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twilightkitkat · 6 months ago

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Thinking about how Logan is more open about his emotions than Wade despite what people perceive, and how Wade slowly learns to open up and confront his own emotions because of Logan.

Prompted by this amazing thread. Shoutout to @ramblingautisticman and @desperatelyneedcoffee for inspiring me to write this.

---

Most people expect Logan to be the more closed-off one. To hide his emotions behind a mask and keep them to himself.

But that's Wade's role.

Logan is honest about his emotions—when he's angry, he'll growl and thrash and let people know. When he's happy, he'll bark out a laugh and grin and let his eyes wrinkle at the edges. When he's sad, he'll cry and scream and drown himself in alcohol.

He may not be phased by smaller things, but he's honest about his feelings. (Something Wade could never do.)

Wade, on the other hand, isn't. He exaggerates trivial feelings, obvious situational ones—he'll cower in fear at a "scary enemy or pretend to be pissed over a minor inconvenience. He makes his outward, shallow emotions so loud that it turns everyone's attention away from what he's feeling inside.

(Because if people know how he feels inside, they'll see him and hate him. It's easier to be hated when you can chalk it up to "understandable" reasons, to being annoying or loud or inappropriate. It isn't easy when they hate you. When they look at you, bare and vulnerable and open, and hate who you are at your core.)

Wade has spent his entire life hiding his emotions. Even from himself.

He shoves them so deep down that they become a slightly bitter taste in the back of his throat until it all becomes too much and he violently throws them up.

Wade is like a glass bottle: he can steadily hold all his emotions inside, pretending to be OK, until the glass shatters and explodes and the shards dig everywhere and he's left to pick up the pieces.

But Logan isn't like that. He lets himself feel. He lets others see how he feels.

Even from the first moment they met, he let Wade know how he felt. How he fucked everything up. How he wasn't the hero he was looking for. How he was battling with so much grief and rage that he'd reached a point of complete apathy.

(It made Wade envious. To be able to just say it and move on.)

Logan was the first person Wade met to be so blatantly honest. To wear his emotions on his sleeve and act on them and still be strong and keep fighting.

(...Could he still be considered strong, if he did the same?)

When Wade was vulnerable, it felt like he was choking—the words tumbling out without his permission and leaving a mess behind. Even with the people he loved, he couldn't ever bring himself to fully trust them even if he knew he should. Even if he wanted to. (Even if he tried to.)

(He still remembers sitting across the kitchen table from Vanessa. She held his hand tightly, as if she was afraid he would slip away. Was slipping away. She was urging him to let her in. To tell her why he hadn't been himself. To open up so they could share the burden.

But he just... couldn't. How do you tell someone who loves you, who you turned back time to save that nothing was helping? That no matter how hard he tried to focus on Vanessa and just live a "normal" life that it all felt wrong? That he felt an itch under his skin to do more more more and nothing was "more" enough.

That he felt like he was just wearing his skin. Like it wasn't his, not since Francis twisted him into a monster he didn't want to become. That he still remembered her look of surprise and the reluctant way she cradled his face when she first saw it.

It wasn't her fault. He knew that. It was an adjustment.

...But why didn't anyone understand? The gnawing loneliness, the self-hatred, the feeling of everything being nothing and too much all at once.

He hated himself.)

But Logan let his emotions course through his veins like second nature. Wade watched as emotions twisted across his face like it was a form of art.

And, for the first time, he felt comfortable opening up. He let the words spill from his mouth, except instead of feeling the trail of acid burning through his throat it felt like relief. He finally met someone who understood him, who had gone through the same suffering. He saw his loneliness reflected in Logan's eyes and finally, finally, felt he could reach out without dragging someone down. (They were both already at rock bottom, anyway. The only place to go from here was up.)

And so he told Logan about Vanessa. About the family he wanted to save. About how, yes, he vaguely cared about the world, but none of this was to save the world. (It was for just nine people.)

And Logan... didn't judge him. He saw understanding—a tired, but real kind—reflected in his eyes. He didn't make fun of him for his selfish motivations. Didn't snarl in disgust that he could never be a hero because of them. (He saw him and didn't recoil.)

And there, sitting across the table from each other in that shitty building they'd escaped to, Wade finally felt seen. Understood. (Ironic, isn't it? To have to go to the void to open up about the void inside of himself. Wade would write a poem about it if he knew how to.)

He felt that same kinship as they continued their journey. Even through the insults, the exasperation, the annoyance, Wade could tell none of it was serious. Because Logan never really told him to fuck off. To stop.

If Logan didn't like him being touchy, he'd shove him off. (He didn't.) If Logan didn't like him asking questions and rambling about himself, he'd actually try to get him to shut up instead of just grumbling. (He didn't.) If Logan really didn't want to be here, he'd leave. (He didn't.)

Logan's visceral type of emotional honesty allowed Wade to let himself be vulnerable. Because if Logan hated him, he wouldn't be here. If Logan didn't want to hear it, he wouldn't tilt his head and listen and ask questions.

(It made Wade feel safe to express himself for the first time since he'd been strapped to that shitty operation table and torn apart until all that remained was a body not quite his own.)

Things were going good.

They were.

(Wade desperately hoped they'd stay that way.)

But then Logan pulled over the car, real and raw fury in his eyes. He yelled at Wade, his voice trembling with the intensity of it.

He picked apart everything Wade had told him. Threw it back in his face.

And oh. Oh.

Logan was honest. He was true to himself and his emotions.

And so, Wade thought quietly as the tired continued, he really meant it. It felt worse than when Logan had stabbed him.

(It felt like he was back on that operating table, small and weak and pathetic but still trying to keep smiling. To keep cracking jokes and being annoyed. Because, if he didn't, he'd break. If he didn't keep the shards of his personality clutched so tightly to his chest that they dug into his hands, nothing would be left of him.)

Logan dissected him. Using everything Wade told him. (Using the ammunition he'd provided.)

(Was Logan really looking at him with understanding, back then? Or was it disgust? The images blurred together in Wade's mind, distorting his memory.)

Told him how he was worthless. That the Avengers and X-men were right to reject him. (Ouch.) That it was his fault he couldn't salvage his relationship with Vanessa. (He'd tried. He'd tried so hard.)

That Logan saw him for what he was: a pathetic, attention-seeking parasite who clung to others instead of facing his own problems.

It really was God's greatest joke that he couldn't die.

Wade spiraled.

(Was he wrong this whole time? Did Logan really, truly hate him? He had to, if he's looking at Wade like that.)

If even Logan (the only person who could begin to understand his suffering) couldn't accept him, who could?

He felt like the ground was crumbling underneath him and he was falling and floating at the same time. He felt like he was an observer, looking in on the outside, even as his emotions crashed over him like a tsunami.

But he couldn't let himself break down. Wouldn't let himself be vulnerable. Not here. Not now.

So, he slid the mask back on and responded in the only way he knew how to.

"I'm going to fight you now."

(Even when they'd collapsed, bloody and weak and exhausted, the words kept ringing in his head. They'd let out their physical frustrations, maybe, but the words still clung to him like a blanket. There was still a sinking feeling in his gut. Dread twisting his stomach at the thought of being open.)

(The feeling never really went away.)

---

They started living together, in the aftermath.

Wade had called after Logan as he was about to leave and awkwardly asked him if he'd like to come home with him. Just long enough to find a place to stay, or even just for dinner.

(Logan couldn't refuse. Not with the sense of wrongness filling him as the distance between him and Wade grew with each step. When he heard Wade's voice, it felt like hope. It felt like coming home.)

One night turned into two, turned into a week, turned into a month until Logan had his own side of the dresser and nobody bothered to ask if he was leaving. (Thinking of leaving made Logan vaguely nauseous, now. It felt like ripping away the foundation of the home he'd painstakingly started to build here.)

Logan still had baggage. Still had days where all he wanted to do was grab a beer and stare blankly at the wall, thinking of all he'd done and all he'd lost.

But it was easier. Wade would walk into the living room, plop down next to him, and begin talking his ear off about whatever happened that day. He'd sling an arm around his shoulder, flip on the TV, and keep talking.

(Logan would lean against him, slightly. Would focus on Wade until his warmth and touch and voice drowned out his thoughts.)

(It worked better than alcohol ever had.)

Logan tried to let Wade know that he cared about him. That he appreciated it. Appreciated him.

(That Wade's presence was what made everything worth it. Made him finally feel like he was able to tread water without drowning.)

He'd cook Wade meals. (And pay attention to what he liked and disliked, making sure to cook things he knew Wade would comfortably eat.) He'd lean into his touch. Listen when he talked. Answer any questions he asked.

And so, when Logan came out from the shower one night and saw Wade curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the black screen of the TV, he approached him.

Wade had a vacant, empty look in his eyes. The kind that Logan recognized, but hadn't seen on him before.

It made him worried. He'd never seen Wade like this. (It was unsettling. To see Wade, who was so vibrant and expressive, look so bleak.)

"Is something bothering you, bub?" he asked, settling down next to Wade on the couch.

Wade finally seemed to register his presence, eyes flicking over to where he sat.

"Oh, peanut! I was wondering when you'd get out of the shower. Was it nice and steamy? I'd love to join you next time," Wade wriggled his eyebrows (or what was left of them) suggestively.

It was like a switch had flipped. Wade went from blank, like a doll with its strings cut, to animated and excited in a second. His eyes were sparkling again and he grinned at Logan like nothing was wrong.

(It was... uncomfortable. Did Wade not trust him? Was Wade hiding something from him?)

Logan wanted to question him, but Wade kept chattering and he could never really get a word in edgewise. (A part of him wondered if it was intentional.)

Maybe he was seeing things. Maybe Wade was just having a bad day. Logan tried to rationalize it, even as a pit formed in his stomach. A feeling of deep wrongness.

Except it kept happening.

Wade would get that same, desolate look in his eyes (always when he was alone, away from everyone) and Logan would walk in on him. Logan would try to see if something was wrong, but Wade would interject before he could.

(Logan knew his expression was concerned. Knew Wade could tell he was worried, that he cared about him. So why didn't Wade let him in?)

(Wade always listened, patiently, when Logan talked about his problems. It was one of the few times he'd go quiet, only occasionally asking questions and making extra commentary. He'd look at him with a grim understanding. Not pity, not sympathy, but empathy. Free of judgment. It was the first time Logan felt like his emotions were actually being received by someone, cradled and held and protected so that they didn't burn him out.)

Until, finally, one day, Logan snapped.

"What the fuck is up with you?" he snarled, and that didn't come out the way he intended but he was so frustrated by Wade refusing to just let him in.

"What do you mean, Wolvie? I'm—"

"Shut up. You're not fine. I've been alive for two hundred fucking years, I know by now when someone's lying, Wade," Logan interrupted before he could continue his usual antics.

"Look, I'm just having a bad day, alright? You know how it is. I'll be up and running after I take a nap, don't worry about little old me!" Wade's voice took on a faux-cheerful tone.

"This isn't just a bad day, bub. It's been happening a lot. You get this look in your eye, like you're not really there, and just stare at the wall." Logan stared at Wade with concern evident on his face. "It's worrying."

Wade snorts. "You don't have to worry about me of all people."

Logan furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean? 'You of all people?' Of course, I'd be worried about you, dumbass. I care about you and if you're hurting, I want to know why."

And Logan was so painfully honest. It was so clear in his eyes, in his expression, in his body language that he cared about Wade. Deeply.

It made Wade snap.

"Just shut up! Stop fucking talking. I don't want to hear it." Wade wished he had hair right now so he could fucking tear it out. He'd take any kind of physical pain just to distract himself from Logan, worried and open and trying to pry him open.

"Wade, what are you—you know you can tell him about anything, right?" Logan tried to regulate his breathing, to keep his tone calm. To not show the panic he was feeling. (It was obvious anyway.)

"What, so you can throw that back at me, too?"

What? What was Wade—

"So you can tell me I'm a fucking joke? That every superhero team was right to turn me down? That I couldn't even manage to keep a relationship with a stripper?"

Oh. Oh fuck. That was—

"That I should just fucking kill myself, but of course, it's God's best joke that I can't die, so now my pathetic existence is on you?"

He couldn't possibly think Logan meant that, right? Couldn't have been thinking about that this whole time—

"I don't want to burden your royal highness with my stupid problems," Wade practically snarled, "so stay the fuck out of it."

He slammed the door and left.

And Logan was left alone.

Logan wanted to run after him, to grab him and tell him that he didn't mean it. He was pissed off and spewing whatever came to his mind in the moment to hurt Wade. (And he'd achieved that goal, hadn't he?) He felt betrayed and responded in the only way he knew—by lashing out. (But that wasn't an excuse, not really. Not to take everything Wade had trusted him with and twist it. To betray his trust in such a personal, visceral way.)

(Logan knew that Wade meant well. That he was just scrambling to save his world and thought of the only solution that would get Logan to help. That when he made an "educated wish" he'd still try to see it out, had still asked the TVA after everything. But he was so fucking angry and so fucking tired and just wanted any excuse to lay down and die.)

Did Logan really have the right to, though?

Wade had listened to him. Helped him. Even after what Logan had said and done, he'd still cared. (And wasn't that a sobering thought. That this whole time, Wade thought that was Logan's opinion of him. That he still cared about Logan despite having his voice ringing in his ears, tormenting him.)

(It made Logan angry to think that Wade was used to it. To setting aside how people treated him and not expecting anything in return for his kindness. To loving and giving without receiving. It made him want to murder the people who set the bar so low. It made him want to rip out his own tongue.)

(It made him realize, yet again, that Wade was a better man than he'd ever be.)

...And Logan had fucked up. Immensely.

Had given Wade hope that he could finally open up to someone who came from a similar background and understood his suffering. All to tear it away in one glorious, horrible, mistake.

Logan had no right to fix things. To ask for forgiveness. (From Wade. From anyone.)

But what was the alternative? Letting Wade think he hated him? Leaving?

Logan would rather die than go back to living completely isolated from the world. He couldn't go back to waking up every day and drowning his sorrows with alcohol. Letting memories flash behind his eyes as he replayed everything he fucked up and obsessed over what he could've done differently.

(Because, without Wade, he would still be there. At rock bottom. Without a place to belong or any reason to get up in the morning. A samurai without a master. A drifter without purpose. A stray without a home.)

The thought of leaving behind the only thing he cared about anymore made him panic. He felt nauseous, like he wanted to throw up yesterday's dinner and his own heart alongside it.

He knew it was selfish and pathetic, but he couldn't let go. Couldn't handle losing the only thing that made living worth it, after everything.

(Of course, when he finally found someone who was like him, who felt the same loneliness, who couldn't die, he had to go and fuck up. What is Logan good for if not ruining anything good in his life?)

Logan knew he was selfish. And pathetic. And stupid.

(He felt his mouth move around the words. Spit venom at Wade, who was completely, utterly silent. He heard them, vaguely, but they didn't register. He was running on pure rage and adrenaline.)

(Why did he take until now to notice?)

He knew that.

But he didn't think it was this bad. That he'd end up ruining the only good thing to come out of his miserable existence.

He thought, at least, that even if he'd fucked up everything else, he could be good with Wade. Could be good for Wade. It was the one thing he prided himself on.

And now look at him.

Instead of Wade, it's Logan who was God's best joke.

Fuck, he wanted a beer.

#deadclaws #deadpool 3 #deadpool and wolverine #deadpool movie #poolverine #kitkat #logan howlett #wade wilson #wade x logan #wade/logan #poolverine angst #LMAOOOO I HOPE YALL ENJOY #MAYBE ILL BE NICE AND MAKE A SEQUEL WHERE THEY TALK IT OUT #RIP POOLVERINE 2024 YOU WILL BE MISSED

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xetlynn · 23 days ago

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Scars and Faint Memories

Vanessa Palmer x fem! reader!

chapter one-> chapter two

••• in which [name] [last name]’s team has just won their last game meaning they’re heading to nationals! But unfortunately there’s a teammate who is slacking due to being a freshman and lacking experience. And there’s talk of freezing her out. And not even moments later a freak accident happens where her bone is now sticking out of her leg leading to arguments and tension within the team before their flight to nationals.

warnings: underaged drug and alcohol use. Things that happen in yellowjackets.

2021

The clock was ticking irritatingly slow, the sun shining brightly through the window and to you it was as if it were to purposely agitate you while you typed away on your computer. Attempting to finish the project your boss had asked of you last minute… as usual.

You felt your knuckles tense as you grew more and more annoyed with today. It was going by incredibly long and excruciating, your eyes sauntering down to the little corner of your screen, only a minute has passed since you last checked it. “[Name],” a voice speaks from behind you, startling you out of your daze. “Yes?” You spun around, trying to force a smile upon your lips but it was no use. It just looked like you were constipated.

“Break time.” It was your boss's secretary, the very same lady having an affair with him behind his wife’s back. Your typical story of a unleashed married man being in power. You walked in on them once and was given a raise along with additional paid time off to keep your mouth shut. “It’s only 10:30.” You respond dryly, you usually take your break around 11:15. This was taking you off schedule and you didn’t like it.

“Mr. Isik needs you around your usual break time. Sorry.” She apologetically bows her head, her eyes averting yours as normal ever since you saw her bare body on display on your bosses desk. “Mm, okay.” You sigh deeply, standing up from your spot. Grabbing your tote bag before heading into the employee break room. A few typical stares came your way by the same people everyday. You worked with them, you have been for years and still they can’t leave you be.

You sit down at one of the many tables, making sure it’s against the wall and you can be alone. You get out your earbuds, putting them in to play music. Drowning out the noise of your fellow coworkers that indulge in their own food.

Pulling out a sandwich out of your lunchbox, you lean back against the chair as you take that first bite. Finally not having to be right against a screen. Closing your eyes to get the peace they needed.

The peace wasn’t satisfyingly long enough though, it was time to get back to work. Time to go back to typing away. Sucking in a breath through your teeth, you fling your bag over your shoulder and head back to your cubicle. You’re stopped before you can even reach it though, your boss standing in front of you with a nervous smile. “Heyy, [Last Name]!” He booms, only earning an awkward stance back from you, your face straight and bored.

“Yes, Isik?” You roll your eyes, leaning on your right leg. “I need you in my office for a little, okay?” He says in a more inquisitive tone, which makes you raise a brow. “Uh, sure.” You follow him to his office, he opens the door to show a woman standing there with a pad of paper and a pen. “What is this?” You clutch onto your bag.

This was all too familiar the same confident expression on the person’s face, ready to question you over a traumatic event that happened to you as a child 25 years ago. “This is-”

“I’m Jessica Cruz…”

1996

Out on the field, you’re staying in the back with Lottie. Watching as midfielder, Taissa is expertly moving upfield with the ball.

Negotiating through the defenders on the other team. Kicking the ball in a perfectly-aimed pass to your captain, Jackie who connects and taps the ball just past the Goalie and into the net. It went quiet for only a second before your ears were rudely attacked by screams of your teammates.

Lottie jumps into the air, clinging onto you even through the sweat that covered the both of you. A rare genuine smile erupts on your face, holding her back. You glance back to your goalie who runs and jumps the two of you.

“C’mon let's join them!” She screams, gripping the both of you and the three of you run to the crowd excitedly. Your Gold and Blue team high five, hug and cheer as you guys have just qualified for the U.S. Girls’ National Championship!

You scan the group of girls for your best friend, once your eyes spot her she has already done the same, jogging up to you. Taking your hands and the two of you jump up and down. “We did it!” She laughs ecstatically and you nod your head grinning. “I can’t believe it!” You breathe out. Your chest was tight with the joy you felt.

The two of you walk with one another, linked by each other’s arms down the field. You were searching around the crowd on the bleachers for your family. Hoping that for once your mom was sitting there with your younger siblings. Natalie knew the drill, her steps slower so that you can scan the area.

Unfortunately only seeing your little brother and sister cheering for you alone. Your mother behind the gate taking a phone call from her newest personal phone she bought instead of getting you the new cleats you begged for.

You’re 18 though so… you obviously ended up working for it yourself.

“Can you grab my stuff for me?” You quietly mutter out, the bleach blond nodding her head. Squeezing your wrist twice before jogging off to the locker room.

You head over to your siblings with a forced smile, opening your arms. “Hi my little ones!” You beam, they reach over to grip you into a sticky hug. Their small arms embracing you. “You were so cool out there, [Name]!” Theo, your 9 year old brother exclaims with a bright look in his eyes.

You chuckle. “One day I’ll show you to be just as cool.” You ruffle his hair. “Me too, right?” Tilly, she’s 6 with her front two teeth missing. Just as cute as your brother. You scrunch your nose. “I thought you didn’t want to play soccer?”

“Oh… Well you can still teach me to be cool too.” She sasses causing you to laugh, not noticing the girl who was walking up behind you. Your siblings did though, the redhead put her finger up to her lips.

Motioning for the young ones to not give her away. Theo gave a small nod and Tilly tried hard not to give it away with her little giggles as you continued to talk to them about their chores they had to do tonight.

“If we get them done, you guys can help me with something fu-”

“Boo!” A hand slams down on your shoulder, your body jolts, along with a small high-pitched noise leaving your mouth. “Holy shit- Van?” You hold your chest as Theo and Tilly burst into laughter, feeding the girl’s ego in front of you. “Sorry, it was just too good not to.” She apologizes, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Right, whatever.” You playfully roll your eyes.

“Is there something I can do for you?” You tilt your head to the side. It wasn’t meant to be rude by any means. You and Van just weren’t close. Of course being on the team together for four years, the two of you have had to spend a lot of time with one another but you kept to yourself unless absolutely necessary. Well, Natalie, your best friend was an exception.

“Oh uh, I was just coming over to say that aerial duel you got us was fucking sick.” She tells you truthfully and your face heats up. “That- that was nothing,” you nervously chuckled. “That second block you did was crazy, the dive you did- seriously I think that’s a huge reason we got ahead.” You stammered. This is why you kept to yourself. Your social anxiety controlled every aspect of your life when you talked to literally anyone.

“Pshh, I’m talking about you right now. You were seriously amazing, don’t downplay it.” Van gently hits your arm with her fist. “Right, thank you. I mean it though. It was really cool.” You nudge her back. Then the both of you awkwardly stand there, not knowing how to end the conversation. “Sissy, mom wants us to hurry. She has to get back to her computer.” Tilly tugs at your jersey, and silently you thank her.

Practically praise her for cutting this weird moment between you and your teammate. “Okay, tell her that Nat is getting my things from the locker room. I’ll be right there.” You tell the two who nod their heads and scurry off to your mother.

“Want to walk with me?” You hear beside you and you look to still see Vanessa standing there. You figured she would’ve ran off after Tilly interrupted you guys. “Oh… sure.” You shrug your shoulders.

The two of you walk side by side, quietly. Watching your teammates either entering the school building or talking with their family members as well. “They’re cute.” Van says and you hum. “Yeah, thank you.” You smile to yourself. You loved your siblings with your whole being. “I think I’m blanking on their names, I want to say the girl is Tilly?”

“Yeah, Tilly- Well, Matilda but you have to call her Tilly or she won’t respond. And Theodore or Theo, he doesn’t really care what you call him.” You inform her,opening the door to the school building, allowing her to go in first.

“Oh, how cute. Your names oddly fit so well.” She comments leaving you a little confused. “Is that a good thing?” You question, this time she’s opening the locker room door for you. “Yeah-”

Before she can continue though Natalie is shoving your duffle bag and backpack into your arms. “Sorry [Nickname] I got caught up in… something… oh hey Van?” She glances between the two of you and you smile softly. “It’s alright, she’s waiting for us. Let’s go.” You swing your backpack over your shoulders.

“Right,” Natalie huffs.

“Bye Van, thanks for walking with me. See you!”

“See ya, [Nickname].” She teases you to which your face turns warm just like before. But instead of saying anything you grab onto your best friend and hurry off. Not wanting to hear your mom lecture you for “taking your time.”

“I didn’t know you were friends with Vanessa Palmer?” Natalie snickers, poking your side to which you shove her away. “I didn’t think I was? She just came up to me after the game! She’s never done that before.” You explain, wiping the sweat from your forehead as you push through the metal and glass door.

“Hm, weird it’s almost the end of the season and school. And now she wants to be your friend?” Natalie raises a brow to which you shrug your shoulders. Arriving at your mother’s car and the two of you climb.

“Hey, sweetie. How was the game?” Your mom gruffs out, lighting a cigarette while beginning to drive. Your mood deflates a bit at her question. If she actually paid attention she would know how the game was. “We won.” You curtly answered while staring out the window.

“Oh congrats you two! That means Nationals next, huh?” She smacks a hand down on your thigh, excitedly shaking it. “Yup, I heard Lottie’s dad might be paying for everything.” You sigh out and Natalie agrees. “I heard the same thing.”

“I’m the only freshman who got asked, you know. And now it doesn’t even matter. It’s so unfair.” Allie pouts to which you roll your eyes at the younger girl's antics. You stand beside Taissa after she helped you paint a bee on your face for the pep rally. Shauna and Natalie share a small exchange of looks. “My dress was gonna be amazing.” Allie continues her idiotic complaint.

“At least you can wear it next year.” Van comments and you hum in agreement.

“You don’t get it Van, ‘cause nobody asked you.”

You scoff at her words. “What a weird thing to say.” You murmur, pushing past the group into the actual locker room. You made sure you were loud enough to be heard as well.

Van follows after you with a very subtle smile placed upon her lips. “It didn’t hurt my feelings, y’know.” Her voice speaks as you're tying your tennis shoe against the bench. “You’re better than me then. I would’ve brought up the fact that we’d most likely be perfectly fine without her even on the team anyways if the prom is that important.” You boredly look up to the redhead who snorts out a laugh.

“That’s a little harsh.” She sits beside you and you purse out your lips. “A little. But it’s the truth, is it not?” Your eyes meet with hers. You watch as she takes a deep breath as if she had just lost it. She nods her head.

“Now, our next act needs no introduction. So let’s all just make some noise for your New Jersey State Girls’ Soccer Champions!” Vice Principal Berzonsky announces you guys as Music Factory blares from the speakers. The crowd boredly cheers. Your team is jogging out on the court, you hear Misty cheering the loudest. The weird girl who became the equipment manager since she didn’t make the team.

It seemed to have made the other students build in their own applause with the wooden bleachers beginning to rumble.

You stand between Lottie and Natalie, feeling a sense of pride and appreciation. It was like a wave of adrenaline has hit you. Hard. A feeling that doesn’t come around much to you. A feeling you soak up with your fellow teammates. Turning your head to look at the girls who have been with you through it all.

2021

“I’m Jessica Cruz, it’s wonderful to finally meet you [Name] [Last Name].” She shoots out a hand in your direction and you glare down at it without moving your own. Your boss feels the tension in the room.

“I’m gonna give you two some privacy! I’ll be doing some stocking checks.” He announces, leaving the room before there were any objections, shutting the door behind him.

“Do you remember me?” Jessica asks and you let out a dry chuckle. “This is a new low, Jessica Cruz. Should I get a restraining order?” You look her up and down apathetically.

“No need for that, I just want to offer you something more than anyone else could ever do.” She leans against the large wooden desk and you plop your bags down on the chair ahead of her. “Offer away, wouldn’t change a thing Sweetheart.” You motion for her to go ahead, hands on your hips.

“7 figures, to sit with me and write a book about your side of the story. Your story of what happened to you out there. Seven figures.” She thinks since you're in the corporate business this is how she can get you.

How sorely mistaken is she?

“I made that all by myself in my twenties. Hit me harder, Jess.” You wave at her, same expression.

She lets out a little snicker. “You’ve made seven figures? I find that hard to believe-”

“I’d watch your next few words.” You warn her, reminding her of why she’s here. “What if I told you the others did speak?” She has a smug expression, an expression you were tempted to… Anyways.

You break out into a small grin trying not to laugh. “Right.” You gave her a large smile this time. “I’m gonna get back to work now.” You say condescendingly, “thank you for wasting my time.” You swing your bag back over your shoulder. “Wait- wait.” She reaches out for you, you back away before she can touch you though.

“I can seriously offer you anything, you can be anonymous. Get your story out there. I’m sure one of the others had done something back then. We can work something out.” Jessica didn’t seem like the type to sound desperate but it sort of intrigued you.

“Who do you think did me dirty? Since you know it all.” You raise your brows, waiting for her reply. It was only getting humorous for you now. It was typical of reporters. To try and get you to speak, give them a sliver of what happened to you guys out there. Especially after getting back home 25 years ago they were like weeds that kept popping up out of nowhere.

“Well, I heard you were close with a few back then. Now… you’re all alone. You blocked everyone. But I have a feeling something pushed you to that point. Vanessa Palmer seems to have the most distaste for you.”

Your heart drops to the sound of her name. A name that was almost foreign to you now. Your eyes advert to another area. “Seems like I’m right.” She lowly chuckles.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m not the type to speak ill of others.” You step to the door. “Truly thank you for making my day a bit more interesting. Hopefully I never see you again though.” You swing the door open and rush to your cubicle before she tries to stop you again.

And at the end of the day, as you sit on your couch in silence. You find yourself thinking about the redhead that that woman had mentioned earlier in the day. You feel sick to your stomach.

Your eyes trailing upward to the pictures on your wall, filled with her face. Pictures you couldn’t get yourself to take down fifteen years ago. Feeling anger seep through you, you go to grab a pillow but a phone call interrupts what you’re doing.

1996

Shauna and you were walking beside one another as you’re on your way to practice. Noticing Natalie, Taissa and Lottie the two of you head over. “This is what we’ve been working for all season. You really want to take that chance?” Tai questions, you scrunch your eyebrows confused.

“Yeah. ‘Cause I’m not a fucking asshole.” Natalie crosses her arms with a stern look on her face. You link your arms with hers. “What’s happening?” You mutter out. “Yeah, what are you guys talking about?” Shauna quizzes.

The three glance towards Allie, flirting hard with seniors and juniors on the other side of the courtyard. “Allie.” Lottie speaks. “What about her?” Shauna asks.

“Did you black out at States? She totally choked.” Taissa reminds the girl and you purse out your lips. “She’s a freshman, Tai.” Natalie stands up for her, which kind of surprises you. “She’s a liability.” Taissa argues.

“I mean that is true but… we can probably help her.” You attempt to stand behind your best friend. Taissa scoffs at you. “You’re her number one hater during games and now you think we can help her?”

“That’s different, I do that with all of you guys when you’re slacking.” You point at her and she sighs knowing that you’re not lying about that.

“What do you want to do about it?” Shauna butts in now. Natalie and Taissa share a glance with one another. “She can’t screw up if she doesn’t get the ball.”

“You want to freeze her out?” Shauna frowns and you do the same. “We’d basically be a man down. At Nationals.” Natalie brings up to which you hum.

“At least we’d know what we’re working with.” As much as you want to agree with Taissa right now, you know it’s not the best decision. “I don’t know, Tai. She kinda sucks, but… it doesn’t feel right.” Lottie steps in on Natalie’s side.

“That’s because it’s bullshit.” Nat spits.

“Oh yeah? What’s your plan, then?” Taissa snaps in an irritated tone. “I dunno, play like a fucking team and win? It’s worked so far.” Natalie exclaims, gripping onto your arm now. You allow it, beginning to zone out due to the arguing. Not knowing what to do to push it in another direction. “Everything works until it doesn’t.”

“And for the record, you smell like a wino. [Name] make sure your best friend gets her shit together.” Taissa steps a little closer and you furrow your brows. “You know what? Fuck this.” Your best friend storms off, letting go of your arm.

“That wasn’t cool, Tai. I also don’t think this is a good idea. The others wouldn’t agree to this and you know it.” You say before following after Natalie in a hurry. Not hearing what the other three have decided on. Feeling incredibly disappointed in your teammate’s choice of words against Natalie.

“Okay, circle up!” Coach Ben Scott whistles as he jogs onto the field. The girls all gather up to him. “JV’s gonna help us out with a little scrimmage today. Coach Martinez had to take care of a family thing. So grab a pinny from Misty and let’s get started.” Ben explains and as the girls begin to do as told, Laura Lee speaks up. “Excuse me, Coach Scott? Shouldn’t we say a prayer first?”

A few girls' eyes roll but you smile softly in her direction. You don’t mind Laura Lee’s religiousness, it’s sweet. She’s polite and respectful about it. She just wants the best for others.

“It’s just a scrimmage, Laura Lee.” He starts but based on her expression in return he lets out a sigh. “Sure. Knock yourself out.” The team then forms a circle, heads bowed and hands joined together.

“Heavenly Father, let our efforts be fruitful, so that we may perform in ways glorious to you… May our hearts remain open and our bodies safe from harm. In your name we pray, amen.”

Due to this Scrimmage you’ve decided to play goalie on the other side. You’ve been observing everyone, especially Taissa and Allie. It’s not going in Taissa’s favor due to Natalie stopping it every time.

Taissa gets annoyed further, taking off her red pinny and throwing it aside. Jackie steps it but obviously it’s all inaudible to you.

They begin to play and Taissa is now pressuring Allie. Allie jumps for a header and Taissa instinctively juts her foot out, catching Allie’s ankle as she comes back down.

All the way on the other side of the field you can hear the sickening, almost deafening snap to Allie’s leg which causes her to collapse. Everyone runs to the girl. She cries out, Lottie screams.

You head to Van who was throwing up, You make sure her hair is out of her face. “Shit,” you mutter, making sure to avoid looking at the girl on the grass. “C’mon.” You tell Van once she calms down a bit. “Let’s get away from here.” You frown, helping her stand up straight as she wipes her mouth.

“That was a lot of fucking blood.” She comments and you hum in response. “Did you see that shit?”

“Yup, bone out the body and everything.” You huff, opening the door to go into the locker room. “You’re not affected by it?” She asks and you sit her down and go get your water bottle.

“Nah, I’ve seen worse.” You mumble, handing it over and she raises a brow. “You could’ve just gotten mine, ya know?” She asks and you shrug. “I saw you have it with you out on the field so I don’t think so.”

“Oh,” Van’s shoulders fell. “Mhm, just drink. You were out in the sun and then threw up. I’m sure you’re extremely dehydrated.”

Van goes to say something but then the door swings open, the others coming in. “Holy shit that was so gross!”

“That was insane!”

A bunch of girls comment and you press your lips together. Plopping down beside the redhead. “This water just tastes like vomit.” She cringes and you chuckle. “I might have a granola bar, hold on.” You head back over to your locker, digging through your backpack.

But once the Seniors entered the locker room they all grew quiet and on edge. You wanted to laugh at it but instead ignored everyone as you handed your granola bar over to Van, sitting back down with her. “Thanks,” she whispers, opening the wrapper and taking a single bite before drinking the water again.

Taissa sat by herself, everyone avoiding eye contact except for you who was observing everyone. Finding humor in a horrible situation. What you didn’t notice was the person beside you staring at you. Practically burning a hole in your face. Witnessing the curvature of your lips each time you found something funny in your head. Making her want to laugh as well. It was such an awkward situation.

“I know we’re all worried about Allie. But I really think we need to focus on the positive right now. It might not be as bad as it looks.” Jackie’s voice cuts through the tension, earning everyone’s attention now.

“You could see her fucking bones, Jackie. I’m pretty sure it’s exactly as bad as it looks.” Natalie interjects and you nod your head with a sorry expression towards your captain. “Oh god. I think I’m gonna puke again..” Van holds her stomach and you rub her back. “Focus on something else.” You quietly tell her. “Try to picture something you enjoy.”

“I mean, we’re still a team. And we still have each other. And…” Jackie tries to recover and give hope to everyone but it seems to be a fruitless attempt.

“And we have Jesus.” Laura Lee helpfully says and you bite your bottom lip trying not to let out a laugh. “This wasn’t exactly a big win for the power of prayer, Tammy Faye.” Lottie scoffs. “The Lord works in mysterious wa-” A bang of a locker cuts her off. Your eyes shoot to your best friend who had been the one to do it, stalking out of the room.

You then finally let go as you can’t hold it any longer. Your chest shaking as you laugh silently, you had to bend down because of it. “Hey, you okay?” A hand lands on you, only making you laugh harder.

“I- I’m fine!” You wipe your tears. “Sorry, sorry.” You take a breather. The sudden empathy you had gained had dispersed just as easily. “You’re seriously laughing right now?” Shauna questions and you nod your head.

“This is so stupid!” You giggle. “Everyone is upset. I can clearly see that.” You stand up.

“But it doesn’t matter, we’re going to kick ass at nationals. Yes it’s unfortunate what happened to Allie. But there’s nothing we can do now!” You laugh out. “Nothing!” You throw your hands up.

Taissa and Van were smiling up at you, trying not to join your giggle fit.

You turn to Van. “I gotta go though. Finish the water, you can give it back whenever. I have more.” You grab your bags. “Make sure to drink more too, don’t want to be too dehydrated.” You winked, heading out of the room. Leaving the others kind of curious about your reaction you just had to everything.

As you weren’t even thinking about it. Just making sure you head to your moms car before being lectured about taking so long.

“You ready for tonight?” Natalie’s voice sounds over the phone line and you smile. “Yes, I’m ready to let loose before nationals.” You groan, keeping the phone up to your ear with your shoulder as you do your mascara.

“What are you wearing?” She asks. “Mm trying to get in my pants are you?” You joke.

“Possibly.” The both of you laugh.

“But seriously, what you wearing, miss caregiver?” She repeats and you let out a gasp. “Oh don’t even!” You roll your eyes even though she can’t see it.

“What? That you totally have a random thing for Vanessa Palmer!?” She cackles at your antics and you let out a large breath of air. “I don’t have a thing for her, oh my gosh.” You hide your face in your hands. “I was just helping her out!” You defend yourself.

“Right, right. Let’s see you do it again tonight too.” Natalie comments and before you can say something again she speaks up. “Now please just tell me what you are wearing.” She’s the only person who knows about you being… gay. Liking women and such.

You felt lonely with the thoughts in your head. Thoughts that only kept getting louder and louder. You had to tell someone and so you went to your best friend. Even though you didn’t know her stance of homosexuality you knew her love for you. You knew she’d understand and stay.

“Okay, okay. I’m just wearing that one outfit we bought at the thrift store with tights.” You stand from your vanity. “Oh! Jackie said that Jeff can pick me up. I don’t need that ride anymore.” You say absentmindedly while fixing one last thing with your fit.

“Really? You’re gonna third wheel with Jackie and Jeff?”

“Well Shauna will be there. So not really.” You knew either way you’re going to be witnessing something and become a third wheel but you didn’t mind it. You could ignore it.

A honk outside interrupts your next sentence. “Oh, speak of the devil. I’ll see you at the party. Love you!!!” You wait for her to say it back before slamming the phone down and rushing downstairs with your tote bag.

“Bye mom! I’ll be back tonight!” You say loud enough for her to hear but not too loud to wake up your siblings or be heard in her phone call. You scurry out the front door and wave to the three in the car.

His headlights were so bright though you couldn’t even see them inside of the vehicle. Jeff rolls his window down. “Wow, I’ve never seen you without jeans on.” He commentates and you smirk. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get used to it.” You climb into the backseat with Shauna.

“He’s right, you look so hot right now!” Jackie contorts her body to look back at you. You scoff out a laugh, “thanks, so do you.” You plop down and buckle up immediately after. Clicking the button then doing it a second and third time.

The ride was smooth, almost a little boring. Shauna kept eyeing you, wanting to ask about your reaction from earlier. Your reaction to Allie’s bone being out of her body. And all you could do was laugh. It had to be a nervous thing right?

You stared out the window, not paying any mind to the glances. Just wanting to let loose with your best friend.

You aren’t really close to the other girls. Sure they’re nice and they look up to you in sport. But outside of it, you feel out of place. Jackie used to try to be your friend in the beginning. Attempt at winning you as someone close like she is with Shauna. But it never worked. Your social awkwardness won. After two years she finally gave up.

Sometimes she still offers things like tonight. Making Jeff give you a ride to the party tonight since she overheard you talking about not really having one with Lottie.

“Alright we’re here!” The car halts into park, and you unbuckle your seatbelt- once this time. Everyone climbed out of the car. You wiggled the handle three times before shutting the door.

“I’ll see you guys, thanks for the ride Jeff!” You patted his shoulder before going into the crowd of people. Knowing exactly where your best friend will be.

“Nat!” You call out, pushing through a few people to get to Goth and your best friend who stands by the bonfire. “[Name]! C’mere, try this.” Goth shoves a cup in your hand and you raise a brow. “What is this?”

“Just try it [Nickname].” Natalie snickers and so you do but immediately regret it right afterward. Spitting the liquid out. “The fuck is that?” You rub the drink from your chin, scrunching your face in disgust.

Before they can answer, Smartass is running up to the both of you. “You guys, my cousin hooked us up.” He huffs out of breath, your eyes flicker between him and Natalie, confused by what he meant. “You got it?”

“Got what?”

Smartass grins, holding up several tiny squares of paper printed with the anarchy symbol. “I have six words, my friend. Lucy in the sky with Diamonds.”

“That is, like, literally the least efficient way to say that.” Goth scoffs and you giggle. Natalie snatches one of the tabs from his palm. “Dude. Don’t you both leave for the Olympics or whatever tomorrow?”

“Yeah. We do.” She gives them a look, almost daring them to say something else as you hold yourself. A little uncomfortable but you stay to make sure your best friend is safe. Not knowing what else to do. Yeah you plan on drinking, maybe a joint later on but not shrooms.

You watch as she takes a hit, passing it to another and you glance around. You were beginning to second guess yourself on coming tonight. This isn’t really your scene and if you wanted to let loose you could’ve done so alone and in your room while listening to music and painting.

“I’m gonna go find Lottie.” You tell Natalie, saying your quick goodbye to the other two. “I’ll meet up with you in a sec.” Natalie calls after you, you don’t even turn around to acknowledge it. Knowing she most likely will forget that statement. Or probably already did if the drugs hit.

It was strange, it was loud, people were talking and dancing but you felt the opposite. Quiet and lonesome even in the crowd. Gently moving past bodies that didn’t even realize you were there. Your eyes scan the area patiently. “[Name]!” You hear beside you, your eyebrows furrow and there’s Taissa. Waiting in line for a beer.

“Hey, Tai!” You wave, meeting up with her. “Want a drink?” She offers for you to wait with her which catches you off guard.

It shouldn’t because Taissa and you used to be close in middle school before going separate ways entering high school. “Would love one actually.” You curtly laugh, bumping into her arm as you stand with her. “You know what I did earlier wasn’t on purpose, right?” She asks and you look at her with a concerned expression. Her own face showed remorse and fear?

“I would hope so.” You chuckle, her lips fidget upwards a little bit but not by much making you suck in a breath to get serious for her.

“Tai, I do not believe you did that on purpose. It was a freak accident.” It was something you truly thought, why would Taissa purposely break a girl's leg. “Thank you.” She sighs, her arm looping with yours.

“I guess I needed reassurance.” She mutters. “We all do sometimes.” Your hip bumps hers and she lays her head on yours.

“I admire your resilience, Tai. It can’t be easy knowing you fucking cripled someone today.” A voice speaks from behind the both of you, your heart drops at the callus words that come from Shauna. “Cool. Good talk.” Taissa begins to move herself from the situation before it escalates. You grab two drinks for the both of you. Going to follow after.

“Just admit you did it on purpose.” Shauna folds her arms and you step between them. “Shauna you’re drunk. Knock it off.” You warn her.

“This isn’t about you, [Name]. Step out of it.” She attempts to move you but you stand still with a now scrunched face. “Shauna, stop.” You feel people watching now. “You’re a sociopath.” Shauna points to the girl behind you. “Hey, Shauna, take it easy.” Van comes over, putting a hand on Shauna’s shoulder who only shrugs it off.

“Good news, you guys. We don’t have to worry about the Allie problem anymore. Taissa fixed it for us.” She’s on a roll tonight, and you were getting frustrated. “What’s she talking about?” Laura Lee comes up to the group. You hadn’t even noticed your other teammates were showing up.

“She’s talking about Taissa’s little plan.” Natalie joins and you want to cover your face. This is not what you guys need. An argument before nationals. “Please. Since when do you give a shit anyway? Don’t you have a bong to hit or a dick to suck or something?” Taissa snaps and you watch as your best friend’s face contorts.

“Hey. Don’t talk to her that way.” Shauna stands up for Natalie as you stand there frozen. It was getting too much. Too much confrontation.

“Oh, fuck off, Shauna. I don’t need you to defend me. Last I checked, you were fine with the whole freeze her out strategy.” Natalie shuts the drunken girl down.

“Seriously, what are you guys talking about?” Laura Lee chimes in once again. “Shut the fuck up Laura Lee!” The three who had been arguing all shouted at her.

Your chest tightened at the loudness of their tones. Everyone starts to fight, all yelling at once. Everyone interrupts one another. You stay silent, not knowing how to calm the situation. Thinking calmly, you were normally level headed. Taking a deep breath you drop your drink that hadn’t even gotten sipped on. Using your pointer and middle fingers on both hands and whistling loudly. Scaring the group.

Noticing Jackie also coming into the scene. “Alright, ENOUGH!” You yell, the two of you thrusting yourselves into the middle of everyone.

Jackie crosses her arms, glaring at everyone while she stands beside you. “Yellowjackets, with me.” She orders, stomping off into the woods with you practically connected at her hip. “What the hell happened?” She whispers and you just look at her before looking ahead.

The team stands around as Jackie paces in front of them. You are standing still, sizing everyone up with disappointment. Even towards your best friend who definitely felt it radiating off of you.

“I don’t know what the fuck that was, but I do know that it’s over. We’re about to go to Nationals, you guys. Nationals!” She exclaims. “And based on what I’m looking at right now, we might as well not even bother getting on that plane.”

She pauses as she thinks for a moment, going back to your side and pursing out her lips. “Alright, everybody line up.” She directs but nobody moves.

“She said to line up!” You express with irritation, everyone is surprised by your tone, and by reflex they do as told. “I’m going to talk to you like adults. Is that okay with you?” Jackie asks, causing everyone to smile at Coach Martinez’s catchphrase.

“Coach is always telling us that you can’t win without three things. Talent. Trust. And Respect. I mean, Coach also talks a lot of bullshit, but I’m pretty sure he’s right about that. So here’s what we’re gonna do. I want each of you to go down this line and say one nice- true- thing about every other girl on this team.” Jackie does her speech and it leaves the others confused on if she’s actually serious. Exchanging looks with one another.

“What is this, fucking Girl Scout camp?” Taissa is the first to speak up and you roll your eyes trying not to laugh.”[Name] and I will go first.” Jackie looks at you and you boredly do the same. “[Name] you are weirdly mysterious, I think everyone can agree-”

“I thought you were supposed to say nice things.” You look her up and down to which everyone laughs at. Even her.

“I’m getting there.” She giggles, “you’re mysterious, I feel like I know almost nothing about you. But somehow you’re the most comforting. Even when you’re laughing at the fact that a girl's bone was out of her body today.” She tells you truthfully to which you smile, slightly amused thinking back to earlier in the day.

“Jackie, you’re incredibly persistent and true to yourself. I respect that.” It was short but it meant a lot to the girl in front of you. Her eyes seem to light up at your words and she grins. “Do you want to continue or should I?” She quietly asks and you shrug. “I’ll give it a try.” You wink.

Heading right to Taissa.

“Tai- Taissa… Miss Turner if you will-” “Oh my god, shut up.” She laughs and you scrunch your nose with a smile. “You are incredibly headstrong, you fight for what you believe in and it’s very influential. I love it.”

Moving onto the next, which is Laura Lee. “You’re very sweet, keeping to your faith even though others push you down. You don’t let it get to you, and I admire that heavily.” You take her hand gently to which she grins at you. “Thank you, [Name].” She rubs the back of your hand with her thumb.

“Lottie Matthews.” You look up at her, grabbing her shoulders. “You are a breath of fresh air. I enjoy the talks we have on the field while we’re getting ready. You’re so comforting sometimes I think you could manipulate me into something crazy.” She rolls her eyes but mouths a thank you as you move to the next person- your best friend.

“Nat, I don’t think I have to say much I haven’t said already. You’re my fucking ride or die even if I’ve done something so fucking stupid.”

Natalie blows a kiss at you and you catch it to place it on your heart very dramatically. “Shauna, you might be the most interesting person I’ve ever met. Do I know specifically why? Not really but I know you’re amazing and I think that’s a good part of it.” You say. Shauna is giving you a look that’s almost unreadable but then she laughs.

“I could say the same thing about you.”

“And lastly, Vanessa Palmer.” You sigh out, cheesing ear to ear. “Say that like it’s a bad thing.” The redhead nudges you. “It might be, you never know.” You joke causing her to gasp, gently slapping your arm.

“Okay, okay, I will say you’re probably the funniest person ever. Your film knowledge is also impeccable. I know that when I need a good laugh I can come to you.”

“You seem to laugh pretty easily, but I’m glad I’m up there as the funniest.” Van says and you press your lips together trying to prove her wrong but you can’t help the little snicker that escapes. “Yeah, it’s not hard to make me laugh.” You beam.

As you go back to stand with Jackie you hear the others start to shyly say nice things to one another. You glance to see Jackie proud of herself for this idea. She heads over to Shauna and you stand by yourself. Observing the others, even though the argument got you here you were glad for the outcome.

Your eyes flicker over to Natalie who’s complimenting Lottie. “Lottie, you never talk shit unless someone really deserves it. Also, I really like your pilgrim hat.” She then starts to giggle before staring off in the sky. “Um. Okay?” Lottie is definitely not wearing a hat. You grab your best friend's arm.

“You want to stay the night tonight?” You ask her and she looks over at you confused at first but then lights up excitedly. “Yes, sleep over!! [Name] where’d you get that tattoo?” She suddenly grabs your wrist and you shake your head. You knew tonight was going to be long. Definitely not letting loose like you had hoped.

You sit Natalie by the fire and drop beside her, letting her lean her body on you as she’s on a trip. Not seeing the pair of eyes on the both of you. The pair of eyes that have a ping of jealousy within them.

You close your eyes, leaning your head on Natalie’s just resting there.

You don’t know how much time has passed but you know you somehow fell asleep and Natalie woke you up by muttering “Misty.” You grumble, stretching out your body. “Misty? What?” You ask, severely confused.

“I swear I saw her, over there?” She points to an edge of darkness of the woods. You squint your eyes but see absolutely nothing. “Just part of your trip.” You rub her back. “Let’s go, we gotta find someone to give us a ride because I’m sure Jeff did not wait for me.” You stand up, shooting a hand out to her. She takes it, lifting herself up.

2021

A knock on your door sounds and you groan. Who the fuck could it be? You peer through the peephole, and your heart sinks at who’s there. “Shit.” You mumble before swinging the door open.

“Shauna?” You furrow your brows and she smiles awkwardly. “Hey, I tried texting you but it went straight to voicemail.” She rubs the back of her neck. The two of you lived in the same vicinity so it’s not a rare sight. Of course the two of you still talk occasionally.

“What’s up? Something going on with Callie?” You move so she can come in but instead she just stands in front of you.

“Come to dinner with me?” She tilts her head and you check the watch on your wrist. The time read “10:15.”

“You’re lucky it’s my day off tomorrow.” You grab your jacket from the hook along with your keys. Moving out of the house to shut the door right behind you.

“Who are we meeting?” You cross your arms as she drinks a cup of coffee. The door chimes, cutting off your question and the two of you look up to see Taissa. She slides in the booth across from the both of you. “Are you kidding me?” You tense up, getting irritated. “[Name]-”

“No, Shauna, I can't believe you.” You push at her to move but she doesn’t budge. “Get up or I’ll climb over, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me we were meeting with her.” You spoke with venom mixed in your voice.

“[Name], please.” Shauna pleads with you, as you’re about to get up and climb over the booth. You glare down at her then peep over to Taissa who has an anxious expression. “Just twenty minutes.” She whispers.

You let out a huff of air. “Twenty and after that I better not see her again.” You plop back down in the seat. Taissa doesn’t even say anything to you, looking right at Shauna.

“A reporter approached us today.” Shauna slides Jessica’s business card across the table. “She said she was with the local paper, but I googled her, and she wasn’t credited in any bylines. Anywhere.” Shauna explains the situation. On your way over here you had already told her your experience at your job.

“These people come out of the woodwork every few years, on some anniversary or another. You know that. There’s no reason to think this is any different.” Taissa tries to reassure the both of you and your eyes stare at her face. Angrily taking in her features. “I can think of a few. I thought we agreed. Say no more than we have to, stay out of the public eye.”

“Shauna…”

“I saw you on fucking television, Tai. If someone’s digging… we’re all fucked. Take care of it.” She orders and Taissa looks over to you who boredly nods. “Take care of it.” You repeat.

“Have either of you talked to Nat?” Shauna suddenly asks and you frown. “She’s in rehab.” Taissa answers. “Again.” You add in. “And there’s still no sign of the others?”

“No. Not for months on my end.” Taissa’s eyes then flicker over to you who shrug. “Haven’t heard from anyone except for Misty who creepily knew about my mother passing.” You say.

“Then we’re fine. As long as nobody does anything crazy, we have nothing to worry about.” Shauna takes both of your hands. You bite at your bottom lip. Nervous about this sudden Jessica Cruz.

After the three of you talk, you only add in to be an asshole towards Taissa. You guys exit the building.

“Oh, I gotta use the bathroom real quick. I’ll be back. Here’s the keys.” She hands the keys over to you and you tiredly take them. The two of you watch as she walks back into the Diner.

“You know I’m sorry [Name]-” you shake your head before she can continue, putting a hand up to stop her. “I don’t want to hear it, Taissa.’ You tell her, walking over to Shauna’s van. “It was a mistake, I promise. I would never intentionally-”

“Taissa, please. Stop it.” You sternly say, putting your foot down. “I don’t want to hear it. I really, really don’t.”

“I’m over the situation but I cannot and will not find it in my heart to forgive you right now. Who knows. It might change but at this moment. In this age of life I want you to fuck off so hard.” You were smiling, hating this feeling of being confronted. “I just- I miss you, [Name].” She admits and you lick your lips trying not to laugh.

“It will pass.” You open the passenger door of the van and climb in. Slightly slamming it shut causing the woman to jump. She stood there for a moment before her shoulders dropped, feeling defeated and heading back to her own vehicle.

1996

“Are you sure everything is going to be okay while I’m gone mom?” You question as you are walking both your bags to the front door. You hear your mom snort in disbelief. “Of course everything will be okay. I’m the adult here.” She says defensively and since you’re facing away you roll your eyes.

“That’s not what I meant.” You murmur.

“I just help out with dinner and I know you don’t like cooking.” You partially lied. You’ve been helping with your younger siblings for years ever since your father passed away when Tilly was only six months old.

“We’ll be fine, [Name].” She comes over and plays with the necklace you wore around your neck. The charm given by your father a year before he passed.

A dragonfly, he always called you his little dragon bug. It was a weird nickname but when you were little the two of you went fishing and that’s what you called every big bug. Freaking out when a dragonfly landed on your shoulder.

“Sissy!! Don’t leave yet!” A little voice screams as she comes down the stairs and you move away from your mom. “Tilly Billy! I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye!” You crouch down to her level and she jumps at you with a tight embrace. “I’m going to miss you so much!” She cries out making you jut out your bottom lip.

“Awe, Tilly I’ll be back in 4 days. Don’t you even worry.” You ruffle her hair and she pouts.

“That’s still so long.” She pulls away and you see tears actually falling down her little face. “It will go by so fast, I promise.” You kiss her cheek and then you hear more little steps coming your way and you look over to your little brother who was rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Will you get me a souvenir?” He asks and you let out a laugh.

“Yeah, what do you want Theo?” You pull him into a hug after standing back up.

“A magnet.” He grumbles tiredly since he had just gotten up. “Alright, I’ll get you, your magnet.” You kiss the top of his head, then hear a car honk outside.

“That’s my ride, I’ll see you guys in a couple of days!” You give Tilly one last tight embrace and then kiss your mom’s cheek goodbye. “Be safe, [Name].” She says and you give a tight lipped smile before leaving, shutting the big wooden door behind you.

Stepping onto the plane was a weird feeling, Lottie’s parents are definitely rich. “Hey, you’re here.” Natalie pokes her head up from her seat and you hurry over to her. “Heyy, how are you feeling? You left like super early.” You plop down on the seat next to her. “I forgot I had to get my bags for the flight, did you see the note? And I’m definitely hungover.” She snickers, and you follow suit.

“Yeah I saw it, you’re so romantic.” You do little air kisses.

“Always for you.” She does it back.

You unzip your backpack and take out a walkman to show to her. “If you want to listen to anything during this flight.” You grin. “Beautiful.” She claps her hands and you nod your head.

And as everyone gets on the plane and you all sit quietly, the air pressure makes it hard for you to hear one another to begin with. Well for you it makes it extremely harder for you. Every now and then you’ll glance around at the other teammates. It was boring but the nerves and excitement of the game somehow made the time pass by faster.

You didn’t even understand what was said by the captain every time he spoke. Of course it was probably something important because the cabin gets darker and a terrifying roar erupts from the plane. The turbulence shakes the plane so aggressively that it wakes Natalie. Her hand finding yours.

You can slightly hear Laura Lee muttering as the oxygen masks drop down. “Shit, what the fuck is happening?” You think out loud, getting the mask on. Then helping Natalie get hers on. “Open the shade.” You mutter. “Wh-what?” Natalie panics.

“Open- open the shade.” You reach over and shove it open. Seeing silhouettes of the mountains extremely closer than they should be. Then getting closer. And closer until the plane finally makes impact.

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rafeandonlyrafe · 1 year ago

Text

toppers got a crush

words: 900

warnings: 18+ only!, smut, thigh riding, p in v sex, unprotected p in v sex, exhibitionism, topper watching (request)

taglist: @drewstarkeyslut @thelomlisrafecameron @f4ll-for-you @dilvcv @drudyslut @drewsbabygirll @jjmaybankswifes-blog @rafescokenostril @jjsmarijuana @jjmaybankisbae @seeingstarks @angelofcigs @cece45450 @babygorewhore @vanessa-rafesgirl

you lean your head back against rafes shoulder, undulating your hips, grinding down against his leg as you clench your thighs around him. you reach down, feeling for rafes hand until you take it and move his palm over your breast, letting out a moan when he begins to massage your tit.

“i-i should go.” topper says, making you pick your head up to look at him. you completely forgot that he was there to begin with, too wrapped up in rafe to remember his friend sitting on the couch opposite to you.

“sit down.” rafe says, making you turn to look at him, eyebrows knitting together. you’re not one to question rafe, but you don’t understand why he wouldn’t want topper to leave. he was the one who pulled you onto his lap when you went to sat next to him, clearly showing that he was wanting you just as much as you were wanting him.

“baby, did you know that topper had a crush on you? before we started dating of course. he thought that you were real pretty.” rafe says, moving his hands underneath your shirt, letting the hem rise up as he grips your waist, moving you to keep your pussy grinding down against him.

“i didn’t know.” you admit, letting your head fall back against rafes shoulder, but keeping your eyes open, your eyes on topper. you honestly didn’t know topper had a crush on you, you just figured he was a friendly guy, even if he did back off when you started dating rafe.

“and i have the sneaking suspicion he still has a bit of a crush on you, despite you belonging to me.” rafe says, quirking his head to the side, his eyes on topper. “so why don’t we reinforce the fact that you belong to me, yeah?”

“okay.” you nod. you don’t even care who is watching if it means getting rafes dick, your panties are absolutely soaked and you are beyond needy for him, and have been since he sat you on his lap an hour ago.

“take your top off. show topper how gorgeous your tits are.” rafe commands, and you sit up to pull your shirt off, revealing that you’re not wearing a bra. topper gapes at the two of you when rafe retakes your tit in his hand, using his forefinger and thumb on the other side of your chest to tug at your nipple.

“she loves having her tits played with, don’t you? man, look how jealous top is that he’s not the one touching you right now.” rafe says.

“i’m not jealous.” topper says, a frown coming to his face, even as his eyes stay on your bare torso.

“you don’t want to cop a feel then?” rafe questions, causing you to pause the movements of your hips. you and rafe are not shy about showing your affection in public, but you can’t imagine with how jealous rafe is that he would be okay with letting someone else touch you, even if it is topper.

“no.” topper grits out, his jaw clenched. “thats your girl.”

“correct answer.” rafe says, feeling you relax against him when you realize that topper isn’t going to be touching you. “now baby, why don’t you stand up and take your pants off?”

you stand between rafes legs, his hands coming to your hips as he twists you so you’re facing him, and you know exactly what he’s wanting you to do as you slide your thumbs under your waistband, pulling your pants and underwear down simultaneously as you stick your ass out, giving topper a great view.

“now take my cock out.” rafe commands you next. you step out of your pants, kicking them to the side before bending again, separating your legs slightly so your pussy peeks out as you reach down, tugging open rafes zipper and taking out his already hard cock.

“good girl.” rafe moans when you stroke your hand over his length. “turn around and sit on it. look at topper while you take my dick.”

you turn, meeting toppers eyes. you glance down at his lap, legs still spread in what was a natural position but now just gives you a great view of his cock, hard and straining against his shorts.

“you see that baby? he’s so hard!” rafe laughs. “he definitely still has a crush on you.” “maybe he’s hard because he saw your dick.” you joke, making rafe spank your ass, sending a ripple over the skin.

“enough mouth, ride me.”

you place your hands on rafes spread knees as you sink down, rafe using his hand to keep his cock lined up with your entrance as your folds separate for him, wetness easily being able to accommodate his cock as your walls stretch for him.

“oh, fuck.” rafe moans, grabbing onto your hips, pulling you the rest of the way down, harder and faster than you expected.

you let out a moan when he sits you completely down onto his lap, his cock buried inside of you. “okay. i get it.” topper says, his voice sounding strained. “let me leave so you can finish.”

rafe shakes his head, using his strength to begin to move you up and down his length, like you’re nothing more than a fuck toy. “nah, i’m not letting you off so soon. all you’re gonna do is jack off to the memory of her naked. you can stay sat right where you are until i make her cum at least three times.”

#rafe smut #rafe cameron smut #obx smut #outer banks smut #topper thorton smut #???#hes there i guess #rafe fic #rafe fanfic #rafe fanfiction #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron fanfic #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron x reader #rafe x reader #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron one shot #rafe cameron x y/n

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trippinsorrows · 8 months ago

Text

give me a reason + two

authors note: wow! so humbled by people's interest in this one! forgot to mention that i'll be playing around with joe's career, in terms of the timeline and whatnot.

also, if ya'll ever watched the bernie mac show, i was very much inspired in one section by that scene where vanessa and them was doing that car wash at bernie's house lmaooo

in addition (last point, i swear lmao), i can do faceclaims for the character, mainly mariella's family. if ya'll want. i know some people prefer to visualize for themselves. just lmk.

i don't own any lyrics used.

previous chapter

words: 7k

song inspo: just give me a reason by p!nk and nate ruess

warnings: language, fluff, some angst, blink and you'll miss it sexy time.

Spring, 2005

Spring break.

The time looked forward to by most students, especially college students, who are granted a free week to get into all kinds of trouble, mischief and then return to campus like nothing ever happened.

Joe and Byron can’t deny that they’ve definitely had their fair share of that the first part of college, but now with two years under their belts and only two years left to go, they’re focused on having killer seasons and landing their dreams of going into the NFL.

It’s why when coach decides to give the players a break, canceling all practices during said break, there’s not even an initial question about what they should do with their time.

Home.

They’re going home.

Because while being away is nice at times, there’s absolutely no place like home and being surrounded by the people you love the most.

Byron glances at Joe who’s looking down at his phone. “You gonna see Brianna while we in town?”

Joe looks up. He can’t say he hasn’t thought about it. Brianna, Joe’s last high school girlfriend, was inarguably the easiest of all the girls he’s ever dated. And if not for him not wanting to be tied down while away at college, he would have tried to make it work.

“I don’t know,” he answers, truthfully. “We’ll see.”

“Well, I’m definitely hitting up Tamia. Heard she and ole’ dude broke up.”

Joe shakes his head. Tamia has been Byron’s on and off girlfriend since freaking middle school. They date, break up, date other people, break up with said other people and start right back over. Truthfully, Joe can see Tamia being the one for Byron considering how long they’ve been in this little cycle.

“Just make sure you’re safe, man.”

Byron looks like he’s just been told to make sure he wears a seatbelt. “Always, bro. You know me.”

Joe knows him alright. Knows he can be reckless at times. And with so much at stake in the next upcoming two years, they can’t afford to be reckless.

“I do. That’s why I’m saying it.”

“Man….” Joe laughs at Byron’s dismissal. “What do we have here?” Joe turns his attention to where Byron has set his gaze only to quickly scowl with disgust. “Ugh, they in high school.”

Joe is also instantly repulsed. “That’s fucking gross.”

Byron shakes in his seat, as if trying to shake the disgust off himself when he sees something. “Wait a minute…” Joe again tries to see what’s triggered the exclamation of irritation. “Oh hell no.”

“What are you—what the hell!” Joe shouts out as Byron suddenly swerves into the next turn lane, barely missing hitting a car. “The fuck are you doing, man!”

“That’s Ella out there!” He answers, speeding near the station where a bunch of high school girls are operating a car wash, trying to raise money for who knows what.

At the mention of Ri, Joe’s attention is snatched. “What?” He’s looking around as Byron looks to quickly park the truck, clearly eager to get out. Joe doesn’t see her just yet. It’s not until they’re parked and out of the car that his eyes land on her.

Her smile is the first thing he notices. She’s laughing. Not surprising. For as long as he’s known her, which has been his whole life essentially, she’s always the one in the group to make everyone laugh.

Usually from her klutziness.

It’s never a dull moment with Mariella Holmes.

Moving closer, he can see that it’s definitely Ri, and she’s giggling along with the other girls, dancing to what he recognizes is Black Eyed Peas latest song, “My Humps.”

It’s that realization that helps Joe understand why Byron is so annoyed.

The dancing could be seen as a bit provocative.

“Ella!”

Her head snaps up at Byron’s voice, easily landing on him. Joe watches her mouth drop open in shock before she shouts, “BJ!”

Dropping the soapy rag in the bucket, she’s nearly sprinting over to the two of them, tackling Byron with a hug first. “What are you doing here?”

It’s when she steps back that she moves over to him. She smirks, crossing her arms. “Should have known you wouldn’t turn down a chance to come see me.”

Joe laughs, pulling her in for a hug. “Never.”

“What am I doing here?” Byron cuts in, angrily gesturing to her. “What are you doing out here dressed like this?”

She looks down at her outfit, frowning. Joe does the same. It’s a bathing suit top with jean shorts and flip flops. What’s so bad about that?

And she expresses as such.

“Ummm, the dance team is having a car wash. We’re trying to raise money for travel costs this season.”

This doesn’t seem acceptable to Byron as he asks, “well, you ain’t having nothing else to wear? All exposed and everything.”

That’s when she rolls her eyes. “Oh my god, you’re so annoying.”

He starts to pull his shirt off when even Joe chimes in, “dude, come on.”

“She’s half naked!”

“I’m wearing a bathing suit, BJ.” Mariella says it like he’s slow. Like he was on the short bus. “I know you’ve been away at school, so you haven’t been around as much, but I have boobs now—”

At that, both Joe and Byron turn up their nose. The last thing they need is that type of visual.

She continues, gesturing to her body. “I hit puberty, and allll the areas started filling out. It happens!”

“I’m gonna be sick.” Byron covers his mouth. “I don’t give a damn. You’re sixteen, not twenty-one.”

She gives a sly smile. “That’s not what my fake ID says.”

Joe catches her gaze, seeing that she’s just messing with him. It makes him laugh.

“Your what? Girl, you done lost your damn mind.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Relax, BJ. You know I can’t get a fake ID. My dumbass would feel too bad and turn myself in.”

“That’s true,” Joe chimes, and she glares, reaching over to hit him. She starts to say something, only for her eyes to go wide. “What’s wrong?”

She says nothing, just awkwardly shifting her weight from one leg to another. He starts to ask again when a new voice joins the conversation.

“Hey, babe.”

Byron jumps to a new level of annoyance. “Babe?” He and Joe watch as some scrawny looking little boy, who’s really not that scrawny in actuality but looks it compared to Byron and Joe, walks up to Mariella, kissing her.

Byron looks like he’s about to have a stroke. He asks with all the smoke. “Who the hell are you?”

Scrawny scoffs and has the audacity to throw the question back at him. “Who the hell are you?”

“Oh my god.” Mariella murmurs, slapping her hand against her forehead. “BJ, this is my boyfriend, Derrick—”

Mariella having a boyfriend makes sense to Joe. She’s 16 now. Why wouldn’t she be dating? It’s normal and expected.

If only Byron saw it that way. “Boyfriend? Since when do you have a boy—”

“Derrick, this is my brother, BJ or Byron, and basically like my non-blood brother, Joe.”

Scrawny AKA Derrick looks like he’s seen a ghost. “Oh shit, my bad—”

If only he knew that Byron doesn’t forgive nor does he forget when it comes to his little sisters, especially Mariella.

He steps toward the shorter young man. “Naw. You bad. You wanted to know who the hell I was, so let me tell you, I’m the nigga that’s gon fuck you up if you ever—”

“Byron!” Mariella is now fuming, grabbing him by his arm as she tugs him in a different direction. “Give us a couple minutes.” She flashes a sweet smile at Derrick and a pleading expression to Joe for him to also be nice.

Joe waits until they’re out of hearing distance. He then slaps Derrick on the arm. “Don’t take it personally. That’s just Byron. He’s always been a hothead.”

Derrick gives a nervous laugh, showing off braces that Joe didn’t notice before. He refrains from frowning. Ri could definitely do better than this dweeb. “You like Ri?”

Derrick shrugs, offering an unimpressive. “She’s alright.”

And that’s all Joe needs to hear to know what this kid is really about. Stepping toward him, he keeps his voice leveled and expression ice cold. “Do anything to hurt her, and you won’t have to worry about Byron.” He gives a steel smile. “I’m the one you’ll never see coming.”

———-

Present

Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA)

Or some milder form of it.

Amnesia, at the very least.

That’s what Dr. Reynolds says is the cause of Mari’s complete loss of memory. A result of the head trauma she received from the accident. A prognosis that somehow feels almost worse than the coma, at least to Joe.

Because for the life of him, he doesn’t know how to look at the woman he’s known his entire life, and have her look back at him like he’s a stranger, like she has no idea who he is.

Because she doesn’t have any idea who he is.

As devastating as that blow is, he knows it hits harder for her parents. April nearly collapsed in Byron Sr’s arms as Dr. Reynolds informed them of Mari’s memory loss.

She was in tears, desperately asking, “but—but she’ll get them back, right, doctor?”

And Joe only has to glance at the doctor, the way his lips press together before he informs sympathetically, “we don’t know. Some patients do eventually retrieve their memories. Others….others never do.”

Joe can’t even allow himself to think of the latter option.

A couple days post coma, he knocks on her door, seeing she’s alone, her parents most likely grabbing food or something.

She glances at the door offering a small smile that doesn’t meet her eyes. It’s insincere, and he doesn’t know how to feel about that either, because one of the things he’s always loved about her has always been her smile. So big and infectious. Just like her personality.

“Hey.” There’s nothing big and infectious about her almost unsure tone.

“Hey.” He doesn’t wait for her to welcome him in, just walks in, taking the seat on the side of her bed. “How you feeling?”

She gives a one sided shrug. He notices the cuts and bruising on her face have gone down tremendously. That's a plus in a situation full of minuses. “Don’t know.” After obviously thinking about the question more, she offers a more descriptive answer. “Very...confused.”

“About?” He then adds. “Maybe I can clear it up for you.”

“I don’t know. It’s….it’s mostly about who I am.” He could definitely answer that one for her. She shakes her head, providing an example. “Like, I’m apparently this big singer, but I can’t even think about singing right now. It doesn’t—it doesn’t even feel like me.” She chuckles bitterly. “Not that I know who me is.”

“You love music. Always have. And you’re good at it. Singing. Writing. Producing. Dancing. All of it.” She looks over at him as he says with all the honesty and sincerity, “there’s nothing, creatively, you can’t do.”

Mariella nods, as if taking in the information to analyze later on. “What about you?” She asks. “What do you do?”

A lot of things. A lot of things he now regrets deeply. But, that’s not her question. “Professional wrestler.” He starts to say WWE to see if she knows what that is, but that isn’t important. Shit about him isn’t the priority.

Mariella looks him over, nodding. “It fits.”

He smiles a bit. The first he’s done in weeks. “What else do you want to know?”

She’s quiet for a few moments before asking the question he didn’t know he was dreading until now. “How did I end up here?”

What a loaded question he was absolutely not prepared for.

There’s a lot of things that led them to where they are right now. A lot of which he blames himself for, and her as well, but not nearly as much as he blames himself. They both played a role in how badly their relationship deteriorated, but Joe puts the bulk of it on himself.

He’s older and should know better.

But, the specific incident that resulted in her accident, the blowout that ended with her requesting the one thing she always swore she never wanted to have happened when they got married…that’s it.

That is the truth she is probably looking for. It’s a truth, however, he can’t find it in him to tell her.

Because selfishly, he doesn’t want that to be the thing to trigger her memories, or any memories of all the things that have gone so terribly wrong the past two years. He doesn’t want that for her.

Doesn’t want it for them.

It’s why he settles on an answer that’s neither a lie but also not the full truth.

“You had a lot on your mind and went for a drive.” His voice shifts into something quiet. He’s still trying to process his feelings about that part of this whole thing. “You were hit head on by a drunk driver.”

Silence.

For a brief second, he’s unsure if he should have just told the truth. Been honest with her and let the cards fall as they may.

And then she speaks.

“Well, that’s unfortunate.” He looks up. Joe sees it. That sense of humor that some could only take in doses, but for him, it’s always been a highlight. She’s always been able to put a smile on his face even in the darkest of his days. “How long have we been married?”

Another unexpected question, but he answers truthfully. “This March makes 11 years.”

“Wow.” This seems to take her by surprise. “And how long have we been together?”

“That….that’s a bit of a long story.”

She lifts her brow, gesturing to her hospital bed. “Not like I have anywhere to be.”

He chuckles. She has a point, but the story of them…that seems too complicated or detailed to share in a freaking hospital. Because in his mind, he’s started to sort the different ways and things he can do to help remind her of who she is.

Of who they were.

Finally, he answers, “I just—I think you should—”

There’s a knock on the door, Joe turning to see April and Byron Sr.

April is the first to speak, walking over to them. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” She’s almost hesitant to move too close. Joe can see she wants nothing more to engulf her youngest in a hug but recognizes the same almost uncomfortable expression Mariella wore the minute he walked in.

“It’s okay.” He assures, going to stand up. “I’ll leave you guys—”

“Actually,” Byron Sr. interjects, shooting Joe a sympathetic expression. “We were hoping to speak with you.” He looks toward Mariella, and Joe hates it. Hates the almost discomfort that exists between them. She’s always been super close with her parents. Especially her dad. “If that’s alright, sweetheart?”

Mariella shrugs, clearly unbothered. “Sure.” She starts to lay back in her bed a little. “I’m kinda tired anyway.”

Joe wonders how much of that is truth, and how much of it is her just wanting to be alone from people who are virtual strangers.

Strangers…

That’s definitely a word he never thought could be used in any context regarding Mariella.

Once outside the room and in the private waiting area, her parents wait until a set of nurses pass before April is the first to speak. She reaches over and places a comforting hand. “How are you doing, Joe? Really?”

A mess. He’s a fucking mess. Joe has seen much, much better days than the past few weeks. But, he also doesn’t want to make this about him, about his mental state, so he provides a half truth.

“Been better.” His response is gruff as he quickly moves to change topics. “What about you guys?”

Having his wife have no idea who he is is brutal, but he can’t even begin to imagine what it’s been like for two parents to not have their youngest child recognize them, to have no idea who they are.

Byron Sr. is the first to answer, mirroring his son-in-law’s words. “Been better.”

April shifts in her seat, bringing her hand back to her lap. “We umm—we spoke to Dr. Reynolds earlier today.”

Joe looks up, partially wondering why he wasn’t present for that meeting. “Okay.”

“She doesn’t remember anything, Joe. Not her childhood. Not her family. Not…not even us.” April voice breaks at the end of her statement as Joe looks away. Hearing this again isn’t exactly helpful, though he would never disrespect her parents by asking them to shut up. Even if it’s what he wants. “And we—well, we just think—”

Byron Sr. cuts in, hand on his wife’s knee. “We want to take her back home with us, Joe.” Joe’s stomach drops. “We want to take her back to Florida.”

———-

Spring, 2022

Cameras.

That’s the one thing Mariella, Mari, still struggles to get used to. The bright lights flashing in her face as her photo is taken, whether on the red carpet, on the stage, or even when she’s just making a run to the grocery store. The latter one hasn’t happened as much as it used to, for which she’s grateful, but still.

So there’s a bit of an adjustment as she looks around the room, the hair and makeup team touching up her face once more before they kick off the segment.

She doesn’t regret it. Doesn’t regret it at all. It’s a good look for him. For her too. And beyond any type of benefit for their careers, she’s just happy she gets to see him.

Because that’s the part she doesn’t think she’ll ever truly get over or be okay with.

The distance.

As directed, she walks down the hall, making sure not to look directly into the camera. This is made infinitely easier by pretending she’s shooting a music video. Which, truth be told, it isn’t very different.

Mari wears the confused expression perfectly, looking down at her phone as if it has information that could help her when she ‘accidentally’ walks into him.

Head up, she gasps and immediately gets to apologizing, just as was in the script. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I wasn’t even looking where I was going.”

His eyes widen as he ‘realizes’ who she is. “Wow. No, you are absolutely fine. Wow. You’re Mari!”

Smiling, she points at him, “and you are…..”

He seems a bit taken back at first, like he’s waiting for her to also recognize him. When that doesn’t happen, he offers his hand. “Sami Zayn. Master strategist and locker room leader.”

She nods, perfectly conveying another confused look at just what that means. “Does—does that mean you’re good with directions? Cause I suck at them.”

“It absolutely does, and you are in luck, because I just so happen to be free right now and would love to give you a tour.”

She opens her mouth to protest, “oh, that’s so sweet, but I really should—” she looks down at her phone. “You know what, I’m a little early, so why not?”

“Awesome.” He claps his hands together and offers his arm. Mari smiles and links hers in his as he starts leading them down the hall, pointing out the most obvious of things.

The camera cuts, and she engages in conversation with Sami, who’s actually a lot like the ‘character’ he plays. Super charismatic and engaging. Kinda reminds her of herself. So much so that before she realizes, they’re back to recording after having moved across the arena.

“And lastly we have—” His eyes suddenly widen as he realizes where they are, Sami moving his hand to her back as he directs them in the opposite direction. “Wait, we do not want to go—”

“There it is!” Mari, however, is smiling brightly as she walks toward the door.

Sami looks like he’s about to have a panic attack, frantically warning, “Mari, I know you’re like an international mega star, but trust me, you do not want to bother that man—” He’s silenced by her knocking on the door.

His face is turning red as he urgently whispers to her, “we should really get out of here. Like right now!.”

She turns to him, confused. “Why?”

And before Sami can respond, the door is ripped open, the scowling faces of the Usos the first thing Sami lands on. He’s preparing to get chewed out only for them to look at Mari and instantly start smiling.

“Whassup, Mari!” Jimmy is the first to greet her, pulling her in for a hug. Followed by Jey, the two of them engaging in some secret handshake that ends with a ‘Yeet’.

Sami, however, laughs nervously, gesturing between the three. “Wait, you—you guys know Mari?”

Jimmy answers, slinging his arm around her. “Man, of course. This family!”

“You’re related to them?” Sami asks, eyes wide.

Mari opens her mouth to answer when another person emerges from the private locker room, taking up almost the entire door frame, face stoic and eyes cold.

Sami looks like he’s about to piss himself. He swallows. “My Tribal Chief, I’m so sorry—”

He’s interrupted by Mari who smiles and pulls away from Jimmy to walk up to Roman.“Hi, baby.” Sami looks on stunned as she leans up and kisses his cheek, pressing her body into his, hand on his abs. “Sorry, I’m a bit late.” She grins over at Sami. “Sami was giving me a tour of the place.”

The reddening of his cheeks is about what and what with the red of his hair. “I don’t—I’m not—”

Playfully rolling her eyes as Roman continues to look like he’s contemplating murder, she lifts her left hand, showing off a beautiful diamond ring. “Roman’s my husband.”

Mouth open like a child who just found out Santa isn’t real, Sami does his best to reel in his surprise. “Of course, you’re married. I totally knew that!” He laughs nervously, hands on his hips. “That’s why I gladly brought you to the Tribal Chief myself. Wanted to ensure nothing but the best for the Bloodline’s first lady.”

“That was really sweet of you. Thank you.” She continues to smile, and Roman continues to send daggers with just one, stolid expression. Mari peers up, kissing him again as she reaches for his hand. “Come on.” She tugs him toward the inside of the locker room, Roman finally budging as he gives Sami one last look that has the redhead contemplating requesting a switch to Raw.

However, as Jimmy and Jey go to follow along with their cousin, Roman is quick to slam the door in their faces.

“Hey, Uce, uhhh,—” Jimmy tries to jangle the knob only to realize it’s locked. He starts knocking. “Roman! Hey, you gon let us in?”

A couple seconds later the door does open, but it’s Solo, followed by Paul Heyman. Wise Man closes the door behind him. He looks around, briefly bewildered and clears his throat, announcing, “The Tribal Chief has requested to be left alone this evening.”

Sami is the only one to laugh, playfully shoving Solo and pointing to the locker room. “I bet he has.” Solo, however, also looks like he’s also contemplating murder. Sami coughs awkwardly and turns to walk away, just as the camera crew announces ‘cut’.

The remaining men share laughs about the promo, meanwhile inside the locker room Mariella relishes in the feel of being reunited with her husband in real life, and now in the WWE kayfabe verse.

She’s pressed against his body, arms around his neck with his locked around her waist, holding her to him. “Hey, Big Daddy.”

Roman, Joe, rolls his eyes. Mariella giggles. She knows he has such a love/hate relationship with the term of endearment, one of many she has for the massive man before her. “You miss me?”

He makes a sound, leaning down to connect their lips. “Always, baby.”

She smiles into their kiss, “good answer.” His big hands venture down to squeeze her ass, Mariella moaning into his mouth which triggers something for him. He lifts her up, her legs locking around his waist as he goes to sit back down in the big leather chair. Joe’s tongue entering her mouth is enough to elicit another moan but also alert her to the fact of where he wants to take this.

“Baby, we cannot do the nasty at your job.”

“I don’t know why you still call it that.” His fake irritation makes her giggle. It’s an inside joke between them that she’ll never let die so long as she lives. “And who says we can’t?”

“I don’t know. The FCC?” He rolls his eyes as she grasps at his beard that she can tell he dyed recently. Most likely because of his job. She wishes he could leave it be. She likes the gray. It does….things to her. “Besides, you know the deal. If we do it right now, we can’t do it tonight.” He continues to move his hands across her ass. “Mama’s got a show this Sunday, and I’d rather not be rendered immobile because my husband impaled me on his big ole’ dick.”

Again, Joe rolls his eyes, even though there’s more truth to her statement than the typical playful jokes she cracks at any given time. Joe has a high sex drive. She’s known this for some years. Mariella, however, does not. And it’s not even that she doesn’t enjoy sex with her husband. It’s that her husband doesn’t know how to stop, doesn’t know how to come, make her come one time for the one time, and just be done with it.

No. This man wants rounds. And truthfully, she just doesn’t have the stamina to keep up with him. Outside of porn stars, she doesn’t know who would.

Man is an absolute beast.

“So damn dramatic,” he chuckles against her neck. “You know I be doing most of the work anyway.”

She opens her mouth to protest. “Okay, that may or may not be true.” She can feel him smiling against her. It’s not like he minds. Joe is dominant in the sheets, wanting to be in control at all times. Her preference given he’s much more well versed in the sexual arts than she is. “But, in my defense, you’re built like a Greek god.” A Samoan god. “I get winded walking up the staircase in our house.”

“Bullshit.” He pulls back, pointing out. “You be on that stage dancing your ass off for damn near three hours.”

She rolls her eyes, murmuring, “okay, that also may or may not be true.” Mari’s eyes flutter as he moves his hand under her dress. Long, thick fingers easily pushing aside her underwear, feeling the pool of her arousal. She squeezes his shoulders. “Joe….”

He grunts almost, gliding his fingers across her wet folds. She exhales sharply. “You this wet already and really want me to think you don’t want Big Daddy to fuck this tight lil’ pussy?”

Whining against him, Mariella unconsciously tries to move around on his lap to get his fingers back on her. In her, preferably. And it’s when he enters one of those deliciously talented fingers inside of her gushy opening, she caves. “Fine.” He smirks as she warns, “but you’re pushing me around in the wheelchair after!”

———-

Between a rock and a hard place.

That’s how Joe has felt the past few weeks, maybe even longer. But especially now.

He knows Ri’s parents are right. That they have every right to want her to spend time at home with them, in the place where she grew up, where most of her formative years and subsequent formative memories lie. Logically, it makes sense.

But, he can’t seem to get past his discomfort at the fact that Ri won’t be getting discharged and coming home with him. No, she’ll be discharged and hop on a plane with them back to Florida. Selfishly, he was hoping the doctor wouldn’t clear her to fly, but that plan went out the window. Dr. Reynolds is clearly on the same page with her parents about the potential benefit of being around constant triggers. Triggers that could help generate memories.

And Joe isn’t against that. At all.

It’s just the fact that he won’t be there that rubs him the right way.

“Joe.”

His eyes shut, an instant headache coming on. This is the last thing he needs.

Turning around, he’s met with Olivia “Liv” Holmes default stare of icy indifference. Out of all of Mariella’s siblings, her family in general, Liv has always been his least favorite.

For a lot of different reasons. The main one being how she always treated Mariella when they were younger. Not mean, per se. But not kindly either. She always acted like Mariella was annoying, and she definitely could be at times, but not to the extent that Liv made it seem.

Like Mariella was just this big nuisance. It’s part of the reason she always wanted to hang out with him and Byron when they were growing up, because Liv spent most of her time with her twin sister, Everly, and her own friend group.

“Liv.” He really doesn’t feel like talking to anyone, let alone her. Their interactions have always been brief and limited to what is essential. For good reason too.

“I take it my parents told you we’re taking Ella back home to Florida with us.”

Joe has to bite back a smartass comment. Liv’s smirk and the almost smug tone of her voice isn’t what he needs right now.

“Yes.” He matches her energy a bit, reminding. “For the first couple weeks, at least. Then I’m going to bring her back home with me.”

Where she belongs.

Liv smiles, but there’s nothing friendly about it. “We’ll see.”

Joe gives her a look. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You know she called me.” He freezes. “The night of the accident.” Joe manages to keep a calm face despite his surprise at her words. Mariella has never been close with Liv, most of their communication occurring via texts and family group chats.

There’s only one reason she would call her sister who happens to be a divorce attorney.

“I want a divorce.”

Liv continuing to speak is ironically appreciated, as it pulls him from the memories of what is now an infamous argument. “I was sleeping and missed her call, but she didn’t leave a message. Kinda wishing she did, because I’m still trying to figure out just what the hell she was doing out on the road that late at night.”

He keeps his cool. Somehow. “I already told you—”

“I know what you said, Joe.” Her interruption is sharp. “I also don’t believe you, because what the hell could she have so heavy on her mind after winning 5 Grammys?” She crosses her arms. “It doesn’t make sense.”

When he doesn’t say anything, she continues her accusatory assault. “You seem to forget that we were in high school together, Joe. I know how you were.” At this, he can’t say anything, can’t necessarily defend himself against truth. “You and Byron fucked damn near half the girls in our school, probably at college too, and then all of a sudden you turn in your hoe card to be with my baby sister? Because you love her? I never bought that shit for a minute.”

While he can’t deny his promiscuous past, Joe isn’t about to stand here and let this woman act like he’s this horrible person who took advantage of Mariella. “What’s your point, Liv? Huh? I’m not fucking stupid. I know you never approved of me being with Ri, but just like I didn’t give a fuck then, I still don’t give a fuck now.”

Liv does relatively well hiding her disapproval among her family, to some extent. But Joe has always been hip to her truth. She thinks Mariella should have gotten with someone else, anyone else probably. Anyone who wasn’t him.

Liv, who has never done well with being challenged, steps forward, glare intense and purposeful. “I’m gonna find out what happened that night, Joe. Because I know there’s something you’re not telling us.” He keeps up his unreadable expression, though there’s a small chunk of guilt swimming around the back of his head. Not even about not being completely honest with Mariella’s family.

More about not being honest with her.

She lowers her voice. “And when I do find out—”

“Liv.”

Joe and Liv turn to see Byron Jr. standing before them with a disappointed expression.

Arms crossed, he steps toward them, focused more on Liv than Joe. “Don’t be starting no shit today, alright? This the last thing we need.”

In recent years, especially since becoming a father, BJ has matured from his hotheaded days, often even a voice of reason. One of the reasons he’s been voted Locker Room captain for his team, the 49ers, 3 years in a row.

Liv rolls her eyes. “You’ve always been blinded by your friendship with him—”

“Hey.” Byron raises his voice a bit. “I mean it. You blaming people doesn’t change what happened, and you know damn well Ella would have a fit at you coming at Joe like this.”

Not really. Maybe before. Before everything collapsed so tragically between the two of them.

“Whatever.” She gives a final almost warning glare to the two of them before stalking off, probably to go see Mariella.

BJ places a comforting hand on Joe’s shoulder once she’s gone. “You good, man?”

Not at all. “Yeah.” He clears his throat.

BJ gives a sad smile. “Don’t let Olevil get to you.” Her nickname from back when they were in high school makes Joe chuckle. “You going back to work next week?”

Joe blows out a breath. That hasn’t even crossed his mind the past couple weeks. He doesn’t even really know what storyline they came up with to cover his absence. Nor does he care really. “I haven’t even thought about that, man.”

“I think you should.” And before Joe can protest, Byron lifts his hand. “Hear me out. She’s gonna be with our parents for a few weeks, so you know she’ll be in good hands. What you gon’ do while she’s gone? Sit around the house sad and moping and shit? You know she would be chewing you out for that, telling you that you gotta get back in the game.”

Joe gives a bit of a smile. Byron is right. Knowing Mariella, she’d have a whole theatrical ass presentation as to why he should return to work, song and dance included.

“Yeah…”

Byron slaps him on his shoulder. “Just think about it, alright?”

Joe nods, because he will. And not for himself, not even for his job, because he doesn’t give a fuck about that right now.

But for Mariella.

His Ri.

Because she’ll always be his Ri.

And he’s determined to make sure she doesn’t forget it this time.

———-

Spring, 2022 [cont.]

“Baby!” It’s a distant voice that becomes closer as it's repeatedly conjoined with a small hand shaking at his shoulder. “Baby, wake up.”

And he does. Eyes fluttering open, his vision is blurred initially, gradually clearing up to reveal the face of his beautiful wife. Cognizant of his surroundings, Joe realizes she’s sitting on top of him, notebook and pen in hand.

He smiles. It’s been a while since she’s woken him up for this. And while he’ll regret it in the morning, he’s grateful for it now. Grateful for these little callbacks to when they were broke, living in a crappy apartment, trying to chase the dream as inspiration struck her at all hours of the night. And she would wake him up, wanting his feedback.

He didn’t really mind then.

And he doesn’t really mind now.

That’s just his Ri.

Eyes squinting, she asks, “you up?”

He chuckles, also enjoying the sight of her straddling him wearing only his shirt. “Yes, baby. I’m up.”

“About time,” she complains, and he rolls his eyes. So damn dramatic. “I’m feeling inspired.” She says it while giving almost jazz hands, pretty brown eyes landing back on him. “Wanna hear the lyrics?”

He yawns, glancing at the digital clock that reads 2:37AM. “What else would I be doing at this time?”

She glares. “Is that sarcasm I detect, mister? Is it my fault my musical muse comes alive at night? That she flourishes when most—”

“Ri.”

“Huh?”

He closes his eyes. Joe loves Mariella with everything in him, but he’s not in the mood for one of her theatrical tangents at damn near 3 o’clock in the morning. “Lyrics.”

“Oh! Right!” Chuckling, he watches as she reads over whatever she’s written to herself at first. A bit of a habit. She’s always initially self-conscious about her lyrics. “Now, it’s just off the top of my head, so be nice, okay?”

“I’m always nice to you, Ri.” It’s the truth. As annoyed as he can get sometimes, she’s never been on that list. “And I’m sure it’s fine.”

She smiles appreciatively, slightly taking him by surprise as she quietly sings the lyrics versus just reading them to him.

Yellow diamonds in the light

Now we're standing side by side

As your shadow crosses mine

What it takes to come alive

It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny

But I've gotta let it go

We found love in a hopeless place

Finished, she looks down at him, expectantly, “well?”

“I love it.” He loves most of what she writes though. He especially loves to hear her sing. “What inspired it?”

“I don’t know. I was just thinking about us. About how far we come.” She shrugs, his hands rubbing circles on her hips. “Your show was sold out tonight, Joe. Mine is sold out too. Like, we both sold out Madison Square Garden. That feels almost too perfect to be true.”

He makes a sound. “But, it is, baby.”

“I know.” She sighs heavily and asks in a partial hypothetical tone. “We’re like really hot shit, huh?” Joe chuckles as she gasps and places her tablet down on his chest, quickly writing something down. He says nothing, having been with her for so long that none of her quirky ways really surprise him anymore.

“Also.”

“Also?”

She glares but moves to place the notebook and pen on the nightstand, resting her hands on his chest. “I was thinking about our conversation earlier…” He’s quiet, waiting patiently for her to finish her sentence even if it does have him a bit on edge. He’s never been good with waiting. “Let’s do it.”

Her answer takes him by surprise. “You sure?”

She nods, tugging at his beard. “We’re not getting any younger.” She giggles, eyes playfully narrowing. “Especially you, old man.”

At that, he sucks his teeth. “Who you calling old?” He squeezes her side, and she squeals. He knows that’s where she’s ticklish. She falls out, laughing, and he takes the advantage of her being distracted to flip them so she’s flat on her back. “Naw, say it again. I ain’t hear you.”

“Joe, stop,” she giggles as he hovers over her, tickling her until she pushes back against his shoulder. He grabs her hand, restricting her when she opens her eyes. Her laughter quietly dies down when their eyes lock.

Love.

So much love.

Joe leans down and connects their lips, softly, slowly, just as meaningful as any other kiss they’ve shared. She moans into his mouth, feeling his hardened length graze against her opening, her essence already making its way down her inner thighs.

He feels this too, groaning and lifting her thigh to widen her as he carefully enters her, watching her arch her back at the entrance. She whimpers, hands moving around his shoulders.

He kisses her wrist, watching the pleasure on her face as he gives her deep strokes, slow and plunging, just how he knows she likes it. “Shhhh….let me take care of you, baby.”

And he does.

He always has.

He always will.

#roman reigns x black!oc #roman reigns fic #roman reigns x black!reader #roman reigns #arisnotebook

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rintarosluvr · 4 months ago

Text

𝐌𝐎��𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊

Sylus x Reader

Topics: angst (sorta), flashback on how Y/n and sylus met, they are 14/15, basically teenagers being teenagers, she doesn't like sylus (let me cook!), sylus comforting Y/n

Note: happy new year! hope y'all enjoy this chap as well!!

Word count: 5k

Chap.1

Chap.2

A loud crash shook you awake, the sound rattling the stillness of the early morning

The faint glow of dawn seeped through the thin curtains of your bedroom, painting the walls in muted shades of blue and gold

The soft rustling of the ocean breeze carried through the slightly ajar window but it wasn’t enough to drown out the commotion outside

The door to your room creaked open as Leanne peeked her head inside, her hair messy from sleeping

“Y/n…” she called, her voice filled with worry

“I know, I know” you grumble, rubbing your eyes as you sit up, the wooden floor creaked slightly beneath her as she stepped inside

“I thought your old neighbors moved out?” she asks, glancing toward the window as if trying to see what had disturbed the quiet morning

“They did. The house has been empty for a while” you mumble, tossing your blanket aside and standing up

“Then why did I see people moving in?” she asks, her confusion evident

“What?!” you exclaim, rushing past her and heading for the stairs

Leanne follows as you storm through the cozy living room, where Vanessa and Kaori are already waiting by the open door

The salty tang of the ocean air hit you immediately, the sound of waves crashing faintly in the distance

“She’s finally up” Vanessa mutters, leaning against the doorframe

“About time” Kaori sighs, stepping aside as you push the screen door open and head outside.

The morning sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over the sleepy coastal neighborhood

The old house next door loomed next door, it’s once faded blue paint now looking refreshed

“Did you call any of my parents?” you ask as you stride toward the house, your bare feet brushing against the dew covered grass

“They didn’t pick up” Vanessa replies

“Great” you mutter, pushing open the rusty gate that separated the two properties. It creaked loudly, drawing a wince from you

You make your way up the short pathway, bordered by overgrown shrubs and press the doorbell. The faint sounds drifted from inside the house, quickly silenced by the chime of the bell

A moment later, the door swung open, revealing a boy about your age. He leaned against the frame, his expression casual, his white hair slightly disheveled as though he’d just woken up

“Can I help you?” he asks, his raised eyebrow matching his amused tone

You blink, momentarily thrown off by the easy confidence in his posture “This house isn’t supposed to have anyone in it. So, if you would kindly leave…”

He smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned further against the frame “My parents just rented this house. So that makes us neighbors” he says

You narrow your eyes, skeptical “And where are they?”

“Out with your parents” he replies without missing a beat “They told me they had a daughter my age living next door”

That sounded exactly like something your mom would say... You sigh, the tension in your shoulders easing slightly “I guess you’re in the clear Just try to keep it down, yeah?”

“I’ll try my best” he nods as he watches you.

You roll your eyes and step back

“What’s your name” he asks, tilting his head in curiosity

“Y/n” you reply curtly

“Nice to meet you, Y/n I’m Sylus”

You nod, turning on your heel to head back toward your house. Your friends fall into step beside you, their curious glances making you bristle

“He’s staring at you” Leanne whispers, a teasing grin tugging at her lips

“I have a boyfriend” you mutter, your tone clipped as you focus on the gravel crunching under your feet

“There’s nothing wrong with admitting your neighbor is good looking” Kaori shrugs, her tone light as the sun glinted off the ocean waves in the distance.

“Whatever” you mumble

[Three Days Later]

“Okay, kiddos, everyone take a seat!” your teacher says as you make your way to your usual spot at the back of the classroom

The chatter among your classmates gradually fades and the bustling energy settles into a calm quiet

“We have a new student joining us today, Please give a warm welcome to Sylus, who officially transferred yesterday''

Your attention shifts to the new arrival. Sylus stands tall, exuding a composed confidence. His eyes sweep over the room, taking in the curious faces

When his gaze lands on you, he nods slightly, a small smirk tugging at his lips, You narrow your eyes, returning the look with mild annoyance

From the desk in front of you, your boyfriend leans back slightly, his tone low “You know him?”

“Found out like two days ago, that he’s my neighbor” you explain with a sigh “Thought he was one of those kids sneaking into abandoned houses or something”

“And he knows you’ve got a boyfriend, right?” he presses, his expression serious

“Probably not” you admit, leaning back in your seat “Didn’t talk to him for that long”

He nods, clearly mulling it over before turning his focus back to the front of the classroom

“What was that about?” Vanessa whispers, her eyes darting between you and your boyfriend

“Don’t know, it’s weird” you shrug, brushing off whatever that was

“Sylus, you can take a seat next to Eydis” the teacher says, motioning to the empty chair near the window, Sylus strides to the seat with an air of ease, his smirk lingering as he passes your desk

As he sits, he casts another glance your way and you fight the urge to roll your eyes

During the break, you and your friends sat near the soccer field, the ocean stretching out in the distance

The sun glinted off the waves and a gentle breeze carried through the air, Your friends gathered around the picnic table, chatting and picking at their snacks.

Leanne broke the momentary silence, her voice playful like she was interviewing you “So, what do you think about your boyfriend being jealous of Sylus after just three classes?”

“It’s annoying” you mumble, unwrapping the vending machine snack in your hands and taking a bite

“I bet” Kaori chimes in, leaning back on the bench and shaking her head

“You should’ve seen his face when Sylus called my name after the teacher asked who he wanted to partner up with for class” you sigh

Vanessa raises an eyebrow “Maybe he’s jealous of Sylus’s looks?”

“Well, I’m his girlfriend” you say firmly “He doesn’t have anything to worry about”

“True” Vanessa nods, popping a chip into her mouth as the conversation shifts to other things, but the unease about your boyfriend’s jealousy lingers in the back of your mind

Above the distant sound of the waves, the faint cheers from the soccer field and the chatter of other students fill the air, grounding you in the moment as your friends laugh and joke around

“Wassup!” a familiar voice cuts through your thoughts. You turn your head, spotting Kazuo strolling over with his usual relaxed demeanor “What’s with your boyfriend acting all competitive toward the new guy?” he asks, raising an eyebrow as he leans casually against the table

“I honestly don’t know and I don’t want to know” you grumble, rubbing your temple “Everything is pissing me off at this moment”

“Might have to do with Sylus talking to him before class” Eydis says, suddenly appearing and sliding into the bench between Kaori and Leanne, helping himself to their snacks

“What?” you ask, genuinely caught off guard

“He didn’t tell you?” Eydis looks surprised “Well, I asked Sylus about it, and he said, ‘Your girlfriend is very pretty’ which is bold, I can’t lie”

You groan dropping your head onto Vanessa’s shoulder “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope” Eydis says, shaking his head as he munches on a stolen chips

“So he asked for your name a few days ago and stalked your social media. I respect the effort” Kazuo nods

“I don’t” you snap

“Well, we’re on the field” Eydis says, standing up with Kazuo “See you later”

As they head off, Vanessa nudges you “Are you going to talk to Sylus?” “No” you shake your head firmly “Who knows what he’s up to”

“Seems like he’s into you” Kaori says with a shrug “Like, a lot”

“Love at first sight” Leanne teases, a mischievous grin spreading across her face “How romantic”

You toss a piece of candy at her, earning a laugh “I’m joking!” she says throwing her hands up defensively

The ocean breeze swirls around you but instead of calming you, it only reminds you of the whirlwind Sylus seems to have brought into your life

“See you guys tomorrow!” you wave at your friends from across the train station

“We’ll be calling later!” Kaori reminds you as their train pulls up

“Sure!” You chuckle, popping your earbuds in, getting ready to start your music, but before you can, someone sits down next to you on the bench

You look up “Why are you sitting here?” you ask, glancing around at the mostly empty station

“Because I want to” Sylus says with a nonchalant shrug

You frown “Did you really go up to him and tell him his girlfriend is pretty?” you ask, unable to hold back your curiosity

“Yeah” he says, shrugging again like it’s no big deal

“Why?” “Wanted to tell him the truth,” he says casually, as it’s the most normal thing in the world

You narrow your eyes at him “Well, he’s jealous thanks to you”

“Then he doesn’t deserve you” Sylus says, his gaze locking with yours

You blink caught off guard by his bluntness “Just shut up”

He chuckles softly, clearly entertained by your reaction “If he breaks up with you, it’s his loss, really”

You raise your eyebrows, incredulous at what just came out of his mouth. It’s as if your one year relationship doesn’t hold any weight in his eyes

“If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t let you go for anything” he says, his tone sincere, with no trace of his usual smirk. He looks like he means every word

You don’t respond. Instead, you plug your other earbud in and start your music, hoping to drown him out

[Saturday]

“Do I really have to go?” you sigh, trailing after your mom as she moves around the living room searching for her bag

“Yes” she says without looking up “I already told Mrs. Qin we’d be coming over”

“What about my plans?” you protest, hoping for an out

“You don’t have any plans. If you did, you would’ve told me days ago,” she replies

“I don’t like him” you grumble, slumping against the wall

“Has he done anything to you?” your mom asks, already knowing you’re talking about Sylus

“Yeah, sabotaging my relationship” you mutter under your breath

“Oh, Y/n” she sighs shaking her head “He only told your boyfriend you were pretty. There’s nothing wrong with that”

“So if some woman came up to you and told you Dad was handsome, you’d be fine with it?” you challenge, crossing your arms and watching her reaction

“It’s good to know my husband is handsome” she shrugs

You groan and throw yourself face first onto the couch cushion, muffling a frustrated scream into the fabric

“Are you done?” she asks, raising an eyebrow as you peek up at her “If so, go get dressed. You’ve got fifteen minutes”

You huff dramatically but drag yourself upstairs, as you trudge up the stairs, you pull out your phone and tap into your group chat

The phone rings a few times before Leanne picks up, her face filling the screen as she spins lazily in her chair

“What’s up?” she asks, tilting her head in curiosity

“I need a way out” you groan dramatically, flopping onto your bed with your phone hovering over your face

“Out of what?” Kaori’s voice cuts in as her face pops up in the corner of the screen

“My mom is dragging me to Mrs. Qin’s house” you explain, letting out a long, exaggerated sigh. “And guess who’s gonna be there”

“Sylus” Vanessa guesses, her screen lighting up as she joins the call

“Ding, ding, ding” you deadpan “I swear, my mom is on his side at this point. She even defended him for calling me pretty to my boyfriend”

“Damn, Sylus got your mom wrapped around his finger too?” Leanne laughs, spinning again in her chair

“Not helping” you grumble, glaring at her through the screen

“So what’s the plan?” Kaori leans closer to her camera, her expression serious like she’s ready to strategize

“There is no plan” you sigh, flipping onto your back “She’s giving me fifteen minutes to get dressed, and I don’t have a single excuse not to go”

“Just fake being sick” Vanessa suggests with a casual shrug

“Tried that last time” you reply, groaning again “You know it won’t work twice”

“Well, you could always just… survive it” Kaori says, throwing her hands up as if it’s the most obvious solution

“Not the advice I was looking for” you mutter, shooting her a halfhearted glare

“You’ll be fine” Leanne says reassuringly

“Text us updates!” Kaori adds “We need the gossip”

“You guys are useless” you laugh despite yourself “Well, I gotta go” you add as your mom’s voice rings out from downstairs, calling your name

With a resigned sigh, you end the call and drag yourself toward your closet, already dreading the evening ahead

“On my way back from practice, I bought flowers for you both” Sylus says, handing your mom a bouquet with an easy smile

“Oh, how sweet” your mom says, bringing the flowers to her nose for a sniff “These are lovely”

Sylus then hands you a smaller bouquet. You narrow your eyes at him, your lips pressed into a thin line as his mother watches the interaction with interest

“Thank you, Sylus” you say with a strained, fake smile “How nice of you”

“You’re welcome” he nods, his tone surprisingly polite

You glance down at the bouquet in your hands, your irritation slowly fading when you notice they’re your favorite flowers

“Seems like stalking paid off” you mutter under your breath, making sure only he could hear you

“It did” he chuckles softly, clearly amused by your reaction

You roll your eyes and grip the bouquet tighter, silently praying for the ground to swallow you whole. God, why this?

“Your boyfriend has yet to do this” she whispers, her tone sly as she gestures to the bouquet

Yeah, that’s it. If the universe doesn’t end you right now, you’ll simply die, The last thing you want is your mother comparing Sylus to your boyfriend

Soon after you all move to the table, it was beautifully set, with steaming dishes of food that smelled amazing

You sat across from Sylus, who seemed perfectly at ease, laughing and chatting with your mother and his mother

“So, Y/n” Mrs. Qin began, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, “how do you like having Sylus as a neighbor?”

You forced a polite smile “It’s… fine. Quiet, most of the time”

“Most of the time?” Sylus interjected, raising an eyebrow “When have I been loud?”

You shot him a look “You’re not as quiet as you think during your practice in the garage with your boxing”

Sylus raised an eyebrow, a sly grin spreading across his face “Ah, so you’ve been listening to my training sessions?” he teased, leaning back in his chair, clearly enjoying the banter

You fought the urge to roll your eyes “It’s hard not to hear the punching bag rattle at all hours” you muttered, trying to sound casual “It’s like a drumbeat for the neighborhood

Your mother cleared her throat, clearly picking up on your tone. “She’s just adjusting to the change, Mrs. Qin. You know how teenagers can be”

Mrs. Qin laughed, nodding. “Of course, of course. But you two seem to get along well enough” Her gaze turned to Sylus “Have you been helping her with anything? Schoolwork, maybe?”

“Actually” Sylus said “I’ve been helping her boyfriend understand his priorities”

Your fork clattered against your plate as you dropped it, glaring at him “That’s not what happened”

“Oh?” Mrs. Qin asked, her eyebrows lifting in amusement “What did happen?”

Sylus leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the attention “Let’s just say I had to remind him how lucky he is”

“You mean by making him jealous?” you muttered under your breath, quickly, shoving a bite of food into your mouth to avoid further questioning

“I think it’s sweet that Sylus has taken such an interest” your mother chimed in, giving you a pointed look “He’s such a thoughtful young man”

You resisted the urge to groan, feeling the weight of everyone’s eyes on you. Sylus smiled at you across the table, completely unbothered. You, on the other hand, were counting the minutes until this dinner was over

“So, do you attend any after school clubs?” Mrs. Qin asks, her gaze bright with curiosity

You nod, swallowing a bite of food “I do, the dance club”

“That’s interesting” she says with a smile “You cheer too, right?”

You raise an eyebrow, surprised “How did you know that?”

“Sylus mentioned it” she replies

You glance at Sylus, who gives you a small, knowing smirk

“Oh yeah. I do, it’s fun” you say

“I’ve seen them walk together after practice. It’s nice of him to wait for you” your mom chimes in, clearly proud

You almost choke on your food at the mention of that “Oh really?” Mrs. Qin asks, glancing between you and her son, clearly intrigued

“Yeah, it’s kind of late when she finishes” Sylus says with a shrug and you swear you can feel your blood pressure rising

“It only happened twice” you say quickly, wanting to downplay the situation

Sylus raises an eyebrow “Which is still a lot”

You give him a tight lipped smile, wishing you could find a way to shut him up

After dinner, both mothers decided to clean up, suggesting that you and Sylus hang out in his room while they took care of the dishes

You couldn’t help but wonder what kind of parents would let that happen, especially with how teens have been lately

But here you were, walking behind him to his room after he held the door open with a grin “Ladies first,” he said, gesturing for you to go ahead

His room was painted in deep red, with black curtains draped across the windows, a few medals hung on the walls, along with several trophies scattered around and to your surprise, a cat lounged lazily on the bed

You crouched down to pet it, letting your fingers gently stroke its soft fur

“It’s a boy” Sylus said, leaning against the doorframe, watching you

You smiled, continuing to pet the cat “What’s his name?”

“Shadow” he replied

His cat looks up at you lazily, flicking its tail before rubbing its head against your hand

You smile, enjoying the softness of his fur “He’s cute” you admit, giving the cat a gentle scratch behind its ears

Sylus shrugs “He’s more like a cat than a pet, really. Just hangs around when he feels like it”

You stand up and glance around his room, noting the trophies and medals scattered on shelves “You’re really I to boxing, no?” you ask, gesturing toward his achievements

“Yeah” he says with a slight shrug “You could say I like competition”

You nod slowly, eyes flicking to one of the gold medals hanging on the wall “Seems like it’s working out for you”

“Some things do” he responds, his tone unexpectedly serious for a moment

You take a seat on the edge of his bed, still trying to wrap your mind around the idea of spending time in his room

It felt… different. Something about the space felt both inviting and oddly intimidating

As you sit there, Sylus steps closer but the way he’s looking at you makes you realize just how much he’s been watching you since you stepped into the room

You feel the air shift between you both, an unspoken tension hanging in the air

“So, what do you usually do in here?” you ask, trying to break the silence

He smirks, leaning against the desk “Nothing interesting. Just training, games, and… occasionally making people mad”

You raise an eyebrow at him “Sounds like you enjoy the last one”

“Guilty as charged” he replies “You should try it sometime. Might be fun”

You roll your eyes, not taking the bait “I think I’ll pass on that one”

“So how long have you been with your boyfriend?” Sylus asked his eyes watching you intently

The question caught you off guard “A year” you answer, trying to keep your tone neutral

He nodded but didn’t say anything more, letting the silence hang in the air for a moment

“What? You don’t have a girlfriend?” you question raising an eyebrow, still leaning back and absentmindedly petting Shadow

“No” he replied simply, his gaze shifting away from you for a second “If I did, it would’ve been known”

“Got it” you nodded, the air between you suddenly thick with something unspoken. You watched as he sat down in his chair, settling into the silence,

You grab your phone, relieved for something to distract you, It buzzed a few times and you unlocked it to check the notifications from the group chat

Leanne: “Y/n, spill! What’s going on with you and Sylus?”

Kaori: “I swear he’s flirting with you, just admit it!”

Vanessa: “You okay over there?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, texting back quickly “Nothing’s going on. He’s just being a pain”

You could feel Sylus’s eyes on you as you typed, but you didn’t look up. It was easier that way

[The morning after]

“He was just staring a lot, like he was observing me” you tell your friends the next day, trying to make sense of Sylus’s behavior

“Maybe he was in awe” Vanessa shrugs, a teasing grin on her face

“I don’t know” you shrug, not quite convinced “It was a bit weird when it was just the two of us”

“In an awkward or like a comfortable way?” Kaori asks

“Both, I guess” you sigh feeling the confusion from last night all over again

“And he gave you flowers, your favorite ones, that’s cute” Leanne adds, trying to lighten the mood

“I’m just trying to figure out why he always does the things he does, waiting for me and now the flowers” you mumble, your thoughts tangled

“Well, that gotta wait, your boyfriend is coming and looks mad” Vanessa says, her tone shifting as she spots him walking toward you

You turn around to see him approaching, a frown already forming on his face

“Hey, can we talk?” he asks as soon as he reaches you

“Uh yeah, sure” you nod, feeling the tension “See you guys in class” you call to your friends, who nod and watch you walk away

You follow your boyfriend down an empty hallway, feeling the weight of the moment

“Are the rumors true?” he asks as you both slow down, his voice tense

“What rumors?” you ask, genuinely confused

“You and Sylus having dinner last night?” he asks, his eyes searching your face for an answer

“Oh yeah, was forced to go by my mom” you reply, trying to keep things light but sensing the storm brewing

“And the flowers he gave you?” he presses, clearly not letting it go

“Couldn’t really throw them away” you mumble, feeling uncomfortable “Why are you questioning me right now?”

“I don’t like him” he admits, his voice low and serious

“And I do?” you mumble under your breath, trying not to sound hurt

“It seems like it” he sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration

“Are you kidding me right now?” you narrow your eyes at him, not knowing how to handle this

“What am I supposed to think, you’ve been spending so much time with him?”

“Not by will” you say, your voice edged with frustration

“Right” he mumbles, his eyes narrowing “Maybe we should take a break”

“What? Just because of what happened last night? Are you serious?” you ask, your annoyance creeping in “Whatever, I don’t have the time for this. Text me later or something” you say, turning on your heel and walking away

Sylus watches you enter the classroom, clearly annoyed, with a hint of concern flickering in his expression

You take your seat with a sigh, trying to shake off the tension

“What happened?” Kaori asks, noticing your mood as soon as you sit down

“He wants to break up because of what happened last night” you explain, keeping your voice low

“Because of a dinner you were forced to go to? That’s crazy” Leanne says, disbelief in her voice

“Tell me about it” you mumble

[3:42PM]

You felt like crying when you saw the text message from your now ex boyfriend after school

The words stung, he broke up with you so easily, letting his insecurities about Sylus tear everything down, for a guy who had barely been around for a week, it hurt more than you expected

“You’re fine, Y/n” you whisper to yourself, trying to steady your breath “He doesn’t deserve you”

Breaking up with you over some other guy? How weak was that? The thought gnawed at you as the frustration and disappointment built up inside

You let out a deep sigh, pausing your music, trying to compose yourself

You had ditched cheer practice, too tired to face it all, the last thing you wanted was to pretend everything was okay when it really wasn’t

You wanted nothing more than to be home, away from everyone, to just curl up and cry your eyes out, the weight of everything, the breakup, the confusion, the frustration was too much to carry right now

You just wanted to shut the world out, tune out all the noise and let the tears fall without worrying about anything or anyone

It felt like everything was falling apart and all you wanted was to escape for a while

A pair of shoes stops in front of you but you refuse to look up, already knowing who it is, of all people, he’s the last person you want to see you like this

“I’m not in the mood today” you mumble, keeping your gaze fixed on the ground

He doesn’t reply right away but instead, he sits down beside you. “He’s an idiot” he finally says

You scoff softly glancing at him.“You know this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t talked to him, right?”

Sylus doesn’t smirk or offer a cheeky comeback, For once, his face isn’t wearing its usual confident expression. Instead, there’s something softer, almost unreadable in his gaze

He looks at you for a moment longer, his eyes tracing over your glossy eyes and the way your teeth sink into your lip, an obvious attempt to hold back the tears threatening to spill

You look pitiful, like a cornered kitten, trembling but still trying to hold its ground, Vulnerable, but stubbornly defiant, yet he doesn’t smirk or wear that cocky, self assured expression you’ve come to expect

If anything, there’s something unfamiliar in his face. Concern? Sympathy? His lips press into a thin line and the sharpness in his eyes softens, just enough to make you doubt if you’re imagining it

The silence stretches, heavy and taut, until he finally speaks, his voice lower than usual, as though afraid to shatter you entirely “You look like you’re about to cry”

“And whose fault is that?” you snap, your voice cracking slightly as you glare at him

Sylus sighs, leaning back against the wall behind him, his gaze never leaving your face “Mine, I guess. But I wasn’t trying to ruin anything for you. If he can’t handle someone saying his girlfriend is pretty, maybe he wasn’t worth your time”

“That’s not the point” you mutter, looking away “It’s the fact that he got so insecure over something so small”

He tilts his head, studying you like you’re a puzzle he’s trying to figure out “You deserve someone who doesn’t crumble at the first sign of competition. Someone who can see how amazing you are and not let their ego get in the way”

You blink at him, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone “Why are you even here?”

“To make sure you’re okay,” he says simply “And to remind you that his loss isn’t your fault”

You let out a shaky breath, the tears threatening to spill over “I don’t need your pep talk right now, Sylus”

“Maybe not” he shrugs “but you’ve got it anyway”

His words settle over you like a strange kind of comfort and for a moment, you let the silence between you stretch, letting yourself feel just a little less alone

“You have a fever” your father says, pulling his hand away from your forehead, his brow furrowed with concern

“Don’t worry, I can still go to school” you insist, attempting to sit up

“Not happening” he replies firmly, gently pushing you back down by your shoulders. “You’re staying home”

From downstairs, your mother’s voice calls for him, He looks back at you “Alright, if anything happens, call me, yeah?”

You nod l “Sure”

Your phone rings just as your dad leaves the room and you pick it up without much enthusiasm

“Are you running late?” Vanessa’s voice comes through the speaker

“No, got a fever” you mumble

“Wait, what?! You’re sick?” Leanne chimes in, sounding alarmed

“That’s what my dad said” you shrug, even though they can’t see you

“We’ll come by after school” Kaori says decisively

“Fine by me” you reply, too tired to argue

“We gotta go, class is starting” Vanessa says hurriedly

“Okay bye” you say, hanging up as they rush off

You toss your phone onto the bedside table, letting out a tired sigh

Sylus watches as your parents exit the house, your dad shutting the door behind him

“Y/n is sick today” your mother says, glancing at Sylus “Would you like us to drop you off at school?”

He shakes his head politely “No, thank you. I’ll be fine”

As your parents head toward the car, Sylus hears your dad speak “That’s the boy who gave you and Y/n those bouquets of flowers?”

“Yes” your mom replies with a smile “He’s very sweet”

Sylus doesn’t react but his gaze drifts up to your bedroom window, the soft pink glow from your bedside lamp spills through the curtains, faintly illuminating the room

He lingers for a moment, then turns on his heel and starts walking, his thoughts quietly preoccupied

You scroll through your laptop, looking for a movie to kill some time. Being sick is the worst, it means you’re stuck doing nothing but trying to distract yourself from how miserable you feel

A knock at your window makes you pause, your frown deepening as you push the laptop to the side, shoving the curtain away, you’re met with an unexpected sight

“Sylus?” you say, your voice muffled through the closed window. You slide it open, the warm air brushing past you

“Why aren’t you at school?” you ask, confused

“You’re sick” he replies

“How do you know?” “Your mom told me before they left” he says, like it’s the most obvious thing

You blink at him, then glance down “How’d you even get up here?”

“I climbed” he says with a shrug, as if scaling your house was completely normal “Here”

He sets a bag on the windowsill

“You went to the store?” you ask, raising an eyebrow

“You ask a lot of questions” he sighs, shaking his head as if you’re exhausting him

“Do you blame me?” you mumble, eyeing the bag

Sylus gives you a small smirk but says nothing, leaning casually against the frame like he has all the time in the world

You open the bag, checking its contents, a container of soup, a few snack, a bottle of water, and a drink

You look back up at him, ready to say something, but the sight of him stops you short

The sun behind him casts a golden glow, lighting up his features in a way that seems almost unreal, his hair catches the light and his calm expression contrasts with the casual way he leans against the frame

You feel a strange sensation stir in your stomach, not unpleasant but unfamiliar

You’re not sure if it’s the fever messing with you or something else entirely “Why’d you do this?” you ask softly, the words leaving your mouth before you can stop them

He meets your eyes “Because you need someone to take care of you” he says simply

Chap.3 >

#l&ds sylus #lnds sylus #sylus love and deepspace #love and deepspace sylus #sylus x reader #lads sylus #sylus x black reader #sylus #qin che #sylus qin #fluff #moonstruck

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m0nsterqzzz · 1 year ago

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★ Happy Endings in the Avengers Compound ★

paring: wanda maximoff x female reader

summary: Wanda is to afraid to make a move with you but what about when you get a date that isn't her?

warnings: literally nothing, it's just pure fluff, jealousy if that needs a warning? really shitty ending cuz i didn't know how to end it lol, a tiny bit ofcussing, terrible writing

a/n: I wrote this while I should've been taking notes in English cuz I was so boreddddd got this idea from a video my friend sent me that was all like, "girl whos obsessed with you does your makeup or something" cuz there's this girl in class who likes to do people's makeup and it was so fucking funny cuz she kept making comments I swear so yeah I just wanted to say that. enjoy :)

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

With a big grin, you harshly push open Wanda's bedroom door and squeal. “I got a date with this really pretty girl at the coffee shop!” Wanda's head snaps up from the book she's ready, and no amount of enthusiasm takes over her face. “A girl? what's her name, last name, date of birth, addresses, place of work, and hometown?” you chuckle, sitting criss cross on her bed and taking her cold hands in your warm ones. “Her name is Vanessa but I call her V, her last name is Tanner, birthday is March 23rd…I don't know what year, I don't know her address, she works at the hospital a few streets away, and I don't know where her hometown is.”

She takes a moment to think before questioning, “So you're going out with a woman you barely know? That doesn't sound safe honey.” You chuckle and nod. “I do know her! We spent like two hours talking in the café!” She looked back to her book and muttered, “Yet you still don't know how old she is.”

You giggle, and a sudden thought appears that makes you smile even brighter. “You should do my makeup! She's taking me out to dinner at a really fancy restaurant at seven.” Wanda frowns. You hate fancy restaurants. The last time Tony tried to take the team out to one, you stared at the menu with a disgusted look on your face the entire time. Wanda ended up taking you to a diner later that night, and the burger you had was much better than the snail food Tony made you try. Why are you going out with this girl if she didn’t even care enough to learn that?

Wanda rolls her eyes a bit. “Why would I do that?” She asks, and you smile. “Because you love me.” you say. and she mumbles something incoherent before looking at your face and sighing in defeat.

You cheer, launching yourself into her arms and letting your head rest against her chest. The corners of her lips tug up at your happiness, but they go back down when she remembers why.

“Come on butterfly.” She helps you up off the bed, leading you to her vanity and forcing you to sit on the chair. She grabs a bronzer stick, gently applying it to the middle of your cheeks, kind of on your cheekbone. She grabs a beauty blender and blends that in before grabbing a blush palette. Bucky walks into the room, laying down on Wanda's bed and beginning to talk about some guy he met at the park today. “And he’s such an attention seeker!” He ends with, and it’s silent until Wanda speaks quietly- clearly to you, “Just like that girl you’re seeing.” You scoff, and Bucky bursts out laughing as he looks between the two of you. “What's that supposed to mean? You haven’t even met them yet!” You say, and Wanda shots back, “And I don’t want to.” Bucky holds his stomach in laughter, and both you and Wanda turn to glare at him. The frown on your face is clear as you look at Wanda, and she sighs as she tells you, “I’m sorry okay Butterfly? I just…..I don’t know.” You miss the way Bucky smirks at the witch as he leaves the room quietly.

“I guess…..I just don’t like that she has you and I don’t.” This brings a small giggle out of you. “Of course you have me Wands! You’re my best friend!” You say, oblivious to the way she grimaces at the word “friend”. She sighs, and doesn’t say anything as you apply some eyeshadow and highlighter to your face. “There you go Butterfly.” You look at yourself in the mirror, grinning at the sight and then at her. You kiss her forehead in thanks. “Thank you Wands!” You say, beginning to run out of her bedroom to go search for an outfit to wear.

“Anytime darling.” She mumbles, releasing a heavy sigh and holding her head in her hands. Someone gently knocks on the door, and she wipes her tears away and says without turning around, “What’s up Butterfly?” A slightly deep and raspy voice speaks teasingly from her doorway, “I thought that nickname was reserved for your girlfriend?”

Wanda turns around, facing the redhead woman in the doorway and lets the tears fall. Natasha’s smile falls, and she instantly walks to Wanda and wraps her up in a hug. “She-she’s going out with someone else Nat! I’m too late!” Natasha knows about Wanda’s crush on you, as it was revealed after Wanda finally snapped at her after months of the ex-assassin teasing her about the way she looks at you. Natasha’s always been a very, go for it type person, so that’s the advice she had given Wanda the first time the younger girl asked for help asking you out. The witch practically laughed in her face.

“It’s okay kid……it’s okay.” Natasha tries her best to soothe her, but nothing seems to help as the tears continue to fall so she hesitantly pulls away and asks, “Do you love that girl Wanda?” The answer is obvious. “Yes….more than I love anything.” Wanda says. Natasha gently smiles. “Then you’re going to do what you should have done a long time ago. You’re going to buy her her favorite flowers,” Wanda nods along, sniffling a bit as she tries to build up her courage. “,you’ll put on some nice clothes instead of sweatpants and a hoodie,” she giggles and looks down at her comfortable clothes before nodding. “,and most importantly, you’re gonna do it today. Before she goes out on that date. I’m like 84.62 percent sure she likes you back so it’ll all be all right.” Wanda’s eyes go wide. She was expecting this to be more of a in a few weeks plan, but clearly Natasha had other thoughts. The redhead doesn’t give room for complaint though, as she simply gets up and walks out of the bedroom.

Wanda takes a deep breath, wiping her tears and glancing up at the clock on the wall. It’s currently 4pm, so that means there is 3 hours until your date with that bimbo.

Three hours for her to get a bouquet.

Three hours for her to figure out what she's even going to say.

Three hours for her to get her shit together.

Those three hours are spent with Bucky and Natasha, spending the first hour going to multiple stores in search of the perfect bouquet. It’s stupid really, the need to find the perfect bouquet but the older two just roll their eyes and stay silent.

The next hour is spent trying to figure out what to say, and both Natasha and Bucky could not stay serious as Wanda rehearsed on a pillow. That pillow was thrown at Natasha's head.

The last hour was an hour of panic, especially when you came in to say your date was 10 minutes away. This was her time. She walks through the hallway, finding you sitting on a couch in the living room. You changed clothes, and you look absolutely stunning. She stops walking for a second to admire you, but a giggle from behind her causes her to abruptly turn around. She sees Tony, Natasha, Bucky, Steve, and Thor all standing there with smiles.

Tony's is more of a smirk, but everyone else's is supportive as they give her silent thumbs up. She rolls her eyes at them being nosy and continues to walk closer to you.

Your focus is on your phone, but you look up with a bright smile when you notice Wanda's platform docs. “Hey Wands! What's up?” She swallows thickly, sweaty hands gripping the bouquet a bit tighter behind her back. “Wands? Why do you look so nervous?” You giggle, and she can't help but smile at the sound.

The group is still watching from the doorway, and Natasha rolls her eyes when Tony pulls out his phone and presses record.

Wanda reveals what she was hiding, and you immediately gasp at the sight of the beautiful flowers. “Well aren't you just a gentle woman my dear? These are beautiful Wands. Thank you.” She smiles as you bring them a bit closer to your nose and sniff them. “Not as beautiful as you.” She cringes, and you immediately burst out laughing. “That was sweet but it was definitely the cheesiest thing I've ever heard you say.” She nods.

Tony agrees quietly and Bucky hits the back of his head.

“So um….Butterfly.” You nod to acknowledge her. “I was- I was thinking recently and um…” Your phone begins to buzz, and you simply place it in your purse as you give her your full attention. “Well…” She takes a glance at the group who's still in the doorway, and they all send her encouraging smiles. It's then that you notice them, sending them all confused smiles before looking at Wanda again.

She's taking one last deep breath when Jarvis suddenly alerts the house. “There is a woman named Vanessa Tanner at the front gate, saying she's here to pick up her date.” Natasha and Bucky instantly panic, looking at each other before going back to Wanda.

As if those are the magic words, Wanda's eyes widen and she begins to ramble, “I really, really, really like you Butterfly and I know you may not feel the same way but Natasha and Bucky said you did and I figured that if there was a little bit of hope, I should try it.” A shocked look takes over your face. “It's totally fine if you don't feel the same way but I just couldn't let you go out with that bimbo named Vanessa if there was even a small chance you liked me….half as much as I do you.” She doesn't take her gaze off the floor, and she takes your silence as an answer as tears fill her eyes.

“Wanda. Look at me.” You demand, but she shakes her head no and continues to study the carpeted floor. “Wanda. Look…at…me.” She slowly looks at you, and the happiness in your eyes is enough to make her let out a small sigh of relief- not complete relief though.

“I wish you had told me this before I practically threw myself at a woman I barely know. Because I'd much rather you be the one picking me up for dinner than Vanessa.” You both giggle, and she hesitantly asks, “So...what does that mean for us?”

Natasha rolls her eyes and Tony shouts, “Ask her out you dumbass!” It's clear he's talking to the witch in front of you and she blushes red as she glares at him before turning back to you. “He's right. So, would you like to go out with me Butterfly?”

You take a moment to pretend you're thinking about it before asking playfully, “And what would we do on this date Miss Maximoff?” She hadn't really thought about it, so she takes a minute to do that before declaring, “I'd take you out to dinner, not a fancy restaurant with food you hate, but your favorite dinner a few streets away. And then I'd take you dancing to that place we went to for your birthday because you had a lot of fun there, and then I'd bring you back here and make you a homemade dessert. Your favorite.” You smile. “Then yes, I’d love to go out with you Wanda Maximoff.” You lean in a bit to kiss her cheek, and she blushes a bit.

Suddenly, cheering erupts and the sound of a confetti popper going off can be heard. “What the hell Tony?” Wanda asks, but both of you can’t help but chuckle. He grins. “This long lasting nightmare of having to be around you two’s sexual tension is finally over!” Natasha smacks his arms and questions, but it’s more like telling him what to say, “Don’t you mean, “I popped that confetti popper because I’m so happy two of my teammates have finally found happiness”?” He’s silent for a minute before he laughs loudly as says, “No. Not at all. I meant to say, this long lasting nightmare of having to be around you two’s sexual tension is finally over! Let’s party baby!” You giggle, but Wanda narrows her eyes, letting them glow red. Suddenly, the second unused confetti popper in Tony's hand flies up to be level with his face, and he mumbles, “Well shit” right before it goes off.

While he’s spitting out small pieces of paper from his mouth and trying to blow them out of his nose, the doorbell rings. “It is Vanessa Tanner.” Jarvis notifies, and you start to walk to the door with Wanda hot on your heels. “Where are you going?” She questions with a hint of sadness in her voice as she’s sure you're going to go on that date with Vanessa even after everything just happened.

“I’m going to go tell her it won’t work out.” You say casually, and the smile is right back on Wanda's face as she uses her powers to freeze you in place and run ahead of you. You simply laugh, calling out, “Wanda! Wanda!” She turns around for a second to look at you. “Be nice please?” She giggles. “It’s nice of you to think I can do that Butterfly.” She runs off to go probably harass Vanessa, and you're left frozen in the hallway with a small chuckle.

What Wanda doesn’t know is that you’d been waiting for that day even longer than she had. She’d always been it for you, ever since the first day she came to the compound. But over time, you slowly lost hope she felt the same way, and decided to just move on. If Wanda hadn’t done that sudden declaration of love, the future you two eventually have together would have never happened, and that's something you now think about daily.

#marvel x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #fluff #wanda maximoff fluff #wanda maximoff oneshot #wanda maximoff fanfiction #the scarlet witch #Scarlett witch x reader #marvel x you

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queenothegeeks · 13 hours ago

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Hello! Sorry for the super long wait! This chapter is the prologue of the awkward creator series, which is based on a previous post I made which you can find Here!! I hope you enjoy!

Blah blah blah regular life with a Genshin obsessed probably neurodivergent gremlin gets hit by a truck blah blah blah Isekai shit happens. Let's skip to the good bit!

You wake up with the most ear splitting headache known to man, feeling groggy and disoriented. Your limbs are hard to move and feel like jello, your ears are ringing, and to top it all off, you're seeing things. I mean, there's no way in hell you could actually be staring up at a 10 foot tall archon statue, right?

Just to be sure, you pinch yourself, hard.

“Ow!”

Yeah, not dreaming then.

You know how in most stories the main character who gets isekaied is super calm, cool-headed, and just accepts their fate? How in most SAGAU fics the main character somehow balances playful banter and manages to not screw up the main timeline and spill everything about everyone? This apparently isn’t most fics, and you apparently are a horrible main character.

“What the FUCK!?” HOW!?!? This can’t be happening ohmygodohmygodohmygod WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?!?”

After a long while of screaming and hair pulling, you slump against Vanessa’s tree, trying to think of a plan.

“What do I do? I mean, I could stay here and try to wake up from this nightmare. Dream??? I don't know anymore. I can try and find town and pray that all of Mondstat doesn’t try to kill me… Maybe I should go to Springvale first. There's less people there, which means less playable characters, so maybe I can lay low for a bit longer. Then again, there's always the chance that they have no idea they are even in a game, and I'll just be a stranger to them…”

After much time spent thinking, you start to make the trek to Springvale. Taking in the sights and sounds of Mondstat, it’s more beautiful than you could have possibly imagined. No phone or computer could possibly do it justice.

After what feels like forever, you arrive at the small and sleepy town of Springvale. Looking around, everything seems normal. No one is holding pointing swords or aiming bows at you. There's no cult meetings in the townsquare lit by candles, no elaborate summoning rituals, no ones preaching your life's history to the masses, demanding devotion to their “Creator” or “Decider”. It’s just a normal town. The hunters are just coming back from their day at work, Brook is still cooking her dishes, Myweiss is still singing songs of heartbreak by the windmill. It’s like no one cares about your existence.

~~Fast Forward a few weeks~~~

You've been in Genshin for about a month, and you've given up on the idea that you might wake up in your bed back home and realize that this has all been an elaborate fever dream or coma. You managed to secure a low stakes and low skill job in Springvale, working as a meat and fruit vendor in the markets, as well as obtaining a low rent home on the outskirts of town. You've had contact with a few of Mondstats vision holders in the past, but nothing too serious.

A passing glance at Kaeya when he did routine checks around Mondstat.

A sale or two to Amber while she told you about her most recent adventures as an outrider.

Venti dueting with some of the other bards in town.

The distant explosions of Klee fish blasting in the pond.

Despite there being barely any signs that the playable characters have any knowledge of your existence, you can’t help but feel paranoid. The glances feel too long, the conversations feel too friendly, the songs feel directed at you, with messages of reuinition and lyrics about longing.

You try to convince yourself that you're overreacting, and that everythings fine, but you just can’t seem to shake the feeling of being watched.

You realize that you should trust your gut more often when you see a pair of eyes watching you through your window in the dead of night. You grab a knife from the kitchen, but when you look again, there's no one there.

Either they left, you stress yourself out so much that you've started to see things, or whoever or whatever it was is just laying in wait.

Waiting for the perfect chance to make their next move…

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Don’t be afraid to comment your thoughts!

This is my first fic so if you have any suggestions or notice any grammar mistakes please let me know!

#sagau #self aware genshin #self aware genshin impact #sagau brainrot #genshin impact sagau #genshin impact #genshin

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prettiestdolliestgirl · 1 year ago

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i blinked and suddenly, i had a valentine

pairing: Mike Schmidt x reader

tags: wholesome, fluff, short oneshot

synopsis: it’s your first ever Valentine’s Day having a valentine and Mike wants to make it the best day possible

-> inspired by valentine by laufey

A/N: i wrote this in a hurry because i really wanted to write a little something for Valentine’s Day so here it is! hope you’ll enjoy it! <3

Mike and you have been dating for a few months now, you moved with him and Abby a month ago, it felt like a dream come true. You never fell this hard for anyone before, you weren’t scared to picture a future with him and Abby. Abby loves having you around and you love playing with her, doing her hair, and making fun of her older brother together while he burns dinner in the kitchen.

Mike never saw Abby be this comfortable with an adult that wasn’t him before and it only made him love you more. He also knew Valentin’s day was approaching and he knows you love romance, Mike doesn’t have a lot of money but he really wanted to make this day special for you somehow. On the other hand, you weren’t expecting anything, you know Mike is extremely tired from working tirelessly, taking care of the house and Abby, he barely has any time to rest. So, because of that you weren’t expecting much, being able to spend the day with him was already more than enough. You’ve always been a hopeless romantic and knowing that for the first time in your life, you were going to spend Valentine’s Day with someone that you were head over heels for felt like the greatest gift you could have ever received.

You wake up to go to work with soft kisses all over your face, you open your eyes to see your lover and his sleepy brown eyes looking at you. You can’t help but smile widely, you don’t recall ever being this happy before. « Happy Valentine’s Day babe » he whispers, smiling back at you.

You get up to wake Abby up for school and you all eat breakfast together. You all leave the house and hop in the car, drop Abby off at school, and then Mike drops you off at work, you kiss him goodbye and get going.

You couldn’t help but think about him all day, you were so distracted that it made your coworkers smile, they were really happy to see you finally get the love you deserve.

Mike got to work and couldn’t help but feel anxious. He wanted to make this day great for you, he even called Vanessa multiple times for advice. She told him that he just had to make you feel special which confused Mike even more but he really wanted to make you feel loved so he decided to do as best as he could with the little money he had saved for the occasion, I wasn’t much but he’ll make it work he thought.

He even arranged his shift so that he could be home before you and surprise you properly and asked Vanessa to take Abby for the night for a sleepover which she was delighted by.

As his shift ended, he quickly got home and assembled a board with all of your favorite snacks on it, he rented your favorite movie and got you a pretty box he got at an antique shop you love. In the box, Mike put pictures of you two together and some with you and Abby, he also wrote a sweet note which was the hardest part for him, he has the hardest time when it comes to talking about his feelings but he always felt the need to tell you how much he loved you. He looked at the hour and got going to pick up Abby from school before that went to the florist to pick up a small bouquet of your favorite flowers and a tulip for Abby. She looked quite happy but she was even happier when he told her he was dropping her off at Vanessa’s for the night. He has a quick chat with Vanessa who reassures him that you were going to love everything he did for you.

Mike gets back in his car and goes to your workplace to pick you up. You wave your coworkers goodbye and hop in the car excitedly. As you enter the car you notice Abby isn’t in it and you ask « Where’s Abby? » Mike answers « At Vanessa’s, I dropped her off before coming.. I figured it could be fun for us to have the house to ourselves tonight » with a slight smirk. You were increasingly excited now, you hadn’t had time alone with Mike in quite a while now and you were undoubtedly looking up to it. Mike drove back home and you sensed that he was quite nervous. You head back home but as you turn around you see Mike with, in hand, a small but tasteful bouquet of your favorite flowers Mike had hidden in the truck. « Mike! You really didn’t have to! They’re so pretty, I don’t even know what to say! » you say. Mike smiles widely in response.

You enter the house and notice everything Mike had planned during the afternoon. You look back at him and can’t even function enough to word anything so you jump in his arms, hugging him tightly. Then you pulled away and kissed his face everywhere, « I love you so much Mike, no one ever did anything like this for me before » you say as you pulled away from his face. « One last thing, » he said getting the box, « I know it’s not much… but you hope you like it. ». You open the box and a single tear rolls down your cheek, « Mike… I… I love it… I really do » you say, your voice almost not coming out.

As you finished thanking Mike for the 13th time, you both got comfortable on the couch and enjoyed snacks while watching movies cuddled up against each other, you both felt safe and in love. You’re glad you waited this long to have to fall in love because would never want another person than Mike as your first-ever Valentine.

#fnaf movie mike #fnaf #mike schmidt #josh hutcherson #mike schmidt x you #mike schmidt imagine #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt oneshot #josh hutcherson fanfic #josh hutcherson imagine #josh hutcherson x reader #mike schmidt fanfic #wholesome #valentines day #Spotify

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auofgoldandfantasies · 18 days ago

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DD:BA commentary ep 8

Finally, I had time to see this. Here comes my thoughts:

Dex is back! Exciting! I don't know what to expect and that thrills me.

I see cherry blossoms. Which means we are in spring. And Fisk became mayor at New Years. That doesn't really have any significance right now but I've been trying to wrangle weird timelines while writing fic for too long, these are things I notice now.

It feels like Heather and Matt are cracking while Fisk and Vanessa is coming closer to each other.

Fisk moved Dex? And Dex wanna talk with Matt? Ohhh

"I barely recognise you, what is going on?" Kirsten says and my mind goes brrr because that means this Matt, that is late to meetings, insulting clients (her words, to me he also seemed like he has no patience left for when people lie to him and just said what he thought bluntly) and generally more emotional, is not how Matt usually is in her presence. It speaks of a calm, collected and on time-Matt whose life is not all crashing down around him. But now Matt's world is a mess and it's cracking and the people around him notice it.

I love that Matt told her that what they do feels "useless". So much emotion behind the words. And to me that feels like such a Matt thing. Matt want to be of use, he wants to make a difference. He is a man of action. To be useless and for all the things he's trying to do to not make anything better must be so distressing for him.

Josie!! And Matt!! Talking! Yay! Cherry and Matt talking! Yay!

Ohh! Finally!! I've been waiting for the plot of Foggy's death to unravel. I am delighing in the clues I'm given!

I feel like there's so many things from the past that is haunting Matt and it SHOWS in his behavoir. How fearfully and distressed he reacted when he figured out Fisk is one of her clients and that he knows she's staying in his apartment. And how angry and spiteful he was in the meeting with Dex. He has so many ghosts from the past and he don't have any constructive coping mechanisms to handle the distress and anger it causes him whenever he has to face them again. He's such a mess indeed (affectionate) and I'm glad we get shown that.

"Sins of the past are dead and buried" Vanessa says. Like they forgave each other!! And not LITERALLY killed Adam: the sin of the past. (I enjoy Vanessa's way of using words for double meaning. It fits her characterisation.)

Swordsman the vigilante? Waait… why does he look familiar? … Oh. He was in Hawkeye! If the fandom wiki page is right these events in DD:BA are set in 2027?

It's disturbing with what delight Powell is using unprovoked exess violence, because nobody can no longer stop him. Because he's allowed.

BB URICH INVESTIGATING HER UNCLES MURDER!! SHE'S WRITING MORE THINGS THAN SHE LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT! whoop whoop!! She really has the spirit of Ben. She is a investigating journalist. And she's smart. She wanna find the truths but she's also doing things to keep herself as safe as possible because she knows the risks.

I would almost call Matt paranoid over Fisk. But is it paranoia if he might be right? Because from Matt's POV it's a completely pausible conclusion that Fisk is trying to keep tabs on him through Heather, and from Heather's POV is sounds completely bonkers. And I love that. How all the things Matt never tells anybody about himself makes them unable to understand Matt's behavior to be reasonable. He may seem completely erratic to Heather. Because Matt is not letting her in. Not letting her know the reasons for anything. But of course he has reasons and to me as the viewer Matt's behavoir makes sense. After all he's been through and is currently going through, Matt's behavoir makes sense to me.

Clever Vanessa, clever. To stop Matt from confronting Fisk with putting the spotlight on Fisk and her for the first dance.

MATT! sakdgjh This is beautiful and distressing and so daring and so Matt! And FISK TALKING TO MATT AS THEY DANCE without anybody but them knowing!!!

Dex has escaped. Fisk wanted him killed but now he's not. The eery music implies he's coming here to the gala. He told Matt earlier that a good man would defend his worst enemy. Is this implying that Dex is going to try kill Fisk here but Matt is going to sacrifice himself? IS Dex targeting Fisk? Is this all gonna turn chaotic because of something Matt is doing, not knowing that Dex is throwing himself into the mix too? I'm getting flashbacks to the season 3 gala where Matt and Dex and Fisk fought at the same time… I wonder if there's gonna be any callbacks to that.

Is Buck called Buck because it's a nickname for his last name Cashman??

Vanessa ordered the shooting? Ohh! Is Dex gonna go for her and not Fisk? Oh dear and now Matt is dancing with her. You daring, reckless Matt. I am tense with excitement and dread.

It's a nice visual of Fisk and Heather dancing together in white, while Matt and Vanessa are in black and red. I KNEW there was a reason for Vanessa's red dress when everybody else was in white or black. What the thematic point is exactly though, I will probably realise another time. But right now, I'm just pleased about the visuals and the potential thematic implications.

Heather and Fisk + Matt and Vanessa are both talking secrets and lies. I like.

MATT DID USE HIMSELF AS A SHIELD FOR FISK!! OMG I CALLED IT. That was good foreshadowing with Dex's line! <3

#daredevil watch commentary #daredevil #daredevil born again #daredevil born again spoilers

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austinslounge · 3 months ago

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Hello, there! I know that the Austin Butler fandom wants to move on from the Kaia Gerber debacle, but I joined last year when the relationship was still on its deathbed, and I have a question: sources say that they started dating in December 2021, which is when they made their first oficial appearance together at the Met gala, but they obviously had to have begun dating earlier than that. Does anyone have a clue when? I like Austin a lot, but the fact that he started dating a 19 or 30-year-old when he was 29 or 30 bothers the hell out of me, and I have to make peace with it somehow.

Hey there! Welcome to the AB fandom! 😁 And welcome to my blog.

I think you have a few things incorrect in your ask. So, in answer to your question, no, Kaia was 20 when they first started dating, not 19. Technically, Austin had just turned from 29 to age 30 himself. So, they basically had changed ages around the same time since their birthdays are so close together (literal weeks).

Yes, they did start dating around mid-late December of 2021, but that wasn't when the Met Gala was that they attended together.

Their first and only Met Gala appearance as a couple occurred on May 2, 2022. That was the year Austin attended in order to promote "Elvis".

So I hope that answers your questions?

Also, I don't think you really need to "make peace" with anything. Kaia has been dating guys older than her since she was 18 dating Pete Davidson, who was 26 at the time. He met her when she was 17, and then immediately started dating her as soon as she turned 18.

Kaia is also with Lewis right now, and he's 32. I think she just likes older men? Her mom also dated older men when she was younger too, so maybe she just prefers them for now.

Plus, a lot of fans are kind of suspecting that Austin and Kaia were mainly arranged and PR for the most part anyway. Even if they were a totally real couple, you notice how he barely looked happy with Kaia, but yet looked happier with Vanessa, who was 3 years older than him and who he was with for 8 years?

The man looked miserable most of the time with her when they weren't having to parade together at an event or on the red carpet lol. 😅

So yea, I wasn't a fan of how young she was when he started dating her, but it is what it is. Their teams may have even played a role in getting them together for all we know.

All I know is, I think he will probably think twice next time before getting into a relationship like that again!

#asks

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ladystoneboobs · 2 years ago

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i present: small and non-verbal but very funny star wars moments:

ep. V: the empire strikes back--the millenium falcon achieves hyperspeed again, despite the imperials' best plans to the contrary. admiral piett and his men are terrified of vader's reaction, all trying to stay out of his path. but he's still too busy brooding on his loss of luke to even force-choke anyone. that's how thrown off he was by his newly-mutilated son running away from him!

the sole exception to this collective terror being this guy, so intent on his own important work, that he doesn't even notice his scary boss until darth vader has walked right past him.

ep. III: revenge of the sith--padme's droids somehow getting her unconscious body back on her ship.

in the novelisation, r2-d2 just drags her up the ramp with his gadgetry, but in the script it's c-3po who carried her up bridal style. which would be impossible to film when 3po could barely manage to move around under his own weight. what makes it really funny for me is that there was no need for any of this. why not just have obi-wan pick her up as he's hurrying outta there after failing to kill her husband? i mean, it's surely not good to be lying out in the open on a volcanic world with poisonous gases, but it wouldn't be good for obi-wan running around out there either, and this lady was about to have broken heart as her only known cause of death. when has science ever held back star wars? and i can't imagine that being dragged by wires from artoo or dropped every few steps by threepio could've been too good for her body either. just makes for an absurd little (offscreen) background detail amid the tragedy of the end of padme's life, imho.

ep. IV: a new hope--obi-wan vanishing into thin air when struck down and vader's (very understandable) bafflement afterward.

by this point in the second screencap, luke is shooting at him in retaliation and the stormtroopers are all shooting back at luke, but anakin is still dealing with this unprecendented vanishing and busy searching for any corporeal remains of obi-wan kenobi with his boot. "where did you go, my old master? how could this happen? i wasn't done fighting with you yet."

ep. V: the empire strikes back--vader inviting lando calrissian, chewbacca, han solo, and princess leia to share a meal with him and boba fett, before taking chewie, han, and leia prisoner and torturing han.

i think a lot of people must assume there was no actual meal, but it's not like vader had to go to all that trouble in the first place of setting out an entire banquet table with proper containers and utensils. just because that was lando's pretext to bring them to vader does not necessitate actually having a table set. darth vader could have had them led into any other room with boba fett and stormtroopers waiting to just arrest them right away. instead, as we can see in the second screencap, (over lando's shoulder and leia's bun), vader did sit down at the head of the table, waiting for his prey to join him. and i swear, in one of the earlier drafts of empire's screenplay there is actually a scene showing their awkward meal together. or rather, han and leia being served food and drinks while darth vader just sits there, watching evilly, explaining his great villainous plan to use them to trap luke. it's like dr. evil making austin and vanessa sit down at his table in the first austin powers movie. darth vader really did always live for drama

ep. VI: return of the jedi--leia telling han that she loves luke, but not that way. he's her brother, silly! as if this is something they all knew all along, with zero follow-up explanation. you can just see han wordlessly processing this bombshell of brand new information through his facial expressions alone. (this lasts so long that i wouldn't even count it were it not likely overshadowed by everything else in the ending of rotj.)

wh-what did you say? your brother? since when?

wait-wait-wait. i've seen you mouth kissing luke right in front of me before. i'm so confused now.

just what kind of weirdo family have i gotten myself mixed up with here?

oh, well, she's only kissing me now. that's good enough, i guess. maybe?

hey, as long as you do love me and luke in different ways ...

i don't know much about families, but i've heard they all have their weird traditions. so who am i to judge you, babe? as long as we're together now, that's all that matters.

#swedit #star wars #anakin skywalker #darth vader #padme amidala #lando calrissian #chewbacca #han solo #leia organa #yes i did use very specific adjectives to exclude most of the st #tho i do think there's some funny intentional and more overt humor in the jj saga #tlj was more marvel-like humor which was its real greatest sin #tumblr won't let you do a numbered list in descending order so just imagine it's a top 5 that way #(c)lsb

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no-goodbyes-no-regrets · 4 months ago

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I know they axed Amelia because she had nothing to do as she wasnt a Dingle, but that also applies to Noah and Sarah who are non-entities at this point.

I hate to say it but Aaron too at this point, he barely appears or has scenes with anyone but John.

It seems like they scrapped his initial villian arc when he returned and haven't known what to do with him since.

it applies to everyone that isn't chas, cain, charity - and belle for the past year but she'll probably disappear for a while now. There are a lot of characters that have potential but they just don't do anything with them.

Matty and Amy - when was the last time we saw them together as a couple? Not even him coming home from prison gave us happy couple scenes or even a tearful reunion. Amy barely exists these days and Matty is only there to support Moira -and get the kids out of a scene

Gail and Ryan - have apparently moved out of tall trees, only april had to 'tell' the audience because emmerdale doesn't give a fuck about them. gail only gets to be the weirdo behind the bar in the pub

Aaron, Mack, Ross - only supporting characters at this point

Noah - apparently an electrician now? and invests in crypto currency?

Sarah is going to date Jacob so they both might get something of a story. Jacob especially since Leyla is leaving.

Vanessa and Suzy - Suzy has only been mentioned by tracy recently and vanessa only appeared for 3 seconds here and there to remind the audience she's a vet.

manpreet - apparently lives with Ella... but since she's leaving... nothing is going to come from that.

Jai - a 2D villain who never gets to win and is only there to make Caleb look good

it's just all a load of nothing when a lot of these characters have potential. it's frustrating.

#Anonymous #emmerdale

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crazyk-imagine · 1 year ago

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Abby plays Matchmaker Headcanon

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- You and Mike met when you were kids but lost contact

- A year after everything went down for the Schmidt’s, y'all are reunited (and it feels so good)

- You weren't fully moved into town yet, living in a motel room for two weeks while moving into your small apartment was a hassle itself (thankfully you already had a job)

- And then you met the little girl, who you, of course, recognized right away (the genes don't lie)

- The only thing Abby knew about you was your move here, other than that, she's barely heard of you

- She's known you basically her whole life (you’re the librarian, who occasionally covers for the teachers as a sub)

- One day you two run into each other at the grocery store

- Mike hesitantly told her about you when she asked after having to deal with your guy’s awkward interaction at the grocery store

- She knows some things neither of you know

- One being that her brother is in love with you

- He doesn’t understand his feelings for you, now and then (which she caught onto)

- He does question whether he has a medical condition because of the way you make his heartbeat faster by the third time you guys chatted

- Another thing the little girl knows is that you're in love with her brother (something you’ll never tell him, it's been a secret for a reason)

- Knowing you two have feelings for one another, confuses her to no end because neither of you have confessed

- Thus, the beginning of her master plan

- She tricks Mike into thinking she needs help with homework

- And then, the gods work in mysterious ways, and you wind up at their house (how weird)

- Your car breaks down and you have a feeling whose house it is with how often it's been described to you (and not just because you remember it)

She knocks on the door with that big ass smile of hers

“I hope you don’t think I planned this," you tell him while exiting your car.

“I know you didn’t. Abby, go inside."

She grabs your hand and pulls you inside.

"Abby, I told you to stop bringing in strays."

"Kind as ever, Schmidt," you tease him back.

- Not much else happens but when you three sit in the living room to watch a movie, the girl fell asleep and leaves you two alone

- He’s awkward but tries to offer his room to you after putting her to bed which you object to

- Neither of you planned on falling asleep together and you woke up to Abby coloring with the biggest smile she could ever have

- She doesn’t care to listen when you tell her what happened but she does continue to push you two together

- Eventually after dealing with the awkwardness that is Mike’s love life, you decide to pull to trigger and ask him out, in a not obvious way but he realizes halfway through your dinner that it’s a date and not just because Vanessa texted him that it was a date when he went to the bathroom

- He’s oddly charming in his own way and pulls out a few suave moves which further sends you over the edge

- He’s the one to ask you to be official and may or may not be the first to say I love you

- Abby one hundred percent takes credit

#fnaf movie #fnaf movie imagine #fnaf movie headcanon #fnaf movie x reader #fnaf movie x you #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt x you #mike schmidt headcanon #crazyk-imagine #mike schmidt imagine

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shiorihyugawrites · 5 months ago

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A Soft Place

In a post-Rumbling world, where the threat of Titans no longer looms, Vanessa Sinclair finds herself living a quiet life, working at her family’s bakery in Wall Rose. Curvy and self-conscious, Vanessa has always faded into the background, overshadowed by her more outgoing friends. But everything changes when Captain Levi Ackerman, Humanity's Strongest Soldier, begins visiting the bakery regularly. What starts as a simple exchange of tea and pastries quickly evolves into something more. Levi, drawn to her quiet strength and beauty, takes Vanessa on a journey that forces her to confront her insecurities, while learning that sometimes, what lies beneath the surface is more than enough. (Levi x Plus Sized OC)

Chapter Fourteen

The next morning at the bakery, Vanessa found herself lost in thought, completely absorbed in the memory of the previous night. She was supposed to be icing a batch of cupcakes, but her mind was far away, drifting back to the feel of Levi's lips on hers. The softness of his kiss, the way he had kissed her back—slow, tender, and full of meaning—played over and over again in her mind.

The warmth of his touch, the way his hand had cupped her cheek, the scent of him lingering close—it was enough to send a shiver down her spine. Vanessa could still feel the way her heart had raced, how her pulse had quickened when his lips met hers. He had tasted like something rich and subtle, like warm tea and spice, a taste that lingered long after the kiss had ended. And his scent—clean and crisp, with a hint of something earthy—had surrounded her, wrapping her in comfort and strength.

She sighed dreamily, a small smile tugging at her lips as she remembered how she had kissed him first. The bravery it had taken, and the warmth that had spread through her when Levi had kissed her back, slower and more tender than she ever imagined from someone like him. It was as if, in that moment, all the walls he had carefully built around himself had fallen away just for her.

Vanessa was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed the frosting overflowing on the cupcake she was holding. She was too wrapped up in the memory of Levi—his lips, his scent, the way he had looked at her with that quiet intensity.

Robin and Emma, however, noticed immediately.

Standing behind the counter, the two of them exchanged amused glances, watching as Vanessa moved mechanically through her tasks, clearly lost in another world. They could practically see the hearts floating around her head, the dreamy smile on her face making it obvious that her thoughts weren’t on the bakery at all.

Robin leaned over, a grin spreading across her face as she nudged Emma. “Look at her,” she whispered, trying to contain her giggles. “She’s in la la land. You think she’s thinking about him?”

Emma didn’t even hesitate. “Oh, absolutely,” she replied, smirking as she folded her arms across her chest. “Captain Levi has her completely smitten. Look at that face!”

Vanessa, oblivious to their teasing, continued decorating the cupcakes, though her smile only widened as she remembered how Levi had brushed a loose curl behind her ear before kissing her goodnight. Her heart fluttered at the memory, and she sighed again, completely lost in her daydream.

Robin couldn’t hold back any longer. She stepped forward, leaning her elbows on the counter with a knowing grin. “So, Ness,” she began, drawing out the nickname teasingly, “what’s it like kissing Humanity’s Strongest Soldier?”

Vanessa snapped out of her thoughts, blinking in surprise as she turned toward Robin and Emma. Her cheeks instantly flushed red, realizing they had caught her daydreaming. “I—I wasn’t…” she stammered, trying to come up with a response, but it was clear by the grins on their faces that they knew exactly what she had been thinking about.

“Oh, come on, Vanessa,” Emma chimed in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You’ve been floating around the bakery all morning, smiling like that. It’s not hard to guess where your mind’s been.”

Vanessa’s blush deepened, and she set down the frosting bag, unable to meet their eyes. “I’m just… thinking about the ball,” she admitted softly, her voice still flustered.

Robin’s grin widened. “And the kisses?” she teased, waggling her eyebrows. “Come on, we know Levi kissed you goodnight. Don’t hold out on us!”

Vanessa bit her lip, her heart racing at the thought of telling them everything. “Okay, fine,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, “I kissed him first.”

Emma gasped, clapping her hands together in excitement. “You kissed him first?! Ness, that’s amazing! You’re so brave!”

Robin’s eyes widened with approval. “Damn, Vanessa, I didn’t think you had it in you!” She leaned in closer, her expression eager. “So? How was it?”

Vanessa hesitated for a moment, but the memory of Levi’s lips on hers was still fresh in her mind, and before she could stop herself, she smiled. “It was… incredible,” she admitted quietly, her voice filled with warmth. “His lips were so soft, and… he just… he made me feel like I was the only person in the world.”

Robin and Emma squealed in unison, barely able to contain their excitement as they flanked Vanessa on either side, eager for more details.

“And then?” Emma urged, her eyes wide with curiosity. “What happened after your kiss?”

Vanessa’s cheeks burned, but her smile remained as she remembered Levi’s kiss—the way he had leaned in, slow and deliberate, his lips moving against hers with a tenderness she hadn’t expected. “He kissed me back,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “But it was… different. Slower. Like he was taking his time.”

Robin placed a hand over her heart, sighing dramatically. “Oh, that’s so romantic.”

Vanessa giggled, still feeling a bit shy but too happy to stop herself from sharing. “Yeah… it was.” She glanced at the cupcakes, realizing she had completely forgotten about them. “I don’t know… it’s just, being with Levi feels so... different. It’s like he sees me, not just what’s on the outside.”

Emma smiled warmly, placing a comforting hand on Vanessa’s shoulder. “That’s because he does, Ness. He’s serious about you. You’re not just some girl to him—you’re his girl.”

Vanessa’s heart fluttered at those words, and she felt a warmth spread through her chest. It was still hard to believe that Levi—Captain Levi Ackerman—cared about her, but as she stood there, surrounded by her friends, she couldn’t deny that something real was growing between them.

And as she returned to decorating the cupcakes, Vanessa couldn’t help but smile, her heart full as she thought about the next time she’d see him again.

Robin and Emma leaned against the counter, their eyes gleaming with excitement as they continued to press Vanessa for more details. “So… what’s next for you and Levi?” Robin asked, her voice playful, though there was genuine curiosity in her eyes.

Vanessa blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Next? I mean… I don’t really know,” she admitted, a little flustered. “So far, Levi’s been the one to suggest everything. I guess I haven’t thought about it.”

Emma, never one to miss an opportunity, wiggled her eyebrows. “Well, maybe it’s time for you to take the lead, Ness. Why not ask him on a date?”

Vanessa looked between her two friends, her cheeks warming at the suggestion. The idea had crossed her mind—she wanted to spend more time with Levi, but it was nerve-wracking thinking about making the first move. Still, after the ball, she found herself wanting to show him a different side of her world.

“I was thinking…” Vanessa began hesitantly, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers, “maybe I could ask him to come over to my place… and I could teach him how to bake something.” She glanced up at Robin and Emma, hoping the idea didn’t sound too silly.

Both of their faces lit up with excitement.

“Oh my God, that’s perfect!” Emma exclaimed, practically bouncing in place. “Levi in your home, baking with you? That’s so cute!”

Robin leaned in, a sly grin spreading across her face. “And the best part? You’ll have him alone in your house for hours.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened as the implication hit her, her blush deepening as she stammered, “W-wait, it’s not like that!”

Robin and Emma exchanged mischievous looks, clearly enjoying how flustered Vanessa had become. “Oh, sure it’s not,” Robin teased, her grin widening. “You’re going to teach him how to bake, have him in your house, and spend all that time alone together. It sounds like the perfect recipe for some romance.”

Vanessa covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her growing embarrassment. “It’s just a simple date idea!” she insisted, though the thought of having Levi in her home, spending time together in such a personal space, made her heart race. “I just thought it would be nice…”

Emma chuckled, patting Vanessa’s shoulder reassuringly. “Oh, it’s more than nice, Ness. It’s adorable. And don’t worry, Robin and I will make sure to keep Vivian busy so you two can have some privacy.”

Vanessa blinked, lowering her hands to give Emma a confused look. “Wait, what?”

Robin smirked. “You know your mom is going to be all over this the second she finds out Captain Levi is coming to your house. We’ll handle her, don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of alone time with your handsome soldier.”

Vanessa’s face was practically on fire at this point, and she could barely find the words to respond. “I-I don’t know about alone time…”

But Robin and Emma were already in full teasing mode. “Oh, come on, Ness!” Robin grinned wickedly, leaning in closer. “If things go well, maybe you can even get to third base with him.”

Vanessa’s mouth dropped open in shock, her face turning scarlet as she fumbled for words. “W-what?! Third base?! I’m just asking him to bake with me!”

Emma giggled, nudging Vanessa playfully. “You never know what could happen! You two have been getting closer and closer… and, well, things could get a little heated in the kitchen.”

Vanessa buried her face in her hands again, unable to handle the teasing. “Oh my God, you two are terrible.”

Robin and Emma burst into laughter, clearly enjoying how easily they could fluster her. “We’re just saying,” Robin teased, “you never know how it might go. But seriously, I think it’s a great idea. He’s been making all the moves so far—he’ll probably love that you’re taking the lead on this one.”

Vanessa slowly lowered her hands, her heart still racing from the teasing, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “You really think so?”

Emma nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely! Levi’s already head over heels for you, Ness. He’ll appreciate you making the effort, trust me.”

Robin crossed her arms, her grin softening into something more sincere. “Plus, it’ll be a great way for him to see more of your world. He probably doesn’t get a lot of time to just relax and enjoy something like baking. You’ll be giving him something special.”

Vanessa took a deep breath, feeling a little more confident after hearing her friends’ support. The idea of asking Levi to her home felt intimate, but in a good way. She wanted to share a part of her life with him, and if it meant getting a little closer, then maybe that was exactly what she needed to do.

She smiled, her heart swelling with a mix of nervous excitement. “Okay… I’ll ask him.”

Robin and Emma cheered in unison, clearly thrilled with Vanessa’s decision. “That’s the spirit!” Emma said, giving Vanessa a proud look. “And don’t worry, we’ll make sure everything goes perfectly. Just let us know when you’re planning it.”

Vanessa couldn’t help but laugh, though her heart was still fluttering at the thought of spending more time with Levi—alone this time. “I will. And no more third base talk, okay?”

Robin winked. “No promises.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless, feeling more determined than ever to make the next step with Levi. The idea of having him in her home, teaching him something she loved—it felt right. And for once, she was ready to take the lead.

Just as Vanessa and her friends were caught up in their conversation, the familiar chime of the bakery door opening echoed through the room. Vanessa glanced up, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Levi standing there, his usual stoic expression in place, but there was a subtle lightness in his eyes that made her stomach flip.

Levi was early—earlier than he normally came—and it took Vanessa a moment to recover from the surprise. He was dressed in his usual Scout uniform, neat and precise as always, but there was something about him today that made her pulse quicken. Maybe it was the way his gaze immediately sought her out the second he stepped inside, or the way his lips twitched just slightly, like he was happy to see her.

The truth was, Levi had been thinking about Vanessa ever since the ball last night. The kiss they had shared, the way she had looked at him, how she had felt in his arms as they danced—it had all been replaying in his mind over and over. He’d spent the entire morning feeling an unfamiliar sense of giddiness, the kind of excitement he wasn’t used to but couldn’t shake. And as soon as he could, he made his way to the bakery, eager to see her again.

Vanessa felt a wave of warmth rush through her, but her nerves quickly followed. She had just decided to ask him on a date, and now he was here, looking at her with those intense, gray eyes, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach go wild.

Robin and Emma exchanged knowing glances, trying and failing to contain their excitement. Vanessa, on the other hand, felt a slight flush rise to her cheeks as Levi approached the counter, his eyes briefly flicking to her before settling on her entirely.

"Levi," Vanessa greeted, trying to steady her voice and give him a warm smile despite the sudden flutter of nerves. “You’re early today.”

Levi shrugged slightly, his eyes softening as they met hers. “Wanted to see you.”

Those simple words sent Vanessa’s heart racing, but she did her best to stay calm, not wanting to let her friends’ teasing from earlier distract her. Still, she couldn’t help but notice Robin and Emma practically vibrating with excitement behind her, which only added to her nerves.

Levi, noticing the subtle tension in the room, quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. He didn’t seem to mind the company, though it was clear his attention was fully focused on Vanessa.

Vanessa swallowed, feeling her pulse quicken. Now was her chance. She had decided to take the lead, to ask him for once, and despite the nervous energy buzzing through her, she knew she wanted to share more of her life with him.

“So,” Vanessa began, her voice a little shaky but filled with determination, “I was wondering… if you’d like to come over to my place sometime. I could… um, teach you how to bake something?”

The words tumbled out of her faster than she had planned, and she quickly bit her lip, her eyes nervously flicking up to meet Levi’s. She wasn’t sure how he’d react, especially since he was usually the one making plans between them.

For a moment, Levi blinked, clearly surprised by her suggestion. But then, slowly, a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “You want to teach me to bake?”

Vanessa nodded, feeling her heart hammering in her chest. “Yeah. I thought it’d be fun… and it’d give us a chance to spend more time together.”

Levi’s smile grew, subtle but warm, and he gave her a small nod. “I’d like that,” he said simply, his tone quiet but genuine. “When?”

Vanessa blinked, still processing the fact that he had agreed so easily. “Uh, whenever you’re free,” she replied, her voice a little breathless from the rush of relief. “You can come by this weekend, if that works for you?”

Levi nodded again, his expression still soft as he looked at her. “This weekend works.”

Robin and Emma, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, barely managed to contain their excitement. They shared a quick look before Robin whispered excitedly under her breath, “She did it!”

Levi, who had excellent hearing, glanced briefly at Robin and Emma, a slight raise of his eyebrow indicating that he had heard their whispered exchange. Still, he didn’t seem bothered by it—if anything, his focus quickly returned to Vanessa.

Vanessa, for her part, felt like she was floating. Levi had agreed to come to her home—to spend time with her and learn something she loved. It felt like a small victory, but one that made her heart soar.

“And I’ll make sure we have the kitchen all to ourselves,” Vanessa added with a soft smile, knowing Robin and Emma would be keeping Vivian occupied. “So it’ll just be us.”

Levi’s eyes flickered, something unreadable passing through his gaze before he gave her a small nod of understanding. “Good,” he said quietly, his voice low but steady. “I’d like that.”

Vanessa felt her heart flutter again, but this time it wasn’t nerves—it was excitement. She could already imagine the two of them in her kitchen, working side by side, and the thought made her feel giddy. Maybe this was her way of showing Levi more of herself, of letting him into her world just as he had done with her.

Robin and Emma, unable to contain themselves any longer, broke into wide grins. “Well, well, well,” Emma teased, her voice full of playful delight. “Looks like you’ve got a date with Captain Levi, Ness.”

Vanessa blushed furiously, her eyes widening as she turned to them. “I-it’s just baking!”

Robin winked. “Sure, just baking. Alone. In your house. All day.”

Levi, ever the composed one, glanced at Vanessa’s flustered expression and then back at her friends. He gave a small sigh but said nothing, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked at Vanessa again.

“See you this weekend, then,” Levi said simply, his tone casual but with an underlying warmth.

Vanessa nodded, still trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. “Yeah… see you this weekend.”

As Levi turned to leave, Robin and Emma were practically buzzing with excitement, giving Vanessa a triumphant look as soon as the door closed behind him. “You did it, Ness!” Robin squealed. “You actually asked him out on a date!”

Vanessa, still blushing, could only laugh. “Yeah… I guess I did.”

And as the realization set in, she couldn’t help but smile wider.

…

As Levi made his way back to HQ, his usual calm demeanor was in place, but beneath the surface, a quiet excitement buzzed through him. The air was crisp, and the familiar sound of his boots against the cobblestone streets echoed softly around him. He kept his pace steady, his thoughts replaying the conversation he’d just had with Vanessa.

She had invited him to her home—her home. The fact that Vanessa had taken the initiative to ask him on a date felt... significant. It wasn’t just any date, either. She wanted to teach him how to bake, something that was clearly important to her, and she wanted to share that part of herself with him. That realization made him feel... something more than just his usual calmness.

Levi wasn’t exactly the type to get excited about baking. In fact, he wasn’t particularly fond of sweets at all. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was spending time with Vanessa, getting to know her even better in a more personal, intimate setting. The idea of being in her home, with just the two of them working side by side, brought a quiet sense of contentment he wasn’t used to feeling.

He wasn’t one for big gestures or grand displays of affection, but he didn’t need that with Vanessa. The little moments they shared, like the quiet dance at the ball or the gentle kiss goodnight, were enough to remind him that whatever was growing between them was real. And now, with this new opportunity, he was more than willing to step outside his usual routine—outside his comfort zone—to try something new for her.

Levi’s lips quirked slightly at the thought. Baking. It wasn’t something he ever imagined doing, much less with a woman he genuinely liked. But here he was, excited at the prospect of spending an afternoon learning something new—because it was her teaching him.

As he walked, he found himself thinking about how different his life had become since Vanessa entered it. He’d never had much time for romance, never allowed himself to get too close to anyone. But Vanessa... she was different. She made him feel seen in a way that no one else ever had, and it was that feeling, that connection, that drew him in more than anything.

Levi’s mind wandered to the ball, remembering how stunning Vanessa had looked in her emerald dress, how her eyes had lit up when he held her in his arms on the dance floor. He hadn’t expected to feel such warmth from something so simple, but being with her, even in silence, had brought him a sense of peace he rarely experienced.

And then there was the kiss. He could still feel the soft press of her lips against his, the way she had kissed him first—bold and yet shy at the same time. It had surprised him, sure, but it had also made him realize just how much he cared about her. His own kiss had been slower, more deliberate, because he wanted her to know that he meant it. He wanted her to know that she was more than just a passing interest.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted back to their upcoming baking date. It wasn’t about the act of baking itself—he could take or leave the sweets. It was about the time they’d spend together, the chance to see another side of her, to be part of something she loved.

Levi’s lips twitched into a faint smile as he imagined what the afternoon might look like—Vanessa guiding him through the steps, her soft laugh filling the kitchen, her hands brushing against his as they worked. The thought made his chest feel warm in a way that was unfamiliar but welcome.

By the time he reached HQ, Levi had already decided that no matter how much of a mess he might make in the kitchen, it would be worth it. He wanted to spend that time with her, to make more of those quiet, meaningful moments they had started to share.

For the first time in a long time, Levi felt a quiet excitement about something outside of duty and responsibility. And it was all because of Vanessa.

He walked into HQ with his usual composed expression, but inside, there was a flicker of something different. Something more. And he was ready to see where it would take him.

…

Back at the bakery, Vanessa was buzzing with anticipation. The thought of having Levi over at her place to bake together filled her with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This would be their first time spending such personal time together, just the two of them, in her home. It felt like a big step forward, and she wanted everything to be perfect.

As she set out trays of freshly baked bread, Robin and Emma hovered nearby, sensing her excitement and already eager to help plan for the upcoming date.

"So," Robin began, leaning against the counter with a grin, "what are you going to bake with Captain Levi? You’ve got to pick something amazing, Ness."

Vanessa paused, thinking hard. She’d noticed that Levi wasn’t particularly fond of sweets. Whenever he came into the bakery, he ordered his tea without milk or sugar and always opted for something simple—usually a plain roll or a piece of bread. She’d never seen him order a pastry or anything too sugary.

"Yeah," Vanessa said thoughtfully, "I don’t think Levi’s really into sweets. He always drinks his tea plain and gets a simple roll. Nothing fancy."

Emma tapped her chin, nodding in agreement. "Hmm, that makes sense. He seems like the type who doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. Maybe we can come up with something more subtle for him?"

Vanessa smiled, grateful for her friends' help. "Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking. I want to make something that’s not too sweet, but still fun for us to bake together."

Robin raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "So, what’s the plan, then? What can you bake that’s not too sugary but still impressive?"

Vanessa thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up as an idea began to form. "What about something savory? Like bread or scones? Something simple, but we can experiment with different flavors—herbs, maybe some cheese." She could already picture herself and Levi working side by side, kneading dough, talking, laughing—her heart fluttered at the thought.

Robin’s eyes lit up. "Ooh, that sounds perfect! Bread is simple enough, but you can make it special with different ingredients. Plus, Levi will appreciate that it’s not super sweet."

Emma nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and it’ll give you a chance to show off your skills while keeping things light. Maybe throw in a few variations—herbs, garlic, or even a little bit of spice."

Vanessa smiled, feeling more confident about the plan. Bread was something simple but also versatile. It would give them plenty of room to experiment together, and it wasn’t something Levi would find overwhelming. Plus, working with dough was hands-on, which meant they’d be able to share some fun, intimate moments during the process.

"I think he’ll like that," Vanessa said, her heart swelling at the thought of spending the afternoon baking with Levi. "It’s not too sweet, and it’s something we can both enjoy."

Robin smirked, clearly pleased with the plan. "And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get close—kneading the dough, rolling it out, maybe a little flour on your faces for good measure."

Vanessa blushed at the teasing but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. The idea of working so closely with Levi, maybe even brushing hands while they kneaded dough together, made her heart race. She hadn’t realized how excited she was for this—how much she wanted to see Levi in a more relaxed setting, doing something together that wasn’t related to work or responsibility.

Emma grinned, clearly enjoying Vanessa’s reaction. "Sounds like a great plan, Ness. And who knows? Maybe you’ll get another kiss out of it."

Vanessa’s face turned a deeper shade of red at the thought, but she couldn’t help the shy smile that followed. "We’ll see… I just want to make sure he has a good time."

Robin gave her a playful nudge. "Oh, he’ll have a good time, trust me. You’ve got this, Ness."

With their encouragement, Vanessa felt her confidence grow. The plan was coming together, and she was excited to share something personal with Levi—something that would give them both a chance to connect outside of their usual routines.

As the rest of the day went by, Vanessa found herself daydreaming about the weekend, imagining what it would be like to have Levi in her kitchen, both of them working side by side. She could already picture his focused expression, the way he’d probably approach baking with the same intensity he approached everything. And that thought made her smile.

She had a good feeling about this. And for the first time, she was looking forward to taking the lead, to showing Levi more of her world, and to seeing what might come of it.

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