#you could wrap him in the best gift-wrapping paper and I truly wouldn't care

[starneko123]

SAVE ME MK11 SHANG TSUNG SAVE MEEEEEE

[judasgot-it]

Originally wrote this for an ask but it REALLY strayed from the prompt (rip) and I also I feel like I actually did Dazai SO dirty here but idk.

But anyway I'm uploading another depressed Dazai/reader fic because HELLLLLL YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

Also this shit is like 2000 words so it's one of my longer fics on this account ig.

In the morning Dazai always liked to lie around in his bed - to languish in the filth that was his apartment just for a moment, to let his mind sit trapped in the cage that was his body. He would wait until the sunlight would get too bright, the light peeking past a certain spot in the curtains and begin to burn his exposed skin.

That was when he felt that he would get the ability to truly wake up, even if all he did was just the bare minimum that morning. Today all he could manage was to brush his teeth and tousle his oily hair around as he stared at his own reflection through his dirty mirror - he was still in his clothes from yesterday, which wasn't noticeable with a little bit of perfume.

A part of him hated himself for it, always had. It was disgusting to walk around like this, to live like this.

But this was just how Dazai always was.

He could only hope that you wouldn't judge him too harshly when you came to pick him up for work that morning. It felt like pulling nails out of his skin as he stood in his bathroom, thinking about every flaw you could see and possibly hate him for.

His skin was looking dull, with razor bumps along the bottom of his jaw that wouldn't go away no matter what he did, even though he hadn't shaved that morning. He had a small 5 o' clock shadow that he knew would get worse throughout the day - maybe if he kissed you like he did in his dreams, you would feel disgusted by how rough it would feel against your own skin.

The one thing he loved and hated about you was that he could never predict how you would react to something. And this morning it drove him especially insane as he waited to hear your knock on the door.

Had he not promised you breakfast he would have gone for something to cool his nerves. The best he could do for now as he walked into the kitchen was a glass of water, although his half empty bottle of whiskey was glaring down at him like an angry child.

Still slugish, he waited. He knew traffic would be light today, so you should be there soon. Lazily he watched his clock on the wall, not even bothering to watch the time.

5:45 AM. You knocked.

Lazily, Dazai approached the door. He tried to keep himself relaxed, although a part of himself wanted to scream and jump as his eyes took in your figure from behind the door. The light from behind the door was bright, and his dark eyes wanted to squint, to cower away.

Giving you that impression made Dazai feel like he was pulling his own teeth out.

“Y/n. Good morning.”

“Doesn't really seem like a good morning for you, now does it?”

Dazai blinked at you.

“Sorry?“

He looked down as you pressed something towards his chest. It took him a moment to process that it was a gift bag, for what occassion he couldn't quite recall. He looked right back up at you, trying to get an answer from you with a strained smile. You only responded with a smirk.

”Open it?“

”I was planning on that. But for what reason?“

He shifted through the contents a bit, trying to pull back the wrapping paper as little as possible so he could tell what the gift was without forcing you to see his disappointment.

In his current state he couldn't even bring himself to feign joy at a present he at least knew wouldn't have any sort of use or meaning to him.

To most people he wouldn't care about it, but to you, a frown on your face caused by his actions would bring something akin to a sort of sadness to him. A creeping crawling sadness that would never leave him, forcing him to remember that expression to his grave.

He didn't want to hurt you, not even in a moment this small. You felt big and important.

“Oh. Didn't you get my message?”

Your tone had changed - it was wet, despite the smile you wore on your face.

Dazai wanted to lie and make that tone disappear, but he felt compelled to tell the truth for once in his life. He pulled the bag closer to his chest, keeping him grounded in some way.

“I'm sorry Y/n, but it's not my birthday. Or am I forgetting something?“

You shook your head, stepping closer into Dazai's space.

”No, I know that it's not your birthday today. Did you read my message?“

Looking between your eyes, he tried to give the impression he was making eye contact - the last thing he wanted to do right now. Right now he wanted to curl up and let the crawl underneath his skin consume him, but all he could do was smile as he tried to form an honest response to your question.

”Well um. My phone was dead last night, so I didn't really check any messages.“

Not a lie. But it was flimsy, given the importance.

He dared looked down to your eyes, which were gentle in the moment - not even giving him the glare he usually would get in these sorts of moments.

It was mystifying to him to feel your hand on his arm and feel you brush past him, walking into his disgusting apartment. He couldn't even react as you stepped inside, past shoes thrown about the entrance and past the old takeout containers that stayed rotting on his floor for months on end.

You looked back at him as you found the best thing to sit on inside of his apartment - an old torn up bar stool that he had stolen some years ago. There was a story behind it, but Dazai was more concerned over the fact that you could see the stacks of papers strewn across the small kitchen counter, or the half empty beer bottles or the unwashed landry that laid around on his floor.

All of it was visible from that stool, and he knew your eyes were drinking in every single part of it.

All of his disgusting human nature that he hid behind closed doors.

“Y/n.”

Dazai conceded, closing his front door and standing there like a child scolded by his mother.

“What was the message you sent last night?”

He wanted to push for more, and beg if it was important or not - what the gift in his hands was really meant to be. A part of him wanted to scream at you and kick you out of his apartment as if he were a scorned wild animal - but he shoved that anger down deep into the closet of his mind.

You looked at him, your face completely serene. Despite the powerplay you had taken, a part of you was still visibly nervous, your hands picking at old crust embedded onto his countertop.

“I asked you if you wanted to go out with me.“

A piece of the crust came off, flicking itself somewhere off onto his dirty floor.

”Like. On a date. A romantic one.“

You glanced up at him, brave enough to meet his eyes. There was embarrassment and shame in your own now, but you held steady in your position.

”Is that what the gift was? You got me chocolates?“

Slowly you nodded, your hair glowing despite the lowlight of his apartment. Dazai clutched the bag to his chest, feeling the box inside crumple slightly due to his mishandling.

”Y/n, I'm uh.“

Dazai's mouth felt dry as he tried to find a way to word his apology. There was a pain that wouldn't go away, cold and unwavering in on his skin - and he knew it was all in his head as he looked right at your face, one that desperately tried to hide your disappointment.

”I know you don't love me, so why all of this? This isn't right.“

A moment of silence. Sitting there, you blinked. Letting his words simmer in your silence.

”How do you know that?“

”Well, don't you like Kunikida? You know, Mr.Right?“

You snorted, finally breaking your gaze away from Dazai's nose.

”Just because you know everything Dazai doesn't mean you know me. Kunikida is great, but we would never work like that. You should know that, Mr. Genius.“

The brunette couldn't help but snort, a part of him relieved.

”I like you. That's why I asked you out.“

”That's still stupid.“

Dazai finally felt more comfortable in his own skin again, enough to let himself lean against the wall, still clutching the bag of chocolates to his chest as if it were a lifeline.

”My feelings are stupid?“

You were trying to not sound hurt.

”No, no. Liking me is stupid. I won't live long Y/n. Why would you ever want to like me. Want to date me?”

You shook your head, as if shaking off the words he just said.

“I don't believe that. You aren't stupid and you've lived this long, so I want to see you live longer.”

The barstool screeched as you moved to stand up, moving closer to Dazai as you tried to articulate your words, fidgeting with your hands as you did so. It was like writing that text all over again but now you could see his face in real time, which terrified you even more.

“I don't want to like you, I didn't even choose that - you just are likable. Dazai, you are a good person even if you don't think you are.”

Dazai furrowed his brows and looked away from you, trying to pretend that the words you said were a lie.

“Sorry if you don't like me back the same way, um.”

You fiddled with nothing, waiting for his reaction. He was blocking the doorway, and his silence was intimidating when compared with his stare.

“Y/n, you really think I'm a good person?”

Dazai stepped closer, leaving only just the right amount of space between the two of you to where you could begin to see the finer details on his tan skin.

Carefully, you nodded, knowing that in this distance you could easily headbutt the poor man if you weren't careful.

“Even if I told you about the things I did, you would still think I'm a good person?”

Again, you slowly nodded, a smile breaking your face apart as if what he said was a joke. He killed people, and you thought it was a joke?

“Do you know the things that I've done?”

You stared at him for a moment.

“Are you actually gonna be brave enough to tell me?”

There was a hand on his arm, warm and grounding. He looked at your smiling eyes, warm and inviting. It was as if he was standing in the sun, cold and shivering.

“I don't know. But Y/n, I've done terrible things before. Nothing you would have seen at the agency. There's a reason I deserve to die-”

“No one should die.”

You cut him off, your grip tighter, shaking him as if trying to shake away the cold feeling underneath his skin. To bring your warmth into his bones.

“Dazai, I'm not leaving until you give me an answer. Please.”

His throat was dry as he swallowed nothing.

“I do like you. But don't you deserve better?”

“I am as bad as you are.“

Shaking his head, Dazai put his hand on your shoulder, shaking you slightly.

“No you aren't, seriously you don't know what you're talking about Y/n.”

“If you're a bad man Dazai, then so am I. You aren't changing my feelings just because you regret things you've done.”

The two of you were close, almost sweating from the warmth of his apartment retained from the summer heat, combined with your combined body heat. It reminded you that you had personal space, although looking at Dazai you wanted to keep him close, to shake whatever was wrong with him out of his head and try and just hold him close.

It was an impossible thought, not realistic but it was something nice to think about. “All we're doing is talking in circles right now. Dazai.”

”I can keep going.“

”It's infuriating.“

”Then why do you like it?“

”Cause you're you. And you like me too.”

Dazai tried to hide his face despite how close the two of you were. It was futile, as you could still see the nervous smile on his face.

“That's semantics, actually.”

“No, you did say it. So.“

”So?“

A shrug. There was a smile on your face despite how nonchalant you tried to act, as if this was something that happened to you every day.

”We're going to go on a date. After you shower.“

Dazai blinked, his hand nervously clutching your sleeve. He didn't even realize he was still holding onto your shoulder as he fiddled with the soft fabric.

”Today?“

You nodded, your smile becoming mischevious.

“You could have had more time to prepare if you read my message, but now we're here instead. Don't worry, I'll wait for you.”

Taking a step back from the little world the two of you had made, you took in all of Dazai for a second - clothes from yesterday, his dischevled clothes and his tired looking eyes. You held his hands in you hands as you moved to take the bag of choclates from his as you moved to put it somewhere safe from his mess of a home.

Dazai watched you, still processing the scene before him.

”Where do you want to go have a date at?“

”We'll figure it out. First, go shower.“

Dazai snorted, the closest he had to a real laugh in a while.

Yeah this is a stupid classic "oh they get together confession thing" but i wanted to idk write another dazai depression fic. i strayed too far from the prompt ig. sorry !!!

[lyrabythelake]

I love your Lost Prince AU so much!! Do you have any snippets to share? :)

Hi Anon! I'm so glad you like my Lost Prince AU!! I'm afraid I haven't had nearly enough time or motivation to write much over the past few months and that AU seems to be fading into the background. I might get back to it one day but I wouldn't get your hopes up. Instead have an extra long snippet from the next chapter of A Dark Horizon that's been sitting in my drafts for a million years. I hope it does a little to make up for it!

He ran his fingers over it curiously to find that it was, in fact, made of real animal fur, and on further inspection a pelt of some kind, not unlike those some Ordonians wore. Usually, they were made from rabbit fur, or, less commonly… from wolf fur. Twilight pulled his hand back suddenly as if struck by static. He recognised it now, could smell it in the air, a scent that should not have been as familiar as it was.  Did someone see him last night? Had they somehow connected the dots? His heart pounded as he ran through what that meant, how the people of his village would hunt down wolves and wear their skins like trophies. He had worked himself into quite a panic before he saw the letter, a small piece of parchment gilded with the royal crest and folded once over. It held merely two short sentences, a piteous number of words considering the embellishments surrounding it. A gift from your brother. Beware the Crystal - Time Twilight’s first thought was relief. The pelt was from King Time, ill-thought out as he believed it was–-was it a joke? It seemed a little insensitive given last night’s harrowing experiences–-it meant there wasn’t some unknown stranger somewhere who knew his secret. His second thought was that Time had called him his ‘brother.’ Realistically he knew it was a fact, a strange one that he still hadn’t quite wrapped his head around, but to have it written on paper, for the king to truly see him in that way to an extent to sign his name as such, a small village rancher who would otherwise had lived and died in Ordon, was still baffling to him. He had never had a big brother and had always taken on that role with Colin and the other children in the village, but the idea of having someone be that for him was not a bad one.  His third thought brought a dry sort of smirk to his face. What would it mean, truly, to wear this pelt in public? It would be a statement in many ways–a statement of fashion, for wolf pelts were most certainly not in line with Hyrule’s eclectic, but distinguished, style; a statement of personality, for to wear this would be truly embracing his agricultural roots and would set himself apart from his brothers in a way the aristocrats of Hyrule wouldn’t be able to deny. Lastly, of course, and it was this thought that brought the smile to his face, it would be blaring last night's events in plain view. To Twilight, and his rather unusual sense of humour, it was an entertaining idea. So it was that he adorned his usual green tunic, the clasps altered to suit his simpler acclimations, and fit the pelt over the top. It was thick and bulky, and there was no denying it would make him noticeable, a prospect he had tried his best to avoid up until this point. It was not often that Twilight look at himself in mirrors; he had never been one to care particularly about the way he looked (something that prompted Ilia to tell him begrudgingly once, “you don’t care because you don’t have to. You manage to look good with your face smeared with goat dung; some of us have to actually try,” to which he blushed fiercely and hastily changed the subject), but he looked at himself now in the large, ornately framed looking-glass on his wall. The pelt gained him a sort of barbarian-esque look, and as he turned to look over his shoulder, he found that he liked it. He had tried so hard thus far to fit in, to mirror Castle Town’s expectations of how a prince ought to look, that he quite fancied this new, powerful, and considerably un-princely, style. Besides, the hood would keep him warm this Winter.

[fatexbound]

@webbedphantom said: "Happy birthday, Haru!!" He hands her a custom made axe, with a little ribbon stuck on its head. The handle had an intricate engraving of flowers growing out of vines, with her name in the center of it. The axe head itself was fairly standard, though there were some odd indentations, four on each side, with two of those being rather close to the axe's blade. "I'd have wrapped it for you, but... Well, it's not like this'll fit in a box." Unlike the weapons he'd given her previously, the blade on this one was actually sharp, meaning she could use it for wood cutting if she wanted. "(But wait, there's more!)" He reached into his bag and pulled on an odd looking device and a rolled up piece of paper. The device seemed to be a sort of heating system that was meant to wrap around the back of the axe head, sticking into those indentations using some very strong magnets. It also seemed to have some small solar panels along each side, presumably to recharge the thing. "Figured you'd appreciate some extra firepower for the next time we're up against Shadows. This little wonder heats up the blade, which theoretically will make it do more damage and add a chance of leaving the enemy with a nasty burn." Lastly, there was the matter of the piece of paper, which he unrolled to reveal a photo of Sugimura, though edited to look as ridiculous as possible, with Devil horns, a big ugly nose, eyes looking in opposite directions to make him look stupider, and the most eye-catching addition of all being the giant red bullseye taking up the entire image. "And this... is for target practice. Thought you might enjoy taking an axe to your ex's smug mug. I know I certainly would." [Parentheses is him speaking English. Trying to incorporate that more often]

Haru's birthday | Accepting until Friday!

"Thank you, Aaron-kun!"

Before meeting her friends, Haru's birthdays weren't the best or even friendliest. When her father was alive, a small birthday party in their house was at most, all she had, besides expensive, generic gifts from his employees that she never really liked and only accepted out of politeness. Things were honestly better when she was a child, however, she wouldn't trade those moments for her precious friends. With her leader being one of them, of course.

Her sights were on the axe since it was the first one, gently taking it into her hands in a tight grip. Fingers idly traced the handle where her name was so elegantly and beautifully inscribed. "Wow... the amount of sheer detail and care put into this is... truly remarkable, Aaron-kun. I'll definitely make good use of it, since I do have a small hobby of cutting wood in our backyard..." It's how she got into axes. She wasn't your normal girl, after all, with the many horrors she'd seen in her life.

The sudden language switch into English caught her a little off guard, coupled with that odd machine he took out of his bag until he explained its function. "Ahh, I see... I must say, it's a wonder how you make or find these things... but I'm grateful nonetheless!" A light chuckle left her lips and finally, the paper he was holding was unrolled, revealing a familiar face turned into a devil-clown for her own amusement.

Haru smirked, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth to hold back any laughter that might give her away. "My, my, how could I forget such a face? I'll take great pleasure in destroying him...!" Her smile was menacing and eerie. A simple poster just wouldn't do, but she also couldn't harm him out of her own volition. She'd have to wait until he made a move and then destroy him for good, in her own way.

"In any case." Haru clasped her hands together, beaming with joy. "Thank you once again for everything! I truly appreciate it.~ I will make sure to return the favor on your birthday as well!"

[rayofsunas]

cherry blossoms | scaramouche

A/n: good evening guys! how is everyone? I hope you're all doing well this week :) reader insert is fem once again (I've explained why in another recent post) but if someone would like a gn version let me know! I kind of think of this as a prequel to scara's mini-series, but rather the happier version shh- (I'm plotting things in the mini-series). since I was running late with this post, and I feel as though this is unfinished, if you guys want a part two, let me know!! as always, thank you for requesting anon, and enjoy!

Summary: s/o is a fatui harbinger and scaramouche's fiancé, who’s good friends with aether, paimon, mona.

Parings: Scaramouche/Fem! Reader

Warnings: swearing, fluff, angst, pregnancy (hinted + implied), Mona being Mona and Paimon being Paimon ;-;

Word count: 1k

"Mona, please, I just need you to try and get along, for once." You exclaimed, staring at the tall cherry blossom tree in your backyard, wondering if it could support a small swing; you hoped it could.

The beautiful astrologer huffed from her seat on a nearby large stone, that was now a bench of sorts. Your wish seemed to be the last thing on her mind, far too stubborn to give in completely.

"I'm trying! He's just so annoying..."

"Understood," You agreed, Mona tilted her head to the side. "But, I want you two to stop. I know he makes it hard, but be the bigger person, yeah?" She was your best friend, why wouldn't you want them to get along?

She nodded nonchalantly, only partly agreeing. She couldn't get along with your fiance no matter how much she tried. Everything he said was both annoying and infuriating.

Plus, he was a danger! But then again you were a Fatui as well... No, your personality and actions couldn't be chalked up to that of a Fatui, you and your fiancé were different, very, very different.

"By the way, where's Aether and Paimon?" You asked, moving away from the beautiful cherry blossom tree to bump your hip with the astrologers, eventually taking a seat when she scooted over.

"On their way, they decided to stop into town for something." A sneaky grin was on her face and you couldn't help but feel sick because of it.

"What's with that grin?"

"Nothing, no worries."

You hummed, looking back at the tree in thought. You'd have to figure out what that meant when the pair returned soon.

-

"Must you have such a grandiose house, so far away from the town?! It was really hard getting up here!" Paimon complained, large eyes angry. You couldn't help but smile cheekily at the small floating being, not phased at all by her behavior.

"Apologies, Paimon. My only excuse is we like privacy; being a Fatui isn't easy and brings a lot of unwanted attention."

"Paimon doesn't like the long walk,” She said speaking in third person. “Thank the Archons we don't come here often!" She smiled.

"Hey..." You said teasingly, with a frown.

"S-Sorry, um,-" She looked frazzled before floating over to Aether and snatching a small brown paper bag from his hands, "Here, an apology gift...?" The mysterious being nervously giggled, you stared at her in confusion.

"A gift, for me?" She nodded.

"Paimon!" Aether hissed lowly, glaring at her. It sounded like she wasn't supposed to give this to you... Because of that, you were going to give it back but then Aether relaxed and motioned for you to open it.

"We were hoping to give it to you when Scaramouche was here too, seeing as though it's a gift for both of you..." You gave him a questioning look. What could it be? For the both of you? Hmm... How thoughtful.

"Go ahead!" Paimon said cheerfully, a huge smile on her face. Aether's features mirrored hers and even Mona had a small smile on her face. You followed their orders, unfolding the fold at the top of the bag and reaching inside to grab the contents. Whatever it was felt small, soft, and there was even something round in there. Your eyebrows pinched in confusion as you grabbed the first item.

It didn't take long for you to realize what it was. A white baby blanket, dotted with tiny glittered silver, purple, and blue stars. It was beautiful...

"Oh my." You said shocked.

Everyone's faces seemed to drop, scared you hadn't liked the gift.

"What's wrong?" Mona was the first to question. "You don't like it?" She asked frantically.

"I love it... It's just-" You continued reaching into the bag to grab a little hat that looked exactly like your Fiance's, without a doubt for a baby's head. Glancing up at the group, you stared cluelessly. "How did you guys know?"

Paimon giggled, "Mona told us, duh!"

Looking at Mona who wore a bright smile on her face, you only stared in amusement. Of course, she'd find out first... She always did.

"You read my horoscope?"

She nodded, mimicking you. "I read your horoscope." She confirmed.

A sigh escaped past your lips. "I thought I told you to stop doing that?" The last time she did, she read Scaramouche's without permission and ruined the element of surprise when it came to his proposal. You assumed that was one of the other reasons why the two hated each other, outside the fact that he was a Harbinger.

"I couldn't help it!" Your best friend exclaimed, throwing her hands dramatically in the air. With a smile you approached her, wrapping your arms around her frame.

"Thank you," You whispered. She returned the sweet gesture, smiling. "It's nothing."

Pulling away, you asked, "So, who's idea was it?" Aether and Paimon looked directly at Mona, you smiled at her once again. Maybe she was coming around if she thought to have a milliner make a tiny hat much like Scaramouche's for the baby. "Yours truly." She said cockily, arms folding.

"Hey!" Screeched Paimon. "You can't take all the credit! We picked out the blanket! Plus, you didn't have any money so you couldn't even go with us!"

-

Scaramouche arrived much later, closer to dinnertime, and you were the first to greet him at the door, shoving the blanket and hat in his face. He cracked a grin at the hat but didn't care much about the blanket.

"You should thank her," you had said to him, teasingly reaching for his hat to plop on your head; something you’d grown accustomed to. “She was very thoughtful." He watched as you hopped through the house towards the living area, the charms and tassels of his hat jingling with each hop, without a doubt you were in high spirits.

"Them leaving tomorrow should be enough of thanks they deserve." He said once he was beside you again. You smacked his shoulder with the baby blanket. He just grinned cheekily at you.

"Asshole, they traveled all this way just for you to rush them away. The least we could do is host them for a while." He shook his head, frowning when he heard Paimons loud screeches coming from the living room, cheering about something to do with food. Annoying... "I don't owe them anything. They're guests in our house, I should be able to kick them out if I wish." You ignored his comment.

"About guests, I received a letter from Dottore,"

Scaramouche's face paled. Archons, what did he want now...? His presence was annoying as it is, almost matching Childe's, but because Scaramouche was ignoring that crazy clown, now he writing to his fiance?

With a teasing smile, you announced, "He'll be stopping by sometime this week. I hope that's not too much of an issue!"

3.24.21, rayofsunas

[boop-le-snoot]

masterpost ☀️ main masterlist ☀️ taglist

previously on...

Chapter 5. We have stucky, we have stevesambucky friendship, we have a new place to live and strange being a good guy because tony definitely ranted at him. Also, we're beginning the creepy part of the plot. I have decided that sam will be one of the main platonic characters in this story because I love sam.

fun fact: I used to be a creepypasta writer! Going back to my roots here, hehe.

Things had stated changing, for better or worse, much sooner than I had been prepared for - but was anyone, ever, really ready for the next big step? Certainly not me - the view that greeted me after I'd finished my shift at Jeremy's was peculiar and unexpected, so I froze, eyebrows high at the two super-soldiers parked, once again, illegally, right in front of the entrance door.

"Hi, doll," Bucky was reclined against his boyfriend comfortably, his bike standing a pace behind Steve's, who nodded companionably, a sheepish grin on his face.

"G'day," I nodded, eyeing them warily. "I think I know where this is going..."

"No, no, nothing like that," both men frantically waved their hands around, Steve coming up close to approach me slowly. "You're not in trouble. I came out here to say thanks," giving a sappy look to the grouch that was his boyfriend, Steve reached into his pocket and handed me a slip of paper. "Just, uh..."

"Those are our phone numbers. Don't hesitate to give either one of us a call if someone bothers you," Bucky took over the stammering blonde, shaking his head at the soft blush that blossomed on the good captain's face. The brunette wrapped an arm around Steve's shoulders with a shy smile of his own. "Or if you, I don't know, need someone to carry your groceries or something," he snorted. "The punk wouldn't leave it alone until we came out personally to thank you, the sap."

The laughter bubbled up from my chest as I grabbed and pocketed the paper, throughly amused and at the endearing gesture. "Sure, thanks."

"And, uh," Bucky's eyes briefly looked to the side. "We'd appreciate if you keep the status of our relationship to yourself for now. We're not, like, officially out yet."

I froze in place, mouth falling open. Surely they were aware that anybody with a functional pair of eyes could see that they were much more than 'good, lifelong friends'. "No problem, guys. Lemme know if anyone gives you shit about it though, this place," I gestured to the café behind me, "is strictly paparazzi and homophobe-free."

Steve's grin grew even more genuine. "Yeah, we heard all about it from Tony and Stephen. Said 'twas the only place they go these days."

I wasn't aware of that. "It's the paps, isn't it?" I remembered Tony's remarks.

Bucky shook his head, the metals of his prosthetic arm whirring as it recalibrated. "Not only. The public hasn't had the best reaction to a man goin' out with a man," the brunette looked away to the side, where Steve's face had fallen considerably. "And Tony's an eccentric rich man. We're jus' two soldiers. The US Army won't be too happy if we... Came out," both men were crestfallen yet determined.

I had a hunch nothing would be able to separate the two - seeing as not even seventy-odd years and brainwashing and ice couldn't keep the captain and his sarge apart, I doubted that a few government weasels could successfully do the job. Even so, it was unpleasant, to say the least, to see them deny themselves something that technically was perfectly fine in the 21st century.

I chewed on my lip, gathering my wits. "I've clocked out, I can tell you this as a friend- as a person. You don't owe the army jack shit. They do not own you, you are your own person that they experimented their German knockoff steroids on. Respectfully, fuck that shit." I firmly stated my opinion, figuring that there should have been at least someone that told Steve that he is more than his star-spangled uniform and giant metal frisbee.

The blonde scrunched his eyebrows together, fingers gripping onto his belt until the knuckles went white, the hard line of his jaw set firm.

Bucky laugh took me by surprise. "Agreed, doll. I'm too old to be hiding in back alleys and shit," he clapped on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Although I'm happy enough with just not going to prison for bein' in love with this idiot."

"Jerk," Steve's responding pout was downright adorable now that I knew the circumstances surrounding their relationship.

Which wasn't exactly surprising. As a barista, I knew my fair share about my regulars' love lives, their jobs, their kids. The tea was almost always piping hot. "Bye, boys," I smiled at them warmly, throwing a glance at the time, adjusting the strap of my bag for comfort. "Stay outta trouble!"

Steve scrambled for his bike, having noticed my pointed gesture. "Sorry, didn't mean to hold you back. There, I have a spare helmet," he gestured behind him. "I'll give you a ride."

"There's no way in Hell I'm getting on that death trap!" I shouted cheerfully, walking briskly towards my second job, hiding a laugh in the warmth of my scarf as two very offended motorcycle-loving gay fossils sped past me, making truly incredible amounts of noise. Good for them.

Odette was content to let me rummage around the bodega without showing herself more than necessary, taking her appointments and doing- well, witch stuff, I guess, only coming out to poke at the various jars for ingredients.

"Star, I have a proposition for you," right before closing time, Odette's voice filled out the store with its low drawl. "A good friend of mine owns an apartment building, not far from here actually, and one tenant recently moved out. It's a safe space for those who are different," she enunciated the last word, fixing it with a pointed stare. "She's not overly fond of total strangers coming to live there. The rent is reduced and the apartment itself is slightly bigger and more fashionable than yours..."

"Where's the catch?" I found myself interrupting her. I wouldn't lie: the reduced rent and increased size of the apartment did interest me, as well as the probability of a kinder, more involved landlord. My current one was - not the best, but such was life in the NYC.

"There are a few rules to follow, rules that might seem strange at first but they'll make sense in time. And your neighbors might be also a little... Unusual," Odette carefully studied my face for any signs of displeasure.

I sighed.

And then I sighed some more as I was signing my new lease in a few days' time, having spoken with Porter, my new landlord, and his boyfriend who had claws and fangs- after so much time spent around Odette's, I didn't even blink. The couple liked me enough to extend a secure but flexible offer and some furniture to choose from the attic where they kept the spares.

I quite liked the large, vintage couch I placed next to the wide bow windows in the living room. The floors were hardboard and well-kept, the walls a nice, homely shade of green and Porter didn't mind any new holes in them that might arise from hanging up decorations. I scheduled a thrift crawl at the next possible opportunity, happy with the "good employee" bonus Odette had given me after I sealed the deal.

My stuff was boxed up, a sleepless night and a call to a begrudging Jeremy to have a couple of days off to move; I was, thankfully, not late on my schedule and all that I had left was to rent a car to move the boxes of my things and the few pieces of furniture I had decided to keep - my haul in Porter's attic had been incredibly rewarding and my new apartment had all the basics to make it look like a warm, inviting bohemian home in a while.

My phone rang suddenly, startling interruption to the romcom I was watching as I ate my last lunch in my old apartment. "Hello?" I answered the number without looking.

"Hi, doll," Bucky's voice rang out cheerful. "A little witch told me you were moving. I thought you might need a hand?"

I blanked momentarily, the thought of enlisting two very busy super-soldiers to haul ten boxes and two endtables worth of stuff not having crossed my mind at all. "Is this the moment when you stop by my house just to unattach and put your prosthetic arm somewhere and leave?" I asked, hearing distinctive snickering - several more people were with him.

The cheer in his voice blossomed into a full belly laugh. "You're funny," he teased me. "And thanks for the idea. But no, I have a room full of men that have nothing better to do but get on my nerves. Might as well make 'em useful," his accented drawl thickened the more we spoke. Muted cheers rang out in the background.

"Uh, sure," who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth? I rattled off my address and warned them I didn't have a car, after which Bucky assured me it will be taken care of. The last remaining knick-knacks packed away, I went down to take out the trash, and returned to four people standing in front of my apartment building, all except one unrecognisable in their civilian clothes. "Hello," I waved at them, side-eyeing the tallest, grumpiest man of the bunch.

Stephen Strange was there, looking around curiously, hands in the pockets of his plain grey hoodie. I had already forgotten how normal he looked without his robes, and, frankly speaking, I preferred him like that. His title and the attire that came with it were quite intimidating.

"Hey there," a dark-skinned man who I recognised to be the Falcon, raised his hand. I had not met him yet. "I'm Sam, Sam Wilson. You must be the Star we're helping?" His quick once-over and the tilt to his lips; the ease with which he flirted had me brandishing smirks of my own. I led them all upstairs, Stephen's silence being just so loud. Sam, however, had no such reservations. "So, you're a witch, right?" Wow, subtlety was his middle name.

"Yes, I'll show you my broomstick," I deadpanned, wiggling my eyebrows at him with a grim look.

"Woah woah," Sam raised his hands as the three men behind us snickered loudly. "What happened to 'how are you? let's have dinner sometime'?"

I did my best imitation of an evil cackle as I let them through my front door. The four newcomers looked around my nearly empty apartment with muted interest before zeroing in on the pile of things in the corner: a few pieces of furniture and nearly taped boxes. Should be a walk in the park for four men.

A hand on my arm pulled me from the stupor of observing Sam, Bucky and Steve act like a well-oiled trio, bantering and teasing each other as they discussed how to best move the things.

"Look," Stephen Strange had all the appearance of a chastised puppy. "I wanted to apologize for my behaviour that day. I was out of line," the low notes in his voice made the appearance of the apology being somewhat reluctant. Tony probably put him to it after our little burger run.

Irregardless, I wasn't looking to make any enemies. "Me too, I was under stress - not that I'm using it as an excuse," to give where it's due, I nodded at the sorcerer, immediately awestruck by the easy, boyish smile that stretched on his lips.

"You are strong," he added. "If you would like to learn our ways, we would welcome you." There was a spark in his eyes, something belonging to man that respected and collected knowledge. My own respect for him grew immensely just from that one thing.

"I'll think about it," I offered amicably, however, I still leaned heavily towards a negative answer to that particular proposition. I liked my current way of life.

Strange's grin made a momentary second appearance, until Sam's voice rang loudly: "Fire in the hole, Wizard-man," causing the former to groan loudly and look at me.

"Think about your new place for a second," he spoke, briefly touching out fingertips. As soon as that was over, a golden circle with my new living room on the other side of it appeared quietly, Strange's hands immediately going back into his pockets after that. I sighed and pointed the men into it, stepping in a second after. The sorcerer wasn't far behind. "You could learn that, too, you know," he added wryly, having seen my look of mild envy directed at him.

"I think I'll be good with having the 'pissed off the sorcerer Supreme and lived' pass for now," I retorted with an eyeroll, turning around to stare him down.

He had the decency to look somewhat sheepish, at least. "I'm not like my predecessor," his words were chosen carefully. "And, to be honest, I have no clue as to why your... Boss is so hostile towards me- us," Strange looked around the room before unceremoniously beelining for the couch and plopping down on it.

"Not to be a gossip," I started, slightly intrigued. "But Odette and some lady she called ancient had mad beef," I slipped into casual language easily, trying to recall the details of Odette's, quite often jumbled, stories. "Sounded almost like territorial disputes," I shrugged. "And the apprentices Odette took on before me found themselves in all kinds of compromising situations," I chewed on my lip. "Like the Arctic."

Strange rubbed his face with a noisy groan, large hands doing nothing to mask the resignation and slight embarrassment.

I focused on the thin, red scars on his hands - they had to have been something serious, the way slight tremors betrayed the deteriorating state of the nerves in his fingers. I frowned, quickly averting my gaze before he could catch me ogling him. The fact thag Stephen kept his hands in his pockets or covered by gloves at all times didn't go over my head.

He muttered something to himself, something that sounded like he was often forced to clean up his predecessor's mess. "I see," was the only thing he'd offered me, looking slightly pitiful and apologetic.

"Well," I started, noting the last of my stuff was about to be in its rightful place, "as long as you don't toss me into the ocean, I think we can coexist peacefully."

"Tony would kill me if I'd tried," Stephen groused.

"Probably," I agreed. "Considering the fact he hit on me, for you, it would make one hell of a lover's quarrel," my hand pointed towards the kitchen as Steve and Sam carried in the boxes aptly labeled "kitchen", looking around a place to put them down.

"Tony did what now?" Stephen's tone dropped, a wry smirk decorating his lips as he eyed me through his lashes.

"Don't ask me," I raised my palms, feeling my eyes widen. "He's chaos personified and Satan only knows what he's got on his mind."

That squeezed a laugh out of the tall man, followed by a fond, sappy smile as he looked out of my large, panoramic window, probably thinking of Tony himself. There was no doubt, Stephen Strange was utterly and throughly head over heels in love with Tony Stark. Good for them, good for them.

"A-and that's it," Bucky walked in, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel I'd provided them earlier. "I took some liberties and assembled the furniture, Steve is stacking the dishes as we speak," the brunette noisily plopped down next to me, arm carelessly thrown behind me on the back of the couch.

"Oh, um," I stammered, unused to such random gestures of kindness. "Thanks a lot, you saved me a day's worth of time and a backache," I smiled, scooting over to make some room for Sam.

"No problem, not like we had anything better to do than argue which part of the Lord of the Rings is the best," Wilson rolled his eyes, elbowing Bucky none-too-gently.

Bucky elbowed back, thus starting a horsing war between the two, causing me to scoot closer to Stephen as I attempted to avoid any flailing limbs; the sorcerer and I shared an identical, perplexed sigh as to how two grown men could easily bait each other into such juvenile behaviour.

Whatever. It was kind of endearing.

Steve emerged from the kitchen dusty but smiling, having heard the commotion, and quickly herded his guys into a semblance of decent behaviour before all of three of them left, leaving me and Stephen to go back to my old apartment and give the keys to it to the guard. That was done, too, and a portal from an alley behind my old building straight into my living room had me and Strange awkwardly hovering, saying out goodbyes and waving to each other as the golden circle rapidly shrunk in size and disappeared, golden sparks scattering across my living room carpet for a short second before they fizzled out, too.

I used the brief moment of respite to find the small piece of paper containing the rules Porter had insisted I read and take seriously; figuring it might be a good idea to give them a read before beginning to unpack, I popped open a bottle of soda, holding the itemized list written in neat cursive to my face.

The further I read, the further my eyebrows rose:

"1. Keep your door locked at all times.

2. If a person knocks on your door claiming to be the mail man, do not open the door under any circumstances. You are free to ignore the knocking - it only lasts a minute or so. After the person has left, you may open the door and check for any packages.

3. If Samantha from 3B visits you and asks you to babysit, you may do so at your personal discretion. Her twins are a handful and their daily habits are not for the ones with a weak stomach, however, they mean nothin ill and will not harm you in any way.

4. Do not use the elevator between the hours of 1 and 4 AM.

5. There are no apartments under number "7". If someone claiming to be from those apartments knocks on your door and requests entry, come up with a polite excuse to decline and send me a text message. I will take care of it.

6. There is no garden on the premises of this building. If a man approaches you, claiming to be a gardener, don't interact with him and simply walk away. He will leave you alone.

7. You may meet a girl in a polka-dot dress playing in the hallways or in the stairwell. This is Lucy. Always be polite to Lucy - you won't like what will happen if you're rude to her. She does not talk but she knows limited ASL and may request to visit you. Allow her in ONLY if you have fresh meat in your fridge (beef or mutton, preferably bloody). You might want to avoid seeing her eat, however, it might be very beneficial to make friends with Lucy. She knows a lot of things.

8. If, when taking the stairs, you encounter inconsistent numeration of the floors, such as floor 2 followed by floor 5 and etc, simply walk a flight back. It will sort itself out. The building is old and sometimes it gets confused.

Important notice: these rules apply to your guests as well. Please make sure to introduce and educate them on these matters. We will help as much as we can should a situation arise but ultimately, there are fates far worse than an untimely, however swift, death.

- Porter and Lance."

A slow, creeping dread began to gnaw at my nape, curling on like a cold snake deep in chest. As if laughing at me, the warm, welcoming embrace of the green walls and the toothy, wide smiles my landlords had given me encouraged my recently found sense of adventure, all of it mixing into a cacophony of exhilaration and unease, equally steadily driving my running brain insane.

I sighed again, immediately going to the box containing my altar and the rest of the protective items. So much for peace.

Taglist: @couldntbedamned @mikariell95 @letsby @sleep-i-ness @toomanyrobins @mostly-marvel-musings @persephonehemingway @schemefrenzy @lillsxd @bluecrazedandbeautiful @slothspaghettiwrites @xoxabs88xox

[mystic-messenger-writing]

Well, my birthday passed. It's okay!! If you still wouldn't mind, I wanted the RFA + Vanderwood each on a special date late the night of mc birthday after pretending to not know what the day is! Something cute or anything you wanted to do! Thank you bunches for this!!~💜💚💙- 🎵🎂

I’m so so so sorry that this took me so long to write, annoy!! ;-; I feel awful for not writing this one sooner so I tried making these longer and fluffy, please let me know if you’d like me to change them in any way! Thank you for the request and I hope that you enjoy!! ^^

Yoosung

You sighed as you looked at the clock, only three more hours of your birthday remained

All day you had been hinting that it was your birthday but Yoosung was oblivious and didn’t even do anything to celebrate it

The thought made you want to cry, tears started leaking down to your cheeks

Yoosung entered the bedroom and felt his heart drop when he saw you crying, quickly he sat down next to you and wiped your tears away

“Follow me, MC. I have a very special surprise for you!”

You did as you were told and let Yoosung guide you to the kitchen where he had prepared your favorite home cooked meal with candles lit, a bouquet of flowers in the center and a present wrapped up

Yoosung giggled as you playfully smacked him for making you think that he forgot your brithday as the two of you dug into Yoosung’s delicious cooking

When finished, Yoosung excitedly watched as you opened up his present to you

It was a mug with your favorite animal printed on it, the inside of the cup was filled with your favorite kind of candies plus Yoosung wrote a five page letter detailing how much he loves you

“You mean the world to me, MC. I’m always so happy when I’m with you! I’m sorry that I didn’t buy you much for gifts but I’ll give you as many hugs as you want as an additional present! I love you so much MC, happy birthday!”

Zen

There were times, like now, where you felt that Zen cared more about his fans rather than you

Most days you would understand why he hasn’t home until late but today was your birthday and he didn’t even contact you all day

It made you think that he didn’t care, so you dragged yourself to the bedroom to sleep your feelings away

You woke up as Zen lightly tapped your shoulder, his smile making your heart flutter as he grabbed your hand and made you follow him

“Come on Jagiya, I have somewhere important to take you.”

Zen led you outside to the rooftop deck in his apartment complex where a small table was set up with dinner

Your eyes widened in surprise as you saw a piano set up too, Zen promptly sat down and played your favorite arrangement

Once his song was over, you threw your arms around him in gratititude, curious about how he got a piano up there but that was a question fro later

Zen then produced a small box from his pocket and told you to open it, which you excitedly did

You felt yourself get teary eyed as you looked at the small ring Zen had bought for you, he gave a small laugh and put it on for you

“It’s a promise ring, MC. My vow is to always make you smile and feel loved no matter what. This is so embarrassing, but the reason why it took me so long to set this all up was because I just got enough money to buy you the ring. I may not be the richest man alive but I would do anything for you to make you happy. I love you, MC, happy birthday.”

Jaehee

You knew that Jaehee was a working machine but it was times like these that made you feel like she cared more about work than you

Today was your birthday yet you hadn’t seen Jaehee all day since she left before you even woke up this morning

It hurt seeing her work so hard, that work ruled over her

Just as you were about to head to bed for the night, Jaehee finally came home

Before you could even greet her, she was dragging you out the door

“Please follow me, MC. I promise that where I am taking you will be fun.”

You had no choice but to follow her as Jaehee took you to a newer looking building

Your eyes widened when Jaehee handed you a set of keys, saying that this building was going to be a cafe owner by the two of you

But it didn’t stop there, once she led you inside there was a brand new coffee machine with a bow on top for you

Jaehee apologized for working so much lately but she wanted to save up enough money to purchase the cafe and coffee machine as she slid her arm around your waist while you rested your head on her shoulder

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this sooner, MC. I really wanted you to be surprised and I think it worked. I’m so excited for what the future holds for the two of us. I love you dearly MC, and I wish you the happiest of birthdays.”

Jumin

Jumin typically made a big deal out of small things when he was with you, but today was different and not in a good way

It was your birthday yet it seemed like Jumin had forgotten since he didn’t send you any birthday wishes or even acknowledge the day

But you knew how busy Jumin was, he didn’t have time for trivial matter which you guessed was your birthday

When Jumin came home, he panted as if he was out of breath and asked you to follow him

“I have somewhere that I would like to take you. Please, follow me MC.”

Feeling hopeful, you did as you were told and waited anxiously as Driver Kim drove you to a mystery destination

Jumin helped you out of the car as he led you inside to a five-star restaurant for dinner

Afterwards when the two of you were home, Jumin tentatively handed you his present, looking away nervously

Your heart fluttered when you saw what looked liked a hand-knitted scarf in the box, you asked Jumin if he made it himself

He shrugged but his calloused and scratchy hands have him away, he said that he wanted to make you something from the heart for your birthday

“I know how you can dislike material items sometimes and Assistant Kang told me that making something myself would help show my love for you. I do hope that you enjoy it, MC. I apologize for seeming like I didn’t remember your birthday. You’re so precious to me that I could never forget an important day like this. I simply adore you MC, happiest of birthdays my love.”

Seven

You knew that Seven had a stressful life but you genuinely felt sad for him ignoring you

Today was your birthday and Seven spent all day in his work room, not even bothering to come out and wish you birthday wishes

You spent the day trying to subtly get him to notice you but Seven pushed you away all day

Just as you were about to call it quits for the day and go to bed, Seven called you into his work room

As soon as you opened the door, Seven tackled you to the ground with his arms wrapped around you, giving your face tons of tiny kisses

“This is no time to be fooling around MC! You must get up so I can give you your gift!”

Seven dragged you to one of his many cars and told you that he planned the perfect night for your birthday

When the two of you arrived at your destination, you stared in awe as Seven set up a drive-in theater for the two of you

He had the projector play your favorite movie as he wrapped you in tons of blankets along with his lanky arms

Once the movie was finished, you and Seven laid ontop of the blankets and star-gazed, he pointed out his favorite constellations to you

Seven slyly slid a star shaped necklace around your neck along with a piece of paper that said you were now the proud owner of a large star shining in the sky

“Sorry if these presents are kind of weird, MC. I wanted to give you a present that would last forever. You’ve helped me so much with everything, I’ll be forever grateful to you because of it. I love you with all of my heart MC, here’s to many more happy birthday’s!”

Vanderwood

Vanderwood was never the most affectionate boyfriend but he was truly disappointing you today

It was your birthday yet Vanderwood was out all day on business and didn’t even bother to text you

Feeling hurt that your boyfriend forgot about your birthday, you slowly walked to bed to sleep your sorrows away

As a few tears slid down your cheeks, you heard the door open and Vanderwood tugging your arm

“Hey, no more crying MC. I have something to show you so get up.”

You reluctantly followed Vanderwood as he wiped your tears away, promising that the wait was worth it

Vanderwood led you to an outdoor garden under the starry night sky

You looked around in awe as you happily led Vanderwood around the nighttime garden by his hand, he even cracked a small smile himself

When the two of you got to the end of the garden, Vanderwood shyly handed you a gift along with a bouquet of your favorite flowers

You carefully unwrapped the present to find a simple but pretty bracelet along with a mini taser

Vanderwood blushed brightly and used his long hair to hide his cheeks when you thanked him as he helped you put your new bracelet on

He handed you the flowers, which you took a pleasing whiff of, and started to guide the two of you back home

“Listen MC, I’m really sorry about ignoring you all day. I know that I’m not the best boyfriend around and that I’m moody and sarcastic and maybe even uh… sassy. But I truly do love you MC, you’re so precious to me. I promise that I’ll always protect you from all harm and trust me, I’ll never break that promise. So I hope that you had a happy birthday, MC.”