#this took 5ever but I finally finished it

[blutopaz15]

call it what you want, chapter 5

chapter 5/5 2.7k rated m (sandwiches; don't like, don't read!)

Callum and Rayal spend their first night on the road navigating the weirdness of their...whatever-they-are.

Excerpt:

It’s daybreak when she and Callum wake, and for the tenth day in a row…Rayla isn’t sure what they are.

But…it’s okay now, she thinks, lovesick like she’s been since dawn, looking at him lying there beside her—so very handsome, so uninhibitedly happy.

She may not know what they are—not a thing like they’d been before, not the couple the innkeeper had teased last night, probably not even lovers for long now that it’s morning—but it’s more than just trust that he still holds for her, more than just keeping her comfortable and at home there at the castle, more than just wanting her safe and happy and here.

Whatever they are…Callum loves her.

She knows that much at least, from the familiarly-fond haze in his stare, the slight, sideways smile he’s had since sunrise, the comforting weight of his bare chest against her back, the echo of his hands and lips and body on hers last night, showing her so…

He loves her—still.

…even if he can’t quite say it again just yet.

Continue reading on AO3

[gravedigginbbydoll]

Hawkins University : The Munson Edition

64.media.tumblr.com

AN: Hey, y'all. So this is it. I took 5ever to finish it, I know, but it's been a crazy ride. I wanted to give these two a sweet ending and plenty of room for any future blurbs if I decide to write them. Truth be told, I think I will step away from series writing for now. I will be uploading blurbs, but not as regularly as I used to. Please know I'm here tho and always willing to answer messages.

In an effort to not be corny, I won't blab too much but thank you all for reading my writing. It means the world to me. I've been through a lot while writing this fanfic, and Hawkins Uni has been my own little world that I share with you all. Your interactions, love, and reading mean the world to me. Thank you all so much.

→ cliches: friends to lovers, heavy use of nicknames instead of Y/N, we're all just struggling college kids, Music Tutor! Eddie, Resident Assistant! Reader, good girl x bad boy, instant connections, 'I don't trust most people but I trust you', 'are we friends or more?', and 'I can't believe you're such a slut that you have a special dtf drawer...'

→ warnings: mature topics, insecurity, hurt and comfort, drinking and drug usage, strong language, bullying, mental health, discussion of suicide and self harm, mature thoughts, eventual smut, minors dni

→ pairing: modern!college!eddie x college!fem!reader

<Previous Masterlist

Epilogue

Bug's POV

You stood anxiously, fiddling with your clothes, nerves swirling in your stomach. You’d passed your finals and managed to make it through the semester without a huge hiccup, even passing your Beginner’s Guitar with flying colors. Afterwards, Eddie asked you to accompany him on a date, teasing that the two of you rarely got a moment alone without Robin and Steve third-wheeling. You agreed, despite your apprehension at being seen out in public. You’d not gotten as many glares or dirty looks lately (no doubt due to the Munson boy glaring down anyone who even huffed in your direction.), but you still felt uneasy. 

You and Eddie were going to Frosty’s per your old rituals, then snuggling in bed and watching movies. But something was off. Eddie was smiling lately like he had a secret, and it made you a bit on edge. You shook your head, shaking off bad thoughts and anxiety as best as you could. 

You headed down to the parking lot, only to see Eddie looking as gorgeous as ever in a leather jacket, leaning against a motorbike. His head was tilted back, smoke billowing into the air up above him. He rarely smoked unless stressed. Your stomach tightened further. 

Maybe he wants to break up with you…

I mean…He is a catch…and way out of your league. 

You should just let him get it over with, he’s probably tired of you…

Your brain swirled with anxiety, thoughts drowning out all reason. 

Eddie turned his head over to you, smile blindingly bright. 

“Hey. Ready for our hot date?,” He teased, winking at you, brown eyes glimmering with mischief. 

You smiled as convincingly as you could, your stomach churning. 

“Sure. Let’s go.”

You sat in the furthest booth, the dim area in the usually bright burger joint giving an illusion of privacy. Eddie was sharing his fries with you, flirting blatantly and telling silly stories about his childhood years, how much of a pain he’d been for Wayne to hassle with. 

You tried to calm your nerves, seeing as he wasn’t breaking up with you. At least so far. 

Then, towards the end of the meal, soda watered down and bellies full, Eddie’s face got solemn. 

Your heart squeezed, stomach churning while your hands trembled. 

You never even got to tell him you loved him.

It was silly to think it would last anyway…

You steeled your nerves, trying to brace yourself, using all it took to keep your lip from tremblings, hands shaky and eyes stinging. 

“Look…Y/N,” He started, the use of your name and not some sweet pet name or Bug turning your nerves to ice. 

“I don’t know how to say this…I’ve been wanting to say it for a while. Since I helped you with the whole bullying incident,” He clenched his fists a bit, as if angered by the memory. Your heart was pounding. He held off from a breakup for this long? Why?

He looked up, brown eyes raw and full of emotion, brows furrowed softly. 

“You mean everything to me. You make me want to be a better person. The way you’re absolutely selfless and patient and caring…it’s like a beam of light. I know you always go on and on about how I’m a star…But in reality, I’m the moon reflecting the bright light of you,” Eddies voice was thick with emotion, eyes blinking back tears. 

Your head swam with confusion. You were still tense, readying yourself for the killing blow but loosening up a bit, brows furrowed as you stared at Eddie. 

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box and sliding it across to you, his hands a bit shaky. 

You reached out cautiously to it, heart skipping a beat, grabbing for the box. You gingerly opened it, brow furrowing in confusion. Inside was a brand new key, the bronze twinkling up at you in the light. You grabbed at the key, turning it over in your palm. 

“Eddie..What is this?”

He fiddled with his rings, a nervous habit of his that you knew from time spent with him. His eyes darted down to the table avoiding your gaze. 

“It’s a key. To my place…It’s kinda my corny way of asking if you want to move in with me next year,” He smiled crookedly at you, cheeks pink and expression bashful. 

Your heart soared, your eyes beginning to water as you shook softly. 

Eddie’s brows furrowed, getting up quickly to sit next to you in the seat, placing his arm around you. 

“Bug… What’s wrong? Is it too soon? I’m sorry, I just-” 

You shook your head, laughing a bit while tears flowed, leaning into him and hugging him. 

“No, you doofus, I thought you were gonna break up with me!,” You sniffed, heart overflowing with emotions. 

Eddie pulled away looking into your eyes, expression worried and sympathetic. “What? Baby, no. I love you. I would never do that, especially not in a place so important to us.” 

Your heart skipped a beat as you felt everything stop. You blinked away stray tears, looking into Eddie’s warm eyes, feeling your emotions overflow. 

“You…you love me?” 

He nodded, smiling gently, caressing the side of your face. “Of course I do,” He murmured to you, eyes softening. 

You felt your heart soar as you smiled, tears continuing to roll down your cheeks, pulling Eddie in by the shirt for a bruising kiss, his soft gasp making your stomach flutter. You pulled away, smiling, eyes focused on him. 

“I love you too…of course I’ll move in with you.”

Eddie’s grin beamed as he attacked your face with kisses, causing you to squeal as he rambled on between playful pecks. 

“We’ll get you your own mug-” 

“-and start moving your stuff in-”

“-and I can build you a PC-”

You giggled the night away as Eddie continued on his excited planning, even after stopping his attack of kisses, his demeanor even brighter than before. 

That night, when the apartment was quiet and it was almost time for sleep, you and Eddie laid down, whispering promises of shopping sprees and domesticity. You felt like you were on cloud nine, your body relaxing and your heart floating above all your anxieties for the time being. 

Sure you still had issues with insecurity, and anxiety, and life was far from perfect. 

But you’d learned something. 

Maybe life didn’t necessarily have happy endings, but it sure as hell had joy, and you would savor every last drop of it. 

Taglist: @josephquinnsfreckles @corrodedcoffincumslut @kirisuteg0men @bebe07011 @amira0303 @vintagehellfire @lottie-90 @animechick555

[stitch1830]

Hi! It’s me! :) for the prompts, can I get fluff #12 please? Thank you✨

Do you even remember sending this? Because it's been ages—

That's on me. That's my bad LOL.

Anyway, I have finally finished the prompt, my Twinkles. Hope you enjoy! :D

And yeah if y'all don't mind waiting 5ever for me to respond, here's the list for this particular prompt LOL.

......

Kantoph - Fluff - #12 - “Just shut up and kiss me.”

“I think we should split up.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Hotshot.”

“I’m serious,” he insisted. “I’ll take the B-team and we’ll clear the back of the building, while you take the A team. It’ll be much quicker.”

Toph rolled her eyes at Kanto. “You and I both know it’s safer when we don’t split up.”

“You’re just nervous for me,” he whispered in her ear, the teasing tone evident in his voice. “Don’t worry, Chief. We’ll split up, and our reunion when we meet in the middle will be oh so sweet.”

“Shut up.”

Kanto chuckled, and part of her hated how the low, rumbly noise that vibrated in his chest when he laughed made her stomach flutter. The damn man did have a way of making her knees weak, even if she didn’t dare admit it.

But before she could give him a proper retort, Kanto placed a gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulder, then walked away. He called out for the B-team to follow him toward the back, and Toph was left to manage her squad. 

With a frustrated huff, she muttered under her breath. “You better make it out in one piece, Hotshot. Otherwise, I’m killin’ ya.”

Toph straightened her posture and put on her game face. Despite her quiet fretting over her stupid deputy, they had a job to do, and she wasn’t about to be distracted by anyone. She raised her hand, beckoning the team to gather around her, and once they all understood the game plan, they’d infiltrate the front of the building together.

Time to go to work.

They took swift action to secure the premise. Her metalbenders apprehended suspects, tying their hands for most, knocking others out cold when they tried to attack. Rooms were cleared, evidence was tagged, and suspects walked out the front door apprehended. The whole situation was rather routine.

Until it wasn’t.

Toph kept track of every body, every heartbeat in that building. And despite her best efforts to not focus on just one, she found herself zeroing in on a particular heartbeat that gave her comfort every morning.

And every night.

As her team organized the suspects outside, Toph monitored Kanto’s whereabouts inside the warehouse. He dallied inside more than she preferred, but that was his way of doing things. Slow, steady, methodical movements to ensure that no evidence got lost in the shuffle of an infiltration mission. It was one of the many qualities that made him such a great deputy chief.

They were almost done with the final sweep in the house, it seemed, and Toph let out the breath she’d been holding as she kept track of Kanto.

But then the world underneath her feet disappeared, and she lost sight of everything.

She lost sight of him.

An explosion rumbled throughout the area, knocking Toph off her feet. When the dust settled and the dazed state faded, panic settled into the earthbender’s bones. Time stopped moving, and all she could think about was how Kanto was still in the building when the explosion occurred, and the thought of the worst-case scenario filled her with dread. She got to her feet and just stood there, unaware of how much time was truly passing as fear overcame everything else.

Questions entered Toph’s brain. Questions she desperately wanted answers to.

What happened?

Where is Kanto?

Did he make it out of there?

Is he alive?

“Chief!”

Officer Jiahao’s voice snapped Toph back to reality. “W-what?”

“We’ve located most of the officers that were still in the building. They’re being transported to the infirmary now, Chief.”

“And Kan—and the, uh, Deputy? Where is he?”

“He was pulled out of the rubble a bit ago, Chief. They were taking him to the infirmary, but—”

Toph wasted no time and ran to the hospital. 

Her lungs burned and her legs didn’t move fast enough, but Toph kept going. She ignored her aching muscles and her sore body from the explosion; all that mattered was getting to the hospital to find Kanto. 

Right now, nothing mattered to Toph except him.

When she finally arrived, Toph didn’t bother to ask anyone for directions. She wandered the halls, desperately searching for a familiar heartbeat, voice, scent, anything.

The spirits were good to her, it seemed. Because when she passed one of the last rooms in the hall, Toph caught a whiff of a charred version of Kanto’s cologne. 

“Kanto?”

No one responded to her, but the healers in the room shuffled around the cot, furiously helping their patient. She made her way to the side, tentatively grabbing the person’s hand.

And she immediately knew it was him.

“Kanto?” Her voice wavered as she spoke. “Kanto, baby, please say something.”

His breathing was ragged, and his undergarments for his uniform were singed. The healers tried to get Toph to move, but she refused. She squeezed his hand, forcing herself to hold back the tears that wished to fall. “Kanto, wake up for me. Please wake up.”

Kanto remained quiet, and Toph nearly lost all hope. Her world suddenly felt darker than it ever had been, and it was all because her stupid deputy made her fall in love—

“Ugh.”

Toph gasped, inching closer to Kanto’s face. “H-Hotshot?”

The man groaned again, stirring ever so slightly in his cot. As he regained consciousness, Toph held her breath and waited for him to say something. Anything.

She prodded him to answer her one more time, gently caressing his cheek “Baby?”

Kanto swallowed thickly, and in a hoarse voice, finally replied. “Told you our reunion would be sweet.”

“Wh—”

“Pretty romantic of you to kneel by my bedside as I wake up.”

With a teary laugh, she said, “Oh, just shut up and kiss me.”

And he did. He kissed her lovingly, longingly, as if they’d been separated for half an eternity and not just a couple hours. 

Despite the stress earlier in the day, Toph had to admit that the reunion was oh so sweet.

......

Send me asks about ATLA, LOK, or anything, really! :D

[themummersfolly]

Holy smokin Joe's, I finally finished the niblings' Christmas sweaters.

The baby's. There's a strip of cabling over the zipper.

The middle sister. She's obsessed with mermaids.

And big brother's. He's obsessed with clocks.

I started these back in July, I think? So they didn't take long, as sweaters go. But finishing them felt like it took 5ever. :P

[chaoticspacefam]

Strikhedonia - The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it”. for an oc/pairing that you think would best suit the prompt - KH💙 (p.s. sorry for accidentally unfollowing you when trying to click on the 'ask' button 🤪)

(no worries and likewise I am SO SO SORRY that this took me two years to finish up I am horrified by that 😭🥺 I had a l o t of fun with this one even if it took me 5ever to transfer it from script to actual Prose so I hope it’s worth the wait and y’all enjoy!! <3) A/N:

This one is set just after > Kiss With A Fist <  so if you’re new and/or you don’t remember the kiss they’re arguing about, it’s in that oneshot! :D

Strikhedonia - noun. The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it”. This one came from the “obscure word/definition” ask game a while back. Sadly far back enough that I do not have the link but ANYWAY its finally here yaaas!! The alternative title for this one is “How much Unresolved Sexual Tension can I fit into one Oneshot?” and the answer, I am happy to report, is “Yes”. XD

Wai Tarar = the official title/rank term for the Ahaszaai royals’ personal bodyguards, each Ahaszaai has a minimum of one, but more commonly between 2-3 ESPECIALLY for the current ruling Emperor(ess) and/or their heir(ess) ;)  It’s literally just High Sith for “Royal Protector” but it sounds so much more fancy in High Sith xP

Falling in love with your bodyguard is a little less scandalous when your father happens to think he Has Very Nice Genes, Actually, and This Could Work In Our Favour so "You know what, go ahead" XD in case anyone is wondering WHY Vastas doesn't care. Kissai's got Massassi blood in his line, and Grampy Ahaszaai thinks it'd be neat to get a little of that in the future grandkids 😉

No specific warnings for this one. Just two idiots very obviously in love, and - oh my god she’s done denying it? D’leah’s not playing hard to get anymore?? /lh XD You can also read on > AO3 < if you’d prefer the formatting there! :D

_______________________________________________________________

D'leah had been rather surprised to catch the eye of her Wai Tarar across the sea of other Sith Lords and Darths, decked out to their nines in glitz and glamour in the manner she would have well expected of the High Sith families that associated with her father. Of course, it was not a problem that he had come, as her principle protector it was almost certainly…encouraged that Kissai attend in order to stand guard for the Ahaszaai line during the festivities, he would not be the only Wai Tarar in the crowd. But the Sith heiress simply couldn't shake the realization that Kissai was not in his red armour, this time, but rather a suit of the more formal kind. It couldn't be….that he was here for her, surely? 

On an impulse, she caught his eye as she wove her way through the crowd and headed for the nearby balcony, the cool night breeze stirring her cheeks as she stepped out of the stuffy palace ballroom. Leaning against the balustrade, she exhaled softly and waited, listening to the lilting notes of the classical music that drifted towards her through the open balcony door. Before long, the sound of carefully measured footfalls reached the heiress' ears, and she calmly turned to face him. She had nothing to fear from this man, she knew that much.

"Dance with me, my Lord?" He inquired, eyes bright with hope as he held a hand out towards her. The heiress' gaze lingered on his outstretched palm for a fraction too long, before finally darting up to meet his, the tips of her jaw spurs trembling. He cleaned up remarkably well, for a commoner…

Somehow, the fact that he had waited until she had beckoned him outside, away from the prying eyes of every kriffing Sith aristocrat in the Empire, to ask for her hand at all only made it *worse* for her. Damn it, his sister's right. You've got it BAD, D'leah.

Besides, nobody would see them out here, so what harm would one dance do? If he cared half as much as she liked to pretend that he did, D'leah knew her father would never have let her leave the palace with her guard in tow - Emperor Ahaszaai had eyes everywhere, and someone watching out for her at all times.

So, the heiress slid her hand delicately into his, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards into a faint half smirk as she purred teasingly. "You have nice manners, for an Outskirter~"

The taller Pureblood scoffed softly as she stepped into his grasp, his fangs flashing in a grin. "Last I checked, my Lord, your father was quite enamoured with my manners."

D'leah raised a browstalk in surprise. "Enamoured", huh? He'd taken to using a lot of big words around her of late…he really was trying to impress her, she was sure of it.

"I can't imagine why he would think that." She smirked back at him, bringing her other hand to rest on his shoulder, though she did have to pivot onto her toes ever so slightly. He was so tall...

They fell into a steady and well-balanced set of steps in time with the tempo of the music from the ballroom, and Kissai guided her into a twirl, humming softly under his breath. "Hmm. You know what I think?" 

D'leah made a curious, prompting noise in the back of her throat, her breath almost catching when he effortlessly caught her out of the spin and dipped her down in time with the swell of the music. His hand was warm against the small of her back, even through the fabric of her evening gown, "you like it." the taller Pureblood breathed, a hint of a query to his tone still.

Kissai was right, she knew he was. But the Sith heiress wasn't quite ready to admit it just yet. She wanted him to work for it. She chuckled as nonchalantly as she could manage, allowing him to pull her upright and sweep her into the next set of steps. "Well, I think you’re a fool who is wholly overconfident in himself~" 

The taller Pureblood's fangs flashed in a grin, and without thinking about it, he retorted cheekily. "That makes two of us, then, doesn't it, my Lord?" 

The realisation dawned on his face as D'leah's arm snapped taut with the next step she took, the heiress' eyes fixing on him as she hissed sharply. 

"And you have grown over comfortable being so casual with me, Izreni." It should have been a warning, and on her first reflex D'leah had meant for it to be one, but when the words actually came out of her mouth they sounded far more like a returning quip than she had intended. The Wai Tarar scoffed, indignant, and raised a browstalk at her as he protested: "You kissed me. If you wished for me to leave you alone, my Lord, you've done a very poor job in telling me so."

“I did.” she nodded, squashing the urge to smirk as he blinked at her in utter surprise that she had admitted to it, like a gizka caught in the headlights. D’leah drew in another deep breath to keep her composure, shutting her eyes for a moment as she reminded him, her voice far more amused than scathing. “And if I saw fit I could kill you where you stand for speaking to me that way.” “I know.” the Wai Tarar answered in much the same tone. She wasn’t quite sure how, but somehow their back-and-forth had deviated from their standard back-and-forth banter to become simply exchanges of facts they were both well aware of already. The heiress was losing, and she knew it. She shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet as they twirled again, and as she returned to his hold, he smirked and asked. “Then why are you out here with me, and not in there with the other High-born brats, my Lord?” 

The Ahaszaai heiress opened her eyes to meet his gaze once more, willing her heart to stop skipping violently against her ribcage when she did. “They bore me.” she admitted at length, stepping closer to Kissai as the tempo of the music that floated out from the ballroom behind them began to slow. “You, on the other hand…” She felt his grip on her tighten, not by much, but enough that D’leah took note of it, and hummed wordlessly in response. It took a moment for the taller Sith’s brain to catch up with the rest of his senses, but when it did she watched the spurs against his jaw flex in anticipation. His voice grew husky as he muttered. “Darindz artsisasi ki, ctarzari…”

D’leah let out a sultry chuckle in retort. “Nu sarjia j’us kaisijas oi…”

His gaze flicked from hers, to the door behind them, reflexive panic written on his features clear as day. “What would your father say?” he floundered, as if forgetting he had just moments ago used an entirely contradictory argument when their dance had started. The Ahaszaai High Lady could no longer contain her own laughter, throwing her head back to cackle aloud and feeling the tips of his claws curl against her spine as she did so. “Do you believe he’d let his heiress wander off with any old vagabond who asked her for her arm? He knows exactly where I am.” D’leah raised a prompting browstalk at him. “If he didn’t like you, Izreni, he would not allow you anywhere near me.” much less anything else. And she knew that Kissai knew that just as well as she did. 

“I see…” the Wai Tarar’s jaw spurs trembled, but still he daren’t move, nor had his hands travelled any lower in spite of her offering him an invitation to do so on a silver platter. Kissai was waiting for her to come to him. His self control was admirable, and oh so attractive....

Deciding to indulge him for the second time, the heiress stretched up on her toes to brush her lips ever so gently against his as she cooed softly. “Or are you scared, Kissai~?” 

She felt, rather than heard, his breath hitch, and after a moment to compose himself he managed to get out the words, low enough that only D’leah would hear them. “Such thoughts are hardly proper in polite company, princess.”

“Ah, of course.” she grinned, a purr rumbling in her throat as she stepped out of his arms to take the taller Pureblood’s hand into hers instead. D’leah did not miss the low chuff of disappointment that he made as she moved away from him, but nonetheless released his grip on her obediently. Ever the gentleman, this one. As if to answer the unspoken question, the Ahaszaai heiress tugged on his hand, holding his gaze as she backed toward the balcony door to head back inside. “Come, let’s go inside. It’s getting cold out here.” To hell with it, doesn’t matter who sees us.

_______________________________________________________ High Sith translations: *canonically there is so little written about High Sith conlang that there aren't even proper contractions (like "I'm", "Don't" etc.) which is just...a huge oversight, to put it blankly. So I made my own contractions. At least it doesn’t sound like an unnecessarily and stupidly clunky language that way skhjslhdh

Darindz artsisasi ki, ctarzari…  - Don’t (from Dari “do” + nindz “not”) tease me, princess..

Nu sarjia j’us kaisijas oi…  - I thought you liked it...

That said, D’leah DOES on occasion not use contractions in Basic, particularly for things like “would not” (as in “would not allow you anywhere near me”) or “do not”. There’s no particular reason for this, she just decided it was a speech quirk of hers and keeps making me write it this way on occasion /lh 😜

[bittersweetastoria]

It’s 10am and I just finished that gif request finally.. lololol only took 5ever! Nbd. Shall post later when not mobile. Always loads weird if I post Drabbles mobile.

[ashlaaaywrites]

☠ Christeo + Thaistina // "I don't want to lose you, okay?" Christeo + Thaistina // [text]: Wait, what happened? Thaistina

BASED ON THIS MEME

☠: my muse visits your muse’s grave

CHRISTEO

Mateo Alves stood still as his gaze hardened on the tomb stone of his deceased ex-wife. It’s been a few months since her passing and the sense of loss was still fresh in his mind. He attended the viewing and the funeral, became Thais’ emotional support through it all, but after that, he just stopped.

It was as if she didn’t exist in his life.

It was unhealthy, which resulted in his relationship with Thais to worsen as she constantly cussed out the truth at him. (”You’re a fucking coward Mateo! You hear me? You’re fucking weak! Christina wouldn’t have wanted you like thi—”) 

He had the privilege of being under a leave of absence, but that’s what happens when you’re a momma’s boy. Emmeline wasn’t going to tolerate his behaviour, knowing that her son was incapable of being fit in the line of duty. The pack kept their distance, for every full moon since he was out being reckless and violent. 

He blamed himself for the loss and now here he was, attempting to gain closure. 

“—I’m sorry.” he blurted out, his voice croaking as he held back his tears. Clenching his fists, he knew that such words weren’t enough. Hell, he didn’t even know if this made anything better. The suppression of his emotions were only starting to resurface now.

“To think you’d be the first one to go Katarin…” His voice trailed off as he shook his head in disappointment. “This guilt eats me up everyday you know that? Even without your presence, you’re still a pain in my ass.” The werewolf frustratingly ran a hand through his hair and huffed a heavy sigh, “I know there’s no point in saying this, but it should have been me Christina, not you.” This was probably the part where she’d go tell him to fuck himself and that he shouldn’t dictate her actions. God he missed her, but Mateo needed to learn and accept how to live with the loss.

Bending down to reach her grave, Mateo placed a hand on her tombstone as he silently sent out his thoughts to her before leaving. He hoped she was at peace wherever her soul was, as for him, it was going to take time. However,  it felt like a weight has been lifted off his heart ever since she had passed and perhaps this visit was much needed.  

THAISTINA

Thais was tired, but tired wasn’t enough to explain everything that she felt inside. Life surely knows how to fuck her over, but deep down she expected this to happen. They’ve talked about it plenty of times, who’d be the first one to go—most days it would be a joke, but during their dark times, they’ve discussed it for quite a bit. They both would choose themselves, each having a valid reason, with death following them everywhere they went, their recklessness and so forth. 

However, Thais truly didn’t think their discussions would become a reality so soon.

She couldn’t cry anymore, she’s done enough of that and she was sure that Christina would be rolling in her grave wanting to tell her to quit the water works. However, Thais’ heart ached immensely as she felt like she lost a part of herself. Christina was her person and now she was completely gone.

Kneeling in front of her grave, Thais clasped her hands tightly as she tried to pull herself together. She would visit her grave almost everyday, but she’d sit there in silence. Today was different, as she struggled to find the right words to say. Rolling her lips a few times, she ran a tongue against it as she felt her mouth go dry. “—I…” Stopping abruptly, she closed her eyes as a pained expression was seen on her face, suppressing any tears that suddenly began to form. “—Hey.” she gasped out while she cleared her throat. 

“Shit. Look, I…uh miss you…” she sadly said as she stifled a grim chuckle. “No shit right?…Look Christina wherever the fuck you are, I hope you’re free, free from all the suffering, the pain, the guilt and anger…I especially hope that you’re at peace with yourself. I want you to know that…That I’ll be fine…I’ll manage…” Her voice cracks as she attempted to clear her throat once more, before taking a deep breath. “Just know that you will always be my person and that no one can ever replace you. I know damn well you’ll haunt me like no tomorrow, if I were to do that.” This time Thais managed out a chuckle, “Say hi to Henry for me…I hope you two are having a blast in the afterlife…” 

Forcing herself up from her spot, Thais pressed her lips together as she began to bid her goodbye. She couldn’t stay long since she was being called back to the agency, but she knew this wouldn’t be the last of their encounters. 

“I don’t want to lose you, okay?“ 

CHRISTEO

“Put the gun down Alves!”

A low growl escaped Mateo’s lips as he ignored his Christina’s orders. He was set on killing the target in front of him. Italian werewolves meant nothing to him, regardless if they were involved in a mission or not. He couldn’t bring himself to detain them, let alone permit them to roam free. “One shot, that’s all I need.” he yelled out as he positioned his finger on the trigger. “The Alves Golden Boy is going to break rank and cause a war? Mommy’s going to be pissed don’t cha think?” sneered the rival wolf. 

With one swift movement, a burst of flames separated both werewolves as Christina grabbed onto Mateo and instructed Dylan and Rocket to apprehend the suspect. “What the fuck was that Laurent!? Who the fuck do you think you are!? I fucking had it all under control!” hissed out Mateo as he pointed the gun at her. “They were fucking responsible for my brother’s death! The reason why Thais went off course! I can’t let them get away with it! You out of all people should understand that!” He was shaking with anger as he did everything he could to suppress his wolf side. However, his canines were beginning to show and the tight grip on his gun caused him to nearly destroy it. He was vexed at the outcome of the situation and he honestly didn’t think Christina would let the other wolf go.

“I don’t want to lose you, okay?” blurted out the firebender as she held on and maintained a firm grasp on him. Christina looked directly at him as she dropped her guard down, gaze slightly softening, yet serious as she urged him to calm down. “Mateo, you should know that I do understand…But trust me when I say this, revenge isn’t…It isn’t worth it…And I know Henry wouldn’t have want you to do this. Our mission was clear, apprehend and detain the suspect—we must refrain from shooting on site.There’s no way I’m letting you lose yourself, let alone compromise the mission. Come on, I’m the hot head remember?”  

A slow look of realization and suddenly Mateo was able to regain his composure and calm down. Unloading his dented gun, he dropped it onto the ground and fell onto his knees as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against her shoulder. 

           “—Sorry.” mumbled Mateo. He was grateful to have her by his side during moments like this, especially since she was able to ground him back to reality. “Don’t worry about it asshole.” With a smirk, she pulled him into a hug as they stayed there for a brief moment, before heading back to the agency. 

THAISTINA

Thais’ heart was racing as she sprinted past Rocket and Dylan. “Thais hey…I don’t think that’s a good ide—” Dylan then grabbed her by the waist as he held her back and immediately, the she-wolf growled as she roughly pushed him away. “Let her be.” advised Rocket as she motioned him back and gave room for Thais to go. After all, she may be the only person who could change their superior’s decision.

“Christina. What the fuck?!” Thais yelled out as she entered the head of Chevalier’s office. Slamming the door behind her, she began pacing back and forth in her office as she tried to find the right words to say to her best friend. “Wanna be more specific?” replied Christina in a dull tone as she calmly read through reports and continued to do her work. “Oh don’t play dumb with me! The Severins? I know you’ve been waiting your whole life to get at them, but your plan is so fucking flawed that I know, that you even know that.” Clasping her hands together, the firebender locked her gaze on her best friend as she raised a brow, “How so?” she inquired in a challenging tone. 

“Because you’re doing this alone and it’s reckless! So you have a location, you’ve scouted it to the point where your husband and child wonder where the fuck you are…You’ve monitored their movements—and you’re just going to kill them?! You’re so obsessed that you don’t even realize how it’s ruining your life!” Christina shot up from her seat as she glared intensely at Thais, “They ruined my life! This is a low blow coming from you Thais. You know why I’m doing this. The Italians remember? They not only took your brother and your pack, but they took away your life, made you an omega—they fucked over.” 

Shaking her head in denial, the conversation began to escalate as Thais yelled back, “I do! I really do Christy! But I eventually learned to let go! If anything, I came to realize that I didn’t have to fight this alone either! I’m begging you! Please rethink this! Think of your family! Think of us! And more importantly, think of yourself too! You’ve been through so much and look how far you’ve come!? It’s not worth losing it all!” The firebender walked over to the she-wolf and pointed a finger at the door, “Leave my office now. I don’t need you to tell me what to do. To try to save me as if I’m a lost cause. I’ve made up my min—” Slapping her hand down, Thais’ had a look of desperation as she cried out, “I don’t want to lose you, okay!? Don’t you get it Christina?! I refuse to have you going in on the Severins by yourself. If anything, have your team! Lucas, Mateo or myself?! We’ll be there! We can take them down together.” 

Rolling her eyes, Christina grabbed her leather jacket from her seat and scoffed at her friend’s response. “Together?” she repeated with a hint of disgust. “I ain’t Linden Thais, so don’t shove that ‘together’ bullshit down my throat. Some things are better off to be handled alone.” Without another word, she pushed past the she-wolf and as soon as Thais attempted to reach out for her, a wisp of flames were unleashed causing her to stumble back. Just like that, the two ended the conversation unfinished and on a negative note. From the doorway, she could see Dylan’s concern and a sympathetic look in Rocket’s eyes, which caused Thais to look away in disappointment. She then pressed her lips into a thin line as she tried to think of ways to stop Christina, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to take the initiative and interfere. There were some truth to Christina’s words, after all, she knew her better than anyone else. She knew the importance of getting back at the Severins and perhaps she can do it alone. However, Thais didn’t want to take that chance and lose her best friend all over again. There were too many close calls, what if this was their last?

“We’ll give her time.” declared Thais. “Please keep a close eye on her. I know she’ll probably go off grid, but if anything were to come up, please let me know.” Both agents nodded and bid the she-wolf goodbye as she left the agency with a grim look on her face. 

          Maybe time has run out?

[text]: Wait, what happened? 

THAISTINA

[Christina]: hey, take your time on your date with Linden…that rat of yours is being a pain in my ass.[Thais]: Christy wtf Lorenzia is a dog! you have one too you know! [Christina]: the rat isn’t even close to what Nine is and i don’t plan on keeping him either you know? anyways, you’re going to take your time alright?? maybe a few hours would do…or stay overnight with him…not going into details that’s just fucking gross.[Thais]: …as much as i would love to stay with Gerard, wtf is going on?[Thais]: Wait, what happened?[Thais]: CHRISTINA KATARIN LAURENT WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY BABY? [Christina]: for fuck sakes Thais calm down!!!!!!!![Christina]: NOTHING. Just…[Christina]: Mateo and I will take care of it, take your fucking time okay!?[Thais]: NO! that’s my child CHRISTINA whAT DID YOU TO MY DOG? 

                                            *fifteen minutes later*

[Christina]: alright it’s all good. she’s safe—false alarm.[Thais]: What. Do. You. Mean. False. Alarm!?! YOU ALMOST RUINED DATE NIGHT! Send me a pic right now! I want to see that she’s okay![Christina]: *sends pic of Lorenzia with Nine* [Christina]: thought she went missing with Nine, turns out the two just love to wander the fuck around at that dog park we always go to.[Thais]: awwwww they’re so cute! ..you think they’re in love? cuz that would mean we would be in-laws…wouldn’t that be cute!??!? you’re semi-forgiven by the way…anyways…how could you lOSE TWO DOGS? Nine is hUGE TOO! Wtf were you and Mateo doing!?[Chrstina]: fuck no and stfu, bye thais—my phone is off as of right NOW.

[chase-brody-protection-squad]

wELL THEN how about Chase x Reader where the reader figures out about what's going on with Stacey and the kids and gets upset with the way Chase is being treated? (Platonic or not, up to you!!!)

hOoOoO bOY hOw’s AbOuT sOmE aNgSt

I never liked Gatwick Airport. Too bright. Too busy. But it was closest to Brighton; and therefore closest to my best friend, Chase Brody.

The little snot moved here from Ireland about a year ago, and I haven’t been able to see him since.

Until one night when he said he really needed me to come. We were Skyping, and in the midst of his usually happy demeanor, he became really sad. When I asked him what was wrong, he just said, “Can you please just come visit me? I just…I really need you right now.”

I stammered. “Y-yeah, sure! I’m off for the weekend, pick me up from Gatwick on Thursday night?”

He nodded, and faced away from the camera for a moment.

“Chase?“ 

“I will. Thanks, Y/n.”

Call Ended.

“Anytime…?”

I heaved my luggage from the claim, and headed towards the exit. 

There he was, in his trademark snapback, holding up a sign that said, “Biggest Dork Ever” on it. Once he spotted me, though, the sign dropped to one side. He ran to me, making me drop everything and enveloping me in a giant bear hug. “I can’t believe it. You’re here. You actually came.”

His strong arms held me close, pressing our bodies together. I hugged him back, although a little confused. “Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

I could feel his smile on my shoulder. “Thank you.” He muttered, ignoring my question. 

Chase released me and picked up my bags. Smiling, he nodded his head toward the exit and I followed him out to a shiny black Ford F-150. “Dang, Chase, you got a truck? I always imagined you as a Prius kinda guy,” I teased.

He laughed. “That’s precious, but no. I’ve always wanted a truck. Hop in, and I’ll put your bags in the back.”

I obeyed, and headed to the passenger side. I heard thumps of varying volume and footsteps approaching. Chase grabbed my door handle and opened it. “M'lady,” he said in a deep voice. 

I giggled and got in.

On our way to Brighton, Chase didn’t talk much. He asked me what life was like without him, and how I ever got by. I responded with a quick arm slug. He let me talk, though, and I told him all that had happened to me in the past year. I’d gotten a new job, finally moved out of the flat I’d shared with two other girls, and moved into my own apartment.

Not everything was hunky-dory, though. My boyfriend, Aidan, had hit me after a huge fight we’d had, and I’d left him. “And I’ve been single since.” I finished.

Chase’s hands tightened on the wheel and his eyebrows furrowed. “I hated that son of a bitch anyway. He didn’t deserve you.”

Well, that came out of nowhere. “Chase, you barely knew him. You didn’t have much time for me when you were planning on leaving Athlone. You had to move to Brighton for your job. I’m over it, promise.”

His vise grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly, but he was far from relaxed. “I just hate it…when people you thought you loved and trusted…just rip your heart out…” He almost whispered he last part as we drove into Brighton.

“What do you mean? Did something happen?” I asked, suddenly worried.

Chase’s eyes widened. “No! No, everything’s fine, I’m just trying to relate to you a bit.”

I wasn’t convinced. “Chase, dude, what’s wrong? Why did you need me to come?”

“We’ll be at my flat in a minute. I’ll tell you everything there,” His voice wavered, and I could tell he was holding back tears. He’s not very good at it. I saw one slip down his cheek, and, lightning fast, he swiped it away. “Sorry, I’m just…really glad you’re here.”

I dropped it for the moment, and decided to admire the twinkling lights of Brighton at night. The seemingly starless sky gave way to millions of different colors and sizes of lights. I liked it. I’d always wanted to move to a bigger city. Athlone wasn’t a small town by no means, but it had nothing on Brighton.

A short and quiet while later, we pulled up to a small, eggshell white complex. Chase didn’t say anything, he just smiled at me, got out, and went to the back of the truck. I opened my door and let my feet gently touch the pavement. “This is nice,” I commented.

Chase smiled again, hoisting my bags from the bed. “Yeah, it’s not much, but it’s enough.”

I nodded and got my things from inside the truck. Chase caught up to me and I motioned for him to lead the way.

After a couple of flights of stairs, Chase fished keys from his pocket and unlocked a door near the stairwell. 

The apartment was immaculate. I stepped in, took my shoes off and padded across the soft carpet leading into a small living space. “Wow, Stacy must’ve cleaned, haha.” I joked, looking at him in the doorway.

He froze for a moment. “Y-yeah,” he stammered. “She likes the place." 

I could see why. The apartment may have been small, but the natural light coming from a giant bay window and sparse furniture more than made up for it.

"So where is she?" 

Chase stopped in the entrance to the living room. "Who?”

I rolled my eyes. “Y'know, Stacy, your WIFE. And where’s Mariah and Cody?”

Of all the things that I could’ve expected from him at the moment, laughing, an explanation, et cetera, literally falling by to his knees and crying wasn’t one of them. “Chase!”

I rushed over to him. He held his head in his hands, elbows resting on blue flamingo shorts and fingers pushing his snapback up. He was crying, hard. “She-she-oh, god fuck, Y/n, I’m so sorry.”

I wedged my hands between his hands and his face and pushed them away, grabbing his cheeks and forcing him to look at me. “Chase, what’s the real reason why I’m here?”

His terrified sky blue eyes searched my face for any sort of ill intent, and found none. “Stacy left me.”

That bitch. That fucking bitch. “I’m gonna fucking kill her.” I said, releasing his face and storming to the door to grab the keys.

Chase grabbed my forearm. “Y/n, please, don’t. It’s gonna be hard enough to fight for my kids.”

My hand clenched the keys so hard they left imprints when I threw them back onto the table by the door. “How could she do this?! Chase, why didn’t you just tell me over Skype the other night?” I asked angrily, but not at him.

His eyes widened in fear. He probably thought I was mad at him. “I just didn’t want you to worry all week. I’m sorry.”

 "Take your shoes off.“ I demanded.

 "What?”

 "Take your damn shoes off, Chase.“

He stilled for a moment, then did as I asked. I grabbed his hand and led him to the couch. I sat down and opened my arms. "Come on." 

A confused and flustered look passed over his face as he realized what I meant.

"Stop being weird and sit down.”

Slowly but surely, he eased himself into my lap, draping his legs over mine and resting his head on my shoulder.

“Now cry.”

He looked up at me, our faces inches apart. “What?”

“You’re keeping that emotion pent up. Cry, dammit. I’m not gonna judge.” I said.

He stared into my eyes and I saw his well up with tears. His head returned to my shoulder as he began to let out racking, heartbreaking sobs. One arm went behind my back and around my waist, the other wrapped around my neck.

He cried for quite a while, soaking the right shoulder of my shirt with tears. I didn’t give a shit. I just held him there.

Holding him in my arms, I began to notice how small his frame was. He just seemed so fragile, so breakable.

I couldn’t believe she’d done this to him. He loved his kids to death, would die before he let anything happen to them. She’d taken the best things in his life away,  and now he was broken. I hope I’d never see her again, because if I did, Chase would never see his kids again. I desperately wanted to give her a piece of my mind, but I needed to cool down before I dealt with her. 

That would take a long fucking time.

Chase’s cries turned to sniffles, and he raised his head again. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked more pale than usual, if that were possible. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.

I hugged him tightly. “You have absolutely fucking nothing to be sorry for. I’m going to absolutely kill Stacy." 

He shook his head. "I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you in the middle of all of this. I didn’t want you to suddenly pause your life because I’m having a crisis.”

I grabbed his face with both of my hands. “Chase, I’m your best friend. You know I’d do anything for you.”

Suddenly, he grasped me, hard. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “It’s just, I haven’t held someone in so long.”

“When did she leave you?”

“About four months ago." 

Four months?! "Chase!”

“I know, I know, but it wasn’t really final until about two weeks ago. That’s when I finally started to break down.”

I shook my head. “You’re insane.”

He chuckled. “I know.”

I leaned back a bit and he raised his head. “You know I love you, right?”

He nodded. “I love you, too,” he said, but sounded unsure of himself.

I looked at him with mock suspicion. “That didn’t sound very convincing, Chase." 

"I-I mean I love you, but not in the way you love me.” 

My heart stopped. “What-what are you saying?”

Chase looked down. “I mean, I love you, but I mean that I want to be with you every second of my life. I want to hold you, I want you to help me, I want nothing more than to just be with you. I want to wake up next to you, I want to make breakfast for you, I want to show you off to the world because you're so beautiful and I need you so much that I can’t help myself.” He finished his little monologue and got off of my lap and turned away from me. “I understand if you want to leave. I’ll drive you back to Gatwick if you need it.”

I stood up, already missing his warmth. “Chase, look at me.”

He did. He looked so afraid, like he’d just fucked everything up. 

I wrapped my arms around his neck, brought him close, and placed my lips on his.

He froze, then tentatively put his hands just above my hips. He kissed me back, desperately, like I was the buoy he needed in his rough waters.

Right then, I knew where I belonged. I belonged here, with my best friend turned lover, the absolute happiest I’d ever been. Fuck Athlone. I was never leaving him again. 

[paige-creates]

Fake It 'Til You Make It (Guzma x GN!Reader One-Shot)

    This work was inspired by @kentoszn 's Haikyuu!! post which ignited some repressed trauma and feelings™. The piece was lovely, and I enjoyed it thoroughly, but it got my brain churnin', and I had to write smth. This is kind of a vent piece and the experiences mentioned (not all the mushy comfort shit, unfortunately) are very real things I've dealt with. This is 100% gender neutral, and the reader's genitalia isn't mentioned. TW: the reader does have a panic attack, but big bad Guzma is there to help! It gets a little ns/fw in like, two spots. Hurt/Comfort and it's a little cheesy at the end. Feel free to give this a kudos on Ao3, I'd love you 5ever <3

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Something in your head, curling up and getting comfortable, tells you to hide in a corner. A sinking feeling in your chest that you want to go lay down and be still like an injured animal. All the while, Guzma pistons his hips into you with all his effort, love, and whole-hearted intentions to make you feel good. The thought that you’re wasting his affections and his time, all while moaning out but slowly losing grip on your sense of pleasure, has a guilty sickness washing over you. You do your best to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread that threatens to consume your good time almost entirely. You whine his name, rock your hips back into his with every thrust as best you can, his weight smothering you pleasantly and thick cock stuffing you full. You hold onto the now-fleeting notion of impending orgasm, focusing on his lips against your neck, but you know soon enough that your thoughts have all but turned that into a pipe dream. He’s been railing you thoroughly for an hour now, and in the beginning, you were thrilled; you’d been the one to initiate this in the first place. After subtle doubts had begun to consume you, you decided it was better not to ruin this. You were the one who had asked for it in the first place. You’d give him his fill; after all, he’s earned it with how attentive he’s been throughout the evening, and you could eventually fake your way out so as not to create an unpleasant or awkward circumstance. Then you could go back to curling up on the couch and finishing your movie night together as planned.

    When you felt his pace quicken, you threw your head back, whimpering his name and muttering “incoherently” about how close you were, throwing out a feverish moan as the finale of your show. You were confident in your acting. Though it had only happened occasionally, this wasn’t the first time you’d faked an orgasm to escape the gnawing in your gut. The times before, your plight had gone unnoticed. Whether it be a fling or an oblivious long-term partner, they kept on until they’d finished and then continued about their business. Guzma was different, though. Where some wouldn’t notice because they couldn’t tell (or just weren’t paying attention), Guzma was always looking for something in you—searching for confirmation that his efforts, in bed or your daily lives, were living up to your expectations. It was a necessity to him that you were getting enough from your time with him, that he wasn’t disappointing you somehow because he valued what the two of you have, and he had worked hard to make it this far with you. He was addicted to your happiness.

    It only took a minute before his pace slowed. You could see his expression, previously pinched with the pleasure of your heat and what Guzma had assumed was the build of mutual ecstasy, slowly fall away to something unreadable. There were flashes of different emotions on his face, each twisting your gut further into a knot. There was something akin to betrayal or confusion, then a flicker of insecurity. Eventually, he settled on a hurt sort of anger. Maybe because you’d essentially just lied to him, or because he was upset with himself somehow, you weren’t sure. Either way, he knew what you’d just done.

    While you wanted to appreciate him noticing and caring enough about you to be able to tell, you begin to wish he didn’t so you could get away from this situation and the consequences you feared it would bring. He stops, pulling out of you and giving you what feels like miles worth of space. No longer is his comforting weight settled over you; you lie there feeling exposed, waiting for what comes next. The tense growl of his voice in the quiet room jolts you out of your fearful thoughts, “Why would you- Just- Why? Did I do something?” Guzma’s voice softens by a fraction at the minute furrow of your brow, trying to calm himself and his own racing thoughts.

    This is the situation you were dreading. You asked for this, begged Guzma so sweetly while you were settled in his lap in the living room of your apartment to help you, that you needed him, wanted him to fill you up. Now, you were feeling guilty and anxious because your traitorous brain had sunken so deep into its thoughts that you changed your mind and couldn’t stuff your feelings back down and take it like the good, loving little pet you were. You soon caved to his unwavering expression of hurt, words spilling a-mile-a-minute in broken pleas. “No, no, no, you were good, you were so fucking good! I just got tired. My back cramped up a little, y’know? And-”

    “Stop.” Your lips seal shut at the command, your eyes wide and alert to every movement, waiting for anger or disappointment to wash over him before he finally leaves you there on your own to sulk. You can’t help the sting you feel in your chest, guilt eating you further with every passing second. Instead, one large warm palm rests against your cheek, keeping your gaze on him and your mind grounded in the current situation. “Take a deep breath, in ‘n out. Then try again. Don’t lie this time, yeah?”

    The burning in your throat suffocates you as you grasp helplessly for the right words to make the ill feelings disappear and bring back a peaceful atmosphere. The air constricts every time you open your mouth, and your first successful attempt to force out a sound is nothing more than a pained squeak. You choke on the pathetic noise. A sharp, panicked inhale is the only preamble to a hot tear rolling down your cheek before you feel an unpleasant heat roll over your shoulders, an uncomfortable itch up your spine that climbs the back of your neck. Instead of trying to explain, both hands quickly cover your mouth, stifling the first few sobs and turning your knuckles white from the harsh grip. No matter what you do to quell the onslaught of fear and uncertainty, it steamrolls you anyway. For a moment, Guzma is at a loss on what to do. He helplessly watches as your shoulders curl in and you duck your head to hide your weepy eyes. Before either of you know it, he’s scooped you up into his arms and you’re pressed tightly to his chest as warm hands rub circles into your back. Even if he doesn’t understand the whole situation, he’ll be there to help pick you up and put you together again.

    An eternity of soft shushing and repeats of, “I’m here, it’s okay,” eventually settle you enough to speak. You shakily draw in breaths of air; arms wrapped tightly around Guzma’s waist as your hands grip desperately to his shoulder blades, face hidden in the crook of his neck. Your voice cracks on the first word, so you clear your throat and try again.

    “You are so wonderful… I love everything you do for me, and you do so much,” Guzma’s arms squeeze around you in a comforting gesture at the words, but he stays quiet so you can finish. “I just felt kinda, I don’t know, off—no reason why. And I tried, I tried so goddamn hard to ignore it, but I couldn’t. Figured it’d be easier to play my part, take it and be good, make sure you were taken care of, y’know? Then I could ignore my feelings ‘til they went away and make myself feel better with cuddles and our movie ‘n all that.” You pause, getting your thoughts together to keep your heart from racing out of your chest again. “I started it, being all needy ‘n shit. I couldn’t just “nope” out halfway through, but I didn’t wanna tell you I wasn’t feeling it, so I just went along until I could deal with my dumb, sad brain on my own.”

    The sigh that escapes his lips is both affectionate and exasperated like he doesn’t know what to do with you, but he couldn’t possibly give you up. “Aight, you need to listen closely, and don’t you dare forget what ’m boutta say,” Guzma grabs your chin, bringing your head back enough to look him in the eyes. “You own your body. If ya change your mind about anything, say so. I have no right ta make a fuss, ain’t got no place to be tellin’ you ta get over it, nothin’.” He plants a forceful kiss on the crown of your head like he’s trying to press his feelings into you with a well-placed smooch. It’s enough to pull a laugh out of you.

    “I love you, stupid. Don’t think for even a moment that I’d rather have half-assed sex than to know you’re feelin’ alright. I don’t care if we’re goin’ all out on a holiday, ‘r if you blew me ‘n begged on your knees five minutes before. You’re mine, ‘n I’m supposed to take care of ya. Can’t do that if ya don’t tell me what you need. ‘n if that means stoppin’ and goin’ to get cocoa, cause you don’t feel safe or you ain’t in the right headspace, tha’s fine.” You feel a flurry of aggressive pecks to the top of your head before he pauses. “What made ya’ think like that in the first place?”

    You contemplate for a moment, recalling every unpleasant scenario that led to the plague of thoughts that brought you to this point. From a rebound one-night-stand that left you with twenty minutes of shitty sex, unfinished and unsatisfied, paired with a $180 hotel bill, to years of a relationship where you never felt desirable, and your partner really didn’t know what they were doing despite your attempts at communication, the list dragged on. You mumble out, ashamed of yourself for some reason and not of the list of fools you’d had the misfortune of being with earlier in life, “Bad sex, feeling unwanted, and being used as a glorified cum-dumpster, I guess.”

    You hear a disappointed ‘tsk’ at your comment, Guzma shaking his head before meeting your eyes again. “Letting you know now, I will absolutely fucking destroy anyone who’s ever made ya feel like that, ‘n I do want names. Also, they were idiots, if that wasn’t obvious enough already. Lucky for you, I got common sense.”

    “Most of the time.” The hand that ruffles your hair in retaliation holds nothing but love for you, and you smile despite eating a few tousled strands in the process.

    Guzma dramatically clears his throat before continuing, “Hush you, now lemme dote on ya for a minute.” His hands run along your skin slowly, like he’s appraising fine jewelry, and you feel a comfortable warmth settle in the confines of your chest as you hug him tighter. “I want you when ya wake up with a bird’s nest on your head in the mornin’, ‘n I want ya when your legs are all prickly ‘cause you haven’t shaved in three weeks. I want ya with your eye bags from pullin’ all-nighters and when you run around in the clothes ya stole from me. I wanna hear every goofy lil’ thing you say, and I never wanna miss the dumb baby voice you use when yer talkin’ to pokemon. I want all your time, day ‘n night, and every second between. So don’t ever hide your thoughts from me, ya hear?”

    Guzma’s only warning is a puppy-eyed pout before you launch your entangled forms backward to lay on his chest and smatter his face in kisses. For a while, you both lay there. A comfortable silence settles over the room while you enjoy the calm after the storm. What feels like hours amounts to roughly twenty minutes, but you both relish it either way. Eventually, you realize you’ve spent the better half of your night naked and sobbing, so you poke your loving boyfriend’s side. Guzma takes a moment to look at you consideringly, fond eyes roaming over your relaxed expression and wild hair before he seems to read your mind. “Wanna finish the movie ‘n order pizza? I want some TLC from my Cutiefly.” The slow, sweet kiss you give him is all the response he needs before Guzma slips on boxer briefs and a t-shirt. He pulls a discarded hoodie of his from your bedroom floor and tugs it over your raised arms, giving you a playful kiss when your head pops through the neck hole. Once you’re carried like royalty and seated in his lap on the living room couch, you press play on the remote and enjoy a relaxing evening, feeling much closer to Guzma than before.

[wrightaboutthat]

Proposing a Duel ~A Narumitsu One-Shot~

Summary: Finally, after years of pining, years of waiting, is Phoenix prepared to propose to the love of his life. But with someone he parallels so intensely, nothing can ever be straightforward.

Tags: Marriage Proposal, Idiots in Love, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Arguing, Childhood Memories, they're so dumb, and bickering 5ever, but they're so incredibly in love your honor, and deserve intense happiness like this, also this is probably set in the aa5-6 timeline somewhere but Who's Counting

Additional Notes: Hello everyone! Finally managed to tackle and finish one of my 20+ Narumitsu drafts lol. I recognize that this is quite the common trope/plot with these two, but I'm of course shooting for a "yay, two cakes" situation! We simply cannot have enough proposal fics, and these two deserve all the happiness/sweetness in the world quite honestly. They're tired- let them REST.

Anyway, super excited to share this with you all, and I hope you enjoy!

You can also read the work on AO3 here [x]

It felt different. He felt different. There was a certain and light sweetness that seemed to be lingering in the air. There was a tender warmth that seemed to be burning between two forms. There was a magnetic tug that seemed to be pulling harder than usual.

Perhaps it was finally pulling towards the inevitable.

Phoenix’s breath caught in his throat at the very consideration. It had been so long after all. The entirety of his life had slowly led up to such a thing. But even still, he doubted his readiness, doubted his ability to proceed.

Though, looking at the man beside him easily dampened such doubts. Fear melted away into giddy nervousness, and worry softened into warm tingles.

Because it was Miles.

Miles.

A man who had evaded him for years. A man who had changed him for the better. A man who had beautifully fought for betterment all for his sake. A man who he’d do anything for.

A man he wanted to marry.

The direct utterance within his mind manifested a flushed smile, his head going woozy with adoration. Inevitable indeed; it felt so right to consider, so...perfect. He of course hoped his proposal would follow suit, that it would declare such deep admiration to the receiver. He wanted it to be just as wonderful as the very man-

“What is it?”

The murmured baritone snapped Phoenix from his honeyed thoughts, startling as he returned to the present.

“Huh?”

Though Miles’ stare remained trained ahead, Phoenix could still pick up on the tenderness that washed over his facial expression.

“You were staring quite intently, darling.”

The term of endearment, the tonality of his boyfriend’s voice, and the ginger facial expression did nothing to help his blush. The defense attorney’s cheeks were fiery, though his growing smile aided in the distribution of heat.

“Is that anything new? I always struggle to take my eyes off you.”

He watched with amusement as color struck Miles’ face to match, his expression crinkling into something of embarrassment.

“Nngh...” he quietly groaned, earning a chuckle from Phoenix before he continued, “Well, at least I’m the one driving then.”

“Thank God for that.”

They ventured back into comfortable silence, but affections were still reciprocated. Miles slipped a hand off the steering wheel and laid it palm-up on the console, an invitation that Phoenix immediately took. He gave his boyfriend’s hand a soft squeeze, contentedly sighing as his thoughts began to wander once more.

Hand holding wouldn’t feel the same for very long after all. There would be an even deeper connection with it, a deeper unity. Soft skin and sturdy fingers would be bordered with precious metal, a glistening reminder of their utmost promise to each other...

“Phoenix.”

The tanner man jerked back to the present once again, though not as harshly as before.

“Yeah?”

“You’re uncharacteristically quiet.”

“Are you saying I’m normally loud, baby?”

The slight rise of his boyfriend’s brow was enough to draw forth a laugh, the deeper implications plenty visible in such a mere gesture.

“More talkative than I, yes,” Miles huffed, though he quickly ventured back towards a more solemn air. “Is something on your mind?”

“Ahh...no.” A lie. And it was very dangerous to offer a lie to the man who sought nothing but the truth in every regard. So Phoenix very quickly covered with a genuine statement, a true explanation indeed. “I just...get lost in how much I love you sometimes.”

Heterochromatic eyes had averted with such a statement, and his other hand had taken purchase upon his neck. The silence that followed however, drew his gaze back towards his partner. But, following the pattern of comfort, any and all apprehension was doused by the prosecutor; the intense blush and bashful furrow on his counterpart’s face triggered giggles.

“Darling...” Miles muttered in disdain.

“It’s true!”

Silver eyes briefly flitted sideways, before the opposing man heaved a large sigh. Years ago, such a statement would likely earn some manner of reluctance or coldness. In the present though, and to Phoenix’s delight, it slowly drew forth a gentle smile once more.

“If I wasn’t speeding down a highway, I would perhaps have to kiss you,” Miles eventually murmured.

“Just perhaps?” Phoenix laughed.

“Mm...”

The prosecutor readjusted their conjoined hands, and better gripped Phoenix’s, gently bringing it to his awaiting mouth.

“Assuredly,” he said, sealing the word with a tender kiss.

It was the defense’s turn to be bashful, flushing and giggling and crumpling in on himself. It was without fail; close to proposing, and yet rendered so useless by his beloved. He doubted that would change, even well into their marriage. It hadn’t for years and years after all.

When Miles lowered their hands back to the console, Phoenix heaved a breath, easing into conversation before thoughts hoisted him away again.

“Where are we going anyway?”

There was an odd pause, coupled with what sounded like a shaky inhalation. The prosecutor did indeed answer, but through vagueness only.

“You’ll see.”

“Are we close? Because I perhaps have to kiss you too.” Just as Miles has done, he brought their hands upward, gripping the prosecutor’s just so and returning the gesture with warm lips. “Hands don’t really cut it.”

“Yes, dear. Shouldn’t be much longer.”

Phoenix grinned, and pressed a plethora of short kisses to the other man’s hand- so much so that he earned a soft whap of disdain to the face. He broke into giggles then and freed the prosecutor from his onslaught, simply opting to sit and wait for their arrival, albeit anxiously. He hoped it was a proper location. He hoped it was someplace fitting. He hoped it would be a date worth turning into something more. He wasn’t sure if he could stand the idea of having to push things back any longer; the ring had already been in his possession for one day too many.

The car finally slowing down brought him from his thoughts, and he blinked as he attempted to process where they were. It didn’t seem to be a fancy restaurant or anything typical of Miles; in fact, it seemed like they were just in some random part of the city. And yet, there seemed to exist an odd sort of...familiarity to it all, a sense of dejavu gnawing on his mind.

Regardless of the swirling thoughts, he snapped to action the moment they stopped. The second Miles parked the car, he was leaning across the center console, following through with his previous statements and tugging them both into a proper kiss. The pair sighed and melted against each other’s mouths, sucking and gliding and caressing.

When Phoenix attempted to slide his tongue betwixt his partner’s lips however, did the prosecutor lean back and break their connection.

“Not so fast, Wright,” he tutted, though his brow was playfully cocked, “Can’t have you sullying this date.”

“Me? You’re the one who’s irresistibly gorgeous.”

Miles rolled his eyes, causing the tanner man to chuckle, before he poised himself to depart the vehicle.

“I rest my case.”

Phoenix continued with his mirth, but had no further objections; no, he didn’t need to sully their date at all. There would be plenty of time for intimacy, but only one chance to present such a momentous inquiry. So he exited after his boyfriend, and walked around the car to be by his side.

Gazes were soft once more upon meeting, and the prosecutor offered a hand for Phoenix to take. He did so happily, and allowed his partner to lead. In doing so however, perplexity joined the mix, his wavy brows furrowing as he continued to try and place...where exactly they were. It wasn’t exactly a park, or a restaurant, or any discernible destination at all. It merely seemed like Miles was leading him down a sidewalk- and was his hand...trembling?

His face scrunched with further confusion, the two of them continuing to wind through buildings. Soon however, buildings opened up to a very particular scene. Rounding a corner stopped him dead in his tracks. Gazing upon the openness before him smacked his brain with a plethora of memories. He saw many a picture, heard swaths of innocent laughter, and felt rushes of old warmth...

“Remember this spot?”

Miles’ murmur managed to reach him, but his composure still swayed. Tears almost pricked his heterochromatic eyes, his nose tickling with the threat of their manifestation. Because yes, he absolutely did. The small canal, the grassy hill, the surrounding quaint homes, the sunset...

It was a scene from their youth. It was a place they had frequented together as grade schoolers. It was a place where dreams had been discussed, and bonds had been formed.

And God, was it perfect for taking said bonds even further.

Phoenix had to keep a hand over his mouth for a few beats, attempting to keep his composure at bay. Breaking down in front of Miles wouldn’t be anything new necessarily, but it would produce suspicion.

Thankfully, the prosecutor didn’t seem to notice- at least, not yet. For he simply snickered and tugged, softly beckoning with their conjoined hands.

“I take that as a yes. Come on then.”

He led them both down the old path, strolling in the golden light of the setting sun. Phoenix could almost see flashes of their grade school selves as they happened along, laughing and shoving and playing. And, through the sparkles in his vision, could he also picture the glistens of precious metal, of gemstones shining with promise and love.

He had to bite his cheek to keep himself in check. When would be the proper time to ask anyway? It felt so close, but so very far. It felt so perfect, but so out of reach. Maybe it would just come to him. Maybe the stars would align. And if Miles’ hand was still oddly trembling, he could no longer tell; his was too.

The prosecutor slowing down pulled him from his running thoughts, but made the situation all the more real. He allowed Miles to lead him into the grass, onto one of the slopes neighboring the sidewalk. Mismatched eyes rapidly blinked to shoo away tears; it was such the perfect parallel. It was such a beautiful nod to their roots.

“Love, I didn’t think you remembered this!” he strained out, beginning to beam immensely, “It was so long ago.”

“Well of course I do. You were the better part of those years after all.”

“Miles...” Phoenix heaved a breath, his smile beginning to rival the light shining upon them. “You’re such a sweetheart, you know that? This was so thoughtful.”

He watched with delight as the opposing man flushed something terrible, his silver eyes averting and his grasp retracting.

“Ngh...” he softly groaned, before dismissively waving a hand and moving to sit, “It’s merely a trip down memory lane, that’s all.”

“Yeah but...” Phoenix couldn’t help but laugh, latching on to some teasing for a bit of emotional respite, “Esteemed Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth sitting in the grass for me?”

Miles seemed to stiffen a bit, coupled with another crawl of red across his visage.

“Is that really such an oddity?”

“A bit, yeah! It’s different than what we normally do.” Phoenix snickered a bit more, before he lowered himself to the ground as well, sitting flush against his partner. The mirth departed his voice then, his tone traveling back towards a more earnest warmth. “So it’s just...It’s really sweet. And meaningful.”

And utterly perfect for what he had planned.

He watched as Miles’ face immensely softened, though silver eyes averted once more. Phoenix took the opportunity to press a quick kiss to the offered cheek, before moving to nestle his head against his boyfriend’s shoulder. He sighed a contented breath upon doing so- particularly when he eventually felt Miles’ head snuggle against his.

Part of him was anxious, what with a brewing proposal swirling around in his depths. But another part hushed him, and told him to simply enjoy the scene for a moment. It was a lovely contrast against their usual life; just getting to take a few moments of calm hush with his beloved, in a place that meant so much to them. The sunlight was warming, his partner’s body was soothing, and the air was enticing.

Mismatched eyes half-lidded, and he hummed amidst the quiet. He wanted it to continue. He wanted to stay in the moment forever. But the other half of him began to cry out for attention. The other half drove him to speak, to drive the peace towards partnership.

“God, Miles...How did we even get here?”

“It’s been a long road, hmm?” the prosecutor murmured after a few beats.

“Yeah. Crazy to think I’m here with you like this. It was always a dream of mine.”

“I concur.”

“So proper,” Phoenix snickered, moving to press another kiss to the opposing man’s cheek.

“Hush,” he huffed. Before Phoenix could nestle back downwards however, Miles turned his head and captured their mouths for a proper kiss. And just as soon as the kiss started was he rising to stand, stoically and handsomely staring out towards the departing sun. He seemed to let out a shaky breath, before he continued in solemn tones. “As children, when I sat with you here, I...couldn’t help but look to the future, and imagine what could be. To think that it’s realized now, and far more than I ever pictured...”

He heaved again, and seemed to look downward at his feet.

“And to think that it could continue...”

Phoenix’s heart leapt into his throat; how was it that Miles was perfectly setting him up? How was it that he was meticulously laying the puzzle pieces out? It was almost like he knew, like he was aware of the ring burning brightly in his pocket.

“Phoenix...”

It was time. Oh God, it was time. It was like some divine forces yanked him upward, piloting him towards the start of a new beginning. He no longer questioned it. He no longer felt apprehensive. He only felt entirely driven to begin.

“-Miles, I adore you,” he blurted, butting in and rambling without much control, “I love you so much. I can’t imagine being with anyone else but you. You’re gorgeous, and amazing, and so important to me, and...”

He could feel his partner’s eyes on him. He could feel the burn of their bodies. He could feel the very question hanging in the air between them. His chest tightened, his eyes watered, and his extremities quivered...Yet he still managed to reach for the life changing box in his pocket, and poised himself to get down on one knee.

“And so I have to do something I’ve thought about since I met-“

“-Hold it!”

The sudden objection from his boyfriend startled him, causing him to crash down upon his knee as opposed to a gentle descent. He winced a bit at the impact, but physical pain was quickly replaced by emotional; Miles looked...appalled. Phoenix felt his chest squeeze immensely, coupled with a croaked utterance of the prosecutor’s name.

“Wh- Miles?”

He watched with further horror as his counterpart backed away, heaving and wringing his fists a plenty. Miles even went so far as to pinch the bridge of his nose with a hand, sighing and straining a cursed sentence.

“I cannot believe this...”

The defense lawyer trembled, the words piercing a crack in his heart. He had been wrong. He had been overzealous. He had pushed Miles too far. He had backed himself into an unlovable corner yet again.

He opened his mouth to speak, to question, to beg for answers, but all that escaped was a quivering breath. Oddly enough, the sound still managed to reach the prosecutor, because he looked back before...miraculously softening?

“-Wait wait, no. Apologies. I...” he said with a raised hand, before pulling it back in and freezing.

They both were silent for several beats then, the air immensely tense and thick. Though Phoenix felt slightly better that his beloved no longer appeared...disgusted, his heart still ached something terrible. He was confused, and downtrodden, watching his boyfriend closely for any further reactions.

React he did; he shifted more into the typical tense nervousness, pulling at his shirt and avoiding eye contact. Numerous deep breaths also heaved from the prosecutor, the exhalations sounding surprisingly shaky. Though it was likely only seconds, the quiet felt like hours, Phoenix clambering for any sign he hadn’t just made the worst mistake of his life.

And it was a wonder he doubted his partner so. It was crazy that his anxiety still got to him. The traumatic scars really did run immensely deep. But regardless, Miles finally provided, looking back and turning the situation around.

“My darling,” he began, his silver eyes interlocking with heterochromatic, “I am...so sorry for startling you. I just...have no idea how we possibly managed...”

With that, the prosecutor reached into his own pocket, and presented something that connected all the glittering puzzle pieces together.

Oh.

Oh.

Every ounce of apprehension washed away. Every bit of discomfort fizzled into nothingness. Every drop of sadness evaporated into thin air. And all was replaced by the most dazzling, incredible warmth Phoenix had ever experienced.

Because it was a box, much like the one he still had in his own hand.

Suddenly, everything made sense. He had brought him out here with identical intentions. He had sweetened his tongue with the same question. He had been preparing to go down the same road, and was startled by the abrupt change in plans.

They had both tried to propose to each other. They had both tried to ask for each other’s hand.

Phoenix wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sob, and subsequently settled for a mixture of both. His free hand clapped over his mouth, and he quivered from tears and mirth alike.

“Miles? Miles?!”

Through the glaze, he could see the prosecutor shaking his head. And over his trembling vocalizations, he could hear the strained quality his boyfriend’s voice had taken.

“Always throwing me for a loop, Wright.”

“Oh my God!” Phoenix laughed, rubbing at his eyes with a hand as he attempted to compose himself. He was overwhelmed, so delightfully overwhelmed. Because two opposing rings meant they were on the exact same page. Two pieces of beautiful metal signaled each other’s answer.

His laugh choked off with more of a sob, and he peered through his fingers to get a look at his boyfriend. Miles had his head turned away, a hand grasping his face once more. Was he crying as well? Or trying not to? Whatever the case, the very consideration sent further tears down the tanner man’s cheeks.

“I...I love you,” he rasped.

“I...” Normally smooth and cool vocals were shaky and taut, the prosecutor clearing his throat before attempting again. “I love you too, dearest.”

The situation beautifully plateaued, the two men taking numerous beats to compose themselves. Neither moved. Neither said anything. Neither made any sort of advance with such a dear connection woven between them.

Phoenix continued wiping his tears and blowing out cleansing breaths. He slowly became aware of the fact that he was still on one knee, still poised to officially pop the question. Though, how was he to go about it? And with an opposing ring in the playing field? He felt inclined to inquire.

“Love?”

He watched as the prosecutor straightened, smoothing out his dress shirt and composing himself something proper. It looked very much like how he recovered in court after a sudden blow, scrambling back from an emotional edge and easing back into stoicism.

“Yes?” he answered after a few beats, though his voice was still thickened.

“What...what do we even do now?!” Phoenix laughed, his free hand traveling to rest upon his neck.

“Well,” Miles began after heaving another cleansing breath, “If we’re getting into technicalities, I’ve had this planned for months.��

The sheen in Phoenix’s eyes flashed with a new spark, the tears glistening with fire. No, not just an opposing ring- a rival ring. It seemed that old habits died hard.

“So? I’m the one on one knee right now! I beat you to it.”

“And? I don’t believe you had any sort of plan regarding this.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m trying to marry you, Phoenix,” Miles said matter-of-factly, tapping his bicep in the normal way, “Ergo, I know you better than perhaps the back of my own hand.”

The tanner man wanted to laugh at the courtroom persona his partner had suddenly adopted, argue with the points being brought to the table, and melt at the fact that Miles Edgeworth wanted to marry him. Unfortunately, he was incapable of anything of the sort; the truth was a little too on the nose.

“Ahh...” was all he sheepishly managed, his free hand grasping his neck harder.

He watched as Miles cocked a brow and gave him a knowing look, furthering the blush that gripped his cheeks.

“Out with it then.”

“Okay...Maybe I was about to start winging it...”

“Mm, as always.”

“But so what?” Phoenix exclaimed, “I’m always ready to get into how much I adore you, and why I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else, and-“

“-You are not about to advantageously segue, Phoenix Wright.”

The defense attorney burst out laughing, finally standing back up and closing the distance between them.

“Miles!” he comedically whined, giving his boyfriend’s chest a gentle shove, “Dammit, you do know me a little too well.”

“Indeed. Which is why I feel more than apt to be the first one to proceed.”

“No! I was ramping myself up towards a big speech and everything.”

“As was I. I’ve dreamed of this since I was young.”

“And you think I haven’t?!”

The prosecutor’s face devolved into more of his usual scowl, his arms lacing across his chest. It was quite the sight really, what with his eyes still containing wisps of moisture. Still, the strange contrast didn’t cease the pair’s argument.

“We seem to be at quite the impasse then.”

“A bit!” Phoenix snorted.

“Is your stubbornness really going to stop us from getting engaged?”

“Is yours?”

Miles let out a harsh sigh, his annoyance becoming more and more noticeable.

“You’re being ridiculous. Why does it matter who proposes to whom anyway?”

“If it didn’t matter so much, you would have let me go for it!” the tanner man pointed out.

“You’re incredibly obstinate.”

“Haven’t you always admired that?”

“Phoenix,” Miles hissed.

“Besides, so are you!”

“Tell me, do you have a better comeback besides mirroring what I’ve just said?”

“I could always tell you to shut up and let me get on with it.”

“Oh, so romantic and well spoken,” the prosecutor snapped, throwing his hands with exasperation, “Truly makes for the sweetest memories.”

“Says you! You’re the one who started all of this. I could have proposed already!”

It was then that Phoenix’s eyes glinted once more, this time with a spark of mischievous stubbornness. In knowing him so well, Miles appeared to pick up on it, his body twitching and his brow furrowing.

“Don’t you dare-“

The prosecutor’s snarl cut off as they both leapt for the same conclusion. Knees crashed to the ground together, and boxes were hastily grappled for, the two racing for that beautiful spot.

And then something tickled Phoenix once more.

Maybe it was the way the love of his life was kneeling and fuming before him, holding a precious box in such a seething manner. Or maybe it was the way they were both treating their rings as weapons, like they were drawing them for a duel. Or maybe, it was the way they were arguing over a damn proposal.

Regardless, the tanner man was powerless, and began laughing again without much control. The sudden mirth seemed to slap the prosecutor; out of the corner of Phoenix’s eye, he could see his partner stiffen something terrible. It was likely striking even more of a nerve, but he couldn’t help it. It was so...stupidly them, and so amusing as a result.

He bent over from the force of his giggles, instinctively placing a hand on Miles’ bent knee to steady himself. The voice of reason in the very back of his head screamed danger, as an angry prosecutor could easily shove it off. But just as the situation continued to unfold in an odd manner, as did motivations. For Phoenix felt a gentle hand come to rest upon his own, squeezing as opposed to throwing.

“What’s...so funny?” he barely heard his boyfriend ask, his hesitant voice drowned out by the seamless mirth. He had to take numerous beats to sharply inhale, to attempt to get some air, before he could even consider replying.

“...This!” he gasped, wiping building tears with his free hand, “Us!”

To both his surprise and amusement, he heard what sounded like a cheerful huff from the prosecutor. Maybe he was being pulled down into the fun as well? The thought tickled the tanner man even more, and he rode another wave of giggles before fighting for further conversation.

“Miles...Miles...What the hell are we even doing?”

Yes, the prosecutor was definitely laughing now; Phoenix could hear the chuckles blending in so well with his own. It sent him into another fit, made worse by what Miles said next.

“Being...Imbecilic I suppose.”

The pair took a few moments to laugh together then, completely replacing the annoyance in Phoenix’s system with honeyed warmth once more. How typical of them. How beautiful of them. Riding an emotional rollercoaster was something of wonderful normalcy, even in what was supposed to be a special moment. Though, perhaps it actually made the moment all the more meaningful, all the more memorable.

“God! We’re so stupid...We’re so damn stupid...” the defense eventually wheezed, continuing to wipe at his eyes.

“Speak for yourself,” Miles huffed, slowly standing back up and brushing himself off.

“We’re- hey!” Phoenix laughed, erecting to give his boyfriend’s chest yet another push, “You’re an ass.”

“Oh, will the loving talk ever cease?” the prosecutor sighed with a roll of his eyes.

The tanner man continued to giggle, before he stepped even closer, nuzzling his nose tenderly against Miles’. The pair softened immensely, and the defense attorney took advantage by offering yet another kiss.

“I love you so much,” he whispered when their mouths parted.

“I love you too.”

The pair took a few beats of tender silence then, stepping down from the nonsensical energy that had been their argument. It was Miles’ turn to take advantage then; he reached with a hand to brush black hairs back into place before gently framing a damp cheek.

“I do still intend to go through with this, you know,” he murmured, before mildly cocking a brow, “Even though the mood has been thoroughly soiled now.”

“I do too. I-“ Heterochromatic eyes widened slightly, the tanner man starting like he had reached a brilliant conclusion in court. “Hey, actually...”

“Hmm?”

“Hear me out on this, okay? Going back and forth is totally our thing, right? We kinda just proved that.”

A huff and eye roll from the prosecutor drew another shaky laugh from the defense. Still, he continued.

“So what if we...propose together? Back and forth?”

He watched as a strong swath of red spread across his boyfriend’s cheeks, coupled with a furrow of his brow. Silver eyes flitted off to the side as well, a sign he was either flustered or objecting.

“That’s...”

In fearing the latter, Phoenix quickly interjected. “-I know, I know, it’s weird. And not exactly traditional. But it’s...us, you know?”

“I suppose that would indeed solve our problem after all.”

“Okay...”

The tanner man heaved a multitude of cleansing breaths, attempting to pull his composure back to the proper place. But with the element of surprise gone, with two rings in the vicinity, and with the love of his life staring through sparkles of unshed tears...He couldn’t help but shakily laugh, intense emotions swaying all over the place.

“Whew, I...Dammit! I can’t focus now-“

“-Shh,” Miles cut in, suddenly leaning closer and nestling their foreheads together, “Come here then, dearest. I believe we need to...take a moment.”

The defense’s breath caught at the proximity, but he nodded, allowing himself to get ushered away by the man before him. Nestled so close, aggressively ricocheting emotions had no choice but to settle; for there was nothing quite as soothing as snuggling up to his beloved. His mind whited out with the gentle, floral scent of the prosecutor, and the soft warmth his being provided. Though his heart was still pounding, and his eyes were still watering, it did indeed effectively walk him back to a more composed mentality. Perhaps because it reminded him just how much he adored the opposing man, and just how much he wanted to marry him.

“Better?” Miles eventually whispered.

“Yeah...” Phoenix replied, before blowing out a few more cleansing breaths. This was it. This was really it. “Okay. Okay okay...”

He leaned back then, intertwining both stares and fingers. The two shared a look of love, of reverence, of happiness, before stepping fully into the light.

“Phoenix Wright...”

“Miles Edgeworth...”

The tanner man watched as his beloved opened his mouth, but stiffened when no words followed. The tender visage furrowed back into a scowl, but thankfully, Phoenix wasn’t left in apprehension for too long.

“Curses. I had been so ready!”

Phoenix found himself laughing once again; composure was still a beast, it seemed. But somehow, by some damn graces, were words poised on his own tongue. So he gripped his love’s hand a bit tighter, and allowed them to fall.

“Well here- I knew I wanted to marry you from the moment I met you.”

The furrow on Miles’ face didn’t ease- it only turned incredulous. Naturally, Phoenix laughed even harder, and gave the prosecutor’s hand another squeeze.

“I’m serious! Even at nine years old, I could recognize my soulmate.”

Miles seemed to consider the statement, or allow the words to blanket over him. Either way, after a few beats, did he find his stride as well, steering them both towards a more solemn air.

“From the beginning, you enraptured me,” he murmured, silver eyes trained off to the side, “I felt safe around you, happy around you. And there was a deeper sort of calling that I recognized too- something brilliant and pure that I haven’t experienced with anyone else.”

“I think it was so strong and beautiful that I didn’t know what to do with myself,” Phoenix admitted.

“Indeed. It frightened me, and you know this. I denied its call initially. Or perhaps I didn’t deem myself worthy of standing hand in hand with such an incredible, intelligent, wonderful man.”

“Miles...” Phoenix murmured, his voice and face coated with disdain.

“Especially after all I’d done. So, I of course stepped away from that gorgeous light you cast.”

“But I had no intention of losing you. Still don’t.”

The two squeezed hands, before monochrome eyes slowly crept upwards to find mismatched once more.

“Nor I you,” Miles whispered, “When your hand was presented, I could only avoid its reach for so long. There was only so much running before that warmth enveloped me. No longer could I deny the deep and complex feelings you evoked within.”

“I didn’t know how to go about it, you know. Once I had your hand, I didn’t know what to do. I stumbled a bit trying to figure it all out.” Phoenix looked downward at their connection then, a warm, tearful smile overtaking his face. “All I did know was that I was so incredibly in love with you.”

He heard Miles’ breath catch, and subsequently offered a few caresses with his thumb. The prosecutor softly cleared his throat, before he managed to tenderly continue.

“I...knew I was in love with you too. The second you found me, the second you reached me, I could feel it.”

“Yet somehow we danced circles around each other,” Phoenix shakily snickered.

“I just couldn’t comprehend it. I struggled to find mutuality. Because, I of course just wanted to see you happy. I wanted nothing but the best for you. And I wasn’t sure I fit that bill.”

“You did. You do.” Phoenix softly broke their connection for the purpose of framing his partner’s face, tenderly holding and intently staring. “God, Miles, you do. I don’t think I could love someone as much as I love you. Maybe I couldn’t even wrap my head around it either.”

“And we both experienced hardships of course.”

“Yeah. But you were there for me. You took my hand as well. You guided me and made me a stronger, better person. I wouldn’t be who I am today if not for you.”

“I of course can say the same about you. You are...” Miles heaved a shaky breath himself, before reaching to mirror the touch. “...the dearest thing in my life, Phoenix. You are my light, my guidance, my foundation, and my truth. You are so incredibly important to me, and I love you more than I ever deemed possible.”

Phoenix had heard his partner speak soft sentiments before. He had experienced the deeper, more vulnerable side of the prosecutor a handful of times. But whispered in a spot from their childhood, proclaimed as they sought to strengthen their bond...

It amplified his tears tenfold, his bottom lip wobbling as awed cascades poured forth.

“I...M-Miles...Dammit...” he croaked, leading to a playful eye roll from his partner.

“Mm, so eloquent,” Miles softly huffed.

“Shh! I...” Phoenix hesitated, overwhelmed and overflowing with adoration. He felt there wasn’t much to say to top what had just been murmured- and he also knew he dangerously close to falling apart. Consequently, he softly tugged his partner closer, and locked them in a tender kiss. He couldn’t help but whimper against the prosecutor’s lips, but he hoped to instill every bit of honeyed warmth he could manage- at least until he could properly vocalize.

“You’re my home, my warmth, my dream, my everything,” he eventually murmured, his mouth ghosting against his partner’s, “I love you more than humanely possible. You make me so so happy. There is no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with. So you’re kinda...stuck with me forever.”

“I would have it no other way. You have me, always.”

“Always. I’m yours.”

The two men stared at each other for numerous beats, glassy eyes peering deeply into each other’s souls. Tears ran down Phoenix’s cheeks, whereas Miles remained unshed and unbroken. But regardless, the intense emotion was palpable, the next step dangling right there for both to grab.

“So then...” Miles whispered.

“So then...” Phoenix quietly returned.

In mirroring each other, in being on the same plane, the two simultaneously lowered to one knee, far slower and less chaotic than the previous time. Instead, it was purposeful, devout, the pair entirely interlocked as they continued. They both presented their respective boxes once more, and shakily prepared for the final step.

“Phoenix Wright?”

“Miles Edgeworth?”

“Would...would you do me the extraordinary honor...and privilege...” Miles started.

“...of becoming my husband?” Phoenix finished.

It was then that he opened his box, with Miles following closely behind. And again, did he come incredibly close to breaking. Again, did he nearly lose hold on reality.

Because of course he and Miles continued to parallel. Of course they both ran with the same idea: The ring the prosecutor was presenting glistened with blue, just as the ring he presented glistened with red. They were gifting each other’s aesthetics. They deeply recognized each other, nodded to each other, and such an element would likely switch the next time they gifted rings.

The next time they gifted rings...

“I’ve waited so long to marry you, Miles...” Phoenix managed to gasp.

“I’ve pictured no one else...”

Phoenix was barely breathing, barely thinking. But still, did the words roll off his tongue, like they had been poised to do for eternity.

“So...yes.”

The preciousness finally broke the nigh impenetrable glass, a single tear rolling down the prosecutor’s cheek as he returned the deepest sentiment.

“Yes.”

Phoenix choked out a pitiful sob, and couldn’t help but tug them both upwards, his mouth finding Miles’ the second they were standing. And it was a wonder how their kiss almost immediately felt different, tasted different. It was sweeter, purer, and more profound. It was like their lips connected in a way they hadn’t before. It was something gorgeous, something new.

Perhaps it was because they were engaged. They were engaged.

Miles Edgeworth was his fiancé.

Another heaving sob from the defense attorney forced the kiss apart, and he opted to simply bury himself against Miles’ neck, beaming and crying all the while. He snuggled as close as he could possibly manage, and relished in the feeling of hands embracing him tightly. There, he attempted to compose himself, but naturally, the opposing man didn’t make things easy.

“Pull yourself together, Wright,” Miles softly jested, his voice thick with moisture, “You’re yanking me down with you.”

“I c-can’t,” he half-laughed half-sobbed.

“Mm...Perhaps I should take advantage and christen your finger with a ring first then...”

Sobs leant more towards laughter then, the defense attorney tightly hugging the prosecutor before leaning back in the embrace.

“N-nice try! We’re still doing this together.”

“We need both hands, silly,” Miles huffed before cocking an amused brow at his partner, “Though, judging by our differing composure, I relinquish my previous statement and deem it appropriate that you go first. Before you collapse on me, that is.”

“God, I love you...” Phoenix laughed, “And yeah, no promises...”

They both snickered, before turning their attention downward. Eyeing the two rings almost choked Phoenix up something terrible, but he managed to hang on by a mere thread. He focused on the band he intended to gift, the essence of his partner, fixating on completing the beautiful tradition. With a hand, he removed the precious ring from its box. And then shakily, softly, reverently, did he grab Miles’ hand with one of his own, and slip the band onto his finger with the other.

He shivered at the sight, at the ring finally resting in its proper place. But he barely had time to process before Miles began to mirror, slipping the opposing ring onto his tanner finger in return.

And then red truly danced with blue. Blue completely intertwined with red. Two colors dazzled and sparkled beside each other- just as they had for years, and would continue to do so for the rest of their days.

Phoenix could do nothing but stare for what seemed like an eternity, his trance only broken by Miles bringing their hands upward. Once more did he press soft kisses to Phoenix’s fingers, the weight of which was far greater now. The defense had no choice but to articulate.

“I’m...I’m going to marry you.”

Phoenix let out another round of gasping breaths, and was sure his smile was going to split his cheeks as he uttered the dreamlike phrase once more.

“Oh my God...I’m going to...marry you, Miles...We’re engaged.”

“We are...” the prosecutor quietly reaffirmed.

Shivering laughs trembled both bodies, before Phoenix gently pried his hands free. He immediately reached to frame Miles’ face, and the new glisten to his finger forced further cascades down his cheeks.

“We did it...” he laughed.

And the expression that had washed over his fiancé’s face was like nothing he had ever seen. It seemed to carry a level of adoration he didn’t even know existed. It seemed to be comprised of more warmth than that of the sun on the horizon. It seemed to be an expression entirely reserved for him.

All of which told Phoenix that he had, in fact, made the best decision of his life. Though, the following murmured word from his beloved hammered it in, cemented them fully on the unified plane.

“Finally...”

[saeyoungprotectionsquad]

I haven't written any fics in 5ever (about 10 years, give or take), so please be gentle lol.

I had no intention of making it this long, but the story took on a life of it's own. Anyway, here's a piece about MC breaking her phone and going to 707's Cellphone Repair Service.

"But you said you could fix anything, God Seven!" you whined at your fiance. 

"I can," he assured you, "but this thing just isn't worth fixing. This phone came out in what…? 2013. Babe, it's eight years-old. I think you put it out of its misery," he said while shaking his head at the badly mangled cellphone.

"I don't even know how you managed this much destruction… did you take a hammer to it?" He arched his eyebrow inquisitively.

"I swear, I only dropped it once!" You paused for a moment before adding in a small voice, "down a flight of stairs."

"Tell you what," he said after a bit of laughter, "how about I buy you a new phone?"

"No!" You cried out. He paused, both surprised and confused.

"If it's about the money, we can call it an early birthday present," he offered.

"Very early," you said without humor. Saeyoung still grinned though. 

"Well, happy very early birthday then, MC! Now let's go get you a new phone! I'll definitely make sure you get something with the best specs. What do you prioritize in a-" He was talking fast now, the way he did when he was excited about something, but you cut him off. 

"I don't want a new phone," you said with as much seriousness as you could muster. His expression changed to match the mood. 

"I mean… I could fix this one, but there's really no point. It would be made up almost entirely of new parts. You may as well get something from this decade," he insisted. 

You were stubborn, but even you could see that he was right. Well, you could see it, but that didn't make you any less sure of what you wanted. You turned your face toward your awkwardly shuffling feet. 

"I don't want a new phone," you repeated softly, without much hope.

"Babe," he crooned as he lifted your chin, "I don't understand. Why are you so attached to this phone?" 

"Because it's the phone I met you on!" You were trying your very best not to cry. You were obviously failing because Saeyoung began brushing tears from off of your cheeks. 

He was also trying very hard to contain a certain reaction. He felt guilty about feeling such joy at a moment when you seemed so sad, but he couldn't help that he was filled with pure happiness every time that he was reminded of how much you cared for him.

"I think I have an idea," he whispered to you, "but I'll need a little time." 

You nodded. You could give him time. 

He shooed you off to the living room, claiming that it was a surprise.

After about an hour of waiting, Saeyoung finally came out of his room. 

"I've got something for you, princess!" he cheerfully called out from down the hall. 

You didn't wait for him to make it to the living room, instead meeting him halfway. He chuckled at your impatience. 

In his hand was something familiar, something that reminded you of another time. 

"Remember this?" he asked, handing you the phone to inspect.

"Of course!" you said in awe, "I thought you scrapped this years ago." 

"I was going to… but I couldn't bring myself to do it." His smile turned sheepish. "Guess I had an attachment myself." 

You turned it over in your hand and traced your finger along the stripe across the back. You remembered this phone. Of course you did. 

"It's the phone I met you on. I thought it was a fair trade." He badly wanted to see your expression, but he let you continue to marvel. At the very least it seemed that you liked it, and that had him beaming. 

"You must have had to really dig for this. I'm surprised you found it at all. No wonder it took you so long." You were impressed. Saeyoung may have all the time in the world on his hands, but he still hadn't seemed to figure out how to keep the clutter from creeping in on him. 

"No, I knew exactly where it was." His answer surprised you.

"Then what took you so long?" you demanded, feeling a bit miffed that he had kept himself from you unnecessarily. 

"You don't think I'd just give you some old hunk of junk, do you? Have you no faith in me?" He ran to the living room just to pretend to faint across the couch. Holding the back of his hand to his head he cried "I cannot believe my darling 606 doubts me! Me! Her beloved! Her betrothed!" He would have continued on for a while if you hadn't interjected.

"What are you saying? This thing was top-of-the-line 5 years ago. I'm sure it still holds up." As much as you were amused by his antics, you couldn't understand his reaction.

"Babe, you just said it yourself. It's five years-old. It's practically a dinosaur!" He faked a dinosaur's rawr while pawing at the air. 

"But not to worry! I upgraded it!" He jumped up from the couch and flitted to your side. 

"It's just like a new phone! I added a bunch of features too! Want me to show you?" He turned on the screen. The lock screen was the first picture that you two had ever taken together. 

"Ah, yeah, I kept that though. Thought you might appreciate it as much as I did," he said, leaving the screen up for a moment longer before opening it up to show you how to use the just-like-brand-new phone. 

You mostly kept quiet while explained. Every now now and then, if he felt like you weren't paying attention, he would nibble on your ear. When it seemed like he was finished, you could only think of saying one thing.

"I love you," you blurted out, surprised that you were still just as much in love with him as you had been when you first met all those years ago. 

"Also, thank you!" You tacked on, realizing with embarrassment that you hadn't said it yet. He didn't seem offended by the lack of politeness, and laughed instead.

"I love you too," he kissed the tip of your nose, "and any time."

[giyuwu-san]

burn the stage — part 1 // dabi

—  A multi-chapter fic complete with your favorite indie and mainstream bops. Watch as you fall in love with the captivating guitarist of a band one drunken, perfect night. (BAND AU)

↱ PAIRING : Dabi x Female!Reader

↱ WORD COUNT : 5K

↱ WARNINGS : Mentions of alcohol, Suggestive themes, Strong language, Dabi being hot

↱ TAGS : @yusemis​ @lordexplosionsextra​ @astrrnmy​​ @basicallyberry​ @j-brielmalfoy​ (I actually remembered my taglist this time wow)

↱ AUTHOR’S NOTE : Thank you sosososo much to @kaikamikazi​ for allowing me to use her likeness for Kai’s character! Happy birthday to my favorite clown <3 everyone please wish her a happy birthday woot woot !!! And also huge huge thanks to @doughnuts-5ever​ and @jojosmilktea​ for helping me proofread/betaread this fic huhu it was a whole ass mess you guys are absolute legends tysm!!

↱ PLAYLIST

↱ SERIES  MASTERLIST 

------------------------------------------------✈

scene one; no song

          "Thousands of years ago, our ancestors looked up at the night sky and saw a field of lights." 

The aged man paced around the room, hands folded behind his back and hair graying by the roots. His side facing the blackboard on the wall, he continued;

          "None of them really knew what they were," he stopped and looked at the vast sea of students perched atop of chairs in the big room. "But, they made a fascinating observation."

You sat listening to your professor, your chin perched on your open palm, and eyes focused on the notebook that sat idly on your connected desks. 

          "They noticed that the patterns were predictable and had clear effects." The man said with some form of self-acknowledged eureka, his left hand coming up to the height of his face, index finger pointing up at the heavily-lit ceiling. "The seasons, the tides, the harvests."

          "Incredible, isn't it?" he resumed.

The man was about to continue on his tangent. But that was until a hand shot up in the air, followed by a voice. 

          "Uhm, professor?" the boy who raised his hand asked. "Aren't we supposed to be learning about chemistry?" 

Your professor looked at him, who now appeared to be slightly frightened by the blank but disrupted gaze of his teacher. 

          “Pfft—” 

You turned around to see your friend Kai, her head resting upon her folded arms. Was she seriously trying to sleep through the lesson again?

          “The one opportunity we got to sleep,” she sighed. “You just had to ruin it, brainy.”

          “Is that seriously what you call a sufficient insult?” you asked as you fully tilted your head towards her direction.

          “Wasn’t saying it to insult him.” She said casually as she massaged her head with the hand closest to her, face still partially buried within her entangled arms. “Wasn’t saying it to compliment him either though.”

You scoffed.

          “You’re unbelievable,” and at that, the darker-skinned girl turned to you with horror in her eyes.

          “Oh no,” she said petrified.

          “What?”

          “You’re being a Karen again.” 

You looked at her dumbfounded, sighing.

          “I am not being a Karen,” you started. “I’m just saying—” 

It was already too late, however, as Kai had both her hands covering her ears, blocking out your protests as well as all her other life issues. 

You sighed once more and turned your attention back to your professor, your notebook still open on your desk.

          “Your semester is practically over,” said your professor, standing idly in front of all the students, his left hand reaching up to habitually play with the fabric of his suit tie. 

          “So, let me have some me-time every once in a while," he continued.

‘You never let us have any me-time—’ is what you could feel the hoard of tired students internally screaming around you. 

The aged man cleared his throat and set along to once again resume his lengthy ramble. 

          “Where was I?” he asked himself, his feet already departing from his standstill position in the middle of the room as he started walking about once more. 

          “Ah yes, so it seemed logical that these lights shaped everything else in our lives. But with the scientific method disproving all these theories, why do people still look for meaning in the stars?”

A hand shot up in the air once again, only to be shot back down by a quick hand gesture from the professor.

          “Calm down now, I’m not done yet,” he said. 

          “Many prolific historical figures of our kind, such as the Iikes of William Shakespeare, have used the concept of astrology as a metaphorical expression, more than an actual study. Whether or not he truly believed in it, he still used the idea of astrology to create some of his most well-known epigrams to date,” he continued.

          “With lines such as; ‘These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us.’ from King Lear, ‘A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.’ from Romeo and Juliet— I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with that one." He faced the students once more. "And my utmost favorite, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars—’” 

          “But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” 

          “—From Julius Caesar,” the professor smiled. “Well done, Miss L/N.”

Shock settled into your form, having realized that you had said that much louder than you had anticipated. Now with the burning stares of your classmates and uncontrolled laughter coming from a seatmate you used to call your best friend, you let out an exasperated sigh, head falling onto your desk and arms protecting you from the unfiltered judgment of the outside world. 

You sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that day before finally coming out of hiding, your chin once again finding shelter in your welcoming palm. You stared down at your open notebook, observing each line and angle. Stared at the drawings of orbits clashing together with the unwelcome intrusion of jotted scientific equations. A picture of the sun as each planet aligned themselves accordingly within their rotation, along with the lengthy compound formula of 4 Bromo, 3-4 Dichloro, Ethyl Hexanoate, written briskly, and uncared for.

But despite your apparent unhappiness and deep-rooted sorrow, you lifted your head forward and listened to the lesson in front of you.

"You seriously need to loosen up," said Kai, her head faced towards you. "When was the last time you danced to music alone in your bedroom?"

You thought about it for a second.

She sighed.

          "You're so sad," she sighed once more and patted your head. "Poor baby."

She brought her hand down from the crown of your head, arm now resting on your shoulders as she brought you in closer. 

          "I'm gonna get you laid tonight," she said with conviction. You looked at her profile, absolutely bewildered.

          "I'm sorry, what?"

          "That's right," she nodded her head in content. "You're having sex tonight, just leave it to me."

          "Shouldn't we work on having me dance to music alone in my bedroom first?" you countered.

          "Even better," she grinned at you with the type of grin your primary teachers warned you about. You know, those creepy man smiles that you should run away from when faced with in a dark, ominous alley? "I'm taking you to a bar."

You could feel Mrs. Peterson screaming at you to run. 

But nobody really listened to Mrs. Peterson. Sorry.

You sighed once more at your beaming friend and nodded your head slowly.

          "Whatever," you finally said. Attention spanning back to the lecture in front of you as you turned your head. "After the class ends."

Kai smiled and leaned back into her chair, legs crossing and folded arms supporting her head from behind. She looked utterly satisfied.

          "Alright Karen," she said. 

          "My name is not Karen," you grumbled.

          "Then stop being such a Karen and let me have my fun," she closed her eyes and smiled. Totally abandoning the lecture playing out before her. Chemistry was all just a bunch of bullshit anyway. 

scene two; black eyes

Ambient lighting and muffled voices were what greeted you and Kai as you both entered the bar. The light that shone down above you cast an evanescent sheen across the tiny, hidden bar. 

You fumbled in with your red dress and heeled boots, bridging the edge of comfortable and painfully exposed. It’s been years since you've last worn a dress. 

          "Are you sure this isn't some kind of ancient speakeasy?" you asked Kai, uneasy. 

          "A speakeasy for bands and stuff sure," she shrugged. "Sadly, no dancing flapper girls, so sorry to disappoint." 

You nodded and started heading towards the bar. No matter how badly you wanted to keep up the 'holier than thou' attitude, college was rough and unforgiving. 

You ordered your drink and sat down on the stool, Kai following you shortly after as she sat beside you. 

          "I heard there's gonna be a good band playing tonight," she rings up the bartender and orders a drink. 

She takes one look at your drooping face and sighed, her hand coming up to massage your shoulder. 

          "Loosen up," she takes a sip from her drink, "just for tonight, okay?"

You sighed and nodded timidly, copying her as you took a swig of your own drink. 

          "Looks like they're almost up," she taps your shoulder. "Mr. Compress is about to introduce them." 

          "Mister wha—" she shushes you before you could continue, leaving you no other choice but to sigh and watch.

The man with the strange name took center-stage with the microphone in his hand. The crowd seemed to know who he was, for they cheered and started gathering at the front of the stage. 

          "Let's go take a closer look too," Kai stood up and started dragging you with her. "Take your drink with you."

You looked at the already half-empty glass and shrugged, opting to chug it down instead. You finished your drink and walked with Kai towards the pit of people, still confused about what exactly was going on.

The strangely named man started to speak.

          "Ladies and gentlemen," he threw his free hand in the air by his side flamboyantly. "What an incredible pleasure to have you all here tonight. I am delighted to see some familiar faces, and some new ones too." 

He grinned.

          "I'm sure a lot of you are here to relieve some stress, no?" he asked, and the crowd cheered in affirmation. The man chuckled and continued;

          "Well, I best not keep my wonderful patrons waiting then." The crowd cheered louder. "Without further delay, may I present to you, The Villain League!"

The crowd roared as four people took the stage, varied instruments at their disposal, but the one that caught your eye was the one that stood at the center, a guitarist, and a good looking one at that. 

He was mostly dressed in dark clothing, aside from the white t-shirt he wore under his long coat. His features were hidden beneath the shadow cast by the dimmed lights.

And that was when the music started.

Electric guitar blinded your senses and opened your eyes. The exhilarating sound numbed the nerves that coursed through your entire body. Every hair on your body stood on its roots, awakened by the new thrill of music.

The lights turned on to the max, and the crowd went wild. Hands flew up in the air, the drinks in the opposite limb gambling on the edge of death.

It was music like you've never heard before. 

          "Holy shit," you said to yourself, the alcohol in your system taking its effect.

The man in the middle started singing, and you gasped as you took in the rest of his features. A good portion of his face and neck were covered in burn marks, as well as the top of his torso, which then spread across his arms. You awed.

How could someone who looked so damaged be so perfect?

Your eyes watched in wonder as your ears listened with delight. You made a mental note to thank Kai for dragging you into one of the best nights of your life. 

So this is what college was supposed to be like.

You smiled, feeling the bricks fall off your shoulders. You stood straighter as your eyes opened wider, and shined even brighter. 

This is so awesome.

You threw your hands in the air and let out a scream with the rest of the crowd. Kai catches sight of this and follows along with your mania, a laugh escaping her lips.

You were enjoying the aura of absolute chaos, but nothing had prepared you the moment your eyes caught his, staring right back at you. His mouth formed a devilish smile that made all the heat rush through your body in mere seconds. 

          "The girl in the red dress," he said into the microphone. Your eyes widened in unalloyed shock as they caught sight of the mischievous glint in his own. "Come out on stage with us."

What the fuck?

The crowd cheered louder and started to look around to find who he was referring to. They soon caught sight of you, who was still calculating the odds of you being the only girl in red. 

The sea of people parted and formed a direct path from you to the stage, and you were honestly shell shocked. 

Kai laughed and cheered you on.

          "Congrats Karen, you've officially been promoted to Moses!" she cheered even louder.

          "What, I—" you sputtered out.

Kai took her left hand and smacked your back, forcing you to stumble forward.

          "Go!" she yelled at you through the howls of the crowd. "Get. Fucking. Laid!"

At that, the crowd burst into an explosion of screams. Whistles and hoots were all that was heard as your shaking legs made its way towards the stage. 

You eventually made it to the edge, and the enigmatic guitarist leaned down to help you. Grasping your hand firmly in his, he hoisted you up easily. 

          "What's your name?" he leaned into your ear as he said it, his steady voice combating all other noises, and winning. 

          "Y/N," you said right back into his ear, a shiver coursing through your body as the current situation was doing its number on your sanity.

          "Nice shoes Y/N," he said cooly, and your head started spinning.

          "Uh, thank you—"

          "Let's have a good time together," he smirked at you, who blushed madly. 

You looked over at the rest of his bandmates. A young girl with a blonde fringe manning the second electric guitar, she looked at you and grinned widely at you. Eyes smiled shut and tongue jutting out, she threw you a peace sign in welcome. 

You looked behind you and saw a strange-looking man playing both the bass and keyboard. You made eye contact with him and he smiled, only for him to completely change his expression and give you the stink-eye, much to your confusion and anxiety. 

Finally, you looked over at the drummer who had dead-looking baby blue hair; he glanced at you and nodded briefly in acknowledgment.

          "Don't mind the last two," the mysterious guitarist chuckled, "they're a lot more decent than they seem."

You nodded and smiled at him.

          "So," he started. "Care to join in on the fun?" 

You took a deep breath.

          "Okay."

It was funny how you had started with not even being able to dance alone in your room. And now here you were, dancing along with countless strangers to music you never felt before.  

scene three; ilysb

            "You're new here, right?" the man said. He was sitting across from you with his head resting on his hand. His piercing blue eyes were focused only on you. 

It had been about an hour since you stepped foot inside the hidden bar and thirty minutes since you were standing on stage with the band having the time of your life. 

You looked over to the stage and saw your drunk friend Kai singing 'I Kissed a Girl,' microphone in her hands as she belted her heart out to the cheering crowd. 

You couldn't help but chuckle, before turning your attention back to the enigmatic man staring intently at you.

          "That's not slightly creepy at all," you answered jokingly. 

The man chuckled slyly.

          "I play here almost every night," he retorted coolly. "I would have definitely remembered you if you weren't new." 

You nodded. Smooth.

          "Fuck men!" you turned around to find Kai screaming into the microphone, one hand on the microphone stand and the other on the microphone itself. You sighed at the common occurrence. 

          "Fun friend you got," the man with burn marks said, attention also brought over to your crazed friend.

You sighed and nodded.

          "I'm this close to dropping her," you said with no conviction.

He seemed to have caught on to your tone and answered accordingly.

          "But you never will," he said.

          "Yup," you nodded once more.

You looked over to him again, the alcohol in your body taking full effect.

          "Wanna get out of here?" you asked him.

He looked at you with his eyebrow raised, a small smirk playing on his lips.

          "And abandon your fun friend?" he asked you.

          "Yes," you looked at him straight in the eyes as you said it.

          "Sounds fun," he said, already standing up from his seat.

You followed suit, casting your drunk friend one last look before following the strange man out of the small speakeasy.

The cold night air greeted your body that clung tightly onto the limited warmth of your sweater jacket. You walked idly with the man standing beside you, the streets painted a dark vignette by the evening sky. The night suited him, you thought.

You let out a deep exhale which invaded the darkness with its cold color, the hues fighting until the dull white was engulfed by the overwhelming darkness of nightfall.

You looked up at the stars that were scattered across the sky, their white twinkle enrapturing the night sky with its light and color. Their light so bright that it couldn't be overthrown by the darkness of black. Instead, they were displayed up in the sky, allowed to show off their beauty with no restraints. 

          "Orion's in the sky," you observed quietly. 

The man turned over to look at you.

          "The constellation?" he asked as he too tilted his head up to watch the night sky.

          "Yeah," you nodded, "I can't find the Pleiades, though." 

Absentmindedly, your feet started moving in hopes to catch sight of the constellation. The dark-haired man watched you quizzically.

          "Do you really think moving around will make them appear?" he asked you, who was now trudging farther and farther away. He sighed and started following you.

          "There're so many buildings around," you groaned in your drunken state. "Can't a girl just see her stars when she wants to?" 

He tilted his head in slight amusement and chuckled lowly. 

          "If it's the buildings you're worried about, I know where there's a field," he said. You turned around instantly.

          "Show me this field, good sir." 

          "It's this way," he tilted his head over to the right, feet already walking towards its direction. You followed him, skipping.

You eventually were led towards an open field located on a small hill in the park. Wow, we had a park?

          "Woah," you said in wonder. Your arms flying up from your sides as you spun around the grass, hair dancing in the breeze from your movements.

The man just watched you curiously, a small smile of endearment flickering on his lips.

You let out a big sigh of contempt and threw yourself down onto the grass floor, feeling at peace as the earthly bodies embraced you. The man who led you here followed suit, leaving little to no distance between your two figures as he laid down beside you.

          "Can you see the Pleiades now?" he asked from beside you.

You looked up and examined the heavens, and your eye immediately catches the open star cluster that painted the sky. A gasp escapes your lips as you point up at the constellation you were looking for.

          "There they are!" you squealed slightly, unable to control your excitement in your drunken state.

          "Why'd you want to see them so badly?" he looked at you and asked.

          "If you catch sight of Orion, then you're most likely gonna find the Pleiades too." You started, eyes focused eagerly on the stars. "There's this whole story behind them you know, about Orion and the Seven Sisters.

          "It was said by Greek mythology that Orion fell in love with the sisters, and pined over them for 12 years. He would always chase after them in hopes that they would become his someday. But that was until one day Zeus decided to turn him and the sisters into stars. So Orion could chase them forever for the rest of eternity but never once be able to touch them."

          "Wow," he said from beside you.

          "Yeah," you said from beside him.

          "You said they were the Seven Sisters," he said.

          "Yeah?" you turned your head over to look at him, his eyes seemingly glowing under the star studded sky.

          "But I can only see six at most," he stated.

          "Oh," you turned your head back to the sky. "That's because those are the only ones visible to the naked eye. If you look through a telescope, a dozen more stars are visible."

          "Is there a story behind that, too?" he asked.

          "Yup," you stated and continued. "According to storytellers, Merope— one of the sisters, is hiding her face because she's the only one of the sisters who married a mortal and thus isn't respected for it. 

          "Her husband, Sisyphus isn't represented in the night sky either, cause he was condemned by Zeus to forever roll a stone up a hill in Hades only to watch it roll down again when he almost gets it to the top."

          "That's..." his voice drifted off, "really sad." 

You hummed in affirmation.

          "You really like astronomy, huh?" he stated. "I'm assuming you're into astrology too?"

          "Yeah," you answered.

          "So, you're some type of zodiac girl," he said. "How quirky."

You scoffed.

          "What type of music are you into?" he suddenly changed the subject, surprising you.

          "I don't listen to music that much honestly," you said, surprising him, but not showing it on his face.

          "Okay," he said. "Very quirky."

You laughed at yourself.

          "Are you okay?" he asked you jokingly, maybe the alcohol was finally starting to get to him too. "Childhood trauma? Emotional baggage? Crazy ex-boyfriend?" 

          "Traumatizing college life," you said matter-of-factly. "And also just downright not having the time to listen to music."

          "Spotify's expensive, too," you added.

          "Ever heard of a radio?" he asked.

          "Yes, but I can never concentrate on studying when music is on," you said.

          "Ah," he said in a moment of realization. "It all makes perfect sense now. What's your major?"

          "Organic chemistry," you said.

          "Yeah," he nodded. "Makes sense."

          "Kindly enlighten me then, cause I can't make sense of anything going on in my life," you said.

          "You're a young adult suffering from the expectations and academically-focused constructs of our society," he said.

          "Damn," you started. "You're right." 

You sighed and placed your attention back at the azure before you.

          "The moon's crying," you stated.

          "What?" he asked, confused.

          "The moon feels sad," you answered vaguely.

          "The moon is sad," he stated beside you, eyes now focused onto the heavenly body in question. "The moon's just a broken planet that needs the sun to make it shine."

          "Just because it needs help doesn't mean their shine is any less beautiful," you said back.

A long silence passed between the two of you, he looked at you, whose focus was still set onto the night sky. Whatever had you so enchanted by them, he might never know, but as he watched your features bloom with the ethereal sparkle of night, the twinkle in your eyes matching— no, outshining that of the stars you looked so fondly upon, he just sighed softly.

          "Whatever you say, zodiac girl."

scene four; still with you

You were walking home with him in the cold night air, wind dancing softly around both of your figures as the gentle shrill tickled your senses. 

It was colder than usual, you thought. But maybe that was just from the thrill of not spending your nights like you usually did, alone in your bedroom studying a topic you couldn't care less about. You sighed.

When was the last time you were able to lay down on your bed listening to music?

You were grateful for Kai, who you just realized had been abandoned at the bar she forced you into. You prayed for your survival the following day. You say that, but in the end, you were nonetheless thankful for giving you a college experience other than cramming every day.

You thought about what you would have been doing if you weren't forced into the bar, and laughed at the predictability. 

You finally made it to your front door.

          "Goodnight," the blue-eyed man said to you. 

          "Yeah," you said back. "Thanks for walking me home."

He nodded and watched as you made your way over to your front door.

You stopped.

You didn't know if it was the alcohol in your system, the cold night air, the thrilling atmosphere of spontaneity, or all of the above. But right now, you weren't in the mood to answer any multiple-choice questions.

You wanted to live for once. You wanted to feel anything else other than the dread of an upcoming deadline or relief after a grueling exam. 

For once, you wanted— needed to be free of the expectations and academically-centered constructs of society. Constructs that you never wanted to question until now.

Even if it was only for tonight, you wanted to do the thing you wanted to do. 

Even if it turns into a mistake, you would gladly take it for a few minutes of freedom.

You turned around and ran towards the man whose names you realized you didn't even know. But you were too far gone to be stopped. 

Your hands found the side of his face and pulled your faces close, eyes meeting and lips almost touching. You breathed nervously.

          "Can I kiss you?" you asked suddenly.

Shock and confusion flickered before his eyes but disappeared just as quickly.

          "Sure—" he said, and your lips finally connected.

The kiss lasted for mere seconds until you pulled away, flustered and drunk and confused.

What were you doing?

You turned back around to enter your home and scream at yourself.

How could you just throw yourself at him like that?

But suddenly, his hand grabbed your arm and pulled you back towards him, connecting your lips once more. You could have sworn you melted.

The kiss lasted much longer, lips moving against one another and breaths being mixed together in the cold night outside your apartment building. Your hands in his hair and his arms around your shaking frame.

You pulled away to catch your breath, your air puffing up in the chilly twilight.

You pulled onto the sleeve of his jacket and led him towards your apartment, rushing past the other tenants and employees, you quickly got on the elevator where more kisses were exchanged in a drunken haze.

The elevator doors opened, and the two of you rushed out with you guiding him to your door.

You hurriedly put in your key, hands slightly shaking, the door opens and you hastily go inside.

He comes into your small apartment and closes the door with his foot, the door meeting the frame with a soft thud. He pushes you against the wall and your lips meet once again.

You didn't know how much time had passed with his lips moving against yours and hands roaming across your body, the contact sending both heat and shivers to course through your entire being. 

His lips moved to your jaw, slowly making its journey down to your neck. Your breath hitched. 

Some more time passed with low moans and heavy breathing coming from the both of you, now laying on your twin-sized bed half-naked.

You looked out the window beside your bed and saw the stars and moon staring back at you, illuminating your figures in its magical glow. 

It was like time didn't exist when you were engulfed in his arms, his lips peppering your body in kisses and bite marks causing you to moan softly. You wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling, with the moonlight shining softly on his features.

Your hands found themselves buried in his soft hair, time passing by faster as more clothes were being discarded around you.

          "Y/N..." he said your name softly. His light voice passes by you, sending shivers down your spine. 

Your breath hitched. Having no name to call out to, you whimpered instead. Your bodies intertwined together under the dim light of your apartment, and your heart taking timid steps towards him, tripping and falling deeper and deeper. 

It was colder than usual, the low-pitched hum of the air conditioner you forgot to turn off comforting you from afar. Your body shivered more, not used to the sensations. It felt good, it felt really good, but there was something about it that pained you and made you want to fall apart. 

The unfamiliarity of the pleasure and sweat clouded your mind and made you think back to the times when you were studying instead. This was far different than the dull absence your mind feels when reviewing all your lessons. But even then, thinking back to the simple emotions that came from your textbooks and notes, maybe these simple feelings were special to you too.

The night progressed further, and time was lost once and for all in the midst of your shared pleasure, the night turning darker as the sparkling sky glowed onto your sweaty figures. 

You both reached your climax and breathed heavily, eyes meeting and foreheads touching in what seemed like a hazy afterglow, both your minds fogged and judgments clouded. 

Your hand delicately went up to touch his cheek, his eyes shimmering in the glow of the night sky. He looked at you with the faintest smile. Underneath it was painted the most beautiful purple, his broken and damaged face sending your heart into a fit of shooting stars. 

His body collapsed next to you on the small bed, arms encasing you tightly against his warm body.

You looked over to the window beside your bed. The sun was slowly rising, and the moon began to fade away into the brightening sky. 

You felt your eyes slowly closing, finally giving in to the sleep you denied yourself all night.

Goodbye moon.

And just as the moon left your sky that February sunrise, so did the man who slept next to you that very next day.

[yacoka]

THANK

Is this dramatic of me to write an acknowledgements page for a short series as though I'm some big shot published author? Maybe. Do I care? No. This series took a lot out of me, and it took me a long time to write it. So yeah, I figured it deserves a closing note.

—[@doughnuts-5ever]—

The very first person, the most important person I need to thank is Moo. Thank you my beloved other half, my platonic soulmate, the co-owner of our shared brain cells. Without you, this fic would probably not have made it into the longer-than-necessary-with-too-much-emotional-scarring-and-overloaded-with parallels series it is. So thank you so much my love for pushing me when I was ready to call it a day, for being my sounding board, for giving such insanely big brain ideas and lines to incorporate into the story, and beta-ing this absolute monster. Honestly, you probably deserve co-writer rights. You’re more invested in this fic and was more hyped up about it than I was, and I absolutely adore you for that. You’re the reason why I keep writing, you know? You push and motivate me and inspire me to be a better writer, to come up with creative ideas, and create stupid plot twists. I love you, you absolutely nasty ding dong. Wee woo pee poo <3

—[@sugasugawarau]—

The next person I gotta thank is Marika. My wife, my darling, the stars of my sky, thank you for hearing me yell about this fic occasionally, for encouraging me, for celebrating with me when I finally finished it. Your excitement to read it even after I told you how angsty it was going to get made me feel so happy, and glad that someone was interested in it. Thank you for your support, I love you so much!!

—[@taiyaaki]—

The person who this thing might have never come into existence without, Mio. Darling, thank you for fleshing this idea out with me, for turning it from a simple idea into a whole collab and organizing it. I’m so glad we met and started talking, and I gotta say, life has gotten a lot brighter with you in it even if we don’t talk often. You’re a ray of sunshine that has pushed my writing and concepts further, and I love you to the moon and back.

And now to everyone else who has joined me on this journey, to those who joined the collab, to those who joined the taglist, to those who have read, liked, commented and supported this whole thing - thank you. It means the world to me that you were here for it. I love each and everyone of you.

[starry-eyed-svt]

I love... ~ Wonwoo ft. Mingyu College!AU

Genre: Angst/Fluff College!AU

Requested: No

Words: 3,649

~This is a random scenario that popped into my head the other day! I hope y’all like it!~

You were sitting beside the small coffee cart on campus when you caught a glimpse of them.

A small smile made its way to your lips as you watched the pair talk and laugh. Your fiance spotted you and motioned for his friend to go to you.

You stood up, your smile widened as your fiance kissed and hugged you.

The look on the other man’s face was one of joy for the two of you, you could see the hint of regret though.

It was crazy to think you had known them for two years now. The day you met them, the two men who would change the course of your life forever.

You were lost in the crowd of your dream University. You could hardly enjoy the warm August morning because of the nervousness that was swimming in the pit of your stomach.

You had no idea if the crowd you were following was leading to the building you needed to be in for your first class or not so you found an opening to step to the side and out of the way of the other university students.

“Lost?” You looked up to see a handsome man, you thought he was straight out of an Anime.

“Uh… Yeah I am.” You finally stuttered out realizing you had been staring at the man.

“Do you know what building you need to be in?” He asked.

“Yeah, I am going to building 4 class 3.” You replied

“I am heading there too.” He smiled, “Follow me.”

You followed him, he seemed to know his way around but you were sure you were headed to a first year business major class. When you go to the class you were surprised when he patted the seat next to him while looking at you. You sat next to him and got out the things that you would need.

“This is a first year business class, how did you know how to get here?” You asked.

“My best friend is in his 2nd year so I visited him a lot last year. My name is Kim Mingyu, by the way.” He said sticking his hand out.

“Y/N Y/L/N.” You said and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N.” Mingyu smiled.

Class soon began and so you paid attention to the professor. Mostly it was just an introduction to the to course and him assigning some homework. When he announced class was over you gathered your things.

“What class do you have now?” Mingyu asked.

“Math, just a couple classrooms over.” You replied.

“No way, me too!” He smiled.

So the two of you went to class together and sat by one another once more. You had no idea why he was being so nice to you, but you weren’t going to turn down the prospects of a new friend. Plus he was very handsome.

“Do you know where the cafeteria is?” He asked you as you were packing your things at the end of the class.

“That one I do know.” You smiled. Mingyu chuckled.

“Shall we walk together?” He asked as he swung his backpack onto his shoulder.

“Sure.” You replied.

The two of you got to know each other a little better on your way to the cafeteria. There were a few different options so you split up and went to get what you wanted. After you were wondering a little aimlessly debating if you should look for Mingyu or just sit somewhere random.

“Hey Y/N!” You heard, you looked in the direction to see Mingyu motioning toward him and who you presumed was his second year friend. You began walking towards them. Looking at his friend made you a little nervous, he had a cold look on his face.

“Y/N, this is Wonwoo. Wonwoo this is Y/N.”  Mingyu introduced you two as you sat across from them at the table.

“Nice to meet you.” Wonwoo smiled, the cold look disappearing.

“Likewise.” You smiled.

The two men took turns asking you questions and getting to know each other, all while Mingyu would tell you all about Wonwoo and vice versa.

You enjoyed their company. They were both really funny and nice.

After lunch the three of you parted ways but not before exchanging numbers. You went back to your dorm that you shared with a second year student.

“I saw you at lunch with Wonwoo and his first year friend. Do you know them?” she asked.

“Wonwoo’s friend, Mingyu helped me find our morning class. Then we just kind of became friends and he introduced me to Wonwoo. Do you know them?” You asked.

“Wonwoo and I had a couple general classes together last year and I recognize, Mingyu?-” She paused and you nodded, “From last year as well, I swear he was always on campus. I am surprised he graduated high school.” She finished.

“He lives pretty close from what I understand they were telling me today. They are both from around here.” You replied.

“That makes sense. I’m going to study at the library, do you want to come?” She asked.

“No thanks, I am just going to study here at my desk.” You replied.

“Alright, see you later.” She said and left the dorm room.

You began to study when your phone buzzed. You picked it up to see a text from Wonwoo.

[From: Jeon Wonwoo]

Hey, we are studying at the cafe right off campus to the south, would like to come study with us?

You thought for a minute before replying.

[To: Jeon Wonwoo]

I would love to. Be there in 10 ^^

You gathered your study material and headed off to the cafe.

It was now a few months into the quarter and you had become best friends with Mingyu and Wonwoo. You would be lying though if you said you didn’t have feelings for Mingyu.

Whenever you were with him your tummy felt all twisty and gooey inside. Sometimes you would stutter a bit due to nerves, but he would just laugh and pat your head.

You had finally mustered enough courage to confess to him, you were sure that the feelings were mutual.

“Mingyu, you are so incredibly nice- no that’s not right. Mingyu I like you. You’re kind, funny and you make my insides feel fuzzy…. AGH!!” You sighed frustrated and hit your head on your desk. Your roommate laughed at you from her bed.

“Stop laughing. I don’t know how to do this, I’ve never done this before.” You snapped with your eyebrows furrowed.

“You’re going to be fine and it is going to go awesomely awkward and the two of you will be in love 5ever.” She laughed.

“What if I just write him a note? Writing is my strong point and I am sure that I could get across my feelings more eloquently that way.” You said.

“Whatever floats your boat, bud.” She replied.

You took out a notebook ripping a piece of paper out and began to write down a small letter.

You checked your watch and it was time to meet up with Mingyu.

“I gotta go, I will be back later.” You said.

“Good luck, I’ll be waiting to hear all about it.” She smiled.

You smiled seeing Mingyu under the tree, he looked handsome with a pair of shades on. Your stomach was filled with butterflies. You stood in front of him, he looked up and smiled.

“Ready to go to the coffee shop?” He asked. You simply nodded. “How has your day been?” He asked.

“So far so good, how about you?” You asked.

“Could be better, do you know Minah in our math class?” He asked.

“Yeah, I do.” You replied, you felt your stomach begin to drop.

“Well I asked her for her number but she said never. Why won’t she give me the time of day, did I do something wrong?” He asked.

“Oh, n-no. Not that I know of.” You replied snapping out of your daze. You took the folded note in your hand and shoved it into your bag's side pocket.

“Oh well, maybe she will come around.” Mingyu said. He noticed you stayed rather quiet.

“Are you okay? Was that TMI? Are we not to the point of our friendship where we can talk about our crushes? I consider you one of my best friends.” He said. You smiled.

“I am fine, you are free to talk about that. I don’t mind. You are one of my best friends too.” You replied. Mingyu smiled and patted your head.

You wanted to go back to your dorm but you couldn’t find a good excuse so you went to the cafe. After ordering your regular drink you excused yourself to the bathroom.

Mingyu had seen you shove some paper into your bag. Curiosity got the best of him and once he saw you enter the bathroom he took it out and unfolded it. A small smile came to his lips as he read the paper. He finished it and put it back. He hadn’t seen you in that way, sure you were beautiful and he enjoyed your company.

“What were you reading?” Wonwoo asked as he sat in front of Mingyu. Mingyu jumped and put his hand over his heart.

“You scared me… It was nothing. How was your chess tournament?” Mingyu asked to change the subject.

You looked in the bathroom mirror.

“Abort the mission, my friend. You are officially in the bestie zone.” You said and hung your head. “Got to put on a brave face and ride out the rest of the day. Can’t let him know anything is wrong or out of the ordinary.” You mumbled to yourself and then sighed before heading back out to where Mingyu was. You were surprised, but grateful to see Wonwoo there as well.

For some reason you felt completely at ease around him. It was so easy to talk to him, he often made you laugh.

“Hi Y/N.” Wonwoo smiled as you sat down.

“Hey.” You smiled back at him.

“I found that book you were talking about at the library. I really enjoyed it, do you have any other suggestions?” He asked as he kept eye contact with you.

“I don’t know if you’ve read this already, but Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. That is one of my favorite books, I read it over and over.” You smiled.

“I have read that one, and I agree it is a phenomenal book.” He replied.

“Book nerds.” Mingyu said and scrolled through his phone.

The three of you hung out the rest of the day, laughing and chatting.

Wonwoo distracted you without you even realizing it.

“Hey, I have some homework I need to finish up. I will see you two later.” Mingyu said and excused himself.

“I actually have to get back to my dorm, it is getting late.” You said.

“May I walk you back?” He asked.

“I would love that.” You smiled.

The two of you walked and chatted about random things. It was as if you had known him for years rather than just a few months. You quite enjoyed his company. Almost more than Mingyu’s since when you were with Wonwoo, you felt you could be yourself with him. Not that you had to be fake around Mingyu, but it was just different.

“Well here we are.” You said.

“Yeah, here we are.” Wonwoo smiled, “Do you want to go out tomorrow for lunch?” He asked.

“Yeah, that would be nice.” You smiled back.

“Cool, I will meet you out here around noon tomorrow and then we can decide where to go?” He offered.

“Sounds perfect to me.” You replied.

“Alright, see you tomorrow.” Wonwoo waved.

You went inside and went up to your dorm. As soon as you closed it and rested your back against the door, your roommate sat up and took her earphones out pausing her show.

“How did it go?” She asked.

“Terrible.” You replied.

“What? But you’re smiling, and not crying.” She said, a look of worry on her face.

“I mean, yeah, I am sad. But I have a feeling that I’m going to be okay.” You said.

She arched her eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“I don’t know yet, I will let you know as soon as I know.” You replied.

You were tired so you began preparing to go to sleep. You took the note out of your backpack and crumpled it, then tossed it into your trash. As you laid in your bed, reflecting on the day. You couldn’t help but let out a few tears. It was heartbreaking. You really liked Mingyu, but you could also see yourself falling for Wonwoo. You decided you would wait a while to test out if those were actual feelings as it wouldn’t be fair to him to just start liking him right after inadvertently being rejected by his best friend.

The next day you went to lunch with Wonwoo and had a really good time. Before you knew it you were seeing Wonwoo every day, regardless if Mingyu was there or not. Over time your feelings for Mingyu faded until you only saw him as one of your best friends, during that time your feelings for Wonwoo grew. This time you knew the feelings were mutual. You asked your roommate about it and she informed you that he was giving lots of non-verbal signs of liking you. So once again you mustered up the courage to tell someone you liked them as more than a friend.

You and Wonwoo were studying for finals, well at least you were trying to but you couldn’t help stealing glances at him. You thought he was cutest when he was concentrating really hard on something, whether it be a book, chess or even his stupid video games.

“Do you need help?” He asked, glancing up at you.

“Oh, no. I mean I just wanted to tell you that I like you.” You said. Wonwoo looked up.

“What was that?” He asked as he locked eyes with you.

“I like you.” You replied. He began smiling at you.

“Good, because I like you too.” He winked and looked back down to his text book. You smiled and tried to get back to studying.

That evening on the walk home he held your hand.

From that day forward you two were exclusive.

Mingyu had been busy with basketball games, so you hadn’t seen him in a while. Naturally when he got back he asked you and Wonwoo to meet him at the cafe. He didn’t notice you come in until the seat across from him was being pulled out. You sat down and Wonwoo helped scoot you in a little before sitting next to you.

“You came together?” Mingyu asked.

“Yeah, we were studying at the library today so we thought we would just come together.” Wonwoo replied and nonchalantly threw his arm over the back of your chair.

“Do you want your regular?” He asked you,

“Yeah, thanks.” You replied.

“Mingyu?” He asked.

“Yeah, I will take my regular as well. Thanks, Wonwoo.” Mingyu replied. Wonwoo smiled and nodded. He got up and went to order our drinks.

“That’s new.” Mingyu said.

“What is?” You asked.

“Wonwoo pulling out your seat, putting his arm on your chair. Are you two dating?” Mingyu responded with another question.

“Yes, we were actually going to tell you tonight. You’ve been so busy with your basketball tournament in the city over so we didn’t really have the chance to tell you. And we wanted to do it in person.” You said.

“No, that’s good. I am happy for you.” He said. You could see something in his eyes though, whatever it was, something was off.

“Thank you.” You smiled.

Wonwoo came back handing us each our drinks.

Wonwoo retold Mingyu about the relationship and you all had a rather nice evening together.

You were in the middle of a debate with Mingyu about which team was better, the Utah Jazz or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wonwoo’s phone buzzed and he answered it, turning away from the two of you. When his call was over he turned back.

“That was my roommate's friend. Vernon got dumped so he got drunk. I have to help him back to the dorm. Sorry to leave early. Mingyu can you walk Y/N to her dorm since I can’t?” Wonwoo asked.

“Of course.” Mingyu said.

“Good luck.” You told Wonwoo.

“Thanks, love.” He said and gave you a short sweet kiss before heading out of the cafe.

Mingyu’s heart hurt a little bit. The whole night he was feeling jealous that you were sitting next to Wonwoo and not him. That you were dating Wonwoo and not him. He thought you liked him.

“Are you ready to go?” Mingyu asked.

“Yeah, I am. You don’t have to walk me to my dorm if you don’t want to.” You replied.

“It isn’t a problem, I’ve walked you there a million times. Besides, what are friends for?” He quipped. The word ‘friend’ stung him more than it stung you.

“Alright, let’s go then.” You replied.

The two of you walked in silence. It wasn’t necessarily a comfortable one. When you arrived at your building and you stopped.

“Thank you for walking me home, Mingyu.” You smiled.

“Y/N, I like you.” He said. That annoying pit in your stomach started to twist and turn.

“What?” You asked.

“I like you, a lot.” He answered, “I am sorry I didn’t tell you a long time ago. I read the note you wrote me when you went to the bathroom that day. I was being dumb and I just thought that you would wait for me to be ready to ask you out.” Mingyu said.

Your heart hurt and you found it hard to believe that this was happening. Mingyu was Wonwoo’s best friend. They grew up in the same neighborhood, their parents were friends. They were like brothers.

“Y/N, please, say something.” Mingyu pleaded.

“Mingyu… I love Wonwoo. Wonwoo is far too good for me, how he ended up liking me back is mind boggling. But I will be his as long as he will have me, because I love him and I know he loves me too.” You replied. Mingyu closed his eyes and you could see the tears begin to fall down his cheeks.

“Let’s not speak of this again.” You said and Mingyu nodded.

“I am sorry I brought it up. You two look happy together.” He said.

You were at a loss of what to say. You sighed and turned to head inside.

“See you around, bestie?” Mingyu asked. You turned back towards him.

“See ya bestie.” You replied and went in.

“What the hell is eating away at your soul?” Your roommate asked.

You word vomited everything that had just happened.

“Whoa…. Dang you’re killing the game.” She smirked. You glared in response.

You told Wonwoo what happened, you valued communication and you knew that if the roles were reversed you would want him to tell you.

You were surprised he already knew, it turns out Mingyu had gone to him that night to tell Wonwoo of his mistake and to ask for forgiveness and to also tell him what you had said and that by far you were a keeper.

They hashed everything out and in the end everything was okay. Mingyu hardly came around the two of you for a couple weeks. After Christmas break, during the beginning of the new quarter he began hanging around the two of you more often again. Things went back to normal.

It was your third year of college now, things were looking up. You and Wonwoo are now engaged, but waiting to be wed after Wonwoo graduates in the summer so that at least one of you can have a stable enough job to start your married life.

Mingyu still hadn’t dated anyone seriously. You were hoping that was going to change after setting him up on a blind date with one of your best friends from high school that is transferring to your university.

You sat at the outdoor tables at the new coffee cart that was put on campus, you caught a glimpse of Wonwoo and Mingyu. A small smile made its way to your lips as Wonwoo caught your glance and smiled back. He motioned to Mingyu to follow him over to where you were.

Your smile grew as you stood to greet the two men. Wonwoo pulled you in for a warm hug then pulled away slightly to give you a sweet kiss.  

Mingyu smiled softly, he was happy for the two of you. He realized that you both brought out the best in each other and helped each other to grow. He would be lying though if he said there wasn’t a small part of him that wondered what would have happened if he had asked you out first. He was working on it, moving on. He was tired of you setting him up on dates, he didn’t have the heart to tell you no. You were just trying to help. Which he appreciated, overall he was content being your best friend.

“You’re naming your first kid after me, right?” Mingyu asked.

“In your dreams.” You and Wonwoo said in sync, you couldn’t help the laughter that followed.

Over the last two years you’ve had heartache and love. No love is perfect, you’ve had a lot of ups and downs but you wouldn’t have wanted to go through any of it without these two by your side. You were grateful for your fiance and best friend, they both meant the world to you.

Gif cred to owners

[mcwriting]

starstruck (5)

It’s finally here!!! I’m so sorry this took literally 5ever but it’s here now! Ch 6 is also written but I don’t plan on releasing it until 7 is done. In the meantime, I’ll be releasing some other things I’ve had in the works for a while so be on the lookout for those ;)

Thanks to all who’ve followed me and been reading! I love you!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

Fandom: Tommy Holland 

Ship: Tom Holland x Reader

Setting: LA in general

Word Count: 2013

Warnings: a little bit of language; general sad time emotions

Rating: K+ still i guess

                            __________________________________

You had run up the stairs upon entering your house, yelling out a quick “hey I’m home” to your parents to keep from rising suspicion. 

You tossed your bag onto your desk chair and went and sat on the big bean bag in the corner of your room, curling up into it under a blanket. 

It was nearing 4 o’clock and you knew that the beans would be spilled any moment now. 

You were absolutely nauseous.

You refreshed Instagram over and over until a notification came up at the top of your feed.

Tomholland2013 started a live video. Watch it before it ends!

Tears slipped down your cheeks again and you clicked on it, turning up the volume as the obviously anguished face of your worst nightmare appeared on the screen. The way his eyes puffed unnaturally led you to believe he, too, had been crying. 

He waited a few seconds for people to join and weakly smiled. It broke your heart to see him in this state, but it pained you even more to know how it had come to this.

“Hey, everyone,” he began quietly, waving to the camera. You recognized the background photos from his hotel room and continued to weep harder.

Comments were rolling in, concerned fans asking Tom if he was okay and what was going on. Even some of his celebrity friends appeared to be confused in the comments.

“I wanted to address some rumors going on about me and the mystery girl. That girl is y/n y/l/n. We met by accident at the premiere last week and snapped a photo together as I’m sure you’ve all seen. Fast forward to only a few days ago, when I helped take her to the hospital.”

He paused. Comments were getting more frequent as the live stream continued, more people joining by the second. 

Your breath was caught in your throat and chest was heavy and tight.

Am I having a panic attack? you thought before Tom continued.

“I took y/n to the hospital because she injured her head and I happened to be at the right place at the right time. That’s all that happened. We have only met those two times and I am happy that I was there when she needed help.”

You help back sobs at this point, not wanting to alarm your parents but unable to suppress the emotions you felt about his lying.

“Every other theory or suspicion is false. Those photos were of me driving her to the doctor. Y/n and I have had no contact since the incident, so please don’t bother her any further. I just wanted to come on and say y/n, I hope you’re feeling better and doing well, and to let all of you fans know the truth.”

He looked away from the camera when he said “truth,” and you were angered more.

This wasn’t the truth. This wasn’t okay. This wasn’t the Tom you’d come to know and even consider a friend. 

“Finally, thank you all for the support on the movie and I love seeing your reactions. I will resume doing press this weekend when I head to South Korea and then China next week. I’m glad I could share this film with you and once again, I hope you’re feeling better y/n and that we could possibly meet again when you are okay. Thank you all.”

He gave a final wave and slight grin before ending the stream, struggling to tap the button multiple times and swearing a bit as he finally did it.

You wanted to throw your phone across the room and smash it to pieces and simultaneously lock yourself in the closet and never leave. Another part of you yearned to scream the truth over the rooftops and tell the world how horrible Tom was for this.

Now I know why I never liked him you imagined again. 

You finally worked up the courage to send one message to b/f/n.

I’m sorry.

You hit send and seconds later another text came through from someone else.

I’m so sorry. It’s done.

Who from? 

Clara twinkletoes, of course.

You tossed your phone away from you on the carpet and snuggled further into the bean bag, trying to muffle the sounds of sobs with your blanket.

                             __________________________________

Your parents called you down for dinner, but food wasn’t on your mind in the slightest.

You probably looked like you’d been hit by a truck as you made your way down the stairs, and your mom and dad noticed immediately.

“Oh my gosh, baby. What happened?” your mother fawned, rushing to you and placing her hands softly on your cheeks. 

“Tom Holland,” you mumbled, defeated. 

“Is that some boy I need to put in his place?” your dad asked sincerely, brows furrowed. 

You shook your head slightly and pulled away from your mother. 

“I thought that was the actor boy b/f/n likes but you don’t. Didn’t she go meet him last week?” she inquired.

“Look up his name online, I’m sure you’ll find the fabricated story somewhere.”

You apathetically began building your plate, scooping some lasagna out and grabbing a small bit of salad as your parents scanned the TMZ article that had been published with the help of an “anonymous source.”

“The source says y/l/n has shown previous disdain for the ‘Spider-Man’ star, but is grateful for the help he extended in her dire situation. Her social media is booming as both fans and haters flock to ask about her encounter, but no word has been published by her yet. It’s only a matter of time before the California native makes a statement. Most are calling her lucky, and we don’t blame her,” your mom read aloud. 

You thought you had no tears left to cry before, but more slipped down your cheek as you slid into a chair at the dining table.

“What is this?” your mom asked as she and your dad looked up from the article to you.

You started explaining everything over your dinner halfheartedly, trying not to let your emotions continue to get the best of you. 

They reacted with both concern and surprise as you told the story from beginning to present, choosing not to leave out the part where Tom had secretly been in the house a few nights previous. 

The lie was over, and the only way to move forward was with the truth, no matter how your parents would react. 

Upon finishing the tale, you looked up from your barely eaten meal to find both parents eyeing you sympathetically. 

“That’s it. That’s everything. Punish me how you see fit. Nothing could be worse than what I’ve already been through today.”

“Honey, we aren’t going to punish you. You’re an adult and you made some decisions that you can’t un-make. The consequences have already presented themselves. What matters now is how you move on from this,” your mom began. 

“And we’ll be behind you every step of the way,” your dad finished. 

You couldn’t help but smile and stood to hug them, welcoming their warm embraces. While cherishing the moment, you still couldn’t help but fear for b/f/n’s reaction.

“We may have to talk about you being able to sneak a boy into the house under our noses, though,” your father joked as you leaned into their arms.

                             __________________________________

You readied for bed after spending a few hours curled into the couch watching evening programming. 

You hadn’t looked at your phone once since receiving that text from Tom and dreaded looking at it, but decided to do so anyways. 

You saw that there was a message from b/f/n but decided to ignore it for now. 

Snapchat was filled with snaps from friends and acquaintances who had learned of the incident already. 

Leaving them on read was the only feasible option right now.

A quick scan of Instagram and Twitter shot your anxiety through the roof and you refused to make any posts just yet. 

The world would just have to wait for your mental health to improve.

Eventually you worked up the nerve to open the text from b/f/n, ignoring all others from family and other close friends. 

This isn’t you, it began.

You have a lot of explaining to do if you expect me to understand or forgive you, but I’m not writing you off just yet

Let me know when you’re ready to talk.

You honestly couldn’t believe it. 

Sure, you two had been friends for years and been through thick and thin, but you also knew how she could react in anger and be unforgiving for a long time. 

It took about 20 minutes of you staring at her texts and pacing the room to think up a reply, and your words still would never make up for all of it.

I really don’t know if I am ready to share, but I swear on my life that you’ll be the first to hear from me when I am. I’ll be in touch soon. Thank you, I love you.

With that, you placed the phone on the charger on do not disturb and you crawled onto the bed.

A certain scent hit you like a truck upon laying down. 

You inhaled sharply and tensed. 

That damned cologne was still there.

Sleeping like this was not an option, so immediately you got back up, headed out the door, and made your way to the guest room.

That would have to work tonight, and tomorrow you would have to decide between washing or burning your bedsheets. 

Those thoughts didn’t make it too far, though, because almost immediately after your head hit the pillow, you were out like a light.

                             __________________________________

You couldn’t do anything.

All day you had stayed in, afraid to be seen in public and even worse, be confronted about this. You couldn’t even make yourself go to dance in avoidance of your classmates.

Instead, you spent the day managing your anger and sadness through working out for almost two hours and eventually breaking down on the floor of your makeshift home gym. 

Your mom had taken off from work to keep watch of you and came in upon hearing you. She sat down on the floor and embraced you, ignoring the sweat covering your body and clothes. 

After finally managing to get up, you headed back upstairs and hopped into a long hot bath. Maybe that would cleanse you of all of this.

It didn’t. 

Later, you stripped your bed of the sheets and tossed them in the wash, dumping a scoop and a half of laundry detergent in for good measure. You also misted the bare mattress and pillows with linen spray just in case. 

You wouldn’t let anything remind you of him. 

The day went by too slowly as isolation set in. You couldn’t check social media because your feed was overloaded with inquiries, and you couldn’t talk to your friends because they were just as bad as the fans and haters. 

You were now sitting watching youtube videos while your mom watched tv. You weren’t paying attention until you heard the volume go up.

Upon looking up at the screen, you saw that she was watching Entertainment Tonight and they were running a story on you. 

It felt like your stomach had dropped to the floor when your name was said by one of the journalists. Even though you knew that what they’d say was false, you couldn’t look away. 

They basically recapped everything Tom and the TMZ article had said, but also mentioned that you had been talked about on other talk shows and gossip sites all night and day. 

Your mom gave you a sympathetic look, but you chose to ignore it all, rolling your eyes and continuing to try to figure out how to move on. 

Eventually you would have to leave the house and talk about it all, but today was necessary for self care and reflection.

                             __________________________________

That’s it for this one! It’s realllllll dramatic but oh well haha. Thanks for reading and sorry it took so long to put out!

If you wanna be added to the tag list, please send an ask or message bc I can’t reply to comments on posts since this is a side blog :(

Tag List: @marvel-lously, @jackiehollanderr, @one-big-fangirl, @worn-off

[thalath]

FINALLY, a reference for my new fursona!

That picture has been sitting in my files 5ever. I’m so glad I’ve finally finished this up. It looks exactly how I wanted too!

Fun Fact: I took that photo myself on a drive somewhere :)

(Interested in buying art from me? Please check out my commission information at this link!)