#probably longer bc i had to stop to fiddle with tensions a bit

[bitchfitch]

first 9x9 solve, it took forever but Hey! i did it :]

[feliix]

blanket date ↠ changbin

↠ Changbin x Reader

↠ genre: fluff, strangers to lovers, college au

↠ rating: pg ↠ word count: 970

↠ warnings: none!

↠ summary: the first football game of the season on your campus’ home turf calls for a big night out, but when your friends leave you behind in the cold a handsome stranger is kind enough to help you stay warm.

↠ requested by @missskzbiased​

↠ A/N: reposting bc tumblr messed up but enjoy ♡

Finally. After waiting all summer long and getting through the first few weeks of the school year it’s time for the homecoming football game. Not only is it the first social highlight of the year, but it's also a great way to meet new people early on in the semester.

Unfortunately, tonight you decided to opt for fashion instead of comfort. Which normally would have been a fair trade – except tonight is nearly freezing outside and your teeth are clattering together as your body racks with shivers. Mentally you’re cursing at yourself for leaving your gloves back in your dorm and choosing a denim jacket instead of something warmer.

You’re quickly finding yourself jealously staring at the people surrounding you, aching for a set of mittens, or a warmer pair of socks. In efforts to keep warm, you cross your arms over your chest, tucking your hands into your armpits for some extra heat.

Even your efforts to warm yourself up aren’t working; your feet are still restlessly tapping against the cold metal bleachers uncontrollably. You’re sure it's bothering the people sitting in front of you. They’re probably bouncing up and down in their seats from the power of your instinctive bounces to keep warm.

What made it all worse is that you’re currently sitting here, on the cold metal bleachers, alone. Your friends had gone to seek out some hot chocolate some time ago, what happens to seem like hours ago now. So not only are your fingers turning slightly numb, you look like a complete loner. None of this is a good look for you.

Nothing could have possibly gotten worse until your eyes shifted from their lock on the 20-yard line to the steps to your right, noting some guy making his way near you.

“Keep walking, keep walking, keep walking,” the words are mumbled under your breath, hoping that your little chant will actually work, and the male whose gaze is focused on the seat next to you will just keep ahead.

But then he stops. Hovering just a few feet away from you with an insulated cup in one hand and a blanket in the other. How badly you wanted that blanket right now...

“This spot taken?”

“Uh, no!” Your panicked voice blurts out. Actually, the seat was taken by a friend of yours who just stepped away to get a warm beverage, but the dreamy stare on this guy made you forget all about it. His chocolate brown eyes are enough to get lost in, but the way his eyes squint just the slightest bit as he smiles and flashes his perfect teeth your way...how are you supposed to tell him someone’s sitting there.

“Mind if I sit?”

His voice is just as soft as he looks, warm enough to make you melt into a puddle.

“Not at all!”

There you go again with the panicky fake-peppy voice of yours. It’s not every day that someone this attractive asks to sit next to you at a football game; and you sure as hell are not going to give up that opportunity.

“Changbin,” he smiles, his hand outstretching towards you to shake your hand.

“Y/N,” you return his smile before reluctantly removing your right hand from your left armpit. The cold air hitting the surface of your uncovered skin sent a quick chill down your spine, trying to play it off coolly by placing your hand in Changbin’s to shake.

Sadly you aren’t as smooth as you think, and Changbin’s eyebrows raise at your little shiver. “It’s cold out here,” his comment is a sad attempt at making this interaction less uncomfortable, but you’ll take it.

“Yeah,” you sigh as your hand tucks itself back into your armpit, “I wasn’t expecting it to be this cold.”

“I can tell.” A slight chuckle passes his lips, a smile remaining in its place as he sizes you up. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell that you're not dressed for the weather tonight. Not knowing how to respond, you let out an awkward laugh, nodding a bit in agreement.

“Here,” his hands fiddle with the blanket as he scoots over closer to you, draping the fabric carefully over your shivering legs, “we can share.”

You meet his eyes with a grateful smile placed on your lips, “Th-thank you.”

The fuzzy material instantly makes you feel warm – or maybe it’s the raging blush heating up your cheeks– regardless, you’re relieved you can finally get this shivering under control and can actually enjoy the game. But before you’re able to relish in the comfort of the blanket any longer Changbin speaks up.

“No problem, but you’ll owe me one,” the smirk plastered across his face leads you to confusion. Owe him for sharing a blanket?

“Huh?” Is the only sound you can manage to form, the sudden hot flash of nerves creeping into you as his statement continues to confuse you.

He doesn’t let it float through your brain much longer, quickly jumping to clear things up before the moment becomes too uncomfortable to bear.

“I-I’d like to take you out sometime, if that's okay, of course.”

You stare at Changbin dumbfounded, the unrestful feeling that was just building quickly settling. But the moment is still quite uncomfortable, not knowing if you’re supposed to be the next one to speak or not.

“You know, make it up to me for sharing the blanket? Like, let me take you on a date sometime…” his voice quickly trails off. Changbin’s breathing pattern changes swiftly as he awaits your answer, worried that he’s said something wrong, or caused you to tense up.

“Oh! Oh yea, of course,” a relieved smile sets on your face in response. The weird tension that was twisting in your stomach stops, leaving a swarm of butterflies floating in its wake.

‘Blanket Date’ is copyright 2020 @chaangbin​​, all rights reserved. Please do not repost on any platform or translate without permission.

[what-the-fic-khr]

felt like writing this as a half projection bc I started questioning my sexuality around 12-14 ish and anyway surprise I haven’t actually had my first kiss despite this lmaooooo. ALSO I think media of all kinds can be capable of exploring a teenagers puberty and sexuality and hormones and stuff without actually putting them in sexually explicit scenes and making them have sex on screen like. it’s possible. you can do it. it’s okay you can explore a normal part of life without sexualising children it’s okay. there’s nothing sexual or anything just kissing it should be fine I hope SO YEAH I made sure to ask people if they thought the concept of this fic would be okay prior to writing it too so hhhh

character/s: miura haru, reader-insert (female reader)

word count: 1281

warnings: maybe might be a bit embarrassing to read if you’re prone to secondhand embarrassment or smth?? awkward near the end but it’s okay. kissing and stuff it’s aight. reader and Haru might also be questioning if it’s okay to be kissing another girl, so I hope that’s not too uncomfy to read; it happens maybe once or twice. also, it’s described that reader is female

prompt: boys can’t be trusted with a girl’s first kiss, so your girl friend is the next best thing

As tests started to rear their heads, students around Namimori were left to find time to study, struggling to handle it at times.

While usually in one whole group, one Miura Haru has decided “sometimes us girls need to spend time together, too!” and set up her own little study session.

While Kyoko could spend time studying in the day, as Namimori Middle’s tests were on a different date to Midori’s, she couldn’t stay the night with you and Haru. When done, she packed her things, wished you luck for studying and bid you both farewell.

The studying after that didn’t last much longer, and with some time still left until Midori’s test in comparisons to Nami-chuu’s, Haru had decided on her own she was done with studying. You couldn’t blame her. Kyoko seemed to be the one that kept you both focused.

As night came around, the studying session evolved into the sleepover part of the event. It had been a while since either of you had just spent time in pyjamas, lounging around on pillows and doing whatever you wanted.

You couldn’t be surprised when somehow the topic of conversation slowly steered into that about boys. Haru had a tendency to do so.

“So, do you like anyone?”

Very straight to the point.

“Eh, no... There’s not anyone I like right now.”

“Oh, that’s boring! I was hoping you’d like someone!”

Haru pouted a little at this before falling to her side, landing amongst the many pillows her bed had.

“Have you ever thought about your first kiss?”

You blinked before turning your head, shrugging a little. “Not entirely... No one our age seems like the type I’d be into anyway, so I don’t think I’d be kissing them.”

Haru stared up at you before huffing out a laugh. “That’s true! There’s no way anyone our age would be worth giving my first kiss to.”

She waved her hands around, sighing pretty obnoxiously. “All the boys are... Won’t they probably just break our hearts anyway? It’s not worth it!”

You nodded a little in agreement, before shifting your weight a little nervously. “Well, what if...” You looked away when she gave you her attention again. “Does it have to be a boy...?”

“Y-You know, because none of the boys we know are that great, and those who are aren’t really our type, right?” You mumbled quickly, waving your hands in front of your chest.

Haru seemed to think this over for a few moments, weighing her options. She shot up into a sitting position and nodded firmly, just once. “You’re right! It shouldn’t be that bad if it’s another girl you know, right?”

“Besides, it can be like practice, or something, and we won’t have to worry about wasting our first kiss!” She seemed to be rambling a little.

You breathed out a little in relief. She was embarrassed, too.

“So what if we just... make it each other...?”

She held your gaze, as if trying to find something. Whether she found it or not, she nodded.

“That sounds okay...”

It was tense, and you both were shuffling around on the mattress, fiddling with the linen nervously.

“U-Um... You should come closer, then.” Your voice was quiet, and close to wavering.

Despite it, Haru inched closed to you, your knees bumping in the process. She could feel her heart beating so hard, she was worried if she got too close you’d hear it, too.

While she lifted your head up a little more, you made the first move to get closer, your noses brushing.

Her eyes were so beautiful.

She seemed to find some courage, and Haru was the one who made contact first, and you visibly jumped in surprise.

It only lasted a couple seconds, but she didn’t pull too far back. She blinked slowly, holding her breath. That was nice.

“I... think real practice would be good,” she mumbled softly. “Right?”

You nodded quickly, cheeks burning. “Yeah... Can... Can I kiss you again?”

“Yes.”

You lifted your hands, a little shaky, to rest on her cheeks and pull her closer to you once more.

This time when your lips pressed together, you felt yourself relax a little more. Your nerves were shot, but you found that Haru seemed to soothe them.

Was this right? You didn’t really care. It was practice, wasn’t it? It was practice. Practice.

Her lips were so soft. Of course they were; she took immaculate care of herself. Were yours soft? What was it like for her?

You realised your eyes had been closed when you had to open them after Haru pulled back a little to breathe.

She tilted her head a tad, thinking over her next move. She wanted more. More.

“Again...?”

You couldn’t say ‘no’ to that.

“Please.”

Haru was still before shuffling closer to you, enough that her thighs sat on yours, and she wrapped her fingers around your shirt.

She couldn’t get enough of you. Was it okay to be doing this? It felt nice. It was warm, and comforting, and good.

She pecked your lips again before mumbling, and through the haze you had to strain to hear her.

“What...?”

“Open your mouth.”

“Oh.”

Of course you listened. You wanted to keep going. You wanted to keep kissing her, and you wanted to hold her so bad, and you didn’t want to stop.

Steeling your nerves, you moved your hands to rest on her waist, only for you both to jump and pull apart when an intrusive ringtone cut through the silence.

Haru blinked a couple times before her face flushed, and it registered what was happening. “Oh, my phone- I’ll just-!”

She scrambled off of you, tripping and falling from her bed while she reached for her phone and hurrying to answer it.

Your eyes widened before you slapped your hands over your face, your fingers digging softly into your reddening cheeks, and your palms hovering over your mouth.

What was that?!

The tension in the room when she hung up was so, so thick, and you could barely breathe.

“U-Uh, Kyoko-chan just called to say she forgot a book, so she’ll be over tomorrow morning to grab it...!”

“R-Right...”

Haru shifted her weight from foot to foot, fumbling around with her phone.

“W-We should probably also... get some sleep.”

“Yes.”

Oh. You had to share a bed, didn’t you?

Haru climbed back onto her bed and pulled her blanket back, petting one side for you to get in.

Once you were both as comfortable as you could be, back to back, that heavy silence hung over you both once more. You hated it. Had you made a mistake?

“Haru-chan...?”

“Mm?”

“Do you regret that...?”

Haru stared at her wall quietly before shaking her head the best she could as she laid on her side. “No... Do you?”

“Neither... Um, I just... don’t want it to be awkward, so...”

You poked the mattress anxiously. “If it’s okay... that we continue on like usual... I’d be really happy.”

Haru swallowed thickly before rolling over to look at your back, poking between your shoulder blades. “Of course... I never want it to be awkward between us,” she mumbled.

“Let’s just get up tomorrow and be the same.”

You squeezed your eyes shut before also turning to face her, finding you had to force your eyes open.

“Okay. That sounds good.”

You both were silent, taking in each other’s features. Was friends okay? Just friends. That was good. Maybe you’d find out you both wanted more in the future, but that was for you both to discover together then. For now, friends was okay.

“Goodnight, Haru-chan.”

“Goodnight, [name]-chan.”

[a-singleboat]

Oblivious

Word Count: 1890

A/N: unedited bc i wasn’t sure how long my google docs would work for

By ten-thirty that morning you were sure that Damien was either coming down with a fever or had started taking some hard drugs the night before. You were hoping it was the former or neither of them at all. That morning, Damien had texted you to ask if you wanted a ride to work that day. You had accepted, thankful for the break from public transport until he had gotten there and had barely spoken a word.

The whole time it seemed like he was in deep thought. It was almost as if he had the words formulated in his mind but was still struggling to spit it out. The second that you had arrived at the office and left the elevator, he was gone. You hadn’t seen him all day and quite frankly, it had become annoying. The office, while bigger than the one at Defy, was still small. For nearly thirty-minutes, you had been looking for him so that you could do your job but he kept eluding you. 

When you had gone around the desks a few times, stopping at Damien’s in the games lab first before circling around to Courtney’s and Shayne’s, you dubbed that he was either no longer in the building or that he had dropped dead due to the kitchen fumes that were ever prevalent in the hallway outside of the office space. 

The only places you hadn’t checked were the conference room spaces because one of them was marked for a big important higher-ups meeting and you didn’t want to accidentally interrupt anything that might’ve been happening.

Finally deciding that enough was enough, you sent him a text that informed him on your decision to have Courtney drive you home tonight and that you would see him as soon as he had finished with whatever childish act he had put up. In the eleven or so years that you had known him for, he has never ignored you for this long. 

In all actuality, you wouldn’t have been mad if it was just a normal day. If it was a day where you sat and sewed all costumes together and planned out makeup looks for upcoming shoots, him ignoring you would have gone more or less unnoticed. However, today was a day that you needed to see specifically him because the next thing that was being filmed required a bit more costume coordination considering he would have body paints and you needed to do patch testing. 

By lunch, you had calmed down and Courtney had asked you to meet her in one of the three empty conference rooms because most of the meetings were more or less over for the day. You took a pit stop by your desk to grab your lunch before making your way slowly to where Courtney asked you to meet her.

On your way, you had to pass several other conference rooms. In one held Ian and Matt Raub, both with their laptops out and their lunches almost pushed to the side and forgotten. You grimaced, as you knew they often forgot about their eating and would end up regretting it towards the end of the day. 

Most of the rooms were empty though and as you made your way towards the end of the hall, you felt most of the tension of the day wash away. You were halfway through and nothing could stop you from having a better second half.

At least that’s what you thought. 

There’s a room towards the end of the hall with a door that doesn’t close just right. On the inside, the door looks closed but looking from the outside it most definitely is not. Inside the room, sat Shayne Topp. 

He had his lunch in front of him and he looked like he was concentrating on what another person was talking about. Barely audible, you’re able to make out the conversation between the two and it went a little like this,

“I just don’t want to ruin what we’ve got after so long.”

“I understand completely, but you’ve gotta make a move.”

“But you read the text she sent me, I don’t think she’s really interested in going anywhere with me.”

You had to take a step back when the next line came through in a half-shout, half-failed whisper type of thing. “Either ask her out or I’ll do it for you!”

You blinked a few times, trying to work through your head what you had just heard. Was Shayne encouraging Damien to ask someone out? He definitely was, considering he used the words, “ask her out,” but who could, ‘her,’ be?

You thought on it for a bit before settling that, ‘her,’ was probably who Damien was going out to see on nights when he said he couldn’t go to yours to watch a movie or when he said that you couldn’t go to his. 

You felt weird. You knew that this wasn’t something meant for anyone else’s ears. Then, you felt protective over Damien. While he could fend for himself, you couldn’t help but feel a little put-off about the idea of Damien dating anyone. 

Was this jealousy?

Someone tapped your shoulder and you jumped, your immediate reaction to go and hit the person who had touched you. When you saw the flash of blonde hair and the smile drop off her face, you stopped in your tracks and apologized. 

“I’m so sorry,” you bit your lip. “It’s a bit of a reaction.”

“It’s fine!” Courtney laughed it off. “I was just coming to make sure you didn’t get lost.”

Had you been standing here for that long?

You shook your head and plastered a smile on your face, “No, didn’t get lost. Just zoned out on the walkover.”

She furrowed her eyebrows, the gears in her brain obviously turning. “Are you okay?” she asks, a concerned look taking over her features. 

You risk a short glance over to the conference room with the door slightly ajar and she seems to take the memo. She leads you away from the conference rooms and you make your way down to the garage.

When you get into her car after the short ride over, she rolls down the windows and moves her seat back so she can comfortably turn to face you. “What’s up?”

You take your time unwrapping your lunch before answering. Finally, after much inner debate, you start to talk. “So, I’ve liked Damien for the longest time. I wanted to confess it to him a while ago but he had gotten himself a girlfriend and it did not seem fair to him if I told him then so I just didn’t. I was walking by the conference rooms to meet you when I saw Shayne and Damien in the conference room and I think Damien’s found himself another girl but he’s also been ignoring me all day.”

You gave Courtney a look that read that you were just plain tired and she seemed to get what you were saying. “I think,” she started, “I think that Damien actually does like you and if that’s not the case then that’s how it’s gotta be sometimes. It’s not right for him to ignore you like this especially when you’ve got actual work to do and maybe he needs some time on his own to sort this out.”

You nodded slowly, taking her words into account. Essentially, yes, if this is what’s happening then maybe it would be healthy for you and him to take time on your own. Your car was being repaired that weekend so you wouldn’t need to rely on public transport or anyone else to get anywhere and the rest of your workweek was simple costume mock-ups and most days you would leave early. 

So, for the next few days, you kept your distance. You only really talked to him when it was for work and didn’t see him much beyond then. You successfully got his patch test done and that shoot went smoothly as you didn’t have to actually be the one to paint it onto him. 

By Friday, you had gotten a successful amount of work done and things were stacking up in your favor that you would be able to take Monday off from work. It was at the end of the day when you decided that what was going on between you and Damien had to end. Luckily, he had parked his car fairly close to yours and you could catch him on his way out.

“Damien,” you called, watching him get into the elevator to leave at the same time as you. As if out of routine, he held the door open for you and you both shared the ride down together. It was a comfortable silence, which was weird due to the fact that you weren’t exactly talking at the moment. 

You took a second to collect your thoughts before turning to face him. “Listen,” you bit your lip and he looked at you. “I know I have no say in this but you should go for it. I heard you and Shayne talking in the conference room the other day and if it’s with this mystery girl that I’ve never heard of then I really can’t just tell you no.”

The silence stretched between the two of you before the elevator dinged and neither of you made a move to leave the space. 

Eventually, you got tired of waiting and made the move to step off, knowing the elevator wouldn’t stay there forever. You left and he followed suit. At least you had gotten your words out, now you could go home with an open mind. Even if that also meant you left with a heavy heart. 

You unlocked your car and opened the door, intending to get in and drive off before he could stop you. Unfortunately, you were too slow and he was next to you the second you opened the car door. 

“Y/n,” he paused, trying to find the right words to say. “There is no mystery girl.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, “What? But I heard you and Shayne-”

He cut you off, “There’s no mystery girl because that girl is you.”

You were left speechless. On one hand, you were one foot into your car and one foot out. On the other hand, Damien had just confessed that you were the one they were talking about was you. 

“So what does that mean? I don’t understand,” you managed to stumble through. 

“It means that I want to take you on a date,” Damien fiddled with the strap on his bag, a nervous habit he had picked up from you. “If you want to, I mean.”

A smile slowly spread across your face as you got yourself fully out of your car and hugged him around his middle. “I would love to go on a date with you,” you pulled back a little so that you could look up at him. You looked at him and a small bit, taking in his eyes and all his features. 

“Can I kiss you?” you breathed out, afraid that if you spoke any louder you would break the moment. 

He leaned down to kiss you and the moment felt like you had just come home.

[universalfanfic]

@peach-princess-paige​ Oh dang. Your wish kinda came true.... :p

 (This ran away from me a bit, bc I was trying to work on setting an aesthetic mood.) 

Sutton twirled the flute of sparkling cider she held between her fingers and looked out over the room. Warm light gave the space a peaceful glow. Twinkling Christmas lights hung from the ceiling, looking like stars falling down to meet them. The scent of pine was heavy in the air with several large Christmas trees placed in various corners, each decorated with silver and gold baubles and rich reds and deep greens. A table along the wall was spread out with every holiday dessert one could possibly hope for. Iced sugar cookies, and sharp ginger snaps, and chocolate, and candy canes in decorative glass cups. Mingled throughout it were other types of treats, a different holiday tradition. Sweet latkes, fruit pies, rugelach, and matzo crisp. At least, that’s what Wanda had told Sutton they were called. At the end of the table sat a gleaming Menorah.

The food table is where Sutton found herself loitering. Perhaps it was just old habits, or a comfort zone of sorts. She just needed a moment from all the chatter and activities. It was already dark out, not that it took long for that to happen in the winter months, but it actually was starting to get late.

She sighed and fiddled with the stem of her glass as her gaze darted towards the exit. Tony had gone all out for this party. A sprig of mistletoe even loomed above the empty doorway.

Music was playing low enough for people to be able to converse normally, but she was still able to hear it transition from The Hanukkah Song, probably a humorous request from Clint, to White Christmas.

Sutton had shown up to the party promptly at its starting time and laughed and mingled the entire duration. And still, no one had asked her to dance. Or, rather, someone in particular hadn’t. Nat and Wanda and Pepper had dragged her out onto the dance floor a couple times, sure, but that didn’t exactly count. She huffed and downed what was left of her cider.

She was being dumb anyway. No one owed her anything. And dances were a touchy topic for some people. She should swallow her own pride and be a bit more understanding, especially given the holidays.

Her dress fluttered and Sutton gasped as a burst of air smacked her in the face. Pietro was next to her, grinning widely as he grabbed the entire pan of matzo crisp and winked at her.

“Do not tell Wanda,” he said. Sutton smirked and mimed zipping her lips.

“I didn’t see anything.” Pietro laughed.

“True! I am too fast!” He disappeared then as suddenly as he’d come and Sutton was left shaking her head.

With her drink gone and the evening winding down, Sutton felt like her decision was pretty well made. She pushed off from the food table and prepared to give her goodbyes when a shadow was cast over her.

“Might I have this dance?”

A couple of months ago and Sutton would have still been sent jumping at the low, honeyed tones of that voice. She cut her eyes up to Loki and tilted her head. He was holding out his hand and her gaze trailed up from the dark black of his suit jacket to the dark emerald tie that didn’t quite match the Christmas theme, but gave the impression of trying. His dark hair was brushed back, but not actually greasy looking, for once.

“A dance,” she asked.

“Generally it’s where two willing partners move around a designated area with twis-”

“I know what dancing is, thank you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head up. “Just not sure why you’re asking me.” Loki tsked.

“Come now, I’ve been on good behavior for long enough to receive the benefit of the doubt.” Sutton cocked a brow.

“You said your people live to about 5,000 years old. You’ve been on good behavior for all of five minutes, comparatively.”

He grinned even wider at that, amused, but still pushed forward his hand.

“Just one dance. Consider it an addition to my apology for all that transpired.”

She hesitated a moment more before she relented with a sigh and slid her hand into his.

“Just one,” she said. Then she would slip out of the party and sulk in self pity on her floor until the morning.

“That’s all I need.”

“Wha-”

Loki led her out onto the cleared dance floor and pulled her closer. Sutton stiffened as he pulled her hand up to rest on his shoulder and then lowered his to her waist. She wasn’t an experienced dancer, not like Loki probably was growing up in a palace and in the courts. With feasts and parties and frivolity. She kept her eyes on his shiny leather shoes as he attempted to lead her through some simple footwork.

He let go of her hip to tap her under the chin and force her head up.

“You’re supposed to look at me,” he said. “And don’t try to anticipate where we’re going next. Just follow where I lead.” Sutton frowned, but kept her eyes up.

“This sounds alarmingly similar to some of your past statements,” she muttered. Loki rolled his eyes.

“Only when you look for it so doggedly.”

“Don’t worry. I can only mock and guilt trip you for about another seventy years.”

He quieted at that and they continued gliding around the floor. The music swelled slightly and Loki pushed her out for a twirl then brought her back in. Sutton found it was a bit easier to flow with him when she wasn’t thinking about it. Her face relaxed along with the tension in her arms.

“So what’s this really about?” Loki glanced down at her.

“I don’t know what you’re implying.”

“This party has been unbelievably prank free. And you don’t generally ask anyone to dance. So, what are you plotting?”

“Your Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace and goodwill, isn’t it? Maybe I’m trying to indulge in the season.”

“I’m just saying, you made Tony’s cake explode at his birthday party. I don’t see how you’d stick around this long without implementing even a little mischief.”

“Mmm,” he hummed. “You make a fair point.”

His gaze lifted, pinpointing somewhere across the room and he fought back a smirk at whatever he saw.

“What are you-”

He twirled her again, forcing her out further this time in a larger move. Sutton tried to catch a glance at where he’d been looking. Bucky was across the room. He elbowed the person next to him and nodded in her direction. But then Loki was pulling her back into the dance with more enthusiasm than the beat of the music strictly called for.

Sutton let out a surprised chirp as he situated her closer to him. She was nearly flush against him and his hand had drifted from her waist to her lower back. Her face heated and she shot a scowl up at him.

“Loki-” He shushed her.

“Just a second longer.”

Green sparked dimly from his fingers and Sutton let out an involuntary laugh as a tickling sensation ran through her.

“Loki!” She wasn’t sure what he was up to, but her face was still turned up in residual giggling even as she tried to eye him sternly. “Knock it off!”

He eyed the opposite end of the room again before he looked back down at her and grinned. Sutton stumbled and tried to keep up as he spun them around the room. He didn’t give her an answer, but his sharp grin only grew as each beat passed.

“Three,” he drolled. “Two… One….”

“Hey.”

They came to a lingering halt, Loki refusing to immediately stop at the interruption. Sutton’s head snapped to see Steve standing just to the side of them. His face was pinched slightly and his nostrils flared as he glanced at Loki. Loki’s fingers trailed lazily up her back and Sutton smacked his hand away. Steve’s jaw clenched.

“Are you ok,” Steve asked her. Sutton blinked and looked between the two men. She stepped away from Loki, disconnecting their hands, and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, I’m fine. Loki just, uh, asked me to dance.”

“It would’ve been a shame if someone hadn’t.”

Loki’s tone was too smooth. Too honeyed. Sutton cut her eyes at him briefly. He was still up to something.

The last few notes of the song drifted off and Sutton rubbed at her arm.

“Well, thanks. That was, kind of fun, actually.”

Loki bowed at the waist, like the prince he was.

“Any time, Sutton. It would be a pleasure to-”

“Would you like another song?” Steve’s voice cut in sharp and pointedly. Sutton blinked. “What?”

The words seemed to twist inside Steve for a moment, but he breathed in deeply from his nose and managed to get them out.

“Would you like to dance? With me.” “Oh.” Sutton’s heart did a small flip and she bit her bottom lip. “Yes, of course. I mean… why not?” “I suppose that’s me being dismissed, then.” Loki sighed dramatically and Sutton’s lips twitched. Steve cut in front of Loki and held out his hand. She accepted it, only glancing at Loki long enough to see him wink at her as he sauntered away.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas was being crooned over the speakers now. Sutton remembered what Loki had said and kept her eyes on Steve. Let him lead.

He held her gently. Like she were delicate and he had to constantly keep that in mind. They swayed and spun around more than some of the fancy footwork that Loki had used, but Sutton almost liked it better. She could just breathe and not pay so much attention to what they were doing and focus on who she was dancing with instead.

Steve looked nice in his knit Christmas sweater over a pale button up. Someone had pinned a mini decorative candy cane to the left side of his chest and it was cute. This close and Sutton could even tell that he smelled good. He must have put on a cologne for the party.

“You caught me before I left,” she said to break the quiet.  

“I’m glad.”

His voice trailed off and Sutton chewed on her bottom lip again. They swayed in a small section of the dance floor some more. The tension in her arms was starting to creep back up the longer Steve said nothing. She broke her gaze away from his face and looked down at his shoes.

“You didn’t have to, you know. I didn’t expect you to dance with me and you don’t have to feel like you have to rescue me from Loki.”

He moved, a jerking sort of motion, as if her words surprised him.

“I wanted to,” he insisted. “I just- I guess I’m a little rusty on the asking part.”

A hopeful flicker sparked back inside of her, and Sutton dared to look up again. He looked sincere. But he was also Steve Rogers. He wasn’t going to want to hurt her feelings.

“I just don’t want you to feel obligated.”

Steve’s face actually crinkled and he let out a short scoff.

“I don’t think dancing with a beautiful dame is ever considered an obligation.”

“Beautiful dame?”

She watched as his face glowed pink and hers heated alongside him.

“Sorry. It slipped out.”

“I... don’t mind.”

Her muscles loosened again and their footsteps widened as they took larger strides. Sutton could almost lift her feet off the floor and let Steve do all the work. He spun her around under his arm and used that same excuse to pull her a bit closer.

“Well, in that case, maybe we can do this again sometime.”

Sutton couldn’t fight the grin.

“I’d like that.”

From across the room, Loki winked at her again, giving her a subtle thumbs up. Sutton mouthed silently from around Steve’s shoulder.

“You’re forgiven.”