#the next day comes and I feel like i’ve been sleeping in a panini press | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

peachyteez · 4 years ago

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little wanderer ≫ DAY FOUR, BABY STEPS.

this fellow stray cat hybrid has been hanging around jiyu’s condo for as long as he could remember, although jiyu may not have noticed him. the cold winter breeze and jiyu’s open bedroom window prompts him to sneak into her bedroom one night. it was just suppose to be one night, but the gods must’ve been smiling upon him.

PART OF THE HEAVEN SERIES.

✧ taglist: @defsoul15, @jaeminpeachy, @joongiebug, @sunsethw4, @t-tbinnie, @chanyeolol, @danibookmarks, @hello-its-ya-boi, @murralyn, @alienmashup, @panini, @moon8894, @koasworld, @taetae123094, @luv3rxcha, @treasure-hwa, @etherealbyeol, @hwaseongzzz, @lovely-sanie, @orbitiiny, @pirate-of-the-dark-seas, @babydolljo, @ms-starlight, @everrrlasting, @bls-luv-me, @atzgiggle, @arohabyeol, @rainbowmagicpixecorn, @soverystupid, @ayetothezee, @kingalls00, @sanstreasure0305, @sparklingmallow, @kpopnightingale, @rosesarethebest, @stillcantfindaproperusername, @bonbonhwa, @its-sarah-stark, @sanismybb, @frankenstein852, @peachseok, @woopetals, @exhofayemars, @pvrkacciosan

✧ notes: y’all, i’m so sorry san’s chapters took basically two months—

✧ WARNING: brief mention of death

back。| next。

waking up in one of the guest bedrooms, jiyu wearily blinked a couple times before remembering the events from the night before. letting out a small sigh, she sat up and stretched her arms above her head. i hope i didn’t scare him away for good this time.

the various voices and clanks of pans she could hear downstairs made her curious. she glanced at the clock above the bedroom door. 7:34 AM. she tilted her head in confusion. the five boys usually lugged themselves out of bed by 8 earliest, so what’s got them up and running so early?

slipping out of bed and leaving the room, she peered over the railing to see the five boys trying to cook what she assumed was breakfast. she saw some of them (mingi and yunho) struggling with trying to work the induction stove, while some of them (yeosang and hongjoong) were somewhat messily cracking eggs and whisking them. she swore seonghwa had slumped a little just watching them.

but what surprised her the most was the cat hybrid that had slid over to help yeosang and hongjoong.

“oh, good morning!” yunho happily greeted her with a wave. at his call, they all followed the puppy’s gaze to see jiyu staring at them from the second floor. “did you sleep well?”

jiyu nodded, not knowing what to process first—the fact that the kitchen might have a chance of burning down, or the fact that san was still there. she slowly descended down the stairs.

sensing jiyu’s confusion, seonghwa sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. “we all felt bad after your little...talk yesterday,” he admitted, the others nodding along with him. like hongjoong had said the previous night, they all shared blame for her outburst since they all once shared similar thoughts with san. “and it was actually san’s idea to make breakfast...”

jiyu’s eyes widened even more before she moved her gaze from seonghwa to san, who had awkwardly hid behind yeosang. after jiyu left the room, san felt pretty guilty, which was a first for him when it came to humans. it wasn’t until the others had briefed him on their own stories with her did he start to realize that she had been telling the truth. she was right; if she had only taken care of them out of obligation for her career, she would’ve sent them to shelters after they had recovered. but no, she took them under her wing and cared for them as if they were her own children and friends.

“...so considering how you’re doing all this,” she gestured to the eggs, and other various breakfast ingredients lying around the counter, “is this your way of accepting my offer of staying?” she turned to san, or rather yeosang.

san shyly side-stepped away from yeosang. he couldn’t meet her eyes as he fiddled with his fingers. after a moment of silence, he nodded. “...if that offer still stands. i know i haven’t been the nicest, but after last night, i don’t think you’re such a bad person—”

“so you thought i was a bad person all throughout the time we’ve known each other?” jiyu teasingly pressed, keeping up an offended facade.

san’s head instantly snapped up at the realization of his words. flustered, he waved his hands in front of him defensively. “wait—no, that’s not what i meant—”

jiyu burst out into laughter and leaned onto the counter. she never would’ve thought that san would have a change of heart with the way she acted last night, yet the universe is always full of surprises for her. “don’t worry, i was just messing with you,” she explained through her laughs before calming down. “and i’m sorry if i crossed a line last night. it’s just...i’ve had a lot on my mind recently and my emotions seemed to have spilled over. i know that sounds like an excuse but for me, it’s the truth.”

although some of the hybrids in the room had no idea what was bothering her so much, they had to agree with her. ever since she went out with sunwoo the day before, she seemed lost in her thoughts more often or just zoning out.

“it’s alright, really,” san reassured. “i was accusing you of ulterior motives, too so...i think you had a right to at least be angry.”

walking up to the cat hybrid, she softly smiled and held her hand out to him. “so are we good now?”

san slowly clutched her tiny hands in his and gave it a small, yet firm shake. like proud parents, seonghwa and hongjoong looked at the interaction with proud smiles on their faces. as a matter of fact, they all did. they didn’t realize their small talk from last night would actually help san.

taking a good look at the state of the kitchen, jiyu found it amusing how they were all trying to avoid her look, knowing they were guilty of the mess. “now then...do you all need some help?” she asked, stifling her chuckles at how they eagerly nodded at her offer.

breakfast was more lively than it had been the last few days. rather than hiding in his own corner, she could see san communicating with the everyone else, herself included. the others were asking questions and just trying to nudge san to feel more relaxed around them. jiyu didn’t understand how he had a change of heart just over one night, but she was glad to see him progress.

but a question nagged at her from the back of her mind. just who was after san that they beat him to a pulp so badly? who was san and where was he from before becoming a stray? jiyu wanted to ask him so bad to see if she could offer him anymore help, but would it come off as being nosy? would san just retreat back into his little shell?

at that moment, it was like san read her mind. “i think...you all deserve an explanation...considering how i put you all at risk last night,” she nervously said, fiddling with his tail.

“only if you’re okay with it,” seonghwa reassured from next to him.

san took a moment to gather his thoughts and words. “i actually came from owners that were...well-off, you could put it. if i remember correctly, they adopted my parents first, then i was born a few years after. unfortunately, they died when i was seven due to what they told me was an accident.”

jiyu felt her heart break for san. he looked so somber at the mention of his parents that she almost told him he didn’t have to force himself. but san continued to talk.

“after my parents died, the family was so nice to me. they basically treated me like i was their own son. they had a daughter around my age, too...so i even had a friend. i thought i had everything, i thought life was great...” he paused again, pursing his lips as he reminisced his past. “but then one wrong move made me a monster in their eyes.” his ears slumped on his head as his whole figure seemed to shrink. his head was bent down, unable to make eye contact with anyone out of fear that they would reject him like his old family did.

“you don’t have to tell us what you did if it makes you uncomfortable, san,” hongjoong noted the cat’s tensed state, almost as if he was forcing himself to say what he had to say.

san nodded, an action so small and light that you could’ve missed if you weren’t paying attention. jiyu switched to the seat next to him and gently pat his back in a comforting motion. “hey, it’s okay, san. let me tell you, if you’re ever comfortable enough to tell us what you did, i swear on my life that our views about you would never change. all of us here...i’m pretty sure i can speak for all of us when i say we’ve made some horrible mistakes in the past, too.”

san lifted his head up in the slightest and saw them all nod at jiyu’s words. looking over to jiyu, he found her softly smiling at him. “i’m not exactly sure what convinced you to stay with us, but i’ll be sure to help you out in any way i can. and you can take your time with us. take baby steps into trusting us, just remember that we’re here every step of the way. and if and when the time comes that you can tell is what happened, we’ll listen with open ears and hearts. okay?”

san took her words to heart. he felt the warmth of her words, and how she genuinely meant what she said. seeing the others’ reassuring faces made things a lot better, too.

“they told me their story,” san quietly mumbled. jiyu tilted her head in confusion. “how you helped them. i guess that’s what kind of made me take the leap, too.” he confessed.

jiyu stared at the others with wide eyes. she was surprised they even vouched for her. hongjoong playfully snorted before ruffling her hair. “why are you looking at us like that? all we told him was the truth.”

yunho enthusiastically nodded. “yeah! you saved mingi and i from our old owners and the cold.” mingi nodded with a grin, his bunny ears perking up and bouncing along with his nods.

“and you saved me from getting put down,” seonghwa chimed in.

“and you helped me open up and trust again,” yeosang languidly added. it was rare for jiyu to hear yeosang say something as sappy as that since their dynamics was usually a lot of teasing (from yeosang), but whenever he did say something warm, it held all the more weight and impact.

jiyu’s bottom lip started to slightly quiver as she felt herself become overwhelmed with emotions—good ones this time. “you guys are gonna make me cry and it’s only 8 in the morning!”

san snickered. “they weren’t kidding when they said you get emotional a lot, too.”

“they what—!”

“we’re sorry, we didn’t mean it!” mingi apologized while laughing before running away to the living room couch.

“san, that was supposed to be a secret!” yunho playfully whispered before getting a light flick on the forehead by jiyu.

“alright, you all get one flick each, come here!” she mischievously smiled before going after each and every one of them. san just watched with amusement at the scene. ‘she really is like a kid on the inside.’ he mused to himself while mingi’s screams echoed around.

#9th member of ateez #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez fluff #ateez angst #choi san #choi san imagines #san imagines #ateez san #hybrid au #kpop hybrid au #ateez hybrid #hybrid!ateez #ateez au

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ukulelecal · 4 years ago

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Bloom - Part Three

The story of flowers.

Pairing: Poet!Luke Hemmings x Female!OC

Warnings: mentions of alcohol/drinking, anxiety, bit of angst, fluff as well

Word Count: 7.9k

A/N: the finale!! i really really loved writing this and i hope you all enjoyed reading it. if yall are interested i would love to write more about luke and devon in the future!! anyways. like always, i ask you to remember how important reblogs and feedback are, and i hope you love it!!!

series masterlist

my masterlist // posted on ao3

Moving back in with Luke was as painless as moving could be.

It was much easier than when Devon left in the first place. She didn’t have help then, and there was the anxiety about moving to a whole new place and starting grad school all while going through a breakup. This time, Luke was there, and she was going to a place she knew and loved.

Within a week, Devon was packed up and ready to go again, after a quick pause for the official release of Luke’s book, a cause for celebration. All her belongings were taken by the movers and her and Luke flew back home without a hitch. Ashton was still in the process of packing up his own belongings and assured the couple that he would be out within a few days, cracking a joke about making sure to keep the noise down until he was gone. Devon and Luke sped up the process by helping him pack and transfer everything over to Calum and Michael’s flat.

Finally, they were alone. And thank God for that.

“Is it weird being back?” Luke asked over breakfast the first morning that it was just the two of them. Devon shrugged.

“I thought it would be, but it’s really not. Feels natural,” she explained. Luke smiled in satisfaction, feet rubbing against each other under the table.

He was so glad to have her back. As much as he liked living with Ashton, he needed his girl back. He needed to wake up next to her, share good morning kisses and cuddles until daily duties finally pulled them out of bed. Ashton didn’t make nearly as good of a dance partner while making dinner and definitely never gave Luke a good night kiss.

Now that Devon was back, they could go back to all their normals from before. Luke could lay his head in her lap while she read a book and he wrote. At least, he would try to. The feeling of Devon gently scratching his scalp always distracted him and made him sleepy.

Devon, ever the early riser, could sneak out of bed in the mornings to make a run to the local cafe down the street from their apartment complex for coffee and pastries and be back before Luke ever noticed she was gone. She’d always climb back into bed with him for a bit if she didn’t have anywhere to be, knowing he hated to wake up without her there.

Things had finally fallen into place.

With breakfast finished and cleaned up, Luke and Devon got themselves ready for the day before meeting in the living room.

“What now?” Luke asked, throwing his arms out. “We have the whole rest of summer until you start school again. What do you want to do?”

“Not to be boring, but first things first, I want to see if I can get my old job back,” she chuckled, causing Luke to roll his eyes playfully, though he understood. Rent and loans wouldn’t pay themselves. “But, I haven’t been here in a year. I want to do it all.”

Luke smiled, stepping towards and snatching up his car keys.

“Let’s go, then. Summer won’t last forever.”

Back in Bertha, Luke drove Devon to the office building where she used to work as a receptionist. She hated it, if she was honest with herself; the people there were stuffy and boring, but the job paid well, and that’s all she needed until she finished grad school and got a permanent job. A quick conversation with her old boss had her rehired, the woman expressing how Devon was always the most organized receptionist they ever had, before she made her way back to Luke.

“I am officially a receptionist again starting Monday,” she announced with fake enthusiasm as she shut the car door behind her. “Anyways, I’m thinking a walk in the park and then the panini place a few blocks down for lunch, if that’s okay with you.”

Luke didn’t answer. Devon looked up from clicking her seatbelt into place to find him staring at her with an adoring grin, eyes twinkling with love.

“What?” She mumbled sheepishly, heat rising to her cheeks.

“I’m so glad I’ve got you back, honey. I love you so much.”

Devon barely had the chance to return the sentiment before Luke was leaning over the center console, beard tickling her as he pressed a needed kiss to her lips. He reached over to give her knee a squeeze before throwing the car into reverse.

“Off to the park!”

The walk was relaxing. Luke and Devon both found solace in nature, absorbing up the sunshine and fresh air. Devon realized she needed an updated picture of him in all his beard and glasses glory for her lockscreen. She picked a few daisies from the ground and tucked them behind his ear, using her free hand to cup the side of his face opposite from the flowers and took the picture. It was adorable; his eyes squinted from the sun and his grin was full of joy. She loved it, wasting no time in setting it as her lockscreen. He teased her about it, but a picture of her laughing across the table from him at the restaurant quickly became his new lockscreen.

It was an amazing day. The best day either of them had had in a while, right up there with Luke’s book release. They drifted off to sleep that night with smiles on their faces, ever so content and ever so in love.

One evening some weeks later, Luke hopped in the shower while Devon wandered around the bedroom until he was done so they could watch a movie. She stopped in front of the small book shelf in the corner, eyes landing on The Life of a Flower. She picked up the book, fingertips trailing over the familiar orchids on the cover.

She had read it all the way through a few times, and it didn’t take long to realize that the entire book was about her. The very first poem in it was The Orchids, the first poem Luke had written for her. It started off happy, all poems about their loving relationship, but they slowly got more tragic as the book went on, poems about their breakup. Many of the poems had flower themes, including the flower referenced in the title of the book being a symbol of their relationship and it’s journey.

The final poem was called Sunshine Can’t Save Me Now. It was about a broken man - Luke, surely - trying to save a flower that was already dead - his and Devon’s relationship. He explained that he was at a very low point when he wrote it, admitting that he didn’t have much hope at the time. It was the right way to end the book, considering the state of Luke’s life when it was finished.

It took Luke a half hour to calm Devon down when she finished the book for the first time. She couldn’t stop sobbing as he held her, assuring her that everything was okay now. Her tears were caused by a mixture of resurfaced painful memories and the pure heartbreaking beauty of Luke’s poetry.

She let out a deep sigh. Just thinking about it made her want to cry. The poems really revealed how Luke was feeling about the breakup. He opened up to her about going through a bit of a rough patch, but his poetry said far more than what he ever said to her out loud. She only wished things could have been different; maybe the book would have had a happy ending.

“You ready, babe?”

Devon’s head snapped up at Luke’s voice, seeing him step into the bedroom with wet curls and only a pair of joggers on his legs. She quickly put the book on the shelf and grinned at him.

“Yep, I’m ready.”

She walked towards him, expecting him to turn and go into the living room, but his large hands rested on her forearms, stopping her.

“You okay?” He asked with concern. He didn’t miss the frown on her face when he first walked into the room.

“I’m alright, bubs. Come on,” she insisted, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the living room.

“You sure?” He coaxed as they sat down on the couch together. She looked up at him with a smile and nodded. He searched her face; she really did look alright. He sighed and pressed a prickly kiss to her cheek. “Okay.”

Devon tossed a blanket over the two of them as Luke pulled up the movie. She cuddled into him easily, head resting on his bare shoulder. With an arm wrapped around her shoulders, his fingertips gently danced over her forearm, the touches subtle but meaningful.

They greatly appreciated the quiet moments like this. No expectations, worries, or watching eyes. Just the two of them, flowers in a pot rather than a field.

Devon felt her eyes start to droop, as they did most times when they watched movies at night and she got too comfortable. Luke would tease her relentlessly about not being able to stay awake through an entire movie, but he was more than happy to hold her sleeping figure until the movie ended, then carry her into bed with him.

Halfway through the movie, Luke glanced down to see Devon’s eyes closed, noticing her breath had slowed down. A soft grin spread across his face. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. The weight of school and work weren’t twisting her face. She was at ease, calm.

Luke’s lips ever so softly connected with Devon’s forehead. The tickle of his beard made her stir for a moment, but quickly settled back into his shoulder. He wanted this forever. He wanted Devon to fall asleep on him every night, fall asleep with her in his arms and wake up with her right there next to him. He had known that for a long time, but at the moment, the love he felt for the stunning woman right next to him was overwhelming.

He watched her sleep for another moment before an idea popped into his head.

He quickly paused the movie and gently scooped Devon up into his arms. She cuddled into him, thankfully staying asleep as Luke carried her into the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and pulled the sheets carefully over her. Once he was sure she was still asleep, Luke quickly moved into the spare room and pulled out his most recent notebook.

The words came easily, flowing out onto the paper as water flowed through a stream. The poem was short but heavy, a depiction of white roses to match a white gown. A vow to love forever, through whatever life may throw at them. Through sickness and in health. He let out a deep breath once the final line was written.

Luke would save the poem for later; now wasn’t a good time. But one day, Devon would hear it, and have a brand new ring on her finger to go along with it.

…

The rest of the summer was certainly one to remember.

Devon and Luke were lucky to have similar work schedules. Their days off typically lined up, and even if they couldn’t see each other much during the day, they were always both home to have dinner together.

Luke’s book was doing well in sales and reviews. Readers begged for more, desperate to find some sort of closure on the wilting relationship detailed in the book. They had no idea that things worked out in the end, the flowers revived.

Summer came to a close. Devon’s second and final year of grad school was starting, only two semesters away from her master’s degree. Luke had some promotion opportunities for The Life of a Flower lined up, and was starting to think about a second book.

He was hesitant to quit his job at the bookstore. He didn’t feel like he was established enough in the poetry world to be financially stable without a more steady source of income. If he could just write all day, every day, he would. Until then, he would stay a manager at the quaint store in the city.

“Are you nervous?” Luke whispered to Devon the night before her first day of classes. The couple was cuddled up in bed, Devon’s head on Luke’s chest.

“A bit,” she sighed. “I guess I’m more nervous about what comes after I graduate.”

She figured a master’s degree would open more opportunities, but there was always uncertainty when it came to job hunting. She had time before she needed to start looking, but the thought always made her worry.

“Don’t be nervous, honey. You’re the smartest person I know. I have every faith in you that you’ll be amazing. And remember, I’ll always be here.”

His words brought a smile to her face. He always knew just what to say when she needed comfort.

“I love you,” she whispered as she began to drift off. She heard his return of the sentiment before sleep took over, her final sleep before being thrown into the whirlwind of a final year of grad school.

…

First semester was nothing short of overwhelming.

Devon was swamped with assignments, constantly scrambling to get things done between classes and on her breaks at work. She spent hours at her computer, back aching and eyes burning, pressure heavy on her shoulders.

It took a lot of deep breaths and reevaluation to remind herself that she only needed to get through two semesters, and she would be done. She would have her master’s and grad school would be over. School being done meant a job hunt, but she tried not to think about what came next. She needed to stay focused in the present.

Luke wasn’t around much. He was away a lot doing interviews and signings for his book, taking up extra hours at the bookstore in his free time to save money - for multiple things he had in mind.

When he was home, Luke’s mission was to make sure Devon stayed sane. He could see the stress school was putting on her, and she tended to overwork herself. He had to force her to take breaks, even if it meant physically lifting her from her desk chair and carrying her into the kitchen to eat. She would always give in, but it never lasted long until she scurried back to her studies. Saturday nights, however, were always reserved for date night. No work, no school, no commitments to anything other than each other. It was their favorite night of the week in which they got to relax and let their minds drift from responsibility.

Winter break was like a sigh of relief for the couple. Devon got her first proper night’s sleep in months, putting Luke’s worried self at ease. They divided up the time between Luke’s family and Devon’s family, of course setting some time aside for themselves. It was relaxing, refreshing, and the perfect break before second semester.

Now just a few months away from her master’s degree, Devon had to bring her A-game. She had her thesis paper to worry about, along with the dreaded job search. It was a lot to tackle all at once, but she was prepared for the challenge. She had her eyes on the prize, and all the stress would be worth it in the end when she fulfilled her goal.

Luke still had promotion things to do, but he was starting to focus on writing more. He wanted his second book to have a story like his first one did. He planned on making it a sequel of sorts, a tale of his and Devon’s saved relationship after their breakup period, but not in a way that a reader would have to read The Life of a Flower to understand.

It was only a couple weeks into the second semester that Devon’s workload quickly got massive. Between gradual work on her thesis paper, class assignments and her job, things got difficult pretty quickly. Luke was busy as well, cranking out drafts upon drafts of poems that he wasn’t even happy with. He knew he needed to slow down and focus on quality over quantity, but it was difficult when he knew publishers would want options.

Luke and Devon’s individual stress began to put a stress on their relationship.

There was hardly time for each other. Devon was usually out of bed before Luke in the mornings, and it was a guessing game to see who would retire to bed first at night. No matter who it was, it was always at an hour far too late. It affected Devon especially, who was used to turning in early most nights. There were rarely good night or good morning kisses, and most dinners were whatever was easiest and quickest.

Actual date night got canceled most Saturdays as someone was usually too tired to go out; it had gotten to a point where the closest semblance they had had to a date in weeks was a trip to the grocery store.

All of the tension built up more and more, and eventually it led to the little time they had to spend together being full of petty arguments. It started with Devon snapping at Luke for leaving his pants on the bedroom floor, and it only grew from there. Little things that used to not bother them much caused ridiculous bickering.

It was scaring Devon. Their relationship was starting to feel like the days leading up to their breakup. Tense and bitter. Every little argument with Luke left a foul taste in her mouth, and she didn’t want to let it go on. They promised each other that they were going to make things work, and that meant they needed to sit down and talk like adults.

Devon knocked softly on the spare bedroom door where Luke had shut himself away to work, as usual. She heard a soft “come in” from inside, and gently pushed the door open.

Luke looked up from his notebook, and she quickly noticed the dark circles under his eyes. What pained Devon the most was that they had probably been there the whole time and she had been too frustrated to notice. Not frustrated at him, either; it was school and work, and she was taking it out on him.

“You alright?” He asked, seeing the worried look on her face. She simply sighed and stepped forward, taking his open arms as an invitation to take a seat on his lap.

“Can we talk, bubs?” She whispered. Luke’s hand gently rubbed her thigh as he nodded in agreement. Devon continued. “I’m sorry I’ve been so rude to you lately. It’s not an excuse but school has just been a pain in the ass.”

“It’s okay, honey. I’m sorry too. I think we’ve both just been really on edge lately,” he mumbled, pulling her closer. “We need to find time to unwind.”

Devon hummed in agreement, leaning her head on Luke’s chest. The gentle thump of his heartbeat was comforting as she took in his touch. She couldn’t remember the last time they were so close physically.

“My spring break is coming up next month. Maybe we could go somewhere? Even if it’s just for a few days?”

Luke smiled a bit at the suggestion.

“That sounds nice.”

Perhaps a getaway would do them good. They could leave all work and school behind and just have fun together. The last time they took a trip was spring break junior year of undergrad. They spent most days getting drunk and making out on the beach. They laughed until they forgot what was funny and ate their way through the local restaurants. Maybe they were overdue for a nice vacation.

Devon leaned up to press a kiss to Luke’s scruffy chin.

“Let’s go to bed, bubs.”

The two of them climbed into bed at the same time for the first time in a long time that night. Luke pulled Devon into his arms and they exchanged a good night kiss, thoughts of a vacation lulling them to sleep.

…

Luke and Devon eventually decided on going back to the beach for spring break. They didn’t have much money to go anywhere fancy, and they had a lot of good memories associated with the place. Devon insisted on taking her car for the drive, unsure about Bertha’s ability to make it through the trip, but Luke still insisted on being the driver.

With luggage loaded into the trunk, the couple hit the road.

As passenger, Devon got the aux. She played the road trip playlist that she perfectly crafted for the occasion, and the drive was spent singing along and dancing in their seats.

Devon glanced over at Luke. It was golden hour, a gorgeous glow casting over the gorgeous boy that she was lucky enough to call hers. He looked so happy and in his element. Devon squeezed his hand that was resting in her lap.

“You’re staring,” Luke mumbled without returning her gaze, a small smirk on his face. She giggled.

“Can’t help it. You’re beautiful.”

A blush spread across his cheeks under the orange glow of the setting sun. She squeezed his hand again as a reassurance before turning her eyes back to the road.

Soon enough, Luke pulled into the parking lot of the small hotel they had booked a room at, the same place they stayed at junior year. It wasn’t exactly a five star establishment, but they didn’t expect to be spending much time there anyway.

After loading their small amount of luggage from the trunk, they made their way into the quaint lobby to check in. The walls were covered top to bottom in tacky beach decorations, coastal throw pillows on the white couches. It wasn’t what Devon would call good interior design, but it was fitting for the location and only made her more excited for the trip.

“We’ve got a reservation under Hemmings.”

The man at the front desk handed them their room keys and a pamphlet with some local attractions and restaurant recommendations. They were off to their room afterwards, a small thing but plenty for the two of them.

“Remember the last time we came here?” Devon asked as they got settled in, carrying her toiletries into the bathroom.

“I remember coming, but I can’t say I remember much of the actual vacation.”

Devon laughed at that; they spent a good majority of the trip drunk. She couldn’t say she remembered many specifics either, just some tidbits. Based on the blurry pictures they found in their camera rolls afterwards, they could imagine they had a good time.

Luke pulled on a clean shirt before joining Devon in the bathroom where she was leaning over the shower, setting her shampoo and conditioner on the wire shelf on the wall. She turned around to face him, finding a small smile on his face.

“C’mere, honey,” he hummed with open arms. Devon flushed and melted into him, feeling him press a kiss to the top of her head. “This was a great idea. I love you.”

“I love you too, bubs.” She puckered her lips for a kiss that Luke gladly delivered. “How about we walk around to find a place for dinner?”

Luke agreed and the two were out the door. Hand in hand, they strolled around the small beach town. There wasn’t a chain restaurant in sight; every place was a local business. They didn’t look like much on the outside, but the couple were firm believers that the holes in the wall and the greasy spoons were usually the best places.

A taco restaurant with a calming seafoam green exterior beckoned Devon and Luke inside, sitting down for dinner. The slightly run down building was no comparison to the delicious food.

With full stomachs, the couple made their way to the beach. The spring breaker crowd was thin at the time, most people gone for dinner, but surely it would fill up again later at night for the real fun.

Luke and Devon slowly strolled down the beach, carrying their shoes in their hands that weren’t interlaced together. The sun was barely still peaking out, and a cool breeze began to rip through the air.

“I forgot how pretty it is,” Devon commented as they walked. The setting sun over the ocean was a lovely sight to see. Luke hummed, dropping her hand in favor of wrapping it around her waist.

“I love it,” he mumbled in response. “And I love you, honey.”

Devon turned her head to press a chaste kiss to his shoulder, leaning her cheek on the spot.

“I love you too, Lu.”

They walked until they reached a wooden bench swing. It was a bit creaky but comfortable, Luke using his feet to slowly swing them back and forth.

“I’d like to live here one day,” Devon said dreamily. “On the beach. Maybe after we retire. We’ll be that old couple that sits on their front porch all day and watches the waves.”

Luke could picture it perfectly. They would be the laid back grandparents that took the grandkids to the beach all the time, having bonfires in their backyard on warm summer nights. They would have their own little beach house with a porch swing and a dog. He wasn’t too keen on growing old just yet, but the thought definitely made the future seem bright.

“One day,” he affirmed. “But what about now? Where do you want to live after you graduate?”

“I think I want to stay where we are.” She glanced up at him, eyebrows furrowed. “Is that where you want to be?”

“It is.” He bent down and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “We could live anywhere and I would be happy as long as I had you, Dev.”

“You’re so cheesy,” she chuckled although her heart soared. She felt the same way; white picket fence house or tiny apartment, she would be content so long as she had Luke.

“I’m a poet. It’s my specialty.”

The couple laughed before falling into silence again.

Luke meant what he said. He still wanted to be in the city and close to all the job opportunities for Devon, but he wanted more than their little apartment. It was perfect for college students, but they had always yearned for something more. Once Devon got a job after graduation and if his book sales continued to be successful, they could achieve their dreams soon.

The rest of the trip was pure bliss. They spent their days lounging on the beach and popping in and out of antique shops in the town. There were many photos, many laughs, many heartfelt kisses. It was exactly what they needed to recharge and regroup. After weeks of tension, they were finally at ease.

All too soon, it was back to reality. Devon had a thesis paper to finish, and Luke had a book to get back to work on. However, they were confident that the workload wouldn’t put such a strain on their relationship this time. They had a newfound energy to power through and make things work.

Time flew by, and before either of them knew it, Devon was only two weeks away from graduation. She was only two weeks from having her master’s degree. She had to admit she was proud of herself. Grad school was no walk in the park, and she was about to finish. In a world that seemed to be against her, she was succeeding.

It was both an exciting and stressful time in her life. She was approaching the finish line, and she even had a few job offers lined up. No more receptionist work for her.

There was one thing that was bringing her down; the damn thesis paper.

Her first draft was done, but she wasn’t happy with it. She spent hours editing and rewriting, fingers cramping from all the typing. She only had another week to finish, and the panic was starting to set in.

“You’re working yourself ragged, honey,” Luke said one afternoon, not missing the concerningly dark circles under Devon’s eyes or the fact that she had been wearing the same shirt for three days. He placed his hands on her shoulders, thumbs working the stiff muscles. “Come on, take a break.”

“I don’t have time, Luke,” she huffed, eyes never leaving her computer screen. “I only have a week to finish and this paper is shit.”

Luke felt his heart break in his chest. It pained him to see her so stressed out and unsure of herself. Devon was a perfectionist; she would settle for nothing less than fantastic for her paper.

“Devon, look at me,” he mumbled, gently grabbing her chin to turn her face towards him. Exhaustion weighed heavy on her features.

One look into Luke’s sincere blue eyes had Devon’s own watering. Her bottom lip trembled as she turned around in her chair to stand up. She collapsed into Luke’s arms, a pained sob escaping her lips.

“It’s so hard, Lu,” she choked out. “It’s so hard.”

“Oh, honey,” he cooed, slowly walking backwards until they reached the bed. He laid down and coaxed Devon to join, still crying into his chest. “It’s alright, just let it out. It’s okay to cry. I’m right here.”

She sobbed until she had no tears left, cries subsiding to the occasional sniffle. She felt a sense of relief, letting out a deep breath.

“You okay, baby?” Luke inquired. He only got a nod in response. “I told you you needed to take a break, Dev.”

She sighed and mumbled something incoherent, burying her head further into Luke’s chest.

“What do you want to do now, honey?” He asked. “You want to take a nap? I know you’re tired.”

She did want to nap. She wanted to sleep for days, but life didn’t allow that.

“Shower,” she grumbled, voice muffled. “Then nap.”

“Alright,” he agreed softly, thankful that she wasn’t fighting him on taking a break anymore.

While she showered, Luke straightened up her workspace a bit, knowing the mess would only stress her out more. He also prepped some celery with ranch dressing, one of Devon’s favorite snacks, for her to munch on before she went to sleep.

Devon let the hot water soothe her aching muscles. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, relishing in the warmth. She didn’t want to take too long of a break, but Luke was right; she was working too hard. If she was well rested, felt good, and paced herself, she would do much better.

After her shower, she changed into one of Luke’s clean t-shirts and her most comfortable pair of leggings. She stepped out of the bathroom and walked back to the bedroom, quickly noticing her tidy desk and the plate of celery on her nightstand.

She could have started crying again, just because of how sweet he was. He had a certain knack for being able to make her feel better instantly.

“I’ve got a snack for you to have before you take your nap,” Luke explained, standing up from the edge of the bed. “Celery and ranch.”

She stood up on her toes to press a grateful kiss to his lips.

“Thank you, bubs.”

Curled up in bed, she nibbled on her snack until she could barely keep her eyes open. Setting the plate back on the nightstand, she moved herself to lay down and curled up next to Luke.

“Don’t let me sleep too long, okay?”

“I won’t, I promise,” Luke assured. “Just go to sleep, honey. You need it.”

Devon dozed off contently. With Luke by her side, she was ready to take on the next two weeks.

…

Devon’s knee bounced the whole flight to the city of her grad school, as much as Luke tried to calm her down. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous; she had been through graduation ceremonies before. All she had to do was walk across the stage, get her diploma, and shake a few hands. It was simple.

“Why are you so nervous, honey?” He had asked, rubbing her thigh to soothe her.

“I don’t know,” she huffed. She reached for Luke’s hand on her leg to fiddle with the rings on his fingers. “I don’t think it’s the ceremony that I’m nervous about. It’s just...I don’t know.”

The fact that she didn’t know what was bothering her only stressed her out more. She knew there really was nothing to worry about. She had gone through her bag a million times before leaving for the airport; she had her cap and gown, as well as the dress and heels she bought for the occasion and enough clothes to last the trip. Her phone was tucked safely in the pocket of her joggers along with her wallet. Pretty much anything else, she could either live without for a few days or buy it there.

If she wasn’t worried about the ceremony and she knew she packed all the essentials, then what was she so nervous about?

Luke dropped it for the rest of the plane ride, but once they got to the hotel, getting ready to meet Devon’s parents for dinner, the way she paced around the room and fidgeted with everything she could get her hands on was starting to make him nervous.

“Everything is going to be fine, Dev. You’re getting your master’s and your parents are going to be there to see you. I know they are so proud of you. You worked so hard for this. Isn’t that exciting?”

The realization finally hit.

Devon’s parents expected a lot from her. She knew they always wanted the best for her, and she did everything she could to make them proud. Her parents were loving people. They always said that they would be proud of her no matter what, but Devon never felt like she was doing enough.

“That’s just it, Luke. What if it’s not enough? What if they expect more?” She rambled, straightening her necklace for the thousandth time.

“What more could they expect? You just finished grad school. That’s a huge accomplishment,” he tried to reason with her.

“Anything. They could expect anything else.”

Luke realized what was happening. The need to make other people proud bled into a need for herself to feel accomplished. Even if her parents told her a million times that they would always be proud of her, she would always need more. She needed validation.

“Devon Murphy. Look me in the eyes.”

He grabbed her shoulders to stop her pacing. She stared up at him, eyes wide with nerves.

“I need you to realize that your worth is not measured by physical accomplishments. Your worth is not measured in grades and degrees. And even if it was, you’ve done better than the average person. You say your parents will want more, but I know for a fact that you have already made them more proud than you can imagine. You will always be enough.”

Devon wasn’t sure when she had started crying, but Luke used his thumbs to wipe the wetness off her cheeks. She definitely needed to hear that. Unable to find the right words, she leaned up to kiss him, a silent expression of her gratitude.

“Love you,” she whispered against his lips. He grinned and gave her one last peck before pulling away.

“I love you too.” He wiped away the bit of smudged mascara under her eyes. “Are you ready to go?”

Devon nodded. Hand in hand they headed out the door and to the restaurant.

Devon’s parents were ecstatic to see her. They hadn’t been able to visit since the holidays, and they were simply overjoyed to see their daughter and watch her get her master’s degree.

They were excited to see Luke as well. From the moment Devon first brought him home to meet them, they knew he was the one. They looked at each other like they were the entire world. Luke was kind and respectful. They had full faith in him to be a good man for their daughter.

Naturally, they were shocked when Devon told them that her and Luke broke up. It was the last thing they ever expected, but they knew deep down that things would work out in the end. They were right.

The meal went smoothly. The lively conversation put any anxieties Devon was feeling at ease, and as the night ended and her and Luke were off to bed, she was ready.

…

Devon took her time to get ready in the morning.

She got up early so she could take a long shower, cleaning well so she felt her best. She blow dried her hair and took her time doing her makeup. She did it lightly, wanting to look natural but not washed out in the inevitable countless photos she would be taking.

Slipping on the orchid purple color dress she bought, she glanced at herself in the mirror.

Luke’s words from the evening before rang in her mind. This was a huge accomplishment. She had done many amazing things in her life. She was enough.

Devon walked out the bathroom with a smile, ready to go. Luke was sitting at the small table in the corner, hunched over his notebook. He had already changed into his dress shirt and slacks, ready when she was.

His eyes widened when he saw her. She was simply glowing with confidence and pride, as she should. He smiled brightly as he stood up to meet her.

“You look stunning, my love,” he mumbled. He shook his head softly. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, bubs.” She glanced past him at his notebook. “What are you writing?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he chuckled.

He grabbed Devon’s black gown from where it was hung on the closet door and handed it to her along with her cap. With a deep breath, she was ready to go.

The ride to the school was short. Devon and Luke met up with her parents beforehand.

“We are so proud of you, sweetheart,” her dad announced, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“We always knew you would do amazing things,” her mom added in, tears welling up in her eyes.

Devon finally felt like she had done enough. Looking at her parents, she knew that they were truly beyond proud. She was enough.

“Don’t cry, Mom,” Devon chuckled warmly, pulling them in for a hug. “I wouldn’t be here without you two. Thank you.”

They talked for another minute before a different familiar voice called Devon’s name. She turned around to find Luke’s parents walking up, big smiles on their faces. Her mouth dropped at the surprise, heart bursting. Luke hadn’t told her that he invited them, but it made her so happy that they were there as well. Her relationship with them was very strong.

“Liz! Andy! Oh my gosh, thank you for coming!” She cheered, sharing hugs with them as well.

“Luke invited us. We’re so proud of you, Devon. We wouldn’t miss this,” Liz said, Andy piping in his agreement.

Devon couldn’t contain her smile, glancing at Luke in appreciation. This was her family, all together and there to support her in her biggest accomplishment. She felt proud, excited, and loved. She couldn’t ask for more.

The three couples chatted and took a few pictures until it was time for Devon to go. She exchanged hugs and kisses with each person before heading off to join the rest of her graduating class, Luke and the parents going to find their seats.

The anticipation as she waited to enter the gymnasium was killing her, lined up in a sea of caps and gowns. She shifted her weight back and forth, making small talk with the person standing in front of her that she had never met just to pass the time.

Eventually, the line began to move, walking right towards the next chapter of their lives.

The sound of Pomp and Circumstance filled Devon’s ears as she walked inside. The massive crowd made her heart rate pick up a little, both in excitement and nerves. This wasn’t just her big day. So many other students were feeling just the same as she was, so many other families beaming with pride. It made her feel good to be a part of something so grand.

Devon quickly glanced around for her family, but the crowd was too big to spot them. She took her seat in the folding chair, and the ceremony began.

Many people made speeches, most of which Devon wasn’t familiar with, but listened intently anyway. Before she knew it, it was time to call names. The first half of the alphabet flew by, and suddenly, it was Devon’s turn.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she stood at the bottom of the steps, her smile wide. After every all nighter, all the stress, she did it. She finished grad school. She had her master’s degree in social work.

“Devon Murphy.”

The crowd cheered as she walked across the stage. She could hear a few cheers that stood out among the rest, and she knew exactly who they belonged to. She couldn’t help but laugh as she was handed her diploma and shook hands. Nothing was funny, but she had never felt such a sense of pride and joy.

Devon barely heard the rest of the ceremony. She was buzzing, staring at the diploma resting in her lap. She did it.

Her attention was regained when the people next to her stood up, and she quickly followed, walking out of the gymnasium. Everyone made their way to where the graduates could meet their guests. It took a minute to find them in the crowd, but she spotted them.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the group as she ran towards them, pulling them all into a group hug. They all chorused their congratulations and pride. The love between them was strong, pride immeasurable.

Devon hugged her parents and Luke’s parents individually before she got to him. His smile crinkled his eyes, grabbing her face and pressing a firm kiss to her lips.

“Congratulations, honey,” he mumbled once he pulled away. “You did it. I am so, so proud of you.”

The group took many, many pictures before heading off to have a late lunch. Luke refused to tell her where they were going on the drive there, but soon enough Luke pulled into the parking lot of a fancy steakhouse.

“This place is like, the same price as my tuition, Lu,” she stated, giving him a look.

“Only the best for our graduate,” was his simple response, sending her a wink before getting out of the car. She rolled her eyes playfully but followed, grateful for the treat.

Luke and Devon’s parents meet them inside, talking to the hostess for a moment before being led towards the back of the restaurant. Devon followed, confused when they passed all of the tables in the dining room.

“Where are we sitting?” She whispered to Luke, but her question was answered when the hostess opened a door that led to an outdoor patio. String lights were strung through the awning, a perfectly set table for six sat in the middle. There were no other tables out there, telling Devon it was private.

“You guys!” She exclaimed, glancing around the group with a grateful smile. “This is too much.”

“You just got your master’s degree, Devon. This is the least we can do.”

The group all took their seats, a server quick to come and take drink orders.

The meal was phenomenal. The food was delicious, and it was also nice to be able to have everyone together. Devon and Luke’s parents had only met a couple of times, so they were glad that this was an opportunity for everyone to be together.

After dessert, Luke rested his hand on top of Devon’s on the table. She looked at him with a grin, but he looked nervous. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“What’s wrong?” She asked. She snuck a glance around the table, noticing that they were biting back smiles. Now more confused than concerned, she turned back to Luke.

“Nothing’s wrong, honey,” he assured. “I, um...I have something for you.”

Luke grabbed Devon’s hand and pulled her to stand up with him. She glanced back at the group; they had pulled their phones out, holding them up.

“Lu…” she murmured under her breath, heart rate picking up and heat rushing to her cheeks. He sent her a comforting smile and took a deep breath.

“I’ve been trying to write this poem for you for weeks now. I just haven’t been able to get the words right. But this morning, I finally finished it. I’d like to read it to you, if that’s okay.”

He didn’t give her a chance to respond before he pulled a neatly folded piece of paper out of his pants pocket. Trembling fingers unfolded it, Devon watching as a million thoughts of what this might be ran through her mind. Luke held the paper in one hand and reached for Devon’s with the other.

The poem was beautiful. It spoke of a seed that budded into a vibrant flower, one full of life that lit up a room. The flower radiated love and kindness to all. It spoke of a love that was true and pure. Devon was barely holding back her tears by the time he finished reading, squeezing his hand.

“That was incredible, Luke,” she whispered shakily, smiling. He squeezed her hand in return and set the paper on the table.

“I just have one thing that I want to ask you now.”

He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a small black box. Devon gasped, finally putting the pieces together. Time went in slow motion as he sank down to one knee, opening the box. She didn’t even look at the ring. She was staring at Luke, at least trying to, through her tears. Her hands covered her mouth in shock, heart racing.

“Devon Jo Murphy...will you marry me?”

All she could do was nod. Words completely escaped her. She hardly even registered the cheers from her family as Luke slipped the ring onto her finger. He quickly stood up to meet her, pulling her in for a bruising kiss. Their tears mingled together, arms wrapped tightly around each other.

“I love you so much, Devon. So fucking much.”

“You’re my world, Luke. I love you with my entire heart.”

They finally pulled back and looked at each other. Their eyes were red rimmed and their smiles beaming. They laughed, so full of love and joy. They were shortly joined by their parents, congratulating and hugging.

Everything about Luke and Devon was beautiful. The love they had for each other was as abundant as a field of flowers. Bright, joyous. A college seminar led to a wonderful, blooming relationship. And bloom, they most certainly did.

30 notes · View notes

muwur · 4 years ago

Note

um!! i want to request a comfort hc/drabble(?) anything !! just 👉👈 can i get hinata n/or tsuki comforting and standing up for their s/o (or friend!) who is non-binary ??

standing up for a non-binary s/o

♡ scenarios ♡ for hinata and tsukishima

gn reader

turned out longer than i intended tHIS IS MY PROBLEM N Y I UPDATE SO SLOW FORGIVE ME FOEFHEFOEFRG but anyway,,,, 2.3k words

a/n: i use primarily they/them as reader’s preferred pronouns in these scenarios, but i wanted to acknowledge that ik some non-binary ppl use other pronouns, they/he, they/she, or even all pronouns, etc :) reminder to pls be respectful to what people want and use their preferred pronouns! and pls lmk if i ever offend you bc i don’t want to upset anyone <3

hinata

Just a week ago, you had finally mustered the courage to come out as non-binary to your boyfriend, Hinata. You recalled the rising panic you felt when you were met with silence and the slight widening of his chocolate eyes. However, his initial surprise was quickly replaced with a softness gracing his features. When he gently stroked your cheek and reassured you that nothing would change how he feels about you, you felt your heart melt with relief. You had nothing worry about, after all.

Unfortunately, not everyone could be as accepting as Hinata.

Picking at an array of noodles with a fork, you fixed your sights on the dinner plate before you, trying to ignore a certain gaze threatening to sear your skin. Next to you, Hinata grimaced. Munching on his stir fry and trying to be respectful in front of your family were the only things keeping him from wiping that leer off your aunt’s face. She was blatant in expressing her disapproval, the wrinkles in her face contorting with disgust whenever she so much as looked your way.

After your heart-to-heart with Hinata the other week, you were inspired to come out to your family as well. The news circulated, and though you weren’t expecting everyone to exactly be on board, the reality of disapproval hurt more than you imagined. It was great timing that today happened to be your cousin’s birthday, and you were forced to have dinner with one of your least favorite family members. Luckily, you were allowed to invite Hinata. You couldn’t fathom how your soon-to-be 5-year-old cousin was so kind and polite despite being reared by such a tyrannous mother. Your earliest memory of your aunt was when she snatched your favorite toy from your toddler hands. You cried as she yelled at both you and your parents for letting you play with such a “gender-inappropriate” toy.

You knew she wouldn’t let you escape tonight without any offhand comments or dirty looks.

A throat cleared. You tensed in your seat. “Y/n? Dear, could you pass me the salt?”

You dared a glance up at the familiar voice. Your eyes locked with your aunt’s menacing ones briefly before you quietly obliged to her request.

“Thank you,” she said dully, taking the shaker. Sprinkling her meal, she continued to speak with nonchalance. “So, I heard you go by ‘they’ now? What’s wrong with he/she, hm? I mean, that is what you are, and that’s the only thing you should go by.”

Silence. Your parents looked at one another in discomfort, unsure how to respond. Your cousin looked back and forth between you and and your aunt curiously, unaware what was happening. A few more seconds passed by. With a shaky breath, you could only stutter out a timid “I-I--” before your mother cautiously piped up. “Aunt *name*, please, it’s your child’s birthday, let’s save this conversation for another ti--”

A scoff interrupted her. “Easy for you to say. You’ve always been so soft on y/n. Neither of you,” she glared accusingly at your parents, “raised her/him right. Now, look what’s happened. She/he’s gone delusional. How could any of you be okay with this and carry on like normal?”

You could feel yourself holding back tears. You wanted to say something against her, to show her you weren’t afraid of her and didn’t care what she thought. To prove that she didn’t know anything about you. That she had no right to be talking to you like this.

Yet you remained frozen in your seat, unable to speak. Inside, your mind went blank, leaving you defenseless against her hateful tirade.

“If she/he were my daughter/son, I’d set things straight immediately. No more outside communication. Who knows what nonsense they’ve been feeding your child? She/he needs to see a specialist to undo whatever brainwashing has occurred and--”

SCREECH.

Hinata stood in front of his seat, which had slid noisily across the floor when he pushed it back. He was silent, his eyes pointed downward and his two palms pressed on the table. All eyes looked at him with shock, if not a tinge of curiosity.

“Stop saying those things as if you knew one thing about y/n and what they’ve had to go through,” he said in a low voice, teeth clenched.

A challenging arch of the brow replaced your aunt’s initial surprise. “Oh, please. What do you know? You’re just a naive kid like y/n. You don’t understand. You know nothing about the real world and you kids go about life as if you can just do anything. You’re selfish.”

“You’re being selfish for refusing to understand a point of view that you’re not used to. How could you live with yourself knowing that you’re making someone you should care about miserable for the rest of their lives? You have no right to speak as though you know y/n. All you care about is your opinion, regardless of whether or not it’s right, and how you look to other people. What’s wrong with letting y/n make their own decisions? Why invalidate them before even giving them the chance to explain and help you understand? You should think about how you’re acting before trying to teach someone else how they should live.”

The air cracked with silent tension. It was too much. Quickly, you got up and dashed to the front door, unlocking it and stepping outside to breathe in the cool evening air. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you stumbled off the front porch, increasing the distance between yourself and that dinner table.

Your body jolted with shock when you heard a familiar voice out and felt a pair of arms wrap from behind your frame. Hinata was breathing heavily, his rushed voice laced with worry. “I’m sorry for making a scene in front of your family, y/n, but I couldn’t just sit around and let her say whatever she wanted. You don’t deserve that treatment. I don’t regret anything I told her. And if she’s still bothering you, or anyone else for that matter, you bet I’m gonna be there to stick up for you, no matter what.”

Despite the tears that pricked at your eyes, a small smile formed on your lips. Ditching your family dinner, you spent the rest of the evening together seated in a booth at a nearby fast food restaurant, munching on goodies and sharing lighthearted jokes. That night, you were reminded that it didn’t matter what someone like your aunt thought. Those who did matter were the ones who accepted and cared for you--the real you. In the midst of darkness, you found yourself a radiant being who never failed to brighten your day. You didn’t know what you did to deserve Hinata, but you knew he would be by your side through it all. For that, you were grateful.

tsukishima

After a rough week of nonstop work, food delivery, and 1AM espressos, you were relieved Saturday had finally come. Tsukishima, who had come by your home a few times that week to check up on you(r sanity) and drop off some surprise dinners, nagged you to take better care of yourself and offered to treat you to lunch that weekend (after you promised to get a lot of rest when you were finished). When you beat your deadlines early Friday evening, you nearly cried tears of joy and immediately passed out on your bed to catch up on lost sleep.

Saturday reminded you of the beauty of the outside world, much needed after your long week of confinement. Both sun and clouds gathered in the pale blue sky overhead. Warm sunshine freckled your skin while a gentle breeze cooled your temple. Hand in hand, you walked down the block with Tsukishima towards the farmer’s market. Already you could hear the nearby murmurs of a crowd and smell the savory aroma of freshly cooked food. Your stomach grumbled with enthusiasm as you thought about all the delicious choices waiting to be ordered.

Numerous vendors lined up down the street. Smoke arose from hot grills, carrying the scent of various spices through the air. Workers called out to passing customers, offering them samples of their homemade nut butters or showing off their natural, handmade soaps. With a fascinated glint in your eye, you observed each stand you passed by. From Hawaiian poke, grilled paninis, and tacos, to Thai stir fry, barbecue, and shawarma, the options seemed endless. As much as you loved the variety, it made making a decision even more difficult.

“Tsukkiiii,” you said pleadingly, “I don’t know what I want.”

He sighed. “Well, what’s your appetite in the mood for?”

“No clue, that’s why I’m asking.”

When he shot you an annoyed look, you held your hands up. “Hey, I’ve been using my brain way too much this week. I’m tired of thinking. I’m pretty down for anything, to be honest.”

With a shrug, he suggested trying the ramen from a stand several feet away from you both. You happily agreed and dragged the both of you to stand in line. Looking down at your shirt, you pulled on it slightly and adjusted the pin attached close to your collar. It depicted a cartoon cat with a text bubble that said “they/them” to indicate your preferred pronouns (though, in the note above, ik you may have a different combination of preferred pronouns. feel free to just sub in whatever those are into the pin ^-^ ). You recalled how you heart rushed with excitement when you found it in your mailbox that morning.

“You know, you didn’t have to get this for me,” you told your blonde companion as you admired your gift. Hands in his pockets, he gave you another shrug. “I just thought it suited you. Plus, strangers won’t misgender you, anymore.”

“That’s really thoughtful of you, Kei... Thank you, again, really.”

His lips formed into a thin line and he looked off to the side. He muttered a low, “Don’t mention it.” before stepping forward to follow the shortening line. A huff of amusement escaped you in response. You were also taking a step forward when you felt a shove on your left side. Tsukishima caught you mid-stumble, helping you regain your balance and stand upright again. Narrowing his eyes, he looked over at the man who bumped into you. The stranger caught himself from stumbling as well, then scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Ah, I’m sorry about that young man/woman! I wasn’t looking clearly,” he apologized.

You shook your head in response, offering him a smile. “No worries. I’m glad we’re both okay.”

He was about to laugh in agreement when he noticed the pin attached to your top. His smile vanished and he looked at you quizzically. “Say, what’s that pin you got there?”

“Oh,” you pointed at it. “This? These are my gender pronouns. I go by ‘them/them,’” you announced proudly.

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “What does that even mean? ‘They/them’ is plural, so doesn’t it make more sense to just go by he/she?” He paused for a few seconds of thought. Then, it clicked. “Is this that ‘gender identity’ bullshit I’ve been hearing about lately?”

Your enthusiasm quickly dissipated. ‘Oh gosh, please don’t tell me that this person’s--’

“Now missy/boy, I don’t know what’s gotten into all your heads, thinking you can just pick and choose whatever or whoever you want to be. What you were born with is who you are. Why can’t people accept that and have to complicate things? It’s biology. I swear, people are just doing this for attention or a trend or whatever--”

“Ahem,” Tsukishima cleared his throat, interrupting the man’s rant. He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder and drew you close against himself. “Perhaps the topic is too complex for your tiny mind to comprehend,” he challenged, his voice dripping with collected hostility. “You should stop going on about things you don’t understand; it makes you look even more ignorant. Now, please, stop bothering my partner before you piss me off more.”

The stranger glared up at Tsukishima, then back at you. Deciding it wasn��t worth a fight, the man scoffed and shoved past your boyfriend;s shoulder, then disappeared into the crowd. Behind you, a kid’s wide eyes looked at Tsukishima with awe. “Wow, that was really cool! You really showed him!”

“Tch, it was nothing,” he responded bashfully. “Can’t let assholes get away with whatever they want.”

15 minutes later and you were both settled in a shady area on a grassy field with ramen bowls in your lap. Your eyes were glued to the ground. Tsukishima waved a hand in front of your face with concern.

“Earth to y/n? You good? You’ve been quiet since we encountered that guy earlier.”

You risked looking up into his eyes, unable to control the stream of tears running down your eyes. Surprised, the blonde placed his hands on the sides of your face and started to wipe your tears off with his thumbs. “I-I’m just, r-really grateful that you,” you choked between sobs, “were here with m-me, today. I d-don’t know what I would’ve done if I was alone.”

You let him wrap his arms around you as you buried your face in his shoulder. He nestled his cheek onto the top of your head and ran a gentle hand up and down your spine. “It’s okay,” he murmured softly. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, anymore. I promise.”

Several minutes later, you pulled away, sniffling and rubbing the remaining tears from your eyes with your forearm. He gave your head a small pat.

gRhhrrhGRH.

“Someone sounds hungry.” You rolled your eyes and swatted his hand off your head.

2 minutes into eating, and you asked (suggestively), “Can we eat from the same bowl and see if we end up connecting noodles?”

“N-No, that’s dumb.”

“Oh, c’monnnnn~ You know you want to, you’re blushing.”

“I’m not!”

a/n: sry about the weird stomach growl effect LMAO

if you coudlnt tell i was hungry writing this n i miss going out to eat foueherhggu

i hope u enjoyed <3 pls lmk if u would like any changes anon or smth different (liks regular hc’s, etc). have a lovely day n i hope you feel better <3 ill fite anyone who makes u feel bad >:(

#haikyuu x reader #hinata x reader #tsukishima x reader #tsukishima kei x reader #hinata shoyo x reader #haikyuu imagines #hinata shoyo #tsukishima kei #requests #comfort request

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areiton · 4 years ago

Text

drowning in love - stony

Read on AO3

~*~

The thing is that he doesn't keep his words hidden. They're delicate chicken scratch that he used to trace when Howard left his bruises and when Maria couldn't bother to be around him.

They were a promise, that one day, someone would be glad of him.

And then Rhodey spilled into his dorm room, took one look at Tony, sitting cross-legged on the floor and unassembling a lamp and he'd grinned, wide and white and pleased.

"Oh good, you're here."

Tony's eyes had gone wide and he'd dropped the lamp and blurted, "It's you, platypus, holy shit."

And that wide pleased grin went wider.

*~*

He doesn't hide it.

He's got the best fucking soulmate in the world, his platypus, and he's never wanted to hide that.

But when the giant blonde guy smiling at him while he orders coffee catches sight of his words, all watercolor splashed blues and red, his face goes still and sad and his smiles stop.

Tony doesn't say anything else, just keeps that smile firmly in place, shoves a tip in the jar and takes his coffee as he retreats.

*~*

Rhodey loops an arm around his shoulder, words brushing Tony's arm and tingling. "You gonna come with us tonight?"

He flicks a look at them--Rhodey in his jeans and tight tshirt and that smile that he only gives Tony, his words a brilliant splash of color. Carol with her long hair blonde and curling, stunning in that tiny red number, her words a curling lick of black.

"No, I'm gonna study, I think," he says, smiling.

Rhodey's grin dims, just a little and he steps closer. "You ok, genius?"

"I'm fine, platypus. Go. Have fun."

He hesitates, but let's Carol drag him away.

*~*

This is the thing: words are black, until you meet your soulmate, and white if they die.

Most parents register a word or phrase, something unusual or distinct, with the ISMD--but Tony had never registered platypus, and Rhodey had never bothered at all.

This is the thing: soulmates trump wedding vows and military orders, trump laws of man and god, have ended wars and marriages and toppled kingdoms. All in the name of cosmic love.

This is the thing: not all soulmates love each other.

*~*

The blonde watches him. His nametag says Steve, and he’s tall, with these impossible shoulders and tiny fucking waist, giant hands that are so careful when he’s working the levers and machine, deftly creating art in the top of Tony’s drink.

He doodles, too, when the coffeeshop empties out and it’s just the two of them, him behind his counter and Tony behind his tablet, a million lines of code and four watercolor words between them.

Because Tony--he knows what those heavy-lidded, guilty stares mean.

He knows that Steve wants him.

But those heavy-lidded guilty stares always slide from his ass or his lips, from his eyes and his long fingers--to the words on his arm that he’s never, not once, hidden.

And they drop away.

*~*

“What are you drawing today?” he asks, while Steve presses a panini for him and he inhales the first delicious sip of coffee.

It burns in the best possible way, chases the chill of Howard’s disapproval and Boston in January away.

Steve blinks at him and Tony smiles. “I’ve been in here every other day for over a semester. You think I didn’t notice you sketching?”

Steve tips his head, studying Tony. His words are still covered by the long sleeves of Rhodey’s sweatshirt, and maybe--maybe that’s why.

Steve slides the sketch pad across the counter, and Tony looks at it.

It’s--his table, an almost watercolor sketch, the blacks and greys blending with the whites in a way that immediately calls to mind the watercolor splash on his arm.

But it’s his table, his tablet discarded and long fingers wrapped around a cup of coffee, the shape of his shirt in the background.

Tony looks up at him, and Steve is staring back,bright-eyed and hungry and his heart does this thing--flips and twists--

The door swings open, and he hears, clear as day, “Oh good, you’re here.”

The color drains outta Steve’s face and he shuffles back, looking sick, and Tony huffs, twisting to look at Rhodey. “Oh my god, platypus.”

Rhodey’s grin is sharp and pleased.

*~*

He loves Rhodey. And Rhodey loves him, this deep and abiding sort of love that settles him when he feels like he’s shaking apart, that feels like home when nothing in his life has ever felt like home.

But he’s not in love with Rhodey.

He thinks it’d be easier, sometimes, if he was. If they could be that, too,

They aren’t. They tried, once--Tony tried, crawled into Rhodey’s bed and pressed a wet drunk kiss to his lips and Rhodey had sighed and wrestled him down, forced him to sleep.

He was gentle, when he explained to Tony that they were never gonna be more than this. More than friends, brothers, soulmates.

And it didn’t sting, the way he thought it would. It was right, settled next to that home and safe and loved feeling that Rhodey always gave him.

Still.

In a world that saw soulmarks and equaled up to epic love--it was damn complicated.

*~*

“Your soulmate,” Steve says, and his words are stiff. Almost angry.

It’s the first time Steve’s talked to him in weeks--even the glances, all sweet and longing and conflicted--had slowed.

Tony blinks at him.

“You should talk to him.”

He frowns. “Why--did something happen?”

“Just--this--talk to him,” Steve almost begs, and drops a chocolate croissant on the table before stalking back to his counter.

Panic clawing at him, Tony bolts for home.

*~*

They wore them, the words that marked each other, like badges of honor.

Tony didn’t get it, really, why Rhodey never complained about being tied to Tony. He just smiled and shook his head and once, when Rhodey dragged Tony home--he understood, just a little bit.

Because Rhodey was the middle child in a family of five, the one who was peacemaker and forgotten, the son that everyone expected to succeed and no one celebrated when he did. He was loved, deeply, the kind of love so deep and abiding it didn’t need to be stated.

But he wasn’t seen, really.

Not until Tony stared at him, bright eyes fixed on him like he was the only star in the sky.

*~*

Tony swings into the cafe, and the dark haired burly guy is behind the counter.

“I need to talk to Steve,” Tony says, abruptly.

“Stevie ain’t here.”

“That is very clear. I’ll just sit here and wait for him.”

The man snorts, and digs in his pocket for his phone. “Your boy is here. No, I don’t think he’s gonna move. Just get your ass down here, man.”

He huffs, and pockets the phone. Eyes Tony sharp and serious. “You better not hurt him.”

*~*

They never said--not publicly--what kind of bond they shared.

It was no one��s business but their own. They were close, Rhodey falling into Tony’s space and Tony curling into Rhodey’s lap, easy affection and teasing nicknames, and people made their own assumptions.

They never cared.

*~*

Steve’s gaze immediately tracked to the big guy behind the counter, and Tony, tucked into his corner, watched, the way they communicated without a word, the tension easing in Steve’s shoulders, and the little smirk, cocky and knowing, on the other man’s lips before he pushed off the wall. “Gonna close up early, punk.”

And he knows, he knows what that kind of easy intimacy and closeness means, what that word means, heavy hung in the air and easing the tightness in Steve’s eyes.

“See ya at home, Buck,” Steve says, his gaze finding Tony, and something sure and hot settles in his gut.

*~*

He’s asked about it, sometimes. He’s never made a secret of his mark, never done anything to keep it tucked away or hidden. He’s asked about it, when it gleams bright and beautiful at the world and his date sways, blonde and beautiful and not his.

But Tony may not hide his mark--might flaunt it, because his Rhodey loves him, wants him, needs him and there is not a single person in the world better to be loved by--but he’s never once answered questions about the mark.

He merely smiles, when they shout questions, while Howard stiffens and Tony flirts and slides his way out of the questions.

Because the words--they were a promise, that one day someone would want him--and he did, Rhodey did. They were his armor, the shield between him and a world that only wanted him for what he could give them.

Rhodey though--Rhodey was his, and Tony? He’d always been fiercely jealous and bad at sharing.

*~*

“Show me your mark,” Tony demands.

Steve stared at him, his head tipped curiously as he watches, as Tony pushes out of his corner, and into Steve’s space.

His mark is brilliant, a splash of blue and red and hues of gold shot through. It’s bare and glaringly evident, the sleeves of his sweatshirt shoved up over his elbows.

Steve hesitates, and Tony reaches for him. “You watch me. You stare at it, and you stare at me.”

“You’re wrong about him,” Tony says, and he smiles, fingers running gently over the dark blue band around Steve’s arm. “He’d never hurt me. He’s not--we’re not like that.”

Something bright and hopeful flickers in Steve’s eyes and Tony murmurs, as gentle as a caress. “Show me?”

Steve sighs, and he strips the band away slowly, his shoulders and jaw stiff.

His word--just the one, scratched in rough hurried script--is pale. Is white.

Tony’s stomach drops and Steve shakes his head. “Bucky--when he lost the arm--it went white. He’s--you met him, he’s fine, but--”

“But you keep it hidden,” Tony says, softly. Steve nods, and Tony licks his lips. “Do you watch mine because you miss your own colors--or because you want my words.”

“I love my soulmate,” Steve says, soft, fierce.

“I love Rhodey,” Tony says, and steps closer, a long line of warmth draped across Steve’s chest. “But not all love is romantic, sweetheart.”

Steve’s eyes go wide, and his hands--his big, broad hands that are so gentle and so capable--close over his hips.

The kiss is soft, a gentle brush against Tony’s lips that feels like moth wings and a promise as intoxicating as the one written on his arm.

*~*

Rhodey is his home, has been since they met and his wrist burned and brightened and warmed.

Steve--Steve isn’t his home, isn’t written into his soul and skin.

But he holds Tony in the dark, and his fingers tangle with Tony’s in the bright green spring, and his eyes are soft and warm, when he stares at Tony, when he murmurs promises and praise against Tony’s lips, and fucks him hard.

Rhodey glares and huffs and threatens Steve, once, when Tony is in the bathroom. Bucky does the same. He’s not terribly surprised--he is a little pleased.

They are very good soulmates after all.

*~*

When they marry, years later, their soulmates stand with them, and Steve’s mark is pale white and faded and Tony’s is a riot of watercolor, and they’re sandwiched between the two who loved them first and last and always.

Tony kisses Steve, a ring burning on his finger, and words burning on his arm, and drowning in love.

#arei writes fic #stony #superhusbands #stony fic #rhodeytony #platnoic soulmates

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pietrotheavenger · 6 years ago

Text

roommates (bucky barnes)

LOST

summary: the mundanity of being roommates with bucky.

pairings: au!bucky barnes x fem!reader

warnings: swearing

a/n: sorry for ghostin all i’ve been doing lately is listening to blackbear and being moody

series masterlist

bucky could not find an appropriate moment to talk to y/n about everything that happened for months. all of a sudden, she became insanely busy. she was always either off chasing around ms. potts or cuddled up next to steve in the next door apartment. meanwhile, bucky dove headfirst into his work at banner labs in an attempt to avoid his heartache. if he stayed still for too long he could feel his chest tightening and his heart physically hurting. at home, he would listen to various podcasts and shower the finn the orange boy cat with his affection. he rarely ever saw her but when he did, the persistent feeling of dread went away for a moment. when she left again, it hit him hard and ten times worse than it was before. but he didn’t mind getting his heartbroken by his favorite girl.

more often than not, she would come home late. bucky would try to stay up until he saw her set foot inside the door. he needed to know that she was safe. he needed to see her, even if it was a simple as them both exchanging tired smiles before retiring to their own rooms.

sometimes when she came home, he was fast asleep on the couch, with finn curled up into him. she would kneel down in front of the couch and brush his overgrown hair out of his eyes. “bucky,” she would say softly. his eyes would flutter open and see her. what a sight it was to bucky! the side of her face was illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the curtains since neither of them bothered to close the blinds ever. the lipstick around the edges of her lips was faded. the circles under her eyes were as prominent as ever. all he wanted to do was to tell her how in love he was with her. but he held his tongue. “you should get to sleep,” she would tell him, and then kiss his forehead. he knew that her lipstick left a mark but he couldn’t care less.

he looked high and low for opportunities to tell her the unwanted truth. he asked her if she was free during her lunch breaks and her co-worker maria would join them for panini’s at y/n’s favorite cafe. he asked her if they could have a movie night and in the time that it had taken bucky to pop a bag of popcorn, steve was situated on the couch. finn regarded him inquisitively from the coffee table, his tail swinging behind him. if steve made any attempt to touch him, finn would hop away. bucky decided that finn didn’t like steve. “you and me both, buddy,” bucky said to finn on one occasion. he asked her if they could go out for drinks and she invited their friends. at some point, he gave up bothering trying to get her alone. his intention was never to keep her in the dark. he wanted to tell her everything but it seemed like the stars were never going to align for them.

“hey honey,” bucky cooed, gently rubbing behind finn’s ears. it was a late july afternoon. the sound of the ac reverberated around the apartment and he felt relief to be standing in the cold.

finn meowed in response.

“i miss her, too,” he whispered, sorrowfully smiling. he sighed heavily as he raked a hand through his hair before changing out of his work clothes and into a pair of basketball shorts. he didn’t bother putting on a shirt.

he grabbed a bowl of fruit from the fridge before settling onto the floor in front of the tv. brooklyn nine-nine played mindlessly in the background as bucky played around with finn, who after a day of sleeping in y/n’s pile of pillows was fully energized.

“ah, fuck!” bucky exclaimed when the cat scratched his chest in order to get the watermelon in his hand. he dropped it away from him and finn happily hopped over bucky to it. “big head,” bucky muttered under his breath as he examined the scratch. his hands were covered in scratches from play fighting with him. they weren’t painful but they definitely stung.

the cat then managed to paw himself onto bucky’s lap and meow up at him. “oh, so now you wanna be my friend?” he rolled his eyes as he sweeped him up into his arms. he booped his nose and finn attempted to bite his finger. “finnegan! hurting my feelings,” bucky pouted.

just then, the door slammed opened. he raised his head to see y/n breezing through the doorway, her sundress swishing around her. he smiled, but it immediately fell from his face when he saw what state she was in. she was completely disheveled, her eyes wild with thought as she brushed a few sweaty strands of hair away from her eyes.

“hey, everything good?” he questioned as she wrestled off her sandals.

“uh,” her voice quivered as the straps finally came undone. she let the shoes fall to the floor. she stood in the entryway. he could tell that she was uncomfortable and it hurt him. he never wanted her to be uncomfortable around him. “steve’s moving to seattle.”

his eyebrows immediately shot up as he let out a whistle, “that’s a bit far away.” he let his gaze fall on finn, who he was still holding.

“yeah, and he asked me to move with him.”

his breath hitched in his throat and his mouth was dry. he tried his best to keep his breath steady. he swallowed hard and opened and closed his mouth several times but he just didn’t know what to say. he didn’t want her to go. he looked up at her, hoping that the desparation in his eyes conveyed what he was feeling. her eyes were teary and she looked broken.

“i don’t know what to do,” her voice cracked and the tears began falling. she placed her hand on her mouth and turned away from him, trying to hide her sobs.

“oh, honey,” he sighed. he set finn down before getting up and walked over to her. he pulled her into his chest and held her tight. “you don’t need to hide from me.”

“i just feel so lost all the time,” she choked out.

he hummed back. after a moment he pulled away and wiped away her tears. “my brave girl,” he whispered before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “i know it’s hard,” he added. “but i also know that you’ll make the right decision for yourself.”

“can we lay down?” she asked. “i miss you.”

“yeah,” he smiled softly. moments later they were laying on bucky’s bed facing each other. y/n’s hands were tucked under her head. he had one of his hands on her waist, rubbing small circles.

“i don’t know what to do,” she repeated.

“you have to think about in the long run. seattle versus new york. washington versus new york. the job opportunities. and, you know, whether or not you’re willing to take the next step in your relationship,” he told her, his voice low.

“none of that matters, bucky.”

“what are you talking about?” his eyebrows were furrowed.

“how am i supposed to leave you?”

his heart stopped for a split second. no more playing dumb or beating around the bush. “y/n, we need to talk.”

“i know, bucky.”

permanent tags:

@ssweet-empowerment ; @httpmcrvel ; @stardustandbucky ; @almighty-rogers ; @iamkingkillmonger ; @abuckyrogersworld ; @freightcarcap ; @mal-functioning-writer ; @c-a-v-a-l-r-y ; @coffeebooksandfandom ; @somethingmoreclever ; @2dreamcatcher8 ; @illegalportkey ; @uservalkyrie ; @fuckthatfeeling ; @xxashy999xx ; @buckybarneshairpullingkink ; @tuliptx ; @wwhitewwolff ; @kingdomcage ; @thisismysecrethappyplace ; @appreciating-chase-brody ; @renanyx ;

roommates tags:

@goodiebluebox ; @tuttigunner ; @wisestydia-15 ; @leaningtowerof-not-pisa ; @callmedaddys-blog ; @letsbestupidforever ; @highfuncti0ningfangirl ; @liffydaze ; @capisicles ; @randomfangirl1701 ; @redstarstan ; @justreadingthesefanfics ; @wearemightyghosts ; @directionerfae ; @coonflix ; @aurorcarter ; @caurerphernelia ; @anastassimuse ; @bllaackkgliiitterrr ; @maladaptive-ninja-returns ; @mybearyarmy ; @lokissoul ; @xnegansgirlx ; @shaboibucky ; @steve-hasmyheart ; @awwwwinnn1 ; @everythingbooknerd ; @the-whitewolfie ; @jepenner ; @im-a-light-child ; @captainam-erika-trash ; @sadanddeadsoul ; @feelmyroarrrr ; @infinity-star-wars ;

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #the winter soldier x reader #the winder soldier #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #marvel #fanfiction #roommate au

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hyenasnake · 5 years ago

Text

Dear Cousin

Another DuckTales fic but hopefully with better writing but probably not since I’m typing this at the ass crack of dawn. Enjoy.

•

Lena knew something was up the minute she saw the girl. The teenager was at the library with Webby and Violet, trying to find some movies and scary stories to watch and read at that night’s sleepover. She felt the feeling of being watched and a shiver ran down her spine. She turned to a fake plant and noticed a young girl, about eight or nine, quickly duck back behind the plant. Lena took a mental note to keep an eye on her.

Later, as the girls had moved on upstairs to find some Manga, Lena noticed the mysterious girl watching them from behind a shelf.

“Hey guys, I’m going to go grab some corn nuts.” She told her friends, discreetly nodding her head in the direction of the girl. Webby and Violet nodded in affirmation, knowing all too well she’d used the code word for “we’re being followed”. Lena left, walking right past the girl and finding a position to attack from.

When the young girl thought Lena was gone, she started creeping towards Webby and Violet, who were “innocently” looking at manga and definitely not on guard waiting to strike at any given moment. Lena seized her moment and put her hand over the girl’s mouth and restrained her before dragging her to a bean bag chair. Fortunately, the librarian on duty wasn’t paying attention, instead reading some cheesy dime store romance novel with a flustered face and a not-so-innocent smile on her lips. Lena pinned the girl down in the chair.

“Who are you and what do you want? And don’t try any coy acts on me, kid. I know you’re a De Spell. You reek of it.” Lena hissed, not trying to draw attention to them. The girl’s eyes widened. She really did look like a De Spell, stark white feathers and silky black hair that ran to just above her shoulders and big dark eyes. She worse a black romper with a red blouse and carried a plush raven. Lena was also correct in her “reeking” like one, she smelled of different herbs and spices and other magical ingredients.

“You don’t miss a mark, do you?” The girl said, no emotion showing on her face.

“I don’t miss a mark because I know what kind of ploy this is. I was part of it for fifteen years.”

“So you’re Lena, the failure? Auntie Magica said you were dead.”

“Your ‘auntie’ is a liar, kid.”

“It’s Minima. Minima De Spell.”

“Wow, she didn’t even give you a pseudonym. How creative. Guess she likes this puppet more than me.” Lena rolled her eyes.

“I’m not a puppet, stupida. Unlike you, I’m real. Hatched from an egg, grew up normally. I’m not some shadow dummy.”

“I have a friend over there’s who’s a master in at least three types of martial arts and I have the right mind to call her over so she can give you a very bad time just for saying that.”

“And what will it look like to the librarian when an innocent little girl is screaming for help because three older girls are attacking her unprovoked?” Minima batted her eyelashes innocently. Lena glared at her.

“You wouldn’t dare.” She hissed through her teeth. Minima gave a sly smirk.

“Try me.”

Lena sighed, knowing full well what this would ensue.

“Okay. Fine. Then you’re coming with us and you’re going to explain yourself.”

After 20 minutes and a lot of fussing from the younger girl, Lena, Violet, and Webby had Minima cornered in Lena’s old hideout.

“Name?” Violet interrogated.

“Minima De Spell.”

“Age?”

“Eight, turning nine in two weeks.”

“Birthday?”

“August 18th.”

“How are you related to Magica De Spell? Are you a shadow like me?” It was Lena’s turn to question.

“No I’m not a shadow. I’m her real niece. My dad is her brother but I haven’t seen him for years. He went on a magic mission and vanished so I’ve been staying with my nonna and my auntie.”

“What about your mom?”

“Died before I hatched. Never met her.” Lena felt a twinge of guilt in her chest.

“Why are you here?”

“To become Webby’s friend, get into McDuck manor and sneak my auntie in so she can have her revenge.” The gang groaned. Magica seriously needed something more creative than that same plot over and over again.

“Listen Minima. We’re going to let you go but you’re going to go home and tell your family you’ve been found out and you’re not coming back to Duckburg again. Understand?” Webby tried to intimidate the younger girl.

“Fine.” Minima shot back.

“Pink, Vi, can I have a minute alone with her?” Lena asked. The expressions of the two girls immediately softened and they nodded, going back up the ladder. Lena knelt in front of Minima.

“Look, I was Magica’s puppet for fifteen years. It was hell, okay? I didn’t understand what family was until I met Webby and the McDucks. Family isn’t supposed to use you to get revenge, family isn’t supposed to yell at you and slap you for doing something wrong, family isn’t supposed to put you down all the time. Family is supposed to lift you up and help you succeed, sure you fight a lot but you always make up because you love each other. Family isn’t necessarily the people you share blood with, but it’s the people you choose to be close with.” Lena explained, realizing how a year ago she wouldn’t have bought this junk either. “You’re still young and impressionable. You shouldn’t be put up to this kind of mission. You should be running around outside picking flowers or playing tag or dressing up some poor cat.” Minima laughed at that. “True family wouldn’t put a nine year old on such a mission with such an emotional toll. I can’t speak for your Nonna, since I never met her, but Magica sure as hell isn’t any family you want.” Minima looked at the ground, quiet as stone.

“She said if I help her she’d help me find my dad.” Minima said quietly. Lena growled. Of COURSE Magica would pull the “missing father” card in order to coerce this little girl to help her in a murder plot. Only Magica was twisted enough to do that. Well, maybe there were other people twisted enough but Magica was the only one Lena knew.

“Does your Nonna know about this?”

“No. I haven’t seen her in a year since my aunt took me.”

“Look, Minima. We’re cousins who have gone through the same thing. I can help you. You don’t need to listen to Magica, I’m sure Da-er-Scrooge can help us find your dad. I’m willing to help you, no conditions except that you give up this stupid mission and live out your childhood. Don’t make the same mistakes I did, Poco Cugina. Come home with me, okay?” She held out her hand. Minima’s eyes were filled with tears. She lept into Lena and hugged her, crying. Lena held her and rubbed her back.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Mi dispiace. Sono così dispiaciuto.” Minima sobbed into her cousin’s shoulder. Lena stood up and picked her up.

“It’s okay, little cuz. It’s okay. I’ve got you now. I promise.”

It nearly gave Scrooge a heart attack when he saw the girls come back with Lena holding a small child that looked suspiciously like Magica De Spell. When Lena explained the situation, he seemed to soften. He called for Beakley to take Minima and clean her up. Lena went with them while Webby and Violet set up the sleepover stuff. They were able to get her cleaned up and into some of Webby’s old pajamas and put a hot meal in front of her, which the young girl ate as if eating would be illegal the next day.

The rest of the night was all laughs, screams, and pillow fights with little sleeping. It seemed Minima didn’t have as much trauma as Lena and they were finding out new things about her every minute. That night, as they were falling asleep with Minima curled up in a fetal position snuggled between Lena and Webby, Lena went over the list in her head.

Minima De Spell. She was almost nine years old. She was an orphan. Her favorite color was red. Her favorite food was Grilled Cheese made on a panini press with tomato soup. Her favorite board game was candy land. Her favorite card game was Uno. Her favorite movie was The Road To El Dorado (when Webby heard this she enthusiastically promised to coerce Scrooge to take them there someday so Minima could see the real place). Her favorite book was The King Of Ireland’s Son. She was a second year in Magic Primary school and could turn Pens into Flowers. She was awesome at pillow fights (seeing as she could charm the pillows to go after her victim of choice, hitting them repeatedly until she gave the command to stop). She spoke Italian and English and could read Sumerian. She was just a little girl who was forced to grow up too fast. She was Lena McDuck’s little cousin.

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 #lena de spell #magica de spell #scrooge mcduck #betina beakley #webby vanderquack #minima de spell #violet sabrewing #fluff #angst #sleepover #fanfiction #ducktales fanfiction

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peachyteez · 4 years ago

Text

mint chocolate chip ice cream ≫ EPILOGUE.

this abandoned, shy bunny hybrid loves hanging around the open field area of the recovery facility. one day, with the help of jungkook, another bunny hybrid, jiyu meets mingi. after days of mingi being too shy and running away from her, a bag of carrots and mint chocolate ice chip cream was all it took to seal the deal.

PART OF THE HEAVEN SERIES.

✧ notes: this epilogue actually focuses on jiyu a bit more and what’s going on behind the scenes (sort of) 😅

back。

“this phone call’s a week late, miss,” yuta’s teasing tone came from the other end.

jiyu playfuly rolled her eyes. “be glad i even called,” she retorted. she could feel yuta’s small pout and see his drooped ears. “i’m kidding, it was a busy week since we get a lot of new hybrids in the facility during the winter every year. but thank you for bringing me the papers.”

yuta hummed in acknowledgement. “i will say, though. for someone who mistreated their hybrid, she put up a pretty good fight in trying to keep him for herself, even though she made no attempts to even look for him in the first place,” yuta remembered the rigourous process it took for him to force the woman to hand over mingi’s adoption documents.

jiyu’s face hardened as she thought about yuta’s words. “it was probably leverage over him. she knew that he couldn’t actually leave her if she still had his papers, so she kept them as a way to have mingi still obey her. it’s quite disgusting.” a shiver—both from disgust and the chilly breeze that blew by—ran through her spine.

jiyu sat on the couch of the penthouse terrace, looking out at the bright lights of seoul during the night. even though she was adorned in her puffer jacket, she still felt the wind biting at her skin. taking her eyes off the view of the city, she turned in to look at her four hybrids curled by the fireplace, their eyes glued to the tv. it warmed her heart seeing them relax without a care in the world.

“your father doesn’t know, does he?” yuta carefully asked. he knew the topic of her father was a sore spot for her.

biting the inside of her cheek, anxiety began to creep up in her heart at the thought of her father finding out what she’s been up to. it wasn’t that he hated hybrids; but because her late mother was also formerly a hybrid caretaker before getting married, her father’s views on hybrids soured over the years. they reminded him of his wife.

“no, he can find out when i come back,” jiyu firmly said. “has he...said anything about me?” she meekly added. the reason she asked: she never responded to her father about her choices in potential suitors, so she had a feeling her father was up to something behind her back.

she heard yuta sigh, and her heart slightly dropped. “i wasn’t supposed to tell you, but your father grew impatient and chose someone for you. he had me visit them and everything.”

“...oh.” she pinched her nosebridge and her grip on her phone tightened. “who did he choose?” she asked. as much as she wanted to scream, protest, anything, she knew it’s be useless. her father’s words were final, no one could go against them, and it made her blood boil everytime he played her like a puppet for his own benefits.

“kim, sunwoo...?” yuta said, hoping it’d ring a bell in her head. “he’s the son of one of our long-time business partners.”

jiyu remembered his file on the list. he was the heir to kim corportations. no doubt her father chose him since combining the shares of both hwang enterprises and kim corporations would indeed boost both companies. it’s a win-win situation.

“hm, i see.” she also knew her father would call her soon to relay his decisions to her.

the terrace door slid open and a half-asleep mingi waddled out. he rubbed his eyes with his fists. jiyu’s face immediately melted from a stone-cold expression into a smile. “i’ll call you back, yuta. thanks again for everything.”

“of course, miss,” yuta added before quickly hanging up before jiyu could give him an earful about the title again.

“this kid...” jiyu mumbled under her breath with a wry smile before putting her phone down. she pat the seat next to her, telling mingi to sit down since he looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up.

mingi gratefully took her offer and plopped down next to her. his head dropped onto her shoulder and he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. her scent relaxed him—the smell of her peach shampoo and body wash was way better than his previous owners smell of heavy, dizzying perfume.

“what’s up, buddy? sleepy?” she chuckled as she ran her hand through his fading-red hair, ignoring the ticklish feeling of his bunny ears against her cheek. she noted his thin layer of clothes and frowned. reaching up, she turned on the heat lamp that was next to the couch. “you’re going to get sick, bubs.”

mingi hummed as he curled closer to jiyu. “it’s okay...i’m used to the cold,” he mumbled, his eyes fighting to stay open.

jiyu’s heart ached when the words left his mouth. i wonder if anyone cared for him if he did get sick...i mean maybe yunho...but what about when yunho wasn’t there?

before her thoughts could grow any deeper, the door slid open again, only this time, the other three came out carrying a heap of blankets and handwarmers. jiyu cocked her head in confusion.

“what are you all—”

“blanket pile!” yunho laughed as he threw a blanket onto jiyu and mingi’s lap before sliding in next to mingi. seonghwa and hongjoong sat by jiyu’s side, and soon, the fivewere cuddled together on the couch covered by blankets to keep them warm along with the heating lamp.

soft snores came from mingi, making them smile as they fondly looked at the bunny hybrid resting on jiyu. the fire and the lights from the inside bathed the terrace in a warm, orange color. jiyu contently sighed; everything was so peaceful and perfect, she hated for it to all change soon.

seonghwa rested his cheek on top of her head, careful of hongjoong’s body slightly leaning on his. “everything okay?” he quietly asked. he had taken several glances at her when she was calling yuta, and he noted her emotionless, yet angered expressions.

jiyu nodded. “don’t worry, everything’s okay,” she reassured, although she was trying to convince herself more than she was telling seonghwa and the others. “what movie did you guys watch?” she quietly asked as to not wake up the sleeping giant bunny.

“yunho wanted to watch avengers so we watched the first one,” hongjoong replied, his tone growing languid and lazy the more he relaxed. “were you calling yuta?”

jiyu smiled before reaching past seonghwa to gently pet hongjoong’s head. “yeah, i never thanked him for helping us with mingi since the recovery center grew pretty busy this week.”

“he’s a black cat hybrid, right?” yunho curiously asked as he gently leaned onto mingi. “i’ve never seen one before, but i heard they were really elegant. and they were right!” he smiled.

jiyu stifled a chuckle. yuta? elegant? that’s what he may seem like to strangers but he was the same man that trips over his own two feet when they were just walking. “elegant may not be the best word to describe yuta, but it fits during some ocassions,” she joked. “i remember once he bumped into a man carrying a stack of files and he let out the most ungracious yelp and his arms flailed everywhere when he fell.” she chuckled at the memory.

they all chuckled, surprised of the cat’s clumsiness when he seemed all cool and mysterious to them when he visited to hand over mingi’s papers. “he sounds like mingi,” yunho chuckled. “he gets scared pretty easily and can let out some ungracious yelps, too.”

that i have to agree with. she thought with a smile when she remembered their first meetings.

“now my only concern,” she suddenly said, catching their attention, “is how we’re going to get mingi inside.”

“can we honestly just sleep out here?” hongjoong asked, too comfy and relaxed to move. “it’s really comfy...”

“we’re all going to catch colds though, even though we’re drowing in blankets and the heat lamp is on,” jiyu reasoned.

“we’ll keep you warm!” yunho added as he leand more onto mingi, causing him to press closer to jiyu. “sleeping out here won’t be that bad of an idea! it’s pretty warm, too.”

“hm...for once, i’m actually okay with this idea, too,” seonghwa mumbled, his eyes and ears drooping tiredly. “we’re all too comfy and sleepy to move...so sleeping out here doesn’t seem too bad...” he yawned as he nuzzled his face into the other side of her neck.

"alright...but don’t blame me if you all get colds tomorrow,” she quietly laughed as the four hybrids drifted off to dreamland. she looked at their sleeping faces as if etching the scene into her memory. everything was perfect.

“but nothing stays perfect for long...” she whispered under her breath. she knew that soon, everything would change once she had to return home. but until then, she swore to all the stars in the sky that she would make their time worth it; she swore that she would give them all the love that they deserve.

now and forever.

✧ notes (cont.): our lovely mingi is complete! i miss him so much but i hope he’s okay and doing well 🥺❤️ i’m really glad kq let him rest to take care of his mental health. mental (and physical) health should always be a priority!

next up on the list, yeosang!

#9th member of ateez #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez fluff #ateez angst #song mingi #song mingi imagines #mingi imagines #mingi scenarios #ateez mingi #hybrid au #kpop hybrid au #ateez hybrid #hybrid!ateez #ateez au

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