#surprised i had it in me to finish this in 3 days

[ariahmichelle]

Fake It Till You Feel It- Part 3

Rafe Cameron x Reader Series

Link to Series Masterlist Here

Summary: You see your ex with a new girl wrapped around him after he told you “wasn’t ready for a relationship” after you had slowly started to fall for him. The betrayal stings. Rafe Cameron is dealing with his own issue—Amelia, a girl who refuses to take the hint that he’s not interested. One night you impulsively pretend to be Rafe’s girlfriend to get her to back off. To your surprise, it works. You also notice Alex looking pissed. This starts to become an unspoken routine between you when either Alex or Amelia are around. Simple right? However, longer this goes on, the more the lines blur between what’s real and what’s not.

Part 3- The Rescue Mission

••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••

It had been a slow, uneventful day—exactly what you’d wanted. You had spent the morning running errands, picking up a few things from town before finally making it home. Now, curled up on the couch, half-watching a show while scrolling on your phone, you were perfectly content to do nothing for the rest of the afternoon.

Then your phone buzzed.

Rafe: You busy?

You frowned, already suspicious.

You: I might be. Why?

Rafe: Because I need saving.

You snorted, shaking your head.

You: Let me guess… Amelia?

Rafe: What do you think?

You sighed, debating for a moment. Maybe it would be good for him to deal with her himself for once. But you also knew how persistent Amelia could be.

You: Sounds like a you problem, Cameron.

Rafe: Come on. Be a team player.

You: …How bad is it?

Rafe: Bad enough to text you :(

Before you could dwell on it too much, your mom walked into the room, grabbing her purse. “I’m heading out for a bit. Need a ride anywhere?”

“Actually, yeah,” you said, already slipping on your shoes.

——

When you arrived at the country club, you expected to find Rafe surrounded by Topper, Kelce, and maybe a few other guys, with Amelia clinging to him like always.

But instead, he was standing outside, alone.

You narrowed your eyes as you approached. “If you made me come all this way for nothing, you’re dead.”

Rafe exhaled, shaking his head. “Trust me, I wouldn’t have called you unless I had no other option.”

“That bad?”

He ran a hand down his face. “Worse.”

You crossed your arms, waiting.

“I was having lunch with my family,” he started, “and Amelia just invited herself over, telling my dad, Rose, Sarah, and Wheezie that she and I have been getting to know each other.” He grimaced. “She’s acting like we’ve been seeing each other, and I told them we weren’t, but—”

“But Ward told you not to be rude and let her stay,” you finished, already knowing how this went.

Rafe pointed at you. “Exactly.”

You groaned. “So now what?”

“I told them I was going to the bathroom,” he said. “And now I need you to help me get rid of her. And make sure my family knows I’m not with her.”

You hesitated. “Rafe, I’m not pretending to be your girlfriend in front of your dad.”

“Come on,” he said, and for the first time, you noticed how desperate he looked. “My dad likes you, okay? If you say we’re together, he’ll believe it, and Amelia will finally back off.”

You still weren’t convinced. “And what happens when he finds out it’s a lie?”

Rafe just shrugged. “That’s a future problem.”

You exhaled, glancing toward the entrance. “I swear to God, Cameron…”

Rafe smirked, sensing your hesitation cracking. “So you’ll do it?”

You groaned. “I hate you.”

His smirk widened. “No, you don’t.”

Rolling your eyes, you held out your hand. “Let’s get this over with.”

Without hesitation, Rafe took your hand, threading his fingers through yours like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And just like that, you walked into the lion’s den.

——

The Cameron family sat at a round table on the patio, the perfect picture of wealth and power. Ward sat at the head, Rose beside him, while Sarah and Wheezie chatted quietly. And, of course, Amelia stood close to Rafe’s empty chair, her hand way too close to where his arm would’ve been.

The moment you walked in, Sarah’s eyes widened.

“Are you kidding me?” she blurted.

Amelia turned—and her expression darkened instantly.

Ward raised an eyebrow. “Rafe?”

Rafe barely hesitated. “I wasn’t being rude earlier,” he said, looking directly at his father. “I was just trying to make it clear—I’m not with Amelia. Because I’m with someone else.”

He gave your hand a squeeze, and you took that as your cue. “Hey, Mr. Cameron,” you said with an easy smile, leaning slightly into Rafe’s side. “Hope you don’t mind me crashing family lunch.”

Ward looked between you and Rafe, brow furrowed. “You two are together?”

“Yep,” Rafe said smoothly. “Have been for a little while now.”

Sarah still looked shocked, and Wheezie looked downright delighted, but the best reaction came from Amelia, whose face was rapidly turning red.

“You have to be joking,” she snapped.

“Why?” Rafe tilted his head, feigning confusion. “Jealous?”

Amelia scoffed. “Please. I just didn’t realize you’d lowered your standards so much.”

Your smile tightened. “You know, for someone who’s so sure I’m not a threat, you seem really upset about this.”

Her mouth opened. Then closed. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

Wheezie barely contained her laughter.

Rose just sipped her wine, watching you both closely. “Well,” she said, “this is… interesting.”

Ward nodded slowly, clearly still processing. “Hmm.”

Before they could say anything else, Rafe let out a dramatic sigh. “Well, this has been fun, but we’ve got plans.”

“We do?” you muttered.

Rafe ignored you. “See you guys later.”

And with that, he pulled you away from the table, out of the club, and toward his truck.

As soon as you were outside, you smacked his arm. “You are so dead for that.”

Rafe just grinned, opening the truck door for you. “Relax. It worked, didn’t it?”

“You owe me.”

He just smirked. “That’s why I’m making it up to you right now.”

You eyed him suspiciously as you climbed into the truck. “How?”

“You’ll see.”

Fifteen minutes later, you found yourself sitting in the bed of his truck, legs crossed beneath you, a cup of ice cream in hand, on a hill overlooking the beach. Almost a little secret hideout you’ve never been to before.

“You know,” you said, glancing at him, “this is a pretty good spot. Romantic, even.”

Rafe scoffed. “If I was trying to be romantic, you’d know.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what does romantic Rafe Cameron look like?”

He smirked, leaning in slightly. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

You rolled your eyes, but your smile didn’t fade.

You took a slow bite of your ice cream, then glanced at Rafe. “So… this isn’t where you bring all your girls?”

Rafe scoffed. “Please. You think I waste gas on just anyone?”

You hummed. “Mm. Seems like a solid move, though, so I must be very special.”

Rafe just smirks not giving you the satisfaction of an answer.

After a few moments of silence, he leaned back, voice softer. “You know… I never thought Alex was good enough for you.”

You looked at him, surprised. “What?”

“I’m just saying,” he shrugged, “you always deserved better than that asshole.”

You shook your head. “Well… thanks, I guess.”

Rafe smirked. “Don’t get used to it.”

You laughed, licking your spoon. “No promises.”

—————————————

Let me know what you think? Could be some drama in the coming parts???

Taglist: @rafecameronsbaeee

@drewwhor @wtfisastiles @emmafitzzz

@yourmomdotcom42069 @yasmin-oviedo

@pogueprincesa @maybankslover

@my-name-is-baby @rafecameronsslut1234

[footygirl114]

Destino (Alexia Putellas X Reader)

I wasnt lying when I said that the inspiration bug has hit me, and dropping unsupportive weight has defiantly helped! So here is the second fic of this inspiration wave - lots of fluff in this one!

Part 2 to: Entrenadora - I would suggest this one first

After exchanging a few texts with Alexia you found it difficult to focus through the rest of the day but you managed to get through the 3 lectures you had. Luckily you were a professional and passionate about teaching which meant it was not too difficult to zone into the teaching subjects. But once you were in your office after the conclusion of your lectures you were once again filled with that nervous giddy excitement. 

Staring at your phone you had an unread message from Alexia with her free evenings for dinner for the next few weeks. Once you looked and compared them to your own calendar in front of you, you immediately deflated as there was not a single date that lined up with your own free evenings. Teaching and coaching has your calendar filled to the brim, and any free nights seemed to line up with Alexia’s game nights. 

Before you responded you couldn’t help the sinking feeling that the fact that Alexia even was looking in your direction was too good to be true. there was no way someone of her caliber and fame would ever be satisfied with you, and you knew that this was the universe telling you to give up on this and not even bother to continue to try to purse this one. 

You made up a text to send back to the footballer, basically laughing about not having any free dates and maybe it was not meant to be. Not wanting to see a response you put your phone on do not disturb and dove into work, and coaching later that evening. 

It wasn’t until the following morning when you gave your brain the chance to think about her again, you were sitting at the counter in a coffee shop with your laptop open trying to catch up on a few emails before you had an appointment. It was a place not in your normal neighbourhood but you had a appointment in the area and you didn’t want to be late so you came down early to get some work done. 

You were enthralled with you computer, and reading an article about some advances in cancer treatments when you felt someone sit down beside you and place a hand on your arm. 

Startled you turn and pull out one of your headphones and you meet the eyes of the one person you were trying to forget “Alexia.” 

“Hola Y/N, lo seinto I did not mean to startle you but you didn’t hear me over the music” she says with a smile. 

You smile back at her, and can feel the butterflies settle in your stomach as you ask her “what are you doing here?” 

She chuckles and points over her shoulder “I live around the corner, this is my usual coffee spot.” 

You cant help but chuckle at that and say “of all the coffee shops I pick, I pick yours, the universe really is wild.” 

“I prefer to think of it as fate, especially since you never answered my text” she says with a small smile, and if you didn’t know any better you would think she was nervous.

You blush knowing you got caught avoiding her as you say “sorry busy night coaching, and I turned my phone on do not disturb”

She smiles and moves her hand to your forearm squeezing it she says “I know we are both busy, but I would like to take you on that date eventually Y/N.” 

“you would?” you ask surprised before you have a chance to rethink the answer. 

She looks offended as she responds and says “Si Y/N”

“why?” you ask again before your mind catches up with you.

“I want to get to know you better Y/N, thats what dates are for. There was something between us, and the fact that I think you see me for me, makes me want to know you.” She says seriously. 

“Oh.”

She chuckles and leans forward and whispers in your ear “I want to know everything about the cute blushing football coach, and I will keep telling you that until you let me take you out to prove it” finishing it with a kiss to your cheek. 

Before you can even respond she squeezes your arm and says “I have to go, but please text me back at some point and lets run into each other on purpose, and not leave it up to fate again.” 

You nod and say to her “i can do that.” 

Smiling she presses another kiss to your cheek and whispers out “goodbye” and she takes off out of the cafe. You barley have time to overthink that interaction when your alarm goes off reminding you of your appointment and you hastily pack up and head out. 

**

Over the next week you keep your word and continue to text her, she makes sure to send you a message every morning, even though she’s up way before you, and every night before she falls asleep. She also continues to ask you small questions to learn the little things about you, and every time you smile as she keeps her word about wanting to know you. 

Although you seem to talk quite often you still cannot get your schedules to line up, one of your only free afternoons for the week has you helping out a colleague with a research study. She is studying the effects of injuries on female footballers, you know her study has become quite popular and she was at the point of having live footballer in her lab to study. 

She immediately puts you to work and you are helping to register some of the volunteers she has in for the study, most are younger footballers and are excited to help try to get involved in a study like this. You are helping to register a young player on crutches when you hear one of the other players in the waiting room gasp and whisper “is that Alexia Putellas?”.

You look up and meet her eyes as she walks into the room, and you have to hold the smile in and when she winks at you, you know you have a blush on your face. You quickly finish with the young player in front of you and you call her up next. 

“hi, I’m here for the study” she says with a smile.

You nod and ask her the simple registration questions, most of them you already know the answer to but you have to go through the motions. You hand her a clipboard and when she grabs it you can feel her hand brush yours and the sparks run up your arm as you say “can you sign at the bottom please.” 

She signs and moves to sit in the waiting room for her turn, you don’t have someone else to register so you are able to watch her for a minute from your spot behind the table. She has at in between two young players and they are both talking a mile a minute at her, she’s smiling and answering their questions and you smile to your self at how amazing she is. 

When two grad students come out and take the other two younger girls to the back you are left with just Alexia in the waiting room and she stands up to come closer and says “I had no idea you would be here today.”

“My colleague and friend is running the study and she asked for some help today, she knew I had the afternoon off and suckered me into it” you tell her with a chuckle. 

“It seems fate really does want us to be near each other Y/N” she says with a small smirk and leans down on both hands on the table closer to you. 

You chuckle and say to her “You came on to my campus Alexia, it seems you wanted to run into me.” 

She smirks and says “its a big campus.” 

“I work in the anatomy building, my office is a floor above here.”

“I didn’t know that did I? I am just here to further the advancement of women’s football Y/N. You did tell me that you studied me for tactical reasons, maybe I should let someone study me for science” she finishes and winks at you with a smirk. 

You bite your lip and look around before you surge up out of your chair towards her and you press your lips hard to hers. It lasts only a moment before you pull back a breath away and say “I’m the only one who should be watching and studying you.” 

She smirks and says “that can be arranged Y/N, name the time and place.” 

Before you can respond the door opens and you both spring back from each other as a grad student comes in to get Alexia for her turn with the study. She follows the student but turns towards you before she disappears through the door and she blows a kiss and shoots you a wink. 

**

The following few days are spent texting and talking to Alexia on the phone as much as you both could manage, she was definitely flirting with you more than before and you were giving it right back. You were starting to come around to the idea that she actually wants to get to know you and you know you were wanting to know her back. 

The next weekend Alexia happens to have a Friday night game, meaning she has Saturday off. You however have a tournament with your nieces team so once again your schedule did not line up. You settled for not being able to see her once again but you kept to talking and texting with her. 

Your teams first game of the day was a competitive one but your team held their own and came out with a draw. Not the way to start a tournament but you kept the team positive and when the second game later in the afternoon came around and your team came out flying you were much more relaxed when you went up 4-0 in the 40th minute. 

A break in play and you take a moment to look around the field as you cant shake the feeling of eyes on you. When you lock eyes on a lone figure sitting behind the net with a ball cap on you know exactly who it is, and why you could feel eyes on you. You smile to your self as you never told her where you were playing and she must have looked it up to see you. 

The rest of the game you keep sneaking glances but she is so focused on your team playing that she doesn’t meet your eyes once. You smile to your self because you know its who she is and how passionate she is about football that she is enthralled in even a youth game. 

When the final whistle blows and your team finishes the victor of a 5-0 game you smile and shake yours and the other teams hands as well, while there is still a crowd around you look towards the sidelines and she’s not where she was. You feel a bit of disappointment but you continue to celebrate with your team, you make sure everyones packed up and ready for the semi final in the morning. 

You stay behind at the field to speak with your brother and niece and when you realise you left your phone on the bench you go back to grab it. You walk to your car and you see Alexia leaning against the side of it waiting for you. you smile walking toward her and say “hi, i thought you left.”

“I knew you’d seen me, so I couldn’t sneak away, but i didn’t want to be spotted and recognised by the anyone” she shrugs with a sheepish smile. 

You move to stand right in front of her and you ask her with a smile “how did you know we were playing here?” 

She chuckles and says “i have my ways Y/N.” 

“why did you come out?” 

“maybe I wanted to see you coach for purely tactical reasons” she shrugs with a soft smile. 

You step right into her space, dropping your bag beside you, you ask her “oh so it was only for tactics?”

She smirks and places her hands on your hips, she shakes her head and says “no Y/N, I wanted to see you.” 

Pressing your body to hers you press her back into your car and you ask “do you want to come over?” 

She leans down and stops a breath from your lips and says “I do, for purely tactical reasons.” 

You close the distance and press your lips to hers. She doesn’t let you have a moment before she responds and you feel her lips move against yours, her hands wander to your lower back and you press harder into her. After a few moments you pull back slightly and bite softly to her lower lip and release it with a pop and a smile, asking softly “follow me?” 

“anywhere” she immediately responds and moves to open your door for you as she says “my lady” and she curtsies. 

You chuckle as you get into the car whispering “nerd.” 

She closes the door and blows you a kiss and backs away to her car. You wait for her to get in and you pull out of the spot watching her the whole way in your rearview mirror to your place. When you pull into your building you get out and meet her at the front of your car and neither of you say anything as she follows you up in the elevator to your floor. Once again in silence she follows you to your door and waits beside you as you unlock it. 

She follows you in and when you turn to close the door she pushes you against it with her body and immediately connects your mouth with hers. She wastes no time before her tongue is in your mouth and caressing yours, her hands have roamed to your hips and yours go around her neck as you respond to the kiss. 

You lose yourself in the feeling of Alexia pressed against you, you can feel your self soaking your underwear and your thoughts are consumed with Alexia and how she feels and tastes. When she slows down the kiss and pulls back pressing multiple light kisses on to your lips she presses her forehead to yours and you both are panting and smiling at each other. 

You move your hands up to the hem of her shirt and try to push it up but she shakes her head and you pause and look at her as she pulls her head back and says “I want you Y/N, god you don’t know what you do to me and how much I want you but I think we should slow down.”

Giving her a confused you look you ask “what?” 

She chuckles and presses a kiss to the tip of your nose and says “you’re cute.” 

She pulls back and moves into your apartment looking around, you follow her into the kitchen and move to the fridge to grab a bottle of wine. You grab two glasses and she turns around to you, you ask “wine?” 

“si por favor.”

You nod and pour two glasses bringing them both over to your couch and you pat beside you to get her to sit. She comes over and grabs one and settles sitting sideways on the couch so she is facing you and she smiles takes a sip of her wine and then places it on the table. You do the same and you ask “whats going through your mind Ale?” 

Smiling she says “i like you calling me that.” 

Chuckling you say “stop avoiding the question Ale.” 

She smiles and moves to grab your hand and she says “I want you but I also want to prove to you that I want you Y/N. I have noticed some of your hesitations and as much as I think tonight would be mind-blowing, I want to prove to you that I want you for you. The sweet, kind, cute professor who tends to ramble when she’s nerding out on a topic she cares about, or who takes time out of their busy schedule to coach their nieces team thats who i want to know. Every little detail about you, not just one night but for many.” 

You melt into her at that and she wraps her arms around you as you whisper into her neck “I want that too.” 

She presses a kiss to your hair and says “I will have my way with you soon, but first i want to know the beautiful brain and what makes you you.” 

You lean up and press a kiss to the underside of her jaw and when she looks at you, you whisper out “thank you for seeing me Ale.” 

“this isn’t just for tactics, this is for us” she whispers and presses her lips softly to yours. 

[darinawrites]

*ੈA prickle of blood is worth it*ੈ

Summary: you couldn't help feeling down for the day once you discovered your childhood plushie got destroyed. Imagine your surprise once you saw it sewed before your eyes (Dae ho sewing your plushie because he doesn't want you to be sad </3)

Content: fluff, tooth rooting even. Cuddles, pre game, Dae ho just being a sweetheart.

A/n: I love him so much, oh em gee. Anyway, sorry if this is a little rushed, the writers block syndrome got to me </3

Word count: 1.4k

You didn't want to overreact. It was simply a little plushie. One you carried around with pride as a child, showing off the cute little bows it had. One you cuddled with every night. One that comforted you with the silence with a sewed smile.

So, you couldn't help a small tear run down your cheek as you saw it all torn up today. Waking up to be met with the horrid sight of the cotton scattered all over the room. You didn't even question what happened as your mind wet foggy with sadness.

Holding up its torn up clothes, you were so disappointed. Completely forgetting the morning date you had as you mourned the loss of a childhood memory. It's only when the buzzing of your phone against your skin got you out of the trance did you realize what you had planned.

You tried to face the situation with faked equanimity, texting him that you're going to arriving a bit late. You felt really bad, truthfully, but it was forgotten with your somber mood. The excitement of meeting your beloved damped away.

You didn't want to ruin his mood too, so you dressed up as fast as you could before hurrying out of the door, hopefully not making him wait too long. Staring down at the displayed time as you hopped over to the small cafe.

And, as always, you were meet with the sweetest smile. Yet, you couldn't properly return one with the feelings you had, no matter how much you wanted to. You simply hoped he wouldn't notice your changed mood for now, sitting down to order.

But, you'd be stupid to think Dae ho wouldn't notice. The man who knows you like the palm of his hands, knowing every curve and beauty mark you have. Knowing more about you than himself. He notices when even a strand of hair is displaced.

He was never good at reading people, but you were a book amongst the crowds that he loved to read. Never getting bored of it, no matter how many times he flipped trough the pages. So, of course he'd notice if there was a grammar mistake.

He noticed your small frown, sorrow tinged with your voice. Not finishing the small cake slice nor the coffee, the giggles shrinking down. Even the forced happiness you tried to give to him, it made him have sadness underneath the smile he gave you.

Even as he took you to a small amusement park besides the cafe, brushing it off as a small annoyance that may have occurred to you, he still knew you were off. Not asking for cotton candy, no stars shining in your eyes as you stared at the sky from the ferris wheel.

And you noticed it yourself, how both of you were different today, but you hadn't bothered to tell him. Maybe if you just tried to cover it up, he wouldn't say anything. You already felt bad enough for ruining your little date together.

And, of course, your attempts were in vain. Immediately being ambushed with confrontation as you opened your door to the house.

"Hey..is everything alright? Today seemed a little off." you heard him ask as he placed his jacket on a hook, softly glaring at you with meticulous care to study your facial expressions.

You hesitated for a bit, unsure if you should tell him or not. You trust Dae ho with every fiber in your being, but it still seemed so childish for you to be so sorrowful over a little plushie.

"It's nothing, really. You don't need to worry." you hummed, but he wasn't satisfied. You could still see that glint in his eyes as he stared at you for a moment before answering.

"Nothing is childish if it bothers you. Tell me, please?" he pleaded, and you couldn't just say no. The guilt over the day catching up to you as you let the words flow out of your mouth.

"It's just that..my childhood plushie was destroyed this morning. I'm sorry, it shouldn't have affected me this badly." you hushed out, ashamed to feel this much emotion over a doll.

"Don't feel like that. It's normal," he paused for a moment, like he was arranging the thoughts in his head "I'll be back immediately, give me a moment." and with that, he suddenly hurried away and left you. His figure leaving to the bedroom as you were suddenly left alone with words hanging around the room.

Weird. He usually would like to stay to cuddle while you watched TV. Oh gosh, maybe he did find you childish? Was he mad? You didn't want that, only over a stupid toy.

You shook your head, trying to keep your thoughts straight. That's not the Dae ho you know, you shouldn't be overthinking now. Maybe making some popcorn and watching a movie would help.

Putting your stuff away as you went to the kitchen to make the essentials of a lonely movie night. Popcorn, sweets, cola, everything to get your blood sugar level trough the roof.

Sitting down on the soft cushion, yet a comforting presence wasn't beside you. A small glance at the door of your bedroom, where he was. You sighed, this was supposed to keep your mind distracted, not the opposite.

Your fingers pressed on the remote once you found a relatively interesting looking movie to watch. Setting your snacks neatly, you laid down with a blanket draped over you to make up for the missing warmth. Your eyes staring at the film as you tried to shift your focus to it.

Relief washed over you as the screen turned black, the boring film coming to an end. You were so drowsy, cuddled up beneath the cloak, eyes heavy as you tried to keep them open. But, you didn't want to fight it anymore. Letting the tiredness engulf you as you gave in to the desire.

But before you could float on clouds in your dream, a strong hand suddenly gripped your waist. Groggily opening your eyes as you could recognise those hands anywhere. Softly lifting your finger to graze over his veins as you hummed.

"You're finally back. Did I upset you? I didn't mean to, I promise." you mumbled out, voice hoarse with sleepiness as you pressed yourself up to be met with his chest.

"No, no! I'm sorry, I didn't want you to think that," a soft smile came back to your lips at those words "but I was doing this instead." and with those words he took out something behind him. Hesitating for a moment before bringing it out, showing it to your eyes.

And you couldn't help a small gasp, his hands nimbly held your doll. But this time it wasn't shriveled up, but it was poorly sewed together. The little smile it had now back as it stared up at you. Your eyes widened with shock as the sleepiness flew away.

He must have noticed your silence, worry now setting back in. "I-im sorry. Its not made that well, I promise to—" you quickly cut him off with a kiss, turning your head back to let him see your softened pupils and the red staining your cheeks.

Your hands went down to brush his hands, only to realize a bandaid intruded your sense, gliding your hands over it gently. It must've been recent, and your smile only got wider.

"I love it. Since when did you know how to sew?" your voice was soft, turning your body around to gently push both you flat on the couch. Pulling the blanket over both of you, nuzzling your head in his shoulders, like always.

"I don't. Saw my sisters do it a couple of times, tried to imitate it. Clearly didn't turn out so well." he laughed a bit, picking up his hand to stroke trough your hair. Vibrations of your own giggles heard as you muffled it in his neck.

You crooked your head a little to your side, soft hums coming out from his strokes as you gently stared down the doll.

It held so many memories, valuable ones. Ones you were afraid to wash away when you put it in the washing machine. A ripped up ear reminding you of a small incident and the ripped out eye of another. But the little line right between the chest, one that was so uneven and so messy. One made by him.

That. That was the most valuable.

[defututus]

Even When I’m Not With You | Chapter Three

Sprite & Confessions

masterlist

Summary: you and Eddie are getting closer and it has become impossible to ignore your feelings for each other.

content warnings: mentions of a lack of romantic experience but I swear this chapter is all fluff, Eddie being gross for a minute

word count: ~4.8k

author's note: this chapter is my favorite and I hope you all see why <3 also, I had someone ask for a taglist so if anyone else wants to be added please let me know!

As always, thank you to my favorite people @corroded-hellfire and @munson-blurbs for helping me when I need advice. Also, I don’t know if they remember helping me with this, but I want to thank @vintagehellfire for letting me pick their brain and suggesting things while I writing about Eddie’s… incident. I cackled when she suggested some of the dialogue.

reposting because I forgot to tag it properly!

divider by @saradika-graphics

You and Eddie quickly became thick as thieves. The two of you were either hanging out together or talking over facetime or texting. There were always updates on how your day was going, memes being sent, random thoughts that popped into your head. You couldn’t go an hour without speaking to one another with the exception of sleeping or you being in class, in which Eddie would just message hou until class was over and you’d catch up on everything he sent you. You eventually learned everything about him - about his uncle and his band, Corroded Coffin. You learned he was a music production major with the hopes that his band would make it big but kept a job at the local mechanic for the time being and in case plan A doesn’t work out.  

The two of you would usually have breakfast together, schedules permitting, and then walk to your respective classes together.  You were always amazed at how much Eddie was able to eat every morning, especially when you ate dinner with him the night before and remembered how much he ate then. He also tried a new combination of food every morning - some of these made sense, like Cocoa Puffs in chocolate milk, while you vividly remember him trying Fruity Pebbles in orange juice and how he got a weird look from the dining hall staff when they saw him happily walking to his seat with that in his bowl.  It was during these meals together that you two realized how much you both had in common - a love for horror movies, rock and metal music, and obviously, Dungeons and Dragons. Eddie swore you two were destined to become friends and he wished he had met you sooner. 

You both had planned to sit together after your classes had finished and get some work done before the end of the week. Eddie specifically said he needed you to hold him accountable and make sure he didn’t get distracted and click off his schoolwork like he always ends up doing. He wasn’t exactly lying when he made that request. Eddie always struggled to keep his focus on homework, but he really wanted an excuse to spend more time with you. 

You meet up with him after class in the campus brightly-lit convenience store to grab some snacks. You go for a small cup of cheez-its and an iced tea, while he immediately grabs a large bag of pretzels and two sprites. Your mind immediately goes back to earlier in the day during breakfast where you saw him eat two Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, and Cocoa Puffs. You’re looking at him in surprise and Eddie can see it in your eyes, because he looks at you and holds his family size bag of pretzels close to his chest, defending himself by saying, “Don’t look at me like that. I’m a growing boy, I need food!” 

You snort and begin weaving between the aisles of chips and candy to the checkout counter, greeting the cashier who you have grown fond of over the past three years and swipe your food card to pay for your items. Eddie isn’t too far behind, grabbing a pack of gum before he pays for his own food. You’re waiting for him outside the store as you put your snacks inside your backpack. Once they’re safely stored inside, you look through the front windows and admire Eddie from afar as he chats up the cashier. She’s laughing with him and he has this infectious smile that spreads even to you. You’re admiring his dimples and the way his nose scrunches up when he laughs. He’s wearing a red flannel on top of a black Pantera shirt, his hands in his pockets and watching as the cashier counts out his change. Maybe he could sense you were watching him, or maybe he just happened to look over at you, but you two locked eyes so he gave you a toothy smile and stuck his tongue out. You giggled, and although he couldn’t really hear it through the glass, he still felt the same amount of joy that he felt every time he heard you laugh. Eddie steps outside a minute later and the two of you walk up the hill, shoving your hands in your hoodie and shivering when the wind begins to blow. 

 It felt as if fall had swept over the campus seemingly overnight, because all of a sudden the grounds were awash with hues of orange and yellow. The tree-lined walkways were littered with leaf piles and smelled of autumn. As the seasons began to change, the student body began to pile on layers of clothing to keep the chills away as the winds kicked up. It was one of the cruel facts about going to school in a mountainous area - it was going to get cold. However, the drop in temperature did not keep students from taking advantage of all the outdoor seating the school had to offer. You always maintained that you’d stop sitting outside when it dipped below 40 degrees and that still hadn’t happened yet, which is why you still found yourself sitting at one of the picnic tables outside the school’s student center across from Eddie. 

You two choose a table near the front of the building with a view of the school quad. The winds have died down for the time being so you could safely unload your backpack without worrying about any papers flying around. The sun was shining towards the quad so you two sat on the same side of the table with the warm rays hitting your backs. You’re laying out everything you need to get your work done, a few articles to outline for class next week, your copy of The Odyssey to continue translating, and your notebook. Everything was color coded, so you took out the blue highlighter and the blue post-it notes that went along with them. All Eddie takes out is his laptop with his music program already loaded up, most likely left there from class earlier in the day, and his pretzels laid open right next to the laptop between the two of you. The cheez-its you bought came out a few minutes later once you heard Eddie quietly chewing and remembered your own food. Eventually, you and Eddie fall into a quiet, comfortable routine. You’re focusing on your work and he’s focusing on his. There are moments of brief conversation, like when you ask him if your translation of a sentence sounds clunky or not, or if he’s stuck on how a certain part of a song should sound, but otherwise it’s complete silence between you two.

At some point in your work you begin eyeing his pretzels. You hadn’t finished your cheez-its yet, still having around half of the small container left to eat, but you just found yourself craving the snack your friend had purchased. He bought a large bag and didn’t make much of a dent in it yet, so it wouldn’t hurt to just take a few pieces. 

You glance over at Eddie, the muffled sounds of guitar chords from his music program blaring into his ears as he seems completely focused on his work. Part of you was surprised that he hadn’t complained about any hearing loss based on how loud he always kept things. He wouldn’t care if you took some, right? 

You turn the bag over to you and take a few pretzels out of the bag, popping them in your mouth and resuming your own work. These clauses aren’t going to translate themselves, and you were getting to your favorite part of the story so you were excited to go over it again.

Eddie sees your movement out of the corner of his eye and does indeed notice you taking some of his food, not that he minds, of course. He’d give you the entire bag if you asked him. However, he did like being a pain in the ass to you sometimes, so he holds out an expectant hand between the two of you. It takes you a moment to notice it, and you only do when he begins wiggling his fingers in waiting and you see him looking right at you. He arches a brow at you and waits for you to pay up for the stolen salty snacks.

You crack a smile at him, which he returns,  and then place a few cheez-its in his hand. They were  roughly the same amount of pretzels that you took from him, you weren’t sure. He closes his hand once the crackers are in his hand and tosses them all into his mouth. His cheeks are puffed up like a chipmunk and you’re sure he must be getting crumbs over his laptop but doesn’t seem to care. His face is almost comical and it makes you laugh. Unbeknownst to you, he’s only doing this to get that exact reaction out of you. Your laughter gets him higher than even the best weed in the world. He wishes he could record it and listen to it all day long. Maybe one day he’ll ask if he can do that, but at this moment he’ll take what he can get.

Your laughter dies down and you’re trying to get back to work, which Eddie just could not accept, so he develops a plan. He initially wanted to buy Mountain Dew when he went into the convenience store, but they were unfortunately out so he went for Sprite instead. He looks over to you, looking adorable as always, especially when you’re deep in focus. Your brows are furrowed as you read a sentence out under your breath and tap your pen against the paper in frustration. 

Eddie nudges you to get your attention and motions to one of the bottles of sprite that he’s pulling out of his bag. You watch him in confusion and curiosity as he unscrews the cap and begins to chug it. You watch his adam's apple bob as he’s drinking it, momentarily pausing to grimace and choke out, “This was a horrible idea,” before resuming the challenge he had set out for himself. You’re a little worried he might throw up from this but at the same time you’re curious to see if he can actually do it. It’s still not looking good for him though, judging by the way his face is contorting in pain and his free hand is now gripping his stomach.

Miraculously, he manages to down the entire bottle without puking. Eddie throws the bottle down on the ground and the hand once holding the sprite is now gripping the table. His head is hung low and he’s panting heavily. You’re leaning in to get a better look at him and place a cautious hand on his back.

He’s silent and keeps his head hung low. You scoot closer to him, your thighs now touching his and ask, “Ed, you okay?” and he shakes his head. His eyes are shut, he looks like he’s holding something back. You’re about to ask him if he needs anything - tums, water, hell maybe even an ambulance - before he speaks up.

“Sweetheart, I think I’m dying. There’s no saving me now.”

You’re glad he’s at least feeling well enough to make a joke - you think he’s joking. Second later, his eyes open wide in fear. He lets go of the table and is now fully bent over in pain. It’s a little hard to hear, but you swear you hear him say to himself, “This was the worst decision I’ve made in my entire life.”

Your concern for him intensifies and you begin to rub his back, trying to think of something, anything to help relieve the immense discomfort he’s feeling. He’s also becoming very quiet, and you’ve never known him to be a quiet person. He’s always making some noise, either tapping his pen against something or humming a tune under his breath. His shoes are always loud so everyone can hear him walking into a room. You’re sure he also snores when he sleeps, because you cannot imagine him just sleeping peacefully at night.

Finally, Eddie makes a noise.

The burp that comes out of Eddie doesn’t sound real. It’s akin to something you’d hear in a kids show because of how loud and exaggerated it sounded. There are a few people sitting at the next table who hear Eddie belch and look over at you two, and one of them even looks a little impressed. Eddie is once again quiet, but he looks less pained and more embarrassed by what just occurred. Your hand stops rubbing circles into his back and he’s relieved you haven’t removed it yet - it’s probably the only thing keeping him from running away. He soon looks up at you and plainly says, “I, uh, I thought I was gonna die.”

You nod and pat his back, but your hand still doesn’t move away from him. He’s honestly looking a little embarrassed and you didn’t even know he could get like that. In all the time you’ve known Eddie, you’ve always known him to be loud and proud, so this is something entirely new. You try to lighten the mood by saying, “I wouldn’t let you go that easily. You’re one of my best friends now so you’re stuck with me forever.” He smiles at that, and you can tell he’s starting to feel better by the small chuckle he let out. He’s looking down at his hands and playing with his rings again.

Eddie noticed how your hand never left his back and he could feel the warmth of it through his layers. He lifts his head slightly and you see him looking at you through his bangs. In that moment, you wish you could always look at him like this, just inches away from each other and no other friends to interrupt the moment. Every time you two were alone together every second felt so intimate. The bleary-eyed breakfasts, late night facetime calls where you two discussed your hopes and dreams, the times you would get high in his car and share your favorite songs with each other. Every moment was so cherished and you could only imagine the possibilities if things advanced between you two, if you became something more. More late night talks, he might put an arm around you during your movie nights, maybe you could go on some impromptu dates once midterms were over. They were nice ideas and all, but you had to shut them down before you began daydreaming about the man who sat beside you and almost died from drinking too much Sprite.

Instead of letting yourself get lost in your fantasies you turn your focus back to making Eddie smile since he always did the same for you. The eye contact was back but he had a smile that took your breath away every time. You (begrudgingly) take your hand off his back and nudge his shoulder with yours. “Nah, I knew you’d make it through that… so are you gonna chug that second bottle?” Eddie scoffs at the idea and playfully slaps your arm, finally laughing again and shaking his head. 

“You’re insane if you think I’m EVER doing that shit again!” You watch as he gets up to jog over to the recycling bin and toss his empty Sprite bottle inside. Eddie turns around to see you pouting and giving him your best puppy dog eyes. He would definitely do it again since it made you happy, but he didn’t want you to see him actually throw up that time. “That look is NOT going to work on me, sweetheart. Don’t pull that shit on me!”

You try your best to ignore the comment and instead look down at your incomplete translation, deciding it best to focus on your studies and not the possible feelings he could have for you. Reluctantly, you take your hand off his back and say, “Okay! Let’s get back to work, shall we?” 

Eddie nods his head and you go back to your schoolwork, but Eddie instead minimizes his music program and begins looking things up online. You don’t notice for a couple minutes until you look over at him to sneak another peek at his face and see that he’s scrolling through Netflix. You tap your pen against the laptop screen and say, “Hey. That’s not homework, close that.”

Eddie bats your hand away and clicks to Prime Video and opens the horror category up again. You speak up again, “You know, if you’re planning to write a song based on a horror movie there’s another band that already beat you to that. It might become their whole thing in the future.”

He’s ignoring you now and opens up a few more tabs with movies. You’re now as distracted as he is, leaning in to point out movies you liked or movies you wanted to see. Eddie stops looking at the screen and is now looking at your face, completely mesmerized by your beauty. He can’t believe you’d ever want to hang out with a guy like him. 

“Hey, uh–“, Eddie scratches at the back of his head as he tries to figure out how to ask this without stumbling over his words and making himself look like an idiot in front of you “– we should do a movie night tonight, we haven’t had one in like two weeks. Are you free?” 

You hesitate for a moment, mentally going over your schedule for the night. This was your only homework that had to be finished by tonight and the rest of your assignments can be finished tomorrow. Even if they were all due tomorrow, you’d much rather spend time with Eddie watching a movie together. The fits of laughter when someone dies, ordering pizza and arguing which snacks to eat after dinner, curling up under the blankets with your knees grazing each other. Lingering glances when your hands touch and the blush that always appears on Eddie’s cheeks when you two accidentally lock eyes. Those nights you let your mind wander, and wonder if maybe you could have a future with Eddie. Maybe you two could be more than friends. Perhaps you could have more than momentarily looks and brief touches. For now, you’ll take every moment you can get with him.

You respond to him with a smile, saying, “For you? I’m always free.”

Eddie is continuing to look nervous, his hands moving from his laptop to under the table and fiddling with the rings on his hands. He’s biting at his lip and going over his next words in his head, but sets them aside for later. He shifts his attention back to the tabs he had pulled up previously, clicking between a few possible choices. 

“Ok, cool. So we have a few options… uh, there’s A Quiet Place, I think you said you haven’t watched that yet. We still haven’t finished our Saw marathon, so maybe we could do that? Or,”” Eddie clicks over to one last tab, the preview picture showing a silhouette of a giant deer standing in front of a burning house  with what looked like hands hanging from its face, “we could watch The Ritual. This one looks amazing.”

You take his laptop and tilt it towards you and read through the summary given by the streaming service and scroll down to the reviews - they’re all positive and talk about how unnerving the movie is. The eerie imagery combined with the whole movie being set in the woods already had your skin crawling. You don’t notice yourself doing it, but you start smiling as you read each review talking about how this movie gave people nightmares and how they could never look at a forest the same again. Once you hit the bottom of the page, you turn the laptop back to Eddie and confidently say, “Eddie, we have to watch that.”

He’s nodding and closes his laptop for now before fully turning to you. There’s a constant hum of students in the walkways in front of you as they’re all let out of class, and Eddie finds it a little calming as he tries to figure out what to say. He hesitates a little before biting the bullet. 

“How would you feel about making it a date?”

You blink a few times as you try to process what he just asked you. Maybe your parents were right and you really were damaging your hearing by listening to your music too loud because there’s no way you just heard Eddie Munson ask you out. There are so many things you want to ask. Why? Are you sick? Is this a joke? Please don’t let it be a joke.

All you can muster is a confused, “What?” before Eddie has to begin explaining himself.

“I’ve wanted to ask you out ever since I’ve met you, but I’ve been scared that you might not feel the same way and I might ruin our friendship,” Eddie takes your hand in his and then takes the other which was currently sitting on your lap. There’s a constant hum around you two as people are leaving their classes and making their ways to their destinations, whether it be their next class, the commuter lounge, or home for the day. You can barely hear it over the sound of your heart beat. Eddie continues on, “Steve told me the other day that he was sick of watching me stare at you like a lovesick puppy and said he was pretty sure you liked me back, so I figured I might as well try…”

You look down at his hands and a drop of water falls down onto one of them. Is it raining? No, you’re crying. Hurriedly, you reach to wipe the tear away hoping Eddie doesn’t notice but how could he not when he’s been watching you this entire time. His hand beats you to it and wipes the following tears away. In a hushed tone, he asks, “Hey, hey, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” It’s that damn pet name again. You weren’t imagining things - he doesn’t treat everyone like this, you realize, this is all real. 

Your eyes shut but the tears continue to fall. Thankfully, you manage to keep the noise to a minimum to avoid any unwanted attention. Between quiet sobs, you say, “I’m sorry, but nobody has ever liked me, and I couldn’t imagine anyone ever liking me back. I’m just not used to this. I thought this could only ever happen in my dreams.”

Eddie stays quiet as you tearfully explain your lack of dating history and the guys in school only ever asking you out as a joke, how it wrecked your self-esteem and by the time you were halfway through college you just gave up. Never in a million years did you imagine someone like Eddie would ever like you, but here he is. Eddie’s hand stays on you, eventually moving from your cheek down to your shoulder and down to your arm. It’s a comforting reminder that again, this is real and he’s there. 

Once you’ve finished explaining yourself, Eddie squeezes the one hand he’s still holding. He says, “I wish I could have met you earlier, whether it be earlier in college or high school. I wish I could have made you realize how beautiful you are and shower you with compliments until you finally see yourself in the same way that I see you - as the most beautiful, stunning, perfect person in the entire universe. And sweetheart, if  you let me, I promise to start right fucking now.”

You had to be dreaming at that point because Eddie Munson does not feel real to you. Either you’re dreaming or your daydreams have gotten a little too realistic. You chew at your lip and ask him, “You’re really serious?”

“As serious as a heart attack. Now, is that a date?”

You feel your face flush and nod sheepishly, having to break eye contact and look down at your conjoined hands. Eddie chuckles at your reaction and gives your hands a squeeze before he unfortunately lets go of them. He turns to face his laptop again and opens it back up before saying, “Great, now let’s get back to work, shall we?”

A few hours later, Eddie returns to his shared apartment with Steve with a pep in his step. He’s humming a little tune and places his backpack next to the door. Steve is lounging  on the couch playing video games after class, having changed into a Hawkins Basketball hoodie and black sweats, when Eddie arrives and he’s immediately suspicious of him. It reminds Steve of the day that Eddie met you so he has an inkling of an idea of what could have happened today. Sure, Eddie has been in a better mood ever since the two of you reunited, but even this was a bit much. 

Steve pauses the level and rests the controller on his chest before looking at his roommate - Eddie pads over to the kitchen and opens the fridge to survey the contents of it. After that he goes through each of the light oak cabinets, taking note of the snacks available to them. He’s talking to himself, something like, “The regular popcorn should be fine, right? She hasn’t complained  about it so far…” and pulls his phone out to tap a quick message away. Eddie turns to the living room to head towards his room when he finally notices Steve. “Oh, Steve! Hey uh, can you do me a huge favor?” 

Steve cocks a brow at Eddie and replies with a cautious, “Okay…? What is it?” 

Eddie walks over to Steve on the couch and shoves a hand in his pocket, the other scratching at his stubble on his chin. Should he shave? No, you already saw him like this earlier. It would be weird if you came over and saw that he shaved. “Can you like… fuck off for the rest of the night?”

Steve scoffs and fully sits up, the video game controller long forgotten now and falls from his chest to his lap and onto the carpeted floor. “You want me to fuck off? Last time I checked we both live here.”

 Eddie realized how that sounded the moment he closed his mouth and was already fumbling over his words to try and sound like less of a tool. 

“I mean, I just need the place for a few hours. You’ve asked me to do the same thing, remember? Please.”

The former jock pulls a leg up to rest on the couch to lean on it. “Yeah man, but that’s for when Nancy comes over. Like, for a date.”

“Well, I… ok so,” Eddie shuffles his feet and kicks at the leg of the coffee table, looking up at Steve and raises his eyebrows at him, “I did as you told me to today.”

It takes Steve a second to realize what he’s talking about because, frankly, Steve has asked Eddie to do a lot of things. Like the dishes and to take out the bathroom trash. Also, Eddie can be a bit of a dumbass sometimes. Then, it clicks. He shoots up off the couch, the controller falling onto the carpeted floor with a muffled thump.

“Jesus Christ, you finally fucking did it. You asked her out? Seriously?”

Eddie squints and leans in, lowering his head and speaks in a hushed voice. “No Steve, i asked out the lady that works at the fucking dining hall. We have a real connection and bonded over the fucking pancakes. OF COURSE I ASKED HER OUT, YOU DUMBASS.”

Steve narrowly misses the coffee table as he runs past it to pull Eddie into a bear hug. Eddie is awkwardly standing there but eventually hugs his roommate and even laughs a little. He would never say this, but Steve is actually proud of Eddie for finally telling you how he felt. Steve swore he’d never see the day where his best friend would finally confess his feelings towards you. In fact, he was so confident that he and Robin made bets on it.

Steve remembers this and pulls away with a huff as he silently pads to the couch to grab his phone. Eddie watches him in confusion as his roommate seemingly angrily taps away on his phone. When Steve eventually looks up with pursed lips, Eddie cocks an eyebrow as if to ask what’s going on?

Steve states, “I owe Robin $25 now.”

taglist: @justalotoffanfiction @iyskgd

[leaderwon]

VALENTINE'S DAY WITH JUNGWON!

Synopsis : Jungwon invites you on an unexpected Valentine's Day adventure, swapping traditional plans for ua scenic hike and heartfelt surprises under a starlit sky. From hand picked flowers to a glowing fairy lit tree, the day unfolds with simple yet beautiful moments that prove love thrives in the little things.

Warnings : fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff

Wc : 3.3k+

masterlist

The sun beamed down warmly as Valentine's Day unfolded with a promise of joy. You hadn't expected much from the day, but Jungwon was full of surprises. His text earlier was simple yet intriguing: “Wear your sneakers and meet me at the trail entrance at 3. Trust me.”

Curiosity buzzed in your chest as you made your way to the scenic hiking trail. Jungwon waited for you near the entrance, leaning casually against a wooden signpost. His eyes lit up when he spotted you, and that familiar, boyish grin spread across his face.

“Hey, ready for an adventure?” he asked, offering his hand. You chuckled, slipping your fingers into his. “A Valentine’s Day hike? Didn’t see that one coming.” “Well, I figured dinner reservations were too predictable,” he teased. “Plus, nature’s got the best views.”

The trail was a gentle slope surrounded by tall trees and wildflowers peeking through patches of grass. Birds chirped melodiously, and a refreshing breeze rustled the leaves.

Jungwon matched his pace with yours, his hand never leaving yours. He pointed out interesting sights along the way, a bird's nest nestled high in a tree, a cluster of vibrant wildflowers, and even a peculiar heart-shaped rock that made him laugh.

“Maybe it’s a sign” he said playfully, holding the rock up. “A sign that we’re corny?” you teased. He laughed. “I’ll take it.”

After about twenty minutes, the trail opened up to a stunning clearing. A sprawling meadow stretched out before you, bathed in golden sunlight. In the center was a cozy picnic setup, a blanket spread across the grass, cushions, and a basket filled with snacks.

You gaped at the sight. “You did all this?” Jungwon scratched the back of his neck, a little bashful. “Yeah. Wanted it to be special.” “It’s amazing” you said, touched by his thoughtfulness.

Settling down on the blanket, you both dug into the assortment of treats Jungwon had prepared. Between bites of fruit and homemade sandwiches, you shared stories and jokes, the conversation flowing effortlessly.

At one point, Jungwon pulled out a small journal. “I, uh, wrote something for you” he admitted, looking uncharacteristically shy. Your eyes widened. “Really?” He nodded. “It’s not a song or anything fancy, just... thoughts.”

He flipped open the journal and began reading aloud. His words were sincere, filled with admiration and love. He spoke about how you brought light into his life, how your laughter was his favorite sound, and how he couldn’t imagine a day without you.

By the time he finished, your eyes were misty. “Jungwon, that was beautiful. Thank you.”

He reached for your hand, his expression soft. “You deserve to hear it.” 

The afternoon melted into a tranquil golden hour. As the sun dipped lower, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Jungwon suggested one last surprise.

“Close your eyes” he instructed. You gave him a curious look but obliged. He guided you carefully across the meadow, his voice gentle as he led you.

“Okay, open” he said. Your breath caught as you took in the sight. A tree stood before you, its branches adorned with twinkling fairy lights. Beneath it was a wooden swing draped in flowers.

“Jungwon, this is magical” you whispered. He grinned. “Thought it might be a nice spot to end the day.” You settled onto the swing, and he gave you a gentle push. The lights twinkled around you, and the world felt like it had slowed down.

“Today was perfect” you said softly. Jungwon sat on the grass beside you, his expression content. “You make it perfect.”

Your heart swelled at his words. “I love you, Jungwon.” He looked up at you, his eyes shining. “I love you too.”

The stars began to peek through the darkening sky, witnessing a love that was simple, genuine, and timeless. Valentine's Day with Jungwon wasn’t about grand gestures, it was about being present, appreciating the little things, and cherishing every moment together.

As you sat under the fairy lit tree, hand in hand with Jungwon, you knew this day would be etched in your heart forever.

© @leaderwon 2025. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

[whumpy-wyrms]

Blood Runs Cold #3: Gasping for Air

previous > masterlist > next

content: captivity, starvation, dehydration, cold whump, begging, vomit mention, mind control, blood drinking, non sexual nudity, drowning, non permanent death, defiant immortal whumpee, creepy vampire whumper

SURPRISE BRC CHAPTER!! ITS BACK AGAIN. HAVE FUN (i also had no fucking clue what to title this one so it may change lol i just wanted to post it NOW)

— 

Aspen woke up to a rough nudge to his shoulder. He blinked his eyes open, the dim light of the basement allowing him to see the vampire looming over him, nudging him with his foot and holding something in his hands.

“Get up, corpse,” Silas said, backing up and sitting down in a wooden chair across from Aspen that had probably been placed there while he was out.

Aspen swallowed and timidly sat up, squinting his eyes and curiously looking at what the vampire was holding.

“I have food for you. And water.”

Aspen’s eyes lit up, and he almost jumped up in joy if not for the crushing, gnawing weight of starvation and the chain around his ankle holding him down.

“Can I—” Before he could finish his sentence, Aspen broke out in a series of dry, raspy coughs. “W-water,” he rasped. “Please?”

Silas considered him for a moment, then tossed him a plastic water bottle. Aspen scrambled to catch it and after a few seconds of struggling to open it, and ignoring Silas’s amused grin as he did so, he quickly brought it to his lips and took a drink.

The fresh, cool water felt like heaven on his tongue. He gulped it down faster than he could think, relishing as the cool liquid slid down his dehydrated throat. It was gone as fast as it came, and Aspen looked up at the vampire with pleading eyes.

The vampire smiled a wicked grin. “Aww, you want more?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then beg me to go get some.”

Aspen’s heart sank. “What?”

“You heard me.”

…Well, he didn’t really have a choice. He was thirsty. Aspen looked to the ground, and carefully moved to sit on his knees in front of the vampire. He peered up at him with wide, pleading eyes, and let out a shuddering breath. “P-please. C-can I pl-please have some more water? Please please please—”

“Not perfect,” Silas interrupted. “But you’ll get better in time,” the vampire hummed. He handed Aspen another bottle of water, and he drank it gingerly. “I would have given it to you anyway, but I just love hearing your cute little whimpers.”

Aspen ignored what he was saying, just waiting for the food. The food. His gnawing pit in his stomach grew at the thought of finally eating soon.

Silas sighed, feigning sympathy. “You must be so hungry. I’ve had to go a while without eating too, before. But not anymore. Not with you here. We’ll keep each other from going hungry from now on, isn’t that right?”

“I-I guess so.”

“Good. I’ll feed you first, and then you can feed me. Here,” Silas said, tossing something at Aspen.

Aspen scrambled to pick up a store-bought sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap, his mouth watering just at the sight. He ripped it open and dug in immediately, devouring it down so fast it was as if he hadn’t eaten in a week… which he hadn’t.

He finished the sandwich quickly, but he was still left with that gnawing hunger. His stomach grumbled and he looked up at Silas expectantly. The vampire scowled and threw another sandwich at him, this time it hitting him in the face.

Aspen flinched, but started to eat the second one as well. “...Thanks again. For… feeding me.”

“Your food is my food. I want your blood to be the tastiest it can be. If this is what it takes, then so be it.”

Aspen said nothing and continued eating. Slower, this time. Savoring the taste. He didn’t know how often this guy would be feeding him. How much did he even know about humans?

The vampire looked bored, and Aspen felt uncomfortable in the suffocating silence. “...What else is in the bag?” he asked.

The vampire rolled its eyes. “Clothes. For you. Realized you wearing the same filthy outfit every day really reaks up the place.”

Aspen hugged his arms around himself. “Oh. D-don’t take my hoodie.”

“Oh pipe down. You can still keep it.”

He relaxed slightly at that. “Okay…” Aspen trailed off, thinking to himself. The vampire wasn’t hurting him at the moment, they were existing in the same space peacefully, for now. Maybe he could try to learn more about him. “Hey, um…” He gestured to his captor. “What’s your name anyway?”

“My food does not need to know my name.” Silas said, tapping his foot against the ground.

“…Oh.”

“Why do you want it?”

Aspen shrugged. “Just so I… know what to call you.” He frowned. “I guess.”

The vampire rested his cheek in his fist. “Since you’re gonna be here for a while,” he murmured, dark voice echoing through the silence, “I suppose you should know. It’s Silas.”

“…Silas?”

“Yes. Do not fucking make me regret telling you that. I can rip it back out of your weak little mind if I so desire.”

“I-I won’t.”

“Good. Now hurry up and finish eating. I’m hungry.”

“On- on it.” Though, Aspen really wasn’t looking forward to it. He started eating again, taking small glances at the vampire and dreading what was going to happen the second he was done.

Once he was done, he wrapped his arms around himself and eyed his captor warily. The vampire’s eyes lit up with that animalistic hunger Aspen always dreaded to see. Silas was crouched next to him in an instant, setting his hands on Aspen’s shoulders and leaning down towards his throat.

Aspen craned his neck to the side as the vampire sank his fangs into this flesh, gulping down his blood. It hurt. Aspen could never get used to the feeling of his blood being sucked from his body and into the mouth of another person— no, a monster. He squeezed his eyes shut, already succumbing to the lightheadedness and expecting to pass out at any moment.

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when the vampire pulled his fangs out early and licked the wound closed. Aspen blinked his eyes open, confused on why the vampire hadn’t sucked him completely dry like all the other times.

“Your blood is… better than yesterday,” Silas said, licking his lips. “You were right. Food makes it tastier. I guess you’re happy that I’ll have to keep you well fed from now on, huh?”

“You’re… already done feeding?”

“I still need you awake to take you upstairs. You smell like shit.”

“Oh.”

Aspen tried to stand, but his legs collapsed under him, his whole body now wobbly and weak from blood loss. The vampire let out an annoyed sigh and, before Aspen could even process what was happening, he was up in Silas’s arms and being carried up the basement steps. Aspen went rigid in his captor’s hold, curling up smaller as Silas carried him as if he weighed nothing at all.

The vampire opened the door and they finally walked out of the basement. Aspen looked around, chill going down his spine as he was met with the same room from the day he woke up here.

Aspen swallowed thickly. “We’re still…”

“In the mortuary? Yes. I live here. Right upstairs, but you won’t ever have to worry about that. You’ll rarely leave the basement.”

Aspen frowned, eyeing the freezers, that horrible confined space he woke up in. He hated this place more than anything. The stagnant smell of death and misery filled the air. The place was drenched in it, as if it was the only thing it could ever be. Death. His grave.

Aspen shook those morbid thoughts away and looked around. The wall opposite of him was lined with freezers— most likely storing more corpses. Around the room were a few metal tables with trays of tools and lights hanging over them. Along another wall were shelves holding an assortment of tools and dusty, old looking books, and a messy desk scattered with stacks of paper. The wall on his left had a couple of windows, but they were all covered with a thick curtain. To his right was a staircase going upward, most likely to the second floor where Silas said his room was. There was a big door on the right wall, and another door in the far corner of the room.

“Come on. I’ll show you to the bathroom so you can wash up. Smells like you haven't showered in months.” Silas grabbed his wrist and started dragging him towards the door in the corner.

Aspen scrambled to follow him, socks shuffling across the cold floor. “Hey, wait, um,” he decided to speak up now, or else he never would. “Silas?”

Silas stopped walking. “What?” he asked without turning around.

“Can I have um, my- my um…”

“Spit it out.”

“Can I, uhm, have my… my binder?”

“…Your what?”

“My- my um, chest binder. ‘Cause, you know, ‘cause I’m trans?” His chest was already pretty flat to begin with, but the extra layer would be a good comfort.

Silas sighed deeply. “Fine. You’ve been behaving today, so I’ll give it back after your bath.”

“Oh,” Aspen let out a breath of relief. “Thanks. Can I have my glasses too?”

“I already told you. You’ll have to earn those. Now come on.”

Silas opened the door, shoved Aspen inside, and grabbed the handle. “Wash up. You have twenty minutes,” he said. “That’s it. I don’t like waiting.” The vampire slammed the door shut, and the sound of a lock clicking filled the silence.

“O-okay,” Aspen replied through the door, wasting no time in turning on the bath and letting the water flow. Right away, he noticed there was no mirror. But he didn’t need a mirror to know he probably looked disgusting. Hair greasy and dirty, skin covered in blood and grime, body sunken and starved. It was probably for the best that he didn’t get to look at himself.

He noticed there was a toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter, still in the packaging as if they were just bought. He quickly brushed his teeth while the bath filled with water, and hoped that despite everything else, that there was warm water in this horrible place.

He stripped off his clothes and timidly went to feel the water. The second he felt the warm, almost scalding hot water, he wasted no time in immediately jumping inside and submerging himself fully in the warmth. He felt like he could cry. He didn’t remember the last time he wasn’t being bit at by the freezing cold that surrounded him at all hours. He sank deeper into the bath, closing his eyes and relaxing in the first actual moment of peace he’d gotten in this hell.

After a little while, he opened his eyes and winced when he realized the water had turned a dark reddish brown, caused by the blood and dirt from his skin. It was about time he actually started washing up. He took the shampoo bottle and pumped some soap into his hands, then dipped his head in the water and started scrubbing his curly hair. If he closed his eyes, he tried to pretend it was somebody else washing his hair, gently but frantically getting all the dirt out and scrubbing it in suds of shampoo. He dipped his head back under, relishing in the warmth around his skin, and rinsed the soap out of his hair.

He then washed the rest of his body. He decided to drain the disgusting water and refill the bath with new clean warmth. And finally, he relaxed. He closed his eyes and curled up, letting the warmth of the water set in and relished this moment as long as he could. He breathed steadily, feeling as comforted as he could in this place.

There was a noise by the door. Aspen peaked an eye open, suddenly remembering where he was and who was waiting for him.

He sucked in a breath, heart beginning to speed up in his chest. How much time was he given again? How long had it been?

“Aspen,” a voice growled from the other side. “Time’s up. Are you done?”

His body went rigid, wide eyes staring at the bathroom door. He felt like he could barely breathe. No! He was not done! “I- um, I—”

An annoyed sigh. “Speak up. I can’t understand you.”

Aspen swallowed thickly and pulled his knees to his chest. “Ca-can I have just a f-few more minutes?”

“You’ve had more than enough time. I don’t like waiting. Come out.”

After a few seconds of complete silence from Aspen, Silas yanked the door open, lock breaking and scattering against the floor, and stood threateningly in the doorway.

“Time is up.”

Aspen felt frozen in place, huddled up in the corner of the bathtub. His words were caught in his throat and all he could do was stare up at the vampire in terror. His heart plummeted as he watched Silas start walking towards him, and he finally found his voice.

“W-wait! I-I didn’t mean to take so long, I’m sorry! I’ll get out, I’ll go back to the basement—”

“Too late.”

Silas crouched down in front of Aspen and he violently flinched away, curling up deeper in the corner of the bathtub.

“You disobeyed me,” Silas hissed. “Aspen. Look at me.”

“I’m- I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me, I-I’m done now. I’ll get out.”

“And you know what happens when you disobey?” Silas said, ignoring what Aspen was saying completely and putting a hand on the rim of the tub, leaning in closer.

“N-no, please—”

Aspen yelped in pain as a rough hand suddenly found its way into his hair, yanking his head painfully forward.

“Shut up.”

His head was slammed under the water and held there. A strong hand pushed his face against the floor of the tub, nails piercing into his skull and tangling in his hair as Aspen frantically flailed his arms and legs, trying to get out. It felt like an eternity he was held there, holding his breath, almost out of air.

His head was yanked back up again and he sucked in a huge breath, coughing water out.

“What’s the matter?” Silas sneered, giving Aspen’s head a little tussle. “I thought you wanted to stay in the bath?”

“Pl-ease—” Aspen choked out, sputtering a gasp. “P-lease st-stop.”

He was shoved back down again, water filling and burning his lungs as he tried and failed to breathe. He thrashed and struggled as hard as he could, needing to get up for air.

And he was pulled back up again. He convulsed, coughing violently, trying to get the water out of his lungs and suck in as much air as possible before he was pushed back down again. Over and over again. But never given enough time, never given enough air. He gasped for breath, but only choked on the water in his throat.

When his head was dunked underwater once more, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to suck in a large breath, throat spasming and water burning his lungs. He breathed in again, gasping for air that wasn’t there. The vampire yanked his head out of the water, but it was limp in his hands.

“Shit,” Silas muttered under his breath. He gave Aspen’s face a couple light slaps. “Hey, wake up.”

Dead silence. He laid limply in Silas’s hold, face blue from the lack of oxygen, eyes wide and lifeless.

“Aspen?” The vampire shook him. But he didn’t wake up. “Fuck.”

. . . 

Wet coughs broke the silence. Aspen gasped and leaned forwards, coughing out all the water that drenched his lungs. He heaved deep breaths, sucking in the cold air.

“For the record, I wasn’t planning on killing you. I just wanted to teach you a lesson.”

His head shot up towards the voice. Silas was standing in front of him.

Aspen looked around, realizing he was laying up against a wall in the morgue again. He leaned his still damp head of hair against the concrete wall behind him and glared at his captor.

“What?” Silas hissed. “It took you four fucking hours to wake up from that. I didn’t plan for that!”

Aspen flinched back, curling up tighter. “S-sorry.”

As Aspen became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed he wasn’t wearing his old clothes, but a thin t-shirt and shorts. He was also wearing his binder. …The vampire had actually given it back.

“I went ahead and dressed you while you were out. Your old clothes were disgusting.”

That wasn’t Aspen’s fault. He didn’t choose to be held captive in a dirty basement for a week, constantly covered in his own dried blood. But his dino hoodie was gone. His favorite hoodie. One he wore everywhere and all the time. The thought of the vampire disposing of it or destroying it made him want to cry.

“What did you do to my hoodie?”

“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s in the wash.”

“Oh.”

“You’ll get it back if you behave. Now,” Silas pulled Aspen to his feet. “Since you’ll be staying here for the rest of your life and mine, I might as well tell you how things work around here. This is my mortuary. I live here, so we’ll never leave. And before you so stupidly ask, no, there aren’t any other employees. It’s just me and you here.”

Silas started walking, showing his human around the place. They walked by the freezers, metal tables, some treys of particularly sharp looking surgical tools stained with blood. “Y’know,” Silas murmured, grabbing a scalpel and holding it up to Aspen. “I might just have to strap you down to this table one of these days… I’m curious about what your insides look like. I mean, I’ve seen them, but only while eating. I never got a really good look. What do ya say?”

Aspen’s face went pale. “I- uh—”

“Oh Aspen. I’m only joking with you.” Silas giggled, setting the scalpel back and continuing walking through the morgue. “Of course I wouldn’t give you a choice.”

After Silas was done showing him around and only slightly tormenting him, explaining what he does to the corpses here and filling his brain with so many different ways he could be hurt in this place, Aspen only became more terrified. Of all places a vampire could live…

“Why do you live… here?”

“Because I’m a mortician, Aspen. Mostly for the free meals. I mean, I get human corpses delivered straight to me on the regular. Sure, the blood is old and stale and not as filling, but it keeps me sated for quite a while. It also speeds up the process of a few things,” Silas murmured, “like how corpses have to have their blood drained anyway as part of the embalming process. I’m just making the job more efficient for myself. And fun.”

“Of course,” Silas continued. “I can’t just eat corpse blood forever.” The vampire cupped Aspen’s face in his hands, smiling sweetly. “Which is why I’m just so glad I have you now, Aspen. You’re really helping me out here.”

Aspen shuddered, eyes glued to the floor.

“Oh, I eat them, too, sometimes,” Silas teased. “If the corpse is unidentified or gonna be cremated, I sneak a bite every now and then. That’s what I did to you when you first showed up here.”

“W-wait,” Aspen mumbled, furrowing his brows. “How did I—”

“And oh, I know us vampires can only digest human blood, but that doesn’t stop me, sweet Aspen.”

“Wait, but, how—”

Silas continued talking, paying no attention to what Aspen was saying. “I do it because it’s fun. Because I can. The meat… The flesh and bones, they’re just too good to resist. The fear my live prey feels when I tear out parts of them… it’s exhilarating. It makes it all worth it, when I eventually throw up all their insides. I couldn’t care less that other vampires find this disgusting. It’s their loss.”

“S-Silas!” Aspen shouted, trying to get the vampire’s attention.

Silas turned to him. “What?”

“I- I want to know how I died. Th-the first time. Why I was brought here, and what happened to my friend. Y-you have to know, right?”

Silas smirked. “Oh, Aspen,” he purred. “Of course I know how you died, but I’m not going to tell you.”

“P-please!” Aspen grabbed the vampire’s arm and continued begging.

Silas shoved him to the ground. “Don’t touch me, corpse,” he hissed. “I’m not telling you. You have no reason to know.”

Aspen cried out in pain as he hit the ground, stumbling back up and taking a few steps away from the vampire. “...Okay,” he grumbled. “But what about my friend? What about Lyle?”

“Why are you asking me? All I know is that nobody showed up to claim your body. You’re dead to the world. Your friend simply must not have cared.”

“That’s- that’s not true! She would’ve come! She wouldn’t just abandon me like this!” Aspen began frantically wiping at the tears falling down his cheeks, but they just kept coming. “She will find me, Silas. She’ll figure out I’m alive and rescue me any day now!”

Silas smirked and patted his head. “Sure she will. I’m sure she’s so close by. She might even be here already!”

“What is that supposed to m—”

Before Aspen could finish, Silas clamped his hand over his mouth and pounced, fangs violently digging into his neck. Aspen cried out and thrashed, but the vampire held him still. Silas quickly pulled out his fangs and glanced at his face. “Sorry,” he mocked. “All that talk about feeding got me hungry. See you tomorrow.”

After biting back in and drinking just enough to leave Aspen conscious but woozy from blood loss, Silas dragged him back to the basement door. He threw the human down the stairs and watched him tumble to the ground. Aspen looked up, his face filled with hurt and betrayal. “Wait!—” Aspen screamed, but Silas only smirked and slammed the door shut. Time to get back to work.

�� 

i’m not too proud of this one but i had to get it finished so i can post more!!! MORE!!!! MORE TO COME!! SOON!!!!!! (because i have over 30k words of unfinished future chapters okay. i need to get this out there or i will lose my mind i love these characters so much..)

taglist: 

@inkwell-and-dagger @vidawhump @taterswhump @toyybox @andithewhumper

@creppersfunpalooza @bottlecapreader @whumpsday @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @kisa-writes

@mintflavouredwhump @fleur-a-whump @starfields08000 @deviant-doughnut @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees

@jumpywhumpywriter @whump-till-ya-jump @slightlydisturbedbeans @befuddlednettle @eventide-paradox

@whump-queen

let me know if you want to be removed or added to the taglist!

[ofmdrecaps]

02/09-12/2025 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill (Momentus Event w/Samba, Kristian, and Vico); Samba Schutte; Anapela Polata'ivao; Alex Sherman/Alyssa Lane; Rachel House; Brian Gattas; Adopt Our Crew: Words of Love; Fan Spotlight: Owltrouser's Bayeux Tapestries; Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Gay Pirate News Hour; Love Notes;

= David Jenkins =

David's fic is finally finished (as of the 16th)! The last of it will be posted in the next recap for the 13th-16th, I just ran out of image room on tumblr on this one or I'd have put them all together. If you'd like to read the whole thing you can do so in many different places!

David's Bluesky Thread

On Tumblr: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

All in One Place: On the repository

Source: David Jenkins Bsky

= Rhys Darby =

Rhys is out in Austin on the 15-16, Raleigh 18-19, and Philadelphia Feb 25-26 for his comedy tour! If you get a chance to go please let me know how it went!

Source: Cap City's Comedy IG

He's got some New Love Hurts BTS up on his Paid Substack!

Source: Rhys Paid Substack

Rhys has been so busy! He had another Rhys Darby's Funny Thing's Society on the seventh, and was joined by Jim Jefferies and Trae Crowder at the Largo Los Angeles!

Source: Largo Los Angeles IG

= Taika Waititi =

Hey did you know Taika directed this super bowl commercial?

In case you haven't seen enough of him, more and more vids and images are getting released from his award ceremony at the Producers Guild of America!

Source: IG

Source: Kevin Goetz

Source: Producer's Guild IG

= Con O'Neill =

The latest OFMD Momentus Event went out without a hitch! In case you didn't get to join, there were some surprise guests-- Kristian, Samba, and Vico! One of our crewmates, @ringasunn wrote fics just for the occasion and they were read by our cast members! These fics are Izzy centric and NSFW!

The video was uploaded to youtube, but youtube took it down for mature content, so if you'd like a copy, you can access it here!

Con also wrote everyone a note after the fact!

"After today's event I fell into a deep sleep and woke myself up with my screams I am now on my way to find a priest ...thanks to my fellow pirates @puertoricaninja @kristiannairn @sambaschutte and the lovely @charliecapen for arranging it all .... love is a weapon. Use it x #love #ofmd #izzy #fightback"

Source: Con O'Neill's IG

= Samba Schutte =

Samba is finally on bluesky! You can find him here!

Source: Samba's Bsky

Great news! Samba's movie Advanced Chemistry was in the top 3 of the movies streamed on Stars!

Source: Samba's IG Stories

= Anapela Polata'ivao =

Our dearest Auntie was out at the Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, Premiere of her film ‘Tinā’! So many showed up to celebrate her wonderful film which goes live in theatres on Feb 27th!

In honor of the premiere, Costume designer Kama Aliska was kind enough to share some lovely BTS photos of Anapela and the crew!

Source: Kama Aliska's IG

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tagata Pasifika (@tagatapasifika)

Source: TPPlus.NZ IG

= Rachel House =

Just a quick shot with our dear Mary Reed <3

Source: Instagram

= Alex Sherman & Alyssa Lane =

Some great news! Alex Sherman and Alyssa Lane will be joining The Wee Con via a Digital Panel!

Source A MuseOfFyre's IG

= Brian Gattas =

Just a sweet tribute from our Siegfried to Elizabeth Banks for her birthday <3

Source: Brian's IG stories

== Adopt Our Crew: Words of Love ==

More lovely words of love by our crewmates over at @adoptourcrew in honor of Valentine's Day! Thank you for continuing to educate us on all the wonderful types of love there are!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Bsky

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Owltrousers's Bayeux Tapestry =

More Tapestries by the wonderful @owltrousers! This time for Season 1 Episode 2 - A Damned Man!

Source: Owltrouser's Bluesky

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

Another episode of Our Flag Means Fanfiction is live, and this time it's The Fang (aka Kevin) Episode! Check it out on your favorite podcast platform via their linktr.ee!

Source: OFMFF Instagram

= Gay Pirate News Hour =

Special debrief of the "Izzy Into Me" Momentus event by the Gay Pirate News Hour side of Our Flag Means Fanfiction!

Source: OFMFF Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies. I feel like I'm perpetually behind now, kiddo's been sick, I've been sick, heck the whole country seems to be sick. Thanks so much as always for your patience on these <3

I'm running on fumes and I was trying to get the next recap up as well tonight so I'm gonna just send some love from some other folks who've been keeping me going these last several days.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Twillostory™ | Art for Mental Wellness (@twillostory)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Twillostory™ | Art for Mental Wellness (@twillostory)

Source: Twillostory IG / 2

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holly Murray | Doodles (@hollymurray_doodles)

Source: HollyMurray_Doodles=

[milunalupin]

For your valentine event, how about ❤️ soulmate ; friends to lovers for Harry Potter with the trope “thanks for making today a little less depressing.”? I imagine Harry never really had a proper Valentines Day before Hogwarts and the reader wants to change that for him ☺️

apologies for the late response my love but here is a little harry on valentine's day for you ! <3

— heart to heart

harry potter x reader ★ 837 words

Valentine’s Day at Hogwarts wasn’t something Harry had ever really celebrated. A simple day for lovers, for couples, for people who didn’t have a lifetime of danger and loss hanging over their heads. Love wasn't something he would say he's experienced much in life, apart from his best friends he was lucky enough to meet at school.

But he found a different kind of love the moment you entered his life. You never saw him as the ‘Chosen One,’ nor did you pity his past. Through you, he came to understand the true meaning of kindness and sincerity, feeling them in ways he never had before.

For you, Valentine’s Day had always been a cheerful occasion. It wasn’t just about heart-shaped chocolates or bouquets of flowers, but about taking a moment to show the people you cared about how much they meant to you.

You noticed it early in the week—how the thought of Valentine’s Day made Harry retreat into himself. Forced smiles and distant eyes, like he was already counting down the days until it was over.

So you decided to change that.

It was the morning of February 14th when you approached him in the common room. He was sitting by the fireplace, his worn-out copy of Quidditch Through the Ages spread across his lap. His glasses were slipping down his nose, eyes squinting at the page.

“Harry,” you said, walking over to him with a small but determined smile. “I need your help with something.”

He looked up from the book, giving you a distracted, confused look. “What’s up?”

“I have a plan for today, and you’re part of it,” you said, sitting down beside him and leaning over to pull a small, folded note from your bag. You handed it to him. “Read this.”

Harry blinked at you, then unfolded the note carefully. Inside were your scribbled plans for the day—an escape from the usual routine of classes and the lingering gloom. You had arranged a picnic, complete with homemade sandwiches, pumpkin juice, and a few of his favorite treats.

“You’re serious?” Harry asked, looking at you with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. “You want to spend Valentine’s Day with me? You know it’s not really… my thing, right?”

“That’s okay,” you said with a warm grin. “We’ll figure it out together. No pressure.”

And so, you spent the day together. No extravagant plans, no rush. You sat in the soft grass by the edge of the Black Lake, enjoying the peaceful afternoon, watching the giant squid playfully surface from time to time.

You had packed a few little gifts—nothing too fancy, just small tokens of appreciation. You handed Harry a box of chocolate frogs with a grin. “A little something for your sweet tooth.”

He laughed quietly, taking the box from you. “You know me too well,” he said, his voice finally sounding lighter.

Later, as the two of you walked through the grounds, Harry paused, taking in the sight of the sky turning from soft pink to deep purple as the sun began to set. He let out a long sigh, a contented one.

“Thanks for doing this,” he said, voice quieter than usual. “I didn’t know Valentine’s Day could actually be… fun.”

You smiled at him, the warmth spreading in your chest. “I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

There was a long pause before Harry turned to face you, his gaze soft but intense. “You’re not like anyone else,” he said quietly. “Most people feel sorry for me, but you—” He shook his head, as if he didn’t quite know how to finish the thought.

“You don’t need to apologize for who you are, Harry,” you said, stepping a little closer to him. “I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re a burden. You’re my friend, and… well, you mean a lot to me.”

He blinked, clearly taken aback by the honesty in your voice. The air between you seemed to crackle with something unspoken, something that neither of you quite knew how to define, but you both felt it.

“I…” He hesitated, running a hand through his untamable hair. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

You gave him a playful smile. “Good thing you don’t have to find out.”

He chuckled softly, a real, genuine laugh that made your heart flutter. “Thanks for making today a little less depressing,” he said, his voice warm.

You reached out and squeezed his hand, “You deserve to be happy, Harry. And if I can be the one to make that happen, I’ll do it every day.”

His eyes softened, and for the briefest moment, it seemed like the world around you disappeared. All that mattered was the connection between the two of you, something deeper than just friendship.

And in that moment, Harry smiled, not just because of the chocolates, the picnic, or the day itself—but because for the first time in a long time, he truly felt seen.

And for you, that was all that mattered.

[charliedawn]

HUNT THE FREAK

Eddie Munson x Teacher!Reader

Part 3

Over the next few days, Eddie did a surprisingly good job of reading the whole book. He’d never been interested in reading a book in his life—besides the D&D books, of course—but he managed to finish Of Mice and Men in just a few days. And of course, he made sure to take notes on the sides, writing down his opinion on each chapter as well as things he wanted to ask you about when he’d see you again.

When he finished the last chapter, he couldn’t help but wonder what you’d say or think. He’d never been particularly interested in any of his teachers’ opinions before, but you seemed kinda interesting. He didn’t quite know how to explain it exactly, but he found himself very invested in your class.

Of course, he still skipped classes quite a lot, but he always made sure to stop by and attend yours. It was the only one he was looking forward to actually.

Meanwhile you taught your classes and tried to prepare the students for the upcoming exams. You decided to give them essays to write. They had to write about their own dream job and how they intended to reach their goal. Eddie scoffed once he was given this assignment. Write about his dream ? As if that was ever going to happen. He wasn’t going to sit and write a whole essay about a thing he’d never achieve in a million years. So, as usual, he just sat back down and began doodling on his desk instead.

However, as he was in the middle of drawing a dragon, he was a bit surprised to see you sitting right in front of him. He raised his head and looked up at you, his usual smirk making its way back onto his face. "Hey, teach…Nice of you to come and keep me company.”

You didn’t reply and just tapped the paper for the assignment expectantly. He looked down at the paper and scoffed, slouching in his seat and putting his pencil down with a clatter. "Seriously ? You want me to do this ? It’s pointless anyway. No dream I have will ever actually happen, so I’m not gonna sit and write bullshit."

You tilted your head. "How do you know your dreams won’t come true ?"

He laughed once, shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned back in his chair, looking at you with a smirk on his face. "Oh, I don’t know ! Maybe because I am broke as hell, and I don’t have money to go chase my dreams like other people do ! So let’s not play games here, okay teach ? We both know that whatever I write down is never gonna happen. So you can forget it."

You hummed thoughtfully before taking the paper and writing things down instead. He watched as you took the paper and scribbled things onto it, his eyes widening a bit in surprise. He leaned a bit closer, trying to see what the hell you were writing down. "Hey, what are you doing ?"

You shrugged. "Doing the assignment you don’t want to do."

He shook his head and tried to get a closer look at the paper, to no avail. He leaned back in his seat and looked at you with a frown. "You can’t do the assignment for me, y’know. They’ll know I didn’t write it…and then I’ll fail."

You chuckled and shook your head. "I am doing it for me. I don’t know about your dreams. I know about mine. I am writing my dreams down, since you do not think you can do it."

He raised an eyebrow, watching you intently. He didn’t think you’d actually do the assignment for yourself just because he refused to do it. He was a bit curious, now—what were your dreams ?

He leaned closer again, trying to see what you were writing on the paper, but your handwriting was indescribable and you were bent down over the paper—withholding your secret wishes from his eyes. The other students were curious as well—but focused on their own assignment. Eventually, he gave up trying to read what you had written and just watched you intently, his chin resting on his palm. While he was still a bit annoyed at being given this pointless assignment, he was more than willing to simply sit there and watch you as you wrote, even if it was extremely boring.

You had written down almost to the end of the page now. He looked at the paper once again, and almost jumped in surprise as he saw just how much you had written. What kind of dreams did you have that took a whole goddamn page to write about them ?

He was even more curious now, if that was even possible.

You suddenly stood up and smiled before sticking the paper to the wall. He was confused at first when you stood up, but his eyes widened as he saw what you were doing. You were putting your paper up on the board for the whole class to see ?

He quickly got up and made his way towards the front of the classroom, trying to get a closer look at all the things you had written down. He found a list of names—all the students’ names. He frowned, looked at you, then back at the list. What the hell did that mean ?

He turned back to you, crossing his arms over his chest and scoffed. "What’s that ? That’s not a dream."

You smiled. "It is. Take a closer look."

He raised an eyebrow, walking closer and looking at the whole list again. He wasn’t too sure what he was looking for exactly until his eyes darted over the last sentence you’d written. "Wait. This last one’s your dream ?"

You nodded and all the students who had been curious too suddenly stood up to look at the paper and the last sentence you had written…

…

Happy graduation day, students ! Hope you’ll do great things and make me proud one day !

They all looked dumbfounded. Eddie shook his head. He was at first a little disappointed that all you had written down in the end was the usual bullshit that teachers said and never meant. But he looked at you and you were smiling so bright that he thought he was gonna go blind. What’s with that lightbulb energy ? He looked back at the paper and sighed before smiling. Okay. He had to admit. It was kinda cute and wholesome. To think that you, a teacher who had to deal with kids all day, didn’t dream of luxury vacations or anything like that, but just wanted to see her students be happy. That was definitely good vibes right there. And he could feel that the other students in the class were thinking the same.

You then looked at each of them. "You are the first class I ever taught. And if there is one dream I have is to see you all graduate and do big things out there."

The whole class smiled at that, touched by your words. It was such a simple thing, such a simple dream, and yet…they could all see the honesty in your eyes, and they knew you really meant it when you said it. They all exchanged looks, and it was as if all of them silently agreed that none of them would disappoint you. You finally looked at Eddie and smiled before asking. "What do you think, Mister Munson ? Circa ‘86 ? Is it gonna be a good year ?"

He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly as a small smile grew on his face. He found the idea of you actually worrying about them graduating kinda cool. To know that even one teacher wanted them to succeed…he never expected that—even thought he couldn’t help but be skeptical. "You really think we’ll all graduate ? We’re all not exactly…stellar students. Hell, I skipped like 60% of all my classes."

You shrugged. "Well…We will find a solution."

He couldn’t help but smile a little at that. You were so optimistic, it was adorable—like a sunflower with a smiley face. He chuckled. "Finding a solution to my bad grades ? Good luck with that one, teach. I’m a lost cause."

You stood up and picked up the essays of all the other students. "…I do not believe is ‘lost causes’, Mister Munson. I believe in hard work."

He laughed at that, returning to his desk. He found it ironic that you had so much faith in him when even all other teachers gave up on him long ago. "Hard work, huh ? That’s funny. That’s the one thing I’ve never been good at."

Once all the assignments picked up, you faced him. "Well, we will just have to change that, won’t we ?"

Eddie let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Change me, huh ?" He smiled. "You must have a lot of faith, teach. But...if you're willing to put up with my crap, I guess I can give it a shot."

He crossed his arms and shrugged.

"Guess we'll see if you can turn this 'lost cause' around." His tone was teasing, but there was a hint of something genuine hope beneath it. He didn't say it aloud, but it was clear enough—he was actually willing to try. And maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad. Not with someone like you in his corner.

You heard the bell rang and looked at the other students with a smile. "Go to your next class, students. Have a good day."

The students started to head out one by one, murmuring amongst themselves. They were all talking about what you had written on the paper, all of them amused or amazed by just how much you cared about them. Eddie stayed in front of you though, a smirk on his face as he looked at you. No one else was in the room now—it was just you and him.

You sighed and sat down at your desk. "…You won’t get to any other class than mine, Mister Munson ?"

Eddie leaned against the desk, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he gave you a cheeky grin.

"Guess I could, but I’m thinkin’ I’ll skip ‘em all and just hang out here." He shrugged, his smirk softening slightly. "I mean, where else am I gonna find someone who actually gives a damn ?"

His gaze lingered on you for a moment, and for once, the usual bravado didn’t quite mask the genuine gratitude that flickered in his eyes. You were not a cool kid, but you were certainly a cool teacher. He quickly snapped back to his usual cocky attitude, though, trying to hide the shift in mood.

"Besides, you seem to be the only one who can put up with my crap. So I might as well stick around."

He gave a playful wink, though there was an underlying sincerity to it. He then looked at your desk and smiled as he saw a little figurine. He grabbed it and looked at it. Aww…It was a little squirrel with glasses. Cute.

"And who is that ?" He asked and you smiled.

"It is a squishy. For emergencies. When some students need to calm down, it is easier for them when they squish Mister Squirrel." You smiled and nodded towards it. "Try it. Squish it."

He hesitated before squishing it in his hand. It made a deflating balloon noise and he let out a small excited laugh—like a child. He tried multiple times and squished it as hard as he could—only for the thing to come back to its original form. Okay. That was actually a fun thing right there…Definitely NOT a new favourite thing to obsess over.

He kept squishing it and you observed him closely. Eddie looked excited and happy. You didn’t tell him you used that particular squishy for kids with special needs. He didn’t need to know that just yet…

"You can keep it. I have many Mister Squirrels." You told him instead and Eddie looked at you with all the glee of a child you had just told had won a new plushie.

"For real ? Thanks, Miss G." He exclaimed excitedly and you nodded with a smile before gesturing for him to come closer. He did and you took the small squishy and hooked it to his school bag.

"Here you go, Mister Munson." You restrained a smile as he seemed genuinely pleased with the gift and you shook your head. "Now, I insist. You should go to every class. Just…put a little of your own. What if you succeed and make something of yourself ? Won’t your uncle be proud ?"

He let out an amused laugh, throwing his arms in the air in disbelief. "My uncle ? Hell, Uncle Wayne’s too busy working his ass off just to try and put food on the table to give two shits about me graduating or not. He’ll be happy as long as I don’t end up like my deadbeat parents."

You frowned. "Mister Munson. Why can’t you see that you are as apt as everyone in this school of graduating ? You are smart. I am sure of it."

He stared at you for a long moment, just looking at you blankly, before scoffing and shaking his head again. "You’re just sayin’ that. I’ve been failing most of my classes for 3 years now. I barely passed the previous years. There’s no chance in hell I’m making it this time, too."

You shook your head. "We are still early in the year. We just have to find a solution to have you learn the basics you missed. Just…give me a chance. Please."

Eddie’s posture softened slightly as he leaned back against the desk, crossing his arms loosely. You DID give him a book and a Mister Squirrel. You seemed nice enough and he had nothing to lose by trying. He studied you for a moment and rubbed the side of his face as he pondered on it. He wasn't used to this kind of attention—genuine concern—and it felt both weird and comforting in some kinda way.

"I dunno, teach," he muttered, tapping the side of his leg absentmindedly. "You really think I can catch up ? I’ve been slackin’ for years, and I'm not exactly the 'studious' type."

He ran a hand through his messy hair, exhaling a frustrated breath. But then his gaze softened, just a little, and he glanced at you again, his voice quieter this time.

"I mean...I appreciate you wantin' to help, but I don’t know if I believe in it, y'know ? I’ve been stuck for so long, it’s hard to think anything’s gonna change."

There was a pause, and for a moment, Eddie seemed to be struggling with the idea of actually trying, of trusting that something could be different this time. Finally, he spoke again, his tone almost teasing but with a hint of respect underneath.

"You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Most people would've given up on me by now."

He gave a half-smile, not quite ready to give in, but willing to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, your belief in him wasn’t entirely misplaced.

.

.

.

The days following your conversation seemed to shift something in Eddie. At first, it felt like he was just going through the motions, but slowly, he began to put in more effort. He actually showed up to many of his classes—without skipping. He didn’t always do his homework, but when he did, there was a noticeable difference. He’d jot down some of his thoughts during class discussions, even asking questions, and slowly started working through his assignments.

One afternoon, as the bell rang signaling the end of class, Eddie walked up to your desk, his usual cocky grin in place, but there was something different in his eyes—an unfamiliar determination.

"Hey, teach," he said, handing you the completed assignment, "I actually did it. The essay thing. Not gonna lie, it’s not my best work, but I figured I’d give it a shot."

You looked at the paper in his hand and took it from him with a raised eyebrow. You could see the effort he'd put into it, even if it wasn’t perfect. He may have still been unsure of himself, but there was a noticeable shift.

"Well," you began, smiling, "I’m impressed. You finished it."

He shifted on his feet, shrugging casually. "Yeah, well, I’m not a total lost cause, right ? Gotta at least try, I guess."

You glanced down at the paper, reading over his words. It was clear that Eddie wasn’t the most skilled when it came to writing, there were a lot of grammar and orthographic mistakes, but you were glad he had at least given you something. You decided to correct it right away and your pen started working on his paper quickly. You read and smiled at some passages. Not bad…Not bad at all.

Meanwhile, Eddie looked almost nervous. He was chewing on a strand of hair while observing you—watching your reactions. He wanted to see if you were pleased and you seemed to be when you arrived to the end of the assignment.

"You know," you said, looking up at him with a smile, "I think you might be more capable than you give yourself credit for."

Eddie’s eyes flickered for a moment, the teasing smirk still on his face, but there was pride there too. You could see he was flattered and his leg started bouncing a little. "Maybe. But I’m not makin’ any promises."

You handed the paper back to him, this time with a small note at the top. "For now, this is a good start. Keep it up, Eddie."

He nodded awkwardly, and backed away from the desk, a bit of color on his cheeks, before turning to leave. As he walked out, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of pride. Maybe this whole "hard work" thing wasn’t as impossible as he’d always thought.

He looked at the note you had written and smiled.

Good job, Eddie.

He stared at the words for a long moment, his fingers tracing the paper almost in disbelief. His eyes flickered up to see you as he was leaving the classroom, and a small sheepish grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. As he walked away, holding the paper carefully like it was fragile, he couldn’t help but feel a little lighter, like maybe there was a chance for him after all. He definitely didn’t smile all the way to his next class…

The next day:

At the end of the class, Eddie sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at you at your desk with an indecisive look on his face before he spoke up. "Fine. I’ll really try to graduate. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—teach—if this doesn’t turn out like you want it to. But I have one condition—"

You looked at him suspiciously. "Which is ?"

He smirked. "If I succeed, you’ll have to buy tickets to come see me play with my band."

You were surprised, but smile nonetheless. "Fine. I would be more than happy to buy a front row ticket for one of your concerts if you succeed."

He was a bit surprised that you were okay with this…the other teachers always either told him to shut up about his music or completely tuned out whenever he mentioned his band. That was definitely some bonus points in his book. His smirk grew. "Really ? You would come to a Corroded Coffin concert ? Never took you for the metal type, teach."

You chuckled. "I do enjoy all kinds of music and I do appreciate your passion."

He chuckled, glad that you apparently enjoyed all kinds of music. He always thought you’d only be into more…traditional music. Stuff from the 60s, maybe. "All kinds of music, huh ? Can’t imagine you being into hardcore metal…no offense."

You smiled and shrugged. "None taken. So, do we have a deal, Mister Munson ?"

You extended a hand forward. He hesitated for a few seconds, thinking through it all. If this thing actually worked and he got his grades up…he could make it. He’d be able to graduate and escape Hawkins. He’d have a chance. He nodded once and smirked, taking your hand in his and shaking it once. "Fine. We have a deal, teach."

You shook his hand firmly, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you felt the weight of the moment. Eddie didn’t seem to be someone to make promises lightly, so you could tell that this was a step toward something important for him.

"Good. I’ll be looking forward to that concert, Eddie," you said, giving him a reassuring nod.

He flashed you a big grin and nodded. "Can’t wait."

You watched as he gathered his things, heading for the door. Before he stepped out however, he turned back to you one last time, giving you a smirk.

"Thanks, by the way," he said, his voice softer than usual. "For actually giving a damn."

You smiled in return, watching him leave with a sense of quiet pride. Eddie Munson was a lot more capable than he gave himself credit for, and maybe—just maybe—you could help him find his way.

[rainbows-fanfics]

Solid 9.5/10 read; I loved it a lot!! For my first Disney Twisted Tale book, I think I picked the right one. I *was* kind of hoping for the story to have quite a bit more romance in it, as that's why I love Beauty & the Beast, but getting to see all the twisted takes was fun. I'm surprised I ended up liking the whole "Enchantress being Belle's mother" thing, as it got to introduce a lot of Fucked Up Shit for the story.

Spoilers belowww:

THANK GOD IT'S A STORY WHERE THE BEAST STAYS A BEAST AT THE END. And it's not even positive he'll be able to turn back at all. Just wish Belle was described to be more physically into him that way, but maybe that's just the Human/Monster in me talking.

A couple of my favorite dark/gorey moments in here:

I saw someone say that the ending feels unfinished, and I have to agree. Man was I hoping to see more Belle/Beast bonding time in here, because the ending treated it as a "it's just kind of obvious they'll get married" thing instead of showing us how their relationship grows like in the movie.

At least they'll be travelling together.

[kimtaegis]

@ye-xiu's favourite taemin looks ↳ happy birthday, al! ✨

[morb1dcan1d]

⭑✶ Wishing upon a shooting star ✶⭑

[liquidstar]

a friend who'd wait :)

[todayisafridaynight]

national bf day on twitter that means i get legal rights to finish my cringe masadai fic where daigo meets masato's dad(s)

[keeps-ache]

it's so cool when you end up looking how you imagine you do anyway hvfsh

[chooey]

just finished breaking bad