#some of last year are still in the freezer I think…

[arathejedi394]

another fond memory of Macadoodle Macintosh Maxamillion Macaroni and Cheese <3 but also. Pas.

Mac could give you a canine phobia but he was scared of cats. bc we had a cat that terrorized him

before we adopted Mac we had Pas. pronounced Paz. he was all black and he had an attitude.

he's this guy whom some of my older followers might recognize bc this photo was my pfp for a long ass time

those are reading glasses, like drugstore reading glasses, bc back then i didn't have prescription glasses but i was already super farsighted so needed glasses. one time, i put them on Pas. he held still long enough for me to take this pic, then i took them off him. he didn't bat them off himself. i mean i didn't leave them on him long, but he waited for me to take them off him.

Pas was the best cat, bc he tolerated anything me and my lil brother wanted to do when we were little and stupid. he'd let us hold him and smother him and kiss him all over and would only be a little grumpy about it. as we grew up, he grew up. he got to be a very big cat, like just large. not chunky, large. but he always tolerated being cuddled. he'd be grumpy about it, but he never ran away when i or my brother grabbed him and rubbed our faces all over him.

when we adopted him, he was just a kitten, and at the time we still had an older female cat named Goose, whom my parents had before they had kids, and it took 7 years for them to have kids, so she was old when i was born. by the time we adopted pas, she was super old. and Pas was a little terror to her. then after she passed away, we got two other cats, Sunshine and Heather (Heather came to us last and she lived the longest), then a couple years later, we got Mac.

Pas did not like Mac. Pas hated Mac. Pas gave Mac a phobia of cats. bc he terrorized him the second he came into our home.

one time <3 Pas antagonized Mac into chasing him. i was not the witness my lil brother was. went tearing through the house with Mac right on his tail like "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR BULLSHIT YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE" Pas went sprinting to the back of the house, but Mac kept chasing him. they ended up in the laundry/pantry and Pas was at a dead end. what does he do?

that little motherfucker sprinted vertically up the face of our big standing freezer, turned, and jumped. landed on Mac's ass and then jumped off him, went in the other direction. Mac was so confused he stopped chasing him.

Pas had a serious attitude his whole life. he was always causing mischief, and he made a dog like four times his size become afraid of all cats regardless of fur color. he passed in 2016, in april. the months prior to that, teen me was struggling with serious depression, and Pas out of nowhere decided my feet were the best place to nap. at all times. he was technically my brother's cat, but he randomly decided to claim my toes as his preferred pillow. the closer april 2016 got, the more my cat (who was very aloof and disliked all humans even barely tolerated me so hardly was ever in my room) Sunshine started hanging out in my room. one time, i caught her and Pas sitting on my bed like they were having a conversation, and they both were very cross with me for interrupting. a few weeks later, Pas just... went on. he wasn't even that old, he was only 10. and after he was gone, i started thinking maybe he spent his last few months with me specifically bc i was having such terrible mental health struggles, and maybe he did something to make Sunshine start spending more time with me towards the end, bc he knew he didn't have much time left, and he knew i needed the comfort.

even at the end of his days tho... Pas made sure Mac knew he was the bitch of the family.

i clearly have a type for my preferred gremlins. i want a demented, feral little bastard, fully rabid and foaming at the mouth if you just look at their partner wrong, and a guy who looks casually like axe murderer standing behind them with a smoothie, unruffled until somebody gets too close to their demented little man, and then the serial killer vibes come out.

like here, it's steve that's the demented little bastard and bucky is casually an axe murderer, and that's really fun.

like, steve flips his lid over something vision goes red veins throb in his temple as he's shrieking flapping his arms steam coming out of his ears and there's bucky behind him like "i'll give him two more seconds before i put a stop to this." or they're in the club steve's tipsy an affectionate giggly drunk and very pretty so everyone's trying to flirt with him until a shadow falls over them and there's the winter soldier with his full murder face on. he doesn't have to say a word before the pathetic attempt at rivals flee bc of sheer vibes. but when it's all over, steve the demented feral fully rabid little bastard gets topped by bucky the casual axe murderer, so thoroughly he ends up crying and drooling. great dynamic. love that vibe.

but now there's my new set of blorbos, laios and chilchuck from dungeon meshi. and it's the opposite dynamic.

chilchuck is the feral rabid demented little bastard, laios casually looks like a good catholic boy scout that accidentally apprenticed under dexter so now he's weird, but chilchuck doms the shit out of laios, i just know it. like even if chilchuck is literally the one bottoming, he's topping from the bottom. laios has definitely let that tiny little man step on him. his face, his dick, his head, whatever part of him he wants to. but the second somebody starts creeping on chilchuck or just plain offends him, you know laios has got his hand on the hilt of his sword giving them that deep dark unreadably blank look like he knows what human flesh tastes like, all "walk away. now." (does he know? you decide. i think a little bit of canibalism is okay sometimes.) and after they're gone, you know he'd go from using his big boy bark to his happy puppy awoo yay master's been successfully resource guarded in like a split second, like to anybody other than chilchuck (used to this) he'd switch attitudes so fast it'd give them whiplash. and chilchuck would be like "good dog you may have one (1) kiss as a treat" "YAY KISSES" "ONE KISS"

i mean just look at them. you know i'm right.

[bogleech]

I have seen the first four episodes of the Sausage Party miniseries, because that exists, and let me tell you the plot so far:

The foods have exterminated most of humanity, at least as far as they or the audience can tell. The story is limited to just the immediate city around the supermarket so I dunno. The foods then try to build their own better society, but soon a bartering system evolves around the symbolic value of human teeth, and a power-mad orange realizes he can amass more of this abstract "wealth" by controlling the flow of resources. Many foods try to ignore this arbitrary system and take whatever they want, so "rules" are established that you're not allowed to just take things, and will have to be punished if you do, with some foods appointed positions of enforcing the rules. The foods think it's only fair that the law be enforced the same for everybody, failing to factor in that some foods require refrigeration in order to not melt or decompose, and the last functioning freezer is already owned by the orange. Without enough teeth in public circulation, perishable foods become increasingly more likely to break the law as they sicken and die, and so the most vulnerable of their society become the most severely punished by an increasingly violent police force [of mostly canned hams]. Anyway while all this is going on the hot dog and the hot dog bun are secretly keeping a live human prisoner and feeding him feet they sawed off of other human corpses. This is where we've left off so far. The writing of all this is much more competent than you are probably imagining, seemingly thanks to a co-writer from Shrek 2, and it appears to have taken so many years to come out because now the animators are being well paid for healthier work hours. I still didn't pay to watch it though because fuck amazon

[finelinefae]

safety [ceo!h x shy!reader]

synopsis: harry is always there to help bambi, always.

word count: 5.4k

contains: ceo!harry x assitant!y/n, deer!reader vibes, fluff, age gap (9 years), harry meets the family, crybaby reader lowkey

a/n: apologies for this taking so long. I've moved into university and switched courses within three weeks so I've had to do a lot of adjusting! But I hope you're doing well, thank you so so so much for all the love on the first part of bambi and being so patient with this part <333

this is part 2 of bambi, read part 1 here

. . .

Y/N sighed as she stepped into the living room, her heart sinking at the sight of her mother passed out on the couch. It was Friday night, and her mom was still in her work uniform, one shoe barely hanging from her foot while the other lay haphazardly across the room. A wave of frustration and sadness hit her hard. She had begged her mom to take the day off to watch the boys so she could go on her date with Harry tonight—the date she’d been looking forward to all week.

This was supposed to be their third date, just before she started working with him at Pleasing this weekend. Their last date had been simple—strolling hand in hand by the river, talking about everything and nothing. But tonight was different. Harry had told her to dress up; he had something important to ask her and was taking her somewhere special. Y/N had been buzzing with excitement ever since.

Glancing at her phone, she felt the sting of tears. Halfway through her makeup, she now realized it didn’t matter—she’d have to cancel. With her mother out cold and no babysitter available at such short notice, the responsibility fell on her. And it was ruining everything.

She opened Harry’s contact on her phone, staring at the little pink heart next to his name. Her thumb hovered over the call button as doubt crept in. What if he never wanted to see her again after this? Cancelling last minute was embarrassing, and she dreaded how angry or disappointed Harry might be.

Her thumb pressed down, the ringing growing louder with each second. Anxiety gnawed at her as she picked at the skin around her nails.

Suddenly, the call connected, and Harry’s voice, smooth and soothing like a lullaby, poured through the speaker. “Bambi? Was jus’ about to pick y’ up. You missin’ me already?”

Her lip trembled, and a tear slid down her cheek as she sniffled. “Harry…” Her voice cracked.

“Hey, what’s wrong, love?” Concern filled his voice instantly, and the warmth of it made her chest tighten.

“I-I can’t go on our date tonight,” she confessed, her voice shaky.

“What d’you mean? Don’t be silly, is something wrong?” His slight panic was clear, making her feel even worse.

“No, it’s not like that. It’s just… my mom came home late, and she’s, um, not able to watch the boys, so I have to stay and babysit. I’m really sorry, Harry. I wanted to go tonight, I swear. I understand if you’re mad or—if you never want to see me again—”

“Woah, woah, Bambi, baby, stop panickin’. I don’t hate you, not at all. It’s closer to the opposite, so calm down, yeah? ‘M not goin’ anywhere.”

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice still thick with emotion. “Y’promise?”

“Five pinkie swears, baby,” he chuckled softly, making her giggle through the tears. “It’s alright. These things happen. But are you okay? Need me to grab you anything? Have y’eaten today?”

His kindness made her heart swell. “N-No, but we’ve got stuff in the freezer I can heat up. Maybe we can reschedule?”

“Bambi, I’m already on my way to your house.”

Her breath hitched. “What? But, Harry, I can’t—”

“You think I’d let a little change of plans stop me from seein’ you? Been needin’ to see m’Bambi all day. How ‘bout this: you help your mum, and I’ll come by and make dinner for all of you. Sound good?”

Her heart skipped a beat. Was he real? Was he really this thoughtful, this willing to come over despite everything?

“Harry, you don’t have to—”

“I want to. Now, go get in some comfy pjs, and I’ll stop by the store to grab snacks. Maybe we can watch a movie later. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice lighter now. “That sounds perfect.”

“Alright, I’ll be over in thirty minutes. Take a deep breath for me, Bambi.”

Immediate relief washed over her at the idea of having an extra pair of hands to help her with something that she’d normally be left alone to and better yet it was Harry who was coming to help her. So, she did exactly that - breathe. 

. . . 

Y/N was pushing clothes into the washing machine when she heard the doorbell ring. Her heart skipped a beat or possibly maybe two when she heard it. She forced the door shut on the machine and walked to the front door. She frowned the closer she got when she could already hear Harry’s voice but that was soon followed by the voice of her younger brother. 

“I know jujitsu, you know,” Archie announced, his small five-foot frame blocking the doorway.

“You take classes?” Harry asked, bemused.

“No, I learned it on Roblox,” Archie replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve heard of that one before. You’ll have to show me sometime,” Harry said with a grin.

Archie snorted. “You could just be saying that to get into our house and rob us.”

Y/N’s face heated with embarrassment as she approached the door, ushering Archie out of the way. Harry’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw her. “Y/N, this pizza delivery guy is trying to break into our house,” Archie said. Y/N looked to see Harry holding two pizza boxes and a plastic bag.

“Archie,” Y/N gasped, “this is not a pizza delivery man. This is Harry.”

Harry smiled, clearly trying not to laugh, and offered Archie a small wave. It did nothing to ease the suspicious look on Archie’s face. “Who’s Harry?”

Y/N froze, unsure of how to answer. Harry was both her boss and the man she was dating, but she couldn’t exactly explain that to her little brother. “He’s... my special friend.”

Archie looked between them for a moment, then shrugged and wandered off. Y/N’s shoulders sagged with relief as she turned to face Harry, who was still grinning at her. He looked incredibly handsome in his matching brown suit, his curly hair tousled in that familiar way. Her heart sank a little, knowing he had dressed up for their date.

“H-Harry, I’m really sorry—” she began, but before she could finish, Harry set the pizza boxes down and pulled her into a tight embrace. She breathed in the fruity scent of his cologne as he gently rubbed circles on her back.

“Bambi,” he murmured with a soft sigh, “I missed you.”

She smiled against his chest. “You just saw me the other day, and we FaceTimed last night.”

Harry pulled back slightly, cupping her cheeks with his large hands. “Kiss?”

Her cheeks flushed, as they always did when he asked for a kiss. She stood on her toes, meeting his lips, savouring the softness of his touch and the faint taste of peppermint from his lip balm. 

“Have you eaten yet?” he murmured against her lips. “I brought pizza.”

“You didn’t have to,” Y/N sighed softly. “I was just going to throw something in the oven.”

“Hey, Bambi.” She looked up, meeting his gaze already fixed on her. “I wanted to. I’m here to help, okay? Now, why don’t we eat this before it gets cold? You grab some plates, and I’ll set the table.”

“O-Oh, okay.” She nodded, a bit flustered. “Just so you know, my brothers can be… intense.”

Harry smiled, his expression easygoing. “It’s okay, I’ve got a niece. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

Y/N led him into the living room where her little brothers were scattered. Archie sat in the corner, hunched over the computer, likely playing the game he had mentioned to Harry earlier.

“Who are you?” a small voice piped up. Harry glanced down to see a boy around six or seven, looking at him curiously.

“That’s Y/N’s special friend,” Archie chimed in without even turning around from his game.

“Weren’t you the guy making out with my sister the other night?” The eldest of the three boys, who looked about fourteen, spoke up from where he was watching TV. Despite his age, there was a maturity in his tone that caught Harry off guard.

Harry chuckled, feeling Y/N stiffen beside him. He gave the teenager a polite smile. “Well, I guess that’s one way to put it.”

“Sammy go and get the plates from the kitchen, Harry bought us pizza.” Sammy huffed, pausing the tv and doing exactly as his sister said. 

“Jack, can you grab an extra chair?” Y/N asked the youngest boy, her voice gentle but firm. Harry watched as the boys immediately followed their eldest sister’s instructions without question. A small pang tugged at his chest—part of him felt for her, having to shoulder the responsibility of looking after three growing boys. He didn’t know every detail of her family life, but seeing the way they interacted was enough to tell him they’d had to adapt quickly.

They all gathered around the table, two extra-large pizzas laid out in front of them. Harry chuckled at the sight of the boys eyeing the food like it was a rare treasure.

“Calm down,” he murmured with a grin, leaning close to Y/N. “Y’ so stiff, Bambi.”

Y/N blushed, fidgeting slightly. “Sorry, I just get so—”

“So?” Harry interrupted, smirking as he tried to coax her into a fluster. “So what, baby?”

“So nervous,” Y/N huffed, her cheeks burning as she realized he was toying with her.

A throat cleared from across the table, and Y/N suddenly felt three pairs of eyes locked onto them. Jack and Archie looked disgusted by the couple’s banter, while the eldest boy, Sammy, was glaring at Harry with an intensity that made Harry suppress a laugh.

“How old are you?” Sammy asked bluntly, his gaze sharp and protective.

Y/N choked on her drink. “Sammy! You can’t just ask people that—it’s rude!”

Harry chuckled, raising a hand to calm her. “No, it’s alright,” he said, amused. “I’m thirty.”

“Whoa, you’re old!” Archie blurted out, eyes wide with surprise.

“Archie!” Y/N gasped, mortified, while Jack burst out laughing.

“I guess it is kind of old,” Harry shrugged playfully, glancing at Y/N with a wink.

“Are you rich?” Sammy pressed, undeterred.

Y/N’s face flushed even more, praying the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

“I do well,” Harry replied, keeping his tone light. “I own a fashion company.”

“That means he’s rich,” Archie chimed in, eyes lighting up. “Do you have a sports car?”

Harry leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially, “I own three.”

Archie gasped, his face a picture of awe. “No wonder you can afford two extra-large pizzas!”

“If you think that’s cool, wait till you hear what else I brought,” Harry teased.

“Candy?” Archie’s eyes grew even wider, filled with excitement.

“Better.”

“Ice cream?”

Harry nodded. “Ice cream, candy, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles... you name it.”

Archie looked as though he might pass out from pure joy. Sweets after dinner weren’t a common occurrence in their house unless it was a special occasion.

Harry’s smile softened as his eyes flicked to Sammy, who was still watching him with guarded suspicion. “What do you want from my sister?” Sammy finally asked, his tone sharp.

Y/N cringed, wishing she could disappear like Jack, who was contentedly munching on pizza, completely oblivious to the tension. Her cheeks were already burning before she’d even taken a bite.

Harry’s hand found its way to her knee under the table, a silent reassurance that he knew exactly how she was feeling without her having to say a word.

“It’s still early,” Harry said honestly, his gaze meeting Sammy’s without faltering. “But I really, really like your sister.”

Sammy seemed to relax at that, but not without a final warning. “You’re not allowed to like her as much as we do.”

Y/N’s heart squeezed at the words. Despite the challenges, the boys were her world, her best friends.

Harry smiled warmly, his voice sincere. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

. . .

"Y/N! Y/N! Y/N!" Archie came barreling into the kitchen, his face smeared with chocolate and whipped cream from the ice cream sundaes they’d made earlier. Y/N was bent over the washing machine, pulling out clothes to hang on the makeshift line by the window.

"Harry says he's gonna take us to the indoor waterpark in the city for my birthday! Isn't that awesome? And he beat Sammy's score on the new game he bought us!"

Y/N glanced up, smiling softly at Archie's excitement. The boys had been glued to the computer for hours after Harry surprised them with a game they’d been begging for. The sound of their wild laughter had echoed through the house all afternoon.

Footsteps approached the kitchen, and she looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Harry, I was just telling Y/N about the waterpark you’re taking us to," Archie said eagerly.

Harry’s eyes flicked to Y/N. "Ah, yes," he said, smiling at her. "I heard there’s a certain someone’s birthday coming up soon."

Archie's birthday was still a month away, and Y/N had only planned a simple celebration—movies, takeout, and cake. As Archie bolted from the kitchen, beaming about the waterpark, Y/N’s smile faded slightly.

Harry noticed the shift immediately. "What’s wrong?" he asked, stepping closer and reaching for her hand. "Did I mess something up?"

"N-no," Y/N replied quickly, shaking her head. "You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just... Archie's birthday isn’t for another month."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Y/N hesitated, her words stumbling over themselves. "I just don’t want to make promises, you know, in case… I mean, what if…" She trailed off, struggling to find a way to express the growing anxiety in her chest. She adored Harry, more than she could articulate, but a part of her couldn’t help worrying about the future—the uncertainties that came with letting someone new into their lives.

"Bambi," Harry’s voice was soft as he cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "Where’d you go?"

She blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

His lips quirked into a gentle smile. "Y’ do this thing where you space out, like your mind drifts off somewhere else ‘cause you're thinkin’ too much."

"I do that?" she asked, surprised.

"Mhm," he murmured, his thumb tracing the little furrow in her brow, the touch sending warmth through her. "I like you an awful lot, Bambi. I plan on stickin' around for a long time."

"You do?" Her voice was small, almost disbelieving.

"Yes, I do. And I really like your brothers—they’re a credit to you."

Y/N opened her mouth to deflect, as usual. "Oh, you mean my mom—"

"No," Harry interrupted gently, shaking his head. "I mean you."

Her lips parted in surprise, her eyes misting over. She hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear those words. Without thinking, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his, a kiss filled with the gratitude she couldn't quite express in words.

She was about to pull away, but Harry held her close, his hands gripping her hips as he deepened the kiss. His soft, warm lips made her head spin, and for a brief moment, the world around them disappeared.

That is, until Sammy’s voice rang out from the hallway. "I’m coming in, so you better not be swapping saliva in there!"

Harry broke the kiss with a chuckle, glancing over his shoulder. "Alright, alright, we’re behaving," he teased, winking at Y/N before moving to the sink. "Let me help you," he offered, turning on the faucet to start washing the dishes from dinner.

Y/N watched him for a moment, her heart swelling with warmth. The words he’d spoken earlier echoed in her mind—words that had already begun to feel familiar, but only when they came from him.

. . .

Y/N woke up the following morning, not from the alarm she’d set for 6 a.m., but from the rapid thumping of her heart. Anxiety rippled through her, making her stomach twist with nerves. Today was her first day working at Pleasing, her first day officially under Harry’s employment. She was excited, of course, but that didn’t stop the butterflies in her belly from multiplying.

She stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, taking slow breaths to calm herself. Her phone buzzed softly on the nightstand, and she reached over, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened the message.

Harry: Morning, Bambi 🌞 There’s a car on its way to pick you up. No need to stress, yeah? I’ll be waiting for you at the office. You’re gonna be amazing x

A small smile crept onto her face despite the nerves. Harry’s words were like a warm hug on a cold morning, making her feel just a little bit braver. She couldn’t help but appreciate how he seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear, right when she needed to hear it.

She quickly typed a reply, her fingers still shaky.

Y/N: Thank you. I’m a little nervous but I’ll do my best. See you soon 💕

Y/N got out of bed and went through her morning routine, trying to focus on each task to stop her mind from spiraling into all the things that could go wrong today. She picked out an outfit she hoped said “professional but approachable,” taking extra care to smooth out any creases in her clothes. When she was finally dressed, she checked the time—6:45 a.m.—the car Harry sent should be arriving any minute.

She stepped outside, the cool morning air doing little to ease her racing thoughts. Y/N wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. The street was quiet at this hour, and she couldn’t help but feel like the only person awake in the world.

Just then, a sleek black car pulled up in front of her, the driver rolling down the window with a friendly nod. "Y/N?" he asked, and she nodded in response.

“That’s me,” she said, her voice a little shaky. She climbed into the backseat, clutching her bag on her lap as the driver started the journey to the office. She stared out the window, watching the familiar streets blur by, and tried to give herself a little pep talk.

You can do this. You’re ready. Harry believes in you, so believe in yourself, too.

Her phone buzzed in her hand again, another message from Harry.

Harry: Also going on a coffee run, do you want anything? x

Bambi: Isn’t that my job today? x

Harry: It’s my job to take care of you everyday

Y/N didn’t realize how wide her smile had grown until she caught her reflection in the glassy screen of her phone. A soft blush crept onto her cheeks as she tried to compose herself, glancing out the window to distract from the giddy feeling bubbling inside her. She watched as the quiet suburbs melted into the bustle of the big city, her heart thudding against her ribcage. 

Slowly, the car pulled up outside Pleasing. The building was elegant, with an arched doorway and a clean awning that had the brand's name in bold letters. Through the large glass doors, Y/N could see a glimpse of the bright, stylish interior. Her heart pounded as the car came to a stop, her mouth opening with a desperate plea to leave, to turn back and retreat home where she could hide away—but then she saw Harry, and her words fell away for an entirely different reason.

She’d seen Harry in a suit before, but seeing him in full CEO mode was something else. He wore a flawless black-and-white suit, cufflinks gleaming at his wrists. His eyes were stern, his entire demeanor unshakeable—until he looked her way, and his whole form softened.

“You’re here,” His voice was warm and inviting. She wanted to leap into him and hide herself within him but she wanted to be professional.

She stood in front of him, not wanting to get any closer to her new boss, “Good morning, Mr Styles.”

The corner of Harry’s lips quirked, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Good morning,” he replied, savoring her formality. He took a step closer, his gaze gentle yet focused. “Ready for today?”

“Y-yes,” She said but it wasn’t all that convincing.

Harry grabbed her hand, “You’ll be just fine Bambi.” He murmured the nickname just for her to hear. 

The warmth of his hand around hers steadied her, but it also set her pulse racing. His fingers intertwined with hers, and he kept their joined hands subtly hidden between them as they walked through the grand entrance and into the lobby. Y/N’s nerves started to quiet, replaced by a growing excitement.

As they stepped into the elevator, Harry’s thumb brushed gently over her knuckles. She looked up at him but his eyes were looking ahead. Her eyes fixated on his sharp jawline and smooth, freshly-shaven face; he looked even more polished, clean-cut and distinctly professional since she’d last seen him.

When they reached his office floor, Harry led her down a sleek corridor and into an airy, open workspace with views of the city skyline. The scent of fresh coffee lingered in the air, and a few team members looked up with welcoming smiles.

Just ahead, a woman in her mid-thirties with shoulder-length auburn hair and an easy smile approached them. Her professional but warm demeanor put Y/N at ease almost instantly. Harry released Y/N’s hand as he greeted her.

“Lindsey, this is Y/N,” he said, glancing between them. “She’s starting with us today. I thought you might help her settle in and get familiar with everything.”

Lindsey extended her hand warmly. “Oh is this-”

Harry’s gaze lingered on her with a slight, unreadable intensity, prompting Lindsey to pause mid-sentence. Then, noticing Y/N, she broke into a bright smile.

“Y/N! It’s so nice to meet you.” She laughed lightly, her eyes flicking to Harry with a teasing glint. “I have to admit, I’m a little curious why anyone would sign up to be his assistant—he can be a real pain most days.” She shot him a playful look. “But don’t worry, just don’t enter his office at midday - he can get real hangry.” 

Y/N giggled and Harry’s eyes brightened at the sound, ““Y/N,” he said, his voice warm, “you’re in very good hands.” He turned to Lindsey. “Make sure she gets a proper introduction to everything, but don’t overwhelm her.”

Lindsey chuckled. “I’ll keep it light for today, boss. We’d be here all day getting into your list of demands everyday.”

Harry rolled his eyes, and with a final look at Y/N, said, “I’ll see you later, then.” His words were simple, but the small smile he gave her was anything but. As he walked away, Y/N felt the anticipation return, wanting him to come back and be the one to show her around. She wasn’t the best with meeting new people. She was shy and nervous and fumbled over her words too often but Harry had great faith in her so she would try her best to do good. 

“Alright, let’s get started,” Lindsey said, gesturing to an open desk area near Harry’s office. “First things first—coffee? I’ll show you the best spot, and then we’ll make our way through the to-do list Harry sent this morning.” 

. . .

Y/N liked Lindsey a lot. 

She was funny and gentle. Whenever Y/N made a mistake—like earlier when she accidentally printed everything in pink instead of black and white—Lindsey would correct her kindly, reminding her that mistakes happen. Y/N wasn’t used to this kind of patience; her old boss would snap or hiss at even the smallest error. Here, it felt nice to breathe a little easier.

Lindsey spoke warmly about her two little boys, whom she cared for while her husband was away with the military. She had once been a stay-at-home mom, but over time, the isolation began to weigh on her; she craved more than just the role of mother and wanted to be out in the world, around people. When she applied to Pleasing, she’d explained her situation to Harry during her interview, and he had offered her flexible hours so she could still make it home to her boys each evening.

Whenever Lindsey mentioned the things Harry had done for her and her family, her voice would grow thick with emotion, and she spoke of him with genuine admiration. Y/N found herself thinking of her own circumstances and the way Harry had taken her under his wing, feeling a warmth for him settle in her chest.

“Okay, Harry’s in a meeting, so we need to bring in tea and coffee,” Lindsey said, heading over to a small rolling cart neatly stocked with cups, a teapot, and coffee supplies.

She guided Y/N through the arrangement, showing her how Harry liked his tea prepared. “He’s particular about the temperature—hot but not scalding,” Lindsey explained with a wink. “Don’t worry you’ll get the hang of things.”

Y/N carefully poured the tea, her hands steadying with each instruction Lindsey offered. They finished preparing the drinks, and Y/N took a deep breath, steadying herself as she reached for the cart handle.

“You’ll be fine,” Lindsey reassured her, offering a supportive smile. “Just go in, keep it simple, and make sure everyone has their drinks. You’ll be a natural at this in no time.”

“I’m going in alone?” Y/N’s eyes widened.

“It’s good practice,” Lindsey grins, “Good luck!”

Y/N squared her shoulders and pushed the cart toward the meeting room. The murmurs grew louder as she approached, but her nerves eased slightly upon catching Harry’s eye. His expression softened for a moment before returning to its professional coolness, a small signal just for her.

As she entered, she was met with the sight of a large glass table surrounded by men in sharp suits, all eyes shifting toward her. Taking a breath, she rolled the cart around and placed the cups in front of Harry and the others. Just as she reached for the teapot, a slight tremor ran through her hand, and she felt a sudden rush of panic.

In an instant, she lost her grip. The teapot tipped, sending hot tea spilling across the table and splattering onto a crisp white shirt belonging to one of the men. The room fell silent, and every gaze shifted from her to the angry figure, whose face flushed crimson.

““Watch where you’re going!” he barked, rising from his seat. “Do you even know how to serve properly?”

Y/N’s heart raced, the color draining from her face. Just as she opened her mouth to apologize, a surge of anger rippled through the room.

“Do you think it’s okay to talk to a woman like that?” Harry murmured, his voice laced with malice.

“She stained my shirt! She’s lucky I’m not making her pay for it,” the man continued, and Y/N could see the discomfort on the faces of the other attendees, their expressions telling her they knew he’d crossed a line.

Harry’s eyes darkened, a storm brewing behind them. He reached into his blazer pocket, pulling out a checkbook and a fountain pen. With swift strokes, he began to scribble before turning to Y/N. “Y/N, would you mind delivering this to Mr. Smith?”

Y/N nodded, her hands trembling slightly as she accepted the check, its weight feeling both significant and heavy.

Mr. Smith snatched the check from her hands, glancing down at it with a scowl. Written across the page was Harry’s signature alongside a mere fifty dollars. “Your final check—enough to cover the shirt, I assume? I think I saw the same one in the TK Maxx sale rack.”

“Final?” Mr. Smith asked, incredulous.

“Correct,” Harry replied nonchalantly.

Mr. Smith’s face burned bright red. He huffed, rising from his seat and storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The room fell silent. “Meeting adjourned,” Harry announced, and everyone flooded out, eager to escape the awkward tension.

Y/N stood in the corner, barely able to look up. Embarrassment washed over her; she wondered if she could do any job right. Her eyes watered as she bit down on her lip to keep from crying.

Suddenly, two polished shoes came into view, and big hands cupped her cheeks, gently forcing her to meet his gaze. “Are you okay?” Harry asked, concern etched on his face.

She wanted to say yes, to express pride in her efforts and how well she had handled the day, but instead, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his shirt. “I feel like I can’t do anything right,” she admitted, her voice muffled.

Harry sighed, his arms encircling her as he rubbed the back of her head soothingly. “You did nothing wrong.”

“You can’t fire people because of me, Harry.”

“Don’t worry about him. We’ve wanted to get rid of him for ages—just a sexist prick. Turns out you’re a pretty good assistant for giving me an excuse to fire someone on the spot,” he chuckled lightly.

Y/N looked up at him, her heart fluttering as his hand held her cheek, his thumb brushing beneath her eye. “These eyes,” he whispered.

A smile broke through her sadness. “I’m sorry for ruining your meeting.”

“Don’t care, Bambi.” He was so much taller than her, nearly a foot difference, so he had to lean down to brush his nose against hers, their lips ghosting against each other. “You actually made it better.”

“I did?” she whispered, her mind suddenly forgetting the man who had yelled at her.

“Mhm,” he hummed, and then, gently, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and lingering, sending a warm flutter through Y/N that chased away the remnants of her earlier embarrassment. She melted into the moment, her worries fading as Harry’s lips brushed against hers. 

“Okay, what the hell happened?” Lindsey barged into the room, causing Y/N to leap away from Harry, her cheeks flushing.

“Wow, Lindsey,” Harry said, rubbing a hand over his mouth, both of them flustered as Lindsey glanced between them. “Try knocking next time, yeah?”

“Since when have I ever needed to knock?” Lindsey shot back, her eyebrows knitting together as she assessed Y/N, whose face was now bright pink.

“Since now,” Harry replied. Clearing his throat, he added, “If you’ll excuse me…” He brushed past her, leaving the tension lingering in the air.

A laugh escaped Y/N’s lips, even as embarrassment tinged her cheeks; it was the first time she’d witnessed him so flustered. Lindsey arched an eyebrow, a teasing smile creeping onto her face. “So, are you two like���?”

“No,” Y/N replied, the denial tumbling out a bit too quickly.

Lindsey shot her a knowing look but chose not to press further. “Might want to let him know about that lipstick stain on his upper lip,” she added, rolling the cart out of the room and leaving Y/N feeling distinctly warm and flustered.

. . .

Harry kissed Y/N with the lights off on her front porch after dropping her home. Y/N melted against him, her fingers tangling in his hair as the kiss deepened. She felt a rush of warmth spread through her, the sweet taste of his breath mixing with the fresh night air. His hands found her waist, pulling her closer, their bodies fitting perfectly together. “Bambi,” He slurred against her lips.”

“Hm?” She hummed, unable to stop herself when she pulled him closer. 

“I was thinking,” He murmured, pulling away but his hands still firmly gripping her waist, “Maybe this weekend y’ could come to my place and stay the night.”

“The night?” She’d never had a sleepover before let alone one at a boys house. 

“Yeah… Would you be okay with that?” 

“Y-Yeah, I think so.”

“Y’ think so?” Harry grinned, “Are y’ sure?”

She smiled, “I’d like that.”

“Well, alright then,” he murmured, leaning down to place one last, soft kiss on her lips. “Goodnight, Bambi.”

“Goodnight, Harry.” Y/N barely suppressed a smile as she watched him walk to his car, a flutter in her chest as he turned back for a final wave.

Before she turned to step into her house, her phone buzzed and a text came through from Harry.

Harry: I think we have to get better at this whole sneaking around thing

Y/N: Tell yourself that, you kissed me first!

Harry: Can’t help it Bambi 

Harry: I’m obsessed with you

. . .

taglist ~~

@ravenclawmarvel @noididnotsignupforthis @comicalivy  @boomitsallie1 @hazzarules @squirreljoe @c3lline0 @harry2121 @lizsogolden @its-his-dimples @tchalametishot @youngpastafanmug @awritingtree @reidsblessing @idontcareforausernamesblog @madstyles3204 @cherrys4suckers @lomlolivia @tenaciousperfectionunknown

[yikesmary]

options — choi seungcheol x reader

summary: where cheol tries his best to make sure your pregnancy cravings are satisfied—by buying what seems to be the whole convenience store

notes: this can be seen as a pt. 2 to this one shot I wrote back in June of last year (I did not know it's been that long since that has been posted wtf), but it can also be seen as a standalone. I got a burst of inspiration suddenly, so enjoy the one shot! <3

disclaimer: I am not pregnant, so whatever I write about pregnancy is through pure guessing, and also, if I decide to google it! so yeah :)

masterlist

"Did you leave any food for the other customers who might want to eat tonight?" you asked in amusement, watching Seungcheol put what seemed like the fifth plastic bag filled with food from the convenience store onto the table.

"Well, you kept on texting me things the baby might want, so I decided to get everything you've been craving and maybe some things that might work," Seungcheol explained, a bit out of breath from how many times he had to go back and forth.

"Baby, don't you think this is a bit too much? I don't even think baby girl will want a fourth of these," you said, rubbing your pregnant belly.

Ever since you and Seungcheol found out you were pregnant, he had become an even more attentive husband, if possible. He had insisted that you were not allowed to lift a single finger throughout your pregnancy, saying that you shouldn't get tired.

You had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? He would wake up the second you called his name, helping you from the bed and waiting outside the bathroom to make sure you didn't fall in or something (it had happened once, and Seungcheol was both worried and amused at the time). You were hungry? Seungcheol was already ordering something from a food delivery app or cooking one of the doctor-approved dishes that he taught himself to make.

He also made sure all of your pregnancy cravings were satisfied, which was why you've found yourself with what must've been the entire convenience store stock in your home. "So where do we start?" you asked, watching as he brought out a ton of different food out of the bags—chips, samgak (and regular) kimbap, ramen packs, and even ice cream from the bags.

"We should probably see if baby wants the already made food, and the ice cream can be a dessert?" He suggested, but you were already eyeing up your favorite ice cream from even before you got pregnant.

Seungcheol saw that you were looking at the ice cream and without fail, gave it to you before going to the freezer in order to put the rest in so they don't melt. "Thank you," you grinned, a mouthful of ice cream, which made him shake his head in endearment.

"Here, smell this," he said, giving you an open bag of chips.

You looked at him weirdly, yet smelled it. "It smells... like chips?" you said and smelt it one more time just to be sure.

"Does the baby want this?" He asked.

"Oh, not really," you shook your head, and he closed up the chip bag and proceeded to grab another bag, presumably to do the same.

"This one?" Seungcheol asked, giving you what looked like the last item, which was a cup tteokbokki.

"Oh, yeah!" You excitedly said.

"Really?!"

"No, I just wanted to make you happy, but the baby's really not liking it," you sighed.

Seungcheol sighed, which made you feel guiltier, as he had bought all of this food, and it was nothing you were currently craving. "I'm so sorry, Cheol. Maybe I can eat something—" you were saying as you were picking up a package of sweet bread, but quickly dropped it once the smell hit your nose.

"No, you shouldn't have to force yourself to eat if you don't like it. It's not your fault our daughter might just be the pickiest eater ever. I'll just bring all of this to practice tomorrow and the guys can eat all of it," Seunghceol shrugged.

You still felt guilty, which he must've seen by the look on your face, which prompted him to grab you gently so he could give you a hug. "Maybe there's something in the fridge?" He suggested, holding your hand and using his thumb to caress the back of your hand.

You thought about it for a moment before releasing Seungcheol's hand, to which he pouted when you did and walked towards the refrigerator. You looked through the fridge, but nothing caught your eye.

Until a bright orange Tupperware lid caught your attention and you grabbed it. Once you opened it, you looked at Seungcheol sheepishly. "I found something to eat.." you said.

Seungcheol stood up walked over to you and looked at the Tupperware. "Isn't this the japchae Mingyu and Jun made?" he asked, and you nodded.

"I guess I'm gonna have to ask them to make you japchae every time you crave it. Or learn it myself,"

taglist: taglist: @belladaises @winterpaos @minhui896 @baekhyunimochibbh @x-alightinthedark @whywontyousetfree @coffeesandrains @slaveofmydreams @bmkgemz @dandycharmer @outrologist @stagefrjghts @dahliatopia @exo-saranghajaaa @uhlatcha @watermelon-sugars-things @miniminimingi @venzline @withloveyjh @lockburn-castle @userjunhuii @mypsychicpizzaworld @violetvoo @maevadobreva @soonyoungblr @baekhyunstruly @ryusol @dunixxd @minhwa @ovai @scorpiobitch88 @icyminghao @cookiehaos @duskunt1ldawn

[bernardsbendystraws]

You Don’t Own Me

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16

Chris Sturniolo lives by his own rules, refusing to be controlled. Some see him as a rebel, a troublemaker—but is that the full truth? Meanwhile, Y/N is focused on making the most of her last year of high school, determined to have a normal teenage experience. But when their worlds collide, they realize they may have more in common than they ever expected.

WARNINGS: mentions and talk of family death

A/N: This is a bit shorter than the past couple chapters, but I hope you still like it!

With love and big tits, Rose

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

P12: Bittersweet

“You did all of this… for me?” 

The question floats off my lips as my eyes dart around the room. It’s the same fluttery feeling I got in my chest when Matt showed me his handmade gift for Mia—expect this feels more intense. 

“I… yeah.” Chris voices, his hand dropping mine as he moves over towards the bed. He shuffles the different items around, pushing them to make an open space and patting the bed. 

My brows wrinkle together, warmth crawling up my cheeks as I take everything in. He did this for me. A box of legos, cookies, and chocolate—all my favorite things. How did he even know?

Wait.

How did he even know?

“This is sweet, but how much have you been snooping?” I question, sitting down as he lets out an awkward laugh. My hands run over the blanket, it feels softer than usual, almost as if it’s been freshly washed. 

“No, no. I wasn’t snooping. Well, not more than I already have. I asked Matt, ‘cause you know… he kinda owed me.” he laughs. 

My toes curl as my stomach flutters. 

He asked Matt about me. He wanted to do something sweet. 

Even if it was out of spite, it still made me feel so warm. 

___

It should be awkward. There should be some sort of lingering tension, but there isn’t. 

Things have been flowing effortlessly. Even when we fall into a pause of silence, it’s not uncomfortable, it’s peaceful. 

We work together putting the legos in place. Slowly, each piece makes the object appear similar to the cherry blossom tree displayed on the front of the box. The direction pamphlet sits on the bed in front of us, our knees touching as we hunch over and build the small object. 

“What’s your favorite animal?” Chris asks. 

The questions have been mumbled every couple of minutes. I don’t mind though. Even when some of them seemed stupid, like when he asked me what my favorite size of pizza is. 

Apparently his favorite is mini pizzas. There’s always a stash in the freezer and the last time Matt took one, Chris refused to do anything with him for a week—even if it was taking out the garbage and meant Matt would be helping him. Chris only caved once Matt bought him more mini pizzas. 

Stupid questions, but they were fun. 

“Hmmm…” I start to think. What is my favorite animal? I can’t remember the last time someone even bothered to ask. I can’t even remember the last time I tried to think of answering these types of questions for myself. “I think dogs? I mean, I love dogs since you can actually have them as pets, you know?” I say. 

Chris nods, humming in acknowledgement. “Not a bad answer, you’re the same as Matt.” he points out. I smile at the mention of Matt. It’s heartwarming how much Chris brings him up, how much he truly knows about his brother. 

“What about you? Do you have a favorite?” I interrogate, my fingers snapping another piece in place. 

“I like deer,” he answers. 

My face twists at his response. Deer? I don’t know what I expected, but definitely not deer. They seemed too gentle, too feminine. Most guys my age wouldn’t say deer unless it was followed by an explanation of how they loved hunting. 

And Chris definitely didn’t hunt. 

“Really?” I ask, wincing as my voice comes out higher pitch than intended. 

Chris laughs at my shocked expression, nodding as he goes into more detail. “Really. I just like ‘em. My dad showed me this video of a baby deer once—the thing looked like it was on crack from how it was bouncing around. Him and all my family agreed that it was me in another universe.” 

My teeth clench into my lip. The thought of Chris bouncing around with excitement is hard to picture, but I guess not impossible. Maybe that’s how he used to be, before he lost his mom and his other brother. I know I used to be different—I hated that fact. 

“My dad used to compare me to this one dog in the neighborhood—this scruffy little rat-dog.” I huff, my lips curling from the memory. I miss him. “He said it was because of my hair since it was… I don’t even know. I’d play hard and get it all sorts of fucked up.” 

The thought of my dad makes something inside me sink with a heavy weight. Everytime I try to recall his face, I can only picture how he looked in the one picture framed on top of my dresser. It’s like his memory is fading, his face blurring as I try to recall certain moments. 

“Do you…” Chris hesitates, his fingers fiddling with a lego piece. “Do you still miss him?” he asks, his voice softer than I’ve ever heard him speak before. 

Nodding, I let out a strangled hum of affirmation. “Yeah—I, yeah. It’s weird. I know it’s been years since I lost him, but it’s so… I don’t know. Every memory I’ve had with him—it’s all I’ll ever have. I think that’s what hurts the most.” I say, tugging my lip in between my teeth as I feel my body slug with disappointment. 

A sudden warmth callusing over my knee makes my head turn. I look over to see Chris, his eyes gleaming onto me as he spares a sympathetic smile. 

His fingers slowly buffer over the fabric of my clothes, his touch getting lighter as he lets out a deep sigh. “I get that. I’m trying to come to terms with it. Honestly, it still doesn’t seem real.” he guffs. 

His eyes drift to my lap. I watch as his cheeks hollow, his tongue prodding from the inside of his mouth as his presence gets lost in thought. 

“Tell me about them.” I remark. 

Shaking his head, Chris opens his mouth to respond, closing it before any words can escape. I reach my hand out, balancing it over his as the weight rests on my knee. My eyes blink into his intently. “It’s one of my biggest regrets. I wish I never let any of those memories die. You don’t have to tell me, but—”

“Well,” Chris starts, biting his lip as his brows furrow. I squeeze his hand reassuringly, keeping my gaze focused on him. He seems to fight the urge to say anything, but a deep sigh as he looks towards the ceiling makes my spine straighten as I give him my attention fully.  

“I… I don’t know where to even start.” he mentions, his lip quivering before he pulls it between his teeth. 

My skin pulses as I lean further towards him. I collapse my head onto his shoulder, peeling my gaze away from him in hopes of helping his anxiety ease. “There’s no pressure.” I mutter. 

The slight shift of his hand on my knee leaves me bathing in anticipation. He turns his hand over, interlocking our fingers, sighing as the words begin to spill out of his mouth. 

“I mean, my mom is–was everything to me. I’d hug her in the morning, hug her at night—even though most kids our age don’t do that shit, I—I don’t know. When I love people, I want them to know.” he explains. 

God. He’s so sweet—a word I thought contradicted his personality at first, but now I know the truth. And the truth is he’s perfect. He’s just hurt—just a little lost, confused even. 

He reminds me of myself. Both in good and bad ways. He seems to close people off, quick to pull away before he has the chance to lose someone again. 

There’s a certain bitterness from his attitude that resonates with me. 

“That’s really beautiful.” I say, softly rolling my lips together as I watch his nose twitch, his eyes drifting to my lap. “I… I used to be the same way too. I’d always run to my dad the second he got home from work, giving him the biggest hug I could and begging him to never let go.” 

Chris lets his eyes float back up to me. His face falls, his eyes glazing over as he blinks quickly. I feel myself sink into reality, the sudden urge to cry climbing over me and pulling my body to slump with defeat. “I don’t remember the last time I hugged him, but I—I really wish I did.” I mumble, my voice wombling as I swallow thickly. 

“Hey,” he husks, looking into my eyes with a comforting expression etched on his face. “You don’t have to remember the last time. Just tell me about all the times you do remember. I… I wanna listen. I don’t think I’m ready to talk anymore, but I’m ready—I wanna listen.” he whispers. 

My heart twists in my chest from his words—words I’ve wanted to hear since I lost my dad in the first place, words that should’ve been said by my mom or my brother, but nobody ever wanted to hear it. I couldn’t understand why, all I could understand was that it hurt—and it still hurts. 

But his soft eyes make it hurt a little less. The grip he has on my hand clutches just a little bit tighter, the comforting reassurance making the words stumble out of my mouth effortlessly. 

“Well,” I trail, voyaging off into details of him, letting myself dig deeper into my memories. 

Half the words that spill from my lips seem new—moments I didn’t even know I remembered until they burst through my lips from a sudden flash of a memory. 

Each story trails to another, each moment making my heart feel a little more full. 

His eyes darting into mine don’t make me anxious, they make me feel heard—understood. 

My lips fall together as I breathe through my nose. The rambling of my words seems to make my ears burn, my cheeks warming up as I stare at him with wide eyes. 

“Sorry.” I mumble, biting on the tip of my tongue lightly. 

Chris shakes his head swiftly, clutching my hand a little more as his eyes glaze over me with a gentle glow. “Don’t be sorry,” he says, scooting closer as he wraps both his hands around mine and tugging it towards his chest. 

“Tell me more.”

[creating--memories]

╭─────────────.★..─╮

Doubling Back to You: A Pazzi Series

╰─..★.─────────────╯

Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Azzi Fudd

Wc: 2.5k

Themes: au, troubled ex-WNBA!p, basketball coach!a

Authors note: hi loves. This is my first attempt at an au fic and I actually had a lot of fun writing it. I think it made me excited to write again. If y’all like it plz lmk and I love feedback so feel free to send. thanks for reading 💞 also should I make a tag list?

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

5:30 am. Azzi was used to early mornings, but for some reason today, the sound of her alarm felt like a sharp knife splitting through her eardrums. She sighed as she fumbled around with her phone alarm frantically smacking the screen hoping to hit snooze. She groaned as she pushed her brushed linen comforter off of her and sat up in bed. Stewie, who had been sleeping peacefully beside her stirred lightly in the spot he nested in her bed.

“Why did I choose this profession, Stewie?” She pondered as she patted the small dog's head.

Her work at the university wasn’t exactly riveting, but it was stable. Something grounding in her life that often felt meaningless. Which is why she took up coaching basketball at Central High. The kids weren’t the nation’s top recruits, but damn they sure had heart. Azzi began coaching a few years ago, she had heard about the job from a family friend who worked at the school. Her resume was chock full of basketball accolades from her high school and college career, 20 years of her life neatly wrapped up into a one-page laminated piece of paper. She had told the recruiter about her desire to inspire local youth in their basketball dreams and to give back to her community, which was true, but was also a cover-up for her desperate grasp on the one constant in her life that had been slowly slipping away from her.

The job was supposed to be temporary, just a way to make money and occupy her time post-grad. She thought maybe she would move to New York, or LA, get into sports journalism or fashion, she always had an interest in that sort of stuff. But as the years passed by, she fell into a routine and those dreams faded away into the background of the mundanity of her life. She would work mornings in the admissions office at UMD and then spend her afternoon coaching girls’ high school basketball. It wasn’t the job of her dreams, but it had purpose, and it brought consistency, something Azzi had always tethered herself to.

The brunette sauntered over to her en suite bathroom, wincing slightly as she flipped on the recess lighting. She brushed her teeth and washed her face slowly, always waking up earlier than she had to so she could take her time with her morning routine.

She threw on a cropped long sleeve and an old pair of UMD sweatpants from her college days, tossing a matching zip-up hoodie in her bag, a more school appropriate outfit for later.

She quickly brewed herself a cup of coffee in her to-go tumbler, leaving room to add ice from the machine at work. Her freezer had broken about a month ago, and she had meant to call her landlord to get it fixed, but she had fallen into a habit of making her iced coffee at work and stealing ice from the teacher’s lounge on her way out, and her broken freezer got pushed to the end of incomplete tasks on her to-do list. for time’s sake, she dismissed her broken freezer qualms, and gave a quick kiss to Stewie's head, her coffee in hand, and whisked out of the door of her apartment.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Paige sat idly in the Laguardia airport lounge, her Amy’s drive-thru veggie burger and fries barely touched on the table in front of her. She clicked the side of her phone on, checking the time.

11:31 AM

Her flight had started boarding 15 minutes ago, but she was still sitting in the lounge, thinking that maybe if she was the last person on the plane, she could put some distance between herself and the reality of what was waiting for her in Maryland.

She sighed softly as she shoved the remnants of her food back into the paper bag that laid on the table and checked her boarding pass once more before heading to her gate.

SEAT ASSIGNMENT: 27B

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me she muttered. With how quickly everything had happened since she’d gotten the call from CPS, notifying her that her cousin’s daughter had been taken from her custody and that Paige was the closest relative of age, she had booked a last-minute flight to DC, the only thing left basic economy, landing her in a middle seat. Taking care of a teenager wasn’t exactly on Paige’s list of list of New Year’s resolutions, for Christ's sake the last time she took care of a living thing was her ex’s cat, that she almost fed dog food, something (she didn’t realize was indeed lethal to cats) which she didn’t hear the end of for the rest of their relationship. Despite this, Paige couldn’t leave family, not when she was more than capable of providing (financially, at least) for her cousin’s daughter. And after all, it would probably only be a couple of weeks.

She settled into her middle seat, politely slipping between the older couple sharing her aisle. She opened up her phone to send a quick text to Charisse, the social worker handling her cousin's case: About to take off, be there by 3. And switched her phone into airplane mode.

Paige took a deep breath and started praying. Something to calm her usual flight anxiety mixed with the anticipation of her return to the DMV. Since she left the WNBA, she had made it a point to live the most predictable life she could. The uncertainty and expectations of her life in the league had hurt her in more ways than she could count, and when she left, she vowed she would never lose control of herself again. But for the first time in a long time, sitting on this plane waiting to take off, she felt the familiar feeling of fear brewing in her stomach. For the first time in a long time Paige Buecker’s didn’t know what was next.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

“Alright girls, one more set of sprints and you can get the hell out of here”

Azzi’s voice echoed through the gym, cutting through the sound of sneakers squeaking on the laminated wood, and the hip hop music blasting from her XL JBL speaker.

A corral of groans erupted from her team at her commands.

“Any more of that and I’ll add another set”

Begrudgingly her players began their laps across the gym.

Azzi wouldn’t call herself a tough love kind of coach, but she sure as hell pushed her kids. Just because they didn’t necessarily have as much funding as some of the prep schools in the area, and they weren’t being constantly scouted for AAU teams, she wanted her girls to reach their full potential, or at least as much as she could provide them.

After a while, Azzi decided she’d tortured them enough and she blew into the tin whistle between her lips and motioned for the girls to stop their running.

“Alright good work girls, now go upstairs and change, you all stink”

The players let out cheers of relief, and made their way to the locker room, each one pausing to high five Azzi as they ran up the stairs. As the last of the girls trickled out of the gym she made her way across the room to start picking up the practice jerseys her players had discarded into a pile. *Ugh you guys really do stink*, she laughed to herself as she began throwing them into the mesh bag she held. She had placed the last practice Jersey in the bag when she was startled by a low voice calling her name over the music still playing from her speaker.

“Excuse me, um, Coach. Fudd?”

Azzi turned around, coming face to face with a tall blonde woman, her hair slicked back into a low bun, a pair of black trousers and simple cross necklace shimmering and isolated against her crisp white tee.

Wait, she thought to herself.

“Holy shit, you’re Paige Bueckers” She blurted out.

Before her sudden and mysterious departure, Paige wasn’t just a great player, she was sensational. Paige was widely known both in the basketball and non-basketball world. And as someone involved in the sport, of course Azzi knew who she was. She had only played against her once, back in their AAU days, when they were still kids, but even then, she was amazed by Paige’s abilities. Azzi had followed her career all throughout UConn and then to the league, the wings, then the Valkyries, and last but not least, the liberty. She even still had a few of her #5 jerseys stored away somewhere in her closet. But just like everyone else, when Paige had mysteriously quit the WNBA and basically disappeared off of the face of the earth 3 years ago, she hadn’t heard about her whereabouts since. So now, seeing the blonde superstar standing in the dingy high school gym in the middle of her hometown, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit starstruck.

“Shit- I mean sorry, I don’t usually cuss this much. I mean, yes coach Fudd that’s me, but um you can call me Azzi, just coach Fudd to my players.” Azzi stumbled over her words, trying to do some damage control to the start of this awkward encounter.

Paige chuckled lightly. Usually, any mention of her previous career felt like a dagger in the chest, a painful reminder of one of the lowest points she had been at, as well as the disappointment of leaving the longest constant in her life behind. But something about the curly haired woman in front of her, in a UMD sweatsuit, holding a sweaty bag of yellow practice jerseys, she found endearing. It didn’t hurt that the woman standing in front of her was absolutely gorgeous, her brown eyes looking up and her and dimples peeking out of the curve of her smile.

“Nice to meet you Azzi, I’m Paige, but I guess you already knew that” she flashed a cheeky smile and extended her hand.

Azzi reached for the blonde’s extended hand and shook it nervously, hoping her hands weren’t too sweaty. She chuckled at the blonde, still ever as charming at 32 as she was at 16. She cursed herself for not putting in a little more effort into her appearance this morning.

“Um, what can I do for you Paige?”

“I just wanted to introduce myself, I’m Elena’s temporary guardian, she’s been having a tough time with all this, and basketball is one of the places she can forget about all of it you know”

Azzi had been notified about Elena’s change in guardianship, but she didn’t know the details of her situation, but she did notice that Elena had been pushing herself extra hard the past week, staying hours after practice, getting shots up, running plays by herself. Azzi never pried, just left the door of her office open while she practiced, a silent *I’m here if you need to talk*. She couldn’t fully relate to Elena’s situation, but she understood the feeling of pouring yourself into basketball when it felt like the rest of your life was falling apart.

“Yeah, she seems extra focused on basketball lately, I remember being that age, pushing yourself into basketball when life got too hard”

Paige’s face hardened for a moment, a reminder of a previous time in her life where basketball was her escape instead of her kryptonite. Even after three years of scrubbing anything basketball related from the soundtrack of her life, the reminder of her old passion opened a floodgate of memories, but imagining Azzi, as a teenager just like she was at one time, not giving a care about anything in the world but basketball, unexpectedly filled her with a sense of nostalgia.

“Yeah, I remember those days” she said quietly.

A slight awkwardness fell over the both of them, Azzi, just like the rest of the world was aware of Paige’s sudden departure from the WNBA, but didn’t know many of the details, but from their interaction it seemed like it was painful.

Paige began to turn towards the doors to leave, but before she could turn Azzi reached for her.

“Hey, any chance you would want to come watch practice tomorrow?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wasn’t quite sure she said them. Maybe it was because she wanted her to get the opportunity be involved in Elena’s extra curricular, or maybe she didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to hang out with her childhood idol (and crush for that matter), or maybe it was because as much as she could tell that Paige’s journey had been painful, she wouldn’t forgive herself if she didn’t at least try to show her there can still be joy in basketball.

“You know, for Elena” Azzi quickly added.

In any other circumstance, Paige would have immediately shut this down. Being involved with basketball was too painful, she swore she would never step foot on a court again, but since she already broke that promise, for Elena’s sake, and maybe her own, she finds herself saying yes.

“Yeah, I think I could make that work.”

“You know, for Elena” she adds teasingly.

Azzi’s smile immediately spread across her face. Her dimples even more prominent than they had been before. This will be good for Elena, she thought to herself. She didn’t mind the opportunity to see more of Paige either. It had been a while since anyone has gotten her all hot and bothered.

“Cool, well, see you tomorrow then.” Azzi said matter of factly.

“See you tomorrow, Azzi” responded the cheeky blonde, and turned on her heel out the door and to the parking lot.

[ahgasegotarmy116]

Just Take It | Jeon Jungkook | Part Eight

Summary: Jungkook's feelings for you have grown immensely and he can't hold himself back from being honest anymore. Pairing: Inexperienced f!reader x Best Friend's Dad Jungkook (20 year age gap) Word Count: 2.6K~ (I know it's short but it was at a good stopping point and I couldn't figure out how to continue it without a big time skip/harsh break so yeah enjoy this mini chapter 😅) Warnings: No warnings just fluff a/n: Another almost four months and I only have a little bit for you 😔 I'm still trying to figure out how I want to go about finishing this story (yes it's close to the end) so please bear with me 😪 but either way I hope you enjoy!

Ever since I told him last month that I didn't want to be friends anymore and by default telling him that I wanted to be with him things have been different.

We've settled into a new routine with the tension between us no longer burning to the point I shy away but something that feels natural, domestic even. 

I guess you could say that's pretty obvious from the fact that we're living together but his subtle touches are welcomed and expected.

Things as simple as his hand on my lower back as he passes by or his arms wrapped around me from behind with his chin propped up on my shoulder or even a kiss on the forehead are all things that we've settled into and it makes me feel loved. 

Love is still a scary word for me to think about or even say aloud but it's something I feel towards him, deeply, hopelessly, painfully.

At times I remember that things could suddenly change without warning. That he could toss me out as soon as he gets fed up with waiting like Jared did. That he cou-. 

"Ow!" I cry out when he pinches my side, "What was that for?" I whine, the spot he abused already sore. "I've been calling your name for five minutes and you didn't respond so..." he chuckles and I hum, not having the energy to scold him further. 

He wraps his arms around my waist and props his chin on my shoulder just like I had been thinking about while spacing out, leaving me relaxing into him, the feeling of being in his arms taking away some of the anxiety that had started to build. 

"You okay?" he asks, placing a kiss on my cheek to which I hum again, nodding along with it. "You sure, because you've been stirring your coffee for the past seven minutes" he says, my hand stilling once he points it out. 

I take a drink of the completely cold beverage and sigh in defeat, realizing that his words are true. 

"I wanted it cold anyways" I mumble and turn to walk over to the freezer to add some ice, Jungkook letting go but still staying close. 

"Something's wrong" he says after observing me for another second or two, very used to reading my body language. "Nothing's wrong I'm just...tired" I reply and the truth is I am. 

"My internship has been kicking my ass and I don't know, I guess it's all starting to catch up to me" I relent and he takes a turn humming, knowing I'm not telling him the whole truth. 

"You know you can tell me anything right?" he says, coming closer and cradling my face in his hands, granting him a sad smile in return. 

"I know, but I promise I'm fine. It's just been a long week, that's all" he studies my features for a while and decides to take my word for it, seeing that I'm not ready to talk about it. He nods his head a tiny bit before leaning in and giving me a soft kiss on my lips, one that lasts but a moment before pulling away.

"You wanna watch something tonight?" he asks and I smile as my answer, making him chuckle. "I'll make the snacks if you wanna go choose" he offers and I nod, my face still cradled in his hands so he gives me one last kiss before letting go and leaving our source of entertainment up to me.

~~~~

As the movie we've already watched and fallen in love with plays Jungkook notices my absence even though I'm cuddled up next to him, my reactions being minimal to nonexistent.

The parts we always laugh at are met with the sounds of his enjoyment and not mine so he pauses it and waits for me to notice which I don't for a while leaving him even more worried. 

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours Bunny? Did I do something wrong?" he asks and I sit up, needing him to know that he hasn't.

"No, no you've been wonderful, better than I deserve honestly" I say, mumbling the last part but of course he hears it loud and clear.

"I'm good to you because I love you and you do deserve it, that's all" he admits so freely that I almost don't catch it.

"You...what?" I ask, almost too scared to breathe. "I love you" he says with a crooked smile, clearly enjoying my practically speechless state.

I sit there for a minute, stunned into silence, not having expected that at all but he just laughs. "What? You didn't think I loved you?" he asks, brushing a stray strand of hair off of my face, letting his fingers trail down my neck before withdrawing his hand.

"No...I mean maybe? Isn't it a little too early for I love you's?" I ask, tentative to say it after I had been burned by...

"I don't think so. I mean it might be forward but I've loved you for a long time and I've cared about you even longer. You're someone that has been a constant in my life for many many years and the fact that you've given me permission to hold you, kiss you...well it's something that I don't think I can hold back anymore" he confesses, making me feel as though my heart might explode. 

"I-" "You don't have to say anything. Take your time and only say it if you truly mean it Darling. I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for" he says, chancing caressing my face again and rubbing his thumb along my bottom lip. 

"Come here" he says and pulls me in, having me straddle him not for anything sexual but just for the need to hold me close. 

I burry my face in his neck and he rubs my back, knowing that I feel vulnerable since although he's not rushing me, I know he'll be waiting for an answer. 

"I'm scared" I mumble against his skin and he hums, understanding the situation honestly more than I wish he did.

He witnessed the ups and downs of the relationship between Jared and I and sat on the sidelines, knowing he could treat me better but caring about me too much to take away my right to make my own decisions and choose who I love even if it wasn't him. 

"Take your time Bun. You know I'll always be here for you, no matter how long it takes" he reassures me of what I knew, making me nod and wrap around him even tighter, taking his words as genuine but still terrified that this could all slip away at any moment. 

~~~~

A week goes by and I still haven't said it and it's killing me.

When he says goodbye he says it, whenever we've been intimate he says it, he even says it randomly just to try to make me smile but my mind won't truly let it sink in until I say it back.

"Baby?" he asks, knocking on my partially ajar door, seeing that I've been taking a little while longer to get out of bed this morning. 

I hum and let him come in, trying to assess the state I'm in before saying anything else as he comes and sits down on my side of the bed, looking down at me and placing his hand on my waist. I'm still laying down, not having made an effort to get up just yet which I know worries him as well but he doesn't push me too hard. 

"You not feeling well?" he asks, now going to check my temperature with the back of his hand but not noticing a fever of any sort making his theory very short lived.

"No, just tired" I say quietly, not having spoken a word since I woke up, my voice still raspy which I can tell he enjoys but doesn't comment on this time.

"You want me to make you something? It's already lunch time and you haven't eaten all day huh?" he asks, knowing the answer but still allowing me the chance to reply. "Yeah maybe something simple like a sandwich?" I request and he nods.

"Want me to get it from that sandwich place we love?" he suggests, rubbing small circles on my waist but I shake my head. "No I'm craving one of your sandwiches" I say making him smile, knowing one of his favorite forms of praise is compliments on his cooking. 

"Okay Bun, the usual?" he asks, knowing exactly what I want but asking just in case I'm feeling like something a little different today but I nod my head in approval making him lean down and place a kiss on my forehead before asking if I want him to bring it up here to which I decline. 

"I need to get out of bed at some point" I say and he shrugs, "You're allowed to have a lazy day every once in a while if you'd like. I could even come join you later on?" he proposes making me smile, in favor of his suggestion. 

"Can we take a nap after lunch?" I ask and he smirks a bit, testing the waters to see what I'm actually asking for. "Just a regular nap this time" I roll my eyes leaving him sighing dramatically before leaving, telling me he'll call me down when it's ready.

Once he's gone the doubt that has been plaguing my mind comes circling back.

'What if he's just saying that to take pity on me? What if he's saying it to rush me into something I'm not ready for? What if-' I groan, cutting off the spiral that I send myself down every time I'm alone and throw the blankets off before going into my bathroom and throwing cold water on my face, glaring at myself in the mirror, daring me to keep acting like this.

He loves me. He loves...me. Why am I so torn up about this? People say it all the time so it's not like it's the end of the world. It's just that...well next time I say it I want to mean it.

The next time I say it I want it to be real. 

I want to say it to the man that I'll promise to say it to forevermore. 

Call me a hopeless romantic all you want but if I'm going to trust someone with my heart again I don't want to regret it...

~~~~

"Here you go Bunny" he says and places my sandwich in front of me. "I love you" I mumble, softer than I've ever said anything before but it makes his movements stutter. 

"What was that Darling?" he asks, sitting down in the seat next to me at the table. "I um...I said 'Thank you'" I chicken out and although he wants to call me out on it he doesn't.

"You're welcome baby" he says, his smile a little brighter when he realizes that I'm trying, that I want to say it too but I just don't have the confidence yet. 

"Anything for you" he finishes and caresses my cheek before getting up and grabbing his plate along with our drinks. 

"You sure you're feeling alright?" he asks, my silence through lunch palpable since whenever he tries to start up a conversation I give him short answers that make his efforts die in his throat. 

"I've just been feeling a little funky that's all" I say and he hums, contemplating his next words which surprise me.

"I'm sorry" he says, defeated and honestly quite vulnerable. "Why are you apologizing?" I ask, not thinking that he would have done anything that would require something like that. 

"I knew you weren't ready and I rushed things but I wanted to be able to say what I felt for you because it was eating me alive. Having to cut off my sentences and not being able to speak my mind fully, holding you as close to my heart as possible but not being able to tell you that you had it in the palm of your hand already I just...I couldn't do it anymore" he says, his whole demeanor shifted into an almost sorrowful state that I can't hold it back anymore.

I can't keep hurting him like this when all I want to do is scream it for all to hear, even if the thought terrifies me.

"I love you" I say making his head pop up from it's drooped state, then feeling guilty and looking at his lap again as a result. "You don't have to say it just because I did. I just wanted to apologize because I know that that's was why you've been feeling so off lately" he says but I shake my head. 

"The thought of giving my heart to someone again scares the shit out of me. After...well after going through all of that the thought of opening myself up again was not something I wanted to do. I will admit I sought you out out of lust at first but as our friendship and eventual relationship began to grow I realized that I cared about you a whole lot more that I should" I say, me now with my head turned down, not being able to keep the intense eye contact he's giving me, hanging on every word. 

"I didn't know if you were doing these things for me because you felt sorry or because you truly cared. I know now that doubting your motives was honestly my own self doubt getting the best of me. You've done nothing but love and care for me since the beginning and I haven't let myself fully process the fact that I'm..." I cut myself off and take a deep breath.

"The fact that I'm falling in love with you" and although he said those words first the admission alone has me feeling as though he hadn't, as if he would change his mind now that I reciprocated his confession but he does anything but that, further confirming his true intentions for me as he pulls me closer. 

He doesn't pull me in with a carnal passion in mind, he doesn't even pull me in for a kiss, he pulls me in and holds me close, telling me wordlessly that he's proud of me. That he's proud of me for taking that step, for trusting him with my heart, my mind, soul, fully consumed by him without abandon.

"Thank you" he whispers, his face being buried in my hair making me laugh at the ticklish feeling. "Don't make it weird" I say and poke his side making him flinch and hold me tighter. "How can I not? The woman I love loves me back" he chuckles and when I try to pull back he squeezes me tighter. 

"Just let me have my moment" he huffs making me sigh and return his crushing embrace. "I love you" he says making me burry my face into his neck, mumbling it against his skin in return. 

"Nah nah nah, say it like you mean it" he says, pushing me back just enough so he can look at me. "But I do mean it!" I roll my eyes, playing into his pouty act. "Come on, say it!" he says, pushing me back and forth, making me sway. 

"I already said it, why do you need to hear it again?" I chuckle when his pout gets deeper. "Okay fine" I give in making his brows raise at my quick defeat. "I love you" I whisper in his ear and then run away, his hold on me having loosened from pure shock of my honesty, knowing now that I truly truly mean it. 

"Get back here!" he scolds once he's come back down to earth, the surprise replaced with determination, his intentions being to not let me go til sunrise.  

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[selencgraphy]

— 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒

prompt drabble series - nonverbal ways to say ‘i love you’

5 - remembering a trivial fact about them

prompts from promptingyou

PAIRING: logan howlett x gn!reader

TAGS: they/them pronouns for reader, fluff, actions speak louder than words is logan’s strong suit, tall!logan bc i love hugh jackman :)

A/N: deadpool and wolverine revived my love for logan so this is just self-indulgent bc i love him so so much. the x-men movies were my gateway into marvel so i just have to show my man some love yk? happy reading <3

WORD COUNT: 597

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You and Logan weren’t that close. Aside from having rooms right next to each other and being co-workers, you didn’t know much about him. Rarely were you ever in a room with him when it was just you two. 

Heading over to the kitchen for a midnight snack, you stumble upon him smoking by the window. “Can't sleep either?" you asked as you quietly padded across the wood. 

Logan merely grunted in response, taking a drag of his cigar. Grabbing the tub of your favorite ice cream from the freezer, you took a seat at the counter. The tub was practically almost empty so you resorted to eating straight out of it. "Are those really any better than regular cigarettes?" you carefully asked in hopes of breaking the awkward silence—well, at least to you it was awkward. At your question, he turned over his shoulder and leaned to sit down against the window sill, his eyebrows furrowed a little deeper than they normally were.

"Haven't tried anything but these," he replied, glancing down at it before looking back at you, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"What?"

"You're the first person who's caught me smoking inside that didn’t immediately remind me of Chuck's stupid rule."

"I mean… it is a good rule considering this whole place is built of wood," you joked, taking another bite of ice cream before speaking again. "I'm not one for rules either anyways. It'd be a bit hypocritical of me to get on your case, don't you think?"

He hummed, the tiniest smirk on his face at your nonchalance. He'd been living and teaching (begrudgingly) at the mansion for a while now, but a lot of the kids and other X-Men were still intimidated by him. His tough guy façade certainly didn’t help much but that’s just how he was used to living after being alive for almost 200 years. But that never seemed to deter you. Putting out his cigar, he started to head back to his room. "Don't stay up too late, bub," he muttered as he passed you.

"Night, Logan,” you called over your shoulder, scraping the sides of the tub as you finished it out. Throwing it away, you made a mental note to grab more whenever you went back out to get groceries.

A couple days later…

“Shit,” you muttered under your breath as you made your way down to the kitchen. It was pretty early in the day, but you weren’t one to let the time of day deter you from snacking on a few scoops of ice cream. Then you remembered. You had eaten the last bit the other night when you ran into Logan and had yet to restock. Damn.

So it came as a surprise to see yet another full tub in the freezer when you went to rummage through it to find something else to satiate your sweet tooth. A post-it was taped to the top of it, big black letters scrawled across it.

For Y/N. If you’re not them, do not touch this. - Logan

Your face brightened as you read it. Sure, it wasn’t that sweet of a message, but you’d take what you could get. Pulling it out, you realized it was the same exact flavor—your favorite flavor—and brand you loved. You’d barely spent five minutes with each other the other night, but he remembered.

“I gotta thank him later,” you thought to yourself as you sat down, your day made by the gesture. Maybe your efforts to befriend him weren’t a lost cause after all.

[quokkaholic]

Death By Chocolate h.j

Warnings/tags: fluff, slight angst, anxiety, roommates to ???, (this is based on my own experience with anxiety bc ofc that’s all I can speak on)

Synopsis: When your spiraling anxiety wakes you up in the middle of the night, your roommate, Han, has just the solution.

˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ 🤎 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ ᡣ𐭩

Your eyes fly open to pitch darkness. No dreams and no movement in your room to disturb your slumber yet still you’re jolted awake, immediately your mind in thrown into fight or flight, heart racing. It pounds incessantly as your chest heaves and your face heats. Your anxiety has been out of control recently, hindering your work and social lives, keeping you up late into the night, and as of now, it’s progressed to waking you from sleep leaving you feeling panicky and disoriented.

With the daily meditation and techniques you’ve learned in therapy through the years, you are highly equipped to manage your disordered way of thinking, but your tools just haven’t been cutting it for the past while. No matter how many deep and grounding breathes you take or calming mantras you repeat lying in your dark room, the weight in your chest isn’t letting up and your pulse only feels as if it’s pounding harder, threatening to burst your arteries. There’s no point in just lying there and letting the abysmal feeling fester; getting up and moving your body even a little might help release the tension clinging to every fiber of your being.

You throw on a sweatshirt over your pjs and fuzzy socks not only to combat the cool night air of the apartment but also in attempt to raise your coziness level and aid in relaxation. Slipping out of your doorway, your covered feet pad against the hallway floor, putting in extra effort to soften your stride as you pass your roommates door. The last thing you need is to bother him and end up feeling like a burden on Han.

Wandering to the kitchen, you forgo the big light to flick on the stylish lamp on the counter, dimly illuminating the space in yellow light. You always try not to check your phone during anxious episodes as it will only exacerbate the issue, so you weren’t sure of the time until glancing at the oven clock, well into 2am. You thought a past-midnight snack could do you some good as you reached to open the freezer drawer pulling out the death by chocolate ice cream Han had bought earlier this week. When he brought it home, he was so excited to share that he didn’t even bother putting away the rest of his groceries; he took the dessert straight to your room with two spoons for you guys to try it. After seeing the euphoria the first spoonful caused in you, he insisted to share the tub with you, adding that you should eat it whenever you wanted and didn’t have to ask his permission like you usually would.

Grabbing a spoon from the drawer, you dive into the carton, hunched over the kitchen island resting on your elbows over the sweet treat. You’re only a few bites in when a groggy Han stumbles into the room, gently slumping against the doorframe, rubbing one of his puffy eyes as he asks about your whereabouts at this ungodly hour in his grumbly voice, dripping with exhaustion.

“Icing my vagus nerve,” you explain flatly, shoveling another spoonful to your mouth. Despite feeling guilty for waking Han, you’re glad to see him, but it’s hard to express anything but existential dread in your expression when you’re feeling tidal waves of angst churning your insides. Your mention of the common anxiety alleviating hack wakes him right up as he struggles to conceal the worry in his eyes.

“You okay?” he questions, genuine concern emanating from him like a warm aura that only adds to the comfort you feel with him. He shuffles his way over to you grabbing the spoon from your hand to get himself a bite. Just having him in the same room as you has you feeling okay enough to joke around,

“Oh yeah for sure, just feel like I’m about to spontaneously combust or simply disintegrate to dust, all good,” you deliver your genuine feelings in jest causing him to let out a breathy chuckle accompanied by the slow shaking of his head signifying his intimate familiarity with the pain you’re describing. He scrapes up a massive scoop and holds it just before your lips, the icy air flowing off the spoon chilling your reddened face, signaling for you to open your mouth so he can feed you the lump of pure decadence, and you immediately oblige with a soft smile tugging at the corner of your lips as you close them around the utensil.

“You know, you typically ice your vagus nerve with a cooling pack to the chest. I’ve never seen it this way,” he comments smugly on your cutting edge anxiety management technique.

“What works well for me is deep pressure stimulation,” he continues. You can tell he’s being serious, but neither of you can fight your immaturity and giggle at the innuendo,

“For real though, I found it to be super helpful,” he continues between bites.

“I think I’ve heard of it, DPS, how do you do it?” you ask, at this point you’ll do anything to get back to feel some relief.

“Here, I’ll just show you!” he offers eagerly, tossing the spoon in the sink and ice cream back in the freezer before grabbing your wrist to pull you to his room.

You spend plenty of time hanging in eacothers spaces, so it doesn’t feel uncomfortable to sit where he guides you on his bed. He runs around to the other side of before giving an exaggerated gesture instructing you to lay down and covering you in the comforter that emits his signature, soothing scent. You close your eyes and take deep breaths to bask in his essence and mentally prepare for whatever instructions he gives you next, but instead you feel the bed dip and Han swiftly roll onto you pressing his chest to yours. Before you can ask what he’s doing, he shuffles and shimmies into a comfortable position and squeezes his arms at your sides, applying even and consistent pressure to your torso. While you have hugged on special occasions and laid in bed together watching movies, you’d never snuggled, but with soothing your anxious state on the forefront on both your minds all, your current position feels the most true and pure event to ever occur in all of history. The instant solace you feel in that moment is almost enough to bring tears to your eyes.

You can feel your heart beat finally starting to settle and, somehow, with the new physical pressure on your chest, the emotional weight is vanishing. You have a sneaking suspicion that it is not only the DPS that is calming you. His body slots to yours so perfectly, though he’s scooted down a bit trying to focus the bulk of his weight on your chest and core. His lush, soft hair pleasantly tickles your cheek with every breath you take raising and lowering his head. Just slightly. His form is so warm and gentle and the perfect mixture of squishy and firm against you. You’re getting lost in the sensations and actually starting to doze off when his familiar voice laced with a bit of nerves breaks the silence,

“Is it—is it working” he interrupts your meditation.

“Oh my god yeah, Hannie. This is so great; thank you,” you sleepily ramble out causing him to release a happy hum as he turns to face into the crook of your neck, lips barely grazing your skin. Your heart begins to speed up again, but for a different reason this time. As if Han sense the change in rhythm, he lifts his head with that same worried expression from earlier to search your eyes for any sign of stress or discomfort, but he finds only utter admiration and appreciation. His round eyes roam over you features drinking in how impossibly radiant you look this close up. He leans in, and you close your eyes in anticipation. Warm, chocolatey breath fanning over you, but instead of your landing on your lips like maybe both of you would’ve preferred, he he graces your cheek with a gentle kiss from his sweet and slightly sticky lips laced with affection and adoration not wanting to take advantage of your highly emotional state. As if he can read your mind he pulls away to lick the sugary residue from his mouth with a slight look of embarrassment before giving you a damp peck and nuzzling back into your neck. You lay in comfortable silence as you will your heart and mind to calm one again, drifting off into the best night of sleep you’ve had in weeks in the arms of a man who cares so deeply for you.

˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ 🤎 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ ˖ ᡣ𐭩

Pic creds x x x

A.n- thanks for reading. This for all my anxious girlies. I see you. I am you

-mo🍫

Masterlist

[petersasteria]

No Way (4) - G Dragon/Kwon Ji-Yong

Pairing: asshole!GD x fem!reader Summary: He wants a divorce. WC: 3755 Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || gd masterlist

The silence after Jiyong's mom left your apartment was palpable. With his face still stinging and your eyes red and puffy, you looked at each other in silence. Jiyong knew that words couldn't fix everything, so he chose to be quiet. There were many things running through his head and you wished you knew what he was thinking about. God, you wished you knew.

Was he guilty?

Was he sorry about it?

Was he thinking of you and your family?

Was he thinking of her?

Jiyong stared at you and he wanted to know what you were thinking. Ever since this whole thing, he didn't know how to read you anymore and it scared him. He used to know how every furrowed brow is different, what every smile meant, when you felt tired, and now, he's lost. The spark in you has left and he knew it was his fault, but he didn't understand why he did what he did.

Eventually, you broke the silence.

"I'll go get you some ice." You whispered before making your way to the fridge to retrieve the ice pack you kept in the freezer.

Jiyong didn't know a lot of things, but he knew one thing: that ice pack is a symbol of the coldness he's about to receive from you.

Symbolisms were reoccurring things in your relationship with Jiyong. Specifically, 11:11. He didn't believe in it at first. He just thought Youngbae was being so sickly romantic about it.

"Just make a wish when you stumble upon it. I swear! It'll change your life." Youngbae happily said as he closed his eyes to make a wish.

"How does that even work? You just-"

"Shh, I'm wishing." Youngbae said with eyes closed. Jiyong rolled his eyes and waited for him to finish. Youngbae looked at him and said, "Just make a wish, but don't tell anyone or else it won't come true."

"You guys talking about 11:11, huh? My best friend Y/N told me the same thing. I thought she was going crazy!" Daesung laughed. "Maybe she's right."

"Are you guys just saying this because it's 2011? Or is this actually a thing?" Jiyong raised a brow in suspicion. He had never heard of this 11:11 nonsense.

"It's actually a thing." Daesung and Youngbae said at the same time. Seunghyun heard the whole thing and snickered, "Just wish for a girlfriend and if you get one, then you'll know it's true."

The next time Jiyong stumbled upon 11:11, he muttered, "Let's try this shit out, I guess." He wished for a girlfriend over and over until 11:12 rolled around. He looked at his watch and shrugged. There was no harm in trying, right?

To his surprise, his wish came true. He had a slew of girlfriends, but the relationship never really lasted long. Jiyong kept wishing and wishing and when his last girlfriend broke up with him before 2012 ended, he decided enough was enough. Or so he thought.

Daesung had invited the guys to your year-end party that was held at your childhood home. Being the introvert that he is, he knew he wanted the guys to go with him. Besides, it gave him a chance to introduce you to them.

When all of you were introduced, you were whisked away by your other friends, dragging Daesung with you. The guys sat on the couch and helped themselves with the snacks on the coffee table. At one point, Daesung joined them, his social battery already drained before midnight.

Jiyong got up from his seat on the couch and said, "I need some air." The other guys nodded and he went out to the balcony and breathed the cool night air. He looked out and realized you may be the luckiest girl to grow up in such a rich neighborhood. The view was amazing and he was sure you felt like a princess living in a palace.

He glanced at his phone and he snickered to himself. Of course, it was 11:11. He sighed to himself and wished that the next girl he sees is the girl he's going to marry. Just as he finished wishing, you stumbled outside and smiled. "There you are!" You said cheerfully.

He looked at you and he never really got to see you properly. Now that he was staring, he found you beautiful. He didn't know why Daesung didn't introduce you immediately, but if he were in Daesung's shoes, he would've done the same thing and gatekept you for a little while longer.

"The guys are looking for you. Besides, it's time to get settled. It'll be midnight soon. If you don't leave the balcony, I'm afraid we won't see you until next year." You joked and he chuckled, looking at the ground.

"I'll be right there." He replied. You nodded at him before leaving. He looked up at the sky and said, "Universe, you answer my wishes real quick."

11:11 had been a staple in your relationship. It was your lucky time.

It was summer of 2013, on 11:11, when he asked you to be his girlfriend. You were both at a beach and he gave you a pretty seashell. "This seashell is as pretty as you." He said as he handed it to you. You blushed and thanked him. "But I think you'd be prettier in my arms. Will you be my girlfriend?" He was tremendously nervous, but all his nerves went away when you pulled him into a deep kiss. "Does that answer your question?" You asked playfully as he gave you a gummy smile and kissed you again.

He proposed on 11:11 too. It was your 5th anniversary as a couple and he was so happy that both of you lasted so long. He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. You were so happy.

Since every milestone in your relationship happened on 11:11, you decided to get married on, well, 11.11. It was a beautiful wedding with motifs of white and blue. It was truly magical.

11:11 was such a special hour. You gave birth on 11:11 too. It was the best wish you and Jiyong received (aside from each other, of course). You didn't know what happened after that, but everything started falling apart.

He came home at 11:11 PM, smelling like another woman's perfume and you knew everything was broken.

Jiyong glanced at the clock and it read 11:11. You handed him the ice pack and said, "I'm going to sleep."

"Make a wish before you sleep. It's 11:11." He said softly as he placed the ice pack on his cheek. You smiled sadly and said, "I stopped believing in that the moment you first went home smelling like another woman's perfume, but thanks for the consideration. Good night."

You left and he frowned.

-

It had been days since that moment and here he was backstage at BigBang's comeback concert. The guys were avoiding him, but not so much that staff would be suspicious about it. If you asked him, he thought the guys were Oscar-winning actors for the stunt they're pulling.

Seunghyun was trying so hard to keep a conversation with him because he knew he needed chemistry with him for Zutter.

Youngbae was fuming. He had been quiet since the whole debacle, but he wanted to say a bunch of shit. He was just waiting for the right time.

Daesung had nothing to say. He said everything he wanted to say that day at your apartment while you were out with Seunghyun. When Jiyong tapped his shoulder, all he said was, "I have nothing to say to you." Jiyong never tried again after that.

You were at home, crying your eyes out as you read through the divorce papers Jiyong gave you months ago. Seo-yeon was staying at Jiyong's parents' house as you sorted everything out. You moved some of your things at Daesung's place because you knew you had to stay somewhere after the divorce. You didn't want to stay at your shared apartment.

Fate was funny, especially when truth and karma joins in. Everything happened all at once and in a twist, it all happened at a certain hour:

Jiyong's mistress was browsing through her pictures to post on Instagram and by mistake, she clicks on her risqué selfie with Jiyong and posts it on her Instagram along with her recent vacation photos. She wouldn't know her mistake until minutes later.

Jiyong and the guys thanked the fans for coming to their concert. They all faked a smile at each other and gave each other a hug before bowing to their fans. They all left the stage after that.

After staring at Jiyong's contact for an hour, you wiped your tears and texted: I'm signing the papers.

When Jiyong checked his phone at 11:15, his heart dropped because of two things: he read your text and his mistress' photos go viral because of her mishap. He heard multiple pings behind him as he stopped walking and he knew that it now reached the guys.

Seunghyun walked up behind him and gave him a pat on the back, "Congrats! Everyone knows that you're an idiot now."

Youngbae walked past him and said, "I'm so fucking happy right now."

"~Karma is a god. Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend. Karma's a relaxing thought. Aren't you envious that for you it's not?~" Daesung smugly sang as he walked a little slower, looking at Jiyong dead in the eyes as he sang the last line. He snickered before shaking his head, leaving Jiyong behind.

Jiyong felt nauseous. His head was spinning and the whole venue felt stuffy. He was panicking and he didn't know what to do. Just as his vision blurred with tears, his phone rang: it's his mistress.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Jiyong shouted through the phone. "Why did you do that? Did you know how much you just jeopardized my career?!"

"Whoa, look, I'm sorry. If you ask me, you ruined your career the second you cheated on your wife! I'm not the bad guy here!" She argued through the phone.

"You don't get to pretend you're a good person now. You actively went after me too and you knew I was married. You had the choice to say no, but you didn't. You're just as bad as I am." Jiyong seethed as angry tears stream down his face. His face was red and the staff made sure to stay out of his way as he started walking to the dressing room.

The three guys heard everything from their shared dressing room and they all snickered. "He deserved it." Daesung said.

"True." Youngbae nodded. "What's Y/N up to?"

Daesung shrugged, "She never replied. I'm guessing she's asleep now."

You weren't.

You saw the post.

You saw the comments.

You were numb.

You didn't want to face anyone, so you turned off your phone and curled up in bed. You turned to face Jiyong's side of the bed and sighed as nw tears streamed down your face. "Why did we have to end up this way?" You whispered and cried to yourself. You never expected your marriage to go south the way it did. You cried yourself to sleep and by the time Jiyong came home, his eyes were like yours. He wasn't even sure what he's crying about. He glanced at the door of your shared bedroom and stood outside for a while. He hesitated, but he reached for the doorknob and was surprised to see that it was unlocked; like it was left unlocked on purpose.

He opened the door and he saw your sleeping figure, hugging his pillow. He smiled sadly and went inside before closing the door behind him. He crouched down in front of your face and he gently brushed your hair away from your face. You stirred in your sleep and Jiyong froze. You slowly opened your eyes and stared at him.

"You were always a light sleeper." He said softly.

"You cried." You stated. He nodded, "You did too."

Both of you stared at each other in silence. Tears were threatening to spill from your eyes, but you were so tired of crying. You've already been crying for months.

"I'm-" Jiyong started, his voice cracking a little bit. "I'm sorry, Y/N. Truly."

"That's all I wanted to hear, Ji." You croaked out as you cried in front of him. Seeing you like that made him cry too. He sat down on the bed as you sat up and looked at him. "You have no idea how long I've waited for an apology." You breathed.

"I'm sorry it took so long." Jiyong confessed. "I was just being prideful. I'm sorry for hurting you the way I did, Y/N. There's no excuse."

You cried and nodded. He pulled you in for a tight hug as both of you cried. It was messed up; you were hurt by the man you love, but he was the only one who could comfort you. He kissed the top of your head and pulled away, "I really did love you. Please remember that. I was just being a dick. I know you've seen the post. It was everywhere, after all."

You could only nod.

"I'm so sorry." He said.

"Ji, are you crying because you hurt me or are you crying because of your career?" You asked carefully, not knowing if he'll get angry.

"Both." He said, staring off into space. "I wish I never did what I did. I wish I just fixed it when you gave me he chance a few months ago. If I did, my career wouldn't end up like this."

You nodded slightly.

"I got your text, by the way." Jiyong said as he looked at you, eyes red and puffy. "Did you sign it?"

"I wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I know I said that I'd sign it, but I couldn't. It's so hard to do. This is the only love I've known, Ji. I can't afford to lose it."

"I think you should sign it, Y/N. You deserve to be happy; you deserve a do-over. I'm aware of the shitty things I did now, so please accept the freedom I'm willing to give you. You can break free from this marriage and I'm allowing you to."

"But I still love you, Ji." You whimpered. Tears streamed down Jiyong's cheeks once more and he said, "And I'll always love you. I'll always have love for you and I'll forever see you as my wife. It's never a question of whether you still love me or not. I just want you to get away from all this and start new and I'll always support you whether you want to get married to someone else or not. You just deserve to be happy after all this shit."

"Take your time, my love." He added.

The next day, you woke up to a quiet apartment. You found yourself snuggly tucked in bed and you guessed Jiyong tucked you in after crying yourself to sleep. You got up from bed, stretched, and walked out of your cold room. Your feet padded on the cold floor and you heard voices coming from Jiyong's office.

You quietly opened the door and saw Jiyong standing up, facing the window, not knowing you were watching. His left hand was clutching his phone which was raised on his ear while his right hand was on his hip. He looked ghostly. His face was pale, he was skinnier than usual, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were tired and puffy. He looked... awful. You had never seen your husband like that.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Jiyong asked, his voice hoarse. "I didn't even post that shit. It's all that girl's fault."

He paused before he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled with a loud huff, "No, I don't have contact with her anymore. I deleted her contact this morning, but before I deleted it, I asked her to take down the post and thankfully, she did. I know it doesn't fix anything because it's most likely everywhere at this point, but at least the source of it is deleted.... No, I broke it off with her already.... Y/N? Let's not talk about her. She's already hurting. I don't want her dragged around for this. I messed up big time, but she's still my wife. Even I'm not that cruel."

He turned his head and saw you standing by the door. He gave you a tight lipped smile, "Let's talk about this later. I have stuff to deal with right now. I think it's best if we just let it die down before I clear anything up.... Alright. Bye."

He hung up before he walked towards you, "I didn't know you were up."

"Yeah, I just woke up." You whispered and he nodded.

"I hope you're hungry. I cooked breakfast." He said softly as he walked past you with you trailing behind. When you reached the dining area, he motioned for you to sit down as he filled your plate with the food he cooked. "I, uh, I looked up a few recipes. I hope the seaweed soup I made is at least up to par." He said shyly, chuckling to himself. He laid down your plate in front of you and to his credit, it smelled good. You watched as he filled his plate and both of you sat down.

The food was surprisingly good. You ate in silence, neither of you wanted to address the elephant in the room. When he was done eating, he stared at you as you ate slowly.

"I bought us some ice cream. I'll go get it." He said before he rushed off to get it from the freezer. When he came back with ice cream, you were already finished eating.

As soon as both of you were done eating ice cream, Jiyong cleared the table and washed the plates. He even cleaned the table and filled your glass with water.

"If you need anything, just knock on my door. I'll just do damage control. Meanwhile, please don't go online." He pleaded.

"I never intended to." You said.

He nodded, "Good. Keep yourself busy." He turned and went straight to his office to make a few calls. You heard him shut the door and sighed before going to your room and packed a few of your things to send to Daesung's place.

Later that day, Jiyong issued an official apology to you, the boys, his management, and his fans. He told everything from the beginning; from when he first cheated until the most recent. If your Instagram notifications weren't going off before, they were now.

-

You signed the divorce papers three days later. When you did, Youngbae and Seunghyun decided to pick you up from your shared apartment. Jiyong watched as the guys took some of your things; the things that are already in boxes. They all glared at him and didn't say anything.

Well, at one point, Youngbae said, "You're not the man I grew up with. I truly hope I get to see him again, but I guess now isn't the time."

That stabbed Jiyong's heart.

When they were done, you and Jiyong stared at each other. "I hope you'll be happy. Daesung's place is pretty cozy." Jiyong said softly.

You nodded, "I hope you'll be happy as well. I know how hard you worked for your career to happen and I hope you don't lose the fire you have in you."

"Thank you for everything, Y/N. I wish things were different, truly." He smiled softly. "Best of wives and best of women."

You smiled at him as tears clouded your vision. "I wish things were different too. Thank you for everything."

You gave each other one last hug before you heard someone clear their throat. You both pulled away and saw Daesung leaning against the front door. "Wait downstairs, Y/N." He said coolly.

You nodded before glancing at Jiyong one last time and kissed his cheek. You grabbed your bag and walked past Daesung to go wait downstairs.

"Dae, you're here."

"Surprise." Daesung said in a low voice as he made his way towards Jiyong. "Congratulations on ruining your marriage, by the way. Here, I thought being stupid is just one thing, but you invented a new kind. It's obvious that you never thought anything through before that first mistake because you went and did it again and again. I thought songs were only stuck in replay, turns out mistakes can be in replay too."

"Daesung-"

"You just redefined what EVERYONE thought about you. Congratulations!"

"Hey, I sacrificed my career when I posted my apology! I sacrificed everything I worked hard for, Dae. Don't you realize that?!" Jiyong shouted.

Daesung scoffed, "Sacrifice? You don't know the meaning of that. Sacrifice is everything that Y/N did for you. She stayed married to you even after you asked for a divorce, she sacrificed her career to be a full time mother to Seo-yeon and a full time wife to you, she spent many nights alone in your bed because you were either on tour or fucking someone else in a hotel room, she sacrificed her mental wellbeing just to keep you, and she sacrificed herself just to be seen by you."

"This is how you repay her? Fuck you. I know you never expected me to come here, but I am and I'm not here for you, Jiyong." Daesung glared, his words full of venom. "I know Y/N like I know myself. You'll never find anyone like her and when she told me that night that she liked you, I stood by and SACRIFICED my feelings for her just to see her happy with you. Do you know why I did that?"

Jiyong stayed silent.

"It's because I love her. I love her more than life itself and I will always, always choose her happiness and wellbeing over mine every single time. Whether you admit it or not, Y/N's the best thing that ever happened to both of us, so don't you ever forget that you've been blessed with the best wife and fumbled it." Daesung finished. He looked at Jiyong up and down before saying, "Good luck in life."

With that, Daesung turned around and left, leaving Jiyong standing in a half empty apartment.

-

A/N: you ask, i deliver. hope you enjoyed part 4!

taglist for this series: @natalicss @aanaritt @amyyforshort @toxicghxst @multifanxtvshows @pinkpunkdynamite @jexify @cherryynoir @tessakleine @hayd3n8 @ellablah @crying497 @jenn2sec @manuzicaveyr @89ers231 @emmiesoverthemoon @leah-also-known-as-creatoronwp @kenqki

permanent taglist: @redhoodedtoad @billiesiousji @hayd3n8 @sherrayyyyy @nbjch05 @ldydeath @wcnderlnds @infinetlyforgotten

jiyong taglist: @loveesiren

[muzzlemouths]

Oneshot Masterlist

Returning the Favor - Moon Centric - Moon has a habit of helping you to bed. It's only fair that you return the favor.

We Dance in Synchronous Rotation - Moon Centric - (Dream Eater Au) It's been three days since you've managed to catch some shut eye, and continuing to fight off sleep sees you coming face to face with your worst nightmare.

What Remains After Ruination - Eclipse Centric - A year after the fire, you return to the plex to see if you can make sense of it all, and find something — and someone — unexpected.

Whatever this is, it's over - Sun & Moon Centric - You've been fired.

The Loveliness of Loving You - Sun Centric - You desperately want to kiss Sun. He desperately wants to be kissed. Too bad you're thick as a post!

Two of Us - Moon Centric - You've been stuck with a migrain for days now, and Moon isn't helping, but in the end Moon is just what you need to feel better.

Please (don't go) - Moon Centric - You're about to clock out for the night when Sun pulls you aside and asks for your help. Moon hasn't been feeling himself lately, and you think it might have to do with the blood under his nails.

Best Friend - Sun Centric - You spend the last hour of your shift making friendship bracelets.

There's a First Time for Everything - Sun & Moon Centric (no y/n) - It isn't every day that Sun finds a dead body behind the desk.

I'm Glad I Didn't Die Before I Met You - Sun & Moon Centric - Ten years have passed since you first brought Sun and Moon into your home (and to that extent, your life), and as it happens, today is your anniversary.

Unsteady On Your Feet - Moon Centric - Sleep deprivation can make you do crazy things — like stealing company merchandise on the clock and drinking unknown substances. Guess you'll have to "suffer" the consequences!

Hypothermic - Moon Centric - Your chance of survival looks bleak when you manage to get yourself locked in the walk-in freezer. Thankfully, there's a certain cold hearted animatronic out on a midnight stroll.

Let Your Heart Be Light - Moon & Sun Centric - December is a hard month and you're being worked to the bone. Good thing you have two sentient animatronics waiting at home to do the unthinkable - give you a very merry Christmas.

Squeeze My Hand - Moon Centric - Moon finds himself in worrying condition after an accident and is rushed to Parts and Services. He isn't eager to undergo the required surgery, but with you at his side he's able to find his courage.

Pining Here I Crumb - Sun & Moon Centric - You're still getting used to having Sun and Moon in your home after the fire. It can get a little overwhelming; but today you make cookies, and that's enough.

Two Times Moon Apologizes (and one time he doesn’t) - Moon Centric - Ever wonder what it was like before the virus took control? What if you were there when it happened? What if you had the chance to help? What if you were still just a little too late?

Weathering the Storm - Eclipse Centric - Life has gotten to you lately. You weather the storm together.

Quiet Comforts - Sun & Moon Centric - You're having a rough week and none of Sun's attempts to lift your spirits are working. Moon has his own idea of how to help.

All Tied Up With Nowhere to Go - Sun Centric - Sun gets himself into quite the bind — literally. Hopefully you can help him out before that darn bug escapes the daycare!

Please Leave the Light On When You Go - Sun Centric (no y/n) - A character study of Sun and his reaction to the daycare closing, and remaining closed.

Left Unspoken - Sun & Moon Centric - It's been a year since you last spoke with them, and you're still not ready to accept how things ended. Your apology comes too little, too late.

I Know the Meaning of the Words Ever After - Moon & Sun Centric - This house is full of ghosts.

Keep Your Friends Close - Sun & Moon Centric - (Pirate AU) As captain, you run your ship with an iron fist, but you couldn't do it without the help of your two quartermasters. They've been acting stranger than usual as of late, though, and you can't help but wonder if they're hiding something from you.

Second Chances - Moon Centric - You and Moon get off on the wrong foot right from the start, but you'll have to learn to understand each other eventually.

-

Series/Connected Oneshots

Lost in Transmission - Eclipse Centric - What would you do if an enormous, celestial cryptid came pouring out of your television screen one night? If the old VHS tape you bought without disregard actually contained something much more profound - and horrific, to boot. Would you run? Would you scream?Would you love them back? - 1 / 2 / 3

Dead Mall Dare: The Golden Years - Sun & Moon Centric (no y/n) - A collection of oneshots from the Dead Mall Dare au that take place before the main fic, when the mall was still in operation. - 1 / 2 / 3

[xhazzz]

Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Reader

New Year’s Promise

warning: alcohol consumption, pet names, kissing and fluff

a/n: ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LENGUAGE so feel free to correct me if there’s anything wrong :)

masterlist || requests are open

It was New Year’s morning, and Jake and I were doing some last-minute shopping. The supermarket was packed, the lines were endless, and there was barely enough room to maneuver the cart through the aisles.

“I told you we shouldn’t leave everything for the last minute,” I said to Jake as I steered the cart toward the wine and liquor aisle.

“Relax, bunny,” he said, placing his hands on my shoulders and giving them a little massage. “We still have a few hours before the year ends.”

“I know, Jake,” I sighed, “but I still have to make the lemon pie, you promised Payback you’d do your barbecue ribs, we need to shower, I still don’t know what outfit I’m wearing, I have to do my makeup, get ready…”

“Hey, stop. Calm down,” the blonde interrupted, halting the cart and pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Everything will be ready in time, and it doesn’t matter what you wear. You’re beautiful, babe.”

“Jake, I’m serious. You know how stressful this time of year is,” I added, leaning against his chest and inhaling his delicious cologne.

“Everything will be perfect. Besides, it’s just the guys. We see them practically every day,” he said, positioning himself behind me, his chest pressing against my back as he took control of the cart, and we started walking again.

The Dagger Squad only had a few days off, so they had planned the New Year’s dinner at Payback’s house with their respective partners. Nat and Bradley would be going together (they were finally accepting their feelings for each other), Fanboy would bring his wife and their little daughter, Bob and Coyote would probably show up solo unless they found a last-minute date, and then there was Jake and me.

“Here it is, exactly what I wanted,” Jake said, grabbing a few bottles of champagne off the shelf.

“Very classy, Mr. Seresin,” I laughed, glancing at the other bottles and pointing to some tequila. “We should grab a few of these too.”

“Planning to get wild tonight, darling?” my boyfriend teased, grabbing three bottles of tequila.

“Maybe, to ring in the New Year in the best mood,” I shrugged and continued walking down the aisle.

“So my New Year’s kiss will taste like tequila?”

“Probably…” I leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips and kept walking with Jake following behind, pushing the cart.

After finishing our shopping, we got back to his apartment and headed into the kitchen to prepare our dishes. Everything felt so natural; Jake and I looked like an old married couple cooking together, with a couple of beers open and jazz playing softly in the background.

“I was thinking…” my boyfriend started, washing the dirty dishes.

“About leaving the kitchen a mess?” I joked, laughing as I placed the lemon pie in the freezer.

“No!” he replied, laughing too. “I mean this—doing everyday things like grocery shopping and cooking together. Home stuff.”

“Babe, we already do home stuff,” I said, walking over to him as he leaned against the kitchen counter. Jake gently placed his hands on my hips and pulled me closer.

“I know, but I’d like it if you didn’t have to leave anymore—no more going back and forth to your apartment,” he added, kissing me softly.

“But I practically live here.”

“Then we should make it official. Move in with me,” he smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. God, this man had me wrapped around his finger.

“I don’t know, Jake. We’ve only been together a few months…”

“Six months have been more than enough to know I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” the blonde said, cupping my face and pulling me into a deep kiss. Even though I’d kissed him a million times, every time his lips met mine, I felt butterflies as if it were the first time. “Tell me you’ll at least think about it this time.”

“Alright, I’ll think about it,” I replied, kissing him again and smiling mid-kiss. Jake Seresin had been insisting for over two weeks that I should move in with him. It would make it easier for us to spend time together when he wasn’t working—no more late-night trips back to my place or rushing out at dawn so one of us could shower and get ready for work.

“It’s time to shower, Lieutenant,” I teased.

“My favorite part of the day,” my boyfriend cheered, guiding me to his bathroom with both hands on my waist. If we wanted to make it to dinner on time, he’d better behave…

Later, at Payback’s house, we were all gathered, laughing at the stories the guys shared about their time before Top Gun. One of Jake’s hands rested on my thigh, occasionally giving it a gentle squeeze or rubbing his thumb affectionately. After a few glasses of champagne and half a bottle of tequila, I was feeling a little tipsy but having a great time.

“Everything okay?” Jake asked, leaning in to kiss my temple.

“Everything’s perfect, Mr. Seresin,” I teased, playfully rubbing my nose against his chin.

“So, guys, what are your New Year’s resolutions?” Phoenix asked, taking a sip from her glass.

“To be the best in the squad and finally beat Hangman,” Coyote said, grabbing a piece of lasagna Bradley had made.

“In your dreams, buddy,” my man replied, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer.

“What about you, Bagman?” Rooster asked, mimicking his action by wrapping an arm around Nat.

“Well, considering I’m already the best, my first resolution is to convince this gorgeous lady to move in with me,” he said, looking at me tenderly. “And who knows? Maybe there’ll be a future Mrs. Seresin.”

Everyone laughed excitedly, and I felt my cheeks flush.

“I can’t wait to meet her,” I joked, playfully hitting his chest. “I didn’t know you’d already found my replacement.”

“Never, my love,” he replied, kissing me softly. We both laughed mid-kiss and pulled apart when Rooster whistled.

“Get a room,” he teased, pretending to gag.

“It’s almost midnight!” Bob announced, and we all gathered around the TV to watch the New Year’s special.

“10, 9…” we all counted.

“You know I meant what I said, right?” Jake murmured, placing his hands on my waist as if to keep me from running away. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, darling.”

“8, 7…”

“Are you serious?” I asked nervously, laughing. I wasn’t sure if it was the drinks or the way he was looking at me, but I felt my entire body trembling under his gaze.

“6, 5, 4…”

“I’ve never been more serious,” the blonde added, his eyes shining with emotion.

“3, 2, 1… Happy New Year!” we all shouted, and without hesitation, Jake pulled me into a kiss as if there were no tomorrow. His lips felt so good against mine, mixing with the taste of tequila.

“Yes,” I said once we pulled apart, breathless. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned closer to him (if that were even possible).

“Yes?” he asked, studying my face with excitement.

“Yes, I want to move in with you. And who knows? Maybe someday I’ll become Mrs. Seresin,” I replied. Within seconds, Jake was kissing me again, and in that moment, it felt like everything else disappeared around us. It was just Jake and me in our little bubble.

“God, you don’t know how happy you make me, woman,” my boyfriend said with a lovestruck smile. “By the end of the year, you’ll have a big diamond on that beautiful finger of yours. That’s a promise.”

[muli-wam]

So Pretty

Summary: Takes place in Dr. Stone Season 2 episode 11 where Tsukasa is about to get put in the freezer by senku, but he wants to talk to you one last time.

Cw: use of y/n one time, angst, SPOILERS!! I think that's all

Pairings: Shishio Tsukasa x Fem!reader

A/n: um.... happy valentine's day 🤩🤩

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"...It's because Mario only thinks he's huge because he ate the mushroom," Senku laughs as he fiddles with tubes and cords connecting to the large freezer.

"He's tripping balls. Ten billion percent tripping," he says as his body tenses.

"Right?"

"Am I right?"

Silence.

"Am I right, Tsukasa?" Senku huffs with a tinge of hurt laced through his tone.

"Senku..." Tsukasa whispers from his resting place on the makeshift stretcher.

"Hm?" Senku hums with his back still facing Tsukasa.

"Can you... Can I talk to y/n? One last time?" Tsukasa mumbles hoarsly.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Let me go get her," Senku walks out the cave but doesnt make it far because you were lurking around the corner anyway.

You couldn't walk away. You couldn't just leave him there. You had hoped that things could turn out differently. That maybe Senku was able to find a solution to quickly re-petrify Tsukasa so then you guys can easily revive him again.

You knew it wouldn't be that easy. Not in this world, no.

Senku was smart, but there was a ten billion percent chance that he couldn't find a way to turn Tsukasa back to stone in under 4 days. Additionally, no one in your relatively small congregation of people was a surgeon or had remotely any medical experience.

So here you were, sitting on your knees beside Tsukasa as his body slowly but surely gives out.

"So..." you mutter, failing to keep eye contact with him.

"So," he croaks, giving you a weak smile.

"We've officially been dating for 1 week, 14 hours, 17 minutes and... 35 seconds," you say, sounding defeated.

"Heh, you've been counting, pretty girl?" He let's out a faint laugh, not too hard as it physically pains him to let out anymore than that.

A tear falls down you cheek and lands onto the hard stone floor of the cold cave.

"C'mere," Tsukasa says, signaling you with his finger to lay next to him. You slot yourself in an open space next to him, laying on your side.

Tsukasa turns his head so it faces you. "You're so pretty," he smiles softly.

You eyes water even more at the sight of his drooping eyes and dark circles. You bring a hand up to gently cup his face and rest your forehead on his.

"Wish I told you sooner," you cry softly.

His features soften as he watches tears stream down your face.

"It was unavoidable," he whispers.

"But if I told you earlier then maybe we wouldn't be here. You would have never left and we could have all stayed together," you huff.

"You, me, Senku, Taiju and Yuzuriha. Us against the world," you search Tsukasa's eyes for something, half expecting him to jump up and say it was all some prank and he's actually okay. He doesn't.

You told Tsukasa you had feelings for him after the cease fire of the Stone Wars. You had known him before the entire world got turned to stone. He was your best friend and you stuck by him the entire time since his sister was in a coma.

You think you fell for him freshman year of high school but it could have been sooner. All you know is that you fell in love with Shishio Tsukasa and you dont think you could ever stop loving him.

"I know... but the time we did have together was great, no? And I trust..." Tsukasa starts, but pauses to take a breath.

"I trust that Senku will figure out what caused all this, and then I can be with you again." He says.

"I love you," you cry harder.

"I love you too, angel," he kisses your forehead.

"Dont loose yourself because of me, okay? Keep being the smart, amazing girl I've always known." He says.

"Promise?" Tsukasa asks.

"I promise."

You stroke his cheek softly as you bring your head closer to ever so gently kiss him. It was so passionate yet so soft and your head felt like it was floating as your conscience fades away from the world around you, only seeming to focus on him.

When you kissed him for the first time, it felt like romantic picnics in an open meadow. Like eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a warm spring afternoon as you sit in the grass and watch the clouds pass by.

It felt like coffee shop dates and evening strolls in the park as you held hands and talked about anything and everything. It felt like life was finally just beginning.

It didn't feel like that now.

It feel like your suffocating but taking a breath of fresh air all at once. It felt like the walls were closing in and you were sinking deeper and deeper into the dark abyss of your brain.

You hated goodbyes.

You both finally parted, staring deeply into each others eyes.

"M'so tired," Tsukasa whispered.

"Just let it happen," you smile brokenly.

"M'gonna be right here when you wake up, okay?" You say as your body wracks in shivers.

"Y'so pretty," he whispers once again while smiling. Your heart seems to shatter all over again.

You watch his eyes slowly close, his puples slowly being shadowed by his eyelids.

"So, so pretty," He mumbles one last time before his eyes finally shut, and you feel his once slow but steady pulse come to a stop.

You lay there for a moment, staring at his lifeless face and internally beating yourself up for his death even though you know it wasn't your fault. He and Senku had a mutual agreement on this. And those two, as stubborn as they are, always keep their promises.

And now its your turn to keep yours.

You hear footsteps approach behind you before a voice says, "y'ready?"

You lay there for a few more beats before slowly sitting up, and bringing Tsukasa's arms to cross over his chest.

"I'm ready."

[megumiluvv]

It’s Christmas. You’ve almost forgotten about it and rush next door to Choso’s apartment, Yuji’s gifts in hand. You carefully place them under the tree and start to grab your gift for Choso, yet pause to look at the tree.

The ornaments are so pretty and sweet. Mostly items that Yuji has handcrafted for school projects, but also some old ones of Choso’s. An old elementary photo of him catches your eye and you smile. His little kid face is so adorable, but the lack of tattoo across his nose is a little surprising at first. Maybe because you’re used to him with it.

Choso walks into the living room from his bedroom and smiles. “When’d you get here?”

“Just now, still have to bring your presents, so look away.” You smile as he starts to cook breakfast, the Christmas cookies you all decorated a few days ago still in a container sitting on the counter.

You return to your apartment and grab Choso’s gift, you hope he’ll like it. You hide the small box in your pocket and head back to the apartment next door. Choso’s cooking and Yuji’s still asleep, so you continue with the plan you and Choso made last night, grabbing Choso’s boots and a sieve and powdered sugar to make it seem like Santa had visited overnight.

The footsteps lead from the front door to the tree, then lead to the cookies and milk that were set out, then back to the door. Choso looks over and frowns a little.

“Still think the floor will be sticky when it’s time to clean.”

“Quit whining, Yuji has to believe it.”

“The snow would already be melted before he even reached our apartments, we’re under an awning.”

“He doesn’t know any better. He’s too young for practicality, okay?” You huff in exasperation.

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” Choso sighs and sets the table. “Sukuna and Uraume should arrive soon.”

Just then, a knock comes to the door. Before either of you could answer, Sukuna opens the door, always walking in like he owns the place. He sees the “snow” and carefully avoids it, knowing better than to mess with Yuji’s image of Christmas.

“He’s still at that age?” He grumbles.

“Huh, speak of the devil and he may come.” Choso mutters to himself. You giggle and help Sukuna set the presents under the tree.

“Is it snowing out there?”

“Yeah, colder than Uraume’s freezer settings.” Sukuna grumbles once more.

“That’s an exaggeration.” Uraume rolls their eyes and sits on the couch beside Sukuna.

You go to wake Yuji and smile at the cute Christmas pajamas the boy is wearing. He clings to you, half-asleep as you carry him out of his room. The moment he sees the presents, his eyes widen, and he believes good Saint Nick stopped by even more when he sees the footprints you created.

“Santa came!” The boy shouts excitedly, hopping from your arms to the tree, looking back at Choso excitedly. “Can I open one? Pleaseeee?”

“Eat first, kiddo, then we can have presents.” You smile and help Yuji to his seat.

He hurriedly eats breakfast and sits at his favorite spot on the couch, trying to hide his excitement for the presents. You set his presents out in front of him, then do the same for the presents for Choso from Sukuna, saving yours for later.

“Woahhh! I got a Human Earthworm poster!” Yuji grins widely. “And spider-man stuff!”

“Damn kid and his spider-man.” Sukuna ruffles Yuji’s hair and smirks as the boy complains.

Choso looks at the present from Yuji, you can see his eyes watering at the little gift. You sit beside him and lean your head on his shoulder, looking at the handmade present. Yuji (with the help of you) made a photo album for Choso, a bunch of pictures from this year’s adventures, and a handwritten note from Yuji saying how Choso is “the best big brother ever in the history of the universe”.

“Yuji, this is so nice, thank you.” Choso barely contains his emotions as he hugs his little brother, much to Yuji’s protests.

You smile softly and stand. “Let’s go play in the snow, yeah?”

Yuji nods excitedly at that and puts his snow boots on. “Yeah!!”

After a long day in the snow and a snowball fight Choso loses, Sukuna and Uraume take their leave and Yuji sleeps in his bedroom. You and Choso clean the wrapping paper mess and the footprints of powdered sugar off the floor. You grab a fake mistletoe plant from the tree and grin to yourself.

“Choso, look up.” You hold the mistletoe over your head.

Choso smirks and places his hands on your waist. “You do understand what that means, right?”

“Mmmhm! That’s the whole point. Now don’t ignore the Christmas tradition, Choso Claus.” You giggle.

He presses his lips to yours and you wrap your arms around his neck, eyes closing and a contented hum escaping your throat. You both hold the kiss for a moment and when you pull away, you place your present in his hands. He opens it carefully and smiles at the locket in the box. Inside the locket is a photo of you and Yuji, you thought it was a little much, but Sukuna said he’d like it.

“…I really like this, thank you.”

Feeling accomplished (and very relieved), you smile and give him a chaste kiss. “Merry Christmas, Cho.”

“Merry Christmas indeed.”

Masterlist

Taglist (ask to join anytime): @samaraxmorgan @cherriee-ee @auor4 @chaotic-ish

@meowsannie

@mediokerrv @flooftoof @dazaisfavgf

@mysteriaqueen @theirlgarfield

@jasminelee324 @t-candy

[kinda-super-hot]

I Want More. (1)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Pairing: Harvey Specter x F!Lawyer!Reader - friends to enemies to lovers <3

Summary: This will be a series! Part 1: (Y/n) and Harvey were 'together' during their time at Harvard, but Harvey couldn't commit to an actual relationship. They 'break-up', or whatever you do to end a situationship, and split on bad terms. Years later, after they become successful lawyers, their paths collide once again when (Y/n) takes a job at Pearson Hardman.

Warnings: commitment issues, angst, arguing - I think that's it but if you noticed something I missed, please let me know.

Word Count: 1784

A/N: I haven't written in a WHILE. Please, please, please constructive criticism. Also, there's, like, no Harvey fanfics. I think I read literally all of them soooooo... that's why there's this thing. Anyways, lemme know if you're interested in part 2 (I already started writing lol).

Harvey and I didn’t used to be so distant. Once upon a time, while we were both attending Harvard, I was the person he went to practice flash cards to study for the bar. While I sat against my bed frame asking him questions off the cards, he’d lay on his stomach with his feet in the air. Seeing as we were both quick witted, we’d often get distracted and end with a battle of lighthearted jabs.

               And likewise, he was there for me when I had been stood up on a date with some frat boy. He ordered in some Chinese food and pulled a big tub of ice-cream out of my freezer. We sat on my goodwill couch picking apart the guy and making up some dumb unfathomable story as to why he hadn’t texted.

               “I can’t wait to hear the headline in the morning: Duke, whatever the hell his last name was, found having been thrown from his car in a head on collision right into a semi-truck loaded with rubber ducks.” He did a news reporter voice that didn’t sound far off from how he normally talked. “Luckily, the ducks cushioned his fall, so he only suffered having lost his phone and missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime with the (Y/N) (L/N).” I repress my giggle but can’t stop the goofy smile on my face. “What a loss.”

               “I mean,” I spoon more ice-cream into my mouth, “Who would name their son Duke? You can tell they wanted a dog.” He nodded along to that and all the other ridiculous things we talked about that night.

               But some friendships don’t last forever. Especially, when you want more.

               We grew closer and had fleeting kisses often. Some borderline dates, but never anything serious. Never anything real. Not to him.

               “Harv.” I called his name from the couch after I heard the door to his apartment open and close. He walked through the door with a smile on his face. “How was your day?” I asked, but I already knew the answer just by looking at his face. He had a mock trial set that day and absolutely crushed it. He was assigned the husband’s attorney and was in charge of making sure that the wife got the minimum of what she was entitled to without having signed a prenup.

               After he boasted about his triumph, I applauded him. But he wasn’t finished running his big mouth. And his next, one little comment, threw our relationship through a loop. “One of the stupidest things a person can do is get married.” He smirked as he took of his jacket and started on his tie.

               I froze in my place on the couch. He continued getting comfortable and taking off his restricting clothes with his back facing me. My throat was tight, but I persevered, I had to make sure that I had heard him right. “You think marriage is stupid?”

               I eyed his back feeling distraught. Every fiber in my being hoped and pleaded that he was joking, but my gut knew better. Moreso, it knew Harvey better.

               “Marriage, in my eyes, is an irrational vulnerability. There’s no point other than, I don’t know, taxes?” He rambles on with his back still facing me. My heart clenches. “And even then, it’s not worth it. Divorce can ruin everything. A man, his family, hell, it can run an entire business into the ground.”

               My head was throbbing, and I couldn’t help the hot tears that brim my eyes. “Huh.” I acknowledge. My voice feels raw already from holding back letting out any noises. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”

               My voice must have given me away because Harvey flicks his head over his shoulder to spare me a glance before double taking. His eyes widen and his body tenses. He turned his body to me and takes a step in my direction before stopping in his tracks. A tear falls down my cheek and I feel burning hot embarrassment in my chest.

               “Honey…” He gently grabs me by my biceps and looks into my eyes. “What’s wrong.” His voice is smooth as he caresses my cheek and pulls my face into his chest. I let out a choked cry and he rocks me back and forth for a few moments.

               I feel ridiculous. “Oh, it’s nothing.” I can tell I’m not being convincing when Harvey pulls my face from his chest and gives that knowing look before putting it right back where it belongs.

               I had no idea what to say. How do you tell your kind-of-but-not-really-boyfriend that you had already planned what the centerpieces at your wedding would look like? That this was it. This was everything you wanted. He was everything you wanted.

               “Even if it was me?” I blurted it out before I could really think about what I was saying. He looked confused for a second but then his face went stern.

               “Y/N.” All of a sudden, his delicate touch is a little heavier. “We’re not even-…” He cuts himself off and looks to the corner of the room. My mouth opened as I processed what he was too scared to say.    

               “You don’t want me.” My expression turned icy and I looked down. He let out a frustrated noise and pulled away from me. Though, I felt empty before he could even begin to move from my embrace.

               “That’s not it.” His brows were furrowed, and he wouldn’t look at me. That’s exactly it. I read his face and could feel he was holding something back. I was at a loss for words. I removed my body from the bed and let out an emotional scoff.

               I speedily walked into the bathroom, trying to make a plan. Any plan that won’t leave me anymore heartbroken than I already was.

Leave.

               It was my only option. I eyed the unused, small garbage bag next to the toilet and ripped it from its basket. “Y’know,” I suddenly felt his presence behind me. “I know you’re studying to be a lawyer and their whole schtick is lying and-” I started tossing my deodorant and face wash and every other thing I bought for his place into the bag. “-and withholding the truth.” I ranted in a demeaning voice. “But I didn’t think you would do that to me-”

               “What the hell are you talking about?” His voice was raised and his hands were out to his side in an exasperated way. “I didn’t lie!” I didn’t stop tossing things in, in fact I’d finished my bathroom segment and moved on to his closet.

               “You’re right- you didn’t lie, you just kissed me, went on dates, and cuddled me! But, oh no, you’re right. We’re not anything.” I growled as I tossed my spare shirts and pants from his closet onto the bed before stuffing them in my already bulging, see-through bag.

               He didn’t yell, but he did have an icy tone when saying, “It’s not my fault if you convinced yourself there was something here when there wasn’t.” I stopped trying to make everything fit into the bag. The next few seconds were silent as I let his words sink in. My heart had to have gotten heavier because it felt like it was in my gut. Either that, or I was about to vomit.

               All I could think was ‘get out’. I couldn’t look at him, fuck, my heart hurts so bad. I tie off the bag and walked from his bedroom into the living room and finally, slam his front door. I couldn’t help but stop outside of it to try and listen for footsteps… but I heard none.

               So, I left. For the next few days, I spent my hours crying, sleeping, crying again and completely and utterly alone.

               I hardly saw Harvey again whilst I was at Harvard, thank God we were in different law classes. Of course, with an ego as big as his, it was impossible not to at least hear about him every once and a while. During graduation, I grimaced knowing that he was a few feet away with that million-dollar smile on his face. Never the matter, I put a smile on my face too and high-tailed it when the picture was over.

I moved back to the city I was born and raised, not too far from New York. I practiced as an associate for a while, but quickly climbed the ranks and made Junior Partner at the firm. I had mind blowing reviews and an amazing success rate that assured a job offer at whatever firm would have me. In fact, I worked so hard at my firm, that I reached the capacity of what they could pay me as a Junior Partner. I could either become Senior Partner or go somewhere else if I wanted to continue to grow my paycheck.

               And if I learned anything from Harvey Douchebag Specter, it’s that I should never settle. I set my eyes on the most successful firm in New York: Pearson Hardman. One over the phone interview and a quick glance at my numerous 5-star reviews, recommendations, and success rate-and I was welcomed to the Pearson Hardman family.

I rented an apartment not too far from the firm and began unpacking the few things I had. After paying off my student debt, I went on a spending spree, and I wound up with more than I could manage. After being knees deep in Dior, I had to offload some stuff. I packed everything I couldn’t part with and donated everything else to be distributed to a few women’s shelter. They couldn’t contain their excitement and now I’m a part of the state-wide organization. Funny enough how those things happen!

Either way, it was a fresh start, through and through. I had the bare necessities, and I was content. A shopping spree for some Ikea furniture was calling my name, though. The apartment was a literal husk up and would remain that way until I could find the time to go shopping.

Being in the city where I studied law and had some of the toughest years of my life made me emotional, but in the best way. Now I’m back, and at least 3 times as kick-ass as before.

Of course, since Harvard, I’d heard a comment or two about Harvey and what he’s been up to, but I tended to butt my head out, far away from his business. I’m sure he’s somewhere still in New York, I mean, he loved this city- but New York’s huge! There’s no way I’ll be seeing him anytime soon.

[ahhhwomen]

You can say no?

Vampire Empire

Part 6

Pairing: DarkVamp!Wanda Maximoff x DarkVamp!Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

A/N: This is not my best-written chapter I won't lie, but it will still hurt if you are looking for a little angst fix... Yeah no, this hurt a little... I won't lie. Also, peep the tags, I had to make a change for this one...

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. All mistakes are my own.

AU Warnings: Human pets, abuse, violence, possessiveness, probably incorrect vampire lore, angst, panic attacks, hurt/comfort, kitten play (?), death, alluded rape/non-con Minors DNI 18+

Word count: 1.8k

Taglist

Your hands weave through cold water, their damaged nerves trying desperately to hold on to something, anything. Waving against unfamiliar territory, you paddle and struggle against heavy waves, they push and pull, and you heave for breath between the swishing walls.

The water is chilling and gloomy.

The expansion of the ocean, vast, and intimidating.

You never realized it until now, with your feet kicking and struggling against the currents, but-

you don’t know how to swim.

There was a woman, long before Master entered the picture.

She was the only one to take an incline of pity on your small shaking frame as she dished out the punishment for eating before you were given permission.

Your chest struggles against the hammering of your heavy heart as the older woman looms over your small frame, sitting in the chilled freezer, your hands clamber around the rough wool sweater she instructed you to put on.

“Here.” Her voice is estranged and lost within time, but you remember the way she would hand you a little flashlight and a painting she had observed your eyes drift toward while you stayed with her.

Even at your young age, there had been something about that painting that drew you to it. The delicate brush strokes were perfected over time. You could almost see the progress of the artist within their work. Some lines were thicker, and rougher, as if they were made with an inexperienced hand. Yet, toward the end, the last final touches among the petals were as beautiful as could be.

The first painting she ever brought inside the cold metal box was your favorite. It helped fend away the thoughts of your stiff, shaking body, inside the locked freezer.

It was a field of sunflowers.

You claw against gruff hands as he holds you under the freezing water.

The cold hits you and you can’t help but try and gasp for air, the only reward you're given is water forcing its way into your lungs and dragging you down even lower.

Your vision darkens and you know.

There is nothing you can do.

As you squint up at the man, the water obscures the view, it morphs and moves, and his blond hair almost reminds you of the sun.

Your airways close as his hands tighten, despite the ice-cold water, blood pools inside your head, heating you up from the inside out, as your body numbs.

His horrid vanilla perfume penetrates your senses much like the chilling liquid that surrounds you.

You never tasted vanilla before… this may be the closest you will ever be to it.

In a blurry of delusion and hallucination, you dream of the beach. With the real sun, instead of his blond hair, peaking over the horizon.

And as you lose conciseness you picture a warming light and delicious ice cream with real vanilla.

The forceful grip of chill has been both a friend and a foe over the years. When you woke up that morning, you didn’t think it would be different from any other day. And you didn’t really care, even if it was.

On one side, the cold numbs you and lessens your senses until you can’t feel the burning pain of a harsh hand or even harsher canines.

Yet, on the other hand, with the lack of mobility, you can’t protect yourself. It’s not like you ever had much of a chance against your masters, to begin with, but that one night.

You curl into yourself, your muscles are weak and tired, but you try to hide from the outlash of thoughts and memories.

If you weren’t so damned cold, maybe it would’ve played out differently.

Maybe you could have spoken up before she had them remove that ability altogether.

“HOW DARE YOU!” You whine and turn as two hot weights settle you back in place. Something strokes your side in a gentle up-and-down motion as searing flashes of the past bombard your senses.

“YOU ARE A PET!” Army boots are the only thing you can focus on as she forces you down to your knees in the snow.

Your leash is wrapped around one of the boots, the weak material fraying around the edges as her heels dig into the ground and force you even lower. With your face flush with the dead grass that is layered with frozen water, she stares you down.

“YOU ARE A SLAVE!”

The last leverage of your knees is quickly kicked out from under you, and you fall with a heavy thud. Your eyes force themselves closed as the snow invades your nervous system.

“YOU DON’T GET TO SAY NO TO ME!” The harsh breathing of the older woman is slurred and hissed. Which is how you know her sharper teeth are out.

Your eyelids slowly peel open, and with a determined turn of your head, you stare up at her in wonder. What did you do?

“DID YOU TELL HER NO WHEN SHE DID THIS TO YOU, HUH!?”

Did you tell her no?

You can say no?

Before the vision can continue, you startle as soft whispers sneak past your eardrums. The words are hard to make out between the intense tone of the blond woman and the horrid chill of the surroundings.

You can only make out parts as the gentle strokes return to your side. A warmth, unfamiliar to you, presses itself closer to you as you can feel their grip tighten against your flailing body.

“Hush, it’s okay…”

Is it?

“You’re okay baby.”

You?

You are, okay…?

Aren’t you drowning…?

Yeah.

You are drowning.

“Shit, she’s getting worse.” Wanda curses under her breath as she closes the distance between the two of you even more, even going so far as to pull Natasha closer by the arm wrapped around your midsection.

Both she and the other redhead lay on their plush carpet in nothing but underwear as they clutch you close while the fireplace burns and crackles to the left of you.

After Natasha had carried you into their home, earlier that day, the vamped-out redhead had quickly ordered her wife to strip down, her voice harsh yet monotone. At the time, Wanda had been riddled with confusion, Natasha had never spoken to her in such a manner before, much less with a demand like that.

The way her words had drawled over each syllable, the air hissed against prominent canines as her tongue clicked at the roof of her mouth. It oozed authority, a clear disrespect toward the older vampire.

There are ranks within the vampire world and rules to follow such ranks. Wanda was the Wanda Maximoff, clan leader of the Maximoff clan. As far as the vamp rule applied, Wanda was at the top of the food chain.

Natasha is strong, always has been, but if she were ever put up against the command of a clan leader her free will would cease to exist. Of course, the powerful redhead would never do such a thing to her wife, but that didn’t mean a vampire´s rage was something that could be stopped.

And Wanda should be angry, she should be outright offended that a lesser vampire would ever speak to her in such a manner. Had Natasha been someone else, Wanda would’ve ripped her head off already.

Yet here they were.

Natasha laid you down gently in front of the fireplace, her hands were already moving to start the fire before she could register what she was doing. Strong, orange, flames licked her upper body as the wood caught ablaze. The heat sizzled and the wood groaned. Previous charcoal that had laid forgotten on the ashpan glowed and flourished with the newfound heat.

Then much like she expected Wanda to do, she stripped down to her underwear. It’s as if she couldn’t get the clothes off fast enough, with every glide of expensive fabric that loosened and fell, she just became more irritated. She doesn’t know how long you have been like this, but the window for action was closing by the minute.

The scent of blood from your scratched elbow drifted through the mansion, yet it was the last thing on the redheads’ minds.

Crawling over to the couch Natasha pulled down every blanket she could get her hands on, and in a jiffy, she was back at your side.

Wrapping you both up like a burrito as she buried herself under the blankets with you.

An audible hiss could be heard as Natasha first laid her front flat against your bare back. Your skin could rival a piece of paper for the bleakness. But it wasn’t just that, you were beyond cold. If Natasha didn’t know any better, she would think you were a corpse.

The thought made her shudder, in a moment of need for a distraction, her eyes started their journey toward a hotheaded redhead.

Natasha knew the significance of demanding anything from her wife, to be frank, it had just slipped, and as her eyes connected with her lovers, she was expecting to see anger flaring within them.

Instead, when her eyes disconnect from where they had been staring at your greasy hair, they glance up to see Wanda stripped down and standing protectively over the both of you.

So, after being let into your little burrito, they both wrapped themselves around you and waited with bated breath.

There was an unspoken understanding amongst them. You were special, whether they wanted to believe it or not.

Close to an hour later, you started whining in your fever-induced sleep.

It all went downhill from there.

(On the other side of the city)

Carol huffs as yet another problem arises, she could never get any peace.

Walking out she can finally breathe as the cold city air flows into her. Her lungs expand and contract as her eyes slip closed for a second. If she wasn’t so fucking angry, she may have enjoyed the silence that hung in the crisp air.

Pulling her phone out she goes to check your location, she hadn’t planned to run off like that, but one of the idiot goons had started trouble with another clan. If she hadn’t stopped it then and there, they were all as good as dead. It had been an ally of the Maximoff clan after all.

“Urgh” pinching her eyebrows Carol groans in frustration. She is going to get an earful from Thor once she gets back to work.

If her mood wasn’t sour before, it most definitely was now.

She was only half-heartedly checking your tracker, too busy wallowing in self-pity, that is until she saw the house, or more like a mansion, where your collar now resides.

Glass shatters, small pieces of melted sand, scattering and clinking as a mastered craft meets asphalt.

She is going to kill you.

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