#so im glad the nervousness seems to have faded for you a bit!!!!!

[definitelynotshouting]

OOH

first impression: saw a post in the wild about hunger au and any sort of worldbuilding gives me brain worms so ofc i immediately went through the whoke master doc and then reread the fic twice over in one sitting (i think at that point it had 4 chapters) AND THEN went through the tag with my head in my hands like "how does this person come up with such cool ideas oof ouch my heart"

Now: dude you are so cool 🥺 the amount of work you put into hunger au and the magic au AND YOUR POEMS ILOVE YOUR POETRY. I just have so much respect for you. Also fun fact your writing re-inspired me to continue my own projects so thank you 😭. And also thank you for going through my asks and responding to them!! i was so nervous sending in the first one but your response was so sweet i really appreciate it <3

-☀️

WAIT WAIT THIS IS SO SWEET WTF /POS IM SO,,,,,,, 😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ im literally always so stunned when people say my writing inspires them, its like my favorite thing to hear and it never stops feeling like the most amazing thing in the world, truly. Sometimes its just so unfathomable like, the influence you can have on others, and being given even the briefest glimpse of that is truly so so humbling i love it

Also it means a lot to me that you like my poetry so much 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 ive only shared the tiniest fraction of them so far, but its messages like these that help me build up the confidence to keep posting❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ i appreciate the kind words a ton, truly sun anon you always have the nicest things to say 🥺🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️

[euphoricsunflowers]

calling you daddy — monsta x

scenario: they ask about your kinks and you ask them to call you daddy

a/n: this is written with a fem reader in mind but is not strictly fem reader as no pronouns or anything is mentioned.

a/n: was this a request? nope tbh this was written for myself bc i’m sick and tired of seeing people call these men daddy so uh pls enjoy

word count: 2k

content: sub!monsta x, dom!reader, daddy kink obviously ajshdhs, minhyuk is kinda bratty? kinda??, lots of teasing and begging, mentions of consent and stuff

—

son hyunwoo/shownu:

he falls silent. he doesn’t know what to say in the slightest. he worries that he might hurt your feelings or say something out of line, but it just stuns him, “you don’t have to do it if you’re uncomfortable with that, bear. your consent is just as important,” you say.

but see that’s half of what’s stunning him. he’s not exactly uncomfortable with that. shownu’s nature is pleasing you, he doesn’t mind filling any role or position for you, this was just a little more intense than that.

“you know what? just forget we had this conversation. i don’t want you to feel pressured, and it’s not a big deal, okay?” you say.

but the idea lingers in his head whether or not you want it to. as the days go by, his mind wanders, and while it may not exactly be what he’d be into, he’s not against doing it for you.

as you manhandle him a little bit, he says it softly, “ah, daddy-,” it’s even more embarrassing than he imagined, and his cheeks and ears are flushed and hot, but when he says it, softly under his breath, just whispering it out to test the waters, he sees your shock and then your small little smirk.

“now that i know what it sounds like to hear you say that, and what that does to me,” you say, sneaking your hands under his shirt and letting them wander, playing with his chest a bit, “i don’t think it’s a good idea to say that if you wanna make it out of this bedroom spotless and in one piece.”

he blushes even more, a little shy and hesitant, but he likes having this kind of effect on you, so that may not be the last time he says it. besides, who says he cares if he makes it out in one piece? and spotless? his neck and chest and thighs were too clean anyway.

lee hoseok/wonho:

it was in the middle of you riding him, his wrists bound above his head with a rope that made his skin look so pretty against it. he’s already cum once, but you’re not stopping until you do, and he’s trying to keep himself together. your hands roughly playing with his chest is overstimulating and he’s overwhelmed. he pleads for mercy aimlessly, almost thoughtlessly.

but then, “if you’re gonna beg, call me daddy,” you murmur. he’s not even sure he hears you right when you say it. he looks at you with wide eyes, and he assumed he did because of the way you act. he knows he could stop you at any time because you’re very clear on consent and it’s not like this was completely out of left field considering how you’re already always in charge in the bedroom. he was just stunned.

and while he’s a little bit stunned, he also won’t deny that it is a little bit hot.

so he does, “please, daddy, it’s so much- i- i can’t handle it.”

he sees your smile, with just a drop of sadism behind the curl of your lip, “just a little more, baby, i’m close. you make daddy feel so good,” he gets so excited by the praise that he attempts to stick it out, forever still the man that just wants to make you happy and please you.

he forgets about himself and his own body for a moment when he feels your body tense up around him and you hold onto his chest as you orgasm, using him to get the most out of it before you slow down to a halt.

your heavy breathes and sweet nothings whispered in his ear are heavenly.

lee minhyuk:

“really? you’re into that? i honestly thought it would be the other way around.”

taken aback, you ask, “really? what gave you that impression?”

“idk, you don’t have this aura of dominance, so i didn’t really assume that was your thing.”

“is that- is that okay with you?”

he gets closer, teasing in the way he wants to make you shy, “you seem pretty bashful for someone who just asked to be called daddy in the bedroom.”

“minhyuk-,”

he rolls his eyes, obviously trying to get a rise out of you, “come on, i don’t even know if you have it in you.”

and something about his careless, taunting tone sets something off inside you, like he was challenging you. but it’s a challenge you take on when you approach him. your touch is softer, lighter than he imagined. he thought you would be lit aflame with a need to prove yourself to him. but you lean in to press a kiss on his neck and your wandering hands settle on his hips.

you’re gentle with him initially, yet he melts a little bit when one hand tightens and another begins to unbutton his shirt, giving your mouth access to his chest.

you push him onto the couch, straddling him and using a hand to hold both of his arms above his head, when you pull back, he looks dazed and needy, all those teasing smirks having faded off his features, “why are you so affected? i thought i didn’t even have it in me,” you say with a smirk this time.

he breathes heavily, “y/n- please-”

“oh please, that’s not my name anymore, min.”

yoo kihyun:

“you want me to what?!” his voice is randomly high pitched, loud, almost like he’s nervous or scared.

despite that anxious feeling you’re feeling too, you try to stay calm, “i understand if you’re uncomfortable by it, but you asked about my kinks, kihyun.”

“yeah i know- i just- i wasn’t expecting that- really? you’re not messing with me? that’s really what you want?” he looks exasperated.

“yes. i really want you to call me daddy.”

he goes silent, trying to comprehend in his head what the hell was going on and what he was going to do and why the more he thinks about it, the less vehemently against it he becomes. and he had spent the entire relationship making it clear that he cared about what you wanted (because he does) and it’s not like… he hates the idea of it, but it’s just so out there to him that he can’t even fathom or imagine it.

he asks for a few days just to think about it, and though the awkwardness lingers in the air, by the fourth day, it seems like you had mostly forgotten about it or at least it didn’t seem to be on your mind. he spends those days really thinking, trying to imagine what it would be like, why you would even want that.

but the next time you’re together alone, your hands and lips are on him and he experimentally says it, “daddy, please.”

the whiny, begging voice, coupled with the word, leave you stunned. you pull back with wide eyes, and he felt so embarrassed and shameful with your eyes on him like that, but then you pulled him back into you and kissed him with a certain kind of feverish desperation that made his knees weak.

chae hyungwon:

his reaction is oddly pretty calm. he asked about what you were into, and you told him. maybe he was expect something a little different, but to be honest, he knew you liked to be in control, and he usually just went along with it. he didn’t mind it especially because you always made sure you both felt good and that was all that matters. that and he kinda likes being told what to do.

so it doesn’t exactly surprise him, especially when you add, “but only in a sexual context! i don’t need you to say it all the time.”

“good because there’s no way in hell i’m calling you daddy in front of my friends,” he can see the thoughts behind your eyes wanting to take up that challenge, but he decides to ignore it, “as far as they’re concerned, i’m daddy.”

“sure, wonnie. sure,” you say dismissively, before looking back at him, “are you actually okay with it though? i know it’s… weird.”

“it wasn’t what i was expecting, but if that’s what you want, then i’ll do it.”

and as soon as you’ve got him under you, with kisses and marks trailing down his neck and chest, leaving him helplessly turned on and horny, he says it so naturally, you wonder if he even thought to do it. but whether or not he’s doing this solely for you, or because he might have found it a little hot, is between him and himself, “ahh, daddy, please- be gentle with me- i have a photoshoot in the morning- oh my god that feels so good please daddy don’t stop-”

lee jooheon:

he likes the idea of it when you mention it, he just gets kinda shy, “do you- do you really want me to call you that?”

you come closer, holding his hand and rubbing your thumb against it in a comforting manner, “yeah, i really like the idea of it. if you’re not completely against it, i’d be really happy if we could try it.”

“it’s not… the worst thing you could have told me you were into,” he laughs as your hand starts to massage his thigh instead, “we can try it. i'll tell you if we need to stop, but i think it’ll be okay.”

“good, i’m glad you’re reacting this way, honey,” you murmur as you kiss him, and he smiles, which, even if it makes the kiss a little awkward, is really cute, “sweetheart,” you whisper as you pull away, “can you say it? i just wanna hear you say it.”

your hands wander his skin nervously, he can tell you’re worried about him being uncomfortable, “ahh, d-daddy, please touch me more,” he whines, and he’s never been more compelling before, but somehow the use of that word really makes you want to give in and give him anything he wants, “please touch me.”

your hand falls a little lower upon his request, and he groans lightly, pulling you a little closer, “you’re perfect, baby, so pretty.”

“ahh, please,” he huffs, clearly growing shy with the praise, but it’s obvious he really likes it, so you touch him more and whisper sweet words into his ear with a kiss, “oh- oh my- daddy- please i-”

“you’re so cute, sweetie pie, especially when you’re feeling good, you look so pretty and content. it’s my favorite sight,” you say adoringly, looking at him with the biggest heart eyes.

“wow, i didn’t expect to like this this much but-“ he whispers, “-i kinda love it.”

im changkyun/i.m:

he doesn’t react much when you say it, making you wonder if he was uncomfortable or not into it, but in any case, you assume it’s going to be forgotten in a few days and there would be nothing to worry about.

until he’s trying to get you to play with him and you’re trying to work. he can’t deny that he gets horny easily and you’re right there! he tries to tease in an way he can think possible, but to no avail. you’re still just sitting there, typing away on your laptop.

“just another thirty minutes, and then im all yours, baby,” you murmur to him, and he pouts subconsciously out of frustration.

he gets an idea, and i’m sure you know what it is.

“alright, you’re busy and i respect that. i guess i’ll just leave you be and go play by myself, daddy,” he giggles when you look over at him for the first time in this encounter and then he walks away.

as he sits on the bed in your bedroom, he awaits the sound of your footsteps, knowing he’s won. the door opens, and you walk in too casually, enough to make him suspicious, until he’s pulled onto your lap with your lips on his shoulder. your hands sneak under his hoodie, and his hands brace himself on your shoulders for stability, “ah- y/n-”

“baby, i did not set aside my work that’s due tomorrow morning to come fuck your brains out just for you to call me that,” he shivers, so incredibly turned on, “try again.”

—

taglist: @lovingonrepeat @neosincity @sub-hoshi-enthusiast @multidreams-and-desires @hobilluvvr @vanillaknj @yr-domxfantasies @treasure-hwa @fleurshopsub @rubyscloud9 @silencefavarchive @nct99 @bigkpopstan @monstaxdirtywonk @domreaderrecs @mochi-ficz and always feel free to ask to be added to/removed from the taglist <3

[descendantofthesparrow]

Huma x reader (mainly showing Harry x reader) - slowburn oneshot - brand new

wattpad version (smut included)

Ao3 version (smut included)

=

-This is a smut oneshot(edit; turned into a slow burn oneshot that goes into smut cuz I can edit2.0; this tumblr version doesn’t have smut in it, it is hinted at but otherwise its not written but I will link to the AO3 and Wattpad versions that will have the smut posted) because im trying to practice writing it and (y/n) is written with she/her pronouns and has female body parts because, again, im still practicing on smut and want to get used to writing my own…body type before I branch out to attempt to write any other type anyways LETS GET TO IT-

Your leg bounced as you stared at the wooden swing doors of Ursula's chip shop. Harry had left to do some errands two hours ago, and usually he got those particular errands, collecting payment for the protection of shops and territory, done within two hours.

But it had been a whole two hours, you glanced at the clock again, and two minutes. Something burned in your gut, telling you something was wrong. You wouldn’t dare voice your concern in front of the crew and the chip shop customers, you would be cackled at for even entertaining the idea of worrying about someone, even if it was Harry.

You and Harry weren't close, you were just a simple crew member on Uma’s crew, you had joined after their adventure to the isle of the doomed so you didn’t have the bond that the crew had after going through something life-threatening. You were pretty sure Harry didn’t even know your name!

But that never stopped the butterflies in your head and stomach when you heard him laugh, never stopped the heat creeping up your neck when he smirked, never stopped the fuzzy feeling in your head when his ever so bright ocean blue eyes lined with black liner scanned the crew, never once locking onto you but that didn’t stop your heart from beating faster than a hummingbirds wings…whatever hummingbirds were but Gil had rambled about them one day after he found a bird fact book and that particular fact stuck in your head.

Besides, Harry practically had every vk at his feet, hell you were pretty sure Uma liked him too, and he liked her, with how they looked at each other it was a wonder that the entire isle didn’t ‘gossip’ about them.

And you were nothing compared to Uma, who in all honesty, was fucking gorgeous, so you could never blame Harry if he chose her out of all his “suitors” because who were you compared to Uma? You were just the daughter of simple thieves who had unfortunately been sent to the isle.

You looked at the clock again and frowned, it had only been another two minutes but that didn’t stop the pit in your stomach from growing. If Harry wasn’t back by 8:30, which was a bit less than a half-hour from now, then you would go looking for him…well if Uma didn’t send anyone out to look for him first, but she trusted him so she might not send anyone out at all.

But like you, Uma nervously glanced at the doors and clock every few minutes, like you, she also felt something was wrong but had to keep her usual calm demeanor in front of the crew.

You made eye contact with her after looking away from the clock again, Uma raising her brow in curiosity as you felt your ears burn and you looked to the doors quickly.

You counted down the minutes to 8:30, your fingers tapping rapidly against your tray of food and the heel of your boot hitting the leg of your stool in time.

It had been two and a half hours after Harry left for his errands, and you had finally had enough, you made eye contact with Uma as you stood and she nodded, glancing towards the doors then the sword check then back at you.

You somehow understood each other and you nodded back, heading towards the doors quickly as you snatched your cutlass from the sword check and raced out the chip shop in search of Harry.

-

You hopped over a rusted metal fence and landed on your toes; your eyes wide with caution. you were now just along the lines of territory a rival gang that had been attempting to take Uma’s territory for the past couple months. After you had gone to all the areas that Harry was supposed to go for his collecting route, Dizzy, bless her little heart, had nervously told you about Dylan, Clayton’s son, and his gang had ambushed Harry just a bit after he had finished up at Dizzy’s and kidnapped him and stole all the money he had just collected.

So you went to go collect the pirate and the money they had stolen, they were probably going to keep him for ransom against Uma, but what ransom would they have if there was no pirate or money?

You may have been the daughter of two ‘simple’ thieves but….then again, they were simple on the isle, not in Auradon.

Your lip twitched as a bout of cruel laughter echoed out from the building, you sprinted forward silently as you noticed one of the gang members on lookout duty starting to come around the corner to your right. You took a leaping step, catching yourself on an open window ledge and pulling yourself up swiftly, jumping up the three feet gaps between the windows as the guard passed below you not even knowing you had been where he was walking just a moment ago.

You thanked whatever god was out there for your (dad/mom) teaching you how to free run when you were younger. You peeked into one of the dark floors of the building, pursing your lips a bit as you remembered that their gang site was in an abandoned parking lot. Not much room for error, or hiding places.

You hopped through the window and landed silently on your feet, stopping as another bout of laughter echoed below you.

They kept to the lower floors then, which was good to know, it also meant both an easier and harder escape once you had Harry. Easier because less distance between Harry and the exit, harder because less distance between the exit and the gang.

You ran over to the stairwell; glad you had decided to wear your shoes with no heel as it made running quietly much easier. You grinned as you stepped into the stairwell, no door. hopefully, the other floors didn’t have them either, or else if they squeaked both you and Harry would be in for some shit.

You glanced at the faded number on the wall.

The seventh floor, wow you had climbed quite a bit, hadn't you? You shook away the thought, swiftly yet carefully climbing down the stairs, scanning each floor as you arrived to check for the gang.

Finally, you arrived on the third floor, the only floor with any light coming from it. You moved to stand flush against the wall next to the doorway of the floor, peering in as best you could without anyone seeing you, glancing every now and then to the stairway for any other gang members.

You huffed quietly as Dylan pushed at Harry's limp head, cackling and muttering to himself as he circled Harry like a bloodthirsty shark. You grit your teeth as you got a good look at Harry in the dimly lit area he was in. he was tied to both a structural beam and a folding chair, blood dripped from the side of his head down to his jaw and off his chin, he was starting to bruise on his face, neck, and possibly his torso and wrists, but those weren’t visible at the moment so you settled for guessing his injuries.

His right ankle was also at a VERY worrying angle…you might have to take some drastic measures to get Harry out of this parking garage.

Dylan was muttering something about how Uma would bow to him when she found her ‘precious’ first mate all bloody and beaten, and how he would finally have command of the wharfs.

“not on my watch” you muttered, quickly coming up with a plan and digging into your thigh bag, pulling out a handful of mini smoke bombs that your (dad/mom) had made forever ago in case one of the three of you needed them. You took out your lighter and lit the fuses, chucking them into the room and smirking as they landed right beside the gang members, luck seemed to be on your side today.

“what the hell-HOLY-“ Dylan let out a high-pitched screech as smoke burst from the nozzle of the smoke bombs and quickly filled the room, for being the size of ping pong balls they sure packed a wallop of smoke.

Pulling up your bandana to prevent any smoke inhalation you dashed into the room, running towards Harry but was stopped as a foot came arching your way. You held up your arms in front of your face and blocked the kick, stepping back quickly as the gang member started swinging at you, grunting with effort as you dodged and misdirected his punches.

“WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!” Dylan yelled, you smirked under your bandana, you weren’t really a known member of Uma’s crew, liking to keep to the shadows and out of sight.

You took the moment of disorientation from Dylan’s yell that caused the gang member to slip up and ducked under his next swing, one arm grappling around his next ant clasping with your other hand, your right foot going behind his ankle and pulling him forward flipping him over and slamming him into the ground with a loud crack.

He was out for the count, now, you looked up and around you, through the smoke you could see maybe 9 members left, including Dylan. Should be easy enough, you glanced at Harry, frowning slightly as he started to cough, but you would have to work quickly so Harry didn’t get all the smoke in the garage in his lungs.

You threw yourself back as another lackey of Dylan’s threw a punch at you, you decided to make quick work of them and grabbed their wrist, pulling it up and back towards them, smirking at the sickening pop that sounded from their shoulder. They screamed and dropped to the ground in agony, yelping as you leaned back from a sweeping air kick and slammed your hands onto the floor, using the momentum and lifting your legs back with you.

Your foot slammed into the next lackey's chin and he fell back, his skull slamming against the floor with a crack. You rolled back into a summersault and stood on your feet, catching the leg that was aimed at your chest and pulling the lackey towards you, kicking them twice in the stomach then throwing them over your shoulder with a twist of your torso and a spin of your feet.

They crashed to the floor just next to Harry, who was just barely coming to consciousness and jumped at the loud noise. He squinted through the smoke and dimly lit area, eyes widening as he spotted the spray panted symbol of Uma’s crew plain on your jacket sleeve.

Dylan watched in shock as you easily took out his gang members, and when the final one fell, he could feel the smug grin you had when you turned to face him.

Dylan let out an intelligible yell and rushed at you, only for his world to go black as you stepped to the side, grabbed his arm, turned your back to his chest, and swung him over you using his momentum.

Dylan and his gang were out for the count. And with Dylan knocked out the smoke finally cleared and all that was left was the dimly lit floor, the unconscious bodies of the gang, and an injured Harry.

You let out a soft sigh and pushed down your bandana, walking towards Harry and flipping out your pocket knife, kneeling next to Harry and cutting the ropes around his wrists and legs, then the ones around his torso keeping him to the beam. “woah-“ you pressed your hands against Harry's chest gently as he tried to rush out of the chair. “-hold up, you’re really hurt” Harry looked down at you, and you winced as you saw his swelling eye and bleeding nose for the first time, his lip was busted too.

“who-“ Harry slurred, trying to ask for your name or your rank in the crew but was unable to get the words out still being very much out of it from being jumped and beaten.

“im (y/n), im a regular ol’ crew member, and I got worried about you and came looking, come on, there are still some members on guard duty and we need to skedaddle before they come up” Harry gave a slow nod and with your help got to his feet, letting out a yelp as he put too much pressure on his broken ankle.

“um, okay” you quickly thought up a plan and had Harry lean on you almost completely, cursing Dylan for making the main part of his hideout on the third floor, now you had to get Harry down three flights of stairs just to get him to the doors. You and Harry froze at the sound of heavy footsteps running up the stairs, you let go of Harry's hand and lowered him to the ground, quickly jumping into a fighting stance and glaring at the stairwell doorway.

You felt Harry's eyes on you as did so, but you did your best to ignore him and the butterflies that swarmed in your stomach. You slumped as Gil’s concerned face popped above the stairs, his eyes widening as he looked at Harry “holy heck, what happened?” Gil asked, walking over to Harry and checking him over.

“Dylan wanted him for ransom for the captain's territory, I took care of it” Gil gave you a look, you were never one to take initiative in the crew, well he didn’t either but you always stayed in the background, always seeming too scared to do anything about…well anything.

So for you to go out of your way to save Harry made Gil want to scratch his head. It clicked for him a moment later when he remembered how you always stared at Harry, with a look he could never put his finger on. Yes, Harry was the first mate and any of the crew members should put their life on the line to rescue him if needed but you didn’t do this as a crew member, you did this out of your personal feelings.

Gil, for once, didn’t think aloud, just hoisted Harry into his arms, ignoring Harry's protests and light smacks against his shoulder, and walked down the stairwell, you taking a moment to collect Harry hook that had been attached to one of the lackeys and running after them.

-

You stood awkwardly at the door frame of Harry's room as Gil set the injured pirate on his bed, you had never seen his room before, it was…a decent size, but you forced yourself not to memorize it for…reasons.

“I’ll tell Uma” you muttered aloud, walking away from Harry's room as you saw Gil nod, not seeing Harry strain his body in an attempt to keep his eyes on you.

When you arrived back at the chip shop and quietly informed Uma of the situation, she cursed and looked to the clock, she wasn’t off till midnight and it was only 9:15, she had another two hours and forty-five minutes before she was off and then she still had to clean!

“just-have Gil take care of him” she muttered back, pushing you back towards the chip shop doors “there's a medical kit in my quarters, under the board just left to the door, it'll jiggle when you step on it, give that to Gil and he’ll know what to do” you nodded and ran back to the ship, not wanting Harry to suffer for any longer than he was.

You went to Uma’s quarters, whistling a bit at the size of the room, and turned to the left, flipping up the loose board and taking out the large duffle bah with the red plus symbol on the side. “this has to be it” you muttered, standing and walking out of the room, closing the door behind you and making your way to Harry's room. you peeked into the room, frowning at the sight of Harry's very swollen turning very red and dark purple ankle. You knocked on the door frame and stepped into the room, handing the duffle bag to Gil.

The boys seemed to realize exactly where the bag was from and looked at you apprehensively, gosh sometimes you forgot how protective of Uma they were, even if it was a simple item. “she gave me permission to get that, I'll be out of your hair now” you spun on your heel and speed-walked out of the room, ignoring the butterflies in your gut as you felt Harry's eyes on you again.

-

It took Harry almost two months to heal from his injuries, his ankle still had ways to go so he was forced to be on the bench for crew activities and his usual errands until he could walk without his ankle being at a weird angle or him wincing in pain every time he took a step or shifted his ankle.

Gonzo and Bonnie took over his usual errands as Gil took over as temp-first mate until Harry was all healed up.

During those two months, you had noticed something….new.

Harry and Uma had taken to staring at you…a lot…like a lot a lot.

At first, you thought you were imagining things, the feeling of eyes constantly on you, then you thought that maybe some of Dylan's gang members had found out you were the one to sabotage his plan and were spying on you.

Those thoughts went out the window when one day you turned to look over your shoulder and saw Harry and Uma staring directly at you, Uma leaning on the long table on her elbows as Harry covered his mouth and some of his nose with his chin resting in his palm. You snapped your head back around and curled in on yourself, willing the heat growing up your neck to go away.

The next odd thing to happen was Uma beginning to actually…use you for crew things? Usually you just kinda…sat back and watched as everyone else did stuff, not of your own violation or laziness, it's just that Uma and Harry never seemed to…have anything to do for you?

But now it seemed like Uma was actually trying to include you in pirate activities, even once assigning you to her when the ship needed some maintenance on its ropes. She also started to either keep close to you as you trained in combat with the crew or sometimes even training you herself.

Which led to some…situations, you see, while you were pretty much an expert in hand to hand combat you fucking sucked with swords so once in a while you fumbled with your sword and…Uma while not being a PDA person, well unless it was Harry but even then, would walk toward you and correct your grip, stance, your free hand for balance, and even lead you in some sort of weird dance to help you learn your footwork.

It was like she was…sizing you up, if that was the best word, always keeping her eye on you, asking you random questions, making you help out in the chip shop, and just…having you be around her more than you used to.

Then there was Harry, after two months of just staring at you, he started talking to you, first “thanking” you for saving his ass from Dylan, aka he made you a bracelet and tossed it in front of you with a nod and a mutter of  “thanks”. Gil had muttered next to you that Harry liked to make people stuff as a way to thank them, and held up his own bracelet that Harry made for him when they were younger “it's just one of the ways he shows appreciation!”

Then it moved to small conversations about random things, they weren’t long, just…small talk when you ended up in the same place as each other or when you were both on nightshift guard duty. The staring hadn't stopped, but you didn’t mind it as much as you used to, knowing it was Harry and Uma keeping their eyes on you, for whatever reason, but it made you feel….safe? you didn’t know the feeling that came with them watching you but you knew it wasn’t scared or threatened.

One day Harry asked you to practice some knots with him, setting up two crates and making you sit across from him. As you worked on learning how to make a round turn and two half-hitches knot, Harry stared at you, watching you ever so carefully, drifting his gaze from your concentrated face to your swift and calloused fingers as you successfully pulled the knot together, looking up at him with a shy grin, seeking his approval.

He smirked and nodded, patting your knee and beginning to instruct you on how to do other knots, in a softer voice than before. Next, is something that took you a pretty long time to notice but, they started to get physically closer to you when they could. Like when the crew crowded around the table for mealtime at the chip shop. In the beginning, you always sat at the farthest end of the table, always keeping to yourself and trying not to bother anybody.

But as time went on, you were slowly being pushed towards the middle of the table where Uma, Harry, and Gil always sat, or sometimes you would sit in your usual seat and Harry or Uma would be away from their seats and closer to you. You didn’t notice any of this until your shoulder was in line with Harry’s, his jacket brushing against your arms and legs knocking into yours.

They both seemed to also attempt to get you into conversations more, Uma’s hands ending up on your arms or shoulder when she talked to the crew if they weren’t on Harry's shoulder, Harry leaning in close to you when you had your little conversations, Uma staring intently as you trained with the crew.

Most of this you didn’t notice, being the oblivious and overthinker person you were, you brushed off the thought of a possible connection with the two and thought they were just doing what captain and first mate did, have a good relationship with a crew member was essential.

What you didn’t see was the crew smirking as Harry stared at you, snickering when Uma rested her hand on your shoulder, whispering to themselves as their eyes always flashed over to you when you walked through the doors, gossiping when Harry sneaked his own food onto your plate.

Even Gil, who was admittedly a bit airheaded, could see what was going through the minds of his two oldest friends. He just grinned and leaned back, knowing he had started it all when he had told Uma of his “theory” of you possibly having feelings for her first mate/kinda boyfriend.

She at first just wanted to size you up, to see if you were “worthy” of her best friend, she and Harry had an open relationship, if either of the others wanted to get with someone else as long as they talked it through and got consent it wasn’t a problem. Uma just wanted to see if you wouldn’t hurt Harry.

She didn’t expect to catch feelings for you. It was something that boiled beneath the surface of her skin as it developed, she didn’t even notice it happened. The feeling of sparks dancing across her fingertips when her hand touched yours when she fixed your grip on your sword, the burst of warmth beneath her skin when she locked eyes with you, the flutter in her gut when you laughed at one of Gil’s stupid jokes or Harry’s dumb stunts.

It was all the same feelings she got when she was around Harry, but it took only one moment for her to realize she had fallen for you. It was just supposed to be a regular Sunday on the isle, it was her day off so she decided to spend it with you meandering around the marketplace, not particularly looking for anything just browsing.

Their time at the market had been shortened by the arrival of Dylan, taunting Uma and getting in her face. “come on shrimpy!” he snickered, his gang behind him cackling loudly “too scared to go against me-GUk” Uma snapped her head around to look at Dylan as he suddenly gasped for breath and her eyes widened in shock. Dylan was on his back, holding his gut as you stood in front of Uma, tilting your head dangerously as the gang took a step back.

“not a good idea to disrespect the captain, Dylan” you growled, sending a shiver down Uma’s spine, you weren’t much a talker, and when you did it was soft, but now? There was a thick tension to your voice, almost reminiscent of Harry's low growly tone when he got angry.

Dylan slowly sat up and glared at you, eyes widening as he realized who you were “you’re-you’re the bitch that” he paled at the smirk on your face.

“that kicked your asses? All on her own? Yeah, I’m that bitch, now back the fuck up before I snap your teeth with my boot” Uma swallowed around the rising heat in her neck, rolling her shoulders to get rid of the uncomfortable tension that was growing inside her.

Dylan let out a snarl and snapped his fingers, three of his lackeys running towards you, all yelping as you took them down with ease. Uma smirked as the lackeys landed next to Dylan, who then stood quickly and bolted the other way.

Dylan stood and looked behind him, freezing as he noticed almost all his gang had abandoned him, the only one left was his right-hand man, who stared at you with wide fearful eyes. Dylan slowly turned as he heard you crack your knuckles and squeaked as you gave a sharp smirk “this is the part where you run away~” you giggled, holding in a loud laugh as Dylan and his last lackey turned and ran with their tails between their legs.

You rolled your shoulders with a sigh and turned back to Uma, feeling your cheeks burn as she stared at you with wide eyes “uh…captain?” Uma snapped out of her trance and smirked at you.

“and here I thought Harry lied to me about your fighting skills~” her smirk softened as you tugged at your shirt. “come on, let's finish up here”

It was only when you returned to the ship and Uma got a moment to herself, that she realized what those feelings were in the market, they were the same feelings she got when she looks at Harry.

She liked you…a lot. Uma let out a low groan and sunk into her chair in her quarters, now she had to deal with feelings for her chaotic dumbass first mate and the oblivious yet badass crew member.

She went from just checking you out to make sure you were good for Harry to now fucking liking you…what a trope huh?

Harry on the other hand, had realized his feelings from the start, they were very small to start with, he hadn't even known your name before the fateful day when you saved him from Dylan.

It felt like his heart was jumpstarted as he locked eyes with you as you flipped Dylan over your back, sparks running across his skin when you undid the ropes around his wrists.

First, he was impressed, you had gone out of your way to save him and then took down almost an entire gang, some of the members easily overtaking you in size and strength but you took them down as if they were nothing. Then you had been so protective of him as you tried to make your way out of the parking garage with him, even getting ready to fight Gil before you knew it was Gil.

As you walked out of Harry's room after giving Gil the medical pack, he had asked Gil what your position on the crew was. As Gil told him about you, he remembered when you told him your name and he quietly muttered it, smiling slightly as he decided it fit you perfectly

Then he was amused, you were much shyer than he thought you would be, you were always by yourself in a corner, keeping to yourself and never talking to anyone. As he moved closer to you during meal times, he enjoyed the little sarcastic comments you muttered to yourself as you listened to whatever the crew was talking about. He giggled to himself at the look on your face when he dropped the ‘thank you’ bracelet in front of you, mentally dancing in excitement when he saw you wearing it the next day and then never take it off,  he didn’t know why he mentally danced in excitement but he brushed away the implications of it.

Then he and Uma started to attempt to get closer to you, well Uma was doing…her own thing while Harry was trying to get closer. First, he started with having you learn and help him tie the ropes around the ship, watching you as you at first fumbled with any type of rope he attempted teaching you, his heart fluttering when you finally got it and looked up at him for approval, a shy grin on your face.

He watched enraptured as you trained with Uma, chucking as he could imagine the steam coming off your face as Uma placed her hands on your hips and hands and corrected your stance. He cackled when you knocked Gil to the floor on a hand-to-hand combat training day, falling to his side as you leaned over Gil's dizzy self with your hands moving about unsure of what to do.

He watched you interacted during the quiet moments of the night when you would both be on night shift watching the ship, your shy nature seeming to melt away under the cloudy black sky as you rambled about whatever you were thinking about. He never really noticed himself leaning ever so close as you talked, only able to focus on you.

He noticed the crew teasing him and Uma pretty early on, though they were easily silenced when either him or Uma glared at the crew.

One day, he realized he was smitten with you. The crack of your voice when you got nervous, when you fidgeted with your rings, the smirk on your face when you flipped one of the crew members over your back, the laugh that spilled from your lips when you finally got the hang of using your sword, when you rubbed your thumb against your lips as you zoned out, it all made him feel warm inside, the same feelings he got around Uma.

He had to tell Uma about his feelings for you, they were in an open relationship but he wanted to make sure she was alright with you before he pursued anything with you.

One night after Uma finished up at the chip shop, she arrived to her quarters to see Harry sitting on her bed, playing with the curve of his hook as he waited for her. “Harry?” Uma groggily asked, she was exhausted but Harry never seeked her out after midnight, so something was up “what's going on, what do you need?” she closed the door to her room with her foot and slipped off her boots and hat, walking over to harry and flopping down on the bed next to him. “um-“ Harry stuttered, the red in his ears creeping down to his cheeks “yeh know (y/n)?” Uma perked up at that, pushing herself up with her hands and staring hard at Harry.

“yeah?” Uma’s heart sped up at the mention of the girl she had fallen for, god she hoped Harry wasn’t going to say he didn’t like her, and then Uma would feel like shit and she’d never be able to kiss the shit out of you till either of you couldn't see straight. “what about her?”

“I-um…I-…I like ‘er…like I like yeh” Harry’s face was almost crimson now, staring down at his lap as he played with the loose threads on his pants. “and-and I was wonderin’ if I-I could…um, invite ‘er into our relationship?” Harry's voice cracked at the end, oh so nervous and scared for what Uma was going to say.

“thank fuck I thought I was the only one” Harry snapped his head around to look at Uma, his mouth dropping open slightly “god fuck isn’t she so fucking pretty?!”

Harry let out a small sigh of relief and fully turned to look at Uma, sitting up on his knees “YES! Fuck she so pretty I just wanna smoother her in fucking i-gaaah ya know?!” he lifted his hands in front of his face and clenched them in an odd motion of frustration from (y/n)s prettiness. Uma laughed and nodded, grabbing onto Harry's hands and gripping them tightly.

“I do know, and I would be a hundred percent down for inviting her into our relationship, but!” Uma held up her hand as Harry gave her a wide grin, he deflated a bit and tilted his head “we need to make sure she's gonna be okay with this” Uma motioned between her and Harry “hell we don’t even know if she has feelings for us” Harry looked hurt at that, just wanting to drag you into bed with him and Uma already so he could smother you with cuddles and whatever couples did with their adorable significant others “I know, but we need to play this safe, I don’t want to scare her off”

Harry gave a slow nod, he wanted to do what he always did, rush into an idea with no real plan and just hope he didn’t die. But he would listen to Uma on this, she was a lot better with relationships then he was…well the logical part of them, he was better at feelings and physical stuff.

So the two talked into the night, deciding in the early morning that they would tell (y/n) about their decision on Sunday when Uma was off work.

Their talk happened on Wednesday, by Saturday afternoon Uma was off the isle, having dived through the barrier just before it closed and swimming to Auradon in search of revenge on Mal and to free the vks still on the isle.

It was only after she left that you realized you had fallen for Uma alongside Harry. The piercing feeling in your chest and gut every time you thought about your captain or even just being on the ship or chip shop slapped you in the face as you realized you fucking missed Uma, more than you should have.

You knew Harry missed Uma too, he had shut himself in his room soon after Uma disappeared at cotillion and refused to come out even when Gil asked. It wasn’t till his sister Harriet stormed onto the ship and dragged him out of his room that he seemed to be a little more like his usual self, he also started to hang around you more often and on the nights where you were on night guard duty he would join you, even when he didn’t have to anymore now that he was captain until Uma’s return.

Your mind was a maze, just trying to maneuver your feelings for both Uma and Harry, the feelings you had for Harry had multiplied for Uma, and now you couldn’t even think about either of them without heat rushing up your neck or butterflies rushing around your stomach.

Great, you had a crush/probably in love on the two people who were already “dating” each other, and both of them were so.damn.pretty. You groaned to yourself, covering your face and sinking to the ground in a crouch. Yeah, you had no fucking chance.

On the bright side, it did seem you were getting closer to Harry? So unrequited love aside at least you were getting a friendship out of it? The two of you started hanging out together more often than not, as you had mentioned before Harry joined you on night guard shifts, the two of you continued rope tying practice, started hand to hand combat training, he took Uma’s spot in teaching you how to use a sword, and sometimes the two of you would just…chill, hanging out in the bird’s nest drinking and eating whatever snack or food Harry had found, you leaning against his legs in the cramped space.

About five months after Uma had left the isle, the crew, aka Bonnie and Drey, decided to have a “bonding” night, forcing everyone into the chip shop after closing time, surrounded by rum and leftover food from the day to play truth or dare/seven minutes in heaven.

The rules were if you didn’t want to tell the truth or accept the dare, you had to spin the bottle and play seven minutes in heaven with whoever it landed on, and if you refused to play that, you'd have to take a shot of Desiree’s strongest liquor.

Bonnie, being the one who made the rules, went first, pointing to Gil and asking him truth or dare.

“Truth!” Gil chirped, already halfway through on his fries. Bonnie hummed for a moment and tapped her bottle of beer, trying to think of something good since Gil did tend to blurt out everything.

“who do you have a crush on?” Bonnie finally asked with a teasing smirk, laughing a bit as he pointed at Harry. “yeah, okay we knew that”

Harry blew a kiss towards Gil and Gil grinned and caught it, smacking it on his cheek and going back to his food as the crew burst into laughter. Gil tossed a fish stick into his mouth and looked around the group, pointing at Gonzo.

“truth or dare Gonzo” Gonzo let out a low hum and shrugged.

“dare” he muttered, thinking that Gil wouldn't be able to think of anything that bad. Oh, boy was he wrong.

Gil gave a nasty grin and stood, walking over to the kitchen and rummaging in the fridge for a few moments “oi what the hell are you doing?” Harry yelled, pouting as Gil didn’t answer.

Gil returned with something in his fist, his other hand keeping the unknown object hidden from sight. He stood in front of Gonzo and opened his hands, showing a snake egg. “eat up!”

“OH HELL NO” Gonzo yelped, smacking the egg out of Gil's hand, Drey and Jonas screeching as it smashed against the floor and black goo spread from the destroyed egg. Half the crew scrambled back from the egg, its rancid smell already beginning to spread around the chip shop

“ah Gonzo come on!” Emanuel complained, diving behind Gabe, the two pushing each other away and towards the egg in desperation to get away from it and doom the other to the smell.

You covered your mouth as you held in your laughter, falling to your side a bit and your head hitting Harry's shoulder as he cackled. “okay okay Gil, clean it up, Gonzo, either spin the bottle or drink” Gil begrudgingly cleaned up as Gonzo pouted at Harry.

Bonnie held up the empty rum bottle and wiggled her brows at Gonzo. He glared at her and snatched a shot glass from Desiree and took the shot, gaging a bit as it went down his throat “holy shit that’s strong” he shivered, the rest of the crew booing as he handed the shot glass back to Desiree.

Since Gonzo had forfeited the dare and seven minutes in heaven, Gil went again, this time picking Drey and the girl chose to do truth. “Ummm okay…uh, ever give a blowjob?” the crew whistled and hollered at the speedy turn towards the sexual end of questions and Drey snickered, shaking her head and holding up her hand to her mouth, only her pointer and middle finger around her lips as she winked and stuck her tongue through. “I’ll take that as a no” Gil laughed, taking a sip of his rum and leaning back on his elbows.

“your turn Drey” Bonnie called, stealing a crab cake from Zhao and laying halfway down on the floor, resting her chin in her palm. Drey tapped her chin, looking around the crew before her eyes landed on Yamato, who quickly leaned behind Gabe but was too late.

“Yamato, truth or dare” he kept behind Gabe for a moment longer before he sighed and leaned back to sit straight and looked at Drey in surrender.

“dare” he muttered, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and chin in his hands. Drey gave a wicked grin and looked around, trying to find something that would best work on Yamato.

“oh! I got it…lick Gabe's foot” the crew yelled out in disgust as Gabe laughed and pulled off his boot, shoving it towards the disgusted Yamato.

“NOPE gimme the bottle, GIMME THE BOTTLE ID RATHER MAKE OUT WITH ANYONE ELSE THAN LICK HIS FOOT GABE GET THAT AWAY FROM ME OR WE WILL THROW HANDS” Yamato shoved Gabe away from him, the cackling pirate falling on his back holding his chest.

Bonnie cackled and pushed the empty bottle of rum into the middle of the circle, Yamato sighed and leaned over to spin it, sitting cross-legged as everyone stared at the bottle in both excitement and anxiety.

Finally, the bottle slowed and landed on Zhao, the crew cheered and the two boys laughed, Zhao biting his bottom lip, squinting his eyes, and raising his brows.

“Alright come on Zhao les make out!” Bonnie stood and ran over to the closet that she had declared “heaven”  the two boys joining hands and swinging them as they walked into the closet and Bonnie closed the door after them.

“have fun~ Gonzo set the timer!” Gonzo leaned over the took the timer/stop watch from where Bonnie was sitting and set it for seven minutes “im so glad that thing is basically soundproof I do not need to hear Yamato moaning” the crew snickered at that, Harry rolling his eyes and leaning towards you.

“five bucks Zhao gives Yamato a handy” you felt your cheeks burn at his low-toned voice and laughed a bit, nodding as he grinned at you.

“you’re on” you whispered, biting your lip as Harry patted your thigh and sat up straight again.

“who’s next?” Jonas asked, taking a swig of his rum and glancing about the room.

“I’ll just go again and when Yamato comes out hell go” Drey waved it off and looked around the room, pointing at Gabe “Gabe truth or dare!”

“Dare” Gabe snickered, falling off balance a bit as Drey pointed at Gil.

“sit in Gil's lap till someone picks you again” Gabe sighed and stood, plopping in Gil's lap and crossing his arms.

Gil didn’t seem to mind, reaching his arm over Gabe's waist to grab his food tray. “all right, Gonzo truth or dare!” Gonzo groaned, having only gone a couple of turns before but chose truth this time “have you ever given head before, doesn’t matter girl or boy just head” Gonzo tilted his head then nodded. the crew, minus you and Harry, wolf-whistled “yooo who!?” Gonzo grinned and shook his head.

“hey, I only had to answer if I have given it before not to who” Gabe pouted and leaned back into Gil.

“party pooper” Gonzo perked up and looked around the group, eyes landing on you, smirking as you shrunk into yourself in an attempt to make yourself invisible

“(y/n) truth or dare” you tugged at your shirt, trying to decide what to do, go with truth, and possibly reveal your crush on Harry and Uma? Be dared to do something embarrassing? Play spin the bottle? Or take a shot?

“um, truth” you squeaked out, Gonzo looking up at the ceiling as he tried to figure out what to ask you. Finally, he snapped his fingers as he looked back at you, having found the perfect question.

“Have you ever had sex? Or been with anyone for that matter?” you shook your head, you were a virgin through and through, you haven't even kissed anyone before. “huh, all right your turn”

You looked around the group, finally landing your eyes on Desiree who had been untouched the entire game “Desiree” she looked up at you, mid-sip on her rum “truth or dare?”

“Dare” she answered immediately, smirking as the crew ‘oooh’d at her. “gimme your best shot (nickname)”

“umm” you had never really…dared anyone to do anything before…this was gonna be tough. “lick the bottom of Bonnies boot” the crew stared at you for a moment as Desiree looked between you and Bonnie wide-eyed “what?”

“holy shit I thought you were gonna like, I don’t know, make me eat twenty crackers or something! But I’ll do it” the crew cheered and Gabe leaned over to give you a high five.

Bonnie lifted her boot into the air and cackled as Desiree just went for it, going sole to toe “AHHHH” Bonnie cackled, falling backward and holding her leg in the air. Desiree backed into her spot again and shook her head, hanging her tongue out of her mouth as she made gagging noises.

“tha’ wath stho groth” she gagged, grabbing a paper towel and scraping her tongue of the taste of Bonnie's boot. after a few moments of the crew laughing at her, along with the timer of Zhao and Yatamo’s seven minutes in heaven beeping, the two coming out of the closet with Messy hair, bruised lips and Zhao’s pants unbuttoned.

Harry pouted at you and took the five out of his wallet, placing it in your hand as you gave him a smug grin. “yeh won tha’ one lass” he laughed quietly, freezing as Desiree locked her eyes on him.

“Harry, truth or dare” Harry kept a staring contest with her, trying to predict what she was going to do.

Finally, he sighed “Dare” Desiree let out a cold cackle, Harry freezing again at it.

“let Gil give you a haircut” Harry immediately shook his head, Gil had cut his hair once before and he ended up with the worst patchy hair cut he had ever had, he only trusted two people with his hair, Uma, and Harriet. “alright then spin the bottle!” Harry sighed, he had a lot of work to do in the morning so drinking wasn’t the best idea so he took the bottle from Bonnie and spun it, mentally crossing his fingers that it would land on you.

You watched as the bottle spun around, pulling your knees to your chest and wrapping your arms around them. You did want the bottle to land on you but at the same time you hoped it wouldn’t land on anybody so you wouldn’t be going behind Uma’s back or so Harry wouldn’t be kissing someone other than you or Uma.

You felt the heat climb up your face as the tip of the bottle landed directly on you, the crew whistling and cheering as you buried your face in your knees. “wooooooo come on you two! Get to the closet.” Harry glanced at you and while he really wanted to go into the closet with you, he felt bad as you had completely turned into a ball of embarrassment.

“come on guys she obviously-OI” Gonzo and Jonas grabbed Harry's arms, carrying him to the closet and tossing him in, Drey and Desiree grabbing your hands and tugging you in after him.

They closed the door behind you, Bonnie going the extra mile and locking the door “Have fun~ seven minutes!” Bonnie’s muffled voice yelled through the door before it went silent.

You pressed yourself into the wall and sunk to the floor, holding your face in your hands and pulling your knees to your face. “(y/n)?” Harry quietly asked, kneeling in front of you and cupping your face with his hand, pushing your chin up to make you look at him “are yeh okay?”

“I-I just-“ you buried your face again, if you looked at him anymore you would throw your moral compass out the window and just kiss him silly.

“do yeh not like meh?” he asked, feeling a pit form in his chest at the thought of you not liking him in ‘that’ way, he blinked in surprise as you shook your head and looked back up at him.

“no-its, not that, it’s more…I like you…like a lot…more than I should, a lot” you whispered, biting your lip as Harry stared at you, not noticing him glancing at your lips “but you’re with Uma and I don’t want to ruin anything between the two of you even if it's just a dumb game and I don’t want to ruin our friendship with my dumb feelings even though I just blurted out every-“ you were stopped by a soft pair of plush lips,  and in the dark of the closet you saw Harry very very close to your face, his eyes closed and hands gently cupping your jaw.

You decided to just let yourself enjoy the next seven minutes and closed your eyes, pressing back ever so gently back into Harry…your brain reminded you that Harry was your first kiss and you smiled, helluva first kiss if you did say so yourself.

Harry pulled back slowly and you fluttered open your eyes, biting your lip as Harry gave you a soft smile “yeh wouldn’t be ruining anything between Uma an’ I, we both like yeh and actually” Harry let out a nervous chuckle “we were goin’ ta ask yeh ta’ join our relationship a couple months ago but…Uma left before we could tell yeh…we were planning ta ask yeh the weekend that ended up filled with all the beasty boy stuff…” Harry hoped that you wouldn’t reject Uma, he loved both of you and he didn’t want to have to lose one to keep the other.

“I…Uma-“ you leaned forward, burying your face in Harry's shoulder “I like Uma too” you whispered into his shoulder, squeaking as Harry picked you up by your thighs and pushed you against the wall, his hips pressing into yours.

Harry smiled at you, pressing another kiss to your lips “good, we can have fun when she gets back okay?”

You whimpered into the kiss, nodding as he pulled back “okay” The two of you spent the next seven minutes exchanging kisses and feeling the room heat up as Harry continued to press his hips into yours.

You were soon interrupted by Bonnie yelling through the door “Times up you two!” Harry groaned and set you back on your feet, letting you hang on to him as you balanced on wobbly legs.

Harry knocked on the door, Bonnie quickly unlocked it at that and swung it open, giving the two of you a smug grin before her shoulders dropped

“oh come on it's like you didn’t do anything!” Harry rose his brow; he had bitten your neck and dry-humped you did it really seem like he did nothing? He turned to look at you, raising his brow as he realized you had quickly fixed yourself up and the only evidence to your heated time in the closet was your heated cheeks. “All right come on, Zhao’s on a dare right now and Gabe drank a shot”

You and Harry glanced at each other then back at the crew, walking out of the closet and taking your previous seats next to each other, Harry's arm now resting behind your back.

Things changed after that, the small conversations at night turned intimate, faces always close together and bodies touching, breath mingling, and Harry's lips pressing against your lips or neck every so often. Practicing knots went from sitting across from each other with Harry instructing you to you and Harry sitting so close your knees touched the inside of his thighs, his hands ever so gently guiding your fingers through the motions and his voice soft.

He started to pull you away at random moments to a hidden corner and curl himself around you, pressing his lips to yours with the others oblivious to your recent activities.

The two of you hadn't gotten to resume your session from the closet, leaving you frustrated and needy. You honestly just wanted Harry to ravish you until the sun came up.

What you didn’t know was that Harry was feeling the same way, frustration building in his body every time he looked at you, eyes burning into your lips and body, just wanting to drag you to his room and show you a whole new world. He thought of you every night, almost stomping to your room and taking you but holding himself back.

It was just getting too much for both of you, so one night, when Harry knew neither of you had anything to do the next day, snuck to your room and knocked gently on your door, not wanting any of the crew to hear knowing you wouldn’t want everyone to know your business.

“Harry?” you whispered, looking around the dark halls of the ship as Harry stared down at your lips, your body barely covered with only a loose shirt and some sweat pants “what's wrong? It's like, 2 am?” Harry leaned in and pressed his lips to yours passionately, curling his hands around your face and humming into it as you pressed back needingly.

He pulled back, just enough for your breath to mingle “darling” he purred, enjoying the way you squirmed at the tone of his voice “do yeh want to continue our little session from the closet?” he grinned as your eyes went wide and you nodded erratically. He pressed a quick kiss to your lips and grabbed your hand, pulling you out of your room and closing the door, the two of you sneaking back to his room.

That night was filled with heated kisses, whispered confessions, and bruised hips.

Everything changed again after that, the soft hidden kissed behind corners turned to heated make-outs, you still had soft kisses but more often than not it was passionate. You slept in Harry's room more often than not, not to have sex but simply because you liked being with him and him you. Your midnight talks being shoulder to shoulder turned to you being engulfed in Harry's arms and sitting between his legs as you talked about whatever you wanted. The practice tiring ropes became teasing, Harry sneaking kisses whenever he could

Harry went deeper into himself, and you learned almost everything from his favorite drink to his deepest fear, and he told you about Uma as well, letting you get to know her through another and you fell for both Uma and Harry more each day.

And you told him what you could, from your favorite color to your most embarrassing moment, it was…bliss, well as blissful a relationship could be on the isle.

About a year after the two of you got together, you watched as Harry and Gil dove through the barrier just as it was closing after the core four and Celia, messing with your bracelet nervously as you watched Gil and Harry fight with Carlos and Jay. Harry forced a blue gem out of Mal's hand and it soared over the water, Mal letting out a small scream before a turquoise tentacle reached up and caught it.

Your breath caught and you let a grin grow on your face “Uma” you whispered out, bouncing on your feet as Uma rose out the water, looking even more beautiful than the last time you saw her. Harry looked directly at you, the same feeling you had at seeing Uma swimming in his eyes.

Uma was back.

After Uma submerged into the water and sent a tunnel of water up and splashing the vks, she reappeared on the other side of the bridge, holding up the glowing gem Mal had been holding.

A few minutes of negotiating later, with Mal being stubborn as always, the vks were off to do whatever they were off to do, you didn’t know, the most you had heard was Mals muffled scream of ‘no’

Uma suddenly glanced back, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked at you. You gave her a grin and waved back, you guessed Harry had told her about the two of you and you hoped to hades that you would see them again and be able to kiss Uma finally.

-

Only a day later, in the early morning, Harry and Uma stepped into his room, Harry gesturing to his bed where you were sleeping curled up in one of his shirts and his blankets.

“aw,” Uma cooed, walking over to you and caressing your cheek, flinching back as your eyes snapped open and you sat up, a bright grin growing on your face as your vision refocused and you saw Uma.

“Uma~!” you squealed, launching yourself at her and tossing the two of you onto the ground, Uma chucking underneath you as her head was pinned to your shoulder. “you’re back!”

Harry smiled as you and Uma hugged on the floor “so Harry tells me you like both of us? And want to be with both of us?” Uma asked, sitting up with you in her lap.

Your face burned slightly but you nodded, smiling as Uma cupped your cheeks “good, but just so you know I will always choose sea ponies over both of you” you and Harry burst into laughter, a smile growing on Uma’s lips as she watched two of her three favorite people laugh.

“Harry already told me that part of the contract” you teased, leaning in and pecking Uma’s cheek, snickering as she froze and stared at you “what? I can’t kiss my girlfriend~?”

Harry chuckled and kneeled next to you and Uma, wrapping his arms around you and whispering in your ears “I think Uma’s bed is a bit better to fit all three of us eh?” you grinned, Uma’s face burning as she saw Harry wiggle his brows.

“I leave a virgin first mate and a shy oblivious crew member and come back to two horndogs…Christ remind me to never leave yall alone again”

“noted” you and Harry sang in unison, Uma laughing at it and shaking her head.

“Alright come on, let's go to my room.” you and Harry grinned, your arm going around Uma’s and grabbing onto her hand as Harry tossed his arm around her shoulder and the three of you walked into Uma’s room.

To which Uma was very VERY glad her room was soundproofed a long time ago.

-end-

side note with the smut, this was 50 pages and 15,676 words, without the smut its 32 pages and 9943 words which is still a lot but woza, like, 16 pages of the fic was dedicated to smut XD 

permtaglist

@queer-cosette @sephiralorange (thank you for beta reading the smutty version don worry ill link the full version lol) 

@lunanight2012 @daughter-of-the-stars11

@musicarose @rintheemolion

@jatp-rules-my-life @verboetoperee

@thecaptainsgingersnap @random-thoughts-003

@remembered-license @imtryingthisout

and because you asked me too since i used the crew names you created @askauradonprep​

[sequs-art-box]

I rewrote this platonic sandycloak fanfic I did a while back. This one is way better I promise hdjfjdjf

"... I-I'm sorry…"

The words barely made their way out of Clay's lips. His eyes averted from the tall man that stood directly in front of him, fingers firmly gripping the brim of his hat.

Nothing but confusion was affixed on Burgh's face. 

"Sorry...? For what?" He inched closer, idling for an answer.

Shit- Hrrr nnnn UGH- Dammit- Don't apologize! That's just gonna bewilder 'im more! What the hell do I even say now!? Clay's mind was racing to find a proper response, but nothing came to his head. 

Great.

What was there to say anyway? He can't just blurt out an "I don't feel the same." That would crush him. But at the same time, they've only known each other for…. 

…

His thoughts seemed to be overwhelming him; he didn't register that his hands were being clenched by Burgh until it was too late. It made him snap back into reality in an instant; he felt the slightest crimson in his cheeks as his eyes automatically became glued at the artist's worried gaze once again.

Burgh let out a delicate sigh, tugging Clay's arduous hands into his chest. The fabric of his shirt was as soft as always…

He wished he could say the same for his stare. 

"Please, if you have something to say, say it. I can take it." Clay can sense the anxiety in his voice.

This reassurance doesn't feel right. It didn't even make him feel alleviated. Why… Why was it so difficult to spill your guts out? He knows he ain't one to sugarcoat things. And Burgh knows how cold he can be. C'mon. Jus' be honest. Get it over with. Stop bein' a fuCKIN-

…

stop.

…

Maybe it was because of the person who was standing in front of him. Yeah, that was… Definitely it. He couldn't help it. Not that anyone would be able to. Especially considering how close they were.

Hmph.

Clay couldn't handle these raw emotions any longer. If it's gonna end like this, so be it.

He gradually slid his hands out of the other man's soft grasp. A harsh sigh followed soon after.

"Look… Burgh… We've known each other fer… Six, er... Eight months. An' I never got t' know anyone else like ya in years. I don' really know how t' put it, but… Ya make me feel special..." He scoffed. 

A man like Clay, considered to be a ruthless businessman, actin' like a big ol' softie. He doesn't show this side often, which made him feel hilariously stupid.

Even if it flustered him, A smile cracked onto the miner's face; it was pointless to try and hide it. Being genuine was the way to go. Besides, his friend knew him too well anyway.

These words gave Burgh a rush of relief, as his gaze of anxiety slowly started to fade away into the adoring smile the businessman always remembered. Now it was his turn for his cheeks to turn red.

 "I could say the same thing about you. This is why I- l-like you so much..." 

The other man chuckled. "Heh, I really like ya too. But…" Oh gosh.

"But…?"

"But- I- Eh-"

Clay struggled yet again, but he knew he dug too deep to back out.

The only thing that was keeping him from collapsing under the weight of the shame he felt was Burgh...

Don' blow this now.

"... Eight months is a long while, 't really is. We've grown closer than ever durin' that period since- I've learnt so much 'bout ya. Yer an amazin' person, Burgh, and spendin time with ya is somethin' I wouldn't trade fer anythin' in the world. Yet, I ain't really ready to move on from what we got right now. Got a lot on my plate, y'know…?"

He looked up at the artist to see if he was listening, which was a mistake because he caught him quietly staring with curiosity and compassion. Clay's blush had to be obvious now.

He cares about ya. Keep goin'...

"And... 'm happy that ya said what ya wanted to say. You knew keepin' it in any longer would've caused a couple hiccups. I like that about ya.. But like I said a few seconds ago, I don' think I'm emotionally prepared, so... If ya could please jus' gimme a bit more time fer this t' play out a little longer, fer me t' process this a little better, I'd really appreciate it…"

Shoving the weight of nervousness off his shoulders, Clay could finally relax a little and proceeded to gently lace their fingers together. 

Silence.

The tiniest of tears made its way out of Burgh's eyes. He placed his other hand on top of the one laced with Clay's. Despite what he does for a living, his hands felt softer than he thought. How is that even possible...

"I- I'm sorry too…"

Huh?

"Clay, I- I shouldn't have tried to rush into things like that. I just… Thought we really had something already…"

"W-we do, b-"

"I know. But I never knew how you'd take it. I tend to overthink things, and…. Agh…" He felt his cheeks getting warmer every second, and moved a hand over his face in embarrassment, swiftly brushing his hair with his fingers. "I don't know why I didn't comprehend how much time you really needed, but… I'm glad you didn't push me away when you had every right to." 

They didn't realize it, but they were unconsciously trekking closer and closer while they conversed. 

Clay rested his hand on Burgh's shoulder. He never had a more bold, yet reassuring stare in his life.

"Hey, c'mon. Don' apologize fer all that hooey. I get it. As long as we know our boundaries movin' forward, I ain't gonna push you away. Ever.  I'm hopin' ya know that this won't change anythin' between us, okay?"

The other man couldn't help but smile, as he caressed the big guy in a hug.

"Of course."

The two stood there, simply enjoying the warmth of each other. This is the first time they actually hugged. It felt… Exhilarating...

"I jus' need some time…" he whispered against his shoulder.

"And I'll give you all the time you need." Burgh replied, placing a tiny peck on his cheek.

...

"Thanks…"

[the-hate-keeps-me-warm]

kisses and cuddles

wooooooooo time for some more fluffy shit yall i loved making this so much this sorta relted to my weed garden fic but you dont need to read it (be cool tho)

Ruby was sitting in the cafeteria with Oscar and penny she was too tired to pay attention to what the two were talking about penny sitting across from her and Oscar was excitedly talking about something while Oscar liens looking interested she’s unsure how he’s so put together they were both up late hanging out dreading comics and it’s only 7 am she leaned on Oscar and closed her eyes hoping to get a little more sleep before She had to do missions she had a relatively short one today only a search and destroy so maybe she could get home fast and take a nap Oscar nudged her shoulder and she lifted her head “hey don’t fall asleep if you don’t eat you’ll be grumpy” he says she fakes a pout and starts eating the gross cafeteria food she assumed that atlas food would be good sense it’s so many rich folks but no she’s actually had  better tasting mres or maybe she was just getting spoiled eating Oscar and rens cooking “ruby why are you so tired did you have trouble sleeping” penny says drawing circles on the table with her finger “no me and Oscar were up late last night and I only slept like three hours“ penny frowns “while I am happy you and Oscar are spending time together you require at least 6 hours of sleep for maximum field efficiency” ruby just nods “so why don’t you seem tired Oscar you couldn’t of slept anymore than I did” she says with a yawn he shrugs and says  “I guess I’m used to it I had to wake up early back home so I always didn’t get a bunch of sleep” penny raises a finger “actually according to my scans  Oscars brain is only running at 89% efficiency and his hear rate is faster from his normal 48 beats per minute to to 51 it is likely that he simply better at hiding his tiredness” Oscar slumps “penny do have everyone’s heart rates memorized” he says exasperated “yes I also have all of your medical charts on file and criminal records why” he raises a brow “criminal record?” Penny nods “yes several of your team have criminal records qrow having the longest with 22 counts of public intoxication as well as 3 of public indecency and” ruby raises her hands “trust me you don’t wanna know the rest they had to make a new law for one of the things he did but who else has charges?” she tries to wake herself with conversation and it sorta works she also learns some new and unsettling things about her friends but eventually breakfast ends and she starts to get her gear ready she’s loading rounds into one of crescent roses magazine when someone knocks on the door to her locker room “it’s open” she calls out and incomes  Oscar he’s holding a small Tupperware box and a small metal tumbler “hey I wanted to give this to you before you go” he says with a sheepish grin he sets the box next to her and hands her the tumbler it’s warm and smells good “it’s coffee, don’t worry I added way too much sugar for you and the other thing is a surprise you said you don’t eat a lot on missions so I made it for you it’s a bit of an experiment so tell me if it’s bad” she’s grinning ear to ear and stands up from her weapon bench and hugs him “you are the best and I’m sure it’ll be great” she gives him a kiss on the cheek she’s been slowly trying to work her way up to kissing him on the lips but nose and cheek kisses were enough for her he smiles and his cheeks get all rosey  and he hugs her back and says “be careful ok sorry I know you can take care of yourself but just you know“ she squeezes him a little “yeah don’t worry I know  I’ll be careful and when I get back we are so taking a nap mister I’m not that tired” he giggles and looks up at her with a smile  “you won’t hear me complain and uh before you go could I uh kiss you like um on the lips” he says nervously she leans down pressing her forehead to his and smiles she smells his breath it smells like chocolate and coffee she feels her cheeks heat up to match his and says “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now are you sure you want to ” he nods his head wordlessly she takes his hand and gently presses her lips to his its short and maybe a little clumsy but it makes her heart soar when she breaks the kiss Oscars breath shakes slightly  and a little panic starts to fill her did she mess it up did he hate it and then he smiles and it all fades away “that was really nice” he says rubbing her knuckle with his thumb then there’s a knock on the door frame she looks up and weiss and Blake are standing there weiss looks annoyed and Blake is grinning “time to go ruby morning Oscar” wiess says already turning to walk away ruby quickly gathers crescent rose and Oscars gifts and says “bye Oscar I’ll be careful byeee” and dashed out the door behind the others Blake nudges her shoulder “your lucky I made weiss wait  ,god you two are adorable” ruby squeaks “will you stop spying on us”  “we weren’t spying you two dolts left the door open” weiss says annoyed 

 The mission was boring as she thought it was gonna be how normal soldiers couldn’t handle this she’ll never know on the airship ride home she opens   the box Oscar gave to her a note on top says “have a great day and stay safe” she smiles at the note and sticks it in her ammo pocket  it looks like a brownie is some kind and yang leans over and says “where did you get that”

“Oscar made it for me” she says taking it out of the container it smells like a peanut butter protein bar “ooo come on share with me pleassss” yang says putting her hands together “ugh your lucky I’m a good sister” she breaks off a small piece and hands it to yang and takes a bite of her own and it’s amazing it Taste like a peanut butter brownie but somehow better it’s somehow not dried out or crumbly yang seems to have a similar opinion “god if you don’t marry Oscar i will his food is too good”yang says with a laugh  she kicks yang in the leg “I know right I can barely eat the cafeteria food anymore” her and yang chat a bit about food until they finally land Oscar is standing on the landing pad waiting for her she bounce on her heels excitedly despite how tired she is when the door finally opens she rushes out to hug him “how did it go” he asks wrapping his arms around her shoulders “oh it was easy but soooo boring I don’t know why they asked us to do it” she says leaning into him he chuckles “well I’m glad it wasn’t dangerous at least did you like it” he asks sheepishly she puts her head on his “yeees brothers it was great what was it” he unwraps his arms and looks at her “there’s no name for it yet but it’s kinda like a protein brownie was it too grainy or anything what about the after taste” he asks “I didn't even realize it was supposed to be healthy” she puts her hands on his shoulders “Oscar I’m gonna need more of that” he smiles “happy to make some more tonight” he says proudly yang walks past and ruffles his hair “make sure to make enough for me too kiddo” and walks off “how about that nap ruby my teams still on mission so we should have some time” he says taking her hand “yes please” 

They walk back to team alpns dorm room after ruby changes into something more casual Oscar was already wearing his normal clothing he sits on his bed and smiles “I’m gonna get to have two naps today” she sits down next to him and throws her arm around him "you and your team  sure like your naps huh" he smiles as they lie back on his bed "honestly who doesn't like naps I never use to be a huge cuddler but it’s nice to have someone close to you, you know” they lie back Oscar resting his head on rubies shoulder “well I do  wish my team took naps together sometimes yang is a big cuddler too but Weiss  doesn’t like being warm and Blake can’t sit still even so less than you” he snorts as he takes her hand running his thumbs along her knuckles  “well I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind you joining our naps if have to ask but i'll warn you ren sits up in his sleep  Jaune snores and i talk in my sleep” she raises an eyebrow “you didn't last time” she says “that's cause we were smoking  but if i take a nap or if im really tired you can actually talk and I'll talk back” she grins “well what do you talk about”  he rests his head on her chest “usually about my aunt or all yall but Nora has told me i say lots of stuff about you if i'm asked” he says his cheeks getting just a tiny bit rosy she grins and plants a kiss on his nose “well i hope i get the chance to ask but i'll probably fall asleep first im super tired” she rolls over and wraps herself around him oscar adjusting to lay on her arm pulling a blanket over them "well if you can get me to talk I'll answer any question just nothing to embarrassing please" he says  “i would like to know what you have to say tho so maybe i'll try to hold out just a bit longer” she says closing her eyes as oscar lets out his relaxed sigh about half of Oscars communication was nonverbal she liked to mentally catalog the things he does when he relaxes he lets out a long almost high pitched sigh it makes her happy to hear that and it helps her relax her thoughts starts to get fuzzy as sleep takes her she wakes up a few hours later laying on her back oscar laying on top of her them both having wrapped around each other she hears quiet murmurs  coming from him to quiet to understand "Oscar are you still asleep" she whispers no response "Oscar are you comfy" he nods his head "of course I'm comfy I'm cuddling with ruby" she snickers he was definitely still asleep "who's the coolest person you know" she she's "ruby for sure she's so good at fighting and everyone trusts her I wish I was more like her" she runs her hand through his hair "how do you feel about ruby " she asked "I'm in love with her she makes me feel strong and weak at the same time when she's with me I feel like I'm safe and that we could do anything together i want to be with her forever" she's crying now "oh shit I didn't expect him to be that honest" she thinks as tears run down her face "I love you too Oscar"     she kisses the top of his head “you know i never used to want like romantic stuff and all the fluffy garbage i just wanted to be a huntress and fight grim stuff like that but you  make me want that stuff i wanna take you on dates and like hold your hand and stuff there are a bunch of things i wanna do like” she pauses resting her head on his “i forgot you were asleep for a second i'm starting to embarrass myself i do love you tho i dont know when your supposed to say that we've only been i guess dating for what 2 and a half weeks my dad always joked that huntsmen relationships move really fast nothing like holy shit we might die to move a relationship forward right but you make me feel like i don't know amazing and I love being with you you make all my worries disappear even if it's only for a little bit and i'm rambling and your not talking back” oscar lifts his head “its cause im awake and i love it when you ramble” she feels her face light on fire “w-what when did you wake up” he hums happily “around we might die  i think it was nice that stuff you said you can ramble longer if you want what that new gun you saw in that magazine” she smiles “it's a roller delayed blowback sniper rifle its a smaller caliber than crescent rose but it has a longer effective range because of the way the bore is shaped i prefer bolt actions to semi automatics for a long range rifle semi autos have there merits and stuff it's a lot lighter than crescent rose as well on account of it not also being a giant scythe you know i was thinking about carrying a pistol too crescent rose is great but shes heavy and she's also really hard to conceal  even when shes folded speaking of i need to clean her gears a bunch of dust got in them today you said you wanted to learn weapon maintenance i could teach you today if you want” “sure i can learn there's a lot of things oz knows but it's like a big library without a librarian its all jumbled up” she scratches the back of his neck “well i do not understand the dewey decimal system but i'm happy to help” they both giggle at her joke ruby keeps rambling until the rest of team alpn return 

Oscar is walking ruby back to her dorm they come to her door and they turn to face each other and oscar rubs his hands together “so ruby uh I got permission with ironwood to leave school grounds as long as someone's with me so I was wondering if you’d like to maybe go out like on a date” she smiles and puts her arms around his shoulders “sounds amazing sweetie I’m free this weekend where do you want to go” he blushes and says “well I actually have something in mind but I wanna keep it a surprise if that’s ok” she kisses him on the cheek “of course casual clothes or should i dress nice” he shakes his head “i mean it's really up to you but were not going somewhere fancy just a place I think you'll like" she smiles and kisses his nose and he leans up a little so there lips are level "can i kiss you again" he asks just above a whisper her pressing her lips gently against his is her answer they  hold the kiss for a few moments Oscars hands drifting to ruby's waist when they separate  she says "i think we're getting pretty good at that" Oscar smiles avoiding her eyes "yeah um It's certainly enjoyable" they break the hug "I'll see you in the morning I'll make that stuff you like ok" he says "yes awesome you're the best Oscar good night" she says as she slips into her from her teammates giving her knowing smirks 

[maybe-its-micheal]

Like an Orange Spark...

/rp /dsmp

Ghostbur watched as Dream, Tommy, and Techno talked. He was sure he had just known what they were discussing, but now the context seemed to slip through his fingers... he was used to the feeling, though, and shrugged it off. He tried for a few minutes to pay attention, but kept forgetting what everyone was talking about, amd decided to do something else. He turned his back to them, and let his eyes wonder across the snowy landscape.

It was really was a lovely day, the leaves of the spruce trees swayed slightly in the chill breeze, leaving shadows dancing on the ground. A few small bushes peaked up over the snow, dotted with red berries, and the sun sat in the center of the cloudless sky. Ghostbur heard a slight rustle from a near by bush, and spotted a hint of blue from behind it.

"Listen, Techno, you owe me. Im calling in that fav-"

"Friend!" Ghostbur yelled, interrupting whatever it was Dream was on about.

Techno's expression, a mix between anger and concern, shifted to pity as he looked over at the ghost. It was odd seeing the man who he'd once fought alongside like this... he was a capable leader, and a dangerous enemy. But that was in another life...

Tommy was tense, and flinched as Dream snapped his head around to glare at Ghostbur. He grumbled something under his breath before turning back to Technoblade. "Look. I dont want to make this a big thing-" Techno put a hand up to interrupt as he gave Dream a serious look. He turned to Ghostbur, handing him a lead.

"Hey, Ghostbur. Me and Tommy need to talk to Dream, but I saw a patch of blue flowers on the other side of the village. How about you take Friend and see if you can find them?" He asked.

"Ok!" He responded excitedly. Blue was his favorite, he was always looking for more. "You guys have fun!"

He tied the lead to Friend and ran his grey fingers through the soft wool. He turned to go, hearing a few hushed sentences as he walked off.

"He shouldn't have to watch something like this," Technoblade whispered.

Dream scoffed. "Not like he'd remember anyway. But now that he's gone, I want Tommy to..."

And the voices trailed off. Wilbur decided to fill the quiet by talking to friend- that always cheered him up! "Today I've been spending lots of time with Technoblade!" he told the sheep. "We brewed a whole bunch of invisibility potions together, it was lovely. You know, I think they may be his favorite kind of potion, he kept going on about how much he wanted to share them with Tommy." He gave a slight chuckle, then stopped walking. He turned around to look back at the group. "Technoblade seems to really like Tommy. I cant imagine why..." he said with a jokey smile, eyes fixed on Tommy. He was a bit hunched over, still looking at the ground. Every so often he looked up, nervously glancing to Dream with big, glossy eyes, and then looking back down. Ghostbur frowned. "Maybe that was a bit mean to say. I was only joking," he clarified to Friend. "Tommy isn't all bad."

Ghostbur turned back around and kept walking. On his way to the village he got to thinking about Tommy... he could be really annoying, there's no denying that, but he also had a lot of good qualities. He remembered when they were first making L'manburg together; those were good times. Tommy had been very brave, then, and determined too. No matter how grim a situation looked he never seemed to be afraid of Dream, he just kept going. Maybe he was just a naive child, but in the end... the details were fuzzy, but Ghostbur was sure that in the end it was Tommy who did something to secure the future of their nation.

In the quiet he couldn't help but overhear some of the conversation taking place back over the hill. Their voices were getting louder, maybe they were all excited about something. A smile dawned on Ghostbur's face- maybe they'd sent him away because they're planning a surprise party! He stopped walking again, and did his best to listen.

"I am not handing him over to-" Techno's voice yelled.

"... control over... give it to me! Him. Give him to me!" Dream responded.

"You've done enough dam..."

"... never should have trusted..."

"I dont want to kill you."

It was hard to keep track of who was saying what, but it didn't sound much like party planning. Ghostbur went back to walking- he could see the wooden roofs of buildings in the distance, which meant he was getting close to the village.

In all the yelling he wondered why he couldn't hear Tommy's voice. Maybe he just hadn't listened hard enough- that was probably it. Being quiet is quite unlike Tommy, Wilbur thought.

"Come on, Techno... favor... my..."

"I dont want... can't betray him agai..."

"...Im sorry."

"Theseus."

Theseus... he wasn't sure why, but that name lit something up in the back of his mind. It was only there for a moment, like a flickering spark. A memory. Phil had told him and Techno about Theseus when they were kids... it was a bedtime story, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and shut his eyes, trying to focus on it, and see if he could get the spark to come back. Friend looked at him with a tilted head and bah'ed, as if to ask why they stopped walking.

"... can make a deal..."

"Hand him over... want..."

"I'll never fall for..."

"He's just a kid, Dream. He..."

Wilbur could see the spark in his mind- a little glowing dot of orange bouncing around in an infinite void of grey and blue darkness. Then, all at once, the spark lit up, erupting into a flame that filled his entire mind. Ghostbur jumped backwards with surprise, falling into the snow.

His mind took him back to another time; another life, when he was another person. The war was still going on, the first one with Tommy, Tubbo and Fundy. Eret had already betrayed them.

In his mind, he saw Wilbur- himself- no, Wilbur- standing on the banks of a lake back in Dream SMP territory. An oak path stretched over the water like a bridge, and Dream stood to one side, Tommy on the other. They both held a bow and a few arrows.

Fundy and Tubbo were there with him, and so were George and Sapnap. Everyone was deadly silent, except for Wilbur. He was counting, loud and clear, his voice echoing over the scene.

"...in it for me..."

"...give you... ever want..."

"Fine, its a deal."

"...I'm sorry, Tommy..."

"... Theseus... cliff... the person he took refuge f..."

"...faster."

"... seen it coming."

The talk was drowning out the memory... the firelight was flickering, and peices of the scene were covered with grey darkness and splotches of blue again. Ghostbur was desperate to hold on, he held his head in his hands and pushed his eyes shut tight. "No no no no no," he muttered to himself, hoping for it to stay just a few moments longer. Through the fading light he heard his past self reach the number 10 amd stop counting... Tommy and Dream turned around to face eachother.

"Please, Techno, I dont want to go," Ghostbur heard from back in reality. Tommy's voice was breaking through his memory... it was all falling apart.

"Come on, Tommy. Take off the armor, don't make me do this the hard way," Dream replied.

"I dont want to, Techno. Hes going to kill me, please!"

"I'm not going to kill you if you cooperate. Hurry up," Dream barked.

The memory was almost gone. There was no more Fundy, or Sapnap, or oak path. It was only water as a heap of bubbles disturbed the surface. When they cleared Ghostbur could see Tommy struggling in the water. He was about to reach the air again, but then-

An arrow plunged itself through Tommy's heart, killing him instantly, and it all came flooding back.

He was snapped back to present day, and running back to the three. Friend was left behind in the snow. Dream shot Tommy. That was the memory, how Tommy lost his second life. Dream shot him. "You BASTARD!' He shouted at the top of his lungs as he sprinted back the way he came. "You fucking BASTARD!"

Then the darkness started to come back... Ghostbur balled his hand into a fist. Dream let out a yell... and it all went grey.

Next thing he knew, he was seated with Technoblade in the house. He looked around. "Oooh! You're brewing! Are you making invisibility? Thats your favorite potion," he told the pig. Techno looked up.

"No, its... harming." He replied. "I thought- you know since you're undead it would work kind of like skeletons and zombies."

"Aww, it's for me? Thanks! But why would I need to heal?" He paused, feeling a bit cold. There was a draft- maybe a window was opened upstairs.

"Because-" Techno stopped and looked at the ghost. "Do you not remember?"

Ghostbur paused. "Hmmm... well I know Dream came to visit. And then... something about an arrow? No, that wasn't it... I guess I dont really remember. What happened?"

Technoblade sighed, and set the potion down. "Nothing big. Im just glad youre ok."

Ghostbur laughed, "well yeah! It's not like I could die again!" That draft was getting big- he looked down.

"Oh." He said. There was a massive hole in his yellow sweater, but the grey akin underneath was left unharmed. "How did..?"

"Dont worry about it. Phil is already working on making you a new one, too, by the way. It'll be blue."

Ghostbur gasped. "Oh my god!" He exclaimed with a smile, "thats my favorite color!"

Technoblade chuckled. "I know, Ghostbur. I know."

"I should tell Tommy," the ghost decided. "Where is he?"

Techno's face fell. "He... had to leave."

Ghostbur shrugged. "I don't remember that, when?"

"Just a few minutes ago... he went with Dream."

Ghostbur smiled pleasantly. "Thats nice, they really are such good friends."

"Yeah..." Technoblade replied. "Friends."

[ficstoreadagain]

Are you gonna kiss me or not? // Izuku Midoriya x Reader

Pt. 1??? 

Not to be yee yee, but “Are you gonna kiss me or not?” feels like such a Deku song so I had to write this. BUT I got a got a little carried away before even making to the second verse, so I might write a part two if anyone wants it haha.

Basically: General Studies! Reader and Midoriya being equally as awkward but still falling in love regardless bc im soft 

TW: Fluff??? 

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We were sittin' up there on your momma's roof 

Talkin' 'bout everything under the moon

With the smell of honeysuckle and your perfume

All I could think about was my next move

Dating at UA was difficult, especially considering it was getting progressively harder to get permission to leave the school. Maybe that's how you ended up on the roof of Class 1-A's dorm. Even if the dorms weren't near as tall as the main building, the veiw was still amazing-especially with the breeze lifting the scent of cherry blossoms up to you. From there you could even see your own General Studies dorm across the way, but that was the last thing on your mind. 

Even amidst the awkardness of what was now your third date with the hero course student, it was so easy to listen to him. 

"And then he asked if I was All Might's secret love child," Midoriya chuckled, scratching the back of his neck with a bashful grin, "But Todoroki's a good friend." 

"Well, are you? All Might’s secret love child that is?" You playfully pressed with a raised eyebrow, giggling to yourself as that spurred a stuttering ramble promising how All Might wasn't his father, and that their quirks were just similar, "I'm kidding, Midoriya."

"R-right, of course." He calmed himself down before glancing down at his hands, "You can call me, Izuku- if you want to, that it, you don't have to-"

"Izuku." You tested the name on you tongue-even though you had already known his name, instantly cutting him off as he perked up at his name. With a bright smile that turned his cheeks red, you added on, "As long as you call me (Y/N)."

Just as easily, the conversation flowed.

"Yeah... I didn't even make it to the second round of the sports festival." You admitted bashfully, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, "I gave up after I nearly fell into that canyon- guess we all have our strengths. Afterwards, of course all the general studies kids were rooting for Shinsou, but I remember being super impressed that you beat him!" 

Turned into:

"His name is Kota, he's a little rough around the edges but he's a good kid," Izuku smiled thoughtfully looking up at the few visible stars, "He sends me a letter every now and then-even though he still claims to hate heroes." 

Which led to:

"My parents think I'm wasting my quirk, but I'm just not cut from that cloth, I guess. They were so psyched when they heard I got into UA, even if it was just the general studies course, that it was obvious I wouldn't go anywhere else- I think they're still hoping I'll change my mind." You shrugged, picking at the hem of your shirt. Midoriya was listening intently. At some point his hand had wound up in yours (the two of you were just getting to a point of being intelligible again), and Izuku squeezed yours gently. 

"Well, I-I'm glad your here." He told you quietly, but sincerly as he held your hand in his like it was something precious, his eyes on your intertwined fingers. Both of your cheeks flushed red when your eyes met his as he lifted his emerald stare. Just as quickly you both looked away.

Oh, but you were so shy, so was I

Maybe that's why it was so hard to believe

Your flustered silence apparently conveyed something different to the equally awkward boy as he quickly stammered out, "N-not that it, uh, matters what I think- or your parents, really- NOT THAT IT'S ANY OF MY BUSINESS-"

His rambling continued, his nerves almost endearing as you turned back to his monolouoge, smiling as he continued with a softned voice, "as long as you know what you want to do, and it makes you happy, that's all that truly matters... Sorry for rambling."

With both your cheeks pink and holding each others gaze, you realized that this was an important moment, and you could see the gears turning in Midoriya's head. Every second was closer and closer to the losing the opportunity. 

When you smiled and said to me "Are you gonna kiss me or not?

Despite the blush, you weren't going to let this moment go to waste. 

"Izuku, are you gonna kiss me or not?" You asked point blank, eyes flickering between his and his lips. 

Are we gonna do this or what? I think you know I like you a lot But you're 'bout to miss your shot Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

"Wh-what?!" His face turned scarlet, which almost faltered your confidence. "I think you know I like you a lot," You voice was only slightly above a whisper, almost lost to the wind as you warned him, "But you’re about to miss your shot."

For a second, you couldn’t decide if he was going to kiss you or bolt, so you just finished quietly, "So, are you gonna kiss me or not?" 

Finally, he nodded as if cementing his intent. Even with one hand still holding yours, his other tentatively cupping your cheek as he leaned in. As with everything he did with you, Izuku was exceedingly gentle when he pressed his lips to yours. Both of your eyes fluttered closed, which worked out since the two of you were the color of a tomato. 

It was a soft, innocent kiss- experimental, unsure, and little bit awkward at first, a beginning. Izuku cut it off quickly, forcing himself to back away, "Was that ok, (Y/N-?" 

It was the best dang kiss that I ever had Except for that long one after that Before he even finished the question, you grabbed his face in yours and pulled him back- this kiss was longer, a bit more confident. Though inexperienced, Midoriya was a fast learner and quickly took charge-his lips setting a slowly increasing pace. At first, he held his hands up, not quite sure what to do with them, but as you instinctively leaned even closer to him, one hand landed on your waist and the other on your knee with his thumb rubbing gentle circles. Meanwhile, your hands moved from his cheeks to explore wild green curls. It was one of those kisses that seemed to stop time, too who knew how long the two of you sat there, lips moving together and instinctively pulling each other closer until you were basically in his lap. No matter the measure of time, it was you that broke it off the second time for oxygen- Izuku, who seemed to have stamina for days, didn’t even seem winded as you rested you forehead against his, catching your breath.

"(Y/N), that was- wow." He breathed softly, holding you steady as you finally peeked your eyes open. The teenage romance induced haze you were in made you feel light and giggly- but that was gone almost instantaneously. 

“Izuku, you’re… glowing.” You informed him nervously, eyes wide as you took him in. And he was- energy seemed to crackle around him, red streaks shooting across any exposed skin, and a general green aura casting a faint glow around the two of you. He hadn’t seemed to notice until you voiced your concern.

“Glowing? Wh- AHH! Oh-“ He gasped, eyes growing to the size of dinner plates before taking a deep breath. As soon as it had come, the aura faded away.  Chuckling awkwardly, Midoriya reached up to scratch the back of his head, “S-sorry about that, I guess I got a little excited.”

[beifongsss]

birthday [sero]

Pairing: Sero x reader

Requested?: Yes! a lovely anon said: “Ahh im so happy to hear you're taking bnha requests!!! So recently it was resident tape boys birthday,,, i was wondering if you could do something where it leads into the two slow dancing in his room?? Thank you so much, i really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to crank out amazing works 🥺🥺”

Summary: (late birthday post for this boy) You try to get the Bakusquad to help you set up a small birthday celebration for Sero. It seems to be going as planned but little do you know, Mina’s main goal is to get the two of you to confess your feelings.

w.c.~ 1.7k

.masterlist. taglist form.

my first time writing for bnha so i’m sorry if it’s not that good! also idk if i’d write for sero again bc it was low key hard 

~

It had been an exhausting day, with you running around trying to keep the Bakusquad under control.

You had been planning Sero’s surprise birthday party and the hardest part about it was making sure that everyone acted as though you had forgotten that there was something to celebrate. There had been many close calls, with Kaminari almost asking him what flavor cake he wanted and Kirishima almost shouting a loud ‘happy birthday!’ when Sero first walked into class.

You had been quick to jump over his desk, slapping your hand across his mouth and earning yourself multiple confused looks as you tried to explain that it was a new game you and Kirishima were playing. It was the dumbest excuse ever and you could hear Bakugou cackling in the background but Sero hadn’t commented, instead choosing to give you a worried nod before slipping into his chair. 

As soon as the bell had rung, you had sprinted out of the classroom, pulling Bakugou along behind you as you motioned for Kirishima and Kaminari to distract Sero. Even though Bakugou muttered multiple profanities under his breath as he followed you, he dutifully helped you pick out the materials you needed, claiming that if he was being forced to attend some shitty party he was going to make sure that it wouldn’t be a bad one. 

Sneaking back into the dorms was the hardest part and you could faintly hear Sero in the common room as he asked Mina where you were. Truth be told, he was pretty upset. He had been waiting for this day for months, ever since you promised him that you would spend his birthday with him doing whatever he wanted. Now that the day had arrived, you were nowhere to be found and he was wondering why you had told him that and then gone back on your word. 

You rushed into the kitchen to check on Sato, who had happily agreed to bake a cake for Sero, before sneaking into the elevator. Once you had reached Sero’s floor, you managed to sneak into his room, knowing that he always left it unlocked because he hated carrying his key around. Even with Bakugou’s condescending comments, the two of you managed to set up pretty quickly. Balloons were floating around the room, some covering the ground along with some confetti. There were streamers hung up all around the room, a sparkly banner positioned right above his bed displaying the two words you were yet to tell your crush friend. 

Once you were done with the set up, you stepped back, brushing your hands off as you looked around in wonder. 

“Thanks, Bakugou,” you said, smiling at the grumpy boy. “This is gonna be great, I can already tell.”

Bakugou simply scoffed before throwing himself onto Sero’s bed. Shaking your head, you went back down to the kitchen, grabbing Mina’s attention beforehand. She joined you in the kitchen, the two of you praising Sato for his amazing work on Sero’s birthday cake. After handing the cake over to Mina, she went up to his room and you went into the common room. Kaminari and Kirishima exchanged a subtle glance as you nodded at them and they quickly said their goodbyes to Sero before heading up to his room as well. You sighed softly as you plopped down onto the couch, leaning your head on Sero’s shoulder. He glanced down at you, smiling softly when you reached up to scratch the tip of your nose.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten,” you said, breaking the silence first. Sero’s heart swelled at your words before shrinking back down again when you continued speaking. “We have that quiz tomorrow and you haven’t studied.”

Sero’s smile dropped in annoyance and you had to stop yourself before you could apologize and tell him that you did indeed remember his birthday. You shuffled off the couch, heading to the elevator before turning around. “You coming? We can study in your room. I’ll even let you pick the music!”

He trailed after you quietly, trying to hide his disappointment as the elevator ascended. When you reached his room, you stood behind him, earning you a confused glance because he knew that you knew that his room was unlocked. So why weren’t you opening it?

“Surprise!”

Sero stumbled back slightly as he looked around his room. Bakugou was still on his bed, a scowl on his face as he scrolled through his phone. Kaminari and Kirishima were wearing party hats, party horns being held between their lips as they made a racket. Mina was standing in the middle of the room, a large smile on her face as she held a delicious-looking cake. The rest of your classmates were also there, each of them holding a gift and chanting ‘happy birthday!’. 

“Happy birthday, tape boy,” you said softly, wrapping your arms around him from behind. You were smiling widely, happy that things had gone according to plan no matter how many times your friends had almost ruined the surprise. Sero turned around and hugged you tightly, his heart leaping into his throat as he realized you had done this all for him. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, grinning widely before turning to face his friends. 

The party went well, both you and Sero flitting from group to group but never quite spending any time together. Everyone was aware of the lingering glances you would send to each other and as day turned into evening, everyone began to make excuses and leave, making sure to wish Sero a final ‘happy birthday’ before they left. Eventually, it was only the Bakusquad left and you had fun filming a silly unwrapping video of each of Sero’s gifts. After that was done, Bakugou was the first to leave, stating that it was way too late and that he needed to sleep. Kaminari was the next to go, saying that Yaoyorozu had agreed to give him a late night review session for the upcoming test. 

After a few more minutes, Mina let out a fake yawn and tugged Kirishima off of the ground. She sent you a sly smile, pausing at the door and turning to face Sero. 

“Well it’s getting late, we should go,” she said, smiling sweetly before turning back to you. “See you tomorrow (Y/N/N) don’t forget to tell Sero that thing you mentioned. Bye!”

The door shut before either of you could react and you laughed nervously before turning to face Sero. He was looking at you, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you drifted back into his room. 

“What was she talking about?”

“N-Nothing!” you squeaked, turning away from him and flopping onto his bed. “We really should do some studying though.”

Sero hummed, not replying to you before he turned and opened up his laptop. He connected to his speakers before turning his chair to face you. “So what do you wanna listen to?”

“Whatever you want,” you replied, glad that he was choosing to ignore Mina’s words. “I told you I’d let you pick the music!”

You pulled out your notebook, smiling as you heard Sero mutter to himself. After a few seconds of silence, he let out a sound of approval and you perked up as you heard soft music fill the room.

“Well that’s a bit different from your usual music choices,” you teased, frowning slightly when Sero didn’t reply. You turned around, seeing him standing a few inches away from you and causing you to jump. “Geez, Sero. Give me a little warning next time!”

Wordlessly, Sero held his hand out and you took it, giving him a questioning gaze. He pulled you forward and you stumbled slightly, falling into his chest as he led you to the center of the room. He chuckled at you before placing your hands around his neck and putting his own around your waist. You hesitantly laid your head on his shoulder, your heart pounding as the two of you started swaying softly to the music. 

“Thank you,” Sero said softly, his voice barely louder than the music.

“What for?” you replied. 

“Everything.”

“It’s your birthday, silly,” you said. “I wouldn’t have forgotten it. You deserve to be celebrated.”

Sero was glad that you couldn’t see his face as he broke into a bright blush. Still holdin you close, he cleared his throat before speaking again. “Not just for that. I mean for everything, (Y/N). You do so much for me. But yes, thank you for today as well.”

You pulled back slightly, smiling up at Sero. “You do so much for me too, Sero. I love you.”

The music faded for a few seconds as the previous song ended and the new one began. The silence was overwhelming and you felt yourself flush under Sero’s gaze as you realized what you had just said. Before you could fully pull away and run to your room to hide, Sero carefully cupped your cheek and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to your lips before nudging your head back to its spot on his shoulder. 

“Is that what Mina wanted you to tell me?” he asked, laughing softly when you nodded. “I love you too.”

“Happy birthday, Sero,” you said, closing your eyes as you enjoyed the moment. 

“Happy birthday to me indeed.”

~

A few hours later, Mina Ashido was rushing through the dorms when she realized that she didn’t have her phone. She didn’t bother to knock as she burst into Sero’s room, immediately locating the device and placing it in her pocket. 

“Sorry for just bursting..” Mina began, turning to face Sero but trailing off when she saw the two of you curled up in his bed sound asleep. “In.”

Smiling, she fished her phone out of her pocket and snapped a few pictures before sprinting out of the room to locate Kirishima and Kaminari, making sure to close the door quietly as she left. She couldn’t help but giggle wildly as she showed everyone the picture, knowing that when you awoke the next morning you would be pissed. But she could deal with that. 

She was just happy that her two friends had finally gotten together. 

[enchantcdstories]

The Strength Within Her

Words: 2774

Tags: Pure fluff! Some swearing! 

A/N: Here’s the Brendan/Theo fic! I tried my best to fix their ending but its a little all over the place. 

Find it on A03

V watched as Theo slumped into the plastic chair, her head in her hands after having been just told that her best friend in the whole world was gone. Something ate away at V’s stomach, the gut feeling in the back of her head gnawing at her. Do something. Fix this. V tugged at her hair, taking a few steps away to think. Think, think, think.

She could buy the vending machine, sure, she had the eddies for it. V sighed. She couldn’t fix Brendan. She couldn’t fix that kind of machinery. V stopped, realization hitting her like Jackie’s ARCH bike when she called it and wasn’t paying attention. Viktor. That man could fix anything right?

“Hey...Theo? I’ll uh.. See you around okay? Call me if you need anything?” V said, turning to face the woman. She tried not to make direct eye contact, Theo’s face just looked so sad. The girl nodded, sinking her head back into her hands as V turned away.

Pulling up Viktor’s number onto her interface, V thumbed quietly with the zipper on her jacket- waiting for the ripperdoc himself to pick up.

“V! What’s up? Everything good? The engram treating you okay?” Viktor’s voice sounded concerned and almost preoccupied at the same time. V bit at her lip, looking back in the direction of Theo as she walked to where her car was.

“I’m good, I mean..about as good as I can get with an engram taking over my brain..listen, do you know anything about uh...vending machines?” V asked nervously, this whole idea sounding stupid. The silence on Viktor’s end wasn’t any more reassuring.

“Vending machines?” His voice was full of confusion and apprehension.

“Yeah..there’s.. a S.C.S.M that..got a firmware wipe and...look it’s really tough to explain, but do you think you could help me out?” V sounded more like a child begging for parental help than a young woman at this point. The sound of metal clanging made V wince, tempted to hang up and forget this whole crazy idea. Viktor sighed.

“I mean...I know fuck all about vending machines but a firmware revert shouldn’t be too hard?....Do I dare ask what this is all for?” V sighed herself and mentally checked to see how many eddies she still had left.

“It’s a long story, I can pay ya. Meet me at the maintenance point by Megabuilding H8 in an hour?” V said, covering her eyes as she squinted over to the direction of the shop that held Brendan. Viktor confirmed, muttering about her owning him anyways and hung up. V waited for Johnny to show up, complain about this getting in the way of his plan and it was all a waste of time. V secretly thought that He felt something for that vending machine too.

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“I’m sorry...how much for the fucker?” V said, leaning on the counter of the gonk that ran the maintenance point. “We aren’t even gonna like… take him anywhere special. We’re just gonna move him back to his original spot.” The man on the other side of the counter crossed his arms.

“You heard me. You wanna change him and shit? Lord knows what fucking else? You gotta pay.” V put her head on the counter, stressed and feeling her vision starting to glitch out from the chip that was shoved into her brain. The gonk spoke again as if he felt something for this whole situation.

“Look, if it makes you feel better, I’ll throw the papers in. Legally the hunk of junk will be yours.” V groaned again. Gods that was a lot of eddies. That could pay for the ankle upgrades she’d be saving for. She’d barely have enough left over to throw something Vik’s way. Still, the look on Theo’s face when she was away from Brendan…

“Fine...here..Just, give me the papers.” V said, exasperated as she extended her hand out, transferring the eddies. The man held the papers out, some sort of legal form that was like transferring the ownership of a car. ‘I could have bought a new car with that money’, V thought. She snatched the papers up, folding them and walking over to where a powered down Brendan sat. The man wheeled a dolly over, jamming the edge of it under the S.C.S.M. V could hear Viktor outside the shop, talking on his phone to a client or something. The moment Viktor laid eyes on the machine, V could see the light just fade from them- wondering what V got him into.

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“Okay so back up, hang on- We’re doing this for a girl? Is she in love with the thing? Is that legal?” Viktor said, a screwdriver in his mouth and he worked to pry the back panel of Brendan off. V had explained the whole situation to him, but clearly, Vik was bit out of the loop on the whole ‘super-smart AI vending machines’.

“I mean, all I heard was that he was her best friend...and the look on her face! I couldn’t just do nothing.” V shrugged, leaning against the wall as she watched Viktor work. Johnny had glitched over in the corner and was smoking a cigarette, keeping to himself. Viktor chuckled.

“Always the people pleaser, eh V?” He said, dropping the back panel on the floor and peering inside. V just rolled her eyes, picking at something on her boot. Viktor grunted as he sat up, looking over his tools and grunting.

“Can you like… fix him?” V asked. She wondered if she just paid a good stack of Eddies for something that could be pawned off for spare parts. Maybe she could just..give Theo his faceplate and call it good?

“Well I’ve reversed firmware’s before, but this might take a little longer. I’m no miracle worker.” Viktor looked over to V, his voice giving her a hint of reassurance. V scoffed. “You’ve fixed me up plenty of times, even if I do got a shelf life that’s worse than milk’s.” She tried to lighten the mood, but the look on Viktor’s face didn’t look like it helped. “What I’m saying is, if anyone can do it, it’s you. Probably. I think the guy at the shop only knew how to update firmware.” V said, trying to cover up her fuck up. “And imagine the look on Theo’s face when she see’s her best friend is back!” V chirped, her voice a faux cheery tone. Even Johnny winced at that, giving a thumbs down. V flipped him off.

Viktor brought over some little machine, pulling the cord from a little compartment on it and plugging it into Brendan. V leaned her head back against the wall, her mind wandering back to Theo’s heartbroken face. That poor girl’s face was ingrained in her brain.

“Chick had a rough life. She pack-bonded to that heap of metal. Don’t blame her one bit.” Johnny’s voice filled V’s head as he walked over, flicking his cigarette to the floor and watching as it flickered away into a million little pixels.

“She said something about a breakup, right? Or at least a tough relationship..” V said, internally to her engram. Johnny moved so he was sitting down next to her, elbow propped up on his knee.

“She’s got a sentient vending machine, you got a biochip of a super famous rockstar in your head. We all need our comfort objects, huh?” Johnny said, moving his elbow as if he was gonna elbow her ribs. V felt nothing but was somehow still annoyed.

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At some point, as Viktor worked on Brendan, V fell asleep. It felt like it was the first time V had fallen asleep in days, sudden exhaustion kicking in. Viktor noticed a couple of hours ago, but chose to let her sleep anyways. The poor girl looked beat. Viktor finally wheeled away from the machine, having screwed the back panel in tightly and pulling out the electrical cord for the machine.

“Hey V, ‘bout to power this thing up, you wanna wake up?” Vik called, startling the merc awake. V groaned, rubbing at her eyes. Johnny was nowhere in sight, but Viktor was looking at her expectantly.

“What? Yeah, yeah I’m up. Plug ‘im in.” She said, moving to stand in front of the towering S.C.S.M. The vending machine lit up Vik’s entire shop, the pink of Brendan’s ‘clothes’ casting a deeper shade of pink across the walls.

“V! Boy am I glad to see you!” Brendan chirped, his eyes shifting left and right. V smiled, the same old Brendan was back.

“Hey bud, glad to see you too.” “What did I miss while I was gone? Any important drink orders I should remember?” Brendan said, his screen flickering just ever so slightly. V shook her head, glancing at Viktor. The man seemed just more confused, but sat back down on his chair.

“Nah, nothing like that. You were barely out for a day. Theo’s missing you something fierce though.” She said, hoping he still remembered her.

“Theo! Is she okay? Where is she? I hope she’s okay.” If a S.C.S.M could wag it’s tail like a puppy, Brendan would be doing that right about now.

“Relax, she’s fine. I kinda….told her that you were gone and she, well she took it pretty hard. Got the best ripperdoc in town to fix you up though. How do you uh...feel? Can you feel?” She added the last part under her breath. Brendan was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking.

“I would like to see Theo. I think I feel fine!” The machine said to her. V patted Brendan on the main screen...face-thing before moving over to Viktor. She extended her hand to him, intending to transfer some eddies to him.

“Thanks again, Vik, I know I keep saying I owe ya but this time...I really do owe ya. I got about...5k Eddies left, I hope that covers it.” She said, internally preparing to be broke for the next couple of days. Vik shook his head.

“Keep ‘em.”

“Vik-”

Viktor shook his head again. “Keep ‘em. You get to haul the thing back to Japantown though. I ain’t gonna help you with that.”

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Theo’s world felt...empty. Just the night before she had broken up her relationship, on the advice of Brendan of course. He helped her through so many rough patches and then this morning he was just….gone. She felt so powerless. The maintenance workers wouldn’t listen to her… she tried everything! Theo sat in one of the plastic chairs just in the first level of the megabuilding. Her apartment was a few floors up, she even remembers how she met Brendan. The one day she wanted a coffee from a vending machine and the S.C.S.M greeted her and asked if she was okay.

The rest was history.

He was so sweet, so caring. Knew exactly what to say when Theo struggled. Her daily routine revolved itself around Brendan now. Now? He was gone. Physically no, he wouldn’t be gone. The machine would be there still. But Brendan? His personality? Would be gone.

It was like a void in her heart, something in her life that was missing. She broke off her relationship and now with Brendan gone? Who did she have? Theo took a cigarette out of her pocket, sparking up the lighter and inhaling deeply. She wouldn’t cry over a stupid machine, yet here she was- tears threatening to spill.

Theo sat there for hours, watching the world go by as she sat in her little chair and smoked. She barely moved, barely felt. The sun eventually rose to it’s highest peak in the sky before falling back down. Night City falling under a blanket of colder temperatures as darkness fell. Theo stood up eventually. Her bones and muscles ached as she moved for the first time. She found her way to her apartment- purely on autopilot now.

Her apartment was cold, lonely, empty. It had been for a while, she realized, but now it felt more so. Theo was just about to head to bed when she heard a commotion out in the hall. Normally, especially in good old megabuilding H8, that wasn’t any cause for concern. The voice sounded oddly familiar though.

“..V?” Theo mumbled, getting up from her spot on the couch. She pressed the button for the door to slide open. V was there, standing in the hallway looking sweaty and exhausted.

And so was Brendan.

Theo leaned against the doorframe, confusion washing over her face.

“Hey uh...so listen, its a long story- but do you have space in your apartment? I was gonna put him back in his normal spot but...I’d hate to see him get vandalized or some shit.” V said, leaning an elbow on the dolly that was wedged under the S.C.S.M. Theo didn’t know what to say, merely opening her mouth like a fish. She merely moved out of the way as V struggled to haul the giant machine through the door.

“Vik fixed him up, just gotta plug him in and he’s good as new.” V said, grunting as she heaved the machine to Theo’s living room. He was angled awkwardly so he faced Theo’s bed, but no one cared at that point. She merely scurried out of the way, watching dumbly as V set Brendan down.

“He...I don’t...understand..” She said, unable to form words. V waved a hand, the cord flopping about. Theo reached for the cord, knowing where the only remaining outlet in her apartment was and plugging the machine in. Instantly her apartment was lit up with an otherworldly glow.

“That was some nap!.... Where am I?” Brendan chimed. V had leaned against the wall, watching as Theo moved to face Brendan. “Brendan?”

“Theo! Boy am I glad to see you! I missed you!” Tears pricked at Theo’s eyes. Happy ones this time. She looked over to V, rushing forward and gripping her in a bone shattering hug.

“Oh V… thank you, thank you so much!” She said, grinning up at her ‘friend’. V shrugged, not making eye contact.

“ was nothing, oh uh...here.” She said, taking the papers from her pants pocket. “He’s yours now, I guess? Your own personal uh..vending machine.” She shrugged. Theo just stared at the papers. She turned to Brendan, throwing her arms across the wide electronic.

“Oh gods I’ve missed you, B. I was so worried. They took you away I just...V tried to get you back and when she told me they wiped you… I thought… I’d never-” Theo was openly crying now, still clutching Brendan.

“It’s okay Theo, you’re strong, I believed in you all along. Am I in your apartment? You told me so much about your apartment!” Brendan chirped, his voice sounding more bubbly than usual. Theo nodded, a half sob half laugh escaping her lips.

“It is, you’re here and...you’re mine now! You don’t have to stay down on the street anymore.. No one’s gonna vandalize you!” Theo’s voice went on, about how much fun they would have now that Theo didn’t have to worry about him anymore. V rubbed the back of her neck, feeling like an intruder now.

“I’ll leave you guys to it, I guess. I’ll come visit at some point?” V didn’t know why she asked that, when she knew herself that her time was limited. Maybe Johnny would visit for her. Theo looked and nodded, before turning back to talk to her best friend. V let herself out quietly.

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It was dark now when V exited the megabuilding, her own stomach rumbling for some of the local food that filled the air’s scent. The entire day had been just a rollercoaster of emotions. She leaned down to light a smoke, one of the ones Johnny had begged her to smoke originally.

“Nothing like a happy ending, huh?” Johnny said, phasing next to her as she walked to her car. V said shrugged.

“I don’t get one, might as well give her one. She can go off and live her happy life with her vending machine. I got...a computer chip in my head that makes me smoke.” She shrugged. Johnny laughed.

“You got me. Ain’t that enough?” He said, referring to his whole body. V rolled her eyes.

“Well, out of all the engrams in the world, I’m glad I got Johnny fuckin’ Silverhand.”

[safebubblebycyg]

a no voldemort au- draco meets the potters + the mauraders:

"what if they all hate me?" draco asked wearily, fiddling with harry's scarf as they approached his parents house. they had decided to take a port key from kings cross to a couple blocks from his house in hopes that the walk would calm draco down. the blonde had decided against going to the manner for christmas, seeing as his mother was the only one there who was worth seeing and she agreed that he should finally meet his boyfriend's family.

"dray, they wont hate you. they see you as family already and they havent even met you yet! plus, im sure the cookies you baked for all of them will persuade any fiber of their being that doesnt like you" harry assured the shorter boy, pressing a soft kiss to his temple as he approached his house. he knocked softly on the door and stood back. they waited for a moment before a familiar head of golden hair came into view.

"harry!" peter pettigrew shouted, welcoming the boy in his arms. the man was short and had a soft belly, but seemed extremely friendly. he had messy golden hair that waved in some places. the sweater he had on was obviously homemade and reminded draco of the ones he and harry had from the weasley's. the man let harry go from his grip and looked at draco, scanning him. his expression faltered for a moment upon seeing his slytherin scarf, but quickly faded back into a grin. "you must be draco! we've been told wonderful things about you! come in, come in!"

the potters home was very warm and inviting compared to malfoy manner. there was a fire in the fireplace and the couch was soft and worn in compared to the hard leather that was in his home. draco glanced around the room and smiled small. he already liked the potters much more than he thought he would.

"wormy," harry spoke as he gently placed his hand on the small of his boyfriend's back, "we're going to go put our trunks in my room, tell everyone we'll be down in a moment" peter nodded at the boys words and heading into the kitchen. harry turned to his love and smiled.

"you have a very nice home, harry," draco spoke in the soft voice that harry fell in love with. draco was a gentle and soft person, he loved that about him. the boy was dressed in pastels as often as he could and always left behind his uniform shoes for those of a pastel colour.

"im glad you like it, you'll be here for two weeks. im also glad that me constantly mentioning how amazing you are in conversations with my family worked. they love you already!" harry beamed before taking dracos hand. "now, c'mon we do have to take our trunks up," and the boys headed up the stairs.

"your bedroom is much more inviting than mine." draco spoke when harry pushed the door open. harry had his room covered in gryffindor banners and quidditch posters. the room itself was a warm gray colour that let all of the bright gryffindor red and gold stand out. harrys bed had plain black and white sheets and a stuffed teddy bear sitting against his pillows. it was perfect.

"that's because your house looks like dementors decorated it, dray," harry laughed, laying his trunk down at the foot of his bed. he took dracos and repeated the action. "now let's get out of this winter gear, yeah?" he hummed, looking at the blonde boy who simply nodded.

"does- does your family mind what i wear?" draco asked timidly. he had opened his trunk and remembered that he had most packed skirts, white jeans, and pastel sweaters. harry wrapped his arms around his precious baby and kissed his neck, nipping at the skin.

"of course not, just dont dress like you've been in azkaban for twelve years and you'll be fine," he muttered, now focused on the soft red mark he was making on draco's neck. the blonde shivered as harry slid his hands under his sweater and started to suck at his neck.

"harry," draco sighed out as he pushed him away, "i dont want to show up to dinner tonight with a hickey please" the raven haired laughed and threw his hands up in surrender. before going back to his open trunk.

"wear the pink skirt with that one sweater you like wearing so much" harry commented as he pulled out his weasley sweater. "and make sure to add on the pink flower crown, it makes you look extra precious" draco blushed at his boyfriend's words as he tugged off his thick green sweater.

"they really wont care that im in a skirt?" he asked as he pulled out the pink skirt from his trunk. harry shook his head lightly, cuffing his blue jeans.

"they seriously won't, love" draco blushed and nodded before changing into the outfit harry suggested. minus the flower crown. he felt that was a bit much for just meeting his family.

"did you pack my white fuzzy socks?" draco asked as he turned to harry. he shook his head yes and tossed them to the blonde. draco sat on the floor to pull them onto his feet and hummed as harry began to brush the gel out of his hair.

"i still dont see why you got a sweater that says something in french. what does it mean?" harry asked, setting the brush aside and pulling a pink flower crown from dracos bag. "and dont think i wouldnt notice you not wearing this" he placed it on top of dracos soft curls and pulled him off the ground.

"it means what it means," draco smiled, looking down at the writing "baise moi" on his sweater. he looked up at harry and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "let's go see your family"

first up was sirius and remus. harry had claimed that they would be easy going. remus was. sirius wasnt.

"dray, this is remus and sirius. hush- yes, professor lupin is also my uncle- moony, padfoot, this is draco" harry introduced. draco held out a shaky hand and smiled at the two men, only recieving one warm smile back. remus had gladly shaken his hand, grinning brightly at him. sirius, on the other hand, had a stone cold look in his eyes as he scanned draco up and down. draco let his hand fall and glanced at harry. remus cleared his throat.

"why dont you go say hello to your parents, harry?" he suggested, watching draco tensely stand under padfoots glare. harry nodded, wrapping his arm protectively around his boyfriend's waist and guiding him to the kitchen.

"there's my boy!" james potter yelled as harry walked into the kitchen. he grinned brightly at his son before turning to the blonde. "you must be mister malfoy, i have to say you have your father's hair, but from what harry has said, you have your mother's heart." he softly smiled at draco and draco gave a gentle grin back.

"how have you two been?" lily asked, gently giving her son's shoulder a squeeze before continuing to work in the kitchen.

"we've been brilliant," harry smiled, running his hand gently against dracos side in an effort to calm him down; he was trembling softly against the raven haired boy.

"that's lovely to hear. draco, harry said you're an excellent baker?" james asked as lily continued around the kitchen. draco shyly nodded.

"i enjoy it yes, but im not sure if excellent is the word i would use, mr. potter. though, i did bake you all cookies as a thank you for letting me into your home.." his voice was soft and shakey, fragile almost, as he spoke. lily turned towards him.

"love, you didnt have to do that! you're always welcome here" her green eyes gleamed as she smiled at the boy who leaned softly into harry. draco muttered a soft 'thank you' and looked down with a blush.

"I HEARD COOKIES" wormtail squealed as he rushed into the kitchen, moony and padfoot not far behind.

"yeah, dray baked some for all of you. honey cranberry for peter, sugar cookies for mom, oatmeal raisin for remus, chocolate chip for dad, and peanut butter for sirius. that was the mysterious owl that you all got a month ago from 'hermione'. draco figured she would be the only person you would believe to write in cursive" harry spoke proudly of his boyfriend, his fingers still running up and down the anxious boy's side.

"yeah, hes a keeper, thank you malf- draco" sirius spoke for the first time since harry had arrived. surprisingly to draco.

"oh- um- of course.." he trailed off, his blush only increasing as he buried his face in harry's neck and wrapped his arms around his waist. harry chuckled softly, kissing the top of the small boys head. he was going to be just fine.

...

"thank you for preparing dinner, mrs. potter," draco spoke softly as he looked up from his plate. the family had just sat for dinner and draco had never seen a meal quite so homely.

"you're quite welcome, draco. and please, its lily" the red head smiled as they all began to eat. draco ate quietly, listening to the conversations at the table. lily, remus, and harry had began talking about his studies and how he wanted to teach at hogwarts one day. james, peter, and sirius began a playful argument on what quidditch team was better.

draco fiddled with his sweater as he nervously listened in on the second conversation. they had become louder and louder and draco was not a fan of loud, heated discussions. he gently closed his eyes before he felt a hand grab his and bring it to sit on top of the table. harry had quickly intertwined their fingers and pressed a kiss to draco's knuckles as he continued with his conversation. draco smiled small and let himself relax at harrys sweet gesture. he always knew how to calm him down.

"i like your outfit," peter commented, smiling at the pastel crown on dracos head. "pink roses are a beautiful flower. the potters grow a wide variety in their back garden actually! if youd like, we can sneak off and go see them?" his voice was gentle and quiet, letting no one else but draco hear him. the blonde smiled and squeezed harry's hand, pressing a kiss to his neck and letting go. harry simply turned and gave him a soft smile and peck on the cheek before returning to his conversation. draco brushed off his skirt before looking at wormtail who smirked and pushed his chair back.

"i gotta go grab something from my trunk, ill be back!" he spoke through his lie clearly and walked off. draco leaned his head on harry's shoulder.

"im gonna go to the bathroom, ill be back" he murmured in his ear before standing and following peter.

the golden haired man had waited for draco at the back door and smiled once he had arrived. he pushed open the door and walked into a beautiful garden filled with flowers.

"oh merlin.." draco whispered with a smile. they had so many flowers that it made the greenhouses at hogwarts look minuscule.

"do you know how to make flower crowns by hand?" peter asked, running his hand over some tulips. draco beamed and nodded. it was one of his favourite things to do. peter grinned. "care to make a couple?"

...

it had been ten minutes later when harry realized that his baby was missing still. he paused completely in his conversation.

"you alright, harry?" remus questioned upon seeing the look on his face.

"draco has been gone an awfully long time," he muttered, standing up. "im gonna go look for-" he was cut off by loud laughing from outside "-him." he finished, walking to his back door and pushing it open, his family following. harry almost melted when he saw his boy. draco was surrounded in flower crowns and was currently making one out of lavender. peter was stacking flower crowns on top of his head and couldnt seem to get past three. everytime the crowns fell off, draco would gently pick them up to make sure they hadnt gotten damaged before setting them back down and continuing to craft another one.

"cookies and flower crowns, huh?" sirius called out, his comment clearly aimed at draco. the two boys heads snapped up. draco blushed and glanced down at the, fifteen maybe, flower crowns that he had made. harry walked over and picked up one made of white tulips.

"merlin, you're absolutely precious" he mumbled, crouching down. draco blushed harder at his boyfriends words and glanced at him. "and you were so worried about them hating you" harry leaned in towards draco, his lips ghosting over the smaller. he pulled away and smirked. "let's bring all these inside, yeah?" harry stood and grabbed a handful of flower crowns and walked back inside. the rest of his family followed and peter picked up some flower crowns as draco carried the rest. harry potter was a tease. and draco malfoy was madly in love with him.

...

the two boys laid in harry's bed, curled up against each other, basking in each others warmth.

"now that wasnt so bad, was it dragon?" harry said teasingly. his fingers softly intertwined into dracos curls, running through them.

"yeah, i guess not" the blonde mumbled sleepily, pressing a kiss to harrys shoulder. "thank you for having such a wonderful family" he said, dozing off shortly after.

"thank you for becoming part of it, future mister potter" harry grinned, pressing a kiss to dracos soft hair before falling asleep with a soft grin.

they were happy. and that was all that mattered.

[missbeautyandherbeast]

A Second Chance

Raphael X Reader

Summary: Leo found you on the streets one night, wandering alone and soon you found solace in the Lair with the brothers, all except Raph, who made your skin crawl because his actions hit a bit too close to home. Until one night, then you decide you’ve had enough.

A/N: Going through my archive on my computer and I forgot that I had this, so here ya go. 

Warnings: past abuse, abusive siblings, swearing, panic attacks

@im-a-loser-for-tmnt

Raph roared in frustration and stormed out of the dojo. I looked up from my perch on the couch and shrank back into it, trying to make myself as small as possible. Ever since I had met the brothers, Raphael’s actions hit a little too close to home with another brother... one I tried hard to forget about.

We locked eyes and I shrunk back in fear yet I thought I saw something in those green eyes.

“Raph!” Mikey called.

“Back down,” Donnie begged.

I slowly unfolded myself from the couch.

“Guys. Let... let me.” I spoke, standing.

“Y/n. No.” Leo emerged from the dojo.

He looked at me knowingly. He knew why Raph always put me on edge. He knew why I never wanted to go home.

“Leo. I can do this. Enough is enough.” I gave him a look and he nodded.

“I’ll be right here.”

I nodded and made my way to up to the surface, no doubted where Raphael had gone.

“Raphael!?” I called looking around the alley. “Raph! Come on!” I yelled.

“What?” I heard him sneer from behind me. “You come to tell me to calm down too?” His tone was ice cold.

I took a step away from him and hugged myself, trying to keep my panic down.

“No,” I whispered.

“What was that princess?” He chuckled. “I can’t hear you over the fear in your voice.” He mused. “Why don’t you just run back to Leo and leave me alone?”

I glared up at him and squared my shoulders.

“No.” I snarled. “I am so done with you throwing tantrums all the time and thinking it’s okay! You’re violent and cruel to your brothers and it’s fucked up!” It finally felt good to say those words to someone.

I heard a growl rumble in his chest.

“What did you say to me?” He sneered.

“You heard me.” I snapped.

“And what right do you have?” He loomed over me, our glares matched another’s.

“I think I have plenty.” I hissed.

“And what’s that princess?” He snapped.

"You ever bother to ask about me? About why Leo brought me in? About why I don’t go home!?”

His expression faltered. I caught him off guard.

“What do you mean?” He rumbled.

“I have an asshole like you at home.” I gritted. “And I will not let you tear apart your family like my brother did mine.” I felt tears forming in my eyes.

“What...?” He sounded confused, all his anger fading.

“Ever notice why I don’t like loud sounds? Why I have really good reflexes? Why I don’t show skin?” I bit out.

I watched the realization in his eyes as it all clicked together.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Raph muttered.

“No, you’re not.”

“Who says?” He demanded.

“Me.” I folded my arms.

The turtle laughed.

“And what are you gonna do to stop me?”

“Raphael you are not going to hurt my brother,” I spoke boldly, then reached out and put my hands over his clenched fists. “Please.” I looked up at him through my eyelashes and saw his resolve crumble.

“Yeah. Whatever.” He muttered pulling away from me.

“Now will you come back inside with me?” I pleaded softly.

He looked at me, his green eyes piercing mine.

“Why did you come out here?” He asked. “Why didn’t you let me go?”

“Because I didn’t want to feel weak anymore. I didn’t want to be the victim. And I know you wouldn’t hurt me Raph.” I admitted.

“Do you now?” He chuckled.

“I do.”

He grabbed my arm and pushed me up against the wall pinning me.

“How bout now?” He chuckled darkly.

I gapped up at him, not knowing what to do.

“Not afraid,” I breathed out.

“I’m stronger than you.” He mused. “Faster.”

I nodded.

“You won’t hurt me,” I stuttered out.

“As if that mattered. As if you could outrun me.” He growled. “As if you could fight me off.”

“You won’t hurt me,” my voice was barely a whisper, looking up into piercing green eyes.

He let go of my arm and his expression faltered.

“No, I won’t,” He admitted. The large brute seemed almost sheepish about the confession as he turned away.

My fear turned into confusion.

“Raph are you... okay?” I placed my hand on his shoulder. “What’s going on with you Red?”

“Why are you here?” He muttered.

“What... what do you mean?”

“Why are you out here? With me? You never bat an eyelash at me ever and now you suddenly care?” I could hear the anger rising in his voice: anger that masked confusion. His green eyes pierced mine.

“I always cared.”

He studied me for a minute and stormed away.

“Where are you going!?” I demanded, chasing after him.

“Out for patrol.” He snapped. “Away from you.” He muttered.

“Sure just walk away! Just like you always do! Never stop to look at what’s right in front of you!” I yelled.

“And what’s that!?” He demanded stalking up to me. “What’s in front of me!? Huh!?”

I shrunk back against the wall.

“I am.” I tried hopelessly.

“Glad all my problems are solved.” He spat.

I looked at him, shocked.

“Why are you so cruel!?” I screamed. “What did I do that was so wrong!? What did I do!?” My words came out as half-choked sobs. “What did I do?”

I wrapped my arms around myself tightly crying despite my best efforts. I never cried in front of anyone. It was a weakness. Something I wasn’t allowed to have to the outside world.

“Hey, sweetheart, come on,” his expression softened. “You didn’t do anything. I’m just an asshole.” The mutant neared me, unsure of how to show comfort.

I shook my head.

“It’s my fault. I can’t help you. I can’t help James. I'm useless. I... I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ll just go. I’ll go and you won’t have to...” I mumbled out walking out of the alley and towards home. I mumbled more apologies feeling miserable.

“Hey!” His voice was demanding, but I kept walking.

It wasn’t before long until I ran into a mass of something that pulled me close into a tight hug.

“Let me go.” I whimpered, miserable.

“Please wait.” He begged. “Let me make this right. Please.”

“There’s nothing wrong Raphael. I’m fine.” My voice was emotionless. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Come on.”

He picked me up as if I weighed nothing, carrying me bridal style. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and hid my face.

He carried me up until we were seated side by side on the top of an apartment building, staring out at the city below.

“I’m really sorry.” Raph voices after a while. “I never meant to hurt you. I’m not good at all this talking and feeling shit. Never was.”

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have yelled at you, or put my problems on you.” I admitted.

“Hey, that’s what I’m here for, what we are all here for. Y/n, you mean a lot to us... to me.”

“I just cause problems,” I mumbled, hugging my knees.

“No, I cause problems sweetheart. It’s my thing. It’s what I do.” I could hear the smirk in his voice. “And you 100% do not cause problems. If anything you help. My brothers need you. I... I need you.”

I fell silent at his admittance.

“I need you too Red,” I gave him a small smile.

We settled into a comfortable silence for a while.

“Why are you always so at odds with Leo? It’s it because if the rivalry or...?” I mused.  

Raph looked away and laughed sheepishly.

“It was that for a while. Then it kinda started to be about you.”

“Me? What did I...?” I felt very insecure all of a sudden.

“Nothin. You didn’t do anything sweets. Leo... he told me to stay away from you. That I would scare you too much. He never bothered to tell me why. I had no idea...” he trailed off lost in thought.

“So why did that bother you?” I thought out loud.

He laughed nervously again.

“Pretty girl stumbles into my home and I’m not allowed to get to know her because of what I am. Gets me pretty pissed. Especially when she’d just run to Leo every time she came back crying and hurt.”

I looked down, not knowing what to say.

“Only to find out that this same pretty girl has some fire to her and isn’t afraid to tell a monster like me to fuck off. That she’s got her own shit to deal with and that’s why she never got close to me.” Raph sighed. “Nothin but a monster to her.”

“You’re not a monster Raph,” I whispered. Daring to look up I saw his green eyes trained on me. “I meant what I said. I’m not afraid of you. I’d never fear that you’d hurt me. Ever. You’re not a monster.” I repeated. “You’re actually pretty great.” I smiled up at him.

“That so?” He grinned.

I laughed and punched his arm.

“Don’t let it go to your head.” I teased.

We fell into another silence.

“You know how to fight don’t you?” Raph asked after I while. I nodded in response.

“Not like you guys obviously, but I grew up in a small redneck town. You learn a thing or two.”

“Then why don’t you ever fight back? Against him?” The turtle sounded confused next to me.

“I tried. A few times. And he called the cops on me...” I studied my hands in my lap. “I... I have no power around him. Either my mom yells at me for trying to fight back or I end up in a jail cell the entire night.”

“You seriously got arrested?”

I nodded and hugged my knees.

“You stop fighting after a while. Just take it, knowing you deserve it because you don’t do anything about it. Must be your fault then.” I muttered.

“No.” Raph almost growled.

I glanced up at him. His fists were clenched and he looked as if he were about to go and track down my brother himself. I cautiously reached out and took his hand. He looked down at me and sighed.

“It’s not your fault sweetheart. I swear it. The abuse... that’s never your blame.” Raph seemed to struggle for the right words.

I offered a small smile and leaned against him slightly.

“Thanks, Red.”

“What’s with that?”

“With what?”

“Calling me Red. You don’t call Leo blue or Donnie purple or nothing.” He explained.

“Oh. Uh. I dunno. Just suits you, I guess. I can stop...” I looked down at my hands.

“Don’t even think about it.” He smiled down at me. I mirrored his expression.

“You got it Red.”

Smiling, I closed my eyes and leaned against the giant turtle, finally relaxing for the first time in a long time.

“Alright, Let’s get you back home.” Raph encouraged.

Again he lifted me as if I weighed nothing and scaled down the building back home.

I could feel a gentle thrum coming from his chest and I didn’t exactly know what it was. It was a sort of gruff cat purr that lulled me to light sleep.  

“What did you do to her!?” I heard Leo accuse.

I felt Raph tense around me.

“Nothin.” He sneered.

“Bullshit.” Leo retorted.

“Leo stop.” I opened my eyes to see the blue-clad turtle inches away. “Please just stop it,” I begged. “It’s okay.”

Seeing the pleas in my eyes Leo backed down and let Raph pass through. My eyes drifted shut and didn’t reopen until I heard a door close behind me. I recognized the old hairband posters and neatly displayed Arsenal of Raph's room.

“Can you stand?” He asked softly. I gave a nod.

Once on my feet, I leaned on the turtle for support before finding my bearings. I smiled softly and turned to the turtle.

“Thanks.” I smiled.

“No, thank you, Darlin.” He smiled back.

Looking at the digital clock on his desk I sighed at the time.

“I need to get home,” I whispered.

“No, stay.”

[moonlightkitkat]

When you become a superhero, you learn a lot of new things. You learn the freedom of running on rooftops, the power of being able to restart everything, the weight of the world on your shoulders. And hardest of all, realizing that you never know who you can trust, not when the person next to you can turn into your worst enemy in a blink of an eye. 

The first day of school was always a stressful one. Waking up late and only having a few minutes to make it to school only made it worse. Marinette groaned and quickly got out of bed, rushing to get changed and slip her hair into twin-tails.

“Marinette! You're gonna be late!” Her mom called from downstairs.

“I know! I’m almost ready!” she yelled back, grabbing her backpack, which she thankfully had the foresight to pack last night, and hurried down the stepladder. Her mom had set out the box of cereal for her, but seeing as she only had a few minutes before class started, she decided to just grab a banana and a granola bar to eat on the way there. Slipping on a pair of flats, she went downstairs into the bakery to say goodbye to her parents.

“Bye Maman! Bye Papa!”

“Wait Marinette!” her papa called, hurrying out from the kitchen and to where his daughter was. “I made Macarons For you to give to your classmates. Have a wonderful day sweetheart, i can't wait to hear all about it.”

Marinette couldn't help but smile when she took the box from her papa, looking up at him and feeling her nervousness from earlier fade away. “Thanks Papa. I’d give you a hug, but I’d rather not show up to school covered in flour,” she teased.

“How about a high five then?” Grinning, she nodded, and with a high five from her dad, she was off to school.

She was so relieved that her family’s bakery was next to the school, it made it easier to run over when she was running late. To her dismay, she’d just missed the cross light, which meant she'd have to wait a minute before she could continue. Sighing, she pulled out her phone to scroll online a little when she noticed something ahead of her.

An old man in a Hawaiian shirt with a cane was walking down the street, right as a car was speeding towards him. Her eyes widened with horror, and she quickly ran forward and into the street.

“Look out!” she yelled as she quickly pulled him out of the way. She stumbled on the cobblestone road and fell after she pulled him out of the street, grunting as she fell on the hard pavement. Groaning, she sat up and looked over to see her box of Macarons open and laying down on the ground. “No no no no no!”

Picking up the box, she looked inside and saw that only a few macarons had been spared,the rest crumbled or in pieces. So much for a present for her classmates, she doubted she'd be able to give five people these, much less her whole class.

“Thank you young miss,” a voice with a heavy accent spoke from behind her. Looking up,she saw the older man behind her, safe and not a scratch on him. “Are your cookies okay?”

Offering a small smile, she stood up and held out the box for him to see. “A few are, but i'd rather have broken cookies than you being hurt. Would you like one?”

The man smiled and nodded, taking a macaron and biting into it. He hummed softly at the taste, nodding his head in approval. “These are wonderful! Thank you for saving me miss..”

“Marinette. And it's no biggie, i'm just glad you're okay. I have to go, but stay safe okay?” Waving to the man, she quickly ran the rest of the way to school.

When she got to class, she was relieved to see she had a few minutes before class started. To her relief, her usual seat was open, and she walked up the stairs to sit in the second row. Setting her box on the table, she put her backpack down on the bench, leaning back and sighing. “I made it,” she smiled, taking a moment to relax and calm down from this morning’s business and excitement.

“Morning Marinette,” Ivan’s voice came from behind her. Leaning back so her head was against his desk, she smiled up at him.

“Morning Ivan. Are you sitting alone this year?”

“Yeah, Alix managed to get Mylene before I could,” he chuckled, shrugging. “I'm okay being alone though, I’ll probably have headphones in all year long.”

She chuckled at that, knowing that Ivan probably would. He wasn't the type to care whether he sat alone or not, especially if it meant he could listen to his music without having to worry about Mylene trying to whisper to him and him not hearing her. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out then.”

“What about you? You have a desk partner?”

She shook her head. “Not unless I'm assigned one probably. Honestly though i wont mind sitting alone as long as-

“Well if it isn't Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Speak of the devil; it was like Even the thought of the rich blonde managed to summon her. Sitting up, she looked down at the row in front of her to meet a pair of pretty blue eyes. At least, they would be pretty if they weren't narrowed with a smirk on her glossy lips.

“Hello Chloe. Can I help you?” she asked, bored of her already.

“Actually you can, by moving out of this seat. This is my seat.”

Her seat? There were no seating arrangements yet though!

“But Chloe, this is my seat.” She pointed out. “I’ve always sat here!”

Chloe’s smirk widened, and she flipped her ponytail, looking down at her. “Exactly. You always sit here. Time for a change don't you think? Now go on and shoot, you can sit next to the new girl if you want.”

Marinette looked over at the next row over, seeing a girl with red and brown hair looking up at them, watching the two talk. “You know Chloe, i think im good-

“Did I say you had a choice? Go! And take your cheap cookies with you.”

Before she had a chance to even stand up, Chloe took her box of cookies and threw them over to the other side of the room. The whole room froze, and Marinette watched as the box landed on the floor. Feeling everyone’s eyes on her, she sighed in defeat and grabbed her bag, sliding off of the bench and over to the front row.

“I'm sorry about all of this,” she whispered softly to the girl sitting next to her.

Shaking her head, the girl stood up and picked up the box from the ground before sitting back down and offering it to her. “Hey it's okay, it's not like its your fault. Here, these are yours right Marinette?”

Looking up in surprise,she nodded, slowly taking the box from her. “Y-yeah, it is… but how did you know my name?” she asked in confusion.

With a chuckle, the girl pointed up at her old seat, where Chloe and her friend Sabrina were sitting down in what used to be her seat. “Miss loudmouth over there said your name, it got my attention. What’s her deal anyways?

“You mean Chloe? Where do I even start?” she groaned, causing the brunette to laugh.

“Its cool girl,we got all year for you to give me the story. I’m Alya.”

Smiling, she opened up the box and offered her one of the last two macarons that had survived chloe’s throw. “Nice to meet you Alya, I'm Marinette, but you knew that already,” she chuckled.

Alya’s eyes lit up at the sight of the macarons, her smile brightening. “Can I really have one?” after getting a nod from Marinette, Alya quickly took the macaron and eagerly bit into it. She watched as her entire expression lit up with delight, and Marinette grinned as she heard her happy hum. “These are so good! Where did you get these?”

“My dad made them! I could ask him to make you some more tomorrow if you want.”

Alya looked as though she’d just seen God himself, staring at her in awe. “Uh, Alya?” After Waving her hand in her face Alya snapped out of it,  laughing and adjusting her glasses. “Sorry girl, didn't mean to zone out on you. I’d love that! I’m guessing your parents like to bake?”

Chuckling, she closed the box and set it down in her bag, nodding her head. “You could say that. It helps that they run a bakery.”

She didn't think that her eyes could get any wider, but before they could continue, Ms. Bustier walked into the room, setting her bag down underneath her desk at the front of the classroom. Marinette quickly turned to face the front, snickering softly as the brunette quickly wolfed down the rest of the cookie.

“Good morning class!” The redhead said cheerfully. How the teacher managed to be so cheerful so early in the morning, she had no idea.

“Now, let's see about these seating arrangements.. Nino? How about you sit in the front this year?”

Looking to the back of the class, she saw the sleep deprived DJgrab his bag and walk sluggishly to the front of the class, plopping down in his seat. He looked over, and smiled once he met Marinette’s gaze.

“Felix? Wouldn't you like to sit in the front? There's still a few seats left.”

Felix? That name didn't ring a bell. It seemed the rest of the class didn't know him either, as when she looked back to see who it was, they were all looking around too.

Sitting in the very back of the class next to the window, was a pale boy with pale blond blond hair, styled back and out of his face. He was dressed far better than her classmates or herself, in a grey vest and shirt, with a teal tie. He looked annoyed by the sudden attention from the class, but the expression changed so quickly to a neutral one that Marinette wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not.

“No thank you Miss, I prefer to work on my own,” He answered smoothly. His tone was quiet, but his voice was projecting across the room. It was as though he was used to talking across long distances. I wonder if he's an actor, she thought to herself.

The teacher frowned, looking around before her eyes landed on Ivan. “Why don't you sit next to Ivan? He doesn't have a partner yet.”

Felix paused, the tone in Ms. Bustier’s voice wasn't asking, she was just politely ordering him to move. Standing up and grabbing his bag, he moved down to sit behind Chloe, and next to Ivan.

Now satisfied with the seating arrangements, Ms. Bustier began her usual beginning of the year speech. Mainly listing out the rules and what they would cover in the class. Marinette had had her before, so she already knew all of this, and mainly zoned out during it all.

. . .

It felt as though it had been an eternity before lunch arrived. Marinette was relieved by the time it came, tired of sitting down all day.

“Hey Alya, want me to show you around real quick?” She asked, looking over as she packed away her things.

“Really? That’d be great! Thanks girl.”

“It's no problem! I wanted to check out the locker room first, is that okay?”

With a nod from Alya, she picked up her bag and led her new friend out of the classroom. “So, this is your first year here right?”

“Yup! My parents just moved to a new apartment, and this school was closer than my old one. I take it it isn't your first year?”

Chuckling, she shook her head. “It’s my second year here. I’ve gone to school with a lot of kids here. Me and Nino have been friends since we were little. Chloe on the other hand? Not so much..”

“What's her deal anyways? She seems to have it out for you.”

Marinette sighed heavily, shrugging her shoulders. “I have no idea… She’s just never liked me, and whoever she doesn't like, she bullies. It’s not just me, she means to everyone, even her friend Sabrina.”

“The girl with the red hair?”

“Yup. They've been friends for a while, but Chloe treats her like a servant.. Chloe’s the only real bad kid in the class though, and she's more of a brat than anything.” She kept her voice low, not wanting anyone to hear her gossiping.

The locker room was downstairs, to the east side of the school. The locker rooms for PE were in another room, where the girls and boys each had their own room. This one was co-ed, and was for storing their books and other things they may need.

“What’s your locker?” Marinette asked curiously. Showing her the number, she led her to which locker was hers, and was happily surprised upon learning that her locker was across from Alya’s.

“Sweet! We’re next to each other!” Alya cheered, opening her locker and storing her bag inside, taking pictures of the inside.

“So, where do you want to go first?” She asked, placing her own bag on the hook inside of her locker. When she shut it, she made a mental note to put a lock on it, one that wasn't the simple ones the school provided. She didn't like the thought of her sketchbook being left alone where anyone could sneak in and steal it.

“Hm.. maybe the cafeteria? I am kind of hungry.”

As if on cue, her stomach growled, causing both girls to laugh. “Of course! I’m supposed to go home for lunch though, wanna come along? I know that my parents would love to meet you.”

Alya’s eyes lit up, and she grinned. “Will I get to have some more of your dad’s cooking?”

“Nope! My mom does the cooking, he does the baking,” she chuckled, grinning as she saw Alya’s face fall for a moment. “Don't worry, my Maman is a great cook. I’m sure we’ll have something you’ll like.”

Alya threw her arms around the smaller girl, causing her to blush and giggle. “You know, I was hoping that id be able to make friends here, but I never thought that id manage to be friends with someone so nice and amazing!”

“M-Me? Amazing? Really?”

Nodding her head, Alya looked down at her with a warm smile. “Yes you! I really can't thank you enough. Now, let's go eat!” Pumping her fist in the air, Alya let out a cheer and marched towards the entrance of the school, dragging a giggling Marinette behind her.

Just before they managed to reach the front though, the ground shook violently, and Marinette let out a fearful shriek.

“What was that?!”

“An earthquake?!”

There were shrieks and screams across the room, and Marinette froze as a loud booming voice filled the air.

“KIM!” A loud and deep voice rumbled. The ground shook again, and Alya yanked her out of the school and over to the stairs.

To their disbelief, there was a giant creature slowly making its way around the school, made up of stone. With every step it took the ground shook, and his voice was so loud, it hurt her ears.

“Alya we have to go!” She gasped, tugging her down the steps and towards her house. There they should be safe.. Right?

“Are you kidding?! Girl this is a real life super villain! I’ve got to record this,” Alya grinned, pulling out her phone.

“What?! No way! It's way too dangerous, you could get hurt!”

She tried to pull Alya away from the rock monster, but the taller girl was stronger, and wiggled out of her grip. “I’ll be fine! I’ll meet up with you later!” Before she could stop her, Alya was chasing after the large beast.

A part of her wanted to chase after her, to make sure she was safe, and wouldn't be hurt. Another part of her was terrified. Fear won this battle, and she raced home as fast as she could, her eyes wide with fear and panic as she threw open the doors and ran inside.

“Maman! Papa!” She yelled out, needing to see them, needing to know that they were okay.

“Marinette? Whats wrong?” To her relief, Sabine poked her head out from the kitchen door, a worried look on her face from Marinette’s yelling. “Is it the earthquake? I’m sure everything will be okay.”

“Maman it isn't an earthquake! Hits this huge rock giant, a-and Alya went after it, and its after Kim and i don't know where Kim is!”

Her speaking was rushed, worried about her friends, stressed about the whole situation.

“A rock giant?” She gasped, looking out the window worriedly.

“Excuse me miss,” a customer called,drawing their attention. “A rock giant? You can't be serious!” He laughed. “Your daughter is quite the storyteller.”

Marinette flushed at his words, and she watched as her mom’s worried expression turned stone cold as she looked over at the man.

“My daughter is not a liar,” she said coldly. “If you can excuse us, I’m afraid we have to close shop early today. Please leave.”

The shop was closed immediately, and Marinette went upstairs with the promise that her parents would be close behind her as soon as they packed up shop. Hurrying up to her room, Marinette sighed heavily and sat down at her desk, turning on the news to see if there was any coverage of the monster.

As soon as she turned on the monitor, she was greeted to a video of Nadia, reporting about the giant beast. The video showed an aerial view of the beast, heading straight to the police blockade. The sound of gunshots could be heard, but to her shock, the monster did not go down. Instead, it paused, and grew even bigger than before.

“Bullets can't stop him?” She groaned. “How are we gonna stop it?”

Leaning back in her chair, she sighed heavily, looking over at her window. Her brow furrowed as she noticed something odd. On the edge of her desk was a strange looking black box.

“That wasn't there before.. Was it?” She mumbled, picking it up. Maybe it was the first day of school present from her parents? The boc had some odd red markings on it, and she hummed softly. It looked expensive, what did they get her?

Opening it up, she peeked inside, right as there was a bright flash of light. Shrieking, she tossed the box onto the floor and scrambled away. A bomb?! Was it a bomb?!

A small red orb of light burst from the box, lifting up into the air. Sparks burst from it, and in a shower of light and glitter, a small red creature appeared. It shook itself out, and looked around the room curiously before its big blue eyes landed on her. It was red, with a bigger head than body, with black spots on its head. Two antennas stuck out from its head, with small feet and hands, which were more like paws if anything.

“Hello!” it said excitedly, flying up to her.

“BUG!” She screamed, grabbing a book and chucking it at the red bug. “Get away!” of course though, her aim was terrible, and she completely missed the bug, much to her dismay.

The bug gasped- how could a bug gasp? -and quickly flew out of the way. “Wait! I’m not a bug, I promise!”

“Ah! It can talk!” Freezing, she rushed over to her desk, grabbing a glass and trapping the bug inside. The bug seemed to sigh, and looked up at her with a smile.

“If this makes you feel safer, than very well.”

It continued to speak, but Marinette wasn't listening. She was too busy panicking. There was a huge bug, and it was talking. Bug’s couldn't talk, right? But then again, there was a giant rock monster outside who was after her friend, so this wasn't the weirdest thing that had happened today, but still weird. This was too much, this was far too strange.

“Mom!” she yelled out, needing to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating or something.

The bug panicked, and was suddenly out of the glass, right up at her face, and shushing her too!

“No no no no no! It’s okay! I’m not here to hurt you! I’m not a bug! I’m a Kwami!” Now that made Marinette pause. A kwami? What on earth was a kwami?

“You… Aren’t a bug?” she asked nervously, wondering whether or not she should just smash it with her hands. Nope. Smashing it would be too gross, and it was so big that it would surely end up making her hands all sticky and stuff.

The bug seemed to relax at her question, and nodded its head. “Yup! It’s okay, I'm not here to hurt you, you don't have to be scared of me.”

Slowly, Marinette began to relax, moving back to her computer chair to sit. The red bug hovered over her desk, thankfully keeping its distance from her. They both stared at each other for a moment, its blue eyes staring right into her grey ones. She took this moment to observe the bug, noticing that it had a strange tail like thing on its butt, three feather-like red strands poking out.

“What… Are you?” she asked hesitantly, not taking her eyes off of the creature, trying to process whether this all was real.. Or if she'd been dreaming the entire day.

“I’m Tikki! I'm a Kwami!”

“What’s a kwami?”

Flying over to the black box that had been knocked over during her panic, Tikki picked up two red and black earrings, seeming to glow as she held them in her tiny paws.

“A Kwami.. Is like a guardian,” she explained in her high pitched voice, setting the trinkets down in front of her. “I am bound to the wearer of the Ladybug Miraculous, and you, are my chosen!”

Chosen..? Marinette looked down at the earrings, picking one up and peering at it closely. “A Miraculous? What's that?”

“A Miraculous is an object of great power. Those earrings you hold are the ladybug miraculous! When wearing them, you have the ability to turn into a superhero!”

“A… Superhero?” she echoed, her eyes wide in surprise. “You want me… to be a superhero?”

The tiny kwami flew down to her,gently placing her paws on her arm.

“I only want to help you be the best hero you can be. It is your choice whether or not to wear them. I know this is a lot, but.. We don't have a lot of time.”

Glancing at her monitor, she saw the image of the rock giant, headed back to the school. A flash of orange caught her attention, and she looked closer before gasping.

“Alya!” hopping to her feet, she looked down at Tikki, who quickly zipped up to her eye level. “She’s in danger! I have to help her! But.. How do i…” Looking down at her earrings, she paused,studying them for a moment. Her mind was made up. “Tikki, tell me what you need me to do.”

It turns out using a yo-yo to zip line around Paris was a lot more fun than she expected, and a lot more difficult too. A flash of black came into view from the corner of her eye, and she stopped on top of a rooftop near the school, watching as a boy landed beside her.

He was dressed in all black, the only ounce of color on him were a comically large gold bell at the top of his zipper, his sunshine blonde hair, and his piercing green eyes. He held a small silver pole in his right hand, his wrist covered with an arm guard. A black mask donned his face, glamouring him from allowing her to focus on him too much. It wasn't as though she couldn't see him, but it was as though her mind was fogged, not allowing her to picture what his face looked like under the mask.

“Who are you?-

“So you're my new partner?-” they asked at the same time.

Marinette’s nose wrinkled in confusion. “Partner?”

The boy grinned and nodded. “Yeah. didn't your Kwami tell you? My name’s Chat Noir, i have a back cat miraculous. And you are?”

That's odd, Tikki didn't mention her having a partner. Maybe she just hadn't been aware that another miraculous had been given out. After Thinking of a name, and looking down at her red and black suit, which seemed plain compared to Chat Noir’s, she looked back up at him, offering a shy smile.

“You can call me Ladybug. So Chat Noir,what’s your power?”

Chat frowned, looking down at his ring. “Y’know, I don't know actually. My kwami didn't tell me.”

“It didn't?”

“Well.. I might have gotten a bit excited and transformed before he could tell me,” he chuckled, scratching his cheek.

Ladybug chuckled and shook her head in amusement. It seemed they were both new at this, at least she wasn't alone in being the newbie.

“I don't know much about it myself if I'm honest, but i do know that you can only use it once, so make it count. After that, you only have five minutes before your transformation wears out. We can figure out the rest together, right Chat?”

Smiling, he nodded, looking up at the rock giant. “Let’s go get the Akuma My Lady.”

. . .

Marinette sighed heavily, leaning back against her computer chair. She didn’t know how Chat Noir had known about the Akuma, but she was so relieved that he told her that she needed to capture it.

After ripping apart the black piece of paper, she’d watched as a black butterfly flew out of it, flying up and away. A sense of pride filling her, she turned to pick up the lucky charm, only to catch Chat Noir’s confused face.

“What’s wrong?”

He looked conflicted, but after a moment, he finally asked “why didn’t you kill the Akuma?”

Her eyes widened with horror. “Why would I kill a butterfly?!”

“Well.. Isn’t that where the powers came from?”

After pausing for a minute, Ladybug turned to the butterfly, quickly flying further and further away. She grabbed hold of the Lucky Charm, and quickly hurried after the butterfly. When she got close to it, she noticed her yo-yo beginning to glow, and she whipped it towards the butterfly. To her surprise, the yo-yo opened, catching the butterfly before returning to her hands.

“Whoa! I got ya!” she looked at it, uncertain of how to open it and free the poor butterfly. As she touched the surface of it, she gasped as it opened, a silvery glow coming from the inside, and instead of the black and purple butterfly flying out, it was a white one. A sense of peace filled her, and she couldn't help but smile and wave to it as it happily fluttered away.

“Bye Bye Little Butterfly!” Taking her lucky charm, she threw it up into the sky, remembering what Tikki told her.

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

She watched in awe and amazement as the lucky charm burst into thousands of glowing ladybugs, rushing around Paris and repairing all of the damage. Once everything was repaired, she headed back to where Chat Noir and Ivan were, only to see that her partner was gone, and Ivan was still seated in the turf, looking confused.

When his eyes met hers, his eyes widened, and he quickly stood to his feet. “Who are you? How did I end up here? I was back in the school wasn’t I?”

Offering a small smile, she could understand how he was so confused. It looked like he had no memory of the incident, which she was relieved about. Ivan was so sweet, and she hated to think that he would have to live with the memory of the danger he put others in, of destroying Paris, of being shot at by the police… That was enough to traumatize anyone, and she was glad he didn’t have those memories anymore.

“My name is Ladybug, I’m the hero. You were… Akumatized? You were turned into a monster, but it’s okay now! Me and my partner turned you back.” “I was… a monster?” he asked in horror, his face paling.

“Well… yes… I promise I’ll explain later, but I have to go right now. Can you take him back to school and make sure he’s okay?” She asked Alya, who she noticed was recording her still.

Eyes lighting up, she quickly nodded her head. “You can count on me Ladybug!”

“Tikki?” She asked softly, looking over at the Kwami, happily munching on a snicker doodle. “Did i.. Do okay today?”

Smiling brightly, she flew over to her, nodding her head. “You did amazing Marinette! You even managed to capture the Akuma! How did you know about that?”

“Chat told me. In fact.. He knew about the Akuma even before we started fighting.” Tikki tilted her head to the side curiously. “Hm.. I wonder if Plagg told him about it.”

“Plagg?”

“Yup! He’s Chat Noir’s Kwami! He’s very stinky and likes smelly cheese, but he's okay.”

She frowned a little at that, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest. “But Chat Noir told me that his Kwami didn’t tell him anything about his powers. He didn’t even use something like my Lucky Charm, he just fought with a baton and his claws.”

Tikki stared at her in surprise, and she frowned. “That’s weird.. Maybe he just transformed before Plagg could tell him about his cataclysm?”

“Cataclysm? What’s that?”

“It’s Chat Noir’s power! He can use it once to destroy whatever he wants to!”

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she sighed softly. “Wow… So i have the power to create, and he has the power to destroy? But why do we have these powers Tikki? Why are you here? Who gave you to me?”

She smiled softly, and sat down on her bed, patting her hand softly. “You’re here because someone has the Butterfly Miraculous, and it's being used to do evil. The Ladybug Miraculous, the one you have, is the only one that can stop the Akumas. The Black Cat Miraculous gets sent out whenever the Ladybug Miraculous does, they’re a pair!” “Oh.. so that’s why i have it. What does the Akuma do?”

“They feed on negative emotions, and turn whoever it touches into a villain! They’re all different, and you have to find whatever item it possessed and destroy it!”

“But how will i know what the Akuma is possessing? With Ivan it was easy, but that's because he only had one thing on him..”

“Marinette, I have no doubt that you’ll do just fine! You're so creative, and I know that you’ll figure it out! Have faith in yourself, and remember, you did it today, and I believe that you can do it again!”

She smiled at that, relaxing and picking Tikki up in her hand. “Thanks Tikki. I needed to hear that. “I’m glad I'm not alone.”

“You won’t be alone Marinette, you have me, Chat Noir, Alya and so many others supporting you! Believe in yourself, like I believe in you!”

“I'll try Tikki. Thank you.”

[selfshipstuff]

Love Tropes Asks: Michael

ok that’s it

im just gonna go fucking Ape Shit Feral. no asks necessary BINCH

prompts from this post

answers got long af so the rest are under the Read More

Aborted Declaration of Love

We both just kind of suffer for a while, quietly trying to get up the courage to say something, but he’s really shy, and I’m impatient with myself, so I’m the one mostly initiating it-- and it ends up with a bunch of accidental awkward silences where I’m like, obviously trying to tell him something (even he can tell) but I lose my nerve at the last second and just sort of nervously laugh it off. Eventually, I do confess, and I actually wrote a confession fic here. 

It went well enough!! We’re both just a bundle of nerves and anxiety, so it’s sort of clunky, but it goes well. :)

Accidental Hand-Hold

At first we don’t even notice, probably, because technically the first hand-holding to occur is most likely during a team fight-- when one of us is helping the other off the ground or pulling the other out of harm’s way. In the moment, we don’t think anything of it, focused on the situation and all; later, though? Oh my god, the realizations... the blushy tossing and turning in bed, staring at the ceiling and yearning....

My first purposeful hand-hold is actually before we’re together: I tend to do that thing where like, when comforting someone or starting a serious conversation, you take their hands in yours. It’s just sort of... grounding, and intimate, and like... I don’t know, it just feels right. Once we’re together, I love to take his hand and kiss the back of it at random while we’re holding hands. (He always gets so flustered, it’s adorable!)

The first time Michael moves to hold my hand is probably sometime around the time of the confession. Maybe a little before (during the yearning stage) or a little bit after (during the honeymoon stage) but honestly, it becomes so natural for him to just like... reach over and thread our fingers together that I don’t really know when it started. We both have a fair amount of anxiety, so it’s a simple, quick, easy, and sweet fix for when one or both of us feels it creeping up-- and like, who doesn’t like to feel the touch of their lover every once in a while?

After-Action Patch-Up

This trope happens a lot, actually, given the nature of the source material. I mean, we’re essentially a superhero team, so we’re on the front lines of the action 24/7; in the comic, everybody gets beaten up fairly often and usually to a wince-inducing (occasionally tears-inducing) extent. So you’d think we would be used to it, given the world we (he and my self-insert) live in, but... yeah, that’s not the case. 

When Michael sees that I’m hurt, it sort of depends-- I mean, 100%, he hates it and it’s upsetting to him, and he’s gonna be extra gentle and probably trace the injuries with his fingertips (or his gaze, if the injury’s too sensitive) but if he sees me being actively hurt by someone? Ooh. I’m definitely the more feral one generally speaking, but in this particular circumstance, he might give me a run for my money. Just picture this gentle, angelic dude going full “eliminate the threat and get them out of danger” mode. 

Of course, afterward, he’s immediately landing and rushing over to me (dropping to his knees if I’m on the ground) and frantically looking me over, hands hovering nervously over my skin, voice all shaky and quieter than usual when he speaks. hhh Anyway-- he does have some knowledge of first aid, since he grew up all isolated in the mountains and he had to know how to help himself and his family when things took a turn for the worse; mostly, he’ll patch me up however he can, and if it’s bad enough he’ll leave the fight to get me to safety and/or a hospital (depending on how close to done the fight is). If he’s not too badly hurt toward the end of a fight, he likes to help the paramedics patch up his teammates who are worse-off; if I’m among them, I’m the one he goes to. 

When I see him hurt, there’s... a lot less hesitation and a lot more ass-kicking. I’ll be honest, I’m really protective in general and I can’t handle seeing the people I love get hurt in any way, shape, or form. This fact combined with my feral energy is kind of a recipe for disaster at times, considering we’re supposed to be the good guys-- I mean, I’ve got a feeling it’s not great for the team’s image if I just fuckin’ electrocute anyone who hurts my boyfriend. Regardless, though, if anyone seeks him out (in a fight or otherwise) with ill intent, they better be prepared for the death and/or thorough beating they’ve earned. There’s a particular event in canon that haunts me so much I had a dream about it, and I ended up just... losing control of my powers and just completely fucking destroyed this girl who-- hhhh. Anyway.

When it comes to how I treat him afterward, it’s much the same-- the horror of seeing him like that and the cautious gentleness I treat him with are pretty much exactly the same, and we both do that hand-hovering thing like we aren’t sure if we’re allowed to touch (or we’re scared to hurt our love even more). One thing I always end up doing is just. Brushing his hair out of his face and tucking it behind his ears until eventually I just... ever so carefully bring my hands up to cradle his face-- usually just one cheek at first, and if he leans into it, I starting tearing up on the spot. Then I just... gently bonk our foreheads together because like jesus christ I almost lost you. I’m so glad you’re still here. After the fight, for the long run, I’m very doting toward him when he’s recovering; I’m not the nagging “you have to rest” type, but I’m more softly affectionate and I bring him things, do things for him. 

Almost Kiss

I’m not sure when exactly our first kiss is, although it’s probably during the same scene as the confession fic I linked in the first answer-- but as for how it is? Oh my god. 

He’s not experienced at all, like... I’m his first kiss, and it’s obvious because he’s so clearly anxious about it. Luckily, I do have a little experience, and also we’re both just super gentle-- in general, but especially with each other. It’s soft and uncertain, but we tend to melt into each other in pretty much any scenario because we’re just,, so comfortable with each other. So it’s only uncertain for a short bit before we’re pulling away all starstruck, breathless and giddy, only to go back in for another (and probably several more after that, to be honest.)

Beautiful Dreamer

Hmm. Well, it’s kind of hard to say who falls asleep first? Michael struggles with trauma-induced insomnia, and my sleep schedule is terrible-- plus, if he can’t sleep, I like to stay up with him (even if I doze off a few times while he’s reading) so... I mean, I guess on the nights that he sleeps, he’s the first to fall asleep? It probably helps that like, apparently when I play with people’s hair they get sleepy. (I have... the magic touch...) And I mean, it’s cheesy and predictable, but he is beautiful when he’s sleeping. He’s always gorgeous, but when he’s asleep he just,, relaxes in a way he never really seems to when he’s awake. 

On nights where I doze off first, it probably takes him a little while to notice because, like I sort of mentioned, he likes to read when he can’t sleep; he gets completely engrossed in the stories, and like, on occasion he’ll read something he thinks is cute or funny and he’ll grin and look over/down to share it with me, but sometimes he’s like oh because I’ve just... quietly fallen asleep all cosied up to him. And he just immediately softens and slowly blushes, usually just... pausing to study me for a moment before remembering the book, then he just kinda,, haphazardly bookmarks the page before setting it aside and shuffling around a bit so he can cuddle up to me. Sometimes this leads to him dozing off, too, but not always!

Regardless of the situation, though, we always sleep better when we’re together.

Bodyguard Crush

Okay but like... Michael just being himself is what makes me feel safe?? Everything about him just feels like home to me. He’s so gentle, and sweet, and like... hhh. I just feel like, there’s no question as to whether he would be accepting of me for who I am in my entirety, and that just means,, so much to me, you have no idea-- like I,,, I’m not actually super confident in myself a lot of the time, and I project this confidence anyway because I’m working on it, but I do usually have anxieties and doubts about how people perceive me, whereas with Michael there’s just this... exceedingly rare peace of mind. Like, most of the time, I have to try so hard to convince myself (like, “yeah, they’d totally be accepting, and if not, they can be in your canon” which isn’t as comforting as I’d like it to be) but like, with him it’s not even a question?

And like, I just... like I said, he’s so gentle, sweet, and understanding, and he’s just... like, he doesn’t want to hurt anyone, and he’s so careful not to when it’s not necessary. He’s so quietly aware of people, and like... I dunno, I just,, I tend to be that person for people, and often it feels like my own feelings go unnoticed or ignored, but I’m like... actually confident that he would. Notice?? And be good to me???? Which is just,, so wild of a concept but it’s exactly what I need.

And then like. This one’s not great of me, but the fact that we both have trauma to deal with actually kind of makes me feel better. I mean obviously I hate that he’s traumatized and it fucking HURTS that people have treated him like this, but I just-- like, I don’t know, I just. I don’t really talk about it, but sometimes I feel broken, or like I’ll never be good enough, or like I’m actually a horrible person, but then like... with Michael, I just,, it’s so clear to me that like... he’s not broken or terrible or insufficient because of his struggles, not at all, and y’know, I think we’re good for each other and that we make each other happy, and that feeling kind of just... fades? Wanes? It’s not gone completely, and I don’t know if it ever will be, but still, he makes me feel secure. 

Um. I guess one last one!! Michael is shown to be very caring and like... he’s always fighting for people, and he’s got this gentle protective nature-- in canon he’s got this tendency to take on responsibility for others’ safety, and it hurts because he blames himself when they get hurt but it’s also just,, he’s so selfless, okay?? And he just,,, I know he would fight for me and like, put in the effort, and potentially stick his neck out for me, and that’s terrifying because I don’t want him to get hurt but on the other hand like... it means I know he’s got my back. 100%. And I mean... what can feel safer than that?? Because I’ve got his back too, so I’ll be doing my damnedest to make sure he doesn’t get hurt, and I can feel confident that I won’t be taking the brunt of things because he’s doing the same for me. If that makes sense dgjkjkdhgkj

Caught in the Rain

Ah, okay, well... the thing is, I lovvvveeeee the rain, so I would be ecstatic for a second, but then I remember like, fuck, Michael. Because the rain actually makes Michael sort of nervous, and I guess you could say, uh... flighty? See, like, his wings are A Thing and his feathers don’t repel water like duck feathers do-- his just get waterlogged, and then he can’t fly, so he’s grounded until he can dry off and fix them up, which makes him very anxious. Usually, he just freezes for a second and I have to sorta shepherd him into an area where there’s cover from the rain. 

If it takes too long and he gets rained on, he gets fidgety and tense, and I gotta like... gently tug him over to a place we can sit down so I can help him dry off. It’s a really,,, really soft thing, actually, because um. Okay, basically, like, winged creatures like birds usually only let their mates help them preen & stuff. So,,, it’s like,, a trust and intimacy thing. Also, I mean, it’s a cute picture: this lanky winged dude just,, sitting down, totally drenched from the rain, and his doting partner just slowly evaporating the water from his wings with their energy powers (heated hands come in Handy). I mean, come on. 

Grow Old With Me

Uhh... well, I guess we haven’t been together very long, IRL or in-universe. I will say, though, it feels like we’ve been together forever from how comfortable and natural it is. 

Laugh of Love

Okay, well, Michael... isn’t always very good with jokes, because he’s so new to pop culture, but he can be very silly sometimes. Actually, he used to be embarrassed about it, but sometimes he might play up the fact that he doesn’t get it, just to see me try not to laugh. I try not to laugh when it happens because like, it’s not his fault, and I don’t want him to think I’m laughing at him, but he’s just so darn cute omg-- but at some point he figures out that I find it a little bit amusing and he just jumps on that because he wants to see my smile skjdkjk

Alternatively, he can also just like. Compliment me too much and I’ll just start laughing out of embarrassment while protesting because like idk how to take a compliment

Love Epiphany

Ah, well, I mean, I realize pretty quickly that I’m crushing on him, because like, he’s so cute and sweet, FUCK-- love, though? Love with a capital L? That takes a little longer. Basically, the timeline is like, I met him and started crushing, then as I got to know the team (including him) a little better, we became fast friends and I tend to appreciate my friends very deeply, so that was another step-- and then just... as we got to know each other I gradually started to note some thoughts and feelings that weren’t quite platonic, and I kinda swept them under the rug at first because I’m an affectionate person and also I’m not straight so my affection lines are sometimes a little blurred. When they got more and more common though, I just kind of... had to admit it. Like, man, I’m a fairly logical being; if the evidence is all pointing one way, I guess that’s the most likely explanation? Plus, the thought of it made me feel really warm inside, which just confirmed things. 

Michael’s realization?? I’m not sure tbh. @astralshipper is especially fond of teasing me with the “love at first sight” thing, but that doesn’t seem realistic to me skjfkdk

Marry for Love

AHAAAHA. HA. hghfhsdbbjs No, we aren’t ... skdnsfdkjskjfk dg we aren’t married-- uhhhhh hahah.  ha. I mean, we just started dating like a month or two ago, what kind of fool would be thinking of ,,,, being with,,, ,, , such a wonderful..  lovely, sweet, perfect guy for the rest of their life JNFDKJNKJS I MEAN.  .   GHJGHGKGJHGKFHFHHHHGHHGGHHH

... We, uh... we haven’t talked about it. ^^;

Post-Kiss Catatonia

answered here

Sickeningly Sweethearts

Uhh, I mean... we’re not huge on PDA, because we aren’t extroverted and we aren’t extremely confident. However, we do hold hands quite a bit, and then when one of us is hurt, or we’re finally seeing each other after a fight, then we kind of just forget we’re even in public and we’re fairly affectionate. If we’re just at the team headquarters, sometimes I’ll initiate more highkey stuff like kisses, and for the most part, the team is chill about it. Katie just kinda grins and giggles, Scout is like “god i wish that was me” skjndkjnknk Hope and Nikki just sorta fondly roll their eyes, and both Nikki and Jack probably tease us over it. Jay is the one who’s like BLUHGGHHH GROSS gnkjnkngk but he’s a dumbass so I just stick my tongue out at him and/or flip him off. 

You Must Be Cold

answered here

Zip Me Up

Uh, we don’t really help each other get dressed. We’re both a little too easily flustered for that, although sometimes I do offer to help with his shirts because his wings can make things difficult for him. We might help each other with neckties if we’re going to a dressier event, or maybe with buttons on occasion. If I’m in a jewellery mood, he might help me with a necklace or something. None of this is super common, though, and by the end of it we’re always sort of flushed even though we’re very respectful about it.

[chwesolai]

cafe girl, grocery boy | ch.9

falling for you

[masterlist]

taglist @xumingh0e​ (can’t tag @jaybeenow)

“I don’t get it.” “Get what?” “You.” He laughs, “What are you on about now?” “You make me feel all-” “Soft? Gushy?” “Never say gushy around me again,” he laughs once more, “but yeah. You make me feel something I’ve never felt before.” “Well, I can say the same thing.” She stops dead in her tracks, turning around facing him. The silence was deadly yet the two were locked in place. And then-

CHAPTER SONG: falling for you by SEVENTEEN’s Joshua & Jeonghan

here we go (SUPER FLUFFY) also apologies for the late update :(

-Y/n-

“So, you driving or I’m driving?” Seungcheol asks as we finally make it to the parking lot, as I catch my breath for a second, “Oh! OH! Y/n, I didn’t-”

Lunging over the side of my car, heaving like a dog (i hate out of shape self), “N-n-no! I-I’m fine” I nervously laugh and swallow my breath as I stand up straight, “I’ll drive.” 

“Alright! And still, are you sure you’re ok, didn’t mean to knock the wind out of you,” he sadly smiles, he feels bad dont make him feel bad y/n.

“Choi Seungcheol, I. Am. Fine,” I smile at him, “this just shows I need a personal trainer,” he smiles back at me. “I’ll hold you on that, Ms. y/n,” Seungcheol laughs as we both get into my car, please his laugh is so cute im-

“Show me the way, Mr. Seungcheol.” “Yes, of course, Ms. Y/n.” “You’re a dork,” I laugh as I start my car, “Lets go!”

-Seungcheol-

She’s so pretty, I can’t believe this is happening. “And you’re going to take a right on this next light.”

“You got it!” She nods as she begins to hum along to the song playing off her stereo, a playlist called in the clouds was playing. 

“What song is this?”

“Oh!” She didn’t even realized she was singing, my heart, “life hack by vaundy! I’ve been on this Japanese indie craze for a bit, I blame Chan, he’s always playing it in the shop,” She looks over at me, nodding my head to the music,  “You can cue up a song if you want!” I look over to her phone and she laughs, “you can do it on the screen, Seungcheol.”

Idiot. “Oh! Oh ok!” I reach over to the screen and begin typing as y/n’s car swerves a hard left.

“OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY DOING!” Y/n screams as she continues to turn, causing us to both do a hard lean to the left, leaving me a few inches away from y/n, why is she so pretty, I’m- “Seungcheol! I am so sorry I don’t know- oh! hello,” She gets to a stoplight and turns her head to see me so close to her.

“I-i-i I’m so sorry,” I lean away fast as I feel the blood rush to flood my cheeks, “The car just- and I was picking a song and- yeah”

“You’re so cute Cheol,” I look at her as I hear that nickname come out of her mouth. Her smile slowly starts to fade, no I like the nickname I like when you say it, “Sorry! I didn’t know if it was ok with you to call you that I know Jihoon calls you that and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to call you Co-”

Coups. Never call me that, Y/n. “I like hearing you call me Cheol,” I reassure y/n since she wasn’t looking at the road and at me in panic, “Now, you’re going to miss your turn missy.”

Her smile returns and I resume queuing my song up, One and Only You by GOT7, “Would not have taken you as a kpop fan, Mr Seungcheol,” y/n says in shock as she reads the song title I typed in.

“Ah, yeah. It’s my guilty pleasure.” I just laugh to make it seem less awkward that I just admitted I like kpop to her. “I love this group! I saw GOT7 last summer with my friends,” she laughs, “Glad I know you have taste.” We both laugh as the song begins to play. 

Wow, her singing voice is even pretty, do I show that I can rap these verses? yes, yes I am. 

“OK CHEOL!” She gasps in excitement as I begin to rap along with the song, “THAT WAS SO GOOD WHAT” She glaces over at with the biggest smile ever, “I’m so inviting you to karaoke night now.”

I just laugh in response of her excitement, “the place is on your right, y/n.”

“Hm,” she nods, still smiling like crazy. This night is going so well already.

-Y/n-

That car ride was better than half the dates I’ve been on in the past year. 

I park my car in front of what looks like a fried chicken restaurant, “Ok, the owners are family friends, my parents helped them buy this place. They opened like two weeks ago, so, beware of loud screaming when we go in.” Cheol turns to me before I took off my seat belt, wow his eyes are so- FOCUS Y/N

I smile, “trust me, I know this feeling all too well, imagine trying to go eat barbecue with your best friends and the servers keep calling ‘unnie’ because apparently, your mom is their talent agent.” We both just laugh at this odd similarity we share and continued to talk about all these odd places where, apparently, our parents know the owners and we just have to smile and wave and then our conversation was rudely interrupted by my stomach growling, out. loud.

“I think we should head in,” Cheol just sweetly smiles at me, “prepare for the hyenas.” I shake my head, smiling as we both exit my car. 

Seoul was slowly lighting up for the night, when was the last time I went out on a date, this nice. “I know, this city is beautiful.” My thoughts interrupted by Seungcheol looking at me, smiling, “Moving here was the best decision I think I ever made.”

“I’d have to agree with you,” I look back at him and then go out and extend my hand. Oh god, its too early to this, you’re an idiot y/n why did- OH MY GOD HE’S HOLDING YOUR HAND MY HAND OUR FINGERS ARE INTERLOCKED OH WE”RE WALKING IN NOW OK STOP Y/N BREATHE. Cheol pushes the door open and a little bell chimes and then-

“Hi, welcome to- CHOI SEUNGCHEOL!” A host greets us, loudly, as we enter the doors, “What do I have the honor of having you dine in tonight?”

Cheol just dry-laughs, this guy is so kissing up to him right now, “Hi Hye-jeon, I’m just eating with someone, can we have the upstairs table please?” 

“Of course, for 2?”

Seungcheol nods and we walk up a spiral staircase to see a sea of tables and booths, this place is FULL of just university students, “The end booth please.”

“Of course, your waitress will be right out with you guys.” Hye-jeon places our menus and water pitcher with cups and leaves us to sit down.

“So, he’s something.” I nod my head as he walks away. Cheol just laughs as he pours us both water and then hands me my cup, “thank you.”

“Of course and him. He’s trying to be part of my parents’ business and thinks being my “friend” will help him but honestly, he’s a dumbass.” I choke on my water, laughing. “Kiss-asses should just chill like damn, it must be dark up someone’s ass for that long.”

Now it was Cheol’s turn to choke on his water, “please you’re killing me,” Cheol begins to giggle, causing people to look at us, “Sorry!” Cheol turns around and bows his head at the other people in the area. He’s so dorky, I think I’m-

“So, what should we get?” 

-

The night went by so fast and so did our food and beer. Four empty baskets of chicken. Two beer glasses, mid-way empty. 

“So, you’re telling me your parents stopped you from being an idol because they didn’t want you to live that life yet they run an entire COMPANY of idols.”

“I wish it made sense too.” I giggle while hiccuping. “Ok, missy, I think that’s enough for you.” Cheol takes away my glass from me, “Let me pay and we can walk around the area for a bit to kill the buzz, ok?”

“Hmmm,” I hum as I set my head on the window next to us.

-Seungcheol-

I pick up the check and glace over at y/n and she’s just watching the streets and lights, admiring it. She’s so precious. As I’m pulling my wallet out, y/n grabs my arm, “why is he here.” The two of us glance outside of the window and see an all too familiar looking motorcycle, “now what the fuck is his deal?”

“Hurry we can get out before he sees us,” Y/n looks at me with glossy eyes. I nod as I set cash down, writing ‘keep the change’ on the receipt, “there’s an employee exit I usually go through, come on.” I grab her hand and the two of us begin to rush out. Out of breath, she starts to laugh.

“I don’t get it.” 

“Get what?” 

“You.”

 I just laughs at her, “What are you on about now?” 

“You make me feel all-” 

“Soft? Gushy?” 

“Never say gushy around me again,” I laughs once more, “but yeah. You make me feel something I’ve never felt before.” 

“Well, I can say the same thing.” She stops dead in her tracks, turning around facing me. 

The silence was deadly yet we were locked in place. And then-

why must everything end up like this?

[askdragonagecompanions]

OHMIGOD I LOVE THE TRANQUIL INKY ASK SO MUCH YOUR WRITING IS SO WONDERFUL I HONESTLY SQUEALED WHEN I READ IT. If you wouldn't mind... Could I maybe have some happy ending reactions? Like, the inquisitor gets the rite removed and they immediately run to hug (tackle) their old friend, crying, but with the biggest, doofiest grin on their face and starts rambling about how much they missed them? You don't have to do it if you don't want to. I just think it would be so cute. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[ahhhhh!!!

Dorian: He’d been working with Cassandra whenever he had free time. He was furious at the Seekers, furious that Cassandra didn’t think to tell him that there was a possibility that he could cure the Rite of Tranquility for his friend. Eventually he simmered down and decided the only way to speed up this process was to work with her on it. Maker he’s nervous. He feels like he has a swarm of butterflies in his stomach and he’s trying to keep himself composed as Cassandra tries the cure on the Inquisitor. With Corypheus defeated they’ve finally had the time to relax and work on it. Dorian bites his bottom lip nervously and waits. It feels like it takes forever but before Dorian even has a chance to ask the Inquisitor how they feel he’s tackled. The wind rushes out of him but he’s laughing. His friend is laughing! Dorian can’t help the rush of tears that start trickling down his cheeks and he just hugs them close for a long time. It’s an odd sort of reunion. They’ve been reunited since Dorian joined the Inquisition but now it’s like they finally are. Before the Inquisitor was emotionless. They were glad to see Dorian again but they was all. They didn’t feel joy or excitement, nor the want to ask him what happened since they were gone, but now it was all flooding them. The two sit up and The Inquisitor is still laughing and crying as well, their cheeks red as they keep wiping the tears away. Maker it feels so good to be able to cry again. Dorian just grins and wipes his own tears, “You’ve made me ruin my mascara.” He jokes as he rubs his eyes, now looking a bit like a raccoon. It’s hard to explain really. The Inquisitor had been his best friend, someone he could trust with everything, someone he first came out to back in Tevinter and yes he’d had them during the Inquisition but it was like having a shadow of the person he once knew. But now they were back and they were grinning. They still had that scar but it was faded, just a memory. “Maker we have so much to talk about but I think it might be best if we get some wine and go somewhere comfortable.” He grins. The Inquisitor nods and gives him another hug. Normally Dorian’s not much of a touchy person but damn he’s missed his friend. “It’s good to have you back.”

Solas: Cassandra never really shared what she had learned about the Seekers or the Rite of Tranquility, not until she thought she was close to a cure for the Rite. He feels excitement and hope for his friend. He still can’t get over his anger that his friend had been forced to undergo the Rite. He can think of nothing that would ever make that just a possibility for someone to go through. He wishes Cassandra luck and tells her to let him know when she thinks she has the cure for it ready. Then the day comes and it’s so bitter sweet. They are so close to defeating Corypheus and Solas knows that once they do he must leave. That hasn’t happened yet thought and he wants to be sure that his friend is okay. Solas walks to the room to check in on how it’s going only to be tackled. He lets out a laugh of surprise to see that familiar grin and get another big hug. He blushes slightly before hugging them back and holding them close. There is still a scar but it is faded and in time it might disappear completely. “It is good to have you back.” He murmurs. The Inquisitor just grins, “It’s good to see you out of the Fade.” They have a lot to catch up on. Solas takes the Inquisitor to his room and has some tea made. It’s actually a kind that he likes this time.  While they talk time seems nonexistent. Solas tells them about what he’s learned of the fade, the new spirits he befriended in the Inquisitor’s absence. The Inquisitor asks questions about everything that happened. They remember it quite clearly, but its the first time they get to process it emotionally. By the end of their talk the sun is coming up and the Inquisitor is exhausted. They smile at their old friend, “We should journey through the fade again soon. I might be a tad rusty.” That grants a chuckle from the elf. “Soon. You do need your rest though. I’m sure undoing the Rite took a lot of your mana.”

Vivienne: She had done some research into what had caused her old friend to receive the Right. It wasn’t some terrible crime to Vivienne’s relief. When Cassandra tells her that she’s learned the secrets of the Seeker’s Vivienne’s quite intrigued. She can’t believe that there’s actually a cure to the Rite. She works with Cassandra to make sure that this cure isn’t going to make it worse or backfire. When this gets out, that Tranquil can be cured, there is going to be a lot of debate, a lot of questions. They need to be sure it actually works before going public. The Inquisitor actually volunteers to be the first to undergo the cure. Their logic is that with Corypheus defeated and their knowledge in the arcane they would be a great asset in helping research the cure. Vivienne isn’t opposed to it but she is worried about her friend. If it goes wrong she won’t have them anymore. The day comes when it’s time to test the cure. Vivienne hides her nerves well but her hands are shaking as she helps Cassandra. It’s over as soon as it started and she watches the Inquisitor nervously, waiting for them to wake up. When they do they rub their head and look around confused before breaking into tears. It’s a good sign! Vivienne moves to their side and holds their hand only to be pulled into a big bear hug. She lets out a noise of surprise and hesitates before hugging the Inquisitor back just as tight. They have a lot to catch up on and as soon as the Inquisitor can compose themself Vivienne leads them back to their chamber so they can talk. 

Blackwall: He really doesn’t understand magic. He knows it can be useful, but it can also be dangerous and make things worse. What he does know is his friend, a kid who was so sweet they wouldn’t even kill a little spider was wrongfully made Tranquil. Then Cassandra starts talking about a way to reverse it to cure the Rite of Tranquility and honestly he doesn’t understand what she’s saying so he stops her to clarify and it makes his heart sore. It means his friend gets a second chance just like they gave him. Honestly Blackwall never expected his friend to just… let him go to get him out of the Orlais prison but they did. They explained it was because they needed him for the Inquisition and it was best to give him a second chance so that he could continue saving lives while atoning for his past sins. That explanation was given in a cold and emotionless tone but it still meant the world to Blackwall. Now his friend could really get their life back. Cassandra explained that it would probably not be perfect, that they would sometimes feel in over their head and Blackwall swore to himself that he would help his friend through this. He gets called in when the Rite is over. He calls their name cautiously. The response he gets is a surprisingly strong bear hug. IT makes him grin and he hugs them back just as tight, “Maker you really had me worried there.” He laughs and helps them stand. “What you need now is to tell me everything. I know you’ve been doing inquisition talk but we should really catch up… I’ve got some explaining to do too.” The Inquisitor nods and just grins again. It feels like a dream. Their smiling again and laughing. If it is a dream he doesn’t want to wake up. It’s just so nice to have something from his past be good again and not something he wants to cover up. 

Iron Bull: The more time Bull spends in the Inquisition the more he begins to understand about mages. It also makes him feel bad for his friend. Being Tranquil sounds like shit. He still feels bad for his friend though. When Bull goes Tal Vashoth he is shocked. The Inquisitor could have and should have told him to sacrifice the chargers, but they were still so gentle even with all of their emotions suppress. They said that it would have been illogical to sacrifice the Chargers just for one supply of red lyrium. They could come back with more people and still take care of it. It takes a bit of getting used to, the idea of being Vashoth but then again he realizes it’s not different from how he was already living. The only difference being that he doesn’t report to the Qun. He knows his friend is still in their head too, just emotionless right now, so he starts asking around, seeing if any of his contacts know something about getting ride of the Rite of Tranquility. He doesn’t really have to go far before Cassandra shares her findings with him. He’s thrilled and nervous at the same time. It’s gonna be an adjustment period if it works, but hey Bull will be there to help. It’s not like the Inquisitor would be going through it alone. With the Inquisitor’s permission the do what needs to be done to cure the Rite. Bull keeps rubbing his hands nervously. He doesn’t need to wait long though. When the Inquisitor wakes up they gasp and get overwhelmed, tearing up. Bull quickly goes to their side only to be pulled into the tightest hug. He grins and just holds them close. “Hey… it’s okay. We’ve got your back okay? We’ll help ya get through this.” The Inquisitor nods and just gives him a big grin. 

Cassandra: As soon as she learns of the cure to the Rite of Tranquility she throws herself into work for it. She wants her friend back, even though that sounds selfish she knows now that the Rite is something horrible, something that no one should be forced to go through. Especially not someone who just simply wouldn’t be able to pass their harrowing. She nearly works herself to the bone when she’s sure she’s figured out how to do it. She tells the Inquisitor what they’ve done and lets them decide. “I understand the risks Cassandra. I think I should undergo the cure. Even if I become irrational and emotional you can help guide me back. You need someone to try the cure on so it might as well be me. When the cure is complete Cassandra is at the Inquisitor’s side nervously, watching and waiting for any sign that it worked. They begin to wake up. They’re quiet for a moment before grinning and tearing up. They get up on shaky legs and just hold Cassandra close, “You did it… you really did it Cas!” Cassandra feels her own eyes get a bit misty too. She smiles and holds her friend close. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Varric: “So let me get this straight, the Seekers actually knew the cure to the Rite of Tranquility this whole time and never told anyone?” “Yes.” “And you found out because you took the secret book or whatever?” “Yes. “And now you think you can cure the Inquisitor?” “Yes.” “But they’re probably going to be overwhelmed by emotions for a while and not the stablest of people?” “Yes, Varric what don’t you understand about this?” “Oh nothing I just needed to make sure my ears were working Seeker.” He grins. He never thought he’d hear the words cure to the Rite of Tranquility. Oh he wants to do it. He wants to help his friend out, but first he needs to be sure its what they want too. It’s not like they’re just a guinea pig, they’re still a person. Thankfully Varric and Cassandra get their permission. It’s hard for Varric to hide how excited he is. Look it’s been years since something from his past actually had a chance at turning out well. Besides no one deserves to get stuck emotionless, especially not the sweet street kid who’d work for extra coin just to be able to put out food scraps and milk for the stray cats of Kirkwall. Varric may hang out around a bunch of magic users but he’s never going to understand it. When the cure is finished he watched the Inquisitor rub their head and start to take deep breaths. They look a bit overwhelmed but then they start laughing and grinning and it makes Varric smile. He goes over to hug them and they squeeze him close. He laughs and pats their back, “Too tight!” “Sorry Varric I just… it’s really nice to see you old friend.” Varric understands what they mean. They have been reunited since the Inquisition, but up until just now the Inquisitor couldn’t feel, didn’t understand the emotional significance of finally seeing each other again. “It’s great seeing you too. Now c’mon I think there are a few strays around that might help you with the emotions thing.” He wants to give the Inquisitor something good, something to help with the mountain of stress they’ll no doubt be feeling. He also just wants to catch up and see them happy. 

Cole: The way Cassandra worded the cure made it confusing to him. When she words it differently it makes more sense. So, she can help his friend start feeling again. Cole thinks it will be good for them. Sometimes he feels bad that the Inquisitor cannot experience the joy in seeing a moth flutter through the stars and land next to them, or the happiness of getting one of the first cookies from the kitchen. He knows that they feel unease too. Their mind tells them they should be feeling, that something is missing in everything they do but they just can’t reach it. It’s just out of their grasp and this cure is going to give it to them. Cassandra also explains how this will most likely cause the Inquisitor to become irrational and lose some control. It’s understandable. Reopening that gate after all of these years will be like releasing a flood gate after a storm. Cole wants to help though, he will help. He’s good at helping with pain. When the Cure has been completed Cole enters the room. He can feel so many emotions coming from the Inquisitor. When they look at him they feel a wave of sadness at first, remembering the Cole they had known in their past died at the hands of the Templars, then they feel anger, but it melts away into a sort of happy sad mix. Cole gasps as suddenly the Inquisitor is hugging him tightly and it makes him happy. He hugs them back and closes his eyes. “This is nice.” He states and they give a soft laugh. “It really is.”

Sera: She’s not gonna lie she’s a bit scared at first when she hears Cassandra talking about curing the Rite of Tranquility. Don’t get her wrong it would be great to have her prankin buddy back but it’s gonna be dangerous too. Cassandra saying that the Inquisitor might be a mess and out of control afterwards doesn’t help too much either. It takes her a while to come around to the idea. What seals it for her is thinking about what if she was made Tranquil. What if she couldn’t feel. It would suck so much and her friend has been like that for years! She wants her friend to be able to laugh again seein the bees get all bumbly and bump into flowers, or really enjoy cookies… or just… just havin that friend to curl up again when the world was all shitty and Sera just wanted someone to tell her it’d be alright and give her a big smile. Okay so maybe that last bit was selfish but… whatever. They make sure Inky’s alright with it first of course. Sera can’t help but pace as she waits for Cassandra to tell her if it worked or not. Finally the door opens but it’s not Cassandra. Sera lets out a noise of surprise as she’s tackled by a hug and then she grins. Cassandra’s a bit to shut off to pull something like that so that only means- “Holy shit it worked! Oh no you’re cryin what’s wrong?” They laugh and wipe their eyes, “Nothin’s wrong I just… It worked and I’m so happy! Sera I missed you so much.” “Awe… I missed you too. I mean you were here… Gah you know what I mean ya dork.” Sera laughs and gives them another hug. “C’mon we got lots to talk about and I gotta show you some new pranks I’ve been thinking of!”

Josephine: She feels selfish for wanting the Inquisitor to get the cure. She is delighted by the news of course, but it’s the Inquisitor’s choice. Honestly she doesn’t want to get her hopes up. It would be wonderful to have her old friend back, but this is the first any of them have ever heard of a cure to the Rite. So when Cassandra tells her that the Inquisitor agreed to undergo the cure Josephine feels a mix of emotions. She’s happy and nervous and scared and excited all at the same time. She needs to keep herself composed though. This is going to be very nerve wracking for her old friend no doubt and she doesn’t want to make it worse by looking nervous. Josie keeps herself from hoping for too much, so when she’s tackle hugged by her friend she can’t help but giggle and start tearing up. They are laughing, maker she hasn’t heard that laugh since she was a girl. They spend the rest of the night catching up over tea and some baked goods. Josie can’t stop hugging her old friend. She knows it’s going to be an adjustment for the Inquisitor and a hard one. Josephine is going to do everything in her power to help them and make sure they have everything they need. 

Cullen: Cullen can scarcely believe his ears when Cassandra tells him about the cure. For as long as he’s been a Templar he never even thought it possible, yet there it was in writing. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up. There are a lot of risks and even if it does work the Inquisitor is probably going to be unstable with the rush of emotions. It’s not going to be a perfect fix. He knows that. He can’t get his hopes up… but he can’t help it. He desperately wants his friend back, he wants this Rite gone. He wants them to be okay. He can’t help but feel it’s his fault that they ended up Tranquil. He knows it’s not but the thought still haunts him. He helps Cassandra set up the Cure as best as he can. He helps prepare the Inquisitor for it as well. They want to do it because if it works they can use that knowledge to help the next tranquils who undergo it actually deal with the after affects. Even without emotions they’re always thinking of others before themself. The cure seems like it’s taking hours. Cullen keeps pacing and running a hand through his hair, so much so that it’s no longer neatly pulled back and a few curls are falling in his face. Finally Cassandra tells him it should be done. He goes to the Inquisitor’s side quickly and waits, almost holding his breath with how nervous he is. They start to wake up and a look of shock crosses their face, followed by that oh so familiar grin. Cullen laughs happily, feeling tears in his eyes and before he can say anything they’re hugging him close. They talk for a while. They both have a hard road in front of them, but they promise to be there for each other. Cullen can’t believe its actually happening. It feels like a dream and then the Inquisitor pinches him. “See not a dream! Okay now pinch me to though I want to be double sure.” He laughs but does it before giving them another hug. It feels like getting his family back and it’s… wonderful. 

Leliana: She’s an expert at hiding her emotions. When Cassandra tells her of her findings from the Seekers book she nods. Leliana helps Cassandra find whatever ingredients and components this cure will take. She has so few friends left and if she could even get the Inquisitor feeling again that would be enough. She doesn’t expect them to be the same or even happy. So much has happened. So much has changed. The Inquisitor has so much riding on them and Leliana… well she’s not the same girl they once knew. When the cure has been completed Leliana enters the room. She looks at Cassandra for any sort of sign of confirmation but doesn’t get one. It doesn’t bode well initially but she’s brought out of her thoughts as she receives a swift hug with enough force to tackle her to the ground. Then she begins to smile as she hears the Inquisitor laughing above her. The hug is so familiar and soon she’s hugging them back. “I…” She gets interrupted. “I can’t believe you guys found a cure… I… this changes everything.” Leliana gets hugged again. She lets her guard down ever so slightly around the Inquisitor now and when they talk she can’t help but smile. She has her agents keep an eye on the Inquisitor and instructs them to let her know if the Inquisitor seems to be having a bad moment. Leliana is going to help her friend. Nothing is going to take them from her, and they aren’t going to go through this alone. 

[cnc-hoebayb]

So baby let my heartbeat be, the rhythm that puts you to sleep...

Wrote half of this in like a drunken rage the other night to vent, so don’t feel obligated to read lol i just need to get it off my chest..

Shoutout to my girls for being there for me while I’ve been going through it @imabasicqueen @la-saffron @quisieracnco ily

Also i love all you guys too

.

Bodies pass by like speeding cars. Your eyes dart along the scenery, trying desperately to focus on something- anything to keep you grounded at the moment. Your legs feel weak and wobbly and it seems like you could collapse at any given time.

The alcohol in your system only assists the intensity and everything is hectic. You wanna cry and scream and sleep, but your body can’t process. But it is taking in one thing. It’s a hand at your shoulder, the grip and familiarity snaps you back. “Hey..” the sound buzzes through your foggy mind and maybe you’re ignoring everything entirely, but you barely hear it until the voice matches with the face.

“Hey, you good?” Joel locks eyes with you, sensing immediately the distraught within. No words come out of you, there’s almost no energy to even want to speak. “What happened dude, what’s wrong,” he pries at you, focusing your glance up to him every time you tried to look away. His insistence breaks you, looking up at him with so much embarrassment and tears filling your eyes

“Whoa whoa, you’re okay.” He comforts in an instant, already wrapping his arms around your wobbly intoxicated body, and leading you out the crowded party. “Let’s go.” He drapes his jacket over your body and helps buckle you in the passenger seat. Tears drop onto your lap, a slow, quiet sob working up in your system. Joel already knows.

“Was it... Alejandro?...” he questions hesitantly from behind the wheel. Your heart skips a beat at the pain, still fresh and raw. The sobbing grows a little too much and you shake your head. “I’m such an idiot, Joel I’m sorry. I wasted your time,” the image of the man that seduced you danced in your head. You see yourself wrapped in his arms as you and Joel entered the party. It fades and you realize Joel’s talking.

“You didn’t deserve that,” he says. “I’m not mad, you didn’t waste my time at all.” He reaches over to pat your leg soothingly, radiating that brotherly protection he always had. “I’m glad i was there-“ he continues and before you know it, you’re at the hotel. “I knew i couldn’t trust him.” That sentence hits you and if it were possible to cry any harder, you’d be doing it by now.

The walk up to your hotel room is a blur, a mix of tears and makeup slide down your cheeks as Joel guides you inside. He sits you on the bed and talks you through it, but it’s going nowhere. Sobs grow more into anger- tears drying slightly and your tone of voice more threatening. “FucK hIM” you almost growl, and it sets Joel back a little.

“He used me this whole time,” you start to yell and your fists clench into tight balls. “T/N calm down it’s ok,” he desperately attempts to relax you to no success. He gets up and walks to the door with intent. “Gimme a minute i know who you need,” he zooms out and you grab a pillow with fury, screaming into the plush material. The night flashes back to you again.

This time it’s his hand on your waist, lips on your ear as he’s pouring you yet another drink. You giggle and he urges you to drink. “Be right back, baby girl. Wait for me k...” his voice rings in your ears and there’s so much more anger.

You throw the pillow across the room and slam your back onto the bed, hands buried in your face. Someone enters the room cautiously, and without thinking you lash out. “GeT OUT” you dart up and grab another pillow almost as to attack, but his strong tattooed hand grabs your wrist. “Richard, let me go!” You claw at his fingers and start moving away from him.

“Tranquila, whats wrong luv” his strong brow furrows in all seriousness, concern turning into something more. Your face is bright red with rage, your hair a tangled mess from running your frustrated hands through it over and over. Richard grabs your wrists and notices your still clenched fists. “Aight, i can see you’re goin through something. You need to talk it out?” Your jaw tightens and there’s nothing more you want than to vent- no not vent, yell.

“I’m just so angry,” your shaky voice starts up again, an underlying wave of tears ready to pour. “Ok then scream.” He says and you’re caught off guard. “I know what it’s like, and i know sometimes all you need is to scream and hit something and just let it out.” He grabs another pillow from behind you and places it in front of his chest like a target.

“So go at it,” he motions for you to hit the pillow in front of him and gives you a look that shows he’s there.

You hit the cushion softly the first time, testing it out with little sniffles. “I wasted so much time,” you start to let out, hitting the pillow again. “He was using me,” Richard pushes the pillow into your next blow, bouncing your force off of it. “How could i not know?” Your fists work faster and sloppily.

“He got me wasted so i couldn’t even notice,” angry tears well up unintentionally, all emotions being thrown on the table. You see Richards face harden at that comment and you keep going. “What were his intentions? Why would he make such an effort just to screw me over like this??” Your hands droop, throat a bit sore from the yelling already and Richard drops the cushion.

“He played me so hard, Richard. I feel so disgusting.” The topic feels too embarrassing, but the words keep flowing. “He told me things he knew would pull me in more. I can still feel his touch and it makes me want to jump out of my skin..” Thats all it takes. In a second, he’s jumping off the bed, his shoulders puffed up and face full of the same anger you had.

“That fucker,” he pulls out his phone and is already planning his fastest route to end this dude. “Can’t just treat you like that,” you pounce up to calm him now, knowing Richard was a man of action. “I swear to god he’ll never touch you again- I’m gonna make him wish he never laid a hand on you.” You wrap your arms around him, calming him now turning into what you needed the most at the moment.

“Richard it’s fine,” he drops his phone and chills out, letting your arms tighten around his waist. “It’s not, tho. No man should be allowed to do this scum shit” he engulfs you in a tight embrace, letting you bury your wet face in his warm chest for what feels like forever. He pulls away and kisses your forehead. “Don’t let anyone let you feel like you’re worth less than what you are..”

“Because you’rs so important to me, and if anything happened to you, I’d have to fight a homie on sight,” you laugh and sit back down on the messy bed. “I think maybe you need time to calm down now, Richuki”, the sheets and beneath you are ruffled from your angry fit, and you smooth them over with your hands. “Maybe you’re right.” He says and shakes off his frustration. “Hang tight luv I’ll be back”

He closes the door behind him, leaving you alone once again in the big hotel room. You lay on your side, fidgeting with the strings on your hoodie. A moment passes and the door opens followed by a little knock. Not wanting to lift your head up, you mutter out a little “hey..” and continue to stare absent mindedly in the distance. It was probably just Richard done cooling off.

A body sits at the foot of the bed, tickling your foot as it hung off the side. Not Richard. “Erick, qué haces papi? Why you here,” without looking at him you talk, not wanting him to see you looking like a mess. “Thought you’d need a mood lightener,” he says innocently and you almost feel bad for being so distraught right now. He doesn’t need to deal with this, he’s just a kid still. “Estoy bien, go back to your room Erick.”

“No,” he argues and you should’ve expected that, he was a persistent one. “No necesitas decirme nada, solo quiero estar contigo.” It’s silent as you don’t have the energy to argue back. Just laying there, Erick by your side quiet. But It doesn’t last long before he finally starts talking. Reminding you of the time you both scared Chris in the middle of the night by hiding in the kitchen pantry. Your heart feels light at the memory, that good point in your life, the people...

Little drops of salty tears slow and you wipe the last few with your sleeve to laugh with him. “He almost peed himself,” you finally pitch in to the story breaking your silence. “Sientes mejor?” He questions and lays next to you. You nod solemnly, not lying, but not telling the entire truth either. “Thank you Erick,” he grabs your hand in his and squeezes. “No sé que está pasando...pero estoy aqui para ti. Por siempre ok” he looks you dead in the eyes and you see the sincerity.

“Now go shower, you look pretty rough” he jokes and you punch his arm as he hops off the bed. Leaving you back to square one with a slightly lighter mood than before. The door closes and deciding to take his advice and shower off the night, you make your way into the bathroom. The hot water scorches tender skin and the tension starts to break down. Your mind drifts on and off about the night, invasive thoughts digging their way in one by one.

The ghost of his fingertips brush your skin and you want to wipe yourself clean of him. The images that manifest takw over, and you rush out of the shower in attempt to outrun them. With soaking hair and loose towel draped around you, you step out into the other room once again and are greeted with a soft smile. “Im guessing you’re all taking shifts with me now?” You joke and the big teddy bear in front of you smiles nervously. “Kinda yea,” his eyes dart away at the sight of you in just a towel and you act quick.

“Sorry I didn’t know you’d come out undressed,” he says shyly and you grab your robe. You wrap yourself in the thick material, throwing on a quick pair of shorts underneath. “Okay Zabdi, coast is clear.” He looks back up cautiously as you sit next to him, noticing the small ukulele in his grips. “Musical therapy,” he shrugs and you lay your head on his shoulder. “Can you play-“ he cuts you off and hands over the small instrument. “Nonono, you’re playing. It’ll distract you, i know how in the element you get when you play.”

Part of you wants to hesitate, but the moment fingers hit the strings something takes off in you. The sound rings in your bones and you’re lost in the strumming pattern, closing your eyes and letting it take over completely. The world fades away and the moment your eyes flutter open, it feels different. “That was beautiful,” Zabdi comments at the improv work and adds a signature compliment like always, “just like you.”

You don’t wanna protest but it hits you like a train. “Don’t call me that.” The wooden figure slips from your arms onto the bed, all insecurity flooding back. He’s shocked and confused, not sure how to react. “Now im not sure all that happened tonight. All i know is what Richard was heated about, and what Joel won’t tell, but...” he shakes his head and runs fingers through his hair stressed. “I don’t like what it’s doing to you.”

A pout falls over your face, not sure if it’s ready to cry or not. “I’m just not beautiful Zabdiel okay.” You wanna tell him so bad about it all, to tell him how much it hurts and how desperately you believed in someone’s lies. Because he’d know exactly what to say. He’d hug you tightly and never let go, tell you that that boy was never worth it. And that everything would be ok. But it’s not for him, and only small details come out. “I see all these girls who are so much better than me in every way. They’re beautiful and deserve the world and all the love they can have....”

His expression drops- shocked to see you in such a vulnerable state. “That’s just not me Zabdi. And i don’t know why, but i just can’t have the same.” He watches and roams his mind for something to say. You don’t want him to feel like he needs to pitch in, but that’s just the way he was.

“No me digas cosas así,” is the first thing out of his mouth. “You have just the same right as those other girls to have the world and so much more. You just can’t see it.” He’s scolding you, and it’s so odd to see this side of him. “You are beautiful and there’s nothing and nobody- especialmente un pendejo como Alejandro that should make you feel any different.” You cringe at the mention of his name and look away. “Mira, T/N. You’re the most beautiful person i know, inside and out,” He wipes a stray tear away.

“And this dude doesn’t deserve the satisfaction of defeating you. He’s not what’s going to bring you down-“ your heads snap up as the door opens one last time suddenly. A tall figure peeks in and your heart flips for the millionth time. “Chris,” your voice waivers and Zabdiel stands up. “Can I?” Chris pats Zabdi on the shoulder and gestures towards you. No doubt in his mind that he was leaving you in the best care. He ends it there, and with a solemn nod, Zabdiel gives you a strong hug and says one more thing before stepping out. “See you tomorrow- don’t forget anything that i told you.”

Chris waits for the door to close behind him and locks it, walking back over to you slowly. You shiver in your place, from both nerves and emotions, but also the slight breeze that came through once the door shut. “Take this,” he jumps into action, removing his big tour hoodie from his body and tossing it over. He looks away as you throw it on, giving him a little “ok” to turn around once you were finally fully dressed. You push back your damp hair into the hood and bundle up in a tight seated ball.

He sits next to you and before anything is said, he pulls you into his arms. He squeezes with all his strength, letting you fall apart one last time beneath him. His hand was firm behind your head, brushing your hair as you pushed further into his chest. “Chris i feel so stupid,” you admit and he shushes you like you would a baby, patting your back and whispering “it’s ok, you’re ok.”

“But im not,” and for the first time tonight it’s all on the table. “I was naive. I let him use me, let myself believe i was special, that i was lovable.” He brings you out of his chest, holding either side of your shoulders and watched into what felt like your soul as you pour it out. “I was there, and he was holding me, wooing me with lies. He called me his- told me i was worth something. And i bought it.” His fingers brushed by your cheeks and wiped away wetness there.

“I watched him do it all too. Because he kissed me. He kissed me and not even a second after he walked to her- to all of them. Feeding off their attention, lost in their beauty. He left me vulnerable and had no ounce of worry either. Not even when his friend started getting touchy- forceful.” You swallow your embarrassment of retelling the events and finish. “He had already gotten what he wanted from me so long ago. So why did he make such an effort for me to be there tonight??? Was it because i was his pawn? To flaunt me, kiss and touch me to make the others jealous. Or was i the last resort? For him to get me trashed and save me for latwr when all his other girls didn’t follow through.”

His eyes were sad, understanding and taking in all the details. “I could’ve been really hurt. But he didn’t even care. Joel was my savior tonight, if he hadn’t been there to see it all and bring me home... i don’t know what would’ve happened.” Chris sighs heavily and his look is the same amount of distraught as you. “I can’t think about that.” He growls with the same intensity Richard had earlier. “I literally can’t afford to think of that. I don’t know what I’d do if something were to happen to you and i could’ve stopped it.”

“But thats not your fault,” you add on. “I was so dumb to not tell you about tonight. I knew you never trusted him from the beginning and i felt beyond guilty.” You look down at your hands in shame. “I’m such a screw up, and I’m so sorry Chris. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m so unlovable...” his hands grab your face and focus your attention on him. “Your decisions and mistakes don’t define you, amor. The point is that you’re safe, and you’re here with me right now.” Thumbs brush over your features and instead of that sad look that worried you earlier, he’s smiling.

“And none of that is true,” he bites his lip habitually. “Because i love you. I love you more than you could ever even imagine.” Your mind wants you to believe it’s a lie, but you know Chris, and somehow this is real. “And this shit is killing me to even watch, if i didn’t know any better I’d already be up and kicking this dudes ass for ever touching you.” He laughs through his seriousness and you reciprocate. “Yea, you and everyone else too,” you add on referring to previous reactions from the boys.

“You think you’re not worth anything, but it’s not true. To me you’re everything. I see you and my world lights up, no matter what.” It’s a confession, but it’s not asking for anything in return. He knows you’re hurt and wouldn’t want to take advantage of it. It’s what you need to hear, though. “This will all pass. You never have to speak to that guy again, shit I’ll never give him the chance. You’re stronger than you think, and you’re smart.” You sniffle up the last of your emotions and stare up at him.

“And after it all passes I’m here,” he says. “And I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes.” You crash into his arms once again, every feeling at an all time high. “I love you too, Chris.” He lets out a breath of relief at that statement and hugs tighter. Your exhausted body droops in his grasp and he lets go, leaning up against the bed frame as you lay down with your head in his lap. “Please stay-“ you whisper and he rubs circles on your back.

“Leaving was never in my brain. I’m here for as long as you need me.” You close your eyes and he reaches for something across the bed. Zabdiel must have left his ukulele for you, because the sudden soft noise of plucking strings radiates through the room. He strums up a slow tune and you recognize it from the first chord- your favorite.

He hums along quietly and you feel yourself dozing off. The pain eases and it feels like they might’ve all saved you from spiraling any further down. It didn’t have to be instantly, or even completely, but you knew you were going to be fine. It wasn’t for yourself any more either, now it was for them too. You weren’t ready to give up on them yet, and you’re damn right they were not gonna give up on you any time soon.