#that was a fun read! thank u! i hope im making sense im rewriting this and kinda exhausted

[arunneronthird]

Hi, this is the Bruce and Jason anon again and you're completely right! Tim and Kon's situation is very different from Bruce and Jason's because Tim was like...literally trying to engineer a perfect replacement for someone he lost ON PURPOSE. Which is just completely fucking crazy from start to end. Especially when Kon, as a clone himself, struggled in the past with the idea of being created in a lab explicity to perfectly replace another person, then ending up not being identical/perfect enough to do that and having to learn to become his own person instead, not just superman 2.0. Like Tim was actually insane to still try and clone him while actively KNOWING all of this about his best friend and still deciding to go ahead and become the cadmus/lex luthor in this poor clone's story.

Also with the benefit of being able to actually know what happened while Jason was dead, how Bruce grieved, the whole messy process of how Tim actually became Robin, etc. through the comics, I agree that Bruce wasn't necessarily wrong. What I was mainly talking about was Jason coming back from the dead without any knowledge of how much of a wreck Bruce was when he was gone and seeing the product of that grief without any of the context.

Like Jason checks back in on his dad after maybe a year or two (idk comic timelines) and there is just a full ass new child (around the age jason was when he died no less) living in Jason's house, swinging round Gotham in Jason's old suit colours using Jason's vigilante name (the suit he died in, the name that he died for). He even LOOKS like Jason with his black hair a blue eyes. And because of the severe lack of context Talia provides, from the outside it's exactly as if Jason has been replaced, not grieved. Like when TV shows recast one of their main actors and the story continues on without stopping to acknowledge that anything is out of the ordinary. As if this new person has been here the entire time and the old one never existed at all.

Jason was also having problems with Bruce before he died so seeing this shiny new Robin take his place (and actually be good at it) is just so heartbreaking. Again, without knowing anything about Bruce and Tim's relationship, to Jason it'd seem like Bruce just got a shiny new sidekick that was Robin in all the ways B wanted and valued, all the ways Jason wasn't. It's worse when Dick, who Jason had a pretty strained relationship with, is all over the new guy in a way he never was with him. It mirrors what you were saying about Tim making the version of Kon that loved him in the way original-Kon didn't. Obviously not what happened to Bruce and Tim but WE know that not Jason

The third part doesn't really fit them so much, the only thing I can think of is Jason coming to the realisation that Bruce didn't actually care about him, or Dick, that he probably didn't even care about the new kid either. Like Tim and his clones, Robins all eventually get discarded and thrown away when they don't meet B's standards, when they're not perfect enough. It's what Bruce and Dick used to fight about all the time too, before Jason died. Has Steph been Robin yet by the time Jason comes back? Idk. It would certainly add to that idea. Child after child, in the middle of gun fight after gun fight. What kind of a monster does that? So Jason decides to put it to the test. How much does Bruce actually care about Robin? He certainly didn't seem to care when Jason died, but maybe that's too small of a sample size. There needs to be multiple test trials. If Batman thinks so little of his sidekicks, if he's really going to be so careless with them, then he should to be prepared to lose a few.

Sorry for how long this is, I was typing and completely lost the run of myself.

i... had like a page typed out and then the whole building lost power so i think thats a sign for me to stop answering while at work, i wont listen though

honestly im really glad that tumblr now shortens posts, but never apologize for length, i thought this was a great read and i love getting peoples opinions on things!

i agree with all this, really, i think jason, pumped full of green pit rage water, would come back and see himself replaced and completely snap, it works really well and i love that narrative

i dont think jason feels bad for losing robin, it wasnt his to lose, he wore dicks suit while tim wore a new one out of respect for him, i think he felt replaced in a... deeper level

he came back to see that someone was occupying the space the grief and pain would have been in, someone else was pushing his ghost away, living his life, being loved by his father, being cared for by his brother, someone better at his job than he ever was, cold and smart where he was rash and angry, he came back to see that he was not only replaced, him being dead made things better

ofc, this wasnt true, his death nearly destroyed bruce, and it took a lot of effort to get him to feel human again cause he had lost his son, but jason didnt know that, as u said

meanwhile, i love the new 52 tim, i think hes tragic in a visceral way, and i love how his pain is so easy to feel, but in a way im glad we dont really talk about that era too much and usually act like its not relevant to the canon cause... its hard to justify tim being a good person in the new comics after reading the 2015s one

like, tim failing to clone kon doesnt justify him actually trying to replace his dead best friend who struggled with his place in the world, and i think the writers recently realized if they want tim to be a dark but brave hero they cant also make him morally corrupt at best and absolutely insane, theres a difference between red robin desperately trying to find batman and being a rude mess in the process and red robin basically experimenting with lives

[miguelhugger2099]

I've read through everything you've written over the last four days and I'm obsessed with how good you are. Your writing is so thoughtful, you always manage to keep it in-character, and your descriptions are so good! I've been thinking about giving writing a shot but nothing I come up with is even half as good as what you write. Do you have any advice or tips? You're practically professional level in quality, so I figure if anyone has the hook up on how to write better, it'd be you. Thank you for giving us readers so many wonderful pieces of writing. I hope for nothing but the best for you in all your endeavors in life. You're awesome.

p…professional quality is a bit of a stretch but thank u for the kind words😭🫶

comparison is the thief of joy my dear anonie. based on this ask alone i think you’d do just fine writing some of your own stuff :) it doesn’t hurt to start somewhere

and as for giving advice i’ll try !!

i really like being descriptive so for that, u want to know what’s happening and the personalities of the characters by how they interact with the room and other people. for me, i close my eyes or sit and think to feel myself in those scenes and figuring out all my senses in those moments,,, if that makes sense haha

if you want ur character to stay in character, i kinda act…like them ??? like i have my scene/scenario and i’ll be like ok how would he react to this? how would he look like? if he does this then what does it lead to? is that something they would say? type of stuff yknow ?

don’t be afraid to google synonyms and antonyms, metaphors/similies u can’t remember, certain eras in history or cultures, pop culture. sometimes i go on reddit to see if anyone has the same problem as me and sometimes i google fanfics of the things im writing if im feeling a block or i want an example/ inspiration :)

a lot of the times, i usually cut my story into parts so i’ll write down the part i have clear in my head and i’ll leave the hard part for last like transitions haha. but that’s what i do when writing seems overwhelming or so i don’t burn out and i want to write the thing i had in mind….if that makes sense haha

now that im rereading and rewriting this answer i think a lot of it is just imagination. i like being in the story whether its an x reader or not, so being as detailed as possible is uberrrr important to me to immerse myself in the story as much as i can.

but !!! at the end of the day that’s just me :3 take this advice with a grain of salt (im horrible at giving advice ;∇; ) as long as you write SOMETHING it’s good enough and ur on your way to be even better !!

good luck and remember to have fun writing !! 💕

[aloera]

Aloera hii came running when i got the notification, djdjd incredibly as always ❤ can i ask how much time did it took you to find that tone in ur writing? I mean they way you describe things and feeling without making them too "poetic"and corny like it often happens when one tries to write? Also i wanted to share with you the manga panels i searched after reading your fic just so idk gsjd the expressions and significance fjdjf (i love this face is so :() (second one their canon dynamic>>> fanon)

I know these last too have been brought so much times but idc this will always be iconic, the first high epic point in the manga, everything got set in motions after this(to me) wish with a follow up more substantial after this a hint of a conversation idk (a lot of people have move on from this but i will always remeber) sorry that this got so long i just wanted to share this with you excuse my english have a great week/end.

first off thank you so much!! youre so sweet :)

as to how much time it took ive been writing since i was like.. six. and im twenty now. so ig fourteen years skull emoji.. but in general i think i focus less now on trying to sound like... super smart? if that makes sense? sometimes i think what makes things sound kinda corny is when youre describing stuff that you dont actually know.. so i try to just focus on stuff that i do know!! like for example with similes and stuff i just draw from stuff that i see in my own life.. common things.. and the hope is that it comes across as familiar and people reading that go oh i know what that feels like. yk? instead of trying to like.. idk be the next shakespeare and be super poetic and delve into topics that are maybe beyond me or just not really suited to my style of writing. no shade to people who do that!! thats just what worked for me in terms of developing my style :) for dialogue as well i'll sometimes say it out loud to see if it sounds like smth a real person would say outloud bc sometimes... its not... and i rewrite it until im not like. cringing as i say it LMFOA but also mind u i think there will sometimes always be a certain level of corn bc we are writing fic. like it is inherently corny asf. but once you get over that you can have a lot more fun with it :D

KIRISHIMAS LITTLE FACE SHUT UPPP i love him. i love him so bad. he actually invented facial expressions its crazy. have u seen that one panel of him glaring at monoma i think about it everyday hes SO FUNNY

you r so so so write on canon>fanon w them. their canon interactions are just so lovely and so full of heart and so recriprocated like i just know they are the most annoying two people to be around but they dont even care bc they are having so much fun with each other!!! which is why i love them :)

also. yeah. you and me are very right where you left me coded re kamino. i will never be over it i fear. i will be like seventy years old talking about "it has to be you" "if i cant do this im not even a man" "come" "you idiot" LIKE THAT WAS CRAZYYYYYYY i feel like as much as i get annoyed ab horikoshi kind of forgetting ab krbk i will never fully be able to be mad at him bc he gave us that.... like That Moment seared itself into my personhood. kickstarted a hand fixation and an undying loyalty fixation and like. twenty other fixations. is what it is ig.

sorry this is so long omg i just had sm to say but in conclusion thank you so much for the ask!! i will always love talking ab krbk so i really appreciated getting to talk about them with you :)))

[luveline]

hi, jade, first time talking to you.

i still can't believe you got me reading about a child and i'm actually liking it 🗣️🗣️🗣️ lmao, nothing against babies, i just don't particularly like to read stuff about them (meaning i avoid books centered around them), but here we are.

i really like your writing, i guess it might be because (besides being good) you seem to have fun with it, and as someone who truly loves the idea of writing but has a hard time finishing their work, i must ask: how do you do it?

like, honestly. i get the motivation that comes from simply wanting to do something and then doing it. but do you plot or just write at random? do you write shitty first drafts and then go around rewriting? do you also feel like you're a phony sometimes or you always feel like you know what you're doing? idk, i'm a little stuck rn and i guess i just wanna hear read something that helps me finish something i decide to write.

sorry for bombarding you with this 🫠

hi baby

I do have fun! It's all embarrassing guilty wish fulfilment disguised as proper writing I promise you. And please don't be sorry, I'm really okay to answer I don't mind one bit.

Do I plot? Not usually! For most of my bigger fits, it usually comes from my desire to write a scene that I've thought of and making it into something with like a theme or a mood. For example with Day of the Dead, I knew I wanted to write the first scene where reader is sitting on Eddie's front porch, and I knew I wanted to write the scene at the end where they kiss in Steve's car. So that was all about bridging the gap, and just telling that story where the reader was insecure and Steve literally liked her for all the things she was insecure about. I was writing it as I went along. So there is some plot there but not a lot, because I find it very hard to write dialogue if I already know how the scene is ending — the fun for me is in actually writing and planning out the scene as I go!

Do I write shitty first drafts? Kind of! If I'm really struggling with something then I use the ideas but start a new draft. Mostly though, I write (and edit as I go, after a couple of paragraphs I'll reread and fix mistakes) and then at the end of the draft I do go through and read it a couple of times to fix things I'm not happy with (like overuse of commas, bad wording, not enough description) so YES, absolutely there is rewriting!! I'm sorry I don't have a more precise method to share with you, but it's usually just like that :D

Do I feel like a phony sometimes? I'm gonna say no. I don't feel like I don't know what I'm doing as myself as a writer, but in comparison to other writers then yes? I know that doesn't make much sense. I personally don't see my writing as anything that special (which I know ur not supposed to say). Like when people compliment me I I just think like thanks so much but what are you talking about. So actually maybe I do feel like a phony? Im confident in my ability to tell stories I enjoy, but I think I feel a big disconnect between that and other people enjoying them too. It's an insane privilege to be read by others! Insane! TLDR : I wouldn't necessarily say I don't know what I'm doing, but it is surprising to me that people enjoy the finished product, because on a technical level I don't think I have the skill or ability that others do.

I really like writing (shocker) and I'm in this amazing position where I can share it with others, so though I don't always know what I'm doing I suppose it doesn't actually matter once you find 'your' audience

I hope these answers can give u some clarity but if they don't or you have something else to ask, please ask!

[oftenderweapons]

Sooo, about the ask thing. First off all congratulations I love you and your writing 💜 you seem like such a nice, intelligent and funny person. But was thinking what if namjoon comes home drunk and guilty about something he did and vixen comforts him. Love u💋

Title: Drunk (&) In Love

Pairing: Namjoon x reader (nicknamed Vixen)

Wordcount: 2.6k

Genre: crack, fluff, (also, vaguely allusive)

Rating: 18+ cause THESE TWO ARE A MESS FOR EACH OTHER

Synopsis: apparently Namjoon's stag party went a bit too wild. Mostly since he was drinking guilt away. What could that possibly be about?

Trigger warnings: swearing, consumption of alcohol, horny!drunk Joon, he clumsily tries to seduce his fianceé in front of yoonjintae (second-hand embarrassment), stressing over vows, mentions of kinky letters, they discuss future and the fear of marrying young and pretty much out of the blue and they be mentioning the idea of having kids. Also, watch Vixen being the caregiver.

Author's note: Thanking the sweetheart @ironicarmy !!! I love exchanging WIPs and Beta reading! It was so fun and I AM LOVING YOUR WIP SO HARD IM GONNA EXPLODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait for it to be out so I can fangirl in public LOLOLOL; also thanking @dopesportsoperatorzonk for this request! (I got your feminism ask, I promise I'm almost done, I wanted to have a quite thorough view before replying and I'm still thinking about some stuff, but it'll be readdy super soon!!!)

Here's my masterlist, btw, and enjoy 💜✨

You weren't supposed to wait up for him, but it was like your sixth sense was telling you to do precisely that. And your premonition turned especially accurate once you were met with the sorry sight of Namjoon hanging off Taehyung's and Seokjin's body, grinning as he saw you appear at the door, head to toe smitten, only to turn to his friends with a sneer as he realised you were wearing his favourite silk robe. The deep crimson colour seemed to spark the colour of your hair on fire, and make the lineaments of your face sharper, older, with a kind of allure he still couldn't understand. “Little fox,” he said, going grabby hands while his arms were still around his friends' shoulders.

You tried to keep your expression stern as you looked at the two men literally holding him up. “What is this? Didn't I tell you to bring him home whole and safe?”

Taehyung lowered his gaze to the floor.

“Is this your idea of safe, Seokjin? I expected better.”

“You know him. He did this to himself.” Yoongi spoke neutrally from behind the three.

“Yoongi. Him being a fucking grizzly doesn't mean he can hold his liquor. Bring him in,” you said, freeing the entryway for the triplet coming in, Yoongi in tow.

“We should have brought him to the dorms,” he muttered.

“Dorms?!? Aneeyo…” Namjoon babbled, shaking his head, falling with his ass on the sofa. “No babylove in dorms,” he said with a hiccup. “Hello, little one,” he purred, grabbing your hips and trying to pull you towards him.

You blushed and slapped at his wrists. “I'll deal with you later—”

“Feisty brat,” he spoke sultrily, making Yoongi shake his head while Seokjin and Taehyung snickered before being chastised by your scolding stare.

“How come he's drunk off his ass and the three of you are perfectly okay?”

“He's the one getting married,” Taehyung replied, matter of factly. “And yes, he was the one who swallowed a bottle of hard liquor without even flinching.”

You glance at Namjoon with a scornful expression.

He did some very drunk, very clumsy attempt at a wink that made you inhale as you desperately looked for a crumb of patient left.

“You'd better go home, before I smack you all on the head,” you said, shooing them off.

“You'd have to reach it first,” Taehyung muttered, making Seokjin giggle, Yoongi rubbing his face at the verbal violence that was about to come.

“Kim Taehyung. I may not be tall enough for your royal head, but your girlfriend is my best friend. I won't say much more because I'm sure your friends aren't interested in your ass getting bruised.”

Yoongi smiled smugly at that one.

“Hell yeah…” Namjoon chuckled from the sofa, one hand reaching for the back of your thigh.

“No. Not now.”

“Later then?” He asked with puppy eyes before they turned into a very tipsy version of his intense dragon glance. “You’re so sexy when you’re mean,” he rumbled, a hand reaching for your thigh underneath the robe.

“Kim Namjoon, if you don’t stop I will unwife you in this instant.” Still, the other three men in the room were a mess of embarrassed coughing and teasing snorts. “You can all go home right now,” you said with a curt tone.

“You’re not gonna be able to take him to bed by yourself.” Yoongi cocked an eyebrow as he spoke calmly.

“Mh, Vixen, take me to bed, please,” Namjoon murmured as he tried to seduce you, just as you looked at him and replied, “No need to take him to bed. He’s sleeping on the sofa tonight.”

“See? I told you she found out! She has a sixth sense for this stuff! She can sense it! She can smell fear! I told you!!!” Namjoon babbled, grabbing your wrist. “Little fox...” he cooed, making a fool of himself.

“Go home. All of you. Now.”

Taehyung was the first to leave without even saying goodbye. He knew he would pay for it. Seokjin was the next, saying bye to Namjoon very briefly before bowing to you — just slightly. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, goodnight,” he apologised, making his way out.

“Yoongi?”

He rubbed his neck. “I’m sorry. Really. I— I didn’t do my job.”

You shook your head. “This is a mess I’ll have to deal with.”

“You know you’ll kind of have to deal with him for the rest of your life, right?” Yoongi looked at Namjoon, head in his hands, fingers tugging at it nervously.

You followed his gaze, meeting Namjoon in the poorest of states. “I know. He’s my business now. Go.”

Yoongi left without much resistance after that, the door of your apartment finally shutting for good.

“I’m sorry,” Namjoon said, staring up at you as you stood before him. “I fucked up, I’m sorry.”

You placed your hands on his cheeks. “What happened, Joonie bear?”

He shook his head, lip going wobbly. “I’m so sorry!” he babbled again, eyes glossy with unshed tears.

“Oh, no, baby…” you managed to whisper before he dove for your lap, burying his face there. “What happened, love?”

He shook his head.

“Nothing’s gonna change the fact that I love you, big bear.” You caressed his hair as his voice confessed, half-muffled against your tummy.

“I sneaked a look at the dress.” You could hear his words coming out from a pout.

“Joonie—”

“Please don’t unwife me!” He cried out, his voice way too high pitched. “I don’t want to sleep alone ever.” He hugged your legs and held you closer. “I want to sleep next to you until I die.” He got even more emotional as he went on. “I want you to always pet my hair and tell me you’re proud of me and cook for me and be my sweetheart and my babylove and my little fox forever, even when we’re old and I get bald.”

You smiled and invited him to let go of your legs before sitting down, your legs slightly parted laying across the sofa. “Come here, big bear,” you said, patting your stomach. He did as he was told, laying his head below your chest and stretching his long body all over the seat. He struggled a little, his sense of balance temporarily worse than usual. “Soon I’ll be lawfully your bride. Forever. We’re almost there, honey. Just a week.”

He nodded.

“And then I’ll be your little fox until I’m nothing but ashes. And then some,” you reassured him, petting his lovely head, digging your fingers into the knots in his upper back.

“Writing the vows was so difficult.”

“I know baby,” you kept rubbing at his trapezoi until he released a relieved grunt. “I know that must have been really stressful for you.”

“I had to rewrite them sixteen times. Sixteen!” His hand absentmindedly reached your thigh and started rubbing small circles there. “Everytime, they were too long, or too cliché, or something I just couldn’t read in public because you know our letters.”

“I know our letters,” you confirmed, thinking about his messy handwriting on cheap paper, and entire sheets of words that he sent you everytime something important happened, everytime he had to travel for his job, everytime he just needed to make love to you on a deeper level. And then, thinking of your replies, always heartfelt, emotional, with fine calligraphy on expensive ivory sheets often marred with rough spots where a tear fell — most of the time because of joy and gratitude and obliterating, overwhelming love. “Will you read to me the other sixteen versions too, once we’re alone?”

He nodded. “I’ll read them all. I’ll write new ones every day. Small, simple, absolutely mundane. Stuff like, ‘I’ll do the dishes tonight’, or ‘Let’s go out for dinner’, or ‘I wanna grow old with you’ or ‘I don’t wanna watch that porn tonight, let’s just stare into each other’s eyes while naked and have the best tantric sex ever performed’.”

You chuckled and placed your hand atop of his. “I like the last one.”

“But I couldn’t say it in front of your parents, therefore I couldn’t write it in our vows.” He scoffed and shook his head before planting it between your breasts, nosing at the lapels of the robe until he could kiss your naked skin.

“I might have written something along those lines in one of my drafts.” Having this conversation with Namjoon while he was halfway drunk off his ass was extremely entertaining; however, you felt sad at the possibility of him not remembering this moment.

“What else did you write in that draft?” He closed his eyes, waiting for your soft voice to calm him down.

You smiled and slightly teared up at the thought, his chin propped on your chest, one of his thumbs reaching out to dry up a tear. “I wrote that I hope I get to make you smile every day and see that insanely cute and sexy dimple of yours every morning after you wake up. And I want to be the only one listening to your deep bedroom voice waking me up. And I want to listen to you as you talk to our children. I wanna hear all the stories, and watch your smile shine on their faces.”

Namjoon hid his face against your chest, feeling tears roll down his cheeks.

“I want them to have your eyes. I want to see your complete wonder as they learn about the world, as you teach them about the world in that grand and beautiful way you see it.” You sniffled and he cupped your face, kissing your lips so slowly, the heavy tang of liquor barely tainting the moment.

“I want to walk by your side, until we’re too tired to walk and watch time pass by, without worries, without haste. I don’t care where we’re walking because you were the place I was destined to be.”

Namjoon couldn’t explain tenderness or love or devotion or faith as deep as the ones he felt for you. He probably wasn’t skilled or trained enough.

“I know we’re young. I know this is more of a bet than an actual marriage. I’ve seen people who have been together for years part ways so easily and I don’t even know why you said yes to me. Sometimes I doubt I’m deserving and I see in how many ways I’m lacking and I ask myself, 'why the hell did she say yes to me?' ” He snickered sarcastically. “I wouldn’t have said yes to myself.”

You shook your head and kissed his brow.

“But I’ve been with other people and you have too and… I don’t know, sometimes I feel like this will take a lot of effort but then I hear you laugh, I hear you calling my name and I know, I can feel that that’s what it is supposed to sound like.”

You smiled at him, fixing your position so he could lay on you without worrying about smashing your body.

“I’m so confused and so grateful for this. It’s like… Suddenly winning the lottery. One minute you’re just a person and next you realise you’re going to be a husband. And you don’t know what’s going to happen to you, how your life is going to change, but with you I’m not scared.” He chuckled. “Well, I am. But you make me braver than my fears. And I know I could lose you any day. I could fuck up, or we could just drift apart or something. But any moment spent with you is bigger. It’s better and brighter.”

By now you were a teary mess, face drenched in tears, his arms around your torso as he held onto you. “My soul has found a home in you and I will cherish it. I’ll take care of that home. I’ll make sure nothing damages it. I’ll help you work on it if you want to change it. I will make more room when our family gets bigger. I will fix it when I can. I’ll stay by your side when I’m not skilled enough to heal you. To fix you.” He sniffled, voice hollow and weak as he spoke through a lump in his throat. “And I’ll leave if you ever ask me to.”

You shook your head and hugged him, letting him sob in your arms. “I hope I never lose you.”

“Don’t be a silly bear,” you comforted him, lulling him, holding him close to your heart. “I’ll be your bride. Your spouse. Your wife.” You kissed his head. “And your home. Your relief. Your dirty, secret affair. Your devoted companion too. Your goddess and your toy. I’ll be your friend. And the mother of your children, when we want to.”

God, if he wanted to… But first, he needed to enjoy having you all to himself for a couple more years. Just to make sure you hadn’t been both bold and immature and absolutely stupid about getting married almost two years after meeting for the first time.

“So I’m not getting unwifed for sneaking a peek at the dress?”

You shook your head. “It looks completely different once worn.”

“Really?” His expression exploded with euphoria.

You smiled. “Really.”

His drunken grin was back. “So I’m gonna sleep on the bed right?”

You acted as if you were even thinking about it. “You’re really drunk.”

“I’m soberer now.”

“And you embarrassed me in front of your friends,” you reminded him with a cocked eyebrow.

“Not my fault my wifey’s so hot,” he said with a slightly more accomplished wink.

“Not your wifey yet,” you reminded him.

He tutted. “Just a matter of days.” He kissed your sweet spot, on the side of your neck. “It’s only a technicality.”

You looked at him suspiciously. “A technicality, you say?”

He nodded and held you tighter.

“This technicality could still leave you at the altar, waiting,” you teased.

“Come on, I want to sleep next to you.” He kissed your cheek. “On our bed.” He kissed you again. “Where we’ll be making so many babies.”

“Stop right there, mister.” You placed a finger against his plush lips before you shook your head no. “No babies for a few years. I want you all mine, hubby.”

He chuckled and pressed his forehead against your chest bone. “Okay, fine, but I just meant hypothetically. You know, for practice.”

“Yeah, I think I could use some practice. I want to be perfect at it.”

He smiled and kissed your nose. If only she knew how perfect she is, he thought, haphazardly sitting up and waiting for you to help him on his feet, the whole discourse sobering him up enough that he managed to sit on the bench in the bathroom as you washed his face and brushed his teeth, as you undressed him and helped him in the shower, undressing and joining him, his body too tired and unstable to initiate anything fancy.

And then you towelled him up, rubbing body lotion on his always-too-dry legs before helping him in his boxers.

And through the process, he understood how it was that you loved him so much anytime he got you ready for bed. He should let you do this more often. Especially when he wasn’t exhausted or drunk, so he could properly enjoy being cuddled and fondled and babied.

What he didn’t expect was for it to feel so comfortable when you slid up against his back on the bed, spooning his ridiculously large body with your smaller one. “Sleep tight, big bear,” you said before kissing his nape. “Eight more sleeps and we’ll be married.”

He smiled. “Goodnight, little fox.” And with that, he caught your hand in his and fell asleep.

[tophthedaydreamer]

okAY nerds i have rewritted 2017 gene’s story to the best of my ability. there still might be some changes to be made, but otherwise, im pretty happy with it. plus, my sis likes it so. yep.

epic freaking infodump under the cut please read if u have the time:

The episode would be called “Treasure of the Lost Lamp!” or “The Treasure of Collie Baba!”. Something of that ilk. Anyways, Scrooge, HDL, Webby, and Launchpad are at an auction. A very rich fellow died recently, and some of his stuff is being sold. It turns out he was a descendant of the famed Collie Baba, and had acquired some of his wealth. Scrooge attempts to bid on a whole load of treasure, but the only bit of the treasure he gets is a seemingly worthless oil lamp. He lost the rest of the treasure to freakin’ Glomgold or some other rival. He lets the kids keep the lamp, as Webby and Huey like collecting artifacts. 

A few days later, during a sleepover with Lena and Violet, the kids rub the lamp and Gene is set loose. It is discovered that Gene hasn’t been out since 1990, and is stuck in 90s Mode. When Gene was released by Collie Baba’s descendant in 1990, he had hoped that he could befriend the descendant and maybe be set free. Sadly, no dice. 

The kids befriend him and help him catch up with the times, same as the original movie. Gene makes it clear he won’t grant “big wishes”, and the kids agree to make small ones, cuing a wild montage of shenanigans and harmless wishes. Obviously, the adults (being Scrooge, Della, and Donald) find out about Gene. Scrooge, who was extremely pissed off he didn’t get the treasure during the auction, is now overjoyed. He becomes very possessive of Gene, intending to use him to become even richer and acquire even more artifacts. Donald thinks they should put Gene back in the lamp and bury it somewhere, while Della is supportive of the kids having fun making their wishes. None of them see Gene as a person (Scrooge sees him as a tool, Donald a threat, Della a toy). Things get worse when the kids discover that Merlock is after Gene, repeatedly attempting to invade their home. Things finally come to a head when the adults and Merlock fight over Gene. He finally snaps and takes Merlock’s amulet, placing it over the lamp and giving him ultimate power. 

For a moment, Gene becomes the villain.

He gets a super energy form, and surrounds the house in a cosmic storm. He’s insanely pissed off at Merlock and the adults, so he freakin’ drop kicks Merlock into oblivion and is going to do the same to the adults. The kids are panicking. Gene’s their friend, but he’s going to kill Scrooge, Donald, and Della if he isn’t stopped. 

Lena steps up to the plate. She understands Gene’s pain and hatred of being used, as she was abused and used by Magica to hurt the Duck family. Activating her magic form, she rises into the storm to meet Gene. The two have a heart-to-heart, Lena helping Gene come to his senses. “I understand that you’re mad. It’s okay to be angry. But hurting your friends is not the answer.” This resonates with Gene. He relinquishes the amulet, letting it fall from his hands. It shatters, and its effects are reversed. Everything is back to normal.

Apologies are made from both sides. Awkward jokes about the situation are made. Scrooge decides to set Gene free. His greatest wish is fulfilled! Gene decides to strike out on his own to decide who he wants to be now.

As for the F.O.W.L. arc. Gene, while he is now a “normal person”, he still has magical energy buzzing through his veins. He’s just unable to tap into it. The Phantom Blot kidnaps him so F.O.W.L. can siphon his energy for their nefarious deeds. Blah, blah, blah, Gene is rescued by Lena, Violet, and Manny. But this time he sticks around to help out, maybe grabbing a cool weapon that lets him harness his magic energy! After the finale, he becomes a sort of 90s semi-wizard man, vibing in the desert with Djinn and Amunet. Cue a miniseries with Djinn, Amunet, and Gene battling evil warlords and the like. 

if you read this then u get a virtual hug and cookie. thank you! feel free to ask me stuff abt it hehe im hyperfixating hardcore :D

[gracefulweather]

hello ! it's been quite a long time since i last sent an ask 😅 sorry fam !

once i pull an eric pc it'll b over for me :") but i got my friend a maverick album and she pulled the sunric pc lmao ! i also got a nice collection of sunwoo photos from a friend and i ordered a sunric photo strip 😳😳😳

hyunjae 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅 stay away !!! jk i love him

UR SUNWOO FIC !!! IS SO GOOD !!!! IM OBSESSED WITH IT FR 😭😭😭 the way u write is so beautiful and how everything connects, it's so effortless and detailed ! i love it sm, seriously 🥺 the plot and the characterization is so amazing !! u did so well, truly one of the best fics i've ever read

hahahaha lovesick ..... . its a journey tbh, it always takes me a while to decide...so we'll see ! i've changed the plot so many times too lol but hopefully it'll stay interesting and i'll actually find the inspo to write it haha !

YES YES YES i was hoping for atz to release the kingdom ver. of the songs i'm so glad they did ! i wish all the groups would make official releases and hopefully tbz will give us that spicy monster cover 👀 AND THE ROCK VER. OF THE STEALER WE NEED IT !

i started watching 'our beloved summer' ! rn its like enemies to lovers to enemies and i like it !! PLS i thought we were promised goedam in like august :"( wait hyunjae's drama was cancelled??? i watched the first episode i thought it was fun :")

THE WAY THEY ALL GANGED UP ON ERIC LMAO IT WAS SO FUNNY

oohh i see ! i find that i am v uncreative in letting my mind wander :( and i rewrite and recycle the same plotlines a lot lol but it def helps for me to go out and like.. do stuff to get inspo ahaha 👀 omg the hj etl !!! i am excited

DRINK IT THE AUDIENCE WANTS DRINK IT ICE TEA ENTERTAINMENT ARE U LISTENING

yesss i feel like hoon's hair color has changed a lot recently ! but its so cute !! HYUNJAE >:( why does he looks so good all the time

what if !! we get hypnotized at the GDAs ?

WORLD. TOUR [!(#*#)! O H MAN .... i cannot do that, hopefully they come to somewhere near me 😭

hyunjae is literally unhinged lmao his sense of humor is amazing i love it

also we finally got the milsun live 🤩🤩🤩 the fucking part when sunwoo said he likes hotdogs at the movie theater and hyunjae was like those r for kids and sunwoo made those fucking faces PLEEEASE a comedic duo 😭😭😭 and also sunwoo going tf off abt loud chewers in movie theaters hahHa

today i saw sunwoo promising to do some sort of ab reveal and then i closed twitter i can feel my eye twitching as i type this rip my sanity

my exams ended and i surprisingly didn't fuck em up too much ☺☺☺ all i've been doing is working so far and dealing w my uh 😅 kinda rude boss lol anyway !

HOW IS 2022 SO CLOSE LIKE WHAT WHERE DID THE YEAR GO????

i hope u are thriving and doing well and resting !! what else have u been up to???

HII BESTIE HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 🎉🍾🎆✨ did you do anything fun? any resolutions? anything you're looking forward to this year?

oooh rooting for an eric pc for ur next pull hehe but that sounds like a nice collection of sunwoo!!! do you have like a shelf in ur room that's just for ur kpop stuff? HAHA i did the pc in clear phone case thing for a bit but then got a new phone case so put sangyeon back on my shelf :')

adklfjk ty for ur comments really 🥺🥺🥺 i spent most of the writing process hating it so i was pleasantly surprised to have it turn out well in the end!! wrote way too many versions of it too LMAO but ahHHH thank u for ur support 🥺💖

ohhh how much of ur smaus do you plan before you start posting? i've tried writing series a few times in the past but i always need to like.... get the whole thing done before posting otherwise it'd never get done 🤡 i hope u find ur inspo soooon ahh i'm excited for whatever u decide to do with lovesick!!

omg yes the tbz monster cover and now ROCK VERSION OF MAVERICK TOO!!! are they rlly never gonna release them tho 😭 but omg did you hear about how the person who arranged their upcoming ost is the one who arranged the reveal/checkmate mama 2020 stage and stealer rock ver??? is this who we go talk to... (ง'̀-'́)ง

ohhh is that the drama where exes have to film a documentary or something? i've seen it around and it looks like fic inspo 👀 is it good? but omg enemies to lovers to enemies LOL. ikr what happened to goedam :(( and i guess hyunjae's webdrama didn't do well enough to be continued? although.... it's supposedly.... the most popular thing on that youtube channel LMAOOO

i am also very uncreative omg sometimes i read other people's fics esp if it's a fantasy or magical realism kind of world or has a cool concept and i'm like.... how do you come up with this??? nothing wrong with cliches tho!! but yeahh going out and doing stuff deffs helps with inspo haha

oooh do you like hoon's long hair? kinda miss his black hair now LOL. hyunjae..... we don't speak of him 😶 WAIT GDA that's this weekend..... they're performing?? i've lost track of all the award shows already but hypnotized would be amazing (drink it... would be too... BIG SIGH 😔). i'm gonna rely on jacob and kevin to pull some strings and get them to canada for the world tour hehe

SUNWOO'S FACE AT THAT PART WAS SO FUNNY AKDFJKFL i laughed every time i saw it on my tl!! and yeah i also read about that ab reveal thing 😶 sangyeon once made that promise but never kept it... so maybeeeee you'll be safe 👀

oooh that's so good go get that 4.0!! i believe in u!! but ur rude boss :(( props to u for handling school and work and everything tho!! and ikr the year went by so fast... i saw a post that said '2021 is proof that time flies whether you had fun or not' HAHA think it's accurate 🤡 the holidays felt way too short tbh, i was stressing over this fic exchange and gifts the entire time so not much rest but that's ok!! LOL

[beautifullymeh]

1: self-dxed

2: feb 17 this year and last week, ig

3: pinterest, tumblr, and this video on yt

4: tumblr ig

5: ig reading about psychology stuff, getting to know me, looking for proofs and convincing myself that i am an nd dammit lol

6: meh?

7: id say inattentive

8: that's cool. i love words. i just find it hard to finish reading a book. also, the spacing, grammar, font and font size, even margins, yeah that matters a lot

9: they seem fun, id say im fond of them, its like someone's talking to me and i like that. although i dont do listen to podcasts and/or lectures as much as i do wiggle my hands around if that makes sense at all

10: def not

11: line of 8 and 9

12: sometimes, i spend the whole day doing just one activity from a whole homework. or a week.

13: vocal; moving around

14: internal ?

15: i write it down. and i try to stick to one notebook. or i send a message to myself. but since i dont br that much so i write on sticky notes. or mnemonics, yeah.

16: i was basically mute in elementary. then i became talkative in high school. but i dont have a permanent circle.

17: i tried. volleyball. but im scared of balls. and insecure of my height (wc as they said is pretty much above average for such a sport).

18: no. :/

19: movie character? the first one that came to mind was jake gyllenhaal of nightcrawler. but no, that's creepy. but yeah, ig i do act like that when im alone... with my thoughts... and im arguing with my mind lol idk. i love daisy from mickey mouse clubhouse tho hehe

20: idrk. i just sing song sentences. or randomly sing? or

21: uhh humming?

22: am i understanding this question right? but uh i recently wished i was just deaf :/ imma take that back tho cause i feel like the universe would take every word that i say seriously

23: ive never been properly diagnosed but i believe i have multiple mental illnesses. then again, overlapping.

24: idts, but maybe.

25: teenager.

26: im an infp, and it is said that infps are creative. and recently a teacher of mine made us make a collage and i think my creative side was brought up (because i dealt with glue wc i dont usually do bc ew glue). but no i dont think im creative. maybe im just not yet- or maybe that part of me died down- idk

27: meh

28: they don't really say anything. but i have good grades :/

29: uuuuhh tumblr ?

30: ye

31: nop

32: on-off. no.

33: ive never been drunk

34: yessssss

35: i guess i dont. i just try not to get pissed while writing down literally everything that is on my mind at the moment, as much as i can, and if i do succeed on trying not to get pissed then i slowly get to calm my thoughts down, read what i have written, and then see what i can do abt it. maybe add more sentences, if i do have more, or start rewriting to make it look good and make it understandable :> but if i fail, and do get pissed, then i either angrily scribble on the paper, draw a straight line applying pressure to it so you can see the line mark still after 5 pages or so ig. then i get teary-eyed and angry at myself. and maybe throw it. or no bc throwing it may or may not make me more pissed idkk

36: YES. THANK GOD HE EXISTS I LOVE HIM SO MUCH tho we're not close and dont really talk but ye bless him :>

37: nooo wish i was

38: uh. no? yes? some?

39: idt i can put it to words. the first thing that came to mind tho is anger. and then thinking that i suck and should jump off a cliff but instead of ending up dead, i be chilling on the ocean staring at the moon yes

40: CONGRATULATIONS. WELCOME TO THE GANG (even tho i am not officially diagnosed BUT YES). Tumblr NDs are here for u, darling. They were to me, so will they be to you for sure. Don't feel bad, now. Or do so, do you. Anyway, go touch grass and have milk and cookies (hope ure not allergic or anything to that). LYYY!

ADHD Ask Meme

1: Are you diagnosed? 2: When were you diagnosed? 3: How did you find out that you had ADHD? 4: What’s your current hyperfixation? 5: What has been your most intense hyperfixation? 6: How well do you sleep? 7: What subtype (inattentive, hyperactive, combined) are you? 8: How do you feel about reading? 9: How do you feel about podcasts and lectures? 10: Were/are you popular in school? 11: What were/are your grades like in school? 12: How long did/do you spend on homework? 13: What’s your favorite way to stim? 14: Is your hyperactivity internal or external? 15: What’s your favorite memory strategy? 16: Were/are you talkative in class? 17: Did/do you play a sport? 18: Have you ever tried ADHD medication? 19: What characters do you most identify with? 20: How do you most often fidget? 21: What sensory things do you love? 22: What sensory things do you hate? 23: Do you have any comorbid diagnoses? 24: Do others in your family have ADHD? 25: Did you find out you had ADHD as a child, teenager, or adult? 26: Are you creative? 27: Do you have high, low, or normal self-esteem? 28: What did/do your report card comments usually say? 29: What piece of media makes you blissfully happy? 30: Do you doodle in class/meetings? 31: Do you self-medicate with caffeine? 32: Do you exercise often? 33: What are you like when you are drunk? 34: Do you like writing? 35: How do you process your thoughts and emotions: internally, verbally, in writing? 36: Do you have any friends with ADHD? 37: Have you ever been to therapy? 38: Did/do teachers like you? 39: What is your experience with RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria)? 40: What would you like to say to any person who has just been diagnosed with ADHD?

[miraculousstorytelling]

An Imperfect Cup of Coffee

Hello, @ifirestone​, I’m your secret Santa for @mlsecretsanta​ this year! I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

Also, thank you @ninoirs​ and @zoenightstars​ for helping me so much with the texting sections (and in some cases rewriting them entirely). The trouble with texting like a grandma.

Another note: the contact names are what the recipient has in their phone (so, ladyblogger is what Nino has as Alya’s contact name and so on).

After racing to reach her 7:00 class on time only to find it cancelled, Alya was ready to go home and sleep through the rest of her morning. In fact, she had rushed out the door so fast, she hadn’t even grabbed her morning coffee, which probably explained her sour mood and pounding headache.

She barrelled into the first coffee shop she could find and scanned the store for anyone who could help her. Of course, no one was there. Given how the rest of her morning had gone, she shouldn’t have been surprised.

Alya groaned and turned around, ready to stomp her way out of the shop, but she was stopped by a light and cheerful voice from the back. “Be right there!”

After a second’s hesitation, Alya returned to the counter.

When the woman in the back walked out, Alya was beyond thrilled that she’d chosen to stay.

“What can I get for you?” she asked, much too bright and happy for the hour in Alya’s opinion, but she was pretty enough for Alya to forgive that.

“I’ll take, um…” Alya made a show of looking over the menu, but really, she was looking at the light color in the woman’s cheeks and the way the light caught in her dark hair. “Whatever you have with the most caffeine.”

“Coming right up.” She chuckled as she tapped a few buttons on the register. “Will you have it here or are you taking it with you?”

“I’ll drink it here,” Alya answered instantly.

“Okay.” She smiled, and Alya was pretty sure she was in love with this woman already. “Would you like anything to eat with it?”

“Eat?” Alya floundered for a moment while her brain caught up to the present. “Oh, yeah, sure. What do you recommend umm…” She looked for a name tag, but the ladybug print apron the woman wore only had the name of the cafe. “Sorry, what’s your name?”

“Marinette.” She pointed to a small offering of pastries next to the counter. “And all of this is made fresh every morning by a local bakery, so you really can’t go wrong. If you like sweets, though, the pain au chocolat is pretty amazing.”

“Thanks. I’ll take one.” Alya tugged out her wallet to dig out her card.

“Great! What’s your name?” Marinette paused, then nearly stumbled over her words when she added on, “So, um, so I can call you when it’s done, I mean.”

“Alya.” She passed over her card and hoped she wasn’t imagining that Marinette might actually be blushing. “Thanks.”

“Go ahead and take a seat.” Marinette passed her card back after running the payment through. “It should only be a minute.”

“Sure, no problem.” Alya tugged out her phone while she found a seat that offered the best view behind the counter. It was easy enough to sneak glances while she texted Nino about the woman she was already planning to marry.

NiNOT MY BF: seriously?

NiNOT MY BF: how long have you known her

ladyblogger: ...

Alya paused to watch Marinette glide through the kitchen with a clean cup for her coffee before she continued.

ladyblogger: the point is i met my future wife

NiNOT MY BF: congrats

NiNOT MY BF: do u know her name tho

ladyblogger: yes???

NiNOT MY BF: good

NiNOT MY BF: is she single

ladyblogger: she has to be

ladyblogger: after my morning hte universe owes me

The tap of ceramic on wood and the smell of fresh coffee recaptured her attention. Alya set down her phone and sent Marinette a smile. “Thanks!”

Marinette grinned and set down a plate with her freshly warmed pain au chocolat. “Enjoy!”

Alya watched her go, quietly enjoying the view, rather than her food, but once Marinette was out of sight, Alya reached for the cup to try it.

She nearly spat it back out once she tasted it.

NiNOT MY BF: thats not how the universe works al

ladyblogger: NINO

ladyblogger: she works at a cafe

ladyblogger: but

ladyblogger: this is literally THE WORST coffee ive ever had

NiNOT MY BF: is the marriage over already

ladyblogger: no??? i can make coffee

ladyblogger: marriage is abt compromise and MAKING SACRIFICES

NiNOT MY BF: whatever u say

Alya grimaced and stared down the food on her plate, almost afraid to taste it. After the bitter mess still stinging her tongue, she wasn’t sure she could trust anything Marinette brought her.

“How is it?” Marinette called from behind the counter.

Alya sighed and took the plunge, biting down on one edge and hoping for a miracle or a really, really good lie. “Whoa…” she murmured before taking a second, larger bite. “This is amazing!”

“I’m glad you like it!” Marinette scooped up a rag to wipe down a nearby table. “They’re actually from my family’s bakery. I made this batch myself.”

“Really?” Alya sank back in her seat. “It tastes great!”

“Thank you!”

ladyblogger: update

ladyblogger: she can bake

ladyblogger: im in love

NiNOT MY BF: u have my blessing

NiNOT MY BF: only if you get me free food tho

ladyblogger: not a chance

Alya took her time finishing her food, watching Marinette and the occasional customer while she pretended to study. She even considered skipping a class so she could stay longer, but she really couldn’t afford to miss it. “That was the perfect recommendation.” She stood and brought her dishes to the counter. “I’ll have to come back sometime.”

“Oh, sure.” And maybe Alya was projecting, but she could have sworn Marinette almost looked disappointed. “Do you want any coffee to go?”

“That’s okay,” Alya answered too quickly. “I probably need to cut back on the caffeine anyway.”

“Okay! Ummmm…” She ran her thumb over the edge of the cup, avoiding Alya’s eyes as she spoke, “You know, if you’re interested, we have a, uh… A discount club. We text you coupons if you give me, I mean,” She blushed and glanced at Alya, “Give us your number.”

“Yeah, sure.” Mainly because Alya really, really liked the idea of Marinette asking for her number for any reason whatsoever. She scribbled it down on a napkin and handed it to Marinette.

“Thanks.” Marinette hesitated, for a moment looking like she wanted to say something else, but then she shook her head and carried the dishes to the back.

“Sure! Thanks for the great breakfast!” Alya called on her way out the door.

“You, too!” Marinette answered with a wave.

Alya almost didn’t notice that her response didn’t make sense.

The next day, Alya slipped out of class early just so she could go visit the Ladybug Cafe. On the way to class, she’d definitely seen Marinette behind the counter again, and she hadn’t been able to think about anything else since.

“Morning!” Marinette called from the back. She peeked out and brightened when she saw Alya. “Hey! You came back!”

“I told you I would.” Alya leaned against the counter and waved. “Any recommendations for me today?”

“Well…” Marinette scanned the offering of baked goods at the end of the counter. “There’s some lavender macarons that are pretty impressive.”

“Did you make them?”

“No.”

“Not interested.” Alya had no plans to be even remotely subtle today. “What did you make?”

A smile tugged at the corners of Marinette’s lips. “I overslept today, so I just helped with the croissants.”

“I’ll take two.”

“For here?” Marinette asked as she rang it up.

“Please.”

On her third visit, Marinette hovered near her, cleaning tables and rearranging whatever happened to be close to Alya’s seat.

“So, are you a student near here?” Marinette finally asked.

“Yep.” Alya closed the book she’d been pretending to read. “Studying journalism. How about you?”

“Well, I’m saving up some money while I decide what to study.” She polished the end of a table that was already gleaming. “My mom suggested business, since I’ve been so helpful with their bakery, and my partner said I should study design since it’s my childhood dream, but I’m not even sure if I still like it.”

Alya stopped listening the second she heard it. All at once, all the lovely dreams about waking up next to Marinette and bringing her excellent coffee while Marinette baked delicious breakfasts came crashing down. “Partner?”

“Oh!” Marinette waved a hand. “No, not that kind of… I mean, business partner. Adrien and I are friends.”

And just like that the wedding bells were ringing again. “Ohhh!” Alya relaxed and leaned forward. “You know, you can sit if you want.”

“Well, I should…” Marinette glanced at the door, then back to Alya. “It is time for my break.”

Apparently breaks for cafe partners lasted hours, because Alya only realized the time after she missed half her afternoon lecture.

By the fifth visit, Marinette stopped pretending to clean and simply rang Alya up and joined her.

“You have how many sisters?”

Alya shook her head. “Honestly? Too many. It must be nice being an only child.”

“I don’t know.” Marinette smiled. “I think it would have been nice to have a sister.”

“Trust me.” Alya sighed dramatically. “I don’t know what was worse, when they borrowed my stuff without asking or when they decided to embarrass me in front of my first crush.”

Marinette laughed. “Okay, maybe not those parts, but having someone to talk to and ask advice. I mean, I could usually go to my mom, but… you know.”

“Well, I guess that part’s not so bad.” Alya nodded. “Besides, Ella and Etta are such a handful right now, mom doesn’t have time to hound me about grades, so that’s a plus.”

“Now I’m really jealous!” Marinette drooped forward. “My parents are worried and keep asking about my plans. I don’t have plans. I’m just trying to figure something out.”

“Tell me about it.” Alya rolled her eyes. “Alya, when are you going to settle down? Oh, I don’t know, maybe when I meet someone interesting.”

“Is that all you’re looking for?” Marinette teased.

“Well…” Alya let her voice trail off while she looked Marinette over. “Not the only thing. I have high standards.”

Marinette blushed, but she still managed to raise a brow and shoot back, “You’re not the only one.”

“Really? So, you-”

The door opened behind them, startling them out of their conversation. “Sorry,” Marinette murmured as she rushed back to the counter. “How can I help you?”

By the time she came back, the moment had passed, and Alya left an hour later, still internally raining curses down on the unfortunate man that interrupted them.

By the tenth visit, Nino was curious.

“So, you still haven’t asked her out yet?”

Alya scowled. “I’m going to. The timing just wasn’t right.”

“Right, but you’ve gone every day for two weeks?”

“Almost.”

“And you still haven’t asked her out,” Nino repeated.

“Listen, I’m in it for the long haul. I’m willing to wait. Marriage isn’t something you rush into.”

He chuckled. “Okay, but you still don’t even have her number.”

“Shut up,” she shot back. “At least I’m talking to my crush.”

“Rude,” he grumbled.

“You earned it.” She turned the corner and saw the cafe across the street. “I’m here. I’ll call you with an update later.”

“Oh, good. I can’t wait,” he muttered before she had the chance to hang up on him.

“Morning!” Alya called when she walked through the door. She froze when she saw who was behind the counter. “You’re...not Marinette.”

The blond behind the counter paused and looked over at her. “No? She’s off today. I can…” Suddenly, he grinned. “Wait, let me guess. You’re Alya?”

She raised a brow. “You are?”

“Adrien.”

“Oh, the business partner.” Maybe it was a little petty to put unnecessary emphasis on the business part of business partner, but he’d single handedly ruined her day, so she felt a little pettiness was justified.

“Marinette hasn’t stopped talking about you.”

That caught her attention. “She hasn’t?”

“Nope.” He chuckled.

“Well, in that case, maybe you could do me a favor and tell me where to find her.”

He shook his head. “I’m not sure. She keeps her phone on her if you want to ask her yourself, though.”

“I...don’t exactly have her number.”

“You don’t? Well,” Adrien pulled out his phone. “It’s…” He paused, then a positively wicked look lit up his eyes. “You know, I just remembered I need to deal with a delivery in the back.” He tapped the screen a few times, then handed her his phone. “Here’s her number.”

Except it wasn’t Marinette’s number. It was her messaging history with Adrien. At least, Alya assumed the contact named “scroll up, Alya” was Marinette.

give the puns agreste: It’s fine. I’ll cover for you.

scroll up, alya: i cant

scroll up, alya: ill miss hre

Alya did exactly what he suggested. Not that she needed the permission, since she would have done it anyway, but the message meant Nino wouldn’t have a reason to try and make her feel about it when she called him later. In fact, she scrolled all the way up to the day she first met Marinette.

scroll up, alya: im in love

scroll up, alya: i know customers are off limits?? But

give the puns agreste: I never said that.

scroll up, alya: good because i met the future mrs dupain-cheng

Alya laughed, half out of relief that Marinette definitely liked her too and half because apparently they were even more perfect for each other than she could have imagined.

scroll up, alya: i made up a rewards program so i could get her number

scroll up, alya: hope thats okay

give the puns agreste: Did it work?

scroll up, alya: sort of

scroll up, alya: i didnt give her mine

“Yeah, no kidding,” Alya grumbled, almost regretting that she didn’t find a reason to ask.

give the puns agreste: Can’t you text her?

scroll up, alya: no!!! then shell know!!

give the puns agreste: Know what?

scroll up, alya: that i made it up!!!

scroll up, alya: plus she said thanks for the food

scroll up, alya: and i might hve said you too

scroll up, alya: so theres that

give the puns agreste: Really? That sounds...

give the puns agreste: pawkward

scroll up, alya: shut up adrien

scroll up, alya: dont mock my pain with puns

She chuckled and scrolled past conversation about things to reorder for the cafe, only pausing when she caught sight of her name.

scroll up, alya: alya came back!!!!!!!!

give the puns agreste: Did you get her number?

scroll up, alya: she just walked in

scroll up, alya: not yet

The next text was a few hours later.

scroll up, alya: id idnt get her number

scroll up, alya: *didnt

give the puns agreste: Why not?

scroll up, alya: got distracted by her face

scroll up, alya: and her hair

scroll up, alya: and her laugh

scroll up, alya: and all of her

give the puns agreste: Wow. You really like her

scroll up, alya: im marrying her

scroll up, alya: of course i do

Alya read through the rest of the conversations, and to say the entire experience was a confidence boost would be a serious understatement. Marinette was easily as enamored as Alya, which meant only one thing.

unknown number: wanna get dinner?

unknown number: this is alya btw

unknown number: adrien gave me your number

Alya only had to wait for a moment before she received an answer

future wife: yes!!!