#so sorry for your eyes if you saw that version before i deleted it

[islesnucks]

𝓿𝓸𝓲𝓬𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓵 - Mathew Barzal x Reader

Summary: what started as an accidentall voicemial to your ex boyfriend ended up becoming routine and maybe even more TW: none that i can think of

Word count: 3.9k A/N: completely made up game schedule btw

Masterlist Add yoruself to the taglist if you wanna be notified when i post the fic!

-

“Hey, it’s Mat.” His voice echoed through the phone, so familiar yet strangely distant now. You’d heard him speak in interviews, but this was different. He was addressing you, or at least the voicemail version of you. “I can’t answer right now, so you know what to do.”

You didn’t know what to do. Calling your ex-boyfriend, the one you had broken up with months ago, wasn’t something you had exactly planned. Yet, when the acceptance email for the program you had worked tirelessly for arrived, the one he had witnessed you pour your heart into, he was the person you wanted to share it with. So that’s what you were doing, trying no to overthink it before nerves got the best of you.

“Mat, hi. This is so random—H-how are you?” Thank God he didn’t answer, you were a stuttering mess leaving a voicemail imagine if it had been him on the other end instead. “I got in! Into the program I mean. I don’t know why, but I wanted to tell you. You helped me so much before—” you cut yourself again. It didn’t feel right to mention the break up like that, but what could you say? Before I broke up with you? Before I stumbled out of your apartment leaving you behind without an explanation?

“Fuck it. I can’t do this.” You pulled your phone away from your ear and touched the red dot.

That’s it. He didn’t need to know, he probably wouldn’t even care. Who would want their ex to call to tell them they were doing great? That maybe after all the breakup was worth it because they had gotten into the program they had neglected their relationship for? Too long, right?

A second later, realization struck like lightning – you had ended the call before deleting the voicemail. It had been sent.

“Oh no, no, no!” you exclaimed, eyes widening in horror. There was no turning back. Mat would undoubtedly hear you stumbling over your words. Why couldn’t you have just left well enough alone? The last thing he needed was you barging back into his life with a pathetic voicemail about something he likely moved on from. ‘He probably already despises me after how everything unfolded, and now this’ you thought.

You were wrong, because no longer than 5 minutes after everything had gone down your phone was buzzing in your hand, Mat’s contact bright in the center as he now waited for you to pick up for a change.

“Mat.” you picked up.

“Hey. You called me?” He sounded confused, for very obvious reasons. Nevertheless it was nice to hear his voice now directed at you.

“Yeah, right. I left you a voicemail.” You rolled your eyes. At least you sounded less nervous than earlier on the voicemail, but it was not less embarrassing.

Mat’s voice came through, cool and collected. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t check. I just saw the missed call and, you know.”

“Sure, sure.” you replied, trying to sound half as calm as he seemed to be with the whole situation.

“Do you want me to hear it or …” his offer hovered in the air.

“No! I mean, I can tell you.” You cringed at the thought of him hearing your rambling voicemail. “So, I called because I just got the mail. I got into the program!”

“Shut up! That’s great! Congratulations!” Mat’s excitement burst through the line. Your heart melted a little. After everything that had happened he sounded genuinely happy for you.

“Thank you, Maty.”

Mat’s tone softened. “You deserve it, after all the hard work you put into it. I knew you’d get it.”

You chuckled, the tension easing. “I know, I know. You told me like a million times. I was just insecure.”

For a second you let yourself imagine this was under other circumstances. You were still together and he was calling you right after practice or from another city in one of his roadies. He’d come back home eventually and hug you so tight you wouldn’t be able to breath, probably lift you up and spin you around a little. You wouldn’t be able to stop laughing and-

“I know …” Mat’s response brought you back to reality. The reality in which he wouldn’t knock on your door with his arms wide open.

His tone carried an easy understanding. He definitely knew about your insecurities. They played a huge role on why your relationship was the way it was right now: nonexistent.

“So that’s what the voicemail said?” He broke the silence.

“Yeah, basically. But you know, all giddy and stuff. Really embarrassing.”

Mat’s laughter grew louder, and you could practically see him shaking his head. “Oh, really? Well, now I have to hear it.”

“No, no, no.” you protested, your embarrassment deepening. “Seriously, don’t Barzal. I know where you live.”

But Mat insisted, his curiosity piqued. “Come on! Embrace the cringe. It can’t be that bad.”

He ended the call before you could object anymore, only to call you back a minute later. Mat’s laughter erupted again as soon as you picked up, and you couldn’t help but join in, the shared humor dissipating the lingering awkwardness. If you closed your eyes you could almost picture him with that scrunched up nose as he laughed.

“The ‘fuck it, i can’t do this’ was the best part by far.”

-

The familiar buzz of the MSG postgame show filled the cozy confines of your living room as Mat’s name flashed brightly on your phone, catching you off guard. Shannon and Hickey were in full praise mode, replaying Mat’s epic goal on loop, and there he was, the main attraction, waiting on the other end of the line for you to pick up.

You fumbled for your phone, a grin tugging at the corners of your lips as you swiped to answer. “Hey, I didn’t expect your call.” you remarked, the commentator’s voices still ringing in your ears.

“Bad timing?” Mat’s voice crackled through the phone, a hint of breathlessness underscoring his words – probably still riding the adrenaline high from the ice.

“No, no. It’s just that a second ago you were on my screen falling all over the ice.” you teased, imagining his less-than-graceful moments on the rink.

“I don’t fall that much!” he argued, sounding mildly offended.

“You do, but you also score, so it’s forgiven. Congrats on your almost hatty, by the way.” You chuckled, knowing how much he loathed falling a goal short. Always so hard on himself. 

Mat scoffed, clearly annoyed at missing the mark. “So, you watched tonight?”

“Obviously, I watch every game I can catch.” you replied, the excitement of the game still coursing through your veins. The thrill of watching Mat succeed, even from a distance, even after all that happened, was undeniable.

“You should come, you know. I’m sure the girls would love to see you.” Mat suggested, his voice tinged with a hint of longing.

“I don’t know, Mat. It’s not my place anymore.” you hesitated, letting the uncertainty hang in the air. You had to change the subject before your mind started spiraling.  “Anyway, why did you call?”

“Oh, right. I listened to your voicemail again!”

“So you called to tell me you haven’t actually deleted it like you promised?”

“I heard it right before the game and got 2 goals and 2 assists. I think it’ll become my new pregame ritual, honestly.” Mat admitted, his voice softer now, laced with a hint of nostalgia. Why had he chosen to hear it? That’s something he would save for himself for now. The shared memories of your past flitted between you, unspoken but palpable.

“Really? Want me to send embarrassing voicemails before every game?”

“I’d love it. Yes, please.” Mat replied with a laugh, the warmth of his laughter washing over you like a comforting embrace. The playful banter held a certain intimacy, a bridge between past flames and the uncharted territory of what lay ahead.

The banter flowed seamlessly, a blend of shared history and the current moment. The familiarity was comforting, but the unspoken complexities of your past lingered in the air, a delicate tension.

-

NYI vs. TBL - November 5th

“Hey, Barzy. I don’t know if you were joking or not but here’s your pregame embarrassing voicemail as solicited. You weren’t serious, right? Well fuck it, enjoy it or ignore me whatever.”

NYI vs. CGY - November 7th

“Just walked past that coffee shop where we had our third or fourth date I think. Remember how you choked over your latte when I lied and said I loved the Rangers?”

NYI vs. SEA - November 9th

“Hey, you won’t believe who I just saw. That guy that lives in the building across the street, the one that has your face tattooed on his left arm. He asked about you, told me to wish you good luck. So good luck from him … and from me. Good luck tonight.”

NYI vs. VAN - November 11th

“Hi! Your sister told me your family is going tonight, so send them a kiss from me, ok? … I-I keep in touch with her, I don’t know if you knew that or like maybe I should’ve told you? Are you ok with that? I’m sorry I just assumed you would be. Anyway, good luck! Say hi from me! Or don’t if you don’t want to-”

NYI vs. NYR - November 16th

“Dude. Rangers tonight. Don’t mess it up. May have bet on you guys with a guy from work, I don’t wanna have to pay for his lunch tomorrow. Please. Good luck, 13.”

NYI vs. PIT - November 18th

“Shit, shit, shit. Hope you can hear this before the game. I’m still getting used to the program’s schedule and all of that, I’m kind of a mess right now. Anyway, good luck!”

NYI vs. DET - November 20th

“Maty, hi! I know this is kind of dumb because I saw you like 10 minutes ago and I’m in the building but still thought I should leave the voicemail just in case. (Come on!) Ok I have to go, Sydney has a tone of gossip to catch me up on. Good luck!”

NYI vs. DAL - November 23th

“Hello Mr Barzal, I won’t be able to watch tonight, but still good luck! Even if you don’t win, I hope you score a goal, make an assist. That 8 game point streak you have going on is insane. I think I’ll start charging you for this if they are working so well.Good luck Barzy!”

NYI vs. STL - November 26th

“Hey! First of all, good luck! Second, I left my scarf at the Lee’s last night. It’s red, I was wearing it when you picked me up. Grace said Anders would give it to you tonight. Maybe we can meet for coffee tomorrow so you can give it back? Anyway, good luck!”

NYI vs. CHI - November 28th

“13, hello! I don’t have anything funny to tell you today so just good luck! Love you- shit, sorry. Habit I guess. Bye.”

NYI vs. NYR - November 30th

“You have zero new voicemails. To record a new personal greeting press one-”

-

You tried everything to get your mind off it, but it wasn’t working. The cup of tea was now cold in your hand and you couldn’t even pretend to care what was going on in the movie you had playing on your tv. The game had ended an hour ago but it was on replay in your mind.

It was silly to think it was your fault. You couldn’t influence the score of the match, the 5-1 loss against the Rangers wasn’t on you. However the outcome would’ve been different if their starplayer hadn’t been taking stupid penalties, losing the puck, causing turnovers. That could be on you partially.

The bell ringing caught you by surprise, almost dropping the cold tea. You got up to answer, even though you had a feeling you knew who was waiting by your building’s door.

“Hello?”

“It’s me.” The familiar voice needed no introduction.

“Mat? What are you doing here?” 

“Buzz me in.” he requests, and you could practically hear the determination in his tone. With a resigned sigh, you pressed the buzzer, knowing full well he wouldn’t leave until he got what he came for.

A few moments later, a knock sounded at the door, and you found yourself face to face with him. Determination was bright in his eyes, your heart started racing.

“What’s going on?” He rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed by your attempt at pretending not to know why he’s there.

“You didn’t leave a voicemail.” Mat strided in without waiting for an invitation, and the unspoken tension was palpable.

“Right, that. I guess I forgot. Sorry.” you lied, trying to sound convincing but knowing there’s no use, he’d know. You closed the door behind him almost instinctively, as if shutting out the forthcoming emotional storm that’s about to break in your apartment.

“You’ve been sending me a voicemail before every single game for the past month.” he remarked, his gaze keenly picking up on your avoidance. Frustration started to take over. He already had been in this position before, begging you for explanations and all you did was look away. “Please, don’t shut me out. Not again.”

“I got confused, okay? Why are we doing this? I’m your ex-girlfriend, I broke up with you, Mat. And now I’m going to your games and sending you voicemails every game? What even is this?”

At some point you started walking all over the living room, the distress was clear. Mat was better at hiding it, he stood still by the door like he had been since he walked in, but you could see his hands fidgeting. Neither of you had a clear head to take on what was about to come, chaos was inevitable.

“I don’t know, but I thought you liked this. I thought it was like an inside joke, our own thing.”

“It was that. But you’re not supposed to have that with your ex.” you said, trying to emphasize the last word for him, as if a reminder of your status would help the situation in any way. 

“We’re friends?” He furrowed his brows, and, had it not been for the situation you were in, you would’ve laughed at the way even he sounded so unsure of what he was saying.

“Mat, come on. It’s confusing, I know I was getting confused. It started with the voicemails, which was already something, but then we’re talking every day, I’m going to your games again and team’s gatherings, we’re hanging out again. I said ‘I love you’ on my last one!” You finally looked at him, baring it all. There was only one solution in your mind and it had to be taken no matter the pain it would undoubtedly cost you. “I think it’s better if we stop.”

There was a moment of silence, he looked at you as if trying to read through the wall you were hiding behind. Trying to decipher if it was you speaking or your insecurities had taken over again. Most importantly, trying to figure out if this time he had what it took to get to you before he lost you.

“I don’t want it to stop.” he said, determination clear in his voice. In a second he closed the gap between you. The proximity caught you off guard, you couldn’t remember the last time you were this close. “Tell me you don’t feel anything.” It sounded almost like a beg, but he didn’t care.

“We broke up.” you insisted, trying to sound all resolute.

“You broke up with me.” he corrected you, his gaze holding steady, slicing through your defenses.

“We weren’t working, Mat! We could barely see each other, and when we did, we were too tired or stressed. We fought a lot. We broke up.” It sounded almost childish the way you stubbornly persisted on it, like you needed to reassure yourself more than him how things had played out last time.

“Couples fight sometimes; it’s normal. I was stressed about the playoffs, and you were stressed about getting into the program. It was a bad moment, yes, but that’s over.”

“Other problems are gonna come up.”

“We can face them together, we fight and make up. That’s it, that’s how couples work.”

You paused for a second, it made no sense to keep on repeating yourself. It seemed like he had a solution for every obstacle you presented. He had come here for answers, it was time to give them to him even if you were answering older already forgotten questions.

“I was scared, Mat. I was scared and insecure, and it felt like I was ruining it all.” Tears start rolling down your face and there’s nothing he wants more than to hug you, keep you close to his chest, push the pain away; but he knows he shouldn’t. You’re finally letting down your guard, telling him what he’s been dying to hear for months; he has to give you space to be vulnerable. “I thought it was better to break things up before they got really nasty.” your voice wobbled.

“I get it, I really do. But you could’ve told me and I should’ve been more present, not left you alone to deal with our problems. We could’ve tried to make it work. ” He looked deep into your eyes, his own reflecting a mix of understanding and unwavering love. “I know I loved you more than enough to work through it.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about how I ended things, and I’m sorry about the voicemail and all the mess I’ve caused.” You tried to walk away from him, the proximity being too much, but he caught your arm making you face him once again.

Tears started streaming down his face as you tried to grapple with the weight of your own decisions. He looked you in the eyes, the determination from earlier is still there, even behind the tears those glossy eyes told you he wasn’t gonna leave in silence like last time. This time he had to leave it all out, even if he ended up hurt in the process.

“When you first called me I was too nervous to answer so I let it go to voicemail. I think even then I knew it wasn’t over for me, I knew hearing your voice would bring it all back.” You winced, acutely aware of the emotional turmoil you’ve caused. What you didn’t know was he wasn’t worried about pain coming back; what worried him was all the love he had for you and had pushed away after the break up coming back and once again not having where to put it.

“But then I wanted to hear you, the real you, not the voicemail, so I called you. I cannot tell you how happy it made me to hear you, like my heart was beating again after months of numbness. And you were telling me this great news, when you got that acceptance letter you wanted to tell me.” he continued, and you released a heavy breath, a half-smile forming on your face. He was right, the first person you wanted to share your triumph with was him, you hadn’t thought much about it back then but no it was so clear.

“I replayed your voicemail before the game that first time because I wanted to hear your voice. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I heard you over the phone earlier that day, and all I wanted was to hear you again talking to me.” he confessed, a mixture of vulnerability and longing in his words. “At first I thought maybe I was making it up, you know? Maybe it was just my unresolved feelings, maybe there was nothing going on. But you called me first and then you kept on sending the voicemails. Things were going back to the way they were before. It felt like I was me again, like we were us again.”

Mat smiled thinking how everyone could notice; his friends, his teammates, his family, everyone could see the old Mat was back. He told them off, too afraid to consider you were all he was missing because he knew he didn’t have you back, not yet.

His hand gently cupped your face, sending a shiver down your spine. Closing your eyes, you leaned into his touch. You missed it, there was no denying it anymore. You missed it all too much—his touch, his voice, his energy, his very presence. Him.

“You said ‘I love you’ on the last voicemail. I replayed it like 20 times at least, just to hear those three words. From you, to me.” The weight of those three words hung in the air between the two of you after so long, it was electrifying. Your heart raced; he was about to say it, and you yearned to hear it.

“I love you.” he declared, and there was no ambiguity this time. It wasn’t a recall of your words; this time, it was his confession to you.

“Maty…” was all you managed to say; his nickname laden with tenderness and echoes of old fears that still lingered.

“I want this. I want you even if I can only see you two times a week and even if half that time you are studying or working or stressing over both. I want to be there with you. I want to fight and make up. I want all of it, the messy and ugly included.”

“I love you.” you finally whispered.

It was over. He loved you, you loved him, and there was nothing left to say.

In that breath-holding moment, he leaned down, his lips finally touching yours. It’s not just a kiss; it’s a wild ride through forgiveness, longing, and the silent agreement to dive back into the messy and the beautiful, hand in hand. He was smiling into the kiss, so were you. The taste of salt from their tears lingered, mingling with the sweetness of the moment. The kiss spoke of second chances and the magic of beginnings, a promise to rewrite the story that had once unraveled.

You pulled away, breathless and teary-eyed, yet a radiant joy painted across your faces. You laughed, a melody of relief and newfound hope. One of his hands was on your back as the other traveled from your face to the back of your head, pulling you against his chest. Your arms hugged his torso tight.

“I love you.” he mumbled against your head before placing a kiss on top.

-

NYI vs. MTL - December 1st

“Hey! Good luck tonight babe-”

“I don’t think it counts if I’m literally next to you when you record it.”

“Shush. Who’s the voicemail expert here? Me. Anyway, as I was saying before you interrupted me: good luck tonight, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

-

soooooo it’s here! hope you like it! like and reblogs are always appreciated!

it felt so good to write again and to share it too, hope i have more time this year to write more stuff

taglist:

@glassdanse @2manytabsopen @barbienoturbby @sweetlittlegingy @mcsteamylove98 @ttylfedora @chieflawyerpastatoad @iwantahockeyhimbo @fallinallincurls @jordiee95 @heatherawoowoo @barzysreputation @farabeezers @4ambagelbites @matwith1t @audryaho @maximoff-xmen @astrydis @joelsfarabees @bitchforbarzy @deloughrey @brias1201 @besthockeyfics @ya-pucking-nerd @hoiyheadharpies @mckenna4 @rosesvioletshardy @hockeyunits @siriusly-parker @ilyasorokinn @lam-ila @boqvistsbabe @theycallmecassie @ephemeral371 @hal3ynicol3 @angelblooddevil @besthockeyfics @beauvertime @picked-off-by-barzal @1316 @cherrygirl1229 @lunabean @random-readers-world @poufsouffle21 @barzysbaby @matbarzal13 @alwaysclassyeagle @wanbach23 @evaggreendaily

[livinggxd3adgirl]

synopsis— this is prt 3 of “what’s that supposed to mean”

a/n— thank u guys so so much for all the support I’ve received with this! It genuinely warms my heart knowing people. I wanted to js include this. I forgot to include this in previous chapters, but in this au, there is no sorcery or anything like that. likes and reblogs are appreciated!!

EDIT!!!!!— This chapter will probably be deleted and redone. This is genuinely not my best work, obviously, so if you're reading this and want to see the better version let me know in the comments! :D

“What the fuck are you doing here?..” the few seconds of silence felt like it would never end. Before today if you had saw Gojo you probably would’ve cried and beg him to be with you again. But now? All you wanna do is beat the shit out of him. You quickly stood up stomping towards where Gojo stood.

“Guess it wasn’t just me fucking around with other people during the relationship, damn whore ” Gojo scoffed before he chuckled. When those words left his mouth, Suguru immediately stood in between you and Gojo.

“Oh fuck you gojo! seriously gojo!? Lets talk about the bitch you were fucking huh!? Doesn’t she have a boyfriend too?! I never fucking cheated on you…” as you continued yelling Gojo joined in as he yelled and cursed at you. Geto knew that this was something you had to do. He also knew that Gojo needed to realize that what he did was completely shit. Suguru would be lying if he didn’t admit that he thought you looked so damn hot yelling at Gojo.

“Yea yea whatever.. imma just go back home with the woman I truly love” Gojo sounded confident in his words, but the truth? The woman he cheated on you with had left him. And he was here to get Suguru to help him get you back. But after this screaming match, he realized the true consequences of his actions. Gojo realized your heart was no longer his to break or toy with anymore.

“you know where the door is” Geto spoke before finally stepping away from in between you both. He now stood by your side. Gojo scoffed before he walked out of the apartment, slamming the door shut loudly.

You let out a deep guttural chuckle. Geto was sure you had lost your mind. “God, sorry you had to see that Suguru, but now I feel much better”

“It’s all okay, sweetheart, gojo deserved the tongue lashing no one else is brave enough to give him” Suguru gives you a reassuring smile. You let out a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of getos bed. Geto stood in front of you, his eyes bore deeply into yours as you looked up at him. “You know.. now that gojo is, you know, out of the picture, we could always become closer." You let out a small giggle.

“Are you trying to flirt with me, Suguru?” Your teasing tone made Geto’s heart pound.

Suguru’s sly smirk tells you everything you need to know “Maybe just a little”. His hand reaches for a stray strand of your hair. You stood up, both of your faces mere inches away from each other. He gently tucks the strand behind your ear. “Do you want to go to dinner with me tomorrow? You dont have to if you dont want to, i dont want you to feel—“ You interrupt his words, placing a kiss on his cheek.

“ofcourse i want to go to dinner with you dummy”

MADE BY LIVINGHXD3ADGIRL

Tag!- @ourfinalisation @snoopyearss @number0netrash @gollumsmygel @lavender-hvze @shokosbunny @qashmer @chilichopsticks @akshitapainulu @meshellie @grima4lurking (I tagged ppl that were in the comments of the last part who wanted a part 3 if I missed your name let me know!)

a/n— I'm sorry if maybe this chapter isn't as good as the rest but let me know if you wanna see geto and readers future together!

[vioartemis]

In another life (Sam's version)

(Sam Carpenter x fem! reader)

Summary: You're Tara's childhood best friend, and years after leaving Woodsboro, you meet her again in New York, making unexpecting feeling emerge. Tara || Sam Warnings: age gap (?) reader is 19 and Sam is 24 a/n: I made another one shot, kinda complementary of this one, with Tara :)) I put the link up there if you're interested (English isn't my first language, I'm sorry if there are mistakes or if something doesn't make sense TvT)

She had known you since you were 4, when Tara and you were in the same class for the first time. You were also her neighbor, but she never knew before that.

You were her little sister’s friend. Best friend, even. When Tara wanted to play, it was always you she wanted to play with. And Sam always accompanied her, so she saw you a lot too.

Then, when she was in age to want to have some money, she babysat you and Tara’s other friends. You were always so nice and sweet, always smiling, and opened to hugs.

She liked you a lot. Out of all of her sister’s friends, you were her favorite.

Sadly the time you spent together came to an end when she ran away.

Even if she didn’t, you wouldn’t have been able to see each other a lot more, because your parents had found a new job, and you moved out of Woodsboro a few months after her.

And now, almost 6 years later, you were about to meet again.

Tara and the rest of her friends just left a party , right after Sam barged in and tazzed some dude in the balls. The Carpenter sisters were fighting in the middle of the road, when a random girl threw her soda at Sam.

Half of the group tried to get the girl while the other held them back, trying not to cause too much drama. They didn't see it, but one of the girls was filming the whole thing.

Luckily for everyone, you did see it. You were actually going to that party, and saw the whole scene from afar. You didn't like that kind of attitude at all.

So when the girls walked passed you, you grabbed the phone of the one who was filming, and deleted the video before she could post it.

They all gave you horrified looks, like you did the most horrendous thing.

"That's called karma" you mumbled to yourself while you walked away, in the direction of their victim

She was trying to dry her jumper, when you approached her.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry, people are so dumb sometimes..." you said as she lifted her head up to look at you

As soon as your eyes met each other’s, both of you knew who the other was.

“Sam...?”

“Y/n…?”

You chuckled in surprise, while Sam looked at you with wide eyes at how much you had changed.

"Oh my god..." she murmured "What are you doing in New York? It's really far away from Woodsboro"

"Oh yeah, my parents got a job here, a few months after you left... We never really moved again after. What about you?"

"We needed... fresh air. A new start. Away from Woodsboro and Ghostface"

You had heard about the recent Woodsboro murders, but couldn't believed all the rumors about Sam being the real mastermind behind it all.

"Of course, I understand that" you said with a light smile "You should take off your jumper, you're going to catch a cold..." you continued, taking off your hoodie and handing it to her "I don't know if it's the right size, but at least it'll keep you warm"

Sam gave you a thankful look, and put on your hoodie. It smells like her... she thought.

You smiled, and hugged her without thinking about it. You had missed her a lot more than you would ever admit.

"It’s so nice seeing you again…" you said quietly, as she hugged you back

You stayed like that for a minute, silently enjoying the hug, until you got interrupted.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

You broke the hug to look at the person, who appeared to be Tara, your childhood best friend.

"Y/n?" she smiled as she saw you and opened her arms for a hug

You gave it to her happily, holding her extra tight. Then, you discussed a bit, trying to catch up on each other’s life.

“Oh, I wanted to ask you, would you mind giving me your number? So we can talk” Sam suddenly asked you... a little nervously? You weren't sure.

You nodded and took her phone when she handed it to you, before putting your number in it. You gave it back to her with a big smile.

You were more than happy to see the Carpenter sisters again. Especially one of them.

<><><><> ♡ <><><><>

Since you gave Sam your phone number, you hadn’t stopped talking. Every day as soon as you woke up, you started texting. You just had so much to catch up onto!

When you weren’t in class, you made a habit of going to the café where Sam was working. Your excuse was that it was always calm, building a good atmosphere to study there. The actual reason was to see her more.

When she was on a break, she would come to your table and either start catting with you, or just keep you company when you were actually working. She would never say it out loud, but she loved the serious look you had when you were concentrated.

She enjoyed your presence in the café. She was glad you chose to sit there to study, for when she had finished her shift, you could spend more time together. She would often walk you home, to make sure you’re safe.

Sometimes you were with Tara, studying together at the café. Sam loved her sister, but in those moments, when Tara and you were laughing together, so close, while she was behind the counter dealing with rude clients… she couldn’t help but feel her heart ache.

You knew that feeling damn well, every time a client was trying to flirt with Sam. Or at least it looked like they were flirting to you. And every time you had to slap yourself mentally, not understanding why you felt that way.

The answer would come a bit later.

You had planned a movie night with Sam at your apartment. You were alone and bored, and she has nothing better to do as Tara was doing homework with the twins.

You were happy to have that moment with her, but also nervous. The time you had spent together since you met again only brought back feelings you thought were just a stupid baby crush. Turns out it isn't just a baby crush. You had a crush on your best friend's sister.

This whole situation gave you anxiety. What you didn't know was that you weren't the only one.

Sam also had a crush on you. Her sister's best friend. Her sister's crush. She always had known Tara had a crush on you, she even thought you would be together at one point.

You would have made such a cute couple. That's what she had thought for a long time. Now she just can't help but feel an ounce of jealousy thinking about it.

And then the guilt strikes. Tara loved you, she couldn't do that to her... And even if she didn't, you were just so much younger than her... 5 years can be a lot, especially since you were young.

But again, imagining you with someone else made her jealous.

She was lost, and torn between telling you how she felt or just trying to forget her feelings.

"What do you want to watch?"

Your voice made her snap out of her thoughts.

"Oh uh... I don't know... Why don't you pick something?"

"Hmm... Okay! There's this movie on Netflix that I wanted to see..." you said, sitting on the couch next to her -at a reasonable distance- and turning on the tv.

While you looked for the movie on Netflix, Sam couldn't keep her eyes away from you. You were just so pretty...

She had trouble concentrating on the movie, often distracted by your presence next to her.

You could feel her eyes on you as the movie played. It wasn't the first time you caught her looking at you, but every time when you looked at her, she had looked away. You had figured it would be the case this time too.

You were wrong.

When you looked at her, her eyes were still on you. At this moment, you were like frozen in place. She had never looked at you like that before.

She had the look you gave her when she was not looking. In love.

While you were gazing into each other's eyes, you both got closer and closer to each other, to the point you could kiss her if you wanted to. And you wanted to. So bad.

"Can I... can I kiss you? Please..." you asked quietly, almost pleading her to let you kiss her

She looked hesitant, but eventually gave in and kissed you, putting a hand on your cheek to keep you close. Kissing you felt so right... as if your lips were made to be kissed by hers.

But again, Tara loved you... and Sam felt like she was betraying her sister.

She pulled away from the kiss.

"I'm sorry I... we shouldn't have done that..."

You felt your heart sink at her words. You thought she liked you back...

Your pain must have been visible on your face, as Sam was quick to talk again.

"It's not against you Y/n... I... I really like you but..." she sighed "Tara has a crush on you since forever... I can't do that to her..."

"What...? Wait... What?" you started, surprised

You never knew Tara had a crush on you. You only ever saw her as your best friend and thought it was the same for her.

"Sam you can't just- you can't just put her feelings above yours... I mean- I understand it's going to be difficult for her... But it's not like we chose that... I- I love you Sam... And Tara's my best friend, her well being is important to me... But seeing you without being able to tell you how I feel or kiss you... it's torture"

As you spoke, you asked yourself if it wasn't too much. Scare her away was the last thing you wanted. But everything you said was true.

Sam was looking at you, mouth agape, clearly not expecting that. She didn't expect you to like her back, let alone make her a whole love declaration.

She wanted to give in and take you in her arms and kiss you again and tell you how much she loved you. She wanted to be as honest with you as you were with her. She wanted to love you openly.

But there would be consequences. Tara would be hurt. Tara would feel betrayed.

But again... you were right. She couldn't put Tara's feelings above hers all the time. She loved you just so much... She wasn't sure she would be able to recover if she didn't give it a shot.

She cupped your face with both hands and kissed you again, more confidently, more passionately than before. She loved you, she wanted that kiss to happen. She wanted you to happen.

<><><><> ♡ <><><><>

Telling Tara about your relationship was harder than you thought. It never seemed to be the right moment.

Now you saw the hints of her crush on you. You saw the smiles, the looks she gave you, how her tone slightly changed when you were alone.

Both Sam and you were trying to find a good moment to tell her, but it wasn’t easy. And the more you waited, the more difficult it would be to tell her. You had to find a way to tell her quickly.

The whole situation was giving you so much anxiety…

“How are you?” Sam asked as you close your apartment door

“Tired… You?”

“Same”

You took off your shoes and hung your jacket, before sitting on the couch next to her. She pulled you on her lap and wrapped her arms around you, holding you close. Her warm embrace helped you relax a bit, as you nuzzled your face against her neck.

You stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other in a comfortable silence.

When you pulled away, it was to kiss her. You’d wanted to do that the whole day and couldn’t even tell anyone about it. About her. About how much you loved her.

By the way she kissed you, you knew she felt the same.

Even if she felt bad for her sister, she couldn’t stop herself anymore. Now that she has had the chance to kiss you, she never wanted to stop. She felt so at ease when she was with you. She could be herself without the fear to be judged.

“I love you so much…” she murmured, her grip on your hips tightening ever so slightly

“Me too Sam… I love you too”

You kissed her again, arms around her neck, before hugging her again. You closed your eyes, relaxing in her arms once again.

You had been so stressed for the past days that you had trouble sleeping. But like that, in her arms, it only took you a minute to fall asleep.

Sam didn't notice right away, and started talking to you while rubbing your back.

"... Y/n?" she eventually asked as you weren't answering her

She moved slightly to get a look at your face, and her lips curled up into a soft smile as she saw you were asleep.

"You really were exhausted, hm?" she murmured, kissing your temple softly

She then hesitated before carrying you in her arms, careful not to wake you up, and made her way to your room. She laid you on your bed, putting your blanket over you.

"Goodnight angel..." she whispered before kissing your forehead

She was about to leave when she felt you grab her shirt.

"Don't go, please..." you pleaded quietly

You needed her right now, needed her arms around you, her oh so comforting warmth as she held you close.

Sam bit her bottom lip, thinking, but it didn't take long until she gave in and slipped under the sheets next to you. She couldn't resist you -and she didn't want to be away from you.

She wrapped her arms around you, letting you snuggle up to her.

"Goodnight Sammie..."

Your voice was barely audible, showing how tired you were. Sam smiled at your words, the nickname provoking her cheeks to turn a bit red.

"Sleep well" she said back, kissing the top of your head, before closing her eyes

Having you in her arms like that was just so relaxing. She felt like she was in heaven. The thought of waking up next to you made a smile creep up to her face, and was the last before she fell asleep as well.

The next morning, you woke up in her arms. It had been the best sleep you had in days. You didn't even want to move, you felt so at peace in her arms...

You eventually opened your eyes to see Sam was already awake, a smile on her face.

"Good morning" she said before kissing you

"'morning" you said back, smiling as she rolled on her back, pulling you on top of her without breaking the kiss

You were both in your own world; nothing else mattered at the moment, to the point none of you checked your phones. If you did check your phones, you would've seen tons of missed calls and texts from Tara.

She was worried for her sister didn't come back at their apartment -naturally because she was with you all night.

After some more kisses, you got out of bed and made your way to the kitchen.

"What do you want for breakfast?" you asked Sam

"What do you have?"

"I have... eggs, bacon... bread... Uhh... yeah that's it" you let out an awkward chuckle

"Eggs and bacon sound nice" she smiled

You nodded, and put the bacon in a pan to cook it.

While you were waiting in front of the stove, you felt Sam's hands snicker to your waist. You turned around, and she took the occasion to kiss you.

What you didn't know was that Tara had decided to come to your apartment -as you weren't answering her calls and texts, and currently had a clear view of the scene through your kitchen's window.

She couldn't see who it was, but the scene let little to the imagination; you were clearly kissing someone. So that's why she wasn't answering... she thought

Clearly enjoying the kiss, Sam lifted you up to sit you on the counter, hands on your hips, her lips still on yours.

If Tara felt her heart sink at the sight of the kiss, it was nothing compared to how she felt now.

Her own sister was making out with the girl she has had a crush on for years.

She was mad for it seemed not to be the first time, considering the way you were holding onto each other. Which meant you lied to her.

But knowing you, maybe you just had a hard time telling her. It had always been that way; every time you had bad news to tell her, it took you weeks because you knew it would upset her.

That thought calmed her down a bit.

When she looked at the window again, she saw you smile at Sam just the way she smiled at you. You were in love, that was certain.

You seemed happy. And deep down, that’s what Tara wanted. Seeing you happy.

So she turned around and walked back to her and Sam’s apartment, thinking ‘maybe, in another life, we’ll be together…’

[Tara's version]

[chlmtsdoll]

I accidentally uploaded the unfinished version and had to delete. I’m sooo sorry original anon. 😭

౨ৎ Summary: Art comforts you after a semi-panic attack due to an allergic reaction <3 | hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, anxious reader, caretaker Art 🤍

“Princess… I really don’t think it’s that bad- -”

“Art, it’s getting worse by the second.”

You were basically panting as you dropped your bag to rush to the bathroom. Not giving yourself a moment to even proceed much as unbuckling your heels or slipping your dress — just your purse going flying across the room. Nearly hitting Art who was left by the doorway in worrisome hesitation as he observed your quick actions.

You stared yourself down in the mirror. Immediate curses spewed from you because you were right.

It was worse than worse.

A bright red and swollen discoloration took place on your upper cheek. You were terrified that if you just touched it, it would blister. Before you’d even left for dinner with Art, you assumed it was merely just a pimple. A zit even. And although your intuition told you to stop overthinking it, after all — your skin care had been eighty five percent of your priories. You strived to have the most spotless elevated skin, always in overcrowded lines just waiting to get the latest and best products for your face. But even with all that reassurance that there was no way your almost seven step routine could have gone wrong.. your gut had told you otherwise.

You couldn’t have really heard his slow shuffle as Art carefully approached the doorway of where you’d been examining yourself. He watched as your hands snaked around the back of your neck, breathe bitching as you started to pace the small enclosure.

He saw it right away. You were in pain. And if he hadn’t had his own calm training drilled so deeply into his capacity, he would have been going absolutely scattered too.

The taller man immediately strides over to where you stand as he tried to get a hold of your arm to turn you towards him with a soft sigh “Shit, shit, shit.. c’mere” Art huffed softly and your almost reddened eyes met his with a slight pout.

Art sucked in his lip as his hands carefully graced your face, But not because what he had seen had been completely disastrous to him, but because he wanted to make it go away. Help in any way he could. Make it better for you.

“I- I don’t know what went wrong, it’s bad. Oh my god.. it’s really bad…” your throat has gone dry, and your voice started to tremble as you didn’t even want to look at your own appearance beyond you. You’re eyes started to swell with readied tears — which only made the blonde furrow his eyebrows in fret.

“Hey, hey.. it’s not your fault, Angel. I promise it’s nothing we can’t fix.” Art ran his thumb over your chin, his expression grew to soften so you’d be more relaxed. The worst that could happen was it being from some sort of stress — and then it would only get worse. “Do we know exactly what could of caused it? You did have fish tonight.. maybe it was shelled and we didn’t know, possibly ?”

“No, no. I don’t think it’s that. It was already getting pretty bad before we left..” you quietly sniffed as the man searched your eyes, and your face.. noting to the rash even if you winced just at his peering gaze on you. You couldn’t of felt more unattractive at the moment, just so made you start to fall insecure even under his caring attitude.

Your eyes shut as you tried to turn away with a whine.

“.. don’t- - look at me, I’m a mess. I can’t even..”

Art shook his head on instant. “Stop. Don’t talk like that… never talk about yourself like that. You’re beautiful. Yeah, it’s a bit swollen but you’re okay.”

Art’s tone was serious and even though you’d been crying like a five year old over some acne, because you got like that. Pouty like a child and angry at yourself for not being perfect at all times — the way Art looked at you, held you, talked you through any difficulties no matter how big or small. If it meant a lot, or was hurting you. He was there to take care of it. So you nodded. Letting your breath steady as you held the wrists of the man in front of you filled with concern.

“I really do think it could of been something you ate, baby.”

“No.. no- - it’s probably my hormones. They’ve been all over the place and… I missed my latest period. I’ve just been off. Physically.” You sigh as your eyeliner met Art and he drifted back for a moment in perplexity and you’d been witness to if he’d gone pale just then or not.

“I don’t- - need to grab a pregnancy test.. do I ?” Arts tone had gone fairly timid as his chest rose and you shook your head before he could get any further with conclusions. You just knew all too well how quickly your overly analytical boyfriend got.

“No, it’s okay… it happens, and it’s normal really. At least according to my gynecologist.” You reassured the man and his tensed up shoulders finally eased in a collapse, he gave you a fond little heartening smile and rubbed your shoulders gently before he thought. Art lifted you up on the countertop swiftly. You sat up there and watched as the man hurried down to his knee to unbuckle your heel.

“Okay. You know what, I can’t make - that - disappear overnight.. but I can help. I can make you feel better.” Arts blue tinted eyes met yours from below as his tender hands got to work on your ankles and you couldn’t help but let a faint hearty smile grace over your lips at the sight of him being him. Art was always just too caring to you and your needs. You could of blamed it on your late menstruation — but it really did just make you want to cry all over again.

Even in times when you felt your lowest, or in this case ickiest, he still managed to keep a somewhat smile on your face. It was all he wanted at the end of the day.

So the blonde rose to his feet, and went to leave a soft loving kiss to your unaffected cheek. His hands gently stroke the side of your thighs in a sympathetic way. “And tomorrow, I’ll call our aesthetician, and we’ll get you back to normal sweets, okay ?” Art questioned in a calming tone as he bent a little to search your eyes for any discomfort, to which you nodded again and your lips curled into a light simper as you lead a simple “okay.”

It was rewarding enough to see Arts teeth come into play when he smiled and left you briefly to get what he knew was one of your overnight facial creams. After washing his hands, the blonde held you still as he carefully applied it to your poor skin, and you closed your eyes as he did so. Art though it was adorable the way you leaned into his touch. When you were all done. He helped you slip out of your dinner dress, tie up your hair and sunk into bed with your favorite comfort movie playing. Art snuggled you all night long — making light jokes about the cheesy romance you ate up on the screen as you laughed at his mocking. The sound of it made his heart beat a little faster. He did whatever he could to prioritize your comfort. Making it all better for his sweet girl was his only job on night like these.

[hey-kae]

request for max, if possible: you live together and your male best friend stays for like 2 days and max gets real jealous, becuase you have inside jokes and so if you‘re up to it, maybe ending in smut, but you ofc don‘t have to 😚

Got it through

Pairing: Max Verstappen x female reader

Warnings: Language, unprotected sex, fingering, oral sex (female receiving), PDA, probably has lots of mistakes.

a/n: i hope you enjoy this and i’m sorry for how long it took for me to write it. PS: my laptop deleted the proofread version but i wanted to post it still so i will proofread it again tomorrow…

When you first broke the news to Max that an old friend of yours was gonna visit the two of you over the weekend, he was excited as he always was whenever he got to meet any of the people close to you. He went grocery shopping with you and was quite helpful in helping you prepare the guest bedroom for your visitor.

One detail that you had spared him was the fact that the person visiting was your best friend, your guy best friend, so when he offered to pick him up at the airport while you finished up cooking the food you two had started preparing, you bit back a smile and agreed, giving Max a nod and a quick kiss before rushing back to the stove when a burning smell had started originating.

With that, Max disappeared out the door, keys jiggling in his hand as he got going. Meanwhile, the smile on your face was quite prominent as you envisioned Max's reaction when he would come face to face with Marc.

There was two possible outcomes to this: hell would break loose or you would get a good laugh out of it.

A while later, your phone pinged, notifying you of a message that came through. You rushed to it, wiping your hands against the apron tied around your waist before picking up the device and reading the notification.

Max: It's a he?!

You could've told me

And just like that, the most interesting days you've had in a while began.

An hour passed before they arrived home, Max trailing behind Marc with a frown on his face, watching very closely as your friend wrapped his arms around you in a tight hug that, much to your boyfriend's distaste, you returned with just as much affection. Then, as Marc followed you to the kitchen, kindly offering to lend you a hand as you sliced a loaf of bread, Max followed in his footsteps, eyeing him up and down with his fisted hands tucked in his pockets, a funny scowl never leaving his face.

"I think you should shower, mate." He said out of the blue, taking you by utter surprise while tapping Marc's shoulders with a tight-lipped smile, "Don't misunderstand me. I don't think you're dirty or smelly." He gave him a once over, "It's just what we do after being at the airport, kind of a law around our house."

Your brows furrowed as you watched Max come up with a rule on the spot, all while Marc looked immensely taken back, glancing at you from the corner of his eye, looking intimidated by your boyfriend. You could swear you saw a glimpse of fear in his eyes.

Max followed his gaze to you and you could practically see him trying not to roll his eyes.

"Come on. I will show you to the guest room and bathroom." He practically guiding Marc away from the kitchen and you had to bite back a laugh that was begging to push past your lips.

You could hear the commotion of what seemed to be Marc being clueless to how the shower works and Max explaining that to him and it went on for several minutes before you felt Max's hands plant themselves on your hips as he turned your around to face him.

"Marc, huh?" He asked, half seriously. However, despite his apparent question, he didn't give you time to answer. His lips met yours possessively in a messy kiss. It barely took seconds until his tongue was meeting yours halfway, his teeth occasionally pulling and nibbling on your lips as he trailed his hands down to your ass, squeezing it in a surprising manner that made you let out a small moan.

He took the opportunity and used the small moment of uncertainty on your part to push you up onto the counter, his body pushing your legs apart until he was stood between them, his hands kneading the inside of your thighs and holding them apart while he continued claiming your lips aggressively.

A straggled breath got stuck in your throat when his hand cupped your pussy, one finger pushing harder than the rest, applying perfect pressure onto your clothed clit.

"Max..." You gasped, you hand latching onto his hair as you head fell back and his kisses traveled down onto your neck.

"Fucking love hearing you like this, you know?" He breathlessly said.

"I know, but you have to stop. Marc might..." He didn't care for what you were saying. His slipped his hand into your pants and panties and applied teasing pressure onto your pulsating entrance, leaving you to subconsciously grind against his fingers, your body now with a mind of its own, asking him for more.

He responded with just what you needed, his thumb played and rubbed your clit as he pushed to fingers into your warm and wet pussy, your walls immediately clenching around his digits and your body arching towards him.

"Fuck." You whined and moved your hips in accordance to his fingers' thrusts, already chasing a high, a thought in the very back of your mind convincing you that you would get to come before Marc came back.

Max was desperate to prove you wrong and leave you flustered in front of your friend, therefore he kept his movements slow until the sound of the guest bathroom's lock echoed from a distance. He pulled away from you and sucked your wetness off his fingers, as you watched him breathlessly, somewhat pissed.

"Marc, my man!" He welcomed your friend back in the room, "I already can feel it, these two days are gonna be so fun!" Max's fake cheer filled the room, his cheesy smile looking very obviously fake to you as he took a seat on a chair, one leg crossed over the other with pure confidence.

The rest of the day went on fine until dinner came around and the three of you took seats around the dining table.

"So..." Max started as he ate, "How long have you known my girlfriend?" He looked at Marc, directing the question to him.

"We were like... 14 when we met. We've been friends for a while." Marc smiled at you and you smiled back before taking a much needed sip of your drink.

"Ah, 14. Right at the beginning of teenage years and shit, right?"

"Yeah!" Marc excitedly agreed, "We had so many teen adventures together. The first time we got drunk, we were together!"

Max's brow's rose in fake pleasantry as he gave you a weird smile, "You were quite naughty kids, you two!"

"Max, what?" You masked your annoyance with a giggle and started a mental countdown until this dinner was over, but it went on for way longer that it should've as Max dragged out the conversation with a fake cheer you'd never seen him have but when Marc excused himself and retreated to him room, and after cleaning everything quickly, Max practically carried you to your room, pushing you onto the bed and immediately climbing on top of you, kissing you as he slipped his hand into your shirt, yanked down the cups of your bra and pinched a nipple, making you moan into his mouth, your mind still not comprehending the quick pace Max was setting.

Within a few minutes, your clothes were scattered on the floor and he was lodged between your thighs, his tongue working its way between your folds, toying with your clit like he wanted to do that for a while. Your back was almost always arched off the bed, your eyes screwed shut as you turned into a moaning mess, the only sounds leaving your mouth besides that being begs for more.

"Max, please. Please, more." You whined, pulling on his hair as you firmly held you down on the mattress.

"Be specific, baby." He teased, swiping his tongue slowly up and down, teasing your entrance then sucking on your clit again, leaving you breathless.

"Your fingers, please."

"What about them?" He acted clueless.

"Max, i want you to fuck me with your fingers, i want them inside me." You sternly said, having had enough of his shit.

He smirked at your demanding tone, held your legs apart and pushed in two fingers that were quick to disappear into your soaking wet pussy.

A loud moan left your mouth and you immediately got lost in the pleasure he was giving you, the feeling bubbling inside you almost euphoric that the moans just kept coming, some of them riskily high in volume.

Your eyes screwed tight-shut and your head dug back into the mattress as your hands clamped over your mouth to muffle the sounds that you had practically lost control over. Just in time, Max glanced up at you and instantly disliked what you were doing.

"Let me hear you, babe." He sternly instructed.

"Max, Marc could hear." You pushed the words past your heavy breaths and locked eyes with him in warning.

"I swear to fucking God, I'll stop all this and leave you whining and begging." He spoke with determination and you could almost see his anger bubbling, "Take your hands off your mouth."

Just like that, your hands were back clutching onto the sheets as Max's fingers continued being thrusted into your contracting pussy, giving you an orgasm that left you writhing on the bed, breathing heavily as you struggled to regain your composure since your boyfriend's tongue was immediately lapping at your clit after that first release, eager to bring you to another, more powerful one, the only thought on his mind being making this night as uncomfortable as possible for Marc.

He moved his tongue up and down your slit, then teased your entrance with it, pushing it into your pussy a little more every time until your hands dug through his hair and you forced him into a consistent movement. Max also didn't hesitate to put his fingers to use, toying and playing slowly with your clit as if he was doing it for his own enjoyment.

"Fuck, i'm gonna cum again." You whimpered and Max had to resist the urge to smirk immediately. Instead, he guided you through your orgasm, taking ultimate pleasure in the pornographic moans leaving your mouth as your body trashed beneath him.

"That's it, let go." He reassured and he moved a hand up to pinch your erect nipple. The pleasure exploded in the pit of your stomach and your back arched off the bed as you released once again.

Max shifted his gaze toward you with a hidden smirk on his face and judging only by his expression and the glimmer in his eyes, you knew this would be a long night, one that would only go up from here, and as the hours rolled, you figured out you were right.

Several other orgasms later and after various different positions Max had you in, you found yourself exhausted, face down on the bed, your hands desperately gripping onto the pillows in front of you while your moans turned to whimpers as Max pushed into you repeatedly and at a perfect pace, feeling you clench onto his cock every time he hit your sensitive spot with a steady pace until you came again and he released inside you with a loud, straggled moan before he collapsed beside you on the mattress.

"Fuck." You exhaled as you relaxed your body and turned to face your panting boyfriend, the look on your face lazy and worn out. You just laid there in your post orgasm calm, blinking slowly and catching your breath until Max pulled you closer and wrapped his arm around you, giving your forehead a kiss and combing his fingers through your tangled hair.

"What was all that about?" You chuckled and held tighter onto him.

His eyes closed as he let out a small laugh, replacing an actual answer with three simple words, "I love you."

"I love you too, Max." You pushed yourself up and kissed his lips then proceeded to sit up, "I need a shower, i'll be back in a little." You explained to him and left the bed in search of your towels and bath essentials then rushed to the bathroom connected to the bedroom.

Just as you were closing the door, Max's head poked through, a silly smile on his face.

"I'm joining, babe."

The next morning, as you woke up in Max's arm, the fact that your friend was visiting seemed to be completely off your mind but as you fiddled around the room, grabbing something to wear, it washed over you that Marc could've heard at least part of last night's shenanigans. How could he not when the aftermath, even hours later, was shaky legs?

You pulled some comfortable clothes on and jumped back into the bed, shaking Max awake.

"Max, wake up." You patted his bare back in urgency, "Max! C'mon."

"Good morning to you too." He groaned into his pillow, burying himself further under the sheets.

"Max, what if Marc heard us?" You gave in and laid on his back, asking the question right into his ear.

With his eyes still shut, he laughed at that. The fucker laughed and suddenly you understood why he insisted you don't muffle the sounds yesterday.

"Oh my fucking god, you did not!" You swatted his shoulder, "How am i supposed to look him in the eye now?" Just like that, you were back on your feet.

"I don't care. For all i know, i would have gotten it through, that he has no chance with you."  He boasted and he turned onto his back, "Plus, i was enjoying your sounds too much for you to hold them back for that guy's comfort. This is our place after all."

Your thoughts started racing and for a minute, deep down, you had to admit that the situation was amusing in some twisted way, even more to you than it was to Max but you let that go for now. It was gonna be embarrassing nonetheless to spend the day with Marc now. Deep down you still had hope you would get away with this, that he didn't hear a single thing. Maybe he was the kind of people that slept with earbuds in or something of that sort.

Clinging onto that hope, you emerged out of the room and made your way to the kitchen, needing a cup of coffee. Thankfully, the kitchen was still empty and quiet, warm with soft sunshine peaking through the window.

As soon as the coffee machine was on, you peaked your head into the hallway, checking for any traces that Marc might've woken up, but his bedroom door was still shut and no sounds were heard from him.

Taking a seat by the kitchen table, you pulled out your phone to keep yourself occupied, scrolling through your social media pages and the various posts on there until Max, now dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, joined you in the kitchen with a stupid grin on his face.

The minutes passed and before you knew it, you heard Marc's door unlock, the sound quickly being followed by the one of his footsteps in the hallway.

"Max, don't make him uncomfortable, okay?" You warned your boyfriend in a rushed whisper and received a smirk from him just as Marc walked in.

"Uhh," he stared weirdly at the difference between your expression and Max's, "hello- Good morning, i mean." Marc scratched the back of his head in discomfort.

"Good morning, mate!" Max cheerily said, leaving his chair and walking toward your friend, "You slept well?" He patted his shoulder in a bit of a too rough greeting.

You flashed him a glare immediately but it went unnoticed.

"Yeah, i slept okay." Marc took a few steps away from Max's towering figure. It really wasn't helping, the fact that Max was quite taller than him.

"Marc, do you still take your coffee black?" You left your mug on the table and got up to serve your guest.

"Black is fine." He replied shortly with a tight lipped smile so you poured him a cup and the three of you sat in the kitchen for a while.

It was safe to say that breakfast was the most uncomfortable of your life. Max's hand was firm on your thigh every time you sat and every time you got up, he found an excuse to then allowed his hands to wander either to your waist or shoulders. He was being touchier than he has ever been and Marc was obviously noticing the clinginess, his body language portraying easily how uncomfortable he felt, especially since Max wasn't sparing him of the quick smirks and challenging eyes he repeatedly shot his way.

Luckily, Marc had a few things to do around the city throughout the day so he left the apartment shortly after breakfast, leaving you and Max alone to lounge around, the laziness only interrupted for an hour when Max decided to work out and you decided yo watch him, what mildly turned you on, leading to a bit of making out on the living room couch, only to be startled by the doorbell just as it started getting heated.

"Fucking hell..." Max groaned into your mouth and sat up, reaching for a cushion to hide his boner as you fixed your shirt and got up to open the door.

Obviously, Marc was stood there, smiling with takeout containers in his hands, his smile turning awkward when he took notice of your messy hair, plump lips and Max's weird sitting position.

"I brought lunch, i guess." He treaded in carefully.

"Thank you, Marc! You really didn't have to." You thanked as you walked behind him, attempting to fix your hair with your hands.

"Oh, it's nothing!" He reassured.

Minutes later, the three of you were gathered around the dining table, eating and chatting, the latter only being done occasionally to break the silence.

"Thanks for the food, mate." Max, the first to finish eating thanked and got up, "I think I'm gonna take a nap. I slept awful last night." He excused himself and left the room.

You quickly took notice of Marc’s blushing face.

Silence reigned until it could be heard that Max was in the room with the door closed. That’s when Marc started talking again.

“Girl, i though you were getting murdered last night! He can’t be that good, right?”

“Shit, i’m so so sorry. We just got a bit carried away. I think he sees you as a competition and wants to prove a point.” You rubbed at your forehead in embarrassment.

“Wait…” Marc dragged the word on, “You didn’t tell him?”

“No! I didn’t know if you wanted me to! You’re not out to many people yet and i didn’t want to cross any boundaries.” You explained yourself and watched Marc burst out laughing.

“Oh my god.” He wheezed, “This is fucking hilarious! And i was out here thinking why the fuck he was almost groping you.” He leaned back in his chair, holding his stomach as he laughed.

“Oh, shut up!” You pouted away a smile, “You want me to tell him? That’s okay with you?”

“Yeah, that’s okay! But this is funny, honestly. Wait until i leave and tell him.”

And just like that you had a deal.

Over the next two days that Marc was staying for, Max got more and more possessive but that was only because your friend was also going out of his way to act extra affectionate towards you, for example ruffling your hair as he passed by you, or putting on your favorite songs while he helped you cook.

Then, Marc would be struggling to contain his laughter when after those acts, Max would pull you onto his lap while watching movies in the evening and kiss you for a bit too long when he left for the bathroom.

The day Marc left, as he was saying his goodbyes and thank yous, he whispered quickly in your ear to let him know how Max reacts and right them and there, you almost lost it and burst out in laughter but you bit your tongue and pushed the urge away, watched the firm handshake Max was giving Marc with a glare and a smirk on his face.

When he shut the door and turned towards you, he was quick to complain again.

“Even his name is fucking similar to mine.” He huffed and started walking back to the living room.

Smiling, you trailed after him slowly.

“Max…” you started, dragging his name on.

“What’s with the tone?” He sat on the couch and gestured for you to join him.

Taking a seat by him, you spoke: “I need to tell you something.”

With an anxious look now on his face, he told you to continue.

“Marc is gay.” You giggled and watched his expression change into disbelief.

“No.” He said in surprise.

“Yes, babe.” You burst out laughing.

“That’s not funny. You should’ve told me.” He pouted.

You moved onto his lap and wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Oh, c’mon. It’s kinda funny.”

“No, it’s not.”

“It is.” You kissed his pouting lips, laughing a bit into the kiss.

“It kinda is. And i like it when you’re jealous.” You reassured between pecks.

“You do?” He smiled slightly.

“I do.”

“I can still be jealous, you know?”

You tried arguing that there was no excuse for him to be now but as he carried you to the bedroom, he insisted that he could still act as if he was, a suggestion you agreed on quickly, feeling him start to kiss your neck.

“It’s kinda funny though, right?” You tried again as he pushed the bedroom door open then laid you down on the bed.

“It’s not.” He kissed you deeply, biting on your lip, “and i suggest you stop saying it is so you don’t make our next activities” he smirked, “harder for yourself.”

Laughing, you nodded and relaxed into the kiss, knowing that the past few days were something you’d remember forever and that Max would start to find the humor in their happenings soon enough.

[peachhcs]

The 5 times Neteyam loved you and the 1 time he said it.

Neteyam x fem!reader

Word count: 15.6k 😳

Summary: pretty self explanatory I think, but the 5 times Neteyam loved you and the 1 time he finally said it 😌

Warnings: near character death, talk of absent parents, gun & knife violence, blood

ITS FINALLY HERE!! THE LONG AWAITED 15k+ fic I took like a week to write 😭 This is cliche but I haven’t seen anyone else do this prompt before. I listened to the people and put this into one large fic, so I hope y’all like it!! The ending is..a little rocky, but it’s what you get after forcing myself to finish this. There is a prologue in this & I wasn’t originally going to include it, but I liked it too much to delete it from the story LOL

If you guys want a Lo’ak version, I have one in the drafts, but idk if that is something y’all want. My requests for fic ideas are open, so send some in if y’all want! Thanks for all the love!! (ps, not quite proof read so if there’s some spelling or grammatical errors my apologies)

MASTERLIST

PROLOGUE.

It was no doubt that you were an extreme pleaser. Growing up as the eldest sibling to your parent’s five, it was your job to stay in line. Set the example. Follow the rules. Be the golden child. It was the whole reason why you and Neteyam bonded so quickly when you met.

He knew how it felt to be the perfect one. You both carried the same burden, the same pressure, the same expectations set by your parents. All you wanted was to please them and get the praise you desperately craved.

You saw Neteyam for a few weeks now. It started one day in the woods when you were out exploring. Foana and Ni`awtu insisted going out into the forest. You knew being the eldest that you couldn’t possibly leave them to their own devices, so you reluctantly followed after them.

That same afternoon, the Sully kids decided embarking on their own expedition. The clan was so large and spread out in nearly every part of the forest that you hardly knew every single person. You knew of the Sully children and their great father Jake, the Olo’eyktan and Toruk Makto, however you did not know them.

Everything changed for you and your siblings that afternoon when Foana wandered off. You had no idea that a certain Sully boy would change the entire trajectory of your life that day.

You were distracted with admiring the beautiful flora that you didn’t even realize your younger sister disappeared. A tiny tug on your tail made you spin around, hissing at Ni`awtu standing shyly behind you.

��Ni, what do you want?” You answered annoyed that she interrupted your gazing. Seeing her little worried features made you scrap any annoyance you ever possessed in the first place.

“It is Foana. I do not know where she went.” The fear laced through the young girl’s voice. Your eyes shot up, now realizing that the youngest sibling was no longer around the two of you.

To make matters even worse, you only brought your knife with you expecting a quick and short trip.

“Ni`awtu, you were supposed to be watching her at all times. Argh.” You pushed past her, beginning to sniff out any possible trails Foana may wandered off on.

“I am sorry, sister. I swear, I thought she was right behind me.” The familiar wobble of Ni’s voice and her trembling hands told you she was close to tears. Sighing, you collected her into your arms.

“Do not worry, it is not your fault. We will find her.” Being the eldest meant you could not be mad at your little siblings for long. You also could not let them take the blame for things—even if it was their fault at times. That was just what came with growing up as the eldest. You took nearly all the blame.

The two of you walked the tree lines, scanning every possible inch for that little rascal. She hardly knew the forest like you, so she couldn’t have been too far. If anything, she was probably cowering underneath a leaf or behind a tree because she did not know where she was anymore.

Your ears perked up when you heard voices ahead. In a quick maneuver, you shoved your sister behind you incase it was a threat. Not many from your clan ventured this far out into the forest by the old shack. It was forbidden by the Olo’eyktan—so whoever was ahead couldn’t possibly be Na’vi.

There was a tiny laugh, though. It caught you off guard and your defenses fell for just a moment. There came another laugh, louder and one you recognized this time.

“Foana.” You muttered and ran ahead through the brush.

When you came through clearing, you grew surprised seeing your little sister playing around with another younger Na’vi girl.

“Y/N, look! I made a friend!” Little Foana sensed your presence and motioned towards the other little girl. She smiled up at you with a toothy grin.

“Foana, what in Eywa are you doing all the way out here? You do not wander away from me or your sister.” Your mom voice came out, loud and booming. The little one looked down in shame realizing she was in trouble.

“I am sorry, sister. I did not mean to. I just..I saw a flying lizard and had to follow it. I found her on the way.” She stuck out a thumb at other girl. Another sigh escaped your lips knowing she must’ve also strayed off her path and probably had people looking for her as well.

“Tuk! There you are! Why did you wander off?” A new voice entered the scene. She raced past you, scooping up the girl in her arms.

“Sorry, Kiri. I found a friend, though.” Tuk pointed at your sister who gave a similar toothy grin and a wave.

“It is okay, sister. Just make sure you tell someone next time, okay? Neteyam, I found her, it is okay.” You didn’t realized there was entire group behind you now. Two boys, no three boys, stood behind you. Two Na’vi and the singular human boy you knew lived around here.

“Tuk, I told you to keep up with us.” The shorter Na’vi boy went past you to ruffle up her little braids.

You hadn’t moved a single muscle since their sudden arrival. You were too awestruck in the way they comforted the girl. Neither of them showed any signs of anger or annoyance that she wandered off. It was so unfamiliar to you—all of that sincerity and comfort to one another.

“Oh, please excuse us. I am so sorry. I am Kiri. This is Tuk, Lo’ak, Neteyam, and Spider behind you.” The girl that came in first finally acknowledged your presence with a warm smile as she introduced what must’ve been her siblings.

“Oh, no need for apologies. I am Y/N. This is Ni`awtu and Foana.” You did a bow of greeting which your sisters quickly followed after.

“It seems as though our sisters have befriended one another. We were so worried when we realized she had wandered off.” Kiri laughed and pinched Tuk’s little nose. You smiled at the affection.

“Yes, us too. I was glad I found them both unharmed.” You pulled your sisters closer, trying to show a tiny bit of affection like the other siblings displayed.

“Let’s just be glad we didn’t need to call dad in. He would have beaten our asses if we told him we lost Tuk.” Lo’ak laughed and then his older brother smacked him on the head. The unfamiliar terms and use of some English words intrigued you. Not many Na’vi knew English besides the Olo’eyktan—obviously being from the sky.

You began putting two and two together. The five fingers of Lo’ak and Kiri. Lo’ak’s use of English phrases you didn’t quite understand. These were the Sully children. The Olo’eyktan’s kids.

“Oh my Eywa, I am sorry. You are children of the Olo’eyktan. It is a pleasure to meet you.” You rushed out, flushed you had not picked up on it beforehand. You bowed again, urging your sisters to do the same.

“Woah, we’ve never been greeted like that before.” Lo’ak snickered and the older boy hit his head again.

“Lo’ak, stop it. Do not apologize. We are Omatikaya as much as you are. It is really our father who gets bowed to.” The older one spoke to you in a kind tone that had your face heating up in a way it had never done before.

“Well, it is still a great pleasure to meet all of you.” He grinned at you. There was something igniting inside of you just looking at his smile. Something you had never felt before.

“Can Foana and I have a playdate sometime?” Tuk spoke to you, her little voice adorable as ever. However, you were unfamiliar with the term she used.

“Playdate means like a hang out.” Kiri must’ve seen your confusion. You quickly nodded.

“Of course, anytime as long as neither of you wander off again.” You joked some, smiling down at your little sister. She grinned excitedly.

“Perfect, you may bring her over anytime or we can bring Tuk over. She has been so excited to start making new friends ever since our parents allowed her to go out more.” Kiri was so soft spoken and so gentle. Her presence alone just made you feel so warm and welcomed.

“You could bring your other siblings, too. You have two others, right?” Lo’ak spoke up more. You quickly nodded, a bit surprised he even knew that. It wasn’t like your family was well known like they were.

“Tsanten and Naria.” You did not miss the way Lo’ak’s face blushed at the mention of Naria.

“Well, bring them all and even yourself, we love the company.” Kiri beamed and you couldn’t help but smile yourself.

You hardly received invitations out often. You were always busy taking care of your siblings, cleaning up, staying in, following your parents’ orders. It didn’t leave much room for fun and going out.

Neteyam was still glancing in your direction. He just couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away from your pretty hair flowing loosely down your back, or the way your eyes lit up when Kiri extended the invitation to you and the rest of your siblings.

He knew of your family through passing here and there. You were the eldest, just like him, yet he never saw you out much. Either you were hidden away in your tent, or out hunting. He knew you were a hunter because Beyral spoke of your name often.

You intrigued him. He liked the way the confusion floated over your face when Lo’ak or Tuk used phrases you didn’t understand. He liked the protective nature you held over every single one of your siblings—similar to him. How you held them close to you. He wanted to know more about you. He wanted to make you smile again because it sent an unfamiliar feeling of butterflies in his stomach that he enjoyed.

He wanted more of you. If only the two of you knew what your future held.

ONE.

Neteyam was protective over everything in his life—his parents, his siblings, and now you. Being the eldest, especially to the Olo’eyktan, it was his job becoming the protector when his father wasn’t there.

He fought off anyone who poked fun at Lo’ak or Kiri for having five fingers. He made sure someone was with Tuk at all times when she went out to the forest. He helped his mother anytime she asked whether it was with food or his siblings.

There was no denying how similar the two of you were. It was what drew him to you. You held the same protective nature as him. You took care of your siblings the same way he did. You understood the burdens he carried because you held them high on your shoulders as well.

It was when the two of you were together that he could let go of everything, even if it was just for a little bit. When the day was done and everyone was sound asleep for the night, tucked safely into their tents was when the two of you snuck out to spend time together.

It was more of a private relationship for the time being. Being the next Olo’eyktan in line, Neteyam knew that if he told people he was seeing someone it would spread like wildfire across the village. People would start talking and they probably wouldn’t ever leave you alone once the word was out. He wasn’t sure if you wanted that on top of everything else and if he was being honest, he wanted you to himself just a little while longer.

His feet worked quickly jumping from tree branch to tree branch. The luminescent forest was his guiding light through the night and he took one final swing to his destination. When he got his footing, there you were right where you met almost every night.

Your back was slumped against the tree and you hadn’t noticed him yet, instead, your gaze was focused on the glimmering stars above. Every time, Neteyam was so in awe of you. He knew how stressed you were throughout the day having to do this and that, so seeing you here waiting for him in the most relaxed state gave him a sense of pride.

“Oh, hi.” You finally noticed his looming presence. The boy grinned, walking towards you.

“Hi, sorry I am late. I had to make sure Tuk was truly asleep for the night.” The sound of your laugh made his heart swell in his chest. He snuggled himself in beside you with his head resting on your stomach.

When you put your hands across his back, all of his muscles finally relaxed. The stress slowly dissipated and everything felt right being in your arms. During the day, he was a leader who held no fear. At night when he was with you like this, none of that mattered. He didn’t have to put on the facade for you.

“She never falls asleep on time. I think she is afraid she will miss out on something. Foana is the same way.” He hummed when he felt your other hand begin brushing through his braids.

“That explains why she is always following Lo’ak and Kiri around.” Your stomach rumbled with laughter again and the vibrations were so calming to Neteyam. If he could, he would have your laugh on repeat.

“Your training, how did that go today?” Another thing Neteyam adored about you was how you never failed to ask him about his day. Any detail he told you, you remembered and talked about it the next night. He had never been listened to like that before. It made everything inside of him feel warm and appreciated like he had a purpose.

“It was okay. I think dad is getting mad at me because I can not seem to understand things as fast as he wants me to.” Neteyam sat himself up so he could look at you properly. His back fell against the tree in the same way yours did, still keeping your bodies close.

“You will get it, do not worry. It takes time learning all the ways of the Olo’eyktan. Your father probably struggled as much as you did once.” You clutched his bicep to give it a comforting squeeze. Neteyam’s gaze fell away to the sky, though. His mind beginning to turn elsewhere.

“Yes, but he was already strong when he fell into the position. He was an adult already. I am merely a teenager still.” He heard you scoff beside him.

“You are just as strong, Neteyam. Do not tell yourself you are not. You are learning and your father just wants what is best for you.” You always knew what to say to him to make him feel better. His gaze finally fell back to you, your gentle gaze making his face blush.

“I think my parents are catching up to the fact that I may be seeing someone.” You giggled, looking away as you changed subjects. Neteyam, however, stiffened up at your words.

“What do you say?”

“Well, I just laugh it off and say I am not. They do not ask much more after that.” He could not read your expression because you weren’t looking at him. He didn’t know if you were upset you had to deny it or something entirely different.

He certainly wished he didn’t have to be so private about his personal life, but he was afraid his mother wound disapprove—not that there was anything to disapprove of you. It was mostly the others in the clan. People would start talking. They would start seeking you out. You would have to start learning the ways of Tsahik, maybe (Hopefully in his mind). He wanted to make sure you were completely comfortable to be put into such a spotlight like he was before anything was really said about the two of you.

“Neteyam? Are you alright?” Your voice snapped him from his thoughts. You were already looking at him when he met your pretty golden eyes.

“Yes, sorry. I was lost in thought.” He gave you a gentle smile to reassure you.

“About what?” You loved to pick his brain though. His expression twisted and he found the need to place his arm around you and pull you closer towards him. Your head fell absently against his chest.

“It is not important.” He had this thing where he would sometimes hide his emotions from you. He did not want to burden you with this one right now.

“I feel like it is, though. I will not make you tell me, but you can if you want to.” Another feature he absolutely adored about you. You never pried, but made it known that he could tell you anything. He squeezed you a tiny bit closer as if there was anymore space left between you two.

“Are-are you..upset that our relationship is not..for the entire clan to know?” He blurted and then avoided your gaze so he wouldn’t see your expression.

“No, not necessarily. I like the privacy.” You answered honestly, but Neteyam wasn’t sure if he believed it yet or not.

“Are you lying?” You sat up more to look at him. He was gnawing at his lip, worried that you were lying.

If he could give you the world, he would. He wanted to give you everything. He wanted to show you off and take you on dates that weren’t in the dark. He wanted to hold your hand and kiss you in front of people so they knew you were his. However, he could not do any of that in fear that someone would be mean to you or say rude things. The entire clan was kind, but there were few who said things when they did not approve. Neteyam only knew because he heard the things people said about his father when he became Olo’eyktan.

He is demon blood. How would he know how to lead a clan?

Can we really trust him with our people?

What does she see in him?

Those children, they are demon blood. Five fingers.

They are not true Na’vi.

He could only imagine the things they could say when he announced his possible chosen woman. He wanted to keep you out of that. He wanted to protect you from it as much as he could.

“No, I am not lying. Why would I lie?” You gave a small chuckle; however, Neteyam was still not eased.

“Right, sorry. You would not lie about that.” He looked down, embarrassed he even thought you would lie to him. A gentle hand cupped his face and directed his attention back to you.

“What is going on in that head of yours? Tell me, it seems to be bothering you.” You observed his entire face and Neteyam was flushing under your intense stare.

He took your hands in his, squeezing gently and blowing out a long breath.

“I want to give you the world, but I can not. I only do not tell people about our relationship because I am afraid they will say things we do not like. I do not want them to hurt you and say things like they do about my father and mother. That is the only reason I have kept us from them. Not because I am embarrassed or anything of you.” Neteyam spilled his entire heart to you right then and there. He watched your face for a reaction and subconsciously prepared for a negative one.

Instead, you just grinned and stroked his hand with your thumb.

“I did not think you were embarrassed of me. I know you have a lot on your mind all the time. You do not need to explain yourself to me. I do not mind keeping our relationship private.” Your head tilted to the side, still grinning.

“I just want to make sure you are completely ready to have every eye on our relationship when and if we tell people. It is a lot of pressure and people will be talking. I do not want to just push you into that if you are not ready.” Neteyam continued.

“I am ready whenever you are ready. You worry too much about me.” You laughed and Neteyam’s head fell against your chest. You cradled the back of his head with a smile.

“So you are sure you are ready to handle it? You can tell me no.” He looked back up at you, scanning your face for any possible secret resentment you weren’t telling him.

“You forget I have thick skin. I grew up with parents who were perfecting my every move. If I can take them, I think I can handle being your girlfriend in public.”

It was then that Neteyam knew you were it for him. You held no fear in your eyes that he seemed to be harboring deep down in his depths. You were ready to be by his side under any circumstance.

He brought your face into his hands so he could pull you forward for a kiss. It was everything he could not say and everything he wanted you to know. The night was young and so were you two in that moment.

TWO.

Tonight was a big night as Neteyam ran around the hut like some mad person. He was shoving Tuk’s toys away, cleaning every single space, forcing his family to be on their best behavior—especially Lo’ak.

You were joining his family for dinner so they could properly meet you. Despite all of his siblings already knowing you, it was his parents who did not have much knowledge about you. It was mostly just name in passing, but one they never asked much about.

When Neteyam told his parents he was even seeing someone in the first place, their reactions were pretty priceless.

“Hey, mom, dad?” The eldest Sully walked into their hut while his parents worked away at their own separate projects. They turned his way at the sound of his voice.

“Yes, what it is ma son?” Neytiri questioned. The boy was flushed and picking at his fingers, unsure of how to even approach the subject.

It wasn’t that his parents were against him dating around, but he had never shown much interest beforehand, so he wasn’t sure how they were going to react now.

“I..I um-well, you see, I met this girl a few weeks ago. She is very kind, strong, intelligent, a hunter. I-I would like you to meet her one night over a dinner, maybe?” He carefully watched for their reactions.

His mother, wide-eyed, looked over at her husband. They exchanged a few glances, probably speaking with their eyes, but Neteyam had no idea what they were silently saying. He worried it was bad things.

“Oh! Yes, yes, of course. We would love to meet this girl. Who is she? Is she Omatikaya? Does she live around here?” His mother stood, embracing him while asking the hundred questions she had. His father sat back with a tiny, proud smile on his lips.

“Her name is Y/n. She is just a few huts down. She is a great hunter and warrior. Beyral speaks of her sometimes.” Neteyam explained your background as best as he could. Both of his parents were beaming widely.

“Yes, I have heard that name a few times before. She sounds wonderful, I am so excited to meet her. I had no idea you were seeing someone.” Neytiri was the most enthusiastic for her eldest. He had nearly reached all of his requirements that would make him one of the People and it was only a matter of time before he would begin looking for a future mate.

Tuk went on all day about her excitement that you would be joining them tonight. Neytiri worked all day preparing a great meal with the help of Kiri.

“Bro, I can’t believe you never told us about dating around with Y/n.” Lo’ak snickered as he helped with some of the cleaning. He earned a slap on his head for that comment.

“Well, it was not much of your business, was it?” Neteyam retorted and the younger brother only shrugged.

“I knew you were sneaking out late at night. I could just never have proof.” Another snicker and another slap. Lo’ak finally let up on his annoying teasing.

“Tuk!!” A little scream broke the boys from their conversation. Nearly everyone in the hut looked over to see a little Na’vi girl run in. Tuk was smiling widely, bringing her friend in for a hug.

“Foana! What did I say?—“ Suddenly, you appeared, grabbing at your youngest sister. Neteyam noticed your other three siblings just behind you. You met his eyes before darting them over to his parents who were glancing your way. Your entire face flushed.

“I am so sorry. Foana begged me to bring her to say hello to Tuk and then..well, I could not leave everyone else out.” You quickly explained yourself in small embarrassment. Neteyam rushed to greet you.

“Tsanten, Naria, what’s up?” Lo’ak happily got up to greet your other siblings. Ni`awtu stood shyly behind your back.

“I am so sorry for them.” You whispered to Neteyam when he was close enough. He only grinned.

“Do not apologize.” He kissed your cheek and then stepped aside for his mother who approached.

“It is nice to finally meet you, Y/n. I have heard many things.” Neteyam watched the exchange, still a tiny bit nervous for his parents approval of you. You smiled, nerves also evident behind your eyes.

“It is so nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Sully. I have heard so many things about you.” You bowed your head using the I see you gesture.

“Please, call me Neytiri. It is so nice to meet all of your siblings, as well.” She grinned again at the other little kids talking with her own children.

“Oh, thank you. They will not be staying, they just begged me to bring them to say hello.” You rushed out, eyeing each one of them to make sure they were being well-behaved in the home of the Olo’eyktan.

“Oh please, we have so much food. They can stay.” Your eyes shot to Neteyam. He only gave you a small shrug, ultimately it being your decision. He figured it would be easier to get your siblings’ introductions out of the way now too.

“Oh, no, you do not have to do that.” You shook your head, but Neytiri was persistent.

“It is no trouble. I insist.” She gently touched your arm. Neteyam could tell you were not used to such hospitality. He also touched your arm and you glanced his way. He nodded, saying if his mother thought it was okay, then it was okay for them to stay.

If anything, it would hopefully keep Lo’ak out of trouble or saying things he shouldn’t if he had other people to talk to that he liked. That was Neteyam’s biggest concern of the night, really.

“Okay, thank you, really.” You thanked Neytiri by bowing your head once more. She grinned and then walked away.

Jake came next to greet you. Neteyam knew you were worrying about him more than anything. He was Olo’eyktan and Toruk Makto after all and it was the most important to get his approval.

“Hello, Y/n. I am glad to finally meet you.” You bowed to him which he did the same back.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Neteyam watched as you urged your siblings to bow before his father as well. They listened to you, doing as told.

You held such power over the little ones, but not in a bad way. Neteyam wondered if they listened to you more than your own parents. You had told him many stories of you becoming the main parent for your siblings growing up. Your parents were very absent. They were always on hunting trips, so it often left you caring for them. The eldest Sully could tell it wore you down—slumped shoulders, tired eyes, callouses on each of your hands, cuts, and bruises.

“Please, please, come in. Make yourselves at home. Our hut is your hut.” Jake ushered all of you in further. You smiled at him, not quite understanding the phrase, but you knew it was a kind one by his tone and expression.

“Y/n! Y/n! Guess what I did this week?” Tuk grabbed at your arm. You smiled down at her and crouched to her eye level.

“What did the mighty Tuk do this week?” Neteyam smiled at the way you ruffled up her hair.

“I caught my very first fish!” The little girl jumped up and down in excitement.

“That is amazing, Tuk! I am so proud of you!” You squeezed her tightly.

“Tell her how big it was.” Neteyam encouraged. His little sister held out her arms wider than herself. Your eyes widened.

“No way. That is bigger than you!” She giggled in excitement.

“I know! Everyone was so excited for me.”

“I certainly hope they were. That is a great accomplishment little Tuk.” You stood and Neteyam beamed at you. He saw your face flush a bit.

“You know she adores you, right?” He reached up to push some of your hair away from your eyes. You were wearing it loose like usual and some of it was pinned back with little petals hooked into it.

You blushed again. Neteyam loved how he could always make you blush like that.

The night went on just the way Neteyam planned. His parents asked you and your siblings many questions which you all happily answered. Just by the smiles and exchanges, Neteyam knew his parents loved you already which relieved him. He was worried something would go wrong. Lo’ak even managed to keep his comments to a minimal and mostly because he didn’t want to look like some fool in front of Naria.

Later, after helping his mom clean up, Neteyam went looking for you. He stopped short when he saw you sitting with Tuk, Foana, and Ni`awtu. You were playing some game with some sticks with them. There was a large smile on your face as you laughed at what Tuk would say. Even your sister, Ni`awtu, was smiling despite how shy she came off as.

Neteyam felt a hand come around his back. His mother appeared next to him, also watching the scene unfold. The sun began to set and eclipse was near. The forest was illuminating around you four. It was the prettiest sight Neteyam had ever seen—you with his little sister playing her games she always made up.

“She is a wonderful woman, Neteyam.” He smiled, glancing his mother’s way for a moment.

“So you like her?”

“We love her. If you do decide one day, she will make a great mate.” A small wave of relief washed through the older boy. He was so glad his parents approved of you.

Now it was just a matter of telling the rest of the clan. He knew most of them would be as supportive as his parents, but there was always the handful that had something to say. Neteyam would do his best to protect you from those who would say things.

Although, for now he would just enjoy the scene in front of him. He wanted to keep the warm feeling bubbling up in his chest for as long as possible. You were utterly perfect in his eyes.

“Neteyam! Come join us!” Tuk had noticed his presence. His mother squeezed his arm before letting him go. You made room for him to join the circle. The two of you exchanged a glance, knowing exactly what the other was saying.

You were definitely a keeper.

THREE.

Neteyam knew you were an excellent fighter. You were the best in the age group every time you went for trainings. He was always so in awe anytime he watched you skillfully use your bow and arrow to hit the targets on the ground from above. Or, your stealth as you dodged in and out of the trees. He knew he could never be as great of a fighter as you were.

However, with that also came the fear he held every time you left to go on missions. This one in particular was an especially dangerous one. His father appointed you to the head and it even shocked Neteyam a bit when he was told to hang back on this one but you were going.

You sat on the ground between his legs as he worked separate little braids into your hair for you. The only time you ever wore braids was for these missions or when you went hunting.

Neteyam did not want you to know he was worrying and playing every single worse case scenario in his head, so he kept quiet as his fingers worked quickly through your hair. However, his leg was bouncing right beside your head and that was hard for you to keep ignoring.

“Neteyam, are you alright?” You placed your hand over his knee. He realized it was bouncing and quickly stopped.

“Yes, I am fine.” You twisted your head around, pausing his braiding for a moment. The look on your face told him you didn’t believe him.

“Liar. What is wrong? Tell me.” You urged and Neteyam knew he couldn’t keep being quiet anymore.

“I am just worried is all. It always happens when you leave for missions like these.” He admitted, forcing a smile so you didn’t see all of his worry. You frowned a bit.

“You know you have nothing to worry about. I am a warrior. I always have been. When have I not come back from one of these?” Your tone was more of a “duh” tone. It didn’t ease Neteyam’s fear though.

“You never know what can happen, though.” He quickly make his defense. Instead of meeting your eyes, he just continued to work away at your hair.

“I suppose I do not, but you trust me, right? You trust your father. He would not send me into something dangerous.” Of course, Neteyam trusted both of you. It was the Sky People he had no trust in. He had seen them fight and the way they always had the upper hand with their crazy machine guns.

“Of course, but I am even not going. Is that not saying something?” He made a face and you were unsure what to say.

Neteyam finished off the last of your braids. The ends jingled together with the beads he added in. They were some of his own and he smiled at the fact that you two were going to match.

He turned you around and dipped his fingers into the bowl of paint beside his leg. You stayed still as he traced it around your face. He thought how jealous Lo’ak would be that you got to wear the war paint he didn’t on missions.

The two of you were silent. The feeling in the air changed ever since you didn’t know how to respond to Neteyam’s last statement.

You stood to look at yourself in the mirror when your face was done. The blue and yellow streaks went down your cheeks and around your eyes.

“Here, do not forget these.” Neteyam stood with your riding visor. He gently reached up to hook it around your ears.

You never flew with a riding visor, but then Neteyam made you one because he was worried about the wind drying out your eyes. You had happily accepted his very thoughtful gift and ever since then, you never rode without it.

“I am a warrior. I will make it back.” He felt comfort in the way you squeezed his arm. Your gaze was on him with a reassuring expression.

“I know you will. I just worry about you.” He cupped your face into his hands, bringing you towards him more.

“I have been doing this my whole life. I have my transmitter, too, so you will be able to listen in.” You placed the collar just above your necklaces and then hooked the earpiece into your ear. Neteyam remembered how thrilled you were when Jake gifted it you.

“We’re off in five minutes, everyone. Be ready!” Jake spoke through your ear. You glanced towards the opening where others headed out to their ikrans.

Neteyam brought your forehead against his. He closed his eyes, breathing you in and savoring every single detail about you just in case.

“Good luck. Be safe.” You smiled at his Earth phrases and brushed your hand along his cheek.

“I will see you soon.” He brought you in for one more kiss. His lips worked a bit rough like it was the last kiss he would give you. He was worrying that much.

You were the one to pull away, knowing you had to be out there very soon. He leaned into your touch when you kissed his cheek and then hurried out of his grasp. Neteyam hurried outside of your hut to watch you take off.

His dad took the lead as he dove off the cliff first. You were quick to follow, disappearing from his view almost immediately. Others in the clan who stayed behind clapped for the war party. Neteyam’s worry was only piling higher in his stomach, already anxiously awaiting your return.

—

Hours felt like days in his mind as he paced around his own hut. Tuk was in the corner playing with her toys and Kiri eyed on her older brother as he paced.

“Brother, you need to stop worrying so much. You know she will make it back. Y/n is very strong.” Kiri tried reassuring the anxious boy in front of her.

“I know, I know. This mission was a dangerous one, though. Dad did not even let Lo’ak and I go, yet he had Y/n go?” The logic still didn’t make much sense in Neteyam’s head. He wasn’t trying to discredit your abilities, but if you were going, he should’ve at least came along too.

“You have to remember that Y/n has been a warrior her whole life. Even when she was a kid. She was out hunting when she could walk. This is in her nature. Your father knows that and he knows she is a very useful asset to this mission.” His mother piped in from the other side of the hut. He didn’t even known she was listening to the conversation.

“Yeah, what mom said. She’s been fighting like this her whole life. She knows how to handle herself.” Kiri added on.

“Yeah, plus, she doesn’t always need you at her side and call.” Lo’ak had piped in now and Neteyam glared at him. Since when did his whole family become involved in this conversation.

“I am just trying to protect her.” He said in defense to what his younger brother said. Lo’ak just shrugged.

“Ma son, I know it is scary to not know what is happening, but we need to trust the Great Mother and everyone on that mission. They know what they are doing.” Neytiri squeezed Neteyam’s arm for comfort. The boy sighed, but nodded.

As if on cue, people started shouting outside of their hut. In the distance, ikran calls filled their ears. Neteyam instantly knew what that meant—the war party was returning. Everyone in the hut ran outside to greet them and check for any major injuries if any.

Jake’s ikran landed roughly atop the rocky cliff. You flew in not a moment later. The crowds were thick around the edge and it was hard to truly see what was going on. Being as tall as he was, Neteyam still could not see that well past the others trying to get a closer look.

He did not know where you were. You must have gotten down from your ikran, because it’s back was empty and there was no sign of you. Neteyam tried to push through some of the crowd, but it wasn’t much use because no one wanted to move.

“I heard it was bad. Many people were injured.”

“I can not believe he let that little girl go on such a dangerous mission.”

“This was one of their toughest missions yet.”

The words floated around his head as he heard people muttering to one another. He tried not to picture the worst for you. You had made it back, he knew that, but were you severely injured? Neteyam’s heart was practically beating a hole in his chest trying to find you.

Finally, he caught sight of some familiar braids and war paint near the edge of the crowd. He recognized Tsanten and Ni`awtu at your side hugging you.

“Y/n!” He finally was able to break out of the group. He hurried to you, joining in on your siblings’ group hug. He felt the way you clutched the back of his head with one hand and the other held onto his arm with a firm grip.

“Are you okay? Are you injured?” Neteyam pulled back to back to examine your face for any injuries.

Despite the minor cuts and scrapes, nothing looked too alarming to his knowledge. You had a pretty large gnash on your back, but it wasn’t bleeding out profusely or anything.

“No, I am not injured. Just scraped up.” You gave him a tiny smile. He was glad he got to see that again as he cupped your face and placed a quick peck onto your lips.

“Come on, I am sure Mo’at has medicine for these cuts.” You let Neteyam lead you away from the crowds and back to the huts. He sat you down on the ground and then disappeared to find his grandmother.

When he returned he had a handful of herbs, creams, oils, and bandages in his arms. You giggled at the sight.

“I did not think you were much of a healer.” He dropped everything at your side and then kneeled down to your level.

“Well my grandmother is the Tsahik after all. I happen to know one or two things.” Neteyam argued, his lips dancing with a tiny smile.

He gently worked to take your visor off and then wiped away the war paint. He knew you didn’t like to talk about the missions right away, so he enjoyed the comfortable silence between you two instead.

Neteyam’s hands were gentle as he rubbed the special herbs against your skin. You would occasionally hiss when it hurt a little bit more and he would mumble something about how he was almost done and you were doing so well.

He certainly wasn’t a healer like his grandmother or Kiri who had a special hand at medicine, but it meant a lot to both of you when he would heal your wounds for youor, when you would heal his after a long hunting day.

“Many, many people got hurt today.” You spoke after some silence. Neteyam hummed behind you.

“It was that bad?”

“Their machines are just so powerful. We are no match with our bows and arrows sometimes. They had to have known we were coming because they attacked back at us so harshly.” You shook your head some and Neteyam knew there was vivid images replaying in your mind.

“It is so hard to understand why they want us dead. If they were just a bit kinder then maybe there could be more peace worked out.” You continued on with your little rant, frustration becoming set in your body language. Your shoulders fell tense under the Sully boy’s hands.

“You know how hard they have tried with us. Someone always gets hurt. I suppose after all the failed efforts they have no other choice but violence, unfortunately.” Neteyam knew all about the schools his mother once attended in her earlier years. It seemed like the Sky People tried making an effort, but nothing ever held permanently.

“I know, it is just so frustrating. Tsanten and Naria are growing to that age where they will be old enough to go out on their own. I worry for them and what those demons could do to them.” A scowl sat on your face. Neteyam turned you around, cupping your face in his hands.

“I know how terrifying it can be. I worry for my siblings everyday, but you are very strong and you will be able to teach them well.” You smiled, but it didn’t stay for long as you casted your gaze away from him.

“I just wish I was not the one to always do it. My parents pay no attention to them anymore. They are always away. It should not be my job to teach my siblings every single life skill they will ever need.” You pushed yourself up from the ground, leaving Neteyam’s grasp.

He watched you wander to the entryway where you stared at the people moving about outside. Many were still tending to those who were wounded more worse than you.

Neteyam wasn’t a complete open book, but when he was with you, he felt comfortable enough to share the things bothering him the most. You, on the other hand, had a more harder time opening up to him. He knew you trusted him, but he couldn’t pull everything from you. He knew you parents were strict and absent people, always being away, which is why you held so much responsibility and burden. However, he didn’t know much more than that. You always closed it off.

Hearing what you were saying now, though, it was more than what you would usually say. Neteyam got up to join you at the entryway.

“You are right, it should not be your job, but unfortunately it is. You do a great job at teaching them and raising them.” His hand fell against your back. You leaned a tiny bit closer to him while your gaze was on Foana and Tuk a few feet away.

“I worry that they think I am too hard on them, but I am really just trying to help them survive on their own.” In that moment, Neteyam realized something. His whole life, his parents taught him how to hunt, fish, make kills, but their biggest motto was “Sully’s stick together.”

While yes, he was learning things on his own, he was also learning that he wouldn’t have to be alone because his family would always have his back. You did not have that.

You were the one who would always have your siblings’ back, but they wouldn’t always necessarily have yours. You were teaching them to survive on their own, not to depend on one another like he was taught growing up. Independence was a key feature of your family dynamic. Dependence was the key feature of his family dynamic.

“You are not too hard on them. You are doing what you know and hoping they will learn it too. It is a great feature to know you will always be dependable for them. However, you can always depend on me if you ever needed something.” You met his gaze and Neteyam smiled warmly at you.

“Your words are too kind. Thank you, my love.” Neteyam’s ears perked up. He had never heard that nickname before from you. You giggled upon seeing his surprised reaction.

“No, thank you, pretty girl.” He engulfed his arms around your shoulders to bring you into his chest. You chuckled and he knew you didn’t quite understand his nickname he gave you, but it didn’t matter.

He thought that maybe you going out on these missions weren’t so bad as long as he was the one to patch you up afterwards—and he always was going to be the one patching you up every. single. time.

FOUR.

Neteyam ventured out on a day-long hunting expedition with his father, brother, and even your own little brother. You remembered how excited Tsanten was when Jake approached him one night to ask if he wanted to tag along to get some pointers from the older guys.

It warmed your heart to see Neteyam’s family being so welcome to your own. Tsanten didn’t have your dad to take him out like this, so being able to finally go out was like a dream come true for him, especially with the Olo’eyktan.

You had a pretty slow day considering Neytiri decided to take Tuk, Kiri, and your other three sisters out for what she liked to call a “girls day.” She extended the invite to you, but you figured with everyone out of the hut was a great opportunity to get some cleaning done.

With a job that would usually take hours, it only took about two and you were done by noon. Toys were put away; the rug was cleaned; things were put back where they belonged—the entire hut looked spotless.

You ended up venturing over to the Sully residence to see if Neytiri and the girls returned yet. You thought it was empty approaching since it was practically silent until you saw Mo’at sitting near the back grinding some of her herbs together.

She caught your eye before you could walk away. You had never really spoken to the Tsahik before. Most times, you would send your siblings in if they had gotten hurt and waited outside for them. You knew she was a woman of few words despite being so highly respected within the clan.

You bowed to her.

“You must be Neteyam’s…oh what do they say..girlfriend?” The older woman cracked a tiny smile causing you to flush.

“I suppose so, yes. I apologize for interrupting you.” You nodded to her bowl of herbs. She waved you off though, beckoning you inside.

“I come here sometimes to get away when I want to be alone. There is always someone bursting into my hut needing fixing.” You smiled a bit, sitting down beside the older Na’vi.

“I understand. It is always nice to get away sometimes.” She smiled, glad you understood her.

You felt a bit strange being in Neteyam’s home without him there. Ever since the family dinner, you had only been over a handful of times, so being here alone with just his grandmother was definitely different. The usual organized chaos that filtered through his home was replaced with tranquility as the day grew shorter.

“You are a hunter and warrior correct?” Mo’at spoke up again. Flushing that she knew that about you, you nodded.

“Those are very useful skills to have as a Na’vi like you. I am impressed, especially with how much my grandson tells me about you.” She waved her finger around. You were sure that if Neteyam was here he would be embarrassed she had said that.

“Thank you, Mo’at. My parents grew up that way, so they raised me the same.” Your parents had always been die-hard warriors, so it was practically in all of your blood to become just like them one day.

“I do not see your parents around as often as I used to.” Who knew the Tsahik knew so much about your family. You scratched the back of your ear to find some excuse that didn’t sound horrible to tell her.

“They are always on hunting trips. They like to travel a lot.” Not a complete lie, but not exactly the entire truth.

“I see, I see. They always seemed to be very ambitious people.” You nodded. Yes, ambitious was certainly one way to describe them.

“It is mostly just my siblings and I around the hut. They like to take very long hunting trips.” Mo’at nodded once again.

“Yes, Neteyam says that you are the main caretaker of your siblings.” You flushed again. How much was Neteyam actually talking about you when you weren’t around? A lot, apparently.

“That task can be rather daunting, but he says you handle it very well. All of your siblings seem like very respectful people.” She continued before you could respond. You smiled. That compliment meant a lot coming from Tsahik of the village.

“Thank you, that means a lot coming from you.” She grinned at you while continuing to crush and grind away in her little bowl.

“Would you like to try?” She looked down at the bowl. You flushed realizing she was asking you to help grind up her herbs.

“Oh, sure.” She switched places with you and you began doing exactly what she had done. You crushed them down into tiny little bits and pieces.

“This could be your job one day.” Mo’at eyed you as she added in another handful. Your entire face deepened into a darker shade of blue.

“Oh..I do not know about that. Maybe?” You liked Neteyam a lot, but you two were teenagers still. His selection for a mate was still so far away and he would not become Olo’eyktan for quite some time.

“You like my grandson, no?” For a woman of few words, Mo’at seemed to have a lot to talk about with you.

“Yes, I do. He is a lovely young man.” You weren’t sure, but you thought you saw her grin from the corner of you eye.

“I do not know much about..what does Jakesully say..teenage love, but I know my grandson likes you a lot. He talks and talks about you so much. I know it can be scary stepping into that kind of love, but I usually do not steer wrong when I watch my children fall in love. I was not wrong about Jakesully and my daughter.” Hearing all of this coming from Tsahik meant so much to you. You held a lot of respect for the older Na’vi and now she was sitting beside you giving you advice about relationships like you were one of her own.

“Your hunting and warrior skills matched with your caretaking skills would make a wonderful Tsahik one day if that is what happens.” She squeezed your arm and everything in you felt so warm and comforted. No one had ever said things like that to you before and hearing it from Mo’at made it even more special.

“You are too kind. Thank you.” You flushed for the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes. Mo’at grinned once more.

“I know a kind soul when I see one. Eywa would not have brought you and Neteyam together if she was not wanting you two to be together in that way.” Obviously, Mo’at would know best when it came to Eywa. You smiled, glancing back down at the herbs.

Maybe one day this would be your fate.

—

Neteyam returned from his day-long hunting trip exhausted and ready to collapse into his hammock for a long nap. His mother was there to greet him with a kiss to the cheek and to his surprise, his grandmother was sitting inside eating her bowl of food.

“Hello, grandmother.” He bowed to her and she nodded back.

“Hello, my grandson. How was the trip?” Neteyam shrugged some, dropping his belongings to the ground for now. It was as best as it could be with Lo’ak being his usual self plus an added friend along for the ride.

“It was very informative. Father gave us great tips.” That part was not a lie. Jake always gave his sons great pointers for making their kills.

“That is great, I am very glad. I had a nice visit with your Y/n today.” Neteyam’s eyes widened a bit.

“You did? When?” He suddenly worried his grandmother told her embarrassing things about him or exposed how he would talk about her all the time.

“She stopped by here looking for you, I think, but I was here instead. I offered inside and we had a very nice chat. She is a wonderful young woman.” Neteyam couldn’t help but smile hearing that. You were amazing. He was glad to hear his grandmother liked her as much as he did.

“She would make a very wonderful Tsahik one day. She has nearly every skill necessary without even having much training for the position.” Mo’at eyed her grandson. Neteyam’s entire face flushed, but he also felt a sense of pride. You were great at nearly everything, he wasn’t surprised Mo’at thought that.

“Well, I hope one day it will happen. We are still young and—“

“Tsahik knows everything, son. It will happen.” Neteyam watched his grandmother beam at him widely. He flushed once more and then tried to hide the smirk forming on his lips by looking away.

In his head, he knew you were the one for him, but that was never definite. Hearing his grandmother basically confirm it was enough for him. You were it for him. Through and through.

FIVE.

You hadn’t snuck out during the night in awhile. Neteyam suggested it would be a nice way to get your minds off of things and just be with each other for a bit since your siblings were always interrupting or needing something.

Neteyam swung along the oh so familiar path to the tree he had taken so many times before. Eclipse had just begun and every time he was so amazed at how the forest lit up around him. It made Pandora that much more magical.

Like always, you had beaten him to the spot. Except this time, you weren’t alone. Your ikran was perched a few feet away and you had your riding visor on. Neteyam grew suspicious, but you only grinned at him.

“I thought we could go for a ride. We haven’t flown during Eclipse in so long.” You freckles were glowing and Neteyam could see the large smile on your face and your eagerness to fly.

“I did not bring any of my things and I only have my—“ You cut him off by revealing your hands that were hidden behind your back. You held his riding visor in your hands.

“I knew you would say that, so I planned ahead.” Neteyam could only smile at you. You always thought of everything.

“What if we get attacked or something?” Neteyam was still skeptical. He loved riding at Eclipse with you, but he felt under prepared if anything happened while you two were out.

“Nothing will happen, I promise. If it makes you feel any better, I have my bow. Come on, we have not ridden in so long.” You were tugging at his hand and he couldn’t resist your pleas. He took his visor from your hands and smiled.

“Okay, fine. Let’s do it.” He would do anything to be able to make you smile like you were right now. He called for his ikran while you hopped up on yours.

Once you two were both on, you exchanged a glance. There was a playful smirk on your lips as you pushed your visor down. Neteyam grew curious of the look.

“Last one to Ayram Alusing loses!” And then you were off before Neteyam could even process what you had said.

He quickly took off with you already five paces ahead of him. He had no idea how you gained so much speed already while he struggled to even pick up momentum. The wind blew against his face, making it burn some of his skin that was not protected. It was definitely not working in his favor tonight.

“You are losing, Neteyam!” He heard you call from ahead of him. He growled some and focused all of his energy into catching up to you.

He was finally able to catch up to your side. He smirked over at you.

“Who is losing now?” He teased and pushed ahead ignoring the harsh breeze as best as he could.

The two of you soared through the sky, the Hallelujah Mountains just ahead. Neteyam had the lead, but you were just on his tail, literally. If you reached out, you could probably touch the end of his ikran.

You had a competitive spirit, so there was no way you were letting yourself loose to Neteyam. From his peripheral, he saw you creeping up on him.

“You can not win everything, Y/n!” He called over to you, but there was something in your eye telling him you were definitely not losing this round.

He tried focusing through the bond to get his ikran to pull ahead as the first two mountains came up. However, you blew right past him like magic and crossed the imaginary finish like. Neteyam sighed in defeat as you pumped your arms up and down for another victory.

“I told you I would win. You do not win against me.” The eldest Sully still smiled nonetheless, enjoying seeing you so happy. He would lose a hundred times to you to be able to see you as happy and carefree as you were right now.

“My apologies, I should have known I had no chance.” Neteyam held his hands up in surrender. The little smirk continued to dance on your lips as you took off to keep flying around the mountains.

The boy stuck close to your side, the two of you smiling widely as you weaved in and around the large rock formations. You would occasionally dive over the larger branches hanging out to make it a game.

Neteyam felt like his parents where he knew they still snuck out at later hours of the night to do this. It was so thrilling, yet so relaxing at the same time. The breeze had finally died down and it no longer felt like bullets pelting his skin as he rode.

“You want to rest here? There is an open spot.” You pointed up ahead at a clearing in one of the mountain tops. Neteyam nodded and followed you to the landing.

You jumped off your ikran, taking in your surroundings. The entire area was glowing its bioluminescent glow. Each flora, leaf, tree moss, everything was shining bright acting as the light in the dark night.

“That was easily the best ride I have had in awhile. What about you?” You flipped your visor up and turned to Neteyam. In a swift move, he snaked his arms around your waist to bring you closer.

“That certainly was a great ride, but maybe next time you will lose the race here.” He grinned and earned an eye roll from you.

“In your dreams. You may be future Olo’eyktan, but you can never win against me.” You shook your head and Neteyam only chuckled.

“And you may be future Tsahik one day, so that competitive nature may need to die down a bit.” He smirked and your face flushed. You broke away from his grasp to look up at the blue-purple sky.

“Your grandmother speaks of the same thing.” You smiled, thinking about your time with Mo’at a few weeks ago.

“Is that what you two talked about that one day?” Neteyam questioned, always wondering what his grandmother could possibly be saying to you when he wasn’t around.

“She is a very kind lady. She knows what she is talking about.” You laughed some. Neteyam cringed knowing she definitely embarrassed him during that conversation.

“Did she say anything about me?” He had to ask even if he didn’t want to know.

“Oh, so many things. She loves you.” You found a comfortable spot against one of the trees to stargaze. Neteyam joined you.

“Anything embarrassing?” Your tiny giggle told him all he needed to know. He internally face palmed.

“If I told you, it would ruin the fun.” You grinned and Neteyam knew that Mo’at definitely embarrassed the shit out of him. Wonderful.

“Well, I am serious about your future Tsahik fate. Just think, you and I head of the clan one day. It would be perfect.” Neteyam threw his arm around you and you giggled at the image appearing in your head.

The Sully boy pictured it too. It looked very similar to his mother and father right now. You would still be a warrior while also caring for the people when they needed it. He would wear the large feather chest piece and headpiece his father wore—planning hunting trips, war parties, overseeing the entire clan. The future was so close yet so far. He knew it would be before him soon.

For now though, he wouldn’t worry about that and enjoyed the time he was spending with you by his side. It was enough waking up in the early hours of the morning, spending hours on specific skills, he didn’t need to wish it upon himself right now.

“Well, if it does happen, at least the people seem content with your choice of..me.” You giggled at your wording. Neteyam smiled.

“It is a miracle no one has talked much. I think they know my father will be at their throats considering I am their son if they did say anything about you.”

“I knew it would be fine. You worry too much sometimes, you know.” You poked at his chest, making him squirm away from you.

“I am merely just caring about you. It is not worry.” Neteyam attempted to defend himself, but it was clear he had a weak defense.

“You also worry. Do not be afraid to admit it. It is charming knowing you worry so much.” Another grin came from you.

“Well of course I am going to worry and care. It is who I am.” You pulled him back towards you so he could cuddle into you.

“And I love who you are.” You cradled his head, pulling your hand through his pretty braids.

He almost said it. He almost had the courage to tell you.

Jake taught Neteyam the phrase when he once asked what it meant after hearing him tell it to his mother. Jake explained how it was much more intimate than I see you. It was something the Sky People would tell those they cared deeply for.

Neteyam had been wanting to say it you for ages, but he never thought it was the right time. He didn’t know how you would react. Would you freak out? Would you say it back? Did you love him? He for sure loved you, but he wasn’t sure if you reciprocated his feelings that much. He didn’t want to scare you with such a meaningful phrase. It seemed like the right time, but it also didn’t at the same time.

Instead, he nuzzled his head further into you and breathed you in. He savored the way your hair smelled—somehow it always smelled like fresh flowers. He listed to your heartbeat, nearly putting him to sleep. The moment was taking him over. It was complete bliss and comfort being in your arms.

THE ONE TIME HE SAID IT.

Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.

You planned a cute little picnic in the forest for you and Neteyam. He was dragged out of his hut with instructions to keep his eyes closed or he would ruin the surprise. Your grip on his hand was tight as he was dragged through the forest, occasionally knocking his head against a low hanging branch you forgot to push out of the way.

“Y/n, that was the third branch. Where are we going?” He laughed trying to figure out where he was, but it wasn’t much luck considering he was blindfolded.

“Just be patient. You will love it.” You hoped he would love it. You worked to put it together all day yesterday, so if he didn’t like it you’d be damned.

Trusting you, Neteyam kept accepting hits to the head and scratches to the arm knowing it had to be worth it in the end.

When you two finally arrived at your destination, you pulled the cloth from his eyes. He squinted, not used to the bright light, but when his vision finally leveled out, he was in awe of what he saw.

The little clearing had been decorated with numerous vines that wrapped around each tree branch. Flower petals were scatted along the ground. It looked like something from his dreams.

“Surprise! What do you think? A picnic in the forest.” You held your arms out, excitement bouncing across your face. Neteyam was still speechless at the effort that must’ve been put into all of it.

“You did this all for me?” You nodded, leading him further in.

“Of course I did. I had some help from Kiri and my sisters, but you deserve it after all the work you have been doing.” You turned to him, grinning widely. Neteyam cupped your face trying to find the words to express his gratitude.

“You are the best person ever. Thank you, my love.” He pecked your lips and then went to see what you had packed for your picnic.

You joined him on the blanket Neytiri let you use while Neteyam immediately began eating anything he saw. You laughed at his actions.

“Someone has not eaten yet today?”

“Oh, you have no idea. I have been out since the eclipse ended training with my father.” You grinned, glad you could feed him.

Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.

Since it was a spur the moment surprise, neither of you thought to bring any weapons with you besides the knives you always carried. It was a part of the forest only Na’vi went. There was no possible way danger could lurk around the corner or behind a tree.

“If you could come back as anything you wanted, what what you want to come back as?” Neteyam laid across the blanket staring up at the clear sky. Your head was beside his as you laid the other way. Your stomach’s were full of food and now you were just relaxing in the sun.

“Anything?” That was a hard question. There was so many things you wanted to be.

“Anything.”

“I think I would want to come back as an ikran. They are so beautiful and just imagine being able to go anywhere you wanted basically. Flying through the sky with your rider. It sounds like such a dream.” You adored your rides with your ikran and being one would be a whole other level you would want to experience.

“I think I would want to come back as one of the good scientists like Norm or Dr. Max.” Neteyam’s answer surprised you and even himself. Sky People were evil and even some didn’t fully trust the good scientists who stayed behind, but he wanted to know what it felt like to live as human.

His father told him and his siblings countless stories of his time being apart of the Sky People and it always intrigued Neteyam.

“I know it sounds crazy, but my father told us so many stories as his time as one of them. It just seems so interesting to me.” He continued his reasoning when you didn’t respond.

“I understand it. I think it would be interesting to live as them for a day.” It was strange to Neteyam. Sky People could live like his people whenever they chose to, but he could not live like them. There was no science to make human bodies for Na’vi people who wanted the experience.

He got a lot of exposure from Spider, but it wasn’t really the same. Neteyam wanted to see it, feel it for himself.

“I have just always felt human because of my father’s blood. Even though I do not have the five fingers like Lo’ak and Kiri, I still have half of his blood in me.” Neteyam tore his gaze to his hands. His long, thin fingers that were just like his mother’s and Tuk’s.

His parents liked to say he took on more of Neytiri’s genes while Lo’ak gained Jake’s.

“It is okay to wonder and want to feel it, Neteyam. You are half human, half Na’vi. It is good you are curious.” You reached up to caress his cheek and the boy leaned into your touch.

“It just feels wrong, though. The Sky People are demons. They hurt us. Why do I want to wonder more about them?” In a sense, he also felt guilt. He knew how much his mother despised those people and even sometimes Spider because he was one of them. Why should he want to know more when all they did was hurt people?

“Do not feel guilty for wondering. Your father was them once upon a time,” He grinned at your english phrase you used. Him and Lo’ak were definitely rubbing off on you. “And he is a good human. You can still wonder and want to be like them and still be good. Norm and Max are good Sky People. It is your blood, your ancestors. Do not feel bad for wanting to wonder.” Neteyam liked the reassurance you were giving him. He was worried he sounded crazy or something.

He was about to respond when his ears twitched for a second and he suddenly got a random chill across his arms. A faint rustling noise floated into his ears. He quickly sat up.

Normally, he wouldn’t have been so alarmed, but the way his skin started to crawl told him it wasn’t some animal lurking.

“Neteyam? What is wrong?” You sat up seeing his quick change in demeanor.

“Shh, be quiet for a second.” He held his finger to his lips. His eyes bounced around the area you two were in and he grabbed for his knife.

The rustling noise continued and it got closer to where you guys were. Neteyam grabbed your arm, making you stand up with him. His actions were frightening you because you didn’t know what was going on.

“Someone else is here.” He whispered to you. He felt his heart beating a bruise into his chest at the idea of someone else lurking close by.

Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.

A noise and then an arrow was flying just above your heads. You screamed out of instinct and fear. Neteyam’s hand was back on you about to hide behind a tree. When he spun around, two larger hands with a much stronger grip grabbed ahold of the two of you.

You screamed again. Neteyam hit them with his knife causing a minor distraction. He spun away from the prying hands, until four more people emerged from the bushes, large guns in their hands. He suddenly stopped, knowing he couldn’t take them with just a knife.

“Well, look at what we have here. Looks like we crashed someone’s date.” Neteyam knew it wasn’t a true Na’vi by the way they wore full clothes and spoke in english to him. It was Avatars.

The one, tall with a buzz cut haircut, crouched down to be at his eye level. Neteyam hissed at him as he scanned his entire face with his eyes. He held his knife out for defense.

“I heard you talking a few moments ago. You said your father was from the..Sky People. Your father doesn’t happen to be Jake Sully, does it?” With the English Neteyam did understand, he knew this guy was bad and clearly had his dad on his radar.

“Oe rä’ä tslam nga.” (I do not understand you) Neteyam growled out. The avatar looked at him, quirking his eyebrow and exchanging a glance with his accomplices with him.

You continued to struggle in the hands that held a tight grip on you.

“If you tell me where your father is, I’ll let her go.” He nodded towards you. Neteyam only hissed at him once more, knife high, ready to strike.

“Or we can do this the hard way, it’s up to you. You are definitely your father.” The avatar man grabbed Neteyam’s hand. He examined his fingers, raising his eyebrow once more.

“Sure didn’t get his genes though, that’s for sure.” The others snickered around them. Neteyam pulled his hand back, unsure of what to do. If he went for a hit, they wound shoot and he didn’t want that to happen.

His eyes gazed over at you. You met his gaze, the same unsureness resting in your look. If you were scared, Neteyam couldn’t tell because you hid it well.

He couldn’t call in his dad because that would just lead this guy right to him. He was out of any good options.

Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.

“All you have to do is tell me where your dad is and no one will get hurt.” Neteyam thought of an idea.

He slowly raised his hands in means of surrender. The guy looked at him, curious. Neteyam set his knife down by his feet and then slowly moved his hands to where his transmitter sat on his neck.

He pushed into the buttons and began speaking in Na’vi since these guys clearly didn’t understand it as well as he could speak it.

(Let’s pretend this is Na’vi because I can’t translate the entire conversation 😌)

“Dad, we’re under attack, I need help.” Neteyam glanced warily at the man standing before him who watched his moves carefully.

“Neteyam? Where are you?” His dad came into his ear, urgent and worried.

“In the forest where the open clearing is. Avatar men with guns. We’re surrounded.”

“We? Who is we?”

“Y/n and I. We need your help.” The guy wasn’t exactly picking up on what Neteyam was saying which was good. His plan was working so far.

“Okay, we’re on our way.” And then he was out. Neteyam knew two things after that: one, his father was a much better fighter than these guys were. He was Na’vi, he had years and years to adapt. He could take these guys out easily. Two, his dad wasn’t going to give himself up to this guy and if they could defeat him, it wouldn’t even be in the question.

“He is coming now.” Neteyam spoke in english so the guy understood. He quirked his eyebrow once more, almost surprised.

“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.” The others chucked around them. Behind his back, Neteyam made a small hand signal to you that he hoped you would understand.

Suddenly, there was a screech. You had bitten the arm that was holding you. Neteyam used that distraction to grab his knife from the ground. He went for the guy’s leg.

You wrestled out of the grasp. The others went for you, but being the skilled warrior you were, it was easy to take them out. You swung your leg around, taking one out with your foot.

Neteyam slashed the leg of the guy and went for his gun. His father had taught him and Lo’ak how to use one, so he knew exactly where to go to blow the amo out of it.

He used his knife to slash another one’s arm. It was pure chaos. Blood sputtered every which direction and the others were trying to fire their guns at you two. You were quicker than them, though. You knocked them from their hands and kicked their legs out.

One particular cut Neteyam made went across the entire face of one of the avatars.

“Quaritch, we need to fall back. We can’t take this many losses right now.” One of them urgently spoke to the one Neteyam slashed the leg of.

“I need Jake Sully. I am not leaving without him.” He argued bitterly.

“We’ll come back when we’re better prepared! At least we know they’re close by.” He seemed to finally give in. He called something Neteyam didn’t understand and all of his accomplices began retreating back into the forest where they had come from.

Relief flooded through Neteyam. They were leaving and the both of you were still safe. However, his relief didn’t last for very long.

Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.

He turned to you, a smile spread across his lips until he saw the way you clutched your stomach. Your hands were trembling as they slowly revealed what was happening. Your knife handle was sticking out and blood was dripping from your skin.

There wasn’t a smile on his face anymore. His relief disappeared and was quickly replaced by fear.

“Neteyam..” You sputtered, swaying on your feet. He was quick to catch you before you hit the ground.

“No, no, no, no, Y/n. It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay. Look at me. Look at me. You’re okay.” He was sputtering, clutching your arm and staring at the way your knife was lodged into your stomach.

“Why am I so warm? Is it warm?” Your entire face was losing color by the second. Neteyam, even though he tried not to show it for your sake, was panicking.

“You’re fine. It’s going to be fine. You’re going to be fine. Help is coming. They’re coming to help us.” He knew better than to pull the knife out, but you were practically pouring blood everywhere.

“Am I dying? Is this what it feels like to die?” The blood loss was making you go into shock. Neteyam was cradling your head, trying to stay calm for you and himself.

“No, you are not dying, my love. You are going to be okay. You are not going to die. I will not let you die.” If he had his bow and arrow, maybe he would’ve been able to take down those other guys easier. If he had a better weapon, anything other than a knife then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

You were not dying.

Your breathing started becoming rigid. It was broken into heavy pants and you were sputtering again.

“If-if I don’t..If I don’t make it..Can you-will you take care of them for me?” Your siblings. Neteyam visibly shut his eyes for a moment. How would he explain this to Foana? Who would take care of them if you..no you were not dying.

“Do not say that. You are going to take care of them because you are going to live. My dad is coming. Everything is going to be okay.” It was mostly just so Neteyam would believe himself too. Everything was going to be okay.

His ears twitched and perked up when he heard sounds of ikrans coming. His father’s ikran came into view along with his mother’s. They landed and then rushed to where you two were.

“Dad! Someone put her knife into her. She..she is losing so much blood.” Neteyam’s voice broke that time. He couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“Shit, shit.” Neteyam watched as his dad gently flipped you to your side. Luckily, there was no exit wound, but the blood kept coming.

“I-I do not feel very good. I-I-“ You were heaving at this point. Your eyes were glazing over and your entire skin had gone from a deep blue to an entirely lighter shade.

“Y/n, you need to stay with me. Please, please stay with me.” Neteyam cupped your face, trying to keep your eye contact with him.

“We need to get her to the village. To Max and Norm and Mo’at.” Neytiri had a look of pure horror on her face seeing you like that.

Your eyes couldn’t stay open much longer. The blood loss was becoming fatal. Neteyam began shaking you when he saw your eyelids drift closed.

“Y/n! Y/n!” He was in too much of a panic to even check if you were breathing or not still. He could not lose you. Not now.

“We need to get her to the village, right now. Neteyam! Are you with me?” His father was practically yelling at this point. However, his eldest son fell into what was his own shock.

He did not and could not move seeing your almost lifeless body in front of him. He didn’t process it as his dad lifted you up to his ikran. His mother had to pull him to his feet, trying to snap him back into attention. Nothing worked, though.

All he could think about was you. You, you, you. You were in love. His future woman. His future mate. You were the sister to his siblings. The sister to your siblings. You were their care taker. Who would..who would take care of them now?

He should’ve told you. He should’ve told you the other night on your night ride. It was so close on the tip of his tongue. Why couldn’t he find the courage to tell you then? What if he never got to tell you ever now?

Your body became so lifeless in his arms. Pale skin, gone eyes, blood nearly everywhere. This couldn’t be the end. There was so much life ahead for the two of you. Your future plans. He couldn’t possibly do it all without you.

His mother somehow managed to get him onto her ikran. She flew quickly through the sky after her husband who clutched your body tightly.

When they landed, you were rushed directly to Max and Norm. Mo’at was brought in to give you a heavy sedation medicine so they could pull the knife out without damaging anything serious. It was near chaos. No one but Mo’at was allowed where they were inside the labs.

Neteyam chewed on his bottom lip. Guilt, fear, anger, sadness, everything at once was eating him up inside. He figured he should be the one to tell your siblings what happened, so he did.

Their faces were enough for him to finally break down right in front of them. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been me. The phrase repeated in his head like a broken record.

All five of them sat on the ground of your hut hugging one another close. For a moment he hated your parents for not being here in this moment. They had no idea what was happening to their daughter right now.

Neytiri offered their hut to your siblings without hesitation to stay in.

Hours were ticking by it stated to feel like days to Neteyam. There was no word on the progress or your condition. It was merely a waiting game at this point. The knife was lodged deep and you lost a lot of blood.

Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.

Mo’at finally emerged after what seemed like almost six hours where a large group had gathered outside of the lab doors—Neteyam and his family included. All of them deeply concerned about your well-being.

“The knife has been removed. She is stable, but she is sleeping still and will be for a few days.” A tiny bit of relief washed through Neteyam knowing the operation was at least successful.

—

The days went by and you had finally awoken. Once visitors were allowed, your siblings were the first to check on you, of course. Neteyam hung back, a bit anxious and nervous to see you again.

He felt so guilty for what happened. He could not protect you after saying countless times that he would at any given moment. His failure caused him to hang his head low and avoid looking people’s way when he went out.

Kiri, Tuk, and Lo’ak were the next group of visitors. Neteyam still hung back. Maybe it was fear that was holding him back?

Could he possibly look you in the eye again after seeing you with a knife lodged into you? Not really. His fear made him feel upset in a sense. Why could he not face you? You were his love, yet he could not find himself to step foot into the lab.

A few more days passed and eventually the doctors and Mo’at agreed to move you back into your hut for more comfort. Neteyam avoided the entire village that day, in fear that he would see you.

What was wrong with him? One minute he could not stop seeing you and now he was afraid to even make eye contact with you.

It made him feel even more guilty.

One night, he sat outside by one of the drop-off spots. His head pounded and every single thought he ever had was swirling around like a school of fish.

He didn’t feel another presence until he caught sight of his mother sitting down beside him. She had began recognizing his absent behaviors and his avoidant gazes anytime he was around people. She knew how hard this was on her son.

“Have you seen her at all?” She crafted her words gently. Neteyam shook his head.

“I cannot. It pains me and the guilt is eating me alive.” He grabbed his chest like something was actually messing with him in there.

“Well, she is asking for you. She is confused why you have not seen her yet. You should go see her, Neteyam.”

“I can not. Every time I look at her I remember the horrid images of the knife deep in her stomach as the blood seeped through. It was the worst part of everything. I promised her protection and I can not even do that anymore.” He wanted his mother to understand, but he knew she wound not. Not completely, at least.

“Neteyam, this is not your blame. You did everything you could and no one is blaming you. I promise you, son.” Her arm outstretched to bring comfort to her son. She rubbed his back, trying to get him to understand.

“Then why do I feel so, so guilty like it is my fault?” He pleaded for an answer. His mother tried to come up with as best of an answer as she could.

“When you care for someone as deeply as you do, whatever happens to them begins to feel like it is your fault. It is not your fault, though. You take the blame because you think there is no where else to place it. My son, you did everything you could. No one is upset at you or mad or angry. Y/n is not upset with you. Do not think that.” Neteyam’s head hung low.

“I think it will fix a lot of things if you go see her. You will begin to realize this was none of your doing or fault.” Neytiri urged once more and Neteyam knew he couldn’t keep refusing. He had to be mature. He was almost Olo’eyktan and he couldn’t even face his own injured (almost) mate.

“Okay. I will go see her.” Neytiri smiled, giving her son a nod of encouragement.

The Sully boy stood and turned in the direction of your hut. He started bracing himself—for insults? Anger? Sadness? Frustration?

The closer he got to you, the faster his heart would beat against his chest. From inside, he could hear your siblings talking and at times arguing with one another.

He tapped on the wood before pushing aside the flap that covered the inside. Tsanten and Naria looked his way.

“Neteyam! You’re here!” Foana was at his legs, hugging him much like Tuk did. He smiled down at the little girl.

“Hello, Foana. Tsanten. Naria. Ni`awtu.” He bowed before them. Their looks told him they had never been greeted that way before.

In the corner, Neteyam caught sight of your figure. You were sitting upright carving something when you finally noticed his presence in your home.

“Neteyam, hello. Come in, come in.” You urged him in further. He slowly went to you and your siblings filtered themselves out knowing you two probably needed some space.

“You look so much better. How are you feeling?” He questioned taking in your skin that returned to its usual blue shade. You smiled some.

“I am definitely feeling a lot better. How are you?” You took ahold of his hands. The questioned seemed silly to him considering he wasn’t the one who got stabbed.

“I am doing okay. I am not the one who got stabbed, though.” He stifled a small laugh. You rubbed at his fingers and he was just glad to be able to feel your hands in his again, not the lifeless feeling they once were.

“Well, I have not seen you yet, so I was making sure you were okay.” Neteyam grimaced just a bit. He felt guilty for not visiting you sooner, but he just couldn’t bring himself to face you in the state that you were in.

“Yes, I am okay. I am sorry I did not visit you sooner. I..I just felt guilty about all of this and I was being selfish with myself.” His head hung low, ears dropping. You grabbed his chin though, shaking your head.

“There is nothing to feel guilty about, Neteyam. You did everything you could. Eywa gave me life again because she knew my time was not over yet. This was not your fault.” Your words were reassuring. He forced a small smile.

“Plus, you forget how strong I am. I have thick skin. Literally.” You laughed this time. The joke was corny, but it made both of you smile.

You allowed yourself to pull Neteyam closer and he situated himself so his head laid in your lap. He closed his eyes at the feeling of your fingers raking through his braids. It was a familiar feeling he had grown to miss while you were recovering.

“Hey, Y/n?” You turned your attention to the boy in your lap.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.” Neteyam’s heart was pounding, nervous for your reaction. He wasn’t sure if that was an Earth phrase you knew or understood, but he hoped it was.

A tiny smile danced on your lips. You caressed his cheek, leaning down to kiss it.

“I love you.”

The rest of the evening was spent wrapped in each other’s arms.

[heart-sized]

𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏𝟎𝟏 — g. satoru iv. sweet y/n chan

★⺌◞. gojo satoru x f! fushiguro reader

plot. you ask your younger brother's teacher to teach you dating 101

cw. fluff. older!gojo, gojo is a playboy, reader is twenty two, reader is introverted, nsfw, fluff and angst, not proofread

a/n. for a gojo satoru x oc version, stream here + this is more of a filler chapter so im sorry ! + tagging @cole-silas

masterlist // satoru masterlist

go back to beginning

“y/n, i am home!”

your brother's voice rang in the apartment and you smiled at him, straightening the hem of your apron from the kitchen. “i am in the kitchen, gumi.”

you watched him come into the kitchen, his face stoic like always that he inherited from his father, fushiguro toji. but his eyes softened as he saw you. “how was your day?”

“boring,” you clicked your tongue, “what about you?”

“mine too," he took a piece of the cookies that you had baked, “gojo sensei was asking about you.”

your eyes widened. did your brother come to know of the dating course or something? oh god. “what was he saying?” you tried your best to sound nonchalant.

“just how old you were,” he bit on the cookie, “i told him that he shouldn't even think of you.”

“gumi, you can't talk to your teacher like that!”

“you are too innocent,” he rolled his eyes, “he might be my teacher but he's not serious about women. he's better off away from you.”

as if you didn't know that. and yet.

“come, help me set the dinner now, will you?” you asked, changing the topic and sighed in relief when you saw him nod.

“oh, y/n?” megumi spoke out of nowhere when they were eating their dinner in silence. “can yuji and nobara stay here for a sleepover tonight? i forgot to tell you.”

you smiled. it was those rare moments that you felt like you did have a younger brother. megumi was too serious to act like a teenager most of the time. which you didn't like. he was a teen and he should be allowed to have fun.

“of course. have fun. i will be in my room if you need me.”

gojo satoru smiled at his date sitting next to him. she was a blonde woman, tall and curvy. nothing like that specific girl in his mind. she had a smile on her lips as she stroked his hand.

“so, y/n chan, i—”

“aika,” the woman rolled her eyes, pulling her back, “my name is aika and not y/n. you have called me by that name two times now!”

he bit his inner cheek. what was he doing? he was supposed to flirt with his date and then end up in the bed with her. a healthy cycle. and thinking about y/n chan was definitely not healthy.

y/n chan. his student's older stepsister. the sweet innocent angel. imagine his surprise when you asked him to teach you how to date. you wanted to learn dating with him and then go and experience that with some other ‘serious, responsible family man’.

but wasn't it for the good? you deserved a kind and sweet man. and a jujutsu sorcerer like gojo satoru could never be that. he couldn't allow himself to get attached to a civilian.

“i need to go home, aika,” he pulled out an easy going grin, much to her flabbergast, “next time.”

as he slowly walked towards his apartment, he remembered how protective megumi had looked when he had asked about his sister. satoru sighed. as if he was some beast who would kidnap sweet you.

maybe he should text you good night. you said they were friends. and friends do that, right?

gojo satoru : good night, sweet y/n chan.

wait. wait. no. sweet sounded weird. he should delete it. but before he could delete it, he saw that you had already seen it.

y/n chan 🤍 : good night, gojo san.

he smiled. he could certainly get used to it.

ᝬ ˙.໑ ╱ © seducity 2023 — all rights reserved. property of suzu

[jessicaslittlelovesickmess]

Stick Season

Pairing: Emily Prentiss x reader, Larissa Weems x reader

Warnings: angst, hints of miscarriage

The team sat drinking in Emily's apartment “Oh and what about that woman you dated! The pretty one” Morgan laughed “Y/n?” She responded confused. “Yeah! What happened to her?” Penelope gasped wide-eyed “Um- she moved away” Emily swallowed.

“She was so pretty” JJ sighed leaning back on the sofa “I still remember her babysitting Henry for me” she smiled “She has talent” JJ tilted her drink. The radio played softly in the background as the group made Emily's ex the main subject "Imagine having to tell people how badly you fumbled" Morgan shook his head.

Penelope hummed along before starting to sing, JJ joined in until Spencer and Morgan hummed too "And I'm terrified of the weather, 'cause I see you when it rains". Emily closed her eyes listening to the music, Hotch and Rossi looked knowingly. This was you.

"Doc told me to travel, but there's COVID on the planes" They all stood to dance not realising the lyrics just yet or maybe they did. "And I love Vermont but it's the season of the sticks" Emily's eyes opened you always wanted to visit Vermont, that's where your mum was from. It had been two years almost since you had broken up "And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed" Emily wanted to laugh.

"And it's half my fault, but I just like to play the victim" She knew it was partly a dig at her "I'll drink alcohol 'til my friends come home for Christmas". You never drank because your dad was an alcoholic "And I'll dream each night of some version of you!!!" Spencer's voice cracked.

"That I might not have, but I did not lose" Emily quickly stood, on a race to the bathroom, closing the door only making the music seem louder. "No, I am no longer funny 'cause I miss the way you laugh. You once called me forever now you still can't call me back."

She had to find you and it wasn't hard she knew you tried to contact her still Emily watched the phone ring through unable to face she had hurt you. Stick season was the name of your song. It came out a year ago but now you were posting some gorgeous blonde on Instagram,

You were finally doing everything you had always planned, you looked happy Larissa had proposed on your anniversary she seemed nice. The more she scrolled Larissa was a principal for what school it didn't say but your following had boosted. You'd made it just like you spoke about.

There was another picture- a few actually that stood out a picture of a dove but you were scared of birds the caption read Joanne Prentiss. Emily didn't know a Joanne and definitely not one with her last name, it was posted a few months after you broke up. Another picture closer to when you had moved out was two plates but only one set of cutlery. It flew over Emily's head, had you been seeing Larissa longer than the internet said?" she wondered still stalking you.

"I hope this pains just passin' through, but I doubt it" Emily slumped against the bathtub watching the last two years of your life in pictures. Everyone made sure to remind her how she let you go but back then it felt best.

You will marry Larissa who helped you gain your shine back and she'll rot at work, you will continue a family while hers will grow without her. You will be happy and that's all she could hope for until she accidently liked a post from when you moved to Vermont.

"Em? Are you okay?" you messaged not long after but Emily couldn't bring herself to say the truth "I'm great, Penelope was on my phone" she frowned. 'Okay, I'm just checking but it's good to hear you're still alive' Two years for this, Emily still lying. It's the alcohol she tried to pass 'Yeah I guess, I heard your song it's...' Emily typed only to delete it 'Yeah, I'm sorry I wasn't there' No Emily.

'I love you- no' 'yeah I guess so, I see you're well' the song was coming to an end "Now your tire tracks and one pair of shoes. And I'm split in half, but that'll have to do" JJ sang loudly. It took a moment for you to respond 'Yeah it took a while, life was tough but it wasn't anything I hadn't gone through before'.

'Can we be friends?' Emily was quick to text 'I'm not sure, you really hurt me but only time will tell. I have to go now Em, Larissa just got home but please take care'.

[hellsite-detective]

The office was quiet that night. It was a rare moment of peace, the only sound being the thumps of rain against the window pane. It was so quiet, in fact, that the client in the doorway was almost unnoticeable. Her entrance was as silent as the night, and her hair just as dark.

She made herself known with the utterance of a single phrase. "Detective, I need your help."

Getting a good look at her, you could see she was a real Femme Fatale. All dolled up in a feather boa and pretty dress, yet she wasn't as elegant and put-together as the others....no, she looked rough. Soaked from the rain with a tattered outfit, she looked defeated, like this was her last resort.

"So sorry to be a bother, but I really have nowhere else to go....I tried lookin' for this post myself, I really did, but a delicate dame like me with low energy to boot was bound to burn out sooner or later. I can't reward you with anything but gratitude, but I'm hopin' you'll take my case anyway.

I'm lookin' for the classic 'kick his ass baby i got yo flower' post, but with a caveat- I want a version without the egregiously long chain of reblogs that follows. Just the original post and first reblog, the most classic version of the post with nothin' added on. I want to give those lovers some alone time."

Her brown eyes caught the dim light from the overhead lamp as she looked at you, pleading. She seemed sincere, but it was hard to tell with these types....

"I know I'm askin' for a miracle, but could you please help me out?"

it's alright, doll. i can help you. don't you worry anymore. your post is as good as found...

but, of course, that wasn't gonna come without great effort. see, i went on over to the Search Bar and asked Google for the exact quote that my client had got me. the Don pulled out a photograph from their briefcase and slid it across the table. clearly this was what i was lookin' for. except i needed only the first two posts in the chain. thinkin' this would be an easy case, i went on down to the second address in the chain only to find the apartment had been abandoned for years. whoever lived here before was gone now. meanin' i was back at square one. i asked the Don for the post again, hopin' they'd hand me a link, and they did. trouble was, every address in the chain had been deleted, not just the second one. meanin' it would be hard to get into the notes to even look for the original. but thankfully, i found out pretty quick where i could find this post...

see, i saw it mentioned in the notes i could see that none other than that mysterious museum barbie, Madame Curator herself, had placed this one in her @hellsite-hall-of-fame. this meant the post was as good as found! or so i thought. because i took a stroll down to the museum and found the post rather quickly. problem was, i was gonna have to scroll through 800k reblogs to even have a hope at findin' the original. and that was gonna take time. time that was precious to a private eye like myself. so, in a desperate final move, i went back to the Search Bar and demanded Google show me their full line-up of links on the subject. the obliged, and i checked through every one of them. until, by some miracle, i found it. a reblog that contained only the original two posts. i grabbed it and filed it away, relieved that this case wasn't gonna go cold...

here you are! after a long, hard fought case, i got your post! i hope you enjoy bein' reunited with this classic. have a great day!

Post Case: Closed

[vampirepersay]

The afterlife of Pip Pirrip: old fic that I wrote back in 2022 it was finished but after I deleted the fic I lost the ending

CW: canon character death,religious imagery but it's the south park version of religion.

WC:1009

My name is Pip and I'd like it if you'd stop smashing our little town to bits".

That

was the last thing he said before he felt his body being crushed by mecha Streisand.

It felt like a

bad dream, like something that couldn't have happened.

But it wasn't a dream Pip was dead.

But if he had died why did he feel himself starting to wake up?

So it was just a bad dream Pip

thought to himself while rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes but when the young

British boy opened his eyes he was not greeted by the familiar walls of his bedroom, but

instead, by blinding white light and calling out from that light pip heard an unfamiliar voice

despite having never heard the voice before for some strange reason he found it comforting but

before he even had a chance to hear what the voice said he felt himself starting to fall, it felt like

he was falling for an eternity, time seemed to be going slower if this was a dream then why did it

feel so real he thought. After what felt like a lifetime Pip stopped falling. And what he saw

confirmed what Pip was so terrified of not only was he dead but he was in hell.

There were no

other explanations for this;

everything as far as Pip could see was on fire, but Pip wasn't afraid.

A voice he would have recognized from anywhere could be heard Damien Thorn the one person

who was at least somewhat kind to him was standing in the flames unfazed by it all Like this

was something he saw every day before pip could take everything in or even ask for some kind

explanation a red figure appeared from what seemed out of nowhere.

"Damien, are you scaring the newcomers again?" said what pip could only assume was satan

himself, "Father, I know this person, why is he here?" asked

the young demon, the larger and much More intimidating demon replied with

clear sarcasm in his voice "for a nice vacation, he's dead, why else would he be here!

"you don't have to yell, I know that already what I meant was why is he here? he never struck

me as the type to end up here". "Look, Damien, you know I'm not the one who

decides who ends up where. If your little friend is here then he's here for A Reason". Before the

father-son conversation could continue Pip decided he was going to get the answers he so

desperately needed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but where am I?, also hello

Damien I thought I'd never see you again.

"oh yeah I should probably explain,

thanks a lot Damien for getting me distracted so as you've probably already guessed your dead

crushed to death by a giant robot to be exact, and as for where you are if it wasn't obvious

you're in hell.

If you have any other questions feel

free to ask me. I'm not busy, also this whole hell thing is kinda my whole job".

Said satan who

was surprisingly nice. After his speech to pip, a loud buzz could be heard "ugh that better not be tom" after pulling his

phone out from who knows where the demon looked at his phone before saying "sorry pip I got

to take this Damien should be able to answer whatever questions you have".

"umm what just happened now I'm just more confused" said the British boy.

"don't worry he's always like that you'll get used to it". Said the raven-haired demon.

"thanks Damien there's something I must ask you if that's alright?"

"what is it?" replied Damien.

"when you asked why I was here you seemed surprised, why is that?"

"come on pip you know

why you're not a bad person". Said Damien with his usually fiery eyes with a hint of sorrow in

them.

"I'm sorry what, Damien do you actually think

I'm a good person, or are you just saying that to make me feel better".

said pip who was

shocked that someone would say something so kind to him

"Look pip I've come to realize that

you didn't deserve anything that happened to you, and I want to apologize because of me

wanting so desperately to be cool I hurt you, and that wasn't okay".

"You're apologizing, thanks no ones ever actually said sorry to me before," said pip.

"That's horrible but at the same time I'm not surprised",

Damien replied, who seemed to be the

first person to like pip.

"thank you Damien's That exactly what I needed to hear".

The British boy responded. "Damien, can I ask you a question?

it's a rather stupid one

but I just need to know" "sure I don't have anything else to do, and if I don't help you i'll definitely

get in trouble.

The demon replied. "I warned you it's dumb but you know how you went

to earth,

"yeah what about it"?.

"well that's the dumb part of the question is there any way for me

to do that". Said the blonde boy feeling like an idiot for even asking the question.

"No, I'm sorry

there is no way for a human, who has gone to hell to go back to earth.

Said the young demon

with sorrow in his voice.

Just as Damien finished his oddly sweet speech to pip a fall could be

heard and an oddly familiar muffled voice could be heard saying something pip couldn't make

out.

That was Until the source of the voice was in Pip's Vision, it was Pip's classmate Kenny

McCormick.

Pip was shocked to see one of his fellow classmates in hell, deciding to make

conversation with him Pip called out his name "KENNY!".

The young hooded boy looked Pips way

with disgust in his eyes before flipping him off, what happened next Pip could only describe as

some cruel joke from the Universe kenny's body began to glow with white light before he

teleported out of hell.

AN: I'm aware Damian is super ooc in this and I apologize, I wrote this fic back in 2022 so that's why so many things are out of character or just not accurate to canon Im not going to finish this because it had an ending originally and it's been so long since I wrote this I don't want to change the original ending.

[phoenix-and-found-family]

Basilisk couldn't help but smile as he saw them struggling to get free.

Vadas was right. They did look practically identical. They were a bit shorter than he expected, though.

Their head whipped towards him with a panicked expression.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

He felt a little insulted they didn't recognize him. His face was perfectly fine, except for the scar. Maybe it was his hair. It was much longer than he usually kept it.

"Always skipping the small talk. Why not a 'Hello?' You jump to accusations so fast, Phoenix."

They glared at him with intensity.

"Hello. Who the fuck are you?!?"

"I supposed I walked into that one."

He sighed lightly and walked up to them, careful not to let the sharp knives of his left hand anywhere near their restraints.

"I'm sorry we had to meet like this, but you understand, you never would have agreed to this willingly."

He grabbed their chin with his hand and tilted it up to see their eyes.

Forest green and jet black. Just like they were supposed to be.

They bit down hard and then yelped in pain, pulling back out of reflex.

"...That was clearly metal, Agent. I'm not exactly sure what you were expecting to happen."

They licked their lips and then looked at him weird.

"Agent?"

He blinked in confusion.

"You have to be joking."

They shook their head.

"Look, scary robot guy, I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't even know why I'm here. Or where here even is."

He clutched his hand hard enough that he heard the poison start to drip from his fingers, falling onto the floor.

"... Excuse me."

He turned around to leave just as Vadas entered the room.

"Oh. By the way. There is something I should tell you."

He glared at her.

"Oh, really? Is it about the fact they don't remember being an agent?"

"Yes, yes it is."

She slow clapped a little, sarcastically.

"Wow, so clever. You should give a lecture."

"Don't patronize me, woman."

She sighed.

"Since I'm sure you were paying attention, Basil, you can recall what I warned you about that happened with some of the Orion experiments."

The agent behind him interrupted, curious.

"Orion experiments?"

He sighed.

"Isk. Basilisk. And both of us know I was not. Please, just tell me."

She shrugged.

"Well, all of them were made with one flaw or another accidentally. Some were weak, others couldn't imprint, one came out without a left arm."

He saw them look at their left arm in suspicion.

"They have a flaw I thought I had managed to get rid of several experiments before them."

She pointed at them and cleared her throat.

"Phoenix! What's the name of your brother?"

They blinked in surprise and started thinking about it.

"What? I mean- Yeah, I do have a brother- and I... should probably know this off the top of my head..."

They looked confused and scared, and he was sure they would be grabbing their hair if they could move their arms.

She waved her hand around like 'tada'.

"Temporary Memory Deletion."

He was unimpressed.

"So, what? They just forget very important things randomly?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"For short amounts of time?"

She sighed heavily.

"Activation of their command states usually also triggers a separate command after they exit - Mnemosyne. It's supposed to get rid of classified information that they shouldn't know, but instead... Well, you know."

She looked at them with what he could swear was sympathy.

"Fortunately, their version isn't permanent. They should remember everything in thirty minutes, give or take."

He was slightly confused, but if it wasn't permanent, that was good.

"I'm guessing there's a but?"

She nodded.

"If they get activated too many times too close together, it could lead to permanent memory loss or actual damage to their hippocampus."

He sighed.

"... And there's no way to cheat it?"

She shook her head.

"...Well then. I guess we're returning them used."

They looked up from their thoughts and glared at both of them.

"I will never help you."

Both of them looked from Phoenix to each other.

They both started laughing.

"Oh, oh my- after everything, you still think you have a choice here?"

Their expression didn't change, but their voice increased in volume.

"My family is going to find you. And I can assure you, they won't. hold. back."

He snickered and looked them in the eyes.

"Neither will you."

Vadas pulled out the voice modulator without him asking her to.

"Hypnos."

They lurched forward, restraints broken as expected, but it was already too late. Their body shut down, eyes closing as they fell to the floor.

"...We should get going. Zoraxis isn't going to die by itself."

She walked over to them, grabbing them by their arm and pulling them across the floor. He held the door open as she walked by.

"Do you really think this is the Phoenix that will stop Juniper?"

He looked down at their face squished against the floor. They were already snoring slightly.

Just like his agent.

"Not a doubt in my mind."

---------------------------------

@wyvchard @the-one-and-only-043 annnnd that's part two! also, watch your inbox :3

Something tells me a certain bird is going to be popping up very soon...

[vioartemis]

In another life (Tara's version)

(Tara Carpenter x fem! reader)

Summary: You're Tara's childhood best friend, and years after leaving Woodsboro, you meet her again in New York, making unexpecting feeling emerge. Tara || Sam Warnings: none a/n: I made another one shot, kinda complementary of this one, with Sam :)) I put the link up there if you're interested (English isn't my first language, I'm sorry if there are mistakes or if something doesn't make sense TvT)

She had known you for as far as she could remember.

You were her neighbor, back in the days. That gave you the opportunity to see each other a lot, to play together.

That also gave your parents the opportunity to hire Sam as your babysitter, which meant you could see Tara more because you rarely saw one without the other.

You both enjoyed your time together, to the point Tara even had a crush on you during the last years you saw each other.

Sadly she never got to tell you about it, as you left with your parents the same year Sam ran away.

You said you would try to stay in touch, but it never really happened.

And now, almost 6 years later, you were about to meet again.

Tara and the rest of her friends just left a party , right after Sam barged in and tazzed some dude in the balls. The Carpenter sisters were fighting in the middle of the road, when a random girl threw her soda at Sam.

Half of the group tried to get the girl while the other held them back, trying not to cause too much drama. They didn't see it, but one of the girls was filming the whole thing.

Luckily for everyone, you did see it. You were actually going to that party, and saw the whole scene from afar. You didn't like that kind of attitude at all.

So when the girls walked passed you, you grabbed the phone of the one who was filming, and deleted the video before she could post it.

They all gave you horrified looks, like you did the most horrendous thing.

"That's called karma" you mumbled to yourself while you walked away, in the direction of their victim

She was trying to dry her jumper, when you approached her.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry, people are so dumb sometimes..." you said as she lifted her head up to look at you

As soon as she did, you recognized her. She hadn't changed since the last time you saw her. Well of course she had changed a bit, but not enough so you don't recognize her.

"Sam..?"

Considering the look she gave you, she clearly didn't recognize you.

"Y/n?"

You almost immediately turned around at the sound of another familiar voice, but didn't have the time to see anything before she literally jumped in your arms, hugging you tightly.

After a moment, Tara let go of you.

"I didn't think I would ever see you again..." she said, looking you up and down to check if you were real, a smile on her face

"Me neither" you chuckled "What are you doing here in New York?"

While Tara answered your question, Sam looked at you with wide eyes. You had changed so much since she last saw you... You were really pretty. Like... really really pretty.

She never thought she would think about that one day but... here she was, wondering if she should ask for your number. She wanted to. really bad.

But wouldn't it be weird? It had been years since you talked... What would you think if she did ask for your number? She didn't want to make things awkward between the two of you. Really not. But maybe you'd want to talk to her too? Maybe she should just-

"Can I ask for your number?"

Tara's voice made Sam snap out of her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, of course! I was about to ask for yours too"

Sam watched you exchange numbers with Tara, slightly mad at herself for hesitating so long. Now it would just be weird if I asked for her number too, she thought, I’ll ask Tara later.

<><><><> ♡ <><><><>

The weeks after you gave Tara your number, you both caught up onto each other’s life. Tara told you about what happened in Woodsboro the year before, and you wish you didn’t move out of there. Even if it was not your fault, you felt bad for not being there when she needed it.

If you were there you could’ve helped her, save her. You would’ve probably even spent the night at her house. God, you could’ve helped her against Ghostface!

That explained why they moved to New York.

The day you met again, Tara only told you they needed fresh air without more details. But now you understood. And you were willing to give her the fresh air she needed.

You had switched to lighter subjects, such as college and free time. That’s how you learnt you had some classes in common -which would later give you excuses to spend more time with her.

You both used said excuses, asking the other to help you with homework, or share notes for a class… Everything that could give you the opportunity to be together more.

You also saw each other at the park, or at the café where Sam worked, or literally everywhere you could go. You both were enjoying that, contrary to Sam, who struggled seeing you.

She could almost only see you when you were with Tara at the café, or when you were doing homework together at their apartment. She was dying to see you more. The majority of your conversations were by texts, but it was never as good as face to face ones…

You didn’t seem to notice though, as you were realizing you might have feelings for Tara, and couldn’t just get her out of your head. You never realized it before, but now that you were thinking about it, even back then you had a crush on her.

This day, Tara invited you over to spend time together, where you could have more privacy than outside. You were happy about it, especially since you had something to ask her.

After a moment spent in her room playing board games and chatting, you started hesitantly.

"Hey Tara... um... You know I'm part of the photography club, right? Well um... I was wondering if you... if you'd agree to be my model..."

You were a bit embarrassed to ask, but you were convinced she would make a good model.

Tara was also embarrassed, but at the same time she was flattered you thought of her to be your model. She had always been a bit shy, but she got a burst of confidence from your ask and agreed to model for you.

After half an hour of switching poses and taking pictures, you both sat on her bed so you could show her the pictures you just took. You enjoyed taking pictures of her, she was just so pretty... you wanted to capture that.

And she seemed to like it too, considering all the compliments she gave you at the sight of the pictures.

"I think this one is my favorite" she said, pointing at one of the pictures

"Yeah? I really-" you started as you turned your head to face her, but cut yourself off when you noticed how close you were to each other at that moment.

You could feel her breath on your face.

You couldn't help but admire her beauty. You found everything in her perfect. Her eyes, her freckles, her smile, her dimples... everything.

In spite of yourself, you couldn't help but look at her lips. The urge to kiss her had grown more and more inside of you for the past months, and you just wanted to give in.

In a burst of courage, you leaned in a bit, just enough to let her know your intentions, but not enough to touch her lips yet, to give her the occasion to back off if she wanted to.

She didn't. Instead, she leaned in as well, closing the gap between you, pressing her lips to yours in a soft kiss. You couldn’t help but smile at the kiss, putting a hand on her cheek so you could kiss back.

Quickly, you got caught up in the kiss, which soon turned into a make out session.

You both had waited so long to do that, ever since you were children -even if at that moment it was just a little crush. Everything was just so perfect right now… just like you had imagined.

Sadly, this moment was interrupted by the door opening suddenly.

“Girls, what do you want for din-”

Sam stopped the moment she saw what was happening; even if her intervention had caused you to pull away from each other, your reddish lips and cheeks, and the non existent distance between Tara and you let little to the imagination.

The three of you were embarrassed -for different reasons, and Sam felt that unpleasant feeling again that she refused to call jealousy. She quickly closed the door again, going back to the living room, trying to forget what she saw and focus back on making dinner.

She knew that would happen one day. It was obvious it would happen. Tara had always loved you, and Sam had always known it. She had also suspected you too had a crush on Tara, back when you were children. And apparently, she was right.

Tara was as embarrassed as you were, cheeks more and more red.

“I um… I’m sorry, I should’ve locked the door…” she whispered, not daring looking at you

Tara and you started dating after this day, and you were both happier than ever. Kisses, cuddles… everything was magical.

Tara was the sweetest, most adorable girlfriend you could’ve wished for. And she thought the same of you.

She often invited you to stay at hers and Sam’s apartment for dinner, and sometimes you even slept there. Which you love, by the way; having Tara in your arms just felt so nice you never had trouble falling asleep.

Out of your ‘love bubble’, Sam was trying her best not to say or do anything that could be misinterpreted. She was really trying to be happy for Tara and you, but sometimes it was just too much.

Like when at the dinner table you couldn’t stop giving each other heart eyes, or say every possible cheesy thing. You were even too in love to see her roll her eyes or hear her scoff.

But at the end of the day, she knew she couldn’t do anything about it. Maybe, in another life, we’ll be together… she thought.

[Sam's version]

[underratedandoverit]

Speak My Mind

“i need you now” kisses with orangekip :3c - requested by @midnightpretenders0

“i need you now” kisses: them fisting your shirt into their palms, your hands under their shirt, cold fingertips against their skin, and panting, moving down from their lips to their neck, soft moans that turn louder, shirts being pulled off haphazardly (from this list by @jasminesfury)

~2,5k words orangekip (orange cassidy/kip sabian)

okay if you saw me post this a few days ago lets pretend you didnt. i put it back in the burner after not really liking it and then i got an idea how to add to it so now its back and its better and yeah i do like it a lot more. also i deleted the original post and accidentally drafted the reblogged version so i cant reply to the ask again or edit the original so heres a new post sorry

it starts fluffy, it develops into something more heated, moves to a hurt/comfort territory and ends with comfortable levels of body worship and comfort/fluff. i marked this as mature on ao3 but it doesnt really go anywhere that deep, but just in case since it touches some topics.

cw: body image issues and whatever kind of extreme fluff body worship brings. its not like explicit at all, but you know.

(im also hesitantly going to put out a request for feedback for this one like. i dont want constructive criticism, i would just like to hear what you think if you read it. with this one it would mean a lot as im extremely unsure how i feel about it. so if you could spare a word or two after reading it would be very appreciated ✌)

@stormbornpirate @ss-trashboat

on ao3

---------------------------

Cassidy’s fingers curled around the coils of Kip’s hair absentmindedly, watching the television screen from the corner of his eye without really paying attention to what was happening on it. He was unfamiliar with the game Kip had picked but enjoyed observing it every now and then nonetheless, for what little attention he was able to pay to the bright colors and fast moving objects. Or maybe it really was that Cassidy enjoyed spending time with Kip, no matter what he was doing.

At least the game seemed to be less hectic than the stuff he usually played, as was suggested by the much calmer presence Kip had sitting on the floor in front of the couch, and the much less frequent use of curse words. He still occasionally let out a few curses or otherwise loud, grumbling noises when faced with difficulties, but Cassidy playing with his hair seemed to help calm him down rather quickly whenever that happened.

They existed in the living room in perfect harmony, one’s presence in the room calming the other, just sitting there doing their own things as Cassidy scrolled through his phone with his other hand.

Pausing the game, Kip straightened his back, stretching his arms over his head, landing one of them on top of Cassidy’s as he brought them back down. Interlacing their fingers together Kip carefully tilted his head back, looking at the blond with a smile as Cassidy continued to play with his hair, still trying to focus on his phone.

But without the sunglasses Kip could see the softening look in his eyes and the small smile tucking in the corner of his lips, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

“Clementine?”

Cassidy still didn’t look back at him, but let out a quiet sound of acknowledgment. Kip carefully squeezed the hand he was holding with his own.

“I love you.”

Cassidy finally broke eye contact with his phone, shifting his gaze to the Brit, watching Kip looking at him basically upside down with his head tilted back against the couch cushion. It wasn’t a new thing for Kip to be telling him this, or to break the news at a random moment, but something about this very moment he decided to do it yet again it felt genuine. Serene.

Before Cassidy could speak up, Kip carefully pushed himself off from the floor, not so carefully moving to the couch as he basically flopped on top of Cassidy who had just been lounging on the couch so far. Kip just chuckled at his slightly annoyed groan, wrapping arms around the blond’s midsection as he buried his face into the crook of his neck, letting out a sigh. He got so comfortable so fast that Cassidy didn’t even have time to stop him, just accepting that Kip was there now, acting almost like a weighted blanket on him.

Shaking his head a little, Cassidy could feel his lips twisting into a soft smile though as he ran a hand through Kip’s hair again.

“I love you too.”

The content sound Kip let out sounded almost like purring to him, vibrating through Cassidy’s entire being. He was sure Kip could feel his heart rate accelerating against his own chest, as he could feel the smile on the Brit’s lips against the skin of his neck. Kip didn’t say anything, but it was fairly obvious, especially based on the soft sounds he continued to make as he pressed a soft kiss on Cassidy’s neck.

“Clementine.”

His voice was barely louder than a whisper, peppered with kisses as Kip continued to shower him in small pecks of affection, carefully tracking his neck up to his jaw. Cassidy’s breathing tightened a bit as he felt Kip’s hands moving from underneath him, crawling up his sides onto his chest, carefully tucking on the front of the white t-shirt he was wearing.

Kip sat up, easily straddling him, hands pressed on Cassidy’s chest as Kip smiled down at him, tilting his head to the side a little, almost acting coy in the moment. Cassidy ditched the phone from his hand, arms wrapping around Kip’s waist, hands slowly sneaking up to his neck as he carefully pulled the Brit lower until they were face to face.

Kip chuckled at him a little, but the soft blush lingering on his face from Cassidy taking the control was very obvious.

“My,” Kip whispered, leaning closer to press a little kiss on Cassidy’s lips. “Sweet.” Another kiss. “Little.” Kiss. “Clemen--”

He couldn’t finish the last word before Cassidy yanked him close, pressing their lips together. His hand brushing into Kip’s hair and the back of his head pulled him closer, the almost embarrassingly unintentional moan Kip let out against his mouth allowing Cassidy to deepen the kiss. Kip obviously didn’t mind it, but his hands grabbing onto the chest of Cassidy’s shirt with such noticeable force were a clear indication that maybe he desired something more.

Kip barely let go of the shirt as Cassidy finally pulled them apart, both audibly catching their breath. The blush had definitely gotten stronger on Kip’s face, cheeks glowing red as he rested his forehead against Cassidy’s, eyes closed, trying to calm himself down. This was what he had intended, sure, but the intensity still always caught him off guard when it came to Cassidy. He wasn’t used to this, this being one of the few activities his boyfriend decided to show eagerness to participate in.

“Cle-clementine…”

Cassidy smiled at him, hands running through Kip’s hair and down to his neck, gently nudging the neckline of his shirt. It was fairly obvious what he wanted, Kip obliging as he pushed away from Cassidy’s face, helping him pull off the shirt. As he sat there on top of the blond, eyes still closed as Kip was trying his best to still compose himself after the air that had been knocked out of him with the first kiss, he could feel gentle fingertips against his exposed skin as Cassidy traced them along his abs, climbing up to his chest.

“Has anyone told you before how hot you are?”

Kip’s brows furrowed a bit at the sudden shift of the tone, eyes opening as he looked down at Cassidy, the bright blue eyes staring back at him almost too intensely again. Kip swallowed thickly, trying not to think about the question too much, but he carefully shook his head after a moment.

“No, not really. Not like… This, I guess.”

“Well,” Cassidy smiled at him, almost a smirk forming in the corner of his mouth as his hands firmly planted themselves onto Kip’s chest. “I do. I think you’re hot.”

Kip could feel his whole face heating up, surely Cassidy could feel his racing heartbeat through his chest as well. He watched as the blond smiled, the look almost unbearably adorable on his face, his hands sliding down Kip’s sides as he took in the sight of his boyfriends unclothed upper body sitting on top of him.

“I think you’re really hot,” Cassidy mumbled, averting eyes with Kip as he was now slightly blushing as well, a soft pink shade covering his face as his hands slid down to Kip’s thighs. The Brit just turned his face away, almost ashamed at the sudden compliments as he felt Cassidy’s fingertip drumming against his toned legs.

“…Shut up.”

Cassidy chuckled at him softly, hands easily slipping to Kip’s lower back from their previous position, making the other man noticeably shiver against the touch.

“I mean it though.”

“…No you don’t.”

Cassidy’s hands stopped, brows furrowing a little as he glanced up at Kip’s face, noticing the look that the Brit still wasn’t returning to him, biting his lower lip as he looked almost ashamed to be in the position he was in. This was far from the first time they had been like this, and yet this time specifically had triggered something in Kip that obviously made him more uncomfortable than he led on.

“Kip--”

“It’s fine,” he stated, cutting Cassidy off, hands finally letting go of the t-shirt he had been holding onto this entire time, Kip trying to push himself off of the blond. He got up on his feet, Cassidy quickly sitting up on the couch, hand reaching for Kip, grabbing a hold of his wrist.

“Wait. What’s wrong?”

Kip didn’t turn back towards him, he just stood there, feeling the burning sensation of Cassidy’s hand around his wrist, holding him in place. He didn’t try to fight it, but it was obvious how much Kip wanted to just walk away from all of this, despite not making the full effort to do so. Cassidy wasn’t going to let him go though, knowing that whatever it was that pushed him over the edge like this, it had something to do with him, considering how fine Kip had been with all of this just moments before.

“Hey.” Cassidy gently tucked Kip’s arm, carefully pulling him back on the couch. Kip obliged, sitting down, eyes still averting looking back at Cassidy, the blushing having turned into shame he didn’t want to share with him. “It’s okay. I’m sorry.”

He wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for, but it felt like the right move. Kip took in a sharp breath, but remained silent. Cassidy carefully observed the side of his face, trying to read half of the look he could see, honestly focusing more on the racing heartbeat of Kip’s that he could feel through the hold he had of his wrist.

“...I still mean what I said though.”

Kip tensed up at his words, just as Cassidy thought. So this was really what it was about. Before Kip could argue with him, Cassidy let go of his wrist, shifting on the couch as he pushed himself up, easily straddling Kip’s lap. Much to his surprise the other man wasn’t trying to push him away, but Kip still avoided eye contact, almost as if he was just playing along to let Cassidy do his thing and be happy about it more than anything else.

With a soft smile on his lips, Cassidy’s hand gently cupped Kip’s cheek with one hand, carefully turning his face towards him. Kip’s eyes almost immediately fell down and away from his, but Cassidy tried not to let it discourage him. Instead he grabbed a hold of Kip’s right hand, watching his eyes follow along with it as Cassidy lifted it up to his face, pressing a soft kiss on the back of it.

“I love you,” he stated softly, pressing another kiss on the back of Kip’s hand. “I love every inch of you.”

Kip didn’t stop him this time, Cassidy taking it as a good sign as he kissed his knuckles before peppering little kisses on each of his fingers. “The way you move your fingers is… Mesmerizing.”

He could feel that Kip wanted to pull his hand away from him after that statement, but Cassidy firmly kept his hold, moving to gently kissing Kip’s fingertips, Cassidy’s voice was barely louder than a whisper between each kiss. “I love the way your touch is always so gentle even when you don’t intend it to be so.”

Kip just watched him, quietly, as Cassidy proceeded to kiss up his hand and then his tattooed arm before reaching his shoulder, leaning slightly closer to his ear until the hot breath tickled him slightly, sending shivers down Kip’s spine.

“The way you’re decorated makes you such a work of art I can’t stop admiring you.”

“Orange, please.”

Cassidy pulled away a little, trying not to let the rare usage of his name rather than the affectionate nickname that escaped from Kip’s lips bother him, pressing a quick kiss on his lips instead. “Shh. I love your voice, but not now.”

As Kip fell silent again, slightly taken aback by Cassidy’s almost assertive behavior, the blond pressed a soft peck on his cheek. “When you laugh and your dimples are showing, it drives me insane.”

He could both feel and hear Kip’s breathing tightening up with each word, but Cassidy was far from being done as he carefully kissed the Brit on the eyelid he closed on instinct as Cassidy got close, trying to ignore the mild taste of salt he was getting back. “The intensity in your eyes makes them sparkle brighter than the stars in the night sky.”

As Cassidy moved over to the other eye, not only was he able to taste them, but the tears were visible this time as well. He didn’t want to stop, having the feeling in his heart how important that moment was, but Cassidy gave Kip a moment to process everything before he leaned in again, for another soft kiss on the other eyelid.

“When you look at me, I feel like the most loved person in the world.” Cassidy pulled away, leaning closer to press a kiss, slow and methodical this time, on Kip’s lips again. “And I want you to feel that too.”

Kip didn’t say anything, but Cassidy was able to see the floodgates truly open just before Kip leaned closer, burying his face into the blond’s chest, letting out an audible sob. A soft smile crossed Cassidy’s lips as his arms wrapped around him, pulling Kip as close to him as possible, hand running through his hair slowly as his other hand rubbed his back.

“It’s okay. Take your time.”

They sat there, in each other's arms, for a good while as Kip just quietly cried into Cassidy’s shirt, the muffled sobs melting his heart. As bad as making Kip act like this was making him feel, something in Cassidy told him that he sorely needed this. They didn’t talk about it a lot, but he knew Kip worked extra hard to keep up with his appearance and yet rarely got compliments on it, for whatever reason he really didn’t understand. What Cassidy didn’t know was that it was such a taboo subject for him that this was going to be the reaction to it, but at the same time he was happy that they got to this point.

If anything, he was able to say the things in a way he truly felt and meant directly to him. It wasn’t about proving a point, it was about showing Kip that Cassidy actually cared.

After a while Kip’s sobs quieted down, his face still buried in Cassidy’s chest as he leaned closer, pressing a little kiss in the Brit’s hair, getting a soft whine back from him.

“…Clementine.” His voice was barely a whisper, but the return of that nickname made Cassidy smile just a little bit wider. “I love you.”

Cassidy’s arms unwrapped from around him, the blond leaning slightly away to put some space between the two of them before his hands reached for Kip’s face, carefully lifting it up to look at him. Cassidy’s heart fluttered a little at the glimmer of tears in his eyes, but more importantly at the soft smile now crossing Kip’s lips as well. The Brit was the first one to lean closer, it being his turn to steal a kiss from Cassidy’s lips.

“I love you too.”

[soccerpunching]

YOUR HCS RB POST DISAPPEARED BEFORE MY EYES AND I CANT FIND IT SO IM SHOVING IT IN HERE!! 👽

[Image Description: 14yo Gouenji Shuuya from the honosuto manga shown as sleepy. End of description.]

SORRY ABOUT THAT. I got self-conscious and decided against doing the headcanon all together adfdsfkgadfj. I thought nobody saw before I deleted it BUT because I saw this in my inbox, I decided to put it back. Thank you so much for sending this ask aaaaaaaaaaa

👽 A headcanon about a weird quirk of theirs

Inspired by honosuto again. This is regarding the reason why he only need gloves and boots in winter despite the cold and why cats love to follow him around.

I have this hc that Gouenji has a naturally hot body temperature and it's because of that that he feels hot easily (he likes the heat though so it's not like it bothers him that much) and doesn't get cold unless the cold is in an inhumane degree. This is why cats follow him around and why he doesn't need that many layers in winter (except for his fingers and ears).

And because of this, he's the only player from the kanto region to wear short-sleeved jerseys in winter competitions (like the winter kokuritsu one in high school) while everybody else wears their long-sleeved thicker winter jerseys out in the field (unless you're suzuno ig). He gets cold even less while running so he's more comfortable with a normal jersey version of their winter jersey.

Like the autistic guy he is, he can't give it his all in soccer when: (1) his hair gets on his face; and (2) he feels restricted in clothing. So, the coaches/managers that have him in the team just agreed that they should let him do that if that would mean more goals for them. He was pretty much considered odd and impractical though. Nobody has ever said it on his face.

Ask about a headcanon!!

Thank you so much again for this ask. With my entire heart!!

[theasocialantisocial]

i tried to post the following in the original comments section, but it didn’t fit and i don’t know how to format it, so i’ll send it directly: i’m really sorry for not responding sooner, about the ‘Up is Down, Sane is Insane’ thing. i DID see your comment the first day it was there, i’ve been thinking about it for the past few days. i wasn’t sure how to respond and got nervous because i didnt wanna screw anything up until i was sure how to do it. i planned out my response in my head, and hopefully, i’m not coming across as rude. i’m not good at apologies, but i really am sorry. maybe this will look like i’m just making excuses, and i don’t want to appear as though i’m dismissing this. i’m just trying to explain my actions and apologize, and if i come off as anything but, i’m really sorry, and please let me know, so i can correct the apology as well.

first off, the pathologizing: i guess that’ll be my first thing to research, neurotypes. i’m googling it as i’m typing, and yeah, that does seem like a better word to use. when i first looked up autism symptoms— just out of curiosity— several sources called it ‘autism spectrum *disorder,’* and so i just went with it, not even thinking about it. i should’ve thought about it. more thorough research is needed on my end, for sure, to avoid that sort of mistake again. i’m really sorry about this.

second, institutionalization: i wasn’t fully aware of how bad it is even today. i’m sorry about that, and i’ll try my best to look into modern institutionalization as best as i can, to understand how bad it is. i wasn’t thinking of the modern versions with my story, but if i’m looking at the victorian asylums and turning a blind eye to what’s happening today, it would be hypocritical of me.

how i handled the subject matter: i didn’t realize that i was handling anything so horribly. i was trying to portray it as it was, but with empathy and a lot of anxiety about whether or not i should tone it down. as for husk and angel’s reactions, i wasn’t quite sure what to do, but again, i thought that, well, asylums were shown to be safe places, even if it wasn’t (still isn’t) true. maybe they’d just misunderstand and move on. it’s hard to address this concern without specific examples (no offense to you!), but i am taking this into consideration, and even if i don’t know exactly how to respond to this, i will try to keep this in mind.

the asylum, and autistic-coding: i really should’ve thought about that aspect before i even clicked ‘new work’. i swear, i hadn’t meant anything by it. i had read ‘The Woman They Could Not Silence’, and it mentioned how being ‘too emotional’ was seen as insanity. i hadn’t thought of anything, i just finished the book, and a couple days or weeks later, i was talking with my friend and i came up with pentious’ backstory. all i really saw was his behavior. or rather, just how he wore his emotions on his sleeves. i saw his personality, i looked back at the book, and i thought “oh, there’s no way he’d survive that era without some trauma.” a bit later on, after a couple chapters were posted, 2 or 3, i found a tumblr post about a list of autistic traits he showed. ‘oh, that makes sense,’ i thought, ‘yeah, that fits.’ i didn’t actually think about how it might appear: an autistic-coded character in an abusive asylum. i should’ve taken a moment to realize how it would look, so i could write it better, with more empathy. i truly wasn’t trying to offend anybody, i truly didn’t mean to suggest anything beyond how institutionalization was/is horrible, and how it could affect someone. maybe you’ll believe me, maybe you won’t, i swear that my only intentions were to write an interesting backstory and to explore what it was really like back then. i’m really, truly sorry about that.

if there’s anything at all i can do to fix everything— adjust the story going forward, minor OR major rewrites, delete it completely, anything— please let me know. ANYTHING. i’ve said it already, several times, but i really am sorry. i hope i sound sorry here, because i mean it.

I'm genuinely sorry I didn't answer sooner, this is very hard for me to talk about, and ai don't go on Tumblr every day so I didn't see this until about a day ago. I do not have ANY intention of making you feel bad or like I was being rude or trying to attack you, but every I said is very true and too important to sugar coat, I just want to say that for the record.

I don't at all think it's necessary to delete anything, and I hate if I've made you feel insecure about your art, that's not my intention, these things are just very, very important like I said. But if I were you I would keep these things I said in mind for future, in addition to potentially going back and changing the way Angel and Husk are reacting to situation as a whole- I don't necessarily want to tell dictate you on how, but for example, it seems weird that Angel heard that entire story in the last chapter, and still thinks Pen was getting like actual healthcare in that place? Unless I missed something/I'm confused, that seems really weird. It just feels like they're a little too cozy with the idea of institutionalization in general. Which I understand because a lot of people are (understably) very ignorant about the topic. But I only thing I want from my fellow humans is just... An general understanding of institutionalization being wrong, especially in the art we make. That's basically all I have to say about and I thank you if you seriously consider it. I know I repeated myself a few times but I'm having a hard time putting thoughts to words

[heartbreakprincewille]

Linking to your post about the gun scene, I think another really significant scene is the one in the locker room after Felice and Wille kiss.

Up until this point, we have only really seen Wille's inability to understand Simon's position in Hillerska's society and his inability compromise with Simon as a problem within their relationship. A few examples being Wille's asking Simon to delete the video of him at the football match after Erik's death, his harshness when he found out that Simon had sold drugs even though he had taken them, the denying of it being him in the video, and, in season 2, him continually trying to approach Simon and not understanding why Simon may feel betrayed and not want to reciprocate.

So in the locker room, it is really interesting to hear Simon say that he can't accept Wille's role and his family, because that is such a defining part of Wille. And we can kind of see Simon's regret after he says it.

We begin to see Simon's, almost unwillingness, to understand the consequences of Wille's position as the Crown Prince. It can be seen when he scoffs at Wille's proposition that they can be together if they wait until they are 18 because he doesn't see that that was Wille's only opportunity, and in the music room scene where he tells Wille that he suffered nearly no consequences for the video, and also when he pretty much blames Wille for not being able to perform his version of the Hillerska song at the anniversary. It's almost like Simon doesn't see Wille as as much of a victim because he didn't say it was him in the video.

For the first time, the audience is seeing how Simon's actions are pushing them apart, as opposed to Wille's.

And that is why both the scene with the gun, and the scene where they are alone before the speech are so impactful. The one with the gun because it marks Simon's realisation that Wille has been just as affected by the video as he was, and the one before the speech because that shows Simon's eventually openness to Wille as both a person and a prince.

Sorry that this was so long. I am not 100% sure I got my point across.

Sorry anon I fell asleep last night so I didn't see this but YOU ARE SO RIGHT

And I love this progression because in a way, Simon's unwillingness to understand Wille's position is both natural AND it balances their dynamic. If they would have kept Simon as this "all-understanding" character, not only it would have created an unbalanced dynamic between them, I personally would have lost interest in them because I HATE when one person is just supposed to be understanding all the time and the other person just piles their shit onto them.

And I really love Simon for this because just like in S1, he listened to Sara and took the decision of breaking up with Wille (even though his own heart was breaking as well), in S2 he saw everything that was laid in front of his eyes and accepted his flaws with grace. And I think both of his decisions, in S1 and S2, were absolutely right. He was right to take a step back when he needed to, AND he was right to take a step forward because he understood that he is as flawed as Wille is, but what they have is once-in-a-lifetime kind of love and trust.