#there's another thing i plan on posting today but i got to endeared by that one image and had to doodle this first

[punksalmon]

inspired by this

[nmn-yty]

— ๋࣭ ⭑࿐ first time ｡o♡⋆˚｡⋆.

read part 1: here!!!

pairing: lee know x reader

summary: caring for a bunny seemed harder than you thought

tags: 「SFW! fluff! (ik the title is misleading but i promise this is all fluff!) | hybrid!lee know | referring to lee know as minho | soft!lee know (he's even cuter in this one) | hyper lee know>< | bunny bath time! | the neediest bunny ever | another sweet little kiss! | reader has no gender」

word count: 1.7k

a/n: back at it again! ik ive said it so many times throughout my blog but im truly thankful for all the likes and reblogs(◞‸◟)♡ this will not be the last of my bunny lee know endeavor but stay tuned for more hybrid, skz, and kpop stories in the meantime! also keep in mind that ive never owned any pets so the animal behavior is based on memory of things ive seen online, dont come for me pls>< anyways, i hope this one lives up to the hype of the first part, enjoy!!! (also i apologize for not posting sooner><)

+ stylized lowercase, missing punctuation (not done on purpose), and minimal revisions

a few days in and the days seemed to get harder and harder for you. not because minho was causing you any trouble, but because the fluttery feeling in your stomach kept growing the more you spent time with him. it was scary how perfect he was in every way.

you were sitting on your couch enjoying a nice hot drink, when the familiar sound of thumping on the wood floor caught your attention. you looked down to find a playful bunny minho. he was scurrying around your feet, even moving his paws to your legs.

"what's wrong?" you set your drink down on the table in front of you.

minho kept on pawing at your legs. you reached down to pick him up, placing him in your lap.

"i can't understand you when you're in the form, you know?"

he looked up at you with a nonchalant expression, you expected nothing out of him. before you knew it, you had a hybrid minho sitting in your lap bridal style, hands wrapped around your neck. the weight and size change startled you, but he loved to tease you and transform whenever he pleased.

"can i please go outside for a bit?" he was really bouncy and sounded out of breath. you had to remind yourself that he was a wild animal. although you took him in to stay in your house, his animal instincts couldn't be suppressed.

"okay, but only for a little-" he cut your sentence off by changing back into a bunny, still knocking you off guard.

he scurried off your lap and towards the back hallway, scratching at the door for you to open it. he looked back at you with those big dark eyes. they always sparkled perfectly in the right lighting. seeing him being all hyper as an animal was truly so endearing. you've always wanted someone like him in your life. the universe definitely planned out your lives to be intertwined.

you rolled your eyes from his fast movements and got up. the second you opened the door wide enough for him to fit, he dashed out onto the grass. it has still been snowy for the past couple of days, but today the grass held a light layer of snow from earlier that day.

he was hopping around the entire yard, sniffing around bushes, chewing on some of the obtainable food he could get his mouth on. you could see the footprints and tracks beginning to circle around the snow. the whole surface of your yard was being fully inspected by him.

you couldn't help but sit down by the steps of your back porch. hugging your knees in admiration, you followed minho's path all throughout the whole time you were out there. you couldn't help but get flustered about the racing thoughts in your mind. something as simple as watching him be comfortable in his environment made you feel at ease.

what you didn't know was minho found himself wanting to be human more for the both of you. it was exhausting for him at times, but he couldn't help but laugh with you, smile with you, feel with you. he never got to experience these moments with anyone before. he wanted each adventure with you to last for hours.

he looked up to find you staring at him, which made his heart race faster than it normally should. draining energy fast, he flopped on his back, waving his paws and feet in the air. getting a chuckle out of you from the distance, he felt satisfied. the sudden urge to dig overwhelmed his thoughts, getting back to his feet and digging straight down from where he was standing.

luckily, you had your mind to distract you from his actions. he started to go feral, getting the dirt and snow all over his face.

drifting away from your daydream, you found your white fluffy bunny turning brown from the dirt and snow.

"minho, no!" you quickly ran over to him, making him realize he was likely in big trouble. thinking two steps ahead, he dove out of your attempt to grab him. shocked and stunned, you still chased after him. he was running steadily back towards the house. the universe was on your side though, as the back door was closed and all minho could do was try to reach up and grab the handle. however, being in his small form, he failed miserably.

"cmon silly," you bent down to grab the squirming animal in your arms, the warmth from your body making him docile and shut down.

once you got to the bathroom upstairs, you gently set minho on the floor. his eyes were slowly closing and he tried his best to keep them open again. before he could fall asleep, he jolted himself awake, which unfortunately turned him into his hybrid form.

"do you want me to take my clothes off so you can bathe me?"

his question made you whip your head around in shock, stuttering nonsense to try and distract yourself from the image of himself being naked in front of you.

"dont be difficult... turn into a bunny so i can wash you quickly."

he let out a small whine, almost like it was his plan all along to get dirty and have this scenario go his way.

you crossed your arms and gave him a dissatisfied look. you weren't really mad at him, you just wanted the day to end quicker so you two could snuggle in bed together.

one big movement turned him small again, he hopped onto your legs, as you had knelt down to get comfortable. you turned on the water in your bathtub and ran some warm water about two or three inches from the bottom. placing him inside the tub, you grabbed a cup to scoop up the water onto his body. the first rinse was quick, he even shook some water off himself like a dog which made you smile.

the scrubbing process also went by fast, working your fingers gently through his coat, the dirt coming off completely. you picked up the cup again, filling it with water. washing the soap away, he shook his body again, trying to dry up as fast as he could.

"calm down minho! ill dry you off in a second."

the water beginning to flow down the drain, you picked up a sopping wet minho from the tub and placed him on the rug next to you. the towel to dry him was hanging on the side of the tub. you laid it flat against your lap, picking him up again and placing him on top of the towel.

you wrapped him up in the towel, trying your best not to cover up his face. you patted and rubbed the cloth into his body, making sure to cover all the spots. his ears, his tail, and his paws all becoming dry and fluffy again.

he hopped off of your lap, turning to his hybrid form. this time you expected something from that big of a leap. you were starting to learn and master his behaviors. he was sat on the floor facing you. for some reason, his hair and ears were still wet in this form. he held one of his ears out, squeezing it to wring out the remaining water off himself. you got to your knees and threw the towel over his head. going a little harder this time, you scrubbed his hair dry to the best of your ability. you noticed him closing his eyes in comfort, especially when you got to his ears.

he looked up at you through his messy hair. he hummed softly, he was so happy you were taking such good care of him. not noticing at all, when you removed the towel his bunny ears went away. he was noticeably more dry and your job was done. you turned around slightly to drape the towel on the tub again.

he let out a cute yawn, so ready to flop into bed and get some sleep. when you turned back around you couldn't help but notice some brown specks on his face. did he have freckles this whole time and you were just too star struck to notice? you reached out to rub his face, making him freeze and have his full semi-conscious attention to your actions. the specks turned to brown streaks against his skin.

"youve been digging so much in the dirt, come here."

he scooted over to you, patiently waiting for anything to happen next. you realized now his nose and cheeks were lightly covered in dirt. you reached over for a new towel and quickly turned the faucet on to run some water on it. swiping the warm cloth on his cheeks, his face became very pink. you didn't know if it was because of the pressure you applied to his face, or if he was actually having some emotional reaction to this.

his gaze was so sensual, almost like his mind had gone to mush and he could only display emotions of pure submission. his thoughts became chaotic, trying to resist the urge to tackle you and have you all to himself.

after a while you could feel your face burning up, scared about any of his next moves or words.

"why are you looking at me like that?" the dirt was almost gone. you moved closer to his face, only inches away in order to get the last bits off.

minho didn't answer you, instead he stared more intensely at you, patiently waiting for you to finish. putting the towel down, you gently rubbed the wetness off his face. even more skin to skin contact was making him lose control. the hue of pink showing from his face becoming almost cartoon like.

"mm tired," his eyes began to droop again. he wanted his last conscious thought to be that he was secure next to you. as dramatic as ever, he laid out his body in your lap, slowly beginning to drift off and finally recharge.

this feeling was starting to become a natural occurrence in your daily lives. whether he was a small bunny, a cute hybrid, or a human who could actually sweep you off your feet, you had him. he felt safe around you and wanted to be near you. using one hand to meet his hand, rubbing it gently to soothe him, you used your other hand to play with his hair. even as a human, he was still soft and cuddly. you bent down to place a small kiss on his head, making him nuzzle himself deeper into you.

part 3 is up! click here!!!

♥︎taglist: @lailac13 @palindrome969 @lunathewonyoungstan @syedazarintasnim @yourlocalstayyxi @mmarusa @yukichan67 @qwonyoung23 @cupidcures @verynormalsstuff @leezanetheofficial

© nmn-yty ★ 6.07.2024

[forever-once-gone]

Day 3: Yoongi - You Meet Your Fated at a Coffee Shop <3

Part of the Love, Amour, Aur Pyaar drabble series for February! (lol)

Word count: 3.7k (can't keep them short for the life of me)

Content and Warnings: soulmate au, coffee shop au, gn!reader, sharing preferences, arguing, frustration, they're both a bit dense lol, but other than that nothing too terrible in this, just sweet honestly, almost throwing up, coffee snob!Yoongi, barista!Yoongi, mocha slander, terms of endearment: baby, dear, Y/n is ready to FIGHT

Author's Note: Hey! So like I know it is well past Feb, but tbh it was crazy of me to even think id have time to publish these things during midterms season. Even though I had reading week, it was just not going to happen. Even though I did manage to write some of the days, I obviously couldn't every day. And posting? Forget about it. Anyway, even if it's past Feb, would you want me to post the ones I did write? It won't be instantaneous, but I would like to share what I did write, and maybe even finish all the other days as I had already planned out what I wanted to write each day. Let me know if you're interested! Anyways, as always, enjoy! <3

Another mocha, just another mocha to fill up in the takeaway cup for another person who is trying to get through the February cold. Yoongi gets a lot of mocha requests before the winter holidays season. When so many are hyped up with Christmas cheer. Even people who do not celebrate Christmas tend to indulge in peppermint mochas when the snow hits the ground. And the trend trickled into the post holiday months every winter season. To the point when people ordered mochas even into early spring.

Yoongi, ever the coffee enthusiast, hated having to make so many mochas.

Frankly, he considered mochas just snobby chocolate milk with the smallest hint of caffeine. Like do mochas even deserve to be considered coffee-based beverages? He thought not. You could barely even taste the coffee in between the thick, tongue-coating taste of chocolate and the heaviness of way too much milk.

Everytime he had to make mochas, every single time, he’d be cursing in his head about how he would rather just be able to make his espressos, black coffees, and iced americanos. Iced americanos are the most he’d be willing to go when it comes to diffusing the taste of coffee.

Adding milk? Forget it.

Adding sugar? He’d rather just pour it down the drain than drink it.

Alas, when it comes to his job, he has to fulfill the customer’s wishes. No matter how much he hated the sugary, barely-even-coffee, more-like-milkshakes drinks, he would make the drink for them. A waste of good coffee in his books, but he needed the money that came from his overpriced caffeinated chocolate milk 

So, when it came to a coffee-novice coming into his coffee shop asking for a mocha, he would grit his teeth but make the drink nonetheless, the underline he requires to be able to pay his shop’s mortgage and keep all of his employees.

It was another one of these spring days when he’d unlocked the front doors of the café only to see someone new. Normally, only a few select people would come to his café so early in the morning, after all, most people started work at 9 or later. Only a few people would come at 5:30 when he opened. But today, there was someone new.

There was you, a person he’d never seen before standing behind his regulars. A cheery looking person, giving him a smile when he unlocked the door and opened it for the small group of people to trickle in.

He made his way behind the counter as he began his small routine with his regulars, smiling at each one of them as they gave him their orders, even though there really was no need as he had gotten each one of them memorized ages ago.

He took and prepared each order with practiced ease, until he got to the last person in line. The one who had spent the last ten minutes scanning the chalkboard menu with an analytical look.

You.

“Good morning,” you said to him with a kind smile.

“Good morning,” he replied. “What can I get started for you today?”

You wrung your hands, scanning the menu again, before looking back at him. “Can I get a large mocha?”

He scoffed. Seriously, chocolate this early in the morning? Typical from a cheery-looking person like yourself.

“What?” you asked, wondering if you’d broken some unspoken social cue. You’d seen the way he’d kindly spoken to the customers before you, making small talk, so what happened when it came to you?

“Nothing, nothing,” he waved you off, before pressing some buttons on his cash register’s screen. “That’ll be 5000 won.”

“No, no. That definitely was something. Did I say anything wrong?” You insisted, brows furrowed together in a mix of worry and a bit of indignation.

“No, not at all. It’ll be 5000 won.” He tried to force a smile, but your eyes were squinted together just as you did before when you were scanning the menu, but this time your object of interest was him.

“What? You just don’t like me or something?” You felt a bit uncomfortable, out of place in this cafe with a barista who seemed to hold a certain disdain for you from the moment you opened your mouth. But that didn’t mean you were going to back down from this entitled man. You eyed him up and down, letting him know the contempt was mutual.

He let out a small scoff, before seeming to recompose himself with customer service professionalism. “Of course not. I’m sorry if it seemed that way. Your total is 5000 won.”

You could see through his poorly reconstructed composure, but nonetheless gave him the requested money. You were already running late to your job interview, and you needed this job if you hoped to actually be able to rent a place in this city. You had already spent three weeks staying with your friend after moving here from your old city. You couldn’t stay with her forever, even if she was willing to keep you for forever if you needed it.

You stepped away from the register after he had given you your change and moved away to make your drink. You took the time to continue admiring the interior of the cafe as the barista flew around his counter space. You took in the worn furniture resembling something half between industrial and contemporary. The hanging lights and the various maps lining the walls of the place. Very hipster. Fitting for a coffee shop.

The call of: “One large mocha?” brought you back from your inspection. With a hum, you took your drink from him, feeling the drink warm your gloved hands.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, have a nice day.” And with that he was moving back to his dishes to clean up the dishes he’d used before the next customers wandered in.

You turned away from him, moving towards the door. Before you pushed open the door to brave into the cold, you flipped open the flap on the top of the to-go cup. You took a quick sip, ready for the delicious drink to coat your tongue, but instead your tastebuds were assaulted with a heinous amount of sugar. It tasted like you’d boiled a pool full of chocolate and dumped a truck full of sugar and then reduced the entire pool full over a roaring fire until only a cup of the concentrated mixture remained full of pure chocolate and sugar.

You immediately turned back on your heel. Pressing your tongue against the tip of your mouth, trying to rid it of the sweet assault. “You messed up,” you slammed the cup on the counter, seeing the barista’s shoulders jump at the loud thump.

“What’s the issue?” he asked, as he wiped off his hands on a hand towel before flipping it onto his shoulder. He leaned onto the counter with the palms of his hands, not even trying to hide his annoyance with you anymore considering the frown he sent your way.

“This is way too sweet. Like what, did you dump a whole bag of sugar into this thing?” You nudged the cup towards him. “If you didn’t like me, you could have just refused to take my order, you didn’t have to do all this!” You gestured to the cup.

“Please, I need you to calm down. I didn’t do anything to your drink. It’s just a regular mocha. Mochas are sweet, you should have known that before you ordered it for the first time.” He rolled his eyes slightly.

“First time? Oh, honey, no—I know what mochas are meant to taste like and this is not it. It’s practically the only thing I ever get!”

He scoffed yet again. Typical, he thought to himself. Never would've guessed. “Just take your drink and go, I don’t have time for this.”

“You don’t believe me do you?” You said in disbelief. You never would dare fight with someone like this, but for some reason, this one guy was just getting on your nerves. Typically, even if your order had gotten mixed up you would just swallow your disappointment and try to enjoy the drink anyway. Even if it was something bitter and boring like a plain black coffee. But the way this man had been acting from the moment you ordered has been rude and completely ruined your confidence. Not what you needed at all before trying to get this job. And for some reason, it felt like all your senses and emotions had been turned up to 100, so controlling your anger was a lot harder.

“Drink it,” you told him, holding his eye contact. “Yeah, drink it. If you can drink even one gulp without making a face, I’ll admit I was wrong and leave.”

The barista tongued his cheek for a moment, contemplating what you said. “I don’t want to. I don’t like mochas, besides, I can’t drink a customer’s drink anyway.”

“I’m just gonna take your refusal as you admitting that you fucked with my drink.”

By this point the two people left in the shop were watching the two of you fighting at the counter. A middle aged man walked up to the counter, stepping in to try and defuse the situation. “Why don't you just take a sip of it, Yoongi? Just to prove them wrong?”

“I refuse,” the barista, Yoongi, said to the man. “It’s a matter of principle at this point. I’m not drinking it. I know my abilities, and I know that that mocha would be as good as mochas get. I’m not gonna take a sip of a nasty ass mocha just cause this person wants to throw a fuss at five in the morning.”

“So you admit you fucked with it?! You admitted it’s nasty!”

“No,” he rolled his eyes at you for the umpteenth time this morning. “I just hate mochas, they taste like shit. But anyone who likes those chocolatey messes will admit mine are as good as they get. I might not like them, but I still put all my effort into making sure they taste good.”

“Just fucking drink it then! I’m not joking, this tastes like shit. Maybe something is wrong with your milk steaming machine or something—this just isn’t right!”

The middle-aged man decided to try and put the fight to an end. “Why don’t I just give it a try, huh?”

“No!” But Yoongi and you said at the same time, before turning back to each other again.

“He refuses to admit it, and he has to be the one to try it!” You crossed your arms.

“And they’re the one who is making a big situation over nothing, you should never give in to people like them.” He glared at you. Now that his patrons were getting involved, he wanted to get you out as soon as possible.

“Just try it! I swear it’s unbelievable. Just give it one sip!” You threw up your arms in frustration. “Come on, I’m not even asking for a refund or anything, I just want you to admit that you took your anger out on me for no reason. That’s all, I don’t even want an apology!”

“I don’t need to apologize! I didn’t do anything wrong! That mocha is PERFECT! I’d bet my life on it.” Yoongi was fuming now, chest heaving with frustration and annoyance. He was this close to calling the cops on you and calling it a day.

“Oh shut up with the ‘perfect’ nonsense! It’s not perfect! Just try it! This whole thing would have been over ages ago if you just gave it a try!” You pulled the cap off of the cup. “If you’re afraid it’s poisoned, I’ll take a sip of it before you drink it. See look.” 

You took a swig of the drink, nearly choking on the sugary beverage as you tried to keep the concoction from coming right back up. You gagged for a second or two, before finally straightening back up, wiping your mouth with the back of your gloved hand.

The two men around you exchanged expressions, their anger turning more to disbelief. Either you were a great actor or that drink really, really sucked.

“There, see. I didn’t tamper with it. Now, please, please just try it. Please. Don’t make me look insane. Just try it.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Fine. Fucking fine. I’ll try it. But if it tastes fine, you need to leave my shop and never come back, you hear me?”

“I swear. I won’t come back, don’t plan to anyway.”

Yoongi raised an eyebrow at that, before grabbing the lidless cup from the counter. He held it up, hesitated, and then said, “I really don’t like mochas,” with a scrunch of his nose. He took a breath and then took the smallest sip you’ve ever seen a human being take before slamming the cup down. His hand immediately came up to cover his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed.

You couldn’t bear to hide your smug look. How was he gonna hide how terrible the drink was now? He looked like he was going to throw up. Ha! That will show him!

But then he did the weirdest thing. He took another sip. A long sip this time. Other than his furrowed brows, he didn’t choke, gag, or even dry heave for a millisecond. Just watching him drink was making you nauseous.

“Oh my god!” you yelled, snatching the cup from his hands before he could take another sip, holding it up behind you, away from him. “You’re going to give yourself diabetes if you drink that whole thing!”

Immediately he tried to reach across the counter and get it back from you. “Hey! Give that back! This makes no sense!”

“Yoongi, calm down!” The man said, pushing the barista back off of the counter that he was practically leaning his whole body onto at this point.

“Why does it taste good?!” The distress that the barista was under put even you on pause. You watched the barista scramble around, rubbing at his head as if it was aching him. Was this the effect of all the sugar?

“Hey, man, you doing alright?” You placed the cup back down on the counter, holding a hand out to him to show you meant no harm.

He just shook his head, picking up a half empty mug from behind the counter that you had seen him periodically sipping from between the preparation of yours and the others’ drinks. He took a large gulp only to immediately run to the sink, spitting the drink right into the drain.

“Why does my coffee taste so heinous?! Why does it taste like fucking bitter gasoline? Why does the mocha taste so fucking good?!” He was still hunched over the sink, the only thing you could see of him was his back a bit of his lowered head. His arm reached to grab the hand towel on his shoulder to throw it to the side.

You had no answer for him. This was all so bizarre.

“This—” the middle aged man brought both your and Yoongi’s attention to him, as he brought the cup back to his lips for another sip. When had he taken your mocha from you? Was it when Yoongi was losing his mind? 

“This tastes…” He took another sip. His brows furrowed in concentration. 

“This tastes like a regular mocha.” He put the cup back down. “I think you guys need to calm down for a moment and think about what this means.”

“What do you mean?” you asked him.

“I think you know what I mean, dear.” The man had a kind-hearted look on his face as his eyes flitted between both you and Yoongi.

“OH MY GOD.” Yoongi grabbed the edge of the counter, seeming to understand the man’s insinuation. “There is no way.”

“What? What am I missing?” The man only shook his head as Yoongi raised his head to meet your gaze. He just pushed his half empty mug to you. Inside was black coffee.

“Try it. I need to see if it’s true.”

“Um, no. I don’t like black coffee. Yuck.” You nudged the mug right back to him only for him to stop the movement halfway. 

“That’s exactly why you have to try this,” Yoongi said as calmly as he could, though you could swear he looked almost like he could faint right then and there.

“Fine,” you took the mug from him. “Just cause you did drink the mocha.”

You swirled the dark liquid in the mug, debating whether it was worth it to drink the bitter liquid. But when you looked up to see that both the man and Yoongi were watching you like scientists inspecting their latest mutant rats for their observational notes, you just took a sip only to get them to stop staring at you.

Instantly your throat was soothed as the smooth taste of the perfectly roasted coffee made its way through your mouth. You’d never drunk anything so refreshing, so calming as it warmed you up from the inside out. Even though there was no sugar or cream, you surprisingly didn’t mind it as it allowed the rich flavour of the black coffee to shine through strongly. It tasted so good.

You didn’t put down the mug until you’d finished the whole thing.

The middle aged man had a small smile on his face, while Yoongi seemed to be still in his inspector mode.

“So,” the man began. “How was it?”

You thought about it for a second. “Good. Like really good. Like surprisingly good.”

The man clapped his hands. “Well there you have it. Congrats you two.”

You shook your head for a second, scrunching your face in annoyance. “What are you talking about?”

Yoongi came around the counter, finally coming to stand beside you without anything between you two. “Do I need to spell it out for you?”

“Easy, Yoongi. Don’t want to scare them off now do you?”

Yoongi rolled his eyes at the man but then nodded his head in understanding. “You don’t like black coffee right? Too bitter or something?”

You nodded. “Yeah, too bitter. I need more sugar or else I just can’t get it down.”

“And I hate mochas. They’re too sweet and you can’t even tell there is coffee in it since it's so overpowered by the sugar, chocolate, and milk.”

“Okay… What does that have to do with me though?”

“But I just liked the mocha. Not just liked, I loved the mocha. And you loved the black coffee.”

“Yeah…” You waited for him to clarify further.

He waved his arm as if urging you to think further, but when you just cocked your head to the side in confusion, he dropped his arm back down to his side. “Seriously?” he asked, exasperated. “I hated my usual coffee and loved your mocha. And you hated your usual mocha and loved my coffee.”

You nodded your head, trying to understand what he was trying to get at. Until it just clicked, your eyes widening instantly, reaching to grab his elbows. “OH MY GOD! We’re soulmates! Oh my god! We switched preferences! We’re soulmates!” You threw your arms around him, pulling him as close to you as you could through your thick winter jacket.

“Took you long enough,” he huffed, his arms reciprocating your grasp.

“Oh my god! I knew I was meant to move here! I have to tell my roommate! But wait—” you pushed him out of your hold.

Yoongi let out a light groan, as he caught himself from stumbling.

You pointed a finger at him accusingly. “You hate mochas, you black coffee supremacist!”

“Seriously?” Yoongi asked you. “That’s your biggest concern now?”

“Well yeah! I mean, I don’t know if my preferences will change back, but if they do, I can’t stay with a soulmate that thinks he’s superior to me because of his coffee preferences!”

Yoongi let out a small laugh, his lips tugging into a smile. “If it makes you feel any better, I think I will never be able to hate mochas after today.”

Even with your finger still pointed at him, you felt your lips pull into a wide smile at the hidden meaning behind his words.

You both jumped at the clearing of a throat behind the two of you. The man had made his way to the front door of the coffee shop with his order in his hand. “Sorry, sorry. Just wanted to let you know that my wife, Maria, had been recording the entire thing in case you needed to call the police.” He nodded towards the other patron who had been at the shop when you and Yoongi had started fighting who was now standing holding the door open as she waited for her husband. “Let me know if you want the video of your first meeting, I’m sure your friends and family would love to see it,” he said between kind-hearted soft laughs, before leaving hand-in-hand with Maria.

“Maybe even our future grandkids,” you teased him happily, taking a step back towards him.

Yoongi just smiled in reply, showing off his perfect teeth to you.

You felt your heart swell.

He took another step towards you, grabbing a hold of your hands by your side. “I would like that.”

You heard the door chime as a customer walked into the coffee shop before their steps halted somewhere behind you.

“Uh, is this a bad time?” The customer asked from behind you.

“Give me a second,” Yoongi replied.

“Alright,” the person cleared their throat. “Just don’t want to be late for work.”

That seemed to jolt you out of your Yoongi admiring stupor. “Shit! I have an interview!” You tightened your hold on his hands before letting go.

By the time Yoongi realized what was going on, you were already halfway out the door.

“I’m going to be so late! I’ll be back later, okay, baby?” You had pushed the door open taking a step out before turning back to him. “I am allowed to come back right? Or am I still exiled from your shop?” You asked with a smile.

“Seriously?” He laughed, shaking his head as he made his way back behind the service counter. “Maybe you’ll just have to try your luck.”

“You’re impossible.” You laughed into your hand, waving your hand at him. “When I come back, if you don’t let me in, I’ll tell all your customers that I almost threw up after drinking your mocha.” You stuck out your tongue at him as he fake gasped, before finally actually leaving the shop.

Well, there's that.

So if you didn't get it, in this case, soulmates have different ways of finding out if they're meant to be in this universe. For Yoongi and Y/n, they met and ended up switching coffee preferences (or maybe even more preferences but the only thing they noticed so far is the coffee). Even though their reactions may seem extra, when you meet your soulmate all your emotions/feelings/everything is meant to be heightened. So they had each other's preferences, but n times stronger. So that's why they loved the other's preference like it was ambrosia, but their own preferences tasted like so bad to them. Y/n found the mocha wayyyy to sweet like Yoongi would usually, and Yoongi found the black coffee wayyyyy too bitter cause Y/n likes her coffee well sweetened and with a lot of stuff to mellow the coffee flavour.

But anyway, yes they're in love.

So yeah, do let me know if you want me to post the rest of these. It will be a slow process, but I would like to do so.

Take care!!

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

Ghosftflower: The Artbook Cut

Okay guys, sorry for not doing much lately, holidays aside my laptop died so I am using something else in the meantime, so I had been a tad busy lately.

That being said, the Art Book arrived today! There wasn't a lot of ghostflower sadly, but I wanted to bring something regardless, so let's dig in!

Honestly while I don't consider myself an expert on these types of book, I own a few, and this one is...strange to say the least.

The formatting is off in a few parts, some things that don't make sense with what we are told in the movies, sections of the art book that assume we saw something on the movie that we didn't- I may do a post about it because looking at this book somehow gave me more questions than answers.

But that's a story for another post, let's go!

(Sorry for the quality of the pics, my phone isn't the best and I am not a good photographer myself.)

This one is right at the end, as part of the decoration between the walls of the book and the pages itself; it shows the entire city, but I focused on them for obvious reasons.

Also because the ending shot of this particular scene is one of my favourites in all the movie and seeing it in it's concert art form means a lot to me.

These two were in between pages at the beginning, the text talks more about the general process on the movie than them, so not a lot we can say.

Still lovely, I honestly wish we had more of Gwen and Miles swinging across New York, there is something beautiful and enchanting not only in them moving around in a way only a spider-hero can do, but also almost like a dance between these two.

Not so much ghostfloweer, but I still liked this pic of them together in Hobie's world.

The book acts as if we were suppose to see this world so one of those crazy things about this art book is seeing the stuff that was in the movie before it was cut.

Honestly the making-of this movie would either be insane or extremely edited because this is nuts.

Oh ho ho, we are getting to the MEAT.

Okay, I don't read Scripts very often, but the times I had has been interesting, specially since a lot of times it can reveal some small gags that either got cut on the movie, or that things that were in plain sight that you didn't notice. DEFINITELY will be reading the Script for this movie once I get my hands on it.

In this pic, it shows a deleted joke, either this was going to be in the cut of the movie when the book was in development, or it was left there but was already planned on being scrapped.

What I like about this deleted dialogue is that it shows, once again, that Gwen isn't always at the top of her game. As cool as she can be, she is still a teen who hasn't figured everything out.

I honestly find her more endearing trying to stick the landing and failing that just being cool and collected all the time.

Sorry for the long box of text, wasn't sure where to cut. There are two parts in this I want to highlight.

"They're both trying to impress each other,"

I found this extremely cute because while Miles trying to keep up with her and impress her is obvious (Just like everything else with Miles, as a said, the boy wears his heart in his sleeve and we love him for it,) but to be honest I didn't think Gwen was trying to do the same.

Now I imagine Gwen looking around this New York and trying to see what she could do to impress Miles- I love these earnest dorks.

The awkward gazelle part is also pretty much present in the movie; however I do like the comparison on how Miles himself knows now more than ever what he is capable of, which really shows in the rest on the movie, including in the train chase scene.

(Not really Ghostflower, but I LOVE how Miles never doubt on himself despite what he heard, need to talk about that eventually.)

More art of this beautiful scene, which was sparkled around these notes.

There is not much I want to analyze here as much as to, emphasize it?

Analyzing this movie so much and so often has really gotten to appreciate it to a whole new level, even if during said process I was able to see more of the mistakes and issues underneath.

This scene is really this and more, and what is astonishing is that is not that they are capturing the essence of the scene in some words, but rather come with the concept and create said scene, which is a lot more complicated.

And yet they pulled it off beautifully.

I really liked to highlight this part because 1) I and everyone else may need to start paying close attention to lighting because wow that detail is extremely cool, and 2) It really highlights a whole new layer to this scene.

They are getting close, both physically and emotionally, yet all the things they hide, how they hide themselves in a way, gets in the way of what they truly want. Is amazing because is a struggle that in the details is very much Spiderman, but below it is so human. Which honestly, part of the reason Spiderman as a whole as become so beloved over the years.

(Side note: Stan Lee decided to make Peter Parker in a era where superheroes were adults who basically could do anything, so coming with a teen who would also had teen issues was something that got people calling Stan nuts. Crazy how things how it worked out I'm right?)

Different stages development of this scene because of course I needed to include this, even if i can't say much of it really.

Not much to say here, except that this brief goes beautifully with the next excerpt of the book that I enjoyed.

"At that moment, anything is possible for the two of them." Isn't all of this phrased so beautifully?

While not telling us anything new, I want to relish in this little bits that just makes the scene feel so much whole as you read this.

How both Gwen and Miles don't want this to end, to keep the warmth between them going, to just linger because neither of them want to let the other one go. Frozen in place unable to move forwards for thall the unsaid things, yet refusing to move back.

They are lovely.

And that's all I have for them sadly! This book was extremely odd, it was very much lacking a lot of Miles and Gwen (Which kind of tracks, art books go mostly about design and their design's haven't change much,) but the fact that most of this information was at the end, alongside other things, makes me curious about what the heck went down while making this.

Or other stuff because is not the first time we see the remnants of the other versions of this movie peaking by.

[lennadanvers]

Not-so-mini follow up of this mini thing about Soap. I'm posting this again, had to fix something. Hope you like it <3

The next day, Soap wakes up to your music blasting in the bathroom. It's kinda late, but he doesn't mind sleeping in when he's on leave. Especially after the night he just had.

He gets up slowly. Stretches, smirking at the ceiling. Pictures all the ways he can go about this. Should he play with you a little? Let you suffer? Perhaps he can play dumb and ask you about it? Or should he just drop the bomb and enjoy your shock?

This is some valuable information. He has to think of a plan.

In the meantime, he can have breakfast.

When Soap finally walks out of his room, you have already turned your music off. And you are no longer in the bathroom, Soap notices as he makes his way down the short hallway.

He enjoys to catch you with your guard down every once in a while. Usually, Soap just hugs you from behind, he likes the way you jump, even if he's been doing it for years.

But this time, he can't move past the door. You're wearing a fancy dress. And high heels.

He's used to you in pijamas. You like to have a welcome breakfast when he comes back home. Nothing too elaborated, but it's become somewhat of a tradition. You get up, cook, he gets up and meets you in the kitchen, and then you have breakfast, wearing comfortable clothes. He enjoys seeing your hair all natural and tangled. Still, he could get used to this kind of welcome. The intricate bun on top of your hair doesn't look half bad. Until you turn around and he takes a look at your delicate make up and your pretty face, and everything sorrounding you becomes ten times more beautiful.

Fuck, he missed you.

You smile instantly and jump into his arms, a little ball of excitement and love. He hugs you tightly, one forearm around your waist and the opposite hand at the back of your head, tucking it into his chest.

"Johnny!"

Oh, he loves your voice. It's almost irritating, but still endearing. It's home.

"You didn't tell me you were coming! I would have prepared something!"

"What do you mean? This is not for me?"

He takes a (very) small step back, and motions at your dress with one hand. He's being dead serious, but you laugh and smack his arm softly.

"I have a date! I'll be back late tonight..."

The doorbell interrupts you. You run to the door, leaving him blinking in confusion. He must have heard wrong.

Except he didn't. You march right back into the livingroom, this time holding something in your hand.

Another hand.

Someone else's hand.

A man's hand.

Soap feels suddenly cold. Weren't you, warm and soft, against him a second ago?

"This is Dave". The man nods at him. He has a hairstyle so stupid that Soap is starting to hope this is a joke, rather than suspecting it. You flash a smile at Dave "and this is Johnny!"

Soap offers his hand to the man, squeezing harder when he sees the shine in Dave's blue eyes. Is that victory?

Suddenly, he remembers he's got a loaded gun in his bedroom.

"A pleasure to meet you, man." Dave turns to you. "Ready, princess?"

You nod, almost jumping in your heels, and Soap feels sick to his stomach. He waves at you, sad puppy eyes trailing over your dress until you step out the door. He can't stop himself and smacks a hand on Dave's back, way harder than needed. It looks friendly, it's Soap, after all. But it doesn't feel like it. He practically pushes the man out the door.

And right when Johnny is letting him go, he smells it.

Soap didn't put on any cologne today. No, the last time he felt that scent that was last night, in your bed.

Stupid Dave wears the same cologne as him, and Soap starts to question if he is, in fact, the stupid one.

I may have a mini something else to go after this, if anyone is interested...

[hyuckbeam]

at midnight with you

your boyfriend just recently got his driver's license, and boy, was he adamant to take you for a ride (with you being just as eager as him).

pairing | jisung x reader

genre | fluff, a little flirty here and there, established relationship

warnings | one kind of sexual joke (but they don't do anything, silly), the endearment ‘baby’ is used by jisung, lmk if i missed anything!

wc | 1.1k words

a/n | i impulsively made this after i learned jisung got his driver’s license already,, i just HAD to make use of this knowledge one way or another 🥹 i guess this passes as a belated birthday post for ji as well!! but aside from all that, rbs, likes, and feedback are always appreciated! thank u <33

a gasp was the only thing that would come out of your throat as you opened your front door in the middle of the night to jisung, having pulled up in front of your house’s gate with a car you’ve never seen before. had he learned how to drive already? he did tell you something along the lines of ‘i think i might try driving’ the other week, but you often passed it as a joke. i mean, he always told you he’d never drive for the sake of world peace and human kind.

you, on the other hand, were as eager as you could be to learn how to drive. fantasies of you and jisung out on a midnight car ride often plagued your mind, and the thought of making that fantasy into a reality gave you even more determination to learn. the problem was your parents didn’t exactly like the idea of it. you suppose they were always more on the traditional spectrum in terms of how they raised you, but their rejection had you sulky for an entire day. naturally, you spoke to your boyfriend about your frustrations, unintentionally slipping in the fact you wanted to go on a car ride with him.

it got him thinking. neither of you had a driver’s license… but what if he impulsively got one right now so he could fulfill that wish of yours? jisung has probably never acted on anything quicker.

he did tell you about his plans, knowing you wouldn’t really believe him on the get go. perhaps that was all for the best. he wanted this to be a surprise for you anyways.

and now here he was, parked at the front of your house with only one goal in mind — to grant your wish of a car ride with him; a spontaneous one at that.

you wonder how he knew exactly what you’ve been longing for a while now, not realizing your slip up a few weeks ago.

“baby, come on!” you snap out of your thoughts, focusing on the boy who’s now in front of you. he sported a lazy grin on his lips, making the corners of his eyes crease into tiny crescents. “i have a hoodie for you in my car too. it’s a little cold at night after all.”

the mention of him bringing you one of his hoodies already has you sold on the idea, prompting you to walk up to his car and get in the passenger’s seat.

as soon as you take your seat, jisung reaches out for your seatbelt, making sure you’re all buckled in. the close contact with your boyfriend was nothing new in your relationship, but for some reason, everything he’s been doing today has got your heart bouncing up and down.

you pat your cheeks to calm yourself down, a little habit jisung already picked up on. he knew you were enjoying this. “ji, where will we be going?” jisung swears he sees sparkles appear in your doe eyes. not to mention the pick hues that color your cheeks after you patted them earlier. you were going to be the death of him one day.

“it’s a surprise, baby.” a chuckle resounds from his chest, eyes glancing towards you for a quick moment before turning the car on and setting his sight back on the road. “you’ll just have to wait and find out, hm?”

“no fair!” you protest childishly, a few snorts managing to escape from you as you settle back into your seat.

although you’re as excited as ever for what your boyfriend has in store for you, there’s a wave of drowsiness that looms over your eyes. it was pretty late in the night, so how could anyone blame you. the sound of the car’s engine running mixed with jisung’s humming was enough to seal the deal, closing your eyes and letting sleep overtake you.

jisung peers over after noticing you were pretty still in your seat, realizing you had fallen asleep. he pulls over shortly, now rummaging through the backseat for the hoodie he brought, placing it over you before continuing the drive. it was going to take a little longer than expected to get to where he wanted, so he concluded you should just get undisturbed rest for the remainder of the ride.

you felt a slight nudge in your shoulder, eyes droopily waking up. “wake up, sleepyhead. we’re here.” jisung ruffles your head softly. his hands feel so warm and cozy you could almost fall back asleep, but you fight the urge to do so.

jisung gets out of the car first, rushing over to your side and helping you step out as well. he takes the forgotten hoodie from the car seat, helping you wear it so you wouldn’t feel cold.

it takes you a moment to realize he’s brought you to a viewpoint that overlooks the city’s nightscape, but when you do, a smile naturally appears on your features. the faint lights coming from the small buildings, the tiny cars that pass by on the streets below, and the cold air that barely seeps through the hoodie jisung lent you — this was everything you’ve wanted and more. “ji, ji! this is amazing! how did you even know this spot existed?”

“i just stumbled across this place before.” in truth, he actually spent countless nights searching up for the best spot to bring you to. was he going to admit to that? nope. was it worth every wink of sleep? of course it was because it was for you.

a couple of moments pass in silence, the both of you simply soaking in the breathtaking view. “you know, people actually come here to do something particular.” your boyfriend brings up, a small glint in his eyes as he peers down at you.

you don’t know what it is, but your face automatically heats up from the way he’s looking at you. “jisung we’re not doing that here.” you squawk out in disbelief, turning flustered by what he was trying to imply.

“baby, i meant kissing? who taught you these things, huh?” you bring out a laugh from him, finding your assumptions cute despite the nature of it. you were as bright as a tomato, a sight he’d cherish in his mind for a pretty long time. “could i kiss you though?”

you don’t know if him still asking you for permission to kiss you is needed, especially after the conversation you just had, but instead of answering him, you respond by pulling him down by the strings of his hoodie to kiss him.

it starts off sweet, almost as if you’re thanking him for your little trip, however, it gets a little needier as time progresses, and yet, his lips are as gentle as can be. you could stay like this forever, kissing him, under the starry sky. how did you get so lucky to have someone like him as your boyfriend?

“i love you.” he pulls away, breathless from the kiss. you smile, leaning in again to give him a soft peck. “i love you too. let’s have more dates like this, please?”

“anything for you, my baby.”

tags !!

[chromotps]

AceLu and CoraLaw interactions I think they would have if they got together + HCs (this is just for fun and these are my opinions/ideas! They're kinda like my guinea pigs now lmao- I don't post so I just send these to you- Sorry:'D I don't spam but if these asks annoy you, let me know!) + Zosan and NamiVivi because yes

—

[After *coughs* making out]

Cora: oh! I smeared lipstick on you. sorry, let me wipe it off-

Law: ...leave it.

Cora: what? why?

Law, instead of answering, walks away with a very obvious blush and lipstick still smeared on his lips and its corners.

(I HC that Cora still wears make-up on occasions and on random times, mostly for Law but sometimes he does like to wear it for himself. He experiments with his looks with Ikkaku. They do skincare together, Law and other crewmembers joins them sometimes)

—

Ace: hey farmboy.

Luffy: hi cowboy!

(Their hats. Luffy literally has a strawhat and Ace's looks like a cowboy hat. He also gives off cowboy vibes- giggles. I think this is the only nickname they'd give each other honestly. They don't look like the type to use nicknames or terms of endearment used by couples. But that's just my opinion)

—

Cora: I got called Donquixote six times today. And also got called 'Doflamingo's little brother' three times. The name/title itself doesn't bother me, it's just people's tones...

Law, quietly: would you like mine?

Cora: what?

Law, stammering out a 'logical' explanation: I mean, if you had someone else's last name people would be more comfortable and accepting... I think. It would make it harder for them to remember and recognise that you're a part of the Donquixote family.

Cora: oh.. makes sense.

Law: so..?

Cora, laughing: propose to me properly, at least!

(Law didn't propose to him that day of course, because 1. he didn't have a ring and 2. he wanted to do it properly. Plus he wanted to surprise Cora. So I'm thinking he probably spent 3-5 weeks waiting before he officially proposed to catch Cora off-guard. Maybe it was grand, or maybe it was on a simple night when they're out on the Polar Tang's deck while talking about everything and nothing at all. In any way I want the Heart crew to be there bc they're precious to me. They burst through the doors and tackle the fiancées to give their congratulations lol. Trafalgar D. Rosinante am I right fellas—)

—

Zoro, watching Sanji lift Luffy's whole body with his legs high up: flexible.

Ace, watching Luffy twist his body to reach the food Sanji is holding: I agree.

—

Cora, Ace, Sanji and Vivi: wife?? why am I the wife?

Law, Luffy, Zoro and Nami: because you're sweet and you look good in white.

(Them >>>)

—

That's all for now!

OMG I,,, love these ideas,,,, they're very fun.... I'm happy to get asks!! It's true that these ships are pretty small, especially on tumblr, so I get that it's nice to just chat about them with another fan 😭

Coraaaaa what a sweetheart, apologizing about the makeup... 😂 I bet Law was the one who started the makeout anyway!!! He planned this!!!

"FARMBOY" AND "COWBOY" THEY'RE SO CUTE. UGH. farmboy luffy and his strawhat sitting in the sunlight, or carrying a bunch of sunflowers and other things he's grown to Ace... I reeeeallllllly want a cute little AU where like, Ace is an experienced cowboy (maybe he works as a ranch hand on Whitebeard's property or something?) and then Luffy buys the open land across from him. He drops by now and then, at first to ask Ace for help with little tasks while setting up his farm (and he always offers to help Ace with his work in return), but then he starts stopping by just to chat with Ace or watch him work or slip in compliments about how cool he looks... Ace is flustered and also thrown off by Luffy's carefree attitude, and the grump inside him thinks Luffy won't last a month as a farmer. But Luffy's persistent, and (with the help of a seemingly endless list of friends) he gets a nice farm going... Maybe he even starts bringing Ace flowers from the small patch by his house................... And Ace mellows out and admits that he's sweet on him and,,,,, ahhh,,,,,

eek got carried away. I just love AUs. 😭 I agree, they don't seem like the type for petnames, at least not in canon... maybe in different settings... But wow... Luffy waking up with Ace and going "Morning, Cowboy" and Ace laughing like "I'm not even wearing the hat right now"

"would you like mine" "Trafalgar D. Rosinante" that's SO!! romantic!!!!! Law letting that offer slip like he hasn't been thinking about it for the last year... That proposal would be so cute!! Especially with his crew celebrating their captain's happiness 😭 he really did find a good bunch of weirdos as a found family 😭😭

laughing forever at one-track-mind Zoro and Ace. Sometimes... those boys are dumb. I love them. also LOVE those 4 getting called sweet, they are!!! and they would look good in white......

[lok1s-queen]

Daddy Daughter Days, Part 2

I told Persephone today about these secret moments betwen Freya and her daddy that I've been capturing. She just laughed with me at the idea of the King of Asgard sitting on the floor with our toddler painting his face. She thought it was the cutest thing and had to see the photos. Perse told me, of course, that I have to share the photos on my Instagram. I told her I'd think about it.

Perse excitedly shared pictures of Hades with their children. Who would have thought these proud, strong men would have children that would wrap them around their chubby little fingers. It is so sweet and endearing.

When I got home I found Freya doing Daddy's makeup again and had to capture the moment. Loki has gotten used to me taking pictures of he and Freya, but I don't think the thought ever crossed his mind that I might want to share them with anyone. I looked through all these beautiful moments, but when I got to last month's picture I burst out laughing at the total shock on Loki's face. It was priceless! I knew then I had to share them.

Loki asked what I was laughing at. I showed him the photo, and what I planned to do. All the color drained from his face (well his natural color anyway!). He propped himself up on one elbow and in a very low, but serious tone he said, "Don't. You. Dare!" Though it was hard to take him serious with all that makeup, and I couldn't stop laughing.

Freya of course was in her happy place as she revealed her masterpiece. "Mommy, doesn't Daddy look pretty?" she asked. I stifled my laugh for a moment and smiled brightly at Freya. "He does indeed, Little One." Just before he got up I took another couple photos of Loki and added some playful captions. Loki was NOT nearly as amused as I was.

After Loki washed his face I took one final photo, and I knew I was done for. The look on his face told me if I posted this he would torture me mercilessly.

I decided it was worth the risk and told him I already posted it. I'll let you know if I survive. 😉

[cebwrites]

Hey there, how is it going ?

There's a man in my work place that makes me feel very uncomfortable and I'm not sure how to deal with it :(

I was wondering if I could suggest headcanons for how Corazon and Law would react/handle it if his partener was in the the same situation as me

I hope it's fine

oh my goodness anon, i’m so sorry that’s happening to you, if you ever want to chat or vent about this my dms are always open, dear! i’ve been in similar situations and the dread, the discomfort, anything else you’re feeling right now, is scary but also acknowledged <:’) i turned them into drabbles for the sake of flow and formatting, i hope that’s okay with you!! hopefully these can help distract you from the situation, if not provide some catharsis, sending all the love and good vibes to you ;;; 💕💓💞

(law’s part turned out a lot longer than expected so i decided to make a separate post for him that you can find HERE it’s also a lot darker though so i’d tread with caution;; )

Helping their s/o with someone uncomfortable (Corazon)

gn reader, hurt/comfort, a ton of fluff to make up for it cw: creepy aggressive behavior, mild depiction of a panic attack (if anyone wants me to tag anything else please dm me to lmk) word count: 0.8k

It’s a lovely day for a walk out on the town, you've been planning planning this date with your boyfriend for a while now and you were positivity ecstatic.

You only had to drop some things some things off at work and then you’d be off, doing tons of lovey-dovey (and clumsy) things with your beloved for the whole day! 

Your schedules rarely lined up so perfectly, so the two of you were determined to make it worth it with a whole laundry list of fun, nauseatingly sweet activities to do, starting with a rendezvous picnic in the park followed by kite-flying before it got too sunny, then ice cream; you continue to go through the list in your head, humming a sweet little tune to yourself when all those rosi-y thoughts stop short when you see him.

A man standing outside the shop you work at, the same man that been accosting you at your workplace for almost a week.

Fear builds in your heart as you duck behind a stall to avoid being seen. You consider ringing up a co-worker on your Den Den Mushi to hand in the paperwork for you, but that thought dies as soon as you turn and he’s standing right next to you.

“__-chan! I haven’t seen you at work in a while, where have you been??”

He singsongs and you instinctively take a step back, customer service smile already in full swing, with a not-so-discreet uncomfortable undertone.

“Oh, I’ve just been busy, you know. Planning things, and whatnot.”

“..Planning?”

“With my boyfriend! Planning things, with my boyfriend. We’re actually supposed to be going out today, so I really should-..”

You trail off, hands tightly clutching the paper bag withholding work details you should’ve handed in ages ago if it weren’t for this creep. Your throat feels tight, as if your ribcage had shrunk three sizes, you stare at that man with an unreadable expression, like a deer caught in headlights.

You were surrounded by people on a well-known street and it was about to be midday, why exactly were you so scared.  …Moreover, did he get closer?

Just as the man opens his mouth again and you feel like you want to cry, a fist extends from behind you and launches your unwanted pursuer across the paved canal, disrupting people’s otherwise quiet mornings but very will saving you.

“Sorry, my darling, did I keep you waiting long?”

His arms are around you in an instant and Rosinante lifts you with a little spin. Oh, Rosi. Your adorable, clumsy, endearing, ex-navy boyfriend Rosinante. There’s a distinct char in his scent - he must’ve had another ‘accident’ on the way. You love this man so much you simply must kiss him. So you do.

“Silly sweetheart, you were supposed to be waiting for me,” you laugh into his shoulder, trying to wipe the tears away before he can see.

Rosinante does, though, he always does. “I missed you, dear. I couldn’t wait any longer to see you.”

You huff a joyless laugh and gesture for him to set you down - the two of you were kind of making a scene, punching a guy into a wall and whatnot - pecking him on the cheek before he can stand upright again. He flushes pink, just like the hearts that adorn his charming little button-up. The resounding chime of your giggles only adds to this.

“Rosi?” you hum, hand held snugly in his as the both of you walked.

“Yes, dearest?”

“I think I’m a little tired to do everything on our list today. Do you think we can postpone?”

“Of course, mi más querido tesoro. We can plan another day out for us anytime the sun shines high or the moon glows brightly for us.” 

You roll your eyes and just how cheesy your boyfriend can get; Rosi dips low to press a smooch to the back of your hand so you grab him by his hat strings for a surprise kiss before he can fully stand up again and the man spooks so badly he falls up a nearby staircase, disturbing a surly looking cat on the window sill with his clamor, and ends up with more than just a few boo-boos worth kissing.

‘They’d need antiseptic!’ 

You can hear a kid with his spotted North-Blue hat with a temper not unlike that cat in the back of your mind, a fond smile already spreading on your face as you pull your boyfriend out of the pile he’s made of himself, dusting the clumsy clown off.

“__, I love you so much. How is it that you put up with me?” Rosinante mentions as he gags a wad of cat fur out of his mouth, sitting on the steps, seemingly unaware of the flames he’d stoked in your heart and face, only grateful that he didn’t spontaneously catch fire this time. 

By the time he looks back, you’ve already walked ahead, so he scrambles to his feet, “__! Wait for me!”

You turn to him, smiling, rivalling the afternoon sun’s very rays with it, 

“You’ll have to be faster than that if you want to share that triple scoop sundae with me, Rosi~”

[jerzwriter]

(Not) Keeping Secrets (4/4)

All Casey asked for was to keep their engagement quiet until they told their parents on a scheduled visit two weeks away and to hold off on the baby news for the first Trimester. Well, Tobias let it all slip to Ethan on day 1. Then Ethan nearly tipped off Bryce. Thank goodness T & C's kinkiness gave her an out for the "baby girl" bear just yesterday. But, today... Tobias may just push her over the edge. (Drabble Below.)

Book:                   Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing:                Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey MacTavish)

Category:            Fluff  

Rating:                 Teen

Words:                 995

Tobias & Casey Baby & Wedding Stories Masterlist (Part 1, 2, and 3 of this series will be posted here.)

The late afternoon sun was shining in Casey’s office. One day after the “baby girl bear” incident, she was proud of herself. Tobias and Ethan had been warned, Bryce was no longer suspicious, there was no evidence of her engagement or pregnancy in her office, and she even managed to hide her never-ending morning sickness from her friends. She was planning on telling Tobias to nominate her for an Academy Award as soon as this was over because even she didn’t know how she pulled that last one off. Six more days until they took a road trip to tell her parents in Philly and his Mom in DC. She rubbed the spot on her finger where the ring should be and smiled tenderly. They just might pull this off after all.

“Hey!” A boisterous voice interrupted her thoughts. 

“Jackie! What are you doing here? I thought you were off today.”

“I was, but I came in to check on a couple of my residents. They have some tricky cases, and I didn’t want to leave them alone.”

“Aww, look at you,” Casey smiled. “I always knew you had a heart under there!”

“Let that get out, and I will personally frame you for murder. Besides, I’m just doing my job.”

“You’re doing it well, Jackie. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks. But I was here for a favor.”

“Shoot!”

“Do you mind if I crash on the couch for twenty minutes? I’m exhausted but waiting for Sienna’s shift to end. If I go to an on-call room, others will see I’m here on my day off, and….”

“Say no more! Mi sofa, es tu sofa.”

“You’re taking this learning Spanish thing seriously.”

“Sure am,” she smiled. “Now go to sleep.”

The next fifteen minutes passed quietly as Casey finished her paperwork, unbothered by an occasional, gentle snore from Jackie. But five minutes before Jackie’s alarm went off, that quiet came to a halt.

“Hey, babycakes!” Tobias blurted joyfully as he walked into the office. 

Casey chuckled to herself and thought, great, another term of endearment we can’t use for our baby. She motioned toward Jackie, ready to tell Tobias to keep it down, but he was already scrunched on his knees in front of her.

“What are you doing?” she exclaimed.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he smirked devilishly with a wink. “Take it easy; the door’s open. Maybe when we get home. I just got you a present.”

“Another present?”

“Yeah, I got you new shoes.”

“Oh, for the love of God,” Jackie grumbled through a yawn from the other side of the room.

“Jackie!” Tobias startled. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

“Of course, you didn’t. If you did, you wouldn’t be kneeling before your girlfriend, ready to slip on her newest pair of “fuck-me” pumps.”

“Bold of you to assume they’re fuck-me pumps,” he sneered.

“Are you telling me they're not?”

Casey removed the lid from the shoe box and lifted one of the most matronly white shoes she had ever seen. Now, she wore sensible shoes for a job that put such demands on her feet, but this was… extreme. Jackie looked on curiously with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh, T?” Jackie asked.

“Yes.”

“I thought you’re grandmothers were both dead?”

“They are.”

“Then how the hell do you explain giving Casey their shoes.”

“Very funny! I bought these for her because I did some research and found these are considered to be the most slip-resistant shoes made.”

“What?” Jackie stammered.

“Uh…” Casey jumped in, gently kicking Tobias to play along. “See, Tobias and I have been researching the effects of workplace falls. It’s a study for the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Board. We’ve seen quite a few horror stories, so he’s just being overly cautious.”

“So where are yours then, Dr. Carrick?” Jackie asked with crossed arms.

“They didn’t have my size in stock,” he fibbed. “So they’re being delivered to our home.”

Jackie took the shoe from Casey’s hand and examined it. 

“I think my shoes are slip-proof enough,” she said. “But you two do you. Sienna just texted me, so I’m out of here. I’ll close the door, so you can do whatever disgusting things you normally do when no one else is here.”

“I appreciate that, Jackie,” Tobias laughed after her. But his laughter ceased when the door closed, and he saw his new fiance’s face. “What?”

“Tobias Charles Carrick!” She yelled. “Can you go one day, just one day, without outing us?”

“How is looking out for my beautiful… girlfriend… and wanting her to be safe outing us?”

“Because Jackie is right! The only shoes you have ever bought me have been, well… not these. You’re lucky I’m quick on my feet, regardless of shoewear, and saved us again. I manage to hide my morning sickness from everyone, well, except Ethan… and you will be the one that gives us away!”

“I’m sorry, baby, I just….”

“Nope! No more sorry!” She said, jumping to her feet.

“OUCH!” he yelled, “What are you doing?”

“I’m practicing being a mom! I’m pulling you by the ear to Ethan’s office. We’re asking for the next two days off to go tell our parents. I have no faith that you’ll be able to make it another six days.”

“Excessive,” he smiled. “But, you know, it kind of turns me on….”

“Ugh,” Casey groaned, dropping her hand at once.

“What!?” HE chided, “I’m serious! Maybe next time we….”

She cut him off by pulling him in for a gentle kiss. 

“I adore you, Tobias. And I’m eager to let everyone know we’re engaged too. Maybe if we release that pressure valve, you can keep quiet about the baby a little longer. Can you do that? For me?”

Looking up at him with her beautiful blue eyes, he knew he couldn’t deny her.

“For you,” he placed a kiss on her head, “I’ll do anything. Now, let’s go find Ethan. We have a road trip to take.”

Next stop, telling Vivian...

Tobias & Casey Baby & Wedding Stories Masterlist (Parts 1, 2, and 3 of this mini-series can be found here)

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@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[ynahzone]

for today i offer you me talking about xchara's character development but it sounds kinda half assed / out dated because this was from weeks and weeks ago

im a big nerd so it's not surprising im talking about it, anyways

(warning really long post)

in the start XChara was depicted as a bright and happy kid along with XFrisk, with him getting upset over XGaster saying he's gonna end it all maybe it's safe to say he was happy being with XGaster and his works despite XGaster being underwhelmed with himself and his creations. And then Ink came right? Yeah it was all fun and games until XGaster decided to kill off Asriel

on the first overwrite XChara did nothing to stop it and just stood there.

on the second timeline he started growing upset and kept reminiscing about his past with Asriel, until Asgore became the big guy here and cheered him up. So like he got into a sad state but got cheered up in hopes for a better future, until XGaster deemed this timeline was too boring so he killed both the supports of XChara and XFrisk (Asgore and Sans (rip babygirl)) and that got XChara ANGRY

for once XChara stood up and tried to defend what's left in the timeline, but after XGaster's stiff "just let me work" he let go and just stood there bracing for impact again.

There was a part on timeline III where XChara called out XGaster for being insecure, so uhh his hate for him was like, starting to arise up now.

In Timeline IV it was shown the XChara locked himself in his room waiting for everything to end in the timeline, so yeah so he hits rock bottom in this timeline and his v v upset n all, and all that changed when XGaster took XFrisk to make him do genocide n stuff and XChara was like oohhh shit ohhh ooohhhhh and then like XALPHYS GIVES XMUFFET A CODIGO SAYING WHATS GOING AWN and then he stops XFrisk from stabbing XChara and told him thaf "he never cared about you" anx "you should stand up for yourself, stop him now" smn smn smn so XChara took that and rebelled against XGaster and punched him in the balls then resets the timeline

WHICH XGASTER FOUND RUDE so he sent off the twins to a timeline wherein no one knows them and XChara and XFrisk HATED everyone so they like planned to kill XGaster (i think) and then targetted XAlphys to like tell them where XGaster is and XUndyne butts in and beats the livinf shit out of them so like yeah yeah XChara hes so pissed rn so they took a moment to just unwind

then like XUndyne goes and offered the twins trainings, basically XUndyne gave them hope that they'd be a able to beat the shit out pf XGaster to which XChara took because he BELIEVED theres still hope, atp XFrisk already gave up

so like yada yada yada yeahh XChara went ti trainings and then they ambush XGaster n all n stuff and XUndyne fucking dies and XChara gets his half soul fragment stolen now he's sharing a soul with XGaster (which mind you, at this point the person he hates the most)

now, in XChara's timeline he's like,,, he killed XFrisk multiple times as commanded by XGaster (i THINK)

since they share a soul now XChara changed drastically, he probably judt submitted to XGaster n all (orrr that thing warped his perception of everythknf or smn like that)

then XChara says he wants XFrisk back, SOMETHING TO NOTE HERE is that throughout the whole series XChara still cares for his brother, XFrisk, even if it seems off putting, no matter what. and thats what i find endearing

so like yeah XGaster just said FUCK IT then revives XFrisk and prolly merge their souls so now XChara is this ghost that gpes around w XFrisk

take note XGaster said "2 masterminds in 1 body" or something similar,this is probably unimportant but this part was the whole theme for the X-Event (will be talking abt X-Event in another message)

In the next timelines, XChara can be described as someone with the brains, an ASSHOLE, a PIECE OF SHIT and someone who lacks boldness when going without a plan, a sadist and yada yada yada

now heres what makes me relate to him, through timeline IX (or Papyrus, i forgot my roman numerals) instead of reacting as happy and cheerful to a new crowd he now reacts to it with disgust

much like how XGaster would, in Papyrus' timeline he started acting much like XGaster would, in short he's becoming the person he hated the most.

now

TIMELINE X

AUUGHHH MY FAVORITE AAUUUGGHHHHHHH

in this episode it like shows how devoted and determined he is into ending it all

despite him growing like XGaster he still sticks to his original goals, props to him

so like YEAH but at this point it looks like his care for XFrisk is deteriorating, it's like all he cares about now is his goals and not his brother (but his goal is literally to end XGaster to stop the suffering so....,, slay ig?)

he started forgetting why he even stuck around with him brother, he didn't care what it takes he didn't care what will happen to XFrisk when he makes him do all these crazy shit all he cared about was his plan

he always strived for a better future, so much he forgot about everyone else

he basically turned into a manipulative piece of shit 😍

so like yada yada yada stuff he tells XFrisk to make Cross (aka my husband <3) kill him

the difference between XFrisk and XChara on this timeline is that XFrisk still cares, XChara lacked empathy at this point

oh yeaj did i mentioned XChara also threatened Cross to KILL XFrisk because that's how determined he is

and when he found advantage knowing XGaster's half soul wasn't with him and it'd be easy to kill him off and take the soul he took it and used it

his second plan to kill XGaster was to give everyone back their memories of the previous timelines so they're mad n all

but since Cross refused to cooperate on his first plan he decided to tell XFrisk to tell everyone to just kill him off or leave him alone

now this, this is the part where they thought they reached victory but nope, Cross comes in and kills everyone then takes XFrisk's soul and then BOOM the world is deleted and his whole plan goes in shambles

he was quick to planning, he tried to kill Cross to be free from his body and go back to his originsl host (XFrisk) so they could still overwrite but noooo Cross kills XFrisk too 💀

so like there

hes stranded, so he chose to try and manipulate Cross (he was successful)

so basically he poured his soul, life, time and XCharussy into putting XGaster down which just failed in the end :(

the thing to alwaye remember about XChara is that no matter whay happens that hoe never backs down #SlayXChara

from his happy and cheerful picture he slowly turns into this sadistic piece of shit wjo seems bad but really just have a good intention and just wants everything back to the way it was without the overwrites

i feel bad for him:(

thinking abt this makes me kin him even more, like im not an asshole but .. some days i catch myself lacking

AND AND most of this is a copy paste btw like, a REALLY long copy paste, im talking 4 discord messages worth of copy pastes— plus i was typing all thiz in a friends server and got this message, i got alot of this but im too lazy to ss all of them messages

much love to mim mwuah shes so great

[thera-daydreams]

PLUS ONE

》 A TRESE TWOSHOT 《

[Maliksi x Reader]

📝 Summary: In which your beloved best friend snatches you from your apartment at dawn asking you to be his plus one for his cousin's wedding. Unbeknownst to the clueless you, everything is just going according to Maliksi's ultimate masterplan. With the help of friends and family, the Prince of the Tikbalang finally gets the girl he's been longing for. And oh, Señor Armanaz gets his dream daughter-in-law and the promise of grandchildren within the year.

📌 Warning: May contain some slight NSFW for spicy suggestiveness and cussing. No smut or anything super SPG—this girl can't write that for her life—but just be prepared. It's Maliksi we're talking about. We've got friends-to-lovers, obliviousness, pining, fluff, and a tikbalang simp. Figure it out. 😃

(word count: 7,454) ♥︎ Part Two: ?

》 AUTHOR'S NOTE 《

Not an Inday spinoff, but a lengthy oneshot in celebration of this blog getting 90 followers. Just ten more to 100, yay! Thank you so much for the love and support, everyone. I also promised that I'll be making this brainrot that @binibiningbabaylan and I have fangirled over a few days ago (find the original post here) when I finished the latest chapter of Inday. Here it is! 🥰

Before I forget, I was also inspired by the cute fic made by @crispybasil titled "Sunshowers" and the "Trese Boys As Things My Guy Friends Do" made by the amazing @smolla-than-a-bug (I bow down to your wonderful works in the Trese fandom). I definitely see Maliksi to be the type to go on spontaneous roadtrips and be the boyfriend to drive you around eveeeerywhere (while also driving you crazy). 🚘

There are also some songs mentioned throughout this work. You should probably listen to them while reading for the full experience. Ending was somewhat rushed but eh, I'm too exhausted and I've rewritten it too many times. Also, if someone makes some actual tikbalang smut, tag me please. Anyways, enjoy! 💕

The way it all started was hilarious. Absolutely fucking hilarious. It happened like a blur. Literally. One second, you were snoozing in your bed. The next? You had a seatbelt on in the shotgun seat of a sophisticated-looking car. Your brain didn't even get to process it yet.

"... So let me get this straight," you grumbled, still half-asleep from your sleep marathon. You just finished a hugely successful project at work yesterday, got promoted, and wanted to make up for the restless nights you spent overtime in the office. Of course you were irritated from being disturbed. You were on vacation leave for two entire weeks, originally planning to go into temporary isolation by deactivating your social media accounts and reserving a beach cabana for yourself in Batangas.

Well, turns out, you weren't going to Batangas anytime soon. All because your unreasonably spontaneous bestfriend of ten hectic years stole you from your apartment at 2AM. Was this considered kidnapping? Was this him just being more in touch with his tikbalang side, taking unsuspecting women in their sleep and leading them to their inevitable death? (He was going over the speed limit, so it was a valid thought.) Will wearing your shirt inside-out save you today? Lord, masyado ka pang pagod para mag-isip ngayon.

"Go on."

"You abducted picked me up in the middle of the night because you want me to be your plus one at your cousin's wedding in Tagaytay?"

"Yup. And technically, the venue is right on the outskirts of Cavite going to Tagaytay," he corrected you as a matter-of-factly.

"Same thing, whatever," you huffed tiredly. "Your cousin's wedding is at 6AM today. In a few hours. In four hours."

"Uh-huh."

You groaned exasperatedly, "Mal naman, eh! You didn't even let me bring anything. Could've at least given me a heads-up a few hours ago. I'm practically emptyhanded right now save for my phone! Sinungaling ka, you said this was just a normal midnight drive—not a freaking wedding!"

The Prinsipe ng Mga Tikbalang, son of the Great Stallion, heir to the Armanaz herd, and the Top Drag Racer of C-5 Expressway—if that was even one of his Game of Thrones-like titles—grinned as he continued driving beside you. He let you continue ranting in the passenger seat while he mulled over his ultimate masterplan that would change his entire life later on. He was a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy, so all this wasn't his thing. But for you? He'll make plans, alright.

"Wala man lang akong dinalang masusuot o kahit konting makeup para maging presentable sa harapan ng buong pamilya mo," you exclaimed, in absolute despair. "Do you know how out of my league you are? Your rich-ass family might judge me—hell, your dad might see me as a hampaslupa if I show up there in my pambahay and tsinelas!"

"Psh, I'm not out of your league," Maliksi waved it off, smoothly turning a corner. "And calm down. We've known each other for a decade! My dad practically loves you as his own daughter. Heck, the entire family knows you and keeps telling me they want you adopted in already. Lolo Andres and Lola Perlita said they'd have the paperwork settled. You just need to sign them."

It would be even better (and easier) if you married into the family. To him, specifically (as if he'd let anyone else have you). God, he was already being so obvious in his advances, but you were just so damn oblivious whenever it came to romance. None of this needed to happen if you just got it through your thick skull that he was madly in love with you.

"That's not the point, idiot!" you slumped back into your seat, hopeless. "Do you think the bride and the groom will get offended? Shit, baka masumpaan ako kung magagalit sila, Mal. Mukha akong patay galing sa South Cemetery."

The long-haired tikbalang rolled his eyes, "Huwag kang mag-alala. Nothing's going to go wrong. Chill ka lang diyan. I've got everything under control, babe."

Babe. Yes, he even called you babe but you thought it was him being a himbo and a massive flirt. Now, it was his common term of endearment for you, but you still assumed it was him just being irksome to you and that you couldn't stop the man from saying it anymore. Thus, you let it be (the most obvious hint of his attraction to you, bestie).

"... Ugh, why didn't you ask Hannah or Amie to go with you?"

He just smiled knowingly, shrugging and making up an excuse, "Nagmamadali ako, eh. Hannah and Amie are also coming, but they already have the other tikbalang as dates."

"'Luh, ako pala ang backup choice mo?"

"Heh. Whatever you want to think."

Little did you know that you were always his first choice. Always. Even when he pursued Alexandra Trese many years ago, trying to convince himself you were just his best friend, it was always you. How did he come to that realization? Well, an international band he was a fan of released a song a couple years ago and he heard it being played in a club in BGC. The song title?

It Was Always You by Maroon 5.

Needless to say, after hearing the song and being unable to get it—get you—out of his mind at night, he stopped courting Alexandra. Unfortunately for him, that time, you'd started dating other men. Therefore, he was left on the sidelines... until your latest and most painful breakup, at least. That was five years ago. You still hadn't dated anyone since then, kind of traumatized from getting into another failed relationship like that.

In the present day, as if the fates were playing on you two, one of your favorite artists played on the radio. A very ironic song given the situation you two were in.

Best Friend by Rex Orange County.

Maliksi knew it was a favorite of yours. He knew it by the way your eyes lit up like a star brightening the twinkling night sky. Like the sun first rising in the morning at Apolaki's command. Like the moon extending its gentle rays from the magic of Mayari herself. If there was anything he wanted to ask of the old gods, it was you—everything else be damned.

"I wanna be the one that makes your day, the one you think about as you lie awake," you half-sang and half-screamed happily, somewhat out-of-tune. "I can't wait to be your number oooooone! I'll be your biggest fan and you'll be mine—"

Maliksi glanced at you, not minding that his eardrums were probably getting microscopic ruptures from your aggressive singing. As much as he wanted to stare at you all day, he had to keep his eyes on the road. But the lyrics you were singing were wrong; the Prince of the Tikbalang was already yours from day one.

"Babe, McDo drive-through tayo for breakfast. Let me make it up to you. Gusto mo ng caramel sundae for your promotion gift? Sige. Ako bahala. Chicken nuggets din? Mabubusog ka ba niyan? I don't think they serve those this early..."

》》》

"Sandali lang!" you shouted out from inside an empty room. You'd just arrived at the venue—the Alta Veranda de Tibig in Silang, Cavite (practically the gateway to Tagaytay)—an hour or so ago. The hired makeup artist just left so that you could privately change into the outfit that had been bought specifically for you. Curse Mal and his ability to buy anything (perhaps anyone) he wanted. "Bwiset, Mal, you didn't tell me we'd be part of the damn entourage. We have to be walking the aisle in thirty minutes, simbako! You just love rushing me, don't you!?"

If only you were the one walking down the aisle today towards him.

When you exited the room, Maliksi couldn't help but let his jaw drop as he skimmed your figure, clad in the luxurious, silky satin blush midi dress he bought in one of those fancy stores in Makati yesterday. He imagined that it would look great on you, but now, seeing it on you in person... you looked divine (and frankly, he wanted to see it off your body to see what was underneath—but don't get too ahead of yourself, Mal). It was a whole 'nother level from his imagination. The deep cowl neckline and thin spaghetti straps showed your lovely collarbones... as well as a peek of your cleavage. His favorite and the best part of it all? It was backless, allowing him to gaze at the tempting curve of your spine.

He hadn't realized he had grown silent until you smiled and closed his mouth, tapping his chin.

"Lalangawin ang bibig mo, Mal," you laughed softly. Never had you seen him so speechless. You then flicked your hair back, ridiculously posing for him like you were on the cover of Vogue magazine (haba ng hair mo, gurl!). "Do I look that good? Char lang."

"... You look absolutely ravishing—I mean, uh, stunning. Hot. Yeah." That was all he could say. He mentally punched himself for not showering you with more suave compliments.

Still, your face brightened up, not knowing that the man in front of you just fell for you a thousand times harder, "Wow! Really? Damn. Ang galing talaga ng MUA na kinuha mo, ginawa akong artista. Give me their contact number later! May work event pa naman ako in two months. I'm shocked, it's like they made me rise from the dead! Even my eyebags are gone, Mal! How'd they do that?" Heck yeah, your confidence was boosted. He offered his arm to you like a gentleman, making you half-heartedly roll your eyes (you took it anyway). From holding it alone, you could tell that your best friend was a sinewy man (well, you knew that already after seeing his tikbalang form before—the little shit didn't even wear a loincloth like all his clanmates; your poor eyes were eternally scarred).

You looked him up and down. You wouldn't lie—Maliksi is and always has been an attractive man. Now? With his hair in a ponytail (pun not intended), definitely one of the hunkiest men you've ever known. "You're not looking too bad yourself, horsey."

"Ako pa!" He puffed his chest out in pride. You chuckled at his reaction.

"By the way, how do you even know my dress size and my shoe size?"

"Babe, I've known you too long. You know almost everything about me, I know everything about you."

You snorted at his confident tone, "'Di nga? You don't know every single thing about me, Mal. Assuming ka masyado."

"Alam ko nga anong cup size mo. Wala lang 'yang shoe and dress size."

You slapped his shoulder, cheeks quickly flushing red, "Huy, umayos ka! Walang hiyang tikbalang na 'to." With this guy as your best friend? You heard dirty jokes at least once a day. "Don't be inappropriate here!"

"What? It's only fair I know!" He looked down on you suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. "You already know I always go commando, so of course I know that your bra is a size—"

"Shhh! Baka marinig ka, 'nyeta."

"So? Let them hear. My best friend has a nice set of melons!" he shouted. You were grateful there was no one around. Hopefully.

"Oh my God..."

Your best friend chortled at how flustered you'd become. He led you to where some of his family was waiting, with a couple of his relatives already greeting you. You instantly and quite easily mingled with them, your worries of them not accepting you far from even true (they all knew how much their prince loved the innocent you).

"Kayo na talaga, pare?" one of his older tikbalang clanmates asked while you went away to be fawned over by his aunts.

Maliksi chuckled, crossing his arms as he watched you from afar, "Heh. Hindi pa."

Another one of his clanmates—a younger one—laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, "Talaga? That's cap, bro. You two are like a married couple already and you guys still aren't a thing?"

"Ilang taon na ba kayong magkakaibigan?" the older one asked him.

"Almost ten years," Maliksi responded, a smile unconsciously pulling his lips up as he remembered your moments together. He watched you converse with his female relatives (who adored you the moment Maliksi brought you to a family event many moons ago).

The two tikbalang snickered as they saw the look on the Great Stallion's heir.

"You're down bad," the younger one said, snapping a photo of his lovestruck kuya. "You've got it so bad for her, dudeparechong!"

"Balak mong ligawan anytime soon?" the older tikbalang inquired.

"Heh. Balak ko na ngang pakasalan. Kung pwede, ngayon."

They looked at Maliksi as if he was crazy. He was very much serious, though, even if there was a huge, lopsided smile on his face. The Prince of the Tikbalang raised a brow at them.

"What? Don't give me that look. Our ten years of being best friends is practically the courting and the dating stage already."

"Eh... you're right. Don't waste anymore time. Go and marry her today, dude. Suporta kami sa'yo, basta groomsmen kami sa kasal niyo, ha!"

"Ge. Without question."

Meanwhile, on your end with the ladies of the family, they started pestering you on your love life (like all typical Filipino aunties). Chismis everywhere.

"O, iha, single ka pa ba?"

"Kailan ka magpapakasal? Malapit ka nang pumasok sa thirties mo."

"Do you want kids? How many?"

"Are you and Maliksi a couple? You look good together! Kayo na, 'di ba?"

"Will you be getting married next? Are you engaged? When's the wedding? Invite niyo kami!"

Before you could get overwhelmed by their questions, Maliksi swept you off your feet to lead you to the entourage that was lining up outside the chapel area. Again, it happened like a blur. He laughed at the partially nauseated look on your face.

"You okay there?" he asked, grinning.

"Your family thinks we're together," you muttered quietly, not meeting his eyes. You weren't sure why you felt... tingly about their statements.

He tilted his head at you curiously, gently setting you down on your feet and helping you stand.

"Do you hate the idea?" It hurt him to ask you the question, but he wanted your thoughts on it. Perhaps doing this was a bad idea. Maliksi was competitive in many things, including wanting you to be his, but if you were so opposed to it, he would never force you into something you didn't want. He let go of your hand; you didn't even notice he'd been holding it until he let go. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Your wide-eyed gaze snapped back to look up at him, "No! No, it's not that! And... it's not bad." Your hand felt strangely empty now that his was gone. Biting your lip, you disclosed, "You're not making me uncomfortable, Mal. Don't ever think that."

With that, you shyly interlocked your arm with his, tearing your eyes from his to mask the growing warmth you felt spreading in your veins. You two didn't say anything else when the ushers let you walk down the beautiful, petal-covered aisle together.

The man beside you was starstruck. Hopeful. Maybe both of you did have a chance. Maybe somewhere in the depths of your soul, his feelings for you were being reciprocated. For the rest of the sacred ceremony in the gorgeous main pavilion, both of you relished in short, comfortable, and low conversations. He even cracked jokes every once in a while—really funny ones that made it challenging for you to you stifle your laughter.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride."

Maliksi fervently prayed to Bathala that he'd experience the same opportunity he was seeing with you someday. One day.

Even while the sun was brightly out, the sky began showering down light rain onto the land. You were in awe as you looked out the window.

"Hala, totoo nga pala! Tignan mo!" you laughed, tugging Maliksi's suit sleeve, pointing at the window.

"Na ano?" he curiously inquired, not understanding what you were referring to.

"Na kapag may tikbalang na kinakasal, umuulan habang may araw pa," you replied, eyes filled with childlike mirth and wonder. A rainbow had even begun to form by the clouds. "Look, it's magical! Ang ganda pala ng view dito kasama ang old Spanish architecture. Timeless na timeless. It's so pretty, 'no? Picture tayo 'maya, Mal."

Unlike you, it wasn't the sky outside that the prince was looking at. Amidst the loud cheers for the newlywed couple and the bubbles the guests were blowing, his vision could only focus on how magnificent you looked while being amazed. You were his best view. (Ed from 90-Day Fiancé, kabahan ka na, may katapat ka sa pickup line mo.)

》》》

"Smile for the picture!"

You giggled as Maliksi was dragged into a photo-op with the bridesmaids and the important older wedding sponsors a few feet away (funnily, he looked a little constipated around them). All of a sudden, when he was heading back to your direction, you were roughly pushed into the said man's arms. When you turned around, there was nothing (except maybe a gust of wind that came out of nowhere).

"Ooh, gotcha. Careful," the tikbalang steadied you, strong hands holding your biceps. "Natapilok ka?"

"... Huh, hindi naman," you wondered suspiciously, looking around. "I think someone pushed me? Parang tinulak ako... but wala namang tao."

"Weird. Maybe it was just the wind."

It actually was. Really. Maliksi knew for a fact that it was those two taong hangin who were spying on you from the corner, trying to pair you up. He gave them a thumbs-up while your back was turned in the opposite direction. Hannah and Amie returned the thumbs-up before vanishing. Suddenly, the two wedding photographers had moved on from the bridesmaids and were right beside you.

"What a lovely couple you two are!" she praised. Before you could correct her, she held up the black contraption she held towards you two. "Pose for the camera, lovelies!"

And so you did, the photographer guiding you two on what to do. Maliksi wrapped his arm around your waist and you leaned on his side, looking sidewards to the camera with one leg cocked in front of the other. Her assistant, who was holding a polaroid camera, printed out two photos for you.

"Thank you," you told him, taking the photos from his hands then flicking them rapidly to make the images develop. You and Mal were about to walk to the reception area when the photographer stopped you, handing the male beside you a business card.

"If you two need a photographer or a videographer for your wedding, call me," she signaled to both of you before running to another guest, bringing her assistant with her.

You gawked, "Mal, did you just hear what she said?"

"Loud and clear." A grin was on his face. He seemed very pleased at what he heard.

"... How can she even tell if someone is married or not?"

Maliksi's free hand took your left hand, tapping the ring finger, "Nothing here."

"Ooooooh. I get it now." Your brows creased. "Huh. This is like the fifth time today the people here have mistaken us for a couple."

Maliksi shrugged, teasing you, "Who knows? Baka may potential tayo, babe."

Before you could ask him what he meant, he was hurriedly towing you to the reception venue. While he was doing that, you stared at the now-developed polaroid photos you were holding. Huh. Maybe you two did look like a couple.

"Come on, they're serving some snacks at the welcome reception area. Peach pie and mango float-flavored. Paborito mo, babe."

》》》

The rest of the night went by without a hitch. You were actually enjoying the event—the host was great, the food was great, the music was great. Everything was great... that was, until the games.

"Alright! Now that the bride's garter has been removed, let's have the bouquet and garter toss... starting with the females!" the host announced. "Dear bride, please stay here in front. And all single ladies—and by single I mean ready to mingle and are not married—please rise and stand here on the dance floor. Let's play matchmaker tonight, everyone!"

"Uy, single ladies daw," Maliksi nudged your side. "Sign mo na 'yan." You snorted like a pig.

"Nope, ayokong madamay sa bouquet toss," you whisper-yelled at your best friend. "Do you know how embarrassing that is?! Besides, they won't notice if I don't join! Special tactic ko 'yan sa weddings: pretending I'm not single. Katabi naman kita."

More women came to the front, making you feel assured that you didn't need to participate. The host was about to say something, when the bride interrupted to whisper something into his ear.

"Hala, halaaa! Sabi ko all single ladies, pero may isang single lady na nagtatago pa!" he announced, making you freeze. Please don't let it be you. "What's her name, beloved bride?"

"Y/N L/N." You nearly spat out your champagne. You? Did they just call out your name? How did they know?

"Oh fuck," you cursed quietly.

"'Di ka makakatakas dito, babe," Maliksi jabbed, making you stand up. "Tinatawag ka na."

"Baka may ibang Y/N L/N dito," you resisted, attempting to sit back down. "I can't do this, Mal."

"'Sus, ikaw pa. And it's just a symbolic ceremony!" he encouraged, as if he didn't have any underlying intentions. "I doubt the bouquet will go to you anyway."

Sheesh, what a big fat liar you are, tikbalang prince.

You expressed your dissatisfaction with the situation, "Bwiset, fine. I'll just... dodge it. Or evade it. God, I swear..." You calmed down, confident. "I'm not going to worry. I've never caught the bouquet at my own friends' weddings anyway."

When you were at the dance floor, Maliksi snickered, seeing the bride—his cousin—wink at him. After all, he had thoroughly bribed her earlier.

《《《

"It's about time you settled down with someone, Mal," the bride commented while he slipped her the newest Hermés designer bag filled with a bunch of jewelry (plus some bills) two hours ago, right before the reception began and while you were in the restroom freshening up. "Hehehe, this is why you're my favorite cousin."

"Do we have a deal?"

"Of course. I'll make sure she participates. I'll also try to throw it in her direction."

"Good. Thanks."

"You better invite me to your beach wedding. I can tell how much you love her."

"Not a problem. I'll even make you a sponsor."

The bride stared at her bouquet, already practicing how she was going to throw it, "Tito's going to thank me so much for ensuring that he's going to get grandkids soon, hihi."

》》》

Back to the present, on the other end of the room, Maliksi saw a familiar duo give him a sign that they were ready. Bingo. Time to execute the most important part of his plan.

《《《

"I don't care how you do it," he told the two wind elementals after he bribed the bride. "I've already instructed the bride on what she should do, pero siguraduhin niyo lang talagang lumipad sa kanya ang bouquet."

"Mmhmm," Amie flipped her hair, a hand on her cocked hip. "And what do we get in return, oh great Señorito Armanaz?"

"Sagot ko bar-hopping niyo for one month."

The two girls pretended to think about it, making Maliksi roll his eyes. He had to pull out the big guns, huh?

"Fine. Magbibigay ako ng cash deposit plus pwede niyong gamitin ang black card ko for a one-week shopping spree in Ortigas." There. Bullseye. That's what they liked.

"Deal!" they exclaimed excitedly.

Hannah let a cool gust of wind enter one of the nearby windows, testing out how they're going to do this. "Ano pa bang pinaplano mo for Y/N mamaya?"

Maliksi hummed, "Basta."

》》》

You tried your best to hide within the densest part of the group of women. The bride seemed to have her eyes on you, weirdly enough, and she looked almost feral wanting to throw her flowers into someone's face.

That someone being you. Most likely.

"Target locked on," you saw her mouth move. She positioned herself like she was about to throw a football at someone (ahem, you). Holy shit, was she talking to you? Miss ma'am, it was a bouquet toss not a bouquet throw. The bride seemed to notice this, and once more regained her elegant composure.

"3, 2, 1," the host counted down. "Go!"

Surprisingly, the bouquet flew very high into the air (it was a wonder it didn't get tangled in the ceiling decor), but quite a distance away from you. You grinned, knowing it was too far to even touch you. Squeezing through the crowd of women eagerly awaiting the bouquet, you went to return to your assigned table.

Ah, what a wonderful evening.

Sike!

Something painfully landed right into your face, leaves and flowers getting into your hair and mouth.

... Wait, leaves and flowers?

Before you could comprehend it, the bouquet dropped right into your arms. What kind of ungodly, inhuman force allowed this to even happen?

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our lucky girl for the night!" Everyone clapped, with some—those guests you knew—even cheering your name unbelievably loud. The host approached you, a glint in his eye which you couldn't understand. "Miss Y/N, kindly sit here while we await the lucky guy who catches the garter from the groom."

What just happened?

"All single gentlemen, please proceed to the dance floor. Remember, the man who gets the garter gets to slip it onto the lucky lady's leg later!"

Oh, God. You pinched the bridge of your nose. What you'd give to be back at home or to be in that resort in Batangas you'd planned on going to for a solo vacation.

"To make this even more exciting," the host stated, handing you a black blindfold. "Our lucky lady has to keep her eyes closed until her lucky man for the night captures the bride's garter! When the music plays, only then can she uncover her eyes."

See? Humiliating, just as you expected. Still, you wrapped the blindfold around your head (albeit hesitantly). You attempted to guess who it might be, thinking of all the tikbalang friends Maliksi had introduced to you back then whenever he invited you to his clan reunions.

"Groom, are you ready?" the host asked, microphone loud and clear.

"Ready na ready!"

"Single gentlemen, are you ready?!"

"Ready na ready! Awoo, awoo!" they loudly chorused, exactly mimicking Spartans about to engage in battle. You sweatdropped in the seat you were in. This was actually kind of scary. Maybe you felt a bit objectified.

"3, 2, 1, go!"

There was a brief moment of silence, which made you concerned. Ba't ang tahimik? Then, everyone erupted into roars and bravoes much louder than when you caught the bouquet—perhaps even louder by tenfold. What the heck was happening?!

The music played. Very raunchy, spicy, babymaking music. You expected it to be the typical Careless Whisper by George Michael or Pony by Ginuwine (corny songs which you could probably laugh at, at least), but no. Nuh-uh, this was probably worse. The DJ must be pretty young, the song of their choosing being a slowed, bass-boosted, sexier remix of Earned It by the Weeknd.

Ano 'to, bold? Fifty Shades of Grey? The hell was this?

Alright. This was embarrassing. Thank the heavens there were no children at this party. From the music alone and its implications, this was strictly for adults.

You removed your blindfold (that was okay now, right?) as the guests whistled playfully. You peeked one eye open reluctantly, then inwardly groaned. Oh, no. You should've expected it to be him of all people from how loud the reactions were. And all those yells from the crowd were from his family.

Son of a—

"Well, this has proven to be a very interesting arrangement!" the host proclaimed. "Our lucky man for tonight is none other than our great clan leader's heir, Maliksi Armanaz! Congratulations, sir! You get to slip the lacey little garter on Miss Y/N!"

The said very smug tikbalang stood a few feet away from the chair you were sitting on, smirking at you. His hair was no longer in that mesmerizing ponytail—instead, he'd tied it into a more sinfully attractive man-bun, loose strands framing his face and accentuating that sharp, angled jaw of his (say yes and thank you to Manny Jacinto's jawline, besties).

"Let's cheer him on in his new mission, everybody!" the host pushed. Was this that glint in his eye earlier? And was that a one thousand peso bill sticking out of his pocket?

The groomsmen, Mal's cousins and uncles whom you've met before, hollered words of encouragement to the tall man (who was, oddly enough, not one bit fazed). In fact, Maliksi seemed like he was famished as he stared you down.

You swallowed, feeling like you were going to get eaten (heh, say that again). Maliksi had shrugged off his dark suit blazer to the beat of the song (holy fuck, he also unclasped the suspenders attached to his pants right before your eyes—asdfghjkl). Were you prepared for this? No. Will you ever be prepared? No!

"Mr. Armanaz, before you begin," the host interrupted. "We have an additional challenge for you in this mission. Kaya mo ba? It was a request of the newlywed couple."

"What is it?"

"Use your teeth!" the bride and the groom cheerfully shouted, clapping with the other guests. Whatdidtheysaaaaay???

The cocky bastard didn't even hesitate, his smirk at you growing wider; those pearly whites of his on full display. Was it just you or were his canines a little sharper than usual?

"Anything for the newlyweds. Challenge accepted," he dashingly replied, winking at you. You sputtered indignantly. Pisteng yawa. Putangina. Putek. Pakshet. You swore you thought of every swear word in the book at that moment. What did that YouTube parody song about Filipino mythological creatures say again? About the tikbalang? Ah, yes. Half-macho dancer and half-stallion. Maybe the joke was true, especially when you saw what Maliksi did next.

He bit the shred of lace, loosening his necktie (bestie, you good there?), unbuttoning some top buttons, and rolling up the sleeves of his collared white undershirt up to his elbows (consequently showing off his toned, veiny forearms—those lucky bridesmaids behind him nearly fainted). Honestly, you felt like you were about to lose your mind from embarrassment. With how tantalizing your guy best friend was being? Let our response be: San Pedro, kunin mo na ako. Was he doing all this to tease you? To rile you up?

Because damn it all, it was working. In your ten years of knowing Maliksi Armanaz, withstanding all his daily dirty jokes and flirtatious attempts, never had you seen him like this. So... wolfish. Ravenous. Like he was a man that hadn't been fed in years.

He stalked closer towards you, falling to his knees in front of your legs. Your gown had a long slit that extended up to an inch or two below where your left leg began—your best friend was eyeing his target already, knowing where to place the garter. Normally, you would never even wear something as revealing as this gown. It just wasn't your type, but Maliksi was the one who bought this for you for this specific occasion, so you had no choice. It was this or your pantulog he stole you in just hours ago. At first, you were confident in the gown. Now? You felt too... naked.

Somehow, in the heat of it all, you'd muted out the noise of the venue. Maliksi teasingly lifted your foot up, fingertips slyly grazing the thin shoe straps around your left foot—his calculated touch leaving fire in its trail. Once the garter had been successfuly inserted past your high-heeled stilettos, the man kneeling in front of you kept his hands to himself. Despite the fact that now there was absolutely zero skin-to-skin contact between you and this man, your body felt hotter than it ever was before as he expertly slid the lacy bit of cloth up your ankle at an agonizingly slow pace.

Maliksi's warm eyes had turned dark, his pupils blown, a tinge of red in them—of his true beast—while he maintained striking eye contact with you, pulling the garter up your calf with his teeth. Smoothly tugging... tugging... tugging. Tangina, it was like he was undressing you with his eyes alone; like he was telepathically telling you to keep your eyes open.

To keep your eyes on him, where he was knelt inbetween your legs, his hands intentionally locked on his back. Did you ever imagine this? Him between your legs? Maybe. Once or twice. But you never thought about it seriously; Maliksi dated girls left and right in the past.

His lips... his lips were so close... so close to your leg that you could feel the heat of his breath along with the lace. Were you about to die? Perhaps you already did. Maybe you were in heaven. Up... up... up... snap!

Suddenly, he stopped, grinning up at you mischievously and letting the elastic bounce back to the skin of your left knee.

"I'm not going any further, don't worry, babe," he whispered, noting that your eyes had become misty and glazed over. Internally, he grew worried. "That's enough." Did he think it was from discomfort? From you being uncomfortable? Bitch, no. It was the exact opposite. You had never been this turned on in your entire life.

You felt like your soul had left your body at that moment. Did you just have a heart attack? Was your blood pressure okay? Before you or Maliksi could stand, however, someone bellowed from the wedding sponsor tables.

"Higher! That's an order!"

Fucking hell, it was Maliksi's father who shouted. He wasn't in the huge tikbalang form you'd normally meet him in, but he was still very intimidating in his humanoid form, commanding attention and subservience wherever he went. You could tell where Maliksi got it from.

Instantly, the other guests—already half-drunk and wanting the spirit of partying to continue on—joined in.

"Higher! Higher!"

The host cheered, "You heard Señor Armanaz! Higher!"

Maliksi gave you a questioning look. Even if it was his father who spoke up, he still wouldn't do anything you didn't want. Well, you two made it this far; there was no point in getting embarrassed now. You bit the inside of your cheek, nodding. You probably couldn't erase the redness on your skin with how much you'd blushed from this night. It was as if the heat was tattooed onto your skin.

"Go on, Mal," you whispered to him, bending your torso down closer to his face, eyes half-lidded from want. "Finish what you started, babe."

With those sultry bedroom eyes he'd never once seen you show him before—plus you turning the tables with that familiar term of endearment, how could he refuse? Like a switch had been flipped inside him, he immediately complied, taking the frilly scrap of stretchy lace between his teeth once more, moving it further up to your thighs until where your high slit ended—centimeters below the warming juncture between your legs.

Your legs felt wobbly... boneless, as you stood up from the chair, the fabric of your gown cascading over where the lace sat securely on your upper left thigh. The party was still going strong even after you two finished the garter wearing tradition.

"'Atta boy! That's my son!" Señor Armanaz blazoned, standing up and raising his glass for a toast. "Cheers to the newlywed couple! May they last forever!"

You guys weren't the newlyweds, but it did sure feel like it. If the clan leader was hyped up, everyone was hyped up. Heck, the groom and the bride didn't mind one bit what had just transpired on their dance floor. In all the chaos, Maliksi took you out of the reception area and somewhere quieter. More private.

You would need to have a serious, urgent talk with your boy best friend.

》》》

You two silently sat on a stone bench in a gazebo somewhere in the reserved venue for the wedding, trying to cool down and get yourselves back together (at this point, you needed ice from that steamy, half-scandalous event you just went through). Here, there was no one else except for the chirping of crickets, the lush trees surrounding the area, and the golden fairy lights strewn all over the roof. Awkwardness was something you'd expected after what just happened, but somehow, you still felt comfort in this man's presence. For the past thirty minutes, both of you just stayed still, lost in your thoughts and reflecting.

"Mal?" you finally spoke up.

"... Hmm?"

"Ano tayo?"

"Whatever you want us to be."

Your fingers instinctively reached out for his, just like they always did when you were anxious. Sensing this, he grasped your hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Soothingly. He massaged the skin of your fingers, distracting you from your nervousness. It seemed like both nothing and everything changed between both of you. The gesture was the same, but so different at the same time.

"Mahal mo ako." It was not a question. It was a statement. A truth—one that you'd been too blind to see before. One that you only discovered while you stared into each other's eyes in that party not as best friends. You realized with a jolt in your heart what he really felt for you, and now, what you really felt for him. In those thirty minutes of silence, you knew. You just knew.

"Yes. I do."

"... Just as a best friend?" you probed.

"..."

Finally, you gazed into his eyes, previously so dark and full of hunger. Now? Just reluctant. Vulnerable. Open. Unsure of what to do next.

Seems like you had to be the one to take initiative tonight. Taking out your phone, you opened your music app and pressed play on a certain song. Ikaw at Ako by Johnoy Danao. You removed your heels (which were starting to blister your ankles and toes), then pulled him up to stand.

"Dance with me," you murmured, grabbing his arms to wrap them around your waist. He was stiff. Tense. What was he to do when the woman he's been pining after for so long let him hold her? All his gallantry and ability to romance disappeared out the window the moment you let him touch you so intimately.

You two weren't even waltzing. Just swaying. Slowly, you leaned your head on his broad chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

"... I love you," Maliksi admitted in the middle of it all, feeling like he was dreaming. Your head on his chest kept him grounded to reality, however. "More than anything in the universe. I fell for you ever since you patched me up when you were nineteen and I was a reckless drag racer who didn't have a purpose in life. 'Nung dinala mo ako pabalik sa Armanaz Tower on the verge of death. Simula noon, ikaw lang."

"I realized that," you smiled, reminiscing the old memory. You were just a broke college student that time, coming back to your dorm from making your group thesis at a classmate's house. Imagine your panic when you found a half-man, half-horse bleeding out by some bushes on the way home at night. Despite your fear and your little money (only enough to feed you for the week), you went out of your way to buy a first-aid kit at the nearest 7/11. It was scary, but you managed to mend the creature's wounds by the side of the road. When he was finally able to speak, turning fully human (which you admit, freaked you out initially), you arduously carried him back to his address—to his father and his clan, even if you had classes the very next morning. Because of your heroic deed of saving their precious heir, the tikbalang clan had become indebted to you: a teenage girl on the verge of a mental academic breakdown, just making her way through the cruel adult world. How old of a memory that was, you thought, yet you still recalled it in perfect detail. "Just a while ago."

"Ah." He swayed you gently.

"Lahat ng ito, plano mo?"

"... Yes," Maliksi fessed up. "Except for this part where we're here dancing in this belvedere. Wala sa plano ko. Gusto ko sanang magconfess doon sa may fountain para sweet, pero..."

You lifted your head off his chest, smiling at him with one brow raised, "You know, between both of us, you're supposed to be the spontaneous one. Planning isn't usually your thing."

"I know. It's a failure, huh?" Maliksi sighed.

"Nah." You shook your head, then suddenly locked lips with him. It was so fast and surprising he didn't even get the chance to return your first kiss. For once, you caught him off guard. You pecked him on the lips again. "It's not a failure."

"Wha—"

"I'm sorry for making you wait, Maliksi. Ten years. We're twenty-nine now, and only tonight do I realize how blind I've been. We've been going around in circles, wasting so much time. Ayoko nang mag-aksaya ng oras," you whispered guiltily against his lips. How could you have been so blind? Andaming nasayang na taon. Making up your mind, you told him, "Yes. Sige, I accept. I'll be your plus one."

The tikbalang was flustered and baffled from the kiss, as well as your revelation, "... But, you already are?"

"No, silly. I meant that I'll be your plus one for life. For as long as you'll have me," you laughed, now processing that you were currently dancing barefoot with your boy best friend and had just kissed him in a wedding you didn't even plan on going to. The universe had a mysterious way of doing things. "Guess I'm the spontaneous one now, huh?"

Maliksi was tongue-tied. "Seryoso ka ba? Is... Is this a marriage proposal?"

"Whatever you want it to be," you echoed his words back to him. "Best friend, plus one, girlfriend, wife—mmpf!"

He kissed you so hard your lips bruised. After an impromptu makeout session which was definitely more in character for Maliksi, you both pulled away, panting heavily in search for air, still desperate for passion. He cupped your cheeks, giving you a sweet, featherlight Eskimo kiss.

"You're missing one more title."

"Hm? What do you mean, Mal?"

"Love of my life." He kissed you again, this time lifting you off your feet and spinning you around (his sneaky right hand was resting on your bum, too, giving it a tight squeeze). You know in the Princess Diaries where the main character's foot just... pops whenever the prince charming kissed her? Yeah, that happened to you on that humid summer night. This was right. You two were meant to be together. Everything was falling into place.

The bungalow you reserved for your Batangas vacation leave ended up being the site of your very eventful honeymoon with the Prince of the Tikbalang (with his libido, it wasn't that difficult to continue where you'd left off in the garter toss; that scrap of lace came off your leg the same way it went on). Actually, nauna pa ang honeymoon sa actual wedding (it was definitely spontaneous). Right after your confession in that alcove, you two went to Maliksi's father to ask for his blessing (which he gladly gave, cackling and saying that it took you long enough) before you guys went driving off to Batangas that night. You and Mal indeed had lots and lots of fun in that resort (I'll let you imagine the rest). More beautiful memories were made from that point on—this time, not just as best friends.

All that and your small, intimate wedding occurred in early April. Just when you thought that it'd be impossible to fulfill Maliksi's life goal of having a baby within the year (nine months of pregnancy meant that the earliest you'd give birth would be January next year), the impossible happened.

Exactly thirty-two weeks later, on New Year's Eve, the Armanaz herd welcomed one prince and two new princesses into the world. Triplets who were instantly adored by everyone in the clan.

Señor Armanaz had never been happier, and so were you and your husband. Your best friend. The love of your life. Your forever plus one.

Maybe being spontaneous wasn't so bad after all.

Taglist: @belladaises @binibiningbabaylan @4kodzuk3n @sparklingmallow @severuslovebot @holyshxtangel @marinac15 @space-flamingo @pippethealien @kashasenpai @disappointmentpastry @hornehlittleweeblet2 @seijohoe @monimiin @ibelievein2dmensupremacy @tinybonksharkcop @methehipster @banisuoh @genshin-idiot @lemonnie-kimmie

[twiceasfrustrating]

To Have and Hold 1/2

Chapter: 1/2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Category: GN/M

Fandom: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!

Relationships: Diavolo/GN!MC

Characters: Diavolo, Main Character

Tags for these chapters: Not Beta Read, Yandere, Kidnapping, Non-consensual drug use, No Happy Ending

Summary: Love drives some people crazy and some can't stand to go without. You thought you'd found the perfect boyfriend in Diavolo, one who loved you more than anything else in the world. And, well, you weren't exactly wrong, but it turns out that he's one of the ones that can't go without...

A/N: I was originally planning to wait to post this fic until all 18ish chapters were done, but it's kind of... hard to wait without any feedback or interaction. So, you know, here are the first two chapters.

Going to try to post a long fic on Tumblr... See how well this works out...

Word Count: 3179

Barbatos always made the best tea and you felt spoiled every time he made any for you. That was even more so the case today because he and Dia had come to visit you all the way in the human realm. It was a surprise of the best kind.

"It's good to see you again." You said as you picked up the cup Barbatos had set in front of you, "I didn't think you'd come all the way here for me."

"The Young Lord has worked very hard to have the time to visit you." The butler stated, and you blushed.

You loved Dia. He was the light of the Devildom and you had no idea how you’d been so lucky as to get a boyfriend like him. The fact that he'd put so much effort into his work just so he could get the chance to visit you for an afternoon was endearing.

"Did you now?" You asked Dia before taking a sip of tea.

He nodded, picking up his own cup, "I wanted to see you. I've been missing having you around."

You chuckle lightly, "You're always free to visit me whenever you want."

"Barbatos won't let me." He had so much work to do that he rarely had the time to step away from his kingdom.

"Well, then maybe I should visit you." Although you knew the notion was pointless. You had no way to get to the Devildom on your own.

Still, the thought of you visiting made the prince's eyes light up, "Would you?"

"Hmm… I don't know…" You pretended to think about it while taking another sip of tea. Once you saw the kicked puppy dog look in his eyes, though, you relented, "If I could, why not? I miss you too. It would be nice to get to see you more often like we used to."

A large smile spread across his face, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that." He loved you so much and hearing you felt the same way made his chest heat up.

Your own heart fluttered at the sight of him so happy. However, you also felt something else. You put your hand on your head, feeling how it began to swim for some reason. You leaned forward, placing your elbows on the table to steady yourself as the world around you began to spin.

"Sorry." This was terrible manners and you knew it, "I think the blood must be rushing to my head." Although you hadn't done anything that would cause a blood rush, so you couldn't figure out what was really happening.

Diavolo leaped out of his seat and was at your side instantly. He reached out his hands to hold you up by the shoulders, "It's okay. I've got you."

You flopped your head over, leaning against him rather than the table, "Thank you…" Your eyes felt so heavy and everything was fading out of your vision, "Dia… I'm sorry, but can you take me home?" You must have been sick and didn't realize it; that was the only explanation. Everything inside of you felt awful.

"Of course. I'll bring you back home right now, so rest easy." He wrapped around you, drawing you into him and lifting you in his arms. Once he was sure you were settled into his grip, he looked to the butler, "Is it ready?"

"Everything has been prepared, Young Master," was the last thing you heard before darkness and sleep suddenly overtook you.

~~~

It was soft yet firm beneath you as your eyes fluttered open. You sat up, rubbing your eyes and trying to recall when exactly you’d fallen asleep. Everything was a blur in your mind. You remembered waking up, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, someone ringing your doorbell, and getting a surprise visit from…

Dia!

You looked around in a panic, worried at how rude you'd been to fall asleep while he was visiting. He'd come all the way to the human realm and had even taken you out, yet you fell asleep talking to him. You could just crawl up and die from embarrassment. You would have to call him later and make sure to apologize, especially since he brought you back home and put you in bed.

Actually… now that you looked around more, this wasn’t your room…

Everything was the wrong color and the decor was completely different. Aside from the large, lavish bed you found yourself in, there was also a wardrobe, a vanity, a writing desk scattered with supplies, a full bookshelf, random decorations like potted plants and hanging baskets with cute stuffed animals inside of them, a few large windows, and two doors (one of which was open to show that it led to a restroom). Had he taken you to a hotel? The setup of the room certainly reminded you of a fancy hotel room at the very least.

You got up from the bed, making your way toward the window to try and see what time it could possibly be (though given how little light was entering the room, you assumed it must be around late night). As you stared out, however, you felt something catch in your throat. When you looked out, you saw the very familiar sight of the Devildom. Specifically, it looked very similar to the palace grounds you had grown so used to seeing whenever you visited Dia in the past.

Something was very wrong here.

Slowly, you step away from the window, turning toward the door to leave and try to find anyone to explain what was going on. There is confusion when you reach for the handle, only to turn it and get almost no rotation. The thing was firmly locked in place and no amount of pulling or twisting of the knob would open the door.

Instead, you switched to knocking on what you thought was wood. However, as you got out the first couple of taps, you realized it was too hard and dense to be normal wood. It was strange and you couldn’t quite put your finger on why…

“H-hello?” Your voice trembled, feeling the panic overcome you as fewer and fewer things began to make sense. This was like a horror movie come to life. Instantly, your mind began to run through all the things you’d seen over the years, trying to understand what situation you were in and how to escape it. But those were movies, where a writer set up convenient circumstances for the protagonist to get through any situation. You were not so lucky, especially since you knew nothing about your surroundings.

A shiver runs up your spine as the sound of the door unlocking fills the air and you jump back to give yourself space so you can punch whoever is coming in. If you deck them hard enough, maybe they will pass out and you can make a break for it. At least, that was the plan until you saw who it was that stepped through the door…

“Dia!” You throw yourself into his arms the moment you can make out his form in the doorway, glad to see one person you know. It’s so hard to wrap yourself around his broad shoulders, but you try your hardest and finally allow yourself to feel something other than dread. The relief washing through you was so overwhelming that you missed the small click as the door shut and locked behind him once again, “Thank goodness, I was so scared.”

He lays a hand on your head, running it calmly through your hair and gently rubbing your scalp, “There’s no reason to be afraid, My Love.”

“But I was alone and the door was locked and- Wait. Why am I in the Devildom?” You had to focus on one concern at a time or you would go crazy.

“Oh, that? You asked me to bring you home because you were so tired.” It wasn’t surprising that you had forgotten, given how out of it you were.

The sigh you let out is so deep that you almost asphyxiate, “I meant my home, Dia. I didn’t think you’d bring me all the way to the Devildom just because I said that.” But that kind of reaction was very in character for him. At least it put your mind at ease knowing that it was just Dia being strange that ended you up in this room. Speaking of the room though, “Why was the door locked?”

“That was for your safety, of course.” His wide smile painted his face so beautifully as he looked down at you, “I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting out.”

Huh?

Your eyes blow wide, gazing up at him and that beautiful smile, “What?”

His laugh is too cheerful based on what he just said, “Well, I don’t know what I’d do if you got out, so I had to lock the door to make sure you didn’t.”

Cold fire runs through your veins as a lump shoots up into your throat, “Dia…” You drop your hands from around him, taking a step back instinctively, “Oh, I get it. You were afraid I’d get lost, right?” Since you didn’t know where you were when you woke up in the first place. You were aware now that it must be somewhere in the palace, but this clearly wasn’t the room you usually stayed in.

“Of course,” he laughs again, “If you got lost I would be worried.”

That was it! Of course there was a perfectly normal explanation, “That makes sense. I’m sorry to have imposed so suddenly.”

“You never impose upon me, My Love.”

“I’m glad.” It was good to get to see him again, but you couldn’t stay, “I should really get ready to go home though. Where’s Barbatos?” You would need him to open the portal for you.

Diavolo tilts his head toward you, “What do you mean? You are home.”

“My home, Dia.”

“This is your home though.” The light in his eyes seems to shift into something darker, making your heart pound as if it was a hungry tiger in front of you and not your boyfriend, “I told you: I don’t want you getting out. This is where you should be.”

“That’s not funny,” your voice turns stern as you take another step away from him, “I need to go back now.”

“No you don’t.” He reaches out to try and fidget with a strand of your hair, grabbing only at air as you pull away from him. His hand clenched into a fist before loosening and dropping it back to his side, “The room is all yours. I tried really hard to make sure it had everything you could need to keep yourself entertained and the bathroom is attached whenever you need it. Plus, I can bring you food too, so you never have to leave.” It was unnerving how matter of factly those words left his mouth.

“Stop joking, Dia! That’s creepy!” How could he even say those sorts of things? It was as if he expected you to find them comforting when all they did was make your skin crawl.

There was a moment of silence before he clicked his tongue, “I’m not joking though. I thought you’d like to live with me. Then we could see each other whenever we want and not just visit when we have the time.”

“You’re… not kidding, are you?” He had a strange sense of humor sometimes, but you knew when he was being serious, “This isn’t okay, Dia. I have to go home now. Please?”

“How many times do I have to say it? You are home.”

As soon as he says that, something inside of you snaps and you quickly pace backward to put as much space between the two of you as you can. Being trapped in such a closed space with him is suddenly the most frightening thing you can conceive of and it drives your fight-or-flight response absolutely haywire. Your feet stumble over one another, each one trying to outpace the other in an effort to get further and further away until you bump hip first into the cluttered writing desk.

“My Love, you’re going to make me feel bad if you react like that,” he says, taking a calm step toward you with his arms outstretched, “Don’t you think this is wonderful?’

Without an answer, you grab blindly at some of the things scattered on the writing desk and chuck them as hard as you can in his direction. They smack into him with little fanfare as you continue to grab anything you can and throw them without relenting. Even as your assault ramps up and you run out of things on the desk, he keeps heading in your direction with everything falling unceremoniously to the ground.

He shakes his head, “There’s no need for that.”

There are no words to respond to him, even if you wanted to. Instead, you shift over and grab at one of the small potted plants scattered around the room, lifting it over your head (ignoring how specs of stray dirt fall out) and throwing it as hard as you can at his head. It makes contact, shattering upon impact and causing him to finally stop. However, he doesn’t look even mildly injured. If anything, he looks as if he is in disbelief.

His eyes go wide with shock as he stares at you, “What did you do that for?”

It seemed like his demonic form was going to come out, but it was gone just as quickly as it had arrived. Perhaps a trick of the light? Maybe your own adrenaline-addled brain? You refuse to answer him as you reach for something else to throw at him, hoping the next item will actually do some damage. Instead, you feel something wrap around and pull back on your wrist. Your entire torso twists in motion with the jerk, forcing you to spin around so you are looking straight up at Diavolo and the way he towers over you.

“That’s enough. You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep throwing and breaking things.” There were already broken shards from the pot that had hit him in the head and he worried that you would step on them and hurt your feet. Someone would have to come clean them up before that happened.

Before he even finishes speaking, you already hand your fingers at work, trying to pry him off of you. Your nails dig into him, biting deep into his flesh, but he seems as unphased by it as he did everything else so far.

“Are you upset?” He asked, dumbfounded by your continued behavior.

“No shit I’m upset!” You shout as you try and fail to yank away from him once more, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Language.” That tongue of yours was very foul at the moment and it was unbecoming of you, “Maybe you need a moment to just breathe and calm down.”

You wanted to scream more, but you just felt very tired. All the panic and rage was catching up to you all at once and you were losing the will to continue fighting, especially feeling how tightly he gripped your wrist and knowing it was only a fraction of his strength.

Finally, you let your body go limp as if you would somehow be able to melt into the floor as some desperate last escape from him and this entire situation. You couldn’t however. In fact, it was clear just how little you could fight back against, as he continued to hold you to keep you from completely collapsing.

“Someone is going to come for me.” You glare up at him through burning eyes, feeling the dam of tears threatening to break forth from behind them, knowing you are unable to hold them back any longer as stress and resignation start to settle into your bones. You couldn’t fight him with your own strength, “You can’t keep me here forever.”

His eyes almost turned sympathetic as he watched your chest heave trying to catch your breath after your futile resistance. He takes pity on your pathetic state and lets go of you at last. Even as he does so, however, the way his fingers slowly uncoil from around you makes it clear that he is not conceding any amount of power in the situation to you, “No one knows you’re here. You’re supposed to be in the human realm.”

Your fist clenches and your side before loosening again. The thought of trying to punch him just to make a point crosses your mind, but you decide against it for the moment. Instead, the best option is to bite your tongue and keep him from proving just how much power he really has in this situation. Plus, you have pacts that you can use to summon the brothers. He can’t hold you as easily as he thinks he can and you will prove it. All you had to do was bide your time until you could safely call the others.

“I promise,” he bent at the knee, placing a hand against your cheek and making your stomach jolt forward and a feeling of bile rush up to your throat, “you’ll love it here. I’ll take care of you and you’ll never want for anything.”

You slap his hand away, refusing to roll over like a dog so easily even with your new strategy in place, and speak with venom in your voice, “I want to go home.”

There was a pause in the air before a heavy sigh left his lips, “You should sleep. Perhaps in the morning you will be thinking more clearly.” And perhaps you would understand the situation you were in after waking up to realize this wasn’t a dream that would go away once you woke up.

He stood from his spot and went toward the door of your brand prison, “Feel free to look around.” He was excited for you to see just how well he’d provided for you. Maybe once you saw how much he cared you would finally understand. Oh, except for one thing, but that was your fault, “Please avoid the ceramic shards. We’ll have to clean those up as soon as possible since they are dangerous.”

With that, he opened the door and stepped through it. As soon as it was closed behind him, you heard the sound of the lock turning into place from the outside. Your breathing turned erratic again and you wailed as you crossed your arms to hold yourself and try to calm yourself down. Everything was finally hitting you in full force all at once; fear, anxiety, panic, rage, sadness, disbelief… Every single emotion danced in your mind and threatened to switch you from screaming to sobbing to violence and back again at a moment’s notice.

You must be having a nightmare because there was no other explanation for this situation.

[mickey-henry]

𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

summary: bucky’s been flirting with you, but hasn’t taken it further than that. frustrated, you decide to take matters into your own hands.

word count: 2.1k

warnings: occasional swearing (but not much) and frustrating flirting (I’d be melting if it was happening to me). besides that, this fic is pure fluffy fun.

author’s note: hello there! this is my second fic; I’m very excited to post it! I found the header image here, and if you want to listen to the song I reference in this fic, you can listen here. bold text indicates singing, while italicized text refers to inner thoughts. likes, reblogs, messages, replies, and comments are cherished! I hope you like it! 💖

Bucky Barnes is an acquaintance at best. The two of you rarely work together, and with conflicting schedules, you see little of each other around the compound. On a random Friday in April, however, something changes in you. The moment is nothing out of the ordinary. You’re sitting on the couch in the main living space, re-reading one of your favorite books. Bucky has just returned from a mission; you glance up to see his exhausted expression. He catches your eye, winking with a smile, before walking to his room. Your heart flutters and your head freezes at the response. “Oh, no,” you think to yourself. “Maybe that was a one-time thing? I don’t actually like him, right?” Wrong. 

Ever since that night, the mere presence of Bucky Barnes drives you crazy: his stunning blue eyes that squint ever so slightly when he smiles, his adorable nose that crinkles when he laughs, his pillowy lips that you lose yourself in, his  fluffy hair you can’t help but imagine running your fingers through, his scruff speckled jawline that you wish would brush along your hands, cheeks, anywhere really. He occupies your dreams; you can’t escape this man even if you try. Today, he drives you crazier than usual. He stands in the compound's kitchen in a tight black t-shirt, one that leaves nothing to the imagination. This is the first time you’ve seen him in short sleeves, in anything other than tactical gear. You can’t help but stare as he prepares his lunch. The shirt hugs his frame tight, accentuating his biceps that had no right to be that big. “Gosh, he must spend hours in the gym to look like that.” You then notice the vein in his right arm protruding from his skin, tracing it with your eyes. You didn’t think he could become any more beautiful, but here he is before you, incredible as ever. 

You’re pulled from your reverie when Bucky calls your name. “Yeah?” you reply, barely masking the startled stutter in your voice.

“Pass me the salt?”

“Oh! Sure, of course,” you muster, taking a sip of water from the glass in front of you as you hand him the salt shaker. 

“Thanks, doll,” he flirts with a smile, the same one he gave you that night when he got back to the compound. You nearly choke. “Bucky Barnes called me a term of endearment?!? Holy shit.” Your heart swells and you look down at your glass in a desperate attempt to hide the blush creeping its way across your cheeks. “Goodness gracious, I respond this way from a simple word?” You couldn’t imagine how you’d feel if he touched you. 

It didn’t take long to find out. The following day, you stand in the kitchen prepping your lunch, singing softly along to the song playing from your phone. Bucky appears soon after. He stands close to you for a moment, closer than necessary, but of course you don’t mind. He has just showered; his cologne lingers in the air, intoxicating you. Somehow, you keep singing along, showing no sign that your mind is elsewhere. 

“Ugh, he smells amazing. This man has too much power over me; this is ridiculous! I don’t even remember what I was doing—”

“You have a beautiful voice,” he compliments.

“Thank you, Bucky,” you softly reply, your heart racing at his praise.

“Let me get by you real fast, doll,” he says, moving to walk behind you. 

“There he goes again with the pet name. My god, could this get any worse—” 

He places his hands gently on your hips as he moves beside you. Electricity travels through your whole body; you’re internally screaming at his touch. His hands feel better than you imagined. Even though the contact lasts only a moment, the effects of his touch linger after, leaving you speechless. 

You hear a musical chuckle from the man behind you. “Is he teasing me? It sure feels like it,” you wonder. There is no way that he can’t see the effect he has on you. Before you can even formulate another thought, he touches you again as he moves back to the other side of you. “That was definitely on purpose; certainly he wouldn’t do this by accident. Right?”

Your eyes linger as he finishes putting together his lunch. He catches your gaze and smiles. “See you later, sweetheart,” he says with a wink before leaving the room. “Okay, that answers my question; that was very intentional. What am I going to do with myself?”

You don’t know how much longer you can take his teasing. Throughout the week, he ups his antics, calling you pet names more than your own, stealing touches whenever he can get away with it, smiling whenever you make eye contact. The tension is insatiable; thoughts of Bucky follow you everywhere. You decide to take matters in your own hands; Bucky did not seem to be planning to make a move anytime soon. If he is going to tease the hell out of you, you might as well get some payback. 

───────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ─────────────

Tony’s announcement of Friday night karaoke gives you a wicked idea. However, for it to work, you need to recruit help. You know just who to ask. It doesn’t take long to find Sam and Steve; they spent a ton of their free time sparring in the gym. They seem to be at the end of their workout, their movements slow and sloppy, relying on witty retorts to throw off the other. They stop when they notice your arrival. 

“Hey!” Sam says with a smile, hugging you as you approach. You squeeze him tightly, even with his sticky sweat coating his arms. You greet Steve with a hug too.

“What brings you to our neck of the woods?” Steve asks as you let go.

“Can I ask you guys something? And you promise you two won’t laugh at me? Especially if I'm reading this wrong?”

“Of course,” answers Steve. 

“Yeah, for sure,” replies Sam. 

You hesitate for a second, taking a deep breath. “Does Bucky like me? I swear he does. He keeps teasing me, and I don’t know how much longer I can take it. I think I am practically in love with the guy at this point, he’s so beautiful and—”

You stop as the boys exchange glances and begin laughing. 

You cross your arms, hurt. “You said you wouldn’t laugh at me! I can’t control how I feel.”

“No! Wait! We aren’t laughing at you!” Steve says between giggles. 

You furrow your brows. “Then why are you laughing?”

“Bucky’s obsessed with you,” Steve answers after calming his laughter. 

“God, yes, you’re all he talks about nowadays,” Sam adds. 

“What?! He does? Why? Are you shitting me right now? Because that would be really freaking mean—“

“No! Of course not,” Steve insists. “Don’t you see the way he looks at you?”

“And the pet names he gives you?” Sam adds.

“And how he can’t seem to keep his hands to himself lately?” Steve finishes. 

Now you feel stupid for even asking. Of course you noticed all of those things. They were all you ever thought about. “Well, yeah, but maybe he does that with all the girls.”

“What girls?” Sam retorted. “The only women who are here often enough to cross paths with him are you, Natasha, and Wanda. Wanda’s with Vision, as weird as that is, but love is love. Natasha shoots daggers at anyone who looks at her with love in their eyes. That leaves you.”

“Why in the world would he like me? Of all people? He’s out of my league,” you sigh,

Sam’s scoff pulls you from your thoughts. “Bucky? Out of your league? He’s a crazy ex-assassin with emotional issues! If anything, he's out of your league.”

“You’re a catch, why wouldn’t he like you?” Steve assures.

Steve and Sam always know just what to say to make you feel better. “I guess you’re right,” you admit with a defeated grin. 

“So, you know how Bucky feels. What are you going to do about it?” Steve asks. 

“I have an idea, but I need your help.”

“We’re listening.”

You divulge your plan to them. They smile, hyping you up. 

“Dude, I’m so down!” Sam exclaims, clapping his hands in excitement. 

“You think this will work?”

“Definitely,” Steve assures. “This is going to be amazing!”

“Okay then, we’re doing this. Let’s go find Bucky. Time to initiate phase one.”

───────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ─────────────

Bucky is sitting on the common room couch, flipping through a book when he sees you, Sam, and Steve enter. He exchanges a glance with you, smiling as your eyes light up. The three of you sit down. You’re sitting next to Sam, closer than usual. There’s a brief moment of silence before you speak. “Sam, are you going to karaoke night?”

“Of course! Wouldn’t miss everyone’s drunk-ass singing for the world.”

“Will you be my duet partner?”

This catches Bucky’s attention. He looks up from his book. Why the hell were you asking Sam to sing with you? You normally ask the girls...

“Sure thing, baby. It’ll be a ton of fun!” Sam smiles. 

Baby?! What?! How dare he call you a pet name, his girl, right in front of him? Well, you may not be his girl yet, but Sam knows how he feels about you. What the hell is he thinking?

“Yay! This’ll be so fun!” You hug him, grabbing his hand before continuing, “Wanna practice with me in a bit?”

“Find me when you’re ready, sweetheart,” Sam answers, kissing your knuckle before letting go of your hand. 

Sweetheart?! What the fuck was going on? Did he miss his shot? Would Sam really do that to him? Bucky can barely handle his swirling thoughts. He storms out of the room without looking back. 

Steve can’t help but laugh once Bucky is out of earshot. “That worked a little too well, wouldn’t you say so?”

“That wasn’t too far, was it?” you ask with a worried expression on your face. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it. He’ll just come on even stronger now. He won’t give up on you that easily,” Sam assures you. 

───────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ─────────────

Bucky can barely contain his anger as you step on the stage with Sam, giggling and smiling at your karaoke partner. Jealousy engulfs him. He can barely listen to the start of the song, ignoring the catchy beat blasting through the speakers. He doesn’t recognize the song, but looks up from his drink when you sing, “Hey Bucky boy, what you doing tonight? I wanna see what you got in store."

He looks right at you. Did she just say Bucky?

Sam echoes, “Hey, hey Bucky!” Well, that answers his question.

“You're giving it your all when you're dancing on me. I want to see if you can give me some more,” you continue, twirling your fingers through your hair.

“Hey, hey Bucky!”

“You can be my man, I can be your girl, and we can pump this jam however you want,” you sing, swaying your hips to the cadence of the lyrics.

“Hey, hey Bucky!”

“Pump it from the side, pump it upside down, or we can pump it from the back and the front,” you wink as you finish the line. Bucky sits up suddenly, crossing his legs, his face turning beet red. You smile, knowing the plan was working. Steve laughs from beside him. He keeps his eyes glued on you as the two of you continue the song, utterly entranced. You look him right in the eye as you end the song, “I want you tonight.”

You saunter over to where he is sitting after high-fiving Sam, confidence filling your chest. “So, what did you think of my performance, Bucky?”

You yelp as he grabs your hips and pulls you down to sit on his lap. His voice deepens, “you’re such a tease, you know that right?”

You laugh. “I’m the tease? Really? You’re the one who just pulled me onto your lap and taunts me with flirtatious remarks and smiles all freaking day. My god Bucky, make a move already—”

He cuts you off, pulling you in for a kiss, his flesh arm grabbing the back of your neck. The team whoops and cheers. 

“Glad you finally made a move, Bucky,” you pant as your lips part from his.

“Best decision I ever made in my life, doll.” Before you can respond, he kisses you again, the karaoke bar fading in the background as you finally embrace the man of your dreams.

[krispytidalwavesheep]

Hopes and Dreams Part I

.I have this idea in my head since I saw the first trailer of Resident Evil 8, which was in March? This will be multichaptered and english isn’t my first language, so if anyone of you likes the story enough and is willing to be my beta, I would greatly appreciate it. *** About the story: Reader was Alcinas first lover and got reincarnated over the centuries. Alcina lost her everytime and after the fifth, she just gave up on ever finding reader again, because she couldn’t take losing her anymore times. But as fate would have it, the reader will find her.... Chapter One

Five. Five times Alcina has seen you reincarnated and crossing her way, and yet, fate always found a way to take you from her. The last one was particularly grueling. She remembered the day she lost you, as if it happened yesterday and considering her immortality, it may have been. You looked so happy and excited when you said your goodbyes, and Alcina could understand that. The titanic was a big thing then, even more so after the tragedy that unfolded. You were one of the many victims of the sheer stupidity of men, at least in her opinion and she hasn’t been the same since. Every single one of your deaths was devastating, but the last one was the one that broke her. Bela was there to take care of her, but something died within Alcina when she heard that fate had taken you away from her yet again.

When Cassandra and Daniela came into her life, it certainly helped, but she still grieved for you to this day. Usually, she would search to the ends of the world for you, but she couldn’t stand to lose you, if she ever found you again. She couldn’t do that to either you or herself.

She straightened her dress when she got to her feet again, gently stroking a hand over your grave. Well, the first you, anyway. The only one where any remains were found to be buried. You loved the lake near the castle, no matter in which life. Some asked about the tombstone, but she would just smile and say that it was someone she cherished when she was young, never revealing the whole truth. The first you lived the longest and happiest, before Alcina was turned. Centuries before Mother Miranda found out about her and the other lords.

Her musing was disrupted when she heard distant howling. It seemed like Heisenberg’s Lycans had found another victim, and they were oh so messy in their killing. She harrumphed and started her trek back to the castle, ignoring the ever-closer growing howling. That was until she heard rustling and a figure, cursing like a sailor rushed out from the bushes. Your eyes met and time seemed to stop for both of you.

***

You were furious with yourself for letting your guard down. You have been hiding away in this remote village for two years now, so far avoiding any supernatural beings. But it seems your luck had run out. You were checking your traps in the forest, never noticing them sneaking up on you. Which was a feat in and on itself, normally you could smell them miles away. During your travels you had to fight of many supernatural beings, a pack of Lycans shouldn’t be a problem, but the forest was dense in these parts and you knew when you were at a disadvantage. So, you ran, hoping to distract them with the chase long enough to form a plan.

Meeting her wasn’t part of the plan. You have never seen the lady of the castle, but you heard enough to know exactly who you were looking at, her height being one dead giveaway. Yet something about her made you stop dead in your tracks, the pack of Lycans chasing after you completely forgotten. Her honey-colored eyes stirred something in you, some feeling of familiarity you couldn’t quite place. Your heart clenched, not entirely in an uncomfortable way, because she was just so stunning. If you weren’t gay before you sure as hell were now. What intrigued you even more was the look of utter shock in her eyes, mixed with other emotions you could have named, if it weren’t for the Lycan crashing into you and propelling you down the small cliff you hadn’t noticed before.

“Motherfucking mutt!” you hissed and pulled the knife from your boot. You skillfully spin the Lycan underneath you, stabbing the knife into the Lycans chest to soften your fall. But another four already jumped right after you and you were still distracted by the lady, who apparently decided that watching you would be a nice way to kill some time. With a sickening crunch from the dead Lycan you landed on the edge of the lake. The others where circling you, growling menacingly. With another sickening crunch you pulled your knife free and took a defensive post. You kept most of your concentration on the Lycans, but the woman was still distracting you somewhat.

‘Might as well try to impress her’ you thought and grinned up at her, which was your second mistake that day. You felt sharp claws digging into your left leg and hissed in annoyance.

“Not cool, man!” you huffed and kicked him in the throat. The desire to impress equally impressive tall, beautiful women left your mind and you made quick process of the remaining Lycans standing in your way. You kicked the corpse of the one that got you for good measure, cursing under your breath. When you turned around you noticed that the lady had made your way to you, still staring you down as if you were the weirdest thing around here.

“I would help you, but it seems you have the situation under control,” she said, and a shiver ran down your spine. Her voice was like liquid honey and your heart clenched again. You absentmindedly rubbed your chest and said “Well, they are not the first supernatural being I have encountered, and they aren’t the most dangerous ones.”

She seemed impressed with your answer if the slight smirk was anything to go by. Her gaze wandered down to your leg and something in her eyes changed. Some far away voice in your head screamed for you to run from her, but you felt weirdly safe around her.

“Believe me when I say that I taste quite awful,” you said and grinned. That seemed to pull her out of her daze, and she stepped closer to you. You gulped a bit when the realization of how tall she truly was hit you, but you wouldn’t back down either. Craning your neck to keep looking at her face you stood still and waited. You should be scared shitless and still you felt as if no danger was coming your way. Yet.

“You should take care of that, before you attract more of them” she simply said and turned around. Sheer stupidity, paired with a malfunctioning brain to mouth barrier made you utter your next words “Well, shouldn’t you be the one to help me out, considering that I only got hurt, trying to impress you?”

She turned around so fast that you just knew she popped something. She was upon you in seconds and hissed “Excuse me?”

“I- I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” you stuttered and felt a blush creeping up your face. All her beauty and your weird feeling aside, she was still someone infinitely more dangerous than 200 Lycans combined. What exactly had you gotten yourself into? 

***

Seeing you tumble out of the woods came as a shock to her system. No matter how many times you got reborn, she would always recognize you, though you certainly looked more different than ever before. Not that Alcina had much time to look at you, when just a few seconds after your eyes met a Lycan barreled into you. Her feet moved on her own, ignoring the other Lycans tumbling down the small cliff, when she rushed to the ledge of the small cliff just in time to see you landing on the dead Lycan.

You were certainly feisty and skilled this time around and the grin you threw her way made her feel things she thought long buried. Until one Lycan got to you and she saw red, but when she came down, she only saw you kicking a dead Lycan before he turned into dust. Alcina was rather impressed when you made that off-hand comment about encountering other beings before. Which would explain why you didn’t react to her like normal people do.

No matter how many times you two met in the course of history, there were certain things that never changed: you always looked similar to your you before, and your smell. Looking at you now, she realized that this time, a lot has changed. The most obvious being your smell. You still smelled like you, but something was underneath all that, that made you somehow all the more alluring to her. Something in your blood sang to her and it confused her a great deal.

You were always kind of shy and timid around her when you first met, but the confidence you oozed made you all the more attractive and Alcina felt as if she was betraying your past lives with that thought. Hearing that you encountered supernatural beings before made her stop dead in her tracks. What was your life like until you met? What happened to you to change you so fundamentally? But your next words shocked you more than she would ever admit

“Well, shouldn’t you be the one to help me out, considering that I only got hurt, trying to impress you?” you said with such an insufferable grin that Alicna had the impulse to strangle you for the first time in her long life.

“Excuse me?” she hissed and clenched her hands. Not that you would notice. But apparently you didn’t mean to say that, if your blush was anything to go by. Still, Alcina was fuming at the blatant rudeness, but also shocked at your bluntness. Your new personality was… still somehow endearing and interesting. She couldn’t fit your current you into the picture she had of you which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“What is your name?” Alcina asked and took a few steps back to get a better look at you. The smile you gave her was apologetic when you said “Excuse my poor manners, I really don’t know what has gotten into me today. My name is y/n.”

“I am Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, but you will call me Lady Dimitrescu or my lady. You would do good to remember your manners, little one.” She said and offered her hand to you. You gave her another stunning smile as you took her hand and bowed to give kiss to her knuckles that did ABSOLUTELY not fluster her, before you purred, “It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

You would be the certain death of her this time around. She was certain of that. She should keep her distance from you, it wouldn’t do to become to attached to your, your attitude would get you killed rather sooner than later. But what she said was: “Come now. The castle isn’t that far, and night is almost upon us. It wouldn’t do to stay out here, with you being injured.”

[xeulousluv]

Almost

AN: Hello everyone, I am fairly new to posting on this app, so therefore I am still learning how to use it. Hehe :) Anyways, I hope you are having a great day!

Warning: Nothing really, maybe a little bit of angst? 

Zayn and Y/n broke up and all he’s left with are the videos she took during their senior year of high school.

September 1st, 2010: 

The camera was set up in her hand as she was slightly fixing her hair, a huge smile plastered on her makeup covered face. He always thought she looked better without makeup, but sometimes you couldn’t beat the insecurities. 

“Here we are, the first day of senior year! How are we feeling, Zayn?” 

Next to her stood himself, a much younger version of himself. Two years to be exact. He was almost unrecognizabel, with his usual high school attire adoring his body. A white tee-shirt, black skinny jeans, and not to mention his varsity football jacket hanging off of his shoulders. She looked lovingly at her boyfriend, her eyelashes beating against the softness of her rounded cheeks. 

“I’m ready to get out of here, the last three years were the upmost worst years of my life.” Zayn spoke truthfully, he hadn’t expected to make it past the ninth grade, but with the help of Y/n, he managed to make it all the way to his graduating year. Y/n gave him an offended look before responding, “Hey! If it weren’t for these last three years, you would’ve never met me, let alone had the courage to talk to me. Am I really that bad?” 

She laughed out while speaking, all so he knows that she is joking and would never accuse him of thinking such things. Though, he was already two steps ahead of her and was laughing along at her sad attempt of looking offended. “Of course not, baby. You are what kept me going.” With that, Zayn kissed her temple and she let out a small giggle before stopping the camera. 

September 5th, 2010:

Random small talk was heard on the computer sitting in front of Zayn, before her face showed with a bright glow. She was so beautiful it almost hurt. She was laughing at something her friend Emery said, though it was completely inaudible, he just let the smile take over his face hearing her laugh again. 

“I don’t exactly know why I turned this on, but hello! We successfully made it through the first week of school, and let me just say, it was not fun. The teachers still hate me.” Again, Y/n laughed towards the camera. 

“I remember this one time last year when Mr. Lambert threw me out of class because I wouldn’t stop laughing. In my defence, he was talking about the safety of condoms and Zayn kept mocking him. That was a detention worth going to.” Zayn remembered that day clearly. He sat to the left of Y/n, Mr. Lambert’s first mistake, and would whisper in her ear how he would show her the proper way to wear a condom when they got to her house that night. To say he did end up showing her was an understatement. 

The camera then turned to her friend before she continued on with what she was saying, “Anyways, Emery here, has informed me about this back to school party for seniors at Anthony Stilettos house. So, we are heading to the mall so we can get a nice looking outfit for tonight. I’ll see you guys later!”  And with that the camera switched off.

He thought that was the end of the video, but when she popped back on his screen, he was pleasantly surprised. She wore a black dress that just reached her knees, the end of it rippled and flew each time she took a step. Her hair and makeup was done, and her shoes matched her dress, she really was the most beautiful person he has ever met. 

Without saying anything, Y/n moved the camera to where the view was now on Emery. She wore a simple tight red dress that fit her like a glove, she was placing bobby pins in her hair before realising a camera was watching her every move. Emery turned away from the mirror Y/n had in her room, and started making random poses into the camera. The video finally ended with Y/n facing the camera back to herself while laughing at it. 

October 7th, 2010: 

It was homecoming. Their final homecoming, and of course, Zayn asked her to be his date. He didn’t go all out like the previous years, this particular year was asked right after they finished giving each other their all. They were bunched up together, all sweaty and breathless, and that is when Zayn asked her to go to homecoming with him. He thought it was gross because of their previous activities, but Y/n thought it was sweet, endearing even. It was personal and intimate, she wouldn’t have had it any other way. Plus, she was tired of all the attention that comes with getting asked to homecoming. 

Her dress was a beautiful shade of baby yellow, Zayn wore his usual black suit but with a yellow tie and a yellow rose pinned to his coat pocket. The night couldn’t have been anymore magical. 

“Z, are you ready to go? Emmy and Dallas are waiting in the car.” Her soft voice echoed through the speakers, she was worried about being late. But more so, excited about what the night had planned for the couple. Zayn was fixing his hair, like he does any other day, however today, he wanted to look his absolute best. “Just one more second, love. Gotta look perfect before leaving these four secured walls.” 

Y/n rolled her eyes into the camera before another smile took over her face. It only got wider as he finally announced that he was ready. 

“Baby, you look handsome! You don’t need all that hair gel, make one wrong move and we’re calling you Uncle Jesse.” Zayn scoffed, his hands finding their place on her hips, him being pressed up against her back. His chin resting on her shoulder, they looked so in love. They were so in love. 

October 31st, 2010: 

Fall was Y/n’s favorite season, meaning Halloween was by far her favorite holiday. She squealed into the camera when Zayn walked out in his Peter Pan costume. “Baby, you look so fucking adorable!” She cooed, though Zayn was having none of it. “Do we have to go to this party? Can’t we just stay in and watch scary movies, I promise I will protect you if you get too scared!”

He knew it was no use, Y/n had been going on and on about Anthony’s costume party for the past week, so when she started laughing, Zayn internally groaned. “Brave of you to assume I will get scared during a horror movie. How about we go for just an hour, then you and I can come back here and watch whatever movie you want?” 

At that, his ears perked, he could go for an hour. That gives him all the more time alone with his love. “Hocus Pocus? That’s my favorite.” 

“Yes baby, we can watch Hocus Pocus, do this for me, and I’m all yours for the rest of the night.” A grin was stretched across his face as she leaned up and gave a peck to his lips. Adoration shining brightly in her eyes as she looked up at him. “You are so lucky I love you, Y/n.” 

“I love you, Zayn. More than you will ever know.” 

December 31st, 2010:

“Hola, my favorite people! Happy New Years Eve, I hope you guys are having a good day. My family is having a little party to bring in the new year, even though you won’t be watching this until later when I decide to post it, I hope you guys have an amazing holiday. Be safe now. Bye!”

Christmas and New Year’s was hard for Y/n. She had major separation anxiety for everyone she grows close to, so not being able to see the people she loves for a whole two weeks was taking a toll on her. Not to mention, Zayn went back to Bradford for the holidays, so he wasn’t there to keep her calm. All she had was the emails and messages he would send her.  

However, that night was different. She didn’t know what it was, but the air felt more intoxicating. There was something she was missing and the young girl couldn’t put her finger on it. 

Emery got ahold of Y/n’s camera without her noticing, pressing the ‘record’ button and smiling.

“Hi, as many of you may know, my name is Emery White. Before questions start racing through your head about where Y/n is, she is currently in the kitchen talking to one of her neighbors, and she knows nothing about this so, shhh!” Emery held her index finger up to her mouth, even though she is talking to a camera. 

“So, the time is now 11:58, meaning it is almost New Year’s and I got a message from a good friend of mine to get her camera and start recording. Oh wait, she’s coming over! Act normal!” 

“Emmy? Why do you have my camera, wait no, when did you get my camera?” Emery turned her neck to look at Y/n, and smiled while looking at her friends confused face. “It’s almost midnight, I figured we could record the big moment for your journal thing.” 

Y/n looked at her watch and sure enough, it was 12:59, and the people around her were counting down. By the time Y/n looked back at her friend, Emery had switched her position to behind the camera, her smile now stretching to her eyes. She gave a confused smile towards the camera before shaking her head. 

10..

9..

8..

A tap was felt on Y/n’s shoulder making her turn around, not believing her eyes, she had to do a double take. There he was in all of his glory. Zayn stood in front of her with a bouquet of random flowers, her eyes widening in complete shock. 

3..

2..

1!

Before she could fully process his presence, Zayn had planted his lips against hers in what he would call, one of their best kisses. His arms went around her waist while hers were around his neck, keeping him as close as humanly possible. She was the first to pull away from the kiss, tears forming at the bottom of her eyes but never fell. Zayn pulled her back, this time her face went into his neck as he whispered out a small, “Happy New Years, baby.” 

May 22nd, 2011: 

Senior prom, a day Y/n has waited her entire life for. Getting all dolled up for one night of perfection sounded glorious. Unlike most people, her dress doesn’t reach the floor but goes a little ways past her knees. It was a light shade of green, she wasn’t usually one for the cliche pink and blue, and her stomach was laced over showing her belly button peircing. She felt on top of the world, the most gorgeous she has ever felt in her entire life. 

Zayn was in a nude tuxedo, a lightish green tie tucked into the blazer. “It’s prom day, baby, how do you feel?” The now well-known camera placed in front of his face, though he paid no attention to it, but really the girl behind it. “Like I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world. How did I get so lucky, hm?” 

The blush was evident on her face, he could see it perfectly now even with the camera facing him and not herself. He could still see the light in her eyes. Looking back on it, he couldn’t imagine living his life without her, how could he let her go? 

It wasn’t like they got in a fight or anything, Zayn and Y/n were going to different colleges and he didn’t want to do the whole long distance thing. He felt she deserved better than that. So even though the breakup was absolutely not a mutual agreement, Y/n somewhat understood and let him walk away. 

“You’re such the charmer, Zayn. Always got me blushing for no good reason.” 

“I would be a bad boyfriend if I didn’t.” 

Now turning the camera to face both of them, Zayn placed a kiss on her lips before turning off the camera and letting their night go on as best as it could, for it would be one of the last good memories they have. Except at the time, neither of them knew the last time would actually be the last time. 

June 4th, 2011: 

“Hey everyone, I just want to start off by saying congratulations, we made it. Graduating today was the most amazing feelings, and I’m sure you all can agree with me. The past four years have really taught me a lot, I know I sound like the Mallory Barnes, our valedictorian that gave the speech today, but I’m serious, you all have been amazing. Teachers included.” 

Y/n wasn’t in her usual attire. She was in a comfortable baggy hoodie, and that’s all you could see as her camera was propped on the desk in the corner of the room. Her hair was in a messy bun, no makeup, and her glasses were sat perfectly on her nose. What no one could notice was the slight puffiness to her eyes, the way they were red and tired. But Zayn noticed, however. When Y/n first uploaded this to her instagram, Zayn couldn’t bare to watch it, so seeing it now definitely brought back a feeling he tried too hard to push away. 

“In the past four years I have learned about friendships, I learned about love, and I learned about heartbreak. I have got to say, high school brought me some really great friendships that I will cherish forever. I am finding it very difficult to say goodbye, but we are bound to go off and do bigger and better things. The future awaits for us.” 

“I just want to thank you guys for the amazing memories, and I hope you guys make your dreams come true.” Y/n sighed into the camera, she was really bad at saying goodbye, though you would think it would be easier considering no one likes high school. However, Y/n loved every single second of it, maybe not the learning but the memories made.

“Now, I am going to get really sappy for a minute and say a massive thank you to the man who has loved me for the past four years. Zayn, I know we haven’t talked in a few weeks, and you’re probably not even watching this, but just know that I am so proud of you.  I don’t know how I could not be. I really hope you make something wonderful of yourself. You were by far my favorite part of this journey. Thank you for sticking with me and for loving me. And even though we aren’t together anymore, I love you.”

“We almost had it all, didn’t we?” 

AN: Yeah, I don't think I like this babahahah. Love the concept but someone out there could definitely write it better.