your place?” They circle you with hands perched on their hips.

Vertigo overtook you as you realised exactly what had just happened, looking down to find that all that Kaoru had wrote on the curse doll was 'blank'

“I’m so sorry, Kaoru. Even though I was just following our script, I said such awful things to you. I’m not fit to be your brother.” Hikaru caresses Kaoru by the cheek gently.

Kaoru reaches up and takes Hikaru’s face in his hands, “Don’t say that, Hikaru! I was worried. I couldn’t live with myself if I ever thought I had hurt you.”

“Kaoru, I’ll never let you go again!”

“Hikaru!”

You remain stood there, stunned at what was happening before you.

As the twins embrace, Honey flails his arms with squinted eyes, “You’ve gotta be kidding! You mean you guys were faking it this whole time?!” He screams.

You and Tamaki have fallen to your knees in defeat. Your fist tries its hardest to clench the ground, your head hanging between your shoulders.

“We didn’t have anything else to do, we were bored.”

Tamaki weakly lifts his head to observe them, “Twins with too much time on their hands…”

Hikaru and Kaoru both stick out their tongue at him, pulling a single eyelid down in a mocking way.

“…are the devil.”

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“I’m so glad they made up!” guests squeal in admiration.

With pink and blue hair, the twins encourage them, “Okay, it’s time to play the "which one is Hikaru” game!“ They smile widely.

A guest pipes up, "I know! The twin with the pink hair is Hikaru!” She announces proudly.

“We have a winner!” The twins have found that letting their guests win is also as much fun as watching them get them mixed up.

“So are you two going to keep your wild hair color even though you’ve made up? It’s much easier to tell the two of you apart now.”

Haruhi glances up as she strides past them, cocking an eyebrow as she observes their hair colour. They are not the same as they were yesterday.

“Huh, no, it isn’t.” she almost laughs as she stroll past, anticipating their reaction. They each hum boredly, watching her go. “Today, the pink one is Kaoru and Hikaru’s the blue one. You switched overnight huh?"

You hum in approval from nearby "You're finally catching on Haruhi" you congratulate her at being the second person to correctly tell the twins apart.

The twins freeze, staring at the two of you blankly as they realised that you both could truly tell which one was Hikaru.

"I think you broke them" Kyoya pointed out, glancing up from his notebook. You hum in agreement "Yes I think so" he smirks, placing the book down "I must admit it was quite interesting to see you lay into the twins like that, I've never seen you that angry before"

You shrug "I don't even know where it came from really, I guess something came over me" Kyoya pauses, smile slowly fading into a smirk "I'd look out , for a moment there it sounded like you care"

You laugh.

Maybe you did.

Next time on patience 'The Gradeshool host is the naughty type!'

Tag list (reply to be added): @skottch @cgmajor @rebirthbunbun