#though admittedly i'm not sure if anything else i could say would be of worth

[vickyvicarious]

"Do not stir," he said, "but I fear that with growing strength she may wake; and that would make danger, oh, so much danger. But I shall precaution take. I shall give hypodermic injection of morphia."

This line has interesting implications. Van Helsing really doesn't want Lucy to wake up while she is so blood-deprived. And previously, that might have been attributable merely to not wanting to scare her, but this line really doesn't seem like that's it.

This "danger" he speaks of... it seems like one of two things to me. Either he fears that a) Lucy waking up in this state could lead to her becoming a vampire, or that b) her waking and knowing she's getting transfusions could lead to the vampire preying upon her finding out and maybe taking new action.

If it's the former, then that never exactly pans out (in that she's never awake during any transfusions). But there could be some interesting implications with the way Van Helsing later says she's different from usual vampires because of the way she was attacked in her sleepwalking:

She was bitten by the vampire when she was in a trance, sleep-walking—oh, you start; you do not know that, friend John, but you shall know it all later—and in trance could he best come to take more blood. In trance she died, and in trance she is Un-Dead, too. So it is that she differ from all other.

That said, I'm not sure how much I believe this, given that we see other vampire victims also have weirdness around sleep/memory of being bitten, and the vampire ladies in the castle appear to default towards trying to hypnotize Jonathan. It's possible sleepwalking on top of that adds another dimension, but... I'm not sure if I buy it fully or not. Still, it's interesting.

I imagine the second option is more likely, though. And it connects neatly with Van Helsing's other efforts to restrict information at this point, too. He doesn't know anything about this vampire! At this point he might not even be 100% convinced that's what it is, or what lore he should be working with! He knows he can trust Jack, but it's possible anyone else could be either the source of the danger, or an informant. Not necessarily a willing informant, either - Lucy would be a perfect case of someone who wouldn't want to share any information, but who might not be able to help doing so.

Maybe this is why he's so insistent that no other maids or nurses help with this. Or at least part of why, in conjunction with not wanting people to undo his work if they disagree with it/remove her from his care. It's very frustrating as readers, because we know they aren't responsible and also presumably aren't as sleep-deprived as the doctors are already... but Van Helsing doesn't know what their deal is. Maybe one of them is a vampire. Maybe they could be hypnotized too. Just before Quincey's big hero moment, Van Helsing says:

"What are we to do now? Where are we to turn for help? We must have another transfusion of blood, and that soon, or that poor girl's life won't be worth an hour's purchase. You are exhausted already; I am exhausted too. I fear to trust those women, even if they would have courage to submit. What are we to do for some one who will open his veins for her?"

I always kind of chalked this up to a combo of his benevolent sexism and not knowing what drugs might be in their system (and those definitely still can work) but maybe some of it is also down to not knowing if they are 'infected' too. Admittedly, this theory doesn't fully hold water in that he never tries to keep them away from her during the day, and even just before that above quote, leaves a maid alone with Lucy. But perhaps he feels the danger of being bitten is only viable at night.

[majorasnightmare]

OC Interview Tag!

Playing 20 questions with Faerûn's most prolific uncaught serial killer! Courtesy of @arach-tinilith and @the-weeping-dawn ! And @mogruith because this has been sitting in drafts so long I got @'ed AGAIN. Sorry I took so long to respond, Dirge took a bit to be wrestled into cooperating 😭

Are you named after anyone?

"I mean, I'm barely named at all. This is just the first thing that came to mind on the beach, and I suppose it stuck. I certainly don't have anything better in mind. I suppose it'd be nice to know what my parents called me, back when that would be relevant, and their reasoning behind such a name, but the time for that has long since passed."

When was the last time you cried?

"I'm not a crier, not really. The last time was... I don't think I've cried at all since waking up on the nautiloid, come to think of it. Hm."

Do you have kids?

"Absolutely not. And I never will."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Only when it's funny. Or Gale presumes something particularly egregious."

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"I.. hm. I don't really notice people at all. They're just kind of a blur of skin and organs. I suppose anything unusual about them? Eyecatching features like scars or tattoos. I've gathered that dragonborn are supposedly rare, and truthfully I see so few of them that it's always a bit of a surprise when I DO encounter one. So things like that, I suppose."

Scary stories or happy endings?

"Well there's only a few ways a story can end happily, isn't there? But an infinite depth to fear, horror, terror. I'm sure happy endings have their place, but I just can't help but feel the exploration of fear is more interesting."

Any special talents?

"Well I certainly have skills, though I don't know if they'd be considered talents. I'm fairly adept with magic, and have a wealth of experience utilizing psionics. I've found I can be quite persuasive in cirumstances that call for it, and quite a few beside that are just fun. I'm an exceptional killer, with years of experience, and a graveyards worth of corpses to prove it. And I have it on reliable authority that my tongue is pleasingly skilled at more than just honeyed words."

Where were you born?

"I... believe I hail from Baldur's Gate. Though I don't strictly know if I was... "born" there. Given the particulars of my heritage, it might be more accurate to say I was born within Bhaal's Throne of Blood, but admittedly I tend to think of it similarly to a potter throwing clay on a wheel."

Do you have any pets?

"Scratch! Oh, I love Scratch, he's such a good boy. Such a sweet dog. I adore him. There's also the owlbear cub, Sniff, but he prefers my brother's company to mine. Really those are the only two that come closest to pets, but maybe you could count Shovel if one was feeling particularly irritable about her. Us is too... oh, whats the way to phrase it. Us feels less a pet and more like a follower, meant as kindly as possible. If it finds enjoyment in tagging along behind me, I'm certainly not going to complain, but if it ever desired to do anything else, it's not like I would stop it."

What sort of sports do you play?

"What... exactly counts as sports? I've certainly made a game out of toying with prey, while it shivers in the dark clutching useless weapons. I'm sure I've entertained myself with corpses plenty of times before. But I'm not going to pretend that's what people think of when they say sports. Though I might be open to suggestions."

How tall are you?

"Last time Lae'zel informed me, I was 6'5" if that means anything. Oh, without the horns, I haven't bothered to measure them."

What was your favourite academic subject?

"Did I ever actually attend school? Wait, I don't think I did. And judging by the barebones state of the Temple's lending library, I don't think I was finding much material there either. If it was even instituted when I was a child. I imagine I took rather well to lessons in doctrine and theology, and certainly, ah, bloodletting as it were, but I seriously doubt any academic institution would recognize my expertise in those subject matters. Nowdays there isn't much I don't enjoy, though history tends to crop up more often than I would have expected. Oh, and arcana is always enjoyable. I wouldn't mind studying that academically."

What is your dream job?

"What a question. I honestly don't even think about it, thought that's... probably because I tend to find myself at the mercy and whims of situations I can't afford to ignore. It's not like a child tells their parents their dream is to lead a cult on a path of bloody devotion to carve a city of innocents into a meal fit for a god, after all. And similarly I don't imagine anyone is fantasizing about spending their days scavenging rations from the ruins of a conquered village while on the run from a horde bent in service to a maddened illithid elder-turned-hoax. But such things have consumed so much of my time, it's difficult to ponder what I would do besides such things."

tags: I took so long doing this everyone already passed this around each other 😅 so if you see this, and haven't already been tagged (or want to do it again with a different character) just tell everyone I tagged you (and @ me so i can see it+reblog it!)

[reignmaefall]

hi dear moot. i would love it if you told me more about amelia and pandora being roommates and selling together. what house are they in? is there anyone else in the dorm? who are their regular clients? is xenophilius involved? are they close friends or just friendly because of the circumstances? how does amelia feel about pandora's friendship with the slytherins? idk i'm just really fascinated by the idea of them two interacting i never thought of it before

Okay admittedly i didn't think too hard abt it originally but I feel like it'd be something like this

Pandora wasn't really friends with her roommates, choosing to just stay to herself most of the time, until like 5th year. She and Amelia had a few classes together (herbology lmao) and often got paired together because they were both "intelligent and respectful young ravenclaws!" (wrong so very wrong), and they started to talk more and realized they had more in common than they originally thought. They both had an odd sense of humor and often joked about how herbology would be "so much more interesting and silly" if they grew weed (once the professor heard one of them say that and knocked off a few house points but it was worth it for the joke). Somewhere along the way, Amelia figured out how to grow Marijuana and one thing led to another, and then, somehow, they were testing to see if they could actually grow it in the ror.. and well..

Anyway turns out they grew a bit too much and didn't know what to do with it so they did the only logical thing they could (there were definitely more logical options), sell it. Eventually they ran out, but they counted their money and realized they had made a shit ton of profit and actually had a lot of fun doing it, so they started growing more and expanding their business. Amelia was the brains of the operation, coordinating meet-ups, running background checks on clients to make sure they aren't rats, making back-up plans and strategies for how when the teachers eventually caught on. Pandora was the saleswoman and spokesperson, she sought out potential clients, psychoanalyzed them to the point they maybe got a bit scared of her, she did all of the dirty work that kept the ring going. And they didn't, under any circumstances, smoke their own supply (wrong so, so very wrong).

Since Pandora was naturally giggly and spacey, professors didn't think anything was out of the ordinary when Pandora was actually high. Amelia, however, definitely had quite a few professors raise an eyebrow when she giggled at nothing or zoned out or acted sleepy in general. But Pandora having Pandora as both a friend and roommate was a good crutch, Pandora would always just hum a little, giggle, and say "sorry professor, we talked a lot last night so she's a little sleepy, I think im wearing off on her too, we'll try not to do it again tonight though" when teachers would ask.

As for their clients, they sold to a lot of people, experimenting 4th year Gryffindors, most of the people in Hufflepuff, stressed out Ravenclaws, depressed slytherins, although their clients were a variety of ages, they did have one main rule, no selling to 3rd years and below, and only give 4th years a very small amount. Their biggest clients were the Marauders, often they'd send Peter because it was less questionable for him to be seen talking with Amelia or Pandora than it would be for Sirius or Remus or even James. Sometimes Marlene or Mary would buy some for parties or just because. Even though Lucinda, Emma, and Hestia were Amelias friends and Hestia was their roommate, they still had to pay when they bought lmao, Amelia didn't give friend discounts. If Pandora sold it for more than the actual price when Emmeline bought from them, that was nobodies business but her own ("she's just so obnoxious! Acting like she's so smart and perfect and pretty and kind and sweet and.. whatever, payback and all that" "..if you say so" "really I hate her" "..uh huh...")

Xeno was a huge client, Pandora didnt really know if he was buying all of it for himself or for his friends too, but he definitely was a major client. That's probably how they met/got close (in this au at least), drug dealer x stoner yk the deal. Eventually, Pandora and Amelia gave xeno a special discount and he probably ended up working with them for a bit too.

Amelia was a bit wary of Pandora at first because of her friendship with the slytherins, but eventually, she realized that the slytherins are just people, and Pandoras connections were actually better for potential clients.

Anyway yeah, Amelia and Pandora being very strategic, and very successful drug dealers and being those friends that know a lot about each other and talk a lot, but also don't really talk much outside of the classes and business they have together. Like work/class friends that get along real well but probably wouldn't hang out outside of class and work

This got a lot longer than i expected lmao, anyway tysm for the ask lovely moot, I get so happy on the rare occasion I get them

[frankmillerturnonyourlocation]

Drabblecember 21: A Walk Down Memory Lane

(begging on my hands and knees for DAYS to figure out how i wanted to write this one. back on track though let's gooooo)

Word Count: uhmm. 800.

Universe: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Emerson had been wiping out the same test tube out for– Doc checked the atomic clock– about eleven and a half minutes.

Three months ago– well, he won't say what he would have done three months ago, but four months ago, sure, he would have interceded. Or at least gotten in a zinger about it.

Today, he just watched. She didn't even seem to notice that, and she always noticed him watching. Even when she pretended not to– especially when she pretended not to? Dr. Horrible was still figuring that out. But there was nothing like that tonight– no careful hand movements, no private smiles, none of that one facial expression she'd do where her eyebrows raised a little higher than normal and stayed there, with her eyes intentionally no wider than before. Her shoulders hunched; her eyes were unfocused. In sharp contrast to the unsettling looseness, both of her knees were bouncing violently under the table. No, there was something in Emerson's head, in that moment, and whatever it was, it was large enough to overshadow even his presence at her right.

It was startling how put-out the thought made him. That was probably why he didn't say anything, actually.

When Emerson's phone buzzed to life, tapping out a heartbeat against the seat of the stool through her back pocket, she jumped about an inch into the air, managing to bang both her knee and her elbow on some edge of the table, and dropped not just the test tube out of her hands, not just the ringing phone from out of her pocket, but also the glasses from off of her face, in one glorious fumbling motion. Doc would have laughed if it had been funny.

The caller was in her contacts– Doc didn't recognize the name– and as Em scooped it up and snapped it into silence, Doc caught the nauseous pallor in her cheeks. More compelling still was the flash of rage in her eyes, real rage. Not often, but he had seen that rage before– heck, he had felt that rage before. Familiar as ever in the bitter curse she spat out before the habitual "sorry," the way her fingers trembled with the effort of sliding the phone as far forward across the table as she could reach.  

On a whim, he reached out to lace those trembling fingers between his. Em blinked, and she was suddenly there with him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked and almost gagged on how awkwardly it came out.

Smiling tightly, she shook her head. "Wouldn't be worth the cent." She told it like a joke.

To more articulately explain to her exactly how he felt about that estimation, he reached out with two hands to hold her face, fixed her with his best doubtful stare, and, when she didn't pull away, kissed her sweetly on the mouth. When he leaned back, she followed. Balancing two people on the seat of one stool was, admittedly, logistically tricky, but they made shifting around easier to compensate; with his back to the table, now, Em's arms framing him in even as they balanced her on top of his lap, Doc had to admit, he felt more than comfortable.

"I'm happy to help you brainstorm," he said when they broke apart, fingers slipping up underneath the back edge of her hat. "If it's lack of ideas tripping you up here."

She deflated, sighing into his shoulder, and Billy half-wished he hadn't said anything. "Nah, I just– I've thought about it up and down. It's not even worth... going after."

He waited for her to continue.

"Too many other dominoes it would knock down, I think," she said. "Outside of my control. It's too tangled up in– in everything else that I can't afford to fuck. Fuck with."

Billy counted the seconds on the atomic clock.

"I'm just making myself mad about it. Like, Jesus, if I just think about it for longer, I'm gonna find– I don't even know what." Em leaned back with some kind of derisive sigh, and Billy was scared for a second that she would leave. "It- it's family stuff. I probably should have led with that."

Doc hummed understandingly, lightly tapping Emerson's nose, lips, chin with one gloved finger. "Family. Yeah. I don't see any of them around here, though. Do you?"

Before Em could respond, her phone screamed out for attention once more. Even if he couldn't see it telegraphed all over her face, he could feel her whole body tense in his lap.

Wordlessly, Doc rummaged around behind him, aimed over Em's shoulder, and tossed the phone into the still-sudsy sink with a wet plop.

Em tilted her head to listen to the waterlogged ringing, face peeling into a Cheshire grin. "I suppose I don't."

[scummy-writes]

I am so terrible at this but I'll attempt to put my gushing in words

Isaac: Admittedly when I firsted played ikevamp I don't think I was interested in isaac at all. I steered towards Comte and Leonardo (you know this sjndg), but as I played more routes and got to see glimpses of Isaac, i started to fall for him bit by bit! His first event made me frown even though I thought he was cute, but as time went by I got excited. We get to his route and we find out he is a bundle of nerves, unsure of how to trust others and himself, and the romance in it was some of the sweetest I had read in a long time. I love how thoughtful and kind he is (in his own ways), I love the trust, the focus on communication, how being in a relationship opens him up more and you get to see his gentle teasing, the ways he cherishes you, and how much you make him thankful to have another go at life. He cherishes the smallest things, like being able to hold hands with another person, waking up beside someone he loves, being able to just spend time together...ARGH. I love him to bits. I'll never forget him crying when Mc said she was pregnant, and how badly he wanted to have a child and be a good father to them. Ikevamp made my bias breaker slam into overdrive and Isaac was a big contributor.

Arthur: I was really put off from him due to the first prem chapter, and then had another shingen moment where I was like 'oh no...' from liking him. Slowly but surely the ways he blundered trying to hide his love while also foolishly expressing it. I loved how shy he got, how he relearned some behaviors, how his love was shown in other ways. Like how the moment he fell for you, knowingly or not, he stopped sleeping with others just because it just stopped occuring to him due to wanting to spend normal time with you instead. I love how we could shed the layers on him to discover he is just a traumatized man doing his best. I join in on a lot of the jokes about him being a whore, but he's so much more than that. He's smart, thoughtful, endearing, and has such low self esteem that he just puts up that whore persona to make it through the day. I still can't get over realizing he goes into town and plays town doctor for free. I love it. He would be the sweetest husband, and I love imagining just spending quiet writing time with him.

Theo: shakes him. shakes him. this man is emotionally constipated out of fear and a swarm of other issues, but he is so fucking loving once you get past that. I will never get over how, in his pov of when Mc arrives to the mansion, he sees her First but refrains from doing anything because Napoleon shows up and Theo auto lets Napoleon help her because he doeesn't believe he should- he isn't worthy enough. He has so many issues with self worth and compares himself to the others badly. Not in an obvious way, but it's clear from some thoughts and him outright saying it that he doesn't feel like he belongs there due to how great everyone else is. He can't see his own worth. WAILS. he's a fierce friend to arthur and tries to help him through the bad shit, he even makes sure mc isn't going to take advantage of him- gah gah gah. I love him. I love how gentle he is with mc too. yes yes bark bark bark and all that, but also the gentle mornings together must be wonderful...

Gilbert: I can't say much without spoilers but this dude is obsessive yearning, I haven't dug insanely deep into his route but from little tidbits and such.... I love how much work he does to try and better lives, even if he might deny it. I'm not going to pretend like he is a Great Dude due to the murdering and stuff, and I know he's toxic, red flags, etc etc whatever. He is still caring, in his own way. I like that he seems to want Mc to think for herself, while also trying not to completely quash her ideas. I think he enjoys an Mc that can think for herself, but also to see how corrupt things are. But also, I feel like his route is/will be one where he is constantly quashing his heart and views her as the one to pass final judgement on if he still has one or not, even if he does not vocalize it. To see if he is deserving of love or not. wails. anyway, from what we've seen so far I am very enamoured with him viewing her pure heart, and with him wanting so badly for her to fall for him.

Silvio: i will grab his chains and shake him. I love that he is emotionally constipated and that he is similar to theo is so many ways. He struggles so much with his worth, with the fact that a majority of people only give a shit about him because of his money, that he loves mc because she does not give a shit about all of that (which also frustrates him and that is Funny to me). Love that he is clumsy in his affections but he means it. He does some shitty stuff but getting to his gooey center makes it worth it. I feel like he would be a good partner. I feel like he would be supportive in his own gruff way, where its gentle and stern, and I just know he would spoil you silly (outside of the money stuff), he'd be so devoted too...I think he needs a stern and stubborn mc to bring him down from his worries with worth a lot.

Clavis: Clavis,,,, I feel like clavis and gilbert are very similar to each other. The villian front with clavis is also a semi front that Gilbert puts up. I am also realizing that so many charas have self worth issues and I nyoom towards them. hm. anyway. Clavis, such a silly dude with a see through front and is desperate for attention and to be loved. I love his 'secret' smart side of him, how devoted he is to making peoples lives better (all of his damn concotions and trying to make people laugh, uaghghh). He is a chaos gremlin incarnet but my god. hes so sweet and loving. the fact that its now apparently canon that he refused to go 'all the way' with mc until they got married because he wanted to give her a special 'first time' between them like the romance books she reads? hello? hello??????? i am gripping the mic and yelling into it. Clavis deserves so much love and kisses.

Shingen: It's been so long but Shingen is just comforting to me. yes, he's a manwhore. but he's a loving one that treats you so sweetly each time... i can't say much since its been literal years since I cracked open his route, but the rememberance of him is just warmth and comfort. strong hugs, nice musk, his silliness with sweets...the way he loves to craft things...gah. gah. urah. comfort.

begging Cybird Enjoyers to tell me their favorite suitors and why

[helloalycia]

teenage dirtbag [three] // wanda maximoff

summary: Wanda's boyfriend continues to be an aggravation in your life, causing some distance between you and Wanda

warning/s: none

author's note: i really appreciate the feedback you guys gave in the last part – it’s always motivating to read your reactions/comments 🥰

part one | part two | part four | part five | masterlist | wattpad

Sorting things out with Wanda made everything return to normal in no time. So much in fact that she decided I was worth inviting to her and her brother's birthday party.

Never in a million years did I expect the most popular girl in our grade to know who I was, let alone invite me to her birthday party, so to say I was surprised was an understatement.

"It's not a big deal if you can't make it," she said when she handed me the invitation in class. "I mean, I'd love it if you could, but yeah, no pressure."

I was in awe, accepting the invite and reading it quickly. It must have been a pretty expensive party if she was giving out special invites, that's for sure.

"You want me to come?" I asked, still unsure whether this was a joke or not.

"Only if you want to," she said quickly, eyes darting around the room and anywhere but at me. "Like I said, you don't have to. It's not a big deal and– I– yeah." She pressed her lips together and stopped rambling, offering me a small smile.

"Thanks," I said quietly, slotting the invite in my notebook. "I'll, er, I'll think about it."

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and faced forward, nodding. "Yeah, sure, no rush."

After that awkward conversation, I discovered she'd also invited Y/BF/N, the two of them developing a little friendship the more she'd hung out with me. He didn't mind going, but only wanted to do so if I went.

"I feel like I kinda don't wanna go," I admitted to him after school as we were studying in the library.

"Oh?" He rose an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

I played with the pencil in my hand. "I don't know, it's just– it's gonna be full of all of her other friends. And they don't really like me. Plus, her dick of a boyfriend is gonna be there. I just think she might have invited me to be nice. Like she might have felt like she had to because we sit together, y'know?"

"I think you know that isn't true," he said knowingly. "Maybe, just maybe, she actually wants us there, wants you there, to celebrate her birthday."

I chewed the inside of my mouth, giving it some thought. But the idea of going to Wanda's house party and seeing a bunch of people I didn't care about getting pissed wasn't comforting. Besides, even if I went, I'd probably see Wanda once before she'd get scooped away by Nate. What was the point?

"Nah, I don't think I'm going," I decided. "She won't notice. I'll just get her a present instead."

Y/BF/N sighed, clearly not impressed with my answer. Nonetheless, he said, "Okay, suit yourself."

"You can go if you want," I added, knowing his presence wasn't linked with mine.

"No Y/N, no party," he said with a dismissive shrug, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Such a good friend," I said teasingly, but there was truth to my words. And I knew he knew that. 

When I saw photos and videos of Wanda and Pietro's party all over my social media the day after, I knew I'd made the right choice in not going. It was the same visuals of everyone getting drunk, doing stupid shit and making a mess. Call me a loser, but that wasn't really my scene. Pietro and Wanda both seemed to enjoy it though, judging from the pictures.

Instead, I bought her a birthday present, knowing I didn't have to but I kind of wanted to, and planned to give it to her when she turned up to class. It was her birthday today, despite throwing the party over the weekend, so I hoped it would make up for my absence (thought I doubted she noticed).

She showed up and settled beside me as I was writing the date in my notebook, making me look up to see she'd made an extra effort to dress up for her birthday, looking fancier than usual. I couldn't help but smile at the giant '18' birthday badge pinned to her jacket.

"Happy birthday, Wanda," was the first thing I said when I saw her. "You look amazing."

A bashful smile appeared on her lips. "Thank you, Y/N."

"I hope your party went well," I said, giving her my full attention whilst trying not to drool over how beautiful she looked.

Surprisingly, her smile faded and her eyebrows knitted together. "Yeah, it did... could you not make it? I tried looking for you and– yeah..."

I opened my mouth to speak, admittedly a little embarrassed that she'd caught me out. I was sure she wouldn't notice – the pictures made it seem like there were loads of guests, I'd definitely have blended in if I were there – but clearly I was mistaken.

"I just thought–" she began, before shaking her head. "Never mind."

"Sorry, I thought–" I started, but like her, didn't know what to say. "Parties aren't my thing," I admitted truthfully. "But it looked fun. You enjoyed it, right?"

She nodded, a small forced smile on her lips. "Yeah, right. It's cool. No biggie."

I swallowed awkwardly. It seemed like a biggie and now I felt bad.

"I, er, got you a gift," I blurted, hoping to change the subject. Reaching into my backpack, I pulled out the terribly wrapped present and held it out nervously. "I hope you, er, like it."

Her eyebrows raised as her eyes flickered between the present and I. "Oh? You didn't have to. I wasn't expecting anything."

Was it hot in here or was it just me?

I pulled my collar away from my neck, hoping to circulate some air. "I wanted to. It's not a big deal."

She accepted the gift, fingers brushing mine and making me even more nervous, before opening it up. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she revealed a brand new leather paintbrush carry case.

"The one you always carry around is tattered and falling apart, so I thought I'd get you a new one," I explained, feeling like I had to. "I mean, unless the other one has some sort of sentimental value, then in that case, I can just return this."

"Are you kidding? I love it!" she exclaimed, looking to me with a grin. "It's beautiful, Y/N. I don't even know what else to say."

My shoulders relaxed, a relieved smile tugging at my lips. "Good. Th-that's good. I'm glad you like it."

Without warning, she moved forward off her stool and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in for a hug. I was startled, unable to think straight with her body pressed so close to mine and her floral perfume wafting into my nose. Why did she have to smell so good?

"Thank you," she muttered, pulling away but not quite letting go. Her eyes were glowing as they watched me carefully, accompanying her weak-in-the-knees smile. I was sure I'd melt. "It means a lot."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak for fear I'd say something stupid. I resisted the urge to look down at her lips, which were pulled into a small, appreciative smile. She let go of me, looking to the case again and unravelling it. I caught my breath meanwhile, my senses still on override as her perfume lingered.

She was just so damn beautiful.

—

"Okay, how about this – robotic or organic aliens. Which would you rather invade our planet?" Y/BF/N asked.

I chuckled at his question. "Definitely haven't thought about that one, but let's see..."

We were hanging in the bleachers out near the football field as we waited for football practice to end. Y/BF/N had a Film project to do and needed to film the field, so I offered to help like the good friend I was.

"Probably organic," I answered as I balanced on the bleachers, standing up and tiptoeing down them like steps. "At least we could reason with them if they tried to kill us because they'd have a conscience. Robotic aliens would just be programmed to take over and that's it."

Y/BF/N seemed against the idea as he played with his camera. "Yeah, but if they were robotic, all we'd have to do is launch a missile at them and they'd explode. You can break metal. It's harder to break organic matter."

I stifled a laugh. "You've given this much thought, I see."

He gave me a knowing look. "You telling me you don't think aliens exist?"

I stopped tiptoeing and stood still as I looked down at him with humoured eyes. "You know I know aliens exist."

He waved his hand like that was enough reasoning. "There you go then!"

I laughed, wondering how he thought of this stuff, then continued to balance as I walked down the bleachers. Probably the wrong choice as when I heard a voice call me, I looked up, saw it was Wanda, then proceeded to miss a step and fall onto my arse.

"Oh God, Y/N, are you okay?" she asked, moving forward to help me.

My face heated up as Y/BF/N laughed his arse off beside me. I accepted Wanda's hand and let her pull me up, before letting go immediately when I could handle it myself. Her presence always made me nervous, but this was just terrible.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said, glancing at her and freezing at her piercing gaze and suppressed smile.

"You sure?" she asked, glancing at Y/BF/N, before trying to hide her own laughter.

Fuck me, why was I such a mess whenever she was around?

"Very sure," I said, though my back began to ache from where I hit it. "What's up, anyway?"

Y/BF/N finally shut up, to my relief, and Wanda minimised her laughter before scratching her head.

"I'm waiting for practice to end so I can take Pietro home," she said, nodding to the field. "I saw you both sat here and thought I'd say hi. Are you guys watching practice?"

"Not really," I answered, before tilting my head to Y/BF/N. "We're just waiting for it to end so Y/BF/N can film for his project."

"Ooh, that sounds interesting," she said, intrigued and looking to him now. "What's that about?"

As he caught her up on it, I found myself checking Wanda out without realising. She was animated as she listened to Y/BF/N talk about his assignment, eyes giving him all of her attention, and a permanent smile was fixed on her lips as she listened to him. Though it wasn't directed at me, I felt butterflies swirling a storm in my stomach and clutched it, hoping they'd go away. I loved and hated the feeling all at once.

Breaking me from my reverie, a football flew past all three of us and hit the bleachers, startling us all. We looked in the direction it came from and saw the football team looking back at us, some laughing and some disgruntled. Two players ran towards us and when they got close enough, I made them out as Pietro and Nate.

Nate was laughing as he looked between us all, before his gaze fell on me. "It's Y/N, right? I feel like I'm always throwing that thing at you. Sorry about that."

But his constant laughing and lack of guilt refuted his words. I merely clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes his way, not that he seemed to care nor notice. I was a mere fly in a world that revolved around him. He'd never notice.

"Babe, I'm sorry, I didn't even know you were over here," he added, looking to Wanda. "You okay?"

Wanda crossed her arms and seemed frustrated. "I'm fine, Nate. Just get your ball."

He shrugged and grabbed his ball. Before leaving, he pressed a kiss to Wanda's cheek which made me wince, but she made no attempt in enjoying it. He didn't seem to care as he took off running back to his team. Pietro smiled apologetically at the three of us.

"I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "He can be such a dick sometimes."

That was the understatement of the century.

With that, he turned and ran back to his team to finish up. Wanda sighed, running a hand through her hair, as Y/BF/N and I exchanged glances.

"I should get the car running," she said awkwardly, pointing a thumb over her shoulder and towards the car park. "Good luck with your assignment, Y/BF/N. And I'll see you tomorrow, Y/N."

Waving goodbye with an awkward smile, I watched her leave and wondered the same thing I always did whenever Nate decided to make an appearance in my life.

How could she be dating such a dick?

—

Apart from the birthday party I didn't go to, I'd never been invited (or had a reason to go) to Wanda's house. I'd seen it, rode my bike past it, but never actually been in it. So, when she invited me to her place to work on a project we'd been assigned in class, I was unsure how to feel. She was adamant though and I had no reason to say no, so the only thing left to do was say yes. Even when she offered to drive me there after school.

"This is your car?" I asked with disbelief.

I knew absolutely nothing about cars, but I wasn't blind. Hers was a gorgeous deep red colour with a convertible roof that was currently lowered so anyone in it would feel the sun on their back and wind in their hair.

"Yeah, you like it?" she asked as she got into the driver's seat.

I gulped and sat in the passenger's seat, throwing my backpack at my feet. "It's so nice. You sure you don't mind me drinking in this?"

I had a Pepsi bottle in my hand and was deathly afraid of opening it now in case I spilt it and the cleaning bill would be more than I made in a year at the pizza parlour.

She laughed, already pulling out of the car park. "Of course. Don't be silly."

I glanced in her direction, trying not to get distracted by how good she looked in the driver's seat. She was wearing a red leather jacket, funnily enough, matching the exterior of her car, and she had dark eyeliner around her eyes, accentuating the shape and colour of them and leaving me speechless whenever she looked my way.

"There's CDs in the glove compartment," she was saying as she focused on the road. "Or you can mess around with the radio. It's up to you."

"CDs?" I asked, it piquing my interest. I reached into the glove compartment, adding, "What is this, the 2000s?"

She rolled her eyes playfully, accepting my teasing, as I flicked through the small stack of albums.

"I don't know, I guess I just like having the physical version," she said with a shrug. "It's kind of like a collection."

I chuckled at her need to explain herself, watching the way she rubbed her neck nervously, smiling with embarrassment. Looking back to the albums, a particular one grabbed my attention and I plucked it out with raised brows.

"Oh my God, you like Paramore?" I asked, looking to her with surprise. "Now it's definitely the 2000s."

Her cheeks flushed as she grew flustered. I nudged her in the side gently, getting her attention briefly.

"I'm kidding," I reassured, tilting my head her way playfully. "I actually love Paramore. They're my favourite band."

"Really?" she asked with surprise as I put the CD in her car. I hummed in response, to which she continued, "Have you ever seen them live?"

As For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic played quietly in the background, I nodded my head. "Yeah, once. It was a few years ago, but the tickets were shitty and I could just about make them out on stage in the distance."

Wanda laughed, the sound making my heart skip a beat. "No, that's so sad!"

I chuckled in agreement. "Yeah. It was, but oh well. They have a tour coming up this summer, right? Maybe I can get better tickets this time 'round... what about you? Have you ever seen them live?"

She hummed, making a turn at some traffic lights and chewing her lower lip as she focused on doing so. It was definitely the wrong time, but I found myself admiring how attractive it was, especially when her jaw tensed and her defined jawline was on display.

"Yeah, I saw them a few times," she finally responded, pulling me from my stupor. "Some really good seats, some really shitty ones." She giggled at the end, making me smile. "Maybe we could go to that concert in the summer. If you're up for it?"

This seemed like one of those times where you made plans with a friend that you knew would never happen, so to not cause an awkwardness in the conversation, I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, maybe."

She glanced at me and I mirrored her smile, the flash of excitement in her eyes knocking me breathless.

When we reached her house, I was awestruck at how big it was from the inside. I mean, it looked huge from the outside, but the inside was even better. Her family were rich, I knew that, but this was some other level of rich.

"Here, c'mon, I'll get you a drink, then we can go into the dining room to start," Wanda said, failing to recognise my amazement and instead leading me to the kitchen. "We have tropical juice, apple juice, water, Sprite, Cola... which d'you want?"

I settled at the island, taking a seat and subtly admiring her kitchen. "Er, apple juice is fine with me."

She smiled brightly before pouring me a glass, whilst pouring herself some Sprite. Standing opposite me, we both took a moment to have a drink, but didn't get chance to exchange words as her mum entered the room and noticed me instantly.

"Y/N, it's so lovely to see you again!" she said kindly, patting me on the shoulder before heading to the fridge. "You girls hanging out? Studying?"

"We have a project," Wanda filled in as I nodded in agreement. "We alright to claim the dining room?"

After grabbing some water from the fridge, Wanda's mum pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek. "Sure thing, sweetie. If you need anything, just let me know." Smiling once more at me, she said, "It's good to see you, Y/N."

"You too," I said with a friendly smile before she left.

"Come on," Wanda said, motioning for me to follow. "We have tons to do."

The next hour and a half was spent with Wanda and I planning out our project, our work sprawled along the dining table messily. We were making progress, until she got a call suddenly. It seemed serious as she gave me an apologetic glance and excused herself. I let her go and leaned back in my seat, wondering what I could do as I waited for her to return. That thought was resolved quite quickly when Pietro popped his head in the doorway and spotted me.

"Y/N! What an honour to welcome you to our humble abode," he exclaimed, entering the room fully. "What brings you here?"

Pietro's presence always brought an amused smile to my lips. "Wanda and I are working on a Chemistry project. She's just nipped out for a phone call."

He tutted dramatically, crossing his arms. "Well, well, well. We can't have that! Wanda needs to learn to entertain her guests. C'mon. I was about to head to the gaming room and could use the company."

I was visibly surprised. "You have a gaming room? Dude, that's awesome!"

He laughed. "C'mon."

Joining Pietro, the two of us headed to this so-called gaming room and I was not disappointed. There was a huge TV with a PlayStation and Nintendo Switch connected to it, a snooker table, a foosball table, a dart board, some old arcade games – it was amazing, any gamer's biggest dream.

"What you feeling, princess?" he said with that flirtatious smile of his.

I rolled my eyes playfully. He was being overtly flirty, more so than his sister was – was it a Maximoff personality trait or something? – and I wasn't sure whether he meant it or was just being his usual self.

"Are you flirting?" I deadpanned, tilting my head curiously. "I can't tell."

He pocketed his hands, swinging back on the heels of his feet. "That depends. Is it working?"

Despite my lack of interest in him like that, I felt my face heat up at the attention. "Pietro, I must tell you that any moves you attempt to make kind of won't work."

"And why's that?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the snooker table with a cheeky smile on his lips. "Am I not your type?"

"Unless you change into a girl, then no," I played along, making him flush with embarrassment. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm gay."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense," he mumbled to himself, before sighing and meeting my eyes. "We can still be friends, right? Or is that forbidden since you're already friends with my sister?"

I laughed and approached him. "Friends works. I don't think Wanda will care. I certainly don't."

He grinned. "Awesome! Well, d'you wanna play a round of foosball?"

"Sure," I said with an amused expression. "Bet I can kick your arse."

He pushed himself off the table and feigned surprise. "Oh? Game on, Y/L/N."

I didn't realise how long Wanda had been on the phone until I managed to get through three rounds of foosball and was in the middle of a snooker game with Pietro.

"You may have beat me at foosball, but you're terrible at this," he pointed out with stifled laughter.

I'd missed my third shot and it was more funny than it was embarrassing.

"Your talking distracts me," I said dismissively, before lining up the next shot with my cue.

He watched as I tried to take my shot before sighing loudly. I glanced at him with a quirked brow.

"You have a thought you'd like to share?" I asked playfully.

He hesitated, moving forward to correct my posture. "Look, if you just aim it like this–"

"Don't even think about it, Romeo," I said jokingly, standing up straight and pushing him away gently. "I know what you're thinking."

He laughed. "What? I was just going to help you aim!"

I gave him a knowing look. "So holding me close is just a bonus?"

"Fine, take your shot without my help and see what happens," he said dismissively, waving his hand.

"I'll do just that," I said with confidence, before bending down and taking my shot. The ball hit the other and neither were pocketed, which was an achievement as I'd got the cue ball in several times before, but still pretty shit as I didn't score any points.

Pietro smiled with satisfaction, leaning on his cue. "You happy with that?"

I held in a laugh as I looked to him. "Shut up."

He chuckled before bumping me out the way. "Now for the professional."

Bending down to take his shot, he pulled back his cue before hitting the balls. They rolled around on the table and one ball was about to go in, but I quickly grabbed it before he could get the point.

"Y/N!" he shouted between laughter. "That's cheating!"

"Technically we didn't establish rules," I pointed out, before moving backwards as he tried to grab it from my hand. "What do you say to calling it a draw and playing something else?"

"I say that's a childish way to admit you've lost," he responded, before moving forward quickly. I dodged his attempt and he pursed his lips. "Y/N."

"Pietro."

He smirked. "Seriously?"

I grinned.

He tried to grab it again and ended up chasing me around the room as I avoided giving in. Taking the piss out of Y/BF/N enough times had prepared me for moments like this, so I was able to avoid Pietro long enough to run into whoever walked through the door.

"Shit, Wanda, I'm sorry," I said between laughter, steadying both me and her.

She smiled with confusion, about to speak, but Pietro caught up to me and lifted me up, throwing me onto the couch before I could protest.

"No more cheating," he said sternly, as I lifted my head from the pile of cushions on the couch to look up at him.

"You're an arse," I said, pushing myself up off the couch.

"And you're a sore loser!"

We had a mini staring competition before the two of erupted into laughter.

"You're not half bad, Pietro," I complimented as he helped me up.

"Thank you, princess," he said, the flirtatious smile on his lips again.

I shoved him in the shoulder playfully before looking to Wanda, who was chewing on her lip as she looked between Pietro and I with an unreadable expression.

"So, what prompted you to leave Y/N alone for an hour?" Pietro asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, making me shove him away. He grinned at me before looking to Wanda.

"Nate called," Wanda responded carefully, arms crossed as she continued to look between us. God, I hoped she didn't think Pietro and I liked each other. That would be embarrassing.

Pietro scoffed from beside me, making Wanda sigh with annoyance.

"Don't start, Piet," she said and gave him a look which he seemed to understand.

By the sounds of it, Pietro didn't seem to like Wanda's dick of a boyfriend either. That was strange since wasn't impressing the brother the first part of being in a relationship with someone? And they were on the same football team, so I figured he'd at least tolerate him.

"Are we alright to get back to studying?" Wanda asked, directing her stare to me. The annoyance she held for Pietro was still present in her eyes and I suddenly felt nervous when she looked my way.

"Yeah, of course," I said, before giving Pietro a half-smile. "Rematch at snooker next time. Sound good?"

"Try to keep the balls on the table and we'll see," he teased, before nodding to Wanda. "You should get back to your project before Wanda kills us both with her deadly glare."

I smiled awkwardly, looking back to Wanda as she was indeed glaring at her brother. Clearly there was some sibling rivalry going on here, and I definitely didn't want to get in the middle of it, so I headed to Wanda, signalling I was ready to leave.

The two of us headed back to the dining room in an uncomfortable silence. I felt like I'd done something wrong and she was giving me the silent treatment which was strange. Then I figured it was probably something with Nate that made her annoyed, so didn't question it too much.

We sat back down and I looked at what we'd done so far to try and pick up where we left off, but then she spoke out of the blue, taking me by surprise.

"Do you like my brother?"

It was so abrupt that I took a moment to acknowledge it, blinking. "What?"

"Pietro," she clarified, saying it with such dismissiveness like it wasn't a big deal. Her attention was on the books before us as she continued, "Do you like him?"

I tried not to laugh as I shook my head. "No, Wanda. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's a great guy. But yeah, no, I don't like him like that."

She chewed her lip, nodding, but I swear I saw a hint of a smile on her lips. I hoped it wasn't the thought of Pietro and I that made her annoyed. I wasn't that bad, was I? I know she cared about her brother and was probably overprotective, but me being his girlfriend couldn't have been that bad, right?

We got back to work in no time, getting a lot done. I didn't realise how late it was getting until Wanda's mum poked her head in, asking if I wanted to stay for dinner.

"Dinner?" I asked, eyebrows raising with surprise. I checked my watch and realised how long I'd been here. "Damn, maybe I should head back."

"Nonsense, you must stay," her mum insisted. "Y/M/N won't mind. A daughter of hers is a daughter of mine."

"You can even sleepover if you want," Wanda offered, and I almost choked on my own spit. "It's getting pretty late."

I shook my head, forcing a small smile so they wouldn't get offended. "Honestly, it's fine. I can head back."

"Please?" Wanda asked with a hopeful expression. "It's the least I can do. I kinda wasted your time for an hour earlier..."

"I should ask my mum," I said, chewing on the inside of my mouth.

"Oh, I'll ring and let her know," Wanda's mum said breezily, before looking to Wanda. "D'you think you can clear your things up? Your brother is gonna set the table."

"Sure, mum." Wanda smiled her way as she left, before looking to me. "I've got clothes and a spare toothbrush you can use tonight."

I smiled awkwardly, nodding. Sleeping over at my crush's house wasn't how I thought I'd be spending my Wednesday evening, yet here we were.

[somewhatgreatexpectations]

If you need me, let me know (Wanda Maximoff/ Reader)

Hello!

Can I just say thank you for all the positive feedback I received for "Leave, then go"? I'm so happy you all enjoyed since this idea is fairly different. Here is more double Lizzie! Also known as "Love me (Or let me go)" part 2. Let me know what you all think! :)

Summary: Y/n attempts to navigate being there for Leigh and becomes closer with Wanda. Minor angst but also fluff.

The unexpected sound of your phone piercing through the stillness of the night paired with the bright light of your screen coming to life in the darkness startled you out of your sleep. A quick glance at the time showed you that it was well past one in the morning.

Leigh.

The surprise of seeing her name through bleary eyes almost made you miss the call. Almost. She had been isolating herself for almost two weeks now. Not that you blamed her considering the circumstances.

In a daze, you dragged your finger across the screen to accept the call. “Is this a booty call?” You joked groggily, as your muddled mind slowly began to wake up.

“Yeah. This was a mistake.” Leigh’s reply floated through the line, her tone displeased.

You pressed your palm roughly into your temple, annoyed at yourself. You nervously rushed out a reply hoping she hadn’t hung up yet. “Wait! Leigh, I’m sorry. I was joking. Wrong time. Noted." You paused slightly. "Are you okay?”

Leigh’s next response was quiet, practically inaudible. “I couldn’t sleep.”

As soon as you heard her reply you worriedly sat up on your elbows. Your eyes drifted over to the keys on your desk. If she said the word, you’d be there in an instant. “That’s understandable. Wanda was telling me you seemed overwhelmed when you met her. Is there something I can do to help?”

A tense silence hung in the air and for a moment you were sure she had actually hung up on you. “Seriously? You’ve been talking to her?” The sounds of her moving around drifted from the phone. “Why have you been talking to her?” Everything in you wished you hadn’t said anything.

You should have known better.

Even over the phone you could feel Leigh’s icy stare. “Wanda doesn’t know anyone else around here. I wanted to offer her some support. I don’t know… She’s nice.”

“And I’m not nice?”

You sputtered in shock. “What? Leigh, I never said that. We were talking about Wanda.”

Just as you were about to add more Leigh’s voice interrupted your own. “You know what? Let’s just pretend this call never happened. Goodnight.”

“Leigh-” The dial tone replaced her voice before you could say anything else.

With a groan you threw yourself back against your bed. Every conversation with Leigh felt like bomb defusing and it seemed like you could never stop them from exploding in your face.

Creating a bond with Wanda didn’t mean that you wanted to push Leigh out of your life. You couldn’t.

Leigh was in your veins.

Admittedly, you did speak to Wanda almost daily, but it was mainly over the phone. You had only seen her once since the discovery, briefly. She had randomly got called into work which ended your lunch early.

That day you had seen that she was troubled, so you offered her an ear and a shoulder to lean on which she tentatively accepted. You would have done the same for Leigh had she not rejected each attempt you had made to reach out to her.

The difference between them was that Wanda let you be there for her where Leigh used all her energy to push you away. The only reason you even knew what was going on was because Wanda confided in you. That’s how you learned Leigh was a triplet. Or well… was since Wanda brokenly informed you that their brother had passed away. Leigh would never get to know him.

Even with Leigh pushing you away, you knew you had to keep trying to be there. Maybe it would just have to be in a different way than you were there for Wanda.

______________

As gently as you could you placed the box on the doorstep and took a step back. You pulled out your phone to send a quick message before you left.

Hey. You’re probably asleep

or just don’t want to talk.

I just want you to know I’m

here for you. I said I would be

and I intend to keep my word.

So, when you wake up I left a surprise

for you at your front door.

Hopefully the raccoons don’t get

to it before you can.

If you need me, let me know.

Read 2:07 a.m.

You were surprised to see that your message was read almost as soon as you sent it. This time you didn’t expect a reply, but you were glad she had seen the message at the very least. Just as you had reached the end of the walkway you heard the front door open. You kept walking without turning towards the sound, determined to give her space.

“Where are you going?” The shock of hearing her voice caused you to trip on some loose gravel. The quiet sound of her laughter filled the still night around you.

Straightening yourself, you turned to find Leigh with the box in her hands, her head tilted in amusement. “Um. Home?” If you didn’t know better, you would have thought she wanted to say something.

As you were turning to leave again you heard Leigh’s voice. “Do you want to come inside?”

“Do you want me to come inside?” You countered. As much as you tried, you couldn’t control the way surprise seeped into your words.

Leigh playfully rolled her eyes as she pushed the door further open. “Do you expect me to be able to eat a dozen donuts by myself?”

Strolling back up the path you had walked countless times before felt foreign.

Leigh nudged you playfully as she closed the door and you couldn’t help the smile that grew because for a moment everything felt like it used to. It was dangerous and you knew it.

That’s how you ended up cross-legged on Leigh’s bed, the box of donuts between the two of you as you reminisced moments from your past.

Moments that were safe to reminisce anyway.

“In my defense I did say, David, if you call her that one more time I’m going to punch you in the face.”

“And you broke your hand punching him!” Leigh exclaimed through her laughter. Genuine laughter. Warmth blossomed in your chest at the sound.

You groaned and covered your face with your hands. “Don’t remind me. I swear his head was made of concrete. That’s why that’s the only fight I’ve ever been in.” Leigh’s laughter continued. “It was worth it though.” You added quietly.

You were too busy looking down at your lap to notice the way Leigh watched you, a small smile forming on her face. She quickly wiped it away when you looked back up at her. “If you fought every person who’s called me names, you’d be fighting a lot of people, Y/n.”

“Worth it.” You shrugged, refusing to look at her as you fiddled with a loose thread on her sheets.

A comfortable silence settled in the air. “I can take care of myself you know.” The way Leigh’s lips curled into a smile was easy. Light. Unfamiliar to you after all this time.

“Trust me. I know.” The loose thread snapped under your fingers. “Speaking of, how have you been since, well… you know.” You asked carefully, bracing yourself for the explosion that was bound to come from the question.

Leigh took in a sharp breath and for a moment you were sure she was about to kick you out for overstepping. “It… sucks. Finding out I’m adopted. Finding out I was separated at birth and suddenly have a twin sister.” A bitter chuckle fell from her lips. “I can’t say it’s the worst thing that’s happened to me in the last year and a half though.”

There was nothing you could say that would make her situation better. You knew that. Taking a risk, you sat up on your knees, moved the box to the foot of the bed and hesitantly pulled Leigh into your arms. You hoped the touch could offer her the comfort you couldn’t find the words for.

Leigh tensed almost as soon as you made contact and you were sure she was about to push you away and scream at you to get out. Just as your hands began falling away, she relaxed into the embrace, her arms wrapped around you tightly.

You both stayed wrapped in one another’s embrace for a moment. Leigh was the one who eventually pulled away. “Thank you.” Her words were hesitant.

“Of course. You know,” Gently you pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. You quickly folded your hands back together in your lap immediately after. “if you ever need me, you just have to let me know.”

Before you could say anything else, Leigh surged forward and connected her lips to yours. Despite yourself, you couldn’t help the way your lips easily fell into the familiar rhythm. This was wrong. She was vulnerable. This was so wrong.

When you came to your senses you abruptly pulled away, ignoring the way she chased after your lips. “Leigh… We shouldn’t. You’re vulnerable. I don’t want to take advantage.”

Your heart stuttered in your chest when Leigh straddled you.

Resolve was quickly slipping through your fingers when she looked at you like that. “You’re not taking advantage. Y/n… I need this. You need this. We need this.” She leaned forward so her lips lightly brushed over your own with each word she spoke. “Just this last time.” She whispered as she trailed her lips down to nip playfully at your pulse point.

Absentmindedly you ran a hand up her back until it was tangled into her silky strands. “Just like you said the last time.”

The bright light seeping through the curtains woke you up the next morning. You rolled over to find the bed empty, Leigh nowhere in sight. You wanted to say you were surprised, but you weren’t.

As much as you hate to admit it, you would’ve been more surprised if she actually stayed.

Cautiously you made your way towards the front door hoping to make it out undetected. “Y/n?” You mumbled a quiet curse as you turned in the direction of the voice.

“Jules! Long time no see.” You greeted Leigh’s sister, hoping that she wouldn’t comment on your obvious walk of shame.

The smirk on her face let you know she knew exactly what had happened. She had seen it more than enough times to recognize the signs. “Now Leigh leaving for class early totally makes sense.”

Even though you knew Leigh was avoiding you, hearing it from someone else still stung. “On that note, I need to get to work. Bye Jules.”

“Bye Y/n. Good seeing you again.” Jules took a drink of her smoothie and chuckled as you rushed out the door.

It didn’t matter how high Leigh could make you feel in the moment, it wasn’t anything compared to how low she could make you feel after.

_________

For the first time in your life, you were thankful for a chaotic shift as it prevented you from having to think about anything outside of work itself. Until you were able to take your break and look at your phone at least.

Good morning, Y/n.

I was wondering if you were

free tonight? I wanted

to make up for having

to leave early.

Sent 8:24 a.m.

No pressure though!

Sent 9:18 a.m.

The smile that appeared on your face was immediate as you rushed to send a reply back, hoping the offer was still available since she had sent that text a few hours ago.

Hi, Wanda! Sorry for

taking so long to get back

to you. Work was hectic.

Definitely free tonight.

Read 12:04 p.m.

“And every night for you.” You mumbled to yourself with a smile as you watched the bubbles appear, indicating that she was typing a reply.

Great! Does 7 work for

you? I can pick you up.

Sent 12:05 p.m.

7 is perfect!

Read 12:05 p.m.

See you then, Y/n.

Dress comfortably. :)

Sent 12:06 p.m.

Can’t wait.

Read 12:07 p.m.

You felt giddy at the idea of seeing Wanda again as thoughts of her quickly filled your mind, leaving room for nothing else as you went about your day. The day couldn’t move any slower.

__________

Almost as soon as the clock struck 7, you heard a knock at the door and rushed over to find Wanda standing before you with a shy smile. “Hi. Ready to go?”

She’s so beautiful, you thought to yourself in awe, completely entranced by the woman before you. Nothing else seemed to exist around you when she was around. You noticed that her cheeks flushed a pale pink. “Y/n?” Her eyes twinkled in amusement.

“Sorry! Just zoned out a bit there.” You mentally cursed yourself as you grabbed a jacket and stepped out. “Ready when you are.”

The featherlight touch of Wanda’s fingers grazing the small of your back as she led you to her car set your skin ablaze. “I hope you don’t mind a short hike to get to our destination today.”

Settling into the passenger seat felt easy as Wanda began the drive.

How does she manage to make everything she does look so damn breath taking?

Wanda’s hands flexed lightly on the steering wheel, her lips curling up faintly as though she knew a secret you didn’t. “I don’t mind at all.” You finally replied.

“I’m glad.” Her eyes glanced over at you momentarily before settling back on the road. “How was work today? I remember you saying it was hectic.”

Someone wanting to know about your day felt unfamiliar to you. It was a nice change. “Work was good. There was this little boy, adorable, but he was so scared to get a shot. He was hiding behind his mom the whole time. Wouldn’t even come out to play with some of the blocks we had in my office.”

Wanda hummed to let you know you had her attention. “What did you do?”

A short chuckle fell from your lips as you watched the curvy road pass you in a blur. “He became so brave the second I pulled out this Iron-Man action figure we keep in my office. It was adorable. It was like he wanted Iron-Man himself to see he was brave, you know? I let him keep that toy after he got the shot. It was one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s sweet that you’re so good with children.” The sincerity in her words made you blush.

“I try to be. Part of the job description.” You joked lightly as you deflected the compliment.

Wanda nodded faintly, acknowledging the deflection as she changed the subject. “Do you know much about him?”

You shifted slightly so you could get a better look at her. “My client?”

The was a faint hint of tension that lurked beneath the nonchalance of her next words. You didn't understand why. “No. Iron-man.” She coughed slightly. “I know some people are big fans of his and you know... you had his toy in your office.”

Unable to help yourself, you chuckled slightly. Maybe she was wondering if you were a fangirl. “I buy a lot of different toys every few months or so to keep in my office for situations like this. I also have aliens, barbies, teddy bears. It depends on the kid.” You explained. “I really only know Iron-Man’s name because of the toy. I don’t know much about the revengers in general though.”

“The Avengers.” She corrected before she could stop herself. You noticed that she winced slightly.

You snapped your fingers. “Right, I always seem to get that mixed up. They typically stay on the east coast, so I don’t pay much attention to them. I do respect what they do though.”

Wanda’s shoulders fell slightly, almost as though she was relieved. “We’re here.” She informed you as she pulled off to a dirt space on the side of the curvy road.

When you stepped out of the car, you looked around as Wanda got something out of the trunk. “Yup.”

Wanda stopped at your side. “What?”

You looked over at her and squinted your eyes slightly. “This is the part of the movie where you kill me.”

For a moment she stared at you in surprise until her eyes crinkled and an unabashed laugh fell from her lips. “I promise that was never in the plans, Y/n.” She held out a hand. “The path can be a little tricky.”

Without hesitation, you slid your hand into hers as she led you forward into the dark night, the path only lit by the moon shining brightly above your head. There was something about Wanda that made it easy for you to place your trust in her. There was goodness to her. You’d follow her just about anywhere.

You continued to walk beside her in silence, the cool metal of the rings that adorned her fingers against your skin calmed you.

If it weren’t for her hand in yours, you’d be lost in the breathtaking sight before you when she finally came to a stop.

“Wow…” You breathed out, as your breath hitched in your throat.

Wanda looked over at you, a tentative smile on her face. “Do you like it?”

On stunned feet you stepped closer to the edge, feeling Wanda’s hand fall from your own. “Wanda, it’s amazing. How did you even find this place?”

“A lot of wandering. I like to come up here to think. To get away from it all. To find peace.” You heard her respond from behind you as you took in the bright lights of the city in the distance.

When you turned back you found Wanda setting a blanket on the floor. “I hope I’m not taking away from your peace by being here.”

Wanda pat the space beside her. You took a seat as you both took in the view. “You could never. For some reason, I feel at peace whenever you’re around.” She admitted, her gaze dropping to the blanket.

Your breath hitched again, but the view had nothing to do with it this time. “I feel the same with you.” You placed your hand over hers.

When her glimmering emerald eyes lifted up to meet yours you were sure you forgotten to breath entirely and for a moment it seemed as though the world around you slowed down. All that you could see was Wanda, and you could never look away. You didn't want to look away.

Your chest tightened as you watched her shift forward ever so slightly. You wanted to kiss her. You wanted nothing more than to kiss her… But it wouldn’t be fair to her. Not after last night with Leigh. Wanda deserved more.

With that in mind you begrudgingly turned away and looked back out in the distance. “Is everything okay?” Wanda questioned cautiously, unsure of what just happened.

“Oh, sure. Just a prisoner of my own mind. The usual.” You mumbled petulantly as you picked at the grass.

The curiosity in Wanda’s eyes came back in full force, but you couldn’t find it within yourself to look up and get lost in those eyes again. You wouldn’t have the strength to look away and not give into to what you desperately wanted a second time.

“In a sense aren’t we all prisoners of some sort? Prisoners to our memories, or fear, or disappointment…” Wanda tugged at her sleeves. “Aren’t we all defined by something we can’t change?” She added quietly.

You laid back, so you could look up at the moon through the trees. “I think we’re all defined by what we chose to allow ourselves to be defined by. Like you said, by memories, or fear, or disappointment. Even love and happiness. We chose, so maybe we can change it.”

You could feel Wanda lay beside you more than you could see it, her head rested softly against your own. “I would want to be defined by love.” She whispered.

“Yeah…” Like magnets your hands found one another in the open space between you two. “Me too.”

Once again, you realized that you could lose yourself in this moment. You would never be happier to be lost as long as you were getting lost in Wanda. The sound of your phone chiming in the night went unnoticed as you and Wanda spoke well into the night.

You both stayed there until the first breaks of daylight peaked over the horizon. The sky had never looked more golden or beautiful than when you had seen it reflected in her eyes.

Part 2! This was actually so fun to write (even if I did face a minor block). Hopefully this part made the dynamic that the reader shares with Leigh a bit more clear and developed what the reader is building with Wanda further as well. Don't worry, more will be revealed as the story progresses. Also Wanda has powers which will lightly come into play later.

Let me know what you all think, I'm excited to hear back! Thoughts and comments always welcome. :)

Tag list: (Please bear with me this is my first time trying this, let me know if I missed you.)

@khiaraaa-in-spacee @halobaby @madamevirgo @aimezvousbrahms @trikruismybitch @marvels-writings @izalesbean @causeitswhatjesuswouldfreakingdo

[gildedmuse]

Hey, everyone.

So recently I've (predictably) very not well. Actually, whenever I don't post for long periods, just assume my body is trying to kill me. But I've gotten messages from three people asking if I. Okay, which is super sweet. I am actually trying to work on the next All Hearts, a really long ZoLaw post and two request fics, but mixing chronic kidney pain and capitalist society's mandate to work 40+ hours is not recommended.

But to prove I'm okay and still me, here is some Shanks antics with him being a total slut while Mihawk and Beckman just roll their eyes and go along with it. [Shout out to @jhaernyl who not only listens to me ramble about this stuff, but actively encourages it]. I also have many thoughts on the latest episodes and so many screenshots it's embarrassing. Hopefully, when I'm in less pain, I'll get around to actually posting those. Otherwise I just look like an insane person who literally takes by the second frame shots every time Zoro is on screen.

.... What is that? I look like that anyway? Fair.

Shanks Is A Bad Influence

It feels like Buggy and Shanks split up after Roger's death (the crew was told to, and they are the only ones who went to his execution) and I find it impossible to think Shanks didn't immediately set out and find a crew; like, pirating is the only thing this kid knows in life. This means two things:

He set out from East Blue. Also, he seemed at ease and familiar with the East so it's possible he spent like a year there getting everything together. Maybe he even played around in the other blues for a while before heading back to the Grand Line. I say this because his crew is from all over so either he found and recruited them in the Grand Line or visited various blues. Either way, I'm gonna say it took him about two years before getting a 'proper' start. In that case, he would have started out properly at the age of 17 and we know One Piece likes it's parallels.

That still puts Shanks at 17 to Benn Beckmen's 28. How the fuck did Shanks manage that? I'd call it grave robbing, but let's face it, the little tyke probably got up to some actual robbing of graves as well.

My point being everytime Shanks teases Mihawk about keeping this 19 year old kid on his personal island, mostly shirtless, Benn Beckmen just lifts an eyebrow.

Excuse me, captain, who had prefected the 'opps still don't have my sea legs' trip-and-fall into their first mates lap by the age of 17?

Shanks: Beckmen, you caught me! *Shamelessly nuzzles up* Thank goodness! I could be a devil's fruit user after all and - Ahh!

Benn: *Drops Shanks straight over the side of the ship into the water*

Shanks: *Sputtering* What what that!?

Benn: Checking to see if you had eaten a devil's fruit on us, Capatin.

Benn: You didn't.

Smart ass. But he can't resist Shanks forever. Shanks will wear him down eventually.

Next time Mihawk tracks him down for another match - because you know he gets bored way quicker than he'll ever admit and Shanks is at least amusing a challenge - Shanks makes a big deal out of how Mihawk follows him around, "accidentally" revealing they slept together, sighing about how it's so hard to resist him.

Benn Beckmen is just leaning against the side of the ship, sipping his booze.

Shanks: -and I can't stay for hours like last time!!

Mihawk: Are you quite done?

Shanks: *whispering* Does Benn look jealous?

Mihawk: He looks bored. Much like I am. Is this some strange attempt to get out of my challenge, Akagami?

Shanks: What? No, come on I told you I was game. But, hey, could you do me a favor? Maybe like try and kiss me or something? Like take a swing like your going to hit me but then stop shot and grab me by the waist instead.

Mihawk: .... Trickery is beneath you. Besides, you're absolute rubbish at it.

Shanks: Oh, come on, I would totally help you get laid if you asked!

Mihawk: .... *Sigh* I want a proper match afterwards.

Mihawk: *In a forced, monotone voice* After this I will take you to my lair and have my way with you, Akagami.

Mihawk: ... My lair? Really?

Shanks: *Holding up cue card with quickly scribbled line* What? That is how you talk.

Mihawk: I can't believe I wasted precious hours of light tracking you to this atrociously rural port.

Shanks: See? Now, read the next one.

Benn: Captain? If this is going to take all night, I am going to go join the rest of the men in the tavern.

Shanks: Huh? Wait! Benn! What if Miha really stabs me this time!?

Benn: *Salutes Shanks with his bottle* Sounds like that is his plan captain. Have a good 'challenge'.

Shanks: What? No... *Reaching out hand, like he might die if Benn leaves, looking completely devastated* Not even a little jealous...

Mihawk: You couldn't have thought that pantomime would actually work.

Shanks: Benny, don't leave me.... *Turns to Mihawk, immediately brightening* Oh, well, there's always tomorrow. Hey, Miha, guess whose free all night and horny as a pirate in the calm belt?

Mihawk: .... *Sigh* Very well.

Mihawk might as well get something for the trip he made. Although, he's reconsidering if the sex was actually worth the trouble after he ends up listening to Shanks worry half the night that Benn is shacking up with someone else (after a couple hours of rough and raw fucking, admittedly).

Is it the hat? He likes his captain's hat. Miha, you think his captain's hat is sexy, don't you?

Mihawk: It's utterly ridiculous.

Shanks: ....

Shanks: ....

Shanks: *Smile* Ahh, Miha, I knew you liked the hat!

Shanks: What do you old Northerns find sexy?

Mihawk: I am only four years older than you.

Mihawk: And silence.

Trying to convince Mihawk to go spy on Beckman for him. Shanks doesn't actually care if he does sleep with someone else, it's more that Beckman didn't immediately turn angry and jealous like Buggy would have that has him paranoid.

Mihawk is going to fuck this annoying red head again just to shut him up.

Mihawk: Maybe he doesn't like red haired boys who don't know when to be quiet?

The next morning Shanks is pacing among his poor crew that's gotten stuck listening to Shanks obsess about Beckman again. IS IT REALLY THE HAIR!?

It's not even a matter of Shanks's age (or obvious immaturity). I mean, Beckman got on board and stayed, didn't he? Beckman just enjoys watching Shanks try so hard to get his attention. Like Benn's attention isn't constantly on Shanks. He had to when his captain is always one step away from disaster.

He only left him with Mihawk because it was clear Dracule is not a real danger to Beckman's captain.

Except maybe insulting him to death. But Beckman is pretty sure Shanks can handle it. He's met Buggy. He's suspects Shanks LIKES it if anything.

It gets to the point where when they dock somewhere and see Mihawk waiting, or come back to the ship and spot his familiar silhouette, most of the crew goes off somewhere for another drink (sometimes the newer kids will stay to watch such an awesome fight, everyone else is like... Look, you'll have plenty of opportunities later. This is not a one off.)

Benn just takes a look around, nods to Mihawk (a silent signal for, "he's all yours, do with him as you please, if anything happens to him I will track you down and make sure your last few hours on this blue world are as painful as humanly possible") and heads off.

Oh, it's just the Hawk boy.

That's fine then.

Benn use to be a sailor on a trade ship between the North, East, West and Grand Line. He's seen it all.

They called him The Gun Slinger BEFORE he joined Shanks's crew and became a pirate.

So this young, broke ass kid from the streets of some near artic northern island trying to pass himself off as a Lower North rich type has a thing for his captain? Not really enough to keep Beckman up at night, no matter how good at swords he's supposed to be

Besides, he's pretty sure for the kid to keep tracking down Shanks, he must be bored out of his skull. He's not going to do anything to endanger their captain.

Not if Shanks is the only thing he can find to keep him entertained.

One day, Mihawk is going to be waiting on the dock when a bunch of Red Haired pirates are stumbling home, laughing and chattering amongst themselves (Shanks's crew always seems to be in a good mood). One of them will catch sight if Mihawk and walk by with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

The captain's occupied. Seems likely he'll be 'occupied' for a good while, too.

Mihawk won't smile, but he will think "So you finally warmed him up to you, Akagami?" and snort lightly.

Poor Benn, though. Mihawk could never imagine being with someone so much younger than him. Shanks is only four years his junior and already it strains Mihawk to put up with his occasional moments of "youthful whimsy" (aka being an annoying, immature child)

"A young, cocky pirate with strangely colored bright hair"

Mihawk just putting that on his Not To Do List.

That lasted until Roronoa.

(Mihawk just looking at Zoro knowing this is bad news.)

Mihawk: *Takes list from Benn*

*Cross out, scribbles*

*Hands back to Benn*

Do Not Do:

- A young, cocky pirate with strangely colored bright hair a silly hat, who is overly dramatic and in any way, shape or form related to Gol D Rogers.

Ace: Hey what's up?

Mihawk: *Takes list from Benn*

Go ahead, Benn, laugh it up. Mihawk is aware he has a type. Young, pretty, and utterly insane.

After that night where Shanks was otherwise 'occupied', it's over six months before Mihawk sees his friend his rival again. He is, as expected, far too smug and proud looking.

Shanks: Oh, Miha, so sorry you came all this way, I'm-

Benn: Well, I'm off, captain.

Shanks: What!? But we, you, I... Benn, hessoeexyarentyouworriedforyourcaptain?

Benn: *patting Mihawk on the shoulder* Have fun with him. Don't forget to return him by noon tomorrow, we have a schedule. Oh, but if you can babysit him for at least four hours? That would be great.

Shanks: BABYSIT!?

Mihawk: I suppose I can be troubled to do so.

Shanks: TROUBLED!?

Benn: Thanks, Hawkeyes. I owe you.

Shanks: *Fake tears clinging to his lashes* You two are so mean!

No, don't feel bad for him. Shanks is just trying to guilt the two of them into bed at the same time, and they both know it.

Thanks no thanks, they're not into that. But Shanks can be pretty cute when he's trying so hard (Benn) and at least he's not as boring as everything else in this world (Mihawk) so they allow him to keep up the act

Shanks: *looking at Zoro's wanted poster over Mihawk's shoulder* But I feel like you'd gladly go to bed with him and his captain if he asked. That doesn't seem fair to me. You'd never go that far with me and Benn.

Mihawk: *Eyes Benn*

Mihawk: *DEAD. ONLY.*

Mihawk: I have my reasons.

They can and do agree on plenty of things, including reciprocally not being that attracted to each other.

Shanks: Sounds fake to me

Shanks: But guys!

Shanks: This isn't about you

He's gonna need you guys to drop the egos and focus on what HE wants. I.E., being in the middle of two sexy Northern men.

Honestly, so mean to poor Shanks!

[ff-imagines]

uhm this is embarrassing thing to request but,,,,,,, how bout u know,,,,,, nsfw alphabet/scenario/hcs with blobster. 👁️👄👁️. I'm sorry.

Boston lobster: nsfw alphabet

Minors dni xoxo

A - aftercare

Admittedly kinda sloppy, it doesn’t occur to him that he should probably check up on you till he’s like “oh shit humans need water” and he suddenly shoots up to grab some and come back to you lmao

If you explicitly ask you get no back talk from him, he just carries you where you need to be and makes sure you’re feeling alright.

Will be endlessly prideful if u say you can’t walk, express your soreness at your sanities risk bc he’ll bring it up for ages

B- body parts

Oh he’s got no shame to tell you he loves your ass and thighs. The type to walk by you and give you a tap on the ass while smirking to himself. Doesn't matter how much or how little you've got he’ll still ask at least once if he can fuck your thighs lmao

Does his height count? He loves how he towers over most humans and food souls alike, chances are he’s probably taller than you, and he really likes that. Sulks a bit if you’re actually taller than him lmao.

They aren’t his favourite part of him but I gotta talk about the antennae. They’re weirdly sensitive, pulling him makes him squeak, which ends with him chasing you or with him chasing you, take your pick. When he catches you he makes it his goal to find a weirdly sensitive part of your body and to tease that spot endlessly. Tickle fight ensues but it’s more like you’re suffering while he’s maniacally laughing above you.

C - cum

It’s thick as fuck and very salty, rip lmao

He likes to cum inside or on your thighs, look they’re very squishy and nice ok he can’t help it </3

He’s also obsessed with not only making you cum, but just… your cum. Amab or afab readers, he will delight in making you watch him swallow. Would also bring his hand up to make you taste yourself, grinning the whole damn way.

D - dirty secret

He’s really affected by scents. If you have a signature perfume or cologne you wear all the time it can make him unbearably horny, since the smell lingers on his sheets and on his clothes long after you’re gone.

E - experience

A fair amount, out of curiosity. Not too many times as he’s spent a lot of years in total isolation. His curiosity is a more recent development, he finds he likes the feeling but something is just missing from his hookups. Then he meets you and is like “ohhhh a relationship is what it was, damn.” Once he realizes that, and even a little bit before when he first starts noticing his internal unease, the hookups stop so he can figure out how to swallow his pride and try and ask a human out lmao

F - favorite position

He loves doggy style because it’s just so so easy to control you that way. He loves to pull you back by your arms, spearing inside you at a punishing pace.

He also would love if you were flexible enough to push into a mating press, getting right next to your ear, whispering about how close he is.

G - goofy

Surprisingly, yea! He’s actually pretty good at making fun of himself, he just doesn’t do it often and doesn’t like it when someone he’s not close to does it. He gives little teases here and there, it eases tension quite a lot.

H- hair

He doesn’t shave for shit lmao. Intense happy trail, intense amount of body hair over all, he actually prefers it that way.

He keeps the same energy with your body hair and will come out and tell you he kinda likes it if you don’t shave. Ultimately he doesn’t think on it too hard, it doesn’t bother him in the end, whatever you want, he wants too!

I- intimacy

He’s not so good at being truly intimate, it’s just not something he’s used to being. If you ever, by some miracle, convince him to let you top him, he’s actually a lot softer and it’s easier to let his feelings speak for him. He also discovers he likes getting dommed a lot but he won’t tell you that lmao

J- jerk off

Not too often, he’s either super busy or he could just find you and solve the problem in an even more satisfying way.

If he ever can’t, expect him to grab one of your shirts to press to his nose as he fists his cock, the feeling of being surrounded by you is enough to help him finish when he desperately needs it.

K- Kinks

Well, the scent thing ofc.

He’s really into risky sex, a true exhibitionist. He’s hot, you’re hot, who wouldn’t want to see you both put on a show? If it gets it into their heads that no matter how bad they want you, you belong to him, your place is right here, getting split apart on his cock, he’ll make sure the message gets across.

Huge breeding kink. Hates the idea of kids but really likes the idea of claiming your insides. He’d love to push you into the mattress and release as deep as he can go.

He’s into humiliation as well, let him tease you while calling you his sweet little whore, he'll make it worth your while.

He’d love if you let him tie you up, he’d probably get into doing fancy designs that accentuates your body in the best way. A pretty rope to tie up and dick down a pretty s/o.

Also I can’t look at his skin where he’s got that suit on and not know he’s got a daddy kink, I just can’t. He doesn’t care for anything other than the title, it’s more about power than anything else. Call him daddy in public and watch how fast you get taken to a more private area. Or, maybe a less than private area, if you’d let him.

He’s got a thing for size difference as well, he loves to loom over you, even if he isn’t actually bigger than you.

L- location

Anywhere, anytime. He’s a prideful bastard, he’ll show off his ability to get you drunk off his cock any way he can. Not only isn’t there a spot in your house he hasn’t fucked you on, there probably isn’t a place on your street either.

M- motivation

What really gets him going is seeing you when you're at your most confident. If you come to him beaming about winning an award, wearing an outfit you feel great in, even if you just say something cocky, it just makes him so proud and eager to share that confidence with you. He doesn’t want to break you down, he wants to prop you up! Tell him about how good you feel, he’ll make you feel even better <3

N- no

As much as he likes to show you off, he doesn’t actually like the thought of a third party joining in. He might be swayed if it’s someone he really trusts. He also doesn't like receiving humiliation, he’s much too prideful lmao

O- oral

Please suck him off, he’ll be kinda rough with you but he’ll be nicer if you ask. He prefers to be mean though lmao. He likes ordering you around on what to do when you’ve got his dick in your mouth, his words get more incoherent the closer he is, though.

He’s just as eager to give you head too, he treats you like a whole 7 course meal. He loves biting around your thighs before ever touching where you're desperate for him to.

P- pace

Oh he’s punishingly hard. Loves to have a fast steady pace then stop as deep as he can and roll his hips a bit to make sure you feel just how deep his dick is inside you.

There are rare days when he’s feeling soft, those days he’s slow and methodical, gripping into your hips to make sure you can’t wiggle to increase your own pleasure, he wants you to savour the high he gives you.

Q- quickies

Well, why not! So what if you’re in an alleyway near a busy street, and anyone can walk by and see you getting pounded? You’re feeling heated aren’t you? Don't kid yourself, just turn around and let him take care of you.

R- risk

He lives for it. If you’d let him he’d bounce you on his cock in a plainly public place, like a subway car.

It’s a big fantasy of his for someone who absolutely pines for you to flirt just a little too hard, you coming to him and letting him fuck your right in front of them. It fuels his pride beyond belief to show you off.

S- stamina

His refractory time is fairly low. Even if he...can? doesn't really mean he wants to. He prefers either one drawn out, long round where you’ve both been edged to the point of desperation, or a few quick rounds throughout the day.

T- toys

At first they kinda hurt his pride but then he’s like “wait I can strap them on a vibrator and just sit back and watch” and then he’s totally on board lmao.

Forcing you to sit on a chair with a vibrator he had the remote to, keeping you on the edge and smirking while you beg and snivel, having no actual plans to give into your pleading.

U- unfair

Oh fuck yea, strap in babes.

He loves loves to edge the fuck out of you, he’d drag it out for hours if you’d let him. Even better if he can tie you down so you can’t squirm away from what he’s giving you.

Overstimulation is just as exciting to him, but he actually loves it more on himself. Sometimes he’ll overstimulate himself on purpose by still continuing to buck into you even after he’s already cum, determined to chase a second high no matter how painful it feels.

V- volume

Loud groans, and he won’t stop talking. Loves to ask you questions when you’re clearly way too blissed out to answer in any sort of coherent way.

He gets a lot louder near his release, he loves to bite into your shoulder to try and muffle himself. If he decides to be bold and let you hear him, he grabs your jaw and brings his face right next to your ear. What a show off.

W- wild card

He kidnaps small items that remind him of you, not just things that smell like you. That one earring you always wear, a glove, a necklace, picks flowers that remind him of you for whatever reason, he might even go out of his way to buy things that remind him of you, keep them to himself for a while, then give it to you when he’s sure it smells enough like him. He gives your stuff back… eventually.

X- X Ray

Oh please… he spits, sweats, and bleeds big dick energy. I refuse to believe his dick isn’t big enough to make you nervous. Would have you sit on his lap and track a finger up your stomach to measure how deep his cock can go.

Y- yearning

He’s pretty likely to mold to your sexual drive. However often you need him, he’s at your beck and call. He likes to keep it closer to 2-3 times a week if he can.

Z- zzz

He doesn’t sleep all that easily at all, but it gets a little easier when he’s got you in his arms. Prefers to be big spoon, and as much as he hates getting overheated, he just can’t will himself to let go of you. It’s ironically one of the most peaceful sleeps he’s ever had.

[westiec]

June 17: Chengxian 💜🖤💕

childhood friends to lovers/QPPs, ace Jiang Cheng, bi & aro Wei Wuxian, modern AU

(A/N: If you're wondering about a certain other someone, he will have a wonderful, full life of his own in Suzhou in this AU but is not in this story. 💙 There are some brief mentions of offscreen ace-antagonism, not by anyone we know.)

Read on ao3

Jiang Cheng had been Wei Ying's best friend in the whole world for his entire life.

Okay. Well, not quite his entire life, but certainly since Wei Ying’s parents moved to California when he was little little, which was about as far back as Wei Ying could remember anyway. Wei Ying’s baba and Jiang Cheng’s baba had grown up in Wuhan together and been best friends when they were kids, so naturally, when Wei Ying’s family moved into the same neighborhood as the Jiangs, it made perfect sense for Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng to become best friends too.

It was Jiang Cheng who had taught Wei Ying that he didn't have to be afraid of dogs, by introducing him to Princess, Jasmine, and Lil' Love. Lil' Love lived up to her name, coming and quietly sitting in all her fluffy glory on Wei Ying’s lap every time he went over to play.

It was also Jiang Cheng who Wei Ying got drunk with for the first time. They snuck booze from the cabinet where Wei Ying’s parents kept it and laughed at the faces each other made with every shot until they stopped tasting the harsh burn, and then laughing more just because.

(Wei Ying’s mom had not laughed, not at the time, when the two teens had been sick as anything the next morning, but instead made them a gloriously greasy late breakfast and gave them lots of advice about proper hydration.

Then she told Jiang Cheng’s mom and let her scold them.)

It was Jiang Cheng who came out first, their first semester in college, when he told Wei Ying he didn't think he wanted to have sex with anyone, ever, and asked if Wei Ying thought that meant no one would ever want to date him. Wei Ying hugged him tight and told him he didn't know about everyone out there, but he knew Jiang Cheng was the best guy in the world and would be an awesome boyfriend, and he'd fight anyone who said differently.

Jiang Cheng found a group on campus for third culture LBGT kids, and Wei Ying went with him, as a supportive ally.

Which was how Wei Ying figured out that he was not just a supportive ally.

In listening to the others talk about orientation and identity and attraction and cultural expectations, Wei Ying realized that what he'd always assumed was normal—finding all kinds of people physically attractive, regardless of their gender—was actually his bisexuality. So that was kind of cool.

"So yeah, now we can be queer together!" Wei Ying said, when he excitedly shared his newfound realization with Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng snorted. "Yeah, 'all' and 'nothing,'" he joked.

It was Jiang Cheng who'd helped him practice what to say to his parents when he wanted to change his major at the end of sophomore year, and Jiang Cheng who reminded him to eat and sleep and "take a fucking break, Wei Ying," those next couple semesters when he took way too many hours so he wouldn't have to rack up a whole extra year's worth of student loans to finish his new degree plan.

It was Jiang Cheng who graduated first, on a gorgeous blue-skyed sunny day in May, and Jiang Cheng who suggested Wei Ying keep living with him at his new apartment, so he wouldn't have to try to find a one-semester lease until he finished in December.

(They renewed the lease together every time.)

Jiang Cheng ribbed him playfully each time Wei Ying met someone new, but he was always there each times things fizzled out after a few months for reasons that never quite made sense to Wei Ying.

Jiang Cheng occasionally dated too, and Wei Ying was glad he never did have to fight anybody—though he did drive Jiang Cheng to the emergency room the time he came home with split knuckles from punching a guy who, "seemed to think I didn't know my own mind about certain things."

But dating sucked for everybody, right? It wasn't like Wei Ying or Jiang Cheng were in any hurry to settle down and do the whole spouse and kids thing or whatever. Wei Ying tried to imagine it and just... couldn't, though the image of Jiang Cheng with a baby was admittedly pretty cute.

~

It was not Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Yanli, a few months after she proposed to her girlfriend and they started planning their wedding, who Wei Ying finally asked, "Yanli-jie, how does a person decide someone else is their person?"

Jiang Yanli looked across the room to where Jiang Cheng was showing her soon-to-be-wife how to put side spin on a billiards ball and smiled. "I think you just know," she said. "You meet someone and you get to know them, spend time together, then one day you realize you love them and want to build the rest of your life with them."

Wei Ying wrinkled his nose. "I dunno if it works that way for me. Just some random person? I've never met anyone I can imagine wanting to live with all the time. Well, besides—huh..." he cut off suddenly and darted a look over at Jiang Yanli, who just calmly sipped her drink.

"Have you ever told him that?" she asked, after a moment where Wei Ying reassessed his entire life and dating history. "I think he might appreciate hearing it."

"I... huh. Yanli-jie, you're kinda blowing my mind here," he complained.

"I gathered," she said wryly, before fixing him with a smile that made all the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "Of course, I trust," she told him, "that I do not need to explain to you of all people how very dearly I hold my didi's happiness and well-being."

He swallowed and raised three fingers in the salute he'd used ever since the summer that—hah—he and Jiang Cheng had decided as kids that they would make their own oath of brotherhood like the heroes of their favorite show. "I, Wei Ying, swear to you that I would kick my own ass before I did anything to hurt him."

Jiang Yanli leaned over to knock her shoulder against his and nodded. "That's what I thought."

~

Turned out, dating Jiang Cheng didn't suck at all.

It felt easy in a way Wei Ying’s past dates never had, less like trying to keep up with a game whose rules everybody knew except him, more like... well, like spending time with his best friend in the whole world, but on purpose. There was also a tension in the back of Wei Ying’s mind that seemed to have lifted, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that had gone.

It was Jiang Cheng who helped him figure it out.

"I think it's that now I'm able to count on this. On us," he said, when Wei Ying brought it up. "Before, whenever you went out with someone new, I wondered if this would be the time you'd find someone to fall in love with and leave me behind."

"Aww, Chengcheng! I would never!"

Jiang Cheng huffed and rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were pink. "Well, I know that now," he said, a pleased little smile breaking through his attempts at a scowl.

"As long as you're sure—" Wei Ying began, still getting used to thinking about himself with the word "aromantic." Still a so very sure that Jiang Cheng deserved to be fallen in love with.

"Hey!" Jiang Cheng cut him off. "None of that. I know you. And I know you don't see it this way, but I personally think it's pretty damn romantic that you choose to love me, on purpose."

"I simply have exquisite taste in life partners," Wei Ying sniffed, embarassed the way he always got when Jiang Cheng declared something he'd done "romantic."

"You do," Jiang Cheng agreed. "Someone told me a long time ago I was the best guy in the world and would make an awesome boyfriend, and that he would fight anyone who said differently."

Wei Ying laughed. "That's you and your sister I've promised to kick my own ass if I ever break your heart, then. Guess I'll just have to keep you forever."

"Damn right, you will," Jiang Cheng agreed, grinning smug and happy and breathtakingly beautiful. Wei Ying leaned across the couch to give him a sweet, closed-mouth kiss—the kind Jiang Cheng had shyly admitted he actually did like, a lot—and smiled too, at how lucky he'd gotten to be with his best friend in the whole world for his entire life.

🖤💜

Today's (extremely long!) thread was inspired by this WONDERFUL art of ace Jiang Cheng and bi & aro Wei Ying! Go give Midori some love on Twitter!

I spent a nonzero amount of time googling to double check when various terms and flags came into vogue, so if you're wondering, WWX & JC were in college in the early 2000s, before the ace and aro flags were designed. By the time they get themselves figured out, they can get their cute wristbands.

...which, yes, means these dingdongs spent about a solid decade living together before realizing that was what they wanted to do forever. 😉

This also means Jiang Yanli and her unnamed wife here are getting married between when California started recognizing same-sex marriages in 2008 and the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in 2015! THIS SHIT'S RECENT!!!

Happy Pride, thank you for reading, check out more LGBTQIA+ sweetness on my #PrideMonthSnippets Masterpost!

[simonalkenmayer]

As the experiments ending soon, I wanted to pop in to say that I'm sorry for submitting both surveys in a misspelled mad scramble so late in the game, and that if all those biology asks from years ago got on your nerves, I apologise. Some of those anons were from me, and I'm admittedly still curious to whether or not you have a syrinx or not.

However things go after the experiment, I hope the data I gave you, panicked as it was, is useful to your purposes, and want to say that, survey not indicative, I had fun with the experiment while it lasted.

If you Lemony Snicket us and reveal yourself to be Just Some Guy I will be legitimately impressed by your writing and research capabilities, and if you're a team of people I wish the lot of you well and applaud your cohesion and organisation. The idea that you're a serial killer is laughable, but if you are then please stop that, I suppose.

If monsters are real, then I hope they like fruitcake, cause I've got quite a lot to spare of this expensive thing for my local assumed cryptids, and at least I'd know my offerings to whatever gods might be out there might also be going to use in somethings stomach that all that rum won't hurt. Better your lot than the local fauna really. (Also, if youd personally like some homemade cured fruitcake, I could try to send it to you like I'm doing to a friend in england... though, I'm not sure P.O. boxes let you send food, even if it *is* shelf stable for months, so something may have to be worked out.)

I will never reveal anything to the general public. Let the lord fall where it may. Thank you for your compliments and admonitions.

My favorite is “the idea that you’re a serial killer is laughable, but if you are, then please stop that” hahahahHa to be sure. If I was, that would be the most convincing argument I’ve ever heard not to be.

No questions bother me. Not really. I may play up my confusion or my annoyance for comedic effect. Those who have been here long enough and know me, know that for me that’s just my sense of humor—playing off impressions of me as a grumpy old creature for the sake of the fun. I am a grumpy old creature, to be sure, but I’m old enough to know everything ends, and nothing is actually worth being more upset than generally grumpy about it.

In any case…if I ever didn’t answer you, it’s because I legitimately forgot to and it got buried.

A syrinx, as I understand it, is a spinal cyst? I do have those yes. Because of my current condition and being hit by a car and torqued at the waist. If you mean something else, eh…ask again? I’ll answer.

[popatochisssp]

one thing i'm confused about with king is, we know about what it'd take to become close to him and i know why papyrus fans who already know about him would wanna go through the effort, but i'm not sure why a stranger would wanna go through that. like, mal is suave and pyre is charismatic even though they're both prickly, what does king have that'd attract someone who doesn't know him? (aside from good looks but he's not the only hot person in town)

I think the biggest thing to remember about King (Horrorfell Papyrus) is that, in spite of his attempts to act like it, he’s really not a heartless monster.

(He is, in a technical sense, in that he’s a monster who doesn’t have a physical heart--but I mean in the hyperbolic sense!)

He tries not to draw attention to some of his softer, sweeter qualities, but they do exist, and it’s far from impossible that somebody might catch a glimpse of something that might make them reconsider their impression of him as a mean asshole with nothing redeemable to him.

He works as a physical therapist, putting people through their paces without mercy...but there’s always the distinct sense that he’s not just trying to be a slave-driver for the hell of it, he genuinely seems to believe his patients can do what he’s asking them to do; that they will achieve their recovery goals, if they’re willing to commit to it. Lots of people he’s worked with come back to thank him for that, saying that they hated him at the time but now, in retrospect, they don’t know if they’d have gotten the same results with somebody who’d been softer on them, or who didn’t believe in them as much.

He visits public parks often in his downtime, where he can be seen either feeding water fowl or playing chess. When it’s the former, he always has researched and reasonably healthy treats for the ducks and geese and swans-- and if he sees anyone else throwing bread or anything that could be harmful to them, he’ll go a bit out of his way to drop that tidbit on them, just in case they didn’t know. If the latter, he tends to make quiet conversation with his chess opponents, usually old folks who don’t have much else to do or anyone to do it with than come to the park and play chess early in the mornings. He asks after their lives and pets and kids or grandkids and if any need help with their walkers or wheelchairs, he’s gentlemanly enough to assist with neither complaint nor comment.

There’s his brother, too, Brick (Horrorfell Sans), and lots of little things in the way they interact with each other. He taught himself sign for his brother, but avoids using it because he knows Brick is learning slowly and feels bad when King knows more words and can speak much faster than him. He’ll drop anything, of any importance, if Brick is with him and looks even remotely like he might need to get out of there. He keeps an (admittedly very functional and sturdy) prosthetic leg that’s old and scratched and beaten up and hasn’t even considered looking into getting a new one on the Surface because Brick built it for him and that means something.

King is quick with a snippy or harsh comment, but just as quick to realize if it cut deeper than it was meant to and he’ll never touch on that topic again. He has a habit of, however backhandedly, reminding people to eat or drink water because he notices when it’s been awhile and they may have forgotten and could suffer for it. He doesn’t hesitate to insert himself into arguments and altercations, especially ones that look one-sided, to deescalate and ensure that, if at all possible, no one gets hurt.

In short... King cares, a lot, about a lot of people and a lot of things he might wish he didn’t, but he does nevertheless.

He may not be a good man, but he’s not really a bad one either, and all of these things are just little examples of what someone could see in action to realize that maybe they had the wrong idea about the type of person King was... or at least that their picture of him, whatever that picture may be, was incomplete.

It’ll probably never be ‘love at first sight’ or ‘perfect meet cute’ with him, but he’s not unlovable or irredeemable-- a ‘slow burn’ sounds just about right for the way somebody might decide he’s worth the trouble of scaling those emotional walls.

[hannie-dul-set]

saturday came rolling by quicker than you'd expected.

standing near the entrance of the rather expensive restaurant (you swore that even the plants by the door are worth more than everything you were wearing combined) you opened your phone, double checking to make sure you were at the right place that jaehyun's mother messaged you.

admittedly, it was a bit weird that you were hanging our with your new friend's mother whithout the knowledge of that said friend, but even if you wanted to back out, you couldn't because it would be rude to do so.

you returned your phone back into your white sling bag after confirming that this was indeed the place and made your way into the entrance, the restaurant's guard opening the door for you.

the moment you stepped in, you started to feel a bit self conscious. you were only wearing a simple navy blue wrap dress underneath a cream cardigan and a pair of sandals to match— deeming you absolutely out of place inside the fancy interior of the establishment.

to the eyes of the occupants of the restaurant, you probably looked like a lost puppy considering your attire and the fact that you had no idea where the hell mrs. jung was.

"miss, can i help you?"

your search was interrupted by one of the waiters, you assumed.

"oh, um, i'm looking for mrs. jung..?"

were you supposed to say that? at that point you didn't even care— you just wanted this whole lunch thing over and done with.

"ah, then you must be y/n l/n, correct?" you were slightly confused, but you nodded anyway.

"follow me, miss."

and so you did, carefully treading along the restaurant floor. you were afraid if you even breathe in the wrong direction, you'd end up breaking one of the many expensive decorations littered all around the place.

the waiter lead you to a secluded part of the restaurant. sunlight was beaming into the large arch windows that were adorning the walls and there were only three tables set up, all of which were unoccupied save for the one at the very end.

as you moved further inside, the two people that were sitting at the last table had noticed you and the waiter walking in. their heads turned towards your direction and you stopped in your tracks.

one of them was mrs. jung, obviously, but the other one you weren't quite expecting.

"miss y/n?"

"jaehyun?"

amidst your shock, the waiter had already left, leaving the three of you alone. your eyes were frozen stuck on jaehyun dozens of question marks floating around his head.

you were confused, but then you remembered that this was her son, of course he'd be here. but couldn't she at least have told you?

"y/n, dear, it's good that you've finally joined us! i was worried that you wouldn't come."

jaehyun was the first to snap back into reality. he diverted his attention from you to his mother.

"mother," you couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion he was carrying in his voice. "care to explain why miss y/n is here?"

"i invited her, of course," mrs. jung seemed to be completely unbothered by not so pleasant demeanor that her son was baring.

"sorry, i can just leave if you'd like," the atmosphere was unbearably uncomfortable and you'd much rather just leave if you could. you gave them a small bow before turning your heels, hand clutching your bag as you were about to leave.

"no, it's alright—" the screeching of a chair was heard and you felt a hand grab onto your arm, preventing you from moving forward. you turned around and you were met with a rather frantic looking jaehyun. "you can stay."

eyes wide from the sudden close proximity, your gaze moved back and forth from jaehyun's very very close face to his hand that was holding onto you— you could feel the heat slowly rising to your cheeks.

jaehyun must've noticed the situation that you two were in and he let go of you hurriedly, a coughing out a small sorry in the process. from the corner of your eye you could see his mother looking at the both of you with an amusement in her face. mostly because of his son's absolutely uncharacteristic behavior but you weren't aware of that.

"i apologize if my words sounded rude," jaehyun started, finally managing to get himself back together. "it wasn't my intention to send you away— i was just surprised to see you again."

"no it's okay," you gave him a smile of assurance and he visibly relaxed.

you nearly forgot that his mother was actually here (not to mention she was the one who invited you) until you heard her speak up.

"maybe i'm the one who should be leaving?" she teased, jaehyun giving her a disapproving look.

"you're staying. i believe you still have some explaining to do, mother."

much to your surprise, lunch went a lot better that you'd expected, especially taking into account the prior events that took place. mrs. jung eventually told jaehyun everything— the fact that she contacted you last time as well as her reasonings. jaehyun wasn't really upset that his mother was trying to set you two up, he was absolutely flustered to the highest point— cheeks flaring and avoiding eye contact from you as much as possible, you couldn't help but laugh at him, furthering his embarrassment.

"i apologize for my mother's behavior," he tells you (although, his eyes were looking everywhere else except for you).

the evident unease that was present earlier was replaced with comfortable air to which you were surprised, but nevertheless you were thankful. the conversation went on until the topic eventually landed on you.

"y/n," jaehyun's mom started, taking a sip from her peach-colored drink before continuing. "i realized i never got to ask your age."

"ah, i'm turning twenty-one this year," you replied, earning a hum from the older woman.

jaehyun places down his fork, diverting his attention towards you instead. "you must be in school then. do you mind me asking what your major is?"

"oh, no i'm not, actually,"

you continued to eat your food (you asked jaehyun what it was called but it your ears failed to understand the rich language) while the two of your companions promptly stopped, expecting you to continue. the sudden attention directed on you was a bit discomforting, so you placed your utensils down and wiped your lips with the napkin available.

"i can't really afford college so i'm still trying to save."

"what about your parents?" jaehyun asked, concern lacing his voice. "shouldn't they be the one's supporting you?"

"they sort of abandoned me after i graduated high school," you reply, staring at the untouched drink in front of you. "so i had to do things on my own from there."

you didn't really have a problem talking about your situation— you'd always been one to believe that all things happen for a reason, so you don't hold anything against your parents. you were never one to dwell on things; you'd rather choose to just keep on moving forward no matter how many setbacks you encounter. but of course, even though you had moved, emotions from the past sometimes resurface.

"i'm so sorry to hear that, sweetie," mrs. jung tried to sympathize with you. "i hope you're not too uncomfortable talking about this."

"no, it's okay, i've moved on," you pressed your lips together into a smile. "and although i'm not exactly in the best place financially, i'm pretty happy with my life right now. the experiences i've gathered and all of the wonderful people i've met— i'm very thankful for all of that."

after your mini speech, you looked over to jaehyun, who was looking at you with an expression that you weren't able to pinpoint.

"you really are an amazing person, miss y/n."

the words that left jaehyun's lips left you stunned, unable to think of a response. he might've said this to you through chat but this time he was looking at you— looking at you so so intently that you lost your entire train of thought.

"oh— um, thanks," you managed to sputter out before going back to your food.

"you know, dear, i'd be more than willing to help you with your financial situation right now," jaehyun's mother says and you politely decline.

"no, no, it's okay! i've saved up quite a bit already, and on top of my many part time jobs, my art has been doing pretty well recently," you explain. "i don't think it would be right for me to take money from you."

mrs. jung thinks momentarily before speaking up. "art? are you an artist, y/n?"

"i remember her mentioning it to me at one point," jaehyun joins in the conversation.

"well... i'm not exactly well known but i do a bit of freelance work here and there," you meekly mumbled. "i also do commissions."

until now, you couldn't tell what exactly was going on in jaehyun's head, but mrs. jung seems to be elated from your words.

"that sounds wonderful, dear!" jaehyun's mother beamed. "if you aren't too busy, i'd like to commission you, as well."

"really?"

you perked up from hearing her suggestion. you still had a few paintings lined up to be finished, but you'd be a fool to pass up on this opportunity.

"i still have some things to work on," you began. "but if you could wait until those are finished, then i see no problem!"

"there's no rush, dear! work on it as you see fit— we can discuss the details privately in a later time."

"alright, thank you so much, mrs. jung! i'll be sure not to disappoint you."

the day went on and the lunch you spent with the two jung's was over. after bidding then goodbye and thanking them for the nice meal, jaehyun had insistently offered to drive you home, but you politely declined, saying that you can just take the bus instead.

sitting on one of the benches at the bus stop, you pulled out your ear buds, deciding to listen to music as you waited. today wasn't as bad as you expected. jungwoo and haechan were wrong about mrs. jung— she may be a bit excessive and a bit too evasive regarding her son's affairs, she seemed like a genuine and sweet lady, none the less.

amidst your thoughts, you felt someone sitting beside you so you instinctively scooted away. you heard a cough from the said person, so you looked over to them. surprised, you pulled your ear buds away.

"jaehyun?"

"miss y/n," he looked at you. "i would like to formally apologize for my mother's behavior— she tends to cross boundaries without meaning to, i hope you don't take anything against her."

to be honest, you never expected jaehyun to run after you. it appears that the tables have turned seeing that he looks extremely out of place in his expensive looking coat inside the vicinity of the run-down bus stop. jaehyun still looked a bit embarrassed talking about it seeing that his face was painted a light dust of pink, causing a mirthful laugh to bubble in your throat.

"it's okay," you smiled at him in assurance. "i was definitely caught off guard, but i can see that your mother doesn't have any ill intentions."

jaehyun let out a sigh, visibly easing up upon your response.

"thank you for understanding," he gave a you smile and you were taken aback— jung jaehyun smiled at you for the first time that day and holy shit he has dimples.

before you can conjure up a response, the bus came into view and you stood up in haste, moving closer into the street. as the vehicle neared, you looked behind to see that jaehyun was now on his feet but he was yet to leave. the both of you made eye contact and you grinned at him.

"i'll be going now, jaehyun. thank you for today!"

his expression mirrored yours, hands snugly tucked into the pockets of his coat.

"likewise, miss y/n."

you curtly nodded before finally entering the bus. as you sat down, you looked outside the window only to see jaehyun still in the same position as before but he had his phone in his hand, fingers tapping away at the screen. he noticed you looking at him, giving you a small wave before walking away.

your phone buzzed from inside your back and you quickly took it out. a laugh escaped your lips and a wide smile blossomed into your face.

gold painted canvas

the classic rich boy and poor girl love story but with less prejudice and more happiness

13 // safe ride home

a/n: written part!! :D pls enjoy hehet <3

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[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

Sequel to A Forgotten Memory

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

With more and more information revealed via Augustus' burner phone, The team now has to make an important decision, one that would change the course of their lives, forever.

Chapter 15 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Previous Chapter : Meet Me Halfway

Unexpected Alliances

Gary "Roach" Sanderson

Task Force 141

Flying above Russian Airspace

Roach was speechless. Admittedly the dark and messy battle at the Gulag was something worth noting but the thing that kept his head preoccupied at the moment was Soap and France kissing in the middle of warfare.

Guess love knows no boundaries huh. He thought to himself as he looked at France kneeling beside Soap who passed out from exhaustion. Another person laying beside him was an old man named Jack. The 141 records had a match to Jack, he's apparently Alex's mentor who got missing when their safehouse got raided.

Guess the force will be having two reunions tonight. His eyes turned to Price, who sat by the huge window and gazed into the sea of clouds, he's always serious and in thought that Gary found him intimidating, even after that short mission in Germany. 

Then there was Ghost. He's surely heartbroken now that she saw what France did. And Gary was slightly to blame, well not necessarily his fault but if he pushed him enough to confess, maybe this won't hurt more than it did to him today.

Gary spent the rest of the trip observing, noting his comrade's actions, discussing with their thoughts, especially after the invasion. He was glad 141 extracted Soap before the deliberation, where none of them are allowed to perform missions. Gary felt scared, he just got here, got the hang of it, and was afraid to cut ties with the 141 on such short notice. But he hoped Shepherd would talk sense to the board, especially now that the burner phone filled with leads was within their possession.

"You're awfully quiet…" Ghost nudged to Gary while fidgeting with his gun.

"Well, I got nothing to talk about." Gary replied, turning to the masked man.

"Well I've got a lot, and it's pretty nasty. Can't say it here though." He replied, his tone was almost relieved, as if he just blurted out something that was bothering him for a long time.

"Is it about them?" Gary whispered, pointing his thumb to the couple back at the med bay.

"That's a different story, and I told you I was right, they already had a thing going on since day 1. Who am I to interfere…" Gary could feel him frown beneath the mask, he got defeated in the war of love.

"That's okay… You'll find someone better." Gary consoled and Ghost automatically shrugged it off. 

"Eh. I hope…" he said, turning to the window opposite to Gary's position.

~

Task Force 141 Base - Infirmary

"The audio from this room's camera is muted so it's best to discuss it here." Ghost sat on the chair as concerned 141 members circled around him, Jack, Alex and Soap occupied the beds as they recovered from injuries.

"What you got for us, lad?" Price crossed his arms as he leaned by the door, his hat tilted perfectly on his head.

"An anonymous number sent Augustus coordinates of the base prior to the attack." He held up the phone and everyone murmured.

"Looks like we have another mole in our hands." Alex grunted, turning to Jack for nostalgia.

"But this time, we have a solid lead to who it is…" Ghost added while everyone braced themselves for the slap of reality they're going to get.

From out of nowhere the infirmary doors opened, Maxine was panting and sobbing at the same time, her hands held her thigh desperately enduring some sort of pain.

"It's Samantha… haaah… Shepherd took her!..." she panted as Gary quickly assisted him while everyone who was capable of fighting dashed to the scene.

"Go, Gary. I'll take care of her." Soap quickly got up with Jack, they were already fine and just required to complete their nutrition so assisting her would be the best option.

Gary nodded and dashed outside, bracing himself for the unbearable news.

"Shit. What's going on! I thought we already agreed not to take Samantha elsewhere!" Gary caught up with Ghost and the rest of the available team.

"I have my wild guess, but you're not going to like it." He replied, adjusting his shades as they exited the building. From there, they saw the General's aircraft already far away from their reach. Behind them Alex, Soap, Jack and Maxine followed, their faces were drawn with extreme sadness. 

A few seconds of staring at the sky and Price's comms received an incoming message.

"Captain, I regret to inform you that the 141 is no more… I'm sending the High Value Individual to their care as the threat escalated and is being designated to a different force. I'm sorry. Please tell the rest of the group that in two weeks they will be returned to their prior assignments before 141 was established." his voice was nonchalant, emotionless and straightforward, like he's reading it from a diner table's tissue paper.

"No…" Price muttered. They were this close to Nero.  The rest of the team looked down, others started to disperse and did as ordered while the more concerned group stayed.

"Shepherd's working with Nero. He wants the EMP based weaponry to help his marines in Afghanistan." Ghost blurted, raising the heads of everyone around him.

"He's trading the economical side of the world to win a war?" Gary asked, as the information doesn't add up.

"It's a wild guess but the global economic pressure is already influencing the government to allocate more funds to anti terrorism. Cutting off 141 shouldn't be in play but he found a way to do so… He wants us to stop fighting back." 

"Then fighting back is what we're going to do." Price muttered, grabbing his phone.

"I'm going to make a few phone calls. Those who want to stay and save the world could stay. Those who are content to return to their past lives, you could leave." 

"What about me?" Maxine asked, raising her hand.

"Come with us, We'll take care of you while it's not safe out." Gary said, almost pleading her to say yes.

"I don't have anyone else but France and Samantha. I don't know where to go from here…"

"Then that settles it. Nikolai will take us somewhere safe. If the 141 is no more, we could still salvage weapons and ammo for ourselves. But after this, there's no turning back." Price added, his voice sparked inspiration to everyone. 

And that was it, from that moment. They've gone rogue, for a good cause. And they have to defeat Nero, Whatever it takes.

The Next Step

John Price

Task Force 141 - Disbanded

Former Task Force 141 Base - Helipad

A small group of his comrades were willing enough to stop the war, even at the cost of losing a lot of privileges. Price was always one to work under strict jurisdiction, and this rogue act he's going to commit will be backed up soon, it's going to be dependent on how Laswell influences the board.

The idea was easy. Create another task force which had to be approved prior to the 141's disbandment so that the papers for their redeployment would never be processed. Of course a few strings needed to be pulled and an organization must be able to absorb them. Interpol was willing to help along with Jack's influence to the CIA and Price was lucky enough to have them two on their side.

And there they were, with Nikolai's majestic aircraft, they set course to a temporary camp thanks to Jack. Price noted that he'd get along with the CIA, given they're age similarities and stance toward warfare. 

He surveyed his trusty crew and took note of their abilities. There's Alex, former CIA and fought alongside him in Verdansk and Urzikstan. He's got a clear objective and will and it doesn't matter to Price whether its love or world peace. He's good at terrible hostile locations and can single-handedly turn the tide of war by local agreements and persuasion. A good weapon.

Then there's Simon Riley, or Ghost. Excellent Sniper, the team's tech guy. He's a keeper, his ability to reject emotions while in combat makes him focused and a keen observer. He also excels in weapon usage. You give him anything with a trigger and he'll be sure to hit enemies no matter what.

Another one is John MacTavish, or Soap, what kind of a name is Soap? Price thought. Price looked at the muppet proudly. He rose among his comrades during recruitment and stood at the top of his batch, showing exemplary combat skills and demolitions expertise. Excellent at handling air support machinery and his keen eye never misses a tango hiding from the field. He's got it tough recently, Price believed luck wasn't on his side that's why he got injured a lot.

There's Gary Sanderson or Roach. Price calls him the team's therapist. He sees the willingness to help from the guy. He's eager to train hard and be better and he was impressed on how he handled the German Infilnitration they did together. He has initiative and a clear goal. Something useful at these times.

There's Francine Winters, France a.k.a. Shepherd's prodigy, the last minute addition. He's still quite skeptic as to why she's placed here, but so far he knew that with her sister mentally disturbed by the enemies she's bound to use her emotions as ammunition. She's great at stealth and close combat especially great for breaking and entering missions. She could be trained of open area battles and she has the drive to do so, making her another good addition to the team.

As for the remaining ones, Jack and Maxine, he has no idea yet but them tagging along and using their resources to the fight would greatly increase their chances of killing Nero and destroying the era of EMP machinery.

"Looks like you got yourself a pretty nice team, pal." Jack patted the Former captain's shoulder.

"Yeah. Small enough to remain secret and powerful enough to defeat Nero." he muttered. Jack held his phone and showed it to Price.

"I got us a place. An old CIA Safehouse."

"Are you sure this is going to be okay?" 

"Positive. This one's not used for decades. Classified as dormant and unmaintained. It's situated near a city that once housed a lot of terror activity but after it got neutralized it became very peaceful." Jack convinced. Price no longer hesitated, the team needed the help they can get.

"As long as we're under the radar." He replied and gave Nikolai the coordinates. From there they would begin their revenge toward Nero's attack, plan Samantha's rescue, and discover what Shepherd is really up to...

One step at a time.

Doing everything they can.

To set things right.

Whatever it Takes.

END OF PART 1

Wild ride first half. I hope you stay for the second part right around the corner!

Notification Squad my beloved 💝

@smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @ricinbach @beemybee @whimsywispsblog

[ari-shipping-stuff]

Monochrome Week 2020

Day Three - Fake Dating AU

———

@monochromeweek

———

The night was alive. Colorful lights pulsing like a heartbeat. Lively disco music pumping everyone up like an adrenaline rush.

Weiss usually scoffed at parties like this. Ugh. Dance clubs. So crowded. No oxygen. But surprisingly, she found that she could finally stop holding her breath.

Henry wasn't there, forcing her to dance. Or talk about him. Or stay at his side at all times because he had no life. She could bop her shoulders to the music in content freedom. Full-out dancing had always been Ruby and Yang's forte. Which was why she stayed back at the bar to talk with Blake.

They hadn't seen each other in nearly a year, ever since Blake transferred schools, which was a shame, considering that was the year their friend circle had formed.

Weiss was the tech-savvy one of them four. She kept tabs on everyone's social media (even if they didn't want her to) and had noticed several changes on Blake's account. She was never one to post selfies. Just pictures of cute cats and her dark academia. And even if she didn't post anything in months, Weiss thought her latest picture was something worth noting.

She took a sip from her Jack Frost, swirling it around to play with the ice.

"How's Adam?"

Blake nearly choked on her drink, coughing when she put it down.

"What?" she croaked.

"When were you going to tell us about him?" Weiss tilted her head.

Blake sighed, rubbing her temple.

"We lasted like a month, Weiss; there's nothing to tell."

Weiss raised a brow. "A month, huh? What happened there? You guys looked pretty sweet in that photo together."

Blake snorted. "He posted that one. Wanted the world to know I was his whore."

"Sounds bad."

"It was bad. Still is. I broke up with him, but he's just not giving up," she grimaced, downing a gulp of purple cocktail. "Bastard."

Weiss snorted.

Pause. Then—

"Your dad still brainwashing that Marigold guy?"

Weiss groaned, throwing her head back in frustration.

"He doesn't even need my dad to tell him to do stuff anymore. He just goes ahead and thinks I'm infatuated with him or something. You know, that 'hard to get' mentality or something."

"Yeah, I know the type." Blake replied dryly.

"You think they'd leave us alone if we got into a relationship?" Weiss snickered.

Blake snorted. "Yeah, maybe."

They settled into a comfortable silence then. Weiss accepted that statement as the joke it was supposed to be. But it began to resonate in her head. The more she thought about it, the more it began to make sense in its own ridiculous way.

"Weiss?"

"Hm?"

"What are you scheming in there?"

Weiss paused. She downed the rest of her cocktail.

".. What if we did?"

"What if we what?"

"What if we were in a relationship?" she said. "That would get them to piss off."

Blake raised her eyebrows, glancing away nervously. She bit her lip.

"I.. I don't know, Weiss.." she said. "Seems a little extreme, don't you think? A-And are we even sure it'll get them to leave us alone?"

"But it makes sense!" Weiss exclaimed. "You know they won't take our word for it, Blake. Neither of them will get the picture unless they see that we're interested in someone else."

Blake drank down the last of her Purple Rain, deep in thought. Weiss distracted herself with the lavender glitter on Blake's eyeshadow.

Blake pulled her phone out of her pocket.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "What're you doing?"

"Texting Yang. My place or yours?"

"Wh-What?"

Blake glanced at Weiss, standing up.

"So we can plan." Blake said. "We'd have to start as soon as possible, right?"

Weiss blinked up at her.

".. My place."

•

In all the years she knew Weiss, this was admittedly the first time Blake had ever been inside her room.

She thought it was regal-looking, to say the least. Perfectly cleaned. Icy white walls, silk curtains and sheets.. Like some ice castle.

Blake put down her bag, laying it next to the mountain of pillows at the head of the bed. She looked back at Weiss, only to see her pulling up a large frame of wood from a nearby chest.

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really need that corkboard?"

"Of course, we do!" Weiss said. "If we're going to make a game plan, we're going to have to do it properly!"

"You mean, we can't just do PDA and act like.. I dunno, Qrow and Clover?"

Weiss would've laughed at the inside joke, if not the circumstances. Instead, she shot Blake a sour pout. Which was far from the desired effect.

"Blake, if we're going to sell this to the public, you need to be serious about this," she scoffed, spreading out her arms for emphasis. "Like I said, we have to do this properly!"

"I am serious!" Blake exclaimed, crossing her arms. "If you're so experienced about stuff like this, why don't you tell me what your 'properly' means?"

Weiss blushed furiously, jabbing a finger at Blake. She opened her mouth, as if trying to say something. But nothing came out. She didn't know either.

Blake just sighed, propping herself on her arm.

"I'm starting to regret agreeing to this." she mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss cried, crossing her arms defensively. "I'll have you know, I'd make a great fake girlfriend if you were actually cooperating with me!"

"Uh-huh."

Weiss huffed, looking away, a pout on her lips. But her gaze found her clock. Then her expression softened. She punched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head.

"We've spent all this time arguing.. My father will be home soon, and we don't even have so much as a first move!" she groaned.

Blake looked towards the white alarm clock, wincing. 10:50.

"Alright, look," she spoke up, surprising Weiss. "Let's say our relationship started off as a secret. Several months ago. And by secret—"

"—Not even Ruby and Yang would know." Weiss finished. She nodded. "Yeah, that'll work. Then.. We're going to make us public."

Blake pursed her lips. "I.. I'll ask around about you. Pretend I'm interested. Get people talking. Would that work?"

Weiss nodded, the tiniest of smiles forming on her face. It was a little infectious, prompting a grin from Blake.

"And," Weiss added. "There's a party tomorrow night. Ruby and Yang's place. It's a little less of your scene, but if we're seen dancing together or holding hands, it'll probably do something."

Blake nodded. "Yeah."

"That should be all we have to discuss now." Weiss said. "We'll think of more at the party, alright?"

Blake nodded, standing up. She reached towards her bag, only to have Weiss get there first.

Weiss raised her eyebrows, laughing lightly, handing it back.

Blake smiled a bit, glancing to the side.

"Looks like we never needed the corkboard, after all."

Weiss glared at her. "Just shut up and leave."

•

This was a slightly smaller party compared to last night. There were a few dancers in the middle of the living room. But mostly, people were in pairs or three's; talking in the corners. Fairy lights. Finally, some punch that wasn't spiked.

Weiss lounged on a bean bag with her usual group, in a circle on the couches they claimed early. But instead of contributing whatever bizarre shower thought debate was going on, Weiss just sipped on her punch, her mind far away.

"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby whispered. She sat on the couch right next to Weiss, so she only had to turn her head.

"Hm?"

"Did you and Blake talk much last night?"

Weiss already knew what prompted this question. Though it didn't stop her heart from racing.

"I guess so, yeah." she shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

"It's been a while, huh?" Ruby grinned crookedly. "Since the four of us were together in one place."

"Yeah," Weiss sighed, turning to check the door. "It was."

"So why'd you two leave early?"

Weiss flinched from the question. She took her time in answering.

"Winter got worried. She called and told me to come home. Guess Klein didn't tell her where I'd be." she shrugged. "Blake just wanted to walk me home."

Ruby's smile grew at that. "Mhm.."

Weiss raised an eyebrow at her best friend, who swirled her punch around the red cup with her evil 'I'm planning something you definitely won't like' grin.

"Ruby.."

"Yes, Weiss?"

"Ruby."

She only giggled. She put her elbow on the armrest, with her face in her hand.

"Blake just texted us last night. Aand she was asking about you."

"Uh-huh. And?"

"And—" she raised her voice, prompting the rest of the party to join the conversation. "— it wasn't just me and Yang, Weiss. She texted all of us! Right, guys?"

There were collective sounds of agreement around the table. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"And?"

Ruby groaned.

"Well," Nora interrupted. "She kinda sounded like she was interested."

Ruby stood on the couch, gesturing to Nora with extreme exaggeration.

"Isn't she with that Adam Taurus guy you told us about, Weiss?" Jaune piped up. "The one in her picture?"

"They broke up." Weiss replied simply.

"Looks like someone asked." Yang smirked.

"Blake's fair game now." Nora added, sipping her punch.

If one could drink punch slyly, Weiss was certain Nora was doing it right.

"And Henry Marigold?" Oscar added quietly. He recoiled at the disappointed expressions he got from the majority of the group. "Not that I like him.. It's just that he's been pining for Weiss even before I got here. Wouldn't he take action?"

"So you do believe Weiss and Blake are getting together?" Nora asked, jabbing a chip in his direction.

Oscar shrugged. "Yes? I'm not Ren."

"Hey!"

Weiss sighed. Thank their lack of focus. At least, she wasn't being focused on anymore.

But then, as if on cue, Weiss caught the distant sounds of door chimes. She spun towards the door, and there she was, nervously recoiling into herself. It might've been the fairy lights, but Weiss could've sworn her cheeks were alight with pink.

She was about to get up to get her until she heard the obnoxiously loud coughing from behind her. Weiss gritted her teeth, smiling sarcastically at the group.

"And I suppose Blake just showed up because she wanted to?" Yang teased.

But as it turned out, Blake didn't wait for Weiss. She found the group herself, especially with Ruby's frantic waving.

"Blake!" she exclaimed, her voice reaching up a few more octaves. She gave Weiss a knowing sideways glance. "What brought you here~?"

Blake twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

"Oh, uh.. Weiss invited me last night."

"She did, did she?" Nora raised an eyebrow, elbowing Jaune excitedly.

Weiss buried her face in her hands miserably.

"Anyway.." Blake continued awkwardly. "I hope it's no trouble if I just, uh.." she reached down and gently grabbed Weiss's wrist. ".. Borrow Weiss for a minute?"

Yang cleared her throat.

Ruby grinned encouragingly, reaching up to whisper in Blake's ear. Whatever that was, caused Blake's face to grow increasingly red. She didn't say anything else and pulled Weiss up.

"Come on, Weiss." Blake sighed amusedly, dragging her to the dance floor.

Blake gingerly put her hands on Weiss's waist, bringing an intense blush to the shorter girl's face. She could still feel the burning gazes of her schoolmates in the back, and so desperately wanted to ignore it.

A cold jolt went up her spine when Blake took her hands, bringing them up to her shoulders. Weiss raised an eyebrow at her.

Blake could only shrug, looking down.

"You were zoning out." she mumbled.

Weiss nodded, moving forward, so that their bodies were touching.

It was Blake's turn to give her a questioning look.

Weiss hesitated, but she shrugged as well, laughing a bit.

"We look like we're being forced to dance."

Blake nodded. "Fair enough."

They swayed in silence from there, perfectly content in not talking. After a few minutes or so, Weiss saw cameras flashing in the corner of her eye. They were doing this for the public, weren't they? To shove it down the boys' throats.

Without a word, Weiss leaned her head on Blake's shoulder, breathing in a musk of honey.

"Convincing, right?" she whispered.

Blake snorted, a soft smile on her face.

•

They left as the party lost its swing. Blake's old school would certainly have something to talk about tomorrow. Weiss Schnee, leaving her Prince Charming for an old sweetheart. If Blake's friends weren't attending said school, she'd have no reason not to despise it.

Instead of heading home right away, they decided the night was still young and went to a restaurant near Blake's house. They were both so focused on their so-called 'photoshoot' they forgot to grab a handful of chips on the way out.

Next thing they knew, they were laughing so hard, they were choking on their sandwiches.

"I can't believe you would do me dirty like this!" Blake mocked, barely containing her laughter. "Oh, god, are you sure you guys were never together?"

"News spreads fast, doesn't it?"

"Especially when Ruby and Nora are the ones spreading it." Blake chuckled.

Weiss grinned. "Anything from your side?"

Blake snorted, shaking her head. "Honestly, I'm almost scared for when he does."

"Why's that?"

Blake shrugged, smirking sarcastically. "Let's just say he'd be far more intense than whiny texts."

Weiss frowned worriedly, tilting her head. Hesitantly, she laid a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Blake."

Something churned in the pit of Blake's stomach. Not in a bad way. Like light little flips. Flaps. Butterflies. But she couldn't wrap her head around it. Maybe it was something in the way Weiss could say her name like that. It soothed Blake easily. Even if just a little.

"I'm fine." Blake sighed, taking a mournful bite out of her grilled cheese. "He just texted me earlier this morning."

"He did?" Weiss murmured. "What'd he say?"

Blake took her time in answering, chewing ever so slowly. When she finally swallowed, it felt sharp.

"Just.. He called me out for avoiding him. Even though I explicitly told him we were over, he still thinks entitled to me." Blake growled. "He denied stalking me, manipulated me, and now he has the gall to say I'm overreacting? He's just unbelievable!"

Weiss felt her blood boil. This guy walked all over Blake, called her the bad guy, even after all that? She couldn't wait to meet this guy. If only to break his legs.

She carefully brought her hand to Blake's, gently stroking the back with her thumb.

Blake's eyebrows raised at the gesture. Instinctively, she stretched her fingers outwards, fitting them between Weiss's.

"I'd never do that.." Weiss mumbled.

Blake didn't know the thought process of that statement, but she appreciated it nonetheless.

Then Weiss's eyes snapped up, meeting Blake's gaze. But Blake was losing her mind. Noticing everything.

Her heart stopped. She could smell Weiss's faint vanilla and petrichor musk. The usually-invisible specks of indigo in Weiss's large, sapphire eyes were easy to spot. As well as the faded scar running down her left eye.

This was the closest they've ever been to each other. Not just in the physical aspect. This was just so much more intimate than the dance somehow. Blake felt close to Weiss and it was driving her insane.

"Thanks."

———

this ended up being too long, which was why it took me ages to post. and this will also have a sequel on day five

though, this whole thing was my favorite to write ^^

— ari

———

part one | part two | part three | part four

[lee-jiham]

Together

Fandom: Until We Meet Again

Ship: Mainly winteam, mentions of pharmdean and poly relationship of manaow, pruk and del

Words: 2751

Type: canon divergent one shot

Notes: very glad I wrote this on Google docs- because tumblr physically ate the post when I first posted it

-limited third person POV focusing on Team-

Team knew what he was doing. Okay that was a lie- but that was besides the point. He at the very least had to pretend he knew in order to avoid embarrassing himself. After all- what guy didn't know how to ask a girl out? He figured, that it may have been easier had he *actually* liked any girls he saw but he couldn't focus on that. He had already made a promise to himself that he wouldn't spend the year alone. Not again. Especially now that Pharm had his boyfriend, and Manaow had her relationship with Pruk and Del. He was tired of being left alone. Sure they made time for him, but he just wished he would have someone else to spend time with as well. Maybe then- he would be happier and less free for Hia to terrorize.

He wasn't sure what was up with Win- but he swore the other made it his personal life mission to fluster him as much as possible. From stealing his clothes in the locker room and making him beg to get them back, to making him practice the longest and when asked why answering with "I just want to spend more time with you" or doing that damn thing with his tongue while staring at him with a deep look in his eyes... It's safe to say that Team was sufficiently flustered. He just didn't know why his Hia was so good at it .

Win had a nice body- that fact no one could deny. But so did Dean- and him just drinking from a water bottle or something like that didn't have the effect that Win did. Team couldn't explain it- but at times he felt weak in the knees for him. Especially because behind the constant teasing, he also saw a softer side of Hia that he, admittedly, wished was only shown to him.

Team was still sure that his senior did it on purpose though. There was no other reason that he would get weak at the knees when Win hugged him close and comforted him after a nightmare. Or he would feel hot under  his gaze, or want to kiss him. No- he couldn't feel for things for Hia that he's never felt before for no reason. 

But back onto the task on hand. Kop. The two got on fairly well enough. He figured that  he could learn to like her if he thought about her as a girlfriend enough. Besides- it was her or that Pam girl who talks to him sometimes as he didn't know any more single girls. Kop was a much better choice. He doubted dating Win's ex would help the torment any.

"Kop? C-can I ask you something?" Team hesitantly muttered out. He felt nervous doing this- that he was doing the wrong thing. At the back of his mind, he swore he even heard his mental voice say something along the lines of 'but what about your Hia?'

"of course Team! Whats up?" Kop answers back, curious as to what was ailing her friend.

"Would," Team took a breath here, somehow plagued with regret, " Would you go to the movies with me? On a date?"

She didn't answer right away, thinking it over, but ultimately agreed. The two planned on going Friday, but they couldn't stay and chat as she had a class to go to.

-----------

Team was sat at a lunch table with Win, Dean, Pharm, Manaow, Pruk and Del. Win had an arm around his shoulder as was per usual with his hia. For once though, he entertained Win and allowed it to happen. He had spent the night at his place after all to calm his nightmares, and he figured he could pay Hia back a little with his burning cheeks.

"Are you coming to Pharm's to study with us on Friday?" Manaow asked Team.

"I can't. I have a date." Team *tried* to say it proudly, but he still couldn't stop that feeling that he made a mistake. Especially when Win turned to look at him with an almost angry look and withdrew his arm.

"Win never mentioned a date?" Dean asked making Team confused

"Why would he know I was going on a date? I never told Win?" Team asked back.

Everyone, but Win, startled his answer.

"but we thought you were dating Win?" Del, from beside Manaow, asked.

"No. We aren't." Practically growled Win as he stomped off, not sparing another glance to Team.

"Hia-" Team tried to say, but he wasn't listening, causing Team to pout. He wanted the teasing to stop- not for Hia to be mad at him. They were still friends after all. He also didn't understand why he had gotten upset.

"what did I say?" Whispered Team to himself.

Team didn't know what the others were thinking- but he could tell you that they were shocked about something. But whether this was caused by his abrupt departure for the fact that Team and Win weren't together is another story.

Something about Team going on a date obviously upset Win. That much was clear to him, but he didn't understand what exactly. It wasn't like Team was cheating on him or anything- they were just friends. unlike what their other friends thought, there had never been anything between them besides Win making him flustered. If there was any feelings there- it was one-sided on Team's part. Or maybe that's what got Win upset. The fact that everyone thought they were together. Team swore he felt his heart crumble slightly at this train of thought but he couldn't dismiss it either.

----------

A month later, it was clear things had changed for Team. He had been dating Kop, who now spends lunch with them, and successfully avoided Win teasing him. However, in the process of doing so, Win had barely talked to him at all. Team never stayed later for practice at his request anymore, and neither was he talked to unless it was an order to do something. Besides this, he has barely slept. Typically, he'd crawl into Hia's bed but he doesn't feel like it's his place too anymore- not with Win mad at him. So while Team got what he wanted- he also lost something even bigger. He never wanted to lose Hia like this. In fact, right now, he'd break up with Kop if it meant getting his friend back. He cared about both, but his life seemed pointless without Win there. However, he doubted that would help anything. He had to find the root cause of hia's anger.

Kop seemed to sense something was wrong though, so she turned to her boyfriend, "Ai'Team? What's wrong?"

"I had a fight with Hia, but I'm really missing him." Team confessed, not wanting to lie to her.

"Hia? Oh- P'Win. Well- what was the argument about?" Kop softly asked, grabbing onto Team's hand for support.

"I'm not sure really. One minute I was talking about our plans to go on a date, and another he stomped off," Team paused before continuing, not entirely sure it would be polite to go on, "Everyone thought the date was with Hia and I. Maybe that's why he stormed off."

"Team," Kop paused as well, but her purpose seemed to be in thinking over her word choice, "do you think there's a possibility he's upset because he's jealous?"

"Jealous? Of who? He didn't even ask who I was dating before he stormed off."

"What I mean, Team, is that he's jealous because he likes you."

Team froze at her suggestion. In one sense, it seems absurb that Hia could have feelings for him but in another- it made everything else make sense. The glances, the constant need to have an arm around him in some way, the way Win was always trying to be close and flirting with him. He had always brushed it off as a joke, or an extra way to enjoy some *ahem* private time between the two, but he admitted the idea of Win liking him made his heart twirl for lack of a better phrase. He knew that on some level, he wasn't immune to Hia's charms and everything felt *right* with him but he never let it get further than a feeling. He refused to fall for someone that didn't like him back. Though, now thinking about it, he supposed it may be too late. He had already fallen for the other.

-limited third person POV focusing on Kop-

Kop watched him mull things over with a small smile on her face. She did like Team, but she also understood that she wasn't the one for him- or at least not right now. Maybe in the future things would change, but she saw how P'Win and Team had always looked at eachother. This was obvious to everyone which is probably why everyone thought they were dating. Kop certainly knew that she herself had initially thought they were together, and so Team asking her out caught her off guard. Around the campus, it's basically been considered common knowledge that Team and P'Win were both off limits as they were each other's. It certainly never crossed anyone's minds that the two *weren't* together. So with that being said, she was willing to step back and get Team to stop his obliviousness.

-Back to focusing on Team-

"I-" Team started before being interrupted.

"Go get your man Team. It's okay."

Team smiled gently at her quickly before jumping off to search for Win. They needed to sort things out, even if the feelings were one-sided after all. He refused to have Hia mad at him. It felt too horrible for things to continue as they have been.

 After roaming around for a bit with zero luck, he figured he would try Hia's dorm. So he drove back and followed the familiar path up to the room. Somehow, though, the path felt different. He felt scared as he initially was when he first went over. He didn't know what to expect from the senior. He only knew that he wanted him back. Arriving, he takes a deep breath and goes to knock but falters at a sound he hears inside. Voices. Hia was with someone. Taking another breath, he finally, albeit shakily, knocked, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was. 

Win opened the door, and at the sight of him shirtless, Team ran, away from him and away from the building. Forgetting what he wanted to say to him. It didn't seem worth it at that moment. He would deal with the situation later, but right now he just needed to get away. He heard Win calling after him but he simply ignored him. Shakily collapsing, he called Pharm. 

"Ph-Pharm? C-can you c-come p-pick me up?" Team stuttered as he tried to speak through his years.

"Team? What's wrong? Where are you?" Pharm asked over the phone with concern.

"At- the p-park. N-near P-pink milk C-cafe"

"We're on our way. Don't go anywhere" Pharm answered before hanging up.

Team didn't have to ask who the 'we' was. Pharm was most likely with Dean. Maybe, when his tears stopped and he calmed down a little, he could ask about Win. But for now- for now he could nothing but sit and cry. He knew he didn't have all the facts. For all he knew, Win may have been with a family member and nothing had happened. But the possibility that Win could be with someone *like that* still hung around and that felt like a weight was pressing on his heart. Over the months he's known the other, he's never had to deal with the possiblity that Hia wasn't single and though he never realized he would care so much, he really did.

Soonish, he caught sight of Pharm running over and, sure enough, followed by Dean. 

"Ph-pharm…" Team managed out breaking down into further sobs.

"We're here Team, it's okay… it's okay." Pharm whispered, crouching down to his level, hugging him

"Team? What happened?" Asked Dean.

Team knew the other was cold to most people but Pharm, but he was still protective over his team mates. So he didn't want to lie and risk worrying him further. He may as well confess.

Taking a deep but shaking breath, Team started, "I- I went over to Hia's to try fix his- his anger at me and- and he had someone over and I just…" 

Pharm hugged him further. Pharm then turned to Dean, likely to ask for help.

"Team, listen to us, I'm sure Win didn't do anything with the other. He cares too much about you for him to be with someone else." Dean tried to console him.

There it was again. The idea that Hia liked him. How could he believe it though? How?

All three soon turned their attention to the sounds of heavy footsteps. Win was there, looking frantic. He was followed by a 12 old girl that he knew to be his cousin. Team had met her before, at P'Win's birthday party. Team suddenly felt foolish. He never actually saw who was in the room with Hia. He left too quick.

-POV switching to focusing on Win-

Win was still angry. Still jealous. He wanted to be with Team- not some random person. He was the one Team has slept with- in more than one sense of the word- and embraced time and again. He's the one that has always made Team flustered. He's the one who spends all his time with Team. Most of all though, he was angry at himself for taking his closeness with Team for granted. He figured that despite not officially dating Team, that they still belonged to eachother. However he was wrong. Oh so wrong. He didn't want to deal with the hurt so he left. It was still painful but he figured the pain would at least lessen with time in this choice. But when he saw Team crying- he couldn't help but run after him. He needed to know what was wrong with him. 

"Team? What happened? Is he okay?" Win inquired basically all in one breath, clearly upset.

Instead of an answer, Win was greeted with a hug from Team which he wasted zero time in hugging back. For a moment, he forgot Pharm and Dean were there. For a moment, Win forgot that Team had a girlfriend. For a moment, it was just the two of them. It felt right to have Team in his arms- it always did. When Team pulled away though, it was as if he had been shot in the heart by reality. It wasn't just the two of them- and it never was either.

Win closed his eyes briefly before speaking, "Team?"

"I'm sorry Win. I should have- I don't know. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me." Win could see how Team tried not to cry while saying this, and so Win pulled him close again.

"Shhh. Team- I could never hate you," Win whispered in Team's ear, "I love you."

Win felt Team pulling away again and then froze. He shouldn't have said that last part. He shouldn't of-

Team cut off his thoughts by kissing him. Win's brain doesn't short circuit often but when it does- it involves Team. And this was definitely was one of those times. So much so that he didn't kiss back until Team seemed to freeze. Once he kissed back though, Team relaxed again. At this, Win once again forgot about Pharm and Dean. He was in his personal heaven right now. Team was not only kissing him, but doing it in front of people. He knew that this was Team's way of responding- kissing was far easier then saying words. They've definitely kissed enough at this point anyway. However, one concern still remained- Kop. So, reluctantly, Win pulled away but he did leave his forehead resting on Team's.

"What about Kop?" Win muttered, afraid of the answer.

Team lightly shook his head, smiled and then replied with, "She's the one who told me I should go after you. So- um- will you be my boyfriend?"

"Thought that was implied?"

"Good."

" Yeah- good- because all I do is win then."

Team groaned at the pun, and Win was in pure bliss. Everything was how it should be. They were together. He would have to remember to thank Kop later.