#she needed to get out more girl lived in a bakery all her life as a scared agoraphobe and was thrust into the outside after it got destroye

[gilded-gheists]

Sometimes a family is 2 old gays and their nonbinary and transfem daughters that all hunt monsters together.

[honeyedmiller]

Mr. Bakery Man

baker!joel miller x f!reader

rating: none

synopsis: it’s not every day you get to move from nyc to austin for your job and relish in a pleasant change of pace. it’s also not every day that you discover a cute family owned bakery in the heart of austin—and it’s definitely not every day that you meet the owner and fall head over heels for him.

warnings: this is pure, innocent tooth-rotting fluff ; fun flirting, we’ll call this one a hallmark type beat lol, sarah and ellie are both in this, joel is down bad in this (but so is reader), no use of y/n.

word count: 3.3k

a/n: this was supposed to be for @punkshort’s au writing challenge but i’m hella late on it. life has been crazy lately, but thanks for sticking with me during my unintentional hiatus 🤍

Moving from New York City to Austin Texas had been an oddity in life’s recent escapades. 

Your job had asked if anyone in your department was willing to do the big move because the office in Austin needed a strong journalist on their growing team. With the rest of your colleagues having kids and spouses, nobody was interested in uprooting their whole life to move to a completely different state. 

You, on the other hand, wanted to get out of New York. You yearned for new opportunities, and when this one arose, you didn’t hesitate to tell your boss you were interested. 

You’d been slowly settling into Austin, getting used to life in another city with a completely different atmosphere. You were grateful your new colleagues were all very nice and welcoming. 

The one thing you’d say you missed dearly back in New York City, though, was this amazing bakery off of Fifth you’d frequent before work. Their coffee and croissants were delicious, which is what led you to go on a Google hunt to see what bakeries were good around here in Austin. 

One caught your eye immediately—Sarah & Ellie’s— with five star reviews and multiple photos of all the sweets they had to offer. It was a cozy little café and bakery mixed into one with a homey, warm vibe and cute decorations. You mapped it to see how long it would take you to get to the place, and to your luck, it was only a ten minute walk from your apartment complex. So, you decided you were going to go first thing in the morning before work. 

And for some reason, you felt excited to try a new place. Maybe it was a sign of finally getting used to living in a completely different state, fifteen hundred miles away from your old life. 

You luckily got used to being an early riser, so once morning had rolled around, you were up n’ at ‘em by six thirty. You left your house around seven, making your way down to Sarah & Ellie’s. 

The shop felt more homey than it looked online. As soon as you stepped in, there was already a short line of customers and a waft of delicious baked goods and coffee that filled your senses. You suddenly yearned for a home you’d never even been to. 

You stood in line and observed the menu, deciding on sticking with a classic chocolate croissant and latte for the time being. You wanted to see if this place held a candle up to the place off of Fifth. 

The older gentleman in front of you greeted the cashier with a bright smile, and she immediately typed in an order. 

“Hey Randy, how’s it going?” 

“Hey sweet pea. Just here for my usual mornin’ coffee and danish,” he says, handing the girl a ten dollar bill. She counts out the change and closes the register with her hip before returning his beaming smile to him. “Tell your old man to stop workin’ so damn hard. Cheryl says I need to lay off the sweets once in a while, but I can’t do that if all his baked goods are too delicious to resist.” Randy pats his stomach with a satisfied hum, and the girl laughs. 

“I’ll be sure to pass on the message. Have a good one!” 

After she waves him off, she locks eyes with you and gives you the same beaming smile as you stepped up to the register. 

“What can I get ya, Miss?” she asks, tone cheery and light. 

“I’ll take a chocolate croissant and a latte, please.” 

She nods and rings in your order, grabbing a cup to write your name on it. 

“Not to intrude or anything, but are you new ‘round here?” Her tone is still light, laced with pure curiosity as the sharpie pen hovers over the latte cup. 

You gave her a smile and nodded meekly, “I am.” 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Sarah.” 

You give her your name and her smile never wavers, scribbling your name on the cup. 

“Let me get that chocolate croissant for you—” she started, but was accidentally cut off by a man opening the door that separated the front of the café from the back. 

“Hey babydoll, do we have anymore—” the man stops abruptly, eyes landing on you. A black apron adorned his clearly thick and strong physique, flour dusted on his hands and arms. He was tall, and had a sweet glint in his brown eyes that made warmth flood your whole body. He had a head full of thick brown curls with grays strewn in here and there, and the mustache along with the stubble on his chin mirrored the streaks in his hair.

He instantly gave off a charming aura, and when he smiled at you, you were a goner. 

“Hello Miss. Don’t think we’ve ever met before,” he says, dusting his hands off on the apron before extending one to you. His Southern accent dripped like thick, pure honey, and it made your skin burn hot. 

You couldn’t hold back your smile when you reached your hand out to shake his. It might’ve sounded cliché as hell, but the sudden surge you got from just touching him made every single cell in your body alert, yearning for more. 

“I’m new in the city,” you explain, “Just moved here not too long ago.” 

“Ah, makes sense. Think I’d remember ya even if you didn’t come in often.” 

You’re taken aback by his words. Was he… flirting? You felt your face heat, and your eyes nervously flit to the glass case full of delicious looking pastries. Well, if he was flirting, there’s no harm in doing it back… right? 

“Me coming in often depends,” you find yourself grinning like a fool, “Do your pastries taste as good as they look and smell?” 

“They’re the best in Austin,” he winks, and with that, murmurs something to Sarah before giving you one last smile before walking to the back again. 

Sarah can’t help but giggle as she hands you your croissant. “It’s on the house,” she waves her hand as you pull out your wallet, and you stop short to give her a confused look. She clocks the expression on your face and grins. “Dad said.” 

“That’s your dad?” You didn’t mean to pry, you were just taken aback. 

“Mhm. Family owned and operated bakery,” you immediately hear the pride in her voice, and you can’t help but smile. “I’ll have your latte out in a minute.” 

You grin and nod, stepping over to the other side of the counter. You decided to take a bite of your croissant while you waited for your latte, and god, it was the best pastry you think you’d ever had. The croissants on Fifth had nothing against these gooey, decadent, flaky treats. 

You nearly had to hold back a moan, and the man—Randy, you think—laughed beside you. 

“Good, ain’t they?” he asks, and you nodded expeditiously. 

“Probably the best croissant I’ve ever had.” 

Randy nods in agreement, “Miller’s the best baker in Austin. Been comin’ here since his girls were little.” 

And you finally figured that Ellie must be his other daughter. It warmed your heart that he’d name his place after his two girls, clearly his pride and joy. 

“That’s so nice,” you say, and give him a quick wave goodbye when his order is called out. 

“Hopefully I’ll see you again soon,” Randy shot you a smile before taking a sip of his drink, and you nod at him with a smile before you turn your attention to your name being called out. Sarah handed you your drink and you thanked her, taking a cautious sip. 

Even the latte was superb. You were one hundred percent sold on this place, and maybe even a little smitten with the owner. 

Yeah, you’d definitely be coming back. 

-

A month passes by before you know it, and you’re now deemed an honorable regular at Sarah & Ellie’s. You’ve met Ellie, who was a total opposite of her sister—but you loved both of their personalities all the same. You learned that Ellie was going to art school and you promised her you’d buy a commissioned piece. 

Sarah was going to school for business, studying to take over the bakery one day, and possibly even expand it as a franchise. You told her you’d be at the grand opening the day that it happens. 

As for the owner, Mr. Miller—or, Mr. Bakery Man, you teasingly called him—kept the flirting subtle but fun. You looked forward to the playful banter you two’d exchange, and it always earned a raised brow and a not-so-subtle smirk from either Sarah or Ellie. 

Unbeknownst to you, they’d tease their father about the ‘crush’ he had on the pretty regular that came in and how he should buck up and ask you on a date. 

And he planned to do just that. When you went in on a Saturday morning, you were surprised to see him working the front counter instead of one of the girls. 

“Well if it isn’t Mr. Bakery Man,” you say, and he runs a hand through his hair. 

“In the flesh,” he says, and you can’t help but laugh. 

“Girls didn’t come in today?” You lean up against the counter as he grabs a latte cup, writing your name out on it. He hesitates for a moment, but continues to write on it before setting it down on the opposite countertop. 

“Nah. Sarah was up late doing homework and it’s Ellie’s turn to have Saturday off.”

You nod in understanding, pulling out your wallet. He stops you and shakes his head, and you scoff. 

“You have to let me pay, Mr. Miller. You can’t keep giving me these discounts.” 

“Don’t worry about it, darlin’,” his smile was shy, and he was fidgety—almost like he was scared. Right when you opened your mouth to ask him if he was okay, he cut you off. 

“Would you wanna go on a date with me?” His words were rushed, and your heart melted at how nervous he sounded. 

You paused your movements completely, meeting those warm brown eyes that made you feel so safe. 

“I’d love to,” you answered, and relief visibly washed over his features. 

“Great. I, uh, wrote my name and number on your cup. Hope you don’t mind,” he says, and you have to bite back a smile. Then you suddenly realized you never even knew this man’s first name. You’d just stuck with calling him the nickname you gave him, or by his last name. 

You took the cup from him gingerly as he finished making your drink a few minutes later, and turned it in your hand to see his name and number scrawled on the side as promised. 

Joel. 

The name fit the gorgeous man in front of you. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, and your palm landed on his insanely toned bicep with reassurance. 

He stared at you, the warmth in his eyes nearly making you weak in the knees. 

“I promise I’ll call you,” you say, giving his bicep a soft squeeze. Your hand falls to your side again before grabbing the croissant from the counter that you didn’t notice until now, and you eagerly took a bite. 

Joel wanted to laugh at the chocolate on the side of your mouth as you tilted the pastry toward him. He restrained himself from reaching up and wiping it from your mouth, but you beat him to it by using your knuckle to wipe it off. 

“Compliments to the chef.” You tease, wiggling your eyebrows. 

He couldn’t help but admire your playful side, ecstatic that you agreed to go out with him. 

“Anythin’ for you darlin’,” he said, and you left the bakery that day with a smile on your face that you couldn’t wipe. 

That night, you found yourself pacing back and forth in your apartment as you chewed on your bottom lip. Your phone was clutched in your hand, keypad open and ready to dial. Your other hand had the empty coffee cup with his name and number. 

You didn’t know why you were battling this in your head. Is it weird? Is it too late to call him? No—No, it’s not weird. He’s the one who asked you out, after all. 

Fuck it. 

You sighed as you dialed the number on the cup, pressing the phone up to your ear. Within seconds, Joel’s deep voice rang through the other line. 

“Hello?” He sounded a bit tired, voice hoarse from what had to be a long day. 

“Hey Mr. Bakery Man,” you said in hopes of lifting his spirits even in the slightest. 

His deep chuckle that sounded through the receiver had a warmth blooming in your chest. Even his laugh alone made you feel good inside—like a cup of hot cocoa in your hands on a cold night while you’re in your pajamas sitting fireside. 

Did it sound kind of insane? Sure. Did you care? No. 

The feelings you’d felt toward him almost blindsided you, but something in your gut told you that Joel would be a constant in your life from here on out. 

“Hey darlin’. How’s your day been?” He asks. 

“Good, good,” you pause for a moment, “So about that date…” 

“I was thinkin’ some dinner? Friday night at seven?” 

“That’s perfect. I can’t wait.” 

-

Friday night rolled around, and Joel was kicking himself for not exactly having a plan B. For some reason, the reservations he made got mixed up and you couldn’t be seated. 

You assured him that it was okay, and that his presence was enough for you to enjoy yourself. 

You both decided to get some pasta to-go and eat your food at a park nearby. Even though you both were dressed to the nines and didn’t exactly blend in, you couldn’t care less. You were enjoying your time with him and getting to know the amazing man that he is. 

He opened up and talked about how Sarah and Ellie were both his pride and joy, how he had Sarah really young and adopted Ellie later on, how he sometimes helped his brother Tommy in the contracting business, and how he’s loved to bake in the kitchen with his mom ever since he was a young boy. 

“Didn’t really think I’d make a career out of it,” he confesses. 

“Looks like it worked out for you really well though,” you nudge his side gently. You were settled onto a bench with him then, closer to each other than anticipated. Neither of you said a word, though. 

Being by Joel’s side radiated nothing but safety and comfort. It felt natural, like you two were meant to find your way to each other. 

“Guess so. ‘S funny though. I meet new people every day because of the bakery and, forgive me ‘f this is too bold to say, but meeting you has completely thrown me off my game,” he chuckles, and you furrow your brows. 

“What do you mean?” You try not to feign hurt in your tone, but he wraps his arm around your shoulders and brings you into his warm body. You’re engulfed in his scent, and you could stay here forever, you thought to yourself. 

“Don’t mean it as a bad thing, sweetheart. I mean you’ve been on my mind constantly, and truth be told, I didn’t think you’d ever agree to go on this date with me. ‘M not really one to put myself out there and go on dates, but somethin’ about you made me want to get to know ya more,” he explained, and you nodded your head in understanding. 

“I get it. I didn’t know what to expect when I moved out here. I always buried myself in work and didn’t pay much attention to dating someone, but I’d like to say this turn of events has been pleasant.” 

He can’t help but grin foolishly at your words. 

“‘M glad it worked out this way too. Y’know my girls pushed me to ask you out? Not that I didn’t want to in the first place, but ‘m… not very good at this,” he waves his hand to the side.  

You could easily picture Sarah and Ellie giving Joel a hard time, hounding him to ask you out. 

“Your girls know what’s best,” you tease, and he can’t help but let out a hearty laugh. “But you’re doing just fine, Mr. Miller. I promise.” 

“Even if I goofed and our reservation got messed up?” 

“Joel, I wouldn’t care if you took me to Whataburger for a date. It’s the company that matters,” you say, and you could’ve sworn you saw him blush. 

“Where have you been all my life?” His question sounded like it was meant to be directed just to himself, but you leaned in and gave his cheek a kiss. 

“Probably in New York City,” you shrugged. 

“You and your sarcasm,” he said, shoulders shaking from laughing. 

“Hey, you’re the one who asked me out. That’s on you,” and Joel couldn’t help the pride that bloomed within his chest. 

“Sure did. What do ya say? Wanna head back to the bakery for a cup of coffee and croissant?” 

“What, like a nightcap, but sweet?” You grinned, and he nods. 

“Somethin’ like that.” 

“I’d love to.” 

Joel offered you his arm and you wrapped your hand around his bicep, staying close to him as you both walked back to his truck. 

It didn’t take long to get back to the bakery. Joel made you some coffee with creamer and sugar while he drank his black. He made you a croissant too as promised, and you couldn’t help but gush to him about how you loved his baking. You’d tried a few other things off the menu since you started coming into the shop, but the croissants were what stole your heart. 

You and him sat there for what seemed like hours just talking and getting to know each other on a deeper level. You told him about your family, your dreams and aspirations, what made you want to become a journalist, and what drove you to reach your goals. 

He loved that you were so ambitious—he didn’t come across too many people these days that seemed to know exactly what they wanted in life. You impressed him, and as he sat across from you listening to you talk about work, he knew you were the woman for him. 

He would’ve deemed himself crazy not even a few months ago for thinking such a thing, but hell, if you know you know. 

So the months passed by, and you two became inseparable.

Both of you didn’t think you’d meet someone like this, let alone someone you both could see sharing a life with. This man, all kind hearted and selfless and a big teddy bear who treated you like a goddess, was the man that swept you off your feet and made you see that work isn’t everything life had to offer. 

You took that leap of faith to move to Austin, not knowing the outcome it would have. But, you sure as hell were so glad that it happened. That this thing with Joel happened. You were decently happy with your life before you met him and let him in, but now, you felt as if you’d been on cloud nine for months. 

You were helping Joel close up the bakery one Sunday evening when he turned to you and confessed that he loved you, and he couldn’t imagine his life without you. Neither could the girls. You’d changed him for the better, even if it hadn’t even been a year of knowing each other. 

You’d said it right back to him, and with flour still lingering on his hands, he’d grabbed your face and kissed you like you were the air his lungs needed, the blood to keep his heart pumping, and his god-given solace. 

And you thought, this was exactly where you were meant to be—safe in his arms, full of love, with a whole lifetime with him to look forward to. 

He was it for you. You'd won the heart of the charming Southern gentleman—your Mr. Bakery Man. 

dividers by @saradika-graphics

p.s. sorry if this sucked i’m genuinely so rusty w writing rn. thanks for understanding <3

[violentdelightsandviolentends]

Honey Girl. Chapter Five.

Chapter Four. Chapter Six. Series Masterlist. The Playlist.

Chapter Synopsis - Does absence make the heart grow fonder, or does it just make everything ten times more difficult?

Pairing - Dad'sBestFriend!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader - soulmate au

Warnings - smut. cursing. alcohol consumption. angst. mention of illness.

Age Rating - 18+

Word Count - 5.7k

Author's Note - it's here!! as always, I can't thank you enough for your love, support and patience with this fic. us writers lead busy lives, and i've been trying my hardest to find the time to write whenever I can, so it means so much that you guys stick with me - even when things take longer than expected. love you all. you're angels. please feel free to spam my inbox with thoughts and suggestions - it always makes my day when you're all so passionate. mwah.

as always, reblogs, comments and feedback (even anonymous feedback) are immensely appreciated!! your reblogs are the only way to circulate my fics, which keeps me going <3

Masterlist. Inbox.

The sand is warm beneath your feet, cooling breeze cascading across your skin. The waves caress the shore in repetitive motions, lulling you into calm.

Sunlight beaming down, you shield your eyes and look up, sighing in contentment at the shades of blue that paint the sky.

A shriek and a laugh come from somewhere on your right. You look over and see a couple and their toddler running after each other, sprinting down the beach and into the ocean. The little girl can't stop giggling, tripping over her own feet as she chases her parents. Something tugs at your heart, deep and visceral.

It's been three months since you left home.

It's been three months since you saw Bucky.

He calls every few days, trying to give you the space you need while also keeping in touch. You have to resist the urge to call him every ten minutes. It's an improvement, at least. It was five minutes when you first moved.

He texts you good morning and goodnight everyday without fail, just to let you know he's there. You can't sleep until you get his text. It's like a lullaby, reassuring and soothing. Like a chamomile tea, warming and calming you from the inside out.

You think about him the most at night time. Your days are spent running around preparing for the bakery. Testing, retesting, writing up recipes, measuring out quantities. You want it to be perfect.

The baking is taking your mind off Bucky, for the moment at least. You've thrown yourself into your new role, eager and excited. Stella's ecstatic to have you around. You love that you're still just as close as you were, despite the time apart. Friendships like that are rare.

Lacie calls you most nights. She demands to know what you did that day, who you spoke to, what you made. It's like therapy, sitting and decompressing together over videochat. She's a lifeline, whether she knows it or not.

And of course, the most supportive people in your life - your parents. Your Mom is desperate to come and visit, begging that you let her know when you're less busy so you can show her around. She loves the sunshine just as much as you. A woman after your own heart.

On the nights when the doubt creeps in, unwelcome and dark, you remind yourself how lucky you are. Surrounded by people who adore you, support you, love you unconditionally. And then the night doesn't seem so dark. The light pours through the cracks.

You walk home from the beach, warmed and carried by the knowledge of love.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

"This is ridiculous."

Stella's perched on the edge of your countertop, blush pink macaron in her hand.

"Good ridiculous?"

She scoffs, looking at you incredulously.

"Where did your confidence go? You never doubted yourself in school. Yes, good ridiculous. It shouldn't work, but it does."

Shouldn't work, but it does. Seems to be the story of your life at the moment.

"I need these on the menu."

"You don't think they're a little... pretentious? My best seller is a chocolate chip cookie. A honey and rosewater macaron isn't exactly a childhood favourite."

"Babe. That's the beauty of this. You can put whatever the hell you want out in your bakery. So what if they're unconventional? They're delicious. That's all that matters."

"Okay. Fine."

You relent, thinking about her earlier question. Where did your confidence go? When you graduated culinary school, you never doubted your abilities. Your technique, your flavours, your presentation - you had full faith in all of it. Now, you seem to be second guessing yourself.

You know it's because of your Tethering.

Before, you understood how the world worked. Good, bad, in between. Love, lust, the very clear difference between the two. You watched as other people found their forever person, and acknowledged their new journey.

And then you found Bucky. Or, Bucky found you.

Suddenly, the world you'd lived in before no longer made sense. The people, the places, the relationships, all impacted by the way you feel about your soulmate. Everything, everyone, everywhere, reminds you of Bucky. You're experiencing emotions you've never felt before. It's disorientating, confusing, complex. Your understanding of the world has changed completely.

It takes time to adjust.

No one ever talks about the way your Tethering turns your life upside down.

For some, it's completely positive. They enjoy the uprooting, revel in the change.

For others, it's a huge adaptation. One filled with tears, and confusion, and doubts.

Both are valid. Both are understandable.

You remind yourself of this every day.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

"There's someone in the café that wants to speak to you."

The youngest waitress, Isabel, stands in the kitchen doorway, looking at you hopefully. You set down your piping bag and wash your hands, talking to her over your shoulder.

"Who is it?"

"No idea. Some guy. He's kinda hot. Brown hair, tall, beard."

Your heart skips a beat, breath caught in your lungs. Bucky jokes sometimes about coming to see you, but would he just show up announced? Do you want him to?

You can't feel it in your chest, you realise suddenly. You can't feel the ease, the relief, the knowing. Maybe being apart for so long has weakened your connection. The thought makes you strangely emotional.

You inhale carefully and thank her, before making your way out. It's almost closing time, and there's no one around other than the man stood with his back to you.

He turns around, and you realise quickly that your hope was misplaced. You've never seen this person before. He is handsome, admittedly. But he's not your soulmate.

"Hi."

"Hey. Are you the baker here?"

"I am."

He holds out his hand for you to shake, stepping closer.

"I'm Rafael."

You tell him your name, and he smiles, nodding.

"Forgive me if this is weird, but I had to meet you. To thank you properly, in person."

You don't say anything, so he continues.

"Let me, uh, explain. Sorry, should have started with that. My sister is sick. She's going through treatment currently, and it's been super hard on her. She's had no appetite whatsoever, and she's losing weight rapidly."

He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a load of stuff from this place because my Mom was coming to visit. My sister tried your earl grey and lavender cookie, and ate the entire thing. It was the first time I've seen her eat for weeks. So, I came back and bought basically all of them every day."

You laugh, coming to a realisation. You wondered why those cookies were selling so well all of a sudden.

"I just wanted to say thank you. It might not seem like a big deal, but it's really huge for us. I also wanted to explain why all of those cookies were suddenly going missing at like ten in the morning."

You gesture at him to sit, the both of you taking a seat at one of the tables nearby.

You talk for almost an hour, listening intently to Rafael as he tells you about his family. He moved to California to be with his sister Maria when she got sick, no one else around to care for her. He asks about yours, and you tell him about your parents and their constant encouragement. He's also interested in how you got into baking, so you tell him all about culinary school, and the dreams your Grandma gave you when you were a kid.

"You're really talented, you know."

"I bet you say that to all of the bakers around here. But thank you."

His fingers brush yours where they're resting on the table, making you shiver.

"I'll make Maria her own box, if you like. I'll leave them behind the counter, just tell Isabel who you are."

"You'd do that for her?"

"Of course," you smile. "The idea that I'm helping someone with my silly little creations makes me really happy. We can work out a schedule, and I'll make sure I bake Maria some extras when I do my usual batch."

"You're incredible. Seriously. Thank you."

He squeezes your hand and you squeeze back. The two of you are sat in the café as the sun sets, orange glow illuminating the room. You didn't expect to make a friend today. You're glad you have.

"Well, I should probably go and clean up the kitchen. You know where to find me, if you need anything. It was lovely to meet you, Rafael."

He rises when you do, smiling at you earnestly.

"You too. Nice to finally put a face to the cookie, so to speak."

You chuckle and show him out of the door, waving as he walks down the street. Suddenly, he turns around, striding back towards you.

"I'm so sorry if this is forward, and please feel free to say no, but... are you single? If you are, I'd love to ask you to dinner sometime."

The answer to that question is much more complicated than Rafael could ever imagine. So instead, you say,

"I'm not. I'm Tethered, actually."

His brows raise in surprise, but he's smiling.

"You are?"

"Yeah, I am. He doesn't live here, though. He lives back home, where my parents are."

"You guys are married?"

"No! Not yet. It's, uh... a complex... situation."

"Ah," he says, gentle, knowing look on his face. "I thought Tetherings weren't meant to be complex. Isn't that the whole point? That they're easy?"

You laugh, but it's not malicious. You're thinking about how sweetly naive he is, how he's got a huge storm coming his way one day.

"He's my Dad's best friend."

You're not sure why you're admitting this to a man you met an hour and a half ago, but you are. It's almost a relief, to get it off your chest again - to tell someone who's completely neutral, who doesn't know either of you.

"Woah."

"Yeah."

"That... is complicated."

"Yeah," you chuckle. "Understatement of the century."

Rafael leans against the wall, watching you intently. He's curious.

"How did your parents react?"

"They don't know yet."

His eyebrows raise almost comically high.

"Wait, what? How did you hide that? I thought it was supposed to be impossible to hide that you're Tethered. Although, I guess I had no idea, seeing as I asked you out."

"We wanted to figure it out for ourselves first, before telling anyone. And then I moved out here, so we're doing long distance. Like I said, complex."

"Understatement of the century," he laughs.

You look at each other for a moment, before he smiles.

"I'm sorry I asked you out. I wouldn't have, if I'd known."

"Please, don't apologise. I admire your... courage?" you grin. "And I appreciate you coming to see me today. I have like two friends here in Cali, so it's nice to feel like I've made another."

He smiles again, wider this time. Someone's going to be lucky to be Tethered to him one day, you think.

"I know it might surprise you, given my good looks and... courage," he chuckles, "but I don't have many friends out here either. I've been so focused on Maria, I haven't had time to socialise."

"The Universe works in funny ways, huh?"

"Sure does."

You wander back through the door, ready to close up for good this time.

"I'll see you tomorrow, for the cookies. And I'd love to meet Maria one day, if she's up for it."

"I'm sure she'd love to meet you. I'll bring her by."

"Thanks, Rafael."

"Of course. Thank you."

"Of course."

That night, when your Mom calls, you get to tell her you've made a new friend. That makes the both of you very happy.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

You're testing out a recipe in the kitchen of your new apartment when your phone rings.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, kiddo. You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I am, actually. I'm settling in."

"Good, I'm glad. I don't wanna keep you on the phone for too long, but I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead, Dad. Anything."

"How would you feel about surprising your Mom for her birthday?"

"What kind of surprise?"

"I know you haven't been gone all that long, and I know it's kind of last minute, but, I was thinking you could come back to... be her gift? She really misses you, you know."

"I miss her too," you say softly, trying to keep your voice even. "I'll talk to Stella, see if we can figure something out. I'd really love to see you guys."

"We'd really love to see you too, sweetheart."

"I'll call you back later, when I've organised everything. Love you, Dad. See you soon, hopefully."

"Love you, kiddo. Proud of you, you know."

"I know," you smile. "I know."

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

The journey always seems shorter when you know you're going home.

You make it back in record time, salty ocean breeze whipping through your hair as you cruise along the roads. You take a deep breath and sigh it out, relief filling your lungs. It's good to be back.

You can't let your Mom see you, so you head straight back to your apartment. Your Dad told you they're in the process of renting it out, but they haven't made much progress yet. For now, it's still yours.

You inhale the familiar scent, smiling gently. There's something so particular about the way a place smells when you feel like you belong there. It's like home and comfort and ease all rolled into one.

You unpack a little, folding your clothes and tucking them into the dresser. You told Stella you'd probably stay a few days, wanting to spend as much time with your family as possible. You're rifling through the refrigerator and thinking about a grocery list when there's a knock at your door.

You know who it is.

A feeling of relief washes over your body, tension melting from your shoulders. Your lungs fill easier, your breath falls deeper, everything is a little brighter, a little more colourful.

You open the door to be met with the sight of Bucky Barnes.

He's in work pants and a white t shirt that's stained with grease and oil, heavy boots on his feet. He must have come straight from the Garage.

He looks at you carefully, as if he isn't sure that you're real. You rake your eyes over his form, trying to drink him in. All the pictures you've taken and saved don't do him justice.

He exhales, beaming grin appearing on his face.

"You're here."

You can't help but smile back, his happiness spreading through you.

"I'm here."

Bucky rushes forward and scoops you into his arms, enveloping you completely. He wraps himself around you as he tucks you into his chest, his grip tight and unrelenting. You breathe him in, overwhelmed with emotion and sensation. You didn't realise how much you needed this. Three months is too long.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, slight shake in his voice. He's holding off tears. So are you.

"My Dad wanted me to surprise my Mom for her birthday. It's all a secret."

He smiles, before leaning down to capture your lips in a knee buckling kiss. A kiss that says I missed you. A kiss that says I need you. A kiss that says please don't leave me again.

"How did you know?" you whisper when you pull away for air.

"I felt it. I think I knew the moment you arrived back in town. Thought my mind was playing tricks on me, for a second. But there's no mistaking that feeling. I had to come and see for myself."

"We're getting pretty good at this whole soulmate thing, huh?" you laugh, unaware of the tears running down your face. "I missed you, Buck. So much."

"I missed you too," he murmurs, kissing you again. "Didn't think I was going to survive, some days."

"Me too. Do you know how many times I stood with my car keys in my hand, ready to drive back to you?"

He chuckles and then sniffles, emotion dripping down his cheeks.

"I did exactly the same thing. So many times."

You wrap your arms around his middle, reveling in the way he smells like gasoline and home.

"How long are you here for?" he murmurs, worried he'll disturb the peace.

"I'm not sure. A good few days, at least."

"Okay," he breathes. "I can do a few days. We can do a few days."

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't know, to be honest. It was all kinda last minute."

"It's okay, pretty thing," he mutters into your hair. "It was a nice surprise."

"You're coming tonight, right? To my Mom's party?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

You stay wrapped up in each other for a little while longer, savouring his warmth. He rubs absentminded patterns across the skin of your back, committing the softness of it to his memory.

"I should probably get back to work. I took off with no warning."

"You're the boss. You're allowed," you chuckle.

He laughs with you, and the sound lights up your nerves, illuminates your bones. It settles itself in the hollows of your ribcage, tangles itself in your heartstrings. It's like medicine.

"Can't wait to see you tonight," you whisper. "Wear something cute."

"I always do," he winks, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "Miss you already."

"Miss you more."

He looks at you, smiling.

"Man, we're the worst."

"Truly."

He kisses you once, twice, three times before finally leaving, reluctant to let you go. You spend the rest of the afternoon floating on air, relaxed and at ease. You haven't felt like this in a while.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

Your Dad sneaks you into the house through the side door, hiding you in the kitchen as he ushers your Mom through to the back yard.

It's decorated with floral garlands and streamers, flowers in vases covering the table he's set up. The golden, warm fairy lights illuminate the space, keeping it soft and intimate. He's been watching, carefully observing the way that she does things. He's recreated her party style perfectly.

There's a few of her closest friends waiting for her, gifts littering the spare chairs. Your Dad walks her outside, hands covering her eyes.

"Surprise!"

You watch through the door as your Mom gasps, grin on her face.

"Oh my God! You guys!"

She runs into your Dad, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I can't believe you managed to pull this off," she says in disbelief.

He sets her back down on the ground and kisses her gently.

"I got you something. I hope you like it."

That's your cue. You sneak out as quietly as possible, standing behind her.

"Happy Birthday, Mama."

She whips around to face you, shock written across her face. Her eyes well up, tears threatening to spill. Yours do the same, bottom lip quivering.

She throws her arms around you, tugging you into her.

"I'm so happy you're here, baby girl. I missed you so much."

"Missed you. You look beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you! Look at you, all sun kissed and glowy. You look so pretty, sweetheart."

You grin at her and she does the same back, your Dad beaming at your identical smiles.

"You're the best gift I've ever received. Then and now."

You're overwhelmed, suddenly, by the realisation that no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at you, no matter how many miles are between you - your Mom will always be in your corner. Your Dad will always be in your corner. Bucky will always be in your corner.

You think, for a moment, that despite everything, you might just be okay.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

The night goes off without a hitch.

You drink, you laugh, you sing. You and your Mom dance to ABBA, Bowie, Donna Summer. Your Dad joins in, and can't help but grin every time he watches his girls together.

What a life, he thinks. I'm the luckiest man in the world.

When everyone gets a little past tipsy, your Mom changes the music to something slower, jazzier, richer. Your Dad pulls her into his chest, holding her close as they move to the melody. You're sat at the table taking off your heels when Bucky slides into the seat next to you. He pulls your foot into his lap and undoes the strap, sliding the shoe off gently. He rubs his thumb into your sole, smirking when you groan.

"Have you been avoiding me tonight, pretty baby?"

His cheeks are flushed slightly, top few buttons of his shirt open. He's been drinking a little, his walls lowered more than usual.

"I have to."

"Oh yeah?"

"I feel like I'm gonna burst into flames every time you look at me," you whisper. "I kinda want to rip your clothes off, baby."

He groans at the nickname. You know exactly what you're doing.

"It only takes one look for a minute too long to figure out how I feel about you, Buck. They'll work it all out instantly."

"Dance with me," he murmurs suddenly. "Your parents are too busy staring into each others eyes. Come on, honey. One dance."

His big blue eyes bore into yours, and you know you're fucked. You're never going to be able to say no to him.

"One dance," you whisper.

He takes your hand and leads you to the decked area, brightened by the golden lights. Bucky slides a hand over your back, resting there carefully. You intertwine your fingers with his and step into him, embracing the warmth that rolls off his body.

I'll Be Seeing You by Billie Holiday begins to play, and the two of you start to sway gently, eyes never leaving each others. Bucky pulls you in closer, and you melt into him. You don't care about the repercussions anymore.

Maybe it's the wine talking. Maybe it's something else.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

"That was close!"

Your Mom's giggling as your Dad holds her, having just saved her from tripping down the front steps. Everyone's giddy, both from drinking and from laughing.

"Sweetheart. Bucky. Come back for lunch tomorrow. Your Dad ordered too much catering, and we need help eating it."

"Mama, are you sure?"

"I want to see you as much as possible before you go, babygirl. You too, Buck. I feel like we don't see you as much as we used to."

"He'll be there," you reply before he can protest. "We'll carpool, and I'll bring a strawberry and cream tart that I made for you."

She kisses you on the cheek, your Dad leaning in to kiss the other side.

"Love you both."

"Love you," they say in unison, laughing and yelling jinx. "Get home safe, you two!"

"I'll take care of her," Bucky chuckles. "Always."

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

"Why don't you see my parents much anymore?"

You and Buck are walking home along the sandy coastal path, fingers intertwined and sides pressed together. You look up at him, frowning slightly when he hesitates.

"Don't lie to me, James. I can feel it, remember."

You place a hand on your chest to remind him, and he nods.

"It's not the same here without you."

You weren't expecting the sincerity. It knocks you off balance a little.

You stop when you reach a wooden bench, sitting down and pulling him with you.

"So you're isolating yourself from the people who love you?"

He smiles, sadness rife in his eyes. Your tough guy act is crumbling.

"Not on purpose. It just kinda happened."

"You promised you'd talk to me, Buck. Especially if it got too hard. You need to accept support from people, or everything is going to come crashing down."

"I know. I know. But every time I go to their house, I'm expecting you to be there. Every time I go to the beach, I'm expecting you to be there. Every time I walk past your building, I'm expecting you to be there, waiting for me to pick you up. Even when I'm sailing, I can't stop thinking about that day we spent on the boat."

"The other day I had to make three batches of buttercream, because I messed up the first two. I was so distracted thinking about you that I split them both."

He laughs, then, wholehearted and genuine. You can't help but join him, shaking your head at the absurdity of it all.

"Bucky, you have to promise that you'll keep going, even without me. You have to see my Mom and Dad like you used to, you have to still sail and go to the beach. You can't put your life on hold for me."

He takes a deep breath, sliding an arm around your shoulders to pull you in closer.

"Okay. I promise."

You whip your head around to look at him.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that, honey. You're right. I've been waiting for you to come back, so I can start living again. But life is still happening, whether you're here or not."

"Wise words, wise man," you smile. "Not a minute goes by where I don't think of you. You know that, don't you?"

"I know. I feel it."

You watch as he brings your linked hands to his chest, placing them there. You rest your head on his shoulder, lulled into calm by the steady melody of his heart. You swear it beats to the rhythm of your name.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

The two of you can't bear the idea of separating, so Buck comes home with you.

"Have you got a blanket?" he asks as he's kicking off his shoes.

"I have. What for?"

"The couch."

You process for a moment before it clicks.

"You're not sleeping on the couch, Buck."

"No?"

"No. I want your ridiculous, radiator-like body heat in bed with me."

He smiles, all giddy and lopsided, before striding across the room to you. Cradling your face in his rough hands, he kisses you with fervour. He's making up for lost time.

You tangle your fingers into his hair, tugging and pulling, smirking when he groans. He retaliates by grabbing your ass and picking you up, wrapping your legs around his waist. He carries you through to your bedroom, lips never leaving yours.

Throwing you down onto the bed, he pulls his shirt over his head, watching you hungrily as you do the same with your dress. You're left in your underwear, leaving little to the imagination.

"You're so beautiful," he murmurs. "Makes me want to cry."

You reach for him as he settles on top of you, your hand sliding along his stubbled cheek.

"I'm so glad you're feeling what I'm feeling," you whisper. "I'd think I was going insane otherwise."

Bucky kisses you again, before trailing his lips across your jaw, your ear, your neck. He's careful not to leave any marks, as much as he wants to. You glide your hands along the expanse of his shoulders, his back, his biceps. He's so strong, so broad. It makes you ache.

"So fuckin' pretty," he mumbles against your chest. "Like a goddamn dream."

You throw your head back as he attaches his mouth to your tits, nipping and sucking as he goes. Your hands are in his hair again, reveling in the way his groans vibrate through you.

Bucky slots his knee in between your legs as he kisses across your chest, smirking when you grind your hips into it. You chase the friction as best you can, moaning when it hits you just right.

"Needy baby. You don't want my fingers? My mouth? No? Just my knee?"

You nod, then shake your head. You're not sure what you're asking for, drunk on him already.

"Please, Buck. Anything."

"I'll give you whatever you want if you keep saying my name like that."

He makes quick work of pulling your underwear down your legs, swiping his fingers through your wet heat.

"Oh, fuck," he chokes. "Fuck, honey. Is this all for me? Hmm?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Yeah?"

"It's yours, Buck. I'm yours."

Bucky drops his head forward, bumping your nose with his.

"I think that's my favourite thing you've ever said," he mumbles against your mouth.

You reach up to kiss him, sucking his tongue before biting at his lips. You can't get close enough. Every inch of your skin is pressed to his, and you still want more.

Bucky crawls down the bed, situating himself between your legs. He nudges at you with his nose before diving in, lapping at you like a man starved.

You'd forgotten what people said about sex when you're Tethered, but it all comes back to you now. Everything is heightened, your senses on overdrive. It's like Bucky has the handbook to your body, and all he has to do is read the instructions the Universe has given him.

He's got you teetering on the edge in no time, right on the precipice. No ones ever made you feel like this. It feels like some sort of small miracle is happening, an otherworldly connection.

"Give it to me, honey baby," he murmurs into you. "Let me see how pretty you look when you come."

You tug at his hair as you reach your climax, the vibrations of his groan only prolonging your release. Bucky helps you ride it out, only ceasing his action when he's satisfied you're satisfied.

He rests his head against your thigh and looks up at you as you come down, breathing heavily.

"You good?"

"So good," you grin. "Never better."

"Me neither," he whispers, crawling up your body to kiss you again. You taste yourself and whine, desperate to feel closer to him.

"Need you," you demand against his lips. "Need you more than anything."

"I know, baby," he soothes as he smooths the hair back from your face. "Gonna give you everything you want. Anything in the world."

You're on the verge of tears again, completely overwhelmed. He's looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky just for him. You think maybe you would, if he asked you to.

Bucky slides home in one gentle thrust, easy as breathing. The both of you exhale, savouring the moment. It's like nothing either of you have ever felt before.

You pull his face down to you, resting your foreheads against each other.

"Buck, I-"

"I know," he breathes. "Fuck, I know."

"Need you to move, baby."

He nods and kisses you sweetly, before pulling his hips back and gliding forward. The angle is just right, both of you keening.

"Fuck, honey. So pretty. So tight. Fuck."

Bucky sets a steady rhythm, not too fast, not too slow. It's like he can read your mind, knowing exactly what you need. All you can say is his name as stars cloud your vision.

He slides his hand down your front, rubbing perfect circles on your clit with his fingers. You clamp down on him and he groans, low and gutteral.

"Need you to come, pretty baby," he whispers hoarsely. "Please. Waited so long for this. Please."

The desperation in his tone is what throws you into your release, muscles tensing and back arched. You grip his biceps, scratching your nails into his sun kissed skin.

Bucky can't hold on any longer, falling over the edge with you. The way he says your name as he does will be ingrained in your mind forever.

He drops his weight onto you entirely, no longer able to hold himself up. You wrap your arms around him, drawing absent minded patterns across his back. You're both sweating and panting. You're both completely content.

"Holy shit," he whispers after a while.

"You think it's gonna be like that every time?" you ask, grinning.

Bucky rolls off you and lands on the bed beside you, pulling you into his chest.

"Honey, just you wait. I've got moves you've never seen."

You snort, unable to hold in your laughter. You're floating on cloud nine, satiated and warm.

"You're the worst," you giggle, running your fingers over his abs gently.

The two of you stay intertwined for hours, enjoying the way your bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. You both drift in and out of sleep, conversing in the gaps. At some points, you just lay in silence, completely comfortable. No one needs to say anything. You both know what the other person is thinking.

Eventually, the sun rises, casting the room in a golden orange glow. Bucky looks like an angel, illuminated by the morning light. You wonder for a second if he is, sent down as a gift to you.

Suddenly, you feel an intense sadness in your chest. You look up at Bucky from where you lay across him, and see a single tear drip down his cheek.

"I don't want you to go."

The only sound that can be heard is his sorrow hitting the pillow.

"I don't think I want to go."

He strokes your hair softly, taking a deep breath to try and get a handle on his emotions.

"You have to, baby. It's your dream."

Your bottom lip wobbles for a second, before the words come spilling out.

"You're my dream."

Bucky sniffles, and you continue.

"I could have nothing, but I have everything if I have you."

You sit up and Bucky does too, capturing your lips in a tear stained kiss.

"We'll be okay, my honey girl."

You crawl into his lap and wrap your arms around his neck, letting his warmth bleed into your bones.

"I know," you say, unsure if you're trying to convince yourself or him.

You know you'll be okay. It just doesn't feel like it right now.

You wonder how many times you can keep leaving and coming back before one of your hearts breaks for good.

tag list part one

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[whirlybirbs]

— BURNER CELL ; 2 ; DABI ; 荼毗

summary: after a week of silence, you finally text dabi. pairing: dabi / f!reader ; quirkless word count: 1.3k tag: humor, maladjusted dabi meets normal adult woman, flirting, canon-based world building, cancer mention, texting as a plot device, slight au, univeristy student!reader a/n: this stole all my concentration. siri play emo boy by ayesha erotica ← previous | the tag

It's the kind of week where, aside from class, human interaction isn't really on life's setlist. 

It's also the kind of week where you rediscover making a meal of raw cookie dough straight from the package. Your econ textbook might have a stranglehold on you, but you make enough time to scarf down a few globs between chapters — after all, who needs protein or fiber when you're sure this five-year master's program will kill you first?

Your head hurts.

You slump against the counter, refilling your water bottle. 

It's late now — and you can feel the quiet woes beginning to wane as you blink at the clock. By now, your friends are probably on their second or third drinks. You turned the invite down when they asked yesterday. Nuri tugged on your sweater sleeve and pouted the best pout she could manage, but you didn't budge. 

I've gotta finish this paper, I'm sorry, Nur'. 

You roll your jaw as you shut the faucet off, wandering to your freezer to wrangle some cubes from the tray. You bend it slowly, deep in thought. A few pop out, and you idly drop them into your water bottle with a twang. 

You're staring at your phone. It's by your computer on the counter. 

...You never did text Dabi. 

You told yourself it was for the best — after all, you weren't looking for a catastrophic derailment of your life at the moment. Things are good. You're two semesters away from finishing University, your family's bakery back in Kyoto is doing well, and Dad's chemotherapy seems to be working. Things are good! It's almost fall, you've managed to stick to your monthly budget, and Mizu settled in happily to your new apartment. 

No four-day poop strike like the last time you moved.

The large tuxedo cat in question ambles through the kitchen — brushing against your leg and letting out a long, low mrrooow. 

Things are great! 

You shouldn't text Dabi.

But... even if you did, it's not like it'd be the end of the world, right?

Wait, could he figure out where you lived from your number...?

You could use one of those anonymous texting services. Then, it wouldn't even be your number. Just some fake string of digits that allow you to satiate the bizarre curiosity that's been swirling in your head for the last week. 

You're sure the novelty will wear off. 

He's probably not even going to respond. 

You're telling yourself this is stupid as you begin to set up an account with the service — the app boasts privacy, andunlimited calls and texts... You can't help but feel a little strange as you finalize your account. 

It's done.

You import his contact with two taps and stare at the blank screen. 

...Now what?

Are you really going to do this? I mean — he's a wanted criminal. He's a member of the League of Villains. If anyone ever found out you were in contact with him, you'd be toast. You'd have All Might kicking your door in and demanding to look through your phone and that mental image is enough to make you cringe. Say goodbye to your degree, goodbye toyour future as Sakura Flour's owner, and goodbye to freedom. You're sure the Safety Commission would place you on some watch list for the rest of your life, and frankly, your tweets are already questionable. You don't need more scrutiny. 

...So, there are two options. 

Delete his number and move on... or don't get caught. 

You shouldn't text Dabi.

...But, you do.

Truth be told, he isn't shocked to see that cute Nuri girl hanging on Giran's arm again. The Broker seems pretty into her — the guy even mentioned something about taking her to a nice dinner during the week as a congrats on passing some big test. Dabi can't blame him. She's cute. Looks good in red. Not his type, but he can appreciate it from time to time.

However, Dabi is a little shocked that you're not a part of the group cheering in Giran's VIP section. There's bottle service being ordered, laughter, dancing, and a gaggle of pretty, five college girls — and none of them are you. 

His lips twist into a scowl. 

He decides he's leaving; his piss-poor drink is tossed back, and he dumps a bill down for the bartender before tugging his hood up and sucking his teeth. 

He never liked this club anyway.

He's crossing the threshold of the back door, stepping into the damp and dark alley, when the phone in his back pocket buzzes. Someone's smoking a Marlboro by the dumpster. The familiar smell makes Dabi's fingers twitch. 

He's tryna quit.

He tugs the phone from his pocket, no longer bothered by the splintered glass screen. His battery is at 13%. This fuckin' thing barely holds a charge anymore. 

The number on the screen isn't one he knows.

Dabi's passcode is unnecessarily long. His phone clicks open as he narrows his eyes and shambles towards the opening in the alley. He doesn't know this number. He has everyone's cell memorized that he needs. Shigaraki, Toga, Spinner, Jin, Compress, even Giran. He doesn't keep contacts. Doesn't work when he's ditching phones all the time. He's got his noggin. That's good enough.

The text is one word:

hi.

Dabi's squinting at the text when another buzzes through. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:48pm sorry, this is bar girl

→ dabi ; 11:46pm thought u were never gonna txt me ur girlie nuri is here where r u

There's no way.

Your phone buzzes three times from its far place where it sits face down on the counter — you just walked away from it, hellbent on distracting yourself while you waited out the potential reply. You go rigid in your kitchen. 

Did he seriously text you back immediately?

You purse your lips, then slink towards the phone. It buzzes again.

→ dabi ; 11:47pm c'mon don't leave me hangin pretty

Your eyes are wide as you stare at the string of replies. He has read receipts turned on like the psychopath he is. 

You lean back against the counter, chewing your cuticle as you let out a ragged sigh. Nuri is with him? Or... No, they said they were going to that club you hate. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:4pam oh, are they at the bar?‎

Dabi's fingers move fast.

→ dabi ; 11:49pm nah in downtown club tropical or whatever the fuck it's called

You snort a little.

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:49pm i hate that place. their drinks suck.

Dabi has started making his way back to their hideout — back to the shit box apartments they're renting above Kurogiri's bar. He's slow, idly texting as he weaves through the crowds of nightlife in Kamino Ward. 

→ dabi ; 11:50pm a girl after my own heart where r u ur dodging my question u on a date or smthng????

He's insistent, you'll give him that. You cross your legs as you lean back against the laminate counter and chew the inside of your lip.

He's typing. It starts, then stops, then starts again. 

When you start typing, the bubble disappears. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:50pm nah, got a huge paper to finish uni student, remember? sorry to disappoint 

→ dabi ; 11:51pm ur missin out giran got bottle service  him and nuri looked cozy

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:51pm not shocked she thinks she can fix him

→ dabi ; 11:51pm ooooo love when that happens poor girl

Typing... 

Typing...

→ dabi ; 11:51pm u think u can fix me? :p

The emoji makes your face break into a smile — it's so... not what you expected. 

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:52pm nah i'm not stupid

→ dabi ; 11:52pm just busy.... really lame of u tbh coulda been fun

← 909.999.3399 ;  11:52pm wasting cash on mid drinks is the opposite of fun

→ dabi ; 11:52pm i meant seeing me

Oh, what the fuck.

Why does that text make your face feel hot? Why does that text make you feel like you're not texting the League of Villain's #1 Arsonist, but some cute boy from class? He's not a cute boy from class. He's a danger to society. 

You're glad you don't have the opportunity to reply. Your phone is buzzing in your hands, the haptic feedback lighting the neurons in your brain on fire.  

→ dabi ; 11:53pm gtg phone is gonna die have fun with ur paper u loser hope u get a good grade or whatever i'll txt u later

You shouldn't have texted Dabi.

But you did. 

[ur-mousey]

Yandere Geto, who wants the fem reader he's been pursuing to just let him do everything for her. From little stuff like open jars, getting her snacks, and cleaning the table. To bigger stuff, like paying her bills, cooking for her every night, driving her everywhere, feeding her, bathing her.

But she constantly denies that she needs any help and has and will always be independent and she won't let him. Until one day, she "magically" gets fired from her job, and he is invited to her crying session of how she can't handle everything that's happening to her and she wishes she could get some help with everything (which is exactly what geto has been wishing for!)

Geto would obviously take it many steps too far and have her live with him and he would do everything for her, only letting her be his girl and shower him with love like she does in his dream world.

You Need Me ~

Yandere! Geto Suguru x F!Reader

Part Two

warning mature, smut, caregiver kink, manipulation, mastrubation, dependency, dub-con. 2.2k

..............................

You tried not to lose yourself to the temptations of your lover. He had once again cooked breakfast. He spoke gentle words of what today's outing would bring as he brought spoons of rice porridge, decorated atop with apples doused in honey, to your mouth and his. Your giddy squeal caused your boyfriend to chuckle. It was no use fighting Geto Suguru on the small stuff. He laid out a modest outfit of lilac wool to protect you against the forecasted winds without prompt. It was not something that you previously owned. You knew he had spent more money on it than you would've liked.

But, you'll find another time to knock sense into him. Suguru had you purring at the touch of his fingers. He combed through your hair that he tended to like a precious flower. And he rocked your body with his as he captured the final morning hours from your couch. You relaxed into his motion. Today marked four years together, and the last thing you wanted to ruin the mood was a simple present.

His lips fretted along your neck, dancing around bloomed hickeys. At each nip, your hand squeezed tighter at your breast. Suguru told you it's about time you relented to his demands. He wanted you to be his completely, and the implications didn't go over your head.

Becoming his would mean losing so much.

If he could, he would do everything for you. He already commanded a budding ache to pool in your stomach. And with your soiled undies, he had an excuse to bathe, dress, and take care of your laundry.

He loved doing it all for you despite your hesitation. And, you'll allow yourself to sink deeper into his command, only for today.

>>>

Geto thought of you as a little feather duckling. You waddled through life with your head held high. Constantly, your attention floated away from him, bouncing from shop to shop. He admired how enamored a single trinket locked behind storefronts could make you. If you would let him, he would buy it all for you, but you rejected it all with a smile. And you continued on, skipping as he gripped your hand in his. 

Now, your guidance led you two in the line of a famous bakery, where you proceeded to talk his ear off about the different cooking styles of bread. Why you would know that wasn't of that much concern. 

You tended to fill your head with meaningless factoids.

Geto had your M.O. figured. You were at surface level, either dense of the world around you or purposely stupid. You could find humanity in depraved places, including him. Six years ago was his undoing when you walked off that bus. Geto had sat out in the rice fields, a cigarette lit in the night air. His chest heaved. He understood Shoko's habits a little more. The burn distracted him. He wanted to go wild. It was his last-ditch effort to control the bloodlust. Earlier, he had disposed of his parents.

Their corpses were now lost. Remnants of them scattered across the small village which Geto had camped at. He could barely keep his lips from an upturned smirk. He was ever closer to his ideals. A world for the sorcerers.

Without a low-life monkey in sight, he hummed a faint tune. Tainted in smoke. Then, a city bus stopped ahead of him.

Only you had walked off. At that moment, Geto's leg twitched. Hair of yours smacked against the backdrop. A flush of warmth washed over your smiling face. You yapped goodwill onto the driver. He could hear the traces of your thankfulness in the breeze. Your mouth never once settled into quietness. You hopped in place, and both your feet never landed in tandem.

Geto regarded the interaction. Minutes dragged into each other. You wore a student uniform. Considering the time, he assumed you were back from cram school. You bowed, and with a wave, the driver set into motion. And you had made your way to him.

What a setting to a romance that you were naively unaware of.

He still remembered how you had fretted over his well-being. You had paced the dirt road, throwing rapid-fire questioning at him pertaining to his identity, afraid he contracted amnesia. You'd wondered aloud if you should personally walk him home or call the local police to escort him. You even called him a drunkard after he'd explicitly corrected the statement. He found you amusing. "Working yourself over nothin'," He had scoffed. You replied:

"It isn't just nothin'! You're on the side of the road. And I can't leave you here. Whatever got you hating the world is your problem. But, I can't have you throwin' yourself away in the fields."

At your core, below the surface, you were weaker than a monkey. You were a fragile duckling. You continued, "I don't help all drunkards. I'm here, helping you 'cause it looks like you wanna die." You had failed to see him as a threat or as a man. He couldn't get you out of his head.

Pure curiosity turned into an intangible obsession. Humanity could rot for all Geto cared. He would see to it. However, the thought of you, his precious duckling, smeared by the monkey's malice, set his cells on fire. You stood the fairest in a world riddled with cruelness. 

He had given you enough freedom. He needed to foster your warmth behind closed doors. Soon, he planned to rip everything from you out of love. This world, this city you loved dearly, is riddled with curses born from the inherent will of those monkeys. And Geto would be damned if his dreams weren't realized and he couldn't have you at his side. He'd force you to depend on him entirely. 

"Suguuu~ Are you paying attention? What do you want?" You pushed a finger against his chest. You motioned towards all the baked goods. You pouted and dawned a mocking tone, "I guess I'll have to buy you my favorite treat."

"Buy?" Geto gave a slight sneer. "You sure know how to piss me off. I got you, don't I?" He pulled your hips into him, resting his head atop yours. "Y'a know I pay." He had given you enough freedom. Truly.

>>>

You couldn't believe your luck today. You had slept past your alarm. Cuddled in the comfort of your boyfriend's arm. While in your rush to get ready, you felt unease. Your doting lover, Suguru, sat back in bed and observed. You fought the urge to cry and throw a fit.

You wanted him to carry you on his shoulder as he powered through your routine, not you. It might seem ridiculous to most, but you relied on Suguru's guidance. It was shocking enough that he didn't wake you for work. You'd awoken to his pointed stare, nonjudgmental as if he expected you to figure out your mistake.

Your nerves worsened as you went through your morning routine. The fact that he didn't pounce you for dressing yourself made you insecure. Was he mad at you? What did you do? Was he not in love with you anymore?

It was his digression, after all. He decided what you wore and what you ate for breakfast. While you playfully nagged and snatched at things to do it yourself. Yet, Suguru insisted until you relented.

That was the routine.

It's been a month since your anniversary. Suguru assured you at first that work kept him more days than not. He rarely had a night off like yesterday to cuddle in your bed. But, the signs of distance grew.

He was more in his head. Last night, when you initiated, hoping that he would coax an orgasm from you, he denied. Opting for a shower. Suguru never came back to relieve your hormones. He prepared the both of you for bed, halfheartedly so. It broke your heart.

"Sugu. Baby," You called over your shoulder. "I'm heading off to work. I should be home around five. I love you."

No response.

You gathered yourself, tripping over yourself. You crashed into the door, hissing as your finger flew back with the weight of your purse. A frustrated groan accompanied your head smacking the door. No signs of Suguru coming to your aid. Maybe you weren't made for it. Being an adult meant being able to ready oneself. And you were an utter failure with your boyfriend's aid.

You shook your head, gathering your last sliver of courage, and left your desolate apartment.

And, the series of misfortune continued. The trains were crowded that you had to missed two possible trips, you got harassed by some weirdo with blue pigtails, and lastly, you were at your latest to work. The worst hasn't come to pass. It was typical to feel berated over the phone due to the callers's unsatisfactory complaints. But, by lunch, you were over the mean-spirited words. You fiddled with pens and nicknacks coating your desk. You wanted to reconcile. You love him. You need him. You recognized your sense of loss without him. In four more hours, you'd make things right in your relationship.

How? You didn't quite know that. Maybe cook a romantic dinner? Before you could figure that all out, your superior collected you.

>>>

Geto tided your place. First, he organized your footwear into the shoe cupboard, which you would neglect to restock. He had done it all for you since you moved into this apartment separate from him. You had fallen here. He wondered which shoe you tripped over. That accident of yours wouldn't have happened under his care. It took all his energy to neglect your pleading gaze for help. His cock threatened to take over his head. He desperately wanted to fuck that look off of you.

You needed him. That fact was evident enough. You had even chosen a pair of flats, too tight on your heels. Geto meant to throw them out, however, this past month, he's disregarded his tasks. You had to learn that you needed him.

You made it seem like a bad thing to rely on him. You fussed when he took the initiative to open jars and heavy set doors. You fumed at the mention of living with him or him paying rent when you were low.

Was it all that bad to be reliant on him when that's all he wanted from you? He then set aside a pair of slides to alleviate your pain if needed. But, your heart wouldn't be in it. Geto knew that today would be filled with stress. Therefore, he will relieve your fears.

Your lover had the answer. You needed to trust that.

He prepped food for the impending dinner. He chopped veggies and set aside chicken to thaw in the sink. Geto kept glancing at the clock, knowing time was of the essence.

His phone buzzed. Geto fished it out from his pocket, and he was met by your teary, trembling voice. Your breathing ran cold along his back, and blood rushed to his erection. He softly grounded himself into the counter. "Duckling," He cooed. "I don't understand gibberish. Be clear. Take deep breaths." Geto demonstrated, and you followed.

"Su-uh," You whimpered.

He balanced his phone on his shoulder blade. He brought his trousers lower on his hips with one hand. Geto muffled his hum into the palm of his other hand. A few moments passed. His ear sought each sharp intake and languid exhale from your lips. "Sugu, please…" You whined, "Gu- get me. Please. I-I uh, I need you. Like I really need you." Geto bit down on his flesh. He salivated over your lovely words.

He swiped his thumb over the tip of his dick. "What's wrong? You're at work, aren't y'a?" Geto stroked his shaft. Massaging down to the base of his girth. He pinched around the flesh, and he imagined his precious girl begging him to help her forget.

"Ye, I got fired." You sobbed, "My boss… she said some hurtful things. Sugu~ please pick me up." He pumped his cock. His pre-cum bubbled to the surface, lubricating his hand further as he chased his pleasure.

"Why should I?" Geto teased, and the silence of yours permeated. A new wail pushed through the quietness. What's this? You questioned his love for you. What a stupid little brat. He spoiled you dearly. It was you who fought him. However, a month of minimal attention and an orchestrated bad day, had you pleading for his care. Your insecurities laid themselves down on a silver platter for his taste. Maybe he was too rude. You'd questioned his love for you. What a stupid little brat. "Duckling, I'll get y'a. Just joking. Say it. You need me."

You sniffled, "I need you."

.............................. Thank you for reading! And, thank you @appleblueberry-pie for the awesome request. I had so much fun with it!! Please read my other Geto fic, Yandere Landlord x F!Reader! Request rules are here! Feel free to leave comments down below.

>>>

NEXT JJK POST: Yandere! Husband! Nanami Kento x Curse! F!Reader

Since this was my first time doing a request, I put my all in it to make it. Low-key wanted to make this into a two-parter... so possible part 2. This just had my brain going. Also I've been playing an otome game so I made the first lines you said similar to what I see in those dating sims. LOL Anyone knows about Collar x Malice - love Shiraishi!!!

[marieracingteam]

A Flower to a Lilybug – ls.18

stepdad!Lance Stroll | series

word count: 1612

summary: The story of how Lance finally met Lily, or the story of how Lawrence became a flower before he became a grandpa.

Lily was just two years old when Lance met her mom, which meant that Lily wasn't really aware of all that was happening in her life.

She knew she had a mum and she knew, somewhere, she had a dad. Dad, however, was never around so she didn't really think much of him or his family, whom Lily had barely met. She also knew that mum had a mum and a dad who lived far away and she only saw once or twice a year and a few more times over the phone.

But that was pretty much all. For Lily, mum was her everything –and for the most part her only thing– for her whole short life.

That was until Lance came through.

Her mum and he had been talking for a whole year before she agreed to start calling their dates dates, but not before he met her daughter and she gave them their blessings.

Lance of course had accepted her pace, how could he not when he knew she was just protecting her daughter and herself after being betrayed by her last partner?

And because he knew how much she needed everything to be perfect, he tried extra hard to make everything perfect on that first day.

Maybe a little too hard.

He had spent long hours thinking about every single detail. He had even asked his father for help like he tended to do.

Maybe that is why he was so nervous when he first met Lily. The now three years old, in response, got also shy, probably sensing the grown-ups expectations.

“Hello Lily. I am Lance, mom’s friend. Mom has told me a lot about you and I wanted to meet you” he said while offering the girl his hand.

“Hi you!” she squealed before running back into the living room where she was playing with some dolls.

However, the dinner had gone more smoothly. At least at first. Lance had relaxed enough to make conversation with the little girl and Lily had quickly forgotten that she didn't know him when he started to ask her about the things she loved.

He had thought about gifting something to the little girl, but his father had told him to not buy the girl with expensive gifts. So instead he had learned to do paper dolls like Lily's mum had told him she loved to do.

Lily was so close to liking him when her mum started to breathe strangely.

“Peanuts” she screamed, grabbing her neck and making Lance run to where she always kept an EpiPen in her bag.

If he hadn't been so worried about the woman swelling up in his backseat, he would have probably been stressed about the crying little girl he had left with his father at home.

Because he loved his father, he truly loved the old men, but he could be scary and he knew he was bringing down his chances of winning the little girl’s heart by the second.

“Sorry, love. The bakery must have mix up the cakes. I don't know how that happened. I am so sorry. I told the man a thousand times to not put any nuts” Lance said again and again while he ran to the hospital.

The woman just laughed at the situation and when Lance looked at her through the rearview she was smiling. He didn't know then, but that was the first time someone had cared so much about her and her daughter.

And Lance didn't have anything to worry about, because back at home his father was doing all the hard work with Lily.

“So…” Lawrence said looking at the little girl who was sitting on the sofa eating ice cream “I heard you like doing paper dolls”

“Yeah” she answered, licking the spoon clean “And you?”

“Not my expertise, but I can see the charm in it”

Lily just looked up at him. When she had calmed down after the old man explained to her that her mom was fine but she needed a bandaid to be perfect, the girl had started to analyze the man.

Her mum had told her beforehand all about her friend and the get-together they were going to have that night, but she didn't expect any of that. Her mother had forgotten to tell her that after dessert they would run out and leave her alone at home with an unknown man.

Lily knew she was just a little girl, but wasn't that what her mother had told her not to do?

“You are weird, Flower” the girl finally said after deciding that she could trust the strange man with the funny name. If her mother trusted him enough to leave her in his care, who was she to not do it?

“Why is that?” Lawrence asked sitting beside her on the couch. 

The girl just shrugged her shoulders. Her mother had taught her that it was wrong to say those things to people, especially older ones. The previous comment had slipped out of her mouth.

In her defense, Lily would say that Lance's dad was strange indeed. Lance too. Her mother's friend had sweaty hands and had dropped his spoon more times than she had. Plus, mom's friend's face turned red all the time. All the times her mom spoke at least.

But Lance's dad was even weirder. All his hair was white, all. Plus he was the oldest person Lily had ever seen, even older than Mom's friend from work who had just turned 40 recently and invited them to her party. The man was tall and was wearing a suit like on TV. Lily had never seen anyone on the streets of her town in Canada wearing one of those outfits beyond the movies.

Plus, Lance's dad had let her eat the ice cream straight out of the container to stop her from crying, which was weird, because her mom never let her do that. But she wasn't going to complain.

“And what is that Flower thing?” Lawrence asked finally.

“Your name, duh” Lily responded with the spoon still in her mouth.

See? Weird. The man had just said that was his name.

“My name is Lawrence” the man corrected.

“Florence,” she said back before making the connection “flower”.

The man laughed a deep laugh that reminded Lily of movie villains. And he looked like one. If he didn't have such a funny name, Lily probably would have been scared of him. “I am not a flower”

“You look like one” the girl responded, sure of her opinion.

“Why is that?” the man pressed, amused at the conversation.

“The white petals” she said pointing at his hair “Do you know how to braid?”

Lawrence laughed again. Lance had told him a lot about the woman he was meeting and had told him some things he was discovering about her daughter, but Lawrence did not expect the pleasant surprise that was meeting first the mother at a gala and then the girl, even if it was under those circumstances.

The mother was polite and affectionate with his son. Lawrence had been doubtful of her at first, as he always used to be when someone new came into their lifes. But at no time had she shown interest or asked for anything in exchange of her company like other used to do. If Lawrence was right, and he usually was, the only reason she was still with Lance was because she was really interested in his son.

And the girl. The girl had been a breath of fresh air.

It had been a long time since Lawrence last was around small children. His children were already grown and despite his insistence, his daughter had not yet made him a grandfather.

Even if the girl wasn't exactly Lance's, if everything went as his son expected that night, this wouldn't be the last time Lawrence would see the girl.

And, at that moment, he felt like it was in his power to help make everything happen that way, even if he himself had shown him his reluctance when he found out that the woman his son was with already had a daughter from a previous relationship.

“Yeah, I do. Do you want one braid?” he offered.

“No” she said still licking the empty spoon.

“Lance also knows how to braid. He is very good at it” lied the man. He didn't truly know why he was doing it but he guessed that he will need the extra help impressing the little girl after almost poisining her mom.

While waiting for her mom to come back, Lily decided the man wasn’t that bad anymore. And he was a flower after all. A flower who had ended up braiding her hair into smalls braids and had cut the paper dolls Lance had brought for her. 

He was still a little weird and a little scary looking but he wasn't that bad.

And he was comfy. She had found that when she laid her braided head in his chest while playing with the dolls. 

And! When her mom asks her tomorrow when she wakeds up on her own bed surrounded by all her plushies, she will say that the flower was a magician. Which was a pretty impressive story.

Even when she had swore she wasn't going to fall asleep until her mom came back, the flower had charm her into sleeping while rubbing her belly, like she did with her mom's friend's puppy.

She may not know a lot about old people or grandparents but the flower wasn't that bad himself. And maybe his son wasn't so bad either.

[itsnotmeep]

Unspoken

Nanami Kento x Reader (angst)

All his life he knew that he would die protecting others so imagine his surprise when he found someone he wanted to live for. Whether he liked it or not the baker had made their way into his heart and for once he wanted something for himself. When work got tough he would imagine them caring for him when he got home, the smell of fresh baked goods infiltrating his nose, bringing an escape he desperately needed. He planned to marry the girl who held his heart, the one promise he vowed to keep. Yet when sent to Shibuya, without realizing he never had the chance to promise her anything. 

The relationship started quite naturally. Everyday the blonde haired man would come to the bakery at exactly 10 am. He would order the same piece of bread, hand the same credit card, say thanks and leave. When he missed days or came late he would order extra as if a sorry for his absence. Other days he would come in with a white haired guy or even a young man wearing a beanie. 

What (y/n) hadn’t noticed was how her absence on some days due to sickness or life events, caused the man to bring forth a sense of disappointment when he took notice of her missing figure. Or the ways in which he would try to sneakily ask about her hoping not to raise any suspicion. Nor did she notice how he would swiftly exorcise the curses that loom near and around her shop, so more customers come in. The way he would check on her ready to kill any curse that plagued her.

It wasn’t long before the two got together, anyone could tell how whipped he was for her and how her eyes lingered on him. Oftentimes her employee would see how their boss would set up his order and patiently wait for the bells to chime at 10am indicating he was there. The way her body jerked up ready to go greet him. A year into the relationship Nanami would ask her if she wanted to move in with him. Without a doubt it was hard the first 2 weeks getting used to each other, before long they couldn't imagine living with anyone else.

Once another year passed, Nanami decided it was time his lover's finger was decorated with a ring. Even when tired after work he would go looking for the perfect ring, one that would be able to showcase at least some of the love he held for her. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, she deserved the best and he wasn’t going to give up until he found the right one, even if the fee was hefty. His student saw his eagerness and couldn’t help but help the poor man on his search. Some of them would come to (y/n) shop to distract her in order to buy their teacher some time. Often sending him pictures or doing research on new jewelry places. While his coworkers, especially a certain albino man, would tease him. 

He had found the perfect one early october, without looking at the price he immediately bought it. It wasn’t until the ring rested in his pocket next to his body that he felt like no one would steal the precious good before he could buy it. When he got home he was met with an empty house and took the opportunity to hide the ring in his closet in the shoe box he kept on top. Earlier he had sent Itadori and the rest of the first-years to her shop, so he could be sure that (y/n) wouldn't find him sneaking around. After Shibuya, Nanami had planned a much needed vacation for the both of them and it was there in which he wanted to propose to her. On the sandy beaches of Malaysia far from the work that robbed him of much time.

The thought of proposing to her brought a smile on his lips and he used that as a motivation to get through october. All he wanted was to see her in her beautiful dress on the beach, beaming an angelic smile back at him, to hear her say yes. Even in his last moment his thoughts were filled with this image, his arms reaching out towards her.

The pink-haired boy stood in front of the locked bakery, he placed his teacher's death on his shoulders and it was his responsibility to tell the would’ve been widow. People had told him it was fine, someone else could do it. Yet the boy who had witnessed the death, the one who his teacher died for, didn't budge. Building up the courage, holding back the tears that threaten to fall from his eyes for what could have been, he knocked on the door twice. He hears the older woman's voice “Give me a second,i'm coming”.  His hands form a fist at his side turning white with the amount of strength he was clenching it, trying to hold in his own emotions.

The door unlocked and opened “Hey, Itadori it's late right now the bakery is closed. Do you need anything…” the woman smiled cheerfully at him, but before she could continue. The tense boy broke down whimpering out the words “Nanami sensei”. His face fell and his hands shooted up holding his face. Sobs ravaged his body as he had become angry at the fact that he couldn’t even give her a moment, but the tear wouldn’t stop no matter how hard he had tried.

When (y/n) had learned about the sorcerer world she knew what she was stepping into, she knew that he could die. Yet, at the time it felt so out of reach, he was so strong and steady, always watching out for others. In her head she couldn’t fathom how the world could kill a man who was so kind. She stood there her hands holding on the door, feeling like without it support she would falter to the floor, being unable to ever get up again. It was as if time had stopped all she could say to the crying boy was, “You’re joking right” her voice already raw without tears. She felt the random strength in her body surge her towards the boy and grasp his shoulder. 

It seemed like the payment of this sudden energy were the tears that began rolling down her cheeks, she shook the boy, getting him to look at her. “Please, tell me you’re joking right now, please” she pleaded. The boy only shook his head at the women who he had helped buy a ring for tears lining his eyes once more. 

The tears come as if a dam that had been built to block all the tears her entire life had crashed down. Her body could no longer hold on any longer and she dropped the boy following her down embracing her as she mourned the life of the man she had loved with her entire heart. The boy held her crying along only being able to whimper “sorry, I'm so sorry”, apologizing endlessly for the future he felt he had ended.

It took 2 weeks before she could build the strength to walk through their shared apartment. She had been staying at her friend's place and felt like a burden. No matter the difficulty she knew she had to at least try to move on. The key shook in her unsteady hand as she stood in the elevator waiting for the ding that would lead her to the place both of them cherished. 

Walking toward the door felt like walking through an endless desert not knowing when one will get water or civilization. Once at the door (y/n) took a deep breath, she knew opening the door would be unleashing a wound she didn't know if she could heal. The key went in and the door was ready, she slowly turned the handle and took all the strength she could muster to open the door and take a step through.

Instantly the memories flooded to her mind as she slowly explored the space again. She had believed she had somehow cried all the tears out of her body feeling a sense of numbness through her. Although the tears didn't fall she felt her heart squish itself as if it wanted her to die on the spot. 

The kitchen where Nanami would cook dinner or breakfast when he had the chance, shooing her away saying that she deserved it. The dining room table where they ate their meals together, how he would force her to eat everything on her plate and even track if she had eaten all the nutrients she needed for the day.

To the living room where he would come home, change and lay with her. Her eyes watered when recalling how he would want to watch her favorite series and would try to fight his sleep in order to watch with her. She would catch him trying to watch the show by himself in private at times, so he had something to talk to her about. The place he would give her random presents as a sorry for his absence or where he would lounge watching her bake treats at home, smiling every time she glanced at him.

To the corner next to the tv where they had placed their christmas tree the first time they spent the holidays. Tears fell when she remembered how he gifted her items that she had wanted but was not willing to buy or the time they spent looking for the right tree and ornaments. Or when she tricked him with a mistletoe.

Even the bathroom when she would wash his hair when he was too exhausted to move his hands and the love in his eyes as he watched her do it. The nights she was sick and he would come rushing in holding up her hair, telling her it’ll be okay. To nagging at her for accidentally cutting her finger and carefully treating it, even when she herself had to stitch him up in far worse conditions.

The tears continued to come when she walked into the bedroom still being able to smell his scent. Fear overtook her, she became scared of the fact that his scent could disappear and this was all that was left of it. She was as decently composed as she could be until she opened the closet door and a shoe box fell to her feet.

The box popped open on the floor, reaching down to pick it up, she found a smaller box and a letter. She opened it and what she found devastated her to the point of no return. It was a wedding ring, it was perfect. Tears blinded her in an instant hands shaking she opened up the letter and read.

Dear (Y/N)

Although I am a man of little words, from the moment I bought this ring I knew what I wanted to say the day you walked down that aisle in the beautiful dress. I knew that I would be stunned by your beauty that seemingly grows every time I meet or think about you. In fear of time making you so radiant that these vows become impossible to write, I've chosen to write them right away.

I am a man of many flaws, I often come home exhausted not being able to provide you the liveful companionship that you so truly deserve. Other days my line of work makes me come home late or leave early, sometimes I can leave for days. Yet you, for what reason I don't understand, choose to stay by me. Sleeping on the couch all those late nights to greet me when I enter the door. Even waking up in the earliest hours to help me get ready, never failing to give me a kiss before I go. Rather than getting angry at me for the days I left you alone you greet me with open arms and a smile decorating your face. I don’t know what I did in my last life to deserve you, but I do know I will spend this life time effortlessly working to make sure that the gods above give you to me again in the next. Even if my diligence equals only a minute with you, that's enough.

I remember meeting you the first time in the bakery, you came rushing to the counter to greet me, hair in a messy bun and flour coating your face. The way you eagerly took my order and delicately lay the goods in their containers before giving them to me. I don't know at that time if it was you who anchored me to the store or the desserts you put all your efforts in that drew me, but in that moment all I understood wasI had to come back. Even when my instinct told me not to get attached because I've lived through tragedy, yet my head couldn't stop my heart from finding its way towards you.

The most selfish moment in my life and the most selfless thing you had done for me was choosing to stay, learning who I was. I understood what you gave up in the second you chose me and my desire for you made me pull you even closer. I should have advocated for you to live a life that was more fulfilling but the idea that you wanted me overtook me in ways in which I couldn’t describe. 

I know these vows are getting long and this is probably the longest most of you have ever heard me speck. In short (y/n) i wanted you to know that in every lifetime you are, were, and will be the love of life. In fact I chose not to put a last name because I don’t mind taking yours. Similarly to how my name would tell everyone that you were mine, I wouldn't mind carrying a piece of you that would show the world that I am yours. I love you  (y/n) and I wanted you to know that in the time we spend apart, I am and will always fight and find my way back to you even if it requires me to crawl inch by inch. 

Love is unrequited effort, the blush that paints one's face, heartbeats racing and calming in the presence of another, it means finding joy in the little habits and ways of life, and much more. For me love means you.

The sound of sobs could be heard echoing the room. The only words one would hear were “You bastard, how do i continue without you?”

[reelovesfictionalmen]

Single Dad Simon Riley

A request for Single Dad Simon from @buzzyb33 I hope this is what you wanted, I kinda just went with what my monkey brain came up with.

SINGLE DAD SIMON

Single Dad Simon has twins. A boy who is docile, shy and hides behind Simon's legs around new people. His daughter is bold and boisterous. Sometimes he swears she almost bounces off of the walls. Their mother has been out of the picture since not long after they were born, she pays child support but has otherwise severed all parental support and interactions with the twins. The boy twin is named Theo and the girl is April. The names are the only two things their mother left them with.

Single Dad Simon used to hate her for abandoning their children but in time he accepted it as being the best. Forcing her to stay would likely have just hurt the kids more. Simon gave up his career in the military to take care of his kids and be a present father. He works as a plumber, a pretty good one at that. He makes enough money to provide for his kiddos and put money aside for emergencies and/or their futures. He wants to have enough money put away for them if they decide to go to university. Giving up his career was difficult but it had to be done, he was all they had and he wants to give them a childhood so much better than his own.

Single Dad Simon finds being a dad almost as stressful as being in the SAS and doing all that sort of thing. Raising the twins on his own through their infancy to toddlerhood was mentally and physically exhausting. There were nights when both of the twins were teething, would not go to sleep and just kept screaming where he felt like running away. But he never did of course, our Simon aint a quitter ESPECIALLY when it comes to his kids.

Single Dad Simon is still in contact with 141, they come to visit when on leave. Soap and Gaz like to spoil the twins. April LOVES uncle Soap. She calls him a "pretty princess". She also makes takes Gaz, Soap and Theo out into the garden where she likes to play construction work barbie, digging up the garden and making "roads" for her and her brothers cars. Theo, the sweet little boy really opens up around Price. Something about Price brings out his bolder side. He's always tackle hugging Price and asking lots of questions about the cool planes and other vehicles he's been in. Neither of the twins really believe that their father was big and tough like their uncles. Simon honestly prefers that they don't believe that he was a big bad military man, he tries to keep as much of his personal military career from them.

Single Dad Simon who frets when the twins first go to primary school and after school care. He doesn't like being away from them for such long periods of time, deep down he knows that they will be just fine and they will be safe but the other part of him frets terribly. What if they get bullied? What if they hurt themselves? What if they get mean teachers? After the first year he calms down considerably with his worries but there is a side of him that will never relax and be wary for danger.

Single Dad Simon who finds himself getting lonely as the kids settle into school life and his business does well. He finds himself wishing for romantic companionship and a feminine influence for his children. He worries that only having military men for family will stunt their mental growth. He promises himself to open himself up to the possibility of meeting someone new.

When Single Dad Simon does find someone he clicks with, he doesn't hide that he has kids and is a single parent. But he makes clear that it will take an extended period of time before he introduces them to her. He needs to be sure that he can trust her around them. If she already knows them through some outside of school place, like the bakery they always go to on Sunday or the Librarian at the library where the after school program is held, he will be less wary of having her in their private lives but will still TAKE HIS TIME.

Single Dad Simon is a good dad. He struggles with the stress and isolation sometimes but he has 141 as his brothers and maybe one day soon he might have a lady in his life who will welcome his kids and him with open arms into her own life.

[svt-rosalie]

. . . ♡ FAMILY ! ? 🌷 MEMBERS ★ ﾟ๑

ׁ ׅ ୨ ❪ relationships! ❫ ୧ ⊹ ࣪

© 2023 , svt-rosalie rosalie masterlist!

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — aurore dumont

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 49 ❪ march 15, 1974 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ FAMILIAL TIES — mother & daughter

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — to say jihye is a mommy’s girl, is an understatement. jihye is her mothers mini me. as a little girl, rosie would take her mothers makeup and dress up in her moms clothes (even though they were a bit too big for her 8 year old frame) and walk down the hall to their living room giving a little runway show, to which her mother would always be her biggest fan and cheer her on.

“oh so gorgeous!” “i have the prettiest daughter in the world!”

as rosalie grew older, her mother became her anchor for teenage years. especially when she became a trainee and was away from her mother for a while (rosalie began living with her grandparents for about a year whilst her parents found a decent house and building for the bakery). there was many late night calls that would lead the poor girl to tears, crying out that she misses her mom. aurore was able to life up her daughter on her dark days and laugh with her daughter on the bright ones and that’s all that rosalie needs.

nothing is more important than the love a mother gives.

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — park hyeonju

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 52 ❪ october 18, 1971 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ FAMILIAL TIES — father & daughter

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — hyeonju is a father and everything in between, a best friend, a hype man, and a body guard. now valentine is the biggest daddy’s girl but that doesn’t mean rosalie isn’t next in line in wanting all of her appa’s attention. she loves when her dad ask her to join in on activities he knows she doesn’t enjoy, like going to the hardware store or making renovations to the house, but just wants to spend quality time with her one way or another — and he always goes to the nail salon to get their toes done together after wards. you gotta pamper yourself after all that hard work as rosalie says.

hyeonju always attended everyone of rosalie’s daddy daughter school events and made sure she was the most spoiled girl without making her a brat. she’s his first daughter/child so of course he’s going to make sure she knows she is loved both emotionally and physically. anytime the park family is out on a errands or just to spend family time together, rosalie is always holding her fathers hand or his arm (or on the special occasion he’s giving rosalie a piggy back ride).

rosalie couldn’t ask for a better father, he’s the one there to fight off all the monsters hiding in her closet and hold her close when the nightmares hit too close to home.

“it’s okay my rosebud, flowers can’t bloom without a little rain huh? appa’s here, it’s okay.”

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — park jiyeong, valentine dumont

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 13 ❪ february 14, 2010 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — dead ❪ february 12, 2022 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ FAMILIAL TIES — little sister & older sister

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — valentine is rosalie’s entire heart, literally. when valentine was born all bets were off — rosalie was obsessed with her and wouldn’t let her out of her sight. she told all her friends and teachers at school that she has a new little sister and that she’s the best thing ever even though she’s stinky sometimes.

valentine grew up basically shadowing everything rosalie did. rosalie went for extra lessons for english, valentine would too even though she liked her french classes more; rosalie would put a little bit of lip gloss on and valentine would always pucker up her lips for some as well saying she wants to be just as pretty as her big sister! everything they did was for each other and with each other, you’d think they were twins.

when rosalie became a trainee, valentine bragged to everyone saying she was going to have the bestest singing sister in the world, mind you valentine was around 3 at this time so all she knew was the videos rosalie would play of girls generation and shinee, so she thought rosalie was going to be the coolest person in the world. she was right.

as valentine grew up and rosalie began to get busier with being an idol, nothing in their relationship changed. rosalie still called every night to her mom and dad and asked for valentine within 5 minutes.

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — sabrina

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 5 years old ❪ 2018 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ BREED — ragdoll cat, female

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — sabrina is and always has been jihye’s number one girl. she received sabby as a gift when she was 18 as a birthday gift from her appa after she had been begging for years for a cat. sadly her mama is allergic so her parents had to wait till their oldest was out of the house to allow such a big purchase and why not when she becomes an “adult”!

sabrina only likes rosalie and pixie. anybody that tries to pet her she will hide and slap your hand away (claws not out, she’s not that mean). she’s a sweet girl though, to rosalie, and loves to cuddle and make biscuits. she’ll sleep all night surprisingly and be the most active kitty you’ve ever seen during the day time.

rosalie knows she’ll be heartbroken when sabrina gets older but right now sabrina is still just a little baby who loves to be carried around and played dress up with!

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — pixie

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 2 years old ❪ 2021 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ BREED — black cocker spaniel, female

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — pixie is just a little baby. she has no thoughts in her head expect her best friend sabrina the ragdoll, her owner rosalie and treats. she’s such a sweetheart but is genuinely just so coocoo.

she doesn’t go crazy like sabrina will but she’s just dumb. . . to put it mildly. pixie will be walking and is only looking up at rosalie instead of straight ahead of her and bump into a wall, she’ll bark at the floor because she thought she saw another being that wasn’t suppose to be there but it was actually just her own shadow coming from the sun shining in the window.

rosalie has a little like baby walker that she puts pixie in for walks and sometimes sabrina as well. when rosie bought that a lot of people thought she was pregnant. . . nope just for her fur babies. pixie is rosalie’s best friend and often goes with her to practices and oversea events when the group is going to be there for a while (sabrina doesn’t do well on planes so she stays with wonwoo’s family).

taglist — @angie-x3 @alixnsuperstxr @allthings-fandoms @peachyaeger @sakufilms @aysxldea @swagcandyfun @wonwooz1 @s4nsmoon

click here to join the taglist!

[pigeonpeach]

I just want to be the one you love

Jean x reader

A/n: not my best work but i tried. Enjoy!

Summary: childhood crushes finding out they’ve been in love with each other the whole time.

It seems like as long as you could remember that you has been in love with Jean. Hopelessly pinning that you would be by her side forever, that you would wake up each day to see her next to you, kiss her goodnight, lay on her lap, hold her hand, take her last name… You knew that such things were outlandish. She’s the Acting Grand Master now, she hardly has time for you. But you still find yourself reminiscing in the past.

Jean always was a social girl. Everyday she’d study then go to the library to study, then go down to the bakery in Mondstadt’s city to meet with her best friend: you. Life as a kid was easy then. Her little sister was just born but she didn’t have much time to play with her. She is just a baby after all. But you were someone she liked being around.

“Jean! Jean!” You said holding with you a basket. “My mom says that the library just got some new fiction books! Lets go check them out!” You grabbed her hand.

“Oh but my mom says I need to study more-“

“Just switch the covers! Easy!” You smiled.

“Actually that’s smart.. i guess as long as she doesn’t know… lets go then!”

If you asked Jean’s parents, they tolerated you for her sake. But they were busy at each other’s throats to care about her personal life. You fueled her curiosity and fed into the little rebellious spirit she had. Of course she was always careful. But oh how she loved sneaking snacks with you during sleepovers.

“Your house is huge! Oh my god you guys actually have like hallways!” You smiled as you walked through the Gunnhildr manor. It wasn’t like Diluc’s home but still you lived in a cottage at springvale, luxury is always surprising.

“I’m glad you like it. My Mom says that you can stay over for the night, you can sleep in one of the spare rooms.” Jean held your hand as she guided you through the hallways. It felt like you were a mouse, everything was so huge and clean. Everything was so tidy, fresh flowers in every vase, family portraits with gilded framing, and detailed wallpaper. You loved it.

“Aw.. what good is a sleepover if we aren’t in the same room.” You pout.

“That was just a offer, I didn’t want you to sleep on the floor. But we have to be careful because Barbra is a light sleeper.” She said. You nodded excitedly.

That night you two were too excited to go to sleep. You chatted about this book from Inazuma about these two opposing samurai ladies who fell in love and ended up married. Before you knew it however it was getting dark.

“That’s weird, we should’ve had dinner by now..” Jean said. “I didn’t even notice we weren’t summoned for dinner. I’m sure we can go ask the maids whats up.” She hopped off the bed, with you following suit, the two of you making your way downstairs. There was a muffled sound coming from somewhere. But it sounded like a argument. Instantly Jean stiffened. “O-oh… lets head back to the room.. i think there’s something going on down there.” She said. You noticed she seemed more down now.

“Oh! I packed snacks for us to share! We can have those if you’re really hungry.”

“That should work. As long as we don’t make a mess.”

You sat at Good Hunter now, where you worked now. Honey roast wrapped for later. A thought crossed your mind, maybe you could give it to her as a gift. And if she didn’t want it well Amber would. Amber loves meaty dishes. Your heart raced a little as you walked up the stairs, taking turns and turns to the Knight of Favonius headquarters.

“Say Jean, whats your take on love? Like what do you look for in a partner.” You two lounged on a blanket at windrise.

“L-love?” She seemed surprised.

“Yes. I’m just curious.” You added.

“W-well… I guess loyalty is one… maybe someone gentle and sweet. With.. a um..” she looked at you in a way that sent your heart racing for a moment. “Dedication… someone who would expand my horizons. Maybe a good chef, I always prefer meals made by loved ones.. What about you?”

“Definitely someone strong, chivalrous, like with you I value Loyalty and devotion. But I want someone really devoted, beyond normal means of dedication. Someone who would do anything for me, and preferably taller.”

“Interesting..” she said.

“Its been awhile hasnt it.” You said with a smile as you walked in her office. You noticed the look in her eyes as she saw you.

“What a pleasant surprise.” She sat up in her chair fixing her hair. Seems you caught her a bad time. Her hair was a mess and she looked sleep deprived.

“I brought you some lunch if you’d want it.” You said putting the food infront of her. She seemed quite hungry.

“Your timing is perfect actually. I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

“What?” You said alarmed. “Jean what have you been doing to yourself! You can’t run the country on s empty stomach!”

“I know I know, its just it slipped my mind.”

“You should know better! You need to prioritize yourself sometimes you know. If you knew you were this deprived I’d have brought you a feast!” You sit across from her.

“Thank you, I’ll make sure to feed myself more properly next time.” Jean said. “So, how have you been?”

“The usual, around windblume is when business picks up. There’s lots of tourists these days.” You laid back in the chair. “Alot of the Knights come by too, but I hardly ever see you come outside nowadays.”

“Oh that.. I’ve been swamped with paperwork recently. You’ve heard of the dark night hero? Well he- they just attacked a relatively important fatuus and now they’re trying to get me to track them down.”

“If you ask me, I’d expel them all out of here. Tell goth it doesn’t matter what that pants guy gave him, we can’t have dozens of personel from another country occupying mondstadt!”

“Unfortunately that kind of situation is one Varka has to do.”

“that lousey… ugh. I’d tell them you’re doing your best but you’re not in charge of protecting them from anything. If they push further just bluff and say you have the authority to kick them all out.” You smile.

“You’re direct as always.” She smiled faintly. “Again, I can’t do that.”

“Well maybe what you need is a little break. Come outside! The weather is wonderful!” You said.

“I’d love to but-“ she looked up from her paper at you, for a minute, it felt like she was younger again, being dragged along by you to adventure she’d cherish afterwards. “Sure. Why not.” The smile on your face when she said those words, oh it cured her stress immediately. Your presence calmed her more than she knew it would. Feelings rising to the surface that she hid for so long. Yet… she didn’t mind it.

Jean looked at you, she just gotten back from training. She noticed you taking little peeks at her from your book. “I feel like I’m a mess.” She grimaced sitting next to you. “Its so hot out.. the sweat is practically pouring from me.”

“You look great though. I mean.. your muscles are coming in.” Gesturing to her arms.

“That’s good. But I’m parched, luckily i packed… oh no!” Jean opened her back to realize her bag was soaked. She quickly took everything out.

“Just lay them out in the sun.” You said. Luckily she didn’t keep anything too important in that bag. It just held her more comfortable clothes.. and now empty water bottle.

“Here have mine.” You said offering her your bottle. She took it.

“Thanks, i don’t know what i’d do without you.”

“You would be fine. You’re a strong woman.” You said.

But you were wrong. The worst part about her job was waking up early, when she’d have to leave her wonderful dream behind. When she’d so comfortably be dreaming of you, her hands wrapped around a pillow. Those dreams were her favorite. Still Jean had to go on with her day. That was until she paused. She’d been in love with her childhood best friend for years now, years of subtly flirting and playfulness never coming to be… she was going to change that today.

“Jean?” You said, you hadn’t expected to see her at your door, at this hour.

“I- can i come in.” She seemed rather flustered. In her hands was the biggest bouquets you had seen.

“O-of course.” You said. She walked in, sitting on your couch.

“I-I have to tell you something.” She said, you sat next to her. It was still pretty early. The sun just barely having risen.

“Alright. I’m all ears then-“

“I love you.”

“Wait… can you say that again?” You felt a bit shy all the sudden. You had always been the more confident of you two, able to hold your own. But now you were flustered.

“I.. I have known you for almost my whole life, and each memory of you.. has been a light in my life. I’ve cherished every gift and every word you ever gave me. I’ve longed for you to be in my life forever. I want to grow old with you, I want to come home to you, and every moment without you has only made my heart grow fonder of you. In my sweetest if dreams you’re besides me in my bed, and then I find it hard to wake up. I find myself looking for you in crowds… when you visited me recently.. i knew I couldn’t hide my feeling’s forever. I- I am deeply in love with you.” She said. You paused as you processed what she said. Your own heart racing.

“Jean… did you think I’d reject you?” You said, noticing how she shakes and quiver. “I’ve been dropping hints for our entire childhood almost.” You couldn’t help but smile. You notice the relief in her face as you say so.

“I-i worried i was over analyzing things. I had always brushed it off because you were always so forward..”

“Maybe I should’ve been more obvious then.. but i love you too Jean.” Your hands in hers, you looked into her eyes with a smile.

“It.. I’m sorry i just… I’m so happy right now I can’t really think straight.” The smile on Jean’s face was akin to patch of sunlight in the rain. Her hands grasped yours firmly, she raised one of your hands to press against her cheek. “I love you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” You said, leaning into a kiss.

[literallykenmaandshoyo]

Half Of My Heart

TimeSkip!Satori Tendou x Female!Reader

Warnings: Language, Satori and Reader are both oblivious ASF, Wakatoshi and Reader are lowkey besties~, just fluff!

Word Count: 4.9k

Author’s Note: Hi everyone! I spent a lot of time with Mod Kenma the other day and it was the absolute best! We were talking a lot about our AU's and headcanons that we have and we even wrote for a while together! My visit was long overdue! Anyways, this is the last Tendou fic (Maybe) That I'll be writing for a while! I love time skip Satori so so much! I'm a little iffy on how I ended things, but hopefully you all like it! Enjoy everyone <3 ~Mod Shoyo <3

It was so painstakingly obvious that Tendou had a crush.

She wasn’t just some girl he saw walking around school, someone that he just happened to run into by pure luck. She was perfect. From the very first time he saw her standing on the opposite side of the court at one of his games, he knew that she was going to be the love of his life. He was never one to believe in soulmates or love at first sight, but she managed to change his mind. He could see the red string tying their hearts together, the moment that she met his gaze he knew that he needed to have her.

His entire third year at Shiratorizawa was spent pining over her. Asking her to come visit his dorm so they could read manga together, taking her to his favorite bakeries and cafes, inviting her over to help him “practice” when he knew that he did enough of that already. Any excuse that he could find to spend time with her, he never hesitated to make plans.

Tendou couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes when he saw her at his graduation ceremony. He could hear her screaming and cheering for him when he picked up his diploma from the principal’s hands. She was still a second year, yet she didn’t miss a beat when it came to supporting him. She came to see him and Ushijima graduate and get on with their lives. He remembered leaning over to tell Wakatoshi that she had come. The face that Ushijima made was forever engraved in his mind. Ushijima smiled as brightly as he ever had before.

“Where is she sitting?”

After the ceremony, Y/N walked out to meet their best friends with open arms. Ushijima pulled her into a tight hug and thanked them what sounded like a million times for coming. Y/N then excitedly threw herself at Tendou, the bouquet of red tulips that she had bought for him being flung around a little too harshly. She didn’t care, though. 

“I’m so proud of you, Tori.” The waterworks started up and soon enough, Satori was wiping the salty tears that rolled down his cheeks.

He looked down at the bouquet in her hands and gave her a big smile. The dimples that turned his lips upward were on full display and Y/N could feel her heart melting. She outstretched the flowers towards him with slightly shaking hands and a quivering lip.

“These are for you. I picked the prettiest red flowers I could find just for you, I can’t tell you enough how happy I am for you.”

That’s when tears started to roll down Y/N’s cheeks and her quivering lips shifted into a sad pout. She sniffled and wiped away her tears, looking down at her shoes to avoid Satori’s gaze. Tendou felt his heart shatter for her. Yet somehow, just a small part of his mind couldn’t help but be elated at the fact that she cared about him enough to cry over the fact that he was leaving soon.

“Now, now, why is such a pretty lady crying over little ‘ol me?”

Even on the saddest day of his life, he still managed to sound just as energetic as always.

“Don’t you shed another tear over this.”

Tendou curled his index finger and used it to wipe the stray tear that just fell from her eyes. He happily took the flowers from her hands and brought them up to his nose for him to sniff. He let out a happy sigh and set them down safely. He was quick to bring her into his arms for a more intimate hug this time. He was petting her hair and rested his cheek on the top of her head. Despite how sweet those flowers smelled, nothing quite matched the way that she always smelled. He had grown fond of the shampoo and conditioner she used, as well as the lotions and perfumes she’d use. You’d think that it would be a jumble of a bunch of random smells, but it was quite the opposite. She smelled delicious to him, every single scent of her products blended together and created a scent that was absolutely unmatched.

That night, Satori planned on spilling his guts.

He was going to tell her about how he’s felt for the entire school year and that he wanted nothing more than for her to be his. But when finally had a moment to himself, he found himself thinking it was rather selfish of him. How could he tell her that he was in love with her when he was just about to leave for Paris and start his career? To have her just sit here and wait for him until the next time they got to visit each other was something that he couldn’t bear to think of. So instead, he settled for kissing her. He didn’t even get to kiss her for as long as he wanted to, but it's a form of intimacy he’s wanted to share with her for so long. So many times he had to hold himself back and remember that best friends don’t kiss each other, that he had to limit himself no matter how badly he wanted to. He felt her kiss him back and that’s all the reassurance he needed.

“Until next time,” He sighed.

It had been two years since Tendou had left for Paris. Y/N couldn’t help but feel disappointed when he didn’t get to make it to her graduation. But from what she’s heard from Wakatoshi, Tendou’s career had really taken off.

Despite Satori saying that he wanted to get interviewed when they made a documentary about Ushijima’s life during high school, it was actually Ushijima that got interviewed when Satori earned himself a show on TV. ‘Miracle Sweets’ had gotten popular in France and the show was getting broadcasted everywhere. Y/N had the pleasure of watching the debut of the show. 

He shaved his head.

That was the first thing she noticed and it made her giggle. Despite the buzzcut he had, he was still the same old Satori. He measured his chocolate mixtures with feeling, he baked and cooked with love, he sounded the same. 

On one special episode, Y/N noticed that he had subtly mentioned her while he was waiting for the mixture to set. She was doing the dishes while watching the show. The second that he mentioned her, she dropped a glass cup on the floor and didn’t even flinch when it shattered at her feet.

“I’m making this chocolate for a good friend of mine. She always told me how she loved the Ferrero Rocher chocolates and I made it a mission to always get them for her when I could.” He smiled to himself and looked down into the bowl fondly.

“Paradise, if you’re watching this, I hope you think these chocolates look just as delicious as your Ferrero Rocher’s”

Tears welled up in Y/N’s eyes once more. She finally felt like moving and quickly swept up the cup she had dropped onto the floor. In a frenzy, she looked for her phone and dialed Wakatoshi’s number. 

“Do you play in France anytime soon?”

A few months later, Y/N was on a plane to Paris to go and watch one of Ushijima’s games. Despite how much she loved to support Waka at his games, Y/N couldn’t help but wonder if Satori would be close by. Maybe one of his stores was nearby, or maybe he’d come to the game as a surprise to support Wakatoshi.

Y/N sighed anxiously as the plane started to land. What if there was a reason he hadn't contacted her? She didn't have his new number, none of his socials, all she knew about him was whatever she heard on TV or from Wakatoshi.

She just hoped that coming to Paris was a good idea.

The days leading up to Ushijima’s game were filled with lots of “sightseeing” and touring all around Paris. Y/N had actually found the famous bakery that Tendou owned now, but when asking to see him, she was told that he had taken a vacation week and wasn’t going to be back until next week. She felt hopeless. Her brain started to flood with memories and every single one made her question whether or not it was a good idea to even try and find him. He was busy, he was so successful, why would he have time for someone that had a crush on him in high school?

Y/N decided that she would just make the rest of her time in Paris with Waka.

Y/N quickly started to have fun once she was watching Ushijima in his element. She'd been doing this since they started attending his games in high school. Every time he was on the court he was always a force to be reckoned with. It was crazy to know that even as an adult now, he still managed to intimidate and confuse players with his talent the same way he did as a fresh eighteen year old.

The game was so intriguing to watch; nothing new. Y/N felt like she was going to lose her voices in the morning from how much she had screamed and cheered for Wakatoshi. It all felt so nostalgic. Once the Adlers had won the game, adding onto their winning streak of ten games in a row, Y/N made her way down from the stands to the court to meet up with Ushijima. Upon seeing her, Wakatoshi smiled and wiped his face with the towel he was given. He opened his arms for her and brought her in for a small hug

“Did you have any luck finding Tendou?”

Y/N shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “I just figured I’d stop looking. I’ve spent so long looking for him,”

Ushijima let out a dissatisfied hum. “That’s not like you at all,”

Y/N raised an eyebrow and met eyes with the professional volleyball player. “The Y/N that Tendou introduced me to in high school was persistent, and didn’t give up. Why would you give up on searching for him?”

Y/N couldn’t help but agree with Ushijima, but she also thought about how defeated and sad she's been since she landed in France. It was tiring to spend all two years searching for someone and feel like they’re not even bothering to do the same. She’s just tired of looking and feeling like everything was so one-sided.

“I’ve had something to tell him for two years, Waka. I’ve held onto it for two years but I still don’t even know if he’d like what he hears, or if he even wants to hear it. It’s exhausting.”

Ushijima just stayed quiet. After grabbing all of his things, the two of them walked out of the stadium to look for somewhere to eat dinner before heading back to the hotel they had booked. It was freezing outside and Y/N wished that she would have packed warmer things, then again, it was summer time. The nights normally aren’t this cold. 

The sounds of volleyball fans calling out to Ushijima were sitting behind Y/N’s head as they continued to walk to the restaurant. She wondered how Ushijima had grown so accustomed to just ignoring everyone’s screams, Y/N felt like her head was going to explode if she heard one more person ask Ushijima for a picture or for his autograph. Then again, Ushijima was already a tough cookie to break.

“Wakatoshi!” There it was again. 

Y/N wanted to cover her ears like a little kid to drown out all of the noise. Her head was pounding and all of the cameras that were flashing and following them made her want to just go home, pop some Excedrins, and go to bed. 

“Wakatoshi-kun!”

Just keep walking. Y/N kept repeating this in her head as she took each step. She was following directly behind Ushijima, who kept turning around to make sure that Y/N was still behind him every little while. Y/N didn’t hate being Ushijima's friend at all, but she the baggage it came with. She looked like she was just following Ushijima around like a lost puppy. Like some dog that was trying to find its way back home.

“Ushiwaka-kun!”

Ushijima stopped dead in his tracks and it made Y/N crash into his back. Y/N groaned and looked up at Ushijima, only to see that he had vanished already. When Y/N turned around, all of her discouraged and ugly thoughts from while they were walking completely vanished.

“I-Is that?”

Y/N couldn’t believe her eyes, she felt like she was going to cry and throw up at the same time. Her heart was pounding against her chest, she felt like it was going to break through her skin and jump out of her body. Her breathing was erratic and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was so gorgeous. Even with his crazy red hair gone, she still couldn’t help but fawn over him. Her Tendou. Her Satori. He was finally here, right in front of her.

Ushijima was hugging him, laughing at something that she couldn’t hear them talking about. It wasn’t until one of Wakatoshi’s slender fingers pointed into her direction that Tendou’s ruby eyes finally shifted over to look at her. The lump in the back of Y/N's throat was sore. She couldn’t even speak. Everything felt like it was in slow-motion.

Her legs weren’t walking fast enough, her mouth wasn’t moving fast enough, her heartbeat stilled inside of her chest the second that his eyes met her own. Her hearing was gone, she couldn’t focus on one audible thing around her. But thank god she could read lips, because she saw his lips move to speak her name. 

Tendou pushed through the crowd of people to get to her, his still tall and lanky figure towering over her short stature. Her dark doe eyes stared up at him in wonder and her lip was quivering again, just like when he left after graduation. This feeling in his chest was like an old friend. His heart was thumping at the sight of her, his legs felt weak and his knees were ready to buckle.

“Look at you,” Tendou scoffed in disbelief. “Is that really you?”

Y/N nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face.

“It’s me, It’s me!”

Tendou wore a bright smile and nearly tackled her to the ground once she responded to him. His arms engulfed her into a hug and he lifted her off the ground, digging his nose into the crook of her neck. She still smelled exactly the same, the same scent that he absolutely adored. It was flooding his senses and he felt like he was home again. One of his hands gripped the back of her head to hold her impossibly closer to him, while the other was wrapped around her waist. 

“You’re still as beautiful as ever, Paradise. You haven’t changed a bit.”

Y/N smiled through her dampened eyelashes. “You still look just like my Tori, just with no hair!”

The pair of old friends giggled and intertwined themselves together once more in another hug.

Tendou turned to face Wakatoshi now, still holding onto Y/N tightly. “You guys should come to my place! Have you eaten yet? I’d love to cook for you and catch up!”

Ushijima smiled. With an affirmative nod, Tendou was leading the two of them back to his house, Y/N's hand tightly woven with his fingers.

Tendou’s success was very noticeable once you saw his house. Despite the mansion that most people would assume he’d have, it was actually just a very nice, modern two-story house. His front yard’s grass was perfectly trimmed, the car that was in the driveway obviously wasn’t cheap, yet he somehow still managed to keep it on the more humble side.

Third-year Tendou probably would’ve bought a Lamborghini just for the sake of saying he had enough money to buy one, but this Tendou seemed to have matured a great deal. He was living in luxury, but he still managed to keep himself humble with everything his money went to.

Watching Satori in the kitchen was just as riveting as watching Ushijima play volleyball. He was in his element, throwing spices into the pan and using his heart to cook. This was the first time since watching him play in high school that Y/N really noticed how focused he was. Tendou in the kitchen was by no means quiet, however. He was keeping conversation almost effortlessly while he waited for the soup he was making to simmer. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been home to visit in a while,” Tendou sighed. “This business is really taking it out of me, there’s always something to do once I finish one thing.”

After the soup was served, Tendou was pleased to see that Y/N had gone for thirds. Ushijima had gotten so full that he felt ready to head to bed the second he finished his second bowl. Tendou offered to let Y/N stay with him, so Ushijima could have no worries when heading back to his hotel. After Wakatoshi double checked, he left, hugging Tendou tightly and thanking him for dinner.

Once it was Satori and Y/N all alone, that’s when the gravity of how long it had been since they’d seen each other really sank in.

“I never stopped waiting, you know.” Y/N spoke up. Tendou looked at her from across his dining table and sat up taller. “These past two years, I’ve waited for a sign, or for an opportunity that would lead me to you.”

Tendou looked down at his fingers that were tapping on the glass table. “I didn’t stop thinking about you. Not for a second.” He replied.

Y/N let out a small huff and looked up at him. “I tried to find ways to contact you, the only way I managed to get through was by telling Ushijima to text you that I was thinking of you and missed you.”

Satori stayed quiet. “You know, I’ve been holding onto something for so long, and I really need to get it out. I meant to tell you the last night that I saw you before I left, but no time ever felt right.”

Y/N raised a brow and waited for him to explain himself. “That night, when I kissed you.” He began. “I didn’t plan on kissing you. I was actually going to confess. I was going to tell you that I was in love with you and I wanted to be with you.”

Y/N’s heart sank in her chest. She could’ve had him two years ago? She could have avoided all of this had he confessed that night? Had she confessed that night? She was too lost in the ‘what if’s’ to even respond to his story.

“I figured it’d be selfish of me to tell you that I was in love with you and then just get up and leave for Paris the next morning.”

Y/N was speechless. She got up from her chair across from him at the table, and moved to the one that was right next to his seat instead. 

“Tori, you really meant to confess to me?”

He nodded and rubbed his face with his hands. He let out a harsh sigh. “Not confessing to you that night is one of the biggest regrets of my life. I probably would’ve been able to have you here with me while I go through all of this. I wouldn’t have been so alone, and I’d be even happier because the woman that I love would be right by my side.”

Y/N could feel a blush rising up to her cheeks. He wasn’t even speaking in the past tense about his feelings. It was a small detail, but it changed the entire meaning of everything he said. The woman that I love. 

“I meant to tell you my feelings for you on the day of your graduation. Ushi helped me pick out red tulips because they symbolize confession. But when I was at your graduation party, I just got so nervous and choked up and I couldn’t do it. I kinda just silently prayed you’d read into the text a little bit more and research the flowers.”

Satori’s head picked up and his eyes locked with hers. That thumping of his heart came back once more and a smile spread across his face. Y/N couldn’t help but notice how well these two years had done him. He still looked like third-year Satori, but something in the way he spoke now showed more confidence. None of that false arrogance that he had when he spoke to people was there anymore. He seemed comfortable with who he was finally, and Y/N couldn’t help but feel emotional noticing that.

“Well, looks like we were both too scared to say anything, huh?”

She sighed through her nostrils and shook her head. “Guess so,” She let out a soft chuckle and looked back up at Tendou.

His ruby eyes were piercing through hers, she felt so warm under his gaze. The silence between them was so uncomfortable, Y/N never had to sit in silence with Tendou like this ever. After getting what they needed to say off their chests, she wasn’t sure what to do next.

“Do you,” Tendou began. He paused almost as if he was going to regret asking his question. “Still feel the same?

Y/N looked down at her lap again and twiddled with her thumbs for a bit.

This was so hard to admit. How was she going to just tell him that the whole reason she’d been waiting for him throughout these two years is because she thought she still had a chance with him? That she turned down multiple confessions and dates because she felt like she was betraying him.

“It’s been two years,” She spoke hoarsely. “And my feelings haven’t changed one bit.”

The weight of the world came off of Tendou’s shoulders. He sat up straighter in his seat and he couldn’t help the excited smile that spread across his face. The more that he stared at her, the more he could feel his feelings for her rushing back to him. 

Although, they never truly left.

Every time he was making a new chocolate, or experimenting with sweets at his shop, he couldn’t help but think of her and what she would think of his new creations. He’d fantasized about her being in the kitchen with him, begging to lick the spoon that he had mixed his chocolate with. He would giggle to himself when he would imagine her cute little face scrunching up with delight once she realized how delicious his concoctions were. He imagined her face looking the same as when he first introduced her to one of his favorite bakeries and he had her try a chocolate croissant. Her eyes were tightly shut and she was licking melted chocolate off her fingers, humming with delight as she licked her lips.

Tendou cleared his throat to clear the silence between them once more. His eyes lit up with excitement and then he stood up from his chair to head over to the fridge. “Actually, now that you’re here with me, I need you to try something for me.”

Y/N shimmied in her chair a bit. “Ooh! I was actually going to buy something from your shop when I was looking for you earlier today, everything looked so delicious!”

Tendou chuckled and puffed his chest out confidently. He pulled a tray out of his freezer that was covered with plastic wrap and pulled the wrap off. Just by Y/N taking a peak, she immediately saw that it was chocolate. She smiled eagerly and watched him put a couple pieces on a small plate.

“Well, this item is off the menu until further notice,” Satori smirked, placing the plate down in front of her.

“Tell me what you think.”

Y/N picked up the chocolate in between her pointer finger and thumb. Tendou was standing off to the side with his hands behind his back to wait for her thoughts. He looked like the contestants on those competitive cooking shows waiting to hear feedback from the famous chef that’s judging them. But Y/N didn’t have nowhere near as refined taste buds as a famous chef. Tendou could feel his heart pounding in his chest the second that her perfect lips wrapped around his creation.

She curled her hand into a fist and banged it onto the table a couple of times. Tendou chuckled at her reaction and waited for her to swallow to hear her start talking about what she just tasted.

“Tori, this is the most delicious thing I have ever put in my mouth.” She sighed. “I want to buy a hundred dollars worth of this so I can have it when I’m back home!”

Satori’s smile only widened at her praise and his heart felt full. His eyes looked like half-crescent moons when he smiled and Y/N was too busy appreciating her third piece of chocolate that she had popped into her mouth.

I’m so so glad that you like it,” Tendou sighs in relief. “Because I made them just for you. I named them Paradise chocolates. I was waiting for your approval so that way I can put it as a special item on the menu.”

Y/N gasped and looked into Tendou’s eyes. She stood up from her seat and wrapped her arms around Satori excitedly. “Tori, you’re serious? That’s so sweet of you!”

Satori gladly accepted her hug and held her close to him. He forgot how good it felt to have her in his arms. After working his limbs to the bone every single day and coming home so exhausted, he’d kill to have her waiting for him as soon as he walks through the door. More than anything, he wanted to see her standing in the doorway waiting for him, her cute little face adorning that gorgeous smile she has with open arms.

Y/N pulled away from their hug and looked up into his ruby eyes. The two of them had yet another moment of silence fall over them, but this one was different. There was a tension that the both of them were too oblivious to notice. Tendou’s eyes fell from her eyes to her lips, shifting back and forth between the two features of her face a couple of times. They both started to inch closer to each other’s faces slowly, as if they were unsure of what the other would think of their actions. Tendou was finally the one to close the gap between them and smashed his lips onto hers. Y/N visibly relaxed into the kiss and moved her hands from his neck to the back of his buzzed head. The grip Satori had on her waist tightened as he pulled her into his body more.

His heart was pleading to burst right out of his chest, Y/N could feel their two elevated heartbeats beating in sync with one another. She couldn’t help but feel like this kiss was long overdue. She’d had so many things to tell him, so many feelings that she needed to show him, but she was so glad that she could put all of her pent up frustration and how much she missed him into just this one kiss. Satori swiped his tongue over her bottom lip to bring a blush up to the apples of her cheeks. Her lungs were burning but she didn’t want the kiss to end. It wasn’t until Satori gripped her bottom lip in between his teeth and pulled away from her that she finally took in a deep breath.

“When do you leave back home?” Tendou queried, his chest still heaving with uneven breaths.

“Two days.” Y/N responded a bit glum. “This sucks.”

Tendou smirked and gripped her hips tightly in his fingers. He gave them a small squeeze. “Wanna know what wouldn’t suck?”

Y/N stayed silent and raised an eyebrow. 

“Being mine.”

She blushed deeply and looked down at her feet. Satori tried to meet her gaze as she looked down at the floor, trying to find the answer in her expression.

“How about we put that to the test?”

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Survivor Blues

DEAD WOOD: JOEL'S POV

A/N: After far too long, this one is back in action! I have missed writing this story so darn much and it feels great to be back with these characters. This interlude has been living in my wip folder for a damn year, and I am really exciting to finally be sharing it. It takes place immediately following the events of Part Five, and it marks the first time that we get to see things through Joel's eyes in this universe. (It also alludes to some things that I haven't expanded on within this story yet, but that I am so SO excited to.)

Series Masterlist

Word count: 4.4k

Warnings: language, mention of character death, loss, grief, trauma, brief description of injury, Ellie is a snarky teenager, PLOT SPOILERS FOR TLOU, feel free to message me if you have questions (it's actually a lot more hopeful than the title makes it sound)

Summary: Home from the supply run, Joel contemplates how far he's come since arriving in Jackson... and hopes that it will be the same for you. Tommy and Ellie - of course - have thoughts and opinions on things, too.

By the time Joel got home after a quick stop at the clinic, it was past seven, the house - and Ellie’s garage - both standing dark and empty against the beginnings of night. 

She must be out with friends. Good. 

It had taken a few years, but he was finally in a place where her absence didn’t immediately put him on edge. When they first settled into the house on Rancher Street, Joel would insist that Ellie stay at Tommy and Maria’s anytime he was gone overnight. Even the walls and the close knit community couldn’t fully satisfy that need to know that she was safe then. But now a note stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet telling him where she’d gone was more than sufficient. 

Which was exactly what he found when he entered the kitchen. Plucking the piece of paper from the fridge door and leaning against the counter, he read the girl’s hastily scrawled words. 

Joel, 

Not sure when you’re getting back but I might not be here when you do. Staying with some friends tonight and tomorrow. I’ll be home on Tuesday. Movie night - don’t forget!

-Ellie 

He chuckled to himself and shook his head. Like I’d ever forget movie night, kiddo. 

Getting that back - that time with her where they could just be a family, laughing together and watching some movie that was made fifteen years before she was born, that time that both of them desperately craved where they could put down all the things they carried and all the things they’d gone through even if only for 120 minutes at a time - that was a gift he would never take for granted. Her eventual forgiveness and understanding, once he’d finally explained his reasoning for the choices he made, was everything to Joel. And it was still fresh. The two of them were still awkwardly trying to find their way back to the kind of relationship they had before the lie came to light. But it was a chance that Joel never imagined he’d get, and it wasn’t one he would ever squander. 

He raised his hand to stick Ellie’s note back on the refrigerator door for now, but paused before using the same faded orange Longhorns magnet that she had used to secure it. Instead, he dug into his back pocket and pulled out a new one. Turning it over in his palm, Joel glanced down at the yellow letters spelling out Wyoming and remembered the look on your face when he handed you one identical to it that morning. 

It wasn’t really a smile, more like the framework of one, a hint of what it would look like fully fleshed out. It was different from the ones he’d seen you wear while working in the bakery or waving to someone on the street. Those were pleasantries that you were refamiliarizing yourself with. This one touched your eyes, softening them for a few seconds. It made Joel wonder what he unearthed with that small gesture - what part of your former life he’d been able to reach and awaken, at least partially. He didn’t bother with wondering what it meant that he’d taken an identical magnet for himself. 

With a sigh, he used the gas station souvenir to tack up Ellie’s note where he’d found it. Keeping his injured arm down at his side, he reached to open the cupboard next to the fridge and pulled down a glass and the bottle he kept there. He let out a grunt as he twisted the cap off, needing to use both hands to do so and being punished for the miniscule movement with a throb of discomfort through his bicep. Shit, that hurts. 

Though your work had held up just fine all the way back to Jackson, the wound had still garnered a hiss and a wince from the nurse on duty at the clinic. Using a cloth and clear grain alcohol, she’d carefully cleaned between and around the stitches, telling him that he was lucky he had someone with him who knew what they were doing, because the cut was deep and without closing it properly, he would have lost a lot more blood than he did. Slathering the area with an antiseptic cream, she re-wrapped his arm and sent him on his way, recommending that he not get the stitches wet for a good two days. 

Gonna have to stick my arm outta the shower I guess. First thing’s first, though. 

But before he could finish making himself a drink, he was interrupted by the call of his name. “Joel?” Tommy’s voice joined the stomp of his boots as he climbed the porch stairs and let himself through the front door. “Hey, Joel? Where-” 

I shoulda known he’d be over. 

Holly, the nurse at the clinic, was close friends with Maria. There was no way that she didn’t radio over to let Maria know that she’d just taken care of her brother-in-law. And that meant that Tommy knew, too. 

“Kitchen,” Joel answered, cutting his brother’s question short and reaching into the cupboard for a second glass. Setting it on the counter, he opened the freezer and scooped a few ice cubes into his palm before dividing them between the two tumblers. They clinked against the cut glass but fell silent as Joel poured a few fingers of whiskey in each, turning around in time to see Tommy appear in the doorway. “Hey, little brother.”

Tommy’s eyes were alert as he gave Joel the once over, his heightened focus settling on the bandage on his arm. “Shit, you alright? Holly said-” 

“M’fine, Tommy.” He picked up one of the glasses and handed it over, the younger man accepting it with visible relief. “Just a cut. Fell into some broken glass.”

Tommy raised one eyebrow. “You fell, huh?” 

Joel rolled his eyes with a gruff groan. “Couple’a infected caught us by surprise at the eye doctor. Nothin’ we couldn’t handle.” He leaned back against the counter and lifted his glass to his lips, taking a swig.

“Jesus.” Tommy took a drink, too, bending forward to rest his elbows on the island in the center of the kitchen. He set his glass down but kept his fingers around it, forehead furrowing as he spoke your name in the form of a question. “She’s alright, too? Holly didn’t say anything about-” 

Joel shook his head. “She’s fine, Tommy. Didn’t even have to stop at the clinic, so Holly didn’t see her.” He took another small drink, letting the rich amber liquid coat his tongue before swallowing. “She went straight back to her place from the stables.”

“Good.” Tommy nodded and blew out a breath, the last of the worry leaving his expression. “That’s good.” He cleared his throat and swirled the contents of his glass, watching the ice slide around the sides. “And uh… she did alright?” His eyes came back up then. “I mean, dealin’ with the infected and all?”  

Joel recalled the way you snapped immediately into action, shifting seamlessly from defense to attack, muscle memory taking over and guiding your blade exactly where it needed to go without hesitation. 

Alright’s an understatement. 

You’d had a moment of panic in the aftermath, but though Joel was certain that was what Tommy was asking about with the addition of “and all”, he decided not to consider it in his response. Your explanation was solid. No harm had been done, and he didn’t think it warranted mentioning. Nor did the fact that he had only been knocked through the glass display case because he’d glanced in your direction first to make sure you didn’t need help. 

We���re both fine. No point in worryin’ him over nothin’. She’s no more of a liability on a run than I am. She just… she needs time. Like we all did. 

“Yeah,” he answered, brows pinched together as he took another drink. He shrugged his bandaged arm out in front of him. “She even patched me up once we were in the clear.”

Tommy’s eyes widened. “Well, shit.” The tiniest twitch of his mustache gave away a hidden smirk, and he used the hand holding his glass to point at Joel. “You mean you actually let someone take care of you?” 

Joel rolled his eyes again. “Shut it, Tommy.” 

That got a laugh out of him, the younger man setting his glass on the island to lift both hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m just messin’ with you, big brother.” He smiled, a smaller chuckle slipping through it as his hands dropped to the counter. “Really, though.” He nodded. “I’m glad you’re both okay.” 

“Yeah.” Your near-smile flashed in Joel’s memory again as his eyes shifted to the magnet on the refrigerator. “Me too.” The kitchen fell silent for a handful of seconds, both men finishing their drinks before Joel spoke again. “Hey, do… do you remember that time you gave me a hand takin’ down the old oak tree in the yard?” 

Tommy blinked, clearly surprised by the question, but didn’t ask why Joel had brought it up. Instead, he tilted his head, brow furrowed as he sorted through his memories. The moment he dug the right one from its hiding spot, his expression changed. The creases in his forehead smoothed out and gave way to curved lines around his mouth as he broke into a smile. 

“Yeah.” He let out a huff of laughter, hanging his head and letting it shake from side to side before lifting it again. When he did he was still smiling, though there was a bittersweet shadow behind it. I know. You miss her too. “I remember us catchin’ hell for it.” 

We sure did. Joel tipped the bottle to fill both glasses with a half measure, then screwed the cap back on and put the bottle back in the cabinet it came from. 

The tree in question had been Sarah’s favorite. A swing hung from one of its branches, and Joel had tacked scraps of wood into the trunk that she used as footholds to scamper up so she could sit in the Y-shaped split in the center. And though she was only seven at the time, she had put up quite a fight when it came to taking it down. Joel could still picture the determined scowl on her face as she sat against the trunk. She had her scrawny arms crossed over her chest as she informed her father and her uncle that she wouldn’t let them kill her tree. What she didn’t know was that the tree was diseased, and that if left alone, not only would it become a safety hazard, but it ran the risk of infecting other nearby trees. 

He matched Tommy’s smile. “That girl all but tied herself to that damn trunk.” Joel always had the suspicion that if she had the time and an accomplice to help her with the knots, she would have. “She could be persistent, huh?” 

Tommy hummed. “Wonder where she got that from. What is it they say about apples again?” He laughed, but then curiosity got the better of him. “What…” He coughed to clear his throat. “What made you think’a that?” 

I’m gettin’ to it. “You remember how I had to prove to her that the tree was sick? Took my pocket knife and scratched the bark so she could see it was already dyin’ underneath?” She had gasped when the scratch test revealed a grayish, ashy underlayer, her eyes going wide and her bottom lip quivering, tears threatening to spill as her outrage instantly turned to fear for the other trees in the yard. “I had to scrape ‘em all, show her the rest of ‘em were still green and alive, even though they all looked the same on the outside.”

Tommy’s eyes narrowed and he swallowed. “Yeah… Where you goin’ with this, Joel?” 

“I been thinkin’ about how it’s like that for people, too. It was like that for me. It was like that for me for a long time, Tommy.” Tilting the glass in his hand, he watched the amber liquid collect in the corner of it, shining gold through the cut crystal where the overhead light struck. “Scratch test came up gray for years. Thought I’d never really feel anything again… Thought I was done.” 

Straightening the glass, he let its contents slosh back to cover the bottom before bringing it to his lips and taking a sip. Honey and malt slid over his tongue, a subtle layer of smoke and spice following as he swallowed. Back in Boston, drinking wasn’t something he did for enjoyment or relaxation. It wasn’t for savoring or even tasting, really. Then he drank to forget. To sleep. To turn it all off. Here in Jackson though, he could share a drink with his brother and remember. 

Remember what life tasted and looked and felt like. Remember his daughter. Remember who he was beneath all the dead wood around his heart.  

“Yeah.” Tommy’s eyes were on his own glass, a frown pulling at his mouth and etching creases between his eyebrows again. “I know.” He cleared his throat and took a long swig, finishing his drink with a wince that cracked into a fool’s gold grin - one that Joel knew was covering feelings of guilt and empathy and other things Tommy still felt compelled to atone for even though Joel had tried his best to lay those things to rest in the years since their reunion. We were no good to each other like that, little brother. We would have just broken each other. I don’t blame you for leavin’. Not anymore. Tommy reached over, grin still stretched across his face but growing more genuine as he clapped Joel on the shoulder of his good arm. “But you ain’t done, you old fucker. Not yet.” 

That was thanks almost entirely to Ellie and they both knew it. The girl was determined, borderline relentless, same as Sarah had been with the tree. She had been the one to keep scratching, keep digging, keep checking for the hint of green under all that twisted, lifeless gray. And when she found it, all the things that he thought had disappeared started coming out of their dormancy.

Things like jokes and laughter. Memories. The capacity to care deeply for others again. Things like movie nights. The things that made surviving the worst worthwhile. 

It was also thanks in part to Jackson - and to Tommy and Maria for welcoming him and Ellie into their lives. Some days it terrified him, allowing himself to have so much to lose again. There were still times he worried that he had peeled back too many of those hardened layers. That he’d let his guard down too much, exposed his heart to happiness for too long and that it would all be lost to blight. But even on those days he knew what Tommy had just said to be true - that he wasn’t done yet. 

And neither is she. 

Joel spoke your name then, nodding solemnly. “I think it’s been like that for her for a long time, too.” 

Tommy sighed. “Yeah.” He finished his drink and walked over to set the empty glass in the sink. “I got that impression, too.” Turning around, he tilted his head to one side. “You said she was alright on the trip though. Somethin’ happen?” 

Joel took a breath in through his nose, letting it back out slowly. “Just…” He tapped his pointer finger absently against the glass he still held. “I think I saw that  in her. The green underneath. I think… bein’ here is… it’s helpin’ her.” Even if she’s got a long way to go. “It’s… she’s still in there.”  

You were. And Joel realized, for the first time since meeting Tess all those years ago in Boston, that he wanted to know that person - the person who showed him the hint of a genuine smile, the person who carefully and gently patched him up, the person who shared a coveted instant coffee packet with him to pass the time and stay warm on a chilly night. And that scares the hell outta me.  

“Well that’s-” Tommy’s smile had nothing but warmth behind it that time. “That’s real good to hear.” He stepped away from the counter and towards the kitchen door then, bringing his hands together. “Well, I’ll get outta here so you can get yourself cleaned up and all. Just had to make sure you were good after we heard from Holly.” 

Joel nodded, following him out into the living room. “Yeah. How’d you put it? Thanks for still givin’ a shit about me?” He heard his brother snort out a laugh before turning around to face him again. 

“Yeah, exactly.” He paused then, the joking smile falling away to reveal something more serious yet still full of relief and warmth. When he spoke again his words were quiet, but they made a big impact. “It’s real good to hear you talk about Sarah again, too.” 

With that, he left, and Joel was left to respond to the empty room. “Yeah. It is.” 

–  –  – 

Twenty minutes later he was drying off from the shower when he heard the sound of the back door opening, followed by the call of his name. 

“Joel? You home?” Ellie’s voice was muffled by the closed door and the towel that he was dragging over his hair. 

Ellie? Thought she was stayin’ out tonight? 

He called back. “Yeah. Gimme five minutes, I’ll be right down.”  

Moving from the bathroom into his bedroom, Joel pulled clean clothes and underwear from his dresser - a pair of thick navy blue sweatpants along with a dark gray t- shirt and a pair of wool socks. Easing the shirt carefully over his wrapped bicep, he sighed, knowing that as soon as Ellie saw it she would react. She hated seeing him injured, as anyone would hate to see someone they cared about get hurt. But Joel knew that in her case, it was more than that. In her case, it reminded her of those dark days in Colorado, when she did all she could to keep him alive and still wasn’t sure he would make it through the night. 

It won’t always be like that, though. ‘Least I hope not. For her sake. 

The  thought of covering it up with a loose fitting flannel or long sleeved shirt didn’t even occur to him, though. After coming clean about everything that happened in Salt Lake City with the Fireflies and the doctor they were working with, Joel made a solemn vow to himself that he’d never withhold the truth from her again. Even when it might hurt. Especially when it might hurt. Because he knew that nothing he’d done in that hospital had hurt her more than the lie he told her on the outskirts of Jackson. 

And I’ll never do that to her again. 

As he made his way down the stairs, he heard her moving around in the kitchen, the sound of plates being set on the counter meeting his ears. “I’m making sandwiches,” she yelled when the fourth step from the bottom creaked under his weight. “You want one?” 

“Sure, kiddo.”  What happened to stayin’ with your friends? Everything alright?” He wasn’t trying to distract her by keeping her talking before she saw his arm, but Joel wanted her to hear it in his voice that he was okay. 

She groaned. “Kat and Dina are having some kind of stupid drama and I didn’t wanna get sucked into it so I decided to come home. You know, they’re both important to me but sometimes they can just - Fuck! Joel! What the?” 

He’d walked into the kitchen at the same time that she looked up from the slices of bread that she was piling with leftover chicken, the sight of him making her stop what she was doing and scramble around the island to stand in front of him. 

“Hey, hey, it’s…” He held up both hands, only wincing a little at the pull of his stitches when he lifted his arm. “I’m fine, Ellie. Just a cut.” 

“Well …” Her eyes were wide but she tore  them from the bandage to look up at him. “Well, what happened? I thought it was supposed to be an easy run?” 

“It was. But you know as well as I do that easy runs can turn, yeah?” He reached forward, placing his hand on her shoulder and tilting his head to the side. “Hey. I’m okay, kiddo.” Giving her a light squeeze, he waited for her to nod and accept what he was saying, and then he shot a glance at the half-finished sandwiches. “C’mon, I’m starvin’. Let’s eat and I’ll fill you in.” 

Just like he did the night that he and Tommy brought you into town, Joel sat down and told her everything that happened at the optometrist’s office - how the pair of infected had seemingly come from nowhere and were suddenly on the two of you, how the one that lunged at him managed to knock him backwards and through a glass case, how you had made sure that the wound was cleaned and tended to as best as you could. And though she had been concerned and rattled at the beginning of his story, Ellie was wearing something close to a smirk as he finished. 

“Oh.” She bit off a mouthful of her sandwich, raising her eyebrows as she chewed and speaking again before she swallowed. “So you like… really trust this chick, huh?” 

Joel clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Her too? First Tommy and now- “That’s your comment? Not ‘Well I’m glad you had someone there to help you, Joel’?” 

Ellie rolled her eyes right back. “Yeah, yeah that too. But I mean…” She gave a casual, one-shouldered shrug. “First you let her take care of you, then you decide to both sleep at the same time instead of taking shifts?” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. “You never do that unless it’s me or Tommy.” Something dawned on her then, and she turned mid-chew toward the sink, gesturing towards it with the hand that still held what was left of her sandwich. “Wait. Is that why there’s two glasses in there? Did she come over when you got back to town?” 

“What? No. Ellie…” He sighed, and shook his head. “No. There’s two glasses in the sink because Tommy was here earlier, not-” 

“Well you should invite her over for dinner then. As a thank you-” She emphasized her intention to silence his protest. “- for sewing you up, you know?” 

Joel took a bite of his food, chewing it slowly to buy himself more time before answering. The idea of having you in his home, sharing a meal, talking and laughing - he’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t like it. But I don’t know if she… 

He thought back to his own first few months in Jackson and how skittish he was every time someone would try to include him in anything that wasn’t directly related to security or survival. It all still seemed so impractical. Cookouts and movie nights and holidays while the world outside the walls continued to crumble? And then there was the guilt. That grating, shredding near-constant feeling that he shouldn’t be there - shouldn’t be safe, shouldn’t be happy or comfortable or even alive - not when Tess didn’t get to be there too. Not when Sarah never had a chance to. You hadn’t said much about the things you’d been through or the people you’d lost, other than that you’d recently lost your nephew. But Joel knew from experience that while those devastating wounds never fully healed, they did become less raw when they were given some time.   

I’d like it. But I don’t know if she’s ready for somethin’ like that. He swallowed and brought a hand up to wipe his mouth. Yet. 

“Maybe when the weather’s nicer an’ we can cook outside.” He got up from the table and took his plate with him, setting it in the sink next to the two glasses. 

The scrape of chair legs on the floor told him that Ellie had gotten up, too, the girl appearing at his elbow to stack her plate atop his. “What does the weather have to do with-” He shot her a look then and she rolled her eyes. “Alright, fine. But we’re circling back to this in June.” 

Joel leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Speakin’ of circling back, you said somethin’ about your friends fightin’? You wanna talk about that?” He lifted one eyebrow as she shot him a look of her own. 

“I do not.” 

Joel snorted a laugh. “Alright, then. Just try not to go breakin’ too many hearts, yeah? You don’t-” 

Without missing a beat, Ellie grabbed the dish towel that was hanging on the oven handle, balling it up and throwing it at his face. “Shut up.” She was laughing too, though, bending down to pick up the towel after Joel had batted it away. “So stupid.” Straightening back up with an exaggerated sigh, she whipped the towel onto the countertop. “On that note, I’m gonna get outta here.” She glanced at his arm, mouth dipping into a quick frown that was gone by the time she looked back up at his face. “I’m glad you’re home, Joel. Have a good night.” 

He smiled, chest warming as he did. “G’night, kiddo. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

With that she turned and was nearly out the door when something caught her eye and she stopped in front of the refrigerator. “Hey, you got a new magnet.” She pointed at the note she’d left him, now stuck up with the square-ish shape of Wyoming. “I used the cowhead one but this one’s-” She looked over her shoulder, a smirk beginning to grow. “You brought home a souvenir from your trip, huh? So you could remember it? Any reason for that?” 

Joel narrowed his eyes at her, but all it did was pull a laugh out of her. “Good night, Ellie.”  She laughed all the way down the back porch steps but Joel didn’t mind. She ain’t wrong.

Thank you for reading! If you would like to be added to or removed from the tags for this or any of my stories, please feel free to let me know! You can also fill out the form on my masterlist!

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[dinums]

Secrets and Broken Hearts

-----------------------------

Chapter 2

Thomas Shelby x (Writer) Reader

Ms. Bennett goes around to look for information. Shall she finally quench her undying curiosity before it eats her alive?

A few days passed, and she spent her time working with William at the shop. They stole kisses and glances from each other even before the shop opened. After a bit, she left with the excuse of having running an errand. When William proposed to walk with her and help, she refused, insisting that she could handle herself when, in truth, she wanted to find new 'inspiration,' so she called. She needed information on what to write next.

With a smile, she walked around town. Everyone knew her as a nice young lady, humbly working at her William's, sometimes even catching he going for drinks here and there. No one could find her doing anything wrong, she had befriended families and neighbours alike, sometimes people wonder how a girl like her could live in a town so sinful as this.

Hearing murmurs around town, the gears in her head began to turn. Making a detour, she walked inside a bar called the Garrison, somewhere she would frequent. She went inside, men and women seeing her yet not paying any attention, she was always here after all. Sitting down in a corner no one would bother her, it was the the early mornings, though it would be preferable to go here at night where men were drunk, their lips as loose as the stitches she would make back at the shop, but she didn't want to risk it, she knew the risk of staying late, especially in a place full of drunkards.

She was good friends with the owner, staying quiet when he saw her at his pub. He made his way to give her a gin before quietly going behind the bar as she thanked him.

"This should be it..." She said, pretending to be busy with writing something on her diary. A few minutes passed by, and all she heard were useless or mundane conversations. Nothing that heed her attention. Sometimes familiar faces would greet her, but nothing more. Smirking internally when one of her acquaintance told her the coppers found a criminal that hid in Small Heath, hiding in a house near the heart of the very town, he even posed as a Baker in one of the market shops. Turns out that man killed his aunt, went to start a new life while his aunt decayed at the house she lived in back in London, the family jeweles being the one reason she was even identified.

"Oh really? That really is something... wait, the bakery down the street?" She said, 'worry' plastered on her face, she was happy that man got arrested, though now she had to act as if she didn't know any of this, unbestknown to the tranquil she faces underneath, the person she was talking just gave a nod. They talked for a few moments before she was left alone once again, nursing the gin on her hand.

When she was about to leave the door of the pub opened, looking at the person from the corner of her eyes, she found out it was no other than Thomas Shelby himself. Holding her breath, she silently watched him take off his peaked cap as he made his way to the bar, throwing the said cap on the bar as Harry approached with a bottle of whiskey.

"On the house Mr. Shelby." Harry said, uncorking the bottle before placing it in front of Thomas with a glass. Thomas gave no reaction. Still, he placed two coins down for Harry.

Deciding to stay, she continued to busy herself. She then saw Thomas and Freddy look at one another before Freddy made his way towards Thomas. This is it. Maybe they know something, she thought.

After Freddy got his drink, he took it and drank. "Cheers, Thomas, good health to you." Getting no reaction, he took the peaked cap on the bar to examine it.

"The crown of a prince. Soon to be king, I'd bet."

"You don't bet."

Finding this conversation fruitless, she bit her lip, nails digging and scratching her thigh above her skirt, a habit she'd come around with since she was a child whenever she was getting restless or anxious The two men kept talking, and finally, after a bit, she heard something useful come out of Freddy's mouth. She rested her head on the palm of her hand whilst re-reading the same lines on her diary to look like she wasn't listening.

"One of my Union comrades has a sister, works in the telegraph office at the NSA factory."

He went on to continue, saying how over the past weeks they'd have messages coming up from London to the brass from Winston Churchill himself. Her breath hitched when she heard, Freddie made his way closer to Thomas, and her voice lowered, but still, she heard him as clear as day.

"Something about a robbery. A robbery of national significance."

She kept her face neutral, letting the information sink in. But Freddie kept talking, saying that his and Thomas' name was on the list. After those words, she didn't listen any longer. Muting everything to formulate a plan to begin her new investigation, risky as it is, her pamphlets earned enough to have her save money for her own future endeavors, no doubt the coppers themselves paid her through the printing shops that would publish her work, thankful that both the coppers and the men at the shop didn't bother knowing her name, that much was enough to keep her going.

Her thoughts were once again interrupted when the door slammed open, a man going hysterical. It was Danny, the woman jumped out of her chair quickly as Danny began to turn and toss everything he could get his hands on. She looked more worried than frightened, those men that fought in war, those lucky enough to come back home, they were no longer in France but different fight brews in their mind. The trauma they have to live with must be difficult. She moved to the side as Thomas And Freddie put him down, when they deemed him back to his own self again, they stood up as Thomas reassured him, saying for him to go home to his wife. When Danny was gone, the woman began helping around to fix the tables. That was the least he could do for her friend Harry.

"Mr. Shelby, you have to do something about him."

Harry said as he pointed at the door with his hand, Thomas and Freddy walked back, Freddy agreeing with Harry. The woman watched them, wondering how Freddy could go around taunting Thomas. He sure does have some confidence in him. Continuing with her thoughts, she frowned when Freddie kept talking.

"Maybe you should put a bullet in Danny Whiz-Bangs head like they do with mad horses... maybe you ought to put a bullet in my head someday, too..."

Having had enough of this already, the woman went to leave. She turned to bid her goodbye to Harry, who quietly thanked her for trying to help. Her eyes locked onto Thomas and then Freddy, she looked uneasy in their eyes, both men thought that she wasn't used to these kinds of things happening close to her. It is ironic as the town itself reeks of such impurities. The men in front of her are one of the many reasons. Oh, how wrong they were. She gave them a nod of acknowledgement before leaving with her diary. Once she reached her flat, she slumped on the chair in the kitchen, grabbing a drink as she thought to herself.

One thing was on her mind. She needed to know about this robbery.

"Surely if it's of national treasure someone competent would go looking for it..."

She picked up her pen, and maybe getting her head stuck in this problem was not ideal? But with the mind of a woman like her, how can curiosity be quenched if something like this is laid on before her? Maybe for her sake, she won't publish the information, write about something else for the moment, still she wanted - no needed to find out.

"Should I start with Mr. Shelby, then..."

[heliads]

heyyy! i saw your requests are open and i was wondering if you could write a katniss x platonic!reader fic, specifically fem!reader if you’re comfortable with that, if not that’s ok! one where reader was the victor of the 73rd game at 15 from district 4, so she’s the same age as katniss, and she volunteers for the quarter quell. katniss and the reader become friends in the arena and when they get to district 13, she and katniss become closer when coping with the capture of loved ones in the capitol (reader has a younger sister there). just in general, the two share small stories about their lives and loved ones, maybe the reader braids katniss’ hair because she did it with her sister (katniss needs more female friends). i’m sorry if this is long, i have a lot of ideas, thank you and i hope you have a lovely day!

your request has been bullet pointed as my exams are starting xoxo

masterlist

You really had thought that winning the seventy-third Hunger Games would make your life easier

In theory, it was supposed to– you would live in Victor’s Village, your name would never again be entered into the Reaping–

But then both of those guarantees were swiftly taken away during the third Quarter Quell, and suddenly nothing was safe anymore, least of all you

You’d have allies when you went back into the Arena, at least

As a District Four Victor, you could absolutely count on Finnick, especially after you volunteered to save Annie from this awful fate

And, as it turns out, you can rely on Katniss Everdeen

The two of you bonded during training, and being flung into the Arena only strengthened your relationship

Katniss is a naturally quiet girl, but you’ve come to value peace after your second round of Hunger Games

She’s a good friend, which is a startling positive in the world of death matches and Capitol manipulation

After you’re both recovered to District Thirteen, the two of you rely on each other more and more

Katniss misses Peeta, and you’re still trying to patch Finnick together while he’s missing Annie

The two of you train together a lot to pass the time, but your favorite way to speed up the hours is your quiet time together

Slowly, you let your guards down enough to relate small stories about your childhoods in the districts

Katniss tells you about Prim, and keeping her safe; the spray of green leaves above her as she walked through the forest; the precise warmth of the Mellark bakery whenever she passed it on the street

You talk about the salt breezes of Four; the burn of rope against your hands, diving into cool water on a brisk morning and learning how to warm yourself again through the exertion of swimming

You braid her hair and joke that you’ll have to be a suitable replacement for the scores of Capitol beauticians that used to be after you like hunting dogs

Katniss laughs (a strange, rough sound, you get the feeling she’s not used to it) and tells you that she’d take you over the clinical treatment of the stylists any day

Wars are long and cold, and when you’re not bored of hiding, you’re in fear of dying

In between the exhaustion and paranoia, sickness and danger, you’ll have a true friend in Katniss

That, more than anything, tells you what victory is like, and makes you want to fight for it even more

hunger games tag list: @w1shes43, @ilovexavierthrope

all tags list: @wordsarelife

[hellowhisperingstars]

Epilogue: The Good Girl

Summary: Things get back to normal but Eddie has a few surprises for you.

Pairing: Rockstar/Bar Owner!Eddie Munson x Baker!Reader

Words: 4.7K

Warnings: 18+, Y/N used, dom/sub dymanics, light bondage, cussing, fluff. Let me know if I missed anything!

A/N: This is it! The last chapter of Sugar Cloud. Thank you all for taking the time to read this story and showing it love! I appreciate each and every one of you! I am also thinking of doing some time stamps for these two. Please let me know if you are interested!

See you in the next story!

Likes, comments and reblogs are always greatly appreciated! <3

Previous - Masterlist 

Months have passed since that day at the courthouse. All the money your Nana gave you went into savings for a rainy day, while the money your father and the Malloy’s had to pay you went to keeping up the bakery. Tiffany and Ada had been begging you for new ovens and you really wanted to get rid of the old storage coolers to bring in two new bigger ones to hold more orders. So you made it happen. Even the display cases and the cafe tables in the front got a makeover along with new shelves to hold the fresh baked bread that you were going to start selling. It was refreshing to see your shop look all sparkly and new. 

You smiled at Marty and Emma as you placed the last basket of freshly baked rolls onto one of the shelves and waved to one of your regulars when you turned to start pulling a call in order from the display cases. Yeah, life had definitely gone back to normal and you were loving it. Though there was a small part of you that was waiting for something to happen, over all the drama of your sham wedding you completely forgot that your Nana was the deed holder to the building that Sugar Cloud was in. With her gone, who owned it? Did your dad have it? Would he find a way to sell it out from under you as payback for embarrassing him the way you did? He didn’t need to be within 100 feet of you to do that. Shaking your head you tossed the idea away. Now wasn’t the time to think about it. This was your new start and you were going to live in the moment with your Rockstar. As soon as he got back from another trip to New York. 

Turns out he and the rest of the band had put their album on hold to deal with the mess your father had created and now that it had been taken care of you had urged him to get back to it. Eddie had tried his best to convince you to join him on the trip not wanting a repeat of what happened last time but you really wanted to spend time at the bakery to get back in the swing of things. The night before he left he finally relented and made you promise to call him every day when you got up and every night before you went to bed. You couldn’t wait to see him again and hear their new music when it was done. 

Eddie pulled his car into the back parking lot of the bakery and took a moment to look at the building with a grin, his heart pounding with excitement knowing you are just behind those doors. It had been weeks since he last saw you and he was more than ready to have you back in his arms. This trip had gone significantly better and you sounded just as excited to talk to him with every phone call which made him breathe easier as time went by. No more scheming dads and fake fiances to make your life hell while he was away.

Grabbing the demo CD of the new album from the passenger seat he pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped from his car taking the cigarette from his lips and dropping it to the ground so he could smash it under his boot. Making his way through the lot he blew the smoke into the air as he quickly grabbed the door handle and pulled it open so he could enter into the kitchen. Taking a moment to let his eyes adjust he greeted Ada and Tiffany when they looked over at him. 

“Welcome back!” Ada smiled from her spot by the sink, a pan and sponge in her hand.

“How’d it go?” Tiffany asked as she pulled a tin from the oven the smell of warm bread filling the air mixing with the sweet scent of cakes. “Did you finish it?”

Waving the CD in the air Eddie smiled at the girls. “Got the demo right here. Probably got a few tweaks to make, songs to cut, that kinda thing but I wanted some more opinions before we make changes. Where’s my girl?”

“Can’t wait to hear it!” Ada said, putting the pan in the drying rack. “She’s up front.”

“Thanks,” He grinned and started towards the door that would lead him to you. Eddie smiled as  he ducked into the front of the store and leaned against the door frame as he watched you move around behind the counters, your apron around your waist as you pulled items from the fridge displays to pack orders to give to the customers in front of you. Back in your element. Moving up to you he grabbed your waist and leaned down to kiss the side of your head before he spoke into your ear. “Miss me?”

Jumping at the sudden touch you turned your head quickly and let out a sound of excitement when you saw who it was and almost dropped the box in your hands. Putting it on the counter you turned and jumped into his arms. “You’re back!”

Laughing, Eddie pulled you as close as he could, burying his nose in your hair. “Hi baby. Fuck, I missed you.” 

“Missed you so much.” You mumbled into his neck as he swayed you a little before pulling you back to give you a proper kiss. The feel of his plush lips on yours made you sigh in contentment. Moving back you looked into his eyes. “Did you finish it?”

“Got it right here.” He smiled showing you the CD. “Wanted you to be the first one to hear it.”

Smiling, you looked at the plain white disc excitement bubbling up in you with the need to hear what the band had done, when a small cough got your attention. Turning around you stared wide eyed at the customer who just chuckled at you, they didn’t seem annoyed thankfully and you quickly dropped your arms from around Eddie, moving back to do your job. “I’m so sorry about that. My boyfriend just came back into town and I couldn't help myself.”

Your customer waved your worry away with a smile. “It’s no problem, I’m almost done then I’ll get out of your hair.”

Eddie grinned at you before kissing the back of your head, “I‘m gonna grab some coffee, is that okay?”

“Of course baby.” You smiled as you went back to packing an eclair into the lavender box that was once again in your hand. Eddie turned, placing the CD on the counter for later, and started to fiddle with the coffee machine behind you when a few different young muffled voices called from outside.

“Holy shit!” 

“Is that Eddie Munson?!”

“No way! What's he doing here?!”

“He’s from Hawkins you idiot! The whole band is!”

Everyone looked to see a group of three young teens standing on the sidewalk outside looking through the glass of your shop window. They were staring wide eyed at Eddie who waved at them with a shit eating grin before he turned and finished his coffee. 

“You have fans, babe.” You chuckle smiling over your shoulder at him, giving him a wink before you hand the now full box to the customer in front of you after they paid, apologizing again for the interruption. Turning to look at the window you waved the three teens into the shop, a little laugh leaving you as they stumbled inside, holding the door open for the customer to exit. The kids who looked like little rockers themselves, with their long hair and black Corroded Coffin band shirts, they were completely starstruck by your boyfriend. It made you giggle. Looking over at Eddie, you bumped his hip with yours when he came to lean against the counter next to you. 

Grinning, Eddie took a sip of his coffee before he greeted the boys. “Heya fellas.” 

“You’re Eddie Munson.” One of the boys stated his eyes still wide as he stared at Eddie. “Lead singer and guitarist for Corroded Coffin.”

“That’s me!” He laughed, placing his coffee down on the counter behind you. “You guys want an autograph?”

“Hell yeah!”

“That would be awesome!”

You watched, giggling as the boys freaked out practically rushing the counter as you handed Eddie some blank receipt paper and a marker from the register before he gestured them to the new cafe tables to get out of your way. Turning back to the boy you smiled at them, “You boys want a treat? It’s on the house.”

The three boys were incredibly polite and thankful for the free sweets and they sat at the table with Eddie for a while, after they got his autographs, just talking. He was so nice to them, answering questions and getting excited when they told him they also had started a band. You think it’s because they reminded him of himself and the rest of the band when they were around that age. It was sweet and made you smile. That’s something you love the most about metalheads, sure they look scary and unapproachable, but deep down they are the nicest dorks you could ever meet. 

At one point you moved around the counter to hand Eddie a fresh cup of coffee since his original one had been forgotten when the boys came in. He introduced you to the kids as his girl as he pulled you onto his lap by your waist, telling them that you own the place, and they complimented the treats they had. 

You sat there for a few minutes chatting before a new customer came in and you excused yourself to take care of them since both Marty and Emma were on their lunch break. Greeting the soccer mom you started on her order as the four metalheads chatted for a little longer. 

“Thank you babe.” You smiled as you looked up at him. “I think you deserve a reward.”

Later that night it was just you and Eddie in the bakery, everyone having gone home to their families earlier in the evening, it was as you were standing at the kitchen island prepping some ingredients for tomorrow's haul of freshly baked goods that you suddenly got a craving for cinnamon bread. Fuck that sounded so good right now. Moving around the kitchen quickly you got your supplies and started on your bread.

While you were doing that Eddie had just finished sweeping up the crumbs on the shop floor, wiping down the café tables, and double checking that the front door was locked with the closed sign turned to let everyone know to come back tomorrow. Putting the broom back into its designated spot he wandered back into the kitchen to see you wrist deep in the bread dough as you had just dropped it from the bowl onto the floured countertop. “Front’s all clean and locked up, pretty girl.”

“Oh?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned on the counter by the door. “And what would that be? A cookie? A cupcake? Oh or maybe one of those blondies I love so much?”

“I was thinking more like a kiss…” You smirked at him, beckoning him over with a nod of your head before you gave an over-exaggerated sigh and dropped your shoulders as you continued to knead the dough. “Buuuuut if you want a cookie, I guuuuess yo-”

“No. Nonononono,” Pushing off the counter he waved his hands in the air as if he could toss the idea of not wanting a kiss away from him and rushed over silencing you with a kiss, his hands cupping your cheeks, his nose brushing against yours. “Kisses are good. Kisses are great.”

Laughing, you lean back your hands still in the bread dough and give him one final peck before you turn around to knead the dough again for a few minutes. 

“Whatcha making baby?” Eddie asked as he moved behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, his chin landing on your shoulder.

“Cinnamon bread. Thought it would be good breakfast bread for tomorrow. Cinnamon bread french toast is the best.” You exclaim, looking over your shoulder at him. 

“That sounds good.” He smiled, kissing the side of your head still watching you knead the dough until you rolled it into a good sized ball.

Grabbing the clean bowl you greased it up with a little bit of oil before you plopped the dough ball inside, placed a towel over the top, and moved it to a warm spot in the kitchen to let it rise. “Now we leave that for an hour.”

Leaning back against the counter again, Eddie watched while you collected the mixing bowl, measuring cup, and spoons from the counter turning to place them in the sink to clean. Grabbing the sponge you move back to the island to wipe the countertop down, before you turn back to the sink to wash your hands a look of worry on your face as you start to think of losing the bakery again. Glancing around the kitchen you frowned a little, you loved it here, you lived here, you didn’t want to lose it. Where would you go if you had to leave? Scrunching your brows together you dropped the sponge back into the sink resting your hands on it as you thought. 

“I know that look,” Eddie said, sidling up to you. Bumping his arm into yours he bent down a little to look at you. “That’s your ‘I’m worried’ face. What’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“It’s stupid,” You said, shaking your head as you turned the sink on to wash the dishes you made. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“No, tell me.” Eddie mumbled giving you that look that made your thighs clench, that ‘you’re going to be in trouble if you don’t tell me’ look, one of his brows going up to hide under his bangs. “Come on, out with it.”

Sighing, you shut the water off again, dropping the sponge into the sink. “I was worrying about the future of the bakery.”

Moving so he could face you better, his brows scrunched together. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Waving your wet hand in the air you looked over at him. “I just realized earlier that I don’t know what happened to the deed to the building after Nana passed and I’m scared that as like a last fuck you dad is going to sell it out from under me. I don’t want to lose this place, it’s my home, it’s my livelihood, I have worked too hard to let him fuck me over anymore.”

“Well that's an easy fix babe. He can’t,” Eddie smirked, smiling down at you. After all that had happened he had totally forgotten to tell you about the deal he had with your Grandma. “I own the building.”

That stopped you in your tracks and you looked up at him in surprise. “What?”

Nodding, he picked at a string on your shirt. “When your grandma was in the hospital she called the bar and asked me to come see her. So we met up, chatted a little, and we made a deal that she would sell me the building to keep it out of your fathers hands as long as I continue to let you live and work here. I said yes, I wanted to protect you anyway I could, so I bought the building from her. Your dad can't touch it.”

You floundered for a moment as you tried to think of something to say but all you could get out was a breathy. “Holy shit.”

Laughing a little Eddie tugged on your shirt pulling you closer to him not caring that your hands were still wet from washing your dishes when you grabbed the front of his button down shirt. “Not mad at me are you? For doing that behind your back.”

Shaking your head you placed your forehead against his chest, a little smile on your face as you started to chuckle a bit. “No. No, I’m not mad at you. I'm really happy actually. But it looks like you’re my landlord now and I will be paying you rent for this you know. In full and on time.”

“The only payment I expect is you.” Eddie laughed, his hand cupping the back of your head tangling his fingers in your hair to pull your head back a little so he had access to your neck, his words breathy against your skin. “Preferably in the form of your ass in my bed, tied up, and struggling.”

You let out a gasped moan as Eddie latched his lips onto your neck sucking a hickey into your skin. His teeth give you a little nip as he pulls back to look at you. You blinked up at him, your breathing a little heavy now and you squirmed a little in his hold, your thighs rubbing together at the thought of you bound and waiting for him to take you. Taking in a slow breath you smiled at him. “How about I pay you with rent and my ass. That way I don’t feel like a freeloader in your building and you still get to be mean to me.”

“Sweetheart,” He said, his voice dropping down into this dom tone that he liked to use when he was being serious with you. “As your boyfriend and your dom I want to help you. So let me deal with the payments for the building. You just focus on the bakery. I have more than enough money to take care of this place, just tell me when somethings wrong and I’ll handle it.”

“Eddie,” You started to say something else but he placed his fingers over your lips to silence you before he dragged his fingertips down your chin to lift your head up with his knuckles. 

“Let me take care of you.” He said looking into your eyes before he leaned down to kiss you one more time and against your lips he mumbled. “And if you fight me about this anymore I will drag you upstairs and tan your hide with my belt. You understand me?”

Swallowing the saliva that collected on your tongue you nodded your head, even more excited now. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl,” Eddie smiles as she gives your ass a firm slap that makes you gasp again. Looking over towards the bowl with the ball of dough he smiled. “How much longer for your bread to rise?”

Glancing over at it, you looked at the clock, and shrugged your shoulders a little as you started to finish up the dishes you still had in the sink. “Maybe another thirty minutes? Then I have to roll it out, fill it with cinnamon sugar, make it into loafs, and then let it rise for another hour to an hour and a half.”

“Then since we have time…” Eddie said as he wandered back into the front to grab the demo CD from the counter behind the register where he had left it and turned back into the kitchen holding it up in the air so you could see it. “I would love your opinion on this.”

“Oh! Yes! Put it in, put it in!” You nodded enthusiastically pointing towards the stereo that sat in the cabinet by the backdoor. 

Laughing, the metalhead moved around the island and fiddled with the stereo until he was able to pull out the mixed CD you had created and pushed the demo in and pressed play. The first few seconds were quiet until you heard the strings of a guitar being plucked at a fast pace, then the drums, and the rest of the band started and the very first song on the new album bumped through the speakers. Nodding your head to the beat, you smiled over at Eddie when his voice came out over the speakers. 

By the time you had the two cinnamon sugared loaves of bread into their designated pans and set aside to rise again you were halfway through the album. Washing your hands again you turned wiping your hands on your apron to look at Eddie who had one arm crossed over his chest while the other was held up to his lips, his thumbnail between his teeth, he looked nervous about your reaction to the song. It was about two lovers who were separated but were able to come back together. When the song was ending you heard your voice start to fade in as the guitar riff faded out. It was a simple little sound bite of you saying ‘I fucking I love you, you dork’ and then you laughing. You remembered that conversation from the first week he was gone. He had called you one night and it seems he had recorded a part of it. 

“I wrote that for you.” He said looking at you. “Gonna call it ‘Souls Intertwined’ or something like that. Titles are still being worked on.”

Walking over to Eddie you put your hands on his chest, a smile on your face as he put his hands around your waist. “You wrote that about us? And you used my voice?!”

“I did!” He nodded as he laughed. Pulling you flush against him he looked into your eyes. “Did you like it?”

“I loved it!” You nodded your head. “I love it. I love you.”

“I love you too.” He smiled, placing his forehead against yours, his eyes squinting a little as he tried to recall something. “How long did you say for the bread to rise this round?”

“About an hour, hour and a half.” You said looking over at the bread and then back to him.

The smile that grew on his face was one of trouble as he started to kiss your face, first your forehead, then your nose, your cheeks, and then your chin. “Good, good. Then we have more than enough time. So why don’t you get your cute butt upstairs, get undressed, and into first position, I’ll be right behind you.”

Nodding your head you bite your bottom lip sensually, taking a few steps back towards the stairs to your apartment and right when he had turned around to turn off the stereo in the cabinet you took the chance and smacked him straight on the ass, a laugh leaving you when he turned around to stare at you in surprise.

“Really?” He said turning and slowly making his way towards you, one foot in front of the other. His hands come up as if to grab you. “You are in so much trouble right now little girl.”

“Me?” You whisper at him, your hands going up to your chest and you make your eyes impossibly wide as you feign innocence as you start to back up some more. The game was on and quickly you turned around running towards the stairs and then up them. The sound of his feet chasing you through the kitchen and up the stairs making you laugh hysterically as you swung your apartment door open running to stand behind your dining room table by your bedroom door.

“Oh sweetheart,” Eddie said as he ran into the room after you, coming to a stop on the other side of the table, his hands landing on the top so he could lean towards you with that look in his eye that you loved so much. “You’re only making this harder on yourself. You know that right?” 

“Mhm,” You nodded with a smug smile, watching him carefully as you both moved around the table first one way then the other making sure something was between you at all times. It was a cat and mouse game and you were completely content with being the mouse. At one point you even ripped your apron off and threw it at him to distract him but he just batted it out of the air like it was nothing. 

This only lasted about three turns before he faked you out and when you went right to dodge his movement on the opposite side he quickly stepped left grabbing you around your waist and hoisting you onto his shoulder giving your ass a firm punishing smack. “Gotcha. You are in for it now.”

Laughing you struggle in his grip, your hands on his back as you try to push yourself up. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“No you’re not.” He snarked, kicking your bedroom door open. Eddie moved to your bed and dropped you down on it so he could straddled your waist, making sure to keep his weight off of you, and grabbed your wrists pulling him above your head. “Now are you going to take your punishment or are you going to be a little brat that I have to tie up?”

You shrug a little with a smirk on your face. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“I see,” He nodded, letting your arms go so he could pull your shirt over your head leaving you in just your bra and jeans. The pick on your collar sitting in the hollow of your throat. Leaning back he looked down his nose at you and pointed at you with one finger and gave you a serious look, “Do not move from this spot.”

Nodding, you bite your lower lip a little as you look up at him. “Yes, Sir.”

Smirking, he got off the bed and moved to the duffle that he had grabbed from his car earlier in the day, unzipping it slowly to mess with you. He took his time moving a few things around mostly for dramatic effect, cause he knew exactly what he was looking for. His fingers grazed across the red rope that sat waiting in his bag. “Now, I was going to tell you that because you've been so good lately I was planning on graduating you from cuffs but since you were being such a bad girl I don't know if you deserve it.”

That piqued your interest quite a bit and you fought the urge to sit up on your elbows. Quickly you say, “No please, I'll be good. I promise. I’ll be good.” 

“Mhm. You gotta prove it to me.” Eddie hummed as he grabbed the rope from the duffle and stood up, unbundling it in a showy way so you could see the end of it fall to the floor with a little thud. He smirked when your eyes widened and you took in a deep breath of excitement, your thighs clenching together again. He could watch you squirm like this all day. “Come here sweet girl.” 

Quickly you got off the bed and moved towards him. Your eyes were stuck on the rope. 

“Eyes on me.” He muttered and when you looked up at him he smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You smiled up at him. You really did love this man.

Holding one finger up in the air he twirled it around in a circle. “Turn around babe. Arms behind your back.” 

Slowly you turned, putting your arms behind you, and you hummed when you felt the first brush of the rope against your skin. It was softer than you expected. Closing your eyes you let out a little sigh of contentment as he expertly tied your wrists. Soon you felt him push a finger between your skin and the rope making sure it wasn't going to hurt you. 

“Too tight?”

“No, Sir.” You said, shaking your head. It was just right. 

You closed your eyes as he wrapped his arms around you, one hand splayed out against your stomach while the other wandered up to cup your chin pushing it up so it was leaning against his chest. 

“Safeword?” He whispered into your ear. 

“Red.” You breathed out 

“Do you trust me?” He asked as he started kissing your neck, leaving little nips as he went. 

“With my life.” 

“Good girl.”

Tag List:

@eddiesprincess86 @haylaansmi @micheledawn1975 @chloe-6123 @wendyfawcett

[shallyne]

The Diary of Feyre Archeron Ch 6

CHAPTER 6!!!! EXCITING! This is now the time jump. Reminder: new names because new identities. Enjoy! Whole fic is on AO3

Words: 1.5k

TW: nightmares, mentions of death, mentions of guns

8 years later

November 20th

Dear Diary,

I am back! It's been a long time and a lot has happened but at the same time, not that much. There have been some rocky moments the past years but altogether life was pretty damn normal. Mara, Daisy and I all went to community college. Mara graduated with a degree in journalism and is now working at the Velaris Times while Daisy decided to work at a bakery that just opened in town after graduating with a psychology degree. I, myself, have started a zoology degree but I dropped out in the first year because it just wasn't possible time and money wise. Mara had just started working at the Velaris Times and Elain was in the midst of college so I decided to work instead of studying. Financially it was pretty tight during that time but we managed. We would manage again now that Mara and Daisy are working, I could go back to college but I am not sure if I should go back to zoology. It’s been amazing and incredibly interesting but it just wasn’t for me. There’s still the possibility of art school but I haven’t drawn anything since that day. I can’t paint anymore but the prospect of it is still lingering, hovering over me like the ghost of my old self. I’ll have to think about it but for now I am okay with my perfectly mid job.

Although our jobs haven’t been the only things in our lives that changed, Mara has met two girls who are now her friends, Emerie and Gwyn, with whom she now has a book club and Daisy met twins who she hangs out with all the time, doing her favorite things like gardening and baking. Their names are Nuala and Cerridwen and they work for some rich guy who just moved here.

I also made a friend, his name is Lucien. We met through my boyfriend, Tamlin. Lucien and I couldn’t really stand each other at first, he was such an asshole. Well, he still is but I grew to like it about him.

Tamlin and I met under different circumstances, he hit me with his car. It was just an accident because he was looking on his phone and when he helped me hobble out of the hospital, because he broke my foot, he asked me on a date and I agreed. He’s a perfectly nice gentleman. Of course he has his flaws but don’t we all? Rhysand didn’t. Especially my old friend who lied to me throughout our whole friendship.

Oh! I also tried to get Eras Tour tickets but they were quite expensive, unfortunately. Maybe someone will sell theirs or I’ll get some for a future tour.

Alright, time for dinner.

Later!

November 21st

N Mara brought a vacancy flyer home today for me. It’s for some fancy Lounge in downtown Velaris who’s looking for a waitress. I am absolutely underqualified for this position but she says I should try anyway because it pays well. We wrote an application together that sounded a little more professional than my previous ones, it is necessary if I want to work there.

Getting the job would help us tremendously, we could get a new couch AND afford the good toilet paper, wouldn’t that just be amazing? I can’t let myself daydream too far because chances are high I won’t get the job. Daisy said she’s sure I’ll get the job if they meet me but I’d need a job interview first so that is a big IF.I am trying to hope for the best but expect the worst.

We will drop the application off tomorrow and get a look at the Lounge. Pray that I won't freeze to death, it's COLD.

November 22nd

I haven't had nightmares for two years. I had a nightmare again. I just woke up, I have to write it down.

I was back at home and mom just died, we just got the news. Everyone was in shock, no one moved. It was so quiet.

The doorbell rang, I went to the door just like I did when they got dad. I opened it, I opened the door.

I shouldn't have opened the door.

But I did.

They stormed in, they held us at gunpoint.

I just told Rhys that he's dead to me

I wish he was here

Because I'm going to die. I was going to die, I knew it.

But he was there, I don't know how. I don't know how he did it but he was there suddenly. He would protect me, always. I knew that, I always knew that. I've just been angry. I know it wasn't his fault. He just wanted to protect me. I wished I could tell him, right then. But they killed him, right in front of my eyes. Because he wanted to protect me. He died because of me. It was my fault.

I tried to move, to protect my sisters. I needed to protect them, it was my fault that Rhys was dead. I have to protect them from the same fate but it's too late. I can still hear the gunshots ringing in my ears. One. Two. Elain, dead. Three. Four. Nesta, dead. I want to scream, I want to rush forward but I can't. I can't.

Then I was looking down the barrel of a gun.

Then I woke up.

I can barely breathe.

November 23rd

I was on a lunch date with Tamlin today, it was fine until a waiter spilled some water on the table and he went through the roof. It was only a little bit of spilled water, it hadn't even spilled on his clothes. It took me forever to calm him down. I hope the waitress is alright, I left her a bigger tip.

When we sat in the car and Tamlin finally calmed down he apologized. Then, which is very exciting, Nesta called me because a letter from the Lounge I applied to arrived just then and I told her to open it and tell me. The seconds she took to open the envelope and read felt like an eternity BUT they invited me to a job interview!!! Isn't that just so exciting? Never in a million years I would have thought they would even think about inviting me but they did! For TOMORROW. The reply and the job interview both went so fast, I can't wrap my mind around it. Tamlin seemed semi-interested in the news but I'm sure he will think differently tomorrow, he had somewhat of a bad day today.

I went home and instantly threw my good pants in the washer, they are drying now. I'm as excited as I am nervous, this job could change quite a lot for us.

I should really go to sleep, I don't want to seem tired during my interview.

I'm thanking the stars that they listened and answered!! Maybe fate DOES exist! (Okay, Feyre, calm down. You don't even have the job yet.)

November 24th

I've got the job.

Tamlin said I shouldn't take it and move in with him, that he could take care of me and my sisters. Nesta said she would rather stab out her eyes.

Although Tamlin and his proposal isn't what's worrying me right now, it's how I got the job.

Why I got the job.

Let's start from this morning.

I woke up at six AM because I've been so nervous. I prepared questions that could be asked and the answers, took a shower, ate breakfast, cleaned my room, put on some makeup and then got dressed and made my way downtown. My whole thoughts were about this interview, because it's important, for me, for Mara, for Daisy.

I was half an hour too early so I went and got a coffee. Unfortunately my nerves didn't let me sit still for more than two minutes so I walked up and down the street until it was finally time.

There was a nice lady, I don't remember her name, who led me to an office in the back because my interview was with the boss himself. The whole Lounge was so luxurious, even though I was wearing my best outfit it felt incredibly cheap in comparison but it was so tasteful, I kind of felt comfortable?

Then the lady knocked on the door and left, leaving me alone as I entered the office.

I knew instantly, right as I stepped into the office. It's been 8 years, we became adults, we grew up, but I knew before he looked up from his paperwork. I knew that a pair of almost-violet eyes would stare at me, a pair that was scribbled all over my old notebooks.

He did look at me, his eyes almost the same, but they seemed more dark and haunted now. But when he recognized me, he lit up.

But I was stuck there because-

What the fuck is Rhysand doing in Velaris????

Excerpt from a chat between Rhysand and Morrigan

Rhysand: I'm sending a car over, you need to come ASAP

Morrigan: What??? What happened?

Rhysand: I can't tell you over text, get in the car and come over here

Morrigan: Jeez, this better be good

Morrigan: I'm delaying my nail appointment for you

Feysand Taglist:

@captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @starfall-spirit @rhysiedarling @corcracrow @sydney-fae25 @tothestarsandwhateverend @aayo-whatt @dreamlandreader