#went from being unsure about even sharing her to talking about her SO much

[sebsbarnes]

hole in the wall || pietro maximoff

pietro maximoff x f!reader

summary: despite barely knowing the brainwashed girl beyond the wall, pietro refused to hurt her, no matter how much she hurt him.

word count: 5k+

warnings: fighting, none rlly??

a/n: the russian is translated so i apologize if the translation is wrong. i wrote for pietro years ago but this is my first time in awhile :P reader is subjected to the same torture as bucky bc the character is kinda him, inaccuracies in the mcu but nothing crazy

masterlist

pietro often wondered about the girl who was held next door. he'd hear the screeching metal against the floor followed by a slight commotion and then a thud on the floor. small shuffling could be heard and then it was silence. no movement, no talking, no heavy breathing or cries, silence until the next time the metal door unleashed its harrowing song, and large boots could be heard entering the cell and dragging the girl away.

pietro couldn't tell how long he'd really been here nor how long it had been since the mysterious girl next to him was there but he did know it had been months on end and yet he had never seen a glimpse of the girl that shared the wall with him.

there was a small hole in the cement that allowed him to peer into the girl's cell but each time he looked he was met with the grey wall from beyond. he had heard murmurs that she was young like him and wanda. strong, fearless, one of the doctor's favorites. she was often sent out on missions and came back unscathed. each mission she was sent on was a success as if the concept of failure was unfathomable. she apparently spoke little, only when instructed, never talked back, never laughed, never screamed. almost robotic.

which is why it came to pietro's surprise after hearing the thud of her knees hit the floor and the guards march away he heard a soft sniffle. and then slightly louder ones followed by rapid and heavy breathing. pietro scuffled over to the hole in the wall and peered through. he could see her sitting against the far wall with her legs tucked closely to her, her forehead resting on her knees. he could only see half her body from where she was sitting but he could see her shoulder shaking.

"you... you need to breathe in and out. you are going to make yourself pass out," pietro was unsure, his voice quiet but loud enough for her to hear. her head shot up and looked directly at the hole. her hair was sticking to her face, her mouth was slightly parted, and eyes wide and red.

"it's okay. my name is pietro. you don't need to talk but i... i wanted to see if you are okay. you've never even made a noise before now," he felt funny slightly confessing the fact he's been taking note of your actions.

he watched as you wiped the tears off your cheek and raked the hair off your face.

"i don't know how i am," your voice sounded like you hadn't spoken in days.

"it's okay to not know."

from where you sat you could only see the boy's eye. it was a striking blue, "like the sky," you murmured.

"what?" you heard the voice call back.

you slowly stood up dragging your chained feet over to the wall. you held the wall, steadying yourself before sitting with a huff, "your eyes remind me of the sky."

pietro wasn't sure what to say back. he went months not hearing your voice or seeing you, only knowing the tales that the guards spoke of yet here you were inches from him, broken down and giving a compliment. a much different reality to the one he thought he knew before.

pietro didn't hear another word from you, he assumed you fell asleep against the wall. he tried looking through the hole at any angle he could to see you, but all he noticed was a piece of metal gleaming from the dull light in your cell.

a few days had passed since the interaction and pietro had little time to dwell on it. his testing was getting more intense, he was constantly being injected with needles he knew nothing about, there were many monitors reading whatever vitals they needed to document, and his training was becoming more rigorous. he was exhausted, he hadn't been in his cell in two days, and although the cell offered no comfort he much rather be locked behind the bars than strapped to a table.

the guards pushed him down the hallway, taunting him. each time he stood up they would push him back down. the shackles on his wrists rubbed his skin raw and those around his ankles prevented him from running. the guard gripped his shoulder tightly walking past wanda's cell as she called out to her brother.

"wanda!" he screamed out as he watched the other guard reach through the bars and grip at her neck. the guard holding onto him roughly pushed him into the cell causing him to stumble and land on his shoulder, his face grazed the cement floor.

you had heard the commotion from your cell, you stood at the door looking over at the guards who simply laughed at the twins who were now in pain. all you could do was grimace. you hated this, you hated this place, each day you yearned to leave this hell hole you've called home. you heard pietro scream in frustration and then heard his rapid movements as he ran around his cell, thrashing against the walls.

you had seen pietro from a distance a few times. you were never allowed to be near the enhanced people and only managed glimpses of them. you had seen his super speed and the way the scientists trained him. it was brutal and he endured a lot just from the few moments you had witnessed. you started to notice that after particularly rough days he would do this, run back and forth for what seemed like hours on end. slamming into the cement walls that would somehow rattle from the force. he would yell in anger, cursing the guards and scientists for what they were doing.

the noise settled and you hesitantly sat in front of the small hole. you could see his large frame hunched over catching his breath. he ran a hand through his messy silver hair, his white tank top was dirty and slightly damp from his running. you peered behind your shoulder at the hallway making sure it was empty. you swallowed thickly with nerves in fear of getting caught before forcing three fingers into the hole and ripping the cement block from the wall. you could now fit your head through the hole comfortably if you wanted to.

"pietro," you said placing the block beside you. he faltered and gestured with an open hand in confusion at the now gaping hole in the wall. you couldn't help but pull your lips into a tight light suppressing the laugh you wanted to let out at the look on his face. using his speed he rushed to face you, eyes wide examining the open edges of the cement.

"you-"

"are strong," you cut him off jokingly.

the two of you sat staring at each other. it was weird to be face to face after countless months of unknowing the other despite being separated by only a wall. you took in his appearance. he was handsome. up close you could now see the slight curls to his hair and the short facial hair. his shoulders broad and built. under his sky-blue eyes were dark circles from the lack of sleep but it suited him. he was stunning and pietro was thinking the same about you. your hair fell haphazardly across your forehead. your eyes were kind and gentle, much different than the stone-cold eyes he had imagined in his head. your lips were pulled to one side in the tiniest of smiles as you took in his appearance. pietro found it hard to believe the stories he has heard about your reputation as he stared at you. expression soft, eyes and smile kind, you looked battered and worn down but still so youthful as if you didn't fit in with the surrounding grey walls.

"are you okay?" you finally asked.

pietro's nostrils flared and his eyes fluttered shut, "i don't know."

you hesitated a moment before repeating his words from a few days prior, "it's okay to not know."

if you weren't staring intently at the man before you you would've missed the smile that flashed across his face at your remark. it was soon washed away when you both heard loud footsteps from down the hall. you both quickly turned towards the noise that was approaching pietro's cell, he gulped harshly as a guard came into view. he looked back at the wall expecting to still see your face but instead, he saw a metal hand escaping through the hole as if the cement was never removed.

metal...?

it must have been late in the night. the guards had already dropped off the atrocious meal they call dinner and returned to pick the trays up. they rarely patrolled the hallways at night, opting to smoke outside. it was eerie each night. the sound of dripping water from pipes echoed, the occasional gunfire could be heard from the woods outside, slight whispers could be heard from the twins once in a blue moon but it was rare. in a place like this, they didn't let you be a person so it was hard to act like one.

pietro was lying on the bed facing the ceiling making a laughable attempt at trying to get some sort of sleep. he was imagining his life before this when his family was all together, when times were happy, when he was just a little kid and not a young adult performing for crazed scientists. his eyes scanned the room at the sound of bricks moving before seeing your head pop into vision from the hole. pietro let out a small laugh through his nose seeing your sheepish smile.

you sat facing the other not saying anything at first. it was oddly comfortable being face-to-face with the one they call quicksilver. you couldn't put your finger on why though. you've spoken so few words to him but then again it was the first time you let yourself speak to someone in this building that wasn't a doctor or a guard. maybe it was you being naive but it felt okay and safe.

"what made you cry the other day?" he finally spoke his question causing you to blink a few times.

"i think... i think they do something to my head. i mean, i know they do," you thought bringing your fingers to your temple as if the gesture helped you remember, "but i think i'm starting to notice when i'm on missions. it's hard to really know though it's all a blur."

pietro nodded softly taking in what you had to say, "like... brainwashing?"

"it has to be. they recite something each time and then it's like i'm not me," you confessed, "but these past few missions i'll overhear things from strangers passing by or i'll see something and i can feel myself start to wake from the trance. i'm starting to remember life before here and i'm becoming aware of what they have me doing."

"whatever it is they have you doing just know you are still a good person," pietro spoke quietly.

"i kill people," you said bluntly looking him straight in the eyes. he averted his gaze slightly, his hand coming to caress his jaw.

"the person they turn you into out there isn't you. the real you is sitting in front of me now."

"how can you be so sure, you don't even know me," you questioned.

"i don't think an out right evil person would check to see if a stranger is okay... or compliment them the first time they see them," pietro joked slightly. you hung your head as your lips pulled back into a smile. pietro couldn't help the way his body leaned closer to the hole with a big smile on his face observing the way you became shy.

"no one in this building is perfect. we've all done things that are considered evil but if we manage to hold on to some sort of sense of ourselves i think we will be okay. i hope wanda and i get out of here soon. it was a mistake yanno, being volunteers, i regret it. it makes me feel worse knowing you had no say in the matter. you're here every day as a puppet against your will and yet i walked through these doors. every day i'm in pain and every day i regret it," pietro's accent got thicker as he got emotional.

you frowned at the silver-haired man, "life in here is already hard enough, there is no point in being hard on yourself."

his eyes were glossed over, internally fighting himself for the choices he had made in the past. you reached your hand into the hole searching for his. this was out of character for you but it some selfish way you wanted the warmth of his hand to comfort you as well. it was peaceful sitting in silence holding each other's hand. the only form of physical touch the two of you ever received was in the form of torture. gruff hands slapping, punching, shoving, and poking you seemed like a far and distant sensation compared to the safety you felt as pietro's thumb traced the back of your hand.

"you should rest," pietro finally broke what felt like an hour's long silence, "they usually take you first."

you sighed deeply but you knew he was right. god knows what hour it was and you needed to try and get some sleep. pietro gently let go of your hand and allowed you to snake it back through the hole.

"thank you pietro. i hope we can talk more soon," you told him earnestly.

"i hope so too," he gave you a lopsided grin before you grabbed the brick.

it was mere days later when you two found yourself in the same position. the guards were out, pietro had finished his talks with wanda, the disgusting dinners were consumed and taken away, and here you were staring into the sky amongst grey walls. pietro noticed your face had small cuts scattered on it from a mission you were sent on a day prior but you had made no mention of it thus far. you were currently enthralled by pietro telling a story from his younger days. pietro was funny and he didn't even need to try, it had been years since you felt the burning sensation in your sides from laughing too much but he made it easy. and pietro loved the sound of your laugh, it was beautiful, irresistible almost. the two of you went back and forth sharing any memories you could remember from life before these walls and it was effortless but you knew just like the other nights it was soon time to hide the hole.

"you're really pretty," you confessed.

pietro's mouth formed an 'o' shape before turning into a giddy smile, "you are beautiful, dragă"

this time it was pietro plugging the brick back into the wall just as he was about to finish a loud booming voice came from your side of the wall. his hands shook slightly at the volume of the guard yelling 'soldier' in russian to you. pietro could no longer see what was happening but he heard you stand up and reply back and leave the cell.

although you and the guard walked in silence you knew he saw you talking to pietro. you continued to clench and unclench your fists trying to calm yourself for what was to come.

"Тебе нравится мальчик?" (do you like the boy?) the guard asked placing a firm grip on your shoulder, pushing you towards the all too familiar room. you stayed quiet and you heard the man snicker to himself, satisfied with your silence.

in the room, several other guards were standing in position, many holding guns. you saw the needles and wires spread across the small rolling table with a doctor in a white coat hunched over it. the monitors sitting idly waiting to read your vitals. the guard that escorted you pushed you into the contraption that stood before you forcing your body flush against the back. immediately automatic shackles secured your arms to the chair and the whirling sound of small electric plates situated themselves against the sides of your head.

"смешно... ты, кажется, молчишь только рядом с нами," (funny... you only seem to be quiet around us.) the doctor smirked, admitting they all were aware of you and pietro speaking. the doctor sucked his teeth as you glared at him, unwilling to confess to anything.

he picked up the mouth guard from the table wiggling it in front of your mouth waiting for you to open. you bit down in anger, all the muscles in your face twitching, your eyelids blinking rapidly pushing back any emotion daring to creep up at what you knew was about to happen. it wasn't often they wiped your memory, only when they deemed your actions defied them, like not getting enough information on missions which was rare. it had been months since the last time they did this. you screamed in agony as the electric volts zapped against your head. sweat started to bead across your thrashing body. it was indescribable and it wasn't a short process but once the currents stopped your world was black and each time you'd wake up in your cell with no recollection.

it was a week later you found yourself in the training room after being isolated since the memory wipe. your shoulders were hunched forward, chest facing the ground, your arms swayed ever so slightly by your side, your breathing was ragged after being beaten in the form of "training" for the last two hours. the doctors insisted it would be over soon, one final test for the day before you could go to your cell. the door creaked open and the familiar sound of boots entered, you didn't even bother looking up.

"солдат!" (soldier!) a guard yelled causing you to slowly pick your head up. at the door was a young man you'd never seen before, he wore tattered pants and a tank top, his hair was silver, and his blue eyes were opened wide in what you could only assume was shock. and though you didn't recognize him, pietro recognized you.

up until now, he had never seen your full figure before, only parts of your body that were visible through the hole. despite you clearly being injured and tired you stood tall and pietro could tell you were strong. the most alarming part about you was your arm... your metal arm. pietro's eyebrows scrunched together, head slightly cocked to the side examining the way the metal met your skin, some scar tissue bright red while others were faded.

before pietro could mutter any words aloud a doctor appeared from a side door and sauntered towards you holding a notebook.

"работа...установить..." (work...establish...) the doctor read.

"please, no," you whispered, your neck screwing to the side as if it will block the doctor's voice.

"станция..." (station...)

pietro watched as your chest heaved air in and out as the doctor continued reciting from the book, circling your body like a predator ready to attack. he watched as your teeth chatter together and your metal hand flexed. the doctor stopped behind your right shoulder leaning down slightly so his mouth was level with your ear. pietro couldn't hear the whispers but he felt nervous at the doctor's intense eye contact and the loud clap of the notebook being shut. the doctor lazily dragged his hand off your shoulder whispering one final command before exiting the way he came.

pietro jumped at the sound of the door behind him slamming shut as the guards snuck out, leaving only the two of you in the room.

"wha- WOAH!" pietro shrieked as you came barreling towards him at full speed, your metal arm raised high in the air to come down on his body.

"please i don't want to hurt you," but his pleas were left unheard as you socked him in the jaw, tossing him to the ground and repeatedly punching his stomach. although being fast, pietro found himself trapped beneath you and it took moments before he was able to get out and start running in different directions. slowly, you walked towards a vacant chair in the corner, eyes trained on the blue light racing around the room. you gripped the chair waiting for the right moment before launching it across the room and nailing pietro square in the back. you stalked towards his groaning figure grasping his shoulder and flipping him onto his back where you straddled him and punched at his face.

to pietro's relief, the doctor came back into the room beckoning an order to you. pietro watched from underneath your frame as your pupils twitched at him and your head robotically moved to face the doctor. you refrained from punching pietro anymore and stood up and walked to the doctor and the two guards who waited behind. one of the guards stabbed a needle into your neck and once more the world was black.

you couldn't even begin to guess what time or day it was when you finally woke up on the floor of your cell. your body was violently shaking from the cold and you started to panic. as much as you tried to think of any memories you couldn't, it was like your mind was a blank slate and it was causing you to panic even more which then turned into anger. you grabbed the small bed and threw it at the wall and screamed loudly. you repeatedly slammed your metal first into the wall causing dust to liter the air. guards walked past your cell but simply laughed and continued to make their way down the hall and off into the outside world.

"hey," a voice spoke unsteadily. you whipped your head around to the other wall and saw a face peeking through.

"it's okay," the man tried to ease seeing your angered state approaching him. you kneeled in front of the hole looking intensely at his face.

"who are you?"

this question confirmed pietro's fear that they wiped your memory. he had foolishly hoped that in the training room you were just too worn down to recognize him when he walked through the door before they sent you into your trance.

"my name is pietro. you may not remember but i am a friend," he spoke hoping to see any form of recollection cross your face. instead you examined him quietly before turning your head and examining the room. it was lit dully, your bed now turned on its side, and there was a tray of food sitting near the cell door that looked to be days old.

"this is a hydra base," pietro continued without you having to ask, "the people here are not good. they hurt us, they experiment on us, many people have died here. i have a sister here, a twin," he said pointing a finger behind him, "her name is wanda. they call us the enhanced. we both possess abilities no normal human would have due to their experimentations. we came as volunteers and i regret it."

"am i a volunteer?" you questioned.

"no, dragă. a few weeks ago you told me they found you during the winter, alone. you had been lost in the forest and they made promises to help you find home but you never returned. you said you aren't sure but you think it's been ten years since," pietro confessed, his accent thick with sorrow.

you hummed, unsure of what to say. you remembered none of this so what could you really say back? was pietro even telling the truth? how could you decipher fact from fiction in a state like this? despite the confusion and the absence of memory, something deep within you said it was all true, everything he was saying was right.

"why is my arm gone?" you whispered, slightly touching the contorting metal panels near the elbow.

pietro couldn't help but feel a pain in his chest as he observed you try and remember any semblance of yourself, "i- i don't know. what i do know is the doctors, they like you. you are very important to them and they make you do dirty work. the reason you can't remember anything is because they wipe your memory."

"i suppose that makes sense," you nodded slightly giving pietro a bitter smile.

"i am sorry for what they do to you," pietro stated earnestly. if he could help you in any way he would, over and over again, he would.

you paused, taking in pietro's face which held some serious injuries. the skin on his brow bone was split, his eye was bright red with blood and a nasty purple-green bruise on his jaw.

"did i do this to you?" you asked, slowly reaching your hand through to gently touch his jaw.

"of course you didn't my love," he murmured, tenderly grabbing your wrist and threading his fingers with yours.

"if there comes a time when i hurt you, please don't go easy on me," you pleaded.

"i cannot promise you that," he smiled at you softly, bringing his other hand to enclose your freezing one.

and pietro was being truthful. he couldn't nor he wouldn't harm you in the event the doctors forced you to fight. he would run and dodge the punches, and the chairs being thrown at him, but he couldn't fight you, he just couldn't. it pained him to see the different version of yourself, the real you locked inside begging to come out of the brainwashing.

pietro didn't think it would be so soon when he would be in the same position as before, standing across from you in the training room as the same doctor circled your body, reciting words in russian that would transform you into their super soldier. it was only hours after the two of you decided to sleep that pietro was ripped from his bed and dragged into the training room.

the doctor once again closed the notebook but before leaving he looked over at pietro, "it is a shame," he started with a thick russian accent, "her memory wiped twice in a week. i thought maybe you two would work well as a team. we could start sending you out on missions with her. but it seems she has developed a hm. what do you call it?" he fake pondered, "ah! a crush! and that is not something we take kindly here. she provides more to us here than you do so..." with that the doctor whispered one final thing in your ear before leaving.

pietro watched carefully as you headed towards him and at the last moment he sprinted away causing you to concave the metal door. you whipped your head around, eyes wide in anger, tracking the movements of the man. he was fast and this irritated you. sticking your leg out you managed to trip him at the last moment and his large frame hurled to the floor. you gripped his shirt in one hand and used your metal hand to punch him in the side of the face.

"it's me!" the man below you yelled. this had no effect on you and you raised your hand to hit him again but he grabbed your fist. the two of you violently struggled against each other before you used your hand clutched to his shirt to slide him away with great force.

"please i said i would never hurt you. it's me, pietro!" the man pleaded getting up to run past your approaching figure. for some reason hearing the name pietro caused a loud screeching pain in your head.

"what are you doing to my head?" you screamed, clutching your head in your hands, eyes screwed shut.

pietro stopped running and looked at your trembling figure, "i'm- i'm not doing anything."

you tried ignoring the high-pitched shrilling noise and stumbled to pietro. you grabbed onto his shoulders and pushed him backward against the wall. although you moved him with force pietro could feel the weakness in your grip this time. he stayed silent looking into your eyes that were frantically examining him.

"the noise..." you muttered bringing your metal hand to hold your head.

"there... there is no noise," pietro spoke confused. there was no noise in the room besides heavy breathing.

"who are you?" you probed shoving him roughly against the wall.

"it's me. pietro. i live next to you in the cell. i came here as a volunteer with my twin sister wanda. you are here against your will. they found you when you were little and never let you leave. they hurt you every day, they aren't good people. trust me, please. it's me your friend," pietro rushed hoping to break through to you.

he felt your grip slightly falter as you looked him up and down. he couldn't make out the emotion in your face as you screwed and unscrewed your features together, internally fighting yourself. he wasn't scared, but nervous rather for your next move or action.

as pietro spoke the high-pitched noise continued to grow louder causing severe pain in your head. it made you nauseous and your vision would cloud with blinding bright light. you hung your head gasping for air as a vague image of a cell came to memory. you tried blinking it away but it would reappear, this time you'd see a man. the man you were pushing against the wall. his head was peeking through the cell wall. instinctually you pressed him further into the wall, pietro's shoulder blades started to ache. a new memory came and it was pietro holding your hand, his thumb caressing yours.

you shot your head up looking at the man. your eyes were glossy with tears from the pain you were experiencing. not just the physical pain of the intense noise but the mental pain as you tried to piece together who he was. his appearance was becoming familiar. his clothes, his broad shoulders, the facial hair on his jaw and upper lip, the cut on his eyebrow, the dark roots of his hair and the silver ends, and his eyes.

you dropped your grip and pietro's eyes contorted in confusion.

"like the sky..." you murmured.

[daycourtofficial]

We’re Bumping Booties, Having Us a Ball

Summary: Nesta and Azriel are suspicious of you and Cassian spending so much time together.

It was unusual for Nesta to speak individually to Azriel. This might be the first time she’s ever sought him out to have a discussion, and frankly, it slightly terrified him.

She approached him, and after looking around for wandering ears, deeming it safe to speak, she asked “have you noticed something different between our mates?”

Azriel blinked. He had no idea what he expected Nesta to talk to him about, but it certainly wasn’t about you and Cassian.

“What are you talking about?” He asks, genuinely curious.

“They’ve been spending a lot of time together lately,” she huffs, clearly annoyed he doesn’t see what she does.

“We all spend an absurd amount of time together, Nesta,” he replies.

She rolls her eyes, “why she wants to be with you is beyond me, you insufferable bat. Okay, fine, maybe I’m making it up. Next time we’re all together at Rita’s, just pay attention to them.”

And so he did. He noticed you and Cassian conspiring over something, he just wasn’t sure what. You didn’t spend the whole time with Cassian, just whenever Azriel went to get you more drinks, you’d immediately start speaking to Cass and your conversation would conveniently end when Azriel returned.

He didn’t think anything nefarious was going on. You two had been mates for ages, before Cassian ever even met Nesta. You and Cassian had a friendship best described as siblings - honestly seeing his brother love you so much warmed his heart.

So he wasn’t worried you were doing anything scandalous with Cassian, but he knew when you were conspiring, and oh were you conspiring.

The next time Azriel gets up for drinks, he stops by Nesta and tells her, “they’re up to something. Let’s find out what.”

-

It didn’t take long for them to catch a hint that you and Cassian had plans. Two nights later, Cassian told Nesta that he had to drop his leathers off to get patched, and you told Azriel you were going to a cobbler to have your shoes fixed.

Nesta and Azriel met in the hallway after their respective mates had left. “She told me she had a cobbler to visit - at 9 PM.” Azriel knew you were much better at crafting lies than that - he likes to think you have a hard time lying to him. And you do.

“He muttered something about getting his leathers repatched.” Nesta scowled.

Azriel just stared at her, honestly shocked at this mission they’re embarking on.

A few minutes of silence pass. Nesta feels compelled to break it, unsure of what they’re waiting for, before a few shadows come back and dance slowly around Azriel’s ears.

“They’re on the roof.”

-

“Okay, put your hand here. Do it like this. No, you have to put your hips into it. OW! That was my foot!”

Azriel and Nesta crept up to the door to the rooftop - a flat area designed to entertain guests and occasionally watch Starfall. Hardly anyone used the rooftop during the year, especially not during the winter when it’s freezing up there.

Nesta and Azriel can hear you way before they see the two of you, sharing a quizical look when they hear you muttering explitives about your foot.

“Can you see anything?” Nesta whispers.

“No, we can peak around the corner though,” Azriel replies, starting to crouch to peer around the corner.

He and Nesta peer around the corner at the same time, the sight being even more surprising than if their mates were cheating on them.

“Are they..?” Nesta asks.

“Dancing.” Azriel says.

“She’s dancing, he’s doing… something. But it’s not dancing.”

They continue to watch the two of you for a while, amazed at your patience with teaching Cassian how to dance. You’re being exceptionally kind and patient with him, taking time to help him practice, despite the pleas from your toes to have him stop.

“She’s teaching him to dance, he’s never been good at formal dancing,” Azriel whispers to Nesta, an idea of why you’d be doing this forming in his mind.

“Cassian wants to know how to dance?” Nesta asks, confusion evident across her face. Azriel turns to look at her, amusement across his face, “Why do you think he’d want to learn to dance when he’s never been interested in doing more than dancing at Rita’s before?”

Realization dawns across her face, “he wants to dance with me.” She says quietly. She continues to stare at her mate, in awe of how incredibly sweet this gesture is, and a little upset that he went to you to teach him how to dance instead of her.

“Okay, I’m calling it. I’ve spun you around enough tonight. I want to go to bed.”

Cassian’s voice breaks Nesta train of thought. She grabs Azriel’s arm, almost making him fall over with how hard she’s trying to get them to move. “We need to go - he’d be devastated if we ruined his surprise.”

Nesta and Azriel hurry down the stairs, back down to the hallway where they met each other thirty minutes earlier.

“So, Nesta,” Azriel says, very amused at his brother’s surprise, “how do you feel about their little secret?”

Nesta sighs and says quietly, “that I have an incredibly thoughtful mate and I almost ruined his surprise due to some jealousy.”

“Good,” Azriel replies, “and that I have an incredibly kind mate who loves the two of you greatly.”

Azriel left Nesta to consider that, and when you returned to your shared room smelling briefly of Cassian, he chuckled to himself and offered to rub your feet while you two take a bath.

Azriel waits until Starfall, when Cassian takes Nesta on the dance floor for a while, looking pretty decent, to tell you, “hmm, someone looks like he’s finally figured out how to dance.”

Your eyes snap to his face, “He must have had a wonderful teacher.” Azriel’s mischievous smile tells you that he knows just who Cassian’s teacher was.

“I wonder if his teacher’s available to show me some moves,” he says, grabbing your waist and pulling you closer.

“I heard she’s booked for months. She’s very hard to get in to see,” you reply, placing your hand on his jaw.

“You think she’d make a special exception for me?” He says, giving you an incredibly pitiful look.

“I think I can get her to pencil you in,” you reply, grabbing his face and kissing him.

[adventuringblind]

Defensive Maneuvers

Max Verstappen x Leclerc!reader

Genre: fluffy with a pinch of angst

Request: yes! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Requests are open for Max, Charles, Oscar, and lando. Don't hesitate to send me ideas!

Summary: The normally soft-spoken leclerc sister becomes the out spoken girl her family knows. What triggers this change? Max Verstappen and his ridiculous father.

Warnings: Jos being Jos, mentions of verbal abuse, mention of physical abuse if you squint, *best Daniel Riccardo voice* nooooot prooooofreaaaad

Notes: written in third person . I am neither the youngest nor have brothers, so I tried my best to get an accurate relationship depiction. Ironically, I'm the oldest with sisters.

Masterlist

The Leclerc sister is known by her brothers as the baby of the family. Even Arthur, who is only older by mere minutes, holds it over her head that she is the youngest.

The constant teasing from her siblings made her learn how to use her quick wit. Verbal comebacks becoming her specialty at a young age. Because of her ability to be polite in public, no one suspects what she is truly capable of.

Her brothers tease her regardless but she lets them. Her sharp tongue making them regret not holding theirs.

Pierre had made this mistake once. Mainly under the influence of Charles convincing him to say something at her expense. The verbal lashing he received in response had him apologizing profusely. Charles doubling over in laughter as her practically lectured his friend. Needless to say, Pierre has yet to make this mistake again.

Charles was by far her favorite sibling. Lorenzo had a habit of bossing her around and Arthur shared a room with her. She loved all her brothers, but felt the most connected to Charles. She followed him around like a lost puppy some days. Ready to cheer him on at every Karting race.

This was where she first encountered Max.

After the race, she went to go congratulate Charles for a race well done. He was third but all the Leclerc’s were proud nonetheless. On the way over to him, she saw Max. He was at majority of the races Charles was at. The two had never talked formally, but they were aware of the others existence.

Something about the situation she was witnessing didn’t felt right. Max was standing with his dad, his knuckles turning white from gripping his second place trophy so tightly.

As she walked by, she almost fell over at hearing how his father was treating him. The slander leaving his mouth over his son placing second almost made her tear up. She was only nine at the time, but even she knew whatever was happening was wrong.

So she steeled herself, took a deep breath, and entered into the conversation. She walked up and tapped Max’s shoulder. He jumped at the feeling, not having seen you coming.

“Hello Max, Charles is busy with family but wanted to congratulate you.” She smiled warmly at the Dutch boy. Obviously taken off guard.

Jos turned to her, also not knowing how to handle this. “Not much to congratulate,” he sneered. The young Leclerc narrows her eyes at him. Not realizing how brash the older man is.

“What do you mean, Mr. Verstappen? There is plenty to congratulate.” She questions back, her tone mildly snarky. Obviously having no intention of backing down. The older man didn’t even bothering responding to her. He turns on his heels and walks away. Yelling back to Max “I’ll be in the car.”

Max looks between the girl who he’d never spoken too and his father. Unsure of what he should do in this situation. Thankfully the girl notices this. “Sorry for stepping in. He sounded unreasonably upset.” She apologized with a huff.

“Thanks actually- for what you did.” Max stutters out. No one had ever taken the time to defend him.it was an unusual feeling. He knows he can’t stay long though. “I should go. I’ll see you around- I guess.” Then he runs off. Waving as he goes.

She had told her mother about it. The older woman explaining what was probably happening at home. It made her sad for the Dutch boy. Having to hear that it happens more often then just races.

This was only the first encounter with Max. The Leclerc sister made it a point to find Max after every race and praise for a job well done. Much to his fathers dismay. She knew she couldn’t stop what was happening, but maybe her words would help ease some of the hurt.

The girls mother occasionally helped out with her quest. Walking with her daughter to find the Dutch and congratulate him.

It became a routine. One that Max was starting to enjoy. The seeking out now being reciprocated. The two even finding time to converse about things aside from racing.

Max’s father had started to become increasingly more annoyed at this fact. Pulling Max away from you. Spitting vulgar words at a child that wasn’t even his own.

Pascals had made a note that if she was directly insulting to Mr. Verstappen, it might make things harder for Max. She still made her snarky remarks and threw insults at the older man, but only loud enough to make Max chuckle.

Her brothers eventually caught on. Charles and Arthur saying nice things to Max in passing. Charles was more strained, but was trying nonetheless.

The brothers began teasing her relentlessly as they grew up. Her fondness for Max only growing. Her quick tongue seemed to falter when they brought up Max. She held a soft spot for him, as he did for her.

When Max and Charles were in formula 2, she was incredibly proud of both of them. She divided her time equally between the two boys. Still always making sure to sing Max’s praises loud enough for everyone to hear.

Originally she though Max’s father would cool down and maybe start to see how talented he is, but she was mistaken. The older man somehow seemed to get more competitive.

It was increasingly easier to talk to each other now since the two both have phones. She comforted over video calls as he ranted about something stupid his father said to him. He listens to her talk about her fathers battle with illness. The two became inseparable. Being the reason for each others smiles on most occasions.

Then formula 1 came. Charles driving for Ferrari and Max for Redbull. The youngest Leclerc baskets in both boy finally making it. Years of hard work paying off.

Max no longer lived at home. Having moved to an apartment in Monaco. This meaning the two could spend more time together. The, now young woman, takes pride in that fact she convinced him to move closer to her.

She’d become more outspoken recently. Opening defending both her brothers and Max. Most people knew not to say anything if she was within earshot.

The year is now 2021 and Max and Lewis are both fighting hard for the championship title. Max was visible upset at the end the race. Second place wasn’t enough if Lewis is going to keep winning.

The young woman immediately trying to find him after the podium celebration. She had seen the look in his fathers eyes and is now frantically trying to beat him to Max. Charles and Arthur found her in a frenzy. Confused because she is usually calm, her sarcastic remarks and opinions given so level that you’d think it was rehearsed.

“I need to find Max.” She explained, panting from running around the paddock. They decided three sets of eyes would be better then one and split off in different direction.

She was so caught up in her search for Max that she hadn’t noticed her phone buzzing in her pocket.

A text from Charles reading: In the back of the Redbull garage. It doesn’t look good.

She took off running spotting snarled waiting for her outside. She could hear the commotion from Jos.

“I was going to try and break it up but they won’t let me in.” Charles gestures to the wall of Redbull engineers. She however, wasn’t going to let them stop her from getting to Max. She shoved her way through with determination and surprising strength. Immediately settling herself between the two Dutch men.

Jos had turned his anger towards her now. His finger getting dangerously close to her face. “You are part of the problem.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “The only problem currently is you.”

“My son has been distracted because of you. His hopes for a title this year not getting any better because of you.” He spits. She can feel his breath on her face.

“Personally, I think Max is a good racer because he wants to be. Not because of you or me helping or distracting.” She lets a smirk form on her lips. “Your just angry because your finally running out of things to berate him about. Hard to be angry when Max is better then you.”

Jos’ face had turned red. She could feel Max’s anxiety increasing from behind her.

Then everything happened in slow motion. She hadn’t noticed Jos’ hand raised above her. Charles moved faster then anyone. Shoving Jos to the side, his hand not getting to connect with anything but the nearest wall.

He was raging now. Thrashing like a child who didn’t get their way. Pierre and Charles who had somehow managed their way inside kept a firm grip on him as Christian ran to get security.

The Youngest Leclerc. The one who spent her days defending Max in secret, keeping the haters at bay never letting Max go a day without know he is loved. Finally she turned around and stared deeply into his eyes. Blue irises glasses over from tears he’d been holding back.

She embraces him warmly. His face buried into the crook of her neck. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.” She apologized softly.

Max pulled away and gives her a confused look. “On the contrary, I think you were right on time.”

Security had come and grabbed Jos to escort him out of the paddock. Charles and Pierre now finding then tension between the two heating up. The two boys giggling. “I swear if you two don’t kiss or something I will no play nice with Max.” Charles laughed.

She didn’t care about the teasing. Just taking time to comfort Max. The two still conjoined in a loose hold.

Max leans his forehead against hers. “You know I’ve loved you for awhile right?” He smiles.

“You would be stupid to not.” She remarks. Max shaking his head at the remark. “But I have to agree with Charles on this one.”

Max doesn’t hesitate any longer. Placing his lips on hers. Pulling her as close to him as he can. He then pulls away, his lips still close to hers and voice barely a whisper.

“Thank you, for protecting me all these years.”

[lixie-phoria]

↳ ♡₊˚. tag, you're it ꒱

— skz helping 9th member reader w/ her paranoid personality disorder

requested - yes // 9th fem!member who has paranoid personality disorder (PPD) and she always thinks that she isn’t alone in the dorms when she’s by herself? The boys don’t know anything about is as she hides it from them but one day the boys get a camera for the living room as weird things have been happening when they aren’t there... skz x 9th member fem!reader / warnings - angst w happy ending, mentions of anxiety, paranoia, stalkers, and paranoid personality disorder / 3.2k words / a/n - this is the longest fic i've ever written 😭

"boo!"

"fuck!"

you gasped in shock, stumbling back as hyunjin popped out from behind the couch, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"did i scare you?" he giggles, standing up properly and making his way towards you, failing to notice how you eyes were still quivering with fright and your tight grip on your phone.

"why would you do that, hyunjin?"

you sound off, your voice an octave higher and trembling with an emotion that confuses him. was he sensing anger?

"it's just a joke ynnie. calm down."

it wasn't just a joke to you, though. it was much more than that. but you couldn't to explain it to him, so you leave him in the living room with an eye roll, staring at your retreating figure in confusion.

hyunjin doesn't bring it up after that. maybe he just happened to catch you on one of your bad days.

but he begins noticing things ever since - things that weren't necessarily normal. things that you have always done, but this time when he really thinks about it, they're a bit strange.

how you're always extra jumpy, flinching at every loud sound, refusing to leave the house without an unnecessary amount of security, being extra cautious when you went to public events, and straight up refusing to socialize with anyone more than necessary.

your members always labelled it on you being an introvert. but to the extent that you barely even spoke about yourself to your own members? as though scared to trust them with information? that wasn't normal, was it?

hyunjin thinks hard. he's a bit worried about you, but he doesn't know what to do.

tell chan? no. chan didn't need more problems on his plate.

confront you? no. you hated confrontation. it would worsen things.

talk to another member about it? maybe. but you might get mad at him. you always hated people meddling with your personal life.

so he stays silent for a while, observing from a distance.

and he begins picking up on signs soon enough.

you were paranoid. extremely paranoid. he caught you looking over your shoulder every few minutes, expertly dodging personal questions, being hypersensitive to criticism, having spells of moodiness that followed no particular pattern, suddenly giving your own members the cold shoulder, over analysing every little interaction you had with people. it was worrisome.

yes maybe hyunjin was looking into it too much and it wasn't that big of a deal. but he couldn't brush off a certain thought nagging him at the back of his mind. something was definitely up, and it was about time he spoke to the others about it.

"I think yn has a stalker." hyunjin mutters, shifting uncomfortably in his seat under the blank gazes of the other 7.

"what?" chan sounds confused, eyebrows furrowed as he shares an unsure glance with lee know. "did she say anything?"

that was the problem. you didn't. so he had no solid proof other than his theories.

"well, not really" he rubs the back of his neck. "but something is wrong. I know it. she's been acting weird."

"weird as in?"

"it's the usual. she hasn't changed. but when you look into her habits, they're not normal hyung."

it's tense. nobody knows what to say until changbin breaks the silence.

"what do you mean by not normal?"

"I don't mean it in a bad way," hyunjin hastily defends. "it's the way she's so paranoid, always on the edge. it can't be anxiety. anxiety doesn't make you act that way. it's almost like she's scared of something or someone."

he leaves it at that, allowing for the others to ponder over it.

your managers hadn't mentioned anything. maybe it was a sasaeng bothering you? maybe you slipped up and you were scared to share it with the company? scared of their berating?

"we can't jump to conclusions, can we?" felix interjects, fingers anxiously drumming against the table.

hyunjin shakes his head. "we can't. that's why i've been observing her for the past few weeks, and this was the most reasonable explanation i could find."

"what exactly made you start looking into it?"

"i tried jump scaring her two weeks ago, when she thought she was alone at the dorms. and she was so livid she didn't even crack a smile. i thought maybe she was just in a bad mood but for a few days after she kept acting strange around me. she would barely speak to me and even when she did she wouldn't meet my eyes."

chan hums, a frown twisting against his features. if hyunjin's guess was correct, you could be in serious trouble. and if he thought about it, there may just be a chance the boy was right. if you really did have a stalker threatening you, the chances you told them about it were close to zero. you were never one to confide in people easily.

"let's not tell the managers about it, yeah? we'll all observe her too. try seeing if there's anything out of the ordinary?"

and so they all agree, leaving the company in a much worse mood than with which they had entered. you were alone back at the dorms. it was your first day off in a very long time. hence hyunjin had chosen that moment to tell the others.

the drive back is tense. nobody says much. a few of them scroll through social media, trying to see if there's any news about a stalker. but they come up with nothing.

everything seems normal.

that is until they reach their apartment.

the change is immediately obvious. when chan unlocks the door, he stumbles back in surprise when he sees their dinner table blocking the corridor of the entrance, preventing them from entering the living room. the couch had also noticeably shifted, turned such that anyone sitting on it would have a clear view of the windows and the front door. every window is shut, the latches bolted.

"what the fuck happened here?" seungmin mutters in shock, carefully lifting the table from one end and moving it to make space for them to enter. the entire layout had changed.

"where's yn?"

all of them are visibly terrified as they make their way deeper into the dorm, noticing the can of pepper spray lying on the center table.

"yn!"

no answer.

"fuck. I hope she's okay."

there's nothing they can do besides hope as they reach your door. it's locked. there's no sound coming from the other side.

"yn?" Chan's voice wavers as he silently knocks at your door.

no answer.

"yn! it's us!" lee know pounds against the door.

there's a moment of tense silence before they hear the unmistakable click of your lock.

"hi?"

your hair is ruffled and your eyes puffy. you had been asleep.

it takes you by surprise when jeongin pushes his hyungs aside to grab you by the shoulders, chest heaving with the fright you had given them.

"what's wrong innie? why do you guys look like you've seen a ghost?"

"what's wrong? you tell us yn. why is all our furniture completely rearranged?"

for the first time your eyes land on the living room, and you gulp.

shit. you forgot to clean up.

"there was a bee. I was trying to kill it."

"what?"

it sounds ridiculous even to your own ears, but it's the best excuse you have.

"yeah. that's why the windows are closed. it got in somehow and I lost it. I was just trying to search for it." you shrug.

"what about the pepper spray?"

"I couldn't find the bug repellent."

the excuses come to you naturally.

"yn please-"

"it's not that big of a deal, oppa" you cut chan off, defensively crossing your arms. "you know I hate bugs. that's all there is to this. now will you please let me go back to sleep?"

you don't wait for their reply, shutting the door and locking it, leaving your members half confused and half exasperated. you were lying to them.

"please tell me none of you believed her." hyunjin whispers into the silence of the afternoon, taking care that you don't overhear them.

"something's definitely wrong," han agrees, his foot bouncing unconsciously against the carpet. "she's hiding something."

"but what?"

the million dollar question. what were you hiding? was it really a stalker?

"should we tell the managers about it now?"

"I think we should," lee know adds, looking at the others for confirmation.

"don't you think she'll be angry? she doesn't like people meddling with her business. you know how defensive she gets."

all of them turn to chan. in the end, it would be his say.

"I think we should try figuring out the reason first ourselves."

"but-"

"a motion detector and CCTV camera might work. hidden from sight, of course. it would alert us."

changbin hums, agreeing with their leader. "We could give it a try. It's better than nothing."

and so the plan is set. felix makes an excuse of buying parts for his PC and brings home the camera and motion detector. when you go to shower the next morning, the device is expertly concealed and motion detectors set in place.

chan insists you stay back that day too, going on for a long time about something related to your health and dark circles and what not. you agree reluctantly, and they don't fail to notice it. you didn't want to be alone. that was something.

"don't worry ynnie," jeongin reassures you as he ties his shoe lace while the others wait for him at the entrance. "the company is only 5 minutes away, we wont be far."

"are we just going to wait around here with nothing to do?" lee know asks, leaning back into the couch in their dance room.

"we don't have another option."

and so they do exactly that - wait. but it's not for long.

fifteen minutes into their boredom the first alarm goes off. the motion detectors had been triggered and the bell rings from chan's phone - where the control system had been set up.

"quick, check the camera!"

all eight of them huddle around chan's screen, watching intently at the familiar sight of their living room, eyes scanning for any sign of someone trying to break in.

but it's only you. you're pacing the living room, hands wringing by your side as you keep looking over your shoulder, flinching every time a paper rustles or the curtains move from the wind.

"what's wrong with her?"

felix furrows his brows, looking at the controls on chan's screen to make sure that the motion detector outside their front hasn't been activated. that meant nobody was trying to break in.

"she seems terrified."

"call her."

seungmin wastes no time in dialing your contact, and they watch in unison as you very nearly jump out of your skin when your phone goes off, a hand going to clutch your chest as you collapse into the couch.

"hello?"

your voice sounds normal. they wouldn't have suspected anything if they couldn't see your leg anxiously bouncing.

"is everything okay there?" seungmin asks carefully. he can't giveaway that they're secretly keeping an eye on you.

"uh yeah- yeah sure. everything is fine. why?"

"no reason. I was just taking a break."

"oh."

"alright stay safe. We'll be back in a while."

Seungmin is just about to hang up when you stop him.

"wait!"

for the first time a hysterical note seeps into your voice.

"yes?"

he's met with silence as they notice you pondering over something through the camera.

"yn?"

"nevermind. it's nothing. don't overwork yourself."

chan sighs deeply as he listens to you over the speaker, his fingers tightly gripping the edges of his phone.

you mutter your bye, and they watch you get up, carefully placing your phone on the table.

and then you do what they had been waiting for.

pushing your weight against the couch, you move it directly towards the wall, leaving no gap in between.

another alarm goes off on chan's phone.

then you angle it a bit, the same way they had found it the day before, such that you have a clear view of all entrances to the dorm.

all this while anxiously looking over your shoulder, once even jumping a bit as your foot got stuck on a fold in the carpet. your movements are tense, screaming with urgency, and it's the breaking point for them.

"that's it. we're going back," changbin huffs as he stands up, the other following behind quickly. chan maintains his concentration on the screen.

"she's turning on the t.v," chan informs, slinging his laptop bag over his shoulder and following them out of the building.

the ride back is silent. if their manager picks up on the strange atmosphere he doesn't mention it, and they're grateful to that. lying to their manager would be worse than hiding this from him.

it's only a five minutes drive, but it feels like eternity. when they finally enter the building, running up the stairs, it's eerie how peaceful their apartment looks from the out.

"do we knock or?"

"no. it might scare her."

seungmin pulls out the key from his pocket, trying to be as soft as possible as he unlocks the door, not wanting to startle you with any sudden noise.

"yn?"

chan quickly turns off his phone, stepping through the threshold.

you're sitting exactly where they saw you, some show mindlessly playing on the t.v. your eyes lock in on them as you scramble up.

"you guys are early. it's barely been half an hour."

should they tell you truth? confront you? try to coax it out of you? be subtle about it?

"guys?"

they snap out of their trance, their voices immediately breaking the silence of the dorm.

"yeah! we didn't want to leave you by yourself for long."

"oh."

you take your place on the couch, and raise a brow as they all settle themselves around you too. they don't change or wash up or anything. they just silently occupy any empty space they can find.

it's strange.

"are you guys ok?" you voice, turning off the t.v to look at felix who's sitting beside you.

silence.

they all exchange glances. someone has to bring it up.

"are you okay?" hyunjin finally asks, turning his body to face yours.

"what?"

"yn, please. just answer him."

"no no what do you mean hyune?"

you voice is an octave higher, hands digging into the leather cushion of their couch.

"yn," chan tries to pacify. they hadn't expected this to escalate over a simple question.

"what? why are all of you looking at me like that? i'm fine there's nothing wrong with me."

"yn-"

"stop interfering in things that aren't your business!" you finally snap, cutting felix off as you stand up, turning to face them. "this is none of your business so keep out of it!"

you're breathing heavily and a beat passes in silence.

"yn, what's wrong love?"

chan carefully gets up to put an arm over your shoulder, gently pulling you down to sit. you're trembling and barely half a minute passes before you crumble into chan's shoulder - suddenly - sobs punctuating the silence of the afternoon.

"i'm sorry," you manage between gasps. "i'm so sorry."

even chan look alarmed as he hurriedly tries to calm you down.

"there's nothing to be sorry about, ynnie. please talk to us."

but you can barely talk. you're all but wailing as the other seven huddle around you, their reassurances mixing together.

"i lied. i've been a terrible friend, snapping at you all the time. i'm so sorry it's all my fault."

"yn-"

"nothing is okay. everything is a mess and i don't know what to do."

the leader gently coaxes your face out from where it's nestled in his neck, and rubs a thumb below your waterline, collecting the salt streams streaking down your face.

"ynnie. please calm down, yeah? we want to help. tell us what's wrong."

"i'm- i'm messed up, chan. that's what is wrong."

"don't say that! it's not true."

you break down into another torment of sobs, and they hurry to calm you down.

"it's my head. it's messing with me. something is wrong. i just-," you voice breaks as chan leans to plant a soft kiss against your temple. "-i just don't know what."

"what do you mean?" hyunjin asks softly.

you take your time, elaborating through sobs and broken gasps about your suspected condition. if you had thought they would judge you, you were completely wrong. they listen attentively, comforting you through it.

"i don't want to, but i can't help it," you whisper, leaning into chan's touch. "my brain convinces me that there's always someone hiding just beyond my sight. everytime i speak to someone i'm wired into believing they'll use that information against me somehow, or they'll try to harm me. public events are a nightmare. i don't remember the last time i've been to an award show and felt alright."

"oh yn."

han all but pounces on you and chan, ruffling your hair as hiccups wrack through your figure.

they've never seen you like this. they've never seen anyone like this, in fact.

"it's so loud in my head. it started off small, i didn't even notice when i began thinking or feeling this way. but it just got worse and worse to the point where i've been an absolute pain to all of you - snapping at you, lying to you, fighting with you. i just- i don't know what to do anymore."

"hey hey, listen to me, yeah? this is not your fault. and you haven't been a pain. don't ever think that again," chan reminds you, coaxing you to face him, heart breaking a little at the tears streaking your face.

"but-"

"nope. nuh-uh. no blaming this on yourself."

you chin wobbles as you try to control a fresh onslaught of sobs.

all of them are so understanding you don't even know if you're crying from all the love or the confrontation.

"we'll help you through this, yn. we promise. you don't have to suffer through this alone."

"you don't have to do this. you're all already so busy and-"

"your mental health is a lot more important to us than anything else," felix interjects flatly, rubbing a soothing hand over your back.

"yeah! you've been hiding this for so long and we just want to help you feel better again! no matter what it takes."

you flash a grateful smile to changbin through the tears, earning an encouraging grin from him.

"you're all too nice for your own good. thank you."

"don't worry you can repay us by letting me jump scare you!"

"yah hyunjin do you want to be stuffed into the air fryer?"

it didn't take a genius to figure out who the comment came from as you giggled softly.

it's going to be okay, you think. you know your boys will help you through it, and that itself was the first step of your recovery.

you'll be fine.

©lixie-phoria, 2024

[thisismeracing]

Can you please do Mick dating Raikkönen!reader hsc, please?

sure <3 hope u like it, nonny!

Requests are now CLOSED.

MICK DATING A RAIKKÖNEN!READER | MS47

Warnings: mentions of food; tooth-rotting fluff; mentions of family members; not proofread.

▸ my masterlist | my taglist | patreon guide ▸ support my writing by reblogging, leaving a comment (don’t forget to follow me if you like the piece), or buying me a coffee

Raikkönen!reader just like her father is not in for silly jokes or small talk. She’s direct. If she doesn’t like you she’ll tell it to your face. The opposite is true as well - that’s how she told Mick she liked him after they hung out for a few months;

“I like you.” Short, simple, and direct. So direct that Mick wasn't sure if she meant she liked LIKED him or if she was being friendly, but since the latter was unlikely, he gathered up his courage and asked her on a date;

Though Michael and Mikki raced together, and Mick pretty much grew up inside the racing scene, the same was not reality for Yn. She did like racing, but when she was a kid Mikki and her mother chose to prioritize her privacy and her studies, that's how she wasn't friends with Mick. But once they met, it was a perfect match. Mick was shy at first, so that made him silent, and Yn just wasn't interested in talking. The silence was comfortable, though, and she saw herself walking near the bench he was sitting on and sharing a piece of her granola bar with him. Her dad had seen the friendship unfold, and he nicknamed them 'birds' because they would feed each other silently and then leave only to come up the next weekend with a sandwich, a granola bar, a candy, share in silence, and then leave again;

When Mick finally asked Yn on a date she told her dad and though he used to make fun he ended up feeling jealous - he even suggested that he could go too as if it was a friend meeting, not a date. Yn laughed at the situation, something she didn't do all the time, which made it even more special to those around her;

She sent Mikki a picture after the date. Their faces squished together on the screen of the phone. He could see Mick's arms around her shoulders, but her smile was so bright he couldn't help but feel happy for them;

He has dinner with the Schumachers the next month, minus Mick, of course. And they talk about the likelihood of their relationship becoming serious. They end up choosing to support them, Mikki being pretty sure that Yn wouldn't back down if he told her to, and the same with Mick;

Now, Mikki is a bit unsure of everything at first. He did see Mick grow up. He was friends with his family. But still, it was Yn! His little girl. That doubt went away a few months after they announced the seriousness of their relationship. Older Mick was a fun guy, nothing like the babbling kid nor the grumpy teenager he used to be. So the Schumacher and the older Raikkönen ended up realizing they had a lot in common;

After that, it's always "Where's Mick, Yn? Is Mick coming to the family vacation? Are the Schumis spending Christmas with us? Did you give him the book I handed you?" it's funny even;

Mick calls Yn by Raikki a short for her surname. Sometimes he calls her Rai or even Kiki, she hates the latter, though;

I feel like they would be super private. So much that it took almost a year or so for people to pierce the pieces together;

But being private didn't mean they weren't in love. That they were and the garage they attended quickly picked up from the way Mick would smile at her or how she would laugh around him;

Just black cat and golden retriever vibes, but Mick showed Yn her golden side too (the opposite too because Mick started to stand up for himself a tad more);

You know those couples where at least one has to be the person to tell the waiter they got the order wrong? Now imagine Yn is the one who does it while Mick is there like "I wouldn't mind eating raw meet :(" and Yn is like "I want another dish and I want dessert on the house," super serious while Mick is giving an apologetic look to the employee;

Yeah. hihi

[jambalaya-enthusiast]

Um um um

fanfic idea stay with me

famous!reader singing at a concert and she is dancing and whatever and once she goes backstage to see her bf jimmy hes pissed and yells at her for being too slutty on stage

Also i love you sm. You’re hella talented

"BEGGING ON HER KNEES TO BE POPULAR".

Jimmy x Popular! Fem! Reader.

Being a famous singer isn't for the weak. Sure,it has its fair share of pros and benefits. Fame,Luxury,Wealth,Respect, Attraction. all of it naturally comes to you once you've hit it big.

The problem lies not on stage,but rather behind it. People think that being in the entertainment industry is full of glits and glamour,and maybe it is. Just not when he's pissed.

You met jimmy quite a while ago at a club, while attending one of your advertisement events. You're not exactly sure what attracted you towards him,maybe it was the way he smiled?...or maybe it was how he stared so intently at you... whatever it may have been. You both hit it off and began dating.

And it sure has been a ride.

It was one of your tour days,scheduled in Santa Barbara, California. You were having the time of your fucking life, singing,dancing,being one with your audience which you worked so hard for. The high which tens of thousands of people singing your lyrics gives you is certainly unexpected and wild.

You finished the days event and were getting ready to wrap up,to say that you were exhausted would've been a dire understatement.

aa you went backstage,you found yourself in a predicament which you were dreading to face.

There he was,your oh so loving boyfriend, standing with his back pressed against one of the firm walls,if stares could kill,you would've been dead.

"you sure had a lot of fun dancing today,huh?".

you gulped,then sighed but remained silent,your eyes not moving away from his,you simply didn't understand what you did this time.

"answer me when I'm asking you something, slut".

your eyes widened,he was always aggressive sure,but he never used such foul words to address you before,you were genuinely confused as to what pissed your boyfriend off so much for him to be behaving this way.

'jimmy? what are you talking about? what did I even do?".

"what did you do huh?".

then in a flash of a moment,you found yourself roughly slammed against one of the backstage walls,your hair in your boyfriend's rough hands,he grabbed your hair so tightly that your eyes started tearing up.

"who were you trying to seduce acting like a fucking WHORE up there huh?! AM I NOT ENOUGH for you?! How many fucking men do you want using your cunt, BITCH!?".

you were appalled and speechless at your boyfriend's sudden accusation,you didn't even understand which step of your dance pissed him off so much.

"jimmy- what-? H-have you gone mad? This is my fucking job!"?

without wasting a single second,you felt your face rip to the side,your cheeks felt warm and painful,jimmy just slapped you so hard that you could practically feel the heat radiating off of your cheek.

"don't you dare ever talk to me in that tone you fucking harlot,I'll make sure to teach you a lesson once we reach our hotel room,then maybe you'll understand that good women don't go acting like whores for other men".

and with that he dragged you away into his car,and you were left unsure and dreadful of what is going to follow next in that god forbidden hotel room.

[unoislazy]

‘Til The Caged Bird Sings

(Part 1)

Mizu x Mixed! Fem! Reader

Disclaimer; This is less of a chapter and more of a prologue for what’s to come.

I see your requests and I have begun to work on a few of them, but I have a few ideas that I had started previously that I would like to get to first. Thank you for your patience.

————————————————————

Marriage was not something you expected to be a part of your life. You truly believed you would never find someone who completed you enough to be set on sealing the deal. All the men you had met were arrogant and egotistical, so hellbent on fueling their ego that they refused to treat you like a human being. They believed that if they had been seen being paired with an ‘unreal’ like you, they would lose any fortune or honor they might have had, no matter how small. If that was how you would be treated, maybe that wasn't the life for you. Your life was by no means glamorous, if you had married it wouldn’t have been for monetary gain by anysense, for your parents maybe, but you got the short end of the stick no matter what. It more than likely would simply have been just to extend someone else's family lineage, then again who would want to have impure blood mixed with their own. Other than the desperate men who were practically chomping at the bit to get you, likely just to sell you off to someone else.

Not wanting anything like that for yourself, you had given up your life at home in favor of living a peaceful life on your own, far away from anyone who could treat you otherwise. You stayed out of people's way and just went about business as usual.

That was until you had met Mizu.

Your paths had crossed in the most unusual way, almost as if it was fate. You had met her on a day that you had to visit the market, which was peculiar on its own considering you very rarely went into town. You hadn’t seen her get into a fight, but you did witness the very bloody outcome first hand. You knelt down before her bloody body which had been just haphazardly strewn about against a wall. She struggled to keep her eyes open as they shifted to you, you were unsure if she could even see you properly but you could just barely make out the blue hue as her eyelids began to shut.

She was a mess and no one else around her seemed to care. You didn’t have much medicinal knowledge but you thought it right to help with what you could. So, you slung her over the back of your horse along with the supplies you had bought and made your way back to your home.

And that is where she stayed.

She was extremely skeptical at first, extremely jumpy and quite hesitant to even allow you to get near her. It took some convincing but eventually she had learned to trust you, even just the slightest bit. You meant no harm to her and she eventually came to realize that. She didn’t understand why, you owed her nothing, you didn't even know who she was but you still helped. You paid no mind to her skepticism or her ‘flaws’ and continued to treat her just as you saw fit.

Because you knew what it was like to be considered a demon.

You too had mixed blood and because of that you had always been cast away, looked down upon, and pushed to the side without another thought. You had been poked and prodded at like you were some otherworldly being that amounted to nothing more than the mud underneath people's shoes.

Once you both came to the realization that you had this fact in common, your relationship slowly began to build from there.

Because of Mizu’s injured state you both spent a lot of time around each other and while Mizu wasn’t incredibly talkative at first she had begun to open up to you. You two began to share stories with each other, spend late nights together, sometimes just sitting in silence enjoying each other's company. You had never met someone who had so much in common with you and neither had she, you both completed each other in a way that you almost didn’t think to be true. It took a while for you to gain her trust, but once you had you two were inseparable. Every chore you had around the house, Mizu insisted on helping, any place you needed to go, Mizu insisted on coming with. She never left your side and you never truly left hers either.

For once in her life, Mizu had finally begun to feel comfortable around someone, which was something she wasn’t able to say for a long time. She had gotten comfortable enough that she no longer felt the need to wear her glasses or pull her hair so far back, or even wear the baggy clothes she had initially gotten used to wearing. When she was around you, she felt as if she could truly be herself, she could wear whatever she wanted, she could finally let go as if no one was waiting to ridicule her and strike her down.

She felt safe.

She didn’t think she’d ever get to say that about anyone but there she was, standing before you, a few years later. You both were dressed in your best attire as you conducted a very makeshift ceremony. You both knew it wouldn’t be legal for you to get married officially, it was one thing that you both were mixed and it was an entirely new issue that you were both women. So you decided to do it yourself, sure it wouldn’t be legally recognized, but who cares? All that matters is that you both agreed that you loved each other enough to want to vow to protect each other at any cost. If anything, you appreciated it more than what was normally done and said at weddings.

You couldn’t be happier. You lived a quiet life, now with a wonderful wife by your side who was willing to do practically anything for you, and you would do the same for her. One day you had decided to surprise her by going out to buy a horse for her, you figured it would be better than you both just trading your poor old horse. You laughed as you watched Mizu attempt to groom the horse she had picked; with Mizu being Mizu, she chose the most stubborn one anyone could have possibly gone for. You watched on as she cautiously reapproached the rambunctious stallion, surprised she had gotten so far to begin with.

You leaned your head on your hands as you rested your weight on the wooden fence of the field, your eyes not once leaving Mizu as you focused on what you could see of her facial features.

She was probably one of the most beautiful women you had ever seen. How any one could’ve even considered to claim that she was a demon or a monster, you would never know. She might have started off quite rude and abrasive but you couldn’t blame her for that, you would’ve too if one minute you were on the street and the next in some random person's house. But once her personality began to shine through and she began to slowly reveal parts of herself piece by piece, you slowly began to fall for her. You would’ve been a fool not to.

You snapped out of your thoughts, refocusing on Mizu, watching as her eyes squinted ever so slightly as she began to smile, her efforts paid off so she approached the stallion without any added effort. You cheered for her, walking onto the field with her as she continued to ever so gently pet the stallion.

“I told you I could.” She gloated in a joking manner, turning to you with a very proud smile on her face.

“And I never said you couldn’t.” You responded, matching her tone with a smile. She had taken her hand off of the horse and turned to face you as you linked your arm with hers, pulling yourself much closer to her.

“You thought about it.” She teased while sending you a challenging, yet very playful, glare.

“I did not.” You laughed at the childish nature of the conversation. You never would have guessed that stoic woman you had met years before would even think to have a conversation such as this.

You gave the woman a very soft peck on the cheek before telling her,

“I’m going to go back into the house to finish up some things, are you coming with me?” You asked. She thought about it for a second before turning back to her newly befriended horse,

“No, I think I’ll spend a little more time out here with him.” She replied, to which you smiled and nodded.

You made your way back inside, humming a tune that you had heard playing when you had visited the market last. It was light and airy, one that reminded you of something a songbird might sing. The notes were so fluttery it made you feel at peace, as if nothing could harm you.

You walked inside your home, shutting the door behind you as you continued to hum the tune. You grabbed your unfinished embroidery project and some thread and walked towards the spot where you usually sat when you were to complete a very long task. You had been so engrossed in your task you had yet to notice the three other people that also occupied the room.

By the time you had noticed their presence however, it had been too late.

“Hey, I think we need to go out and buy more fruits we don’t-” Mizu paused, Her eyes widening as she looked on at the scene before her. The house you shared, now in complete mess, the table toppled over, bits and pieces of different decorations you both had now torn to shreds and thrown about on the floor. The embroidery that you had been working on had been left, thrown carelessly to the side and still unfinished.

The worst thing Mizu had come across was a few droplets of blood that had been left on the floor.

What if it was your blood? What if they had harmed you?

Luckily though, because of the amount of blood that had been left, it was clear that the wound had not been too deep.

But if it had been your blood, whoever had raised a hand to harm you was going to wish they had never made such a careless mistake

[you-call-it-a-dude]

Can You See Me Using Everything To Hold Back?

Request: From 🩷💜 - Leighton is really fucking anxious to come out and it hurt her really bad that Alicia was kinda pressuring her to.

Summary: Reader encounters Leighton after her breakup with Alicia. The two of them already sharing their own...complicated-ish history.

Pairings: Leighton Murray x Female Reader, Leighton x Alicia (I guess??)

Warnings: mentions of coming out, emotions, maybe internalized homophobia if you squint

A/N: hello! So I think I accidentally began creating a full blown storyline/timeline for the Reader x Leighton one shots in my head lol. Also, to the person that requested this story 🩷💜, ily and thank you for this request. I hope it is what you wanted, but if it's not please tell me. I will share the original ask along with what I would like to say if you give me the permission to do so. But I am also okay with keeping that private. But, if this story is not what you were looking for, let me know please

As always, thank you to everyone that takes the time to read any of my work, give feedback, likes, and reblogs. I literally love you all. I hope you enjoy.

---

You were eating lunch outside with a few of your friends when you saw her. A semi-familiar face wheeling a large suitcase behind her and wiping tears from her cheek.

You had met Leighton on a dating app and hooked up at the very beginning of the school year. She was great and you genuinely liked her, but she fully freaked out and then ghosted you when she found out you also went to Essex.

You had only seen her less than a handful of occasions since then and each time she would fully look through you.

You wiped your hands on your pants and excused yourself from your friends, unsure of what even possessed you to get up and talk to her again. It felt like your legs were on autopilot, just fully moving you in her direction.

You jog lightly, catching up to her.

"Leighton, hey." You say softly to avoid scaring her and she looks at you like you've just offended her, honestly.

"Do I know you?" She says, speeding up slightly and you try not to let it bug you too much.

"Well, yeah. I mean, kind of?" You say catching up to her again. "Look, that part doesn't matter. I just wanted to see if you were okay." She stopped abruptly to look at you and it made you stumble over her stupid fucking suitcase.

"Is there something about me just fucking screaming not okay? Huh, Y/N?" Her eyes are bloodshot and still teary, her cheeks red from crying and you had to ignore the urge to reach out and comfort her.

The way she said your name sent a chill down your spine and it confirmed that she does indeed remember you, even if she tried to play it off like she didn't for these last few months.

You debated your answer. You could be rude as fuck, the way she had been to you. Clearly she wasn't having a good day and you also just weren't that type of person. You shake your head and put your hands up in defense.

"Alright, I got it." You say gently, slowly backing away from her.

You stepped out of her way and she continued to walk past you in some sort of hurry to probably get nowhere.

You watched her get pissed when her suitcase hit a bump in the sidewalk that caused her to drop the handle. You watched another girl approach her and talk to her briefly, this person clearly being someone she had some sort of respect for since she managed to drop the attitude long enough to talk to her.

You also watched her turn her head to look back at you. She searched for you until you locked eyes and then she turned quickly, darting away again to do god knows what.

You shake your head in disbelief and return to your friends. They ask you prying questions about who that was and what happened, but from your pillow talk conversation you know she isn't out yet and you don't know if that's changed. You shrug and tell them it was just someone from class and that was too boring for them so they left you alone easily.

---

You were sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard outside of one of the dorms. You were trying to be a good friend honestly, waiting for your roommate to finish hooking up with this guy so you could walk back together. She made you ditch Theta's 'Anything but Clothes' party to do this for her and since it was a concern regarding her safety, you didn't hesitate to say yes. The huge, black garbage bag you threw over your clothes as a lame attempt for an outfit was folded up neatly and tucked under your armpit.

The last thing you were gonna do was waste a trash bag.

It felt like deja vu when you saw her. She was dressed in an outfit made entirely of playing cards and just like before, she was wiping tears from her face.

"Leighton." You whisper-shout, trying to get her attention. You wanted to talk to her, not scare her. Shouting at the top of your lungs in the middle of the night when it's pretty much just the two of you would most likely terrify her.

She still looked up and around absolutely horrified, but you saw her visibly relax when she realized it was just you.

"You scared me." She let out a wet laugh, wiping her face and started walking toward you. "Why are you sitting out here like a creep?"

You smiled at her and pat the spot on the bench next to you, scooting over for her.

"I know, I'm sorry." You say softly. "I tried really hard not to, but I think anyone attempting to get your attention late at night will be scary regardless." She just chuckled and nodded. "My friend is hooking up with a guy in one of these dorms. I'm supposed to walk home with her after." She hummed in acknowledgment. "You really went all out for the party, huh?" You say, looking at her outfit made of playing cards. "Did you make that?"

"I did, actually." She says, looking down at her outfit and smoothing it out.

"You're incredibly talented. That's insane." You smile. "Do you make your own clothes often?"

"Not really, but I like knowing that I can when I want to." She gave a little shrug and sniffled.

"Rough day today?" You spoke carefully, but your tone was soft and compassionate. Her bottom lip quivered and she looked at her feet in an attempt to pull herself together while also nodding. "Wanna talk about it?" She swallowed, hesitating for a moment before talking.

"My girlfriend broke up with me because I wasn't ready to come out. We had a small argument that caused it and I thought maybe that's all it was, just a small argument. I gave her space and I went to see her tonight and she essentially told me she needed to move forward, not back."

"Oh, come on. Are you serious?" She nodded, quickly wiping away the tears as they fell. "That's ridiculous." You shake your head, feeling yourself get frustrated. "Like, ugh, I get it, but also I really fucking don't."

"What do you mean?" She cocks her head to the side, her nose a little red now. A combination of rubbing it and being slightly cold.

"She didn't even give you a chance." You shrug. "There's no timeline to coming out. I understand she didn't want to be shoved back into the closet, but not everyone is afforded the luxury of having a safe space to be out. She had every opportunity to be a safe space for you while you figured yourself out and she chose not to. She most likely knew you weren't out when you got together. If she couldn't handle that, she should've known better than to pursue anything with you. I'm not saying what she did was wrong. If that's what she needed to do, then fine, but you didn't deserve that."

She stared at you with her sad eyes and her bottom lip still quivering and you could tell she was doing her best to keep from crying. You couldn't help yourself, hooking your finger under her chin and letting the pad of your thumb trace over her chin and just under her bottom lip softly.

She closed her eyes and leaned into your touch, trying to control her breathing by forcing herself to breathe through her nose.

"She made me feel so pressured, you know?" Her voice cracked and tears were falling again. This time you wiped them away for her. "She posted a photo of herself with my bag in the background and I got scared. She made me feel ridiculous and irrational for being scared and wanting her to delete it. If I could choose to not feel this way, obviously I fucking would."

"Who is this chick? I really don't like her." You say through a forced laugh. "You have every right to be upset about the break up, but don't let anyone make you feel like you need to come out before you're ready. That's your narrative to control." She nodded, her nostrils flaring slightly.

"I came out to one of my roommates today." She said, a little excitement laced in her tone.

"Yeah?" You smile. "How'd that feel?"

"I like fucking sobbed and it was so embarrassing, but it was also really freeing? She's the first person on campus I came out to. Well, okay, the first straight person." She corrected, gesturing in your direction to signal that you were technically the first. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way."

"No," you shake your head. "You really don't need to apologize. I understand why you did what you did. I'm sorry I didn't include the school on my profile quick enough." You tease, trying to cut tension and she smiles. "Though in my defense, it was literally the first week. Maybe even the first day."

"I think that's a really fair defense." She chuckled and nodded. "Thank you for checking on me today. I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier."

"Leighton," You say again softly. "Stop apologizing."

"Well, being rude when you didn't deserve it is something I definitely need to apologize for." She says firmly.

You narrow your eyes at her and she does it back, the two of you engaging in a staring contest before you finally decide to concede.

"Fine, okay. I accept your apology." You smile, leaning back on the bench.

"Thank you." She smiled triumphantly over the fact that she essentially won this debate between the two of you and you rolled your eyes playfully at her.

You sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, mostly just people watching as folks started to stumble home from their various parties.

"Can I walk you back to your dorm? It's late and I don't want you walking alone. I'm almost positive I can walk you and get back here in time to walk with my friend." You offer and she shakes her head.

"I'm actually just there." She says, pointing to the dorm next to the one your friend was in. "I really appreciate it though." She smiles before cleaning her throat. She looks around the area before turning her body to face you, her knee pressed into the side of your thigh. "Thank you again for tonight." She says softly, leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss to your cheek. She pulled away slightly before pressing her lips to the corner of your mouth.

She pulled away again, just far enough so she could take a deep breath and she connected your lips. You allowed yourself to get lost in it just for a moment before pulling away. You nudged your nose against hers and you felt her lean in again in an attempt to kiss you again, but you moved your head back slightly. She chuckled, thinking you were just being a tease.

"Do you want to come to my room while you wait for your friend? I think my roommates are all still out." She whispered, pressing a kiss to your jawline.

You wanted to practically jump at the opportunity to spend more time with Leighton, but that exact feeling is why you knew you shouldn't.

She was emotionally vulnerable and she already knew you were a safe person to have sex with. The last thing you wanted to be to her right now, though, was a rebound fuck.

"I should stay and wait for my friend." You whisper politely, pressing your forehead against hers before pulling away reluctantly. She lets out a dramatic sigh. "I know, I'm the worst." You tease and she rolls her eyes. A faint smile forming on her lips that you can tell she's trying to hold back and her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink.

"I guess I'm not gonna hold it against you for being a good friend."

"I'm touched, really." You say, putting your hand over your heart and she gives you a playful shove. It makes you feel like you're about to fall of this bench and you plant your feet quickly, your reaction making the both of you laugh.

"You sure you'll be okay out here by yourself?" She asks and you feel your phone vibrate. You pull it from your pocket and see your friend sent you a text that she'd be down in five minutes.

"Oh yeah. She's gonna be right down." You flash her your phone screen briefly and she nods, standing up. You can't help but stare up at her, watching her fix her dress and fix some of the cards that have been flipped up by the wind. "I'll watch you and make sure you get in okay."

"My dorm is literally right there." She looks at you a little confused, but you still notice that smile tugging the corner of her lips.

"Hey, you never know what could happen between over here and right there." You point out very seriously, scrunching your nose up at her. She shakes her head and lets out a laugh in disbelief.

"Goodnight, Y/N." She says sweetly, her hand reaching out to push some hair from your face, her thumb brushing over one your eyebrows and you let yourself eyes close for the briefest moment before looking back up at her.

"Sweet dreams, Leighton."

She pulled her hand away from you and started the short walk to her dorm. Just like you promised, you kept her eyes on her the entire time. You watched the way she made an extra effort to sway her hips and, well, you're only human. Of course you checked her out. She pulled her keys and badge from her purse and before she unlocked her door she turned her head to look back at you.

"What?" You said across the courtyard, fighting off a smile. She smirked at you and responded in a tone that could only best be described as flirty.

"Nothing! Just making sure you were watching."

[zenphiaaa]

Fun (Taishiro Toyomitsu)

Shy!Fatgum x Gen!LoveSick!Reader

<> When you first confessed to the big man, he didn't believe you

<> How could someone as pretty and bright as you like him?

<> It took a few tries and many heartfelt conversations for him to even believe you

<> But your still not together for some reason

<> It's not that he doesn't like you back! He's just completely unsure about the whole thing

<> People never liked him or him you know? If someone ever approached him it was due to his hero status

<> Not that he never expected it, but it does something to your self-esteem after so many tries of finding love and to only be left with bitter disappointment

<> So he was cautious about handing his heart over to you

<> It was fine with you however! You knew the man had reservations about being in a romantic relationship much less accepting feeling of another person

<> So while he tried to accept the fact that your feelings were real, you decided that you were going to woo the heck out of the man

<> With a never wavering confidence you pulled out all the tricks and tips that those romance movies have shown you

<> You didn't watch the notebook for nothing you know

<> So you bring lunch, sometimes homemade sometimes it was from that stall down the street. Though Taishiro always looked the happiest when he ate something made from your hands

<> Bringing in protein shakes for him and his sidekicks after a hard day of extra training

<> The first time you brought him flowers he had nearly cried in gradutite

<> Even if he never returns your feelings, you knew the man deserved someone who would treat him good. So you decided to continue on your ways until Taishiro finds someone, even if it's not you

<> As time went on, your confidence slowly started to diminish, while the man didn't show signs of distaste towards your feelings or actions he never voiced his support either

<> You tried to steel yourself in your feelings but at the end of the day, you were only human with a bleeding heart

A quiet sigh escaped your lips as you watched the scene unfold in front of you. You knew that Taishiro was shy around others, especially those of the opposite sex. So how was he able to talk to her like that? Like it was normal? You tried to shove the ugly jealous monster down but it kept peeking its head out the longer the interaction lasted.

While the conversations the two of you had shared were full of childhood stories, and wishes for the future. He never once smiled like that for you. It was almost like the shine in his eyes were brighter and the smile on his eyes streached so wide you could see it in his eyes.

With a small huff you gently placed the bxed lunch down on the counter before turning the other direction and taking your leave. You knew it was petty to leave without saying goodbye but in the moment all you could foucs on was the hurt you felt.

You were almost sure that Taishiro did share your fellings 100% but then again, you weren't together. So who's to say that someone who would be a better fit would come around for the male? As you exited through the final doors of the building, a weight seemed to settle down on your chest. You were already feeling guilty about leaving without saying anything.

At the same time you won't cry in front of a guy again, your heart wouldn't be able to handle that. You did promise yourself that you would be happy for your friend if he did find someone that wasn't you. Unfortunately it seemed like he did, and all you could do was lick your wounds and makeup a stomache flu excuse for your behavior today.

You hoped your heart wouldn't break to much.

[pedgito]

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒 ╳ SERIES MASTERLIST

Chapter Five: Christmas (Week Four)

Chapter Summary: The end of your vacation with Joel is lingering in the distance, spending the final few days sharing as many moments as possible until your final day, which might not be the end of you and Joel, but it definitely feels that way.

Chapter Warnings: (6k) : no outbreak, consensual somnophilia (talk mentioned in chapter), oral (f & m receiving), joel being vulnerable, the most sappiest and deeply emotional sex you can have with a man you've only known for a month, unprotected piv, bittersweet goodbyes

The days leading up to Christmas are slow and cherished. With the looming end of your shared vacation not far off, it feels like each moment is precious. A story that could be shared a million times, but something you craved to keep close to your chest. 

Joel always looms near, a step or touch away. He eventually found the courage to sift through your stash of books, picking something old and worn away and relaxing himself on his own couch while you took up the other, a mutual moment of quiet bliss.

You bug him with random questions more often now, curious to gather as much stuff about him as your brain could manage and he often did the same, whether out of courtesy or not.

His favorite color is green, occasionally blue. He likes the softer purple…lavender, he thinks? But, that’s only because Sarah does. 

He doesn’t think he’s much of a cat or dog person, but he always ends up feeding the stray animals around his neighborhood—again, something he picked up from Sarah.

He carries her with him everywhere and smiles at every mention of her name. It’s beautiful. And you feel the lingering bittersweetness around it all, knowing that he didn’t get to see her nearly as much as he wanted.

“What’s your favorite animal?” He asks a few days before Christmas, stirring the sugar into your coffee before shoving it into your waiting hands.

“Uh—wolves?” You sound unsure, but you nod more confidently, “Yeah, wolves are cool. What about you?”

“Horses.” He answers simply, “You ever ride one?”

“Given I’ve lived in Austin for so long, you would think so–but no.”

He almost has the inclination to invite you, but then he remembers.

You won’t exist to him outside of here. And he to you.

“You gotta change that, darlin’.” 

“I’ll try.” You answer with a smile, sipping gingerly at the steaming cup of coffee.

-

Joel likes his time to himself too, unlike yourself. Being alone here felt off, weird—considering you went into the trip with idea that you would be completely alone, it was almost too lonely when Joel would sneak away or take a drive into town. You never questioned it, though. Sometimes he’d leave to call Sarah, even if the call didn’t actually make it through. Sometimes he’d leave to pick up more coffee that he would eventually run through because he wasn’t a one cup a day type of person.

He was more like a five or six. Seven on the days that seemed too dreary and long. It couldn’t be good for him, but he knows none of this is either. The sex, the growing affection toward a stranger that he would eventually have to leave behind, the underlying attachment to you.

It’s Christmas Eve when Joel rolls over in bed and throws out the idea of having breakfast in the small town a couple hours away, just for a change of pace.

He doesn’t explicitly try to make it seem like he’s asking you on a date, but it feels that way. The shyness he hides behind a few clears of his throat, turned over on his side in the bed that he had very savagely fucked you in the night prior, thighs still aching from the way he gripped your skin and forced you open.

It’s a stark difference from the gentle man in front of you and that’s what you loved about him.

And the moment the thought slips from your mind you feel your heart stop, the idea of loving someone so new—who didn’t have any intention of seeing this through, nor did you. You try to batter it down to the intimacy you’ve shared, that Joel was just a likable guy underneath all the disdain and grumpiness. People loved him and that didn’t have to be a huge thing, still, it terrified you.

The restaurant he takes you to is small, but filled to the brim. Small families, older couples, all hammering away at their early morning breakfast while you and Joel ordered your own, feeling like this was a peek at what could’ve been.

Joel knows he can’t have you. 

You’re younger, naive—life left to live that didn’t include him. You needed to make mistakes, follow the goals you had set for yourself and that ultimately, he would be the type of person to bog you down. 

He rubs at your extended hand tenderly where it lays on the table and for a moment, you try to pretend this is something real and not a fantasy you were both allowing to play out.

-

Christmas is something else entirely.

Joel had stayed up into the late hours the night prior, something you couldn’t be bothered to take part in, hearing him sneak into the room well past midnight. He didn’t sleep well often, noticing how often he woke up in the middle of the night and walked the halls, paced, thinking about whatever was ailing his mind. You’d count the footsteps and wait, playing asleep when he’d crawl back into bed and wrap himself around you. 

He’s sprawled out on his back this morning, face buried into the crook of his elbow that was slung up high by his head, snoring softly. His other arm slung loosely against his chest, fingers curled into a soft fist. 

You remember the brief respite you both had about situational opportunities—outright admitting to him that you were okay with him fucking you awake, which should’ve surprised him but it didn’t. It took him a while to admit it himself, but after a night wrapped in the sheets together he allowed himself to open up a little more freely.

“Are you into anything?” You ask softly, “Like, is there anything that just makes you go—oh, fuck yeah.” You mimic him lamely toward the end of your sentence and he laughs softly, shoving a gentle hand over your mouth. 

“You tryin’ to make fun of me?” Joel asks playfully. “But, no—I don’t know. I guess I like things…a little rough. Maybe that’s more one-sided—”

You coyly shake your head, the edges of a smile framing the corners of your mouth.

“Alright,” Joel notes, “Uh, that thing you said about,” Joel clears his throat once, “fuckin’ you awake, don’t think I’d mind that either.”

“Joel.” You gasp scandalously, soft and quiet.

Which lends to the position you’re in now, slowly moving the blanket down his thighs and revealing his tanned skin, left in a worn out black shirt and a matching pair of briefs that held snug to his body, soft cock lending a beautiful outline in the cotton material. 

You sneak between his legs quietly, one leg hiked up slightly as he stretched out, unbeknownst to your lingering presence as you press your mouth against the outline of his cock, fingers running teasingly over the waistband as he stirs slightly, still deep in a heavy slumber. He hums a soft noise and turns his head away.

Feeling the warm heat of his skin through the fabric, you crave a real touch. The heady smell of him, mixed with his fresh body wash and remnants of cologne from his jeans just a few feet away. It’s addicting, intoxicating, driving you to near madness.

You slowly pull his underwear down, far enough that you can settle the waistband underneath his balls, a soft and light touch as you trail your fingertips over his shaft, exploring carefully, watching for any signs that he might wake up soon.

He doesn’t move an inch.

But, you know it won’t take much.

You give a few slow, experimental tugs before slotting your mouth over the side of his cock, tongue dragging a long line down his shaft and fitting himself in your mouth, repeating the process a few times before you start to feel him harden underneath your tongue, smirking at how quickly things go from calm to feverish.

“Jesus,” Joel murmurs from above, his hand finding your head and cradling the back of it, urging you to keep going, holding him as deep as you can until you feel the burn and gag, eyes watering at the sensation, “fuckin’ Merry Christmas to me, huh?”

You snort softly, allowing yourself to settle more comfortable as he slowly awoke, rubbing his palms into his eyes and blinking away the blurry morning haze, groaning lowly when you take him just a little too deep, the tip of your nose nudging the base of his groin, the stubble tickling your nose.

You could do this for hours, really—solely to hear the quiet and muffled reactions Joel tried to keep to himself, slowly losing his grip on reality as you pick up your pace, hand covering what your mouth couldn’t reach when you intensify the pace, dragging your tongue around the tip of his cock until he shutters underneath you, using the grip on your head to hurry up your pace, knowing he was already near the edge and allowing you the courtesy of a warning when he did feel the urge to come, but he’s tapping your chin and you’re not moving.

“Baby, I—” Joel doesn’t get another word out before you double-down, eyes flicking up to look at him while he falls apart, eyes nearly rolling back at the intensity of heat he feels as he comes down your throat, allowing you eagerly swallow every last drop, pulling off with a soft pop, grinning at him salaciously.

You hum softly, climbing over his lap until your noses touch, staring into his wide eyes with an unrestrained adoration for one another.

“Good morning,” You say quietly, “sleep well?”

“Got a few hours in,” Joel admits, “I’ll manage. Nothin’ a few cups of coffee can’t fix.”

“Uh huh.” You mock playfully, moving slightly so Joel can readjust his underwear.

“I gotta take care of somethin’ first, though.” Joel tells you, rising up slightly, his touching prickling your thigh, “If you don’t mind?”

“Wha—Oh!” Joel flips you onto your back without much resistance, gaining the upper hand with the surprise of his movements, tugging at your bottoms with his eyes trained on your expression, grinning with a giddiness that was only reserved for him.

Joel doesn’t give you time to adjust either, bottom half free of all clothing—he gets his palms under your thighs and pushes them up, nearly folding you in half as he dives into your pussy, mouth wasting no time to latch onto your clit, the glorious dig of his nose as he licks a long stripe down the seam of your cunt, ravishing after last bit you had to offer, not sparing any expense.

You’re white-knuckling the sheets before you feel Joel reaching blindly for your hand, moving it into his hair and silently asking—begging—you to take hold and use him to fulfill your own selfish needs. You card your fingers through soft curls, the slightly aged brown that was sprinkled with grays and you tugged, guiding his face against your cunt greedily. He sucks on your folds briefly, oversensitive now with how turned on you were, clit swelling underneath his tongue.

“Jo—Joel,” You gasp, “fuck, that’s—right there—”

“Yeah?” He says, muffled against your cunt, the vibration of his bravado doing nothing to ease the urge to come, quickly creeping up on you with how intense he’s set the pace, determined to get you off in record time, speaking in spurts as he dipped his tongue inside of you, fingers squeezing at your thighs when he feels your hole flutter around his tongue, so close to coming you might cry,  “Shoulda’—been doin’ this the whole fuckin’ time. Never would’ve let you leave—leave this goddamn bed.”

“Oh–fuckfuck,” You stammer, legs shaking as you feel yourself tip over, coming with a loud sob, tears brimming your eyes from how forceful you feel it, Joel not stopping even when you’re well-past finished, “Joel—Joel, please—”

“Gotta clean you up, baby.” He murmurs against your cunt, the soft sting of his stubble as it burns your inner thighs but keeps you conscious, otherwise you would’ve given up right then and crawled back into bed—screw Christmas, this was better. Joel would’ve stayed in bed all day if you asked. But, he’s pulling back eventually, nurturing the achy muscles in your hips with a tender rub of his fingers, mumbling a quiet apology.

You smile softly, allowing him to pull you upwards, tossing your clothes in the direction of your lap, trying to desperately to calm your rapidly beating heart and how nonchalant this man was acting after he’d had you bent in half and coming within just a few minutes.

“You stay put,” Joel orders, “I’ll be right back.”

….Okay. You slip your bottoms back on, sitting comfortably on the bed, legs tucked to the side and your fingers pulling at a lose thread in the stitching, hearing his descending footsteps going to god knows where—but there’s only a few seconds before he’s returning, something small tucked behind his back.

“Joel,” You scold, “What the hell did you do?”

He had that smug look on his face, walking toward you slowly.

“Close your eyes,” He tells you and you do so, feeling the dip of his weight as he sat on the mattress a few moments later, “Alright, open ‘em.”

You open them slowly, peeking through one eye at first before braving another, eyes searching his face before the flick down to the small figurine in his hands—a wolf carved out of wood, nothing too intricately detailed but the shape and idea was there.

This motherfucker.

You look up at him, brow furrowed in anger. Not specifically at him, but that he was trying to surprise you with something when you had nothing to offer in return—deadset on the idea that something like this was too personal, too connected. If he gave you this, it was something you would keep with you forever, a constant reminder of him.

You weren’t sure you could handle that. Still, you noticed the worry in his face, the lines in his forehead creasing as he noticed your distaste before it quickly fades.

“Joel,” You sound sad, pinched as you look over at him, hands cupping his own as you take the figurine from his hands, “—it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

Joel knows it’s genuine, watching your bottom lip pull between your teeth as you nibble at the flash lightly.

“It’s too much, isn’t it?” Joel asks, trying not to seem offended.

He wanted to do something nice. Anything.

He didn’t know how to thank you, feeling like anything he could say would pale in comparison to such actions as gift giving or gratuitous morning oral. 

“I just—I didn’t…get you anything.” You tell him, rubbing a thumb over the wolf’s head and wooden snout—it was around the size of your palm, a perfect fit if you held it outstretched. You already had a place in mind of where you would keep it.

“I didn’ expect you to, darlin’.” Joel assures you, “I needed somethin’ to distract me last night so I made it. You ain’t gotta keep it. If it’s too much.”

“No, no—” You swiftly assure him, clutching it to your chest.

It was in your possession now. It was yours to keep.

“Can I be honest with you?” 

Joel seems fidgety, rubbing the thumb on his opposite hand over his knuckles, wringing his fingers together nervously.

“Not that there’s an obligation,” You remind him, “but yeah, of course.”

“I’m just—real glad this happened,” Joel admits, staring down at the duvet intently, avoiding your gaze. You touch his palm, slowing his nerves down to a dullness that he could barely feel, “I thought you might like it, but I really don’t expect nothin’ in return.”

He was used to it, but that wasn’t the point.

You squeeze his hand before pulling him into a gentle hug, giggling softly as he slings your legs off to the side over his lap so he can hug you fully, burying his face into your neck and inhaling slowly, a gentle rock back and forth as you both enjoy the silence.

“I came out here to be alone—I know you did too.”

You nod, fingers running gently along the tip of his spine, right into the beginnings of the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling back to look at him.

“I’m glad you were here,” You tell him, “No matter how much we wanted to murder each other that first night.”

Joel snorts at the fading memory, “Shoulda known then how much troubled you be.”

“Oh, so much trouble, Joel.” You counter, “You have no idea.”

And he wants to.

You both share a simple, chaste kiss that doesn’t linger. A solid thank you.

Thank you for being here. Thank your being you. Thank your for sharing this space.

Thank you for saving me.

-

Much of the day is spent tucked under Joel, watching a melody of Christmas movies he bought when he went to town a few days prior—old classics and new, fresh snow pelting the front windows and two steaming mugs in hand.

Joel opted for coffee, of course. You, a sweet hot cocoa loaded with mini marshmallows and cinnamon. Joel couldn’t help but grimace with every handful you topped on.

 But, he also said something that had stuck with you well into the day. 

“We’ve already been over this,” You scold him, “stop judging me.”

“You and Sarah would get on real well,” He says around the edge of his mug, “—that sugar intake is ridiculous.”

It stalls you for a moment, brain short-circuiting at the mention. Really, it shouldn’t matter. It was a simple statement that meant nothing and Joel, to your surprise, doesn’t even seem phased. Which—it’s a good sign. But, it still stings.

You wish attachments didn’t eat away at your mind, body, and soul. But, they did.

And you were so fucking attached to Joel it could kill you.

You force on a smile, stirring the hot cocoa with a spoon.

“Says the guy who drinks like twelve cups of coffee a day.” You argue, “A day.”

And Joel’s tendency of touch has only worsened as your time together waned, feeling and knowing that you would slip through his fingers—he’s holding onto this for as long as he can, knowing that once you both go your separate ways, this would all be for naught.

It’s nearing night by the time you both crawl into bed, sun already set for the day and sky outside dark, quiet aside from the occasional creak of the house.

“Any plans when you get back to Austin?” You ask lightly, trying to cut through the silence.

Joel’s gaze was ever-present, eyes examining you carefully.

“Just workin’,” Joel answers simply, “Nothin’ different than usual.”

You want to ask him to visit you, to spend time with you when you get back to Austin. But, you bite your tongue—afraid that whatever you’ve created her would crumble on the outside, the safety bubble of this sanctuary keeping you both together. 

Joel asks instead—maybe not outright, but you can see the look in his eyes. Hopeful, for once. He quickly covers his tracks with, “I’m not sayin’ it’s a good idea, but if we run into each other it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

But, knowing him—he’d have to explain that at some point. He could lie, that was always an option. Though, it didn’t seem like Joel was all that good at it.

‘I don’t think so either, but—”

Joel nods, reserved, “I get it, darlin’. I’m just sayin’, if I run into you ‘m not sure I could just ignore you.”

“And I’m not sayin’ I want you to—“ You sigh softly, attempting to mince your words so they don’t come out wrong or harsh, rather just indifferent, “but this,” your fingers wags vaguely between you both, “I think you and I know that it wouldn’t go over well outside of here.”

Public perception, the major differences in your stages of life, different experiences—it felt impossible. Not to mention, there was so much about Joel you didn’t know and it was scary.

You trusted him deeply, but only with what he’s willing to share and vice versa. 

This is all like a fever dream—a few more days and you’d be thrusted back into your normal life at the bookstore six days a week, living your dreary life out minute by minute. 

“Then let me have you here,” Joel says lowly, tone lingering with a softness, his hand cupping you cunt hesitantly, waiting for your cue, “while I still can.”

You nod earnestly, chewing at your bottom lip as you lifted your leg over his, attempting to curl your body around him, pulling him closer and in turn wrap him around you, both of you so intertwined you weren’t sure where either of you started or ended. You blink away the slightest sting of tears and kiss him, so hard he makes a muffled mmph sound at the pressure, but reciprocates it all the same.

He soon forgets moving things along quickly, deciding that this would be the time he could really allow himself to revel in it, pick you apart and put you back together again and give you all the attention you were yearning for in the moment. His hands slide around your cheeks, cradling your face gingerly as he kisses you back, slowly shifting until you’re under him and he’s got his thighs wedged under your legs, essentially barricading you beneath him, fleeting presses of his lips to your cheek, collarbone, down your chest and back up again, returning the action to him when he wasn’t so dead set on leaving you breathless, tongue licking into your mouth and your teeth clashing briefly as you both dove in a little too eagerly. 

Your hands fist into his shirt as they trail down his chest, pulling and rising until he gets the idea and slips the fabric over his head, palms flatting against his skin, blunt fingernails against his skin as you sigh into his mouth, his thumbs rubbing the memory of his fingerprints into your cheekbones with how tenderly he’s holding you, stopping briefly to rest his forehead against your own.

“Are you okay?” You ask quietly, though the words are deafening within the space, breaking the silence that had fallen over. “Joel—”

“Yeah—” He answers eventually, pulling away briefly to examine your face. You slowly allow your hands to find his face, fingers rubbing along his jaw, the scratchiness of his grown out facial hair and the way he swallows tensely under your touch, shrinking from your admiring gaze, “I’m okay.”

This feels like more than what this cabin can handle.

Maybe not love, but there was a line and it was being blurred. And if one of you hasn’t crossed it, this would be the moment.

You nod slowly, pulling at his wrist gently to guide it down abdomen and toward your underwear, his fingers rubbing gently over your cunt for a brief moment before you speak, “Then touch me—and stop thinking, please?”

Joel shuts his mind off and allows his heart and body to take hold, nodding slightly as he applies pressure, fingers rubbing into the growing wet spot between your legs, eyes locked on your face as you expression grows faint, eyes falling closed at his touch. 

“Hey, hey—” Joel calls out softly, “keep those eyes on me.”

You laugh airly, bottom lip pulled between your teeth as Joel slips his fingers beyond the fabric, aiding in the pull of fabric down your legs, disappearing somewhere under the sheets.

“You mind if I—” Joel nods toward where his fingers are leisurely working away, fingers running playfully along the seam of your cunt.

“You’re really fucking asking me that?” You respond, exasperated at him dragging things out, though he knows the response holds no anger or frustration. 

His chuckle is enough of a sign that he finds it entertaining how worked up you already were, descending the bed as he shoved the sheets away, spreading himself out comfortably between your legs as he moved them over his shoulders, your hands gripping the sheets were pried away and intertwined with Joel’s own fingers—it feels so wholly intimate you want to melt away, but the thought is interrupted as his tongue dips inside of you, hole fluttering at the touch.

“Hu-Oh—” You sigh shakily, squeezing his hands as he laps at your pussy, tongue flattening out as flicks at your clit, sucking gently before swiftly guiding your hands into his air, ultimately deciding that this pace was far too torturous for not just you, but himself. “Jo—Joel—”

“Shhh, baby,” He soothes you, gripping the underside of your thighs like he has before, but only lifting them up enough to allow him some actual leverage, asserting himself as buried his face into your cunt and directed all his focus on your aching clit, his eyes locked on your own all the while. Your mouth drops open in a desperate whine, yanking firmly at his hair and causing Joel’s eyes to roll back slightly.

And you wish you could say you held out, that it didn’t take some expertised flicks of his tongue and his suckling at your clit to have you gushing against his mouth, coming with a moan that rips from your throat unexpectedly, leaving you both breathless as Joel pulls away. 

If you both had any patience you’d allow a moment to speak, let the moment of reprieve flow in and break the obvious tension, unspoken and wading just below the surface. 

Instead, Joel’s restraint breaks free.

He shoves his underwear down his hips and you could’ve swore they disappeared into thin air before Joel is slotting himself between your legs, sliding into with one fluid push of his hips as he leans over you, moaning into each other’s skin as you wrap around one another again. 

The intimacy is overwhelming. But, in the way that it makes your entire body go hot, blocking out everything but Joel and the soft grunts of pleasure he was attempting to keep at bay.

Strangers didn’t love like this.

But, you weren’t strangers anymore.

“Joel, hey,” Your voice is featherlight and sweet, rubbing at the back of his head as he pulls back, lips in a defined pout as he look at you, fucking into you at a pace that is agonizingly slow but necessary, “I like hearing you—no holding back, okay?”

It does Joel in completely, his arms scooping up behind your shoulder blades to haul you into his lap, a brief moment of tangled limbs as you adjusted yourself while he leaned back, calves tucked underneath him but his legs splayed wide enough that you sat comfortably, your hand guiding his cock to slip back inside of you with ease, your bodies connected at every possible point.

“Fuck—baby,” He swears, his mouth pressed into the point where your neck meets your jaw, aiding the slowly increasing rock and bounce of your hips, “like that–gonna need you to give me ‘nother one, alright?”

Baby, baby, baby. 

You were addicted to the way it sounds falling from his lips—how he means it.

You nod, though blindly, eyes squeezed shut as you don’t feel far off from another orgasm, so wholly turned on that it seemed impossible. 

Joel had a way with you, like years of exploring and learning and knowing all wrapped into a few weeks—this stuff was kismet, meant to be. It had to be that way. There was no other explanation for it.

“Answer me.” Joel urges, sounding more composed but still strained.

“Yes—yes,” You answer without hesitation, “I’ll try.”

Joel laughs softly, nipping at your jawline, pistoning his hips at a speed that had your arms gripping him tighter, “Hmm—no try, darlin’. You will.”

You squeal as Joel quickly switches positions again, laying out on your back while he settled between your legs in the same position, hooking your knees over his hips as he guided himself into you seamlessly, guiding your hand toward your cunt wordlessly.

Oh—he wanted you to come with him. 

And he wanted to enjoy watching you–he does, while you did it and came apart around him, cunt tightening around his cock so snug it pulled the air out of his chest, your fingers working tirelessly over your clit, moaning loud and drawn out.

“So fuckin’ wet, baby—” He grunts, if the soft squelch was any indication. In any other situation you were sure you’d be mortified at such a callout, but Joel manages to ignite that fire in your core, squeezing down on him with his words, “Yeah—like how good I make you feel?”

You nod wordlessly, but Joel doesn’t accept that. 

You can see he’s almost there, his hips faltering slightly as his brow pinched together.

“So fuckin’ good, Joel.” You tell him, “No fuckin’ idea how good you make me feel.”

Joel pulls out swiftly, jerking himself with a stroke before he’s coming over your bare cunt, nearly allowing himself a slip-up with how lost in his mind he was. He collapses on you immediately after, uncaring as your bodies mix with his cum, cradling Joel in your arms as much as he allows, your breaths melding together after time.

This was different.

Joel carefully cleans you up when he finds the energy to move before allowing you to take a quick shower, a pair of his own spare pajamas waiting on the bed for you as you switch turns, him disappearing into the bathroom as the door clicks shut.

When he returns, you curl against each other instinctively. There were no words to be shared, no looks to be stolen, but a silence you both found comforting. 

You were going to miss Joel and it felt terrible. 

But, Joel was going to miss you and that devastated him.

You fall asleep long before Joel, who sits up thinking off all the reasons he wouldn’t have to let you go, knowing you were already slipping through his fingers.

-

The rest of your vacation is bittersweet, a few days of cleaning and tidying up the place, but also of endless talks—attempting to absorb as much about each other as possible.

“Bullshit,” You retorted, finger pressed against his chest as you sat beside him on the couch, body halfway turned toward him, “you cannot play guitar.”

“I can, I have,” Joel says matter-of-factly, “You know—I was your age a time ago.”

“I want proof.” You challenge.

“You’re gonna have to take my word, darlin’.” He tells you. “Had a band and everything. We recorded some songs, but they never saw the light of day.”

“No fucking way.”

Joel rolls his eyes, pressing his lips to yours in a desperation to shut you up.

It works.

But, the final night is what has you both clinging to each other with no urgency to let go.

Hours upon hours of mindless conversation, too scared to allow the other to fall asleep in fear that you’ll wake up and you’ll have to face the reality of the next morning.

You were leaving, Joel was leaving.

Separate ways, both of you.

And you can’t remember which one of you caves first, but it isn’t without fight.

-

Joel packs with a quiet finality, helping you lug your bags into his old truck too. He seems troubled, distant, worried about you and far, far more.

You want to comfort him, but you fear it will only worsen things.

Joel promised to drive you back into town after enough deliberation, unwilling to let you go just yet and stretching out the time he had with you—driving you far enough that you could order car service to get you to your apartment in Austin, just inside the city and away from the suburbs.

But, the brief moment you have before he leaves you is something that engraves itself into your mind, lingers for long, long after you leave him.

Joel kisses you fully, tenderly—well beyond anything without meaning. He’s kissing you with everything he has to offer, feeling like you might lift off your feet at how full of love it makes you feel, gripping his wrist to hold him near as he cradles your face.

“Can’t let you go.” He says quietly, so quietly you almost don’t catch it

“Hey,” You lean into his eyesight, pulling his gaze to your face, “It’s okay.”

He doesn’t understand how you seem so calm, despite how broken you feel inside.

But, you do know one thing—as someone who spent an entire holiday with a complete stranger who you didn’t just come to befriend but to care about—that anything was possible.

“If it’s meant to happen, we’ll find each other again.” You tell him, eyes full of hope.

Joel laughs softly, though bitterly. He pulls you into a tight hug and sways, soaking in the final moments of you and how you feel, the soft hitch of your breath as he squeezes you gently, giggling in his ear.

“Gonna miss the hell out of you.” He admits.

“Me too, Joel.” You tell him honestly, “Seriously.”

Joel wasn’t sure how he could recover from something like this, but he would try. He’d push it down deep and go on about life, forget all the good and drown in the awful, like he usually did.

“I’m gonna get your money back,” He jokes weakly, “for the cabin—just give me a few weeks.”

“Joel, it’s okay.” You tell him through a subtle blinking of tears, but Joel notices, wiping them away silently as you pull back to look at him. “Best fuckin’ money I’ve ever spent.”

“God, how are you real?” 

You hum softly, “Well, maybe I’m not. Maybe you did just imagine me up.”

“For my sanity, I hope to god you’re real, darlin’.”

It’s a lame joke, but Joel feels the need to reiterate it.

The car pulls up shortly after, allowing you to give him one last nearly suffocating hug before he finally lets you go, despite how badly he wanted to hold on.

“Goodbye, Joel.”

“I’ll be seein’ you, darlin’.”

Maybe he only meant it as a hopeful utterance into existence, that if putting it out there it would somehow come true. But, Joel knew it to be true. This wouldn’t be the last time and he felt that to his core, watching your bittersweet wave as you climbed into the car, bags all packed in the trunk courtesy of the driver.

You had hope too.

And only time would tell.

(Guys, there's an epilogue (coming December 30th). Please don't yell at me lol. I promise this isn't going to end on a horrible note and you won't want to hunt me down)

[nightmare-dreamt]

Hello!! May I request a monster high x Fem!reader, who's a new student. She ran into some students, and she looks like a human, so everyone thought she was a normie, but she turns out to be a monster with powers. She can turn into a human form or a monster form, so shes still the same person, but she can change her looks, she can change her looks to a human or her monster form.

But she's also

🥀DROP

💋DEAD

❤️‍🔥GORGEOUS

When everyone though she was a normie some actually though she was the best looking normie they've seen before, but obviously chosenot to say and wouldn't admit it. But when they found out she was a monster, (half monster half normie) when she turns into her monster form she's even more beautiful🥹💕

Everyone's jaw would probably drop🤭

Monster high x beautiful half normie and half monster Fem!reader.

Can it be a oneshot please?🥺 If you want it to be a headcannon or something, that's also fine, but can you also include the characters such as the Frankie and the ghouls, and the guys too, like heath, Holt and etc in the oneshot/headcanon.

Sorry this looks long, it's probably cause of how much I wrote-

Anyways thanks and have a good day/night!!

Monster High Request:

Frankie:

Human Form: When the two of you first met, it was when you and your human friends were trying to save their monster friend Holt. The two of you got along really well and shared similar ideas when it came to saving their friend.

When her eyes landed on your form, her heart stopped unlike the way it usually does and now butterflies were in her stomach making her feet heavier than before. You were like a god/goddess in her eyes and she didn't know what to do. When you felt eyes on your back, you turned meeting her gaze which led to her blushing profusely and popping her hand off to cover her face.

Monster Form: You tried your hardest to hide your monster form, afraid of what everyone might have thought but it was bound to be revealed sooner or later. You slipped up one day when transforming late at night and assuming everyone was sleeping, but a photo was taken and soon spreaded around about your true identity.

When she saw the picture a clear confusion was on their face, but then admiration and adoration took over and their heart began beating faster. Frankle thinks both of your forms are super cool and they're fine with you being in either one. They make sure to help figure out who took your picture and spreaded it, refusing to stand this hatred against you and your monster identity.

Draculaura:

Human Form: You met the vampire from Frankie who introduced you to their friends wanting all of you to get along and become great friends as well. At first, you were afraid, never having met a vampire before, but when you got to know the pink vampire your fear faded away. You got along with her well and always had sleepovers together, laughing and enjoying your time with each other.

It was hard for her since she thought her feelings were for Clawd, but when the two of you began hanging out more and more new found feelings began to form. She's gone through the pros and cons of dating both of you, but everything seemed evened out besides the fact that you're a human…

Monster form: She saw the photo and didn't believe it, unsure if the photo was even real, totally believing that you were full human without a single scent of monster in you. Her skin grew darker with a blush when seeing your gorgeous looks on your monster form as well making her choice now even more difficult.

Clawdeen:

Human Form: When the two of you met, it was strange. The two of you didn't talk much besides when one of the others were around and helped start the conversations. The two of you were basically mutals that had the same friends.

You weren't that close with her until the group went to Paris and she had you model one of her outfits. In the moment, when she saw your form in one of her outsides shining in the moonlight, her mind went blank with only you in her thoughts. She couldn't help but think how good you looked with the moon shining onto your skin and the outfit that fit your body perfectly, hitting everything correctly just like how she had planned.

Monster Form: When her eyes landed on the picture, the same thing from Paris occurred with your mind going blank and only you in her thoughts. She then felt anger knowing someone took your picture without your permission and revealed your secret that was clearly hidden for a reason. She was quick to come and comfort you making sure that everything was alright. (She won't admit it, but she also went to see your monster form in person and you looked even more exquisite in person)

Clawd:

Human Form: You met the werewolf from his sister and his crush, which wasn't a great idea because now he was facing one of the greatest choices of his life. For the past month, he's been seeing Draculaura, but when you showed up his heart and mind haven't been the same and he liked it. His feelings for the vampire were still there but he now also had feelings for you as well.

Monster Form: You had shown him and when you did his eyes widened instantly seeing your glowing complexion and soon the air felt like it was taken out of him. You made him nervous and he didn't know what to do, making things even worse for his relationship as you also started getting closer with the vampire. He knew deep down that he had to do the right thing, but something else held him down.

Holt:

Human Form: You met him when trying to save his counterpart from the other humans who thought all monsters were bad, which wasn't true at all. You were shocked when seeing him going through the same thing you were. When attending monster high, the first thing you did was look for him and show him your form wanting to show him that having two sides wasn't always bad.

Monster Form: When he saw that you were just like him, his heart fluttered knowing he wasn't alone in this world of being human and monster. You became great friends with him spending most of your time at monster high with him talking about the strange things the two of you have done with your abilities. When news about your transromation became known, he stood up for you making sure no one treated you the way they treated him for being human and monster.

-

A/n - Sorry I couldn't do all of the characters. this was already over two pages and would have been more. If you want I can do a part 2 with more characters :)

[smellingofpoetry]

High Expectations

Characters: Reader, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Jody Mills

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Their meeting was just a lucky coincidence. Everything that happened after that was just their doing.

Warnings: fluff, insecurities, lies

Word count: 1252

A/N: Hello! How are you doing? I hope you had a lovely Christmas day. As promised, I'm here with a new fic. Some of you voted to read this one, so here's your chance. This story happened out of nowhere and it wasn't supposed to go this way, but I had fun while writing it and I'm so happy with what I came up with. I hope you'll like it as much. Enjoy! ❤ All errors are mine.

It started unconventionally.

It was during one of Jody’s dinners. Y/N was new in town so, of course, Jody had invited her in. The boys were just passing through after one of their hunts.

It was just a coincidence.

Y/N didn’t know anything about the supernatural, and Dean was covered in cuts and bruises.

She was beautiful; he noticed it the moment he saw her, feeling self-conscious for once because his face, well, it looked like a battled filed. That feeling went away pretty quickly the moment Y/N and Sam discovered to be two nerds. Dean definitely couldn’t compete with that, bloody face or not.

They had a lovely dinner, though. A normal one, that was for sure and Dean didn’t mind that one bit, even if that meant watching his little brother flirt with her.

Y/N was glad she had accepted Jody’s invitation. All the worries of being alone in a new town were forgotten for a moment. It was a nice evening, even though she had to do her best to not glance at Sam’s brother.

What was his name? Oh, right – Dean.

He was beautiful; she noticed it the moment she saw him, bloody face and all. Y/N had felt self-conscious when his eyes had landed on her because she was wearing that damn old shirt her mom had told her to toss away ages ago and, on top of that, she was wearing zero to nothing makeup. She couldn’t look that good that way.

She didn’t let it sting too much when he hadn’t paid too much attention to her through dinner, she was used to it anyway.

So, Y/N ended up talking to Sam, mostly about their shared passion for books. Until it was time for dessert, and Jody went to retrieve coffee and pie. Of course, Y/N went after her, trying to be useful.

“Can I help you with something?” She asked with a smile, with Sam right behind her taking the mugs from Jody.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. You can go call Dean, though. He’s outside on the back porch. He’ll kill us if we start the pie without him.” Jody smiled at her, grabbing the plates and disappearing into the next room.

Y/N glanced at the door that led to the porch, unsure. Taking care of the coffee would have been easier, she thought while walking towards the door. She opened it slowly, sliding through it. Dean was leaning against the railing, scrolling through his phone. He looked up as soon as he heard her footsteps, surprised to see her there. Y/N smiled, waving his hand mid-air, suddenly not sure how to act around him.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Dean put away his phone, watching her fidgeting with her hands.

“Uh – Jody asked me to tell you there’s pie inside. She made it sound like something really important, so – ” she trailed off, feeling awkward but hoping that he wouldn’t catch on that. Dean smiled, nodding his head.

“Yeah – uh – I’m kinda a pie guy.” He said without even thinking. Y/N smiled at that and Dean could feel his ears getting warmer. Why in heart had he said that? A pie guy – what an idiot, he thought.

“Can’t blame you. It smelt good in there.” She pointed at the kitchen with her head.

“Oh, yeah?” He asked, putting his hands in his pockets, feeling more at ease.

“Yeah. I might have peeked at the filling if you’re interested.” She said, getting a bit closer while her lips curved upwards in a half smile. Dean grinned, making more room for her. They got closer, their bodies leaning toward each other.

“I think I might.”

Y/N pretended to ponder for a bit, before lowering her voice. “Jody wouldn't mind, right?”

“I won't tell if you don’t.” He whispered in a conspirator tone.

“Yeah, alright.” She was easy to convince. So, she got closer then, whispering in his ear their little secret. Dean hummed, her breath making his skin tingle.

“My favorite.” He answered, glancing at her and catching her already looking at him with a smile. They stared at each other for a few minutes, until Dean cleared his throat, forcing himself to look elsewhere. Y/N did the same, feeling her cheeks getting warmer.

“So, what happened to…?” She asked, pointing to his cuts on his face.

Right – Dean thought. He had forgotten about that for a minute, and the reality crushed back on him.

“Bad call on work,” which wasn’t a lie.

“Are you a police offer, too?”

“Firefighter.” It came out of his mouth faster than he could imagine and, yeah, not an entire lie. He wouldn’t have minded it to be a firefighter.

“Really?”

“You sound surprised.”

“No, it’s just –”

“What?” He asked arm crossed at his chest and eyes trailing down to the tips of his shoes, trying not to show her the hurt in his voice.

“My dad was a firefighter too.” She whispered, a sad smile on her face.

“Oh –” Dean looked up at her then, feeling guilty for lying to her but he couldn’t tell her the truth, though.

“You kinda remember me him.” She smiled, before walking towards the door. She was almost inside when she turned around towards him. “Be safe out there, Dean.”

He watched her turn around again, while his mind was still stuck on her words. Dean didn’t know how to answer that, but he knew that, for some reason, he wanted to keep talking with her. So, he tried hard to come up with something smart to say but, of course, he wasn’t Sam.

“I lied.” He said without really thinking. Dean closed his eyes, giving himself an idiot. Y/N stopped in her tracks, eyebrows furrowed in confusion while turning around for the second time. She looked at him with curiosity. She leaned against the door frame with her hands joined together in front of her, studying him and trying to decide what to do next.

“About what?” She asked cautiously.

“About the bruises and the job,” Dean admitted, hoping someone would come to look for them and save him from his misery.

“Did you have a good reason to lie?”

Dean was taken aback by her question but nodded at the same time. “Yeah.”

“Would you lie again if I asked you the same question?”

“Probably.”

“You could have gotten away with it, you know that right?” She asked, amused.

“Yeah, I’m painfully aware.”

“Then why did you confess?”

“I have no fucking idea, usually I’m better than this.”

“I wouldn’t have said.” She joked, earning an annoyed look from Dean. They studied each other for a few seconds until he broke the silence they had fallen into.

“Are you gonna ask again?” He said, wondering why he was torturing himself like that.

“Oh, I will at our next dinner.”

“Our next dinner?” He echoed her with a smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, you didn’t think you were out of the hook for lying to me just because you’re cute, right?”

“Cute, uh?” Dean smirked, taking a few steps towards her while making her roll her eyes. He raised his hand in surrender. “Alright, dinner seems fair.” He agreed, hoping he wouldn’t have to regret it.

“Good, ‘cause I have high expectations for you next lie." She winked at him, before going inside. Dean stayed stuck on the floor, blinking a few times at the closed door before starting to laugh.

[navstuffs]

Tag, you are on it!

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x GN!Reader

Summary: Miguel finds you and Gabriella playing on the backyard. Based on the comic Tag - Pixie and Brutus by @pet_foolery

Warning tags: domestic bliss, fluff, happiness, feel good type, my bad attempt on writing comedy lol

Author's Notes: after being obsessed with this man over a year, i finally joined the fandom (its never too late i guess). hope you enjoy your reading!

Miguel arrives home exhausted from work, taking off his coat and loosening his tie. What an awful day! Between deadlines not being respected and useless meetings taking far too long, Miguel had to stay late to finish a sudden important project. He was fortunate enough to have you pick Gabriella up from school. 

You met Gabriella after five months of dating Miguel(and almost two years of knowing each other). "A friend," Miguel explained the first time you met, nervous about his little girl's reaction—a sentiment you also shared, way more desperate for her approval. 

Everything went so well; even Miguel felt a little jealous of you, watching his daughter gravitate in your personal space the entire night. Especially when, before you left, he noticed Gabriella waving so you could kneel on her level. She covered your ears with her small hands, whispering as you nodded. Miguel observed quite anxiously, his eyes focused on any reaction. You just opened an enigmatic smirk as if you were teasing him that you could win his daughter so quickly.

Three months after this, Gabriella suddenly asked on a Saturday morning why you hadn't moved in yet, almost causing Miguel to drop the breakfast plate with scrambled eggs he had prepared. You and Miguel tried to explain that you still haven't talked about it yet, and adults can be complicated sometimes. 

Besides being Gabriella's new favorite play partner, Miguel hadn't tried to insert you into their daily routine. Not because he didn't trust you, just...Miguel just had to take things slower. His main priority would always be Gabriella, her well-being and happiness. Inserting you into their routine would make it hard for both if you and him didn't work out. And you agreed, understanding as you always were: Gabriella should always be the top priority. 

As it happened on one of your previous dates when the nanny called, informing Gabriella had gotten a sudden fever and had puked once. You urged Miguel to leave, telling him you would solve everything at the restaurant. Miguel was so surprised when you appeared in the house thirty minutes late, still dressed in your date clothes, with anxious eyes on the little girl in his arms. You stayed that night, ensuring to leave only after Gabriella's fever got down as she slept in your arms - when she heard your voice, she opened her arms begging for you to hold her.

Gabriella was already too attached, and Miguel was too much in love. That's why he was still unsure when he asked you to pick her up. 

When Miguel hears Gabriella's giggle from the backyard, his heart instantly warms. Your capacity to make her laugh made him jealous before. Now, it only makes him fall in love with you even harder. To think there was ever a time Miguel was terrified of what would happen if Gabriella didn't like you. 

He follows his favorite sound in the world, his body relaxing. You two seem to be playing tag: Gabriella never seems to catch you, but she doesn't seem to mind just having fun as you run away in the middle of his vast backyard, both barefoot. Miguel slowly joins his daughter, kneeling on her side as she hugs him tightly, all sweaty. "Papi! We are playing a tag game." 

"I noticed." 

"I don't seem to be able to tag back, though," Gabriella replies, confused in her innocence. As if she could with her small legs. You are still turned around from them, probably catching your breath, unaware of Miguel's presence yet. An idea pops on his mind.

"Tag me." 

"What?" 

"Tag me." Miguel offers his hand, opening a smile. Gabriella opens a big grin, tagging him.

"So, have you given up, Gabi?" You, still in the middle of the backyard, turn around with a playful smile. It completely disappears from your face as you watch Gabriella tag Miguel instead, your boyfriend slowly raising. A dangerous smile on his lips warning you to run.  

You only have one second to react, too slow already, as Miguel starts sprinting in your direction as Gabriella encourages him, excited. Your lungs complain as you run away from him, feeling Miguel hot at your heels. It is the only time you will probably curse his long and strong legs.

You give a quick look over your shoulder, panicking. Miguel has that intense, wild look in his eyes, the one you see when he is determined to get what he wants: to get you. You ignore how your body feels and wonder if you shouldn't just jump in the pool (what a joke, Miguel was a great swimmer as well). 

"Behind you." It is the last thing you hear before Miguel pounces on you, managing to do it gently to a round of cheers from Gabriella. 

You both fall to the floor, and Miguel turns you around with a frown. "Were you going to jump in the pool?" 

"Who, me? Nooo. So you could swim and catch me?!" 

"Liar! You were about to jump in the pool!"

"As a distraction, only! You would have jumped straight after me anyway."

"Oh, I would have." He is serious, you know that.

With his body thoroughly pressed against yours, you hug him, "Missed you. How was work?" 

“Terrible. As always.”

"As always." You agree, watching his expression change. Miguel suddenly becomes aware of how your body is pressed against his, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. He tries to get away from you, but you don't let him, your arms locking him down, a malicious smile on your face.

"Don't…"

"I am not doing anything." 

"Not in front of-"

"Miguel, I am not doing anything!" You giggle, the sensation of a victory spreading against your chest. "You know, I wouldn't do anything in front of-"

You both look toward where Gabriela was standing before to find nothing there. Before you two can even untangle, Gabriella jumps on her father's back, startling you both. 

"Tag!" 

She immediately jumps away, giggling as she runs inside the house. Miguel sighs, not before your hand cups his cheek so you can look at him. "I will keep her company. It is fine."

"I don't want to impose-" 

"Miguel, it is not an imposition. She likes me better anyway."

Miguel gets up from the floor, helping you stand as you watch Gabriella hide behind the sofa, her messy hair and eyes peeking out.

"Are you going to…stay?" Miguel wonders, his tone soft. 

"Of course I will. Maybe we can repeat this tag game after Gabriella is asleep?" You offer, bluntly teasing him. "With much less clothes."

You smirk, watching Miguel's mouth drop open. Gabriella calls your name again and you give him a peck on the cheek, before running away to her direction. 

[thebest-medicine]

I ‘christ’Miss Our Little Talks

Happy Squealing Santa 2024!!!!! Didn’t it start in like 2014? Is this the 10th squealing Santa???? Dang-a-rang!

A/N: Happiest of holidays! Merriest of Christmasses! And a Happy New Year to thee my giftee @kawaiipeacemusic!!! Hope you had a good holiday season and have a wonderful start to your new year! And all the same to the wonderful, lovely @cantsaythetword!!! Thank you for hosting this year’s fabulous @squealing-santa event!! 

Prompt(s): “we’ll talk” with lee!deku ler!shinso, lee!todoroki ler!bakugo, or ler!todoroki x reader (I went with the first option!)

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Summary: Shinso and Izuku are working on a class exercise together, but Midoriya spends more time muttering to himself rather than strategizing and analyzing with his classmate. When Shinso tries to get Izuku’s attention, he finds a much more effective way to get his classmate on task. Words: 2.4k [read on ao3]

...

“You have the rest of this class hour to complete everything in the assignment. Remember your post-training analysis at the end of the combat section.” Aizawa explained with little enthusiasm.  “Pairs have already been decided, let’s get to it, 2-A.” He waved his class off and turned from the training grounds, walking to find himself a space along the sidelines and observe the young heroes.

Their assignment was a paired exercise focusing on teamwork and communication. They had a checklist of tasks to complete, and a combat training test of how their quirks worked best both together and against each other. Excited chatter began to flood the grounds, everyone pairing off with their respective partners. 

“Looks like it’s you and me, Icy Hot.” Bakugo leered, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s go!” 

“You realize most of these tasks are collaborative, right? We aren’t just fighting..?” Todoroki asked, raising an eyebrow at his assigned partner. 

“Yay! Yao-Momo!” Ashido cheered. “We’re gonna do so good!” She sped over toward Yaoyorozu and lifted her into a spinning hug. 

Laughing, they both made their way through the training grounds as Momo began, “I’ve already started analyzing the list and I think we can…” Her voice faded out to the others as she and Mina carved out their space and started to plan.

Hitoshi Shinso, newly integrated into U.A.’s hero course, was paired up to train with none other than Izuku Midoriya. Shinso, at times, still felt a little unsure of his place in the hero course —like today. Well, maybe today it was just that feeling of being out of sync with Izuku’s unrelenting enthusiasm —well, that and the constant muttering.

Their dynamic felt…well, a bit awkward at first –but functional. He knew Izuku’s heart was in the right place, even if he got caught up in his head a bit when he got too focused on something.

Some pairs of students had run off to complete some of the tasks in the woods or further away in the grounds, while a few other groups, including Bakugo and Todoroki, stayed near the large, outdoor mats and to start out with the versus combat section. 

Izuku, and his overthinking, added a minute or two on to the time it should have taken them as he debated, muttering to himself about which space would be the perfect area for training. 

Hitoshi rolled his shoulders, loosening himself up a bit, and pulled up his mask. “Ready, Midoriya?”

Izuku just nodded back. 

Shinso brought out his capture weapon scarf with a practiced ease, and the two of them began to spar. He narrowly but gracefully avoided a kick and a punch—kindly not done with Deku’s full power. It was hard for Shinso to use his quirk while trying to fight one-on-one out in the open. He would have to try to think of something else to tilt the battle to his advantage. 

Calling for a break, Shinso made his way to sit along the side. He took some sips of water as Izuku paced back and forth, muttering to himself. 

“Midoriya… want to share what you’re thinking?” Hitoshi asked, glancing up at him. 

“Hm?” Izuku made a slight sound of acknowledgement, turning as he continued to pace.

“I’d love some feedback, suggestions, tips.. and to work with you on some of the same.. This is supposed to be a partnered project, after all.”

“Oh, uh, sorry!” Midoriya grinned sheepishly. “Was I muttering to myself again?” He brought a hand to the back of his neck, cheeks pinkening a bit. 

“Yes.” Shinso sighed, reaching his arm out to Midoriya’s side to pull him in closer, help him focus.

Izuku squeaked at the unexpected touch, jumping a little away from Hitoshi. “Ah–”

“What was that?”

“Huh? Nothing!” 

“Nothing?”

“Yes!” Izuku said quickly.

“Then…are you ready to get back to our schoolwork?”

“Y-Yeah! Exactly.” 

“Hm.”

Midoriya started to move himself away from Shinso’s hand on his side, only for the fingers there to reach out further and poke-poke-poke-squeeze. 

“Shi-hihihih-in- whohohoahahaha–” The unexpectedness of it all had been what hit him first—what had really put him off guard—a sudden, playful touch that sent his nerves alight and left him gasping for air between unbidden giggles. Shock turned into pure, unfiltered reaction as Izuku realized he couldn’t stop the laughter that seemed to take on a life of its own. 

Shinso’s eyes sparkled with an inquisitive awe. “So you are ticklish.” He said quietly, mostly to himself. 

“Nahaha- I’m not!” Midoriya squealed, protesting despite the obvious evidence to the contrary. His knees buckled as he crumpled forward onto the dusty mat. 

Shinso followed him down. “Whoever you partner up with, it’s important to be fully honest with one another, isn’t it?” He lamented, teasing as he pinned the other hero-in-training to the floor. “How else will we ever work together?” Shinso grinned then put on a faux pleading look. “C’mon. Talk to me?” He poked along Izuku’s sides, prompting.

Izuku grunted, shaking his head as he tried with all his might to fight his urge to laugh desperately.

Shinso sighed. “Oh, we’ll talk.” Then he dragged one of Midoriya’s arms behind his own back, pinning it bent up against his shoulder blade. “Sooner than you think.” He wrapped his scarf around Izuku’s arm in a few places, then around his chest and neck, securing him in place.

Now, Shinso had him pinned face down, one strong leg over him half straddling his body, one of his arms wrapped down at his side in the capture scarf and the other now half-chicken-winged behind his back. Izuku could probably get out of this with a little concentration, but then… A jolt raced through his mind as he felt a feather-light touch reappear against the side of his ribs, his mind struggling to process the sensation. This wasn’t a quick jab or poke, this was soft, deliberate, giggle-inducing tickling. It started as just a faint, tingling pressure. While his mind was still catching up to what was happening, his body betrayed him, jerking instinctively to the side as the sensation spread like wildfire. His chest ached as he held his breath. 

The realization hit him—he was being tickled—Shinso was really pinning him down and tickling him—and he wasn’t stopping. 

A squeal of helpless laughter blurted out before Izuku could stop it. His breath hitched when he managed to get a breath in, and for a split second, he froze, caught between the uncontrollable urge to squirm away and the disbelief in what Shinso—quiet, brooding, mysterious Shinso—was doing to him (and during class, of all times!). 

He managed to twist his head to the side enough to get a look at his purple-haired classmate, only to see a devious half-smile on his face. Surprise rippled through Izuku—he would have expected something like this from.. honestly almost anyone else—and the shock quickly gave way to a wave of chaotic, fluttery sensations that had him twisting and wriggling without thinking. Shinso upped his tempo, tapping his fingertips along his classmate’s ribs and grinning. “Thought this might help you talk..”

Fingers pinched up and down Izuku’s ribs, whose eyes widened as his mouth curved up in a wide, wobbly smile. It was as if Izuku’s whole body lit up at once, the gentle, teasing contact making it impossible to stay still, his laughter spilling out in uncontrollable bursts. “Nononono Shihihihinso wahahahait!” He giggled helplessly, trying to muffle the sound. “Nohohoho no wahahaha! Hehehe not t-tickling ehehehehe! Peheheheople will seehehehee!” 

His arms struggled against Shinso’s scarf as his legs kicked out against the floor, flailing aimlessly each time Shinso brought his hands up higher along Midoriya’s ribs. 

“C’mon. If you don’t want them to notice, keep it down. Control yourself, Midoriya.” Shinso teased quietly, a smug little smile on his lips. “C’mon, does it really tickle that bad?”

“Yehehehehes! It- ha-ah—” Izuku stopped struggling all at once, his eyes going blank as he slumped against the large mat. 

“Got-cha.” Shinso half-sang, teasing. 

Izuku stared blankly, fully under the grip of his classmate’s quirk. Hitoshi flipped him over onto his back and untangled him from his scarf, adjusting his limbs and spreading his arms out to the sides.

“Now. Let’s see how long you can keep those arms up.” Hitoshi ordered, crawling over his classmate’s body to straddle him, expecting his quirk to be quickly overcome with the desperation brought on by tickling. 

Izuku just laid there after bringing his arms straight up over his head, otherwise unmoving. Somewhere in his mind he was blushing ten thousand shades of red and giggling in anticipation. 

“Good job.” Shinso smirked. “Now… Just in case.” He wrapped the strong scarf around Izuku’s wrists, keeping them together where they laid over his head. 

Inside, Midoriya whimpered.

“Ohh. You know what I want to try, Midoriya?” 

Izuku simply stared blankly up at him. 

“I’ve been working more and more on expanding my quirk and making people talk.. I wonder if I can get you to…” He paused, considering. “Tell me where you are most vulnerable to tickling.” 

No! Somewhere in Izuku’s mind screamed as his mouth opened and he heard his voice answering his classmate with almost no intonation. Like it didn’t belong to him. ‘Hips.’ Dammit dammit dammit! What was he saying now? ‘Stomach. Feet. Armpits.’ Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

“Now we’re talking!” Shinso appeared happier than his classmate had ever seen him. “Alright, now. Stay still for me.” He smirked, adding. “Not that you have much of a choice.”

Shinso wriggled one finger gently under each of Izuku’s arms. 

His expression stayed neutral all of 5 seconds before a smile morphed its way onto his face and he broke out of the quirk’s hold, tearing his bound wrists down in a futile attempt at protecting himself. He giggled loudly, squirming wildly back and forth as Shinso’s now-trapped fingers danced their way across the hollows of his armpits. 

“Plehehehehease!” Midoriya squeaked, kicking his feet into the air. “They’re gonna seeeeheheheheheheee!!!”

“Yeah they might if you don’t quiet down, do you think they’d help me?” 

“No!” Izuku gasped, panicking at the thought before his expression and most of his mind went blank. Caught again. At least the tickling stopped for a moment. 

And then it’s arms back up. Eyes blank. Shinso’s hands closing in… 

“Where else did you say, stomach, right?” As Hitoshi drew his fingers over Midoriya’s vulnerable middle—one that used to be soft and gentle but was now hardened with muscle—he wiggled them like a sluggish spider crawling over his belly. 

He felt the body tense underneath him and saw the corners of Deku’s lips almost start to twitch into a smile. But, it seemed that as long as he remained gentle, didn’t overwhelm, he might well be able to keep his mental hold on the other boy longer. 

On the path back over his shivering stomach, Shinso’s sluggish spidering fingers slipped into Izuku’s belly button, and he hiccuped-laughed his way right back into consciousness. 

“Okahahahay, ohmygosh- Shihihihinso—” Izuku batted weakly with his joined wrists at his captor’s still-tickling hands. “Plehehease—” 

The tickling stopped then, but something in Shinso’s eyes told Izuku it wasn’t quite over yet. 

“Now… I’m not gonna tear off your shoes in the middle of class but I will be testing those out another time.” Izuku gaped at him as he spoke. “But, I did want to try one more spot you mentioned…” Shinso wiggled his fingers slowly toward Midoriya’s middle. 

“Wait! You can’t—” His eyes bugged out wide.

“Oh, can’t I?” 

Izuku shook his head, biting his lip to keep from answering again.

“You know I can just tickle you again anyway, quirk or not, right?”

“Nohohoho!” Izuku whined, he couldn’t help it. 

A beat later, his eyes and face returned to what seemed to be their common state—blank.

“There we go…” Hitoshi smiled, having Izuku reposition himself with his arms over his head. His fingers wiggled menacingly and dramatically slow as they approached his lower waist. And just when they made contact—

Izuku shrieked, breaking free from the hypnotic hold mere moments after Hitoshi’s fingers squeezed into the divots of his hips through his uniform. “WahahahaHA-NOT THERE!”

Shinso chuckled, sounding pleased, as he backed up a bit and stopped pinning the other boy down.

With a quick roll onto his side and a kick into the ground with a small percentage of his power, Izuku jumped to his feet and scrambled away before he could be further caught up in the capture scarf or hypnosis again — or worse, even just pinned from how weak and dizzy he felt with laughter. “Ahahahalright! Don’t we have-have work to do?” Izuku whined, putting his bound hands up between them defensively. 

“Couldn’t help but keep talking to me, even though you knew it was making it worse for you..” Shinso smirked at him affectionately, reaching out to ruffle his hair. 

Izuku flinched away with a sheepish grin. “What? I couldn’t help it. I- you were- you kept-”

“You know… You never actually told me to stop either.” Shinso smirked as Midoriya turned bright red. 

“I- what? No, I- I did.. I mean, well, I couldn’t even–” 

“We’ll talk about that later.” Shinso waved a hand dismissively.

Izuku buried his face in his hands, mumbling into them. 

“Don’t be so embarrassed.” Shinso wrapped an arm around Izuku’s shoulders. “Your reactions were pretty cute.” 

“Ohmygodshutup.” Midoriya whined into his hands, cheeks still burning. “We.. we have an assignment to get done.”

“You’re right. Maybe we can use some of what we learned here in our analysis report?” Hitoshi smiled, still a hint of teasing, as he began to unbind his classmate’s wrists.

Izuku brightened, already overcoming his embarrassment by thinking about how the impacts of an outside stimulus can affect those affected by Shinso’s quirk. Could it be tested further? They stood, discussing ideas, before they continued on with their assignment.

[hyperions-light]

Hmmmmmm. For the codex prompts - can we see an entry from Rook's journal, please?

For sure! Thanks for asking! [Codex prompts here] 2, 17, 21 have been asked/answered!

Hello journal,

Emmrich says I should write in you to ‘process my feelings’ or something. Am unsure what he’s talking about and do not understand the function of this. You write things so other people will read them, right? But Emmrich said this was supposed to be private? Told him I would try it, but I am skeptical.

Perhaps he’s lying about it being private? Doesn’t seem like him, but maybe it’s like when Viago leaves paperwork around that he ‘doesn’t want me to see’ so that I’ll go handle whatever he doesn’t want to deal with. If I asked Emmrich about it I wonder if he would be offended?

He said that I should “write out the events of your recent experience in order to reflect upon them.” Suspect this will be very dull, since at least eighty percent of what I do is stab people.

What do the others write in their journals? I’ve seen Taash and Lucanis writing in theirs, and there is no way they’re ‘processing feelings’. We all agree the best way to stop being sad is to grab the nearest dangerous object and kill someone with it. (I also think tackling Viago to the floor and getting him to fight me is a good solution, but no one else is willing to do that. They’re missing out.)

Yesterday we went to Minrathous because Neve had a case to work. I think Lucanis and Emmrich went shopping. I don’t know, I was with Harding and Bellara— we were trying to find something for Bel to mess with. Did find some weird magical artifacts in a back alley in Docktown, but she didn’t even look. Brought one of them home to see if she might work on it later, but it’s just sitting in the Fish Room. Hope it doesn’t explode.

She’s really worried about everything with Anaris and her brother. I told her it would be fine, and I was mostly not lying, even— I’m sure we can just punch him until he calms down and then bring him back here? I know he’s killed people, but I mean... Lucanis and I are Crows. They can’t expect us to care that much about that.

I suppose it’s different because Bellara knew those people. And it’s not his job, or anything, he’s just a murderer.

I’ve known a lot of murderers, though (not assassins. murderers), and they’re mostly fine. It seems like Cyrian already feels bad about it, so he’s a lot more pleasant than some of the ones hanging around the Drowned District. We just have to figure out the right incentive to get him to stop, and then he can stay here until they aren’t trying to capture him, anymore. (I saw a cell in the Veil Jumpers’ camp. Not taking chances.)

Hopefully that’s fine with everyone. Will they be upset? I guess he can have the Fish Room if they don’t want him in the rest of the Lighthouse. I’ve slept in more uncomfortable places than the library.

I wonder if they think that I’ve never killed an innocent person. I heard Lucanis tell Davrin that he doesn’t believe he has, a while ago, and all I could think was that he was lucky. I guess if you’re the grandson of the First Talon, you don’t have to get your hands as dirty as the rest of us. (Or he was lying to appease Davrin. Don’t think he cared about Dav’s opinion at the time, though.)

Varric cares about protecting innocent people SO much. I have no idea why he wanted me to be his second. I don’t think he and I even share the same opinions about most things.

I did save him, but it could have been anyone being taken by the Antaam— he didn’t owe me anything more than anyone else. The rest of them just thanked me and ran off; I guess he maybe felt bad, since he was there when Viago kicked me out? But he didn’t have to leave me in charge.

I don’t like it. I wish he would hurry up and stop being injured. I would like to stop making decisions.

Should burn this. Especially if it’s not actually private. But maybe will ask Emmrich about it first?

Goodbye (forever?), journal

[midnightmah07]

pirate treasure's intro post ––✧

'pirate treasure' is the ship name of my oc Jeanne and Kalim!

In this intro post I'll be sharing their relationship timeline, as well as a few random fun facts about them. This is mostly because I want to ramble about them, and because I think it's a nice way for newcomers to learn about them if they're interested! (⁠◡⁠ ⁠ω⁠ ⁠◡⁠) ♡

How'd they start?

Kalim and Jeanne had seen each other in passing during their first year, but they were too busy with their own lives so they never really talked much aside from small talk.

Their actual official introduction was when Kalim became a housewarden. For some reason during that time, Kalim decided to greet every housewarden and say he looked forward to working with them, but when he visited Octavinelle he got into trouble with the tweels, well— with Floyd specifically, and Jeanne had to step up and save Kalim's skin before Floyd could squeeze him and before Azul found out and nagged at them.

Kalim was infatuated with Jeanne, he thought he was gorgeous, and not only that he thought he was really cool and kind for helping him out (he also was one of the few people that didn't mistake Jeanne for a boy), so, naturally, he introduced himself, and Jeanne realized who he was: the Asim heir, one of the merchants her father always talked about and who he always felt so jealous of due to their wealth. It was then that Kalim became Jeanne's target. She decided to take advantage of his infatuation with her and agreed to keep meeting him in hopes to learn about his treasures and hopefully steal some. Maybe this way her dad could aprove of her... And also she would appreciate a few new jewelry pieces.

Jeanne was invited to parties and hangouts and Kalim was often around her during class. He sent her notes when professor Trein wasn't looking and often seeked her out to partner with in Crewel and Vargas' class. Kalim and Jeanne's time together was something not even Jeanne herself knew she would enjoy; Kalim didn't mind her chaotic nature, in fact, he found it funny and kind of endearing in a way, he didn't had any problems giving her compliments and sharing his feelings, and he was always so gentle with her, always offering his arm for her to walk with, always opening doors to her first, always making sure to treat her with care... Jeanne never felt anyone be so gentle to her to this degree, not even her own father, and she has never experienced being treated like "a lady" before either. It was new, but Jeanne liked it, and that was scary.

One day, Kalim decided to open up to her about a few of his insecurities. In his mind, they've become friends, so he could share this stuff, right? To his surprise, and honestly even to Jeanne's surprise, she retributed that with her own vulnerability. She still had walls up, but she spoke of her self esteem to him, how she didn't really feel like she was good enough about anything... Kalim apprenticed that. So much so her opening up about herself made him like her even more. He started being even more close to her, if that was even possible, and Jeanne was unsure of what to feel herself... But her mind was still on his wealth.

As time went on, Kalim and Jeanne became even closer, and Kalim actually began seeing her more than a friend, more than a mere "crush". Jeanne never judged him for not being able to do things by himself, in fact, she even helped him learn a few things here and there, she was always able to make him feel comfortable, and she intrigued him, because he knew there was so much more about her he was yet to understand. And he wanted to understand.

Jamil noticed Kalim and Jeanne's closeness and tried putting a stop to whatever twisted friendship they had, since he noticed how Jeanne often asked him about his wealth and just noticed other red flags she raised. He started preventing Jeanne from showing up at Scarabia, interrupting them at any moment he was able to, and constantly warning Kalim of Jeanne's intentions.

Jeanne had to do something if she wanted to even see Kalim's wealth, so of course, when Kalim invited Jeanne for a Magic Carpet ride without Jamil knowing, she took the opportunity (although she was a bit hesitant... I mean a broom? Fine, but a thin piece of cloth??). As they went up to the clouds and they saw the stars, Kalim finally spoke of his feelings. He told her he liked her since the beginning, that he knew this wasn't love, at least not at first, but he wanted it to be, he thought it could be, because Jeanne made him feel like a kid again, he felt like there was no pressure for him to grow up and be someone who knew everything from the get go, he didn't feel like a burden with her, he just felt like himself.

That, somehow, touched Jeanne's heart. No one's ever said anything like that to her, now that she thinks about it, no one's ever been as gentle and kind to her as Kalim was. She didn't understand what she was feeling but she knew his words made her happy, so, against her better judgement, she didn't mind it when he held her hand, nor when his head rested on her shoulder, and she didn't pull away at the end of their hangout, when the magic carpet decided to play cupid and push Kalim into Jeanne's space, making them kiss by accident.

Kalim liked her even more and planned on asking her for an actual date, but Jeanne was spiralling. When did she start feeling this way about Kalim? When did she start caring about him as a person instead of just his title as heir? What was wrong with her? As they spent more days together, and Kalim continued to be open about his affections, Jeanne couldn't reject him, although she did put limits and constantly said they weren't together and never kissed him again. However, they still acted a lot like a couple, with Kalim constantly holding her hand or hugging her, and Jeanne simply accepting it or sometimes even retributing said action.

One day, when Kalim and Jeanne were in his room, Jeanne caressing his head as he rested in her lap, she told him it was better for the both of them to stop whatever they had going on. Kalim tried preventing her from cutting ties with him but Jeanne couldn't take it any longer, she actually fell in love with him, and she couldn't lie to him about her intentions anymore, she was tired of pretending to be someone she wasn't, tired of using someone who was nothing but kind to her... So she lied, and said she didn't love him, and that she only wanted his wealth.

After that, Kalim spent days silent, trying his best to be his sunny self but failing miserably. Jeanne was also a mess, hating herself for how much she hurt him and refusing to go anywhere near Scarabia or to look Kalim or Jamil in the eyes. Which. Funny. Jeanne "broke things off" with him right before the events of book 4, meaning she was forced to face him when that time came.

During book 4, Jeanne offered to help almost immediately once finding out through Yuu (in my case, Daisy) that Kalim was acting strange. She thought it could be her fault, so she wanted to see it with her own eyes. And yes, he was acting strange, but it was in a way that it didn't seem like Kalim, he was sad of course, but Kalim wouldn't snap out like that on people and force others to do things they didn't want to simply because he was sad, so something was definitely going on.

Jeanne was actually super pissed at Jamil once he stopped pretending and told Kalim about his plan, she allowed herself to demonstrate how much she loved and cared for Kalim regardless if it'd make him want to be with her again or not, simply because she couldn't stand and watch Jamil do all of that to the person she loved most (Kalim did stop her a few times though, because he knew Jamil wasn't really a bad person, but was rather pushed over the edge).

After book 4, when everything was solved, Kalim came to Jeanne again and confessed a second time. This time, he wanted her to know he simply loved her for who she was, and that he didn't hate her and didn't think she was a bad person. He said there was a lot happening, even to himself, so he wanted some time to deal with everything that had happened in Scarabia, and he asked that during that time, she thought about his words, and if she wanted to, he told her he'd gladly start dating her when she was ready.

Jeanne agreed to date him after the events of book 5, and she gave him a full confession in order for him to understand she was being sincere. She still deals with a lot of guilt about what she did to Kalim, and their relationship isn't perfect, but they're both trying to be patient and kind to each other.

Random & Fun Facts:

Jeanne called Kalim "Asim" up until their magic carpet ride "date" where she unconsciously started calling him "Kalim", and she never called him "Asim" again, not even when she stopped talking to him.

Kalim calls Jeanne by a lot of pet names, some being "my pearl", "my life", "my dear" and a ton of others with "my" in it. Jeanne calls him "treasure" a few times.

Jeanne teaches Kalim how to cook without Jamil's knowledge because she wants to help him be more self sufficient and independent.

Jeanne uses a lot of words of affection and acts of service once they officially start dating because she wants Kalim to know she loves him wholeheartedly; Kalim does a lot of gift giving (that she mostly declines) and physical contact.