#the croissant to my hot chocolate

[shadyteacup]

for your birthday i was originally gonna send a letter a day like "H" one day "A" the next until i spelt happy birthday but. i didnt know if youd appreciate that

AWWW

I appreciate anything and everything you do bb!

I’m just so happy that you wished! Or that you took time off to remember! I’m so grateful and I love you so much!!

[expelliarmus]

[stim-cat-cafe]

Shota Aizawa Icons

Requested by anon

[lauragabrielle]

ig: thelauragabrielle

[tirfpikachu]

i am so woozy from brainfog oof ough urgh

[ghostbonetv]

Oh man guys almost just died infront of all my friends that would've been embarrassing

[nmakii]

strayed from the main idea of this drabble… oops.

sae itoshi, who loves calling his girl ‘amorcita’. that’s fine, and all. it’s romantic, but he likes calling you his princess much more.

princess is more than just a pet name to him though. because to him, you’re truly a princess, graceful and beautiful despite your faults; someone who deserves to be given the world. he’d go to the ends of the earth to find something that doesn’t exist if you asked him to find it.

it’s not much of an exaggeration when you say that he’s down bad.

he is— he’s just very good at hiding it. he doesn’t boast about you loudly in the ways that someone like that devil— shidou— might, but he instead manages to offhandedly relate any conversation topic to you.

oddly enough, the only other time sae’s ever as talkative or passionate about something other than football, is when he’s talking about you.

that additional time where aiku asked shidou why he was making funny faces in the locker room? after that, sae mentioned, “my princess makes weird faces too. when she’s sleeping, her cheek is always pressed up to me, and it leaves a red mark in the morning. and, she can never manage to keep her mouth closed when she’s asleep. once, i was able to feed her while she was asleep.” and he sighed, silently smiling at the funny memory.

in his first interview after going public with you as his girlfriend, he immediately jumped at the opportunity to mention you. he had always thought that these interviews were an unnecessary hassle. he’s a good football player, and he’ll let his work speak for itself. “right! soo… sae, how are you adjusting to your new team?” the interviewer asks. sae thinks for a moment, his lower lip raising in a slight pout as he thinks of how to answer. “…the center forward has incredible dribbling skills, i’ll admit that. but, his shot range and goal chance percentage are awful. the rate at which he can score goals is still lukewarm.” he sighs disappointedly, “the best striker in the world seems to have not had his awakening yet. it’s annoying, but the city isn’t so bad. there’s a french bakery near my apartment that my princess and i like to frequent. she loves those flaky croissants with chocolate in them— pain au chocolat, but i tend to just get their house black coffee.” he’s recalling your typical order as if it’s the back of his hand, and the flow of his speech is much more relaxed than when he had been speaking about his new team.

and at this point, the interviewer is confused. “pardon… your ‘princess’?” he repeats, trying to confirm what he heard. sae nods, “yes, my princess; my girlfriend. she really likes those chocolate croissants. she eats about a fourth of it in just one bite. and when some hot chocolate from the inside burns her on the lip, she complains a bit and asks me to kiss it better. it’s really cheesy on her part, but i guess i don’t mind if it’s for her.” even sae doesn’t know just what he’s saying. he didn’t mean to reveal this much about how he feels. …yet, here he was, going on like a pining gentleman in love, and remembering how the softness of your lips felt against his as the piping hot chocolate pressed and stuck onto his lips as well.

in his eyes, you’re as close to perfection as there ever will be. it didn’t matter whether or not your physical appearance changed, or if you suddenly decided to change your career path— as long as you stayed as who you are, he’d be at your side.

and to be worthy of such a perfect human being; his princess. he has to become a king— a king of the field. one who domineers the field with his spatial awareness alone, and passes to the one who can keep up with his vision; the greatest egoist. that’s who he needs to become in order to earn your love; to become worthy of being the one that gets to love you every day and every night.

but even so, it’d still never be enough for him. you always make him want to push his limits further, and show you just how amazing he is.

sae’s really down bad for his princess.

[harryslittlefreakk]

recipe for disaster

summary: y/n is a stubborn, clumsy baker and harry is a stubborn, overbearing firefighter

warnings: none!

wordcount: 4k

a/n: hi my friends 💐 this is basically just setting up the story lolll it was meant to be longer but who has the time for that!! stay tuned for part 2 <3

masterlist 🫶🏼

Nothing felt better than a warm shower after a long day. Steam swirled all around you, the hot water pounding away the day’s fatigue - the morning rush, the non-stop hum of the mixers, the relentless work to keep trays filled with gingerbread men and warm cinnamon rolls.

You had always been proud of the bakery. The satisfaction of seeing customers bite into your creations - it was all yours. Every flaky croissant, every gooey cinnamon roll, every crusty loaf bore the unmistakable mark of your hands.

And that’s why, no matter how many times Claire told you to hire some more help, you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. “You can’t keep this up alone,” she’d said in mid-October, standing in the doorway of the kitchen while you worked. You were wrist-deep in bread dough, kneading away as though the flour had wronged you.

“I’m fine,” you’d replied, the words curt and clipped. “It’s my kitchen. I’ve got it under control.”

Claire didn’t look convinced. She never did. “Christmas is coming, y/n. Orders are already piling up, and it’s not even December. This is too much for one person.”

You waved her off, refusing to look up. “I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again.”

But you hadn’t done it like this before. Back then, the bakery wasn’t so popular. There weren’t stacks of orders for holiday cakes, tins of cookies, and towers of Christmas pies. There wasn’t the constant pressure of phone calls and emails asking if you could squeeze in “just one more order.”

By the time December rolled around, you were drowning.

The days started earlier and ended later, the hours slipping away as you raced to keep up. You woke in darkness, stumbling into the bakery before the sun rose. Your hands ached from kneading, your back throbbed from bending over the ovens, and your head buzzed with the endless list of things to do. And yet, you’d refused to admit you needed help.

“I’m worried about you,” Claire had said one night, her voice soft but firm. She stood in the doorway of the kitchen again, watching as you haphazardly piped frosting onto yet another tray of sugar cookies. Your shoulders were slumped, your apron streaked with berry juice and chocolate.

“I’m fine,” you’d mumbled, though even you didn’t believe it.

“You’re not fine. You’re exhausted. You’re going to make mistakes.”

“I’m fine,” you snapped, louder than you meant to. The words echoed in the kitchen, the air growing heavy. Claire didn’t reply. She just shook her head and left you to your chaos.

She was right. You knew she was right. And you knew that she’d snitch to your brother, who’d stop by to ask why you weren’t listening to his wife. Only to be followed by your parents, who’d ask why you weren’t listening to your brother.

They only cared for your well-being. They wanted you to succeed as much as you wanted to succeed. But you didn’t remember a time when the bakery wasn’t your baby. It had been your dream, your refuge, and your pride all wrapped into one - a living, breathing extension of yourself. The idea of sharing that, of letting someone else touch what you had built, felt like carving off a piece of your soul.

You squeezed your eyes shut until the screams of voices and thoughts were tiny whispers in the back of your mind, letting the water cascade over you, enveloping you in its warmth. The sound of the spray drowned out the noise in your head, a momentary reprieve from the chaos of orders, burnt loaves, and your own stubborn pride. For a few minutes, there was nothing but the water, the steam curling around you, and the faint rhythm of your breathing as you tried to piece yourself back together.

Every muscle ached, but the heat soothed it all into blissful numbness. It was pure paradise - at least until a rock came flying through your bathroom window, shattered glass crashing all over your tiles. What the fuck?

You turned the shower off with shaking hands, adrenaline coursing through your body. The cold winter air filled the room quickly, the evening wind whistling through the smashed pane.

You slipped your robe on with a groan, the fleece clinging to your damp skin.

That’s when the sound reached you - the incessant wailing of the smoke alarm from downstairs. Your stomach dropped. The bakery.

You’d sworn to be more switched on, to actually check the ovens before you retreated to your apartment. But the days were long, and your brain was goo by the time you waved the last customers out of the door.

The floors were wet beneath your feet as you slipped and skidded down the stairs, your mind cycling through every possibility of what would await you. A burglar who decided to commit arson? Your entire kitchen alight? The flower store next door burned to the ground, your beloved bakery an unfortunate casualty?

You reached for the light switch tentatively, your eyes landing on a curl of dark smoke seeping from the oven door. The entire bakery was dim, your soft lighting no match for the cloud hanging over the room.

That fucking deafening beeping was doing nothing to calm you down. You grabbed the broom, jabbing at the smoke alarm, and of course, missing the button every time, your hands shaking as the panic turned to adrenaline in your veins. Your free hand flapped wildly under the sensor, desperately trying to just Stop. The. Beeping.

“Hello? Let me in!”

A deep, husky man’s voice. The same man who was also pounding on your front door, his face pressed up against the glass.

If good things came in threes, how many bad things were you supposed to get at one time?

Your priorities might have been skewed, as they usually were, but getting rid of the axe murderer at your door was suddenly the most important thing in the world to you.

You charged towards the door, broom still in hand, throwing it open with a noise not too far from a growl. “It’s really not ideal for you to murder me right now! Come back later,” you shouted over the smoke alarm.

“I’m not- what?”

Okay, the murderer had a hot voice. But he was still a murderer. You pushed the door closed with your shoulder, but he wedged his shoe in the doorway, halting your attempt to shut him out. You glared down at the offending foot, your grip on the broom tightening.

"Look, I'm just trying to help," he said, holding his hands up. "I’m a firefighter. Saw smoke pouring out of your oven.”

“Help with what, exactly?” you shot back, trying to ignore the way his broad shoulders filled the doorway, or how his green eyes sparkled with the thrill of, presumably, rescuing reckless strangers. “Didn’t know firefighters made house calls.”

“Only the off-duty ones with nothing better to do,” he replied, a hint of a grin tugging at his mouth. "Now, can I come in and shut that alarm off for you, or are you planning to fight it out with your smoke detector all night?"

Reluctantly, you let go of the door, allowing him to step inside. He wasted no time reaching up to the beeping menace, silencing it with a practiced jab at the button. You couldn’t help but notice the sleeves of his t-shirt tighten around his arms as he reached up, the sliver of tattooed skin poking out from above his belt.

"Thanks," you muttered, crossing your arms as he looked back to you, his eyes sweeping over your chaotic kitchen, over your clearly naked body, and then back to your face, as if assessing the full scene. The corners of his lips quirked up as he turned to the oven, waving a hand at the remaining smoke.

You sighed, letting the last of your defenses fall. “You’re really not going to murder me, are you?”

"Not today," he chuckled, a low, warm sound that filled the small space. Your eyes caught on the way his strong hands moved, sure and gentle as he maneuvered around your kitchen. You leaned against the counter, pretending you weren’t staring at the way his arms flexed under the faded fabric.

He caught you looking, and to your utter embarrassment, he gave a small grin. “So… what exactly was this supposed to be?" he asked, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he stepped closer, holding the charred remains of whatever had been inside.

“Oh shit. Mrs Fuller’s birthday cake,” you groaned, rubbing a hand over your face. “I completely forgot I was baking that.” Great. Just another obstacle in the way of your early night.

“Hey, sorry about the window,” he murmured.

“Hm?” you asked, your voice distant, not really processing his words.

“The window,” he repeated, gesturing upward, your gaze following his hand to the ceiling. “Was only trying to get your attention,” he continued, his voice dipping into something apologetic. “Didn’t mean to break it.”

You shook your head, finally dragging your focus back to the mess in front of you. “It’s whatever,” you muttered, keeping your tone neutral, though your chest ached with the effort. “Just another point on my to-do list. Thanks for…” You gestured vaguely at the bakery, your voice trailing off.

“I can come by and fix it,” he offered, his voice tentative, like he wasn’t sure if you’d bite his head off or accept the help.

“I can do it,” you snapped, your words sharper than you intended. The burning behind your eyes grew stronger, and you could feel your control slipping. You needed him to leave, needed the space to let the tears spill over before they choked you entirely.

When you glanced up, you saw the change in his expression. The slight upturn of his lips faltered and turned into a somber frown. He looked at you like he wanted to ask something but thought better of it.

“Sorry,” you mumbled quickly, the heat of guilt flushing your face. “I’ve got it covered. Thanks, though.”

For a moment, he stood there, his weight shifting from one foot to the other. He glanced between you and the broken cake, the smoke still lingering above, and something in his eyes softened. He looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it, nodding instead.

“Alright,” he said, his voice quiet, almost reluctant. “But if you change your mind…”

“I won’t,” you cut in, desperate now. “It’s fine.”

He hesitated, his brow knitting tighter as if he wanted to say something else, but after a moment, he nodded. "Alright. If you’re sure."

You nodded back, barely looking at him, your arms crossed tightly over your chest as if holding yourself together. The silence between you stretched until, mercifully, he turned and walked away.

The door creaked slightly as it began to close behind him, the faint sound of his trainers scuffing against the floor fading. You thought that was the end of it, but then the footsteps stopped. For a moment, the room held its breath, the silence pressing down like the weight in your chest.

Then, the door eased back open, just enough for him to lean his head inside. His dark eyes met yours, hesitant but determined, like he wasn’t sure if this was a mistake but decided to do it anyway.

“Harry,” he said, his voice soft but clear as it cut through the stillness. He lingered there in the doorway, his hand resting on the frame, his shoulders tense as though bracing for rejection. “That’s my name. Harry.”

The corners of his mouth twitched, not quite a smile but not far from it. You blinked at him, caught off guard by the sudden reappearance, the unexpected vulnerability in the way he said it. He waited, his eyes searching your face for some kind of response.

Your lips curved, just barely, into a weak but genuine smile. “Harry,” you repeated softly, like you were trying the name on for size. Then you added, “I’m…” Your voice faltered for a split second, but you pressed on, offering him your name in return. “Y/n.”

A spark of something warm flickered in his eyes, a hint of relief mingled with curiosity. He nodded once, as if committing it to memory, before straightening up and gripping the edge of the door.

And then he was gone.

You let out a shaky breath, leaning back against the counter. Your knees felt weak, your chest tight, and the dam you’d been holding back began to crack. You stared at the mess around you, the cake you’d worked so hard on reduced to a heap of blackened crumbs, the endless pile of orders still waiting for you, and the tears you’d been fighting finally broke free.

It wasn’t just the window. It wasn’t just the cake. It was everything. The weight of trying to do it all alone, the exhaustion that clung to you like a second skin, the constant feeling that no matter how hard you worked, it was never enough.

You slid down to the floor, your back against the counter, letting the sobs come. For a moment, you allowed your emotions to swallow you, the frustration, the helplessness, the crushing loneliness. But even as you cried, part of you knew this couldn’t keep happening. Something had to give.

You pulled out your phone, typing a quick text to Claire. we’ll start looking for help tomorrow. promise.

You didn’t know how long you sat there, slumped against the counter, staring blankly at the mess surrounding you. The tears had stopped at some point, leaving behind a dull ache in your chest and the gritty sensation of salt drying on your cheeks. But soft rapping on the door pulled you out of your misery.

Wiping at your face with unsteady hands, you forced yourself to your feet, every movement feeling heavier than the last. When you opened the door, there he was: Harry, standing in the dim light, his arms full of cardboard, duct tape, and what looked like sheets of plastic.

“What are you doing?” you asked, your voice raw and quieter than you’d meant it to be.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he nudged his way past you into the bakery, not waiting for permission, and glanced down at the materials in his arms. “You can’t leave the window broken in this cold,” he said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Harry, it’s fine—” you began, stepping toward him, but he cut you off without looking up.

“It’s not fine,” he said firmly, his voice calm but resolute.

You stared at him for a moment, his gaze hard as he looked back at you.

“Come on. Help me with this window,” he murmured, waiting for you to lead the way upstairs. When you didn’t move, he shifted the materials in his arms, freeing up his right hand before reaching out and pulling at your wrist.

It sent a chill straight through you, sharp and unexpected.

You froze for a second, your breath catching in your throat. His touch was fleeting, a playful tug, but it left behind a heat that spread across your skin, unbidden and unwelcome. You pulled your hand back too quickly, clutching it to your side as if it had been burned, though the sensation was far from painful.

He didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t say anything. He kept waiting, his focus unwavering, but you couldn’t say the same.

There was a hum beneath your ribs now, something restless and alive, thrumming just below the surface. Attraction. You recognized it immediately, though you almost wished you didn’t. It didn’t make sense. You barely knew this man. He wasn’t someone you’d invited into your world, not really, and yet here he was - ready to fix your window, trying to fix your life, filling your space, making you feel something you hadn’t expected and didn’t know how to handle.

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to push it down, to smother the thought before it took root. It was nothing. A moment. A reaction to being exhausted, overwhelmed, and vulnerable. But when he turned to look at you, his gaze steady and clear, it was all you could do to keep your knees from buckling.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice low and soft, and you swore you could feel it reverberate somewhere deep inside you.

“Fine,” you said too quickly, your voice tight and uneven. You cleared your throat, pushing past him to the stairs. “I’ll show you the bathroom, but I need to get started on redoing this cake,” you told him, cocking your head back towards the kitchen.

Harry raised his eyebrows, the ghost of a smirk on his lips. “No.”

His hand pressed into your lower back, pushing you closer to the stairs. “I know better than anyone that being tired in the kitchen is a bad idea. When does Mrs. Fuller need her cake?”

“Tomorrow evening,” you mumbled, hesitating as your toes hovered over the first step. Your voice was low, almost apologetic, but the weariness that gripped you made it impossible to summon anything stronger.

“Then you can deal with it tomorrow,” Harry said firmly, cutting off any protest before it could begin. His tone softened just slightly as he added, “After you’ve had a full night’s sleep.”

You turned back to face him, scowling instinctively. You were used to handling things on your own, not being told what to do, no matter how reasonable the suggestion might be. “You’re kind of overbearing, you know that?”

Harry only grinned, his expression as maddeningly charming as ever. “Wouldn’t be doing my duty if I wasn’t.” The hand on your lower back nudged you gently, urging you up the stairs as if you were a stubborn child refusing to go to bed.

You bit down on your lower lip, the indents of your teeth starting to feel like a permanent feature. As much as Harry was overstepping, he was clearly just as stubborn as you were, and it felt good to have someone forcibly taking care of you - not backing off in the hopes that you’d come around to their suggestions.

“In here,” you murmured when you reached the top of the stairs, an icy chill already filling your apartment. “I’m sure you can work out which one it is.”

You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror as Harry slipped past you, your heart almost stopping as you realised for the first time that you were still just in your robe, a deep flush creeping up your cheeks, the scarlet heat of embarrassment burning through you just as Harry’s gaze flicked back toward you. His eyes swept over you briefly, lingering for only a moment at the hem of the robe before he cleared his throat and turned away.

“I’ve got it from here,” he said quietly, his voice steady and measured as he moved toward the window. He nudged a shard of glass away from your bare feet before giving you a pointed look. “Go on.”

You hesitated, torn between retreating to your bedroom and stubbornly insisting on staying. Ultimately, the embarrassment won out. You turned quickly, rushing to your room, your mind racing as that small, insistent voice in the back of your head screamed at you to not pull on your ratty old pajamas.

And yet, despite the voice, that’s exactly what you did. A threadbare cotton t-shirt and a pair of faded sweatpants found their way onto your body as you sat heavily on the edge of the bed, cradling your face in your hands.

There was a man in your bathroom, a man who quite clearly only wanted to help you - the same man you’d practically forcibly removed from the property. The same man that was causing some sort of chemical imbalance within you.

You’d have to grovel if you ever wanted to see him again - as if he’d ever want to see you again. You’d done nothing but snap at him and act like he was inconveniencing you.

Harry had seen you at your worst, your very worst, and you weren’t entirely sure you owed yourself the chance for him to see you at your best.

But you wanted him to.

You shook your head, forced yourself back to your feet and padded toward the bathroom. You stopped in the doorway, stunned, as he worked quickly, fitting cardboard over the shattered glass, layering plastic sheets on top, securing everything with careful strips of tape.

“I could’ve done it,” you muttered after a moment, your voice shaking despite yourself.

He glanced back at you briefly, his strong hands still busy with the repair, a smirk on those taunting lips. “Maybe. But you didn’t.”

You didn’t know what to say to that, so you stayed quiet, staring at the makeshift patch and the man who had put it together. The tightness in your chest eased slightly, though a storm of inner turmoil was brewing.

“Thanks,” you said finally, the word coming out soft and uneven.

He nodded, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Don’t mention it.” He hesitated, glancing at you with a look that felt entirely too knowing. “You should take a break,” he said, his voice gentler now. “Get some rest, maybe. You look... worn out.”

You huffed a weak laugh, though it sounded more like a scoff. “Gee, thanks,” you said, trying to mask the lump rising in your throat.

He flashed you that dimpled grin, straightening up as he placed the last strip of tape on the window.

“That’ll hold for now. But you’ll need to get it sorted properly before the weather turns,” Harry murmured, stepping back to admire his handiwork.

You followed him back downstairs, reiterating that yes, you’d get it sorted. Yes, you’d stay out of the kitchen that night. Yes, you’d double check how to work your alarms. Yes, you’d double check the ovens before you went upstairs. No, you didn’t want your business and home to burn down.

He turned to you when he reached the door, his green eyes laced with sincerity. “Take care of yourself, y/n. Seriously.”

And then he was gone, leaving behind a patched window and an unsettling quiet. But for once, you couldn’t find a reason not to follow the advice given to you. You were exhausted, and suddenly desperate to dream of the firefighter who’d all but swept you off your feet.

thank you so much for reading 🤍

taglist: @angeldavis777 @softestqueeen @jerseygirlinca @palmettogal508 @drewsephrry @austiebuttbutt @indigo24hughes @peterparkerbae @im-an-overthinker r @daphnesutton @loveableidioticweirdo @tenaciousperfectionunknown @swag13r @ashleighsss @tswiftsgf @chesthairrry @nikkisimps @hannah9921 @lilfreakjez @prettygurl-2009 @s-h-e-l-b-e-e @indierockgirrl @cicicavill7 @cohnfusedarling @ell0ra-br3kk3r @stylesfever @stylesbrock @harry-nialllover @triski73 @meetmeintheemeraldpool @harryshousewitnessprotection @danaehldy @fairytale07 @storyschanging @wannaliveinparadise e @mrs-anna-styles211994 @mema10 @fangirl509east @devilsqueen722 @harrrrystylesslut @panini @fruity-harry @lorat-o @savannahwendel @carolinaastyles @mads3502

[kmgkmg]

BOYS FROM MARS - CHOI SEUNGCHEOL

word count: 2.9k…

pairing: seungcheol x gn!reader

synopsis: you've sworn off men for the month of february, but you also might've fallen for the local cafe's baker two weeks into the month.

genre/s: fluff, non-idol!au, baker!seungcheol, ceramicist!seungcheol, strangers-to-lovers

warnings: does include mentions of wonwoo and dino together, but nothing happens.

rating: pg

a/n: dedicated to my favorite scoups stan @jasminecha <3 also a submission for k-vanity's love in the mix event! the full playlist can be listened to here. songs that inspired this fic the most include:

saturn by sza // universe by thủy // lucky by raveena // sunny days by wave to earth // never tell by luke chiang

“I swear,” you sigh to your friends, “life’s got to be better on Saturn.”

Between the messy situationships you got trapped in and the endless amount of male celebrities that got involved in scandals, you realized one thing. Well, you knew it a long time ago, it’s just been re-emphasized as of late. Men aren’t shit! 

Valentine’s Day weekend came and went, with you successfully continuing your man-detox.

Your form of treating yourself on the Sunday after was grabbing boba with your friends. Jasmine tea with herbal jelly always healed you, and after the crappy week you had you were ready to recharge. Some sweet treats to go along with the drinks were an obvious choice as well, including the cafe’s famous egg tarts.

“Boys are from Mars, blah blah. You say all that but haven’t you been looking towards the kitchen since we sat down…” your friend Yeri observed, causing you to snap your head in her direction. 

“Okay, but he is uncharacteristically hot for our town, right?” You frown, looking back at the man who hadn’t yet noticed your burning gaze.

A cafe recently opened downtown and you wanted to check it out ever since their TikToks worked their way into your algorithm. Who could turn down cronuts (croissant donuts) with fillings sounding as yummy as ube pandan, black sesame oreo, and dark chocolate rose? You ordered roughly fifteen minutes ago, but knew you were going to have to wait due to the amount of people in the store. What you didn’t expect was for the baker to be so attractive. Sure, the baristas and other staff are also very attractive, but something about the baker and his arms being so muscular made you lose focus. Not only that, he somehow managed to be so attuned to his work that he was oblivious to the amount of people drawn to him. He has to be from out of town, you think to yourself.

You finally shifted your gaze from the poor man just doing his job as he kneaded more dough, turning back to your friends. Your childhood friend, Wonwoo, was still stuck on the barista who greeted y’all. Yeri scuffed at the two of you, unable to believe her friends’ lack of self control.

“Some detoxes aren’t meant to be completed.” Wonwoo shrugs, getting up from his seat after hearing his name called by the barista who took your names earlier, Chan. He seemed similar to your ages, definitely the youngest of the people working at the cafe. He was definitely the type Wonwoo went for. Wonwoo flashed a bright smile, shifting his weight to lean closer to Chan. As he handed his phone to him, your friend and you rolled your eyes at his predictability. And then there were two…

The three of you had sworn off men for the entire month, a feat that would usually be completely achievable. Yet, after finishing your boba you were wavering ever so slightly. The mystery man continues his work, now sporting some flour on his face. Certainly that was an accident, but it only made him look hotter than before. After another five minutes Wonwoo’s and Yeri’s cronuts came out and you stared at your plate where only crumbs remained. Ordering another dessert to share isn’t the worst idea, you nod to yourself, eyes glued to the giant fruit tart in the display case. You ask your friends if they’d be down to share and they agree instantly. Almost too eager. You push your chair from the table, heading towards the counter to order. You turn back to Wonwoo and Yeri, wanting to confirm the order but see them giving you thumbs up and winking. Your face twists into confusion, before turning back as the hot baker walks to the cash register to take your order. You need to get out of this cafe.

Avoiding the cafe proved to be much harder than anticipated. The night you first visited you brought home some egg tarts, happy to share with your loved ones. Little did you expect that your entire household would fall in love with the tarts as well. You became the assigned tart buyer, stopping by the cafe to grab a four-pack nearly every day. A four-pack only cost $6, something that was unheard of in this economy. Besides the inexpensive tarts, frequenting the cafe so much did have its perks. One, for example, was that you were fast in filling up the punch card and now were two visits from a free drink. Another, coincidentally, was interacting more with the cafe’s baker, whose name you learned is Seungcheol. 

“Did you see we’re supposed to get more snow next weekend?” He attempts to make small talk, grabbing the tarts for you and packing them away. 

You hum a ‘mhm’ before reaching into your bag for your wallet. You were attempting to distance yourself from him, to let a crush die out as a crush, but he made it more difficult each time with his efforts in small talk. Why did his voice have to be so nice to hear?

“You’re good, Y/N, it’s on the house.” The familiar angelic voice interrupts your thoughts.  

You felt your face heat up as you heard him say your name. You shake your hands fervently, “No, it’s okay I can pay.” 

“I know you can, but at this point I think you’re the number one customer for these tarts. Are they that good?”

Your brows furrow at his question, “Are you kidding me? They’re so delicious, I mean the custard filling itself is not too sweet but still has a hint of vanilla in it and I taste the smallest amount of… almond?”

“Yes! That’s my secret, it’s like a few drops to each batter, but I didn’t know others could taste the difference as well.”

“It definitely makes a difference! Not to mention the crust is absolute perfection, it’s sturdy enough to last multiple bites but still soft to bite down on…” You trail off, becoming self-conscious of your food ramblings. 

Seungcheol doesn’t notice your inner turmoil, but his eyes light up at your words. “You’re so much better than Chan or Mingyu when it comes to expressing your thoughts on the food! I will spend hours working on a new recipe for them to take one bite and say, ‘it’s tasty, Cheol’. It drives me insane!” 

You nod, surprised by his extroverted personality. Unable to match the energy on this Wednesday morning, you do your best and manage to give him a faint smile before grabbing the bag that sat on the counter. 

“Well, thank you for the free tarts, Cheol.” You hold up the bag, before leaving the shop. 

“Anytime!” 

As the bells at the top corner of the door rang out, Seungcheol watched your figure walk away from the cafe. He let out the breath he had been holding, placing his hand on the countertop. With his free hand, he grabs his half full cup of coffee, taking sips to cool down. Anytime? Wait did you just say Cheol?

“He’s single, you know?” Chan raised his eyebrows your way, as he whispered Seungcheol’s dating status for the table to hear. Chan’s shift ended thirty minutes ago and he and Wonwoo were already extremely cozy and used to each other’s presence. Wonwoo would not stop blowing up the group chat to give every update to their relationship as the days went on from the fateful first day y’all visited the cafe. 

“It’s still February, you know?” You retort, eyes still glued to the baker. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Yeri dismisses you. 

She knew it was only a matter of time for the two of you to get together. Chan made a separate group chat excluding you to devise a plan to get the two of you together. He revealed Seungcheol would check the door each time a customer came in, then look dejected each time it wasn’t you. Not to mention, he usually only worked one or two days of the week, but his hours increased in hopes of seeing you again. Long story short: neither of you were making the first move and it was driving everyone insane. 

A familiar melody played through the cafe’s speaker’s, causing your ears to perk up. wave to earth? Your favorite band, the band whose concert is ingrained in your bones, wave to earth? Taking a picture of your uneaten egg tart, you vowed to upload a story with wave to earth as the background music when you got home. You continued the conversation with your friends, reducing the glances Seungcheol’s way to a minimum of once every five minutes. 

Around two hours passed, most customers cleared out leaving just your table and Seungcheol in the cafe. Your friends convinced you to talk to him once again. Before you could say anything, Seungcheol began the conversation. 

“Sorry. I, uh, noticed how excited you were when wave to earth’s music came on. The playlist that was playing all night was mine and I loved seeing your reactions to the music. I’m careful in asking this, but would you want to grab a meal sometime? You know, outside of this cafe and all.”

Your eyes softened as your body slowly let go of the tension you were unaware that you had. 

“I really enjoy running into you, Seungcheol. But, I am doing this ‘man detox’ where I’m trying not to be with anyone in February. I fall for people too easily and hopefully things will change.” You confess, grabbing your straw’s wrapper and throwing it in the waste bin on his left.

You wished he would go over this moment quickly, not wanting to fight his temptation and your true feelings for much longer. Sipping on your drink, you try your best to act nonchalant despite the butterflies in your stomach. 

“I don’t think you can fall for people too easily, it just means you love people sincerely. And that’s not anything that needs to be fixed.” He counters, jogging back behind the counter at the sound of the oven’s timer. 

You see Wonwoo, Chan, and Yeri walk out of the cafe, content with you finally having a long conversation with Seungcheol. Before you could reply, he continued speaking. 

“The bit about swearing men off for a whole month I understand. Lucky for me tomorrow’s the first day of March though.” He slyly informs, not breaking eye contact as he puts the hot pastries on the cooling rack.

You scrambled to find your phone buried in the bottom of your bag. Once you finally fished it out, you checked and double-checked the date…February 28th. Why are the days going by quicker and quicker?

“I didn’t mean to make you so flustered when I thought about asking you out, we can pretend this never happen-”

“No!” You surprise the two of you from your increased volume. 

Seungcheol chuckles before grabbing the ingredients to make frosting for tomorrow’s desserts. “Good, then how does next weekend work? I have a workshop to attend so I won’t be at the cafe for this next week. If you think it over and decide you don’t want to go, no worries. We can go back to a regular customer and baker relationship. If you do want to go out with me, here’s my number.” He explains, wiping his hands on his apron before grabbing a pen and writing his number on a blank punch card. 

“O-Okay, let me think about it,” you muster out. Tucking the card with Cheol’s number written on it in your pocket, you left the cafe. Confused was an understatement. 

You returned home and placed the tarts on the kitchen table before heading to your room. As you got ready for bed, you grabbed the punch card from your coat pocket. As if your hands had a mind of their own, his number was added to your contacts before you had time to think. Throwing yourself on your bed as you looked at his contact, you couldn’t help but feel giddy for next weekend. Tomorrow was the start of March after all. 

“So, you don’t just work at the cafe then.” You look around in amazement at the ceramic studio you were standing in, unable to imagine him as anything else than a baker. Now his muscular arms were making more sense.

“No, not at all. I only help out there since Mingyu is on vacation visiting his family. Oh, Mingyu is the shop owner by the way. But, if you look under any of the plates at the cafe, they have my initials on them.”

“Wait, so why are you such a good baker?”

“Lots of part-time jobs to support my family. You pick up a few things here and there.” He explains, grabbing a collection of ceramics for you to choose from.

Seungcheol treated you to lunch and the conversation flowed like the two of you knew each other for years. The date was going well, suspiciously well. But you tried to withhold your default thinking, wanting to believe in whatever connection the two of you had. 

“Would you like to try to make anything? A flower vase? A plate? A mug? It will take a while to get back to you since I share my kiln with another studio member, but I can expedite it.” He informs you, showing the different models of ceramics you could make. 

You look at your options, unable to decide as they all looked cute. 

After thinking for a while, you break the silence, “I do love flowers…” You decidedly point at the vase. 

“Flower vase it is.” He nods, sitting down and throwing clay onto the wheel before shifting and letting you take over. 

You could’ve sworn there was some reluctance in his movements. But once you looked back up at him, he moved his hands over yours to help you mold the vase into the shape you wanted. 

The two of you spent over an hour in the studio. Seungcheol was a good teacher, not getting frustrated at your mistakes, even though you knew he could sense your embarrassment. He’s kind. Realizing the sun was setting, he did the finishing touches on the vase, before running into a back room, telling you he had something to give you. 

As he left you alone for the moment, you looked outside to notice small white flakes falling from the sky. After admiring the view for a moment, his footsteps enter the room again, now he appeared with both of his hands behind his back. 

“Choose a hand.” 

You gesture to his left, to which he reveals a white rose. Seungcheol holds it out to you and you promptly wrap your fingers around the stem. 

You tilt your head trying to see what else he was hiding, “What about the other hand?”

He holds out another white rose, before looking outside and also noticing the snow. “Shoot,” he murmured under his breath before grabbing his messenger bag from the worktable. 

“It should be okay, the snow doesn’t look too heavy just yet,” You comfort him. Your eyes stay fixated on the flowers you’re holding, gently bringing them up to your face to smell them.

His voice calls for your attention, “Y/N.” 

As you look up to him, you feel shy once again as he puts the scarf around your neck. Instantly, you feel warm. Although, you are unsure if it was due to the scarf or the actions of the man in front of you. 

“It’s getting late, may I walk you home?” He asks, already putting his coat on and preparing for the cold. 

You look at him with surprise, not used to men with actual manners. You put your coat on as well, walking through the studio’s doors as he held it open. 

“That’s really sweet of you. If you do that though, I will never hear the end of it. Suddenly you’ll become my boyfriend and we’ll need to start planning our wedding out-”

“Our wedding, huh?” He smirks, holding his arm out for you to lean on as the sidewalk the two of you walked on became covered in ice. 

“I did not mean to say that part out loud.” You purse your lips together, mentally hitting yourself for unnecessarily rambling. 

“Let me at least walk you to the traffic lights then.”

“Deal.” 

The lights came far too quick, and you found yourself disappointed by the lack of distance between your house and the intersection. There were barely any cars outside. Everyone must be at home preparing for the weather, you thought to yourself. Soon enough, the two of you reached your agreed destination. Yet, you found it hard to let go of his arm. 

“Are you sure I can’t walk you home?” He softly offers again. 

“It’s truly okay! My house is not even a ten minute walk from here.”

He squints his eyes, slightly skeptical. “Then text me when you get home safe, okay?”

“Okay, I can do that! Thank you for everything today Cheol, I had an amazing time.” 

“Me too, Y/N.” 

The crosswalk light turns white, indicating you could walk. You wave goodbye, crossing before realizing you were still wearing his scarf. He was still watching you from the other side as the light began to flicker. 

“What should I do with your scarf?” You cup your hands around your mouth to project your voice. 

He grins big before mirroring you, “Just give it to me on our next date!”

[houseofceline]

My Pretty Girl - T.N.

Steal My Girl

Pairing: Ravenclaw and sort of ditzy but talented Reader x Slytherin notorious playboy Theodore Nott

Warnings: None (yet ;))

Summary: Theo's friends get to meet you for the first time.

&lt; 2

__________________

Perfect. 

You clapped your hands in satisfaction after taking a little study break to organize all your fabrics by color. The plan was originally to go to the dining hall to grab a quick snack, but your messy little studio set up in your dorm easily distracted you on the way out and made you change your plans. 

Your fingers flipped through the pages of your design sketchbook. A small smile formed on your face as you traced your sketches. 

Fashion. 

The only thing that you felt competent in. You didn’t have to try to make things look good. It was the only thing that came natural to you. You could plan an entire outfit for any occasion faster than you could even list the ingredients in a simple potion. You weren’t going to become a doctor like both of your parents, but you thought it’d be better to do something you’re good at rather than forcing yourself to study materials that you’ll never be able to understand. No matter how many times they tried to persuade, or threaten, you to change career paths, you never strayed far from your dreams. The dreams that kept you happy when you were scolded for wanting to stay home and draw instead of going with your father to work.

At least you will never have the chance to mess up a surgery. That would be worse than the invention of jeggings. 

The door swung open and your roommate walked in. You furrow your eyebrows upon her presence, wondering why she would be back so early from her date with Cedric. 

“How’d your date go?” You closed your design book and walked towards your bed before flopping onto it. 

So comfy. 

Cho sighed before rolling her eyes, “stupid last minute quidditch practice.” 

You giggled as your stomach growled. Maybe you should’ve gotten a snack before you decided to clean. 

“Dining hall?” Cho offered her arm out. 

You jumped up from your bed and happily skipped over to her and took her arm. 

“I’m famished,” You exclaimed in desperate need of having anything in your stomach after the oatmeal bowl for breakfast. 

“Me too, Cedric had promised me pastries from a bakery in Hogsmeade before I got canceled on,” Cho grumbled as the two of you walked in a pair towards the hall. 

Pastries. Croissants. Ugh you missed home. France has the best pastries. Now you were craving a chocolate croissant. Not that croissants are the only pastry in France. 

“Next ti- ow,” you rubbed your head after the harsh impact, stumbling a bit. 

“Watch where you’re going next time mate,” another boy came up and landed a harsh slap on his back. 

“I’m so sorry, are you okay?” The boy in front of you questioned frantically while trying to hide the fact that he was searching your head for any bruises. Theo might kill him if he made a bruise on his “pretty girl”. 

“I‘m okay,” you waved your hands in front of your face, kind of nervous that people were starting to look.

“Hello y/n,” The other boy came up and offered his hand out. 

You were confused on how he knew your name despite the fact that you didn’t know his, but still shook his hand. 

The boy chuckled at your confused looking expression. He could understand why Theo had called you pretty instead of his usual “she’s hot”s that the group would receive when talking about girls. 

“I’m Mattheo, Riddle,” he winked, “Nott’s friend. And this is Lorenzo.” 

You made an ‘ohh’ face in recognition but you remained surprised at the fact that you were even linked to him. 

Cho nudged your side. You looked over to her and was met with a raised eyebrow. You were as equally as confused as her. You and Theodore had only interacted once and it was during that one potions class, the day Cho had to skip due to sickness. You had no idea why his friends knew about you or were even talking to you.

But nonetheless you offered a warm smile towards the two boys, “nice to meet you.”  

“Nice to finally meet you too,” Lorenzo returned the gesture. You liked him, he seemed nice. 

Cho cleared her throat while clutching her stomach. You had forgotten what the two of you had even come to the hall for. 

“Well, enjoy your meal!” You waved them goodbye as Cho dragged you to the Ravenclaw filled tables and out of their sights. 

“Who are you losers bothering,” Theo scowled and smacked the two boys on the back. 

“We were just getting acquainted with our best mate’s girlfriend,” Mattheo teased as Theo raised his arm pretending to hit him, making Mattheo duck. 

“Girlfriend? Please, you and I both know I don’t do none of that,” Theo rolled his eyes and the trio walked over to their table. 

“Lucky her, you’re not exactly boyfriend material yourself,” Enzo replied as they took their seats grabbing their lunches before quidditch practice. The first game between Slytherin and Gryffindor was coming up, they needed all the fuel they could get before Malfoy made them run what felt like 100 laps during practice. 

“What are you talking about? I'm the epitome of it,” Theo replied confidently as he took a bite of his sandwich. Sandwich was a bit dry, Italians do it better.

“Right, someone bring Hannah over for questioning,” Mattheo laughed as Theo glared at him.

“We never dated, I don’t owe her anything.” 

____________________

“IT’S SO COLD!” You let out a high pitched scream as a huge gust of wind blew right into your face. You had a sweater that you knitted yourself on, paired with a skirt and black tights along with a designer scarf you had searched the whole country for. It was late October, but you hadn’t expected the weather to drop this low. Maybe you should’ve worn your winter coat or opted for a bigger scarf. Or maybe you shouldn’t have come at all. That was the original plan until Cho had managed to convince you to attend. You didn’t really understand quidditch. The whole game seemed complicated to you, plus the whole flying really high and the possibilities of students getting hurt didn’t sit well with your stomach. But you came regardless and it seemed to make Cho very happy. 

“I KNOW BUT WE HAVE SUCH GOOD SEATS!” Cho screamed over the loud clapping and cheering that signaled that the game was about to start. Loud screaming, another thing you weren’t a huge fan of. 

“HERE!” Cho screamed as she took her earmuffs off and placed them on your head. 

“YOU MIGHT NEED THEM MORE THAN I DO!” She yelled before turning her attention back to the game. 

One by one players in either red or green began to fly out. Everyone you were cheering as if it was a competition to see which side would be the loudest. 

“GO HARRY! YEAH!” You heard Cedric shout from the other side of Cho. 

You didn’t know any Gryffindors that well but since you were in a crowd of people all supporting that team, you didn’t want to stand out so you decided to clap along. 

You recognized a few Slytherin players, the faces of the two boys who you had bumped into a few days earlier were spotted flying on broomsticks. You secretly clapped for them as well. 

The mixture of red and green made your heart happy. Christmas. Your favorite holiday. Only two months to go! You couldn’t wait until you get to start putting together presents and drink peppermint mochas with your friends. It was all so exciting! 

Focus on the game! 

You scolded yourself. You look up and frown as you see players begin to grow aggressive. You frowned as a Gryffindor player tried to throw one of those flying balls at Lorenzo. 

You knew it was part of the game but the fact that someone had almost harmed the nice boy made you want to reach for your wand. 

“Yay go Enzo!” You cheered and clapped as you watched him dodge them with ease. A few Gryffindors side eyed you and gave you nasty stares but it was hard to pay them any mind with the distracting colors of ketchup and mustard wrapped around their necks. 

Theo wanted to thank Berkshire, he really did. He wanted to thank him for providing him the strength to throw bludgers at Gryffindors. What was he doing stealing your attention like that? Last time he checked Berkshire was busy trying to ask out a Slytherin a year younger than them. He needs to leave you alone, you were his friend first. Maybe he should throw a bludger and knock Berkshire off his broom. 

Would that be a Slytherin or Gryffindor point?

[astermath]

uhmmmm

kitchen counter makeouts with pookie bear tasm peter <3

— @inkluvs (ivy)

the way you know damn well you are indulging me adjdkdk and I love you for it bae MWAH @inkluvs

pairing: tasm!peter parker x fem!reader

tags: just sweet ol fluff, established relationship, first time writing for peter, normal sized text under the cut! <3

word count: 1.2.K

let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list for further peter parker related content!

With Peter going on patrol until the nightly hours, you'd become used to cooking dinner later in the day. It wasn't a huge deal; you worked from home, and you were usually up when he was back anyways. Whether it was to tend to his injuries, hear about what he'd encountered that day, or just to cook some of his favorite pasta, you were always there for him when he returned. And he really appreciated that.

When you're a superhero, especially an anonymous one, it can be hard to find people to fall back on. That's why he considers having you one of his greatest strengths.

You're absentmindedly stirring some sauce when your boyfriend slips in through the bedroom window. He calls it the "spider-door", you call it a bad habit. He still uses it anyways. It's hard to use the front door of your apartment when you're dressed like the city's most popular vigilante.

He can smell the delicious mix of herbs and ingredients from the other room. The stress from the day was already melting off him, and he hadn't even spoken to you yet. He'd taken the liberty of slipping out of his suit and into a comfortable pair of sweats and a shirt. Although he did think it was snazzy, after wearing it almost the entire day, he couldn't wait to be out of it.

A pair of familiar strong arms wind around your waist, an even more familiar pair of lips pressing a soft kiss to the crook of your neck. You're used to it by now, the unexpected, sneaky greetings late at night. You weren't spooked by him, you rarely were. He likes to think his spidey senses have rubbed off on you.

He breathes in the scent of you, cheek resting onto your shoulder, and you can feel him relax into you.

"Good to see you too baby," you move your head to press a chaste kiss to his head, "how was patrol?"

"Fine," he sounds tired, and it's kind of hot, "stopped that coffee shop you like from being broken into."

"My hero," you chuckle, "now I won't have to miss those delicious chocolate croissants."

He whines lowly in response. It's a stark contrast to how he usually is, all talkative, giddy, boyish grins and jokes, bubbly laughter and strong hugs. Being a superhero will do that to you. Not exactly change you, just tire you out. A lot.

"Tired?" You ask, eyes remaining on the sauce you were preparing. It was a dumb question, of course he's tired, but he always hated admitting it.

To your surprise, he doesn't respond. Instead, he leans down and starts pressing kisses to your neck and shoulder again. You silently thank your past self for wearing a tank top, so he had plenty of access to your skin.

His lips leave tingles in their wake, your sauce becoming less interesting by the second, until you eventually turn around. You sigh at the sound of him; his hair is messy, his eyebags are prominent and he definitely needs a shower, but boy is he pretty. So pretty.

He lets you take a second to admire him, like he knows you love to do. Hands come up to cup his cheeks, the tiniest bit of stubble scratching against your palms. Your face is graced by an adoring smile, and that alone always lets him know; everything's okay, I got you.

He leans down, lips searching yours again. You happily indulge, one hand sneaking into the hair at the back of his neck. The kiss is longing, practically aching to be closer. You can feel how much he missed you just by the way his hips slide over yours.

His hands settle onto your waist, and for a moment you think he's just going to let them stay there. Of course not, because your boyfriend is anything if not unpredictable. With a gentle grip he lifts you up and turns the both of you around, setting you down onto the counter across the stove.

You giggle through the kiss, and you can feel him smile along with you, but he doesn't let go. It's like he can't, and not in a "help I just got spider powers and now I'm glued to you" way, no, like a "I'm so in love with you that I want this to last forever" way.

His hands settle onto your thighs, thumbs rubbing gentle, soothing circles into your skin. It's like this is what recharges him. Not food, not water, this is what he survives on. Your pure unconditional affection.

Unfortunately for the two of you, humans do need air to live, so you're forced to pull away after a while. Still, you remain close, noses rubbing together ever so slightly, foreheads leaning against each other.

“You ‘kay sweetie?” Your voice is gentle, not wanting to ruin the tooth achingly sweet moment the two of you are having.

“Mhm…” He presses a chaste kiss to your lips. “Just so happy to see you again… I missed you.” he accentuates his words with another kiss. “A lot.”

A warm smile adorns your face when he admits to his longing for you. You know he misses you, he tells you every day, and he knows that the sentiment is returned. You both have your reasons to be missing each other; with Peter being a superhero, he has to be careful, so the reality of any day possibly being his last was… Present. Plus, it’s a busy job. Besides the one he already has.

You just enjoy each other’s presence for a moment, basking in the radiating glow of what could only be described as an aura of love. It was like nothing outside that kitchen mattered anymore, at least not for now. You and Peter against the world, out of your small apartment in Queens.

“Honey?” He asks, and you think he’s going to say something else really sweet and heartwarming to really drive the point home. Until you see the furrow in his brows.

“I think, uh— whatever you were making is burning.”

“Fuck!” You hopped off the counter and went back to the pot of sauce, groaning when you realised the bottom of it was burnt. “It’s fine, I can— I can salvage this.” You looked over at your boyfriend, who had an apologetic smile on his face. “We can make out all you want after I make you dinner, ‘kay?”

“And every day after?” His voice is gentle, his hand resting on your lower back to keep some form of physical contact with you.

“Of course,” you stand on your tippy toes to press a kiss to his cheek, “every day after too.”

[infictionalwonderland]

hot physiotherapist | j.potter

SUMMARY, james has a rugby accident and has to take physiotherapy - he’s pretty down about, but all that depressions forgotten as soon as he sees you, his physiotherapist. why had he not done this sooner?

James Potter was miserable.

A very odd occurrence, although it did happen (evidently). He was pouting the whole way as Remus drove them to the physiotherapists, Sirius was giggling to himself in the backseat the whole time—Remus, ever the angel he was, tried to cheer James up by giving him complete control over the music in the car and even greeting him with his coffee order and a chocolate croissant.

James was still miserable.

“Have fun, darling boy!” Sirius chirped out the window as James got out of the car, “try not to break any bones on your way in. God forbid you need physiotherapy.”

He burst out into borderline manic cackles and fell down completely into the row of backseats, never one to wear his seatbelt as he hated being constricted—James glared with upmost venom and hatred at the backseat windows, Tarzan looking cunt.

“I hope everything goes well.” Remus’ voiced gently, shooting his boyfriend a blank stare even as he tried to stop his own amusement. “D’ya want me to fetch you any food or anything for you when you come out?”

“No. Thanks.”

Remus winced.

James was still miserable.

He trotted his way indoors, cursing inside his head at the shooting pains all up his back and his hips, with the largest pout there ever was he made his way over to the reception and told them who he was—why he was here, before behind asked to take a seat in one of the rooms where he would be joined shortly by the physiotherapist.

He sat, frowning at the large room with equipment and soft turquoise coloured walls for a short about of time and then the door opened.

And then his world stopped.

In you stepped. . your hair was tugged into a low ponytail, front strands out of the pony to frame your face. He had died, he was certain. Your skin looked so soft, the beaming white lights giving you the most heavenly glow, he was sure you were an actual angel. Your eyes gleamed beautifully, and he was lost in the exact shade of them—trying to pinpoint every little detail and speck of colour. Your lips were pulled into such a fucking lovely smile, he could’ve melted (he did melt). Even from where you stood in the door, he was greeted in the pleasant aroma of your perfume and he felt like he was floating.

Your mouth was open—oh my god he was missing an opportunity to hear your voice—wait, what had you been saying. Balls.

“Um—h—muhuh?”

Double balls.

Your beautiful smile didn’t even waver in the slightest, though, amusement weaved it’s way into your eyes and created a mesmerising pattern into your irises that he forever engraved into his memory.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mr Potter! My names Y/N and I’ll be your physiotherapist for the foreseeable future.” You grinned, walking closer to him, “Hopefully.”

Wha—was that flirting? No! You had said it in a normal tone, like Hi I hope I stay your physiotherapist because it is literally my job, James and I enjoy it. But—yeah, no. It was like that. You were so close to him now—so so much more beautiful up close, he didn’t think that was even humanly attainable.

“Yeah—i—I hope so too, ma’am.”

MA’AM?!

Somebody sedate me, he thought.

You didn’t seem thrown off or even slightly offended, or disgusted by him. Which was, good, really, really good.

Instead, you let out this little bubbly burst of laughter and fucking hell, James knew from that point he was gone and could never return. His eyes were probably comically wide and maybe in literal heart shapes but he could truly care less. He look at you in awe—your nose scrunched when you laughed, your eyes squinted and to James you just became even more perfect.

“Please, call me Y/N—Ma’am sounds overly American anyway—“

“Would you prefer Miss?”

I’m never leaving the house again.

You blinked.

He almost stumbled to his knees in apology though that would obviously only give you the impression he was more of a creep than you already thought he was—but—hold on. He watched, mouth falling open just slightly, as your cheeks flushed a very very pretty pink and your mouth formed into the cutest smile he’d ever seen in his entire life.

He was definitely leaving the house again, and it was going to be to come here everyday.

“Just Y/N is fine, thank you for being so considerate though.” You laughed teasingly.

“Can I be upgraded to just James?”

“Oh? You don’t want to he called miss? Or Ma’am?” You grinned at him, white teeth glistening from under your full lips, cheeks turning a faint rosy shade under the strength of your grin and a strand of hair swooping in front of your eye. He was in love. “Or, Sir maybe?”

Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

James is one hundred percent that he would’ve fallen over fast first had he been standing and he’s never been more thankful he’s not. He can feel his cheeks turn red—his face heating up to an embarrassingly tomato red state at an embarrassingly quick rate.

“Nah—Ju—Just James, please.” He huffed out, moving the material of his shirt dramatically off his chest and fanning himself. “Is—um, is it hot in here or is just you? Me! Is it just me?!”

You smile at him, adorably crinkle eyed and slightly pink cheeked, looking every bit the goddess and the angel James already knew with certainty that you were.

James Potter was, as it turns out, no longer miserable.

In fact, he can’t wait for his next appointment.

[rainychaoloveshack]

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟ  𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐠.

⋆°•☁︎ content . shadow x gn!reader, fluff to light angst, bad ending. reader is slightly implied to be human (and was written with a human reader in mind), but can be read with a mobian reader. also a crazy slow burn

☂︎ w/c 2k

☂︎ a/n.  hi! im so sorry for not posting. im still trying to get my writing drive back, and want to get some original works out before i work on some of those requests. either way, thank you for waiting! made this one extra long compared to normal to make up for it

This sucks.

Your eyes drift into a haze, staring deeply at the dark, hot liquid held between your fingers, feeling the heat seep through your frozen, shaky palms as you try to think of your next move, your mind muddled.

Just your luck; thirty minutes ago you had just missed the last train of the night, left to wander the streets looking for a place to stay, allured by the warm lights of a closing bakery. The owner must’ve felt bad for you, and decided to give you a handout; not that you’re ungrateful at all. The croissant's chocolate inside practically melts in your mouth, and paired with the somewhat mediocre closing-time coffee, it’s a match made in heaven, even with your taste buds burnt off from the sheer excitement of drinking something warm.

After the euphoria wore off, sitting down to think felt like the only thing you could do in the haze of the pure white clouds overhead, painting over the sky as frost sprinkles down to paint the town. You bring your head up to gaze at the shops across the park, still lost in thought as your fingers clutch around the cup tighter, seeking its warmth. 

There aren’t any hotels nearby that are close enough to walk to in this frost, let alone to walk home altogether. Maybe a taxi? But there aren’t any this late. And with the distance between here and your home, it’d be at least over 50 bucks, and spending that much on one ride…

Your thoughts jumble together, face scrunching up at your predicament with a frown. Calling someone is really your only choice, if anyones even awake. Maybe Sonic’s out late. 

Your numb fingers slip your phone out of your back pocket, tapping at the screen to try and spring it to life. Once the screen flickers awake, your eyes drift to the upper right hand corner, locking onto the red battery symbol.

Oh.

You immediately tap whichever contact pops up first on your phone without thinking, bringing it up to your ear and pleading under your breath for someone to pick up, but the ringing clicks off, and your phone shuts down. Awh, damn. You curse rather loudly once the screen turns black, letting out a long sigh.

… Payphone it is then. There was one on your way to sit down at the park, the bright, bold red already sticking out in your head. When life gives you lemons, yeah, you make sickly sweet lemonade. Surely. Now, for the change you have in your other pock-

“You. You called me.”

A voice calls out from beside you, strangely gruff, somewhat grumpy, like they’re taking pity on you. You turn your head and nearly jump at the familiar face, signature black and red quills standing out, paired with a deep brown trench coat and dark red scarf amidst the pure white snow, a small bag in his hand, his expression ever so stern. He ran over here to answer your call this fast?

“I was just about to leave. You… Didn’t see me walking up to you?” The disbelief and expression in his voice is astonishing for someone of his character, eyes widening in genuine surprise. Not a peep leaves your mouth, but a bashful smile spreads across your lips. Guess you really should’ve noticed him, huh?

Shadow’s lips part in a short sigh, eyes narrow at your embarrassed reaction, grazing over to the bits of snow piled up on your coat. “What’re you doing out here this late?” His tone’s somewhat rough, but his demeanor softens, noticing the way your body is shaking under the snowfall. The tips of his ears perk up, waiting for your answer.

With that, you explain what happened, your mouth and words muffled with the last bites of the croissant you found comfort in. Simple as that, though to him, you probably look idiotic. And soon enough, Shadow’s expression shifts into displeasure as your words pour out, a scowl forming across his lips as you get to the part where you tripped and stumbled into a snow pile.

“So that’s why…” He trails off, looking you up and down at your snow-covered body with a shake of his head. “Nevermind.” With a wave of his free hand, he turns away from you as if to walk away, but the most his body does is shift around, with his eyes cast towards some of the closed shops nearby. Silence permeates between you two, before your lips part to ask him why he’s even here this late, but judging by his now solemn expression, you can already assume why. Must’ve been on a mission for-

“Rouge.” Shadow says through gritted teeth, his back still turned, with his ears swiftly folding back at the mention of the bat. Yeah, that’s totally something she'd tell him to do; fetching her sweets and whatever she wants. Was he her errand boy tonight?

You have to hold back a snicker at how grumpy he looks, cupping your hand over your mouth to try and stifle it, but his ears turn barely in your direction, twitching at the sound of your laughter. With a short clearing of your throat, your joy dies down, and another question springs to life in your head, pointing to his bag. It’s been itching at the back of your brain this whole time, and you make a small grabby motion with your hand to signal your urgency to know.

“Oh.” He mutters, strangely soft compared to his other words as he raises his fist, still clutching the shopping bag in his hand. “It’s…” You notice how his lips press together as he forms his response. “Coffee beans. And cake.”

That’s it? You expected another article of clothing there, maybe for Rouge, but sweets?

It’s strangely cute. For a hedgehog like him.

“What’s wrong with it?” He can already see the growing smile on your face, and he wants nothing more than to tell you off for it, but another piece of himself wants to see it more. Shadow grumbles incoherently as you snicker, somewhat flustered at your signs of affection for him. “...Rouge asked me to pick up a slice for her. It’s from that new bakery that just opened.”

Oh! The one you went to! You tilt your now empty coffee cup up to look at the symbol on the front, then gesturing back to the bag with an excited grin. Shadow’s frown increases, but his eyes go soft, letting his hand fall back down loosely to his side, the bag hitting against his leg. 

“The croissant. How was it?” Stepping forward, Shadow points to the corner of your mouth, causing your head to tilt slightly in confusion. He sighs. “You have leftover chocolate there.”

You waste no time to swipe the chocolate off, thanking him for the heads up, and he returns your gratefulness with a short grunt as you enjoy the last remnants of your sweet adventure, but your smile falters, if only for a moment.

This is a meaningless conversation between you two, but with Shadow, it feels like a rare moment you have to savor forever. It’s Shadow, THE Ultimate Lifeform you’re talking to, yet the topic of conversation is cutesy sweets and cake! A chuckle starts to break out in your throat again, your chuckles growing into laughter as it pours out through the form of frosted air. You try to explain your joy to a very confused hedgehog standing in front of you, his red eyes piercing into your struggling form. His ear twitches as you catch your breath, quickly exhausted from the surrounding temperature. Once your laughter dies, he sighs and extends his free hand towards you. And you take it immediately, his warmth ever so alluring.

Such is the mystery of him. Even with carefree moments like this.

“Get up. I’ll get Rouge to come over. She’ll take you home on the way back.”

Swaying your body back and forth onto the concrete under your feet, you balance back onto your heels, right to the tips of your toes, then back down again, trying to ignore the brisk wind that just passed the both of you by as you wait for Rouge to arrive, force to huddle under the closed bakery’s curved awning. It’s fun to notice that not even Shadow, with his fur and all, is spared by Mother Nature and her torment, his muzzle scrunching up into a scowl, bringing his scarf up closer to his face.

He really should wear scarves and coats more. It’s customary and normalized for male mobians to not wear clothing, that you know. But it always felt like such a waste. Subconsciously, a grimace spreads across your lips, brows furrowing at your thoughts of mobian fashion. What a shame.

“Is something wrong?” Huh? Your expression clears up at his words, the hedgehog turning his head to face you. “You were staring.”

Oh? Oh gosh, you were. But you deny it with a small shake of your head, trying your best not to look away from him, since he’ll see it as an admission of guilt.

“Yes, you were.”

You cross your arms, shaking your head again, more firmly this time as if to push your point. Uh-uh.

“You-” Shadow’s ears flatten with a growl, shaking his head and glancing away with an annoyed click of his tongue once a small grin breaks out on your face, enjoying the rare back-and-forth banter between you both, no matter how brief. “Sometimes I really question why I even bother to talk to you.”

You hug yourself as you stare him down, offended by his blatant statement of contempt. Are you that bad now?

All he does to respond is let out a soft grunt, still refusing to meet your eye. “Try your best not to bug me until Rouge gets here.”

Letting a soft exhale of frustration leave you, you stand back upright and clasp your hands together, staring off into a flickering street lamp, the amber glow doing little to illuminate its surroundings.

Even more frustrating, the silence between you two is deafening.

“... Do you like it?” Shadow says suddenly, your eyes grazing over him as he pulls his scarf down, finally going over you with a soft expression, despite the tone that his words usually carry. “The coat.” His voice softens, too. You nod your head immediately at his question, and the corners of his lips twitch upward. But before you can internally savor the fact that you almost got him to smile, another cold gust of wind brushes up to you two, forcing a grimace on him instead.

It’s so damn cold. Too cold.

“Wh-What’re you-”

Your body leans and presses against Shadow's body, wrapping your numb arms around him with a soft sigh, as he watches your breath leave in a sheer cloud of white before his eyes. His ear twitches at the sound of your exhale, tilting his head in your direction to-

Oh.

Oh. His fur’s so soft.

Your body freezes up on the realization that Shadow’s cuddling closer, nuzzling his head your way for a second or two. The smell of his cologne hits your senses like a truck, and you have to bite the inside of your cheek to not react outwardly in favor of his reaction. He comes off to notice his slip-up and backs away, letting your arms fall loosely to your sides in awe.

“It’s… It’s cold. Obviously.” He huffs, red eyes darting away to watch the road for Rouge’s arrival, yet nothing makes its way down the plaza’s street. “Where is she? Damn bat.” Shadow snarls out, strangely fierce despite the situation, digging his hand into his trench coat’s pocket to pull out his phone, but your hand wrapping around his wrist stops him before he can make the call. Your now warm palm pushes against his inhibitor ring, feeling the sheer frost it’s accumulated throughout the night, but you don’t care.

His thumb pauses above the call button, peering up to meet your gaze. “What?” He starts, but cuts himself short as he notices the look in your eyes, the anger dissipating from his face almost instantaneously. As your hand makes its way to his, gently pulling the phone out of his grasp. His expression’s absolutely unreadable finger twitching in your grasp as he stares at you in shock.

Before he can utter another word, inhaling his chest puffing up and mouth opening to do so, one of his ears flicks and turns to the way of the street, ripping his arm out of your grasp roughly, phone in his hand, grasped so tightly that you thought it might've broken just now. Your hand jerks back in surprise at the sudden action, but you finally notice what he sees.

A sleek, luxury black car rolls up beside the bakery, window rolling down to see a bat as white as the snow give you two a seductive wink, showcasing her signature cerulean eyeshadow. She seems to be dressed in a sleek bathrobe; probably interrupted halfway through a skincare routine to come and pick you and Shadow up.

“Get in, sweeties.” She hums, unlocking the doors with a small click. “Sorry for taking so long.” Rouge gestures towards Shadow with a smug smile on her face. Shadow scoffs and steps forward, grabbing a hold of the door handle to pop it open for you. But before you step inside, you freeze for a second to register the knowing look in his eyes, a small wince growing as he notices your hesitation, but you say nothing and just take your seat inside, looking down at your hands in your lap as he shuts the door.

At this point, maybe walking home would’ve been the better option.

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

croissant - send me a sfw request! 

grumpy!bucky x sunshine!reader first kiss

a/n: you know, you know, us two we've been back in it with this dude recently 🫠

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

masterlist | join my taglist |  join my 10k celebration!

“So,” uncontrollable giggles bubbled out of you as you beamed over at Bucky beside you on the bench, “I was just wondering if maybe–…”

Not peeling his steely glance away from the ducks swimming through the park’s lake, “what?” he absentmindedly grumbled, “just spit it out, please.” 

“Can I, uhm…” your body practically wiggled as you finally asked, “can I kiss you?”

You could have counted on only one hand how many times you’d seen Bucky crack a smile in the time you’d known him. But as your fluttery words found his wind-chilled ears like an ethereal butterfly, you could now officially start using both of your hands. 

Twisting his gaze away from the patch of flora and fauna in the middle of the bustling city, Bucky smiled softly back at you for a flash before his fingers, which had been curled behind you and rested on the bench, then curved over the nape of your neck as he brought you close to meet him halfway.

His kiss was slow and soft, like sipping on a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a freezing day, his radiating lips seemed to warm you from within and conjure a soft sigh to seep from your lungs. 

“Yes, Y/n,” he gently pulled back, his grasp now cupped against your hot cheek, “of course you can kiss me. You can kiss me all you’d like.”

© 2024 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[mainstreamangel]

STYLE

P. Bueckers x Fem!Reader

Summary: You had constant flings with Paige. When you two split up for college you never talked to her again. You visit a friend's basketball game and this gives Paige a second chance to walk back into your life.

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Warnings: 2025 UCONN team is still together and everyone is kinda the same age but younger?? Idk. + Nika, Reader attends Auburn University and majors in aerospace engineering, inaccurate aerospace engineering terms/related things.

WC: 3.0k

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

Little did Paige know you knew a lot about basketball, she was the one who taught you everything you know. But to her, this girl was just another not-know it all friend whose interests settle elsewhere.

The team couldn't stop talking about you, of course they had just met you but your personality drew them in and they loved it.

All the things Nika had said about you, gave you a good reputation in their eyes.

"No way? She likes that?" KK smiled.

Nika nodded passing the ball to Kaitlyn.

"She must be really cool, sorry I missed her." Paige said practicing her throwing motion.

"You'll see her don't worry. She's coming to the game and I'll definitely drag her to meet you." Nika said.

"Where'd you even meet her? Like you only recently started talking about her, did you know her for a while?" Paige asked.

"Kind of? I mean we don't go too far back maybe a few months. Met her at a bar after our win against Auburn." Nika said.

She had started playing the husky version of horse with Kaitlyn.

"S." Kaitlyn said shaking her head.

"Nice try." Nika smirked, taking the ball from Kaitlyn.

You had checked out a bit of the campus but decided to see what was around, off campus wise. It wasn't home but you found a niche little French cafe and decided to get the Americanised version of their idea of "authentic French hot chocolate".

The weather was nice here in Connecticut. A slight breeze wafted through as you sat under an umbrella. The air was light, but not cold. You held your phone with one hand and scooped some whipped cream into your chocolate mixture.

You had your airpods in and Starboy by The Weeknd, travelled through your ears. You subtly moved your body a bit, feeling the music.

"What does she look like?" Paige asked.

"What's with all the questions?" Nika asked gathering her things.

She was going to meet you at that cafe to catch up after practice.

"Just curious since everyone seems to be talking about her." Paige shrugged, undoing her bun and letting her hair fly free.

"You could join us for hot chocolate, I'm sure she won't mind."

Paige thought about it.

"I told KK I'd help her with her work, sorry."

"That's too bad." Nika said, giving her final goodbyes.

"I'll catch you next time though, can't wait to meet this mystery girl of yours." Paige wiggled her brows.

"I don't like her like that P." Nika shakes her head.

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

"Hey sorry, practice went longer than I thought." Nika said, sitting down.

"No worries, just already finished my hot chocolate." You smiled.

"Man either you're a fast drinker or I took longer than I thought." Nika says, waving over a server.

"Just a hot chocolate please. Oh and a croissant." The server nodded, walking away.

"So how's Auburn?" Nika asked.

"It's fine. I guess. I dunno, it's just not all that exciting like being a basketball player I guess." You said.

"Working towards being an aerospace engineer is pretty exciting."

"Don't have to sugarcoat it."

"I'm not, you get to build like aircrafts and shit."

"I guess."

"My friends kept asking about you during practice." Nika smiled. "I guess you're pretty mysterious."

"I am NOT mysterious and you know that."

"Maybe you think so but one of my teammates in particular, you didn't meet her but when she came back after you left, she wouldn't stop talking about you."

"Oh, that's too bad. Maybe I'll meet her at the game."

"You definitely will, and I invited her to come and join us but she said she had to help a friend."

"Awe, that's alright. There's still time. Is she pretty at least?" You joked.

"I mean.. maybe? I'm not like attracted to her or anything, just a good friend. But i guess from a fan perspective, they seem to think she's pretty attractive."

"Must be popular among the ladies then." You laughed.

"I'm sure you would think she's attractive given your... type." Nika smirked.

"Now, what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means."

You always had a thing for blondes, bonus points if it was a blonde with a slutty braid.

"Yeah Nika's friend is so cool, she likes a bunch of things I like." KK rambled.

"Damn, what is it with this team? I haven't even met her and you guys are setting the bar high for when I do meet her." Paige said, handing KK a piece of scratch paper.

"You'll see how cool she is, trust."

"Holding you to that."

"I need a break from this. It's frying my brain."

"It's been like 20 minutes."

"Yeah, 20 minutes too much. I'm going live."

"Why? You have no reason to."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Paige shook her head and smiled.

KK set her phone up and started the live, people instantly started flooding in and greeting the pair.

"We should totally go make a stop at Crumbl you guys are right." KK looks at Paige.

"I am not driving."

"Please?" KK begged.

"Fine, but after, we're locking in."

KK got up excitedly and waited for Paige to slip her shoes on.

You had finally arrived back at your hotel room and sighed, throwing your lanyard onto the table. You loved Nika, but you only had so energy. You took off your shoes and headed to the bathroom.

You looked into the large mirror before washing your face and taking care of your nightly routine. It was peaceful and quiet. So you decided to interrupt it by playing your music. You sang along softly, looking in the mirror at times just having your own little private show.

Your phone dinged and you put down your hair brush.

KK Arnold is live!

Funny, you never followed her so you're not sure why you got the notification. You go to delete the notification but for some reason, your phone registers it as a click so it makes you join the live.

"Shit." You go to leave but notice Paige in the frame.

"So this one is the chocolate cupcake cookie." Paige shows the camera the cookie.

Your breath hitches. You totally forgot she went to UCONN. You hadn't heard from her in a couple years and you thought you were done but it looks like you'll be talking to her again soon.

For KK's sake, you join the crowd drop a comment.

YOURUSER<3: that 1s good imo idk hope u like it tho

KK looked at the comments and paused.

"No shot, is it really Nika's friend?" KK asked.

Paige looked at the comments and saw your comment. Your username looked familiar but just assumed it was someone who had the same user as you.

Paige took a bite out of the cookie. It was sweet but it was good.

"It's fine, not anything special but I like it." She handed the cookie to KK who gave her opinion on it.

You left the live and decided to watch a little bit of The White Lotus. The hotel bed was comfortable but it wasn't as comfortable as your own bed.

"I don't think she's here anymore." Paige said.

"Probably not, but lets go home its getting late and we practice tomorrow."

Paige nodded and started to drive back to their place.

The next morning you woke up and decided to go and get something to eat for breakfast. There wasn't much that piqued your interest but you decided to head back to that cafe and got a breakfast bagel. It wasn't your first pick, but the area was too unfamiliar and you were starving.

Your phone pinged and you picked it up while you waited for someone to come serve you.

we have practice today wanna come watch

uh sure but if it gets boring ill prob js leave 4 a bit

ok see u in 30

same place

yah

"My friend is gonna come watch us practice."

"Sick, I can ask them if they joined our live yesterday." KK said.

"You went live?" Nika raised a brow.

"Yeah, made a stop at Crumbl."

"Fatty." Nika muttered jokingly.

Paige hit her shoulder lightly and tied her hair back into a slick bun.

"Can't wait to meet this mystery girl."

"She's nice."

"So I've heard."

The team went onto the court and started to stretch.

You walked in about a fourth of a way into their practice. Your hair was tied neatly into a ponytail with a little side braid, braided into the ponytail.

Nika noticed you and passed the ball to Ice so she could greet you.

"Hey, sorry I didn't come sooner. Was having breakfast."

"You're good."

Nika opens her arms and walks forward to hug you.

"Woah, wait how sweaty are you?" You ask, pushing her away slightly.

"Not that sweaty."

"Oh, alright." You say returning her hug.

Instantly you can feel the sensation of sticky skin on yours and you jerk away.

"You lied."

"Perchance."

You roll your eyes and look around, scanning the players. Then, your eyes land on some familiar ones.

"Oh." You muttered.

"What?" Nika asked looking where your gaze is.

Paige walks over and stops in front of you.

"Paige."

Fade into view.

Paige greets you with a tight look. Nika could feel the tension as you stared each other down. She looked between the two of you.

"You guys know each other?"

"Yeah, we were friends back in Minnesota. Practically grew up together."

"Wouldn't go that far." You sneered.

"Okay..." Nika said, carefully.

"What're you even doing here?" Paige asked.

"I'm visiting my good friend Nika."

Paige turned to Nika.

"This is who everyone was talking about? Her?"

Everyone had taken a break and watched what was unfolding.

"Yeah, not like I'm happy to see you either after you never called or texted that night."

"I wanted to forget about you."

"Clearly." You barked.

"Let's just relax guys.." Nika tried.

"You know if I did something wrong that night, you should've said something instead of running like a coward."

"You didn't do anything." Paige sighs.

"Then what? Just embarrassed you knew me?"

"No, just. Look, I cut contact because I was was scared if I admitted my feelings, we wouldn't be able to make it work."

"What do you mean?"

Paige hesitated. She hadn't had to face her feelings in years, she always thought if she left she wouldn't have to be confronted.

I guess it always comes back around to bite you in the ass.

Coach called everyone over and Paige exhaled in relief.

"Sorry gotta run." Nika gave you a sad smile.

"Yeah, talk to you later." You looked down.

Paige turned to leave with Nika.

"Wait, you're just going to leave me hanging?" You asked.

"Sorry, coach calls, I gotta answer." Paige says.

"Typical, always running from your problems." You scoffed.

Paige's jaw clenched. She bit her tongue and walked away. You shook your head and furrowed your brows.

It's been a while since I have even heard from you.

You were frustrated but decided to stay for Nika. A little old flame was not going to stop you from supporting your friends and her team.

"She shouldn't even be allowed to stay." Paige grumbles out of your earshot.

"Why? Just cause she's from Auburn doesn't give her any less of a right as my friend to stay. Plus she doesn't know anything about basketball it's fine." Nika dismissed.

"She knows a lot about basketball. I should know because I taught her everything I know."

"Yeah, uh what's up with you two anyways? You seriously looked like you wanted to kill each other." KK asks.

"We uh, hooked up a few times senior year, but we were friends for a bit since elementary."

"Oh so it's like that." Azzi mutters.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing just I don't think that girl deserved what you did to her, if I'm reading the situation correct."

Paige knew Azzi was right. She tried to forget you. She really did but it just came right back around.

"You should talk to her, she'll forgive you." Nika said, making it into the net.

"I will, after practice."

You stared at your phone, specifically at Paige's contact. You had blocked her after you realised that she wasn't going to talk to you anymore after that night. Occasionally you looked up at the girls practicing but kept most of your focus on your phone.

You hesitated but ultimately decided if she ever wanted to tell you what she was going to, she could reach you this way.

You pressed the unblock button and shut your phone off before quietly grabbing your things and heading out of the gym.

After practice Paige looked to where you sat but found nothing there.

"Hey did you guys see her leave?" Paige asked.

"Nope." Azzi shook her head before

"I saw her leave just a few minutes ago." Geno said, walking away.

"Fuck." Paige muttered, heading her way to the showers.

"I can text her. Try and get her back here." Nika said, pulling out her phone.

"It's fine, I'll text her on my own time."

"You still have her number? Even after you did what you did? Damn, you're desperate." Nika smirked.

"Whatever." Paige said.

You were sitting on the bed, chewing gum. You continued your marathon with The White Lotus until your phone buzzed.

we need 2 talk im ready to tell u what i was trying to tell u earlier

You took a minute debating on what to say and ultimately, you don't. You turn your phone off and try and focus on your show. Every so often you would look down at your phone like you were the one who left Paige on delivered.

Another notification came in.

hey girl, P texted me saying u werent answering her texts everything ok? lmk ily /p

You sighed and opened your messages.

yea just dont know what to say to her

she tried finding u after practice but u left before she could talk to u

sorry

dont apologise to me, i have nothing 2 do w it but maybe u should text her back :)

alr fine js cz u asked ly2

You closed Nika's chat and opened Paige's. You were about to text her but then a knock sounded at your door. You toss your phone down and get up before opening the door.

You open your mouth slightly before stumbling back.

"Hey, Nika said I could find you here."

"What do you want Paige?"

"You weren't answering my texts."

"Just didn't know what to say."

Paige pushes her way into your hotel room before turning to look at you. You close the door, hearing it click shut. You waited a bit before any of you talked.

I should just tell you to leave 'cause I know exactly where it leads.

"Listen, that night that you left I didn't say anything because if I did I would have to face the truth that I wouldn't be able to move on from you. From my feelings. I know that I hurt you and you don't have to talk to me or forgive me or anything, but I have to get this off my chest because if I don't it's just going to come back."

You gave her a look of surprise and didn't expect her to so easily unload her emotions.

"I liked you back then, when we were you know, hooking up. I liked you when you would making chores fun or made your mother's lectures funny. I liked you when you came to support my games and I liked you when you introduced yourself back in elementary. I liked you then and honestly when we stopped talking, I felt alone. I felt like I made the wrong call, which I did, and I just couldn't accept that maybe I could have another shot with you. I liked you then and I like you now. I couldn't stop thinking about you these past couple years, like it was some unfinished business that I had to take care of before I could be happy. There was always this nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me to tell you how I felt even if it meant ruining what we had."

You were speechless. You always liked Paige back then but you always thought that you were just never good enough to be with her.

"I got scared and I didn't want to face the look you would give me if I ever was truthful. But when you showed up today, I needed the closure. I wondered if I could just avoid it and just get the game over so when you went back to Auburn, I could forget about you. But how am I supposed to close the door when I still need the closure? So this is me trying to get that closure. This is me being brave and fuck is it hard. It's so hard for me to accept that even after these couple years I still am in love with you and I don't know how because well, I haven't even talked to you. Haven't seen you or heard about you from anyone, I just don't know."

"Paige I-"

"No I just have to finish this. Please. I need to let you know that I am in love with you and it doesn't matter if you are in love with me I just, I need to let go. I need to be free, free of my past and free of you. Not that you're holding me back, well kind of, but I just I need to let this burden go. My feelings I mean, not you. You could never be a burden." Paige rambled, breathing heavily.

"You're a fucking idiot. You couldn't have told me that about i dunno a billion years ago?"

"We weren't even alive that many years ago."

"It was a figure of speech you know that dumbass."

"Actually it was exaggeration."

"I fucking hate you." You say as you take a couple strides and plant your lips firmly on hers.

 But I watch us go 'round and 'round each time.

@niya500 / @lol-12n / @atditsitzjt

[mystellenia]

first kiss with abby ୨ৎ

summary: after the romantic tension between you and abby reaches a peak, you two finally share a sweet kiss.

content: answer to this req and part two to this!! fluffyfluffyfluffy! ehehehehehe. i love fluff i love writing fluff. nothing nsfw. just lowk domesticity with abby and then super cutesy pie origami stuff and then a kiss 💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋 ok toodles enjoy

notes: three weeks of no post i’m sorry my children. i am back!!! classes just finished and now i have summer break so i just had to soak in my freedom from my fuckass med teacher. he can choke fr 💯

(wc 1.6k)

a series of vibrations from your phone rudely pulls you out of your sleep and you swipe your hand across the bed to silence the notifications. you find your phone connected to abby's charger on her vacant side of the bed, the sheets cold without the warmth from her skin to heat them up. she always ran hot—especially during the night—which usually resulted in her yelping at your cold feet pressed to her thighs and trying to absorb her warmth in the hours of the night. 

you raise your phone to your face and are met with four notifications from abby on your home screen. 

abby :p otw back with our loot  

abby :p two berry pastries for the missus and one cream cheese puff pastry for me 

abby :p and nadia gave us two chocolate croissants bc we're super cool 

swiping to unlock your phone, you head to messages and reply to her. 

you YAY thanks you're the best 

you we gotta get nadia a gift card or somethin

you or a bottle of liquor 

you head to the bathroom to brush your teeth with your toothbrush abby got for you for her apartment since you slept over so often. while you load your brush with toothpaste, your phone lights up with a notice from messages: "abby :p loved 'or a bottle of liquor.' " sticking the toothbrush in your mouth, you smile around the minty foam and continue freshening up before abby returns. 

around ten minutes later, you hear the jingle of her keys at the front door and practically skip to the living room to retrieve your pastries. 

abby unlocks the door and pushes it open, a brown bag with a cafe logo printed on it in one hand and a drink carrier with two coffee cups hanging from her ring and pinky fingers in her other. with her few remaining fingers grasping onto her car keys to not drop them, she nudges the door back shut with her hip and locks it. 

her blonde head donns a blue and white trucker hat, the brim of it blocking her from seeing you standing and sheepishly smiling a few strides away. she calls out to you to signal her return. 

"hey, i'm back! and i come bearing gifts. i got-" it's then that abby takes her hat off and notices you inching ever closer. "oh, hi. i got you herbal tea. there weirdly was a lot of traffic today, even though it's, like, seven." 

she continues on as she unpacks everything that she got for you. "then again, i guess kids have school. man, i hated that about high school—waking up early and getting to class on tim- you know what? you're not listening anyway with your food right in front of you," she chuckles. "go on. release! free!" she pokes, using command words for a dog. 

you kiss your teeth and scowl at her, mumbling a "whatever" before tearing into the paper bag. you're met with your two fruit pastries first, then you spot the chocolate croissants abby mentioned under them. 

the two of you stand and eat in comfortable silence in the kitchen, you sipping on your tea and abby picking at her puff pastry. when you finish, you clean both of your spots and abby throws away the paper bag and pastry wrappers, washing her hands after.

after breakfast, you guys ping pong around her apartment, moving from her bed to the couch to the floor and then back to her bed again, all just to talk or scroll on your phones.

hours pass, and after a brief joint nap in her bedroom, you guys now sat on the floor of her living room, light filtering in from her large windows and warming your skin. the floor was littered in origami squares of all different sizes and colors, the origami book abby had gotten for you split open between you two. 

there was a village of origami figures surrounding you, from hearts to frogs to ladybugs to cranes. the book was flipped to a particularly challenging page of an elephant, and you looked over at abby in confusion. 

she was just as confused as you, if not more. her hair was tied in a messy golden knot at the nape of her neck, loose strands crazy and framing her face. her brows were pulled tight on her face, her eyes bewildered and looking at the same piece of paper in her hands as if she'd never seen it before. 

"what step are you on?" she asks, looking at the square in front of you that you were working on. 

"twelve. out of..." you flip the page twice. "god. thirty." you sit up straight to stretch your back out. "i get it, though. kinda." 

"what? show me. i’m on, like, seven. i swear they skipped a step. or forgot to add a picture. just something is wrong." 

you scoot over to sit next to her, pulling your leg to your body and propping your cheek on it. abby places her piece in front of you puts her hands in her crossed lap, her eyes wide and waiting for you to make sense of her issue. 

"okay, let's see." you pull the book closer to you to confirm the step she's on. "step seven is... rotating and folding the back of the elephant." 

"which i did," abby verifies. 

you rotate the piece and immediately find her mistake. "which you did not." 

"what?! where?" 

"here." you trace your finger along the missing crease. "you see how on mine, this part is creased and pointed? like a peak?" 

"uh-huh..." 

"and yours doesn't do that." 

she simply hums, so you look over at her to confirm that she's listening. her eyes are unfocused and locked on your face. they flit between your own and then drop to your lips for a second. the single second feels quite long, though, when she looks so deeply at you in the way that she does, or when her baby hairs draw attention to her blonde lashes, long and very slightly curled around her sapphire eyes. 

she seems to snap out it—whatever it was—and she deeply inhales, licking her lips and refocusing on the task at hand. 

"can you repeat that?" she asks. "sorry, i... i zoned out." 

it was your turn, now, to lose focus and examine her. you stare at her lips, rosy and still glossy from her just licking them. you stare at the corners of them and the ever so slight frown her mouth always pulls into when she's focused. you stare at the little creases in them, the dozens of lines that- 

"are you looking at my lips?" she questions, interrogative and almost paranoid. 

"oh, um, sorry. i was-" 

"why were you looking at them?" she interrupts again, her eyes wild and demanding an answer from you. 

"because, i- well, you just licked them, so- i don't know. because." you swallow, mumbling, "what, can i not look at them or something?" 

her stone stare softens after noticing your flustered state, and the two of you exchange a long and quiet look. 

abby held her breath nearly the entire time. she didn't want to assume anything or read the situation wrong, but your eyes were dilated. they were dilated from looking at her, and just from that. 

as if it were out of your control—like you were magnets—you started moving closer to her. abby could not seem to remember how to control a single muscle in her body, so she just sat and watched you move closer as her cheeks grew pinker and pinker. 

you stop right in front of her face, the tips of your noses kissing and your breaths shared. after a few seconds, you realized abby wouldn't initiate anything, so you leaned in and pressed your lips to hers, short and sweet. when you pulled away, abby's eyes remained closed for a few seconds before they slowly fluttered open. 

"you just kissed me," abby whispers in disbelief, pointing out the obvious. 

"i just kissed you," you echo back. 

it's abby who leans in for the second kiss, thick and intense with emotion, her hand sliding up your arm. her hand reaches the back of your neck, and she pulls you closer and deepens the kiss. 

you press your forehead to hers and stop kissing her, an infectious smile taking up your features instead. 

"are you.. are you seriously smiling right now?" abby gasps theatrically with mock offense. 

your smile breaks out into giggles and you press your face into her cheek to hide. 

"wow, i cannot believe this. you are laughing at our kiss!" she teases. 

"stop, no i’m not!" you plead, still laughing. 

"whatever you say." she grabs your chin between her fingers and pulls your face back to look at you. peppering kisses on your cheeks, she relents on her taunting.  

"are you gonna show me what i did wrong, or what?" she says, referring to the initial topic of her paper elephant. 

you smile back at her. "yeah, i will." 

"okay." she presses one last kiss to your temple and then waits for your instruction. 

"i was saying, there's supposed to be a crease here, on what'll be the back of the elephant." 

abby nods and hums like she's listening, but really, she smiles at your profile as you continue to speak. 

@abbysbug @abbyonmars @abigails-gf @picklesarenice69

heheheh all done!!!! this was so cute to write especially the end like i was talking to @abbyonmars while i wrote the end and we were fangirling over typed words and pixels. but what else is tumblr dot com for if not to fangirl!!!!