#turns out that DID in fact mean Something
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
bueckersbitch · 1 day ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
greenlight - paige bueckers x reader
☆ warnings : angst, sexual context, toxic!paige
☆ word count : 1.7k
☆ authors note : hi guys! a quick fic bc i loveeee tates new album, the last bit is inspired by her explaination of green light!
☆ taglist : @sierrale8ne @thaatdigitaldiary @pboogerswbb @lupinqs @rosemariiaa @xxloveralways14 @lovegalor333 @mrsarnold @janaelalfysblunt @bueckersfive @vamptizm
Tumblr media
The door knob slowly pushes down, almost mocking the way your heart dropped when receiving the text, “I’ve been thinking, we need to talk.” The message wasn’t unexpected; in fact, you had been counting on receiving it after the last couple of weeks between you and Paige. Part of you still wanted it to be your overthinking getting the best of you again, a figment of your imagination trying to self-sabotage you, yet, it was something deeper: the way Paige’s demeanor changed in what felt like an instant, her loving, comforting words turning quickly into scowls of defense when you confronted her about her passive attitude towards your feelings. The doorknob seems to lag, separating the relationship between you two into two: before the conversation that was about to change your relationship, and after.
Her face is revealed after a moment; her normally perfect, slick-back bun is disheveled a bit; however, her face was numb, lacking any emotion. Her sock-clad feet slowly shuffled back when opening the door, silently urging you to step into her apartment, the one you had helped decorate when she had moved to Dallas. Your eyes flicker up to meet her cold, blue ones; her lips become tightly bound, letting out a sigh. You pick at your hangnails that had accumulated unwillingly after your thoughts about everything concerning you two swarmed your mind over the past couple of nights. You step inside, noticing the lack of the feeling of home: candles remaining unlit, tv that usually had a game on left dark, and the vase that rests on the center of her kitchen island, but instead of having purple irises gifted by you—Paige’s favorite flowers—it was clear, water even being drained since the last time you had given them to the blonde, when you were both happy. 
Paige doesn’t say a word, picking up the tv remote and turning on a game. Crashing to the couch, her fixed stare on the tv felt like a punch to the gut. Paige was good at communicating, something you admired even in the early stages of your relationship. The lump in your throat started to grow. Had she changed so much to the point she felt like she couldn’t tell you what she was feeling? “Are you serious?” You questioned, voice shaking a bit. Paige hummed in response, eyes still glued to the tv, making you feel like an afterthought, unimportant. “I didn’t drive half an hour for you to not tell me what you want.” You said, leaning on the kitchen island, tears starting to well now. “I thought it was obvious. We aren’t working, baby.” A tear fell from your eye now, taking your makeup with it to your neck. You knew that, you knew something wasn’t working, but what shocked you was Paige’s lack of effort to try and fix what was wrong. “Tell me what’s not working then, because I feel like recently whenever I try to get to you, what you’re thinking, you feel like I’m a nuisance.” It was different. You leading the conversation about talking about feelings, emotions were something you encouraged yourself to suppress. “I don’t wanna tell you though.” Paige says, resting her elbows on her knees as she turns her head with minimal effort to look at you. Confusion jolts through you, apparently evident on your face through your eyebrows and slight stutter of the start of a sentence beginning with “W-w-wha-” Paige rolls her eyes, cutting you off with, “Don’t you get it? I’m tired. I don’t wanna tell you because I don’t think I wanna fix us.” Your heart really drops, feeling heavy with the weight of her words shutting you down. “Do you hear yourself? Did the past four years mean nothing to you?” Paige scoffs, nodding her head as it dips between her shoulders, “You know it did. I just feel like I’ve grown. I’m not the injured girl you met in sophomore year anymore.” The mention of how you met tugging at your heart strings.
-
Four years ago
The lecture to your psychology class had finally ended, meaning it was time for a nice Friday out  with your girls. You gathered your stuff, placing your iPad in your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. Pulling your phone out, you start scrolling through the notifications of ideas for what you guys should do tonight. You walk through the tiled hall, a little too quickly it seems, because you brush past someone, hearing them grunt in annoyance. You whip your head around, to a tall blonde. You had heard about her injury, watched it happen even, how she was projected to be out for six to eight weeks. Her words sliced through your thoughts, “I miss when I could walk mindlessly.” Your eyes widened, baffled at your ignorance to your surroundings. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry-” Paige laughs. “I’m just teasing you. What’s got you rushing to get back though?” You let out an exhale of relief, smiling while telling the girl your plans for the night. Conversation ending with you carrying her stuff for her while walking her back to her apartment. Impulsive thoughts overcoming you, word vomit producing a, “You should totally come!”
-
Present
“Trust me, I know,” you manage to say through a facade. Paige’s brows furrow now. “What’s that ‘supposed to mean?” You exhale, similarly to how you had all those years ago, but this time, it was to brace yourself for what you were about to say. “I mean the Paige I knew back then, fuck, even a month ago, wouldn’t push aside my feelings like it’s something that’s optional in her life!” She leans back again, seemingly unphased by your confession. “I’m not about to pour my heart into something you don’t deserve.” Your mind was clouded now, something you didn’t deserve? If there was the bare minimum of what you deserved, it was an explanation, a reason why your soulmate had turned into someone that looked at you like a burden. “I’m just standing here trying to understand what you want from me, because I’ve tried, Paige, I really have, but it’s obvious that you think I don’t deserve a basic explanation as to why you’ve just shut me out.” You try to reason with her, not ready to accept the truth of what could happen. “I don’t want anything anymore. I don’t know why I gotta spell that shit out for you.” There it was, the admission that had you in a grasp of anxiousness. “So what?” Still finding it hard to accept that your loving, communicative Paige was acting this way, “So, it’s done.” 
Her words rang through your head like a stupid song you couldn’t get out of your head. Your keys gripped so hard in your hand they started to leave indents. Your hood was pulled up over your head, trying to avoid the receptionist that would greet you after the long journey of the elevator, plummeting like your heart had. You push through the revolving door, out into the soft water of the rain, almost like the universe was sad for you. Flinging yourself into your car, you start to drive back to your apartment in silence. You roll to a stop at a red light, finally letting yourself break down in the comfort of your own car.
-
Three months later
The delicate notification rang through your ears again, light turning green as you pushed on the gas. It had chimed a couple of times now, a specific notification sound you had only reserved for a certain blonde. You forgot you even did that, changing the setting when you were so young and lovestruck. Sure, the sound surprised you a week ago when you heard it for the first time in three months, but now? It was almost background noise to your daily tasks. She tried to work her way back, endless texts and voicemails that had her saying “I fucked up” and “Please talk to me, ma” and other things of the sorts. You would’ve gone running straight into her arms had it not been for what you found out. Another girl. One she felt so taken aback by that she felt the need to shut you out, to break up with you. You wanted to make sure she lived with the consequence of losing you. So now, you were on your way out to a restaurant, your therapist encouraging you to get back out into the dating scene again. Skylar, was her name. 
You sat across from the brunette girl, smiling with her as you both talked about your families. It felt nice, feeling like your presence was wanted. A voice rang through your ears, one that was too familiar, one that you had heard every day straight for four years. There she was, talking and laughing with her Wings teammates as she looked over the menu.
You broke. Something about having such a deep history with her coaxing you back to her, pressed up against the very door you had slammed shut in anger a few months ago. Her hands gripping your waist as she confessed how her admiration for you had never left, “Missed you so bad, you’re the only one for me.” Hands trailing past your waistband, finding the pool of arousal that awaited her.
She sweetly talked you back into her bed, but even after pulling three orgasms from you, you couldn’t shake the feeling of what you had found out she had been hiding from you. So, you found your clothes, taking in the way her wavy blonde hair framed her sleeping face, before slipping away in the middle of the night, attempting to avoid the start of a toxic back and forth.
-
One week later
The post sat unliked in your feed, taking a second to take it in. Paige’s new girlfriend. The girl she left you for, the one she was still seeing a week ago when she was fucking you. 
You were shielding your phone from Skylar. Of course, you tried to move on, but a part of you still believed you would get her back, your Paige back. It was wrong, and everyone around you told you to move on. Paige sure had. “Babe?” You quickly locked your phone, looking at your date in the passenger seat of your car. “You were so invested in your phone that you fully sat through that entire green light.” She laughed. You forced a fake laugh, suppressing the solemn feeling that the universe was mocking you through the situation. You sitting still at a green light, while the light is telling you it’s okay to go, is like everybody around you saying it’s okay to move on from Paige, but it still feels impossible.
374 notes · View notes
stars-obsession-pit · 2 days ago
Text
A series of unfortunate coincidences
Danny has been working on learning how to make portals to… mixed success. Look, he’s got the making part down just fine! It’s just the location part he’s having trouble with!
And, like, there’s a lot of embarrassing places to drop out of a portal by accident. He’s no stranger anymore to having to do some awkward explaining. Though that reminds him, he still needs to apologize to Tucker for the shower incident.
But he thinks this might take the cake.
I mean, what kind of one-in-a-trillion bad luck does it take to emerge on top of an ongoing summoning ritual?
A ritual that was, apparently, meant to get some kid named “Danyal” whom he’s a dead ringer for and did not appear.
Not that any of them believe him about that, of course. Because apparently “memory loss is a known possible symptom of some resurrections.”
But what about genetic proof? Nope! Turns out his Fenton Luck struck again and his ghostly half means genetic tests don’t give clear results, and in fact happen to resemble the effects of this “Lazarus-something-or-other” stuff that Danyal would have interacted with.
Fucking hell.
What is his (half-)life right now?
215 notes · View notes
covenofagatha · 2 days ago
Text
The psychology of love (Part 3)
Your first date with Morgan and a lesson in defense mechanisms and the delay of gratification
Word count: 4.1k
Warnings: none yet, slowburn
Tumblr media
Morgan and you go out to dinner the next day. You had seriously been considering just never texting her and making more of an effort to avoid her, but Wanda and Nat pestered you continuously during breakfast until you had given in. 
Turns out, you were both free that night. 
You had a class in the evening, so you meet her at the pizza place off-campus after. She’s wearing a light blue dress that brings out the color in her eyes and her Black Opium perfume makes you wish there was someone different sitting in front of you. 
“Did you have a good day?” she asks while you’re waiting for your pizzas to be done cooking. The awkwardness of a first date is hanging over you, coupled with the fact that her fingers were inside you on Monday. You’re still a little shocked that happened. 
But you nod and smile. Morgan is nice, and she’s trying. The least you could do is try as well. “Yeah, I had two classes. They’re both pretty easy. My hardest are definitely Physiological Psych and Personality Psych.” 
Even the mention of the latter makes your stomach clench. Agatha has wormed her way into your brain and you don’t know how to get her out. The perfume you ordered should be here tomorrow and you regret buying it. 
Realistically, what are you going to do with it? You can’t wear it—both Morgan and Agatha will pick up on it. It’d be absolutely pathetic to spray your pillow with it and imagine it’s Agatha next to you, plus Wanda would surely wonder about that. 
Which means you spent one-hundred dollars on a bottle of perfume that’s going to sit on your desk and serve as a reminder that you’re delusional. 
A waitress brings over your personal pizzas and sets them down in front of you, steam billowing off. 
Morgan’s looking at you, a little expectantly, and you clear your throat. “How was your day?” you ask, realizing that you never returned the question.
“Pretty good, thanks. I had an International Relations class. We already have a quiz next Tuesday, which is crazy considering this was our second day of meeting.” You learned that she’s a Political Science major while you were waiting in line for pizza. 
She doesn’t say anything else, so you chew on your lip and try to think of ways to get the conversation going. “So…how did you get into political science?” At least her face brightens at that. 
“My dad works in local government and I’ve always been really interested in it. I’ve interned at his office since I was probably sixteen? I’ll be able to get a job with him once I graduate and then hopefully I can be elected for something,” she says before launching into a few stories about town halls that she’s been a part of. She’s from a small town in Indiana and the people there are apparently a little unhinged.
Morgan’s just telling you about a petition one man started to make his birthday a town holiday when the door to the restaurant opens and a familiar face walks in. 
It’s Agatha’s standoffish TA. Morgan is still talking but your eyes follow Rio as she walks up to the counter and shows them her phone. The lady nods and picks up a boxed pizza that’s sitting next to her and hands it to Rio. 
As she’s walking to the exit, she tilts her head over to you like she feels you staring. You quickly look away but in your periphery, you can see her coming closer until you have no choice but to crane your neck up at her. 
“You’re in Professor Harkness’s class, aren’t you?” Rio asks, but it’s more of a statement than a question. She obviously remembers you from Agatha’s office yesterday. 
You nod and she chuckles amusedly, tongue bulging in her cheek. Her complete one-eighty of a personality change is throwing you off. 
Rio glances at Morgan and then back to you, a gleam in her eyes. “Good luck.” Before you can ask what she means—is she talking about Agatha’s class? talking about Morgan?—she shifts the pizza in her arms and strolls out the door without looking back. 
Morgan raises an eyebrow at you. “That was weird.” 
You choose to not say anything and take a bite of your pizza, instantly wincing when it burns your mouth. “Did the man get his petition approved?” you refer to what she had been talking about before Rio, and Morgan dives back into that memory. 
She talks for most of dinner, only really taking a break while she’s eating, and then you walk her to her car. Thankfully, neither of you wants to hang out in the resultant once you’re both done with your food. She’s parked right in front whereas you had to find a spot in the garage behind the row of restaurants. 
“Do you want me to give you a ride to your car?” Morgan offers and you pretend to think about it before shaking your head. 
“No, that’s okay. It’s not very far.” There’s a minute of silent shuffling while you both try to figure out how to end the date. “Um, well I had a great time with you tonight. Let’s do this again soon?” 
She smiles warmly. “I’d love that.” And then Morgan leans in to press a quick kiss to your cheek before getting in her car. Her perfume drifts into your nostrils and lingers and you hear Agatha’s voice telling you that you did very good. Heat flashes through you but you tamp it down. 
You wait until Morgan drives off before turning to head to the parking garage, but you see another person that you know in the shadows. 
Professor Harkness. 
Your heart lurches as she pushes off the building wall she was leaning against and steps into the light. She’s wearing blue pants and a matching blazer over a black turtleneck. The gold from her necklace catches the streetlamp glow. Her long, loose hair frames her face and you can see her blue eyes glinting even in the dark.
Swallowing roughly, you irrationally worry that she’s going to be mad about you and Morgan. A part of you wants her to be mad. 
But she just smirks instead. “Dinner with a friend?” 
“Something like that,” you mutter, shrugging inconspicuously. “What are you doing here?” It seems like she’s waiting for someone—a date? Not that it matters, of course. You just want insight into your mysterious teacher. 
She moves closer to you, close enough so you can smell her perfume. It’s getting really fucking confusing with both Agatha and Morgan wearing the same scent. “I’m just picking up dinner,” she hums. “Nothing as exciting as you.” 
Your cheeks burn. “That wasn’t anything, just a first date. We met at a party a few days ago.” When I let her fuck me because she reminded me of you.
Agatha nods like she knows something you don’t. “Do you remember learning about defense mechanisms?” 
“What?” 
“In a general psych class, did you ever learn about defense mechanisms? Freudian methodology, of course, that believes our ego unconsciously wants to protect the superego from the id when we do something that would otherwise cause us anxiety, guilt, and shame.” 
“I mean, yeah?” You’ve heard of them, but why is she bringing them up? 
She waves a hand at your apparent confusion. “We’ll get more into them later in the semester. I just think it’s neat, you know? How we can be doing something and not even be aware that we’re doing it. Denial, rationalization,” she fixes you with a pointed look, “transference. The mind does really work in interesting ways.” 
You nod and bite your nails, not sure what to say. It feels like you’re missing something by a mile.
But Agatha just smiles. “See you tomorrow in class, hon.” She winks before leaving you outside and you slowly trudge back to your car, completely dumbfounded. 
Once you get back to your dorm, the conversation with Agatha still fresh in your mind, you halfheartedly return Wanda’s greeting and take out your computer and type “transference” into Google. 
Transference is the psychological phenomenon where someone redirects feelings from one person onto another. It occurs when someone unconsciously projects feelings or desires onto someone else. 
“Holy shit,” you say out loud, your blood running cold. Wanda’s head turns toward you but it’s like you have tunnel vision. 
Was Agatha implying that you going out with Morgan is you redirecting your feelings toward your professor onto someone who looks like her? 
Your heart is thumping so loud you can hear it. Are you being that obvious to Agatha? Can she tell that you have a crush on her? 
As if to make matters worse, you get an email notification saying that a package has been delivered—the perfume. A whole day early, like the universe wants to prove its point. 
You let it sit in the delivery room all night because you don’t trust yourself not to go crazy if you smell it right now. 
But you barely get any sleep at all just thinking about it. 
The next morning, Wanda and Nat interrogate you at breakfast. You had told Wanda the general basics of how the date had gone last night, but now they’re pressing you for the details, which you reluctantly give. 
“It was good, she spent a lot of time talking about interning for her town’s government. She’s a Poli-Sci major—” Nat scoffs and rolls her eyes and Wanda laughs, “—and apparently her dad is like the mayor or a council member? I don’t know, I mean, she’s nice and all…” 
“Oh, come on,” Wanda says, fond exasperation staining her voice. “You always do this. You meet a great girl and then you decide that she’s boring or that you don’t really like her or you make one tiny thing of their personality into a big problem. Why can’t you just let yourself have something?” 
It stings how well she knows you. “I just…I don’t know…I’m just not sure we’d work that well together. And it doesn’t really make sense to get into a relationship now, does it? We’re graduating in the spring so why start something new if we’re going to end up in different places? She wants to go back to Indiana and I’ll probably stay here or go back home, so it just doesn’t seem like there’s much of a point.” 
Nat looks unimpressed. “Really? That’s your excuse for why you’re going to self-sabotage? If only long-distance was a thing, god.” 
Wanda pats her girlfriend’s hand and stifles a smirk at the sarcasm. “Just because it’s not going to end in marriage doesn’t mean it’s not worth it,” she says gently. “Why not go on a few more dates, just to see what happens? And who knows? She could be worth it.” 
It won’t work because she’s not at least twice my age. Except you can’t exactly tell your friends that. So instead you say, “Yeah, maybe.” 
“Even if it’s not a relationship, it could be a friends-with-benefits situation,” Natasha adds and Wanda snorts. “You’ve already had sex with her so you already know what you’d be getting into.” 
“Okay, okay,” you grimace at her crassness and push your chair back. “I have to get to class.” 
You have about twenty minutes before it starts, so you’re not in a rush, but you need the walk to clear your head and mentally prepare for seeing Agatha. The quip about transference has you still reeling and it’s only the third day of this class but it’s already the second time you’ve been nervous to look at her. You’re not sure you can get in trouble for having a crush on a teacher but you certainly don’t want Agatha being uncomfortable around you.
So you’ll keep your distance. You’ll go to class and take notes and answer questions, but you’ll leave right after. You won’t let her praise affect you and you will definitely not get close enough to smell her perfume that makes your cunt pulse. 
Practically everything you were just thinking goes out the window when you walk into class and see her standing at the front of the room. 
Agatha’s wearing another turtleneck, white this time, under a tan blazer and matching pants. You wonder if she’s been wearing them to hide hickeys on her neck—but then you remind yourself that you don’t care, despite the growing feeling of jealousy in your stomach from your absolutely baseless speculations. 
She smiles at you, something dark hidden behind her pink lips, and you shiver as you sit down. Does she know what she does to you? The praises, the projection tests from Wednesday, the way she looks at you? 
She seems to like you more than the other students in the class—is that just because you answer questions? Does she encourage you for that because she needs someone to? You’ve had classes where absolutely no one would talk and it was awful. Her praising you for that could just be her way of making sure there’s not an awkward silence. 
But it feels direct, pointed even. Like she wants it to be you.
Or is that just you hoping? 
Agatha isn’t the first teacher you’ve had a crush on, not by a long shot. There was the English teacher when you were in eighth grade. She wasn’t even your teacher, but you still found excuses to talk to her. There was your ninth grade Biology teacher, and then you took her Environmental Science class senior year just to have her again. Your Developmental Psychology professor from the spring semester of your first year in college. You’re sure there’s more. Each time, though, you were certain that you were special. 
Each time, you were sorely disappointed, but not surprised. 
You want to say that it feels different with Agatha, but you need to get a grip on yourself. 
She’s in her late forties, at least. She might have a partner. You glance at her hands as she’s typing something on the computer. No ring. That doesn’t mean anything, you tell yourself. 
But she could get in serious trouble for sleeping with a student. If everything else worked out, if all the other stars aligned and by some way, she did want you, she’d never risk her job over that. She has two doctorates and has published multiple articles about her research, which you’ve been meaning to read, and has won several awards for her work. She’s devoted her whole life to psychology and you are not going to change that. 
Agatha may tease, but at the end of the day, you feel confident that she will never be anything but professional, which means that you really need to get over this. 
“Okay, getting back into Trait Theory,” Agatha starts and you scramble for your notebook. She clicks present on the slideshow and you begin scribbling down everything typed on the first slide. “Theorists who approach personality through the Trait approach want to know what exactly traits are and what they do. Do they describe how we behave? Are they a sum of all we’ve learned? Do they reflect underlying personality? Are they the building blocks of our personality?” 
You chew on the tip of your pen and Agatha’s eyes flick to you with a glint in them. Her lips twitch up and you freeze. 
“The problem with traits is that people are inconsistent. We act one way when we’re by ourselves and a different way when we’re with friends versus family versus professors versus romantic partners. So do situations predict behavior more than personality traits?” 
Agatha surveys the classroom expectantly so you hesitantly raise your hand, wheels turning in your head trying to think of a sophisticated response. She smirks and nods at you. “I mean, I think situations obviously have some part in how we act, but it’s not like we’re completely different people based on who we’re interacting with. It could be kind of like, what traits do we use more of when we’re with some people and what traits do we use less of?” 
Her brows furrow and you can see her mulling it over. “So you’re saying that we have a bank of traits, of consistent traits, but which ones we tap into depends on who we’re with?” 
“Yes?” Your voice wavers but you hold eye contact with her. 
Agatha hums thoughtfully. “Very good. I like that.” Your cheeks flush and you duck your head, the eye contact becoming too intense. “And it brings us to an interesting thought. I want everyone to write down how you consider yourself personality-wise. And then write down some traits you’d use to describe your best friends.” 
You write some general words down for you and then for Wanda and Nat. It’s hard to sum someone’s personality up like that. Glancing around the room, you see everyone’s still working so you pick at your nails and pretend that you don’t feel Agatha staring at you. 
The compulsion grows too great in you, though, so you look at her. She doesn’t seem abashed that you caught her—if anything, she looks excited. You swallow roughly to get some moisture into your suddenly-dry mouth and your teeth sink into your bottom lip. Her eyelashes flutter, maybe just enough to be considered a wink, but then someone coughs and the moment is broken. 
Agatha clears her throat. “Take a look at what words you wrote for yourself and then compare them to the words you wrote for your friends. Chances are, there’s a good amount of overlap. Opposites attract sometimes, but it’s more often than not that we choose to surround ourselves with people that have similar personalities to us. If we do that, then our traits might be influencing the situations that we’re in, which influences our behavior. It’s a lot to think about.”
She clicks to the next slide. 
“Psychologists have found that both situations and traits influence behavior about equally after conducting some experiments that we’ll look at another time. Now,” she turns off the projection and the screen at the front of the room goes dark. Everyone looks at her. “I want to talk to you about an opportunity for next week.” 
Someone out of the corner of your eye perks up. “Extra credit?”
Agatha shoots him down with a glare. “It’s the third class of the semester, first of all. Second of all, there will be no extra credit in this course.” 
He slumps down, defeated. You think he might be the same person from the first day who was upset about only having five grades. 
“We will have a speaker on campus next Tuesday evening at six pm giving a presentation on fallacies from famous psychological experiments. I’ll be sending out more information about it, but I think it will be very interesting, especially for this class. It’s optional, but I do heavily recommend attending.” 
You raise your hand and she smiles. “What studies are they going to look at?” 
“Excellent question. The presentation will look at the Rosenthal study on expectancy effects, the Stanford Prison Experiment, among a few others, and one of my personal favorites: the study on delay of gratification.” 
“Is that the one—” a girl begins to say before Agatha interrupts her like she didn’t even hear the student. 
“Mischel and Ebbesen would call kids into a room one-by-one and tell them that they could either have a small candy bar right away, or wait some unknown amount of time for a larger candy bar. The researchers would leave the room and see what the kids would do.” Her blue eyes pierce into you and her face morphs into something almost predatory. “Is it better to get instant relief for something small, or to wait and let the anticipation build up for a better reward?” 
She prompts you with a tilt of her head and you wonder if she can see the slight sheen of sweat breaking out on your forehead. “If it’s going to be worth it to wait,” you rasp. 
Agatha licks her lips before nodding slowly and then settles back into her casual demeanor. “I mean, who doesn’t want a bigger candy bar?” she jokes and there’s a titter throughout the room. She gives you a smug smile and you face forward, cheeks burning. 
She continues talking but you’ve completely zoned out. You feel like a kid in the experiment—have something with Morgan, real but fleeting, or wait for even the possibility of Agatha? Once you’re not her student anymore, there shouldn’t be a problem. And you graduate in the spring anyway. 
But that’s if Agatha would even like you back then. 
What happens if the researcher never comes back with the big candy bar after the kid waits forever? 
She finally wraps up class, saying that she needs to rush off to a meeting and you slowly pack up your bag just in case she lingers. She may be in a hurry, but it’s nothing compared to the other students and it’s only a minute before you and her are the only ones left in the room. 
The air feels thick with electricity and tension and it’s like you’re rooted to your seat when she starts to slowly walk toward you. You can feel your heartbeat increase and your breathing quickens—your body wants to run but it can’t. 
“Great job today,” she mumbles and drums her fingertips atop your desk surface, her perfume rolling over you like a wave, and you don’t even realize that she’s gone until you hear the door shut behind you. 
You shakily stand up and swing your bag onto your shoulders and go to the library, desperately trying to ignore the heat between your legs.
After dinner, you pick up the package containing the perfume on your way back to your dorm. You’re almost afraid to open and smell it because you know your body will betray your mind. Your cunt has become conditioned to the scent—conditioned to Agatha—and you really need to figure out how to stop it. You’d throw out the bottle entirely if you hadn’t spent so much money on it. You’ll find some use for it, maybe for a party or something. 
Just as you get into your room, your phone buzzes with an email. Your heart starts to race when you see Agatha Harkness at the top of it and you quickly click on it. 
To your dismay, it’s just a course email. 
Hello Personality Psych, 
Here is the link for information concerning the speaker presentation next Tuesday evening that I mentioned in class. As a reminder, you will not receive any extra credit for attending, but it is an opportunity to learn more about flaws in renowned psychological experiments. Please email me if you are interested so I can get your name on the list. 
Best, 
Professor Harkness
You chew on your lip. It’s not something that you necessarily want to go to, and for no extra credit, it might be a waste of time. 
But you do seriously doubt that anyone else in your class is going to go, which would make you stand out to Agatha. 
You imagine walking into a room full of people you don’t know, anxiously scanning the crowd, to find her smiling at you and beckoning for you to go sit next to her. She’d lean in to whisper some remarks about the speaker into your ear and her hair would tickle your skin. Maybe you’d be bouncing your leg because of your trouble sitting still and she’d put a hand on your thigh to help you focus. 
Fuck. Your cheeks are burning now and the temptation to open the perfume so it feels like she’s there is gnawing strongly inside you. 
Instead, you compose a new email. 
Hi Professor Harkness, 
I would love to attend the presentation.
Thanks! 
You sign it off with your name and hit send before you can rethink it and then throw your phone to the end of the bed. 
The moment you press your hands to your face because you can’t believe how bad this is getting, your phone vibrates. You know what it’s going to be before you even look at it, and yet you’re still surprised to find that Agatha responded almost immediately. 
I’m very glad to hear that and I look forward to seeing you there. 
Professor Harkness. 
Only this time, instead of the regular email signature under her name, and every other professor’s name in their emails, that shows her position, the university name, and her email address, there’s something else as well. 
Ten digits. Your breath catches in her throat. 
She added her phone number. 
Taglist: @lostbutlovely33 @diorrxckstar @whoreforolderfictionalwomen  @katekathry @onemansdreamisanothermansdeath @tayasmellsapples @natashashill @mybraininblood @mysticalmoonlight7  @cactuslover2600 @loveem0mo @readysteddiero-nance @lonelyhalfwitch @lesbiantortilla @crescendoofstars @sol-in-wonderland @ahsfan05 @gbab09 @sasheemo @agathaharness @live-laugh-love-lupone @chiar4anna @fuckedupforkhahn @lowlyjelly @sweetmidnights @n3bula-cats @m1vfs @agathascoven1 @filmedbyharkness @autbot @claramelooo @dandelions4us @agathaallalongg @jujuu23 @21cannibal @angel-kitten-babygirl-u-choose @jeridandridge
242 notes · View notes
blairenqs · 2 days ago
Text
୨୧ FIRST KISS ✧ SPENCER REID
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
───── IN WHICH 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝗄𝗂𝗌𝗌 𝗍𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖺 𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾 !
𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝗂𝖽 𝓍 𝒻! 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝟣.𝟢𝖪 𝖿𝗅𝗎𝖿𝖿, 𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖺𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, ��𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗎𝗍, 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉 ♡ ⎯⎯ 𝖠𝖱𝖢𝖧𝒾𝖵𝖤
Tumblr media
YOU HAVE BEEN SEEING spencer reid for about three months now, and it still felt so weirdly surreal.
working at the bau was a challenging task enough, but falling for someone as brilliant, kind, and utterly endearing as spencer reid had added a whole new layer to your life.
it wasn’t something you planned—it never was in a place like the bau, where the cases were tough and heavy, and relationships were rare to have.
but spencer was different.
he wasn’t like anyone else. his shy smiles, his awkward rambles about random facts, the way he held his coffee mug with both hands like it was the most precious thing in the world—it all had you wrapped around his finger before you even realized it.
he didn’t seem to know the effect he had on you, and that only made him more charming—you’ve never been able to resist his soft, hesitant energy, and now that you were dating, you couldn’t help but indulge in the affection you felt for him. —READ MORE!
you had a soft spot for him—a big one. and tonight, after another sweet date, that affection bubbled out in over in a way neither of you quite expected.
spencer walked you to your apartment door, just as he always did—it was one of the many little things he did that showed you how thoughtful he was, even if he tried to play it ‘cool’.
his hand rested gently at your back as you approached the door, his warmth radiating through the thin fabric of your shirt.
“this was really nice,” he said softly, his voice laced with that nervous energy you found so endearing. he rocked back on his heels, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat as he looked at you through his lashes.
“i mean, i know we’ve only been to that restaurant once before, but statistically, the likelihood of it becoming ‘our spot’ is… probably high.”
you smiled, biting back a laugh. “i like the sound of that a lot, our spot.”
his face lit up at your words, the corners of his lips pointing into a bashful grin that made your heart flutter.
spencer reid, the genius profiler with an iq of 187 and an eidetic memory, could still blush like a schoolboy when you said something sweet to him.
“good,” he said quietly, his voice a soft whisper. his gaze lingered on you, his brown eyes warm and unwavering, and for a moment—the world around you two seemed to fade away.
you felt a surge of affection rise in your chest, and before you could stop yourself, you leaned in and kissed him.
it was a short kiss, just a gentle press of your lips against his, but it was enough to send spencer into a complete slump.
when you pulled back, he stood there frozen, his eyes wide and his lips parted as if he was trying to form words but couldn’t.
you giggled softly at his shyness, taking a step back toward your door. “goodnight, spence.”
but before you could turn the handle, his hand shot out to gently grab your wrist. you turned back to him—surprised, and found him looking at you with an expression you couldn’t figure out.
shy—yes, but there was something else there too, something that clouded the room with no words.
“c-can i… can i kiss you again?” he stammered, his voice unsteady and shaking with nervousness. your heart melted on the spot. “you can do whatever you want, spence.”
that was all the encouragement he needed—his hands came up to cup your face, his long fingers threading gently into your hair as he leaned in and kissed you.
this time it wasn’t just a quick, hesitant peck. it was soft and slow, his lips moving against yours with a tenderness that made your knees weak.
you responded immediately, your hands finding their way to his chest as you leaned into him—his touch was careful at first, hesitant, as if he was afraid of doing it wrong.
but as the kiss deepened, he grew more confident. his hands slipped down to your neck, his thumbs brushing your jawline as he tilted your head just slightly to get a better angle.
you sighed into the kiss, your fingers fisting into the fabric of his sweater—his lips were impossibly soft, and he tasted faintly of the honey he’d stirred into his tea earlier.
every little thing about him made your heart race and you couldn’t help but tug gently at his hair—resulting in a soft, surprised sound from him.
it was like a spark had been lit. spencer’s grip on your neck tightened just slightly, his fingers digging in with a new kind of urgency that sent a shiver down your spine.
he kissed you harder, his movements reckless and desirable, like he couldn’t get enough of you. you weren’t much better. your hands slid up to his shoulders, then around to the back of his neck, your fingers threading through his hair.
you pulled him closer, your bodies pressed together as the kiss grew more heated. “spence,” you whispered against his lips, breathless.
he pulled back just slightly, his forehead resting against yours as he tried to catch his breath—his eyes were half-lidded, his cheeks flushed, and his lips red and swollen from kissing.
he looked at you like you were the only person in the world, and it made your heart ache in the best way.
“do you…” you hesitated, your voice a soft whisper as you ran your fingers through his hair. “do you want to stay the night?”
spencer blinked, his lips parting as he processed your words. and then, in a voice so sure it made your stomach flip, he said—“absolutely.”
a giddy laugh bubbled out of you before you could stop it—and he smiled, his thumb brushing against your cheek as he kissed you again, soft and sweet and full of unspoken words.
the night was just beginning, but as far as you were concerned—you’d already found your favorite part. spencer reid was yours.
Tumblr media
𝖱𝖤𝖡𝖫𝖮𝖦𝖲 𝖠𝖯𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖢𝖨𝖠𝖳𝖤𝖣 ૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა
© blairenqs 2025 do not repost, plagiarize, or translate.
✧ 𝑓. i’m so stressed with school rn oh my god 😭 send help plz. also thank u guys for 100 followers already !! 🥹🫶 i’m so honoured with all the support hehe <3 also this was inspired by early seasons spencer if u couldn’t tell 😔 #imissmyshaylaaaa
𓂃ㅤ 𝓉𝖺𝗀𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 ୨୧ @ihatethecrowdsyouknowthat @lcvealwayss @viennasolace ♡ thank you so much for joining !
Tumblr media
174 notes · View notes
halestrom · 3 days ago
Text
hungry man
“No.”
Bradley turned from where he was staring at Jake from the corner of his eye to look at Coyote who was squinting at Jake, and then looking at Bradley, back and forth before he shook his head.
“Oh, fuck no, Jacob.”
Bradley glanced at Jake who finally turned, raising an eyebrow at Coyote. “What?” Jake asked, face innocent.
“Don’t you what me,” Coyote said, pointing a finger at Jake, looking pissed off. “I thought we agreed we weren’t going to fuck Rooster anymore.”
The silence that followed was loud before everyone started speaking at the same time, the noise getting louder and louder as Bradley tried to figure out how Coyote had figured out he and Jake were doing something again. They had been quiet, they hadn’t been looking at each other in public, they hadn’t left at the same time, they hadn’t been doing anything that would give away that, for the fifth time in knowing each other, they had fallen back to bed together and this time, this time, Bradley felt like it might actually stick.  
“Since when is fucking Rooster a we thing?” Jake demanded, voice cutting through the noise.
“Since, we,” Coyote waved a hand around the room to include all twelve of them, “have to deal with the fall out each time you fuck. Flight school, Oceana, Top Gun even though you were in different classes, that one mission in Germany and fucking Lemoore.”
“I thought Lemoore was before Germany?” Nat asked.
“Was it?” Coyote asked.
“Definitely before,” Halo piped up.  
“Fuck all of you, especially you,” Jake said, glaring at Coyote. “For the record, we’re not fucking.”
That at least was correct. For the first time they weren’t fucking, they were dating, a fact they had agreed to keep on the downlow until they made sure it would stick.
“Bull to the shit,” Coyote replied.
“You’re an asshole,” Jake shot back.
The door opened and Mav appeared, thankfully breaking up the beginnings of a fight. Jake and Javy might be best friends, but they were also both stubborn assholes who could argue like top level prosecutors. Bradley remembered the aftermath of the 2016 argument that had started over something. Bradley had never gotten a straight answer, but he knew he never wanted to be around that again. He’d rather face the SAM’s.
“Yo, Mav. Did you know Rooster and Hangman are fucking?” Coyote called, leaning back in his chair.
Maybe a fight wasn’t the worst idea suddenly.
“Wow,” Bradley said, finally speaking up and glaring at Coyote who looked unrepentant. “Way to out me without my permission. Real fuckin’ solid ally right there. I never told Mav I was gay.”
That at least had Coyote suddenly looking nervous and guilty as he glanced between Bradley and Mav who had stopped part of the way into the door, frowning around the room before he shook his head and kept walking in.
“Oh, no worries. I knew,” Mav said, making it to the front and dropping his pile of folders on the table.
“The fuck you mean you knew? I never told you?” Bradley demanded, glaring at Mav.
Mav snorted, looking up at him. “Yeah, kid. I knew. What? You suddenly missed my cooking anytime Ice was visiting?”
Bradley sniffed, leaning back in the chair. “No one reheats a Hungry Man like you do, Mav. No one. Be proud of that.”
“Kazansky, really?” Payback said with extreme judgment.
“It’s like Hangman version one,” Harvard said.
“The lesser version,” Jake snapped immediately.
“Are you seriously comparing yourself to Admiral Kazansky?” Nat demanded, glaring at Jake.
“He hungry for a Hungry man? Or a Hangry man?” Fritz said, elbowing Omaha with a grin.
“Way to have a type, Rooster,” Fanboy called, causing more than one of them to chuckle and Bradley just rolled his eyes.
“We’re missing the point,” Coyote said, waving a hand around the room before pointing at Bradley and then at Jake. “Fuck…ing.”
“No, we’re not,” Jake said, getting the shit eating grin he always got on his face when he was about to drop a bomb, and Bradley loved that look. Loved Jake’s ego and loved how fucking smart he was. Jake turned, shooting a grin at Bradley that had him smiling back, incapable of not when Jake was looking at him like that. Bradley could hear the groans from around the room, but Bradley ignored them in favor of meeting Jake’s eyes and hoping he’d never have to go a day when he couldn’t see that look on Jake’s face directed at him.
“Nah, Yotes. We’re not fucking. We’re dating.”
The room was silent, and then Coyote groaned, dropping his head onto the desk as Nat started to rub her temples, the rest of the room breaking out into conversation, but all Bradley could do was smile back at Jake because they were dating, and Bradley had never been happier.
Never.  
199 notes · View notes
aninipanin1 · 3 days ago
Text
GLASS SHOES
Pairing: Nagi Seishiro x Reader
"In the midst of the many beautiful guests and opulent decorations, the lazy prince can only see one person - you." (Cinderella AU)
Note: I def did not imagine Nagi wearing this outfit of him in the official art lmao lmao. But anyways, midway through editing I realized Nagi's eyes were GREY and NOT BROWN which pissed me off (mandela effect is wildin) so forgive me if there are some instances I called his eyes brown.
Tumblr media
"That boy will never learn, will he?!"
A loud bang echoed throughout the large meeting room inside the gargantuan and lavish palace. The king, who frequently received reports from his men about his only son, the crown prince was once again more than angry about the news he received.
The duke, who was with the king, cowered as His Majesty threw a small tantrum about how his son will never listen, or about how he does not take his duties seriously.
"Your m-majesty, I believe we just have to be patient-"
"I AM PATIENT, AND I HAD ALWAYS BEEN, ESPECIALLY WITH HIM!"
The old king's face turned into a comical cherry red, which got the duke a little worried for his health, patting the smaller male's back with the intent to comfort the furious and weary king.
"Sleeping in his sword fighting lessons, escaping his philosophy and politics lectures just to play in the carnivals, and now letting the Princess of Marais await him just because he did not want to get married and slept in?! Ridiculous!! Oh, how will I face that dear girl's family."
The king finally fell to his chair in exhaustion. He hated to stress himself or be mad at his beloved son, but Seishiro always did bring out the childish, unreasonable anger in him, especially since the boy had been the way he was since he was born.
Seishiro had always been the lazy kid, a characteristic no one knew where it originated. Both his parents were responsible and dignified leaders of the kingdom, something their subjects praised them for for years. The only thing that kept him from making the kingdom fall on its roots was the fact that he was a genius.
Playing the piano beautifully at the young age of 10, beating his fencing master at the age of 12, and even outsmarting his tactics mentor at the age of 15. He seemed to just get anything that was taught to him in such a short time and without any struggle too.
How befitting of the nickname the Lazy Genius Prince that most of the people in the kingdom called him.
"I just want to see him happy. For him to settle down and find someone he loves just like how I did at his age. Not wasting his time in his dreams slumbering away or playing those mindless games. I'm not getting younger, after all..."
The king let out a deep sigh, a frown on his face. Ever since his beloved wife died, it was a little harder to get through and communicate with Seishiro, seeing that she was closer to their son than he was. She always did know what to say or do just to make their Seishiro interested.
A regret that the king placed upon his shoulder is that the prince mostly grew up alone since both he and the late queen had always been busy. Slaving themselves away to make sure the kingdom was prosperous, but what they did not know is they also slaved themselves away into being close to nothing in their son's life.
And due to this, he became like this. Completely dissociated from the world.
"Oh, it's all my fault... I should have been a better father. My poor Seishiro..."
He sobbed dramatically as the duke patted his back.
"It's fine, your majesty. Perhaps we should just leave him to decide for himself-"
"Leave him alone?! Oh no, no, you see, tonight is a special night!"
The king laughed, cheering as if he was not just sobbing his heart out a few seconds ago. He sat again on his chair, grinning like an evil mastermind.
"Tonight? You mean the ball in honor of the princess-"
"No, no, NO! Not just that! But I made sure that ALL the eligible maiden in my kingdom is to attend. I'm sure he won't be interested in most of them, but he is surely to like one them isn't he?"
"But sire-"
"Oh, lighten up! HE MOST DEFINITELY WILL!"
The king started to hop around in excitement, thinking about the prospect of his only son married to a beautiful and sweet girl, along with him finally having the grandchildren he had always wanted.
Tumblr media
"Time out, Reo..."
"C'mon, Your Highness. We just started less than 3 minutes ago."
Still, the albino prince did not listen. Slumping on the grass face first, not even minding that the dirt was tainting his pristine white uniform. No, he just continued sprawling himself on the grass and dirt, his sword left clanging on the ground.
Seishiro and his right-hand man and the heir of the duke, Lord Reo were currently training their swordsmanship. Well, mostly it was Reo taking it seriously, and Seishiro always tries to find a way to escape the training or take a long break.
Seeing as to how the white-haired prince seldom moved, Reo let out a sigh of resignation before sitting beside him on the grass.
"Fine, only a few minutes before someone sees us not training."
Seishiro did not seem to hear his companion. His grey eyes just focused on looking at the beautiful blue sky. Behind his distracted eyes were many thoughts that ran through his head, thoughts he did not want to think about and found a hassle, but he could not get off his mind no matter how hard he tried.
"You alright?"
"Hmm...Reo, do I really have to find a wife in the ball tonight?"
His words came out lazily slurred. However, there is a hint of something beneath it, something that only those who knew Seishiro well can hear. Annoyance? Disappointment? Sadness? The purple-haired lord could not decipher it, but he gave the prince a smile and a pat on the shoulder.
"Unfortunately, yes. Our kingdom needs a future queen, and well, you know that it's part of our duties as noblemen. Especially you, being the crown prince."
He nodded, turning his attention to the sky once again, still sprawling out on the grass. He let out a curious hum.
"How will I even know who to choose? It's not like I know any girl at all. Hmm...what a hassle everything is. I don't want to get married nor do I wanna be king, anyways."
"Don't be like that! You have been training for this all your life. It will be such a waste to abandon it all. And, you can always interact with them and find someone you find common grounds with."
But the concept of marriage and love still felt a big thing to the prince. He had a good example of love, his father and late mother loved each other dearly, and his father was not the same after she sadly passed. However, did he wish for that same connection with someone? No.
It felt like a hassle. A hassle to care so much about someone that you have to change the way you live to respond to them. It is a hassle to feel something so heavy, to always be cautious, so your heart can not be broken. The same way his father did just to please his own mother and vice versa, only for his heart to be broken once his beloved died of a ruthless illness.
"I don't wanna do it, Reo. Too much of a bother."
He turned and fell face first on the soft grass, which only made the duke's son sigh as he thought out loud.
"I wonder how your future fiancée will handle you, your highness. I give her all my regards and respect. Now c'mon, let's start training again."
"Nooo..."
Tumblr media
"There will be so many beautiful dresses and decorations. Oh, I can imagine hearing the beautiful orchestral music or even seeing people dance elegantly! I can imagine the ball would be something out of a fairytale."
You wistfully imagined, dancing about the cold and dusty storage room with a broom in one hand and a duster in another. You looked out the window of the room where from a far, you can make out the tall and majestic palace.
For years, you had always been stuck in this manor. Filled with responsibility over responsibility whilst mourning the once bright atmosphere of the place. This was once a house filled with laughter and love. Love between your father, mother and you.
But, it all changed when your mother died due to her illness, and your father remarried once again after a few years. At first, you were happy for your father. He met someone who made him happy and feel loved again, and additionally to that, you will be having two sisters your age. Oh, how exciting could that be!
However, when your father also passed away, everything in the house changed. You were banished from your once cozy room into the attic, forced to do the household chores due to the fact your stepmother was not good at handling the money of your father, and consequently, lost many workers that once worked under the family manor as a form of damage control.
You never gave up hope, though. Hope that you will be free and one day have your dreams of a happy and loving life like you did before come true. But, for now, daydreams are all that you have and so, you dream.
"Welp, no time dancing around. I have to finish all of these so stepmother can allow me to go to the prince's ball."
You went back to dusting, brooming, and overall arranging the dozens of boxes in the storage room that are mostly filled with old dresses, jewelry, or other knic knacks your stepsisters bought and seldom used again.
After that, you went downstairs to prepare lunch to which you bumped into your stepfamily.
"Oh, Y/n! Polish these shoes perfectly, you hear? It has to be perfect so the prince himself can only look at me tonight!" Ai said, putting a box of shoes in the already large pile of cleaning supplies and other dresses they asked you to fix.
"No! Iron this first! It needs to be perfrctly straight and crisp! I will have the prince's attention on ME, Ai!" Chie cut off as the two started to argue again. You just heaved a sigh and walk away from them to start doing everything they asked you to, knowing you can not afford to dilly dally as the hours ticked and you still have not finished some tasks, especially now that they added a few more on your already overflowing plate.
As expected, when the coach arrived, it was just then that you finished your chores and therefore did not have any time to fix the old dress your mother passed down to you. It was a beautiful dress. However, it was old and needed a few alterations, or else some part of it would probably rip the moment you even put it on.
"Why, child. Why are you not ready yet?" You hear the dreaded voice of your stepmother, hearing the hidden satisfaction in her tone, seeing as you will not be going.
"I'm not going." You said, trying not to let the unshed tears fall or the shake in your voice be heard.
"Not going? Oh, what a shame."
"It's nothing. Please, have a wonderful night."
You headed up to your room, or if you can even call the attic, that. You looked out your window to see the rest of the kingdom, and from afar, you can see the palace as it shined bright amidst the black tint of the night sky due to probably the many chandeliers and other reflective and illuminating materials around its opulent build.
"My only chance to have something fun at least for once...it's the only time I am even a part of the demographic of a ball. Yet... yet I can not even go."
A sigh of sadness and disappointment left you. You were not an idiot and you knew that all the stalling your stepfamily did was to prevent you from ever going. But, you still could not understand why they did not want you to go. It was not like you wanted to get in their way of marrying the prince. You just wanted one night. One night of respite and fun from the hellish life you currently lived in.
Resting your head on the frame of the window, you feel your heart break a little at the thought of missing this one night of supposed fun. Well, that was until you noticed your lamp lighting up. Turning around, you found all your animal friends, those that you have taken cared of over the years of loneliness in this place, gathered up as they showed you a beautiful dress, one that was familiar enough yet altered so perfectly that it became a bit unrecognizable at first.
"It's perfect! It's so beautiful, thank you so much all of you! I owe you all!"
The mice and birds all look proud of themselves as they tweet and squeak before pointing at the dressing room, urging you to change quickly before the coach or your stepfamily left.
Tumblr media
"Remember, girls. No slouching, arguing, pitter-pattering, or mischievous chattering. Just poise and elegance. You must attract Prince Seishiro's attention and nothing more. Understood?"
"Yes, mother." Ai and Chie said at the same time to which the elder woman nodded approvingly as the two fixed their larger than life dresses.
"Wait, please, wait for me!"
A call got them to turn to the staircase where they found you in a simple yet beautiful dress and your hair simply done. You doned no jewellery, make-up, or beautiful shoes since you did not have any, just a beautiful smile and a genuine heart.
"Well, well, it seemed you found a rather...acceptable dress to the ball, child."
"Yes. Oh, I promise I won't bother you at all. I just really want to see the palace and go out even just for tonight."
"I see, I see..." Your stepmother walked closer and closer to you, her eyebrows raised, and her eyes held no good intent as they glared at the dress from top the bottom. Her smile spoiled and bitter, the same way the glint in her eyes shone.
"However, I don't presume you think me and my daughters will be going to the ball wearing these just to have someone beside us wear...this. It's preposterous and humiliating, after all." She said snarkily, the pretend smile still on her face as she touched the sleeves as if examining it at first, before pulling it with such a force that the fragile fabric ripped.
You gasped, trying to pull back. However, you were outnumbered as Ai grabbed the skirt and pulled it so harshly that it ripped too.
"And the fabric is absolutely filthy, mother! The prince and the other nobles will certainly get sick the moment she enters in this monstrosity!"
Chie, not wanting to be left out, grabbed your hair, making the hard work you put on to fix your hair vanish as it fell down from its updo.
"And her hair us absolutely hideous, mother. We will the laughingstock of the entire palace!"
It all happened too fast. In the blink of an eye, all the hard work of your friends and the memory of your mother that all centered around this one dress was ruined. The moment the door clicked as your stepfamily left the manor, you ran out to the nearby well in the backyard of the manor and finally, the long held back tears dropped from your eyes.
All the frustrations, abuse, sadness, and insecurities that piled up throughout the years of mistreatment and enslavement under your supposed family left through warm teardrops, falling into the deep well. No formed words were needed to translate to anyone that might be seeing (including your animal friends who peeked at you) you as your sobs and tears were enough to know that you were heartbroken and had had enough of everything. That your psyche was close, if not, already falling apart.
"Why are you crying, my child?"
You hear a voice ask from behind you. Turning around, you found an old lady, soot covering her face with nothing on but a thin and old dress, keeping her supposedly warm from the cold wind of the night. You wiped your tears and swallowed the sobs that racked your throat.
"It's nothing, ma'am. Umm, are you alright? It's too cold for you to out here, especially tonight."
"Oh, I don't have anywhere to stay at. I will be fine here."
But, you knew that it was impossible. You were already shivering, what more an old lady garbed in nothing but a thin, worn-out dress? So, you did what you do best, helping her up into the stables where it was definitely warmer, giving her a blanket and a fresh cup of water straight from the well.
"You did not have to do this for me, dear."
"It's nothing, ma'am. I can't just leave you out there in the cold tonight. Sorry if the stables are a little stinky, but it's safer and warmer here. I'll clean it up tonight for you, if you want."
Just as you were about to get a rake and a bucket, her hand immediately stopped you. Her hands were nimble and wrinkly. However, it was warm and soft to the touch. She gave you a warm and kind smile before shaking her head.
"Oh no, dear. We can't have you dirtying yourself before going to the ball now, can we?"
"Huh? The ball-"
You were cut off when small sparkly butterflies and flower petals surrounded her figure. Her once dirty and worn-out clothes turned into a beautiful and magical white and blue dress, her wrinkly and soot covered face turned into one of a beautiful middle-aged woman with beautiful bouncy locks of hair.
She heaved out a few coughs, flicking her wrist and shooing the sparkly dust that fell upon her from her previous transformation.
"This is why I hate using fairy dust. Anyways! Thank you for your kindness, my dear! I am so happy to see my cute goddaughter turn into such a beautiful and kind young woman."
"Goddaughter..? Then you must be-!"
"Your Fairy Godmother, of course! I know it must be a little shocking, but I heard your cries, love. So what's the matter, hm? You can tell your lil, ol' godmother."
She cupped your face, her hands warm and loving, the opposite of your stepmother's cold and callous hold earlier when she ripped your dress. Speaking of dress, you looked down at your dress before turning to your godmother.
"It's just...I want to go to the ball, however I can't because I don't have-"
"Oh, of course! You don't have a ride there! Then you must not worry, my dear. This is why your beloved fairy godmother is here!"
She looked around for her supposed 'wand' only for her to find it inside the well's bucket? Not wanting to complicate magic in your mind, you just smiled at her as she pointed her wand at a pumpkin before turning it into a beautiful gold and silver carriage. It was something fitting for a fairytale or someone of a royal bloodline, not something you thought you deserved. Though, you cannot help the gasp and smile that escaped your lips.
"Oh, it's beautiful! Thank you, godmother!"
She just chuckled and shrugged it off, turning her head to your mice friends who were on top of a well, turning them into horses that are attached to the front of the carriage with some being left out to become the driver and the footman.
"There! Now, hurry up, my dear. It's getting late, and the ball will not be waiting."
"Oh, um thank you, but my dress-"
"Yes, it is absolutely gorg- goodness me! You can't go to the ball in that."
You gave her a smile as she walked closer to you.
"We need a simple yet beautiful dress, fitting for the shade of your eyes and the colour of your hair."
Waving her wand, dozens of golden and silver fairy dust that materialized into butterflies and flower petals surrounded your figure as a glow appeared all over your teared-up dress.
The once destroyed fabric and structure of the dress turned into a beautiful (color) ballgown. Butterflies, sparkles, and flower petals surround the dress in a minute way, yet add to the magic of the dress. It was not overwhelming to the eyes, especially the soft tone of the fabric that contrasted the night sky. Your hair was in a beautiful hairstyle that framed and fitted your face perfectly with seldom decorations and pieces of jewelry, only a small earring, a pair of gloves, and a beautiful arrangement of flowers attached to your hair.
It was simple yet ethereally beautiful, just like you. The gasp that you let out was one of awe and gratefulness as you laughed and twirled around in the dress.
"This... this is breathtaking. Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"It's nothing. You deserve it, after all. However, my dear, you must understand that by the stroke of 12 in the clock, the spell will be broken, and everything would revert back to how it once was."
She explained seriously as she watched you marvel at the dress. You took into account her warning and just smiled, nodding your head. Even with the conditions, you still felt so grateful for the few hours given to you.
"I understand, but it's so much more than I have ever hoped for."
The fairy godmother smiled at this and took you to the carriage where the mouse-turned-footman was about to help you into the carriage when she noticed your shoe that stepped unto the ladder to enter inside the carriage.
"Oh dear! Your...shoes..." She said, biting her nails. You looked at her before looking at your worn-out shoe. Its once vibrant and soft colour turned it to something more akin to black due to the soot, dust, and other dirt particles that you had to always encounter as the endentured servant of the manor.
"Oh, it's fine, godmother. It's not like anyone would see it. Besides, you already helped me with so much." You said with a wide grin, just excited to go to the ball even in your old and disintegrating pair of shoes. After all, ever since your step family took over, you were not given the luxury to buy any new pair of shoes and clothes.
You had to always be creative. Sewing the same shoes back together, or putting random clothes to cover the holes of the few dresses that you have to make it work. However, your godmother begged to differ as she flicked her wand once again.
The old shoes disappeared and were instead replaced by a pair of shining glass slippers. It reflected different colours depending on the light hitting it, with even a small delicate butterfly on the front.
"Wow...they are beautiful. And surprisingly comfortable too."
You wondered, raising your feet up a bit to look at the shoes.
"Yes, of course! You need them to be comfortable so you can dance your heart away! Now go, go! Enjoy your night, my dear!"
"Thank you so much for everything!" You waved at her as the carriage started to move through the streets to head to the palace.
Tumblr media
"Your Highness...please stand up."
Reo sighed for the umpteenth time that night as he watched the albino-haired prince lay down on the edge of the fountain in the palace gardens. They were currently waiting for all the guests to fill in, and as always, the lazy prince left the ballroom and headed to a place where he can take his nap.
Which is why both of them were there.
"Seishiro, how long are you planning to take your nap?"
"Hmm..? Until the ball...ends..." He started to snore away, well, until he was hit on the head with a chop by Reo, to which he flinched and looked up.
"Ow...why'd you do that, Reo?"
"Because you're being an idiot. This ball is literally for you, which means you have to be there! His Majesty was kind enough not to involve you in greeting the guest when you're supposed to be there. Now let's go, the introductions are about to start, and I don't want to face His Majesty's wrath when he finds out we both aren't in the ballroom."
The purple-haired heir started to drag the prince by the collar of his uniform, being mindful to not drag him on the ground while patting off any dust or leaves stuck on his pristine, white attire. Seishiro, on the other hand, was softly frowning as his hair and clothes were being fixed by Reo. Especially his tangled hair, which the male struggled to finger comb and try to at least make presentable.
"You know what? I don't care about your stupid hair anymore. Let's go."
The ballroom was as grand and lavish as it could be. The marble and gold colors of the walls and floor matched well with the larger-than-life red curtains. The chandelier was one of the main characters of the interior design, with thousands of candles lit up on it. However, it was not the only light source inside the palace, for there were dozens of mini chandeliers on the ceilings with torches and candelabras on the ground.
To celebrate the occasion, huge arrangements of flowers surrounded the areas of the palace along with other decorative pieces that shouted royalty. The guests were as opulent as their surroundings, wearing beautiful and expensive gowns and suits, with jewelry that cost more than a house in the city. They came from different backgrounds, from the kingdom's aristocracy, a foreign monarchy family, and even some foreign aristocrats.
It was as every bit as overwhelming as it was awe-inspiring. Seishiro looked at everything with boredom. It was all too familiar to him, so where even is the element of surprise for him to be in awe of?
He shrugged it all off, returning to where he was supposed to be (or else he would be dragged by Reo if he did not do it on his own). When the announcer saw him, he started to speak. First, with a welcoming speech to everyone before calling off each and every maiden's name that were invited and have arrived.
Through it all, Seishiro just did as protocol, bowing lazily, while sneaking in a few yawns here and there. This, in turn, angered his father, who watched in anticipation from afar, hoping that his son would at least show some spark of interest in his eyes towards one maiden.
"That boy is not cooperating." He said in annoyance, the duke beside him just nodded.
"It may appear so, Your Majesty. But, I believe we must not rush Prince Seishiro. After all, we know how he can be." The two watched as he just blinked his brown eyes, uninterested at the beautiful princess that was called upon him who introduced herself, and he in return.
"Agh, am I asking for too much when I told him to find a wife? It has been a few years since he came of age, and he needs a wife. There has to be someone who can be a suitable mother and wife!"
The duke blinked in a panic, seeing the king starting to get mad. After all, the king was old, and heart problems were a thing of the monarch's past. The duke cleared his throat and tried to calm him down.
The duke, secretly, is a bit against this forcing of the prince, not seeing it as logical. After all, who falls in love with someone at first glance? No one, certainly.
"He'll be fine, Your Majesty. We just need to give him time. I can not just imagine Prince Seishiro of all people, suddenly focusing his eyes on one girl with interest. Especially if he does not know her well, and do not even get me started with a dance? That is quite impossible, Your Majesty." The duke let our a chuckle to which the king rolled his eyes, focusing his on the prince, letting the duke yap on about logical thoughts and about love.
Seishiro, who was tired and drained from the introductions, ran off as the socialization portion of the ball started. He headed out of the ballroom to the main hall, finding a spot to sit down and hopefully snore away.
Down the hall was an empty velvet couch, that served as a waiting seat for the meeting room beside it where the king sometimes resided for political visits and matters. The albino-haired prince hopped on the couch and started to snore away, hoping that maybe by the time he woke up, the whole ball would be over.
Tumblr media
The moment you entered the palace, you were immediately lost. How could you not be? It was so much larger inside compared to how it looked outside, and it was not like you ever went to the palace before, in your life.
When it came to balls, it was only your stepfamily who attended with you being left behind in the manor to do whatever piles of chores they would throw at you that certain day.
Walking around the marble and golden halls with nothing to guide you. You tried to look for clues that will hint you where the ballroom was. Holding your dress up to prevent you from tripping, your glass shoes clicked elegantly on the floor, disturbing the quiet sound of the halls.
"Oh no, I hoped I did not go deeper into the palace. Especially, on restricted places."
Just as you turned the corner, you were ecstatic to see a man in a white uniform that mirrored of his snowy hair, laying on a velvet sofa, probably sound asleep. He was probably a guard! He must know the way around this hopeless maze.
You felt rather rude to be disturbing him. It was not his fault anyway that you got lost in the palace, but instead, it was fully yours. However, you did not want to get into deeper trouble, so with a nervous heart and an embarrassed look in your eyes, you woke him up as politely as you could.
"Um, sir? Excuse me?"
Seishiro groaned a bit in his slumber at the feeling of someone's hand poking his shoulder gently. He did feel a little annoyed with being woken up from a good nap. However, he did stand up, thinking that if he was gone for too long, his father would probably get mad at him.
When he managed to get his conscious state together, he found himself looking at a young lady, probably around his age, shyly smiling at him. She wore a beautiful (colour) ballgown with a butterfly and flower motif, her hair in an elegant hairstyle with flowes attached to it.
She was beautiful, and he won't lie about that.
"Hmm? Who are you..? What time is it?" He rubbed his eyes, muttering his words like a whisper.
"Oh, um, it is currently 8 PM, and I am just a visitor for the ball. I was wondering if you know where the ballroom is?"
You gave him a smile, one polite and warm to a degree. He just nodded, a bit dazed from his sleep, not registering your last question.
"8 PM, huh? Then, the ball is still ongoing. Hmp, I don't want to go back." He said with a frown, a bit torn between going back to the ballroom or not and risking being scolded hard by his father. You, on the other hand, were a bit confused as to how someone not enjoying the prospect of a ball.
"Really? Why don't you want to go the ball? It's supposed to be one, if not the biggest, celebration of the kingdom. Especially, since it is about the prince finding his future bride." His frown deepened at the mention of him finding a wife, before sighing begrudgingly.
"It is. But, it gets a little boring, sometimes. It's the same thing, same atmosphere and same annoying people. If it's the same thing, then why repeat it again and again? I should be just sleeping away."
You blinked at that, finding the man quite peculiar. He was very much lazy, just from the way he seemed to hate even the notion of moving or socializing eas enough for you to know that. You wondered how he became a guard with such a personality?
"I guess. You're right. If it's repetitive, it does get annoying."
"Right? And it's not like it brings any sort of entertainment anyway. Everyone in there acts the same. Too polite it makes me feel suffocated. For example, if you don't follow the trend or rules, then suddenly you are worth it to throw shade at? Hm...If I'm gonna waste my time, then they better entertain me."
You chuckled at his mini and passionless rant, watching him bury his head on the velvet throw pillow he found on the couch. You have long stopped standing up, as the mysterious man gave you space to sit down beside him as you listened to him speak.
"Right! Right! I also heard that there had been a ball where one of the marquess' got so angry at her daughter for not standing good and not flapping her fan right that her daughter got banished to a convent because of it, with the marquess deeming her hopeless to become a wife of someone."
"Hmm, yeah. Heard of it." He confirmed, closing his eyes, yet it was very much obvious he was still listening to you.
"Oh, I also heard that once a foreign prince and king visited, and the prince was beaten in a sword duel by Prince Seishiro. So the moment they went home, the prince was scarred badly by his father, who urged him to train with him in the art of sword duelling. However, the prince loved his father too much to hurt him, so he got hurt instead of a sign of humiliation."
"I guess.." He nodded away, remembering that certain prince. He did feel a bit of pity towards him, but he was kind of cocky and insulted Reo and another one of his friends and a captain of the royal guards, Isagi. So, he did it to avenge both of his friends.
A bout of silence appeared for a few seconds as you both sat next to each other, his eyes closed and resting while your eyes were focused on the starry night outside of the large glass window in front of both of you.
Turning back to face him, you started to speak again, thinking of another subject to start talking about.
"Sir, may I ask?"
"Sure.."
"Why were you sleeping here? Surely you had something to do, especially since the ball is currently happening."
Seishiro had his mouth shut for a bit before he let out a hum.
"I do. But I don't wanna...it's too much of a hassle to move or do anything. Especially as something like a stupid ball."
"Yeah, like you said earlier. But is there another reason why?"
He paused for a second, deep in thought, mouth closing and opening like a fish desperate for water before he found the right words to say.
"Hmm, I guess. I just don't like how I'm forced to practically do everything wants me to do. I have a lot of people hoping for something big from me, but I know I can't or don't want to deliver. I'm not built for a life of so many responsibilities."
"That's not true! Every human in this world is built to be able to handle any responsibility or situation thrown at them!"
He raised an eyebrow at that, it was definitely the first time he heard of this saying before, but he nodded for you to elaborate.
"Well, being human means having struggles. Struggles we don't want to face or find it hard to face, but in the end, we have to. This is how we improve as human beings, all the hardships we go through, no matter how brutal, it's there for a reason. I don't really know you, but from your personality, I can get why you don't wanna go back to the ball, but if it's your challenge, then you just have to brave it out. After all, maybe a time will come where we end up regretting not facing our struggles."
"Heh, when will that ever happen? A life without hassle is good."
"I guess. But there is a saying that goes: "It's better to suffer early in life, than later." It means, that when we suffer early on in life, we can learn so many lessons and when that problem comes again in the future, then we can counter it better because we learned in the past."
"Hmm, I guess that makes logical sense." He stopped to think about everything you brought up in the conversation. He was utterly surprised that a conversation that started out with him asking the time, turned into something so philosophical and yet, relatable that not even his philosophy teacher, who is well versed in the meaning of life, ever mentioned nor went this deep before with him.
"But, mister. You know, I feel the opposite of you. I really want to go to the ball."
"Hmm? Why? Its a hassle." He said, opening one of his eye to look at you.
"Right, maybe it is! But, it's the only time I can ever enjoy the feeling of going through a hassle. That, I have the time and opportunity to do something useless. Because, every second of my life, I have doubles and doubles of responsibility, so to experience and do something not as an obligation but because, its my choice, feels like my first taste of freedom, you know? Not like, I'm planning on escaping or anything because I can't, but I'm still so thankful tonight, even if a few hours pales in comparison to the years of hardship."
As you went on your spiel, his eyes slowly opened. This time, he did not just listen but also looked at you. From what he can tell, your current life was not easy, but the smile on your face said otherwise. It did not feel like you enjoyed the struggle, no far from it, but instead, you loved the small taste of freedom you got to experience that night.
Is this what other people who are forced to either survive but work or else have nothing, go through? Sure, he was forced, but not to the extent that he would be thrown out by his father. Even if he was lazy like this, his father always loved him still.
He looked at the smile on your face, it was full of warmth and happiness. In fact, it was too genuine that even the corners of his mouth quirked up a bit. Maybe, just maybe he can find some sort of reason to not be as lazy as he always was, especially when it came to his responsibilities.
After all, like you, he had dozens of responsibilities. But, the way you handled them? Complete opposite of him, you seemed like a hard worker and a dreamer, the opposite of him. So, he was definitely curious how he would fare if he, at least once, tried to do his duty the way you do yours? With optimism for a better future.
His future was blank in his eyes, unlike how his father and the kingdom sees it. He's the future king, he has a legacy waiting for him to be built. Yet, he had no plans on how he'll do it. How he will leave his mark into the kingdom, but now, he thinks he may have a few ideas.
This time, he would not run away. There is a time for that, a time of respite and rest. But for tonight, he will try not to run away and face the music instead. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, your way is the missing entertainment, the missing spark in his life.
"Oh my goodness, I forgot about the ball!"
You exclaimed, which startled Seishiro a bit. He watched as you picked your dress up, before turning to him once again.
"Uh, right! I wanted to ask if you know the way to the ballroom, sir?"
He blinked before standing up from the velvet couch, before extending his hand to you in a very gentle and chivalrous way, courtesy of all the training he had to go through when it came to etiquette.
"I'll lead you there, if you'll let me."
Your cheeks warmed up a bit at the rather sweet move before nodding your head and accepting his hand and his offer as well.
Tumblr media
"Oh, where is he! I swear if he went back to his chambers or hid somewhere in the palace just to escape his duties, I will make sure he-"
The king was stressed out, face red the moment Reo reported to the king about how it had been more than half an hour since he had been looking for the missing albino prince, to no avail. Even if the duke and his son tried, the king was searching for the young prince. The first dance had started a few minutes ago after all, and Seishiro needed to be there to find a maiden to be his first dance. But he was not even there, and if he did not come in an instant, a lot of people would start talking.
Humiliation is awaiting the monarch of the kingdom if the prince does not arrive in the next second.
However, the king's outburst stopped when the door to the ballroom opened once again, to reveal Prince Seishiro.
"That boy! I swear-"
The king stopped whatever spiel he was about to go on once more the moment his eyes stopped at the beautiful young maiden beside his son, her delicate and gloved hand on top of his as he led her to the ballroom.
"A...a girl. Oh, he's with a girl!"
The king let out an excited and hearty laugh. He turned to the orchestra and raised his hand with such fervor, signaling for them to start the waltz. The conductor raised his baton and started to conduct the orchestra who followed his lead, as the sound of the instruments harmonized into a melodic yet colorful waltz.
Seishiro sighed, before turning to face you, hand still holding yours before bowing.
"May I have this dance?"
You blinked, in a bit of a panic, knowing that you are not the best dancer there is, especially since it has been so long since you danced a waltz.
"B-but, I'm not that good-"
"You'll be fine, I got you."
He said it in a rather serious tone, his gray eyes turning a warmer shade like how a dark cloud shines brighter when the sun hides behind it. With a curtsey of your own as a sign of acceptance, you let him hold your waist, as well as tighten his hold on your hand.
You both swayed across the dance floor, almost like it was ice and you both weighed nothing. In the small instances that you would almost lose your balance or move in the opposite direction of where he was going, Seishiro would move ahead of time to catch you or guide you to the right way, as if he could predict each and every one of your movements.
In his eyes, no one in the world was left other than you and him. The background blurred, with you being the only thing clear in his eyes. The music barely registered in his mind even, his body was being pulled by an invisible force to you, like he was always destined to be near you.
He never felt this way before, never felt so distracted yet so focused at the same time. Why you of all people? Was it because he found you attractive? No, he found many people attractive, yet he would ignore them the same way he did everybody else. Or was it because he felt some sort of connection with you in the short time you two talked in the halls? Because you touched his heart even if you did unintentionally and unconsciously?
The dance continued, his eyes stuck only on you. He even noticed the nervous look in your own eyes, face moving away to avoid his stare, face warm. Not liking that you were witholding your beautiful irises from him, he let go of your waist for a second and cupped your cheeks, guiding it back to face him.
"Don't look away. Only look at me, okay?" Nodding your head, you tried your best to calm the wild beating of the heart inside your ribcage.
As the time passed, you found your feet moving on rhythmically now. The previous clumsy movement of your feet or the lack of balance in your core slowly going away, as you trusted him enough to catch you if you lose your balance.
From afar, the king pat the duke's back, laughing heartily as they watched the dance commencing between the prince and the mysterious girl. It had been a while since the king had looked genuinely happy. Meanwhile, Reo also looked down from the balcony with a nostalgic and warm smile, watching the spark in the prince's eyes. It was a look he was a bit familiar with as there were some instances where the royalty would find it in himself to enjoy something, but most of the time it would only last a few minutes before vanishing. However, now, the spark in his grey eyes was burning bright, so bright that it looked like it would never ever die.
'I'm glad you finally found something worth the hassle for, Your Highness.'
Everything was perfect, well it was perfect until the bell started to ring, the clock's hands striking twelve.
You gasped the moment you realized it was only a few minutes before it turned midnight. Your steps stopped, eyes boring on the clock.
"I-it's midnight."
At first, Seishiro was a bit taken aback when you suddenly stopped, he also turned to the clock, a little confused.
"Yeah, it is. What's wrong-"
"I have to go." You said out of nowhere, ready to bolt out the door, but the prince's hands were still connected with yours, his grip holding unto your wrist.
"Why? The ball is not done yet."
"Oh, I-I just...really need to go. Goodbye!"
You gave one last smile before taking off the ballroom door, hand clutching your skirt tight and lifting it so you can run even faster out of the palace before the magic vanished.
The rest of the crowd, as well as the duke and the king, were all wondering, a bit panicked as to why the mystery girl the prince seemed so taken with was suddenly running away.
Reo, moved fast the moment he saw the lazy Prince Seishiro bolt out of the door as well to follow you. It was something he had never seen before, especially since he had grown up with the prince ever since they were infants.
Wasting no time, the duke's heir also chased after you, even shouting for you to stop or wait.
Meanwhile, you were battling against Father Time himself, trying to outrun his hands fast enough for you to get inside the carriage. Just as you were only a few steps away from reaching the bottom of the stairs, you heard a 'clang' hit the ceramic stairs of the palace as well as the cold and rough feeling of the floor.
Looking back, you saw one of your glass slippers lying a few steps up. You stopped, thinking if you had the time to even pick it up. But, hearing the distressing sound of the bell and the figure of the mysterious man catching up, you immediately abandon it and just head straight to the carriage where all your friends are waiting for you.
The moment you hopped inside the magical carriage and it started moving, you sighed in relief. The smile on your face, however, did not vanish as you remembered everything that happened that night.
The deep conversation that established a connection between you and him, the romantic dance that made you feel like you were on the clouds, the mysterious man who was cold and uncaring at first, but had a caring and sweet personality underneath it all.
In fact, you were too dazed, eyes dreamy even after the magic vanished. The once beautiful carriage turned back into a pumpkin, your animal friends turned back into their original forms and your once beautiful gown turned into your mother's ripped dress.
To your surprise, the glass slipper was still there. It was the only thing that grounded you that everything you experienced was not a dream, but instead, reality.
Tumblr media
"No...I won't marry anyone else, but her, Reo."
The glare definitely took the purple-haired heir aback. The pacifist prince showing emotions other than pure boredom? That was a new repertoire in the royalty's very limited facial expressions.
Raising his arms up in surrender, Reo just nodded away to his want, not wanting to know what a pissed off Prince Seishiro would say or do.
"Sorry, Your Highness. It came from His Majesty, but I suppose he would not really be against to you finding that mystery girl from last night. All he ask is for you to find a bride."
He nodded, large hands still holding tight onto the only thing that you left behind as proof that you were real and not just a figment of his dreams: the glass shoe.
It was beautiful, definitely fitted to your feet only, especially since it was glass.
That had to mean that the slipper was customized to your foot only, to the bumps, curves and size of it, meaning that this can become a lead to you.
He stood up from his position on top of the castle staircase, walking to where the horse stables are.
"Tell some of the guards that I need a few of them to come with me to search for her, Reo."
Having no say in the matter due to his lower position, Reo nodded his head almost immediately.
It was not like he had any reasons to hold the prince back anyway, especially since this was the first time he had ever been serious about something and that made the heir of the duke quite proud, to see that the prince, his best friend was slowly turning into the strong man that he and anyone can see has the potential to be.
Tumblr media
It was so early in the morning, yet you could hear your stepmother already yelling. To your relief, it was not you who was the victim this time as she entered each of her daughters' rooms, shaking each of them up from their dreamful slumber.
Bringing up a tray of breakfast to their room, you found a rather comedic scene where your two stepsisters were lying on one bed, still dozing off while your stepmother pulled both their sleeping bonnets off, letting the sunlight hit their faces causing their eyes to open wide.
"You two, I told you! Prepare immediately, we have no time to waste! The prince along with the duke's heir will be visiting each house around the kingdom to find that girl from last night!"
Chie just yawned at her, while Ai sleepily raised an eyebrow at that, covering herself with the blankets again without a care.
"Well...it's not like we're the girl, mother. Why should we care?"
"Now, you two listen! No one knows who the girl is, not even the prince who is absolutely in love with her. The only thing left of her existence is a glass slipper, and so by royal command, every maiden in the kingdom is to try on the slipper. And, whoever the shoe fits will be the prince's bride and the future queen."
Your eyes widened at that, feeling your legs weaken a bit at the revelation. Putting the tray on the nearby bedside table, your thoughts ran back to the previous night. A glass slipper? Surely...that was not yours, right? It's not like you were the only one wearing a very rare glass slipper that was probably hard to make without magic, right? And that mysterious man who you just took into consideration had a rather opulent outfit fitting that of a prince than a guard, was not really the prince, right?
You were probably just being delusional.
Well, you were not the best at manipulating anyone, much less yourself. Heaving a deep breath, you wanted to scream out a mixture of surprise and embarrassment at the fact that you talked and danced with Prince Seishiro all night, and by God did not even recognize him even though he was famed for his snow-white hair and skin, grey eyes and tall figure.
However, your stepmother's statement made you come back to reality. He was looking for you? And, he will arrive later today. Panic and excitement rushed through your veins. If he did find you, that meant you would get to see him again. Adding to that, you will also be free from your stepfamily.
It was the best of both worlds.
You were too busy thinking and daydreaming that you did not even notice that your stepsisters were feeling the same way as you, picking up their best dresses and shoes to wear, insisting you make sure all of it was perfect and worthy that of a future princess as if they were sure they will be able to fit into the glass slipper mentioned.
Walking to your room with a dazed look still, ready to start the chores they assigned to you. However, this vulnerability made you overlook a pair of eyes filled with suspicion. Following you to the attic, your stepmother watched as you glided across your room, humming the tune of the waltz from the ball last night while combing your hair.
With her suspicions proven correct, your stepmother took the key from outside her pocket and immediately closed the door on you, locking it. The sound of the door slamming alerted you, however you were too late as by the time your hand arrived on the doorknob, you were already locked inside the cold attic.
"No! You can't do this! You can't..."
As if breaking your heart and hope last night was not enough, she did it again. Taking it from you with a cold and heartless countenance. You wept behind the door, wondering why every time freedom dangled its hand to you, fate would always be there to let it get taken away again and again.
The moment the clock rang, signaling that it was 9 AM, the family was greeted by a knock on the door. Ai and Chie ran to the windows, jumping up and down excitedly the moment their eyes landed on a few guards sitting on their horses just outside of their door, in the midst of them was Lord Reo, and most importantly of all, the Crown Prince himself, Seishiro.
"Mother! They're here! He's here!!" They squealed, to which their mother just smiled, opening the door to see it was one of the captains of the royal guards, Sir Isagi Yoichi.
"Good Morning, Mi'lady! I apologize for the intrusion, but we are here in the name of the King and of course, His Highness, Crown Prince Seishiro to do the fitting by royal decree!"
After the speech, the ravenette stepped back to make way for the albino prince to enter. Everyone bowed to him in respect, and that included your stepmother and stepsisters.
"Welcome, Your Highness. I am Lady Kana, and these are my daughters, Ai and Chio."
The two maidens bowed, giving their best impression of a genuine yet charming smile which Seishiro just fully ignored. He just turned his head to Reo and the guard who had the glass slipper in possession.
Just from looking at either of the sisters, the prince can already tell that it was neither of them. However, it was written in the decree that every maiden in the kingdom must try it on. So he had to follow it even if he was sure it was neither of them. He can never forget your face, after all, not when it was the only thing in his mind the whole time they searched for you.
He just needed a reason for his father to push through with the search, instead of abandoning it all just for his father to arrange for him to another woman. That is why he is even doing this stupid glass slipper thing, and also so that he can visit each house to look for you, and he cannot really do that without a reason, can he?
While the guard called unto Ai to try on the slipper first, Seishiro could not help but notice the matriarch of the family, her face contorted in a nervous expression as if she were a deer caught in headlights. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she put her hands in each of her pockets as if she were checking for something that was not there anymore.
It may seem like it was just something trivial, but he can feel his gut telling him something else. Something much more complex than losing something random.
"Your Highness?"
He heard Reo call out to him. Seishiro sighed and whispered to his right-hand man.
"It's not them, but continue the fitting."
As everything was happening downstairs, you were busy looking through the keyhole to see your mice friends doing everything their little bodies could to get the key which fortunately for them was captured by their leader as your stepmother was heading down the attic stairs.
"No, no! Don't grab there, grab onto the left part of the board! There's a hole there. Just one more step!"
You guided them as finally, they sneaked under the door and gave you the key. The key to your freedom, this is it. Opening the door, you hurriedly ran down the stairs to the halls, your heart pounding in your chest. Was it out of nervousness? Excitement? Even a mix of both, you did not know, and you will not be waiting around to find out.
Peeking your head through the corner, you can see that almost all of the visitors from the palace you can assume, were out of the door except for one. That familiar messy yet soft-looking albino hair, the familiar white uniform, his tall build, and soft, hazy grey eyes.
No doubt, it was him. It was the mysterious man you talked to and danced with the whole night. For a moment, you felt your voice vanish due to shock and awe that you saw him again after thinking that the feelings you felt would just remain as those, feelings. With no way to ever let it out to the person it belonged to. That you will never see him again.
But now, here you were, a few meters from him, and it seemed like he felt you too because at that moment he turned his eyes to face you.
It felt like time itself stopped for a moment. It was only a few seconds but to the both of you, it felt like forever. And then, a small rare smile appeared on his face. Climbing up a few steps, he did not even hear out the complaints and explanations of your stepfamily about how you were just a maid and nothing more.
In response, you also walked down the stairs, where you two met at the middle of it. Gently taking your hands in his, he laid his lips on top of your fingers delicately. No words were needed, the air and the beating of both your hearts were the only thing that mattered.
Until finally, you cracked a bit of a laugh when he did not drop your hand from his.
"You know, I am a maid. My hands are pretty dirty, your highness."
You jokingly said to which he just smiled at, before shaking his head.
"Hmm, I think your hand is cleaner than mine, seeing as to how I am too lazy to wash my hands sometimes, you know?"
"Really? Not very princely of you, Your Highness. I am a little bit confused as to why you did not even tell me you were the prince. I thought you were just a high-ranking guard or something."
He raised an eyebrow at that, shaking his head while a small chuckle escaped his lips.
"My fault, it's not like you told me your name either. Isn't it a little unfair, dear princess? That you now know my name, but I don't?"
Your face flushed at that, recognizing that you in fact, never gave him your name last night at all, as well. But, what got you blushing even more was the nickname he gave you. With one last breathy chuckle, he finally led you down the stairs, hand still holding yours while guiding you to sit on a chair.
As Reo signaled the guard to try the shoe on your feet, everyone gasped when the prince himself took the shoe, kneeled in front of you, and put it on your foot. It was definitely a sight to see the crown prince kneeling before a maiden dressed as a scullery maid.
It was royal protocol that other than his father or any other king, Seishiro bowed to no one. It was the opposite, everyone should bow to him due to his position and bloodline, however, to him, you are the only exception to that rule. He was ready to stay on his knees for as long as he had to, just for you.
You taught him many things in a single night, that no one before had ever done. You changed his life and answered his questions on it, the way no one ever did. You connected with his soul and heart, two places of himself that no one ever managed to.
But most importantly, you taught him love. Love for what he had, love for those around him, love for himself, and of course, love for you.
It was no surprise of course, when the shoe perfectly fits you. The moment he saw your eyes up in the stairs hiding behind the corner, he immediately knew it was you.
His chest rumbled in a small and quiet laugh, one that only you heard. Finding his laugh infectious, you burst into small fits of chuckles as well, raising your eyebrow at the sudden outburst.
"What's with the sudden laugh?"
"All my life, I never believed nor even bothered with love. Yet, here I am. And besides, don't you find it entertaining and interesting too? That I found the love of my life because of a glass shoe?"
AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, THE END.
Tumblr media
Blue Lock is WRITTEN by Kaneshiro Muneyuki and ILLUSTRATED by Nomura Yusuke. All credits to the both of them.
166 notes · View notes
michanvalentine · 19 hours ago
Text
Tumblr media
Another thing I absolutely love about Astarion’s redemption arc is how some narrative threads introduced in Act 1 find their resolution in the good ending.
The first and most obvious one revolves around the beautiful concept of a gift.
When the player offers their blood to Astarion, he receives a gift that goes beyond mere nourishment. In that moment, what Tav/Durge is giving him, beyond blood, is understanding and trust.
And this concept comes full circle after the ritual, where this narrative thread finds its conclusion. That’s when Spawn Astarion thanks the player for the gift they have given him—gently guiding him by the hand toward a new path where he is truly free.
But not just free. As the vampire spawn himself says in that ending, he is honestly free. And for that gift, he is grateful.
I think that’s absolutely beautiful.
But the meaning runs even deeper than that. This ties into the theme of seeing and being seen—not in a superficial sense.
After all, Astarion’s appearance is both a curse and a shield, something he has learned to wield, just like his mannerisms, his charming words, and the sarcasm he uses as a distraction.
It’s an important concept because it means going beyond the surface, seeing him for who he truly is, feeling him, and experiencing him in his entirety.
Astarion deeply struggles with his condition—not just as a slave, but as a vampire. He’s so happy to be able to act human again thanks to the Illithid tadpole, to do simple, mundane things like crossing running water or entering a house without permission. And let’s not even talk about his joy at standing under the sunlight.
When you meet him on the beach for the first time and reveal what will happen if they don’t get rid of the Illithid tadpoles, Astarion’s bitter reaction, complete with laughter, shows just how much it truly weighs on him: "Of course it’s going to turn me into a monster, what else did I expect?!"
In fact, when his vampiric nature is revealed for the first time during the bite scene, he fears rejection and is quick to emphasize that he’s not some kind of monster. The morning after, when Shadowheart tactlessly points out this aspect of him, his expression changes, and we can see how being perceived as a monster wounds him. It keeps him at a distance, sets him apart as something other. Later, he will even say outright that he wants to be treated like a person—not as a slave, not as a vampire. Just a person. Not superior, not inferior. Exactly like everyone else. Because Astarion wants to be part of the world, to reconnect with people.
This is especially clear when he approves of Tav’s perspective—that he could find a place for himself in the world, where he could be accepted, supported, if he is willing to open up and do the same for others. He approves because the idea appeals to him—it makes him feel like he can belong. Not as a monster, but as a person finding his way back into the world he once inhabited.
But I’m digressing.
The mirror scene isn’t just there by chance—it’s narratively strategic. In that moment, Astarion explicitly asks the player what they see, because he wants to know how the world perceives him. He worries about how others see him precisely because he feels separate, othered, like a monster. And it’s not a matter of appearance—Astarion knows he’s gorgeous. He’s heard it thousands of times over the centuries. But he’s insecure about his place within the group, within society, within the world.
That’s why he appreciates it when Tav/Durge reassures him on the two things that trouble him most—his piercing gaze (the red eyes of a vampire) and his dangerous smile (the sharp fangs of a predator). He relaxes because, in that moment, he feels accepted. Because he realizes his defining traits aren’t the insurmountable barriers he thought they were. Because the person in front of him sees him—not through the lens of prejudice, but for who he really is.
This theme returns later, during the confrontation with Aurelia and Leon, when Astarion deflects the idea of being heroic by saying, "I can’t be what you see in me." Again, the motif of seeing, of looking deeper, of recognizing something more, of reading between the lines—both of the narrative and of his character.
And it’s beautiful when, the morning after the ritual, that relaxed, happy Astarion, with that wonderful smile on his lips, says that Tav/Durge saw something in him. Something different from everyone else. Something beyond his monstrous nature, beyond his darkest intentions, beyond his fear.
Tav/Durge saw him. Saw his potential.
And if you’re in a romantic relationship with him, in the graveyard scene, Astarion will bring up this idea once again. With a heroic Tav/Durge, Astarion feels safe. And he feels seen. Seen, for god’s sake. That’s huge.
This is where this narrative arc—about perception, about seeing him throughout the entire journey—finds its resolution. Astarion is truly more than what Cazador made him to be. He breaks free from the pattern of monster/vampire. He chooses to start living again. To rediscover himself. To reclaim his identity in the most human way possible—through the world and the people around him.
Perhaps his body has not regained its human traits, but spawn Astarion is, without a doubt, the Astarion who has reclaimed his humanity the most.
125 notes · View notes
gottencents · 13 hours ago
Text
Dibs - Jennie Kim
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
pairing. meangirl!jennie x loser!reader
synopsis. jennie kim the school dubs as the it girl & of course a mean girl has called dibs on the schools biggest loser not to bully but to love ?
Jennie Kim had always been the center of attention. She was the undisputed queen of the school—head cheerleader, top of every best-dressed list, and the girl every student wanted to be or be with. She walked through the halls like she owned them, because, well… she did.
But nothing turned heads more than her obsession with Y/N L/N.
Y/N was the school’s biggest loser. At least, that’s what people called them. They weren’t part of any social circle, didn’t care about fashion, and had a permanent residence in the library. While Jennie was basking in the spotlight, Y/N was content sitting in the shadows. They weren’t bullied, per se—more like ignored.
Except by Jennie.
Jennie, who stared at them from across the cafeteria.
Jennie, who shut down anyone who had a single bad thing to say about them.
Jennie, who had once made an entire group of guys apologize after laughing at Y/N’s thrift-store hoodie.
Jennie, who was absolutely head over heels in love with the school’s most oblivious outcast.
And today, she was going to do something about it.
The cafeteria was buzzing with its usual energy—students chatting, music playing from someone’s speaker, and Jennie sitting at her usual table with her usual crowd. Lisa was talking about some new dance move, Jisoo was scrolling through her phone, and Rosé was engaged in a deep conversation about the ethics of pineapple on pizza.
Jennie, however, was not listening.
Her eyes were locked onto Y/N, who sat alone at the corner of the cafeteria, lazily eating their sandwich while reading a book.
Lisa followed Jennie’s gaze and sighed. “You’re doing it again.”
Jennie didn’t look away. “Doing what?”
“The whole ‘I’m-in-love-but-refuse-to-admit-it’ thing.”
Jisoo smirked, finally looking up from her phone. “I still don’t get it. You could have literally anyone. Why Y/N?”
Jennie tore her gaze away just long enough to glare at them. “Because I called dibs.”
Lisa snorted. “Dibs? That’s not how people work.”
Jennie crossed her arms. “I don’t care. Y/N is mine.”
Rosé raised an eyebrow. “Does Y/N know that?”
Jennie opened her mouth, then closed it. A beat of silence.
Lisa laughed. “Yeah, didn’t think so.”
Jennie rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m making my move.”
Jisoo blinked. “Wait—now?”
“Yes, now.”
Jennie stood, smoothing down her designer skirt before making her way across the cafeteria, her every step turning heads.
Whispers followed her. People watched with wide eyes, some elbowing their friends as they noticed where she was headed.
Y/N, of course, remained completely unaware, flipping a page in their book.
That is, until Jennie plopped down across from them and stole a fry from their tray.
Y/N finally looked up, blinking in confusion. “…Did you just steal my fry?”
Jennie smirked, twirling the fry between her fingers before eating it. “You weren’t eating them fast enough.”
Y/N stared at her, unimpressed. “Do you need something, Jennie?”
Jennie propped her chin up on her hand, batting her lashes. “I just wanted to keep you company.”
Y/N raised an eyebrow. “And that has nothing to do with the fact that people are staring like you just walked onto the loser’s table?”
Jennie feigned innocence. “What? I can’t sit with my favorite person?”
Y/N gave her a look. “I’m pretty sure you’ve never spoken to me before.”
Jennie grinned. “Not my fault you avoid me.”
“I avoid everyone.”
Jennie hummed, stealing another fry. “That’s cute.”
Y/N groaned, setting their book down. “Okay, seriously—what do you want?”
Jennie leaned forward, her voice dropping into something softer, more genuine. “I want you to let me take you on a date.”
Silence.
Y/N blinked. Once. Twice. “…A date.”
Jennie nodded. “Yeah, you know. Those things where two people go out together, and one of them falls madly in love with the other.”
Y/N gave her an unimpressed stare. “So you just assume I’d be the one falling in love?”
Jennie smirked. “I already have.”
Y/N’s brain short-circuited. “…What.”
Jennie rested her chin on her palm, watching them with the kind of intensity that made it hard to breathe. “I’ve liked you for years. I was just waiting for you to notice.”
Y/N blinked again. “Jennie. You’re literally the most popular girl in school.”
Jennie shrugged. “And?”
“And I’m me.”
Jennie tilted her head. “Exactly. You’re you. And I happen to think you’re perfect.”
Y/N opened their mouth, then closed it. For the first time in their life, they had no idea what to say.
Jennie leaned forward even more, whispering just for them to hear—
“So… what do you say?”
Y/N swallowed. “…You’re not going to stop bothering me if I say no, are you?”
Jennie grinned. “Nope.”
Y/N sighed, rubbing their temple. “Fine. One date.”
Jennie beamed, standing up as if she’d just won the lottery. “Great! I’ll pick you up Friday. Don’t be late.”
Y/N watched in stunned silence as Jennie walked away, leaving the entire cafeteria whispering and staring.
Lisa, Jisoo, and Rosé looked at Jennie expectantly when she returned to her seat.
Jennie smirked. “Told you. Dibs.”
For the rest of the day, Y/N couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
It wasn’t paranoia—people were actually staring at them. In the hallways, in class, even when they went to their locker, whispers followed in their wake.
Did you see Jennie sit with them at lunch?
I heard she asked them out!
Is this some kind of joke?
By the time the final bell rang, Y/N’s head was pounding. They had spent their entire high school life flying under the radar, and now, thanks to Jennie Kim, that was officially over.
They trudged toward their locker, exhausted, only to find her already waiting there, leaning casually against the wall.
Jennie smirked when she saw them. “Hey, cutie.”
Y/N groaned. “Please don’t call me that.”
Jennie tilted her head. “Would you prefer ‘my future spouse’?”
Y/N shut their locker with more force than necessary. “Do you ever stop?”
Jennie grinned. “Nope.”
Y/N sighed, rubbing their temple. “Look, Jennie, what’s your deal? I mean, really.”
Jennie raised an eyebrow. “My deal?”
“Yeah. You’re… you. And I’m me. We don’t make sense.”
Jennie’s expression softened, and for the first time since this whole ordeal started, she looked genuine.
“Why do you think that?” she asked.
Y/N hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. “Because you’re popular, rich, and everyone in this school either worships you or wants to date you. And me?” They motioned to themselves. “I don’t even think half the school remembers my name.”
Jennie took a step closer, her gaze locked onto them. “I remember it.”
Y/N felt their heart stutter.
Jennie took another step. “I remember the way you always choose the seat by the window in class because you like the natural light.”
Another step.
“I remember how you only ever eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch because you think cafeteria food is a government conspiracy.”
Y/N’s face burned. “I—”
Jennie smirked. “I remember how you always chew on the end of your pen when you’re stuck on a math problem. How you roll your eyes when you’re flustered. How your nose scrunches up when you laugh.”
She was so close now that Y/N could feel the warmth radiating off her.
Jennie tilted her head, her voice dropping into something softer. “You might not think you’re special, Y/N, but I do. And I don’t care if the rest of the school doesn’t see it.”
Y/N swallowed hard. “…You really like me?”
Jennie let out a soft laugh. “I called dibs on you. That’s basically a love confession.”
Y/N snorted despite themselves, shaking their head. “You’re impossible.”
Jennie grinned. “And yet, here you are, still talking to me.”
Y/N sighed. “I hate that you have a point.”
Jennie smirked, reaching out to adjust the collar of their hoodie, her fingers brushing against their neck for just a second.
“Get used to it, loser. You’re stuck with me now.”
And as Jennie sauntered away, leaving Y/N standing there with a racing heart and a flushed face, one thought crossed their mind:
They were so, so screwed.
Y/N stood frozen in the middle of the hallway long after Jennie walked away, their thoughts racing at a million miles per hour.
How was this their life now?
One minute, they were just a nobody, and the next, Jennie Kim—the most untouchable girl in school—was calling dibs on them like they were her personal treasure. And now? Now they had a date with her.
A date.
Y/N groaned, pressing their forehead against their locker.
“Uhh… are you okay?”
Y/N turned their head to see their classmate, Mark, giving them a concerned look.
“No,” Y/N deadpanned.
Mark blinked. “What happened?”
Y/N exhaled dramatically. “Jennie Kim.”
Mark’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. That.”
Y/N lifted their head, narrowing their eyes. “Wait—you knew she liked me?”
Mark gave them an incredulous look. “Dude, everyone knew.”
Y/N gawked. “How? I didn’t even know!”
Mark shrugged. “It was kinda obvious. The staring, the shutting down anyone who talked bad about you, the fact that she nearly started a fight with Minho when he tried asking you out last year—”
“Wait, what?”
“Oh.” Mark scratched the back of his neck. “You didn’t know about that?”
“No, I did not know about that!”
Mark winced. “Yeah, uh… Minho made some joke about you being a ‘charity case’ for the school and how Jennie should date ‘someone on her level,’ and she kinda—”
“What?”
“—threw her iced coffee at him.”
Y/N’s jaw dropped. “She what?”
Mark nodded. “Yeah. Then she told him, and I quote, ‘If Y/N isn’t on my level, then maybe I should try lowering myself to yours and see if that makes me want to throw up less.’”
Y/N stared.
Mark shrugged. “Anyway, Minho transferred schools after that, so.”
Y/N still hadn’t closed their mouth. “You’re telling me Jennie Kim has been defending my honor for years, and I just never noticed?”
Mark gave them a flat look. “You walk through life like a background character. So, yeah.”
Y/N groaned, dragging a hand down their face. “I hate this school.”
Mark patted their shoulder. “Good luck on your date.”
Y/N groaned again.
If Y/N thought the attention yesterday was bad, today was so much worse.
The moment they walked into school, the whispers started up again. People glanced at them in the hallways, whispered behind their hands, and a few brave souls even nodded in approval at them like they had just won some secret competition.
By lunch, Y/N was exhausted.
They sat at their usual table in the farthest corner of the cafeteria, hoping for some peace and quiet. But, of course, that was too much to ask.
Because Jennie Kim was heading straight toward them.
Again.
And this time, she wasn’t alone.
Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo followed closely behind her, their faces filled with amused curiosity. The entire cafeteria watched as Jennie plopped down in the seat directly next to Y/N—so close their shoulders were pressed together.
Y/N swallowed. “Uh—”
Jennie stole a fry from their tray again. “Hi.”
Lisa smirked. “Hope you don’t mind some company.”
Y/N stared at the four of them, then at the way Jennie was completely invading their personal space, and sighed. “Do I even have a choice?”
Jennie grinned. “Nope.”
Rosé giggled, taking a seat across from them. “You’re funny.”
Jisoo rested her chin on her hand. “So. Y/N. How does it feel knowing Jennie’s been secretly in love with you this whole time?”
Y/N nearly choked. “I—”
Jennie smacked Jisoo’s arm. “Unnecessary.”
Lisa leaned forward. “Nah, but seriously. You really had no clue?”
Y/N hesitated before sighing. “Not even a little.”
Rosé gasped. “Not even when she defended you all those times?”
Y/N frowned. “I didn’t know she was defending me! No one told me!”
Lisa whistled. “Damn. You’re really out here living life on airplane mode, huh?”
Jennie rolled her eyes but was still watching Y/N closely, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of their sleeve.
Y/N sighed, shaking their head. “I still don’t get it.”
Jennie raised an eyebrow. “Get what?”
Y/N looked at her. “Why me? Of all the people in this school, why me?”
Jennie held their gaze for a moment before speaking, her voice softer than before.
“Because you don’t care about any of this.” She gestured vaguely to the cafeteria, to the stares, the whispers, the constant attention. “You’re not like the people who only like me for my status. You don’t try to impress me, or be something you’re not. You’re just… you.”
Y/N felt their heart skip a beat.
Lisa fake wiped a tear. “Damn, that was deep.”
Jennie shot her a glare.
Jisoo clapped her hands together. “Alright, so when’s the wedding?”
Y/N groaned. “Can we not?”
Jennie smirked. “Not yet. Let me at least take them on a date first.”
Y/N buried their face in their hands.
Rosé giggled. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”
Lisa nodded. “Agreed.”
Jennie leaned in, her lips brushing against Y/N’s ear as she whispered—
“I told you. You’re stuck with me now.”
And for some reason, despite all the chaos, Y/N found that they didn’t mind it.
Not one bit.
121 notes · View notes
cheralith · 3 days ago
Note
omg Kaiser in Harry Potter au is becoming my life 🩷🩷
Can we PLEASEEEE have a few headcanons about what it would be like for ravenclaw!reader to date slytherin!kaiser?
or just anything from this AU 😭😭 it’s so good
character ; michael kaiser || cw ; gn!reader, no pronouns used, slytherin!kaiser, ravenclaw!reader, hogwarts au, kaiser is pure-blood, reader is half-blood, aged-up characters
Tumblr media
because of the fact he's such an emotionally constipated and idiotic person you guys do not end up dating until like... your very late twenties/early thirties. it takes him a horribly long time to even realize he's in love let alone the time it takes for him to say something.
but when he does, it comes out completely by accident. it's during the yule ball, where you and him are supervising the students and the same beauxbatons boy you had gone with all those years ago is back as one of their house's quidditch coach in the same manner that kaiser is. you and him are just catching up in a friendly manner but kaiser's at the side just quietly listening to the conversation.
it's rather hard for him to ignore the way julian loki, whose face is just so graced by age to kaiser's disdain, is looking at you. there's clearly something he wants to continue off from, and when he begins to ask if you'd like to catch up somewhere, kaiser drags you away mid-convo.
per usual, you and him break out into a verbal bicker, going back and forth on very redundant statements that seem to bring the conversation nowhere near and end because on your hand, you don't understand why kaiser's been so pissy lately and kaiser is trying his best to understand why he feels like this towards you. until something slips through by accident, his filter completely vanishing and his innermost thoughts taking reign.
so you and him are just staring at each other in complete shock just trying to digest what the hell he just said to you. you're wide-eyed, kaiser's got a hand over his mouth, a furious blush spreading over his face as he tries to come up with a shitty excuse to try and cover what he just said up, but it's kind of hard considering he did just say, "because he looks like he's in love with you like i am!"
he tries to leave the room, begging telling you to forget what just happened, until you drag him back in and demand him what he means. he tries to word it out, but since love has never really been a good thing to him and its concept was just as confusing as transfiguration theory, he ends up acting on instinct, grabbing your face and letting his lips that collide with yours so heavenly do the talking.
so hip hip hooray stupid pining idiot finally gets what he's been wanting from you after so many years everyone clap
obviously due to the fact that you're colleagues and staff, you need to hide your relationship. and since the students are so nosy, you really have to do your best to act natural around him, especially around the members of a particular hush-hushed club that advocates for yours and kaiser's relationship because they're much more keen than the average student—using any singular crumb that you and kaiser give them to feed their material.
but you find it to be rather difficult. kaiser has been pining and dwelling for you for how many years now??? so best believe he's going to be making up for those lost years and much and as often as possible. good luck, babe.
you'd be walking down a lone corridor, only to turn a corner and getting whipped around and suddenly finding his lips on yours as your back rests against a cold wall. he'd often come into your office hours unannounced, bothering and flirting with you as you graded papers with the door wide open. during meetings, he'd at first shuffle his foot to find yours. then he got more confident; he'd rub it up and down your leg trying to raise a reaction out of you.
it didn't help that kaiser knew how to apparate and you didn't. it's prohibited on hogwarts grounds, but in hogsmeade, which is also where you reside in a small cottage, best believe he'd teleport into your house unannounced if he wanted to see you.
weekends are nice; you and him are able to get away from hogwarts and actually can spend time as a couple, but regardless, you and him still have to tiptoe around just in case any staff that's also taken the liberty of leaving hogwarts for the weekend see you hanging around each other as well.
so, it's pretty hard to try and keep things under wraps. and kaiser clearly grows more impatient and needy. he gets bolder, too. he'd sometimes ask to "borrow you" mid-class just to make out with you in a broom closet for a hot two minutes, leaving you flustered and slightly messy haired to his delight or leave gifts and flowers on your office desk, only signing it off ambiguously with "♡, k." thankfully, you come earlier than your students usually, so you’re able to hide them beforehand.
some of the older students start to catch on—especially since up until recently, it was uncommon to see the two rival professors to be rather close in proximity with each other while pacing down hallways or talking to each other in a more mild manner than what they were used to seeing. is that smile on professor kaiser's face? the hell? does this mean that he'll be more lenient on newt exams?
the news of arch-rivals professor (l/n) and professor kaiser dating really start to amp up when a student had spotted you leaving kaiser's office in the late evening. the student thinks nothing of it at first, until kaiser escorts you out and gives you a small kiss on your forehead.
so it spreads like wildfire and eventually you and him crack and admit to the higher-ups that you and him are indeed in a relationship. cue the immense amount of paperwork that shoulders you and him. but hey, once it's done, everything is at least brought to the surface and there was no longer that stress of trying to hide your relationship.
the only con is that during classes, some of the students would get too cheeky and prod at you and him about your personal lives. "is it true that professor kaiser sleeps in a silk robe?!" "does professor (l/n) know you gamble at hogsmeade with the elves?" "i heard professor kaiser has a ten-step skincare routine, is that true, prof?"
valentine's day also turns out to be quite a stir; for some reason, students now think you and him are experts on love and come to each of you asking for relationship advice. young love, as amusing as it is, is just so very ignorant... especially since it took kaiser more than ten years to confess (maybe not the best person to go to for dating advice).
outside hogwarts, it's more tame. it takes a bit of convincing, but kaiser accompanies you to the muggle world when you visit your parents. he's been in the muggle world before and he found it much more dull than the wizarding world... until you reach your parents' home. suddenly, he's poking his head in every photo album that has a younger, tooth-gapped photos of you and twiddling with regular muggle items like a computer or a television remote.
"is the bread alive? why did it just jump?" he asks, brows furrowed at the freshly toasted bread in the toaster after he flinches at the movement.
"so is there like... a little man singing in this?" he inquires as you play him something from your radio.
"why can't you just let owls do it?" he questions while the mailman drops off the weekly post. "it'd be a lot faster."
you and your parents definitely earn a laugh out of a pure-blood wizard just being rather fascinated with every-day muggle items; especially since you remember kaiser taking naps in muggle studies when you and him were younger, it makes the experience a lot more interesting.
112 notes · View notes
deswhomst · 2 days ago
Text
See You Again (Will I?) — @black-brothers-microfic — WC: 1366 | Warnings: implied (sacrificial) suicide
Hogwarts circa June, 1978.
“Regulus,” Sirius said, the name foreign on his tongue, the sound wrong in his ears.
The younger boy gave a short nod. “Sirius.”
Oh—his own name sounded wrong, too.
It was a well-established fact that Sirius hated the Blacks and that included the hollow shell of a brother he once knew—who was now staring back at him with a razor-sharp gaze.
Regulus used to be such a soft kid—annoying and snobbish, yes, but polite and sweet, too. It was like Sirius had blinked one day and Regulus had shattered into a mosaic of broken glass, all jagged edges that threatened to leave the deepest cuts. A part of Sirius knew that he had missed out on his brother’s life by his own choice but he couldn’t help the wound that opened up in his heart at thought.
Sirius decided to speak up. “I’m leaving.”
Regulus raised one perfectly arched eyebrow.
“I mean—” Sirius grimaced at the wording. “Hogwarts. Seventh Year done and whatnot.”
“A bit surprised, if I’m being honest,” Regulus said. “I always imagined that you would get expelled.”
Why did he speak like that? Absolutely zero emotion on his face. He had changed so much in the last two years—him arguing with Sirius and being a little bitch was much better than … whatever this was.
“Yeah, well,” Sirius shrugged, passing him a toothy grin. “Came close once. Or ten times.”
“I’m sure.”
Usually, Sirius would be mean to Regulus. He would look at him and turn away in pure contempt. Today, however, with all the goodbyes and a war looming ahead, Sirius found himself overcome with a fondness for his brother that hasn’t been there in … six years? Longer?
Sirius has heard the rumors about Regulus already becoming a Death Eater. He knew that even if it wasn’t true, yet, that was still the path Regulus was heading down. That has always been his big goal in life. The thought of it brought back some bitterness but the more prominent cloud in Sirius’ mind was a heavy reminder that he would be on opposite sides of a war with his own brother.
He had no confirmation that Regulus had actually taken the Dark Mark and as long as he didn’t, Sirius reasoned, he had one last chance to say the goodbye they had put off for two years.
Sirius didn’t think much about it. Words were failing him, anyways, and so he moved forward, bringing his arm around Regulus in a hug that neither of them were prepared for.
Regulus went rigid instantly, his entire body locking up as if he had been petrified. The hesitation, the instinctive recoil, it all vibrated through Sirius’ own body, but then—slowly, stiffly—Regulus started to return the embrace. In all honesty, it was not much at all. There was no warmth—in fact, even under the glare of the summer sun, Regulus felt colder than ice. But it was there, he was there, and Sirius decided that this would have to count. It would have to mean something, and it does.
Sirius exhaled through his nose, gripping the fabric of Regulus’ robes for just a second longer before pulling back. His hands lingered on his brother’s arms, giving them a brief squeeze before letting go entirely.
“This is the last time,” Sirius said, voice not as steady as he had intended.
Regulus blinked, something flickering across his face but it was gone before Sirius could place it. “Hmm?”
“This is the last time,” Sirius pressed more firmly, “we will ever see each other.”
Regulus did not argue. He only nodded, paused for one second, then promptly turned on his heel and walked away.
This time, Sirius watched Regulus leave.
Tumblr media
Knockturn Alley circa August, 1979.
Regulus stepped out of Burkin and Burkes, the replica of Slytherin’s locket safely tucked into his pocket. Time was moving slowly for him tonight, which probably made sense since he was quite literally on his way to trade his life for the real locket.
For someone who was about to die at eighteen, Regulus didn’t have much that he wanted to do. He wished that things had been different but, honestly, even without the war, Regulus Black would not mean anything to anyone. That was his reality, it was his burden, and he will rot the water with it soon.
Perhaps the universe wasn’t done punishing Regulus, though, because as he turned down an alley, he came face to face with his brother. The estranged, disowned brother he hadn’t seen in a year. The brother who was actively fighting against him.
Where the light bled into the dark, where the flickering streetlamps didn’t reach, that’s where Regulus saw Sirius again.
One last time.
“I don’t want to fight,” Regulus found himself saying, immediately, voice small. He was exhausted—bone-deep and soul-deep. There was nothing left in him to give anymore. “Please, Sirius.”
Sirius was accessing him carefully, jaw clenched tightly, but Regulus caught the hint of concern in his unforgiving gaze. He must look like a special brand of shit for Sirius to put aside his hatred.
“You look like hell,” Sirius muttered, confirming that theory.
Regulus huffed. “Don’t we all?”
Sirius didn’t smile. Regulus hadn’t expected him to. With that, a silence settled over them, and calling it uncomfortable would not do it justice.
None of it mattered, anyways.
Regulus was already dying.
He was dying, and Sirius hated him.
He was dying, and no one loved him.
“I know we’re on opposite sides,” he admitted, keeping his gaze fixed on the cold stone wall behind Sirius’ shoulder. “And I know what that means.”
“Do you?” Sirius’ voice was sharp, edged with something dangerous. Something awful, something hateful. “Because if you did, you wouldn’t be here.”
Regulus shook his head, a bit desperate. “I do,” he hesitated, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. “I don’t expect you to understand, but this—this is something that I have to do.”
Sirius’ expression twisted, frustration flickering across his face. “You’ve never had to—”
“Listen,” Regulus cut in, digging crescents into his palm. “I meant what I said about not wanting to fight. Please, Sirius, don’t be mean to me today.”
It was unfair. It was pathetic, too, but again—Regulus was dying so nothing mattered. What was Sirius going to do? Leave him again? Kill him more?
None of it mattered.
Regulus didn’t matter. He never had, never will.
“Reggie—”
And maybe it was simply the fear of dying alone or maybe it was the use of the nickname the Regulus hadn’t heard in years that made him pull Sirius into a hug in that moment.
Regulus had never initiated an embrace with anyone before—and he never will after this. This had been his last chance to do so and he has done it. Now, at least, Regulus can claim that in the eighteen years he got, he had given one hug.
It was warm despite his own inherent coldness. Unlike Regulus, Sirius didn’t hesitate before retuning it, arms circling around his shoulders. It was then that Regulus realized that he had grown taller than Sirius. The older Black seemed to have come to the same conclusion, his response being a tight squeeze.
In another life, Regulus would have teased him about this. In another life, Sirius would have been annoyed by this.
Regulus didn’t let go of his brother for what felt like an eternity. He wished that Sirius would ask him to stay, but how could Sirius know where he was headed? Would it change anything, Regulus wondered? If Sirius knew that Regulus was going to give up his life to bring down the Dark Lord, would he stop him?
Will he mourn him?
Will anyone?
“Alright. Alright,” Sirius sighed. He was the first to pull away and it had to be him because Regulus wasn’t brave enough to face reality again. “Stupid question but … are you okay?”
Regulus supposed that’s something he hasn’t done yet. Be okay. He pulled back further, shrugging.
“You were wrong, Sirius,” Regulus muttered. “This is the last time we will ever see each other.”
Sirius had left once, so Regulus had to be the one who left at least twice.
And for good this time.
Edit: Moodboard I made inspired by this
100 notes · View notes
ikbitchssss · 2 days ago
Text
I Just Want Your Heart (Daryl x Half-Walker!Reader)
Tumblr media
Warnings/Tags: Major Character Death, Angst, Cussing, Blood, Violence, and Normal TWD stuff. If anymore, please tell me and I'll add it!
Season: In the 30 days between season 3 and 4.
Words: 3K
Plot: Daryl finds a walker, but she can talk. She’s always chewing on gum, and her body is a bit rotten. It’s like she was half dead. He goes ok to help her and take care of her, not knowing why. Until one day, he does something he might regret.
A/N: Hope y'all enjoy;3
(OG BLOG: @idkbishsss)
Daryl Dixon was a man who did not fall in love with anyone. He was a rough around the edges, redneck, quiet, distant, guy. He did not fall in love. He loved only one person, his brother. Lost together somewhere in an apocalypse world and treated him like shit most of the time sure, but he did love him. As much as he wouldn’t admit it because Merle would just scoff and roll his eyes.
Daryl Dixon was not a man of groups. He was a part of one, only because he had to. Merle said it was because they needed him, but Daryl had a feeling that it was because Merle needed them. Daryl didn’t do groups, but he understands the importance of them. As long as they left him only he was okay.
Daryl Dixon was not a family man. He never wanted a family. His only brother was now dead. He didn’t need a family. Sure, he had a small care for the kids in the group, and didn’t want them to die. He would protect them, but it wasn’t his family.
Daryl Dixon was a lair. He was a family man, these people at the prison were his family. It was his group. He lied about it himself and others about those things for sure, but he never lied about not falling in love. Sure he’d love, in like, a family way. He’d never fall in love though, he’d never allow himself to.
.
Rick had ordered Daryl to go out and get more fuel for the cars. They were low and needed more for runs. 
Daryl got in a trunk and rode up to a few big ass rich people houses he’d seen a few weeks ago. They had a lot of cars and trucks in the neighborhood, meaning a lotta fuel if no one raided it already. In fact, a few houses were having parties, so there were more than usual for bug neighborhoods.
He pulled up to the first house and went to go get the fuel out of the cars and trucks. Using the classic suck on a hose until you feel like passing out method, he got nothing. Hence the sucking too long. He decided he’d check the houses later if he had time and moved on to the next set of cars and trucks. These ones look promising, and were very promising. Fuel came pouring out like the rain, he filled two gallons worth of gas from four cars and one truck. 
He put those gallons back in the back seat, and went to the truck bed to grab more fuel cans. However, something stopped him, a loud screaming noise. He grabbed his crossbow and looked around for the source. He heard giggling and saw the house it was coming from.
He slowly approached the home with extreme caution. He turned around the halls that lead him to a bedroom. He could hear the smacking of gum coming from the room. A girl was sitting there on the bed. A girl was graying skin, dead walker eyes, and a few broken limbs. You.
You casually popped the bones back into place. You looked over to him and smiled, he drew his crossbow up and pointed it to you.
“Woah! I’m not gonna bite you, I am not like the other ones.” You made a joke out of it while putting your hands up. He was confused, what the hell is happening? Why is a Walker, a dead woman, talking? And why isn’t he shooting it’s head off?
You got up and walked over to him, still with your hands up. Your smile faded and you looked a little nervous. “Look I was freaked out and confused when I woke up and was… somewhat alive. But I don’t hurt people, and it still hurts when you hurt me… so please just let me go…” You begged for your life as if you were human. Daryl didn’t understand, you aren’t human, you barely look human. Well, you didn’t look like a walker, you still had flesh, but still, you looked dead. It freaked him out.
You knew he was freaked out, it was all over his face after you said those words. But honestly? Daryl was more than just freaked out, a small part of him was intrigued. Which wasn’t like him. He wasn’t an intrigued guy, but he wanted to know you, know what happened to you.
“Why’d ya scream?” He asked gruffly. You didn’t expect his voice to be that deep, he must smoke something. 
You wave it off and shrug. “Walker grabbed my leg, forgot they don’t bite me anymore.” He was even more intrigued by this, you were immune? Or just half turned. He knew the group would shoot you as soon as you got close because of what you looked like. He’s had personal experience in that at the fram, but he wanted to know you. 
“Look… I’ll show you the best water and food and well anything you need! In this area and neighborhood… just let me live… please.” As you begged him again he put his crossbow down. He told himself not to, to put it back up, kill you, threaten you. But he didn’t. He just nodded and let you lead the way to show him things.
.
You were a talker, and walkers didn’t even look at you when you were being so loud. Daryl found it strangely interesting. He’d never been interested in anyone really, let alone a woman. Yet, there was something about you that made him wonder and think more than he ever let himself before. 
You were showing him a map of the area and places that hadn’t been raided already. “Now there’s a horde here, but when you go just tell me about a week before and I can steer them clear from your path!”
He looked up at you, an expression on his face that could only be described as a little confused. “Now why would ya’ help us..?” He asked, quietly, you guessed he wasn’t much of a talker. 
“Meh! If we are neighbors I have to help you right?” You said it like it was obvious. Like people just help one another in these conditions. “It’s what good neighbors do!” You exclaimed, Daryl just nodded. It wasn’t the old world normal people knew any more, but you act like it. Then again, Daryl didn’t know much of normal, so who was he to judge? Besides, the help would be nice.
You altered your smile, your big grin going away into a slight smile. For a dead girl, you seemed happier than most people. Maybe that was the secret, being dead. But Daryl had people, he wasn’t going to leave them. They needed him just as much as he needed them.
After it was all said and done Daryl went back to getting fuel. You stayed around just kind of watching him. It made him nervous, and he felt a strange new feeling he hadn’t felt before. He wished he could place it, but after years of controlling his emotions, they were all over the place. He didn’t know how to pen point the feeling he felt.
After he was all done with one car, he’d move onto the next one. You’d follow him, just standing around, watching. It almost creeped him out at some points, almost. He wasn’t used to people watching him so closely. Maybe this is how people felt about him. But earlier you were so talkative, and now you just watched, quietly.
He put the last two gallons of fuel in the truck and turned around after closing the door. He jumped a little when he saw you behind him. It wasn’t noticeable to you, just him. You just smiled and put a new piece of gum in your mouth.
“I have to… leave.” He mumbled walking over to the truck door. He glanced back at you, seeing that you were no longer smiling. You stood back, looking back at your house.
“I’ll be back…” He said. He thought he was stupid for saying it, but when he looked up and saw your smile, those thoughts faded into nothing. He pulled out of there immediately, why does he feel this way? Questions plagued his mind as he drove back to the prison.
.
He pulled back into the prison and didn’t say a word to anyone, not even to Rick, who’d asked him many questions about the area. He just helped unload his truck and stayed quiet with the small nod a few times. As the sun started to go down over the hills and people started to go inside, Daryl soon followed them. He then walked back into his cell and pulled the thin sheet as a door over the opening.
Daryl put his crossbow down with his stuff. He took his shoes off and threw them next to his boots. Beth found him “nice” sneakers to wear. He only wore them because it made her happy. He took off his vets and threw it on the top bunk
He laid down on the bottom bunk. He was on his back trying to sleep, but he just kept thinking about you. He knew it was a bad idea to think about you this much, but he couldn’t control himself anymore like he used to. You were talkative and almost happy, even though you were dead. 
He has so many questions. Why’d you look freshly dead? Why’d you chew gum? If you bite him, will he turn? Can he even get these answered? Probably not, he’d probably not even go back. A broken promise he gave you based on impulse.
He wasn’t like this. He didn’t let himself be like this, he wasn’t weak. Yet, he was thinking about you. He just wanted to see you, but he won’t let himself. He’s not going to let himself. But then again, what if you didn’t like him?
He switched onto his side and buried the side of his head into his pillow. He groaned, he wasn’t going to sleep with his thoughts racing like this. Why was he so obsessed with you? You weren’t anything other than another traveler he met, a very interesting undead traveler he met. He needed to let it go. 
If he just doesn’t go near the houses, he’d be fine!
.
Unfortunately, Rick wanted to go to the houses to raid them. They needed more food and supplies. He was planning everything out for a few days. He told Daryl to lead the car and truck on his motorcycle. 
He led them there but was far ahead. You were out killing walkers and humming. You turned and saw Daryl, you dropped your knife and ran up to his bike. “Hey! You’re back!” You said joyfully. Daryl looked worried.
“My group, they’re gonna be here soon. Ya gotta hide…” he said. You looked confused, as if you didn’t understand that his group could hurt you. He turned over to the car and truck coming in and shoved you in the pile. He killed a walker and put it on top of you. 
You started to breathe heavily. You started to get scared. It reminded you of your death, but Daryl put you here. And you trusted him. He’s the only thing or person that hasn’t tried to kill you.
Daryl said he’d raid your home, as he did half of it already. The rest of the group went into other houses. He waited till they were out of sight and he picked you up from the ground and walked into the house.
“I said hide, girl.” He shoved you on the couch. And sighed. He picked up a few things and shoved them into his bag. One of two lighters, a water bottle, a few canned foods, and a knife. He then sat down next to you. “Won’t take it all from here...” he mumbles looking anywhere but at you.
You just grabbed some gum and chewed on it. Not paying much mind to him. 
“So. Your group. How come I can’t meet them?” You asked like it was urgent, like somehow you needed to meet them right now. 
He mumbled a little to himself before answering, “I don’t know how they’ll react to ya,” he paused and looked at your eyes, yellow and bloodshot, “hell I still don’t really know what to think…” He said with a grunt. You giggled, giggled at him.
He looked confused by it. “I’m a walker, who would know what to think?” You explained. He smiled a little and nodded his head. He guessed he understood that, who would react well? 
You got up and walked up stairs, you came back down with a bag. “Here. My old bag of supplies before I turned, enjoy your raid of my neighborhood stranger.” She smiled and he noticed that you weren’t chewing gum anymore, why?
He looked down and opened the bag, it was full of food and maps. It had a few knives too. He looked up thank you but you were gone, just like that. He missed his chance to talk to you. He just sat there, what was he meant to do? Go look for you? He had a job, raid this place.
He got up and looked through the house a little more, he found some things others could use. He guessed you didn’t use soap or cleaning things, you were dead. He had your bag and another full one of needs and others of wants. Beth and Carl requested things since they are still too young for runs.
He walked back outside and put the stuff in the truck. Rick and Michonne got done with theirs and walked over, same with Maggie and Glenn. A few new guys as well, but Daryl didn’t care to know their names. He should really learn your name.
Also, you weren’t as talkative as last time… why?
.
The next time Daryl went on a hunt he stopped by that neighborhood, you were nowhere to be found. You just disappeared into thin air. At a blink of an eye you were gone when he saw you last and you never showed up again. What happened? Did you not like him? Lots of why’s with you.
He looked up and down the neighborhood, but it was no use. He didn’t want to give up. You were so; no. He needed to stop, he couldn’t let himself get this close to you. It almost felt like… love.
What if you were dead? 
That thought hit him when he sat on his bike. Dead. No? You? But it was completely reasonable. You were half walker, you almost blended right in. You could’ve easily been killed by someone. What if it was someone in his group? What if his family killed you? 
No. They aren’t his family and you are nothing to him. You talk together only a few times, yet it felt like he knew you longer. 
He got on his bike and headed back on the open road. He was going to the prison again, he got a few rabbits that would be fine for now. 
The breeze was cold, a nice contrast to the hot sun that beat his pale skin to a tan. He always loved taking these bike rides. They were peaceful, especially when he was stressing about stupid things. No more of that, but there was something he the road
He pressed the brakes, hard. You stood in the middle of the road, scared. He got off his bike and ran to you. The whole, not stressing about things always lasts him two seconds.!“Are you okay?” He said, you hugged him.
“Hey stranger..” You just sobbed into his neck. His beautiful, fleshy, biteable neck. You pushed him away. He was confused, why? Did you really not like him? Is what he feared right?
“I’m going to bite you… I want to bite you… I keep wanting to bite people… I’m freaking out! Gum doesn’t help anymore!”
Daryl grabbed your hand. “Then let’s find some asshole to cure that hunger.” You looked at him like he was crazy. Hell, he knew the plan was crazy, but losing you was crazier. He couldn’t lose you, he loved you. Goddamn it, he fell fast and hard, but he loved you. He really did.
You pulled your hand away from his. He wanted to run and hug you, make you stop running from this, he can handle a bite. “It doesn't work like that! I just got hungrier..” You mumble, you tried it already. It didn’t work. He grabbed your hand.
“I’ll find a way. I need you…” he mumbled that last part but it made your heart break. It happened in three swift moves. He kissed you, you bite his lip, you pull back. It was all so fast that you nor Daryl had time to realize what happened. What you both did. A kiss and a bite.
“Stranger-“ 
“Daryl.”
“Daryl… I, you’ll turn…” You mumble, you’d be crying if your tear ducts worked. Goddamn it, he had a family, you were going to kill him. He nodded and laid his head on yours. “And I’ll be yours…” he mumbles. He knows he’ll miss his family, it’s why he sheds a tear, but he wants to be with you. Maybe you’ll both be half dead. Maybe you’ll find a way to live. Maybe his family will accept you guys.
Daryl Dixon was a man of love. Fast, messy, sweet, heartbreaking love. He’d give the world, he’d give himself, for the one he loved. Over and over and over again. He was a lover, because he allowed himself to fall in love. He was all the things he thought he wasn’t, because he was a liar. But he would no longer be a liar, because he knew he was these things. He was just Daryl Dixon. A very half-dead and in love Daryl Dixon.
60 notes · View notes
theocddiaries · 12 hours ago
Text
[Handcuffed to a stair railing.] Shadow: You know? After the exposition debacle, this was my big chance to prove to Abraham I could be trusted. But you messed that all up. Rouge: Well, maybe if you had told me what you were planning, I wouldn't have messed it up. Shadow: I couldn't count on you not letting anything slip! Rouge: Hey, I can keep things to myself. Shadow: Oh, yeah? Kinda like when you told Sonic where the last piece of Emerald was? Rouge: How did you know--? Shadow: Or when you told Tails about my inhibitor rings? Rouge: I had to. You-- Shadow: And how'd Amy find out who ate her last chocolate truffle? Rouge: I turned myself in. The guilt was just-- Shadow: Look, Rouge, you're my closest friend. But you're a sharer. It's in your nature and I'm fine with that. But you'll have to be fine with respecting things I wanna keep to myself. Rouge: Even if those things have life-threatening consequences? Shadow: Okay, in my defense, no one's life was really threatened until you showed up. Rouge: You're right… Tell you what. Let's make a deal. I'll understand you keeping some things to yourself, if you understand that when something's bothering you, I'm gonna wanna help. You've got my back, so let me have yours. Shadow: I suppose I can live with that. [Sonic rushes in, skidding to a stop at the sight of them.] Sonic: Guys! [inspects the handcuffs]: Aaah, I bet we don't think Andrew's so handsome anymore, now do we? [plucks out a quill] [Rouge and Shadow exchange a look] Rouge: I wouldn't say he's un-handsome, right? Shiadow: I mean him being a rebel doesn't really take away from the fact-- Sonic: Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! [fiddles with the handcuffs using his quill.] Shadow: No, go after the book. Don't waste time trying to pick the cuffs, they're double-locking, black steel-- Sonic: Got 'em. Shadow: Oh. Rouge: Aw, look at my little fast-learner.
64 notes · View notes
thatsmzbitchtoyou · 1 day ago
Text
Barnes Bakes Chapter 2
A request that turned into a short story. *mudak: moron or blowhard in Russian
Previous chapter Next chapter
Tumblr media Tumblr media
From then on, every Sunday night Bucky could expect a knock on his door at about 7:00 p.m.  It was always Y/N, bringing him a new plate of treats to try.  Her bubbly vivaciousness was palpable as she would talk to him and explain what it was she made, then wouldn’t leave until he took a bite in front of her.  First it was classic chocolate chip cookies, then sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin, white chocolate and macadamia nut, and almost every type of cookie imaginable until she moved on to brownies, cake, and now ice cream.
Bucky at first tried to turn it down, but she was persistent, and he would eventually cave and just take the damn treat to make her leave him alone.  He wouldn’t let her see how much he liked her coming by, but would indulge showing her his one bite of trying it in front of her before she left.  After she had come by with mint chocolate chip ice cream, which he really wasn’t that fond of but knew Sam would love so he took it, he closed the door and turned around to find his girlfriend glaring at him.
“Who the fuck was that?” Mandy asked, her arms crossed on her chest.
“My neighbor,” Bucky said, bringing the ice cream into the kitchen and placing it in the freezer.
“No shit, Sherlock.  What’s her name?” she asked.
“Y/N,” Bucky said simply before facing her and crossing his arms.  He hadn’t really told Mandy about Y/N.  It didn’t seem like he needed to.  “She’s a baker and likes to bring treats by.”
“So you know her name and that she’s a baker,” Mandy said, her eye twitching in annoyance.  “What else do you know?  Huh?  Has she been here before?  Are you flirting with her?”
“What?  No, Mandy, god,” Bucky groaned, rubbing his eyes with his flesh hand.  “I helped her move some boxes when she moved in and she insisted on paying me with treats, because that’s what she does.  Nothing inappropriate has happened.  Why can’t you trust me to just, I don’t know, know people outside of you?”
“How well do you know her?” Mandy asked, her voice raising.
“Not well,” he shrugged.
“Where does she work?” she asked, her teeth nearly grinding.
“I think she said that bakery on 5th, but I could be wrong,” he said simply, shrugging again.  “I don’t know her.  She’s just a neighbor who likes to bring me treats.”
“Then why did she call you sweet pea?” Mandy growled.
“She just does, that’s her thing,” Bucky sighed.  “She doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“Are you really that stupid, Bucky?  Some bitch is bringing you food and calling you nicknames and you’re just ‘neighbors’ and nothing more?” Mandy yelled.
“Okay, that’s enough!” Bucky yelled back.  “I told you this jealousy thing has to stop.  Not every woman I walk by or associate with in my life is trying to steal me away from you.  And you calling her names just because she’s being nice isn’t going to make me feel any better about this,” he gestured between them.  “I’m telling you, Mandy, I’ve had it.  I’m done doing this with you–”
“I’m sorry!” Mandy said, suddenly looking sad and pouty.  “I’m sorry.  I was just insecure, alright?  She’s…nice,” she said it like it hurt her to admit.  “Please don’t break up with me over something like this.”
Bucky sighed heavily.  “Okay, okay.  Just please, no more of this weird jealousy thing.”  He walked over and hugged her.  “She’s just a nice person who lives across the hall from me.  That’s all.”
“Okay,” Mandy said, still not sounding sure but accepting it.
***
The little bell rang over the door and Y/N came out from the back to greet the new customer.  “Hello!” she said cheerfully, watching the woman scowl at the bakery.  “What can I help you with today?” she continued, trying not to let the woman’s dislike dampen her mood.
“What the hell kind of name is ‘She’s Tasty’?” the woman asked, giving Y/N a dirty glance.
Y/N’s eyebrows raised.  “It’s based on the fact that all my bakes are named after a typically female name,” she explained, pointing at the menu above her head that had lists of names, categories and what the dessert was made of under each one.  “It’s just a play on words.  Like, ‘Ooh she’s tasty!’  You know?”
The woman grimaced.  “Right.  Well, I’m not here for a dessert.  I’m just here to talk to you.”
“Uh, okay,” Y/N said, leaning against the counter and frowning.
“Stay away from my boyfriend,” she snarled.
Y/N smirked.  “Okay.  Who’s your boyfriend?”
She looked even angrier.  “Bucky!” she cried indignantly.
“Bucky?  My neighbor Bucky?” Y/N asked incredulously.  “I didn’t know he was even social enough to have a girlfriend.”
“Well, he is, and I’m the girlfriend telling you to back off,” she spat.
“Back off from what, exactly?” Y/N asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head in question.  “I haven’t flirted with him.”
“Yes you are!  You keep bringing him treats!” she said, slapping the counter.
“Okay, hun, just chill out,” Y/N said, rolling her eyes.  “I won’t bring treats anymore, k?  I’m sure I’ve paid him back for helping me move in plenty at this point.”  The girlfriend kept glaring at her.  “I was just being friendly and neighborly,” Y/N continued.  “No need to be jealous of some little treats.”
“Just stay away from him,” the girlfriend snapped, then turned on her heel and stomped out of the bakery.
Y/N rolled her eyes again and walked back to the kitchen.  She hadn’t said or done anything to warrant this type of response, but whatever.  She wouldn’t make Bucky’s treats anymore.  The less drama she had to deal with the better.
55 notes · View notes
coquitokisses · 14 hours ago
Text
Oh, baby! | Dean Winchester
Pairings: Dean Winchester x female!reader
Summary: reader had a one night stand with Dean and they find out she’s pregnant
Word count: 1.4k
A/n: I gotta be honest, this is from a fanfic lmao, which is supposed to be a crossover of Teen Wolf and Supernatural, but I haven’t published it yet and I’ve been wanting to write something about Dean for a whileee so I decided to just edit this lil thing I had and post it here cuz why not?
Tumblr media
“Hey, Cas, you’re back.” You smile sweetly at him once you saw him as you made your way to the library to help Sam with research
“Hi, y/n.” He replied with a small smile that soon turned into a confused frown
You noticed. “Everything okay?”
“How do you feel?” He asks
“I’m fine.” You replied, not understanding his sudden worry
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Cas, why? What’s wrong?” You questioned feeling a little alarmed by the way he was asking
“It’s just that I feel another presence.” He said
“Another presence?” Sam took his eyes off the laptop to look at Castiel
“What do you mean another presence?” Dean’s voice was soon heard throughout the library
“Is it bad?” You ask
“No,” Castiel shook his head. “It’s inside you.”
“Inside me?!” You were so confused right now “But what is it? Is it bad?”
“Is she okay?” Sam asked somewhat worried after hearing Castiel’s words
“She’s fine,” he replied and then looked at you “Can I?” he raised his hand
You nodded giving him permission to do whatever he had to do. Castiel put a hand on your forehead and then began to lower it down your body, but without actually touching it, until it reached your belly.
“Can I?” he looked at you, you just nodded
He placed his hand on your belly and that’s when he realized what was the presence he was feeling.
“It’s a baby,” he said, removing his hand
You almost choked. “I’m sorry, WHAT?!”
“A.. baby?” Sam was dumbfounded
“Wait, wait, are you sure?” Dean looked at Castiel
“Very sure,” the angel nodded
“It can’t be...” you put one of you hands on you chest. “Oh my God..”
“Are you really sure?” Dean asked again
“Yes, Dean, I am one hundred percent sure that I feel a baby’s presence.” Castiel snapped back
“This isn’t happening.” Dean ran his hands over his face “This is.. this is simply not happening.”
“Please don’t tell me you guys…” Sam looked at you both
“Sam, just shut up for a minute, okay?” Dean replied
“I- I need to get some air.” You muttered as you walked backwards like three steps and then turned around heading to the stairs
“Y/n wait!” Sam called out but you ignored him
You got out of the bunker and you took a deep breath trying to calm yourself down and not have a panic attack.
“This can’t be real..” you murmured to yourself
You raised your hands to your belly and you’re just standing there in shock.
Of course you wanted a family, but you knew that it was probably not going to happen due to the fact that you’re a hunter and you’ve been hunting basically your whole life. You knew how your life was gonna end. And you made your peace with that. Kinda.
Worst thing about all of this is the fact that Dean is the one who got you pregnant. You two used to hate each other, but throughout the years, you’ve learned to tolerate each other and well, you’ve basically been working with them since they had to deal with the angels pretty much.
He’s always had a crush on you and you knew it, but it wasn’t really that serious. He usually just flirted with you and most of the time you just ignored him.
Until a few weeks ago, while you guys were finishing up a case that Sam decided to let you two handle so you could work on your communication and your anger issues, because the week before that, you have to admit that you were both butting heads every five minutes, and it was driving Sam insane. So he sent you both to deal with a shapeshifter case in Wyoming and with a little assignment to work on your issues and stop behaving like kids. His words.
And you did worked your issues out. You just didn’t think it was gonna be by having sex, but hey, you weren’t complaining at all. He was perfect. And it was the best night you’ve ever had in a while.
And here are the results of that hook up.
It’s clear to say that neither of you are prepared, mentally nor physically prepared to have a kid.
And besides, how were you gonna raise a kid together if you can’t even get along for more than two days?
You got on your car and decided to go for a ride, just to clear your head. And while you were at it, you bought like two boxes of pregnancy tests just to be one thousand percent sure and because you would believe it more once you see it yourself.
You got something to eat after that and decided to use the bathroom at a gas station so you could take the pregnancy tests.
While you waited on the results, you were walking around in the small bathroom, thinking what the hell you were gonna do.
After a few minutes of talking to yourself internally, you decided to take a look at the four pregnancy tests.
“Oh god..” you muttered under your breath seeing the plus sign on the tests
(…)
After a while of just driving around, you finally decided to get back to the bunker. Once you open the door, Dean’s head turned to look at you immediately.
“Where were you?” He asked, leaving the book he was reading on the table
“I was getting rid of the little creature,” you replied
“Y/n.” Dean gave your a stern look
“I’m kidding.” You rolled your eyes. “I went for a ride and to get something to eat, anything else you want to know?”
You walked to where he was and put your hand inside the pocket of your jacket.
“In case you thought Castiel was lying...” you took the pregnancy tests out of your jacket pocket and placed them on the table. “It’s quite real.”
Dean looked at the tests in front of him realizing that this was really happening. He did believe Cas, but seeing the positive pregnancy tests, definitely made his mind finally fall into the acceptance that this was real. Very real.
Dean sighed. “Look, I know you’re not completely happy with this situation, believe me, I’m not either, but..-
“But we already did it and now we have to take responsibility, I know,” you said taking off your jacket “What I’m still trying to figure out is how you and I are going to raise a baby”
“I don’t know either.” He sighed
“This wasn’t supposed to happen” you pulled out a chair so you could sit and then you brought your hands to you face
“I know...” Dean said in a soft voice and leaned a little so he could look at you. “Hey,” he gently took you by the wrists, removing your hands from your face. “You’re not going to be alone, I’m not going for a pack of cigarettes and never come back.”
That made you laugh a little. “I know you won’t.”
“I’m just.. scared.” He admitted “Scared to raise a kid, scared that I might turn out like my dad and I don’t want that..”
“You’re not going to be like your father, Dean.” You said softly “And I’m scared too, like, I’m gonna be carrying a baby inside of me for the next nine months, I’m terrified that I won’t be a good mom.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re going to be an amazing mom.”
You smiled a little. “That’s kinda comforting.”
“I think we can make it work if we make the effort.”
“We hate each other.” You roll your eyes
He scoffs. “Speak for yourself, I don’t hate you, sweetheart, like, at all.”
You chuckle. “Don’t lie to yourself, you only wanted to get in my pants.” You joked
“Well yeah, but I don’t hate you.” He shrugged
“I don’t hate you either, you’re just.. very annoying.” You said
“You are too.”
You roll your eyes. “Right.”
“In all seriousness,” he started saying “I think we should give it a try.” He looked into your eyes “And you know, we would also be getting out of this life and finally getting a normal one.”
“That does sound nice.” You nodded
“It’s up to you, babe.” He said
You could see in his eyes that he was dead serious about this. He wanted this. He wanted to give it a try with you.
And after a few seconds of thinking, you finally responded.
“Let’s do it then.” You said and he smiled “But we’re not getting married.”
“I’m fine with that.” He said with a shrug which made you smile
Tumblr media
main masterlist
A/n: I think I can make this into a small series, should I? 👀
Likes, comments and reblogs will be appreciated! <3
divider creds @hyuneskkami
56 notes · View notes
Nicole Reads A Lot of Fanfiction (and she's gonna share it with you): Week 8
Weeks [1] [2] [3] [4/5/6] [7]
Hello this weeks fic reading brought to you by the fact that I haven't "worked" since 2/18. Anyway.. if you notice a sudden trend in the Sterek fics I'm not sure what to say. I tripped into the "Firefighter Derek Hale" tag and haven't seen the light of day since oops.
Buddie: 14 Sterek: 15
Tumblr media
that timelines chat by disasterbuck, Veronae | @disasterbuck | @veronae-buddie (2025•T•32.6K)
On a seemingly ordinary night in 2022, Buck receives a text from what he assumes is a wrong number and goes along with it for lack of anything better to do. But it quickly becomes evident that nothing about this night is ordinary, as he finds himself texting an Eddie Diaz five years in the past, before he's moved to LA and joined the 118. What happens during the next twenty-four hours will change Buck's and Eddie's lives forever. Eddie: like I said, I just wanted to update my phone Eddie: maybe I did something to it 👀 Buck: of course YOU would try to update your phone and end up texting the future 🤣 Eddie: hey! Buck: technology really doesn’t like you, does it? Buck: 😇
Was I even on your way? by rangerdanger (mxgicxltrxgedy) | @call-me-medusa (2025•M•3K)
A soft knock starts on the door. “Buck?” It’s Eddie. Of course it’s Eddie. “Are you feeling okay?” Buck feels like he’s going to throw up. “No." “Can I come in?” Buck closes his eyes. He tries to take another deep breath, trying to remind himself he’s in Eddie’s bathroom, in Eddie’s house, probably the safest place he’s ever been in L.A, and that he’s not in an office trying to talk about a kid’s death. He scoots closer to the toilet, resting his back on the edge of the tub, “Yeah.” - Or, Buck gets reminded of something that happened he'd rather forget.
come ride on me (i mean camaraderie) by heygirltimeformorning | @heygirltimeformorning (2025•E•4.5K)
“Eddie, this isn’t -- casual for me,” Buck says finally, like he’s cutting the wires to a bomb. “I can’t -- I don’t do casual anymore.” He looks up at Eddie, open and bleeding, totally disarmed. He’s the most beautiful thing Eddie’s ever seen. Buck takes a breath, looks down, shakes his head. “I mean,” he says, “I can’t do casual with you.” “Who,” Eddie asks, very quietly, “said anything about casual?”
Cheeseburger in Paradise by Bookworm0303 | @insertlovelyperson (2025•E•20.2K)
“Swingers,” Buck gasped, eyes wide and mouth agape, “Eddie, they’re swingers.” Immediately, Eddie blanked, fork clattering against his dish as he ran through every possible way he could try to deny it. More or less recovered, he eventually shook his head and laughed, “What? No. No, they’re not.” “Yes,” the other gritted out, frantically gesturing back at the two couples at the bar, “they are.” Turning in his seat, Eddie watched as the pair of husbands quite literally swapped wives, getting rather cozy with their new partner for the evening. And... ok, damn. Sure. Clearing his throat as he turned back around, he was willing to make a partial concession, “Ok. Fine. Maybe those four are, but—” That’s when Buck got to pointing: “And them. And them. And definitely them.” Each assessment more damning than the last. --- or Eddie plans a vacation for the first (and likely last) time in his life.
Second date update by kyote_ugly | @kyoteugly (2025•T•1.9K)
The story takes place between the 1st and 2nd seasons, different first meeting. Buck's friends convince him to go on a blind date to get over Abby, and Eddie, well, Eddie is training to be a firefighter - he's divorced, new in town, and of course his friend from the academy wants to help him navigate the LA dating scene. And you, my dear reader, you're sitting in traffic on your way to work, listening to the radio...
The Blondie Theory by facewithoutheart | @facewithoutheart (2025•T•5.7K)
Grace hates running into people from high school. But she always kind of wondered about Eddie Diaz. So when Eddie moves back to El Paso, Grace finally gets a chance to prove a theory, make a new friend, meet her long distance girlfriend, and end a ship war. AKA 5 times Grace Matthews runs into her former classmate, Eddie Diaz, and 1 time she runs into one of those two nurses, Evan Buckley.
do you believe in magic? by Tizniz | @tizniz (2025•GA•5.6K)
Buck’s magic has been infatuated with Eddie since the moment Buck laid eyes on the man. It didn’t matter that Buck himself had less than pleasant feelings towards Eddie, his magic decided that Eddie was the love of its life and it was going to do anything it could to be near him. This went against Buck’s own feelings because of the whole not liking Eddie for exactly two days and also because Buck has always been told to keep his magic a secret.
reeling with the feeling by dykeries | @buddiesbian (2025•E•3.7K)
“We are not calling 911.” Eddie groans into Buck’s shoulder. “I don’t want to either. But I think we have to.” Buck shakes his head and then regrets it. He’s like, eighty percent sure there’s a bleeding cut on the back of his head and he’s gotten blood on the shower tile. “We’ll figure something else out.” “Like what?” Eddie tries to shift his weight off Buck again and immediately flops back down. “Ugh.” “I don’t know. Dying here. We had a pretty good run.” “They’ll put it on our tombstone,” Eddie says mournfully. “Here lie Buck and Eddie: too old for shower sex.” “Aw, babe,” Buck says, oddly touched. “You’d want a joint tombstone?”
No one can ever know about this. Except for Hen.
Eddie and the bee-tee-dubs by telldebatz | @singitforthegirls (2025•GA•1.6K)
Eddie didn't expect this once he got back from Texas with Chris, but somehow, he's not that surprised either. Buck acquires a cat in Eddie's absence, which is fine, but it shares Eddie's name, and that might become a problem. (It's a short, cute fic about Buddie and a cat. Enjoy.)
Inside Keeps Building by Minalover | @minalover (2024•E•34.4K)
"“My luggage got delayed coming in from Phoenix but it should be in tomorrow.” Eddie is, of course, not fine. He hasn’t been fine since he left for El Paso yesterday. He suspects he wasn’t fine long before that, but he was able to keep it beaten back with a stick. Not so much anymore. “That sucks.” They’ve been different since Eddie made the decision to move to El Paso a few weeks back. He could have sworn Buck was okay. He was okay in the kitchen that day, when he flipped the iPad over and unearthed Eddie’s tender familial burns. He was okay on the couch, the couch Eddie had to leave behind, the couch he mourns for reasons too complicated to think about. He was okay on the virtual call with the real estate agent. He was okay. They were okay. “Yeah, it really does. All of my underwear was in that luggage.” They don’t feel okay." or: Eddie follows Christopher to El Paso or or: the sexting fic I promised myself
i wanna feel you from the inside by shortndiaz (2025•E•4.2K)
Starts with ‘wanna go for the title?’ and ends in some blood and sex
Feeding by pickdotter (2025•E•2.4K)
Everything needs sustenance; matter, weaving into movement. Hunger is a passion for life. Eddie hungers, while Buck’s pulse thumps with it, blood. *** Vampire!Eddie shows up at Buck's front door.
forever is the sweetest con by becausebuckley | @becausebuckley (2025•E•37.9K)
“Buck,” Eddie says, a small smile curving at the edge of his mouth, “wanna get married? For our honeymoon, we’ll scam your parents out of some money and make Ravi’s accountant do our taxes.” “Well,” Buck says drily, “that sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.” “I’m sorry,” Eddie says, in his very best – meaning very bad – impression of Buck when he gets his hands on a clipboard. “What was that?” “Yes, Eddie,” Buck says, putting on an air of suffering despite the butterflies making themselves at home in his stomach. Man, whoever Eddie ends up proposing to for realsies is gonna be so lucky. “I’ll marry you.” or: buck is invited to a family reunion and realises that there's a good chunk of money waiting for him. there’s one issue, though: he has to be married to claim it, and right now, he’s painfully single. it’s a good thing he has such a great best friend in eddie, right?
H-E-A-T-A/B/O: A Buddie Anthology by Bucksbelly (drarryweasley) | @bucksbelly [WIP] (2025•E•41.2K)
An anthology of Buddie one-shots based in omegaverse settings. These stories are NOT connected; they each have slightly different lore and can be read in any order!Brought to you by I wanted to write my favorite trope but couldn't decide how to do it so I wrote a bunch of them
I don't want the world, but I'll take this city (2025•E•9.5K)
"Let. Him. Go." Eddie demands, deathly still so he doesn't pounce. "Why? Because he smells like yours?" The second prisoner taunts. "I bet you haven't even told him yet." "Told me what?" Buck snaps, slightly breathless. At least he's not choking. "Come on, Dom, stop fucking around," Mitchell agrees, rolling his eyes at the display. "We're on the clock, here." But Dom hasn't taken his gaze off of Eddie, and vice versa. His smirk grows. "You'll thank me for this one day," he says, and before anyone can move, he sinks his teeth into Buck's neck.
Tumblr media
Thank You by JoMouse | @josjournal (2019•T•12.3K)
Stiles is a firefighter with BHFD Ladder 30. He hates the new guy...until he doesn't. For Sterek Week 2019 Scene Stealers - basically Sterek as Buddie from 9-1-1.
Anchoring by rororowyourboat | @rosieposiepuddingnpie (2025•T•3.1K)
Stiles is Derek's anchor, but Derek deserves so much more than one person as an anchor. Stiles decides to help Derek find joy in life again.
Champagne Problems by fairytalesandfolklore | @fairytales-and-folklore (2021•T•1.7K)
Stiles has got champagne problems. No, really. He's had way too many mimosas. A game of tipsy truth or dare at a New Year's Eve pack party ends with Stiles accidentally blurting out that he's in love with Derek…right in front of the sourwolf himself.
"Alright, fine," Erica simpers. "I dare you to tell us who you've got a crush on." "Because we all know there's someone," Lydia insists, giving him a pointed look. "Someone you've clearly been pining after for years now," Danny agrees. "So just come clean, Stilinski. Tell us who it is." Stiles, who is absolutely smashed off his ass at this point in the game, rolls his eyes so hard he sees stars. "Nice try, assholes," he teases with a sing-song lilt and a self-satisfied smile. "But there's no way in hell I'm ever gonna tell you I'm in love with Derek, so you can just—" Somewhere in the distance, a champagne flute shatters, and suddenly, Derek is just there, looming in the distance, eyebrows arched so high they practically straddle his hairline.
nonchalant about your own mortality by honestlydarkprincess | @honestlydarkprincess (2025•T•1.1K)
Derek gets hurt after sacrificing himself for the pack yet again and Stiles is angry about it.
He's Not Mine by Sunnee (2013•E•68.5K)
Derek comes home to find an abandoned werebaby on his front porch and Stiles volunteers to help him out. Surprisingly, that is just the beginning of his problems.
Stuck on Repeat by pyrrhical (anoyo) | @approximatelytrue (2017•M•77.2K)
Twelve years after leaving Beacon Hills, and everything it represented, Stiles is a well-respected analyst at the CIA. Unfortunately, life likes its irony, and Stiles finds his pretty fabulous CIA career turned on its side when an asset-turned-mark turns out to be a little less than human.
can't be trusted to treasure your heart like i do by honestlydarkprincess | @honestlydarkprincess (2025•T•1.3K)
Derek chases after Stiles and they make up.
Safe by Hedwig221b | @hedwig221b (2023•NR•976)
“Where is he?” Stiles rumbled, glancing at each member of the pack in front of him, before settling his incinerating gaze on one person he once considered a brother. “Tell me, Scott, where is my husband?”
The Faded Line by GrimReaperlover11 (2022•T•31K)
Stiles sometimes hated being an omega, always being treated like the low man on the totem pole. His ideology is only proven to be correct one night on his way home from a night out with Scott when an alpha tries to take advantage of him. however before he can be defiled, he finds a savior in another alpha, one that has his omega howling with want. when his hero takes him home and cares for him, Stiles doesn't want him to leave. Maybe he won't.
The Outstation by CabbageOriley (2020•GA•23K)
Stiles is the newest hire at the Beacon Hills Fire Department. What will happen when he gets stationed at the outstation referred to as the Hale Hole? He's going to die, that's what. He's going to die and… fall in love?
this loving could save me by hot_damn_louis | @bisexualagenda (2020•NR•16.9K)
“Someone put shaving cream in my helmet again,” Derek growled, his arms tense. “And who could that be?” Stiles asked, feigning innocence. He elbowed Derek playfully as he half jogged over to the rig, hopping into the passenger seat. aka Stiles and Derek have been working in the same firehouse for a while, and they might be a little more obvious about their feelings than they think.
Emergency Love by Kedreeva | @kedreeva (2012•E•13.5K)
Wherein Derek is a firefighter and Stiles is a paramedic, and they just keep meeting.
stop, drop, and roll by thepsychicclam | @thepsychicclam (2014•M•12.2K)
Stiles knows he's in trouble when he invites the Beacon Hills Fire Department into his third grade classroom and he can't stop staring at a certain scruffy fireman. But after the third graders take a field trip to the fire station and participate in the fire department's holiday canned food drive, Stiles can't ignore his crush any longer.
a glimpse of you and me by Winchesterek | @sterekbros (2023•E•12.1K)
“You write about soulmates?” Derek asked, sounding curious as he leaned in. “I didn't know there was a market for children’s books about that.” “Yeah, it’s starting to pick up traction the last few years. I know there weren't many books like this when I was a kid, but maybe things would’ve been different if there had been.” Stiles shrugged. Then he paused, wetting his lips as he tried to control his breathing. “Do…you believe in soulmates?”
A drag queen and a cop walk into an apartment building... by DropsOfAddiction (2020•E•16.4K)
Stiles tries not to whimper as Derek gets closer. Stiles had forgotten just how intense space invader Derek could be. If Derek was boner inducing when Stiles knew him before, equal parts terrifying and sexy, back at the age of twenty four, well... it’s not a patch on what thirty year old Derek’s got going for him. Derek’s still got a stupid leather jacket and his black hair is slightly longer than Stiles remembers. The stubble is longer too, not quite a beard but still neatly shaped in a way that makes his cheekbones stand out. And the eyes, shit, the eyes. He’s staring at Stiles with this stormy mix of grey, blue and about a thousand other colours thrown in and Stiles couldn’t break eye contact if he wanted to. Derek fucking Hale, ladies and gentlemen.
74 notes · View notes
marauders-brain-rot · 2 days ago
Note
Okay kay give me
4. Mind meld/telepathy/mind reading
7. Trappend in an elevator
12. Turned invisible
42. True loves kiss/brraking a curse
Or
60. Truth serum/spell
With Rosekiller
One of them, more then one or maybe mixed idk
Barty was absolutely losing his mind. He’d tried everything he could possibly think of, and yet Evan still wouldn’t make a move. He was one more disaster away from just accepting that Evan didn’t have any feelings for him whatsoever and cutting his losses entirely.
He’d tried getting them trapped in an elevator together, something that was impressive given that they were wizards and didn’t often use elevators. And yet, he’d managed to get them both on there and get the blasted thing to get stuck between floors, only for Evan to happen to know the perfect spell to get them out, the swot. A truth serum like Veritaserum was something he vetoed early on, not wanting to take Evan’s autonomy away from him. For that same reason, a mind-reading spell like Legilimency was also out of the question.
That all brought him to now, where he was trying his last desperate attempt and then never going to think about it again. He’d managed to find a potion that would put him into a sleep he couldn’t be woken from without a kiss. It would wear off within a week if unbroken. In retrospect, he’d translated the spell from German, and he decidedly did not know German. He’d had to use a dictionary to translate the text, and it had been an old text, so he couldn’t even be certain that his translation meant exactly what he’d thought.
All in all, this plan was definitely not one of his brightest, but he was desperate at this point and not above turning himself invisible if it all went horribly wrong. He’d been lying there for an hour already, aware of his surroundings and conscious in everything but appearance, and he knew that any minute Evan would walk into the room and find him there.
Almost as if on cue, Barty heard footsteps coming into the room and stopping short. He’d know the way Evan walked even if he were actually asleep; his very presence in the room lit his skin on fire as it always had. If Evan didn’t feel the way he felt, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take feeling like this every time he was near.
“Bee? You okay?” Evan asked cautiously, stepping closer. Barty had laid himself out intentionally, in a way he never would lay normally, almost like he were set for a funeral. “Bee, wake up.”
Evan shook his shoulder, called out to him a few more times, and then contemplated for a few moments in silence. “If you don’t get up, I’m going to slap you.”
Barty didn’t move.
“I mean it, Bee.”
Barty couldn’t move.
“Alright then, I’m gonna do it.”
Evan slapped him.
If he could’ve, he would’ve jumped out of bed with a scream. That slap had, in fact, hurt. As it stood though, he was forced to remain motionless. He knew Evan could see him breathing, so he’d at least know he was alive. But, well, he hadn’t really thought about how Evan would think to kiss him.
He could hear as Evan moved around, looked for anything that might give reason for this. Barty could hear when he picked up the vial the potion had been in, which had been sitting atop the book with the potion itself inside. He listened as Evan picked it up and flipped it open to the bookmarked page. After a second, he scoffed.
“You don’t even know German,” he could hear the amusement in his voice and knew that if he could just open his eyes, he’d see Evan’s lopsided smile. “Mom absolutely insisted on me learning it as a child; did you know I’m still fluent?”
Barty had not, in fact, known that Evan was fluent in German and was kicking himself internally for that oversight. There was absolutely nothing he could do about it now though, not when he was locked inside himself as Evan read through the page and saw what Barty had planned.
“Oh, well, isn’t that just pathetic?” Evan’s tone was soft with a hint of condescension. He sat down on the bed next to him. Barty ached to reach out and touch him. The need increased tenfold when Evan leaned down next to his ear, so close he could feel his breath.
“Did you even translate this properly, Bee? Do you even know what you’re asking for?” The way the words were softly whispered in his ear would’ve made him shiver if he could actually move. Instead, it built up within him, making him absolutely ache.
Everything around him felt heightened. He was acutely aware of every movement Evan made next to him as he sat up. He felt the other boy’s eyes roaming over his face before his hand came up to cup his face. Barty was absolutely certain that he would burst into flames if Evan kept touching him like that, and Merlin if Evan didn’t kiss him, he wasn’t sure how he could take an entire week of lying here in this room. Agonizingly slowly, Evan leaned forward until their lips were so close Barty could practically feel them against his own.
Another breath, and then their lips were finally connected.
His body came back to him slowly, and then all once, he’d been urging it on so hard that the moment his arms were free, he was pulling Evan in closer and deepening the kiss. It felt like hours and minutes all at once when Evan pulled away, leaning his forehead against Barty’s with labored breathing.
“Bee?” He asked softly and pulled away to look at him properly. “What exactly did you translate that to?”
“Oh, um, just that it would put me to sleep for a week unless someone kissed me,” he answered a little sheepishly. It transitioned to full-blown embarrassment when Evan started laughing at him. “Well, it worked, didn’t it!”
“It wasn’t just any kiss, Bee.” Evan’s tone was serious now, all laughter gone, though a smile was still on his face. “It had to be true love’s kiss.”
“Oh.” His brain felt like it had stopped working entirely. If true love’s kiss had to break the potion, then… “Rosie?”
“Yes, Bee?”
“Does that mean…?” He couldn’t get the words out. Sure, he’d known he loved Evan, wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. That didn’t mean Evan felt the same, though, didn’t mean that’s what would actually happen. Evan nodded slowly. “How did you know it would work?”
“I didn’t.” And somehow, that was better than if he had.
35 notes · View notes