#slow friendship and hot chocolate

[1980shorrorfilm]

sour times

click here. resources for palestine, congo, sudan, and other countries.

btw to the requests in my inbox; i see u. i hear u. 🙏

pairing…jackson!abby x gn!reader x ellie

in which…you confront your not-so-great relationship with abby after she had stolen your best friend from you.

before you read…angst *sigh.* brief sexual content (for the plot!! no smut) you’re kinda mean here but i forgive you. 🫶

“do you like her?” “i don’t…i don’t know…i think so.”

her perfect blonde braid taunts you. you believe this is what hell is, following the lead of abigail anderson while the biting wind howls around you, snowflakes hitting your tender skin. 

the landscape is a winter wonderland, but you can’t seem to enjoy it in this state. perhaps if you were in the comfort of your bedroom, hot chocolate in your hand, and ellie williams by your side, you’d be in heaven. but that’s not even achievable these days. her time is spent with abby, the two in the woman’s garage, doing whatever when you’re not around, and you never are. 

it’s torturous to be the third. you had ellie first, your first real friend in the small town. you weren’t hers, cat had that blessing. but regardless, it appeared no one could even crack the bond you two had. and then she came along.

strolling into jackson like a puppy with eyes that resembled a stormy sea, her long hair adorned in a neat fishtail braid. she was sweet, but not in the naive way. she stood her ground when challenged, she showed her strength when needed, and she proved just how valuable she was to your community.

she also had a face you could admire for days, like some goddess one would worship many lifetimes ago. tan freckles scatter across her nose like lilies in a field, compared to ellie’s that are like stars in a busy midnight sky. they make their way down to her chest, sprinkled on her shoulders, and dancing over her biceps— her fucking biceps. god. abby was just fucking perfect. it aggravates you.

maybe that’s why ellie took a liking to her so rapidly. you get it— you hate it. and last night, you couldn’t help but ask your friend about their relationship, asking the auburn-haired woman if it was a crush. such a silly word, you had thought as it left your mouth. ellie even laughed quietly at it, avoiding an answer. then, you had asked again, ‘do you like her?’ 

and ellie had answered after hesitation, ‘i think so.’

i think so. jealousy coursed through your veins at the simple and uncertain answer; but you cannot pinpoint why, exactly. you never thought you liked ellie in that way. there was no doubt she was attractive, ellie happens to own that word, but your friendship was simply that. 

a friendship. no delving into romantic territory besides some lingering touches and a bit too deep all-nighters. there was nothing that made you yearn for her, when you already had her in such proximity to you, at your very fingertips. abby did a good job fucking that up, though. 

so you sat there, like a void was sucking you up at her answer. the idea of them…being a thing…sent chills down your spine. a nightmare possibly becoming a reality, if the feelings are mutual. and that scares you even more, abby finding herself enamored by ellie. somehow spending even more time with her than she already does. spending nights and mornings in her bed. it was all wrong. 

something that has yet to happen, already terrorizing you. it just can’t happen.

abby slows down her horse to walk beside you rather than in front of you, “you’re quiet…something wrong?”

you meet her eyes, legitimate concern within them. you were never the most talkative with her, but abby isn’t stupid and the tension in the air is almost as painful as the harsh weather you’re enduring. she wonders if she’s the cause of it. 

did she forget to wish you a good morning at the stables, something she did every single patrol? give you the wrong impression when she stared at you, utterly captivated by you? make you feel weak when she pulled an infected off of you, hands wandering your body making sure you were okay?

you answer her bluntly, “no.”

she tries again, “you can tell me if i did something…”

“you didn’t,” you insist, and surprisingly, it’s only a half lie. it’s the conversation with ellie that’s hanging over you like a dark cloud, and abby happens to be the focal point of it. 

abby seems to accept your response, for now, and tears her eyes off you. the wind has managed to pick up, and the horses are growing slower as they trudge through the snow. 

“that house up there,” abby motions with her head, a red house amongst the beige ones that surround it, “let’s hold up there.”

a stubborn part of you wants to tell her that she can wait there, and you will continue home. but you’re not a moron, and you don’t exactly feel like dying today, as much as ellie tempted you with the morbid idea. you’re freezing and crave shelter, even if that means being stuck another hour or so with abby. 

you follow abby to the home, waiting on your horse as she hops off hers, lifting the garage door for you to enter. when you do, there’s immediate relief in your body, abby behind you whispering sweet words to her horse, stroking the golden fur as she does so. it’s, unfortunately, cute. you keep your smile to yourself, patting your own horse when you get off her, then reaching for your gun before entering the home. 

“wait.” you pause and look back at abby, who walks in front of you, taking the lead yet again. an innocent yet condescending action that irks you deeply, watching the woman quietly slip past the wooden door, scanning the area for any sort of threat. 

you’re not as quiet when you follow behind her, stepping on some wrapper that crackles beneath your shoe, abby eyeing you like you spit on her. you brush it off, “i’ll check upstairs.”

“i’ll go with you.” “jesus— i don’t want you to.”

your sharp tongue takes her back, but there’s no anger in her eyes, it’s that same concern from moments ago. it makes you feel bad, but instead of apologizing, you leave her there, going upstairs like you said you would.

the old stairs creak with each quick step that you take, you forget the purpose of you coming up here. you just wanted to get away from her. that’s the reason why you’re immediately against a wall, snarling in your ear from a rotten corpse trying to bite it off. 

you resist, holding it at an arm's length away with one hand, the other reaching in your pocket for your pocket knife. your hands are cold and shaky, dropping it the moment you pull it out, when the splatter of blood meets your face. the thing is dead, falling before you, eyes meeting hers.

“a-are you—” “i’m fine,” you say coldly, bumping your shoulder with hers when you take a step forward and continue on. abby is really fucking confused, remaining frozen in the hall, staring at the dead infected at her feet. her eyes trail to your pocket knife, then back to you. 

you push open bedroom doors as you pass them, hardly searching them for any more infected. you assume if they wanted to, they’d attack you right then and there, and maybe if you’re lucky, a blonde knight in shining armor will save you. she had an annoying habit of doing so. 

“hey,” abby jogs toward you, trapping you in a doorway, “dropped this.”

the metal glimmers in her hands, and you’re quick to take your beauty of a weapon from her. oddly, you’re protective of the inanimate object, a thoughtful gift from ellie herself. the handle is a dulled shade of your favorite color, and the blade is a bit rusted, but that doesn’t bother you. “thanks,” you mumble, waiting for her to move. she doesn’t.

“wanna tell me why you’re acting like this?” “like what?”

“like that.” “what’s that?”

abby blinks at you, and you remain unfazed. you can tell her calm demeanor is deteriorating before you, patience running thin. “what did i do to you?” she asks, “since i showed up in jackson…it’s like you hate me.”

ouch. the words sting you more than her, and you cannot blame her for believing in such a thing. what have you done to show her otherwise?

held back smiles when she made kind remarks, generous gestures, and stupid jokes? left her out of conversations, not daring to spare eye contact when it was you, her, and ellie, sitting together? made weak small talk that made her feel like nothing but an acquaintance in town, when she just wanted more? 

you sigh, “i don’t…hate you.”

“you make that really hard to believe,” abby replies, crossing her arms. this close, you examine how the tip of her nose and cheeks are a hue of red from the bitter weather. it almost matches her lips…her lips. you’re watching her lips. you catch yourself, and whatever this is, pushing her away. you swallow the dusty air, fast steps taking you right back downstairs. 

of course, abby is on your trail. “you know we’re stuck here, right?” 

like a flip had been switched, you’re once again snappy with her, “no shit.”

“you confuse me, you know that?”

you pretend to ignore her words, focusing on the fireplace in the living room. there are enough logs to last as you wait out the blizzard, so you tug your backpack off and drop it on the distressed coffee table. you search for your matches, that are always in the first pocket in your bag, but they’re not there. 

you’re trying to remember when you took them out, or if they fucking ran away on their own. it doesn’t matter— abby is already ahead of you, and an orange glow suddenly illuminated the dim room. you turn your head, seeing the obnoxious sly grin on her face. “you’re welcome.”

you don’t thank her. you sit on the worn-out floral sofa a few feet away, eyes boring into the flames that are quick to warm you. “do you want a blanket?” abby offers, which you shake your head at. “you hungry?” again, you respond a ‘no,’ with your head. 

the problem with abby is that she’s genuine. she cares about you even if you have not shown the same worry toward her. and maybe that speaks for you more than abby. 

you don’t notice her reaching in her bag, pulling out some crumpled up gauze, until she sits beside you and reaches for your face. you move away when you feel her touch, furrowing your brows at her. “wanna be stubborn and keep that blood on your pretty face?”

your cool cheeks heat up, hardened appearance softening just slightly, then allowing her to wipe the nasty fluid off. she’s soft as she does so, taking her time, and the opportunity to adore your features at such close proximity. you’d probably give her a scowl if you realized so.

“is it her?”

“what?” “ellie. did she piss you off?”

abby is too observant for your own good. there’s only one…two people in jackson that can invoke such strong emotions from you, even if you hide them poorly. “no…”

“you kinda suck at this lying thing,” abby calls you out, large hand on your cheek, turning it so she can clean up any remaining blood on the other side of your face. “if she did, i could kick her ass.”

the somewhat joke leaves you with a puzzled expression. and then you laugh. “yeah, okay,” your tone is nothing but sarcastic, “like you’d ever take my side over hers.”

“what do you mean?” 

you bite your lip, tearing your eyes off her and into the burning wood. it’s not a loaded question, but it’s a loaded answer. to explain to her that ellie is her priority, as abby is hers, and you’re just there. someone that was kicked to the curb, left for envy to grow on you like poison ivy. 

you keep it short, “you guys are close.”

“well, yeah, we’re friends.” for now, you think, a humorless chuckle quietly escaping your lips. abby catches it, opens her mouth, and immediately shuts it. she finally lets go of your face, tossing the crimson coated gauze on the floor, her pupils still trained on you. the loss of her touch almost bothers you. then she speaks again.

“do you…do you think i like her or something? because we aren’t…anything.”

seconds pass in silence as you debate the question dancing on your tongue, curious if it’s overstepping but more intrigued about the answer. even if it will hurt to hear, you simply need to know. “do you want to be?”

“no, of course not.”

guilt ruins through your veins at the relief that settles in your body, knowing poor ellie would frown at the unrequited feelings. but there’s something else that gives you hope…why the fuck do you have hope? you gulp, “okay.”

“do you like her?” “what?!” “is that what this is about?”

“no— no it’s not, it’s not that.” “then what is it?”

you, honestly, cannot give her a proper response. this isn’t about some stupid nonexistent crush on your friend, yet that would make the most sense for whatever these feelings of resentment are. 

you’re quiet as you try to think of something, and it doesn’t help that her blue-grey eyes are zoning into you, as if she’s trying to peel the complicated layers off of you. she’s trying to understand, she really is, and it painfully makes your heart swell. you truly do get ellie. 

your façade of disinterest is chipping away like the paint on these very walls, her gaze on you making you want to break— to give in —and the moment your eyes fall to her pink lips, you do exactly that. 

you close the space between you two, nearly crawling on the couch and in her lap when you gently grab the sides of her face, kissing her before you even realize that you’re kissing her. it was an urge you couldn’t simply couldn’t resist. and abby welcomes it.

she moves in sync, pushing her lips against yours deeper, surprised when you pull away. the moment hits you at once; you and abby. abby and you. it has your eyes widened and lips parted, searching for something to say. sorry? no…that doesn’t feel right. you’re not sorry. and abby doesn’t want you to apologize, she needs you to keep going.

as if you both read the others mind, you lean into each other, connecting your lips once more.

you think of ellie, what she had told you with such vulnerability, and then you think of abby. abby, who had a intense desire to taste you, and was making that evidently clear. the aftermath of whatever this is, will be dealt with when that time comes.

you swallow the guilt when your tongue mixes with hers, abby tugging you on top of her, gripping your shirt like her life depends on it. her eagerness sends shivers down your spine, more intense than the horrid weather outside ever could to you. 

it feels too good to stop, she feels too good. abby is unbuttoning her jacket, while you’re tugging yours off, the kiss suddenly messy as you’re both failing to multitask. you giggle against her lips when you both manage to do so, her callous hand cradling the back of your neck to draw you closer. if that were possible.

you deepen the kiss, your hands slipping beneath the knit long sleeve shirt she wears. you explore the abs you’ve only ever seen through tight shirts that had you in a daze, not that you would’ve ever admit that to her, though. she attempts to say your name against your lips, her voice weak and breathy.

you pull away and tilt her chin up with your fingers, trailing your lips down her jaw, to the side of her neck. the world outside vanishes as abby loses herself in the sensation of your lips on her neck, sweet kisses that shift to gentle bites.

it’s the tender spots that you suck, that earn hushed whimpers from her. and you make sure to do it over, over, and over again. like a damn vampire, sinking your teeth into her, and marking your territory, when she’s not even yours.

and then you stop, noticing the room was dark. the fire had gone out. “we should— uh,” you climb off of her, the woman catching the breath she seemed to hold still the entire time. 

“yeah…” she agrees, chest rising, licking her lips. 

the wind has calmed down by now, a tolerable ride home that’s extremely quiet, besides the occasional gust of wind. except it’s not awkward the way it was hours prior. you’re exchanging short glances at the other, small smiles when your eyes would meet. 

you make it back to jackson safely, both of you dropping off the horses at the stables, making small talk as you walk home. you’re not talking about what just happened inside that red house, both of you are too shy to bring it up, to ask if that meant anything to the other. 

it truthfully drifts from your mind as abby is explaining a childhood story, until your eyes fall on her. ellie, heading in your direction, toward you two. 

it’s when she gets closer, that her pupils fall to abby’s neck; the pale skin decorated with purple marks, caused by you. she had been so worried about you two, and now, she feels dumb. and hurt.

especially when you just give her a tight-lipped smile, knowing exactly what you have done. and more importantly, that you wanted her to see it.

[jude-duarte-wannabe]

Hi hi!! This is a large order if you are up for it!

- Carrot cake, apple tart, & a chocolate chip cookie

- Coconut milk, and a (light/tipsy) Irish coffee

Could you get either Carlos or Alex (F1) to serve it please!

we can't be friends

order up!

hi lovely <3 thanks for the request, i do love a good friends to lovers story, your chosen prompts will be bolded.

pairing; carlos sainz jr x female reader

blurb; one too many drinks down the hatch and you decide to shoot your shot with your best friend who you've wanted for far too long.

warnings; dirty talking, drunk sex, choking, google translated spanish, soft sex turned rough, spitting, drunk makeout session, doggy style, hair pulling and creampie. [let me know if i missed anything!]

irish coffee; drunk sex coconut milk; friends to lovers carrot cake; "dirty girl" chocolate chip cookie; "did you just call me pretty boy" apple tart; "what do you mean you want me to choke you"

word count; 4.4k

currently playing; just friends by why don't we "i got tunnel vision, think it's time that i confessed, if i could just get my arms around you, baby, don't you say that we're just friends, when you know we could be lovers instead wanna give you a night you'll never forget"

“i never knew i could want you like this” carlos’s breath was hot against your neck as he nipped at the sensitive skin behind your ear.

you'd know carlos practically your whole life having grown up together since your families were super close, you'd watched eachother go through relationship after relationship each one a bigger disappointment than the last.

somewhere along the way you'd seen a different side of carlos when your date canceled and so you asked carlos to dinner instead, you saw him in a new light that night.

ever since there you'd had a thing for him, you'd craved his touch and yearned for him in a way that no one should ever yearn for their best friend.

you could feel your heart racing as carlos's lips trailed down your neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake, you tangled your fingers in his dark curls, pulling him closer.

"carlos," you breathed, barely able to any form coherent thoughts amongst the fog swirling in your brain. "we shouldn't..."

he pulled back slightly, his brown eyes searching yours. "do you want me to stop?"

you knew you should say yes after all this could ruin everything - your friendship, your families' relationship, but looking into his eyes, feeling the heat of his body pressed against yours, you couldn't bring yourself to push him away.

"no," you whispered. "don't stop."

a slow smile spread across his face as he leaned in, capturing your lips in a searing kiss, all those years of pent-up longing and desire poured out as you kissed him back with equal fervor.

his hands roamed your body, gripped at your waist, pulling you closer by the second “do you really want to do this here” you giggled.

"maybe not" carlos murmured, his lips trailing down to your collarbone. "but i don't think i can wait much longer."

you shivered at his touch, your fingers tangling in his dark curls, the storage closet of the upbeat club you'd started your night in was cramped and dimly lit, the scent of cleaning supplies mingling with carlos's addictive cologne.

you knew that anyone including another driver or one of their girlfriends could walk in at any moment, but the thrill of possibly being caught in such a compromising position only heightened your desire.

"we shouldn't," you whispered halfheartedly, even as your body arched against his, desperate for his touch.

carlos's hand slid under your shirt, his fingertips tracing patterns on your bare skin. "tell me to stop," he challenged, his voice husky.

instead of responding, to him you captured his lips in a searing kiss, all thoughts of propriety flew from your mind as carlos pressed you against the shelves, his body hot and hard against yours.

“i don’t ever want you to stop but surely we can take this somewhere more private” you asked, holding up the key card to your hotel room “my hotel’s not far.. lets get out of this fucking club”

carlos's eyes darkened with desire as he saw the key card. "lead the way," he growled, reluctantly stepping back to let you open the door.

you peered out into the hallway, making sure the coast was clear before slipping out of the closet. carlos followed close behind, his hand resting possessively on the small of your back as you weaved through the crowded club.

the pulsing music and flashing lights seemed to fade into the background, your senses hyper-focused on carlos's touch and the electricity crackling between you.

as soon as you stepped outside, carlos hailed a taxi with impressive speed. the cool night air did little to temper the heat building between you.

in the backseat, carlos pulled you close so that you were practically straddling him, his lips finding yours in a heated kiss that left you breathless.

"how much farther?" he murmured against your neck.

"no clue, lets just enjoy this chico bonito"

carlos chuckled softly, his breath warm against your skin, his hands roamed down your back, pulling you even closer.

"did you just call me pretty boy" he asked in an amused tone, pulling your hips tighter against his own.

"why... do you like it" you asked, breath hot against his ear, fingers tugging at his hair ends.

"mmh, i like the sound of it" he purred, nipping gently at your earlobe, the taxi hit a bump, jostling you both.

you giggled, steadying yourself with hands on his broad shoulders, outside the window, streetlights blurred past in the darkness, the taxi driver seemed oblivious to your passionate embrace in the backseat.

carlos's fingers tangled in your hair as he guided your lips back to his, your kiss deepening, tongues dancing, as heat built between your bodies, you shifted your hips, grinding on carlo's lap which elicited a low groan from him.

"dios mío," he breathed. "you're driving me crazy, mi amor."

you smiled wickedly, trailing kisses along his jaw. "you should call me that more often" you suggested, hands beginning to trail down his chest, pulling him even closer by the fabric of his shirt.

carlos chuckled, his breath hot against your ear. "mi amor," he whispered, voice husky with desire. "mi vida, mi corazón." his hands roamed your back, fingers tracing patterns that sent shivers zapping up ans down your spine.

you nipped at his earlobe, reveling in the way his body tensed beneath you. "keep talking," you murmured and he obliged, a stream of spanish endearments falling from his lips as your fingers snuck beneath the fabric of his button down, seeking out his warm skin.

"easy..." carlos hissed, gripping your wrist in between his fingers "let's not undress in front of the taxi driver now" he chuckled, the sound of it almost made you moan.

you reluctantly withdrew your hands, fingers grazing along his skin with a featherlight touch, but you couldn't however resist pressing a heated kisses to skin of his neck.

carlos groaned softly, his fingers gripping waist, the taxi lurched to a stop and the driver banged on the partition window, carlos reached for his wallet, lifting his hips which caused his crotch to press against your core as he retrieved it from his back pocket.

he practically threw some bills at the driver before pulling you out of the taxi and onto the sidewalk, the cool night air did little to calm the fire burning beneath your skin or the deep rooted desire you felt for your best friend.

you managed to remain composed making your way through the lobby and into the elevator, where carlos nipped and nibbled at the skin of neck.

carlos tugged you close, his lips finding yours in a desperate kiss as you fumbled with the hotel key card, you pushed him against the door, drinking in his gasps and sighs like they were a drug that you needed to survive.

"dios mío," he breathed as the lock finally clicked open, the two of you tumbled inside, hands roaming and clothes flying, landing in different corners of the room to be forgotten, carlos lifted you easily, your legs wrapping around his waist as he carried you to the bed

he laid you down, dark eyes roving over your form and with a burning desire simmering beneath his skin, his hand skimmed up your body, roaming over your soft form with featherlight touches.

your breath hitched as his fingers danced across your skin, leaving trails of fire in their wake, carlos leaned down, his lips brushing against your neck, hot and insistent as you arched against him, a soft moan escaping your lips.

"hermosa," he murmured against your skin, his voice low and husky with need, his hand tangled in your hair, tugging gently to expose more of your neck to his hungry mouth.

you ran your fingers down his back, feeling the muscles ripple beneath your touch as carlos's lips found yours in a searing kiss, tongues tangling as passion consumed you both.

your bodies pressed together, skin on skin, the heat between you building, he pulled back slightly, dark eyes meeting yours, filled with a mix of desire and something deeper, more tender.

"how could i never see you... right in front of me too" carlos mumbled, thumb running over your cheek gently "what do you mean" you questioned.

carlos let out a soft chuckle, his breath warm against your skin. "all this time, i thought we were just friends, but now..." his voice trailed off as he leaned in, pressing his forehead to yours.

your heart raced, pulse pounding in your ears as you gazed into his soft soulful brown eyes, eyes that you loved so dearly "now what?" you whispered, barely able to form the words.

his hand slid to the back of your neck, fingers tangling in your hair. "now i see you, really see you and i can't believe i was so blind before."

you closed your eyes, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment. "carlos, i-"

but before you could finish, his lips were on yours, soft yet urgent, the kiss deepened, years of unspoken longing pouring out between you. when you finally broke apart, breathless.

carlos cupped your face in his hands, fingers tracing down to your jaw. "i mean, we've been friends for so long and i-" he trailed off, unsure of if he should say what was on his mind.

your heart raced at his words, hardly daring to believe that he could possibly be about to confess that he loved you like you loved him. "carlos... mi sol, what are you thinking?" you whispered.

carlos's dark eyes met yours, filled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty as he took a shaky breath, his hands still cradling your face with a gentleness only he had ever shown you.

"i... i don't know how to say this without risking everything we have," he murmured, his thumb gently stroking your cheek.

you leaned into his touch, your own hands coming up to rest on his wrists. "you can tell me anything, carlito, you know that."

he nodded, swallowing hard. "the thing is, i... i think i'm in love with you, no, i know i am and i have been for a long time and i can't keep pretending that i don't feel this way anymore."

your breath caught in your throat, joy blooming in your chest as you shivered at his confession, you'd harbored secret feelings for carlos for years, never imagining he might reciprocate.

"carlito" you breathed, a smile spreading across your face. "i love you too, i've been waiting to hear say you loved me for years... your everything to me.. mi alma, mi amado... mi vida"

carlos listened to the words spilling from your lips intently, his heart practically leaping into his throat, he had to be hearing things, this had to be some kind of dream.

hearing you say that you'd longed after him for years.. his childhood best friend.. in love with him for years and he had never noticed.. how stupid could he be.

for a good few seconds, carlos was speechless and unsure of what to say, his mind still trying to catch up and comprehend what he had just heard, his hands that cupped your cheeks pulled your face closer.

"mi vida" he mumbled "your life" the way he'd worded himself sounded like a question and while you weren't sure, you still answered.

"mi vida.. my life, i live for you carlito" you confirmed, carlos’s heart raced, he had a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside him, he had spent years not seeing what was right in front of him, and now it felt like everything had shifted in an instant.

his eyes searched your own, wanting to find the truth, the depth of what you were saying. “you... you really mean that?” his voice was barely above a whisper, as if he was afraid to shatter the moment that had been created between you both.

“i do” you replied “i’ve tried to hide it but it’s always been you, carlito. always.”

carlos took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as all of the memories flooded back—every shared secret, every late-night laugh, and every moment that you'd ever shared together, how could he have been so blind.

with a gentle pull, he leaned closer, his forehead resting against yours. “i’ve been so stupid,” he admitted, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “i should have known., i’ve felt it too, you know, i just didn’t want to ruin what we had.”

you felt a warmth bloom in your chest at his confession, in that moment, everything around you faded—the distant sounds of the city, the buzzing of life outside, even the weight of uncertainty.

all that mattered was him, and the soft intensity of his soulful brown eyes drawing you in.

“carlos,” you murmured, your heart thudding against your ribs, no answer came from him and soon a silence stretched between you, heavy with anticipation.

slowly, almost hesitantly, carlos closed the distance between you both, his lips brushing against yours, it was a tentative kiss at first, much unlike your previous ones, a gentle exploration of what had long been buried beneath years of friendship.

he soon deepened the kiss and you felt yourself dissolve into the warmth of his embrace, your hands wound their way into his hair tugging on the locks softly as he slipped his tongue past your parted lips with eagerness.

a soft moan escaped you as his tongue explored your mouth, sending shivers zapping up your spine as his hands roamed your body, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

you pressed yourself closer, craving more of carlos's intoxicating touch, the world around you seemed to fade away until all that existed was the two of you, lost in the moment.

his lips left yours to blaze a path along your jaw and neck, you tilted your head, offering better access as he nipped and sucked at the sensitive skin.

your breath came in short gasps, and desire coursed through your veins.

"we should stop," you whispered half-heartedly, as your body arched into his, carlos pulled back slightly, his eyes dark with desire as they met yours. "do you really want to?" he asked, his voice husky.

"don't you dare stop" you whimpered, desire taking over any rational thought left in your mind as you stuck out your tongue, asking him with eyes for something you'd never let anyone else ever do.

carlos understood what you wanted, fingers gripping your face "dirty girl" he murmured but the smirk currently decorating his handsome features told you he loved it as he spat into your mouth and you then swallowed with eagerness.

a shiver ran through your body as you savored the taste, your eyes locked onto carlos's intense gaze as his grip on your face tightened, fingers digging into your skin as he leaned in close, his hot breath ghosting over your ear.

"you want more, don't you?" he whispered, his voice low and husky, you nodded frantically, beyond words at this point.

carlos chuckled darkly, trailing his free hand down your neck and across your collarbone. "such a greedy little thing, i wonder just how far you'll let me go?"

you gasped, a mix of excitement and nervousness coursing through you at the thought that appeared in your mind, this was uncharted territory for you but there was no one you trusted more than carlos and no one you wanted to explore this idea with more than him.

"further than you might think.." you murmured, bringing his large hand up and laying it against your throat "i want you to choke me" you asked and he stilled, not moving an inch.

"what do you mean you want me to choke you" carlos asked in a flabbergasted tone, surprised that you would ask such a thing but not at all against it.

you smiled softly, a mixture of shyness and desire flickering across your face. "i mean exactly what i said," you whispered, pressing his hand more firmly against your neck. "i trust you, carlito, i want to feel how strong you are"

carlos hesitated, his dark eyes searching yours, you could see the conflict within him - the desire to please you warring with his innate protectiveness over you, one that had been present your whole lives.

"i don't want to hurt you," he said softly, his thumb caressing your jawline.

"you won't" you assured him, your pulse quickening beneath his touch. "i'll tell you if it's too much, please, i need this, i need you mi vida" you begged, your tone was almost pitiful.

something in your voice must have convinced him because you saw the moment his resolve crumbled and his grip tightened ever so slightly, a thrill running through your body. "if you're sure," he murmured.

carlos's fingers flexed experimentally against your throat, his touch both gentle and firm at the same time, you felt your breath catch, a delicious tension coiling in your belly.

"like this?" he asked, his voice low and husky.

you nodded, unable to speak as the pressure increased bit by bit, each time more pleasurable than the last, your eyes fluttered closed, savoring the heady mix of vulnerability and arousal.

carlos's free hand came up to cup your cheek, his thumb tracing your parted lips.

"open your eyes," he commanded softly. "i need to see you." his voice was almost a whimper, a sound which would drive you crazy by the end of the night if kept hearing it and so you obeyed, meeting his intense gaze.

the raw desire you saw there made you shiver as carlos leaned in, his breath hot against your ear.

"tell me if it's too much," he whispered before capturing your lips in a searing kiss, one that if his hand was not currently wrapped around your throat would have left you completely breathless.

your leg hooked around his waist, pulling his crotch tighter against yours in the mix of your passionate embrace.

carlos groaned against your mouth, his hips grinding against yours in response, the friction sent sparks of pleasure coursing through your body.

his hand at your throat tightened ever so slightly, the pressure intoxicating, you broke the kiss, gasping for air. "more," you pleaded, your voice husky with desire.

his dark eyes blazed as he looked at you, pupils blown wide with lust and then without warning, he spun you around so you rested on all fours, his crotch pressing against ass as he tugged on your hair to whisper against your ear.

"is this what you want?" he growled, his hand sliding down your side to grip your hip possessively to which you could only whimper in response, overcome by the sensations he was awakening in you.

"answer me," he demanded, his voice rough with desire, his fingers dug into your flesh, sure to leave marks and while you didn't know in the moment, he would kiss them better later, angry at himself for having hurt you.

you gasped, struggling to form words as heat pooled in your core. "y-yes," you finally managed to stammer. "please carlito.."

carlos chuckled darkly, the sound sending shivers down your spine. "such a needy little thing," he murmured, his lips brushing against your neck.

his free hand snaked around to caress your stomach, inching lower with agonizing slowness.

you arched into his touch, desperate for more and he responded by grinding against you, his hardness evident through the layers of clothing still separating you.

a moan escaped your lips as carlos nipped at your earlobe. "i'm going to make you scream my name," he promised, his fingers finally reaching their destination.

your breathing hitched as carlos's skilled fingers teased you, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through your body, you clutched at the bed sheets beneath you, arms and legs becoming unstable.

"please," you whimpered, beyond caring how needy you sounded.

carlos chuckled darkly, his lips trailing down your neck. "so impatient," he murmured against your flushed skin, he pulled back slightly, his intense gaze meeting yours over your shoulder as his fingers continued their torturous ministrations.

you squirmed beneath him, desperate for more friction. "tell me what you want," carlos commanded, his voice husky with desire.

"you," you gasped. "i want you. all of you." a wicked grin spread across his face. "as you wish”

carlos's fingers finally relented, drawing a frustrated whine from your lips but your disappointment was short-lived as you felt him shift behind you, his muscular body pressing against yours.

his lips found your ear, hot breath sending shivers down your spine as he whispered "are you ready for me, mi amor?"

you nodded frantically, words failing you as anticipation coiled tightly in your core, with agonizing slowness, carlos moved aside the thin soaked fabric of your panties and began to enter you, stretching and filling you exquisitely.

you moaned, low and needy, as he bottomed out, your bodies flush against each other.

"so perfect," carlos groaned, his hips beginning a steady rhythm that had you seeing stars, the only sounds that could be heard within the walls of your hotel room being; the shared moans and gasps that escaped you both, the clapping of his hips against your ass as he pounded into like a rabbit experiencing his first heat and the sticky sound of your arousal.

you pushed back against him, matching his movements and chasing your pleasure.

carlos gripped your hips tighter, his fingers digging into your flesh as he increased his pace, the headboard banging rhythmically against the wall, only adding to the symphony of passion.

you buried your face in the pillow, muffling your cries of ecstasy as waves of pleasure crashed over you.

"god, you feel amazing," carlos panted, his voice husky with desire, he leaned forward, pressing his chest against your back and nipped at your earlobe "fucking made for mi vida"

the change in angle sent sparks of electricity through your body and you shuddered beneath him.

your fingers clutched desperately at the sheets, your knuckles began to turn white as you gripped tighter, a moan escaped your lips, the sound muffled by the pillow beneath you.

carlos's hot breath ghosted across your neck, sending shivers down your spine. "that's it, mi amor," he growled, his hips snapping forward with increased fervor. "let me hear you."

you turned your head, gasping for air as the pleasure built within you, carlos's hand slid down your side, fingers digging into your hip as he pulled you back against him.

the room filled with the sounds of skin on skin, heavy breathing, and desperate whimpers.

"carlos," you breathed, your voice wavering with each thrust. "i'm close... so close..."

he groaned in response, his movements becoming more erratic. "come for me, cariño," he commanded, his lips brushing against your shoulder.

your body tensed as waves of pleasure washed over you, carlos's name escaping your lips in a breathless moan, he held you tightly as you shuddered against him, climax hitting your harder than it ever had before.

you collapsed against the bed, carlos's hips still smacking against your own as he chased the release he so desired.

carlos's pace became more erratic, his breathing ragged as he neared his own peak, fingers digging into your hips, holding you steady as he thrust deeper.

you whimpered softly, oversensitive but reveling in his passion, you clenched around him and carlos's release soon followed, painting your inner walls white with his cum, as a guttural groan escaped him.

carlos had finally found his release, his body tensing as he pulsed inside you, he collapsed beside you, both of you panting heavily.

as your breathing slowed, carlos pulled you close, nuzzling into your neck, his lips brushing agaisnt your skin as he murmured words of affection.

you smiled, feeling sated and cherished in his arms, your fingers traced lazy patterns on his chest as you basked in the afterglow of you lovemaking together.

as your breathing slowly returned to normal, carlos peppered soft kisses along your neck and collarbone. "te amo," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

you turned to face him, drinking in the sight of his flushed cheeks and tousled hair.

"i love you too," you whispered back, tracing your fingers along his jawline, carlos pulled you closer, nuzzling into your hair, the gentle rise and fall of his chest lulled you into a peaceful contentment.

"that was fucking incredible" you breathed and carlos chuckled softly, the vibrations rumbling through his chest. "you're incredible," he murmured, his lips brushing against your ear.

a pleasant shiver ran down your spine as you nestled closer, relishing the warmth of his body against yours, your fingers lazily traced patterns on his skin, mapping the contours of his muscles beneath.

"i never want this moment to end," you sighed, your eyes fluttering closed, carlos's hand found yours, intertwining your fingers. "then let's make it last," he said, his voice low and husky.

he tilted your chin up, capturing your lips in a slow, sensual kiss that made your toes curl, as you melted into the kiss, the world around you faded away, there was only carlos, his touch, his scent, the taste of his lips.

“it’s official you know” you giggled lightly when the kiss finally broke

"what's official?" carlos asked, his eyes dancing with amusement as he gazed at you.

you propped yourself up on one elbow, a mischievous grin playing on your lips. "that we can’t be friends anymore because you've ruined me for anyone else, no one could ever compare to you carlito."

carlos's expression softened, his hand coming up to cup your cheek. "good," he said, his thumb gently caressing your skin. "because i don't plan on letting you go, ever."

your heart swelled with emotion and you leaned in to press a tender kiss to his lips, as you pulled back, carlos's eyes roamed your face, drinking in every detail as if committing it to memory.

“you've changed everything" carlos whispered, his voice filled with wonder. "i never knew i could feel this way."

you felt a warmth bloom in your chest at his words. "me neither," you admitted softly “my feelings for you were always the same until i saw you in different light”

you giggled at the thought “look at us, two childhood friends.. falling in love” carlos pulled you closer as his arm tightened around you, pulling you flush against him.

the heat of his skin against yours sent a delicious tingle through your body, you could feel his heart beating steadily beneath your palm, a soothing rhythm that matched your own and hopefully it would continue to match yours forever.

[bangchansdirty-slut]

"Would you like another one?"

Paring: Baker!Felix x Bottom!Male reader

Genre: Smut

Summary: Brownie Boy decides to put a little something inside a brownie he made just for you so he can get a special ingredient for his frosting.

More: Masterlist

A/n: I wrote this half-awake today. Also, should I make a fem version of this? Anyways enjoy! And requests are opened.

M/n stepped into the dimly lit bakery, the smell of freshly baked pastries filling the air. It was well past closing time, but Felix, M/n's best friend and the baker extraordinaire, had left a light on for him. The two of them shared a special bond, one that transcended mere friendship; they were practically inseparable. M/n wove through the empty tables, the chairs on top of them, and the counters covered in neatly stacked bowls of freshly whipped cream and sprinkles. He rounded the corner to find Felix in the back, his hands covered in flour, his face beet red from the heat of the oven.

"Hey, Felix," M/n called out, setting his bag down on the counter. "You know you could've just texted me to come back later."

Felix laughed, wiping his flour-covered hands on his apron. "Oh, you know me, M/n. I always like to see you." He glanced at the clock, then back at M/n. "But since you're here, why don't you help me with these cupcakes? I made an extra-large batch today, and I could use an extra pair of hands."

M/n nodded, stepping up to the counter. He loved helping Felix in the kitchen; it always made him feel so… useful. Together, they worked in companionable silence, piping icing onto the cupcakes and decorating them with sprinkles. After a few minutes, Felix paused and leaned in close. "You know," he whispered, "I made a special brownie just for you."

M/n's stomach growled at the mention of brownies. "You did?" Felix grinned, handing him the pan. "Go ahead, take it. I already put it in the oven, so it should be nice and warm."

As M/n carried the pan over to the oven, he felt a surge of warmth in his chest. It wasn't just from the heat of the oven; it was the thoughtfulness behind Felix's gesture. He set the pan on the counter, taking a deep breath in anticipation of the first bite. He glanced over at Felix, who was carefully icing one of the cupcakes, and found himself wondering how long it had been since they'd had a night like this, just the two of them.

Time seemed to slow down as he took a bite of the brownie. The chocolate was rich and fudgy, the walnuts providing a pleasant crunch against his teeth. But it wasn't long before he felt a strange sensation washing over him. His cheeks flushed, his heart raced, and he found himself unable to meet Felix's gaze. "Um," he stammered, putting the half-eaten brownie down on the counter. "Felix, I think you put something in this brownie."

Felix laughed, walking over to stand behind M/n. "You mean the aphrodisiac?" he asked, his breath hot against M/n's ear. "Don't worry about it. It's all natural, and it'll make things more fun."

As the effects of the aphrodisiac continued to take hold, M/n found himself growing more and more uncomfortable. His heart raced, and he could feel a warmth building in his groin. "Felix," he said, his voice strained, "I don't feel so good."

Felix placed a reassuring hand on M/n's shoulder. "It's okay, M/n. Just relax. You're with me, and I won't let anything happen that you don't want." He guided M/n over to the counter and helped him sit down. "Now, just take deep breaths and try to calm down."

As M/n tried to steady his breath, Felix retrieved a bowl from the cupboard and placed it on the counter. "I'm going to help you feel better," Felix whispered, his voice low and soothing. He knelt down in front of M/n and gently urged him onto all fours. "Just like this."

M/n felt a mixture of embarrassment and arousal as he obeyed Felix's instructions. His heart raced, and he couldn't help but wonder what Felix was planning to do next. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Felix had retrieved a bottle of frosting from a drawer. "Felix?" he whimpered.

Felix smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, M/n. I'm just going to make sure you're comfortable. This will help." He dipped his fingers into the cupcake frosting onto his fingers before slowly, carefully parting M/n's cheeks. "Just try to relax and enjoy this."

As Felix's fingers traced circles around M/n's anus, his touch was surprisingly gentle. He started by just teasing the entrance, using his fingertips to spread the icing that was already there. Then, with a soft moan, he began to slowly push one finger inside. M/n let out a soft gasp, his body tensing up, but Felix continued to move in and out of him, careful not to go too deep or too fast.

With each thrust of his fingers, Felix pressed harder against the spot that made M/n squirm the most. It felt so good, but at the same time, it was almost too much. His hips bucked involuntarily against Felix's hand, begging for more contact. "Felix…" he moaned, his voice barely audible over the sound of their breathing.

As Felix's fingers expertly worked their magic, M/n couldn't help but notice the wet, sticky sensation that was starting to build between his legs. The aphrodisiac was doing its job, and his arousal was growing by the second. He could feel himself becoming more and more engorged, the head of his cock beginning to peek out from the folds of his foreskin.

Just when M/n thought he couldn't take any more, Felix withdrew his fingers and knelt down behind him. M/n felt the warmth of his breath against his sensitive skin before he felt the tip of Felix's tongue press against his entrance. With a soft, wet lick, Felix began to circle his tongue around M/n's opening, gradually easing deeper and deeper. M/n arched his back, moaning loudly as the sensation sent waves of pleasure coursing through his body.

As Felix continued to tongue-fuck him, his hand found its way between their bodies, teasing and stroking M/n's engorged cock. He slowly began to jerk him off, matching the rhythm of his hand with the movements of his tongue. M/n felt like he was about to explode, the pleasure building inside him with each thrust of Felix's tongue and each stroke of his hand.

With a final, deep thrust, Felix pushed his tongue as far inside as it would go, and M/n felt the familiar tingle in his balls that signaled his impending orgasm. He let out a long, shuddering moan as his hips bucked wildly against Felix's hand. His cock jerked violently in Felix's grip, spewing hot cum across the palm of his hand and into the bowl with frosting in it beneath M/n. The release was intense, overwhelming, and blissful all at once.

As the last spurt of cum pulsed from his cock, Felix pulled his tongue away and licked his lips, looking pleased with himself. He reached over to the counter and picked up the bowl, holding it up for M/n to see. "There you go, M/n," he said with a grin. "Your special gift for me." He held up one of the cupcakes with the icing that had been mixed with M/n's cum and offered it to him. "Go on, eat it up."

Still catching his breath, M/n reached out and took the cupcake from Felix, his heart racing. He took a bite, savoring the sweet, salty flavor that was uniquely his. As he chewed, he felt a new wave of arousal begin to stir inside him. He looked up at Felix, who was watching him intently, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Felix smirked and grabbed another cupcake from the counter. He knelt down beside M/n once again and placed the cupcake between his legs, directly against his engorged cock. "Here, M/n," he purred, "why don't you finish yourself off with this?" He pressed the cupcake firmly against M/n's throbbing member, the icing already smeared with their combined essence.

M/n groaned, feeling the familiar pressure building inside him. He closed his eyes and reached down, using one hand to guide the cupcake against his cock. With a sharp thrust, he impaled himself on the cupcake, moaning loudly as the sensation sent shockwaves of pleasure through his body. His hips bucked wildly, fucking himself on the cupcake as he came, his cum splattering against the icing and coating both their hands.

Felix leaned in, capturing M/n's lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He could taste himself on M/n's tongue, the tangy flavor mixing with the sweetness of the cupcakes. As their tongues danced together, Felix reached down and stroked M/n's cock, milking the last drops of cum from him. He continued to kiss him, their bodies pressed tightly together, until they both collapsed in a heap on the floor, breathless and spent.

Slowly, Felix pulled away, his eyes trailing up and down M/n's naked form. "Mmm…that was quite the show, M/n," he purred. "You're quite the talented performer." He picked up the tray of cupcakes and held it out to him.

"Would you like another one?"

[luellasplanet]

crowded and confused. (aggie beever-jones & grace clinton)

word count: 1k

this was one of the fics i wrote when i got drunk and i’ve tried to make it make sense but i really don’t think it does

on your first ever lioness u16 camp you were paired up to room with grace. your shy nature hindered your ability to make friends meaning you followed poor grace around like a lost puppy for the first four days of camp, before you properly started interacting with the rest of the team. much to the relief of the brunette, who could only handle a few days without interacting with everyone else before she lost her mind.

your friendship with aggie in the beginning was slightly more forced than yours and grace’s. due to you playing in a forward position it meant that you and the blonde were constantly having to work on both your off and on the field connection.

but once you had warmed up to the blonde you had spent the majority of your time during the youth group stages with her.

and then even more time with aggie when you moved from your grassroots club to chelsea shortly after that camp.

even four years later you and aggie remained close friends. the two of you had moved in together at the beginning of the 23/24 season following the end of your loan spells at your respective clubs.

during your champions league debut in the first half of the season you had gone down with a broken foot after landing awkwardly during a corner. which meant that you were bedridden for a few weeks before the doctor gave you the all clear to slowly get back to daily life.

the rhythmic four knocks, on your front door, that were repeated in a specific pattern, meant that you knew exactly who was at your door. “oh that’s gracie, i’ll go open for her.” but before you had the chance to stand up aggie was up to open the door, but not before gently pushing you back down onto the bar stool.

ever since you had gone down during the match aggie had been at your aid, offering hugs, food, water, hoodies, anything that you needed she was there within seconds. going with you to all your physio appointments and making sure to keep a close eye on you during gym sessions.

“oh! hey aggie wasn’t expecting to see you here, is y/n home?” slightly pushing past the blonde she made her way into the living room and kitchen area when she saw your crutches placed haphazardly against the couch.

grace had brought a gift basket full of chocolates, hot chocolate bombs, one of her hoodies and your favourite candles plus flowers.

“hey y/n/n, how are you feeling darling?” setting the basket down onto the chair that aggie was previously sitting on in order to have free hands to give you a hug.

aggie busied herself on the other side of the counter, quickly making herself a cup of tea before making her way into her room without even sparing a second glance at the two of you.

three hours later after catching up you and grace had arranged to go out for dinner next saturday so she could introduce you to some of her spurs teammates. “bye gracie, i’ll see you next weekend!” closing the front door softly before locking it and throwing the key onto the countertop.

throughout those three hours there was still no sight of your blonde roommate. after a very painfully slow walk upstairs and across the hallway you knocked on aggie’s door.

before you could even start talking she was already fussing over you walking upstairs by yourself. “you’ve been on your feet too much, you should sit down. you still aren’t allowed to put pressure on your foot properly.” dragging you over to her bed before sitting on it next to you.

the silence in the room was deafening but you mustered up the courage to ask where she had disappeared to. “wanna tell me why you vanished into thin air when gracie came to visit?”

you were met with radio silence. which had left you ever more confused than before. you convinced yourself that you were being ridiculous, aggie and grace were friends, always had been and always will be.

you had slotted in and turned the dynamic duo into the troublesome trio. always getting in trouble for goofing off during training and getting told that the three of you had to speak to more than just each other at camps.

but the disappearing act continued every time that grace came over aggie suddenly had twenty other things to do instead of hanging out with her ‘two best friends.’

same goes for grace. if you invited her anywhere and mentioned that aggie was going she suddenly had to rain check on the plan’s because ‘something came up.’

utter bullshit.

and anytime you could get them in a room together they sat on either side of you constantly trying to win your attention.

whether it was a hand on your thigh, an arm around the back of your chair or offering to do something for you.

it was exhausting. yet you didn’t know what to do, talking to them seemed the reasonable decision but being able to get them into a room together was the difficult part.

after many many feeble attempts to get them to talk to one another you turned to your teammates for help. millie and niamh had helped you realise that maybe both aggie and grace liked you more than just a friend.

but how could you choose just one of them?

there was aggie with her infectious smile and caring nature that made your heart flutter every time you were with her. but then there was also grace who had the best jokes and her constant need for physical affection had you swooning.

there was just no possible way that you could pick between the two.

[iveseenstrangerthings]

must be love - a Steve Harrington imagine

summary: just a shorter imagine about a reader who works at a diner and Steve comes in with the rest of the friendship group (which you’re also part of). There’s a mutual pining between Steve and reader and eventually Steve decides to do something about it, just a lil fluffy imagine which got me going

warnings: brief descriptions of food and eating

word count: 2.5k

notes: shout out to one of my fave SNL skits of Debbie Downer thx for playing a small part in this imagine. if anyone has any ideas for an imagine plsss request i’d be happy to do some requests !! have a great day :) master list here

                                                   ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

“Have a great night, guys!” You call as the most miserable family you’ve ever served in your entire time of being at the diner slumps out the door. A small laugh escapes your lips, almost in disbelief at what you’ve just put up with, as you start to clear their plates. Clinks of metal cutlery scraping fired ceramic plates fill your ears as you gather everything in an impressive stack. Guiltily, you take the gracious tip they’ve left you and you suddenly feel awful for whining to yourself about how unpleasant they’d been. 

Behind the till, you place their cash tip into the tip jar and then take the plates to the back to be washed. The heat of the kitchen still overwhelms you as you place the stack of dirty dishes into the hot sink full of water. “Busy out there, yet?” Deborah, the main pot washer calls out from the break room, her evening drawing out slowly in front of her at the slow stream of customers. 

“Not quite yet, still early though, Debs!” You call back cheerily, behind her back you all call her Debbie Downer, no matter what you say Deborah will reply with something depressing that ultimately kills the mood of the conversation.

Last month, when you told her you’d got a new cat, she had replied, “Feline AIDS is the biggest killer of domestic cats. Hope you got it checked!” 

Pushing back through the swing doors, you see a few more groups had been shown to tables and you were ready to go over to welcome them in. One group you see, is your friends. 

An unsettled feeling stews inside you, you love that they come here to see you, but you hate how it makes you feel pressured. Dustin loves the shakes, Mike and El the burgers, and Steve loves to come just to see you. Not that you know that. You’re partial to a spill of a drink, or a burger to the floor as it slips off the plates as you try to juggle too many, and you do not want Steve to see anything like that. You’ll just have to try not to show off your plate stacking skills this evening. 

Whipping your pad out from the front of your grease-stained apron, you walk to their table and paint a smile on your face, beaming from ear to ear. “Fancy seeing you here.” You approach the table and stand next to Steve, who looks up at you with a small smile painted across his rose-tinted lips. 

“Do you even need your little pad, surely you know my order by now.” Dustin is quick to comment on his food, he must be starving. He didn’t mean it in an asshole way, you’re close enough with each other that you rarely take offence to anything now.  

You guffaw at his request and scribble down his order. Peeking over the top of your pad to see Steve slightly shaking his head and raising his eyebrows at him. “Max?” Your attention goes to Max now, awaiting her order.

“Just a chocolate shake, please.” She offers, sheepishly pushing the menu back towards you. You don’t push her on an order for food, as you know any of the other waitresses would, you just nod and jot down the code for a shake. She’s still recovering from Vecna, and you understand her lack of appetite, which she is grateful for. 

After finally scribbling down the group’s order in your illegible scrawl, which is only decipherable by the chefs, you turn to Steve who’s perched on the end of the booth. “And for you, Steve?” Your pen is ready in between your fingers, and you give him a patient smile. 

He quickly skims the menu, even though he knew what he wanted the minute he walked in. He relays his order to you before gathering up all the menus, making your job easier and quicker. “Thanks.” You take them from his hands and his cheeks flush with colour. He’s aware of the intense rush of heat to his face, as is everyone else at the table. Your heart skips and beats intensely in your chest as you relish in the sight of his flushed cheeks. You know you caused his blush, and it gives you a slight spring in your step as you return to the host stand with their menus, knowing you have the power to make Steve Harrington tint with crimson. 

Whilst his ears are trained into the conversation happening around him, he lets his eyes divert to your whereabouts. He watches intently as you balance the plates with skill before setting them all down on a nearby table, talking to your customers with expressive hands and giving them an effervescent smile before turning and going to attend to another table. He sees how your tongue slips out of your mouth, ever so slightly, in concentration as you place glacier cherries onto the top of a sundae before carrying it to an over-excited child who claps with your arrival. Your smile at the young boy’s happiness and delightful manners stays on your face as you make your way back over to the serving hatch, the bell ringing out continuously with the Friday night rush of families, friends and couples. 

“Dude.” Dustin starts, leaning in closer to Steve as he breaks away from the rest of the conversation. Steve leans in too. “Why don’t you just ask her out already?” The prospect of doing such a thing is enough to bring sweat to the palms of his hands. Noticeably so that he has to rub his palms over his jeans to get the wetness off. His mouth feels dry, so he runs his tongue over the roof of his mouth and swallows what little saliva he has down his throat. “It’s so painfully obvious.” 

“What is?” He quickly retorts, turning his face too fast so it’s left lingering extremely close to Dustin’s. He pulls back slightly and let’s Dustin observe how you make him feel. The slight tinge of pink has returned to his cheeks, and he hasn’t stopped rubbing his palms over his jeans. Dustin just laughs slightly and gives his head a shake before giving Steve an insignificant nod, indicating your return with an armful of their food. 

“Alrighty.” You say as you settle their food down on the table, sliding the plates in the direction of whoever ordered what. The table digs into your stomach slightly as you stretch across to push El’s plate to her in the far corner of the booth, meaning you slightly lean across Steve. “‘Scuse me.” You gently breathe as you pull back, the smell of your perfume lingering after you push back from the table. He quickly inhales, wipes the corner of his mouth with his thumb and then grabs the cutlery. “Max just let me grab your milkshake, I’ll be right back.” You dust your hands off on your apron as you make your way back to the hatch, collecting Max’s milkshake before ambling back over to their table. “There you go, sweetie.” You turn her shake towards her and her eyes light up, looking at Lucas with wide eyes in admiration at her humongous milkshake. You smile at the pair; glad Max has someone as sweet and caring as Lucas. “Okay, think that’s everything.” Your eyes skim everyone’s plates to ensure you haven’t missed anything. “Can I get you guys anything else? Anymore sauces?” 

Everyone replies with a cacophony of “No” and “Thank you” and you nod at them all, the boys already starting to shovel their food into their mouths as if they haven’t eaten for days. Max seems settled and Steve thanks you again before turning to his plate to eat. 

The next half an hour passes in a blur of sundaes, hamburgers, spilt milkshakes, and grumbles from Deborah as you take in another stack of greased up, ketchup smeared plates. As you stand at the host station placing clean cutlery neatly into white napkins, Steve wanders over to you as he opens his wallet in front of him. You place your hands down on the counter, keeping the napkin well wrapped up in your hands. “Hey!” You beam at him as he approaches. “Was everything okay with the meal?” You finally place the neatened cutlery and napkins into their box and return your full attention to Steve. 

“Was great. Five-star service, too.” The corner of his mouth hooks up into a smile and you reciprocate it broadly. “But I was wondering if I could pay now?”

You nod, taking their order from the small pile of tabs that you keep by the cash register. “Sure, you just wanna pay for yours?” You start keying in the price for Steve’s meal, but he cuts you off.

“No no, I’ll get everyone’s.” His offer is laced with the kindness he exudes, like warmth coming from a mug of coffee on a chilly day. 

Your head tilts to one side and your eyebrows lift slightly, “Steve, that’s awful kind of you but are you sure?” 

He nods, pulling out some cash he’s sure will cover it as he patiently lets you tot up the total for the meals on the register. “I’m totally sure.” He seems nervous, you notice from the corner of your eye his weight keeps shifting from one foot to the other. A small smirk forms on your lips, then quickly dissipates as you get ready to read the total out. 

He hands the cash over without question and tells you to keep the change for the tip jar. “Thank you so much.” You hold the cash in your hands gratefully as you look back at him. He’s still stood behind the host stand, his eyes travelling nervously around you. As you drop the cash into the jar, he leans onto the station with his elbows.

“I was wondering if you wanted to catch a movie? After you finish up?” The words tumble out of him quickly, but his question is laced with reluctance, like he’s already prepared himself for you to say no.

You study his features, the soft-hearted nature of him shines through. Him paying for all the kids’ meals and still asking you out afterwards, you feel on top of the world that he’s asked you. You think of how sublime it would be, spending the evening with Steve after work, but you don’t finish up until close tonight and you fear that would be too late for him, making him waste the night waiting for you. Although it would feel anything but a waste to Steve. A feeling of defeat washes over you as you worry this could be the only time Steve asks you to do something, and you fear he will think that you’re making an excuse. “I’m here till close tonight.” The words fall regretfully from your mouth, and you see his features soften with disappointment.

He nods quickly, pursing his lips as he pushes back from the counter, giving it a tap as he readjusts his posture, standing tall. “Oh, yeah. Totally. No that’s fine.” 

“But I could come over, when I’m done? I know it would be late, but I could bring us something to eat, and we could just, I dunno, chill?” 

Inside his chest, his heart soars around like someone has ignited him and soon the sweaty palms return. He came over here expecting you to say no, but he figured it was worth a shot. He did not expect, however, for you to then suggest another idea. His worries and anxieties about asking you now seem so farcical when all along you had wanted the same. 

He’s almost taken aback and has to bring himself back to the reality of being here in the diner, with you. “No, no it wouldn’t be too late. That’d be great.” He taps the counter again, the pair of you just looking over at one another, waiting for someone to speak. The pair of you never run out of things to say, never find it awkward to make conversation, never shut up really. But now, you both stand enthralled at the idea of spending some time together, just the two of you. 

“I’ll pick you up?” He poses the question to you in a gesture of what seems like good will, but it’s really just a way to get to spend more time with you. 

A torrent of emotion as intense as a winding river of rapids course through your veins and rise the temperature of your body, causing your skin to prickle intensely like tiny bolts of electricity hitting your skin. The flow of your emotional river ebbs, the source of the river stemmed as an anxious thought enters your stream of consciousness. You want Steve to see you at your best, not sweaty and smelling of cooking after a five-hour shift. “I will stink of grease.” You admit to him awkwardly. The perfume bottle you keep in your bag is a God send and you hope it will help to mask at least some of the smell.

He puffs air out between his lips and a smile softens across his face. “I really couldn’t care less.” He pushes his hands back from the counter where they’d been resting lazily, his muscles contracting underneath the sleeves of his t-shirt and you eye it quickly. The way the shape contorts and flexes under his skin as he pushes himself up from the counter again makes your eyes widen and your stomach throb. “Pick you up around ten, is that when you finish?” 

“Yes! That sounds great, thank you!” You radiate, your words landing like a verbal high five. 

He turns away, wordlessly, and gathers the kids up to leave. You click a few buttons on the register before finalising the receipt. They all wave and shout goodbyes as they make their way out of the diner, leaving as you turn to see your favourite group of regulars sat waiting for you to go over and take their order.

Outside, the wind turns to a chill and the clouds blow clear, leaving the sky black and bright above them. “So...” Dustin starts, elbowing Steve as they make their way to the car. The rest of the kids making their way to their buses home. “Did it work?”

Steve lifts his chin and laughs, “Quit making it sound like I’ve been doing some sort of experiment.” 

Dustin just rolls his eyes and waits, expectantly. 

“Yeah, it did ‘work’.” His fingers go up into air quotations before twisting the key to start the car with a low growl. “I’m seeing her after work.”

“TONIGHT?!” Dustin jeers in a high-pitched voice that makes his voice box squeal in delight. “Dude, how many times have I told you. She feels the same.”

“You think?” Steve quizzes, passing the conversation back to Dustin. 

“Hell yeah.” Dustin smirks, showing Steve all his ‘pearls’ as Dustin likes to say. “Offering to see you after a shift at the diner?” He tilts his head and brings his eyes down playfully. “Must be love.” His voice exudes sickly sweet confidence and Steve backs out the car park, turning up his radio and rolling the windows down, despite the chill. He drives back happily and hasn’t once tried to deny Dustin’s final remark. 

[chocolatori]

Tendou recalls when he realized he had fallen in love with you.

It didn’t start off as a romance, and it wasn’t even a friendship either but he does recall the first time he ever saw you. It was a hot summer morning when you first walked into the door of his dainty cafe accompanied by the soft chime of the bell, the first time you have walked into his life. 

It was odd that you struck him so much at first glance. He wasn’t exactly looking for love at that time, but he knows for sure that he wants to fall in love at some point in his life. One that he often reads in his shoujo mangas, he had always been curious if falling in love would be something like that. If it would be as euphoric as the stories and movies he has seen. 

You became a regular customer since then. He had never known that his thoughts could be too sweet like the chocolates he makes. He never wanted to be near to you but he always deeply regret the moments he could have been close to you or the moments he could have talked to you. He always struggled to compose himself in your presence and his heart could beat so fast like a parade of soldiers on a marching spree. 

He vividly remembers the first time you made a conversation with him. You are kind, he thinks. It was a mundane question, something along the lines of what was his favorite on the menu. Because apparently, you haven’t tried everything on their menu yet. 

Since then, you would ask what he could recommend on their menu and it wasn’t the same vanilla latte you would buy every day. And since then he has found himself making something special just for you. 

You started making conversations with him, about how irritating one of your professors are to how you were always on the run to catch the train just not to miss a class. 

And he always listens, and he never interrupts. 

And sometimes he wonders if you also talk about these things to someone else. If there’s someone who’s also this eager to hear your stories.

He never had the guts to ask for your number, but he was able to get your name at least. You call him Tendou, and sometimes he would wish you call him by his first name. 

It’s one of those really slow days where there aren’t really many customers that come in, but that always changes everything once his favorite customer has arrived. He gave your order and he was ready to see you off already when you suddenly spoke to him.

“Who is responsible for the music here?” You ask, and he turns to you. 

“Oh, that would be me too,” Tendou replies with a smile.

“For real?”

“I have always loved the music that plays here, one of the reasons I kept on coming back here aside from the food,” you chuckle.

“I guess we have the same music taste then,” he quips as he props his arms on the counter.

“I have always wanted to talk to that person,” you tell him.

“I think I kind of have a tiny crush on him,” you trail off.

“Just tiny?” he inquires.

And you laugh, your laugh that soothes his mind and lightens his day.

The truth is he hates summer, but that one summer morning changed everything. 

He does not like the muggy, sticky, claustrophobic, hot days. He does not like the bugs that buzz and bite and the insect repellent at night, but he’s willing to spend his entire life with every season of you.

[coca-lastic]

Unhappy Christmas! | F. odair

Warning: ANGST, mentions of forced prostitution, mean!reader? (Idk lol)

A/N: My first language is not English and blah blah blah

_____

"Merry christmas!" You shouted excitedly at Mags.

You had won the 67th hunger games and, after going a little crazy, you started to overcome it. Obviously it is impossible to completely overcome it but, unlike before, now you know how to be happy. The other Vemcedores of District 4 had helped you find your way out of the fog that embraced you and sent you back again and again.

You could easily say who was the person who helped you the most, the one who gave you a hand when the darkness was consuming you and he got you out of there. The one who said words so your brain wouldn't shut down completely. The one who hugged you so you wouldn't fall even though your legs didn't respond to your call.

He's always been the one to help you, ever since his family helped yours not die in a fire when you were 6 years old. Since then he has always been there for you.

And you would like to do the same.

But lately that seemed like an impossible task and you didn't even know why, you didn't know what was wrong, you didn't know what was changing him. That's why you decided to invite him to the Christmas gathering with your family and Mags (Who, since your games, is also part of the family).

"Do you know if the bakery will be able to sell the cake?" You asked the old woman.

"They said they would have it ready by the afternoon my girl, stop worrying"

"No no no, this has to go well Mags, we've been enjoying a meeting for a long time without someone going crazy, and it's usually me, so I have to have everything under control" You said as you walked around the entire room, checking and criticizing the decorations.

Mags sighed with a smile on his face as your stress continued to grow, you had always been such a perfectionist. "If you keep this up you'll probably collapse before the meeting. Sit down, I'll bring you some hot chocolate."

"But Ma-"

"No buts" she said and walked at a slow pace towards the kitchen. You followed her, Mags was very strong but sometimes her old age worked against her.

"Maybe if Finnick would deign to help" you murmured annoyed, you were the one who had invited him, but he could have the desire to help with something, right?

"Oh...Finnick?" Mags said, looking at you with a look somewhere between amazed, compassionate and sad. That was not a good sign.

"Yeap, I invited him too, lately he's been a little... weird" You said, sitting quietly on one of the kitchen chairs and crossing your arms over your chest.

"My girl... I don't know why he didn't tell you but... Finnick- he's not here" And again, a sad and compassionate look but this time not at you. His gaze was completely fixed on the floor.

"Wha- What are you talking about Mags?" You laughed in disbelief, he accepted the invitation, he is going to come. "He told me-"

"He told you what you needed to hear, my girl. You love Christmas, he has no right to ruin what you had planned."

"He's doing it anyway. He's supposed to- He's supposed to come." You ran out of the kitchen, straight into your room.

Normally you wouldn't get like this, you had to change many plans with Finnick, it was normal. But it stopped being that way when he had been doing it for months, with every damn invitation. You open the doors of your friendship, of your kindness, and he closes them as if you were one of the many girls who are lining up to have him.

_________

Angry, stressed and more angry.

The meeting had already started. There was your family, other neighbors from Victors Village, and some friends of your parents. But he wasn't there, and that made you angry. Because you did this for him, he loved socializing but now he rejected any situation in which he could do it.

Before he took you out of the darkness and now that you are out you want to be in the illuminated area with him. But he is not there. It's like he didn't get you out of there, he just replaced places. And you are no longer able to find him, you do not see a hand to grab and pull, he is not here, not there, he is not anywhere.

Oh, and the damn cake wasn't ready yet.

"If that fucking cake doesn't arrive, I'm going to hang myself" You said annoyed in the patio of the house. You were waiting for the person to take him to your home but he didn't arrive.

"Calm down little one" your father said next to you.

Your impatience was beginning to radiate from you. Your mind only thought bad words and all of them were directed towards the bakery... and a few - or maybe many - towards Finnick.

"Look, it's here. Don't even think about tipping them!" You said towards your father. Sometimes anger makes you a bad person.

Both of you waited for the young man with a hood over his head to approach with the cake, but instead he continued straight, specifically towards Finnick's house.

"Is that Finnick? Didn't you say that he wouldn't be in District 4 today?" No, it couldn't be that you planned a damn mini party so he could fit in. The idiot pretended to leave so he wouldn't attend.

"I'm going to go say hello dad..." You were going to say a lot of things, but hello wasn't on the list of what you planned to say.

Finnick opened the door to his house and with a staggering step he entered, he was about to open the door but you screamed for him not to.

He closed it anyway.

Wow, today he was earning your fury. It's no longer a metaphor, he literally closed the door on you as if he were a stalker. And honestly you'd had enough of that. You had had enough of being ignored repeatedly in the last few months.

"Finnick come on! You lied about the Christmas party and you can't even open the fucking door to apologize?!"

Silence, he didn't answer you. You looked out the window and you didn't see him, you didn't see the friend to shout at, you only saw the darkness that he had entered a few seconds ago.

The window was open and, once again, anger made you a bad person, so despite creating several scratches on your hands and knees, you managed to enter through the window.

"You son of a b-" you screamed as you fell from the window to the floor.

"Y/N? What the fuck are you doing?" The spotlight turned, illuminating the room they were in.

"You! This is for you! Couldn't you be so kind as to open the door for me?" You stood up quickly, pointing a finger at him aggressively and approaching him.

"I- I didn't hear you knock-"

"Of course you listened! It's just that you've apparently changed so much lately that you couldn't even have a bit of fucking consideration."

"What are you talking about? Y/N what the fuck happened to your knee and why are you coming to my house like you're a fucking murderer totally bad at his job?" She raised one of her eyebrows, but her body remained relaxed on the couch, as if you weren't bothered at all.

"Do you want to know what happened to my knee? Well, I got hurt because you couldn't OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" You moved further towards him. and probably thanks to your scream Finnick got up from the couch, confused but still relaxed. "Oh! And you know what? I threw a whole damn Christmas party because we're both supposed to love Christmas and YOU DIDN'T EVEN DEIGN TO COME! What the fuck is wrong with you Finnick?"

"Ok... you're a little upset, aren't you?" He put his hands on your shoulders and crouched down a little so he could look you in the eyes.

And normally you'd punch him but he's your friend, so you kept eye contact with him. You looked at his eyes helplessly, with impatience, but in his eyes for some reason you only saw sadness and sadness. They were a little red, as if he had cried, when he blinked his eyelids took a little longer than normal to return to their place and his eyelashes were shiny. "Look, I'm sorry, I had to leave in an emergency, okay? I figured the party was already over so I came straight home."

"There's literally loud music and people outside the house, unless you're blind, deaf and stupid, no, the party's not over." Tears began to build up in your eyes, 'and it made you upset with yourself. You didn't want to cry in a serious discussion.

"Well, I'm an idiot then. I'm sorry, okay? I swear I'll be there at the next party" he walked away from you a little. Sitting back down in the chair.

"Damn Finnick, I don't give a shit about the upcoming holidays, what I care about is that the last few months you've changed and I haven't even been able to change with you!" You said in a broken voice, tears already sliding down your cheeks and your mouth curling to try to contain the sounds of sadness.

Finnick didn't say mad, he just looked at you. And no matter how much you've been with him for 12 years, you couldn't decipher that look. He looked like the 14-year-old boy who was thrown into the sand again. He seemed without hope, without happiness. The only shine that was in them was tears. that showed their sadness but I don't know that it trickled down their cheeks, the pain that he kept only for him, that clouded only his vision.

"Finnick...I just want to know what's going on with us. Why don't we walk around anymore, or p-play or just- just talk? Why-why don't we do that anymore?"

"I..."

"Just tell me Finnick, because I'm trying but I don't even know what I have to do."

"I-I can't, I can't tell you. He-he doesn't allow it," Finnick said with a broken voice, lowering his head to the floor. You approached him and knelt in front of him.

"Who is he Finn? What are they doing with you?" You grabbed his face and made him look into his eyes, as teary as his own.

"Snow... h-he's worse than he looks..." he sniffed and bit his trembling lip "h-he's s-so cruel, he's a m-monster."

And just by saying who is responsible for why your friend is shedding salty tears, fear came to you. You knew that this man is capable of too many things and that scares you. It scares you that he showed that prick to Finnick and you didn't. You're scared that Finnick is cracking and you don't know how the first crack got.

"I've changed...he's changed me y/n and I dislike that" he sniffed again "and if you find out how he's changed me you'll probably never- you'll just walk away"

_____

What happens when there is so much darkness that no way out has been discovered?

What happens when fear overwhelms you?

Fear is darkness, and darkness is blinding. The problem is that fear is infinite. Everyone has a different fear, some are afraid of the dark, others are afraid of spiders, others are afraid of the sea, others are afraid of blood, others are afraid of heights.

But what happens when you are afraid of fear?

That's what happens with you. You know that the boy you have loved for a long time is afraid, and that scares you. But you can't do anything because the fears are infinite, the fear remains and blinds you.

The fear of your disappointment, the fear of your disgust, the fear of showing what he has become has blinded him. And you have seen it. But you don't know where that fear comes from, you don't know who or what is producing it.

So for now you only have to observe, continue fearing, remain scared but attentive, wait until the moment when his fears are weak, the moment when hope removes the blindfold from his eyes. And at that moment have it again.

Seeing that boy again who, although fear has changed him, will continue to be the same boy who loves having a nice Christmas.

[gyupinkys]

PLEASE?

JUN X FEM READER

Bestfriends to lovers since exclusive fairytale is driving me insane…

WC:1.6K

WARNINGS: Unprotected sex, switch jun, switch reader, oral (m receiving), fingering, creampie, begging, mentions of viagra, begging

Moving into college is hard. It’s your second year, yet every new dorm is equally as much of a hassle. You finally flop onto your bed after hanging up all your clothes only to be met with the rumbling of your stomach. 

“God, I should've eaten breakfast.” you mumble to yourself, thankful your roommate is nowhere to be found.

You begrudgingly get up and walk out, head deep into your phone trying to find the nearest dining hall on the campus map. You find the closest one to you is only a few buildings over, just to crash into someone in front of you, making you stumble back.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry” you say looking up at the tall blonde. 

“Nah, it's my bad. I was too into my phone, I'm trying to find a dining hall.” he says in a deep, smooth voice. Damn. He’s really fucking hot. The unnatural blonde suits him so well, and his cat-like eyes are incredibly attractive. 

“I’m actually looking for one too. There's one a few buildings over, you want to go with me?”

“Sure.”

From then a beautiful friendship bloomed. You learned his name is Jun, he’s from china, he speaks mandarin, cantonese, and korean. He loves to dance. His best friend/roommate's name is Minghao who is also from China and has bright red hair so it would be hard to miss him on campus. He used to be a child actor, but got into business so he can take over his dad’s company, and most importantly he is filthy rich. He didn’t even bother to say he’s “Comfortable” like most rich people do, he just said “I can pay all four years of full tuition with no worries.” which told you everything you needed to know. You and Jun quickly became friends, attached to the hip would be an understatement. Wherever you went, best believe Jun would be there. He became your go-to person. If you needed something he would get it for you, if you needed help he would be there, he was even there to ice your nipples when you got them pierced. You lost all shame when it came to Jun, he was your person. So when you walk into your room one day, just to see Jun laying shirtless in your bed, covered in sweat, with his dick in his hands, and your panties to his nose, you’re beyond confused. 

“Jun?” you say with wide eyes, quickly shutting the door.

“I’m sorry Y/N, Hoshi tricked me and gave me chocolate but it was some sort of fucking viagra and now I can’t stop thinking about you and I’m sorry if this is weird and ruins our relationship and i know I should’ve just went to my room, but I know your roommate and hao are in there and I really wanted to see you and I knew you could help me-”

“Jun, slow down what?”

“Y/N, please fuck me.” he says with a whine.

You feel like you could collapse right now. 

You slowly walk up to him and take his chin into your hand, raising his face to meet your eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Y/N. Please.”

You straddle his thighs and kiss him and take his dick into your hands, beginning to stroke it making him groan. “Jun, how long have you felt like this?”

“Since you bumped into me in the hallway. You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” he says and leans forward to kiss you again. He runs his hands across your body and squeezes your ass. 

“Baby, please let me fuck you.”

“Jun, you’re driving me crazy.”

“Imagine how crazy you drove me every time you bent over only wearing one of my shirts, every time you wore a shirt with no bra, touched me in a certain way, looked at me with those pretty eyes, smiled at me. I’ve wanted to make you mine for so long, to be able to call you my girl.”

You smile at him, a bright, beautiful smile, making his heart skip a beat. You lean back and take off your shirt, his hands immediately flying to your chest, squeezing them.

“When I saw these tits for the first time I popped a boner. I had to pretend I was fine seeing your nipples pebble up from the ice.”

“I wish you did what you were thinking. You helping me made me sooo wet.”

He runs his hands to your sweatpants and pulls them down, helping you get off leaving you in just your panties. He sits up and kisses up your chest and around your face. He kisses your forehead, then your eyelids, the tip of your nose, your jaw, and finally your lips.

“Please fuck me, Jun.”

He flips the two of you over pulling off his sweats and boxers. “Where are your condoms?” 

“You don’t need one.”

“Baby, are you sure?”

“Yes Jun! Just fill me up already.” you whine.

He groans into your neck, running his fingers through your folds, only to find you ridiculously wet. “All this just for me?” he smirks at you, slowly circling his finger on your clit. 

“Yes, Jun”

“You flatter me, Baby.”

He runs his fingers down and plunges two straight into your hole, cutting to the chase and feeling around for your G-spot. He knows he found it when your back arches off the bed and you grab his hair, pulling his lips to yours. He continues thrusting up into your sweet spot, making your toes curl. You pull his hair and look into his eyes. 

“I want to cum on your cock, Junnie.”

“And exactly when I think I couldn’t be more in love with you, you surprise me.” he says with a smile. “But no.” he says as his eyes darken.

“What the fuck do you mean no?” you say in shock.

“I mean, you’ll cum when I let you cum.”

“Jun, stop teasing.”

“I can show you what real teasing looks like, Baby.” he says as he pulls his fingers out of you and slips them into your mouth as you're about to rebuttal.

He pulls you up by your hair and pushes you to your knees. “You know what to do Baby, I’ve heard first hand about how much of a whore you are.”

You groan but lick his leaking tip while looking into his eyes. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, '' you say challengingly. 

He looks into your eyes and shrugs. “I guess I’ll have to show you.”

He hooks his fingers into your mouth to widen it and shoves his dick straight into your mouth without giving you any time to adjust. He begins to thrust into your mouth and straight down your throat making you gag, but his fingers make you unable to close your mouth. You look at him with pleading eyes, but the tears running down your face only turns him on more. He decides he’s had enough. He needs to fuck that soaking wet pussy or he might actually die. He grabs your hand and throws you on the bed. 

“Spread your legs.”

You obey but you're plotting. Is he forgetting he was the one desperate for you to touch him? Now he wants to be in charge? Not on your watch. As he bottoms out in you, you let out a loud moan to distract him and flip him over. 

“Junnie, I think you’re forgetting you’re the one who's in desperate need of somewhere to dump their cum. You’d think you’d be a little nicer to me.” you say and grind your hips into him, making his eyes roll back.

“I want you to beg for me.”

Without missing a beat he starts to beg. “Please fuck me Y/N, I need it. I feel like I'm gonna explode. You're so warm and tight I feel like I’m in heaven. Please help me, baby.”

You raise your hips and his hips chase you, making it so you don't raise off his dick. “Jun, how am I gonna ride you if you don’t let me up.”

He groans and glues his hips to the bed, letting you begin to bounce. You feel like he’s in your guts, moving your insides around to accommodate him. 

“God, Jun you feel so good.” you moan out as you bounce faster, ignoring the burn in your thighs.  He thrusts meeting your hips as you bounce, pushing his dick deeper into you. His hands travel to your clit, pressing firmly and rubbing tight circles. “Please cum baby, cum on my cock, I’m so close.”

Seeing him so pathetic beneath you does something to you. You grind harder, feeling his tip hit your spot everytime, throwing you over the edge. As soon as he feels the first squeeze of your cunt he lets go, filling you up completely, causing some to spill out of you onto his thighs. He pulls you down for a kiss, holding you as you come down from your orgasm. 

He looks you in the eye when he whispers “I love you�� against your lips.

As the sun shines through your windows, you awake with a smile on your face. It feels so good to finally be in Jun’s arms as his girlfriend. You sit up and stretch making him get up with you. He wraps his hands around your waist. “I’m hungry,” he says. 

“You want me to order you something?”

“No, I’m hungry for something else. I missed out on eating it yesterday” he smirks and drags you down onto the bed with him.

A/N: LMK if you want a part 2 with her roommate and how? I'm thinking a forced proximity kind of thing.

[withlovewriting]

All I Ever Knew, Only You 16: Silent Night

Chapter Sixteen.

Footsteps without a sound, I'm coming home to you, Snowfall blankets the ground, It covers the ugly truth, Things that we hide from view, I get tired around this time, But I will try to make things right, Bring your arms around me fast, Warm my bones and fill my glass, God, I hope this year's better than the last

Summary: Hawkins was your typical quaint, mid-western town where nothing ever happened. People were born here, lived their entire lives within the town limits, and eventually died here, peacefully in their sleep. But one cold November evening in 1983 would change everything.

Despite a child with psychokinetic abilities and ravenous monsters that lacked faces, stranger things had definitely happened in the small town in Indiana. One of them being your reluctant and slightly imposed friendship with Hawkins High’s own King Bee, Steve Harrington.

Characters: Steve Harrington x Non-descriptive F!Reader (eventual)

Words: 6,867

Chapter Warnings: Explicit language, mentions of past childhood trauma, underage drinking, wintertime fluff. I think that's it. Also barely proofread because I really just wanna get this chapter out so apologies in advance for any mistakes, feel free to let me know.

Series Warnings: Strong language, mentions of underage drinking, mentions of drug use, canon-typical violence, mentions of alcohol abuse, mentions of possible mental health disorders, child abuse, slow burn, kinda enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, I like to call it ‘two idiots who begrudgingly befriend each other only to realize… ‘wait a damn minute…’, eventual sexual content, canon-typical time-period bullshit. 18+. Minors DNI.

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Taglist: @kezibear

Chapter Sixteen: Silent Night

Winters in the Midwest could be dire. Freezing winds rattled your bones and burrowed deep inside them, leaving you to feel their effects for days on end, and cold, wet snow that you often believed you'd sink right through, ending up in the middle of the Earth.

Yet despite the frosty weather, Hawkins in the winter was often referred to as picturesque with all the charm of the Walton's Christmas movie. But you were yet to see it. To feel it.

After the accident that viciously stole your sister from your life, followed shortly by your father's sudden exit, your mother had never really bothered with the holidays again, and maybe a bare Christmas tree in the living room would've been a more painful reminder than no tree at all. Either way, you couldn't remember much about the holidays when your sister was alive, but you were more than aware that there was a version of your family before, and a version after.

But you did come close to feeling it, just one time.

When you were around 9, you had been invited to spend the day at the Holland's home, where Barbara's mother watched you both through the window as you made slightly crooked snow angels, a poor excuse of a snowman that even had a carrot for a nose and a hat and scarf lent to you by Mr. Holland, who was warming up some hot cocoa as his wife whizzed around the kitchen, warm chocolate chip cookies cooling on the side as she hummed along to her Andy William's Christmas record.

It had been a peaceful few hours, and you knew deep in your soul that this was what Christmas was supposed to be about. In the company of loved ones; singing and dancing, and enjoying the time off work and school. Freezing your bones off during a snowball fight, only to warm back up with hot drinks, and a warm bath before bed.

But it didn't last long. Despite the promise of a warm, filling meal, your mother had turned up, tugging at your arm and half dragging you back through the snow as Mrs. Holland rushed after you both with your coat in hand. Your mother would then drive back home, half-cut and full with a mixture of annoyance and nostalgia. You knew what it was now, of course, but back then, your brain couldn't begin to understand how awful a thing grief was, and what it could make people do, make them say.

Hopper had tried once, not long after he'd called an end to the relationship with your mother. But you had been sure that the man wanted nothing to do with you, despite his turning up with a poorly wrapped gift on Christmas Eve. You'd stared at him for just a moment before shutting the door in his face and leaving him to the wrath of your mother should he insist on knocking again, silently pleading that he would. That no matter how many times you slammed the door in his face, or glared at him across the wobbly kitchen table, he would fight for you.

But he didn't, and you couldn't blame him for that, just as you couldn't be blamed for your fierce loyalty toward your mother.

Eventually, however, you would always find yourself awaiting her inevitable drunken slumber, covering her with a blanket before sneaking out into the dark winter night.

The coffee in the police station tasted like dirt, but it was hot, on tap, and most importantly, free. So you'd make your way there, too worried to drive the car in case the engine managed to wake her, and like clockwork, Flo would hand you a bitter cup of coffee in a slightly chipped white mug and send you through to Hopper, who would already be boring you with some spiel about how it wasn't safe for you to be out walking in bad weather conditions.

You'd watch the snow fall from his office window as he huffed and puffed through the night, claiming he couldn't tell you about any of the 'cases' going on in town, due to their confidentiality. That barely lasted an hour, however, and soon the man would be offloading his annoyance about how Mr. Gillespie had threatened to sue Mr. Caulfield because he'd cut down some overhanging branches from his tree, the latter claiming he would have to rake his garden twice a week because of his neighbor's overgrown tree. Hopper grumbled that they would be lucky if he didn't chop the damn thing down himself.

He had moved to New York to get away from these damn small-town problems and make a difference in the world. Yet, here he was, filing paperwork about how Mrs. Gillespie — he was beginning to think their family was the bane of all his problems — wanted to sue the park for an owl that had mistaken her hair for a nest and began to attack her, which with the amount of hairspray she used, he couldn't blame the damn animal. You wondered if now Hopper missed the quiet, tedious days before Hell opened up and spat out a couple of monsters.

But the Christmas of 1984 was different.

Your mother's meal remained plated up — but by this point, stone cold — on the side and you figured if she awoke and suddenly developed some respect for herself and her taste buds, she could help herself to your still-boxed meal that you just didn't have the stomach for.

You'd returned to your bedroom, a headache gnawing at the edges of your scalp as you considered whether or not you'd be able to get away with turning down the volume of the TV as your mother slept, spread out on the lumpy couch — you did pay the electrical bill that month, after all — when a loud knock echoed through the house, causing you to leap up from your bed and rush to the front door before the perpetrator had the chance to do it again, most likely waking your mother.

Almost ripping the door off its hinges, your glare dwindled to nothing more than a cocked brow as you came face-to-face with Eleven. A thick, heavy jacket hung from her small body and you could tell from how new it looked that she had received it that morning as a gift from Hopper.

“El? What are you doing here?”

Her smile was sweet, full of childlike excitement, and you wondered if this was her first real Christmas with gifts, visitors, and carolers. Even after escaping the lab, her first Christmas in Hawkins was in hiding with Jim. Same bird, different cage. But now… She had been officially adopted by Hopper — forged adoption papers be damned — and was able to experience a real family Christmas for the first time. You couldn’t help but wonder if Hopper's gift-wrapping skills had improved, and how burned was the turkey?

El's eyes darted toward the parked vehicle out front, “Hopper and I came to collect you.”

“For what?” You questioned, dumbfounded.

“It's Christmas,” Eleven grinned, wide and winsome, as if you were a total idiot.

Your rehearsed excuse was already sitting on the edge of your tongue, and you were fully prepared to turn the girl down no matter how shiny her puppy-dog eyes were, but the words that came out of her mouth next shut you down quickly, “We're going to have a real Christmas dinner together. Hopper said that's what real families do.”

Gnawing at the inside of your cheek, you willed your eyes to not well up as a lump crawled its way up your throat, threatening to expose you for the sad, lonely, and unloved girl you really were. The same six-year-old girl who wept for her mother to wake up as she was starving on Christmas day. The same 9-year-old girl who had felt a glimpse of being wanted before her mother cruelly dragged her backward through the snow in her friend's front yard. The same 15-year-old who wandered through a town much more dangerous than she'd ever know, heading toward the yellow, dingy lights of the police station, toward the only person in her life who had shown her that she meant something to someone. To anyone.

Peering toward the man of the hour, you found Jim watching the scene before him with his window rolled down as he leaned out into the cold, winter air, “C'mon, Kid. Turkey ain't gonna baste itself.”

You didn't mean to slam the door in the poor girl's face, a small gasp falling from her lips that could be heard through the wooden door as you stared at it for a moment. Spinning around, you grabbed your jacket and hat from the wonky coat peg, haphazardly throwing it on before rushing toward your room, knees aching as the floorboards creaked under them as you blindly searched for the wrapped box you'd hidden under your bed a few weeks ago.

Returning to the hall, you took a few cautious steps inside the living room. Your mother remained steadfast in her drunken slumber, snoring almost drowning out the TV, and you took a moment to decide if you really could leave her, but a timid knock on the front door made your decision for you.

El's hand was raised high, but her attention was focused on a concerned-looking Hopper as you pulled the door back open. Moving past her frozen body and closing the door quietly behind you, you eventually settled on her, present under one arm as you held out your other hand to her, “The driveway gets a little slippery in the snow.”

You passed by the snow-covered trees slowly, Hopper's cautious driving surprising you for a moment as he hummed along to the radio. El had seemingly not taken a breath since the moment you'd entered the car, telling you all about her day so far, and how Hopper had bought her gifts but wouldn't let her open them until after he'd drank at least two cups of coffee. You hated to interrupt her, but you couldn't help slamming your hand on top of Hopper's seat, the man jumping as you pulled him from his bubble.

“Can we stop somewhere first? There's something I need to do.”

Hopper's tires barely kicked up any snow left on the long driveway, and you assumed it had already been shoveled for the party the family no doubt held the evening before.

The boy's room faced the pool at the back of the house, so you had no option but to knock on the large red door, trying to blink away the memories of the last time you'd done this, Barb and Nancy beside you, before everything had turned to shit. Well, shittier, you supposed.

You wondered how the Hollands were fairing this year, another year without their only daughter, who was now laid to rest in the cemetery in town. You'd have to visit them, you decided. No matter how awkward and uncomfortable it was for you, Barb's family had been there for you in times when no one else had.

For a moment, you wondered if anyone was even home. It was a large enough house that maybe they couldn't hear a simple knock from a few rooms away, but eventually, the door opened wide, another familiar memory of Steve Harrington appearing in the doorway, his eyes roaming over you with the same perplexity that it had just over a year ago. Only this time they softened much sooner, despite the confusion that still clouded them.

“Uh, hey.”

“Hi,” You swallowed, face pinching in embarrassment as you stood on the boy's doorstep awkwardly.

“Is everything okay?” His brow pinched, eyes roaming over you once more and only settling back into place when he realized you were uninjured, nodding like a damn bobbing-head doll in a car.

“Yeah, no. Everything's… It's fine. I just…” taking a deep breath, you couldn't fathom why your heart was beating so loudly in your ears. Maybe it was because of your audience, the piercing stare of both Hopper and Eleven making your face feel much too warm in the cold weather, or maybe it was the fear that Steve very well could reject your offer.

You were friends, you both knew that by this point. And friends hung out, as you often did. But Christmas was a time for family, as El had told you, and here you were, about to ask him to ditch his parents to hang out. It felt silly to be so worried about something so trivial, but you couldn't stop the pounding in your chest.

“I know you're probably busy, but, uh… I was just wondering if you had any plans tonight.”

Steve watched you for a moment as if waiting for the punch line of a joke that he would inevitably be the butt of, but as the silent seconds passed and you visibly became more self-conscious, he finally realized you were not joking.

“Oh, uh… I'm not doing anything, actually. My parents are still pretty hung over from their party last night, but… Yeah, I can do, you know… Whatever.”

A loud honk of the Chevvy caused you to startle, turning quickly to send a glare toward its owner, who continued to watch the scene in front of him, unbothered by the lack of privacy he was giving you both.

“You wanna join us at Hopper's? He's threatening everyone with food poisoning if we don't, so…”

Steve had already eaten, his parents serving Christmas dinner closer to lunchtime, but he couldn't find it in himself to refuse the invitation. Last year, he had spent his Christmas Eve at the Wheeler's residence and although he was coming to terms with the fact Nancy and Jonathan were now definitely an item, he couldn't quite shift the loneliness that he felt, a year later, laying on his bed and throwing an old baseball up toward the ceiling repeatedly in silence as his mother rested in her room, his father locking himself away in his office, claiming he had unfinished work that just couldn't wait one more day.

“I could eat,” Steve nodded, a small smile creeping onto his mouth as he watched yours do the same.

You felt as stuffed as the turkey that was sat atop the small dining table. It was a squeeze to fit you all around it, you pretty much had El sat on your lap for the majority of the meal, but as you collected the plates, you felt a warm, full sensation in your chest that you hadn't felt before, and couldn't blame on your second helping of mashed potato.

“Leave it, Kid. I'll do it before bed.”

Ignoring Hopper's protests, knowing that he damn well would not do the dishes before bed, you continued toward the small kitchen, pilling the plates on the small draining board as El joined you to scrape the leftovers into the trash can.

Hopper was already sprawled back against the armchair, legs wide and pants unbuttoned as he turned his attention to the TV in front of him, despite the volume being too low to hear much.

“Uh, thanks for letting me join tonight,” Steve cleared his throat, his back a little too straight to be at ease as he sat on the small couch.

“Wasn't my idea,” Hopper took a sip from his bottle of Coca-Cola before resting it back onto his jean-clad knee, “Kid wanted to stop by.”

Steve nodded, his eyes flitting toward where you stood scrubbing the stubborn gravy stain from the pot as El blew some remaining bubbles at you from a plate. Flicking some of the water in her direction, Hopper's attention turned toward you both when he heard the younger girl gasp lightly, her eyes wide as a smile stretched across her face.

“Hey, girls, don't start-”

Hopper's words were futile as El dipped her own hand into the sink before flicking the dirty water back at you, reveling in your hearty laugh that he wasn’t sure he’d ever really heard before.

“Not with your parents tonight?” Hopper questioned, his eyes finally settling on the boy who sat to his right.

“Uh, we hung out this morning. Dad had some work to finish up though…”

Hopper watched as the boy ran his hand through his hair, his eyes on the TV, but he could tell Steve wasn't really paying attention to the movie. He hadn't had much of an opinion on the Harrington boy before, originally passing him off as another old money, trust fund kid who rebelled against his parents until he'd eventually end up with a life just like his father's.

The irony wasn't lost on Jim as his own father — the old Chief of Police — flashed in front of his eyes, brows stern before letting out a dejected sigh so loud he was sure the whole town could hear it.

“Well, she's glad you could make it.”

“Yeah, me too…” Steve nodded, an awkward, tight-lipped smile sent the Chief's way before his eyes slowly trailed back towards where you stood next to the younger girl.

“So, since someone didn't have any ingredients to make a pie,” you began, a side eye sent Hopper's way, “El came up with the brilliant idea to make our own dessert.”

“Eggos?” Hopper sighed, rubbing his stomach. Only moments ago he was certain his stomach would burst at the mention of food, but now… Well, a sweet treat didn't sound so bad.

“Eggos,” El confirmed, perching on the sofa and taking a large bite from her first waffle.

Bringing a plate over to Hopper, he took it with a grateful smile as you returned to the small kitchen. Steve mustered the energy to push himself up, joining you only a few feet away from his previous seat, “I'll, uh… I'll help.”

“You're the guest,” you began, “and I think I can toast a couple of Eggos without burning the place down.”

Steve huffed, an amused smirk pulling at his mouth as he cocked a brow and all but snatched the box from your hands, “Just accept the help, for my sake. I think if Hopper glares at me any harder I'll be the one being set on fire.”

Leaning against the small counter, you watched as he went about heating the waffles before eventually plating them up. Standing side by side, you chewed in silence, eyes darting from the small TV to Steve every so often.

“I'm sorry for dragging you out on Christmas day just to sit and eat Eggos in a cabin in the middle of the woods, but I'm glad you're here.”

Steve stopped mid-chew, quickly swallowing the bite of waffle he'd only just shoved into his mouth, “No, no, it's uh… It's been nice, you know? I was only gonna watch some lame movie on my own anyway.”

The moment of silence that passed between you was briefly interrupted as childlike giggles from El filled the room, watching as Uncle Scrooge McDuck made amends with the Cratchit family. Your eyes softened slightly as you watched the young girl who could barely peel her eyes away from the TV set.

“Are you, uh, going to Lewensky's New Year's party?” Steve asked, his head tilting toward you slightly as he lowered his voice, all too aware of Hopper's not-too-distant presence.

The scoff fell from your lips before you'd even realized, “I'm sure my invite got lost in the mail. Plus, after last Halloween… high school parties really are not my forte.”

Steve's eyes dropped to his feet at the mention of Tina's last party, the memory of Nancy's drunken, harsh words was still a wound that was slowly scabbing over, “Yeah, yeah I get that.”

Taking a deep breath, you placed your plate into the sink and focused back on the boy who had since last year, had his life completely turned around. He'd lost more than you'd originally presumed, but because Steve had money, you had felt that no matter how bad Steve's life got, he would never have to steal for food, bundle up in every warm outfit he had just because he couldn't afford to warm the house or pick up extra jobs to keep a roof over his head. He would always have a sense of security that couldn’t be taken from him.

But Steve had lost parts of himself along the way. Some good, some bad. But looking at the sinewy boy standing next to you, you knew it was for the best. From his asshole friends who kicked him down as soon as he slipped from the top rung of the school hierarchy ladder to Nancy, the girl who had somehow stopped his straying eye and made him believe in love, despite breaking his heart along the way because she fell in love with a boy who wasn't him.

But now, Steve had gained friendships that didn't depend on what he could do for them, or how popular he was. They were no longer transactional and instead relied on how much they cared about him, and how far they were willing to go to keep each other safe. And even if you assumed it would feel like a consolation prize to the boy, Steve now had you and your unwavering loyalty, even if your friendship had originally felt like a slow-building, forced-together situation. He had saved your life multiple times now, and eventually, one day, you would both come to the realization that you had both in fact, saved each other.

“You never told me what happened at that party. Why everything seemed to go to shit after it.”

Steve's plate joined yours in the sink, and he was grateful that he'd already finished his waffles, as his stomach sank and he lost any type of appetite he'd had left, “I should, uh… I should probably get going.”

Biting the inside of your cheek, you couldn't help but feel like an asshole. It had been less than two months since whatever went down with him and Nancy at Tina's party, and here you were, pick, pick, picking at his wounds because of your own curiosity. Nosiness. Inability to just let things lie. You sent the boy a strained smile which he returned before pushing himself away from the counter and toward the small living room,

“Uh, we're gonna head out. Thanks for dinner though, Chief. I had a great evening.”

Hopper's brow raised as he turned his attention toward you, then back to the boy, “It's late, I should drive you home.”

Before you left, you handed El the small gift-wrapped present, watching as her eyes lit up like the Christmas tree in downtown Hawkins. With a quick nod of reassurance from you, she began to tear off the paper, a large smile covering her face when she pulled out the cassette tapes from the old, wrapped shoe box, eyes scanning over the black and white picture of Bryan Adams. Only a handful were new, most being your old tapes, mixed tapes you'd made or been gifted by Jonathan throughout the years, hours worth of music she could discover,

“Now you don't have to listen to the old man's music.”

“Hey,” Hopper warned, despite his voice holding no real offense, “Nothing wrong with a bit of Jim Croce.”

“I'm not saying there is, unless, you know… you're a thirteen-year-old girl.”

“Right, that's enough out of you. Go get my keys.”

Once school had broken up, December always seemed to move slowly. The days blended together, and if not for work, you wouldn’t know what day it was. The arcade opened back up on the 27th and your manager was all too aware that with the children off for the holidays, at some point, the parents would get sick of them and send them out for the day, and most of them would make their way to the warm arcade. You’d managed to pick up an extra shift or two, thankful to be working with Keith and not Andy, the latter all but begging you to pick up his New Year's Eve shift. So you’d made your way to work, finishing just after 10. Keith could be an absolute pain in your ass when he wanted to be, but you couldn’t deny that he did a better job closing the arcade than Andy did, and actually did his fair share of cleaning, meaning you were able to get home quicker, especially with the boy dropping you off as the snow had started to fall once more.

Now you’d been back home for a while, you’d settled on your bed intending to read before bed, yet here you were sat staring out of your bedroom window, a book opened, but otherwise untouched as it remained perched on your lap. The snow finally settled, peaceful and undisturbed and you wished you could drown out the noise of your mother’s television show, — Happy New Year, America — the volume turned up so loud that it managed to drown out her incessant snores. You wondered if it was something she did in an attempt to drown out whatever turmoil she’d dream about, but with the amount she drank, did she even dream anymore? Or was her mind as dark and lonely at night as it was in the day?

The red lights from your alarm clock flickered, 11.32pm, and soon the town of Hawkins would ring in the New Year, the rest of America following behind shortly. People make resolutions to work harder, eat healthier, attend more aerobic classes, and only cheat on their wives with their secretaries on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings. Promises to themselves that would be broken by the first week of February.

All you wanted was a quiet year. You didn’t need a pity party, but your life up to this point, had been difficult, to say the least. Since 1977 your resolutions have mirrored wishes. Hopes and dreams for the next year, akin to what you might’ve wished for when blowing out your birthday candles if you’d ever had a cake. A peaceful 1985, with no interdimensional monsters lurking around the corner, or curly-haired mullet-wearing Californian boys who wanted nothing but trouble. Or whatever the hell had possessed Will.

Blinking a few times, you tried to focus on the book and lifted it from your lap as if that would help, but the words were simply blurring into one big, inky mess on the page. Closing your eyes tightly, you pushed your face into the open pages of the book and let out an exasperated groan. Of course, you could’ve just gone to bed, woke up on January 1st, and continued your life as usual, but something forced you to remain awake. You needed to see this year through, right until the end, even if just to prove to yourself that you had survived it.

You couldn’t wait to see the back of 1984 and hoped the door did, in fact, hit its ass on the way out.

Releasing a long sigh, a cold shiver ran over your skin, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps, and the unnerving feeling that you were being watched caused a thick, tense air to settle around you, leaving you almost too scared to remove the book from your face, frightened to catch a glimpse of whatever was waiting out there waiting, observing you.

At best, it would be a peeping tom, but at worst? Well, wouldn’t it just be your luck to enter the new year with the same monsters you were hoping to permanently leave behind, chasing you into 1985? If there was no rest for the wicked, you’d hate to think of what you did in a previous life, something so heinous that karma had crossed over into this one, haunting you still.

A sharp knock against the glass forced your body into movement, the book flying from your hands and into the direction of said sound as if the old, worn copy of ‘A Room of One’s Own’ that you had yet to return to the library would suffice against any kind of intruder.

But before the book could clatter to the floor, dislodging some of the pages that were already clinging on for dear life, your eyes met those honey-colored familiar ones, the boy jumping at the collision of the book, only inches from his face despite being protected by the glass that separated them.

Releasing an annoyed huff of breath from your mouth, you pushed yourself from your bed and all but stomped toward the window, cringing as it scraped and squeaked against the windowsill.

Swallowing down your embarrassment and finally feeling your heart slow down, you sent a glare to the boy, one he happily returned.

“What the hell are you doing here, Harrington?”

Scoffing, the boy’s frown deepened, “You’ve got a hell of an arm, you know that?”

“Oh please, the window was closed. I probably did more damage to my book than I would’ve to your face.”

The crease between his eyebrows smoothed out as he took you in. He’d asked Nancy about the flashlight incident of 1983 after overhearing part of your conversation whilst you comforted his ex-girlfriend in the Holland’s bathroom, being told all about your ability to throw inanimate objects into the face of your enemies. Turns out, it was a habit — or rather, a reflex — you’d be taking into the new year with you.

“What are you doing here?”

Rolling his eyes, Steve placed an arm through the window frame, trying in vain to move you aside, “I was at Mark Lewensky’s party, and it totally sucked. Can I come in? It’s freezing-”

“My mom’s home,” you told him simply, as if she wasn’t out cold, sprawled across the couch. But your mother had been very clear about boys being in her home without her knowledge. It was just a shame she didn’t care as much regarding the men she brought home.

With a cocked brow, Steve watched you for a moment before bending over to grab something on the snow under your window, eventually holding up the bottle of cheap alcohol he’d swiped from the party before taking his leave, “I brought a gift."

You considered the boy for a moment, eyes glancing toward your alarm clock, still sitting pretty on your nightstand, the red numbers almost taunting you in a way you couldn’t describe.

11.46

If you really wanted to, you could easily send the boy off, tell him to go home, or even just go sit in his car and drive around town, and he’d do it. You could crawl into bed, pull the covers up over your head, and pretend that this whole year didn’t happen. Or, you could ring in the new year with some shitty vodka warming your belly, and a friend by your side. A friend who looked just as finished with 1984 as you were.

“Just… give me a second, alright?”

Furtively, you grabbed your denim jacket, hat, and blanket from your bed before shoving on a pair of sneakers and clambering out of your window, causing Steve to fumble backward to avoid getting headbutted. Recovering quickly, Steve helped you down onto the soft snow, now sullied with the prints from his shoes.

“C’mon,” you mumbled, closing your window a little more in an attempt to keep your bedroom at least mildly warm before grabbing the sleeve of his jacket and wandering toward the back of your house where the slightly splintered trellis sat against a wall, reaching up far enough that you were able to climb onto the slight slope of your roof.

Steve, however, looked much less certain, worry evident in his quizzical eyes as they moved from you, to the trellis, and back to you,

“It’s fine, Steve. I’ve been climbing this thing since I can remember.”

Grumbling under his breath, Steve not-so-nimbly started his own ascent, arm high in the air for you to grab the bottle until he eventually settled in next to you on the blanket. It wouldn’t stop the cold snow that you’d half-scraped off the roof eventually leaking through, but it was at least a little more comfortable.

After opening the bottle and taking a long sip, Steve handed it toward you, watching as you gulped down a mouthful of the drink, face screwing up just as his own did moments ago.

“So, why’d the party suck?”

Steve accepted the bottle when you held it out to him, taking another large gulp, “It’s just not my scene anymore, you know?”

“Wow,” you huffed out a fake laugh, “never thought the day would come when the Keg King of Hawkins doesn’t want to party.”

Steve rested the bottle in his lap, fingers picking at the peeling label, “Yeah, well, you’re the one spending New Year’s alone with your face in a book. Literally.”

“And somehow, I was still having a better time than you were.” You shrugged, sending the boy an impish smile.

You both remained quiet for a moment, but you could feel the awkward tension that had settled over you back at Hopper’s before you’d left. You and your big mouth had ruined a good evening, and you couldn’t help the heavy feeling of guilt that had settled on your chest since.

“I’m sorry about Christmas, you know? Bringing up the whole Nancy thing. It’s not my business and I shouldn’t pry. And I’m sorry for bringing it up now, too. I just… I felt bad.”

Steve sighed and took another sip of the drink before handing it back to you, his eyes remaining focused on you as he took a deep breath, all too aware that you were looking anywhere but at him now. He hadn’t been avoiding you since the awkward end to Hopper’s Christmas meal. You’d been busy with work and he… Well, he had been sulking in his room alone for the most part. But he’d come to the realization at the New Year’s party that he really didn’t have that many friends, even back when he was swanning around the school like he owned the place.

And maybe, being open and honest to someone would help him move past the shit he’d dealt with this year. Maybe it could help… Maybe you could help.

“Nancy was uh… She was really suffering after losing Barb. And I knew that a part of her blamed us for what happened. Whilst she was being dragged off to… whatever that place is, we were, well, you know…”

Steve ran a hand through his hair, not bothered that he was slightly messing it up, “I just didn’t realize how much she blamed us. Blamed me. She uh, she said everything was bullshit. That our relationship was bullshit. And when I asked if she loved me…”

“She was drunk, Steve. She didn’t know what she was saying-”

“No, I uh… I asked her at school the next day. She was pissed because I didn’t pick her up that morning, and I asked her. I begged her to tell me she loved me. And she couldn’t, because she didn’t. She didn’t love me, and I don’t know if she always knew that, or just realized it then. And then I… Jesus, I went around there like a total jackass, with roses and I was gonna apologize, you know? Because, she can’t help it if she doesn’t feel that way, and I shouldn’t push her into saying it, but… She’d disappeared with Jonathan. And I don’t know what happened between them, but… I mean, they started dating right after, so, I kind of guessed then that we were over, for good this time.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

Steve huffed a small laugh, but there was no humor to it, “You got nothing to apologize for.”

“I know, but… I was an asshole to you. And even after all that… You still made sure I was okay that night. Still protected us all at the Junkyard. I just… I didn’t know you were dealing with that.”

“Well, some things are a bit more important than my shitty love life, I guess. Being torn apart by a bunch of Demo Dogs being one of them.”

You placed the bottle back in his lap, placing a hand over his once he took it, “I can’t begrudge Nance for finding happiness with Jonathan, you know? It was kind of obvious from the outside that there was something between them. But you didn’t deserve that, Steve, and I’m sure Nancy knows that, too. She deserves to be happy, but so do you. And hell, it’s not like you’ll have any trouble finding someone else to warm your bed until then. You’ll be just fine, Harrington. I’m sure of it.”

“That night… With Billy-”

Shaking your head, you stopped him before he could finish his sentence, “We don’t need to go there, really. I’d prefer it if we put it down to being drunk and stupid, or lonely and desperate… whatever. It didn’t mean anything, and I knew the kind of guy he was, I really shouldn’t have been surprised.”

“He was an asshole, and I’m sorry about the rumors about us, well... you know.”

Finally, you met his dark, honey-colored eyes, “That’s not on you to apologize for. But I am sorry if that didn’t help shit with Nancy. And for what I said to you after… About, not wanting to hang out or be your friend. You looked out for me when I really needed it, and I threw that back in your face. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s cool,” Steve smiled, the warmth of your hand still lingering on his skin even after you pulled your hand back, “I mean, there is a way you could make it up to me.”

Your brows drew together almost comically fast, dropping slightly as you sent him a suspicious glare, but when you remained quiet, Steve took it as his chance to continue,

“You could help me study for my exams. I mean, I’m not expecting to do well, or anything, but… I still wanna graduate.”

“You know I usually charge for tutoring-”

“Yeah, that’s not how apologizing works though, is it?” Steve smirked, a playfulness in his eyes that you hadn’t seen in a while.

A silence passed between the both of you as you took turns passing the bottle around, small sighs and scrunched-up faces as the drink burned your throats on its way down.

“Do you think this year's gonna be better? I mean, as in no more monsters crawling out of the Hell’s asshole that is Hawkins?”

Steve’s eyes returned to you — despite keeping yours front and center — and you could feel their laser-like focus roam over your side profile as if he would find an answer that would pacify the both of you etched on your skin.

“I think,” Steve seemed to choose his words wisely, “we’ve all been through enough shit to last us a lifetime. We’re owed at least one good year, right?”

A small bubble of laughter erupted from your chest as you finally turned toward the boy, “I think that’d be the bare fucking minimum, Steve. And those kids, you know? They deserve to just be… kids. Instead, they’re fighting against interdimensional monsters and god knows what else El and Will have been through.”

“Maybe this town’s cursed, you know?” Steve shrugged, taking another sip from the bottle.

“Do you think you’ll ever leave?” You questioned, specifying once Steve raised his brow, “Hawkins, I mean. Do you think you’ll ever get out of here?”

“Well, I don’t think I’m gonna get into any out-of-state colleges.”

“No, I mean like… forever. Do you ever just want to pack up a bag and let this shitty town swallow itself whole?”

Steve’s eyes softened as you peeked back at him, fingers fiddling with a loose thread on the blanket, “I guess. I don’t really have anything keeping me here. But… I don’t know. It pains me to say it but... I think I’d miss the little jerks too much. God knows Dustin wouldn’t survive five minutes unsupervised- Oh, hey, look-”

A fountain of light filled the sky, quickly followed by a loud crack as the fireworks spread across the sky, followed by another explosion of color.

You watched the lights as they forced colors into the night, breaking apart the dark sky before fizzling out and falling back down to Earth.

Steve called your name softly, watching as you turned your attention toward him, “Happy New Year."

“Happy New Year, Steve.” You replied, taking the bottle from his grasp with a small smile before returning your attention back to the sky, hoping the cheap vodka would wash down the nauseating panic that crawled up your throat as the sky split open once more, bright reds against the dark navy sky, looking as though it was ripped apart at the seams, and you half expected a monster to fall out of it.

[bloopitynoot]

9 Wangxian Coffee Shop Au's

I am back at it with another tried and true rec list! This one is for @aplaceofnonsense and features various ratings, lengths, and plots that fall under the coffee shop au vibe.

I have read and loved all of these fics so they have been pre vetted!

If you would like a personalized wangxian rec list- DM me! I love putting these lists together :)

The request:

wangxian

coffee/tea shop aus!

that's literally it

Here we go!

1 for you, andante (35600 words) by xuanxuanwo

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Music, Musicians, Pianist Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Guitarist Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Kid Fic, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Existential Crisis, Unrelated Meng Yao | Jin Guangyao & Qin Su, Friendship, Romance, Light Angst, Happy Ending Summary: “Looks like he’s taken a liking to you,” Wei Ying says with a huff. Lan Wangji’s world shifts another ninety degrees when he’s pinned with the full force of Wei Ying’s attention. The guitarist perches on the other half of A-Yuan’s seat and slides an arm around the boy, smoothing back his hair before tweaking his nose. A-Yuan twitches, and Lan Wangji practically burns where Wei Ying had grazed against his shoulder. Wei Ying leans over and sets his chin lightly against A-Yuan’s head. There’s a gleam to his eye, silver coins that put all other metals in the world to shame. The boy sniffs again, and slowly, under the hollow of the guitarist’s body, he relaxes. “And who,” Wei Ying continues, “has bewitched my little radish?” -- On a rainy Thursday evening, after his final concert of the season, pianist Lan Wangji ducks into a bookshop, befriends a toddler, falls in love with a guitarist, and, ultimately, rediscovers his passion for music.

Notes: This fic absolutely gives fall energy. The vibes are rainy day nights, casual strolls, smoky jazz bar, and steaming hot drinks. I love this au so so much it really is a soul balm. It does ft a tiny tiny bit of angst, but the ending is solid. It's like the hot chocolate of fics.

2 Pan - we're queer here! (35279 words) by IBurbick

Chapters: 20/20 Rating: Explicit Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen/Nie Mingjue Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Modern AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone lives, Sweeter than caramel sauce on your venti frappuccino, Everyone Is Gay, Because it's a queer café, cooking magic, autistic characters, Trans Character, Don't worry there will be drama, Homophobia, sorry about that, We serve 'het' as well, Lan-food is non-canonically not-bland but always-vegan, non-binary characters, Asexual Characters, pansexual characters, This is starting to sound like a round-up, Food Porn, Eventual Smut, Mental Breakdown, Dissociative Episode, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Music Theory, Verbal Fight, Fist Fight, supportive friends, Bullying, Madam Yu's A+ Parenting, Adoptions, Wei Ying is a canonically brilliant dumbass, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, Pining, Mutual Pining, Mingjue is the best boyfriend Series: Part 1 of Pan - We're queer here! Summary: Lan Xichen owns a sweet little café named Pan where he tries to create his own little safe space where people are inclusive and can enjoy great food and drinks. When his chef Su Minshan suddenly quits he is in desperate need for a new 'culinary artist'. Enter Wei Wuxian who is a literal pastry wizard (no magic, just baking). Stick-up-ass Lan Wangji runs the business side of Pan and has some trouble getting used to the whirlwind that is Wei Wuxian, but of course he cannot but fall head-over-heels for him. !Possible trigger warnings:! - (mentions of) homophobia / bullying - chapters nine and ten feature a panic attack / dissociative episode - due to chapter seventeen, I had to turn the rating from General Audiences to Explicit. There will be smut, y'all. - characters will be getting in a fight, around chapter nineteen. Which is nothing compared to the fights in MDZS/The Untamed, but still.

Notes: I adore the pan coffee shop verse. each fic in the series brings a wholesome joy I did not know I needed. This coffee shop au screams rom com but also found family in community. I love the portrayal of xichen in this fic and I love how desperately lan zhan does not want to fall for wei ying. It's pure magic at pans!

3 Let Me Lose My Shadow (55696 words) by Harleydoll

Chapters: 9/9 Rating: Mature Additional Tags: Soft Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Get a Happy Ending, POV Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, POV Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji Has Feelings, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Dating, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles, Anxiety Attacks, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji Loves Rabbits, Breaking of Gusu Lan Sect Rules (Modao Zushi), Gusu Lan Sect Rules (Modao Zushi), technically its just Lan Qiren's rules, Mentioned Lan Qiren, Sleeping Together, First Kiss, No beta we die like wwx, First Time, Hand Jobs, Kissing, Intimacy, Sexual Content Summary: Lan Wangji has always been good. He is a good nephew, a good brother, a good student. He excels in all of his classes, he obeys the etiquette of his household, and he does not speak out of turn. Good, Lan Wangji has come to realize, is just another word for boring. Or, Wei Wuxian just wants to do cute fall shit with Lan Zhan <3

Notes: This fic is less coffee shop being owned by one of the protagonists and more so coffee shop meet cute. ofc wei ying cannot leave the hot quiet guy with the fancy tea and gel pens alone in the cafe. What starts off rocky soon evolves into the cutest little slow burn. This truly is a fall coffee shop fic; so much pumpkin spice and cozy energy.

4 Made With Love (10900 words) by arekushia

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Romance, Fluff, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bakery, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Pining, baker Lan Wangji, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Friends to Lovers, cheese to the extreme, i need to schedule a dentist appointment after writing something this sweet Summary: Wei Wuxian finds a new home within an unexpected place, and discovers that forever is never too far out of his reach.

Notes: The summary is short and the fic only around 10k but I swear it is so cute. It starts with a new cafe that opens without having coffee and turns into the cutest little romance. Wei ying just keeps going back and falling more in love with the cafe owner and baker. Lan zhan just can't stop giving his new customer custom orders and free treats. They are absolutely adorable- this is pure fluff.

5 The tea to my heart (83773 words) by blackmorphos

Chapters: 21/21 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Fluff, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, Lan Zhan makes a friend, A Yuan gets a much bigger part than planned, A Yuan is very cute, Wei Ying is cute too, angst but it in the past, a drunk scene, Lots of Tea, some steam buns, Falling In Love Series: Part 1 of The tea to your heart Summary: A tray being placed onto the table in front of him startled Wei Ying’s attention away from his phone. He looked up with a smile before seeing what the man had brought him.   “You will have tea,” the man said in a low deep voice that brooked no argument.   By the time that had filtered into his brain the guy had already walked away and disappeared out the back. Wei Ying looked down. No coffee, but there was a blue teapot with a small matching cup and a plate with a steam bun on it. Wei Ying blinked stupidly at it for a few moments before deciding it wasn’t worth arguing with the scarily intense man over it, and reached for the bun. It looked so inviting, and it was still warm. Biting into it Wei Ying then realised just how hungry he was, and within seconds the bun had been devoured. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.   A sleep deprived Wei Ying stumbles into a tea shop, meets an impossibly beautiful man, and is served a cup of tea that changes his life in more ways than he could have possibly expected. A modern day meet cute with heaps of Wangxian fluff, mutual pining, and A-Yuan adorableness galore!

NOTES: I love this fic so much because Lan Zhan is aggressively taking care of Wei Ying; the exhausted hot stranger who walked into his not even open yet tea shop. Wei Ying WILL drink the tea and WILL eat the snacks. Eventually Wei ying WILL come over to his house to have his laundry done and a place to relax and he WILL have the things he needs for his "son". It is absolutely so cute. Wei Ying never stood a chance XD. Also the speed in which lan zhan wants them to get together breaks the sound barrier.

6 Three Hundred and Fifty-Five Milliliters (3615 words) by magicites

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Getting Together, Fluff, the trials and tribulations of your barista having a crush on you Summary: “Would you like the usual?” Lan Zhan asks.  “Yes please! Mocha java chip frappe with just a little extra whipped cream,” says Wei Ying. He rolls his shoulders, cracks his neck, and sets both of his hands on the counter. He peers at Lan Zhan until he finally makes eye contact. “Tall. I mean it, Lan Zhan. Just. A. Tall.” - Wei Ying can't finish a venti frappe. Lan Zhan can't stop upsizing his drinks on the house.

Notes: A very short but cute fic- lan zhan is a simp and cannot help but continuously 'accidentally' upsizing all of wei yings orders. They are too cute in this. A small absolutely fluffy fic.

7 Stilettos and Soulmates (4536 words) by Regency_Bunny

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, One Shot, Meet-Cute, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shops, Soulmates, Stiletto Heels, Fluff Summary: Lan Zhan’s blind date doesn't go the way he expected.

Notes: This is barely a coffee shop au- and really only a coffee shop au because they go to a coffee shop shortly BUT it is an excellent Wei ying rescues lan zhan from a bad situation fic. A very short fic but still cute. CW jin Zixun is terrible and touches lan zhan without consent - does not go very far. But heads up if that is something that is a hard no for you.

8 Milk, two sugars and some cinnamon (14,888 words) by GusuLanSectRules (JuweWright)

Chapters: 12/12 Rating: Teen And up Audiences Additional Tags: Background Relationships, 3zun | Venerated Triad Feels, Barista Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, POV Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Fluff, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, CW minor character deaths (in the past and canon compliant), CW mention of cancer, Light Angst Summary: Lán Wàngjī doesn't like coffee shops much. Mainly because no barista ever seems to want to process his custom order...

NOTES: I love a good barista WY fic and this is it. Lan Zhan falls for the barista's competency, navigates a new relationship, and really fucking wishes he didn't have to give his brother relationship advice. a solid fic with some light past angst.

9 Where You Fell (303,010 words) by Sweet_William

Chapters: 144/144 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Mutual Pining, Alternate Universe - Homeless, Getting Together, Slow Burn, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, accidental sugar daddy lan zhan, Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Esteem Issues, No beta we die like wei wuxian, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Autistic Character, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Has ADHD, Panic Attacks, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sex Work, Implied/Referenced Substance Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending Summary: Years ago, Lan Wangji was a Senior in high school, readying himself for graduation and the coming years studying at the Gusu Lan Institute of Music. Everything in his life made sense, from his role in his family, to a future as a classical musician. The only thing that didn’t fit was the sudden epiphanies he had about himself brought on by his bothersome and flirtatious classmate, Wei Wuxian. When the growing attraction and friendship was cut short by the other boy’s disappearance, he mourned what could have been, but ultimately had to move on. What he didn’t know was that fate would bring them back together again one day, or the reality of how far apart two lives can diverge, how some can find peace and prosperity, while others can fall farther than he ever imagined.

NOTES: I am not going to lie this fic is rough- as in emotionally intense and filled with characters going through tough things. BUT I swear there is a happy ending. It does not completely feature coffee shops but so much of the plot is dependent on a coffee shop that I think it still counts. This is so much angst my friends, but also a HUGE fic! Read with caution but I do promise the ending is solid and happy.

[geekyarmorel]

Take a Break

Larissa Weems×Reader

Fluff

The skies gently poured down on Nevermore, most staying indoors as they tried to stay cozy and warm. You made your way through its halls, unhurried in your pace as you made your way to the principal's office with two hot chocolates in hand. You knew the woman there was practically working herself to death and you were determined to get her to take a break.

Arriving at the door you knocked, entering at her bidding. Opening it you were unsurprised to find her at her desk, keyboard clacking as she typed away. Her eyes glanced up to see who had come in, the smile that graced her lips made their corners crinkle and made your heart flutter. "Special delivery." You say, coming and placing the still warm hot chocolate on her desk. "One hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and fudge drizzle." A delighted smile met your words, a hand grabbing the drink and letting her take a sip.

"Thank you." She hummed, taking another sip before putting it down and resuming her work. You were undeterred and sat in the chair in front of her desk. "To what do I owe this pleasure to?" Larissa asked, looking back at you.

"You've been working hard and I thought you deserved something nice. Like perhaps taking a little break." You answer, taking a sip of your drink.

"I have been working hard." Larissa agrees, lifting the cup back up to her lips leaving another lipstick print on the lid as she took a drink. It was kind of pathetic that you were jealous of a plastic lid oh but how you longed for those lips to be pressed against yours. A print to call your own. "There's just so much to do. I have to have my proposal ready by next weekend. The major is wanting to visit again with the committee to go over yet another inane list. And parents weekend is just around the corner." She sighed, rubbing at her neck. "I think I'm getting a crick in my neck from holding this position for to long."

"I wouldn't doubt it." You watch as she tries to stretch out her neck, her grimace making you frown. "Would you like some help? I've been told I'm pretty good at massages." The words leaving your mouth before you could fully think them through. This could be pushing the boundaries of your friendship but you couldn't take the words back.

Her blue eyes met yours, a light blush dusting her cheeks before smirking ever so slightly. "Oh really? Well then by all means."

Rising you set your hot chocolate on her desk before rounding it and coming up behind her. Gently placing your hands on her neck you guided her to stretch to the side before switching to the other side. Once that was done you started off softly running your thumbs up and down her neck before adding more pressure.

A low hum slipped from her lips as you worked, a soft moan spilling out as you moved to work her shoulders as well. You swallowed, trying to not let the little noises she was making get to you. You spent a good while working and you could feel her practically melt under your touch. Finally you slowed, taking a step back and to the side. "Better?"

Larissa hummed blissfully, her eyes closed as she rested against the back of her chair. "Yes." She murmured lowly, "I could kiss you for this." It took a second before it seemed to don on her what she said. Her eyes snapped open and a blush settled heavy on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry that wasn't very professional of me."

"It's okay Larissa." You assure the woman, blushing madly yourself. "I honestly wouldn't object." You murmur turning and stepping around her desk, hoping she didn't fully catch what slipped out of your mouth before you could control it.

She seemed stunned for a minute and you blushed heavier, "I hope your work doesn't take to much longer." You hear yourself say, trying to excuse yourself quickly, you didn't want to say or do something else that would embarrass yourself further. "I'll see you later."

You practically ran to the door, only stopping when you heard her call of "Wait!" Your hand tightened on the handle as you heard her chair scoot back. The click of her heels sounded as she came toward you. "Look at me please."

Steeling yourself you turned and did as she said, cautiousness in her eyes as she examined you. "Did you mean that?" Larissa finally asked, letting silence hang in the air for a moment. "Did you really mean that? That I could kiss you?"

You felt your face turn red, wondering if you turned much redder if you would explode. Looking away you nod, to embarrassed to look in her eyes. You felt her hand gently tilt your chin up to make you look at her. "Words please darling. Tell me with your words."

"Y-yes." You finally stutter out, "I said that I wouldn't object to a kiss from you." A smile graced Larissa's lips, her eyes shinning in delight.

"Then may I kiss you now?"

Your breath caught in your throat as you nodded vigorously and luckily she took mercy on you and kissed you without you having to speak. Delicately her lips pressed against yours, smiling as you reciprocated the kiss. Her tongue slid against your bottom lip and you were helpless to do anything but part your lips for her. A delicious sounding hum slipped from her as she slid her tongue in and explored your mouth. Finally air became a necessity forcing you both apart, you hid your face in her neck and she rested her cheek on your head. "Care to stay with me a while?" She eventually spoke, pressing a kiss to your hair. "Perhaps we could finish out hot chocolates and maybe I could kiss you again?"

"I'd like that." You smile, raising your head enough to kiss her. "I'd like that a lot."

[krispdreemurr]

What do you think is Kris' relationship with Ralsei? Kris seems to genuinely like and care for Susie, and we know they are old friends with Noelle, but the player doesn't get much clues to how they feel about Ralsei. I hope Kris can see Ralsei as a friend and Ralsei learns to value himself a bit more.

i think kris struggles with getting close to people they don't instantly Get. they and Susie are on the same wavelength, but they canonly have been weird around Noelle basically their entire lives to the point where she doubts the friendship. that hasn't prevented them from slowly getting closer, but it's clearly been a trickier process.

i imagine that's generally been the case, and in particular I suspect that Kris struggles to deal with figuring out genuine vs fake kindness. with what we know about their childhood where they did have their naivete taken advantage of (fuck you bratty), and with how they tense around big gestures of affection, I think it takes time before they can sort out "genuinely nice person" vs "person who is faking it to manipulate me/because they pity me/because they have to be around me/etc". their general low self image doesn't help.

so probably their closeness w family - and Asriel in particular - was a slow build thing. they know and trust Asriel to be genuinely kind to them and can rely on him.

and now Ralsei has come in and is acting in an affectionate caring slightly-coddling way, very much acting like a member of Kris' family, and Kris is bristling because they met him two days ago,,,

they don't Dislike Ralsei. but they need time and space to be able to be comfortable around someone who acts like he does, and they're not getting it. this isn't at all helped by the player who can make them give hugs and praise Ralsei and generally act like they're besties forever. Ralsei doesn't have bad intentions but he can't pick up on Kris' signals because 1) he barely knows people and 2) Kris is being kept from communicating, so he just keeps pressing on as Kris is like GIVE ME THREE SECONDS HERE

If kris were given room to communicate their needs, i think Ralsei would listen and understand; he's already grown past his weird early relationship with Susie, and he has the potential to be a great friend. just right now Kris doesn't know what to make of him and Ralsei understandably can't know what Kris is thinking

ill end with the note that my general headcanon for Kris tasting Ralsei Tea is that it tastes a lot like store bought hot chocolate packets made with water. it's okay, but it's not what you actually want to drink, no matter what people might claim.

[shutupheathersorryheatherr]

"You don't know my name, do you? Will you ever?"

Summery: beomgyu keeps his promises--he walks you from and sometimes to work, hangs out there with you. its all very comfortable and usual for the both of you. he even orders the same thing every time he comes in: your wonderful hot chocolate you make him. noting is new, its all been done before a thousand times between the two of you. why? you and Beomgyu have been friends for ever. that's great. You and him have also become a sort of... intertwined. more than just being together; youve grown together. also great. but what happens when you do something out of the ordinary? or rather, maybe the two of you stop keeping your promises and let the feelings youve pushed down so hard you feel like youre about to combust bubble up? also great.

a/n: long hair gyuuuuuu based on 'you don’t know my name'!!!!! its one of my favorite (if not my singular favorite) song by her. and besides... come on y'all, its beomgyu so I had to lol. yerin and I talked about this during he 300 subs special (even though SHE doesn't seem to remember it lmao) so here I am holding up my end of the deal and making my fic based on this song. if you liked it please leave some love such as commenting and or reblogging!

warnings/info: slow burn I guess, kissing, reader and Beomgyu go to a party, mentions of people fucking, Beomgyu gets in an extremely heated argument with a complete stranger at said party, I feel like I ranted a bit too much with the fic, a little poem-ish at times I think, reader and gyu are scared to go into uncharted territory with thier friendship, lots and lots and lots of talk of reader and beomgyu needing to control themselves around each other, cursing, beomgyu being sweet and them slow dancing cause that's a warning in itself, one joke about beomgyu and reader fucking? idk its not said explicitly tho this was way too self indulgent I apologize, friends to lovers, reader is gn.

~this is simply a piece of fiction. my imagination onto "paper." this is in now way meant to be taken as an actual or real representation of anyone~

••••••••••••••••••••••

A sharp, wind chime sounding ping makes you spring out of your thoughts to look at the door. Your smile. Huh right on the dot. Your eyes are met with the handsome fetures of your most frequent customer: beomgyu. Hair touching the nape of his neck and eyes bright as ever despite the mugginess outside. though its not all bad-- it makes him remember how one time last winter on your usual walk-from-your-work-with-him, he had stood behind you and wrapped you in his coat, bringing you flush with his clothed chest. it was oversized on him and noting, he thinks, could have prepared him for how you melted into him.

you noticed his wandering eyes and raise you voice to snap him out of it.

“why do you look like that?” you ask. it’s slow at work right now and you say that because you don’t want him to notice your heart pounding. You know if you don’t distract him he’ll do so. He pays enough attention and knows you all too well to hide it. “oh I dunno I just went for a run. No! It’s because it’s raining buckets out there!” “Yeah YOU running? That didn’t sound right” his mouth hangs open a little "um excuse you." he puffs his chest out. "I-I run." the way he's shaking his head while speaking gives him away if you already didn't know him so well. maybe a little too well. but, you tried not to think about that too much. how you

“I’ll have the hot chocolate” he says, although you know what would fall out of his lips just the Same as last time, and the time before that. And many roles before. You know how he likes it (extra sweet. “Just like you” he says. Before you squeeze you nose) but seriously you don’t think you’ve ever known someone who liked such a sugary thing. It nearly tasting like straight candy

“not many people order hot chocolate in the summer. You sure you want that?” “Yeah, it’s a comforting drink ya know.” Something he always used to drink as a kid. Before he met you. Before he didn’t have to watch what he said around someone like you because of half giddy and half eyes to the floor bashfulness he’ll feel if he slips up and gets a little too flirty. Says something a little too strong to you. Not that you’d mind. No, not at all. But he doesn’t need to know you feel that way.

"Yeah but with everything?" you ask, still making it but wondering anyways. He leans further in, putting his hands on the table. "How come you're just asking me this now? we've been doing this for such a long time and now is when it pops into your mind that it's weird to have it with breakfast, lunch, and dinner?" you roll your eyes at him. but really, you weren't annoyed at all. the truth was you awaited the never-the-same times he'd come in and order that same, warm and comforting drink. (it depend on his classes, and or what he had to do inbetween) It had gotten on the point where one of the other workers there would tap your shoulder and let you know that he was there when you didn't notice.

"your guy is here." one of the workers there would tell you. In a moment of weakness, beomgyu would pop into your mind and your eyes would go wide as you looked for him. "he's not my guy." you'd try and cover your tracks but with the knowing smile on your work friends face as they walked away, you knew it wasn't any use.

"we've been doing this forever." his words rung in your ears. he was right. you had been. you'd both been seeing each other so much and resisting the bubbling urge to kiss the shit out of each other. You'd been inching dangerously close to him, but never as close as you really wanted and craved, the warmth of his heart ghosting your skin... forever. he'd been avoiding your gaze-- the one that made him feel like all the four seasons were swirling up inside him and somehow all their wonder landing in you, seeping out in all the little things you did... forever. To be honestly, neither of you knew how long you could keep this up.

but here you are, thinking of and loving noting more than seeing his eyes fill with excitement as you hand him the mug. he cups it with both his hands even though it isn't cold inside so it wasn't like he needed to warm his hands. "You know, you should just keep your own mug here." you comment. he looks up at you, about to take a sip and obviously not very happy you interrupted his almost-bliss. though, in his mind, it wasn't that different-- no, it could not compare to the feeling he got around you. "Or maybe I should just bring one with me." he jokes, lips pursing to blow the steam off the surface of the delicious smelling drink. "Yeah," you nod, "and bring a plate while you're at it-- you know what," you lean on the counter in front of him, knuckles going under your chin and fingertips folded enough to touch the beginning of your palm. And he'd rather not look at you through the fog emanating from the porcelain mug so he puts it down, leaning in for dramatic effect. "Better yet, take it with you when you leave so I don't have to wash it!" you eyes go wide and you throw your hands up like you just had the best idea of the century-- better than sliced bread.

he puts a hand to his chest, leans back with his mouth hung wide open, and then gets up with his hands to his head pulling at his hair like he just had an epiphany. you laugh freely as he walks around in a circle. once he's back at the counter he slams his hands down on the edge of it and looks all serious. "You've got it, y/n! this is gonna make history!" he exclaims. You take a bow just for kicks and when you come back up his expression has suddenly changed. its gone much... softer, a smile is tugging at his lips and he can't help it but to let it free once he sees your smiling face again... smiling because of him, too. because of the joy you two make together. its unmatched, really. His fingertips feel flushed like his face, and aren't holding on so tightly to the cold metal edge of the counter. he's leaning in now, for what reason he doesn't really know. damn, he wants and fucking needs to be closer to you. he feels it in his core.

Then, he makes the mistake of looking into your eyes and in an instant you send him on a whirlwind. usually he distracts himself and looks at something else but he just couldn't bring himself to this time. He wants to set up an easel and capture your entire expression right here but your eyes... your eyes he's sure made his plan he's trying to stick to of not getting caught in your gaze. or, better yet, not getting caught gazing at you. but, for someone he knows so well and for so long, it wasn't easy. because, every time you speak, every time he looks at you, every time he even thinks of you, his mind starts to cloud with all the goodness he sees inside you. every inch of your mind he knows and all the other filled up spaced he wants to adventure into.

How could he stop his mind from getting tied up in the wonder of a human that was you? He sure couldn't, and nobody in their right mind would be able to. He snaps himself out of his thinking before you can think to do it yourself. Lord knows if you caught him spacing out at a time like this you'd give him one of your infamous smacks on the ears and he'd shriek so loud out of surprise people outside would hear him. "You're making me waste valuable time on drinking this." he chuckled, holding a finger up to you to signal: one minute, as he takes a few big gulps. he puts the cup down and leans back.

"one of your best, y/n." he complements.

you raise an eyebrow. "Oh? so there's a hierarchy and competition for best of y/ns hot chocolate now? if I would've known I would've made it look all cute." you said, getting back to work behind the counter. the place was pretty dead at the moment but there was still a few things needing tone done. "Come to think of it, I should deduct points for not putting a cinnamon heart on the surface." he wonders aloud. "Oh so just a heart would suffice? noting else?" you ask him. "well why not?" he nearly giggles, "Thought you loved me." You simply smile and roll your eyes at him, not really having the opurtunity to have any type of conversation like that here. although you wanted to. and it didn't really have to go the way you intended it. but if he-- or the both of you for that matter, were gonna go there, then you might as well and a full on sit down talk about it. again not that you didn't want to at all-- in fact, you'd thought about how it'd go down plenty more times then truly necessary. And what better place to have it in than where you two had met?

maybe it was just you making excuses for yourself; for putting it off just one more day. one more week. one more month. or basically one more eternity of longing stares and cut of sentences where, you wanna say more but ultimately fail to. the conversation now seemingly over, he shrugs and finishes his drink.

He stays and orders another extra extra sweet, practically caffeinated, slap you in the face to jolt you into operating at top speed crack drink that was his or your signature hot chocolate. this is a habit of his-- one he'd likely have to break soon if this floating feeling of his keeps up and un-in check. but a habit the both of you cherish-- where he comes in and stays until you have to leave. most of the time you don't even get to talk much. but the comfort that comes right along with your presence around each other makes up for it. thats another habit with the two of you: just being in the same room and doing different things. it was pure comfort just being around each other. maybe looking over and smiling at the other or striking up a conversation that could last a minute or the rest of time he was there or in other situations, the rest of time you'd were together-- however long you both wanted it, really. and it was never awkward, either. the silence never aching.

that's how it was when you first started walking back to your respective places after your shift. another habit of his, one you hope, along with the others, would never die. him staying for a while, talking a bit... or a lot with you, then walking together. usually it was him walking you home but others it'd just be whatever you two wanted that day. His hands are shoved in the pockets of his acid washed jeans when you look over at him.

"Did you grow or something?" you question.

"maybe you shrunk, hm?" he countered.

you narrowed your eyes at him. he turns to you and does the same. "Very adult of you." You scoff. "You started--" then, realizing that continuing to say was he was going to wasn't going to help his case in the slightest. It barely falls silent for a second before he, in a moment of either weakness or some extreme courage he doesnt know, he slows down a little, gently puts his hands onto your waist, finger finding place scrunched in your shirt, and stills you. though, with the rapid beating of your heart you didn't need any help to do so. He gently moves you to the inside of the sidewalk. he doesn't know why. it's kinda stupid really. he doesn't even have a reason expect that's how you two are usually walking. but it isn't ever really intentional. Usually he just gets out the door of the diner first and you follow soon after. but he liked it that way. it felt warm and comfortable.

he clears his throat. "So, you were saying?" you look back up at him, not too stunned to speak or anything just....thinking. time still in its frozen capsule like it was a moment ago with his hands on your waist. "I feel like you've grown." you say simply, verbally shrugging. he takes a look at his own arms as if that would give him an idea as to what you're talking about. "I know you haven't but," you sigh, unsure of where you're even going with this, "I dunno you seem different." the both of you are still facing forward, not having looked at each other since a minute ago. "Is that a good thing or a bed thing?" You smile. "good. definitely good." "that's good that it's good." he laughs.

"oh piss off!" You chuckle at him, shaking you head. a second later you don't hear his steps anymore and turn around to see him saying "gladly." and start to walk in the other direction. You yell at him to get his ass back here and he turns on his heel, trotting back to you with a smile on his face, eyes hidden by his hair as he looks down. "But yeah," you say once he's back to walking beside you, "You've defiantly grown. not in height, but how you are as a person now." he hums. "I guess I can see that. you have too, you know?" you quirk and eyebrow.

"like--" he takes a breath, "You've grown... not like you act completely different now, but you've just--" you get what he's trying to say. "Blossomed?" He nods, but before he can start talking again you're already opening your mouth. "So have you. Not like you weren't someone I wanted to spend a lot of time with when were first met but you've grown into this person who-who has so much depth to them. like sure, you look a little different and youve changed your hair countless times, but I think you've bloomed in a way. And I love that you have; that you've made yourself out to be who you are right now." he purses his lips together.

"hey, it's not all me, ya know? Ive only been able to grow the way you said I have because I've got you by my side. actually, no, more than that, I've got you coaching me and trying to help. And have you taken a look In the mirror? its not just me that's grown internally since we've both met. I feel like... You're more you know than you were before. or at least not as afraid to show who you are." "that's cause I have you cheering me on, beom." he smiles at the nickname, something you've had for him forever. just like how you've been learning each other inside and out forever. But he also smiles at himself. he was your personal hype man, as you'd say, wasn't he? "And im really proud of you for flourishing like you have." he says. "Im proud of us." you counter, "for both becoming more than we were before."

all that was missing was two glasses to toast. "Yeah, and we're achieving that together, too. we have been forever. and I know that's why its unfolding so beautifully-- it takes the two of us to pull something so great off like that." you try not to get all fluttery inside by the prospect of him thinking that you're "great." cause there isn't much to it, really. plain and simple. he thinks you're great... or the journey youve taken with him so far is great or whatever... it should stop there for you. but that's the thing: with him, it never does.

It kinda hits the both of you right in the face at that moment. and you realize all you need to know about how the other person feels the same way when your caught looking at each other and saying more or less the same thing of: "wow, I think our lives are intwined now and I love that."

as the minutes go on, you both talk about some of the ways youve seen this with each other-- growing internally as youve both said. You bring up something, then him, it goes on like this until you both have a realization. "...But seriously, though." you cause, "Im glad that we're like this." "Im happy we can be like this too. and to be honest, I don't just want to be a better person, I wanna be a better person with you." he quickly cocks his head to the side, almost like he was punctuating his sentence. "I was just about to say that! I like growing with you. it's amazing. and you make me want to be better. not in a competitive way though. I just wanna move along with life with you next to me."

He puts a hand to his chest, hopping it would distract him from how fast his heart was beating. It had the opposite affect, though, drawing his attention to it under his palm. "Im glad youve been in my life for so long." he says, wondering jut how far he was going to take all this confessing how wonderful it was to have you by his side. wouldn't this make more of an impact on he both of you than just making you smile? or was he making it more than it was? he probably was to be honest; friends tell each other how much they value each other all the time. just... probably the ones who's heart feels like its about to lift him up and fly him away to the moon, stay away from it.

"And I am glad we're in each others lives to often that we can brighten each others days whenever the other needs it." he nods in agreement, not trusting himself to talk more because he'll surely say all that he thinks of you... and us. the rest of the walk is spent back in the comfortable, fireplace like silence like the first couple minutes of it. Once you get to your front door and your back is turned, he draws in a breath. "It is wonderful to have you in my life, y/n. I don't think you can understand how great it is and how much I love it." you're about to swing open your door but you turn around to look in the eye. "Me too. I love how it feels to have you by my side." you really wish you had something more to say but it seems like its enough for him. cause a second later and he's nearly skipping away from your door. You shake you head at him and go inside.

He scratches the back of his neck, thinking entirely too much about what you had said to him. There was a thousand ways you could have meant hit but for some reason he only wanted to think of it as one. the one where you actually secretly wanted to kiss him every time you hugged goodbye. One where you'd invite him into your place for hot chocolate and he'd stay, and long, long while; only really going back to his home for clothes cause fuck, if he had you like that he wouldn't dream of letting you go or leaving you for as long as he could.

God, It was almost uncanny how, you knew what to call him, but his name? that was something else entirely it felt like now.HIs own name had come to be you. that was how much you were written on his heart; written like law on stone. so engraved in his mind that he felt like you were with him all his life... except with this it was more like someone who knew him his entire life but suddenly stoped paying attention for a very important mile marker, then suddenly started up paying attention again, completely glossing over something that was so important to him. Like his name: but now youve replaced it with your own an the wasn't mad about it. and you didn't know, did you? would you ever know his name?

and, in the middle of all his swirling like a hurricane that brought peace instead of distruction, he wondered if you were ever feeling the same thing. did you think of him the way he thought of you?

He knew everything about you, as did you, he, you thought as you slipped off your shoes at the door. But you figured that, since friends need to be honest as much as they can, that wasn't entirely true. cute there was this one, not so small thing youve never shared with him. something that was such a big part of you it might as well be your name. The way you felt when he was near, when you thought of him, fuck, even when someone mentioned him. at this point, him-- and feeling this was about him was such a bug thing that it had become a part of you. he had become a part of you. and just like a name it was something you wanted and needed to tell the whole world. including him.

but there was the problem, you couldn't just scream it out for everyone to hear. that's why youve been waiting. Even though it was takin g a long time for him to figure out that big giant part of you that thad become as second nature as a name. Beomgyu was smart, but apparently he was stupid when it came to this. but seriously, with all the slip ups youve been having recently, you're starting to wonder if he's deliberately not understanding you and your feelings. Like is he that dense or does he just not want you?

You shoot him a message none the less; telling him to text when he got home unless you'll start to worry.

===

The next time you talk was on the phone on your way to work. He likes to walk you there, too. but today just happened to be one of those days where it couldn't happen. But you missed his presence on the street that reminded you of the talk you had yesterday so the next best thing was to call him. "Hey, it's the server from the diner." You say. "yeah, I know." It was a throwback to when he'd given his number to the place so he could get a free delivery. Though he was hoping you'd pick up on it and call him. and you did. you were the one who had to call to let him know his order had arrived and was currently getting cold outside his door. you had ended the call with him apologizing profusely.

One thing lead to another and you made a follow up call on how the food tasted. you heard him smiling from the other end of the phone as he says, "great as always." You barely thought he would even pick up so you didn't know what to say after that. "especially the hot chocolate." he aded then. And now you're the one smiling uncontrollably. After a few minutes on the phone that day your heart is leaping with excitement. so the next time he comes in, you talk with each other more freely. and now you had his number so when he doesn't come in for a few days you remembered mustering up the courage to text him. "I really wanted to come over there. hot chocolate would probably help cure whatever I have." you felt stupid. duh of course he was just sick, why were you so worried?

within the hour, hot chocolate was delivered to his door free of cost.

and that's when the friendship began; with him texting you an entire paragraph just to say thanks for the gesture and you two talking back and forth, heart seemingly on the edge of its seat, about hot chocolate and hot drinks in general.

"You know... our manager is always telling us to use water," you repeat now what you said all that time ago, "But I always use milk and cream for you." He's snapped back to the present, with you on the other end of the phone, wind whipping in the mic. "aww you really do care, don't cha?" he laughs, smug smile gracing his lips.he can practically hear you roll your eyes from the other end of the phone. "your welcome." you drawled. "I sincerely thank you for your sacrifice of cream and milk." he said, and it sounds like a joke, but still he's smiling in gratitude none the less. youre about to joke about how he needs to repay you... somehow. but he beats you to it. though... with the way he starts off, it doesn't sound like fully a joke. but just enough of one where he knows you'll listen.

"And as a formal expression of my forever debt to you, I invite you to attend a party with me." You figured you'd play along, his tone not serious enough for you to spend the brain power to actually think of an answer. "yeah, sure, Beom." It was about as real to you as the both of you staying completely quiet during a movie so you played along. at least, you thought you were playing. beomgyu puts his speaker of his phone up to his mouth, nearly making your ears bleed as he yells into it: "no take backs!" then promptly hangs up.

you roll your eyes at him, a little concerned for future you and him but cracking up none the less. The surprised expression on your face when he comes by later to quote "take the both of you shopping for the party the next day." was so priceless he wished he had whipped out his phone quick enough. "I keep my promises." he reminds you as he sits down at his usual bar stool. And he sure does, like the one he's been keeping, weighing on his heart for so long he feels like its going to crack it n a million pieces impossible to pick up, about just how much he feels for you. he made that promise to you to stick by you as friends for as long as you'd have him there long enough to be forgotten. but now him. he remembers it like it was yesterday and he intends to keep his word, especially to you. who knows which way it would take you if he didn't. and the last thing he needs is for you two to be torn apart.

he slumps on the counter and gives you puppy dog eyes. you sigh "No one told me you were serious. that was coercion; I did not understand the phrasing of the question, therefore--" oh, you wanted court of law? he'd give you court of law. "uh uh" he wriggles his finger in your face. "was this under a false pretense? maybe. but did that initially give you the right to call back and or ask further questions? yes. so for that reason youre guilty!" he slams an imaginary gavel down on the white counter. you turn around to take a breath. he kicks his feat. "come on, y/n! I think it'll be fun. and if not then we'll leave right away and go to my place to watch tv. and we'll get a cute outfit out of it either way!" you think about it for a moment. "I need deodorant anyways!"

well it is important not to have a stench.....

he can tell youre thinking about it and he perks up at the sight of your wheels turning behind your eyes. it was one of this favorite things-- watching you think, weigh your options and all. It wasn't like you completely didn't want to go. there was a part of you, one that was soon going to get bigger youre sure. but a part of you right now none the less. so what was stopping you? you wanted to be close to him. you loved being close to him and that meant doing things together. but in an environment like this.... it might pose a problem to lips kept tightly shut and secrets you held behind your back.

You take one last look at him, and if it's a regular response between friends or in a slip up you don't know, but you agree. he nearly jumps up out of his seat in celebration. Why did he suggest this? who knows. was this a good idea? who. the fuck. knows. maybe because he wanted to do something with you. but it was probably something more than that it the back of his mind that made him call you and ask. but he knows full well what almost happened the last time you two went to a party together. a bunch of "aww youre so cute together!" made it seem all a little too real after a while and as the night went on with him eventually stopping himself from telling the truth to these people and him getting seemingly eaten from the inside when he stopped just reviling in the fantasy and remembered that no, youre not together. The night ended somehow with you two coming dangerously close to kissing.

maybe he really just wanted to spend time with you; a sort of do-over. he could control himself this time. or maybe that's what it was... he wanted to test the waters again-- challenge himself and see if he really could have self control. or maybe, just maybe, in the back of his mind he wanted to test the waters another way. maybe he wanted to know if it'd happen again. of course he wouldn't do anything about it; he wanted to keep his promise to you but something felt like it was knocking at the back of his mind.

once your shift is done, he's got a spring in his step as he opens the door for the both of you and bouncing on his heels with a smile on his face telling you to hurry up. and no, you don't just go shopping for deodorant... but instead spend two full hours shopping around. two full hours that consisted of trying on clothes and the both of you having to bite your tongues. because fucking hell, why'd he have to have such a good style? you perk up as he steps out the dressing room for the third time, already preparing yourself for you heart seemingly about to beat out of your chest. "what do you think?" "I think..." his face sinks.... "oh--" he pouts, "no no! it looks great! its just, its white."

he quirks and eyebrow at you. "I have eyes, ya know? I did pick it out." he reminds you, nose and mouth scrunching up in that classic Beomgyu disgusted face. "spillage." you simply say. his eyebrows got up into his hairline. "youre right." the next out fit he comes out with, a little more spillage proof, is what he decides on. he takes another look in the mirror, sighing. "you really think it looks good?" he questions. "I have eyes, ya know?" you echo him. he spins around into the dressing room, away from you as quickly as possible so you didn't have to see the smile on his face and the rosy tint to his cheeks.

When it comes to you and picking out your outfits, while youre walking ahead of him to the dressing rooms, he closes his eyes, leaning his head against the wall so he can think for a moment. or... more stop himself form thinking so much than anything. he knows what he's getting himself into. but How you reacted each time he'd first appear out the dressing rooms door with that wistful glassy look in your eyes, almost like you yourself were trying to stop your gears turning.... Times like that gave him hope that maybe yeah, you felt the same way about him as he did you. because just for a short moment he saw the same look in his eyes that they had on him now; trying so hard to stop thinking about you. you, you, you, you.

"I think a round of applause is in order!" you say.-- twenty minutes in. twenty minutes of him bouncing his leg. twenty minutes of you hiding the way his complements make you feel. twenty minutes of the second you shut the door behind you him screaming internally into his palms and twenty minutes of you doing the same. he smiles at you when you come out. "I know. we have good taste." his cheeks seem to be nearly kissing at his lashes as he smiles and he's driving you crazy. "We do, don't we?" you take another look in the mirror.

"You really think it's--" Youre starting to stress over if the outfit really is worth the buy. you like it a lot. but now youre starting to wonder if its a little too little here or too much there and-- "I have eyes, don't I?" he repeats, you turn around and lock eyes with him for just a second too long not to do anything to the both of your heart rates.

===

fast forward to the next night and youre swinging your door open to see him turned the other way. he spins around as soon as he hears the door. You press your lips together and he unconsciously mimics you. "you look really beautiful!" he beams. he's just being your personal hype man as always, and youre not afraid to say that you love it. "Aw you look really beautiful too."

the words slipped past both of your lips like water through fingers. though, unlike water, the words were thick, with feelings long left in the dark hiding behind them. "Oh? so just beautiful? not really--" You step out toward him, closing the door behind you, making you step just a little bit too close to him than usual. "really really beautiful." you clarified. and this time, he doesn't move his head. "thank you." he whispers, voice softer than his hair. and the both of you are unable to move from your doorstep-- frozen in time and space, with the only thing moving being your rapid heart beats and rising chests.

====

he looks at you beside him and can feel your gears turning inside your head, a sight he so badly wants to get lost in but knows he can't. realizing it'd be bad enough with the gorgeous outfit you were wearing and how he was sure at least someone was going to try and hit on you... he'd rather not start getting himself tangled with you now. but he can't seem to move his neck any other way than craned to his left to look at you.

its was just.... as much as he wants an needs to kiss you so badly.... your so Important to him, he thinks as he lags behind a bit, watching you walk ahead. and your friendship is so important to him that they never want to break it, even if that meant shutting his mouth and staying further away, cause in the end that's really what he wanted: to be and stay friends with you. the reason he stayed never has been and never will be just about what he felt for you. your friendship will always be the most important thing to him and heeds never want to jeopardize that and loose you. he'd rather your friendship stay strong than anything.

Your turn around, beckoning him to come closer. he skips to you, so happy you don't know what to do with yourself. "You know--" "no, I don't. I was hoping you'd tell me." you scoff. "I was going to say that im glad you invited me. Im ready to go be extroverts together now and experience all the bad smells and all the loud noises a party has to offer." he laughs, but he knows youre half serious. and he's fully serious when he says he's happy you came.

====

the noise thumps in your ears, nearing making them ring. the lights are dimmer than you thought needed but it-- along with noise and people constantly bumping into each other, sufficed in making the atmosphere very party-like. cause well, it was a party after all. He follows you, both trying to scout out where the kitchen was. you'd planned to stick together, tighter than you did last time, tighter than when the both of you were bombarded with people asking you about each other, and stick together you did.

even when you two went upstairs, trying to find the bathroom, and stumbled upon a couple people fucking and practically biting each others faces off in the room you thought was the bathroom. Beomgyu shuts the door immediately, any longer and you'd both be traumatized. "get your own room!" you hear from behind the heavy door." He looks at you and you back at him before bursting into laughter. "I mean, did you want to orrrr?" you phrase it as a joke, and though he thinks he hears something in the back of your tone, he only rolls his eyes at you. though his brows go up higher than youve ever seen.

The second he's done in the bathroom you lead in downstairs to where the music was the loudest. "I heard it too." he pants, "I was trying to hurry up." you really couldn't believe they were playing this here. it was almost too perfect, you thought. with his body so close to yours, dancing and enjoying the song you both liked. And suddenly, it didn't feel like you were in a crowded room. and for a moment all you could see, and feel, and smell, was him. him and his fingers now reaching for yours, spinning you around, laughing without a care in the world. like it didnt matter that your heart was about to beat out of your chest, making you float on the floor you were dancing on.

Everyone else-- the entire room was blurred. It was just you, and him. him, and you. just as it should be. this didn't happen all the time-- rather, you didn't let it happen all the time. but when it did... you swore youve never felt anything so natural. so--so right and beautiful. You smile and ease him into a dip, now youre both laughing. when he comes up, somehow both his hands ended up in yours and now he's pulled flush against your body. he feels like you both are taking up so much and too little space at the same time--like the whole floor is yours and yours only. he swallows thickly, neither of you making a move to step away. you know it sounds stupid but for a second you can feel as life your hearts are beating as one. and for a seance he feels like maybe this is really real. that it won't end any second and that he isn't having another day dream about slow dancing with you in one of your living rooms; all comfy and--

"I have to go get some water." you say so low that only he hears over the music. you really shouldnt let it goony further than this. at least not here. and as much as you wanted to keep ignoring everyone around you cause with him, were they even there in the first place? you knew you shouldn't, couldn't keep it up for much longer cause being this close to him only made you wanna kiss the shit out of him. "y-youre not--" you look at the next to no gap between you still, hands still closes around each others tightly. you blink to free yourself from the perfect daze youre caught in. the song was barely even slow enough to slow dance to. what you you doing? "moving? I know." and before he could even ask if you to stay longer, youre already pushing yourself off his chest and out of his grasp.

"You sure you don't want me to just go with you?" he nearly stumbles after you. "beom, its just for a second." You whip around to face him, arms crossed defensibly. "but a lot can happen in a second." yeah, I can see that, you say to yourself, thinking about just a moment before where dancing to a song you both liked turned quickly into something that was going to make you stumble. beom, the name echoed in his mind over and over until it flowed into his heart where all the other times youve laughed or called him by that nickname laid. "listen I know youre just trying to uphold our agreement, but seriously, im fine."

he knows he's probably being too worried for you, but he just can't. epically after you'd done that. with your hands clasping his against his chest. god, he never wanted it to end. little did he know neither did you. you did actually need water, being so close to him like that had a track record of making your throat go dry and fingers go numb. it also had a track record of making you get lost in his glazed over eyes. you find a cup and rinse in out before anything cause who knew where its been. a moment later youre about to refill your cup when you hear the unmistakable sound of Beomgyus shriek. followed by someone yelling at him.

oh god what did he get himself into now?

You run to where you last saw him and, finding him not there you rush to where you saw a few people gathered by the stairs. those people who were now making way for beomgyu flying down them. someone hot with anger and hot on his tale. Your brows furrowed as he zooms past you. "im sorry!" you hear him say, "I probably shouldn't have gotten involved but it looked like a pretty heated argument!" oh god? that was what this was about? "Yah!" the person yells behind him. "that's why you shouldve stayed out of it!" then and Beomgyu are both on opposite ends of the sofa, both waiting for the other to make a move. when the person inches right, beomgyu tips to the left. when beomgyu goes the other way, the person follows his movements.

two of the three people move off the sofa to get out the way. god, he really was fucked, wasn't he? you didn't know what to do, really. you left for five minutes and here he was getting screamed profanities at by some random person. You wanted to help, but as beomgyu brings up to the person how the person they were talking with looked hurt, and how they themself looked hurt as well, you leaned against the door frame and just watched.

it was another one of these situations, huh? they didn't look mad enough to really do much of a number on him anyways, and youd step in to stop them any minute now if beomgyu doesn't leave the argument first. And step in a minute later after beomgyu and the person going back and forth tore you apart from the inside out to one, see him so worried like this, and two, hearing them yell next to you with the loud ass music was starting to make your ears bleed you didn't need to do after all. Beomgyu was backing up with his hands in front of him defensively. it didn't feel like you needed to collect him or keep him out of trouble or anything cause he was intentionally trying to start a fight, but you could tell no one was going to get anywhere with this. or at least beomgyu wasn't going to get what he was looking for from the person. So you figured it best to tell it that you two should leave. you grab him by the shoulders and lead him out the door. you were kinda done with the party anyways, having been there quite enough time already.

"im sorry! I ruined our night, didn't I?" he begs. "but they were saying some pretty shitty things about someone and it looked like it was about to turn physical." he practically pleads with you as the night air nips at whatever wasn't covered on you. you stay silent the whole way back to you place. "What have I told you?" you tell more than ask sternly once he's plopped down on his sofa. he hands his head low. "Not to get in the middle of other peoples problems..." he echoes what you say every time something like this happens-- he thinks he can be be everyones knight In shinning armor, protecter and helper to all by getting himself involved. it usually doesn't have such... strong repercussions. most of the time its when he hers whispers of someone talking about their troubles with someone else and he tries to console them. which is fine on its own, but then comes the part where he's getting all caught up in it and he's getting hurt along with them.

and as much as you are shaking your head and rolling your eyes at the situation he got himself into... you purse your lips and try not to catch his eyes from across the sofa. you lean back. "But im not surprised. And it's not because you never learn or that youre stupid or anything, ok? so don't even go there. but that's just who you are, how youve always been since I met you-- caring so much for people, even people you don't know that you'll end up like this trying to help them sometimes. that's one of the things about you that haven't changed one bit since I've met you." he inches closer as if you hear you better, legs folded criss cross on the cushions and hands on his knees.

"don't make me out to be such a hero." he shakes his head. and this time you move a little closer. "Not saying you are just," you pause, knowing what you want to say but wondering if this really was the right time for it. It felt right in your bones and besides when were you going to get another chance like this one? when just a bit ago his hands fit perfectly in yours and you could feel his raging heartbeat under your palms? It was now or never, right? but really, you werent too sure you'd be able to stop yourself now. you might've been in too deep, but with him, never over your head. "just, youre the kindest person ive ever met. n' I just worry you'll get hurt more than youve already gotten in the past-- like youve gotten in the past when you get invested like this."

youre breathing all heavy for some reason, and he's getting that same glassy look in his eyes as earlier in the night. it reminds you of a sugar honey glaze on sweet fruit or a dessert and you can't help but stare int them. "glad to see you care." he shrugs. only his lips move thankfully just in your field of vision, eyes staying locked on yours. "I thought you knew I did. he's unconsciously leaning forward to you, his body following the magnetic pull that was you. though he's only following what seemed natural. "Thought you knew that I did?" you put your face in your palm, elbow balanced on your knee. "Yeah, but..." he trails off, the both of you now impossibly close.

and closer, and closer, and closer until your lips join in a searing kiss. you both sigh in relief into it, having waited so, so long. now your heart was really beating out of your chest, your fingertips no longer numb but boiling with feeling. his hands go from his knees to your hands, grasping them firmly, but gently just like you did to him at the party. he felt like he was floating, like he was suddenly sitting on a cloud and wasn't afraid of falling. god, he's wanted this for so long; for fucking ever. how could he stop now? you pull apart, and now youre thinking how in the world you felt out this long. ".... now the way I want you to." he continues, "not the way I do." you smile, leaning in again to kiss him. it was meant to be a quick peck, but instead it turned into you leaning your body into his and his hands on your arms, running up and down them, making you sink further into him and the seat in warmth.

Now, for a second time, you pull away. "Does that help answering how much I care?" he's smiling like a mad man at your words. "so I guess I didn't ruin our night?" he says, more to get his Brian working properly more than anything. "The opposite. I wanted to leave with you anyways." and now he's nearly jumping out of his seat to to do a little happy dance. he couldnt help it, though. especially when you were pulling him back in by his shirt balls dup in your fist and smashing your lips together.

when you pull apart though, instead of smiling in each others faces, the both of you shoot up. oh god... oh god! what did you just do? it wasn't suppose to go like this, he thinks as you rush to put your shoes on at the door. No words were exchanged between the two of you, though. except: "Hey... I--" "no no!" you say a little too loudly, "no, its fine. we don't ever need to speak of this again, sound good?" his lips form a line at your words. he shoots you a thumbs up. "...yeah." it wasn't what he wanted, that's of for user. but what other choice did he have? didn't look like you were ready for it to happen, so my default, now he wasn't either.

it wasn't like you two avoided each other at all costs in the week after the incident. no, not at all. you were friends above anything and everything, and such close friends that being like that to each other would've killed the both of you. and it wasnt like you were mad at each other... but now the silence on your walks together felt.... uncomfortable; unnatural and weird. like you needed to fill it with pointless talking to distract you from how there was this... air in the midst of you two-- like you knew what the other wanted, craved and needed but were too scared to do something about it.

that's why he knew he had to do something about it. so here he was, barging into the diner you worked past closing time. You quickly run to the door to unlock it for him. not like you were doing anything better anyways, watching the raindrops slide down one of the many windows as you wiped down each table. he was later than he usually was, but it looked like he was here for more than just to pick you up. the look in his eyes said it all. You turn around as soon as you pull the door open for him. "we're closed, Beom." the nickname slipped off your tongue so easily it was like you had forgotten the incident the week before, and how you promised yourself you'd back away even more than you had to keep it from happening again.

it wasn't like you didnt want it to. god was it the opposite. it was just... new, and scary. you knew that wasn't the best excuse but it was all you had. he was, in a way all you had. You didn't really know what moving along that road would mean. you knew it'd be good. but again, it was new and scary.

"I can't loose you." he pants behind you. for once he it was raining and for once he did run here. he spreads his arms wide, his long hair dripping on his shoulders. "And I can't-- I can't believe we let this come between us. and I don't want to let the wedge be driven any further." when you still don't respond, back still turned he gets more desperate, running a worried hand through his hair. "Come on, y/n! we're best friends!" you slam your towel down on the counter. "yeah, well maybe that's why this should've never fuckin happened." your words make the room go silent. you didn't yell it, you didnt exclaim it, you basically whispered it, but it boomed like a bomb going off none the less.

he was too important-- your relationship, whatever it may be, was too important to let go; you knew that. he knew that. he didnt say a word, realizing that he might say something to make the situation worse. he knew he was staying after hours, then again, it reminded him of how it would be between the two of you a week ago when you'd still talk the same. he'd come in, you'd make him the best hot chocolate he'd ever tasted next to his moms, and then he'd sit at the same bar stool and you'd talk for hours, barely making a move to actually go home. but eventually, after helping you with cleaning, he'd walk you home.

but for watts its worth, neither of you wanted to go back to those times, even after everything quite liking how the experience of the incident felt. You invite him to go to your place to talk it out some more. having the same idea, he agrees readily.

"I haven't been completely honest with you." you say, youve been talking for a little over a hour now, somehow slipping into how it was about a week ago along the way back to your place, and you don't think youve felt something so good-- so reliving, in a very long time. "I haven't been telling the whole truth either." no other words are uttered between the two of you, opting to lean ever so frustratingly and tantalizingly slow into each other,. his hand coming to rest on your thigh, folded underneath you at the knee on his sofa. you place your hand on top of his has your lips connect, a long awaited satisfied sigh is breathed into each others face, the air tickling you. youre rubbing circles on the back of his hand as his mind races. it was a kiss you poured all your feelings into. one where you spilled into it how you needed him with you so so so bad. how you wanted him beside you even more than he already was. how you were sorry it took you so long, and how you couldn't wait to keep being beside each other. you could feel him pour all that and more into his side of it and you reviled in the feeling, settling into it like it was second nature.

you blink a couple times when you pull apart, glad that you took your talk someplace else now. and well, I guess the both of you know now. youve now pulled out of the dark that beautiful little thing you two were hiding.

Now you both know just that one more, not so little thing you needed-- what was on each of your hearts the most.

~end~

Can’t believe never written a solely beomgyu fic before anyways as I’ve said if you liked it please comment and or reblog since tumble works on that system and liking it only bookmarks it for you :) I hope you enjoyed!!!

©️2023copyrightofshutupheathersorryheatherr do not repost, translate, or plagiarize my works even if you give me credit

taglist: @itz-yerin

[halfwit-halfblood]

Safe — xavier thorpe

Part 1. More parts to come!

Pairings: Xavier Thorpe x reader (No use of Y/N, gender neutral) Summary: Xavier helps you deal with the stress of Parents Day Word count: 2k Warnings: Mentions of bad family relationships, anxiety

A/N: not sure how i feel about this so feedback is appreciated!! also i have no idea what a semester is or how long they are. don’t talk about it 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Here you go,” Xavier said, placing a steaming takeaway cup in front of you. “Extra sweet to counter how sour you are.”

You placed a mocking hand against your chest. “You always say the nicest things, Xav.” A slow grin took over his face as he sat opposite you in the library, placing his own cup to the side and pulling out his sketchbook.

Over the past month you had established a routine with each other that, in the beginning, had taken you by surprise; once classes were done for the day, every Tuesday and Wednesday you would meet by the school gates and amble down to Jericho to study and talk in the relative quiet of the town library over drinks from the Weathervane. Originally you had become friends thanks to the mere convenience of having the same class schedule, but over time something about you just clicked, and now these new habits fit you like a glove.

“That doesn’t look like Professor Crudwell’s thaumaturgy assignment.” You chastised.

“I’m not the one who needs to worry about my grade for it.” He hit back playfully.

“Low blow, Thorpe.” The chair creaked loudly as you moved to take a generous sip of your hot chocolate, earning you a glare from the librarian from across the room.

While you never wanted to bother the barista for extra syrup in your drink – a side effect of your scrupulous family who enforced the idea of never asking for anything more than you were given to the highest degree – Xavier had no issue with it and had recently taken to ordering for you to satisfy your extreme sweet tooth.

In this instance, he was right about the grade. Being of the psychic variety of outcast, Xavier had no problem with magical acts. For a fire sprite like yourself, wonderworking was a more arduous task that could often only be made better by the company that currently sat scribbling away opposite you.

“What are you working on?”

“A new mural.” He answered, pausing briefly to spin his sketchbook in your direction. “Miss Weems wanted a draft ready to show at Parents Day.”

The drink turned sour and heavy in your stomach. “Parents Day?” Nevermore had only been your home for one semester, having transferred at what would’ve been the start of your Junior year, and so a lot of the particulars about various Nevermore events and customs were foreign to you. Parents Day was, of course, a self-explanatory title, but you needed confirmation like a coffin needs a body.

Xavier paused and frowned at you. “Nobody told you about it?” You shook your head mutely. “Nevermore invites everyone’s families to campus for the weekend. Helps make the school look good, I guess. I never really got the point of it.” His voice was barely concealed resentment. While the details of the school itself often passed you by, the gossip never had. His father was an automatic taboo subject, which lent itself just fine to your friendship as you quite liked having the same restrictions applied to talk of your own family.

“When is it?”

“This weekend. They’ll all be here Saturday morning.” He said softly. As an artist he was used to noticing details. He could sense the tension in your voice, see the way this news pulled your expression taut and pale. Knuckles white against the curve of your cup. Something we’ve got in common, he thought sadly. “You alright?”

“I, um…” Anxiety swelled in your throat, forcing your words back into your chest where they jostled and multiplied. “I have to go.” Numbly you packed away your textbook and fled the library while Xavier called your name, pleading at you to wait. The door banged shut behind you like a gavel before he even had the chance to stand.

+

Was anything worse than feeling alone in a crowded room? You wondered. It was an anchor in your chest, a tight pinch across your skin like your heartache was too big to be contained under such fragile skin. Students rushed around the school gates as banners were erected and the first families started trickling their way in. All around you was a frenzied buzz of excitement and community and for a moment you felt suspended from your body, watching the scene from above; everyone moved in double time as the world carried on, and in amidst all the excitement there you stood, isolated.

You slunk through the shadows to the quiet areas of the school, letting the noise drift softly up through cracked open windows and wide balconies where it settled around you like a fog. Eventually you came to the quad balcony to find Miss Weems hosting the welcoming ceremony. You were keen not to be spotted by her or your parents if they had already arrived and watched the proceedings from one of the shadowed archways that led to the covered balcony.

Applause rung out as Miss Weems concluded her speech and families were free to enjoy the school in its entirety. “Hey stranger.” You jumped and spun around to source the voice, finding Xavier stood in the hallway behind you. “You been avoiding me?” He asked, hands in his pockets as he walked slowly past you to the balcony outside.

“No.” A single raised eyebrow was your response. “I promise.” You added sincerely. It was hard to blame him for the assumption while your phone burned a hole in your pocket, his unanswered texts piled in your inbox like a physical weight you felt keenly. The solitude you’d settled into the past few days was unpleasantly familiar. Once, it was a preference. But life at Nevermore had shifted your expectations of what peace was – where it was once silence and a locked door, it was now the boy in front of you: his laughter and the taste of chocolate on your tongue.

“So, you’ve been avoiding,” he gestured to the crowd gathered in the courtyard below. “everyone?”

“Trying to.” He nodded and returned to watching the hive of activity, tapping his fingers on the banister.

There was a magnet hooked in your stomach. Two opposite forces stood in front of you, and while Xavier’s mind wandered you tried to decide which was stronger. The repellent that was your family with their pursed mouths and disapproving eyes, or the attraction that was Xavier’s presence and the way words came easier around him.

For a moment, the attraction won. You crossed the distance to stand next to him stiffly, body coiled like prey alert to its predator awaiting the right moment to flee. The quad had become a chaotic mess of mismatched tables pulled out of classrooms and forgotten closets, voices yelling over one another as six months’ worth of news and gossip was relayed, the unsavoury stench of red meat and chilled blood was unavoidable as food was distributed, and – victoriously – there was no sight of your parents. You let out a shaky breath and let yourself relax a touch.

“What brand of shitty are your parents then?” Xavier asked after a few minutes of companionable silence.

“The kind that made me beg Miss Weems not to let them in here.” After you ran out on Xavier three days ago, you had fled straight to Miss Weems and pleaded for her to bar your parents from the school this weekend. She patiently explained that she had been in regular contact with your family ever since your induction at Nevermore and thought the upcoming weekend would be the perfect time to overcome the past together. But she didn’t know your parents – stubborn, spiteful. Not once had they backed down from a fight and you knew that this time would be no different. Fortunately – or unfortunately, you had yet to truly decide – it was a trait you had inherited.

For the past two days you had paced and panicked enough to wear a groove into your dorm floor, or so your roommate had complained, about what to do if they made an appearance. At the same time, your anxiety was working overtime thinking about what Xavier must’ve thought when you ran off so suddenly from the library and how best to explain it to him. Ultimately, the idea didn’t fill you with as much dread as you thought. At the very least you trusted him, but if you were being honest with yourself it was more like you wanted him to know you as much as you craved to know him.

Your eyes skimmed over the gathering once more and a prick of fear in the base of your spine began to steadily work itself upwards. “Looks like I failed.” You said with faux casualness, watching your parents and grandparents walk through the east entrance with undisguised disapproval.

You stepped away from the banister as quickly as possible until their heads dropped out of sight, seeking reassurance from the solidity of the stone wall against your back. Panic seized your chest as your mind relayed the last time you saw your family – an apoplectic argument, a fiery outburst. The smell of smoke and a deafening silence.

Distantly you registered Xavier calling your name. He leaned down and held your arms while you regulated your breathing, tracing soft circles against the fabric of your blazer. “I’m okay.” You said eventually.

“You don’t have to talk to them, you know. We can hide out in my art shed if you want? I promise they won’t find you.” He replied, trying to meet your eye. “I have snacks.” At that your mouth twitched into a half smile.

“Anything sweet?”

“As if you even have to ask.”

Once you nodded your approval Xavier wasted no time in leading you through empty hallways towards the back of the school where the forest sprawled out endlessly, happy to let you walk quietly while you came to terms with the fact your family actually showed up to the school they vilified so often.

As you were circling around the quad to reach the other side, footsteps echoed from an adjoining corridor that connected to the outdoor space. You both paused, wondering if you should hide or hurry past as their shadows grew longer in the early afternoon sunlight.

“Well with not a single text or call this entire semester, we’re expecting perfect grades across all subjects.” The voice was clipped and stern – all sharp edges and callous undertones. The past six months had done nothing to dull your memories of the countless times you’d gone to war with that condescending tone, letting your mother’s words sink under your skin like something black and rotten.

Xavier glanced between your frozen figure and the intersection where your family would soon appear. In seconds he had grabbed your wrist and pulled you into an alcove to hide in the shadows of one of the many alumni statues, his chest against your back and his palm against your mouth.    

The sudden movement cast you from your memories and threw you back into the present moment, the warmth of his skin as he drew you further from your parents and into the darkness where they couldn’t find you. When they finally rounded the corner your breath hitched involuntarily, muffled by Xavier’s hand while his other came to rest on your shoulder; a comforting weight to keep you grounded.

“I assure you they’ve been doing their very best, it’s been a challenging year but –“ Miss Weems began.

Your father scoffed. “Challenging. Yeah, right. That’s an excuse for slacking off, believe me. Lazy. Disruptive. Demented – that’s all our child is.” You swallowed roughly as tears blinked their way free across your cheeks. The tight feeling that had plagued you over the summer returned in full force. I made one mistake! One! You wanted to scream at them. The fear and injustice pulsing through your veins left you shaking. Panic burned a path to your heart as your brain fought to maintain control, the absolute last thing you needed now was an unwarranted fire to prove their every criticism.

“I do hope we’ll be receiving an apology this weekend, Larissa. We were counting on you to teach some respect.”

“Perhaps we can all sit down for a chat in my office this afternoon? Once we’ve ah… located your bright little spark, that is.”

“I hope you’ve got extinguishers on hand, that’s all I say.” Ultimately, her final comment was one of the least openly malicious things your mother had said this past year, and yet the scar it left bled as strong and true as the rest. As their footsteps faded away the anxious energy fled your body with such a force that you slumped unceremoniously into Xavier. The hand resting on your shoulder reached across your chest and pulled you closer, the other leaving your mouth to do the same, cradling you within the bracket of his arms while your tears fell silently, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

The ocean rushed in your ears, urging you beneath the surface; his quiet reassurances anchored you to the shore.

They’re gone.

You’re safe.

I’m here.

I promise.

Safe. Safe. Safe.

Together you stood, bodies entwined, long after the corridor fell silent.

[comfort-person]

MY NIGHT MY NIGHT MY NIGHT AHHAUEIEEIEO WEMBLEY N3 🔛🔝 I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. I hope yall enjoy this story!! Eeek it’s adorable 😭

My baby fever has returned. This is why I’m writing this. But this is absolutely fucking adorable MY HEART.

Synopsis: After a long shift at work you come home to something absolutely adorable.

Baby fever

You had just finished your work. You worked as a full time doctor within the care of the NHS. Sometimes you had shitty days and sometimes you had lovely days but this day had just been incredibly shitty. It had just been one of those days… one of those dreadfully slow and painful days. You never liked to bring home what had happened at the hospital as you didn’t like your 5 year old daughter hearing any of it, sure you and Harry sometimes talked because communication was best after all but you hated even having to talk quietly… you didn’t want sweet little Loulabelle hearing about anything horrible. The little girl had a vivid and wild imagination and came up with the craziest of dreams and nightmares that you and Harry were often shocked she, someone so young, could see… so vividly.

You slowly opened the front door, eyes tired and dreary. Lou should’ve been in bed by now. Sometimes Harry let her have later nights on Fridays which today was Friday but sometimes she was so overtired that he just put her to bed immediately yet you were quite surprised when you heard the gentle strums of guitar. A small smile immediately formed on your lips… maybe he was practicing? And so you slowly walked to the living room the sight before you immediately warming your heart. Harry sat on the sofa, Lou sat on her little purple beanbag a plastic lidded cup with hot chocolate in it as she stared at her daddy with big loving eyes. Yet it only got cuter from then on, the strumming becoming familiar the little girl bouncing up and down excitedly “you gonna sing Lou?” His voice was soft as he gazed at her with loving eyes, giving her daddy a toothy grin as she nodded her head desperately.

“You’ve got a friend in me… you’ve got a friend in me… daddy! When the road looks rough ahead and your miles and miles from your nice warm bed you just remember what your old pal said daddy, you’ve got a friend in me!” The little girl sang with wide happy eyes, hands clutching at the plastic cup her happiness obvious as she continued singing with wide happy eyes, her words sweet and loud before she pointed at Harry showing she didn’t want to sing anymore “daddy you sing! You sing!” The small girl yelled, Harry unable to stop smiling agreed- fingers continuing to strum the guitar gently and slowly “nice and loudly daddy!” The girl yelled and he chuckled nodding his head softly “okay baby okay…” he licked over his lips preparing himself before looking into her big green eyes a lot of love etched onto his face giving his shoulders a little wiggle the girl bursting into fits of giggles as she kept her eyes on him, taking big gulps of her hot chocolate:

“You’ve got a friend in me. You’ve got a friend in me. You’ve got troubles and I got em to. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. We stick together and we see it through cause you’ve got a friend in me! Some other folks might be a little smarter than I am big and strong too. Maybe but none of them will love you the way I do… it’s me and you, girl… and as the years go by our friendship will never die. You’re gonna see it’s our destiny… you’ve got a friend in me…” you watched your eyes stinging with tears your lower lip trembling as you stared at him. The love of your life… so good with kids. It was heartbreakingly adorable. Soon you joined them “you’ve got a friend in me…” you sang out the little girl immediately squealing “mummy!!! Mummy!! Daddy look it’s mummy!” Lou ran up to wrap her small arms around you and you quickly lifted her up into your embrace. “Oh what pretty singing you have young lady” you spoke smiling Harry soon pressing a kiss to your cheek silently asking how you are, his arm wrapping around your waist gently

“Mummy sing me a song!!” “No little girl it’s your bedtime. I’ve already sang that song to you ten times” a soft laugh left your lips, before you said goodnight to the child, Harry taking her up and putting her to bed before he came back down, arms wrapping around you immediately as he held you close to his body looking down at you with loving eyes “good day?” He asked softly the look in your eyes saying it all “it’s better now that I’m with you and Lou.” You spoke quietly his eyes softening “I think that is a good means for cuddles and take out… what do you think?” He raised his brows and you smiled nodding your head “and cuddles with you?” “Of course.” He then pressed a soft kiss to your lips eyes full of adoration and love…. That evening full of nothing but love and care… he spent his evening taking care and loving for you… there truly was nothing he wouldn’t do for you. The love of his life.

[schoopsahoy]

riding on the line

steve harrington x fem!reader inspired by orange show speedway by lizzy mcalpine “riding on the line between acceptable and angering your girlfriend”. friends to lovers, a winter fair, borrowed sweaters and unspoken confessions. no use of y/n.

You really hadn’t meant to intrude. Third wheeling your best friend and his date wasn’t exactly your idea of fun anyway, but the fair had always been yours and Steve's thing. Ever since you were kids and your parents would palm you off with a bundle of dollars to spend on cotton candy and rides on the ghost train, the fair in Hawkin’s had become tradition. 

So when the deconstructed rides had started gathering in the same field and posters had begun popping up around town advertising the winter fair,you hadn't given it a second thought when Steve had told you to be ready for him to pick you up that Friday evening. It wasn’t until you went to get into the passenger seat of his car that you’d realised that this time was different. 

You tried to hide the surprise on your face as you moved your hand away from the passenger side door handle, instead opting (through no choice of your own) for the backseat, plastering on a smile as you got situated in the car. 

“Hey,” You greeted your friend, before quickly turning your attention to his date. “Hey, Maggie, how are you?”. 

You knew Maggie Gerrard from school, you’d been in the same grade but barely interacted due to floating in different social circles. But she always seemed nice, nice enough to not want to cause any tension for your best friend. You’d lost count of how many girls had given him grief over your presence, always complaining that you were too close, not willing to accept that you came part and parcel with Steve. He was always adamant that he didn't care, and that you were more important to him than any of those girls anyway. It always made something swell on your chest, hearing those words, as much as you tried to ignore the feeling. 

“I’m good, how about you?” Her voice was coated with sweetness. Probably the superficial kind but it was easier to not read into it and pretend she was genuinely interested, not at all irritated by your presence in what would otherwise have been a romantic night. 

You just nodded, humming a response as you buckled yourself in. Your eyes flickered up to Steve who was watching your every move from his seat, the look in his eyes somewhat of an apology for the surprise and a question of you sure you’re good?. After over a decade of friendship you gained the ability to say so much without saying anything at all. You just blinked back, nodding once again and giving him your best smile. He didn’t seem entirely convinced, his gaze holding for a moment before he pulled away from the curb outside your house and drove towards the fair.

And at first it was fine. The fair was jam packed with kids, families, other teens, just about the whole of Hawkin’s it seemed. The mash-up of excited cheers and christmas songs elevated any awkwardness that had filled the cramped car on the ride over, stepping out into the sweet smelling air seeming to clear it all away. 

Steve and Maggie walked hand in hand, you always a few steps ahead as you looked around like a kid in a candy shop. After a good twenty minutes of meandering around the stalls, stopping to look at the various festive goods some were selling without actually ever buying any, you stopped at one of the food trucks. It was cold out, probably below freezing, and the perfect excuse to get one of the overly sweet hot chocolates. 

Before you could even finish ordering your own, Steve had stepped in and asked for another two. Handing over the money despite your protests that you could pay for yourself. 

The first sip felt like it warmed you from the inside, the cup radiating its heat through your gloves as you clutched it with both hands. 

“Woah, slow down, you’re gonna get sick on the rides if you drink that too fast.” Steve teased, watching you practically down your drink as he sipped his own. 

“Don’t be a killjoy Harrington.” You mumbled, barely taking the cup from your mouth to speak. “Besides, I thought it was you who got sick on the waltzers that one time?” You raised an eyebrow at the boy, who quickly looked between you and his date and shook his head.

“Hey no fair, I was a kid! And they totally picked on me, I practically broke the sound barrier with how fast they spun it.” He huffed, feigning annoyance at your confession. 

“Sure, whatever you say.” You rolled your eyes at his poor defence, finally taking a break from your hot chocolate. It was pretty sickly, not that you’d ever admit Steve was right.

“You’ve got a- ah c’mere.” Steve stepped to you as he spoke, your brow furrowed with whatever he was trying to say in so little words. It wasn’t until his thumb was brushing over the corner of your mouth that you realised, staring up at your friend through your eyelashes as he studied your face. Your breath was held in your chest, scared to even exhale as he finally moved his hand away. “Chocolate, s’gone now.” 

“Guess I did get a bit too excited with it.” You shrugged, heat washing over your already cold bitten cheeks. At least that made the fact you were blushing easier to hide. 

You glanced over to Maggie, whose tongue was inside her cheek as she watched the pair of you interact, and quickly tried to move the conversation onto something else. Anything else. 

You stayed a few steps ahead of them as you kept walking around, their muffled conversation easily drowned out by the noises of the fair. But every time you stole a glance behind you, you could see the girls slightly irritated expression as Steve clearly tried to dig himself out of whatever hole he was in.

The second incident, if you could call it that, was after you spent most of your money and far too much time trying to win an oversized teddy bear from one of the games stalls. You’d never been all that good with hand eye coordination, which was abundantly clear from the multiple failed attempts at knocking all the stacked bottles over. 

After another missed shot you tipped your head back and groaned, turning back to look at Steve who was far too amused by your attempts. 

“This is rigged.” You stated, folding your arms over your chest as you glared at the bottles that mocked you in their untouched state. 

“It’s not, you just suck.” You jutted your bottom lip out at Steve’s response, knowing that he was right but not willing to admit it. “Let me have a go.”

“Fine, but you won’t win, because it's rigged.” You stepped aside to let him up to the counter, the smell of his cologne instantly hitting you as his body was next to yours. It was warm and woodsy and familiar, he smelled like comfort and home and all the things you’d grown to associate Steve with. You were so preoccupied with mentally arguing with yourself about how you shouldn't think these things that you barely noticed Steve successfully knocking down the bottles until he turned to you with a grin.

“So it’s not rigged I guess.” His voice snapped you out of your trance, his smile instantly causing your own to appear as you squealed and hugged him tightly.

“Get your girlfriend to pick what she wants.” The man running the stall grumbled, clearly tired of your complaining that he’d been hearing for the last ten minutes.

“Oh she’s not-” Steve started, but the man was too preoccupied with resetting the bottles that any protests were pointless. But you could hear Maggie scoff from behind you, left in the same spot that she’d been with Steve before he came to your rescue. 

You offered him an apologetic smile, as if you’d really done anything wrong. But these situations were far too familiar, almost routine at this point. Sorry smiles and furrowed brows seemed to follow you and Steve whenever either of you had a date. 

You picked out the giant panda teddy that was practically the same size as yourself, clutching it to your body as Steve no doubt went to apologise again. You felt bad for him, always having to defend himself. Defend you. 

But the final straw that night was when the sun had fully left the sky, the navy blanket of night engulfing the air around you and dropping the temperature even more. You were quite grateful for the oversized bear in that moment, holding it to yourself conserving some heat as you shivered whilst waiting in the queue for the ferris wheel. 

“You cold?” Steve’s voice came from behind you, your neck craning so you could peer back at him.

“Nah I’m okay.” You lied, your skin flushed from the air and your teeth chattering despite your best attempts to control them.

“You’re not.” Before you could open your mouth in protest, Steve was peeling off his coat so he could remove his sweater. 

“Steve, I’m fine, really.”  You were practically begging at this point, already knowing the simple act of kindness would cause him trouble. 

“Just take it.” He held it out in his hand, the yellow sweater hanging there waiting to be claimed. He raised his eyebrows at you as you stood motionless, teeth tucked over your bottom lip. 

You exhaled, finally reaching out to take the sweater from him. The hassle of having to place the stuffed toy on the ground and fumble out of your own coat made the whole thing feel worse, dragging out the tension that was building as you pulled the sweater over your head. You did instantly feel warmer, Steve’s body heat lingering on the wool. 

“There, looks better on you anyway.” 

And that was it. Those few words were the final straw. One final sigh of irritation coming from Steve’s date before she began storming away.  “God, why don’t you just date her?” 

You looked at Steve, wide eyed and a small frown tugging at the corner of your lips. “Go.” You nudged your head in the direction of where Maggie was heading, making good ground with the pace she was walking.

Steve sighed, running a hand over his face. “You wait here, okay?” You just nodded at him before he half jogged after Maggie. 

You stepped out of the queue, finding somewhere to sit close to the ferris wheel as you sat waiting for your friend's return. Your prize teddy sat next to you, an unfortunately big reminder of the night. 

It wasn’t Steve’s fault. He was always too sweet with you. A hand on your back as you crossed roads, an arm over your body if he ever had to break hard in his car, eyes always reading your emotions without you even having to say anything. 

It felt like an eternity had passed by the time he returned, head hung low and on his own. When he finally looked up to find where you'd gone you gave him a small wave, that same sorry smile on your lips as he took a seat next to you. 

“She went home, said she didn’t want to be a third wheel on her own date.” He let out a sad laugh, shaking his head at the whole situation.

“I’m sorry Steve.” You nudged his side with your shoulder, your hand reaching over to squeeze his. 

“She’s kinda right though. This does feel like a date.” Steve was looking at you now, the bright lights around you dancing off his deep brown eyes and lighting up his skin with warm colours. 

“What? A date? Like, for us?” You raised one of your eyebrows at him as you forced the words out, hoping that he couldn't feel the thumping in your chest with him sitting so close to you. Your body's reaction a dead giveaway for how you feel.

Steve nodded, not breaking his eye contact with you. “Don’t you think?”

You took a moment to gather your thoughts, your brain screaming at you to just confess how you really feel. Begging you to just be honest. If only it were that easy.

“I guess, maybe. Minus your actual date.” Steve chuckled at your words, this time moving his hand to your own and hovering over it for a moment before taking it in his own. 

“Yeah, minus that.” It felt like the noise and chaos around you had vanished, all other distractions muffled by the blood that was thumping in your ears. “Everyone always says we should just give it up and get together.” 

You swallowed, mouth becoming more dry with each word your best friend spoke. You’d heard the same thing before, of course. From your ex boyfriends, all of your friends, even your parents. But you'd always brushed it off, dead set on the fact that Steve didn’t feel the same.

“But what about you? You’re not everyone.” You weren’t sure where this bravery was coming from, words you'd been dying to say for years suddenly spilling from your lips.

The way Steve smiled at you made your heart melt, made your chest ache and heat up despite the winter air. “I d’know. Would be nice to end the night on a positive note, don’t y’think?” 

You could feel your mouth open a little, as Steve looked at you waiting for a response. “Yeah, yeah it would.” You averted your eyes from your best friend as you spoke, staring down at your hand that was still in his. 

“C’mon then. There’s a ferris wheel with your name on it over there.” Steve stood up and tugged on your hand to raise you out of your seat, not letting go once you were up. You couldn't fight off the grin that was spreading over your face, your eyes brighter than any of the lights at the fairground. 

“The bear is sitting in the middle.” You teased, glancing over to the teddy that was still leaning against the wooden bench you'd been perched at.

“It’s absolutely not.” Steve grinned, picking the bear up and holding it under his free arm. You both stood still for a moment, just taking each other in. His eyes full of something soft and lovely, the same way he always looked at you really.