#so there are still plenty of fics that im not interested in

[despite-everything]

went on ao3 craving a daemon au fic and decided to be flexible on the fandom... after filtering out a ton i dont care about, the top 5 fics were all for media i love. i love having good taste.

[orcelito]

Sometimes I feel bad for not really liking Sentido bc like. It's my most popular trigun fic, Obviously there are plenty of people who like it. And on some days I can acknowledge it's pretty good. But at the same time I'm like. ITNL is so much better... yet it has only 60% of the kudos that Sentido has....

Tho that number is getting bigger 🤔🤔🤔 who knows, maybe when I start updating ITNL again it'll finally surpass Sentido. Someday...

[likeumeanit9497]

just like that | m.s. |

matt sturniolo x fem!reader

based on this request :))

summary: after dating for four months without having sex, y/n finally decides that she's ready to take matt for a ride

warnings: smut; established relationship; unprotected p in v; oral (fem receiving); riding; mentions of questionable consent (NOT with matt dw); dirty talk; 18+

notes: damn i completely forgot about this im so sorry:/ i've just been so busy over the past week or so it completely went under the radar. def not my best work (i wrote it all today), but i wanted to get it up because i'm going on a trip through europe for 6 (SIX???!!?!?!) weeks and will probably not be able to post much when im there. anyways i hope u all enjoy!!

p.s. working on one more fic that i would LOVE to post before i leave tomorrow, if not it might be a while before im able to write again :/ it's gonna be a good one for the matt girlies though so keep ur eyes peeled ;)

─ ⊹ ⊱ ☆ ⊰ ⊹ ─

“Do you want anything from the kitchen baby?” Matt’s soft voice in my ear pulled me from the lull I was in, curled up beside him on the couch watching a movie. My drooping eyes fluttered open and I couldn’t help but smile once I came face-to-face with my beautiful boyfriend. The late-August sun was setting, and it shone through the living room windows in just the way that made Matt’s gorgeous blue eyes almost transparent; a harsh contrast to his dark eyelashes and tidy beard. He was looking at me with such unclouded care, the way he always did, and it never failed to make my heart flutter.

Matt and I had met on social media about six months ago, and started dating just two months after that. Our earliest conversations online had consisted of occasionally discussing our shared interest in pretty embarrassing hobbies — playing Minecraft, journaling, and watching rom-coms to name a few — but those occasional conversations evolved into staying up all night messaging each other, multiple-hour long Facetime calls, and eventually meeting at a restaurant for our first date.

Although it hadn’t been long since we started dating, Matt’s soul was one that I felt like I’ve known all my life. Never before had I felt more at home around another person than I did once I met him, and his presence in my life gave it a new level of stability that didn’t exist before. I had dated a guy in high school for almost two years, but the quality in the time spent with Matt versus him was incomparable. I was sure that Matt was the person that I was meant to be with, and everyday he did something new to prove that to be true without even trying.

Another thing that I loved so much about Matt was that, even after months of dating, he hasn’t once pushed me to have sex with him. In one of our early conversations, I had told him that my ex had always made me feel bad when I would turn down sex with him. While him and I did have sex a few times during our relationship, I had since come to terms with the fact that I really was just doing it to make him happy. Once Matt got over his immediate anger for me, he had sat me down and told me that he could wait forever, but that he won’t have sex with me unless I tell him I’m ready.

That was months ago, and still, he has kept his promise. While we have done plenty of other things in bed, he has always made it a point to stop everything before it gets to the point of sex. At first, I felt riddled with guilt because I felt like I should want to have sex with my boyfriend —especially one so kindhearted as Matt — but over time that guilt has fizzled out from Matt’s reassuring words and actions. He never ever put me in situations that he knew had the potential to make me uncomfortable, and wouldn’t allow me to feel bad about it either.

Lately, though, I had been feeling slightly different. While before, I would squirm at the thought of anything more happening once Matt’s hand would slip out of my panties, now I feel a slight tightening in my stomach at the idea of more. And before, I would feel a certain level of nervousness as I felt the weight of his member in my hand, where now there is a flutter in my core at the thought of that same part of him filling me up.

Never before in my life had I felt any of these feelings, and I didn’t quite know what to do with them. I was afraid of the abundance of dirty thoughts that flooded my own head constantly, and I realized that I was ready for more, but only with Matt. I had been contemplating on telling him this for the past week, but as I watched him walk back over to me on the couch in nothing but baggy grey sweats — the black ink of his tattoos hypnotizing me — my body reacted in such a way that let me know that tonight was the night.

“Here, I know you didn’t say you wanted anything but I grabbed you a water anyways. I haven’t seen you drink any yet today and you-” I cut Matt’s rambling off by climbing on top of his lap as soon as he was back on the couch; wrapping my arms around his neck and planting a deep kiss to his pink lips. He responded with a soft hum against my lips before wrapping his own arms around the small of my back. I opened my mouth slightly before pressing it against his again and moving them in a slow but passionate rhythm. Matt quickly followed suit, slipping his tongue through my parted lips before using it to explore my mouth. I fluttered my eyes open for a brief moment and caught a glimpse of Matt’s most beautiful features up close — lidded eyes, flushed cheeks, straight eyebrows — and released a satisfied sigh against his mouth.

I ran my hands through his soft brown hair, tugging slightly at the ends and eliciting a soft gasp from him as I felt my body flood with arousal. His hands travelled up and down my back, his firm yet somehow delicate touch a comfort that eased my nerves. From my place on his lap, I could feel a growing hardness against my ass. This wasn’t uncommon, obviously, but in the past I usually pretended to ignore it pressing against me. This time however, I rolled my hips up and down, feeling it slide against my aching core. “Baby.” Matt’s voice was barely above a whisper against my lips, but the combination of shock and arousal was still evident in its tone as he grabbed firmly onto my forearms to hold me still.

I detached my mouth from his while still keeping our faces just centimetres apart. His breath was rapid, but so was mine as we stayed like that for a moment; wild eyed and equally uncertain. Finally, I repeated my action by grinding my hips against his clothed shaft; this time watching as his eyes rolled back slightly in pleasure. “Y/n, what are you doing?” He mumbled, clearly wavering between making sure I was okay and wanting desperately for more. I continued grinding my hips against him, my mouth dropping open as I felt his shaft reach my nerves. “I want you Matt.” I whispered, and I watched as his eyes widened in shock; pupils dilated. “What do you mean?” He asked hesitantly, brushing his knuckles softly against my arms.

“I mean, I’m ready. Ready to have sex again.” I blurted out, feeling my face immediately flush in equal parts nervousness and arousal as I waited for him to respond. His face was unreadable as he clearly tried to gauge whether or not I was serious. That was confirmed once he finally spoke. “A-are you sure? I don’t want you to think just because I’m hard we have to do anything, baby.” I felt his dick twitch in between my legs as he spoke, and it shot electricity down my spine. “I know Matt, but I really am sure.” I responded, running my hands up and down his bare chest and leaving a trail of goosebumps in my path.

He continued to stare at me, his eyes travelling wildly across my face; clearly still in a state of uncertainty. I, on the other hand, was growing more and more frustrated by the moment as the heat continued to grow between my legs. “Give me your hand.” I stated, and he obliged; placing his much larger hand in my own. I guided his hand down to the waistband of my sweatpants, inside of the material, and finally slid it against my dripping wet core. Intaking a sharp breath from the contact, I watched his face as it immediately darkened once he felt my arousal coat his fingertips.

“See? I told you I’m ready,” I leaned forward slightly, bringing my lips to his exposed collarbone and kissing it wetly. “So please Matt, can you fuck me?” The room stayed silent for a beat, the only sounds being our ragged breathing, and I felt fear begin to trickle down my spine; worried that Matt might reject me. Just as I was about to retract everything I had just said, Matt’s hand snaked to the back of my head, guiding it up from his chest before crashing his lips onto mine.

I deepened the kiss immediately, feeling a mutual level of desperation like a surge of electricity between our lips that had never been there before. Matt’s hands began traveling all across my writhing body — taking his time on the curves of my ass — before planting firmly on my hips where he helped them grind against his rock hard member. Breathy, almost silent moans fell from both of our lips as our bodies slid against each other, and the deep-rooted sensation was taunting.

Matt’s hands slithered from my hips up to the bottom of my t-shirt, where he toyed with the material for a moment before detaching his lips from mine. “Can I take this off?” He asked, glazed eyes staring longingly into my own. I nodded, and without a moment’s hesitation my vision was blocked for a brief second by Matt peeling the fabric over my head and tossing it to the side. Once my vision returned, my view was of Matt’s hungry eyes glued to my bare chest.

Matt had seen my tits countless times before throughout our relationship, but at this moment it was like he was seeing them for the very first time. Mouth slightly parted, his breathing was ragged as he brought both hands to my chest and cupped my tits delicately between them; pushing them together slightly and brushing a thumb along each nipple. I hissed at the feeling, and that seemed to pull him from his trance, as his eyes immediately shot up to mine. “This okay baby?” He asked, and I nodded my head wildly.

A smirk toyed at the corners of his mouth before he attached it to my left nipple. I released short moans as he sucked and nibbled it gently, still pressing my core against his throbbing shaft. I felt myself falling deeper and deeper into a trance that I had never experienced before, and it was like my body and mind had completely separated as I mindlessly tugged desperately at the waistband of his sweats. Catching on to my gesture, Matt shifted slightly below me before using one of his hands to haphazardly pull his sweats down slightly; allowing his cock to spring up in between my legs.

I gasped at the sight before me, only now realizing its true size with it between my legs and feeling just a tinge of excited fear trying to figure out just how it was going to fit inside of me. Shaking the thought from my mind, I collected a pool of saliva in my mouth before spitting it in my hand and bringing it down to his shaft.

Running my thumb along his slit, I felt his whole body shudder below me from the contact. I began pumping my hand up and down his length; spending extra time twisting my wrist around his sensitive tip, and watched as his mouth went slack on my tits. “Mmm, keep doing it just like that baby.” He muttered against my plump skin, and I continued to work his cock in my hand while simultaneously grinding my core against its base. Just knowing that I was making him feel good was making me feel good, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head in pleasure.

After a few short moments, I felt Matt’s hands snake to the waist band of my own sweats. My eyes found his again, and I watched as they searched my face. “You’re sure you want this, Y/n?” He asked, his voice gentle but laced with a huskiness that could only be explained as pure desire. I nodded desperately once again, feeling so pathetic but not capable of giving a shit. “I’m sure baby, please.” My voice had a slight whine to it, making my frantic need even more evident.

Planting a soft kiss to my lips, he grabbed firmly onto my sweats and began peeling them off of my body. I lifted my hips up slightly to assist him in this, and once I dropped them back down, I hissed from the feeling of my bare core against his cock. “Matty, I need you right now.” I practically cried out, leaning my body forward and planting nibbles and kisses along his exposed neck. The suspense was torturous, my body only just now recognizing how badly it was craving his.

His hands cupped my ass, and he used his grip to lift me just a couple inches off of him. I felt him spread me open slightly before dragging a finger once again against my aching folds. “Mmm, so wet for me baby.” I released a breathy moan at the combination of his touch and words, and squirmed in his grasp. “I’ll help you get it in, but I want you on top. That way you can take it as slow as you need to, okay?” His voice softened as he spoke, and his hands massaged me gently causing me to physically relax. “O-okay.” I muttered, so turned on that I was willing to do just about anything he wanted me to.

Just then, he placed a soft kiss to my lips before I felt the very tip of his cock brush against my opening; causing me to gasp. “Shh, it’s okay baby. I’ll go slow.” He whispered in my ear, and I pressed my forehead into the crook of his neck in anticipation. Finally, I felt my walls begin to expand as he pressed the first few inches into me. Moaning at the sensation, I felt my whole body flush in immediate lust. As if they had a mind of their own, my hips subconsciously began lowering onto his shaft; taking more and more of him as I sunk down.

A moan fell from his lips as my walls enveloped him inch by inch, and I slowly lifted my head from his neck and straightened my body up to allow more of him to fill me up. Even though he was big and I hadn’t had a dick in me in a long time, my slick arousal allowed him to bottom out without causing me to feel any pain; only indescribable pleasure. Once every inch of him was in me, I stayed still for a moment looking down at him. His desire was plastered across every inch of his face, and it made him look impossibly beautiful. There was no fear in me in that moment, only want, and so I began riding him.

As soon as I propelled my body up and down his shaft just once, I felt a pit of arousal begin to grow in my stomach. Groaning in pleasure, I continued with my moments; holding onto his shoulders to keep my trembling body stable. “Mmm you feel so good baby.” Matt moaned out, his eyes never leaving my pinched face. After a while, my body adjusted completely to his size and I was able to increase my speed. As I slid my walls up and down his shaft, Matt gripped onto my ass with all his might, using his hands to help me maintain my speed.

Moans fell from my lips as his cock ruthlessly hit my g-spot, and I felt my lower stomach build in pressure. “Fuck.” I muttered under my breath, feeling my skin go flush from the heat of the moment. The room filled with the echo of our wet skin slapping against each other, adding to the erotic air around us. Prolonged strings of moans fell aimlessly from my lips, and as I came closer and closer to my impending climax I began struggling to maintain my movements.

Matt seemed to pick up on this, as he adjusted his hips and began pounding into me from below; his hands holding me in place where I just clung onto him for dear life. “F-fuck Matty, like that. S-so good.” I cried out, my voice choppy from his rapid movements. My brain melted into a pool of liquid as all I could think about was reaching my high that was just out of reach. “You’re taking me so good baby.” Matt groaned out as he continued driving his length into me, staring deeply into my eyes with a fogged over expression.

“I-I think I’m gonna — oh god, think I’m g-gonna cum Matt.” My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I dug my nails into his shoulder blades, struggling to give into this new overwhelming sensation bubbling up inside of me. At this, a guttural moan fell from his lips and he somehow increased the speed of his thrusts even more. “Want you to cum around me baby, please.” There was a desperate whine to his voice as he spoke through his shortness of breath, and it was enough for me to reach my climax. Legs shaking, I released a plethora of moans and curses as my body was hit with multiple waves of indescribable pleasure. “Good girl, feels so good honey.” Matt’s voice was soft in my ear, and it helped to bring me back to earth as my hurricane of an orgasm left my body in shambles.

I continued to bounce on Matt’s dick slowly as I attempted to regain what little composure I had before my orgasm stole it from me, but I quickly learned that all of my energy had been stripped away. My body was trembling uncontrollably, and my head was filled with a fog that made it difficult for me to stay upright. Matt caught on to this, as he planted his hands firmly on my hips, keeping me still, before reaching forward and kissing me deeply. “You tired, baby?” He asked gently, rubbing circles on my sensitive skin. Sheepishly, I nodded, and Matt didn’t hesitate before guiding me off of his lap and helping me lay down on the couch.

As soon as my head hit the soft material, I felt my body immediately begin to relax again. I watched from my place on the couch as Matt began to slowly crawl over to me, before leaning above me. “You did so good baby,” He brought his lips to my chest and began dropping soft kisses against my skin, “Now,” His mouth travelled from my chest down to my stomach, “I want you to just lay here and relax,” He continued to move his lips down my stomach to my hips, “Let me make you feel good, okay?” His face was now hovering above my swollen heat, and I couldn’t help but nod frantically, feeling a sudden need to have his mouth on me.

Matt situated his body so that he could lay down with his face still just above my core. He brought both of his hands to my folds and I flinched as he used his thumbs to spread them apart slightly; exposing my bundle of nerves to the air. My vision partially skewed by his hair flopping in front of his eyes, I watched in awe as he brought his mouth closer and closer to where I needed it the most; before immediately gasping in pleasure once I felt his warm tongue make contact with my clit.

Immediately, Matt got to work in swirling his tongue in expert circles on my overstimulated nerves. This sensation in combination with his rough beard against my inner thighs was so intense it was almost painful in the best way possible, and I was incapable of controlling the throaty moans that fell from my lips as I watched him devour me entirely. Matt then used his mouth to suck on my nerves, bringing forward yet another new sensation that drove me crazy. It felt so unbelievably good, my hands flew to his hair where I held firmly; doing everything in my power to keep him in place. “Oh yeah baby, please, just like that.” I struggled to get the words out through my constant gasps of pleasure, but it was clear that they didn’t fall on deaf ears as Matt moaned in pleasured acknowledgement against my heat and kept his rhythm and pressure the exact same.

Feeling another orgasm begin to bear its teeth in my stomach, it was like my hips grew a mind of their own because as soon as Matt brought his hands under my ass to lift me slightly up on the couch; I began grinding my heat against his eager mouth. “Fuck.” He moaned against my clit as he continued to greedily suck and lick my nerves. I squeezed my eyes shut as a whine escaped my lips from an approaching orgasm, the pleasure that his mouth was giving me was too much. “S-stop baby.” I said suddenly, to which he immediately detached his mouth from me and I watched as his eyes scanned my fucked out face. “What’s wrong? You want to stop?” He seemed so concerned, clearly worried that he had somehow crossed a boundary, and it caused my chest to flutter. “N-no. It’s just, I was gonna cum again.” He raised a quizzical eyebrow, clearly confused by how that might be a problem. “I…I want to cum with you.” I finally said, and watched as his facial expression changed from one of concern back to one filled with lust.

He smiled quickly before dragging his body up my own, planting occasional kisses along my body on his way. Once he reached my head, he immediately began kissing me passionately, slipping his tongue through my parted lips and allowing me to taste myself on his mouth. Pulling away, I noticed my arousal laced throughout his beard, and that along with his pink swollen lips fresh off of my heat was enough to make my head spin. Just then, I felt him line his shaft up with my entrance, and immediately gasped out when he slid it in completely. Before moving at all, Matt took a moment to gaze down at my destroyed face before grabbing my legs and wrapping them around his waist. He then leaned forward and propped himself on his forearms on either side of my head; slipping a hand through my hair and grabbing onto it gently.

After noticing my body relax, he finally began thrusting into me. Starting off slow and deep, he gradually increased his speed until he was pounding his inches deep into me at a rapid pace. Already being close to cumming, I struggled to get a grip on my thoughts as the pleasure of the moment pulled me deeper and deeper into a world of euphoria. “You’re so tight sweetheart.” He muttered through his grunts, and I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head at his words. “F-feels so good Matty.” I managed to reply, tightening my legs around his waist as I tried everything I could to hold off my orgasm.

Matt’s hand snaked through my hair before he grabbed onto my cheek, brushing it gently with his thumb as he stared at me with a gaze so intense that it was almost intimidating. “I-I’m close Y/n.” He nearly whispered, and I felt his pace begin to slow slightly as he began to be overtaken by his own orgasm. My eyebrows knitted together as I felt my walls began to break. “M-me too.” I replied, wrapping my hands tightly around his biceps to keep me grounded. “Ah fuck, I’m cumming baby.” His erotic words were followed by a string of animalistic grunts as he drove his cock in and out of me — slow but hard — and it was like my body was waiting to hear those words as my second orgasm immediately ran through me like a freight train.

My breathy moans harmonized with his deep ones, and I felt my walls contract around his shaft; milking his dick as it painted them white. My legs were wrapped so tightly around his waist, he was barely able to move them as we both rode the waves of our intense pleasure. As my orgasm continued to tear through me, my back arched off of the couch and my body trembled. From above me, Matt watched me writhe in bliss as his movements completely stopped. As I finally began coming down from my high, I felt his hand brush through my hair affectionately, and watched as his face turned up in a smile before he placed a deep kiss to my lips.

He gently pulled his cock out of me, causing me to wince from the raw pain, before laying beside me on the couch and pulling me into him. Face to face, we stared lovingly at each other for a moment; my mind still spinning from how good he had made me feel, and in that moment I was worried that my heart might explode. His blissed expression told me that he was feeling the same, and his hand delicately rubbing the small of my back confirmed it. “Are you okay?” He finally asked, minor concern visible on his beautiful face. “I’m more than okay.” I answered honestly with a chuckle, causing him to laugh in relief as well. “I think I actually love sex.” I continued, causing him to really laugh this time before planting a kiss on my sweat-beaded forehead. “Well I think I actually love you.”

─ ⊹ ⊱ ☆ ⊰ ⊹ ─

[the-winter-spider]

Spin You Around | B.Barnes

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: Angsty, happy ending

A/N: Someone requested this forever ago, im revamping and editing all my fics so i decided to just repost this!

Revised Version

Masterlist

———-

1943

You were across the bar from Bucky and Steve. You came with them—they were your best friends—but an old acquaintance spotted you and waved you over. You excused yourself and made your way to where you were now. Even as you tried to focus on your conversation, your eyes kept drifting back to Bucky. Every time you caught his gaze, he was staring at you. When your eyes met, he gave you a soft smile before taking a sip from his drink. He said something to Steve before making his way toward you.

Your friend squeezed your arm, noticing Bucky’s approach. “I’ll catch up with you later,” she said before slipping away.

“Hi, doll.”

“You miss me that much?” You gave his shoulder a light shove, trying to mask the nervous flutter in your chest.

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip—a habit of his that always drove you crazy. Before he could respond, you quickly added, “Why aren’t you out dancing, Buck? There are plenty of pretty girls here tonight. I was just on my way back to keep Stevie company.”

You were deeply, madly in love with Bucky, though you didn’t realize it until Steve pointed it out one night after you saw Bucky locking lips with another girl. He was a ladies’ man, and you’d known that for a long time. But knowing didn’t make it any easier to watch. You told yourself nothing would ever happen between you two, so you settled for your place as his best friend.

Bucky reached out and took your hand, pulling you closer. The thudding in your ears grew louder—your heartbeat, you realized. “Yeah, but why would I want to dance with them when I’ve got the most beautiful girl in the world standing right in front of me?”

Your mouth fell open, and heat flooded your cheeks. You looked down, avoiding his eyes, trying to process what he just said. Bucky flirted with you all the time, but this… this felt different.

“Buck…” you trailed off, still searching for the words.

“Dance with me, Y/N.”

Your eyes met his again, and there was something in them you hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t the usual playful glint; it was something deeper, something that made your stomach twist. “Is everything okay, James?”

“I just want to dance with you, doll. So, will ya?”

You nodded, your voice barely a whisper. “How could I ever say no to you?”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He led you to the dance floor, and you couldn’t help but glance back at Steve, who was watching from the bar. He gave you a thumbs up, but his smile was tight, almost forced.

Bucky placed a hand on your waist, pulling you close as you began to sway to the music. His other hand held yours against his chest. You felt his heart beating beneath your palm, steady and strong. But something was off. The longer you danced, the more you could sense it—something was wrong.

When the music shifted to a faster tempo, Bucky surprised you by picking you up and spinning you around. You laughed despite yourself. “Bucky!”

“Did you say faster?” He laughed along with you, but when he set you down, the mood shifted. His hands lingered on your hips, his laughter fading as his gaze met yours. His eyes were searching, almost desperate.

“James, are you sure everything’s okay?” you asked again, more insistently this time.

He gave you a small, almost sad smile. “Of course, doll. I’m here with you.”

The song ended, and Bucky suggested getting a drink. You agreed, though unease settled in your stomach. Back at the bar, Steve gave you a teasing grin. “That was interesting to watch.”

You forced a laugh. “I thought I was going to show everyone what I had for dinner.”

“She’s being dramatic,” Bucky said, but there was a tension in his voice. He handed you your drink, and you took a large gulp, trying to drown the growing anxiety. “I’m gonna head to the ladies’ room. Don’t miss me too much, okay?” you said, trying to sound lighthearted as you turned away.

“I already miss you, doll!” Bucky called after you, but his voice cracked just slightly.

In the restroom, you were reapplying your lipstick when two girls walked in, their conversation catching your attention.

“I can’t believe he’s going off to war,” one of them said.

“I know. He’s such a looker. A shame he probably won’t be coming back.”

Your stomach twisted at their words, but you kept quiet until they noticed you. The redhead gave you a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry to hear about Bucky,” she said. “I know you two are close.”

You froze, your lipstick forgotten. “What are you talking about?”

The redhead’s eyes widened. “You don’t know?”

Her friend snickered. “Guess they’re not as close as we thought.”

You felt the blood drain from your face. “Know what?”

The redhead hesitated, then offered, “Maybe you should talk to James.”

Her friend rolled her eyes. “He told Beth he enlisted. He leaves in a couple of days. Didn’t think you’d be the last to know.” With a final smirk, they left you standing there, your world spinning.

You stared at your reflection in the mirror, trying to process what you’d just heard. Bucky was leaving. He hadn’t told you. He’d told Beth—a girl he probably didn’t even care about—but not you. How many others knew before you did? Did Steve know? Were they planning to keep it from you until it was too late to say goodbye?

A tear slipped down your cheek, and you quickly wiped it away, refusing to let yourself break. You forced yourself to breathe, to pull it together. But when you stepped out of the washroom and saw Bucky and Steve sitting there, laughing like nothing was wrong, the hurt crashed over you like a wave.

You made your way back to them, your hands shaking. Bucky’s eyes found yours immediately, his smile faltering when he saw your expression. “What’s wrong, Y/N?” he asked, reaching out for you.

You pulled your hand back, the hurt evident on your face. “When were you going to tell me?”

His brow furrowed. “Tell you what?”

“Buck,” Steve whispered, his voice full of guilt.

Your gaze snapped to him. “You knew?”

Steve looked down at the table, unable to meet your eyes. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, shame coloring his tone.

You scoffed, the betrayal cutting deep. Grabbing your coat, you turned to leave, but Bucky shot to his feet, panic in his eyes. “Doll, I was going to tell you after tonight. I just didn’t want to ruin—”

“Ruin what?” you snapped, your voice trembling. “Ruin the perfect night you planned before you just disappear? Or maybe you were waiting for your next girl to spill the beans.”

“Y/N, please, I—”

But you didn’t let him finish. You pushed past him, not caring about the tears blurring your vision. “Goodbye, James,” you choked out, leaving him standing there, with his heart in his throat and yours shattered on the floor.

A couple of days had passed since you overheard the news from that redhead and her friend. The anger, the hurt, the heartbreak—they all clawed at you relentlessly. You cried, you raged, but deep down, you knew you had to face him. The thought of letting Bucky leave for war with things unresolved gnawed at your conscience. Regret was a burden you couldn’t bear to carry if he didn’t come back.

When you finally mustered the courage to open the door, Bucky was standing there, hand raised mid-knock. The relief in his eyes was palpable. “Y/N,” he breathed out, as if he’d been holding it in all day. You forced a tired smile and gestured for him to come in. As you turned away, you noticed he was already in uniform. It hit you then—he was leaving soon. A fresh wave of tears welled up, and before you could stop them, you broke down, burying your face in your hands.

“Darling, please don’t cry,” Bucky murmured, pulling you into a tight embrace. He pressed soft kisses to your hair as you clung to him, your sobs muffled against his chest. “W-why didn’t you tell me, Buck?” you choked out, your voice trembling with the weight of all the things you’d kept bottled up.

He held you tighter, as if afraid you’d slip away. “I was going to. After that night, I wanted one last dance with you, without you knowing. I wanted one more moment of happiness, just you and me, before… before everything changes.”

You sniffled and pulled away, wrapping your arms around yourself as if to hold in the pieces that were breaking. You forced yourself to meet his gaze, though it hurt to do so. “But why tell Beth before me?” The words came out sharper than you intended, but the pain behind them was real.

Bucky shook his head, desperation in his eyes. “I didn’t. She must’ve seen me when I was signing up. I promise, doll, I only told Steve before we came to get you. You have to believe me.”

You searched his eyes, looking for any hint of a lie, but all you found was sincerity—and fear. You nodded slowly. “Okay, Buck. I believe you.” Relief washed over his face, and he took a step closer, his hands gently cupping your face. His thumbs brushed away the lingering tears as he tilted your head up to look at him.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he muttered, his breath warm against your lips. His voice was thick with emotion, raw and unguarded. Your heart pounded in your ears as his lips hovered over yours, barely touching. “Tell me to stop, and I will,” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. When you didn’t, he closed the gap, kissing you with a longing that made your knees weak. You pulled him closer, desperate to keep him with you for as long as you could. But the kiss ended too soon, both of you breathless, clinging to the moment.

“It was always you, Y/N,” Bucky murmured, his forehead resting against yours. “It will always be you.”

You wanted to hold onto those words forever, to freeze time and stay in this moment where everything felt perfect, where it was just you and Bucky, no war, no goodbyes. But reality crept in, and with it, a deep, aching sorrow. You felt your heart crack, a piece breaking off with the realization that this might be the last time you ever had him like this.

“Why now, Buck?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

“I was scared,” he admitted, his voice laced with regret.

You let out a bitter laugh, wiping away the tears that were starting to fall again. “James Buchanan Barnes, self-appointed ladies’ man, scared of little ol’ me?”

A small smile tugged at his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re different.”

“Isn’t that a little too cliché, even for you, James?” you teased, trying to lighten the mood, but your heart wasn’t in it.

“Different because this,” he said, taking your hand and placing it over his heart, “belongs to you. It always has. I was scared you wouldn’t want it.”

Your breath caught in your throat. “Bucky, I—” The words failed you. How could you put into words the depth of what you felt?

“I was terrified that if I told you how I felt, you wouldn’t feel the same,” he continued, his voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t want to ruin what we had. I would’ve rather had a part of you than lose you completely.”

“How did you know?” you asked, your voice cracking.

“Steve,” he replied, a small, rueful smile on his lips as realization dawned on you.

“I’m gonna kill him,” you muttered, shaking your head, but there was no real malice in your voice.

Bucky laughed, a sound that was both joyous and sad. “I wish I’d known sooner.”

“Me too,” you whispered, your heart heavy with the weight of lost time.

He let go of your hands and walked over to your living room, where he began sorting through your records. You leaned against the doorway, watching as he carefully selected one and placed it on the turntable. A slow, melancholy tune filled the room, and Bucky turned to face you, his eyes soft but filled with a sadness that mirrored your own.

“Y/N, would you like to dance?” he asked, holding out his hand.

You smiled faintly, taking his hand. “I’d be delighted.” You let out a small giggle as he pulled you close, and for a moment, it almost felt like everything was okay. But as you swayed to the music, reality crept back in, and the question you’d been dreading slipped from your lips. “Bucky?”

“Yeah, doll?”

“When do you leave?”

He hesitated, his grip tightening around you. “In the morning.”

Your heart dropped, and you couldn’t help the gasp that escaped your lips. You tried to pull away, but he held you tighter, as if he could keep you from slipping away like the night itself.

“Please, doll, this is all I want. Just this.”

Tears welled up in your eyes, but you fought to keep them at bay. “I can’t do this without you, Bucky,” you whispered, your voice cracking.

“Do what? Dance” He smiles softly trying to make light of the situation, the heaviness.

“Live,” You murmured, your voice barely audible.

“Doll…” He breathed out, his own tears threatening to spill.

“No, Bucky, you don’t get it,” you choked out, finally meeting his gaze. “You’re everything to me. My heart belongs to you, and no one else. Soldiers don’t always come home. What if you don’t come back? What am I supposed to do then? I have Steve, but he’s not you. Bucky, I—”

He silenced you with a kiss, soft and lingering, a promise he couldn’t guarantee but desperately wanted to keep. “I promise I’ll come back to you, doll,” he whispered against your lips, his voice filled with a conviction that was as fragile as it was earnest. “Whatever it takes. I love you, Y/N.”

His eyes searched yours, pleading with you to believe him, to hold on to hope.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. “I love you too, Buck,” you whispered, but the fear in your heart made the words feel hollow, as if saying them out loud might jinx everything.

And as you held each other, swaying to the fading melody, the night stretched on, bittersweet and fleeting. The dawn would come too soon, and with it, the cruel reality that nothing—no amount of love or hope—could keep the inevitable at bay.

-----

2023

Bucky leaned against the railing of the compound’s balcony, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the warm chatter inside. An investor party, Steve had called it—something about needing to keep the Avengers funded now that Stark was gone. Sam had quipped that money didn’t grow on trees, to which Steve dryly replied, “It’s made of paper, so technically…” That had earned a chuckle from the room, but Bucky hadn’t joined in. His thoughts were elsewhere, rooted more in the year itself than in the meaningless gathering behind him.

He gazed up at the night sky, swirling the whiskey in his glass—a drink that once would have had him grinning ear to ear, arm in arm with Steve and you, with the same stars twinkling overhead. The memory brought a faint smile to his lips, but it was quickly followed by an ache that settled deep in his chest. He hadn’t had much time to indulge in his self-pity, not with everything that had happened. Steve had always been there to drag him out of the darkness, but tonight it seemed even Steve couldn't hold back the tide.

As if on cue, Steve appeared beside him, his hand landing on Bucky’s shoulder with a familiar, grounding presence. “You okay, Buck? I know you don’t like crowds.”

Bucky sighed, a sound heavy with years of regret. For a long moment, he just stared at the sky, the words building up in his throat, too thick to swallow. “I was thinking about Y/N.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Bucky saw Steve’s expression shift, surprise mingled with something else—understanding, perhaps. “What about Y/N?”

“Everything,” Bucky replied, his voice low, almost lost to the wind. He paused, taking a sip of his drink, the burn a distant memory. “I just… I wasted so much time not being with her.”

“You didn’t know, Buck,” Steve said softly, trying to offer some semblance of comfort.

A bitter laugh escaped Bucky’s lips, sharp and jagged. “Y’know, I promised her I’d come home. I broke that promise.”

Steve’s face tightened with empathy. “You can’t beat yourself up about that, Buck. There was nothing—”

Bucky’s grip tightened on his glass until it shattered, the shards falling to the ground like the remnants of his broken promises. “That’s not the point, Steve!” he snapped, his voice cracking with the weight of all the years he had kept these feelings bottled up.

“Buck, calm down—”

“No, you don’t get to do that,” Bucky cut him off, pushing himself away from the railing. His voice was trembling, raw with emotion. “You wanted me to express my feelings, well, this is it! It’s not fair, Steve. She was supposed to be it. I had a ring.”

Steve’s lips curled into a small, sad smile. “I know.”

Bucky blinked, confusion knitting his brow. “Know what?”

“About the ring,” Steve said, his voice thick with old memories. “After you went down, they gave me your duffle. I found it.”

Bucky’s legs felt weak, and he lowered himself onto one of the patio chairs, his mind reeling. “I was going to propose when I got back,” he whispered, the words barely audible. “I was so sure I was coming back.”

Steve moved to sit beside him, letting out a long sigh. “Y’know, I was going to go back.”

“Go back where?” Bucky asked, though part of him already knew.

“To see Peggy,” Steve continued, his tone reflective, as if he were speaking more to himself than to Bucky. “Live the life I was meant to have. When we went back to get the stones, I kept a Pym Particle. Once everything here was settled, I was going to go back. I was gonna tell you, but… things changed. Peggy got married, and I met Sharon. I found happiness again, in a way I didn’t expect. It wasn’t the love I thought I was destined for, but it’s the one I want now. I’m not who I was then.”

Bucky stared at Steve, trying to make sense of what he was hearing. “Why are you telling me this, Steve?”

Steve stood up, a determined look in his eyes. “Come with me.”

Reluctantly, Bucky followed, the two of them weaving through the dwindling party, silent as shadows. Bucky didn’t ask any questions, just trailed behind Steve until they reached his room.

Steve knelt down, pulling out a box from beneath his bed. He handed it to Bucky, who took it with a puzzled frown. “Open it,” Steve said quietly.

Bucky lifted the lid, and his breath caught in his throat. Inside, nestled on a bed of faded velvet, was the ring he had planned to give you all those years ago. His hands trembled as he picked it up, the metal cold against his skin.

“How?” Bucky’s voice was hoarse, his eyes never leaving the ring.

“I kept it with me,” Steve explained, his voice soft. “I was planning on giving it to Y/N after we found the Tesseract, but I never made it back. It came down with me.”

Bucky twirled the ring between his fingers, lost in thought. “Do you think she would have said yes?”

Steve smiled, a gentle, knowing smile. “Why don’t you find out?” He reached into the box again, pulling out something small, something Bucky never expected to see again—the last Pym Particle.

Bucky stared at it, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. “Steve, I—”

“Whatever you decide, Buck,” Steve interrupted, his voice firm but kind, “just know that it’s your choice. The past doesn’t have to be a chain around your neck. It can be a second chance.”

Bucky’s gaze flicked between the ring and the Pym Particle, the future and the past colliding in a way he hadn’t thought possible. For the first time in decades, he felt something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years—hope.

2023

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yes, Buck, for the thousandth time, yes.”

Bucky fiddled with the ring in his hand, standing on the small platform as his heart raced. The mix of anxiety, excitement, and fear churned inside him, making his hands shake ever so slightly. Steve could see the turmoil in his old friend’s eyes as they waited for Scott to finish setting up the machine.

The secrecy of it all was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. Steve couldn’t stop thinking about how much trouble he would have been in if Tony was here, if he ever found out, Steve would have never heard the end of it.

Convincing Scott had been easy enough, but Bruce would’ve insisted on studying the last Pym Particle instead of using it for something like this. But Steve knew Bucky deserved this chance—this chance to reclaim a piece of himself.

“What if she doesn’t want me? What if she married?”

Steve sighed, trying to keep his patience. “Buck, she didn’t.”

“How do you know that?” Bucky’s voice was tight with worry.

“Peggy told me. She never married. She tried to set her up a few times, but Y/N just never did.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better, Steve. What if she only wants that Bucky? The one she remembers. What if she doesn’t want who I am now?”

“Buck, stop.” Steve’s tone was gentle but firm. “Trust me, I know she’ll love you no matter what.” He gave Bucky a reassuring smile and a wink, coaxing a small laugh from him.

Bucky looked down at the ring in his palm, its simple design gleaming in the dim light. “I’m gonna miss you, y’know?”

“I’m gonna miss you too, Buck.”

“Okay, Captain, Sergeant, it’s ready whenever you are,” Scott called out, his voice laced with excitement. “Time’s set to 1950, so your ages should roughly line up. That’s what you wanted, right?”

“That’s perfect, Scott,” Steve replied, then turned to Bucky. “Say hi to Y/N for me, will ya?”

Bucky nodded, his throat tight with emotion. “Of course.” He pulled Steve into a hug, holding on longer than he normally would. “Thanks for everything, Steve.”

As they pulled away Bucky gave Steve his famous smile, a smile Steve hadn’t seen in a lifetime “Don’t do anything stupid till i get back”

Steve clapped him on the back “How can i? You’re taking all the stupid with you” then stepped off the platform to stand beside Scott. He gave Bucky a thumbs-up, his eyes filled with both pride and a touch of sadness.

Bucky took one last deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. “Do it,” he said, his voice steady now, filled with a resolve that had taken decades to build.

Scott flipped the switch, and the world around Bucky blurred into a vortex of light and sound. The sensation was disorienting, a rush of memories and emotions flooding his mind—his first meeting with you, your laughter, the way you had looked at him like he was the only person in the world who mattered. The war, the promise he had broken, and the endless years of loss that followed. But now, as the machine hummed and the years rewound, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time—hope.

1950

The light faded, and the world came back into focus. Bucky found himself standing in a quiet street, the air thick with the scents of a time long gone. He looked down at himself, noticing the familiar clothes, the old boots, the weight of the past stripped away. His heart raced as he took in his surroundings, recognizing the neighbourhood instantly.

Bucky smashed the device as Steve had instructed, then straightened his clothes, fixing the glove over his metal hand. He slipped the ring into his pocket and took a moment to steady himself before making his way to your house. Steve had mentioned that Peggy said you stayed in the same place, believing he would come home because Bucky never broke his promises—especially not to you.

This was it. This was his chance.

Clutching the ring tightly in his hand, Bucky made his way to your door, every step both terrifying and exhilarating. When he finally stood before it, his breath caught in his throat. The last time he’d been here, he had been a different man—a man who believed he could conquer anything. Now, he was here not as the Winter Soldier or the haunted man the world saw him as, but simply as Bucky—your Bucky.

The walk was short, but each step felt heavy with anticipation. His nerves buzzed as he approached the familiar doorstep, his hands in his pockets, his heart pounding. The house hadn’t changed; it was just as he remembered. He paused at the door, taking a deep breath before raising his hand to knock.

He paused at the door, taking a deep breath. What if you didn’t remember him the way he remembered you? What if time had changed more than just the years? From inside, he heard shuffling, followed by your familiar muttering under your breath. A smile tugged at his lips despite the tension. When the door opened, and he saw you, it was like time had stopped.

You were as breathtaking as the day he left—maybe even more so. Your eyes widened, filling with tears as you took in the sight of him. “Bucky?” you whispered, your voice trembling.

“Hey, doll,” he managed, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s been a long time.”

You gripped the doorknob so tightly that your knuckles turned white, trying to steady yourself. “Is it really you?”

“It’s really me, doll.” Bucky didn’t realise he was crying until you reached out to wipe away his tears. He hesitated for a moment before pulling you into his arms, holding you as close as he could. Your hands found their way around his neck, and you buried your face in his shoulder.

“Oh, Buck, I knew you’d come back to me. I knew it,” you murmured, pulling back slightly to look at him. “No one believed me. They said it was grief, but I knew.”

Bucky chuckled softly, resting his forehead against yours. “No one knew me better than you did.”

You didn’t reply right away; instead, you placed your ear against his chest, listening for the heartbeat you had longed to hear. When it thumped steadily beneath your ear, tears flowed freely. You didn’t know how or why he was here, but none of that mattered. Your Bucky was home. “I would have waited a lifetime for you, James,” you whispered.

His heart swelled, knowing how true your words were. “I promised I’d come back, doll. It was always you.” He gently cupped your face in his hands, his thumb brushing away a tear. “There’s something I’ve been waiting a long time to tell you—longer than you know.” He laughed softly, nervous but determined. “I love you, Y/N. I’ve always loved you, and I should’ve told you that day. There were so many things I should’ve done differently, but the one thing that’s never changed is how much I love you.”

A radiant smile broke across your face, one that had haunted his dreams for years. “Are you going to kiss me now?”

“I’ve been waiting a lifetime to do that.”

You started to respond, but Bucky didn’t wait. His lips captured yours in a kiss that was everything you both had imagined and more. It was a kiss that erased years of regret, one that made the world fall away until there was nothing but the two of you. When he pulled back, it was only for a moment, just long enough to catch his breath.

There was a question burning in his mind, a question that might seem too soon to anyone else, but for the two of you—who had waited through lifetimes—it was perfectly timed. Bucky reached into his pocket, his fingers finding the ring. He placed a soft kiss on your lips, then knelt down on one knee. The realisation dawned on your face, and your breath caught in your throat.

“Y/N, I—”

“Yes,” you breathed out before he could even finish.

His smile was wide and unrestrained as he took your hand. “Y/N, I’ve been wanting to ask you this for what feels like forever. You were always the only one for me, and you always will be. I would have found you in any lifetime. There’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of this life with.” He paused briefly, steadying his breath as he tried to calm his nerves. “I know it’s been years—lifetimes, even—but one thing has never changed. It was always you, and it always will be. Will you marry me?”

Your eyes welled up, but a smile broke through, bright and warm—the smile he’d dreamed of for so long. “What took you so long?” You nodded, tears streaming down your face as you held out your hand. He slid the ring onto your finger, where it had always belonged. Bucky was finally home—right where he was meant to be.

In that moment, as he slid the ring onto your finger, Bucky knew that everything he had endured, all the pain and loss, had led him to this. To you.

“I love you, Y/N,” he whispered, his voice filled with all the emotions he had carried for so long.

“I love you too, Bucky,” you replied, your voice trembling with joy.

As the two of you stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the world outside your door faded away. The future was uncertain, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was that Bucky had finally kept his promise, and in doing so, had found the happiness he had long believed was lost forever.

2023

“Y/N, you would have loved Sam,” Steve chuckled as he finished his weekly updates. “I’m sure Bucky told you all about him. He always pretended to be a hard ass around him, but he loved him—I know he did.” Steve paused, as if waiting for a response that would never come. “I think ill allow him to meet you next week”

He sighed, standing up slowly and brushing off his knees. “I’ll see you two later. Don’t do anything stupid till I get back,” he said with a bittersweet laugh, his heart aching at the silence that followed. He lingered for a moment longer, unwilling to leave just yet.

A hand touched his shoulder, and Steve turned to see Sam standing beside him. “Time to go, Cap. The team’s waiting.”

“I’m coming,” he replied softly. He turned back for one last glance over his shoulder, his eyes tracing the engraved names on the headstone, side by side.

Here Lies,

Mr. and Mrs. James Buchanan Barnes & Y/F/N Y/M/N Barnes

A Once in a Lifetime Love.

“Goodbye, pal,” Steve whispered, his voice filled with the weight of years gone by.

As he walked away with Sam, he felt the familiar ache of loss, but also a sense of peace. Bucky had found the happiness he deserved, and now, at last, they were together—forever.

[chrissdollie]

warnings/notes: suggestive, matt x tumblr writer reader, no smut (but there will be soon), unedited, incomplete, nicknames (baby, babe)

matt sighs, boredly scrolling through his phone while you are sound asleep next to him. your boyfriend uses his free hand to gently rub up and down your thigh. the morning sun tries to peak in through the dark curtains, but the room is still dull. comforting though. especially with the sounds of your soft snores, matthew couldn't be any more comfortable.

that is until a few minutes pass, and he decides to open an app called tumblr that he "jokingly" installed not too long ago. a small smug grin spreads onto his face as he searches up "matt sturniolo x y/n". many results come up, some sweet and fluffy-- and others disgustingly filthy. on camera, matt would completely disregard any "you should read smut" comments... but he can't help and listen to the inkling of interest inside him.

he finds a random blog where he scrolls down to the pinned introduction post to find where all of the fics may be. you sigh sleepily, matt's head immediately snapping to you with wide eyes. you reposition yourself slightly and fall back into your deep slumber. your boyfriend wouldn't want you to know about him reading dirt. especially if it's about him!

he looks back down at his bright phone, scanning the introduction post quickly. he pauses all of a sudden. "yn?" he thinks to himself, his eyebrows pinching. but they quickly rest again, there's no way you, his sweet little angel baby writes nasty smut. and plus, plenty of people can have the same name as you.. right?

he taps on a link that says "about me" which brings him to a cutely decorated page. it's very girly-- definitely reminds him of his unaware girlfriend sleeping right next to him. he reads through the bullet points that include: your age, where you live and where you're from, and a list of things you love! this has to be you. not to mention, your profile picture is your favorite photo of him. he'd know, the physical picture is in a cute frame right next to your side of the bed.

he doesn't feel too embarrassed about wanting to read imaginary sex scenes anymore. matter of fact, he feels like a saint compared to you, who actually writes them! he finds your "masterlist" and it's an entire page just about him. he taps on the first link that reads "daddy's home".

in the years he's known you, including the HOURS of time you two spent having fun in the bedroom, he would've never expected to see kinks like these! by now, he's already gone through most of your fanfictions under the category of "smut". so far he's read drabbles of daddy/breeding kinks, bondage, roleplay, age gaps, sub!matt (this got him feeling a little tingly), and more. he wears a smug smirk on his face as your pretty eyes blink open.

"hi babyy.." he coos sweetly as if he hadn't read your dirty thoughts for almost an hour. he brings you into a warm snuggle, his hand caresses the back of your head while you yawn into his bare chest. "sleep good?" matt asks in his raspy morning voice. "mhm.." you sigh, holding onto him like a koala. the smug shit-eating grin is back on his face when he randomly says, "i found your tumblr."

your body tenses. oh shit. you've been caught. there are two things you can do here: play dumb or ask him if he liked what he saw. you lift your head to look up at your boyfriend. comfortingly, he looks amused. before you can speak however, he reminds you of what you've written. "yeah i read all of your kinky shit. i didn't think you'd be into some of the stuff i saw there, babe."

you feel your arousal sticking to your panties. you gently bite down on your lip, bravely staring into your lust-filled boyfriend's eyes. you seductively lean up so your mouth is only an inch away from his. "so what're you gonna do about it?"

THERE WILL BE SMUT TRUST BUT THIS IS ALL IM GIVING FOR NOWWW!! UH NOT PROOFREAD LIKE ALWAYS XX

[prettyboykatsuki]

keep me close to you | i. yoichi

✮ tags ; childhood best friends to lovers / idiots to lovers, reader is implied to have grown up a tomboy, stereotypical shoujo manga tropes rip, reader wears makeup, a lot of sexual tension, kissing, confessions 18+

✮ wc ; 3.6k (i don't know. don't ask me.)

✮ a/n ; the worlds most self-indulgent horseshit in the world. sorry! but im not at all actually. this is the very typical 'i didn't see you that way until i realize i did the whole time.' bc i love that trope and i love isagi ok....

reader in this kind of feels awkward in her femininity and that appears in the fic more than once!! please be forewarned.

✮ synopsis ; isagi has never seen you as much more of a friend. so he thought at least.

Isagi is in love with you.

He isn't sure when that happened. He'd love to be know but in all truth - there was never any big eureka moment that made such a thing apparent. If Isagi had to think of all the moments he maybe, sort-of, possibly loved you, they come up to him as bits of nothing-much memories.

That's exactly the problem, really. A long few years of little nothings, accumulated over time, Isagi finds that his whole life has been made up of you. There was no grand gestures of confessions or singular standout moments for him to mull over.

But there was rough-housing with you back when your hair was a little shorter and your chest a little less noticeable. And there was plenty of bike races to the store for ice-cream, and lots of bonding over music you both liked. Isagi remembers sitting on your floor in the 6th grade and watching you play video games much better than he ever could.

A lot that stuff persisted into your teen years, and even into adulthood. Isagi has never thought of it as weird. Play fighting or bike races or being reckless together felt natural - and in some ways, you were the only person who ever brought that out of him.

It was normal. You were friends and you got along as friends. Isagi never thought about it any more than that.

Just a few months ago, you got a boyfriend. Said boyfriend didn't think your friendship with Isagi was entirely appropriate. He had approached Isagi first. You talked to Isagi after, said you'd still hang out but no more rough-housing and that was that.

Isagi had heard about your boyfriend, though you didn't talk about him much. And after meeting him, it was easy enough to conclude that he was genuinely a good guy. Objectively good for you, accepting of your personality, kind and thoughtful. A good stable job There was nothing bad he could say about him. He wished there was.

"Just the being touchy. I know you two don't think anything of it since you've been friends for so long," He leans in, friendly, as he pats Isagis shoulder "But you wouldn't like if your girlfriend was being touchy with another guy right?"

Isagi had nothing to say. He'd never thought about. Never had a proper girlfriend, though he was interested in a few girls. He'd lost his virginity out of the country and had some hook-ups and talking stages. Never a girlfriend.

Would it bother him? He couldn't say. He didn't know who to think of. There was not a hypothetical girl he could conjure to give him a conclusion. Ultimately dazed, Isagi had replied with something along the lines of "Yeah man, I get it," and then left for practice without turning his back.

It bothered him for weeks. He couldn't do anything without pondering that very question. He couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd described you as his girlfriend. You'd always been a friend, and Isagi knows you as a girl. But you're you before that, and he's never quite put both things next to each other.

But he'd never even thought to look at you as a girlfriend. He brushed off such comments and so did you. You were his friend. One of the very best. You'd know each other until you die, and in a way - this is just proof of your next stage of life. You'd settle down with a partner and so would he and everything would be fine.

But, the thing was - he'd never actually conjured up the future. There was never any assured belief that you'd go and find someone to nest with so soon. It felt unnatural. Disorienting. There was an order to this strange and mad world and your relationship went against it.

Even in thinking that, it'd take Isagi weeks to figure out the extent of his feelings. Weeks of practicing, of going on group dates with his team, of drinking. Weeks of missing you. Being conscious of the sudden absence of his very best friend in the world. You still saw him but it was no longer every other day. And you still called and texted, still told him stupid stuff about your life.

But he'd go on Instagram and see pictures of you from someone else's account. You'd be wearing something he'd never seen you in before. It was pretty. You were prettier. He'd never thought about that before, if only to say that you were and always had been. And plenty of guys had noticed in highschool, too. He'd never thought about it then either.

Isagi had never really considered a lot of things. It didn't dawn on him that he loved you until Bachira pried the information out of him one night on the road.

("Yocchan is stupid,"

Isagi leans on the bench in the locker room and frowns, throwing a confused look Bachira's.

"What the hell? For what?"

It's not Bachira who tells him the information - but Rin, who walks towards his own locker with a tired expression and a towel around his shoulder.

"You're in love with her, you stupid jackass.")

Right. It'd been Rin who told it to him straight, and Rin would know a thing about love. Apparently he'd been with the same girl since highschool and he knew a thing or two. For Rin to tell Isagi such a thing made Isagi really think on it, and when Isagi finally sat down and thought about it - it was clear that he was head over heels in love.

Isagi is in love with you. It has been a tremendous pain in the ass trying to live with this information. It made sense - it really did. It made sense that everything suddenly felt so wrong. It made sense that he never new anything about love and that he could never keep a relationship.

When he thought about it, he'd never stop comparing everyone to you. If it were you—you'd be clumsy at fancy restaurants but it'd still be so much fun to go. If it were you—he might've cared much more about valentines day chocolates. It would've been so novel, so lovely - to imagine how hastily you would've made them. Not obligatory friendship chocolates but something just for him.

If it were you, he might've wanted to buy you expensive things. They'd be different. Clothes and shoes but game consoles and concert tickets. If it were you, he'd always take his sports car. He might've liked the way you fawned over them, with that wide-eyed sense of adventure he's spent his whole life getting to know.

Yes if it were you, Isagi might've gotten angry. Now that he knows, the idea you're getting so touchy-feely with another guy makes him sick. He knows he has no right to feel that way, but he can't exactly help the feeling either.

From the start, if Isagi had realized love started and ended with you, then maybe he would know a thing or two about love by now. He might've cared more about everything, had he realized it even a little sooner.

A few months ago would've sufficed.

Isagi is in love with you.

He has no idea if you feel the same, but in a way that doesn't change anything.

He's seated on his couch, alone in his apartment - and thinking wistfully that he probably has been this whole time.

He looks around his apartment, feeling a little sorry for himself. He's drinking. Even this tipsy, his mind is clouded with memories. You looked at this place together and you helped Isagi move in many months ago.

A place with a good view of the city, Isagi stands to his feet and watches near the cool glass of the window.

It takes him a while to hear his phone ring. When he does, he almost feels like he's hallucinating when he sees your name on the other side. He stares, wonders if the kami like playing malicious tricks on him, and then picks up.

He speaks slowly.

"Hello?"

He knows your crying, even though you're trying harder to hide it. That desperate sniffle that you get is an easy tell.

"Yoichi," You mutter, soft and sad "Can you come to the park?"

"At this hour? It's late. Your boyfriend is gonna be pissed."

You hiccup on the other side of the line. Isagi wants to run to you as soon as possible.

"Just come," You sniffle again, a little sadder. You're crying this time forreal "...I want to see you."

"Okay. Are you alone?"

"Mm,"

"Stay on the phone with me. I'll come soon. Stay on the line."

"Okay."

__

Isagi comes to find you at the park like you've asked. He keeps you on the line the entire Uber ride there and then as he comes through the playground to find you.

Somehow, he knows exactly where you'll be. It's the park you two grew up coming to. It's dark out, damp from the night, and Isagi finds you tucked in the same corner you always are.

You still fit there somehow, just beneath the slide. It's a big space, enough for two people. So, wordless, Isagi climbs into the little box and sits next to you. Close but not close enough, he hangs up the phone and turns his head to stare at you.

"I'm here," He says, mostly because he doesn't know what else to say.

You look up at him, obviously having been crying. You're wearing a sweatshirt and shorts, but your face has some light make-up on it like you were on a date. He forces himself not to frown as you gaze at him - pouting.

"You're here." You repeat, like you don't know what else to say. You lean your head on his shoulder. It's the most natural feeling in the world, but right now - it makes his breath hitch "Thanks for comin'"

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

"Well I don't want to."

"Can you really say that after crying like a baby, begging for me to come over, huh? All I want to see you—"

You elbow him without mercy.

"Shut up you jackass. Sorry to interrupt your late night jerk-off session with my tears."

It's not said with any malice, a joke - but there's insecurity laced in. Sorry for making you come see me, you want to say he's sure. He shakes his head.

"I could've been hooking up with a girl."

"Yeah? It's a miracle anyone would wanna get your dick wet, you should go back and finish the job,"

"Can't," Isagi mumbles, trying not to look at you closely "Some girl is making my shoulder wet instead though."

"Sorry," You croak, so horrifyingly sincere Isagi doesn't know how he's keeping himself upright "I can move."

"I was kidding," He says, hurriedly "It's fine. It reminds me of when we we're kids."

You huff a laugh.

"You only remember annoying stuff."

He mumbles something in agreement before there's a brief bout of silence. He speaks again first.

"Gonna tell me what happened?"

"We broke up," You mumble. Isagi feels his heart race, immediately riddled with guilt afterwards. "He broke up with me."

"I thought things were going well?"

"They were," You sniffle. It's the first time in your lives you've opened up to each other about something like this. You've talked about it, but it was always more him talking and you listening. He'd never heard about your crushes before.

In such a vulnerable, innocent position. Alone with him, confiding in him. He wants to stay with you forever "He was really good to me."

"So what? Why'd you break up?"

"I didn't love him. I liked him. And I thought I'd come to love him, but I didn't...I just couldn't love him. He knew it too, so he broke up with me."

"Was he mean about it?"

You laugh.

"Course not. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met in my whole life. Told you, he was good to me."

"So then...? Are you sad about hurting his feelings?"

You nod, almost meek.

Isagi loves you more than life itself, he thinks.

"I wanted to love him. I thought I could."

"Why couldn't you?"

A brief pause of silence. You're debating on what to say before you seem to settle on something.

"Already someone else."

"Someone else? You love someone else?"

A whisper of hope. So small Isagi almost can't bear it. You nod.

"And what about them?"

"Doesn't love me back."

"How long?" His voice is shaking. He has no idea if you can tell. You laugh.

"A long time."

"Do I know him?"

You laugh again, a little throatier. More melancholy. Isagi feels like he's looking into an abyss. A dangerous place to fall in if he's not careful. He's already in love, already too deep. But he already steeled himself not to hope too much.

"You do know him, I guess."

"Tell me about him," Isagi almost urges. He has to be sure. He has to be sure this isn't one long dream, and that everything is real. "What he's like."

You look at him surprised.

"I thought you hated when I talked about stuff like this?"

"Changed my mind."

"Weirdo. It's nothin' special. We've known each other a while. We get along well. He likes the stuff I do and I like being around him."

"When'd you realized you loved him?"

"Middle school? Probably."

Ah. You've known each other a little longer than that, haven't you?

"You're being awfully secretive about it. Nothing more specific?"

You frown at him.

"Piss off. Go back to not caring about it. It's a dark part of my past and I already gave up on it forever ago."

"What if..." Isagi swallows. He's really the dumbest guy in the entire world for this. It could always be someone else. He knows that. "If your feelings were returned? What then?"

"I've never thought about it," You say, not even considering it might be the case "I'd be happy but I don't see the point in getting my hopes up. His type in girls is like...cuter I guess."

Isagi wants to knock himself out. Idiot. He's gone and ruined his own chances. He wish he could go back and kick the ass of his highschool self. If he called you cute right now, you'd definitely think he was trying to coddle your feelings. You are cute to him.

He can't get the words out.

"And you don't think you are?"

You shoot him a surprised look then burst out into laughter.

"Well, no. Daisuke used to say it but I don't know. Most guys wouldn't think of me as...cute? Sexy maybe? Apparently some of the guys from department see it that way."

Aah. Isagi hates this. He hates hearing that guys name without honorifics. His first name, at that.

"You should listen to the guy you used to date and not whatever knuckleheads you go to school with."

"Are you saying I'm cute, Yoichi? Started feeling bad?"

"It's not pity, alright? But you're not..not cute."

You pause before breaking out in genuine, unruly laughter. Isagi adores the sound of your voice, adores every inch of you as you giggle yourself into a fit.

"You'll never get a girlfriend like that. You have to at least be able to pretend."

It's not pretending. He wants to tell you that you're cute. The way you laugh is cute and the look you get playing stupid claw machine games is cute and the way you get excited by the 7/11 carrying your favorite things is cute. It's never been different and you still look so delighted. Everything about you is cute. Isagi wants to say all that, and that he finds you sexy too. For different, ordinary reasons those stupid guys in your department could never begin to know.

But words are useless - inconceivably pointless to try and make you understand.

"You're cute," He says first, staring at the place in front of him. Then adds "That's not pity."

"So you know how to smooth talk too?"

"It's not that either."

"Then what is it?" Your voice is wavering.

Now or never.

"A confession."

Isagi feels you tense. Feels you freeze. You start to stutter another joking, lifting your head from his shoulder to turn away but Isagi is quicker. Quick to hold your shoulder, to turn you towards him, to hold your cheek and make you look his face.

"Yoichi?"

"Is it me? Am I the person you like?"

You shake your head trying to look away.

"I don't want to answer that."

"I like you," Isagi grips your shoulder tighter, presses his forehead against yours as he holds on for dear life with hope "I only figured it out recently."

A bout of silence passes before your voice sounds again. It's shaking so hard. Isagi can hear how hard your heart is beating.

"This is fucking mean." You whisper. He frowns at you.

"Do I look like I'm joking? Huh? Does it even kind of seem like that?"

"But since when?" You're arguing. Isagi just confessed his undying love for you and you're arguing with him about it. It's so you. "I'm not even your type."

"No one is my type but you, you idiot." Isagi is exasperated explaining this. It's embarrassing but he's a lot of time to reflect and this is as true as it gets "Every single time I'd ever tried dating someone else or doing things with them - I didn't care. I just did it without thinking. But I always thought if it was you...I'd always want it to be you."

"You're not attracted to me." You assert, maybe trying to compensate.

"Fuck you, I couldn't tell you that you were hot to your face. You kicked my ass every time I mentioned the fact your tits got bigger in highsc—"

You shove him with your shoulder.

"Because you talk about it like that you shitty jock." You hiss.

"Then what do you want me to say?" Isagi mumbles, looking at you "I think you're sexy. What else is there?"

"God this is so embarrassing,"

"I'm being serious," Isagi adds, pouting, face flush with heat "You're just...you've always been attractive I guess."

You give him a small frown. Isagi thinks it's the cutest thing in the world. He wants to kiss you absolutely fucking stupid.

"Are you sure? Like really sure?"

He snorts, laughing humorlessly.

"I've been agonizing about it for weeks. Yes I'm sure."

"What if I told you to kiss me? Could you do it?"

Isagi stares at you in disbelief. He turns himself slightly, staring at you before reaching his hand out towards your cheek. You make a soft noise of surprise as he brushes his thumb underneath your eye. Your face is so hot it's burning against the palm of his hand. He lets his hand settle on the back of your neck before leaning into kiss you.

He kisses you hard but slow. Passion imbued into each tiny movement, drawing as deep as he can go without pushing his tongue between your lips.

You let out a soft moan that makes him pull away, eyes widened. Humiliated you try to shove him away, but Isagi manages to catch you by your wrist.

"Is it starting to click or do you need me to prove it one more time?"

"Ugh. Fuck, you're so,"

He grins wolfishly as he stares at you, watching you shrink so slightly under his gaze. He's not used to winning against you in any capacity with the exception of soccer. It feels good.

"I'm so?"

"Annoying."

"That's it?" He leans in again, lips brushing your cheek and pressing a kiss to it before moving down. He presses kisses down your jaw, relishing in the way you squirm. "Nothing else to add?"

"You're enjoying this too much, Yoichi," You reprimand, though you don't make any effort to move "Are you fishing for compliments?"

"I'm wondering if you find me sexy too, that's all."

You pause before leaning in. He watches the gears turn in your brain before turning your voice low.

"Wanna touch me and find out yourself?"

He pulls away instantly in shock as you blink at him innocently. There's an air of smugness about you. He feels his face burn red immediately, blood rushing up into his brain. He tucks his chin looking away from you. His brain feels like it's full of static.

He's embarrassed. By what you've said but more by how naturally everything falls into place. By how effected he is by something so simple. It usually takes so much more to get him like this.

"What the hell was'at..."

"Karma. Don't be all cocky. I've known about my feelings way longer than you."

"Didn't think you'd know jackshit about stuff like that though."

"Just cause I spare you my sex stories doesn't mean they don't exist."

Isagi feels a pang of irritation as he scoffs.

"I don't want hear about them now either."

"I thought you weren't the jealous type?"

"I just wasn't that into any of those girls."

"But you're into me? Enough that you get jealous?"

Isagi laughs at that.

"Yeah. I'm way more into you than you're ever gonna get through your head anyways."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Means I wanna get all lovey-dovey with you and embarrass you all the time."

You flush and Isagi feels like he's won. Instead of feeling elated or cocky, this time he just feels a little dazed. He stares at you through lidded eyes.

"I'm so into you," Isagi mutters, leaning his head against your shoulder "You're never gonna get it unless you look in my brain,"

You pause momentarily, leaning back enough that Isagi sits up. He looks at you curiously before he feels you tap foreheads. You close your eyes and hum, before peeking just one open.

"I looked," You say softly "I still win,"

Isagi groans internally. God. God you're so fucking cute. It's so you and it's so cute and he loves you.

"Can I please kiss you again?"

"You don't have to ask every time."

"No takebacks."

Isagi leans in again, to kiss you a little softer this time. When he pulls away, the look on your face makes him want to do it all over again. You'll be here all night if he doesn't get a hold of himself.

"You wanna come over to my place?"

"Isn't a little early for that?"

Isagi knocks your foreheads together.

"Not like that. It's late and the trains aren't running. I don't want you taking a cab,"

"I'm a big girl, Yoichi," You say sardonically "If you want me to stay over, just ask. You're still my best friend, dummy." You add the last part a little softer.

He grabs your hand.

"Then stay with me."

You nod.

"Okay. And we can have sex if you want."

"Fuck yeah."

[elikajinnie]

You Are My Sunshine - K.S

P: Hufflepuff!Sunoo X Fem!Reader

Warnings: Minor Bullying? Fluff, Confessions, Minor Angst.

Synopsis: You were known as the grumpy, closed-off student at Hogwarts, keeping your emotions tightly guarded. That is, until Kim Sunoo, the ever-cheerful Hufflepuff, took it upon himself to brighten your days. With his infectious laughter and unwavering optimism seep into your life, you slowly realize that the warmth of his sunshine is quickly melting away your defenses.

a/n: sorry babes and pooks, this one is kinda short? exams are coming up and i only have a sliver of moment in the commute to and from school to write :) but hope everyone had a nice halloween! (anyone got an idea for Heeseungs slytherin fic?? Im brainstorming over here >:(

masterlist

☀︎⋆｡°·☁︎

You swore you were a nice person. It might not look like it, though—your face and demeanor often gave the opposite impression. You weren’t cold, but you had always been reserved, choosing to keep to yourself more often than not. Because of that, when you first arrived at Hogwarts, you didn’t exactly collect friends the way others seemed to. Only a select few ever got to see how friendly you actually were, but that was only after you decided you could trust them.

So, it came as a surprise—a big surprise—when one afternoon, while you were tucked away in a quiet corner of the library, deeply immersed in your studies, someone pulled out a chair and sat down right beside you.

Glancing up, you immediately recognized him. Kim Sunoo, the ever-smiling, ever-popular Hufflepuff. His presence was unmistakable, bright as day. His grin was practically beaming, and it momentarily threw you off balance. You blinked, wondering if he had the wrong table.

"Hey!" he greeted, voice light and full of energy. "Mind if I sit here?"

You stared at him blankly, unsure if he was serious or just passing by. He had already sat down, so you didn’t see much point in objecting. After a beat of silence, you returned your attention to the parchment in front of you, figuring the conversation might end there.

It didn’t.

"I’ve seen you around," he continued, undeterred by your lack of response. "You’re really focused when you’re working, huh? Must be nice to be that dedicated. I always get distracted in the library."

Your eyes flicked over to him, giving a small nod but saying nothing. You weren’t used to this—the friendliness so freely given, the casual conversation with someone you barely knew. Your face remained impassive, though inwardly, you were trying to piece together why he of all people was sitting with you. Surely, he had plenty of other, more sociable people to talk to.

Sunoo, however, didn’t seem to mind your quietness. In fact, he just kept going. "I’m terrible at Potions," he admitted with a sheepish laugh. "Professor Snape probably thinks I’m hopeless. I bet you’re good at it, though. You’ve got that… I dunno, that calm, focused vibe."

You couldn’t help but frown a little at that. "Calm, focused vibe?" you echoed, your tone flat.

He grinned even wider, his eyes almost disappearing into crescent moons. "Yeah! You just seem really composed all the time. It’s cool. I get stressed and panicky over every little thing."

"I wouldn’t say I’m always calm," you replied, voice as even as your expression.

Sunoo’s smile didn’t waver. If anything, he looked more pleased that you were finally talking. "See? Even when you’re denying it, you’re calm," he teased, clearly enjoying himself. "You’re like the opposite of me."

You stared at him for a moment, wondering how anyone could be so upbeat all the time. Sunoo’s energy was infectious, even if your face didn’t show it. Still, your brows furrowed slightly as you watched him speak, trying to make sense of why this popular Hufflepuff was suddenly so interested in chatting with you.

"I don’t usually talk much," you pointed out, your tone neutral.

"I noticed," Sunoo replied without missing a beat, completely unfazed. "But I think that’s fine. You don’t need to say a lot to be interesting."

You blinked again, your expression still not giving away the faint surprise you felt at his words. You had expected him to lose interest by now, to move on to someone who would match his energy and conversation style, but he stayed right where he was, grinning like he had just made the best discovery of the day.

For a long moment, the two of you sat there, him smiling, you with your usual stoic expression, and yet, for some reason, it didn’t feel awkward. It was as if Sunoo’s bright presence was enough to fill any potential silence.

You tilted your head slightly, studying him. "Why are you talking to me?"

His laughter was soft, but genuine. "Why not? You seem interesting."

"I don’t really come across that way," you said, voice deadpan.

Sunoo shrugged, still smiling. "You do to me."

And with that, he leaned back in his chair, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to sit there, in complete contrast to your serious demeanor, radiating warmth and light like a small sun.

☀︎⋆｡°·☁︎

During your next Potions class, you settled into your usual spot toward the back, where the dim light made it easier to focus without distractions. You liked this spot. It was quiet, and you could concentrate without anyone poking their nose into your work. But just as you began setting up your ingredients, you heard a familiar, cheerful voice.

"Mind if I join you?"

You glanced up, almost certain you had imagined it, only to find Kim Sunoo grinning down at you. His presence was the last thing you expected in this class. He was known for sitting up front, surrounded by his usual group, always cracking jokes and flashing that bright smile.

Sunoo slid into the seat beside you before you could respond, giving you an easy, friendly smile as he began organizing his ingredients. "I thought maybe if I sat by you, Professor Snape might be a little more… forgiving?" he whispered, his tone hopeful.

You raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Why would he be?"

"Well," he said, leaning in slightly as if sharing a great secret, "he likes you. Haven't you noticed? He doesn’t scowl as much when you’re around. I figured maybe I could absorb some of your calm, composed energy," he added, making an exaggerated face of concentration as if he were already channeling your stoic look.

You couldn’t help but let a small, amused huff escape. “If that’s your plan, I wouldn’t count on it working.”

Sunoo smiled wider, undeterred. "Worth a shot, right?"

As if on cue, Snape swept into the classroom, his dark robes billowing behind him. His eyes scanned the room with that usual, critical glint before landing on you and Sunoo. He paused, visibly surprised to see the two of you sitting together, but instead of saying anything, he gave a curt nod and moved on, barking instructions for today’s lesson.

You gave Sunoo a sidelong glance as he visibly relaxed. “See? I think it’s working already,” he whispered, giving you a thumbs-up under the table. “He didn’t even glare!”

You rolled your eyes. "He didn't glare because he’s focused on starting class. Don't think you're off the hook."

Sunoo just shrugged, a bit of humor still glinting in his eyes. “I don’t mind. Besides, you’re probably good at Potions, right? You could even help me. Professor Snape can’t get mad if you’re the one teaching me, right?”

“I don’t think that’s how it works. But sure… as long as you don’t blow anything up.”

Sunoo grinned again, nudging you playfully with his elbow. "Deal."

As the lesson began, you quickly noticed that Sunoo seemed determined to keep up, his usual playful energy tempered as he looked over his cauldron with an unexpected intensity. It was strange to see him so focused, but oddly gratifying, knowing he was genuinely trying.

"Okay," you whispered, leaning over to show him your carefully arranged ingredients. "For this Draught of Peace, every step has to be precise. Start by adding the powdered moonstone, but remember to stir counterclockwise three times after each pinch."

Sunoo glanced at you, his face serious as he nodded. "Three times, counterclockwise. Got it." He leaned forward, following your lead and adding the powder in controlled amounts. His usual talkative nature was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an almost endearing determination to get it right.

When he looked back at you for the next step, you raised an eyebrow, testing him. "What’s next, then?”

He bit his lip, thinking hard. "Uh, lacewing flies… right? Only one… no, two wings, torn lengthwise?"

"Not bad," you said, impressed. “See? You’re actually getting it."

He smiled sheepishly, keeping his eyes on his work as he carefully placed the ingredients in the cauldron. "Only because you’re explaining it in a way that makes sense," he admitted, glancing at you. "Potions books make it sound way too complicated."

You had to admit, seeing him genuinely engaged in learning something he found difficult felt surprisingly rewarding. “It’s only complicated if you rush,” you explained, “so take your time with this part. And make sure to add a clockwise stir after each wing.”

He mirrored your movements, handling each step as carefully as he could manage, clearly hanging onto each of your instructions. When he managed to mix everything without a hitch, he turned to you, his face beaming. “Look, it’s actually working. It’s not grey!”

You gave him an approving nod. “See? As long as you follow the instructions and stay focused, you’re fine.”

"Well, when you put it like that, it’s not so scary," he murmured, watching as the liquid turned a gentle blue.

"Now, simmer it for ten minutes," you said, leaning back in your chair. "And keep an eye on the bubbles—they should stay small and steady."

He sighed in relief, clearly grateful for the help. "You have no idea how much easier that makes things."

When you caught his eye, he grinned. "If I sit next to you every Potions class, you won’t mind, right?"

You paused at his question, thrown off by how quickly he’d asked it. Sunoo had a way of being open and friendly with everyone, but this… well, this felt different. You weren’t sure what he was really after, and his sudden interest in sitting with you felt almost too friendly.

So, you just shrugged, keeping your face neutral. “If you want to,” you replied, glancing back at your own cauldron.

Sunoo watched you for a moment, seeming to notice your hesitation. But instead of getting discouraged, he just gave a small laugh, scratching the back of his head. “You don’t mind, right? I mean… you’re not gonna hex me or anything?”

You blinked, caught off guard, but his teasing smirk showed he was only joking. “No,” you said, “Not unless you mess up the potion.”

He chuckled, apparently finding your reaction funny. "Alright, noted," he replied, nudging his cauldron carefully as he checked the simmering liquid. “Guess I’ll have to be on my best behavior then.”

For the rest of class, he kept close by your side, following each instruction you gave him with an unusual attentiveness. He even managed to complete the potion almost perfectly. When Snape passed by, he raised an eyebrow at Sunoo’s work but said nothing, which was the highest praise he could give.

As you cleaned up at the end of class, Sunoo packed his things slowly, glancing over at you. “Thanks for the help,” he said, smiling warmly. “Not sure I could’ve done that without you.”

You simply nodded, unsure of what to say, but he seemed content with the small gesture. As he turned to leave, he glanced back one more time. “See you next class?”

“Yeah… sure,” you replied, giving a half-shrug.

As he left, you couldn’t help but feel a little curious. Sunoo’s interest in sitting with you still felt unexpected.

☀︎⋆｡°·☁︎

Days turned into weeks, and Sunoo became a near-constant presence by your side. Whether it was Potions, lunch in the Great Hall, or even the occasional study session in the library, he always seemed to find his way over to you, plopping down with that familiar grin and easy energy that contrasted so starkly with your laid-back demeanor.

At first, you thought maybe he’d get bored, or that your lack of enthusiasm might wear him down. But Sunoo was nothing if not persistent. No matter how often you shrugged at his questions or gave him short, deadpan responses, he just laughed it off, acting as though he’d known you forever. And even though you never rejected his company outright, you never really encouraged it either. Not that Sunoo seemed to care.

One afternoon, you found yourself in the library, a familiar routine now: books spread out, your head bent over an assignment you were half-heartedly working on. The sound of footsteps made you glance up, and sure enough, there he was—Sunoo, grinning, holding two mugs of butterbeer from the kitchens.

“Thought you could use one,” he said, sliding it across the table to you.

You gave a halfhearted sigh, accepting it anyway. “You know, you don’t have to keep showing up like this. Don’t you have other friends?”

He shrugged, unfazed. “Sure, but I like hanging out with you. Plus, you’re surprisingly easy to talk to, you know?”

“Is that right,” you said, taking a sip of the butterbeer, trying to keep your face neutral. “And here I thought I was terrible company.”

“Hardly,” he replied with a grin, leaning in like he was letting you in on a secret. “I think you’re interesting, even if you act like you don’t care. And… I think you like my company, too.”

You huffed, looking away. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

He laughed, “Alright, alright. I’ll leave it at that. But you’re not getting rid of me anytime soon.”

You hid a smile behind your hand, feeling an unexpected warmth from his words.

As days passed, Sunoo continued to be your constant shadow, sticking to you like he belonged there. Whenever he leaned in close to explain something exciting or nudged your shoulder to get your attention, you didn’t push him away. Not even a grumble. And soon enough, people began to notice—whispers trailing behind the two of you whenever you entered a room together.

"Are they really that close now?" someone muttered one afternoon in the library, eyeing the way Sunoo leaned over to show you a funny illustration in his book.

"They’re, like… polar opposites," another whispered, watching you with open curiosity, clearly baffled at how you, the reserved one with a permanent poker face, had Sunoo—the endlessly friendly, sunny Hufflepuff—so close.

The attention might have bothered you once, but Sunoo’s influence seemed to have rubbed off on you. You were a little more relaxed, even when people stared or asked questions. Sunoo’s laughter or his quick jokes were enough to break the awkwardness you might’ve once felt, and strangely enough, you’d even found yourself talking to more people—not necessarily by choice, but because he kept introducing you to others.

One evening, you were sitting in the library with one of your closer friends. They’d known you for years and were one of the few who really understood you. As Sunoo wandered over to grab a book from the shelves nearby, your friend leaned in with a small smile.

“You know, it’s funny,” they said quietly, eyeing you with amusement. “You and Sunoo… you balance each other out. Like, he brings you out of your comfort zone with all these people and conversations, and you, well… you help him calm down and focus more.”

You raised an eyebrow, a bit skeptical. “Sunoo? Focused?”

Your friend chuckled. “More than you’d think. Have you noticed how much more serious he’s been in Potions lately? And he actually sits through an entire library study session without talking your ear off.”

You shrugged, not wanting to admit just how true it was. “Maybe he’s just getting better at Potions.”

“Sure,” they replied, giving you a knowing look. “And maybe you’re just getting more social.”

You huffed, looking away to hide a small, reluctant smile. It was true that Sunoo had brought a new energy to your life, and whether you liked it or not, you’d changed a little since he’d attached himself to you. You actually found yourself looking forward to his presence. He made things… lighter.

Just then, Sunoo bounded over, oblivious to the conversation you’d been having. He plopped down beside you, smiling as usual. “Hey! Did you know they added a new dessert in the kitchens? We have to go try it later!”

Your friend shot you a look, clearly delighted by the way you barely rolled your eyes before nodding. “Fine,” you replied. “But you’re bringing it back here. I’m not going all the way to the kitchens.”

Sunoo’s smile only grew. “Deal. You’re finally starting to admit you like spending time with me, huh?”

You scoffed, looking away to hide the faint warmth creeping into your cheeks. “Don’t push it.”

But the truth was undeniable, and both your friend and Sunoo could see it: somehow, the two of you had found a balance.

It didn’t take long for you to realize just how well Sunoo had come to understand you. He could somehow sense when your patience was wearing thin, when you’d been around people for too long and needed to be left alone. Whenever he picked up on your waning energy, he would offer you a small, knowing smile, give you a light squeeze on the shoulder, and let you be. No questions asked, no lingering around to wait you out—he just knew.

And maybe, in some way, you’d learned to pick up on his cues, too. Sunoo, who was normally all bright smiles and endless chatter, had quiet days—moments when his laughter would be softer, his eyes a little distant, his usual warmth feeling dimmed. At first, you didn’t know what to make of it, but eventually, you realized what he needed. So, whenever he’d get that faraway look, you’d make an extra effort to bring a bit of lightness back into his world.

Like the time you found him sitting by the lake, lost in thought as he absently trailed his fingers through the water. Without a word, you’d sat beside him and started retelling one of Snape’s more ridiculous lectures with a deadpan voice, mimicking Snape’s mannerisms in a way that finally drew a soft, genuine laugh from Sunoo.

“You’re pretty funny when you want to be,” he had said, nudging your shoulder as his smile returned.

“Just don’t get used to it,” you replied, but you couldn’t stop the small smile from creeping onto your face.

And it did go both ways. Sometimes you’d notice his plate looking a little too empty at dinner, and without a word, you’d sneak extra food onto it, nudging it his way until he ate. On the mornings he’d wander into class looking groggy and starving from skipping breakfast, you’d casually slide a piece of toast or a muffin over to him without drawing any attention, not even acknowledging it as he glanced at you in surprise, a grateful look in his eyes.

Once, he’d shown up in the library just before lunch, clearly worn down from a long morning of classes. His face lit up as he saw you, but before he could say anything, you pulled a sandwich from your bag and held it out to him, rolling your eyes as he grinned.

“Eat,” you ordered, trying not to smile at the way he accepted it.

“You’re seriously the best,” he said between bites, eyes shining with gratitude.

You shrugged, not making a big deal of it. “Just don’t skip meals.”

As much as Sunoo’s constant presence had once felt overwhelming, you couldn’t deny how natural it had become. He was someone you didn’t mind looking after, just as he looked after you in his own way. And even though you still hadn’t outright admitted how much he’d come to mean to you, you knew he could feel it.

After all, Sunoo seemed to understand you better than you’d ever expected.

☀︎⋆｡°·☁︎

On a Thursday, right as you and Sunoo were walking down the hall from Potions, laughing quietly about some ridiculous mistake he’d made when a group of students passed by, whispering just loud enough for you to hear.

“Can’t believe those two are always together,” one of them sneered, glancing your way. “I don’t get what Sunoo sees in someone so… cold.”

“Yeah, must be a pity friendship,” another scoffed. “Who’d actually choose to hang around someone like that?”

The words hit you harder than you’d like to admit. You clenched your fists, feeling your cheeks grow hot with anger. Before you knew it, you were turning toward them, words already forming on your tongue.

But then, you felt a soft tug on your arm—Sunoo, pulling you back. His expression was a mix of concern and pleading, his hand gripping yours tightly.

“Don’t,” he whispered urgently, shaking his head. “They’re not worth it. Just… let it go, okay?”

But their words kept echoing in your mind, growing louder, and something about the way they’d insulted not only you but Sunoo too, made your blood boil. You could see how Sunoo was trying to brush it off, but the hurt flashed briefly in his eyes, even if he was trying to hide it.

“No,” you said firmly, ignoring his hold as you spun back around, voice sharp as you yelled after them. “Got something to say? How about you say it to our faces instead of acting like cowards?”

The group turned, surprised by your outburst, and you could see them tense, unprepared for confrontation. They exchanged uneasy looks before one of them, bolder than the others, sneered. “We’re just saying what everyone else is thinking.”

“Then let me make one thing clear,” you shot back, holding their gaze with an intensity that made them falter. “Sunoo is a hundred times the person any of you will ever be. So maybe you’re the ones who should keep quiet.”

They shifted, looking caught off guard. When they finally muttered a weak insult under their breath and walked off, you turned back to Sunoo, your anger still simmering.

Sunoo was watching you, eyes wide, a mixture of shock and something else—something soft and grateful—shining in his expression. He let out a breath, chuckling as he shook his head. “You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

You shrugged, still fuming, but now a little embarrassed at how strongly you’d reacted. “They don’t get to talk about us like that.”

Sunoo’s smile widened, and he squeezed your hand, which you’d forgotten he was still holding, looking at you with a warmth that seemed to melt away the remnants of your anger.

The hallway felt strangely empty around you, and though you didn’t say anything, the look you gave him said everything you couldn’t put into words.

☀︎⋆｡°·☁︎

You and Sunoo became a regular sight around Hogwarts: you, with your usual deadpan expression and arms crossed, and Sunoo practically glowing with happiness beside you. Wherever he went, you seemed to follow, trailing a few paces behind with that ever-present poker face, while he chatted, laughed, and animatedly waved to anyone who passed.

There were days when Sunoo would drag you into random "adventures" across the castle, whether it was sneaking into the kitchens to grab snacks or daring you to climb one of the tall staircases to see if you could spot your common room window.

Like that time he convinced you to join him on an impromptu “mission” to see if the Fat Friar really could pass through walls from the sixth-floor corridor to the third-floor hallway. Somehow, he managed to get you to run after the ghost with him, dodging curious glances from students and teachers alike. Sunoo had laughed himself silly when you reached the third floor out of breath, pointing out the tiny, genuine grin that slipped onto your face as he panted beside you.

"Look, they’re smiling!" someone had gasped, and Sunoo turned with a proud grin, throwing an arm around your shoulder. “See? You just needed a little fun.”

You promptly rolled your eyes, but you didn't shrug him off. “I don’t know if chasing ghosts counts as fun,” you muttered, though the corner of your mouth betrayed you with the smallest smirk.

Then, there was the time Sunoo found out you’d never tried a Sugar Quill and insisted on “fixing this tragedy.” He dragged you down to Hogsmeade, where he bought you not one but two Sugar Quills, then made a show of pulling a face as he pretended to judge your expression with every lick. Even though you mostly kept your deadpan look, he saw right through you, laughing as you admitted they were “better than expected.”

“Wait, was that a compliment?” he teased, eyes wide in mock surprise.

You rolled your eyes, biting the end of the quill. “Don’t get used to it.”

But the most notable reactions always came during the quieter moments—the times Sunoo would ramble on about something, and you’d listen quietly, only to get caught off-guard by his laugh or one of his jokes, and let a smile slip. Whenever someone noticed, they’d gape in shock, like they’d just seen something truly unbelievable.

Like when you two were sitting by the Black Lake, and Sunoo was telling some ridiculous story about how he once tried to turn the Great Hall’s chandelier into a disco ball for a party idea (though, predictably, he’d been caught). You tried to hold it in, but a soft chuckle slipped out anyway. One nearby student stared so openly that Sunoo caught it too, and immediately grinned, elbowing you.

“See? People can’t believe their eyes. They probably think you’re a statue brought to life,” he teased, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

You gave him a flat look, but the tiny smile wouldn’t leave your face. “Maybe it’s you who’s bringing me to life,” you replied dryly, just to see him blush.

The two of you were a study in contrasts—your stoic, steady presence beside Sunoo’s unstoppable, bubbly energy. But somehow, people started catching those small, fleeting moments when you softened around him, when he made you smile in spite of yourself. And as much as you didn’t want to admit it, you liked that he was the one who could bring that out in you.

Life with Sunoo by your side continued to be an endless series of unexpected twists, each one gradually chipping away at your grumpy exterior. He had this strange ability to draw out parts of you that you’d long kept hidden, surprising even yourself in the process. And, somehow, you didn’t mind it as much as you thought you would.

One afternoon, Sunoo decided it was "absolutely necessary" to take you to the Owlery to see a particular baby owl he’d become fond of. “You’ll love it, I swear,” he insisted, dragging you up the steps. And despite your half-hearted grumbles about climbing “unnecessary stairs,” you found yourself actually smiling when the little owl pecked his hand affectionately. When Sunoo turned and caught the tiny smile on your face, he gasped dramatically.

“Stop the press!” he said loudly enough to echo through the Owlery. “They do have a heart!”

“Careful, or I’ll stop coming along to your ridiculous little outings,” you muttered, though the hint of amusement in your voice was hard to ignore.

“Oh, please,” Sunoo scoffed, looping an arm through yours as you both made your way back down. “You love every second of my company.”

You didn’t answer, but your silence was all the confirmation he needed.

Another time, during a Transfiguration lesson, you found yourself paired with Sunoo for a particularly tricky assignment. Sunoo, naturally, was struggling to concentrate, his wand movements lazy and absent-minded as he kept nudging you with random observations. “Did you know Professor McGonagall has a favorite cat?” he whispered, eyes wide.

“Focus,” you deadpanned, though the corners of your mouth twitched as you tried to stifle a smile.

Seeing your reaction, he grinned, adjusting his stance and mirroring your serious expression in an exaggerated way. “Like this?” he asked, mimicking your look perfectly.

You couldn’t hold it in this time—a small, genuine laugh escaped you, shocking the students around you. Even McGonagall raised an eyebrow, glancing over her spectacles. “Good to see you finding joy in Transfiguration, for once,” she said with a rare smile.

When class ended, Sunoo was practically beaming. “See? I’m finally getting you to open up,” he said, walking beside you with that familiar, almost blinding smile.

“Don’t push your luck,” you warned, but he only laughed, knowing you didn’t really mean it.

And every now and then, you’d catch students around the castle gawking when Sunoo would lean in close, pointing out something funny on a page or whispering a joke that would make your stone-cold demeanor soften for just a second. They couldn’t believe it, seeing you actually smiling or laughing in response to his antics.

One evening in the library, you were finishing up some homework while Sunoo sat beside you, absently doodling on parchment. He glanced over at you, tapping his quill on the desk.

“So,” he started, a little softer this time, “when did I officially become your friend?”

You didn’t look up, but your lips tugged upward slightly. “Guess it was the day you decided not to leave me alone,” you replied.

Sunoo grinned, leaning his head against your shoulder with a sigh. “Good thing I’m stubborn.”

You didn’t answer, but you didn’t move away, either. In fact, the small smile you wore spoke more than words ever could.

☀︎⋆｡°·☁︎

One quiet afternoon, you and Sunoo found yourselves sitting by the Black Lake. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden glow over the water, and for once, there were no interruptions, no curious glances from other students. It was just the two of you, enjoying the peace and each other's company.

Sunoo had been unusually silent for a while, lost in thought as he skipped stones across the lake. Finally, he turned to you, his expression more serious than usual. “Hey,” he began softly, “can I ask you something?”

You glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “Sure, what’s up?”

He hesitated, biting his lip before speaking again. “Why don’t you smile much around people? I mean, you smile a lot when it’s just us, but with others… it’s like you shut down.”

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, you weren’t sure how to respond. You stared out at the water, watching the ripples dance across the surface as you gathered your thoughts. Finally, you sighed, deciding to share a piece of your past that you rarely talked about.

“It’s not that I don’t want to smile,” you began slowly, choosing your words carefully. “I thought I had people I could rely on,” you continued, still keeping your gaze down, staring at the grass as though it held all the answers. “But things changed. They either weren’t there when I needed them most, or…” You trailed off, not quite able to voice the ways people had let you down. “It’s like they didn’t care as much as I thought they did. I felt stupid for ever trusting them.”

Your voice was barely a whisper by the end, but you forced yourself to keep going, feeling the weight of your words start to lighten as you let them out. “After that, I just… learned to be careful. I figured if I didn’t let people in, they couldn’t hurt me. So I stopped smiling so much. I thought maybe if I looked… unapproachable, people would keep their distance. And for the most part, they did.”

Sunoo gave your hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said quietly, his voice laced with genuine empathy. “People can be selfish, and sometimes they don’t realize how their actions affect others. But I hope you know not everyone is like that.”

A lump formed in your throat at his words, the sincerity in his tone catching you off guard. “I know,” you replied, though your voice shook slightly. “It’s just hard to remember that sometimes. I didn’t want to risk getting hurt again, so… shutting people out seemed like the safest option.”

Sunoo shifted a little closer, his warmth a quiet reminder that you weren’t alone. “You know,” he began, voice gentle, “I had my own fair share of people who weren’t exactly the best, too. It hurt, and yeah, I thought about closing myself off sometimes. But then I thought, what if I missed out on someone who really could be a good friend?”

You looked over at him, catching the soft vulnerability in his eyes. “I guess that’s why you’re so… friendly,” you said, almost teasing but more thoughtful than anything. “You don’t want to miss out on the good people out there.”

He smiled, nodding. “Exactly. And… I knew you were different, you know. Even if you didn’t smile much, even if you looked like you’d rather be anywhere else than around people, I could just tell. That there was more to you. And look,” he added with a grin, “I was right.”

A laugh slipped out before you could stop it, a genuine one, and you shook your head at his optimism. “Guess you were,” you admitted, a little sheepishly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you putting up with me, though.”

“Oh, please,” he scoffed, playfully bumping his shoulder against yours. “I knew there was something worth sticking around for. Even if you tried to hide it.”

The weight of his words settled over you, and you couldn’t help but feel a small surge of warmth. Sunoo hadn’t just pushed past your walls; he’d done it so gently, with such patience, that you hardly realized when you’d stopped trying to keep him out.

“Thanks for… sticking around,” you said, voice quiet, the sincerity in your words a stark contrast to your usual deadpan tone.

“Anytime,” he replied, a soft smile playing at his lips as he looked out at the lake. Then, after a beat, he added, “Besides, I like having someone around who gets me. You know how I can get lost in my own thoughts sometimes. You’re always there to pull me back.”

You both shared a comfortable silence, the kind you could only have with someone who truly understood you. After a while, you finally spoke again. “I guess I kind of forgot how nice it feels to let someone in.”

Sunoo nodded, a content smile on his face. “I’m glad you trusted me with that,” he said softly. “And… I hope you know I’ll never do anything to hurt you. Promise.”

You turned to him, meeting his gaze, and for once, you let down every wall and allowed yourself to believe him. “I believe you.”

He grinned, looking both relieved and happy. “Good. Because I plan on being around for a long time, whether you like it or not.”

Rolling your eyes, you felt the small, reluctant smile tugging at your lips once again. But this time, you didn’t fight it. “Guess I don’t really have a choice, huh?”

“Nope,” he replied cheerfully, leaning his head against your shoulder with a sigh. “I’m a very stubborn person, you know.”

Sunoo’s smile was soft and reassuring, his eyes shining.“I promise, I’ll never do anything to hurt you. You’re stuck with me now, whether you like it or not.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at that, a genuine smile breaking through your usual guarded expression. “I guess I can live with that.”

Sunoo grinned, leaning in a bit closer. “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

☀︎⋆｡°·☁︎

You couldn’t quite pinpoint the moment it happened, the gradual shift from seeing Sunoo as just that kind, bubbly Hufflepuff who wouldn’t leave you alone, to… this. Somewhere in the days spent with him at your side, with his laugh brightening even your most tired moments, Sunoo had become more than just a friend.

It hit you unexpectedly one day, as you leaned against a stone wall in the courtyard, watching from afar while he chatted with a group of other students. He was laughing, the sound rich and clear as he threw his head back, eyes crinkling in a way that made him look almost ethereal. His presence lit up the entire courtyard, as if he were some rare creature, something precious that didn’t quite belong to the harshness of the real world.

For a second, you wondered how someone like him—so pure, so effortlessly kind and happy—had come to talk to you, much less stick around. And as the thought lingered, you felt an ache in your chest you hadn’t expected. Because no matter how close you’d gotten, you couldn’t shake the feeling that Sunoo was somehow beyond your reach.

He caught sight of you then, his gaze shifting from the others to land directly on you, and his face lit up even more, a broad grin spreading across his features. You blinked, feeling warmth bloom inside you as he broke away from the group, jogging over to where you stood.

“You just standing there, brooding?” he teased, his eyes glinting with playful mischief as he nudged your shoulder.

You huffed, trying to shake off the thought that had just been consuming you. “Maybe. Someone’s gotta keep the aesthetic,” you muttered, lips curling in a faint smirk.

But as he laughed, the sound tugging at something deep inside you, you couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever see you the way you were beginning to see him. If he’d ever feel that same tug of warmth and longing when he looked at you.

“What?” Sunoo asked, tilting his head when he noticed you staring.

“Nothing,” you replied quickly, looking away to hide the hint of pink creeping up your cheeks.

The days turned into weeks, and while Sunoo’s cheerful presence continued to brighten your life, you found yourself slipping back into familiar habits. Each time you spotted him surrounded by large groups of people, laughing and joking with ease, an unsettling fear began to take root in your chest. You pulled away, convinced that you would inevitably reveal too much—your feelings for him slipping through the cracks, leaving you vulnerable in front of everyone.

It wasn’t that you wanted to distance yourself from Sunoo; rather, it was the overwhelming dread of accidentally exposing your heart that made you withdraw. You’d sit on the sidelines, pretending to be absorbed in your own conversations or buried in a book, watching him from afar with a mix of longing and anxiety. Each time he glanced your way, a bolt of panic shot through you, and you’d quickly look away, heart racing at the thought of what he might see in your eyes.

You told yourself it was fine, that you needed space—that it was safer to watch him from afar, to keep things simple and keep your feelings hidden.

But that was easier said than done. Every time he’d glance over with that bright, hopeful smile, a pang of guilt and longing would settle in your chest. You’d nod in acknowledgment, force a small wave, and then slip away, heart hammering as you went.

And of course, Sunoo noticed.

One evening, when you were tucked away in a quiet corner of the library, a familiar figure appeared beside you. Sunoo slid into the seat, watching you with a curious, slightly hurt expression. "You’re avoiding me," he said softly, cutting right to the point.

You didn’t look up, keeping your focus on the parchment in front of you, hoping he wouldn’t press. “No, I’m just… busy. Lots of work,” you mumbled, hoping that would satisfy him.

“Really?” he asked, his voice edged with disbelief. “Because you used to tell me when things were bothering you. Now, it’s like… like I don’t even know what’s going on with you.” His tone was tinged with hurt, and you felt it like a weight in your chest.

“I’m fine, Sunoo. Really,” you replied with a weak shrug, not daring to meet his eyes. You knew if you did, he’d see right through you.

He let out a frustrated sigh. “Don’t do that,” he pleaded, his voice wavering. “Don’t push me away. I thought… I thought we’d built something together, you know? Something real. I want to be there for you, but you have to let me in.”

You swallowed hard, feeling your heart pound painfully. “It’s just… it’s complicated.”

He leaned closer, his voice filled with an unfamiliar urgency. “Then let me in on the ‘complicated.’ I don’t want you to hide from me. Please, talk to me.”

You clenched your jaw, still not meeting his gaze. You could feel his intensity, his genuine care, and it tore you up inside. “Sunoo, just… drop it,” you said, voice quieter than you intended.

But he didn’t drop it. “Why won’t you just be real with me?” he nearly begged, his tone raw and vulnerable. “I hate seeing you shut yourself off like this. I hate that you’re just… disappearing. It’s like I’m losing you, and I don’t understand why. I thought we were closer than this.”

A pang of frustration bubbled up. He didn’t understand because you’d kept him in the dark, because you were afraid he’d never feel the same way. You had no right to be upset, but it hurt too much to bear alone any longer.

“Because, Sunoo!” you said, your voice rising. “Because I… I have feelings for you, alright?”

As soon as the words were out, your hand flew to your mouth in shock, eyes widening at what you’d just revealed. You stared at him, feeling a mixture of panic and regret swell up as the weight of what you’d just said settled between you.

You half-expected to see shock or pity on his face, but instead, Sunoo’s expression softened. Slowly, a smile spread across his lips, one of genuine happiness and warmth, lighting up his entire face.

“Do you… do you really feel that way?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper as if he didn’t quite believe his own ears.

Face burning, you nodded, too afraid to meet his eyes but not wanting to take the words back. “Yeah. I do,” you replied, voice quiet, feeling both relieved and terrified.

Without another word, Sunoo’s hands reached for yours, pulling you close. He looked at you with a joy that you hadn’t seen in him before, his eyes practically glowing. “I’ve liked you for so long,” he admitted softly, almost shyly. “You’re everything I wanted but thought I’d never have.”

You blinked, your breath catching as his words sank in. “Really?”

He nodded, grinning even wider as he held your gaze. “Yes. So… don’t pull away from me, okay? I want to be there with you, through everything.”

Still in shock, you finally let yourself breathe. Then, with a shaky smile, you whispered, “Okay.”

Sunoo’s face lit up, and he pulled you into a warm embrace, holding you close as if he’d never let go. And for the first time in a long time, you let yourself relax, feeling the weight of your guarded heart ease as you leaned into him.

Sunoo’s eyes searched yours, his expression a mix of excitement and hesitation. “Can I… kiss you?” he asked softly.

You didn’t need to think twice. Instead of answering verbally, you leaned in closer, closing the distance between you until your lips met his. The kiss was tentative at first, a gentle brush of warmth and sweetness, but it quickly deepened as Sunoo responded, his hand finding its way to the back of your neck, cradling you closer.

Every nerve in your body tingled as you kissed him back, the sensation blooming inside you like fireworks. It felt right, like a missing piece finally falling into place. Sunoo’s lips were soft against yours, and the world melted away—there was no noise, no crowd, just the two of you.

As he deepened the kiss, you felt yourself melt against him, your worries and fears dissipating like morning mist in the sunlight. Sunoo pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against yours, both of you breathless and a little stunned.

“Wow,” he breathed, his eyes sparkling with delight. “That was… amazing.”

You chuckled softly, still feeling a rush of warmth and happiness coursing through you. “Yeah, it really was.”

“Can we do that again?” he asked, a playful glint in his eye, and you couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm.

“Definitely,” you replied, heart racing with a mix of excitement and newfound affection.

With a grin, he leaned in again, capturing your lips with his, and you both fell into the rhythm of each other’s movements, the kiss growing more confident this time. It was a sweet, tender connection that spoke of the trust and understanding you’d built, a promise of what was to come.

As you pulled away again, your cheeks flushed, you couldn’t help but laugh at how easy it felt, how natural. “I can’t believe we waited this long,” you said, shaking your head in disbelief.

“I know, right?” Sunoo replied, still beaming. “But I’m glad we finally did.” He paused, a seriousness creeping into his expression. “I really like you, you know. I’ve wanted to say it for a while, but I didn’t want to scare you off.”

You felt your heart swell at his words, and you smiled softly. “You didn’t scare me off, Sunoo. If anything, you made me realize how much I needed you in my life.”

He grinned, his eyes sparkling with joy. “Then let’s keep making these memories, yeah? I want to know everything about you. All the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff. I want to be the one you trust.”

“Deal,” you replied, feeling a wave of warmth wash over you. “And I’ll try to be more open, I promise.”

“Good,” he said, and with a playful nudge, he added, “And maybe I’ll even get you to smile more often.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile that broke through. “Maybe. But only if you keep being so ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous is my specialty,” he laughed, and as the two of you settled into a comfortable silence, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for this new chapter in your life—a chapter filled with laughter, trust, and the thrill of discovering each other.

[honeylations]

Hii would you be open to more Karina x reader fics? Im on that Karina drought and feel like I’ve read every single wlw fic out there

-🩵

Of courseeee😚

YU JIMIN (KARINA) x FEM!READER

Prompt: Your boss went on a 2 month long business trip and he trusts you with taking care of his wife while he’s gone

Warnings/Notes: G!P reader, cheating, mommy kink, oral, age gap (reader is younger), masturbation

———

Growing up, you always had an interest in gardening thanks to your grandma and it grew stronger the moment you read more books and watched plenty of documentaries. Not only did you decide to take Horticulture as a degree in university but you were lucky enough to get a part time job as a gardener for a rich business couple.

Hwang Hyunjin was a kind and hard working man, always greeting you warmly to his mansion, buying you the necessary gardening equipment needed, and even holding nice conversations when he wasn’t too busy.

His wife, Karina, was just as kind. She’d pack Mr Hwang a good lunch for work while also making him a nice breakfast every morning to give the energy needed for the day.

You were currently removing weeds from Mr Hwang’s garden, trying not to let the hot sun slow you down from the many other tasks needed to be done. You turned your head and saw your boss walking out the mansion with a few other men tailing behind while holding luggage bags.

“Off to another business trip Mr Hwang?” You asked with a smile, Hyunjin happily smiling back.

“That’s right, Y/n. Unfortunately for two months this time. I trust you’ll take care of this garden while I’m away”

“I won’t let you down, sir” You saluted.

“You’re more than welcome to stay over and use our guest room. I can hire someone to drop you to your lectures if you’d like”

“That’s so sweet of you, Mr Hwang. I’d appreciate that a lot”

Hyunjin nodded before putting his sunglasses on. “Take care of my wife too please”

“I’ll do my best” You bowed and watched him leave in his limo before continuing your work on the garden.

Karina sighed with relief when she saw her husband leave, finally getting the alone time she needed. Her eyes suddenly landed on your well built body dressed in a black shirt and jeans.

She remembered how strong the butterflies were when you first stepped into the mansion, Hyunjin introducing you as the new gardener since both were too busy to take care of their flowers and plants. Your bright smile, outgoing personality, and passion for plants had just made you so attractive to the older woman.

At first she felt guilty.

Guilty for feeling such attraction to someone younger when she was already happily married. Yeah, happily married until she found out her husband was going on these business trips as an excuse to sleep with one of his co workers. She saw it all when she saw message notifications from the mistress, and the secret lunch dates they had which Giselle took photos of and sent it to Karina.

An idea popped into her head. If Hyunjin was out here carelessly slipping his dick into other bitches, who was he to stop Karina from playing the same type of game? She smirked to herself before walking out the mansion to where you were still working.

She was wearing a short silk robe, her hair nicely curled and just light makeup on her face. “Good morning Y/n”

You stood up from your squatting position and bowed at the older woman. “Good morning Mrs Hwang! Lovely weather today, isn’t it?”

Karina wanted to gag from the name but your smile was making her mood better. “It definitely is. Listen, I want to thank you so much for taking care of our garden, we really appreciate it”

“It’s no worries at all, Mrs Hwang. Just doing what I love”

“How about spending the rest of the day getting to know each other? I believe you deserve a good break”

“Oh that sounds lovely but there’s so much tasks to do” You politely declined but Karina wasn’t going to back down.

“It’s okay, trust me. As your boss’ wife, I want you to take the day off from gardening. It’s my way of thanking you”

Of course, you couldn’t disobey orders from your boss’ wife. “If you insist, Mrs Hwang”

“Please, call me Karina, darling” She winked, letting you follow her inside the mansion.

“I don’t think you wanna be spending the day in those dirty clothes, dear. Go upstairs and take a shower, you can borrow Hyunjin’s clothes. I’m sure he won’t mind”

Nodding, Karina led you to the huge bathroom and you took a nice hot shower before grabbing a few clothes from your boss’ closet. You returned downstairs after blow drying your hair and Karina felt herself grow wetter at the sight of you in a white shirt and grey sweatpants. She could even see the print of your dick, making her wonder just how big you were without all the clothing.

“Comfy?”

“Yes I am, thank you Mrs Hwa- I mean Karina!” Your face went red at the small mistake that got Karina chuckling.

She stood up and grabbed you by the collar before pushing you down on the couch, straddling your lap. “I’m gonna cut to the chase, Y/n. I know my husband is cheating on me with some other whore and I know my time is worth better than to cry about it”

“Mr Hwang is-wait what?”

“You’re cute, Y/n. Hot even. Everything about you just makes me want you so bad” Karina whispered in your ear.

“Y-You want me?” The tips of your ears went red.

“Please tell me you want me too, baby. Make me feel all better. Can you do that?” She started to move her hips against your crotch, smiling at the feeling of your hard cock.

Everything felt so wrong but Karina’s clothed pussy drenching your stiffening dick felt so good. Your hands were resting on her hips and you wanted nothing else other than destroying her on the couch. There was no denying that you do think about her when you’re in your bedroom, jerking off the entire night until your hand got sore.

“I-I wanna push you away b-but…at the same time I don’t” You said breathlessly.

Karina started to whimper. “Don’t. Please, I know you’ll fill me up better than my stupid cheating husband”

Right. Hyunjin was cheating on this fine ass woman that was currently begging for your cock. It was a fair game after all.

That thought was enough to make you give in. You pushed your lips against the older’s, having a rough tongue battle while bucking your hips. Karina pulled her lips away just to throw her head back, the movement caused her silk robe to slip off her shoulders and her huge breast were in display.

“Come on cutie, I know you want to suck them. You deserve it” She smiled down at you.

You licked your lips before diving right in to her chest, savouring the left breast like it was your last meal and then doing the same to the other. Karina was squealing at your warm tongue, imagining how great it would feel in her cunt instead.

Just before she could give you a praise, you stood up and quickly went to the guest room where you practically threw Karina on the bed. “Didn’t think you had that confidence in you” She chuckled before you went back to devouring her breast.

“Need you to use that tongue on my pussy, baby. I’m getting impatient now” Karina pouted.

You sat up to remove all your clothes as Karina easily removed her robe, both of you left bare in a matter of seconds. The older woman couldn’t help but stare at your cock, mesmerised at the sight of you slowly stroking it. “Holy fuck you’re huge. Must’ve pleased so many women with that” Karina purred while two of her fingers rubbed at her clit.

“And I’m about to please another” You responded with a cocky smile.

Karina spread her legs wide to present more of her glistening sex, still circling her puffy nub and motioning for you to come closer. “Eat my pussy good, baby. Don’t wanna disappoint mommy, do ya?”

The name made your breath hitch but you nodded. “N-No mommy, want to make you feel good”. You crawled over and held her thighs before giving long licks from her entrance to her clit.

Karina threw her head back with a breathless low moan, a hand automatically grabbing onto your long hair. You wasted no time in pushing your long wet muscle inside, already sending the older into pure bliss.

“O-Oh my god, oh my god yes Y/n!”

Humming in satisfaction, you moved your tongue faster, having to force Karina’s legs wider so you could push yourself into deeper.

“Please please don’t stop, baby! You’re making mommy feel so…fucking good!” Karina cried as her hips bucked into your drenched face, wanting impossibly more.

“Yeah just like that~ Gonna cum quickly, baby. You want that? Want mommy to cum all over that fucking good tongue of yours hm?”

Obviously not being able to verbally respond, you shook your head and hummed, keeping your rough pace as Karina’s legs started to shake. With one hand tangled in your hair, the other moved to harshly rub at her neglected clit, multiplying the pleasure by 100.

“Oh god, fuck I’m cumming! Gonna cum on that pretty face!” Karina said with a final scream, her eyes rolling back with pure ecstasy as she released her juices.

You were startled at the sudden blow to the face but you were quick to clean it all up until she was clean. You slowly moved up to face Karina and she couldn’t help but tiredly smile at your drenched mouth, pulling you in to connect your lips once more.

“You made mommy so proud, darling. So so proud” she kept pecking your lips. She felt some movement below her and when she looked down, her leaking cunt started to clench around nothing.

You were shamelessly jerking off while your lips travelled around her neck, leaving bites and hickies that you knew were going to last for weeks. You were groaning and grunting into her ear, Karina’s eyes rolling back as her hands pinched at your nipples, giving them a good squeeze.

“M-Mommy, my cock hurts. Need it inside your pussy please” You panted like a dog in rut, humping into your hand but it wasn’t enough.

“Go on then, baby. Fill me up good” She whispered.

Thanking the heavens, you aligned your tip at her hole and slowly pushed in, giving a gasp at how tight she was. “H-How are you so tight?”

Karina clawed at your forearms, clearly not used to taking something so big up her pussy before. “Y-You’re just too big”

You managed to push yourself all the way in without breaking her and you noticed the discomfort in the older’s face so you placed soft kisses around it. One hand holding underneath her thigh and you used the other to brush her hair out of her face, kissing her tears away. “I’m sorry, does it hurt?”

Karina weakly nodded.

“Sorry mommy. It’ll stop hurting soon, okay?”

Karina’s goal of not falling for you was starting to become more difficult. Sure Hyunjin was sweet in bed, but he couldn’t compare to just how gentle you were right now. She felt so safe and she was willing to throw all her trust in you.

“I’m gonna start moving now. Tell me to stop if it’s too much” You smiled before slowly pulling out and then pushing back in again.

The older woman felt like she was a virgin all over again with the way this was playing out. You were ripping her in half but it felt so good after a few more thrusts. Her nails drew red lines across your back and her legs wrapped around your hips.

“Oh Y/n…”

“Mmm, mommy”

“Please, faster”

Your hips automatically started to jerk faster and you felt your arms starting to ache so you laid your upper body down so your tits were touching Karina’s. Your arms moved from her thighs to her lower back, practically hugging her while you thrusted at a harsh speed, the sound of your skins slapping were echoing off the walls.

“F-Fuck! Yes please just like that, baby!”

You were growling into her ear, mumbling fast sentences on how her cunt felt so good around your cock, wanting her to take it like a slut, saying how she likes your cock better than her cheating husbands.

“Mommy…mommy’s cunt is so good. Gonna shape it to my cock so it’s the only thing you can take. Would you like that mommy?” You panted with a cocky smile.

Karina nodded with tears streaming down her face. “Uh huh. Only want your cock”

“S-So close mommy! C-Can I cum inside you?”

“Yes yes cum inside! Don’t waste a single drop” She cried, playing with her own tits to fasten the pleasure.

“Gonna fucking fill you up so good, mommy” You whined, releasing an aggressive groan into her neck before exploding your gunk of cum inside.

Karina came at the same time, milking the hell out of your still spurting cock. Being so full, her own juices managed to escape and make a dripping line down to your balls.

You relaxed on top of her, enjoying the feeling of her fingers thread through your hair out of comfort despite being completely fucked out. “God, that was amazing” She exhaled with a laugh.

“Sorry, I should’ve used a condom”

“Don’t be sorry. I take the pill anyways”

“I didn’t hurt you did I?” You sat up and pulled out, a little bit of your mixed cum falling out her entrance but she was quick to swipe it up with her finger and suck it.

“At the start it did. Felt like a virgin again”

“I’m glad I made you feel good, Karina. That was probably the best sex I’ve ever had” You smiled before carrying her bridal style. “Let me take care of you”

Karina could only nod while feeling lost in your beautiful eyes. She was sure she had fallen way too hard for you.

But this time, she wasn’t gonna push that feeling away.

[shellaxdude]

ive been thinking lately about how most month long fandom events are heavily art focused and offer prompts and time slots that are harder for writers to participate in. ive been thinking it would be fun to do one thats writer focused with plenty of time for writers to make fics for it. these could be one story thats interconnected with the prompts, a bunch of oneshots, multichap fics that connect with a couple points, you name it. as a sort of interest check,

im thinking about doing it august 2025 if enough people are interested (tmnt august? tmntgust? idk what id call it yet). this wouldn't be specific to a single iteration either. and ofc people are still welcome to draw art, team up with a fic writer, or smth. let your heart run wild.

if there is an interest in this event ill make a form for people to submit their prompt ideas. if we go through with this id like to have the prompt list finished by new years (im a very slow writer. personally, i would need that time to write stuff and fight writer's block)

[therealslimshakespeare]

IM SORRY DID U SAY YOURE WORKING ON A FIC ABOUT “COP BIG DADDY ELVIS”?!?- please tell us more because this sounds like the greatest thing ever 😭

I did, Mon ami, I did indeed…welcome to the demented 2009, sweaty and non famous cop AU that @eliseinmemphis and myself cooked up in our feral yearnings one night.

Edit: it’s here

Allow me to lay a bit of the setting for us all, and maybe even throw in a few lines from the draft below.

Life is insular when you’ve been born and raised in a trailer park. A little El Paso suburb was never a thriving metropolis, what with its gas stations and dollar stores on the way to nothingness in the desert, but the recession didn’t help none. Your dreams of buying a car that might actually make it above 120 mph and not guzzle your wages in gas is a far off dream when you learn from officer Presley that your entrepreneuring father has been incarnated for racketeering across in Juarez. It’s a shame, a damn shame but it hardly throws a wrench in your life, you were already used to making it however you could. When workin’ at the trucker’s club turns into something a lil more illegal and Elvis has his morning waffle ruined by Joe Esposito yacking about the powers of your pink tongue…he feels a little responsible for leaving you without a father figure. He’s got top notch swamp coolers in his trailer, plenty of food and tiger figurines out front -and he’s got an interest in fast things, just like you.

You could do worse than shack up with such a fella; not that he’s offerin’ but you can tell by the flicker in his eye and the smirk of his lips that he’s as susceptible as the next guy watching you on the pole. Except this sweet, world weary cynic just might screw your gooey insides up worse than any threat or ogle from another man.

Snippet:

“Well, well officer Presley, finally got persnickety about laws, have ya?” you observed to yourself with a grin as you watched the handsome man swagger towards you along the white line in your side mirror, tugging at his pants as he neared, trying to shimmy the article of clothing a little higher but is impeded by his belt, stopped by his sizable belly, his holster and buckle sitting under the bulge of it.

Your mouth watered. It had been a year or two since you saw him last. He was always built, intimidating to all the stupid rascals he keeps in line along the border, but now he had become outright fat and his khaki shirt pulled apart between each button. Yet when he came up to your window, that little boy grin was still gracing one of the most exquisite faces known to man, and his voice was tender and playful when he greeted you, just as you once recalled. You could see his sweaty hair, matted on his chest and belly between the gaps, his underarms had massive pit stains, doubly apparent thanks to the light color of his police uniform.

Your smile had something of the she-wolf in it as you greeted him, sniffing the air in hopes of catching a whiff as he leaned on your window frame, nearly crowding you from outside. “Hey Miss Sweet Cheeks,” he greets, “you know why ya been pulled over?”

“Haven't got a clue, officer.” You stated the truth and enjoyed the way his title rolled off your tongue in a bantering way. It was easy.

Officer, officer. Somebody important and authoritative. No sir, yes sir, Officer.

His left eyebrow quirked and you wondered what he looked like at twenty five, how devastating that expression would have been before his wound and his meds and the water retention. Whatever power it may have once held, it holds nothing to this slightly bemused, slightly cynical world weariness that shows in his every expression now, that had a twitch of an eyebrow making you feel a fool. “You’re goin’ seventy in a forty five, Miss.” his tone was patient even as his face suggested he’d like to tan your hide for being so reckless. “Reckless endangerment of others, and yourself,” he quoted sternly, “it ain’t no small matter and I don’t countenance it on my highway.”

Gosh, you just loved it when he laid claim to government property like highways and interstates. It helped you smile meekly at him and nod.

“Sorry officer, I got lax.” You purred, batting your eyes and you could see the heavy flap of their coal coated weight in your periphery. “I’ve seen you lettin’ me flyby on the interstate. I guess I thought…”

[perceivedregret]

vampire steve with his human boyfriend eddie munson. what happens when his bloodlust caves and overwhelms him more than the good ole regular lust?

currently a wip

Eddie pulls the hem of Steve’s shirt and slips his hands underneath, cold fingers making Steve’s stomach tense with the touch. Steve chases his lips when he pulls away, adores the way the corners of Eddie’s mouth reach for his dimples.

“What?” Steve murmurs in amusement, capturing Eddie’s lips again before giving him a chance to answer. Steve skates his tongue along Eddie’s bottom lip, asking, and Eddie hums contently as he parts his lips in answer.

His pulse skips as Steve’s hands tighten on his hips. Steve takes a step, slotting his thigh between Eddie’s, who eagerly  tugs the front of Steve’s shirt to further close the near non-existent space between them. He rolls his hips along Steve’s thigh, gasping when he’s suddenly dragged backwards, almost tripping over the corner of the runner that leads to his room.

Eddie’s hands roam over Steve’s chest, laughing into Steve’s mouth when one of his rings catches on the hair that sits there. Steve’s hisses into his mouth before he nips lightly along Eddie’s lips, not enough to bite, never enough to possibly break skin. Eddie just hisses back, mouth moving onto Steve’s neck as the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed.

Steve gently lowers them down, using his strength to gently but quickly flip their positions. Another thing Steve won’t allow is for Eddie to never be in control, to never to be on top. Eddie goes with the motions, eager to take control even if he doesn’t fully agree with the reasons behind it.

Eddie sinks heavily against Steve, using his position to pull Steve’s neck further back to deepen the mark he’s always determined to leave behind, even if Steve will heal too quickly for it to stay for too long. Steve lets him, lost in the scent that is Eddie Munson and his blood. Blood that he’ll never allow himself to taste, no matter how much Eddie begs. Again, it doesn’t stop Eddie from trying.

They slowly make their way towards the head of the bed, with Steve sitting upright with Eddie in his lap, knees tight around his hips. Eddie pulls away from Steve’s neck, finally, sighing contently he leaves a mark, even if it starts to heal before his eyes. Next time he thinks, kiss swollen lips crashing back onto Steve’s as he takes his face in his hands, rings searingly cold against the heat of Steve’s skin.

He rocks forward once, a strained moan escaping both men that leaves them both panting into each other’s mouth. It makes Steve’s insides burn, another strained moan escaping him as he starts to want Eddie in more ways than one.

“Sorry,” Eddie breathes, closing the distance between them, his tongue plunging deep into Steve’s mouth in apology. Steve takes it gladly, his vampiric sight making his head go foggy as his body yearns for more than Eddie’s body pressed up against his. Eddie’s tongue presses flat against the roof of his mouth and Steve stiffens. Eddie freezes with him, except for his tongue which continue searching because–

Steve pulls away with a pop, careful to open his mouth to avoid something stupid like cutting his boyfriend’s tongue with his vampire teeth that have chosen now to extract from his gums.

“Shit,” he sighs, head turning away to hide himself as best he can while Eddie remains in this lap. “Shit shit shit, that’s not supposed to happen, I’m–”

----------------------

still have more to write but this is where im at so far. i have an entire world i've built and am contining to build over on my ao3, fic links in my pinned if you're interested. no smut in that one, but plenty of angst and pining so far

[ecoterrorist-katara]

hello hello! can i just say, i love your takes so much. it feels like you’ve read my mind on how katara would actually react in certain situations. currently myself, im rewriting the structure of the show in a way that makes more sense (aka, getting rid of kataang altogether and focusing on actual growth for each character including aang!) and im struggling a bit on aang actually!

we know how brykke basically stunted aang’s growth because of their weirdness. but what if aang never had a crush on katara? what if he sees katara as the big sister he always wanted instead, making their relationship more wholesome than weird? i think he’s such a centralized character, but when i develop the others beyond the show, aang feels like he’s left behind.

maybe that’s part of it too! he is a boy out of time, and now more of a concept than a person as far as anyone else outside of his immediate group knows. in this au where i intend to age everyone up, i’m just curious to see what kind of man aang would grow up into if his motivations for katara was never there. i see him as trying to hold onto his lost childhood and then having to come to terms with the fact he can’t. but i’d love to hear your thoughts. who is aang outside of that? his journey has the opportunity to be so fascinating, but brykke kind of said hey! let’s not get into that! let’s make him a creepy god boy who gets whatever he wants!

(also to note, this version of aang is meant to be with azula and while i love the meta ive seen about taang i do personally hc her as a lesbian but i do like them but yeah!)

also sorry if this is too rambly i’m just very excited!

hi! This is such a nice message, and please never apologize for rambling! My blog is a safe space for all ramblers. Your fic sounds like a very exciting project!

I definitely agree with you that he’d try to hold onto his childhood & have a hard time with his grief; coming to terms with the depth of his loss would be an exceptionally interesting arc. His people were victims of genocide: his culture and his loved ones were brutally murdered. Nobody can replace that community, not even his chosen family of the Gaang, and certainly not a romantic partner.

But Aang certainly is somebody outside of all that tragedy too. I think his cheerfulness and optimism, his playfulness, his resilience, his reluctance to assume responsibility, and his prodigiousness are all important facets of his personality.

Here's my piping hot take: Aang is James Potter with a more tragic backstory and less of a cruel streak. Think about it: mischievous, funny, adventurous, brave, enjoys attention, popular, devoted to friends, prodigious, entitled when it comes to love interests, morally inflexible, dedicated to Good, can be too arrogant to recognize his own faults. We hear that James became a pretty decent guy, so there's plenty of potential for growth for Aang, especially if he doesn't get his forever girl at age twelve.

Aang has a big heart and stringent morals, but is still a bit of a trickster. Not in a malicious way, but in a “I have a zest for life way” that gives him a little bit of an edge beyond just being a sunshine boy. You can see this even in ep 1, when he sacrifices himself so that the village would be left alone, only to haul ass out of the Fire Nation ship as soon as they’re safe. You can also see it in The Great Divide, where he straight up just fabricates history lmao. Lying is not an issue for him at all, which indicates it’s not really part of his moral code.

On the other hand, he obviously feels very strongly about taking life, which indicates a black and white approach towards morality that is not uncommon in kids. I could see an older, more mature Aang being led to question his own approach to morality, particularly by someone like Zuko, who probably finds violence a lot more palatable than lying. I think there are very interesting cultural differences that can be explored here, which doesn’t necessarily mean that Aang will change his opinions, only that he’ll have greater respect for how other cultures see right and wrong, and that he can keep Air Nomad culture alive without taking on the burden of being the manifestation of that culture. He has the innate impulse to try to see the best in people, which is at odds with his black and white morals sometimes. Related to that, he really struggles with morally grey characteristics in his friends. I think that if he had a fleshed out opportunity to properly disagree with his friends, he may not necessarily change his own mind, but he might grow to value his friends' freedom of choice over imposing his own values on them, since one of the cornerstones of Air Nomad philosophy is apparently about freedom. I think his pacifist voice is an important contribution to their ragtag group of overpowered pre-teens and teens and I love it when that aspect is explored in fics.

I've seen some really good depictions of Aang-not-obsessed-with-Katara in fanfiction (Southern Lights has my favourite one; in fact it's my fave characterization of basically everyone except for Mai). I see most of his flaws as things he can grow out of, but only if he encounters difficult situations and learns to grow. Have fun with your fic, and please do share in any relevant tags once you start posting!

[crazylittlejester]

Mini fic prompt ig

“we had no idea” ft wars and the rest of the chain

Context: since wars defined the timeline Hylia had planned what happened was a thing called a “timeline collapse” when that hyrule experiences sort of a majoras mask moment where the sky turns red and rocks are crashing down and it won’t stop till every single person in that era is dead. Since Lana defied hylia too (CIA was killed almost immediately after the war), any person high in power associated with the war would be puplicly beheaded, (with the exception of the knights) but just before her beheading hours before the era of wars was to be collapsed, Lana informed link and Artemis of a pocket dimension she had made, because she knew the whole time that this would happen, so just as the world is abt to end Wars and Artemis escape through a portal Lana made using the last of her power. It was sort of a weird version of hyrule with only the castle, an empty castle town,and the battle maps on floating islands connected by littler islands. It’s only wars l, Artemis and the animals there. There is a sky but it’s more of a muted bluish purple, the knight is still the same though.

so for the longest time, the chain had never been to wars era, and when they finally do, this is what they see, strange isn’t it?

OUGH IM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG, YOU SENT THIS IN APRIL 29th 💀

This was a seriously cool idea, btw. There’s soooo much potential with a prompt like this, and it’d be so interesting to write something more for this. If I have some time to spare I might write like, a one shot or somethin about it on ao3 if that’s alright alskkdkdk

Here ya go!!

Twilight barely saw Warriors quickly snatch the back of Wind’s tunic to prevent the sailor from walking straight off the little island they’d wound up on, he was too busy staring at everything else.

What he saw… It all felt empty. Destroyed and decimated, vacant and abandoned. He’d seen plenty of ghost towns, especially in Wild’s era but this was like nothing he’d ever seen before. They were in the sky, that much was obvious, but unlike Skyloft which stood grand and magnificent, full of life and the love of their goddess, this place seemed dead and ready to plummet down to the ground below. The ground that Twilight couldn’t even see because of the thick clouds and dark, hazy air.

A castle stood on a larger island a short ways away from them, oddly pristine and beautiful surrounded by the nothingness that expanded to the sides of them. This wasn’t Skyloft, not even the potential ruins of it. Twilight wasn’t even sure it was really Hyrule, given the odd purple tone of the sky above.

“Wh- Where ARE we…?” Sky whispered, no doubt unable to stop himself from drawing the same comparisons to Skyloft that Twilight had.

Of all the things he’d been expecting, Warriors’s grimace followed by, “My era”, was not one of them.

Time whipped around with something similar to anger in his eyes.

“What do you mean by that?” The old man demanded.

“A lot…” The captain paused to sigh. “A lot’s changed since you’ve been here, Sprite.”

“Where is everyone??” Legend asked, wildly looking around.

“Gone,” Warriors said softly. “They’ve all been gone, since the war. It’s just been me and Zelda.”

“We had no idea…”

[apomaro-mellow]

hi i just read your fic where steve is an offering for god eddie and it was really good! i know it was just a oneshot, but there was a line in it that got me curious about the universe. so in the fic you wrote that the destined ones would be found by the marks on their skin, which were steves moles in this case, and that got me thinking about if you intended for it to imply that all of the previous sacrifices were also steve reincarnated? like steve asks eddie for him to be the last and be with him for eternity, but i found it interesting that it might already been just his soul destined to find eddie in every life. i really enjoyed the fic and just wanted to share how much im still thinking about it

Anon, no, anon stop, anon get away before it's too late! My hand! My hand is moving on it's own! What have you doooonnnne-awwwwoooooo

There wasn't a day that went by that Eddie didn't make Steve feel cherished. He was well practiced in it. He'd been doing so for many lifetimes over. Usually he was Steve, sometimes Stephen. He's also loved him as Stella and Eve, or even Delaine. Eddie remembers all the names Steve's had before.

Sometimes he remembers the who he was, and their wedding night is more of a reunion. Other times, like this one, Steve is completely unaware of how they used to be; of how devoted Eddie already is to him. Steve had asked to be the last one. What he didn't realize was that he was the only one.

The elders of the village knew what happened when the temple tapestry changed from just one god to two. The Many Voiced God had found an everlasting partner in the Starry Skinned God. Though Steve himself gave hardly a thought to his old human life. He was preoccupied with learning the ins and outs of godhood and the many ways of loving and being loved.

As they laid in bed, Eddie kissed his spotted back. The ones he knew so well they all might as well have their own names too. In fact they did, after all of Steve's lives, not that he knew it yet.

"Good morning, Stephen." Kiss. "Good morning Eve." Kiss. "Good morning Noe." Kiss.

"What will you run out of first? Names or moles?", Steve smiled as he turned over to face his husband.

"Oh I have plenty of names", Eddie smirked. His thumb brushed against a mole on Steve's hip, remembering how Silverius used to awaken even before the sun. Steve was still an early riser, and just like before he preferred long mornings in bed.

Although this time it might have something to do with how he now presided over children's dreams and starry nights.

"I almost forgot. I missed one", Eddie said. His hands went to either side of his love's face before he kissed him deep. "Good morning Steve."

A very good morning. One of thousands to come.

Okay NOW im done! Full moon is gone, the claws and teeth are away but u gotta be careful next time, anon. The writer's curse can be triggered so easily these days LOL. Thank you so much tho, it really makes me happy when people think of my fics even after ready them :3

[annabtg]

I thought your answer on jily and whether or not they were in love or if it was abusive super interesting!

Personally I’m not the biggest jily fan but that has more to do with the main tropes being used that I tend to find tiring and outdated. But Ive been trying to get more into it recently and it’s been hard finding fics I enjoy because they are either too snape bash-y or feel anachronistic in how they portray the relationship. When im reading jily I actually prefer the writer to lean into the outdated tropes instead of trying to make it fit the modern readers ideas of appropriate courtship behavior, because otherwise it doesn’t feel authentic to me. Specifically it bugs me when they make James a super feminist that would never ask Lily out more than once (I don’t think he’d recognize that as sexual harassment as a teenager boy in the 70s). I get that this is popular fanon right now but it’s been hard to find a fic that doesn’t have this.

So my question is do you have any jily fic recommendations that fit this description (minimal Snape bashing and time period accurate)?

Hi there!

By your wording, I'm not sure if by "time period accurate" you mean fics where he actually asks her out a lot. The beginning of your post seemed to imply that, even though I would argue that it's not the only time period accurate headcanon. Indeed, there are plenty of reasons someone in the 70s may not have repeatedly asked a girl out - from his ego being bruised by her first rejection, to he actually took no for an answer and that doesn't necessarily mean he's a super feminist icon. Not everyone who takes no for an answer is. :p

You may have more luck with old-time fic, tbh - the "ask her out a million times" trope was much more prevalent then, and people were not as feministically aware :p though Snape bashing was much more common. I actually feel that in most newer Jily canon fics Snape is portrayed as a well-rounded antagonist, rather than bashed.

So I'm going to start with some oldies:

I recently read Commentarius by @bcdaily and, while I wouldn't say I got the perfect 70s vibe from it (more like the 90s - it felt very accurate to the way I grew up), I enjoyed seeing in it a portrayal of James that I think most people wouldn't dare write today for fear, exactly, of him not being feminist/respectful enough to Lily. I won't get into details to avoid spoilers. (Very long and incomplete, but considered a classic.)

I also hear The Life And Times by Jewels5 features an immature James who grows up throughout the fic, but I haven't read it so I couldn't tell you myself. (Also very long and incomplete and considered a classic.)

If you enjoy the idea of James being an outrageous little shit for comedic effect, you might enjoy Procrastinator-starting2moro's fics. I haven't read Obsessive Lily Disorder since 2006 so I can't say I remember it very well but the title should give you an idea of how insistently he asks her out in it :p though there may be some Snape bashing in it.

For more recent works, I will gladly recommend everything by @nought-shall-go-ill, who creates the most atmospheric depictions of 70s/80s UK, and also likes Snape and enjoys nuanced portrayals of Jily.

Other writers whose portrayals of James I thoroughly enjoy and who do a great job of presenting James as the little shit that he is include @annasghosts and @ohmygodshesinsane.

And to finish with some self-recs, anything in my James Potter Is A Little Shit tag should be a good bet. I would give a shout-out to my older fics Birthday and Fascination, and my newer ones Written In History and Drunk With Power as the ones you may enjoy the most. And I'll gladly tout readers' favourites The Great James Potter and Mistletoe Mishaps as examples where James is respectful to Lily in ways that I feel are natural and reasonable for the era, all while he's still a little cocky shit.

Hope this helps! Happy reading!!

[sawyer-is-eepy]

i like you, here are my favorite awesome and underrated outer wilds fic + comic recommendations in no particular order

interpolation by @tippertot . its got base game spoilers, possibly dlc spoilers? unfinished but it's currently being updated wooooo!!! it's very interesting and i dont exactly understand whats going on but i really like it and am SO excited to see where it goes. keep in mind i've only read up to chapter 9 so idk what comes in the other chapters. but its so so so good, i need to make fanart for it sometime wahh. (and of course. also finish catching lol.)

hearth's shadow by @spitzyyyy . got dlc and base game spoilers - only 2 chapters out but they're decently long(and very angsty) and it was last updated in january and im pretty sure spitzle is still writing other fics so even if they drop this one, im sure they've got plenty of other, very good ones too. this is just the only one that i've read from him (YET) it's very sad though so like. brace yourself. BUT CHAPTER 2 IS ALSO CUTE THOUGH SO ITS FINE

and uh also anything by @crimsonquill-086 is very good ::) i havent finished all their stuff yet but i think(so far) on my own terms is my fave.

also i read like one chapter of the rule of quantum certainty by TimeturnerJay(i don't *think* they have a tumblr? not sure) and i've been meaning to return to it so im gonna read it after i finish this post so there's also that!! chapter one was gut wrenching i needed a break lol /pos

then i cannot recommend elwensa's comics enough. she makes so many and they're all very good, some are sad and some are cute, and some have headcanons that i basically accept as canon now for literally no reason.

here's a whole timeline i found of a bunch of her comics that i *believe* is up to date -https://www.reddit.com/r/outerwilds/comments/18uuy7z/elwensa_ow_comics_grand_timeline/

she's also got an entire au called the legend of outer wilds that's basically just outer wilds but its zelda inspired and it's got a ton of cool concepts so like. its very good it has its own carrd check it out - https://tloow.carrd.co/

and if we're talking comics i of course can't just like, not mention @cobaltbluesu 's "thrill chasing." pretty sure he only recently posted chapter one so im not sure how much there will be in the future but definitely go check that out, their art is so so cool(and a big inspiration for me.)

feel free to reblog with any other recommendations there are so many but if you find something good please tell me