#wheres my dizzy eyed emoji he's so

[seedsofmordor]

Sam Hazeldine as Adar, The Rings of Power S2E6

[failedintsave]

💪🏽 Bridal carry for a Skwistok drabble? 🦐💦

[Send me an emoji and I'll write a drabble]

"How de fucks did I not knows dis place was down here? Has we always had dis?"

Scooting along the wall, Skwisgaar's fingers wrapped around the metal handrail with the desperate strength of a free climber dangling from the lip of a crevasse. It was difficult enough to keep his balance without the dizzying flurry of lights assaulting him from every angle and the grating pulse of bouncy pop music against his eardrums. He was no stranger to contending with loud noises and flashy stage effects, which was all that kept him upright now as the mirror ball overhead cast a prismatic spray of twinkling beams, constantly rotating in a nauseating rainbow flurry across the wooden floorboards. Even his years of experience performing under chaotic conditions were almost not enough to contend with the twin deathtraps currently strapped to his feet.

Strobing neon further bathed the outer perimeter of the subbasement in overlapping splashes of technicolor eyesores, arcade cabinets and skeeball chutes adding to the din with their repetitive chimes and whistles. A rush of air gusted past, nearly knocking Skwisgaar onto his face, and Toki swiveled in a graceful arc to wave at him before taking off again.

"Nope, I hads dis put in when we does all de renobations a while back." He called, his cheesy grin nearly split his face in two. "Dis where me and Rockso hangs out when yous all being grumpy assholes."

"Euugh, I hates dat clowns."

Skwisgaar shuffled forward, his scowl deepening when Toki lapped him again. The rubber wheels of his skates thunked awkwardly with each step as he teetered unsteadily onward, inch by agonizing inch, afraid to take a longer stride. His first step onto the rink had nearly ended up in a full split, and he shuddered to imagine the damage that could have wreaked had he not caught himself on the handrail.

"Come on, comes away from de wall!"

"You know what, I don't thinks dat I will. Perklectly fines over here, t'ank you very much."

"De rails am for babies! Dats what you tells me when we goes bowling."

"Ams entirely differents! T'rowing a guttersball ament going to makes you winds up breakings you head open."

Toki pirouetted past again, his hair whipping around like the petals of a pinwheel. "You wants a helmet? Maybe some elbow pads?" He smiled wickedly, continuing backwards just ahead of Skwisgaar. "At least you ams used to bruised knees, huh?"

An indignant "Hey!" was the best objection Skwisgaar could muster, his joints aching dully with the memory of a very pleasant, very active shared shower that morning.

"Come on." Gliding into the center of the rink, Toki extended his arms, his palms upturned and fingers wiggling to beckon Skwisgaar forward. Although his toothy grin remained, the expression had softened from taunting to encouraging. "Comes out here, you can holds onto Toki."

The sparkling disco ball cast him in a thousand pinpricks of dazzling light, wheeling like galaxies. Skwisgaar eyed the stretch of floor, the polished boards smooth and flat, waxed to perfection, not a scratch visible. He looked both directions despite knowing they were the only ones in the entire underground rink. With a sigh of resignation, he slid one foot forward, releasing the grab-bar.

And promptly ate shit.

"OW! AUUUHH!"

"Oh my god," Toki crowed, doubling over. "You ams terrible at dis!"

Rolling onto his back, one knee drawn to his chest, Skwisgaar clutched at his ankle. "Mine legs! Mine foot! Ams broken!"

"I never seens you so clumsy, ams like Bambi on de pond."

"Toki! I t'ink I heards a snap. Or maybe a crackle pops!" Skwisgaar flopped onto his side, gritting his teeth. The floor vibrated under his cheek, white rubber wheels coasting into view as Toki skated over. "Is dat you, Toki? Everyt'ing ams going dark."

"Dat bad, huh? Ams dey gonna has to amputates? If you gets a robot leg, dat woulds be pretty metal." He squatted, poking Skwisgaar in the shin.

Well that was just stupid. It did hurt though.

"If anyone tries to cuts my foots off, I'm gonna makes dem take yours too as payments for bringing me down here. Dis ams dangerous! What if I'd landeds on mine pinky finger? Boom. No more hammer-ons dere." Skwisgaar uncoiled from his fetal hunch, propping himself on his elbow to level Toki with as stern of a glare as he could summon from this undignified sprawl. "What ams de point risking your livelihoods so you can scoots around like a racecars? Dis just doesn't seems worth it to mine eye."

His glower bounced right off Toki, the younger man unfazed and still smiling. "It's fun! What, you never ice skates back home?"

"Didn't has no skates."

"Well me either, but I borrowed dem sometimes, secretlies." Toki amended.

"Didn't has nobody to borrows dem from." Shifting into a seated position, Skwisgaar attempted to get his feet beneath him and rise. With his focus aimed at the floor, he missed Toki's grin finally sliding from his face. A sharp pain lanced up his leg when he leveraged any weight onto his foot and he hissed, leaning back again. "Okej, I did twist something for reals though."

"Let me helps you." Toki's fingers wrapped beneath Skwisgaar's forearm, bracing him as he tried once more to rock himself upright, one-legged. "I won't lets you fall."

"You already did lets me fall!"

"Ugh, okei, I won'ts let you falls again! Here."

Never losing his footing, Toki let go of Skwisgaar's arm and slipped his own beneath both of his knees. He wrapped his other arm behind Skwisgaar's back and in one smooth motion, scooped him up against his chest before kicking off towards the arcade area. He'd settled Skwisgaar onto a bench before the Swede could bleat his protest at being bundled away.

Toki dropped to one knee in front of him—the stance evoking a tiny flutter in the pit of Skwisgaar's stomach, followed so closely after being carried over the threshold from the skating rink. He propped Skwisgaar's ankle across his thigh and deftly unlaced the skate, sliding it carefully from his foot as though he were handling a glass slipper. Toki rolled the sock off his heel and dropped it to the floor, turning Skwisgaar's foot this way and that.

"Well, I don't sees no bones sticking out," he said. "Can you bends it?"

Skwisgaar flexed his ankle, wincing only a little at the twinge that raced halfway up his calf. It was already fading, but still smarted to move. Toki probed his heel and Achilles.

"Wiggle your toes?" He curled and uncurled them on command and Toki smiled. "Seems like all de little piggies am working fine." Toki pinched Skwisgaar's big toe and his pinky, shimmying them back and forth.

"Pfft." Pulling his foot free, Skwisgaar used it to push against Toki's chest. The Norwegian tipped backwards and landed on his rear with a cheerful giggle.

Kicking his own skates off in a heap, Toki squinted playfully up at Skwisgaar on the bench. "Alright, mister pouty, whats you wanna do besides skate? We coooouuld…"

He trailed off, swiveling at the hip to look over his shoulder at the wall of games and prizes mounted like trophies from a toy store safari. Scanning the other side of the room, he eyed a play area hung with nylon webbing and boxed in with slides and tunnels. Turning a sly look back to Skwisgaar, he dropped his voice to the lower end of his register.

"You wanna makes out in de ball pit?"

Ego more bruised than his backside, Skwisgaar tried to sneer and regain some sense of aloof dignity. He cast a bored glance at the playground, but he couldn't fight the traitorous quiver of his lips as the corners of his mouth ticked upwards.

"Ja, okej."

In a heartbeat, Toki swung him into his embrace again, not bothering to unlace the other skate before scampering towards their unconventional love nest.

[descendantofthesparrow]

Protective P2 - Harry Hook x reader - commission work

(gif by Val on twitter) 

Protective p1 (OG version, bad writing made in early 2019)

Protective p1 (V2 REWRITTEN VER made in October 2020)

commissioned by @thebookbakery

=

You stared wide-eyed at the letter held in your eyes; sent, written, and signed by King Ben himself.

Dear Mr. Harry Hook and Ms. (y/n) of the isle. His Royal Majesty, King Ben of Auradon, and his Councilor Ms. Evie of the Isle, hereby request the pleasure of your company, for the upcoming academic year at Auradon prep. Please notify his Majesty’s couriers of your response to this request.

-we’d love to have you three with us here in Auradon, you and your child deserve a better life, will you come? If you accept you will be picked up one week from your response date and will live in the dorms until graduation. - King Ben

It had been around two months since the whole ‘kidnapping ben for the wand’ situation, and Ben had not been able to get you, Harry, and your baby off his mind. And before anybody else could stop him; he made the arrangements for the three of you to live in Auradon, and sent the very invitation you were holding now.

You stood from the barrel you were sitting on and walked into your shared room with Harry, holding up the letter as he looked up from feeding Arella. “what’s up-“ he paused as you turned the letter around and let him read it. His eyes went wide “holy shit, is-is that fer real?!” he stood, gently moving Arella into your arms and taking the latter, reading it over and over again “holy shit it's real-we-i-you…” he looked back up at you, reaching out for your free hand and intertwined your fingers “should we do this?”

You thought about it for a moment, then looked down at Arella, smiling as she played with your jacket straps “yes…yes we should” you smiled up at Harry, who seemed unsure of this decision but he would follow you into oblivion.

“Okay, I trust yeh” he mumbled, kissing your lips and then Arella’s head.

-

Only a week later, you and Harry were packing the last of your things up to leave for Auradon, Gil had been invited as well, already at the other end of the tunnel to wait for the limo with Dizzy; who had also been invited.

Harry slung his bag over his shoulder and picked Arella up off his bed, cradling her carefully in his arms and leading the way out of his room and onto the main deck, where the rest of the crew were waiting.

They all said their goodbyes, Desiree and Drey cooing at Arella and Harry let crew say their personal goodbyes to her. Bonnie squeezing you tightly as you patted her head “stay safe you two” Jonas mumbled, patting Harry’s shoulder as he took Arella from him “and take care of the pirate princess” you and Harry nodded, the crew waving goodbye as you walked off the docks through the tunnel.

You stood with Gil and Dizzy a few moments later, waiting anxiously for the arriving Limo. And behold a minute later it pulled up, the driver stepping out and unlocking the back, helping the four of you load up. Harry took all your bags and stuffed them in the trunk, Dizzy sliding into the car first and taking Arella for you to get in easier.

Harry and Gil soon got in and Harry slid next to you, wrapping one arm around you and the other on Arella, rubbing his thumb on her chest as her tiny little hand curled around his forefinger hanging from your shoulder. “we ready?” Harry whispered, leaning in close to you. You nodded with a nervous smile and Harry kissed your cheek “let’s do this”

-

Two hours later the limo pulled up to Auradon prep, where Ben, Evie, Carlos, Jay, and Ben’s mother all stood ready to welcome the four of you. Dizzy bolted out first as soon as the door open and leaped into Evie’s arms, the two squealing with each other in excitement at Dizzy finally being in Auradon.

You weren’t surprised Mal wasn’t there, she didn’t trust or like Harry or Gil at all and probably felt betrayed by you for siding with Uma after she left.

Ben stepped forward as you, Harry, and Gil climbed out of the car, holding a sleeping Arella in your arms. Evie and Belle immediately went soft at the sight of her but kept their composer as Ben stepped forward with a smile “Welcome to Auradon: Ben said happily, clapping his hands together “first I want to apologize it took so long, and second; thank you for accepting my invitation. I know it was hard to make that choice in both trusting me and leaving behind the isle and your family” you knew he meant the crew “but I promise they will soon follow and now;” he gestured back to the dorm building “let’s get you all set up.” You nodded, letting Evie step closer and coo over Arella.

“oh she’s so cute~” Evie giggled, pressing her fingers into Arella’s (not as pudgy as it should be) cheek softly, your baby girl gurgled and pushed Evie’s hand away, Evie laughing quietly at it “oh I love her already…(y/n)?” you hummed, not looking at her as you followed Ben through the halls of the building “im sorry I left you”

You looked into her eyes, softening a bit as you could only see sincerity in her eyes. “i-“ you started, lifting Arella in your arms a bit, her head cradled in your arm. “i-…don’t forgive you, not just yet but” you smiled at her as her face fell but rose in hope at the ‘but’ “we can start with being friends again?” Evie beamed and nodded, looking over at Jay and Carlos who were letting Evie talk to you first before they tried “and them too, I can tell they want to apologize…Mal thought” Evie winced at that, yeah; Mal would probably take a long time to come around. She had even cussed (y/n) out at the hideout after Evie the boys told her about (y/n)s relationship with Harry and her position on the crew.

‘she betrayed us as soon as we left! We can't trust her! Or Harry! they might lead Uma right into Auradon to destroy it!’

To say the least, Evie and the boys distanced themselves from Mal; after seeing her very narrow tunnel vision, they didn’t want to hear her bitch about (y/n) and Harry’s arrival at Auradon.

Evie hoped she would come around soon though; she missed the days of the five of them running around causing chaos. But reminiscing about the wicked old days could be saved for later, as Ben had led the group to one of the dorm rooms.

“Harry, (y/n)?” Ben called, Harry humming and looking up from Arella as he made faces at her “this will be your dorm room” Harry looked surprised at that, he had expected the dorms to separate them but-

Ben opened the door to reveal a large room, two full-sized beds by the windows (that could be easily pushed together), a crib, a newly installed mini kitchen with a working stovetop, a large dresser (two actually) flowing with baby blankets, baby clothes (designed by Evie), toys, baby food, diapers, wipes, anything a young parent could ask for.

“guys” your voice cracked as you walked into the room, Arella already reaching for the teal octopus plush sitting in her new crib “this is-i-holy shit!” Harry walked up behind you, resting his hands on your shoulders as he looked around the room with watery eyes.

“I don’ know wha’ ta say” Harry croaked out, turning back to Ben; who just smiled.

“a thank you would be nice” Ben joked then waved it off “we’ll let you settle in, Gil, Dizzy?” the two turned to Ben, who waved them out of the room “I’ll show you to your rooms” Gil gave you and Harry a hug and kissed Arella’s forehead, running out of the room after Ben and the others as he closed the door.

“we’re actually here” you breathed out after a moment of silence, slowly spinning around the room. “actually in Auradon”

“aye,” Harry muttered, noticing your bags had already been brought into the room “kinda weird we’re not ‘ere ta destroy it” you chuckled, handing Arella to him and checking over her new items, Harry cooing at her and lifting her into the air, her adorable baby babble echoing around the room.

A few hours later, everything had been unpacked and set up, Arella was dressed in one of her new outfits, of course, designed by Evie; a tiny red jacket that copied Harrys iconic one, black shorts, booties, and a white t-shirt with a spray paint hook on the front. “hi darling” Harry cooed, kissing his daughters cheek multiple times as she giggled “ah yeh look so badass~”

You laughed at his adorable behavior with your kid and walked over to him, slipping on one of your new jackets from Evie and kissing his cheek “and you are so cute” Harry flushed but accepted the compliment, bringing Arella to his chest and enveloping her in his arms as you grabbed Arella’s dinner. “come on, Ben said we were going out for dinner tonight” Harry hummed, grabbing a baby sling and putting it on, then slipping Arella inside.

-

You sighed, setting down your book bag next to the door and closing it with your foot. You appreciated the fact that FG gave you and Harry only four classes a day (and switched the two of you off so Harry took care of her in the afternoon while you took the morning shift) so you could attend to Arella more often than not but that didn’t prevent you from being exhausted from them.

You looked up and cooed, Harry was on your now connected beds, asleep with Arella sleeping on his chest, his arms curled around her safely. you quickly took a picture with your phone and sent it to Evie, who immediately sent back several heart-eye emojis.

You put your phone on the table and walked over to the bed, carefully climbing on and resting your chin on Harry’s shoulder, reaching up and caressing Arella’s soft cheek. Harry grumbled as he felt you and took one of his arms off of Arella and wrapped it around you, pulling you even further into his side “afternoon my love” you mumbled, leaning up and kissing his cheek “how’d she do?”

“ ‘ad a lil’ tantrum afta’ yeh left, missed ‘er mommy but” he yawned in the middle of his sentence and pushed his cheek onto your head “she did good, fell asleep ‘bout n’ ‘our ‘go”

You hummed and rubbed your thumb on Arella’s chest, she hadn’t even moved in the few minutes you had been on the bed “that’s good, did she eat her lunch?” Harry sleepily nodded and was already falling asleep again, following Arella’s lead.

You stared at the two loves of your life, and you thanked whatever gods that had intervened in your life to let you meet Harry almost two years ago and saved you from meeting a bad end with the Gaston twins. And then you had fallen for him and fallen for him hard. And you didn’t regret going behind your friend's backs to be with him; not if it resulted in the greatest thing you had ever made, that was sleeping on his chest.

-end-

so this was a commissioned 2nd part to one of my very first stories i posted on here back in 2019, that was rewritten in late 2020 and i never planned to continue it, but i was commissioned to do so and im happy with how it turned out~!!!! :3

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[dabiboy]

It came out a little long, but here it is. Sick dad!Hawks. Hope you guys like it 🥺

Sick Bird

Hawks had to leave the agency as soon as he got there, his eyebags, red nose, and the vomit were enough to send him back home. Thankfully, he was home alone. You were at your agency, and Haru was still at school, and according to Hawks's calculations for the time Haru was going to be home, he was going to feel better.

Big lie.

Hours moved on, and he started feeling worse. And then, the door opened. Damned school transport and their puctuality, he cursed. Hawks got up fast enough, washed his face and made his way to the living room, smiling wide at the sight of his baby boy.

"Chicken nugget!" Hawks chirped, happy but weak at the same time.

"Daddy!" Haru dropped his bag and ran towards Keigo, holding onto his leg. "Why are you here?"

"I could leave early today, I-" cough. A very ugly cough.

"Are you ok, dad?" Haru asked, voice full with concern.

"Shit" He cursed under his breath "I'm fine, I just feel a little sick, that's all" before he could smile at the golden eyed boy, Hawks felt the shivers running down his spine, and cold sweat covering the body under the tank top. Fever, awesome.

Haru was about to speak, but Hawks went as fast as possible to the bathroom, he had dignity and he was not throwing up in front of his child. But to his misfortune, Haru was standing right outside the bathroom, a panicked expression on his face.

"Daddy?"

"I'm ok chicken wing, just wait outside k'?" Hawks said before starting throwing up again.

And he did as told, Haru waited until Hawks had washed his mouth and had brushed his teeth, the older gave a tired smile to the little one.

"Do we go to see the doctor?" Haru asked, fidgeting with his fingers.

"Nah, I'm fine. Is just something I ate. Wanna go play something?" Keigo rested a hand on Haru's shoulder, but right there he felt like vanishing.

A dizzy sensation took over him, making him close his eyes and fall. Luckily, the bed was right there and he ended up sitting there.

"Dad!" His little wings puffed, but Hawks was... Asleep? Passed out?  Using his wings and what he had learnt so far, he flapped his wings to fly above the bed, using all of his strength to drag Hawks and put him in a comfortable position, puting a blanket on him. Hawks opened his tired eyes, smiling at him.

"Did you just fly? I heard your wings flapping, buddy. Gimme fi-h" his voice was low but full with proud, and then his eyes closed again.

Haru tried to calm down, was his dad ok? What was he supposed to do? He went to the kitchen to get his dad a glass of water. Should he get pills? But what kind? And then it hit him. Hawks's phone.

Instintively, he looked through all the contacts and called the one saved as "babybird🥰" the emoji and nickname he usually called you at home were the perfect hint. After a few rings, you picked up. But Haru spoke faster.

"Mom, daddy's sick and now he's not opening eyes, and and I don't know what to do"

"Baby? Ok, relax, take a breath. Was he hit by a quirk? Wait a minute, where are you?"

"He was here when I got home from school, and then he throw up, and then he fell asleep and I- I'm scared"

"I see, but take it easy my boy, ok? He's probably just sick, I'm on my way, I should be there in a few minutes"

And those twenty minutes felt like hours. Haru remembered those times when he was sick, and how you put wet towels on his forehead, arms, and belly to reduce the temperature. And so he did. He damped some towels in wet and cold water, it was hard to put them because Hawks was laying on his side thanks the wings, and even his wings looked down. Then, he remembered that he had to drink lots of water, but Hawks wasn't drinking any. Apparently the glass wasn't working, so he went back to the kitchen and grabbed his juice sip bottle, pouring some water in it. Once back with Keigo, he put the bottle neae his lips, and he smiled when Keigo unconsciously took a sip.

You opened the door, feeling worried at the uncommon silence, because every time it was just Haru and Keigo, it was chaotic.

"Baby?" You called, and when you entered to the room, Haru got down quickly as ever and ran towards you, pulling your jeans.

"He is sleeping all day, and I don't know what to do" you could swear tears were forming in his eyes. Haru loved his dad, he was always strong, laughing, playing with him, fighting the bad guys, and now? Laying there, pale as ever, and looking tired.

"Take it easy, I'm sure he's just sick. He'll be fine" you look at the damped towels, his tiny bottle filled with water, and of course his dino plushie. He had been next to Keigo all the time. "You did amazing little chick, you're truly a hero" you encouraged him and kissed Haru's forehead.

"Can you help him?" Haru almost plead, his dad being more important than being praised.

"Yes, let's get to work"

Quickly, you got some medicine so you could wake him up and got him something to eat. "Kei, baby wake up" you caressed his locks "you need to take some medicine" slowly, he opened his eyes and smile weakly at you.

"Hey there you beautiful" and then, his eyes went to Haru "Hey buddy"

"Dad! Are you ok?" He got to the side of the bed quicky.

"Yes champ, I'm good" He used his hand to caress Haru's cheek. "Sorry you had to take care or your old man" Keigo tried to laugh, but ended up coughing "But thank you, you're my little hero" A smile.

"You... You're not dying, aren't you?" A single tear rolled down his face, finally relaving all of his concerns.

"No way, I'm sticking here for a long while" Keigo wiped Haru's tear with his thumb, but you noticed something odd in Hawks.

"Haru, can you go and take the veggies out of the fridge so I can make some soup?"

"Yes!" He nodded, clean the rest of his tears and ran to the kitchen.

"He was here all the time" you said, helping Keigo to sit down on the bed so he could take the medication "you ok?" You asked

"Yeah, I tried to stay strong but guess I failed" low chuckle "me? Yes, I..." He looked away, feeling pressure inside his chest "I just remembered when I was around Haru's age, my parents would tell me that I was just a bother, and now... Now he took care of me, you came too and..." A single tear fell down his cheek "My five year old me wouldn't believe me If I told him how lucky I got" he laughed, in a kind of sad way as he cleaned his cheek with the side of his hand. You hugged him, and his arms embrace you immediately.

"You'll always have us, I promise you that" you whispered, kissing his temple.

"Thank-"

"Daddy?" Haru looked from the door, feeling worried when he saw his father's puffy eyes.

"Hey bud" Hawks smiled, cleaning his tears again "C'mere" he called him, and pulled him in his arms so he could sit on his lap.

"Why are you crying? Is he ok mommy?" Haru looked at you, but you let Hawks speak.

"Yes, and yes. I'm just happy and thankful for having both of you, thank you for being with my today, my chicken wing" Keigo smiled and hugged Haru too, kissing his temple. "I love you, so much" then, his eyes went your way "And I love you too, angel"

Hawks couldn't believe the fact, that now he had everything he ever wanted. Everything.

[ichor-and-symbiosis]

Breakfast Blues. (Shigaraki x f!Reader, NSFWish)

Tomura could tell something was off as soon as he entered the kitchen. Your smile felt a little too forced, your eyes a little too hopeful as you plated a bowl of rice and eggs for him, hesitating for a moment to speak. It put him in a sour mood. He didn't like having to pry answers from you.

He usually managed to swipe his breakfast away and go back to his room for privacy, but you were making this increasingly difficult for him lately. It started with inane attempts to get him into conversations with you, which really was a stupid idea, given the fact that he never mustered more than a few grunts in the morning. His growling stomach initially helped fighting you off, but you seemed to have a backbone today.

Gripping the dishes in hand, you offered him a meek smile and asked, "Would you like to eat together?"

His eyes narrowed as he frowned. "Why?" his voice croaked out, scratchy and unpleasant from disuse.

"I just thought it would be nice. You're busy a lot, so ... "

"So?" Your confidence faltered under his scrutinizing stare. Something about your dying smile made him even more irritated, or perhaps confused. And he did not like feeling confused. "I'm hungry, woman."

Sensing his displeasure, you wordlessly handed over the breakfast and looked away. Under different circumstances, Tomura liked teasing you in this state. So secretive and cute, your lips set in a stubborn pout and your chin cast downwards for him to inevitably grip and force your attention back to him.

But he was so damn hungry and he had a game loaded on his computer for his return.

Tomura turned to leave, having decided he waited enough for your comeback. It was only the glaring absence of your shuffling feet and the tinkering of cookware that made him pause for a split second at the threshold. Just a quick glance to satiate his curiosity.

You stood exactly where he left you, still looking away, hands wringing together without anything else to hold. Defeated and hurt. The sting of negative emotions welled up inside him so suddenly that he immediately took off, wishing he had a free hand to scratch his neck.

-

No amount of homecooked breakfast or countless wins could erase his lingering discontent. Tomura tried to ignore that strange encounter with you, burying his thoughts in strategies and shit-talking as he let the time slip away. But try as he might, he just couldn't shake it off. Throwing aside his game console, Tomura leered at the clock and slumped in his chair, annoyed at the realization that you hadn't visited him this whole time.

You were nowhere to be found in the apartment. A cursory glance at his phone showed him a single text from you. I'm going out with Toga. Be back later.

You didn't even send him a heart emoji.

It was a stupid thing to set him off. Everything about today was stupid. You were stupid, he was stupid, his damn neediness was stupid, even the breakfast bowls he brought to the sink were stupid. What kind of world was this, where he, Shigaraki Tomura, successor of Japan's most dangerous criminal, brought his dishes to the kitchen and moped about a goddamn heart emoji.

He needed a drink.

-

It was a testament to his bad mood that Tomura chose to walk all the way to the bar instead of asking Kurogiri to warp him there. His eyes scanned the streets in a vain attempt to track you down among the crowd, but you were nowhere to be found and he was growing anxious by the minute.

Tomura kicked the door open and hopped the counter to pilfer the expensive liquor stash. His taste gravitated towards the most expensive rum in the collection. He could certainly chase his sorrows away with cheap swill or rubbing alcohol, but if he was going to torture his body tonight, then he would do so with style. It was all worthless in the end, anyway.

He sat by himself for who knows how long. It was utterly pathetic and he knew he had better things to do, yet every time he tried to pull himself away from the counter, his head spun uncomfortably and the amber liquid beckoned him towards a numbing buzz. His phone lay abandoned on the counter, having been checked several times for a text or a phone call from you.

You hadn't even called to find out where he was. He had half a mind to wonder if you would walk through the door to surprise him, but there were only so many times he could glance at the door before the urge to disintegrate it took hold. He grabbed the rum bottle instead, messily pouring more liquor into his glass as he ignored the distortion of the air in front of him. He was in no state of mind to stare straight into Kurogiri's spinning portal. The very thought of it made him slam the bottle down and hold onto it for dear life to compose himself.

Kurogiri appeared behind the bar, quietly assessing the state of his charge. He pulled out a rag to mop up spilled liquor and eyed Tomura's heavy movements as he let go of the rum and took the glass in a white-knuckled grip.

"You are alone."

Tomura grunted, taking a swig to avoid conversation. His guardian was smart enough to immediately pick up his mood. It was both annoying and reassuring to see those golden eyes narrow in astute observation.

"It is rare for your lover to be absent."

"..."

A moment of silence. "Forgive me for being presumptuous, but you seem to be more upset than usual."

Tomura snorted. "Yeah, no shit." He stared at the rum glass in frustration, glaring at the alcohol as though it had personally offended him. His fingertips curled around the rim as he lifted the glass and swirled the liquid around, irate at the stretching silence. It was bad enough he had to deal with your petulant absence. Now he had to endure Kurogiri's calm patience, too.

His fingers gripped the glass tighter as he contemplated satisfying his urge to decay, to give him some form of release from the frustration currently plaguing him. The blaring noise of his video games would be a welcome respite from this silence. Instead, he was forced to nurse a headache while Kurogiri made him feel like a child.

All because of you. You had a hold on him even when you were gone. Perhaps even more poignant because you were gone.

"It's fucking dumb," Tomura grumbled. And it was. The situation was so unbelievably ridiculous that he clammed up again, unable to voice his problems lest he fly into a rage over the mental image of your sorrowful eyes and quivering bottom lip.

"What happened?"

"I don't even know. She's been acting weird the past week and it all blew over this morning." His leg jittered restlessly against the footrest. He crossed his leg over his thigh to regain some semblance of control, letting out a sharp sigh as he scratched his neck. "I just wanted some damn breakfast. That's all. And that woman stood there looking like I broke up with her just because I didn't want to eat with her."

"Were you doing something important?"

Oh, he did not like that question. He did not like it one bit.

"I was in the middle of gaming," Tomura growled through clenched teeth. "Don't even try to bitch at me about it."

"That was not my intention. I know how important your lifestyle is to you." Tomura stared at him, feeling his anger somehow slip through the cracks and fizzle away. Kurogiri took the whiskey bottle beside him and poured more into the emptying glass. "Has this happened before?"

"No. Sometimes she tried to keep me there longer with dumb small-talk, but she's never flat out asked. And the damn look on her face when I - " Tomura cut himself off with a frustrated growl. Your defeated expression haunted him once more. He downed the liquor in one go and reveled in the horrible burn tearing his throat apart. "What the hell does she want from me?" he forced out, staring hard into the distance as a sudden sense of shame stabbed him like a knife.

"If I may speculate ... " Kurogiri paused, waiting for his rebuke. When none came, an answer followed. "You are often preoccupied throughout the day. Perhaps she simply misses you and craves your attention."

Tomura opened his mouth and promptly closed it. A bout of dizziness hit him. Was it the alcohol or the crashing realization of how obvious the answer had been?

The logic of Kurogiri's statement was so absurdly simple that it had to be true. Because you really were just so simple. Uncomplicated in your motives, always wearing your heart on your sleeve, and always so flagrantly loving and patient with him. Tomura looked away from Kurogiri, hating how well his guardian knew not only him, but you, too.

A little flame of happiness kindled deep inside him, threatening to chase away the darkness of his bitter emotions. You hadn't been difficult on purpose this morning. You just wanted to spend time with him.

His bleary gaze settled on the monitor resting at the other end of the bar. How would his mentor react to this situation?

The silence coming from the monitor felt altogether different from what he experienced so far. It was uncomfortable and imposing, filling his ears with white noise and clouding his thoughts. Tomura stared at his reflection in the black screen and frowned, hyper-aware of the way his eyes had softened while he thought about you, the way he looked so boyish and tired.

Look at what she is turning you into, the screen seemed to say.

"Shigaraki Tomura." He tore his gaze away from his reflection and met Kurogiri's expressionless face. "Is it a weakness to enjoy feeling wanted?"

His brows furrowed in thought.

-

Tomura made up with you in the most typical fashion. That is to say, he cornered you at home and snuffed out any further talk by devouring your lips with incessant kisses, taking you right on the living room couch and stalking after you to your bedroom for more. It was a love language he knew best, letting you feel his feverish desire with every deep thrust, the firm iron grip of his hands on your soft hips and thighs, his groans and whispered demands for more of you, more of your tight heat and your gentle fingers outlining his scars, touching his rough lips, nails digging into his back as you mewl for more of him.

You were hellfire. There was no liquor strong enough in the world to burn him half as much as his need to tell you he loved you. The words clawed and tore at his chest, inflamed his throat until he choked on them, forcing him to spit out twisted versions of the truth. Cowardly, pathetic half-truths about how you belonged to him, how you were his and his alone.

And you still smiled at him for it. You took all that he gave you and asked for so little in return.

Is it a weakness to enjoy feeling wanted?

The question plagued him throughout the night as your arms held him close, his head pillowed on your chest while he listened to your soft breathing and felt the beat of your heart whispering an answer he could not decipher.

-

Tomura awoke to your absence. It was not a rare occurrence. The split-second paranoia washing over him was not rare, either. He ran from that feeling many times before, immediately sick at the thought of how lonely he felt without you. It was pathetic. He should not feel this way about anyone. He should feel empty, as though you were just a moment of entertainment, an experience to be had and a level to beat in the game of life.

But you were well past that point now. Whether or not he could say it aloud, Tomura was in love. So if you wanted to have breakfast together, then you had better prepare yourself for his morning attitude.

He caught you a little early this time. You were in the middle of stirring an omelette when he crept up behind you, jolting in surprise as he pressed himself to your back and wrapped his arms around your waist.

"Good morning," you greeted him, giving him a peck on the cheek. A light smile played on your lips. "I'm almost done."

Tomura purred a noncommittal response and curled his fingers around your jaw, angling your head back to capture your mouth in a lazy kiss. Your pleased sigh broke off into a stilted noise as he dipped his tongue inside and made sure you felt every slow lick and suck to your lips. His arm tightened in response to you melting against him, mentally debating whether he should let you finish cooking or to find the nearest surface to defile.

A sizzling pop from the frying pan caught your attention. You kissed him hard and returned to your duty, using your spatula to roll the omelette into shape. Your tongue peaked out from your reddened lips as you made a face of mild disgust. "You didn't brush, nasty."

"Didn't stop you though," Tomura countered, grinning at your wry expression.

You spooned the cooked food onto a nearby plate and cracked another egg into the pan. He waited for your invitation, good mood dampening by the second as you settled into your routine without another word. It was an expected reaction, to be fair. He hurt you yesterday and now he was paying for it.

Your questioning glance put him on alert. "Do you need something else?"

He wracked his brain for a response. Something that could keep him here longer without raising further suspicion. "Orange juice."

"It's in the fridge. Can you pour me some, too?"

Tomura forced himself to detach from you, taking his time to complete the task as he watched your progress from the corner of his eye. Cups placed on the table. Orange juice poured at a strategically slow rate. By the time he finished, your breakfast had been plated and you left it unattended to hurriedly put the forgotten box of eggs back into the fridge. Tomura used this distraction to take both plates to the table, setting yours across from him as he plopped down onto the chair and began to eat.

You caught on as soon as the fridge door closed. Tomura could feel your stare on him while he downed the orange juice. He glanced at you nonchalantly, eyebrow raised as though you were the one behaving abnormally.

"You're joining me?" you asked, a hint of hope coloring your voice as you sat down.

"Clearly."

You smiled so sweetly that he felt his heart stammer and restart. "Wow. Can I get you to eat some fruits while we're at it?"

"Don't push your luck," he grumbled, and that was the end of that.

Tomura silently listened to your happy chatter and the clanging of silverware on plates, wondering how the hell he found himself in domestic bliss. Sunlight streamed through the nearby window and illuminated your entire being, heightening your inner glow. You looked beautiful and peaceful. It calmed him far more than you could ever know.

Did he feel weak as he basked in your attention? Did he feel weak, knowing that you wanted him beside you even for the most mundane things?

The answer was undeniable.

He felt strong.

Different from the power trip he thrived on when he succeeded in yet another level.

Different from the sadistic glee he felt when the nomu followed his command.

Different from the sense of duty plaguing his mind when his teammates looked to him for direction.

This inner sense of peace steadied his mind and cleared his thoughts. How could it be weakness when he would tear the world apart for you?

The soft tap of your foot on his knee drew his attention to you. "This was nice," you softly said. "Next time I'll leave a trail of takoyaki outside your room so you can join me for lunch."

He huffed a dry laugh. "Make me botamochis and you got yourself a deal."

"You'll eat sweets made from red beans but not a single fruit ... " You innocently popped another strawberry into your mouth. "Not even these strawberries ... "

"Get over here and give me a taste then," he growled, settling back in his chair with a clear invitation of his own.

You accepted without delay.

[thefanficmonster]

Late Nights

Andrew (The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope) x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: Fluff, a bit of Angst

Summary: Late nights are famously accompanied by deep conversations. The type to keep you up like a full dose of caffeine. Those are the best, most relaxing and freeing conversations you’ll ever experience. Good thing Andrew and Y/N are the perfect company for each other when it comes to those exact talks.

Requested by Anon. Hello! I’m sorry there is no specifications on your request. You requested for some Andrew x Reader fluff and this idea immediately dawned on me haha. I hope you like it and I’m so terribly sorry for the wait. Hopefully the final product makes it worth your while. Looking forward to hearing your feedback and receiving any other requests you may have! Love, Vy ❤

A random notification sounds from my phone, scaring me out of my peaceful, dreamless slumber. Oh wait, I’m not in my bed. I’m sitting at my desk, surrounded with sheets of paper with notes I’m supposed to memorize by my 8 AM exam. Speaking of that exam, it’s in less than five hours. I’ve been studying for what feels like days, but my head still feels as empty as it was at the start of the semester. The way I see it, I have two options: I can either die from a caffeine overdose or from the heart attack this exam will cause me. No in-between and no other options. Just death. Maybe not in the literal sense, but if you ask me, burn-out should be considered death and that’s exactly what I feel right now. And the fucking exam hasn’t even happened yet, for fuck’s sake! 

I lift my head to look at the clock on the wall and instantly get dizzy. Thankfully, I’m still seated. Damn, this calls for more caffeine.

“Hey T, can you -“ I look behind me in search of my roommate who’s supposed to be pulling this all-nighter with me. Needless to say, she has perished. 

I already have an idea of where she might be, but the sticky note she has left on my dresser confirms it.

~ Daniel has more notes. Come to the floor lounge 

Oh, hell no. I am not that committed to passing this exam. I am not about to be a third-wheel for five hours and feel miserable afterwards. Correction: More miserable than I’m already going to feel. Good thing there are two staircases on either side of the floor so I don’t have to pass through the lounge in order to get to the dining hall. That’s the only place I could obtain coffee and if I don’t I might just die right here on this desk.

I put my slippers on, throwing a jacket over my pajamas as well. It’s January and the dorms could not be colder. I swear to God, they are trying to build our immunity and resistance to cold one freezing night at a time. The heating doesn’t do much even if it’s on, which is a rare occurrence considering it’s faulty and doesn’t work 80% of the time.  I leave the dorm, quietly shutting and locking the door behind me before taking the right hallway instead of the left. I wander around the dimly lit hallways, some of which don’t have lighting at all, my arms folded over my chest in a pointless attempt to bring myself more warmth than the jacket is able to provide me. No matter what I do, I can’t get rid of the intense shaking that started from my torso and has now spread as far as my bottom jaw.

I navigate the halls, mumbling curse words to myself while doing so. Having taken the long way, I have an extra two minutes or so of freezing before I can find myself in the warm and cozy dorm. Taylor and I bought a small heater for Christmas cause we were not having it with the shitty heating system. Must say, that’s a better investment than all the money I threw to be here.

The dining hall is dark as usual. The only lights are the exit sign and some small lights on the vending machines. And the glorious coffee machine! I can just imagine myself turning into a heart-eyed emoji looking at it. 

“All-nighter?“

The voice is so sudden and so out of place, it startles me to the point of letting out a half-scream and immediately backing away towards the entrance of the dining hall. 

“Hey, it’s ok. It’s me.“ A light appears at one of the tables, illuminating the person holding it.

I sigh in relief when I finally get a good look at the person opposite me. It’s Andrew - a classmate and friend of mine. We have creative writing together and a few other classes. We’re in the same friend group as well. I started hanging out with him more through Taylor’s boyfriend Daniel who’s roommates with him. I’m glad I met them both, they are really fun to be around. However, recently, Andrew hasn’t been himself. It might be a stretch, but I think it’s because of the upcoming field trip our creative writing professor John has organized. I have tried asking him what has been bothering him but he always brushes off my concerns by claiming nothing’s wrong.

“Jeez, Andrew. You scared me half to death.“ I place a hand over my racing heart, taking a deep breath to calm myself down, “You’re lucky I didn’t chuck anything at you.“

He has the audacity to laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out.” He puts his phone on the table, flashlight facing up at the ceiling, “What are you doing here, anyway?”

I return to my previous task, “Getting coffee, can’t do without it. What about you? Do you just hang out here, waiting for student-zombies to scare?” I get my four cups of coffee, balancing them in a very risky way to where he’s sitting. “Want one?”

His eyes widen, “These are all for you?” I nod, “And they are all just straight espressos?” I nod again, “Are you trying to kill yourself?”

I scoff, “That’s plan B. For now, I’m just trying to stay awake.” I knock back one of the cups, trying hard not to cringe at the unpleasant flavor due to the lack of sugar. “You didn’t answer my question.” I say after getting over the initial battle to get the coffee down without puking.

He hesitates, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the tabletop. I can tell he has spaced out, leaving me unsure of weather I should nudge him again or let him return to reality at his own time.

“I, uh....I had a nightmare.“ He says despite his eyes still carrying that thousand yard stare. “Daniel wasn’t there, and I didn’t want to stay alone in the dorm, so I came here. A lot more open. Not so suffocating.“

I frown, “What was the nightmare like?” I don’t try to hide my concern, there is no reason to do so. I want him to know I care, that I am and I always will be there for him. Even if it’s just as a friend, I will take what I can get. This is not the time to be thinking of anything more than being a good friend and helping Andrew.

He shrugs, his eyes slowly lifting to meet mine. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last cause he shakes his head, breaking eye-contact again, “You’ll think it’s ridiculous.“

I put my hand on top of his, stopping the repetitive tapping of his fingers. This causes him to reconnect our gazes. After a two second confirmation that he won’t look away, I speak up, “You could tell me elves chased you around with axes and I still wouldn’t say that, Andrew. Come on, talk to me.”

He sighs, nodding his head. I take this as a positive sign and give him an encouraging smile. Instinctively, I start withdrawing my hand as I lean back in my seat. To my surprise, he turns his hand, taking a hold of mine when he begins to speak.

“They started a week ago, when John told us about the trip to Little Hope.“ he still hesitates, but I still consider it progress. “It’s always one of two nightmares - it’s either a housefire which non of us survive or...I can’t even explain the other one.“

I give his hand a comforting squeeze, “Take your time. I know it’s tough.”

“Um, we are at this ruin of a house and we, well, you guys get attacked by these deformed, demonic monstrosities. I can’t get to you. I can’t save you. Darkness takes over my brain and all I hear is horrified screams and calls for help. And then I wake up. Terrified.“ 

I am terrified just picturing it, let alone experiencing it. I’d probably sob like a baby and refuse to go to sleep ever again. “That’s horrible, Andrew. I’m so sorry you have to go through that.” I pause for a second, “Little Hope is a place with terrible history, I can’t blame you for being so hesitant about going. I’m a sucker for these types of places, but I completely understand your angle.”

He chuckles, “Yeah, I believe I overheard you saying you’d like to visit Centralia.“

I can’t help but smile, “Oh, I’d love to.”

Suddenly, completely out of the blue, he gets a spark in his eye. He becomes livelier, almost like new life was breathed into him. Pushing back his chair, he stands up and takes the remainder of coffee cups. “Well, that’s not gonna happen if you kill yourself.” Without batting an eye at my baffled expression, he throws the cups in the trashcan near by. “Let me help you with the studying. Two work better than one, after all. I’m sure you’ll grasp everything better if you have an actual person explaining it to you. Also, I’d like to make up for the time you wasted here with me.”

I get up as well, “No need, seriously. I can figure it out. Apart from feeling so energized I could run a marathon, my brain is working a lot better now. You go try to catch some z’s.” I wave my hand dismissively but he catches it mid-motion, mumbling a quick ‘come on’ before leading me out of the dining hall and towards the staircase I took earlier.

                                                           *  *  *

It’s been about two days since that night and history is over here repeating itself. I am, once again, pulling an all-nighter, this time alone because no one else from my friend group shares this class with me. You’d think I would have learned my lesson and would start studying at a reasonable time, granting myself both peace of mind and a better functioning brain, but NOPE. Actually, I’m beginning to think I can’t study at any other time of day. The late nights/early mornings give me the best atmosphere. Those hours before dawn are the quietest I’ve ever had the chance to experience - for studying and just chilling on the roof of the dorms. The dining hall is still a place I frequent. I can’t help but hope to run into Andrew every time I walk in that big, eerie room. I haven’t been so lucky, though. We got the results of our last exam today and I was, and still am overjoyed for the grade I got. Not only was it a passing one, it was a SOLID passing one. I can swear, if it wasn’t for Andrew’s help, I would’ve failed it with the lowest score in the class.

“How does this work...?“ I mumble in frustration, reading through the poorly written notes I’ve made. Full disclosure - this is my nap class. This is the class I spend spacing out and - as its title suggests - taking naps. I am surprised I have as many notes as I do. 

Taylor, being the great friend she is, refused to budge from our dorm, determined to help me in any way she could. I appreciate the gesture, don’t get me wrong, but having another person would defeat the purpose of being up this late, so I talked her into sticking to her original plan - hanging out with Andrew and Daniel at their dorm while I fry my brain cells.

Just as I’m about to take a sip of my third coffee for the night, my phone starts ringing. I look at the phone screen that’s displaying Andrew’s name and straighten up in my chair, ready to launch myself out the door in case he needs my help. Screw the exam.

“Hello? You ok? What’s wrong?“ I blabber into the phone after picking up the call

“Hey, sorry for bothering you. Hope I didn’t wake you up. Um, I had another nightmare....never mind. Sorry for calling.“ His voice is shaky and hesitant, almost as if he’s speaking with zero air in his lungs.

My concern shoots through the roof, “Don’t you ‘never mind’ me! And don’t apologize! Meet me in the dining hall in five minutes.” I jump to my feet, pulling my jacket on with my unoccupied arm.

He sighs, “I’m already there.“

I nod distractedly, momentarily forgetting that he can’t see me, before leaving the dorm. I power walk the familiar hallways, the only reason I’m not running being the late hour and the trouble I’d get in for the noise.

I stop right outside the dining hall doors, giving myself five seconds to compose myself so I won’t look absolutely unhinged when I walk in. I get that it’s pointless, considering I have massive bags under my soulless eyes, but a girl can try.

Pushing the door open, I am met with small, flickering dots of light hovering over one of the tables. The outline of Andrew’s silhouette is also visible, but nothing more. It takes me a second to realize the lights I was looking at were three small candles.

“Andrew?“ I whisper-call his name while I’m still at a distance of about ten feet, cautious not to freak him out by approaching without making my presence known.

As I near the table, the candle-light illuminates his face enough for me to be able to see that he doesn’t look at all like what he sounded like over the phone. Something about his gaze when his eyes meet mine screams ‘I’m so glad you’re here’, but then again, that might be wishful thinking. Apart from that, he looks rather normal - not like someone who just had the most horrific of nightmares. Actually, I think I can see a hint of a smile forming at the corners of his lips.

“Hey Y/N.“ He greets me, “Ready to study?“ He points to the several notebooks and sheets of paper neatly stacked on the table. Next to that pile is a similar one of snacks. 

My eyes widen, “Wait, what? What is this?“ I narrow my eyes at him, “Is this your way of dealing with the nightmares or something? It’s completely ok if it is, don’t get me wrong...“

He shakes his head, the smile now fully formed on his face, “No, Y/N. I actually haven’t had a nightmare since that night you found me here. This...” he motions to the table, “...is several things. First of all, a celebration for your passed exam. Second, a thank you - cause I believe you’re the reason the nightmares stopped. I just needed to talk to someone about them and you were the only person I could do that with properly. And third, I know you have an exam in a few hours, so I wanted to help. We make great study-buddies, don’t you agree?”

I’m honestly speechless, “You schemer.” I’m smiling and blushing like crazy and I couldn’t be happier to be surrounded by darkness at this moment. “How did you even get these notes? You’re not in that class.”

He gives me a conspiring smirk, “That’s classified info.” He hands me a coke can, “No more coffee for you tonight.”

“You interrupted me on my third cup, but better late than never I guess.“ I giggle taking the handed soda and taking a seat on the chair opposite him. “Thank you so much, Andrew. Really, it means a lot to me. How am I supposed to repay you for this?“ I can tell he’s about to protest so I hurry to stop him, “No, no, no. You can’t change my mind on that.“

He sighs in defeat I can only guess is fake, taking the smirk on his face into consideration. He contemplates whatever’s on his mind for a second, buying himself time while he opens a soda can for himself. I copy his action, opening mine as well. “Um, well, there is one way I can think of....” he trails off, avoiding eye-contact. The brief moment I manage to catch his gaze I give him a nod, encouraging him to go on. “How about calling this a date?”

I am shocked. No, ‘pleasantly surprised’ is a better term to use. ‘Overjoyed’ an even better one. 

The blush I thought couldn’t get any darker or more wide-spread just proved me wrong. Despite the chilliness of the dining hall, my face, neck and ears are on fire. Once again, a big thank you goes to the darkness that surrounds us.

Instead of showing off how surprised and happy I am, I lift my soda can in the air, “It’s a date then.”

His smirk turns into a relieved smile as he takes his can, clinking it against mine, “It’s a date.”

@sparrow-gg  @artlovingbre  @chairtiger

[firemblem-fics]

Running With the Wolves [1]

preview | >>

-> Yuri Leclarc x Fem!Reader

-> Modern!Au | Gang!Au | Enemies to Lovers

-> Word Count: ~3.3k

-> Warnings: Violence, Blood, Cursing, Weapons

-> Summary: You were just a normal college student, trying to find her way in a new place. You didn’t mean to get caught up in the wrong crowd. You just wanted coffee, but now you’re running with the wolves.

-> A/N: SURPRISE I POSTED IT EARLY ! thanks to my lovely beta readers for helping me revise and edit this chapter to make it better! i’m still in a writing mental block but i think this is one step closer to getting out of it! so, please enjoy (again)! also, all characters are aged up (21+)! also y’all should reblog this so it gets out more 🥺

send me an ask if you’d like to be on the taglist!

"Fuck- She's losing too much blood, Boss, she's not gonna make it!"

"No, no. She's going to make it- I'll make sure of it. Stay alive!"

Your vision was dark and blurry- you couldn't quite see anything. You could only make out a few silhouettes hovering above you, each one rushing around and yelling frantically. You couldn't count how many were there. Your vision kept doubling and it was hard to discern one person from three. Focusing just caused things to get worse.

"Someone put pressure on the damn wound! She certainly won't make it if you all keep messing around."

It was only now that you noticed a sharp pain radiating from your chest, right below your ribs. You gasped loudly and coughed. It hurt worse than the throbbing that already coursed through your head. Your body burned.

Trying to look down, you saw a rag soaked in blood. Hands with bright nails pressed down on your wound to slow the flow, but it didn't seem to be helping. You started feeling dizzy and laid back again, clenching your eyes tight as nausea engulfed you.

"No, keep your eyes open, Y/N, dammit! Wake up!"

Slowly, the pain began fading, as did your view of the people above you and their voices. You could still barely hear the voice crying, sobbing out your name. Whoever they were, they were crushed.

"Wake up!"

Was that voice finally fading away too?

"Wake up!"

No- it was getting louder.

"Wake up!"

"Ellie, what the fuck do you want?" You groaned, rolling over on your bed.

Your roommate bounced on her knees, making your bed creak loudly. "What do you mean? It's like 10am, your class is at 11. Don’t talk to me with that tone of voice."

"Fuck me."

"Absolutely not, baby." Ellie smacked a pillow beside you and got up. "Get ready!" She went to her own room, leaving you to your own devices.

When you applied for an apartment roommate, Ellie was certainly not the one you were expecting. You would've preferred a chill, laid-back, person. Instead, Eleonora Yumizuru walked into your life (and apartment) and practically made herself at home. She didn't judge you from transferring so far away from your old home for your last year of college, claiming that "home roots don't mean shit when it comes to making it in the real world".

She had the right to say such a thing, having moved to Fodlan from another country in her youth. She was able to understand the occasional homesickness and help you cope as you adjusted to Fodlan life. She understood you like the back of her hand from the moment you met and you did the same for her.

Really, you had to let her move in. She’d probably have stayed even if you rejected her.

She was the complete opposite of what you were looking for- overconfident, stubborn, loud- but she grew on you and easily became your best friend. There was just something about the bubbly, blue-eyed, blonde-bobbed bitch that hooked you.

She had certainly hooked other people as well, but thank God her bedroom is on the other side of the apartment. Her social skills and magnetic personality worked for platonic friends and acquaintances as well. Ellie was constantly bringing over friends, allowing you to expand your own circle. She was heaven-sent for a newbie like you.

You sat up from your bed, yawning and stretching. Trudging to your bathroom, you rolled your eyes as the infamous Taylor Swift blared through Ellie's speakers, "Shake it Off" shaking the entire apartment. Nothing against T. Swift, but sometimes she was not the first thing you want to hear when you wake up. At least not at max volume. Ignoring the song switching to "You Belong With Me" -another banger from Swift herself, but really "Teardrops on My Guitar” was your favorite- you finished getting ready and lazed into Ellie's room.

"I've got class 'till late today." You sat on her bed. "Do you want me to pick up dinner? It’ll let me explore the area."

"Oh, please do. You need to get out more. But where?"

You shrugged. "There's really only like two good food places here. Golden Pizza and Blue Lion Buffet. Your choice."

Ellie thought for a moment. "I went to the buffet with my little friend Touma the other day... so pizza! I just can't choose a side in their little spat."

"Spat?" You tilted your head.

"Goodness, Y/N! I know you're a little new here, but you haven't even heard of the shit that goes on between those restaurant owners?"

Shaking your head, you stayed silent for her to continue.

"The owners of Blue Lion Buffet, Eagle's Freezery, and Golden Pizza are all huge rivals. I heard they were all close, but went their separate ways. All the owners' kids are our age, too. They go to Fodlan Uni, but I don't know who they are." She smiled. "I am an esteemed woman with an upcoming high status. Who would I be to take sides? I prefer to cater to them all."

You could only nod, hiding a smirk at Ellie’s infatuation of fame. A huge restaurant rivalry. How funny. "What about that little cafe on the corner? What's it called? Café des Loups?"

"They're pretty neutral, just some college dropouts trying to make some money. I think they’re gonna get involved eventually- every restaurant’s been dragged into their drama at least once."

You nodded, standing up and messing with your apartment keys. "I'll keep that in mind. Bye, Ellie!"

"Bye! I better see some pizza later!" She called as you made your way out of the apartment, now playing "I Knew You Were Trouble".

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

College was honestly a scam.

You sat in the classes for two hours at a time, for what? You were paying thousands of dollars to be talked at by old dusty men who made you fall asleep faster than trying to read their overpriced textbooks. You paid thousands to nap at a desk.

Unfortunately for you, though, your thousand dollar desk nap was interrupted by a tapping on the surface. You huffed and looked up, coming face to face with a pair of soft, orange eyes. They radiated kindness and just looking into them seemed to lift your mood immediately.

"Hey, you need to wake up for this part. The professor said there's gonna be a quiz on this section tomorrow."

You shot up, looking back at your professor. Blushing embarrassedly, you smiled at the boy. "Thank you..."

"Ferdinand." He drew his bottom lip in between his teeth, as if to conceal his smile, before giving up and returning yours just as brightly.

As you faced forward to Professor Hanneman, as you were pretty sure his name was- or was it Ham Man? You didn’t care enough to know- you were now struggling with two distractions. One, the weight of your eyelids as they threatened to pull you back into dreamland. Two, Ferdinand.

You kept glancing at him, taking in his complexion. He must have come to class late, since you didn't see him before. Or maybe he was on time- you did fall asleep quite early into the lecture.

You were eyeing his carefully sculpted jawline, dotted with subtle stubble that connected to sideburns and led up to clean, silky, orange hair. You wished to run your fingers through it-

"Y/N, this is the second time I've seen you not paying attention." You jumped nearly three feet in the air. "Next time, I'll have to ask you to leave my class since you are obviously taking it as a joke."

"I-I'm not joking! Sorry!" You stuttered, finally finding a reason to keep your attention on the lecture. You did look away once, just to glare at Ferdinand, who only winked and chuckled at your misfortune.

Class was eventually over and you sighed, finally loosening up from forcing yourself to pay attention. You packed your notebook and laptop and swung your backpack on, getting ready to leave the room before a voice called to you.

You turned back. "Ferdinand?"

"I was simply wondering where your next class was. I can walk you to it, if you'd like." Said boy walked quickly towards you, holding himself with a nearly-perfect posture. You felt anxious- he was trying to make himself seem like a gentleman, but you still felt a little unnerved.

"Oh, um, sure! It's not for another fifteen minutes, but it is across campus."

Ferdinand's grin seemed to get larger, making his eyes crinkle at the edges. "How wonderful! That little café is down there and I've been meaning to check it out anyways. It works out perfectly."

"Uh, yeah." You laughed nervously. This was the first time a boy had taken interest in you- or was he really interested? Maybe he's just being nice-

"Also, before I forget. May I get your number? I'd like to talk to such a gorgeous woman like you a little more."

Oh, he was so interested. You had to make yourself breathe again as you handed him your phone to let him put his number in. He gave it back to you and you noticed a heart and a smiley face emoticon next to his contact name. Your heart fluttered at the sight of the emojis and you felt your cheeks heat up a bit. Ferdinand gave you a sweet smile before holding the door open for you, letting you lead the way to your next class.

On the way to the building, Ferdinand spent the time asking you questions and getting to know you better. He had scratched basically the entire surface of you, save for the secrets that new people shouldn't know, and the same could be said for you. Ferdinand was definitely a polished and refined man. He made quite the impression on you.

"What are you doing after classes?" You asked, hoping to invite him for pizza at your apartment.

"Ah, I've got work!" He smiled sheepishly. He definitely caught onto your hopes...

"Really? Where? Maybe after, you could stop by for some Golden Pizza-"

"Actually, I work at the Eagles Freezery." He was tense, suddenly. "So I really shouldn't. Rivalry and all of that, you know?"

You were a little confused, actually. "Why would that prevent you from hanging out for a bit? You didn't buy it, I did. Plus I thought the rivalry was only between the buffet and the pizza place?”

"It's- it's a loyalty thing. It’s between all three of us.”

"It's a restaurant. How loyal could you possibly be to a dumb little ice cream parlor-"

"It's more than that!" Ferdinand snapped his mouth closed, suddenly making himself quiet after his angry outburst. "Listen, I cannot and will not eat there, look at it, talk about it, or do literally anything about it. Please, just understand that."

"Uh, yeah." You nervously readjusted your backpack on your shoulder. "I- I should get to class now. I'll see you later, Ferdinand."

"Goodbye, I'll message you after work!" With that, he sent you a wink and a smile and turned, going about his own day with the most carefree pep in his step. As if nothing ever happened. You, on the other hand, could not have been more confused. Ferdinand seemed unpredictable when it came to his moods. He was comforting and kind, yet was so… upset when you insulted the parlor. It was a restaurant. Why did he get so worked up about it? Maybe Ellie was right about it being such a big deal.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“I just ordered! Go, go, I’m starving!”

Not even five minutes after you got out of your last class, Ellie was calling to remind you about dinner. You were still slightly unnerved from your encounter with Ferdinand, but you agreed to pick it up and would never hear the end of it if you didn’t do something as simple as takeout.

Golden Pizza was only about two blocks away and you stayed on the phone with your roommate the entire time, only saying goodbye as you walked in the establishment. The restaurant was very nice, the honey yellow walls and the glow of the wood-fired oven making the ambience warm and welcoming. You didn’t wait long in the line, soon coming up to meet a boy about your age with a glimmering emerald gaze and a smile just as bright at the front counter.

“Hi!” The boy- Claude, according to his nametag- greeted, “How can I help you?”

“I’m just picking up an order for Eleonora Yumizuru.”

Claude nodded and typed a few things into a computer at the counter. “I know Ellie! She and I had Stats together before she dropped out to pursue her acting career. She’s certainly something.”

“Oh, definitely. I’m her roommate.” Speaking of the devil, your phone vibrated in your pocket. It was a message from her. “She actually just messaged me. Wants me to bring her a dumb little lemonade from that cafe.”

Claude laughed, “You can go and get it now, if you’d like. Your pizza will be a few more minutes. Ellie set the time for your pickup for later, so you’re actually ten minutes early.”

You thanked him and left, walking to the cafe. You took your time, observing the shops around you. Across the street from Golden Pizza stood the Blue Lion Buffet. You smiled to yourself- what a cliche to have rivals across from each other. Beside the pizza parlor was another food shop, the Eagles Freezery. You thought about Ferdinand- he said he was working today. Maybe you could drop by and- No. No, Y/N. Go get your lemonade and go.

A soft bell chimed as you opened the door. You saw four people in cafe uniforms, going about their day as you approached the register.

“Welcome to our humble abode!”

“Constance, that’s only used for a home.”

You shyly waved at the so-called Constance and the pink-haired girl who corrected her. Cafe des Loups- or Cafe of Wolves- was a quaint place, quiet and not crowded, kind of like an off-brand Starbucks. Dim lights adorned the high black ceiling, illuminating the shop just enough for a comforting ambience. There was a mural of a rainforest painted on the wall to the opposite of the counter with comfortable tables and lounging areas. If you could, you’d probably waste the day away lounging around. It was the perfect environment for an introvert like you.

At this shop, a large dark-haired man controlled the register instead of Claude. As you approached the register, you noticed that he wasn’t wearing a nametag, but you had a small urge to call him Bigfoot.

“Hey! What can I get ‘cha?”

You scoured the menu. “Just two pink lemonades is fine-”

“Oh! Good choice!” Constance interrupted you, coming to stand beside the man. “Yuri-bird over there makes the best sweet lemonades!”

You followed her gaze over to a man who was sitting on a stool, slouched down and leaning his head on his hand. He stretched and stood up. “Thank God, we haven’t had many customers all day. I was starting to think we lost our appeal.”

“Of course we have not!” Constance replied. She turned to you, but you couldn’t tell whether she was still talking to Yuri or you. Maybe it was neither. “Not when someone as handsome as Yuri is making the drinks and my attractive self is greeting the customers!”

“Hey! I’m just as much of a visual as the boss-man.” The taller man joined in after taking your money. “We’re all pretty nice looking. Especially this little lady ordering~”

You blushed a bit. “Oh, please, I’m nothing special-”

“Nothing special?” Constance laid her hand against her chest. “You’re wonderful! Almost on the same level as me. Isn’t that right, Yuri-birdie?”

Yuri looked up from making your drinks, his analytical eyes seemingly boring holes into you. You shuddered, feeling like he could tell your deepest and darkest secrets from just looking at you. He shrugged, going back to the lemonades.

“She’s alright, I suppose.”

“You suppose? Yuri, that’s rude-”

Hapi was midway through lecturing the purple-haired man when the door to the shop chimed open and a rather large group came in. Yuri looked up and suddenly stood alert, as did the other three workers. In the group, you saw a familiar head of orange hair and orange eyes met yours. Your face screwed up into confusion.

“Ferdinand?”

“Don’t say anything.” The leader of the group, a short, white-haired girl snarled. “Are you a new… worker here?”

“Wh- you just told me not to say anything.”

Slowly, Yuri and the other three came up beside you, standing slightly in front. Your heart nearly stopped- you were in the middle of something you definitely weren’t supposed to be in and your sass had gotten on their bad side already. The white-haired girl scrutinized the five of you, her lavender eyes piercing holes through whatever facade of confidence you had tried to put up. You could feel yourself literally wither under her gaze, even more than you did when Yuri looked at you.

“What do you want, Edelgard?” Yuri put his hands on his hip, one fiddling with something under his shirt.

“I want your loyalty.”

Yuri snorted. “You aren’t in charge.”

“I’m not? Hm. Tell that to my father after he stepped down. I’m the leader now- the emperor, if you will.” Edelgard sighed heavily. “I have no time for more conversation if you won’t comply. Hubert, deal with them.”

The terrifying man who you assumed was Hubert suddenly reached in his coat and pulled out a handgun, aiming it at the five of you. Yuri quickly retaliated and pulled one of his own, throwing it at Constance before grabbing your wrist and running to the back. A loud gunshot rang through the air as you and Yuri continued to run. You both dodged around coffee shop equipment and he dragged you through a labyrinth that they considered the back of the store.

As you were running, Yuri pulled you to a sharp right turn and your arm scraped against a metal machine in your way. You hissed in pain and looked down at it, seeing a large wound going down your shoulder to your elbow. It was starting to bleed rather quickly, but you had no time to worry about it. You’d have time to tend to it if you survived.

“What’s happening?”

“No time to explain. Quick, hide!”

Yuri pushed you against the wall in between two larger cabinets and stood in front, grabbing yet another gun from his other hip. He cocked it, listening for the ruckus of the fight in the main room to make its way towards your location. You were shaking like a leaf, grabbing tightly onto your wounded arm and smearing blood all over your fingers and your clothes. You breathed heavily, trying to calm yourself at least a little- was this why Ferdinand had been so defensive over the Eagles Freezery? What kind of restaurant rivalry would constitute attempted murder? And wasn’t this cafe uninvolved anyways? You didn't have time to ponder any more questions as a loud crash echoed through the room. Yuri lifted his gun and began to speak lowly, not taking his eyes off of the door.

“When I say run, go out the back door and get in the black car back there. Don’t go home- one of them will find you.”

A gunshot rang through the air and Constance, Balthus, and Hapi burst through the doors, running towards you all. Yuri turned to you as the three of them caught up to him, pulling out their own weapons again as Edelgard began yelling.

“Run!”

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taglist: @fairyblue-alchemist @emperor-pizza @flavoredmilktea @fe3h-random-writing-and-stuff @mifuyuyu @blviddyd @laurexlance @atomicchocolatecookie @mapesandoval @local-goth-lilz

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[asteroidimagines]

first date jitters

[ 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 ] pg

[ 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒔 ] they/them

[ 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒘 ] third person

[ 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 ] none

[ 𝑰𝒅𝒆𝒂 ] but it's their first date! 

kevin had finally gotten up the nerve to ask y/n for a date, he was excited and nervous all at the same time, he felt this was the only chance he had to show them he was serious about wanting an actual relationship. not that y/n actually demanded he prove that at all, it was just something he felt he had to prove so y/n knew he wasn't just another guy that was going to pick them up and drop them as soon as they got what they wanted. he messed with his hair as he fixed his hair again and again, he sighed eventually opting to leave it alone so he didn't drive himself insane with trying to get the messy locks to cooperate with him. 

        y/n sent 8:39 p.m.                  might be a tad late :/ they kept me at work longer then i thought

        kevin sent 8:45 p.m.                 that's okay! hopefully then the food will be ready before you get                 here :)

        y/n sent 8:50 p.m.                  i promise its not always like this <3 my boss just decided to be a                  a bigger dick then usual today.

        kevin sent 8:52 p.m.                   we can post pone so you can just rest tonight.

        y/n sent 8:54 p.m.                  never! i need you're company after a day like today, i'll be there                  probably around 9:30 :)

kevin smiled down at his phone and sent a quick thumbs up emoji before looking at the pot of boiling water on his stove. he wasn't the most amazing cook in the world, but he had a few 'go-to recipes' for when he had guest over and had to feed them - tonight had was make something simple enough, spaghetti and meatballs, he hoped that y/n liked it. he dropped the hot top of the pot into the sink cursing at himself for forgetting how hot the top usually got. "feck sake..." he mumbled under his breath, looking at the quickly fading red mark on his hand. kevin shook his head to himself before checking on the noddles. he went about his work in the kitchen hearing a small knock on the door, as the sauce was just finishing.

"doors unlocked" he shouted.

he heard the door open and close no one spoke though, kevin turned at the sound of footsteps, y/n stood there with a cocked eyebrow as they leaned against one of the walls in the kitchen with their arms crossed.

"i could of been a killer you know" they said a playful smirk forming on their lips.

"its the risk i take" kevin chuckled "you're just in time"

kevin turned around to look at the food turning down the stove and taking the apron off of him before walking closer to y/n to properly greet them, wrapping his arms around them. when he pulled away he allowed himself to actually look at how they were dressed, despite the stressful day they said they had, y/n seemed to clean up rather quickly, though still a hint of tiredness behind their eyes.

"you look amazing, as always" kevin smiled moving back to stove to plate there stuff.

"not so bad you're self o'reilly" y/n walked closer to them "need help?"

"no, you can just relax"

"what is this 'relaxing' you speak of?" they pulled a confused look a small laugh escaping them as they did so.

"a thing us mortals do, it do you don't burn out - dumbass" despite the difference in settings for them, both seem to naturally slip into being comfortable, first and foremost they were friends after all.

"i'm pretty sure you shouldn't be talking, you never take breaks" 

"we aren't talking about me right now" kevin said sending a playful glare y/n's way

y/n rolled their eyes and took the plate from kevin silently to take it to the dinning room table, luckily kevin had a chance before to make that look nice. he basically sped cleaned his whole house, leaving no room left untouched just in case they happened to go into it. there was yankee candle he managed to find lit on the table, one that smelled like a river, if you were to believe what the label said - he had two glasses of wine on the table as well with the bottle sitting near the candle. kevin followed y/n into the dinning room.

"i'm not that special kevin... you didn't have to break out the expensive candles mr.youtube" behind the teasing comment somewhere was an undertone of gratefulness.

"you are special though" was all kevin could say in response, he didn't like when y/n talked down to themselves, even as a joke he couldn't stand it, because there was always that look afterward that flashed over their face that showed they really believed the stuff they said, and kevin loved them to much to let them get away with it to often. 

y/n opened their mouth, to argue or thank kevin would never be known cause they simply closed their mouth again. they sat across from one another, eating silently for a few minutes, comfort and awkwardness mixing together in the air as they sat. kevin took a deep breath, transitions from friendship to even possible relationship were always hard, but it would be worth it, he liked y/n for so long and the fact that they even gave him a chance was enough.

"you seem tired maybe i should of force you to reschedule this" kevin said.

"i'm always tired, whats rescheduling gonna do to help that?" y/n said "i wanted to come, i've been looking forward to seeing you all week"

kevin perked up at that - y/n was looking forward to this date? did he get so lucky for that to be true? - "really?" he couldn't help but make them confirm what they just told him.

"mmhmm" y/n hummed around their fork nodding a bit.

he couldn't help but smile, before taking a sip of the wine he got. he wasn't a heavy wine drinker, but it seemed fitting for tonight. y/n looked over at kevin laughing softly at the dorky smile plastered on the irish idiots face and shook their head slowly before looking down at the plate. kevin knew he probably looked like a giddy school boy, but he didn't care at this point, he felt like one. after they ate y/n fought with him a bit before he allowed them to help him clean up before they put on a movie - y/n washed up the dishes and passed them to kevin to rinse off and dry. 

"this isn't what people normally do on dates" kevin pointed out as he placed the dish on the drying rack.

"who wants a normal date anyway?" y/n smirked glancing at kevin out of the corner of their eye.

"would of taken you hiking if i knew you thought that"

"how would that not be normal?"

"well, you'd have to carry me back to car on the way back" he laughed placing the last pot into the drying rack and putting his sleeves back down as y/n let out the water.

y/n laughed and looked at him "good thing you don't weigh to much, or we'd just be stuck wherever we hiked to for awhile"

kevin dried his hand and lead y/n to the living room where he let y/n put a movie on, this was a bit easier, just watching a movie... at least that what he had hoped - now he didn't know where to put his hands, or how close to sit, was it fine that their shoulders pressed together? that they could feel each others small movements? kevin didn't feel like moving away, it would seem weird now. he rested his hands on his thighs unable to really concentrated on the movie y/n had put on - he was pretty sure he had seen it before anyway. kevin was pretty sure he would be stuck in a loop of anxious thoughts, that was until y/n gently nudged their hand under his, seamlessly intertwining their hands together. 

kevin looked down at their hands, simply tangled together perfectly, the anxious thoughts in his mind dying down as they held hands. he smiled and quickly looked back at the tv before y/n could notice him looking starry-eyed at their hands. the rest of the night seemed to melt easily, y/n had at some point leaned their body into kevin a little more, making the taller maneuver his arm around them, it all made him dizzy with excitement. all to soon though the movie ended, y/n stayed in kevin's arms as netflix showed them what to play next. y/n let out a small sigh.

"i have work tomorrow, i should probably go before it gets to late" they said looking at their phone for the time.

        11:32 p.m.

had it really been that long? it felt like mere minutes had passed, time always seemed not to exist around y/n, a cheesy yet accurate statement. he always found himself being able to ignore the ticking clock when around this person. 

"but i'm comfortable" okay that was a small fib, his arm was starting to tingle finally, but he would allow it to fully go numb if it meant y/n stayed in his arms for just a few more moments.

y/n rolled their eyes and got themselves off the couch, scratching their body. kevin reluctantly followed their lead, before walking them to the door. they stood their for a moment as y/n got their shoes and coat on.

"is it bold of me to assume we can do this again?" kevin asked.

"very..." y/n chuckled "but not a wrong assumption" they smiled.

kevin smiled, y/n leaned up pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, making a smile grow a bit wider.

"text me when you get home safe" he said.

"will do" they nodded.

kevin closed the door once y/n was in their car and pulling out of the drive way, the back of his head thudding against the door, at least he didn't have any cleaning up to do. he waited up in bed until y/n messaged him that they were home and safe.

        y/n 12:10 a.m.                 goodnight kevin <3

        kevin 12:13 a.m.                 goodnight y/n <3

[eddiesasspbrak]

When I’m With You Ch. 10

Eddie can’t stand the barista at his favorite coffee shop. Richie has fallen in love with the man he sees twice a week. Stan is dating someone but won’t let his friends meet them. Ben is in love with Beverly, but is so afraid of scaring her away he’s not moving forward. Chaotic friends navigating college together. 

Ch. 1

Ch. 11

Read on AO3

4k+ words

Eddie spent much of his Friday trying to keep busy while he waited for Richie to get home from work. He still didn’t know if their impromptu half burnt spaghetti dinner counted as a first date. So as far as Eddie knew, tonight would be there actual first date and he was terrified. He’d never been on a real date before, never really dated someone at all. He liked Richie and didn’t want to mess up somehow by being a nervous wreck. Before Tuesday night, Eddie had no problem interacting with Richie. Now he was too hyper aware of everything he did and said in front of him. Which, honestly, was probably stupid since it was his normal self that Richie had fallen for. A week ago, he was just a friend and a barista. Now he was kind of Eddie’s boyfriend.

When his phone chimed next to him, he just about leapt out of his skin. The text was from Richie, letting him know he’d left work and he was heading home to change. He’d added a heart emoji at the end after “see you soon” and Eddie felt giddy. Richie had sent heart emojis in the past, but this was different. He didn’t really know why it was different, it just was. No longer able to sit still, he got up and began searching his closet for his warmest clothes. He’d never been ice skating, never been allowed, so he’d asked Stan what it was like. He’d told Eddie that it was cold. Colder than just the air outside as you’re literally standing on a hunk of ice. He told him to bundle up and prepare for bruises. Eddie didn’t really like the sound of that but the thought of doing something that could lead to an injury was also kind of thrilling.

Eddie was never allowed to get hurt growing up. If he got a small scratch his mom would rush him to the hospital convinced he needed stitches. He was never even allowed to use anything sharper than a butter knife until he was sixteen and put his foot down. Ever since moving out, he’d taken joy out of risk. The first time he cut his hand using a sharp knife while cooking he’d been so full of adrenaline he’d had to sit down, dizzy. He didn’t really want to hurt himself ice skating, but it brought on that feeling of rebellion. Doing something he wasn’t supposed to without his mother’s knowledge. As if dating a boy weren’t enough to give him that feeling.

When Eddie heard the elevator down the hall ding, he thought it might be Richie and rushed to his door to look out the peephole. A second later he saw Richie walking past his door. He turned his head toward the door as he walked by and Eddie moved back quickly, as if he thought Richie could see him standing there. He didn’t even know why he’d gone to check if it was him. He would come to his door when he was ready to go. He didn’t have to watch for him.

He made himself move away from the door and sit on the couch. He didn’t know how long it would take Richie to get ready. He could be waiting another hour for all he knew. They didn’t set an actual time to meet or head out. Richie suggested they play it by ear. Always the planner, Eddie wasn’t a big fan of that choice. He liked knowing when things were going to happen. Then again, he never knew what was going to happen or when with Richie. His phone chimed and lit up as he stared down at it and he rushed to unlock it.

Richie: ready to go my dear?

Eddie: Yea. Ready when you are

Richie: give me another 5? Don’t forget gloves

Eddie pocketed his phone again and got up to find his hat and gloves in the coat closet. He grabbed his scarf for good measure and slid his coat over top of everything. He was too warm being inside, but he knew he’d be out in the cold any second. He double checked for his phone and wallet and by the time he was done, Richie was at his door.

“Hi.” Eddie said as he opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

“Hello Spaghetti.”

“Spaghetti?”

“Your new nickname. I was thinking about our dinner date and realized the rhyming possibilities, Eddie Spaghetti.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. So, he considered Tuesday a date. That answered that question for Eddie. They’d had a date and Eddie earned a new name from it. It was a stupid nickname, but it was a nickname from Richie. He thought for a second about Richie’s name and searched his brain for a nickname he could use. He thought Richie’s was meant to be affectionate, however the first name that came to Eddie’s mind wasn’t exactly affectionate.

“Alright then, Dick.” He grinned as he turned from locking his door.

Richie threw his head back with a laugh. “Not fair, Spaghetti. Your name is cute.”

If Eddie could see his won face, he’d see the light pink flush that was staining his cheeks already. Luckily, Richie wasn’t looking directly at him as they were walking to the elevator. Once inside, Eddie looked sidelong as Richie. He was dressed similarly to Eddie. Jeans, a coat, hat and gloves. He didn’t have a scarf though and now Eddie wondered if it was too much. Neither had on snow boots, opting for different sneakers instead. Easier to get in and out of at the ice rink.

Eddie shivered when the cold air hit him outside the building. He felt a mixture of excitement, nerves, and fear. Excited about the date, nervous because of Richie, and scared of the new experiences. When Richie effortlessly grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together, Eddie felt his heart jump in his chest. He’d held his friend’s hands before, been forced to hold hands on fieldtrips as a child, but he’d never held hands with a lover before. Was that what Richie was? Lover, boyfriend, partner? He didn’t know. This was all new territory for him, and he’d have to let Richie lead the way.

The ice rink wasn’t far from their building. Eddie had known it was there, passed it when walking to the store, but he’d never stopped there before. It was outdoors, a pond in the warmer months, just inside a small park. It was fairly large and relatively crowded. More crowded than Eddie had expected. There were a few families, some teenagers, but mostly couples. As they joined the line for skate rental, hand in hand, Eddie realized they were another one of those couples. Taking date night to the ice rink.

It was still fairly early. The sun was out still, though it was quickly setting, making it feel later than it was. The winter months always threw off Eddie’s internal clock. He wondered if the crowd would only increase as the hours passed. He didn’t really know how long they were going to be there, not that he minded. He actually wanted to spend time with Richie. When they reached the front of the line, they gave their sizes and two pairs of brown ice skates were produced. It occurred to Eddie that, much like bowling shoes, these had been warn by thousands of people before him. It was gross, but he didn’t want to ruin the date by complaining about the used skates. If this became a regular thing he enjoyed, he’d just shell out the money for his own personal pair.

Richie lead him over to a bench near the edge of the rink. There were little cubbies lined up along the bottom of the seat for shoe storage. They silently changed into their skates and Eddie eyed the little plastic bits covering the blades. Was that supposed to be there? He looked to the skaters on the ice and none of them had plastic covering the blades. He wondered if he’d some how gotten a broken pair.

“What are these?” He asked, resting his foot on his opposite knee and tapping the plastic.

“Ice skates?” Richie said, eyebrows raised and smirk in place.

“The plastic things, asshole.”

“They’re guards.” He laughed. “Keeps the blades from getting nicked. Haven’t you done this before?”

Eddie didn’t want to admit it, but then surely Richie would know the second he stepped on the ice and fell on his ass. It was probably better to be honest, especially since he didn’t know how to remove the guards. “I’ve never been ice skating before today.”

Richie’s eyes widened behind his ridiculously big glasses, making his eyes look huge. For a second, Eddie felt like he’d done something wrong. Was it not normal to have never ice skated before? Would he believe him if he said he’d never been on roller skates either? He’d been twelve before his mom allowed him to have a bike and she’d nearly fainted when she saw him on Stan’s skateboard. It was embarrassing. Eddie would forever be living with the things his mom wouldn’t let him do that separated him from others.

“You should have said something. I would have planned a different date idea.” Richie sat back against the bench, looking out at the other skaters.

“No. I wanted to come. I want to learn. I just…wasn’t allowed to as a kid and haven’t had the chance since going off on my own.”

“Are you sure? I can try to teach you.”

“I’m sure.”

Richie’s smile returned as he stood. “Alright, let’s go.”

“I don’t know how to take these off.” He held his foot out, pointing down the plastic guards that were still there.

Richie’s grin was impossibly big as he crouched down in front of him and slid the guards off the blades. He set them underneath the bench in the cubby with their shoes. When he stood, he held his hand out to Eddie, who took it and allowed him to pull him up. He felt oddly taller and a little unstable walking across the padded ground on the blades. He held tight to Richie’s hand as they approached the edge of the rink where a small opening in the plexiglass barrier resided. Richie stepped onto the ice and turned, still holding Eddie’s hand and watching him expectantly. With a deep breath, Eddie slowly stepped one foot onto the ice. It slipped a little and the feeling reminded Eddie of walking on ice on the street, though this was more like walking on very thin platform shoes. As he put his other foot on the ice to join the first, his other hand reached out to grab Richie’s arm to stabilize himself.

Almost effortlessly, Richie moved his feet and began moving them both farther toward the center of the rink. Eddie’s legs wobbled as his skates slid beneath. He was slightly bent forward, gripping Richie’s hand and arm like he would float away if he let go. Richie didn’t seem to mind as he chuckled and held Eddie’s elbow with his hand, keeping him steady.

“Want to try moving your feet?” Richie asked.

“I don’t think I can.”

“I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall.” Richie’s voice was low, his mouth close to his ear and Eddie wasn’t sure if the shiver that went down his spine was from the cold.

In that moment, every part of him told him to trust Richie. Shakily, he stood up straight and brought his feet together, still holding him tightly. Determined to learn and not to fuck this up, Eddie looked Richie in the eyes with confidence.

“What do I do?” He asked.

Richie’s smile made him weak in the knees and that was not what he needed right now. He quickly looked down to the ice between their feet instead.

“Push off with one foot and switch to the other. Just keep doing that and I’ll help you keep your balance.” Richie instructed.

With another deep breath, the cold stinging his lungs, he did as Richie said. It was shaky and he was sure he was gripping Richie hard enough to hurt, but he was doing it. Kind of. Richie moved his own feet slightly as he was pushed backwards by Eddie’s forward movement. After a few minutes of Eddie practicing and Richie sending encouraging words his way, he began to feel more comfortable.

“I think I’m getting this.” Eddie said, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he looked up at Richie.

“I knew you could do it. We didn’t even have to get you one of those teaching things.”

Richie gestured with his head toward a small child using said ‘teaching thing’. It looked to Eddie like a little walker designed for children. He narrowed his eyes at Richie and wished he had a leg or hand free that he could swat him with. Still, he was grateful to Richie for being patient with him and keeping him from falling.

“Sorry, I know this probably isn’t how you imagined this going.” He felt flustered and hoped the redness in his face from the cold would mask it.

“I thought we’d go around the rink a couple of hundred times holding hands. This way I get to hold you closer.” He winked, sending Eddie’s mind spiraling.

“Yea, well, I think I’m getting better. Let me try…” Eddie slid his hand down until both of his hands were in Richie’s. He continued to skate as Richie had instructed and was feeling a bit more confident. He was definitely doing better than when he started, able to go just a bit faster. The one thing Richie had not warned him about was the toe pick. He’d noticed it but he didn’t think about it hitting the ice and effectively tripping him. He fell forward into Richie’s chest, who caught him under his arms. Embarrassed, Eddie looked up at Richie to see him grinning down at him.

“Can’t help falling for me, huh Spaghetti?”

Eddie opened his mouth to say something but was effectively cut off by Richie dipping his head down and kissing him. For a second, Eddie leaned into the kiss and was ready to lose himself to it when a nearby unrelated shout brought him back to where they were. He pulled away quickly, righting himself and looking around.

“Sorry, there are just so many people around.” He said, flustered.

“I don’t think anyone is paying attention to us. Besides, who isn’t expecting to see a few people kissing given what day it is.”

“Friday?”

Richie’s eyes widened as did his smile. “The 14th.”

Eddie’s eyebrows knit together as he tried to figure out what Richie meant. He’d be the first to admit that he wasn’t always on top of what day it was or what the date was. It had taken him several days to even realize they’d made it to February already. And that’s what it hit him. February 14th, Valentines day. That explained the dinner plans Bev and Ben had been making at the café the day before. He’d only been half listening, still recovering from Richie asking him out and kissing him. But he’d definitely heard them talking about it being special. That also explained Stan’s questioning, “That’s what your doing for tomorrow? Ice skating?” when Eddie had talked to him about it. Looking around, he now noticed all of the hearts strewn about the plexiglass and that they were only playing love songs over the speaker. He’d been so caught up in his second first date with Richie that he hadn’t even realized what day it was.

“Oh.” He said, feeling flustered once more.

“You really didn’t realize?” Richie chuckled.

“I didn’t know we were that far into the month already.”

“You’re so fucking cute.” Richie swooped in for a second kiss before pulling away and nudging Eddie’s chin a bit with his knuckle. “Ready to get back to it?”

Eddie nodded as Richie took his hands once more and they took off again. His confidence picked up a bit more, now that he was sure he couldn’t embarrass himself any more than he just had. After a while longer for skating that way, he felt comfortable enough to only need to hold one hand. Honestly, he wanted to try completely on his own, but he also didn’t want to let Richie go. He felt like a lifeline in case he did slip again. Plus, he really liked getting to hold his hand and not caring who saw. It made things feel more real having the public eye on them. After an hour or so of skating, Richie showing off and Eddie falling on his ass a few times, they made their way off the ice to retrieve their shoes.

As Eddie sat down on the bench, not expecting it to be so far with the extra height from the blades, he winced. “Yea, my ass is definitely going to be bruised tomorrow.” He said, reaching down to untie the skate.

“Put some ice on it.” Richie grinned.

Eddie rolled his eyes and nudged him with his shoulder. They changed back to their shoes, Richie showing Eddie how to put the guards back on the blades, and then returned the skates. Cold, they decided it was probably a good idea to get a carryout from somewhere, knowing interior seating would be too crowded, and head home. Eddie insisted they go to his apartment to eat as he still wasn’t comfortable being in a place where he knew a mouse lived. Richie just laughed and agreed.

When they arrived back at Eddie’s apartment, food in tow, they stripped off their coats, hats, gloves and wet shoes. Eddie turned up the heat and retrieve a blanket from the closet while Richie took a seat at the coffee table and tore into the bags. Sitting beside him, Eddie spread the blanket out on their legs and flipped on the TV. Richie suggested a romcom for the occasion and Eddie had declined, opting for Return of the Jedi instead. Richie had no complaints with his choice. When their meal was finished, the movie well into the plot, Eddie suggested moving up to the couch where it as more comfortable.

Richie obliged and resettled the blanket over top of them. Feeling bolder than he usually was, Eddie leaned against Richie’s side, tucking his feet up underneath himself. Richie didn’t seem to mind as his arm came down to encircle Eddie’s shoulders, effectively pulling him even closer to him. Every so often, Eddie would steal a glance up at Richie. He seemed absorbed in the movie, but in truth he was stealing glances as well. It occurred to Eddie that he had never initiated a kiss with Richie and that put a nervous pit in his stomach as he tried to work up the courage to do it.

On a particularly long glance, Richie happened to look at Eddie and catch him staring. Instead of being embarrassed, Eddie felt impulsive. Bringing his hand up to Richie’s cheek, he tilted his head back and pulled him down into a kiss. Richie didn’t seem to mind as he pressed into it, slipping his tongue past Eddie’s lips. Getting lost in the feeling of Richie’s lips and tongue, Eddie slid his hand from his cheek to the back of his neck, tangling in the soft curls there. Every part of him was on fire, desperate to get closer to the heat radiating from Richie.

Seemingly feeling the same, Richie’s hand found its way beneath Eddie’s knees as he pulled his legs around until they were over his own lap. This allowed him to press Eddie back a bit into the cushions. Eddie allowed himself to give into the feeling that was vibrating through his body. Only once had he given in while drunk at a party and it had been a terrible experience. He felt the beginning stirrings of arousal and he wanted to give in. It was the first time he’d been in this situation with someone he really liked, someone who really liked him, someone who took him ice skating on Valentine’s day and held his hand and kissed him like he tasted like heaven. Eddie found himself moaning into the kiss when Richie tugged at his lip with his teeth and his fingers scraped down Richie’s arm.

He kept telling himself he was ready for this, ready for Richie, each kiss sent him spiraling further into lust. It wasn’t until he felt Richie’s hands against his bare stomach, dragging down to the top of his jeans, that the fear gripped him. He abruptly pulled away from the kiss, Richie’s lips kissing along his jaw instead.

“Mmmm…wait, Richie.” He said, breathless.

“Hands cold?” He asked, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“No…I, shit, sorry…I don’t think I can do this.”

Richie moved his hands away, sitting back a bit and looking at Eddie, dejected, a singular “Oh” falling from his lips. Eddie sat up then, grabbing Richie’s face between his hands and pressing a kiss to his lips.

“I mean right now, not ever.” He said quickly.

“You don’t mean with me then?”

“What? No. I like you. I just…don’t really have a lot of experience and I don’t think I’m ready for more that kissing. For now.”

Richie looked relieved as his seemingly ever-present smile returned. “That’s fine. We’ll go at your pace.” He tilted his head slightly and pressed a kiss to the palm for Eddie’s hand, his own hand coming up to hold it in place. “What experience do you have then?”

Eddie fell back against the cushions, his hand still in Richie’s and his legs still draped over his lap. The blanket had long since fallen to the floor, forgotten. He turned his eyes to the ceiling, not really wanting to make eye contact with him. He felt embarrassed but Stan had once told him that if he couldn’t talk about sex with the person he liked, then he had to business having sex with them. It made sense to him even if he wasn’t ready for it just yet.

“Once. In a bathroom at a party, completely blitzed, just hands. I can’t even remember who it was. It was kind of my first taste of rebellion, and I went a bit overboard.” He admitted.

“Rebellion? Are you telling me that you were a well-behaved child?” Richie grinned, leaning his head back against the couch.

“Hardly. I just wasn’t allowed to do a lot. My mom is kind of…controlling for lack of a better term. She never let me do anything because she was afraid I would get sick or hurt.”

“Ice skating?”

“Amongst other things. I was never allowed to go to birthday parties, for one. So, when I moved out, I went a little wild for a while. Nothing too serious. I got drunk too often, smoked for the first time both tobacco and weed and kissed a lot of boys.”

“What’s a lot?”

“Probably less than you think. Living in a small rural town and with a mother like mine while also gay, you don’t get a lot of romantic experience. Meaning, none.”

As Eddie spoke, Richie’s thumb rubbed circled over the back of his hand. It was a small sign of affection but comforted Eddie. He’d never told anyone about this stuff aside from Ben and Stan. And they’d witnessed the majority of it. After his encounter in the bathroom, he’d stumbled out and told Stan what happened. He and Ben had made him leave the party then. He’d puked in a bush on the way back to the dorms and felt awful the next morning. That was the beginning of the end of his wild streak. He was glad he hadn’t met Richie during that time.

“What about you?” Eddie asked, finally looking back at him.

“I’ve dated a few guys, a few girls. I didn’t even realize I was into guys until I was sixteen. I had a fling with a closeted guy at school. It was nice at the time but ended kind of spectacularly.”

“What’s that mean?” Eddie smiled.

“He called me a homo in the middle of the cafeteria, punched me and then went and had sex with his girlfriend. It was better that way though. Not a good idea to date someone who is ashamed of you. Then you kind of saw how my last relationship ended. That was a train wreck from the start though. In short, I’ve slept with men and women over the years from flings to relationships.”

“So, you’re far more experienced it sounds like. You sure you want to be with me?”

Richie pushed up off the couch until he was able to hover over Eddie, bringing their lips together in a sweet but chaste kiss. “Absolutely. I don’t mind holding back until your ready. Can’t promise I won’t picture it and get off to it though.”

Eddie laughed and slapped his arm playfully. Richie joined in with the laughter, eventually dissolving back into kissing with hands staying above the waist. When their lips were practically swollen and bruised and they were tired, Eddie settled into Richie’s chest on the couch. Richie scooped up the blanket from the couch and they returned to their movie. Eddie wasn’t sure how first experiences were supposed to go, but he was glad he’d waited for Richie. This, he thought as he snuggled in close, was what it was supposed to feel like.

[notyourkiwi]

Slow Motion - Part 2 - Harry Styles

Previous: Part 1

Series Summary: Harry Styles is tired and lacking inspiration. He decides to search for some in the local museums during his stay in Los Angeles and stumbles across an unexpected muse.

Word Count: 1.5k+

“So, what do you do?” he asked with great curiosity. Their day had met its end in a small donut shop in an area less traveled. He found the spot charming in a sense, something that he might have enjoyed in his younger days when he only had a few pounds to spare. She stretched, her hands locking as they reached for the ceiling, a true testament to just how relaxed she felt at the moment.

“Guess,” she encouraged, a whimsical smile on her face as she waited eagerly to see what he would come up with. He studied her for a moment, reflecting back on their conversation from earlier.

“An artist,” he offered. He looked her up and down once more. “Maybe a fashion designer.”

She grinned, pulling a small notebook out of her bag and waving it around.

“A writer,” she chuckled, pulling the notebook away when he reached for it, “not a very good one, but I try. And no, you can’t read it.”

“What’s the use of being a writer if you won’t let anyone read it?” he questioned her, more than curious to see what kind of words she wrote down. She merely shrugged and put the small leather-bound book back in her bag, already forgotten in her mind.

“I will when it’s ready,” she replied simply. “Anyways, I should head home. It’s getting late,” she sighed as she looked at the clock on her phone.

“Should I drive you?”

“I don’t know, should you?” Her head tilted as a playful smirk graced her lips. “Nah, it’s alright. I’ll catch a ride home. Uber or something.”

“You live in the city?” Harry asked, hopeful that he’d see her again. The shake of her head caused his mood to fall.

“Los Angeles, while great for inspiration, is a little too hectic at night for my taste. I live in a city right outside it,” she admitted, “I do come here often, though. Seeing as this is where the culture is centered.”

“I definitely can’t let you go home alone then,” Harry reasoned, “not if you live far. You’ve heard the stories of crazy drivers. It’s mad out there.”

“You won’t be bothered by it?”

“M’not bothered at all, peach.”

That was the first name he’d given her, something just as sweet as she had proved to be that day.

The car ride was filled with light conversation and some singing as they flipped through radio stations to find the songs that spoke to them. Harry followed her instructions, taking the exit that eventually led them to a nice area full of lavish apartments.

“Well, thanks for the ride.” Her lips curled into a soft smile as her hands tousled her hair, the nighttime breeze refreshing their skin. He had followed her to her doorstep, stopping just outside the front of her building. “It was nice meeting you, Har.”

“Likewise,” he nodded. He was hesitant, unsure whether or not to take things a step further. His heart certainly wanted to and his thoughts weren’t far behind, but logic and reasoning halted him from pulling her into his lips. Instead, he did the next thing he could think of, choosing a simpler route. “Do you think I could get your number? I’ll be in LA for a bit, I think. It would be nice to see you again.”

They traded phones, typing their information into each other’s contact list. He was surprised to see she already had another Harry in her list and cheekily added a few emojis to help her differentiate between them.

“Heart eyes, nice touch,” she chuckled when he handed her phone back to him.

“Flowers,” he replied, observing her own choice of emojis. “Very fitting.”

“You think?”

“M’yeah I do.”

Harry couldn’t help but feel a little different as he trudged into his hotel room that night. He discarded his rings, flexing his fingers out as a small smile played on the corners of his lips. The more he thought of her the bigger it grew, and before long he was staring at his own giant grin in the mirror.

************

She was spring, and it didn’t take him long to fall under her spell. With tasteful words and starry-eyed looks, she was all he could think about for the days to come.

“Chose a hard spot to find” Her voice was music to his ears as is eyes lit up the moment she took a seat across from him. His face must have conveyed his joy because a small laugh left her lips, sending chills up and down his spine. “That happy to see me, Harry?”

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he was honest, unashamedly admitting his happiness. “I’ve had a long week. I looked forward to spending the day with you again.”

“The whole day? I thought this was just a lunch date,” her eyebrows rose at his words and he grinned wildly at her.

“Wasn’t aware this was a date, love.”

“Oh, you know what I mean,” she waved his remark away without much thought. “Friends have lunch dates all the time. That’s what we’re headed to anyway, right? Friends?”

“We’re already there,” he leaned forward, daring to get close. The scent of roses drifted off her skin and invaded his senses, leaving him dizzy for just a fraction of a second, “I’m not the type to drag people into the city just for a cup of coffee.”

“Oh, well, I’m so flattered your majesty,” she bowed her head, her exaggeration enough to elicit a laugh from his part. “But I was already headed into the city. I had some meetings.”

“Meetings?”

“Family business. Boring. Took up my whole morning,” she raced past the topic, “but you, I’m excited for.”

“Glad we feel the same way.”

Harry leaned back in his seat, the stress he had been feeling in his studio suddenly disappearing when she made his company. He had been working on new songs but something lacked, there was no truth to his words yet. Only one song, tucked away in his own notebook, had even come close but it wasn’t anywhere near ready.

The pair ordered their food, both opting for the half sandwich and soup choice. Harry stuck with a glass of wine for his choice of drink and grinned at her choice of a cherry coke.

“I’ve been thinking about you,” he admitted rather shyly, “a lot, actually.”

“Really? Couldn’t tell with all those good morning messages,” she teased, causing a subtle hint of pink to rise on his cheeks. “It’s always nice to hear something like that. I feel like humans are too guarded, don’t let themselves feel and voice those feelings aloud.”

She paused as the waiter returned with their drinks, both muttering a quick thank you before he disappeared to the back again.

“I’ve been thinking about you too.”

Her confession made his heart leap as he found his state of mind reciprocated. For days he’d thought endlessly of her with images of her hair swinging softly enough to make him feel insane. It’d been a while since he’d felt such infatuation, this feeling of needing to see someone so badly he might go crazy if he was deprived of it. He was sure he thought of her more than she of him for he had always felt things in extremes, something that spoke true to his artistry.

“If you don’t mind, I’d love to take a picture of you,” he was polite in his request and hoped she wouldn’t be opposed to it.

“Go for it.”

And he did. He took an array of photos of her as she smiled, grew a little embarrassed and subsequently hid her face with her hands. He grinned as he finally put his phone away, surprised when she pulled her own out.

“My turn.”

Harry was used to the flashing lights of cameras. It came with the territory when you were famous. He was not, however, used to her. And so while he sat calmly for the first few pictures, he found himself growing more self-conscious as she kept clicking and eventually took up the same position she had as his hands covered his face and the growing blush that crept onto his cheeks.

“So what’s on the itinerary today since you’re apparently holding me hostage for the day,” she joked as the two ate their food.

“Griffith Park maybe?” He suggested, although he knew without a doubt he would be recognized by fans in such a public place.

“Romantic,” she raised an eyebrow as her eyes sparkled. “Trying to win my love, Har?”

The crinkles around his eyes grew as a wild smile spread onto his lips. He sipped his wine and gave her a subtle nod, trying his best to contain the feelings of excitement that threatened to burst at the thought of something so lovely.

“Something like that.”

[rainbowsnowman-blog1]

“So the black wolf.” On the bed of Hope, Darcy lay on her stomach who was informed about what had happened.

 “One yellow-eyed.” Hope corrected, sitting on a chair in front of his desk.

 “Listen, chick.” Darcy took his lollipop out of his mouth. “We're in British Columbia. Where ... It's quite common for YELLOW-eyed black wolves.” she looked back at the plush behind her.

 “Good. Of course. Buut. It was different. Its eyes... So…”

 “Yellow?... Uuuuh. Teddy!” she took Hope's plush teddy bear.

 “GIRLS!!! DINNER!!!” Hope's father shouted upstairs.

 “Great. Then I'm starving.” Darcy jumped up.

 *

 “Mmmm .... Ooo .... Uuhuhh ....” the sounds came from Darcy as she just stuffed the food” Mr. Anderson a’e you the be’t chef in the wo’ld.

 “Ooo. Thank you for the compliment.” A little Tom blushed. Darcy smiled a big smile, resulting in half of the food in her mouth landing on her lap.

 “Nooo!!!” swallowed the rest quickly.

 “I'll get a towel.” Tom stood up rapid.

 “I do not need it!!” Darcy cried out into the kitchen and grabbed the rest of her lap by hand and slipped into her mouth. Hope was drinking when she was watching the show and she couldn't keep her laughter so the water found her way out of her nose.

 “You can bring me!!” said Hope and put her hand in front of her nose.

 When Hope successfully wiped her nose, Darcy ate the last bite of her clothes. Tom finally sat back. New theme came up.

 “Imagine Mr. Anderson Hope saw the Edward-eyed Jacob.” Darcy said.

 “This is not true.” Hope opposed.

 “Oh. Sure. You said you saw a yellow-eyed wolf. Edward had such a furi yellow eye. And Jackob is the werewolf.”

 “I'm sorry to intervene, but ... What is it? Who is Edward? And Jacob?” Thomas asked.

 “Twilight. Edward is a vampire. Jacob is a werewolf.” Hope helped his father. “I saw a yellow-eyed black wolf after the party. And now with this ....”

 “And nothing's wrong with you !?” the worried father stood up.

 “Nothing. It's just annoying now.”

 “Are you sure you have nothing to do with it? Didn't you bite or scratch it? Don't you feel dizzy? Don't you feel sick? We have been vaccinated against rabies.” she watched her daughter thoroughly.

 “No. It was far from me.” Hope looked at her girlfriend angrily. Who just stared at the living room, whistling.

 “Ok.” he sat back in place with Tom.

 “Tom. Can Darcy stay here?” waited for the answer from his father.

 “No. It is school tomorrow.” he forbidden.

 “But please …” Hope tried the puppy-eye.

 “Please Mr. Anderson.” Darcy joined.

 “No. Your mom wouldn't be happy.”

 “But whoever makes such a good meal can handle a woman in the house.” Darcy muttered.

 “Yes. And then we can see the Twilight.” Hope tried.

 “Aaaa .... Okay.” he left it.

 “This is it!!” the two girls hugged each other.

 “But in an hour, sleep.” he looked at his watch.

 “We have enough time to talk, about why Vampire Diaries are better than Twilight.” Darcy ran up. “Yeah. And hard-stops Teddy!”

 “Girls.” Tom muttered to himself

 *

 “WAKE-UP!!!” she hit Hope with her pillow.

 “Leave me.” she moaned as she was still awake.

 “Good.” Darcy stopped. “You wanted.” She went out into the bathroom with a glass of water, which she drank. Then she refilled.

 “WAKE UP!!!!!!” She poured on Hope.

 “Nooo!!!” the girl jumped up. “You're minger!” she threw her attacker with his pillow and finally lay back.

 “You're confuting your name. You're hopeless.” Darcy clasped her hand and stared at Hope. “Do you want to be late on the first day?” Tactics changed. “It's not a good impression.”

 “Counties.” Hope finally sat up from her bed.  “Now I can change bed linen.”

 “It'll hit her after school.” Darcy tugged at the girl with her arm.

 “But not. It will smell.” Hope protested.

 “Then we'll go into a convenience store and buy a car perfume.” Darcy said, “For sure there is a lazy odor.” she added.

 *

 The high school was huge. If Hope had gone 100% alone, she would have lost her. But fortunately (or not) Darcy was there.

 “That boy's washbasin, the girl, the ceremony, the lockers, the robe, the lockers here, the porter here, the light bulb there, the chemistry room, and the ceremony, here's my house, there's a poster.” she showed EVERYTHING.

 “Darc ... Darcy ... I can read. And I'm not blind.”

 “Yeah. Of course. There's a map there...” she gave the note next to her ear. “Here are the cups, pictures, awards, "Who can we be proud of "... Is that your dad?” She waved “Weird. Whatever. Watch out for "queens" on the horizon.”

 “Who...?” she looked up. Three girls from yesterday's party walked with them.

 “Look at the babes.” said the middle. “Here's the trash coughing.”

 Hope clenched her hands.

 “Say who has to put 2 kilo grams of makeup on her face to look good.” her girlfriend stood beside her. Darcy quickly hugged Hope, then hurried.

 “I hear you ran to them on the party.” Darcy said when they were out of earshot.

 “Yes. Back to the party. You talked a lot last night about Luke. But I learned everything except who he was.” Hope changed quickly.

 “Yeah. He's pure Edward.” Darcy waved.

 “Except his parents.” she continued the conversation. “Yes. Her parents are always traveling. They are almost never in town. I’m not overwhelmed by what is important to avoid his children.”

 “Children?” quoted Hope.

 “Yeah. Luken has a sister. Approximately 5 years younger than her. But nobody saw him on Luke and his old friends. Only He said.” she brought Hope into one of the halls.

 “And his buddy?” she cursed.

 “Liam? He's his best friend. They continue to hang together. It's like siamese twins.” she looked into the room. “Well, here. I'll introduce Hope Ann Anderson to this year's stump.”

 “Thanks.” she was seated.

 “I have no beautiful princess.” she leaned, and then she took her seat.

 *

 “Bye!” Hope to say goodbye her girlfriend after school.

 “Yes.” Darcy motioned back.

 Hope just giggles, then got into her car. She looked around and saw Luke. The boy waved her. But Hope pretended not to notice. She was still angry about the evening thing.

 When she got home she saw her father not in the house. She put down her schoolbag. Coming down she greeted Darcy on messenger. In response, she got a grinning cack. She smiled and went to the kitchen. She made Popcorn.

 As she looked out the window. The snow melted. The house garden wasn't big. The window looked at the terrace. Hope imagined she, Thomas, her mother and a very cute puppy playing in the garden. From her dream, the beep sounded. Hope poured the popcorn chew into a bowl.

 She opened the camera on her phone and launched the Midnight Sun on the TV. She took it and sent it to Darcy. Darcy sent three grave emojis and wrote, "I hate you". Hope knew Darcy loved that movie. Every time she watched at her, she cried herself.

 “I CAME HOME!!” Tom opened at half past six.

 “HELLO!!” She greeted him as she wrote the last word in her homework.

 Hope went down to greet his father.

 “Imagine having called the Diaz family. They're coming in two weeks.” he gave the news to him daughter.

 “Who?” Hope looked at Tom.

 “The Diaz family. My colleague. You have a 12 year old daughter. And a 20 year old boys. But he's in New York.” Tom explained.

 “I see.”

 “I thought you didn't know a little bit of getting acquainted. You know. Friends. And everything.”

 “I have a friend.” Hope looked puzzled her father. “Darcy. Are you forgot?”

 “No no. Of course not. Just tell you to get more.”

 “I am 17 years old. That girl is 12. You don't feel the difference?”

 “And? One of my buddies has 8 years of difference. Still, we understand each other.”

 “Of course. Because you're a guy.” Hope argued.

 “I don't understand the change.” Tom wondered.

 “We talk in a variety of ways.” Hope explained.

 “Yeah. About Twilight. True?”

 “That's Darcy. He's another topic.”

 “Why? Isn't she a woman?” Tom protested.

 “Not really. It is between the two.”

 They both laughed. Then Hope changed the subject. “Can we be a dog?”

 “What? No.” gave his unanimous answer to her father.

 “But why?” Hope didn't give up easily.

 “Just because.” her father began to wash.

 “This is not an answer.” Hope wrapped her arms around.

 “Complex. Feed, and soak. And deal with it.”

 “Yeah. Just like a baby.”

 “The baby is different.”

 “Oh really. He must be sniffed.” she got to her head.

 “Hope. No, and that's final. Maybe if he hadn't slept here yesterday, Darcy would have said yes.”

 “I'm replacing Darcy with a dog.” the girl gave up the debate. “Luckily, I didn't ask for the tattoo.” she rolled her eyes.

 “What!?” the plate came out of Tom's hand.

 “Nothing.” she ran up.

[noplceinheaven]

48. “Why are you crying?” + 71 “You’ve been drinking tonight, haven’t you?” angst…… but make it fashion. hamherc ? this is milo and i feel like im ordering in a drive through

hey milo its time for that sweet sweet hurt/comfort with the cliche trope of the hurricane fear w side panic attack. read it on AO3 if thats ur jam. here we go

Alexander was having a great night. He was a few drinks in, Lafayette and John had been exchanging those lovesick looks they always did, and his crush Hercules was talking about the pride parade he went to with John. He would’ve gone with them if he didn’t hate loud noise, which he knew the parade would be full of. He was scrolling mindlessly through Twitter, taking a sip of water to not get too drunk. He heard one of the other people in the bar start talking— he couldn’t pick up many phrases, but one he got was “well, the hurricane is going to hit…” and his mind went overdrive. 

He shoved his phone into his pocket. His eyes widened as he got up from his chair. All he could see was people dead on the shore of the island he was born in. And he thought that maybe it wouldn’t hit New York, but it didn’t matter, it didn’t matter because he’d still have to hear about people dying. Something was pressing at his throat and he couldn’t breathe. He sprinted to the bathroom— it smelled like vomit, and the odor made him dizzy. He headed to one of the stalls and shut the door. He gritted his teeth as he tried to calm his racing thoughts, because God, he wasn’t seventeen anymore, he should just get over this. But he couldn’t breathe and there were dots in his vision and he wanted to go somewhere where there were no hurricanes to be afraid of. “Alexander!” someone called. It sounded a lot like John. “Alexander, are you okay?” He let out a sob in response. He had been crying silently for a few minutes, but he sniffled anyway. “What’s wrong?”Footsteps came and he let himself open the door. It was Hercules— his eyes were wide and he took him into his arms. The smell of his cologne overwhelmed him. “Why are you crying, Alex? You alright?”He let out another sob. He was going to die on this island, there was going to be another hurricane and no way to stop it. His head hurt and Laurens and Lafayette and Hercules— they all would die and he’d die too, washed up onto the shore — “I’m —” he hiccuped, he knew he sounded ridiculous— “I’m sorry!”He hugged him closer. “It’s okay, Alex, just tell us what’s wrong.”“You’re going —” the words hurt to get out. His entire body was fuzzy like he wasn’t really there but in Nevis, water all across his sight. “You’re going to die —”Hercules pat his head and kissed his forehead. He kissed his forehead. He didn’t fully realize this, but his heart still swelled among his panic. “You’ve been drinking tonight, haven’t you?”“Yes, but that’s not— that’s not the point!” he sobbed harder. “You’re going to die just like my town did, and fuck, I don’t want you to, I love you too much to…” he left the sentence hanging. He realized he fucked up— he told Hercules he was into him while panicking. Oh, this was fucking marvelous. God. “Oh,” Hercules said, dumbly, realizing what was happening and almost not noticing the love confession in between. “Hurricane Irma won’t get anywhere close to NYC, Alex,” he said, pushing his fingers through his hair. “It’s just the Caribbean and Florida. We’ll be alright. None of us will die.”His mind still flashed scenes of them at the coastline, none breathing. Hercules kept talking to him, about the weather, and about how Lafayette kept muttering about how beautiful John was, and about how much he loved him and cared for him and — “Hold — hold the fuck up.”He said that out loud, didn’t he? Hercules was looking at him expectantly so he guessed he did. He buried his face into Hercules’ shirt and smiled against it. God, this was ridiculous. His heart was growing to be at a slower pace, and he could make out noise other than Hercules’ voice. “I love you,” Hercules muttered. His vision swam. But it didn’t matter, he had Hercules (and Lafayette and John) and they could— he could get through this. He didn’t feel there quite yet, but he still said, “I love you too.”Hercules helped him up (how long had he been in the floor?) and then took him out of the stall. “So, hurricane-related?” John asked, Lafayette at his side. They were holding hands, and Lafayette’s brows were furrowed with worry. “Mhm,” Hercules nodded. Alexander held his hand. The hurricane couldn’t hit them. They’d be alright. He took a deep breath and hugged John, to then have Lafayette and Hercules join in. The group hug was bone-crushing, and Alexander smiled. “Well, I’m glad you finally told me you like me,” he told him, smiling. “I don’t think…” he sucked in a breath, not knowing how to form words. He loved Hercules so much, but he had broken up with his last girlfriend not too long ago. He didn’t want to mess up his relationship with him, too. “I don’t think I’m ready to go steady with you, though.”“That’s alright,” Hercules said before kissing his hair. “Can I kiss you?” Alexander found himself clinging to him, his nails digging into Hercules’ shirt. He nodded vigorously like he’d never wanted anything more. And it was true, somewhat. Their noses bumped before Alexander moved his neck just right. He closed his eyes tight and let Hercules’ cologne, Hercules’ lips against his, Hercules’ hands on his lower back overwhelm him. He loved every part of Hercules, from how beefy he was to how kind he was. When they pulled away, Alexander’s heart rate wasn’t steady anymore. His love for Hercules overwhelmed him. “Can we post this on Snapchat?” Lafayette asked, an arm slung over John’s shoulder. “We got some really cute photos.”“Of course!” Hercules said at the same time Alexander went, “Maybe.” He turned to him and grinned. “Well?” Hercules asked. “Yeah, post it, I don’t care,” he muttered. He opened Lafayette’s Snapchat story to see a picture of them both kissing with the caption ‘congrats to these two lovebirds !!!’. Soon after, Eliza messaged Alexander with a bunch of heart emojis and just one word: ‘congratulations’. He smiled and pushed his phone back into his pocket. He threw an arm around Hercules’ shoulder and kissed his cheek. “Should we go back to the bar?” There was a man on the urinals looking at them, but he didn’t care right now. Two gay couples were being gay in his sight, and well, he’d have to just fucking deal with it.

Alexander fidgeted with his hands before saying, “Can any of you check if they’re still talking about hurricanes?”

“Sure,” Lafayette said. He went out of the bathroom and for a few seconds, they heard pacing. He came back later with a smile, “Nah, we’re good,” he said, a smile covering his factions.

“Thank you!” Alexander exclaimed, getting out of the bathroom and settling into one of the chairs. Lafayette took his jacket off, letting his shirt rumple up and the scars from bottom surgery are visible for a few seconds. He pushed the shirt down and smiled. “Well! Do you want another beer, Alex?”

“I certainly wouldn’t mind,” he replied. He was still sweaty from his panic attack, and his top surgery scars itched a little, but what could he do? Lafayette handed him a pint of beer and he downed it gratefully. “Thank you all.”

Putting his best Southern accent on, Hercules went, “It’s no problem, darlin’.”

“You sound like Jefferson, Herc.”

John eyed Alexander with a raised eyebrow. “Have you ever had Jefferson call you darlin’ before?”

“No!”

Hercules laughed, and the fear in Alexander’s heart settled.

[tales-from-exo-planet]

Lyon

Prelude to a Prelude

Inspired by this photo

Your heart was beating in time to the four on the floor rhythm beating inside your ear drums.

You’d been dancing so long that you were seeing stars.

The sweat pouring down your chest was making the top of your velvet jumpsuit top stick to you.

The crowd packed in around you two was adding to the heat pouring off your own body.

But luckily enough for you, Baekhyun also didn’t seem to mind.

He seemed both surprised and thrilled when you sent him a text letting him know that you’d won one of the golden tickets to his exclusive disco party that Friday night.

“Look forward to seeing the party you’re hosting this Friday. One of my last clients gifted me some tickets,” you texted him just before sitting down at your desk again.

Your latest client, a young heiress who you’d done a simple wedding shower for just the previous month dropped by to give you a thank you gift. In addition to the bouquet of poppies and produce basket with a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes and recipe recommendations, she’d slid the envelope of tickets for two that she’d won after calling into Baekhyun’s late night radio show the previous evening across your desk.

She smirked as she watched you open the envelope and try to contain your glee.

“I think this is the first party he’s advertised to fans on his show but I’ve heard Baekhyun throws quite the party and since you and I are of the same taste and enjoy a good time...I thought you might enjoy this party...and who knows you may get lucky in the process,” she winked as she slid her hip off of your desk where she’d propped herself up and bounced out of your office, her airy perfume trailing behind her as she went.

You smiled genially at her, nodding as if you saw this as just another task on your list of to do’s and followed her out to the door in order to close it behind her.

But once you closed it, you leaped in the air, pumping your arms and waving them in a silent rave before kissing the face of the envelope.

It pays to be good and do good work.

“It’s just supposed to be a couple of people. It’s a really exclusive party. Just some fans of his radio show of course and then some of his closest friends as well...it’s supposed to be at L’ambassade...real cozy you know...a disco party...what do you think?” You’d dialed your best friend _________ (Junmyeon’s girlfriend) immediately after your happy dance.

She hmmmmm’d for a long time before accepting your invitation.

“So you’re finally taking the plunge huh? You’re done with this coy game of hide and seek?” You could see her coquettish smile.

You gave a big sigh and rolled your eyes though you knew full well that she couldn’t see you as you opened your laptop and started scrolling through sites with outfits and pieces you could order for next day delivery.

“What? I’m just saying...you’ve both been asking around after each other….and it’s ridiculous because you run in similar social circles...he knows some of your professional contacts because they’re all in entertainment and in the public eye and you’ve done parties for them….it is beyond me why you haven’t introduced yourself to him...you’ve gone to a couple of his plays and talks...what’s the big deal…? How are you supposed to get closer to him unless he sees that you’re actually interested instead of just fan girling around like everyone else?” She asked, suddenly blowing out a steady stream of air. She must have been doing her nails.

“Are you off today? Is that why you have so much time to read me right now..?” You asked clicking a couple of items so that they appeared in your shopping cart.

“You know I’m right....how else did that heiress just happen to know that those most coveted tickets would be exactly what you’d want as far as gifts go…? You must have been sleep walking and talking about him in your dreams again…” she chuckled and you blew a raspberry at her.

She was right.

You had a little bit of a crush.

And you weren’t so open mouthed about it but even without you saying anything your crush was obvious.

Since he’d been invited to the New Year’s Eve party you hosted for one of your clients only months before you’d kept up with his radio show a mixture between both a talk and FM radio radio station similar to what he’d kept up throughout high school and in college.

The more you listened to his show, the more you learned about other projects he’d been involved in over the years; voice overs for TV shows, commercials and some small films as well as coming from out behind the mic to star in plays and musicals in town.

He’d hipped you and possibly some in his audience to some plays and films you’d never heard of before because of his involvement in them and you appreciated the level of depth in the discussions he hosted and participated in on his show. A self-proclaimed pacifist, he was not afraid to bring in diverse perspectives to educate and invigorate his listening audience.

On your lunches in the afternoon and even sometimes after work in the evenings you’d go down to the theater to watch his performance in a play and you’d regale your best friend ________ (Junmyeon’s girlfriend) for hours on end about the performance and what you thought about it and how he’d portrayed his character and the deeper meaning of the plot that you’d gathered from his contribution and on and on.

“I don’t understand why you don’t just approach him instead of keeping things going over text..? He knows you exist…” she would shake her head as she listened to you.

And that was also true.

You’d bumped into each other time and again after that first meeting at that New Year’s Eve party.

Following the dimming of his spell over his captive audience, your client introduced everyone standing in the circle to each other and you’d watched as Baekhyun kept his eyes on you throughout your introduction and raised his glass to compliment you for such a well planned out party.

He’d asked for your information so that if he was interested in hosting a party in the future he would have access to your services and though he never called on you to host a party, you did keep in touch casually, keeping each other abreast with the social goings on here and there.

“He’s been asking about you too I’ve heard….” _____ (Junmyeon’s girlfriend) would tell you from time to time which only brought you more glee.

From other friends and professional acquaintances you heard that he asked about you too.

Where you grew up and who your family was and how long you’d been in the area and where you went to school and little details like that.

Just casually.

For the both of you it was a slow process of warming up to the moment you would actually meet and talk and get to know one another face to face.

Though you were falling in love with the details of his cosmic makeup, adoring each fragment of the constellation that made him who he was, you felt you had to be closer, to “touch” him in order to know him as you wanted to.

Everything sounded good but would it feel good too?  

It was hard to explain.

“I kind of like the chase though….please tell me you’ll come. I don’t think I can go on my own…” you begged of her and made you wait once again for her acceptance.

After informing her of the dress code detailed on the invitation and hanging up with her, you invested yourself entirely in finding the perfect shoes for the night out.

You did have plenty to choose from in your closet but somehow it felt like you needed something new that you hadn’t tried just yet.

If nothing tickled your fancy then of course you had old standards you swore by….but it didn’t hurt to look.

And at the buzz of your cell phone just underneath your wrist anchored above it on the keypad of your laptop, you felt a slight dizzying rush of anxiety and elation to see his name appear in your notifications.

Quickly you swiped at the home screen to read his message, your movements greedy and impatient.

“Glad to hear that you’re coming. I’ll add your name to the guest list for VIP. Feel free to bring a friend along.”

There were no emojis or exclamation points so there was nothing to go on which made you feel slightly deprived of any indication of sincere interest or robotic formal pleasantries.

But as _______ (Junmyeon’s girlfriend) said, it was time to take the plunge and come from the shadows of your adoration whether you were rejected or not.

“I thought this was supposed to be a ‘couple’ of people,” your best friend, _______ (Junmyeon’s girlfriend) asked you as she eyed the line of people waiting to get in when you first arrived.

You shrugged, smiling cleanly at the bouncer who seemed to recognize you the moment he saw you.

“Mr. Byun’s guests are in the VIP booths. Your booth has been reserved,” he nodded to you, stepping aside to allow you in.

The fragrant air beckoned both you and your best friend forward, shimmying in time to the beat as you made your way to your designated booth.

“I’ve never seen the L’Ambassade like this….” you breathed as you took in the place.

“Oh? You like what he’s done with the place then?” Your best friend asked you, smirking as she beckoned the waiter.

He had even asked the staff to step it up a little bit and wear not just their casual, ashen thousand times washed black but the eclectic colors and patterns and fabrics of the disco scene.

It was as if you’d been transported back to the late 60’s and early 70’s of your mother’s era.

All of the elements of a true disco adorned the entire structure of the building and its furnishings.

Every light in the place shimmered and glistened over the body of every person in the room.

Their puffy metallic sleeves and sequined waists and belled legs and platform ankles.

Glitter was in everyone’s hair and on their skin.

It was breathtaking.

“What do you think?” You asked her, breathing in the scent of your full bodied wine after the waiter made it back to your table.

She smirked into her limoncello, “I’m waiting to see what the man of the hour is like. Who is it that’s been having you grinning like everyday is the first day of summer? As if the sun is always shining on you.”

And the man of the hour appeared as if she summoned him.

He’d been at the DJ booth and at the bar, working his way through the crowd of people gathered to share his air for the evening.

You’d spotted him since you both arrived, and kept your eye trained to him though you’d respectfully glance away whenever he turned his eyes towards you.

You kept your breathing even and in time to the shower of lights washing over the crowd, exhaling at each new color as you noticed him coming closer and closer and closer until he was upon you.

“Hello,” he said as soon as he appeared and you said it back after placing your wine gently on the table.

“This is my best friend, ______ (Junmyeon’s girlfriend),” you said gesturing to her and she waved at him. You kept your voice low, refusing to shout over the music and he leaned into you to hear you speak clearly, giving you a full bodied sample of the earthy cologne he was wearing. The musk of it had you spinning.

The music, an eclectic mix of disco, funk and salsa fit for the dancing occasion had everyone on the floor.

You were itching to go too but you wanted to wait on him.

Would he invite you to dance?

He was grinning even though his teeth weren’t showing.

His eyes were lit up every time he caught you looking at him.

But he tried to play it off, dropping eye contact with you and biting his lips.

“So glad you came,” he smiled at you, licking his lips as if he was thirsty.

“She loves what you’ve done with the place,” your best friend said, raising her glass to him.

He laughed aloud, delighted. It was such a throaty, lusty sound. Mmm. But he did admit that while the party was his idea, he had employed an event planner to handle all of the finer details.

You were a little disappointed that he hadn’t asked you for your help exclusively but figured you were no better for not approaching him after attending one of his plays to congratulate him on another job well done.

You exchanged a couple pleasantries after that, though it was useless considering the cheers of the crowd and the volume of the music.

He was so handsome, in his striped button down shirt, with an accompanying belted dark velvet blazer and dress pants.

He was part of the scene and emitted a spirit that to you was more than anything anyone could understand.

He was both here and so very far removed.

You were all his guests and perhaps figurines in the playground he’d constructed.

Baekhyun hadcreated the scene; asking this person and that one to bring their talents and energies to add to the array.

And you’d been surveying his crowd of ‘just a couple’ people to see just who exactly he wanted to ‘have a good time’ with.

While your best friend hadn’t said anything about the crowd, you knew what she would say.

“Would you like to dance? You look like you’re about ready to bounce out of your seat,” Baekhyun whispered to you.

You looked up at him, seeing him do his best to keep his eyes on yours.

You stood, showing him what your answer was.

With your eyes no longer being level, he took the opportunity to take you in, smiling innocently up at you as if he still wasn’t sure what your answer was.

“I’ve been ready to dance,” you said, nodding to your friend who again rose her glass in your direction.

You didn’t bother to stop and wait for Baekhyun to follow.

By the time you descended to the dance floor, you could tell he was behind you by the way the crowd parted before you.

You felt the rhythm pulsing through, and you writhed, shimmying your shoulders this way and that.

Their eyes were all on you, and they were watching you as you had watched them watch him.

From the whispers you heard amongst your own professional associates, Baekhyun was definitely well respected. He seemed to collect good opinions like an olden gardener collected promising seeds from the pods of grown flowers for their flower garden.

While he was unassuming, not pulling you towards him to dance with him alone and allowing you space but not necessarily pretending like he didn’t want to be by your side exclusively, you figured out his game quickly.

It was one you’d played and it was old as they came.

What will this person do?

Will they dance with another?

Will they cling to me?

What will this person do?

So you danced, not to show off or to make his admirers or any admires that you ensnared jealous and hungry for your blood.

You danced because you came to enjoy the night just like he intended. You were free.

And he danced beside you, goofily mimicking the dance moves of others he spied nearby. The way he went about it, smoothly transitioning from coolly dancing in time to playfully copying the less coordinated moves of the dancers beside you both, had your attention.

You obliged him, laughing as you came up with your own silly dance moves that he reciprocated until you were more or less battling.

And though the heat warded off many of his and your admirers pressing in around you both, some of them pushing at you very obviously so that they may have their chance beside him, you danced in time and weren’t dismayed in the slightest, you even allowed them to move past you to have their moment with him, tossing your hair back from your face and lifting it from your shoulders, turning this way and that, letting your hips glide up and down, the roll of your body starting from the heart of your chest and following a sensual slow to pattern to the seat of your pelvis.

The heat, the sweat pooling around your neck and within the slip of your cleavage, felt like a breath of fresh air to you.

Raising your arms above your head, swaying your hips from side to side, tossing your head up and back, letting the lights shower you and baptize you, you felt driven by the pulse of this atmosphere.

And in time you felt the depth of the crowd thinning, and opening your eyes you saw that it was as if it was just you and him out there. All else had been shaken off. 

And Baekhyun was very much focused.

The innocent veil he’d feigned had lifted from his eyes and the delicateness of his features, his lips, his eyes, his hands, his mouth and frame were no longer soft to your eyes but alluring. His body was undulating in time with yours as you two faced one another, his hips moving in opposing, harmonious motion.

You gave an opened mouth sigh biting the puff of your bottom lip at the start of the burn you felt rippling through you signaling that the fevered activity of your muscles was slowly starting to wear you down. But you let even that sensation propel you on for one more song, one more dance.

He gave his own wince, mirroring your expression deliciously.

Without touching your hips, his hands framing you, Baekhyun guided you in a slow sensuous circle and kept his eyes on you turning just a little so that he could see you at every angle.

And then suddenly Baekhyun stopped in place as the fervent passion of the music began to die down and reached a lithe hand out to you, to lead you away.

He led you out the door and you realized as you left the dance club after a quick glance up to the VIP booths that your best friend was already gone from your table, another group of Baekhyun’s guests had taken your spots, raising their glasses to each other for a toast.

Had she ditched…..?

Or had they somehow signaled to one another that it was time to go unbeknownst to you….?

She was outside waiting for you both and waved to greet you, holding up her lit phone with its light shining brightly to signal you both over.

“We’re going already…?” You asked her the moment you came to a stop in front of her.

“You wanted to grab some dinner right…?” She asked you quietly when Baekhyun’s phone chimed suddenly and he stepped to the side to answer it.

“Yea….did you…? Did you signal him to leave…?” You asked, careful not to stare at him as he laughed into the phone. His voice seemed different. A little lower than you usually remembered hearing him.

“Yea...I just waved like I did as you guys were coming out and came out here to wait. You haven’t eaten and neither have I….plus you have those clients tomorrow...you told me to make sure we didn’t stay too long….or were you having such a good time,” she simpered as she watched you roll your eyes.

“You’re right thanks….” You sighed, fussing with your hair that was sticking to the back of your neck.

“So he’s a hell of a dancer,” she nudged you in the rib and you nodded, turning over your shoulder a little bit to look at Baekhyun. He seemed to be getting off of the phone. His eyes were on you as he was saying goodbye.

“Do you want me to come up with a reason to leave…? So you two can….get some takeout?” She winked and you would’ve smacked some sense into her if Baekhyun hadn’t been closing in at that moment.

“Stay,” you whispered, quite annoyed at how obviously she was hinting at the chemistry she felt you two had judging from your close dancing on the dance floor just moments ago.

But a dance was just a dance.

It didn’t mean anything.

Hell you’d danced through your school days with any number of friends and people you did not end up going home with no matter how steamy it was.

It was enough for you to just….live in the moment of experiences that you felt made you human. The moments that made you feel alive.

Plus you still weren’t sure what his intentions were.

He wasn’t exactly laying the charm on too thick.

But he wasn’t exactly giving you the brush off either.

Anything you’d like to do seemed to have to be suggested by you.

He wasn’t exactly one for initiative.

He seemed to like when you set the pace.

But everything felt thrown out of whack with what just happened moments ago.

Just what was his game here….?

“Your place is nearby right?” _______ (Junmyeon’s girlfriend) suddenly asked you as Baekhyun neared you both and you nodded though you cocked an eye at her like “really? He knows we’re friends. Best friends. Of course you should know that I live around here. That’s going to seem weird” but quickly composed yourself to look at Baekhyun.

“Are you planning to leave your own party?” You asked as he stepped closer to you. He shivered a little bit as if he was suddenly freezing.

He wiped a stray curl that must have been pasted with sweat to your forehead.

In fact, he kept smoothing your hair until it framed your face as it had before.

Anything to maintain the heat of that moment?

Were you coming down too fast?

He looked back at the sign of L’Ambassade, and you could both hear the roar of his guests from inside as if they were calling him back.

“Well...what were you two going to be up to?” He asked, casting his gaze away from the club as if he hadn’t invested quite a bit of money in hosting this event.

“Well, there’s always this one spot that’s open. We could always get a pie and some dessert. Maybe stay in and watch...oh my goodness what was that film you wanted to watch?” Your best friend asked you as she rifled through her purse looking for her car keys.

She looked as if she had been waiting outside all day, like she hadn’t been in the bullpen with you.

But you blushed as she mentioned the movie now.

You’d just displayed your most hedonistic, your most uninhibited self.

How could you bring back your most dreamy, innocent, wistful side..?

It would ruin the mood.

“Ah...another time…?” You almost breathed but she remembered the movie.

“Ever After right? I haven’t seen it yet, have you? It’s one of her favorites,” she whispered to Baekhyun as she beckoned him towards the car.

He followed behind her, but stopped suddenly when he noticed you were still rooted in place and asked, “no I haven’t. It’s something you like?”

“Yes….it’s one of those Cinderella stories you know? Something to unwind to…” You said as you all gathered in her car.

“You like Princes huh?” He asked, fitting himself into the car beside you.

Your best friend purposefully placed all of your coats in the front seat.

“I like the stories….you know. We all did when we were young,” you said as she pulled away from the parking space.

It was no more than a daydream to you but to him the mere mention of that childhood story seemed like a dream he had faithfully every night and a dream he hoped to realize and share with another. 

Maybe. 

Someday. 

Sometime. 

Once upon a time.

Once upon a dance.