#thought this might be a fun way to get the dash popping since so many of us are potentially making our way back to tumblr
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decaflondonfog · 1 month ago
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writerly ephemera
a few years back my darling friend @the-starryknight started a tag game inspired by a chat we had in a writing server regarding all the little personal details we add to our art. humans hold so many things close to their hearts without even realising, memories, artefacts, places, turns of phrase... lots of precious little bits and bobs i adore! recently i had a chat with the lovely @billdenbrough about the familiar fear of putting a little too much of yourself into a character — when do you cross the self-insert line? but also, aren’t these the things that make our characters human? which got me thinking about starry's tag game. so i've decided to bring it back! here's how we're doing it:
✨ share some bits little bits of you, easter eggs, memories, etc. you have left scattered in your fics or art. if you fancy it, tag a pal. ✨
i apologise in advance for the ridiculous amount of yapping you’re about to read aaaand here are some silly little mari-isms i’ve let bleed into my writing:
🏡 "The house is a ridiculous thing that could easily sleep a whole Exy team, but when Kevin questions it, all Andrew does is shrug and say, “This wasn’t exactly planned, it’s the best I could find with the time I had.”"
geometric equilibrium has a few mari-isms in it. abby's house is based on my friend emma's house too but this feels the most relevant: the house in Asheville is based on a place i stayed in a couple of years ago! the real life one isn't in Asheville, though it is in NC. i spent a really happy week there with friends and it just popped into my head when i was writing this fic. the setup of the rooms (kevin's and andreil's being across the landing from each other) was useful for what i want to write (as well as the bathroom placement!) so i just ran with it.
🪩 “…the faded band t-shirt two sizes too big that the redhead has tucked into a leather mini skirt. Instead of the usual pair of boots, Neil’s wearing a pair of platform sneakers in black and white.”
ahhhhh kaleidoscope :’) the fic where i genderbent all the monsters and then turned neil into my wee dress up doll! all of neil’s outfits were based on stuff i own and this particular one was a fave during my clubbing days. the only thing i didn’t own when i wrote this fic were the black and white trainers which i now own hahaha
��� “Bitty cuts himself a generous slice of pie and eats it in the bath.”
i haven’t lived in a house with a bath for three years and i miss it dearly. i used to have pudding and booze in the bath on hard days and it was super therapeutic — honestly i was just living vicariously through bitty in growing pains
🌸 “There, in the corner, not covered by the laundry that Kevin didn’t put away, is a vintage armchair (…) It’s pink, with old, spoiled velvet, and half of the fringes at the bottom of the chair missing.”
approximately eight years ago i walked past an antique shop and fell in love with a pink velvet toad chair with a wee fringe at the bottom. i didn’t think i could afford it but told my partner i was going to try and convince the shop to let me rent it for a photoshoot. i got home after work one day and my partner had bought it for me 🥹 that chair has now been with us in four houses across three countries and used to be one of my late dog’s favourite nap spots. (the fact that i let kandrew desecrate the chair completely in do not disturb the cats was… a choice lmaooooo)
🪡 “Jean comes back to California after five weeks with the Foxes with his hair slightly too long and falling into his eyes, a smattering of fresh freckles over the bridge of his nose, and a new hobby.”
oh this might just be my favourite! when i saw @alcego’s prompt for t&n last year i kneeeeew it had to be mine. giving my Sad Wet Cat blorbo all of my craft hobbies? what a delight! the best part is that out of all the crafts i made him try in transferable skills, book binding (arguably the main one) is the one i never tried
does anyone want to share? i'll pass this along to the folks tagged above and also @vykio @rwnjun @storiesnstardust @greenautumnleaves @djhedy @thetrojeans @seasy33 @nanatsuyu and @sillyunicorn ❣️
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nerdieforpedro · 8 months ago
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Last Line Tag Game
rules: in a new post, show the last line(s) you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you like).
Tagged by @tinytinymenace @djarinmuse @chronically-ghosted @pedroshotwifey
So I think I’ll give three last lines, because it’s what I’ve been working on, first up is Din Djarin smut. I was supposed to be writing fluff, between @alltheglitterandtheroar and @megamindsecretlair it changed for the better and teasing is always fun. ☺️
Both arms pull Din’s head to your chest, the sharp inhale of air before he’s buried in your body has you whining. The intensity of just two of this thick fingers have you close to your second orgasm but he removes them, a pop then a second as he mouth part from your nipple. “Taste yourself, then you’ll come twice for me.”
Second is from “This is the Neighboorhood Din” my modern Din AU:
“Dear Lord in heaven I am not dressed or prepared to talk to that sort of man any day.” She muttered as Ms. Harris made her way down the stairs toward her, she hugged her, and her arms wrapped around her as well, eye still lingering on the man sitting on the porch. His sweatpants did not leave much to the imagination. They weren’t tight by any means; one could just trace the lines. Thick thighs and well… heavy in the middle is the most polite way to say it. The only way she can think to describe it while hugging her aunt.
Third, last line from chapter 5 of “The Lake Between Us” (yes I do have future chapters written I planned! Unheard of in Nerdie-land)
“That I did Moonbeam. You should be cautious of my motives, but I can start at the beginning of my troubles for you if you like.” He placed his hand on hers, running up her arm to her shoulder and drew a small circle around her mole. “Be forewarned, the past is neither rosy nor glamorous. It is fraught with hardship, double-crosses and some death.”
Moonbeam grinned, nodding as he spoke, “Sounds like a thriller Ezra. I’m all ears. Add a dash of romance and some mistaken identity and you have yourself a movie marathon.”
“I’m sure you’d be riveted to hear it.”
“That I would.” Moonbeam crosses her legs and leans forward, touching his chin with a finger, “Speak.”
Lastly, I might be trying finish my Dave York series finally. 👀 Or one of them, though I’m not sure all of them are on Tumblr. I think I write too much stuff and it get’s jumbled. This is a softer Dave:
At her core, Kiara felt safe with him. It hurt to admit though she wasn’t exactly sure why, pride maybe? Maybe she wanted to continue to be independent but she hadn’t been for a few months now.
No. Not when she really thought about it.
Her head was leaning against the steering wheel, the nurse had seen his SUV parked in the driveway. Dave pretty much lived with her now, though she didn’t remember giving him a key. He hadn’t needed a key their first night together either.
I’m also working on “Roc & Doc” and crafting the murder mystery since I killed off Rockford’s partner and introduced his brother. What role will his brother play? We’ll see. Also, if you’re going to be a furry for the night, make sure you can in and out of your suit. 😎
Chapter 5 of “Weddings 101 with Dieter” is under way as well. I want a lot to be in it, might be too much. We’ll see how it turns out, also smut because Dieter’s gotta get Maya’s dress off - he did promise her that. 😘 Half-ass and Bridezilla are in full swing!
It’s a lot like always because it’s Nerdie, what else am I supposed to do? Too many ideas, not enough follow-through. I did four instead of three. 😵
NPT: @maggiemayhemnj @morallyinept @rhoorl (for the sweatpants) @linzels-blog for Din @inept-the-magnificent @soft-girl-musings @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @magpiepills @secretelephanttattoo @goodwithcheese @undercoverpena @legendary-pink-dot @for-a-longlongtime @lady-bess @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @gemmahale @laurfilijames @avastrasposts @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @tightjeansjavi @frenchiereading @boliv-jenta @thefrogdalorian @trulybetty @kewwrites @beefrobeefcal @fhatbhabie
And whoever else saw all this and was like, let me do it too! ☺️
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outofthiisworld · 7 months ago
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GET TO KNOW YOUR ADMIN !!
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name: Boo! pronouns: She/They (no preference, i like both :3)  preferred comms: tumblr ims mostly! if we mesh well+spoken ooc a lot we can chat on discord too :) i uuh do tend to forget to check my discord messages outside of my webhooks however names of muse: Ophelia, Doc, Copycat and Father Necrosis rn! A few ✨secret-menu✨ muses/npc’s as well
experience in RP: been rp’ing since i was 13 so bout 14 yrs exp rn! (i say 10+ in my rules tho cause that’s one less number i have to change each birthday)— most of my experiences have been w/ a close knit group of buds that soon turned into 1+1 rp’ing with a bestie im still VERY close with :3c
i dabbled in online rp’ing around eeeeeehhh 2015ish but i certainly wasnt putting myself out there like i am now sdfsdfg
best experiences: the entirety of this blog tbh. a few bumps in the road and learning curves to get back into the groove of things, but ultimately i feel like a carved out a really excellent and chill lil’ corner on this site :”) special shoutouts to some really INCREDIBLE partners and buds that make rp’ing on here beyond delightful:
@pzfr is a phenomenal writer, a beyond thoughtful rp partner and perhaps a bit too powerful of a creative— personally if some horrific yet comedic demise should befall me then i trust full custody of doc & ophelia to him 100% HE GETS IT (don’t u worry i’ll live forever tho). For real though, there's such genuine love in the way he works with the genres that inspire him as well as with writing as a whole! @5mind GAAAARLIIIIIIIC. we continuously cook up dubious foods in the dms; our plots are forebodingly diabolical (affectionate) and [covering garlic's ears] i still plan to consume their brain for power. he’s got THE most creative and inspired never before seen characters on this side of the universe that i adore so so so much and tbh if you aren’t following her like…….bro be fr with me rn like why @riiese Mark’s writing legitimately inspires me. They are THE voice master dude. The way they weave words together feels right out of a fairytale with this whimsical magic to it that gets me lost in the moment!!! i can’t help but get swept up in their beautiful prose!!! @dynamoprotocol BRO lowkey i remember being shocked when I saw he followed me. From the writing, the care to detail, the art, Clarissa/Chance’s development, the worldbuilding, AND he’s CHILL AS FUCK??? and you wanna follow ME dude??? for real though, i cant sing enough high praises!! @natterghast i stumbled upon her by chance and sooooooo happy i did <33 their ocs absolutely captivated me, each one has this cozy cosmic horror vibe that im? obsessed with?? AND THE WAY SHE WRITES IS SO GORGEOUS AND FULL OF MEANING AND CARE THEY PUT IN AND [wrattling the bars in my enclosure]
there are so many more i can shout out but i will have to cap it here since this post has gotten ... so long and i am now so sleepy. Genuinely though, everyone I follow and get to see pop up on my dash both makes me day and inspires me as a creative each and every time!!!
pet peeves/dealbreakers: the biggest ones for me rn are like … needlessly aggressive ooc attitudes, be it towards anons, in rules, in posts— esp if someone is flaunting about being mean i uh. have fun i guess? not for me.
Condescending rules, especially those geared towards oc’s, might even result in an insta-block from me. (i promise it’s okay to just say ur selective overall and leave it at that).
muse preference ( fluff, angst, smut ): I generally like to lean more into light-hearted & comedic stuff, esp when first interacting but cus it’s fun! Once I get comfy with my rp buds tho i do loooooove to get into the meat n potatoes— the drama, the action, THE DRAMA!!! <- but a nice balance is important to me!
if everything is doom n’ gloom all the time without either a break, some sort of bitter-sweetness, and/or light at the end of the tunnel— then The Dread™ starts to feel too much for me :0 that being said … horror is … so much fun too <3
plot or memes: memes are a life savior esp when it comes to breaking the ice— i wouldn’t be cookin’ up like. any of the delectable plots i got brewing in the dms without em >:0
long or short replies: BOTH! i tend to naturally lean towards longer replies, moreso because i always have A Lot To Say™️ but i love goofing around with shorter stuff <3
best time to write: if i had my way it’d be an hour or two after i wake up in the morning and made myself my fancy energy drink + did my n.eopets dailies 💕 i try to make sure i get one day off like this each weekend it’s so lovely. Otherwise, i try not to stress about it too much and do what i can. i want my rp buds to know i genuinely dont mind waiting for replies or anything and i think it starts with how you hold yourself to that same degree too
are you like your muse?: ooooo aren’t we all in some way? it’s important to sprinkle some part or facet of YOU into them, especially ocs!
i will say, Doc is far closer alike to me versus anyone else on this blog, esp when it comes to values! he’s just far more gung-ho that i could ever have the energy to be tho. also i hope im not as stubborn as him 💀
i did give Ophelia my weird girl tendencies tho but cranked that shit up into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!!!
tagged by: @pzfr
tagging: i uh. i think most of my mutuals already got tagged this SO if you see this and you havent........PLEASE do this and tag me weeheehee <3
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xomoosexo · 2 years ago
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dteam twitter people migrating here ily but remember to:
reblog! cause we are a home grown economy here, there's no fancy algorithm. the only way people will see your posts is for bigger blogs to reblog you (and then more blogs reblog from them and so on)
liking! a lot of people around here don't like when you like but don't reblog (remember, no algorithm. likes really do nothing) liking without reblogging is fine sometimes but for things like fanart, it's probably best to pop a reblog!
decorate your blog! people might think you're a bot or a troll if you don't slap a little color on the walls! super easy to find a random pic of gnf and make it your pfp lol
tagging! a lot of people use hashtags for thoughts about someone elses post, compliments to an artist, extra notes they don't want on the main post, and also as content and trigger warnings. Not that many people maintag around here anymore unless it's something like fanart or important information!
tags to note:
#dtblr
#dteam fanart- fan art maintag
#dreamblr- dream fan maintag
#dreblr- c!dream fan maintag (positive only)
#dreamwastaken tag for dream since #dream is too broad
#404blr- George fan maintag
#pandasblr- sapnap fan maintag
#dream situation/drituation- discussion of the allegations
"#tw ___" or "#cw ___"- tags for trigger and content warnings, please use! (ex: #tw blood)
"#___ neg" or "#___ crit"- tags for creator criticism and negativity (ex: #george neg)
#mcyt- broad tag for all of minecraft youtube on this site. totally okay for most dtblr posts
#Minecraft- tag for Minecraft fandom. Not a place for mcyt content and they don't appreciate it when we tag this. (though if you want to post your cool Minecraft builds or mob vote stuff that is a okay!)
interact! reblog posts! add something to the post! compliment someone's art in the tags! follow people!
and most importantly:
chill out! people here tend to be a lot more relaxed about what we post because this is primarily a fan space. if you see someone posting something you think is against creators wishes or invasive,
just block them. You should also feel free to block tags for things you don't want to see, and don't get upset with people if you see something that's tagged correctly- it's on you to curate your dash.
now about shipping. people on here tend to be a lot more lenient and comfortable with ship content since they know creators won't see it or interact with it.
the line between shipping/truthing or joke shipping is super blurry. if you don't want to see people talking about dnf /srs then block them! But for a lot of people on here they don't really care and it's very excepted for people to be somewhere between joking and serious.
and finally, just don't be a dick! people on here tend to be a lot less hostile, if you see something you think should have warnings in the tags but doesn't, shoot them an ask! 90% of the time they'll amend it. We have been using Tumblr instead of twitter because we don't like creators seeing what we post. so please respect that boundary by not reposting anything on here to twitter or other sites! have fun!!!
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junghelioseok · 4 years ago
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clandestine. | 05
↳ forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest.
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◇ jungkook x reader ◇ smut | fluff | brother’s best friend!au ◇ 7.6k [5/6]
notes: second to last installment of a fic that didn’t need to be as long as it is!!! really this entire thing can be summed up with last chapter’s warning, which was “reader is dumb and jungkook is slutty.” i stand by it, okay!!! 🤷🏻‍♀️
warnings: dumb banter, a couple brief smutty bits, oral (f receiving), listen to slow dancing in the dark by joji during the soft smut scene in the middle if u want 
⇢ 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 
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“No. No. God, no. Has your music taste always been this bad, or is this a recent development?”
“You will excuse yourself,” you retort sharply, wagging a finger at your brother. “Mr. Brightside is a classic and I will not hear this slander. Please feel free to permanently vacate the premises if you disagree.”
Jimin rolls his eyes from where he’s slouched on the couch beside you, one hand submerged in a bag of chips and his bare feet kicked up on the coffee table. “You’re so dramatic.”
“I’m dramatic? Really? You wanna go there, Chim?” You raise your hand and begin ticking off on your fingers. “I’m not the one who threw a fit over a piece of cilantro in my taco. I’m not the one who refused to bathe when Mom couldn’t find the right bubble bath.”
“Oh my god, I was eight,” Jimin snorts. “Both times. And cilantro tastes like soap.”
You raise a third finger. “What about the time you hid all the Monopoly money because you kept losing? Or when yo—”
A knock on the door cuts you off mid-sentence, and you nudge Jimin’s shin with your big toe. “Go get the door,” you order, and you aren’t sure if he’s just tired of hearing your voice, but he stands up without complaint and wanders into the entryway to receive your unexpected guest.
“Hey,” you hear him say. “What’s up?”
“Hey,” a very familiar voice replies. “I need some help.”
It’s Jungkook. Of course it’s Jungkook. You haven’t seen him since he dropped you off and kissed you senseless in your driveway, but you’d have to be delusional to think that you could avoid him for the next week and a half before you leave to return to Seoul. And yet, you allowed yourself to indulge in your delusions for two full days, before he tears them apart with ten simple, innocent words.
“So, I think I might have done the laundry wrong.”
Jimin laughs out loud, covering his mouth with his hand. “That’s all you, Noona,” he says, glancing over his shoulder at you, and you don’t even have wherewithal to lecture him about the sexism of his remark because Jungkook is smirking like he’s just won the lottery and you’re his grand prize.
“Noona?” he begins, his voice syrupy sweet and thick with intent. “Can you come help me?”
You glance down at your pajamas—gray sweatpants and a pink Pusheen t-shirt that’s a couple sizes too big. It’s beyond obvious that you have no plans for the day, and therefore no excuse not to help. Heaving a resigned sigh, you clamber to your feet and roll your eyes when Jimin immediately flops down across the newly abandoned couch and lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Have fun,” he calls lazily as you walk out, and you do your best to ignore the wicked grin that flashes across Jungkook’s face.
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it fun,” he says as he lets you pass by him to exit the house. “See you later, Jimin.”
As soon as the front door slams shut, you round on him with a glare. “Are you serious, Jungkook?” you hiss. “He’s totally going to catch on to… to whatever it is we’re doing.”
“You’re being paranoid,” Jungkook chides, clicking his tongue. He hops over the low bushes that divide your property, and waits patiently as you skirt around them. You follow him into his house—down the hallway and into a little side room that houses the washing machine and dryer—and as soon as the door swings shut, he’s grabbing you by the hips and pulling you close.
“This—this isn’t how you do laundry,” you stammer weakly, winded by his sudden proximity and the dark promise in his eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”
Jungkook chuckles, the sound rumbling through his chest. “I may have lied a little bit. Would you have come if I hadn’t?”
You don’t answer, because you know he’s right. If you had your way, you would have avoided him until it was time for you to leave again. But Jungkook just doesn’t seem to be willing to let that happen, as he tightens his grip on your hips and tugs until you’re flush against him.
“See, the truth of the matter is, I’m actually good at laundry.” He smirks and tilts his head, dark bangs flopping across his forehead. “I’m good at other things, too. Why don’t you let me show you?”
Attraction blooms in your belly, hot as molten lava, and it takes the last ounce of your wavering restraint to say what you say next. “We can’t take too long,” you whisper, letting him hoist you up onto the dryer and jab the start button. The machine rumbles to life beneath you, and you nearly lose your train of thought when the vibrations go straight to your clit. “Jimin!” you gasp. “Jimin—he’ll kill you if he finds out. He’ll fillet your dick with a dull knife and serve it over rice.”
Jungkook raises an eyebrow. “Why are you talking about your brother? Is this your idea of dirty talk, princess? Because I gotta tell you—it’s not doing it for me.”
“Jungkook!” you chide, and he grins and moves to tug off your shirt.
“That’s much better.”
///
In the days that follow your laundry room tryst with Jungkook, sneaking around becomes routine. Both of your parents work—as do his—so avoiding them is easy. Jimin, however, is a different story. The dance classes he teaches are irregular, and the schedule shifts often enough that you’ve come dangerously close to getting caught on more than one occasion.
And it certainly doesn’t help when Jungkook has taken to texting you at all hours of the day, even when you’re eating a sandwich on the couch with Jimin half-sprawled across your lap in his effort to invade your personal space as much as possible.
[12:35pm] Jungkook: hey i just thought of something
[12:35pm] Jungkook: you know how i call you princess?
You nearly throw your phone across the room. Cautiously, you glance at your brother, who is glued to the television and doesn’t seem to notice anything amiss.
[12:36pm] You: yeah…
His response is instantaneous.
[12:36pm] Jungkook: well i’ve got a throne for you to sit on
You almost sigh out loud. Please don’t, you write back, and you practically hear Jungkook’s cackle in your head as the ellipses that indicate he’s typing pop up at the bottom of your screen.
[12:37pm] Jungkook: it’s my dick ;)
[12:37pm] Jungkook: get it?
I fucking hate you, you tell him, thumbs flying across the keyboard.
[12:38pm] Jungkook: and i love fucking you
[12:38pm] Jungkook: princess ;)
///
After nearly a week cooped up at your parents’ house, you’re getting restless. Without a car, you’re confined to the suburban neighborhood you grew up in, and the revelation that you’re bored somehow spills out to Jungkook during one of the many heated makeout sessions you’ve started having in the backseat of his sedan.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” he’d asked, tilting his head curiously, mussed hair falling across his eyes. “I can drive you, if you want.”
And that’s how you find yourself wandering around downtown Busan on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon. Jungkook drops you off at the curb after cumming down your throat, and now that he’s dashed off to work the lunch shift at the restaurant, you’re free to explore all of your old haunts. The shopping center that you and your friends used to frequent is right around the corner, so that’s where you decide to start. After all, you’re still in need of some professional attire, and as much as you love your mom, you’d rather avoid the unflattering dresses and itchy pantyhose she would be sure to seek out.
As soon as you step through the glass revolving doors, you find yourself in a familiar air-conditioned paradise of shops and restaurants. Stopping at your favorite coffee spot, you treat yourself to an iced mocha before heading to the first store.
Two hours and three full bags later, you decide to head to the food court for a quick snack. You’d promised Jungkook that you’d meet him at the restaurant once you were finished, but a glance at your phone tells you that you have more than enough time to stop by Kim’s Kitchen. Mrs. Kim makes the best cookies in the entire city, as far as you’re concerned, and you decide to order a dozen to take home and share with your family.
You’re lowering yourself into a seat at one of the many tables scattered around the tree-lined atrium when you spot a familiar head of strawberry blonde hair. The owner spots you a split second later, and you return her smile as she immediately swerves and heads your way. “{Name}, hey!”
“Hey, Chaeyoung,” you greet, gesturing for her to take the chair on the other side of the table. “What are you doing here?”
“Same thing as you, from the looks of it.” She grins and hefts her shopping bag. “I swear I’ve been to every shoe store and still haven’t found what I’m looking for, but somehow I’ve bought this much crap anyway. What about you? What are you on the hunt for?”
“Professional attire,” you say with a grimace. “Why are pants so hard to find? I swear, they’re all either too long or too short, and never fit properly in the waist and thighs.”
Chaeyoung pulls a face. “Ew, I know. Pantsuits are a nightmare unless you have a tailor. And who has money for that?”
You laugh, nodding in agreement. “So what are you up to now? Mrs. Kim has cookies fresh out of the oven, if you’re interested. Cinnamon rolls too, I think.”
“Ooh, that’s tough,” she says thoughtfully, tapping her chin. “Would it be bad if I got both?”
“Not even a little bit,” you assure, reaching into your box and pulling out a cookie. “But here, I’ll make it easier for you. Hope you like chocolate chip.”
Chaeyoung gratefully accepts the cookie you hand over. “Who doesn’t love chocolate chip?” she asks, taking a bite.
“Criminals and heathens,” you reply, snagging a cookie for yourself. “Among others.”
She tilts her head. “Doesn’t Jimin hate chocolate chip?”
“My point exactly.”
Chaeyoung giggles, hiding it behind a manicured hand, and you laugh right along with her. Together, you decide to grab some smoothies, and when you sit back down, the conversation turns to your trip up to the lake house. “Next time, we’ll have to do a girl’s trip,” Chaeyoung says, propping her chin in her palm. “Feels like it’s been ages since we’ve done one. You must’ve been exhausted with all those boys around.”
Unwillingly, your thoughts turn to Jungkook. “It wasn’t that bad,” you say slowly. “It was actually nice, being able to spend some time with them.”
“Who ended up going, anyway? Your brother, obviously. Taehyung? Yugyeom?”
You nod, raising a hand and ticking them off on your fingers. “Jimin, yeah. Taehyung, Yugyeom, Taemin, Minho. And Jungkook.”
If Chaeyoung notices the way you pause before saying the last name, she doesn’t comment on it. Her expression grows pensive, and you can practically see the gears turning in her head as she considers her next sentence. “You must be seeing a lot of him,” she says at last. “Jungkook, I mean.”
You take a massive sip of your smoothie and wonder if you’re imagining the lingering taste of him on your tongue. “Yeah, a bit,” you manage, your voice surprisingly steady. “He games with Jimin a lot.” After a pause, you decide to tell her the truth. “He dropped me off today, actually. Jimin’s working this summer, and I’ve been stuck at home, so he offered to take me downtown on his way to work.”
Chaeyoung hums thoughtfully. “He’s working at a restaurant or something, right?”
“Just a few streets away, yeah.”
Slowly, she nods. “We went out, you know.” Her voice is distant. “Just for a few weeks. He ended it after… well, after we slept together.”
There’s a pause, as Chaeyoung lets you digest this information, and a part of you wants to spill everything to her right then and there. Jisoo told me, you want to say, as acidic guilt begins to bubble up in your belly, every memory of the moments you’ve since shared with Jungkook rising unpleasantly in your throat. I’m sorry. I’m so,so sorry. You say it over and over again in your head, but the apology gets stuck in your throat when you try to voice it aloud.
Chaeyoung takes a sip of her smoothie and leans back in her chair with a sigh, oblivious to your internal struggle. “Maybe I should have seen it coming,” she says, gnawing on the end of the straw. “Everything changed our senior year, you know? It was like a switch had flipped—he started dating around, relationships that never lasted more than a week… I really should have known better when he asked me out. But I guess I thought I was different. We were already friends, after all. But whenever we were together, just the two of us, he was always… distant. Like he was somewhere else, mentally.”
Her words trail off, leaving only silence that you don’t know how to break. Chaeyoung sips at her smoothie again, before huffing out a laugh and waving a manicured hand in your direction. “God, sorry! I can’t believe I just started monologuing, ew. Jungkook this, Jungkook that—god. I’m not even mad at him anymore, you know? I just want him to figure his shit out.” Her eyes flit up to you briefly, before skittering back down to where a cookie crumb has landed on the tabletop. “It’s funny, though. Seeing him at Taehyung’s graduation party was probably the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time. He almost seemed like himself again.”
You can’t help it—the singular word bubbles up before you can stop it. “Really?”
Chaeyoung nods, her gaze flickering up to meet yours again. “Really. And honestly? I think it was because of you.”
Your heart does a series of backflips in your chest, thudding against the slats of your ribs. You try to respond, try to find the words, but they stick in your dry throat and your smoothie is practically gone at this point. Chaeyoung shrugs, unfazed by your silence, and you watch as she swirls her straw around in the remainder of her own drink. “I don’t know—maybe I’m imagining things. But it always seemed like he had a bit of a thing for you. Didn’t he used to follow you around the playground?”
The memory draws a startled laugh from your lips. “Sure, yeah. But that was in elementary school.”
Chaeyoung shrugs, smiling around her straw. “Still. We never really forget our first crush, do we?”
///
You head over to the restaurant after bidding Chaeyoung goodbye, her words weighing heavy on your mind and your heart. Through the tall glass windows, you can just barely make out Jungkook—looking sharp in a black collared shirt and matching slacks as he greets a table of diners. His smile is warm and his stance is confident, and you’re reminded of just how much he’s grown from that gangly kid you knew back in grade school when you catch the edge of flirtation lingering in his gaze.
The boy who used to follow you around the playground is gone. There’s no doubt in your mind about that. And so, you take a deep breath and walk into the restaurant, doing your best to smile at the host who greets you and asks whether you’d like to sit at a table or the bar.
“Hey, you made it!”
Jungkook strides over with a grin, taking the menu off the host’s hands and leading you over to an empty seat at the bar. “It’s full service, so you can order food here, too,” he explains. “You hungry? Thirsty?”
You glance down at the menu he places on the counter, scanning the lines of text. “Not really, but it smells really good so I might get something to go. And this carbonara sounds really good, actually.”
“It is,” Jungkook confirms. “I’ll go put the order in. You want some water or anything to drink?”
“Water’s good,” you tell him, and he nods before trotting off to do his job. You watch him disappear to the back of the restaurant before reappearing with a tray of glasses, and follow his meandering path through the tables as he disperses drinks and checks on the guests. Somehow, his shoulders manage to look even broader in his black shirt, and you can’t ignore the way they taper into a narrow waist that’s only emphasized by the belt threaded through the loops of his dark slacks.
He’s stopping at the table you first saw him at now, leaning in close when one of the women seated there asks him a question about something on the menu. His smile oozes easy charm, and you can’t help the feeling that flares in your chest when she reaches for the menu and purposely lets her fingertips graze his hand. Frowning, you tear your gaze away and focus on the wood grain of the bar counter. Your eyes zero in on a smattering of water droplets near your left arm, and you’re just about to run a fingertip through them when a voice sounds to your right.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
Surprised, you look up and find yourself face-to-face with a man who appears to be in his early thirties. Dark hair is brushed away from his forehead, a stray lock falling into his eyes, and you find yourself momentarily at a loss for words when your brain registers just how handsome he is.
“I—uh. I think Jungkook is going to grab me some water,” you finally manage, wanting nothing more than to melt into the ground when you hear the stammer in your voice.
“Ah, you know Jungkook?” The man laughs—a sound that is distinctly reminiscent of a squeaky windshield wiper. “He’s been pretty busy today, so why don’t I grab you that water instead?”
You nod, watching as he fills up a glass from the nozzle below the bar, accepting it when he hands it over. “Thanks.”
“Name’s Seokjin,” the man replies with an easy grin. “What’s yours?”
You return his smile and tell him your name. “Seokjin—Jungkook’s mentioned you a few times, I think. This is your place then, isn’t it?”
Seokjin beams. “Yep! Opened just a few months ago, after we finally sorted out the rat infestation and the asbestos problem in the rafters, and—” He pauses at the dumbfounded look on your face, and several beats pass before another peal of squeaky laughter escapes him. “I’m kidding. One-hundred percent. I promise the whole place is up to snuff.”
“So, I see you’ve met Seokjin.” Jungkook materializes at your side with a glass of water, which he takes a sip out of upon realizing that you already have a drink. “Is he making jokes about the health code again?”
“I would never,” Seokjin sniffs, and you laugh, finding yourself completely at ease for the first time since you entered the restaurant.
Jungkook rolls his eyes good-naturedly and turns his attention back to you. “Your carbonara should be out in a few,” he says, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the kitchen. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else?”
“Positive,” you assure him. “I’m full of chocolate chip cookies, anyway. Here, you want one? They’re still a little warm.”
Jungkook eyes the box you pull out of your bag hungrily. “Hell yes. I can smell them from here.” Laughing, you push the box toward him and watch as he pulls a cookie out and takes an enormous bite. “Thanks,” he says in between chews, his cheeks puffy. You can’t help but smile when he takes a sip of water to wash it all down, his eyes growing round.
Turning to Seokjin, you offer him a cookie as well, which he declines with a graceful wave. “I should be feeding you, not the other way around,” he remarks. “You got the carbonara, right? I’ll go see if it’s ready.”
With one last glance at the patrons sitting at the bar, Seokjin departs with a promise to be back in five minutes. Jungkook finishes off his cookie, and you’re considering offering him another when a familiar chirpy voice sounds from your left.
“Wow, it smells amazing in here! What do you think—should we sit at the bar?”
You whirl in the direction of the voice, your eyes immediately landing on a group of three girls standing near the entrance. Two of them you don’t recognize, but the third you’ve seen before. Mina, you’re pretty sure her name was, and you’d recognize her anywhere. The last time you’d seen her was at the restaurant on the night of Jimin’s and Jungkook’s graduation, and your face heats at the memory of everything else that transpired that night.
“Welcome!” Jungkook draws you out of your thoughts, and you turn to see that he’s wearing a bright, welcoming smile. “Were you looking to sit at the bar, or at a table? It looks like there are a few empty spots at the end of the bar, if you ladies would prefer that. Otherwise, I can take you to a table.”
Mina’s face lights up in recognition, and you’re forced to hide your scowl in your water glass. “Hey, we’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“You work at that place a few blocks down, right?” Jungkook jabs a thumb in the general direction of the street. “I’ve seen you around.”
She giggles and tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “That’s right, yeah! I remember you now. Graduation, right? You were my best table of the night.”
Jungkook chuckles. “I bet you tell everyone that.”
“Not a chance,” Mina answers, looking him up and down before a coy smile curves her lips again. “I only say what I mean.”
“Honesty is the best policy,” Jungkook says agreeably. Then he turns to you, distractedly fiddling with his apron as he speaks. “Jin should probably be back with your food soon. Are you okay to sit here by yourself for a bit?”
You can only nod, still staring down into your water glass. “Yeah, sure. Go on, then.”
He smiles and gestures for Mina and the girls to follow after him, and you’re positive you don’t imagine the triumphant look that flashes across Mina’s face before she departs. Frowning, you grab a cookie from your box and break a piece off, grateful for the distraction. Seokjin drops off your carbonara a minute later, and you find yourself suddenly ravenous as you dig into the steaming bowl of spaghetti.
Jungkook returns to your side about five minutes later, raking a hand through his hair as he replaces his notebook back in his apron pocket. “Man, I’m beat,” he remarks. “Thank god Mina and her friends didn’t order anything complicated. My brain would’ve exploded.”
“Thank god for that,” you echo dully. Unwillingly, your gaze drifts over to where Mina is now sitting, chatting happily with her friends. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Seeing Mina here, of all places. I mean, what is she even doing here?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, but most people go out and have fun on their days off,” Jungkook responds dryly, a grin breaking across his face when you roll your eyes at him. “Or wait… could it be that you’re jealous?”
You scowl. “Don’t be stupid.”
Jungkook just laughs, tilting your chin up with two fingers so he can look you in the eye. “It’s okay,” he says, his thumb brushing softly along the corner of your lips. “You’re cute when you’re jealous, princess.”
You don’t know how to respond to that, and thankfully you don’t have to. Seokjin returns with a takeout container for you to put your leftovers in, shrugging off your gratitude when you offer it.
“I’m discounting your food, too,” he says, leaving zero room for argument. “Any friend of Jeon’s is a friend of mine.”
Jungkook’s shift ends half an hour later. He turns on his roadtrip playlist on the drive home, and you are more than happy to let the music wash over you, eliminating any need for conversation and drowning out your thoughts.
“See you later, princess,” he says once he’s pulled into your driveway, following your every move as you climb out of the passenger seat.
It sounds like a promise coming from his lips, and you can only nod. “See you.”
///
You’re in the middle of buttering a piece of toast for breakfast the next morning when there’s a knock on the front door. Perturbed, you walk over to answer it, wondering if perhaps Jimin has forgotten his keys again, but when you peer through the peephole it isn’t Jimin who stares back at you.
“Jungkook—” you begin, swinging open the door, but he cuts you off before you can finish, taking your face in his hands and pressing his mouth to yours.
“Hey,” he whispers once he’s had his fill, pulling back just enough to mumble the greeting against your lips. “They’re all gone for the day, right?”
“Yes,” you confirm, still reeling from the suddenness of his appearance and the subsequent kiss. “But how did you—?”
“Jimin told me,” Jungkook answers shortly, before pulling you close and kissing you again. This time, you let yourself get lost in the feeling of his mouth against yours, following his lead as he ushers you back upstairs and breaking the kiss only once in the process. He lays you down onto your bed, the mattress dipping under your combined weight, and you sigh when he moves down to nip at your neck.
“No marks, Jungkook,” you remind him breathily. “You can’t leave marks.”
A low whine escapes him. “Can’t you wear a scarf?”
“It’s the middle of summer!” you huff in amusement, smacking his arm when he whines again and stubbornly sucks at the soft spot where your neck meets your shoulder.
Jungkook’s breath is hot against your skin. His fingers find the elastic waistband of your sweatpants, tugging them off your hips and down your legs, and you kick them off as soon as they’ve reached your ankles. Hungrily, his gaze traverses the newly revealed skin, and you shiver when he gently trails his fingertips up your calves and all the way to the sensitive flesh of your inner thigh. “Jungkook,” you sigh. “I haven’t shaved in days.”
“Ask me if I care,” he replies hoarsely, leaning down to press the flat of his tongue against the growing damp spot seeping through the cotton of your underwear. It’s far from your sexiest pair—you’d categorize them as granny panties, in all honesty—but Jungkook doesn’t seem the least bit fazed as he hooks them aside and licks a broad stripe all the way up to your clit. “Want you,” he groans, and the vibrations from his voice send a volt of tingling electricity straight up your spine. “Want you in every way I can have you.”
You don’t respond. You don’t have to, because Jungkook is diving in with the enthusiasm of a man starved, tossing your underwear aside carelessly before banding his arms around your legs to hold you open. His face disappears between your thighs until only the top of his hair is visible, the dark strands mussed. Lips parting in a moan, your fingers find their way to his head, tangling at his roots, and Jungkook parts from your cunt briefly to groan his approval. Then he’s eating you out again—alternating between broad licks and teasing flicks to your clit before his tongue delves into your entrance, inhaling deeply as if he just can’t get enough.
The sun rises higher into the sky, beaming through your window and illuminating Jungkook’s head and shoulders in warm, hazy gold. You chant his name as you reach your high, spurred on by his teasing tongue and whispered words of encouragement, and the grin he wears when he straightens back up is near blinding. Slowly, he peels off his shirt and shucks off his jeans until he’s completely bare before you, the sun painting him in warm strokes of color. Deliberately, he crawls up your body, hiking up the hem of your shirt as he does. He plants kisses into your newly bared skin, and when he reaches your lips he settles there as if that’s where he’s meant to be.
Jungkook kisses you slowly. He kisses you deliberately—sensually—and you melt into his gentle touch, relishing in the feel of his bare body pressed so intimately against yours. You don’t miss the way his cock hardens against your thigh, but Jungkook seems to be in no hurry to do anything about it. Instead, he cups your cheeks and licks into your mouth, and you’re all too willing to part beneath him like a flower in bloom.
The rest of the afternoon passes like this—hot kisses and slow fucking, the two of you meshing until you’re no longer sure where you end and he begins. You keep an eye on the time, though, and by the time your parents and Jimin return home, you and Jungkook are showered and dry, sitting on the living room floor embroiled in a Mario Kart tournament.
“No fair! You played without me?” Jimin whines, plopping down between you and trying to wrest the controller away from Jungkook. “C’mon, let me have a turn. You’ve been at it all day!”
Jungkook’s gaze flickers up past Jimin’s shoulder to meet yours, his lips twitching in barely suppressed mirth. “Yeah. We sure were.”
///
“God, I’m going to be sore for the next month.”
“Don’t be such a drama queen,” your brother snorts, squeezing your cheek between his thumb and index finger like you’re a small child. His three o’clock dance class has just wrapped up, and people are slowly filtering out of the studio. A few of the younger women glance back toward where you’re standing with Jimin, and you have no doubt they’re vying for one last look at your brother in his tight-fitting joggers and loose tank that keeps drooping off one shoulder. Rolling your eyes, you suppress the urge to loudly bring up the time he walked into a sliding glass door and nearly chipped his tooth. Instead, you pinch his cheek back, and laugh when he pouts.
“Ow, hey! What happened to giving me all your love and support?”
“Please, Mom made me come to your class,” you retort, batting his invasive hand away. “I think she just wanted me out of the house.”
Jimin laughs. “Can’t blame her. You’re a goddamn freeloader.”
“Seriously? Because in that case, I’m dying to hear what that makes you.”
Thoroughly nonplussed, Jimin pinches your other cheek before dancing away on light feet. “I’m an angel. Now go away, so I can get ready for my next class!”
Rolling your eyes again, you heft your bag over your shoulder and turn on your heel. “Fine, fine. Good luck, and all that. See you at dinner.”
Jimin doesn’t respond, and when you peer over your shoulder at him, he’s already sprawled on the floor and reaching for his toes in the unmistakable first step of his warm-up routine. He waves when he sees you watching, and you stick your tongue out at him playfully before exiting the studio and heading for the door. You’ve borrowed your dad’s car for the day, and hum cheerily as you climb into the driver’s seat.
You spend the rest of the afternoon running errands—stopping by both the post office and the bank before heading for the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for dinner. By the time you get back home, Jimin has finished teaching at the studio as well, and you fix him with a stare as you plop two full bags of groceries in front of him on the kitchen counter.
“Care to help me carry the rest in?”
“Not really,” he replies, but he stands up and follows you outside to the car nonetheless.
Once all the groceries are inside and unpacked, you begin prepping for dinner. Jimin, to his credit, offers his help without you even having to ask, and with his assistance you finish cooking in record time. Your parents join you in the dining room, and together you enjoy the meal over the evening news.
You retire to your room after dinner, cracking open your laptop to go over the details of your internship for the umpteenth time. You’ve read the emails and the attached documents so many times you practically have them memorized, but the anxiety gnawing at your belly refuses to be quelled. You’re returning to Seoul in less than a week, and your empty suitcase sits in the corner of your childhood bedroom like a taunt. You wonder, briefly, if you should start packing.
“Nah, it can wait,” you decide, muttering the words to your nonexistent audience. Standing up, you stretch lazily before exiting your room and heading down the hall to the bathroom that you and Jimin share, muffling a yawn behind your hand.
You’ve just finished brushing your teeth when your phone vibrates against the bathroom counter, a notification lighting up your screen. Spitting into the sink and rinsing off your toothbrush, you towel off your face before picking up your phone, blinking owlishly at the text.
[11:08pm] Jungkook: can you come over?
By itself, it’s not an unusual request. At this late an hour, though, you can’t help the unease that rises up in your belly. And as if sensing your apprehension, your phone vibrates again.
[11:09pm] Jungkook: my parents are out
[11:09pm] Jungkook: please? i could use some company
There’s an edge of desperation in his last message—something you haven’t seen in him since you returned home. It reminds you a bit of the Jungkook you used to know—the scrawny, gangly one with a nose too big for his face and an all-encompassing fear of the opposite sex. Give me ten minutes, you tell him.
Okay, Jungkook writes back. See you soon.
The next few minutes are a blur. You slather on some moisturizer and consider changing out of your pajamas and putting on a bra, but dismiss the thought immediately. Jungkook has seen you in far less, and you’re staunchly opposed to putting a bra back on after a certain hour of the night. Besides, he’s sure to dispose of your clothes at some point, so there’s little point in changing. With that thought in mind, you tiptoe out into the hall, past your parents’ bedroom and Jimin’s closed door. You carefully edge around the creakiest floorboards and hop over the two steps in the staircase that always groan when subjected to additional weight. Gingerly, you edge open the front door, just enough to slip out into the night.
The trek across the yard doesn’t take long, and Jungkook swings the door open before you even get a chance to knock. “Hey,” he says, and you can’t help but smile at the familiar round glasses perched on his nose. He’s in his pajamas as well—a blue and white checkered set that’s about two sizes too big—and when he ushers you inside, you catch a whiff of his floral laundry detergent.
“Hey,” you say. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Long day,” he sighs, raking a hand through his already tousled hair and mussing it further. “Come on in. You want anything to drink?”
You shake your head, stepping into the entryway and watching as he closes and locks the door again. Jungkook nods and shuffles to the kitchen, where he pours himself a glass of water from the faucet and downs half of it in one swig. His throat bobs as he swallows, his head tilted back to expose the long line of his neck, and you step a little closer as he turns to refill the glass.
“On second thought, maybe I’ll have some water too.”
“Mm. Okay.” Jungkook turns and fetches a second glass, filling it to the brim before handing it over. Then he takes your free hand and leads you upstairs, taking a left turn into his bedroom and nudging the door closed with his foot.
“So…” you begin slowly, putting your water down on the nightstand and reaching for the hem of your shirt. “We need to be quick. My mom’s a light sleeper, and I’m pretty sure I heard Jimin playing games in his room when I walked by.”
Jungkook chuckles and lays his hands over yours, stilling your attempt to take off your shirt. “When did you turn into such a horndog, Noona? Maybe I just want to hang out.”
You blink. “Did you just want to hang out?”
Jungkook plops onto his bed and grabs you by the waist, tugging you down and into his lap. “I mean, yeah—I thought that was obvious. Figured we could watch a movie or something.” Grabbing the tv remote, he switches on the television hanging on the opposite wall. “Any suggestions?”
You hesitate. You’ve been in Jungkook’s bedroom just once since you’ve come back, and the memory of the way he’d bent you over the desk in the corner sends a pulse of heat to your cheeks. Tearing your gaze away from the piece of wooden furniture, you instead focus on the television screen, watching as he navigates over to the Netflix menu.
“We can go old school too, if you want,” he remarks as he scrolls through the list of new arrivals. “I have a DVD player.”
That draws a laugh from your lips. “When was the last time you purchased a DVD? Last I checked, you only had Kung Fu Panda, Iron Man, and two copies of Titanic for some reason that you still won’t tell me.”
Jungkook laughs, his chest rumbling against your back. “Call it human error,” he says, looping his arms comfortably around your waist and propping his chin on your shoulder. “How do you feel about going super old school? I can get the VHS player out of the basement and pop in one of the Pokémon movies.”
“I’m sure we won’t have to resort to that,” you assure him, grinning. “Here, why don’t we just watch Iron Man? Three’s your favorite, right?”
“Three is everyone’s favorite,” he says, scrolling over to the appropriate menu and clicking play. “It’s the best one, hands-down.”
“Won’t argue with you there.”
The movie starts, and you shift off Jungkook’s lap to switch off the lights. Darkness overtakes the room as the screen lights up with the opening credits, and when you return to the bed, Jungkook has sprawled comfortably against the pillows lining the headboard. His eyes remain glued to the screen even as he reaches for you, and you hesitate for only a second before joining him, laying down beside him and letting his arm find its way around your shoulders. The scent of floral laundry detergent fills your nostrils, and you subtly nestle a bit closer, resting your head on his chest.
This isn’t the first time Jungkook has seen this movie. You know this for a fact, yet that doesn’t change how raptly he watches the screen, the action sequences reflected perfectly in his glasses. He’s practically vibrating with excitement by the time of the final showdown, mouthing along to the lines, and you hide your smile in the blue-and-white squares of his pajama shirt as the music swells.
It’s well past midnight by the time the credits roll. Jungkook seems perfectly content to lie on his bed with his arm around you, and when you make to get up, his grip slides down to your waist to hold you in place. “You gotta watch the credits all the way through,” he says, blinking at you with bleary eyes now that the adrenaline from the final showdown has worn off. “There’s a post-credits scene, remember?”
You shake your head, but let him pull you back down onto the mattress regardless. “I’m sure you already know what it is. Why don’t you just tell me?”
“What’s the fun in that?” he asks with a grin.
The end credits continue—an endless stream of names scrolling down the screen. Your eyes begin to droop, the words blurring together, and it’s only when the music stops and the final scene begins that you jolt awake. Jungkook is faring no better than you are, suppressing a yawn behind his hand as he watches the last bit of the film through half-lidded eyes. Then the screen goes dark, and silence descends over the room once more. You glance at the alarm clock on his nightstand and see that it’s nearly two in the morning. A look back at Jungkook reveals that both his eyes have fallen shut, and you slowly begin wriggling free from his embrace in order to head home.
You’ve barely moved an inch when Jungkook’s arm tightens around your waist. “Stay,” he mumbles sleepily, one eye cracking open.
You should say no. You should head home to the safety of your own bed. But there’s something about Jungkook—something soft and fond in his tired gaze and something vulnerable in the way he’s holding you so tightly against his pajama-clad body with his hair in complete disarray and his round glasses askew. Heaving a sigh, you reach up to take them off his face, placing them neatly on his nightstand.
“Okay,” you whisper. “I’ll stay.”
Jungkook smiles sleepily and shuts his eyes. “G’night, then, Noona.”
“Night, Jungkookie.”
Within seconds, his breathing evens out, and you know he’s off in dreamland. Twisting in his grasp, you tug your phone out of your pocket and set a quick alarm for six o’clock. Neither of your parents wake up until seven at the earliest, and Jimin would sleep until three in the afternoon if he could get away with it, so you’re certain that you’ll have plenty of time to sneak back into the house. Besides, Jungkook’s bed is comfortable, and his chest is practically a furnace against your back. You aren’t sure you could work up the energy to leave even if you tried.
So instead, you settle back into his embrace and let sleep whisk you away.
///
There are birds chirping outside the window when you open your eyes the next morning, blinking blearily against the sun shining through the curtains. The blanket is tangled around your legs and there’s an arm looped around your waist, and you sit bolt upright when realization dawns. Jungkook groans and mumbles something unintelligible, but you don’t pay him any mind as you twist out of his grasp, clutching for your phone on the nightstand.
7:03am.
Shit.
Throwing your legs over the side of the bed, you rise to your feet and shove your phone into the pocket of your pajama pants. Jungkook makes a sound that vaguely resembles your name, and you spare him a glance as you fumble for your shoes. He’s flat on his back, blinking hair out of his eyes as he fights to stay awake. “Hey,” he manages, his voice raspy.
“I gotta go,” you whisper urgently, successfully putting your shoes on the right feet and wrenching the door of his bedroom open. And then you turn and dash out, leaving a very sleepy, very disheveled Jungkook blinking after you.
Your house, when you carefully crack open the front door and poke your head inside, is quiet. Much to your relief, you don’t hear any of the telltale signs that your family is awake and downstairs yet—no drip of the coffee maker and no sizzle of bacon or eggs. From upstairs, however, you can distantly hear the sound of the shower, so you dart inside and toe off your shoes, padding into the kitchen to start the coffee maker. You check the alarm you’d set the night prior as you scoop coffee grounds into the filter, and curse under your breath when you realize you’d somehow managed to select six PM instead of AM.
You’re seated in the living room with a mug of fresh coffee when Jimin shuffles in with damp hair and a sleepy frown. “You’re up early,” you remark.
“I have a morning class to teach,” he replies, yawning widely as he grabs a fresh mug. “What’s your excuse?”
You shrug. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Fair enough.”
Suppressing another yawn, your brother turns his attention to the refrigerator, rooting around for the milk. And you return yours to the window, where you can see the side of the Jeon’s house, and Jungkook’s bedroom window on the second floor. There are no signs of life from within, and you wonder if he’d gone back to sleep after your departure. Considering how tired he’d looked last night, you wouldn’t be surprised if he had.
Chaeyoung’s voice echoes in your mind then, soft and wistful. It always seemed like he had a bit of a thing for you. Happiest I’ve seen him in a long time. And honestly? I think it was because of you. We never really forget our first crush, do we?
And then Jisoo’s words rise up in your brain, just a bit louder. He’s a heartbreaker. He never, ever stays until the morning.
So why, then, did you wake up in his arms today?
729 notes · View notes
spxllcxstxr · 4 years ago
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Game On • J.P
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(Gif not mine)
Writing Challenge: @lunalovecroft ‘s 2.7k Trope Writing Challenge! Congrats again! Everyone go check out their fantastic blog! Trope: Quidditch Rivals and Secret Dating
Summary: No one knows that rival captains, Potter and (Y/Ln), have been in a secret relationship for quite some time. Then, the Championship Game arrives.
Warnings: cursing, a small hint of steaminess (nothing big—it’s like a quick mention and that’s it), slight Wolfstar and Dorlene mention, mention of breakfast at the Great Hall, kissing, use of Ms when referring to the reader (only once), nonGryffindor!reader
Word Count: 2k
A.N: Kinda long winded but I actually like the dialogue for once??? Wow. Congrats again on 2.7k! Everyone go follow them because I get so happy seeing them on my dash ❤️ Hope you all enjoy and love you all ❤️
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Your eyes snap open hours before they have to, your dorm still pitch black, the soft snores of your friends filling up the otherwise quiet space. The covers feel heavy and restricting on top of you, something you quickly remedy by kicking them clear off the mattress.
You swing your legs over the edge, feet meeting the cool wooden floor.
Rubbing your eyes, you glance over at the ornate clock on your nightstand. One in the morning. You sigh, your goal of getting a good night’s sleep before your important match in ruins.
Your skin crawls at the thought of the Championship Match only hours from now. The amount of blood, sweat, and tears you’ve shed in preparation for it is frankly quite concerning.
Unable to get back to sleep, you drag yourself out of bed, shoving your feet into plush slippers before slipping quietly out of your room. You’re forced to tiptoe around scattered books, most of them Quidditch related from last night.
There’s no way you’ll be getting back to sleep anytime soon, the anxiety of the morning’s match coursing through your veins. The nerves were the worst part of competitive Quidditch—after all these years you still couldn’t shake them.
Absentmindedly, you think about heading to the Kitchens, the warm and comfortable environment sounding like exactly what you need.
Late night visits to the Kitchens aren’t anything new, you and James often sneak out after curfew hidden underneath his Invisibility Cloak. Sitting in the far corner behind countless shelves and barrels was a frequent date for the two of you since it offered enough privacy from the rest of the castle.
The two of you could hold hands on the table, his thumb open to draw little figure eights between your knuckles. Your eyes could light up just looking at him without the fear of being called out. His lips could capture yours in a sweet or passionate kiss and no one would know.
The real and complete reason for keeping your relationship a secret was long since forgotten, but the general idea is still shared. It’s just easier being Quidditch rivals instead of being Quidditch rivals that snogged the second feet touched the ground. Neither of you were ever accused of going easy on the other during matches, and that’s how the two of you preferred it.
Plus, there was something romantic about sneaking around the castle and through secret passage ways pressed closely underneath his cloak. Stolen kisses in empty classrooms and quick shags in broom closets were fun when they weren’t inconvenient.
In the back of your mind you have an inkling that James might be huddled up in the usual spot as well, considering he has a match as well in a few hours.
You shuffle through the common room, a few third years spread out on the couch, sleeping atop their textbooks and notes. The fire crackles and pops lowly. A shiver runs down your spine as you step out into the corridor.
“Lumos!”
A murky blue light blooms from the tip of your wand, lighting up the dark corridor.
You shuffle across the stone, the occasional laugh or snore echoing throughout.
Filch isn’t an issue at this time of night, surprisingly the old care taker does get some sort of beauty sleep, though it does him no good, so you find yourself walking normally instead of carefully creeping around.
It doesn’t take long to get to the portrait of the bowl of fruit, faint giggles coming from the pear. You extend your arm to tickle the bottom of the pear, it’s giggles erupting even louder before morphing into an intricate brass doorknob.
Stepping through the threshold you’re immediately met with a blast of heat due to the large fireplace that practically takes up the wall to your right. Even though it’s the middle of the night, plates and goblets and utensils are clanking and crashing together, the pitter patter of house-elves darting around the area isn’t surprising at this point.
“Nox.”
The blue light fades and flickering orange takes over.
A small and pale grey figure rushes up to you, jittery like they’ve just consumed a gallon of coffee. One ear droops low enough where it’s almost dragging across the floor while the other is significantly shorter.
“Ms. (Y/Ln)!” The house-elf squeaks, wringing their lavender cloth between their fingers. “Mr. Potter is waiting for you!”
“Alright, Tilly.” You smile warmly at the elf. “Thank you.”
As you make your way to your usual spot in the back of the Kitchens, you hear Tilly bound back over to the counters, joining the many other house-elves that work down here.
Behind stacks of old crates and barrels, there’s an old and decrepit picnic table, obscured from the rest of the room. Each time you and James show up you’re surprised the house-elves haven’t chucked it into the large fire yet. It’s so rickety it’s practically only good for firewood.
And being the spot for the two of you to find refuge in.
James is sitting with his back against the wall, legs outstretched across the bench just like you suspected. He’s lazily tracing a finger around the lip of his steaming mug, hazel eyes lost in thought. From your spot you can see his teeth toying with his bottom lip.
“You ok Jamie?” You ask softly, trying not to startle him out of his thoughts.
His eyes flick up to yours before he fixes his glasses and runs a hand through his bedhead.
“Knew you’d join me eventually, love.” He sends over a wink, face lighting up.
“And you didn’t think to pick me up at my common room?” You playfully scoff, slotting yourself between his legs, face pressed into his chest.
The red fabric smells suspiciously like the Quidditch shed, like he got in some late night practice.
“Oh yes, because standing out in the cold corridors outside of your common room after curfew is much better than just waiting for you in the warm Kitchens.” James’ chin rests in the top of your head, his arms wrapped securely around your waist.
“Blimey, chivalry really is dead.”
“Y’know, you could’ve waited outside the Gryffindor Tower for me.” James points out, chuckling at your complaint.
“I’m sorry.” You gasp. “Who has the Invisibility Cloak, again?”
“You got here just fine, didn’t you, love?” He snorts, chest rumbling.
“Whatever.” You grumble, rolling your eyes in defeat.
James sighs, rubbing your side. “You ready for the morning?”
You hum noncommittally, the thought of tomorrow’s match swirling through your mind.
“Nervous, love?” His voice is soft and delicate against your temple.
“I mean, this is my last chance, Jamie.” You mumble into his chest. “And of course it’s against you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, (Y/n)?” James asks, concern laced within his voice.
“It’s just that you’re an amazing player and I’m—“
“A spectacular player as well.” He interjects. “I’ve seen you out there practicing. You’ve built a bloody good team this year. We’re on equal footing.”
“Yeah well, I’ve never beaten you before.” You huff lightly, playing with the hem of his shirt.
“So?” He questions. “That doesn’t mean anything. There’s a reason you’ve made it into the Championship match, (Y/n). Because you’re a fucking phenomenal Captain. And I’ll hex anyone that tells you otherwise.” You feel his fingers flex angrily against your waist.
“You’re so sweet.” You pick your head up slightly to face him, a pout tugging at your lips.
“Guess I should give you a good luck kiss now, considering we won’t have time in the morning.” James’ hazel eyes shine in the flickering light while looking into your own.
“Does luck even last that long?” You bring your fingers up to hover over his sharp jawline.
“Sadly, love, we’ll have to test that.” He sighs.
You bring your lips to meet his, your fatigue making it a bit sloppier than it should’ve been. He nips at your lips, pulling you closer to his chest momentarily before pulling away.
You whine slightly at the loss of warmth.
“Gotta save some of that luck for myself, love. Can’t just let you win.” He smirks, lips grazing your hairline.
The two of you end up sitting there for another hour or so, listening to the fire crackling and the house-elves rummage around. Eventually, he pulls you underneath his cloak and drops you back off at your common room, a quick peck pressed to your lips.
You manage to drift back off to sleep, dreaming of James rather than Quidditch.
When you pry your eyes open for the second time, the sun is actually filtering through your curtains and most of your dormmates are awake and shuffling around.
You tune them out the best you can, opting to go through your routine in whatever silence you can find.
Your routine is quite simple, you let your joints pop and muscles stretch, trying to shake yourself awake.
The rest of the castle seems to be alive with boisterous laughter and over the top festivities. Glancing around at the corridors and the Great Hall, you’re able to notice a pretty even split between red and gold and your own house colors.
This was going to be one hell of a rematch.
Marlene and Sirius have a crowd forming around them as they flex and throw out trash talk. You watch as Remus and Dorcas try to coax them down from the tabletop, but they seem unsuccessful.
Peter, Mary, and Lily are fawning over James, hyping him up, even you can tell from across the Hall.
But he isn’t paying attention to them, his eyes are clearly trained on you behind his round glasses.
“Already envisioning Potter’s demise?”
You tear your eyes away from him, instead focusing on your teammate.
“Oh absolutely.” You smirk, before throwing yourself into last minute charts and maneuvers.
Breakfast goes by quick, your leg never stops bouncing underneath the table and your fingers tap incessantly against your goblet.
You and your team strut down to the pitch earlier than anyone else. There’s a slight breeze rolling through the grounds, something you take into account.
It becomes a bit of a blur after you’ve changed into your uniform, the crowd begins to show up and their cheers take over your hearing.
Remus is announcing the game, which you have no idea why since it never goes well for anyone. His commentary ranges from picking on James to flirting with Sirius to just trying to get McGonagall pissed off.
Marching out to the center of the grassy pitch, broom in hand, you’re bombarded with your name being enthusiastically chanted across the entire stadium. Confidence bubbles inside of you as you face James, Madam Hooch just beside you.
“Alright everyone, I expect a nice, clean, and fair game today. This is the Championship, no one will get away with any funny business.” Her tone is clipped as her yellow eyes take in everyone. “Captains, shake hands.”
You and James take a step forward, his hand firmly grasping yours.
“Good luck, love.”
With your hands still connected, James plants his lips on your own, and you eagerly kiss back.
The crowd erupts into even louder cheers.
“Bloody hell!” You hear Remus exclaim over the loud speaker. “James and (Y/Ln) are now snogging on the pitch! You own me five bloody Galleons, Sirius Black! I told you, you—“
“Lupin!”
James takes a step back, his usual smirk painted across his face. His hazel eyes glint mischievously behind his goggles, which he takes the time to adjust like they were his own glasses.
The roar of the entire castle fills your ears after your little reveal.
It’s a little overwhelming, you have to admit, but it doesn’t deter you. You’ve spent too many hours training for this very moment to back down now.
You roll your neck, taking a deep breath to calm your nerves, but pixies have already erupted in your stomach. You feel James’ stare burning into you.
“Mount your brooms.” Madam Hooch’s harsh tone cuts through the crowd, but you’re barely paying attention to her as you swing a leg over your broom handle.
The whistle pops into her mouth like usual, but in the split second before she blows with all the air in her lungs, you lock eyes with your boyfriend.
His red and gold robes billow behind him, confidence just rolling off of him. Dark and chaotic curls drift in the breeze.
He sends you a wink.
“Game on, love.”
All Character Taglist: @aspiringsloth20 @amourtentiaa @cherie-draco
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lovely-necromancy · 3 years ago
Text
A Cure for Insomnia CH.2
Getting back to your little one story cottage, you can only manage to rush in and run about in a mad dash as you try to accomplish getting ready for work and getting something to eat. Running through choices in your head as you change and freshen up, nothing sounds good. There's not much time since your shift starts at nine and to make it to the store you need to leave by eight twenty. You got home at eight fifteen, and while Nate, your manager, has never seemed to give a fuck what you did at work you're still in your probationary period and would like to keep the easiest job you've ever had.
It's a really simple gig, seeing as the store you work at is actually a front for some illegal activity. The variety of crime you aren't sure of, but you are aware there's no way you guys do no business and yet they can afford to pay thirty dollars an hour. Thankfully just keeping your mouth shut and being nice to little Jo, the owner's daughter, is enough to keep you in the cushiest job in the world. The store's front is a regular old book store, all the books are real, the registers work, you're able to sell books and you've run to the bank to do the weekly deposits twice for Book & Nook. The front is very legitimate or it would be if the amount of customers ever equaled the sales made.
Again you don't ask questions, because for thirty dollars an hour you get to goof off for a couple hours a day, plus you get a bonus when you watch little Jo at the shop. She's a real sweet eleven year old, she's got tourettes and took a shine to you the first time she saw you tic. While you both might not suffer the same disorder she finds the common ground nice, like it's not just her. It's not even hard to watch her or enjoy her company, she'll come bouncing in with her excited chittering and hands clapping spilling all the latest gossip that comes with being in middle school. And boy is there a lot of gossip.
It's really nice seeing that Jo has friends at school and is even considered a “popular” kid. You remember how tough school was because no one understood you and teachers never cared enough about your personality to bring up the fact that it was clear to most faculty members that you had Autism. You excelled academically so what did it matter if you got picked on for oversharing information or for finishing assignments the minute they were handed to you. As bittersweet as the parallels are you're so glad Jo doesn't have to go through that. Never would have thought a southern school could be so accepting, much less a middle school at that.
Tearing through the kitchen you honestly can't find anything that you want to eat right now. And even after a long night of hiking/dissociating you don't think you're that peckish at all. Figuring it's best to at least take something to quell any future nausea you grab a Pedialyte Pop from the freezer. As fast as you entered your home you left, and not before ensuring twice that the door was locked and secured. While living on the outskirts of town saves you from many potential robberies, and worse salesmen, there's still the chance of some lunatic with an ax hiding out in a closet to murder you. Better safe now than sorry later.
Pulling into park behind the shop right at nine is a blessing. You run into the shop to clock in blurting out a quick 'Morning' to Nate, who was carrying a particularly large box, as you passed by him. In a flash you were back at your car retrieving your newly prized deer skull. Lungs burning a bit from the all out sprint you just did you took a little extra time to close the trunk and lock your car up to catch your breath, and avoid any light headiness you might get from the empty stomach workout. Eager to share the wonders of death with your best work friends, and by that you mean Nate your manager...and only other coworker, you rush back into the building.
The shop was quiet as usual as you made your way through the door though you were in the back room where only employees could roam you had the slightest suspicion that the front of shop was just the same. It's there you find Nate, now lugging a medium sized box around to a side table. He did this a lot you suspect some type of smuggling but hey plausible deniability and all those legal matters. The taller dark haired man sees you and just as he's about to wave you over, notices your prize with a raised brow.
“The fuck d'you bring in the store?” he doesn't seem amused by whatever it is he thinks you're up to. “Deer skull.” Lifting it up in one hand and pointing at it, “Found this guy on my hike last night...or rather this morning actually.”
“YN, we talked about this, you said you'd get some sleep last night. No adventures remember.” he's only two years older than you and yet he acts as if he's ten years. He must be an old soul, or enjoys the role of care giver...or you're making him go gray prematurely, anything's possible.
“Eh, I remember saying I'd 'try' and get sleep.” for someone who's body is running on fumes your cheekiness is astronomical, “operative word being 'try', remember.”
It's a long silence as Nate decides if he wants to deal with your bullshit at this moment. After a minute or so he concedes leaning back on the table behind him. “Let's hear it.” and you perk up immediately.
“Cool, so I was walking along the tree line and spotted him, tried to find more but seems there's only one piece. Judging by the size of his antlers I'd say he was nearly fully grown. Now my plan is to do whatever treatments taxidermists do to bones and,” you continue to word vomit at the tired twenty-six year old in front of you, about the joys and wonders of taxidermy and the likely hood of ever finding a skull so nicely preserved.
“I can do that in here right?” even though it's been phrased as a question, you aren't asking permission, you're just being polite and letting Nate know the storage room will house your creepy deer skull antics for today...maybe the week you need to find a taxidermist book to figure out what you need to do.
Nate gives up and leaves with his box of new books to let you have full run of the back to do your weird vulture culture shit. He figures he's just too old to understand the new obsessions with the macabre. He hopes his cousin won't take to shit like this, the kid's weird enough as it is, no need to put another target on her back. Nate sets off to take down the Harry Potter sets in favor of this new comic series little Jo wanted.
Already taking his silence as the go ahead you place your found skull on the table and rush off into the store front to find a book on taxidermy and hopefully more specifically about bones. The set up and organization of the store reminds you a lot of the scene in Brendan Fraser's The Mummy 1997 where Evie is on the ladder and somehow causes all the book shelves to fall like dominoes. So unsafe, yet all book stores and libraries seem to have this set up. With the tall shelves it makes it difficult to accurately get a read on the spines. You don't even know what section taxidermy actually falls under, education maybe?
“Nate, where do you think a book on taxidermy would be?” you called out as you passed by him.
“...hobby?” that didn't sound right but you'd give it a shot anyway.
This should be fun, the hobby section was so disorganized and it took up nearly half the store too, Book & Nook had everything from fishing, to crochet, cooking, the art of film making, hell even had a cryptid hunting book a book that you may have to look into a bit later. You closed your eyes and let your intuition guide you, when you looked up you saw a thin black...vine, no whisp? It undulates in less than rhythmic movements nearly like a snake but it has no head, and not unlike a tentacle but without suckers. It's another hallucination so you were keen to ignore it until it stretched past your head, giving you an added auditory hallucination where you swore you could hear wind rushing past your ears, it swirled around you until it flew to the shelf and tapped on a book. Cautiously you walked over to it, it's never good to play into these delusions. Once you got close enough the black shape was gone but on the shelf was a creme colored paper back titled “Manual of Taxidermy: Complete Guide of Preserving Birds and Mammals.”
Walking to Nate with the book in your hands you asked him to read it and make sure you weren't having an episode and making everything up right now. You'd have to try harder to go to sleep tonight if that were the case.
“Oh you found your book huh?” he said looking down at the title.
Well this is getting weird fast, but you nod nonetheless. Might as well thank the weird hallucination gift right. Leaving him to do whatever it is he plans on doing the rest of the day, you go to the back. And just as the book instructs you set to cleaning the skull by setting it in some water and changing it as many times as the water runs murky. The book is quiet helpful to a beginner like yourself but it does seem a bit outdated from the bits of information you know from taxidermists blogs and vulture culture posts on the internet. Reading it in between water changes is a great way to pass the time though, not like you guys get any real customers anyways.
The bell rings as the front door opens and closes alerting you to someone's arrival on your third water change. Needing a little bit of mental stimulation you walk out into the front where Big Jo and Little Jo are talking to Nate. Little Jo sees you and skitters away from her father to rush you, she stops about a foot away and holds her arms wide open. She's a hugger but upon meeting you had never even thought people could be touch adverse so keeping in mind that you might not want to be touched she's learned to invite you into hugs and it's your choice to allow it or not. Placing a hand on your bicep you give a squeeze, checking your tolerance you find the thought bearable. Placing your arms outstretched at your sides Jo rushes your torso for her hug.
After she nearly body slammed you into the wall, and  let her death grip go she was off on a tangent about so many things. Her excited rapid blinking tic, one she developed after meeting you, triggering your own.
“Ok so you remember how last week I told you that Jessie Kinsleton said that Micheal Saleisa told Gigi B, not Gigi S. that Meghan,” you had no clue the lives of eleven year olds had gotten so complex, from the gossip you heard from Jo it seemed that the school's sixth graders were plotting for a war with an ice cream parlor up the street. No clue why, maybe just to fuck the system, kids are weird, preteens are weirder...and angry.
But you nod to Jo listening to her every word, and trying to calm your eyelids so you could actually open your eyes. After being told the sequence of events that would happen in the Tween Armageddon, something to do with Marco Salvator ordering three dozen donuts and a flock of geese, your eyes finally gained their ability to see back. Black whisps, much like the one from earlier, wandered all around your vision, it looked like a  dark smoke had settled eye level within the shop and was snaking through the isles.
Catching the movement of your eyes Jo looked around the shop too. Seeing nothing she turned back to you concerned, “Hey it's okay, nothin's there.”
Hearing the drop in volume of the normally chatty tween, Big Jo and Nate pause their conversation to turn their attention to you and follow you're gaze.
“Kid, you ain't sleepin' again?” Big Jo can already gauge by the bags under your eyes but he's a polite man so he feels the need to ask rather than state his assumptions.
“Day 6.” You answer simply, ever since you've started at Book & Nook the whole Cowell family became acutely aware of many of your disorders. By their record your longest time spent awake was ten days, you however adamantly say that you were an hour's mark away from ten full days so the longest you've been up is nine days in a row. And those are just the cases they know of since you've moved to Kepler.
Big Jo shook his head as a stern father would, which he is, “I have half the mind to send you home to rest.”
“That won't work.” you really don't mean to sound so coarse but it's so irritating having to go over this at least once a week.
“What about those gummy things Dia got you?”
“Long term that kind of stuff has no effect, sure it'll make me drowsie for an hour or two but even if it made me sleep one night I can't use it all the time. And before you ask the same questions again, caffeine has no real effect on me so limiting my intake will do nothing and weed doesn't do a thing for me either.” you state plainly, monotone as you present facts that everyone in the room already knows.
Looking at the stern face of Big Jo's and the exasperated face of Nate you continue, “I know it must be frustrating for you to not be able to help, but I'm content living like this. I like my late night adventures and when I do sleep it's really pleasant.”you threw in a smile for added comfort.
“Kid tha's not the point, there's somethin' wrong with you, medically I mean.” he's pinching the bridge of his nose, probably counting to ten to calm himself from raising his voice.
“Tons of people suffer from insomnia and there isn't anything a doctor could do for me except look for underlying conditions.” Big Jo's about to retort when you continue with, “Plus my dad and uncle both have insomnia as well so my case is due to the genetic lottery I lost.” You say with a hint of finality of your situation, you had to come to terms with this condition all the way back in high school. Having a decade to get used to your strange condition and the limitations it places on you from time to time. Whereas the Cowell family's only had two months to process this information, and you understand it'll take awhile before they stop being concerned. Same thing happened with you parents and friends back then too.
For now you're only met with more head shakes as if they were saying 'what are we going to do with you'. Leaving your medical issues aside Nate and Big Jo continue to talk shop, when the set up Nate just put on display catches Jo's eye.
Like lightening the tween was away from your side and by the new display shelf it looked like it held graphic novels. That's a first since you've been here, you walk over to join Jo knowing the second you do she'll start on about what's got her so excited. Most people might say you over indulge the child and coddle her but you actually just think it's really important to take interest in what makes kids happy. It helps them find their voices and also shows them that it's normal to get excited and like things.
“We got the TAZ graphic novels in?!” you hate rhetorical questions but smile and nod at her anyway.
“Have you read them? No, well you've listen to the podcast...what omg! Ok so there's these three brothers and their,” Jo begins regaling you with tales from the podcast known as The Adventure Zone and how fun they've made dungeons and dragons seem with their amazing story telling and funny characters.
You aren't sure if a show where the main group of heroes being called Tres Horny Bois is exactly age appropriate but when you look to Big Jo he kind of just shrugs it off. Turning you attention back to Jo who's now monologing about mongooses you just smile at the weird family you've found yourself in.
Let it be said that a tween with a slightly unhealthy fixation on something can find anyway to drag it back to that fixation. The day flew by with Jo explain the inner workings of dungeons and dragons, fifth edition, to you, her father, and her cousin after you mentioned why she didn't play. Apparently she'd love to but wanted a story fitting for her friend's to adventure. So being the good older cousin, father, and weird family friend you all were you came up with a story plot for her to use with her campaign.
The Jos had a lot of fun bonding over this little workshop and you guys even had food delivered so you and Nate could stay later. What was meant to just be a quick workshop turned into a mini family game night after you made several nearly impossible puzzles that wouldn't be used in Jo's campaign due to no one at the current table understanding how to solve it even after you showed them several times.
Overall it was fun and you think you might actually be tired enough to go to sleep tonight. You tried to stay and help clean up but Big Jo put his foot down and told you to go get some rest, he'd seen the way you occasionally look around the room as if something was moving behind them all. You may have started off as a cashier two months ago for him but his daughter has opened up a lot since meeting you and discovering that tics aren't so uncommon and there are people who wouldn't care or make a big deal out of them. Because of that you've earned your keep in his family, he already has you down on the list for Christmas cards.
Knowing you can't fight the six foot four man you roll your eyes and bid everyone good night, little Jo coming in to steal another hug from you and thank you for helping with her game. Checking on your skull you see the water's clear and dump it in the sink of the break room before leaving the skull to dry overnight, it's for sure gonna make Nate scream tomorrow, you can't help but chuckle at that.
Leaving through the back door and into the dusk colored parking lot you notice your trunk is popped open slightly. You definitely heard it shut earlier this morning. You blink before your head jerks to the right, unsettled by possibility of a break in and not risking it you head back inside.
“Hey, I think my car may have been broken into.” you stand awkwardly in the door way unsure of how to proceed.
Big Jo and Nate are out of the door as fast as they can. They find your car unlocked with the trunk popped, you know they weren't trying to brush you off when they asked several times if you did in fact lock your car this morning. After hearing your affirmative response each time, they began to inspect your car checking to make sure all wires are properly secured under the hood, Nate even retrieved the jack out of his own car to take a look under the car, ensuring the brakes hadn't been messed with. They started the car up just fine and it didn't appear tampered with. Even though nothing looked out of place and Nate's car, sitting in the same parking lot, hadn't been touched you appreciated them checking to make sure you were alright.
Knowing you're perceived as a woman by most, even outside of this small town, makes you uneasy when it comes to terms of abductions and violence. You know the chances and hear the stories whether it's from the victim's mouth or a podcaster's telling the story the dead can't. Nate offered to follow you home and make sure you were ok but you declined and said you'd call them both when you got home. Big Jo said to just call his home phone because Nate would be coming over tonight anyway, and if they didn't make it there before you called Dia was already at home and would pass the message along. You'll probably still try and give the shop a call if Dia answers, it wouldn't sit right with you if you wound everyone up just to not and at least try to settle their nerves.
With one final check of you car, the men even going so far as to lift seats up and feel under them, they sent you off. You drove carefully on the road tonight, ready to pull off into the shoulder at the slightest hint that something was wrong. Not even the radio was on something that you really didn't like driving without, but if there was the chance for you to catch a shift in tone of the machine you wanted to. Eventually you did end up making it home in one piece and you had called the Cowell family home, from the safety of your car, and got a spazztic eleven year old asking if you'd made it home alright. It took a little bit of coaxing but Little Jo calmed down and shouted to her parents that you were on the phone and alright.
“Kid,” looks like Big Jo took the phone away from Little Jo, “Everything ok on the drive.” Big Jo could hear the movement and shutting of your car door, he'd have to say he was relieved you waited until you were on the phone before exiting. He knew you lived out past the quiet zone in Old Lydia's house. A fact that did little for the unease he felt when he thought you were being watched.
“Oh, yea drive was fine, too quiet but fine.” you said simply as you began circling the cottage. Nothing seemed out of place on the outside, even looking above eye level where people tended to get sloppy in stalking or home invasion cases, everything seemed fine.
“Hope you don't mind if I keep you for a bit.” You had just unlocked your door and stepped in.
“Nah, kid 's fine.” you give a hum of acknowledgment as you look through the kitchen in cabinets, under cupboards, and even under the table.
“You're a smart kid.” he's taken that fatherly overtone that makes you roll your eyes. You understand the sentiment of parents and parental figures having pride in their child or ward but it's always been so weird to you when they feel the need to bring it up. Especially when they bring it up in situations that are dangerous, like can you not make it sound like someone's about to die.
Finding nothing in the living room, hall closet or bathroom you make sure all the windows are locked and dowels are in place to keep them from opening. And you double check that both the back and front doors are secured. You can hear the hushed whispers on the other end of the line, Dia must have just found out about your car, as you rustle through your kitchen utensil drawers taking out two forks before you make your way to your bedroom.
Once in your room you checked your closet and under your bed. Finding nothing you  went to the window in your room, the one right by your bed, you checked the lock, secured it in place with two dowels, and then covered it throwing a thick blanket over the curtain rod to ensure no one would be viewing you in your sleep or the precautions you were about to do. Turing around and locking your bedroom door you then jam one fork into the closed door crease, right below the locking mechanism, and jammed the other fork perpendicular through the prongs. You attempted to open the door with all your weight but only could get an inch in before the forks would stop more movement.
“Kid you alright over there?” it's rushed, he probably heard the commotion with your make shift lock.
“Yea, just had to add another lock to the door.” you trust the Cowell's but you understand how stupid it'd be to let them know exactly how you were defending yourself. Even if it wasn't them there's no telling if the person who broke into your car was outside and just good at hiding. You could also be too jumpy from your true crime shows but you figure it's better to be safe.
“I think everything's good Big Jo.” taking a final glance around your room eye's landing on the bed, “Think I'm even ready to go to sleep tonight too.” a small half laugh leaves your mouth.
“Alright kid, you call if you need anything got it.” it's an order not a request.
“Got it, good night.” Big Jo might think that'd been rude coming from anyone else but from you he can only roll his eyes at the brevity and the dial tone he's met with. He has his own sweep to do, if they were targeting his employee there was a reason. He hasn't had any problems since coming to Kepler but someone always eventually comes along who can't take a hint.
Even combing through your home with Big Jo on the line you didn't feel safe having your bed by the window anymore and moved it away and in front of the closet door. You'd rearrange your room later but for tonight this would have to do. By some grace of god you were actually able to shut your brain down tonight and rest. Maybe it was the excitement and merriment from hanging out with the Cowells or more likely the situation you find yourself in of perhaps being a target for something insidious.
Whatever the case may be you are off to the land of dreams before you know it. And unbeknownst to you the same eyes from this morning watch your home. They may not have seen what you did in there but they'd be sure to catch you when you come out. They'll wait all night to catch you if they have to.
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canyouhearthelight · 3 years ago
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The Miys, Ch. 142
Another late chapter... I’m really batting a thousand lately, seems like.
So, work has been insane, but @baelpenrose reminds me to post when I forget, thankfully. And this is SUCH a fun chapter.  I hope you all enjoy!
I dropped into a seat in Mess Hall Seven with a groan, so exhausted that I barely managed to get soup and a grilled cheese from the console.  Tyche yawned and nodded in agreement before poking at her sushi bowl idly. It was six Von-days after the last drill, and between coordinating increased training schedules for Shelters Three and Seven and helping Charly plan kink-night at the Undine, we were wiped.
“People are ungrateful,” she muttered before managing to barely balance a piece of salmon into her mouth.
I muttered something that hopefully sounded like agreement before I scooped up a bite of my soup with one wedge of sandwich, too lazy to even bother with the spoon. “Remind me why we don’t have Vati and Hannah handling the practice schedules?”
“Because they are handling the extra evacuation drills with Jokul and Arthur.”
Personally, I thought they were getting the better end of this deal, but since the raging success of their first Food Festival, it really was only fair. “And the relocations for those who need it,” I admitted. “Except mine.”
“Conor may actually strangle one of them if any of your plants don’t make it,” she pointed out, gesturing with her chopsticks for emphasis after having given up and using her fingers to eat her lunch. “Not to mention I wouldn’t wish packing with Maverick on anyone.”
“He’s letting me pack the books and textiles.” I shrugged in acceptance after taking another bite of soup-dipped sandwich.
We picked at our food in silence after that, grateful for something resembling a reprieve, before we were interrupted by a flurry of grey hair and enthusiasm landing in one of the nearby chairs with a heavy thunk. “Good afternoon, Madams Reid.”
“Hey, Jokul,” I muttered as Tyche just waggled her fingers at him. I really think I liked it better when he was trying to kill me. Right now, I might even let him do it.
“I know you are both on your meal period, but I wanted to test the waters on potentially scheduling a community activity,” he rushed out.
Tyche guarded her lunch with an almost feral aggression, having heard what happened the last time Jokul had interrupted my lunch. “That should really be something you run by Al-”
“Worthington, yes, I know,” he interrupted. “However, I know you are both quite busy and I wanted to be respectful of your time. As such, I will make this as brief as - ow!” He snatched his hand back away from the other half of my sandwich, rubbing where I had slammed my spoon down onto it.
“I have no idea where the food stealing comes from, but don’t,” I warned him.
“Rude, got it,” he nodded in a terrifying impression of Charly’s normal demeanor. “As I was saying, I recently learned a new type of game from Terra, from the Before.  It involves teamwork, and encourages creativity and escapism, and I think it would be a very good community activity - “
I surrendered to my urge to groan. “We are not doing a redux of Settlers of Cattan. Arthur stabbed someone last time.”
“I didn’t press charges…” Jokul pouted, glancing at the scar on the back of his wrist briefly. “Besides, it was only a fork. Clearly he didn’t mean it, there were four knives in arms reach counting my own.”
Tyche cocked an eyebrow at me. Seriously?
I pursed my lips and wrinkled my nose in response. Yep.
“So what game is it this time?” I asked hesitantly.
I was reward-bombarded with a grin. “It’s called Dungeons and Dragons! Somewhat like a video game, but with more people, and using writing implements and paper. Oh, and different kinds of dice, very important. One person is something of the narrator, to give the game a kind of structure, while the other players act as characters in the game… Ivan introduced me to it, and it is quite challenging with the right people.  The dungeon master - that is the narrator - has to re-evaluate the story based on the actions of the other players, but the players themselves don’t know what the dungeon master is going to do. It is very much a social diversion, and there are many classes….”
As Jokul continued to gush, he was rather oblivious to the fact that Tyche and I were stuffing our faces as quickly as possible to avoid interrupting him or laughing. We had both played when we were younger - in fact, we had been introduced to the game by our mother.  There had even been a very overwhelming pop-culture movement in our youth around the game, which further emphasized just how far out in the boonies Jokul had grown up.  As shocking as it was that he was just now discovering the game, it came at exactly zero surprise that he enjoyed it so much - it was right up his alley of interests.
About fifteen minutes and two more grilled cheeses into his retelling of the campaign he was part of, Charly and Arthur squeezed in with us, their own lunches in tow.  As seemed to be a growing trend, Arthur reached over and snagged one of my sandwiches before I could react, shoving half of it in his face.
That was apparently enough to snap Jokul out of his story. “Hey! Why didn’t you hit him?”
“His deathwish, not my problem,” I shrugged.
Around the remains of my lunch, Arthur managed to enunciate. “Told you, Noah fissed the dairy allergy.”
“Bleargh,” I gagged comically. “It’s okay, think I’m done anyway.”
Jokul’s hand swatted Arthur’s out of the way to steal the rest of my food. “As I was saying, Ivan was quite clever with his resolution to deal subdural damage to the player who was very much ruining the storyline by insisting his character was immune to magical sleep…”
“Oooooo! I love tabletops!” Charly squealed, bouncing in her seat. “What setting are you playing in right now?  My favorite was always Exalted…”
“Miss Harper, I think we are discussing different activities.” Jokul sounded supremely confused, but my heart broke a bit.
Arthur shook his head. “Maybe not Exalted, but what about Ebberron? Swordhaven, maybe?  Just tell me it isn’t Ravenloft… I know you haven’t been fucking around in a Dark Sun, but I beg you to tell me you aren’t playing Ravenloft.”
“I’m not sure what those are… Ivan introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons. There is only one setting.”
“So… Greyhawk or homebrew,” Arthur nodded. “Best place to start, get the basics down.”
Jokul’s head pivoted toward me and Tyche, squinting in annoyance. “You knew, didn’t you? And you let me prattle on…”
“You were so… happy….” I explained plaintively. “We didn’t want to ruin that for you.”
Tyche nodded. “We both remember how fun that first campaign is. And honestly? We’ve been having a kind of crappy day.  It was nice to hear someone be excited about something that isn’t work related.”
“But I came to you to discuss making it a ship activity…”
“Originally, yeah,” I shrugged. “That was maybe the first thirty seconds.  After that, you were doing what literally every tabletop roleplaying person has done since the beginning of time… telling stories about the fun, dramatic, and frankly stupid shit the people in your party are doing.”
“Says the two-foot eight halfling rogue,” Arthur scowled.
“I rolled it at random, it was fifteen years ago, get over it!” I threw my hands up dramatically. “At least I wasn’t mated to a frickin’ deity.”
Charly giggled uncontrollably while Jokul goggled at us. “Exalted is broken in all the fun ways.”
“You literally sacrificed, and I quote ‘all of your fucks to give’, for necromancy.”
“That was your idea!”
Jokul turned toward Tyche, waiting for her to say something. She just held up her hands defensively. “I was a murder monk-bunny.”
Arthur snorted. “You were the Black Rabbit of Inle….”
“Well if my wife would have just stopped dying…!”
“At least none of us were the Platinum Knight who pissed his pants every time he confronted his favored enemy,” I laughed. “He never did live that one down. Every. Single. Dragon. He would crit fail his roles.”
“Oh, please,” Arthur intoned drily. “Did I ever tell you about the time one of my players managed to make ‘Notice me, Senpai’ into the most terrifying in-universe warcry imaginable?”
Charly choked before swatting his shoulder. “Not in front of my pasta. Please.”
Jokul, however, looked both horrified and intrigued, egging Arthur on. “Barbarian whose entire clan worshipped a god named The Senpai…. Just imagine, a barbarian in a rage, bellowing ‘NOTICE ME, SENPAI!!!’ before just scything down thirty men with a broadsword.”
At this point, I was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down my face. “Please, please tell me there was a kilt and pigtails involved….”
Jokul touched his own hair, before straightening as seriously as possible. “They are warrior’s braids, Councillor.”
That was it, I couldn’t take it anymore. I just put my head down on my folded arms and waiting to either pass out from laughing so hard or from exhaustion.  A few deep breaths and a spinning head later, I managed to wipe my face on my sleeve and realized the conversation was continuing without me.  Just as I was clearing my throat to let Jokul know he should be fine to start organizing something and to send me a rough outline, Arthur dealt the final blow.
Leaning over, he whispered over my shoulder. “By the way, the barbarian’s name was Drystan of the Doki-doki tribe.”
I was proud that I managed to get up and dash into the hallway before collapsing against the wall in maniacal laughter.  I barely registered Hannah’s voice behind me asking everyone at the table if I needed medical assistance, and that did not help.
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quartzwriting · 4 years ago
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Stephen, Peter, and Morgan
Pairing: Doctor Strange X Fem!Reader
Description: You and Stephen often watch Peter and Morgan, cuteness ensues in the New York Sanctum! And you leave him with them for a few hours, how does he handle?
Warnings: Non
Word Count: 2.4k
A/N: Originally posted to Quotev / One of my favourite things to add to my Stephen X Reader pieces is to throw Morgan and Peter into the mix!
Masterlist | Fic Reading Recs | Ao3 | Quotev | Coffee
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Silence fell through the hallway, even though you swear you heard a scrambling and an echo of a quiet giggle. Crossing your arms, and with a smirk, you continued your way through. You crept past relics and bookshelves, old paintings and large windows, your feet making zero noise against the floorboards thanks to a little spell you cast.
Today, the Sanctum was not a place of study, or a training ground, but a playground for hide and seek.
You made a left turn and entered your favourite open room, the one that had that beautiful window with the symbol of the New York sanctum. Keeping your ears open, you walked between a set of shelves. You ran your hand across the spines of the books as you passed. There were no signs of the little rascal anywhere. Until you looked a little closer, and saw a little detail that you might have easily missed if you were not paying attention enough.
A little shadow. It was peaking out from behind one of the nooks between cabinets against the wall, thanks to the perfectly placed window right behind.
You smiled, and kept taking soundless steps around the room. You had her, now you just had to catch her. You had a few options, but you decided to use your magic to give yourself a small advantage. Using a quick, short ranged teleportation spell, you popped out of nowhere right in front of her.
"BOO!"
The little girl let out a playful scream and jumped out of her hiding place and ran. You tried to grab her but she was too fast. She ran down the nearby stairs and into a new hallway, and you got an idea to capture her. You raised your hand and conjured up a portal with your sling ring. Morgan did not notice, and she ran through the portal and right back to you thanks to the loop you made. You scooped her up while she laughed.
While Pepper is away on a Stark business trip, Morgan needed someone to watch over her. Pepper said she didn’t fully trust Peter to watch her alone, you cannot leave those two alone for even a second without the eruption of chaos. So you volunteered and agreed to letting them both stay a few nights in the Sanctum.
Stephen did not agree with the idea at first. Too many precious breakable relics, he said. Possible dimensional threats could happen when they are here, he said. He also likes his peace and quiet, and you knew that the combination of Morgan and Peter would result in some loudness echoing down the halls. But you managed to convince him, you knowing Morgan since she was very small and having bonded with Peter more since the snap was reversed.
Everything would end up fine, and it would be fun. You would not let anything go wrong.
You finally let her go and she looked up at you with a scrunched up nose, "That's not fair, you cheated!"
"I did not!" You crossed your arms around your chest.
"Yes you did! You used magic." She copied your arm movement with mockery.
"It's not cheating because I didn't use it to FIND you, but to catch you instead." You explained.
"It's still cheating, and I can't do magic so its not fair." She mumbled.
"Maybe one day I can teach you some magic,"
"REALLY!" Her eyes lit up like lights on a Christmas Tree.
"When you're older." You said instantly, and she pouted.
"Where's Peter?" She said it in her cute voice, where sometimes her Rs turned into Ws, so it sounded like 'Petew'.
"We need to find him now." You grabbed her hand and lead her to a new hallway. "Come on, Maguna." That nickname is what Tony used to call her, and now only you and Peter call her that.
"OH PETER!"
"SHHhhhhh! You're gonna give us away!" You hushed her as you both went to look for the webslinger, she giggled.
The two of you made your way to the foyer, eyes darting everywhere in search of Peter. Instead of a spider, you found Stephen in the little seating area next to the fireplace off to the side, nose deep in a book as always. Morgan dashed down the staircase and right up to him with a smile. "Mister Strange, have you seen Peter around."
She and Peter are the only ones who call Stephen 'Mister Strange', and not be corrected to 'Doctor'.
Stephen looked up from the pages of his book and smiled at her, "Sorry Morgan I haven't."
She grumbled, "He's too good at hiding!"
"Well he is a spider," Stephen said closing his book and setting it on the coffee table. "so he can hide in places that you can't. He's a sticky one."
With that, Stephen pointed upwards with a shaky hand. Morgan followed her gaze up. Sure enough there was Peter hanging all the way up from the top of the tall ceiling on a web string.
"I see you Peter!!!" Morgan shouted, pointing at him.
"Dang it Mister Strange! Why did you give me away?" Peter yelled back, beginning to descend from the ceiling.
"Did you two break anything?" Stephen said jokingly, but you knew he was being slightly serious.
"No!" Morgan exclaimed, "I'm careful."
"Peter is more likely to break something than Morgan is," You pointed out, holding back a smile while descending the stairs to join everyone.
"Hey!" Peter said in defence, and you stifled a laugh.
"Alright you two, I'm getting a little tired of hide and seek. How about we do something else?" You suggested.
"OH! We can watch a movie, I got lots of good ones on my laptop." Peter said.
"Can we build a fort for the movie?" Morgan asked with puppy dog eyes.
"Sure we can. There's some extra blankets in the library so it might be best to do it there." You said.
"Sweet! Morgan lets go!!!" Peter bent down so he could let her climb onto his back, and the two run up the stairs to go make their fort.
"No running!" Stephen called after them, and you saw that he was trying to hold back a smile.
You laughed at the sight. Even though those two were a handful, non stop energy and somehow constantly hungry, you loved their company.
"Are they behaving?" Stephen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course they are." You replied, "I wouldn't let them in here if I didn't trust them."
"It's not just that, but what if something comes up? What if there is an attack?"
"There won't be, and even if there is I'll protect them. It's what I promised Pepper." You said, then you looked down. "It's what I promised Tony." Your heart ached a little, you missed Tony. Surprisingly, you saw a lot of him in Morgan's developing personality. You were sure that when she grew up, she's be just like her dad.
"Alright." Stephen nodded. He stood up from the couch and made his way over to you to place a kiss on your forehead. "I trust you of course to watch over them, and the Sanctum. Cause if they break anything I'm gonna have to reconsider their stay here." You laughed a little at that.
"Hey, guys." Peter called out to you from the banister at the top of the stairs, "There's a beeping sound up here."
You raised your eyebrows in thought, and you instantly dashed up the stairs with Stephen following close behind. You followed Peter back into the room with the window, now a sunset displayed beyond the glass.
“What’s that noise?” Morgan asked. She pointed out the sound and saw a flashing blue light coming from the side of the room.
“There’s a call coming in.” You said, walking up to the device that rested on the table. Natasha gave this to you, it connected to the communication channel that let you talk with everyone else, you used it to check in on everyone across the universe back when Thanos won.
You accepted the call, and a glowing blue projection appeared.
“(L/N), do you copy?”
“Yes Rocket, I hear you. What’s up?”
The Gaurdians were now projected into the Sanctum. Quill, Rocket, Nebula, Groot, Mantis and Drax. You were close with Rocket and Nebula from those five years, and you battled alongside everyone before.
“We could use some help." Peter Quill said, "We responded to a distress signal, and we found a planet that's in complete chaos. There's like chucks coming out if it an everything. Anyways, the attackers look like they're using magic."
"What do you mean?" Stephen placed himself next to you so he was now in the projection on their ship and they could see him.
"There's these guys with powers that resemble what you can do. The sparkly stuff. We thought it was best to call you in. Things keep coming out of portals and this planet is about to erupt into war if we don't stop them. Maybe even collapse in on itself." Rocket explained.
You tilted your head in confusion, "I thought humans from earth were the only people in this dimension to use our type of magic."
Stephen's eyebrows furrowed in thought, "I don't know, maybe they had human influence. Does Kamar Taj know about this?"
"Whatever it is, we need some assistance." Nebula said. When you first met her, you never though a sentence like that would even come out of her mouth, her asking for help.
"Its too large scale for us to handle alone. Thor is unavailable right now and you guys are our best bet." Quill explained.
“We would come check it out, but we’re a little occupied at the moment-“ Stephen was going to go on but was quickly interrupted.
Parker poked his head in front of you and into the view of the projector, “HI GUYS! HI PETER!!!”
“Hey Peter,” Quill laughed. “You two babysitting?”
“Yeah.” You replied, Morgan now in front of you to say hi as well.
"Aww, a child." Mantis cooed, smiling at Morgan and waved to her.
"You are watching Stark's children." Drax said.
"Oh um Mr. Stark isn't my dad." Peter Parker pointed out.
"Yeah, but if you need help we can send in some sorcerers from another Sanctum. Maybe we can give London a call." You suggested.
"But we rather have you two," Rocket said, "I can't stand those other sorcerers, they're too serious, Plus you're the best their is."
"Maybe I should go," Stephen said.
"I'll go, you watch the kids." You said, and before he could protest, you switched your civilian clothes for your robes with a quick spell (Morgan looking up at you in awe). "Guardians, I'll be right there. I'm gonna stop in Kamar Taj first to see if they have picked up anything on this. Be on your ship in a few."
"Sounds good, thanks (L/N)." Rocket said, and with that he ended the call.
"When will you be back?" Morgan tugged at your robes.
"Soon, I won't be long." You smiled at her.
Before you left, you gave hugs to Peter and Morgan, and a kiss on the cheek to Stephen. You held up your sling ring and opened a portal to Kamar Taj.
"Be careful." Stephen called. "and take the cloak."
The cloak of levitation flew into the room and right up to you. You caught the collar in your hand and slung it over your shoulders in a swift motion.
"I will." You replied and jumped through to your unexpected adventure.
“Mister Strange? Can you teach us how to do that?” Peter asked.
“No.”
“Aw...”
~~~
You stepped through your slingring portal, and heaved a heavy sigh. That was a crazy term of events, and working with any of the guardians was an experience in itself, let alone them all together. It turned out that the attackers of that planet were using the same kinda of sorcery you used. You helped stop the invasion, and passed on the information to the other sanctum masters.
Making your way through the Sanctum, dusting off your robes and rubbing your face off of dirt, you went to find Stephen and the kids to let them know you were back. Soon you heard voices, and followed the trail towards the kitchen. You heard laughter, and wondered what was going on. The voices started to get more clear.
"How long do we have to wait?"
"Twelve minutes."
"In the meantime we can clean up this mess we made. (Y/N) might freak out if she sees the kitchen looking like this."
"Peter made most of the mess!"
"I did not!"
"But you're the one who spilled the flour everywhere!"
"And you were trying to eat the chocolate chips!"
"Just help me clean up you two."
You slowly peered through the doorway, careful not to be seen, and saw the three of them surrounded by baking supplies and covered in flour. They all looked so happy, even Stephen looked like he was enjoying himself. There was laughter in his voice as he helped the kids tidy the place up.
"Hey uncle Stephen, where are the cloths?"
"In that cupboard, Morgan."
You're heart melted.
"Looks like you guys are having fun." You finally decided to stop watching them without their knowledge.
"What? We wanted cookies." Stephen said innocently.
"You're back!" Morgan cheered.
"How did it go?" Peter asked.
"Went well! I stopped a planet from blowing up and stopped some alien sorcerers, so I say it was a success." You answered, walking up to the counter and surveying the mess they have created.
"You're all dirty." Morgan looked up at you. Dirt covered your face and your robes, a few cuts on your skin, and hair untidy in its french braid. "Are you hurt?"
"No I'm okay." You reassured her.
The little girl scurried over to grab a cloth and came back. She gestured for you to lower to her height, so you knelled down and she wiped your cheeks and forehead.
"There!" She said, "All clean, and there's cookies in the oven for your after mission snack!"
You smiled, and got up to stand beside Stephen, "They give you any trouble while I was gone?"
"Not at all." He replied, still gathering some of the dirty dishes.
"Never knew you were good with kids, uncle Stephen." You laughed.
He shrugged with a smile, "Me either."
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sonybees · 4 years ago
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mutuals appreciation post!
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i seriously CANNOT at all process this
literally i do not know how this even happened but i am so inexplicably grateful for every single one of you! i love all of you so so much!
i was maybe thinking about making a sleepover but school has been kicking my ass lately so i just decided on making a little mutuals appreciation post! to all my other mutuals, i love all of you so much and i literally want to smother all of you with hugs and kisses. i am so grateful for all of you. thank you.
this might be a little long so it’s under the cut! there might be a lot of mistakes snsjd
@lunaleonorah leo!!! you are an absolute blessing. i love your kindness and the amount of affection you give me literally makes me wanna break down and scream. in a good way of course sjjs. i love our conversations where we just talk about our days and all that. i wish we could always be friends and you can tell me anything you’d like. i love our friendship because we can talk to each other whenever we’d like and will always bring comfort to each other. i always look forward to having conversations with you everyday. ilysm and you deserve the world <3 all the love, pluto.
@gredmforge rory, my wife! i love talking to you about nonsense, it always makes my day and your fun and carefree personality always makes me smile. no doubt that we will be great friends in real life. the little asks you send in my inbox always make me laugh and i’m very excited for whatever future works you have. you always seemed so nice and sweet ever since i first interacted with you and i am so happy that i asked you where you got your memes because look what that got us to! shsjdjd. no but seriously, i love talking to you about our obsessions and just saying hello to each other. ilysm and i hope you always remember that! :) <3
@crookedhag my lovely eliz, i’m too lazy to make another one of those fancy scrolls that i did earlier but that doesn’t stop me from showin gmy appreciation for you. you are such a sweet and amazing person. you are also so talented and i am always so happy to see your name pop up on my notifications. you were always the first one to send me an ask for ask games and you always check in on me and i love you for that. i wish the very best in everything you do. you have great taste in music and i’m starting to think that you’re in every single fandom i don’t know jsjsj. but i love talking to you and ily! mwah! ◡̈
@oldschoolkiddo hero! the first time you ever interacted with me, i already knew that i would love having you around. you are such a fun person and all the tag games that you make and tag me in are always so fun! you are an independent person and i love that so much. you speak your mind and that is so powerful. you are so very sweet and your personality is so fun. i hope that you have many great days in the future and you can always talk to me whenever you need to. let me know if you want a distraction from anything or if you just want to rant, i will be here. ily!
@krasivayadarling my lovely ant! i am so very glad that i built up the courage to say hi to you when you made that post saying you wanted to be friends with new people. you are one of the best people i’ve ever met and you are so sweet, kind, talented, funny, and supportive. i am also so grateful for your support in my fics. you were my first ever supporter and i was really nervous for someone to read my works but you were so nice about it and i love that. i wish you all the best. ily, ant! sincerely, soap.
@whatthefuckimbisexual the loveliest persephone, you are such a bad bitch. JSJS NO BUT SRSLY ILYSM. you are such a fun person and i love how we can relate to each other a lot. i mean, staying up til 3 am and fuck aral pan yk? ejekdj. i really wish you the best in everything and i hope that we can interact more! you are truly one of the most fun and energetic people i’ve ever met and you are so very sweet and funny. thank you for being a great person! all the love <3
@falconxbarnes maddie! you add such a sweet and great person and when you reblog and like my posts, my heart fills with joy! your blog brings me so much comfort and i love our short little conversations. you remind me of going out at 5 am when the sun is almost out. the joy is always evident when that happens just like how i feel when i talk to you! i wish to eat pancit canton with you one day! i really wish you the best in everything and you deserve so many good things. mwah!
@amourtentiaa liane! you are literally so talented and it amazes me every time i read your works. you are so fun and chill and seeing your name always makes me happy! your blog page is filled with so much comfort in my opinion and our first conversation ever was so fun and you are so polite. you also really remind me of the night. i can’t explain why but like i said, you are chill and brings me a lot of comfort! i really love the way you interact with others as you are so kind. i hope you are doing well and always will feel well. ily, yannie!
@puntuations oh my gosh, ysa! you followed me first and i didn’t exactly understand why because you seemed too cool and mature for me djdj. but i am so glad you did and i am so grateful that you’re my friend. thank you for tagging me in dps related things! i really love that and it brings me so much joy. you were always so kind to me no matter what and you are so respectful. i appreciate you and your blog always makes me smile. thank you for being an amazing friend. ilysm, ysa. mwah!
@tofeeltaller joy! you bring me so much joy! sjdndjdn sorry, i had to. you are so so sweet and kind. i was always so scared to interact with dps blogs because they seemed intimidating but so nice at the same time (idk why i’m sorrydhjd), i thought y’all were too cool for me and i didn’t know how to approach you guys but after i got the courage to talk to you, i felt a lot more comfortable. you are so sweet and kind and you deserve so much more blessings. you truly are an amazing person and i hope that your days will get better and better. giving you so many warm hugs and kisses, mwah!
@lolremuslupin dkndkx omg you are so sweet! i don’t interact with you much but we do talk sometimes. i am also very glad that i decided to pm you to try and make new friends and you were so kind about it. you are such an amazing person and i love staying up at 3 am talking to you about random crap. i wish that your life will go well and that you are always safe! warm hugs!
@punkrific soaf, my twin! i really love talking to you and your energy is always so great. you are an amazing and fun person and having a twin like you always makes me feel like the luckiest ever. i am so so grateful to have you as a friend and your dashing personality always gets me. ilysm and i wish you the best! love, the ugly sofia <3
@freddieweasleyswife sweets! i’ve never met someone as sweet and kind as you are. you’re an amazing person and you deserve so much and you are so talented. i wish to write like you one day. my day is always better when I see your name in my notifications being friends with someone as amazing as you are is so great and i wosh to interact with you more. i miss talking to you and you’re always so kind and ready to comfort anyone. ilysm and you deserve the world. sincerely, sweetpea. <3
@sam-winchester-is-my-bitch rae! i love talking to you and seeing your pets! you are so kind, sweet and understanding and you really know how to make me smile. whenever i talk to you, it’s always so wholesome and nice and you give off so much good vibes. you really are like the color yellow to me, sunny, nice, but can be serious at times. but is always ready to cheer someone up. i wish you the best in everything and i hope that we can talk more! all the love <3
@daltonacademia kendi! i know you’re on a short hiatus at the moment but i just had to add you in here. i really hope that you are doing well and i hope you know that your writing is literally one of the best that i’ve ever read. you are so sweet and kind and you always have that little fun and sunny personality and i love talking to you so much. you are so respectful and you deserve so much. i’m sending you all the love and comfort. you are amazing and i hope you know that. stay safe, kendi! i really love that nicknamejsjs
@thatswhywilliamagedlikesourmilk dear! i am so glad that you followed my page and i am so so grateful that i’m friends with you. you are one of the best people ever and you are so so sweet. the most adorable person ever! talking to you feels like hugging a teddy bear and i am aware that that doesn’t make much sense but it just feels so comfy and brings me joy. i really hope that you’re doing well because you also deserve everything! sending you so many hugs <3 mwah!
@fredweasleyismyloverman alex, my dear! you are so kind and nice! i’m really glad i followed you. just a little fun fact, i actually found you through ant or @krasivayadarling . i was reading through some people who she gave ships to and i saw yours and i was like “oh my gosh, this person and i are literally the same.” and i went crazy because it looked almost exactly the same as my description hdjdjd. i’m actually not that sure if it went like that but that’s how i recalled it so i just always remember thatsbns. i literally relate to you so much and your shitposts give me life. you are so wise and amazing and i would love to talk to you more! ily, dear! mwah <3
@daisyyy2516 daze, dear! i am so happy that sab led ke to your page! literally, you are so damn talented and i just cannot i am always so amazed every time you show your works. you are so kind and sweet and such an icon. you bring me so much joy and everything you’ve ever said to me has always been something sweet and funny. ilysm and you deserve the world. i’d like if you dm’ed me once you’ve gotten your work displayed at some huge art exhibition. you are so amazing and i want you to know that. everything will be better. i appreciate you and i am so glad that you are in this world. i love you sm, daze. frd weasley loves you too. all the love and joy, soaf.
@sirlorelai lorie!! you are so nice and kind and sweet. i’m very glad that you weren’t angry at me spam reblogging your postsjsjd. i love our conversations and i wish we could talk more! you are such a kind and funny person and everything you’ve ever done has put a smile to my face. you are so fun and energetic and i love that. i hope that life is going well over there and that everything will be better if it isn’t at the moment. you deserve so much and ilysm, mwah!
@quadrupledeckertaco lorelei, dear! i miss talking to you! i really love our conversations and your soft but fierce personality is so great and it brings me so much joy. your writing is literally so amazing and like i said, i aspire to write like you one day. i miss you so much and i really hope that everything’s well. i wish you the best and sending you so much love, sofia. <3
and to all my other mutuals! thank you! i love all of you so much and interacting with all of you brings me so much joy. thank you for everything. have a great day everyone!
80 notes · View notes
princessofprocrastination · 4 years ago
Text
Incapable Of Love (Corpse Husband)
MASTERLIST
summary : corpse hasn’t been in a relationship for a while. he thought he was ready when he met you, but now he’s not so sure anymore. (a dash of sykkuno)(angst)
a/n : dude i spent three whole days writing this and maybe i went too far, it’s so long. anyways, enjoy. this might not be the only part, please tell me if you want a continuation and tell me who you want yourself to end up with. 
warning : a very long story, and a whole lot of heartbreak. 
you were semi wild in highschool. no, you weren’t a party goer, you didn’t even start drinking till you reached twenty-one, but you didn’t have a hard time finding a boyfriend. although you never ha a hard time moving on, you are still a virgin, and you are proud to say that. 
your mother always told you to have fun while you were young, and never to feel deprived of the little things like going to clubs, this way, you would settle down and never feel the need to go back to the party phase ever again when you’re married and have kids. 
truth be told, you never thought about wanting kids. while every one of your friends spoke about their dream lives with kids, you never saw yourself with a child. 
you never took dating in highschool seriously. no one does. you did it to have fun. this was because you were in a very abusive relationship early on your teenage days. 
you were too young and naive to say anything when your then boyfriend would hit you, since he was much older than you, which was completely legal as you two weren’t doing anything sexual. 
it started small, just loud screaming or he would get in front of your face. then, he would scream at you while holding your face in one of his hands tightly, which would leave red finger marks all over your cheeks. it didn’t take long till he fully hit you, grabbing your hair and banging it on the wood table. 
it took you almost risking your life for your friends to find out what was happening and reporting him to the police. 
the amount of head injury you took caused a lot of trauma, but you still pushed through and didn’t let it get to you. your friends often called you a ray of sunshine although you dress the opposite. 
you would call yourself lucky. lucky that you found happiness in your job, that you weren’t stuck on a boring desk job. you were lucky to have started youtube. 
your friends would tell you that you deserved the success and fame that youtube had brought you, to keep going and not to let your actual supporters down whenever the hate would come up.
then, quarantine started. which somehow made your channel grow even bigger. also, this meant that you had time to just do better in creating content. 
one of your subscribers had commented about someone by the name of “corpse husband”. 
you had never heard of this name before, which made you more curious, but you never looked into it. 
corinna kopf, had brought you into the idea of streaming in your free time. and since you grew up playing minecraft, you started streaming your minecraft gameplays. 
soon enough, you made new friends and was invited to play among us, a really popular game during quarantine. 
there is where you found out who corpse husband actually is. 
streaming, you joined the discord call. your facecam directly showing your face and your background being your newly cleaned bedroom. 
“this is y/n, she makes one hell of an imposter,” corinna says to the rest of the people in the discord call. 
you blushed, not expecting the attention when you just joined in. 
felix, who goes by the name pewdipie introduces the rest of them to you. 
“and corpse is here too, his name had been popping a lot up in your comment section.” felix said to you. 
“actually, i was about to ask about that.” you replied. confused on why the rest of them were teasing you too. 
“let’s just say, a certain deep voice man had been simping for you recently.” valkyrae told you. 
“awh, that’s sweet, i’ve never had anyone simped for me before.” i said, smiling t myself. 
it took approximately three seconds for your stream comments to be filled with “i simped for you way before he did.” or “i simped since you started your channel” 
you laughed, you were expecting this. 
“okay, i’m guilty of that.” the man itself said. 
that was how your friendship started, which soon continued into a relationship. 
you weren’t even sure how you were capable of finding such a man. he takes good care of you, making sure you ate your medicine at the right time. to which you would remind him to take his, too. 
he’s a respectful man, always making sure he didn’t accidentally go above your boundaries. 
before the both of you were official, you made sure he knew about your past trauma, that’s you were sensitive to a lot of noises. screaming, glasses breaking, even the sound of people clapping. 
months go by and you both are going strong. you are usually at his house more than you are at your own. today was no exception. 
you came back to corpse’ place after filming a video with another fellow youtuber. you didn’t have the best of days. the person you were collaborating with turned out to be a pretty creepy person. 
he kept on asking you about personal thing like your sex life, although you’ve told him many times that you weren’t comfortable with talking about that. 
behind the scenes too, he would try to come up to you and grab your waist. you left his house in anger and rush. 
you left corpse’ apartment before sunrise and came back early enough for dinner. 
you knew that he would be streaming today, and since he usually streams late, you weren’t rushing to make dinner. 
you always had an issue with getting him to eat, but since you both are still in the “honeymoon period” of your relationship, it had still been tolerable. 
you put your bags down on the couch as you start to make dinner, not going to shower in case corpse hasn’t ate anything today. you felt bad for leaving him alone for a long period of time. 
you finished cooking and quickly cleaned up, making sure all the dishes are clean before you call on corpse to eat. 
you stood in front of his steaming room, bracing yourself before asking him to eat. although he is a puppy inside and was only intimidating because of his voice, you couldn’t help but feel scared at times. it was your habit. 
you knocked on the door softly twice, making sure you weren’t interrupting anything. 
you didn’t hear anything from inside the room. you knocked a little louder since you thought maybe he hadn’t heard you. 
you heard some clicking of keyboard keys. you assumed that he couldn’t hear you so you slowly opened the room door, making sure his stream couldn’t hear you just in case he was unmuted. 
although you two have been together for almost a year, he had told you that he wasn’t ready for the public to know, not even your mutual friends. that did make you a little hurt but you brushed it off since you knew it was going to be worth it. 
anything with him was worth it. 
“hey.” you started, making sure not to startle him. 
he put his hand up for you to see. you stopped in the middle of the room, scared that you messed something up. 
corpse clicks one of his keyboards. he turns to you slightly, but not looking into your eyes. you found this a little weird but you pushed the thought at the back of your head. 
“bub i made dinner, let’s eat.” you said to him. 
“not hungry.” he replies. 
you sighed. you knew this was going to happen. 
“you always say this, but you need to eat.” you almost whined at him, practically begging him to eat. 
“‘said i’m not hungry.” he replied to you again. 
“even just a little, please eat.” you tried again.
“JUST STOP, I’VE HAD IT WITH YOU. I TOLD YOU I’M NOT HUNGRY.” corpse screams, while his left hand banged on his gaming table loudly. 
you flinched, and slightly moved back. this brought you flashbacks to your highschool relationship. 
“i’m sorry.” you said, voice soft that you weren’t even sure he could hear.
you left the room in a rush but still tried to get out quietly. 
you could hear corpse continuing his steam. tears were now going down your cheeks as you walked in your shared bedroom. 
you sat on the bed, with your legs folded to your chest as you have a mild panic attack. 
soon, after almost an hour or two of just crying, you knew your anxiety wouldn’t calm unless you slept, not knowing what to do without someone else helping you calm down. 
you laid in bed, tucking your legs into the duvet, almost cuddling into yourself. you felt extra drained with all the things that happened earlier. you soon fell asleep, crying. 
you don’t often struggle with sleep, but when you do, it’s usually hard to take care of. these were one of those days. 
you woke up only a couple of hours later, not even making it into the AM.
you sat on the bed, rethinking about what happened. although you were very tired and in need of sleep, your brain worked perfectly fine after that screaming fest.
you got up and stood in front of corpse’ streaming room, trying to listen in whatever is happening inside. 
“i just need a little break for her, that’s all, i didn’t mean to lash out.” you heard him say. 
he’s probably on the phone with someone. 
“i don’t even think i want this relationship anymore. it’s just so hard, she has her problems too, i can’t handle mine and hers.” he continues. 
you ceased all your movements. you were thinking of talking it out but now you weren’t so sure he even wanted that. 
it took you approximately three seconds to think through what you should do. 
you weren’t one to make rash decisions but you knew for sure that you just had to leave. for good. 
you walked back into your shared bedroom and carefully and quietly packed all your things, making sure to not leave anything behind. lucky for you, you both hadn’t moved in together, you just spent your time here, more than your own apartment. 
you quietly walked to the front door of his apartment, grabbing your car keys. you stood in front of the door, sighing. 
this was it. 
finally, you left his apartment. 
-
CORPSE’S POV 
“- handle mine and hers.” i said. 
“you can’t say that, you know you appreciate her, she’s been there for you through all the major things, don’t be stupid over a small comment someone made about you guys.” sean, who i was on the phone with, told me. 
i sighed. 
“i know, but it just really messed my head up, you know.” i said to him. 
“i get it, but don’t put the blame on her. it’s already bad that you lashed out on her after she made food for you.” sean said. 
food. i’m kinda hungry now. 
the conversation lasted for a couple more minutes before i told him i was hungry and needed to eat. 
i walked out the streaming room, out to a weirdly cold living room. i brushed it off since it happens sometimes. maybe the heater broke. 
it was oddly quiet in the apartment, so i assumed she fell asleep. 
i walked into the kitchen to see two plates of food still sitting there, definitely untouched. 
i glance at the place she usually hangs her keys. 
it was gone. her shoes, gone. 
i walk in the bedroom and open all the cabinets where her clothes are usually in. they’re gone.
shit. 
-
YOUR POV
although it’s been a couple months since the whole “argument”, it never got better. 
but you’ve always been a tough cookie, not showing other people your feelings. you had always been good at that. 
valkyrae, one of your bestfriends, had made sure you were okay, knowing what went down. 
she visited you often, making sure you were okay.
remember the same day the argument happened, you met up with a creepy youtuber for a collab? yeah, well, he went on social media to call you some derogatory words. 
he even made a video saying you promised him sexual things after filming, which you couldn’t even believe came out of his mouth. 
lucky for you, your supporters never ceased to amaze you. they knew you were not that type of person, and even made sure his platform was taken away from him. 
that whole scandal wasn’t taking up your brain but corpse did. it seemed like he didn’t care at all. as if he was just waiting for the day you left his place for your own. 
that took a while to get over, and you were sure that you aren’t 100% over it, hence why rae has been helping you all along. 
only a couple weeks since the argument, you felt like you couldn’t stay in your apartment any longer. there was just too many memories of him in there. 
again, you knew you were lucky in the sense that you had the financials to move. 
this time, you moved to a house, since you needed a bigger space and you felt bad that every time your friends came over, they had to bunk in a small space you called your apartment.
rae and yourself got somehow super close with a lot of the offlinetv members. sykkuno, being one of them somehow clicked with you instantly after meeting. 
he and rae helped you move your things from your apartment to your house. 
it felt good saying that. house. not an apartment. not a place you pay rent anymore. 
you tried to get over the corpse thing, but deep down you knew your love for him would never disappear. he was one of a kind. and although he says he has many problems, you found that special about him. 
but what do you know. you can’t say much when feelings aren’t reciprocated. you understood that you were a handful but why did it have to hurt this bad. 
“hey, stop thinking about him.” sykkuno says, snapping you out of your thoughts.
“who?” you asked, acting dumb.
“you know who, it doesn’t take a genius to know.” he answers you. 
dang it, he caught it. 
you looked at sykkuno. you couldn’t help but think about it at times. although you’ve settled in your new place for a while now, no more memories of him, you just couldn’t help it. 
“come here.” sykkuno says, opening his arms out, reaching out to me. 
you went to his side on the couch, engulfed in his arms. he understood you. that’s what you loved about your friends. they all understood you. 
too busy cuddling up to sykkuno, you hadn’t heard a shutter of a camera from behind you. 
valkyrae giggled silently, glad she got a photo of you two. 
she posted it on her story, captioning it, “so proud of this girl right here for being so strong. also, aren’t these two so cute.” 
you didn’t see the photo until after dinner, once all of you are on the couch, watching the voice. 
“rae, what did you do?” you asked her when you saw your twitter blow up. 
“i have no clue what you’re talking about.” she tells me, acting innocent. 
i clicked on one of the photos on twitter that had been circulating. the moment i clicked on it, i saw a very familiar pair. sykkuno and i. 
“very funny, rae.” i laughed along with her, showing sykkuno what i just saw. 
you didn’t think much of it since you two are just friends but since you saw the amount of ‘ships’, you decided to post something on your instagram 
“guys, come here, let’s take a photo.” you told them two.
you quickly snapped a photo. you made sure none of you look too crazy in the photo. 
you posted the photo on your instagram and wrote “three friends, hanging out. they might kiss. they might :)” 
you showed rae and sykkuno before you posted it. 
sykkuno laughed before opening twitter and tweeting “they might kiss, they might.” 
you saw his tweet from over his shoulder. you high-fived him for going with the joke. 
obviously you two aren’t dating. if you were being honest with yourself, you weren’t completely over corpse. you have admitted it to your two friends once in a confession night during a sleepover. 
but you couldn’t lie that you had a very very small crush on sykkuno once. like come on, he’s just so wholesome and sweet, you couldn’t help yourself. 
you were proud to say it too, he was your crush and he knew that. he is very proud to say that too. 
since the breakup, you’ve had a pretty good life.
yes, you moved in a house that you had already fully paid for but other than that, you proud to say you got a new car, amazing house renovations, made a lot more new friends who support you endlessly and you even got a cat as a companion to fill the void you have for staying at such a big house. 
-
CORPSE’S POV 
i’ve been miserable ever since. i see her everywhere on the internet. 
i know she has been better off without me. only an idiot couldn’t tell that. she made a lot of new friends, got a house, got a new car. 
i’ve seen them all. vogue interviewed her. and apparently she can sing too and she’s been singing in a lot of shows. 
it’s getting harder and harder to get her out of my head. 
why was i that stupid. stupid enough to think i was better off without her. 
now when i look at myself in the mirror i feel pathetic. dishes were left piling up in the kitchen, the beds are always unmade. 
i took her for granted. 
FLASHBACK 
shit. 
did she leave? 
a part of me says that this was the easy way to let her go. letting her go without actually letting go. 
i had been dreading to talk to her. but another part of me thinks i should go to her apartment and find her. discuss it with her. 
without realizing, tears rush down my cheeks. 
i wipe it quickly, not understanding my own feelings. why was i crying when i was the one who had wanted this in the first place? 
-
NOW
i regret the time i didn’t rush to find her. i didn’t know what i was thinking. why would i make such a rash decision like then when i knew damn well how well she treated me. 
why did i have to be such an ass?
i called sean that day. he scolded me for being so stupid. i agreed, but i still didn’t make an effort to find her. 
now that she lives somewhere else, i’m regretting it. i can’t ask rae or sykkuno, knowing that i’d just get scolded yet again. they are her bestfriends afterall. 
even since rae posted the pic of you and sykkuno in your living room, i felt jealous. but i had no right, not anymore. 
then i saw your instagram story, then sykkuno’s tweet. have you moved on already? 
was i too late?
you are happy now that i’m not. you are happy doing your own things, thriving and here i was, sitting on my bed, crying. 
i remember not even a day after she left, there was a huge scandal which included her in it. i was heartbroken and stupid, not knowing what to do with the fact that she left that i believed that stupid youtuber. 
sean called me an idiot, stupid enough to believe that she would do that to me when i damn well knew that she wasn’t that type of person. 
 i felt stupid now that i took her for granted, that i lost the chance to get her back into my arms. 
but she’s happy now. and that’s all that matters. even if it’s in another guys’ arms. 
PART 2
194 notes · View notes
wonderful-writes · 4 years ago
Note
8. Like reader drops of the face of the earth before graduation for like 4 years, and Charlie just realized his emotions in that time frame.
Disappear
Charlie Weasley x Female!Reader
Summary: Y/N and Charlie were best friends during their Hogwarts days, and there might have even been a time when she hoped for something more. But all those possibilities were dashed when she mysteriously went missing, leaving her best friend alone and confused.
Prompt:
8) I never forgot you.
“Race you to the castle?” Charlie Weasley challenged, looking over at his friend Y/N.
“Oh, you’re on, Weasley,” she replied, already getting a head start.
“Hey, no fair!” Charlie protested. He sprinted ahead, attempting to get in front of her. He easily passed her and jogged the rest of the way back to the castle.
Soon, she came up behind him, just as breathless as he was. They stood panting at the Hogwarts steps for a moment.
When he had regained his composure, he teased, “Even when you cheat, you still manage to lose to me.”
She gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Well, I’m not the star of the quidditch team.”
Charlie laughed. “You’re right. Not everyone can be as great as I am.”
Y/N delivered another punch, this one harder than the last.
“Hey!” Charlie shouted, though he didn’t hit her back. “Come on, we’re going to be late for dinner.”
The two friends headed into the Great Hall and quickly found seats at the Gryffindor table.
“Where have you two been?” asked Percy Weasley, Charlie’s younger brother, upon your arrival.
“We were just visiting Hagrid,” Charlie replied. “He wanted to show me a new dragon book he found, and Y/N invited herself with me.”
“I did not!” Y/N argued, crossing her arms over her chest. “You were the one who asked me if I wanted to come with you.”
Charlie chuckled. He knew how to push her buttons. Teasing any of his friends was always fun, but it was especially hilarious to tease Y/N. She never failed to get worked up, or at least pretend to get worked up.
After dinner, the students headed to their dorms. Y/N walked with two of her roommates, and the three chattered about graduation and plans for the future all the way up to the Gryffindor common room. It was the second-to-last week of their seventh year, and the end of their Hogwarts days was fast approaching. It made Y/N sad to think that she would be leaving all her friends, professors, and memories behind, but she was also excited for what was to come. She had scored an apprenticeship at the Ministry of Magic, and she was set to start immediately after graduation.
As she was about to walk up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory, she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Charlie waving her over from the sofa in the middle of the common room.
“I’ll be up in a bit,” she told her roommates. “I have to go see what that idiot wants.”
Y/N made her way over to the sofa, taking a seat next to Charlie. “What do you want, Weasley?” she asked with fake annoyance.
Charlie grinned. “What? I can’t talk to my friend?”
Y/N rolled her eyes.
“I can’t believe we’ll be leaving Hogwarts soon,” Charlie mused, staring into the fireplace. “Next week is our last week.”
“Yup. And after that, I’ll be heading off to the Ministry. And you’ll be going to Romania.”
He turned towards her. “I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we’re growing up. I mean, you’ll be working at the Ministry, and I’ll be working at my dream job on the dragon reserve. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were boarding the train as first years.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, well, that was nearly seven years ago, Charles.”
Y/N looked at him. She would miss him. Sure, she would miss her roommates and all her other friends, but Charlie was different. He was playful and witty, but also kind and caring, and not to mention bloody attractive. She had to admit that she had developed a sort of crush on him during their fourth year, but she had suppressed those feelings because she knew he would never feel the same. He saw her as a friend and nothing more. But no matter how many times she told herself that, her feelings for him never completely went away.
“Hello? Earth to Y/N?” Charlie said, startling her from her trance. “You’ve been staring at me for an awfully long time. Makes me wonder if I really am that hot.”
“Oh, get over yourself, you git,” Y/N retorted, hoping that she wasn’t blushing like a tomato. “I was just lost in thought.”
“Uh huh, sure you were,” he said with a smirk.
Before she could say anything else, someone called for Charlie from the far side of the common room, the side by the portrait hole. She turned to see that a group of boys were beckoning Charlie over.
“We’re planning to sneak out,” he explained when he caught her confused look. “Well, I better go. They’re all waiting for me over there.”
With a wave goodbye, he was off the couch and making his way over to his friends — some of which were Y/N’s friends as well. She watched as the group disappeared through the portrait hole, a twang of sadness reaching her heart. At least at school, she could be around Charlie and spend time with him, even if they weren’t dating. Once they graduated, they would probably never see each other again, or at least not for a long time. She stood up from the couch and trudged up to bed, hoping that a good night’s sleep would ease the dread she felt about leaving Hogwarts and leaving Charlie.
The next morning, Charlie walked into the Great Hall with an extra spring in his step. It was Saturday, and he and his friends had planned on going to Hogsmeade. It would be their last Hogsmeade weekend of the school year, their last time going as Hogwarts students.
He sat down at the table in between Percy and one of Y/N’s roommates. “Hey, where’s Y/N?” he asked when he noticed she wasn’t at breakfast yet.
“Didn’t you hear?” the roommate responded. “She left early this morning. She must have wanted to start summer vacation early or something. She didn’t say where she was going.”
“Maybe her family is taking a trip,” another Gryffindor offered. “Once, in third year, I got special permission to end the term early because my parents had planned a trip to the Caribbean.”
“I’m not sure,” a third voice said skeptically. “She wouldn’t tell me what was going on when I saw her packing this morning. She just said that she was in a hurry and couldn’t talk.”
Charlie was flabbergasted. Why would Y/N leave so close to graduation? She never mentioned any trip with her family or any special event she had to attend. Had an unexpected emergency popped up? Did the professors know about her departure?
The rest of the day went on as usual. Professor McGonagall visited the Gryffindors after breakfast to discuss graduation protocol. A few students asked her about Y/N, but all she would say was that Y/N had a family matter to attend to. Even she did not know whether Y/N was to return for graduation or not.
After the meeting with Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindors made their way to Hogsmeade. Charlie chatted with friends, visited shops, drank butterbeer, and had an overall good time. But in the back of his mind, he still had questions about Y/N. Where had she gone? The professors seemed to know about her leaving, but they weren’t sure when she would be back. Was it a serious emergency? Was her family alright?
To ease his concerns, he decided to send her a letter once he got back to Hogwarts. He assumed she was with her family, so he sent an owl to her home address. He had never visited her home, but he knew her address from when they used to write each other over summers. In his letter, he asked what happened, if her family was okay, and when she would be back. But she never responded.
The last week of seventh year zoomed by quickly. Throughout the week, Charlie and the rest of Y/N’s friends waited for news. Most of them had written her, either asking about her situation or sending warm thoughts, but none of them ever received a reply. The professors did not seem to gain any new information either. It was either that or they were withholding information about Y/N’s whereabouts from the students.
On the day of graduation, exactly one week from Y/N’s disappearance, all the seventh years lined up on the lawn in order by house and last name. Y/N’s friends, acquaintances, and even those who only knew of her through the grapevine glanced around to see if she had showed up at the last minute. But she was nowhere to be found. The ceremony proceeded as usual, ending with the seventh years being rowed across the Great Lake in the same boats that had taken them to the castle in their first year. Afterwards, the students departed with their families, starting their futures as newly-graduated witches and wizards.
Charlie Weasley headed straight for Romania immediately after leaving Hogwarts. He was offered a job at the dragon sanctuary there, and he had never been more excited for anything in his life. He bade farewell to his family and didn’t look back as he left to pursue his dream.
In Romania, he lived in a quaint little house, one of many houses dotting the hills on the outskirts of the dragon reserve. He quickly became accustomed to life there, enjoying every minute of his busy work schedule. During his leisure time, he found himself sketching and taking walks outdoors. He never expected to be the artistic type — he truly wasn’t — but it was fun making bad attempts at drawing dragons and landscapes. But the most fun he had was working with the dragons. He loved every aspect of caring for them, training them, and spending time with them. He didn’t think he could ever be unhappy there.
But sometimes, his mind wandered back to his childhood and his Hogwarts days. He missed his parents, his brothers and sister, and his school mates. He found himself thinking of Y/N most of all. No one had heard from her since her disappearance, and her parents hadn’t contacted anyone Charlie knew either. He suspected that perhaps her family had moved to a new house, and that was why they weren’t receiving any letters. But why couldn’t she send a note informing her friends of her new address? The whole situation was bizarre.
Charlie realized that he had become lonelier during the time he was in Romania. He and the other members of his class occasionally wrote to each other, but letters were infrequent. Keeping in touch became more and more difficult as people grew up and moved on with their lives. His parents and siblings still wrote often, but wasn’t the same as having their presence with him. He had made friends with his coworkers at the sanctuary, and he of course had the dragons to keep him company, but it was Y/N he kept thinking of. Part of it was worry for her well-being, but another part of it was that he genuinely missed her.
But why? Why her? He hadn’t seen his other friends from Hogwarts since graduation either, but he didn’t yearn for their company the same way that he did hers. He supposed it was because he had gotten a chance to exchange proper goodbyes with his other friends. Y/N had left so suddenly that no one had the chance to say goodbye to her. That must be it. Why else would he be so hung over her?
About a year after moving to Romania, Charlie received a letter bearing good news. His older brother, Bill, just had a child with his wife, Fleur. Charlie immediately asked for leave and took a trip back home. It was his first time returning home since moving to pursue the career he had always wanted, and he was excited to see his family again and meet his new baby niece. The past year had been wonderful, but it had also been hard on him. What he needed the most was to see the faces of the people he loved.
Charlie spent a week at the Burrow and savored every second of his stay. He caught up with his parents, spent time with his siblings, and played with little Victoire, Bill and Fleur’s daughter. By the time the week was up, he was thoroughly relaxed and back to his joyful self. He was just packing up his trunk to leave when he noticed a knitted winter hat at the bottom of his drawer.
“Where’d you get that?” asked Ginny, his younger sister, as she came into the room. “I’ve never seen you wear it before.”
“That’s because it isn’t mine,” Charlie replied. He examined the hat closely and instantly knew where it came from. “It belonged to a friend of mine, Y/N. Remember her, the girl I told you about? She was the one who left school a week before graduation and never wrote back to anyone since.”
Ginny hummed. “Did she give that to you?”
Charlie nodded. “She let me borrow it one time in sixth year, and I guess I never gave it back. I must have worn it with me home for the holidays that year and let it sit in my drawer ever since.”
Ginny smiled. “You miss her?”
“Yeah, of course I do,” Charlie replied without hesitation. “She was one of my closest friends.”
His sister smirked. “And you’re sure she wasn’t more than just a friend? You sounded awfully sad talking about her and the hat.”
Charlie scoffed. “As if. I never saw her as anything other than a best mate.”
“You’re blushing, you know that?” Ginny teased.
“What’s this about blushing?” Fred, another brother, inquired as he sauntered into the room.
“Charlie’s got himself a crush,” Ginny informed Fred, making a point to emphasize the word ‘crush.’
“Ooh, has our older brother found himself someone to fancy?” Fred asked teasingly.
“Shut it, you gits,” Charlie replied before his siblings could say anything else. “I’ve never even thought about liking her that way. I just remembered her when I found her hat, that’s all.”
It wasn’t a lie. He had never considered Y/N to be anything more than a friend before. They were close in school, but he was close with lots of other people. She wasn’t in any way special. But now, he felt something he hadn’t felt back at Hogwarts. A new feeling, one that he wasn’t familiar with. It was close to that of having a crush, but he couldn’t be certain. Sure, he’d fancied other girls in the past, but he never had those feelings for Y/N. During their school years, he just wasn’t interested in her in a romantic way. Why would that change now?
When Charlie returned to Romania, he took the knitted hat with him. It comforted him to have a piece of her when nobody knew where she was. He spent the next few years of his life as a talented dragonologist. He devoted himself to his work, extremely happy to be in the profession of his dreams. He even attempted dating, going out with a coworker and a couple women he met in the nearby town. But his dates never went anywhere. No matter how interesting they were or how many things they had in common with him, he didn’t feel like starting serious relationships with any of them. Eventually, he stopped dating altogether.
A year after his trip to the Burrow and two years after his initial move to Romania, Charlie found himself sketching portraits in his living room. It was his day off from work, and it was far too cold to go outside. He had a cup of tea beside him and a fire in the hearth. He spent hours drawing from the comfort of the sofa, and by the end of the day, he had a hefty stack of sketches next to him. He leafed through the stack and discovered that a good number of the sketches were of a woman — one that looked strikingly similar to Y/N.
That was the moment when he realized that he didn’t just miss his friend. He had developed feelings for her, ones that weren’t just platonic. Maybe he had always felt that way, but he couldn’t see it. Maybe all along he had liked her, possibly even loved her, but was blinded by his own stupidity. He racked his brain for all his memories of her and remembered just how amazing she was. She was always so kind, so sweet to everyone. Yet she also had a biting sense of humor and could be brutally honest. He looked back on all their conversations and realized that perhaps he had been pining for her all throughout their friendship, but he had never admitted it to himself.
It was like he was finally receiving clarity. The reason why his dates never progressed into anything more was because he didn’t want anyone other than Y/N. His siblings had seen the way he looked when he thought about her, and now he was finally seeing it for himself. He was finally admitting to himself that he had fallen for Y/N. The only problem was that no one knew where she was.
For the next two years after his epiphany, Charlie tried to resume his normal life. He still cherished his work and adored the dragons. He still had friendly relations with his coworkers and even became close with some of them. He still kept in touch with his family and a few of his childhood friends. And he still couldn’t get over Y/N.
Everything about her occupied his mind. Her laugh, her compassionate heart, the way she listened to him like he was the only person in the world. But he would never be able to have her. She seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth, cutting off everyone he knew who knew her. Maybe there was a reason she didn’t reach out. Maybe after her family issue was resolved, she simply decided not to talk to any of her old friends anymore. Maybe she didn’t want to talk to him. And even if she did miraculously come back, there was no indication that she would be interested in pursuing a relationship with him. She had never mentioned liking him when they were in school, but then again, neither did he.
It had been four years since he started working at the sanctuary. Four years that seemed both incredibly short and torturously long. Charlie Weasley still had his zest for life and his passion for dragons, athletics, and the outdoors. In many ways, he was very happy. But he couldn’t escape the heartache of losing what he felt was the love of his life.
One night, it became too much, and he needed to drown his emotions. He went into town after work and purchased a bottle of firewhiskey. He had intended on getting drunk and using his day off the next day to recover. But when he arrived home, his better judgment decided that drinking away his problems would not be the best idea. Instead, he made himself a mug of tea and situated himself at the kitchen table, attempting to get his thoughts in order.
After a few hours of being alone with his thoughts, Charlie finally decided to retire for the night. Just as he was getting up from the table, there was a knock on the door. Puzzled, he approached the front door of his house. Who could be visiting him at this hour? It was nearly ten o’clock. Was there an emergency at the sanctuary? Was one of his coworkers coming to get him?
His mind reeling with possibilities, he opened ten door. When he saw who was there, his jaw dropped.
“Y/N?” he whispered, staring at the young woman before him. She didn’t look any different since the last time he saw her — same hair color, same expressive eyes, same soft yet defined features. She was unmistakable.
“H-hi, Charlie,” she stammered. She shifted uncomfortably, seeming to be looking everywhere except at him. When her eyes finally met his, she held her breath. She hadn’t seen him in four years, and she had no idea what to expect from him.
He was almost exactly the same as he was at Hogwarts. He still had unruly red hair and freckle constellations all over his face. Although, he was broader, more muscular, but she wasn’t complaining. After what felt like an eternity of staring at each other, he asked her to come inside.
Charlie made her a cup of tea and replenished his own. He set out some biscuits and fruit, apologizing for not having much else to offer. Y/N assured him that whatever he had was fine.
“Where were you?” Charlie blurted. It was the first question that came to mind.
“My sister got sick,” Y/N said quietly. “I received an owl in the middle of the night and left for home at first light. She...she’s no longer with us.”
Charlie nodded sympathetically, his heart lurching at her words. He remembered her talking about how close she and her sister were. He wanted to comfort her, but questions still flooded his head. “Why didn’t you tell any of us? And why haven’t you written anyone back?”
“I wanted to, I truly did,” Y/N said helplessly. “But I was hurting so much from losing her that I couldn’t even think, let alone write.”
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s alright,” he whispered.
“I had to postpone my Ministry job so that I could have time to grieve,” she continued. “But when I was ready to start working, they had already given the position to someone else. I was already distraught over losing my sister, so losing the job that was supposed to be the starting point of my Ministry career was a heavy blow.”
“I’m so sorry,” Charlie said, searching Y/N’s eyes.
“It’s okay,” she replied, offering a small smile. “Anyway, for the next year, I worked odd jobs all over Britain, trying to make enough to help out my parents in their difficult time. By then, I felt comfortable enough to interact with people but was too ashamed to write.”
“Ashamed?” Charlie asked incredulously. “Why? We’ve all been dying to hear from you! We were worried sick.”
“I know, and I’m sorry,” Y/N said. “But I had been avoiding the letters for so long as I mourned my sister that it felt rude of me to suddenly reply a year later. Plus, I didn’t want anyone to pity me. I didn’t want anyone to think I was only writing because I needed help either.”
“I understand,” said Charlie. “So what are you doing now?”
“Well, after that miserable first year, another internship opened up at the Ministry. I ended up working in the field I had wanted to get into after all. My internship ended after a year, and I applied for a permanent position in the Department of International Magical Cooperation right after. That’s where I’ve been ever since.”
“International Magical Cooperation? That’s your dream job!” Charlie exclaimed. “I’m so happy for you!”
“Thank you,” Y/N said shyly, suddenly bashful. “I see you landed your dream job as well.”
Charlie grinned. “Yeah, working here is better than I could ever have imagined. I never want to leave.”
Y/N looked down and noticed that both of her hands were now in Charlie’s. Her breath hitched. After all these years, her feelings for him never completely subsided. That was part of the reason why she had decided to visit him. She couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again, even if he only ever wanted to be friends.
“Something the matter?” he asked when he caught her glancing away from him.
“No, not at all,” she managed. “I’m just a little tired. It was a long journey getting here. Your parents accidentally gave me the wrong address, if you can believe it.”
He chuckled. “That sounds like them, all right.”
Something about her writing to his parents made him feel warm inside. They had met her before, usually at the train station when they picked him up or dropped him off for school. But the fact that she was comfortable enough to talk to them all these years later made him feel unusually happy.
“I’ll go prepare the spare bedroom for you,” he said, letting go of her hands and getting up from the table.
“Thank you,” she said gratefully.
When he walked away and disappeared into a hallway, she let out a breath. She was relieved to see that he didn’t have a wife or children, though she already knew that much from his parents’ letters. But there was still the possibility that he had a girlfriend. She realized that her hands were shaking as she though about it. She was in love with him but had no idea if he would reciprocate her feelings. When he returned from the bedroom, she decided to pluck up her courage and ask him.
Standing up and taking a shaky breath, she began, “Charlie?”
“Yes, love?” he answered all too quickly. He instantly realized what he had said and blushed furiously.
Y/N took his response and reaction as a sign that maybe he did feel something for her. Or maybe it was an honest mistake, and he was just embarrassed at having called her ‘love’ without meaning it. Either way, she proceeded.
“Do you...do you have a girlfriend?” she asked timidly, almost inaudible.
“No,” he softly replied, meeting her gaze.
“Why not?” she asked, not breaking eye contact. She felt as though she could stare into his warm, brown eyes for all of eternity.
“I couldn’t...I couldn’t move on with my life,” he admitted, “because I never forgot you.”
And just like that, Y/N had heard enough. She swiftly closed the distance between them and connected her lips with his. He was shocked at first, but his hesitation was brief. He kissed her back, matching her intense passion with fire of his own. The moment was electric, but it was over too soon, as the need for air caused them the break apart.
“I love you,” Y/N breathes, her hands still tangled in Charlie’s hair.
He grinned. “I love you, too.”
“Oh, and guess what?” she said, a smile forming on her lips. “My department has a branch in Romania, and they’re willing to let me transfer.”
Charlie returned the smile, his cheeky and mischievous. “Well, then, that calls for a celebration.”
Not a fraction of a second later, his lips were on hers again, and neither wanted to ever let go.
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thinkingimmensely · 4 years ago
Text
Like An Open Book X
Part 1 | Part 9 | Part 11
A/N: Hello everyone! We’re halfway through the first month of 2021 and here’s a new chapter for y’all! Comments are very much appreciated <3 I want to know what you guys think of the story so far, it also gives me motivation to write more really :D  
This chapter is quite long, I didn’t want to cut it halfway through since it breaks the momentum thingy haha, I hope you guys don’t mind and enjoy it! <3
MASTERLIST
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from the Potterverse!
___________________
Remus and James had jumped into the water creating a wave that hit you, Sirius, and Peter. The boys soon started a wrestling match, with James up on Remus’ shoulders while Sirius was up on Peter’s.
You laughed as you watched Sirius successfully topple James down, winning the first round of their little wrestling match.  
It was the first time you were actually laughing out loud with people you considered as friends, you realized, and if you dwelled on the thought, you felt like crying out of the happiness that filled you right now.  
Because you were someone to them, you finally found a place where you belonged… but, will they still have you even though you had the ability to know their every nook and cranny? You knowingly frowned, then wiped it off your features.  
“I’m feeling a bit knackered, I’m going to rest for a while!” You called out to the boys and they replied with a chorus of okay’s and aright’s. You swam back to shore and got off the water with ease. You sat on the blanket Remus had spread out earlier and wrapped a towel around yourself; you were already beginning to dry, what with the sun harshly beating down on you.  
You would’ve used a drying spell but then you already used that whip earlier and you wouldn’t want to try and press the Ministry’s buttons with using so much underage magic. Thank Merlin Legilimency couldn’t be detected then, since you’d no doubt be behind bars with the number of times you’ve used it outside of Hogwarts.
You sighed, you wondered what Lily was doing right now; you hoped she was having as much fun as you were. She had written to you a few days ago saying that although she still finds James and company (excluding Remus) quite irritating, she was really glad you were having a grand time. She had also attached a picture of herself with the Eiffel Tower behind her. Your thoughts soon drifted off to a certain Slytherin student; you considered him a friend who knew you as well as you knew him. You’ve been inside Severus Snape’s mind too many times that you could read him as easy as an open book, and you’ve seen his fascination with the dark arts and his inner struggle to try and change his views about this whole mess.  
You’d be lying if you said you didn’t think about him anymore; despite his gloomy and snarky attitude, he was good company, and a good student. You just wished your memories about the time Mulciber and the others attacked you came back, maybe then you’d understand why Severus was hellbent on ignoring you; and if only Severus stood still for a moment, you could just peek and get the answers yourself.
Your train of thought was soon cut short as the boys got out of water and were heading your way, big smiles on their faces as they chatted. You cast a smile their way as they came near enough, your thoughts about Severus and your lost memories tucked into the back of your mind for now.
-
“Hey Y/N, how do I look?” Sirius asked as he came into view by your doorway. You turned to look at him and chuckled as he twirled around for good measure. He adorned an all-Black attire, with his black shirt, skinny black jeans, combat boots and a leather jacket.
“Like you’re ready for a rock concert.” You commented. He flashed his white pearls at you and came inside the room as you were just finishing up your preparations, pocketing your wand in your hoodie, you turned back to Sirius just in time to catch his pushing his long hair back his shoulders, “Do you want me to tie your hair up? I figured it might be annoying if you leave it down later.”
“Good idea!” He chirped and sat down on a stool by the vanity dresser. You came up behind him and scooped his curls in your hands, taking time to do it as neatly at possible, and tied it up with an extra elastic band. Sirius admired himself in the mirror, “My, don’t I look dashing?” He said then stood up as you snorted. 
“Like a masterpiece.” 
“Darling, may I commend you on your keen eye on beauty?” The both of you broke out laughing and Sirius wrapped an arm around your shoulders and smiled down at you fondly, “Anyway, I’m here to pick you up, the others are already waiting downstairs, and may I add, are itching to go. So, shall we?” He dropped his hand off your shoulder and offered his arm instead.
You shook your head and found this all so silly, but you hooked your arm with his nonetheless. “We shall.” The both of you teetering on your way down, arms linked together. James gave you two a confused look when you came into view, but decided not to say anything. You moved away from Sirius when Remus came out of the kitchen, cookie in hand. “Quick snack before we go?”  
Remus smiled at you, “There’s more in the kitchen, I see you eyeing my cookie. Get your own.”
You placed a hand on your chest at mock-hurt, “Ouch Rem, what ever happened to sharing?”
“This is Sirius’ fault no doubt,” Remus said, then turned to the gray-eyed boy, “look what your influence has done to her; she’s as sassy as you.”  
“Oi, it’s time to go!” James called out from the doorway.
“Now you kids be careful!” Euphemia doted, “Always carry your wands with you.”
James nodded as the rest of you piled outside, “Don’t worry mum, we’ll be back at dawn!”  
When your group arrived at the area where the concert was held, there was already a swarm of people out and about.  Remus placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder as you guys braved the crowd.  The five of you soon found a spot beside a trailer, Sirius already had a few girls chatting him up while Peter hung on to their every word. Remus and James kept you grounded with all the muggles around and their hearts on their sleeves. They distracted you with conversations and jokes that you didn’t even notice the time that passed until the concert was starting in a couple of minutes.
The swarm of people started gathering and despite Remus’ best efforts to at least provide you with some space to personal space, you found yourself struggling to breathe as strangers pressed upon you as they headed near the stage to get a better view.  
“I’m gonna go buy something to drink!” Sirius informed you guys over the cheers of the crowd as the band took to the stage. 
Your ears were ringing and you grabbed Sirius by the sleeves of his jacket, “I’ll come with!” You shouted back. Sirius gave you a look of surprise but nodded nonetheless and the two of you dispersed from the rest. 
You breathed a sigh of relief as the two of you approached a stall where they sold a variety of drinks. It wasn’t as crowded in this area compared to earlier since the concert just started.  
“All right?” Sirius asked as you fanned yourself with your hands.  
“Of course.” You replied as Sirius took the can of root beer and fished out a couple of muggle currency out of his pocket. He eyed it then flashed you a sheepish look. You rolled your eyes, chuckling lightly as you helped him pay, getting the right amount and handing it to the vendor.
He popped the lid of the can open releasing some fizz, and took a gulp. “Ack, I didn’t think beer would taste like this. Do muggles really get drunk with this?”  
You raised a brow. “Are you serious?”
He furrowed his brows at you, “Yes???”
You shook your head, “I mean, that’s root beer, it isn’t alcoholic. I think it’s more soda actually.”
Sirius frowned and looked at the drink in his hand and took another gulp. He shrugged, “Kind of reminds me of butterbeer.” You laughed at that. He offered you the drink and you gladly took a a few gulps before giving it back to him, your thirst quenched for the time being.
You two were about to head back to the others when another group of girls crowded Sirius saying they just wanted to chat a bit. He had cast you a hesitant look before you waved him off, telling him that you’d wait for him. And wait you did, quite awkwardly at the side until someone suddenly grabbed your hand and pulled you away in haste. “What the bloody hell!” You exclaimed and snatched your hand away but the person turned to look at you. It was a he, and his eyes stormed with panic.   “What are you doing here?!” He snapped as he pulled you further away from the crowd, you willingly followed this time, your mind still not believing the fact the he was actually here.  
“I should be asking you that. I thought you didn’t hang out with muggles, Sev?” You tried to stay calm, but now that he was talking to you, you felt your nerves tangling up inside of you. For weeks he hadn’t said a word to you and now he’s snapping at you? 
Severus ran a frustrated hand through his hair, “We don’t have time for this. You need to leave. Now.” He warned, “Something is about to happen and-” he was about to say but you cut him off, “What do you mean? You- you've been ignoring me for weeks and now... now you show up from who knows where and tell me to leave?”
He placed his hands on your shoulders, “If you think of me as your friend like you always say I am, then trust me when I say that it’s not safe here. They’re coming!”  
“They’re?” You asked but before Severus could reply, people with masks and hoods over their heads apparated to the crowd from thin air, cackling noises vibrating throughout the area; people soon began shouting in shock and confusion. “No...” You whispered horridly. Death Eaters. You were about to run back to the crowd on instinct but Severus grabbed your hand. You whipped towards him, “Let me go! The others are still there!” You cried out.  Green blasts lit at random places in the crowd while another batch of wizards and witches arrived, the cackling caused by apparation being overlapped by screams and spells. The new group battled the Death Eaters immediately, so they must be Aurors sent by the Ministry.
Muggles ran past the both of you, and someone slammed right into you and Severus, releasing the boy’s hold on you. You took this opportunity to get up and sprint back to search for your friends. You could feel your eyes prickle with unshed tears, of course Severus knew, he was one step away from joining them. “Sirius! Remus!” You shouted through the swarm of people. “Peter! James!” Shouts echoed the area as the people escaped, they’d never hear you at this rate. Hopelessness started to engulf you as dread filled your body. Everyone was scared you could hear everyone’s screams and you could slowly feel yourself lose your strength; you could feel yourself lose your own thoughts.
E c h o e s
Your mind was like a cave that had voices bouncing off its walls; echoing deeper in its crevice.
You’ve lost yourself in that cave countless of times before, each one was not a moment you looked back on fondly. Now you’re back and it seemed like the rocky walls of thoughts were closing in on you.
C    l   o   s  i  n g   r i g h t   in
Covering your ears didn’t help, but you did it anyway. People were running amok; children were being separated from their parents, friends were losing each other in the crowd and you couldn’t focus even if you had to- the voices in reality was being mixed with the ones in your head.
Everyone was screaming.
You felt someone pull you away just as a flash of green hit the spot where you just stood.
You didn’t even know who he was.
“Y/N, are you all right?!” The person shook you, and you looked into hazel eyes that were wide with worry and fright. His hands held you by your shoulders in a vice-like grip and you were pretty sure he wasn’t even aware of it himself. “Stay with me. Focus on me.” His voice left no room for argument and you found yourself keenly aware of how close your bodies were. If the both of you weren’t stuck in this life-or-death situation, you would’ve turned into a million shades of red right now.
The both of you were hunched back behind some bushes, shielding you from the sight of any Death Eater around the area. He pried your hands away from your ears, his eyes never leaving yours, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”  
You didn’t realize you were crying until now, but everything in your head seemed quieter as James Potter’s thoughts drowned everyone else’s away. I’ll keep you safe, we’ll get out of here, we’ll get out. You breathed in a shaky breath and got your wand out of the pocket of your hoodie. “I won’t let anything happen to you too.”
You wiped your tears away and steeled your resolve. James pulled you up and held your hand tightly as you went around, trying to find your three friends. “Protego Duo!” You cast just as one of the Death Eaters was about to blast an Auror from behind.  
“Stupefy!” James shouted and it hit the Death Eater square in the chest, making him fall backwards with a thud.  
DIE  
Merchant stalls caught on fire from Incendio, smoke erupting from the flames. You wiped your tears on the sleeve of your hoodie as James screamed for the names of your friends. He had long let go of your hand as the two of you cast spell after spell in defense and retaliation. 
IMPURE
Someone had slammed into you again, sending you to the ground in a hard thud, your head hurt from the impact and the person paid no heed to you as he scrambled up and continued to run away.  
MUDBLOOD
Muggles cry out as green hits them. How many has fallen? James had rushed to your side to pull you back up, and you groaned in pain as you did.  
DIE
You whipped your attention behind you and saw the Death Eaters duel against Aurors. Someone seemed to float past the turmoil, unperturbed by the events and your blood ran cold. The man had snake-like features, his eyes were scarlet and his face, masklike. And throughout everyone, his eyes locked on to you and a sinister smile slowly spread on his face, time seemed to slow down, but not in a good way. His cruel entity radiated out of him and his thoughts made you want to hurl.
“Ah, a Legilimens!” He shouted, and despite all the noise around, his voice still boomed and everyone paying attention still heard him. A mistake. You made a mistake and now he knows. “And also well-versed in Occlumency I see.” He grinned, and you knew he tried to go into your subconscious as well.  
“James,” You croaked out as the boy stepped in front of you, wand drawn, you didn’t want him to find out this way. You wanted to be able to tell them yourself when you were ready.
The Auror you saved shielded the both of you, shouting that you needed to escape.  
“There is no need!” The snake-like man announced, “There is no escape from the Dark Lord!” He howled, “Avada Kedavra!” He yelled and the Auror dropped dead as the spell hit him square in the chest. You couldn’t even scream.
Shivers ran down your spine. This was him; this was Lord Voldemort in the flesh. Why was he here? Didn’t he usually leave little events to his followers? “You girl,” He called out to you and stretched out his hand, “Your talents will not be wasted if you join me! This is the first time I met a child blessed with such prowess of Legilimency! You may be only second to me! The boy beside you shows great potential as well, the both of you will rise up in my ranks with your skills!” Even though it seemed like he was complimenting you, his cold and steely tone held no such impression.
You gripped your wand tightly, ready for any sudden movements as sweat trickled down your forehead at the suspense. You glanced at James; the boy never took his eyes off of the Dark Lord and anger burned behind those hazel eyes.
“We will never join you!” James snapped and flicked his wand towards a fallen log and propelled it towards Voldemort and his other death eaters. The both of you took this opportunity to escape, never bothering to look back.  
Voldemort bellowed at the petty trick, instantly blasting the log into pieces. “Leave them!” He commanded his followers when they were about to pursuit. “There will be many chances in the future.”  
-
“Remus! Peter!” James exclaimed in relief as he saw the two. The four of you reunited and Peter was bawling his eyes out in fright, his hand that held his wand tightly was trembling vigorously as he held it up in defense.
The three boys looked haggard and you figured you were as well. All of you stayed on your guard as the battle still raged on. “We need to find Sirius and get away from here.” James said and the rest of you nodded in agreement.
“Petrificus Totalus!” Remus casted, hitting a Death Eater, disabling him from making any movements. You didn’t have to look for long when Peter spotted Sirius dueling with someone a few meters from where you stood.  
“Peter, look out!” You shout and tackled the blonde boy to the ground as a spell flew by the both of you and hit another person instead. “Immobulus!” James shot at the perpetrator while Remus shot him with a Flipendo, sending him backwards. You helped Peter up, the boy looking absolutely distraught about that near-death experience but still continued on with the rest of you.
“Wouldn’t it be great if you joined us, cousin?!” A woman with wild, curly, black hair exclaimed as she shot spell after spell at your gray-eyed friend. You could feel the bloodlust radiating off of her as she had no qualms on dueling against her family member. Bellatrix Lestrange, or as you knew her back then, Bellatrix Black.  
“In your wildest dreams, Bella!” Sirius retaliated with a smirk as he countered her every spell, hex, and dodge every curse. Unlike the other Death Eaters, Bellatrix didn’t wear a robe nor a mask to cover who she was. She was quite proud to be a follower of Voldemort and was sure to flaunt it.  
A flash of green light burst in the sky all of a sudden, which made all of you look up and halting all duels. A colossal skull decorated the sky in a flurry of green smoke until it etched itself on the black sky like a new constellation. A snake protruded from its mouth like a tongue. The Dark Mark. 
Now, just as sudden as the Death Eaters arrived, they vanished, leaving the aftermath of destruction in their wake. An eerie silence enveloped the area as the Aurors made quick work on damage control. The muggles that escaped were soon tracked and obliviated of any memory of magic that transpired.  
You stared into the distance. Your throbbing head soon healed as a healer made quick work of any injuries the five of you may have sustained. “Your use of underage magic today will be overlooked as an act of self-defense.” An Auror informed you and your companions.  
You sighed, “Can we go home now?” You were exhausted, all of you were, and James’ parents were probably pacing themselves in worry. The Auror looked at you, thinking. He was as tired as you guys were, and he surely didn’t want to deal with students right now.  
“Of course. We will contact you if we have additional questions. Now, you shall be escorted-” He was about to say but James cut him off, “No it’s fine. My place isn’t far from here...”
You zoned out of the conversation when the Auror started explaining the need for an escort and James insisting that the lot of you could look after yourselves, your focus shifted to the people being obliviated. The flash of the wand as the spell was cast seemed so familiar, yet so foreign. You placed a hand on your head as flashes of darkness appeared in your mind. You suddenly stood up, much to the surprise of your friends, and you approached one of the Obliviators.  
“Excuse me,” You said. The Obliviator finished her task and turned to look at you and raised a brow in question. You bit your lower lip in nervousness, “Um, would it be alright if I asked some questions about Obliviate?”
The woman faced you fully, letting out a kind smile. “Of course. What would you want to know?”
You ran a hand through your hair, “I- is it possible for the people who were obliviated to regain their memories?” You asked, “How would you know that you’ve been obliviated before?”
The Obliviator placed a hand on her chin in thought, “Well,” she started, “For one, you wouldn’t know if it was casted on you as long as it was properly cast.” She informed you and thought some more, “As for regaining memories, there are various ways of breaking the Memory Charm. Torture, for one. I heard the Death Eaters are especially fond of that; also, if the charm that was cast isn’t as strong, a simple memory potion should do the trick. There are different levels of the charm, so it’s very important to have full focus when casting it. If it’s too strong it could cause brain damage, or even worse, death. But if it’s too weak, there would be a high chance of the person regaining their memories.”  
You nodded, engraving her words into your head, maybe this was the answer. “Thank you.” The woman nodded in reply and walked away to obliviate yet another unconscious muggle. Remus stood up as you headed back to them.  
“All right?” He questioned as he placed his hands on your arms. You looked up at him, his brown eyes glinting off worry. You gulped.  
“As I’ll ever be.” You replied. Remus’ mouth formed a thin line on his face; he didn’t believe you. But he chose not to pry any further, which you were glad for. They informed you that the Auror was going to Apparate you guys to James’ house and explain the situation to his parents.  
When you arrived, the door slammed open and Euphemia and Fleamont rushed out, the former in tears as she pulled all five of you in a bone-crushing hug. Fleamont and the Auror moved a few meters away to discuss everything that happened as Euphemia hounded the lot of you inside.  
After warm baths and a change of clothes, all of you retreated to bed. You were by yourself in the guest room while the boys shared James’ room. You wished you could go to them right now; you didn’t want to be alone.  
You stared at the ceiling of the room as you laid in bed that night. Sleep eluded you and your thoughts plagued you. Someone may have obliviated yours and the Slytherins’ memories about the fight at Hogwarts, you didn’t know who it was and why they did what they did, but you were bent on figuring it out. 
Also now, Voldemort knew your ability and wanted you to join his army. You doubt this would be the last time you come face to face with the Dark Lord, war was brewing and even with the safety Hogwarts provided you as students, you would ultimately have to graduate and leave. You had to tell Dumbledore about all this, you decided and immediately stood up to write him a letter. 
Quill in hand, you realized your hand still shook from the shock of earlier’ s attack. You took in a deep breath in hopes to help still your mind. Your penmanship wasn’t the best right now but it would have to do with your current state. It was cold and you missed the familiar warmth of the bespectacled boy’s hand in yours and the protection it provided. James was like a pillar that kept you grounded that time...
James... you set down your quill midway the letter, the color draining from your face as realization dawned. James knew. He knew you were a Legilimens now.
___________________ 
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nicknellie · 4 years ago
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@sunnysbright requested: something flarrie pls, maybe like a cute date or something, also pls include 🍓
Anonymous requested: flarrie first date pls!!!!
Seeing as both of these requests were for a flarrie date I decided to combine them into one prompt. I included strawberries, but I’m not gonna lie, I’m no expert on how strawberries grow and stuff like that so you might have to suspend your disbelief lmao. Anyway, these prompts were really cute and I love writing for flarrie, so this was a lot of fun. Thank you so much for your requests!
Like Summer
As far as first dates went, Flynn thought she had outdone herself. She had picked the right day, with the sun streaking through the canopy to bathe her and Carrie in its warm summer light, the slightest breeze and the shelter from the trees keeping them just cool enough. The activity couldn’t have been better either – it was Flynn’s opinion that Carrie needed to get out more, so she had packed them each a rucksack and brought Carrie hiking through the forest.
Though judging by all the grumbling, Carrie wasn’t quite enjoying it as much as Flynn.
“You could have at least told me we’d be doing this,” she groused, not fifteen minutes in. “That way I might have been prepared.”
A dozen or so paces ahead of Carrie, Flynn grinned to herself. She had purposely been secretive about what she had planned for their date, fully aware that if Carrie knew she’d be walking through a forest for three hours she would be less than excited. But still, Flynn knew their destination would lift Carrie’s spirits and that all the complaining she was about to receive would be completely worth it.
“If I had told you what we were doing you wouldn’t have come,” Flynn called over her shoulder.
“You know me so well,” Carrie deadpanned. “I’m not even wearing proper shoes for this.”
Flynn briefly turned back to glimpse Carrie’s dainty slip-ons already caked in mud. The rest of Carrie was looking a little worse for wear too; she had pulled her hair into a ponytail that was starting to look like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards, the sleeves of her cardigan were rolled up to the elbow, and the hem of her dress was grass stained. Flynn couldn’t help but feel a little bad, but equally she was probably one of the few people to ever see Carrie Wilson looking less than perfect, so in a way her state of utter disarray was endearing.
“You’re not wearing proper anything for this,” Flynn corrected. “But you let me choose what we were doing. You should have been prepared for anything.”
Carrie rolled her eyes and stormed ahead of Flynn, nose in the air, clearly displeased. Flynn was sure that Carrie wasn’t as moody as she was making it out to be. This had always been their dynamic – quick wit, insults, and snide remarks hiding that little flame of affection that had gradually blossomed into a roaring fire. Now that they were finally on an official date, they still kept that sense of rivalry, but it was diluted by the fact that they had finally admitted to one another how they felt. So Flynn wasn’t worried about Carrie’s mood, and even if she was really grumpy Flynn knew she would be able to cheer her up one way or another.
Plus her bad mood might have been more intimidating if she hadn’t fallen into a bush fifteen seconds later. Flynn was laughing so hard as she tried to tug her out that she dropped her back in several times.
Not long later (although with Carrie’s complaints it felt much longer) they came to a break in the treeline that exposed a hill, the grass coloured a summery bright green. Over the hill Flynn saw the sky for the first time since they’d entered the forest – pure blue, no trace of any clouds, the sun high in the sky. It was inviting and warm and she couldn’t help but feel happy. She glanced at Carrie and felt her breath hitch in her throat.
The thing was, Carrie shouldn’t have looked so good at that moment. She was covered in mud, her hair was a mess, there were ladders in her tights and an enormous rip in the shoulder of her cardigan, and she had been scowling so much on their hike that there were lines on her face Flynn was sure hadn’t been there before. But the sun gleaming down on her lit her hair like a halo and made her skin glow, and for the first time in hours she really let herself smile, an unhidden release of joy that reassured Flynn that she really was enjoying herself. She looked like a painting, so gorgeous that she couldn’t possibly have been real. She blew her hair away from her face and then flipped it over her shoulder, seeming like she moved in slow motion.
“Flynn!”
Flynn was snapped out of her thoughts by Carrie’s voice. Judging by her face, she had called Flynn’s name more than once. Flynn smiled pleasantly, trying to act as if she hadn’t just been worshipping Carrie like a goddess.
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“What’s up? That hill.” Carrie pointed up the slope.
“Oh, that. Didn’t see that there.”
“Are you seriously going to make me climb that?” Carrie said, glaring daggers at Flynn.
Flynn wasn’t fazed. She slipped her hand into Carrie’s, delighted with the blush it elicited from her and the tiny quirk of her lips as she suppressed a smile. Flynn knew better than anyone that Carrie was all talk – she could pretend to be as angry as she wanted, but it was easy to tear down those walls with something as simple as holding her hand.
“Yes,” Flynn said brightly as Carrie regained her composure. “It’s not that steep and you can literally see the top from here. Plus, when we get up there I promise it’ll be worth it.”
Carrie pouted. “My legs ache. This better be somewhere we can sit down.”
“I could carry you up the hill if you’d like,” Flynn half-joked, winking at Carrie. Again, Carrie flushed pink, easily ruffled.
“I can walk myself, thank you very much,” she said, and set off up the hill ahead of Flynn.
It was, truthfully, a very small hill, so it took them barely two minutes to reach the top. It was hotter at the top of the hill, free of the shade the forest had provided, but Flynn wasn’t bothered with the heat – she was looking at Carrie to make certain that this had all been worth it.
Thankfully, Carrie was smiling. No, she was positively beaming, a glimmer in her eye that made her look happier than Flynn thought she had ever seen.
“You like the view?” Flynn asked. Carrie nodded mutely, wonder plain as day on her face. Flynn inwardly breathed a sigh of relief – she had been sure Carrie would like it up here, but to have it go down well in reality was a whole different feeling.
She tore her eyes away from Carrie and looked out across the scenery for herself. Right in front of them was a large field, uncut grass swaying in the gentle breeze, the whole area lined with row upon row of strawberry plants, ripe and ready to eat. Spanning out below them was a splendid view of the ocean, the sea glittering with dashed sunlight, boats framed by gold as they floated on the horizon. It was a sight Flynn had seen many a time before when she had walked this same route with her family and after she had discovered Carrie’s love of strawberries she had known she had to share it with her.
“The walk was worth it?” she checked, sliding her hand back into Carrie’s.
“The walk was worth it,” she confirmed, gripping Flynn’s hand tight as she raised it to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. Flynn felt her heart flutter, getting a little hot, and not because of the sun. “I did know you had something amazing planned – you know that, don’t you?”
“I know,” Flynn replied, leading Carrie to the hedgerows. “I knew that your whining all the way up here wasn’t you not enjoying yourself, it was just your personality.”
“The same way I knew how you being so stubborn and refusing to tell me what we were doing wasn’t you being a complete control freak, it was just you trying to surprise me,” Carrie quipped.
Flynn grinned, ready to rise to her challenge, but as soon as she opened her mouth Carrie silenced her by sticking a strawberry in there. Surprised, Flynn had no choice but to bite into it – luckily, Carrie had picked a ripe one, and the flavour danced over her tongue, tasting like summer.
“These are safe to eat, right?” Carrie asked, picking up another strawberry and inspecting it closely.
Flynn raised an eyebrow. “You’re only saying that after you put one in my mouth? Should I be worried?”
“Yes,” Carrie said. Flynn rolled her eyes fondly. “But they are safe to eat, aren’t they?”
“I wouldn’t have brought you here if you couldn’t eat as many strawberries as your heart desires,” Flynn said wistfully. Carrie beamed again, that smile as bright as the sun, and popped the strawberry into her mouth. She sighed contentedly, all of her earlier gripes seeming to be completely forgotten.
“Good?” Flynn said.
“So good,” Carrie replied.
Flynn lost track of how long they stayed there together, feasting on strawberries, feeding them to one another, basking in the sun, laughing and joking and talking, doing nothing more than simply enjoying each other’s company. As far as first dates went, Flynn was pretty certain this one couldn’t have gone any better. It felt like they had been on a thousand dates just like this before: comfortable, familiar, utterly perfect. With the sun on her skin and Carrie’s hand in hers, Flynn couldn’t imagine anywhere she would rather be.
They shared a few tentative, slightly nervous kisses. They tasted of the strawberries they had been eating. Flynn had never kissed anyone before, but she was certain that there was only one person she ever wanted to kiss from then on, and it was Carrie Wilson. The feeling of Carrie’s lips on hers sent shivers down her spine despite the hot weather. It was thrilling and calming at the same time, a sensation like no other, but Flynn was drunk on it.
As the afternoon wore on, the sun drifted slowly across the sky, and Flynn realised they needed to start heading back before it got too dark.
“I wish I could bring some of these strawberries back,” Carrie thought aloud.
“Oh, that reminds me!” Flynn announced. She had known Carrie would say that, and she was prepared for it. She dug around in her backpack for a while and eventually pulled out another bag, this one empty. She handed it to a bemused Carrie, smiling proudly at her own predictive skills. “So you can collect some and take them with you. I knew you’d want to.”
There was a small, soft smile on Carrie’s face, something in it that Flynn couldn’t quite name. She watched as Carrie practically bounced back to the hedges, giddy in a way that Flynn had hardly ever seen her before, and followed after her to give her a hand.
When the bag was nearly full, Carrie zipped it up and shouldered it, reaching for Flynn’s hand and leading the two of them back down the hill towards the forest, back the way they had come.
“I can carry the bag if you like,” Flynn offered, trying to be a good date.
“I’ve got it,” Carrie insisted.
“I thought you’d be eating them as we walked back,” Flynn said.
Carrie just smiled. “These aren’t for me. They’re for you.”
“Me?”
Carrie nodded briskly. “I’m going to make you a pie.”
Flynn almost laughed. “What for?”
“As a thank-you,” Carrie said like it should have been obvious. “You organised this entire amazing day and all I did was tag along. So, to show how much I care about you and how great today was, I’m making you a pie.”
“I– thank you.” Flynn tried to keep the tremor from her voice, trying not to show how touched she was. She liked this aspect of what they had – they were always equal, it was never one of them putting in more effort than the other. It showed how much they cared, how much they respected each other. It made Flynn feel loved.
But it was too early for love, she knew that. It was only their first date after all.
Carrie rolled her eyes again, but there was a blush on her cheeks. She squeezed Flynn’s hand affectionately and they walked the rest of the way back through the forest in comfortable silence.
*
The next day, Flynn’s legs were killing her. She texted Carrie as soon as she woke up, but other than that she allowed herself to sleep in until late, resting her aching joints. She just laid in bed and spoke to Carrie, remembering how perfect the day before had been and becoming ever more eager to go on another date.
She had almost forgotten Carrie’s promise until the text came: I’m outside your house by the way.
Flynn leapt out of bed and peaked out of her bedroom window. Sure enough, Carrie was stepping out of her dad’s car and walking up Flynn’s driveway. In her hands she held a large dish, mostly covered by tinfoil.
Ignoring the fact that she was still wearing her pyjamas even though it was nearing one o’clock, Flynn ran as fast as her tired legs would carry her from her bedroom to the front door. She opened it before Carrie even had time to knock.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly. Carrie looked a lot less haggard than she had on their walk yesterday, beautiful even without the gleam of the sun on her face. The smell of the pie gently wafted out from underneath its covering.
“Hey,” Carrie replied, smiling sheepishly. She held the dish out and Flynn took it carefully. “I told you I’d make you a pie.”
Gently, Flynn pulled back the tinfoil and saw perfect pastry filled with bright red strawberries, covered with careful latticing and lots of tiny pastry hearts. Carrie was blushing the same shade as the strawberries and Flynn didn’t remember ever feeling so touched.
“It looks great,” she said, smiling up at her girlfriend. “Do you want to come in for a bit and have some?”
“I’d love to,” Carrie returned.
Flynn led her to the kitchen, cut them both a slice of pie each, and completed it with whipped cream. They sat at the table together, quietly eating their pie, the strawberries just as sweet as they had been the day before, the mood just as bright and comfortable. Flynn thought that if being with Carrie was so easy, there would definitely be a lot more dates and a lot more shared strawberry pies in the future. And she was more than alright with that.
*
Taglist (if you want to be added or removed just let me know): @ace-bookworm @williexmercer @willex-owns-my-heart @itstiger720 @the-reckless-and-the-brave @that-one-newsie @bluedarkness @lookingthroughmirrors @tmp-jatp @salty-star @julieandthequeers @lmaohuh 
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echo-three-one · 4 years ago
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Whatever It Takes : RELOADED
More safe house shenanigans as the gang looks for leads.
Table of Contents
Previous Chapter : My Damsel in Distress
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Delayed Flight 
John 'Soap' MacTavish
Task Force 141 - Disbanded
Safehouse 110197, Brazil
Soap haven't slept like this for quite a long time. He almost felt guilty that he's peacefully sleeping all while the world was in chaos. 
Slowly got up after noticing that Alex and Ghost were still asleep beside him, they looked like they just slept and he didn't bother waking them up for breakfast. Another scan of the room indicated that everyone else is downstairs. 
John quickly tiptoed across the room and swung the door open. On the other side of the door was France who looked focused while carrying two mugs of coffee.
"Oh! You're up!" she said in surprise as her coffee mugs wobbled. John's quick reflex immediately caught her hands and held them tight until it stabilized.
"I'm sorry I surprised you. Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, a smirk escaped his face as he noticed a faint blush from the female's cheek.
"Yeah. I brought you coffee since the hot water was almost out and you were still asleep." she stammered, not making eye contact to him. Soap looked curious, where was the woman that confidently rejected him yesterday? 
"Aww. So you are concerned!" he mused, holding her hands tight, drawing the steaming coffee mug close to him.
"Not really. I just thought that you're the last one to drink some so the kettle would finally be empty. Don't get your hopes too high, MacTavish." she gently shoved him the mug and carefully stormed off. There she was, back on her guard.
"Well, thanks for the concern." He greeted as he stepped down the stairs while sipping his coffee and met with everyone in the living room.
"Aren't we supposed to do recon for Samantha?" He asked, addressing the leaders who were casually reading a newspaper.
"Negative." Jack said, not looking at the Scottish soldier.
"We still have fuel from Nikolai's plane but we can't waste in on suspicion alone. We have to get solid intel." Price added.
"So we're like chilling here. Doing nothing." He said.
"Not exactly nothing. Ghost might have a lead anytime soon. For now, why don't you run some errands. Maxine needs some things for us here." Price replied, eyes still focused on the paper.
"John?" Maxine peeked from the kitchen and both Price and Soap turned to her.
"I meant Price." she dismissed, making Soap turn away from embarrassment.
"Can I come with them instead of making a list?" she asked, Soap could see Roach behind her eyeing on the interaction. 
"Sure. You've got three bodyguards with you. Just make sure you're always with at least one of them." he muttered. Beside him, Jack stood up and placed the paper on the table. 
"All-righty then, I'll lead you to the town just this once. Next time out, you'll be on your own. It's quite a long walk. And you lad, dress less suspicious." he pointed to Soap's camo pants. Soap actually felt scared at Alex's former CO. His very being still intimidated the Scot.
"I'll be back in a minute." he mumbled and dashed upstairs while France walked by Maxine to the door.
~
"I know Price told us to wear civilian clothing but for some reason you still have the ability to stand out and raise suspicion." France announced as the small team of four exited the safe house en route to the nearby town.
"Is it the hair?" Soap quickly placed one of Price's bucket hats and flashed a grin at the two ladies behind him. "Happy now?" he asked.
"Aside from the fact that you're wearing a t-shirt too small for your size? Yep. When did you last buy clothes for yourself?" France replied sarcastically and asked. Maxine giggled as she walked beside her sister, something she started to accept and try to recall.
"You're just finding an excuse to look at me." He muttered as he dashed to catch up with Jack, who was peacefully enjoying the walk.
"I'm amazed as to how you two act like you're not soldiers right now. How do you do it?" Jack chuckled as he rolled his eyes to Soap's direction, trying not to laugh at the Scot. If he was being honest, the hat did him a worse job. It made his head look small and unproportional to his bulky build. He turned back to France and Maxine who were silently signaling him to keep quiet.
The road was quite long and Soap finally found a small puddle of water to look at how he looked. No wonder they were giggling. He looked like a teddy bear who had a small head.
He then shyly took off his hat and glanced back at the puddle. Maybe it was time for him to buy larger clothes.
"Yeah. Guess someone has to help me pick some clothes as well." he muttered, while France paced beside him and gave him an assuring smile.
"I could always help, John." she said cheerfully and their eyes met. John slowly felt the sincerity on her smile, his heart sped and he found himself inching his face closer to her.
"The town's almost there!" Alex yelled from the distance as the two broke their gazes toward each other and quickly caught up with the two.
Awkward silence. They walked together behind Jack and Maxine who were now discussing what Jack's interests were back in the day. Not that it mattered to John, as all his mind was thinking was this pretty lady walking beside him. He wanted to graze his hand against hers, just to feel her smooth touch, he wondered if she'd let him hold her.
But he insisted, France was more of a slow but steady kind of person. She pointed it out to him multiple times and if he really wanted them to work, he had to do it the old-fashioned way. Sure the kiss was sudden, but what they had back at the Gulag was something worth waiting for and kissing her anytime now would never feel the same as the first.
Jack and Maxine quickly split off toward the market while the two of them remained by the center of the plaza. John scratched his head as he stuttered to ask her where to go.
"So… um… where to?" He asked.
"Looks like they got some cool jackets over there! You think you look good on those?" She asked excitedly.
"What do you think?" He asked shyly.
"Hmmmm.. Maybe… I'm not quite sure." She replied. John expected the classic you'd-look-better-without-any joke but she's not that kind of girl, and he's digging it.
When they say time flies by when you're having fun, John resonated with the quote. They spent most of the time laughing over clothes whose designs didn't make much sense and ended up buying most of them. Despite all the things going on around the world, John felt normal when he's with her, something he hasn't felt in quite a while. He'd even imagined that they're actually boyfriend and girlfriend whenever people around look at them. He was happy. He could get used to this.
~
It was about lunch time when they returned to the Safe house, and the scenery inside was the most unexpected thing ever.
Price was sleeping by the couch, his whole head was covered by a newspaper which had "End' times" written as the headline. Ghost and Roach were fighting over a piece of broccoli on the table while Alex sat by the stairs, wearing a shirt with a huge whale printed on it, playing with a lighter, flicking it open then closing it back as he stared at the flames.
"So that's where Smokey went." Soap muttered.
"Smokey?" France asked.
"My lighter." Soap replied confidently.
"Really?" 
"Yep." he said, popping the 'P' as he unloaded most of the supplies to the kitchen.
"What happened here?" Jack asked, taking off his jacket, completely regretting wearing it in a tropical country.
"Roach ate my broccoli!" Ghost complained.
"Ghost ate my pie!" Roach complained back as Jack sighed and placed a palm on his face.
"We had pie?" Soap asked, his eyes beamed at the table, only to be disappointed that there was none.
"Technically it's a tart and it's supposed to be for Maxine." Ghost smiled shyly eyeing at Maxine.
"Well, it didn't have her name on it so I assumed…" Ghost replied.
"You don't have to assume! You should've asked!" he yelled.
Soap was amazed at the spectrum of the team, which ranged from very righteous and courageous warriors to actual toddlers. It made him happy that he joined this little group he could call family.
~
Another day had passed and they still had no leads. But Ghost looked like he was onto something as Soap found him with Price as they discussed matters that sounded serious. He just hoped it was a lead. He's starting to worry about Alex who was constantly moping around. With nothing to work on, all he could focus on was Samantha.
"Guess you liked playing with that lighter so much." Soap leaned by the door, looking concerned at his comrade.
"Hey man. How was the market." Alex asked, his tone was nonchalant, almost lifeless.
"Well, it was busy. Jack led us there because you were asleep all morning…"
"Yeah. I couldn't go there. We shared so many memories in that town. I just can't handle it at the moment." He frowned and tossed him the lighter which Soap caught immediately.
"Thanks for this. And if you ever need someone to talk to… We're here for you, pal." Soap said awkwardly. The term pal was very American and he thought it'd be appropriate.
"Thanks, pal." Alex chuckled and stood up. 
"Let's go get dinner." Alex added, his eyes were fueled with determination. And Soap was happy that he's taking small steps to recover.
Next Chapter : Lurking in the Shadows
Notification Squad my Beloved
@beemybee @smokeywhalee @enderio @samatedeansbroccoli @ricinbach @whimsywispsblog
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leo-gold-hotchner · 4 years ago
Text
Unintended Road Trip
Aaron Hotchner X G.N. Reader
You don’t know anything about Hotch’s feeling. Always thinking about pranking your boss.... You’re dense.
Word: 1600-ish
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You all finally wrapped the case of the Second Angel Maker from a small town called Lower Canaan, Ohio. You were relieved you could save the last victim, but also felt so strange that a woman would go after another human being to finish the serial killer’s work. The small town seemed very relaxing and peaceful. It would’ve been a perfect vacation place if it wasn’t the Angel Maker. You popped a potato chip bag as you walked down to the sheriff station where all your team members were waiting. You waved your hand to your team as you ate chips. Your boss, Hotch was holding a plate of chocolate cookies and was watching you along with the team. Then Hotch gave the plate to Prentiss who looked startled. You saw your boss taking his bag out of an SUV and move it to another. You watched him curiously but didn’t ask a question but apologise.
“Sorry for making you guys wait,” you apologised to your team with a grin. 
“Oh no, we know you aren’t sorry at all, kiddo,” Rossi snorted a laugh. “But we're gonna excuse you today for a thing,” he wrapped your shoulders. 
“Mmhm?” You looked at the veteran profiler curiously. Morgan and Prentiss put their hands into your potato chip bag in turn as if they were about to watch an interesting movie.
“Hey, Aaron,” Rossi called Hotch who stopped from opening the door of black SUV. “F/N wants to join the road trip!” 
Your mouth opened ajar, you stared at Rossi unbelievably. The other members cackled as they hopped on the other SUV. JJ whispered to your ear ‘have fun’ as she followed the other's suit. 
“Dave, I can drive home alone.” Hotch massaged his temple as he sighed. “Don’t worry about him, L/N. I’ll see you all at Quantico.” 
“He needs to drive to Quantico because he can’t fly yet.” Dave whispered while beaming at Hotch. “So, be his mate will you?” 
“Go to the jet, Dave, L/N.” Then Hotch got on the SUV. 
You looked at Rossi then Hotch’s SUV which started the engine. It’s gonna take about seven hours or more to get to Quantico. Hotch might be dog tired from driving such a long way alone. 
“Ur, see you Dave,” you dashed to the Hotch’s SUV. Before your boss could run off, you sat yourself on the passenger sit. “Hi, Boss!” You greeted your sighing boss happily with your bag dangling on your arm. “You mind I get a ride too?” 
Hotch looked over the mirror and saw the team already left to get the jet. He had no choice but carpool with you. “Fine. But I won’t get any complaints from my music choice.” 
“Everyone knows you’re a fan of the Beatles.” You rolled your eyes and you started to reopen the chip bag and eat. Your boss glanced at you eating, but without a word he started to drive. 
                                                  -Hotch-
You didn’t know how long you were in the car, but the scenery didn’t change much from bushland and a few farmhouses. You talked to Hotch, and as you expected he didn’t respond much other than ‘yes’, ‘no’, and humming. But you were content with that. At least he wasn’t complaining about you talking while eating your snacks. 
“How long did we drive?” 
“I drove, not you,” Hotch snorted a laugh and it made you snicker. Hotch wondered how can you laugh at his terrible attempted joke. “Just a couple hours.” 
You looked up at him in surprise. “Just a couple hours? I feel like I’ve been in this car forever!” 
“You should’ve gone with the team.” Hotch shook his head. He mused as a large sign passed by. “Maybe we need a break a bit.” 
“You need a break. You’ve been driving.” You gave him a mocking accusatory finger. Then you lean forward and point far. “I think there’s a town. Let’s go!” Hotch made a sound like between a sigh and laugh, and turned the wheel to enter the pointed town. 
                                                 -Hotch-
Well, you thought it’d be a small town, but it was a big one. It was still slower than the city albeit its size. You stretched your arms as you got off from the SUV and took empty snack bags with you. Without his grey jacket, Hotch also got off from the car. 
“Just how much did you buy the snacks?” Hotch asked as he walked next to you. You look down at the white plastic bag which was still half full. 
“Eh, I dunno. But I didn’t buy much cuz I thought I’d get on the jet.” You look around the town. “Aren’t you hungry, Aaron?” Hotch raised his brow at you calling his name. “What? We’re on a road trip. I earned my right to call you ‘Aaron’ ever since I carpooled with you.” 
“I didn’t say anything,” Hotch shrugged casually. “You call others by first names often enough. You can call me ‘Aaron’ anytime.” 
“But you looked at me strangely.” 
“Because you never called me ‘Aaron’. You do know this conversation is pointless.” 
“No, it’s not,” you frown with a small pout. “I learned I can call you by your first name anytime.” 
Hotch watched you amusedly. Sometimes looking at you was like studying an enthusiastic kid. “Let’s grab a coffee before we head off again.” 
“Can we shop after we eat? I need to refill my snack bag and water.” You could sense Hotch wanted to scold you for eating too many snacks. “It’s a road trip, Aaron. We eat snacks while we’re on the road.” You winked at your boss who rolled his eyes. 
                                                 -Hotch-
You two found a little diner, but full of people. Thankfully there was an empty booth you two could squeeze in. The diner was lively with people’s conversation. A small TV in the right corner was showing a peaceful scenery of an unknown place with cattle. You eagerly opened the menu on the table as soon as you sat on the red bench. Hotch watched you with a ghost smile, his arms folded on the table. 
“Aaron, Aaron,” you called your boss impatiently as your eyes skimmed through the menu. “Are you gonna eat something? The pancakes look really good.” 
“Didn’t you have all the snacks?” Hotch chuckled and he briefly raised his hand to order. 
“Like you said, that was a snack. I need a meal.” You didn’t back down and hummed as you drummed the menu with your finger. 
“A coffee for me, and…,” Hotch looked at you expectedly. 
“Can I have banana pancakes? With extra ice cream.” 
“Sure,” the young waitress jotted down the order right away. “Give me a second, and I’ll be back.” 
“Thanks. How are your ears, boss?” You asked. 
“Alright for now.” 
You saw light black bags under his eyes. “Did you get enough sleep? Wait, don't answer that. I know you don’t sleep at all.” Hotch opened then closed his mouth. “Give me the key. I’ll drive. You can get some sleep.” 
“No thanks.” 
“Morgan let Reid drive. I’m a better driver than Reid you know.” 
“I’m driving.” Hotch said firmly with a no-more-discussion tone.
“This is pointless.” You frowned; arms crossed. 
“Mmhmm,” Hotch just nodded. He then thanked the waitress who poured hot coffee into a white ceramic cup. 
“I saw many couples fighting,” the waitress giggled. “But never seen a couple fighting over who to drive. You guys are cute.” 
Hotch nearly sputtered his coffee out and you laughed out loud. Maybe you could pull his leg a bit by pretending to be a couple. Pranking time!
“I know right? I love him caring for me, but sometimes he should let me drive, and him resting.” Lost a word, Hotch just stared at you. 
“You must be really happy to have a caring boyfriend, though.” The waitress looked at you with a bit of envy, believing your act. “I’ll be back with your pancakes!” She then dashed to another booth who called for her. 
“What was that?” Hotch asked in disbelief. 
“What? We being a couple? She thinks we’re a couple.” You smiled mischievously, ideas of teasing your boss popping up one by one. “If you didn’t like us being a couple, you would’ve denied it from the start.” 
“I was too shocked.” Hotch muttered drily. 
“The great Aaron Hotchner in shock? That’s a first.” 
“Here’s your pancake!” The waitress appeared with your delicious looking pancake. 
As you set your eyes on your pancake, you forgot about teasing Hotch and vigorously dug into your pancakes. Not knowing Hotch’s contemplating look, you enjoyed your meal. 
Hotch supported his chin casually. “You know, many couples share their food with each other.” This time it was your turn to sputter. “But you haven’t asked me. Does it mean you don’t love me enough?” 
“Hotch?” Your eyes widened in shock.
Never in your life you thought your stoic strict boss would joke along with you. Did he want your pancake? You quickly grab the cleanest possible pancake piece and a banana with your fork and gave it to your boss. 
“Sorry didn’t know you actually like pancakes.” 
Hotch gave you a straining groan and a heavy sigh. “No thank you, F/N. I’m fine.” 
Unlike him, you were clueless. Even after Dave pushed you to have a trip with Hotch, you had no idea why Dave pushed you. You didn’t know why Hotch didn’t deny the claim of you two being a couple. You had no idea why Hotch said about sharing food between a couple. Just totally clueless. 
“I’ll be back.” 
You watched your boss entering the bathroom. You shrugged and ate the pancake that was supposed to be Hotch’s. It was fun to tease Hotch. Maybe for the next prank, you could kiss on his cheek to see his reaction.
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