#this is literally a barista job i have so many issues

[spockoholic]

applying to jobs brings out my self hatred and self esteem issues more than anything else i stg

[i-cant-sing]

Would you ever consider doing platonic yanderes where the reader is the characters mom? Reader is married to the dad and the whole family is yandere?

(Example; Reader is married to Enji (a romantic yandere) and the kids are platonic yanderes to their mom (reader), either Rei doesn’t exist or Reader is their stepmom)

Or reader finding the LOV when they were kids and just adopting them herself instead of them going down the villain path and they become platonic yanderes for the mother that wanted and loved them? (I’m a sucker for platonic yanderes)

-💗

Been there, done that. Have u read Yandere overhaul as a president au???? Its literally that, with Overhaul being yandere for his fake wife reader so that he could gain popularity and become president, and then they have triplets- Dabi, Himiko and Tomura, all of who are yanderes for their mommy. And I take it a step further by making the entire world yandere for reader.

I have thought about another au where reader, just barely entering into adulthood, suddenly has to adopt Dabi (she took him in after he ran away from home and found him sleeping in an alley). She worked very hard to bond with Dabi, and after a few months, he finally began opening up to her affection (he let's her cuddle him, and kiss his forehead before tucking him in her bed while she takes the couch because she knows Dabi has still has some issues with physical touch). Despite having little to no savings, she puts him in school (the same place where she works part time as a janitor. Though she hides herself when he's with his classmates because she doesn't want him to feel ashamed- not that he ever would). There's been one to many times when reader didn't know where the next meal would come from, but she made sure Dabi never went to sleep hungry (she would work as a server at parties and would sneak some of the food into her bag for him). Reader fell sick quite a few times because of how overworked she was, but she never had the money to get herself some medicine. However, she always found a way to get Dabi the very expensive ointment for his burns and scars. She always wore used clothes and sewed them with patches wherever they were torn, and she'd outgrown her shoes 2 years ago, but she made sure that Dabi was always well dressed, and he always got brand new clothes (she never wanted him to feel inferior to his peers. She knows how mean kids could be.) And somehow, even with multiple jobs, she made sure to be there for him on all important days, celebrated all his achievements no matter how small, and even when Dabi grows up, he can't wrap his head around why you would do all of that? How could one be so selfless, especially to a stranger she knew nothing about?

In fact, there was even a time when Dabi ran away from your house, feeling guilty for what you'd been putting yourself through for him and how he had hurt your feelings after a stupid argument. He was in shock when he saw you running around the city looking for him, tears in your eyes as you asked people to help you find "my son!" And when you finally found him, the first thing that came out of your mouth was,

"Are you okay?"

Not anger, Not rage for worrying you- but genuine concern for his well being. Dabi all but ran into your arms and broke down, sobbing into your chest and he never had to say it out loud for you to understand how sorry he was.

From there on, you two had a good relationship. I could see that perhaps reader finds a stable job as a barista at a cafe, and a part time tutor (because she is well educated), and perhaps she had been hired by Tomura's parents to teach him and his sister, and you were the best teacher they had. Then one day, Tomura accidentally murdered his family and you only found him because you were on your way to tutor him. The trauma in his eyes, in his face- it was all enough for you to understand that he didn't want this to happen. So, you reach for him, but be he jumps back, claiming that he'd kill you. You don't know what happened, but you talked to him, calmed him down, and when you finally reached for him, he didn't pull back. And when you didn't turn into a pile of ashes (maybe because of a hidden quirk, maybe because you had calmed him down), he all but jumped into your arms, wanting all the warmth and comfort you could provide. You of course, took him home and didn't contact the police because that would've turned everything to shit for Tomura and he was far to young to be experiencing cops and courts and investigations, who yo were sure would find a way to incriminate him and send him go jail or worse. You had introduced Dabi to Tomura and told him that he would staying here.

Dabi being jealous and protective of you, snarled "For how long?"

You smiled and rubbed Tomura's back in a comforting manner. "For as long as he'd like."

While reader being poor and helpless and working herself to the bone would be the typical plot to go, how about a reader who is rich- Maybe a year after she adopted Dabi, she has suddenly got a hefty inheritance from a distant relative. The first thing she does is legally adopt Dabi (with his consent of course), then adds his name in her will (he was very moved by it, but he cried alone in his room). Then Tomura comes along, and she also adopts him legally and the two "brothers" are always fighting with each other, only stopping around you because of how gravely it upsets you when they don't get along. From a very young age, you had told them that the two of them are family and they always have to stick together, have each other's backs no matter what. So while they act amicably in front of you, the moment you leave the room, they are at each other's necks.

Now that you're rich and the boys are all grown up, you decide its time for you to find love. But Dabi and Tomura have other plans.

One thing that they do agree upon is that no man or woman you date is ever gonna be good for you. So all of your dates are always gonna end up missing or ghosting you. I can also see them actively trying to prevent you from adopting more kids because they don't like to share, they don't want other greedy assholes (aka poor orphans) taking advantage of your kindness.

Maybe after you give them control of your company and decide to retire and go on a vacation, Dabi and Tomura will hire men to keep tabs on you, protect you, put a tracker on you so that they know where you are at all times. And when they find out that you're on a vacation with a "secret lover", their blood boils, more so when they find out that your s/o has proposed to you and you agreed.

IMMEADIATELY you're flown back home by their bodyguards, and you can struggle all you want, their not letting you go (although Dabi and Tomura had ordered them not to a hurt a hair on your head. You're just too soft and fragile). When you're brought home and find out that it was your own sons who did this, you are furious, yelling at them that that they can't do this.

Dabi narrows his eyes at you. "Of course, we can. We're looking out for you because you don't know whats good for you. Like lying to us and going out with some measly pervert."

Your eyes widened. How did he know? "You've been spying me-?"

"Its for your own good." Tomura said, cupping your cheek. "You're old now, so you can't take care of yourself. Just let us do it. Listen to us."

You recoiled back from him, confusion evident on your as you looked back and forth between them. What are they talking about?

"I- I don't understand this- you shouldn't be spying on me! I'm an adult! I can take care of myself. And who I date or see is not your concern! I'm well equipped to make my own decisions! And then to have me dragged here with no explanation! What would s/o think?! You've embarrassed me in front of him!" You scolded them but they both shared a look. "I'm gonna have to call him back, but this isn't over!"

"You don't have to worry about him anymore, mom." Tomura said, and you began to worry when he didn't offer an explanation.

"What do you mean?"

Dabi spoke this time, face stoic as ever. "He's been taken care of."

What?

The longer they remained silent, the more the daunting realisation hit you.

"I- no..."

Seeing the terrified look on your face, Dabi attempted to comfort you by grabbing your forearms.

"He's been taken care of. You won't ever see him again."

"No- no!" You began to struggle in his arms, trying to break free but he towered over you and held you tighter. "No! You didnt- no! Let go! LET GO! LET GO! LET GO! LET GO-!"

Tears slipped from your eyes at the silent confession of a heinous crime came from your sons, the news being too much as you lost consciousness, both from the shock and from the tiredness.

Dabi lifted you up and began walking to your room, tucking you under the covers as you felt them kiss your cheek, too tired to even flinch away from the murderers.

Perhaps they're right. Maybe you are too old now.

[astrolaurical]

Hiiiiii, it’s barista anon. I didn’t plan on coming back so soon but today during my training I realized my own pride might be be one of the blocks I need to overcome and thought you might like an update? I come from a very unimpressive background (academically and sociology-economically) but also had a very grand sense of self ever since I was a kid (as in “I’m a miracle just because I exist and I’m in love with my own story”). Somewhere along the line that morphed into vicious insecurities and imposter syndrome.

I also recently moved back to my hometown after living far away for a few years and haven’t told many people I’m back because I’m afraid they’ll be disappointed since they had such “high hopes” for me after graduating. And I’ve told even fewer about this job.

Today something clicked and I realized I’m a miracle just because I exist and I don’t have to justify how I spend my time or earn money to anyone. My co-workers are incredible and I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy and valued by others in my life. I think one of my big lessons for the next three years is going to be to love myself without considering what other people think of me. I hope I can pull it off though lol.

I love how we are all realizing our blocks simultaneously. Hopefully we will then overcome them at the same time too! 🥲

Your pride and my control both seem to stem from shame. (Correct me if I’m wrong though. I don’t want to put words in your mouth.) I was just talking to my therapist about this on Monday lol. My control issues are from my deep abandonment issues from childhood and as I was literally telling my therapist all of this, she was like “you know your blocks and just keep talking yourself into a spiral of anxiety. Now let’s talk into a solution”. The solution? Realizing that my emotions are emotions, and emotions are temporary; and to get back into the logical part of my brain and be objective and rational. I think that could also apply to loving yourself. Be objective and don’t let others emotions then taint yours’.

I also really like that affirmation “I am a miracle just because I exist”. Regardless of any religion or not, we are all here for a reason and have a sacred life purpose to fulfill. Some peoples’ are grand and are to become UN diplomats while others’ are just to be parents or good friends. But that’s where the miracle comes in: we are one to someone.

[caffeinated-rants]

I'm just... so fucking done.

I'm losing inspiration to work on anything. Am I going to quit, no I'm not.... but its just too hard to focus on anything that I actually want to put effort into right now...

Just when it looked like we were done doing mandatory overtime at work, someone is going to be "out for a while" and it resumes. No rest even after the bullshit of short staffing and ridiculous holiday drama...

I'm exhausted. I am at my limit. All I want to do is sleep because I'm that exhausted, but if I give in to the need to sleep then I risk throwing off my whole sleep cycle and making my body think it needs more sleep than it truly does (which it does need a lot, don't get me wrong).

I have had two stress-induced anxiety attacks just in the latter half of December. Yeah, shit gets busy during the holidays. That's a given, and with that is added stressors. But being short staffed in a department than ultimately SHRANK when the employer's business MULTIPLIED... that's just a recipe for disaster. I'm at the point where I can't handle even a small amount of stress like I used to. I feel like I'm going to break the moment shit starts popping off at work. I can't focus and I can't keep up anymore. Xmas Night I pulled a 12hr shift that turned into a 13hr shift due to my relief being over an hour late and showing up with fucking McDonalds... and then this last Wednesday I was by myself with two people who I'm having to train due to a lack of supervisors, so I'm the only one who is able to fully do the tasks needed during our shift... and this is the SLOWER shift, mind you... and I can't even fucking handle that anymore...

What's worse is that I can't risk calling in even for a fucking mental health day. The new clock in system literally points you for leaving even 1 fucking minute early, so I've accumulated too many attendance points due to that (which is bullshit and they won't remove them). If I call out then I might as well just hand in my badge and call it a night, because doing so means I can kiss my job goodbye.

I am so... so... fucking tired. My family even commented on it during Xmas Eve together. They pointed out how tired I look. If family are even noticing it, ones who normally wouldn't even bat an eye and notice under normal circumstances, then there's clearly an issue...

My psych told me at my appointment in September or so (idk the exact appointment date) that I show signs of C-PTSD along with my Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depressive symptoms. Things at home have... honestly not been as stressful since I took a trip to Texas to see my friends. Instead, that stress is at work and its taking a massive toll on me...

Can I even handle working anymore? I don't want my family thinking I'm just following in my mom's footsteps. I don't want them thinking I'm just lazy and don't want to work. It's not that in the slightest. I honestly wonder if I'm capable of holding a job anymore if this is how bad my mental health is getting. I know I can't handle a public-facing position anymore. Not after being a barista and doing food service. Never again. ...And most office jobs these days require degrees and shit which I do not have nor do I have the urge to even get. I don't want to go through the stress of having to go back to school. My current job is literally my only hope for an income if I can manage to stay afloat within all of my bullshit emotions.

I'm the fucking problem and I know it. Its all the bullshit in my head.

I see my psych on the 16th. I'm going to ask about disability because I genuinely cannot think of what else to do. No other job in my town will let me sit in my own little space. It's all public-facing, customer service. Walmart, Staples, Big Lots, fast food like McDonalds and Wendy's.... all things that I also know I cannot handle anymore.

I'm spiraling and don't know how to stay afloat.

[delllamortes]

a supervisor from another store covered a shift at my store tonight and he told me he’s surprised i’m not a supervisor fjdnfkdnjfkdnf

[atlasdoe]

Hi my name is Ace and I just finished Wednesday and need to rant about Xavier

Xavier was by far my least favourite character on the show for multiple reasons and I need to rant about it so here is a long ass rant about why I dislike him, why I think he and Wednesday will never work and how I think the writers could improve his character next season.

If you like Xavier feel free to read this and give your view just don't be rude, please :)

Firstly he is the most boring character on the show. He literally has nothing going on.

Firstly I dislike the “small American town stereotype” that he is, that being the tortured artist. This is a personal opinion but it’s been done so many times before and these characters have always gotten on my nerves the most. To me, Xavier is no different and n my mind he’s just Jughead Jones with a paintbrush. 

The main arc that Xavier has throughout the season is that Wednesday thinks that Xavier is the hyde, but in the end its nothing, Xavier was telling the truth the entire time and has nothing to hide therefore we spent all of this time trying to figure out what he was hiding only to realise that he wasn’t hiding anything at all. If Xavier had something else to hide then the reveal could’ve made his character more interesting but because there was nothing he lost any potential he originally had. 

Compare this to Tyler (which I will be doing a lot, sorry) who also had an arc focused on mystery, we knew something was up with Tyler's mum but not what, similarly to how we knew something was up with Xavier and his paintings and inconvenient coincidences, however with Tyler the payoff worked. Tyler was hiding something, there was more to his character than we originally thought and that reveal added layers to his character from being a small-town barista to a serial killing monster. Xavier is the same person at the end of the season then he is at the start, even being framed and arrested didn’t develop him in any way. 

Another thing that Xavier is going through is the troubles he has with his dad, but we don’t really know anything about that. We know that his dad is a famous seer and that Xavier has daddy issues but that’s it. A lot of the characters in the show have struggled with their parents, the difference with Xavier is that we don't see those struggles play out. We see all of the other characters interact with their families so we can get a true sense of what they’re dealing with but all we get from Xavier is him sulking in a corner. Now I understand that one of Xavier's and his dad's hardships is that he doesn't show up but then I would’ve wanted them to use another way of showing us more about their dynamic. Maybe just hearing one side of a phone conversation would’ve done more to show what their relationship is like rather than just being told by Xavier. 

They could be teasing Xavier and his dad for season two but if that's the case then they did a bad job at it because I do not care about Xavier or his dad at all.

My main point is that when there are plotlines like the hyde or Bianca’s mums cult or Enid not being able to wolf out or the Gates family, Xavier was the character I was the least interested in, especially when it was at a point where it would be too obvious if he did end up being the hyde.

Of course, I have to talk about the love triangle when talking about Xavier's character because it took up a big part of his screen time. 

I do want to start by saying that this is probably not an unbiased opinion as I am a Tyler and Wednesday shipper but I will try to look at both sides as I can. 

Firstly let's get the “who was the most creepy” argument out of the way. I don’t really believe that either of them was creepy in a sense.

The worst Tyler did was told Wednesday that he felt like she was giving him signs when she obviously wasn’t. I’ve seen people say that if this was Xavier then more people would call him creepy and I do agree with this but mostly because you have to look at the context in which Tyler is saying it.

Tyler was wrong, Wednesday was not giving him any signs at all but at this point in the show Tyler is deliberately inserting himself into Wednesday's life to gain her trust, therefore it is very possible that Tyler knew he was wrong and was doing this to manipulate her or at least to put the idea of them being romantic into her head. Later on in the scene, he asks her if she’s just using him as a pawn in her game and as a viewer, I was fully expecting her to tell him that she was, but she doesn’t and instead tells him that she had priorities rather then just turning him down. 

Everyone has their own opinion about whether Tyler really cared for Wednesday or not and how much of what he said was genuine. In my opinion, he started out purely trying to manipulate her but started to catch feelings as they started to spend more time together, similar to how Wednesday started out only using Tyler to later catch feelings for him.

Xavier is different. Xavier doesn’t have any ulterior motives regarding his feelings towards Wednesday, so if it was Xavier who said this, it would be in a different context.

In theory, Xavier cares more for Wednesday, but that doesn't mean he’s a better fit for her.

My main criticism of their relationship is that Xavier just doesn’t get her like other characters do. I have three examples of this.

The first is when he suggests that Wednesday should join the secret society despite the fact that it seems to be led by Bianca who Wednesday hates and the fact that it’s a social club when Wednesday doesn’t like socialising. He then proceeded to get mad at her because he “stuck his neck out for her” when she declines.

Another example is at the dance where Xavier tells Wednesday that Tyler ruined his mural as a warning that she should stay away from him. Indicating that he thought that telling her this would make her back off of Tyler when really her response to this was “I would’ve done worse.” Keep in mind that this is Wednesday Addams we’re talking about. She once said that she would hate to be done for attempted murder because then everyone would know she failed, why Xavier thought that she would care about his mural is beyond me honestly, I actually find it quite funny how he thought that would do anything.

My third example is to be determined really but him giving her a phone at the end of the season I feel is another example if him not really understanding her. Wednesday says that she “doesn’t want to be a slave to technology” and throughout the season that never changes, she is never seemed to be lacking without a phone. The whole wanting to keep in touch is understandable but I think it could’ve worked better if Xavier had given her a flip phone or something like that. A way for them to keep in touch without having it be modern technology like an iPhone. (Also saving money in Xavier's case)

(Side note: I actually think that scene could’ve worked a lot better if it has been Edin giving Wednesday the flip phone rather than Xavier. It seems like something she would do and I do believe that if she was to get Wednesday a phone she would get her a flip phone rather than an iPhone.)

Compare these situations to Tyler playing Legally Blonde as a scary movie because he knew that she would hate the film and like that she hated the film (manipulation or not, he still understood her enough to manipulate her well) 

The main thing that Xavier had against Tyler is that Tyler is obviously the villain but again this is Wednesday Addams and as toxic as Tyler is Wednesday is just as bad. 

If the writers do it right they can have an amazing lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers arc with maybe the whole “only I can kill you” vibe. Idk but dating a serial killing monster seems right up Wednesday's alley (even she says it.)

For Xavier and Wednesday to work for me they’ll have to make Xavier more interesting and lean more into Wednesday’s vibe. With Edin and Wednesday, they’re opposites attract and with Tyler and Wednesday they’re two sides of the same coin. To me, Xavier is just somewhere in the middle and has the most boring dynamic out of the three of them. 

I’ve seen a lot of people online refer to Xavier and Wednesday as sunshinexmidnightrain or goldenretrieverxblackcat but I’m sorry they’re simply not.

Xavier is not sunshine. He is the tortured artist with daddy issues. He is constantly complaining or jealous, he gets worked up easily and spends the majority of his time painting monsters in a shed. How is that sunshine? 

Edin is sunshine. She is always smiling and full of energy, she is social and tries to look on the positive side of every situation. We do see Edin get upset or mad during the show but it takes a lot to get her to reach her breaking point. If the writers are going for sunshinexmidnightrain for Wednesday's love interest they’re looking at the wrong character. 

Speaking of Xavier's constant sulking that is something else I really dislike about him.

There's one scene during the dance that really gets to me. When everyone is dancing and having a good time before it cuts to Xavier and Bianca. Bianca is dancing a little in her seat and smiling, still obviously at least trying to have a good time while Xavier is sitting next to her angry that Wednesday came to the dance without someone else and then has the nerve to ask Bianca to erase his feelings for Wednesday.

That was the scene that put me off Xavier completely and despite the fact that he did apologise it was just such a dick move to make and I especially felt bad for Bianca in that scene. 

Another thing that annoyed me was him always bringing up the fact that he saved Wednesday’s life at the beginning of the season and acting almost as if she was in debt to him because of this. Wednesday made it clear that she is not thankful so I don't know why he kept pushing it. 

( I feel like someone will bring up Tyler telling Wednesday that she owed him a date because he nearly got killed to which I will again remind everyone that Tyler is the villain and needed to distract Wednesday so again, the context is different) 

(I am also realising how hard it is to compare two men's actions when one of them has been genuine the entire time and nobody knows if the other was genuine at all) 

Now I’m sure this may seem hypocritical calling Xavier a dick for the way he acted while Tyler is the full-on villain of the show but to me, there is a big difference between a good person and a good character and a lot of that relies on how the audience is supposed to view them.

Tyler is not a good person (if he’s fully aware of everything that he’s done and doesn’t care. With Tyler, there is the tricky subject of the fact that he was also manipulated and groomed to become what he was) but he is a good character. He’s the villain, we’re not supposed to condone his actions, similar to Wednesday and her actions. Both of them are not painted to be your typical good guys but Xavier is.

Xavier isn’t the only character like this, Edin and Ajax I will also say are supposed to be seen in a good light. Not only by the viewers but by the other characters. 

Also, Wednesday is a show where little moments like that between Xavier and Bianca are bigger tells of character than murder. A character could murder someone in the show and I wouldn’t care but smaller things between characters who are supposed to be seen as good I take note of.

I don't know if that last part made sense but in my head, it does so sorry if it's just gibberish.

In conclusion, Xavier just doesn't have anything going on for him that other characters can’t so better and in a more fun way. I can see the writers going with Xavier and Wednesday as endgame but I really hope they don’t consider the number of possibilities they have with other characters.

Jenna Ortega said that she would want them to have more of a siblings relationship and I can really see that happening in the next season, considering they’re about to take some time away from each other and Wednesday never confirmed any feelings for him the writers could make his crush on her fade over time and have them become really good friends. 

I can see myself liking Xavier in future seasons but they have to give him a proper arc that's unique to his character, rather than a tortured artist with daddy issues who has a crush on the new girl.

idk if anyone will both to read all of that but if you did congrats and thank you

[violettelueur]

— JUJUTSU KAISEN EPISODE ELEVEN || NARROW-MINDED

↳ featuring : fushiguro megumi + nanami kento + ieiri shoko (mention of itadori yuji + kugisaki nobara + gojo satoru + roymen sukuna + zenin maki + inumaki toge + panda + mahito) from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : EXTREME grammar issues

↳ form : story

↳ published : 12 march

↳ pronouns : she/her

↳ word count : 2.0k

↳ synopsis : within the jujutsu world, there were three famous clans to be aware of, the Kamo clan, Zenin clan and the Gojo clan. However, unknown to many sorcerers there was one last family that was known to be apart of the three, only for them to disappear after the golden era leading some to speculate that they had died in battle after the sealing of ryomen sukuna, but....

↳ previous episode : idle transfiguration

↳ next episode : to you, someday

↳ barista’s notes : welcome nanamin kento to the series everyone ╲ʕ·ᴥ·　╲ʔ he’s finally in the series and i am so excited to write about him again since it has been a while ʕ￫ᴥ￩　ʔ i hope you enjoy today’s episode and for the fushiguro x y/n shippers, enjoy this little interaction between them...

BEFORE READING, I NEED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS:

1. the whole story belongs to Gege Akutami and the credits go to them and them only.

2. the spell curses used belong to Tite Kubo due to them being the ‘Kidos’ being used on the manga and anime ‘Bleach’ - but none is mentioned in this chapter.

2.5 for the ‘cursed spells’/kidos (bleach) i will link this video here and tell you the time stamp to check out what i am intending to show - remember i add a few twist here and there by adding the katana to link with Y/N’s cursed technique

no cursed spells used this episode..

3. if you are confused on anything, please don’t hesitate to message me since i know this whole thing is so confusing.

“No reason, just worried about you,” Fushiguro mentioned, hiding his real intention of why he questioned your wellbeing, as continued to look at what was in front of him to avoid making eye contact with you since he could feel your eyes peering at him with curiosity filling them.

Sighing once again, you slap the back of his head causing him to groan since you put more strength than you intended to. “You shouldn’t worry about me Fushiguro, be selfish,” you commented before walking faster to be ahead of him, leaving him confused about what you had just mentioned to him.

“Be selfish?” Fushiguro muttered in confusion leading you to turn back to look over your shoulder before smiling at him.

“You were going to take me there right?” you asked, as you halted your movement causing the shikigami user to finally catch up to you while you had a lingering question in the back of your mind.

‘What was that dream?’

                                              ꕥ

“Didn’t I say you can head back to the track field, we’re literally a few steps away?” you asked, as you stood in front of the metal door leading inside to the infirmary while looking at your classmate with a fed-up look since he wasn’t listening to you once again.

“I said, I was going to take you here and now I’m going to wait for you here,” Fushiguro mentioned as he processed to lean against the wall, causing you to let out a sigh of frustration since you didn’t have the slightest clue on his sudden behaviour of him keeping an eye on you.

“If you’re still worried about my wellbeing, I’m okay Fushiguro,” you voice out trying to ease his worries, before turning your head to look at the door in front of you as you then entered the infirmary room the second the metal door slid open. “Thank you for waiting for me,” you quietly muttered to the shikigami sorcerer as the entrance that was going to block you both, slowly began to close leaving him on the other side, no knowing what was going on inside of where you were now.

Once you had entered the room, you quickly noticed that Ieiri was there twirling a strand of her brown lock with her ibex finger as she greeted you with a small smile, while another person - who you assumed was another sorcerer - who was beside her sitting on the metal bench while holding the side of his hip to lessen the blood loss from his wound.

From what you could observe, the male that was currently injured right now had bright blonde locks, which was strange since it was rare or uncommon for a Japanese person to have naturally light hair (since it didn’t seem dyed) causing you to assume the man had some European heritage. He also seemed to be on the older side compared to Gojo since he had somewhat of a more mature look to the strongest sorcerer that you had come to know but his outfit consisted of a blue dress-shirt with beige suit trousers as well as the professional dress shoes - what seemed to be missing was a blazer to complete the outfit.

“So you're the daughter that Gojo has been talking about lately,” the man mentioned, causing you to tilt your head in confusion since you had no idea who the man was, but he seemed to know who you were.

“Pardon?” you questioned politely since you were still in a state of perplexion, causing your mentor to giggle slightly before informing you that your teacher has been running around announcing his daughter after “keeping it a secret for 5 years” leading you to turn your head to the side and sigh once again in annoyance since you weren’t surprised that the playful sorcerer was parading your name around the facility but still it seemed a little creepy to you - just imagine him skipping around while telling everyone about you just seemed off...weirdly off.

‘What a drag…’

“Ah! I’ll heal you now since we don’t want to leave the wound open any longer,” you mentioned, as you made your way towards the sorcerer before placing your hands just above his wound while concentrating to allow your negative cursed energy to become positive which became easier over time as you kept practising leading Ieiri to be surprised on how much you had improved for the past few weeks.

“Gojo Y/N correct? I’m Nanami Kento, I would bow to be polite but that’s a bit difficult to do right now,” Nanami introduced himself, causing you to smile slightly before greeting him back.

‘So this is Nanami Kento? Shoko-san wasn’t kidding when she said he was a grade one, he does seem to be extremely skilled’

“Y/N, your theory was right about the technique used on those bodies, Kento mentioned that the technique reshapes the soul rather than the body of what we first thought,” Ieiri revealed to you, leading you to look up at the doctor with widen eyes as you hands managed to continue the healing process of Nanami’s wounds.

“Is there any way to stop the transfiguration of any sorts? Is there some kind of weakness to it?” you questioned, as you turned to the grade one sorcerer, leading him to nod as he turned to look at you.

“The use of cursed energy to protect your body is one way, but it will still cause some damage, besides that’s just a temporary solution since if we get hit more by this special grade curse, then that’s when our soul gets hit no matter how much cursed energy you put to protect yourself,” Nanami explained which lead you to look at him with a deadpan expression before you looked down to think of a solution to avoid any more casualties from this curse.

‘The only thing I can think of is Ryomen Sukuna...but Itadori is dead and there is no way that Sukuna can be inhibiting his body now anyways…my cursed spell could be a way to protect myself if it comes to the day I have to face him’

“Do you have a description of what the curse looked like?” you asked curiously since you didn’t know if you were even allowed to have any information on his mission - but you knew you had a chance since you and Ieiri examined the transfigured bodies from Kinema Cinema.

“The curse was human looking like, had patchwork around his face like it he was sewed together, he can transfigure is own body to how he likes to give him an advantage in battle,” Nanami explained leading a shiver to go up to your spine as you didn’t expect the curse’s description to be so human-like after Sukuna since you were completely used to other curses you had faced in the past, looking like what people feared - like the ocean animals, mountains, volcanos or even nature itself.

Steadily, you moved your hands away before asking Nanami to lift his shirt so you could examine his wound leading Ieiri to observe as well since she needed to make sure that your technique had been perfected as well as to make sure his wound was healed properly.

“Good job, I think you have nearly perfected it,” the doctor stated with a smile, leading you to turn to her with a bright smile on your face as you were delighted to have her approval leading her to mention that she will report your progress to Gojo since he wanted to know how you were doing with your training.

“You don’t call Gojo your father?” Nanami questioned since he had come to know from his senior that you have been his daughter for approximately five years now leading him to question why you didn’t call him as his parental figure position.

“I refuse,” you looked at him with a straight face as a slight hint of a ‘fed-up’ tone could be heard in your speech, leading Nanami to internally find the comment funny.

“Thank you for the treatment, but I must quickly head off to resume work,” Nanami declared as he slowly got up from his seat causing him to be surprised at how much your technique had actually repaired not only his wound by somewhat his whole body as well leaning him to peer at you for a second before walking out to head whatever he needed to be.

“Y/N, you can go now, if I need you, I’ll call you next time okay?” Ieiri stated to you, leading you to nod your head before announcing your departure as you processed to stand in front of the metal door, waiting for it to open as you then walked across the gap once it revealed the other side to you.

“You’re done?” someone asked, causing you to look to the side to notice that Fushiguro was still leading against the wall that he was waiting before you had entered into the infirmary to which you were surprised about since you thought he didn’t have the patience to even wait for you.

“You’re still here? Did you wait long?” you questioned, as you both began to walk back to the track field where Kugisaki and the second-years were waiting for you.

“Not really, it was actually quicker than I thought it was going to be,” Fushiguro mentioned causing you to nod along and you both became silent as you both didn’t know what else to say to each other.

However, that didn’t really bother you right now, what was bothering you was what happened before you even came here.

‘Why? Why was I dreaming that in the first place?’ you thought, as you looked down to the ground as if the answer was there for you to collect. However, you knew you would never get the answer if you didn’t make the effort to find it yourself, yet you didn’t want to.

You didn’t want to know the meaning behind it. You just wanted to forget everything that happened in that dream. 

‘There’s no point in holding on to it, it would never happen’

“You okay?” Fushiguro asked, causing you to snap out of your thoughts before realising the shikigami user was no longer beside you but rather in front of you with a stern look on his face as if he was confronting you for somewhat giving him a white-lie.

‘He’s not going to let that question go huh?’

“I’m okay Fushiguro, how many times I got to answer,” you commented before moving to the side to continue walking, only for the erratic-haired sorcerer to block your pathway once again leading a flame of annoyance to be lit up in your stomach. “What’s wrong?” you asked, as you looked up to meet him eye to eye, only to discover a worried look on his face.

“There’s something bothering you,” Fushiguro muttered causing you to scoff internally before moving to the other side again, only for him to block you once again. 

“Fushiguro, I’m fine, it was just something silly that happened with Gojo-sensei that annoyed me, I’m genuinely fine,” you answered before suddenly grabbing his wrist - catching him by surprise - to pull him towards the direction needed to go back to the track field for training, as you didn’t want a full-blown argument happening between you and him. Also, you weren’t bothered to shout at him since you were still trying to comprehend what you had just experienced.

However, before you could pull Fushiguro further to where you both needed to be, you felt him halt his movement causing you to stagger back slightly since it was really unexpected. Turning your head, you looked at the sorcerer with slight confusion displayed on your face before noticing a hand coming towards you as a small flick made a light impact on your forehead leaving you frozen in shock.

“You can rely on me anytime L/N,” Fushiguro mentioned to you nonchalantly as he retreated his hand back.

“Dear, rely on me a bit more, I’ll always be here with you and sorry for flicking your forehead, does it hurt?” 

“You drag, don’t copy me!” you argued, before slapping his forehead causing him to groan in pain while you continued to pull him along to get back to training.

‘I want to, but I don’t want to be lied to again Fushiguro…’

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Pining John Pt. 2

Please if you have any pining!John fics (like Sherlock accidentally hurts him like he did molly with the Christmas gift) I would absolutely love that!! Thank you so much😊(submitted by @thediamondwoman)

Anonymous said to inevitably-johnlocked: hi! New Johnlocker here, this is a fic rec ask, but do you have any fics where John is pining/suppressing/ignoring his feelings for Sherlock? Preferably after TRF, and without Mary in the way, and a slow burn one (sorry for all the preferences just one with pining John would be fine) and thank you for being a blog currently reading all your metas and they are amazing <3333

@i-love-books-and-so-do-you asked: hullo!! *waves* i’m in the mood for some pining john, so i was wondering if you have any good ones? preferably with a happy ending

and may i just say your blog is GORGEOUS like all your fic recs *chef’s kiss* thank you for the literal best johnlock content <33

——-

Hi Lovelies!!!

First of all, thank you for your love for my lists! LOL! These asks just keep coming in, so it looks like I’m overdue for another pining John list!!

That said I do actually have pining John fics, and enough to start a second list! As I re-read fics, I’m able to keep adding all the old ones I didn’t tag ages ago to lists, so that’s fun, hahah. Hope you guys don’t mind me just combining all the pining into one list, hahaah. I get more fics that way LOL!

Enjoy, and feel free to add your own, friends!

See also:

Pining John

Pining Sherlock || [MOBILE FRIENDLY VERSION]

Mutual Pining

Mutual Pining Pt 2

John’s Away (and Sherlock’s Not Okay)

Caffeine and Adaptive Programming by DemonicSymphony (E, 5,540 w., 1 Ch. || Androids AU / Bond Fusion || Android Sherlock, Coffee Shop AU, Pining John Hinted Bond / Q, Toplock) – Sherlock is a coffee shop android slowly falling for a regular customer. But he's not supposed to be able to feel emotions.

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

There's So Much Labour Just in Breathing Lately by Susan (E, 12,708 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF / Mentions of S3 Events, Romance, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Grieving John, Mutual Pining, Meddling Mycroft, Therapy, Ambiguous Hopeful Ending, Infidelity) – The dreams he hated most – the ones that left him a sweating, shaking mess when he woke – were the ones in which Sherlock was just Sherlock. Laughing or drinking tea. Sitting across the table from him at Angelo’s eating pasta. Trailing his open hand behind him on the way to the bedroom. “C’mon, John. I’m about to have my way with you.”

On The Fence by BeautifulFiction (T, 13,770 w., 1 Ch. || Fencing, Case Fic, First Kiss, Insecure John, Pining John, Hug, Greg Finds Out) – The murder of the King's College fencing champion leads to revelations about Sherlock's past. Will it be the point that tips them from friends to lovers, or will they remain on the fence?

The Invocation of Saint Margaret by Ewebie (E, 15,831 w., 1 Ch. || POV John,  Crossing Timelines, Light Angst, Fluff, Series 3 John / Series 1 Sherlock, The Matchbox, Mushy Romance, First Time, Bisexual John, Pining John, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Sensuality, Emotional Love Making, Snippets of Time) – When Sherlock Holmes opens the matchbox from The Sign of Three and John finds himself years in the past, back to that first dinner at Angelo's with a much younger Sherlock Holmes. Is he dreaming?

Division by MrsNoggin (E, 19,542 w., 11 Ch. || Coffee Shop AU || First Kiss/Time, Fluff, Barista Sherlock, Clingy Sherlock, POV John, John’s Limp, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Sensuality, Touching, Virgin Sherlock, Insecure John) – John likes mysteries. And every morning he dips into the local independent coffee bar with his newspaper and ponders another... one Sherlock Holmes.

Insanity in the Middle by DotyTakeThisDown (E, 28,010 w., 8 Ch. || Equestrian Sports AU || Alternate First Meeting, POV John, Pining John, Bottomlock, Clueless Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Passionate Kisses, Hand Holding, Caught Making Out, Bed Sharing, Spooning, Blow Job) – John is a world-class eventing rider with a gold medal and several four-star wins to his credit, but he's never won at Rolex. Sherlock is an up-and-coming rider taking the sport by storm.

Deck the Halls by itsalwaysyou_jw (T, 31,018 w., 24 Ch. || Advent Fic / Multiple One-Shots, Assorted Tags) – One Johnlock ficlet for every day leading up to Christmas. Who is ready for pining, first kisses, established Johnlock, and everything in between? This collection of stand-alone ficlets will have it all.

The Case of the Vanishing Pants by SwissMiss (E, 44,025 w., 6 Ch. || Five and Ones, Post-TRF, Case Fic, UST, Homophobia, Friends to Lovers, Pining John, Showering Together, Couple for a Case, Sherlock’s Bum, Fantasies, Jealous Sherlock) – Five times John and Sherlock lost their pants in the course of a case.

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

Inscrutable to the Last by DiscordantWords (M, 48,842 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, Alternate S3, John’s Blog/S3 is a Story By John, Divorce, Marital Difficulties, John is a Mess, Emotional Reunion, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Grief / Mourning, Pining John, First Kiss, Adorably Clueless Sherlock, Nostalgia, Love Confessions, Eventual Happy Ending) – He wasn't Sherlock, he couldn't work miracles. All he'd ever been able to do was write about them.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 50,635 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4/S4 Divergence, Case Fic, For a Case / Reverse Fake-Relationship, Conferences, Marriage Equality, Travelling / New York, Pride, Homophobia, Bottomlock, Marriage Proposal, John POV, Sexuality, Love Confessions, Emotional Love Making, Public Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Passionate Kissing, Needy/Clingy Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Touching / Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Little Spoon Sherlock, Intense Orgasms) – John and Sherlock go to New York to attend a conference run by the National Defence of Traditional Marriage Coalition in order to investigate the potential bombing of the annual Manhattan Pride parade. As the conference unfolds, John finds himself repulsed by the toxic ideology being presented, which becomes relevent to his own unacknowledged issues and his friendship with Sherlock...

Isosceles by SilentAuror (E, 56,609 w., 7 Ch. || Post-S4, POV John, Original Male Character / Sherlock Dates Another Man, Love Triangle, Jealous John, Virgin Sherlock, Sexual Coaching, Angst, Romance, Domesticity, Unrequited Feelings, Miscommunication, First Kiss/Time, For a Case, Friends With Benefits, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Spooning) – After solving a case for a major celebrity, Sherlock gets himself asked out. When John asks, he discovers that Sherlock has no intention of going, at least not until John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date...

White Knight by DiscordantWords (M, 69,840 w., 13 Ch. || S4 Compliant/Post S4, Marriage For a Case, Jealous John, Pining John, Janine / Sherlock Fake Relationship, Serial Killers, Case Fic, Undercover as a Couple, Weddings, John is a Mess, Misunderstandings, Wedding Planning, Jealousy, Drunkenness, Love Confessions, Angst with Happy Ending) – Green. The word green was used to convey a great many things. Illness. Envy. Inexperience. Standing there amidst Janine's chattering bridesmaids, watching Sherlock furrow his brow and study fabric swatches, watching him smile and simper and flirt, John thought it a remarkably apt colour choice. Because he felt quite sick to his stomach, he feared the source of said sickness might very well be jealousy, and he had absolutely no idea at all what to do about it. Or: Sherlock needs to fake a relationship for a case. He doesn't ask John.

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater /  Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

The Bang and the Clatter by earlgreytea68 (M, 137,049 w., 37 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Baseball AU || Slow Burn / Dev. Rel., Possessive/Obsessive Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Mutual Pining, Body Appreciation, Depression, Closeted Sexuality, Family, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Ogling Each Other, Anxious Sherlock, Panic Attack, Drunkenness, Talk of Forever, Big Feelings™) – Sherlock Holmes is a pitcher and John Watson is a catcher. No, no, no, it's a baseball AU. Part 1 of Baseball

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

[ladydorian05]

A life in retrospection

(pic credit: @a7estrellas​)

#Pedros12DaysOfChristmas

Hello @scribbledghost​ !!! I couldn’t wait, I’m your Secret Santa darling!!!!!

I really, really, REALLY  hope you like this. This is actually the third try at writing your gift, I dot nervous and the self doubt worm hit me hard while writing. You mentioned you wanted ‘talking’, well my on the first one it was more talking than anything and was such a mess that I knew no amount of editing would fix it. I didn’t erase it completely I used some parts for the second one that served as the foundation for the final one.

It’s still a little bit of a mess, I suck at choosing titles and maybe the ending is a bit rushed.

Edit: Forgot to mention, Miss Daisy belongs to Scribbledghost, from her neighbour Whiskey series, check it out, you won’t regret it. 

A life in retrospection

Soulmate AU!

Pairing: Agent Whiskey/Jack Daniels x fem character (a name is mentioned so it’s not THAT reader friendly)

Warnings: Mentions of drugs, lil bit of depression, Jack goes to therapy so expect to read a different man (we really just yeeted a whole man and turn him into a better one, the beauty of fanfics), fluffiness, this man is not afraid to cry, allusions to spiciness but just implicit.

Words: 3K and something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He couldn’t believe this was his life now.

He thought as he watched, through a window from the inside of his warm home, as the snowflakes fell outside.

Couldn’t believe he was capable of feeling such happiness again, not after everything he’s had to live through.

A few years ago, he almost committed the biggest mistake of his entire existence, condemning millions of people just because of his trauma. Good thing a pair of gentlemen helped knock some sense into him. Literally. And god bless Champ for giving him a second chance, since then, his life had been filled with second chances.

He finally went to see the Statesman therapist and work through his issues, he gave himself a second chance, to heal, to see the world in a different way.

What he never thought he would get, was a second chance at love, at being loved, but his beloved’s favorite pastime was to just prove him wrong every chance she got.

And prove him wrong she did.

Everyone has a soulmate, even him, and just like everyone else’s, his soul mark appeared on his thirteenth birthday. Right there, the name and the first letter of his soulmate’s last name etched into his skin in his soulmate’s handwriting and just like everyone he had been excited.

He spent countless hours staring at the letters on his wrist, studying the beautiful, soft and round letters, some of them just a breath away from being cursives. Always wondering when and if he would be able to meet the person they belonged to.

As the years passed, he became more aware of how small the chance that he would actually meet his soulmate was, and while he kept wondering about them from time to time, he didn’t stop himself from falling in love with someone else.

He shared many years with her, they got married just as they were fresh out of college, neither of them caring that they weren’t each other’s soulmates. Marriages like theirs weren’t rare at all, after all the world is way too big and life too short to spend it looking for one person.

Yes, life is short and it can be so cruel to the least deserving. The day he lost both his wife and unborn son was the day something inside him broke, something he thought could never be repaired again. He fell in an abysm of self blame that in time turned into bitterness and hatred for those who fell in the clutches of illegal substances. He really thought he would never love again.

Until one day. One fateful day thanks to a mix up with his order at his favorite coffee shop, he met her, his beloved; when their drinks had been served in the wrong cups by the new barista in training.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, what were the chances that said woman would turn out to also be his soulmate. From the moment he saw her he felt drawn to her. He knew it, the moment their fingers touched when they exchanged their cups. Something in him shifted with a rush of emotions, leaving him breathless.

Hell, even now she still leaves him breathless.

They had spent the rest of that day getting to know each other, they talked about everything and anything, as if they were old friends seeing each other again after some time apart. He had heard the stories multiple times, people would talk about how they felt the moment they found their soulmate, they all paled in comparison to the overwhelming feeling of being know in such a way by someone you had just met.

He felt so blessed just being able to be in her presence.

Indiana, Indy, his love, his Moonshine, the light of his life that pulled him out of the remaining darkness inside him. You gave him a second chance at love, at actually feeling alive and not just living. And he took it, he would’ve been and idiot if he hadn’t.

They decided to take it slow to truly get to know one another and see where this connection of theirs would take them. After all, not all soulmates went on the romantic route; some, were just destined to be platonic and neither option was better than the other, that’s just the way things were.

But after many dates, after both bared their souls to one another, they were happy to discover that all along there had been something growing between them and that the feeling was mutual.

They shared their first kiss beneath a starry sky, she had taken him to her favorite spot in the city, maybe the stars weren’t as visible as in other places due to the light pollution of the city but neither of you were really looking at them, too lost in one another. After that night everything fell into place.

In the following months, they spent as much time as they could together, lunch breaks, dinners, weekends at each other’s apartments watching movies, talking about work, about anything and everything.

After Champ had notified him that he was going to be allowed go back to field work, he invited you to dinner at his place. He decided to tell you everything then and there, about his wife, about his work; he had previously asked for permission for the last one, assuring his boss that this was serious and that he trusted you completely, he even told you about what he almost did during the whole Golden circle fiasco.

He had expected to see some kind of horror or judgement written in Indy’s face when he finally lifted his head when he stopped talking, he should have known better. He found understanding in your eyes, you told him how proud you were that he looked for help after everything he went through and that ‘James Bond job’ or not, you would be there for him.

You had also added an ‘Of course your alias is Whiskey!’ that made him laugh, but that was beyond the point.

You only asked, that every time he was to go on a mission that he’d let you know, and if he had to leave at a moment’s notice, he would call or text you as soon as he could, you also asked him to be careful.

“We just found each other I don’t want to lose you.” Were your exact words. He remembers because he kissed you as soon as you said them, it started slow and full of gratitude but it soon changed into a passionate one.

That had been the first of many nights, and mornings, he got to share his bed with you. You moved together shortly after that night. Going to bed every night and waking up with you at his side soon became the highlight of his days, if he could he would spend a lifetime just lying with you in bed. He savours every moment he gets by your side.

He had been sure, long before the date of your first year anniversary approached; both of you chose it to be the day you met; that he wanted to be there for you, he wanted to protect you, to make you as happy as you make him, to be anything you needed him to be, a friend, a lover, a life partner; you just had to say it and he’d do anything become that person.

He made a decision. They had already discussed the subject of marriage on more than one occasion, so he was sure it was something you would want or wouldn’t be opposed to it eventually. He still thought about it, long and hard for days.

After his first marriage he never thought he would be open to, well, any kind of relationship that went beyond one-night stands, but that was before therapy, before he worked on the demons inside his head; and now, now he just hoped you would be willing to take an old man as your husband. Again, he should’ve known better.

He planned everything, a romantic dinner at good restaurant; not too over the top fancy but with good food; then he would take you on a romantic walk through Central park, he knew of a spot that had a beautiful gazebo with a view to a pond, he decided he would ask you there; and of course, he sent to polish his mother’s ring.

She gave him the ring some time after his wife passed away and made him promise that he would only give it to his soulmate if he met them. His parents had been soulmates, and his grandparents as well, she explained that the ring had been in the family for many generations and more times than not the marriages had been between soulmates, maybe she believed the ring would bring him luck in finding his own.

With everything carefully planned, he just had to wait for the day to arrive.

But even the best-laid plans, often go awry.

The date fell on a Friday, he was just about to clock in when he received a call from Champ, he and Vermouth; previously known as their Ginger ale; where called for an emergency mission. A Band of extremist where planning a bombing, they got the location of their hideout and were tasked to take them out immediately.

While the mission wouldn’t take him to the other side of the planet, it would take him to the other side of the country, he knew even if they hurried up, he wouldn’t be back in time for the reservation; in fact, if he was lucky, he wouldn’t be back until midnight.

He remembers how much he had apologized to you as he called you on the Statesman’s plane, and bless you and your beautiful heart, you took it in stride, telling him it was fine and that you could celebrate the next day, that all you needed was for him to return to you safe and sound.

And he did just that. At around two in the morning, he opened the door to the apartment he shared with you, he left his hat and jacket at the entrance. He was beginning to un button his shirt when he saw you sleeping on the couch, a box of pizza on the coffee table and the tv still on.

It made him feel guilty but it also warmed his heart that you had tried to wait up for him, he decided against waking you up. He turned the tv off and took you in his arms, you only stirred a little bit before your breath evened out again. He placed you on your side of the bed and tuck you in; he took all of his clothes off except for his briefs before joining you in bed.

The next morning, he stirred awake at the feeling of your lips leaving small kisses all over his chest.

“Mmgood morning Moonshine.” He said, his voice rough from sleep.

“Good morning to you too, cowboy. Sorry I woke you up, but I couldn’t resist.”

“Nothin’ to be sorry about, love. Can’t think of a better way to wake up.” He had pull you closer to his side, your head resting on his arm. “’m sorry I missed our anniversary.”

“None of that Jack, I told you it’s okay. Besides, you can always make it up to me.” You said with mirth, running your hand up and down his torso.

He chuckled. “What did I do to deserve you?” he muttered as he placed a kiss on top of your head.

Both of you stayed quiet, just enjoying the moment, basking in the feeling of being in each other’s arms; until he broke the comfortable silence.

“Marry me.”

The words had just slipped through his lips. He knew neither of you really needed fancy restaurants or romantic venues, you just needed each other. So, what better place and moment to ask you to be his wife, than in the warmth of the home you shared, lying in each other’s arms in their bed.

“What?” He felt your hand stop its movement right on top of his heart, he was sure you had felt how fast it was beating.

“I said, marry me, Moonshine. Please?” You sat on the bed, watching him with an unreadable expression.

“Jack Daniels, you better not be joking.” You had pointed a finger to him.

“Tell me my love, if I wasn’t serious, would I have this?” He said as he also sat on the bed and reached inside of the drawer of the nightstand, taking the velvet box in his hand; not the best hiding place but he hadn’t planned for it to stay there for a long time; he opened it to show you the ring inside.

“Oh my god Jack!” you covered your mouth with your hands as your eyes became glossy with unshed tears.

“Indy, Indiana, my love, my Moonshine, my soulmate. You have no idea how blessed I feel to have you in my life, there aren’t enough words in the world to help me express how much I love you, how much you mean to me. You’re an amazing person, so kind, intelligent, strong and beautiful, and I’ll be more than honored to be your husband, if you’ll have me.” He held his breath as he watched you process what he just said.

He was beginning to get worried when you just sat there for a few seconds, that felt like an eternity to him, staring at him without saying a word. You took him by surprise when you jumped into his arms, just as he was considering on telling you that it was okay if you didn’t want to or that you could take your time before answering.

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes Jack! Of course I’ll have you!” By the time he got the ring on your finger both of you were a sobbing mess. He didn’t let you leave the bed until way past noon, and only because neither of you had had breakfast. He had to take good care of his fiancée.

The wedding had been beautiful, only your closest friends and family were invited to the event.

Sometime after the wedding, Champ asked him to move back to Kentucky, he offered him a promotion, he offered him his own position in Statesman, saying that he was ready to retire and that he thought that, out of everyone else, he was the best candidate for it.

His past self would have jumped at the opportunity, not only would he be in charge of the intelligence agency, he would also become the major stockholder of the distillery; but he wasn’t that man anymore, it was a huge responsibility, even if it came with its benefits.

And he had a wife. Your friends lived here, your work was here, you had built a life for yourself in this city long before he came into your life; he couldn’t just go home and tell you ‘Darling, guess what? We’re moving to Kentucky!’ and he refused to leave you behind.

He thanked Champ for the offer and asked him for some time to think about it. He told you about it as soon as he got home. He told you that he couldn’t just ask you to leave what you worked so hard to get behind and follow him down south.

You let him speak, you let him ramble on and on about why it wasn’t a good idea, he also listed some of the positive things that came with accepting the promotion.

“Wait a minute.” You interrupted him in the middle of his tirade. “As the head or director or whatever you guys call it, you would be permanently stationed in Kentucky? As in no more field work?”

“Well, yes and no. At first yes, Champ will have to show me the ropes of everything, then I’ll probably still be active for some years but then well yes, eventually I won’t be sent on missions as frequently as right now. There’s also managing the distillery and that means normal corporate stuff like business trips and all that; it won’t be that different from what I already do here.” You nodded at his words.

“Do it. You have my support.” His eyes widened at that.

“But, but Moonshine, what about your work!?”

“What about it? I’m sure I can request a transfer, and if not I’m sure I can get a new job, it’s not like we’re moving to the middle of nowhere; I could also become a free-lancer.” You listed. “Listen Jack, if moving south means you’ll be risking your life less and less as time goes on, then we’re moving south.” And that was the end of the discussion, he knew the decision was made.

He let you choose the new house, he only asked for enough land to get a horse or two in the future; he was dying to take you on romantic rides; and you chose a beautiful roomy one, neither of you wanted to dismiss the possibility of children. The extra points of the house were the beautiful chimney inside and the fire pit on the back porch, it also had a barn not far from the main building.

And it was good that the house was quite large because half a year after moving in, he convinced you to go with him to a local farm animal expo on his day off. As you browsed through the various handmade items in display, he stumbled upon a woman selling teacup pigs, and while he had always considered himself more of a horses and dogs person, his curiosity got the better of him.

They were so adorable, one in particular caught his attention, he couldn’t resist the adorable beaded eyes looking straight at him; before he knew it, he was making his way back to you holding the little piggy in his arms.

He got a “Jack, why are you holding a pig like a baby?” from you the moment you saw him.

“Because she is! Just look at her she’s so cute, she’s my cute little lady.”

The conversation about the new member of their family continued on the way back home.

“I hope you’re not thinking about letting her stay inside the house once she begins to grow.”

“What are you talking about? Miss Daisy’s a teacup pig; she’ll only grow an inch or maybe three at most.”

“Oh, so it’s Miss Daisy! She already has a name and all that. I’m warning you; I’m not going to pick up what Miss Daisy produces after eating.” You said. “Wait, teacup pig? You are aware there’s no such thing as teacup pigs, right?”

“What do you mean? The woman said they were all teacup pigs.”

“Oh my god. My love, you have been deceived.”

He may not know a lot about pigs, but he couldn’t believe that that sweet woman had outright lied to him, right?

Wrong. Like always, you were right, and he fucked up. At least he eventually convinced you to let him keep Miss Daisy inside. She’ll always be a baby to him, no matter how big she got.

And then, he became an actual father. It wasn’t enough for you to give him so much love and happiness, now you had given him the greatest gift of all. She was perfect, from her tiny nose to her even tinnier toes.

If he had cried when you agreed to marry him, and cried even more when you gave him the news of your pregnancy; he was sure he cried a river the day their daughter was born.

Here he was, years later, still madly in love with you, still feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

He was brought back from his memories by a pair of hands sliding around his middle from behind.

“Hey, I made hot chocolate, want a cup?” He turned around to properly face you, a big smile on his face. “What? Do I have some coco powder on me?”

“No,” he shook his head “no. It’s just, well, you just took my breath away.” He said wiggling his eyebrows up and down in the way he knew always made you laugh.

“Pffff, Jack, I married you, you can stop saying stuff like that.”

“On the contrary, Moonshine, I shall keep on stating the truth of how my stunning wife makes me feel every single day of my life.” He leaned to give you a sweet short kiss.

“You haven’t answered Mr. Daniels, hot chocolate or do you want a cup of coffee?”

“Mmmm, I’ll have the chocolate this time, gotta honor the drink that brought you into my life, Mrs. Daniels.” He pressed his forehead against yours.

“What’s gotten into you today?” You asked, laughing softly as the hairs of his moustache tickled your upper lip.

“Nothing, just been reminiscing my happiest memories. Want to know a secret?” He whispered the question. “They’re all about you.” He leaned in for another kiss when the voice of his little girl calling for him reached them.

“Daddy! Daddy! Look! Look at Miss Daisy! Isn’t she pretty?” He turned his head from his Moonshine as his daughter came running up to them in her cute pajamas, just in time to see Miss Daisy as she came waddling behind his lil’ sweetheart wearing a pink tutu, a tiara and he noticed her glittery pink painted hooves.

“Wow, sweetheart! She’s really pretty!” He tried to sound excited for his daughter’s sake, but he knew it came out more strained than he wanted.

She giggled before running off back to her room, with, once again, Miss Daisy running after her.

“Want me to google if that nail polish could be potentially harmful for her while you put our little tornado to sleep?” God bless his wife.

“Yes, please.” He let out a sigh. “You’re amazin’ Moonshine.” He turned back to you before placing a sweet kiss on your lips.

“I got you, cowboy.” He had to separate from your arms so he could go help their daughter keep her bed time schedule, otherwise they’ll surely have a cranky child for most of the next day.

“Hey honey! You want a bed time story?” he heard a distant ‘yay’ and a couple of snorts in response. “Be right back babe.” With a wink as he walked towards their daughter’s room.

Maybe he’ll never get used to this much happiness in his life, but he’ll never complain, what were the odds that he would meet his soulmate and build a beautiful home and a beautiful family with her. He must have done at least something right if he got to live this life.

And he will live it, to its fullest.

Tag list (do let me know if anyone wanst to be tagged in future works):

@oloreaa​

[fatalfanfiction]

On Air - Zuka (ZukoxSokka)

On Air

Rating: M

Pairing: Sokka/Zuko

Chapters: 1/2

AO3

Summary: 

“Your voice sounds familiar,” he muttered as he took Sokka’s card.

“I host the university’s radio station at night during the week,” Sokka said with a proud grin.

“That would explain it,” the barista shrugged, “We always have it playing.”

“Well, glad to know someone listens at night,” Sokka gave a laugh.

“I look forward to it, actually. It gets pretty slow in here on these night shifts,” the barista shrugged.

Sokka almost fainted at the compliment.

[Or the one where Sokka hosts the late night University radio station and Zuko is a new barista at the University coffee shop and their worlds collide because Sokka can't stop thinking about Zuko]

I still take commissions y’all! You can hit me up on here or AO3 or basically any of my social media, really!

It wasn’t hard to do Sokka’s job but he still knew he was good at it. Working for Omashu University’s radio station had an obnoxious amount of perks—He could get discounts literally anywhere on campus, he was well known simply by his voice (and if it was one thing Sokka loved, it was attention), and he had a platform so he could promote things like clubs, social movements, and people—when he found someone he wanted to get the attention of, anyway.

Sokka was a flirt so this had been a regular occurrence in the past but that was beside the point because the new night barista at the 24 hour coffee shop is so gorgeous that he has made it a habit to stop in before and after each shift just to buy… anything.

Now, Sokka just had to get his attention.

He’s spoken to him on a few occasions, sure, but they were mostly small talk while Sokka bought his nightly and morning coffee.

“You’re here a lot,” Sokka once said.

“I work nights so you just happen to catch me in the beginning and the end of my shift,” the barista once muttered in response.

And my god, Sokka was so enchanted by the barista’s raspy voice that he forgot to ask why he was the only barista that didn’t wear a nametag—especially since the barista knew his name by now. There’s only so many times the two men can have the conversation of:

“What’s the name for the order?” he would ask and then, “—oh, Sokka, right?”

And then Sokka would say, “Yup, that’s me.”

After a few times of this, their conversation turned to:

“Your voice sounds familiar,” he muttered as he took Sokka’s card.

“I host the university’s radio station at night during the week,” Sokka said with a proud grin.

“That would explain it,” the barista shrugged, “We always have it playing.”

“Well, glad to know someone listens at night,” Sokka gave a laugh.

“I look forward to it, actually. It gets pretty slow in here on these night shifts,” the barista shrugged.

Sokka almost fainted at the compliment.

But Sokka never got the barista’s name and that was an issue.

So, once his shift was over, Sokka made a beeline for the coffee shop and waited in the line that the morning rush had created. Sokka could see the exhaust in the barista’s face and felt himself frown. He realized then that all he wanted to do was make that barista smile and Sokka, being the joke person he was, took on that challenge.

He stepped up to the counter and could hear the university radio playing quietly in the distance of the café as the barista looked up from the cash register and gave Sokka smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“How can I help you?” he asked.

“I’ll take my usual,” Sokka said with a smile, “You know me, so adventurous.”

The barista gave another smile that—again—didn’t reach his eyes.

“$5.95,” the barista stated, clicking buttons on the register.

“Don’t forget my discount,” Sokka mentioned and handed the barista a twenty.

“Right, I apologize. It’ll be—“

“It’s fine. Keep the change as a tip,” Sokka said with a wave.

“What?” the barista said, “I couldn’t possibly accept this.”

“You can,” Sokka said, “Just tell me your name.”

The barista froze and Sokka saw his eyes squint—his injured eye significantly less so than the other. After a moment a single word left his lips;

“Zuko.”

“Zuko,” Sokka echoed with a smile, “I like it.”

“Thanks?” Zuko muttered as the shock continued to set in.

“Have a good day, Zuko,” Sokka said softly.

“You too,” Zuko muttered.

Sokka left without his drink and chose to enjoy the remainder of his Saturday napping.

Sokka spends most of his free time on homework when he isn’t in class. His schedule is incredibly packed; again, working for the radio station had its perks which meant he got extensions on almost all of his assignments (only because he had an evening job on campus). His classes were all afternoon classes this semester, too—unlike past semesters where he would be ping ponging between sporadic classes and the station.

He realizes quickly, however, that he begins to search for Zuko. Sokka had never seen the guy before a week ago and the university was large, sure, but everyone knew everyone after a while (especially Sokka but that’s not the point). Sokka had to physically tear his eyes from each window he would pass as he would sometimes stop and search the courtyard for Zuko’s figure.

Sokka being an engineer major meant he was mostly secluded to one building during his classes but he had friends with such different majors that he knew the buildings and its attendees well and, of course, he was the radio host that was known for playing the best music when he would cover for weekend shifts.

During the week, however, Sokka took a different approach but his boring work was not at the front of his mind.

The point was Sokka knew people—lots of people.

Sokka’s mind was always occupied with Zuko.

Entering the coffee shop early come Monday was new for Sokka but he figured he could get a little studying in before his shift—that was his excuse, anyway. In reality, Sokka was tired of not seeing Zuko around the campus and insisted to himself this needed to change. Zuko had yet to arrive which made sense. Sokka doesn’t usually drop in for another hour and a half and has to be at work in two hours but it’s not like Sokka necessarily knows Zuko’s schedule, either. Less than two days and he was restless—what was this obsession?

Sokka had a type, he thought as he took a seat at one of the free tables.

“Oh, you’re here,” a voice came from behind him and Sokka looked up to find Zuko over his shoulder.

“So are you,” Sokka responded.

Zuko smirked, “I work here?”

Sokka paused for a moment before letting out a laugh.

“Right, of course. I just uh—came here to study,” Sokka stated, motioning to his closed English textbook.

“You came to study English?” Zuko asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sokka had just grabbed a random textbook, if he were to be honest (Actually, he realized this was Aang’s textbook and not even his). In reality, he had every intention of sitting on his phone scrolling through various social medias before Zuko arrived.

“Oh, no—I just—uhh, formatting, you know? MLA verus APA and all that,” Sokka stumbled over his words, leaning his chin on his fist where it rested on the table.

“You’re a Psychology major?” Zuko asked.

God, Zuko wasn’t easily fooled.

“I’m a Sociology major,” Zuko said before Sokka could correct him, “anyway, I was hoping I would catch you here.”

Sokka’s heart skipped a beat and he was sure Zuko could see the blush creeping across his ears.

“Why is that? Also, you should sit. Relax a bit before your shift—That’s what I’m doing,” Sokka said, hand extending to the empty chair across from him.

“I thought you were studying,” Zuko chided through a soft smirk but he accepted the offer and took a seat. “I wanted to return this,” he muttered and dug in his pocket before sliding a twenty across to Sokka.

Sokka sighed.

“Not this again. Will you just accept it?”

“You didn’t even buy anything, really! I won’t just put it in the till and there’s no way I deserve this big of a tip,” Zuko shot back.

“I think you do,” Sokka shrugged.

“How could you possibly know that? We’ve met a handful of times—“

“And you’ve been delightful every time,” Sokka shrugged again, “You think I come here for the discount? I could easily go to the Starbucks around the corner and get the same thing. It’s actually closer to the radio station than here.”

“Then why do you come here, exactly?” Zuko asked carefully, hand leaving the bill in the center of the table.

“I like supporting the school, I like the atmosphere, I like the workers— Just to name a few reasons,” Sokka spoke nonchalantly.

Zuko rolled his eyes and Sokka smiled.

“Take the damn twenty. You looked tired the other day. You deserved it.”

Sokka pushed the twenty back across the table and leaned back, arms crossed.

“Fine, but you don’t pay for any more drinks while I’m working,” Zuko sighed and pocketed the twenty slowly.

“I’m not going to let you get in trouble over a—“

“I’m allowed three free drinks per shift. I drink tea which is given freely to the workers—Besides, my uncle owns the place,” Zuko shrugged.

“Wait, your uncle has ties with the school?” Sokka asked carefully.

Zuko just nodded.

“I don’t know much about it. It’s coincidence I chose this university,” Zuko shrugged.

Sokka was positive this was not a coincidence.

“I have to get back there,” Zuko said, standing from the table, “Will you be here for a bit?”

“Yeah, I have another hour before work,” Sokka said.

Zuko nodded and disappeared without a word. Sokka took that as a sign of the end of conversation and turned his attention back to his phone—fighting himself to pay attention to something other than the dark haired beauty. But moments later, a large drink was placed in front of him with a playful wink by said beauty.

“Hope you wanted your usual,” Zuko muttered.

“Are you sure about this?” Sokka asked carefully.

“Just take it,” Zuko said before giving a small wave and returning behind the counter.

Sokka didn’t bother to hide his watching of the other man until he had to go.

Sokka settled into the seat he would be occupying for the rest of the night. Suki, his call screener, sat beside him and hummed a song quietly as she double checked the buttons on the switchboard in front of them. They were friends and gave each other a pleasant greeting upon seeing each other but they saved the rest of their conversations for on-air.

Even someone as talkative as Sokka can get tired of talking when it’s his job.

Sokka’s on-air persona wasn’t too different than his normal self but Suki was a different story—she was a strong, boisterous person usually but on-air she was reserved and soft. Sokka sometimes wondered if it was because she wanted to seem likeable and other times he wondered if she was just somewhat shy on-air.

“So how was your weekend?” Suki asked as she finished setting up.

“My weekend started off interestingly enough,” Sokka said nonchalantly.

“Did that have to do with the cute boy I’ve been hearing about?”

“No, not at all,” Sokka said with a shrug.

“No, not at all despite all the texts about how soft his hair looks, his soft features, his raspy voice—“ Suki trailed with a knowing smirk.

“Please stop, we need to focus.”

“I mean, do we?” Suki asked and Sokka laughed.

“Let’s just do this,” Sokka said chuckling and Suki nodded, flipping the correct switches.

“Hi listeners and welcome back to the Sokka and Suki show—“

“Sokka, that isn’t what we’re called,” Suki laughed and Sokka shrugged towards her.

“It might as well be, right?” He asked, adjusting his headset.

“I’m rolling my eyes,” Suki stated but she didn’t and Sokka flashed a smile.

Monday wasn’t anything special topic-wise for their show so Sokka and Suki would just occasionally talk between songs that would usually play based on requests but as the night got later, requests became fewer and fewer. (If you were to ask Sokka, it was actually an interesting concept that the school app had a section just for the station where people could submit questions, comments, secrets, song requests—whatever their topic of the day happened to be. Suki thought it was unnecessary.) Once the song requests slowed, Sokka began choosing the songs and Suki (who wasn’t blind in the slightest) called him out almost immediately.

Worst of all, she did it on air.

But Suki was bold and that boldness came out even through her radio persona.

“I notice you are queuing a lot of love songs, Sokka,” Suki said and Sokka shot her a look.

She smirked.

Suki, despite being his coworker, friend, and ex-girlfriend never stopped being hot—even when she was being a little shit.

“Maybe I’m just in a loving mood,” Sokka countered.

“Maybe it has to do with that new—“

“Nope! Here’s Dua Lipa’s Good in Bed,” Sokka said quickly and switched off their mics and the song began to play, “God you’re—“

“Hot? Sexy? Overwhelmingly beautiful?”

“And annoying,” Sokka laughed and Suki smirked.

“You said he listens. I just thought I would help you out a little,” Suki shrugged.

“I don’t need your help,” Sokka mocked, “I’m a flirt naturally without my ex trying to help.”

“As your ex, I can say you definitely need help,” Suki chimed.

Around three, it had been a solid two hours since their last request when a quiet ding! played through his headset and he looked at the screen to see a single sentence that made his heart jump just a little.

I like the love songs. You should keep doing it. Sometimes it helps.

And god, if Sokka didn’t know how that felt. Part of the reason he applied for the job was because of Sokka’s interest in music and the expression music gave—and music about love, especially unrequited, was a whole different level.

“Looks like someone is listening—even now,” Suki commented.

“Yeah,” Sokka muttered.

He wasn’t going to pretend that Zuko was on the sending end of that message but it was an interesting thought.

Leaving the station yawning wasn’t any different than usual but Mondays were difficult because his sleep schedule would often get reset over the weekend and here he was, walking dead on his feet. Five in the morning on campus was empty to say the least. The cool breeze hitting Sokka’s cheeks and the sun rising had him stopping and watching the sky on more than one occasion.

He wished he could say he wasn’t thinking of Zuko but that was a lie.

But maybe this was going too far.

Zuko was a barista and Sokka was a customer and that’s all that it really was. Zuko was nice because he had to be and Sokka was flirty because Sokka was just a flirty person and yet— Sokka trudged towards the coffee shop.

The shop was the busiest place on campus at this time but there were only a handful of customers inside. Upon entering, Sokka flashed a smile and Zuko returned it. There was no line and Sokka walked up to the register where Zuko greeted him officially.

Zuko didn’t look as exhausted as he normally did.

“Good morning,” Zuko said and Sokka groaned.

“It’s not morning until I sleep,” Sokka said and Zuko nodded.

“I know that feeling,” Zuko responded.

“Night shift life,” Sokka muttered.

“Your usual?” Zuko asked and Sokka nodded.

Zuko pressed several buttons and just as Sokka pulled out his card, Zuko swiped his own card. Sokka sighed and Zuko flashed a knowing smirk—a confident smirk.

“I’ll get right on that,” Zuko muttered and Sokka thanked him.

Sokka watched Zuko pace back and forth behind the counter—graceful and precise. Sokka could get lost in the way Zuko’s long, pale fingers gripped the empty plastic cup while his opposite hand added a shot of expresso. Zuko set the cup down and bent over to grab a jug of milk from below the counter and yeah Sokka didn’t mind that view either. However, the icing on the pale, gorgeous cake that was Zuko was his arms.

Veins strained against his skin as they traveled up Zuko’s muscular arms and Sokka had to look away to stop himself from drooling.

When Sokka looked back, Zuko was placing Sokka’s drink on the counter and sliding it across to him.

“Enjoy.”

“I always do,” Sokka winked and left the shop with a wave.

Sokka collapsed on his bed as soon as he got back to his dorm and groaned when Aang entered from his first class several hours later. The two only really saw each other in passing and Aang mostly saw Sokka unconscious due to his schedule but that didn’t stop the two from having a solid friendship—Aang’s relationship with Sokka’s sister was, however, usually a taboo subject that neither chose to bring up except maybe in passing.

“How was work?” Aang asked and Sokka yawned dramatically.

“Same old,” Sokka muttered.

“You left pretty early last night. I thought that was odd,” Aang mentioned passively as he dropped to sit at his desk.

“Yeah, I wanted to drop by the coffee shop on the way to work.”

“You left like two hours before you usually—“

“Yeah, yeah. There’s someone I’m trying to get the attention of,” Sokka waved off his friend and Aang wiggled his eyebrows excitedly.

“Well, good luck. Knowing you, I’ll be forced to spend the night at Katara’s this entire weekend as you two bang on every surface that will support your weight,” Aang said.

Sokka laughed and shook his head.

“Don’t get your hopes up too much. Besides, I don’t know about this one. I’ve only spoke to him for a few days in passing—“

“That’s longer than it usually takes,” Aang stated and Sokka looked at him.

Aang was right. Sokka was the hit ‘em and quit ‘em type and normally he didn’t care he was crossing lines like hitting on a barista while being a customer. In fact, the amount of times he had ended up sleeping with someone solely based on face expressions across a busy room was a triumph to Sokka—a sexy, exciting triumph.

But he was being much more careful with this one.

“He’s pretty,” Sokka mumbled with his eyes on the ceiling, “And somehow handsome at the same time?” It was a question but not really—Sokka’s words didn’t do the man justice but that didn’t make them any less true. “He has this raspy, dark voice and when he talks, you expect him to be rude but in reality he’s just reserved. Fuck, and don’t get me started on the smile—the rarest yet most pure thing I’ve ever seen.”

“And you barely know this guy?” Aang asked slowly.

Sokka just nodded before his eyes fell on his bald friend.

“You should probably get to know him a little more, then,” Aang offered.

Sokka took that as his chance to nod and turn his back towards Aang, indicating it was time for him to sleep again.

Sokka continued his schedule for the following days but (if he were honest) come Thursday, he was exhausted. The extra shots of espresso that he usually got in his drinks were messing with his sleep and he had maybe slept a full five hours since the weekend prior. However, Zuko had stopped asking if Sokka wanted his usual and began making it early when Sokka got off work so it was ready for Sokka when he got there and Sokka simply didn’t have it in him to tell Zuko to stop or to change his order.

Sokka was getting free drinks and conversation with the most beautiful person on campus (besides himself)—what was there to complain about?

Absolutely nothing, Sokka decided and waltzed into the coffee shop.

Sokka was early, again, but he stopped with the studying excuse today. He was surprised, however, to find Zuko waiting for him at Sokka’s usual table. Zuko’s head was resting in his palm and his eyes were glued to his phone as he scrolled through social media. Sokka hadn’t even thought to check for Zuko’s social media—

“Oh, hey,” Zuko said from across the shop and Sokka flashed a smile before joining him.

“You’re here early,” Sokka commented and took his seat.

“I could say the same about you.”

Sokka smirked, “You work here.”

Zuko laughed quietly and Sokka almost cried at how beautiful it was—Sokka was dramatic, to say the least.

Sokka yawned suddenly, covering his mouth at the last second as his exhaust hit him for a moment before he rubbed his eyes to refocus on Zuko who was looking at him worriedly. Sokka quickly stopped and apologized before stretching out his arms across his chest.

“You look exhausted,” Zuko said and Sokka flashed a grin.

“Thanks, I’m sure the dark circles under my eyes take away from the sex appeal—or they add onto it, depends what you’re into,” Sokka’s joke fell onto Zuko’s blushing form.

“I didn’t mean—I mean, you always look—“ Zuko huffed and Sokka broke out in a chuckle.

“Don’t have an aneurism,” Sokka smirked and Zuko rolled his eyes, “I haven’t slept well the past few days.”

“It might be all that caffeine you drink—and those extra shots of espresso—“

“Thanks, Mom,” Sokka shot and Zuko shrugged.

“I’m just saying.”

Sokka sighed heavily and finally gave in.

“Yeah, it probably is that, actually. I can’t imagine it’s a healthy thing to have extra shots of espresso right after I get off of work when I’m supposed to be getting sleep,” Sokka admitted, pulling out his phone if only to tap at the screen absentmindedly.

“You know I can make whatever you like. It doesn’t have to be your usual,” Zuko stated.

“Yeah but it’s so easy to just accept that instead of saying that I don’t want it. Especially when it’s already made—“

“Hang on, hang on.” Zuko said suddenly, eyebrows knitting together in a flash of distress that Sokka suddenly felt guilty for, “Are you telling me that you haven’t been sleeping because you didn’t want to tell me you didn’t want your usual?”

“I didn’t want you to remake the drink and then I would end up drinking it on my way back to the dorm and—It’s not your fault,” Sokka finally said when Zuko’s face began contorting into a series of upset expressions.

“I know it’s not my fault,” Zuko snapped and Sokka—Sokka didn’t know this side of Zuko, “It’s your fault. That is so—“ Zuko growled.

Sokka didn’t know Zuko.

That realization hit Sokka hard and so suddenly that Sokka was just staring at the man across him.

“So what?” Sokka asked, quiet and rough.

“So stupid and unhealthy!” Zuko seemed exasperated but angry and Sokka just couldn’t wrap his mind around him.

“Right, well,” Sokka muttered and stood suddenly, pocketing his phone in a quick motion.

“No, wait—“ Zuko sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

“No, I think I’ve been spoken down to enough for today,” Sokka said defensively.

“I wasn’t trying to—“

Sokka just walked away, ignoring Zuko’s words.

Zuko didn’t follow him.

Sokka made it through most of his shift and only fell asleep twice sitting up. Suki had to elbow him hard and he would stand and shake his head. She asked why he was so tired but he just shrugged her off and said he hadn’t gotten his usual coffee before work. Then she was asking why he sounded off and he sighed in annoyance.

Suki stopped asking after that.

“It’s Tell-All-Thursday,” Sokka said into his microphone and fought back a yawn, “For those of you who are new, you can access us on your My Omashu University app and submit anything anonymously that can be chosen to be said. We’ve had people asking for advice, sharing secrets, admissions, even threats but those were less fun.”

“Significantly less. Let’s try to avoid those, guys,” Suki said into the mic and Sokka chuckled.

“So let’s get into it,” Sokka said and turned towards the screen.

“You know, we’re in a different time now,” Suki said to Sokka who nodded enthusiastically.

“Society has a long way to go but many of them are much more accepting now. When I was struggling with accepting I was—well, me—I did the thing that I thought was scariest which was hold another man’s hand in public. It wasn’t a significant other, in fact it was my best friend—but we weren’t stared at or made fun of. We were barely looked at. It took over a year for me to get there, though, and you have to remember that comes with time,” Sokka said.

“See, and I feel like it’s important to get involved with the rest of the community, even if you find out you don’t identify exactly with them. That fear is something people feel every day and a little compassion and empathy can help a lot.”

“That’s some good advice, Suki,” Sokka smiled at her, “I would start with our on campus LGBT group—Queer Space. You don’t even have to identify as anything to attend and it’s just a really accepting environment.”

“That’s a great idea, too. They meet every Wednesday in the Psychology building for those of you interested,” she chimed as Sokka turned back towards the screen.

“Oh, this looks like a confession. Let’s see:

"I miss you and I don’t even know you. I think of you when I’m awake and dream of you when I’m asleep. I don’t know why you’re so different than everyone else but you just are; I hate it and I love it. I think I messed everything up. I always do. I wish I could tell you that and just stop being me for a minute. I’m sorry.”

“Woah, that’s deep,” Suki said.

Sokka’s mouth was dry because it fit, didn’t it? Did it?

“Y-Yeah,” Sokka stumbled, “I know this isn’t asking for advice but uh—“ Suki eyed him carefully, “If I was on the receiving end of that, I would want to hear that apology from you. It may be uncomfortable but sometimes opening up and being painfully honest about everything can get you somewhere.”

“Especially if it was done romantically,” Suki chimed and Sokka broke out of his mind to chuckle.

“Yeah, especially.”

By the time Sokka was off of work, Sokka was more than slightly sleep deprived and even if he wanted to stop by the coffee shop, he wouldn’t. Sokka needed sleep and definitely not caffeine or—or Zuko. Sokka scoffed at the thought and shoved his hands into his pant pockets as he trudged across campus.

Sokka refused to fall into his own mental trap—he refused to believe Zuko cared enough to write to the station.

That was that.

Sokka slept. It wasn’t particularly well or deep but he slept. He woke after a few hours to attend class but he was anxious. Sitting in class was torture—more than usual. In fact, Sokka enjoyed the engineering classes usually but sitting was causing his arms and legs to ache. And as class came to an end, a cold chill washed over him and of course, being sick was just what he needed.

Sokka fell onto his bed.

Normally, he would be making his way to see Zuko before work but, instead, he opted to rest. Sokka closed his eyes and by the time his phone’s alarm began to blare to wake him up, Sokka was clutching desperately at his head and keeping his eyes screwed shut.

His head felt like it was going to split open at any time.

“You okay?” Aang asked from across the room when Sokka groaned.

“No, I think I’m getting sick,” Sokka mumbled.

“You never get sick,” Aang said, “I thought you were immune to germs.”

“Apparently not. I have this overwhelming anxious feeling all the time and I’m just so tired and now my head is killing me—“

“Sokka, have you had any caffeine today?” Aang asked suddenly.

Sokka sat up slowly and looked at him with an annoyed look because he was really tired of thinking about Zuko all the time—the last thing he needed was to talk about him more.

“No, I haven’t.”

“But you’ve had a pretty significant amount of the past two weeks straight, right?”

“Basically, yeah,” Sokka answered, “Why?”

“I think you might be suffering from withdrawal,” Aang chuckled.

Sokka was just annoyed.

“That’s stupid,” was his response.

Sokka’s journey across campus consisted of Sokka reading over the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal according to Google so by the time he showed up to work, he was incredibly irritable (another symptom of caffeine withdrawal, apparently).

“Oh no, you’re in a bad mood again?” Suki asked, exasperated.

“No, apparently I’m just suffering from mild caffeine withdrawal,” Sokka muttered and sank into his seat.

“You didn’t get coffee again today? Did you and Zuko get into a fight or something?” Suki’s question was a joke but the look Sokka gave her quickly quieted her laughing, “What happened?“

“I don’t know the guy,” Sokka muttered, “That’s what it comes down to. There’s no point—“

Suki guffawed.

“You didn’t know me and that sure as hell didn’t stop us from fucking in the back of your car our first year,” Suki said and Sokka rolled his eyes.

“He snapped at me,” Sokka said suddenly but there was no hurt in his voice—it was a statement—a fact, even.

“And? I punched you in the face the first time I met you,” Suki smiled at the thought.

“He looked surprised by it, too,” Sokka said.

“Surprised by his anger?”

“Surprised that he cared. Look, I don’t need to know Zuko well to know that he’s someone who gets angry as a defense mechanism—when he cares about someone or something.”

“You have a type,” Suki chimed.

“Don’t I, though?” Sokka asked and the two shared a laugh.

“So what’s the issue?” Suki asked, “Come on, we’re running out of time here. Just tell me.”

“Maybe I don’t want to make the same mistake—“ Suki’s eyes widened and he sat up suddenly, “No-no-no that’s not—“ he groaned, “You weren’t a mistake but you have to admit, looking back on all failed relationships, isn’t it hard not to see it as a-a waste of time?”

“I guess but, Sokka, I learned so much about me when I was with you. That’s why it was so easy to remain your friend and you aren’t anything like you were when we dated. You’re a lot more down to Earth,” Suki countered.

“And not a misogynistic asshat?” Sokka asked.

“Usually, yeah,” Suki chuckled, “You know what I think your real issue is?”

Sokka already knew whatever she had to say would be right because Suki just knew things, sometimes, and he was so sure this would be one of those times.

“You aren’t used to being the one doing the chasing,” Suki said, “You’re hot with a big personality and that attracts people—even reserved people like Zuko who, I’m sure, could use more open mindedness in their lives. By now, you would’ve taken him into the coffee shop bathroom to get him off and called it a night but you want more and that’s okay, too.”

“I think I’m just—“

“I’m not done. I know you think you have a cursed love life with your past relationships and I know that this guy makes you second guess everything you’ve come to feel comfortable with but maybe that’s worth a shot.”

Yup, Sokka thought. Of course Suki was right.

“Why didn’t we work out, again?” Sokka asked.

“You were too self-involved and I was more focused on finishing my BA,” Suki answered with a smile, “And now, I think we’re better off.”

Sokka nodded because there she went again—being right.

Striding across campus, Sokka had more energy coursing through him than he had in days and he was thankful of that because having this conversation while exhausted wouldn’t have gone well, he was sure. Sokka didn’t enter the coffee shop, however, and instead seated himself on the permanent outdoor table. Zuko would get off in a few minutes and Sokka could only hope the man would talk to him.

Yeah, that was his big plan.

He was the plan guy, after all.

The door opened behind him twenty or so minutes later and the two looked at one another.

“Sokka,” Zuko said quietly.

“Hi, Zuko. How was—uh—How was your shift?” Sokka asked, unmoving from his position as Zuko stepped closer, coming into full view of Sokka.

“Not terrible,” Zuko said, “Yours?”

Sokka shrugged, “Yesterday’s show was much more eventful.”

Zuko’s eyes averted from Sokka’s for just a moment and Sokka nodded slowly because there it was—Sokka could read the man so easily.

“I heard,” Zuko said and Sokka just gave a laugh.

“I’m sure you did.”

“Was it that obvious that it was me?” Zuko muttered so quietly that Sokka wasn’t absolutely certain it was even he who said it.

“No,” Sokka said, “but wishful thinking is a bitch.”

Zuko’s lips rose into a smirk that did reach his golden eyes and Sokka sighed as he rested his forearm on his knee, willing it to stop the subtle shaking from the lingering withdrawal symptoms.

“And the love songs?” Zuko asked slowly.

“Definitely on purpose,” Sokka gave a grin.

Zuko laughed and a hand slipped into his sweatshirt pocket as he spoke, “Thought so.”

“We aren’t very subtle, are we?” Sokka asked, “We aren’t very slick, either.”

“I disagree. You’re—“ Zuko hummed and his eyes lifted to the morning sky as he thought for half a moment, “—enchanting?”

Sokka scoffed because, “You obviously have never met yourself.”

Sokka could see Zuko’s lips part to disagree but the pale barista simply shook his head and crossed his arms; defensive even with compliments.

“Stop it, I can only handle that scowl so much,” Sokka chuckled.

“I do not scowl,” Zuko said, scowling.

Sokka laughed, loud and hard.

“Can I—“ Sokka began through his laughter when he could see Zuko’s lips return to a soft smile, “Can I take you out, by any chance?”

“Oh,” Zuko said suddenly and just as Sokka was about to backpedal on the offer, Zuko continued, “Yeah—Yeah, I’d like that. When were you thinking?”

“I know you just got off work but—uh—now?”

Zuko’s smile was sincere and his eyes softened for the first time as his arms fell to his sides.

“Y-yeah, I’d like that,” Zuko nodded.

Sokka stood and returned the smile, “I know usually you don’t do this until after the date but I’m notorious for doing things out of order so—“

And Sokka leaned forward to close the distance between them in the softest, most chaste first kiss Sokka had experienced in years. Sokka was accustomed to deep, heavy kisses that often led to sex and rarely anything more—but Zuko’s fingers brushed Sokka’s neck as his thumb rubbed across Sokka’s jaw and it was just pure and sensual and hot. Sokka’s grasp was on Zuko’s hip, however, pulling their two bodies against one another if only just to feel the contact—to feel it was real.

And when Zuko’s tongue swept across Sokka’s lip, Sokka moaned and pulled back in mild embarrassment at the noise, covering his mouth. Zuko’s pale cheeks were rosy and his lips were slightly more tinted than before and Sokka cleared his throat.

“Sorry,” Sokka muttered, “I didn’t—You’re just—Let’s get through the date before I start moving too fast.”

Zuko gave a heavy nod and when Sokka turned on his heel to lead the way to a nearby diner, Zuko pressed his fingers to his lips and took a shaky breath.

This would get interesting, they were both sure of that.

[plctitude]

* hailee steinfeld, cis woman + she/her  | you know juliet 'jet' rothschild, right? they’re 24, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, twelve years? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to don't blame me by taylor swift like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole inability to sit properly, constantly tapping her fingers on any surface, never taking shots with chasers, thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is march 15, so they’re a pisces, which is unsurprising, all things considered.

hello ! im gel and this is my little goon jet ! lmk if you wanna plot something

full name : juliet carter rothschild . preferred name / nickname : jet . age : twenty - four . birthday : march 15 . sexual orientation : lesbian . relationship status : single . occupation :  barista , musician , music producer . residence : delphinus heights .

history ––

juliet was born into a loving family in southern virginia , williamsburg to be exact . her family wasn’t loaded but they were comfortable enough that juliet could take guitar and piano and drum lessons and play sports and do basically whatever she wanted to try.

unfortunately for her parents , the drums were what really stuck with her . sure , she can still play the other instruments she learned growing up , but the drums were her safe space , her comfort .

nevertheless , they supported her because she was their little girl and as an only child , it was easy to spoil her . she loves her parents , wouldn’t trade them for anything in the whole world . because they were her whole world .

at 12 , her whole world came crashing down . she doesn’t remember much , if she’s being honest . all she really remembers was being pulled out of school and police officers telling her that her parents wouldn’t be back . they weren’t dead , as far as anyone knew , but they also weren’t anywhere to be found .

so her aunt offers to take her in , and juliet moves to irving . she starts going by jet , eager to leave behind the life she knew back in williamsburg . her aunt goes with it , doesn’t want to upset the 12 year old girl who just became an orphan . neither of them really talk about where her parents are , but they both hope they’re still out there , trying to make it back to her .

it takes a year or two but jet gets used to being in irving . it doesn’t just become her aunt’s town , it becomes hers . and the house in delphinus heights becomes her home , too. and when her aunt gets a girlfriend , who’s then a wife , jet is ecstatic . she loves seeing her aunt happy and in love .

at 15 , jet realizes she doesn’t like boys , she likes girls . she actually comes out to her aunt’s wife first – kind of an accident, really – , but everything goes smoothly and she’s never felt freer . at 16 , she meets a girl , a beautiful girl whose eyes rival the ocean , whose smile lights up her nights . and they fall in love , and it’s wonderful and deep and consuming and healing . but this is when jet learns all good things must come to an end . it’s when she’s running home , tears streaming down her face that she learns what heartbreak really feels like . it’s when she sits at her drum set , hole blown through the snare drum , cymbals crashing to the ground , that she realizes how close hate and love sit on a spectrum .

at 17 , she’s about to graduate and go to college when she changes her mind . she’s not going . her aunt’s not happy about it , but jet’s never really wanted anything but music anyway . so she gets a job , then another job , because ‘ if you’re going to stick around , you’re going to help pay the bills ’ . and it’s the beginning of something beautiful .

at 18, she starts producing her own music . it’s just some simple songs , but it’s a sign of progress nonetheless . she saves up money , uses what’s not for bills and rainy day savings to pay for a class . she learns everything she can about music production , music theory , recording , etc.

at 19, she joins a band , and it goes well until it doesn’t anymore . they’re getting gigs , they’re popular , but it’s breaking from the inside because everyone’s convinced they’re going to be the next big thing and their egos swell to the point where they can’t all fit in the same room anymore .

at 20 , she regroups , focuses on her own stuff again . she does some small producing work on the side , helping other artists who aren’t as well versed with the production stuff . it’s good money , good learning opportunity , and good exposure .

at 21 , she gets a job as a bartender on top of her barista job , hoping to save for her own place in irving . she doesn’t really want to move out but her aunt and her wife are trying to start a family . and she doesn’t want to be in the way .

at 22 , her aunt gets pregnant , and with her wife picking up more shifts to cover the impending financial burden of having a baby , jet decides to stay .

now ––

her parents are still missing , but honestly it’s been so long they may as well be dead . she still misses them , sure , but the whole in her heart isn’t as large as it was when she was 12 . at least not for the same reasons .

she’s still producing music , but it’s become more of her job than a hobby . it’s good money , for the most part , but she wants more time for her stuff .

her aunt gave birth last year and jet spends a lot of time with her cousin , frey . she quit her job as a bartender to take over as a full time babysitter , but she doesn’t mind . she loves playing her music for the little boy , though her aunts are weary about her teaching him the drums when he gets older .

she’s still writing and playing music , but she definitely makes time to go out and have a good time because why not ? someday you could just disappear and you would’ve spent your whole life agonizing over trivial things when you could just ~have fun~

her aunt still wants her to go school , tbh because that’s what her parents would have wanted for her . she struggles to bite back the ‘ well my parents aren’t here ’ on the tip of her tongue every time they have that argument .

personality ––

becoming an orphan at such a young age kind of fucked her up , for the lack of a better term . she developed some anger issues as a teen , most of which she would take out on her drum set . lord only knows how many sticks she’s broken .

she love love loves playing the drums . it’s her absolute favorite thing in the world and it helps her calm down , get through a bad day , or even to make a good day even better . it lets her get a lot of her energy out and to her , it’s really the one thing she can count on to never leave . if she’s not near her drums , she’s probably tapping her foot or tapping her fingers on a table . it’s her go-to fidget move , which can get a little annoying .

her one serious relationship showed her how deep she could fall so she’s decided to not let that happen at all costs . she’s more of a hookup kind of gal , and a bit of a heartbreaker at that , but she’s honest with people . she’s not looking for a relationship . not right now , maybe not ever . once she actually has feelings for someone , she’ll avoid them or do whatever else to get over it . can’t get your heartbroken if you never let anyone near it , right ?

she’s a bit of a partier sometimes , especially when she’s got a lot of pent up energy . basically she’s got two sides , a fun party side and a sweet niece side. she’s got a wicked tolerance for alcohol , to be honest , but that sometimes means she’ll get crossed or not eat just so she can feel drunk faster .

she’s not the greatest barista ( think like almost as bad as rachel from friends ) , but she’s gotten a hell of a lot better than when she first started .

she’s gay so she can’t sit properly ever lmao . she’s more likely to sit on top of a table , rather than the chair at the table .

she’s a bit of a dork with puzzles , like she loves doing puzzles . they’re her favorite way to zone out , but no one is allowed to know this except maybe her best friend(s) bc she has a reputation pls

wcs ––

The Ex Girlfriend™ – it was super deep , super intense , and ended super badly

ride-or-die – been best friends since she came to town , literally inseparable , can always count on the two of them to be getting into trouble back in school

music clients – a singer-songwriter she produces for

unlikely or secret friends ? – not really sure what the reason would be but im sure we could come up with one

ex-hookups , current hookups , future hookups - @women : would love to plot these out ! ( just as a warning though , i do not write smut bc im ~uncomfy~ with that but im down for mentions and flirting )

friends of her aunts or something !

favorite coffee shop customers !

ex-bandmate , ex-clients , high school classmates, etc.

big down for literally anything !

[soybeantree]

pairing: johnny x reader

genre/warning: fluff, magic!au

word count: 3k

description: you hated him. his stupid face smiling. his stupid charisma that would always woo the customers - of which you had no doubt was aided by the use of magic. his stupid cousin - that you actually adored and would kill to have him even notice you, but who continuously chose johnny over you for assistance. and most of all you hated how your lungs forgot their one job whenever he was within 5 feet of you.  

a/n: from the essem: rosemary by moonlight universe. not necessary to read that first, but some things may not make complete sense.

"I'd like an iced caramel Frappuccino with low fat milk and a pump of pep. To go." The customer rattles off her order as she approaches the counter, never sparing you a greeting or even a glance. From her clean-cut bob to her khaki shorts and salmon button down, you know exactly how this conversation is going to go.

Contorting your cheeks into your best customer service smile and using your most pleasant tone, you inform her, "I'm sorry ma'am, but any drinks with magical add-ins must be consumed within the cafe."

Now, she glances at you, her wallet poised in her hand as her face falls into what you refer to as the entitled scowl. "Excuse me?"

“Any drinks with magical add-ins must be consumed within the café.” You repeat, despite the fact that you enunciated clearly the first time. To help with any possible confusion, you gesture to the bright golden script at the bottom of the menu which states the same.

The woman scoffs, and you inhale a deep, imperceptible breath. “Why?” Indignation laces the word and colors her cheeks red.

Many reasons. Most of which revolve around negligence and exploitation, but that explanation drags. Reminding yourself that you want this job and have jumped through hoops to get it, you dredge up every ounce of patience in your body. With a smile still in place, you say. “We strive to abide by the standards set forth within the Council’s Magical Charter. I would be more than happy to complete your order, but any drink with magical add-ins must be consumed on property.”

“I-“ You brace yourself for the entitled tirade, but the woman’s face melts into a bewildered smile. A glance over your shoulder reveals the reason. Johnny, your fellow barista, stands behind you, his cheeks pulled back by a swoon worthy grin. 

With a sigh, you step away from the counter and let Johnny work his magic. Quite literally. Johnny, like you, has the skill of enchantment. As a member of the Essem Family, he has had access to training and knowledge all his life. You on the other hand come from a no name family who has one grimoire passed down from generation to generation, and the two-page section on enchantment only works for curing melancholy. 

In moments, Johnny has the woman pacified with an iced caramel Frappuccino with low fat milk and no pump of pep, to go. She sends him another smile before she nearly collides with the door on her way out. After a giggle which Johnny echoes, she is gone, and you’re ready to vomit. 

"Did you add a shot of charm to your coffee this morning?" You ask as you resume your position.

Johnny flashes you a grin while raising a single smug eyebrow. "No, I'm just naturally this charming." You gag as you turn away which elicits a chuckle from him. “What, you don’t think I’m charming?”

“I think you are a talented witch.” You say as you reorganize your station. While leaning over the counter to schmooze the woman, Johnny managed to throw the entire place into disarray. You return the business cards to their holder and the pencils to their cup.

“You really think I’m using magic when I calm irritated customers?” 

A twang in his voice draws your attention back to him. Glancing over your shoulder, your stomach twists. For such a tall man, he can make himself appear so small. His shoulders hunch in as he fiddles with the ties on his apron. The posture throws his long bangs into his eyes, obscuring them from your scrutiny.

The answer to his question is “yes”, but the answer brews from a petty spite which you stoke every time Minseok, the café’s owner and the foremost expert on enchantment magic, chooses him as an assistant over you. The whole reason you strived for a position at the café was to become Minseok’s apprentice, but every day he chooses Johnny to help with his brews. While you enjoy blaming Johnny, you know the favoritism is due to the inclusiveness of the covens. After all, Johnny is Minseok’s cousin. 

“Since when do you care what I think? I thought I was just the hired help.” 

His head snaps up, the ties of his apron forgotten as he gazes into your eyes. The contact cools your spite, and it sours. Your stomach rolls at the discomfort, and you clear your throat and return to your reorganization.  

“Minseok doesn’t hire just anyone to help in the café.”

You know this. You badgered him for a job ever since Johnny told you about his cousin and his café. Minseok had been the sole employee for years after the café’s inception, hiring Johnny only when the café’s popularity grew. Eventually, the work became too much for the two of them, and rather than hire a qualified enchantment witch, Minseok had hired the girl with little-to-no skill who practically lived at the shop.

“Whatever.” You grumble as you throw another pencil into the holder. The force sends the jar spinning. It falls on its side spilling its contents across the counter. With a growl, you reach for the scattered pencils, but Johnny’s long arms reach around you. The pencils disappear into one hand as his other rights the holder before returning the contents. 

You duck out from under Johnny’s unintentional embrace, your cheeks burning. He has to be using his magic. You hold tight to this belief as you breathe to calm your racing heart. 

“Minseok likes having you here. You’re as detail oriented as he is.” Johnny nods to the front and back counters both of which have everything in their place and a place for everything. “I’m pretty certain you’re the only person in the world who understands his organizational method.”

“It’s not that hard. Ingredients are organized first by purchase date and then alphabetical. Supplies are..." You trail off as you catch sight of Johnny’s smirk out of the corner of your eye. “You really expect me not to think you’re using magic when you always seem to know exactly what to say to distract me?”

He shrugs, but his smirk only grows. “There are other reasons, I might know that.” Before you can question him further, the bell above the front door jingles. “Duty calls.” He tips his head to you before disappearing back into the brewing room. 

With a deep breath, you shove the conversation from your mind and rattle off the customary greeting as you turn to face the new customer. 

“Good morning, Y/N. How goes the grind?” You blink a moment as your brain registers that your cousin is here. She misses your confusion as she is too busy chuckling at her pun.

"It’s great. How goes your fruitless endeavor to start a school of magic?"

She scowls which brings a genuine smile to your face. "It's not fruitless. It's slow moving because covens are full of stuck up assholes who refuse to share their knowledge because of what? They're afraid it will diminish their power and their prestige. They need to get their heads out of their asses and think about how much better the world would be if we all worked together and shared our knowledge." 

This tirade is as familiar as the Entitled tirade. "And yet, you always get coffee at an Essem café?" You comment as you punch her order into the register.

"Minseok has the best coffee.” She hands you her card. “Everyone in the city knows that. Everyone in the world probably knows it too."

"But you're supporting the coven with the most stuck up assholes." You return the card to her.

"You're working at the coffee shop."

"But I don't have the same issues with them that you do." Not mostly at least. You would appreciate it if Minseok occasionally asked you back into the brewing room. 

She shrugs. “Did you place that order for here or to go?”

“To go?” You raise a brow. 

“I need it for here.”

“Why?” You stretch the word into two syllables. 

“Because I’m staying here.” Rolling your eyes, you adjust the order. "I'm supposed to be meeting up with Yuri." She explains as she checks her watch. "But, she's late as usual."

Your finger pauses above the register as you gawk at your cousin. "Yuri? As in the hedge-witch of the Stahn Family?"

"Yuri is much more than a hedge witch."

"Okay, whatever,” You hold up your hands, stopping whatever tirade she will surely start. “But she’s a Stahn and this is an Essem cafe?"

"Yes,” she crosses her arm, and there is no stopping this coming tirade. “Why is it so hard to understand what me and the Fantagios are trying to do? We want to create a world where people can see beyond their family covens and share knowledge for the benefit of the world."

Leaning forward, you shorten the distance between you and your cousin. The more heated she becomes the louder she gets. The customers have already started to side eye her, and the last thing you need is for Johnny and, especially, Minseok to hear her. "That's great and all. But your dream is not reality and you agreed to meet up with a Stahn on Essem territory. They're basically mortal enemies. This could end in bloodshed, and I could lose my job because I'm related to you."

"Calm down. Yuri wouldn't have agreed to meet here if she was worried for her safety."

You swallow your rebuttal as you hear the hinges of the brewing room door squeak. Your cousin’s eyes grow to the size of saucers, and you wonder why Minseok is delivering her coffee. He rarely leaves the brewing room, leaving all the deliveries to Johnny.

Minseok extends a mug to your cousin who whimpers a “thank you” as she takes it. She sips. Her cheeks flush, but whether that is due to Minseok or the heat of the coffee only your cousin knows. 

“Is it good?” Minseok’s question raises one of your brows. In the year and a half that you’ve been working for Minseok, you have never heard him ask a customer’s opinion of his work. Pink tinges the tips of his ears, and you have to refrain from pinching yourself. Maybe, this whole day has been a dream.

“It’s delicious.” Your cousin, the queen of social justice tirades, simpers.

The nausea from earlier returns as you suffer through the ensuing conversation. Despite your effort to tune it out, you hear Minseok comment on your cousin’s frequent visits to the café. She explains that you’re her cousin, which you wish she would have left out given what is about to happen, and that he makes the best coffee in the city. His whole ears brighten at the compliment, the red creeping into his cheeks. Surely, a customer is bound to come in soon and end this disgusting display of emotions.

“Y/N can keep you company while you wait.”

 Your name snaps your attention back to the conversation. You blink as you search your brain for the lead into the statement but find nothing. “What?”

 “I was telling Uko,” Your cousin must have introduced herself while you attempted disassociation, “that you can take your break early to wait with her.”

“Oh, I mean sure if you’re okay with that.” The look on Minseok’s face screams that he would be okay with anything that your cousin wanted. 

“Go ahead.” He motions for you to be on your way, and with a slight nod, you head into the brewing room which offers the exit into the main area.

Johnny, busy at a cauldron, eyes you as you walk past him and remove your apron. “Where are you going?”

“I’m taking my break.” You say with a shake of your head as you hang your apron on its hook.

A glance at the clock scrunches up Johnny’s face and puffs out his already large lips. “But, your break’s in an hour?”

“Listen,” you say, turning to face him completely. “I don’t know what I just witnessed out there.” You gesture to the door behind which you are certain the uncomfortable situation is continuing. “But, Minseok said go to break, so I am going to break.”

“What did you witness?” Johnny grabs a mortar and pestle from the counter and adds three pinches to his cauldron. A faint smell of strawberries wafts through the room bringing with it the image of sunlight fields and a gentle breeze. He’s brewing happiness. The ingredient he added was green. Was it an herb? A stone? A mixture of different things? “Y/N?”

“What?” Your mind snaps back to the moment as you remember that Johnny did ask a question. “Is your cousin dating anyone?” You ask rather than answer.

Johnny pauses mid-stir and stares at you. “No.” He draws out the word as he slowly starts to stir the cauldron counter clockwise. “Are you asking for a friend?”

Your eyes narrow at his tone. “No, I’m asking because he’s currently flirting with my cousin, and it’s gross.”

“What?!” His whole face lights up, and he nearly spills the cauldron in his haste to reach the door to the order counter. Sprinting across the room, you reach the door before he does and block it with your body.

“What are you doing?” You pant as your lungs struggle to refill.

“Our family, at least the cool people in our family, have a bet going that Minseok has a wife and two kids in hiding or that he is a celibate monk. I bet that he hasn’t found the right one. Now move, so I can prove I was right and win the bet.” He tries to shove you to the side, but you dig your heels in and refuse to budge. “Come on.” He whines, pulling his bottom lip up into a pout.

“If you want me to move, then you had better use your magic because this is already ridiculous enough.” Fortifying yourself for the oncoming attack, you blink in surprise when Johnny steps back with a shrug.

“I don’t need to. I can ask Minseok about it when he comes back here.” He returns to the cauldron. The potion has turned a putrid shade of green, and Johnny hisses as he tries to fix the problem. 

Staying would provide you valuable knowledge, but Minseok has yet to approve your assistance with the brewing. Staying also means you would witness the next installment of this non-thrilling saga.

Minseok and your cousin are still talking when you exit the brewing room into the main area. They probably haven’t even realized how long you’ve been gone or that their conversation was almost interrupted by an overly inquisitive mind.  

“There’s a free table over there.” You bust into the middle of a conversation about magical vs. non-magical cleaning products. 

“Right.” Your cousin looks to you, then back to Minseok. “It was very nice talking with you.” Her smile stretches across her face. “Maybe we could talk more later.”

Minseok’s smile is more subdued than your cousin’s, but it’s more than what you witness on a typical Tuesday. “Yes, I would like that.”

“Minseok.” Johnny’s head pops out of the brewing room. “I need your help with something.” The stench of rotten fruit leaks through the open door. Minseok mutters a quick apology before disappearing into the brewing room. 

You take a seat at the free table, a smug smile on your face. Your cousin is slower to take her seat, her smile still in place. “Is this really the first time you’ve met Minseok?” You ask when she finally settles in her seat.

“Yes,” she answers though her eyes remain on the brewing room door. “He had already graduated when I started high school. I heard about him from the upperclassmen, but they did not do him justice. He is one fine man.”

“Gross. Can you take your thirsty ass and get out of my place of work?”

“You work in a coffee shop, a place where thirsty people are literally supposed to come.” She quips back, finally glancing at you.

“Please, people don’t come to cafes because they’re thirsty. They come to work, socialize, or take aesthetic photos, and maybe sometimes for caffeine.” 

Before she can formulate a rebuttal, the bell above the front door jingles, and in walks the reason for your cousin’s visit. In your disgust, you had forgotten the threat to your job. Panic races through your veins as your attention shifts to the counter. You wish for all the luck in the world, but luck abandons you. Instead of Johnny coming to greet the new customer, Minseok emerges once again. Habit controls him as he smiles and gives the customary greeting. Only after the last word leaves his mouth does recognition register in his eyes. 

"Yuri." The name is a question and a greeting.

The hedge-witch tilts her head a fraction of a degree in the semblance of a nod. "Minseok." She returns the greeting. You wait - breath held, heart racing - for the coming altercation.

"Kyungsoo's been looking for you. He seems to be worried about something. Is everything okay?"

"You can mind your own damn business." She huffs, her arms crossing over her chest.

You flinch, but Minseok chuckles. "I'm merely a messenger."

"Well messenger, you can tell Kyungsoo - and please make this verbatim - 'I'm fine. Thank you. You can suck my dick'."

Minseok jots the message down on his guest check book, glancing up at Yuri when he finishes. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all."

"Would you like to order anything?"

"Hell, no. I'm here to meet with someone." She glances around the shop. 

You shrink down in your chair, hoping to avoid detection, but your cousin shreds that hope. She waves her hand, drawing both of their attention to you two. Minseok’s eyes rest on you for a moment before shifting to your cousin. 

Yuri returns the wave as she walks to your table. "Hey Uko, sorry I'm late. The potion needed to brew a little longer this morning than I anticipated. I blame this muggy weather. It's messing with everything I make. Is this your cousin?" She nods to you as she plunks into the last of the three chairs at your table. Uko nods her head. "Nice to meet you."

"You might not think it's so nice. She works here."

A hiss slips out as Yuri shakes her head. "Why must the young always be corrupted?"

"Don't worry. I might not have a job for much longer." You sigh as you push yourself out of your chair. "Breaks over. I’ll find out soon enough if I do or not."

"Minseok might be an Essem, but he's not going to fire you because you have a connection to me.” Yuri assures you. “If he does though, let me know and I'll kick his ass." Yuri grins, showing all of her teeth, and you chuckle despite the anxieties waging war in your stomach.

Walking back into the brewing room, you grab your apron and slip it on while keeping your back to Minseok and Johnny. With a deep breath, you turn to face them. Johnny stands over the cauldron which is a deep forest green and simmering pleasantly. You breathe in the smell of strawberries and hope the happiness has rubbed off on Minseok who is standing beside Johnny and whispering instructions. 

With a glance up, Minseok pats Johnny on the shoulder and walks towards you. Lifting leaden feet, you meet him by the door to the ordering counter. 

A volley of words waits on your tongue, but they retreat when Minseok asks, “Can you give this to your cousin?” The “this” he is referring to is a folded scrap of paper.

You take the paper, nodding as you slip it into the back pocket of your jeans. “Sure. What is it?”

A small smile lifts his cheeks, and his voice is soft when he says, “My number.”

You choke on your response, and you can hear Johnny chuckling as you attempt to regain your breath. Minseok offers to get you a drink, but you wave off his concern. “What?” You finally manage to get out.

“I forgot to ask for your cousin’s number when we were talking.” He pouts. “I was hoping you would give her mine and tell her she can text me whenever.” 

“Sure.” You pause before asking, “Should I go back to work now?”

“Of course.” His response is instantaneous and a flood of relief washes through you. “And thank you.” He adds, the corners of his mouth quirking up. With a nod, he returns to Johnny’s side. 

Exiting the brewing room, you shake your head. On the plus side, you still have your job. On the negative side, your cousin might start dating your boss which may not be a complete negative but it definitely isn’t a positive.

[petals-and-bullets]

Mondays

Pairing: Reader x Duff

Word Count: 755

Info: Partner fic to this moodboard. Mondays sucked; the weather always sucked, you had a hands-on boss who sucked, and you just wanted a cup of coffee. But even that seemed to suck, too.

Coffee shops were pretty much the best place in the world. Especially the little independent ones that were tucked away from the main streets of the cities that had quirky baristas and owners, or had specialised lattes and cappuccinos that had strange names. It wasn’t like you wanted to avoid the mainstream shops, it was just that the smaller shops were way better – and cheaper too, at times. But one particular shop had your attention – well, it was more like a particular barista – because of one situation.

You were like Garfield; Mondays sucked. They were the worst days in the world, and you hated every damn second of Mondays. But this one particular Monday just seemed like the universe had it out for you, from the second you woke up. Your umbrella broke and it was pouring down with rain, then your bus arrived twenty minutes late so you showed up exceptionally late to work. Your boss was his usual creepy, hands-on self, and by the time you finished your shift you were prepared to cry. So when you reached the shop that seemed to offer some sort of sustenance, you prayed to what ever deity was up there that they’d serve you.

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case – the blonde man behind the counter had already stacked the chairs on the tables, and he was evidently prepared to pack up and head home. You, however, weren’t ready for that. So you quickly made your way to the counter and slapped down a twenty, eyes boring holes into his.

“I’ll give you a tip of twenty if you just make me a coffee. Please,” you almost demanded, only to furrow your brows as he began to shake his head.

“Sorry, but I’ve literally just shut up for the day. I can’t just- Hey, you okay?”

His eyes widened in worry as you pretty much burst into tears before him. Its not like you intended to start crying, but today had just been such an awful day that everything built up to a point that you couldn’t help it.

“Okay, okay… I’ll make you a coffee, and you don’t have to worry about the tip or paying, okay? We can talk about what’s bothering you, just… Stop crying,” he pleaded, before he grabbed a few napkins and held them out to you, which you pretty much snatched off him in the hopes of drying your eyes. You knew he wanted to go home, but the fact he was willing to listen to you was enough to make you sit on the barstool and immediately rant about your day, and how you hated your boss and your job and Mondays.

You were there for at least an hour and a half, and you eventually discovered his name was Duff – something you had quirked a brow at – and that he had been employed in the shop for the past two years.  According to him, punk was never dead, but nothing was better than having a latte and a croissant, and you couldn’t help but agree.

“You know, if you hate your job so much, you can just look for other jobs and then quit as soon as you get a new one available to you.”

“… I didn’t think of it like that,” you eventually muttered after a moment’s pause, and wrapped your hands around the cup he placed in front of you.

“Well, not many people do. If it really is an issue, though, just kick the guy in the balls,” he continued, and he shrugged as if it were the simplest thing to think of and he was a genius for thinking of it. Perhaps he was, but you were too busy admiring the determined look in his eyes as he considered his words.  You couldn’t deny it, though. It was most certainly tempting to kick your ass of a boss in the balls, but you didn’t know if you would risk being arrested for assault just for a moment of satisfaction.

“Seriously, try it. It works wonders,” Duff grinned at you, and his eyes sparkled with mischief before he picked up the empty cups and dropped them in the sink. After a moment of thought, you grinned and stood, shrugging as you tucked your wallet into your bag.

“Maybe I will. Thanks, Duff.”

“Come back soon, you hear?”

You smiled at the mischievous smile he gave you, and you waved before walking out of the shop. Perhaps Mondays weren’t as bad you thought.

[dumbepiphany]

26 Klance Fanfiction Recommendations

There is a heck of a lot of good Klance fanfiction out there. And while some may be easy to find because of how popular they are, there are many others that are buried in the depths of ao3 that I feel like more people should be reading!!

A lot of these are quite popular fics that you probably would have heard of already, but I hope there’s something in here that’s new, and that you’ll enjoy reading!

All are recommended for Teen And Up Audiences, so please be mindful!

1. Hearts Don’t Break Around Here

By Klancekorner on AO3

Description: Lance and Keith have been best friends since first grade. Lance’s brain is always on overdrive and Keith’s blunt, realistic ass can never keep up. They both come to realize that sometimes you can learn a lot about loving yourself by loving someone else.

Words: 135,555 | Chapters: 13/13 | Warnings: creator chose not to use

My note: This is my absolute favourite Klance fic. Childhood friends to lovers- what more could one ask for?

2. Squad Up

By astralscrivener on AO3

Description: In which the team is in high school, and Lance makes a group chat (ft. college graduates Shiro, Matt, and Allura). (A generic bandwagon chatfic because why are these so fun to write????)

Words: 327,144 | Chapters: 140/140 | Warnings: none

My note: The chatfic format is super fun to read. A lot of fluff!!

3. A Midsummer Night’s Meme

By astralscrivener on AO3

Description: Same group chat, new shenanigans. Or, the team's final summer before Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Shay begin college, as Pidge navigates the waters of young love, Keith and Shiro deal with family issues, Lance has a trip to Cuba, and more. Sequel to Squad Up.

Words: 79,457 | Chapters: 27/27 | Warnings: none

My note: If you read Squad Up, you must read the sequel! The storyline is really cool and the boys are Soft:)

4. Ignorance is Bliss

By YouAreInAComaWakeUp (Nikanaiko) on AO3

Description: As it turns out, learning that your house is haunted makes the ghosts a lot more aggressive. Who knew? Ah, well. At least one of them is hot. And he's the less-evil one, too, so that's always a plus.

Words: 172,675 | Chapters: 30/30 | Warnings: graphic depictions of violence

My note: Oh God this fic. C’mon, it’s Ghost Keith and Human Lance... and they bond... need I say more?

5.   Shut Up and Dance With Me

By wittyy_name on AO3

Description: Lance and his friends have been regulars at the Altea Dance Studio for years. Not just for classes, but to hang out, practice, and spend time with good people who love dancing. Every year, they audition to be one of the few representing Altea at the regional dance competition. Lance always auditions solo, but this year he misses out on auditions and blows his chance to participate. And so does his self-proclaimed rival, Keith. Luckily, Shiro comes up with a brilliant plan: convince Lance and Keith to audition as a duo.With a little convincing, and a lot of effort, these two might just be able to pull it off and go to regionals... or they might crash and burn.

Words: 249,827 | Chapters: 15/15 | Warnings: none

My note: One of the first fics I read. Super sweet and fluffy, great storyline, complete with art by wolfpainters! Tbh any dance AU fic is a good fic

6. Chivalry is Dead

By Sheksper on AO3

Description: Prince Lance was an adventurer. That was all there was to it. So, when he's suddenly assigned a new knight to follow him around, all Lance can think is that his freedom is being taken away, and it's all because of the red-clad, mullet boy named Keith, who is honestly just trying not to lose his job on the first day.

Words: 61,071 | Chapters: 17/17 | Warnings: graphic depictions of violence

My note: Prince Lance and Knight Keith is a concept to die for and it’s written so so well in this story!!

7. Nothing’s Quite As Sweet

By dimpleforyourthoughts on AO3

Description: Keith is a barista who hates his job. Lance works at the cat shelter across the street.

Words: 50,369 | Chapters: 1/1 | Warnings: none

*You need to have an account to be able to see this fic!*

My note: A traditional must-read cafe/cat shelter fic! It’s got coffee and cats... the Softness levels are through the roof

8. The Fallen and the Wandering

By creeshtar on AO3

Description: Keith was born into a world of ice and darkness, with no sun to rise or stars to shine. In spite of humanity’s best efforts, the world is meeting a slow, but certain doom, which can only be stopped if the sun is found and replaced in the sky. Keith, meanwhile, is content to collect stars and eventually replace them in the sky, alongside a new partner that he can’t seem to help but gravitate towards--until a mysterious person with inhuman power goes on a warpath to find the sun for herself. Keith and his partner are unwittingly thrown into the race to find the sun first, only for Keith to discover, to his dismay, that it may be closer than he could’ve ever wanted.

Words: 106,108 | Chapters: 12/12 | Warnings: creator chose not to use

My note: The writing and the AU concept is gorgeous and intriguing, props to the author for the world-building and the gratuitous fluff and angst!!

9. Love Interest

By iwriteshipsnotsailthem on AO3

Description: Lance is getting his big American debut on a new T.V series called Voltron. He's excited and nervous about how amazingly talented and famous his cast members are. But most importantly Lance is anticipating meeting his character -Leandro's- love interest in the show. Who happens to played by the be mega famous, mega hot Keith Kogane. But due to a misunderstanding during their first encounter, Lance now thinks Keith is the biggest jerk alive. Keith now has to try and fix it, for the sake of the show, and also for the sake of their on screen romance, which may start venture off screen as well.

Words: 195,400 | Chapters: 50/50 | Warnings: creator chose not to use

My note: If you love Klance and you love Leakira, then get ready for... Klance as actors portraying Leakira!!

10. (Unofficially) VLD- Season 9

By hoelko on AO3

Description: The Universe has been saved. The war is over. Voltron is no longer needed. But that's the thing about the Universe. It's always getting bigger.

Words: 225,777 | Chapters: 15/15 | Warnings: none

My note: This fic was everything the fandom deserved but never got. Hoelko is our God. Worship this fic.

11. ‘Til We Meet the Dawn

By angstinspace on AO3

Description: Keith is a mage and Lance is a knight, and they've been best friends since childhood. For years, Keith has known that Lance carries a dark secret: that if he doesn't kiss his true love before he turns twenty, he'll die. Now only three days remain before Lance's twentieth birthday, and Keith and Lance are sent on a dangerous quest to rescue Romelle––who Lance believes will be the one to break his curse. But what he doesn't know is that Keith is already hopelessly in love with him.

Words: 75,242 | Chapters: 1/1 | Warnings: none

My note: Magic! Fantasy! Knights! Curses! True love! Angst! Fluff! All that good jazz rolled into one glorious fic!!

12. Follow My Lead

By Klancekorner on AO3

Description: Becoming “hook-up buddies” with Lance Sanchez was just supposed to be a small, insignificant fraction of Keith’s life. But of course, things don’t work out that way at all. aka a Friends w/ Benefits AU that nobody asked for where Lance wears sleeveless hoodies, plays basketball in abandoned parking lots, and follows his dreams, and Keith comes from a high class, reputable family who never let him have any dreams of his own. They go home with each other and don't expect it to matter until it totally does.

Words: 117,792 | Chapters: 14/14 | Warnings: NSFW

My note: Everyone needs a little bit of no-strings-attached-turns-into-catching-feelings in their life! Just be careful with the nsfw!

13. Something Just Like This

By Klancekorner on AO3

Description: Keith reluctantly becomes the counselor for the Red Cabin at Camp Voltron, a summer camp in the middle of buttfuck nowhere that his older brother Shiro has worked at for years. Already unhappy with the current position that he is in, Keith prepares himself for a boring, sweaty, miserable summer; and his frustration only grows when he meets the counselor for the Blue Cabin- an insufferable asshole with a horrible sense of humor, a devilish smirk, an inexplicable animosity towards the Red Cabin, and a smile that literally looks like the sun. Needless to say Keith is really, really unprepared for the next three months.

Words: 58,800 | Chapters: 12/12 | Warnings: NSFW

My note: A Very Soft Fic. A truly Soft Soft Fic. It has little kids in it,, it’s adorable and fluffy,, makes you squeal into your pillow,, please read!

14. The Marks We Make

By wittyy_name on AO3

Description: Lance McClain constantly dreams of the day he'll finally meet his mysterious soulmate. They don't say much, if anything at all, but they leave him with gorgeous paintings temporarily tattooing his skin. It's not exactly the situation he hoped for, but when he feels the connection between them, he can't bring himself to resent them. As much as he wishes his soulmate would just talk to him, he's resigned himself to being patient. In the meantime, he has a loving family and good friends to help him get by. Keith Kogane dreads the day he'll finally meet his obnoxious soulmate. He's just an art student who's struggling to find his place in the world. There's so much he hasn't been able to control in his life, and the thought of having a soulmate, just another thing in his life which he also has no control over yet can't do anything about, is a little terrifying. So he ignores the words that occasionally appear on his skin. He has other things to focus on: like being a new student at a big university where his childhood friend and step-brother go.

Words: 255,302 | Chapters: 12/12 | Warnings: none

My note: The soulmate AU that everyone needed. Complete with art by wolfpainters!

15. Lucky in Rivalry

By iwriteshipsnotsailthem on AO3

Description: After moving back to his hometown after ten years, Keith is being shoved back into the life of an unexpected individual who was his so called 'rival' from music school. How is Keith supposed to explain to Lance that he hasn't sung for a crowd in all those years after his disappearance? Lance is the town's favourite gig at Voltron Cafe. He's lively and has the voice that makes girls go weak. He's also one half of the cutest couple in school. Him and Lotor are what everyone wants in a relationship, but behind closed doors it's a bit of a different story. How much more can Lance take before he cracks?

Words: 134,484 | Chapters: 45/45 | Warnings: creator chose not to use

My note: True love, music and singing, high school drama, this fic has the whole lot! Give it a go, you won’t regret!!

16. Drummer Boy

By Klancekorner on AO3

Description: Lance is 100%, without a doubt, straight. He has the perfect girlfriend and has never wanted anything more. But suddenly his world is being turned upside down by the boy playing the drums at his local bar--a boy who happens to be very good looking, very gay, and very very interested in Lance. aka: Good-Boy Lance has a crisis when he meets Keith because he's so damn attractive, and Keith is a little ho that is way too promiscuous and open about his sexuality. The become friends. Confusion and sexual tension ensue.

Words: 50,188 | Chapters: 11/11 | Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, rape/non-con

My note: This one is a great read, but it’s a pretty sexy fic. Read the warnings and stay safe, avoid it if it isn’t your cup of tea!

17. On Thin Ice

By anonimina on AO3

Description: This multi-chapter fic chronicles the lives of a hockey player named Keith who gets enlisted into figure skating lessons by his brother, Shiro, to "work on his footwork". There he meets a pompous - yet talented - figure skater named Lance and gets swept away by both the sport and the skater. Or: the not-so-simple story of two people trying to navigate the complexities of living in an ever changing world and face the traumas they've buried far away from the sunlight.

Words: 205,795 | Chapters: 11/11 | Warnings: none

My note: Figure skating and hockey playing! This fic is emotional and fluffy and very very adorable! Just a warning- it’s unfinished, so the last chapter is basically a summary and dot points of what the planned ending was!

18. Life After Death

By taylortot on AO3

Description: Fear clambers into his mouth and tastes bitter on his tongue. “Who are you?” It takes him a moment to register the sound of his own voice. She stares at him. Blinks. “Lance, please, this isn’t time for one of your jokes--” He furrows his eyebrows and struggles to sit up, to stop leaning into the cradle of her arms. “I’m not--I’m not...joking.” * After sacrificing himself to save Allura, Lance wakes up in a strange new world where the only thing he knows is a deep connection to a boy he doesn't remember.

Words: 90,074 | Chapters: 13/14 | Warnings: none

My note: The Feels. The Feels are strong with this one. Memory loss always hits super hard, be prepared for angst (but also comfort and fluff!)

19. Homesick at Space Camp

By Kobot on AO3

Description: Lance realizes he's been an asshole to Keith, and on a diplomatic mission to a key planet for the Voltron alliance he... overcompensates.

Words: 74,280 | Chapters: 15/15 | Warnings: graphic depictions of violence

My note: Fake marriage AU! FA K E M a R Ri A G E AU!!! Need I say more?

20. I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor

By xShieru on AO3

Description: "So like in 'Step Up'?" Allura shrugs. "Now that you put it like that - yes. I guess it's just like in 'Step Up'." The smile that she sends Shiro's way - followed by a shy wave, eugh - is sickening to say the least, and Lance still doesn't believe in dance camps. Lance McClain's dancing career begins and ends with Keith. Keith just wants to find out what Lance's deal is.

Words: 43,295 | Chapters: 7/7 | Warnings: none

My note: A steamy, fluffy dancing AU fic! I read this ages ago so I can’t really remember what happened but it was GOOD!!

21. Watercast

By fishwrites on AO3

Description: Shiro has been a Galra prisoner for over a year; with his flight feathers clipped and unable to fly. Desperate to escape, he jumps overboard while being transported to the capitol on a Galran ship. Lance is a merman who saves him from drowning. Keith thinks Shiro is about to become mermaid dinner. Hunk just wants Lance to stop going to the surface all the time, dammit! (AU where Avians (winged folk), Galra, humans and merfolk cohabit earth. Shiro and Keith are avian soldiers, Lance is the youngest son of a Queen, Hunk is also a merman and Pidge is still looking for her family. They get caught up in a war.)

Words: 205,901 | Chapters: 15/16 | Warnings: graphic depictions of violence

My note: Avian Keith and Merman Lance is the forbidden love story that everyone needs in their life tbh. It’s been on hiatus for a while so idk about the final chapter, but it’s definitely worth a read!

22. Call Me, Beep Me

By orphan_account on AO3

Description: Where lance messages the wrong number and things kind of snowball from there.

Words: 85,591 | Chapters: 10/10 | Warnings: none

My note: Arguably the most popular Klance fanfic (after Dirty Laundry of course)! You’ve probably heard of it, but if not, do read!! Wrong number fics are a godsend

23. Calling Me to Come Back

By aknightley on AO3

Description: Keith is a witch who owns a shop where he breaks curses on both magical items and people under spells. Love spells, family curses passed down generations, cursed heirlooms lurking the attic -- he can handle them all. But one day a boy named Lance walks into his shop, and his curse is darker and more difficult to break than anything Keith has ever seen before: the curse is draining his magic, and without his magic, Lance will die.

Words: 50,464 | Chapters: 1/1 | Warnings: none

My note: Will Witch Keith break Lance’s curse, or will Lance die!?!?!? And will they fall in love along the way???!?! Read on to find out:D

24. Say My Name (And Every Colour Illuminates)

By parchmints on AO3

Description: Lance never thought he had a soulmate, but when he finds himself dreaming about a boy on Varadero Beach and in a southwestern desert, he learns they have an incredibly rare soul link–-one that allows them to form an unusually strong bond before they meet, but also exposes their greatest vulnerabilities to each other.

Words: 27,833 | Chapters: 1/1 | Warnings: none

My note: Really well-written, relatively short but so so sweet! Another soulmate AU (honestly one of my favourite AUs) except this time it’s dreamscape:)

25. Video Killed the Radio Star

By europa_report on AO3

Description: In which Keith is the guy who suddenly finds himself a single-parent to his two nieces, and Lance is the charming radio host who might be his only voice of reason in this mess.

Words: 69,468 | Chapters: 11/11 | Warnings: none

My note: This is so cute, I almost cried. Any fic with kl interacting with little children is an instant KO for my heart:’)

26. Smile for the Stars

By maIikcutie on AO3

Description: Though he's been dealt many bad cards, Lance isn't sure he can handle this one: winding up stranded, a million lightyears away from home, with only Keith to keep him company. The universe is cruel.

Words: 72,921 | Chapters: 9/9 | Warnings: major character death

My note: Please don’t read unless you are prepared for a MAJOR character death! If you’re up for it, prepare a box of tissues, and good luck, my friend!

And that’s all for my list! Hope you found something to your liking, happy reading folks!

[marxist-feminist]

“I have never voted for a candidate in my life. But I will be voting for Bernie Sanders in the democratic primary and the general election. If I’m doing that, there are probably tens of millions in that same position. Let me explain why I’m doing this now:

I’ve spoken out many times over the years about the dangers that electoral politics hold for mass movements- reducing involvement to this one moment, this one person, and making it unclear to masses of people that power under capitalism comes at the point of exploitation. That politicians are beholden to the ruling class- not simply due to campaign financing (although that’s part of it) But that they are beholden to those who wield power through control of the economy- by taking the wealth that we create with our labor and controlling industry, controlling markets. And that elections, often leave people feeling disempowered after- if their candidate wins, people take a “let’s wait and see” attitude. If their candidate loses, people either wait or organize for the next election. Never creating a mass movement at the point of contradiction under capitalism, which would mean organizing on the job in a way that could withhold labor collectively and shut down industry when necessary.

I believe that we need a world in which the people democratically control the wealth that we create with our labor. This would be real, actual power in the hands of the people. Actual “democracy”. You can call that communism, you can call it socialism, you can call it pancakes. I don’t give a fuck what you call it, but that’s the world that we need.

Right now, we have a new era in the movements we see growing in the US. Several polls over the last few years- Gallup polls, university polls, polls by rightwing think tanks- have consistently shown that 51% of millennials would prefer a socialism and 43% of all age demographics in the US would prefer socialism. If you account for the folks that wouldn’t say that to a stranger on the phone, I’d bet that those numbers are higher.

Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen things like the Anti-Iraq War movement mobilize literal millions of people onto the streets all over the world, but was unable to stop the war. We learned that power cannot be simply shamed into capitulating to the demands of the people.

We’ve seen the Occupy Movement come along and surprise everyone. In every town and city in the US, there was an Occupy encampment that put forward the closest thing to a class analysis we’d seen in the mass media: the 1% vs the 99%. Studies showed that before Occupy, mainstream news had only dared utter the word “capitalism” less than a handful of times in the 20 years before. After that, for at least a short period of time, it was being uttered several times a day. And although the encampments were a small percentage of the population of each town, there was a large percentage who saw the encampments and agreed, even if they wouldn’t or couldn’t go there themselves.

Occupy Oakland was started by dedicated radicals who understood the spectacle that was happening and wanted to further radicalize it. So a one-day general strike was called, which also shut down the ports- as a symbol of where power lies under capitalism. 50,000 people- organized by nurses, longshoremen, teachers, students, transit workers and others involved in Occupy- came out and shut things down.

We’ve also seen the Black Lives Matter movement grow and valiantly respond to the epidemic of cops killing Black folks and also learning that the people that make the decisions governing our lives, don’t change their actions simply because they know that the community is upset.

We must have movements with teeth. Ones that are able to force the hands of power.

Over the past few years we’ve seen a sharp rise in people organizing on the job. I don’t mean just the traditional labor unions- although those unions are growing faster and some are becoming more militant than they have been before (largely driven by their ever more radical rank-and-file). I’m also talking about everything from previously unorganized retail workers, baristas, ride-share workers, grad student workers, farm workers, fast food workers, theater workers, tech workers, and more.

We’ve seen wildcat strikes in places the media told us was too right-wing and anti-union like the very militant West Virginia Teachers Wildcat Strike. And things like the Chicago, LA, and Oakland teachers strikes- militant strikes which were welcomed with open arms by their communities.

Some of the militancy is becoming more radical in some instances, with folks striking in solidarity with each other- like when Wayfair furniture workers went on strike last year to stop Wayfair from working with ICE and their detention centers. And the workers won. Or when grad students in many instances across the US went on strike in solidarity with custodial staff. Or when 20,000 Google workers did rolling work stoppage walkouts to have management address many issues, including sexual harassment.

People are looking for ways to exact power over their own lives. More and more they’re realizing that in order to do that we need a mass, militant, radical labor movement that can collectively withhold labor as a tool- not only for higher wages and benefits- but as a tool for larger social justice issues as well (What would have happened if radicals had been organizing a labor movement for the decade prior to Mike Brown’s murder and a general or even targeted strike happened? Indictment, real quick). People are realizing that this sort of a movement will need to break the current labor laws, ie Taft-Hartley, that prohibit solidarity strikes. This will take radical leadership.

In order to get some of the reforms that Bernie Sanders’ campaign platform calls for- Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, free university and trade school tuition, building 10 million more homes in an effort to address homelessness- it’s going to take movement tactics. We are going to have to have strategic targeted and general strikes to force the hand of the folks who have some of these politicians in their pockets. Imagine BART and AC Transit workers striking until Pelosi commits to Medicare for All. Or West Virginia teachers striking to force the vote of Joe Manchin. If we have a movement that can shut down industries through the withholding of labor, we can make politicians do what we want. We’re going to need radicals to get us there.

I’m not voting for Bernie because I don’t disagree with him on things (Venezuela, for instance). Nor do I believe that the reforms he proposes will be the socialist world that we need.

What I am endorsing is the movement that has grown around him that involves millions of people who are willing to consciously and openly engage in class struggle in order to make these reforms happen.

These struggles will radicalize millions of people and have the potential to organize the working class in the US to a point we haven’t seen before. We keep going from there.”

- Boots Riley’s official endorsement of Bernie Sanders

[cainduboisarchive2]

[ benjamin wadsworth, cismale, 20 ] did you see CAIN DUBOIS ? looking as broke as ever. rumor has it HE is usually - BITTER and - TEMPERAMENTAL but is also known to be + QUICK-WITTED and + TALENTED. we’ll see about that. they kind of remind me of SHATTERED PHONE SCREENS, STOLEN CIGARETTES and PAINT STAINED HANDS. maybe because they’re a TAURUS. they’ve been living around here for HIS ENTIRE LIFE. i wonder when they’ll make it out…

hello and welcome back to my channel! it’s jo again, here to introduce you all to one of my favorite muses ever, my lil garbage king cain 🖤 

tw: child neglect, mental health issues, drugs, alcoholism mention, underage sex.

cain didn’t get any adult supervision growing up, what with having a drunk for a father and a workaholic/serial cheating mother. the job of raising him instead befell on his brother, romeo. despite being only six years older than cain, the boy was more of a parent to him than any adult ever was. romeo did everything in his power to keep his baby brother safe, fed and happy, to varied results. whether it was taking cain to the hospital, helping him with his homework or teaching him how to skate, romeo was cain’s entire support system.

so when romeo left home to become a professional athlete, 10-year-old cain was predictably heartbroken. though time helped him understand his brother’s reasons for moving out, being left by the one person who cared for him at all changed him.

at first he tried getting his parents attention through good behaviour: getting straight A’s, keeping the house spotless, bringing his father beer when he ran out and whatever else he could think of. but none of it managed to make even a dent in their wall of indifference. it was especially hard to win their affection when his brother was now a star athlete, with enough money and fame to finally catch their parents’ eye.

as infuriating as it was to realise he’d never be as impressive as romeo, it was also freeing to stop trying so hard to be good. his parents didn’t ask any questions about him smoking stolen cigarettes at 13 or the black eyes he came home with from fights picked with much bigger kids. they didn’t even notice when he spent the night out, getting drunk off his ass or sleeping with men twice his age.

despite never mastering the art of basic self-care, cain became very good at surviving. he learned to fend for himself with resourcefulness, a quick-wit and loose morals. he became as good at getting himself out of messy situations as he was in getting into them. failed a class? suck the teacher’s dick! not enough money to get that red bull? no prob, just steal it! when it came to being social, he used his charm to his advantage and developed a biting sense of humor that got just enough laughs out of his peers to provide him with the rush of attention he didn’t get at home.

the other thing he excelled at was art. thankfully, it also happened to be his biggest passion and healthiest coping mechanism. but it wasn’t until high school that he realised that there really wasn’t anything else he’d rather to do for the rest of his life. so, using the money he’d scraped together from his jobs to buy a drawing tablet, he decided to make a career out of it. he’s been selling online prints, doing commissions and whatever freelance opportunities pops up ever since. and even though it’s not the most lucrative job (certainly not enough to live off it alone), getting recognition for his work is enough to keep cain satisfied.

SOME FACTZ:

sense of humor to mask feelings how original

an absolute asshole when he wants to be (often)

working as a barista to make ends meet and hating every second of it

in love with animation and comic books. he avoids talking about it too much because he gets very passionate and sounds like a lil nerd and we can’t have that

as a great donkey once said: "you’re so wrapped up in layers onion boy you’re afraid of your own feelings!”.  cain wants to be seen as this careless, cool guy without feelings but boi o boi he feels a lot. like a fuckton. deep down all he wants is to be loved and appreciated but feels unlovable.

has absolutely no concept of self-care. this bitch chainsmokes and forgets to eat for entire days and gets no exercise and will either sleep for the entire day or for 5 mins.

is always doodling. do not leave a pen or he’ll draw on your face if theres no other surface available.

sexually attracted to attention though i guess you could also describe him as bi

secretly loves his friends a lot but is too much of a coward to show it, afraid of finding the feeling to be one-sided and making a fool out of himself. still, very loyal and will cut a bitch to defend his friends’ honor.

WANTED PLOTS:

roommates — pls!!!!!! i need!!!!!! possibly more than one!!!!!!

angsty exes — maybe this was the first person cain actually cared for and they broke his heart further reinforcing his idea that people will always disappoint, or maybe he was the one who did the heart-breaking? both highly likely!

chill exes — sometimes you’re just better off as friends

the almost — it could’ve worked out but alas it didn’t because nothing ever does

one night stand — this boi sleeps around so gimme many of these

best friend — someone who’s managed to get past like 2 of cain’s 3423 walls. they might’ve even unlocked his tragic backstory!

stoner buddies — they get together to get high off their heads, watch regular show and discuss conspiracy theories

muse — someone who cain likes to draw often, maybe asks to pose for him

good influence — someone who suggests that hey maybe you should eat something sometimes!!

bad influence — honestly he probably goes after these

ying yang — someone nice to balance him out

people he knows from work — someone who either works in the same coffee shop as him or who frequents it

drinking buddies

friends with benefits

enemies

they got into a fist-fight in a parking lot that one time but it’s cool now

LITERALLY ANYTHING PLEASE GIVE ME ALL THE PLOTS!!!