#yet the minute I have to dress myself suddenly putting together an outfit is impossible

[fundiemental-shitposts]

I love the drop earrings with the sunburst drop in the middle (it matches the necklace without being too matcha-matchy) but the simple teardrop emeralds are also really pretty and would be less likely to “take away” from the necklace.

If your dress is more blinged-out/lacy/elaborate, go for the simpler earrings to make the dress the focal point; if your dress is relatively simple (ie, a Katie Bates classic satin A-line/ball gown type vibe), bling out with the earrings.

Have u sorted accessories for ur wedding day? I know u were deciding about shoes, etc

I know for sure I’m going with these shoes and necklace:

I'm still trying to decide on earrings; don't know whether to go simple or extra. I'm leaning towards the simpler ones but I just ordered all of them and will keep whatever ones look best with the necklace:

and I'm deciding between hair combs; again I'm leaning towards the simpler one bc I think the other would be 2 much green, but let me know what y'all think!!:

[felixfelicisfics]

More Than An After Thought (James X Reader)

Summary: James and the Reader have been friends for years. After years of the Reader silently pining, James asks the Reader on a date. However the Reader can’t get over the years James spent chasing after Lily. What changed? Why now?

Requested By: @msmb​

Word Count: 1,998

TW: None

A/N: Hi guys! This is my first fic on this account! Remember requests are always open! Thanks for reading! <3

---

The patchy noise of a playing record fills the room. You bob about while tidying up your hair and putting the final details on your outfit. You step in front of the mirror and take a look at yourself. You smear a bit of rouge on your cheeks and the tip of your nose and gingerly to your lips. You catch yourself humming along to the old jazz record James had gifted you. 

James had been your friend of many years. The two of you knew the very worst and best parts of each other and it was a rare sight to catch one of you walking about the halls of Hogwarts without the other. “Potter and L/N are entirely inseparable” your classmates would say “They practically share a mind”. And you did. That is, besides one thing. You had been pining over James since your second year. He, however, did not reciprocate those feelings until recently. For as long as you, and well everyone in your year, could remember James only had eyes for Lily Potter. Damn that Lily. She was nice enough but you couldn’t help but be jealous of her, and more particularly how James looked at her.

You shake the thought of Lily from your mind and continue touching up your final ensemble, for James was to be at your dorm any minute to pick you up. He had, rather surprisingly, asked you out to dinner last friday in Potions specifying that it was “a date kid of dinner”. You were completely overjoyed when first invited. However, with time to think you’ve become suspicious of James’s true intentions. Right as the clock hit seven o’clock a knock came at your dormitory door. A knock that was surely James. 

“One moment!”

You run to slip on your shoes and grab your bag. James’s slight chuckle can be heard on the other side of the door.

“C’mon Y/N! We said seven. You’re usually more punctual than this.” There's an air of teasing in his voice that your nerves mask.

You throw the door open and apologetically smile. James is dressed far more formal than usual in a button up tucked into a pair of plaid slacks. He holds a modest bouquet of delicate flowers. He stops and looks at you like a deer in the headlights. 

“You look great Y/N. Absolutely stunning.” He smiles nervously.

“Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself”

There’s a silence, which is uncommon between you two. Finally, James clears his throat and hands the bouquet to you. 

“Here, these are for you. I overheard you telling Remus you like the ones that grow outside the Quidditch field.”

You take the flowers and smile, your worries fleeing, and look back up to James.

“These are wonderful, thank you.”

You set the flowers inside your dorm before meeting James at the door once again.

“So where are we off to?” you ask.

“That’s a surprise.” James grins and holds out his hand for you to take.

Your heart pitter patters every so slightly as you take his. It’s warm and strong yet his grip is delicate and gentle. The two of you descend the dorm stairs and weave through the passages of Hogwarts until James opens a door and the sun pours over your face. There, on the grounds near the Black Lake sits an extravagant, candlelit picnic near the edge of the Black Lake. A gasp escapes you and you look excitedly at James. When your eyes meet his lit up face you see the wide smile plastered on his face. The joy and excitement practically drips from him when he notices how content you look. You both walk out towards the picnic blanket.

“James. This is so sweet. Did you do all this?”

“I had a little help. I bribed the house elfs to let me use the kitchen. It wasn’t easy but I finally promised them that Sirius and I would stop taking eggs from the kitchen to throw at Snape.”

“You really ought to stop that y’know. You’ll get expelled soon enough”.”

“Nah ol’ Sniffleous Snape wouldn't go to Slughorn and tell.”

“If you say so.” You roll your eyes at James’s mischievous nature. “So what all do we have here?” 

You gaze at the quilt topped with a half a dozen mini platters and small containers of delectable food. And lying in the middle, the crown jewel of it all, lyes a pitiful cake decorated with strawberries and sprinkles. The both of you sit opposite to each other and look at the feast James had put together. 

“Well let’s see we have apple tarts and some sandwiches here. A couple of boxes of chocolate frogs, and a couple of ciders. Oh! And then some chips. Yeah. Ah and the cake. You like strawberries, yeah?”

“Yeah. Strawberry cake is wonderful.”

“Well don’t wait on my account go ahead.” James chuckles and hands you a plate.

You take it and begin to fill your plate with the delectable foods before you. James serves himself as well and while doing so you catch each other’s glance on and off, which would make both of your cheeks ever so slightly hot. The slight breeze tickles your skin. The sun has nearly set and the floating candles illuminate your romantic picnic. You glance up to catch James eye. His skin and eyes glow in the firelight. Somehow he looked even more handsome in this light. His eyes travel over you, as if climbing your body to reach your eyes. You feel the steady, strong rhythm of your heart. He draws closer to you, leaning in. 

Your heart begins to race. You have waited so very long for this. It feels as though his lips are miles away and so very close all at the same time. Your mind races through all the times you’ve thought of how this would go. All the scenarios, the daydreams, the what ifs. How have you known your feelings for James this long and not have shown him. And then it hits you. 

Lily.

For years James has fancied Lily. You watched him flirt and gaze and fawn over her. You gave him advice, you listened to him go on and on about how ‘It’s finally it Y/N! I think I know how to win Lily over’. You watched him buy her flowers, and call her beautiful, and plan her picnics… just like this one.

You pull yourself away and pick at your cake, avoiding James’s confused look. There’s a moment of silence before you hear James clear his throat. 

“Y/N? Is everything alright?” James asks.

Before you can begin to think to stop yourself you ask,”Why me?”

“What?” 

This time you look up to meet his eyes. Not missing a beat you ask once again,

“Why me, James?”

“I don’t understand what you-”

“What did Lily turn you down so you figured you might as well not waste the food?”

James furrows his brow and sets down his plate.

“What? Where is this coming from Y/N?”

“Why me James? What’s with the sudden interest? What, you need a rebound because I’m not here for that okay. So just tell me what’s actually going on.”

“Y/N I don’t-”

Tears well up ever so slightly. A weight in your chest sinks down to your stomach. You should’ve known. Why would he chase Lily so long and suddenly magically have an interest in you. It’s impossible, childish even to consider it true. You’re simply nothing more than a rebound, leftovers, a second choice. 

“I’m sorry. This was a mistake I gotta go.” you sniffle before standing up.

“Y/N wait! You don’t understand.”

James stands and grabs your hand, gently but firm. You face away from him so he can’t see the singular tear running down your hot face. You freeze in your spot. A chill of embarrassment washes over your body as you feel his eyes on you. 

“Now damn Y/N will you just wait a second!” He says.

You want so badly to be anywhere but here. With anyone but him. But a part of you clings to the pleading in his voice. 

“James just get it over with. Stop fucking with me.”

James takes a deep breath and takes a step closer to you. 

“What I was going to say, before you decided to run off, was that I don’t want to mess this up. You and I, we’ve always had this connection. And I know you feel it too. Everytime we’re together and our hands brush or you meet my gaze a little longer than usual my heart flutters. But I cast it aside because I didn’t want to ruin our relationship as well as I assumed you didn’t feel the same way. Y/N, you’re my best friend; but recently I’ve come to realise it’s always been a little more than that.”

“But James, what about Lily?”, you ask.

“Lily and I will never happen. She has no interest in me and quite honestly the more I chased the more I lost interest in her and… fell more in love with you.” 

You can feel James’s gaze grow stronger on you. You whip your head to face him, releasing your hand from his grasp in the process. 

“Oh I gotcha, so Lily’s off the table now so you’ll just have to have the leftovers. Is that what I am to you? An afterthought?”

“No, Y/N, of course not! You’re just there for me! I’ve been so stupid, flailing myself about at someone who doesn’t give a damn about me when right in front of me is you, Y/N. You make me smile and laugh so hard my throat hurts. You come to everyone of my Quidditch games and cheer with all your might. You call me out and keep me in check when I go too far. Your eyes make me feel like you can read me like an open book which terrifies me but in a strange sense makes me feel seen and loved. I love you Y/N. You’re not a second choice. There’s no bloody competition when it comes to you.”

It’s silent for a moment as James looks to you for a response. You’re stunned by his burst of eloquence. You take a step towards him and a fear grows in his eyes. As you finally reach him you wrap your hand to the back of his neck and pull him in for a passionate kiss.

He kisses you back immediately. The kiss felt desperate and yearning; as both of you run your hands tenderly to cup each other’s faces.  Everything in your body feels like static. Excitement flows throughout you. It’s exactly as you imagined, quite better actually. James’s lips are soft and his kiss is warm and smooth. You feel years of pining and frustration melt away in the kiss.

James pulls away softly, “Now, I believe there’s a very romantic and tasty picnic waiting for us. If you’d like to join me?”

You smile, your worries dead and gone, “Absolutely.”

James takes a step back and holds out his hand for you to take. You take it and the both of you step back onto the quilt and resume your date, now giggling and recalling all the times you wanted to tell one another about your hidden feelings. The stories flow back and forth til the sun sets right over the Black Lake. And with the sunset the both of you blew out the candles and lied on the quilt, full from the meal, and gazed at the stars in a comfortable silence. Completely content. And still utterly overjoyed by your first kiss. James intertwines your hand in his, drawing circles with his thumb on the back of your hand. 

“Y/N?”

“Yeah James?”

“This is so much better than being friends.”

“I think so too, James.”

[songsformonkeys]

Conference Call (maxwell lord x reader)

summary: Maxwell fucks you while taking a conference call. There’s no plot here. None. Just stupid filth

word count: ~4100

rating: explicit

warnings: Slight soft!Dom Maxwell if that needs to come with a warning.

notes: Sooo...this happened. I don’t know how to feel about it... 

Ao3

Conference Call

”I want you to wear this,” Maxwell says and gestures towards a big white box on the table. The two of you are in his penthouse apartment. It's after midnight but neither of you have clocked out from work yet because you had been forced to schedule a conference call with a rivaling company in Europe and the different timezones are a pain in anyone's ass.

Maxwell isn't too happy about the arrangement but had agreed on the condition that the telephone meeting could be held in his home office. You had agreed, knowing which battles that were worth picking with Maxwell and realizing that this wasn't one of them.

You had showed up with plenty of time to spare before the call, hoping that you and Maxwell would have a chance to go over the Paris proposal once more. That had been twenty minutes ago and so far the only things that have happened are that Maxwell has insisted on having a drink, has quizzed you on next week’s meetings, and now has revealed that apparently there is a dress code for the evening.

”Maxwell... Mister Lord, may I remind you that it is a conference call and that the other participants won't actually be able to see us. I hardly think that a wardrobe change will be necessary,” you point out, a little annoyed at his unwillingness to focus on the task at hand.

Maxwell sets his drink down and stands up from the barstool where he's perched. He walks over to you and steps so close that you can smell his expensive cologne. The scent reminds you of other times when he's been this close and you briefly close your eyes.

”And may I remind you whose job it is to set the rules here. The outfit is for my benefit, not theirs, and I'm telling you that I want you to wear it.” There's no mistaking the order behind his words and you suddenly worry just what might be in that box.

”Am I making myself clear?” he continues and you nod.

”Crystal clear, Mister Lord,” you reply and he smirks.

”Good girl. Now go change and meet me in the office.”

You pick up the box and head to the guestroom down the hall.

As you set the box down on the bed and open it, you are immediately met by a vision of pale pink tulle and your eyebrows raise in surprise. You take the tulle garment out of the box and hold it up in front of you. It's a short, see-through, maribou robe, complete with the feather trimmings and everything. It's...angelic, for a lack of better word, and very much what you have come to learn that Maxwell appreciates.

You carefully set the gown down on the bed and return your attention to the box and the other things it contains. The next thing you pull out is a lace balconette bra in the same pink color as the gown, along with a pair of matching lace panties.

When you hold the panties up you notice there's an odd seam down the middle and... oh wait that's not a seam, but a slit. Your cheeks feel hot as you run your finger over the fabric, before setting them down and picking up the last thing that's in the box. It's another box and you can tell just from the design that it contains jewelry. When you open it you almost gasp. Resting on black velvet is an absolutely gorgeous diamond choker necklace. The symbolism of that doesn't escape you.

You look at the items on the bed and don't dare to wonder how much money Maxwell has spent on this ensemble. He is, for the most part, smart about what he spends his money on, but this isn't the first set of expensive lingerie that he's bought for you.

Worried about keeping him waiting for too long, you quickly slip out of your own clothes and into the ones Maxwell has provided for you, even though clothes might not be quite the right word for it.

You look at yourself in the full-length mirror of the guestroom, and have to admit that you look good. The color suits you and you feel more at home in this than the black ones he'd bought for you last time.

You debate whether or not to leave the gown open or tied closed with the silk band around the middle. You settle for tying it closed, thinking that Maxwell will probably enjoy untying that for himself. Studying your face closely in the mirror, as you fit the necklace snugly around your neck, you come to the conclusion that the lipstick you've been wearing all day doesn't quite fit with the image and you grab some paper to wipe it off, leaving your lips bare but stained slightly pink.

You take a deep breath and adjust the diamond choker just a little, before you leave the guestroom and walk towards to Maxwell's home office. The apartment isn't cold but you still feel your skin tightening into little goosebumps.

Maxwell is bent over a file, reading, when you stop in the doorway. You know he knows your there by the way his hand twitches for just a fraction of a second before turning the page, but he still makes you wait for a few more seconds before looking up. He doesn't say anything as he eyes you up and down, and his face is impossible to read as always. Then he lifts his hand and beckons you over with a finger.

He pushes his chair back when you reach him and a pleased smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. The relief makes your shoulders relax slightly.

”They suit you. Do you like them?” he asks, pursing his lips to keep a smile in check. You nod

”Yes, Max-.” He raises an eyebrow at you. ”Yes, Mister Lord. They're beautiful. But...forgive me, I don't quite understand...”

”What don't you understand, sweetheart?” he asks, reaching out to smooth a hand over your hip, pulling you another step closer. He touches the silk band tied around your middle, grabbing the end of it and slowly pulling.

”We have scheduled a conference call with Paris, in 15 minutes. There isn't any time to...” you trail off as the bow is untied and the robe falls open, revealing the rest of your lingerie to Maxwell's hungry gaze.

”I am well aware,” he says, ”And as you are well aware, Perrault and the morons he calls his team are exceptionally boring so I'm gonna need some additional entertainment.” He lets his eyes rake over you in a way that makes it perfectly clear that you are that additional entertainment.

”Take a seat,” he orders. He smiles at you dangerously and leans back a little further in his leather seat. You feel your cheeks heat up as you sit down on his lap. Maxwell spins the chair around and pushes it closer to the desk.

”So, since you've been begging me for it all evening, let's go over what my stance on this is again, before they call,” he says, as if this is just another briefing in the office, as if you, through the slit in your panties, can't feel the fabric of his pants drag slightly against your folds every time he shifts.

”Well,” you begin, clearing your throat, and Maxwell reaches around you to hand you the file that you have meticulously put together for him over the past week. When you've accepted the file, Maxwell lets his hand rest halfway up your thigh, heavy and warm.

”Well, their offer is very generous, ” you start over, then stop, as his fingers inch a little higher.

”Go on,” he says, and you can practically hear the smirk in his tone. He pulls the pink tulle out of the way so he can caress the inside of your thigh softly. This isn't the first time Maxwell has touched you, but it is the first time he's wanted you to comment on the details of a business proposal as he does so. You try and collect yourself and speak with confidence.

”But I think we should be a little worried about their connection to St Petersburg. Their...uhm...their revenues have been in decline ever since la...last October.” You try to keep your voice steady but Maxwell has carefully pushed your thighs apart and is now dragging his index finger along the opening in your panties. The featherlight touch makes your voice hitch and your hands shake.

”So the offer is an attempt for them to save face?” Maxwell comments, thoughtfully, slipping his finger between your lips to stroke the hard nub of your clit. ”A way to get to sit at the table with the big boys.” You keen quietly.

”What was that?” Maxwell asks, rubbing your clit a bit faster.

”I mean, yes... I'm sure that's their reasoning behind...oh... behind the proposal. But you...ah... you have been looking for a way to expand to the European market and... and this...this could provide an opportunity for you as well.” Your thighs are quivering and you're gripping the file so hard that the edges dig into your palms. You want to grab Maxwell and pull him in for a kiss, but that's a mistake you've made before and aren't dumb enough to make again.

”So I'm considering it?” Maxwell says with curious hum. You have been over this several times together already and you have no doubt that he knows where he stands in all of this, but just wants to hear you say it out loud. His finger is still lazily stroking you and it feels so good. You allow yourself to lean back against him, just a little, and he lets you.

”You want them to sweeten the deal,” you tell him as you feel his lips barely graze your neck. Maxwell isn't much for kissing during foreplay so it takes you a little by surprise. You continue. ”Find a way to get them to... ditch St Petersburg and we'll reap all the benefits from acc...ah...accepting this proposal.”

”And we'll run St Petersburg into the ground,” he finishes for you, and you nod.

”That's an additional bonus,” you agree and Maxwell chuckles.

”Ruthless,” he says but his tone is appreciative.

”I thought you hired me to look out for the company, sir, not to be kind,” you can't help but comment, a little sarcastically.

”Watch that smart mouth of yours,” Maxwell whispers into your ear and pulls his finger out from between your legs. He holds it up in front of your face. ”I can think of far better ways to use it.”

You open up as he presses the finger against your lips and you suck the digit into your mouth. Hollowing your cheeks slightly, you can taste your own arousal in the pad of his finger. You swirl your tongue around it and make a soft hum at the back of your throat because you think Maxwell will appreciate it. You let your lips move back and forth, slowly, over the ridges and knuckles of his finger. Maxwell just watches you silently.

When the telephone rings a couple of minutes later, it takes you by surprise, and you start. Maxwell pulls his finger out of your mouth and wipes it on his pants. You move to stand up, but he pulls you back onto his lap, securing you in place with an arm around your waist. You can feel the hard line of his cock press against your ass.

”Did I tell you you could leave?” he growls, low and dangerous, in a way that sends shivers up your spine the way this tone of voice always does.

”I'm sorry, Mister Lord,” you apologize.

Maxwell picks up the phone to answer

”Perrault! Bonjour! How are things in Paris?” he greets the person on the other side, immediately dialing up the smarmy businessman persona. You hear the person on the other side mumble something in response and Maxwell laughs, loud and fake. They exchange a few more pleasantries as a couple of other people connect to the call. Maxwell is tapping his fingers against your side and you can tell that he's already bored.

You strain to hear what is being said on the other end of the call but it's difficult and Maxwell's responding hums give away little information. He's loosened his grip around your waist and is now running his fingers along the edge of your bra. Your own hands are gripping the fabric of the gown lightly. Maxwell hasn't told you what to do and as much as he appreciates you taking initiative at work, he's usually of the opposite mind in these situations.

Maxwell continues to talk and you continue to sit perched on his lap, anticipation mixed with a hint of worry, building. He's pulled one of your breasts out from its lacy confines now and is absent-mindedly rolling your nipple between his thumb and index finger. Every now and then he gives it a pinch and you jump slightly. You don't need to see Maxwell to know that he's smiling.

Suddenly, Maxwell pats the desk in front of him and it takes you a second to realize what he wants. When you do, you stand up from his lap. Maxwell stands too and you can see his erection straining against the pants of his suit.

He pushes the gown off your shoulders and it falls to the floor. Then he places a hand on your chest and guides you to sit down on the desk. You do, but Maxwell keeps pushing until you are lying flat on your back across the cold and smooth surface. He stands hovering above you, phone in one hand as the other push your legs up and apart. You feel incredibly exposed but would be lying if you said there wasn't a part of you that really got off on just that.

Maxwell holds a finger up to his lips in warning and then, without much preamble, he reaches down and pushes that very same finger into you. You have to bite down hard on your lower lip not to gasp out loud. Maxwell pulls his finger almost all the way out before inserting another. Your brows draw together in a frown and your mouth falls open on a silent moan.

”So run that by me again, exactly what you think the benefits would be for me and my company, in this scenario of yours,” Maxwell tells the people on the phone but his eyes are locked with yours as he sets a slow pace for fucking his fingers into you. His eyes look almost pitch black from lust and as he curls his fingers slightly upward, you feel like your own eyes are about to roll to the back of your head.

The speed of Maxwell's fingers steadily increase when the people on the other end of the line are talking but slow down when he makes his own replies. It's the most delicious kind of torture and you feel your pleasure building and building. You suddenly know that there is no way you will be able to stay silent when you come, and so you desperately tug at Maxwell's arm to get him to stop. But instead of pulling his fingers out or stopping, he just shifts the phone so he's holding it up against his ear with his shoulder and uses his newly freed hand to cover your mouth. You watch him with wide eyes as he sets a brutal pace with his fingers and you barely last a minute before you come so hard your vision blacks out for a moment. Maxwell's palm doesn't manage to entirely muffle your loud keen and you panic as you're sure it must have been heard on the other end of the call. The whole world is completely silent for a couple of seconds as you wait. Then there's mumbling on the phone.

”What's that?” Maxwell says, looking completely unfazed as he rests a sticky hand on your stomach. You're still frozen in the spot. Maxwell chuckles, ”Oh that. Just a little kitten I'm looking after...Oh, you have a dog?... you don't say? Well, pets sure do bring a certain kind of joy to our lives, don't they? Now, will you gentlemen excuse me for just a minute so I can make sure that she is happy and won't interrupt us again? One minute.”

He sets the phone down on the desk and you immediately start mouthing silent apologies. He covers your mouth with his hand again.

”I'm trying to work here, Kitten,” he says, keeping up appearances, in case his voice can still be heard on the phone, ”And I can't do that if you're gonna continue to mewl like this, you understand? I don't want to have to lock you out.”

You nod furiously to show that you have understood. Maxwell removes his hand. He picks up the phone again and looks like he's just about to speak when a dangerous grin suddenly stretches across his face. You feel a lump of dread grow in the pit of your stomach.

”Gentlemen! Sorry for the interruption...oh you are too kind!... Well as I was just saying, the proposal is not bad, but it needs some refining. Why don't I hand you over to my assistant and she can help you go over the numbers?”

If you thought there was anyway you would have gotten away with running, you would have. You shake your head as Maxwell holds out the phone for you. You giving the most begging look you can muster, silently asking him not to do this. Maxwell's hand doesn't move an inch but his eyes soften a little and, in a gesture of kindness that's slightly out of character for him, he mouths you've got this.

Hesitantly, you grab the phone and clear your throat, attempting to get your voice in order. Maxwell sits back down in his chair to watch you. You start to sit up but he shakes his head and you admit defeat, lying back down and holding the phone up to your ear.

”Good morning, Gentlemen,” you say, in a voice that sounds more normal than it has any right to sound, considering the circumstances. You actually hear Maxwell chuckle in the background and close your eyes to shut him out. You can do this, you tell yourself, almost echoing Maxwell's encouragement. You've gone over these numbers so many times over these past weeks that you could probably write them down in your sleep. If only you can focus on them and not the fact that you're currently spread out and mostly naked on your boss' desk then things will go just fine.

Maxwell sits back and lets you do your thing, looking slightly impressed at how you're adapting to the situation. However, in true Maxwell fashion, he soon gets bored with listening in on just half a conversation and you feel his hand run up your calf, caressing it. You bite your lip as his hand goes past the knee and smooths down the outside of your thigh. You have a sneaking suspicion where this is going.

Maxwell positions himself between your legs and as you listen to the accountant on the other end of the line, you lift your head slightly to meet Maxwell's gaze. He gives you a dark smile and lowers his face, just slow enough for you to brace yourself for the first touch of his tongue. You still start when it comes and Maxwell reaches up to place his hand on your stomach again, holding you in place.

You brace yourself for more but his tongue is surprisingly gentle and Maxwell alternates between licking and kissing along your folds. It feels nice but it isn't enough to drive you crazy and you know he's doing it on purpose. He's keeping the touches light enough that you're still able to talk. For all his attempts at seeming threatening, Maxwell doesn't actually want you to make a fool of yourself, or him for that matter.

This feels more like a reward than a punishment. Not that you have any plans on pointing that out to Maxwell, in case he's unaware.

He lets you finish up discussing details with the accountant, it’s gone well and you feel surprisingly proud of yourself, but then Maxwell impatiently stands up and motions for you to hand the phone back to him. You do and he demands to know if there are any questions regarding your counter-proposal. You hear the person on the other line begin to speak and Maxwell rolls his eyes.

”Monsieur Perrault,” he interrupts, ” I can hear we're not quite in agreement on this yet. So why don't we go back to our respective teams, see what adjustments we can make and I'll have my assistant schedule another meeting in about a week? Sound good?”

You hear the slightly confused mumbles of agreement on the phone.

”Excellent! Well, in that case, I wish you, gentlemen, a good day, and thank you for your time.”

Maxwell just about slams the phone back on the receiver and when he turns to you, there's something feral in his eyes. Before you have time to say something, Maxwell grabs you and drags you off the desk. He spins you around so that you're standing with your back pressed against his chest. He reaches around your throat and pushes your head back so he can whisper in your ear.

”You did so well, sweetheart!” he praises and you feel pride swell in your chest, ”Their fucking incompetent excuse for an accountant didn't stand a chance against you.” He grinds his hips against you and lets out a low moan.

”Bend over,” he orders and you do as you're told, leaning over the desk and resting your cheek against your forearms. You hear Maxwell get his pants open.

”Gonna have them eating out of our hands by the end of next meeting,” he says as he lines himself up. Then he thrusts home and you cry out as his cock fills you up, in one rough motion. Realizing just what kind of fucking you're in for, you reach out and grab the edges of the desk to keep yourself steady. Maxwell is already gripping your hips hard and pumping into you. You gasp with each thrust. The gentleness of his tongue during the call is gone. This is him, taking what he needs. And you, willingly giving it.

”So fucking good,” he praises again. You're not sure if he's commenting on your performance during the conference call or your current performance. His breathing is getting more ragged with each thrust.

Maxwell leans over you and presses his lips against your shoulder. It's not quite a kiss but right now you don't care because he's fucking you senseless and that's enough. Enough to have a second wave of pleasure crash over you as you come, clenching hard around Maxwell's cock.

Maxwell's thrusts are becoming erratic. He says something against your shoulder that you can't quite hear through your daze of pleasure.

”What?” you gasp as he continues to fuck you through your orgasm.

”Tell me you love me!” It's more of an order than a request but right now you are willing to give him anything he wants so it doesn't matter.

”I love you...” you pant, ”I love you, Maxwell”

That's all it takes and in the next second Maxwell presses his face hard against your back and comes, deep inside you.

He holds you through his orgasm, lingers for only a few moments after before standing up and pulling out, leaving you feeling empty. He tucks himself back into his pants and picks the robe up from the floor and hands it to you.

”You know where the bathroom is,” he says, voice a little distant, ”Go clean yourself up. And it's late so if you want to you can spend the night.”

You nod and thank him, not quite able to meet his eyes before you walk towards the bathroom on shaky legs. Maxwell calls your name before you reach the door and you turn back.

”Yes?”

”...My bedroom is the third one on the left... just so you know.”

[goldentournesol]

Proper Date

(Spencer Reid x Reader)

The one where Spencer and Y/N go on a proper date after being kidnapped together.

Part 2 of Unwanted Matchmaker: Read Part 1 here :)

A/N: makes minor references to Part 1, but can be read without reading it. ENJOY SOME SPENCER FLUFF! i got a little carried away...but it’s worth it! thank you to @theamuz , @andiebeaword , @yourwonderbelle​ for requesting a part 2! 

Length: 2.5k

masterlist

Luckily enough, Friday came sooner than Spencer had thought it would. He was finally able to take a break from the team. Y/N had texted him Friday morning to confirm the date. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him for a single moment ever since they went their separate ways the day of the fateful kidnapping. She never thought she’d ever be thankful for such a situation.

She was nervous, she knew very little about the Dr., but had gathered bits and pieces of him on the days she saw him at that coffee shop. She thought he was gorgeous. She also thought she may have imagined it when she caught his eyes lingering on her once or twice, but the imagination became set in stone when his face broke into what seemed like the most adorable shy smile that could possibly appear on someone’s face. She should have talked to him then, but she would have been late to her class. She couldn’t have been more glad to go on a date with him.

Spencer had gotten off work two hours early to ensure he had enough time to be nervous while getting ready.

“Woah, where you goin’, pretty boy?” Morgan asked as he watched Spencer begin to pack his things.

Spencer rolled his eyes, he should have timed his exit better, “Uh...I have an appointment?” He made an attempt to lie. 

“You always this nervous going to appointments?” Emily chimed in.

“Wait, wait, what day is it?” Morgan asked.

“Friday.” Emily replied.

A knowing smile made a home on Morgan’s face, “Aha! Pretty boy’s got a date!” Spencer quickly shot him a look that screamed, ‘how did you know?!’, “I may have overheard you talking to the girl the day the unsub took you.”

Once again, Spencer rolled his eyes, “My God, can’t I have just one thing to myself? Just once?” He tried to hide his smile though.

“Nu-uh, not when it’s making you this nervous!” Emily pointed out, noticing how Spencer’s hand was turning white at the intensity it held onto his bag.

“Well, Emily, it’s not every day that I have a date with someone who is practically the embodiment of beauty.” Spencer uttered with a slew of exasperated hand motions.

Morgan let out a chuckle, “Calm down, kid. She seemed really into you. I’m sure she’s just as dorky as you are.” Emily smiled endearingly at the youngest member of their team and nodded.

“Yeah, haven’t you guys been in contact like..all week? She wouldn’t have done that if she wasn’t interested.” She added and noticed the slight drop of Spencer’s shoulders. Maybe they were right, he probably had nothing to worry about. He nodded and began to smile.

“Go get her, kid. Just try to keep the statistics at a minimum.” He joked around before Emily interjected quickly, “No! Be yourself!” Spencer laughed and gave them a double thumbs up before quickly saying goodbye and heading home.

He called the restaurant to double check his reservation and tried to pick out an outfit that wouldn’t scream, ‘I got off work two hours early’. He showered, shaved, and attempted to style his hair, but it was too much of a task to tackle, so he left it to do whatever it pleased. He decided he’d stick to his normal attire with a white and blue checkered button down, a navy v-neck sweater and a matching blazer to elevate the look. He contemplated whether or not a tie would make the outfit over the top, but then remembered that the restaurant would be quite fancy and added it anyway. He left his house a half hour early to make sure he had enough time to pick up a bouquet. That was romantic, right? People do this all the time, right? He took a deep breath and reminded himself to stop stressing. He decided to get her red flowers to match the dress she wore when he first saw her. She was wearing a white dress with a motif of small red flowers with black centers, it was safe to say she blew him away that day. 

He checked the time and saw that it was still early, so he texted her. They had agreed on meeting at the restaurant, but he just couldn’t wait to see her.

“Hey, would it be okay if I picked you up instead of meeting there?” She lived closer to the restaurant anyway and he wanted to ensure her safety any time he possibly could.

“Yeah, sure! I’ll send you the location.” She did just that and Spencer made it there on time, of course.

He took a deep breath as he stood at her doorstep with the bouquet of flowers. He gave himself a miniature pep talk and knocked on the door three times. Spencer hoped the knocks were louder than his heartbeats beating relentlessly in his ears.

Y/N’s heart leapt as she heard the knocks, “Coming! Just one second!” She made her way over to the door, struggling to put in one of her earrings. 

She opened the door for him, “I’m sorry, I’m almost rea-” She breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of him. She admired his every angle, he looked immaculate to say the least. She’d only noticed that she dropped her earring on the floor because she followed his eyes to where it lay.

“You..um, dropped your..” He stuttered, turning red. Was it him who made her nervous? She laughed nervously and retrieved it quickly, putting it on. He cleared his throat to try to regain his composure from seeing her, “You look...stunning.” He let out a breath and shook his head as if to clear the fog in his brain that she unintentionally created, “Oh! Um, and these are for you!” He extended the arm holding the bouquet. 

She smiled and accepted them graciously, “Oh, these are beautiful, you didn’t have to trouble yourself, Dr. Reid.” He loved the way his name sounded coming from her.

“It was nothing, really, it’s the least I could do, and please, call me Spencer.” He smiled and she mirrored it instantly.

“Come in, Spencer. I’ll put these in a vase, put on my shoes, and we’ll head right out!” He watched her as she disappeared into her apartment. 

A sparkly, form-fitting black dress adorned her figure contrasting to the flowy nature of the dresses Spencer had usually seen her in. He tried not to profile her apartment as much as he could, but he was too curious not to. He saw unfinished canvases and the apartment smelled vaguely of paint thinner. He admired her paintings but also tried not to snoop. She came out of her room, completely ready, and saw him staring at her paintings.

“Uhm, those aren’t quite done yet.” She stated shyly, “I have a habit of getting sidetracked.” She giggled and gestured to her unfinished paintings. 

He smiled as he turned to her, “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to poke around.” He stated quickly but she just smiled at him, “These are incredible, I don’t believe I have a single artistic bone in my body.” He laughed.

“Yeah, right! That can’t be true.” She teased. 

Spencer grinned and checked the time, “Are you all done? We should get going. I hope you don’t mind walking there.” She nodded and they made their way out. The restaurant was a short walk away and the whole time Spencer fiddled with his hands in his pockets nervously except for when he was describing something, a habit he had. They arrived at the restaurant.

“Good evening, reservation for Dr. Reid.” Spencer said and Y/N hated the way her stomach went into a fit of somersaults at that. That was a lie, she kind of loved it.

They were seated and they could finally make uninterrupted eye-contact. She smiled at him and Spencer hoped his swooning wasn’t too obvious. They ordered their food and made conversation as they waited.

“So, Spencer, how did you get into the FBI?” She asked as she propped her chin on her hand. Her gaze was enough to send Spencer into the next dimension.

“Believe it or not, I’m unbelievably athletic.” He joked and she bubbled with laughter. Spencer couldn’t take his eyes off her as she laughed, determined to never stop her from doing it, “seriously,” he continued, “they took one look at me at the academy and were like, yeah we need this dude chasing down bad guys immediately!” She laughed again and shook her head.

“Aw, come on, don’t bring yourself down!” She smiled wide and took one of his hands that were resting on the table. Spencer’s heart soared at the action and was glad it was different from the way it felt as she clutched his hand when they were kidnapped together.

“I guess the FBI needed me because well...serial killers and criminals often have a tendency to create puzzles that are seemingly impossible to crack, and I just so happen to be very good at cracking those puzzles. I usually do that by analyzing their behavior. I work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit.” She could tell he was being humble, but she couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Aren’t you a Doctor? I’m assuming PhD?” She saw him blush.

“Uh, three actually.” He looked off to the side bashfully. Her jaw dropped at his humility, but he just smiled, “In Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering…” he paused, “as well as degrees in Psychology and Sociology.” She laughed in somewhat of a shock. Spencer knew his credentials were impressive but for some reason her validation seemed so important to him.

“What….how? How old are you?” She gawked. 

He laughed, “I’m 30. I graduated high school at the age of 12. I have an IQ of 187 and can read 20,000 words per minute. I have an eidetic memory which basically means I can remember lots of information accompanied by the ability to recall things with accuracy which of course came in handy while I was getting those PhD’s…”

“Wow...” was all she could say, she suddenly felt insignificant, but her smile never faltered. He had no intention of making her feel that way and she knew that, but she had no idea how she possibly landed a date with a...genius.

“Yeah...it kind of overwhelms people, I hope you’re not too intimidated.” He laughed shyly. She giggled, how could she be when his awkwardness made him oh so endearing.

“I’m not gonna lie, it’s a little intimidating, but they are amazing accomplishments and you have every right to be proud of them.” She assured him by squeezing his hand, just like he did hers when she was nervous. He appreciated the gesture and they grinned at each other.

“So when did you start painting?” He asked her as he took a sip of wine.

“All my life, it seems. I couldn’t think of anything else that I wanted to do. There’s something about the way the paintbrush feels in my hand. I don’t know, I guess I wanted to add more color into people’s worlds…and I love kids! I just knew I had to teach them.” She gushed and he admired the way her eyes sparkled.

“You know there are countless studies that support the idea of painting as a stress reliever. Actually, there was this one study where…” he continued to ramble and Y/N seemed to hang onto every word. He was so adorable in the way that he described things and bounced from one topic to another. She didn’t interrupt him once, not even when the food was set down on their table. He only stopped when he felt the warmth of her hand disappear from his so she could start eating. She peered at him curiously, wondering why he stopped.

“Sorry,” he grinned, “didn’t realize I’d been rambling.” 

She shook her head, smiling wide, “If I knew half the things you know, I would want to share them with everyone too. I love it.”

He hadn’t expected her response but he was grateful because she hadn’t belittled him like most people do. They ate as they shared stories from their lives. Spencer noticed how the wine added a flush to her cheeks and he wondered how much more beautiful she could possibly get. She insisted on feeding him a piece of her meal but she couldn’t reach that far across the table and Spencer thought that was adorable. He’d had to lean forward just to have some, the interaction made his cheeks ache from smiling. Soon, they finished their food and Spencer took care of the bill, Y/N insisted she’d take care of dessert. 

They got up and headed out of the restaurant. They were greeted by the soft chill of the nighttime. Spencer had noticed immediately how Y/N’s arms instinctively shot up to hug herself and shield her body away from the cold. He took his blazer off and placed it on her shoulders. She blushed at the warm gesture and gladly slid her arms through. 

She smiled up at him gratefully, “Thanks, Spencer. Are you sure you won’t get cold?” The way she slipped her arm through his and hugged his arm almost made him forget to reply. 

“I’m good, this um, sweater vest is warmer than it looks.”

He usually shied away from touch, but if there was one thing Spencer was sure of, it was that he never wanted her to let go of him. They walked in the moonlight. Conversation with her came easily. They found themselves in front of the coffee shop where they first learned of each other. It seemed it only fit to celebrate their first date there. They walked in and the woman behind the counter beamed as she saw the two of them walking in together. It was like she knew. She greeted Y/N and the Dr. gleefully and happily took their order. Spencer physically had to bite his lip to keep from smiling too much. They sat down where Spencer usually sat with his books.

“The first time I saw you sitting here, you were literally zooming through a book. I thought you’d had to have been looking for a specific quote or something, not actually reading it!” She giggled as she took a piece of the carrot cake they’d ordered. She didn’t want to let go of his warmth, so they decided to sit next to each other. Spencer didn’t mind that one bit, he’d taken his hand out of his pocket and laced his fingers through hers, their arms still looped in one another’s.

He nodded at her words, taking another piece, “The first time I saw you, you were just walking in, with your earbuds in. I was quite literally blown away.” He sheepishly admitted. She was taken aback by his sweetness and she shook her head. This man had to be too good to be true. She looked up at him and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“I never thought I’d say this but...I’m so glad I was kidnapped.” She said and that sent the both of them into a roar of laughter that made the entire coffee shop jealous of what they had.

Part 1

[formenis]

Score of zero: Love (”Gym” pt.2)

@ everybodyhatesluh asked: “I need part 2 of "gym"! Plss! Where the reader tells her love for L! And then her dad askes her who is her boyfriend! I would Love! Luh~💫💛🦋" 

Tennis references~

I like putting L in a difficult position, ehehe~

pairing: L x Yagami!fem!reader

warning: fluff I guess?

requested: yes

Remember English is not my first language (and it’s a bit late here) so I’m sorry about the mistakes in my stories.

«"Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies"? No, I don't have the mould»

Flip.

«"Heart-Shaped Cake"? Too obvious»

Flip.

«"Strawberry Shortcake Fudge"? It's too pink»

Y/N closed the book and groaned. «Ugh! I can't get my head round this! The fact that he loves all sweets bothers me…»

It was late afternoon at Yagami house. Orange sunbeams lighted up the kitchen and the living room creating a relaxing atmosphere, all despite the narrow space of the house. Y/N was alone in that moment: Light was somewhere with Soichiro, Sachiko was visiting one of her friends and Sayu was at school for some project.

Y/N took advantage of the situation to bake something for Hideki on the occasion of Valentine's Day. However, she sensed that Hideki would never reciprocate her feelings: he gave her the impression to be out of her reach.

«Come on! I'm a Yagami, after all! At least I have to try» Y/N leafed again through the cookery book when she heard the front door open.

«I'm home!»

It was Sayu, she came back earlier from school. Y/N quickly tried to hide the cookbook but Sayu entered the kitchen in a rush. «Y/N~ What are you doing?»

«Me? I wanted to bake something…»

«Really? For who?~» Sayu asked with a strange smirk.

«For myself I guess?» Y/N lied hoping Sayu would go away. But her little sister's smirk just grew wider.

«I don’t believe you~» the two sisters stared at each other for entire minutes. They were secretly hoping the other would give in.

Y/N sighed. «Fine, it's for a boy…» she admitted after a while, Y/N couldn’t lie at her cute sister.

Sayu, on the other hand, was squealing like a fangirl. «I knew it! I knew it! My sis has a crush!»

«Sayu please! Don’t yell…and don’t tell dad!»

Once again, the youngest Yagami smirked mischievously. «I will be as silent as the grave…at one condition»

Y/N sighed again. «What condition…»

«You have to help me with homework for a month»

Y/N complained loudly but if it was the price for Sayu's silence, she had to accept it. So Y/N agreed with her sister and together they started to choose a good sweet to give to this mysterious boy. Y/N told her about how they met and how she became infatuated by him despite most people would define him as "weird".

«Since you played tennis with him, why don’t you do something that recalls a tennis match?» Sayu said casually while browsing through the cookbook bored. At first Y/N didn’t pay attention to what she said but then, after a long reasoning, she hugged Sayu very tightly.

«Sayu, you're a genius!»

♰ TIME SKIP ♰

Something in L's plan went wrong. Impossible, nothing planned by him went wrong…but what happened?

Originally, his intention was to get closer to Y/N Yagami in order to find some evidence about his involvement in the Kira case. More in particular, a proof that Y/N's older brother was, indeed, Kira himself. L would appear in the right places at the right moments, he would always say the right things and he would always be a great listener. Of course he already knew everything about the Yagami family so every confidence Y/N would do to him, the greatest detective L was already informed about it. But he acted as if he never heard anything.

Initially, it went well. Y/N was getting closer and closer to him, her confidences became more intimate and she opened more to him. L was even touched when he heard from her –during the period of surveillance- that she was in love with him, he found her cute. In this exact moment everything fell for him. And L fell too…yes, he fell in love with Y/N Yagami.

In this situation we shouldn’t forget about Soichiro. He, being Y/N's father, was more than bothered by what he heard from the cameras in his house. But not because he didn’t trust his Y/N but mostly because he didn’t trust this "boy" she talked about.

«Uhm Chief…are you sure about this?»

«Matsuda, we have to investigate. This boy could be Kira!»

«But Chief…I think your daughter would never date a potential Kira» Aizawa replied looking at his superior with shock.

«Aizawa is right, Yagami-san. Please, focus your energies on the Kira case and not on your daughter's romantic life»

Soichiro snorted, not fully convinced, but Ryuzaki was his superior co-worker and he had to obey. At least for now.

.

.

.

.

«Casual or formal attire?»

«Casual of course. It's not a date…yet»

«Sayu!»

The two sister, together in Y/N's room, were deciding the outfit for Y/N's love confession. Now she understood her classmates' nervousness about Valentine's day.

«Dress or not dress?» Y/N asked unsure in front of the mirror with two cute dresses in her hands.

«Y/N, wear whatever makes you comfortable…even your school uniform if you want»

She nodded at Sayu and chose F/C shirt / blouse / sweatshirt / hoodie paired with F/C pants / skirt / shorts and favourite shoes. In her bag / small backpack she put all her belongings and the cake she baked for Hideki. Y/N applied a little bit of makeup and brushed her H/C hair in a cute hairstyle.

«How do I look?»

«Gorgeous sis~»

Y/N smiled at Sayu and thanked her for all the advices. Shortly afterwards she would confess her feelings for a boy met at the gym.

♰ TIME SKIP ♰

And then, the day came. 14th February. Y/N decided to meet Hideki after one of his tennis matches at the To-Oh University. She was so nervous, she could sense how sweaty the hands were and how the heart was beating fast.

She was going to come back home and to postpone everything when she saw Hideki at the door of the gym.

«Y/N-chan, hello» Hideki walked closed, slouched as always with his tennis racket in one hand. He hadn’t no sweat on him despite the other athletes behind him were tired.

«H-Hideki-kun! Hi…how was the training today?» Y/N wanted to slap herself for the stutter when she greeted him.

«Quite boring, the others were not skilled as you or your brother» he smiled at her clearly moved by that sudden shyness from the second-born Yagami.

«Would you…would you go to the nearby cafeteria? I heard there's a special menu today»

«Gladly Y/N-chan»

And together they went to this new cafeteria near the To-Oh. However, the too much mushy aspect of the place made Y/N regret the offer she made to Hideki.

«Ah today is Valentine's Day…» Hideki said once inside the cafeteria, looking curiously around like a child inside a toy store: pink and red hearts everywhere –even sweets and candies had that shape-, a strawberry scent filled the air and on TV there was a famous musical.

The waiter asked if Y/N and Hideki were a couple and Y/N quickly said they were only friends. With a fast look, Y/N noticed that Hideki didn’t flinch at that statement. Maybe he really didn’t fell anything for her. A wave of sadness and disappointment hit her like a train and suddenly she started to hate that day.

Hideki and Y/N, once the waiter showed them a table, sat down they talked about many things: sport, University, school and about Kira too.

«What do you think of Kira, Y/N-chan?»

«Well…» she thought for a bit before answering. «It doesn’t matter how noble their ideals are, killing people is always a crime. So I hope this L will catch them»

«Yes, I hope it too»

The two of them were so much focused on their conversation that they didn’t notice someone recognised them from the shop window.

«Matsu look! Isn't that Ryuzaki?» Misa was looking at the shop window searching for something to buy for Light when she spotted a familiar black haired boy who was crouched on the chair instead of sitting.

Matsuda, who was with her according to L's orders, spied inside the cafeteria and he recognised not only Ryuzaki but Chief Yagami's daughter too. «That's Light's sister! So the famous "boy met at the gym" is Ryuzaki! I have to tell the Chief»

In that moment, Y/N grew nervous when she remembered the cake in her bag / small backpack. And Hideki must have noticed it.

«Are you alright, Y/N-chan?»  his monotone voice distracted the young girl from her nervous thoughts.

«Well…actually no»

«Is something bothering you?»

«I…have something to tell you, Hideki» she shifted anxiously in the chair.

«What is it?» again, Hideki's emotionless voice didn’t suggest her what he was feeling. Had she to continue? Or was it better to end the "date" there?

Her shaking hands curled into fists, determination was clear in her E/C eyes. «If I tell you I… You know… Care about you… Would you laugh at me? I never felt so good around someone…for once I was not Light Yagami's sister or Chief Yagami's daughter. With you I can be just Y/N, a girl who clearly cannot even choose a proper place to confess, eh!» she chuckled at the last part, maybe her attempt to wash away her current nervous state.  

Then she took a cute pastel purple box from the bag / small backpack and placed it on the table. «I made this…for you» she didn’t dare to look up at him, scared of his reaction.

Y/N heard he took the box and slowly he was opening it. Its contents were chocolate-covered cake balls that recalled tiny tennis balls. «Since I first saw you after a tennis match, I thought it would be nice doing something in memory of that day» she added shortly after, her gaze was still focused on her lap.

On the other hand, despite from outside he would appear calm and composed, L was panicking inside. He knew Y/N was going to confess, he knew what day was…so why that confession, those simple words hit him so hard?

"Internal check: sweaty hands, dry mouth, quickened heartbeat and…warm face. Wait…warm face?" L thought while observing the tiny cakes in front of him.

Yes, L was blushing and his brain was in tilt. Too many thoughts, too many emotions so suddenly. It floored him.

«But it seems…I imagined everything» Y/N broke the embarrassing silence that filled the air between them. Her voice cracked showing how much hurt she was. «Thank you for your time, Hideki-kun…and sorry» she stood up and bowed at him.

She was going to leave the cafeteria when a strong grip at her wrist stopped her. She turned and a tint of pink painted her cheeks, in front of her one of the cutest sight: a tomato-red Hideki who was looking away embarrassed.

«Excuse me, Y/N-chan, I have to say something against what you said earlier…»

«Uh?»

«I apologise if I didn’t reply to you but…hm…I don’t know the protocol for this kind of situations. Few moments ago I had so many thoughts in my mind but my mouth wasn’t able to formulate a proper phrase» L started to say, now it was his turn to be embarrassed, something so rare for him. «And about what you said before…I accept them. Your feelings, I mean. People like you are rare and precious…and since I always want the best, I want you by my side» he moved his dark eyes on her noticing she was even redder than him.

Y/N was staring at him in disbelief. Did she hear it right? He said…he accepted her feelings. She wasn’t dreaming, right?

«So…would you eat those sweets with me?» Hideki asked her and she nodded with a bright smile on her face.

At the same time, at the HQ, Matsuda informed Soichiro about what he saw at the cafeteria. At those words, Soichiro became gloomy and baffled.

«Ryuzaki is my daughter's boyfriend and my superior co-worker…this is even worse than I imagined»

Aizawa and Mogi were looking at him concerned. «Matsuda…you owe me 30.000¥» (A/N: something like 275$ USD with the actual exchange rate).

The young detective sighed defeated and gave the money to Aizawa.

«I knew I was right all along»

[imagines-by-rose]

New Recruit - Part 3

Hi, lovelies! So excited to post this chapter, I’ve been nit-picking and rewriting it for a while. Hopefully it paid off! Enjoy!

Summary: Y/n is brought into Kingsman as Lancelot after the events leading to Roxy’s death, and Eggsy is furious. As the two work together to stop a notorious jewel thief, however, attitudes change - and feelings develop.

Pairing: Eggsy Unwin x Reader

Genre: Angst w/ a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort

Warnings: Kissing, Sexual Themes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eggsy had been adrift for some time now, enjoying the peaceful obscurity between wakefulness and sleep that can only come without a morning alarm -- a rarity, in his case. His eyes were closed, and he faintly registered a comfortable warmth on his side and a slight tickle by his nose.

Wait. What?

He reluctantly pried his eyes open, suddenly aware that he was not, in fact, in his stateroom. Unsure whether to move, he darted his gaze downward and was met with a tangled mess of loose h/c braids. Y/n was curled against him, her hand resting on his chest and her leg draped over his. Eggsy noticed his arm was laid beneath her, coming up to wrap around her waist.

If it weren’t for his rising urge to sneeze, he’d never move again.

He tried his best to keep still, using his free hand to rub his nose. His efforts must not have been enough, as y/n soon began to stir. Eggsy froze, not wanting the moment to end just yet. Y/n hummed softly into his chest, fingers lightly grabbing the fabric of his shirt as she nestled herself impossibly closer to him. She shifted her leg upwards as she did so, leaving a trail of fire on Eggsy's skin that grew near unbearable when her knee finally came to rest against the crotch of his pants.

If he weren’t fully awake before, he certainly was now. He felt his pants shift around him, embarrassment -- and excitement -- flushing his cheeks. Though, he couldn’t say he wasn’t enjoying this little conundrum he found himself in.

What should I do? I can’t wake her now. Dunno if I could handle another move like that, though.

He closed his eyes, half-heartedly willing the issue to go away. Y/n’s breathing was steady, giving him confidence that she’d stay asleep for a while longer, at least.

He sent her a smirk. You comfortable now, love? This what you wanted?

Y/n mumbled again. Eggsy grinned, unconsciously tightening his grip around her waist.

He happily resigned himself to his fate, taking in the views of her stateroom from his peculiar position. He was relieved to find a blanket thrown across the back of the sofa and brought it over himself. When he was satisfied with his work, he let himself relax, listening to y/n’s rhythmic breathing and her occasional dreamy hums.

I could get used to mornings like this, I think.

It wasn’t much longer until y/n began to stir again. Eggsy shut his eyes in childlike excitement, pretending to be asleep. He felt her head slowly lift from his chest as she groggily looked around. Her breath hitched -- she must have noticed where her leg was -- and Eggsy suppressed a chuckle. Y/n slowly raised herself, goosebumps littering Eggsy’s skin at the sudden absence of her warmth. He was about to ‘wake up’ when he felt her fingers affectionately brush his hair from his face and gently sift through his locks.

“Guess I fell asleep on you,” she whispered. Eggsy could hear the smile in her voice. “Sorry ‘bout that. Thanks for putting up with me. You’re a true Kingsman gentleman, Eggsy.”

It took everything he had to stay unresponsive when he felt her press a lingering kiss to his temple. 

Her hand gave one final comb through his hair before she stood, her quiet footsteps retreating to the water closet. Eggsy finally allowed himself to open his eyes once he heard the door shut.

His face, to everyone’s curiosity, was beaming for the rest of the day.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Eggsy knocked on y/n’s door later that evening, his spy gear discreetly equipped within his black tuxedo disguised as subtle, emerald green accents which Merlin specifically selected for the mission.

“Ready to go, love? Merlin said to be at the car in fifteen minutes.”

“Just a second!”

Eggsy found himself speechless when she appeared in the doorway. Y/n was dressed in a matching emerald gown, the matte velvet draping elegantly over her features. A long slit up the skirt revealed soft s/c skin, and her sparkling heels added a bit of height -- the top of her head now reaching Eggsy’s chin rather than his shoulder.

Bloody hell, she’s stunning.

Y/n seemed frazzled, nervous for her first mission. “Sorry to keep you waiting, I’m just trying to get this damn necklace on. I’ve never been very good with this kind of clasp. You’d think Merlin would’ve known that when he picked this outfit for me. He’s a spy for God’s sake!”

After another failed attempt, she huffed in frustration. “Would you mind…?” she asked, handing Eggsy the necklace in defeat.

Words struggled to return to him. “O-oh. Yeah, sure.”

Y/n turned around. The gown’s halter neck left her back bare, fabric pooling teasingly just below the curve of her spine. Eggsy stared open-mouthed, unable to think clearly.

What am I doing again?

Y/n laughed after a moment, looking over her shoulder. “Eggsy? You there?”

He blinked. “Yeah, sorry. Just let me--”

Eggsy carefully moved her hair out of the way, his fingers brushing over her neck as he did so. Y/n’s breath stilled at the touch. He took his time with the necklace; the feeling of her skin and the faint sound of her gasp left his hands clumsy.

She turned back with a quick “cheers” once he was finished, smiling brightly at him.

God, she’s so fucking cute.

He cleared his throat, trying to collect himself. “Well, so much for Merlin not wanting us to draw any unnecessary attention,” he joked. “You’re an angel if there ever was one, y/n. You’ll put that diamond to shame, an’ all.”

Her smile turned sheepish and she blushed. It was Eggsy’s new favorite color, he decided.

Y/n took a playful step back against the wall and studied him, eyes wandering over his body. “You clean up rather well too, y‘know, if I do say so myself. That tailored suit of yours is doing wonders for you.”

Eggsy felt a rush of confidence, his attitude growing bold.

“Oh yeah?” he stepped towards her with a smirk, nearly closing the distance between them. He leant his forearm against the wall, arching over her. His head dipped by her ear, voice dropping to a whisper. “You like what you see, love?”

Y/n stood her ground, acutely aware of the warmth pooling in her stomach. A flirty gilt shone in her eyes as she raised her head in challenge.

“And if I do?”

Eggsy grazed his lips teasingly below her ear, his soft skin leaving feather-light touches against her jaw. She could feel his body heat as he towered over her. Y/n tried her best to keep her composure, not wanting him to know just how much he was affecting her.

His voice rumbled in his throat. “Then maybe we should do somethin’ about it, eh?”

Y/n caught her breath after a moment. “Hmm, I don’t know…” she tried to tease, her thoughtful hum sounding far more sensual than she would’ve liked, much to Eggsy’s amusement. “I-- I think I might need a bit more convincing.” She drew in sharply when his lips found her collarbone, his hand moving to draw delicate lines up and down the center of her exposed back. Her chest heaved in excitement. “I mean, you didn’t even bring me flowers, or try to serenade me, or--”

He let out a growl as he captured her lips in his. She chirped in surprise before easing her body into him, knees buckling. Eggsy quickly snaked his arm around her waist to support her, his hand slipping just beneath the fabric of her gown. She moaned when his tongue pushed past her lips, a sound he was determined to draw from her again. Y/n’s hands made their way into his hair, fingers sifting through his golden tufts. It drove him crazy.

Needing to feel closer to her, Eggsy brought his arms beneath her thighs and lifted her up against the wall. She squealed, her legs eagerly wrapping around his waist. Eggsy reveled in her laugh, momentarily losing himself in her gaze.

When he was sure she was comfortable, his lips returned to her neck with a newfound intensity. Y/n tilted her head gratefully to give him access. Her quivering gasps sounded in his ear and he felt her legs tighten around him when he reached a particularly sensitive spot.

Oh, she’s gonna be the death of me.

He trailed kisses up along her jawline before sealing his lips to hers once more. Eggsy could feel himself losing control when she took his lower lip between her teeth. He pulled away and carefully set her down before he was unable to stop himself, heavy breaths prattling against each other’s flushed skin.

Y/n let out an airy laugh. “Well this won’t do. I’ve made a real mess of your hair, haven’t I?” She made an unsuccessful effort to smooth it back, the tip of her tongue darting out in concentration. Eggsy didn’t think she even knew she was doing it. He stared in awe, delight tugging at the corners of his lips.

So she always does that when she’s focused. Adorable.

He brought his hands to cup her face, thumbs brushing over her cheeks. She stilled, her lips parting as her attention was drawn to his warm stare. Y/n let her hands fall against his chest and leant into him, looking up into his green eyes through her lashes. His gaze softened in admiration. He never wanted to look at anything else.

Eggsy slowly brought his lips to hers once more, heated swells giving way to long, tender strokes. She matched his movements with ease, the two allowing their emotions to flood into the kiss. His hands roamed down her neck, her arms, her sides, before finally resting on her hips. He pulled her flush against him, smiling happily when he felt her arms wrap around his neck to further deepen their embrace.

“Ahem. I see you two have been practicing your newlywed act.”

The two jumped apart, their wide eyes staring at Merlin like deer in headlights.

He chuckled. “Though, you may want to straighten yourselves up a bit. Disheveled hair and smeared lipstick aren’t exactly fitting for this sort of event.”

Y/n put her hands over her face and whined in embarrassment. Eggsy laughed heartily, placing a comforting arm around her waist. He wiped his thumb across his lips in an attempt to remove the lipstick.

“Guess we got a bit carried away, bruv. It’s your fault for choosing this dress for her, Merlin, you devil!”

Merlin smiled knowingly, giving Eggsy a wink.

“The event is in an hour. I’ll meet you both at the car in five minutes.”

Eggsy and y/n shared a giddy laugh once Merlin left, rolling their eyes when his shout traveled down the hallway.

“And you two had better have your clothes on!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hokay, my first attempt at writing anything remotely saucy. As always, I hope you enjoyed it! I’m currently working on part 4, and plan to have that out sometime next week.

‘Til next time!

[granills]

Careless Whisper {B.H.}

Check out the first chapter here or on my wattpad (nigarrmtvseries) 💙🌅

2. Ice Creams, Dreams.

The day after was Saturday, the first day of Mars's weekend. Surprisingly enough, she didn't have to work this time. After going home the previous night, Joyce had called Mars and told her to enjoy the weekend pointing that she needed some free time to gain more energy and that she herself could've managed everything at the store.

Not knowing how to spend her day yet, Mars pulled a shirt over her head and went to the kitchen. Her father, John Crawford, was sitting at the table near the window, a daily paper and coffee in front of him, as per usual. John would remind you one of those men who could catch everyone's attention in the room by talking about his adventures so passionately, making other men and women sit closer and listen to him with great interest. This factor also helped him to become a history teacher at Mars's school. Luckily for her, he started teaching there after she graduated.

Her mother, Mary Crawford, was standing at the counter, she spread the butter over the toast and covered it with one layer of cottage cheese. There was a joy in how she did it, the smell of warm toasts filling the kitchen. Mary didn't like when Mars skipped the breakfasts, and always made sure to accidentally drop something in her bag for her to eat later at work.

"Morning." Mars didn't have an appetite early in the morning and decided that one glass of water would be enough. For now.

"Oh, how nice of you, young lady, to finally join our breakfast." Mr. Crawford spoke with a hint of sarcasm, moving his newspaper aside. "Mary, I didn't know our kids live with us after all."

Mars smiled turning around and putting the glass on the counter.

Mary put the toasts on the table and sat down. "I think she just took the wrong keys." She played along.

"Today is just my day off." Mars approached her parents, standing between them and crouching to give them both a kiss. "See, now I even want to eat." She said and sat down checking if the teapot was hot before pouring herself a cup of tea.

Her mother sent her a surprised glance and leaned back a bit to share glances with John.

"So, how's the school, dad?" Mars asked, taking a slice of toast and putting some raspberry jam on it.

John continued reading his newspaper, drinking his coffee from time to time.

"The semester is about to end and I feel like I'm talking to myself at the class about the historical discoveries. I have some boys who participated in discussions, but these days they are distracted by the new girl."

"The new girl? By the end of the semester?" She asked.

"Yes. Maxine Mayfield, from California. Her stepbrother picks her up after school. Unpleasant guy." He grimaced at the last sentence.

Mars hummed putting down her cup. "I'm sure there are other kids who would like to participate in your discussions, they are just shy."

"Well, the only historical facts kids want to know about these days are UFO and that is not exactly my cup of tea." He answered not taking his eyes from the paper.

"Mr. Clarke could help them with that." Mars said, taking a bite of the toast and enjoying the sweet taste that filled her mouth.

"Exactly. And that is why they love him more." Her dad answered, she noticed a faint note of sadness in his voice.

Mars looked up, feeling the tiniest bit guilty. She wanted to remember when was the last time she actually talked to him and the first thought that came to her mind was when she'd had a fight with some kids at the primary school, instead of scolding her, he praised her that she'd kicked their asses. Not in front of mom for sure. 

She walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, dad, I love you." John smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gently rubbing her arm. "And that is enough."

"I know, I know. As long as you, young lady, show up often at home." He laughed and winked at Mary.

/ / /

After the breakfast Mars finally decided that she has to get out of the house so things wouldn't get more emotional. Having agreed to meet with Rose outside the arcade, Mars pinned her hair up and went on to choose an outfit.

She wanted to put on the jeans that she'd left on the chair the day before after work, but her eyes stopped on jean shorts. She loved wearing too many clothes, but with the heat from outside it was impossible.

That is why autumn remained her favourite season. She grabbed the shorts and picked a shirt, of a dusky grey colour with blue "Queen Tour '80" writings on it.

Mars put on her colorful socks and white nikes, and finally left the room, noticing on the way that the house was empty.

She saw Rose at the entrance of The Palace. Rose was in a pink dress with green leafs on it that always reminded Mars about the one she had in childhood. Rose was the only one who would play with Mars at the playground when they were six. And throughout her life they spent more time together, went to the same school and eventually met Nancy. Ever since they have been hanging out together.

However, Nancy was working as an intern now at the Hawkins Post with her boyfriend, Jonathan, and that often restricted them from seeing each other.

"Wow, Ms. Alwaysbusy showed up!" Rose waved with an ice cream in one hand and hugged Mars.

"Shut up, Rose." She hugged her tightly. Rose was lucky, she has been accepted to the university and was going to move to another state by the end of summer.

"Spare me and get me out of this playground." Rose said looking back at the arcade which was already filled with kids. With the arrival of summer, the arcade opened from the early morning. Mars was sure, at this rate they would have to change working hours to 24/7.

Mars walked towards, suddenly stopping in her tracks when she noticed her little sister and some of her classmates among other kids. They gathered around a familiar girl who was playing Dig Dug. And apparently, she was good at it. Redhead. She felt even more confused than before and looked away.

"Okay, let's go to Starcourt. At least, I'll have Steve and Robin's ice cream, and not this." Mars pointed at the ice cream Rose was holding.

"Ugh, Steve and his stupid ego are too much for me to handle." Rose took her by the elbow and they walked along the streets laughing.

Once they arrived, they enjoyed some sweets and more ice creams, Mars clearly enjoyed Steve's attempts to joke, i.e. flirt with Rose.

"Now what's on the menu?" Rose asked.

"Me 'n u." Steve put the ice cream bowl on the table and sat down next to Mars and Robin.

"Harrington, I'll throw up if you keep making these jokes."

When the evening came, Rose suddenly suggested going to Nancy's, supposing she'd already be back from work. They spent the whole day shopping and just fooling around, and Nancy's house was closer, about 30 minutes by foot.

"Are you sure about that? We usually planned these things before meeting." Mars furrowed her eyebrows, she wasn't sure if it would be right to go there when Nancy's parents were at home.

Rose shrugged. "I am. Karen Wheeler adores us." If Rose had thought of something, then she was going to do that no matter what, there was nothing in the world that could stop her.

At half past seven they were standing in front of Wheelers' house, but before that they made sure to buy some sweets and beverages for a small sleepover. Mars and Rose stood at the threshold and Mars rang the bell.

Nancy was the one to open the door and though they saw each other recently, Mars noticed some colour brought back to her cheeks, Nancy looked better and it made her happy. After all, it wasn't for everyone to endure what had happened last year. Everything seemed to get back to normal.

"Girls?!" Nancy exclaimed.

"I bet you didn't expect us." Rose casually walked in and hugged her.

"But luckily we brought some food!" Mars showed the bag and joined them.

The rest of the evening went surprisingly fast. They changed into pyjamas that Mars and Rose had bought earlier at the mall and it seemed that they discussed everything that night. Mars missed these sleepovers, mostly because it made her feel a soft joy as it brought back the memories.

Nancy's father was probably sleeping on the couch when Mars went downstairs to get a glass of water. She heard his snoring while walking down the stairs. Nancy and Rose were already sleeping and Mars too was sleepy, but she would have been fully satisfied if she had the glass of water.

She suddenly felt a coldness reaching her bones, making her take a deep breath. Goosebumps ran all over exposed body as she looked up and discovered that the front door was wide open. She blinked a few times, guessing it was all a dream, she pinched her arm realising the door was indeed open and the house was silent.

Mars took a deep breath and stepped forward to close the door. Why was it even open? Did Mrs. Wheeler go for a walk? If not, then she distinctly remembered having closed the door as she'd came in after Rose.

Slowly approaching, she jumped up when she saw the silhouette of a man standing outside the Wheelers' threshold.

He was still wearing his blue jeans and black boots, the only thing that differed from the day before, was his red shirt unbuttoned almost till the last button and dark brown jacket on top of it.

"Hi," he looked her up, a wide smile plastered on his face, "...Mars."

She widened her eyes, staring at his unbothered physiognomy. "William?" She automatically uttered.

"Call me Billy." His gaze didn't hesitate when she met his eyes, and they stared at each other for a few seconds, until she took a step back all of a sudden. She wondered wouldn't have she survived if she didn't come for the damn water.

"What are you doing here?" She asked looking around, trying not to show her hesitation.

"Oh, I'm looking for my sister, Max. Mrs. Wheeler agreed to help me." He told her, his tone sounding completely nonchalant.

"Max? Max Mayfield?" She asked, suddenly all traces of sleepiness leaving her.

"I guess, I just found her then."

"No, no, she's not here. I'm just-" She quickly said, but immediately felt agitated when she noticed she couldn't finish the sentence. Luckily, she was interrupted by Karen's voice coming behind her.

"Oh, darling, aren't you cold? It's chilly here." She put her arm around Mars's shoulders.

"Um, yeah, I just came down for a glass of water." She mumbled, not knowing why she felt like explaining herself. "Goodnight." 

She turned around and quickly ran upstairs before they could say anything. Only she heard Billy's faint "Bye" and as she reached the second floor he was thanking Mrs. Wheeler for giving the address of Byers.

When Mars entered the room and closed the door behind her, she approached the window looking at the empty streets, and feeling odd. Somehow she was glad that the conversation with the stranger got interrupted, as she couldn't feel calm near him. After all, the conversation wouldn't have gotten any more interesting and he wouldn't have thought about her anyway, and although she was disappointed a bit for a reason that she didn't get to know more about him, she too wouldn't have thought about him.

After thinking a bit she realised it was too late and it was time for her to try to sleep. Meanwhile, after getting the address and smoking his red Marlboro leaning against his car, in the dim light of streets, Billy Hargrove was looking at her.

]]

tags: @gehrzilla @infinitelycharmed23​ @itsjusttaralove​ @tenderhornynihilist​

Tagging people who commented on the first chapter, if you want to be removed/added under next chapters, please let me know! Comment/reblog if you enjoyed. :) mmuah

[agentwhiskeysdarlin]

A Test of Patiences

Request: Reader who’s a hairdresser broke her arm and she walks catfish through putting her hair up for a date

Pairing: Frankie “Catfish” Morales x Fem!Reader (no y/n)

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: angst (nothing too bad), reader being oblivious, smutty smut times,  & unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it)

Word Count: 3,634 (yup it’s a long one)

Author’s Notes: After stepping away for a mini break I came back and this happened. It felt like it went better writing a little at a time over the course of a week. I may be doing a lot more that way. I find it funny the title with the story is kind of going along with my writing and me putting it out. Not only for myself but for the people who wait on my content (if there is any). I really hope you guys enjoy this because I actually really love this even though the end is a little messy. It was a long ass day but I promised it would be out tonight so here it is. Feedback in any way is welcomed just please be nice I’m fragile. Emotional support credit goes to @clint-aww-no-barton​ , @discogrrl​ & @nymphonet​ because without them I probably wouldn’t be writing. Also if the ‘keep reading’ thing doesn’t work I am so sorry to those who get annoyed with long fics not having that. I am not sure what I am doing wrong for it not to work.

ao3 link for story

How in the world was you going to manage this all by yourself? You looked in the mirror at your overly recked self. Your clothes were the same from days ago, your hair was a mess and you were pretty sure you needed to shave everywhere. The bright blue cast seemed to laugh at you as you glanced at it in the sling it still rested in. All these years wondering this earth and never once had you broken a single bone in your body. That had changed just a few days ago and boy no one seemed to tell you how much a pain in the ass it would be. It had put you out of your beautician job until you were completely healed, which would be weeks. It was incredibly hard to do anything by yourself including writing a sentence because of course it had to be your dominate arm. To top the cake off you had a date tonight. 

  You wanted to call and cancel it so bad but it had been awhile. You had been talking to this guy for weeks now and he had finally asked you out and you might have agreed way too fast. You kept starring at your reflection like you might blink and suddenly you would be showered and ready to go. Unfortunately the world did not work that way. You let out a sigh of frustration before setting to work on the day long process of getting ready. 

  You had managed everything very slowly by yourself throughout the day. You showered, carefully shaving your legs, picked out an outfit which you also had yet to figure out how to get on but right now you stood in front of the mirror starring at your unruly hair trying to decide the easiest way to style it for tonight. After several moments of a careful look through in your mind of all the different hairstyles you deemed it impossible to accomplish alone. You let out a sigh before reaching for your phone and dialing the only person you know who would drop anything to help you no matter what it was.

  “Hello?” Frankie Morales, also known as your best friend, voice greeted your ear and you smiled.

  “Hey Cat! Listen I need a massive favor.”

  “What’s going on?” He always jumped to worry.

  “Could you possibly come over and help me with a few things? This damn broken arm is more of a pain in my ass than I thought it would be,” you gave a small chuckle.

  “I will be there in five minutes,” you could hear the amusement in his voice.

  “You are a life savor Cat!”

  “I only do this shit for you,” he chuckled before speaking his goodbyes and hanging up the phone.

  True to his word, Frankie knocked on your door before entering five minutes after the two of you had spoken. You gave him a wide smile and your best puppy dog eyes.

  “What do you need help with?” He stood there, hands on his hips looking around the house like he was going to find some project to fix.

  “Well me,” you pointed at yourself and his eyes landed on you before he raised his eyebrows at you.

  “I know this is crazy and you are definitely going to think I am after I suggest this but is there anyway you could help me with my hair? It won’t be anything really difficult I promise! All you have to do is follow what I say and it will be fine!” You mumbled on.

  “I can’t believe I am about to agree to this but yes I’ll help you with your hair,” he let out a chuckle and you let out a sigh of relief.

  “I seriously owe you one after this Cat! Anything you need! As soon as I’m better I’m your gal!” 

  He shook his head before you took your good hand and pulled him to the bathroom. You sat down on a stool and he took his place behind you. You had all the tools you would need laid out and Frankie eyed them nervously. You looked up at him and gave him a thumbs up before starting to tell him what to do. A braid was the easiest thing you could come up with but of course you had to add you on flare to it and Frankie followed every instruction you gave down to the wire. He had his brows knitted in frustration, his usual hat already off, but he listened to every word that came out of your mouth and watched your helpless hand motions in the mirror. 

  “Cat it’s perfect! I may have to hire you as an assistant,” you chuckled as you turned and gave him a one arm squeeze hug.

  “I think I will pass on that. No wonder women stress so much over their hair. Shit is hard to do,” he hugged you back his face burying in your neck.

  “I have one more favor to ask of you,” you pulled away once again putting on the puppy dog eyes.

  “I am afraid to ask.”

  “I just need you to help me zip up my dress when I get it on.”

  “Oh yeah that’s simple.”

  He followed you to your room and respectfully waited outside as you struggled to slip in the little black number you had saved just for tonight. 

  “So what are you getting all dolled up for?” Frankie asked through your door.

  “I got a date. I know the most unbelievable thing ever but yes that Mark guy finally asked me out,” you were incredibly excited but thanks to the door you didn’t see Frankie’s face fall at this news.

  He had it bad for you. Anyone could tell it, anyone but you that was. Ever since Pope had introduced the two of you he had fallen for you in every single way. He didn’t want to push the issue and kept his feelings hid mostly because he was afraid to ruin the friendship the two of you shared.

  “You can come in,” you voice pulled him from his thoughts.

  Frankie walked through the door and your back was to him. He could see the smooth skin that stretched the length of the zipper and it made him gulp softly. He was careful not to accidentally touch your skin as he zipped the zipper up, knowing he would lose it if he did. You turned around and he looked you over before he let a smile pull at his lips. He prayed you wouldn’t see the sadness hidden behind it.

  “You look so beautiful,” his voice was soft and he was careful to sound happy.

  “Thank you Cat,” a blush rose to your face as you smiled at him.

  You turned to look at yourself in the mirror and taking a breathe. With one last request to Cat and a simple shake of his head and a chuckle you finished your look off with simple jewelry and you took a glance at your watch.

  “I gotta get going. Cat I seriously owe you. Thank you so so much for this. It means a lot. I promise you this weekend I will fix your favorite meal and we will sit on the couch and watch our favorite movie,” you gave him a hopeful smile after giving him your best hug.

  “You don’t have to do that. You know I would do anything for you. Just have fun tonight okay?”

  “I insist on the dinner,” you gave him your signature look that told him that was the end of that conversation.

  He laughed and gave you another look over before following you out of your room.

  “I’ll walk out with you,” you grabbed your keys and purse.

  “Oh no tell me he is not making your drive there?” Frankie stopped dead, pointing at your keys.

  “Oh yeah. It’s not that big of a deal Cat, I can drive myself still.” You gave him a pointed look.

  “How in the hell do you drive with one arm? Nope I’m dropping you off and if I have to come pick you up I will do that too. No arguments. Put your keys away and go get your ass in the truck,” Frankie gave you a dead serious look and you had only started to open your mouth when he raised his eyebrows at you.

  He had his own looks to let you know that the conversation was over too. You couldn't help but smile as you sat your keys down and the two of you walked out of your house.

  “Have fun but be safe. Hey and no matter what he says you look beautiful tonight,” Frankie gave you a smile as he dropped you off at the restaurant.

  “Yes dad and thank you Cat,” you leaned in the passenger window and gave him a smile before turning and walking up the steps.

  It was a fancy place and luckily you had called to make a reservation earlier that week. You were shown your table after agreeing to sit to wait for Mark. The waiter brought you breadsticks and took your drink order before leaving you to it. You sat there watching the couples and families around you enjoying their meals and your eyes kept gazing over to the clock on the wall.

  He wasn’t coming. An hour late? Yeah he was definitely a no show. The poor waiter came to give you your last chance with the most pitiful look on his face. He knew all to well what was going on and you gave him an apology before handing some money to pay for your drink and a tip for putting up with you. He gave you a sad nod and you exited the restaurant trying to keep yourself together. You jerked out your phone where several unread messages from Mark sat there starring and laughing at you. You rolled your eyes, tears dancing at the edge but you swallowed them back as you dialed Frankie’s number.

  “What’s wrong?” How was he so good at this?

  “He stood me up,” your voice came out with a break in it.

  “I’m going to kill him,” Frankie was pissed.

  “Later, just please come get me,” you begged softly.

  “I’m on my way.”

  You hung up and stood there looking pathetic and trying so hard to keep from crying in front of the people who were sitting outside waiting for a table. You moved off to the side and sat down on a bench as you waited for Frankie to come save you from the humiliation. You soon heard Frankie’s truck and he pulled up and you didn’t even give him time to get out and open your door before you were up and inside. The second you hit the seat and pulled the door shut you lost it. Frankie let you sit there and cry for a second as he drove you home. He knew you well enough to let you get your emotions out.

  “How am I so damn stupid? Why did I ever think a man would ever want me!? I should have just known it was all too good to be true,” the word vomit came quickly and you sniffled between words as you filled the cab with your voice.

  “First of all you are not stupid at all. He is the fucking idiot here. He is no man for doing this to a women especially you. You deserve so much better. Hell you deserve the whole damn world,” he seemed to clip his words off at his last statement.

  “Cat…” you looked over at him.

  He pulled into your driveway, put the truck in park and turned it off before just sitting there. The air was full on tension and you wasn’t sure what to say nor what his statement really meant. It had your heart racing and you almost let yourself believe for a second it meant what you wanted it to.

  “Cat what did you mean by that?” You had dried your tears on your hands.

  “I meant exactly what I said,” he got out and started for your front door and you knew this wasn’t over.

  You got out and followed him, unlocking your door before stepping in. He stepped inside taking off his hat and running his fingers nervously through his hair.

  “It sounded like there was more of a hidden meaning there Cat,” your voice was soft as you looked at him.

  He looked at you for several moments. You both just stood there starring each other down. He seemed to be looking your face over like he was trying to figure out his next move. He took a step back like he was having a war with himself. You gave him this begging look, so desperate to know what was going on inside that head of his.

  “Oh fuck it,” he threw his hat before crossing the room to you.

  “Cat…” he didn’t let you finish.

  His hands came up to cup your face on each side gently before his lips crashed against yours. Surprise took you at first before you melted into him and kissed him back. You had always had a secret thing for this man. He was someone who had always treated you so incredible but you had pushed your feelings way aside because you didn’t want to ruin what the two of you currently had. It was wonderful to have him in your life and you didn’t want to complicate that or screw it up by making it a relationship. His lips were making you dizzy and running all your thoughts together. This is what it felt like to actually be kissed. To be kissed by someone you knew loved you even if they had never said it in this way. It was Frankie’s way of confessing his feelings to you and you didn’t mind one bit. He pulled away all too soon and you looked at him after your eyes fluttered open. You searched his puppy dog eyes as he seemed to search yours.

  “I’m sorry,” his voice came out rough and a whisper as he started to pull away.

  “Cat, wait,” you grabbed at one of his wrist keeping his hand on your right cheek.

  The shock on his face was evident and you couldn't help but to smile up at him.

  “Me too,” it was simple but he knew exactly what you meant.

  The smile that stretched his face was pure joy and happiness but there was still worry playing in his eyes and you seemed to wear the same look.

  “Do we want to do this?” He stepped back closer to you taking his other hand and landing it on your hip, pulling you closer.

  “I really want to but Cat we can’t let this ruin us. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  “I promise you that I’m not going anywhere. I will fight for you until the day I die,” his thumb started to rub smooth circles on your face under your eye.

 “I promise to do the same Cat always.”

  “Then I think it’s safe to call you mind then huh?” His face broke into a splitting smile.

  “I’m yours Cat,” you let your smile match.

  His lips then crashed to yours and the kiss became deeper, with more passion behind it. Frankie was quick to reach down and pick you up bridal style before carrying you to your room. He kicked the door open and gently laid you down upon your bed never letting his lips leave yours. 

  “Should we with my arm?” You pulled away already panting as you look up at him.

  “I’ll be gentle I promise,” there was a hunger in Frankie’s eyes you had never seen before and it went straight to your core.

  Your lips connected again and Frankie crawled over you keeping himself up enough not to have hie weight on top of you. His hand went from your cheek down your neck pausing for a second to brush his thumb over your throat before traveling further. He let his hand settle on your breast before squeezing yearning a moan from you. He let his lips follow the direction his hands had just went as his hand went to your back. He slowly pulled your zipper down until he could successfully remove your dress. He was careful with your arm and his movements but unfortunately your sleeve ended up stuck and you couldn’t help the giggle that pasted your lips.

  “I’m sorry Cat,” a full on laugh bubbled up and Frankie couldn't help but to let one of his own go at the struggle you both were in.

  Finally you pulled your sleeve free and Frankie shook his head as he threw the dress somewhere in the room. He sat up to remove his shirt and his eyes feel over you. He let them rake over your body and you couldn't help the blush that rose to your cheeks.

  “You are so beautiful.”

  His lips came back to your skin but this time he started at your collarbone and started to travel further down. He reached behind you and undid your bra as he kissed the top part of your breast. He looked at your breast for a short moment before his eyes met yours and then he dipped down and took a nipple into his mouth. He sucked and bit pulling moans from your. Your fingers found their way into his hair and pulled slightly as he moved to give the other one the same care. He then crawled back up and reconnected his lips with yours. His hand traveled down pulling your panties down as far as he could push them without moving and his fingers brushed across your clit causing your back to arch and a cry to escape from between your lips. He let his fingers dip further down gathering the juices that had already gathered there. He pulled away to watch your reaction as he slipped two fingers inside of you. You let out a moan and let your head fall back. Frankie moved his fingers quickly pulling all the right noises from you.

  “Cat wait,” you quickly said reaching down with your good hand and stopping him.

  “Are you okay?” His voice was full of concern to match his face perfectly.

  “I want to cum with you inside me,” you blushed at your words and yearned a smirk from the man hovering over you.

  He reached down and kissed you deep again before standing up to remove his jeans along with his underwear. You watched him, biting your lip when you saw his already hard cock spring up when he slid his underwear down. You couldn’t help but to lick your lips at the sight before looking up at him. The look in his eyes was something you had never seen before. He was on you again this time with so much more momentum and he was quick to line up with your entrance and slip inside. You both let groans and moans fall from your mouths at the feeling. Finally feeling all of each other. He kept himself hovered over you to stay careful of your arm. He stilled for a few moments to make sure you were use to him before you gave him a nod for him to move. He started a pace that was quick but gentle. You let your good arm wrap around his neck and lace your fingers in his messy hat hair and pulling before connecting your lips back to his. You would never get tired of kissing this man. His kiss was so hungry and it gave him plenty of go ahead to pick up his pace and become a little rougher. 

  “You won’t break me Cat I promise,” you smirked up at him.

  That was enough for him to go harder. It was gentle and rough all at one time. He was so careful with you as he still snapped his hips into you over and over pulling noises from you that you had no idea you could make. You could feel yourself growing closer and closer to your release and it only caused you to let your good hand go from his hair down his back giving him decent marks to remember this moment. 

  “Cat I’m…”

  “I know sweetheart. I got you, let go,” he growled in your ear.

  His words sent you toppling over the edge as you came hard around him. All you could feel was him everywhere and all around you. He followed soon after groaning your name in your ear as he released himself inside of you. His forehead touched yours and you both panted heavily after finally riding out the high. Frankie had slightly gone limp and you noticed the pain that was suddenly climbing your arm.

  “Um Cat my arm,” you let out a slight hiss as he moved out of you and from on top of you all at once.

  “Oh shit! I’m so sorry! I forgot. Are you okay?” He went into panic mode immediately.

  “I’m fine Cat! I’m fine, “ you couldn't help the laugh that followed his panic.

  “It’s not funny!” He tired to be defensive but just ended up laughing along with you.

  “I promise we will do this properly after I get this stupid thing off,” you rose your arm up and rolled your eyes.

  “Hey it was still perfect,” Frankie spoke softly as he turned on his side.

  He bent down and kissed your forehead and you reached up with your good arm and rubbed at his cheek.

  “Yeah it was pretty perfect.”

Tagged: @jimmythegirl​ @arcadianempress​ @discogrrl​ @immundusspiritu​ @someplace-darker​ @beskars​ @talesfromtheguild​ @thisis-theway​ @on-the-razor-crest​ @fioccodineveautunnale​ @spookyold-saintjm​

[leemaht]

Hello! May I request a head cannon where Tendou, Bokuto and Kuroo find out that their s/o (who always wears baggy clothes) actually has a great body figure but is low-key insecure. They can find out however you want. Thx!

absolutely!

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finding out their s/o has a great body figure but still feels a little insecure about themselves

tendou satori, bokuto koutarou, kuroo tetsurou

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

warnings: none

pairings: tendou x reader, bokuto x reader, kuroo x reader

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

tendou

this guy only knows you with baggy clothes but wouldn't question this. he himself isn't the type for skinny jeans or tights shirts either.

he mostly wears baggy hoodies and anime merch, so why would he question you for doing so if he literally did the same?

that wouldn't stop him from teasing you now and then but nothing too major

since you had the same sense of fashion you occasionally exchanged clothing items

it wasn't like he wasn't curious but he didn't want to push his boundaries by straight up asking you

one day though

you had one of your many sleepovers and movie nights. after the first movie you excused yourself to go to the bathroom. after a few minutes of tendou waiting for you, he went to his room to get an extra blanket.

what he didn't knew was that you went into his room after to change into your night clothes. right after you took off yoir hoodie, when you were standing in just yoir undergarments, the door suddenly opened and tendou stepped in without realising you were there at first.

but then you yelped up in shock

he instantly backed out of the room and apologised

'y/n? I'm so very sorry! i didn't know you were in there!'

after you had recovered from this moment of shock you spoke up

'did you... see anything?' you asked shyly. you didn't want it to be like that. sooner or later yoi would have to show him your body but you had planned it to be... well... planned! and not so suddenly and without your consent.

he hesitated.

'yeah... a little bit. but i didn't mean to! I'm sorry but if I'm allowed to say this... you really are cute... no not cute. gorgeous.-'

'stop, please.' you interrupted

'was that too much?'

'no, i mean don't push yourself. you don't have to make me feel better about myself.'

'WHAT? nononono don't get me wrong here. you've known me for how long now? by this time you should know that i say what i think.'

you stayed silent for a moment

'are you... dressed yet?'

you first said nothing but then allowed him to come in. you weren't wearing your chunky hoodie anymore but wore a normal oversized shirt, exposing your arms

he stepped close to you putting his hands on either side of your shoulders

'y/n' he said with so much determination in his voice that it made your knees weaken 'you are the most beautiful person i ever laid eyes on. so stop acting like you aren't!'

the rest of the night would be spent cuddling and teasing on the sofa while tendou would try to convince you that it would be ok to open up more around him

you did of course with time

bokuto

it wasn't that bokuto wasn't curious either and i think he is the kind of guy to just ask you about it but as you shrugged it off, he didn't push it any further

well, until now

it was summer and at least 30 °C outside (sorry i don't know F and stuff) so bokuto suggested to go swimming in the local lake

suggested?

well he knocked on your door in the morning and forced you to pack your bag, change into a swimming outfit under your clothes and get in his car (i aged him up here)

let's just say it is nearly impossible to say no to an enthusiastic bokuto

you went to a secluded part of the lake, surrounded with bushes and trees so you wouldn't be interrupted

as soon as you arrived bokuto carried all the stuff he brought to the beach, placed them on the blanket he brought and disposed of his clothes so he was only in his swimming trunks

it was a cute moment really as he ran directly into the water while giggling and waving to you

you first went to the picknick blanket, put on your sunglasses and put on sunscreen

you honestly didn't plan to go into the water today.... but

after about 10 minutes bokuto surprisingly sneaked up to you, lifted you up and really jumped into the lake with you

the oversized white shirt you wore sticked to your body and revealed the swimming outfit you wore underneath. and bokuto still had his arms tightly wrapped around your waist

you struggled to free yourself from his grip. he gave you a questioning look as you didn't laugh with him

after a few seconds he realised how embarrassing this situation was. how he practically touched you even though you didn't want him to. he immediately let go of you, dropping you into the water clumsily

'omgomgomg sorry!!!' he apologised, picking you up again as you could barely stand in this depth

you giggled. 'it's fine'

'why didn't you come into the water yourself though i wanted us to swim together :('

'ahaaha' you laughed awkwardly 'sorry i just... didn't want to take off my shirt'

'why? you are gorgeous from what i can see here' he directly looked at your body making you blush madly

you hid your face in the crook of his neck, not being able to be mad at him. his words gave you this warm tingly feeling inside and you knew you could be absolutely open around him from now on because he wouldn't judge you. never

from now on whenever you felt insecure he would be your personal hype man. which didn't happen often since he would compliment your looks so often. as soon as you started to wear figure-hugging clothes around him, there wouldn't be a single hour in which he wouldn't compliment you.

kuroo

i really think he is the kind of person who would occasionally ask you about it.

he looked at you quite often. sometimes he wouldn't even notice that his eyes were fixed on you waist or stuff.

and even though you always wore baggy oversized clothes sometimes, in certain angles the silhouette of your body would be visible and kuroo... lived for this moments

all this times this happened kuroo burned this image in his brain

and honestly he was both kind of happy but sad at the same time

happy that he would be the only one to see your beautiful features

but sad and rather confused at why you thought you had to hide this gorgeous body of yours in all this oversized clothes. why you thought you had to cover yourself.

so i think he knew you were stunning from the very beginning

but even though he asked you about it you shrugged it off. but he wouldn't be pushy about it. he knew you were gorgeous but it physically hurt him that you saw it otherwise, so he made it his job to make you feel loved and good about yourself until YOU were ready to show yourself. because you wanted and not because he persuaded you

and you felt it

all this love and affection he gave you, so you felt kinda bad after a while. so you decided

you had this very tight (not so tight but compared to your usual outfits) outfit in your closet and kuroo would be having practice until the late afternoon today

so you would surprise him

you put it on and waited for your boyfriend to come home. when you heard him open the door you slowly approached him from the living room. at first he didn't look at you but

'hey y/n, you won't believe what happend to-.... day. omg babe! you look stunning!' he came hugging you. he cupped your cheeks and kissed you passionately before pulling away and stepping off a few steps to look at you in whole

'god. you are so... you look so... i can't find words'

the rest of the day was filled with compliments and cuddles and short loving kisses.

from now on you would wear clothes like this around kuroo more often and even though it would take you some time to wear those in public there wasn't anything that could make him happier than this

[avengemebuckyy]

Be Careful

Summary: 

You tell Bucky to be careful with your heart. Too late he realizes you should have been careful with his.

or:

You’re awkward,odd, and not the most conventionally attractive yet you’re the only woman that Bucky sees

Warnings: manipulation 

Authors note: Back from the dead lmao. This is probably trash but I just needed to force myself to finish something it order to try to get back in the groove! Feedback is more than greatly appreciated, it’s what keeps me writing tbh...

PS. You ain’t shit in this lmao

---

You weren’t the most eye-catching. You didn’t look like the girls Bucky used to chase after in his younger years, or the girls on the internet he’d find himself staring at once he’d discovered Instagram, endlessly scrolling through picture after picture, lost in a sea of beautiful bodies and faces. You didn’t look like the tall slim blonde agent he’d always make a point to hold open the door for, or his neighbor’s daughter in Wakanda, who had had dark skin so smooth and a face so perfect he’d never managed to say more than two words to her.

You were slightly awkward, with a slightly odd sense of humor, always cracking jokes that sometimes no one laughed at but you. But you didn’t care, you would laugh at them all the same. You wore baggy clothes, and not the fashionable baggy kind either. Your favorite outfit was baggy camo print cargo pants and an old grey band t-shirt, logo so faded it was almost impossible to decipher.

At first Bucky didn’t pay you much attention. He wasn’t rude, but he treated you with the same gruff stoicism he treated everyone with. Well everyone besides Sam, Steve, and Natasha. Besides he only saw you rarely, you were a high level agent thanks to your skill, but you didn’t work closely with the team very often. Until you did.

One mission with Clint was all it took to have your name thrust forward when Fury was looking to fill a coordinator position. Suddenly you were everywhere. Coordinating their positions on missions, even going on missions with different members of the team. You fit in well with the team, your corny jokes and generally happy disposition make you easy to like. Your apartment was five minutes away, thanks to Tony, so you would often eat breakfast with the team and stay at the Tower well into the night, often crashing in a room designated for you, also thanks to Tony.

You were like a deceptively shallow river Bucky would think after. One minute he was wading through your shallows, next moment he was being taken under by your currents, realizing too late that he was in deeper than he thought possible.

It started slowly, you would make an effort to make conversation with Bucky, never seeming off put by his non answers. Bucky found himself coming to you with numerous questions on how to work social media, you would give such long winded explanations he wouldn’t have to embarrass himself with asking questions. Soon he found himself seeking you out for more than explanations. Funny thing is you were the one who introduced him to Instagram, to the  beautiful women on the app but eventually he found himself unable to see any woman but you.

Bucky found himself sitting with you at lunch, looking out the window in the mornings waiting to catch sight of your army green jacket. He’d sit with you in the afternoons as you did your paperwork, steal glances at you ,your forehead always shiny by midday with an almost ever-present patch of acne, eyebrows scrunched together as you filled out mission reports. He loved those quiet moments the most. Bucky wasn’t good with words, not anymore. But he would help carry the 10 pound boxes of paperwork, always bring an extra pen in case yours ran out of ink, and constantly would bring you your favorite Starbucks order. He secretly hoped that you would read the affection behind his actions.

You didn’t usually go to Stark’s parties, you’d rather go to bars and clubs with your friends.

“The crowd at Stark’s parties just aren’t my crowd,” you’d explained with a shrug, toeing the floor with your scuffed sneakers. Bucky had nodded in understanding. They usually weren’t his crowd either, but he’d always go to support Steve, who was pretty much expected to show face.

But for some reason you show up to this party. Four months into your blossoming friendship (and Bucky’s crush). Bucky wasn’t prepared for what you were wearing. When he heard the agents whispering about your unexpected appearance at the party he half expected to see you in jeans and a t- shirt. Or even your cargo pants. At the sound of your name Bucky zeros into the muttered conversation.

“Did you see her?”

“Yeah, damn.”

“Was not expecting that. Or her to even show up. Who knew?”

“She’s kinda hot, not gonna lie. In a weird way”

Bucky turns his head scanning the crowd, heart rate already picking up, fully expecting to see your sweat-pant clad form. He sees you alright. But not in sweatpants. A red dress barely covers your figure. Hemline way above the halfway mark of your thighs and twin slits in the skirt reaching up to your hips. A draping halter neck ties at your neck and completely exposes your back and gives a generous view of your tits. He catches flashes of the curve of your ass as you walk.

In hindsight the dress was totally in line with your character. You didn’t dress the way you did because you were ashamed of your body but rather because you didn’t give a fuck. Your hair is pinned up, one perfect curl escaping your updo and kissing your neck. Bucky feels his heart stop. He spies numerous heads turning as you languidly weave through the crowd in dangerously thin stilettos. You cozy up to one of your agent friends and the two of you drink, giggle, and dance. Bucky can’t take his eyes off of you.

When you head to the balcony he follows.

“Hey,” you say when you spy his shadow darkening the entrance to the balcony. 

“Hey,” he gruffs, in a tone he fears is too quiet. But looking at the curve of your exposed back suddenly has his voice dying in his throat. You turn back to looking at the city skyline. Bucky steps forward next to you. Close. Closer than he’s ever been to you, painfully aware of your arms brushing. He can’t fully feel your skin through the long sleeve button down he’s wearing but the touch sets him on fire all the same.

“Needed some air. “ He eventually grumbles. Trying not to stare at your profile. You look at him then, wearing a sly expression he had never seen on you.

“I’m sure you did,”

--

After that it doesn’t take long for Bucky to gather up the courage after that. Maybe it’s the way you had looked at him on the balcony or the way both male and female agents were sniffing around you at the party. All the same about a week later Bucky finds himself heading to your office in the afternoon as usual, but this time holding a bouquet of flowers.

Afterwards Bucky falls in love with you hard and fast. He finds himself doting on you, taking you out, bringing you flowers and other tokens of his affection. He hears the whispers, it’s almost impossible not to with his super soldier hearing.

“How’d she’d get him,”

“What an odd couple,”

“The Winter Soldier’s with cargo pants?”

But he still holds your hand in public all the same. Stops in the middle of training recruits to kiss you whenever you happen to cut across the gym all the same. Keeps a picture of you in his wallet all the same.

Bucky has never felt this amount of care and comfort from a person since...ever, even before, in his other life. You put his boots by the heater in the winter when he sleeps over so his feet won’t freeze when he walks to the compound. You listen to him, even when he’s angry, raging at nothing, or when he’s sad and sullen, taking minute long pauses in between sentences. Or even when he wants to do nothing but sit in silence and hold you. You especially listen when his words come fast, tinged with self hatred. You reassure him, holding him like he’s fine china. After many late night musings you give him with the best present he’s ever gotten, an impossibly soft kitten who’s uncharacteristically loud purr always grounds him. Bucky finds himself able to open up with you in a way he can’t with anyone else, even Steve. Bucky’s not good with words anymore, but with you he’s amazing. He can’t stop singing your praises, lavishing you with sweet words and adoration.

In hindsight it was a warning.

“Sweetheart, your wallet must be screamin’ for mercy, with you buying this cake nearly everyday,” Bucky says pinching off a piece of the lemon pound cake which is almost always at the corner of your desk. He recognizes the cake from a bakery across the street, and knows its nearly four dollars a slice. You stretch cracking your back, nipples poking through your shirt. Your ever present band shirt had breathed its last breath, and this new shirt is thinner and cropped, and hugs your body closer.

“Not really, I don’t buy it, Tommy hooks me up” you say, shooting him a smile and then returning back to your paperwork.

“Tommy?” Bucky says, and unbidden hot jealousy sears through his chest at the mention of your coworker “He’s always buying you these?”

“Yeah,” you answer, not looking up, and Bucky tells himself to remain calm, unbothered. 

He doesn’t.

Later after the subsequent fight and make up Bucky holds you as the two of you sit on his bed.

“I’m sorry,” He says again.

“It’s alright,” you say and somehow your simple words draw the truth out of him.

“I’m just...I- I’m afraid of losing you.”

“I’m afraid of losing you too,” you confess, then pause “Bucky, please be careful with me,”

Your relationship was easy, comforting. The two of you almost never fought, and never grew tired of being with each other. One blissful year turned into two and then five. It was like a dream and Bucky never wanted to wake up.

But reality eventually did.

How closely you guarded your phone should have tipped him off. How you’d constantly declined calls while the two of you were together. The way you almost always got ‘too drunk’ on girls night and would end up crashing at your friend’s place.

The first time it’s sixth months into your relationship on a lazy Saturday. The two of you had ordered pizza and planned to cuddle on the couch and have a movie marathon. You were in the bathroom when your phone had vibrated. Knowing that you would get a notification when the pizza arrived Bucky had looked at your phone. Bucky had felt surprised to see the name Dominos instead of an unsaved number pop up on your screen. Your phone didn’t show the preview of the text like his did. Your phone was still unlocked since you had headed to the bathroom but a few seconds ago, so Bucky tapped to open  the text.

Dominos: [Can’t wait to see you again, beautiful]

Bucky’s blood had run cold. He froze, only unfreezing when he realized you were standing next to him.

“We aren’t exclusive!” you had defended.

“What the hell do you mean?” Bucky had growled. At that your face had crumbled, eyes filling with tears.

“You never asked me to be your girl.” you had looked away “We never talked about what we are,”

“Whaddya think we’ve been doing these past months?!” Bucky had yelled back,

“ I don't know. I don’t assume Bucky. Because guys always seem to want to date me, treat me like their girlfriend and then turn around and throw it in my face that they never said I was.” your voice breaks and so does Bucky's anger.  He hadn’t been very verbal with you so far. It’s true he never asked you to be his girl, or even verbally on a date. He just thought you both knew. Guilt fills him at the sight of your tear stained face.

“I’m sorry I was just preparing for the inevitable,” you say and turn away. Bucky grabs your arm and pulls you towards him.

“Well, let me make it clear. I want you to be my girl. I want you to be mine and mine alone.”

Your expression is unfathomable as you wind your arms around his neck.

“I am yours.”

That night you stand in front of Bucky and  wordlessly slip out of your sweatpants and t shirt, rendering him speechless. With reverence Bucky’s hands trace your frame and his mouth follows. That night he worships you.

Later, you wrap your arms around him and whisper 

“I love you,”

 And Bucky knows that he’s done for.

“I love you too sweetheart.” he says, and later still when you’ve fallen asleep Bucky lies awake, stroking the soft contours of your back. He’s done for. And he knows it.

“I’ll be careful,” he whispers.

--

Reality had tried to wake Bucky gently. Through warning signs that should have been loud and clear especially to an ex assassin. But Bucky had accepted your half baked truths and excuses. He was too far gone off of the drug that was your love to heed the warning signs until reality slapped him- no choked him, awake.

His awakening came in the form of the sight of you on your kitchen counter, a man kneeling in between your spread thighs. The flowers he had bought you on his way back from his mission that had ended early drop to the floor. Bucky freezes. But at the sight of Tommy’s face, cheeks slick with you he loses it. Next thing he realizes that he has his hands around your coworkers throat. But your hand on his shoulder drains the fight out of him, and as Tommy scrambles out of the apartment Bucky crumples to the floor and sobs. 

“Why?” He asks and he realizes he’s not just asking about now, but about all the times he’s caught you cheating but didn’t have the strength to leave you. 

“Baby” you say and gather him into your arms. He wants to pull away, thrash, yell, but he doesn’t. He just melts into your touch. You make him weak. And at night when he thinks about your excuses and half truths he hates himself for it.

“Why do you keep doing this to me?” he says, sobs wracking his frame “Five years-did they mean nothing to you?”

“I’m sorry,” you say “I love you,” 

At this Bucky pulls away, standing. “Don’t fucking lie to me.” he hisses.

“I’m not,” you say standing “I might lie all the time but I’m not lying about this.” your eyes go soft at the corners, and start to water.

“No. I love you. I adore you. I’d give you anything-everything and you treat me like shit” Bucky spits, there’s a pain in his chest, his heart is breaking “And I just fucking take it, because you make me so fucking weak- and I hate it” another sob ribs from his chest. A part of him thinks  that this is his punishment. For all of the terrible things he’s done. Cursed to be in love with someone who will never truly love him back. He looks at you, your hair is in disarray, baggy t shirt, those fucking cargo pants around your ankles. He gives a bitter laugh “Who woulda thought that you would’ve been the one to make me weak.”

“Why? Because I’m not pretty?” hurt flashes across your face then your eyes go hard. Usually Bucky would have been quick to refute any self deprecating words, reassuring you how beautiful he found you, how gorgeous you were. But now he just lifts his chin and looks back at you with the same hard eyes.

“Well I know I’m not pretty.” you shrug, face going strangely expressionless “But you still fell for me all the same. More fool you.” you say, and after a moment continue. “We should break up.”

At this Bucky shatters. Because he knows deep down that even after all of this he still would have taken you back. He still wants to grovel at your feet and plead to try to fix your relationship. But instead he decides to finally choose himself and turns and walks out of the door and out of your life.

Year later he still finds himself looking at your picture in his wallet, the one remnant  of you he has left, that he can’t bear to get rid of. On lonely nights where he can’t sleep and can’t stand the coldness of his bed  he’ll trace the curve of your smile and wish that you had cared enough to have been careful with him.

Tags:@stephie-senpai@ayeputita@pixierox101@iamwarrenspeace@ dreamgirljere  @ufffg@pietrotheavenger @trinityjadec@abbytagg@wastedsummerss@turdblossommm@jimmyisfab@sev7en@hottrashformarvel @superbuckytrash@waidewilson@abbytagg @awkwardfangirl2014 @desir-ae

Bucky only @chamongangae@callmebucky-doll

[twoidiotwriters1]

Pure Blood 27 (Sirius Black x F!Oc)

A/N: Do we have a Written in the stars crossover??? idk

I don't remember if I had already cast an actor for Alphard, but I decided that Bill Hader is the one.

Also: Sorry if someone doesn't get the notification, sometimes tumblr acts in strange ways :c but stay tuned on the weekends, thanks.

Words: 4,352

Masterlist:

Chapter 26 / Chapter 28

I walk down the hall of my house until I reach the fireplace in the living room, my parents are already waiting for me. My mother adjusts a strand of my loose hair and looks me up and down, then nods in approval.

I sigh and take one last look at my short-sleeved green dress, with a different-hued ribbon under my chest and the rest of it loose almost reaching the floor. My father sees us and takes our hands, we leave to where the big event will be. I feel a knot in my stomach as we apparate just outside the front door, but I compose myself quickly.

"I don't want any stupid games, Persephone," orders Dad in a deep voice, glancing at me. I just nod, while trying to contain the shaking in my hands and legs.

My mother knocks on the door and Abraxas Malfoy opens it. Both men greet each other with a handshake, and then the blond kisses my mother's cheek.

"Persephone, I've heard a lot about you," He says raising an eyebrow.

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy," I reply politely. He nods.

"Your daughter Juno is here already, I must say, Ares, she reminds me a lot of you."

I shiver at the comment. My older sister did a lot of planning to arrive with the family of one of her friends. I don't know the details, Kles –our house elf– could only tell me the basics. I guess that plan was the best for everyone.

Abraxas lets us in and the next hour is utterly overwhelming, among so many presentations and congratulations on the wedding. There are a lot of people I don't remember and haven't even met before, but they’re basically the same: giggling falsely, earning points for us to invite them to the wedding, compliments, boring jokes, even people my age behaved that way. At some point in the night, I lose my parents and can only turn my head from side to side in search of someone I know.

"You look like a cagged animal..."

I jump in place when I hear his voice, but I thank all the gods that James found me.

"I feel like one," I growl and eye up his outfit. "Who would say you could look good wearing a tux, Potter?"

"Oh, let's not start with the compliments, Singh. I'm sure Sirius won’t take long and we don't want a scene of jealousy so soon."

I roll my eyes, but I can't help smile a little.

“How many times have you avoided puking in the past hour? I almost died of fright a while ago when I spoke with Bellatrix and Narcissa Black," He says, feigning a chill.

I wince, no one has fond memories of Sirius's cousins.

"I have only felt a lot of discomfort with the congratulations and hints about the honeymoon," now I shiver. "I’ve been hanging in there."

"A while ago I saw Jenna talking to the Rosiers," He tells me.

"Oh, that’ll be fun," I frown. "Are you aware of what is happening throughout the whole party?"

He smiles.

"It's not to show off, but when something’s important, I do things right."

"Isn't school important?"

"Trifles," He says, shaking his hand carelessly making me laugh.

We talked about nonsense for a few minutes. The tension that I had with James before is gradually disappearing, which I appreciate, although sometimes he makes fun of me when some lady congratulates me, she asks about Sirius, obviously, I have to answer politely, which is truly funny to him.

"Persephone," says a man and I smile at him.

"Hi, Apollo," His arms briefly surround my body, my older brother is not always very affectionate, but I don’t complain. "How are Jane and Atlas?"

My older brother's baby was born a couple of months ago, I still remember the letter Jane sent me, she was very excited. Unfortunately I haven't been able to meet him, but I can't wait.

"Both are fine. She stayed to take care of him along with her mother so that Jane could also rest, we have not been able to sleep well since he was born,” he laughs.

James clears his throat for attention and I roll my eyes to then introduce him to Apollo.

"Potter, huh? I know your parents."

"It's a pleasure to meet a member of the Singh family who doesn't seem to be crazy," he jokes and I hit his shoulder.

"And Sirius?" Apollo asks me.

"We have no idea, I haven't seen him," I shrug.

"Surely he’s trying not to cry with his parents."

I nod and suddenly, Apollo’s distracted looking at some people in the background. James and I try to see them, but my brother takes my hand.

"Will you excuse us for a minute?" He asks James and he nods. Apollo takes me a bit away from where we were.

"What's going on?"

“I know the situation with our father is delicate, but I need you to stay alert. You and Sirius. Look for him as soon as possible. There are some things planned and they’ll most likely want you as an ally. If someone wants to set him aside for some ‘men's talk’ or ‘business’ make up something so you don’t get too far away or if you can stay with him, stay.” He says nervously.

"Does this have to do with what... happened last summer?"

My brother nods.

"I’d tell you not to do anything to get attention, but that’s impossible for you," he says with a small smile.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Just be careful, dear girl..." Before I can answer, he walks away.

“Miss, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but haven't you seen my nephew? He’s tall, with long black hair– looks like a girl– he’s clumsy and has a bad character."

I do my best not to laugh loudly when Alphard stands to my side.

“Haven't seen him, but that’s a good description," He laughs.

"My dear Persephone, as always, it's nice to see you,” He hugs me and unlike my brother, his hug is warmer.

“Likewise. I'm sorry I didn't send you many letters while I was at school,” I say with a grimace.

"Don’t worry honey. Sirius has brought me up to speed,” He says winking at me and I can feel my cheeks burning. "Besides coming to greet you, they sent me to let you know that you should be with your family… Almost everyone has arrived and the Malfoys will say some boring words to start with an even more boring dance, but then we'll eat something and–" He looks around to make sure no one hears him. "You don't know this from me, but I think there will be shrimp," He whispers.

I laugh and nod, I say goodbye to him and look for my family, which doesn't take long.

My parents talk to Jenna's family and my siblings are with them. Apollo, Isis with her boring husband, Balder and Juno talking about something serious and they shut up when they see me.

"Oh dear, shouldn't you be with the Blacks?" Isis says with a mocking smile.

“They’re not married yet, Isis. Behave!” My mother scolds her.

“Hi, P,” Jenna greets me and I hug her quickly.

"Do you think it's too late to run away?"

"I already tried," She answers.

After a few minutes of getting everyone settled, I hear my mother greet another family that has just arrived.

"What take you so long?" She asks them. I turn to meet the Black family.

"Some complications, my dear," Walburga answers with a tight smile.

As the adults speak, Sirius walks over to me and I do my best not to ogle when I see him, but he doesn't make it easy for me, especially when the little scratches on his face -almost healed- make him look more attractive.

"Hey," He tells me. "You look beautiful."

How do I breathe?

"Thank you. You look good too,” I say adjusting his black tie in an act of nervousness.

"I promised not to cry when this happened, but I’m crying," says Alphard from behind us.

"Uncle, please," Sirius replies, standing next to me.

"I wish Jane was here," says the man pretending to wipe away a tear.

Behind him, Regulus approaches in a tuxedo of a different color from his brother's.

"Hi Reg," I say smiling, but it doesn't last long when he just greets me with a nod and then joins his parents, I follow him with my eyes.

"What's wrong with the little Black?" asks Alphard.

"We don't know," Sirius replies taking my hand. "Easy, I'll talk to him," he whispers. I nod.

"Are you holding hands?!"

I roll my eyes at the man's comment and he laughs.

"You're just in time, Black," says Jenna putting his hand on Sirius's shoulder. “Between Persephone and Potter they were about to cry when they didn't see you,” She jokes and Sirius raises eyebrow.

"It was just James," I assure him.

After some banter, Abraxas catches everyone's attention and, as Alphard said, his speech is boring, only for him to eventually invite a few couples to dance in the center of the room. My parents go together with Sirius's and Jenna's.

"I don't want to scare you, but you’ll have to go dance when Ares says so," Alphard tells us.

We both nod.

It's not that I’m bad at dancing, my parents forced us to take classes, it's just a waltz, but so much attention makes me nervous. This isn’t like school where I just ignore everyone, here I can feel my father's gaze. After a song, Isis enters with her husband and Balder with a girl that I cannot recognize.

"If I ever have to dance with someone, I'll go to the bathroom," Jenna tells me.

“I don't think you'll save yourself,” Sirius tells her. “I already tried to do that and they’re making sure we don't take too long. You better find James before someone else invites you."

Jenna's eyes widen and she doesn't wait long before running off.

"My dear sister is already scolding me from afar," says Alphard pointing to Walburga, who dances while looking at her brother with cold eyes. Sirius and I laugh when Alphard waves at her. "I'll go get a drink or find a sweet lad- wait," He says, raising his head a little and then laughing in a way that makes some guests uncomfortable. "I can't believe it! Eliot Flint?"

Sirius and I follow his gaze and see a man, roughly Alphard's age, walking towards us with a huge grin.

"If I’d known you’d be here, I wouldn’t have thrown my wife into a tantrum!" says the brown-haired man.

Alphard laughs and they both hug each other.

"I can't believe you're here! Oh!" says Alphard. "Walburga will die if he sees you here!" He claps like a small child.

I laugh at his attitude and that's when both adults realize of our presence.

"Eliot, let me introduce you to my nephew Sirius and..." He sees us with a mischievous smile "His girlfriend, Persephone."

I bite the inside of my cheek to avoid saying anything at his comment and shake the hand Eliot offers me.

"I don't want to be one of those corny gentlemen, but I have to be, Sirius. I haven't seen you since you were a baby, I'm glad you grew up into a healthy young man."

Sirius laughs, while Alphard nudges his friend.

“You’ve always been a lord, Eliot. Since we went to school,” He puts an arm around his shoulders and draws him closer affectionately. "This man and I had lots of adventures at Hogwarts, but what we enjoyed the most were his loony inventions, he always had the need to do something crazy with what we could find!"

Eliot gets a bit red and laughs. It's really fun to see Sirius' uncle so relaxed next to another adult other than my sister-in-law. And seeing them together, I can get an idea of why they have such a great friendship. Eliot wears a light brown suit, but it is not perfectly ironed or groomed like other men at the party and his brown beard gives him a more carefree look, which matches perfectly with Alphard's blue suit, that looks like he simply could not bother himself to make it look neater. His shoes aren’t even matching the rest correctly.

"I can imagine you spent many days in detention," Sirius says with a raised eyebrow.

"Stop there," says Alphard "Maybe some inventions or plans worked, but we didn’t have the record that you have, young man!”

"So you got yourself a troublesome boy?" Eliot asks me and I feel my cheeks burn.

"Something like that," I say. Beside me I feel Sirius's body tense a bit, but I don't dare look at him.

Alphard is distracted looking towards the hall. “Sorry guys, but your time to shine has come. It's your turn.”

We both look towards the living room, I take Sirius's hand slowly and sigh hoping nothing bad happens.

"Good luck, it was a pleasure seeing you," Eliot tells us with a smile that we reciprocate. "I'll see you soon, Black. Adeline must be expecting a dance too.” They both say goodbye and get lost in the crowd.

I feel a knot in my stomach, I take Sirius's hand more securely and he guides me towards the dance floor. We stop in a part a bit away from our parents, Sirius puts one hand on my waist and the other on my hand, while I put my free hand on his shoulder. We both follow the rhythm of the music without rushing.

"Everything is going well and that's not good," I whisper worriedly.

"I wouldn't say that," He says and I look at him confused. "Maybe I had a little fight with my mother before I came."

"That's why you were late," He nods.

"I managed to hear that she was talking to my father about a movement and that they must be alert for me to be someone's right hand."

My body tenses at the memory of Apollo's words. I tell Sirius about the warning.

"This is getting weirder," He says and then smiles. "But don't worry..." He whispers and with his hand on my waist he makes me get closer. "I'll keep you close."

"Who would say that last year you couldn't even stand next to me in the same room?" I say moving away a little.

Since the kiss, my relationship with Sirius has been very strange. We have not had time to speak about it, the exams were before winter break, so I spent it reviewing with Lily and Jenna and when we shared class, we couldn’t speak, we didn’t go beyond sharing looks and smiles.

"Sirius, we need to talk."

"That only means danger,” He says with a grimace.

The song ends and we try to go back to our place when my mother stops us.

“No, you must continue. The engaged couples are the ones that have to shine the most."

"Mom," I complain, but with her eyes she told us everything and we returned to our position to continue the next song.

"At least we can talk," says Sirius and now he looks nervous. "Do you want to talk about the kiss?”

“Not that especially, but yes. What do you want from me, Sirius? Please be honest, no more games."

He thinks for a few seconds.

"I want to be by your side. I know that with everything we’ve been through, it’s unfair that you give me a chance, but I have broken my head thinking about what’s happening now, what we’ve talked about. My friends are sick of me talking about you and what I should do, even I am– but I always get to the same end and you are always there."

My heart races.

"And what about that list of girls waiting for you?"

I won’t deny that it makes me nervous, Sirius's reputation is not a secret to anyone and although I haven’t seen him with any other girl since everything got strange with the wedding announcement, I cannot put that topic aside.

"They will go on," I raise my eyebrows and he quickly denies. "No, no, wait, don't look at me like that, I mean– I guess they'll still be there, but I'm not interested anymore, it was fun, but not anymore... I know, everything is your fault, my brain’s confused because of you,” He complains like a small child making me laugh.

"So it's easy to play with your mind?"

He complains.

"You're lucky I like you," he says without thinking. And it’s obvious that our feelings changed and that the kiss made it clear that we liked each other, but the fact that he said it makes me emotional. “...And what about you? What do you want from me, Persephone? "

"I want you Sirius," He smirks at my words. "It’ll be a disaster, but at least I'm sure of how I feel about you, and now everything’s different, now I can't let you go so easily..."

"Oh, trust me," He says, stopping and putting a hand on my cheek. "That won't be a problem," he leans a little. "You’ll have me for a long time, Percy," He says and then kisses my lips gently.

My hand goes up to his hair, when we part I can't help but smile and he does too. I haven't felt this way in a long time. The applause when the song ends pulls us out of our little bubble and we walk away from the crowd holding hands.

"Padfoot!" James practically throws himself at Sirius in a big hug. "I thought you were dead, but I saw you at one of the most cheesy dances I’ve ever seen in my life, I almost threw up."

"It's always good to see you, Prongs," says Sirius laughing.

"Ugh, no. You're smiling like an idiot in love,” complains the boy in glasses.

"Oh come on," says Jenna next to him. "If Lily were here, you’d be worse."

James sighs dreamily. "I already miss her"

"Stop judging me then," says Sirius hitting his head.

Dinner time arrives soon after. James and Jenna leave with their families and Sirius walks me to mine.

“Listen, I don't know if my mother saw us, but I think it’d be fun to continue the hateful performance between the two of us. I don't want to see her face of satisfaction,” He tells me a few meters from the table that, apparently, we shared.

"Good idea," I smile.

Dinner went by pretty fast, some sneering from Sirius and his mom replying back made me shiver at seeing so many similarities. I tried to talk to Regulus, but he was merely being polite. Isis would not stop criticizing the dresses of those present with Juno, Balder would occasionally look at the girl he danced with and Apolo was talking to my parents. The only pleasant thing was my conversation with Alphard, who keeps mentioning his reunion with his childhood friend.

"And tell me, dear Sirius," says Isis. "Have you already talked about how many children you want to have?"

I feel my face burn and Sirius is not far behind as he uncomfortably fixes his tie.

"Isis, please," I say through my teeth and she laughs.

“Look at you, little sister. So very ashamed,” joins Balder.

"It's nothing to write home about, Persephone. A question that many people will ask you," My sister says, drinking from her glass.

"Let's not overwhelm the kids," says Alphard trying to defuse the situation.

"The engaged kids, Alphie," continues Isis. "I'll give you some advice, as soon as you get pregnant, everyone will leave you alone," She says pointing to her husband who looks at her with annoyance.

"Wait," I look at her. "Are you pregnant?"

"What?" Balder blurts out.

"Surprise," She answers with a tight smile.

"We said this was not the time, honey," her husband tells her tensely.

"Oh shut up, you’re not the one who’ll carry this for nine months."

That baby won’t have an easy life. Not even born and I’m already worried.

"Isis," my father's deep voice stops the talk. My sister rolls her eyes and stays quiet.

"Gentlemen," says Abraxas arriving at our table. "Do you think we have a moment to talk business?"

Ares, Orion, Apollo, Isis's husband, Alphard, and Balder rise up. I turn to see Sirius. His father practically dragged him by grabbing him by his coat, giving him no chance to do anything about it. This isn’t right and I know that if I say something or even try to get up, everyone will get suspicious or my parents will make a fuss.

I only stay with women, who talk about… things– my mind can only think that at least Apollo and Alphard are with Sirius, but obviously it doesn't reassure me at all.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I say and as soon as I see that my mother and sisters are immersed in some gossip. Without waiting for an answer, I walk out the room, but before I can get to the bathroom, I hear an argument between two boys.

“Was your father even required at the meeting? That just adds another embarrassment to your family, Potter."

I follow the sound to one of the corridors of the Malfoy mansion.

"...besides you..." adds the blond boy.

"And what about you, Lucius? Didn't Daddy let you in with the adults?" James snaps

"I have an important mission to attend," He says, raising an eyebrow. "Actually, I have to talk to other people, you’re just a waste of time."

James laughs, fixing his glasses.

“You obviously wanted to show off your not-so-secret mission, Malfoy. I just wanted to go to the bathroom, but your arrogant presence interrupted my basic needs."

Lucius rolls his eyes.

“You're just a little kid, I knew inviting the Potters was a bad idea, but my father knows they can serve as jesters. After all, your father’s only the laughing stock of other families."

That makes James upset, I see him make his hand into a fist, but he tries to control himself.

"Didn't you have a mission to do?" He says through his teeth.

"Oh, does that make you uncomfortable, Potter? You know it's the truth, but I must say that I think that not only your family can put on a show. I look forward to the youngest Singh and your little Black friend doing something. They’re scandals experts, I want to see their faces when they find out that Avery will officiate their wedding."

Wait. What!?

"What did you just said?" James asks and Lucius smiles victoriously.

"I already said too much," He says, but James pushes him against the wall.

"No, pretty boy. Now you’ll tell me exactly what you know..."

Lucius's face turns even paler than usual at James' closeness. All his confidence is gone. Maybe I should stop the boy, but I also want to know what Lucius will say and if I get close I might screw it up.

"L-let go of me, Potter," stutters the blond.

"Start singing, Malfoy."

"I-I just– Everything is settled, my duty was to give him a small gift, my engagement to Narcissa also depends on him," He says quickly and then closes his eyes waiting for a blow that never comes.

Holy shit.

James analyzes the words and walks away from the blonde, who looks at him confused, but quickly adjusts his clothes and returns to his false attitude.

“Be careful what you do, Potter. You’re in my house and I can kick you out if I want to."

"Go away."

I hide between a nearby pillar and after a few minutes I see Lucius Malfoy walk away. When I no longer see him I walk up to James's side, he gives a start when he sees me, but then sighs.

"Did you hear that?" I nod. "I’ve heard that Avery’s not the most pleasant person in the world."

"He’s practiced black magic and killed many wizards when they get in his way," I tell him shakily. "How the hell are we going to stop the wedding if we have a person like him around?"

"I have no idea."

***

The night continued and after a couple more songs from the band, Sirius came back to our table, but this time he sat next to me.

"What happened?" I say nervously

"I'm confused– I thought they would talk about... important things, I don't know, but they only asked me questions about the wedding, where we would live, if I would continue at my father's job, silly things really, but..." He looks up and around a bit. “I saw your father speak with Apollo and other men that I couldn’t recognize, he seemed serious, more than normal, and your brother was seeing me from time to time, very tense. Do you think we should investigate more?"

I shake my head.

"Not tonight, it’s risky. Everyone’s in the same place and I'm sure they took measures so that no one else knows what they are planning."

Sirius purses his lips.

"So, I’ll tell James that there’s no need for him to do any distractions," He looks embarrassed, but he also has a smile. I roll my eyes.

“What were you going to do? No wait, I don't want to know. I can't believe you're so impulsive.”

"Does the excuse that we are Gryffindor work?" That makes me laugh a little.

"Maybe," I look him straight in the eye. "You're lucky to have someone from Slytherin," I say raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we'll talk about it later," he complains, but then he smiles and takes my hand. "Now tell me, what happened here while I was gone?"

My smile vanishes immediately.

"We have problems."

"What?"

"Do you by any means, recognize Avery's name?" His face turns pale.

"Shit."

Taglist

@treestarrrrrrrr @siriuslysirius1107      @thagreenmoon @madmaiden2890  @ren-ela  @avipshamitra   @auroraawrites @findzelda  @lizlil @siriusmuch   @chloe-geoghegan1 @reverse-hxlland  @may-rapp @the-specific-oceans @eveft

@littledeadgirlwalking​

@bloodorangemoonlight

[whatisnormalforthespider]

Pictures of You

Pairing: Jonathan Byers x Reader

Summary: A fanfic I posted on AO3 for Halloween/Kinktober.

Jonathan always has been and always will be a creeper. Here he is at his very creepiest.

WARNING: this story contains graphic rape/noncon. Read with caution.

You had always liked Jonathan Byers. Ever since you met in the fourth grade, he had been your friend. You did everything together—homework, gaming, family dinners. Everything. As you grew older you started to LIKE like him. You were frightened by this, worried that if your feelings were revealed it would ruin your friendship. So for the past few years you’d kept things quiet. You tried dating other guys but none of them were what you were looking for. For the sake of your friendship, you’d resigned yourself to not being satisfied at this point.

But you still relished every moment you got to spend with him. So when he invited you into the darkroom with him you happily agreed. You watch as he dips each photo, handing them to you to hang up to dry. He’d always been an avid photographer and in your eyes, his pictures have only been getting better. “These are really beautiful, Jon,” you whisper, hushed by the pitch black of the room. Even in the darkness you can tell he’s blushing.

“Thanks, Y/N…” He shrugs bashfully. “They’re nothing, really. You just have to find the right lighting, the right angles…I could show you sometime.”

“I’d like that.” You try to ignore the way your heart skips a beat at his words, instead concentrating on the latest photo he’s handed you. It’s a picture of his little brother, all dressed up in a wizard costume complete with a staff and hat. He looks so happy, you can’t help but smile. “Is this one for Halloween?”

Jonathan glances at the photo and laughs. “Oh, no. He wears that when he plays Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. He’s such a nerd.” He says the word lovingly.

You raise an eyebrow. “If he’s a nerd, what does that make you?”

You just know he’s blushing even harder now. “I…I don’t know. A freak, maybe.”

“I’m just messing with you, Jon.” You nudge him playfully and his lips turn up again. “So…what are you doing this weekend?”

“For Halloween? I dunno.” He risks a glance at you but refuses to meet your eyes. “You could come over if you want…my mom has to work and my brother will be out Trick-or-Treating.”

Your heart leaps into your throat. Alone? With him? At his house? “S-sure, I’d love to.” You elbow him to cover up your own embarrassment. “I’ll dress up real fancy for you.”

He laughs. “Whatever, Y/N. I’ll see you then.”

“See you.”

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

You’re just in time to catch Ms. Byers as she leaves for the night. “Hi, Y/N!” She beams, wrapping you in a hug. “It’s so nice to see you. How have you been?”

You can’t resist smiling back at her. She’s like a second mother to you. “I’ve been great, Ms. Byers.”

“And you look so pretty!” She holds you at arm’s length to admire your outfit. “What are you supposed to be, a witch?”

“A mage,” you correct, showing her your dollar-store wand. “It’s a…modern interpretation. I thought Will would like it.”

She clasps her hands together, delighted. “He’ll love it. You’ll have to show him when he gets back home.” There’s a pause, and she looks at you knowingly. “Jonathan is inside. I’ll see you later, Y/N.”

You hurry into the house, ducking into the bathroom to check yourself in the mirror. Your hair falls in waves around your bare shoulders. You wear a tiny black witch hat on a headband, and it matches your short black skirt. You look down at your sparkling purple flats, suddenly hoping that Jonathan doesn’t think you look slutty.

“Jon?” You call to cover up your own nervousness. No answer, but you’ve been to the house more than enough times to know your way to his room. You knock gently on the door. “J? It’s Y/N…”

When he still doesn’t answer, you open the door gingerly. You’d been in this room plenty of times as a kid, but not in the last few years. It’s meticulously clean, the bed neatly made and the curtains drawn. The only messy part of the room is his desk, scattered with photographs of all sizes. You flip one of them over, curious. It’s of his little family, holding carved pumpkins that match their grins. It must’ve been last year, you think: Will has shot up like a rocket. You put it down to exchange it for another one. This one is of two beautiful girls. You know one of them as Nancy Wheeler but you’re not sure about the other one.

You continue looking through photographs, admiring their beauty but seeing nothing that really piques your interest. Then you find one near the bottom that stops you cold. It’s of another girl, but this one isn’t posed—it looks like it was taken outside of a window. The girl inside has her back to the camera. She’s undressing. Your stomach drops. Why would Jonathan have a picture like this? Who is she? You feel an unnatural twinge of jealousy until you recognize the curtains framing the shot. You only know of one person who has curtains with such a garish, 70’s-style floral print. It’s you. You turn over the photograph next to this disturbing shot and come face to face with yourself. It’s another candid one, this one taken outside of school. You’re reading a book. It seems innocent enough, but what about the other one?

You jump right out of your skin as the door opens. “Jesus, Y/N!” Jonathan looks just as astonished as you feel. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Uh, you told me to come over around five…”

He runs a hand through his hair, jaw clenched. “Yeah…guess I did…”

“Where were you?”

“Developing photos in the basement.” He holds them up for you to see—then suddenly pulls them back toward his chest. “Just…just boring ones. Nothing you’d wanna see.”

“Bullshit.” He looks up at you, startled. Wordlessly, you hold up the picture of you undressing. His mouth drops open for a second.

“Y/N, I can explain that…”

“Can you? I’d love to hear it.”

He runs a hand through his hair again, almost dropping the pictures he has in his arms. “Look, I…I really like you, okay? I have for years. You’re just so…” He pauses, giving you a once-over.

So what? You think. But there are more pressing matters at hand. “And you just thought taking a picture like this, without my knowledge, was okay? Are you…stalking me?”

“What? No, I’m not stalking you. I’m not crazy, Y/N. I was just out in the woods one day…it was a little after Will had disappeared, I was looking for him…and I saw you. And I just couldn’t help myself. You were just…” He reaches up to tuck your hair behind your ear, but you smack his hand away.

“I wanna see those photos you just developed.”

“Y/N…”

You practically tear them from his hands. They’re all of you. You at the library, you in your pajamas…you taking a shower. You feel your insides twisting into a fantastic pretzel shape. “Jon, what the fuck?”

“I know you like me too.” His tone changes suddenly, throwing you for yet another loop. “I’ve seen the way you look at me, Y/N. And all these photos…these were private, just for me. No on else was going to see them.”

You stare at him for a moment. “That doesn’t make any of this okay, J! I…I have to go. I need some time to think.” He slams the door shut before you can even take a step. “Let me go, Jon.”

“Y/N…can we just talk about this? Sit down, have a talk?”

“No!” You feel tears prick your eyes. You’re so overwhelmed… “I just wanna go home.”

Jonathan sighs like a tired parent, taking your arm and guiding you toward the bed. You don’t resist, knowing it won’t do you much good at this exact moment. You both sit down and he runs a hand tenderly along your spine. “You like me too, don’t you, Y/N?”

You refuse to look at him. “I did.”

“Well, this is great then.” He laughs but it’s clearly forced. “We both like each other, so—”

“What you did was wrong,” you interrupt. “I want all of those pictures burned.”

“What? I’m not gonna burn them.” He brushes his thumb down your cheek, catching a stray tear as it falls. “They’re precious to me. Just like you.”

You can tell he’s being sincere. How does he not realize how wrong all of this is? “C-can I go now?”

“No, wait a minute.” He pulls you closer and you immediately stiffen. “Knowing you like me back…oh Y/N….” Without warning he kisses you full on the lips. You can’t help but pay attention to how it feels—you had wanted this for such a long time. His lips are soft, almost like you imagine a child’s would be. One hand is still on your back while the other tangles itself in your hair. You’re so distracted you almost forget to push him away. Almost.

“I-I don’t like you anymore!”

He smiles gently. “I bet I could make you like me again.”

You take that as your moment to leap off the bed, making a mad dash for the door. Jonathan tackles you, wrapping his arms around your waist. “No!” You scream as loud as you can, hoping a neighbor or someone will hear you. He flips you over so you’re on your back, putting a hand over your mouth.

“Shhhh, Y/N, it’s okay…I’m not gonna hurt you. Don’t scream, okay? Be good and quiet for me?” You squirm under him but God, is he strong…how is he so strong? He reaches into a drawer in his desk, pulling out a long length of fabric. A tie. He’s so gentle as he ties it around your head, even as you kick and try to scream through the gag. You know what he’s planning and you do not want to be here for it. “Now.” He kisses your forehead. “You want this too, don’t you, Y/N?”

You shake your head vehemently, struggling as he pins your arms down. “I know you do.” He brushes his nose against yours. “My Y/N. I’m doing all this cause I love you, okay?” While one hand keeps your arms pinned above your head (how is he so strong?) the other snakes beneath your skirt. You kick as well as you can, trying to throw him off. He cups you carefully, rubbing your clit with a feather light touch. You try not to react but it’s impossible. In spite of your brain’s best efforts, you’re wet. Jonathan’s eyes light up. “You’re going to enjoy this, sweetheart. I promise.”

He continues working on your clit, eventually moving your panties aside. You gasp as he puts two fingers inside you. You don’t know how he’s so good at what he’s doing—he’s too shy to have tried this with anyone else. And you hate it, you tell yourself. You hate it. You hate him. It doesn’t matter how he’s spreading you wide and making your hips buck. He looks you in the eye and you’re terrified of what you see there—pitch darkness. “You like this, baby?” You scream “fuck you” around the gag and he actually looks hurt. He removes his fingers, bringing them to his mouth. You squeeze your eyes shut, not wanting to see him lick your essence off. “If I let your wrists go, will you be good? I can do so much more for you that way.” He grabs your chin, squeezing uncharacteristically hard, forcing you to look at him. “I know you can be good for me. I don’t wanna have to hurt you. Okay?” Your breaths are shallow and fast, your eyes wider than saucers. He releases you and you immediately start hitting and scratching at whatever parts of him you can reach. He sighs like a teacher who’s had to discipline a student one too many times.

Jonathan catches your wrist in his hand, twisting it into an unnatural position that makes you gasp. “I’ll break it.” His tone is flat, emotionless. “Do you want me to do that?” A tiny “no” leaves your lips. “Then put your hands by your head and keep them there.” He looks at you almost sadly, brushing your hair out of your face. “I don’t know why you’re fighting me. We’ve both wanted this for so long.”

You want to scream to the moon and tell him exactly why, but you know it wouldn’t do any good. The man is goddamn CRAZY, you’re sure of that. All you can think to do now is ride this out and hope he doesn’t kill you when it’s over.

You shudder as you hear him unzip his jeans. He pulls out his cock gingerly, as if even he isn’t 100% sure what to do with it. He gives you a reassuring smile, pulling your skirt and panties down to your knees. You don’t bother trying to stop the tears as they flow freely down your cheeks, wetting your hair. He kisses your nose tenderly. “Don’t worry, I have condoms.” You’re surprised at how much relief that brings you. At least, you think as you watch him roll one on, you won’t have to worry about carrying his baby after this. Although he’d probably like that…you shiver.

Sparks fly as he pushes in. You can feel every inch of him inside you, and it feels…good? No, you chide yourself immediately. Fuck him. You’re not going to cum from this. Your cervix, however, disagrees. As he thrusts in and out (gently, giving you time to catch your breath), you see blackness at the corners of your eyes. You’re going to pass out, you think, and what a relief that would be… But you don’t pass out. You feel every aching minute, every ounce of pain and pleasure, until finally you know you’re close. Jonathan notices this too, damn him. “You’re almost there, aren’t you sweetie? I am too. God, just thinking about you brings me to the edge. You’re just so—” He cuts off as he explodes inside you. Thank the good lord for condoms. His hand drops to your clit, touching and flicking till you can’t stand it anymore. With a whine so piteous it’s embarrassing, you come. Jonathan talks you through it, whispering sweet nothings in your ear and stroking your hair.

When you come down from your high, you’re still sobbing. You realize you never stopped. Jonathan gently removes the gag, massaging the corners of your mouth. “You did so good for me, sweetness. God, I love you. You’re so…”

“Let me go,” you whisper, and he acts like this is a new thing.

“Oh yeah, of course, baby.” He lets you stand and redress. “Oh, one more thing.” You turn to him, recoiling as a flash nearly blinds you. He’s taken another picture. “Happy Halloween, Y/N. I’ll see you soon."

[freedom-shamrock]

Exceeds Expectations

Also on AO3 This follows the Improvements story “Dressed for Success,” though it can be read on its own.  This is also day 23  of my ML WIP-Completion project.

It was late, and all Adrien wanted to do was go to bed, unfortunately his father had other ideas.

"Adrien," his father said, his voice sharp in the quiet of the mansion.

Adrien looked up and mentally slouched in response. He'd only just come in the front door, and there was his father at the top of the staircase, looming down at him in what had become his traditional we-are-having-a-conversation-whether-you-like-it-or-not mode. "Good evening father," he said, not bothering to mask the weariness in his voice.  He'd just worked a fourteen hour day, and he didn't care if his father didn't understand how exhausting runway was.

"We need to speak about this evening," his father said, clearly ignoring every cue Adrien sent him through body language and tone.  Or maybe he was oblivious. That seemed too charitable.

"Can we do this tomorrow?" Adrien asked.  "I'm beat."

Gabriel shook his head. "This should not take long." He turned on his heel and strode back to his office.

Adrien briefly considered ignoring the clear summons and letting his father see what it felt like to be ignored for a change, but knew he'd end up with some other unsavory job or task as a result.  Last time they fought, Adrien suddenly found himself added to multiple underwear campaigns. The photoshoots didn't bother him, since he had about as much physical modesty as an actual cat, but the uptick in rabid fan interactions was not worth the risk. They'd gotten more lewd, too, and that kind of grossed him out.

Plagg wriggled in his pocket, something he'd started doing when Adren was frustrated, and for reasons he couldn't understand, it calmed him.  So he was able to drag himself up the steps and into his father's office without letting the irritation get to him.

"You wished to see me, father?" Adrien declared as he crossed the threshold into his father's atelier. He'd taken to announcing his entrance this way in the past year, hoping to point out how rarely his father actually talked to him personally, and how it generally had to do with work.  When it had no obvious results, it went from an attempted notice to something bordering pure sass.

"I wish to discuss your presentation for this evening," Gabriel said, straightening up in his chair, and pushing aside the tablet he'd been focusing on despite the fact that he'd summoned Adrien not two minutes earlier.

"I see," Adrien said.  While he knew he could draw this out just to toy with his father, he was too tired for that to hold any amusement tonight, or rather this morning, as it was nearly three. "Let's just skip the niceties and get straight to the point where you tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize and get to bed," he suggested.

That prompted an unexpected reaction. Gabriel's eyes widened and he frowned. "I wasn't aware that you'd done anything wrong this evening. On the contrary, I was going to compliment you on your music selection and clothing choices."

Adrien stared at his father in disbelief.

"However," Gabriel continued, "if there's something you need to confess about your performance today that I was previously unaware of, by all means, feel free to do so."

Adrien scowled across the desk at his father. "Seriously?  I can't win with you." He shook his head. "You don't compliment anyone , least of all me.  I can't honestly recall the last time you told me you were proud of something I'd done, so you'll have to forgive me my assumption."  He paused to gather his thoughts from his exhaustion-muddled brain, speaking up before his father could respond. "I handled myself like a proper Agreste today. I performed my walks and poses as I have been trained to.  I was professional and represented Gabriel to the best of my ability."

Gabriel let out a huff. "You're getting emotional."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I need to go to bed.  Unless you want fatigue to be featured on my face in tomorrow's publicity piece."

"Fine." Gabriel glowered at him. "I will make this quick. Your work in the show was professional, as expected. Your performance at the after-party exceeded my expectations."

Adrien stared at his father in shock.  "Exceeded expectations?"

Gabriel nodded. "Your music selections added to the ambiance in a way that suggested adequate familiarity with the setting and it's needs. The music was neither too loud, quiet, lively, or dull, so it brightened the atmosphere."

Adrien managed to keep his mouth in check when he really wanted to sass off about how he'd spent his whole life both in this environment and playing piano, so of course he had the knowledge to pick the right music. Normally he was eager for any shred of positivity that could be interpreted as praise, but in the last few months, he'd grown weary of scrambling for such scraps.

"That wasn't the surprise, though," Gabriel admitted. He steepled his fingers in front of his chin. "Your apparel for the after-party could not have been better chosen had I done it myself."

"They were your designs," Adrien said, shrugging. He knew he'd been right in enlisting Marinette's help, but he'd merely hoped to avoid a scolding and hadn't anticipated praise.

"True," Gabriel agreed. "But they were not pieced together as I'd originally intended them, and the way that was handled enhanced your appearance while minimizing your temporary defects."

"It's called a growth spurt," Adrien grumbled. "You wanted me taller."

"Yes," Gabriel said with a sharp nod. "And while it's temporary, the transition is ungainly."

Adrien reminded himself, yet again, what Marinette had told him. She thought he was impossibly beautiful no matter what his father said.

"The only reason you didn't upstage the show-stoppers, is that your clothes were slightly older designs, still fresh and intriguing, but not flashy." Gabriel stood up. "The match-up was innovative, brilliant, and the fit was perfect."

Adrien nodded. "I would be happy to express your appreciation to Marinette for her assistance, then."

"Marinette?" Gabriel asked. "As in Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

Adrien nodded. "She came over a few weeks ago and helped me pick my look for the after-party. She told me what needed replacing in a larger size and re-tailored everything to ensure a good fit."

"Hey Marinette," Adrien called, jogging to catch up to her on the sidewalk approaching the school.

"Welcome back Adrien." She smiled at him, and it brought him some unexpected happiness. "How did it all go?"

"Really well, actually." He was still a bit baffled by the odd three A.M. conversation with his father. "And honestly, I think a big part of it was because of you."

"Me?" She seemed genuinely surprised. "I hardly did a thing."

Adrien shook his head. "I was pretty nervous about the after-party," he admitted. "I knew the music would be fine, but… I was really unsure about the rest, and my father has been on my case about representing Gabriel in the right fashion." He grinned at his own pun.

Marinette scowled a little. "He needs to lighten up.  You're his son, not an employee or indentured servant.  And it's a design house not an empire."

He laughed, unaccountably struck by the irony of her words. "Honestly to hear him talk about it, I am the scion of a noble house, far more important than the common folk I surround myself with."  He snorted. "Anyway, your help with my suit made me feel a lot better, because even if he came down hard on me for failing to do my best, at least I had evidence that I'd gone out of my way and sought the best resources to fill the informational gap he'd left for me ."

Now she looked angry, and that hadn't been his plan. "Adrien, you're making me worry.  More than I already did."

"Sorry, I'm not good with words, especially when I'm excited." He beamed at her. "He loved the outfit! He actually complimented it.  You made him regret not making me a headliner." He shrugged. "Though to be honest it was nice to have a break from that pressure." He was getting off track, dammit.  "Ugh. Let me start over." He took a deep breath and straightened up. "Thank you so much for helping me; it reduced my stress for the whole event, which allowed me to be at my best." He held out his arms and tilted his head before pulling her in for a hug.

"Okay, okay.  You're welcome."  Marinette giggled. "Now put me down."

"Oops." He hadn't realized he'd picked her up. "Still not used to being so much taller than you," he admitted, setting her back on her feet and letting go.

"I'm glad it went so well." She patted his upper arm. "And hearing this actually explains a few things."

Adrien thought for a moment, but spoke up when she didn't continue. "Explains what?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Nathalie stopped by yesterday with information on the internships that will be available at Gabriel this summer.  It was… awkward and seemed really out of the blue."

"That's… unexpected." While he liked the idea of working with Marinette, the thought of her working at Gabriel made the hair at the back of his neck stand up. He'd heard that it was a hard place to be an intern, and that the position generally involved fetching coffee and doing administrative stuff, with occasional on location gopher work.  "Didn't you already apply for summer internships?"

Marinette nodded. "And I've actually heard back on three of them, two yes and one no."

"So you're not going to apply for one at Gabriel?" he asked.

She patted his shoulder. "I'd love to work with you again, Adrien.  But I want nothing to do with your father."

Adrien grinned.  His father was so used to getting his way, this would come as quite a surprise. "I approve of your plan. I never get to work with interns anyway."

Planned to do this yesterday, but felt a bit bleh after too much wassail and tasty food at game night Saturday.

I still have 5 WIP pieces to write, and it's safe to say those won't get all finished today. Alas. But ideally this week yet.

[fuckyeahgakuenheaven]

*flops over* IT’S BEEN A BUSY DAY. I finally finished the fic that’s been making  me question all my abilities as a writer, and I edited the FINAL GAKUEN HEAVEN 2 SHORT STORY. 

Yeah, that’s right, this is the LAST (printed) short story for GH2 that we haven’t shared yet! There are still some preorder mini dramas, the translations of which are already in the works! :D

ANYWAY! Here’s the lovely Takato/Yuki story from Hot Hot Winter Heaven, the Comiket 87 GH/GH2 book. Seriously, Takato always gets THE BEST writing and I’m almost pissed on behalf of the other characters, lol. :D

THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TAKATO’S ROUTE!

An Extravagant Day Off

Umm. After all, I got the feeling it was different when it came to books.

I had gotten lost in reading the new volume of ZombieChan that went on sale recently, and before I knew it, it was time for roll-call. Even after curfew, I turned on the bedside light and got absorbed in reading the rest of the book. ZombieChan was always so interesting. I knew the story since I'd been allowed to read the manuscript, but I still ended up crying at the same parts.

Still, it was strange. What part of Takato-san had this story come from? As I was thinking about it, I heard a soft knock.

"Asahina, may I come in?"

It was Takato-san! I hurriedly opened the door and Takato-san was standing in the darkened hallway, dressed casually. Maybe he'd just showered, since his hair was a bit wet.

"...May I come in?"

That low whisper was, to put it simply, that sort of invitation.

At my small nod, Takato-san slipped inside. He closed the door behind himself, and after locking it, his gaze stopped at the bed.

"I was just reading."

"...Is that so?" Takato-san's face relaxed into a faint smile. "This is perfect. Asahina, will you accompany me for a bit this weekend? We'll go carousing using the royalties."

Carousing? I tilted my head at the unfamiliar word.

"Let's have a night on the town. It's all my treat."

"Huh!? Is that okay!?"

"Of course. I want to have a good time with you."

A date with Takato-san. And one with carousing. I couldn't refuse. At my deep nod, Takato-san smiled an unusually happy smile and embraced me.

~~~

And so, on Saturday, once classes were over, Takato-san and I left the school island and went directly downtown.

"Let's start with shopping for clothes," Takato-san said and took me into a specialty store with an all-glass shop front. The inside was quiet with Western music playing softly, and the slightly mature atmosphere made me excited. The subdued colors of the shirts and jackets on display gave them a very different look from the clothes I was currently wearing.

Oh, but this t-shirt might be nice. I causally picked up the shirt that had caught my eye and glanced at the price.

...I wish I hadn't looked. It said 30,000 yen.

I drew back my hand in a panic, and behind me Takato-san was also looking at the shirts. But unlike me, who was flustered, he looked as calm as ever. "Asahina, how do you like this shirt?"

"I don't know..." I was scared by the prices and didn't feel comfortable shopping in a place like this. Well, everything I was wearing from coat to shoes, altogether it was about 10,000 yen.

"Did you forget? Today we're out carousing."

"But..."

If I was going to pay 30,000 yen for something, I'd rather go ten times to all-you-can-eat yakiniku.

"Asahina."

I flinched and Takato-san's expression suddenly softened.

"I want to get closure."

"Closure?"

"Yes. The new volume that just came out is the last novel I wrote before we started dating. The one I wrote when I was desperate to keep my mother and myself from being consumed," Takato-san replied, lowering his eyes slightly.

What feelings were going through his mind? But he didn't put it into words and just smiled.

"It's all in the past now. So I want to spend this money foolishly. Please allow me dress you up the way I like and go on a date with you."

It was like playing at My Fair Lady. Takato-san smiled. That self-deprecating smile made something suddenly click.

"Alright! Then, I won't think about the money. Instead, let's make nice memories."

"That's the spirit."

Anyway, it looked like my answer was correct. This time, Takato-san's smile was genuine. "...Let's go here next."

As he spoke with the sales staff, Takato-san picked out clothes for me one after another. First I tried on a British style outfit. The slim fitted suit looked really sharp and even I looked mature in it.

"But it's not quite playful enough."

We switched to a shop with slightly more casual clothes. I tried on all sorts of things like street style, designer fashions, and we finally settled on refined casual.

With the clothes decided, now we needed shoes. Now that it's winter, let's make it boots, Takato-san said, and picked out some narrow short boots. Next was a bag and a watch. Once we had bought some accessories like a scarf, we headed toward a salon where Takato-san had made an appointment.

We went inside the stylish shop which had a unified monotone color scheme and the male stylist asked what would you like today? But I didn't know what hairstyle would be good, so I answered, "Please make it something that goes with these clothes!"

He took a good long look at my clothing from head to toe and nodded promisingly, "Okay!"

Two hours later. I stood in front of a mirror, but I was like a different person.

"Not bad." The stylist seemed satisfied with the outcome after an uphill battle styling my wiry hair, but I wasn't used to new clothes or a different hairstyle, and I couldn't stop feeling anxious.

"Are you done over there too?" I turned around at the voice and saw Takato-san standing there. His bangs which were always up were now falling naturally. Maybe it was because of that, or because of the clothes, but Takato-san seemed different too. It felt like seeing each other reflected in the mirror got us both excited, like we were a couple on a proper date and it was embarrassing.

"It really suits you. You look cute." Takato-san placed his hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear while pretending to look at the mirror.

~~~

"Was it a successful mission?"

"Even better than I expected."

Once the discomfort I had at first with the unfamiliar hairstyle disappeared, I felt it really suited me. And if Takato-san thought it wasn't bad, then I was really satisfied.

Takato-san had used the word closure. The guilt he harbored about his mother, his disappointment with reality, if he could put those in the past, I wanted to help him however I could. Looking back, this would be a nice memory, the way Takato-san wanted.

And this game. I'd started to enjoy it.

"Come on, let's go. Next is your long-awaited dinner."

"Woohoo!" I set off down the street, led by Takato-san. Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

"Hey, excuse me, do you have a minute?" A man held out a business card as I blinked at him. "As you can see, I'm an agent. Would you like to try modelling?"

"Oh, no! No thanks!!" I flusteredly ran off in surprise. Takato-san was stopped a little ahead of me and I rushed up to him. "Ah, that startled me. What does he mean, modelling...?"

"What does it say on the card?"

The card I received had the name of a men's fashion magazine even I was familiar with. Did that mean something like amateur modelling? It was impossible. No one had ever said anything like that to me. "...These clothes are awesome," my true feelings unconsciously slipped out. This had to be because of the clothes and hair.

But Takato-san's brows drew together as if I'd said something upsetting. "No, it's not because of the clothes. It's because you're handsome, Asahina."

"Haha. No way," I laughed without thinking. Me, handsome. No matter how infatuated he was, that wasn't true.

"No, it's just hard to see because of your expression and bearing, but you have an attractive face."

"Don't you mean Kuya-san?"

"No, well, Kuya is the same way... but I'm talking about you."

"Takato-san, you need better glasses. Anyway, if we're talking about handsome, I think you're more handsome than me."

"Good grief, you need glasses too."

It didn't look like Takato-san would ever change his mind, but that's how I felt. I thought the word handsome fit people with faces like Joker-san and Kuya-san.

"Then let me put it another way. ...To me, your face is beautiful. It's just the sort I like."

"Ugh..." He said that so calmly right to my face, so I didn't know how I should react. It was the first time in my life someone told me they liked my face.

But, oh. So Takato-san liked my face. My cheeks grew warm and even my ears started to tingle.

"One of things that's interesting about you is how you get embarrassed."

"Normally, anyone would get embarrassed being told they're beautiful and you like their face."

"There's also the common reaction of getting angry because you think I just like your appearance."

"That may be true, but I'm embarrassed."

"You're so innocent."

"Well, excuse me."

"I like that about you too."

Ugh... Takato-san's attack power was high as usual. I turned away my reddened face and a soothing voice meant to cheer me up drifted to my ears. "We're here. This is the restaurant."

The restaurant had a facade that looked just like an art museum. The restaurant's name was written in small elegant letters on the snow-white wall and there was nothing else apart from a silver door. The theme was white inside the restaurant too, with a very simple interior. Only the inside was spacious, with a very high ceiling. I could tell at a glance that this was a high-class restaurant.

I still felt intimidated when we were shown to our table. I was looking forward to delicious food, but I still was a bit uncomfortable. But the moment I saw the appetizer placed on the table, that feeling was swept away. It was food so beautiful I'd never seen anything like it. The two small fried fish filets on the clear plate were arranged just as if they were swimming. Snow was represented by pure white mousse. It looked more like art than food. And it was really delicious. With just one bite, I felt like I had awakened, like something would erupt from the crown of my head.

I couldn't care less about how this place was high class, and how we were a little out of place. The world was as one before such deliciousness.

"It's awesome, it's awesome, Takato-san. Everything they bring out is so delicious it's like a dream come true!"

The abalone, whole chicken, and ham consomme soup was clear and sparkling, but the moment I put it in my mouth, the complex and rich flavor filled my whole body. The dish of foie gras with strawberries was rich, but I felt refreshed by the tartness of the fruit and it was delicious like nothing I'd ever eaten before.

"I'm in heaven..." I murmured in ecstasy and the corners of Takato's eyes crinkled with a soft smile.

"Yes, indeed."

"The horsemeat carpaccio was delicious too."

"The dressing was the best."

"It was! The parts with the walnuts inside were so fragrant and it went amazingly well with the meat..."

Eating delicious food with the person I loved, telling each other it was delicious, this was truly the awesomest luxury. Long live carousing!

It was too delicious and I ended up gushing about how impressed I was to the waiter who brought the main meat course. As we finished the course, the waiter brought a man in a chef's coat.

"I'm very happy you enjoyed it."

Was this man the chef-owner!? I was surprised but happy, since I wanted to show him my feelings of gratitude. And so I ardently went on and on about how delicious it was, far more than I told the waiter before. I thought he hadn't understood my feelings, but the chef smiled brightly and gave an instruction to the waiter.

"Bring the special dessert for my charming guest."

The special dessert was truly special. It was cake and ice cream magnificently decorated with various fruit.

"I'm astonished."

I leaned forward at Takato-san's murmur in a rare enchanted tone. "Me too. This special dessert is really amazing!"

"No, by you."

"Me?"

"Yes. By your enthusiasm. By your energy to move people. I find that part of you truly irresistible."

Unexpectedly, the eyes behind the glasses narrowed with passion. At that moment, I felt like the background colors had instantly faded. Only Takato-san's gaze, no longer hiding a sexual tinge, was extremely vivid. Suddenly, Takato-san extended his hand. The fingertips that reached across the table touched my lips. "There's cream on you."

There was a little whipped cream on the fingers which moved away. My eyes followed the white cream in a daze and in front of me, Takato-san's tongue stretched out to lick the cream off his own fingers. I got a peek of his red tongue. That crude gesture was extremely erotic. A shiver ran down my spine and I unconsciously lowered my eyes.

"By the way, Asahina. Shall we end dinner now?" Takato-san's voice was low. I was sure I already knew what came after those words. "Of course, we'll be staying at a hotel after this."

Saying 'shall we go?', Takato-san offered me his hand across the table. I could see his fingers at the edge of my vision and with a small nod, I took his hand with the knowing look of an accomplice.

FIN.

[sippin-on-red-wine]

High Tide | Chapter 8: London

Title: High Tide, Chapter 8 | London Author: @sippin-on-red-wine Rating: No smut in this chapter, again, sorry! Characters: Ed Sheeran x Kendra (original female character) Word Count:  2,293

Kendra……

He’s not over her.

It was time to go home.

The realization was stark, black and white. And I had been here before. This crossroads. Leaving my old life behind, blessed with the means to be able to do so. It had been the best decision I could have made for myself, though I still carried some guilt around it.

It was an anxious, eerie kind of calm. My entire body was buzzing, but I somehow felt in control, cool and collected. I flitted about the penthouse gathering up my few personal belongings and stacked them neatly inside one of the paper bags that the concierge had brought me. I sat down at the dining table with my cell phone and began looking for flights home.

Should I talk to Ed? Say goodbye? I don’t think I could see him in person, but I could call. Or text. Yeah, maybe text. The hell am I going to say? Maybe I should just wait. Call him when I get home.

I went to the British Airlines website, since that was the line I came in on. I quickly navigated their little digital schedule, finding a flight to NYC that was leaving in about four hours. Okay, no problem, I can get a connecting flight from there. Or drive. How far is it? Six hours or so?

I added the flight to NYC and began the checkout process, the website asking for my personal information. I furiously tapped out my name, birth date, and address when it hit me:

I don’t have my passport.

It’s at Ed’s.

I paced around the suite, hand clutching at my forehead in the most cliche way possible. What do I do?

Options: Go get it yourself Call Lauren and ask her to bring it. Ha, like Ed would let her do that alone. Call and talk things over with Ed Why do all of these options include talking to or seeing Ed?

US Embassy it is.

All jokes aside, a funny thought began to creep into my head. My gut instinct was to run; but now, I couldn't. Not without facing him first. I'd just about hopped directly on a plane back home, but that was all out the window now.

What a cruel trick of fate.

I just wasn’t ready to speak to him. But that didn't mean I should never speak to him again. The thought of never seeing him throw his head back in laughter, or feeling his fingers lace up between mine… it was crushing.

I must have paced for a solid 30 minutes, debating back and forth with myself, before I came to a conclusion.

I’m going to stay. For now. I need some time.

Ed……

I woke on the living room sofa, morning light filtering in through the large panes of glass that lined the walls. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and reached forward to grab my glasses off of the coffee table. Everything came into focus; Lauren was sleeping on the adjacent couch. I guess she didn't want me to be alone.

I didn't want to wake her, it was because of me that she hadn't gone to sleep til nearly 4 in the morning. I slipped off the sofa and padded quietly upstairs to my bedroom, wanting to brush my teeth and have a scalding hot shower. The water won't wash the shame away, you prat.

My heart sunk impossibly lower as I came 'round the corner and saw Kendra's suitcase and bags leaning up against the wall. Not more than 24 hours ago, I had happily carried all of her things up here, at her request. “I cannot sleep on a couch again tonight, Ed, you're being silly.”

I'm sure she had to have felt a bit weird about staying here, the home I had shared with another woman. But she trusted me.

My fingers twitched, and I suddenly was craving a drink. Your coping mechanism.

No. You can’t do that again. What would she think?

I reached in my pocket, pulling out my phone. I checked, foolishly, to see if Kendra had tried to call or text me. Wishful thinking.

I didn’t want to fall into another spiral, or pity party. Booze had always been a coping method for me, but I just didn’t want to go there, not again. And so I opted for the next best thing -- work.

I tapped out Stu’s number and hit Call.

Kendra……

As it turns out, if you’re confused and upset and a bit melancholy, London is the place for you. It’s supportive, playing up that ‘melancholy’ bit with its eternal gray skies and foggy rain. But it’s wonderfully distracting, too. So much art and history and architecture and FOOD.

My tactic was simple: shoot for the least amount of downtime possible. And so, I established a routine. I’d wake, dress in a basic, cozy outfit, and head out the door. I stopped in a little corner cafe that was on the next block over, and grab coffee and a pastry to go. I jam-packed my days, moving from one thing to the next. I shopped, and rode a triple-decker tour bus, and spent hours wandering through museums. I walked through neighborhoods, explored markets, snapped photos of parks and buildings and cars and pedestrians. I’d tuck in to a pub for a comfort food meal, and then head back to my suite.

After the first couple of days, Ed had stopped calling and texting incessantly. He called once, each day, now. He always left a voice message… but I couldn’t bring myself to listen to any of them.

I knew that he was sorry, damn it, I just wish he hadn’t done anything to be sorry about. I was angry; angry with myself for letting my guard down in the first place… angry with Ed for putting a big asterisk on our time together. Would I ever be able to see him the same way again?

I had a lot of questions, and no answers. In a true-to-Kendra way, I was living in full-on denial land. Running from this place to the next, telling myself I was “exploring the city”, when in reality, I was just trying to tire my brain out enough to shut Ed out of it. I would have to see or speak with him eventually, it’s not like I could go home without my passport. He probably didn’t even realize he had it.

I was scared shitless; that was really what it boiled down to.  I hadn’t even known him that long, but there was something about our connection that was just… not of this world. Was it one-sided, all along? Is he still in love with her? Was I just a coping mechanism for him, much like the drink he had favored until the night you found him all strung out after a bender?

Okay, okay - get it together, Kendra. These are not good thoughts to be having while you’re sitting in a pub, eating lunch amongst business men and ladies alike. Where to, next?

I had been itching to have a go at the London Eye, and so I paid my lunch bill and spilled forth onto the busy London sidewalk to hail a cab.

I directed the driver and settled in. The radio caught my ear right away -

*Intro Music*

“We’ve got Ed Sheeran in the studio with us today to talk about his upcoming American tour. Ed, welcome -- great to have you as always, even on short notice!”

“Thanks, pleasure to be here.”

Hearing his voice made my pulse quicken. He’s supposed to be off work til tour -- why is he doing promo all of a sudden?

I clued back in -

“..seems like you’re putting out one hit wedding song after another after another. People call you the King of Romance, d’you know that?”

He chuckled, a nervous kind of laugh. “I’ve heard that being said, yeah.”

“I mean we’ve even got this photo of you, barefoot, holding your lady’s broken shoes leaving a party earlier this year. You gotta cut that out, man, you’re making the rest of us look bad! Nobody compares to the perfect boyfriend Ed Sheeran!”

“Mate, if only it were that easy. I’m just a person, I make mistakes too. I write love songs - yeah, but I’ve also hurt people. People I really care about.”

“Miss?” The cab driver’s voice filled the car, snapping me back to reality. He was pulled over to the curb - we were at the entrance for the Eye. I paid for my ride and climbed out of the cab, Ed’s voice still floating out through the speakers.

I was winded; I hadn’t expected to hear his voice. I plopped down on a little bench seat and pulled out my phone.

*I want to see you, Ed, I really do. I just… I need to know if you’re still in love with her. And I need you to be sure. Please take some time to work it out. Friday, 8 o’ clock. I’m at the Corinthia. I’ll leave your name at the desk.

Friday night had come and I was in shambles. My entire body felt like a blinking neon sign, on-off-on-off, as my veins contracted and expanded with every beat of my petrified heart. Would he come? Had he realized he wasn't really missing anything? Is he still in love with her?

Ping! went the elevator and I thought maybe my stomach had just dropped out of my body. The door opened. And there he was, face hidden behind a thick layer of copper beard, his eyes a dark ocean blue.

He stepped out of the lift, and I opened my mouth to say something. But he didn’t miss a beat.

“It's you, Kenn. It's only you. God, I've never been so sure about anything in my life, I'll spend every damn day proving myself to you.” His voice was strong, his animated hands coming to life. “Just say the word, say it and I'm yours. Actually? Nah, you don't have to. I'm already yours. Whether or not you want me.”

It was exactly what I needed to hear. The doubt melted away as I saw the man before me, steady in his words, white-knuckled as he tried to express how true they were.

“Oh, Ed, of course I want you, I’ve missed you s--”

He takes two steps toward me, his arms a bright slur of colors, my body willing itself toward his. His hands came up to cup my jaw, the pad of his middle finger resting beyond my ear. His lips settle firmly on mine and this kiss is somehow both soft & firm, frenzied yet unhurried, passionate and just purely, simply, sweet.

He breaks away - swallowing down a huge gulp of oxygen. “Kenny, I’m--”

“-- I know, Ed. I know.” and I know my words won’t soothe his worries as well as my lips will and so I take him back into my arms, pressing my lips to his as we both hold onto each other, keeping one another afloat.

I walk him backwards, into the master bedroom, until we reach the bed. He's showering me with kisses, every inch of my skin is a target for his plumped lips. His hands guide me gently until I’m lying in the center of the bed, his mouth on my skin every second of the way. He kicks off his shoes and climbs in.

He’s holding himself over me, caging me in. I reach for the hem of his t-shirt, dragging my fingertips up his back as I move to free his upper body, craving the warmth of his bare skin.

He pauses his oral assault of my neck, just long enough for me to pull the shirt up over his head. My fingers catch on something - what's this? Gauze, a patch of medical gauze taped over his left shoulder blade.

“Teddy -” I questioned.  “What is this?”

My question elicits a sigh, he's hesitant to answer. Was he hurt?

He pushes his body weight up, swinging his leg over me, sitting on the edge of the bed. With another sigh, he pulled his tee shirt completely off. The London moonlight filtering in through the glass pane of the window helps confirms my suspicion - it is a patch of gauze, a small vertical rectangle.

He turns a cheek toward me. “Would you like t’see?” He asks, taking a deep breath in, followed by a slow exhale.

I crawl toward him, sitting in an upright position behind where he's perched on the edge of the bed. I tucked my hair behind my ears before carefully peeling away the medical tape

I pull away the gauze, Ed is silent. I drink in the sight before me: vibrant ink, fresh, the surrounding skin still speckled pink from the irritation. It’s a playing card, the Queen of Hearts. All black and red, elaborate design.

“It’s beautiful… what does it mean?” For once, my mouth is one step ahead of my brain. I quickly cover the tattoo up again, patting the tape back in place. My pulse quickens.

He turns toward me. His hand reaches out to my face - out of habit, I think. Muscle memory, even. But his fingers re-route once he realizes my hair is already neatly tucked behind my ear.

“It's for you, Kendra.” His eyelids fluttering as he stares right into my dark eyes. “From that night, at the concert. That night… I knew I loved you.”

“Oh, Ed --” I started, reaching for him.

“You don’t have to say it back, Kenn, that’s not… not why I showed you.”

“I want to. I love you, Teddy. I knew it that night, too.”

Thanks for reading! This is the last you’ll hear from Ed & Kendra, at least for a while.

[iwritetrashimagines]

Best Friend’s Brother - Joe Sugg

Rating: FLUFF

Warnings: None really

Request: an imagine where you’re best friends with Zoe and she introduces you to Joe because he thinks you’re cute. some celebrity crush kinda stuff.

A/N: requests are open

[outfit: https://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=2857073&.svc=copypaste-and&id=222370252 ]

[Joe]

Zoe holds a shirt against my chest, another in her other hand as she compares the two. I’m standing topless in the middle of my own bedroom as my older sister tries to figure out how she wants to dress me. She asked me to lunch today and said there was some surprise, but she’s left me clueless as of what the surprise could be.

“Will you at least give me a bloody idea? As lovely as this is, I feel like a child. I know how to dress.” I speak, running my fingers through my hair as Zoe starts going through a pile of clothes she’s already pulled out. “And you’d better be putting all this up, you’re trashing my room.”

“Calm down, I’m getting you a girlfriend.” She throws a top at me. “Wear that one.”

I sigh and pull the shirt over my head. “What are you on about?”

“You made a comment about how you thought (Y/N) was quite fit. Luckily for you, you have a wonderful sister like me to put in a good word. We got together not too long ago for a video for her channel and I asked her what she thought of you. ‘Course the girl got a little pink in the face, she said you were cute.”

Zoe winked at me as my face heated up slightly. I’d only seen the girl a few times, but I knew she was great. She was gorgeous, her smile could light up any room, and her sense of humor was something out of my dreams. The last time I'd seen her was at Playlist, but she announced that she'd be moving to London. Now, we live in the same city and I've been too nervous to hit her up. She's been a youtuber about as long as I have and she's quite successful. I've been working up the nerve to ask her to collab with me, but I guess Zoe playing matchmaker works too.

“Okay, you're going to meet her at that cute little cafe a block away in 20 minutes. Don't be on your phone, keep the conversation alive, and flirt with the girl! She likes you, show that you like her.” Zoe threw a pair of shoes at me before looking me over, making sure that I was Zoe-approved for my surprise date. As I put my shoes on Zoe walks out of my bedroom. “Thank me later!” She yells before I hear my front door close.

[Y/N]

I run my fingers through my hair nervously. I finish getting ready when I hear my phone ring. Checking it, I see that it's Zoella wanting to facetime me.

I answer. I hear the excitement in her voice when she replies and the smile she's wearing covers her face cheek-to-cheek.

“I just left Joe’s house. He’ll be there in about 20 minutes. Show me the outfit.”

I stand in front of the mirror in my bedroom and show her my look for today. “Zoe, you picked this out. Why do you want to see it?” I hear her giggle before she answers.

“I just wanted to see the finished product. I love it! I'm gonna let you go, go woo my brother. Actually, I'm going to forget that those words came out of my mouth, but go have fun!” With that, she hung up. I grabbed my phone and headed out the door.

I make it to the cafe within minutes and I take a seat by a window looking out on London. Zoe said that Joe would be here in the next few minutes, so I might as well take a seat. I check my phone to see a text from Zoe. 

“Good luck with the date, call me when you get home. I want all the details.💖”

I heard the bell above the door ding, causing my curiosity to peak. There he was. Joe Sugg himself, walking into this little cafe in search of me. Our eyes met and I sent him a smile. His face lit up as he made his way to where I was sitting.

“(Y/N), is this seat taken?” He asked with a cheeky smile.

“Not currently. Take a seat.” With that said, Joe sat down. He looked at me for a moment before opening his mouth. Like he wants to say something, but he can't find the words. Instead of saying something, he stuck his hand across the table. Laughing a little, I shook his hand.

“You look wonderful.”

“As do you Joe, you clean up nicely.”

“Thank you. Have you ordered yet?”

“I haven't. I've only been here a few minutes, actually.” The smile on his face was enough for me. His light hair was perfectly tousled and his eyes were brighter than the sun. He nodded his head towards the counter as he stood up.

“Alright. What do you want? I’ll go order.”

I watched him walk away after I answered. Joseph Sugg is unbelievably attractive, even when he's walking away. He was wearing his glasses, which only made him more attractive. How one can be so perfect was something I don't know. As Joe spoke to the woman behind the counter, I watched as his jaw moved with every word that left his mouth. I watched how his arms looked as he pulled his wallet out to pay. I watched as he thanked her when she handed him the drinks. I turned away as he faced me, hoping he hadn't noticed how I stared.

“Here we go.” he spoke, placing the cup in front of me before sitting down. I placed my hands on the warm cup, hoping that it would keep me from grabbing a hold of his, which happened to look very holdable.

“Thank you.” I sent him a smile, which he returned.

I worried that this would be awkward, but it was far from it. I realized fairly quickly that it was impossible to be awkward with Joe. The boy in front of me dropped the ‘first impression’ nerves and became everything you'd expect him to be as soon as he sat back down. I found myself laughing at joke after joke, and just loving being in his company. The obvious icebreakers like youtube weren't necessary. By the time we were getting ready to leave, we were deep in conversation and 10 minutes till closing.

“Wait, how many impressions can you do?” I laughed. If there was anything considered most attractive about Joe, it would be his humor.

As our laughter quieted and we stood outside the cafe, I found Joe looking at me, only a small smile on his face as I wiped away the small tear falling down my cheek.

“You know, you're gorgeous.”

It was almost as if he didn't want me to hear it his voice was so light. I felt my face heat up slightly and hoped he couldn't notice.

“Thank you.” I smiled softly. The sun was getting ready to set, but I didn't want to leave him just yet. The skies were clear, so what was left of the sun shone around him, highlighting his face.

“When Zoe told me about this, she waited until last minute to tell me it was a date. I'd like to think that this went very well.” As he said this, he grabbed my hand, just enough to intertwine our fingers.

“I think it did.” I promise you that no matter how hard I smiled, it still wouldn't be enough to show how happy I was in this moment. Before today, I'd only seen Joe a handful of times. An Upload event a while back. A music festival we both went to. Maybe a party or two. Before today, I didn't know him.

We stood there in silence for a few moments, just looking at each other with the biggest smiles on our faces that we could muster.

“May I walk you home?” He broke the silence, and the question almost sounded shy. His cheeks grew the slightest pink tint. I nodded my head and turned from the cafe, pulling him in the right direction. In the short walk back to my flat, I kept feeling like I didn't want to ever make it back. Conversation kept flowing as we timidly flirted, seeing how far we could go. Then, suddenly we were standing in front of my door. Joe and I took a second to exchange numbers, each of us secretly hoping that this would go on. We stood outside my door for 15 minutes. I wondered what would happen. How would he leave me tonight? I got my answer when Joe's phone rang.

“It's Zoe.” He chuckled before rejecting the call and placing the phone back in his pocket. “I guess I need to head home. I didn't realize how long I've kept you to myself.” He winked at me, and it was easily the highlight of my night. Or, I thought it was, until he was leaving. He stopped about 10 steps away from me before turning around. Suddenly, he was back in front of me, his warm hand pressed against my cheek.

“Can I kiss you?” His breath was warm and smelled of mint, despite the tea he'd drank earlier. All I could do was nod. The close proximity we were in was intoxicating. I wanted to be this close to him forever. Then his soft lips were on mine and all thoughts left my mind. Fairy tales and romance novels don't prepare you for what I felt. They felt sparks or fireworks. I felt happiness beyond comparison. It was over as quickly as it began, and I felt myself missing it.

“I'll call you?” It sounded like he was asking me for permission, so I nodded my head. I couldn't wait to do this again, but I tried to hide my excitement. He kissed me once more before leaving. As I entered my apartment I felt my phone buzz. When I checked it, I could see that it was a text from Zoe.

“So, did you woo him?😉”