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jeysbvck · 3 years

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The Bet - Adrian Chase x Reader

Masterlist

A/N: hi guys i'm back with another Adrian fic! I've been rewatching Brooklyn 99, and this was inspired by Jake and Amy's bet in the first season (1x13). I have an idea for part 2, so if you'd be interested in that please, let me know! As always, my requests are open, I promise I will get around to them! If you want to be added (or taken off) my taglist, please let me know.

Warnings: language, violence, sex is mentioned but no smut (that will come if part 2 happens!)

Word Count: 2.5k

Taglist: @vigilvntes @neptuneswritingwork @aprilfire18 @themartiansdaughter @sunflowerfive @lindenvale @myguiltypleasures21 @rosescovenwrites @likedovesinthewnd @ladamari68

Summary: You and Adrian make a bet during a drunk night out.

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

You stared at the whiteboard in horror.

Vigilante: 148

Y/N: 146

Shit.

You were going on a date with Adrian fucking Chase.

It all started six months ago, when, during a team building exercise, which was only an excuse to get drunk at the bar, you and Adrian had ended up in an argument over who had killed the most people. At first, it was over him calling the shitty car he drove the Vigilante-mobile, but it had veered into the usual direction of competition.

"I was killing bad guys way before I joined this team." Adrian said, pride oozing from every pore.

"Do you think you're the only person who was a murderer before the team?" You scoffed.

"No, I just know I've killed more people than you."

"Adrian, you know nothing about me."

"I don't need to know anything, I know how many people I've killed and I know you haven't beaten that."

Before you could respond, Emilia slammed her fists on the table. Adrian mimed a zipping gesture at his lips while you rolled your eyes.

"I just want one night, one night when we don't need to put up with whatever this shit is between you two!" Emilia sighed. "You need to sort it out."

"Just make a bet." Chris suggested.

"A bet?" You questioned. "What kind of bet?"

"Like, whoever fucking kills the most people wins." Chris said, with a shrug.

"What? So we just kill random people? Like, just fucking murdered everyone in here right now?" Adrian asked, unsheathing his knife from, well you actually had no idea where it came from.

"Yeah sure, why not?" Chris shrugged again, taking a sip of his beer.

"Seriously?" John retorted, shocked. "Harcourt, you're going to let this happen?"

"Obviously they're not going to kill innocent people, John." Emilia sighed, glaring at Adrian, who put his knife on the table. "But, it does seem to be the best way to finally put an end to this ridiculous argument."

"Besides, it's not like they're gonna fuck any time soon." Chris added, making you splutter on the mouthful of beer you had. You made eye contact with Leota, who raised her eyebrow at you as she smirked, knowingly.

"I am completely okay with seeing if fucking works!" Adrian said, making your cheeks burn.

"How about the Vigilante-mobile?" Chris offered.

"Wait, what?" Adrian exclaimed, staring at Chris with horror, who just gave him a look that screamed trust me, which made Adrian bite his lip and smile.

"The Sebring?" You paused. You knew Chris was cooking something up, just from the look he gave Adrian, but your competitiveness was too strong to ignore. "Sure, it'd be pretty fun to watch it blow up."

You smirked as Adrian stared at you, the horrified look on his face back. "Well, what if I win?" He quickly asked.

"If Adrian wins, he gets a date." Chris replied, shooting a quick wink at Adrian, who laughed loudly.

You frowned as the group collectively giggled like school children. "Are you fucking serious?" You asked Chris. "You want me to pimp myself out over a bet?"

"Why not? You don't have to fuck him." Chris smirked.

"Although that can definitely be arranged." John replied, proudly as he got a huge laugh from everyone but you.

"You're gonna win, so it doesn't matter." Leota said to you, encouragingly.

"Ugh, fine." You replied, ignoring Adrian's smug grin as you shook on it.

So that was how you were roped into a bet. A bet that frankly, you had no right agreeing to. You allowed your weird feelings for Adrian to cloud your judgement, the weird need to always beat him. You weren't like this with anyone else, if anyone else made a comment, it just rolled off your back. But when Adrian did it, you had this urge, this need to prove him wrong. Like you needed him to see how good you were.

It wasn't even as if you disliked Adrian, because you didn't. Far from it. When everyone else was annoyed by his stories, you weren't. When you and Adrian were partnered on missions, you trusted him to have your back, sometimes you didn't need words to know what the plan was, just looks and silent gestures. But most of all, he made you laugh. Which is something you hadn't done a whole lot of, until you met him. He just brought out this side of you, a side you didn't even know you had.

On the final mission before the end of the bet, you had never seen Adrian concentrate so hard. You were both on 146 kills, and he was not playing around. Usually he was so chill, humming to himself or asking about dinner plans as he went on a murderous spree, but since the bet he had been silent, his tongue peeking out slightly from between his lips as he focused. You couldn't help but keep glancing over at him, the look on his face was somewhat animalistic, like he would do anything to win this date with you. It stirred something inside you, a feeling that you didn't like, and so you told him you should split up, to cover more ground.

You should've seen the two butterflies way before you did, but you were blinded by your desire to prove yourself by winning. Too caught up in wanting to win to get rid of this feeling. Which is why it was so easy for the man and woman to catch you off guard and attack you. While you lay waiting for your demise; the woman inches from your face ready to take the final shot and the man watching on, waiting, you couldn't believe you'd let yourself get caught like this. That this was how you were going to die.

Then Adrian came out of nowhere and took them both out in a matter of seconds. He dropped to his knees in front of you and helped you sit up, worry etched across his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his hand on your cheek as he checked your injuries. His touch was as light as a feather, barely there, but it set fire to your skin. Your breath caught in your throat, so you just nodded. He stood up and helped you up, waiting for you to stand on your own.

"Thank you." You breathed. He shrugged, before flashing you a lopsided grin.

"I think this means I win."

Now you were sat in fucking Fennel Fields, on a fucking date with Adrian. A date that Adrian had planned. You had absolutely no idea what to expect from this night, but it didn't surprise you that it started here.

"Adrian, have you been on a date before?" You asked. You had been here for half an hour and he hadn't said a word, which wasn't like him at all.

"Of course I've been on dates before! I've been on plenty of dates thank you, and they all ended up with us fucking." Adrian said. You raised your eyebrow at him and he started to scramble over his words. "Not that we're going to fuck, not at all. Although, if you want to fuck me then that's fine by me. I completely consent to that."

Your whole body stiffened as you tried to block out the thoughts of what that would be like. "I need a drink." You groaned.

"Yes, drinks, let's do that." Adrian nodded. He stood up and waved frantically, until one of the waitresses made her way over. Adrian ordered two beers amidst some awkward coworker small talk, then he turned his attention back to you.

"So do you bring all your dates to your place of work, or just the fake ones?" You asked him.

"Wait, is this not a real date?"

"Adrian, we're only on this date because you won a bet. What part of that screams that this is a real date?" You replied, your eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Oh right, yeah. Well-" He paused as the waitress brought the drinks over. "We'll have two bowls of mozzarella sticks please, Becky."

"Seriously Adrian? It's Beth." The waitress sighed, before waltzing off.

"What?" Adrian asked, noticing the look of shock on your face. "Oh Beth? It's fine, between you and me, she has a crush on me."

"Yeah, okay." You said. It wasn't that you didn't believe anyone could have a crush on Adrian, but you didn't really get that from the limited interaction you just witnessed.

Anyway, back to this being a fake date." Adrian started. "Would you have gone on a real date with me? Because Chris said that-"

Adrian was interrupted again by Beth, who practically slammed a bowl of mozzarella sticks in front of you. She glared at you, before she rolled her eyes and sighed. Huh, maybe she did have a crush on Adrian. The thought of it annoyed you, really annoyed you, but you brushed the feeling off, yet again.

After devouring the mozzarella sticks and answering Adrian's million questions as vaguely as you could, Adrian had decided it was time to move onto the next part of the date. You tried to get any small detail out from him about what was, but he wouldn't budge. As you walked across the parking lot to the Sebring, your phone rang, Harcourt's personalised ringtone echoing out.

"Hey Harcourt, what's going on?"

"How's the date going? Are you in love yet?"

"Please keep going, I'd love to tell Adrian all about that dream you had and you know he'll tell-"

"Shut the fuck up." Emilia warned and you laughed, loudly, ignoring Adrian's inquisitive look. "Listen, I need you to do some recon. I know it's last minute but we just got a lead."

"We're on it, text me the details."

You hung up and turned to Adrian. "Dates over, we've got work to do."

***

You felt ridiculous, sat in Adrian's Sebring, while he was wearing his full Vigilante suit, minus the mask, and you were in jeans and a top. You had told him, many times, he didn't need to be suited up for a recon mission, but he insisted.

"Can I ask you something?" Adrian asked, handing you the binoculars.

"I guess."

"Was this the worst date?"

"No, that would be the guy whose mother was hiding a few tables over, in full disguise."

"His mom?!"

"Yep. She kept texting him, telling him what to say, asking me questions about marriage and shit."

“That's tragic." Adrian chuckled, earning a loud laugh from you.

“Yeah well, it’s not like I can date the normal way anymore, and I’m beginning to realise that literally anybody could be a butterfly.”

"That's true, Chris fucked a butterfly." Adrian said.

"Of course he did." You scoffed.

"In his defense, he didn't know she was a butterfly until after."

"Shush, look over there!" You hissed, pointing towards the warehouse. You both slouched into the car seats, keeping an eye on the butterflies as they drove a truck into the warehouse, before closing the shutters over. You looked over at Adrian, who had already pulled his mask over his face. "Come on, we should get a closer look."

You both crept up to the warehouse, and you couldn't help but wonder how ridiculous this sight must look. You were dressed in your casual clothes, with two guns in your waistband and a knife taped around your ankle, while Adrian was in his full Vigilante gear. The streets were poorly lit, but it wasn't enough to be able to blend into the darkness. Surprisingly, you managed to get up to the warehouse without a problem, and you both peered in through the window.

You counted 5, maybe 6 butterflies, as they watched huge vats of their liquid be loaded up into trucks. You glanced at Adrian, who was already looking at you.

"So, what do we do?" He questioned. "Shouldn't we just go in and kill them all?"

"I mean, I guess so? Harcourt said it was just recon, but if we have a chance to get rid of these now, we should, right?"

"Right. Let's do this." He replied as he stood up, pulling his guns out.

"Wait, we need to make a-" You started, but Adrian smashed the window and jumped through it before you could stop him. "Plan." You sighed.

You followed him, and watched as he expertly killed 3 of the butterflies with ease. You knew he could handle himself, and you also found it quite hypnotic, the way he moved as he went on his spree. The way he flipped and dipped, the way his suit tightened in certain places…

You caught the human puppet coming at you just in time, and you ducked, pulling your knife from your jeans as you did. You stabbed the guy in the chest and watched as he dropped to the floor.

"Um, a little help please?" You heard Adrian yell from across the room, two men kicking him as he lay on the floor. You grabbed your gun and stalked towards them, taking the shot as you did. You hit the first guy right in the neck, and he dropped to the floor with a loud thud. The guy grabbed Adrian from the ground, ready to use him as a shield, and you fired the gun quickly, hitting him in the back. The guy went limp against Adrian as they both fell.

You sprinted towards Adrian, your heart in your stomach as you prayed the bullet didn't go right through the guy. You fell on your knees and pushed the body off Adrian, who was lay on his stomach, eyes closed, face bloodied.

"Adrian? Are you okay?"

You rolled him onto his back and pushed his curls out of his face. His eyes shot open as he stared into your soul.

"I'm okay." He replied, and you smiled, exhaling the breath you didn't realise you were holding. You stood up and offered him your hand, which he instantly accepted. Once you had pulled him up however, he refused to let go, but you didn't mind, your hands were cold anyway. You chuckled lightly, realising that this mission slightly mirrored the mission that won Adrian the bet.

"What's so funny?" Adrian questioned, his brows furrowed together as you walked back to the car.

"Nothing," you replied with a shake of your head, "we're just even now."

"Right, I saved your life, you saved mine." Adrian pondered. "However, I still won the bet."

"Hm, it was a fluke." You said. "So, what do we do now?"

"We could also revisit the 'having sex' clause of the bet." Adrian grinned as you both climbed into the car.

"Not this time. I never fuck on the first date." You said absentmindedly, pulling your phone out and dialling Emilia's number.

"So, there's gonna be a next time? That can be right now. We could go back to Fennel Fields, or we could…"

"Maybe, Adrian…"

You rolled your eyes affectionately at Adrian, ignoring his insane ramblings as you spoke to Emilia, the thought of a real date with Adrian on the forefront of your mind.

Maybe a next time wouldn’t be the worst thing.

#adrian chase x reader #vigilante x reader #adrian chase #adrian chase fic #vigilante #vigilante fic #peacemaker #peacemaker fic #my creations*

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chickenfics · 2 years

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Team ‘Weekend Trip to Asgard’

Relationship: Loki x Fem!reader (SFW)

Summary: When Bruce invited you to a quick weekend getaway, you’d hardly expected your destination to be Asgard. Just like you’d hardly expected to be accompanied by two gods – one of whom you’re convinced hates your guts. But who would have thought that the God of Mischief has a thing for flowers, a talent for reciting Shakespeare, and knowledge of all the best places for stargazing? Certainly not you.

But in a weekend filled with sunny fields and boisterous feasts, with accidental skinny dipping and drunken magic tricks, you would begin to realize all the different ways Loki could surprise you.

Word count: 8.5k

A/N: I work with horses as my real-life job (lol), so apologies for all the random and unimportant horse facts in this chapter, I just couldn't help myself. Also I'm convinced Loki is a horse girl, sooooo... Content warning: talk of shitty parents, some mildly suggestive themes, take a shot every time you read the word 'dick' (just kidding, don't do that lol)

Also on Ao3

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Chapter 8

You couldn’t have been asleep for very long. In fact, you swore you’d just nodded off when someone was tugging on your shoulder. It took your body a minute to even register the touch, considering how desperately you were trying to regain your sleep, but after that minute, you couldn’t ignore it any longer.

Blinking your eyes open, you were startled to find a certain God of Mischief staring at you from a few inches away.

“What the--”

“Sh, shhhh sh,” he put a finger to his lips, then reached out as if he was going to do the same to you but decided against it.

“Get up -- come on. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Oh Lord,” you muttered as he helped -- more like dragged -- you to your feet. “Why am I suddenly afraid.”

“What, you are?” he stopped, seeming a bit wounded.

“No, Loki,” you sighed, smiling weakly. “Just-- what time is it, anyway?”

“Mm, an hour or so before sunrise. What’s that got to do with anything?”

“I don't know… What’s the surprise?”

“Oh, right. Come on, come on,” he once again began guiding you out of bed.

“Wait -- oof, Loki,” you pulled back, nearly falling over as your dress tangled up around your legs. “Shouldn’t I maybe change first?”

Loki straightened up, scanning you from head to toe before biting back a smirk.

“Yeah probably. We don’t need any additional reasons for your already poor mobility to be inhibited.”

“Okay, it is way too early for all of… that,” you waved a hand at him, and Loki opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to throw you over his shoulder or something.

Thankfully, he didn’t.

“Do you mind maybe…” you gestured towards the door.

“Oh. Yes, of course. Don’t go back to bed, though. I’m trusting you.”

“Yeah yeah, alright. Just, give me a damn minute, okay?”

Loki huffed, but he was having an increasingly hard time keeping a straight face as he ducked around the curtain. You couldn’t help but notice how he carefully arranged it so it was covering the doorway before stepping aside.

Shaking your head fondly, you changed and grabbed your canvas bag, assuming you wouldn’t be coming back to the palace any time soon.

Between getting up so quickly and all you’d had to drink last night, you could feel a headache starting at your temples. Loki must not have worked his magic like last time.

You mentioned as much when you joined him outside your room.

“No Loki hangover cure this morning?” You joked, rubbing your aching temple and trying to clear the fuzziness from your eyes.

“Oh right, nearly forgot about that,” Loki replied, and then without warning, he reached forward and grabbed your head between his hands.

Green tendrils of magic filled your peripheral, and after a quick buzzing sensation, all traces of your headache were gone. Before you even had a chance to react, Loki removed his hands from your head and flashed a quick, toothy smile.

“Now, where were we? Are you ready? We really should be going…”

“Yep, lead the way,” you sighed, wondering what you were getting into.

You’d never seen Loki this… excited? You’d seen him impatient when you’d all first arrived on Asgard, and he’d been distinctly moodier than he was right now. No, this seemed more like excitement than anything else, though the impatience was certainly still there.

That was evident enough by the way you had to practically run to keep up with him and his long-ass legs. But once you’d reached the front doors to the castle, Loki slowed so you could catch up with him. Waiting until you were by his side, he held out an arm.

When you glanced up at him, completely at a loss, he must have seen it on your face as he rolled his eyes dramatically.

“This is the part where you take my arm, darling.”

“But… I… wh--”

“Oh, just do it, would you,” Loki muttered. It was supposed to sound annoyed, but you weren’t fooled. “You’re about to walk through Asgard with a prince. This is how we do things. It’s just a formality.”

“Really?” You skeptically replied as you laid your hand in the crook of his bent elbow. “Because it feels like you’ve just asked me to marry you or something.”

“Please,” Loki scoffed as the two of you headed for the steps.

“Hey! What, am I that bad?”

“No,” Loki quickly insisted, eyes widening slightly in what you assumed was internal panic. “That’s not what I meant, I just… oh, I don’t know, I…”

“Okay,” you reassured him, moving closer so you could nudge your arm against his. “Don’t hurt yourself. It’s no big deal.”

“Hmm,” he sighed, but there was relief hidden behind his defensiveness. You could tell.

Rubbing his arm in a quick gesture of reassurance, he led you past the guards, who gave friendly nods -- which Loki did not reciprocate, so you had to do enough for the both of you -- and out into the streets of Asgard.

You noticed an immediate switch. One might have thought he looked especially disinterested, maybe even relaxed, but you could feel how tense he was. His eyes wandered building to building, scanning down every alleyway, peering into every hidden nook. It was like he was certain that someone was after him.

You couldn’t understand, as you’d just passed through here yesterday and everyone had seemed friendly enough. But you supposed that, for Loki, it was different. He did have a bit of a reputation in Asgard. Why hadn’t you considered that before? With as much as Earth hated him, you wondered if the people of Asgard also had some conflicting thoughts on the prince. Or ex-prince, technically.

It made you sad. Loki had been kind to you. Sure, you knew that he’d done some not-so-great things in the past, but it wasn't fair for him to not have somewhere he could be shown love and understanding. Everybody needed that -- even Loki, though you probably couldn’t have tortured the admission out of him if you tried.

It was unfortunate that he didn’t have a place where he could just be seen as himself in this present moment and not the person he used to be.

Lost in your thoughts as you were, you hardly paid attention to where the god was leading you. Which was probably why you didn’t notice when the houses began to thin, or the appearance of wide open, fenced-in fields stretching in the distance.

That is until Loki stopped next to you.

You glanced over at him first and then turned to get a look at your surroundings. You were outside the most beautiful-looking stable you’d ever seen in your life. Not that you’d seen a lot of stables, but still; this one was certainly the nicest -- probably that you’d ever see.

“Loki…” you hesitantly started, voice already tinged with excitement. “What are we doing here?”

But he didn’t get a chance to answer before a tall, stocky woman was making her way through the double doors of the building.

“Your Majesty,” she gave a quick, fairly informal bow before grinning up at him. “It is good to see you back. How long’s it been? Months?”

“Lady Ingunn,” Loki smiled. “I haven't the slightest. You know how time works differently on Midgard.”

“Well, no matter. It’s been too long,” she replied, and Loki gave a nod of agreement.

Then, with a wave of her hand, she gestured for the two of you to follow her back towards the stable.

“The horses you requested are ready for you. They’re eager to get going, I’m sure. Anyhow, they won’t be needed back until tonight. I trust you’ll take good care of them,” she passed a wink over her shoulder, and Loki smiled faintly.

“Yes, of course. They couldn’t be in better hands,” he replied.

You had no idea what was going on.

You’d never seen polite Loki before, and it was certainly a sight. But you supposed that charm was Loki’s whole thing, so it shouldn’t be exactly surprising; it was just… different. You could see how Loki would be able to talk his way out of -- or into -- any situation he so desired.

The woman -- Ingunn, as Loki had referred to her -- pulled open the wide barn doors. She took one, pushing it in the opposite direction, and you jumped to push the other. Turning back around, she smiled at you.

“Thank you,” she nodded, then led the way into the dimly lit stable.

The inside was roomy, with a wide aisle and big stalls lining either side. A few of them were occupied by horses, just as big as the ones you had ridden across the Bifrost, who were eating lazily or dozing off.

In the middle of the aisle, two horses were tied to rings along the wall, elegant saddles on their backs. Immediately you noticed that one of the horses was black, much like the one you’d ridden your first night on Asgard.

“Is that?”

“Mhm,” Loki nodded, smirking at the way your face lit up.

“They’re all yours,” Ingunn announced, giving Loki another small bow before laying a hand on his arm. “It's nice to see you again, my Prince. If you find the time to stop by before your departure, it would bring me much joy. But until next time…”

“Goodbye, My Lady. Thank you again for your kindness,” Loki replied, giving a genuine smile and a modest bow.

With one last fond look at him, the woman nodded to you and then turned and disappeared to the other side of the large barn.

You had so many questions whirling around in your head. Who was that lady? Or more importantly, who was she to Loki, for him to feel so relaxed around her? You had the idea that there was a story to it, but you felt that it probably would have been a little nosy to ask. Loki would tell you if he felt like sharing -- otherwise, it wasn’t really your business. You weren't focused on your curiosity for long, however, as your attention was stolen by the two horses in front of you.

“What’s going on?” You asked somewhat dreamily, and Loki didn’t even bother to hide his grin.

“I thought you might like to go on a ride with me this morning, and by the look on your face it seems that I thought correctly.”

“Well that’s a little presumptuous of you, Prospero,” you chuckled. “But yes. You thought correctly.”

It would have pained you to admit it had you not been so excited. And the way that Loki’s smile deepened, you decided that maybe it hadn't been a bad thing after all.

“Shall we?” He held out his hand, gesturing to the horses, and you nodded eagerly.

Tip-toeing up to the black horse, you held out a hand. It lowered its muzzle, sniffing you curiously -- probably looking for treats -- and your eyes widened as you ran a finger over the silky hair along its nose.

“It’s so soft,” you whispered.

Loki, who had moved around the black horse and was now standing next to his mount, laughed softly.

“Indeed. I could never get enough of that feeling as a boy. Still can’t…” He ran a hand down the other animal’s grey muzzle.

His horse was the stark opposite of yours, pearly white. One of its eyes was black, and the other was bright blue.

“Do they have names?” you shyly asked, suddenly feeling like a little kid. But Loki seemed more than happy to answer your question.

“Yes, all of the animals here do. This,” he nodded to the white horse, still petting its neck. “Is Tove. It means dove, in your language.”

“I can see the resemblance,” you nodded.

“And your friend there is Yrsa. She-bear.”

“She’s a girl?” You turned back towards your horse. For some reason, you’d assumed it was a male. You got the idea that Yrsa was laughing at your look of surprise.

“A mare, yes,” Loki nodded.

“What about yours?”

“Also a mare. The lads and ladies tend not to mix very well.”

You laughed at that, face breaking into a smile, and Loki watched you with a timid, amused expression.

“You know a lot about horses?” It was half a question, half a statement. More of a ‘please, go on.’ You liked to hear Loki talk.

“A little, perhaps,” he tilted his head, playing absentmindedly with Tove’s mane.

“You… said that you were around them as a boy?” A hesitant question this time, not wanting to push.

“Why don’t we get moving and then I’ll tell you all about my childhood adventures, hm?” Loki replied with a smirk.

You quickly nodded, very excited to get started. Patting Yrsa’s neck, you turned around at the feeling of Loki growing close behind you. Leaning over your shoulder, he helped you untie the lead, handing you the reins.

“Now,” he instructed, hovering near you. “Stay to her left, right by her shoulder, here,” he pointed to where the horse’s front leg attached to her muscular body, guiding you backward until you were standing in the correct place.

“Mind her feet,” he added, and he watched you carefully as you led the horse forward -- feeling more confident than you would have expected.

You knew it was probably silly, but there was something trustworthy in Yrsa’s eyes that put you at ease. Or maybe it wasn’t silly, considering this was an Asgardian horse. She could have started speaking English and you wouldn’t have been that surprised.

Loki led you over to a sort of step-stool, which you assumed you were supposed to mount from. But when you got up onto it, with Loki holding the horse, you realized that you still couldn’t reach.

“Um…” you wondered aloud, not exactly sure what to do.

“Here,” said Loki softly. Releasing the reins, he laced his fingers together and held them out level with your knee.

“Oh, are you sure, I don’t want to--”

“It’s not a bother,” Loki interjected, reading your mind. He moved his hands closer to you as if to say ‘come on, we haven’t got all day.’

“Okay,” you whispered, taking a deep breath.

Grabbing onto the front of the saddle, you placed your left foot carefully in Loki’s palm.

“One, two, three,” Loki sang, then hoisted you up like you weighed about as much as a sack of potatoes.

He may have overcompensated a bit, as you nearly fell right off the other side of the horse.

“Woah there,” he muttered, grabbing the seat of your pants and holding you still. “Apologies.”

“It’s okay,” you managed, shaking your head. You struggled to find the stirrups for a moment, and Loki watched you with a surprising amount of patience as you finally got your feet into them. Then he handed your the reins and said,

“Would you like some pointers, or shall I leave you to it?”

“Pointers, please,” you replied. Then, with a small smile, added, “I like hearing you talk about this kind of stuff.”

Loki opened his mouth, squinting up at you like he expected you to start laughing at him or something. When you simply looked back down at him attentively, he took a quick breath.

"Okay… Firstly, and the most important thing,” he reached out and grabbed your foot.

“Keep your heels down. This keeps you upright in the saddle -- also very important.”

“Heels down,” you nodded, flexing your calves so your heels were pointed towards the ground.

“Good. Now, sit up nice and tall, shoulders back,” he reached out, laying a hand on the shoulder closest to him, and you pushed them back.

“Don’t stiffen up, though. Relax, you want to be able to move with the horse’s stride, otherwise you’ll bounce right off.”

“Right, okay.” You tried to relax, brow furrowing. This was a lot to keep track of.

A corner of Loki’s mouth bunched.

“You’re adorable when you concentrate.”

“Hey, I’m trying,” you laughed, suddenly very aware of what your face was doing.

“Yes I know, darling, I can see that,” Loki replied, and you felt heat creep up your neck.

A moment later, he was leading Tove out, swinging up onto her back and settling elegantly into the saddle. Immediately, the horse began to move, prancing slightly, though Loki seemed perfectly relaxed.

“Alright,” he continued. “How do you feel? Good?”

You nodded.

“Okay. Don’t go anywhere.” He held up a hand, then spun around and headed for the barn.

“Now, horses are taught to move away from pressure. You can use your reins to steer, but also your legs and hips.”

As if to demonstrate, Trove began to move sideways without Loki even touching the reins.

“How’d you do that?” You gaped.

“Applied pressure with my left leg, got her to go right. Simple.”

You weren’t so sure it was as simple as he thought it was. Maybe for him.

“You’re really good at this, aren’t you?” You mused, smiling almost proudly.

“Yes. Yes I am,” he grinned, leaning closer to you with a cocky wink. But then his teasing demeanor fell, and he gave you a very intentional look.

“Just… you be careful. Everyone knows that mortals are notoriously fragile and I’d prefer you not get hurt. Especially on my watch.”

His concern for you made your insides fill with warmth, which escaped through a fond smile that nearly made your cheeks ache.

“I will. Thank you, Loki.”

The god’s nose wrinkled.

“Well don’t thank me, I haven’t done anything.”

“No, I know. It’s just nice, you thinking of me.”

Somehow, his face screwed up even more.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Come on.” To get out of the conversation, he spurred his horse forward into a quick trot.

“Hey, not fair, asshole! -- He’s a hot mess,” you muttered to Yrsa, and she bobbed her head, which made you jump. “Okay, if you can understand me, I just want you to know that I have no clue what I’m doing, so please be gentle.”

Giving her a hesitant little tap with your heels, she began walking forward. Loki had made it halfway down the barren street already and had spun around, waiting for you to catch up. As much of a show as he had put on, it was obvious he didn’t intend to leave you floundering -- even if he was much better than you at all of this. Or perhaps because he was.

Still not feeling confident but figuring it was now or never, you kicked the mare’s sides again. She started off at a slow trot, which gradually grew in stride. As you caught up to Loki, he spun his horse around.

“Here comes the fun part,” he called, and then he gave his horse a kick. Tove took off at a brisk canter.

“Shit, fuck -- alright Yrsa, I’m trusting you…”

You kicked the mare’s sides, and she jumped forward. Yelping, you grabbed onto the saddle as she began to gallop after Tove and Loki. But once again, you quickly found yourself settling into the stride, and by the time you caught up to Loki, you had both hands on the reins and were leaning into the lope.

Flashing you a smile as you entered his peripheral, Loki gave you a little wave. You waved back, perhaps a bit less elegantly, and he yelled for you to follow him. Nodding, you got to test out your steering abilities as Loki turned his mare towards the right, heading towards a wide-open field.

Tugging your right rein, you squeezed your legs and sure enough, Yrsa followed your lead. Or maybe she was just following her friend. Either way, you were glad to have such a smart horse taking care of you.

Breaking out onto the grass, you felt the horse’s muscles work beneath you as she tore up a small incline. Sitting tall as Loki had instructed, you had to remind yourself to keep your heels down and relax your body. It really was a lot to keep track of, but you hadn’t fallen off yet, so that was something at least.

The incline quickly leveled out, and you guided your horse next to Loki’s. The two mares seemed content to travel side by side, and the pace was comfortable enough that you could catch a glimpse of your surroundings.

The sun was just beginning to break over the horizon, setting the meadow in a gilded glow. The ground was fairly barren, and from what you could tell from the blur of plant life, it all seemed dry.

A few trees sprung up here and there, and you even passed a large stone cave at the base of a hill. About ten minutes into your ride, you saw a large black blob in the distance. Not long after, the blob began to grow until you could make out the trunks of trees. It was a forest.

Loki waited until reaching the edge before reining his horse back. You followed, wondering how the animals had been able to run for so long without breaking a sweat. Was that an Asgardian thing or just a horse thing? You had no clue.

Pulling up next to Loki, you sat in silence for a moment, the both of you catching your breath and getting your bearings. Just like last time, now that the adrenaline had left you felt your limbs trembling slightly -- though this time it was more from the physical exertion than anxiety.

“That was… amazing,” you laughed breathily and gave Yrsa a pat on her neck.

Loki hummed, smiling to himself.

“We’ll take it slower through here,” he gestured to the woods.

“Wait, we’re going in there?”

“Of course,” was his reply, and without further explanation, he nudged Tove forward. The mare began picking her way along the forest floor.

“Is that safe? For the horses, I mean?” They seemed way too big to be weaving through trees and worrying about where they were stepping.

“Yes. They’re bred for this sort of thing, despite their size. These girls are especially careful, so we’re in good hands. Well, good hooves….”

“Was that,” your mouth fell open, torn between disbelief and delight. “Oh my god, was that a joke? That was absolutely awful, I’m so proud of you.”

You laughed as Loki threw a glare over his shoulder. But despite the grumpy front he was attempting to put up, he reined his horse back so that you could catch up before continuing forward.

“Careful, mortal. You test my patience.”

“Hmm,” you hummed, raising your chin skeptically. “See, I feel like if that were true, you wouldn’t keep spending so much time with me.”

Loki fell silent, then, pretending to study something off in the distance.

“I’m glad you do.”

“What?” he turned to look at you, his eyebrows tilted in anticipation.

“That you keep spending time with me. I’ve had a lot of fun, doing stuff with you.”

Loki stared at you, brow drawing further together with an expression of honest confusion.

“You have?” He mused.

“Yeah. I have."

“Hm…” He looked away, seeming to get lost in his own thoughts.

You let the silence hang for a little while, enjoying the quiet sounds of the forest and the horses making their way between the trees. Morning sunlight was pouring through the branches, lighting the leaves up in a glowing green. You craned your neck up, taking a deep breath of the cool forest air.

“So,” you eventually began. “Pretty sure you owe me a story about your childhood adventures.”

Snapping out of his daze, Loki raised his eyebrows and gave a somewhat pained smile.

“Do you really want to hear about that?”

“You know, I think you’re the first person to ever say that to me,” he muttered, smirking.

You nodded adamantly. You really, really did. “I told you, I like hearing you talk.”

You couldn’t help but wonder if that was because he talked to you differently than most people because otherwise, you weren’t sure how everyone didn’t find Loki interesting. Didn’t like hearing him talk about Shakespeare or his boyhood adventures as a fairy prince.

Yeah, you were going to guess that he didn’t go around telling people that sort of stuff. Why he’d told you, you still weren’t sure. But you were glad that he had.

“Alright, what do you want to know?”

“I’m an open book.”

Your arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

“You are far from an open book, but alright…” you thought, fiddling with your reins. “Okay, what about that woman at the stables? Who was she?”

Loki shifted in his saddle, and you wondered if somehow you had already asked the wrong question.

“She was a friend of my mother,” he replied, his voice sounding distant and bittersweet. “The two of us, my mother and I, used to go on rides sometimes when she could get out of her queenly duties. Ingunn has been running the stables since I was a baby.”

You nodded thoughtfully.

“So you used to ride a lot as a child, then?”

Loki nodded.

“I loved being around the horses. When you’re small, they seem so… powerful yet gentle. I felt like myself around them, like I didn’t need to pretend or be someone -- I could just be who I was, without any effort.” He trailed off. You didn’t interrupt the silence, and a few moments later, he continued.

“Ingunn would let me sneak into the stables. My father never wanted me to spend time there -- outside of my training, of course. He felt that it was a waste of time. And my mother… she just didn’t want me out riding alone for fear I’d hurt myself. And I did,” he chuckled. “Many times, so I suppose she was right. But of course, I didn’t listen.”

“Of course not,” you laughed softly. “So… what would you do, when you were disobeying your parents?”

This made Loki laugh.

“You’ll have to be more specific, my dear,” he teased. “In this instance, of which there are many others, I would steal a horse and ride through the woods much like we’re doing now.”

“But, it wasn’t technically stealing, right? If Ingunn helped you do it.”

“I suppose not,” he smirked. “But to me, it felt like stealing. I liked to pretend I was a runaway from the palace, escaping my old life in search of a new one….” a faraway look captured his face, making his sharp features look delicate and breakable in a way that made your heart twist.

But he shook his head and moved past it, and so you tried to as well.

“Tove here was my partner in crime,” he patted the mare’s neck.

“You mean, you rode her as a boy?” you asked in disbelief. “How old would that make her?”

“Much older than you,” Loki mischievously replied. “These horses can live for hundreds, even thousands of years, unlike your Midgardian species.” He tilted his head, frowning. “It was one of the things that I found quite sad about Midgard. It’s a shame that your horses only have a few decades at best.”

Now that was interesting; Loki admitting that he’d found something sad about Midgard, and to have it be something as small as the lifespan of horses, especially when all you’d heard from him was contempt for Earth and its inhabitants…

It had your mind reeling.

“My mother first taught me how to ride on this horse,” Loki continued, and you shook your head to focus.

“That’s nice,” you smiled, and Loki glanced up at you with a thoughtful expression.

The silence returned, but it was comfortable, and you both settled into it like it was the most natural thing to occur. Barely half an hour had passed before the trees started to thin.

Breaking out into a clearing, you looked around, suddenly feeling something familiar about this place.

“Hey,” you spoke up. “This is the meadow. That’s the tree.” You pointed off into the distance, where the tree you and Loki had read under sat, looking like a little toy in the distance.

“Yes, very good, “ Loki sarcastically replied. You’d just been about to tell him he shouldn't be so mean when you noticed the very intense gleam in his eye.

“What?” you asked, voice dripping with apprehension.

“Want to race?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Uh… I don’t know. Feels like you might have the upper hand on this one,” you replied, matching his sarcasm.

“Well, that’s nothing new. Come on, let’s do it. Loser has to… tell an embarrassing story about themselves.”

“What are you, twelve?” You snorted.

“You’re just stalling ‘cause you know I’ll win.”

“Yeah,” you confidently replied. “I do.”

“Oh come on, I’ll go easy on you.”

There seemed to be no getting out of this one. When Loki wanted something, he usually got it. You didn’t need to have known him long to know that.

“Okay, fine,” you groaned, and Loki lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Wonderful. On the count of three?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” you replied, feeling a flutter of anxiety, even though you were actively trying to keep the smile off of your face.

“One.” You shifted in the saddle.

“Two.” Heels down.

“Three!”

You kicked Yrsa in the side, and she lunged forward, taking off so quickly that you had to grab onto the saddle for support. Leaning into her strides, you urged her forward as Loki and Tove entered your peripheral.

The white horse’s neck was stretched out, legs pounding against the dirt as she began to pass you. Loki, looking princely as ever, was grinning like the devil, his hair furling wildly around his head.

You weren’t surprised when they passed you, and though you could feel Yrsa trying to keep up, you also got the idea that she was holding back, probably for your own sake. You couldn't fault her for taking care of you, so you decided to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Loki reached the tree first, spinning in a circle to look back at you. The mare stood at attention, nostrils flaring and ears pricked as she watched the two of you catch up. Pulling back on the reins, you sat tall as Yrsa came to a steady stop, sidestepping slightly before reaching forward to sniff Tove’s muzzle.

The horses greeted each other, and Loki grinned at you as he swept the hair back from his face.

“I win,” he smugly announced.

“I gathered,” you replied, not even bothering to pretend to be annoyed. You were having too much fun.

“You owe me an embarrassing story.”

“Right,” you rolled your eyes. “Give me a minute to catch my breath, will you?”

“Oh alright."

Standing up, he swung his leg around and dismounted so gracefully that you were already cringing at the thought of trying to get off your own horse. This was probably going to go as well as last time.

As if he’d had the same thought, Loki came to stand beside you and asked,

“Are your legs working this time, do you think?”

You chuckled nervously.

“Probably not.”

Loki nodded like he’d suspected as much.

“Well then, good thing you have me.”

“Yeah…” As you tried to figure out the least embarrassing way you could get off of this horse, you weren’t so sure that was true. If you were going to be falling on your ass, you’d much rather do so when no one else was around.

“Ok,” you began, trying to get your bearings. “Here goes…”

You stood up in the saddle, swinging your right leg behind you and then holding on for dear life as you wrestled your left leg out of the stirrup. Dangling now, you felt Loki’s hands close around your waist a moment before you let go of the saddle.

He helped lessen the blow of your feet hitting the ground. Unfortunately, you hadn’t anticipated that ground to be so uneven. As soon as you made contact, it was like someone had taken you out at the kneecaps. You completely lost your balance, falling back into Loki.

“Goddammit,” you grumbled, not even bothering to right yourself as Loki wrapped his arms around your waist. “I was trying to avoid this happening again.”

“What, you winding up in my arms?” Loki purred, leaning over your shoulder. You could practically feel the shit-eating grin on his face.

“Exactly,” you replied, struggling out of his hold.

Despite your less than graceful dismount, your legs didn’t feel quite as wobbly as before, and you were able to stand on your own without face planting.

“Urg, my ass,” you grumbled, reaching back to rub your upper thigh, where you were fairly certain a bruise was forming.

“Well, it is an excellent ass…”

“Shut up,” you managed, leaning sideways to shove him in the chest. Annoyingly, he barely moved an inch, and you had to stop yourself from tackling him, figuring that the outcome probably wouldn’t be in your favor.

“What? I’m only speaking the truth,” Loki argued, and you rolled your eyes, trying not to combust on the spot. You absolutely would not give him the satisfaction.

“You’re such a dork.”

“Mm,” he hummed, tilting his head. “I don’t think anyone’s ever called me that before.”

“Well it’s true." Then, glancing around at the horses, you propped a hand on your hip. “So, what do we do now?”

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Loki began to instruct you on how to untack a horse, which was a combination of variables that you never thought you would encounter.

You got the idea that the god was sparing you a lot of details, only going through the very basics, but you still felt a little lost. There were so many names for all the intricate pieces of the saddle and straps that soon your head was spinning.

“So then you just tuck the girth up here,” Loki hooked it around a metal loop at the base of the saddle so it was out of the way. “And now you’re ready to take it off.”

You glanced up at the large saddle, which was quite literally above your head, considering the height of the horse. Yrsa, who hadn’t moved an inch during this whole ordeal, looked down at you with much patience, but admittedly, not a lot of confidence. Great, even your horse knew you had no clue what you were doing.

Stretching on your tip-toes, you reached as high as you could and began to tug on the saddle, trying to lift the heavy equipment.

“Lift it up, don’t pull sideways -- we don’t want to hurt her back.”

“I’m trying,” you grunted, arms beginning to shake. “I… can’t,” you gave up with a huff, falling back a step. “She’s just too tall. No offense,” you patted Yrsa’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I’m fairly certain she’s not offended,” Loki dryly commented. “No matter. This saddle is probably as heavy as you, anyway.”

You were about to ask him why the hell he’d had you try and take it off, then, when suddenly he reached forward and picked it up like it was made of cardboard.

“You dick,” you muttered, then laughed as he gave you an offended look.

“All this name-calling -- you’re lucky I like you, Mouse.”

Even though he was joking, you knew he was right. You were lucky he liked you.

“I’m just teasing,” you smirked, wanting to clarify even though it probably wasn’t needed. “And I like you, too, so…”

“Yes… which is almost as peculiar as me liking you.” He shook his head, eyebrows furrowing with befuddlement.

“Well then… we’re just perfect for each other, I guess. Like Jane and Rochester -- two disagreeable people who become slightly more agreeable around each other.”

The wrinkle between Loki’s eyebrows deepened.

“I hope I’m not nearly as unkind to you as Rochester was to Jane,” he replied as he carefully removed Yrsa’s bridle.

“Loki,” you gently insisted. “How many times do we have to go over this: Rochester loved Jane, he just had some shit to work through. And he wasn’t that horrible.”

“No, you’re wrong. He was very horrible. A total dick.”

You had to take a moment to recover from that sentence just coming out of Loki’s mouth.

“Okay,” you eventually persisted. “Well, I don’t think you’re a dick.”

“You just called me a dick moments ago,” Loki pointed like it would draw your attention to the past.

“I know. I guess I was just being a dick.”

“This is exhausting.”

“You’re right,” you laughed, scrunching your nose. “This is kind of absurd.”

“I like when you do that,” Loki suddenly murmured, and it took you a moment to register that he’d even said anything at all. By the time you had, he’d turned his back to you and was busy untacking Tove.

“What?” You asked. Loki didn’t move. “You like when I do what, Loki?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing.”

You take it back: he really was a dick. Even so, you couldn't help but like him.

You watched his back as he untacked his horse, propping the saddle up next to yours. The second he took the mare’s bridle off, both animals began to make their way across the meadow, heads low as they grazed on the lush grass.

“What if they run off?” You asked, worried about losing them.

“They won’t go far,” he assured you.

Content with believing him, you followed Loki over to the tree. A blanket appeared next to the trunk, and he held out a hand to help you sit -- he may be a dick, but he was still a gentleman -- before following, leaning back against the trunk with a sigh.

The air was starting to warm up, and the sun was creeping its way along the sky. A breeze cooled your skin, but the sunlight kept you from feeling cold. Birds chirped brightly, their songs filling the air, and the grass swayed peacefully.

It was the closest thing to a perfect day that you could imagine, and you smiled as you turned your face up to the sun, eyes closing blissfully.

“Mm, it’s so beautiful,” you hummed, your smile deepening.

“Yes,” Loki softly agreed.

Glancing over at him, grinning vaguely at how peculiar he was being, you rummaged through your bag, intending to find your book. Instead, you found the apple that you’d thrown inside yesterday morning.

“I completely forgot about this,” you muttered, pulling it out and making a mental note to split it with the horses later.

“Mm. You know what else you forgot about?” Loki arched an eyebrow. “I believe an embarrassing story is due.”

“Really?” You groaned, rolling your eyes.

“Uh-huh,” Loki insisted, laughing softly at your dramatic reaction.

“Uhh, okay, let me think…” Playing with your lower lip, you tried to think back to anything particularly embarrassing that stood out from your childhood.

It shouldn't have taken very long, but being put on the spot was making your mind go blank.

“Alright… So this one time when I was really little -- like seven or eight, maybe -- my mom and I were at the store. She was doing her shopping and stuff, and told me to wait by the cereal so she could go find something on her list.”

You were surprised to find Loki watching you very attentively, nodding every so often as you spoke. It was kind of adorable.

“Anyway, so I waited for what felt like an eternity to my little kid brain, and I was getting pretty antsy when all of the sudden, across the aisle, I thought I saw my mom, right? So I run up to her and wrap my arms around her legs, but then the lady looks down and I realize that I’ve just grabbed the legs of a complete stranger.

And then suddenly there’s my mom yanking me off this woman and being all like ‘what the hell are you doing, I told you to stay put!’ Honestly, she probably made more of a scene than I did. I dunno,” you shrugged. “Don’t really remember much after that, but I guess it was embarrassing since I remember it at all.”

“You were just a child. Your mother shouldn’t have left you.”

“Yeah, well… she was pretty good at that,” you muttered, laughing joylessly. “But I shouldn’t shit on her. She tried her best, I guess.”

It must have been obvious that you weren’t very convinced because Loki’s face contorted in a rare moment of unconcealed concern.

“My father,” he hesitantly began, turning to stare out across the meadow where the horses were grazing so he didn’t have to meet your eye.

“He was… physically present. At least, I always knew where to find him. But yet, I felt like I couldn’t. I would walk into a room and there he’d sit, but he always felt so far away and… lost to me. Mmm.” he shook his head, raising his eyebrows like he’d just come to.

You tried to imagine young Loki searching for Odin’s love. His affection. His approval. You remembered your own childhood, moments spent wondering when your mother would come home, worried that she wouldn’t. Wondering if you’d done something to push her away.

“Parents, huh?” You whispered, picking at a frayed thread on your jeans. You’d probably have a hole, soon.

Loki nodded once, his mouth forming a thin line.

“Parents."

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a bummer,” you shyly admitted.

“You’re not a bummer,” Loki insisted, and it was the first time he’d looked you in the eyes since the both of you had sat down.

“T… Thanks,” you whispered, getting lost in those deep green eyes. There was such complexity to them, such depth, you felt them stealing your breath away. You were certain that you could stare into them for the rest of eternity and you wouldn't even have a chance at seeing all they had to offer.

“You’re welcome,” Loki breathed, eyebrows drawing together ever so slightly as his eyes searched yours. Then he shook his head.

“Strange,” he whispered, almost an afterthought.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head again, then cleared his throat. “Uhm… so, what would you like to do today?”

You found the question oddly sweet. There really wasn’t a reason for you and Loki to spend time together, but the god seemed to have decided that you would be, as if it were the only natural thing. It felt like a great honor -- like when a feral cat decides to sit on your lap; something that doesn’t happen often and to very few people.

“I don’t know. Any suggestions?”

“Mmm,” Loki hummed, playing with his fingers as he thought. “Well, I suppose that depends. Do you want more touristy things, or something a little bit… niche?”

You wrinkled your nose.

“Not sure I’m in the mood for touristy,” you admitted, and Loki didn’t seem surprised.

“There’s a lovely bit of forest not far from here. It’s one of the oldest in the area if you’re up for the walk.”

“Yeah, sure,” you grinned, hopping up excitedly. “I love a good forest.”

Loki looked up, narrowing his eyes at you.

“Oh, shit -- that wasn’t sarcasm, I swear.”

“No, I know,” he replied, shifting so he could stand, but not before you reached down and offered him a hand.

You weren’t sure why you did it -- it seemed kind of absurd now that you were -- but it just felt… right.

Giving you a look that was half insulted, half bemused, Loki accepted your hand. His skin felt cold against your own, and if that wasn’t reminder enough, when you tried to haul him to his feet you were once again made aware of his frost giant origin.

It was like trying to lift a boulder.

“Dang,” you muttered, stumbling back a little as he stood on his own. The hand still firmly gripping yours was the only thing that kept you from falling on your ass.

Loki chuckled, a low rumble in his throat, and then pulled you up and propped a solid hand on your arm as if was trying to stick your feet to the ground.

“We really do need to work on your mobility, love,” he smirked, and you tried to stop your brain from frying at what he'd just called you.

“Well… I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to give me some pointers during our walk."

“Hm,” Loki spun you around and let his hand fall onto your back. “Let’s start with one foot in front of the other, shall we? See how things go from there."

“Ha ha,” you humorlessly laughed, while also making a very conscious effort not to trip. You’d never be able to live that down.

“Norns, you’re actually having to focus, aren’t you?” Loki suddenly spoke. The amused grin on his face should have made you feel defensive, but it didn’t. Maybe because his eyes were so soft, and his smile was so genuine.

“Shut up,” you muttered, smiling yourself. “I can usually walk just fine, but you make me nervous.”

“I make you nervous? Why?” His brow narrowed in that worried way again. You wished he'd stop looking at you like that.

“Um, well first of all,” you waved a hand, gesturing to… everything about him. He leaned his head back indignantly.

“And second, it’s your fault that I keep winding up in situations where my legs stop working, so.”

Loki hummed suggestively, and you immediately regretted the life choices that had led you to this moment.

“Well, you’ve hardly experienced the pleasures of my full treatment. I could show you sometime if you’d like,” he leaned into your shoulder, clasping his hands behind his back.

“Gross,” you snorted, shoving him in the side. He feigned an insulted gasp.

“How dare you -- do you know how many mortals would kill for a chance with me?”

“And here you are, offering it up so casually.”

“That’s only because I knew you’d say no,” he argued.

“Oh really? And what if I change my mind?”

Lord have mercy, what the hell did you think you were doing?

“Well… then…” you nearly fell over from the sole fact that Loki was now slightly flustered, not to mention at a loss for words. But of course, not for long.

“Then I would severely question your state of mind, and ask you if you were feeling alright?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that pickup line before, did you come up with it yourself?”

“Ha,” Loki sarcastically scoffed. “You’re funny. For a mortal…”

“And you’re just oh-so-charming. For a god…”

“I should hope so, darling,” he drawled, sliding his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

Then, in an almost fidgety manner, he pulled a hand back out, reaching sideways and picking a purple flower from the high grass that you were walking through. Twirling it between his thumb and pointer finger, he held it out to you, eyes trained in front of him.

You tilted your head, chest fluttering at the simple gesture. While you’d made a joke of it, he really was sickeningly charming when he wanted to be. It made you feel equally fond as it did cautious. You’d never known how to act around overly flirtatious people.

But while those you’d encountered back on Earth had usually made you uncomfortable, Loki’s flirting was different. It never made you feel pressured or like you were in any danger. It was just… something he did, and it didn't really have much of an effect on you.

His thing with flowers, though….

Maybe that had a bit of an effect. You just found it very sweet -- such a simple, old-fashioned gesture. It was nice.

So, grinning like a fool, you carefully took the flower from his hand. Twirling it gently, you admired the little purple and white petals, delicate and, if you looked close enough, almost sparkling in that way that flower petals could in the right light.

“Thank you,” you replied, voice soft with genuine gratitude. Loki looked up, staring at you for a minute before shaking his head, brushing away your thanks with a shy smile.

He had so many different smiles to him. They were almost as numerous as the flowers in the meadow, swaying lazily among the big blades of grass. There were showy smiles, ones that he seemed to use when he wanted something. And then there were his fake smiles, extra big and especially charming.

But he also had little smiles, ones that were soft and hesitant, almost awkward with how unfamiliar they were, like he was trying them out just to see what happened when he did. You wished everyone had the chance to see one of these smiles. You wished he found a reason to try them on more often.

It was sad, the way that you’d seen so much of Loki already, and you’d only just been kind to him. Not even more than you would have to any other stranger. But that simple act of politeness, the genuine desire to be nice to him, had been enough to get him smiling like he was right now, fingers trailing through the knee-high grass and face turned towards the sunlight.

How cold must his life have been for such simple things to coax him out of whatever tower he had hidden his heart away in? How cruel had people been that the extension of friendship was such a shock, such an unfamiliarity that it had him opening up like a flower in the sun within just a few days?

It made you wonder what kind of person he could be if people would actually let him.

“All this thinking you do,” Loki murmured, his voice so soft that you nearly missed it over the sound of the breeze. You couldn’t, however, miss the undeniable affection within it.

“Sorry, am I being loud again?” You whispered, staring down at the flower in your hand.

“No. I mean, yes, but please -- don’t apologize.”

Glancing up, you had just opened your mouth to reply when Loki beat you to it.

“I think we’re here. Look,” he pointed towards the forest to your left.

You’d been walking along the edge of it for some time now, and from what you could tell, it was densely packed, almost like a fence. But, looking where the god was pointing, you could see a circular entrance formed by the winding curve of branches. It looked like a doorway.

Loki led you towards it. Leaning inside, he observed a moment before stepping in and holding out a hand.

“My Lady,” he offered, and you exhaled a quick laugh at the formality. Still, you took his hand and followed him inside.

***

Taglist: ((let me know if you would like to be added!!)) @itsamedeemonee @mischief2sarawr @sabxism @princess-ofthe-pages @80strashbag @7minutes-tomidnight @lokischambermaid @gayassfuckinghomo

#loki x reader #loki x you #loki x female reader #loki fluff #loki fanfic #ao3 link #loki and reader #loki and you #loki x y/n #loki #loki laufeyson

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slothspaghettiwrites · 3 years

Text

From The Outside

Story Rating: Explicit, 18+ only

Warnings: cheating/infidelity, dub con (due to alcohol consumption), angst, feelings of worthlessness, weed, drug use, slight manipulation on Andy's part, OOC/shitty!Andy

Relationship: Andy Barber x Bottom!Reader

Word Count: 2k (or just over, on mobile)

Summary: You stand outside the office party, and think about what got you here.

A/N: For Lau's Quote Me On It 6k writing challenge! This was such a fun challenge for me to write. I didn't know what Body of Evidence was about when I picked the quote and Andy, but a happy coincidence I guess. 😂 Congratulations again @sweeterthanthis

This work has Adult Content. By clicking “Keep Reading” you have agreed that you are over the age of 18 and are willing to view such content. My work is not to be copied or translated onto any other platform.

Smoke fills your lungs, the herbal flavour clung to you and the air. It burns, tickles the back of your throat, but not enough to burn away the memories. No, nothing would get rid of those. They are forever ingrained in your mind. It doesn’t matter how many times you showered, scrubbed your skin raw and covered yourself in something that smelled nothing like him. His touch is still there, his hands are still gripping at your flesh and tearing your clothes off. His ring still digs into your jaw like he is standing behind you, pulling your body taut against his. His lips still sear your skin, marking and claiming you like he had any right to your body. You blow smoke into the night air, watching it curl and float away in the breeze.

🚬

“Hey, you coming?” You asked Andy that Thursday so many weeks ago. “We’re all going out.”

He always said no, but every week you continued to ask. Too nice for your own good, you guessed. According to what you heard by the coffee machine, Andy was a homebody. He was a stick in the mud, didn’t make an effort to get to know all his new colleagues at the firm. In the six months since he started, he hadn’t once gone out for drinks on the company dime. He would politely decline, wave yet another case file at you as if it couldn’t wait till tomorrow.

It was assumed his wife was a hardass who didn’t like when he went out, but you hoped he just liked his wife, enjoyed her company above that of all others. He had so many pictures of her and his son on his desk. It was sweet, honestly. Made you daydream about the future, hoping when you found a partner, they’d be like Andy, wholly devoted to you and madly in love. It’s why you were so surprised by the way he looked at you and turned off his computer.

“Yeah, I could use a drink.”

🚬

Your lighter flicks to life, relighting the joint between your fingers. Another deep inhale, your eyes close for a moment as you try to steady yourself. There’s a buzz in the night air just outside the office. It’s risky taking your illicit activities outside, rather than following your coworkers into the bathroom stalls. But you didn’t need an upper right now, something that would make your skin crawl and your anxieties skyrocket. The celebration inside is a chaotic mess of stuffy partners with absent spouses trying to be sneaky about the coke they’re doing and trophy spouses gushing about how amazing their own partner is over expensive champagne.

She’s in there. More gorgeous and classy than the pictures did her justice, than you can ever hope to be. Truly, she’s flawless, from head to toe.

🚬

“The wife finally let you off your leash, Barber?” Someone joked, the first round of beers arriving at your large table.

Andy laughed good-naturedly, made some comments about how someone at the firm has to do their jobs. He fit into your small group with ease, like he’d been coming to drinks since he started. It was so easy to get drawn into his atmosphere. He talked with so much passion and conviction. It must be easy for him, being the center of attention. But then, you figured to be as successful as Andy was, you had to be commanding in a crowd. He told stories about his old job, bemoaned with everyone about ridiculous clients and their demands, somehow made talking about politics feel balanced amongst your mixed group.

You almost didn’t notice him pocketing his wedding ring when he offered to pick up the fifth, or was it the fourth, round of drinks. He asked you to help him carry things from the bar. Buzzed and glowing in the shine of his smile, you were more than happy to help. The bar was crowded by that point, people in suits pushing and shoving and demanding the attention of the bartenders. Andy leaned against the tacky wooden surface after your order had been placed and turned his mega-watt smile’s full force on you.

Drunk you couldn’t seem to stop laughing at his stories. Andy was so funny and nice and sweet. Everyone else had gone home, it’s so late and the bar was quiet. At some point, he suggested you sit in a vacant booth and you didn’t think anything of it when he slid in next to you, wrapped his arm around you, whispered in your ear

“Let’s get out of here.”

🚬

Stars try to poke through the haze of the night. They want to shine and be seen, just like you wish she would see through him and you. The way you wish she hadn’t smiled all big and brightened up at your presence like you were poking through the dull and formal part of the party before the booze had started to relax everyone. She acts like you’re a star, but really you are the haze, the smog that surrounds the city and pollutes anything it touches. You are disgusting, filthy, dirty.

🚬

“Shit, that’s it, baby, so fuckin’ dirty for me,” he moaned, thumb tracing the seam of your lips before thrusting in.

You sucked, swirled your tongue around the digit as his hips slammed into you. How had you ended up here together in your bed? Andy fucking into you with abandon, pinning you to your mattress with his cock and his eyes. He looked hungry, starved of this carnal love and dominance. The ride to your apartment felt like it happened hours ago, but like his lips were still teasing yours with suggestive kisses. You should have said no, but God did it feel so good. You could taste the whiskey he had switched to some time during the night, could smell his cologne on him. His hands felt so good on your skin, like each piece of clothing he tore off of you was releasing you from another chain that linked you to reality.

And when he finally pressed into you, pushed his cock so deep inside of you you thought for a moment it belonged to you, all you could do was beg for more. For him to fuck you harder, to make sure you felt it tomorrow and the next day. You wanted him, needed him, and he was fucking you like you were the last person on earth, like he needed you, like he didn’t have a wife at home who was probably waiting for him.

It was wrong and you knew it, but with his cock in you and his filthy mouth telling you all the things he’d dreamed about doing to you for months, you didn’t care. Right then was about you and Andy and the feeling of him owning you.

“Beg me, baby, beg me to cum. Need to feel you milkin’ my cock. Wanna hear you scream my name.”

🚬

You watch the paper on your smoke burn and turn to ash. Andy didn’t care about you. He never has, probably never will. If he cared about anyone other than himself he would have left his wife or you. But he stays glued to her side, except when he is screwing you. That’s really what it is, screwing. It’s not lustful or meaningless like a one off fuck, it’s not emotional or meaningful like lovemaking. It’s screwing like teenagers who are scared to get caught but do it anyway. Well, you are scared of getting caught, of ruining a marriage and destroying a family. It doesn’t matter if it is your bed, his car, a motel, Andy’s only concern after that ‘I’ll be home late, honey’ text is sent is getting his dick wet. If not you, then there were others who would be more than happy to beg for his cum. He’s told you that over and over again. You just beg the loudest.

🚬

“Sex is a game to her,” Andy explained when you’d asked him why he was doing this.

He had a happy family, a good home, why was he risking that? There was no wrapping your head around his choices or yours. Andy turned off the shower, and you handed him a towel. It was so easy for him to wash away the evidence of you. There was never a mark, never a bite, never a lingering touch. It was so easy for him to forget about you once he was done using your body, while you were left in tatters, covered in bruises that felt so good in the moment but left you feeling sick in the aftermath.

She thought he was at the pool again. That work stress was getting so bad he just needed to swim a few laps to feel better before coming home. You wondered sometimes if she left his dinner in the fridge or if she would wait to eat with him. Sometimes you thought about what it must be like to eat dinner with Andy.

“She gets off on the control. At winning in our relationship and lording it over me. She always used to tell me it had to be her way and I just can’t do that anymore. What about what I want?”

🚬

The air inside is stifling, the AC is cranked all the way up and your face still feels too warm. All you can smell is overpriced colognes and those shrimp cocktails that should really be on ice. You don’t care if they see your red eyes, or can smell the weed clinging to your clothes. What’s the worse they could do? Fire you? At this point that would be a welcome reprieve from the guilt that is eating you alive. Maybe it would finally give you the courage to ditch town, to ditch Andy like the bad drug he is to you.

You watch them from reception where a mini bar has been set up, an array of half-drunk bottles of warm white wine and forgotten cans of beer are your only companions. Andy’s hand rests on her low back like it belongs there, like it’s always meant to be there. It makes you angry- at him, at her, at you, at the universe for making you too stupid to break things off after that first night. He doesn’t even spare you a glance, doesn’t care that you were gone for a smoke break that lasted much longer than it should have, doesn’t care if you were really there or not.

His laugh rings out, he’s drunk enough that his face is flushed and his lips are wet. He pulls her closer to his side, places a sloppy looking kiss on her cheek that has her laughing too now. She sounds so happy, so free and unburdened by anything. She sounds ignorant and you are tired.

Everyone is too drunk or too busy with their own existence to notice one less body at the party. You don’t say goodbye to him, but you look back at them while you wait for your ride.

From the outside, Andy looks like the best husband you could ask for and she looks like the dotting, loving wife. From the outside, you would never guess that Andy is anything but madly in love with his wife. From the outside, they look right together, happy and complete.

The text from Andy sometime after midnight doesn’t surprise you. It’s routine. He’s proven to his wife publicly that he loves her, is invested in her and their relationship. He can do whatever he wants again. Your fingers hover over the screen. This is your chance to break things off. And you know you should, you’ve known since that first night, you’ve met his fucking wife for god’s sake and still you are hesitating. You know she deserves better and that you deserve nothing.

“I’ll see you then.”

🚬

#a sloth writes #andy barber #andy barber x reader #andy barber x bottom!reader #andy barber smut #andy barber angst #andy barber x you #andy barber x y/n #tw dub con #tw dubcon #quote me on it 6k writing challenge #andy barber x gn!reader #andy barber fic #andy barber fanfiction

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blackacre13 · 3 years

Note

I love your writing so much. If I could I would print all of your prompts just to have my own Loubbie book <3 I wanted to share this prompt, Lou and Debbie as horny teens, Debbie has just gotten her first car and Lou is like we have to complete this rite of passage and Debbie is like sex in a car is going to be uncomfortable as hell but with a few bumps down the road they get to be experts until Tammy finds out and refuses to get in the car again

Thank you so much! (I mean you're welcome to lol) But that's so sweet. I love that! Here you are:

“I can’t believe you got your own car,” Lou shook her head as she tossed a french fry into her mouth. “How jealous was Danny?”

“We both know my dad was just trying to buy me off,” Debbie rolled her eyes.

“Fuck Dennis,” Lou sighed. “Besides, Deb, it’s win-win. You don’t have to run shitty jobs with your dad and your brother and we can do our own thing. And now you have a sweet ride.”

“I guess,” the brunette sighed, kicking at her empty soda cup as the two watched it roll around the parking lot.

“I know one thing you’ll like,” Lou smirked, nudging the Ocean with her shoulder.

“What’s that?” Debbie asked, stealing one of the blonde’s fries.

“Car sex,” Lou shrugged.

“What?” Debbie shrieked, almost choking on the fry as she tried to catch her breath mid-laugh. “Come on, Lou. Nobody actually does that.”

“Sure they do,” Lou grinned, her shoulders shaking as she laughed at Debbie’s reaction.

“But it’s so tiny and cramped and just, I don’t know,” Debbie protested. “Weird. I feel like it’d be uncomfortable.”

“We’d figure it out,” Lou grinned. She hopped off the hood of the car and offered her hand out to Debbie. “Could give it a whirl right now.”

“Chivalrous,” Debbie snorted.

“You don’t want me to fuck you right now?” Lou asked, her voice going low as she raised an eyebrow at the brunette, knowing she had Debbie hooked.

“I mean,” Debbie drifted off, looking away from the blonde as Lou caught her face in her hand, turning Debbie to look at her before kissing her softly.

“It’s not the most romantic I know,” Lou hummed. “But it cuts out the hiding and the sneaking around we have to go through at either of our houses.”

“Keep talking,” Debbie laughed.

“And it is hot,” Lou whispered in Debbie’s ear. “Imagine me telling you to pull over because you just look so god damn good and I have to have you. Right. Now.”

“Right now?” Debbie gasped, her breath hitching as she felt Lou’s hand on her thigh, pushing her dress higher.

“Right now,” Lou murmured.

Besides some rug burn, a nasty bump to Lou’s head from a headrest and an unfortunate seat belt buckle meets Debbie’s ass incident, the pair quickly learnt the ropes and were happy to have a mobile escape for some alone time, even if it was threaded with giggles and minor injuries and Lou’s teasing that this had become one of Debbie’s favorite past times over the past few months.

“What time does the movie start?” Lou asked, looking over at Debbie in the passenger seat. More often than not, it was Lou who had taken over the habit of driving Debbie’s car wherever they went. Like the true New Yorker she was, Debbie seemed to like the idea of having a way to escape more than the reality that she actually had to drive it.

“Ten minutes,” the brunette sighed.

“We’re not gonna make it,” Tammy sang from the back as Debbie shot her a death glare and Lou rolled her eyes in the rearview mirror.

“You’re the one who wasn’t ready when we came to pick you up, Tam,” Debbie pointed out.

“Not all of us have girlfriends, Deb, some of us have to make sure we look cute when we go out. Never know who you’ll meet.”

“In a dark movie theater?” Lou snorted.

“Um,” Tammy spoke, clearing her throat uncomfortably. “Why the fuck is there a red thong back here?”

“A what?” Debbie gasped, turning around to look at Tammy before whipping back to the front, her face turning as red as the underwear.

“A thong,” Lou smirked.

“Don’t. Laugh.” Debbie hissed.

“Lou,” Tammy growled.

“Don’t look at me,” the blonde snorted. “Do you think I’d wear red lace underwear?”

“How do you know it’s lace?” Tammy balked.

“Who else do you think is taking my underwear off?” Debbie grinned, turning around to stick her tongue out at Tammy.

“Let me out of the car.”

“Never,” Lou sang.

“Grow up, Tam.”

“Oh my god I am literally sitting on top of where you’ve had sex,” Tammy squeaked. “And how do you even forget your underwear, Debbie?!”

“Oh, that’s my bad,” Lou chuckled, turning into the parking lot as Tammy made gagging noises in the back.

“I thought they were Debbie’s,” Tammy grumbled.

“They are,” Lou nodded, pulling into a parking spot with ease before she locked eyes with Tammy in the mirror. “I kept them as a memento though. You know, way too wet for Deb to put back on. Threw them in my pocket for later. Guess they fell out.”

“That’s worse,” Tammy groaned. “God, that’s so much worse.”

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semisgroupie · 4 years

Text

Let You In

Genre: Angst

Pairing: Ushijima Wakatoshi X F!Reader

Warnings: language, spoilers (time skip, anime specifically season 3), if I missed any let me know

Word Count: 2.7k words

Synopsis: You have been with Ushijima for about half a year, he knows everything about you but you know nothing about him. He is very short with you in terms of speaking so what happens when you finally bring it up to him? What course will both of your lives take?

Taglist for future parts are open! Send an ask or send a message to be added :)

Always Belong To You Masterlist

A/N: I originally set this as a gender neutral reader but I decided to change it to a female reader simply because of how I wrote it and my plans with this. They graduated at age 17/18 so if any ages seem weird then that’s why. I also separated different timed events with a border so hopefully it won’t be too confusing! Enjoy! Also formatting might be weird on mobile so I apologize for that in advance.

Dating Ushijima Wakatoshi for about 6 months was... well tough to say the least. Going to Shiratorizawa you knew about the infamous volleyball team and their powerhouse captain and ace. You were both in your third year of high school and have started dating towards the end of your second year.

He was an amazing guy and you loved him more than words can explain but it was tiring. You felt like you were in a one sided relationship, especially within the last two months.

Talking to him about things was like pulling teeth. I mean you could get him to have conversations with you but whenever you tried to get to know more about him it was like talking to a brick wall.

He was very curt whenever you asked him about his family, especially his parents. You understood because it’s a sensitive subject for a lot of people but you wanted to know something. He knew almost everything about your family; he's even met one of your parents.

Recently he’s been a lot more cold. You figured it was mainly because of the loss suffered when competing against Karasuno. You were there in the stands and it broke your heart watching the final point being given to Karasuno.

You knew how much it meant to Wakatoshi to make it to Nationals. After the loss he didn’t even say a word to you when he walked you home, he just pecked you on the lips as a goodbye and that was all.

At school he barely spoke to you. It was sad to say but you had a better relationship with his teammates in terms of speaking. You were close to Satori and Eita so you would normally go to them when Wakatoshi was in a shitty mood. It’s sad to say but when you would visit him at practices after your club ended you felt a pit of jealousy boil in your stomach watching him speak to Satori and his other teammates.

“You know Y/N, Ushiwaka is just like that” you were walking with Satori during your lunch period and he was trying to comfort you.

“I know ‘Tori but the thing is I shouldn’t feel jealous when Toshi is talking with you when I’m the one dating him” you look over at Satori with watery eyes and he gives you a small frown.

“I’m sorry Y/N. I know this is shitty advice but you should talk to him” he puts his arm on your shoulder and you just nod in response. Wondering if he’ll even talk to you.

While sitting in class you pass a note to Wakatoshi, you watch him open it up and it reads: meet me at the park tonight at 8. After reading it he looks over at you and nods, his face displaying an unreadable expression, something you’re not surprised about.

You walk home without Wakatoshi to think about everything. Think about the steps you want to take. Think about what you want to do. Think about what would be best for not only you but also Wakatoshi. You couldn’t even finish your schoolwork because Wakatoshi was plaguing your mind.

On one side you loved him, you still love him with all your being. You think he loves you, yes he’s said it before even being the first in the relationship to say it but now you weren’t sure. You two had some good dates, amazing dates and just loved being in each other’s company.

But on the other side he could be so cold to you. He would just shut down and you couldn’t do anything but rely on Satori or Eita to tell you what’s wrong with him because he only spoke to them openly. You tried so hard to break down the wall he put up but it was made of diamond and you couldn’t try anymore.

While thinking it over you check your phone and see it was 7:30. It would take about 20 minutes to walk to the park that connected both your neighborhoods. “This is going to be the best for the both of us” you sighed to yourself before heading out and walking.

You were rehearsing what you were going to say in your mind and once you reached the benches of the park you saw a figure sitting there. As you walked closer you noticed it was Wakatoshi.

“Toshi!” You called out to him and once he turned to face you he gave a small wave and turned back to sit forward. You took a deep breath in and sat next to him, you gave each other a hug and you took another deep breath in.

“Before you start Y/N, I know what this is. You’re breaking up with me.”

Your jaw dropped and you looked at his face for any traces of emotion. You scanned his face once, twice, as many times as you could but there was nothing. How could he say that and just remain stoic. Before you could even collect your emotions you started speaking.

“How are you so calm? Like this means nothing to you? You’re my first everything Wakatoshi. My first boyfriend, my first love, first kiss, first everything Toshi. And from what I’m aware of I’m also your first to many things but you sit here like I mean nothing to you. I came here to try to salvage our relationship and not break up with you.”

He remained stoic as if he wasn’t even there with you. As if his mind was elsewhere or if he was somewhere. And to say it pissed you off was just an understatement.

“Fucking hell Wakatoshi, I’ve seen you have more of a reaction when you played volleyball. All you have is that fucking look on your face like I’m boring you. I’m so sorry Wakatoshi for wasting your time. And you don’t have to worry about that any more, I will no longer bore you. I will no longer bother you. I will no longer have contact with you because that’s what it seems like you want from that shitty look on your face”

Tears started streaming down your face from a mix of heartbreak and pure frustration. “I’m your girlfriend and I’m getting jealous of your teammates because they get more from you than I do. You know every single thing about me but I don’t know shit about you. All I wanted from you Wakatoshi was for you to let me in. Let me understand you. Let me know how you’re feeling even if you can’t put it in fucking words just so I know your well-being. But no, I fought and I fought for this one sidedness to end but no. I’m fucking tired of trying to break down your walls I can’t do it anymore. I’m tired with being tired. So it’s over between us. Goodbye Wakatoshi.”

You got up and just walked away only your sobs could be heard in the distance. Wakatoshi watched you walk away. He even reached out for you but you were too far from his grasp. He wanted to run after you but his legs were frozen in place. He wanted to yell for you to come back but it was as if his mouth was wired shut. All he could do was watch you. He didn’t even realize he was crying until he touched the collar of his shirt and felt it was completely wet.

Wakatoshi sat there a little longer. He put his head in his hands and cried. An emotion he would let no one see but here he was in public letting the tears fall. He slammed his head against his hands a few times.

“How could you be so fucking stupid? Letting her walk away. All you should’ve done was say something, anything, to make her stay.”

But deep down he knew that even if he said something it would’ve been too late. Too fucking late.

A few months later you both along with all the other third years graduated. After graduation you both went your separate ways. Wakatoshi pursuing a professional career in volleyball and you going to college to pursue a career as something. Not really deciding on what you wanted to even do.

Halfway through college you were stuck, not knowing what to really do. So you did what you thought was best and dropped out of college with enough credits to leave with an associates degree in journalism. Two years after that you had a career in journalism at a small agency then a little while after you left to run a podcast on unsolved mysteries with a close friend. It took about a year to get it to where it is now.

So at age 23 you were an investigative journalist who ran one of the top crime podcasts in the world. During this 5 year span of finding your passion you traveled and stayed close friends with Eita and Satori.

You spent a few months with Satori in France while he apprenticed for a well known chocolatier. You even toured with Eita and his band for a couple of weeks experiencing the rockstar life.

Also during this time you dated, had flings, one night stands, whatever you could think of but nothing really filled this hole inside you. The hole that was created in your heart the day you said goodbye to Wakatoshi for good.

Oh how you wished that you ran back and changed your mind. How you wished he ran after you and apologized or just held you. How on lonely nights you wished Wakatoshi was there to hold you in his strong arms and keep you there forever. How you wished you stayed in contact to have a coffee one day.

But this is real life and wishes don’t come true.

Currently you’re sitting in a bar with Satori, Eita, Koushi who you met in college, and Hajime your ex that you’re still on great terms with. You’re all sitting reminiscing on your times in high school. Satori brings up Wakatoshi and your heart skips a beat.

“I still keep in contact with Wakatoshi and so does Eita. You know, Y/N, he still talks about you.”

You feel your face start burning and you just try to cover yourself by taking a swig of beer. You look over to Eita for some sort of sign that Satori was just joking but all he does is press his lips into a thin line and nods. “It’s true, Y/N, he asks about you quite often.”

You quickly change the subject with some random story of how Eita ended up falling down the stairs trying to chase you and when he reached the bottom of the steps he ended up ripping ass which stunk up the entire staircase, during your second year in high school. As the whole table erupts in laughter the bartender turns up the volume to the television facing your table, catching everyone’s attention making them turn to look at the screen.

When you finally look up at the screen your heart falls into your stomach. It’s Wakatoshi and he’s being interviewed for a local news channel. “He looks as good as ever” you think to yourself. He has gotten even more muscular and even more handsome, like that was even possible. They ask him the basic questions, his favorite food, what inspired him, future plans, all the boring stuff. As you’re about to tear your gaze from the screen the final question piques your interest again.

“Okay Mr. Ushijima, everyone wants to know since you do keep your personal life away from media attention, do you have a special someone in your life?”

You feel your heart do jumping jacks in your chest as you anticipate his answer, you feel a hand grasp yours and when you quickly turn to see who it belongs to you see it’s Hajime. Probably sensing your nerves he tightens his grasp in a way to comfort you, which doesn’t help much but is greatly appreciated.

“I am currently not dating anyone or in a relationship but I am also not available to be in one.”

“Because of your volleyball schedule, right?”

“No, that’s not the reason.”

“Then Mr. Ushijima, what’s the reason?”

“Five years ago, when I was a third year in high school, I had the love of my life with me but I screwed up big time. I built so many walls I didn’t even let her inside. I didn’t realize it until she was gone for good. No matter who it is they could never replace her. I’d rather die a lonely old man than ever consider replacing her. She made me feel loved every second we were together. She has a heart of gold, she’s intelligent, so kind hearted, and not to mention drop dead gorgeous. Her mental and emotional strength is so admirable. She has my heart and she will always have it. No matter how old I get, no matter how much time passes it will always belong to her.”

“Wow Mr. Ushijima you’re making me tear up a little here” the interviewer wipes at their eyes before continuing, “okay I know I said that was the last question but this is the final one: if she is watching this now, what’s your message to her?”

You watch him take a deep breath in and he starts.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry for what I did to you. I took advantage of your love and made you feel like a burden when it was the complete opposite. I loved you then and I still love you now. Every night I wish that you were with me, I long to see the beautiful smile grace your face, I long to hear that little snort you make when you laugh too hard, I long to feel your hands intertwined with mine, I long to taste your famous milkshakes that you would make for me and the team after practice, I long to smell the strawberry shampoo in your hair. I still think about what you told me that day, I relive that moment of watching you walk away sobbing because of the pain I caused, it is enough fuel for my nightmares. I should’ve let you in and I am so sorry. I miss you so much. I listen to your podcast every day so I can hear your voice, hear the passion that I love to hear. I love you so much, if you’re watching this then I’d love a second chance. I’d love to see you again. This time I promise to let you in.”

As he finishes his statement you notice something you have never seen from Wakatoshi. You hear his voice shake and waver but you look into his eyes and you can see the pain in them through the screen. You see the tears well up in his eyes, threatening to spill and one does. A single tear falls from his perfectly chiseled face. He blinks back the rest of the tears and quickly raises his hand to wipe over his face.

“Alright Miss Y/N, you heard it yourself I hope that you and Mr. Ushijima find each other again. That is all for today, thank you for allowing me to interview you, back to you guys in the studio.”

Before you know it you’re quickly excusing yourself and running to the bathroom. You lock yourself in one of the stalls and sob. “He’s finally showing emotion. He still loves me.” you state aloud to no one in particular.

As tears continue to flow you’re not sure how much time has passed. The guys at the table discuss amongst themselves on what to do. Before properly reaching an agreement Satori and Eita decide to send Wakatoshi your phone number.

You leave the stall and wash your hands and face. You look in the mirror and grab a paper towel to wipe your face dry. You walk out to the table and take your seat. Once you’re seated there’s a ping that comes from your phone.

You take your phone out of your purse and check the notification you see it’s an unknown number. You unlock your phone and go to your messages to read the message. You’re lucky you can rest your hand on the table because if it wasn’t there you would’ve dropped your phone at the message.

It’s Wakatoshi. I’d love to take you out to dinner to catch up.

A/N pt2: hi y’all I plan on making this a two or three part little story so that is why I kind of left it on a cliff hanger. My main inspiration for this was that I heavily relate to Ushijima, we have similar backgrounds and I think we have similar personalities. One issue with me is that I’ve been called emotionless before because I keep a straight face often so I thought that Ushijima would be the same way. I could explain more another time if anyone would like. I apologize if it reads choppy I was just running with the idea and kept typing away. Thank you for reading!

— D <3

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu ushijima #ushijima x reader #hq x reader #hq ushijima #ushijima angst #hq angst #haikyuu angst

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mushiiluvs · 4 years

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Okay, so everyone on twitter is going off on the DP remakes already. I'll just join the party.

Disclaimer, these are just opinions and feelings. In no way meant to offend anyone. I'm glad some people are overly excited.

Okay, so I'll start off by saying Pokemon Diamond was my first ever Pokemon game.

I picked Piplup and even today she's still feeling like my true partner pokemon.

I beat the game twice. Did the after story, felt whole. I loved everything it had to offer and I constantly did the little pokemon contests and played with my brother. Gen 4 is very VERY dear to me.

I loved it so much. I still have the original copy and play it sometimes.

Then November 21st, 2014 came.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire cone out. The public love it, I love it. Added story, brand new graphics, in general all new and good vibes of what a good remake are. I was happy. Gave me hope that Sinnoh could be just like this and even better. "This is what good remakes are!"

Hah.

February 26, 2021. We've been asking for a Sinnoh for SEVEN years. Understandably we might be losing hope but there are leaks to our hopes becoming reality. I wake up, immediately go to the uploaded Pokemon Direct.

I see this.

This didn't give me the joy I so hoped for and everyone else immediately bashing on every platform for understanding reasons. We ask for something similar to ORAS for seven years. Something looking visually appealing. The ORAS trailers looked better than this.

Now, I don't think I've EVER complained much for Pokemon, even just based off of an announcement. I usually give the companies time to make things better. I accepted it. But personally I felt like I got dumped into the trash. I didn't have a hint of nostalgia watching that trailer. And IMMEDIATELY I did seeing the ORAS trailers as I played the originals not long after Diamond.

It didn't make me happy at all.

And yes, I know we shouldn't bash shit after coming out a first glance, but this shit looks like a shitty cheap mobile game coming onto google play by knockoff developers. The models are fine as they are, but the shading and everything else is so terrible I actually wanted to cry seeing it. Then look at the legends trailer.

Compared to the remakes, it looked fucking amazing. I got way more excited for that.

And if the other games can look that great in this era, why can't a simple remake we've asked for years do the same? Even if it's small changes at a time.

#pokemon #pokemon diamond and pearl #pokemon remakes #Pokemon bdsp #rant

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cas-kingdom · 4 years

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As Long as You Need Me

A/N: Written in response to this wonderful prompt:

Set in season 1, and I did switch it up a bit. The first part is three years before the second, and both are separated by the line break. Enjoy!

Title: As Long as You Need Me

Summary: When Diego finds a pregnant woman in a broken-down car on the side of a deserted road, he tells her he’ll stay for as long as she needs him. What neither of them seem to realise, is that the both of them may never stop needing each other. And they’re perfectly fine with that.

Words: 3697

Diego enjoyed walks at night.

He wasn’t so sure why. Maybe it was the silence. Or the dark. The way he could walk, alone, along deserted paths, and just think to himself.

Perhaps it was all three.

What he was sure about, was the fact that, after a long day, it was the only thing capable of refreshing his mind and expelling any unhealthy thoughts that had wandered uninvited into his brain that day while working at the shitty gym.

The road he was walking down now, hands stuffed in his pockets and black jacket zipped up to his chin to thwart the icy winter wind, was, as usual, isolated and still. No cars drove this way, and if they did then they passed quickly and without much more than a swift buzzing noise.

At least, that was the usual.

Now, in the quietude around him, he could just about hear the sound of someone shouting. And he raised his chin from the cover of his jacket, eyebrows furrowing as he squinted to look ahead. He could just about see the large, black shape of a car parked on the side of the road, hazy in the lack of lights, and though he slowed at first, never one to see a vehicle standing still on a typically deserted road a good sign, the shouting – or was it crying? – he’d heard earlier picked up again, and concern clouded his thoughts.

He walked faster, taking his hands from his pockets, and in less than a minute had arrived at the car. He kept his distance, craning his head slightly to peer around it, and his eyes narrowed once he noticed the dim hunched over figure of a woman. She was sat in the driver’s seat of what he could now see was a battered and dented car, the door open, one leg hanging out while the other was pulled up to her, bent at the knee.

“Hello?” He hesitantly walked around to the side of the car, hidden daggers feeling expectant in his back pocket. He doubted he’d need to use them, but years of never having a weapon on him at a time when they were needed had caused him to be ready at all hours of the day.

His eyebrows knitted together when he saw the woman, and he immediately slowed his pace, unsure as to whether or not she’d appreciate him coming so close. “Hey,” he started gently, “are you okay? Is- is everything alright?”

The woman’s head shot up so quickly he had to stop himself from taking a step back. He reached both hands up in front of him to show him he meant her no harm and waited for her defensive position to settle. He offered a warm smile. “I, um,” he began, hands still held palm-up in front of him, “my name is Diego. Hargreeves. Diego Hargreeves.” The woman had been listening, but her face contorted into one of pain a second after he’d told her his name and she doubled over, clutching her stomach.

Diego frowned and lowered his hands, taking a few steps forward. “Are you okay?” he asked again. When his only response was a sob of utter pain, he disregarded everything and knelt in front of her, trying to get her attention.

“No,” the woman cried out, tears streaming from her eyes, “I’m not okay! My car’s broken down and I- I left my mobile at home and I need to get to the hospital!”

Diego shook his head, lightly grasping the woman’s wrist. “Hospital? Are you hurt?”

“Hurt?” Her voice was riddled with pain and he found himself at a brief loss for what to do when she lifted her chin, staring at him with her tear-filled blue eyes. She shook her head lightly before sobbing out her next words. “I’m in fucking labour!”

Diego blanched. His eyes flicked down to her stomach, and his mouth made a little delayed ‘o’ shape when he noticed the bulge beneath her red coat. “Oh, shit,” he said to himself, waiting a moment before mentally shaking himself and leaping into action.

He shuffled forward. “Have your waters broken?” he asked, looking up at her, and she shook her head, eyes squeezing shut. She grabbed his hand, subconsciously or not, and squeezed hard. He let her.

“Okay, I’m gonna call an ambulance,” he told her, fishing in his pocket with his free hand for his phone. He pulled it out, dialled the emergency number, and held it up to his ear. “Do you have anyone I can call?” he questioned her as he waited.

“No,” she said, her hand clutching at her stomach as more tears streamed from her eyes, “it’s just me. It’s always just been me.”

The responder answered the phone before he could reply. “Hi, yeah, I need an ambulance. A lady here’s in labour and her car’s broken down, so- yeah. Uh, are you at full term?”

The woman shook her head. “I’m two weeks early,” she ground out.

“Two weeks early,” Diego spoke into the phone again. He kept his eyes on the woman as he told the responder where they were, all the while wondering how he’d ever gotten here. “Okay. Yeah, I’ll stay with her. Thank you.” He slipped the phone in his pocket and turned his attention back to the woman. “Okay,” he said, “they’ll be here as soon as possible. Just... try your best to focus on your breathing. Alright? Copy me.” He waited for her to open her eyes, her face rosy and flushed, hair sticking to her forehead, before he dramatically drew in a large breath, holding it for a while before letting it slowly go.

The woman copied, her breaths coming in shaking gasps, but after a short time, a semblance of the quietude Diego had missed that night returned. When what he guessed to be another contraction hit her suddenly, and he felt her squeeze his hand again, he moved forward and rubbed her back the moment she bent over.

He sighed, letting her clench his hand in her own, and glanced to the side at the empty road. He certainly hadn’t expected his walk to go like this. He rarely walked into a wandering hedgehog out for a nightly stroll, never mind a pregnant woman in a broken-down car.

But, alas, here he was, and here he would be staying until help arrived.

She sat up again and stared pitifully at him. He offered her a smile and she tried her own, the corners of her lips curving faintly upwards. She swallowed thickly, breathing heavily. “Thank you, Diego,” she said, voice trembling.

Diego nodded. “Don’t worry about it…” He dipped his head in an inclination for her name, and she smiled a little more genuinely this time.

“Willa Rhodes,” she told him.

“Nice to meet you, Willa,” Diego said softly, squeezing her hand for a moment in greeting.

She blinked, lifting her eyes to gaze at him, and he subconsciously – or perhaps even unconsciously – found himself doing the same, both finding an odd sense of comfort, even in the situation and under the circumstances, until the sound of sirens was heard in the near distance and Diego swiftly stood to his feet.

Willa turned her head up to him, panic written on her face. “Will you stay with me, Diego?” she asked, a hint of soft desperation laced into her tone, still holding onto him with all her strength, and he bent over slightly, clasping his hand on top of hers, eyes bright with assurance.

“For as long as you need me, Willa.”

Klaus Hargreeves strolled clumsily through the halls of the family house, puffing on a cigarette and mumbling incoherently to himself. It was three pm, and he’d just woken up.

The rest of the house was pretty quiet. Though he somehow thought to himself in his clouded, alcoholic breakfast mind, that that was because the house was also pretty big, and since Reginald’s funeral, nobody had really left their rooms unless it was to grab food. To be quite honest, he was waiting for the day he woke up and found they’d all just left.

“Oh, who cares?” he said to himself, coughing as he exhaled the smoke. “It’s always been just me anyway!” He turned his head and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, Benno. You too.”

He stretched his arms out wide and yawned as he slowly made his way into the large living room, eyes shutting for a moment, but the moment they opened again, a girlish almost-scream ripped from his throat and he drew back into himself, dropping his cigarette on the floor and raising his hands as though they were going to protect him from the little girl sitting on the edge of the sofa in the room.

She was swinging her legs back and forth, tiny hands crossed adorably on her lap, and she turned her head when she noticed him come in, shoulder-length blonde hair, tied partly back with a black bow, curling around her little face. She blinked at him before giving a toothy smile. “Hi,” she said, lisping a little, and Klaus’s top lip curled upwards slightly.

“Hey,” he said hesitantly, hesitantly waving a hand in her direction, and when she giggled he dropped both arms and crossed them over his chest, never once moving his eyes from her as though he was afraid she’d suddenly pounce. “Little girl,” he spoke up a second later, “are you dead?” He pointed a finger at her, eyes narrowing slightly. The last time he’d checked, the only children who had ever set foot inside this house was him and his siblings, and that had been years ago.

The child’s mouth twisted as she supposedly thought to herself, before she decided on an answer and held up four fingers. “I three!”

Klaus’s eyes widened comically, and he took a few steps forward. “Really?” he asked in wonder. “How does it feel to be three?”

“Cool!” she told him ecstatically, her curls bouncing, and Klaus sidled in next to her, seating himself on the couch by the arm rest. He nodded at her, leaning his elbow on his knees and resting his chin in his hands.

“D’ya know what’s even cooler?” He leaned forward, whispering almost conspiratorially.

“What?”

“Being four!”

She laughed wildly, falling backwards in the usual child-like spirit, and Klaus found himself grinning. “But you old!” she said amidst light laughter, pointing a tiny finger at him, and he gasped, clapping a hand to his heart.

“Me? Old?” He couldn’t contain his own chuckles when she dissolved into giggles again, and for a moment he forgot about the shit that was happening and lost himself in the bliss that was a little girl’s contagious amusement.

Then, the realisation hit him in the face, and he remembered there was a little girl on the sofa in a house that little girls definitely should not be in, and he shook his head and swivelled to face her. “Hey, mite, you never answered my question. Are you dead?”

“Theo?”

He turned at a voice he certainly did not recognise, eyes widening quickly at the sight of a woman rushing towards him, and briefly turned his head up to the sky, wondering if females had started dropping from the sky.

The woman picked the girl up, balancing her on her hip and turning narrowed eyes on him. “Did you just ask her if she’s dead?” she asked, and he shrugged, leaning halfway off the couch to pick up the discarded cigarette he’d dropped minutes before.

“What’s it to you?” he asked, sticking it in his mouth, and the woman, hair as blonde as the child’s, grit her jaw and steeled her expression.

“She’s my daughter,” she told him, reaching a hand up to cup the back of the girl’s head, “and she is one hundred percent alive, thank you very much.”

Klaus stood to his feet, stumbling slightly, and tried his best to look intimidating with his hands perched on his hips, short cigarette poking out from the side of his mouth. “Lady,” he said, tilting his head, “I don’t know if you know, but this is private property.”

The woman rose an eyebrow. “I was let in.”

“By who?” Klaus asked slowly.

“By me.” He spun around, almost toppling over, and grinned widely at the sight of Diego walking into the room, a plate of what looked to be sandwiches in his hands. He made to pass him, and Klaus reached for one, scowling when his brother slapped his hand away. “Leave her – and the food – alone, Klaus.” He stopped next to the woman, and Klaus blinked wide eyes when he saw him take the child from her and hand her the plate. The woman picked up a sandwich, gave it to the child, who took it eagerly, and leaned in a little closer to Diego.

“That’s Klaus?” she asked quietly.

Diego gave her a knowing look. “Yep.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“Told you.”

Klaus, ever the man child, scoffed and all but stomped his foot on the floor. “Who are you?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Luther spoke up as he appeared walking down the stairs, his siblings following close behind.

“Me too,” Allison agreed.

“Me three.” Vanya added.

“Me... yeah.” Five shook his head. “Why’d you call us in here, Diego? And who the hell calls a group chat ‘The Six Musketeers’?”

Diego waved a hand in his younger – older? – brother’s direction. “Just get over here,” he said, “I want to introduce you to someone.”

Klaus stubbed his long-done cigarette on the edge of a coffee table Diego was pretty sure his father had gone to an auction for and forbidden his children from ever touching it even once. But then he’d only thought about that because he thought about the stupidest of things when he was nervous.

He watched with gritted teeth and absently fidgeting hands as his brothers and sisters stood opposite him.

Allison and Vanya were sending each other looks. Luther was staring wide-eyed and stupid at the little girl munching on a sandwich in his arms. And Five was staring – more like glaring – at the woman beside him, who was also clearly anxious.

Everything was silent for a moment.

Then Diego took a quick deep breath and put an arm around her. “Guys,” he started, an almost warning tone in his voice, “this is Willa. And this- is Theodora. Your niece.”

The silence continued. Everyone looked like Luther, now. Except Five, who was still staring at Willa in that assassinating kind of way Diego was actually pretty scared of. Nevertheless, he physically shook himself after a while and turned confused eyes on him.

“Right,” he said, “forgive me if I’m wrong, but I’m sure your niece... is your sibling’s daughter...”

Diego’s lips spread in a tight smile. “Yup.”

Allison’s eyes widened, and she pointed a finger lightly in his direction. “So, she’s yours?”

“Yes.”

Vanya looked at Willa. “And- you guys are…”

“Together,” Diego confirmed, “yeah.”

Luther pursed his lips together in a thoughtful manner and nodded. “I see the resemblance,” he noted, and Diego chuckled.

“That’d be pretty hard, Luther, considering she’s not mine biologically,” he said, and the faces of his siblings grew all the more intrigued – even Five, surprisingly. “It’s… a long story. I’ll get to it one day. But, for now… I just wanted you to meet them. Finally.”

Willa nodded, offering a small, albeit clearly nervous, smile. “It’s really nice to meet you all. Diego’s told me a lot about you.”

Five crossed his spindly arms over his chest. “Oh, yeah? How much?”

She made to answer, but Diego could feel her growing uncomfortable. She always did in difficult situations, and this was definitely a difficult situation. There was a reason – more than one, really – he’d held off introducing family to family for so long. They just weren’t… normal. And that wasn’t to say that he was totally, boringly ordinary, it was just… well. He’d kept Willa and Theodora away from everything that could possibly be dangerous or cause them harm since the moment he’d come across them on the side of the road. Of course, he’d told Willa of his childhood, and of the Umbrella Academy, and he’d never once kept anything from her, but the fact of the matter had for years remained that hearing about someone and meeting them were two very different things. Not to mention he himself had neither spoken to nor seen any of his siblings since they’d all been called together just days ago for their father’s funeral. Really, it was a wonder he’d managed to persuade himself to introduce them now, but if he didn’t, he’d never get around to it, and for as much as he and his siblings were estranged, he wanted them to know he’d built a life for himself in the time they’d been away from each other. He wanted them to know that, though it’d taken a while, he was happy, and he’d pulled himself from the life he felt as though he’d been forced to make for himself, and had created something new, something better, something he wished to hold onto for as long as he was able...

“Everything, Five,” Diego said, a final tone to his voice. He gave his brother a look, and Five’s eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, but he relented eventually, turning away. Diego felt a strange sense of relief at that. It was crazy how the little guy could make him feel so heavy.

Allison smiled suddenly, and he could tell it was genuine. “Well,” she said, stepping forward and placing both hands on Willa’s shoulders. “I, for one, am so happy to meet you.” She turned to Theodora, who was still perched in Diego’s arms. “Hey, there,” she said, bending over slightly, “I’m your Aunt Allison.”

Theodora smiled toothily and waved her little hand, and Diego looked at Willa, their eyes meeting and instantly comforting the other.

“You know, I have a little girl around your age, too,” Allison continued. “Her name’s Claire. Maybe…” She turned her eyes up to Willa. “Maybe you could play together some day?” She posed it as a question, but the younger woman nodded eagerly, a soft smile gracing her lips.

“She’d love that,” she said, and Allison straightened as Klaus all but shoved past her, clasping the child’s hands in his own in a way that had her momentarily pausing in her munching of her sandwich.

“And I’m your Uncle Klaus,” he said, grinning widely when she started giggling.

“Aunt Vanya,” Vanya spoke up from the back, raising her hand.

“Your soon-to-be-favourite Uncle Luther!”

A chorus of disputes – mainly from Klaus – and rolls of the eyes came next, until everyone turned expectantly to the one who hadn’t yet spoken. He rolled his own eyes and waved a hand in their direction. “Yeah, yeah, call me Uncle Five and I’ll burn all your toys.”

The little girl unexpectedly giggled at that, clapping her hands, and, among everyone’s laughter and smiles, Five shook his head and allowed the corners of his lips to turn faintly upwards. That was good. For Five, at least.

“Have you guys had a tour of the house, yet?” Vanya asked.

Willa shook her head, glancing to Diego before turning back to his siblings. “Not yet.”

“We’ll take you!” Allison said, a hint of the excitement she’d lost out on a lot as a child returning to her voice, and Diego dutifully placed Theodora on the floor. Surprisingly, and yet somehow not at the same time, she clumsily toddled up to Five and reached for his hand.

“There you go, Five,” Luther said, grinning widely as he clapped his brother on the back, “you’ve got yourself a little cheerleader.”

Five rolled his eyes, inwardly grimacing at the sticky little palm curled around his. “Shut your mouth, Luther,” he all but hissed, nevertheless he didn’t remove his hand from the child’s, simply staring down at her as Vanya bent to her level to introduce herself, and Klaus – very characteristically – began pulling faces from behind her.

Allison reached an arm out for Willa, and the young woman looked at Diego, who gave her a small nod and an encouraging smile, before following after the small group.

Once they’d left, and the sound of Klaus and Five bickering between themselves and Vanya asking Theodora if she’d ever seen a talking monkey before faded, Luther, who’d stayed behind, gave Diego a knowing look, noting the blissful smile on his brother’s face.

“The kid’s sweet,” he spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest, and Diego drew in a deep breath.

“Yeah, she is,” he agreed.

“How old is she?”

“Three.”

“She’s known you as her dad her whole life?”

“Yeah.”

Luther nodded. “And Willa? She’s nice.”

Diego dropped his gaze to his boots, his smile growing. “She’s amazing.”

“You known her long?”

“Three years.”

“Ah.” Luther pursed his lips and took a step forward. He waited until Diego rose his eyes to meet his own before smiling and clapping his shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Diego,” he said sincerely, his eyes warm. “You deserve it.”

Diego smiled, and Luther figured it to be the sincerest smile he’d ever seen on him.

“Why now, though?” he asked. Diego frowned lightly.

“Huh?”

Luther shrugged. “You’ve kept them both a secret from us for three years. And, yeah, I get that we haven’t exactly all been friends since we left home, but… why are you telling us about them now? You could have kept them to yourself for a bit longer.”

Diego opened his mouth to reply, but seemed to think better of it and shut his mouth. He stayed staring at the ground for a short moment, blinking, shuffling his feet, before he raised his head and looked at Luther, somehow perfectly portraying the words he needed to in those dark brown eyes.

And Luther smiled, reaching for the glass bottle of whiskey resting on a coffee table. “Good luck, brother,” he said. “She’ll say yes; I know it.”

TUA Masterpost

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bakugohoex · 4 years

Text

chapter one ➺ auld rivals

pairing: pro hero katsuki bakugo x pro hero female reader

cw: language and angry boi

word count: 2000+

a/n: omfg sorry for positing this at midnight but hope you guys like chapter one i think it’s starting off good so far and this is defo a slow burn so don’t expect action until later on

summary: in which you and bakugo are rivals always competing against one another, you get called into the commission late at night, unbeknownst that bakugo is there you arrive expecting nothing important but instead are met face to face with the president herself

masterlist | chapter two

↞ back to my hero academia masterlist

Blood dripped from the side of his face, his breathing heavy and resting on his lips was a smirk. The god damn cocky smile that you wanted to punch out of him. “Fucking hell Y/n only 10 people saved, someone’s doing shit.” You scowled how could he talk about saving people when you were the one who was making sure buildings stopped falling on him and the civilians.

All his quirk was bang bang explosions, nothing special. Yours on the other hand telepathy and psychokinesis one hundred times better than shitty Bakugo’s quirk. He would always prance around acting like a penguin with his ass on fire as if he had been the one saving people. All he did was carry them away, you on the other hand, stopping buildings and rubble fall off them with your mind.

It was a lot harder than Bakugo thought, one wrong thought and everything would come crashing down. But what did you care? His opinion meant nothing and as long as the people were saved that’s all that really mattered. The stars guided the darkness like a picture-perfect scene, the only torments being the blond beside you explosions in hand and the A rank villain in front of you.

“Let me handle this.” You were going to have your glory if it was the last thing you’d do, you didn’t want the glory of praise and admiration. You wanted Katsuki Bakugo on his knees admitting that you were better than him.

You activated your telepathy going into his head, “don’t you fucking dare.” He was unable to move and that’s all you wanted him to do, his silence and lack of movement confirmed he was obeying you before you turned to the villain, their quirk seemed to melt away things it touched.

You ran up to it, the sweat falling down from your body. You had made a hero costume which suited you and had easy mobility allowing you to not only use your psychokinesis to trap the rubble around the villains arms but to easily run and jump onto objects to kick the villains down. Their arms became trapped as it had already begun to melt away the concrete that you latched onto it and before you could use your quirk you felt the melted away rubble hit your body.

“Fuck.” A low whisper came as you could hear Bakugo’s thoughts, the hatred he had pent up to you but his inability to move suppressing him. Maybe it was selfish to let your own aspirations get in the way of a quick defeat, but where’s the fun in that.

You used your quirk effectively getting inside the villain as you prevented it touching anything before grabbing the discarded metal from the destruction that had been caused prior. Metal surrounded your arms as you made it move along with your walking. Both your quirks in action before you pushed everything you had onto the villain. Their movement limited as they were trapped underneath, you heard nor saw no movement and the smirk you felt on your face rise made Bakugo’s blood boil.

You stopped manipulating Bakugo as he ran towards you quirk raised, you could almost feel the explosions and burning sensation his pace quickening. “Bakugo don’t you dare, or I’ll get inside your head again and we both don’t want that.”

Telepathy took a toll on you the majority of the times, hearing thoughts and emotions wasn’t something you were too fond of doing. The villain in question had transformed back into a human having previously been a sluggish type of creature, he was knocked unconsciousness, you both saw the police force come and arrest him.

“Don’t you ever fucking do that shit again Y/n.” Bakugo raised his voice catching the attention of the police force and commission representatives.

You crossed your arms raising an eyebrow, “I’m the one who defeated the villain.” He was furious, the rage that filled inside of him was more than he could ever imagine, and it was going towards a pipsqueak like you.

“You got into my head and prevented me from doing my job you dumbass.” His knuckles had turned white at the clenched fist he was making. You had pissed him off and all you could give him was a shrug.

“Shitty woman.” He could say all he wanted about you, but you didn’t care.

You didn’t expect him to get on your knees for you, but you were doing your job, and logically you knew that if he used his quirk it would have no effect on this type of villain. You were able to suppress and defeat him and with both you and Bakugo fighting together the chances of risk increased. It wasn’t that you assumed the level of risk would be high, you knew you had worked it out whilst preventing rubble from falling from civilians. And one of the likely outcomes that had the highest percentage was Bakugo melting away.

You would never tell him you suppressed him to save him, you’d rather he be pissed with you then even consider that you two were more than rivals. He had left to go back to the agency, whilst you explained what happened to the police force knowing you’d be the one to have to do the paperwork.

You signed walking back as well, it had reached pitch darkness by the time you arrived back, stripping the costume off, the long-sleeved black leotard covering most of your body, with exposed legs which were covered by thigh highs that went right up to your mid-thigh.

Your quirk didn’t mean you necessarily needed any fancy costume but the one you wore made it easier to move especially the gloves on your hands which allowed for more materials to be controlled around your fingers. It was a benefit of some sorts; a black necklace went around your neck which allowed for a lack of nausea to occur. It was common for you to vomit up after controlling too many people back in your UA days but now it was less common, only a mild headache occurring.

Wearing normal clothes, you grabbed your bags knowing your patrol was over and you could have a weekend of relaxation. Mina and Momo having invited the girls for a catchup, it had been months since you last saw them and to have a catchup on life events was a must. You all had been busy and as you all grew older the busier everybody got, even the boys seemed to have their own lives. You didn’t mind but working alongside Bakugo in the same agency was a pain, you never expected it once graduating together but now you and Bakugo were like auld rivals.

You saw Bakugo at the front entrance he was on the phone as he paced back and forth. Probably one of his hook ups telling him he’s the father, you didn’t dare look into his thoughts, it was his private life and in honesty it made you uncomfortable.

He saw you walking out, you easily passed him he was still pissed by how his voice raised even more. Someone had made him even angrier than before clearly; you didn’t bother to ask mainly due to not caring.

A couple signs and vulgar swears came out of his mouth, you didn’t know if it was a friend, mother or even some from above but you stopped caring once you heard something from your bag.

Your phone ringing loudly, you hated phone calls even from your own parents, the idea of talking to people wherever you were was disgusting. That didn’t mean you hated people you just liked your own space and liked hanging out with people on your own accord. You answered the unknown number you were met with someone you never expected.

“This is Y/n Y/l/n.” They were almost unsure themselves, why call if you don’t know if you’re talking to the right person.

“Ugh yeah.” You were hesitant not liking the weakness of not being able to hear or know the other person’s thoughts on the other side.

You heard a sign of relief as they spoke again, “thank God, we thought you had been sent to the hospital, it’s the Hero Public Safety commission, I work under the president and we want to see you.”

“You didn’t have to make it so dramatic” You mutter barely audible, “I’ll be there.”

She says no more hanging up, you hated being called to the commission, they had no need to directly go to you when they could just go to someone who truly cared about the formalities, all you wanted to do was save people and piss Bakugo off, but no something always seemed to happen.

You turned around walking back the way you came from, passing the agency, Bakugo had probably already gone home himself. Why the fuck did you have to go to the commission why couldn’t that shitty man get called in as well?

You didn’t hate Bakugo you were just tired and hated how he could go home probably to a nice warm bed whilst you had to take detours for hells know what reasons.

Finally arriving after your unrelieved feelings had become dull to bare, you walked inside a man already waiting for you. You followed trying to get some sort of vibe from the man, you couldn’t bare to read his thoughts knowing it’d be emotional with anxieties over work so tried to look at him seeing if he had anything to him that showed hope.

He didn’t! He led you to the presidents office after a silent ride u the elevator, you didn’t mean to stare at the man, but you wanted to know if he had any clue of what was going on. And when you did finally get into his brain it was more worries about if his wife would let him in the house for being late.

A bore as you had thought, the double doors enticed you to come forward, someone was already waiting in the chair as you walked in, what you hadn’t realised was a woman had been walking back out. You both crashed into each other and her papers fell everywhere, using your quirk you gathered the papers quickly preventing them for falling on the ground and getting muddled up, the papers rested back in her arms as you helped her up.

“Sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going.” You hummed an its okay before seeing the president. It was a shock to see her the one leading this meeting but you didnt ask just wanting to get it over and done with.

“Agh Y/n so glad you could join us, take a seat.” At the sight of your name being spoken the man quickly turned his head, and it was someone you hadn’t expected.

Bakugo sat on the chair, angry as always. You sat beside him, his glare on your body, he watched intentively as you tried to make him stop by glaring back.

“What’s the stupid psychic doing here?” You continued to glare but at the word psychic you got pissed, you weren’t a stupid fake psychic and it irritated you when he said it.

The president watched you both glaring it was a sight to say the least, you were on the verge of pushing his chair over and you could already sense explosions about to appear before she finally cleared her throat before speaking.

“We didn’t call you both here to fight we have a proposition for you two.” You both gave blank looks before Bakugo spoke.

“If you want us to do some shitty work in other fields than I’m already out.” Bakugo was ready to leave. You nodded in agreement not wanting to be involved as some promoter for a shitty energy drink to be sold to the youth. Both ready to leave on your own accords, the president finally turned away looking out through the glass windows admiring the stars and the moon which shone throughout the blues and blacks of the sky. It was a river of opportunity that you had often admired whilst on patrols.

She spoke again but this time the next words that came out of her mouth had stopped you both in your thoughts. “What do you two know about the Paranormal Liberation Front?”

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