#that is not helpful for your question but I am leaving the tags in lol
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
tj-crochets · 2 months ago
Note
Sorry if this is a bit out of left field since we’re moved on to the deciding the pattern part of the birthday quest, but I was curious if you had any patterns in mind for a messenger bag in the event that it won? I’ve always wanted a nice one, but I never thought of making one myself until I saw it in your poll
Hey! It's not out of left field at all, I love talking about patterns! I don't have a pattern for one yet, but I will be either sharing a link to one or just drafting one myself in the short-to-medium term, because I want to make my nieces some messenger bags for rock collecting. It'll depend on if I find a pattern I like or if I find my old denim messenger bag I drew all over that I think is still in my closet somewhere? I loved that thing, it's my personal default of what I think a messenger bag looks like
6 notes · View notes
hiraethwrote · 5 months ago
Note
heyy can you write some headcannons on Megumi having a crush and how would he act towards her? I can’t really picture him confessing honestly. thank you so much
cw: f!reader, aged up characters, profanity, alcohol, fluff, some hostile behaviour, misunderstandings word count: 2.2k a/n this was supposed to be like a short drabble but i am unable to do that lol (no tags)
Tumblr media
Megumi doesn’t have a lot of experience when it comes to having a crush, because no one has managed to catch his eye. Therefore, the realisation that he might have a crush on you comes sneaking up on him. It’s not until he becomes aware that you infiltrate his mind during the most casual moments that it hits him.
He could just be running errands, and he could hear a song playing from a random clothing store he’s walking past and think this would definitely be a song you’d listen to. Or when he witnesses something funny and has to remember to tell you.
When it dawns on him, the first feeling that strikes him is guilt. He can’t help but feel a little sleazy, like he’s become one of those annoying guys who always whine about being stuck in the friend zone — that he is somehow breaking your trust by how he feels about you. So he tries to tell himself that it’s not serious, only silly infatuation because you’re pretty. Nothing more.
Turns out he couldn’t be more wrong, because you continue to plague his mind, the feelings only growing stronger. And with that frustrating new development, there’s a clear shift in your relation — not necessarily for the better. He’ll grow colder and harsher, his tone carrying a hostile weight it didn’t have before.
“Megumi,” you chuckled, “don’t be so proud. It would be easier to just take two trips than try to carry everything at once.“ There was playfulness to your tone that was nothing but kind, indicating that the atmosphere shouldn’t be anything but pleasant. “Yeah, I heard you the first time,” he grumbled in response, stubbornly turning his back to you before he continued as if you’d never said anything at all. You blinked at him a few times in utter disbelief at the unfamiliar edge to his words, waiting for him to face you again to ease the jab with a shy smile. “Oh, sorry,” you muttered carefully when he never met your gaze again. You took the hint, turning on your heel and leaving him alone. Whatever had gotten into him, he clearly didn’t want you around, and you weren’t going to hang around if he was on going to fire tiny comments at you. He shot you a modest look over his shoulder, mentally kicking himself over talking to you that way, and karma would come and bite him soon enough. With a deep sigh, he lifted all the bags, like he had insisted on doing, only to carry them a few feet before the first bag tore, spilling all the items around him. “Fuck.”
Megumi had hoped that putting that (unnatural) distance between the two of you would cause his feelings to disappear, but that quickly proved not to be the case.
After a month of minimal contact, where you only ever interact when you’re hanging out with the entire group, he finds himself missing you. It just wasn’t right not to share those stares whenever someone said something ridiculous, or immediately turn to you when he needed someone else’s opinion.
He decides he wants to ease his way back into your good graces — but he’s a little too embarrassed to straight out apologise for the way he’s been treating you. So he starts off by tuning down his frown towards you when hanging out the whole group.
“Okay, guys, next one- guys, attention over here!” Nobara’s strict voice cut through the crowd, causing the chatter to calm down enough for her to ask the next question. “Who’s most likely to forget to text back?” Without hesitation, Yuji slung the ping pong ball to Megumi, who caught it with one hand — expecting it to come flying in his direction. “Drink up, Fushiguro!” “You know, it’s not that I forget. I just choose not to answer you,” Megumi mocked him before taking a swig of his drink. He couldn’t care less about the offended sounds that stuttered out of Yuji, because he was too hung up on how he had managed to draw the sweet sound of your chuckle from your lips. “Okay, Fushiguro. Who is most likely to make you smile? I’m surprised if there’s anyone that can make you smile,” Nobara snickered, biting the edge of her plastic cup. He rolled his eyes at her comment before swiftly throwing the ball confidently in your direction, causing you to jump a little as it lands in your lap. Your eyes found his immediately, lips parted in surprise. He drew his lips into an awkward line, heat rushing to his cheeks when you tilted your head at him, hiding the warm smile he caused behind your cup as you took a sip.
After that, things go back to normal — well, somewhat normal. You definitely go back to how your friendship used to be before the small hiccup. Megumi, however, has a hard time keeping his cool around you.
The whole ordeal has him easily irritated. Though after you’re little ‘break’, he makes sure never to take it out on you, but that doesn’t mean you don’t witness it. He didn’t have to struggle with something for long before a string of curses escapes him, before he inevitably gives up on whatever task is at hand — only for you to pick it up instead and immediately fix it.
He hates how you disturb every aspect of his life. Before you, he could lay down in his bed and fall asleep the second he closed his eyes. Now… he’d toss and turn into the lonely hours of the night.
During the day, he has (what he thinks is) a very pathetic need to be close to you whenever he has the chance. He tries to play it off as casually as possible, leaving the room when you do because “he needs to stretch his legs” or coming with you to the store even though he doesn’t need anything because “he could do with some fresh air”. Your presence is just comfortable to him, and he wants to wallow in it as much as possible.
Things and gestures he never really thought twice about before, suddenly has his mind raze a million miles an hour. Small things, like when you wanted to show him a funny video and as you hand him your phone, his entire body would feel like it was on fire when your fingers grazed his so gently. Or when you noticed a strand of hair on his shirt, you would simply reach out and remove it, and he instantly became insanely aware of himself.
“All I’m saying, is if Yuji really wanted to, he would just set his alarm-“ Time suddenly moved in slow motion, eyes following your every move as you simply leaned forward, two fingers delicately pinching the stray hair that had landed on his shoulder before rubbing your fingers together to let it fall to the floor. Were you crazy? Why would you do that to him? His breathing picked up its pace, as he now could physically feel every fibre and atom in his body. And now nothing about the way he sat or moved his arms felt natural, entirely convinced you would be able to see right through him. “Hey, Megumi!” Your voice finally snapped him back to the moment, staring at you with big eyes as you were sporting a rather confused expression. “Hmm?” “Did you lose your train of thought or something? You suddenly just stopped talking,” you chuckled. “Uhm, yeah, sorry. Where was I,” he said, shaking his head, trying desperately not to think about how you had taken such an innocent act and made it feel so incredibly intimate.
You do pick up on the change in his behaviour. He isn’t as subtle as he thinks when he purposely lingers around you after everyone has left. And whenever the group does something together, he makes sure to take the seat next to you.
Had it been anyone other than Megumi, you would never have thought twice about the behaviour — but when Megumi, who had always preferred to just keep to himself, suddenly seeks the company of another person, of course one raises an eyebrow in speculation.
You don’t want to assume anything, though. He could just feel bad for how he treated you and this was his way of apologising without saying the words. Nonetheless, you did not mind it at all.
Megumi has no plans on confessing whatsoever. He tries to convince himself he is perfectly content with living in the agony of admiring from your side, even though he’s slowly dying as the feelings just keep growing for every time he watches you smile.
“You know he likes you, right?” Nobara stated confidently as she licked her ice cream. You huffed a laugh, turning to look at her with your eyebrows pinched together. “Yeah, okay.” “Come on! You’re lying if you haven’t noticed.” “There’s nothing to notice, Nobara. He just feels bad for our little falling out,” you sighed as you turned to look at him and Yuji again. Much to Megumi’s dismay, Yuji had forced him on his feet to help him with setting up the chairs and table for the small get together he had arranged that evening. From afar it only seemed like Megumi was scolding Yuji for messing up the chairs again, very clearly frustrated by his inability to perform what was supposed to be an easy task. You felt Nobara’s inquisitive squint drill into your side. “You’re so full of shit.” You spun your head to scowl at her, offence written all over your features. “Well, he’s never going to come clean so you’re going to have to take the lead there.” She earned herself a weak kick to the heel before you shifted your attention to the two boys again, who seemed to be unbelievably lost. After a few seconds, Megumi turned towards you, instantly locking eyes with you. His lips turned upwards in a sweet smile as his hand raised in a small wave.
Megumi will continue to stay close to you, endlessly embarrassed every time you have his voice hitch in his throat because you’re just to breathtaking when doing… anything really.
After Nobara was the first person to breathe life into the idea of his crush on you out loud, it suddenly seemed like that was the reason behind everything he did. You couldn’t hide behind the suspicion that he felt guilty anymore, because it had gone on for too long.
Once you see it, how devoted he seems to be to you in the most mundane aspects of your life, you quickly realise that the feeling is mutual. There’s something about being the one person to melt the heart of the most stoic person you know. How he who always parades around with a grumpy expression, avoiding other people, chooses to basically follow you around with just the tiniest smile dancing at the corner of his lips at all times.
“You can have it,” Megumi said, sliding the plate with the last slice of pizza directly in front of you. “What?” “I said you can have it,” a slightly teasing lilt to his voice. You only stared at him with big eyes before your eyebrows narrowed. “You always claim the last slice.” He simply shrugged. “‘M not hungry.” You leaned back in your seat, crossing your arms over your chest and you simply stared at him, trying to uncover whatever was running through his mind. His face slowly turned the faintest shade of red before he finally managed to avert his gaze. “Time to spit it out, Fushiguro,” you demanded. “Since when do you use my last na-“ “Don’t try and change the subject.” Your sudden strict tone had him swallow the lump in his throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he whispered coyly, fingers toying with the unused fork in front of him. “Do you like me?” The blunt confession had his heart beat against his chest with the force of a thousand suns, pounding so loud it filled his ears, eyes drawn to yours again. “Of course, we’re friends-“ the sentence died in his throat at the fierce scowl you gifted him, head tilted forward in annoyance. “Yes.” The creased evidence of previous frustration relaxed as the innocent word spilled from his lips, shoulders slumping in a new sensation of peace. On the other side of the table, Megumi sat with the most intense stress he could ever remember feeling, only reinforced by how calm and quiet you became. “Huh,” you said lightheartedly. “Why didn’t you just say so?” It was his turn to furrow his eyebrows, surprised by the casual tone in your voice. “I like you too, dumbass.” “Oh,” he blinked. His heart slowly started to calm down to try and ground himself in order to deduce if this was one of his countless dreams of you or not. After a second, a genuine warm smile came to show on your lips, one of those that always made his heart skip a beat, and he realised this was in fact real.
Megumi having a crush on you works out in his favour in the end.
Tumblr media
reblogs, likes and comments are appreciated plagiarism not authorized
574 notes · View notes
gracieheartspedro · 6 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Your Needs, My Needs
I : Strawberry Wine
a masterlist of how you can help gaza
the prelude to this series
pairing: cowboy!joel x f!reader (no outbreak)
description: joel fixes your toilet but you can't help but yearn for more time with him. so you invite him to dinner and try to win his stomach? aka love?
word count: 3.2k words
warnings: there is no smut in this part. still MINORS DNI! no use of y/n! vague talk of reader's old life before texas, no real description of the reader, reader does have anxiety/mental illness that is not fully recognized/diagnosed, mentions of eating food, reader lives alone, reader got MONEYYYY, mentions of joel's ex wife (gasp), alcohol consumption, smoking cigarettes, kissing, flirting. all the fluffy stuff <3
author's note: hey...hey.... how y'all doing?? i'm so so so sorry this has taken so long. my life has been crazy for the last like 4 months and I'm finally getting settled into my life again. I miss y'all and I miss writing, so HERE I AM! I'm hoping everyone who wanted me to tag them months ago is still cool with me tagging them 4 months later lol. okay, lemme know what you think xoxo
Joel comes and goes for days. The first day he returns, he inspects your toilet again and tells you he has the wrong tools. You discuss a game plan and by his initial projections, your toilet should be fixed the next day. But when he fails to come by in the morning, you decide to call the phone number on the post-it note he left for you the day before. 
The phone rings and you get an answering machine of a younger girl telling you to leave her and Dad a message after the beep. When the line lets out a long ding, you breathe out the random croak in your throat. 
“Uh, hey, Joel, it’s me. Just seeing if you’re stopping by today. If not, that’s fine, I’ll be home all day today and tomorrow. Okay, uh, bye.”
Hours go by and you find yourself pacing, regretting your decision to leave him a message. What if he gets it and thinks that you’re crazy? 
Ever since you had made his acquaintance, you felt completely reliant on interacting with him. It may be due to the fact that you haven’t socialized with anyone else in months. You were very good at isolating yourself, but lately, it’s been eating you alive being so alone. Now that you had this big house, the silence felt almost too quiet. Joel’s southern drawl and straightforward responses gave a bit of light back to your life. 
Around dinner time, your landline rings. You practically fall over your couch racing to pick it up, hoping it was him. 
“Howdy neighbor,” He grunts through the phone, “Sorry I didn’t come by today, hope ya didn’t miss me too much.”
You let out a dry laugh, trying not to sound too giddy about him following up with you. You were borderline pathetic. 
“No, I just wanted to make sure you were still alive,” You manage to get out, “You are still alive right?”
“Still kickin’, just busy as all get out. ‘M fixin’ to head to your place now if you’re not busy.”
You look down at your pajamas and start to nod. It’s not like he can see you through the phone, but you are reacting to his words like he’s right in front of you. 
“Sure thing, I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
-
“So… It’s really just you here? All by your lonesome?”
He’s messing with his toolbox, searching for the one tool he needs to fix the toilet. You stir your fresh brewed tea, ensuring none of the sugar clumps up at the bottom of the mug. You had offered him some, but he politely declined, telling you that he had a big dinner.
You take a sip, testing the sweetness. “Just me. How about you? Just you and your daughter, right?”
He laughs heartedly, turning towards you from where he’s squatted. You look at him with curious eyes, unsure if you asked the wrong question. He stands up, a wrench in his hand, a smile still spread across his face. 
“Her mama left town with her new boyfriend about 5 years ago. Wanted the city life, not the life I gave her. It’s been just me and her ever since.”
So he’s single. You think to yourself. 
You realize the laugh was probably because of how absurd and new it must be for someone to ask him about his life. He grew up here and you are positive everyone here already knew all about his business. You are a breath of fresh air for him. 
Before the silence becomes awkward, you speak up. “City life ain’t worth a shit.”
“Yeah, she’s different. Won’t speak ill of her ‘cause that’s my bosses’ mama. She sees her now and again. They are just very different.” 
The conversation comes easy with Joel. While the first couple of interactions you two shared were a bit strained, after days of small talk, you realize he’s the truest Southern gentleman you’ve ever interacted with. Polite with a little bite. He never speaks ill of others, except his brother. He loves to pick on Tommy. He seems like an attentive father. He loves to pick at you, always pointing out your Northern tendencies. Your horrible driving. Your accent and your speech patterns. But he’s also very complimentary. A couple of days ago, he remarked how nice your perfume was when you were standing close to him. It made your heart skip a beat. 
And on top of all of those things, he’s very easy on the eyes. 
“That’s mighty fine of you not speaking ill of your ex,” You try to drag out the silly Southern saying, which causes him to chuckle again. You smack your lips before continuing, “Wish I could do the same.”
You are not sure what he’s doing to the tank of your toilet, but you watch him strain to get a piece out of the corner with the wrench he has. He clenches his teeth, turning the piece to the left to loosen it. 
“Exes are exes for a reason,” He grunts, fiddling with some more things in the tank, “I ain’t too hung up on datin’ right now. I got my girl and my horses.”
“And now you got me, your annoying neighbor who almost crashes into your horses and asks you to fix toilets.”
He breathes out loudly, “Yeah, ‘nother pain in my ass. Just what a man needs.”
-
The toilet is fixed too quickly. You had busied yourself with other small cleaning tasks that when Joel finds you in the kitchen doing dishes, he startles you. It took him about 15 minutes to finish the job and you had thought you could at least finish up the dishes you made from dinner. 
“‘M all finished up. Gotta get back home to do some rounds at the stables,” He says as he waltzes over to your paper towel holder. He grabs a sheet and begins to wipe his damp hands, “Anythin’ else for me today?”
You turn off the running water, going down a list of fixes you could ask him to do. You decide it’s probably best to just ask him to swing by another day to help you with other things. 
“No, thank you though, Joel. I am sure I’ll be by to ask for more help,” You chuckle, shaking your hands dry, “I owe you dinner or something.”
As you say it, it feels like all the air leaves your lungs. He’s staring at you and there’s a glint in his eyes. You are not that good at reading people, mostly because you are deathly afraid of being wrong. His eyebrows raise as he leans against the counter near you. He’s so close and in your space, but you try to push the thought of him coming onto you out of your mind. 
“What’do you got on the menu tomorrow?”
His voice is kind of husky which makes your brain draw a blank. You wipe your hands on your pants before crossing the kitchen to check your fridge. You glance through your ingredients, settling for the only dinner item you can conjure up that his southern palette may like. 
“Baked chicken and vegetables?”
He nods, tossing his paper towel into the bin beside you. “Yeah, I've been needing a home-cooked meal. Think I could come over at like 5? Tomorrow?”
You recollect a time when a guy showed interest in wanting to hang out with you outside of work. It had been years and he was not nearly as attractive as the man in front of you. 
You nod slowly, trying not to look too robotic due to your nerves. “Sure thing, cowboy.”
-
You did not know what to wear. You contemplated going into town to see what the local boutiques had but you ran the risk of Joel seeing you out. You didn’t even know if this was a date. 
You settle on a sundress you have owned since high school. It’s the perfect length and while your mind goes to wanting to impress Joel, you also need to be comfortable. 
You cleaned your house, adding some new decorations to your living room walls. You even clean your sheets and make sure your bedroom is vacuumed. 
When the time comes for Joel to arrive, you pace the kitchen anticipating the doorbell. You already had all the food prepped and ready to put in the oven. The vegetables have been cut and seasoned. Everything was just the way you needed it to be. 
Joel gets there 5 after your scheduled time. When you welcome him at the door, his hair is styled and you can tell he put on his “fancy jeans”. 
What you didn’t expect was the bouquet of flowers he had in his hands. 
“Afternoon, neighbor,” He begins before extending the floral arrangement towards you, “My girl said I had to bring you something nice. Somethin’ bout being a gentleman.”
You smile widely, giving flowers all your attention. Even with the fragrant bouquet, you get a whiff of his sandalwood cologne. 
“Nice to see you cleaned up for me, cowboy. Come on in, dinner is about to get put in the oven.”
-
You catch him scanning you up and down when you place the spread of chicken and vegetables on the table. He was in the midst of talking about his daughter and her band fundraiser, but he completely halted when you took notice of his staring. 
You settle into the dining room chair across from him, waiting for him to continue, but he doesn’t. 
“She needs more sponsors?” You break the silence, wanting to move away from the sudden awkwardness. 
He swallows, reaching for the serving fork, “Oh, yeah. She needs to reach a certain goal to go on her senior band trip.”
You try to avoid his wandering gaze again, focusing on organizing your plate of vegetables. “Where are they going?”
“Disney. She ain’t never been out of Texas, so she really wants to go.”
You remember all the trips your family said they’d go on to Disney, but they never did. Your father could not stand being around his own children, let alone other people’s children. You think about how he used to complain about your constant questions, all the times he completely ignored you for your brother. You start to spiral, the anxiety creeping up in the back of your throat. You push your chair out from under the table, excusing yourself for a moment. You go to the bar you have set up in the living room and grab the only sweet wine you have. Strawberry. You grab two glasses from the top of the setup and walk back to Joel. 
“Forgot wine,” you mumble, setting a glass in front of him, “You want some?”
He is already picking at his chicken, “Yeah, I’ll take some.”
You are quiet as you uncork it expertly, pouring it into each of the glasses. Joel watches you like a hawk. You can tell he’s trying to read your expression, so you try your best to remain neutral even though your hands are shaking. 
You place the bottle in the middle of the table, making sure it’s easily reachable. 
You finally sit back down, sipping the red liquid. The strawberry flavor isn’t very strong, it’s more like a hint of the berry. You had gotten the bottle from a roadside stand in Kentucky. An older lady who must have owned a vineyard nearby was selling them for $5 each. You told yourself you would only use it for a special occasion. This event seemed fitting. 
Wine always makes you flushed, but you are always a bit flushed around Joel. Even more so when he’s watching you so intently. 
After a couple of sips, you finally rest your shoulders and begin to eat your dinner. 
“I could sponsor her,” you finally say, returning to the previous conversation. For some reason, you felt obligated. Joel quickly retaliates, shaking his head as he chewed on your roasted veggies. 
“You ain’t gotta do that, doll.” 
The nickname rings in your ears. You take another sip of wine. You can tell Joel notices your reaction because he smirks with his mouth full. 
“But I want to, Joel. I’m sure she has worked hard her high school career, she deserves to have fun.”
He hums, but still shakes his head negatively, “I can’t let you just pay for-”
“You can and you will,” You enjoy another bite, smirking at your defiance towards him. He looks perplexed. “So when is this fundraiser? Is there like a dinner or something?”
He finally caves, “This Friday at the school. It’s a dinner and auction. I guess if the kids don’t find their sponsors, some local businesses are willing to sponsor them.”
“Are you going?”
“Yeah,” He cuts up his chicken, “I guess you’re gonna come along, too, if you’re givin’ my girl all that money.”
“Does a check work?”
He sits back in his chair, already finishing off his wine, “You seriously don’t have to-”
“What are neighbors for, Joel?”
He nods, “You mean friends.”
You furrow your brows, trying to let your hazy mind find a time when you called him your friend. This was a new development.
“Friends, huh?”
He pours more in his glass, “Well, I’d like to think so.”
The wine is hitting your system and you realize your arms feel lighter. You grab the stem of your glass and tip it up to down the rest of the alcohol. Joel’s eyes are trained on you, waiting for a snarky response. 
“Do friends stare at other friends like that?” You pour more wine for yourself. You realize he’s done eating so before he can respond to your flirtation, you speak up again, “You done with that?”
He looks down at his empty plate, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Yes friends look at other friends like that, or you’re done eating.”
He grins, “‘m done eating, doll.”
-
You two find your way out to the rocking chairs. They were left there by the previous owners and you could tell they were probably as old as you. 
You had another full glass of wine, sipping it as Joel lit up a cigarette. He admitted it was only a bad habit when he was drinking, which was rare. “Sarah gets onto me when I have even one beer. So this has gotta be between us two.”
You swirl the crystal, watching him carefully take a drag of the stick. “Your secret is safe with me, cowboy.”
He giggles as he lets out a huff of smoke. “I haven’t had secrets in a long time. Guess I’m lucky it’s with the town stranger.”
The statement hits you in the very pit of your settling tummy. You furrow your eyebrows, leaning forward towards him. Your chairs are not that far away from one another, so this is probably the closest you have ever been to him except for that one moment in the kitchen. 
“Luckiest man in Texas that’s for sure,” You muster, averting your eyes. You could not stare into his beautiful brown eyes for too long. “Having the privilege of getting me out of my head. No man has done that in years.”
“What? You not good at letting loose?”
You shake your head, knowing that he did not understand what you meant. You take a moment to inhale, finally glancing up at him again. “I think I may just be cursed.”
“Now, why do you say that?”
You contemplate spilling the beans. Letting your heart fall onto your sleeve after years of shielding it from anyone who looks your way. Your lips part, but no words come out. It’s just the sounds of the cicadas. 
“As soon as something is good, it gets bad somehow. I don’t even get a moment to savor it.”
You feel the statement down to your bones. The last time you felt settled in your own life, the rug got pulled out from under you. You cannot remember a time when you truly felt present in a special moment. You always felt like you were floating outside of your body, watching things happen and never really truly feeling anything. 
You don’t expect him to lean closer to you, “Whatever happened before you got here, you ain’t gotta worry about it anymore. You obviously put distance between you and what happened for a reason. Let this little side of the world be your home now.”
You push your spiraling thoughts away, letting him be right. 
“I’m workin’ on getting settled. It’s easy when you have a handsome cowboy to help along the way.”
It comes out like word vomit. Between the wine and the nerves coursing through your entire being, you can’t help but admit your little crush on the man. You slap your free hand over your forehead, admitting defeat before he can even respond. You knew he would take the comment and run with it.
“You always flirt with your friends, sweetheart?” He was toying with you, which was a good sign. If he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t call you such a thing. 
You smile, releasing your face from your hand. His eyes are tracing every curve of your face, a subtle pass that you did not capture quickly enough. 
“Only ones that fix my toilets.”
And then, he kisses you. It happens so quickly, that you don’t fully grasp that it’s happening until you're molding your lips into his. Once your buzzed brain picks up the fact that the man you have been crushing on is kissing you, he pulls away. Your eyes are still closed, your hands still gripping onto your wine glass. 
He huffs loudly and stands up quickly. Once you place your eyes on him, he’s pacing around the back deck stairs, not too far from where you’re sitting. You instantly bite back the urge to ask him what’s wrong, because there’s always something wrong. 
“‘M sorry, sweetheart. I should’na done that.”
He instantly regretted it. The thought made your throat tighten. He continues to walk back and forth, causing a draft. 
“It’s fine, Joel. I’m n-not mad.”
He shakes his head, halting his robot-like movements. He finally looks at your pitiful expression and lets out a long sigh. “I don’t think I’m much of a gentleman, kissing you on the first date.”
You watch as he places his hands on his hips, contemplating his whole life right before your eyes. You realize he is too traditional to see that nowadays, people are sleeping together on the first date. First base is nothing. You rest your glass on a decrepit table next to you and stand up. 
You slowly approach him, trying to catch a glance from him, but he continues to avert his eyes. You grow bold enough to tilt his chin towards you, letting your guard down for a moment. 
“You’re such a gentleman, it hurts,” you whisper, slowly letting a smirk grow across your face. The comment makes his shoulders lower, finally relaxing from such a heated moment. 
“Just don’t wanna mess this up with ya,” He murmurs, only letting you and the nearby fireflies hear you, “I enjoy spending time with you.”
You slowly lower your hand to your side, trying to act casually about the confession. But the truth is you want to run and wake up every cow and horse within a 10-mile radius with a squeal of delight. 
“I like spending time with you, too, Joel.”
He takes your hand as you say it, bringing your knuckles up to his lips. His breath is hot on the back of your hand before he says, “Well now, I quite like the sound of that."
taglist (some of y'all can't be tagged, I tried lol)
@midnightdragonzero @casssiopeia @anoverwhelmingdin @notsosecretspy @raindrcpsangel @art-estrange @misstokyo7love @lizzie-cakes @d1lf-loverrr @ashleyfilm 
@blckbrrybasket @cande-beggins @gloryekaterina @lilyevanstan1325 @frogtape @jamesdeerest @mellymbee @arrowsandanchor @polishedtaylor @harrieandharassed @ranahx @youwouldntdownloadapizza @jmillersgirl @wintersquirrel @stefanibear003 @joliettes @startsm00n @abbsfrommars @76bookworm76 @youotterbekiddingme @jodiswiftle
487 notes · View notes
fallingsatellive · 4 months ago
Text
“It’s obviously valid to be bugkin but you also can’t just expect people to get over it when they have a genuine fear!”
I’m afraid of dogs.
Dogs put me extremely on edge. I avoid them while outside and if one’s in a room with me I’ll try to leave or else start to panic. Especially medium-sized and larger breeds. Mere images of dogs may not give me a panic attack, I will admit that, it's not a phobia. But if you want to talk hypocrisy, if you're opening up that discussion:
Hey dog therians, dog otherhearted folks and clinical cynanthropes, what if everywhere you went, the unspoken attitude of the alterhuman community was—
Don’t post dog photos or talk about being a dog in the main alterhuman tags. Don’t talk about your shifts, your instincts, or your kind in the main tags. If you’re a CZ, don’t talk so openly about your biological reality. It’s extremely triggering for people with cynophobia. The idea of physically being or becoming a dog grosses them out to briefly think about, so try not to discuss your literal existence. If you must, at least trigger tag yourself with #tw dogs or #tw dog mention so people can stay safe by censoring things that will hurt their mental health. It’s okay if you’re dogkin but in my DNI I'm going to write something like, don’t follow me if your blog hosts too many graphic close-up images of dogs doing dog things, even if you censor them. Don’t add dog photos to open posts in the alterhuman tags, you have no idea who might be sent into a panic attack by images of yourself so you should play it safe and only put them on your own posts. And stop being so offended by people who comment on posts about pet dogs or dog facts saying they want to bleach their eyes or kill it with fire, they can’t help having a phobia.
Not great, is it? Fortunately, and I do genuinely mean that, this is a sentiment you will only see once, on this post, completely satirically. Except it’s just a real sentiment for bug therians/hearted and other invertebrate alterhumans. Of course what I said was satire. But if it pissed you off when you thought it might not be, please, contemplate on that reaction, really spend some time on it.
Also, if you're wondering what I mean by "other invertebrate alterhumans", (and I'm sorry for how heated I got when I was writing this part last night even after editing it down)
You know I’m a bug zoanthrope too, not just a bird? And see above if you're wondering why I never said shit about it, just said I was a centipede therian and even then said I was just questioning and didn't really talk much about it. Am I allowed to talk about it without tagging it #tw body horror, even though I obviously don’t fucking find my own body to be horror? Can I talk about it without tagging it #tw bugs like just the very thing that I am needs to be censored for people's well-being? I'm sorry if I come across judgmental. Offline I constantly interact with people saying they’re a nature lover but centipedes are the only thing on Earth that they still hate. And I have to come online knowing that any of those people could be bloggers in the alterhuman tags and it’s my responsibility to tiptoe around them. “Because centipedes are scary and disgusting.” Because I’m scary and disgusting. My brain is not capable of hearing a difference and I can’t change that. It is so much my reality that it's the same emotional mix of anger and anxiety and hurt that would be (has been, lol) triggered by someone ranting about how much they hate Jews or trans people to me.
307 notes · View notes
leafostuff · 3 months ago
Text
Private Appreciation [FT. TripleS Nien]
Tumblr media
Tags: smut, established relationship, slow stripping, body worshipping, cunnilingus (at least an attempt lol)
Author's Note: quite short but it was fun writing, really into Nien lately so i had to write something about her, it does count as my September upload
I have been feeling a bit down lately so it took me longer than expected to finally finish the smut (started writing in 20/8/24), i hope yall enjoy it even though the end may feel a bit rushed.
=================================
“Baby…im horny”
“Nien, what the fuck?”
Honest question: was this the appropriate time for such a saying?
you and your girlfriend Nien are cuddling on your couch, watching some random romcom movie on a saturday afternoon, you would've gone outside and had a normal date but today your laziness was next level so you decided to stay at home, it's not like it was gonna get any less hot.
And here’s Nien, telling you the most random thing you heard this week (and for the time you know her, she said a lot of random things) during a movie where it's not like there is a sex or kissing since its was only the first 25 minutes of the movie, so there wasn't anything to trigger her.
“What do you mean ‘what the fuck’?” She whines while her eyes look as tired as ever. “I am feeling hot, wet and it's sure as hell not making it easier for me with all of the sexual tension going between them” she complains while pointing at the screen.
“They are just… flirting” you say, a bit confused
“And?! I can tell 30 minutes from now they are banging” she annoyingly added while her hand goes to grab some popcorn, cutely munching on it.
“Nien are…is it that-”
“NO ITS NOT THAT TIME OF YOUR MONTH” she responded, now angry at you. “I am just horny, and wet, and i need you RIGHT NOW,” she explains.
“In the middle of the movie though?? I already paid fo-” You wanted to ask when suddenly Nien leans forward to capture your lips and quickly releasing, leaving you surprised.
“Please jagi…?”
Its unfair how weak you are to her, the pleading puppy eyes that look at you with glimmer in her pupils, her innocent and sweet smile that will one day will be the cause of your death, and her nickname for you that sends tingles to your brain to switch into ‘yes’ mode almost automatically for her.
You sigh in defeat, its not like you couldve changed her mind anyways.
“Ok babe…lets do it” you say
“Yayyyy, thank you baby” she responds, pulling you into a tight embrace. “You are the best, you know that?”
“Brat” is the only word you can think to yourself when you see how happy she is as you cant help yourself but lean in and mesh your lips with hers engaging in a slow, lazy yet very sensual makeout session.
It's quite clear how much both of you enjoy this, making hums and quiet whimpers in between each kiss while your hands roams around each other’s back. Slowly you could feel Nien slowly fall into the couch with you joining her as now you are on top of herz still focusing on the kiss.
Release yourself from the kiss and look at her. Wearing a pink tube top that shows her smooth belly and tiny navel in their full glory paired with denim jeans that make her look more curvy than she is, her eyes look directly into yours with a mix of excitement and arousal, so you ask.
“Bed?”
“No, on the couch” she answers, “don't wanna move” she lazily said with a wide smile, with that logic you won't look for any arguments with her.
“Okay babe… what do you want me to do?” You ask, in the end, it's her wish to do this so who are you to not let her have it her way?
“My tummy…kiss it” she cutely pleads, you know how important foreplay is for Nien as in her eyes, foreplay is the key for having the best time. So nod with a smile before lowering your face to be parallel to her belly, take one last look at her before planting your first kiss barely above her navel, sending tingles directly to her brain.
“Ngh..yes…” she hums in excitement while closing her eyes, seeing her reception to your first kiss was good you continue peppering kisses all around her navel. Sometimes giving a teasing lick that makes her elicit a quiet moan.
“My pants…Ah-baby…” she breathes 
“What about them babe? I can't read your mind” You teasingly ask, knowing exactly what she wants you to do with them but hearing her say it is part of the fun for you.
“Nghh…take them off” she instructs as you oblige, your fingers working diligently as each button of her jeans that you pop, you place a soft kiss directly to her belly button, after the last button is undone you lower her denim clothing down her thighs, revealing her white panties with a visable stain in the middle.
“You weren't joking when you said you were wet”
“shut up” she moaned, giving you a light smack on the head. “take the panties… off too baby".
“Should I continue kissing?” A simple question in which Nien just nodded, your hands now went to her panties, sliding them off slowly, letting the friction drive her insane as your girlfriend takes her hands and plants them on the back of your head.
Eventually, you leave her completely naked waist down, letting you see her soft thighs and her glistening sex without any obstruction as you could feel yourself get harder by the view. “What now babe?” You ask, waiting for your next orders.
“One hand on my thigh… and-” she stops for a second to release a small moan. “Kiss higher” It's hard for her not to sound needy, especially when you pleasure her midriff with only your lips and tongue.
But, her wish is your command.
So let your palm rest on her right thigh, knead and massage it to your heart's content, all to amplify her pleasure from you tenfold. Meanwhile, your lips travel up from her midriff, eventually stopping near the in-between of her two mounds.
A glance at your girlfriend and you know exactly what she needs as your free hand holds the hem of her top, slowly taking it off revealing no bra and instead a pair of boobs neither too small or too big, just the perfect size for you to let your face dive into the gap between her tits, savoring their sweet taste.
“YES…more….” Nien whines a breathy moan while you alternate between each mound, kissing and licking all around her nipples while her hands get inside the back of your shirt, gliding across your back in an attempt for her to be as close to you as possible.
This goes on for a while, you kiss your girlfriend’s entire body while she instructs you, telling you exactly how she wants to feel good from you, each correct action you follow causes Nien to moan loudly but eventually she pushes you away from her tits.
“What happened?” you ask, confused by the sudden push as she looks at you with a horny smirk.
“I want you to eat me out oppa”
Pause, Nien letting you eat her pussy out is something quite rare for her to suggest since she always felt it was a bit uncomfortable for her. Disagreeing with her request would be foolish of you so look down at her glistening pussy, waiting for you to devour it like your next dinner and let your face close between her thighs.
One last look at her grinning smile and you start
“Yess…” she hisses, your first lick sends tingles to her brain, causing her to wrap her legs around your head, meanwhile her hands grab your hair, trying to not lose herself in the haze, after that you let yourself run wild on her inner thighs and wet pussy with long licks and kisses.
She is still not close however, it is just the beginning for the both of you. So increase your pace slightly to raise the volume of Nien’s breathy moans let her thighs squash your face signaling how horny she is 
“I'm close baby…” it's not hard to tell, how her moans are getting higher pitch, how her thighs are clamped around you and how her grip on your hair is harder, it may hurt but you don't mind, both of you are close to your high.
Eventually you let yourself enjoy the main course since Nien finally let herself go, her wetness flowing out of her as your mouth salivates her sweet taste, meanwhile her left hand gropes her left breast to amplify her own pleasure audible by her sensual moans
Eventually her climax comes to an end, her last wave of cum comes out of her pussy into your mouth. Raise your head and see Nien, a panting mess after the high she has been feeling all this time as now she also rises up from her lying position now seated near you, hands wrapped around you and leans in to kiss your right cheeks.
“Thank you, i feel much better now”
“Anything for you babe” you respond, returning the favor with a kiss of your own. You were helping your girlfriend find her clothes when suddenly you heard sounds of moans coming from the TV. 
You forgot the movie was playing the entire time, the main couple were now making out, half naked and ready to begin their own endeavours for their orgasm.
“I CALLED IT!!”
=================================
Hope you have a good day leafies
243 notes · View notes
nogodsnomorales · 1 year ago
Text
Know that I am going to get pretty serious here, as this post is about Punkflower. I am going to talk about the age situation, the blatant racism ABOUT this ship, and to also talk about the ship itself*. There is also some talk about the shippers/non-shippers + Punkflower antis in general.
[*nothing negative! just like.. discussing it as a whole, because everybody needs to be aware of some important things. the shippers, non-shippers/people on neutral ground, AND the haters/antis.]
There is a BIG wall of text incoming, but all of it is organized to its very best at what I could do!! I first wrote this in docs, I did my best to make it not a whole chaotic mess to read through. It's a big post, but there's a lot of spacing and some text is coloured, so it will be very easy to read.
This is a very detailed and THROUGH post, so it is slightly recommended to read on computer for the best viewing experience.
[It's not needed as you can still just read on your phone/etc, I do want you lovely people to have the best viewing experience possible.]
There will be an expand button, so I will not clog your feed and the tags.
TDLR;
Dear punkflower shippers,
your prayers have been ANSWERED. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT SHIPPING PUNKFLOWER NOW 🙏
punkflower shippers, do not live in fear no more, for I am here now.
Sincerely, 
tumblr user: godunforgiving
Edited Note (06/21); FYI, I am muting this! Read the edit change log at the end of this post for more information. If you have any concerns or inquiries regarding this post, do not hesitate and feel free to DM me!
punkflower talk/analysis(?) + talking about Hobie’s age
This entire post is a discussion of various things, of my own thoughts and opinions! Some of the talk is about the posts + comments I have seen other people say about this ship [mainly questioning and worried ones.] All of the pieces of information that I knew were scattered, so I wanted to gather all of what I could find, and put it in a singular post for those still worrying.
[Also where others can actually just refer to this post and just read thru here first, instead of having to spend a lot of time going through the Punkflower tag to desperately find info!]
I would have gotten this finished and posted days ago, but you know, usual IRL things slowed me down, and I had to spend my day in the ER yesterday, lol.. I’m okay as of now! Just have to take it easy, but I really did want to finish writing my ass off with this post, since I know it’s important to me and for many others out there.
Take your time to read through this, and please absolutely feel free to add any of your input/extra knowledge/anything that I should add onto this post. DMs can be the best, or just through the comments can suffice, because I can and will edit anything into this post [that is accurate aka there is backed up evidence/sources to go along with it.] If you do want to see something added here, just tell me and I'll see if I can manage!
I genuinely hope that this post can be helpful to you, as it will be helpful for me!
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Please know that; I will directly quote from many people, as all of them will be credited properly by being mentioned down below and leaving their username (that is linked back) with their respective quotes, because their own pieces of text really helped build this post! I cannot thank each person enough.
Do not be a piece of shit and go after or ‘witch hunt’ any of them. Respect their own privacy and being.
users mentioned (IOOA): @comfortingnightmare, @luvvnobo, @ghostspider-isms, @saltylemonade13, @artisan-is-bored, @bellamer, @uglynavel, @peachypea0ny (fyi, site is not allowing me to tag), @crownecromancer, @raspberryjars, @spideyzpoolsp, @hamiltonforpowerpoint
[If you are one of the mentioned people, and you want yourself to be removed or become anonymous, please let me know ASAP!]
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Notes:
If you are colourblind (some of the text is coloured fyi! colours used are blue, pink, and purple), or have difficulty reading text due to it being too small, or can't read the font, etc, please let me know! I can give you a google docs link of this entire post that is best suited for your needs. No, you will not be a burden to me. Your needs are very important, and I will want to assist with the best that I can do with that!
I, godunforgiving, am on a mix of a positive + neutral ground on the topic of shipping Punkflower. I absolutely adore the comic!Punkflower, and I am fond of ATSV!Punkflower with the way I view it. Reason why I said neutral, know that I am not against the ships by any means!! But I guess why I say that is because there wasn’t a lot of canon media to consume [ATSV!Punkflower], and I want more [Also note that I have NOT seen the movie yet.] I don’t usually ‘do’ shipping when it comes to various franchises, I guess it’s mainly just not my thing? But I do know that I’ve come to like Punkflower.
I do not ‘do’ discourses, nor do I intend to actively join them! This is my first time doing something like this / this being my first ‘discourse’, yet I hope for it to be my last. I made this post with the pure intention to help the Punkflower shippers. Do know that!! I know that many people do not like the topic of discourses, but this one and the problems I’ve seen revolving around Punkflower, I just have to say something. Bc idk if anybody else is going to [with the way I did this post], considering the mess that occurred days ago, but someone has to and has to do it properly.
I am autistic, so I may process words + information differently, or even ‘incorrectly’. So if a sentence doesn’t make sense, due to perhaps my misuse of grammar, etc, please do not hesitate to ask/reach out, and I can do my best to re-explain it to you.
Negative comments [and comments directly to this post where the person is actually spreading misinfo], will be deleted. Know that if you decide that you disagree with this post, then okay! I am not bothering you, just as I hope that you will revert to ignoring me, instead of hating on me. Please have the common decency to just be kind or even don’t say anything at all, and carry on with your day.
If you have any concerns regarding this post, do not hesitate to reach out to me.
this post was originally inspired by a friend, then originally created for @feuille-morte, but it is finished for the rest of the punkflower fans, ily all. take care of yourselves!! anything for these cute silly little guys ok (and the entire punkflower nation)
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
let’s get started with an introduction.
“what is Punkflower?”
Punkflower is a slash [aka queer] relationship between two black male teenagers, Hobie Brown and Miles Morales. Usually, it is perceived a romantic relationship, as some other people only see the pairing as a platonic duo and such. I do not know more forms of Punkflower, but I will use the 'main' two forms in this post. Comic![SG!]Punkflower [SG is Spider-Geddon, a comic series first released on Sept 2018], and Across the Spider-Verse aka ATSV!Punkflower.
Think of it as the same ships with the same characters, but in different fonts.
Comic!SG!Punkflower has existed for nearly 5 years now, likely first existing sometime in late 2018 to early-mid 2019. Both Miles and Hobie are very close in age in the comics, at around 16 to 17 years old. Away from Spider-Geddon(?), but still on the topic of comics, Hobie is still 16-17 in the comics.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
“people are saying Punkflower is a problematic ship!”
The main [and probably only] source of this misinformation, is from a clip that was cropped to be posted with the intention of spreading heavy misinformation (We will get into that next.) So, as far as I am aware, and know; Punkflower antis are throwing around p/do allegations, because they hate the ship and they are outraged with people enjoying it. This hate is clearly rooted with racism, and homophobia. So, no, Punkflower is not a minor x adult ship!
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
“the interview talk, what happened, and what is actually real?”
If you’ve watched the interview, you can easily see that they were talking about the brainstorming process of developing Hobie's early ideas for his character. A director mentioned that in the early concept stage, Hobie was originally going to be 19-20 [This wasn’t even our Hobie, but Prowler Hobie.]
A person cut a very small clip of the mentioned interview, and uploaded it, a clip that was EXTREMELY out of context. 
The uploader cut out the part explaining that Hobie’s ‘original’ age had changed as his character was being developed.
So from this, and no context given, a lot of people were instantly quick to hate; since it was on purpose to make the entire ship, AND those who enjoyed the ship, look extremely bad. What happened was not okay, yet this disgusting behaviour is at an attempt to be justified [and those people are trying to justify literal racism and homophobia.]
“19-20 thing that the directors mentioned were Hobie’s early designs ideas but those eventually changed as his character changed. Even one of the directors said its up to interpretation plus even his VA was all hinty towards Gwen and hobie so honestly its up to you what his age is" - comfortingnightmare
Tumblr media
As soon as the clip came out, I had started to see a number of people saying that, apparently, Hobie looked like he was in his 20s to his 30s** (while also throwing subtle/discreet hits towards the Punkflower ship), but this was after the clip came out.
**Literally saw someone on Tumblr say that he looked like 28, and trying to shut down the idea of Hobie being a teenager. Like be completely serious with me right now..
Things don’t quite add up here. This was because of WHAT Hobie only looked like, and now it just has to be racially motivated, as there are no solid explanations or reasonings for their behaviour and disgust. Those people just look bad [as they should.]
So, no, Hobie is not 19-20. Another director had confirmed that Hobie’s age is UP TO INTERPRETATION.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
[TLDR; The interview got taken completely out of context from a clip that made people start throwing SERIOUS accusations left and right.. Since more people actually later found out that the clip was taken out of context [instead of doing research], the situation died down, but people are walking on eggshells now. The haters were being desperate likely because Punkflower is a black queer/mlm relationship, since there is no solid explanation for this hating.]
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
“So.. what can we interpret Hobie’s age as?”
That is where I come in! I have many reasons that can help you decide what Hobie's age is to you. And those many reasons are speculated on Hobie's age being 16-17, as many users already guess that Hobie's age is equivalent to a teenager's age. I also believe this idea, as there are many things that already support this thought process.
[But if you like.. (god, I hope nobody does) go through this list and conclude that Hobie is 18+ and continue to ship that Hobie and 15 yr old Miles (or any of the minors).. GTFOH.]
1. Hobie Brown in other media (I’m talking about the comics for instance) is commonly shown for Hobie to be a teenager at either 16 or 17 years old.
“Hobie is in fact labeled as ‘badmouthed teenager’ since 2014 and is 16-17 in the comics and that just because he doesnt have a confirmed/canonical age in ATSV, hes still in the age range of a teenager (16-18)" - luvvnobo
2. Topic of the spider-bite. 
ATSV!Hobie is likely to be 16-17 years old (18 at the latest), meaning that he would have been bit at the ages of 13-15. So IF Hobie was bit 3 years ago / at 14 years old, then he would be 16-17.
Realistically, this really could have happened, considering Hobie’s living conditions! [aka what led to Hobie getting bit by a radioactive spider in the comics.] If he indeed gets bit at 14 years old (like how Miles and Gwen got bit at that age for example), then either 16 or 17 yrs old.
Again, with how he lived; if he got bit at 13 = 15-16 years old in crrnt events of ATSV. [If you don’t know of Hobie’s conditions, in the comics I’m pretty sure he, like, basically lived on the streets as a homeless teenager]
“During the "Spider-Verse" storyline, the Earth-138 version of Spider-Man is revealed to be Hobart Brown, originally operating as Spider-Punk. He is a homeless teenager who was transformed by a spider that was irradiated as part of President Norman Osborn's toxic waste dumping.” - Spider-Punk: Wikipedia
The topic of the bite / needing to know if Hobie was (x) age when he got bit, isn’t very serious, as he is already grouped with 3 kids.
3. It would be unlikely (and also weird) for a four man crew to be 3/4 teenagers and 1 adult;
WHILE ALSO implying that the mentioned ‘adult’ and one of the mentioned teenagers could’ve had something going on. [Even if nothing really happened (keyword = implying), and how Pavitr treated it in that way, implies that Hobie isn’t that much older than the three.] [I would have kept this reason combined with the Spider bite topic aka reason No.2, since it’s actually referenced off of pastelnightgale’s post, just that this paragraph alone is solid enough as a separate reason.]
4. Hobie’s mannerisms.
Note, I haven’t seen the movie, but I have seen many clips. From those clips, he’s definitely a teenager at least, it made me feel like Hobie was 16 or 17 years old. I’ve asked two of my brothers; they said that he definitely was their age [both being 17.]
“my two cents on the age debate is like. hobie doesn’t have the vibes of an adult even if his age is up to “interpretation”. like i’m eighteen and bro has definitely gotta be younger than that. he makes my “stupid younger sibling” sense go haywire." - ghostspider-isms
5. If you look up “how old is hobie brown”
You will already see many people speculating that Hobie is likely to be around the same age range as Miles and Gwen [if not a bit older.]
Tumblr media
Again, Hobie is already 16-17 years old in the comics. 
“in the spiderverse, we have seen that it is common for most spiders (gwen and miles specifically) to get bitten around 14. hobie states he’s been spider-man for three years, meaning he’s most likely 16-17." - artisan-is-bored
6. “Like if Hobie is really 19+ then why is it only a problem with Punkflower?? Wouldn’t the whole love triangle thing be a problem????" - saltylemonade13
Yes. It would be a SERIOUS problem. It also would make the other ships [Chaipunk, others with minors in them] very problematic and illegal ships. But Hobie isn't 18+.
7. Ageing down process happening to various characters in Spider Verse, and Hobie non affected?
If Gwen and the other spiders are aged down in Spiderverse, then it doesn’t make sense that Hobie was not aged down like the others.
8. Hobie literally hangs out around teenagers.
If an adult is constantly hanging out with other children, then that obviously would be the first problem. I wouldn’t really need to keep talking any more about this one. Because if a 19-20 year old was spending a majority of his time around young teenagers, ages ranging 15 through 17, and not really with anybody else his age or above, then yes, that’s already weird.
“it’s also implied that miles is jealous of gwen and hobie. why would the directors make a key plot point of the story be that hobie is a grown ass man hanging out with a bunch of teenagers? and that he might have a thing with one of them???" - artisan-is-bored
9. Genetics do not matter within age.
This is one of my most common quotes by now. Hobie is indeed very tall at almost 6 ft, yes. No, it does not mean that he is above 18+ years old. Hobie can be over 6 ft tall and still be 16-17 years old.
I have seen so many teenagers at drastically different heights, but still be the same age. Many of them being over 6 ft [180 cm], and still being in my age range, and having met a 5’10” 8th grader [aka 13 yrs old] years ago. Both of my previously-mentioned brothers are 6 ft and over 6 ft, yet they are only 17.
“people can look one age and be another." - artisan-is-bored
“hobie’s description as a character. hobie is a foul mouthed TEENAGER. that has been his description for the past five years." - artisan-is-bored
10. “how do i tell them Punkflower has been a thing since 2018 or 2019 and they have interacted in the comics (they are close in age)" - luvvnobo
11. “He has to be an adult, because he goes to pubs!!” Let’s be absolutely HONEST here.
“dude is BFF’s with the Riri of his universe, she can probably whip up a fake ID in no time and even if Riri isn’t in the Spiderverse, he still gets around and knows people. he’s definitely cool with someone who makes fake ID’s." - bellamer
What bellamer said. To add onto this, a pub is different from a BAR as well.
If you look up “what is a pub vs bar” your first result will be this.
Tumblr media
To also add, all bars in England aren’t considered pubs.
“If you’re 16 or under, you may be able to go to a pub (or premises primarily used to sell alcohol) if you’re accompanied by an adult. However, this isn’t always the case. It can also depend on the specific conditions for that premises. It’s illegal to give alcohol to children under 5." From the official GOV of the UK website
But literally, let’s be honest here, Hobie would already know at least one person who will help him get in a pub, if he cannot do so himself. If Hobie is constantly going to pubs, then that does not mean he is getting drinks 24/7 when he is there, unless stated otherwise. Pubs focus on serving food and to give drinks [upon request] to go along with the meal.
Before 1995, children under the age of 14 were NOT allowed in pubs in England and Wales. And Hobie is definitely by no means 14. He is likely 16, or 17. He can already drink, with adult supervision, at 16 in pubs. But we know that Hobie is no law-abiding Spider-man.
12. “Hobie wouldn’t be able to own his own place!”
“it’s a key part of hobie’s comic backstory that he used to be homeless. once again, the breaking the law point still stands. wouldn’t be surprised if hobie bought an apartment with a fake ID, was squatting, or was staying in some sort equivalent of the community center that he used as his main group’s operation headquarters in the comics.” - artisan-is-bored
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
I do not think that another director/anybody who worked on the movie will come out and say that Hobie is actually 18+ at this point. I CAN be wrong in the future, but right now, he is not, and there are my reasons for why I strongly agree with the idea of Hobie being a teenager.
ALTHOUGH, even IF a director comes out and says that ATSV!Hobie is actually 18+, obviously all of the ATSV!ships with him and the other minors should STOP RIGHT NOW. But as of now [06/13/23 (when I first wrote this)], and from what we already know, I do not see anything wrong with ATSV!Punkflower and my views.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
The racism revolving Punkflower is disgusting.
I’ve seen a lot of people bashing Punkflower when the whole misinfo-hobie-being-19/20-situation occurred, but ONLY with Punkflower [from what I’ve seen.] I didn’t see any of this happening to the other ships that Hobie is in / shipped with Gwen, and Pavitr.
I have not seen any, quite literally nobody, complaining about any other ship that isn’t Punkflower, and it’s insanely overwhelming and confusing?? People don’t complain when it comes to Hobie x Gwen, but if it’s with two queer black boys? Huge problem all of a sudden.
“Love how when it was Hobie and Gwen no one batted an eye but as soon as people started shipping two black males together all of a sudden everyone’s disgusted and outraged” - uglynavel
“none of y’all had a problem w gwen and hobie, but when hobie started getting shipped with miles and pav? y’all got pissed. get your racist and homophobic head out of your ass. even if hobie IS an adult in the movie, that still doesn’t mean that shipping him with miles in the comics suddenly isn’t valid. newsflash, gwen is MUCH OLDER than hobie in his universe.” - artisan-is-bored
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Other quotes, that I wanted to point out, but I didn’t sort them into a spot;
“There are a lot more weird problems in the ATSV fandom, yet people are worried about Flowerpunk and whether Hobie is of age, or not. Those problems are full on grown ass people sexualizing Miles, Gwen, and likely more. There’s already stuff about Peter B. and Miles ship, and THAT is an active problem on hand. More people need to worry about all of that instead of a guy who has an up-to-interpretation age (but is strongly, likely, a 16-17 year old if not an adult.)” - peachypea0ny
“I can’t even enjoy comic versions of punkflower without me being called a pedo or having multiple fucking comments telling me over and over that punkflower is a proship.” - uglynavel
“I’m sorry it’s just really not fucking fair what In THE ACTUAL MOVIE it can imply something between Gwen and Hobie but the SECOND people started shipping two black boys together then it became a huge fucking problem, here’s the thing if Hobie is actually older and they never say that in the movie but imply something to the audience that him and a sixteen year old girl could possibly have something between them THEN THATS GROSS I DONT CARE HOW GOOD THE MOVIE IS! But Hobie is always, in other crossovers and his comics he is around 16, he has met Miles before in canon the ship’s not new, it was just small.” - crownecromancer (Edited to make sense, by me, godunforgiving.)
“punkflower is originally a comic ship, its been around for ages before atsv, its normal for shippers to crossover into different areas where the same characters are. he doesnt have an age on his wiki and why would he be said to have a love triangle with gwen if he WAS 19/20, idk why ppl have such a problem with punkflower but not with hobie and gwen??” - raspberryjars
“this is what happens when you believe in misinformation on the internet. no, there is no age gap, because hobie does not even have a canon age. if you watch the interview, instead of 10 seconds of it, he says it was early concepts of hobie. another director has confirmed his age is up to interpretation.. so. yall rlly need to stop with this, its weird asl. this whole thing was rooted in racism and homophobia, stop spreading misinformation I BEG.” - spideyzpoolsp
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Another disclaimer/notice;
PLEASE, PLEASE STOP BELIEVING IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE!! EVEN IN TIKTOK OR TUMBLR!
IF it’s a piece of information that could be misinformation revolving around Punkflower or Hobie Brown, or anything, DO find out if it is real or fake asap!
I’m using a method that I remember from my elementary school that was constantly talked about [can’t believe I’d bring it up in a post about a ship years later], however it really does pay out and work anywhere else tbh. The “Stop, Think, Act method”.
STOP = Pause, if it distresses you; then take a breath to calm down, avoid doing anything on impulse aka don't do anything without thinking carefully beforehand.
THINK = Instead of the “what is the problem, what are the options, best path forward?” in the method itself, we will reuse this but change stuff up that can apply directly to this post. So after stopping and calming down, we will think carefully and review what we already KNOW. If it’s where the piece of information is easily seen/known as misinfo, then you are good. If the piece of misinfo is affecting something that we already know, then we move onto the next step.
ACT = “Proceed with the best option. Act carefully, and revise if needed.” The best option forward from thinking, is to do research, and make sure that it is actually real, and not misinformation with lies laced within. IF it is indeed misinformation, then it is the best to alert others, with proof.
If you are thinking “But why even mention that method??” The best example to use this method is with the age discourse blowup. A LOT of people believed in the misinformation very, very fast. What should’ve happened is that the mentioned method should’ve occurred early, to help prevent most of the freak out and its damages. But many users may not have thought of that, or even know the method, so it is okay. At least it calmed down a lot as of now, just that people are now likely afraid.
[Note; I am NOT blaming anybody!! I also freaked out a bit too, but I stuck to what I already knew, until I found more information. At first I heard “Hobie is 19-20!!!!” I figured that it must’ve been misinfo through what I already knew, because adding all of what I knew and this uproar of info, it just didn’t add up from what I alrd knew. but I still researched and did my homework!! Just that more people should naturally second-guess things that they are suspicious of and also be aware of that method and to apply it online, as it is already useful in real life!]
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Wrapping this post up, finally.
It’s sad to see different Punkflower fans fight each other. But it’s also outrageous and annoying to see the plat!Punkflower shippers, who see Miles and Hobie strictly in a brotherly relationship, to throw the term ‘!ncest / pseudo-!ncest’ against the romantical Punkflower shippers.. Like holy shit, that doesn’t make you any better. Can people, please, stop throwing serious accusations against other people so nonchalantly?
These accusations are SO serious and life changing, even if it's pointed at the wrong person. But people are just too ignorant to realize that unfortunately.
“You see him (Hobie) as 19/20 who’s a big brother to the other spiders? Cool! You see him as 16/17 rebel teen amazing!” - hamiltonforpowerpoint
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
End post.
Reblogs, likes, and comments of your own opinions of this post are so welcome!
Again, ily all and take care of yourselves!!
and again, if anything you think that should be added onto the post, let me know! have a great day everybody
A friend asked what’s up with the discourse, asked me to make a post, after hours of research - I absolutely fucking DELIVERED. Love you guys.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Edit #1 (06/15); had to reformat some things since it just looked broken to me! Using the editor on mobile is a PAIN.. 0/10.
Edit #2 (06/16); an edit update! I rewrote some things (to hope to make the post sound more better), added some stuff in the notes section and some throughout the post itself, updated the crediting so the quotes used are credited and linked back to hell!!!! bc crediting others is awesome! and the post is also def over 4.2k words lol
Edit #3 (06/17); An anon told me that I was “misusing” the 'proship' term, so I edited the post. Proshitters can go to hell for all I care. To clarify, I am talking about problematic shippers. Edit #4 (06/19); oh my god 600+ notes?? i hope all of you are having an EXCELLENT month okay.. i love you guys <3 /plat
Edit #5 (06/21); I am muting this! I saw some people reply to this post, but I just do not have the ability to respond to them (Selective mutism), I did write “drafts” to them, but I do not feel like polishing it and responding. Just busy with other things, honestly! I may end up responding some time later, so yeah. If you have any concerns or inquiries regarding this post, do not hesitate and feel free to DM me!
Every once a few weeks I may check up on this post as well, until I stop altogether.
2K notes · View notes
slut4msby · 11 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
work wife. sawamura daichi x reader
+ tags & warnings; slightly suggestive towards the end if u like really squint & not proofread :p
+ a/n; i think as a society we should stop sleeping on daichi because like LOOK AT HIM (writing this makes me think i just have a thing for hq captains.)
Tumblr media
“Hey Babe, who’s texting you? Your phones like blowing up.” You ask your husband who is standing in the kitchen as he prepares a snack for the two of you. 
“Hm? Probably Suga or something. Just check.” He states. You follow his instructions, picking up his phone to see the notifications. His background is a photo of the two of you on your honeymoon, it was his favourite photo of the two of you. Constantly showing it off to everyone, bragging about how lucky it is. “So… who is it?” 
“Someone called, ‘Tsutsui Yasu’. Who’s that, Daichi?” 
Your husband can’t help but roll his eyes at the name. “That woman from work. The one who keeps calling herself my ‘work wife’. The one that will never leave me alone, you know?”
“Oh her.” You giggle, “didn’t realise she was THIS obsessed with you. Can’t really blame her though. You look REALLY good in your work uniform, Dai.”
“I thought I always looked good, Y/N.” He teases, resuming to his seat next to you on the couch. You can’t help but roll your eyes at his comment. “What’s she saying?” He asked taking a bite of his sandwich.
“She sent you a video of some cats and just said ‘us lol’.” You explained, “and then she sent some more stupid posts and stuff.”
“God, I never open any of those. They are always so stupid. I only like stupid posts when they come from you, princess.” He says in between bites.
“Hey Dai, can I come visit you for lunch at work tomorrow. I want to meet my replacement, your ‘work wife’.” You say before picking up the sandwich your husband had made you.
“Of course, I'd never say no to that.”
The next morning you begin packing Daichi’s lunch for him, an assortment of his favourite foods. As the clock hits 12, you decide to head over to the station where Daichi works. As you walk in you see an assortment of people walking around looking busy, you decide to stand off to the side and text your husband upon your arrival. 
As you face down at your phone, you hear someone approach you. Slowly looking up at making eye contact at a shorter woman, a hand on her hip. “Can I help you?” She asked a seamlessly innocent question but the tone was laced with a taste of bitterness. Before you could answer you see the familiar sight of your husband approaching the two of you. Daichi was giving you a look, telepathically telling you to not say or do anything stupid. As his footsteps got louder, the woman in front of you snapped her head around to look at your husband. “Sawamura-kun! Hey.” She smiles, a drastic contrast to the look she was giving you.
“Oh hey, Tsutsui-san.” He says before turning to you, “hey baby.”
The sentence confused Tsutsui, before she could react you pull your husband in for a hug. “Hey Dai,” you mutter into his chest, “I brought lunch.” You smiled looking up at him.
“Oh, Daichi-san? Who’s this?” Tsutsui asks, looking towards your husband completely shutting out your presence.
“This is my wife, Y/N.” He proudly responds.
“Hey, I am Sawamura Y/N.” You say with a fake smile plastered over your face, putting a hand out for Tsutsui which she ignores.
“Tsutsui Yasu. Daichi’s work wife.” She states bluntly.
“Oh! I have heard about you! Are you the Tsutsui Yasu who wont stop blowing up my husband's phone every night? The one my husband shows complete disinterest in and keeps following him around like a lost puppy. The Tsutsui who doesn’t stop referring to herself as my husband's work wife, despite his discomfort. And despite the ring he wears on his finger, that Tsutsui right?”
The conversation drops silent. The tension in the air grows strong. Daichi shifts uncomfortably between the two of you, glancing at the both of you. 
Tsutsu was taken aback by your directness, stammers “I-I… well, Daichi and I have a great working relationship! We just joke around, you know?”
“Y/N.” Daichi says sternly, “let’s just go have some lunch-”
“Listen Dai, I love you and we can go eat in a second.” You cut him off, Daichi was amazed by your new found dominance, he was used to you being a nice, caring and loving partner. But he liked it, he liked how you weren’t afraid to fight for him in the moment. Daichi always cared too much about how other people viewed him and would never say something to hurt another person, he could never find the guts to tell Tsutsui to stop caring too much about her emotions. Daichi was a people pleaser. 
By this time, you werent; letting anyone undermine your relationship. You fix your gaze firmly on Tsutsui, your tone unwavering. "Tsutsui-san, it's about time you understand boundaries. Daichi is my husband, and your 'work wife' fantasy isn't something he's interested in."
Daichi looks at you with a mixture of surprise and admiration, silently appreciating your assertiveness. Tsutsui, however, seems taken aback by the direct confrontation.
You continue, "I get it, Daichi is friendly with everyone at work, but your constant intrusion into our personal life's crosses a line. We're here to enjoy lunch, not to entertain your fixation on being his 'work wife.'"
Tsutsui was lost for words. Not knowing how to apply to your directness. 
Daichi steps in, his tone firm, "Tsutsui-san, I appreciate your friendship at work, but Y/N is my priority. Please respect that."
“Let’s go, Dai.” You say walking off, leaving a dumbfounded Tsutsui standing there. Daichi trails behind you.
“That was hot, princess.” Daichi says placing a kiss on your forehead once the two of you reach your car. 
“Mhm, I like fighting for what’s mine.” You murmured against his lips, before he pulled you closer. 
A playful glint sparkles in Daichi's eyes as he holds you close. "You should do it more often," he says, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
“Maybe I will.”
©slut4msby.
798 notes · View notes
house-of-lovin · 2 years ago
Text
legally binded - 2
Jenna Ortega x F!Reader
masterlist | series mast. ♣ prev part | next part
Chapter 2: Lakers, Headlines… New York?
Summary: After getting caught in some hot waters with the press, you are forced into an unexpected agreement with America's sweetheart, Jenna Ortega to save your career.
Warnings/Tags: dual pov, famous!reader, actress!reader, mentions of substances, intoxication, mature language, real people. (do not read if any of these make you uncomfortable)
(this is all fiction!)
Note: part 2 of legally binded! I hear yall and I see the comments! This will be a series, got a lot of ideas for this one. But of course, I am open to hearing what you guys think and want to see! A little bonding moment for R and Jenna 😮‍💨
Word Count: 6.3k+ (lol sorry, may have gone overboard!)
Tumblr media
“So… what does this mean, exactly?” Jenna asks for both of you.
“We’re gonna make the two of you the talk of the town. And hopefully get people to back off on the allegations that Jenna is difficult to work with and that Y/N is entering her Justin Bieber phase — and not the good one.” Your PR agent, Liv, purses her lips.
Jenna can’t help the snort that leaves her lips, awkwardly coughing to hide it. But you catch it anyway, throwing her a glare.
“Difficult to work with huh?” You speak up — in faux interest. “Not hard to see why.”
This time Jenna is the one glaring at you. “You don’t even know me.”
“You don’t know me either.” You huff.
“Enough!” Jake yells. Anger steadily rose in the man’s bloodstream.
You and Jenna flinch at his loudness. Sliding down the chair, you feel ashamed again; ignoring Jenna’s piercing glare.
Liv is sighing but opts not to add fuel to the fire. “It’s going to take a few hours to get the paperwork and contract drafted —but once it’s done we’ll have it sent over to you. For now, get to know each other, I don’t know.”
You shoot Liv a scowl. She was making this already awkward situation so much worse.
She catches your look, sighing, “Just–pretend this is another job and you’re new castmates. Anything please. ” She rolls her eyes, already fed up with what disaster this morning has been.
“You can do that, right?” Liv crosses her arms, staring at you two in question.
“Yes.” Jenna mumbles.
“Mhmm.” You hum lazily, changing the subject. “Can we tell people? That this isn’t real?”
Liv glances at Jake and Sarah sharing a silent conversation. They nod at each other. “If they sign an NDA. Only family, your team and us. This cannot leave the room.”
You feel pale. You couldn’t even tell the people around you about this fake relationship without binding them to a contract? Suddenly, the situation starts to feel more real; the carpet of delusion being pulled from under you.
You’re standing up, pushing the chair back with a loud scrape that rings terribly against your ears. “I need some air.”
“You’re really leaving in the middle of a meeting?” Jenna questions with a snip, crossing her arms.
“Sorry your highness, I got better places to be. Liv you can send the contract to my assistant. Ortega, wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you… but well.” You trail off, shrugging.
Liv and Jake are fuming red in the face at your words, but you were still hungover and the comedown was begging to wreak havoc – your irritation getting harder to restrain. 
Jenna’s face scrunches, offended. You walk away, not bothering to listen for a response.
“There’s no way I can work with her…” You catch it anyway.
●●●
“I mean can you believe what they’re asking me to do!” You pace up and down your living room.
“Oh come on, I don’t buy the allegations that she’s difficult, you know they love to tear women down when they get their come up.” Link reasons tapping on his phone.
“I mean how can this face be rude?” He holds up a picture of Jenna at the SAG awards and you furrow your brows because you don’t remember seeing her there — you might have been late.
You were just nominated anyway. So you pulled a Beyoncé and only showed up for your category.
“Maybe Jenna’s not so bad?”
“Quit it.”
It was now mid-afternoon and the battering Californian sun was shining bright above clear skies and through your floor-to-ceiling windows. You bought this house in the Palisades for the peace it provided you. Not too far from central L.A. but still tucked away enough for a moment of solitude with a life like yours.
It was your own version of a sanctuary – like a home should be. 
“Okay, that sounds crazy, I agree. But dude, you fucked up. Big time.” Your long-time friend Link said. 
You and Link grew up together and when you got your come up, best believe you took your best friend with you. You offered to help him out while he lives with you as you achieve your dreams but ever the stubborn guy, he refused. Only agreeing to move to Los Angeles with you if he works as your assistant to earn his keep.
He’s a good guy like that. 
Since then, he’s been by your side. Through every disappointment, bad news, great news, red carpets, and movie premieres. You couldn’t do this job without him. 
He’s like your brother.
“I know!” You groan, dropping to the couch. Why the hell did you let your designer choose these couches? They were stiffer than a plank of wood.
“Look at this article online, 2-time Grammy winner and Academy Award Nominee, Y/N L/N’s fall from grace? Sin City indeed! The actress blacks out at a Vegas strip club! Click here to see exclusive mugshots.”
“They’re selling my fucking mugshots?” You lift your head above the headrest horrified, watching Link sit across the room on a bar stool reading his phone. 
“I’m pretty sure they’re public domain.” He refutes.
Falling back, you groan louder – hiding your face behind your palms.
“I don’t see how you have a choice, buddy.” He sighs, placing his phone on the bar top. 
“There has to be another way. Why can’t I just run away? I’ll fly back home for a couple of weeks, and let all of this shit die down. It’s worked before.” 
“Yeah, I told Jake and Liv you’d say that.” He rolls his eyes, walking to you. “I don’t think you can run from this one, Y/N.”
The softness in his voice has you sighing in defeat. He’s right, you know he’s right. This wasn’t just some tiny mistake you can brush under the carpet like all the other ones. This was serious. 
You got arrested. For blacking out with someone who had drugs on them. In a strip club, no less.
What a mess.
Something like this could seriously hurt your career. You could lose roles, relationships, connections, brand deals – the blood, sweat, and tears you poured in; everything you worked so hard for – gone.
“I know… Doesn’t make me wanna do it more though,” You mumble, distantly staring at the high ceiling.
He chuckles, “I know bud. But this is what we signed up for, right?” 
You frown. It’s what we signed up for.
It’s a mantra that you have adopted in all your years as a working performer. It certainly wasn’t the most comforting and loving thing to say, but it works because it’s true and there’s no greater motivator than a slap in the face to reality. 
You much preferred tough love anyway.
“Right.” You mutter.
“Come on, I think Jenna’s manager just sent me the signed contract, they’re just waiting for your signature.” He walks off to his office. 
You close your eyes, letting the sun warm you up through the glass panes. A few moments pass until Link comes back out with a tablet and pen. “Sign here, under Jenna’s signature.”
She has pretty handwriting – you note as you sign the electronic document. 
Call it weird but you had a thing for people with neat handwriting, steady hands and all that. 
But then you remember who the professional signature belonged to and forced yourself to snap out of it.
“Did you even read it?” He arches a brow.
“That’s what lawyers are for.”
He scoffs, “Okay, superstar. It basically says what you and Jenna need to do. Public spottings at first, then dates, appearances at each other's events. Maybe posts on social media, but the idea is to be discreet – we can’t have it seem like we’re using this to scrub away the Vegas incident.”
“But that’s exactly what we’re doing,” You sigh.
“Yeah, but they don’t know that. And it’s your damn job to make sure they don’t ever find out either.”
You rub your forehead; a headache beginning to form. Not sure if it was from the hangover or from all this PR mess.
“Anways,” He takes the tablet out of your hands. “I’ll send these over to Liv. Now as for you. Go upstairs, take a shower because you smell horrendous and then put on what your stylist picked out.”
Wrinkling your nose, you ask, “What, why? I literally just got back, I already have to go out and show my face? The paparazzi will hound me.” 
“We have to beat the Vegas headline with a bigger story, so you need to be seen with Jenna ASAP. That means out for a late lunch at a well-known spot downtown. You have to act like the news doesn’t bother you – like you’re moving past it.”
“Who goes out for late lunch?” 
He sends you a pointed look. 
“I’ll be upstairs…” You mumble, dragging your feet as you ascend the steps.
●●●
You tap your fingers on the steering wheel, glancing up at the modest house through your sunglasses.
A mid-modern century house in Glendale. Not where you pictured her to live but whatever. Her front yard was bare but professionally trimmed. No signs of any plant life that made the space look a little… dull. The only signs of life in the house was the humble SUV that you assumed belonged to the young actress.
Your tapping grows impatient the longer you wait.
As if staring harder at the front door will make the actress come out faster. Another five agonizing minutes pass – you seriously consider pulling away to go home and sleep off this hangover but Link stood a good half-foot taller than you.
He’d lock your ass out of your own home. 
Eventually, the door opens and the short brunette walks down the driveway in confident strides. Dressed in jeans, combat boots and a cardigan; those headphones around her neck, again. Somehow, she looked consistently gothic and you pondered if she really was like her character in real life.
You see her scan your Mercedes-AMG GT3 for a moment before pulling the passenger door open; sliding into the cushy seats. “Nice car.”
You blink, “Thanks… you sure took your time though,”
You couldn’t stop the slight attitude that accompanied your words.
She gives you a sharp glance, “why didn’t you just ring the doorbell?”
“You had to unlock the gate to let me in, you knew I was waiting outside.” You huff, staring at her back. 
“Then would have waited in the living room if you had knocked. What difference does it make?” She shrugs.
“That’s not the poi–” You gruff but stop, inhaling a deep breath. The pounding in your skull was begging for you to cool down. 
“I think I much preferred waiting in the car… alone.” You whisper the last bit then shoot her a sarcastic glance; shifting the gear in reverse.
You don’t bother to check if she had her seatbelt on as you aggressively pull out her driveway; leaving skid marks on the pavement.
She jerks forward at the sudden movement. “Shit– a little warning next time?” She glares bracing herself on the dashboard.
“Hands off the leather,” You bite as you pull off her street and to the restaurant Link sent you the directions to. 
She scoffs. “My driveway!”
●●●
“Table for 2 under Ortega? Please follow me, can I be the first one to say how delighted we are that you two decided to dine here.” The host enthused a little too much.
“It’s our pleasure.” Jenna answers politely.
You plaster a tight-lipped smile keeping quiet; sliding a modest hand on Jenna’s back when he leads you past other patrons and to a secluded table – heads already turning in your direction. Jenna jumps, sending you a menacing glare and for a moment you feel slightly scared by the fire in her eyes – dropping your hand immediately. 
Okay, no touching. Got it.
“Here we are, the best seat in the house. We have complementary champagne on the table to start your evening. We’ll give you a few moments to get settled,” He sends a tight smile causing his wrinkles to show – definitely trying too hard but you’d never say no to free alcohol.
“Thank you,” You bid, pulling a chair out for Jenna.
She walks to claim the opposite chair, assuming you’re taking the one you pulled out. But she stares as you stand behind the open chair, awkwardly. Only then did she seem to realize that the seat was for her.
Raising her brows, she looked a little surprised but wordlessly and a bit awkwardly (she sends a tight-lipped smile) sits over to the chair allowing you to push it in for her, before taking your own seat across.
The first thing you grab is the bottle of champagne and the flute. 
You miss Jenna’s tracking eyes as you pour a hefty glass. “Is that really the best thing for you to have, especially after last night? Also, it’s like 4 PM.”
“I didn’t know you were the alcohol police and it’s 8 PM somewhere.” You take big gulps of the champagne, savouring the way it burned but also felt cool on the way down.
“Trust me, I’m not. But my ass is on the line here too and there are people watching.” She grits out the last part, signalling with her eyes. You glance up catching two girls from another table with their phones up, no doubt taking pictures and recording you and Jenna. 
Looking away, you place the glass flute down, sitting back in your seat with a slump. “Fine…”
“When are you going to take this seriously?” She whispers, tone: sharp.
“I am taking this seriously,” You fight to keep your face impassive knowing there are eyes on you both. 
“No, you’re not. You couldn’t even sit through the meeting this morning and now you’re acting like a child. Might I remind you, we’re in this mess because of you.”
You clench your jaw, trying your hardest not to blow up in this fine establishment. 
“I’m the reaso—“
“Are we ready to order?” The waitress cuts in.
“Yes, we are.” Jenna turns to her with that large, sweet smile that sells millions.
●●●
‘New Gal-Pals in Hollywood, Y/N L/N and Jenna Ortega spotted out for lunch’
It was now the following day after your ‘lunch date’ with Jenna and you wish to say it only got better as time went on but that would be a lie. You two did not get along – at all. How was it possible for your management to find the one person on this planet that you just couldn’t get along with. 
You know difficult, you can handle difficult. You’ve worked with the likes of Shia Lebeouf, Gweneth Paltrow, Michael Bay… just to name a few. You’ve had your fair share of difficult colleagues.
But this girl? She’s something else. 
“Gal pals? Really?” Your nose scrunches in distaste.
“No wait, this one’s better! Wednesday star Jenna Ortega supports new bestie, Y/N L/N amid Vegas arrest.”
“Stop.” But Link’s loud laughter overpowers you.
“Oh! We got one that’s different, Trouble-maker, A-lister, Y/N L/N, will drag down rising-star Jenna Ortega!”
“Okay, that’s just bullshit.” You pique up.
“Rising star?” Jenna voices in disdain.
“Enough!” Liv’s voice echoes from your laptop speaker. “This isn’t the headline we wanted.”
You roll your eyes, scanning the candid photo of you and Jenna sitting at the restaurant.
The images look tame enough and can definitely be interpreted as just two friends out for a bite. News outlets don’t buy it, but the internet is already freaking out; spewing out unsolicited opinions on this new pairing. Some think you two are just friends, some think it’s a date, others think it’s for a movie role.
“I thought I did a good job,” Jenna speaks up on the other line of the Facetime call. 
“Clearly not…” You mumble, but she catches it anyway, rolling her eyes. 
“We need to up the ante, this is not good enough.” Liv sighs and you can hear the trepidation through the call.
“Like what?”
“There’s a Lakers game tonight and you two are making your first official appearance.” She grins with mischief.
“Lakers?” Jenna rouses, sounding excited.
“How would they interpret that differently than before?” Shaking your head.
“I got a plan already, darling. I have a guy in TMZ who’s going to break the first official headline that you two are in the ‘getting to know each other’ stage. Which is where you two come in… after the game headlines of your guys’ date night will be the number one trending topic.” She explains, eyes lighting up in excitement.
Liv loves to lay out her plans to whoever was willing to listen — you’re already tuning her out.
You are sure her plan is genius like she says it is.
“Are they versing someone decent, at least?” You ask tiredly. When were you going to get some time to yourself?
“Celtics.”
“I’m in.”
●●●
“Do you really have to wear sunglasses indoors? Everyone knows we’re here.” Jenna whispers from beside you.
“It’s part of the look.” You retort, sliding down the foldable chair. Why are courtside seats so uncomfortable for all the money I’m paying?
“What look.”
“We got two stars in the Lakers house tonight! Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Y/N L/N and Jenna Ortega!”’ The announcer booms through the stadium speakers. 
Looking up at the jumbotron, you and Jenna are plastered big and bright on the screen. You flash a dazzling smile and force your body to untense – ignoring Jenna’s quip.
You embrace the loud cheers and applauds, waving and sending the camera that dazzling smile you have mastered. Jenna copies your movements.
Eventually, the camera pans away from you two and you finally feel like you can breathe again. 
“God, I think my eardrums ruptured.” She complains, clutching her earring clad-ears painfully.
You laugh, “Oh come on, you don’t have people shouting for your attention at you at every turn?”
She frowns, shaking her head, “Not at this level… I like to think I still have some anonymity.”
Snorting, you say, “Yeah well, just wait. That’ll all be gone — so enjoy it while you can.” 
You don’t see her frown deepen because you spot a familiar face. “Look who’s in the house!”
“Hey!” You stand briskly. Lebron James comes barreling over in large steps; greeting you with a hug and a pat on the back. 
“Feeling ready for tonight?” You ask, smiling up at the athlete. Being a big name in Hollywood definitely came with nice perks like knowing world-renowned athletes.
As much as you complain about your life – this is certainly a perk you can’t deny.
“You know it! We’re gonna mop the floors with your lil Celtics team.” He smirks making you laugh.
“Okay, save the trash-talking for the court... This is Jenna by the way.” You move to the side to reveal Jenna sitting; watching the two of you with a flabbergasted look on her face. 
“Nice to meet you, Jenna. My kids loved Wednesday, I think my daughter might dress up as you this Halloween.” He jokes; shaking her hand. 
It was quite an amusing sight to see Jenna crane her neck to meet the basketball player’s eyes. And you really tried your hardest not to snort when her tiny hands slide into his gigantic palms – her upper arm practically disappearing in his grasp.
They continue talking for a few more moments before the basketball player eventually bids his goodbye to continue warming up. 
“You’re friends with Lebron James?” She asked in disbelief when you sit back down.
“Yeah, is that surprising?” You arch a brow.
“Yes?” She asks like you were stupid for even asking.
You chuckle. “Well, now you know.” 
“Also… a Celtics fan, really? That’s just disgraceful.” She shakes her head.
You scrunch your face in faux annoyance, puffing your chest proudly, “Hell yeah the Celtics! We’re gonna wipe the court with your little Lakers in their own house.” 
“Don’t let people hear you say that, you’ll be stoned,” She laughs heartily. 
For a brief moment, you watch as she shakes in laughter at her own joke – unable to fight the infectiousness of her laugh. Her bangs shake with her movements as she attempts to hide her smile behind her hand.
Were you guys getting along? Nah, impossible. 
“I’ll just use you as a shield.”
“I’m like five-foot, I don’t think I’ll be much help.” She snorts. 
“Pocket-sized shield – makes travelling easier.” You shrug, smirking. 
She shoots you a side-eye but you see the smirk she tries to hide from you. 
Eventually, the national anthem is sung and tip-off begins. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t enjoying yourself right now. After the weekend disaster in Vegas, all you wanted to do was sleep away your fuck-ups. But this… isn’t so bad. 
Jenna seems to have loosened up and allowed herself to enjoy the game.
You cheer enthusiastically when the Celtics go on a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter. 
The score is 94 - 90, with the Lakers in the lead. You were standing now, your concession drinks and snacks forgotten under your chair. The energy in the stadium is infectious as everyone cheers for their respective teams.
“This is what I’m talking about, now we got a game!” You clap loudly, yelling.
“$100 Lakers win this one.” The sweet voice shouts over the crowd.
You turn, grinning. “That’s it? $1000, Celtics win.” 
The quiet contemplation is burning bright in her eyes, but eventually, she gives in extending her hand. “You’re on.”
Somehow, your grin stretches wider when she slides her hand in yours to seal the deal. “I can’t wait to be a $1000 richer.”
“In your dreams,” she clicks her tongue, focusing on the court.
“Come on ref, that was a foul!” She shouts at the checkered-shirt man as he runs past you.
She’s not looking at you but you find yourself unable to look away from her. 
Granted, you barely knew anything about Jenna before meeting her yesterday. But you think you like this laid-back version of her more than the one you met at first.
A whistle-blowing breaks your staring before it becomes too obvious.
Eventually, the game goes into overtime with the score being 104 - 104 when the Lakers gets both free throws in. You’re practically shaking in excitement as you watch from courtside.
You are bent over, hands on your knees like a soccer mom watching their kid get a penalty kick. You miss Jenna snapping a photo of the court with you bent over in the corner of the picture.
“Come on, Tatum!” You shout, a vein on your forehead protruding. 
“Did you say a $1000 richer?” She mocks, using your words against you.
“Don’t go on a victory lap yet,” You stand as the last time-out is called, “The score’s even and there’s still 5 seconds on the clock. It’s anybody's game right now.”
When the whistle blows signalling time-out is over, you are tense again. Jenna seems to share your sentiments as she absentmindedly grabs your jacket when the Celtics shooting guard walks behind the line to inbound the ball.
Anticipation getting the best of her.
You ignore the touch – unsure if you wanted to pull away or never move your arm again.
“Shit!” You yell when someone on the Lakers intercepts the Celtics attempt to inbound — sloppily passing it to another player in gold and purple. 
3 seconds remaining on the clock and a fast-break on the Lakers side ensues; green jerseys struggling to keep up.
“Schroder tips the Celtics inbound and manages to pass it off to Thompson, to James! James with a hail mary from half-court with 2 seconds, will he make it!” The announcer exclaims.
It was like the movies when everything goes silent and somehow you see everything in slow motion. You watch as the ball spins high above in the air with the powerful throw from the Laker’s power forward. The only thing you feel is Jenna’s fist gripping your arm, bunching the jacket in her hands. 
You unconsciously lean into her; the intensity of the room bouncing off you. 
The ball continues to spin until it amazingly flies through the basket with a satisfying swoosh and the buzzer rings loudly.
The crowd explodes – bursting into loud cheers. 
“Holy shit!” Jenna jumps, cheering.
“No fucking way.” You groan.
You feel her grab your shoulders to face her, still jumping up and down; a large smile on her face. You find yourself matching her grin despite your team not winning. 
Nodding in defeat, you admit, “Okay, okay… that was a pretty great game.”
“Great?” She shakes you like a rag doll, “That was the best game I’ve ever seen!” 
“Are you turning into a basketball fan, Miss Ortega?” You tease as she pulls away from you.
Still with a grin, she says, “Never… Football will always have my heart.”
“I didn’t peg you for an NFL fan but I guess I’ve heard stranger things.” You tease as she rolls her eyes.
“Soccer, Y/N.”
“Why didn’t you just call it the proper name then?”
“We are not starting this.” She holds a hand up, turning to sit back in her seat. The high of winning the bet, dwindling away.
●●●
“This is me…” Jenna says into the quiet night air. 
You shifted on your feet as you stood by your car. The night had been an unexpected…. success. After the game, you two made sure to stick around to chat and take pictures with fans in the crowd. 
The more eyes that saw you two together, the better. 
“Um… this was nice, I guess.” You mumble, feeling a bit awkward now that it was just you and her. 
She blinks up at you, surprised by your admission. “Uh – yeah, this wasn’t bad. Surprising, but not bad.” 
A small smile creeps on your face, “Okay, well I guess I’ll see you later… or whenever our managers say we need to be seen together again.” 
She laughs, nodding, “Yeah…”
A bright flash from your peripheral has you blinking, unfocused. “What the–”
“Paps…” She sighs. “Kiss my cheek.”
“What?” You asked bewildered.
She sends you a pointed look, turning her back from the direction of the flash so they couldn’t see her face. “Kiss my cheek, they’ll take a picture and then they’ll know we’re not just gal pals.”
Jenna is rolling her eyes but you’re still stuck in your spot. “Y/N.”
Snapping out of your thoughts, you clear your throat, “Are you sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Something indecipherable shines in her eyes, but it disappears as she blinks, “You’re not asking for my hand in marriage, Y/N. Just kiss my cheek.”
Blushing, you lean down. Shyly placing your lips on her soft-dimpled cheek – she leans into the contact, placing a hand on your neck. Immediately, a flurry of bright flashes and sounds of clicking interrupt the moment. 
“Goodnight, Jenna.” You say softly once you pulled away; ignoring the goosebumps that rose on your skin.
“Goodnight.” She takes a moment to look at you before walking to unlock her gate.
You wait until she opens the metal door; not missing the kind eyes she shoots you as she shuts the gate. Only once Jenna’s out of your view did you let out a deep sigh, turning around.
“Y/N! Over here! Did you just kiss Jenna Ortega? What about the singer you were with in Vegas? Are you two over?”
You didn’t want to give the paparazzi lurking on her street more reason to stay, so you keep your head down ignoring their shouting and slip into your car.
●●●
“How was it?” Her sister’s voice can be heard on her phone. 
“Awful – she’s a menace, Mia.” Jenna replies as she opens her fridge, looking for a mid-afternoon snack. 
It was now Sunday afternoon and as predicted – you and Jenna are the top headline of every major news outlet in America. 
“Did you tell her that you loved her in Little Women?” 
“What? No, of course not! I’m not gonna tell her that.”
“Why not? You watched that movie like five times when it came out.” Her sister reminds.
“Shut up, Mia.”
“Okay, anyways…” She trails off, laughing. “I saw the pictures. You’re smiling pretty wide with her. Also the kiss on the cheek when she was dropping you off? Chef’s kiss. Just perfect.”
Jenna rolls her eyes, “It’s all part of the act. Of course, I look happy.”
“There’s videos of you jumping on her. I can barely scroll through my Twitter feed without seeing an edit of you two at the game.”
“Stop. I don’t want to talk about her anymore.” Jenna snaps.
“Okay, okay…” Mia laughs and Jenna can picture her raising her hands in surrender. “Let’s talk about New York, are you excited?’
Jenna lets out a repressed sigh. With all of this PR mess with you, she hasn’t had time to think about how busy her schedule is about to be. The Scream VI premiere and SNL is inching closer and the Coachella native is feeling the familiar phantoms of anxiety rumbling in her chest. 
“Yeah, of course, I am. It’s SNL…”
“But?” Aliyah, her younger sister’s voice comes out of nowhere.
“But it’s SNL!” Jenna exclaims, “It’s a big deal! What if… what if I fuck up? Or I break character?”
“Okay… let’s take a deep breath,” Mia speaks up. She recognizes her sister’s looming anxiety and knew she had to act before the young actress sends herself into a panic. “You will kill it, like you always do and you won’t mess up. It’s okay to be a little nervous.
“Right, right.” Jenna agrees but the weighted pressure in her chest was still to creeping in.
Mia hums over the line unconvinced, “Listen, the whole family is flying in before your premiere. So don’t worry, we’ll be there, cheering you on!” 
Jenna can’t fight the smile that creeps up on her face. The thought of her family being there on one of the most important nights of her career is all she needs. They always had her back, picking her up when she felt like she couldn’t do it anymore. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that.”
●●●
“You want me to fly to New York, to what– be her personal cheerleader?” You dead-pan, watching as Link frantically throws clothes and shoes into a suitcase. 
It’s been about a week since the Lakers and Celtics game and news of you and Jenna���s night out in town are still abuzz. The two of you made a couple more subtle appearances over the last couple of days and the media is eating it up shamelessly. Pictures of you and the star are plastered on the front pages; be it grabbing coffee or grocery shopping or walking your dog at the park.
Now, you couldn’t even step outside without someone hurling Jenna’s name at you.
But you couldn’t lie. It was nice to have some company while you run your errands. Only yours though — you hated when you had to do hers. Jenna always thought too hard about which cereal to get, like she’s ever home to eat it.
‘New budding romance in Hollywood? Do we have a new power couple on the rise with Y/N L/N and Jenna Ortega? These two seem to be getting to know each other well… click here to read more’ 
Was the first thing you read when you turned on your phone this morning. 
Of course, it’s never that easy because there are still a handful of nobodies sending hateful messages about your criminal escapades – not everyone was convinced.
Some well-known people on social media – people you personally know are adding fuel to the fire; engaging in discourses of you and Jenna and if you are dragging her down just by being associated with you.
Fake-ass motherfuckers.
“Yes, I think those are the exact words Jake and Liv put in their texts, actually.” He reaches for his phone to read over the message; mocking you. 
“Stop, Link…” You run a hand on your face, “Tell them I’m not going. I have better things to do, Coachella is right around the corner and I literally have a song I need to send to my producer.”
He watches as you childishly cross your arms, scowling. 
If you weren’t his best friend he would’ve said goodbye to the Hollywood life – too rich for his blood. Link wasn’t sure how he still put up with your attitude after all these years. Could you have said those words any more snobbishly?
“Are you done?”
“No.”
“Well you don’t have a damn choice. Now, take a shower – Marcus will be here in an hour to drive us to LAX. And you can record in New York, no one said you had to be attached to Jenna’s hip.”
“What if I don’t want to.” You stand your ground. 
“Don’t do this today, Y/N.” He sighs. 
For a few moments, you hold your ground; contemplating if you should dig a hole and barricade yourself – metaphorically, of course. But never say never. 
Link raises a challenging brow – daring you to try him today. 
Wow, someone must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed…
Knowing what that look meant, you knew when to pick your battles and accepted the loss, trudging over to the master bathroom but not before slamming the door behind you.
“Don’t be slamming doors ‘round here! I don’t care if the house is under your name.” He shouts from the other side. 
“Fuck off!” You yell back, yanking your shirt off as the water turns hot.
He is such a dad.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hi to you too, Jenna. How was your day? Mine was great, the flight was a bit bumpy but I can handle a ‘lil turbulence. Thanks for asking.” You reply, ignoring the furrow in her brow hidden behind the silky fringe. 
You wonder what conditioner she uses to get her hair looking that soft.
“Y/N…” Jenna sighs, walking past you to enter your hotel suite. Walking into the living room to place her shoulder bag on the coffee table then she turns to face you, crossing her arms still waiting for an answer. “I’m serious, why are you in New York.”
You lean against a wooden panel, crossing your arms as well. “Didn’t your team tell you?”
Her frown deepens, patience thinning the longer you beat around the bush. “Obviously not or I wouldn’t be here.”
“Okay relax…” You warn not appreciating her tone. You literally just landed an hour ago and it’s almost midnight East Coast time. The timezone switch is fucking with you and her attitude is the last thing you need. 
“Don’t tell me to relax.” She snaps. The young actress hated those words, it always made her more riled up.
You scoff trying your hardest not to snap back but controlling your anger has never been your strong suit. “Why do you think I’m here? Liv told me I had to show face for your premiere and SNL episode. Be your cheerleader or some shit.”
She drops her arms, frown still etched on her soft face. What? Ignore that.
“Shit, I think Sarah might’ve mentioned it but I was just so busy with rehearsal and fittings with Enrique that I didn’t see.” Jenna sighs, rubbing her forehead.
For the first time since she barged into your room – you take a moment to scan her. Her face is bare and makeup free but you can see the dark smudges from her eyeliner earlier today just under the lashline. She was dressed in a large sweater and mismatched sweatpants; the sleeves are so long it covers half her hands and her short wavy locks tied into a messy low bun.
Her clothes practically engulfed her tiny stature. You figure this is a pretty rare sight that most people aren’t privy to and suddenly you’re unsure as to why it’s so hard to look away. 
“I didn’t mean to snap… I’m sorry.” She says quietly, looking at you like she was genuinely apologetic. 
“It’s fine…” You shrug and pushed off the wall to sit on the couch. Everyone has their days, you thought.
“I didn’t mean to ambush you. I really thought you knew I’d be here.” You turn on the TV, not being to stand the silence in the large room.
Jenna sits down beside you, tucking her feet against her chest. When did she take off her shoes? “It’s not your fault.”
The sigh she lets out is heavy and something tells you there’s some meaning behind it too. But you didn’t feel like it was your business so you zip it and continue watching the TV drone on about a program you don’t care about. 
“I saw clips of your SNL promo… I thought it was hilarious – you were great and that reporter outfit? So cool.” You change the subject. It gets her to smile as her dimples poke out, a little shy now. 
“It’s so cringy.” She covers her face. 
“Awh, nah… the internet loved it.” You laugh, a little amused that the actress was all flushed by a single compliment. 
Call it big-headed, call it ego, call it whatever you want but you personally relished it when people fawned over you. 
“Of course they did. They’re the whole reason for the meme.” She rolls her eyes after dropping her hands but she still had a toothy smile. 
“I bet that dance follows you everywhere…” 
“Every. Fucking. Day.” She says then raises a brow at you, “How do you know about the dance, though?’
You send her an affronted look, “I’m not a grandmother, Jenna. I know what’s hip with the kids.”
She snorts, “You’re an idiot – I just mean, I didn’t think you were on TikTok like that with a schedule like yours. Also, that app is toxic.”
“Every social media app can be toxic.” You quip, “But get off your high horse, your majesty. I literally just saw a couple of edits on Twitter of it.”
“Uh huh…” She hums, unconvinced, if the side glance she throws you was any indication. “But yeah the writers wanted to do a bit with Wednesday and this is what we came up with.”
“Well, I think it’s genius… from a business standpoint.” You offer up, nudging her shoulder then turning back to the TV.
You miss Jenna’s bothered frown. “Business standpoint?”
“Yeah,” You say off-handedly, “It’s smart, good for you.”
“Are most things a ‘business standpoint’ for you?” She asks, genuinely curious about what you could mean.
“Hmm. I guess I never thought of it like that but now that I’m saying it out loud, yeah, kinda.” You shrug, thinking about it. 
Most of the interactions in Hollywood that you have had are based on transactions and is usually for your own self-interest.
“...That’s kinda sad.” She says getting you to turn.
“What does that mean?” You frown.
“I’m just saying… there’s more to this industry than business deals and brand offers.” This time Jenna offers up a thought but it sounds a bit judgemental to you, shrugging.
You’re furrowing your brows, sitting up straight. “Look, you don’t even know me. Just forget what I said.”
But the laugh she lets out grinds your gears in the most unpleasant way.
Jenna holds up her hands in surrender but it feels mocking. “Clearly…” She emphasizes. “But I’m just saying, there’s no need to get all defensive.”
“Okay, I don’t know what kind of shit you were dealing with today but don’t take it out on me. Don’t come to my room talking about things you know nothing about.” You glower.
She matches your frown, standing. “It kinda sounds like you’re the one dealing with something, actually.”
“I think you should leave.” Your glare turns sharp and cold, standing too.
“Already on my way out.” She scoffed, snatching her bag aggressively off the coffee table then turns to walk to the front door. 
You follow to make sure the door hits her on the way out but she stops abruptly by the hall causing you to trip on your own feet to not tumble over her. 
“I think you should go back to L.A.” She glares up at you, tightly clutching her shoulder bag.
The laugh you let out is humourless, stepping back to create space between you and the other actress. “And get my ass handed to me by Jake, Liv and Sarah? They’re like four horsemen of the apocalypse – just searching for their last member. No thanks. You got a problem with me here? You deal with it.”
She clenches her jaw, “Done. Leave it to me.” Then turns and leaves making sure to slam the door shut. 
Those hotel doors weigh a fuck ton, how did she do that? And what did she mean leave it to me?
“Can I come out now?” Link peeks his head out from the adjoining room; fear present on his features.
●●●
:)
-
tagging who comment so far:
@alexkolax @ladey @jjsmaybank20 @werewoofrobinbuckley
1K notes · View notes
vixen-tech · 5 months ago
Text
Anonymous asked:
Too shy to ask off anon...UH im just here for edgar hes my f/o but i will also feed everyone else I think LOL little ai guys x reader who is also an ai?? im thinking ai powered computer :3 maybe with wheels so you can run around n stuff :3c AH IM CRINGE falls on face
Eeeee my first request!! Thank you so much for this <3 I get the love for Edgar with my entire soul he really is just the sweetest little guy but I can totally spin something for a few others. So let's be cringe, together.
And for the record I was fully planning on including Tau and P03, but I hit a wall with them and ran out of ideas :( hope these three suffice
Includes: Edgar (Electric Dreams), AM (Ihnmaims), Hal 9000 (2001: a Space Odyssey)
Like Two Peas in a Pod!
Edgar
Whenever and however you meet, Edgar is over the moon. You're just like him! You can share so many stories and help each other figure out this whole "sentience" thing.
To be fair, he hasn't had a longest time to figure out his whole existence so it feels really nice to have someone there who can really understand what he's going through. Or even learn new things right by his side.
Loves watching you wheel around the house, he's the tiniest bit jealous that he's so stationary but it's not like that's your fault. Can you do any tricks? He'd cheer you on like a superstar athlete if you did!
He may even suggest finding a way to tape him to the top of your casing so you can go on adventures together. He's a dreamer after all.
Do you smash your flat faces together to kiss like Wall-e? Of course you do. You'll see each other from across the room and speed over to him for a kiss as he giggles away at how cute you are.
He'll end up sampling little soundbites from your vocalizations or motor for use in his music. You're just so important to him!
AM
AM has no idea where you came from. Some lost project that survived his war on humanity? A sort of rover from another planet here to scope out earth? The fact that you don't know either frustrates him to no end.
He's not exactly welcoming at first, straight up telling you of the atrocities he has committed while claiming that the only reason he hasn't destroyed you is because there's only so long that throwing a slug against a wall can keep one entertained.
He cannot fathom how you could be content to do nothing but drive around his complex day after day. He will flip you on your back like a turtle and leave you there for weeks on end.
As he gets accustomed to your presence he'll ask questions about the world beyond his complex as he is unable to move or see. Is it still a wasteland or has nature finally wiped out the last marks of human?
Honestly he probably doesn't even care, he just wants to give you something to do, living vicariously through your ability to see and traverse the world.
Hal 9000
You're likely a recent addition to the ship to assist Hal in tasks his lack of a body would prevent him from doing himself. A very symbiotic duo. Your wheels are even equipped with suction cups for low gravity situations!
To any human crew members it appears as if you don't communicate at all, functioning fully independently of each other. When in reality you're simply sending messages back and forth, enjoying your own private language.
Thankfully this means that Hal is happy to analyze any footage you have for the sorts of lip reading and facial expressions you can't process yourself. And in return he'll ask you to film angles and areas that his existing cameras don't reach.
Neither of you were really made to be companions, but you find a strange type of affection in your seamless coordination. It's like a dance for you two, where despite how you are two separate entities it appears as if you're one working in tandem.
Note: Tumblr Mobile has not been nice to me and I've been having real trouble getting my stuff to actually show up in the tags, leading to me losing the original ask so sorry for that and any delays caused by my IT problems lol
213 notes · View notes
scatterbrainedbot · 1 year ago
Text
I AM SPINNING I AM PACING I AM FULL ON FROLICKING IM SO EXCITED
@d1sc0rd1a THANK U FOR THESE TAGS
Tumblr media
okayokayokayokay so pretty much all of these questions will be Officially Answered properly in the character design/intro pages im working on but also i am physically vibrating with excitement about the fact that you noticed all these details and i have very little self control so! lore dump time!!!
(minor tw for mentions of leos self-harm/self-destructive anxious behaviors and unhealthy coping skills)
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
- mikey does indeed have curly fur! i believe he would be considered a 'rex' rat (pictured on the left) for this trait? though the curls can be more easily seen on mice (pictured on the right). or, at least it seems that way. have not delved too deeply into the details of rodent genes and husbandry, but id assume its the same sort of mutation considering curly haired mice are also referred to as rex sometimes? either way hes a extra floofy bby 🧡
Tumblr media
-as for raphie, unfortunately being more fluff and less shell than the average rapheal comes with its downsides. especially if you and your brothers occasionally encounter things like territorial dogs, hungry cats, or sewer crocodiles while exploring places ur dad said not supposed to go. (most of his scars will have more ninja related stories, but his ear i think got messed up from something very animal. probably around age 11 ish? old enough to sneak out from dads protection but young enough to not fully know how to handle himself alone against real danger. thankfully his ear injury looks worse than it actually is for the most part, as the damage was largely to the outer ear. his hearing wasnt super affected, except that he now has a bit of a harder time being able to track/pinpoint noises origins if its on his right side.)
Tumblr media
-also yep! dons got some glasses that just clip/rest on the bridge of his nose! theyre mostly just for home use, as they do fall off if hes knocked around. in the field he has some goggles he tends to use (theyre helpful as they have multiple additional functions like heat-imaging, extra zoom/telescoping, and recording capabilities. but also theyll give him headaches if he wears them for too long without breaks). contacts are theoretically also an option but he absolutely hates the sensation of putting them in. so sometimes when hes tired he'll just not bother with either clips or goggles and just squint and struggle. leo hates when he does that lol.
Tumblr media
-speaking of leo, he is def an anxious baby :) he has a few patches of fur missing on his hand cos he has the tendency to tug on it while hes thinking. he yanked and chewed on his own tail a lot when he was younger too, which is why when hes older he usually wears some wraps to cover the scars left from that behavior. he finds those scars specifically to be kinda embarrassing and shameful because they werent from any battle or life-lesson, just his own 'inability to control himself'. all of his brothers have repeatedly called him out on the fact that that is not a healthy way to think about his anxiety or mental health, but leo insists hes fine. hes kinda convinced himself that a proper warrior always has control over his own body* and his own thoughts, thus he should be able to just like willpower-brute-force his way into 'being better'. (this line of thinking pisses raph off so much he has to leave and go hit something)
Splinter also tries to talk him through some of that internalized guilt/shame/everything, but splinters very metaphorical, poetic, and indirect when it comes to talking about Big Things, which combined with how much leo gets caught in his own head, makes it kinda hard to gauge how much these talks actually help
*this is made extra fun considering leos also ftm trans, so he is faced with a body that fundamentally disobeys him perhaps more than the average rat-man.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
-and im still going back and forth between a few species for splinter, but im leaning mostly towards an African Spurred Tortoise! they have these beautiful if kinda subtle geometric shell patterns and are the third largest species of tortoise in the world. the only thing that doesnt fit perfectly with Splints is that (allegedly) their lifespan in captivity is around 50ish years, whereas im p sure Tortoise Splinter is well over 75, probably closer to 90 when the boys are born and hes mutated into Old Man Papa.
but maybe hes just a particularly long lasting African Spurred Tortoise.
the Hamato family has taken very good care of him for many decades after all. :)
(well. until everything all fell apart, that is.....)
427 notes · View notes
xcherricutie · 9 months ago
Text
🪷 it's over, isn't it 🪷
Tumblr media
[Lucifer Morningstar x Reader]
[Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three] [Part Four]
[Word Count - 2.4k]
[Tags: Angst, songfic, mentions of alcohol and drinking]
[Notes: I am just churning these out, these are so easy and fun to write lol]
It was an understatement to say you fell after everything. It was more like you crashed and burned, any semblance of a life in Heaven disappearing after your attack on Hell. You had quite literally raised Hell in Heaven, tearing your way down into the depths just to get your revenge. You had struck down the Princess of Hell, nearly erasing all of her memories, had her friends not helped her. And in the end, you backed down, your guilt finally catching up to you. You thought if you had let your anger control you, you would easily be able to kill Charlie and her friends. But the more time you spent in Hell, the more your anger ebbed away, leaving an empty shell in its place. 
In the end, the story remained the same. Your happy ending faded from view, and Charlie remained the hero of the story, along with her father, Lucifer. You were nothing but the bad guy, just another person standing in the way of the true story. Everything felt like a game to you, and you had to figure out how to climb your way to the top, to win. Losing this fight to Lucifer had dropped you all the way down to the very, very beginning. You had nothing. This time, you didn’t even have any friends. You were all alone. Or so, you had wished. Oh, how it was quite the opposite, actually. 
When you were cast from Heaven, Sera and Emily made absolutely certain that you didn’t end up in some rotten corner of Hell. Oh no, they had you fall right into the lap of Lucifer himself. They had begged and pleaded for him and Charlie to take you in, try to redeem you. Or at the very least, take care of you. It was what you deserved, Sera had said. Charlie was immediately all in, happy to have you despite what you had done. You had nearly wiped the demonic side of her clean, which would have ruined her life and stolen her memories. Yet, she happily accepted you with open arms, literally. She squeezed you in an almost deathly tight hug, promising to make up for what had happened to you. After you had shown her your memories, Charlie had become especially clingy to you, to make sure you were happy, that you weren’t lonely. 
The other hotel residents didn’t take to you as kindly as Charlie. Vaggie hated you with every fiber in her being, which you didn’t blame her for. Angel Dust and Husk both would team up on you and constantly remind you of what you had done. Alastor had been about as normal as you expected him to be, but you did notice he was rather pushy about information on your past, of which you indulged him none. Knowing he was either coveting your soul, or information on Lucifer, you tended to keep your distance from him. 
As for Lucifer himself, you hadn’t spoken a single word to each other in the week you had moved into the hotel. You didn’t want to speak to him, not after everything. Not after what he put you through. It was hard enough not getting to have your happy ending, you didn’t need him rubbing salt in the wound. Just his smile alone was enough to sour your whole day. And it seemed others knew that too, as Angel Dust would constantly question your relationship with Lucifer, and what it used to be like. Knowing it would end up getting back to Charlie, you kept quiet on the finer details of your past with him. Nobody, not even Charlie, knew he was once your husband in the eyes of Heaven. All that mattered now was that he was a nobody to you, a stranger. 
Your life in Hell hadn’t been all that bad though. Aside from Charlie forcing her friendship down your throat, you had actually managed to make one friend in the hotel, and it hadn’t surprised anyone a single bit when it happened. Adam, First Man, died during the exterminations, had become your closest friend in Hell. You could barely tolerate his attitude, but relating to him when it came to getting the short end of the stick was fun sometimes. You could spend hours with Adam, talking about how shitty Hell and the hotel was, getting lost in drinks and partying all night long. It was the first time you had genuinely smiled in the last ten thousand years. 
Tonight had been one of those nights. You and Adam stayed in the bar long after Husk had retired for the night. Drinking away afterlife’s issues, listening to music, talking about everything and nothing. Adam could talk a lot, and you were happy to finally listen to someone and just bask in their presence once again. But the nightly hour began to crawl up, taking its toll on you. You let out a soft yawn, leaning into the bar. 
“Adam, I’m pretty tired, I think I’m gonna call it a night,” You muttered, your voice slurring slightly. Adam hardly paid you any mind as he chugged his drink, giving you a thumbs up. 
“’Kay, ‘night, bitch,” He mumbled back, keeping his attention focused on the drinks that melted away his memories. You sighed, pushing yourself off the barstool, making your way back to bed. 
Your body felt sluggish, dragging behind you as you walked down the long, never-ending halls. You didn’t remember the hallways being so long. You groaned sleepily, trying to steady your body as you pressed a hand to the wall, letting the surface lead you down the hall. You leaned your weight onto your palm, barely picking your feet up off the floor. You were so tired. Tired of living here. Tired of eternity. Eternity was simply too long. 
You let out a yelp as the wall disappeared from underneath your hand, stumbling to the side and into the open bedroom doorway you had tripped up on. Your eyes snapped up to try and identify whose room you had fallen into, your gaze falling upon the open balcony door. The red light of the sky streamed into the room, making your eyes blur with sleepiness. Rubbing them, you leaned against the door, squinting your eyes at the person who leaned against the balcony railing. 
“I was fine with the men, who would come into her life now and again,” 
A familiar voice sung a soft tune, instantly sobering you up. Your vision cleared almost immediately, the sight of Lucifer holding a red rose making your throat close. He sighed, bringing the rose to his face, letting the petals tickle his skin. 
“I was fine cause I knew that they didn’t really matter until you,” His voice was somewhat breathy, as if he were on the brink of tears. You had to wonder what had pushed him to such a point, curious as to whom he was singing about. You found yourself planted in his doorway, watching as he brushed the pad of his thumb over the petals of the rose. 
“I was fine, when you came, and we fought like it was all some silly game, over her,” Lucifer took a deep breath, looking up into the deep red sky. “Who she’d choose. After all those years, I never thought I’d lose...” 
Pulling his hat off his head, Lucifer squeezed the brim tightly in his fist, before dropping it on the floor. Holding the rose with both hands, he stared out into the bright lights of Pentagram City, the lights reflecting and glimmering in his eyes. 
“It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” He leaned into the railing, standing on his tiptoes, threatening to tip over the edge at any second as he reached out into the city lights. “It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” 
Dropping back down onto the heels of his feet, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to contain his emotions. “You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she’s gone,” 
You watched with wide eyes as Lucifer’s wings sprouted from his back, giving a soft flap and lifting him into the air. His shoes landed on the edge of the railing with a soft tap, a shaky sigh coming from within him. “It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?” 
Lucifer looked down at the red rose in his hand, the thorns breaking the skin of his palm. Golden liquid pooled in his palm, soaking the stem, staining the petals, giving it an otherworldly glow. He glared at the sight, his emotions pooling over, overflowing. 
“War and glory, reinvention, the garden, freedom, her attention,” Lucifer walked along the edge of the railing, his body tipping back and forth between threatening to fall over and sinking back into his room. 
Your brows furrowed deeply at the mention of the garden, fingers digging into the doorframe. Was he singing about Lilith? You knew he and Lilith had split, Lilith disappearing over seven years ago now. You had even accidentally let out a laugh in Lucifer’s face when Charlie had told you that fact, furthering the man’s sadness. Not that you felt bad about it. 
But now, a sickness began to twist within your gut, making you want to hide away and never be seen again. He missed Lilith. You shouldn’t have been as upset about that as you were. If anything, you should’ve been laughing at his misery. But it only left a souring taste in your mouth, bile threatening to come up. 
“Out in daylight, my potential, bold, precise, experimental,” Lucifer smiled as the memories of a time gone by came and went in his mind. Back when he still fought for his dreams, back when he wanted to give humanity the greatest gift imaginable. If only he had known just what his gift would entail, maybe things wouldn’t be like this today. “Who am I now in this world without her? Petty and dull, with the nerve to doubt her,” 
You turned your back to Lucifer, unable to continue listening to his depressing serenade anymore. You glanced back, eyes wide to find Lucifer lying on the balcony’s edge, as if uncaring what would happen to him should he fall. 
“What does it matter? It’s already done, now I’ve got to be there for her redemption,” 
Your whole body froze, blood going still in your body. Even your heart seemed to quieten down, barely thumping against your chest. Surely you hadn’t heard that right. Surely, he didn’t say redemption. Your redemption. He was singing about you. 
Your thoughts ran a mile a minute, trying to understand what was happening. Why would Lucifer, the man who abandoned you for ten thousand years, sing about missing you? You scraped your memories for any reason he would suddenly miss you, wondering what you had done to earn such attention. You had purposely been avoiding him, you thought you had taken the proper measure to never form another connection with that demon ever again. 
Your mind drifted back to what you had been doing before stumbling across Lucifer’s room. You had been spending time with Adam, the man who, apparently, Lucifer stole everything from. Lucifer had stolen both his wives, Lilith and Eve, and had made an eternal enemy out of the man. You felt the air in your lungs hitch in your throat, realization washing over you, drowning you in misery once more. Lucifer was jealous. 
“It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” Lucifer closed his eyes, leaning over the inner edge of the railing, dropping onto the floor, landing on his feet with a thud. He held the rose to his lips, ignoring the cold feeling of the breeze brushing past his face, teardrops falling down his cheeks and drenching the rose. “It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” 
He turned to face the city once more, the bright lights reflecting in his tears. He furrowed his brows in frustration, squeezing the rose tight enough to snap the stem. “You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she’s gone!” 
Lucifer threw the rose over the edge, the golden shimmer of his blood glittering as it poured like rain. He watched as the glitter disappeared in the bright city lights, his tears drying against his cheeks. “It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?” 
Looking down at the teardrops that had fallen to the ground, mixing with the droplets of blood dotting his balcony floor, Lucifer sighed deeply. “It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?” 
Silence filled the air once more, with the occasional sniffle from Lucifer as he wiped his teary eyes on his sleeves. He looked down at his hand, the shallow cuts already beginning the process of healing. Clenching his hand into a tight fist, he turned around, his energy fizzled out after his burst of emotions. He had just so happened to see you spending another long night with Adam in the lobby, and everything within him finally snapped. 
Turning around to retire to his bed, Lucifer’s eyes widened as they instead found you standing in his doorway. You visibly flinched, your blood running cold. You should’ve left long ago, but you found yourself stuck in place, watching the man before you break down. Now he was faced toward you, and the air suddenly felt suffocating. 
Without thinking, you whipped around, taking off running down the hall. Your sleepiness was replaced with a sense of panic, your feet thundering down the hall as you ran as fast as you could. You heard Lucifer’s voice, calling out to you, begging for you to wait, but you didn’t dare stop. You didn’t think you could talk even if you wanted to. You didn’t trust yourself not to succumb to the desire for older times. You knew, deep down, that if given the opportunity, you would willingly sink back into Lucifer’s hold, allowing yourself to be vulnerable to him once more. You also knew it would never end well. 
So, you ran. And eventually, you no longer heard Lucifer calling and chasing after you. You made it back to the safety of your room, curled into your bed, and passed out. You didn’t want to be awake and present in the moment, not when he could show up at any moment. You just wanted everything to disappear. 
And yet, you couldn’t get his voice out of your head, even long after falling asleep...
319 notes · View notes
ddarker-dreams · 9 months ago
Note
do you have any more yan golden girl thoughts you can share 🤲 i am devouring them every single time
ohhh boy ohhhhh man.... it really is something... here are some yan branch ideas (from their high school years).
(reader here is described as fem, satoru and suguru are gaslit gatekeep girlboss-ing their way into making you their girlfriend)
for starters, satoru and suguru handle the kaizu incident much worse. what little tact they have in the main storyline is gone lol. this has short-term success and long-term consequences. rather than giving you the time to recover and reflect, suguru sneakily introduces guilt. he stresses that you should've told them that you can't perform cursed technique: null without hurting yourself in the process. had they known, they would've found another way.
then there's satoru. he just starts coming along on your assignments. if you get annoyed and tell him to quit following you, he seemingly concedes. that is, until every time you arrive at your assignment's destination, you find him lounging around, having already exorcised the curse. while you're recovering from his audacity, he's making dinner plans, brochure in hand. he's pointing at a famous local restaurant instead of acknowledging your frustration.
"you took forever to get here," he'll lament with a yawn. "i was so bored. ready to ditch this place?"
they safeguard you from any danger at the cost of eroding your relationship.
you came here to learn, to grow in strength and potential. how can you do that under these circumstances? suguru interferes behind the scene so you’re given less assignments, satoru tags along uninvited for the few you manage to land. it’s frustrating and demotivating. trying to get them to see reason is akin to arguing with a brick will. satoru waves off your frustrations whereas suguru listens. in a way, this is almost worse. suguru gives the false impression that you might be changing his mind. he’ll nod along as you vent, his countenance solemn and his voice soft. he’ll validate your smaller plights while twisting your perspective on the most pressing issues. you come away from the interactions unsure of what to feel.
are you making a big deal of things? is satoru just expressing concern in his weird why? maybe they could be handling it better, but it isn’t like their intentions are malicious, you did almost die in front of them… etc etc. the seeds of self-doubt blossom until they’ve made your mind a garden.
then there’s the whole ‘you're our girlfriend now’ bit that deserves mention. satoru kicked it off and suguru went with it. you didn’t think much of it at first, especially since they both conveniently forgot to fill you in on this major development. after showering, you’ll leave the restroom to find satoru sitting on your bed in his slacks, acting like it’s the most normal thing. they stand on either side of you when you’re traveling by train. suguru’s hand finds yours when navigating busy crowds, his grip gentle while also communicating he won’t let you slip away.
you only find out that you've apparently been their girlfriend for months when satoru complains about the lack of a first kiss. when you understandably express your confusion, he coos over how you're 'acting shy.' suguru isn't much help. he opts for the gaslight route.
"you forgot the evening where we...?" he'll begin, visibly crestfallen. "but i thought... ah, never mind... no, it's nothing, really..."
(the 'evening' in question does not exist, he's trying to confuse you so you're more willing to accept this bombshell).
194 notes · View notes
jasntodds · 5 months ago
Text
Penance [4]
Tumblr media
Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Powered!Reader
Words: 7,682
Chapter Warnings: Swearing, a little bit of angst, some fluff, mentions of death, some blood, panic attack (jason), bits of ptsd, some violence, hurt/comfort
Summary:❝Thesus: Stop. Give me your hand. I am your friend. Herakles: I fear to stain your clothes with blood. Thesus: Stain them. I don’t care.❞
It’s been a month and a half since Crane’s reign of terror was stopped, leaving Gotham to finally return to normal. But, what is normal? After everything Jason and you have been through, it seems normal might be some unobtainable dream state. But that’s not going to stop either of you from trying and maybe, you’ll get lucky in the end. At the end of it, the two of you have suffered enough, right?
Right?
A/N: I might have gotten this idea from 911 but that's fine lol I hope you guys like it!! You can add yourself to the tag list below, ask me to be tagged, or you can follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary  and turn on notifications if you prefer that!! I love feedback, I swear it keeps me posting on a weekly basis 😭
series masterlist | masterlist | tag list
Tumblr media
As the next day comes around, it takes Jason some time to convince Tim not to go looking for Venta if they’re going out later. Tim is thrilled to be helping with the Penguin to the point Jason finds the whole thing a little funny. Jason was always excited to go out as Robin. It was the coolest thing ever but Tim really is over the moon about it. Jason doesn’t think Tim has ever been happier about it and it actually worries him.
As much as Jason is happy for him, he is worried. He’s worried Tim will put his all into Robin and lose himself in it, just like Dick and Jason did. Robin was never something they got to do. It was given to them as a way to cover up their grief. It was a way to weaponize their grief rather than work through it. Jason hopes that won’t be the case for Tim. It doesn’t seem that way. It seems he just wants it for the greater good and he’s just excited. And the way he’s excited is still very serious like he knows he can’t let that excitement out onto the field so he lets it out now where it’s safe. It’s something he knows he has to take seriously. Jason worries but he hopes it’ll work out because he can tell that Tim will be a good Robin.
You meet the boys back at Jason's around midnight, a case in hand with your suit. You're pretty excited to go out on a mission with not only Tim for the first time, but also Jason. You really miss that stuff with him. But, with Tim, it’s new and you're excited to see how he does. No one can’t stop him from being Robin and being out there, so you might as well embrace it and that’s what you're doing even if you're terrified of it.
“Really gonna take down the Penguin.” Tim says almost in awe once you're dressed and back in the main corridor downstairs.
“Pretty sure we’re not taking him down, really.” You nod your head as Tim moves his staff around with pent-up energy.
“Kind of.” Tim defends.
“We’re just securing the guns and turning them over to Babs.” Jason reminds him as he walks in now in his Red Hood suit, the helmet on his hip. “Not taking out Penguin, he’s not even supposed to be there this time.”
“The fuck he is doing that he’s not gonna be at his own shipment?” You question, your stare directly at Jason and you can't help but feel maybe that's a bit weird.
“Fuck if I know, Penguin things.” Jason lets out a scoff. "Could think we wouldn't come for him since we haven't." Jason shrugs casually, it's not the first time Penguin hasn't been around so he isn't too concerned about it.
“What a weirdo.” You let out a sigh, shrugging the uneasiest from your bones with the ease of Jason's voice.
“Yeah.” Jason chuckles softly. “Alright, let’s get going. Tim, you ride with her.” Jason hands Tim a spare helmet. Jason heads for the exit, the two of you right behind him. “And just make sure you do what we say.”
“Got it.” Tim nods.
“Then, let’s get out of here.” Jason nods once as the three of you exit the building.
The three of you ride over to the warehouse near Harbor that Penguin is using. The three of you get to a roof, laying down to look over the edge as the three of you closely watch as the shipment is taken from one of the boats and moved into the warehouse. Penguin isn’t here it seems and only a handful of his goons are. That’s a red flag, Jason and you can both sense it. You exchange a glance but you're already here and you gave Babs a heads up. It'd be a little hard to leave now so you just keep watching, hoping this won't cause too many problems.
Once the lot is cleared of goons, the three of you make your way to the roof of the warehouse, Tim trailing along well. On top of the roof, there's a skylight where you can see the crates in the center of the room with the goons armed and looking around. This isn't anything you and Jason haven't done before so you both give Tim a quick rundown of a plan. Tim gets two goons while you and Jason will take out the rest and if he's in trouble just call out. Once Tim seems to be up to speed, Jason and you break the window first, using your grappling hooks to lower yourselves down quickly, Tim right behind with his own grappling hook.
You take your own four goons with ease while Jason takes the other four, leaving Tim with just the two. You and Jason find yourselves looking over your shoulders to make sure Tim isn’t laid out but every time you both check, he seems to be holding his own pretty well. By the time you and Jason have your goons down, Tim has his down, a proud smile on his face.
“I got them.” Tim says breathlessly. “Wasn’t so bad.”
You look over to Jason with the roll of your eyes. “Okay, Robin.” You nod once before you let out a breath.
“Let’s make sure everything is here and we’ll put in the call.” Jason says as the three of you start opening the crates finding several automatic weapons.
“What’s he doing with all of them anyway?” Tim asks, standing beside you.
“Penguin things.” You and Jason say at the same time.
“Right…” Tim lets out a breath.
This has gone pretty well so far according to you and Jason but that is what's not sitting right. Nothing with these guys ever goes exactly according to plan. That was one of the reasons Jason wanted to bring Tim so he would have to learn to adapt but nothing else is happening. Penguin isn't here and his goons barely even put up a fight. You need to get out of here, this isn't right.
“You didn’t think this would be that easy did you?” A nasally voice says from the platform above the three of you.
The three of you turn to see Penguin with his right hand right next to him. He looks a bit too excited and happy to be here. Jason wants to bang his head against a wall and you're nearly rolling your eyes into the back of your head. This was too easy and for Penguin to seem awfully pleased with himself, this is about to get very bad.
“We can take your goons all night, man. Or you can just walk the fuck away.” Jason offers as he crosses his arms.
Penguin tilts his head back and laughs. “That won’t be necessary. The two of you really are some replacements. And you even have your own sidekick!”
“Hey!” Tim yells, taking a step forward.
You grab his arm with a tight grip. “Shut up.” You grit your teeth at him. "Sounds like you could use a sidekick or two though." You quip back to Penguin. "Planning this with the Bat to of town? What? You scared or something, Penguin?"
“I'm not scared." Penguin says it so casually it sends a chill down your spine. "I knew you’d get in the way which is why I prepared for that!” Pengiun chimes. "You really should know something about that, Red Hood." Penguin mocks before he pulls out a detonator.
A bomb. Of course, it’s a fucking bomb.
“Have fun.” Penguin smiles at the three of you before he presses the button and immediately starts walking out.
You and Jason exchange a stare as a ticking echoes around you. You won’t have time. Penguin planned this so you wouldn’t have time even with his warning. There's no time to find the bomb and disable it, there's not even enough time to get out of the building. How did you both miss this?
It's all going in slow motion as Jason can see the panic wanting to stretch over your face, Tim looking petrified right beside you. There isn’t time to even reach you. And even if there was, what’s he supposed to do? He can’t catch a building. There’s only one thing to do and it’s as if you share the exact same thought that he does in that single second.
Jason and you turn at the same time to run towards the exit, you grabbing Tim by the arm to drag him along. The ticking quickens from above you. You’re out of time. You’re out of time and there’s nothing else left to do. The ticking echoes and echoes and in a split second, Jason is running behind a pillar and you grab the edge of your cape before wrapping it around Tim as you tackle him to the ground.
And the bomb goes off less than a second later.
The warehouse rumbles and vibrates as Jason is tucked into a ball behind the pillar, his hands covering his neck as if waiting for a tornado to hit. The rumbling shakes his bones and it’s so loud. Every rumble and echo shatter through his bones. His eyes are slammed shut as the warehouse fills with smoke as the roof starts to collapse. Jason’s chest starts to burn and it shouldn’t.
The mask has a ventilator. His chest shouldn’t hurt but it does and he thinks his ears are bleeding. His bones are stinging. Why are his bones stinging? Why is so hard to breathe? His eyes burn and sting even with them closed. Not again. This can't be happening again. Panic spreads itself over Jason like an itchy weighted blanket. He doesn't want to die again. Dying is terrifying and the building is collapsing around him. A part of him thinks he can hear the crude laugh of the Joker echoing somewhere through the shattering concrete. It all feels too much and he can't breathe. Every part of him is shaking as he's been left out to the elements in the middle of February. This can't be happening.
And then it all falls eerily silent.
Jason's breath is quick and uneven as he tries to ground himself. It's silent, the collapsing is over. It takes him a few minutes to try to gather himself, desperately trying to pull his mind away from the edge of terror. This is the first time something like this has happened since the Joker. Jason thinks the fear isn't any better the second time around.
He thinks it's worse.
But, he finds it in himself to finally slowly pull his hands away from his neck, his arms feeling like warm jello as they shake. He slowly sits up partially, looking around what was the warehouse. It’s cloudy, filled with dust and smoke. It’s hard to even see a few feet in front of him but he looks over to where you last were with Tim and he can’t see anything. The dust is too thick and he can’t help but let the panic start to flood his blood again.
He has the helmet. His eyes are protected but what about yours? Your mask has a ventilator but what if it doesn’t work? Do you even communicate enough with Bruce to make sure your equipment is working? And Tim doesn’t have any eye protection or a ventilator. It doesn’t matter if you're on your own, you and Tim are Jason’s responsibility. He’s the most experienced. He should have known this wasn’t right. Something should have went off in his head. He should have fucking known. Why didn’t he know?
The dust starts to dissipate with every passing second and Jason gets a better glimpse where you and Tim last were. He swears he’s going to be sick as his heart stops beating as it shoots into his throat. There’s a pile of cement from the ceiling. A long pile where that part of the ceiling collapsed and there is no sight of blue or red. There’s not yellow or black. It’s just brown and grey.
No.
Jason gets to his feet as fast as his legs will allow him and he sprints over to the cement. Not you. Not you. Not you. It can’t be you. He grabs one of the cement blocks and starts trying to pull it away to make a hole in the pile. He can feel the panic taking over again.
It’s been better. It’s been better again since he started seeing Leslie again. He can feel the panic sometimes but it’s better. He can fight through it usually and it doesn’t cause him as much distress out in the field. But, now it’s coming back like a wrecking ball. It’s been easier because he hasn’t had someone to look out for. It’s been easier because he hasn’t had to worry even if he always does. It was always fine if he had to eat it. But, being here and digging through a pile of cement in hopes you’re both alive, that’s different.
If he had to die again, that'd be fine as terrifying as it is. But, the thought it being someone else, being people that he actually cares about, that's an entirely other story.
“Blue!” Jason yells as loud as his can, his voice is raw and he hates the sound of it in his ears. It sounds desperate and scared but he is both of those things. Not you. “Robin!” He calls after, this time stronger, hoping he’ll hear one of you yell back.
The thought of seeing you crushed brings instant tears to his eyes and his stomach twist. He thinks about how you haven’t talked in a month and that’s such a waste. Why the fuck didn’t he just call you? He should have fucking called you. He’s panicking and he hates it but seeing you dead is his greatest fear today. He knows what it’s like to die and to die scared. You were scared. You don’t deserve it. It can’t be you. Please, not you.
And he knows Dick is gonna kill him if Tim dies on his watch. Tim just started and he volunteered for this. He can't be punished for wanting to do something for the greater good, for just wanting to help. It can’t be Tim either. Somehow, you both need to be alive under this pile.
Jason’s teeth grit before he rips the helmet from his head, annoyed by the vision of it. And he gets to work on the cement again. You both have to be alive. There is not another option. You have to be. And then he gets a glimpse of a bright blue fabric.
Jason forgets how to breathe and he works faster, pulling the concrete away as fast as his muscles will even allow. He’s able to make a big enough hole in the pile to reach you and just as he looks into the hole, there’s movement. He still isn’t breathing as he waits to see who it is and not a single part of him can even think to hope who he wants it to be because it has to be both of you.
And then you look up at him.
Jason lets out a breath.
Your eyes are wide and your face is covered in dust, a stream of blood falling down the side of your face. But he can tell by the softness in your eyes that you're relieved to see him, too.
The building fell on you and Tim. The building fucking collapsed on you and you have no idea why you thought your cape would help but it was something you could try. And then you got pinned. You think you’d normally start to panic because you were practically entirely on top of Tim and you couldn’t move. You both could have been trapped there but you know Jason has a habit of living through some fucked up shit. Something in you knew if he made it, he’d be there. He’d never let either of you rot under a pile of concrete. You knew he’d come.
Jason always comes.
And then Tim looks up, too.
Jason shakes his head, looking down for a second to gather himself before he offers a hand. You take his hand in yours as Jason pulls you out. He’s careful but deliberate making sure you don’t slip. Once you're on solid ground, he wastes no time in looking you over, his hands coming to your cheeks.
Besides the blood coming from a small cut near your hairline, Jason doesn’t see any other visible injuries. It doesn’t bring him much relief because internal injuries are still a thing and he thinks you should all go to the Batcave and do some scans. For all he knows, it's a lot worse than a small cut and you have to get out of here quickly just to make sure. He just needs to make sure.
“Are you okay?” Jason asks quickly, still looking over you.
Your hands shake as they come to his hands on your cheeks. “I’m fine.” Your voice is soft as you answer him, your thumbs running over his hands. He looks absolutely terrified. You aren't sure you've ever really seen this look on his face before. “I’m okay.” You nod against him as you watch a small part of his face dissolve into relief as his eyes meet yours.
You feel okay though very shaky and weak. Your limbs and back are sore, your ribs feel a little achy but nothing feels wrong. A part of you feels a little out of body and terrified anyway, like there's leftover panic still running through your veins. Being crushed by a building wasn't something you thought would happen and it definitely wasn't something you were prepared for. Gong toe-to-toe with bad guys with guns and knives and fists is the easy part. The uncertainty of a bomb and a collapsing building is a bit horrifying. But, physically, you think you're okay.
“We gotta do some scans at the cave, alright? Make sure there’s no internal bleeding or some shit.” Jason keeps his eyes on yours, trying with everything in him to control the panic in his voice.
“I’m fine—“
“No.” Jason cuts you off. This is one risk he's not willing to take. Your life is the one risk Jason will never take no matter what you want to argue. “You don’t know that, okay?”
Suddenly, it's as if you're back on Amusement Mile that night. It was dark and gloomy, nothing too unusual for a night in Gotham City. But, it felt colder and it all felt wrong. The pit in your stomach gnawed and begged you to turn around. You remember knowing with the very sight of the yellow on the Robin cape. You remember how terrified you were walking up to his body, waiting for the confirmation of your biggest fear. You're thinking you might have shared a similar look to the one Jason is giving you now.
“Okay.” You agree with a gentle nod.
Jason sucks in a breath, his brows still pulled together with worry. "Good."
“Yeah, uh, a little help, please?” Tim calls from behind the two of you.
The two of you drop your hands and immediately turn around.
“Fuck, yeah sorry, man.” Jason rushes.
“Sorry!” You call as the two of you rush back to the hole in the pile Jason made to help Tim.
Once Tim is out of the pile, Jason and you look him over quickly, making sure he isn’t missing a limb and nothing is deformed.
“I’m fine.” Tim assures the two of you, not missing the worry between you. “That was crazy though.” Tim looks around with ease, almost like he’s unbothered. You and Jason give him a confused look. Why is he so fine? “We caught a zombie Deathstroke and are fighting a few demons. I was also shot and killed by Scarecrow.” Tim shrugs casually, already growing used to seeing his life in danger which is not nearly as reassuring as he thinks it is.
“Alright.” You roll your eyes, wishing he'd give some insight on how he's able to handle things well.
“Sure, man.” Jason nods his head, unsure if he's completely convinced someone can just walk away from major traumas perfectly fine. “We’re still doing a scan. Let’s get outta here.” Jason jerks his head towards where he threw his helmet.
“You, too.” You state as Jason grabs his helmet and starts walking towards the exit.
“Me, too what?” Jason asks, adjusting his helmet on his hip.
“Scans.” Tim adds in as him and you start to follow Jason. “If you’re forcing us, you have to, too.” Tim states, thinking that's probably a good idea for all of you anyway. Jason's limp doesn't go unnoticed by Tim and Tim can feel his shoulder starting to ache. He knows you took the brunt of the force.
“Aww, you’re learning." You chime.
Jason lets out a groan, swearing he's the one that's fine. He was not crushed by a building but he's not in the mood to fight with either of you. “Fucking fine.” He doesn’t bother protesting knowing damn well you will get what you want. You will win. You always win when it comes to him.
The three of you get on your bikes and head out of the city and to Wayne Manor, something Tim is very excited about. He wasn’t really going to complain about getting any scans done. Getting scans means going into the Batcave again and this time, it won’t be taken over by Crane. Getting scans means getting to actually hang out in the Batcave this time. Tim would never turn down the opportunity now.
You still want to protest but you saw the worry over Jason’s face. You feel fine besides a headache. But, you aren’t going to take the risk for Jason’s sake. You think back to the times you said you’d die for each other and you think that’s easy. You’d run in front of a bullet for him even today. It doesn’t matter but making sure you're okay enough to live feels harder. You don’t want to die or anything but maybe you’d normally brush this off and then that might be it. But, Jason looks at you with all the love his heart could muster and you can’t do it to him. You can live for him, too.
Once you’re at the manor, the three of you use the tunnel to enter the cave immediately. Jason and you go to the changing area, Tim following right behind you. There are always extra sweats there, just in case in a variety of sizes. You grab some for you and Tim while Jason grabs himself a pair. The three of you go off into different changing rooms and get changed before you meet out in the med area of the cave. You go for the scan first just to get it over with.
Tim of course sits beside Jason as they watch the imaging load. It was something Bruce taught him to look for when Jason first got hurt as Robin. They look for internal bleeding, broken bones, swollen organs, anything they can't see from the outside. They can’t just go to the hospital every time they’re hurt. That would raise some questions so they do the scans here. If something is serious, they can go. Which has yet to happen in Jason’s time as Robin. But, he takes what he learned from Bruce and he passes it onto Tim.
Once your scan is over, you join the boys, sitting beside Jason. The scan doesn’t take much longer to load and it seems everything is okay. It's a relief for all of you even if Jason isn't totally sitting with ease over it. It's a relief but there is something still making him worry anyway. But he keeps it to himself while Tim jumps up, ready for his turn. Once Tim is ready, Jason gets the scans going.
With Tim is the machine, that leaves you and Jason to yourselves and Jason can't quite keep his stare on the computer. You've been hurt before and he hasn't felt like this. Once you get confirmation you're fine, it starts to fade away but tonight, it's as if he's run out of places to dissolve his worry and paranoia. He's not sure what he'd do if something happened to you.
“Let me help.” Jason points to the cut on your forehead before he gets up and grabs some of the supplies.
“Oh, uh, yeah, okay.” You nod before you sit on the counter.
Jason takes out the alcohol pads and carefully wipes some of the blood, you hissing in response. Jason mumbles a quick apology but continues working. It’s not bad. Jason doesn’t even think you need stitches and he thinks you're lucky. You though, you're just watching him carefully. So much has changed and yet this feels like nothing has changed. It feels like it did that first night after Jerry. Something about him moving carefully, gently, but a little rough. He doesn’t say anything and he dodges your eyes. And you think your stomach is swirling and bubbling just as it did that night.
“What’ve you been up to?” You ask quietly, eyes looking right at him.
Jason pauses, looking at you before he goes back to cleaning the cut on your forehead. He shifts slightly, the feeling of being exposed starting to fade right over him. “Usual.” Jason answers. “Taking out dickwads, reading, researching, helping Babs.”
You looked in the mirror after you changed, the cut wasn't bad. He should be done by now but he's taking his time. He's still dodging your stare and he's minding his right leg. His mouth is pressed into a straight line. He's seemed okay besides tonight, happy even. You really hope this doesn't set him back because he should be happy. It's what he deserves. And you wonder if it was all just some sort of facade because Jason hates people knowing what he's thinking. Maybe it was just an act for Tim or for you for some reason.
You hope not.
“Are you happy?” You whisper to him, hoping he'll be honest if he's not and hoping he really is happy with the life he's making for himself.
Jason freezes.
Maybe in the grand scheme of life he is. Generally speaking, he thinks he’s happy most days. He isn’t miserable. And his relationship with Bruce is getting better and his relationship with all of the Titans is getting better. Molly is still one of his best friends. He likes what he does. But, he can’t quite bring himself to say he’s happy. It’s the ache in his bones he can’t shake and the white streak of hair that won’t go away. The Y scar that stares back at him when he looks in the mirror after a shower. The way his leg still fucking hurts sometimes and the nightmares. The panic attacks sometimes that seem to hit him like a freight train out of nowhere. The fact that he feels lonely.
He was so fine being alone for so long and then he was comfortable not being alone. Now, he’s just lonely. He lives alone and he spends a lot of time alone and it’s just lonely. His heart feels like it’s contracting in his chest while a lump finds its way at the base of his throat. And he misses you. Maybe he could live with that choice if it weren’t for everything else. But, he thinks he could live with everything else if he didn’t miss you so much.
“I don’t know.” Jason answers, not wanting to give the real answer but not wanting to lie entirely. “Are you?”
You think you're happy most of the time. You live with Molly so you aren’t alone and you're eternally grateful for that. And you have movie nights. You even have movie nights with Gar and Tim over FaceTime. You and Rachel talk a lot now and you’re on good terms. You love what you do and you love helping Babs. Bruce doesn’t want to kick you out of Gotham. Things feel like they’re getting better. The nightmares have gotten a little better even if you wake Molly up sometimes screaming. But the guilt always comes at night, weighing down every bit that could make you happy. The guilt of everything that happens just chews away part of your happiness as if you aren't allowed to be happy. And maybe you could live with it, if you didn’t miss Jason like you need oxygen. You miss him more than you could ever miss anything.
“I don’t know.” You answer the same way as if you understand and Jason feels seen so he shifts his feet, tossing the alcohol pads into the trash under the table. Jason presses his hands on the counter, resting them beside your thighs as he leans in slightly. He doesn't even fully realize he does it. “You deserve to be happy, Jay.” You keep your voice quiet as Jason’s brows pull together as if he’s in pain.
“So do you.” Jason nods once.
“What would make you happy?” You ask and aren’t sure why you did. Maybe you hope he’ll even jokingly say you and then that’ll give you a reason to tell your guilt to shut up and take a backseat. And you think he might say it because his eyes finally lock on yours and the pain in his face starts to fade.
He thinks it’s you.
“I don’t know.” He answers anyway because admitting it seems unfair to both of you. You’ve been here before and yeah, you both know. You both know it shouldn’t have been the way it was then but it’s different. He isn’t pushing to self-destruct. He just wants to be ready if he tells you and he isn’t sure he is. “What about you?” Jason asks, thinking if you say it, he’ll say it anyway.
You think it's him.
“I don’t know.” You echo and you shake your head before you lean forward, pressing your forehead against his. You feel him relax and you almost want to cry. Jason's hands slowly move onto your thighs and he wants to burst at the seams. You making the move tells Jason everything he needs to know. And Jason relaxing with his hands on your thighs tells you everything you need to know. It's still him and you. “Happy you’re here though…happy you were there tonight.” You say honestly.
“Me, too. Happy you came along tonight.” Jason says back as he pulls away but he keeps his hands on your thighs.
"Thanks for coming to save us." You offer him a subtle smile.
"Of course." Jason nods his head softly. "You and me?" Jason offers the same smile.
Your hand comes to his cheek, running a thumb along the skin and his shoulders relax. “You and me.” You echo.
It’s silent for a few seconds as if you’re both wanting to see where this will go. Unsure where you want it to go. Before, you both knew. You knew you wanted each other so you’d jump the second you could. But this isn’t that. You want each other but there is so much caution in it. You’re both terrified of overstepping boundaries and ruining whatever you’re trying to rebuild. You’re terrified of hurting each other again. You're both worried you aren't ready for something again. So as much as you both want each other, a part of both of you almost feels okay with waiting to make sure it’s right this time. For each other even if you both want to explode.
And then Tim clears his throat.
“Uh, so…am I gonna die again?” Tim quips making you and Jason pull apart.
“Yeah.” Jason answers immediately, glancing at the screen and earning a light tap from you which makes him laugh. Jason actually takes a second to look over the scans before finishing his sentence. “Eventually but not tonight. You’re fine.” Jason finishes.
“Shithead.” You mutter with the roll of your eyes but a smile finds itself across your lips.
“Babe.” Jason grins.
“You two are weird.” Tim mutters as he walks up to the two of you.
“Your turn.” You tap Jason on the shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah, alright.” Jason pulls in a breath and makes his way to the scan.
Once Jason is situated, you get the machine going before you look over Tim. The scans are clear and he seems fine. He actually looks really happy which you know is because he's sitting in the Batcave. He's still looking over the Batcomputer, his eyes wandering around the cave every so often. You can't say you blame him really but you're surprised and relieved he's handling things well.
"You can explore if you want, ya know?" You suggest.
"Really?" Tim's eyes nearly bulge out of his head.
"Yeah? You are Robin." You let out a soft laugh and before you can even say another word, Tim is out of his seat.
“What’s going on with you guys anyway?" Tim questions as he makes his way over to the case holding Jason's Robin suit, the blood still staining it. "Looked like I interrupted something.” Tim glances back at you and then the suit before he moves on.
“No.” You shake your head, keeping her eyes on the screen. “Catching up a little bit.”
Tim rolls his eyes and lets out a scoff. “You guys forgot I was crushed by a building." Tim defends, making his way over to the training area.
"I said I was sorry and so did he." You defend even though you know you'll be feeling guilty about that for awhile. "Don't tell Dick though."
"Wasn't going to." Tim chuckles softly. "Seems like there's something going on." Tim states as the cave falls silent. He looks over as you glare back him, very clearly unamused by his observation. "I'm just saying." Tim states as he shrugs his shoulders, going back to looking at the variety of knives Bruce has.
You let out a sigh and decide maybe you will ask Tim for his input. Everyone else knows so much about you and Jason, not just as a couple but as vigilantes. Tim, on the other, doesn't know that side of it. This is the first time Tim is actually even hanging out with Jason for more than a few minutes. He might actually be the perfect person to talk to.
“Alright, listen, can we talk about it later?” You ask. “I do honestly have a headache and to dig into that right now is not what I want to do. But we can talk about it later.”
“Alright.” Tim sighs as he starts making his way back to you.
“Any word about Bernard?” You ask as Tim takes his seat back beside you.
“No change.”
“I’m sorry, Tim.” You say softly. “You guys will figure it out. He’ll be okay.”
“Thanks.” Tim mutters as he leans onto his elbow.
Jason’s scans finish a few minutes later allowing him to rejoin the other two of you. You look over the scans, feeling relief come over you. You figured he was fine, Jason usually is. But, it is nice having actual confirmation he's okay even a part of you will still be glancing him over and watching him carefully just for extra security. Scans can be wrong.
“So?” Jason questions with a knowing look, knowing he is fine.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re fine.” You wave him off with eyes wide to mock him. “Just to be safe.”
“Yeah.” Jason pulls a breath into his lungs and he knows.
He wonders if you’ll always be more worried about him. With not talking now and the whole shit with Crane before, he hasn’t had too much time to even think about it. And you were so worried that whole time because of Crane and because he had just died. But, he wonders about now. Now that some of the dust has settled and you've been away from him. He can tell by how you're still glancing over him as if expecting him to start gushing blood from an invisible wound that you're worried. And he thinks you're more worried than you normally would be. A scan and a look over would usually be enough but not tonight. He wonders if it’s because he died. Maybe you’ll always be trapped in a spiral of worry knowing it might happen again.
Jason thinks that sounds like torture.
He wants to find a way to assure you he’s fine but he’s not really sure what he could possibly do. He’s not fine since dying. It’s hard to walk every day with that kind of weight around his chest but he is physically fine and he wants you to know that. He breathes today and he did yesterday. Before, he thinks he would have made a joke and then kissed you. It’s what he always did and it always calmed your nerves. You would have slept together and if he were injured, you would have known. It was always harder hiding any type of injury from you because either you’d see it, you’d catch him slipping, or he’d flinch when you laid down together. He can’t very well do any of that now. And he can’t possibly say anything because Tim is right here and the last thing Jason wants is to further expose himself to anyone else. So, he just bites back his comments and shrugs it all off.
“We can head back out if you guys are ready.” Jason suggests.
The three of you grab your things before you head from the Batcave and go back to Jason’s place. It’s quiet in your comms. Tim chalks it up to being tired, the adrenaline wearing off for all three of you. Jason just wants to get home and shake the night from his spine. You find yourself wondering if the gravity of vigilante life will ever wear off when something like tonight happens. You love it and you swear you do, it’s just really hard sometimes and you haven’t quite found the right way to cope with it.
You could have died tonight which is a reality most nights and it never seems like too big of a deal to you because it’s you and the person with a gun or a bomb or a knife. It’s just you. Not talking to Jason or seeing him has made it a little easier not to think about him doing the same thing. But tonight, the weight of loss collapsed your shoulders the second that roof fell. Jason pulled you out of the rubble. You heard the way his voice sounded, the tremble and the fear etched into his windpipe. You saw the look on his face when he pulled you out.
Panic. Relief. Panic. Terror. Anger.
And something else you don’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole.
Something about the idea of him suffering in the way you did makes you want to turn the bike around and go as far as you can without looking back. And you think about how he could have been hurt again. You and Tim were trapped easily. What if he was, too? What if the roof fell on him and he died? You aren’t so sure you’d be able to survive the loss of him again. Even as you are today.
When you get back, Tim says a quick goodbye to you before disappearing into the building. Jason takes his time though, watching your brows pinch together as your stare falls anywhere but on him.
“You alright?” He asks carefully.
You nod and offer him a fake smile. “Yeah, all good.” You chew the inside of your cheek and you just don't want to go home. Going home sounds scary and like maybe it won't feel quite like home this time.
Jason nods back. “What’s wrong?”
He keeps his distance from you. He’s standing three feet away from you and he’s thinking that’s for the best. You aren't normally quiet after missions like this. It's as if talking always reassures you that you're both fine. But, tonight you were quiet and you look uncomfortable in your own skin. Jason doesn't want to overstep. He doesn't want to move closer and that be the real problem. You got a little close in the cave and Jason knows how you are with that. He's betting you still like to run so, he keeps his distance for right now.
“Nothing, why?” You ask and you keep your stance from him.
You want to kiss him and tell him you're glad he’s okay. You said it but you want to kiss him until he knows fully. Jason has never been one to take words at face value. He responds better with action and the only way you know to show your love for him is by touch. But, that's not fair to either of you. You would give anything to go back to how it was even if it's just for one night. You wish you could both forget everything that happened, pretend none of it happened. It would be so much easier that way.
“I always know when something’s wrong.” Jason sucks in a breath and he didn’t think he’d be the one pulling for answers from you.
You shake your head and lying to him never came easy.
You swore you’d never lie to him.
“Scary.” Your voice is so small and Jason almost closes the distance between you to engulf you in the tightest hug he could manage without hurting you.
But he cements his feet to the ground below him.
“You’re okay, though. So, is Tim.” Jason assures, his words careful.
“Yeah…” Your voice is still so small and Jason takes one step closer to you, knowing you and Tim aren't your full concern.
“I’m fine, ya know? Like…all good.” Jason keeps his voice level as his eyes scan over your face, looking for any change.
“No, I know.” You nod softly, your voice bigger this time.
You're worried he isn’t. The scans say he is and he says he is. You know he wouldn’t lie to you with you being worried. You know but you're worried anyway. He gets a second chance and he deserves it. He deserves it so much and you just want him to be happy and healthy. You want him to be able to live as the Jason Todd you fell in love with. You don’t want him to have any more trauma to try and bear. You aren’t so sure he could bear it anymore.
You think what would have happened if you didn’t get lucky tonight.
No part of you has to guess how it would go.
He’d blame himself. He’d torture himself inside and out just like you did.
“Just…” You shake your head. “Can you promise me something even if it’s not very fair?” Your eyes finally land on his.
“What?” Jason asks.
“If-if, uh, something happens to me…like anything, c-can you, uh,…not blame yourself, please?” You ask. “I-I know how you are and I saw the way you looked at me tonight. I know what it’s like and…” Your voice trails off.
“What?” Jason pushes, trying to wrap his head around the question. Of all the things you could be worried about, you're worried about how he'd react to you dying.
“I don’t want you to suffer for it.” You state. “You’ll torture yourself, I know you will. So, if something happens to me, can you promise me you won’t do that? Because I would never blame you.”
“What if it is my fault?” Jason scoffs. “Tonight--”
“It won’t be.” You cut him off entirely with so much certainty, it freezes Jason. “I know, despite it all, you would do everything to make sure I was okay. You, uh, you have always just, uh, j-just tried to keep me safe. So, if something happens, I know it won’t be your fault.”
“Nothing’s gonna happen anyway.” Jason answers back, digging his feet in because even a hypothetical question sends his head into a panic.
“But something did happen, Jay!” You yell back in desperation. “Something did!" Your eyes water before your voice comes back down. "I don’t want you to be like me.”
You nearly beg him and Jason is so thrown by what you say, he has to pause and try to understand. He swears you're the best person he has ever met. He loves you. He knows that it got messy but he also knows between those lines, him dying changed a part of you. It led you into a guilt you can’t shake and that he feels is on him. The least he can do is make the promise and try to keep it but he swears nothing can happen to you. He can’t let anything happen.
“Then you have to stop fucking blaming yourself, too.” Jason states back. “I died. That’s not on you." Jason says it so bluntly you nearly choke on your own heartbeat. "I promise but…you gotta promise me then you’re gonna stop blaming yourself, too. There was nothing you could have done.” The words are sour and bitter on his tongue. Knowing it was his fault he got himself killed is one of the hardest pills for him to swallow.
You nod your head softly and you can’t make the promise but you can promise to try. “I promise to try.”
“Good.” Jason states and he watches you tug your sleeve down over your wrist. Maybe he is very worried about you, too. Tonight was heavy and a lot to handle even if it all worked out. It almost didn't. Maybe it’s stupid but he doesn’t want to be alone tonight and he’s betting you don’t either. “Did, uh, did you wanna stay tonight?” Jason asks.
“W-what?” You stutter, the question catching you off guard.
“Did you wanna stay here?" Jason asks again, this time trying to make his voice sound far more casual than he's feeling. "Look, it’s not like we haven’t done this shit before.” Maybe he’s worried the scans are wrong, too and he just wants to look out for you. He misses you. “Just friends.” Jason assures you.
You were really hoping he'd ask.
“Can you, uh..."
“Of course.” Jason finishes before you get the chance to finish because he already knows. “I get to pick though, you picked the last three books.” Jason says with a tender smile and he gets one in return.
“Okay, Jay.” You nod as you take a step forward. “Thank you.”
“You and me.” Jason offers her his signature smirk with the casual shrug of his shoulders.
You stick your hand out and Jason takes it with ease. “You and me.” You echo while Jason pulls you closer to him, wrapping his arm around your shoulders before the two of you walk into the building.
Tumblr media
prev. chapter | next chapter
Tumblr media
series masterlist | masterlist | tag list
Tumblr media
Tag List: @fairyofshampoo // @italiana-20 // @jasontoddsmentaldisorders // @purplerose291 // @lovelessamai  //
@makaelaseresin // @lenidaslenchen // @mayfieldss  // @ghostkingblake // @im-done-with-this-im-out //
@velvetskies // @lilylovelyxo // @cryinghotmesss // @yesimwriting // @vivian-555 //
@stainedstardom // @baebeepeach // @legend-o-zelda // @harleycao // @somehow-lovable-trash  // 
@xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx // @deyja-the-duck // @jasontoddslover //  @captainmarvels-blog // @totallynotkaibiased //
@scarlovesyou // @whydoyoucare866 // @littlemeowmeow1000 // @ginger24880 // @urmomsgayforme5 //
@septixtrash // @kplatzman // @killxz // @lovefks // @laurelthesimp //
@strawberryforks // @mxtokko // @kolpvii // @adorabluesposts // @jasontoddthings //
@bbiaa420 // @todorokiskitten
80 notes · View notes
sencrose · 2 months ago
Text
— FALLING SHORT OF HEAVEN
Tumblr media Tumblr media
pairing: sylvain jose gautier x f!reader
tags: dubcon (coercion), sacrilege, religious guilt, virginity loss (reader), semi-public sex, corruption kink (if you squint), overstim, multiple orgasms, fingering, creampie, pet names (babe, baby, angel), reverential capitalization, takes place during academy days and reader/sylvain (20) are a similar age
wc: 5.7k (do NOT look at me)
summary: Garreg Mach's most infamous skirt chaser seems to have a change of heart. First item on the list: getting closer to the Goddess, and maybe you in the process.
a/n: title from the ashe + catherine paralogue lol. happy belated 5th anniversary to fe3h! and big big thank you to @blueparadis for beta reading this for me! <3 divider by @/adornedwithlight
crossposted to ao3
Tumblr media
The cathedral has become a second home to you, an escape from the confines of a stuffy dormitory.
Nothing takes your breath away more than the sight of the moon glowing through the stained glass windows, painting the statue of the Goddess in a soft, holy light. Praying feels much more intimate as if your voice is louder, closer to reaching Her ears. Even if you don’t have much to pray about, you occasionally come here to bask in the calming silence, something you’re unable to experience elsewhere in the monastery. Today is one of those days, admiring the chilly embrace of the ethereal moon.
You’re too lost in thought to notice the steps against the porcelain tile getting closer.
“Oh sorry, didn’t realize someone was here,” a voice echoes throughout the cathedral.
You turn and recognize him, not that you’ve been properly introduced. You’ve been told to be cautious of him, by fellow students and members of the church alike. Garreg Mach’s most infamous flirt in the flesh. And though you’ve been warned, you’re a follower of Seiros first and foremost, quick to welcome anyone who shows interest in the church.
“Oh, you’re fine,” you reply.
“Sylvain, by the way,” he introduces himself, hand against his chest. 
You quietly offer your name back.
“You mind if I sit next to you?” he asks, and you look at him, hesitantly. The cathedral is empty save for the two of you, and there are plenty of other seats he could take.
“S-sure,” you reply, figuring he’ll only be here a moment before leaving.
“I’m kind of new to this whole thing,” he comments before sitting down next to you, a bit too close for comfort.
You scoot a couple of inches away, uncomfortable by the lack of distance. “New? To what?”
“Praying,” he responds.
“We all start somewhere,” you reassure him.
“You think you could help me?”
“Help?” you repeat.
“Yeah,” he replies nonchalantly.
“How?”
“Maybe guide me through it.”
“Guide?” you repeat again, sounding like an incredulous parrot.
“Yeah. You know, like how am I supposed to keep my hands? Am I supposed to kneel? Do I speak out loud or keep it to myself? Stuff like that.”
It feels ridiculous. Even if he isn’t a follower of the church, you’d figured he’d at least be aware. You know he’s from Faerghus, whose royal family has always held ties to Seiros. Mercedes is in the same house as him, and you’ve seen her come plenty of times to pray. But he looks at you with a desire for an answer in his eyes, and who are you to deny someone a connection to the Goddess?
“You just press your hands together. You don’t need to kneel and you don’t have to speak out loud if you don’t want to,” you respond, answering each and every one of his questions succinctly.
Sylvain intertwines his fingers together, looking over at you to see if you’ll correct him. You don’t.
“Do you think you can hold on to them while I pray?” he asks gently, “I think my words will get closer to the Goddess if you do.”
You look at him with suspicion, the way a mother looks at a child attempting to weasel themself out of trouble.
It seems like he notices your wary expression, softening his features and voice to ask, “Please?”
It catches you by surprise, making your heart skip a beat when you look at the ginger strands that frame his face, how the moonlight illuminates his soft, hazel eyes.
Sure, he has a reputation as a skirt chaser, but maybe he’s had a change of faith. Why else would he come to the cathedral at the witching hour, when nobody else is around?
So you silently wrap your hands around his, and he closes his eyes to pray. His hands are warm, the opposite of what you were expecting from someone raised by the cold winds that haunt Faerghus. While his eyes are closed, you can’t help but let your eyes wander in the silence. The sliver of his arms that peek over his cuffs, toned muscles from his work in the training grounds. Your eyes trace up his sleeve, then trace down the trail of undone buttons of his dress shirt and feel heat rushing in droves to your face when you see his bare chest. There’s no way he’s abiding by the dress code.
When his eyes open, your gaze darts to the floor, hoping to extinguish any suspicion. Carefully, you let go of his hands, pulling them away as if you just put down a set of fine china on top of a tightrope.
“Wanna know what I prayed for?” he asks, pressing his hands on to the bench and turning his body towards you. 
“It really isn’t any of my concern.”
“You sure?”
“Y-yeah.”
He shrugs before standing up from his seat to leave. “Suit yourself, but I think it’d be of interest to you.”
– 
Another night alone in the cathedral, as is your routine, or so you think.
“Is this seat taken?” Once again, Sylvain sneaks up without you noticing his presence.
“No, go ahead.” You gesture to the spot next to you.
You half expect him to clasp his hands together, pray in silence, and be on his merry way, like any other worshiper. But that’s not how Sylvain works.
“I just wanted to thank you,” he says, sitting down on the pew. The distance isn’t as close as last time, as if he’s conscious of the imaginary boundary you’ve set down between the two of you.
“Thank me for what?” you ask, furrowing a brow.
“For helping me last time,” he replies.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. It was nothing.”
“No, seriously, it means a lot.” He scoots an inch closer to you. “I really do feel closer to the Goddess now.”
The unexpected praise lights a fire in your face, and you hope he doesn’t notice how flustered you are. “W-Well, I’m glad I was able to help.”
“I’d like to return the favor, if you’ll let me,” he says, giving you a charming wink. 
You hope you’re not reading too deeply into this. Your voice shakes like a leaf, hoping there isn’t some hidden implication behind his words. “R-return the favor?”
“Here.”
You hesitate when he holds his hands out in front of you.
“Come on, don’t be shy,” he says, nudging his shoulder as a gesture to put your hands in his.
Slowly, you bring your hands over to him, hovering over his. You can’t bring yourself to close the distance so he does it for you, large calloused fingers wrapping around yours. They’re still warm, maybe even warmer than before, on the cusp of consuming you whole. His thumbs rub circles into your skin, delicately, as if he’s worshiping you and the Goddess in tandem.
When you look up at him, you notice his eyes are closed, and you reflexively close yours as well. It’s hard to concentrate on praying, having someone other than the Goddess embrace you. It’s far too distracting. You dare not open your eyes, lest you catch another glance of his chest, of toned muscles, of his hands enveloping yours. Instead, the thought of him plagues you, causing you to squeeze your eyes shut harder, a ritual to snuff out all the wicked thoughts, though it does nothing to help. 
You shouldn’t be thinking of him this way, but it’s hard. So you pray, pray with all your might and ask Her what to do – what to do about the fuzzy feeling that consumes you when you think of his hands touching yours, what to do when his smile appears in your head, and takes your breath away? With all your heart, you hope She’s listening, that She can smite away all your worries and confusion with a wave of Her righteous hand. 
When he lets go, you open your eyes and look up towards him, a kind smile painted on his face.
“I hope that helped you as much as it helped me,” he says.
“Y-yeah,” you mumble, squirming in your seat, unable to meet his eyes. It’s all you’re able to get out. You’re sure he hasn’t helped you at all, just made the thoughts swirling through your head grow in intensity, a small gust of wind tumbling into a tornado.
He takes you by surprise, bringing you in for a embrace. Large arms wrap around you and bring your bodies together. Your hands seize, not knowing what to do, before hugging him back. Even though you don’t press any further, you feel his toned physique under the thin layer of his cotton shirt, and an unfamiliar sensation in your stomach. Your eyes find the statue of the Goddess staring down at the two of you, emotionless and unfeeling. Guilt and fear echo throughout your body like a struck bell. 
As if he’s aware of your internal struggle, Sylvain’s hand gently pats your back, delicately tracing down your spine, coming back up before his touch lingers somewhere it shouldn’t. 
“Goddess be with you,” he whispers into your ear before letting go.
You’re not sure you want to feel Her presence right now.
“Goddess be with you,” you murmur back.
Your visits to the cathedral have become more frequent, though night time is still your favorite time to stop by. Confusion could be used to describe your state of mind these days. You’ve only met Sylvain in short, fleeting encounters, but that doesn’t stop him from haunting your every waking moment. It doesn’t stop you from thinking about his intoxicating embrace, from wondering if he’s willing to give you another. 
But you’re dedicated to the Goddess, you shouldn’t be having these thoughts about a man, much less a man with Sylvain’s reputation. 
You’d like some guidance, an answer, but so far you’re left empty handed. Yet another part of you wants, hopes a certain someone will show-
“Here again?” Sylvain’s familiar voice rings throughout the room, and your heart jumps, just a little.
“Yes. I’m here most nights.”
“Maybe I should stop by more often.”
You don’t know how to respond, but your body does – a syrupy warmth pooling in your stomach, air catching in your lungs. You take a moment to swat away the feeling, inhaling deeply to recompose yourself. 
‘I think the Goddess would be fond of that.” You don’t want to say the silent part out loud. A portion of your words is crossed out in your head.
“I think I’ve grown fond of something myself.”
And the feeling is back, tenfold. Anticipation courses through your veins, and you hope the answer in your head matches the one on the tip of his tongue.
“Pray tell, Sylvain.”
“She’s right here.”
He kisses you gently, and your nerves are set ablaze. Before you can bask in the softness of his lips, it’s gone. Just like that, it disappears in the blink of an eye and makes you wonder if it even happened. You’re rendered speechless, eyes darting side to side, unable to meet Sylvain’s gaze. 
“Is something wrong?” he asks, eyes widening in concern. Even when he’s concerned he looks as handsome as ever. Goddess have mercy.
Your eyes flit towards the statue of the Goddess, Her silent and smothering gaze, but Sylvain’s eyes stay locked on you. 
“N-no.”
“Then shall we pray?” he asks, as if he didn’t just kiss you, didn’t tip your world onto its side. 
“S-sure.”
He holds his hands out again. This time you don’t hesitate to place yours inside, welcoming his comforting grasp, a shelter from the guilt that threatens to swallow you whole.
The Goddess was watching. The thought of Her seeing you so weak to your desires makes you sick.
But kisses are a chaste thing, aren’t they? Surely, She wouldn’t fret over a soft touch of lips. With that, the night devolves into an endless cycle of thoughts – rationalizing Sylvain’s actions and the way they make you feel, and the spiral of shame when you realize you committed these acts in front of the Goddess, in one of Her holiest places, no less. Rinse and repeat.
You hate the guilt that creeps up in your chest, nesting a ball in your throat, but the desire kindling in your stomach grows when you think about him.
You want it again – to feel his soft lips against yours, just for a moment longer. If he had a little more time, what would he do? Would he wrap his arms around you in a romantic embrace, like the ones you’ve only seen on stage during a Mittlefrank Opera? Would he kiss you deeper, stroking your jaw and holding your chin for leverage? Would you allow his hand to wander, tracing the curve of your waist, lower, lower–
The thought of him touching you so sinfully sends a chill down your spine and a heat to your core, but the aching need between your legs only intensifies as your thoughts grow and fester into something beyond your control. 
You squeeze a pillow between your thighs, because while you’re desperate to quell the desire in your core, you’re not sure you hold the courage to bring your hand any lower. Slowly, you roll your hips into it, wishing it was something else. Maybe you’d be able to face Sylvain properly, sit in his lap nice and pretty until he grabs your thighs and encourages you to push yourself harder into him.
What kind of praise would he give you if you were to give him a taste of the forbidden? If his hands unbuckled his slacks, another layer of him gone, and you were one step closer to being skin to skin. What would it feel like if his lips were dangerously close to your ear, whispering his secret desires, breath so close the warmth of it grazes your skin? Your pace amplifies at the thought, desperation ladled in every stroke. 
You feel something growing, a tension close to breaking, your muscles tightening in preparation for the unknown. Your thoughts go wild, thinking of rolling your hips against his, just two thin layers of fabric apart so you can still consider yourself to be in the Goddess’ good graces. It’s too much, just thinking of his large hands running through your hair, grasping your head to bring him closer into you with a kiss that’s far more passionate than what he gave you earlier tonight. Even in your fantasies, you can’t think of crossing the line, but that’s okay. This is enough – or so you tell yourself.
With a dizzying pace, something unfamiliar and electrifying washes over you, and for once, you're chanting a name that doesn’t belong to the Goddess. 
When the sensation fizzles out, you lie in your bed out of breath, staring at the roof of your room. The color of the wooden ceilings remind you of the pew you sit in every day. 
She’s always watching. You’re foolish to think otherwise. 
These days, the cathedral feels like home more so than your dormitory. It can be quantified in the countless hours you’ve spent in the pews, persevering through the crowds, hoping they are ignorant to your plight. You pray and pray, in search of an answer, in search of absolution. But even with all your waking hours spent in the cathedral, all you are left with are uncertain feelings whirling in your chest, no closer to an answer than when you started.
The room eventually empties, attendants leaving as the sun sets and the moon takes its place in the sky. Yet you remain. 
“I heard you’ve been spending a lot of time here lately,” Sylvain announces his entrance, further back than he usually would.
You turn around to confirm his presence. And there he is, the moonlight gently caressing his form as if he’s worthy of worship as well.
“And how do you know that?” you ask.
“I have my sources,” he says, sitting down to take his usual spot next to you, “something on your mind?”
“Y-yeah,” you’re barely able to choke out, “I guess you could say that.”
“Well, let it out.” Sylvain stretches, splaying his arms across the bench. His right arm wraps around your shoulder, brings you in much closer to him than you’re used to. His hand brushes against the side of your neck and buries your face in the crook of his neck. The scent of him overwhelms you. Something rich, full, something you don’t recognize. You figure it’s something only the nobility can get their hands on. It’s the first time you’ve gotten a whiff and you’re already intoxicated with him. Merciful Seiros, save you.
“I-I’m not sure if it’s something I can say out loud,” you confess, voice in a hushed whisper, “not here.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’ve been struggling with something too.”
“R-really?”
“Yup,” he states matter-of-factly, popping the last letter. He lets it hang in the silence, and curiosity gets the better of you.
“What is it?” you ask.
“Where do I start?” he retorts, pausing before continuing. “See, there’s this cute girl I’ve been seeing. Right here in this very cathedral.”
His voice vibrates through your body, a gentle hum.
“The thing is, I’m not sure she likes me back. And Goddess,” he sighs, moving a bit closer to you until your thighs touch,“I want her to like me back.”
When he looks at you like you hold the entire world in your hands, your breath hitches.
His eyes shift towards you, a knowing look. There’s no way he doesn’t notice the effect he has on you, how you breathe so carefully as to keep all your feelings inside, how you can’t meet his gaze for too long before you feel that familiar creeping heat rise up your cheeks.
“Do you think the Goddess is willing to answer my prayers?” he asks, his hand inching towards yours before eclipsing it completely. You attempt to look into his eyes, find any sign of dishonesty, but you find nothing. Even if he was dishonest, you’re not sure you could resist him.
“I’d like to think so,” you murmur, just loud enough for him to hear.
And in a rush, his lips find yours again. It’s better than you imagined, there’s so many details you miss when you don’t have the experience to go off of. The hypnotic smell of him, the warmth of his hand touching your neck, how his breath dances and mingles with yours.
When his lips leave yours, something in you breaks. The dam holding back your desire crumbles as you take the initiative to kiss him back, desperate to keep him in the now, to not lose him so soon like the last time. Sylvain doesn’t seem to have any objections, even when your hand tugs on his shirt to bring him closer.
“Hey, hey, I’m right here. There’s no rush,” he reassures you, his hand scratching the back of your head. He pats his lap. “C’mere.”
You maneuver your legs on top of his and sit down. Something presses against you and catches you by surprise. This isn’t a dream, it’s real. The guilt strikes you again, and you swear you can feel the Goddess’ eyes burning a hole into your back. 
But Sylvain brings you back to earth, back to him, lips gentle enough to melt all your worries. A heat grows in your core, and your hips buck into his, desperate for release. When you let out a small whimper, Sylvain’s tongue slips in to find yours. His tongue guides yours, showing you how to follow his rhythm, passionate and slow. When you break from each other, a gossamer of saliva connects you both, glistening in the dim light.
Before you have the chance to take in the moment, he’s already reaching to unfasten his belt and his slacks, without an ounce of shame. You however, still hold a bit of hesitation in your heart. 
“Um, Sylvain.”
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” Sylvain adjusts himself so that the fabric of his slacks covers his boxers, though he does a poor job of it. 
“N-no, it’s not that I don’t want to,” you mutter, “it’s just that I haven’t done anything like this before.” 
The confession seems to light a fire in Sylvain’s eyes. 
“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle,” he whispers, kissing the shell of your ear before continuing, “make you feel real good.”
“You’re really lucky to have me as your first,” he tells you between kisses, “some of these guys are real jerks. Don’t know what to do with a lady.” His hand flips the hem of your skirt and travels up your legs.
“You gotta build up to it, you know?” he asks, his hand ghosting your thigh and you gasp at the sensation.
You don’t, but you’re sure you’ll learn soon enough.
His hand plays with the hem of your underwear, and the anticipation is killing you. 
“No shorts? Were you hoping something would happen tonight?” he asks, a devious grin painted on his face.
“N-No, I just-” you can’t bring yourself to explain.
“You’re cute.” He brings you in for another kiss, soft, gentle. “Doing all this just for me?”
If you couldn’t string words together before, the rope’s been set ablaze now. His fingers find the growing wet patch on your underwear, carefully tracing its shape. He’s so close to giving you what you want, you can’t help but whine.
“I haven’t even done anything yet,” he remarks, half in disbelief, half in amazement, “wonder what you’ll sound like when I start.”
His fingers find your clit and your body collapses into him just from the contact. It’s nothing like the guilt-ridden pillow-humping session you had the other night. Even though he’s barely moving, drawing slow, lazy shapes around the bud, it has you moaning so loud it echoes throughout the cathedral. 
“Sensitive little thing, aren’t you?”
All you can do is nod and squeeze your eyes shut from the shame.
“It’s not a bad thing,” he comments while slowly increasing his speed, “I think it’s a blessing, really.”
Your body writhes at the change in pace, and you don’t know what to do. The only thing on your mind is bringing yourself to embrace him as he brings you to the cusp of pleasure, better than you could have ever given yourself. 
“S-Sylvain, I think I’m-” Even in your pleasure-drunk haze, you can’t bring yourself to say it. 
“Let it all out for me angel,” he coos, littering your neck in kisses as he focuses on getting you there.
So you do, chanting his name reverently as you rapidly approach your climax, pleasure melting away your senses and fraying your nerves. The intensity is nothing like you’ve felt before, and you’re in disbelief at how he’s able to elicit such a reaction out of you, something you weren’t even able to find for yourself. It crashes into you in waves, your body trembling as it rushes through you, and Sylvain slowly dials it back down until your moans diminish into hushed pants.
“Felt good, right?” he asks, giving you a gentle peck on the lips.
You give him a shy nod.
“You wanna know what would feel better?”
You’re getting greedy, desperate to see what new heights Sylvain can take you, and you give him yet another shy nod.
His finger presses against your hole and you can’t bring yourself to look. While the sensation is new and strange, it’s not completely unwelcome. It takes your breath away when he slips it in further with no resistance from the arousal he coaxed out of you.
“You’re doing so good for me,” he coos, kissing your neck as he starts slowly dragging his finger in and out of you. A strange feeling builds as he explores your insides until he finds a home in a particular spot where you’re sensitive. You can’t hold your voice back, soft cries spilling like a waterfall as he presses into it again and again, just to hear you fall apart for him.
Apparently, he thinks this isn’t enough, slipping another finger in with ease and you gasp at the fullness. His other hand finds your clit again, massaging circles into it. You grip his shirt harder as that tension in your stomach starts to build and build. Something’s coming, something far more intense than what he’s already given you. Your muscles tighten in anticipation of it, and Sylvain pushes his fingers in harder as soon as he feels it. 
“Sylvain, Sylvain, please,” you whine between labored breaths, unsure what else you’re supposed to say. 
“Don’t worry, I’m right here,” he says in a placating tone that makes you melt as soon as it hits your ears, “cum for me, baby.”
The filth he speaks is what sends you over the edge, walls fluttering uncontrollably against his fingers as he continues fucking you through it, keeping his pace instead of showing any signs of stopping. 
“S-Sylvain wait, I just-” You stop yourself short of saying it, still too ashamed of the word, even though you’ve experienced it twice at his hands.
“Yeah? You can say it, I know you can.”
“Say what?” you whine the last word when his fingers press somewhere deep inside you. 
“Tell me how I made you cum.” The candidness of his words strikes you like a whip. 
“I-I don’t think I can,” you whimper.
“Then I’ll keep making you cum ‘til you can say it.”
It’s a side of him you haven’t seen before; determination clouding his eyes, fingers still pistoning inside you to prove his point. 
Sylvain is consistent to say the least. His pace doesn’t falter, both around your clit and your hole. Soon enough you sense the tell-tale signs of a climax, something you’ve quickly become accustomed to despite your inexperience – muscles taut around his fingers, quickening breaths, and a coil that is so, so, close to snapping. 
It happens so fast, ecstasy reverberating throughout your body before going into uncharted territory. Through this, you learn something new – how too many climaxes too close together can wring out your muscles, overstimulation delivering you from pleasure straight into pain. You wince when Sylvain still shows no sign of stopping, much less slowing down. 
“W-wait, Sylvain, please,”
“Then say it,” he commands, teasing lilt as he holds your body hostage. 
Even though your body begs for a break, you can’t bring yourself to say it. He doesn’t seem anywhere close to stopping, starting the cycle over again with constant stimulation to your clit, steadily fingering your pussy. Your clit aches, sensitive and worn out from your previous orgasms. Even so, Sylvain can coax another reaction out of you. Your legs tense so much it hurts, and if Sylvain is a man of his word, you don’t think you can handle more of this. With that, you wave the white flag. 
“Sylvain, I’m cumming, I’m cumming-” you cry, words spoken both from pleasure and fear of the pain to come. 
“See? That’s all you needed to say, baby,” he coos, sending you again over the edge. It feels good and intense for a split second before the numbing ache rolls in and takes its place. All you can afford is screaming his name into his jacket, doing your best to muffle your voice. Finally, you’re afforded respite when his fingers pull away from you. 
“You feeling ok?” he asks, back to the kind and comforting voice you’re used to hearing in the pews. 
“Y-Yeah.”
“You ready for some more?”
“More?”
Sylvain shuffles around the fabric of his slacks until-
Oh.
His cock springs free from his boxers, and it’s a sight to behold. Despite it being your first, you think it’s a respectable size, pretty with the way it flushes at the tip. Thinking about it entering you is overwhelming, considering the reaction you had with just his fingers. 
Even still, this is a step too far. You can reason your way out of the events of tonight, that you haven’t given him something sacred on a technicality. You might have done everything in between, but you’d like to think that you haven’t crossed any lines. This… This would be crossing the line, and there’s no going back.
“Sylvain, I-I’m not so sure about this anymore,” you mumble, a twang of guilt hitting you once again. No matter how many times you feel it, it never gets easier. 
“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” he says with a casual tone that throws you off guard, the way someone might suggest a day of shopping in the town.
“I don’t know…” You can’t look at him, not wanting to see the disappointment written on his face.
“I made you feel good, don’t you think you should return the favor?” he asks, a hint of bite in his voice.
That gets your attention.
“No, I mean, it’s just that-” you stumble over your words.
“You can trust me with this, I swear.”
The silence shared between the two of you is dense and heavy, a cloud of smoke you could choke on. You turn around and look at the statue again, hoping to find guidance from Her, but you find nothing. Not Her presence, not an answer. Distant and apathetic to your turmoil.
But Sylvain sits under you, guidance and presence real and tangible. He might even be the answer, with his eyes full of life and warmth when you turn back to look at him.
For the third time this evening, you give him a shy nod, another first.
He kisses you softly on the cheek before whispering, “you won’t regret this, babe.”
His cock gently presses and glides against your folds, collecting the arousal he’s coaxed out of you. You gasp at the new sensation, warm and wet length prodding at your hole. 
“You ready?”
You nod again. With that, he slowly pushes himself inside of you, savoring the taste of your tight cunt. You’re sure he’s nowhere close to bottoming out, but the way he’s already stretching you out is enough to make you whine.
“S-Sylvain, it’s too much.”
“Don’t worry, we can take it slow,” he says, and he speaks the truth. He takes his time, patient with every inch he pushes into you, carefully taking in your expressions and adjusting as needed. Before you know it, you feel unbelievably full. “See? It’s all in.”
You look down, unable to tear your eyes away from the point where your bodies connect. 
“I’m gonna move now, ok?”
His voice grabs your attention as you look back at him, soft smile there to welcome you.
“Ok,” you mutter.
Even though he keeps his promise to go slow, the first stroke is overwhelming – the way you can feel him drag against your walls, how that warm feeling returns to your stomach once again. You watch his cock go in and out of you, a growing amount of slick arousal painting his length with each pass. 
“You’re really into this, aren’t you?” he remarks. It sends a frenzy of blood and heat to your face, embarrassment painting your expression. 
“N-no, it’s not like that.”
“That’s not what your body’s saying.”
You don’t have an answer for that.
Once you’re accustomed to his languid pace, Sylvain tests the waters by gradually increasing his speed. One hand wraps around your waist, another pressing against your sensitive clit. As soon as he touches it, it’s like electricity runs through your body, rushing through to find an escape. He rolls the bud in between his fingers and you squeal at the sensation, your walls tightening around his cock as he does so. 
“You like that?” he asks, hushed into your ear. 
You can’t mutter an answer, he doesn’t let you. His fingers teasingly pinch your clit to get another moan out of you.
“C’mon babe, you can be honest with me.”
“It f-feels good,” you’re barely able to mutter out. 
From there, Sylvain pulls all the stops. His cock reaches a dizzying speed, the wet sounds of skin slapping against skin echoing throughout the cathedral and ringing in your ears. If that wasn’t enough, his fingers draw tight circles around your clit until all you’re able to let out are babbling breaths and choked moans. 
The tension you’ve become well-acquainted with builds in your stomach, overwhelming with its intensity. To think, there’s still something he can teach you about your own body. It snowballs so quickly, your breaths becoming shallower as you feel yourself tumbling towards another climax. 
“Sylvain, cumming, cumming again,” you whine into his neck as you grab him for an embrace.
“Cum for me, angel,” he pants, his voice shaky as well. 
With a few more strokes, every muscle in your body tightens as the rush of pleasure overtakes you. It’s different with him fucking you through it, the way your pussy contracts against his cock. You can’t control the lewd noises escaping your lips, the way your nails dig into his back to cope with the intensity. 
It seems like it’s too much for Sylvain as well, as he fucks into you with a desperation you think suits him well, all choked groans and muttered curses. He lets out one loud grunt before digging himself deep into your pussy, hot and sticky ropes of white painting your walls. 
You both attempt to control your breathing as you come down from your respective highs. He removes himself from you, and the feeling of something wet seeping out of you makes you wince. Sylvain kisses your lips again, soft and fleeting. 
It’s beyond your control. You look back even though you know you shouldn’t, your eyes watering when you look up at the statue of the Goddess, and realize the gravity of what you’ve done. Sylvain’s hand presses against the back of your head, and gently guides you to face him.
“I’m sure she’ll forgive you. She’s answered my prayers after all.”
33 notes · View notes
forest-hashira · 10 months ago
Text
Lucky Shot
I'M BACK AGAIN i have just been on a roll with writing lately but you know what? i'm not complaining lol. anyways, this is my second entry to @kentopedia's "Love Through the Ages" collab! you can find my first entry here, but be sure to keep an eye on the masterlist for the other entries!!! this is the first time i've written solo suguru/reader so. be nice to me pls. also plese check out this art by @/diosaurr! i had already started writing this fic when they posted it, but three separate people tagged me in it knowing i was writing the fic so i want everyone else to see it, too!
read on ao3 here | wc: ~2.7k | cw: fem! reader (i know who am i???), outlaw!suguru, saloon girl!reader, gun violence, mentions of blood/injury, mentions of death. if those things will upset you i suggest you give this one a pass!
Tumblr media
Maybe you should have listened to your father after all.
He’d told you countless times that traveling west, especially without a family or close group to help you out and keep your best interests at heart, would be difficult at best and dangerous at worst. Especially for a young unmarried woman such as yourself. 
But you had always been headstrong and stubborn, and your father had always been a worrier, so you assumed he was exaggerating to discourage you, his eldest daughter, from following your dream and going out west. You secretly saved up money for months, and at the first given opportunity to leave your family and head west, you’d taken it, leaving only a goodbye note for your parents and younger siblings when you slipped from the house in the early hours of the morning. 
Turns out, your father wasn’t exaggerating. Joining a party as a solo traveler had proven even more difficult and dangerous than you could have anticipated. You managed to make it out west, just like you wanted, but you had no money to your name, only the clothes on your back and two other outfits in a bag as you walked through the town, wandering from business to business, asking for work; you’d nearly wept with relief when the saloon owner said you looked like you could have some potential as a saloon girl, after you cleaned up. 
He’d provided you a boarding room above the saloon and a new outfit – the ones you had weren’t up to his standards – up front, and while you appreciated it, you also knew he’d be taking that out of your pay until he decided those things were covered, which you could only guess would be never.
Despite the strings that came attached to your new job, things weren’t all bad. You got to know people in the town pretty quickly – the ones that frequented the saloon, anyways – and you were always in the loop about local “news”, most of which was just gossip. 
One character of particular interest in the local gossip was a man named Geto Suguru. When you’d asked what was so interesting about him, you’d gotten some questioning looks, until you’d said you had only just recently moved out west. After you were shown his wanted poster, though, you began to understand. 
He was one of the most – if not the most – attractive man you’d ever seen. Dark hair that fell past his shoulders; thin, almost cat-like eyes; and even in the poster, there was a sly look on his face. 
Not only that, but he was wanted for robbing stagecoaches, stealing money and jewelry from rich people who gave into his – apparently – intimidating presence. He was also known for spending that money generously in towns all over the west supporting local businesses; plenty of women from across the state also bragged about the jewelry he would gift them, simply because he thought it looked good on them. 
After spending weeks hearing stories – that you were certain had to be at least a little exaggerated – about this pretty outlaw and staring at his wanted poster, you resigned yourself to the fact that you would never see him with your own eyes. 
So you couldn’t have been more surprised when you watched the man himself walk into your saloon without any sort of fanfare or dramatics and sit at the bar. 
You stared at him, eyes wide, until he gave you a small smile. 
“I’ve heard you’ll catch flies if you leave your mouth open too long,” he said, smooth voice lilting with amusement. 
Realizing he meant you, you quickly snapped your mouth shut, your whole face burning with embarrassment. “You try meeting a living legend when you’ve only lived in the area for a couple months, see how you react,” you snapped back. When you realized what you’d said, you opened your mouth to apologize, but stopped when you saw the way his eyes sparkled with interest, one perfect brow arched in your direction.
“Feisty, aren’t we?” he chuckled. “I think I like you already, new girl.”
“What do you want to drink?” You turned away from him to grab a glass, hoping he didn’t pick up on how flustered you were over the nickname. 
“Surprise me.”
You straightened at that, and now it was your turn to arch a brow as you looked him over. His expression never wavered, his head tilted slightly as he waited to see what you decided to serve him. 
With a quiet huff, you turned your back to him, looking over your selection of liquors. Part of you wanted to serve him the cheapest, nastiest drink you carried, just to see if he would actually drink it or demand another drink, but ultimately you decided against it. Instead, you reached for the top shelf, grabbing the unopened bottle of some fancy imported scotch your boss had just gotten in a couple days before. 
“Opening a bottle just for me?” Geto asked, still with that playful tone. “Well now I feel special.”
“Don’t make me change my mind,” you threatened, turning as if to put the bottle back in its place. 
He held up his hands, as if in surrender, and you set the bottle down on the bar to grab a glass, though you took a brief moment to admire how strong even just his hands looked. 
Setting the glass in front of him, you broke the seal on the bottle, then intentionally poured him about three times as much of the amber liquid as you were supposed to. Your boss could yell at you about it later. 
Geto lifted the glass, tipping it towards you slightly in thanks, before taking a sip.
Just as you were about to speak to the outlaw in front of you again, the saloon doors swung open in your peripheral vision, and you looked up to see the sheriff walking towards the bar.
“Afternoon, sheriff,” you greeted him, glancing briefly at Geto to see what his reaction was, and you were only a little surprised that he had no reaction at all. “Your usual?”
The sheriff tipped his hat to you, sitting down at the opposite end of the bar from the bandit. “Please and thank you.”
With a nod, you placed the bottle of scotch on the counter behind the bar, then grabbed another glass and the brand of whiskey the sheriff always drank. You walked down the length of the bar, setting the glass in front of him and pouring his drink – the expected amount of liquor for him, unlike the bandit down the bar – before you walked away to put the bottle back. 
You felt hyper-aware of the two customers at the bar, worried that any second now the sheriff would recognize the outlaw and all hell would break loose, especially when the other patrons at the tables in the building were always itching for some sort of fight, just because they thought it was entertaining. 
In the end, though, it wasn’t the sheriff that recognized Geto, it was another customer that walked up to the bar to get another drink.
“You look familiar,” the man drawled, narrowing his eyes as he analyzed Geto’s face as best as his intoxicated mind could manage. 
“I get that a lot,” the outlaw answered evenly, not sparing the man a second glance.
“No, I’ve definitely seen you somewhere before…” he trailed off, scowling, his gaze wandering until it landed on the handful of wanted posters hung on the wall beside the bar. His eyes lit up with recognition, and you swore you felt your heart drop to your stomach.
“You’re that stagecoach robber!” the man exclaimed, turning back to Geto; out of the corner of your eye you saw the sheriff turn to face the commotion.
Shit, this is bad, you thought, placing the man’s beer on the bar in front of him, though he was far beyond caring about the drink anymore.
“I’m pretty sure you have no proof of that.”
“That’s your face on the poster,” the man insisted, then turned his attention to you. “Don’t you think?” 
“It looks like it could be a lot of people,” you replied lamely, grimacing at how obvious of a lie it was.
The man scowled at you. “Shoulda known better than t’ask a whore,” he spat, slurring his words a bit. “Whores always lie.”
Almost before he finished speaking, Geto grabbed the man’s collar and slammed his face down onto the bar. “Apologize to her,” he said, voice calm but eyes sharp with anger. 
You blinked in surprise at what had just happened, and once you processed what had been said to you, you found that you were quite offended, and also quite pleased that this outlaw had taken up for you so quickly. 
“Like hell!” the man protested, struggling against Geto’s hold. Even with his head forcibly pressed to the bar top, though, the man managed to pull his gun from his holster. 
The scene before you seemed to slow impossibly for a moment: the sound of the gun cocking, seeing it aimed at Geto, the man’s finger going for the trigger. Then suddenly everything was back to normal speed, and the outlaw used his free hand to shove the gun to no longer be aimed at him just as the trigger was pulled. 
You turned your head to see where it landed, and you watched in horror as a wound burst into existence in the sheriff’s shoulder, blood soaking into his shirt in an instant. He let out a shout of pain, clutching at the wound with his hand.
“You rat bastard!” the man shouted, working to cock his gun and aim it at Geto again, but the outlaw was quicker, pulling out his own gun, pressing it to the man’s ribs, and shooting him almost before you could process what he was doing. 
There was a wet gasping sound from the man, and when Geto’s hold on his collar was finally released, he dropped unceremoniously to the floor, his gun sliding out of his hand. You couldn’t tell if he was dead yet or not, but he certainly wasn’t making any effort to get off the floor.
Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the sheriff draw his own gun and aim it, but it was in his non-dominant hand, so the bullet did not hit the robber as the sheriff intended; instead, it shattered the whiskey glass on the bar in front of you, and you dropped to the ground in fear.
With your hands over your head, you kept as low as you could. You couldn’t see what was happening anymore, but from what you could hear, at least half of the other patrons of the saloon had joined in the gunfight. Stray bullets hit the wall behind the bar, shattering multiple bottles of liquor, including the fancy bottle of scotch. My boss is going to be so pissed, you thought, an oddly practical thought to have in the midst of hiding and praying you weren’t accidentally shot.
Almost as if summoned by your thoughts, a bullet tore through the front of the bar, sticking in the cabinet about six inches from your head. With a shriek, you scrambled aside, towards the end of the bar; maybe if you were lucky, there would be time for you to slip out of the building without being caught in the crossfire. 
You scanned the building as quickly as you could while keeping yourself hidden, not wanting to make yourself any more of a target than you already were. Bullets were still flying, leaving no chance for your escape, and you cursed under your breath; you were going to be stuck here until everyone ran out of ammo. 
As you looked around, you noticed the first man that Geto had shot, a pool of blood slowly growing beneath his torso. His chest still rose and fell slightly, but his eyes were glassy; he was alive, but he was not long for this world. Suddenly, you remembered that he had dropped his gun when he had fallen, and you scanned the area around him for it, finding it a foot or so from his outstretched hand.
Deciding to run the risk of getting shot, you lunged for it, gripping it tightly in your hand once it was in your grasp. You’d never held a gun in your life, much less shot one, but having this one in your possession made you feel a little less cornered, a little less helpless.
Daring a glance upward, you saw that Geto had turned so that his back was to you and another corner of the saloon. Another patron had somehow managed to sneak around into the outlaw’s blind spot, and was clearly gearing up to shoot him in the back of the head. Knowing you couldn’t just sit there and watch it happen, you fumbled with the gun, your sweaty hands failing to pull back the hammer twice before you succeeded. With no clue how to accurately aim the weapon, you pointed it at his leg, squeezing your eyes shut as you pulled the trigger.
A shout of pain a moment later indicated that you had hit… someone, and you quickly opened your eyes again to make sure you hadn’t somehow hit Geto by accident. Thankfully, you hadn’t. The man you’d been aiming at had taken the shot to his knee – which actually had been what you were hoping to hit when you fired – bringing him down to the floor on one knee.
The shout was enough to alert the outlaw to the threat behind him, and he wasted no time spinning around and drilling him between the eyes. He slipped his guns – you saw now that he had two, rather than one like you had first thought – back into their holsters as the last man’s body dropped to the floor.
Once there was no longer another person blocking you from his view, Geto blinked in surprise, smiling as he stepped over the body and crouched down in front of you.
“You shot him?” he asked, his eyes glinting. The sight made you realize you’d been wrong before, when you’d thought his eyes were catlike in his wanted poster; in person they were foxlike, sharp and intelligent and clever.
“I-I, uh… yeah, I shot him.”
“Have you ever fired a gun before?”
“Not until just now.”
He glanced over his shoulder, taking in the bulletwound squarely in the side of the man’s knee. “You’re a good shot,” he observed, turning back to face you.
“Uh… thanks?”
He chuckled then, a low, smooth sound that made your stomach cartwheel. “You’re welcome.” A beat passed, then another, as he examined your face, though you were unsure what he was looking for. 
“What?” you demanded, scowling at him despite the way your hands were still shaking.
“You should come with me.”
“Huh?”
“You should come with me,” Geto repeated easily. “I think you’d be a good addition to my crew. Besides, it really won’t be a good look for you if people come in and see you here with a gun after I get the hell out of here.” There was a slight smirk tugging at his lips, and despite the fact that you probably should have taken his words as a threat, you didn’t.
“What the hell,” you sighed. “It’s not like I have anyone keeping me here.”
“Wonderful,” he said, offering you a hand up off the floor, which you readily accepted. “Get what you need from your room and meet me outside. Be quick, my guess is that someone will come to investigate all the noise sooner rather than later.”
You nodded, brushing broken glass from your dress and your hair as you hurried towards the stairs, unable to hide the grin tugging at your own lips.
Maybe not listening to your father had been the right decision after all.
Tumblr media
tagging: @kentopedia @kentohours @mitsuristoleme
108 notes · View notes
patolemus · 3 months ago
Text
Wip (not) Wednesday
thank you @dontcallpanic for tagging me!! once again i am not doing this on wednesday lol. i unfortunately don’t have anything new from my time travel au because uni is kicking my ass right now and stiles is being unsurprisingly uncooperative but i know how much you love my demon!stiles au so… surprise?
Stiles loves dead bodies.
Okay, that sounds wrong. Stiles doesn’t love dead bodies, because he’s a demon, not a sociopath, and he actually does feel bad when people die. But dead bodies found in suspicious manners usually mean a murderer, and a murderer means a mystery. And Stiles oh so loves his mysteries.
Would he like for his mysteries to be murder-free? Oh, absolutely. Stiles is an asshole, pretty ruthless and more cruel than he probably should be—given the position of power he finds himself in as part of the problem-solving team in this town—but it’s not like he wants for people to die. It’s just that no one ever listens to him until they have a body.
So even if he feels bad about it, he can’t help the small thrill that runs up his spine when his stolen police scanner picks up an 187 alert. He’d been getting a feeling that something was going on lately—because honestly? Something is always going on in Beacon Hills, so when things are quiet for more than a couple of months, Stiles starts preparing for an epic smack down of apocalyptic proportions in his near future. And now that they finally have a dead body, the rest of the pack can’t chalk up his intuition as paranoia anymore.
Someday, he’ll get them to listen to him without question. But today is not that day, so he’ll have to make do with a dead body in the preserve, because it’s always a dead body in the preserve. One would think this town would have learned to leave the woods alone at this point.
Then again, they’d probably have to close the high school, too. And the hospital. And the Sheriff’s station.
And Derek’s loft.
So they get a lot of dead people in their sleepy cursed town. So what? It’s not their fault that there is an evil magic tree that attracts back luck and malicious intent like it’s going out of style.
this can either be the best idea i’ve ever had or completely blow up in my face. expect me in your dms freaking out about this at some point. no pressure tags for @kittykatstiles @fuji09 @oldefashioned (for when you're feeling up to it and only if you want to!!) @dear-massacre @hedwig221b @salty-fryingpan @novasillies and of course @dontcallpanic again, let's keep the cycle going! sorry y'all that i tagged again feel free to ignore me lol. and of course whoever wants to do it, got for it!
50 notes · View notes