#thank you so much to everyone who took part

[lou-struck]

Made With Love Part 5

Made with Love  pt 5

OM Brothers & Datables x reader

Featuring: Simeon and a bonus character

SERIES MASTERLIST

Warnings: yandere Simeon, mentions of kidnapping, passing out, overexertion. Slightly suggestive behavior.  Love Potion based personality changes, obsessive behaviors, mention of suggestive behavior, lots of teasing, kissing, touching, etc.

A/n: Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through this process, I know it took awhile to finish this mini series but I hope that it’s worth it.

As the Sorcerer's words echo through the dark, a disbelieving shiver trails down your spine. "Can you please repeat that, Solomon," you ask, hoping that your fatigue has made you auditorily hallucinate and everything will be fine.

His hand comes to rest on your arm, the comforting gesture does little to calm your nerves when the worry in his eyes shines as bright as the human world sun. "Depending on many factors, potions can affect individuals differently. As an angel, this twisted love potion may be much more potent on Simeon than it was on any of the Demons. I advise you to be on your guard when confronting him."

"So the kiss may not work at all?" you ask, trying your best to remain calm, but the slight tremor in your voice betrays you.

He shakes his head, "I'm afraid that's the case." His eyes fill with concern as they flick to the window. "I wonder if I should head back to the lab to try and create an antidote, in case you were to, to."

"In case I fail," you say dryly, understanding the severity of the situation. "But there still is a chance that I can help him, so I'm gonna take it. You should go back to Purgatory Hall; Luke should be…~"

Crap

For the first time in hours, you remember that you did not start this quest on your own. Poor Luke must be freaking out all by himself. You were supposed to check in with the angel, but after your DDD was waterlogged, thanks to Levi, you haven't been able to contact him at all. 

"What's the matter Mc?" Solomon asks gently, grabbing ahold of your arm. The warmth radiating from his fingertips brings you back down to earth. "You look like you've seen a ghost. 

"It's Luke," you answer, guilt flooding your features at just the mention of the little helper's name. "I was supposed to call him and check in while he has been working on the antidote but I couldn't. Do you have your DDD on you by chance?"

"Do I?" He furrows his brows and pats his pockets. Finding nothing, he frowns. "Sorry, I must've left it in the Banquet Hall. I recall having it when I arrived, but after everything that happened, I must've forgotten to pick it up."

You frown. Just standing around is wasting precious time, but you dread the words that are about to leave your lips. "You should head back. Get the others up to speed and check up on Luke for me, okay?"

"I don't want to leave you," he says; the fire in his eyes tells you that he means it with every fiber of his being. "Not when things are the way they are. 

"Technically, I should be the safest out of everyone." you mention, "At least we know what Simeon wants with me; if one of you guys ran into him, it could be a different story."

The determination on your features draws a long sigh from Solomon, one that really reveals his age. "Are you really okay with trying to find him on your own?"

You nod, giving him what you believe to be a convincing smile. "There is still a possibility that I can break the spell on my own. But if I can't, I promise I will call for help. 

"If that's what you think is best," he sighs, "But I can't say I'm happy with this arrangement."

"I know you aren't," you say quickly.  "But thank you for going along with my plan."

Before he turns to go, he grabs your hand and looks deep into your eyes. "Please be careful, Mc. He may look the same, but that is not the Simeon you know. If things get dicey, just call for me. Please, Mc, promise me you won't try to be a hero and do this on your own. None of us would be able to handle it if something were to happen to you. I wouldn't be able to handle it if you got hurt."

"I promise. I'll be careful," you say solemnly and he shoots you one last glance, begging for you to change your mind before he turns and leaves through a door. 

The feeling of loneliness comes quickly; all of your senses feel as if they have been heightened by your current fear. Every shadow that passes you resembles a hand ready to pull you into the darkness, and now you really want to go home. 

Where could Simeon be?

The Library?

The Botanical gardens?

The Bathroom?

With the thousands of hiding spots in front of you, you can't help but feel a tad overwhelmed. Your heart rate rises and the stone pattern on the tiles blur under your overwhelmed gaze. You stumble slightly over a divot in the hall and reach out to a long end table to steady yourself. 

The porcelain vase rattles but, thankfully, doesn't come crashing down. 

Just as you breathe a sigh of relief, a low laughter reaches your ears, and you turn your end to the wall of shadows at the end of the hallway.

Ah, alone at last Mc," Simeon coo's stepping out from behind a pillar, brilliant white wings out on display as he takes you in with dark eyes. "You have no idea what kinds of fun I have planned for the two of us now that I have you all to myself. His usual angelic aura is replaced with one that is dark and menacing; against your better judgment, you are hit with an incapacitating wave of fear. 

All it takes is one single step toward you for your courage to falter as one thought races through your mind on loop.

This isn't Simeon…

You turn and run.

~

At long last, Luke has done it…he thinks. 

The Lab smells of black licorice and garlic as the angel's slightly elongated reflection stares back at him as he gazes into the Deep lavender concoction that is supposed to solve everything. This cure should make everyone stop acting so scary, and you can still have the Valentine's Day party you deserve. 

But something feels wrong. 

You haven't messaged him once through this whole process. Every time Luke stares at his empty inbox, his heart breaks a bit more as he imagines those obsessive demons taking you away forever. 

Simeon'

What is going on over there?

Unable to wait any longer for the potion to cool, Luke takes it off its burner. The vial is painfully hot in his hands, but he doesn't let go as he puts a cork in it and runs out of the Lab in a flash. 

The sudden burst of cold air in his lungs makes the little angel struggle to breathe, but he keeps running. The taller demons he passes on the street give him odd looks as he passes, but he doesn't have time to care. 

Keeping his eyes trained on the wet ground below, he doesn't see the large man-shark demon stepping into his path until he makes contact with his slick, gray skin. Being much lighter than that massive demon, Luke bounces off of him and hits the ground hard. 

His knees sting as they scrape the ground and turn an angry red color, but as he struggles to regain his breath, all he can think of is the potion. 

Did he break it?

"Hey, little guy?" the demon he had crashed into earlier says, holding out a fin. "Are you okay? That was quite the spill."

Luke takes the fin and gets to his feet. He holds the antidote a bit closer to his chest. "I'm fine, I'm really sorry for running into you, but I have to go."

"It's cool, I get it." the demon says, smiling with his rows and rows and rows of jagged teeth. "Have a good one."

Luke nods and starts to run once more. His stomach twists and turns as he thinks of Simeon, of Barbatos, of you. 

While his tired, little mind may be making him think the worst, he has this strange feeling that you are in trouble. 

Simeon~

You're in trouble. 

Out of breath, you find yourself in the middle of the empty ballroom. The crystal chandelier gleams in the moonlight as a few white feathers float gently to the ground, each one casting a new shadow in Simeon's image. 

He's toying with you. 

"Are you done running?" His voice echoes through the darkness. "You must be tired, poor thing, won't you come here?" his tone is soft, angelic, and it brings tears to your eyes as you fight your natural instinct to run into his arms. 

Although you cannot see him, you can feel his presence, he isn't just watching you at this point, he's hunting you. The intense power radiating from the darkness causes your knees to tremble as you stumble over to the wall. Your body feels far weaker than normal, but your mind is still sharp. 

The potion is clearly still effective on him, so it could be entirely possible that he truly is as possessive as the others claimed he was. Meaning, you can use it to your advantage. 

"Simeon, c-could you please come out here?" you call, forcing your voice to waver a bit more than necessary to lure him out.  "Please, I got rid of the others, so It's just us. I-i want to spend my Valentine's Day with you."

You pause, awaiting his response, but get nothing. If your angel heard you, he doesn't seem to be taking the bait. Squinting through the room, you search for any sign of motion finding nothing. 

Walking over to the partially drawn curtains, your fingers close around the thick woven cord and give it a light tug. A bit more moonlight would make your search for Simeon a bit easier, but you find it doesn't budge. 

Gritting your teeth, you pull at it again and again, until the velvet drapery slides, revealing a disheveled Simeon who greets you with a manic grin. 

"You've done well my darling." he coo's those bright, beautiful blue eyes of his practically concealed by those enlarged hearts. "You found what was behind curtain number one."

His skin feels like it's on fire as his hand latches around your wrist. You gasp at the sensation and instinctively try to step away, but he doesn't let you. 

You are enveloped in his steaming embrace as he nuzzles his face into your hair. The faint glow of his wings illuminates the room as his feathers cocoon you. Despite the circumstances, you relax under his familiar touch. "Please don't be afraid of me." he murmurs, his voice soft and genuine as he tries to comfort you.

"I'm not afraid of you Simeon," you answer truthfully, "I could never be afraid of you. Today has just been difficult."

"I know My Love," he says, smiling into your hair. There is something eerie in his tone that puts you on edge. "It must've been difficult playing this little game of hide and seek all by yourself, but you did it. You found everyone, Just like I thought you would."

As his words wash over you, your stomach sinks and you twist around to face him. "What are you talking about?"

He smiles as he grabs your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze as he eyes you with predatory hunger. "Did you have fun getting your special little moment with everyone else? Did you enjoy their pathetic displays of infatuation, picking off each lovesick fool one by one and sending them off with just a little kiss?"

The Venom in his words causes you to squirm in his hold. "You were watching me?"

"Since you stepped foot in this castle," he grins his nails gently tracing the side of your face. "But unlike those demons, I showed restraint and waited for them to get out of the way. Like always, they were too greedy to focus on the big picture."

Perhaps it's the unusual bout of exhaustion you are feeling, but you're having trouble seeing what Simeon is referring to as the 'big picture' as well. "And what would that be?" You ask carefully.

"Before now, I was always the one to make sacrifices when it came to spending time with you. Whenever I try, you always get taken away from me to either play peacemaker to those selfish demons when they cause problems they lack the mental fortitude to fix themselves, get treated like one of Solomon's little lab rats, or play babysitter to Luke, who is afraid of his own shadow." He is so vexed at the words spewing out of his mouth that his body temperature increases even higher than before, making this smothering contact stiflingly warm. 

There is real pain behind his harsh words, the kind that definitely could be exploited by a personality-altering Love Potion; your heart breaks for the neglected angel. "Simeon…"

"So you can see it too?"  I am done taking a backseat and watching everyone sweep you off your feet while I am obligated to give up my heart's desire." White feathers twitch as their owner stares down at you darkly. "So I will take you away and dedicate every waking moment of my life to keeping your content."

With wings like those, Simeon could easily carry you away from the Devildom, and judging from the look of desperation on his face, he is planning on doing just that. 

"Please listen to me," you plead, placing your hand on his chest; his heart is beating out of control, "It's the Love Potion talking; you don't really want to do this. Let me help you."

He looks as if you had just slapped him across the face. His emotions are going from one extreme to the other. "How can you say that, Mc? How can you say that I wouldn't want to be near you at all times?"

"I'm sorry, I just never saw things that way until now." you apologize softly. "I never realized how little time we get to spend together. But I would like to fix it if you would allow me to."

The hearts shrink in size as you gently cup his overheating face, his blush looks painfully deep as you press your lips to his, softly at first, but the kiss quickly turns desperate as you think of all the times Simeon has had to play the good sport. 

Although kindness is one of his best traits, you fell in Love with Simeon, not the worn doormat he perceives himself to be at the moment. You love his wit, his creativity, his warmth. 

You pour your affections into the kiss, but something feels off. 

Your body tingles as you feel your energy being drained from you at a rapid pace. Your arm becomes slack as it falls from Simeon's face and hangs limply.

Your eyes widen as you stare up at Simeon helplessly. A look of Victory on his face as he boops your nose. "Oh come on Darling; You're going to have to give me much more than that."

~

The doors to the banquet hall part for Solomon as he approaches, but as he sees the nine pairs of eyes on him, he wishes he could be anywhere else at the moment. When the awaiting demons realize it is just him, their eager, hopeful looks turn mostly cold and disinterested.

It stings. 

"Diavolo is the first to greet him with a warm smile as the Prince strides over and pats him on the back. "Solomon, I am relieved to see that you have come back to us in one piece~."

"Where's Mc?" Mammon says interrupting his monarch, earring a murderous glare from Barbatos and a thwack to the back of the head from Lucifer.

Exhaling, his thoughts return to you, "Mc…Stayed behind to find Simeon on their own. I offered to help but they felt it was best if they faced him alone. Given the circumstances."

Satan sits up straighter in his chair, "That appears to be the best course of action," he relents. "We all saw Simeon; I fear if he were to run into one of us, he might become violent. But he would never hurt Mc, potion or no potion."

Asmodeus, the only one of the Avatars of Sin Solomon has a pact with, narrows his eyes, and sends the Sorcerer an accusatory glare. "There's something you're not telling us Hon; what is it?"

Signing deeper, he internally curses the demon for seeing through him so quickly. "There is a chance Mc will not be able to break the spell on Simeon with just a kiss. I heard Luke is back at Purgatory Hall working on an antidote as we speak in case they were to fail."

The room goes deathly quiet as everyone recalls Simeon's deranged promises from earlier. If you are at his mercy with no way of breaking the spell, he may have the upperhand and escape the Devildom with you. 

"That is serious," Diavolo frowns, addressing the room, "We must find them and restrain Simeon before he does anything he'll regret. Mc's safety takes priority right now."

"Something's wrong," Lucifer says from his seat. "I'm having trouble detecting Mc's presence."

"Has the Dark Angel made his move already?" Levi shudders. 

"Did you really give Simeon a nickname at a time like this?" Belphie asks, looking rather irritated. "I'm tired of waiting around while Mc is in danger."

Tired

That one little word causes Solomon's eye to widen as the passage of potion side effects flashes through his mind. 

"I know that look," Barbatos says wearily. "What are you thinking about?"

"I think," he says, his mouth bone dry as he speaks. "We need to go find Mc, right now."

Simeon II ~

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy, Mc? Did you really think that I would just throw away the chance to keep you all to myself because of a little kiss?" He asks, his hand rising to gently stroke your cheek, forcing you to stare into his unnerving heart-shaped pupils. The hearts are dilating and constricting so rapidly they look as if they are beating. "I want more…"

"What's going on?" you breathe as Simeon holds your numb body like you're a porcelain doll. "Simeon, why can't I move?"

"Don't worry My Darling. It's not permanent, but this does make our dramatic escape a bit easier for me." He smiles, pressing another kiss onto your forehead as if he is mocking your earlier attempt of breaking the spell. Upon seeing your frightened features, he gently bushes a few strands of hair from your face. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Mc; my heart won't be able to take it."

"What did you do?"

His smile grows wider, "I didn't do anything. The one responsible for the little state of exhaustion you find yourself in, is you."

"Wha~"

"My selfless little love, did you not realize that with each kiss you gave to break the spell, you have been draining your energy?" he asks amusedly. "Or did you believe you were tired from walking all this time?"

"You're right," you say after a moment of contemplation. You have felt the tug of exhaustion but never even considered that breaking the spell would have an effect on you. You really thought you were feeling the effects of stress or not drinking enough water. "But how did you know?"

"Because I see you, Mc," he coos, "The others, time and time again, take advantage of that big, beautiful heart of yours. Let me help you. Let me take you away from all of this so I can worship you the way you deserve to be. Every day will feel like heaven; I will dedicate every waking moment to your rapture; you will be so content, you will never long for anyone else, only me."

He steps closer to the balcony doors as you scream at your tired limbs to move. Your Fingertips twitch slightly, but it's not enough. You need to buy yourself some more time. "Simeon, we can't do this. We can't just leave behind everyone else."

He stops in his tracks, "You don't love me?" he asks, his voice tender with emotion as hurt fills his bewitched eyes. The hearts have stopped beating, but yours aches at the accusation. 

"Of course I love you Simeon," you say quickly, the wide, lovesick grin returning to his face at your words. "But I am happy here, and I know you are too. The other~"

"Will never stop using you," he interrupts, not taking his eyes off of you. "Aren't you tired Mc? Every day, you get thrown into the path of danger. And have to be the one to fix it. I saw what Leviathan did to you. I was this close to stepping in and striking him down, but then you broke the spell, And he was back to his pathetic self."

"That was an accident, he wasn't in control of his own actions." You say, coming to the thirdborn's defense. "But I still care about him."

"The others are not different, Beelzebub, Diavolo, Solomon. Their Love does not even compare to what I feel for you." Tears well in Simeon's eyes as he shakes. These words coming out of his mouth are so unkind; there is no way Simeon would say these things about his friends, his former brothers, and Luke, the one who looks up to him like an older brother.

"What about the Love you have for them? These are your friends, your family. How can you turn on them so easily?" 

"Because you are~" he pauses, furrowing his brow as he tries to remain focused on his words, on his obsession. It seems that the real Simeon is fighting below the surface, trying to break out of the enchantment. "You are everything to me, the only Love I need. And I will do whatever I can to keep you safe."

He starts to walk out the balcony doors. The cold air makes you shiver as your stomach sinks in despair. You can't fail, not now. 

"Simeon, I can't let you do this." 

With your remaining energy you reach up to grab his face, kissing him once more, pouring not just your Love into the action, but everything else you possess. With Simeon fighting the battle on the inside, the two of your souls meet at the impact point.

Your muscles go slack as you and Simeon drop to the floor, exhausted. Your lids are heavy as you watch him blink away the hearts in his eyes. 

With the fog cleared, he stares down at your weakened form with fear. "Mc? What happened? What did I do?"

"You're back. I'm so relieved." you murmur before you lose consciousness. 

~

Simeon holds you gently, real tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobs out quiet apologies for only you to hear. Although the details come back to him slowly, he knows that he is the one to blame for the state you are in. Alive, but completely drained of energy.

He had brought you back inside from the chilly balcony, allowing his wings to disappear. He does not feel very much like an Angel right now.

A stampede of footsteps approaches and he tenses up, waiting for the consequences of his actions to tear him apart. 

~

Being completely drained of energy is a weird sensation. 

You aren't unconscious, but you aren't quite with everyone. Many concerned voices come through your ears, muffled, as if your ears have been stuffed with cotton. 

Mammon, as the fastest of the bunch, was the first to come to your side. You recall him sliding across the marble floor, stealing you away from Simeon's trembling arms, trying desperately to shake you awake. 

"Why aren't they waking up?" he mumbles, his tone worried, yet angry, and you know he is looking at Simeon.

"They used all their energy," another voice, Solomon, says plainly. "It was a side effect from breaking the spell we were under. I didn't put two and two together at the time, but Mc gave us each a bit of their energy with their kiss."

"I see," Barbatos muses "So that was what was bothering you Solomon."

You feel your body taken carefully from Mammon's arms as you are cradled against a broad chest. Diavolo's voice is comforting in your ear as he whispers. "You did well, Mc; once again, the Devildom is in your debt." his warm power courses through you as you begin to recover a part of your strength. 

"But when will they wake up?" Beel asks worriedly. "They need to eat if they want to restore their strength."

"Maybe we should let them sleep," Belphie hums. "That always makes me feel better."

"Yer always sleeping," Mammon sighs. 

"I'm awake." You mutter weakly, opening your eyes. You are completely surrounded by your loved ones, the nine demons and the Sorcerer look weary but relieved to see you awake.

"You did it, Hon." Asmo smiles, smoothing your messed up hair. "You saved us all."

"And I'm sure I've never looked better," you quip, earning a warm chuckle from Diavolo and the others, but you notice something just out of the corner of your eye. "Oh Simeon.."

Simeon watches you from afar, still on the floor. When he notices you looking at him, he quickly averts his gaze, ashamed of his actions under the spell.

Seeing him like this breaks your heart. Sensing your distress, Lucifer breaks away from the group. You watch as he walks over to Simeon and extends a hand to his former brother. "Come on," he says, "Mc should spend the rest of the day with everyone they care about." 

You nod encouragingly to Diavolo to set you down as Simeon takes Lucifer's hand, getting slowly to his feet. His steps are small as he approaches. "How are you feeling?" he asks softly. 

You wrap your arms around him, and he relaxes under your gentle touch. "A little tired, but I'm glad that everything is back to normal."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that. But words cannot express how sorry I am for putting you through all that." he begins, this time looking around at everyone. "The potion seemed to feed on my inner insecurities, twisting my desires and taking control of my body, please believe me that the words I was saying were not entirely my own."

"I am sure we all said things we didn't mean," Diavolo shudders, recalling his earlier behavior, "But I promise you that no one here is at liberty to pass judgment.

"Even so, you were an amazing Final Boss Simeon." Levi gushes, the respect he has for his idol not diminished in the slightest.

"Oh, well thank you Leviatan." Simeon replies. "Perhaps this will make for an entertaining plot in my next novel. Perhaps you could assist me with the details."

Levi looks so overjoyed he is about to faint, so you step in, taking Simeon's hand and giving it a squeeze, "I'm just glad we are all together now."

"Does that mean we can get back to the feast?" Beel asks hopefully. "I'm starving."

"What else is new?" Satan sighs, turning his attention to you. "You had us worried, you have to stop doing that."

"Speaking of worried." Barbatos adds with a frown. "Where is Luke?"

"Oh my," Solomon pales. "In the excitement, I forgot to contact him when I arrived at the banquet hall. Should I go find him and tell him that the spell has broken?"

"Poor Chihuahua, he must be freakin out right now." Mammon sighs, running a hand through his hair. 

"Perhaps you should go get him, Mammon," Lucifer says. 

"I'm here," a small voice calls, pushing through the doors. 

Luke pants hunched over, holding a small glass vial close to his chest. "I got the antidote."

"You created an antidote all by yourself?" Simeon asks, coming over to crouch next to his out-of-breath companion. "I am so proud of you, Luke."

"Me too," you hum, coming to the other side of him. 

He preens under your praise but looks around the room, counting each individual with a frown. "Wait… Is everyone back to normal? What did I miss?"

The room falls silent as everyone glances at each other awkwardly, not wanting to discuss the more intimate details of your afternoon with the Little Angel. 

"Mc was able to break the spell," Babatos answers simply. "But your alchemic success will not go unnoticed, I'll see to it that you receive extra credit in your chemistry class."

Luke's cheeks burn crimson at Barbatos' compliment. "R-really?"

"Absolutely, you did well Luke," you say kindly. "But I am sorry for not contacting you, I fell into the pool and my DDD was ruined."

"My bad," Levi mutters, his face turning redder than Lukes. 

Diavolo, being the diplomat he is, claps his hands together. "Since we are all together now, I saw we all return to the banquet hall and enjoy the rest of the party. I believe Mc would enjoy some rest and refreshments."

"No more cookies though," Asmodues chuckles, sending you a playful wink. "I don't think Mc could handle any more excitement today."

"I'll dispose of them personally when we get back to the banquet hall," Lucifer promises you, placing his hand on your lower back, "But I will make sure to reward you for your efforts when you regain your strength."

"Hey, stop flirtin' with 'em, Lucifer," Mammon grumbles, yanking you away from the firstborn. "They've had enough of that today."

Mephisto (Bonus) ~

Although the President of the RAD Newspaper Club heard that today, Lord Diavolo had thrown together a private celebration in your honor and canceled his many appointments, he still decided to stop by the castle.

There is a large, elegantly wrapped present in his hands as he walks eagerly toward the banquet hall. Imagining the look of surprise on your face when you see that he has brought you some of your favorite gifts. 

Presenting you with such a gift would surely make the Noble Demon look better in the eyes of his Prince. 

It certainly isn't because he has feelings for you or anything like that. 

It's just politics… or so he tells himself. 

Checking his reflection in the hallway mirror just outside of the banquet hall. He readjusts his tie and smoothes out his hair, making it look just so.

With no attendants on duty, the doors open for him, magically revealing, much to his disappointment, an empty room. 

'Where is everyone?' he murmurs, scanning the room. The tables are filled with food, and there is a large, unopened pile of gifts by the fireplace, but none of the attendees are around to enjoy them. 

The dark hum of magic fills the room causing the demon to turn to the end table, where a small plate of heart-shaped cookies sits innocently seeingly appeared out of thin air. 

"Strange," he says to himself observing the platter. The warm smell tantalizes his nose, and he is reminded of the sweet vanilla fragrance you wore to the ball the other night. "I wonder…"

He looks around sheepishly, hoping no one observes his little lapse in self-control. He had been taught by his governess from a young age that it is rude to take food from a gathering he wasn't invited to. 

But he can't help it. 

Raising the cookie to his lips, he takes a bite.

Tagging; @pixelcafe-network

[ryoshiwaah]

˖ ๋࣭݁ ⭑ Astronomy Lessons 🔭๋࣭⭑.

ᯓ🛸Warnings: a swear word, spelling mistakes and nothing else.

ᯓGenre: fluff, strangers to friends to situationship to idk.

ᯓ🔆Pairing: photographer!Minji x fem!reader

ᯓSynopsis: you're Minji's Sun, muse and best work of art.

ᯓStarring: Haerin as Minji's cousin & Hyein as your little sister.

ᯓ🛰️Word count: 2.9k

a/n: a one shot to feed you guys while we wait for my motivation to bring back Holidays, also the story is heavily inspired by 23.5 (watch it bc it's soooooo good and funny and fluffy), enjoyy!

If Minji was asked how much she loved the Sun on a scale of 0 to 10, she’d say 5, 5.5; sure it helped the plants grow, created the perfect light for photos and much more. The big star was fundamental to humans and the solar system, the whole thing was named after it too!

Spending half of her life in a darkroom thanks to her photography passion, Minji became sensitive to the sun’s light – She wore caps every day to cover her eyes, she bought so many that seeing her without one was odd, plus, she made space in her wardrobe just for them.

The photographer turned into some sort of vampire, worrying not only her poor mother but also her friends.

Though, she never got tired of, or annoyed at her Sun, you.

Minji basked into the light you emanated just by standing next to her, a warm feeling spread through her every time you got close enough for your shoulder to touch hers, or when you picked her up with your Vespa.

The scooter had a bright yellow color that reflected your personality perfectly: it was named “Sunny the third”. Lame, yes, but she found it cute.

“The third” part was added because that was your third scooter: you broke the first one by trying to race your dad’s car and ended up crashing into it, earning a 3 months grounding and a broken arm.

Sunny the second tragically died by the hands of a thief who, just like you, was a clumsy mess and crashed into a pole; the guy lit it on fire to hide the evidence but failed and burned his hand instead.

He was caught in the act and sent to jail for a week.

Let’s just say that now you guard your scooter from everyone and anyone, even the smallest insect will be “gently flicked away”.

Still, you didn’t miss the opportunity to help others, picking them up and driving them around. You were a kind soul that she couldn’t help but admire from behind her camera lens.

She noticed the way you went at a slow pace whenever she was with you, remembering the very first time she hopped on: tense, anxious – you name it.

Panicked screams left her lips when you speeded through the traffic, making sure to balance both of your weights.

The entire ride to school was chaos accompanied by laughter, your laughter, since Minji took her time to recover every now and then before starting to scream again until her lungs were empty.

After parking in front of the building, she immediately got off and thanked you way too many times before remembering she hadn’t introduced herself – “I’m Minji by the way, Kim Minji.”

“I never heard of you, new student?” You said after taking off your helmet, a bright smile on your face.

Your face matched your voice, sweet and adorable. Minji felt uneasy at how fast her heart was beating, it was a surprise her soul didn’t start levitating from how gorgeous you looked – gravity seemed to be pulling it down when you poked her cheek.

“Helloooo, Earth to Minji!”

“Uh- Huh? Yes. I’m new here.”

“Cool! My name is Lee Y/n, nice to meet you.”

From then on you noticed Minji being a constant presence in your life, not only in school but even in your own home: her cousin, Haerin, was a good friend of your little sister Hyein so every time they hung out, the photographer ended up tagging along.

Her parents forced her to go out, otherwise she would spend all day studying and taking pictures, which meant she locked herself in her darkroom and avoided social interaction with everyone.

Eventually things got always too girly for her, so you invited her over to your room, making the younger girls wonder what happened behind the four walls.

You spent your time watching Minji’s camera roll, gushing and praising her about the amazing photos she took; she would blush and tell you she wasn’t that good, but not so secretly loved hearing you compliment her.

The way your eyes lit up when she showed you the new photos she took, or how you would beg her to take a picture of you was hilarious.

“Oh pleaseee!” Your whine rang in her ear while she worked on the new composition, adjusting the settings of her camera.

“No, Y/n, my life already revolves much around you, stop asking.”

That made you slap the back of her head, a move that she expected since she mindlessly avoided it.

“That’s not true! We barely see each other anymore…”

“We saw each other yesterday and the day before, and the day before the day befo–”

“Okay! Okay! I get it geez.” You scoffed, bringing your knees over on the table you were sitting on, leaning against the wall behind you.

As Minji took pictures of the various objects scattered on the table, claiming that it was contemporary art, you just looked around the room of the photography club: all the artworks of the members were stuck to the wall, creating a cozy atmosphere.

Haerin’s main topic was cats, of course, your friend’s cousin was obsessed with the felines and took pictures whenever she saw one. But a few of them portrayed a girl with curly hair, smiling brightly at the camera.

Hanni’s side of the wall was funny and covered in polaroids, the dates written in red while the notes were in black, some of them were with loved ones, probably family members, some of herself and others of food.

“She could be an influencer.” You mumbled to yourself, before taking a look at Minji’s corner, skipping the other 3 columns of pictures before her.

You felt like witnessing the whole universe before you. 

There were photos of the moon, stars and constellations; Minji had connected the stars with a light blue pen and wrote the names in the corner. The only thing missing was a picture of the sun.

You knew she didn’t like being exposed to it, she had glasses because her eyes couldn’t adjust well to the light, so you guessed that was the reason why she didn’t have a photo of it.

Speaking of sunlight, the right side of your face started to feel hotter due to the light coming from the window. You closed your eyes, enjoying the warm feeling of the rays on your skin.

‘Click’

The familiar sound made you turn to Minji who was pointing the camera towards you, a faint smile making its way to her lips; you saw that expression tons of times, it was the same face she made after taking a good picture. The satisfaction etched in her eyes.

An inaudible gasp left your lips after realizing what happened: after months of begging, Minji finally took a picture of you with her camera, not her phone, her beloved camera!

You looked at the photographer with wide eyes, not knowing if you were dreaming or not.

“Minji?” You asked incredulously, as if she had grown a second head, your body shifting so it leaned closer to hers. Your faces were inches away, noses almost touching.

“Did you really just take a picture of me??”

“No.”

And then she turned back, working on her previous task.

“No? I heard the cick and you were pointing your camera at me.”

“Nope, I think being exposed to the sun kills your brain cells.”

“Wha–”

“Here.”

She interrupted you by sticking her cap on top of your head, changing the size from behind since your head was smaller than hers.

“There there…” She smiled, her dimples showing, as she patted your head. “You should be okay now.”

An exasperated sigh left your lips before you slumped back against the wall, now letting your legs loosely swing from on top of the table. You were rethinking the interaction because where on Earth did that make sense?!

Luckily for Minji, you forgot about the picture the next hour and were too bored to do anything at all, just wanting your friend to clock out from the club.

An hour later you two were out, your body feeling heavy from the sleepiness. “Note to self, never accompany Minji for club activities ever again.”

“Are you sure you can drive?”

Minji’s husky voice snapped you out of your daze. Already knowing where this was going, you reached into your pockets and tossed the taller girl your keys. She caught them with a fond smile before picking you up and sitting you on the scooter.

“I could have climbed it up myself, you know?”

Oh, how that sleepy voice made Minji feel all fuzzy and glad she was alive to hear it, a small thought made its way through her mind: what if one day she would be able to hear it every morning when she woke up… that’d be perfect.

She started humming happily while switching the cap she gave you with the helmet, securing it so it wouldn’t fall off.

“Happy?”

“Hmhm.”

“What made you happy?”

“A sleepy girl that I’m driving home.”

She said casually before thrusting forward and turning on the bike, taking off and heading to your house.

Your arms were secured around her waist and your head was resting on her back; it didn’t take long before you fell asleep, holding tighter on your gir– friend. On your friend.

“Saturn is Haerin’s favorite, I think it’s a basic answer.”

“And why’s that, my dear astronomer?”

It was a Friday night, Minji just crashed at your house like usual and you were discussing planets after staring at your ceiling for too long. It had the planets and some stars scattered around so the conversation started naturally.

“Nowadays Saturn is so mainstream, ugh, people like it for its aesthetic.”

“You’re too harsh, Y/n.”

“What? It’s your favourite planet too?”

Minji scoffed, gently pushing you away from her but you rolled towards her body, making sure that the side of your heads were touching.

“I’ll let you know that I don’t have a favourite planet… They’re just balls in space.”

“It’s like saying that your photos are just colored pieces of paper.”

Your hand wrapped around her wrist, making sure her finger was pointing up at the ceiling, towards Venus. 

“That’s Venus, Taurus’ ruling planet.” then you pointed to another one, making Minji shriek from the suddenness of the movement. “And that’s Mars, Scorpio’s ruling planet.”

You let her arm go, as it rests on the ground again. She’s silent for a few seconds, thinking of what your words meant. You talked about you two’s zodiac signs, there must be a reason.

“Uh… thank you for letting me know?”

You turned your head towards Minji, raising an eyebrow. Why was she acting like she didn’t know about the planets? Her photos were all about astronomy and space.

Plus, you didn’t spend the entire month trying to get all the names right just for her to be unaware of what you were talking about.

“You don’t get it?”

“I fear I don’t, sorry.” The look on her face turned into a sad one when she saw the hope slowly fading from your eyes, but then, a wholehearted laugh left her speechless.

All you could do was exactly that, laugh and slowly roll on the carpet as the realization hit you: all those hours studying to impress Minji were for nothing, because, apparently, the photographer barely knew what zodiac signs and ruling planets were.

“Your photos…” You began as the giggles began to quiet down, leaving you breathless and Minji scared she might have just watched you have a manic episode over heavens knows what.

“Moon phases, the constellations, the stars. I thought you knew all about astronomy.”

Then it hit Minji, it was like a lightbulb turned on in her peanut brain; she sat up and looked down at you.

“Don’t tell me you know all of this because you were trying to impress me.” 

She used the same tone a parent would use when scolding their kid, but decorated with a hint of amusement. Minji was incapable of imagining someone putting so much effort for her, but knowing that you, out of all people, did that, made her whole day and probably year.

In response you remained glued to the wooden ground, staring at the planets on your ceiling, hoping they could tell you what to do, now that your information was useless for the both of you.

“I learned all that for nothing!” You whined, your feet kicking the ground while you threw your little tantrum.

At first Minji chuckled, but then she thought about it and shook your shoulder, making you glare at her. 

“Teach me the secrets of astronomy, I want to understand, no matter how long it takes.”

The astronomy lessons went on for weeks. Even if they were only an excuse to spend more time together, Minji started learning for real, surprising you: not only she was a fast learner, but she was actually interested in the topic.

It was regenerating talking to someone who was so willing to listen, that’s why you never lost a chance to mention even the smallest detail.

You spent so much time together that Minji started to call you her Sun, while only in your mind you thought of her as your Moon; you’d stare at her hoping she would catch you and call you out on it, but instead, your best friend was always focused on the teacher.

Or, in general, something else that wasn’t you.

The probability that you and Minji weren’t aligned anymore made you doubt your own feelings towards her – You noticed it on a wednesday, while eyeing the lunch lady give out food to your sister and Haerin, the cat-like girl talked about her cousin’s birthday coming up.

Your train of thought drifted from the kimbap you were going to ask for, to the photographer, way too quickly.

“3 Kim Minji please…”

The lunch lady raised an eyebrow, already fed up with you. “You mean kimbap.”

“That’s what I said…”

With a roll of her eyes she almost tossed at you your 3 miserable kimbap and called for the next one in line. Confused but not in the mood to deal with old women, you decided to just walk away, food in your hands.

“You said my name, moron.”

The familiar voice startled you, almost making the rice rolls fall from your grip, but you weren’t so careless with food, thankfully.

“Did I– Oh shit, I did.” You blushed after recollecting yourself and your train of thoughts.

“You think about me so much it messes up your social interactions, what a loser.” 

“I overheard your cousin talking about your upcoming birthday and you popped in my mind, miss stubborn.”

“All excuses!” She grinned smugly, now getting in front of you. How she got so dangerously close you didn’t know, but damn she looked good: her hair was put up in a messy bun, while she had a jacket over her school uniform.

Her face was naturally beautiful, but what attracted your eyes were her plump lips.

Before you knew it, she pecked your forehead, stole the kimbap you started eating and ran away, leaving you in the middle of the canteen – a blushing, gay panicking mess, standing there with food in her hands.

The more time passed, the more you started to doubt your knowledge. It seemed like the Sun’s orbit changed, making it move around the now static Moon.

Your infatuation became stronger every day, and you couldn’t deny that Minji felt the same too. But when was she going to make a move, or maybe, when were you going to do something about the growing tension?

Haerin was tired of hearing her cousin ramble for hours about you, she swore Minji said your name so many times that she lost count, even of how many times she spaced out.

Things got worse when you bought the photographer a new camera for her birthday, making her promise to take more photos of you. And she did, of course she did.

If months before you had to beg her on your knees to even turn her camera towards you, now it was the complete opposite; it seemed like she had no other subject to snap photos of than you.

Of course, you thought she was just sticking to her word, her promise, but deep inside you were aware that Minji’s behaviour shifted since her birthday. None of them had the guts to confront one another, so the situation remained…questionable.

To her though, you’d become more than a simple Sun; you were art, her constant inspiration and muse, the deep feelings she nurtured for you could be seen in her photos and the dedication she put in them. 

She spent hours editing out and in anything that could make you the center of the picture, even if that meant learning how to use photoshop, she’d do it for you.

The only person that didn’t notice all of that was the protagonist of the works, you.

Only the ones stopping by for a visit could notice that Minji’s corner changed completely, displaying only certain photos, that of course were space related, carefully arranged around the best snaps she took of Y/n.

A detail, one that could blow up Minji’s aloof and careless facade, exposing her feelings to the world, was the little sentence written at the corner of the photo at the very center.

“My Sun”

Once again, the photographer found herself reconsidering her opinion about the protagonist of the solar system, seeing her reflection into the picture of the Moon that just like Earth, found herself orbiting around the Sun.

🗂️jeanzforfree masterlist

[thebrokengate]

LEWISSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Sorry. Sorry! Reflex. 😅

Anyway, I just want to say now that I've had time to review this video this morning, HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO WELL DONE! Your readings of the queer subtext in this game are so well put together, and I also have to thank you for adding in the parts about the Don Quixote story as someone who hasn't read it and never got to know the book that made Luis into the character that he is. I found myself nodding along in agreement as well to your reading of Krauser as I consider myself, after spending multiple months after the game came out studying him like a bug under a microscope, to probably be one of the most knowledgeable people about his character and his queer coding. There are a couple things I want to add if you don't mind me doing so though!

Not only does Krauser have the "Anything to make the pretty boy feel special!" line, he also has another line that's either next to impossible to trigger or has been deleted where he tells Leon, "You rely on those pretty blues too much!" And though I can't find a clip of him saying it anywhere on video (and trust me I've tried like. every playthrough that exists on YouTube ever and if you or anyone else finds one PLEASE SEND IT TO ME I NEED IT FOR. reasons.), it is said in this collection of his lines from the game at 2:50. I'm also going to warn you before you click- volume warning because the first line that comes up is Krauser yelling "DIEEEEE" like a death metal singer and it blew out my eardrums the first time I clicked it. Please help me, I am in pain.

More on Krauser: remember when Leon says right after Luis dies, "You won't get away with this, Krauser"? Well... somebody please tell me why Leon tries to or at least thinks about leaving the fight multiple times during the arena boss battle then? The first time it happens is in the opening cutscene after Krauser says, "I've been waiting for you, rookie" where Leon's already looking for a path to escape before Krauser poses the question, "Worried about the girl, is that it?" (and then he says "That's just like you. You've always had poor judgment" which can be taken in.. a number of ways LOL. Is his judgment poor for trying to save everyone or for going after women instead of men- *gunshot sound*) When the battle kicks off, Krauser says, "Better run, rookie!" to which Leon replies, "Not like I have a choice." Which.. he absolutely has another choice: to fight back. Krauser comments several times about how shaky and unsteady Leon is while facing him, and even says, "What's wrong? Show no mercy!" He knows Leon doesn't want to do this and Leon comments multiple times in both fights against Krauser how Krauser isn't leaving him much choice but to fight him and he can't believe that Krauser is actually making him do this. The next time Leon tries to leave, it's right before Krauser uses his newfound power in las plagas to turn one arm into a weapon (before inevitably doing it to both). "Are we done here, Krauser?" Leon asks. Which makes me wonder. Uh- if he really was done, would Leon just let him walk away at this point? Krauser again comments here how Leon is too soft to do what's necessary - put Krauser out of his misery - and attacks again, knocking Leon down into the labyrinth. The final time that Leon tries to get away, he runs for the drawbridge that closes up on him and the look of pain on his face before Krauser jumps down behind him is.. it's just sad. He's tried multiple times to get away, but now he really has no choice. Every time he tries to run away, something else stops him, and now he has to go through with killing Krauser. Even when Krauser's down, he hesitates to do so for so long and had so much trouble doing so that originally, from what Mike Kovac said, Krauser was going to put his hand on Leon's on the knife to guide him to kill him but they couldn't do that because both of Krauser's arms were mutated (linking the video here. never forget what they took from us.. at 3:07:41). And I think it's worth noting too that this is the only fight where Leon tries so hard to get away. Right after this is the Saddler fight and Leon remarks, "I'll make sure you're the next to go, Saddler" and actually does it without trying to leave once. For the duration of the entire fight, Leon flip flops back and forth between trying to leave and trying to reason with Krauser, and it's such a testament to Leon's character how even after all Krauser has done, he still wants to save him (in fact, neither one of these idiots [affectionate] really wanted to kill each other and you can tell in Krauser's responses to actually killing Leon and the way he plays with his food in the first fight like you said - but it ended in death anyway).. and Leon looking back at Krauser's body in the end like a lost puppy utterly destroys me every time.

Going into a little bit about the parallels of RE2R to RE4R, every character and every boss has parallels to each other. Mendez is like the new Mr. X, some of the boss movements of Krauser in the final fight after he's mutated resemble the stage 1 Birkin fight's movements (specifically they both can grab Leon's head and both have mutations starting with the arms), even something as simple as the Garradors paralleling the Lickers - both unable to see but can hear you and are very quick to kill you with their long claws or something that resembles claws. So it's only natural that certain character dynamics parallel too. When RE4R first came out, I saw some people say that "Luis is the new Marvin Branagh" but I disagree. I think that role rather goes to Krauser - in an equal but opposite way. Both Marvin and Krauser were people meant to train and lead Leon in his line of work, Marvin as his lieutenant and Krauser as his major. They also both refer to Leon as "rookie", and Krauser taught Leon to fight with a knife, just as you receive a combat knife from Marvin in RE2R. Equal characters, but opposites. So no, I think Luis actually instead parallels Ada. At least for Leon. Why? He has a shady past, having worked with Umbrella, much like Ada has a shady past running missions for Wesker as a mercenary. He appears and disappears multiple times, leaving and rejoining Leon just like Ada did in RE2R. And there's a moment where he dies, just the way Leon originally thought Ada did at the end of RE2R except this time Luis actually does die. But what's changed here? Luis was on a mission of redemption, dying a better man than he was before, unlike in RE2R where it ends with Ada and Leon turning on each other before Ada seemingly falls to her death. They're both wounded by a third party - Ada being shot by Annette and Luis being stabbed by Krauser - as well. So if that's not more to the queer coding of Luis, I don't know what is. But I also want to elaborate on my "at least for Leon" point because, even though it's irrelevant to the queer coding, Luis acts as a parallel in Ada's story to Leon. She has to save him, he gets himself into trouble all the time, his heart is often bigger than his brain, he's the one she wants to get her the amber, she pushes him away when he tries to care for her like Leon did in RE2R... the works. Luis was a second chance for both of them to make amends with their Raccoon City past together.

Last thing to note, just... Why is there so much BDSM in this game? Jeezaloo!

But that's just a fun addition, lmao.

Anyway, this video was so good and thank you so much for sharing it with the world! :)

hi happy re4 20th. here's a 50 minute long video to celebrate it

[elysianightsss]

ANAESTHESIA | PART TWO

Simon had short circuited. He was sure someone would need to rewire him to work again. He was frozen. You, his Bonnie. The Bonnie to his Clyde, stood there all made up like you had been born with a silver spoon in your mouth. You hadn’t. Was your hair always that colour? He’d pushed you so far into the back of his head to forget his precious Bonnie that he couldn’t remember. Fuck, how could he not remember? But then again, he didn’t think he needed to remember. He never thought he’d see you again.

Yet here you were.

John was the first out of his seat, the quickest any of the guys had seen him move as he sped after you. You had shyly thanked everyone for the lovely welcome and basically jogged over to the neurology department, stepping inside the lift. As you went to press the button for level five John had slipped in right next to you.

You blinked, a stutter on the tip of your tongue that never seemed to make it out of your mouth as John began to speak, “Well isn’t this a lovely coincidence.” He grinned around his mutton chops and you took note of how much he hadn’t changed. Years it had been and yet you couldn’t find a single difference like he hadn’t aged one bit. Like how Hugh Jackman always looked the same whenever he played Wolverine.

“John. I,” you paused thinking what to say, it was a shock to see him here. When you had slept with him you didn’t know he was a doctor let alone what hospital he worked at but then again you didn’t even know his last name. “Have you been well?” Good, simple and nice. Not stupid like, ‘you’re still smoking hot.’

The well built man had his body angled toward you, a smile on his lips, the crows feet around his eyes wrinkled a little as he smiled at you, something you cursed as it made him that much more attractive. “Are you married?” He asks completely ignoring your question.

“No.” You frown.

“A boyfriend then?” His ocean eyes don’t move from yours, hands slipping into his trouser pockets.

“No.” You answer honestly but can’t help but be confused, even more so when he nods, moving towards the doors that have just opened, stepping out and turning towards you.

“Okay then.” He winks at you just before the lift doors shut leaving you staring at your own reflection. Your cheeks were flushed and your heart pulsing quickly.

You didn’t even press a button for a level to get off on.

You made it to your office, 5B on the door in silver block letters as you walked in. The room had two desks opposite each other and a bunk bed right at the back, standard for those quick five minute naps on sixteen or more hour shifts.

The top bunk looked used, the blanket all tousled and the pillow with a dent where someone’s head definitely was. The desk to the right had a mini hulk action figure with a kilt on it. The sight made you freeze a little. You remember a similar one from way back when you first started medical school.

Now what was his name again?

“Never thought I’d see you again, lass.” You whipped around, shocked eyes locking with his. He didn’t look amused the way John did, he looked a little cold and accusing something you certainly didn’t like.

“Johnny, you work here too?” You gulp at the thought of both your one night stand and your old friends with benefits being around you on a day to day basis.

“Too?” His eyes narrowed even more if that were even possible, he definitely managed to do it.

“Nevermind.” You stand there awkward. It was awkward. Johnny used to be your closest confidant. He was your best friend who you started having sex with when medical school got too stressful. You were drunk when you first brought the idea up, you had no idea he’d remember the conversation let alone agree to it.

The first night you did it, it was just as awkward as the position you were in now. The air was tight and your bodies were taut. Slowly after a few weeks you both found your rhythm, a few months and you had both memorized everything about one another. Especially Johnny, he made it his mission to commit every little moan, jolt, whimper to his memory. A stain on his brain that he loved.

And he did love it, loved going from roommates to best friends to, in his mind, lovers.

Though when he shared that with you, a drunken confession just like yours, your heart stopped in your chest. You hadn’t loved anyone since your high school sweetheart and you didn’t think you’d ever love anyone ever again after he shattered your heart into a million pieces. You even tried with Kyle but it didn’t work out and you ended up losing your friend.

So when Johnny confessed his love for you and practically begged you to come home with him for the holidays to meet his parents you freaked. Told him no and that whatever was between you clearly had to stop if that’s the way he felt. He cried, you felt awful, holding him while he sobbed in your arms. Silent tears slipping down your cheeks while you planned your next steps.

After a distraught and exhausted Johnny fell asleep you rushed to pack your things. Calling a friend to help you get everything out fast and quiet. You’d had enough sad goodbyes and horrible fights, you didn’t need another one.

When Johnny woke up you were gone.

“I guess this is your office too then.” You mustered up all the confidence you could and placed it on your face pushing away the feelings of embarrassment. Moving over to the desk you had been assigned according to the welcome pack with your name on, on it.

Johnny didn’t reply, walking into the room with a scowl and sitting down at his desk. He began typing away ignoring you. Sighing you opened the pack, sitting down yourself, begging your eyes not to look over at him but they were desperate to. Instead you forced them to roam over the words of the booklet in your hands, until they started blurring together.

Simon sat down in his office chair, Kyle across the desk from him sat crossed legged in one of the two chairs for guests. They looked so welcoming but anyone in the hospital knew whoever sat in that chair was due for a bollocking. Not Kyle though.

With his head in his hands, Simon sighed. “I suppose this is where I give you some advice, but honestly I’m stumped.” Kyle says, choking out a little nervous laugh.

“I don’t need advice,” Simon spat, “I need a fuckin’ miracle.” Looking up with a miserable face even when Kyle laughs. “You’re no better off!” Simon spits again suddenly defensive at how laid back Kyle seemed at the situation.

“Our split was mutual,” Kyle shrugged, “and honestly I think I was more hurt than she was. Yours on the other hand…” Kyle trails off pointing at his friend casually and then sliding his finger along his neck mimicking a throat being sliced.

“It was almost eight years ago now,” Simon pauses thinking wow, it was almost eight years since he’d last seen you, “You really think she’s still upset?”

Kyle hums in thought before answering genuinely, “Knowing how fucked up she was after finding you with that girl, I wouldn’t put it past her if she was still the same way now.” Hearing that, Simon cringes his nose scrunching up. Kyle told him all about how you had been affected by his actions. He almost took pride in watching Simon’s reaction to the news.

Kyle had to play the caring best friend for years, always by your side whenever you and Simon had a fight, always knowing he could treat you better. Simon never appreciated what he had with you, how you worshipped the ground he walked on, how you made so many compromises for him, sacrificing your happiness for him and never receiving anything in return.

And no matter how many times Kyle told you to leave him, you didn’t. You gave Simon the benefit of the doubt until you walked in on him fucking the girl he told you not to worry about. No remorse in his eyes as they locked onto your tear filled ones.

You told Kyle all about the giggle of the girl as you fled from the scene. You sobbed, just like Johnny had, in Kyle’s arms with a broken heart. Simon never tried to contact you after, he just accepted what he had done and didn’t beg for your forgiveness knowing you wouldn’t give it.

Kyle was the one who encouraged you to ask for your stuff back, which Kyle also offered to be the one that went and picked it up. You were so grateful to him, he was such a sweetheart. In Kyle’s eyes he finally had his chance to be with you and he wasn’t going to fuck it up.

But after Simon you couldn’t trust him. Tried to but didn’t love him. Your heart was broken in a way that even now it was put back together, it was crooked. A crack still scarred there. Right down the middle.

A few months into Kyle’s RNDA he was asked to come to Infinity Hospital to continue his apprenticeship. Being the best hospital in the country he immediately accepted only to see Simon there. Simon was training to become a surgeon at that point, he was shocked to say the least when he say Kyle, a blast from the past. They pretty much ignored each other until a work night out a few months after.

Tipsy, they both talked things out. Kyle point blank said he couldn’t forget what Simon had done to you but he could try and forgive him as they worked together. The more time they spent together the closer they became. Now known as the closest friends in the hospital.

“Fuck this is gonna be awkward.” Simon groaned realising he had asked you to come to his office last night. “Shit okay.” He shook his head trying to get himself into the right headspace, if there even was a right one.

You’d basically ran away from your joint office with Johnny to your meeting with Simon. If that’s what you’d even call it. Out of the frying pan and into the volcano. And just as Simon and Kyle had joked, it was very awkward. You stared at him the way Johnny had stared at you, though there was a certain type of numbness on your face where Johnny’s had been openly emotional.

“Please have a seat.” Simon gestured to the chairs opposite his desk.

“No.” You reply.

Simon fought against his mouth for a moment so the old nickname he used to have for you didn’t slip out. “Doctor-“

“Before you spout a bunch of nonsense, I couldn’t wait. You’ll know that when you see the record.”

Simon smirked, “So you didn’t just do it because you wanted to show off on your first day of work?”

“Don’t pretend you know me.” You snap, harsh and unforgiving. It had Simon straightening up in his chair. “You’ll find out at the conference that the patient needed an emergency surgery.”

“We’ll see.” His face drops, a seriousness taking over, “If you performed the surgery when there was enough time to wait-“

“Wait for the emergency on-call doctor to actually be on site?” You tilt your head, the corner of your lips curving up a little when he sighs.

“You’ll have to take responsibility for your actions.” Simon continues as though you never spoke.

“Oh don’t worry,” you laugh, “I always take responsibility for my actions.” His mouth opens, eyes blinking, an unsteady air building around him. “And when it gets proven that the emergency surgery was necessary, you’ll need to apologise to me.” You give him the fakest smile you can muster up.

“Apologise to you?” He frowns.

“I’m not under your guidance and you weren’t on site at the time of the emergency. Personally I think you’re out of line.” You scoff. “I guess you’ll just have to find out tomorrow.” You turn around and pull the door open before throwing over your shoulder, “You haven’t changed a bit Si.” Before walking out.

Simon lets out a deep breath. You were cold, rude and had you always been that beautiful?

To be continued…

Tags | @6jack6rabbit6 @misscaller06 @daydreamsareallineed @tabbslouuformer

[inbloomwriting]

Everything to me - Chapter 3

Chapter three - Raspberry

Chapter 1 II Chapter 2

Plot: Jamie Tartt is a lot of things: professional footballer, the island's top scorer .... sexually, extremly handsome. But one thing he never saw himself as was a dad. Too bad he has to deal with the consequences of his own actions. This fic follows reader and Jamie as they navigate life and turn from practially strangers to parents. Pairing: Jaime Tartt x female reader Warnings: Pregnancy, swearing, mentions of food and alcohol, slight mention of sexual intimacy (nothing graphic), strained/toxic parental relationship Notes: I do not have a set uploading schedule. Please bear with me as I work on this story. I know hardly anything about pregnancy, all my information comes from google. Sorry it took so long to update this. I tagged everyone who showed interest in future parts and/or asked to be tagged. Please let me know if you want to be taken off or added to the taglist. Likes, reblogs, comments are all much appreciated. 

Jamie sleeps like a rock. It’s a new discovery for (Y/N) as she tries to unravel herself from his tight grip. She doesn’t remember falling asleep cuddled up to each other, in fact, she doesn’t remember falling asleep at all. It’s like one moment they were talking about the baby and the next she wakes up to the sun pouring in through the window and Jamie’s quiet snores filling the room. And his arms wrapped around her like a vice. 

God that man is clingy. 

And, whereas with any other man, this would scare her off, there is something about Jamie that makes the whole thing endearing.

Maybe it’s the fact that they are not dating, not even trying to. It takes some of the pressure off. All she has to be is a good mum and a good friend and while those two things are hard enough as they are, at least there are no romantic feelings involved, no expectations to uphold when it comes to being a girlfriend, a partner. 

Jamie sleeps like a rock, doesn’t even so much as twitch when she slips from his grip and rests his arm back on the side of the bed she used to occupy just moments earlier. Even the squeaky floorboard doesn’t wake him as she makes her way downstairs. 

A sweet smell permeates the air and makes (Y/N)’s mouth water. This heightened sense of smell is both a blessing and a curse. Mostly a curse. Most smells make her nauseous these days. Not today though, this one just makes her hungry. It smells of sugar and vanilla and all things sweet and warm.

Simon’s smiling face greets her as she rounds the corner into the kitchen. She wonders if this man ever stops smiling. He’s the personification of a ray of sunshine.

“Good morning, come have a seat. I’m making waffles.” 

Waffles. (Y/N) can’t remember the last time someone made her waffles for breakfast. Dad did, sometimes when she was little, and stayed with him for the weekend. But then the waffle iron broke and he never got around to buying a new one. So pancakes and bacon it was. Beans sometimes. Sausages if he was feeling particularly fancy.

“I’d love some, thank you! It smells amazing.” 

“Yeah? Oh, thank god. I was afraid the smell would be too much and make you feel sick. Only realized that after I poured in half the vial of vanilla essence though.” 

The sheepish look on his face puts a smile on (Y/N)’s face. It’s nice someone cares about those little things.

“Never had to deal with anyone pregnant so I don’t know these things but I had a quick Google last night and it says 8 weeks means a heightened sense of smell. Also, the baby is the size of a Raspberry.” 

If she didn’t know any better, (Y/N) would swear that Jamie and Simon must share some DNA. Both of them so clumsy in the way they care but infinitely endearing. 

“Yeah, Raspberry or Blueberry or Kidney Bean. So tiny." 

“Crazy isn’t it? To think it’s gonna be a proper human soon enough.” 

She nods her head in agreement as Simon places a plate stacked with two thick fluffy waffles before her. 

“You’re telling me. I know this is all happening inside my body and it’s still insane to think about. Doesn’t feel real.” 

Simon regards her with soft eyes. There is warmth in there but something else. Something she can’t quite place. Georgie had the same look last night. Like they know more than she does. And fuck, maybe they do. They’ve done this before. Lived enough of life to know what the hell they are doing. 

“Are you alright? “

(Y/N) was never big on sharing her feelings with anyone, let alone strangers. Life, and both her parents really, have taught her that talking about your feelings only makes you vulnerable. And being vulnerable usually ends in pain. So what you do is you take your insecurities, your fears, your sadness and you put it in a tiny little box and then you put on the lid. You tie a ribbon around it with a neat bow on top and then you take that box that holds your feelings and you bury it. And then you spend your whole life living like the protagonist in an Edgar Allan Poe story and that box becomes a beating heart under the floorboards of your life. 

And the beating never ever stops. 

“Sure. I’m good.” 

She thinks he knows she’s bluffing but lets it go anyway. Opening up to Jamie is scary enough, takes up enough of her bravery. Simon is lovely and if she was another person altogether she’d love to share her worries with him, he seems like the best listener. She’s not someone else though, she is just herself and she can’t bring herself to talk. 

“Okay. Just want you to know that if you need anything or — anyone. Georgie and I are always there to help. I know I’m not Jamie’s real dad but I do feel like that is my son. I don’t have children of my own and I only met Jamie when he was a pre-teen already so I don’t know much about babies but if you guys let me I am sure I can be a phenomenal grandad. My mum always used to say I was already born a little old man so this feels like I finally get a chance to be what I was always supposed to be. My time to shine has come.” 

A harmony of their laughter fills the kitchen. God, is this whole family made up of the sweetest people on this entire planet? Do they make them in a damn factory or something?

“I will hold you to it. When the baby is screaming and I need some sleep I’ll come drop them off with you then.” 

“Oh, I’ll be ready with some bedtime stories and lullabies.” 

“You are sweet, Simon. And I really appreciate the offer. God knows Jamie and I don’t know the first thing about being parents so we can take all the help we can get.” 

“Do you want to hear a secret?” 

“Sure.” 

“No one knows what they’re doing. As long as you try your best that’s all that matters. Kids are forgiving if they know you care.” 

People always say that but there’s a little part of (Y/N) that believes those words to be untrue. Did her mum try her best and this was the outcome? Or did she just not care to do more, to be better? And which of those scenarios would be worse? 

Jamie’s sleepy voice pulls her from her spiraling thoughts. “Morning, love.” 

He places a soft kiss on the top of her head. So sure, so unbothered as if they do this all the time. Is this what it feels like? Being able to show your feelings and show affection without wondering what consequences it may bring? Without fearing that it makes you too vulnerable? 

His hand finds her stomach and gives it a soft rub “And good morning to you, baby.” 

It will never not be endearing to her to hear him talk to the baby. And neither will the way he pronounces the word ever lose its magic to her. That is his pride and joy there. His babeh. 

“Aw Waffles, sweet!” 

As Jamie plops down next to Simon and stuffs his face with vanilla waffles, leaving a slight dust of powdered sugar on his lips, (Y/N) is certain that all his worries are unjustified. 

Jamie is all his dad and none of his father. Every inch and every fiber of him is a product of the love that Georgie and Simon have raised him with. He is them in the way he smiles and cares and the way he feels joy so freely and unabashedly.

And if only a smidge, only a sprinkle of that love is extended towards her child, that kid is gonna grow up so adored it won’t know where to put all of that love. 

“Think I’m gonna throw up.” 

“Like pregnancy barf or meeting mum nausea? “

Leave it to Jamie to put a smile on her face even when the world around her seems to crumble and fall. 

“You gotta stop calling it that.” 

“Alright, but you have to tell me which one it is so I know if I should hand you a barf bag or give you a pep talk. I’m getting awfully good at them if I dare say so myself. Learned a lot from Ted, yeah?” 

If this was just the pregnancy making her nauseous everything would be so much easier. Ginger drops and rest would do the trick. But this is so much worse. This sharp feeling cursing through her veins, gnawing at her bones and devouring her like a hungry wolf. There truly is no one capable of breaking your heart like your own mother.

“Let me hear that pep talk then.” 

As he navigates the car up the long driveway, flanked by big ornate mansions with brass iron fences and perfectly symmetrical hedges, Jamie regards (Y/N) from the corner of his eyes.

“Okay, well you don’t need to worry. Things are gonna be just fine. You know why?” 

“Why?” 

“Cause mums love me and middle-aged women love me. It’s cause they think I’m charming,” he says and glances at (Y/N) for a second. That radiant cheeky smile of his taking over his features. Oh, she hopes their kid gets his smile. “Which I am.” 

“So charming, really.” 

“You’d know,” Jamie replies and nods his head in the direction of her belly.

His laughter echoes through the car as she gives him a soft slap against the shoulder. There’s just something about Jamie that makes life feel a little lighter, a little more effortless. Even if it's just for a moment, just pretend. It does take the heavy weight off of (Y/N)’s heart for a second. 

The car rolls to a stop in front of the gorgeous white house (Y/N) pointed out to him when they turned into the street. The lawn looks immaculate, the hedges are trimmed to perfection. This plastic palace all grand and gaudy. It never felt like home even though (Y/N) spent most of her life growing up in these very halls. 

But really what is it that makes a house a home? Love and laughter and memories you want to return to. This is just four walls and a roof. 

“Hey,” Jamie speaks up and places a hand gently on hers. “It’ll be alright but even if it won’t it will.” 

“Huh?” 

“I mean — look if she reacts badly, that sucks. But you have me, yeah? Always. Me and Rebecca and my Mum and Simon. Once we tell them I know the team will be obsessed with our baby, they’ll love her so much.” 

“Or him.” 

“Or him, yes. Ted is going to freak out, I know he’s going to want to hang out with our kid all the time. Roy? He’s already the best old geriatric uncle the world has ever seen. He won’t admit it but he’ll be really happy for us. Sam, Issac, Keeley, Higgins? All of them will be just a call away if we need help. I’m not sure about coach Beard though, he scares me not gonna lie.” 

“I think he’s hilarious actually.” 

“It’s because you’re smart and understand his jokes.” 

“You’re smart too!” 

“Nah, I just talk a lot and hope I end up saying the right thing. Anyway, what I mean is, this is your mum, yes, but in the big picture, she is just one person. And if she doesn’t love our baby there are so many other people who will. This baby will never, not for one second have to wonder if they are loved, because they are. So much.” 

And as easy as it is for him to make (Y/N) laugh, as easy it seems to be to make her cry. Good tears though. Tears that say “I believe you that things are going to be alright”. Tears that say “thank you.”

“Jamie Tartt, of all the footballers that could’ve accidentally knocked me up, I am so glad it was you. You are going to be the best dad.” 

“And you’re already the best mum. Well tied with my mum, obviously.” 

“Obviously.” 

(Y/N)’s childhood home feels cold, Jamie notices. There are hardly any pictures and those that are there are posed and awkward. He can tell it’s (Y/N) on those pictures but they don’t feel like her. There is no happiness in them, no joy. None of that sarcastic charm she exudes. He passes by a lifetime of being told how to sit and how to smile and what to do and probably what to say as well. It makes him feel miserable. And it puts things into perspective. It makes sense now, her worries and fears. If you grow up surrounded by nothing but the cold you eventually start wondering if you’ll ever be capable of creating warmth.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” (Y/N)'s Mum asks as she sits down at the head of the table. There’s something scary about this woman. She demands attention like a god-given right. She extends nothing in return. Her eyes are sharp and intense. It makes Jamie feel like she can see right through him down to all his insecurities and faults. She’s fucking terrifying. 

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” 

He hates the way (Y/N)’s voice has become so small and timid ever since they stepped foot into this mansion. Hates that there is nothing he can do to make it better and take this weight off of her. Nothing but be there. So he does that at least. Be there in all the ways he can be.

It’s so silly really, how his heart beats just a little faster when he touches her hand underneath the table. When she welcomes the soft gesture. When she returns his gentle squeeze. And when she links her fingers with his. 

So silly. Stupid little treacherous heart.

“Well, I gathered that much. I just wish you would’ve called ahead of time so I could’ve made some food.” 

“Made some food? Since when do you cook?”

The look her mother throws at (Y/N) could freeze a lake solid. It’s mean and chilling and Jamie wishes he never would’ve pushed (Y/N) to come here. Hates himself a little for putting her in this situation.

“I did attend several cooking classes last year. See, if you’d visit me a bit more often you’d know that.” 

And if she wasn’t such a raging bitch, maybe (Y/N) would visit her more often, Jamie thinks. Fortunately, he’s gotten much better at impulse control lately, well ever since Ted arrived really. The old Jamie would’ve blurted out those thoughts with no care of any consequences.

The old Jamie probably wouldn’t have stepped up to be a dad though. 

“Anyway, I would’ve liked a little warning. Especially if you’re bringing someone.” 

Being at the receiving end of that icy glare feels awful, Jamie decides as (Y/N)’s mother regards him with a mix of disdain and humor. Her eyes sparkle with a sense of smug superiority. Jamie is used to people underestimating him. They think he’s stupid. Some dumb footballer with straw filling the places where a brain should be. Quite honestly it doesn’t bother him, never had. He’s the first to admit that he can be dumb when it comes to certain things. He’s no poet and he has never been particularly good at math. But this woman and the way she looks at him rubs him the wrong way. She knows nothing about him and yet she thinks she’s got him all figured out. Flesh and bones and all. 

“Yeah uh, sorry about that. It was a spontaneous thing really. We would’ve called — “

“Sure, whatever you say. James was it?” 

His name sounds like venom dripping from her lips. James. He hasn’t been James since the moment he was born and Georgie first kissed his tiny head and whispered “You’re my little Jamie.” Not that he remembers that but it’s a story his mom has recounted to him many times.

“Jamie, yes.” 

“Right, Jamie.”

An uncomfortable silence settles upon the room. It crawls into the cracks and crevices of their conversation. It spreads and festers and discomfort grows around them like mold on damp walls. 

“Mum, we’re here because I wanted to tell you I’m pregnant.” 

The confession shoots through the silence like a bullet. Cuts through it like a knife through a flimsy ribbon. If this was a movie they’d put in a freeze frame or underlay the scene with some dramatic musical score. But this is real life and it comes with no editing and no soundtrack.

No, it just comes with a bellowing laugh from (Y/N)’s mother. It’s not the kind of laughter that makes you want to laugh along. The kind that makes you feel like sunshine has erupted inside your ribcage and wraps you in a warm blanket. It’s not like (Y/N)’s laugh. This one is mocking. It’s ridiculous. It’s meant to make you feel small and dumb. It breaks his heart to know this is the laughter (Y/N) grew up with. 

“You can not be serious. Pregnant?” 

A short, quiet “Yes.” leaves (Y/N)’s lips. Jamie gently squeezes her hand in return. I am here. He says. I will always be here. She squeezes back. He hopes it means “I know.”

“You stupid little girl.” 

(Y/N)’s hand grabs his more tightly. A lifeline to hold on to. Crescent moon shapes stamped into his skin. But if this is the price he’ll have to pay in order to be a good partner in all of this then he’ll pay it 10 times over. Of all the things in this world, all the ways to describe her, stupid is not one Jamie would ever think of. 

“Hey, don’t talk to her like that.” 

Maybe a little bit of old Jamie is still there. The good parts. The protective, opinionated parts maybe. Not reckless but brave.

“She is my daughter and I will talk to her as I very well please. But you’re right. She is not a little girl, she’s a grown woman. Which makes this even worse. You should know better, (Y/N). Getting pregnant by some — some guy.”

“Some guy? Excuse me?” 

“Well you’re not her boyfriend, are you? You are just some guy with no obligation to her. And if you wake up one day and realize what a massive mistake you made then you can just leave. She’ll be stuck being a mother forever.” 

It boils his blood to hear those vicious words hurled at him and (Y/N). Mistake? Sure this baby wasn’t planned but they’re not a mistake. Not for one single second did Jamie think of his child as a mistake. A surprise. A shock even. But never a mistake.

“I know you don’t know me and quite honestly I don’t think I want to know you either but I can tell you one thing. That is my baby and I love it now and I will always love it. It is not a mistake. You can judge me, you can judge her and you can judge our decisions but stop talking about my child like that. That is just uncalled for. I know my word doesn’t mean anything to you but I was here from the moment (Y/N) told me she was pregnant and I will be here for the rest of my life. That is a promise.” 

She has the audacity to scoff at him and completely ignore everything he just said. Instead, she moves her cold hard gaze towards (Y/N).

“What do you want me to say? Congratulations? Well, you’re not getting those here. Your father would be so — “ 

Before she can finish the sentence a shrill screeching sound cuts her off as (Y/N) pushes away from the dining table.

“I gotta get out of here.” 

“Oh, what is this now? You’re just going to leave because you don’t get the reaction you hoped for? I can pretend if that’s what you want me to —”

“Mum, I am not running. I need to go! I am nauseous as fuck and if you don’t want me to empty my stomach onto your dining table just let me leave. I didn’t come here asking for your approval, I just thought you should know you’re going to be a grandmother. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go throw up in your bushes.” 

Jamie is hot on her heels, grabbing both their jackets and (Y/N)’s bag in the process as he rushes after her. Though even in the chaos and hurry he doesn’t miss the look of absolute shock and bewilderment on the older woman’s face. It feels like a small victory but it does paint a little smile on his lips.

“Oh don’t do that. I’m disgusting.” 

“I’ll be watching you push out a whole damn baby. This is nothing compared to that.” 

If it weren’t such an absurd situation, that comment probably would’ve sent her spiraling but really it’s the least confusing part of today. Of course, Jamie wants to be around for the birth. Now that he mentioned it, (Y/N) thinks she shouldn’t be surprised. Of course, he’ll be there. He’s been there for it all so far of course he’ll be there when the baby enters this world.

It’s almost a little dreamy and magical to think about. Almost. Because life doesn’t let her think too much about it before it sends another wave of vomit up her esophagus. 

“I don’t mind holding your hair while you puke, you're growing a whole human it’s the least I can do. But I gotta ask you something.” 

“What’s that?” (Y/N) asks and wipes her mouth with the sleeve of her sweater. Desperate times, desperate measures. At least that’s how she tries to justify it to herself.

“Is that hedge purposely cut to look like a dick?” 

He nods towards one of the boxwood trees at the edge of the property that (Y/N) has no doubt her mother hired a gardener to trim and shape and care for. 

“Holy shit, it does.” 

“And cut too. You think your mum knows?” 

And suddenly the nausea is gone and forgotten about and in its place, a flurry of giggles takes over. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Jamie asks once they both calm down a little.

Is she okay? Not really but this too will pass and it’s not like she expected anything else from her mother. Ever since (Y/N) was a little kid she remembers her mother dulling all her joy and whimsy. Why should things be different now? 

“No. But I will be.” and when he takes her hand in his and places a soft kiss on her knuckles, for the first time since turning into this very street, she truly believes in those words.

“Good. Now do you wanna go home or do something else?” 

“Home sounds good but uh — do you want to stay? Watch a movie or something? I don’t want to be alone right now.” 

Another kiss to her knuckles sends her heart into a little frenzy. Teeny tiny somersaults all around her ribcage.

“Yeah, can I pick? “

“Fuck no.”

“Alright, was worth a try.”

“It was a dream? That’s it?”

The ending credits to The Wizard of Oz play on her little TV screen as (Y/N) and Jamie sit on her couch, a bowl of microwave popcorn long devoured and now empty resting between them.

“I mean, you can interpret it however you want.” 

“Meh, didn’t like that one very much. Next time we should watch the Muppets treasure island. That’s a good one.” 

There truly is something so sweetly endearing about Jamie’s childlike qualities. His unintentional goofiness and his ability to make even the worst day turn into an okay one. An “all in all kinda good” one.

“Okay, fine. Next time we’ll watch the Muppets. It just — my dad had the Wizard of Oz on DVD. One of the few movies he had. So whenever I’d stay with him we’d watch it together. I think I just wanted to feel close to him today.” 

“Hey,” Jamie chimes up and gently nudges her shoulder with his. “I didn’t know your dad but from what you said about him he seemed like a fun guy. A good guy. So I think your mum is wrong. He’d be proud of you. I know that.”

And for the second time that day (Y/N) thanks whatever cosmic power there is for putting Jamie in her life. For making him the person who goes through all of this alongside her. For making him her partner in this crazy adventure. For making him the father of her child.

“Thanks, Jamie. I really appreciate that you stood up for me and the baby. It’s not that I didn’t want to, I just froze. Every time I talk to her I want to say so many things but they get stuck somewhere on the way from my brain to my mouth.” 

“It’s okay, I get it. It’s like that with my dad too. We’ll just have to be each other’s voices then I guess.” 

“That sounds like a good plan to me.” 

He does it again then, that tiny insignificant kiss on the top of her head. It means nothing.

But it means everything.

“Hey uh — I’m not really tired yet. Do you wanna start that Muppets movie now?”

“Uh yeah? Absolutely. I’ll never say no to Kermit. He is THE frog.” 

Just a little while later, while Kermit and Miss Piggy sing a love song on screen while hanging off a cliff, (Y/N)’s eyes fall shut, her head resting gently against Jamie’s shoulder. 

For the second time in less than 24 hours (Y/N) falls asleep in Jamie’s arms. And though she might not realize it right then, she has never felt more safe and secure ever before.

Maybe things really will be alright.

“Now I know that life can take you by surprise, And sweep you off your feet. Did this happen to us, Or are we just dreaming? Love led us here.”

@captainfrisbee - @scaramou - @mischiefmanaged71 - @rexorangecouny - @respondingtoshowerthoughts-blog - @tweasley20 - @dreamtrydoforkinggood - @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo - @heletsmelovehim - @snubug - @katdahlali - @oldglitterstory - @lalla-04p - @aiyaiy - @zbeez-outlet - @burnafter-reading - @britbratface - @labellapeaky - @mavisvermillion-first - @ladygrey03 - @charlesgirl16 - @cantbecreative - @nerdgirljen - @qardasngan - @confessionsofatotaldramaslut

[sqh3e]

first encounter, s.es

synopsis : you’re a model and love the global boy group “RIIZE” one day while you were on set your manager informed you for an upcoming event a member of the group would join accompany you. you thought it’d be shotaro since you two were the same age but you never expected your bias.

genre : crush au, strangers to friends au, both eunseok and reader has a crush on each other but neither of them know. slow burn? mini smau at the end.

song requests: the rainy night by nct 127 | one look by leo

warnings : fluff, a touch of angst…?

pairings : idol!eunseok x model!reader

𐙚 word count : 2.8k (proofread but still may be errors, so please excuse those)

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it was the day of the event and you were in one of the rooms backstage awaiting the arrival of one of the riize members, your pr team thought it would be a good idea if you had a date to this event since you always went alone and your fans took notice of that saying things like “she’s always sitting alone” or “does she not have any friends?” which came as a shocker because you never minded going to these kinds of things alone.

so your manager had suggested you get a plus one or more so a date, but you didn’t expect them to get a riize member you expected another model or an actor. either way, you weren’t complaining you were about to meet one of the riize members, you had “the rainy night” by nct 127 playing lowly in the background as you sat there humming the lyrics, still not completely sure who you were going to meet.

a part of you believed it would be shotaro because you two were around the same age, you being a year older than him. you pull yourself out and look in the mirror fixing some pieces of your hair. you stand up out of the chair pushing it out the way a bit so you can get a better look at your outfit, this was a prada event you had on a white dress shirt that looked like it could be for a man, with a black vest and a black prada tie, a dark grey school skirt, long black socks, and black prada monolith loafers.

it wasn’t your usual style but that’s why you liked it, you liked stepping out of your comfort zone. because if it was left up to you a button-up shirt and some jeans would be fine, the one thing you didn’t like was constantly having to pull the skirt down but you’d get used to it or at least that’s what you hoped for.

the next song on your playlist starts playing and it’s “one look” by leo, and suddenly there's a knock on your dressing room door “come in!” you shout but softly, suddenly your manager comes in followed by seven tall men who stand shoulder to shoulder next to one another and your manager comes and stands next to you.

they do their greeting and bow introducing themselves one by one, and after they're done you do the same introducing yourself “hi! i’m y/n.” you bow as well, and your manager smiles. “okay so everyone but eunseok let’s go let’s go,” she said and you look confused “oh that’s right… eunseok is your plus one tonight!” she said leave the room. “oh so you’re my plus one!” you say, “i like the outfit, we’re kinda matching.” you say, “yea i like this tie.” eunseok speaks walking towards the mirror you were standing in.

“it’s a little tight though,” he says adjusting his tie something about the way he grabbed the collar of his shirt and slightly pulled on the tie had your knees weak. “here i’ll help,” he looks at you, “if you don’t mind of course.” he nods and you grab the tie gently tugging at it, while he looks down at you. you glance up at him for a second making eye contact before he looks away. “that’s much better, thank you y/n.” he says, clearing his throat.

“of course,” you step back from him looking over at the door, seeing it was wide open. “was the door open the whole time?” you ask, “i believe so? i wasn’t paying attention.” he responds and you nod, “well let’s get going don’t wanna be tardy to the event!” you say playfully, he lets out a chuckle “so is this an outside event? or inside?” he asks “actually i’m not entirely sure? maybe both?” he nods in response.

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you both make your way outside where there is a runway set up, an outdoor bar, and other small event things. you looked around at all the other people, some idols, some influencers, models, and some actors. “maybe we should find a seat before all the good ones are taken?” he leaned down and whispered in your ear due to the music being a bit loud, you nod and respond and he gently grabs your arm leading the way.

guiding you through a crowd of people saying hi and waving as you pass people, you two finally find seats you like grabbing a little card in the seat that reads “hello ambassadors! thank you for all your hard work and support, please enjoy the runway show and the other things the event has to offer! runway show starts at seven.” you read aloud and eunseok listened, “what time is it now?” you asked as he pulled out his phone clicking the power button, “six twenty-four.” you hum thinking about how you two could waste time until the start of the runway, “how about we grab a drink and just take a look around.” he suggests, “i like that idea! okay, let’s do it.”

you both make your way to the bar grabbing the tall glasses of champagne they had out, “mhmm” you hum “this is really good!” your face lights up causing eunseok to laugh, “what?” you say chuckling. he shakes his head still laughing “nothing your reaction after drinking the champagne was cute.” he says taking a sip from his glass of champagne, “well it is good, this must’ve cost millions, how do they even get it to taste like this,” you ramble on and eunseok sits there and listens.

a lady approached you two holding a tray of macarons and offered you two some, you declined but eunseok took some. he took a bite out of one of them “this is really good!” he said playfully mocking you causing you to laugh “alright eunseok…” you say still laughing rolling your eyes. you drink what little champagne you have left and stand up from the chair you were sitting in, you back up and almost bump into someone but eunseok grabs your arm pulling you towards him, “watch out y/n” he said cause you to turn around, and apologize to the lady. “you’re okay! and i love your outfit.” she spoke “oh thank you! i didn’t realize anyone was behind me…” you apologized again “y/n you’re fine! no one got hurt, it was a mistake.” she reassured you, she looks between you and eunseok. “so you two… dating?” she asked.

you frantically shake your head, “no, just friends.” and eunseok nods in agreement.

“hi!” a lady said approaching you and eunseok with a camera around her neck, you knew she was a worker due to the jacket she had on. you both were playing one of the games they had on the table. “hello,” eunseok says bowing and you do the same “so i was wondering if you guys would like to film a tiktok playing with those large jenga blocks?” she asked, but to you, it didn’t seem like a question more like a statement.

eunseok looked down at you as if he was waiting for you to answer, “yeah sure!” you reply and you all make your way over to the foam blocks. “okay so first introduce yourself and then talk about the game behind you.” the lady said and you both nod. she pulled out her phone and started filling you two she counted down using her fingers and you spoke “hi! i’m y/n and i’m here with..” you turned to look at eunseok and he spoke “riizes eunseok!”

“and we’re here with prada and we’re about to play this jenga game behind us!” you state and you both move out of the way to reveal the jenga block that had the prada logo printed all over them. “and the loser has to share a tmi!” the lady behind the camera states and you and eunseok look at each, sharing a knowing smile before face back towards the camera “let’s go!” eunseok said.

the lady filming cut the camera and filmed a bit as you both set up the foam blocks, basically a time-lapse of the whole game “hurry slow poke!” you say teasing eunseok causing him to laugh and knock the tower over, you cheer and jump up and down eunseok hiding his face in his hands you gently grab his arm and pull him towards the camera, “tmi time,” you say as you laugh “tmi… tmi… tmi…” you chant lowly waiting for him to speak.

he looks down at you slightly smiling you both make small eye contact before he looks back at the camera and speaks, “as promised a tmi… hmm,” he looks around as if he’s thinking about what to say “yesterday me and the riize members all shared a smoothie.” you look at him and start laughing “this had been y/n and-“ “eunseok.” “thanks for tuning in, prada spring collection out soon!” you both say before waving to the camera.

“okay one last thing, can you both put these jackets on and take a photo? it’s the last of our winter collection and we want to promote it as much as possible,” she asked, you both put on the jackets and you take the photo. eunseok was standing rather close to you but it was only for a few seconds. the lady nods “don’t worry y/n, the photo will crop out both of your faces.” she adds.

“oh no! i’m not- actually could you send me the photo?” you ask and the lady nods “i’ll be sure to send it through your team.” you nod.

“alright we’re done!” the lady says, she grabs the phone from you looking at the photos you both just took, “perfect!! after we edit the video and stuff the tiktok should drop in a few days.” you both nod and thank her, before she walks away and starts talking to other people. “you think this was the only interview we have to do? or will there be more?” you say sarcastically. “there’s always more.” eunseok responds.

for the next couple of minutes you and eunseok clean up the blocks that fell, “so like what made you become a model?” he said, “well dad was a model so i gradually followed in his footsteps, my real dream is to be a fashion designer though.” you respond, “wait really? that sounds amazing, and who's to say you can’t do both?” he joked.

“so what about you, what made you choose the path of an idol?” you ask looking up at him as you pick one of the blocks up. “honestly… i wasn’t even going to become an idol but they kept insisting so here i am.” he chuckled to himself, “my long-term goal after this is to settle down in an acting career.” he spoke confidently. “okay let’s make a deal… i know we just met but like,” he spoke “if you become a fashion designer in the upcoming months i’ll give acting a shot, i’ll put a jump start on my acting career.” you squint your eyes at him laughing, he stuck his hand out for you to shake “hmm… i can’t make any promises but i’ll definitely put a jump start on my long-term goal as well.”

instead of shaking his hand, you interlocked your pinky with his, and you look up at him “deal?” you say “deal.” he wraps his pink around yours “don’t fail me y/n,” he jokes “my acting career is in your hands.” you giggle letting his pinky go, you both hold eye contact for a few seconds it’s like you both were searching for some kind of hint in each other's eyes. you break eye contact pulling out your phone and checking the time, “fifthteen minutes until the runway starts,” you say and eunseok nods “let’s head back to our seats.” he suggests and you nod in response following him.

you both stopped by the bar to grab another glass of champagne before sitting back in your seats, you were sitting by riize of course now that more and more people were getting in their seats, you sat by both sohee and eunseok. after sitting there talking with the group a guy with a camera approaches you all and you only notice him cause shotaro said something and you all pose for the camera. the man mouthed the words “thank you” before moving on to the next people.

“how long have you been modeling?” sohee asks, “about four to five years.” you respond after counting on your fingers, sohee nods in response “that’s amazing,” he states “i see you hung out with eunseok hyung i hope he wasn’t his usual nonchalant self.” sohee tease, you laugh “no, actually he was quite chalant.”

“don’t make me regret it,” he says jokingly before taking a sip of his champagne, “this is really good!” anton says taking a sip of his champagne, you and eunseok look at each other before laughing. the members look at you both confused, “i wanna laugh too…” anton says. “hyung was gone for two hours, made a new friend, and made an inside joke?” seunghan says.

“it’s not an inside joke, i just-” you are cut off by eunseoks voice “yes it’s an inside joke, you kids wouldn’t understand.” he teases before laughing, “well actually i’m not a kid, i’m older than you.” shotaro chimes in, “and i’m the oldest here” you add, “oh really? what year are you? if you don’t mind me asking.” sungchan asked “ninety-nine,” you say shaking your head as if you’re embarrassed.

“oh so basically noona?” sohee said and anton laughed, “i guess…” you said lightly laughing. suddenly the lights dim around you all and a bright spotlight appears on the runway. and the show starts you hadn’t realized how close you were leaning on eunseok attempting to see, until the couple behind you nudged you point towards a young lady filming you two you both look in the direction of the lady and she hides her phone and looks around.

you thanked the couple behind you before leaning off of eunseok “sorry…” you say “i didn’t realize how close i was to you.” he nods in response “i did, but i didn’t mind.” he continues “i would’ve said something if i had a problem with it.” you make eye contact but this time it felt different… like his eyes were telling you something but you couldn’t quite pinpoint it. you look away and back at the runway, his eyes linger on you for a bit longer.

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after the runway show is over everyone gathers their belongings saying goodbye to everyone around them. you stand up pulling your skirt down “it was nice meeting you y/n… noona..?” shotaro says causing you to laugh, “let’s speak casually with each other? yea? but it was nice meeting you as well” you shake his hand and bow and all the other members follow suit. “nice meeting you all as well and i’m looking forward to your comeback! rooting for y’all.” you say before walking away.

eunseok stood there for a few seconds debating if he was going to go after you or just leave it as it was and hope he found his way back to you. ultimately, he decided to let you go in hopes of seeing you again.

while exiting the event you were stopped by an interviewer, “hi y/n! i’m a huge fan of your outfit right now! who are you wearing?” the interviewer asks, “the shirt i’m pretty sure is my dads, the vest and skirt are thrifted and the shoes and tie are from the prada spring collection.” you explained while pointing and touching each piece of clothing and item you were referring to.

“awesome i love it, and that scent is that also from the prada collection?” she asks as you are about to answer riize walks by and you and eunseok make direct eye contact, your eyes following his before you turn back towards the interviewer “ohh, so you’re a riize fan?” the interviewer asked, “something like that” you chuckle, “they’re nice, me and riize’s eunseok hung out a bit today, that was fun.” you added “yes i saw that! it seemed like you two get along well.” she said with a smile, “i guess you can say that,” you replied with a soft smile as well.

as you finish the interview she thanks you for your time and you thank her for hers, before officially leaving the interview. in the car, on the way back to the hotel you were reflecting on what happened today as you scroll through twitter seeing everyone's posts.

you kept thinking about the last eye contact you and eunseok shared, and how it lasted longer than any of the other times you two made eye contact. apart of you hoped you’d see him again and your friendship could blossom, “we both live in seoul, of course, i’ll see him again,” you say out loud without realizing. “hm? what was that?” your manager asks looking over at you, “nothing, nothing at all.” you smile to yourself before turning your phone off and shifting your focus to the window and admiring the sight.

authors notes: hi! hope you all are doing well! here’s this i decided to finally pull of my drafts it was collecting dust lol, let me know if you all enjoyed this :D likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated if you decide to!

riize taglist (open) : @gacktsa

© sqh3e

[sunlightwoo]

lily of the valley - sim jaeyun

✁ pairing: non-idol!jake x g.n reader

✁ genre: fluff, slight angst, established relationship warnings: nothing but cuteness aggression, and mentions of reader feeling as though they aren't able to love/to be loved

✁ wc: 974

✁ a/n: hi everyone!! this is my first fic in a while as im getting back into the rhythm of writing for bigger pieces to be released this year, so i hope you guys liked this as much as i liked it!! but happy 6 years to sunlightwoo, and thank you to everyone who's ever supported this blog after so long <3 i hope that from here on out i can finally put out the stories that i've been holding off on writing and posting on here for you guys to read! lastly thank you @quaissants for beta reading <3 and also again if you guys wanna join my permanent taglist, or this series' taglist, just shoot me a message/ask or click here!!

now playing: [lily of the valley by daniel] | part of the because i love you series

The silence of the night brought you reassurance after a long day of just thinking to exhaustion. You weren’t sure why today had felt different than any others, when you had done nothing different from your daily routine, but there was a heavy feeling settling in your chest as you looked out your window to the moon. Something didn’t feel complete after a long day that you had, and maybe the moon had the answers to it. 

The sound of the front door opening breaks you away from your trance, but you didn’t have the energy to get up from your spot on your balcony. You already knew who entered your home, and it was the quick footsteps that were pacing to your bedroom that slowly made the smile that was starting to appear on your face. Those steps started to slow the same time that you took a deep breath and turned around to face your lover with a small smile, arms wrapped around yourself as you were bracing yourself in the cold with one of your spare blankets. 

But it didn’t surprise him at all. What did was the small smile that didn’t quite meet your eyes at all. 

“What’s wrong? Did something happen when you met with your parents today?” He asked quietly, slowly taking steps closer to where you had stood on the balcony and you shook your head in response. 

“Can you just hold me for a bit, please?” 

Your question threw him off guard for a moment, knowing that in all your years of dating, you were never often the first to initiate physical affection like now. It was something that you had struggled to express at first in the beginning stages of your relationship, but you came to a comfortable peace with it as time went on with Jake being the one to show you what it was like to love slowly. 

Feeling his arms wrap around you, the heaviness that was once in your chest finally feels as though it were lifting from its shackle on your heart and that you could breathe once again. The both of you rock back and forth underneath the moonlight as he softly hums a small tune that you recognized from the radio that played the other day when you were both driving back from meeting with his family. 

It reminded you of the reason you might’ve been so distant with your own mind today, when everybody had asked when you and Jake were going to get married. The both of you had answered them all with shy giggles and brushed off comments of when the time feels right, then it’ll happen since you were both still young. But these last few days had made you think about it more, when you slowly came to realize that you did want to marry him at some point of your life. 

Which was why you had the rock sitting quite prettily on your finger with a small smile on your face. He had proposed to you just last night in the early morning hues with the sun shining in on the both of you. It was quiet, but you were both lounging around lazily considering it was a day off for the two of you. Jake felt it was the perfect time to propose when you were both talking about how you were so happy with living in the house that you both moved into just a year ago from yesterday. 

Thinking about that moment, you remembered that you used to dislike the idea of marriage, seeing as though it was a specific point in your life where you might never meet the right person, and it scared you, leaving your walls up around your heart and wary of those around you. However, Jake had always proven you wrong and it was times like right now where you couldn’t wait to be with him for the rest of your life.

“You know that I love you, right? My first and last love…” Jake mumbles into your hair as he squeezes you just a little bit tighter at the waist, and you nodded in response into his chest, pulling away slightly to look up at him with a smile. 

His eyes met with yours and this time, he could see a little twinkle in your eyes as your smile finally met with them. You notice how there were dark bags forming underneath his eyes from working longer these days, but you could tell that this time there was something hidden behind them as he stared into yours. Reaching up to cup his cheeks, you squeeze them a bit affectionately and start pecking kisses across them from the moment that you felt your heart swell from how much you had loved him. 

You wouldn’t know where you would be without him, had you not met that fateful day at the park, but you also knew that it was fate that led you right into his arms. 

Right where it was meant to be. 

“I love you too, Jake. I’ll keep loving until the lilies in my heart die out.” You reply softly, and he presses a small kiss against your forehead with a smile on his face. 

The lilies in your heart were mentioned a long time ago when you were on your first few dates, as you remembered telling him about a poem you once wrote about the flower growing in an empty valley. It reminded you of how you wished for your heart, in reference to the lily, to grow with time with feelings that were as pure as love can be. 

And it seems like you had already found it, with the man whose arms are tightly embracing you until the end of time. 

taglist: @cafeyuns @from-izzy @quaissants

[dumbkiri]

A FEAST FOR BIRDS 2

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐝 𝐱 𝐅! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

HIGHLY REQUESTED

Y'all I know this was a blog for the Batfamily, but DAMN! Was not expecting so much enthusiasm for a second part. Thank you and I hope this one is worth the wait.

This came out rushed too. Will rewrite this part lowkey bc it doesn't satisfy me just yet.

10 pages, 3.6k words

JASON’S POV

This felt surreal. 

With the dark-tinted glasses dulling the colors around me, it showed me how much my world has been dark for so long. It showed me that I couldn’t dare to see the world in color ever again. My life’s goal, up to this point, was to get revenge on the Joker, to get revenge on my family for replacing me. 

All my anger and all my pain, I took it out on them. I couldn't forgive Bruce for sparing Joker’s life when that psychotic ass never bothered to spare me. Beaten and bruised, all I dreamed about was that crowbar hitting me over and over. 

And my last words to her; to [Name]. I wonder if she remembered our last conversation. Because in the moment of taking my last breath, I did. I remember telling her that I wouldn’t be mad at her, for whatever she needed to tell me. 

I did my best to reassure her that everything would be okay. I remember her shaky breaths and the resigned reply she gave to me over the phone. 

I guess I should have stayed to listen to her because if I did, I would have lived. Lived to raise Jay with her. 

When  [Name] walked in with heavy shoulders and a tired smile, I saw my life flash before my eyes. Never did I see those memories when Joker slammed that crowbar against my ribcage. Her [e.color] eyes are dull like my own and her happiness is clouded by her own problems. It was obvious to me, obvious to my family that she was running away. 

Then she showed off the greatest joy in her life, that shine coming back in her eyes. Who would have guessed the little boy she carried in her arms with so much love was a product of our love. A teenage love that couldn’t grow into an adult one. A love that ended with my last breath. A love that created a being for her to cherish in my memory. 

I didn’t want the dinner to end because watching them, my little family, laugh and enjoy their company filled an empty hole in my heart. Their interactions with each other overwhelmed my broken heart and I felt an emotion I haven’t truly felt in awhile; genuine joy.

I want them to stay. I want this moment to go on forever. 

“So I was hoping to do something I haven’t done in a long time.” 

[Name] spoke up after setting her fork down by her plate. She looked at Bruce specifically and asked, “Do you still host the Dance of Snow event?” 

Memories plagued my mind of her ice skating on the rink Bruce provided in his backyard. Every year in the beginning of December, Bruce would host an event for the wealthy. There was the ball aspect of it then the performance [Name] did for charity. The Dance of Snow was how I met her and how we began to fall for one another. 

Her gliding on the ice so effortlessly took my breath away. I couldn’t understand how she moved like that with grace while I fell on my ass every time I let go of the wall. We would laugh about my failures together and fuck it, I will admit I did exaggerate just to hear her laugh again. 

“Ever since the star of the show left,” Dick teased with a shrug of his shoulders, “Bruce only hosted the Winter Ball for the guests. I swear every time they would ask about you, but he would shoot them down with politeness as always.” 

“Perhaps I can surprise them then?” [Name] asked shyly then proceeded to say, “I recently started teaching Jay how to ice skate and I guess my passion for it is coming back to me. I also want Jay to see what I can do in a live performance and show how beautiful this event is.” 

Bruce agreed with ease, no need to convince him when everyone knows how much he admired her show of grace. I mean everyone did and she was the reason why the charity event succeeded so much in the first place. 

“Of course, I’m sure everyone will be happy to see you back. I can get the skating rink set up for your practice in the backyard. Would you like me to call Anthony, you two can do your famous performance as the first show.” 

[Name]’s excitement flourished at the mention of her old ice skating partner while jealousy painted itself over my body. I didn’t notice I let out an audible groan of annoyance at the mention of Anthony until everyone focused on me. 

Oh shit. 

“Lazlo and Anthony don’t get along,” Dick jumped at the first thing to say. His excuse is just as lame as the stupid fake name he gave me. 

But [Name] paid no attention to my disgruntled attitude, instead she giggled and said, “Yes, well Anthony is difficult at times. He wouldn’t be the first person to make friends with anybody. I’m surprised he actually got married! To think that my best friend, who promised he would never get married, actually put a ring on someone. I can hear Jason giving him a bunch of crap for it.” 

Dick and Bruce chuckled at her joke knowing well that I would. 

Because hell yeah I would. Anthony never believed that [Name] and I would last because he described her as gentle while I always showed up with random bruises and cuts. Little did they know, I spent my nights fighting crooks and villains. Then he went on to brag about never being in a relationship because it caused too much drama. 

Anthony turned out to be right anyways since I died. We didn’t last three years or more. I wonder if that self-centered asshole took care of her. I subconsciously clench my hands into fists thinking about another man with my family. 

“I’ll make sure to give him a call then,” Bruce smiled then dinner went by in a blur for me. Like I said, everything felt surreal. I couldn’t help, but think this was all a dream. The intrusive thoughts of revealing myself to [Name] would make everything set in for me. Her reaction, her words to me. 

Say that you missed me, to me. Not to Lazlo. 

Say that you love me, to me. Not to Lazlo. 

Know that it’s me under this disguise, not Lazlo. 

Please [Name] recognize that it’s me, so that I wouldn’t have to do it. Don’t make me take this mask off and show you that I’ve been alive all along, suffering in this dark and gloomy reality. I need you to figure it out all by yourself. 

“Jason.” 

I looked up from my untouched plate full of food and watched Bruce give me a pained look, “How are you holding up?” 

I took notice that everyone disappeared from the table, it was just Bruce and I sitting. When did everyone leave and where to? Wait, I didn’t get to say goodbye to Jay or [Name]. I was too absorbed in all the scenarios that played in my head. 

“Don’t worry they’re still around. JJ is racing Dick out in the backyard and [Name] is writing a letter,” Bruce explained and his eyes never left my own. I knew he was trying to figure out what I was feeling. I knew I had mental breakdowns here and there, this was the time for me to have one actually. 

“I felt better,” I replied honestly, “did you…did you take care of them as best as you could?” Bruce was a questionable parental figure, but he couldn’t have let [Name] walk away like that. She must have told Bruce about her pregnancy and he would have supported her. 

Please tell me you did, old man.

“As much as she allowed me to, yes. [Name] did fairly well in raising Jay and it was only very recent when she cut off ties with us. Now she’s back and we need to know what happened to her.”

“She mentioned an arranged marriage with some business partner, know anything about that?” 

Bruce shook his head dejectedly, “No, but I do know her mother has been trying to find a suitor for [Name] for years. It’s all some of the older women gossip in Gotham about. Some have tried to offer their own son’s hand to her. But [Name] is stubborn to a fault. She has told me many times that you still hold her heart.” 

Bruce gently smiled at this revelation like it was going to ease my worries and insecurities away. But it didn’t. 

“Why?” I asked selfishly, “Why hasn’t she forgotten about me? You all did. Replaced me without a single care in the world. Dumped the memory of me like I never mattered in the first place. So excuse me if I question the integrity of her…fuck, this isn’t…stop giving me that look.” 

I faltered at the sad look on Bruce’s face. My harsh words disappeared like a drop of blood in water. 

“She loves you, Jason. Five years have passed and all she can think about is you. All she does is remember you. She remembers the [color] flowers you would throw at her feet when she finished a performance. She would talk about the books you’d gushed about. There’s also a show she recently started watching that she thinks you’d like. It’s just what [Name] does in order to keep you alive. She does it on her own, but there’s Jay to remind her too when she hits her lowest.” 

I shook my head and fought back, “It’s impossible. I-I didn’t even remember her when I came back. All I remember was the pain and the revenge I wanted to take. Now…now she’s here with him? That boy is supposed to be mine? I can’t believe that, that’s not what I expected when I told you I would come back to this family on my own terms.”

“The Lazarus Pit has effects, you don’t need to feel ashamed for not remembering her. I don’t blame you for only thinking about revenge. What you went through-”

I stood up from the table, my food cold and unappealing in this heated moment, “He’s so small and she’s- Damn it, she’s still the girl I fell in love with all those years ago. I cannot afford to be distracted, not when my team and I are close to taking down Black Mask. I cannot go back to being the guy she loved. I’m no longer him.” 

“Well it’s a good thing you’re dead then,” A voice so irritating spoke up, it sent me scowling at him behind my glasses and mask. 

Damian plopped a plate of cookies on the table and took his seat. He looked at me with boredom in his bright green eyes and asked, “What?”

“You need to watch your words, Damian,” Bruce shook his head in disappointment at his youngest son. 

“You heard him as well as I did,” Damian picked up a cookie and broke it in half, “He’s no longer the guy [Name] loved. He’s Red Hood now, a vigilante fighting villains. He can’t be a father or a lover. So it’s a good thing Jason Todd is dead because he’s not him.”

Before I could respond, [Name] spoke up as she walked into the dining room. 

“Alright, I put my little gremlin to sleep and I feel sleep catching up to me.” She stretched her body and let out a small yawn. Her exhaustion looked to be catching up to her after days of traveling. 

Bruce stood up and told her, “You can stay the night if you’d like. There are plenty of rooms to sleep in and I’m sure Alfred would love to prepare a room for you.” 

[Name] waved Bruce off with a smile, “Thank you, but I need to get to work on the house. I promised Jay I would renovate as quickly as I can so he can come home. Not that he doesn’t like to spend time with his family.” 

She shot quickly hoping she didn’t offend Bruce or Damian. The demon spawn went back to eating his cookies while Bruce said, “Don’t worry, we know Jay loves spending time with us. Do you need help with anything? I can arrange some help. I’m sure Dick wouldn’t mind helping you out either.” 

“I got this handled, Bruce,” [Name] walked over to Bruce and she passed me like ships in the night. Her perfume wafted my way and lingered in my space, slowly seeping through the face mask. She started wearing perfume more mature like instead of the usual peachy flower scent. 

I turned around and saw her embrace Bruce with a small ‘thank you’ and the old man hugged her tightly. I knew Bruce towered over the average woman, but she really was small in his arms. Like a father holding his daughter. 

Then she walked over to Damian snacking on the cookies. She pinched his cheek and pulled it roughly, ‘Don’t teach Jay such obscene words next time, Dami’. Damian choked on his cookie for a bit before he rolled his eyes muttering a wack apology. I’m so gonna kick his ass when she leaves. 

[Name] embraced Damian in a hug and the boy begrudgingly accepted it. Then his green eyes landed on me, watching them carefully. The brat stuck his tongue out at me, hugging [Name] back while I subtly gave him the finger. I hate that kid. 

“Lazlo, it’s time to go,” Dick walked in the dining room with his jacket on and a dark blue scarf around his neck. Right, we had patrol for this night. “[Name], make sure to lock your doors and check every window. There have been reports of burglary in this area.”

“I may be fragile looking on ice, but I can defend myself pretty well, on land” [Name] happily smiled at Dick, fake throwing a punch on Damian’s shoulder. “Anyways, I really gotta go before I pass out behind the wheel. I love you all  and I’ll see you guys tomorrow. It was nice meeting you, Lazlo! I hope to see you some other time!” 

She looked at me with a pretty smile and soft giggle, fishing her car keys out of her pocket. I waved back at her silently and watched her leave the house with Alfred accompanying her. When I heard the front door shut, I looked at my brothers and my old man saying, “This shit sucks.” 

……

Jay woke up to the sound of shuffling in the room next to him. It sounded like someone was busy searching for something. Looking at his clock on his nightstand, Jay was not happy to be woken up at 3 am. Then fear seeped into his body. 

His grandma always told him that ghouls and monsters come out at 3 am looking for souls to take. Maybe this monster was looking for his soul! Jay scrambled off his bed and quietly ran over to his toy crate. He opened it slowly and saw his plastic red bat ready to be used. 

Jay would have to beat up this monster if he wants to keep his soul!

The little boy then walked over to his open bedroom door, thanking his mom silently for leaving his night light on in the hallway. It helped him to see that the monster was in his dad’s old room. Sneaking down the carpet hallway with his bat raised high, Jay urged his heart to calm down. He was afraid that the monster would be able to hear it beat so loudly. 

Taking a deep breath in, the little boy forced himself to peek inside the room. There was only one light on in his dad’s room and it was the lamp on his desk. Then he spotted the monster at that desk reading letters. Jay recognized those letters that were written by his mom. 

Hey! Those were letters for his dad! Not this monster!

Jay’s eyebrows furrowed in anger and the little boy sneaked into the room ready to whack the monster back to where it came from. But when he lifted his bat high in the air, he heard the monster sniffle…like it was crying. 

Confusion clouded Jay’s motive to beat up the monster and his eyes glanced at the mirror showing off the monster’s face. The monster looked like it was human and it had a large scar going from his cheekbone to his jaw. 

When the monster wiped his eyes, they opened up to reveal familiar blue eyes. Jay faltered as he knew what they reminded him of. He looked over at a picture frame with his mom and dad as teenagers holding each other after she won a championship at her skating tournament. 

The bat fell from his tiny grasp and the sound startled the monster…no, man. Jay watched the man stand up and whip around with tears falling down his face. 

Black hair and blue eyes. He looked older, but this was for sure his dad. No doubt. 

“Daddy?” Jay asked, his own tears blurring his vision. Next thing the kid knew was that he moved on autopilot. He jumped at the man and wrapped his arms around his dad’s legs clutching onto them tightly. He started bawling his eyes out as this was his dream. To get to meet his dad. 

…

“Jason, did you find the let-” Dick walked into Jason’s old room and stopped short. His eyes landed on Jason looking at him with wide, teary eyes. But that’s not what took the cake for him. 

It was the little boy holding onto Jason’s leg and crying into the dirty jeans. Dick wanted to let Jay down easy, by making something up like this had been a dream. But the glare Jason sent him from across the room stilled the older Wayne ward. Despite Jason’s red eyes from crying, Dick understood the threat in his deadly glare. 

Shut your damn mouth, Dickwad.

Quietly, Jason set the letter down with a picture of Jay as a newborn down on the desk. He wiped his eyes then pulled his leg away from Jay by crouching down in front of the crying boy. He didn’t know what to say, but the words slipped from his mouth so easily, 

“Hey, kid, you’re getting boogers all over my clothes.” 

Jason chuckled and watched Jay wipe his nose with the sleeve of his pajama shirt. A little giggle came from the boy and he gave Jason a timid ‘sorry’. They stared at one another with smiles on their faces, enjoying each other’s presence. 

“You have your mother’s smile, you know that?” 

The fake stars on Jason’s ceiling twinkled in the slight darkness of the room, not as bright as the kid’s smile that reminded him so much of [Name]. Her words written in the letter came back to him as he gathered the courage to hug Jay as himself, not as Lazlo. 

Jay melted in his dad’s hug and he wrapped his arms around his neck, saying, “It’s nice to meet you too, daddy.”

…

Dear Jason, 

Today I have had the pleasure of welcoming our bundle of joy into the world. His name is Jay [L.Name] and he is super adorable. He came out with a tuft of black hair, similar to yours. He came pretty fast and easy for it being my first every birth. Probably my last too. 

Anyways, Bruce and Dick have been such a great help. They helped a lot along with my father and they cannot wait to meet Jay. Actually, the picture is of Dick holding Jay and oh boy! I didn’t think holding Jay would make him cry like it did me. 

Do you think Bruce would cry too? I guess we’ll have to see and of course, I will give you the details :)

I’m not going to lie to you, this is my fifth time trying to write this letter to you. I guess knowing that you’ll never get to meet Jay brings sadness to me. I didn’t get the chance to tell you either and I know you said you wouldn’t be mad at me when I told you. 

But something tells me that you would have been better off knowing about him before you died. So as an apology, I named our boy after you and I’m sure the nickname JJ wil stick with his family. I’m already smiling at his future which will be surrounded by your brother and father.

Bruce has taken your death pretty badly. Yet he does his best to keep an eye on me and now he will do the same for Jay. I can see him trying to make up for your passing and I don’t know how to ease his pain. I hope someday we will cross the bridge together. 

I’m also grateful that Dick was present for the birth of Jay, I really needed someone by my side. Needless to say, we both cried tears of joy together when Jay came. I think I will tease Dick about this for the rest of his life. 

Oh, I provided the picture I mentioned earlier so you can see Jay for the first time. I swear he will grow up to look like you. I’m glad he got your good looks to be honest. All the girls will fall for him like I did for you. Which I’m not looking forward to. I just hope he doesn’t get his charisma from Dick. 

Unfortunately, this is the end of the letter. I fear that Dick might cry a tsunami over JJ if I don’t retrieve our babe. I miss you, jaybird. 

Forever Yours,  [Name]. 

......

TAGGED

@makanirock05 @accountforreading123 @itsmonicabc @huntressofartemis3 @kathybernice

[a-mint-bear]

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Female Yandere x Reader

She seems like the perfect girl. Put-together, sweet, thoughtful. And she seems to like you?

But would someone like her even look your way? Or is it just in your head?

Part 1

_________________________________________

You'd known her for a few months. 

She was a year ahead of you at your university. You were surprised you remembered her on this massive campus out of what had to be thousands of people you saw every day. But something about her stood out to you.

The more you noticed her, the more you could tell she'd been noticing you too. If it wasn’t all just in your head.

She'd pop up a lot around you after the first time you’d met. You’d go to study at the library and she'd be at the next table over before long. She’d cross your path when you sat in the courtyard to catch up on group project emails. There would be a subtle glance and a sweet smile, a casual nod your way. When you would go for lunch, she’d more often than not have an open seat across from her in the crowded dining hall. She wouldn’t seem too eager for you to sit with her, but it was a toss-up if she’d eat her own meal while going over her notes from class or make casual small talk, like it was no big deal. 

None of that seemed weird on its own. She seemed like a nice enough girl, and it didn’t hurt that she was cute. And maybe seemed interested in you? If she really was flirting, it wasn’t too obvious. But something about her just felt weird.

No matter who talked to her, she was so… agreeable? Not that that was a bad thing, but she seemed to be friends with everyone and no one at the same time. Polite and sensitive to people's needs but not that at the same time. Like she wanted to… seem like she had every good intention in the world but made sure that no one ever actually needed her for anything. But she was so nice about it that you felt almost guilty thinking of her in that way.

Normally, seeing someone manipulate people like she did would make you hesitate to have anything to do with them. But there was something so… sad? About her? Like even with her sweet smile and the gentle, friendly way she spoke, she seemed almost… scared?  

Scared that people would get too close? Or maybe scared that they’d think she was a bad person… It was hard to pin it down, exactly. 

But every time the two of you crossed paths, you found yourself thinking about her more often, again and again. 

— — —

Wearing a face was second nature to her. If anything, it was harder to not to. 

It helped her get what she wanted. And she found that people liked her better when she did.

Not that she “needed’ people to like her, but it made her life easier when people thought she was a good person. People gave her things and helped her out when she wore the face of a sweet and kind young woman.

She was known to others as exactly what she intended. Top of her class, well on her way to graduating summa cum laude. Studious but friendly. So, too busy to socialize, of course. Someone who turned down dates and offers from people to hang out with a gracious, believable excuse and a sweet, apologetic smile. A girl who took care of her appearance and dressed up nicely, but wasn't anything close to vain about it. Because that’s bad, for some reason. 

Life was good when she got what she wanted. Everything was so easy for her that it almost made life dull.

But then. 

There was you.

For some reason, it was so much more difficult with you.

She did her best to seem like a kind person for you. So one day, when you’d dropped a folder in the courtyard and a few papers blew away, she’d chased after them. When you’d thanked her with a smile, she felt… something. 

Something new. 

She couldn’t really put her finger on why she'd become so focused on you. She lived for others thinking she was this kind, lovely person. With you, she tried so much harder. Being nice around you, trying to seem perfect… It should’ve annoyed her, all the work she was putting in with no real reward other than your occasional glances or polite smile. 

But it just… didn't. 

"Are you stuck on something?"

When she found you struggling with a research paper in the library one day, she, of course, was nice enough to offer help with a few bits you were stuck on.

"Now, this line here really works as a reference for your thesis statement. In the second paragraph, here..."

A helpful suggestion, but hinted at in a way that wasn't too leading so you wouldn't see her as too assertive. A casual tuck of a lock of hair behind her ear as she looked over at you. A gentle gesture to a section in your reference book, just barely brushing your hand with hers.

Every move was a part of the face she wore around you. Put on to draw you in closer, to make you think about her all the time.

Aside from the occasional color in your cheeks and a nervous laugh, she wasn't sure if this was having its intended effect.

It was frustrating when you wouldn’t look at her the way she wanted.

But that just made her feel like she needed to try harder.

It didn’t make any sense to her. But whenever you were around, for the first time she was terrified that this face wouldn’t be enough to… be the person you would want.

The face, she was having trouble keeping it on when it came to you. 

That was also new. 

There were people who hung off you all the time. Your classmates who invited you out to study with them. That friend of yours, the one that loved to touch your arm when they wanted your attention. Every time she saw you smile at someone, every time you gave them our attention, she could feel the face slipping. She’d never felt so… Upset. Hurt. 

Angry.

Even when another random person tried to flirt with her as usual, she couldn’t keep it together. They saw her, just for a moment. But he could see the shock in their eyes when she let her annoyance and disgust show.

Because they weren’t you.

But if you saw the real her behind the face she wore…

You would hate her.

So why did she care at all?

It was almost frustrating how little anything else mattered. What was so special about you that you were all she thought about? Nothing really stood out about you… Maybe it was because you didn’t seem all that enamored with the face she wore, but she didn’t obsess like this over every person who didn’t click with her. Maybe it was something small… Your smile? Your voice? 

She’d never felt love before, she didn’t think. So if that’s what she was feeling for you, how would she know?

The only thing she did know was that she wanted you to love her. 

And maybe that was enough. 

To her, it felt like you saw something when you looked at her, and it unnerved her, but it only made her think about you more. 

For the first time in her life, the faces she wore had become so much more than a way to get what she wanted.

They were protecting her from what could happen if anyone could tell what she was really thinking. 

If you could tell what she was really thinking.

The obsessive thoughts. 

The jealousy. 

The disgust and anger. 

Fleeting violent impulses when she noticed someone talking to you. Laughing with you. Touching you. These thoughts, they should’ve felt… Shocking? Unsettling? But they just… didn’t.

Because when it came to you, she would do anything to have you.

And make no mistake.

No matter what it took, you would be hers.

-- -- --

For a while, she couldn't feel the pain that should've been radiating in her palm. Only the steady rhythm of her own heartbeat in her ears.

She stayed on top of a lot of text chains to keep tabs on things and people around her, and something had come up in texts from a study group she went to every now and then, to keep up appearances and seem social.

One of the girls in the group had pulled out from that week's cram session for the upcoming midterms. She was finally going to ask out someone she'd had her eye on for a while, the one in her class, and with a bit of teasing and prodding from the others, the girl had given up a very familiar name.

She'd froze, her mind racing with every way it could be anyone else. How your name wasn't all that common, but there had to be another poor idiot that was the target of this girl's affections. There had to be.

But she'd clarified. It sounded so much like you. Your looks, your major, the things you and this girl would apparently talk about. That you had such a cute smile.

How she couldn't wait to take you out. How soon, you'd be with her. How you'd only look her way.

She'd been putting away the clean dishes. A glass had shattered in her grip. It had nicked a couple of her fingers. She felt nauseous, but not from the sight of blood.

She'd never felt so much all at once, every inch of her skin felt like it was on fire and her ears were ringing.

Nothing else mattered.

A deep breath and she grabbed a towel, putting on her sweetest smile, the face slipping back into place.

All she could think about was how she was going to fix this.

______________________________________________________________

part one of the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing fics. Next one's gonna get a little/ a lot (?) violent, so just a head's up.

the anon original request, which turned out to be from @asimp4yandere , and i hope they like this, along with part 2 coming soon!

an extension of one of the girls from my yandere girl type post:

i got such bad artist's block writing this one because i tried to squeeze the next part into this one and got stalled out. she is a complicated character and one of the first strictly violent yanderes i've ever written and she's kind of a rotten little monster and i love her.

first draft also included a few sentences on her childhood but it didn't really fit here

no name for this one yet, maybe in part 2 if i think of a good enough one

will post the next part before long, if i post these parts together the first part gets less attention ✌️

[writer-with-jazz]

Bad nights (part two)

A/N: hi everyone!! Bad night was the first ever fix I posted and I am very glad everyone liked it so much!! I wasn’t expecting more than 20 likes? But this is crazy and I am overjoyed! This took me a lil while since I started working on this request I got which is a very interesting idea, but thank you sm <333

p.s: I reread this 3 times and used grammars for spelling mistakes if there are still any, do tell me!

Summary: Remus got clingy cuz of the full moon, James lost a match, Sirius has problems with his parents and you aren’t well. How Will this situation turn out?

Read bad nights part one, here

The tension in the room only deepened after Remus pulled back, He was always the calm one, the one who understood the unspoken language of their relations, but today, with every emotion piling up, even he was slipping.

You could feel the heat from his body as he stepped away from you, the silence hanging in the air, thick and uncomfortable. Your stomach churned in response, both from the physical ache and the emotional weight of everything around you.

James finally broke the silence, though his voice was very much with frustration. "I get it, Sirius," he said, barely holding back the anger in his tone. "You’re upset, and I’m upset, but don’t act like you have it all figured out." His hand clenched into a fist by his side. "This—this whole thing—it’s not just about losing a match, alright? It’s about everything. Every bloody thing that's been piling up lately." He paused, glancing at you as though the weight of his next words was too much to carry alone. "It’s about her. About how she’s always there for all of you, and… I can’t even seem to be enough for her."

Your heart squeezed at his words, but before you could say anything, Sirius snapped. "Enough? Enough? What about me, huh?" His voice cracked an that made your chest tighten. "I’ve been fighting off my mother’s poison for years, I’m constantly keeping my own demons at bay, and I’m the one who gets left behind! She’s always there for you, James, and for you, Remus. Always comforting you, holding you up, and I’m just… just here, trying to keep my head above water." His face was twisted in anguish, eyes wild. "And all I get is the scraps—the leftovers."

"That’s not fair!" Remus’s voice was raw, , "You think I want to cling to her like this? You think I’m not aware of everything she does for me? But I need her, Sirius. I’m barely holding it together after last night—" His voice wavered, and you saw the raw hurt in his eyes as he turned to you for comfort once more, even as he fought back his own tears. "I’m not asking for more than what she can give. I’m just asking for her to be there when I can’t be there for myself."

Sirius's glare softened for a split second before he snapped again, his frustration morphing into something darker. "Yeah, well, we all need her, don’t we?" he spat. "But it’s always you, Remus. It’s always you who gets the comfort, who gets the attention. And I’m just supposed to wait in the damn hard moments , pretending I’m fine when I’m falling apart inside." He was pacing now, his voice rising with every step. "I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep pretending I’m okay when she’s the one holding everyone else together."

The words hit harder than anything you could have prepared for, and it was like a pressure released in the room. You knew he didn’t mean it like that. You knew he wasn’t blaming you specifically, but the weight of it settled over you like a suffocating wall. You wanted to shout at him, to tell him that you weren’t some object to be fought over, that you couldn’t be everything to everyone, but the words wouldn’t come.

"You think I’m okay?" James's voice cut through, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and hurt. "I’m the bloody Quidditch captain! I’m supposed to lead everyone, make everything perfect, and now I can’t even—" He stopped, voice cracking, fists clenched at his sides, looking away from both of you as if his words were too much to handle. "I’m so sick of failing."

s. That broken crack in James that you had never seen before. You wanted to walk over, to hold him, to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, but as soon as you moved, Remus took a step toward you, his eyes pleading, like he was afraid to lose you in all this madness. and Sirius’s hurt eyes, his unspoken plea, were just as raw.

But your body was betraying you. The nausea was getting worse, and the headache was growing more unbearable. You couldn’t hold on any longer.

“Stop,” you whispered, barely able to keep your voice steady as you stood between them, your hand resting on your stomach. "Stop. All of you. I… I can't do this anymore."

The room went silent, and for a moment, everything stopped.

You felt tears pricking at the edges of your eyes, but you held them back. "I’m trying so hard for all of you. I can’t be everything. I can’t be the one you all lean on all the time." Your voice was shaky, but you pushed through it. "I… I’m struggling too. Do you not see that? I’mtrying, I’m hurting, and no one’s even asking if I’m okay. All I do is try to hold everyone else together, and no one sees it until I’m falling apart. I just… I need… I need a break."

You didn’t give them time to respond, didn’t let them apologize or tell you it was fine. You turned on your heel and walked away

But in the quiet, as the seconds passed, you realized something. You weren’t the only one struggling,It was time for them to see that.

And you weren’t sure if that would make them love you less, or more.

alright so I think part three will be out more soon and will be the final part!!!!

taglist: @almostjollypizza @setayeshmohseni @navs-bhat @treefairy-28 @may-madness @ameliaweasley @maysrain @reggieswriter @meowmeowbby @hiireafstuff @flowerytombx @hcqwxrtss123 @unstable-cucumber @aleatorio1234 @penned-musings @plk-18 @iheartpieck @livia7137 @liviessun @eeviee4 @marvelsmarauder @amatoanima @minejungwoo

[galaxygurlll]

FP2/FP3 - Aussie GP 2019 - Part 5

A new team? With two females? This is unheard of and will most certainly shake things up in F1! Meet Y/n Rose-Ocean and Evelyn Match as they get assigned seats into a new team into the F1, Porsche Royal racing. Y/n holds the number 38 whilst Evelyn holds the number 72. The two are introduced as rookies in the 2019 season, but, their area has been yet to be revealed, it being closed by tarps, and the two girls' identities have also remained a secret. Over time, even though she’s one of the youngest, she soon becomes the “grid aunt” and even “grid older/younger sister” as well.

Warnings for this chapter: None

All photos are from Pinterest!

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Previous chapter

Part 4: https://www.tumblr.com/galaxygurlll

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NOTIFICATION ALERT!

1 NEW POST FROM y/n_roseocean

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Coffee date/night out with friends from a few days ago!

Tagged: evelynmatch7, friend1, friend2, friend3, friend4

❤️ 682K    💬 6,133   ✈️ 4,154

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friend2 So lovely to see you girls again! ❤️ by author

Liked by y/n_roseocean and 309 others

- y/n_roseocean You as well!

Liked by friend2 and 890 others

evelynmatch7 Just to be clear, I was the one that reached out to the guys, just so everyone knows. Y/n didn't know that we were meeting up with them! But wonderful picture! ❤️ by author

Liked by y/n_roseocean and 579 others

- y/n_roseocean It was a great surprise to see the guys again! And thanks again to the waiter and the random citizen for taking the photos!

Liked by evelynmatch7 and 980 others

--- evelynmatch7 Yes! A big massive thanks to them! ❤️ by author

Liked by y/n_roseocean and 632 others

----- friend3 Who? Us? Thanks you so much!

Liked by friend3 458 others

------- evelynmatch7 No, the gracious and kind people that, for some reason, agreed to take your photo

Liked by friend2 and 889 others

--------- friend2 Burn!

Liked by evelynmatch7 and 235 others

----------- friend3 Whatever... 😁

Liked by 210 others

friend3 Glad that friend4 and I could make you smile girl! ❤️ by author

liked by y/n_roseocean, friend4 and 328 others

- friend4 Agreed! Fun night! ❤️ by author

liked by y/n_roseocean, friend3 and 561 others

--- y/n_roseocean Glad that I left an impression!

liked by friend4, friend3 and 1009 others

friend1 Thanks for today! And for letting me sit in the shade y/n_roseocean! ❤️ by author

liked by y/n_roseocean and 783 others

- y/n_roseocean No worries girly! 😘

Liked by friend1 and 892 others

friend4 Again soon? ❤️ by author

liked by y/n_roseocean, friend4 and 964 others

- y/n_roseocean Hopefully!

liked by friend4 and 782 others

carolice98 Seems like a fun time!

liked by 89 others

vincestevensaus Oh my gosh! I was the waiter!! A pleasure to serve you ladies!

liked by friend2 and 208 others

cloversand889 I wish I had met you! I still do have a chance though. Maybe. Hopefully!

liked by 387 others

allieform1 Love to see it!

liked by 746 others

hassanbakes The betrayal! You went to another cafe! ❤️ by author

liked by y/n_roseocean and 1010 others

codyquinn Hah! Our girl just ignoring her brother! The greatest sibling moment added to the list! ❤️ by author

liked by y/n_roseocean and 719 others

cassidybankslol1127 Holy! I was the one that took the third photo!! Ahhhh!!! I did not know that it would actually get posted!!

liked by friend3 and 658 others

jordinviking I wonder who our girls going to be supporting in F1 this year??

liked by 450 others

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Little time to the start FP2

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"It's time once more y/n! Go get 'em, girl!" Ev tells me whilst patting my shoulder and I give her a gracious smile in return, "You as well Ev, you're doing amazing." And with that comment, she chuckles, and responds with, "We both are."

After her final statement, she retreats to her car and hops in and I follow in suit into my own and wait for instructions to drive out. This time round though, Ev gets to go out before me and I have to wait a few more seconds before I get the signal and drive out into the pitlane.

It's just like FP1, but also different in a way that I can't explain.

And it just seems as though this time round, it goes even quicker than the last one. Each turn felt magnetic. The wind blowing subtly. All was great, dreams were coming true. Couldn't get any better!

As soon as I get out of the car once more after pulling into the garage, I quickly jog over to Gavern since he's going to be giving me another run down with what happened during FP1.

--- Both Hamilton and Bottas traded top times

--- Hamilton finished on top

--- Red Bull's drivers were equally matched

--- Kimi Räikkönen, Iceman, went too hot into turn 1 and took a "shortcut" through the grass

--- Other drivers also had difficulty and found the rough were Antonio Giovinazzi, Lance Stroll, and Alexander Albon not once, but twice. As did Sebastian Vettel

--- Vettel had a slower time than Hamilton, but it's believed that this doesn't show the car's full potential

--- Charles Leclerc had a difficult moment as the session came to a close

--- Danny Ric had to sit out, just like his teammate, Hulkenburg, in FP1

I started to zone out as I realised that I had done worse this time round, placing P16, and spotting on the TV that Ev got P13. Something in my stomach sturs seeing that. I really thought that I was quicker, much quicker than that. But, obviously, I wasn't and Ev was.

Knowing that FP3 is coming up (tomorrow), I excuse myself from the conversation with Gav, and just head to hospitality which has one-way glass. That way, me and Ev are able to have our faces out without having to worry about being seen by others outside of the team.

After grabbing some nice leek and potato soup and a side of tofu, I go and take a seat at one of the tables in the far corner and place my food down. Once sitting down, I seem to remember that I still have my full attire on so, I hastily, but smoothly, take off my helmet and then my balaclava. That honestly reminds me of my skiing. Then I take off my gloves and put them inside of my helmet that is on the chair next to me.

As I eat my food, I watch as members of the team walk in and out, in and out, in and out. Some leaving with food like the meat burritos, or a simple chocolate brownie. This gets too boring for me, so, I decide to take out my phone and, once getting it open, I see that my brother, Nolan. Assuming that it's his usual questions like, what should I name this character? Is this enough words for a chapter? Is this too dark?

But, it's the complete opposite.

You see, I had seemed to of forgotten that Nolan was on babysitting duty today for my little angel, River.

N: Hey sis! Doors locked and no one else is answering me, would you be able to unlock it through your phone? It's just that River is with me, and he is very tired...

Y/n: Oh, of course!

And so I quickly disable the locks on the door after checking the cameras to make sure that it is actually him, and I hear the click.

N: Thanks, sis!! Good racing as well! Riv is very impressed with his Momma

I don't respond.

Not because I don't want to, but because a notification pops up from Instagram, alerting me that something has been posted. And! Surprise, surprise, it is from Nolan.

My family knows that I'm fine with them posting my son, so that's fine with me. Cause who wouldn't want to post cute and adorable little River!

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NOTIFICATION ALERT!

1 NEW POST FROM thewritingbrother

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Babysitting duties today! Baby River is adorable! Glad my children could be around as well!!

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After reading all of the comments, both good and bad, but mainly good, I finally get the smile back onto my face. Some are calling me a bad other, (which I've been called years, so I'm used to it), but the majority are really nice.

But then, get a message, a few to be exact actually.

EM: Hey, you alright?

I look up from my phone and look around the hospitality centre and spot Ev near me, but on the opposite side with an eyebrow raised.

Y/n: Yeah, I'm fine... just, stressed, you know?? Miss River as well

EM: You know that you can talk to me, right?

EM: Y/n???

Deciding that I'm going to go on a walk to clear my head, I put my phone on silent, pick up my remaining food, toss that away and walk out. I'll talk to her about this later.

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

Evelyn Match's pov

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As y/n leaves, I feel an ache of guilt in my stomach. I know that she knows that I know why she's annoyed. And it's because I did better than her. She's always so competitive. That's what I love about her so much.

This is what she does though, to clear her head, and then she's back to her usual chirpy self. I also know that another reason could be the fact that right now, what we are doing, could make or break history. Big time. And so far, we're around the bottom/mid-section of the grid.

So, this is looking bad for us.

As I take another bite of my cheese omelette, I think back to my family and all of their accomplishments in life, and how they've all, mostly, supported my dreams.

With the window being one-way glass, I am to spy on the drivers that walk by and look curiously at the building whilst also attempting to sneak a peek inside.

Drivers like Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel, Romain Grosjean, and even Lance Stroll, one of y/n's best friends. She did tell me that he figured it out. It was quite the shocking news, to be honest with you.

My phone dings and I see that it's my timer.

Time to head back to the garage and get prepared for FP3.

Even though that race is tomorrow, it's more so the boring stuff now with stats and shit like that.

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

Time skip to the next day, back to y/n's pov

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

FP3. The final free practice of the first round of free practices. 26°C. But feeling it a whole lot more inside of the car.

The turns start to get familiar and so the the straights and hairpins. And, good news! I'm actually doing really well this time round! P14 again so far this time around, but I'm catching up on the car in front of me.

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

Time skip to the end of FP3 cause I'm too tired to write out more 😅

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P12. That's a great position. Much better than the ones before. I'm much happier with this outcome, at least, for now, that is. Ev also finished up in P14 this time which is really good for her.

She and I chatted last night and worked everything out between us, so we're fine now, which is good. I mean, she is one of my closest friends and we're in this together. We stand together as one.

So yeah, P1 for Lewis as well. He's going to be a tough one to beat, that's for sure. Everyone knows that about him. I mean, he's the Lewis Hamilton.

I finished just below Hulkenberg and just above Giovinazzi with Ev just below Sainz and just above Perez.

Qualifying is in a few hours from now, so I'm just resting up inside my drivers room with an ice-cold water bottle and tons of cool air coming through.

I knew that this was going to be tough on me, but not this tough.

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Next chapter

Part 6: Being written soon

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Tag list

@chaoswithus

Little note: If you would like to be added into this story as one of the reader's friends, just let me know in the comments or send me a message!

I hope you guys also did enjoy this one as it is a touch longer, but if you can't tell, I do like to do my SMAUs, but I make sure that they do add to the story! Again, I'm back at school in around 3 days time, so please, keep that in mind!

Love yall!!! 💛💜💛💜💛💜💛💜💛💜

[kiyareverie]

Okay. I guess this is a part 3 but not really because it’s kind of just a valentines special but it seems like the only post ppl like is the one with Gaz- 😅

So here’s a little valentines special

Valentine’s Special: Y/N’s First Valentine’s Day

Y/N had always seen heart-shaped decorations, pink and red balloons, and rows of stuffed bears on the shelves at stores, but Valentine’s Day had never really meant anything to her. To her, it was just another day. Gaz had always made sure she felt loved, but this year was different.

Gaz had noticed her staring curiously at all the Valentine’s Day cards while they were out shopping. “You’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day, have you, kiddo?” he asked, lifting her onto his shoulders as they passed the display.

Y/N shook her head, her eyes wide with wonder. “What is it? Is it like Christmas?”

Gaz chuckled softly, adjusting her on his shoulders. “Not quite like Christmas, but yeah, it’s a day for celebrating people you love—friends, family, even people you care about a lot.”

She thought for a moment. “So it’s like a big hug day?”

“Exactly,” Gaz said with a grin. “A day for hugs, and maybe giving something special to someone you care about.”

---

The night before Valentine’s Day, Y/N had one very important question for her dad.

“Daddy, can we make Valentine’s cards? Like, for everyone? Even Uncle Soap?”

Gaz paused, surprised at how excited she seemed. “Of course, we can make cards for everyone. You want to give one to Soap too?”

Y/N nodded eagerly. “And to you, Daddy! I want to make you one too.”

---

The next morning, Y/N was up early, scissors in hand, carefully cutting out heart shapes and drawing little doodles of teddy bears and smiley faces. Gaz couldn’t help but smile from the kitchen as he watched her work.

“Gonna make everyone a card, huh?” he asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Y/N nodded proudly. “I want to make sure everyone feels happy. Uncle Soap will like the one with the big bear on it!”

Gaz laughed, shaking his head. “I think he’ll love it.”

---

When Valentine’s Day finally came, Y/N had made cards for everyone she could think of—Soap, Price, Ghost, and even for her dad. She’d drawn a big heart on the front of each one, with little hand-drawn notes inside, thanking them for being there for her.

She ran to Gaz as soon as she finished the last card. “Daddy, I’m ready! Can we give them out now?”

Gaz knelt down to her level, smiling at the cards she was holding. “Alright, kiddo, let’s go spread some love.”

---

The team had gathered for a special Valentine’s lunch at the base. Price had ordered pizza, and Soap had insisted on making cookies, though they ended up being a bit too burnt. Still, everyone was in high spirits. Y/N bounced around, handing out the cards she’d made with the biggest smile on her face.

To Soap, she gave a card with a drawing of a huge teddy bear. “This one’s for you, Uncle Soap. Because you’re the biggest teddy bear I know!”

Soap chuckled and scooped her up for a bear hug. “You’re too kind, lass.”

She gave Price a card with a heart and a note that said, *"Thank you for keeping me safe, Uncle Price."* Price gave her a warm smile as he accepted it, ruffling her hair gently.

When it was time to give Gaz his card, Y/N ran up to him, holding it out with both hands. “This one’s for you, Daddy. I love you!”

Gaz’s heart melted as he took the card, looking down at the sweet doodles she’d drawn on it. He pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you too, kiddo. You make every day feel like Valentine’s Day.”

---

As the day went on, Y/N felt something she hadn’t expected: the warmth of knowing she had so many people who cared about her, people who celebrated her just as much as she celebrated them. For the first time, Valentine’s Day felt like something truly special—a day to tell the people you love just how much they mean to you.

That night, Gaz tucked her into bed after a long day of laughter and smiles. “Did you have a good Valentine’s Day?” he asked softly.

Y/N nodded, snuggling under the blankets. “Best one ever. I think it’s my favorite day now, Daddy.”

Gaz smiled as he kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad, kiddo. You deserve all the love in the world.”

And as Y/N drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of hearts, hugs, and a family that would always make her feel loved, not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day.

[imaginespazzi]

Are you watching UCLA vs Maryland rn??

Also, give me your postgame thoughts from yesterday Nivi 😩 I wanna talk hoops LMAO

I did watch UCLA and Maryland and it looks like Maryland used my "playbook" as in I've been saying that for most teams, the way to beat UCLA might be to let Lauren Betts beat them while trying to contain everyone else and boy oh boy did Lauren Betts beat them. Like 33 pts? 14/15 shooting? LIKE SHE'S INSANE YOUR HONOR.

Oh boy Creighton thoughts...

Thank god for Sarah Strong

LIKE THANK GOD FOR SARAH STRONG

Also thank god for Paige Bueckers remembering who the fuck she is

Probably would've remembered earlier if she was GIVEN THE FUCKING BALL

Anyways in all honesty, I was sort of expecting a wonky performance last night because, it's been a hot sec since were on the road and it's been a hot minute since we've played anyone decent and Creighton is absolutely a decent team. Like do not let anyone fool y'all, that a tournament team that I think definitely has the potential to pull off an upset to get to the second weekend.

That's not to say I wasn't disappointed, especially at Geno fucking Auriemma who apparently watched us use his "slashed offensive playbook" and play the best we have all season and decided "hmm ackshually I don't think I will do this again" until that plan backfired and we had to wait till the 2nd half to go back to what works: PG PAIGE

Azzi had a terrible offensive night. I've seen a lot of discourse and ultimately it comes down to both the fact that she, herself was not doing enough AND of course the team also didn't do enough. She started off the game aggressive enough but then I think, partly due to fouls, partly due to her shots just not falling and also partly due to her teammates making some insane choices instead of passing to her, she pretty much stopped moving on offense and then ended up passing some shots (hand offs, maybe a middy or two) that she should take and in most instances probably would make.

But for what it's worth, I'm not worried about Azzi. I am getting a little worried about the team not doing enough though because we're at back-to-back games of her not having a single three-point attempt in the first half and that's simply not gonna fly.

KC had an abysmal shooting night. And quite frankly it's unacceptable because she was missing wide open things. The Creighton coach even said postgame that they were purposely letting her get those easy shots and her barely making any of them is not good. Coaches will look at this game and do the same thing and she needs to make them pay. Her not making those shots is also a part of why Azzi had such a hard time getting open because Creighton took the gamble to put a lot more attention on Azzi and their defense deserved credit for that because it definitely paid off and a part of that is on KC.

Which (I fear this is turning into a rant despite my use of bullet points) is why I don't think this KC-Paige-Azzi backcourt is tha answer. Forcing all three of them to play in a way that doesn't suit their respective playstyle is a recipe for disaster and we keep seeing it. A lot of these Paige and Azzi clashing takes on twitter stem from the fact that they're both forced to play SG sometimes and they move so similar on offense (which is what makes them lethal when they play as a PG-SG duo) that it ultimately limits one of them.

Jana....layups babe please. Listen I am a big proponent of Geno needs to be giving Jana more minutes but at the same time, if you're blowing fucking bunnies every game, there is only so much I can say. Then again, the answer to that, to increase her development is that she needs time on the floor.

Lowkey thought Ice gave some really nice minutes? More of that please?

KK brining the energey as per usual but babygirl HOW MANY MORE TIMES ARE WE GOING TO SEE THAT SAME DRIVING INTO THE PAINT MOVE AND THEN GETTING BLOCKED/STUCK MOVE? It doesn't work. You are not 6'+. PLEASE STOP. I do not need a Sania Feagin/Chloe Kitts blocking you highlight on the SC page of February 16th thank you.

Ash great hustle on rebounds and it's why she should be starting at the 3!

So if Aubrey not playing yesterday was her decision, then I'm more than okay with that. However, we only have 10 games left and if it was a Geno decision then I definitely do question. I'm very confused with how he's managing her minutes. Not the amount, but the fact that she's playing in garbage time and not with starters. If we wants her to be useful in March, she needs to be playing in lineups that will actually be used in March/April.

CAROLINE PRACTICING!! Love to see it. Refusing to get my hopes too high but I just love seeing her out there <3

[callsign-mayhem]

i'm with the band (part 3)

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Female!Reader & Bradley Bradshaw x Female!Reader (final pairing to be revealed at the end...) Word count: 8.2k CW: Use of Y/N; the reader is kinda alternative

You discover that your best friend Bob can play the drums, and since you have some musical gifts of your own, you decide to start a navy band. It's supposed to be a bit of harmless fun, but what happens when lines get blurred between you and Bob, feelings come to the surface, and a certain Rooster gets jealous?

This is a multi-part fic.

Part one Part two

Bradley had no problem with Mondays. In fact, he would go so far as to say he enjoyed them. This was primarily because you brought coffee and doughnuts to work for the whole squad to share. 

It had started a few weeks into your permanent station on North Island, and you’d done it every Monday since. 

Bradley had gone so far as to arrive early for work that day. So early, he was there before you. When you walked into the meeting room—a doughnut tray in your arms and eight coffees in holders precariously balanced on top—he was reclining comfortably in one of the seats. When he realised how much you were carrying, he jumped up. 

‘Bradley!’ You exclaimed, surprised. ‘What are you doing here so early?’

He took the coffees so you could set the doughnuts down without spilling them.

‘Oh, you know. Early bird catches the worm and all that.’ He said flippantly, flashing you a lazy grin.

What he really meant was, ‘early bird catches Y/N Y/L/N before everyone else arrives and steals her attention.’ 

You put your hands on your hips—those damn hips, all he could think about was the sight of them in that dress from dinner a couple of weeks ago. 

‘Well, lucky you because you get the first pick of the doughnuts and the coffee while it’s still piping hot.’  You beamed, although, for some reason, unbeknownst to Bradley, you couldn’t quite meet his eye. 

‘You’re so sweet, Y/CS.’ He grinned. 

‘Well, thanks.’ You smiled, blushing profusely. God, you were adorable. 

He couldn’t tell if it was awkwardness, shyness, or if you were upset about something, but he knew something wasn’t quite right. He finally had you all to himself, and you couldn’t even look at him. Currently, you were busying yourself putting sugars in a few cups (because you knew how everyone liked their coffees), replacing the lids and writing an initial on the top so you wouldn’t forget which was which. 

‘You okay, sweetheart?’ Bradley asked, flipping open the doughnut box and selecting one at random. 

He scanned your face for answers, but you gave nothing away. 

‘Yeah, I’m okay,’ you replied. ‘Just exhausted.’ 

Bradley wasn’t convinced, but he could tell you weren’t up for discussing whatever was wrong. Reluctantly, he let it slide and bit into his doughnut—chocolate sprinkles and icing, Nutella all the way through. 

He was working out the best way to ask you to dinner (ballsy) when the door to the break room swung open, smashing into the wall behind it. Both of you jumped all the way out of your skin.

‘Jesus Christ.’ You hissed, spinning around. 

It was Mickey. Obviously. 

‘Sorry.’ He smiled sheepishly. 

‘Very on-brand entrance.’ You muttered.

Mickey practically skipped over to the table, eyes wide at the sight of the massive doughnut box. 

‘What have we got this week?’ He asked.

‘One of everything.’ You told him. ‘Although, I think the lady put an extra cinnamon swirl in there.’

Mickey turned his nose up. ‘No thanks. Nutella?’

Your eyes flickered over to Bradley, who had a mouthful of doughnut and chocolate sprinkles stuck in his moustache. He froze as Mickey followed your line of sight. 

‘Seriously, Rooster?!’ He exclaimed. ‘You know they’re my favourite!’

Bradley shrugged. ‘Should’ve got here earlier like I did.’ 

Mickey cocked a brow. ‘Yeah, ‘cause that’s why you’re here before everyone else.’

Bradley could’ve happily rammed the rest of his doughnut in Mickey’s mouth for that remark, but he refrained. Suddenly, your cup of coffee had gotten really interesting. 

Thankfully, Javy and Reuben breezed in. Bradley admired their natural confidence. They were unruffled, always the calmest people in the room. Bradley only pretended to be the calmest person in the room. He was a phoney, thoughts constantly swirling around inside his head. 

‘Good mornin’.’ Reuben greeted. 

You handed him his coffee—two sugars and a splash of creamer—with a smile that made Bradley want to put his fist through something. 

‘Coffee for Payback.’ You said, reaching over to grab Javy’s. ‘And coffee for Coyote.’ 

Javy put his arm around your shoulder, and you rested your head on his chest for a second. ‘Thanks, Y/CS. You’re the best.’

Bradley ground his teeth together. He knew his jealousy was misplaced, but there it was, rearing its ugly, green head anyway. 

Nat, Bob and Jake were the last to arrive. It was almost time to get out onto the runway. Honestly, Bradley was looking forward to it. He needed to think about something other than you, which he found himself needing a lot recently. 

Now that Bob was here, Bradley’s chances of getting your attention were slim to none. You were perched on the edge of the table, chatting animatedly with your best friend who stood in front of you. Bradley almost scoffed out loud. Any closer, he’d be on your lap. 

Unfortunately, Mickey was prattling on at Bradley, so he only heard snippets of your conversation.

‘—practise tonight.’

‘Fletch is bringing—’

‘—torn between Bon Jovi and—’

Bradley had so many questions and nobody to get answers from. Did you mean Fletcher Adams? Bradley knew he only had one option, which didn’t seem appealing. He knew he was about to open himself up for a lot of teasing and questioning, but his curiosity burned within him. He just had to know. 

On the way out to the hangar, Bradley pulled Natasha aside. 

‘Walk with me?’ He asked, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. 

Natasha’s face crumpled in confusion. ‘Okay, weirdo?’

Bradley took a deep breath. ‘Do you know if Y/N is friends with Fletcher Adams?’

‘Yes,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘So is Bob.’

‘What are they doing with that ass, and what does any of it have to do with Jon Bon fucking Jovi?’ 

Natasha snickered, only aggravating Bradley more. ‘The real question you should ask is what it has to do with you.’

Bradley couldn’t take it anymore. ‘You know what.’ He snapped.

‘Ah, so you’ve finally seen the light, have you? Not lying to yourself anymore?’ She was almost giddy with this particular turn of events.

‘Are you gonna tell me what’s going on or not?’

Nat sighed. ‘I’ll tell you, but you won’t like it. And you can’t mention it to anyone.’

Bradley’s insides twisted. He was imagining you and Fletcher fucking Adams as a couple, or worse, you and Bob. He almost wanted to close his eyes for the devastating blow he was sure was coming. 

‘They’re in a band together. Y/N and Bob started it, Fletch is on guitar, and they’ve got Elliot Green from air and space ops on bass.’

Well, that wasn’t what he’d been expecting.

‘What?’ 

‘I know. Think they’ve landed themselves a gig, too.’ 

Bradley’s head was spinning. This was so far outside the realm of what he’d been anticipating that he felt disorientated. He hadn’t even realised that he’d stopped in his tracks until Nat stopped, too.

‘You good, Bradshaw?’ She asked, all the lightheartedness gone from her voice.

‘Erm, yeah. I’m good.’

‘I told her she should’ve asked you.’ Nat told him, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking. ‘But she thought you’d find it lame. Didn’t think you’d want any part of it.’ 

Bradley felt as though he’d been slapped. ‘Are you serious? Why the fuck would she think that?’

‘I told her the same thing. Too late now, I guess.’

‘Yeah.’ Bradley said, swallowing thickly. ‘I guess it is.’ 

You were practically drooling watching Bob drumming to ‘Animal I Have Become’ by Three Days Grace. As Elliot had said, the song had a delicious bassline, and you and Fletch were breaking in your new guitar pedals. It had been your idea to learn this song, partly because it was one of your favourites and partly because you knew it would get people moshing.

At your gig. 

It still hadn’t sunk in yet. Between the thought of playing in front of people, Bob’s muscles in that t-shirt, and Bradley calling you sweetheart earlier, you had no idea how you were managing to focus on singing and playing guitar.

By the time you reached the song's end, you were ready for a break.

‘Shall we take five?’ You asked breathlessly. 

Elliot and Fletch both agreed. You didn’t wait for Bob’s response before heading into the house. He kept drinks in the mini-fridge, but you needed a change of scenery. 

In the main fridge, you found a four-pack of your favourite Monster, which Bob always kept on standby. This reminder was not helping you to take your mind off things. You cracked one open and leaned against the counter, taking a few deep breaths with your eyes closed. 

Your conversation with Nat felt like it had taken place years ago, yet it was all you thought about. Bradley or Bob? You still didn’t fully believe that Bradley even liked you. 

That would be insane, right?

‘Y/N?’ Bob was standing in the doorway, frowning. ‘Are you alright?’ 

You tipped your head back and sighed. ‘Just got a lot on my mind. I’ll be okay.’

‘You wanna talk about it?’ He asked, taking a few steps closer. 

He wasn’t wearing glasses because he opted for contacts when drumming, and he wore a black Vans baseball cap over his sandy hair. Sweat glistened on the side of his neck, and his t-shirt clung to his body in all the right places. You dragged your hand over your mouth and tried not to release the unholy sound that was climbing up your throat. 

‘No.’ You said, shaking your head for good measure. ‘Let’s just get back to it.’

He looked extremely concerned. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes.’ 

You headed back into the garage, Bob close behind you. 

Elliot and Fletcher sat on the floor, sheets of music spread out around them and cans of coke in their hands. The band had met for practise every night this week after work. It was Thursday, and you’d put together half a setlist already. You knew deciding on the rest of the songs wouldn't be difficult, so everything should have been perfect.

The problem was nobody could come up with a name for the band. 

It had been grating on all four of you for weeks, and you didn’t seem any closer to a solution. All of you were just hoping that a name would fall out of the sky in time for your gig at The Hideout. 

‘Ready to pick it back up?’ You asked.

Fletcher wordlessly held up a sheet of music, which you took. 

You scoffed. ‘You can’t be serious.’ 

Elliot looked up at you, doe-eyes wide behind his glasses. ‘Come on, Y/N. You know it would be awesome.’

‘And your voice is fucking killer.’ Fletcher added. ‘You could totally pull this off.’

You looked at both of them in disbelief. ‘I really don’t think I could.’

Bob appeared next to you. He somehow still smelled of freshly laundered cotton and bergamot, which baffled you since he was quite literally dripping with sweat. 

He took the sheet of music from you. ‘I don’t think I know this song. I know the band, not the song.’

You knew it quite well. ‘I Like It Heavy’ by Halestorm was one of the songs you played when getting ready for a night out or in the gym to hype yourself up. To put it simply, it made you feel like a badass. Fletcher connected his phone to the speaker and found the song so Bob could hear it. 

You stood awkwardly with your drink, imagining you singing this in front of people and imagining singing it in front of the likes of Jake and Javy. And Bradley. Still, you couldn’t stop yourself from mouthing the words and bopping your head. 

When the song ended, your three bandmates were staring at you expectantly. 

‘What?’ 

‘You already know every word.’ Elliot pointed out. 

You chanced a look at Bob, who was smirking. Yes, that’s right. Bobby Floyd was fucking smirking. 

‘I think we should add it to the setlist.’ He said.

And by God, who were you to deny him when he was standing there looking like that?

‘Fine.’ You relented. 

Bob sat back down at his drumset, and you downed the rest of your drink. The plan was to practise ‘Animal I Have Become’ one last time, but Elliot and Fletcher apparently had other ideas.

‘There’s an instrumental version on YouTube.’ Elliot said slyly. 

‘And?’ You asked, even though you knew what they were getting at. 

‘Sing it for us.’

Perhaps drinking an energy drink hadn’t been your brightest idea. The nerves you felt at the thought of singing this song were suddenly unbearable. Really, you didn’t know why. It was just a song. Sure, it was a gutsy song and would require you to push your voice to the breaking limit, but didn’t you do that anyway?

Fletcher took your silence as his cue to play the song. You stood before your microphone and closed your eyes, envisioning your most confident version of yourself. You took another deep breath.

And then you sang. 

You left your body for the entire length of the song. As much as it had terrified you at first, singing a Halestorm song felt as amazing as listening to one. In a way, it had purged you of a lot of negative feelings. Almost like you’d been exorcised. 

When the song ended and you opened your eyes, Elliot and Fletcher stood up. They clapped, clearly impressed. As much as you valued their opinions, it wasn’t their reactions you so desperately sought. 

Bob gazed up at you from behind his drum set. His eyes weren’t starry like when he heard you sing, play guitar, or breathe; they were dark, all pupil. You knew lust when you saw it. It wasn’t a look you’d ever seen on your best friend before.

It also wasn’t something you planned on forgetting anytime soon. 

Bob Floyd had never put this much effort into getting ready before. As he stood in front of his open closet, debating between two pairs of Carhartt pants, he wondered how women did this daily. And he didn’t mean it misogynistically. In fact, his first experience with outfit anxiety had given him even more respect for women because, boy, he was stressed.

And it wasn’t like it mattered anyway. Bob felt a little stupid that he was getting so worked up. The Dagger Squad had been on plenty of nights out. You’d seen him in navy uniform, flight suits, sweat gym clothes, pyjamas—everything, really. So why was he worried now? 

The Dagger Squad hadn’t been on an outing since Juniper and Ivy, and earlier that day, Javy and Jake had suggested a night out. A real night out, they’d called it. Ultimately, this meant pre-drinks at The Hard Deck and then a visit to the newest nightclub that had opened Downtown. 

Bob hated nightclubs. He’d step foot in maybe two his entire life, and both experiences had been memorable for all the wrong reasons. He was only going because you were going. And because Bradley was going.

It would be a cold day in hell when Bob let you go to a nightclub with Bradley Bradshaw without him. 

In the end, he didn’t choose either of the pairs of pants he was going to wear. He went with black Dickies jeans, black Converse, a Smiths t-shirt and a black and white flannel to go over the top. He’d decided to wear contacts tonight because he felt his glasses messed with the vibe he had going on. He also threw on a baseball cap for good measure because wearing one made him feel less exposed. 

He patted some Bleu de Chanel onto the sides of his neck and headed out the door. Sadly, he wasn’t picking you up tonight. You’d gone over to Nat’s house to get ready, and it was ‘girls only.’ Saying this, Bob wouldn’t be surprised if his two favourite ladies showed up with Mickey in tow. 

He headed straight for the bar when he arrived at The Hard Deck. It was a busy night, and he waited patiently for ten minutes before being served.

‘Hey, Pen.’ He greeted. 

‘Lieutenant Floyd.’ Penny smiled. ‘You look handsome tonight.’

‘Thank you, ma’am.’

‘Corona Extra?’ She asked, already reaching into the bottle fridge behind her.

‘Actually, Penny, can I get a Maker’s Mark? On the rocks.’

Penny blinked. ‘Bourbon?’

Bob flushed. ‘I’m partial to one from time to time.’ 

Penny scooped some ice into a whiskey glass and grabbed the bottle. It was way more than a double shot, but that was Penny all over. She treated The Daggers like family. 

‘On the house, Bob.’ She grinned. 

‘Thank you, Penny.’

‘A few of the guys are at your usual table.’ She told him. ‘And before you ask, she’s not here yet.’

Bob didn’t know how to respond to that, so he thanked Penny and was on his way.

Jake, Javy, Mickey, and Reuben were all sitting in their usual corner. When Jake saw Bob approaching, he wolf-whistled, causing everyone else to stop their conversation and look too. Bob hated this kind of attention and didn’t know what he’d done to earn it. It wasn’t like they’d never seen him out of uniform before.

‘Turns out our baby on board isn’t much of a baby after all.’ Jake said.

Mickey was squinting at Bob in a way that made him uncomfortable. ‘There’s something different about you, Bobby.’

‘The hat?’ Javy offered.

Reuben sipped his beer. ‘It’s the glasses.’

Mickey’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape. ‘Hey, that’s it! I’ve never really seen you without them.’

Bob’s neck and cheeks suddenly felt extremely hot. He wished somebody would change the subject. ‘Where’s Rooster?’

‘He’s picking the girls up.’ Jake told him. ‘Phoenix’s place is like, a block away from his.’

Bob smiled pleasantly. ‘Is it?’

‘You never been there?’ Javy asked. 

‘Not to Rooster’s place, no.’

‘Well, they should be here any minute.’

Bob felt like he’d missed his mark big time. He sipped his bourbon, and Reuben eyed him curiously, like the all-seeing, omnipresent being that he was.

‘Not like you, Floyd.’

‘I wish people would stop saying shit like that.’ Bob snapped.

Reuben recoiled. ‘Damn. Sorry, man. Just an observation.’

‘No,’ Bob said, shaking his head. ‘I’m sorry. That was out of line.’

‘Everything alright with you?’

‘Everything’s fine.’ 

Luckily, Bob didn’t have much time to feel like an idiot.

‘Heyyyyyy! There they are!’ Javy called, standing up.

Bob turned around to see Bradley leading both you and Nat towards the table with a hand on the small of your back. Once he’d finished being pissed off about this, he took in your appearance. Dark flared jeans, cherry-red platform Docs, a white tank top and a deep red leather jacket to match. Your hair was bouncy, like an 80s rock star, and you were wearing dark red lipstick. 

‘Who is this absolute vision?!’ Mickey yelled. 

Jake and Javy both wolf-whistled for the second time that night.

Bob knocked the rest of his drink back. 

‘Well, you said it was a real night out.’ You reminded them. ‘So I pulled out all the stops.’ 

Jake looked Natasha up and down. Black skinny jeans with rips in the knees, cropped white tank, leather jacket with fringe, black cowboy boots—it was hard to miss the way Jake’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

‘And Phoenix. You wear those boots for me?’

Nat rolled her eyes. ‘In your dreams, Bagman.’

‘Well, if you feel like stepping on anyone later,’ he winked. ‘You know where I am.’

‘Okay! After that weird remark, Y/N and I are going to get some drinks. Anyone want anything?’

The group gave their drinks orders. Much to your surprise, Bob asked you for a bourbon.

‘Maker’s Mark tonight, huh?’ 

You knew him well, and you knew that he only ever drank whiskey when you came to his place for movie nights some weekends or when he was drinking to get drunk. And when he was drinking to get drunk, it was usually because he wanted to be someone else for a while. 

You gave him a look that said, ‘We’ll talk about this later’ before sauntering off to the bar with Nat. This was when Bob noticed that the back pockets of your jeans had big, red stars stitched into them.

All the guys noticed, but none of them said anything. Bradley, however, looked at you like you were something to eat. 

Bob was beginning to get a bad feeling about tonight.

Seriously? How was Bradley supposed to look at anything but your ass in those jeans? Those red stars were basically a sign saying, ‘Look at me.’ He wanted to hate himself for it, but you were just so damn fine. 

He’d intended to spend the night pissed at you, but he wasn’t supposed to let on that he knew about the band. And besides, even if he could, he wouldn’t have been able to stay mad at you. Sure, he was slightly hurt that you hadn’t asked him to join or at least tryout and that you thought he would call you lame, but maybe that was his own fault. Maybe he hadn’t done a good enough job of showing you who he really was, showing you that he wasn’t like the others. He was like you. 

Tonight, he planned to change that. 

Bob already had a bee in his bonnet, that much was obvious. He was drinking neat whiskey, for one, and he’d clearly chosen that outfit thinking it was something you’d find attractive. Bradley had no qualms with Bob Floyd. They were friends; they’d had each other’s backs on the mission (and always would), and Bradley had actually been to a couple of local gigs with Bob since being permanently stationed in San Diego. 

Bradley wouldn’t say that the tension between him and your best friend had started after your impromptu shopping trip—the moment Bradley considered as the start of your friendship. No, the tension was new, and it had only begun in the last few weeks. It was because Bob had finally figured out how he felt about you.

Bradley liked Bob, but if there was a chance in hell you might feel the same way about him as he did about you, Bradley wasn’t going to turn you down for Bob’s sake. 

Sorry, Bobby. 

You and Nat came over, each with a tray of drinks in hand. After handing them out, Natasha took the seat between Bob and Jake, leaving you no choice but to sit next to Bradley.

DING DING DING! FIRST POINT TO BRADLEY BRADSHAW!

Bradley smirked. He could feel Bob’s eyes burning holes into him as he raised his glass, and you clinked yours against it. Bradley knew you and Nat had already had a couple of glasses of wine while you were getting ready. He knew this because you’d been unable to look him in the eye when speaking to him all week, and now you were staring him down. It was almost as if you were making up for lost time and making the most of your courage. 

‘What are we toasting to?’ You asked.

Bradley glanced at your lips. What he wouldn’t give to smear that pretty lipstick, to have it stain the collar of his shirt and the skin underneath. 

‘To us. For making it through another week.’

‘To us.’ 

You sipped your vodka lemonade, eyes never leaving his. Bradley shuddered. 

‘Alright,’ Jake announced. ‘Eclipse opens at eleven, so we’ll head over just before. Don’t wanna be standing in line for hours.’

Everyone seemed happy with this plan. Night clubs weren’t really Bradley’s scene, but he’d find a way to have a good time. If you hadn’t come tonight, though, Bradley definitely wouldn’t have come either.

Mickey, who sat opposite, stole your attention. The two of you started talking about a movie Bradley hadn’t watched, but he couldn’t bring himself to mind that much. He was just happy to listen to you talk. 

It was nearly 10:30 PM when Javy suggested a round of shots to see you until you got to the nightclub. 

‘The last time we got shots, Nat threw up in my rose bushes and Bob had to put us both to bed.’ You recounted while Nat groaned in embarrassment. 

Bradley glanced at Bob, who seemed to be stuck somewhere between a laugh and a wince. Bob caught your eye, and Bradley watched you have an entire conversation just through eye contact. 

There was definitely more to that night than what you’d just said, and you and Bob were now caught up in one of your private, nobody-else-exists moments. 

SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS AS BOB FLOYD EVENS THE SCORE BY EARNING HIS FIRST POINT OF THE EVENING!

‘I say shots are a great idea.’ Bradley announced. 

Nat—who was on Bradley’s other side—leaned in close to whisper: ‘Why, so you can put her to bed this time?’

Bradley’s mouth twitched, but he refused to give himself away. ‘Don’t know what you’re talking about, Trace.’

Javy and Bradley went to the bar to order eight tequila shots, along with lime wedges and salt. 

‘Shit’s about to get messy.’ Javy remarked as they headed back over to the table.

‘Why’d you say that?’ Bradley asked.

‘Every messy night I’ve ever had has started with tequila.’ 

Bradley tried to shake off the feeling that maybe Javy was right, but even he had to admit that the night felt loaded—heavy like a black stormcloud full of rain. 

‘Not too late to turn back.’ Bradley offered.

‘Yeah,’ Javy chuckled. ‘It is. It’s already in motion.’ 

Back at the table, everyone picked up their shot glasses. 

‘To a messy night.’ Javy toasted, grinning like a madman. 

Everyone downed their shots. You looked at Bradley as you slammed your glass down and picked up your lime wedge, sucking on it desperately. He had no idea where the confidence came from, but instead of putting the salt on his own hand after discarding his own lime, he put it on the back of yours and licked it off in one stripe. 

Shock and mischief danced in the depths of your eyes as you followed suit. 

Did that really just happen? Bradley thought he might pass out. 

The nightclub—Eclipse—was a walkable distance from The Hard Deck. You were almost there when Mickey grabbed your arm, pulling you to the back of the formation. Both Bradley and Bob spared you a cursory glance as you were practically dragged past them. Nat appeared at your other side, eyes almost bulging out of her head. 

‘Y/N.’ She whisper-screamed. ‘What the actual fuck just happened in there?!’

Mickey might as well have rubbed his hands together like an evil villain. 

‘You guys saw?’

‘Uh, yeah?’ Nat was looking at you like you had three heads. ‘Everyone saw.’

Your stomach churned. ‘Everyone?’

‘Well, not Jake and Bob.’ 

You breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Ok, that’s good.’

‘Why? ‘Cause you’re still deciding?’ Mickey asked.

You were starting to hate the person you were becoming. ‘I’m starting to feel like a cheap whore.’ You admitted. Nat and Mickey both laughed, but you were being deadly serious.

‘You’re far from a cheap whore.’ Nat said. ‘You could make six figures working three days a week.’

  Now it was your turn to laugh. God, it felt good to laugh. You loved your friends so much. 

‘Let me put it like this,’ she started, all business now. ‘What you just did with Bradshaw—can you picture doing it with Bob? Does he make you wanna do sexy, daring shit like that?’

You didn’t have a simple answer to this question. You thought of Bob, playing drums, all sweaty and hot. But Bradley didn’t need to be doing anything. Merely breathing, he was sexy. So, did that mean your answer was no?

‘What she’s asking is if looking at Bob, you know…makes your body react.’ Mickey said, winking. 

You and Nat both stared at him vacantly.

‘This honorary girl membership is only gonna get you so far. I’m not revealing all that stuff with you!’ You considered this for a moment. ‘But for the record, it has a few times.’

‘But not as much as Bradley?’ Mickey questioned.

‘Not as much as Bradley.’ You agreed.

‘And do you believe he has a thing for you?’

The man in question had his arm around Reuben’s shoulder. They were walking together, laughing at something Javy was saying in front of them. God, what an amazing thing it would be to be loved by him and to feel his light from all sides.

‘There’s something there, but how serious is he? Would it be a one-time thing?’

Natasha shook her head. ‘You really, really do not know him at all if you think that.’

‘Well,’ you pouted, displeased by the accusation. ‘Maybe I ought to get to know him, then.’

Mickey waggled his eyebrows. ‘Oh yeah? What’s that code for?’

You and Nat groaned in unison. ‘For fuck’s sake, Fanboy.’ 

The line for the club wasn’t long at all, thanks to Jake’s idea to get there slightly early. It had only been open for a month or so, and it still had that shiny, new feel. There were multiple different rooms spanning two floors, but The Daggers opted to stay in the main room—at least for now. Jake, Reuben and Nat went to the bar, leaving everyone else to find a table. It was getting busier by the second, but Mickey was able to snag a booth right next to the dancefloor. 

The booths were C-shaped. You scooted right along to be in the middle, giving you a clear view of the dancefloor. Since you were nowhere near drunk enough to get up and dance yet, you shrugged off your leather jacket and made yourself comfortable. 

Bob slid in next to you, and Bradley came around and sat on your other side. Your belly did a weird flip as you tried to work out who you were supposed to be talking to. Mickey—who was trying so hard not to laugh that he actually looked constipated—clambered in next to Bob. 

‘So,’ he chirped. ‘This is nice, huh?’

You glared at Fanboy, wondering if he was close enough that you could kick him underneath the table. 

‘Perfect.’ You grimaced, voice dripping with acid. 

When Nat came over, she looked at Bob, then at you, and finally at Bradley. Bob was talking to Javy, so he didn’t notice her amused giggle. 

‘Alright,’ Jake announced loudly, his signature smirk plastered to his face. ‘Drinks were two-for-one, and shots were a dollar each! Happy hour!’ 

‘Damn,’ Javy exclaimed. ‘They might as well be giving them out for free!’

There were three trays on your table, carrying sixteen drinks and twenty-four shots. You could feel the hangover you were going to have tomorrow morning already. 

‘That’s…a lot of drinks.’ Mickey pointed out, sounding slightly terrified. 

Jake clapped him on the shoulder. ‘You don’t say.’ 

Nat handed you one of your vodka lemonades, and you took it gratefully, desperate for something to do with your hands. It shouldn’t have felt as awkward as it did sitting between Bob and Bradley, but you knew too much for it to feel normal now. Hell, you felt too much for it to be normal. 

The music—which wasn’t anything you knew—blared loudly enough that the bass pounded in your chest like a second heartbeat. It was warm, warmer, still being sandwiched between two men you had crushes on, and your drink went down far too quickly. When Bradley reached over for his drink—a dark rum and coke—his leg brushed against yours, and you ended up staying that way. It was meaningless contact, but it was enough to make you dizzy. 

‘Alright, let’s get a couple of these shots gone.’ Reuben suggested. ‘If we wanna get a few more drinks while happy hour is still on, we’re gonna need to clear some space.’

The idea of buying more drinks when there were this many on the table already seemed ridiculous, but you knew once everyone got riled up, the ridiculous ideas would sound like the smartest ones. 

Everything was a good idea when The Dagger Squad were out drinking together. 

Whoever had decided on the shots had gone for a pick-n-mix approach. There were Jagerbombs, B-52s, fireballs, sambuca shots, lemon drops and a green one that you vowed not to touch. 

‘What are you gonna have?’ You asked Bradley.

His eyes scanned the table before landing on a Jagerbomb. 

He held one out to you. ‘You want one of these too?’

Shaking your head wildly, you said: ‘Absolutely the fuck not.’

Bradley laughed at your terror. ‘Why?’

‘The last time I drank Jagerbombs was in college, and I woke up with bruises on my face.’ You explained, wincing at the memory.

‘Okay, you’ve gotta give me a little more than that.’ He said.

‘Well, I vaguely remember being upright, and the next minute I was on the floor. I didn’t know I was on the floor until my friend Emily picked me up. She had to flirt with the security guard so we didn’t get kicked out.’

‘I can’t imagine you doing something like that, Y/CS.’ Bradley replied. He seemed to have gotten even closer to you without realising. ‘You’re very reserved.’

‘Not always.’ You winked, feeling bold.

You allowed Bradley to sit in stunned silence for a moment or two while you nudged Bob and asked him to pass you a fireball. He was ever so happy to oblige, even being so bold as to grab one for himself. The two of you downed your shots and grimaced in unison, sending you both into fits of giggles.

‘Not like you to do shots with us, Bobby.’ You said, nudging him playfully. 

Bob offered you a lopsided smile. ‘It’s good to let loose once in a while.’

‘There’s letting loose, and then there’s going off the rails.’ You tried to sound lighthearted, but you were genuinely concerned about his out-of-character behaviour. ‘Neat whiskey and shots are generally considered off the rails for you, Bob.’

Bob huffed. ‘Why does everyone seem to think I’m boring? Or that I’m a kid or something.’

You frowned. ‘Nobody thinks that. It’s not a bad thing that you’re more reserved.’ This was all very troubling. ‘When have you ever needed to get drunk to prove something?’

‘I’m not trying to prove anything.’ He insisted. ‘I just wish people would stop treating me like I’m twelve years old or second-guessing me whenever I do something that’s ‘not like me.’’ 

The two of you appeared to have reached an impasse. 

‘Okay, well, I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. I was just looking out for you.’ 

‘I can look out for myself just fine.’ 

You knew he didn’t mean it to come out the way it did, but it had, and here you were, pouting. He had never taken that tone with you, never said anything of the sort, and he most certainly hadn’t ever downed two shots in quick succession while you gaped at him like a moron. Before you could come up with a response to his remark, he had turned back to Mickey. 

Alright then. If that was how it was going to be…

‘You know what, Bradley. I think I will have a Jagerbomb.’

Bradley—who had been filming Javy and Reuben’s terrible dancing—cocked an eyebrow sexily.

‘You sure about that, sweetheart?’

And if this didn’t sound like a challenge…

‘Oh yeah, I’m sure.’ 

Bob didn’t know this song. He didn’t know it, and he didn’t like it. What he did like, however, was watching you dance to it. You and Nat were in the middle of the dancefloor with Reuben and Javy, pressed against each other, dancing in a way that he supposed could have been considered sexy. 

Actually, yeah. It was very sexy. 

He hadn’t moved from his spot in the booth. He hadn’t even needed to move when you decided you wanted to get out and dance because you simply climbed right over him. And now he was expected to get on with his life as normal as if you hadn’t been straddling him. Sure, it was brief, but it was still etched into his brain.

Bob wanted to blame his ungentlemanly thoughts on the liquor, but he knew that deep in his subconscious, he’d been thinking about you in this way for a while now. And he’d be damned if there hadn’t been a few occasions where he’d started to believe you were thinking of him in the same way. Band practice the other night was just one example. Of course, there was a high chance that he was making it all up inside his head, but for once, he doubted that. 

He saw the way you looked at him.

But then, there was also the small yet incredibly inconvenient matter of the way you looked at Bradley. 

Bob would be inclined to argue that Bradley had a much better chance than he did. I mean, you’d basically all but confirmed that you saw Bob as someone who needed to be looked out for. Hell, he couldn’t even do a shot without someone asking him if he needed to see a head doctor. 

You weren’t loud and boisterous, and most of the time you felt more comfortable around Bob than anyone else on the planet, but you were still a lot more adventurous than he was. You needed someone who could do both—quiet, but audacious when he wanted to be.

And, that was just Rooster all over, wasn’t it? 

‘No Scrubs’ by TLC came on and you and Nat went wild in the way girls do when a song they like comes on when they’re drunk. Bob couldn’t help but smile at your excitement. You were singing the lyrics at each other at first, but then—much to everyone’s amusement—you and Nat started singing them at Jake. 

‘'Cause I'm looking like class, and he's looking like trash, can't get with a deadbeat ass!’

To be fair to Jake, he stood and took it like a man. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the attention, especially where Nat was concerned. Bob was starting to think there was something behind their friendly rivalry, but neither of them would ever admit it. 

When the song ended, you were giddy and out of breath. Mickey was now on the dancefloor with Javy and Reuben, so there was an empty spot next to Bob. You took it, reaching for your next drink.

‘You good?’ He asked.

‘Perfect. I’m not gonna ask you if you’re good, because you don’t need me looking out for you.’ You said indignantly. 

Bob rolled his eyes. ‘Come on, now.’ 

As you sipped your drink, you watched him. Impressively, you drank half of it in one go, and then you reached up and took his hat off. He felt his hair stick up with static.

‘What are you doing?’ He asked, half expecting you to put it on.

‘This…’ 

You turned the hat around and put it on him backwards, adjusting it with narrowed eyes, trying to get straight. 

When you were done, you sat back and admired your handiwork proudly. 

‘There.’ You grinned. ‘Much better.’

‘And the purpose of that was…’

‘I like a guy in a backwards hat.’ You shrugged.

And with that, you were back off to the dancefloor with Nat. 

It had just gone midnight. Bradley was positively buzzed from all the shots he’d had, but he didn’t want to get too drunk. Why would he want to forget such an amazing night, or miss it while it was still happening because he was paralytic drunk? The idea didn’t appeal to him, so he’d been drinking water for the last half hour. 

‘Bradshaw!’ Jake yelled from across the table. ‘Put that down!’

‘No can do. I don’t feel like being carried home tonight, Seresin.’ 

Jake smirked knowingly. ‘Nah, you wanna be the one doin’ the carryin’, don’t ya.’ 

Hangman’s southern accent always got thicker when he was drunk, a fact that Phoenix found extremely endearing. Earlier, she’d asked him to say loads of different sentences, just so she could hear it. Bradley had every intention of asking her about this when they were sober.

Bradley raised his glass of ice water in response to what Jake had said, mainly for Bob’s sake. He was starting to feel a bit bad for the guy, but to be fair to him, you kept giving him reasons to believe he had a chance. The thing with the hat? What the fuck was that? For all Bradley knew, maybe Bob did have a chance, and he’d been reading this whole thing wrong. 

You and Nat were supposed to be getting more drinks, but you seemed to have disappeared. Mickey was nowhere to be seen as well. Lately, it seemed like the three of you were in on something that nobody else was privy too. 

Bradley made the excuse that he needed the bathroom, and instead went searching for you. Eclipse had multiple different rooms and bars, including a lounge where you could go to chill and cool off for a while. You weren’t in there, you weren’t outside on the patio, and you weren’t in the other room on the bottom floor which was playing 80’s hits. The vibes and the music in there seemed much better, and he made a mental note to check it out later. Maybe he’d take you with him and get you away from the rest of The Daggers. 

Bradley climbed the stairs to the second floor, narrowly avoiding a couple making out against the wall. Up here it was open plan, a big bar against the far wall, and a white dancefloor with little lights peppered across it. The outside edges were lined with white leather benches with pillows scattered across them, and there were candles burning in glass sconces on the walls above. It was as though he’d walked into an entirely different club. 

Up here, the DJ was playing Lana Del Ray, and you and Nat were in the middle of the dance floor (obviously), swaying along and singing. Mickey was at the bar, chatting up a girl, so Bradley didn’t go over to him. He indulged himself and watched you move for a while, hypnotised by the mere sight of you. The lights made you look ethereal. 

He’d never wanted to kiss someone so bad in all his life. Bradley was seriously debating interrupting you, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He couldn’t bring himself to put a stop to it, to the entrancing sight in front of him. 

Turns out, he didn’t need to. Nat had her back to him and you were in front of her whispering something into her ear when you spotted him. You started smirking while you finished whatever you were saying to Nat. Then, you kissed her cheek and you both started heading over to him. 

Nat didn’t stop, she walked straight past him towards the stairs, patting his shoulder as she walked past. It felt like a ‘Go get ‘em tiger’ kind of gesture. 

Bradley looked down at your face. You were gazing up at him, blinking prettily. How was it possible for someone to make blinking pretty? Your cheeks were flushed and you were smiling dopily at him. Clearly, the shots had hit you too. 

But it was the red lipstick he couldn’t get past. 

He reached up and brushed your bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, and you nuzzled your face into his palm. The moment was full of possibility. It was as if time had stopped, and as cliche as it sounded, like nobody else existed except from you and Bradley. He liked it this way, wished it was like this all the time. 

The song faded, and ‘Dancing In The Moonlight,’ started. Bradley leaned down to tell you how much he loved this song, and in response you took his hand and led him out onto the dancefloor. Bradley almost couldn’t believe his luck. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but the Jagerbombs and the smile on your face gave him all the confidence and permission he needed to let loose. He probably looked like a gazelle on ice, but your movements were graceful and carefree. Aside from being up in the air, this was the best he’d felt in a long time. 

The two of you danced for a while. At one point, you looped your arms around his neck and danced close to him, like you’d done with Nat. He couldn’t hide his disappointment when you suggested going down to get another drink.

You linked your fingers through his. ‘Relax!’ You called over the music. ‘I’ve still got a few more dances left in me.’

With that, he reluctantly followed you downstairs. You didn’t let go of his hand and he didn’t let go of yours, which he took as a good sign. In a way, it felt like you were staking your claim on him, and that was definitely something he could get behind. 

Back in the main room, everybody was up dancing, even Bob. It was nice to see, but also strange. Kind of like seeing a bird in an aquarium. 

‘Sex on the beach?’ Bradley whispered into your ear.

You scoffed playfully, turning to face him properly. That look on your face—God. 

‘What did I say about asking me to dinner first?’ You remarked.

Bradley licked his lips. ‘Bet. How about next weekend?’

You pulled your head back in shock, and then let out a delighted laugh. ‘Wow, Bradshaw. I have to say, I wasn’t expecting that.’

‘Well,’ he said, closing the distance again. ‘Clearly I haven’t made my intentions clear enough, then.’

You glanced down at your feet having lost your nerve a little. ‘I guess not.’

‘Well, let me make it clear for you. I like you, and I’d love to take you out.’

Shyly, you tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. ‘You know what, I’d love for you to take me out.’

Bradley beamed. ‘Well then, it’s settled.’ 

‘I guess it is.’ 

You gave it half an hour before dragging poor Nat off the dancefloor and outside onto the patio. There were lots of people out there smoking, talking and getting some air. Personally, you’d never needed fresh air more in your entire life.

‘Between you and Bradshaw, I get dragged all over the place.’ 

‘Sorry, Nix. I gotta talk to you.’

‘I know.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Because I left you alone with him for an hour and all of a sudden he’s buying everyone drinks.’

‘Was it him who bought that bottle of prosecco?’

‘Yep. It’s a big ass bottle.’ Nat emphasised. 

You groaned. ‘Bob is gonna be so upset.’

Natasha grabbed you by your shoulders and gave you a good shake. 

‘What was that for!’

‘You like Bradley, Y/N! Your body gets a reaction, you said it yourself.’

‘Nothing happened, but we’re going out for dinner next weekend.’ Your stomach twisted at the thought, nerves already getting the better of you. 

‘That’s great! So why don’t you look happy?’

‘I am happy.’ You told her, because you were. ‘I just feel guilty. I like Bobby, I really do. And I guess in the process of figuring my head out, I’ve messed with his a little.’ 

Nat made a sympathetic noise. ‘Then you need to be honest with him, and put it right. Don’t mess with his head any more.’

‘Okay.’ You nodded. ‘I can do that.’ 

Arm in arm, you headed back inside and to the dancefloor. It was getting late, and you got the feeling everyone would be heading off soon. Even if they weren’t, you would be. You were starting to see double, all truth be told.

You had every intention of giving Bradley another dance, but then you saw Bob. He was standing by the bar, and when you locked eyes with him, he nodded towards the lounge. He didn’t look sad, but Bob could be very stoic when he wanted to be. If he didn’t want anyone knowing how he felt, he could hide it well. 

There was a vast array of different shots on the table still. You knocked another fireball back for good measure, before following after Bob. 

You sashayed into the lounge like nobody’s business. Bob had claimed a loveseat in the corner with the intention of setting a few things straight, but now he finally had his chance, his mind was coming up short.

‘What’s up?’ You asked, taking a seat next to him.

Bob sipped his umpteenth drink, more for something to do with his hands than anything else. 

‘Bobby?’

Bob set his drink down on the table next to him and cupped your face in his hands. He didn’t give himself time to think about it, he just pressed his lips to yours. He could feel your shock, but he didn’t let up. Instead, he put a hand on the top of your thigh, finally starting to touch you in all the places he’d been wanting to for months. You were kissing him back, but not with the passion he’d been expecting.

He thought you wanted this too. 

You pulled back and laid a hand on his chest. It was gentle, but it told him everything he needed to know.

‘Y/N.’ He said hoarsely. ‘I-’

And then you were kissing him, and he could taste the cinnamon and the whiskey in your mouth. The sober, sane part of his brain knew that this wasn’t coming from a good place, that you were both too drunk to be making moves like this, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to pull away and it didn’t seem like you were going to either.

The whole world started and ended with your lips on his. It was everything he’d ever dreamed of and more, and he didn’t think he’d ever be able to get enough. 

When you eventually pulled away again, your lipstick was smeared. 

‘Fuck.’ You gasped. ‘Bob, I’m sorry.’

‘Why are you saying sorry?’ 

‘I didn’t think this through. This shouldn’t have happened like this, I have things I need to talk to you about.’

Bob felt sick. ‘What things?’

‘God, lots of things really. I’m such an awful friend!’ You leaned over, elbows on your knees and head in your hands. 

Bob had no idea what was going on. This was the most confused he’d ever been in his whole life, but he had a nagging feeling that Rooster had something to do with this. Goddamn Rooster. Always in the way.

‘I gotta go. I can’t do this.’ You stood up and ran your hands through your hair. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I need to go home.’

‘Y/N, wait. You’re drunk, let me call you a cab, I-’

‘Bob, you deserve better than me.’ You choked back a sob. ‘You deserve so much better.’

And with that, you were running out of the club. Bob was seriously panicking. What if you got hurt? You’d had enough liquor to kill a horse, and to make matters worse, you were upset. Bob sprinted out of the lounge and back to the rest of The Daggers. They were all back at the table, finishing up their drinks.

He grabbed Nat’s arm. ‘Did you see Y/N?’

All it took for Nat to figure out what had happened was a quick look at his mout, which Bob was sure was smeared with your lipstick. She ran out of the bar with her phone in hand, Mickey hot on her heels. Bradley was staring at him, prosecco glass dangling from his limp hand. Clearly he’d figured it out too—it didn’t take a genius. Bradley looked ruined, and the guilt and anxiety were starting to creep in. 

It was moments like these were Bob needed his best friend most. He needed your advice, your comfort and your presence. But how could he ask you for comfort and advice when you were both in the same situation?

Bob was starting to feel a little like the universe was playing some big, cosmic joke on him. 

He should’ve listened to his gut instinct about tonight. 

A/N: The long-awaited third part! Honestly, the ending of this physically hurt! I have so much planned for the next part, including the first gig. I'm really looking forward to sharing it.

Taglist: @dearsnow@avythef1addict (tagging my fav online friend who singlehandedly gave me the courage to start writing this fic again!)

[sweet-s0rr0w]

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! To celebrate, I'm back with another collaborative Drarry reclist, featuring a new lovely bunch of Drarry writers, artists, reccers, and fans!

Once again, the question was: ‘what one or two fics, or scenes, or quotes, represent peak Drarry romance to you?’ and (in what is rapidly becoming a nightmare for me), no duplicates from previous years were allowed. Thank you so much to everyone who took part, I hope you enjoy the results!

You can find part 1 (2022) here, and part 2 (2023) here!

This year's list features answers from: apricitydays-lazynights, arminaa8, drarrymyheart, drarryspecificrecs, hoko-onchi-writes, jtimu, littlewinnow, mallstars, myrtlefics, oflights, peachydreamxx, pl0tty, rainstormradish, romaine2424, squintclover, starquestingfordrarry, thecouchsofa, thedrarrylibrarian, and themiddleofwonderland!

***

@apricitydays-lazynights

💗who will receive you in love's offices by jtimu (E, 30k)

It was a wonder, Draco thought, watching Potter tip back the last remnants of his drink, that the man had survived to adulthood. Not because of the war, or the constant attempts on his life, or surviving two separate killing curses, despite his insistence that he had at some point died, but because there was not a single ounce of self-preservation in his entire body. There couldn’t be. …He glanced over at the potion on the table, and considered, for a fraction of a moment, getting up and pouring those same drops of veritaserum into his own glass. He looked away just as fast, back at Potter, grinning in his chair like they were queuing up for a Quidditch game and not at all like he had just handed his childhood nemesis the keys to his thoughts. “All right,” he said, “first of all. What the ever loving fuck is wrong with you?

@arminaa8

💗My Beautiful Boy by alexmeg (unrated, 69k, sequel to Alucinatio)

"You don't even like boys."

"I didn't know I did. But you," Harry trails off, laughs with his gaze trying to meet the grey of Draco's eyes, a little tremulous with nerves and fear and the way his breath sticks high in his throat like an ache. Draco does look at him, then. "God, you."

💗Seagulls Cause Storms, or the Essence of Chaos by @writandromance (M, 312k)

The stars above them were bright white. It made him think again of the black universe between the constellations, the way he thought people like him held the space for people like Harry to burn hot.

@drarrymyheart

💗The Rewards of Being Loved by @lou-isfake (E, 161k, sequel to The Ordeal of Being Known)

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to make you stop thinking so hard,” Harry replied, grinning mischievously. He placed Draco’s hand on his bare waist, his own hand on Draco’s shoulder. Draco’s lips twitched in a hesitant grin.

“This song is too fast for you to dance to.”

“Only if I’m thinking about it,” Harry retorted, stepping in close. “Is my kitchen too difficult for you to dance in, your highness?”

“Don’t underestimate me, Potter,” Draco murmured, his grin widening as he pulled Harry flush against him, taking his hand. Harry chuckled, waiting for him to lead.”

💗I Do Not Love You by @writandromance (M, 228k)

“The thing is,” Harry said, voice low like all they’d said was public knowledge and this was the secret. “If you’re interested in this, if we pursue this, I’ll be a goner.”

“A goner?” he echoed.

Harry took a lung-filling breath. “Yeah, Draco,” he sighed. “That’ll be it for me. Tony… well, Tony I ended up happy to see go. Miles, I—that was hard in the moment but I was fine. But you… we’re so connected, our lives are so connected, our friends. I don’t want to fuck around, it would be serious, to me. You’re serious to me.”

@drarryspecificrecs

(cause 'Hogwarts 8th year' & 'creature' are among my fave tropes and I really really adore fics where Draco is in trouble but not weak & Harry is already smitten with him)

💗Draco Malfoy, It's Your Lucky Day by @faith2wood (E, 37k)

💗The Arc of the Pendulum by brummell (E, 30k)

@hoko-onchi-writes

💗Half Sick of Shadows by StarQuesting (E, 40k)

(I have a hard time containing myself about dragon tamer Draco, and everyone knows it. I’m about as subtle as a brick when something pings a sweet spot in my brain. But this fic is so much more than a hot, aloof, sex king dragon tamer Draco who has weaver Harry weak in the knees. It is also so very bright and clear in my mind; the visuals are so affecting, just like the creations that Harry weaves. Favorite scene: Harry casually chatting with dragons. 12/10 would be unhinged again.)

💗A pulled down shade by fast_brother (M, 43k)

(I’m not a big crier over fics. Maybe three or four have made me cry this year. This one made me lose it. I think the thing that stands out to me is the visceral capture of emotion. You can feel Draco’s broken heart, and then you can feel Harry’s. I could probably get worked up about it right now. Favorite scene: Draco crying over the broken tea cup. I literally can’t function when I think about it. 12/10 would cry again.)

💗The Brightest Constellations of Our Souls by thecouchsofa (E, 256k)

(I might be cheating since I’m still savoring The Brightest Constellation of Our Souls but I’m including it because it is Peak Drarry Romance. TheCouchSofa always has this intensely brilliant characterization. Harry is heartbreakingly oblivious. Draco is prickly and about as subtle as a brick over pining for Harry. This also features depression!Harry, which has gotta be one of my favorite Harrys. She writes depressed Harry with such delicacy, handling the ins and outs of mental illness and trauma with care, but also making it fucking funny. Favorite scene so far: Harry very casually slipping into conversation that he’s bisexual after he’s been traveling with Draco for an absurd amount of time without mentioning it. And Draco’s ensuing reaction. 12/10 will continue swooning.)

@jtimu

💗Designate / your love as fate by @elskanellis (E, 17k)

💗Lover, Where Do You Live? by @dodgerkedavra (E, 39k)

💗Seven Days in June by @fourth-rose (E, 47k)

@littlewinnow

💗1000 Kisses: #27 First Thing in the Morning, Just After Moving in Together by @deliciouslystickypersona (E, 3k)

Draco trails his fingertips over the flat plane of Harry’s belly, tracing the line of hair up to where it widens over his pectorals. He nuzzles his nose into the curve of Harry’s shoulder, inhaling the sweet, musky, sleepy scent of his skin.

💗Little Love by @ladderofyears (M, 34k)

Harry – who still held Draco’s hand – was gazing at the baby, spellbound by the sight. His whole appearance couldn’t have been prouder, or more loving, had he been Snidget’s natural father. When Harry caught Draco looking at him, he beamed, unashamed of his response.

@mallstars

💗Elaborate, Correct, and Assiduously Observed by peu_a_peu (T, 4k)

Some things were still the same, he thought. Draco was the perfect height for Harry to put his head on his shoulder and rest. That had been secretly true all along, and they’d only had to figure it out.

💗Us, In Lieu by Tepre (E, 30k)

“I . . .” The words jumble in his mouth. His hair is still mostly wet in his neck. He should’ve shaved. He should’ve cleaned his glasses. He should’ve— “I do want you.” And, “Enough,” he adds, then decides no , decides, “Not just enough. More than. More than that.” He licks his lips. “So much more than that.”

💗The Pure and Simple Truth by @letteredlettered (E, 14k)

Malfoy’s eyelashes were visible just above his cheeks, golden and some might have said they should have been darker, but Harry thought that they were perfect. The curve of Malfoy’s jaw, the slant of Malfoy’s throat, that was perfect, too. Malfoy looked up, licked his lips. “I thought you weren’t interested,” he said.

💗The Isle of Ogygia by @citrusses (E, 13k)

The days pass slower, after Potter leaves. Draco tries to fish again, and manages to actually levitate a fish out of the water, but then he Stuns it and it sinks back beneath the waves like a rock, and he doesn’t have any luck retrieving it again. Every day he walks to the top of the lighthouse, casts the right spells, and walks back down. He looks around his room and thinks about where Potter sat.

@myrtlefics

💗Going Postal by dustmouth (125 page comic)

(I am a complete and utter sucker for Dustmouth’s comics and the correspondence and longing and softness of this one make me really happy)

@oflights

💗Yours is the Earth (Hold On, Hold On) by chickenlivesinpumpkin (E, 127k)

(Chapter 11: it's one of my fave proposals in any fic ever/a beautiful love confession/a lovely romantic moment that fits with how the rest of the fic builds up their relationship and all the poor communication and ways they've hurt each other and love each other)

@peachydreamxx

💗to be a bit of warmth (for you) by @softlystarstruck (M, 9k)

Draco stirs in Harry’s arms, mumbling something soft and incoherent, and Harry whispers a wandless spell to completely dim the room lights. If Draco is just seeking comfort, so what? Harry has more than enough to give– it may be the only thing he has left to give– and Draco grounds him, too. Whatever happened on the other side of a war they both went through no longer matters. They’re here, now, and Draco is cold.So Harry will keep him warm.

@pl0tty

💗Tandem by fast_brother (M, 93k)

The handle clicked and the door cracked open, allowing the sound of rain to come into the car. 

“I… thanks,” Harry said. His heart was beating faster. His hands were sweaty.

Draco didn’t back away completely, just enough to be able to look Harry in the eyes. 

“You have to stop that, Harry. Really," he said gravely, as if speaking about a very serious issue. 

“Stop what?” Harry asked stupidly, still holding his breath. 

“You have to stop looking at me like that.”

Harry’s heart traveled all the way up to his throat. 

“I– I can’t,” he blurted out, feeling himself flush with the enormity of what he’d just said.

Draco let out a shocked chortle. He looked away at the street covered in rain, his left hand still resting on Harry’s chair. When he turned back towards Harry, he wasn’t laughing anymore.

He leaned in and kissed Harry on the lips.

💗Matters of the heart by nerakrose (G, 5k)

Today’s breakfast: eggs, toast, tea. I’ve left the sink a mess this week but I’ll do the dishes later. In a way taking these moments to write to you every morning feels like a little quiet refuge or a secret space that nobody else knows about but you. It feels safe here. I miss you. These days I’m missing you more than I’ve ever missed you before and I can’t explain it. Have I reached a breaking point? I don’t know.

Yours,

Harry

💗More Than That by joosetta (E, 11k)

“He was going to kill you,” Potter said, “He said he was going to kill you.”

“He was never going to kill me,” Draco mumbled, “He was up against you for Merlin’s sake. He tried to play quick-curse with Harry fucking Potter.”

Potter was silent for a bit at that, raising a hand up and stroking the back of Draco's head.

“He thought I would help him,” Potter said finally. Draco felt the strangest thing, like a spasm in his face, that left his eyes hot, and his lips shaking. He had to gather himself together again before he could reply.

“Well, he’s never had me suck his cock, so there was no way he could know,” Draco said, instead of he didn’t realise that you loved me. Potter got it anyway, because he laughed, just a little bit. He drew back, and his face was the most frightening and beautiful thing Draco had ever seen.

“You always talk like you give me blow jobs all the time,” he said. “You almost never give me blow jobs, Draco.”

💗Sparks from the Fox’s Tail by khalulu (T, 17k)

And then it was just natural to turn in his arms so they were face to face. Eye to eye, lip to lip, mouth to mouth. Natural to fall into bed together, hands and mouths moving over warm skin, stroking and kissing til they were breathless.

Harry broke off. “Should we think this through?”

“No,” said Draco. “Why did you pull away in the shower?”

“You were so weak then, I didn’t want to take advantage.”

“I was throwing myself at you with what little strength I had. Next time, catch me.”

“I’ve got you,” Harry said, winding himself around Draco. “I’ve got you.”

@rainstormradish

💗Where I see things right by InnerLilith (E, 15k)

(just... absolutely gorgeous handling of a sensitive subject, and I love how the preparation and thoughtfulness is such a big part of the romance. I don't bookmark InnerLilith's fics so much as intermittently go and reread half their back catalogue again. I've loved everything I've read from them.)

💗Help! I'm a Hopeless Romantic by peachydreamxx (M, 15k)

(we watch Harry fall in love with Draco and come to terms with lots of aspects of his life. The little Google searches are just so sweet and tender and I loved, loved loved it. And the ending is so perfect.)

@romaine2424

💗keep driving by @babooshkart (art)

(The romance portrayed in Keep Driving is palpable. Draco is so cool, but from every look, you can see the adoration she has for Harry. And Harry thrives off of the touches between them but also has a confident sense of her own worth. I will never tire of this calming, soft piece depicting a happy, confident, and joyful Drarry. The world is theirs to explore. They'll keep driving.)

💗Never Mind the Bollocks by @the-sinking-ship (E, 119k)

(Never Mind the Bollocks is a new fic from Erised 2023. I loved every moment of it, and Harry having so much fun and feeling like he belonged was everything. However, his drive to right and save all was still there. Chapter 18 brought it all together. I won't say how as the fic is so new, but, for me, it was so romantic with BAMF Harry showing up and Draco trying to be mad. Complete chef's kiss.)

@squintclover

💗 A Secondary Education by Thunderbird587 (E, 235k)

(I remember so vividly the falling in love and the moment when it changed for both of them.)

@starquestingfordrarry

💗The Potter Malfoy bathroom war of 2007 by @andithiel (E, 9k)

(it is peak bathing-comfort)

@thecouchsofa

💗Cut From the Sky by mallstars (E, 150k)

(“Rainy romance’ describes this perfectly. I love how Harry grows to love Draco and never stops going after him once he realises that’s what he wants. This kind of love necessitates an endless amount of patience, but I can’t think of anything more romantic than that – someone coming back time and time again and showing you more grace than you would ever show yourself.)

💗Everything is Relative to You by @thehoneybeet (E, 43k)

(Harry and Draco being each other’s Great Loves in every life going back hundreds of years? I am feral. I cannot be contained. A demonstration of them being perfect for each other in every timeline, through good and bad. This is peak romance at its best.)

@thedrarrylibrarian

💗O Come, All Ye Faithful by @toomuchplor (E, 20k)

(Told through jumps between the past and the present, I adore the way toomuchplor depicts the everyday romance of an established relationship. Too often romance is delegated to big displays of affection, when I think much of romance is in the mundane, routine moments. Listening to your partner share about their day is romantic. Making routine breakfast and coffee is romantic. The intimacy of having an ongoing inside joke about a cat name is unbearably romantic to me. These are the small, everyday moments that the foundations of grand romances are built upon, and this fic was a love note to those moments.)

@themiddleofwonderland (amazuppai)

💗Heal Thyself by astolat (T, 16k)

(it's a classic H/D fic that preserves Draco's prickly personality while still showing him reforming in a very realistic way. It's a slow-burn—Harry isn't really in the first half at all, and when he does show up he's still very suspicious of Draco—but as Draco shows his (new) true colors, Harry can't help that his suspicions turn to curiosity (one of my favorite tropes with reformed Draco fics) especially with the somewhat forced proximity they find themselves in that slowly turns into voluntary and frequent proximity. To me, maybe because of the slow burn, it seems like a very realistic depiction of how Draco could reform himself and how Harry can turn his suspicions into curiosity and eventually more to form a healthy relationship together.)

[astranauticus]

really not beating the brainrot allegations but genuinely this line has been haunting my brain for ages