#you know i might try that anyway i double checked my schedule and its only three days
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#well its a new year its my birthday soon aaaand i have covid#yippee!#im so fucking mad about this like a i had plans for my weekend i was gonna clean and declog the drain#and i was also gonna try and set up this neat air plant or something terrarium i got for the holidays#im so tired and so grumpy about it and i figured it out 3 days too late to get the anti viral medicine#and so i gotta fight with the loa company so i dont gonto work with this#im not gonna but since im already halfway through the infection period im kinda tempted to just ask if they can remove my next 4 shifts#and call it close enough#you know i might try that anyway i double checked my schedule and its only three days#because i already used time for today and months ago requestes the 6 so i could have a long birthday weekend#blugh#why am i rambling
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Meeee. I want a longer version of the voyeur deku and bully kacchan. but in kacchan's pov tho. đđđđ
My dear anon. You ask and so you shall receive đ
Pt.1, Pt.2
Tw: implied gangbang, stalking, implied noncon
If thereâs one thing Katsuki Bakugo hated more than Deku, it was you.
No, actually, scratch that.
He couldnât stand you around Deku.
As his childhood friend-or rival, whatever the fuck you wanted to call it, Bakugo knew Deku like the back of his hand.
He knew how he liked his breakfast, eggs runny with cheese and pepper sprinkled in the middle. He knew how crazy he could be as a fanboy for All Might, collecting over 500 antiques of the hero. He knew how he liked spring better because then he could stand under the Sakura trees and close his eyes in bliss while the petals floated softly down on his face.
He knew how he liked to steal your panties and jerk off to them.
He knew that his favorite position to watch him rape you from the front so that he could see every expression while you were filled to the brim with cum.
How the fuck could you be so blind?
Did you not notice the way your undergarments slowly started to vanish, one by one? Did you not realize whoâs handwriting it was when you found yet another threatening yet lewd note in your locker? You had to actually be brain dead to not catch on to how he was always the last person out, just to trail behind and watch how your ass swayed when you walked out of the classroom.
But no, apparently you were even more stupid than he thought.
Because instead of correctly matching a face to actions, you thought him, Bakugo fucking Katsuki was the one doing all of this.
He supposed he couldnât actually hold it against you though. I mean, he was the one slipping a hand up your shirt when you were walking out said door, he was the one who was shoving you against the lockers right when you were about to unlock it and find the notes, and he was the one who tore your panties in two, dangling them in front of your face while you pleaded for him to give it back. He never did, of course, he simply threw them over his shoulder and proceeded dragging you away so he could fuck you in privacy.
But he guesses there wasnât much privacy if he was being watched all the time.
It was actually pretty typical of Deku. To leech off of what he left behind and try to claim it as his own. First his All Might obsession, then his shoot style, and now you? Itâs pathetic, but typical.
He shouldâve realized it wasnât the shadows moving in the corner of his eyes when he was buried to the hilt inside your warmth. When the hairs stood at the back of your neck in the showers, it wasnât because he was fucking you dumb, it was because someone elseâs moans were in synch with his.
But itâs okay, because he knows and you donât. He knows how the dweeb looks at you, how he sports a tent in his pants when you innocently lay a hand on his shoulder, he knows why your window is broken even though you fell asleep with it intact.
He catches Deku one day. He catches him red handed like the little rat he is.
It was so easy, too, the green haired little shit follows him around like some lovesick puppy anyways. Sometimes he canât tell if heâs following you or himself.
You walk home from your night classes one evening, when the night is darker than your own shadows and the stars barely dust across the sky. No one else is around, and so you clutch your bag a little more tightly against you whenever you hear a leaf or a start car rustle in the trees surrounding your path back to the dorms.
Bakugo knows your schedule, of course. You take English and Statistics in the morning and save Quirk Training for the evening when youâre the most tired-a stupid plan, in his opinion.
Or at least he thought, at first. Turns out that youâre the easiest to follow when youâre spent and covered in bruises from being thrown against rocks and burned by fire from class. He wishes he couldâve seen you in person when that all happens, but it doesnât matter when youâre stumbling down the cobblestone path towards your dorm, deaf and blind to any person that might be right behind you.
You just want to go home, he can accept that. Especially when he can so easily trail after you, merely 20 feet away on the same path as you. No one would suspect heâs up to no good from the leisurely way he strolls with his hands in his pockets, and he would bet his entire life that you wouldnât waste a second to turn around and check your surrounding in favor of hurrying up to your room so you can sleep the aches away.
He might be subtle, but Deku isnât.
The fucker hides in the bushes and almost crawls like a bug in the foliage after his two favorite people. Itâs not even a clever disguise because his hair is three shades lighter than the leaves on the thickets.
Bakugo can hear the twigs snap and rustle as he bumbles around trying to be inconspicuous. He rolls his eyes and turns around, a deep scowl on his face.
âYouâre not fooling anyone you bastard. Get the fuck out here right now before I blast you away.â
It doesnât even take a full three seconds before Dekuâs head meekly pops up and he gives a weak smile.
âH-hey Kacchan. Nice to see you here, I just dropped my papers-â
âNo you didnât. How long have you been following us?â
Deku blanches and slowly lifts his eyes to meet Bakugoâs. His mouth mightâve tried to open and refute the accusation, but when he saw the subtle smirk in the latters eye he found himself caring less about being caught.
âHowd you know?â
âYou fuckinâ kidding me?â He scoffs and takes a quick glance back at you to ensure that you hadnât walked too far off. You were still slowly trudging away, an easy distance for him to cross. âYouâre about as stealthy as my quirk you freak.â
Deku laughs nervously and scratches the back of his head, also trying to quickly turn his head to see where you are.
âYou likinâ the show so far?â
âHuh?â The green haired boy snaps his head back to him, blushing furiously now.
âYou heard me. And donât pretend to be so scandalized, youâre not holier than thou.â
The low voice to an almost predatory tone makes Deku drop the act. He straightens up a bit taller and his eyelids lower, his brows raised in a mocking sneer of some sorts. His lips curl and his teeth gleam in the moonlight, almost looking like fangs.
Bakugo has to remind himself for a moment not to back up a step.
âYeah, Iâm likinâ it.â
âI knew it. I bet you watched us every time we fucked, you bastard. Next time Iâll make you pay for front row seats since thatâs where you always seem to be.â He crosses his arms and stares Deku down.
But the other doesnât cower. Instead, his expression morphs into that of a weird hopeful look.
âI wouldnât exactly say fucked is the right word. Iâd say raped is better, Kacchan.â
Itâs the utter confidence and ease in which he says this that makes Bakugo do a double take, his scowl breaking for a moment.
But he regroups. He knew this little shit was weird and fucked up, but he didnât realize he was twisted beyond repair. In reality, he knew he was actually having sex with you without your full consent but hearing it from a guy like Deku made it so much worse.
It made his heart pound a little faster, while it made Dekus mouth water.
âYeah? You liked watching me motorboat and fuck her tits? You liked hearing her scream for me, scream to get away from me too?â
And even in the shadows from the trees he can see how hard the degenerate nods his head eagerly like a dog waiting for its bone.
Even though he doesnât like how the glint in his eyes darken with each vile word coming from his own mouth, he canât help but go further down this rabbit hole and see how much Deku can take before he snaps-heâs never seen him so hungry for something before, except for when he would be around All Might.
So he eggs him on.
âI bet you got off on watching her struggle underneath me, didnât you?â Itâs less of a question and more of a statement to which Deku confirms.
âI did. I got off so many times I thought Iâd have to get it checked out. But honestly, I think you could do better.â
Katsuki wasnt expecting that response.
âWho the fuck are you to-â
âHave you ever really savored the look of fear in her eyes? Have you ever tied her up and really played with her?â
His voice gets stuck in his throat as Deku continues.
âSheâs pretty when you fill her up, but I canât help but wonder..what would she look like with every hole plugged?â
He has no right looking so shy and nervous when such filth leaves his salivating lips. A drop of spit falls to the cobblestone and as Bakugo grimaces and steps back a bit, he realizes that he has not given his childhood rival as much credit for being a creep than he actually is.
âNo fucking way. You better not be suggesting you get in on any of this action. Sheâs fuckinâ mine and Iâll be damned if I have to share her with some useless fuck like you.â
âI promise I wonât be useless, Kacchan. Iâll make sure to keep her moving at all times. She wonât stop bouncing when Iâm with her, please, please let me give it a try too.â
And when he doesnât look convinced, Deku rambles on like a madman. âIâll even gag her with her own bloodstained panties so that she can shut up and I can focus better. I wonât ask you for her pussy either, Iâll take her ass or throat instead if you want!â
Katsuki wishes he didnât hear the childhood boyish eager in his voice as he spoke.
He also wishes his dick didnât get quite so hard when all of that was said.
âGod, just shut up already, sheâs getting farther now. Okay look, Iâll let you give it a go this one time only so that I can fuck her in peace without you staring at my ass the entire time.â
Dekus eyes light up and he lifts a leg over to step over the hedges. âReally, you mean it? I can fuck her too?â
Bakugo snarls and turns away, heading towards the same path you took. âWhatever, just donât think this is gonna be a regular kind of thing. I worked hard to get myself a toy and Iâll be damned if you fuck it up for me.â
And when they both join the other towards you, thereâs a moment when you glance back that you think the shadow that has been following you this whole time has turned into two.
#tw: stalking#tw: noncon#mha#bnha#mha smut#bully bakugou#creep deku#villain deku#weird little incel deku#yandere deku#deku smut#deku mha#yandere bakugo x reader#yandere bakugo katsuki#yandere bakugo#bakugo smut#bakugo bnha#villain izuku#yandere izuku#izuku smut#katsuki scenario#katsuki smut#bnha smut
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the babysitterâs club (1)
+ pairing: levi ackerman + (fem) reader, featuring bright-eyed but very easily intimidated interns and part-time babysitters eren and armin who are trying their best
+ genres and warnings: modern au, parents au, fluff, yes the dogâs name is captain and heâs tiny what about it
+ summary: eren and armin are good subordinates, who happen to be pretty good babysitter, too. usually.Â
+ word count: 2.7k
+ notes: this was just something fun i edited and reworked again, also to provide some more insight about dad levi and my oc kids; this focuses only on holden, who is the oldest of the bunch, but youâll more about the rest as they go
Itâs not that Levi doesnât trust Holdenâs babysitters, he just would rather watch over her himself. Moreover, he would rather have the time to spend with his small daughter instead of having to leave her in the care of someone else who isnât you, but sometimes life gets busy, and babysitters come in real handy.
He still doesnât understand why Erwin would schedule the both of you to attend such important work-related meetings on the same weekend; much less, to send you half-way around the world for yours, and then book Levi for damn near twelve hours on a Saturday. He would murder Erwin if he werenât his direct boss, and a long-time friend. But shit happens, and while itâs a major inconvenience and pain in his ass to be working on a weekend, itâs good to know he could rely on the brats at the office to step up on such short notice.
âIâm sure I donât need to remind you that if anything happens, I wonât hesitate to dismember you,â Levi says calmly, closing his briefcase after triple-checking its contents.
âOf course,â Armin stiffens visibly, awkward laughter seeping through his words, âEren and I would never let anything happen to Holden.â
To his left, Holden has already tugged Eren to the coffee table for a game of childrenâs Scrabble, determined to show off her new skills. Levi smiles slightly as he remembers playing the game with her last week, and how awe-struck she was to have seen Levi create a word bigger than âunattainableââwhich is currently the longest word in her four-year-old vocabulary. But heâs certain she would have no trouble beating Eren.
He gives Armin a slight nod. He knows Holden is in good hands; or good enough hands with Armin, anyway. Itâs not the first time the duo has babysat, and for as air-headed and clumsy Eren could be at the office, he seemed to be pretty damn good with kids if Holdenâs attachment to the brunette was anything to go by.
Levi recounts that youâve questioned on multiple occasions why Eren was so dedicated to being your PA when he seemed to have a potential career in taking care of, and maybe even teaching children. Not that heâs not a good assistant to you, but heâs certainly not as organized or detailed-oriented as Armin. Levi shrugs away the thought. Erenâs career choices are none of his business; his only concern is that he keeps his daughter safe and sound.
âRight. My card is on the kitchen island, you can buy lunch and dinner or whatever, I donât think thereâs much in the fridge,â Levi informs Armin. He looks briefly to the clock on the wall; he really should get going. âRemember to walk Captain at some point, and no matter what Holden says, he absolutely does need a leash on him. If Erwin isnât being a complete asshat, Iâll be home by nine. (Y/N) will probably still be on her flight, so call me if you need anything.â
Armin nods enthusiastically, promising Levi that they would take care of everything. Theyâd better.
âAlright, Iâm heading out,â Levi announces, pulling his keys from the table near the door, âBe good, Holden. Tell Armin and Eren if you need anything.â
Holdenâs head perks up at the sound of her name. Elegantly, or as elegantly as a four-year-old can be, she stands from her seated crisscross position, to run over to Levi by the door. He should remind her that she should use walking feet inside the house, but he canât bring himself to, instead crouching down to meet her height.
âBye, daddy,â she tells him sweetly. Levi reaches a hand out to ruffle the top of her head, much to the small girlâs chagrin. She sports a grimace almost identical to his as he reaches up to try and smooth out the aftermath of her fatherâs affections, âDaddy!â
Levi canât help but chuckle, reaching two fingers out to poke at his daughterâs forehead. âBe good. Iâll be back soon.â
âMommy too?â
Levi sighs, âNo, mommy doesnât come back until Tuesday.â
âThatâs four days away,â Holdenâs doesnât hesitate to express her dissatisfaction. Levi nods, a little proud of how quickly sheâd calculated that in her head, âCan Eren stay until Tuesday?â
âNo, Eren cannot.â
âOh, thatâs too bad,â Holden crinkles her nose. Levi really has got to do something about her fascination with Eren.
Holden looks backwards to where Eren is still seated around the coffee table, he and Armin watching the father-daughter duo. After reconciling with the fact that Eren does, in fact, have his own home to go back to at the end of the day, Holden turns back around, and holds her hand up, palm facing Levi. He does the same, bringing his larger palm to hers, so that her hand is pushed against the middle of his.
Not one for hugs, kisses, or larger displays of affection, Holden simply turns her palm so that her hand grabs around Leviâs as best as possible, hooking her thumb around his pinky fingerâwhat Leviâs heard the young girl call a hand hug.
âBye, daddy,â she repeats, squeezing his hand, âCome back soon.â
Levi bends his fingers to wrap around her hand, âI will.â
âKeep an eye on her,â Levi reminds Armin and Eren, after standing back up and gripping his briefcase in his hand, âDonât cause too much trouble.â
âHolden never causes trouble,â Eren says in response, but his words are spoken in coos to the young girl, whoâs already back at his side.Â
Levi scoffs, âI was talking to you.âÂ
âWeâll be fine, boss, donât worry,â Eren chuckles with an awkward blush, âWe love looking after Holden.â
âIâm not your boss,â Levi deadpans, double-checking his pockets for his keys, âYouâd better hope everything is fine. Call me if anything happens, Iâll be back soon.âÂ
With one final round of good-byes, and a wave from his daughter, Leviâs out the door, and stepping into his car with a grimace. It was just one stupid day out of his life. Besides, Holden would be fine with Armin and Eren; she always is. Levi is just grumpy that he canât be the one to spend the day with her.Â
He sighs, reluctantly, putting his keys in the ignition. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could come back to Holden. Everything would be fine in the meantime; for now, he had to focus on how he was going to get himself to sit through Erwinâs long-ass meeting.Â
âLevi! Hi! Um⌠okay, so donât freak out, but Armin and I are at the hospital with Holden right nowâdonât freak outâbecause there was a small incident at lunchâdonât freak out and fire me pleaseâbut! Itâs all gonna be okay, theyâre already treating her and sheâs doing fine now, so donât freakââ Â
âTell me not to freak out one more fucking time and Iâll castrate Armin and feed you his balls myself.â
âYou sound a little freaked out,â Eren placates, wincing and holding his phone away from his ear when Levi growls in response.
âYou have five seconds to tell me what you two idiots did to my daughter and explain why I shouldnât decapitate you immediately.â
âItâs a funny story, actuallyâso, um, we think Holden might be allergic to nutsâŚ?â
âWhat do you mean might be, Jaeger?â
Eren can feel his heart in his throat. He eyes Armin on the other side of Holdenâs hospital bed. He looks no betterâcolor almost completely drained from his face, but Eren doesnât think he can say much else to his boss before his knees give out from underneath him.
âUh, well, it was a lot of technical terms, andâIâum, actually Iâm going to let Armin explain!â Eren hurries, all but chucking his phone at the unsuspecting blonde.
Arminâs blue eyes look almost grey with anxiety, but before he can protest, Eren is flailing his hands and pointing fingers and reminding him that Levi will kill them both if he doesnât start talking.
Reluctant, and terrified, Armin finally lifts the phone to his ear, stuttering out a pathetic hello, but Levi cuts him off before he can say anything else.
âSave it. Send me your location, and pray I donât kill you when I get there.â Armin chokes out a âyes, sir,â before slowly bringing the phone down to his side.
The good news is that Holdenâs allergic reaction wasnât too severe: her throat had been irritated, and hives had emerged as a result, but it hadnât been closing up. And luckily, Eren had the endurance to run nearly a mile and half with a four year old tucked under his arm; because with the traffic Armin observed whilst he and Captain huffed and lagged behind, it would have taken thrice as long to get Holden to the ER had they waited and called for an ambulance.
Even better was that Holden was an unnervingly calm kid, even whilst having an allergic reaction. She looked almost back to normal now, save for a few red looking blotches on her neck and upper arm; and seemed more than content to be watching a video on Erenâs phone, despite the situation. She was a little bummed out to find out that she could never eat the new ice cream she liked so much ever again, but she seemed to quickly get over it once Eren reminded her that there were lots of other flavors out there for her to try. Flavors that wouldnât make her choke to death.
Still, Eren and Armin could probably kiss their jobs goodbye, seeing as they had nearly just poisoned their bossesâ daughter. Holden seemed to like them enough, but, unfortunately, Holden wasnât the Ackerman who signed their checks.
At the very least, Eren doesnât think youâll be too upset with him. He doesnât think youâll be ecstatic to hear that while you were away on your already inconvenient work-trip on the other side of the globe, that he also managed to land your daughter in a hospital bed⌠but you were the more forgiving one. Then again, maybe not so forgiving when it comes to the health and wellbeing of your daughter.Â
Eren falls back against the wall in dread. You werenât even in the same country as him and he was worried about what you might say or do to him. Levi was probably less than twenty minutes away and fully capable of beheading him.
âYou⌠uh, you think the Interior Branch is still looking for interns?â Eren breaks the silence, looking towards Armin, whoâs taken the seat next to Holdenâs bed, petting Captain robotically as the dog sits in his lap.
âI donât think it matters,â Armin responds, âThey wonât hire corpses.â
Fifteen minutes, and several run red lights later, Levi is bursting through the doors to the pediatric wing of the emergency room. He doesnât care about the old woman at the reception yelling at him for causing a ruckus, or the other parents, doctors, or visitors eyeing him for marching around like he owned the place. Holden was in there somewhere, and he was going to get to her.
âHoldenâoh, god, Holden,â Levi coos, frantic, as he marches into Holdenâs room, scurrying to the side of her hospital bed. A cold hand reaches up to stroke her face. Angry, red bumps litter the sides of neck, her cheeks are puffier than usual, and the perimeter of her mouth seems a bit irritated, but Levi is relieved. Sheâs okay, his baby girl is okay.
ââM fine, daddy,â Holden assures him. Sheâs almost overly-perceptive for her age, able to pick up on her fatherâs out of character antics, and does her best to console him. âEren ran with me all the way here when I started coughing and itchin.ââ
Levi nods, the dark grey splotches in Holdenâs eyes bringing him comfort, ensuring him that she was okay. âThey gave me a shot, and I donât like needles, but I didnât even cry at all. Ask, Armin and Eren, they saw! Captain, too.â
âBrave girl,â Levi smiles, reaching his hand up to push her hair out of her face then leans over to press a kiss to her forehead.
Levi had almost forgotten that Eren and Armin were in the room until he hears a blundering cough from behind him. The younger boys look petrified, Eren practically shaking in his shoes, while Armin doesnât even have the confidence to look him in the eye.
âWeâre really sorry, Levi,â Eren apologizes, voice scratchy and wobbly, like heâd been the one to just get a shot, âWe didnât knowâand when she started coughing and saying she couldnât breathe, I swear, I ran here as fast as I couldââ
âItâs fine.â
âItâs⌠fine?â
Levi sighs. Maybe heâd been a little harsh with them on the phone, letting his emotions get the best of him. Heâd already been pissed off enough to not have the time to spend with Holden this weekend; hearing that sheâd been hurt was just the final push over the edge for him, but it wasnât necessarily Armin or Erenâs fault.
âI didnât know either,â Levi exhales, reaching at hand out to pet the top of Holdenâs head again, the young girl now distracted once again by the phone in her hand, âSheâs never had a reaction to anything before, and neither (Y/N) or I have any strong allergies.â
Armin shuffles where heâs standing. âThe doctor said she might be allergic to tree nuts. We, uh, we gave her pistachio ice cream after lunch.â
If thereâs anything concerning Levi, itâs that they gave Holden ice cream before dinner, but he supposes he can let it go for now.
âEren told me to try it, and it tasted good, daddy,â Holden interjects, âBefore I started coughing, it was good.â
âAh, well, you canâtâyou shouldnât eat things that make you feel sick!â Eren stutters loudly.
âBut it was good,â Holden pouts, âAnd you said to try new things, Eri. I wonât know if it makes me sick if I donât try them.â
Levi holds back his laughter. He knows that Holden definitely wouldnât want to try the same same flavor again knowing now that she was allergic to it; she was just pulling at Erenâs leg. Levi would have to keep an eye out for the stuff anyway, especially if her oh-so-precious Eren has expressed any former love for it.Â
âUm, Levi, sir,â Armin calls, pulling Leviâs attention towards the blonde, âWe didnât know if (Y/N) would have landed already, but do you think you should call her, to, um, let her know?â
Leviâs face pales three shades when he realizes that none of them had already informed you that your daughter was currently hospitalized with a new found allergy.
âYou can call her,â Levi says, a shudder in his spine at the thought of relaying this information to you, âThatâs your death sentence, not mine.â
#aot x reader#snk x reader#levi x reader#levi ackerman x reader#aot imagines#snk imagines#levi ackerman fluff#levi ackerman smut#eren x reader#aot fluff
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Sugar Daddy turned sour
Request: Hi!!!! read all of ur works its all amazing cant believe ur new.. can i request for a yan sugar daddy taehyung x reader x yan sugar daddy jungkook. they found out that that y/n have 2 sugar daddies and they lost their sanity(as if they even have that)...Thank u and YOU GOOD,KEEP GOINGđđđđđđđ
A/N: I don't know how to post a reply to a personal message yet because I am new and Tumblr deficient đ
But I hope you like the scenario ^-^ thanks for the request đ
Here for Part 2
Summary: Juggling two guys and getting everything you want from them has always been easy for you, and Taehyung and Jungkook are no exception. Or so you thought.
Trigger warnings: Mentions of non-con, assault, cheating, violence.
Yandere! Taehyung
Yandere! Jungkook
Sunday. Taehyungs day. Â
You open your webcam, checking your eyeliner quickly in the startup view as you wait for the Tae to pick up on the other side. He pops up quickly a beaming smile filling his face. Â
âY/n! Baby, Iâve missed you.â Heâs radiant. As happy and as bubbly he always is.Â
You go along listening to him excitedly run through his past few days, telling you everything in excruciating detail as he jumps from one half-finished thought to another. He may be an adult but he certainly has a young soul. The whole while you feign attention, your fingers continually fidgeting with the diamond necklace or the matching bracelet he had sent you a few weeks back.
âHow was your weekend?â He finally gets around to asking.Â
âNot so good. I always have to work so much," You complain, batting your eyes at the camera. Â
âYou could always quit and come live with me.â He jokes-but not really. Itâs a topic he has raised 3 times already. And you have the same answer ready as always.Â
âDaddy, you know Iâm a strong and independent woman. I could never let someone else pay for me.â You pout, running your tongue over your lower lip while pushing your chest up a little to draw attention.  âItâs just my rent is so expensive. I feel like I work just to pay the bills.âÂ
In truth, your rent is already being covered by someone else. But he doesnât need to know that.Â
While you continue to run through the fabricated details of your weekend, Taehyung is distracted, looking down at his phone. You know what's happening. Itâs like a game. And youâre winning. Your banking app sends a notification, letting you know that K. Taehyung has just sent you a payment.Â
You open it up. Yep. That's rent for the month. Or more, money for that new TV you wanted. Â
âOh! Daddy, noo.â You whine down the camera. âYou canât. I am okay. Really. Please donât spend your money on me.â You frown if only to stop the smile that is fighting to fill your face.Â
âI want to baby. I have the money, and I just want you to be happy. Donât stress about bills okay. Iâm here.âÂ
Sometimes, itâs almost too easy. Â
âOkay Daddy, if you insist.â
Tuesday. Jungkooks day. Â
With Jungkook itâs a much more straightforward transaction. He has said he wants to pay for you and he hates the back and forth pretences. He just wants you to say thank you, smile pretty, and give him all your attention. Â
âDo you need anything more for the week?â He asks through the camera.
âNo Daddy, you take such good care of me. Thank you.â You smile.Â
âYou still have the weekend of the 14th off?â He raises his eyebrows suggestively. Off-screen you quickly scan through your calendar. Â
14th, 15th and 16th: Jk weekend. Â
Hmm, that came up quicker than you expected. You try to keep your booty calls with them as far apart as possible.Â
âOf course, Iâm so excited! I havenât seen you in weeks.â You say, it been less than 100% truthful.
âMonths.â He corrects with a surreptitious undertone. Â
âWhere are we staying this time?âÂ
You always insist to stay in hotels. Because âyour apartment feels too busy and mundane, and you want the time you spend with him to be magical and undistractedâ. Honestly, you just donât want him, either of them, in your personal space. You purposefully chose boys who live a few hours away. Itâs hard enough to keep them separated in your everyday life with them being far away. It could only get messy for them to know where you live and how to reach you in person.
Youâve certainly gotten smart at this. Arranging the two men into different days of the week, scheduling them into your calendar to keep them apart and unaware of the other. Both had specifically said very early on that they do not want to share you with anyone else. And that you were all theirs. And while both of them seemed to trust you, you knew their reactions would be unpleasant, to say the least, if they found out about the other.Â
Sugar Daddies can be so possessive.Â
But while both these men are very handsome, money is better and more reliable than boys. And if they are stupid enough to spend it all on you, why should you care.
The week passes quickly and itâs the 14th. Once more you find yourself in the lobby of a 5-star hotel. Jungkook arrived in town early and sent you a message with the room number.Â
Time to actually work for your money.Â
You knock on the door only to find it slightly open. Entering there is a trail of rose petals lining the floor leading into the suite. All the lights are dimmed with a warmth of candlelight filling the room. This is so typically Jungkook. Pulling out all the stops to try to impress.Â
Dropping your bag at the entrance, you close the door behind you and explore inwards. Â
âDaddy?â You call out in a singsong voice. Your heels clack on the tiled floor as you round the corner into the living room. Jungkook is sitting on the lounge, one leg crossed over the other, arms rested up over the back. You smile at seeing him. You always seem to forget just how stunning he is in person.Â
âWhich one of us are you referring to?â A deep voice startles you from behind. You jolt, spinning to see Taehyung standing behind you leaning against the wall. Â
Holy fuck.Â
Your mind starts to jumble through what is happening. Thinking about what it was that might have given you away. Evaluating how much they may know. And planning your next move. Â
Damn it. You doubt youâll be able to smooth talk your way out of this with Jungkook. Heâs too direct and absolute. So youâll just have to accept that that relationship is over. However, you might be able to salvage this situation with Taehyung if you play your cards right. Being defensive should do the trick.
âWhat is this?â You snap, keeping focused on Taehyung. âThis is such a violation of my privacy! You keep smothering me Taehyung! See this is why I tried to find someone else to hang out with.â You stomp your foot. He would always wrap around your finger so quickly with the little girl act.Â
âHa!â He blurts out a short laugh in contradiction to how you expected him to react. âWow. No, go on. I want to see where this is going.âÂ
âDo you think we only just found out about each other?â Jungkook pipes up, coming from the couch.Â
You sigh. You had almost saved enough for a holiday to the Maldives too. But they seem to know too much. Fine. You can burn both relationships. They were starting to get too clingy anyway.  âWhatever.â You roll your eyes. You got all you could from them. Time to move on to the next.
As you shrug them off, Taehyung steps into the path of the front door.Â
âWhere do you think youâre going?â Both he and Jungkook start to close in tighter. There is a cold tone to his words. Something far too close to a threat for your comfort. Even in heels, both men naturally stand taller than you which usually wouldnât bother you. But with an unsteadiness to your footing and a very short dress on, in a dark room with two men you have used and spurned, you are feeling even more vulnerable than you feel you should.Â
âMove.â You order.Â
A smirk on his lips, Taehyung lifts his hand up and backhands you, knocking you back a few stumbled steps. You gasp, your hand clinging to your cheek, eyes wide in shock. He starts forward, Jungkook intervening, standing between the two of you.Â
You can not believe he just hit you! He has never done anything like that before.
âNo, donât do that.â He stops Taehyung as he starts to swing again. Shaking all over, youâre relieved that one of them is seeing sense. You take the outstretched hand of Jungkook, lip trembling from the burn on your cheek. He draws you closer and you wrap into him for protection. In the same motion, his free hand swings down punching you in the stomach, doubling you over, dropping you to the floor. âIf you hit her head, she might get spaced out. I want her to feel this.â
His words send a chill down your spine. This can not be happening.
âAre you crazy!â You gape, trying to speak while gulping down air. Your head is dizzy, your lungs burning.  Kicking off your heels for better movement, you climb back up to your feet not wanting to engage either man. Eyes focused you look past Taehyung to the door, storming forward. âIâm leaving. Weâll forget all of this, okay.â You bargain through short, panicked breath.Â
Taehyungs large hand slams you into the wall, pressing his palm against your shoulder. He follows Jungkooks lead, pounding his fist into your gut. And then again. And again. His hold removes letting you free and you plummet to the ground, crying within broken huffs while cradling your battered torso.Â
âYouâre right. That is better.â He laughs at Jungkook.Â
âStop!â You beg, unable to raise your voice above a soft yelp.Â
âWhat's wrong baby? You wanted two men. Now you have them.â Taehyungs bright smile returns to his face. This time with an entirely different meaning than it had ever had until it shifts into a straight, harsh look that you have never seen from him. âDidn't you always say you wished there was some way you could repay me?âÂ
âYou said that to me too.â Jungkook joins his side, both hovering above you, trapping you between them, the wall, and the floor.Â
Leaning down Jungkooks hand follows you as you squirm away from him. His fingers wrapped around your throat and lift you up, keeping you against the wall. He takes advantage of you being stuck, leaning into you pressing his lips to yours as you resist as much as you can.Â
âBaby, youâre going to pay us back for every dollar we spent on you.â He snarls.Â
Taehyung turns your face to him, also forcing a kiss on you. âDonât worry, Y/n, youâll see that we know how to share.â Â
Part 2
#yandere bts#yandere jungkook#yandere taehyung#sugadaddy#cheating#bts smut#bts fanfic#bts#yandere#yandere bangtan#taekook#bts reactions#bangtan reactions#jungkook#taehyung
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"I might spread a rumor about you and Percy rendezvousing at midnight. The Aphrodite cabin will have a hoot with that one."
pairing: percy jackson x child of hecate!reader
words: 4,931
warnings: none
timeline: post sea of monsters
if you want to be tagged every time I update this story, click here
a/n: hi hi! this is part one of a self-insert series I'm working on. in this story, y/n is a child of hecate, and this storyline follows the books. the current timeline here is post sea of monsters and will continue through the Heroes of Olympus books. though it follows the original plot, y/n has her own storyline and quests. i tried to make y/n gender-neutral but as I continued to work on the timeline for this project, i had decided that this fic is for a fem reader. guys, this is really just me projecting my fantasy into fanfiction lol. i feel like this is a slow start?? and there is a lot of info dumped in this so bear with me. it'll get better and I'll be working to improve my writing as the series continues. I was on a writing hiatus for a really long time and I'm out of practice so this is my way to get back and hopefully, exceed the skills I had when I was a consistent writer. anyways, if you have any feedback, let me know! I'd love to hear what you think. as i get deeper into the series, i might ask for some suggestions on what to do with the fic. anyways, i'll stop rambling and i hope you like it!
Part One Part Two
You ignore the aching in your neck as your focus is fixed on the herbology book in front of you. Youâve been seated at your desk for Zeus knows how long reading and taking notes in your Book of Shadows, determined to finish reading it as fast as possible. Your half-brother, Alabaster, insisted that you need to memorize all the herbs and their properties before he can properly teach you how to use them in potions. Even though you understand its importance, you hated introductory work. You are itching to get to the real stuff, resulting in you glued to your chair, studying through the night as your cabin mates were fast asleep in their beds. But as determined as you are, Ambrose, your familiar, wasnât much help. Ambrose whines as he rubs his head against your legs like a needy kitten, making it difficult to ignore him.
âWhat is it, Ambrose?â You whisper, sitting back in your chair in defeat. You take a second to massage the back of your sore neck before turning to face the translucent hound sitting attentively at your side. His tail sweeps the floor as it wags excitedly, and a short huff leaves his snout as if he was proud to have finally gotten your attention.
Your eyes meet his, racking your mind to figure out what Ambrose needs to tell you. At first, you thought he wanted to play, but you didnât have time for that, so you decided to ignore him. Usually, after being ignored for a while, Ambrose will give up, finding something else to occupy him. But tonight, he was particularly persistent, and heâs only like this when he needs to tell you something.
Before you can ask what he wanted again, Ambrose gets up from his seated position, running over to the small table that stands beside your bed. You furrow your eyebrows, the first thing you notice when you walk over are your crystals neatly placed in front of your spell books as usual. Seeing them made you suddenly remember what you had planned to do.
You had told Ambrose to remind you to charge your crystals and collect water from the lake since there is a full moon tonight and of course, Ambrose being your loyal companion, did exactly that. Before looking down at the hound, who now is breathing heavily, his tail somehow wagging faster than before, you smile to yourself.
âI told you to remind me earlier, didnât I?â Ambrose snorts and runs around your feet enthusiastically. You couldnât help but giggle at his excitement as you reached down to pat his head. âGood boy. What would I do without you?â You continue to praise him, grabbing a black pouch and carefully placing the crystals in it. You put your index finger to your lips, signaling Ambrose to be a little quieter despite his excitement. If he accidentally wakes anyone up, then you definitely werenât going to be able to fulfill your plans.
You bite your bottom lip as you tiptoe out of the aisle between the bunks. You look around the notoriously cramped Hermes Cabin to make sure your assumption that everyone was asleep by now was correct. It wasnât hard to make out the faces of your cabin mates since seeing clearly in the dark was one of your many gifts, so you carefully walked along the bunks, being as quiet as you could. You are especially cautious as you approach the front where your cabin leaders, the Stoll brothers, slept. You study them for a second, knowing for sure Travis was asleep since he was snoring and loudly at that. Before you can check if Connor is asleep, you hear him shifting in his bed. You stand frozen in your spot, hesitantly looking over and you were expecting to be met with the usual mischievous grin. Instead, his back was towards you now. You have a feeling in your gut that he wasn't asleep, the timing of his moving was much too convenient. You really didn't want to wait any longer though so you decide that you might as well leave before he could stop you.
You turn on your heels, walking over to the window before you push it open. You cringe softly as the hinges creak, and you look back at the cabin to double-check if anyone has woken up from the sound. You sigh in relief when you see no one has moved, and you turn back to the window, carefully crawling out of it. This wasnât unusual for you. Youâve done this so many times that using windows as a mode of exiting and entering a room was as natural to you as walking in and out of a door, and soon you were hopping down onto the grass. Your back is pressed against the cabin as you walk the side of it. You look up at the trees and the sky, eyes scoping around for any harpies hanging around. After deeming that you were alone, you begin making your way to the lake, Ambrose walking by your side attentively and cautiously to make sure you are safe.
The night was clear; the stars and especially the moon shone brightly in the sky. You sigh softly, taking in the stillness of the night, admiring the glistening lake reflecting the full moon placed above it. Youâve always enjoyed how quiet and cool the nights were, preferring it more than the daytime.
Unfortunately, you couldnât avoid it as much as you wish to. Most of your siblings can agree with you that theyâd prefer to sleep in most days so that they can study and practice their magic at night. However, that wasnât the schedule of the Hermes Cabin. It was pretty impossible to sleep in since the mornings were always hectic. In fact, the cabin was just hectic, period. There was always something going on, whether it was an elaborate prank or the guys arguing over who gets to shower first after coming back from training which usually resulted in an intense game of rock, paper, scissors. You canât say that you didnât like it; at least you were entertained.
You also always had someone to talk to, and because there were often new campers coming in and out of there, you have easily familiarized yourself with a lot of the kids at camp. However, like your mother, you did enjoy and yearn for the occasional periods of solitude. As fun as living with the Hermes kids was, you and your siblings did find yourselves getting a little irritable at their shenanigans. It was at those times, you did wish that your mother, Hecate, had a designated cabin.
You and your siblings had always said if they ever got a cabin of their own, they would make sure everyone had separate rooms and would have designated spaces to socialize and practice their magic so that it was quiet for the most part. Alabaster, especially, was really passionate about this topic. He complained how it didnât make sense that your mother wasn't recognized since you and your siblings were a powerful little bunch. You all needed a space to practice your magic and practice preferably at night since you were the most powerful at that time of day; you were also less prone to making mistakes in your spell casting at night. You agreed with him and would get upset about it sometimes, but the Hermes Cabin was a place you considered to be a second home. The communal feel of the space was something you enjoyed, it was one of the few places where you felt fully accepted which was rare to find being a demi-god with abilities like yours. In return to the Hermes Cabin welcoming you with open arms, you accept the inconveniently loud environment as an admirable quirk and went on with your days.
Then to compensate for the lack of silence and solitude, you would often stay up late, taking advantage of the quiet to focus on your studies. Even if you had to sacrifice the amount of sleep you got, you felt like it was worth it.
It doesnât take you long to arrive at the dock, sitting down close to the end with your legs folded under you. You first collect lake water in a jar before carefully taking out the pouch's crystals. Assuming you had only a few left in the pouch after laying most of them on the dock, you tilt it with your hand under it, only for the crystals to come out all at once. You fumble, hands trying to bring them to your chest, but with your luck, one of your crystals falls right into the water with a plop.
âDammit!â You peer over the edge and groan, Ambrose whining at your misfortune as he stands beside you. You look down at the water, noticing Ambroseâs and your dim reflection in it. There was no way you could get that crystal now because you didn't know how to swim, and you consider that maybe tomorrow you can convince your twin brother, Atticus, to look for it or Alabaster if Atticus refused, which you were expecting him to.
Your breath hitches at the back of your throat, jumping back as a head of dark hair abruptly pops up from right where you were staring. Ambrose barks loudly next to you, equally as startled, and your eyes widen. You stand up hastily at the realization that Ambrose's loud barks in the dead of night will catch the attention of the harpies, and right now, that was more important to you than the mysterious person that just sprouted up in the water like a zombie coming out of a grave.
âShush! Ambrose, quiet!â Your frantic command was enough to make him stop with a whine, and you sigh shakily, turning towards the camp to check if there were any harpies.
âI think you dropped something.â Ambrose moves in front of you protectively, a low growl coming from his chest as he cautiously studies the person. You look back where the voice came from and to your surprise and your relief, you find that the mysterious person in the lake was no other than Percy Jackson. You never had a conversation with him before, but you definitely knew about him. It was kind of hard not to know who he is since heâs been the talk of the camp since heâs arrived. Your thoughts about him werenât any different from most of the camp. Youâve seen him fight and use his powers during capture the flag, and you were just as impressed as everyone else. You did have to admit that you found him to be pretty cute too. His eyes were gorgeous, clear, and bright like a shallow, cyanic sea. You also found it adorable how his hair always looked a little disheveled.
Your (e/c) eyes met Percyâs green ones before looking at your rose quartz in his hand. You smile sheepishly, noticing the amused look on his face.
âAh, yeah, thatâs mine.â You walk over to him, but as you get closer, so does Ambrose, and his growls get louder. "Ambrose, heel. It's okay," you say softly, and he stops in his place, but his stance is still at alert, his eyes watching Percy cautiously. You pat Ambrose's head before walking past him and over to Percy. "Thanks," you smile, taking your rose quartz from his hand.
"No problem⌠I don't think your ghost dog likes me," Percy jokes, moving to look past your legs at Ambrose, whoâs standing tall on your left side.
"Yeah, well, you kinda scared the crap out of us," you point out, amused. You take in Percy's goofy smile as he pulls himself up from the water, and you notice that heâs completely dry as he settles on the edge before turning his body to look at you.
âItâs y/n, right?â He asks, and you nod, figuring heâs probably heard about you in passing from Connor and Travis since he was friends with them too. âWhat are you doing out here so late?"
"I could ask you the same thing," you retort playfully, making him smile. You move to sit down where you were standing. You spread the crystals neatly on the wood, making a mental note to get them before you go to bed.
"I couldn't sleep, so I came out here to hang out, but then a hippocampus swam up. One of its friends got stuck in a fisher's net not too far from here, so I went to help," he explains, and you nod. "I told you my excuse, so what's yours?"
You hum, "It's a full moon out tonight, so I thought I should take my crystals out. I also needed moon water for a potion, so I collected some for that," you point over at the big mason jar full of lake water. "Itâs not as cool as your excuse,â you say playfully.
A short laugh comes from Percy, and when you look up from your crystals, you notice he was looking at Ambrose again, who was still in his tense stance. Ambrose was especially protective of you and Atticus, and it wasnât unusual for him to be cautious of the new people you come across. You assumed that Ambrose was particularly tense with Percy since he had successfully caught you both by surprise.
"Ambrose, relax.â You pat the top of his head to soothe him. "Lay down." Ambrose whines, licking your hand affectionately for a little, and you can tell he was still uneasy about the other. He was hesitant, but he follows your command anyway, laying down with his head on your lap.
"You can touch him?" Percy asks, his eyes wide and curious as he watches you pet Ambrose.
"Yeah, I can touch ghosts in general. My mother is Hecate, goddess of necromancy, along with magic, the night and the moon," you tell him. "This is Ambrose. My mother gifted him to me to be my familiar, kinda like a guardian." You look down at the hound, smiling softly as you scratch behind his ear softly.
Ambrose is a burly Molossian Hound who lived in the time of Alexander The Great. From what your father told you, his breed was well valued in Ancient Greek and Roman times and was often used in war. It is easy to understand why the breed was used in war. Ambrose is huge and muscular, about 6 feet tall when he stands on his hind legs, and he weighs around 200 pounds. At first, Ambrose can come off as a little intimidating. You remember how your siblings had avoided him when you first arrived at camp before they realized that he was the clearest definition of a gentle giant. Even though he was trained to fight when he was alive, he was still as gentle as a well-trained house dog unless he was given a reason not to be.
"When did you get him?" Percy asks, his eyes focusing on Ambroseâs translucent body that looked like it is made up of this gray swirling vapor. He couldnât exactly wrap his head around how Ambroseâs head was comfortably propped up on your thigh.
"We met on the night I was on my way to Camp so about 2 years ago. Without him, my brother and I probably would have never made it to the borders.â You look up at Percy, meeting his eyes again; you watch as his face softens as he shifts to lean back on his hand.
"Really?" You hum and nod, ready to drop the conversation there, thinking you shouldnât bore him with the details. You didnât really like talking about it much, but the way he was looking at you made you feel like he was inviting you to continue talking.
"We got separated from our father at the gas station a couple of miles away from here. He went inside the convenience store to get us snacks, and while he was in there, a cyclops had found us, tried to grab us out of his car. We jumped out and ran into the woods nearby," you explain as you look out at the dark horizon.
You remember the sound of your father yelling after you and Atticus and how it broke your heart hearing, for the first time, such despair in his voice. You knew your dad didnât want to bring you guys to camp, but he knew it was in Atticusâs and your best interest to come here and be with other people like you guys.
When you and Atticus started developing your powers, your father had simply told you guys that you were special and to refrain from using your telekinesis anywhere else but home. He didnât say anything more until one night, you and Atticus had gotten in a screaming match about a reason you donât even remember. However, in your screaming match, the both of you were so angry that a green aura had formed around you both, and books, magazines, even cutlery were being flown across the room because of the sheer energy you were admitting as a unit. It was then your father had decided to take you and Atticus to the camp to control and learn about your powers before you guys destroyed the house over a dumb argument like whoâs turn is it to have the TV remote.
"We were more concerned about the monster hurting our dad, so we decided on a whim to run in the forest. My brother and I have telekinesis powers, and I aimed well enough to send a rock right at the cyclops eye. We lost him a little after that, but we didn't know where we were. We made too many twists and turns; we had no idea what direction we came from. And then, this buddy appeared out of nowhere from a distance. I saw him glowing from far away and couldnât make out what he was, but I felt that I had to follow him. So we did, and he got us to camp with no detours for any other monsters. He's been with me ever since," you say, and a low whine comes from Ambroseâs mouth as he nuzzles the side of his face on your thigh contentedly.
Percy nods, and he huffs softly, "You guys got lucky. How old were you and your brother when you got to camp?"
"12, we're twins. We actually got here a couple of weeks after you did,â you mention. You watch Percyâs mouth curve into a half-smirk.
âWow," he says, amused, and shakes his head. âSo you have a twin and a dead dog, no fair," he jokes. You giggle, rolling your eyes playfully,
"Oh please, and you have crazy water powers. Youâre completely dry after swimming! I think that's pretty envy-worthy."
"Hey-,â he shrugs, taking a second as if to form a protest. âI guess you're right,â he admits and laughs. You laugh with him, opening your mouth to say something else but unfortunately, you were interrupted by a screech echoing in the distance.
Both you and Percy stand up quickly, trying to figure out which direction it came from. âThe harpies,â you both mutter in unison. You bend down to grab your things, and you look at Ambrose.
"Go distract them, bud," you tell him, and Ambrose jumps up to his feet, and you watch as he runs away, barking to get their attention. Just then, you see the wings of the Harpies coming up from the trees of the forest. You turn to Percy, grabbing his hand quick,
âIncantare: Transpectus!" You exclaim confidently, closing your eyes to envision you and Percy becoming transparent on the dock. You've never tried doing this spell before, but you've gotten better at visualizing and setting intentions, so you had some hope in yourself. You open your eyes, not feeling any different, and you hoped that you just didn't make a fool of yourself in front of Percy. But when you look down at your hand hesitantly and notice it was hard to make out since you were see-through like glass, you sigh in relief. You smile to yourself, more than satisfied that you were able to pull that off.
"Woah, are we invisible?" You look over at Percy, able to see him just fine since he was under the spell with you. Percy looks down at himself, eyes widened as he processes he canât see his body anymore. You observe him for a second, finding it cute how he looked surprised and obviously entertained at the fact that he was completely see-through. You feel yourself growing a little flustered, trying not to focus too much on the fact that you were holding hands with him.
"Something like that. C'mon, it wonât last too long," you whisper, and your grip around his hand tightens as you guys begin running to his cabin. You hear the harpies screeching in frustration as they swoop down to try and grab Ambrose, only for their claws to go right through him. While the harpies were growing more annoyed, Ambrose, on the other hand, was having way too much fun, running in circles and barking at them as if heâs teasing.
"Man, I wish I had a ghost dog," you hear Percy mutter behind you as you arrive at the steps of his cabin.
"Yeah, Ambrose is pretty great," you admit, watching him play with the harpies before shifting your gaze over to Percy. "Thanks for getting the crystal for me." As much as you wanted to stay talking to him, you knew you couldn't stay too long. You were still eager to finish studying, and Ambrose can only hold off the harpies for so long.
"It was no problem. It was on my way up anyways," he shrugs, and you smile, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in your stomach. You look down, the two of you still holding hands even though the spell wore off already. You awkwardly let go of his hand, shifting on your feet.
"Well, I'll see you around," you say sheepishly, fiddling with your fingers.
"Yeah, I'll see you.â His hand comes up in an awkward wave. You nod, returning the wave. Your eyes meet Percyâs green ones one more time before turning on your heels and walking down the steps of his cabin. You notice that Ambrose is now long gone into the forest, taking the harpies with him to give you time to rush to the other side where your cabin is.
As you hurry back to your cabin, you couldnât help but smile to yourself as you replayed the interaction you just had with Percy, and you couldn't help but wonder when would be the next time you could talk to him.
You carefully hoist yourself up, climb back into the cabin through the window, sighing softly once you get in. You slowly close the window, your face scrunching at the creaking sound, but you successfully get it closed before turning around, only to be faced with Connor Stoll standing a few feet away with his arms crossed over his chest. You gasp loudly, almost dropping the mason jar in your hand, being startled for the second time tonight.
âOh, look whoâs back,â he says, his lips pulled in his usual mischievous smirk, his right eyebrow raised as if he's suspicious of you. You shift, giggling nervously under his graze,
"Hey, Con.â Shit. You knew he wasnât asleep, and a part of you wasnât surprised that he had caught you sneaking out again. You werenât too worried since Connor wasnât one to be strict or easily angered, neither was Travis, but you can understand if he did get a little upset with you since the cabin could also get in trouble, and he worried about you getting hurt.
"You leave so often, I'm starting to think you're seeing someone," he teases, and you furrow your eyebrows, not really sure what he was trying to get at.
"I'm not seeing anyone. You know what I do when I sneak out," you tell him, putting your hand out to show him the jar full of water. After being caught the first couple of times, you had explained to Connor why you occasionally needed to head out at night. He was understanding of your reasons, telling you to try and not sneak out as often. When he did catch you, he always kept your outings secret. It came with a price, though. You were sometimes stuck doing extra chores, especially anything that had to do with cleaning, since he hated doing anything that had to do with mopping or sweeping.
"So that wasn't you and Percy on the dock?" Your eyes widen, and you feel your face get hot again. You shake your head, stumbling over your words for a second.
"Uh⌠n- that was a coincidence!" You hear him snort, laughing quietly as if he didn't believe you. Even though he couldn't see your facial expression very well in this lighting, he can still tell how flustered you were at his sudden question.
"Yeah, sure," he says sarcastically, and he hums, "Anyways, what are you going to do for me so that I don't tell on you?" He asks, and your mouth drops open. Usually, he wasn't so forward, and he never threatened to tell on you. "I might spread a rumor about you and Percy rendezvousing at midnight. The Aphrodite cabin will have a hoot with that one."
You gasp, "Connor, are you blackmailing me right now?" You narrow your eyes at him, and he shrugs,
"I guess you can say I am." You shake your head, walking over to your desk to put down your moon water before turning toward him and crossing your arms in front of your chest.
"... what do you want?" You ask, expecting him to make you take up one of his chores. But from the way he was smiling at you, you can tell that there was something more he wanted, and you were beginning to worry.
"Help me turn the Ares Cabin into bunnies," he says, and you shake your head frantically,
"No way! Clarisse will kill me," you whisper. Connor smiles,
"No, she won't. She can't kill you if she's a bunny," he points out, and your face falls flat,
"They're not gonna stay bunnies forever," you say, and you fiddle with your fingers nervously at the idea of the outrage you'd get from the Ares Cabin after shifting back from being bunnies. "I don't know, Con. I don't even know if I can turn all of them into bunnies at once."
Connor waves his hand at you, dismissing your concern. "I don't care for the logistics now. We can work on that later, but you have to agree to at least help me," he says. "Or I'm telling everyone I saw you smooching Percy on the dock."
"What!? We didn't even kiss. We talked for like 5 minutes!" You whisper-yell, your reactions much too entertaining for him, and he was having a hard time holding in his laugh.
"Your decision, y/n."
You sigh, throwing your head back. You look at the ceiling for a second as you consider your two choices. And you decide that getting your head potentially put on a stick by Clarisse was better than the burning embarrassment of Percy thinking you're spreading rumors about kissing him. "Fine, whatever. I'll help you do the bunny thing," you mumble, your shoulders slouched.
Connor nods with a proud smile on his face for trapping you into helping him. "Good choice. I will be going back to sleep now. Good night⌠again," he announces, turning on his heels and walking over to his bed. You frown a little as you walk back to your desk to study. Plopping down onto your chair, you decide that youâll worry about Connorâs little plan later so you can focus on your studying. After a while, Ambrose comes trotting in, joining you by the desk as usual. You smile at him, praising the other for distracting the harpies for you before he lays down, his head laying on your foot.
As you study, you find that you couldnât help your mind drifting back to Percy once and a while. You deem that there was no way that you could have a crush on him since you guys have only spoken once. In the midst of your internal debate to decide what you felt for him, you suddenly remember the crystal that was retrieved for you. You remember how Percy presented it to you, holding it out for you with his fingertips. It was your rose quartz. What a coincidence. You smile, rolling your eyes as you tell yourself that youâre thinking too much into it. You look over, noticing the dim illuminating light of the beginning sunrise shining through the curtains. You sigh, deciding that you should probably get to sleep and take advantage of the maybe, four hours of sleep youâll get tonight. You close your herbology book before making your way to your bed, and with a soft sigh, you retreat under the covers, and finally, you surrender to your drowsiness.
masterlist
#percy jackson x reader#percy x reader#percy jackon and the olympians#percy jackson#connor stoll#pjo x reader#percy jackson fanfiction#percy jackson fic#slow burn#friends to lovers#connor stoll x reader#percy jackson oneshot#pjo#my writing
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sun in the shadows (03)
word count; 12,706
summary; trying to make some headway on the study leads to an interesting revelation, and progress in your friendship with noah.
notes; if this part is a little sucky, I apologise. it was a last minute addition that I created because I realised I wanted to include some extras.
warnings; brief mentions of panic attacks/anxiety, but itâs very mild.
The weather was improving, the drizzle of the winter and the grey skies overhead were getting lighter, the showers of rain were getting less frequent and the winter was moving on. Spring was making itself known, bulbs of daffodils were finally taking root in the soil, and green was sprouting from the earth that had been frozen over and dead only a couple of weeks ago. The watery floors were drying up, limited ice was fading away, and graduation was sitting right on the horizon for you all.
Your fingers flexed around the strap of your bag, rooting through the contents to find a place to slip your file inside, all your notes for the class youâd be having were inside, and there was a blank page for your next session waiting to be filled out. Once it had its place, albeit getting a little bit crumbled against the other content, you removed your wallet, a few coins jingling in the bottom, and you hoped it was enough for two coffees.
There was a coffee stand not too far away, and you were hoping an extra shot of coffee before you went in might get your brain working a little faster. Only a couple of feet ahead of you was a face you recognised, a dark jumper to match dark denim jeans, a pair of boots for motorbike riding that were beginning to scuff along the edges and the toes. He was hanging over his money, a brown bag holding a pretzel and a tall cup, the tell-tale tag of a teabag hanging over the edge, and he walked away.
Joining the back of the line, you watched him go, sitting not far across the quarter with his headphones on, settling on one of the recently repainted memorial benches. He pulled the tab on eh coffee back, opening it up and a cloud of steam left the drink, curling up into the air that still held a slight chill, drifting away to disappear as he blew against the surface of the drink. In his other hand was his phone, scrolling aimlessly on it as a way to keep himself disconnected from everyone else around him and prompt nobody else to join him. His bag was out on the bench too, pushed a short distance from his body in an attempt to take up the rest of the space to deter company.
Ordering a simple set of black coffees, and finding you had just enough change for a muffin too, you waited patiently for your order, an assortment of condiments and the double-chocolate treat youâd paid for being handed to you first. There was a grinding, the slight screech of the machine as it crushed the beans to create two black coffees for you, plastic lids sealed on and two cardboard jackets fastened around them.
Balancing the load between them all, you headed over to him, using your knee to nudge the bag up the bench until it bumped his leg, and he jerked slightly, looking up to see you. Offering him a beam, his narrowed eyes lightened a little, and he sighed. Putting down his phone and moving his bag to the floor, he lifted the headphones away from his ears, and let them hang around his neck. Sitting yourself down, he slumped back into the wood, and you scooted up to sit closer to him, placing the spare coffee youâd bought for Stiles on the floor away from your feet.
âHey, Noah!â He gave a short nod, still a little uncomfortable, and he turned to face you more. âSo, whatâs your schedule looking like this afternoon?â
âHow did you know I was here?â
You shrugged, opening up the bag of extras and searching through for a couple of sweetener packets, and a wooden stirrer. âI didnât. I was just gonnaâ grab a coffee before class and head to my hall early, because, yâknow, studying at home is distracting.â Your hand waved off the statement, finding the packets you wanted, and clutching your cup between your knees for stability. âSo, anyway I was going to text you when I got there, but then I saw you, so I figured Iâd come and say âheyâ!â
âRight.â
âSo, hey!â You waved a little before taking the top from your coffee, and leaving it on the bench beside yourself. âI ask once again, whatâs your schedule looking like this afternoon?â
âWell, since I am the most popular guy at this college, Iâm pretty busy.â He smiled a little at his own joke, particularly when you gave him a laugh, and your brow raised.
âOh, heâs got jokes today, huh? I like it, I can roll with that.â Tipping the sugar into the cup, you added a couple of packets, before stirring it slowly. âI take it youâre free, then. I was hoping we could squeeze in some study stuff this afternoon. I have a class in a couple of minutes, but I wanted to see if you were free?â
âWell, Iâm free all day. I had a six AM class.â His face screwed up at the idea, and you could feel his pain, having spent the entirety of your sophomore year with a teacher who held lectures at six AM so she could avoid her morning sickness before class, and rush home for it afterwards. Professor Anderson going off on her maternity leave was the best thing that had happened to your education that year.
âGreat, Iâll sort it with Stiles, and weâll text you the details.â
âSounds like a thrill. I can hardly wait.â He smiles, the sarcasm just like his brothers as it came through, and you repaid him for the joke with a chuckle. While the two of you had made progress, you could tell he was still a little unsure around you. You were polar opposites and he didnât take well to that, the atmosphere that you brought with you could be a little too much for him to handle sometimes, you couldnât stop the guilt that was eating at you a little. âWhatâs wrong? Youâve got a look on your face like you want to talk about things. Just warning you, Iâm not good at that heart-to-heart stuff.â
âYeah, Iâve witnessed that.â
âShut it.â He teased, sticking his tongue out at you childishly, and you grinned cheesily in reply to him. âYou can tell me, though. Canât promise Iâll help, but..â
âItâs nothing weighing me down. I just wanted to apologise. I clearly interrupted your free time. You got yourself a little pretzel to eat in silence, and everything.â He offers you a blank look at your slight dig, and you only winked, waving the muffin in a bag that youâd bought, and taking a sip of your coffee once the lid was sealed back on. âPeople usually like it when I stop by to see them, I wasnât thinking.â
âItâs okay, really.â His words were strained, the response bringing you no relief as he forced them out, and your frown remained. âIâm serious, okay? Itâs alright.â
You were trying your best but learning the lines with Noah was different to you. Upon starting college youâd been thrown in at the deep end of socialisation and a whole world youâd never quite had access to before. Coming from a smaller town that had always limited your expectations was tough, and youâd taken it differently from the way Noah had. Youâd had so many experiences, becoming legal to drink and venturing beyond your comfort zone, truly leaving home and facing the idea of having your life laid out before you, the first time truly having your heartbroken, and being too far to simply collapse into the arms of your mom or dad for support when things got messed up.
âWhen does your class start?â You jumped, lost in your thoughts as you slumped back into the bench, and you sat up straight again, turning to find that Noah was already looking at you, eyes scanning over you slowly. It was a good reminder, time had been slipping away from you and in the ease of his peaceful and quiet company, you could have sat there for hours.
Checking your watch, you sighed, lifting your bag strap back up onto your shoulder more securely, and packing everything you had with you inside, leaving you to hold a coffee cup in each hand. âIn about ten minutes.â
âHow about I walk you?â He picked up his bag, swinging it over his shoulder, and you nodded, a warmer feeling at his offer blooming where cold guilt had been. Standing up and making sure not to spill any of the scalding coffee onto your hand. Peering around the busy campus quarters that was more filled now than it had been for months, the lighter weather tempting groups to come out of their dormitories and the cafĂŠs to gather outside instead.
He fell into step beside you, toes scuffing occasionally on the slightly uneven stonework of the quad, before it fell away into smooth concrete pathways on the way to your lecture. The grass alongside each path was growing greener, dull colour fading away into something brighter. Paper crinkled beside you, the cup of tea in his hands being finished and the cardboard cup was crushed between string fingers, knuckles even paler than usual as he crumpled it up, and as you approach the closest bin, it was disposed of.
Your fingers flexed around your coffee cup, almost having forgotten that it was there as the heat from the two began to fade away a little. Taking a sip, the refreshing burst of sweetened caffeine was like a spark to your system, and you revelled in it. âHow do you take your coffee?â
You lower the cup from your lips, swallowing your mouthful, and you couldn't stop the rise of your brows once you turned to look at him. âCreamer, usually. I like a caramel flavoured one. But, since Iâm not big on creamer in packets or from street vendors, this one just has sweeteners.â
âCool.â He nodded, and your lips pressed together tightly to try and contain the smile you wanted to let free, silence forming between you both for a moment, a further gathering of steps as the two of you went on, your building coming into sight again. âDid you watch the news last night?â
âIs this small talk?â
âItâs an attempt at small talk.â He winced, and you chuckled, a small smile on his features as the fear of judgement or humiliation washed away, and he gave a sigh.
âOkay, let's try this.â Your mind spun, searching for a track of something to talk about, and a thought clicked into space. âIf you could watch one genre of movies for the rest of your life, what would it be?â
âComedy. Like, comedy-action. You know, ones like âJumanjiâ or something?â He was quick with it, certain about his answer, and you nodded.
âYeah? That was quick. How come youâre so sure?â
âI donât know.â He shrugged, one hand coming up to hold his bag strap, swinging it to the side to be able to get inside, and fish out the paper bag with a pretzel inside. âI guess I just think theyâre good for you. Good for the soul. They have action and it keeps you a little on the edge of your seat, but itâs funny. It's easy-going, when youâve got anxiety, or youâre having a bad day, or you just want background noise, theyâre perfect.â
âAlright. Fair enough. Okay, tricky one.â his eyes narrowed a little, but an amused look passed over his features while he waited. âIf you had to choose specifically between comedy and action, which is it?â
âItâs got to be action. Because comedy usually means Adam Sandler or Seth Rogen, and some of their comedies are good, but some are jus-â He paused, jaw dropping a little, and his hand came out, pausing in front of your to bring you to a halt too. A smile curled on your lips, and he looked shocked. âHoly shit, youâre good!â
âAsk a basic question that people are passionate about, it always leads to more options, and everyone always wants to talk about something fun.â His head shook slowly, as though he was in disbelief, and you took a dramatic bow, trying not to spill the coffees in your hands as you giggled. âGive it a go, I bet you can do it.â
The paper in his hands crinkled, your footsteps taking up again, and the two of you were making your way towards the building once again. Taking a bite from his pretzel, a piece torn away with his teeth, he thought it over. âDoes your family have any secret or âfamousâ recipes?â
âOh, thatâs a good one. Kudos to you, Noah.â
âThank you. I thought about it for, like, eight whole seconds.â He grinned, the joke moving away from you both as you left it behind, and you thought about his question.
âMaybe itâs not my family recipe, just a personal one, but Iâm great at making lasagne.â He scoffed, and you nudged him with your elbow. âIâm serious! I make a great lasagne!â
âYou donât seem like a cook to me, is all! You seem like the sort of person whoâd manage to burn a pit of water.â
âYou canât burn water, an.. oh, I just got it. You jerk.â It was a joke, your nose screwing up as you stuck your tongue out at him, thanking him a second later as he held the door open for him. The bright lights of the outside changed to artificial lights in the halls, not as much coming through the windows as trees outside managed to cast shade into the building. âWell, I can cook. I love to cook, and Iâm good at it. Especially lasagne. My family are generally the only ones who have ever had it, and thanks to that insult, youâll never have it.â
âOh, woah, no! You have to let me try it now. Prove me wrong, or Iâll be forced to believe youâre bluffing.â
âYouâre sneaky.â You scoffed, students filling the hall and filtering in from different sides of the building, lectures in different halls all waiting to take place, and you stepped to the side of the corridor once your doorway was within reach. âIf youâre lucky.â
âIâm betting on that.â
Glancing back, Stiles was already inside, as expected. Stiles Stilinski had never once been on time, he was either twenty minutes early or twenty minutes late, and since heâd spent the night with Derek, who was an early bird, youâd figured which one today would be. His head was slumped on his hm half-asleep and on the verge of drooling as he sat there, and you chuckled, turning to Noah. âThanks for walking me. Also, thanks for small-talking with me.â
âThanks for the advice on small talk.â
âIâm gonnaâ head inside, but, Iâll see you later, okay?â He nodded, confirming the times with you, and lingering a moment longer. It was quiet, but not so tense, and he rolled on the balls of his fete, the half-eaten pretzel in his hands was seemingly abandoned as one hand tucked into his jeans pockets, the other hanging limply while holding the delicacy by his side.
âThanks for sitting with me. This wasnât so bad. It was almost fun.â
âYou know, one day, youâre gonnaâ tell me you had fun with me. I look forward to that day.â He smirked, your head tipping to the side at the expression.
âIf youâre lucky.â He was repeating your own words back to you, and you beamed at the chance. Backing away from him slightly, you fixed him with the cheekiest glance you could as you walked through the doorway.
âIâm betting on it.â
You could hear his laugh once you were gone, into the classroom and beginning to take the steps up to a seat beside Stiles that heâd reserved for you, his bag sitting on it. Heâd already gotten his equipment out, notepads and pencil laid out in a somewhat organised mess on top of the desk.
Placing the two coffees down, you moved Stiles bag to the floor, tucking it behind his chair and a soft snore made itself known from him, the boy not doing well with early mornings but he never had, not once in your years of knowing him had he handled it very well, so it was no surprise.
âOpening up your bag, you dropped your notebook down onto the surface with a loud âslappingâ sound, and he jerked upwards, flailing as he did, and almost knocking the coffees over. Blinking quickly and shaking sleep away, he looked around, eyes wide as he finally focused on you.
âJesus Christ, donât do that.â He chastised you, leaning back in his seat and holding a hand over his heart. âI was dreaming about high school, I thought you were my lacrosse Coach waking me up for falling asleep in class again.â
âMaybe I am.â You winked, slamming a hand down on the counter. âDrop and give me twenty, Stilinski! Right now!â
âDonât do that, itâs eerily accurate.â He cringed, shuddering a little, before a wide smile replaced the horrified expression that had morphed, and you pushed a coffee over to him. âYou brought me a coffee?â
âYes, I did. Itâs bribery.â
âOh? What am I being bribed for?â He was curious, rooting through the bag of condiments for it and taking the plastic lid from the cup, steam curling out into the air. Taking an ungodly and certainly unhealthy amount of sweetener and sugar packets to load into his coffee.
âYour free time this afternoon. Iâm thinking about getting some of my study done, I can get all the work for the next couple of sessions sorted now, but how do you feel about being asked some later?â He tipped them in, a drop of coffee flying up over the edge and landing on the desk as he stirred his drink with vigour, that same hyper excitement that he always had.
âCanât I just fill them out now?â
âItâd be better if I could get your responses with Noah.â He sighed, rolling his eyes and making a scene of it, but there was a smile that told you he already agreed.
âYou should have brought me two coffees, but fine.â
You let out a victorious âaha!â, and shook the little brown paper bag that was still sitting on your half of the desk at him. âI also brought you half of a muffin!â
âOnly half of a muffin?â
âWell, it was none, but since I didnât eat it yet and Iâd feel bad eating it in front of you, I decided to share it.â You tore it in half, pushing half across the scratched and vandalised wooden surface to him. Crumbs were left along the surface, and Stiles pressed the pad of his finger along them to gather them all up.
âOh, right. Well, in that case, what I meant was; wow, a full half of a muffin!â He cheered, much more enthusiasm, and you nodded.
âMuch better.â At the front of the classroom, your tutor entered, door slamming behind him as he kicked the wedge out from underneath, and his case was placed down on the desk. The room began a hushed quiet, save for the loud slurping of Stiles with his coffee beside you.
âYou know,â Your best friend didnât understand the concept of a whisper, everything he did was more like a dramatic stage whisper on a Broadway show, and a few dirty looks were sent his way. The professor was used to this, a year of experience and advice from previous tutors guiding him to ignore Stilesâ fidgeting and chatter. âYouâre going to have to convince Noah to do this.â
Slumping down in your seat a little more, you turned your head to him, nibbling on your half of the muffin. âI already did.â
âWhat?â This time he was hushed, the man standing at the front near his desk, trying his best to give extra advice to everyone and answer any common questions that heâd been emailed. Youâd have to catch the after-class notes in your emails. âWhen dâyou do that?â
âThis morning before class. I saw him while getting coffee for you and we walked over.â
Stiles huffed, his brows being pulled together slightly. âOkay. Damn, he was my last free shot at getting the afternoon off.â You grinned, pinching at your friendâs cheek, and he smacked your hand away. âQuit it, Iâve told you not to do that before.â
âIn case I pinch your moles off?â
âThat's where my power is. My funny is in my moles.â He hissed, only making you laugh more, and you covered your mouth with your hand over his silly superstitions.
âWhatever, freak.â
âHoe.â He snarked back, and you grinned, punching at his shoulder as best you could from this angle, and he reached up a hand to rub at it. âSo, if weâre doing this, I at least want to do it at my place. Iâm going out this evening, I gottaâ be ready. Derekâs sisters are coming up to visit.â
âIt wonât take long, donât worry.â He hummed, pulling out his phone and keeping it ducked from view. He was texting his brother, letting him know to be ready, and at what time your class would be ending, giving him a little time to prepare. Opening your book up and flicking to the page you had marked, it was a journal written about the study of the ways that twins raised in different households could grow up similarly, and you were hoping to adopt some of the content for your study.
âSo, whatâve you got done so far?â
Stile sighed, flicking open his notebook, and you were shocked by the fact that he was already at the end of it. There were pieces of paper stuck in, a list of book references on one of the tabs down the side of a page, and only a few blank pages left at the back.
âOh, wow, okay.â You stared at your notebook, barely reaching a quarter of the way through with the notes youâd been making, and it looked like Stiles was ready to start making progress towards a conclusion for his hypothesis. âSo, youâve got a whole lot done, then.â
âYeah, well, I want to spend as little time in a prison as I possibly can.â He rubbed a hand over his forehead, the pages crammed full of information as he flicked through to find a blank one. âPlus, I didnât want to go and interview inmates on my own, so I wait until Derek has free time to go with me, and I get as much done in those sessions as I can.â
âYouâre gonnaâ be done weeks before I am.â You pouted, your pen twirling at the top corner of a page, drawing a collation of pretty flowers to form a border, and he chuckled.
âI have easier test subjects than you do. Theyâre already guilty and behind bars, theyâre more than happy to open up. Youâve gottaâ deal with Noah.â
âThatâs true.â You grinned, thinking back on the conversation youâd had with the other twin that morning. When he was alone, it wasnât so bad, he talked more and he wasnât so worried about judgements, but as soon as there was someone else who might hear, he completely closed down.
âHey, seriously, we have ages left. Youâre gonnaâ be just fine.â
âIâm just freaking out a little bit, because this is the last hurdle, yâknow?â He nodded, and you could see whatever it was he was thinking practically swirling in his eyes, because Stilesâ emotions were open to read like a book.
âItâs terrifying. Itâs, like, what the hell are we supposed to do when we finish?â
âI donât know.â Your head dropped to your hands, fingers soothingly rubbing at your temples. A large hand landed on your back, rubbing in comforting circles. âWhat I do know, though, is that if I donât get on with coming up with some more content, Iâm never gonnaâ finish this study in time.â
âWell, put your headphones on and come up with some questions.â
You did as told, plugging your earbuds in and choosing some classical music that would make it easier to concentrate. Opening one of your survey works back up to the page youâd left off at, your eyes began to flicker over the pages, picking out the useful information. Once you had a list built, you had a foundation to work from, questions to create and organise into groups, different sessions being able to come together.
Beside you, Stilesâ hand never seemed to stop rising, a constant dialogue with your tutor as he checked his work and ironed out any kinks in his study. He was also full of chatter and laughter, getting along with everyone around him and asking about their works, making you turn your music up several times just to be able to concentrate. But, by the end of the session, when Stiles was tugging your earbud out and telling you your class was over, you had a solid three pages worth of questions that had been split up into sessions, and ready to be worked through.
âPack up and get ready to go. I have plans to get ready for.â
Stiles already had his bag in his arms, notebook tucked inside and pens and pencils put away, two empty coffee cups and a muffin wrapper sitting out, which he quickly gathered up, once his bag was on his shoulder. He was gone, walking past you and down to the waste bin at the front of the hall to dispose of them, his fingers tapping idly on his thigh once he was done.
You gathered your belongings, packing them away and curling the wire of your headphones back up neatly, making sure everything had its correct place in your bag, before following him down and out of the steps.
The halls were filled once again, the two of you navigating through crowds to the outside of the building, and you followed him in his diversion across the pathway, all the way to his car. Some students had already left, spaces beginning to empty out as a bottleneck effect took place at the only entrance and exit to this carpark.
âWhereâs your car?â The dirty blue jeep was one of the only ones left in the parking lot, Stiles looking around for your vehicle, and you sighed.
âDonât get me started on that hunk of junk.â You growled, stomping a foot on the floor as Stiles laughed. Opening the driverâs side door, he hopped up inside of it, legs dangling from the chair. âIâm trying not to use it as much. It splutters when it starts up and I have to try it a whole bunch of times, so the less I use it, the closer to graduation we can get before it eventually taps out.â
âYou ever think about just getting it fixed?â
âOh, big words from the man whose engine is held together with duct tape.â Your hand rubbed over the hood of the car, a slightly dusty layer that made you cringe, and you wiped your hand off on your jacket to stop it.
âTouchĂŠ.â Stiles only smirked. âCâmon, Iâll give you a ride to my place. Iâll be waiting for hours if you walk.â
He slammed his car door once his legs were inside, leaning over the centre console to pop open the passenger side door as you rounded the car, and he was sparking up the car before you were even fully inside. Slamming it shut, he was reversing from his spot as you clipped in your safety belt, swinging his car around, and you gripped onto the edge of the door. âEasy there, fast and furious.â
âOh, relax. Nobody is around.â
âExcept for me, and Iâd like to live until graduation.â His eyes rolled, hitting the brakes and flicking on the indicators as he was leaving the parking lot, moving out onto the main roads. There werenât so many other cars, the mid-afternoon meaning the other students were mostly in class, in bed, or eating their lunch. College was a weird time, and while youâd loved it, you couldn't wait to regain some kind of normality. âCan we swing by my place? I need to swap out my books. I donât want to carry all these around.â
âOkay, but be quick! I have to be ready by six and out the door by six-thirty. Derek will kill me if Iâm late for this.â His fingers were tapping on the steering wheel as he changed direction to head to your place instead of his own. The space between you both was filled with the radio, the simple tunes of classic 70s anthems, the songs Stiles had grown up with, his dadâs favourite records and he played them constantly. He knew all the words, mouthing along and banging his head, pausing occasionally to check the mirrors and the roads between dancing in his seat.
Rolling the window down as he slowed in his approach to the building, afresh air swept into the carbon of the car, the slightly musty smell of the older car was something youâd miss when it was gone. The shade of the concrete cover overhead was chillier than the sunny roads, and he swung himself haphazardly into a parking space.
âIâll turn the car around and wait here, cool?â
âI wonât take long, promise!â Hopping from the car and closing the door, you leant on the open door frame, and Stiles slouched in his seat, as he usually did. âLydia and Ally should both be out, so thereâs nobody for me to even talk to.â
âGood, because youâre chatty.â He teased, and you flipped him off, a quick walk as you headed away from him to the stairs. Once you were there, you were taking a quick jog up the sets of stairs, headed for your floor, and balancing your books in your arms carefully. Rooting through your bag to find your keys, they were at the bottom, jingling tantalisingly for you to find.
Leaving your books on the countertop of the kitchen, you shifted through them, taking the notebook you needed and leaving the rest, piling them back up and taking them to your bedroom Abandoned on the desk, you rushed to change, throwing on a bigger and warmer jumper to get through the rest of the day, phone in your pocket and a bag on your arm. Passing back through the kitchen, you were ready to grab the notebook and bag youâd left there, keys hanging in the back of the door, and you eyed the freezer.
Youâd made a bet, a point to prove, and you were certain that buried somewhere deep in the bottom, you had a frozen lasagne from the last time youâd made it for Allison and Lydia. You had a few spare moments, and so you moved over to the freezer, opening the door and crouching to scan over all the shelves.
Running your fingers over frozen plastic, you searched for the right one. Tinfoil crinkling in the back, behind a bag of dinosaur chicken nuggets and a tray of alcoholic ice cubes, was a tray of lasagne. Pulling it out, the cold chilled your arm, even through the layers of your hoodie, and you used your foot to close the freezer while wrapping the tray in the nearest tea towel for an extra layer.
Placing your notebook over it and holding it in both arms for security, you clicked the latch onto the door, keys in your pocket and bag on your shoulder to let it swing closed behind you.
Stiles saw you coming, his head snapping over to the metal door between the stairwell and the parking lot when it fell open, backing through it and his brows raised. Opening up the passenger side door, he took the lasagne from you when you handed it over, climbing back into the vehicle.
âThis is cold. What is it?â
âLasagne.â You settled it onto your lap once your safety belt was on, folding the towel underneath to keep your lap from getting chilled and painful, and he nodded. The engine was still running, and taking off the brakes, he was pulling out of the space again.
âSo, not that I donât love a home-cooked meal, but Iâm going out for dinner. Why the traybake?â
âI have a point to prove to Noah.â You were looking out of the window, but you could feel his gaze on you, making you a little uncomfortable, and you turned to face him. His eyes were flicking between you and the road, brows furrowed, a stare like he was trying to figure you out, before he let it go. âHe told me I looked like I couldn't cook, and itâs a battle Iâm going to win.â
âWell, alright then. Save me leftovers?â
âWeâll see.â You winked, and he grinned, eyes flicking to the tray in your lap, before back to the road.
It was only a short journey, the distance between your place and Stilesâ building was short for a walk and even shorter in a car, on the edges of campus and conveniently placed, and it had been one of the building blocks of your friendship with him An easily accessible study partner, somewhere to hang out with, someone to walk home with you after a night out, someone to share a cab with, or simply knowing there was a friend so close to you.
âItâs going to be weird not living around the corner from you in just a few months.â
âOh, I donât know.â He sighed, pulling into his one building sparking area and it didnât have the luxury of being covered or underground, it was exposed each flat having allocated parking spaces, and Noahâs bike was parked underneath the shelter, you could see it from here, with a clamp around the wheel and covered from the impending and risky weather of the early months. âI have a feeling that youâll end up living next door to me someday.â
âYou do?â
He parked the car, arm behind your head as he reversed into it, ready to make a quick getaway on the next morning, or this evening, when he would invariably be late. In true Stiles Stilinski style. âYeah. Especially after I rock whatever gown you want me to wear for being your maid of honour, someday.â
âLydia is going to fight you for that role.â
âI will fistfight her for it.â He challenged, and you grinned, clambering down from the car as Stiles had parked a little too close to someone else on your side. With your bag on your shoulder and lasagne in one hand, you tried to squeeze around the door without scratching someone elseâs paintwork.
Stilesâ arm was slung over your shoulder as you set off toward the building, the elevator being fully functional, and it was a refreshing change not need to take the stairs up to your place, or risk your life in a rickety elevator.
Throwing his keys down on the kitchen counter, they slid all the way across and to the other side, hitting the floor, and he grimaced when you turned to stare at him. âIâll pick those up later.â
âUh-huh.â The sounds of video games and music were coming from behind Noahâs door, though it wasnât fully closed, only pushed halfway, and you hoped that was a sign that he was still in a good mood. Leaving your bag on the edge of the couch that was facing away from you, your hands rubbed together, glancing around at the environment you were still getting used to. âYou should put this lasagne in now, so that itâs ready for after the study. Medium heat, leave the full-on tight.â
âWhere are you going?â
âTo say âheyâ to your brother.â Stilesâ face scrunched up, a mumble of âgood luckâ as he picked up the tray, lifting it over his head to look in at it from underneath. Wandering toward the sounds coming from the hall, you knocked on the edge of the door, pushing it open a second later when you heard the game pause, and the music following it. Leaning on the doorframe, Noah turned to face you, brows raising slightly, and he shifted in his chair. âHey.â
âHi. Itâs, uh, time for the study stuff, then?â
âYeah. You okay?â He shrugged, turning back to his game and closing it off, leaning forwards from where he was sat on his bed enough to turn the console off.
âI didnât realise weâd be doing it here. It feels more personal, somehow.â He had a large hoodie on, comfortable in his own clothes as he wore a baggy and warm outfit, the same way you often had when everything started to feel overwhelming.
âWell, this study is going to get pretty personal.â
âI know that. Itâs just that right now, it feels a bit like Iâm naked, yâknow?â You chuckled, a momentary smile on his face flashing past, and you were glad to see it. âI just feel exposed.â
âThis study is gonnaâ do that, but I promise that Iâll try and make it as easy as I can. Iâll break it up, Iâll make it comfortable for you, and weâll stop whenever youâre getting overwhelmed.â
âThatâd be great, actually.â His hands rubbed together, sleeves hanging slightly down over his palms, and he looked a whole lot less terrifying right now than he did with the armour of a bike and a leather jacket. âOkay, Iâm ready.â
âGood, because I need you in high spirits. I brought a lasagne and I have a point to prove.â
You backed out of the room as he advanced toward you, the door closing and leaving you both standing in the hall, and he smirked down at you a little, a disbelieving expression. âYou really brought that?â
âYou bet I did. Itâll be ready by the time we finish.â
âThen I guess weâd better get started, huh?â He hopped over the back of the couch, settling in beside his brother, who scowled at him as his drink spilt down his shirt from the impact. Taking a seat on the other side of them both, your legs folded underneath yourself in the armchair, finding a glass of water laid out for yourself on the table, courtesy of Stiles.
They looked so different and yet so similar in this moment. You could understand how people may have confused the two of them before their styles became so radically different. In the beginning, before Noah turned to leather and a sleeve tattoo, when they both wore hoodies and band tees and had clean pale skin. With the sleeve of tattoos covered, and the pair both wearing hoodies, one with an etching across the front and the other with a faded logo from being washed one too many times,
Laying out your books, it was more of a note youâd keep to yourself, and following from that was your recorder, coated in the front pocket of your bag so as not to get crushed. Switching it on at the side, the red light flashed on to green blinking once to let you know it was active. âCan you guys do your confirmations for me while I get set up?â
âSurely can.â Stiles sat forwards, leaning down a little with his forearms braced across his knees, as opposed to Noah, who slumped back into the cushion. âStiles Stilinski, happy to be recorded.â
âNoah Stilinski, aware of being recorded.â Stiles rolled his eyes at his brotherâs dead tone, clearly not having as much fun as Stiles was, but you didnât blame him.
âOkay, so, why donât you guys tell me what itâs like to live together at college.â There was a beat of silence, and then a set of matching laughs from both of them, the two starting at one another. There was a look between them, one you didnât quite understand, and it seemed like some kind of twin-telepathy communication.
âItâs, like, exactly the same as when we were in high school.â
âUh, what?â Stiles interjected, and Noah turned to look at him. âItâs nothing like high school!â
âYes, it is!â Noah insisted, and you smirked, picking up your water and taking a sip as the two stared in shock at one another. âWe lived together in high school, we played video games, I did all the cooking and you did all the cleaning while dad was at work. The only thing that is different is that we canât cheat from one anotherâs homework anymore.â
âWe donât drive to school together anymore, weâre on opposite sides of campus!â
âThat so doesnât count.â Noah scoffed, and Stiles twisted on the couch, his hand gestures much more emphasised than that of his brotherâs and you watched the debate go down. âYou canât name any more than that.â
âI take that as a challenge.â Stilesâ head rolled side to side. âOur schedules donât match up anymore, and we havenât had our usual movie nights in almost six months now. I canât bring Derek over because your room is right across from mine-â
âMy room was across the hall from you at home. You just didnât date in high school or have anyone to bring home.â
âLow-blow. Unlike some people, I didnât want to traumatise my brother in high school by bringing someone home, for that.â Stiles reached out mid-sentence, swatting at his brotherâs shoulder, before continuing; âUh, let's see. Oh! We donât talk anymore, you didnât ride your motorbike so much at home, you used to ride in the jeep with me. Itâs like a totally different world now.â
âI didnât know you felt like that.â There was a palpable kind of feeling in the air, something between them that was sizzling with electricity, before Stiles sighed.
âItâs no big deal. The difference is just that weâre both so busy now.â
âThat was really good, actually. Thanks.â The two seemed to have forgotten you were there, both flinching and turning to face you again, matching sets of honey-coloured eyes in varying shades were fixing on you again. âSpeaking of what you said, though, does it ever make it hard for you guys when your class times are so different?â
âHard to do what?â Stiles squinted at you, face set in a frown that his twin normally wore.
âHard to hang out, talk, have that whole brotherly bond going on.â Your clarification did little for Stiles, his brows still pulled tight and frown never moving, but Noahâs face smoothed out.
âOh.. well, I g-â
âTotally.â Noah pressed, and once again, Stilesâ head whipped around to look at his brother. âDonât look at me like that. You basically said it, anyway. We donât talk so much anymore. We barely know each other. You donât even tell me about your podcast, anymore.â
âYou never listened!â
âYou used to tell me your problems, not broadcast them to the world with jokes and humour! I missed two episodes, and you just stopped keeping me updated on it.â The moodier twin crossed his arms over his chest, and you swallowed thickly at the environment you had unwittingly created. âI donât know. Just feels like we used to talk a lot more.â
They both went silent, and Noah shot you a pleading look, but there was something darker behind it. It almost felt venomous, angry or defensive, as though to say âI told you soâ about it being more personal now that they were home. Stiles was occupying himself with pulling a loose thread on their couch cushion out and making it that much worse, distracting himself from it all. âWell, how about something a little bit lighter. Just some questions about hobbies. Stiles, what inspired you to first start a podcast?â
âWell, as you know, I never stop talking.â He smirked, Noah laughing beside him, and just like that, the awkward air between them both was completely evaporated. âI had a lot to say, I had a lot to get off of my mind. At first, it was just to get my thoughts out there. It was kind of like a recorded journey for myself, and to share with my friends from back home. But, then other people started listening. I thought it was going to be the end of my college social life, a social life that I was developing for the first time ever, and they liked it. I was just talking into a mic and getting things off of my chest, making no sense while telling stories and bitching about my homework and suddenly I had friends. It got a whole lot of followers and I made new friends,â
He paused, offering you a wink for the comment, and you beamed.
â-and I was going to parties, I met my boyfriend at a pep rally, and everything just kinda.. blossomed. The more I got out of it, the more inspired I was to keep going. I ended up making multiple videos a week, all differently themed. Sometimes movie reviews, sometimes songs, sometimes just talking. Thatâs how âMischief Micâ was born.â
âAlright. That was awesome.â Stiles bowed as best he could from sitting on the couch, and reached over to take a sip of his drink. âOkay, Noah, have you got any hobbies that you didnât have in high school that you found when you came to college.â
âNot really.â
âNot even one?â You pushed, and the arms folded over his chest tightened, his gaze going to the floor, socked toes pushing into the twist cable rug. He took his glass, swigging all of it, the water draining from the glass in nervousness, and you could hear the crickets inside your mind chirping to fill the silence that had formed.
âNo. Not really. Iâm going to get more water, feel free to continue.â
âUh, okay.â You pressed your pen down into your paper, drawing a line through the question on your paper as you realised youâd have no answer to that question when you listened back on the tape at a later time. âStiles, back to you, then.â
Your next question came, and went, and Stiles was more than happy to answer them. Occasionally, Noah would answer a question, youâd be able to pin him down long enough to get a straight answer out of him, but there seemed to always be something that he needed to mess with, or fix. Almost half of your questions for him had a line drawn through, and you would have to ask them another time, and get a whole extra session in without Stiles, dragging the study out.
It was going to take you twice as long to get through it all if every time you had to ask them separately, and had to spend your time trying to force him to sit and answer. You were missing half of the information that you needed to be able to compare to Stilesâ answers, you couldnât answer without them.
The clock ticked by, leaving you with all of your questions for Stiles answered. On a blank page, while Noah had once again been tinkering with something in the kitchen, youâd rewritten up all over the crossed out questions that would still need answers. You had doodled on the corner again, waiting for him to come and sit back down, a collection of hearts and flowers, the occasional bee or ladybug, even a couple of misshaped stars, forming a banner across the top of the page.
When he finally came to sit back down, he huffed, eyes moving to the clock as though he was waiting for this to end just as much as Stiles was, and you gave up.
âOkay, how about we just finish this up?â You had reached the end of your tether, not even bothering with the rest of the questions that were written down for him. âWe got almost two hours in, thatâs perfect.â
Noah sighed, something like an apology in his look as your eyes met his and he shrugged lightly. Stiles only nodded, eyes flicking up to the clock on the wall, and he was grinning when he came back. Tearing a page out of your notebook for each of them, you passed it over, blank paper sitting before them, and you searched for a pen or pencil in the bottom of your bag for each of them. Placing your pen down before Stiles and a pencil in front of Noah, they both leaned forwards, picking them up. Switching off your recorder and packing it away, you were left with the two staring at you expectantly.
âOkay, Stiles, come fill yours out in the kitchen. You canât discuss these ones.â
âOh, some mystery. I like that.â He picked up his paper and pencil, heading over to the kitchen counter, folding the sheet in half as he did, and you nodded. Standing from your place behind the coffee table, your bag slumped a little more from where it had been propped against your leg.
âOkay, I want you both to try self-diagnosing yourself.â Stiles gasped, a little excitement lacing it, and his pencil was already moving over the paper. Noah, however, looked a little lost, looking to you for guidance. âDonât worry, you donât need to use professional terms, just, describe what you think, Iâll be able to figure it out, and if I canât, Iâll ask you about it at some point.â
He nodded, pausing, not quite as eager to get into the activity as Stiles was, before the pencil finally met the paper, and the slow scratching of graphite over paper filled the silence.
Moving away to the kitchen, you searched for plates, and a dish, laying them out on the counter before moving to the oven. A wave of hot air into your face once you pulled the door open, and when it cleared, you search for the kitchen towel youâd brought with you. Wrapping it carefully around the edges of the tray inside, you pulled it out, resting it atop the oven and closing the door back up.
Flicking off the handles, the light inside went dead, and Stiles loomed up behind you. âSmells good!â He presented a piece of paper to you, your eyes flicking over what heâd written once youâd taken it from him, and everything that heâd written about himself seemed completely accurate. It wasnât a surprising self-evaluation, Stiles had spent almost four years studying this, just like you had, and so it was bound to be accurate and professional. Even if his handwriting looked a little bit like chicken-scratch.
Noah was still working on his, and Stiles was picking at the edges of the tinfoil, trying not to touch the glass of the casserole dish and burn himself, and as soon as he had some foil pinched between his fingers, he was pulling it back. âWait, Stiles, watch out for the-â
âFucking steam! Oh, my God, thatâs so fucking hot!â
His hand snapped back, half unpeeled as all the steam from inside clouded in the air, and his hand was clutched to his chest. He was glaring at the pot, before moving away and running his hands underneath the cold tap at the sink, his thumb rubbing over wet skin to soothe it.
A second later, Noah was appearing, placing his paper face down on top of Stiles, which now lay on the kitchen counter. âWell, now that Iâve been scalded by pasta, Iâm going to go shower and get ready.â
âMâkay.â He backed away, and Noah leaned on the counter beside you.
âLooks good, but does it taste any good, is the question.â The twin you were left with was teasing you, your eyes finding him, and you raised a brow.
âYeah, yeah. Just get me something to serve it up with, alright?â
He smirked, pulling open the drawer behind him and searching for a serving spoon. Slicing it into pieces, you dished it up for him, a large slab on a plate, still steaming with cheese that had only just stopped bubbling. He grabbed a fork, and one for you too, waiting patiently as you served yourself, and put whatever was left into a dish for Stiles, covering it back up and leaving it to cool.
âOkay, prepare for the best lasagne of your life.â
Picking up the papers and your plate, the two of you moved back to the couch, sitting opposite one another, and you waited with excitement. Taking a piece off of his plate with the edge of his fork, he raised it, blowing cold air over it for a few moments, before taking the bite. There was a tense few moments, while he chewed, face unreadable, before he was swallowing the mouthful.
âWell?â
You couldnât take the anticipation any longer, a smile on his face at the desperation you showed for his answer, and he gave in. âAlright, alright. This may actually be the best lasagne I have ever had.â
âYes!â Your hands went up in the air, cheering excitedly and he laughed at your reaction, holding his hand up when you forced him to, palms slamming together in a high-five. He was tucking in again, and you reached for your plate, excited for the meal you had made, Taking a large piece on the tip of your fork, you tucked in.
The sound of Stilesâ shower was running in the background, and he was singing loudly, a song that you were certain was a TV show intro but youâd never seen the show, and there was a chance it was something from Disney Channel. Picking up the pieces of paper again, you turned Noahâs around to face you.
Youâd had an expectation, you knew what you thought he was going to write down, and yet you were somehow surprised and entirely not surprised at the same time. It was what you expected but with a twist. He had confidence in what heâd written about himself he was sure of it, and while there were definitely elements that youâd disagree with, there was a lot of truth to it, and you frowned, reading it again.
Noah was watching you do so, the scrape of forks over plates as the lull in chatter came back, and you place the two pieces of paper into the front of your notebook, making sure that it was all sealed tightly away. âIs it alright?â
âItâs just not what I expected from you. But, itâs perfect.â
âThat feels like a backhanded compliment.â He smiled softly, but he looked nervous, and you shook your head.
âNot at all, it just means that you have a better grasp on this whole thing than I thought you did.â It was the truth, and while you didnât want to reveal so much to him about it all without compromising your work, but it made sense. âIt just feels like with the way today went, like you werenât really so interested in it, so I didnât expect such an accurate self-diagnosis from you.â
âI know, Iâm sorry.â He sighed, pushing what was left of his food around the plate, and you copied him, appetite dwindling. âItâs just that when youâre here, in my apartment, and youâre asking questions about what changed and making me confront everything, it feels like real therapy. You said it was going to be casual, and this didnât feel casual.â
âI get it. I really do, and itâs okay. I can just email you the questions you didnât answer, and you can get around to them whenever you feel up to it, alright?â He nodded, shaking off the eveningâs stress. He continued to eat, polishing off the meal that was laid out before him and settling his hands over his stomach once he was finished. There was a satisfied smile on his face, and your empty plate was soon stacking on top of his own. Leaning forwards a little, you caught Noahâs eye, and one of his brows arched up. âI can try to make it more informal, in the future.â
âThat would be great, actually.â
You smiled, the consolidation made between the two of you, and your ears picked up on another sound. âHold on, is Stiles blow-drying his hair?â
âOh, yeah.â He laughed, head turning to the closed bathroom door where his brother resided. âHe thinks it makes his hair fluffy.â
âHe gels his hair, though! Why does it matter if itâs fluffy?â
âHeâs insane. Donât you know this, yet?â Noah scoffed, and your giggles carried you back into the rest of the chair as you settled back into it. The evening was still waiting to come in fully. Comfortable quiet fell between you both again, and Noah moved away to take the plates to the kitchen. He left them in the sink, water running to wash them up, before storing Stilesâ lasagne in the fridge.
The aforementioned boy moved from the bathroom to his bedroom, skidding on the floors a little and clutching the towel to his waist as he hurried, making himself late with the extra-long shower and the blowdrying of his hair. Noah was washing up the plates, leaving them to dry on the draining rack, and you took that as your cue. The night was over, that much was clear, and youâd be willing to bet that he was more than eager to get back to his alone time.
Taking your bag and double-checking that you had everything, you swung it up onto your shoulder, and made your way toward the door. Hearing the shuffling of your feet, Noah turned, drying his hands on the towel beside him. âAre you going?â
âFeels like I should. Stiles will be going soon, anyway. Iâm sure you have things to do, too.â
âI donât have anything to do, if Iâm being honest.â He cringed at his own words, pulling down the rolled-up sleeves of his hoodie and making his way over to you. Undoing the catch on the door, he pulled it open, leaning against it and you linseed in the doorway.
âSince youâre not doing anything, do you wannaâ get a coffee with me?â
His eyes narrowed, just for a second, and his fingers tapped anxiously on the wood of the door. âAs a study subject, or..?â
âAs friends.â You confirmed, his lips a thin line for only a second, before pulling up at the sides in a smile.
âThen, yeah. Iâd like that.â He looked down, sweatpants and mismatching socks on his lower half, and there was a tint on his cheeks when he looked up. âJust give me two seconds to go change, alright?â
He darted away before you had a chance to reply leaving you there with the words frozen in your throat. Stiles was clattering around behind his own door, and Noahâs door slammed shut, leaving you alone in the doorway. Your hands tapped against your thighs as you waited, bag swinging on your shoulder, and only a second later, one of the doors was opening.
To your surprise, it was Stiles, flapping the flannel on his body to shake out any creases, and he stood before you. Doing a little twirl from where he stood, he began to button it up down his front, looking somewhat smart. It was a nice black and white one, no rips or tears or stains like most of his other ones, and the black stood out prominently against the white, thick patterns with flecks of grey within it.
âHow do I look, then?â
âYou look great, Sti. Iâve never seen you wear anything so plain before. Thereâs no colour.â
âYeah, well, this is a new flannel. Itâs my best one, and the skinny jeans are Noahâs. All my skinny jeans are blue or red, it was this or khakis.â He was nervous, resisting the urge to mess with his freshly-styled hair. âThe place weâre going to is kinda fancy, but I donât feel fancy enough for it. Iâm gonnaâ do something stupid like drop my glass and smash it or make a joke about something dumb.â
âHavenât you met his family before?â You teased, and he huffed, searching for his keys, and finding them under the counter where heâd never bothered to pick them up from.
âNo, not really. Iâve met his mom because she comes to visit a lot, and of course, his little sister, because sheâs a sophomore here. But, he has a lot of family. His extended family are coming to graduation, but this is his older sister and his dad, and his uncle, and Iâve never met them before.â His keys were tucked into his back pocket, and his phone followed, your gaze moving over him.
âYou got a blazer, Stiles?â
âUh, yeah. One that my dad made me promise to bring, I wore it to my senior prom.â He shrugged, hands smoothing over his front. âYou think I should wear it?â
âGo get it, show me.â He nodded, moving back to his bedroom, and you were waiting for something with orange and blue stripes to come back out, which wouldnât surprise you. In fact, youâd always imagined Stiles going to his senior prom in a Beetlejuice suit. Noah emerged from the other side of the hall, hangers scraping over their post in a wardrobe as Stiles searched for them. âDid Stiles go to prom in a Beetlejuice suit?â
Noah paused, rolling the edges of his hoodie up, charcoal grey skinny jeans that were only a  few shades lighter than the ones Stiles had stolen from him on his legs, and a pair of his usual scuffled boots. âWhat?â
He was laughing, loudly, shaking his head to hide his grin. âItâs a legitimate question! I have this mental image of it!â
âUnfortunately, he did not. My dad made us both go in three-piece formal suits. He saved up to have them custom made. Said that every man should have a smart suit.â He shrugged, crouching to start tying the laces on his shoes and Stiles reappeared. Over his shoulders was a dark black suit, crisp collar and pressed edges, and it was a beautiful piece of tailoring.
âYou look good, Sti. Very smart, but casual. Like a polished version of your usual self.â
âYeah? Good enough to meet Derekâs family?â His voice shook, and you wished you could ease him more.
âTotally. You look great.â He thanked you both, and Noah grabbed his wallet from the side, and his house keys, letting them both hang in the front pocket of an oversized hoodie.
âYou ready to go?â He offered, hand on the top of the door, and Stilesâ head snapped up again from where heâd been checking his phone, presumably looking for texts from Derek.
âWhere are you two going?â
âWeâre getting coffee!â You beamed, and Noah nodded, stepping a little further out of the door with you.
âOh, well, have fun. Iâll text you updates about how it goes. I might need bathroom-break pep-talk during the night.â You waved to him as you went, wishing him âgood luckâ, before the two of you were wandering down the halls. Thumbing the button for the elevator, the doors popped open, and you were stepping inside along with Noah.
âSo, you wannaâ show off those new small talk skills to me, then?â
âOkay, okay. Let me think of something.â He hummed under his breath, glancing up to the top of the elevator and looking around at the posters on the walls for inspiration, and he seemed to find one. Turning his attention quickly back to you, you prepared for what heâd found. âHave you listened to any of the student bands? Thereâs been a lot of them growing, lately.â
âIâve noticed that, actually.â There were several posters up around the inside of the elevator, different coloured flyers, some on shiny paper and some on smooth matte, varying fonts and designs, it was dizzying. âI havenât, Iâve never been to see a student band. I should do that before I graduate, though. Have you?â
âIâve been to a couple.â The door clicked open, the two of you stepping through it. Out into the setting chill of the evening that was threatening to break its way in. He chose the direction youâd be going in, heading toward the coffee shop on the side of campus that had been the first the two of you had met at when beginning the study. âSome of them are good, some of them are kindaâ average. They usually play at the bars on the edges of campus or in the places in the city, the less well-known, kindaâ alternative places. They can be fun.â
âYou going out optionally to a night on the town? Iâm shocked.â
âUh, no!â He protested, grinning at you. âIâve never been for a ânight on the townâ, and I never will. However, going to one of the few small bars around here that arenât practically a nightclub, to listen to covers of good songs and get a pint without worrying about anyone bothering me or mistaking me for my brother, thatâs nice.â
âOkay, well, maybe Iâll go to one sometime.â
âYou should, I think youâd have fun.â The two of you weaved between other students, the small talk keeping up between you both as he did his best, and while it was sometimes a little stuttered and stalled, it wasnât nearly as bad as you had expected. It wasnât until the two of you had entered the coffee shop that he fell into tight silence again. The crowds, the rush of chatter from other groups gathered around the tables, and the friendly greetings of baristas whose chit-chat diverted to him due to his allegiance with you.
âWhat are you drinking? My treat.â
âUh, just a black coffee.â He choked out, eyes flicking over all the boards, so many options up there, and you chuckled.
âReally, just a black coffee?â
âIâve never really experimented. I just ordered whatever was the quickest and the easiest.â He confessed, already glancing back over his shoulder at the queue that was forming behind you both. âWhat would you recommend?â
âHm, well, do you have a sweet tooth?â He only nodded, scratching around his cuticles on one hand and staring down at the flesh growing red, and you took his hand. Lowering it back down to his side, the hand formed a fist, flexed nervously, and you let it go, squeezing comfortingly first. Turning to the barista, she was still waiting patiently, and your eyes moved over the boards overhead. âTwo mint and dark chocolate hot cocoas.â
âThat sounds really good, actually.â He leaned down, mumbling the words into your ear to make sure you heard the quiet tone over the talk in the small coffee house.
âAnd, two croissants, too.â She rang it up on the machine, and you leaned in a little closer to her. âDo you have any of the warm and fresh ones straight from the oven?â
âWe made a fresh batch about twenty minutes ago, theyâre cooling. Iâll get them from the back for you.â She finished it with a wink, passing the card machine over to you once youâd produced your card from your wallet. Swiping it across the reader, you moved to the end of the line, and she moved away to begin preparing your order as someone else took over at the counter.
She was working, creating two beautifully constructed hot chocolates for you both. Placing them down on the counter before you, once they were garnished with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, she disappeared into the back room. Taking one of the ceramic plates with her, you were happy to see her bypass the glass cabinet with the older ones in, and only a moment later, she was coming back. Two fresh croissants on a plate, still warm and soft to the touch, and she handed those over as well.
Noah had been scouting for a place to sit, choosing which was the best one, and he carried both of the drinks while you carried the pastries, guiding you to the seat heâd chosen. It was tucked away in the back, a small loveseat sofa with a low sitting coffee table in front of it, and as soon as the paper cups were down on the surface of the table, he was dropping down into the seat.
âIt feels like rush hour on the highway, but with coffee.â He mumbled, and you settled onto the couch beside him passing him his drink over, and he stared at it curiously. âWhat about the whipped cream. Do I eat that first? Scrape it off? Mix it in?â
âAny of the above.â You grinned, taking a wooden stirrer from the condiments tray in the middle and beginning to stir the cream into your hot chocolate. He placed it down, copying your actions, stirring slowly and trying not to spill any over the edges, but it was an impossible feat to achieve. Sticky droplets left over the edges of your cups and his, creating rings on the table that you had to mop up with tissues. âOkay, try it. This is one of my favourite orders here. Itâs bitter because of the dark chocolate, but also sweet. Reminds me of you.â
âNow, that one is a backhanded compliment.â He muttered, taking a sip of the drink, and your lips rubbed together.
âNot everything is a backhanded statement, you know. I didnât intend for it to be mean, itâs just the truth. Youâre all dark and moody, but I can already tell youâre sweet on the inside.â You sipped your drink to finish your statement, and he filled the time where he didnât know what else to say by pulling a chunk off of his croissant. Chewing on it idly, he settled back into the cushions, and you lifted your legs up to fold underneath yourself as you turned to face him. âCan I ask you a question?â
âYouâve already asked me a lot of questions today.â
âYou didnât answer many, though. You kindaâ have to give me this one.â He scowled falsely, but nodded, licking a flake of pastry from his lower lip. âNot that I think you need it, because personally, I think youâre just fine, but why are you so scared about therapy? The idea of it, anything to do with it, it makes you so closed off. Even more than usual.â
His eyes moved over the room, nervously, before scanning both you and the table, and you put your drink down, holding open palms up to him.
âNo recorder, no study. Iâm just curious.â
âOkay.â He sighed shakily, and slumped back. âWell, after my mom died, my dad made me and Stiles have therapy when we started acting out. We had a therapist who came to the house, and she was great, donât get me wrong, but I hated it. I didnât want her to tell me how to grieve or mourn, and I didnât want her to tell me how to move on. Stiles needed all the advice he could get, but I didnât want it. I wanted to do it my own way. Now, the idea of therapy, brings back all those feelings of sadness and pressure and stress.â
âIâm sorry, Noah.â You reached out, rubbing a hand over his shoulder, and his gaze fell to the contact. âGenuine sympathy and sorrow, not just that thing girls do that you hate.â
âStop hanging things Iâve said over me, I donât remember half of them. I blackout in social situations.â He grinned, moving past the moment, and you withdrew your touch.
âYou know, if it makes you feel any better, I understand the nervousness of being in a study.â
âYeah?â He picked up the rest of his croissant, a large chunk of it being eaten, as he waited for you.
âYeah. When I moved here, I was so nervous. I was beginning to take my course and I didnât really have any friends, and there was a senior who needed freshmen for her study.â Noah grinned, settling in for the story and sipping his drink. âShe was doing a study about the difference between kids who travelled far from home for college alone as opposed to those who were still close to home, and whether it impacted social clubs, grades, all that. To be fair, it was an awesome study.â
âIt sounds like it.â
You smiled, swirling the cup in your hands to gather any loose powder that may have begun to separate and gather at the bottom. âWell, I got drawn into it. She was a senior, and she was nice. I had no friends yet, I was in a flat-share with Allison and Lydia and three other girls who were all too busy getting adjusted to college themselves. So, this senior, she invited me to a party, and then another one, and suddenly people started wanting to be my friend because I was the freshman who hung out with seniors. I figured it would all drop away when her study ended and she didnât need me anymore, but by then the whole social hierarchy had done its thing, and there I was.â
You shrugged, and Noah was hiding a shit-eating grin behind his mug. âSo, you were just a little freshman lab rat, then?â
You scoffed, your laughter mixing with his, and the two of you were left in subtle amusement. His laughter was cut short, though, brought a rapid halt when a set of legs bumped against your table on the other side, followed by two more behind them.
âHey, girl!â One of the girls on the cheer team, a lacrosse player behind her and a girl who you recognised from your psychology class texting on her phone. âSaw you over here, wanted to know what your plans for the evening were. Weâre going to do some karaoke and get some food, you wannaâ come?â
Your eyes moved to Noah, whose attention was fixed on the floor again, as though the splintering wood was of utmost interest. âMaybe another time. I think weâre good here for now.â
âOh, you sure? I think it could be super fun, you should both come.â The invitation was now extended to you both, and you shook your head at her despite it.
âSeriously, you should go, if you want to,â Noah whispered, and when you turned back to him now, heâd dared to look up, chewing on a lower lip that would go raw, but he met your gaze.
âNo, Iâm sure. Iâm having fun here.â You held his gaze for a second longer, before turning to her, and confirming your denial, and she smiled, promising to make plans with you soon, before she was walking away. Noah was fidgeting beside you, shuffling in his seat, and you could practically feel the nerves rolling off of him in waves. âIâm serious, Noah. Iâm having fun, and Iâm perfectly happy here with you, right now.â
He was trying not to grin, a smile that was being bitten back on the inside of his cheek. âWell, for the record, Iâm having fun too.â
âWhat was that?â You cupped your ear, challenging him to repeat it, even though you had heard it perfectly, and by the look on his face, he knew the game you were playing.
âI said Iâm having fun. I wonât deny it.â
âTwo victories in one day, for this gal. Iâm breaking down all your walls, Noah Stilinski.â You poked at his cheek, and he swatted your hand away, taking a bite from your croissant as punishment, and you tried to snatch it back from him.
âTwo victories, one loss. Youâre not getting this croissant back, now.â
#sun in the shadows#SITS#void stiles#void stiles au#void stiles/reader#void stiles x reader#stiles stilinski#stiles stilinksi x reader#stiles stilinski/reader#stiles stilinski teen wolf#void stiles teen wolf#dylan o'brien#dylan obrien#dylan obrien x reader#dylan obrien/reader#dylan obrien teen wolf#dylan obrien stiles stilinski#dylan obrien void stiles#nogit-june#nogitjune#void month
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ââ PHOTOGRAPH // CHANHEE.
pairing: photographer! chanhee x fem! reader genre: fluff, bffs to lovers word count: 2k warnings // notes: profanities, cliche, cheesy things and shitty effort of making lines ;; happiest birthday to our choi chanhee!! may he be blessed for his heart full of love <3
"You're coming to my exhibit, right?" He said as he hands you one of the tickets, and you chuckling because of the name of his exhibit.
"What kind of name is this?" You stifled a laugh, "My Art Speaks Words I Want to Deliver to You,"
Chanhee watches you hold on to dear life as you burst out laughing, wiping the tears that have escaped your eyes.
"Well, if only the linguistic major here helped me pick out some words I don't even know exists," He glares at you, "Then maybe we could've picked a better name, am I right?" He rolls his eyes as you calmed down, finally taking a seat beside him on the couch.
âOkay, okay Mr. grumpy, Iâm sorry,â You said between laughter. Looking at the time and date, you nod, your smile slowly fading to a frown.
âWhatâs wrong? You canât come again?â He frowns with you, a pout coming out of his lips. Your heart broke by the sight, knowing that even if he had hundreds of exhibits already, you havenât come to one because of work.
âIâm afraid Iâm gonna have to miss this one too,â You tackled him into a hug. âI have a very important meeting set by last minute,â You mumbled against the crook of his neck, causing him to whine.
âI was so sure youâd go to this one though..â You hear him mumble, as a sigh came out.Â
âHow are you so sure?â You raised your eyebrows at him, sitting up.Â
âI checked your schedule!â He exclaimed, getting the ticket from you. âI canât help it. You always have work when I handle an exhibit and wow, are you still my best friend?â He dramatically stands up, making his way to the other couch in front of you.
âAw,â You whined, tailing him and throwing yourself at him again making him groan. âGive me that,â You reach for the ticket, only to be pulled by Chanhee again.
âCanât you just cancel it?â He pouts, looking desperate.
âLook, Iâm not the client. I canât just cancel whenever,â You pressed his cheeks together, wiggling his face. âBut give me the ticket. If they can set meetings last minute, they might cancel things last minute too. Weâll never know,â You reached higher, grabbing the ticket.
Chanhee huffed, making you lose your footing and it all happened so fast, you instinctively put out your elbow to support your fallâ well, on the floor. You didnât know Chanhee had that goddamn fast reflexes as he pulls you close to him, making you elbow his.. danger zone.
You shrieked as chanhee silently suffers, his face saying it all.Â
âOh my fucking god..â You muttered, pressing your lips to a thin line to stop yourself from bursting in laughter.Â
Chanhee lets out a small groan as you slowly remove your elbows, your face mirroring Chanheeâs pained face.
âIâm so sorry,â You mumble, letting out a small laugh.
âIâd kill you if you laugh right in front of me,â He sighs out, crouching and wriggled his body all over the couch.
You were red. Oh, no. Not because of what just happened, but because you were stopping yourself from laughing. You knew Chanhee meant every word he said.
âYou should fucking go at my exhibit after busting my balls,â He mumbled against the throw pillow.
âHey! Not my fault you pulled me!â
You were redder. Oh, no. Not because you were now suppressing your laughter, but how you remembered how close Chanhee was to you just minutes ago if it werenât for his unfortunate luck.
He suddenly stands up, wincing.
âAre you kidding me?! If it werenât for me, youâre injured and crying and weâre probably on the way to the hospital right now!â He sighs out, the pain finally fading second by second.
You fanned yourself, trying to focus on what your friend was saying.
âAnyways,â You shake your head. âIâll do my best.â You smile at him apologetically before sticking out your tongue, and ending the night while getting tackled by Chanheeâ as if he was possessed by Changmin.
You bounced your feet continuously, waiting for your client. You just prayed for it to be really, really short to get to Chanheeâs exhibition.Â
You knew how important this was to him, and it broke your heart that as his best friend, you canât even go to one.Â
Or was it because youâre starting to see Chanhee in a whole, different light?
There are a few times that your heart thumped abnormally at the sight of Chanhee frowning, and you canât put your finger on which emotion was it. Did it hurt you because you were his best friend and you canât go, or did it hurt because you were still a best friend? Either way, if it were the latter, if you were his girlfriendâ no, you didnât deserve him.Â
You canât even make time for him as a best friend, howâd you do if you were his?
Starting to overthink, you were thankful by the sound of your phone rang for a second, signaling a message.
chanhee: go or this friendship is over. grr sent 3:35pm
You knew he was joking. Partly, you guess. Or maybe not. You suddenly became nervous, your feet bouncing doubled. You sip on the drink, you had twenty-five minutes left to run over his exhibit, but the clientâ
You jump as your phone suddenly rang, making you tremble. Your client was finally calling, after being late for fifteen minutes already.
And oh my god, your heart could have burst from the news. You hailed a taxi as fast as you can, and the smile on your face canât stop rising.
Finally. You were finally getting to see his exhibit.
You smile more at the thought, more to expect of Chanheeâs reaction. You felt nervous, excited, and giddy. It wasnât the first time seeing Chanheeâs works, as heâd been part of the photography club since college, but it still made you excited and proud of what heâs become.
You sighed in relief as you look outside, the big nameâ My Art Speaks Words I Want to Deliver to You welcoming you.Â
3:50.
Ten minutes. You just need to run, no biggie.Â
âHi, Iâm uh.. Chanheeâs friend.â You smile at the guard, handing him your ticket while still trying to catch your breath.
âOh! Youâre! Youâre! Youâre the friend!â He exclaimed, excitedly opening the door for you. âYouâre just in time! Well, technically, youâre.. running a bit late but! Doesnât matter. Youâre finally here!â You just look at him confusingly, nodding your head as you roam your eyes on the big place.
Your heartbeat is twice as fast more than running.Â
You felt combusting quite literally. Your eyes wandered to each picture, letting it sink in that those in the pictures..
Were you.
It was all you.
There were only a few people left, smiling as they take in every photograph that wasnât even them.
âThese are so sweet. The name of the exhibit literally says it all,â A woman in her middle 30s, you guess, said as she clung to her probably husbandâs arm.
âIt does. The photographerâs indeed talented. Even makes me giddy,â You chuckle as you eavesdropped, reverting your attention back to the pictures.
All was black and white.
But it didnât matter.
What colored his world was youâ it has always been you.Â
A black and white picture doesnât do justice to how much light you bring to his dull world, it was just you that he needed in order to make a simple black and white picture to be beautiful.
Your smile. It was one of the things he loved seeing, he loved taking a picture of. It made everyone around you smile too, and it made him upset that it wasnât just him making you smile.
Your hair, how every single hairstyle suits you, how it flows across your face, and how you always brush it back when it frustratingly gets in your face. One of his favorites and loved taking a picture of it along with the pout on your face.
Your eyes, which spoke a thousand words and held millions of stars and also one of the millions of things he loved about you, and seeing it on a picture didnât make sense as you needed to see it in person to make you feel butterflies on your stomach.
Every move you did was captured on his camera, and you didnât even realize the tears have already gone out of your eyes.
He made you beautiful.
He made you feel beautiful,
Because you always were.
You didnât need to be pretty in everybodyâs eyes, you just needed him.Â
You were already in the last picture, and oh were you certain chanhee wasnât the one who took this. You felt thankful enough Changmin, your other friend, had quite the skills in taking pictures too because this.. was just perfect.Â
You didnât need to be pretty in everybodyâs eyes, you just needed him. Because he is what completed you.
It was a picture taken afar of you sleeping in the library on one of your college days, and Chanhee was supporting his head with his palm, lookingâ just looking at you with heart eyes.
âOh my fucking god,â You sighed out, crouching as you messily wiped your tears away, though it still kept on spilling.
âYouâre finally here.â That sweet, familiar voice that enchanted you sighed out, from the corner of the four-walled place. He was leaning on the wall, looking as if he had finally had the burden out of his chest. âSo, what do you think?â
Just like the pictures, you didnât need words. You just throw yourself at him, nuzzling against his neck as you cried like a baby.
He sighs out again, relieved, as he buried himself more to you and engulfing each otherâs warmth. His hands continued to calm you down by caressing your back, and you tried your best to stop crying.
Chanhee pulls back, taking your face to his hands and wiping your tears away.
âHey, look at me,â He leans closer to you, lifting your face up softly. âIf you didnât get the whole point of this exhibition then.. I might just smack you in the face.âÂ
You let out a small defeated laugh, wiping the tears yourself.
âI love you too if that was what it meant.â You look at him straight in the eyes, slouching your shoulders. You took his face into your hands too, pressing your lips softly in his.
He smiled in the kiss, his hands making their way to your neck as he kisses you back.
More than perfect.
The moment you were both out of breath, you break the kiss but let your foreheads linger with each other, smiles on your faces.
âJust.. how many times have you tried doing this?â You whisper, taking ahold of his hand and intertwining your fingers.Â
You pull him in front of the last picture youâve seen, now clear as ever without your tears on the way.
âOh, I think out of my hundred and fifty exhibits you missed,â You roll your eyes, the sarcasm his voice spilling. âIt's my 98th try. Thatâs why I really needed you to come.â He looks at you, thinking it was much better seeing you in person rather than just a photographâ as if it's like the first time seeing you all over again.
âAnd if I didnât come? Would you really have the guts to break this friendship?â You face him back, taking his other hand.
âNo, I didnât mean it like that. I just meant Iâd take it in my own hands and just.. straight up confess.â He craned his head sideward, challenging you.
âIâd been feeling very weird these days too, I just realized how much I am so in love with you if it werenât for your art speaks words I want to deliver to me,â You chuckle, making him throw his head back.
Perfect.
Chanhee loved everything about photography, and he loved photography because itâs able to take whatâs beautiful and he can cherish it forever. He loved it because not only it can take pictures of his friends, or nature, or what he found beautiful and calming, but it has the power to turn everything into a memory he can keep. He loved photography, he loved taking a picture of you, he loved you.
#the boyz fluff#the boyz imagines#the boyz imagine#the boyz x reader#the boyz scenarios#the boyz scenario#the boyz timestamps#the boyz timestamp#tbz#the boyz#tbz imagines#tbz imagine#tbz scenario#tbz scenarios#choi chanhee#new#the boyz chanhee#the boyz new#new x reader#chanhee x reader#the boyz fic#tbz fic#choi chanhee scenario#choi chanhee scenarios#choi chanhee imagines#choi chanhee imagine#new scenarios#new imagines#choi chanhee fluff#kpop fluff
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Where Is My Friend || Platonic! Izuku Midoriya x Reader
Summary: You and Izuku walk home together.
SFW // angst to light fluff
Word Count: 1915
WARNINGS: swearing, crying, all might slander, allusions to su*cide, otherwise none
A/N: i hate all might as a teacher. sometimes i just wanna reach through the screen and punch him for the things he tells izuku to do. this is why i made this.
~~
Izuku was late again that day, and this time you were more disappointed than mad.
With each student that passed by you and through the gates, you grew more and more irritated. You were trying to hide your annoyed expression by burying it in your phone, scrolling mindlessly through the various apps you had downloaded. Every now and again, you would check through your messages again, double and triple checking that you hadn't somehow missed a text from Izuku.
Every time, there was nothing.
Your brow furrowed when you checked it for the fifth time, forcing you to let out a silent frustrated sigh.
Izu, are you ready to go?
I'm out front
Are you still coming?
Hellloooo??? Where are you???
You promised, Izuku.
All of these messages, and no reply.
This wasn't a new occurrence. Every single day it was like this, and you would oftentimes just go home alone in silence. Izuku would always call and text to apologize to you afterwards, though.
At first you would pick up the phone. But, it slowly became less and less, to eventually nothing at all.
You were angry for a long time, but it all eventually boiled down into a soft, quiet frustration. You wondered to yourself a lot why you even bothered trying anymore. Those thoughts eventually drifted off into memories of middle school, and that quiet, timid, nerdy boy that you made your best friend.
You wondered where that boy went.
You looked up from your phone and looked at the campus around you. The area was bathed in an orange light, giving everything a warm and cozy glow. It was a beautiful spring afternoon, one that you would unfortunately most likely spend alone. Looking back down at your phone, you checked the time. It was getting somewhat late, and you knew your parents would start to worry about you if you didn't head back soon.
Five more minutes. You would give him five more minutes.
Letting out another sigh through your nose, you continued to scroll through your apps, not paying too close attention to what you were seeing. Every other second, you would peer up at the top of the screen, hoping to see the familiar bar of a notification up there.
None ever came.
A handful of photos and news articles later, and you decided to call it a quits. It had been more than five minutes, and there was still no sign of Izuku. Not one single thing.
Fuck it. You were going home.
Clicking your phone to sleep and putting it in your jacket pocket, you squared your backpack on your shoulders and stepped down the stairs of the front entrance, staring ahead at the gate with a blank expression.
Going to U.A. was you and his dream as kids. You remembered how the two of you would draw pictures of your hero costumes together, how you would spend hours of the phone coming up with the ideal schedule the two of you would have and what classes you would take.
Where did all that go? All those late nights? All those days the two of you got bullied? All those times you would tell Bakugou to fuck off when he was mean to Izuku? All the times Izuku told you to be nicer to Kacchan?
Was it all for nothing?
Were you just a memory now?
Were you not good enough to be his friend anymore?
All because of his new quirk?
It's not fair.
Not fair.
Not fair.
Not fai-
"Y/N!" you heard a voice from behind you shout, along with the rapid tapping of shoes against concrete.
It was him.
You stopped in your tracks and turned around, looking at him with a somewhat surprised expression. His green hair was the usual mess, and he was somewhat sweatier than normal. He ran quickly to catch up with you, breathing heavily once he was by your side.
You looked down at him in silence, your face unchanging.
"I'm-I'm so sorry I'm late!" He exclaimed, getting better control over his breathing, "I-I was just taking off my costume after hero training today and one of the teachers wanted to talk to me after and I-"
"It's getting late." You said, cutting him off, "We should get going."
You started to walk towards the gate again, and Izuku stared at you with a somewhat confused expression.
"Right..." he responded quietly, following by your side.
The two of you walked in silence for a good, long while. Izuku would keep looking at you to try and grab your attention, but you ignored him every time. You kept your gaze trained on your feet on the sidewalk, his red shoes in your peripheral.
You didn't want to talk. You just wanted to go home.
Go home and never talk to anyone again.
Izuku tried giving you one of his bright, warm smiles, but you ignored that too. As much as you didn't want to admit it, Izuku didn't smile the same anymore. There was something always behind his smile, something that you couldn't quite figure out.
The two of you used to share everything together, and now he was doing nothing but keeping secrets from you. You were quick to notice this, and you began to do your own digging.
You were observant, you always had been.
What you saw, you knew no one would believe you, though.
You just kept it to yourself, leaving it to rot deep inside you and plant its seeds of bad.
It was eating you alive, and you were angry.
"It's uhh..." Izuku said next to you, "It's a pretty day outside, isn't it?"
You said nothing and just kept staring down at your feet.
"It was a fun day at school too, huh?"
Nothing.
"What class did you like most?" I really liked Mr. Aizawa's today. I like it when he tells stories about his time at U.A."
Nothing.
"I also really liked All Might's cla-"
"Don't."
Izuku was definitely taken aback by your sudden, harsh response, his smile instantly fading away and his brows arching downwards.
"What... (Y/N), wh-what do you mean-"
You stopped walking abruptly, giving Izuku a glare through your lashes.
"Do not mention that man."
Izuku stopped walking too, looking at you with confusion and a touch of shock.
"You mean All Might? (Y/N), why? I thought you loved him as much as I-"
"I don't fucking love him anymore, Izuku!" you snapped, "But how would you know, huh? HOW?"
"(Y/N), what are you saying?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Izuku!" you threw your backpack off your shoulders, the extra weight only adding to your fury, "Even before we got into this shitty fucking school, you've done nothing but fucking blow me off and ignore me! I try to call, you don't answer. I try to text, you don't answer. I go over to your fucking house looking for you, and you're not there either! Do you have any clue how fucking lonely that makes me feel?! Knowing my best friend, my ONLY friend, wants nothing to do with me?!"
Izuku slid off his backpack too, his expression now more worried than anything, "(Y/N), I wasn't trying to ignore you. I-I just-"
"Just what Izuku. Just where have you been, hm? Tell me."
The green haired boy's gaze fell to the ground.
"I... I can't."
You raised your hands up and let them drop to your sides, a laugh of disbelief bubbling out of your throat.
"Fine, I'll finish it for you. You've been hanging out with fucking All Might, haven't you?"
Izuku's gaze shot back up to you, his eyes wide. He opened his mouth to say something, but you cut him off.
"Ah- don't even goddamn try. I know you have been, Izuku. Do you think I'm fucking stupid? Do you think I'm fucking naieve? I fucking see how you two talk to each other. How you have lunch with him every goddamned fucking day. How he always focuses on you during training. How he keeps you after school."
Izuku just simply looked at you in silence, trying to process what to say.
You felt tears welling up in your eyes, but you decided to continue anyway, "And I know, I know he's been putting shit in your head. Not letting you think for yourself, telling you that it's okay to hurt yourself. How it's noble and honorable to be bedridden for fucking weeks to save people. How you should never prioritize yourself. Well goddamn it it's WRONG Izuku! It's fucking wrong! It's wrong to tell a kid that. It's wrong to take him away from his friends. It's wrong to have fucking favorites!"
You were full on crying now, and probably looked completely out of your goddamned mind.
You didn't care.
"He was my hero too, Izuku!" you continued on, hot tears pouring down your face, "But more importantly you were my hero! You were the only person in that shitty fucking middle school that I could confide in. You were the only friend I had, and that fucking bitch took you from me! Every day I go home and beg for my friend to come back to me. I don't give a single fuck what that old man says, I need my friend back! I'm so tired of it! I'm tired of feeling like nothing, like no one wants to be around me anymore! I'm t-tired, I'm... I...."
Unable to keep yourself together anymore, you fell onto your knees and sat back on your ankles, wiping your face on the back of your hands and wrists as you sobbed.
"I just... I miss you, Izuku."
You broke down again after that, crying there on the ground for a good minute. This was probably embarrassing the hell out of you, but you didn't care anymore. You didn't care about anything anymore. You were certain that Izuku would want nothing to do with you anymore. You just both dissed him and his number one idol.
There was no hope for you and him now.
After sitting there for a good minute bawling your eyes out, Izuku gently knelt down in front of you. You could feel his big, green eyes on your face, but you didn't look up at him. From your blurred vision, you couldn't tell how he was looking at you, but you figured it couldn't be good.
You were wrong.
Suddenly and without warning, you felt two strong arms wrap around your fame, your head being pulled into a chest covered with a uniform shirt and tie. Your cries softening, you were quick to realize who they all belonged to.
Izuku.
"(Y/N)," he said, his voice soft but firm, "I didn't know you felt that way. You are my best friend, too. I didn't mean to forget about you. I was never trying to make you feel that way."
Izuku hugged you tighter, resting his chin on the top of your head.
"From now on, I promise I'll always make time for you. You're my hero too, (Y/N). Without you with me in middle school, I... I would have..."
You didn't need to hear him finish for you to connect the dots.
After along moment of fleeting, renowned silence, you wrapped your arms around the boy, holding him tight against you.
You vowed to yourself then and there, that you would never ever let him go again.
#bnha x reader#bnha x y/n#bnha x you#mha x reader#mha x y/n#mha x you#izuku x y/n#izuku x reader#izuku x you#izuku midoria x reader#izuku midoriya x reader
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six. âfriends die togetherâ
kozume kenma x fem dazai!reader
(bsd x hq)
tw: mentions of suicideÂ
masterlist.      suicide freak!
kenma slowly opened his eyes. the dim rays of the sun were slowly peeking through his bedroom window as he stretched and rolled around his bed, wrapping himself up in a blanket burrito as he felt his eyes slowly fluttering close once again.Â
it had been atleast a week since he's actually gotten sleep, and now he's just trying to relish in the feeling of rest before he completely disregards it again.Â
all of a sudden, his phone rang.Â
"what the.." he mumbled with a groanÂ
it was currently five in the morning, and he knew kuroo was smart enough not to call him. especially since kenma would usually just be gaming or would just straight up ignore him.Â
"hello?" he muttered to the phone, not bothering to check the IDÂ
"good morning!" y/n's chirpy la-di-da voice resonated from the phoneÂ
immediately, kenma groaned and rolled his eyes. he had to fight the urge of hanging up the phone then and there.Â
"what do you want? and why are you calling me so early in the morning?" kenma askedÂ
"now, now! don't be so stingy kenma-kun!" she laughed "i just wanted to check up on ya, that's all" she said, followed by soft humming of a melodyÂ
kenma blinked as he groggily listened to her words. "oh. okay.."Â
"thanks for that, i guess.." he saidÂ
"aww! your voice is all deep and gravelly in the morning! very hot." she chirpedÂ
kenma sighed. he could practically sense the stupid flirty smile appearing on her face. "and you sound oh so happy. as always." kenma chirped back sarcastically
a small smile grazed his lips as she started laughing on the other line.Â
"oh, kenma! you're so funny!" she chuckled "when have i ever been happy?"Â
"wait what-"Â
"anyways, kenma-kun.." she trailed off, her cheerful tone now dropped as an eerily serious and guarded one replaced it.Â
"y-yes?" kenma gulpedÂ
"im afraid im in a tight spot as we speak. its quite critical. please come to the location i will send you." she spoke in a monotonous toneÂ
"huh? wait!" kenma exclaimed. he sat up on his bed, subconsciously reaching for his nekoma jacket which was messily laid out on the foot of his bed. "what are you talking about?" he asked, his hands were shaking, as well as his voice.Â
"its a crisis! only you can help!" she saidÂ
"okay. i-i'll be there.."Â
humming under her breath, y/n patiently waited for kenma to arrive. she didn't have so much faith at first, but once she heard the soft thumping of feet on the ground, she grinned.Â
"w-what happened?" kenma asked through ragged breaths as he skidded to a halt infront of her "a-and what are you wearing?" kenma askedÂ
he took notice of her rather formal attire, laying underneath the sand colored coat she had. his brows then shot up as he calmed his ragged breathing.Â
"is this because of your weird detective work thing? did you get trapped?" kenma asked worriedly. when she didn't answer, he simply panicked even more. "why did you call me?! you should've called those other detective people!" kenma exclaimedÂ
"i got in myself" she admitted with a small innocent smileÂ
"what?" kenma deadpanned, now starting to regret running atleast eight blocks just to help herÂ
"well, you see.. i heard there's a way to commit suicide by getting stuck in an oil drum. so i decided to give it a shot" she said with the same innocent smile. she then chuckled sheepishly as she started sinking deeper into the oil drum.Â
"but now that i've wedged myself in this deep, i can't get out on my own" she saidÂ
kenma simply stared her down, looking unamused, tired and annoyed. "i see." he saysÂ
"i think i might die" she pouted as she sank deeper into the drum.Â
kenma grunted and sat on the ground, sitting a few feet from the drum she was stuck in. he was kind of impressed on how her whole body hadn't snapped in two yet.Â
"well, isn't that what you wanted?" kenma said with a huff of annoyanceÂ
"i like suicide" she said with a scoff, sounding somewhat offended "but i don't like suffering and pain! why would i?"Â
"i see" kenma said with a sigh. he sat up from the ground and narrowed his eyes, trying to look for a way to free her from the oil drum
"also, i learned this only after i stuffed myself in here, but it wasn't even a suicide method!" she laughedÂ
"but, it was actually a torture method from the-"Â
before she could even finish her sentence, she was cut off as kenma pushed the oil drum over, sending her and the drum rolling off. he let out a huge breath of air as he cradled his aching hands.Â
"ni-nice job, kenma-kun" she squeaked out as she wiggled free of the drum. "but now.. we have only an hour left before school starts" she said as she patted down her clothes and combed her fingers through her hairÂ
"and i heard from nekomata-san that he has some news that you boys would surely love" she said as she stretched her aching musclesÂ
"are we really gonna move past the fact that you wedged yourself in an oil drum!?" kenma exclaimed in aggravationÂ
". . ."Â she looked at him with a dumb smile before sending him a wink and a thumbs up.Â
"yep! we sure are!"Â
"i hate you so much" kenma mutteredÂ
she smirked teasingly and loomed over his shoulder "hehehe~ well if you hate me so much, then why go through all the trouble to help me?" she cooedÂ
kenma scoffed and flicked her away. "because we're.." he trailed off "nevermind.."Â a small blush covered his cheeks faintly, but it was enough to get her attention.Â
she chuckled lowly and poked his cheeks. she narrowed her eyes and tauntingly stared him down. "oya? what's this, kenma-kun? do you like me or something?~" she teasedÂ
kenma flinched and covered his cheeks with his hands "no! no i don't!" he quickly denied "i just thought that.." he muttered quietly
"since we're friends and all.. i thought it'd be right to help you.." kenma admitted bashfullyÂ
stunned from his words, she couldn't really do anything but stare at him blankly with widened eyes. "we're friends?" she askedÂ
kenma spluttered at her response, suddenly feeling anxious and embarrassed, thinking that he overstepped their 'relationship'Â
"um- i mean.. i just thought that since we've been hanging out but.." kenma said nervously. he fiddled with his hands as he looked down at his feet, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes.Â
"sorry, i guess i overstepped. sorry for misreading things" he apologisedÂ
finally realising what she's done, she gasped in horror as she looked at his heartbroken expression "oh my gosh." she muttered "im so sorry!"Â
she frantically patted his back, and stroked his hair "i-i meant like- i didnt know you considered me as a friend!" she exclaimed "i kind of thought you just see me as a suicidal leech or something!" she shriekedÂ
"im sorry kenma! kill me now!" she exclaimed dramaticallyÂ
kenma finally looked up to see her tearing some of her bandages off, only for her to tie it tightly around her neck.Â
"im sorry!" she cried as she squeezed tightly, trying to strangle herself to deathÂ
"wait! don't do that!" kenma said in panic. his hands pried the bandages off and hastily threw them away.Â
"you don't have to kill yourself over me" kenma sighedÂ
she sniffled and crushed him in her arms "kenma! you are most certainly my most treasured friend!" she criedÂ
"i would die for you and with you!"Â
"let's not go too far" kenma said with a small smileÂ
"shall we start with the double suicide now?" she asks, fully ignoring his interjectionÂ
"no <3"Â
"fukurodani?" she muttered, looking quite confused and cluelessÂ
"yes. it seems a three-day practice match has been scheduled" nekomata said with a smile "their coach suggested the idea and who was i to decline, am i right?" nekomata chuckledÂ
"this will be a good opportunity for the team to train and explore new ways of playing for future tournaments." nekomata then looked at y/n and sent her a close eyed smile. "and a chance for you to test your managing skills, y/n-san" he saidÂ
she nodded in agreement.Â
"well then, now that that's settled.. youâre free to go! rest up and eat well! you'll be playing nonstop starting tomorrow" nekomata said as he ushered them out of the gymÂ
"thanks, coach!" the team yelledÂ
as the team arrives by the gate, they started to disperse. fukunaga, inouka, teshiro, and shibayama ended up declining the offer of an afterschool hangout. they claimed they needed the rest for upcoming games, so they left them be.Â
"bye guys! bye y/n-senpai! see you tomorrow!!" inouka yelled from across the street. the energetic first year was waving both his arms around while shibayama drags him along. fukunaga sends them a quick nod and a small wave before they completely disappear from sight.Â
"hm, so what do you guys wanna do?" kai asks with a smileÂ
"let's eat!" lev suggested with a grinÂ
"sure. where should we go? i don't really have a particular craving right now" kai said as he looked at his friends expectantlyÂ
"we should eat at the diner near that convenience store" yaku says "it's cheap and they serve great food"Â
simply humming to herself, y/n takes a quick look at the boys who seemed to be lost in their own conversations. her (e/c) colored eyes then landed on kenma, who seemed to busy with his game.Â
kuroo was holding on his bag, making sure the pudding-head wouldn't walk into oncoming traffic. she smiled at the boy, taking in his overwhelmingly beautiful features.Â
yamamoto was beside her, ranting about his friends from karasuno and their 'goddess of a manager'Â
"weâre here!" lev unnecessarily announced as he skipped into the said diner. "what should we eat?" he asksÂ
"fish-" ; "meat-"Â
yaku and kuroo freeze and look at each other. their eyes silently roam one another as they look at the other with judgment.Â
"hah? are we really doing this again, yakkun?" kuroo scowled. the taller bedheaded male leaned down to get all up in yaku's face, while the latter simply did the sameÂ
"dont call me that stupid nickname, bedhead!" yaku scowled as well "and fish? pssh, what are you a grandpa?" yaku said with a snickerÂ
"could you stop making comments proving you lack docosahexaenoic acid?" kuroo sneered in aggravationÂ
"you're ought to eat more fish to fix that.. maybe even your height problem!" kuroo tauntedÂ
yaku scowled and gripped the taller boy's collar "your stupid face is begging to be hit!"Â
"no! kuroo-san, don't let him hit you!" lev yelled "he's feral!"Â
"oi! shut up!" taketora hissed as he covered lev's mouth with his handÂ
yaku turned to face lev, evidently irked and angered by his comment. "hah?! come here, you tall lampost! -"Â
"wah! yaku-san i didnt even do anything!" lev exclaimed with teary eyes as the shorter boy continued to kick himÂ
kai and taketora then took initiative to calm their friends down. partially because they didn't want anyone injured. but mostly because they were fighting infront of the diner, and it was starting to get embarrassing.Â
"ke-n-ma~" she cooed in a sing song toneÂ
kenma sighed and quickly glanced at her, before averting his attention back to his game "what?" he saidÂ
she smiled and laced their arms together. she then pointed to a bridge not so far away from where they were standing. "you see that bridge?" she asked "and the pretty river under it?"Â
"oh god. i see where this is going." kenma groaned. he turned off his game and followed her finger, eyeing the bridge she was talking about.Â
"wouldn't it be so nice if we just jump off-"Â
"how about we don't do that?" kenma cut her off with a sighÂ
"but you're my friend right?" she whined childishly "don't friends die together?!"Â
"how about we don't die at all. doesn't that sound better?" kenma tried to convince her with a sheepish smileÂ
her smile fell as she narrowed his eyes, seemingly disgusted and offended by his statement.Â
"what? no, not at all."Â
#haikyuu#haikyu x reader#haikyuu!!#haikyĹŤ!!#haikyu x y/n#haikyu x you#kenma x y/n#kozume kenma#kenma#kenma headcanons#hq kenma#hq x you#hq headcanons#hq fluff#bsd chuuya#bungou stray dogs#dazai x reader#osamu dazai#anime#anime x reader#kurotsuki#kuroken#kuroo testuro#kuroo fluff#akaashi fluff#akaashi keiji#nekoma#chuuya nakahara imagines#tw: sui mention#tw: sucidal ideation
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colour the world with you
Characters: Yeonjun & You
Genre: fluff
Setting:Â witch shop au
Summary: The crazy hair coloured guy working at the witch shop where your grandma has you run errands for her keeps getting on your nerves.
Words: 3.7k
Authorâs note: title is from TXTâs Your Light
For @restlessmaknaeâ to fill your holidays with colours, smiles and happiness.
You told yourself you weren't a believer. People talked about magic as if they had seen it happen but you were doubtful, even when your weak grandma asked you to get a potion for her. When doctors couldn't help, she always turned to alternative methods even though you thought just taking her pills could have helped her. But no, she insisted, put the money into your hands and told you to ask for Han halmeoni's usual. You gritted your teeth but despite not saying it, you were upset how people out there could take advantage of naive elders with their expensive fake herb drinks. Though, you knew better than anyone that arguing with your grandma wouldn't have led anywhere since she was just as stubborn as you. So you agreed with a smile and promised you would get the potion the next day.
Finding the shop called Magic Island â what an obnoxious name for real â was easier than you thought. Witchcraft wasn't hunted or looked down upon as it used to be but you really didn't expect to find it between a coffee shop and a bookstore. From outside it seemed like any other store with its glass windows though it was more colourful and lively than most due to the flowers by the door and the dreamcatcher on the door. You double checked the name and the address then tentatively pressed down on the handle.
As soon as you crossed the threshold, the smell of herbs and spices, burning candle scents and warmth hit you in waves. The whole place gave off a very soothing and welcoming vibe and while the interior was even more colourful than the outside, nothing stood out as much as the vivid blue hair of the guy behind the counter.
"Hello, how can I help you?" he inquired, voice mellow and smile kind. The thin, light blue sweater he wore showed a bit of one of his collarbones and the dangling earring he had in one ear had small blue stones in it. You felt like you had never seen anybody like him.
"I came to pick up something for my grandma, Han halmeoni's usual potion," you recited the rehearsed speech before you could have blurted out something rude. At the mention of your granny, the cashier boy's eyes lit up and he smiled wider.
"Ah, just a minute," he excused himself and leaned down, opening small cabinets full of folies and cans under the counter until he found the glass of the thick green liquid. "Is halmeoni alright though? Has her knee been acting up again?" he asked while he rang up the product and you shouldn't have been surprised that your grandma probably told him about all her life.
"It's her waist this time," you said curtly, wanting to get over the payment as soon as possible. But even after the machine beeped accepting your credit card, the boy with his crazy hair switched on his employee of the mouth smile and kept you there with his rambling:
"It seems like you're quite stressed and anxious recently. Wouldn't you like some chamomile-lavender tea? Or we have a peppermint-citrus cream for headaches, too orâ"
"I'm fine," you cut him off not too nicely. Argh... you hated when cashiers were so noisy and he even acted like he knew you just because you weren't in a good mood today but that had nothing to do with your usual exam stress. He couldn't have known about that anyway. And as if some cream would have helped!
The next time you saw the boy he had yellow locks. The unnatural, bright yellow like the fermented radish you liked so much with your traditional Korean dishes. Of course, you didn't go to his shop out of boredom or happiness but for your grandmother's sake you didn't want her to travel across half the city just to get her favourite tea leaves for better digestion. It had been about two months since you had visited the colourful shop, so the changes shouldn't have taken you so aback â after all every shop was usually decorated according to the season â and yet, for a moment you just stood there in the bright warmth of the sunlit room full of buttercups and sunflowers. It almost seemed like the same cashier guy as last time had a hair colour to fit the enterieur but that sounded a bit too ridiculous. Who would have dyed their hair because of their workplace's new decoration? Though who worked at a witch shop in the first place?
"Hi! How can I help you today?" the boy, Yeonjun according to his name tag, flashed a beaming smile at you. He seemed really giddy all the time, maybe being surrounded by all these herbs all day long did something to his brain⌠or maybe got him high.
"I would like to have a packet of Island of Calm tea," you told him straight, wanting to make it a real quick in and out.
"Ah, for your grandma? I'm glad it helps her," the boy smiled at you sweetly and started humming an annoyingly cheerful song while preparing the packet neatly. He wrapped it up, put on a sticker with good wishes before he would have turned to the cashier machine.
You had already prepared with your wallet but instead of letting you know the price, this Yeonjun guy decided to play with your nerves.
"Sorry about the other day if I came off too strong. We have amulets too if you preferâŚ"
You slammed down the money on the counter, grabbed the tea and turned to walk out on him before he could have finished that. But...
"It will rain today. Take an umbrella," he shouted after you which only made you snicker.
Hah, who was this guy? He should have minded his own business! The weather forecast didn't say anything about rain anyways.
"I'm fine," you bit at him and walked out.
It didn't even take 10 minutes though for you to get soaking wet in a sudden summer downpour. Under your breath you kept cursing the guy from the magic shop although he had nothing to do with the rain. He just had a good guess.
You really didn't want to go back to the shop. It gave you the chills, like that uneasiness in the stomach that made you want to throw up. You didn't want to go back because you didn't want to hear that crazy hair coloured guy's unwanted preaching about your stress level. You might have been a bit on the edge these days but you were okay, you could handle it. Even if you wished your group partners to Hell sometimes because they couldn't even answer your questions about the schedule and the presentation in your KKT group chat, even if your teacher was a pain in the ass moving the classes as he pleased as if you had nothing better to do. Even if an upcoming family gathering was unnerving you because you didn't want to hear them comparing you to your relatives. It was just a bad time, it would pass, you told yourself, nothing to whine about.
So you took a deep breath, list in hand and you raised your chin before you stepped inside the so-called magic shop. You planned ahead: going to the counter, handing over the list, pretending to get a phone call and leave. Easy and interaction-free. But the moment you stepped inside, the sight this time took your breath away. You really didn't understand how and why the store changed its interior so drastically and so frequently but this look was even more breathtaking than the ones before.
The whole place had a pink hue, it even smelled like cotton candy and everything had this rosy colour from afar. The ceiling looked like a pink sky with white cloud decorations made of cotton. The dreamcatchers and amulets hanging down all sparkled in the shade of blue hour and you forgot why you came for a moment.
"Pretty, isn't it?" A voice spoke up from beside you and only then you realised that the cashier boy wasn't behind the counter like usual but instead he was walking between the shelves in the book section, holding a few volumes in his arms. You jumped at his sudden closeness, blinking up at him surprised and it took you a moment too long to process what you had been seeing.
The guy had bright pink hair.
And it looked strangely good on him.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned and only then you realised that you had been staring. At the way his locks looked against his tanned forehead. At the way he pulled his mouth into a gentle smile and suddenly you felt like the air was getting sucked out of your lungs. What the hell were you doing? Why did he suddenly have such an effect on you?
"Yeah, I'm fine," you muttered, clearing your throat, stepping away.
You walked up to the counter confidently and the boy didn't try to stop you. He didn't say anything, not even as he followed you and took your paper with the list your grandma suddenly needed after you complained to her about the nosy guy in the shop. He prepared the small box with different herbs, creams and lucky charms wordlessly which was a bit unsettling. You only met him twice before yet it seemed like it was out of character for him. But you tried not to think too much into it and just watched him work.
When Yeonjun read your total out loud for you and you handed your card to him there was something knowing in his eyes that you couldn't quite put a finger on.
"You know you should really stop saying you're fine when you aren't," he spoke up finally when he gave you back the plastic but instead of letting it go, he looked down on your hand intently. Not understanding the reason behind it you followed his gaze and saw that you managed to cut your finger earlier with the paper when you got startled. You didn't even feel it up until then even though it drew a bit of blood, a few drops drying on your index finger.
"Let me," the boy muttered as he let go and looked around on a shelf not far from the counter.
"It's nothing really," you protested but you felt bad because he shouldn't have been worried about you just because it was him who got you scared. You should have paid more attention.
"It could get infected," he reasoned as he got back with some lotion in a small capsule. He took your hand, gentle and you realised that his hands were soft despite the calluses on his fingertips. Not to mention, it was endearing how attentive he was, even sticking out his tongue a bit in concentration as he put a plaster over the oil-coated wound.
"Thanks," you breathed not really knowing what else you could say and you couldn't even anymore, not with the way he smiled at you, warm like the Sun and soothing like spring breezes.
As you were leaving you couldn't help but think that the way he said those words about you pretending to be okay was about more than just your scar. Maybe he had a great sense for such things.
It was not until you got home that you noticed the extra object in the packet you bought at the shop. You even double-checked with your grandma's list but a scent bag of herbs for better sleeping weren't on that and you didn't even pay for that, so how?
The answer was ridiculously easy: the cashier guy must have sneaked it into your bag, yet you didn't get his reason and why he always tried to have a say in your life but then you looked down on the cute pink plaster on your finger and decided to accept the gift. Even though you didn't believe in it, you put it under your pillow for the night like you were instructed. You almost forgot about it because by the time it was bedtime for you your head was full of unnecessary drama and thoughts that were driving you crazy. On nights like this it was hard to fall asleep because you had too many what ifs going on inside of your head. But this time, even before you could have realised it, you were already drifting off to sleep, tense shoulders relaxing, head empty. You didn't remember when you last slept so well.
So maybe it was confusion, gratitude or the mix of those two that led you back to the Magic Island only a few days later, this time without your grandma having to make you. This time you were expecting the change of interior, so the universe-like violet colours and planets flying around (must be some kind of trick) didn't take you that aback. Yeonjun was nowhere to be seen even though the bells rang prettily above the door when you arrived.
For once, you decided to take a look around, so tentatively you wandered deeper into the store, into parts you hadn't been before. You had seen tarot cards in one corner and Ouija boards in another, there were books about ghosts and other dimensions. There was a whole section about curses and a closed off one for potions. You were reading some of the ridiculously long tea names (and why does The night when the world has burned, we are⌠has chilli in it anyways?) when you heard someone clear their throat. You turned around to face them but your hello died on the tip of your tongue.
Now Yeonjun's hair was purple, that dark but warm kind, like nights on which the sky seemed to embrace you.
"Does halmeoni need something else?" he looked up at you with a genuine, kind smile.
"No, I... Actually I just wanted to thank you for the scent bag," you muttered under your nose, a bit embarrassed but determined to be a bigger person and not act petty over an act of kindness.
"Did it help?" Yeonjun's eyes lit up immediately, straight up happily when you nodded. The smile on his face widened. "Then you're welcome."
You just stood there, uncertain, not knowing what to say or do because apparently he was well aware that he gifted you that and it seemed like he didn't expect anything in return. Not to mention that he figured out that you barely had any sleep lately and cinnamon was one of your favourite scents. Was it just a coincidence? Or did the bags under your eyes betray you like that? Was cinnamon just a lucky guess?
"How did you know?" you blurted out eventually, not getting over your internal struggle. For a moment Yeonjun just looked at you, really looked as if he tried to figure you out and he was rather tentative when he spoke up:
"You don't believe in magic, do you?"
You raised an eyebrow as if asking: seriously? at which he let out a chuckle. His laughter made such a pleasant sound!
"Well, then you could say it was just a good hunch," he shrugged and his carefree attitude made you even more curious, throwing you more recklessly into the unknown.
"And if I said I believe in it?" you wondered out loud and the cashier guy looked back at you as if it was a challenge. Maybe it was since you were interested in how he would try to convince you about magic being real.
"It's your aura," he said simply, looking at you and at the same time around you and started explaining:Â "It has a different energy based on your mood and well-being. It wasn't that hard to figure out based on that."
You hummed, trying to see whether your rational mind could take it as an answer but even auras and halos and such seemed too... intangible for you. Yeonjun must have sensed your hesitance because a moment later he straightened his back and tilted his head.
"It's easier to show you," he offered, waiting, patient. He must have learned that being pushy with you didn't work because the more he insisted, the more you resisted. But putting it this way: him offering a chance for you to see and believe but with no pressure, it made you halt. Because all your life you had liked certain things. You liked plans, schedules, believing in things you saw or experienced. Maybe that's why magic had always been obnoxious for you: you had met with too many liars and fakes.
You slowly, tentatively nodded.
"Close your eyes," Yeonjun smiled at you encouragingly and albeit not liking the idea of becoming vulnerable even this much, you obeyed. About five seconds passed before the boy called your name. "You can open them."
Not expecting any big change, you were at a loss of words when Yeonjun stood in front of you with silver grey hair. And not just that! The shop's interior changed in a blink of a minute, too. It was no longer purple but rather monochrome, serious, angular.
"How?" you gasped in awe.
"Magic," Yeonjun smiled and laughed at you before explaining that his mother was a witch, so he's partly one too and that the shop is enchanted, changing based on his mood or will, similarly as his hair colour. It was still unbelievable but you couldn't deny the obvious, so instead of protesting against it anymore, you threw your dozen questions at the boy to which he answered very enthusiastically.
After that afternoon, you slowly started to become a regular at Magic Island. Not only when your grandma had an errand to run but you visited the shop even when you got tired of your scent bag's type or due to another excuse. It was easy to come up with those when you had so many questions. With Yeonjun by your side guiding you through a whole new world opened up in front of you. After your uni classes, you sometimes dropped by to read a book between the shelves about auras and the harmony with nature or potions that actually worked until Yeonjun found you there. Sometimes he called you out on never buying the books but it was only a friendly, teasing banter that ended up with him inviting you over for some herb tea matching your mood (a lot of sweet strawberry and rose mint lately). On other occasions, he joined you on the floor, leaning his back onto the bookshelf too, his arm almost brushing yours as he asked about what you were currently reading about.
He also told you a lot of fun stories and while chuckling over his jokes your stomach didn't ache only due to laughter. You hated to call this feeling as 'butterflies in your stomach' but you had no better word for it and being so good at reading your aura, Yeonjun must have known, too. Yet, he didn't say anything, so you decided to take matters into your hands.
When you opened the door of the magic store on that chilly December afternoon after finally finishing with your exams before winter break, the first thing that hit you was the cinnamon and plum scent. You inhaled deeply and smiled at the Christmassy atmosphere inside the store with the festive decoration. Yeonjun must have had the holiday spirit these days, you thought and it seemed like right because the boy walked out of the storage room in a cute snowman sweater and with faded lavender coloured hair.
"Heya, how was the exam?" he turned to you with a bright smile which you couldn't help but mimic as you walked up to the other side of the counter.
"Manageable," you shrugged, happy that you were finally done with it. Then before you could have chickened out during your conversation, you blurted out: "Do you perhaps have the opposite of love potions?"
"Like an antiserum? Did someone give you a love potion?" Yeonjun wiggled his eyebrows but his tone was kind of worried. Cute, you noted.
"No but I'd like this stupid crush gone," you sighed and even grimaced for impact, watching the boy's reaction closely but he seemed more curious and a bit confused than anything.
"Why?"
"I just..." You vaguely threw your hands up and pouted which Yeonjun must have found endearing because the mischievousness was back in his glittering dark eyes and the smirk was on his lips again as he leaned provocatively closer.
"And if I like you back?" he raised an eyebrow and the confidence in his voice made your jaw drop.
The audacity!
"I'm not talking about you!" you retorted right away but more out of pride and teasing than honesty. You couldn't hide that too well from the witch boy either as his grin only widened seeing your blushed cheeks.
"Too bad," he snickered playfully, his lower lip jutting out in a sulky pout. Then he pulled back in an instant, brushing his lavender hair out of his eyes with an overdramatic sigh. "And I was about to suggest a hot chocolate date..."
"A date you say?" you breathed with a hopeful smile and rested your palms on the counter while this time it was you who leaned closer. Not that it meant a lot because with Yeonjun's height, you just had to angle your neck even more sharply. At least until he decided to scrunch down to your level, dark orbs glimmering in the colourful lights of the shop.
"That I say," he nodded and briefly looked up prompting you to do the same only to see a white mistletoe slowly growing and hanging down above you.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself, mister," you flicked his forehead but giggled anyway knowing all too well that your aura must have been just as pink as your cheeks. But you didn't mind one bit, not until it was Yeonjun who made your world so colourful.
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Standards of Performance, Chapter 10:Â Accommodations
From the Beginning, Â Previous Chapter
AO3 Link
Thank you guys again for being so kind about the new posting schedule (or lack thereof). Your comments and messages and rbs always make me laugh and cry (in a a good way).This is just a lil chapter about them being awkward and cute after The Kiss, and introducing some bigger plot stuff. You'll wanna buckle up for the next one ;)
Summary: Youâre the BAUâs newest intern, desperate to prove yourself amongst an established team of much more experienced profilers. Agent Hotchner, the seemingly infallible team leader, sets strict expectations for your performance. He commands your respect without even trying, but is there something more to your relationship than a simple desire to impress your stony-faced boss?
Chapter Summary:Â Some creep is stalking the team and all you can think about is kissing Hotch.Â
Words:Â 2059
Rating: Explicit, 18+. Warnings on AO3.
Pairings: Hotch x Reader, Hotch x You
The BAU had a stalker.
To put it in a way more relevant to your views on the matter: the BAUâs stalker was interfering with the (hopefully) budding spark between you and Hotch.
It wasnât that you didnât care that there was potentially unhinged maniac apparently obsessed with the team, itâs just that when you got the slightly panicked phone call from JJ that Morgan, Reid, Garcia, and herself had all found letters on their doorstep professing an alarming fascination with the members of the team, you couldnât help but feel a bit irritated that the ordeal was bound to put a pause on the progress you two had made.
That is, until you went to leave your apartment in the morning and found an unassuming envelope shoved under the door. You opened it with shaking fingers to a note written on thick cardstock, scrawled in black, seeping ink as if written by an old-fashioned quill.
Iâve been paying attention to your team for some time - quite the impact youâve made on the world of crime. The heroes of the FBIâs Behavioral Analysis Unit! Iâm sure the world wishes they had you during Bundy or BTK, hm?
Anyways, I had to see for myself. I must admit, finding you was much easier than I would have anticipated given your âstatus.â I thought Iâd drop you this note to say hi and propose a deal. A Game, of sorts.
The Game goes like this: I leave you notes, and you try to catch me! Easy, yes? This is day 1. How many days until you find me?
Xoxo Talk soon,
G
You put the note in your bag and, after double checking your door was locked (not that the flimsy deadbolt the landlord had installed would have done much to keep an intruder out anyways), you rushed to the office. You dropped your note on the table in the conference room where the team had gathered and pointed at it tremulously.Â
âI got one too. I touched it, Iâm sorry, I wasnât thinking -â
âDonât worry about it,â Rossi interrupted. âWe dusted the others; there was nothing. I doubt yours was any different.â
Hotch plucked your letter up and scanned it quickly before tossing it back on the table. âItâs exactly the same as the others. Nothing identifiable.â
âWhy didnât we get them?â asked Prentiss.
âAccess,â said Garcia, notably less cheery than usual. The team turned to her for clarification.
âYou three are hard to get to,â she explained. âHotch and Prentiss live in secure apartment buildings. Rossi has a gated property with security that can rival the Presidentâs. Those of us who donât live the high life are just... out in the open.â
âSo thatâs encouraging, right? That the unsub either couldnât or wouldnât go through the extra trouble of getting to all of us?â JJ asked, hopeful.
Morgan shook his head. âI dunno if you can interpret any part of what this creep is doing to intimidate us as âencouraging.ââ
âDoes it read as intimidation, though?â mused Reid.Â
âI donât know, you tell me,â Morgan responded. âWhatâs your take on the language?â
Reid took a millisecond to reread the letter and pursed his lips. âThough the language isnât directly threatening, the concept of a game implies either winning or losing. He - itâs almost certainly a he - doesnât mention the consequences for either situation, which could imply that there are none, but that seems unlikely. Thereâs also the matter of separating himself from others in line three - âIâm sure the world wishes they had you during Bundy or BTK,â not we. Heâs trying to distinguish himself to us in some way, which means he wants to be noticed, and I donât think thereâs anything in this language that excludes the possibility of him doing something drastic in order to be.â
âSo not encouraging,â said Prentiss dryly. âThe question is, why us? Is this personal; did we put someone close to him away?â
âIt could be, but the language in the opening seems sarcastic almost, like heâs mocking us,â noted Rossi.Â
Morgan nodded in agreement. âItâs a challenge. Heâs trying to tell us weâre not all weâre cracked up to be.â
The analysis worried you, because you felt you were the only member of the team for whom that statement might have been true.Â
âSo, what then?â you asked. âReview security footage and see if we can find anything?â
âAlready did!â chirped Garcia. âHotch had me up all night reviewing the tapes.â
For the first time, you noticed the dark circles under her standard coat of heavy makeup. You looked at Hotch, expecting to find some shame in his expression, but found none.Â
âIf there was anyone weird creeping around your dwellings last night, I didnât see âem. I even looked through the street cameras in the area. Granted, none of you have a security camera pointed directly at your door, which might not be a bad idea after this -â
âHold on,â Morgan interrupted, âyou didnât check her apartment though, right?â referring to you. âCuz she just found it this morning?â
Garcia perked up, but you shot her down with a shake of your head. âSorry guys, my place isnât nearly nice enough to have security cameras.â
The team looked unperturbed by that, except for Hotch, who met your eyes with a look you couldnât quite place.Â
âWhat do we do, then? Wait for another letter?â JJ asked.
âThatâs all we can do until we have more evidence,â said Hotch, visibly frustrated. He hated waiting, you knew that. You all hated it. It felt like watching a car without its parking brake on slowly start to roll down a hill.
âIf thatâs all, sirâŚâ
Hotch nodded at Garcia. âYouâre all dismissed. Business as usual for now. If he craves acknowledgement, best not to give it to him unless we have to.â
The team filtered out, and you made to follow them, but before making it through the doorway, Hotch called you back. He shifted feet, cleared his throat, and looked at you.
âAbout the comment you made earlier,â he started.
What comment? You wracked your brain trying to remember if youâd said something rude, or something that hinted at what happened between you two, but came up short.
He noticed the puzzled look on your face and clarified. âWhen you said your apartment complex wasnât nice enough to have security cameras. I wanted to say that -â he ran his hand across his jaw, clearly uncomfortable, â- I know the internship salary isnât impressive, and if you feel youâre unable to afford safe accommodation, Iâd be more than happy to talk to Strauss about -â
âOh, God, no.â You felt as if your face was on fire. âIâm sorry, I didnât mean it that way, my apartment is fine - I mean of course thereâs things that could be improved - but in no way do I feel unsafe.âÂ
âWell, good. Okay then.â
Before you could make your exit and spare you both from the residual awkwardness of the interaction, he spoke again. âThereâs one more thing. Given that whoever wrote this note has displayed his willingness to come to our doorsteps, JJ is staying with Emily for the time being, Reid with Rossi, and Garcia with Morgan.â
You smirked at the last pairing. Leave it to those two to capitalize on a stalker to bunk up together.Â
âI was going to have the Bureau get you a hotel in the meantime, since he did come to your apartment, but Garcia suggested that since we live so close, you could just⌠stay with me.â
Holy shit.
There was a pained look on his face as he finished the sentence as if he recognized what an utterly bad idea it was, but hadnât had the good sense to reject it himself. He looked at you, expecting an answer despite the lack of a question mark at the end of that statement, and you struggled mightily to compose yourself to deliver an acceptance that didnât appear uncomfortably enthusiastic.Â
You must have taken too long, because he immediately started to retract his offer. âI already told her it was completely inappropriate; the rest of the team is used to staying together for cases but given you just started, and after the last few days I completely understand -â
âNo!â You cut him off. âSorry, no, thatâs not what I was going to say at all. Iâd love to. I mean, I think itâs a good idea. Iâd feel a lot saferâŚâ
âWith you around?â Is that too much?
Fuck it.Â
â... with you around,â you finished, and you swear you saw him push back a smile.
âAlright, then. Iâll let Garcia know.â
You made a mental note to send that woman a thank-you card.
***
As the workday wound down, you were surprised to Hotch turn out his office light and walk out at the same time as you did.
âEarly night?â you teased as you walked to your cars in the parking garage, despite it being 7 pm.Â
He chuckled. âIt would have been rude of me to keep you hanging around until I decided to leave.â
Right. You were leaving together. Because you were going back to his apartment. Together. The undeniable domesticity of the moment put a skip in your step, and you couldnât help but wish this was happening under different circumstances.
âSo Iâll just stop by my apartment and grab my things?â
âWhat? No,â Hotch responded, frowning. âIâm coming with you. The whole point of all of this is to avoid being alone.â
And thatâs how you ended up speeding down the highway like a madwoman, leaving Hotch in your dust, taking the stairs two at a time, and frantically scrambling to get your apartment in order. It wasnât terrible; not as if you had rotting food sitting out or something (probably because you didnât actually cook enough for that), but the recent caseload and spending so much time with Hotch in the mornings had certainly pushed general organization to the wayside. You shoved the growing pile of dirty laundry into your closet, straightened up the coffee table, and were in the middle of packing your suitcase when you heard a knock at the door.
Giving the apartment a quick once-over to make sure you hadnât missed something utterly humiliating, you opened the door to an unimpressed Hotch.
âI could have pulled you over for speeding, you know,â he said as he strode into your living room.
âYeah, sorry,â you said sheepishly, âI wanted to make sure this place wasnât a mess the first time you saw it.â
He cocked an eyebrow and you realized how that came out - the first time, as if there were going to be many more - and you coughed and looked away.
âAnyways. Iâm almost done packing, just gotta grab a couple more things.â
He nodded and you hurried to it, wanting to get him out of your apartment as quickly as possible. Normally youâd have jumped at the chance to be alone in a quiet place with him, but the way his eyes were scanning the room made you nervous that he was learning more about you in a very short amount of time than you felt entirely comfortable with.
***
You walked into Hotchâs apartment for the second time ever to find it just as clinically neat as before, except for a set of sheets and blankets laid out on the couch. Grinning, you gestured to them.
âThought you said you were sure I would say no?â
It was his turn to be shamefaced. âJust in case. Besides,â he shot back, grabbing your bags from where youâd deposited them by the couch, âYouâre taking the bed.â
âLike hell I am!â you scoffed, forgoing propriety. âIâm not making my boss sleep on the couch in his own apartment.â
âConsidering I, as you mentioned, am your boss,â he responded, âI will be making that decision.â
You plopped down on the couch. âUnless I just refuse to move.â
He stood a few paces away and glared, but gave up and dropped your bags all the same.
You could have sworn you heard him mutter âbratâ under his breath, but that didnât sound like something Aaron Hotchner would say, did it?
Taglist (I got a bunch of new ones so message me if I forgot to add you!): @stop-drop-and-drumroll @criminalmindzjunkie @xoprincessmel @cevanswhre @addie5264 @klinenovakwinchesterâ @honeyshoresâ @violentvulgarvolatile @masumiyetimziyanoldu @violetcliffordâ @pipersaccompliceâ @itsmytimetoodreamâ @groovygoobâ @captainhyenafanâ @thebadassbitchqueenâ
#aaron hotchner x reader#aaron hotchner x y/n#criminal minds fanfiction#aaron hotchner#Criminal Minds#hotch#standards of performance#criminal minds smut#aaron hotchner imagine#thomas gibson#hotch fanfiction#hotch x you#spencer reid#derek morgan#david rossi#penelope garcia#jj#emily prentiss#fanfiction#ao3
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO @geekynerddemon who so lovingly wished for me to finish Layer on Layer. And though I havenât been able to do so, I thought I would whet your appetite with a preview of Part 1 of my 2 Part Epilogue.
Please note this is a rough draft & subject to thorough revisions when I get the writing muse under control again.
Layer on Layer: Epilogue- PART ONE
âYou see one painting, I see another, [âŚ] itâll never strike anybody the same way and the great majority of people itâll never strike in any deep way at all butâa really great painting is fluid enough to work its way into the mind and heart through all kinds of different angles, in ways that are unique and very particular. Yours, yours. I was painted for you.â â Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch
Despite the scorching heat radiating from the sudden summer outside, Steve had turned the AC off while the sun blazed in through the windows of the loftâs living room where heâd been painting. He had his music turned up and he was humming as he worked.
Peggy had given him the custom made easel, sturdy, adjustable, gorgeous, no doubt pricey, as a gift. Heâd been painting so much that Peggy had deemed it necessary he have an easel at her place, a designated space to work since he spent so much time there anyway. She had claimed is a selfish gift after he voiced concern about her being too generous, assuring him she looked forward to watching him paint from the comfort of her couch. And she often did, taking breaks from her work by watching him mix colors and paint broad strokes.
The first thing he had painted at his new easel was for her, another detailed flower arrangement, just for her.
After unveiling the final product of Anaâs anniversary painting, which reportedly made Ana cry, happy tears Jarvis assured, she had given Steve a tremendous hug and after their double date dinner, they discussed art for a long time, their significant others at their sides sipping tea opting to discuss the dessert spread instead. Heâd been so happy and warm to sit there among her friends, her make-shift family, accepting and open to him. How he could possibly love Peggy more he didnât fully understand other than that he was learning he did it with every passing day.
Not long after that, Peggy started suggesting dates at more art museums and galleries. She watched him paint and encouraged him to do it more broadly. To show his work. To do more commissions. He wasnât sure about all that, but he did start to paint more and more. Heâd started even transferring images out of his therapy journal into oils. Heâd done several, even brought one in to show his art therapy group. They encouraged him to make a series, to show his stories on canvas.
Steve swirls his paintbrush into his yellows, ochres melding with browns.
Heâs deep in concentration getting her warm brown eyes just right, the right shade, the touch of a knowing glimmer in them. He remembers the first time they locked eyes, across her bedroom, just down the hall from where he stood right then.
Heâs so deep in concentration, he doesnât think twice at the sound of the front door opening and then when he hears footsteps approaching.
âHey Peg, arenât you late?â he asks distractedly without looking up.
âShe sure is,â a voice thatâs not Peggyâs startles him. He nearly drops his palette, tipping it over and paint gets on his bare chest.
He looks up and sees Angie.
âSorry!â she cries out, and he notices sheâs not looking at his face when he sets the palette down, trying to wipe at the pint on his skin. âWow. This is a look. Go English!â
Steve blushes, grabbing his rag and using it as a make-shift cover for at least part of his bare torso.
âI thought you two were meeting at your hotel for drinks,â Steve said, reaching over to the couch for his shirt. Angie is still staring when he slips it on.
âWe were but she was running late. And so when she didnât show I thought Iâd see if we got our wires crossed and see if she was here. Sorry for scaring you. I still had my key, and I wasnât thinking. I didnât realize youâd be here.â
âItâs okay,â he said. âIâm sure Peggy just got caught up or stuck in traffic. You know how her work is.â
Angie nodded. âYeah, sheâs always going at a hundred miles a minute.â She stepped further into the room until she was right in front of the canvas. âYouâre painting Peggy! Youâve been painting a perfect portrait of her half-naked looking like a Greek God. Unreal.â
Steve blushed further. âItâs hot in here but I prefer the breeze and the sunlight filtering in while painting so I turned the air conditioning off.â
âOh donât apologize, Steve. This has been the best surprise to walk into. I canât imagine how Peg handles coming home to this every day.â
âWeâre not living together.â
The yet goes without saying.
She giggled. âYeah and whenâs the last time you were at your place?â
âThis morning,â he said defensively.
She just smirked and continue to devolve into giggles.
âYouâre an amazing artist. That looks just like Peggy, down to that spark in her eye. I might need to hire you to paint me.â
He laughed. âFree of charge Angie. Friends and family plan.â
She grinned. âYouâre as sweet as a button, you know that?â
âCan I get you something? Water?â he asked, already headed into the kitchen.
âWaterâs good.â
They say down in the living room together chatting.
âHow was your flight? Did you have press today?â
âYup. Did a few of the morning shows. I have a late-night show appearance tomorrow afternoon that Iâm pretty excited about. I canât believe theyâre having me on it!â
âWeâll have to record it. Peggy and I have been watching every episode by the way. But weâre a few behind because I have to wait and watch them with her. But youâre our favorite!â
âAw, shucks. I cannot believe you got Peggy watching network TV.â
He laughed. âNo I got her to use Netflix. You got her into network TV. She says youâre the most believable, though she always figures out the plot twists before I do. Are you giving her spoilers?â
âNo way! And give away the impact of my performances before she sees them? Thatâs definitely all English. Howâs she been? Super busy?â
âA little, but less so recently. She had a busy few weeks before her conference with the EU but sheâs been keeping a regular schedule lately, coming home for dinner most nights.â
âGuess I just got unlucky with my timing,â Angie replied. âBut Iâm glad Peggyâs been taking some time for herself.â
Steve nodded. Heâd seen Peggy in all sorts of ranges of stress in the last ten months. Heâd been so glad that sheâd been taking more personal time off, delegating, taking care of her well-being, seeking out his support when she needed it. Of course she was a busy woman. That was a given. But she always tried to make time. She always took the effort to stay present when they spent quality time together.
Sheâd gone out of her way to support his painting. Theyâd spent so many evenings out, sipping wine and swinging by the latest âhotâ opening only for Peggy to proclaim that his work was much better, more moving, worthy of his own showing.
He still wasnât all too sure about the whole artist career, but he loved how supportive she had been. How much she cared. How much she believe in him. It was nice to know if nothing else, he had a fan in Peggy.
âIâve been trying to make sure sheâs been taking care of herself better.â
âGood. I already know how good you are to her. Sheâs always happy to talk about you. I wouldnât have believed it before actually meeting you.â
He shrugs off the compliment, after all he didnât want the praise for just being there for someone he loved. Besides she deserved it and more.
âMaybe sheâs got held up in a meeting. Iâm sure she remembers our reservation,â Steve said after another fifteen minutes without hearing from her. âIâll try to call her again.â
He didnât catch her, but he did leave her a message reminding her of their reservation and that he and Angie would meet her there. Steve changed quickly in Peggyâs room and then the two of them hailed a cab. Angie filled him in on some L.A. gossip and some stories of her cast mates. He liked how bright and bubbly Angie was. He liked hearing stories of how she and Peggy became friends. How Peggy had always believed in Angie becoming an actress, and how the two always had each otherâs backs. He liked knowing there were people apart from himself that cared so much for her.
They were early for their reservation, opting for the bar while they continued to swap stories. He checked his phone once they were seated but there were no messages. Angie convinced him to split an appetizer as she was starving and he hadnât eaten since lunch.
âMust be some hell of a meeting English is stuck in for her to respond to my texts for like five hours.â
Steve hummed, checking his phone.
âWait. What did you say? You havenât heard from her in that long?â
#geekynerddemon#steggy#my fic#Iâm sorry I couldnât get you the whole thing#may has been kicking my ass#also doing this on tumblr mobile was not fun#happy birthday friend!!
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When Stars Ignite - Chapter 14
HPHM Rockstar AU
A/N: Katriona Cassopeia (in mention) belongs to the gorgeous @kc-and-oc
General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.
Specific Warning:
~~~
Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.
~~~
This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist
Taglist: @slytherindisaster @carewyncromwell @night-rhea @thatravenpuffwitch
Man, we were killin' time We were young and restless We needed to unwind I guess nothin' can last forever Forever, no⌠~ Bryan Adams - Summer of â69 ~
Much to his relief, Orionâs fear of having been discovered seemed to prove unwarranted. Skye was a direct person, never shy to speak her mind; if she had truly seen something not meant for her eyes during the interview, Orion was sure sheâd have already come and spoken to either of them.
But nothing of the sort had happened. She had acted just like she always did and his first surge of worry had died down again. Sometimes even the most focused mind was prone to being tricked and, as he had to admit to himself, focus was something he found himself lacking in these days.
It wasnât only because of Lizzieâs teasing getting riskier that he found his mind wandering more often than not. Ever since the show they were meant to be playing for the children from the foster system had shown its face on the horizon, an ever present restlessness had been growing in Orion.
Dreams that he had pushed to the edges of his mind a long time ago had started haunting him again; they kept coming back whenever they held an event stirring the buried memories of his childhood. He loved seeing the light in the childrenâs faces when they were spending time with them; he knew it was a rare sight, after all. The emotional mess Orion carried back with him afterwards was the dark side of the coin, however.
The charity event was scheduled for the next day; they were to play a small acoustic set for the children in the afternoon and their regular show only a few hours later on top. To keep their spirits high before the double load, Ethan had scheduled a day off for them.
The weather was still uncharacteristically hot and so most of the band and crew had found themselves at the small pool on the rooftop of their hotel. Much to everyoneâs surprise, even Artemis had joined them.
Charlie had followed Skyeâs advice to take Artemis for drinks a few days prior. He had been unusually tight-lipped about it when they had asked him how it had gone down.
âIt was good,â he had shrugged, âtold you sheâs not as bad as you all think.â
While the young pyro tech still kept her distance from the rest of them, Orion had seen her chatting with Charlie outside of their work on stage since then. He was glad she seemed to be taking a step into the right direction, lowering her armour even for the tiniest bit.
But Artemisâ tentative attempts at integrating herself with their group lounging by the pool were counteracted as soon as she took her shirt off. Everett audibly wolf-whistled at her black bikini with surprisingly colourful patterns crisscrossing it. Her withering glare was met with a lewd grin as Artemis picked up her stuff and dumped it on the deckchair farthest away from them.
Lizzie gave Everett a smack on the back of his head. âWell done, Ev, youâve scared her away. I wanted to have a chat with her.â
Everett looked at her over the rim of his sunglasses. âIâm not stopping you. Two beauties in bikinis getting close? Who would I be to object? You could rub her back with sunscreen.â
He laughed to himself. âIf Artemis isnât up for it, Iâm always here for you, gorgeous.â
A hint of the same irritation Orion felt flickered over Lizzieâs face. âYouâre a real mood today.â
She got up from her own deckchair and started over in Artemisâ direction anyway, but was stopped by Charlie catching onto her wrist.
âWoah, where are you going, little rockstar?â
âGo and talk to Artemis, see if I can convince her to come over if Ev shuts up.â She gave the singer lounging in his chair a dark look.
âNah, I donât think so,â Charlie said and pulled her down next to him. âTrust me, if you push her youâll be the one scaring her away. Sheâll come over if she wants to.â
Lizzie opened her mouth to object but Charlie shook his head. âYou canât force her, sunshine.â
âFine,â Lizzie snorted, not pleased by the situation, âso whatâre we gonna do now?â She nodded in the direction of the pool. âAnyone up for a round of water polo?â
Everett declined, preferring to seek a better place to tan, while Merula did the opposite and withdrew to the shade with a book. So it was Charlie, Lizzie, Andre and Skye who made their way to the water. Orion would have joined them, but he was preoccupied with some ideas that had been floating around in his head since that morning; he wanted to write them down before heâd forget them.
He was lying on his stomach on his deckchair, notebook open in front of him, but found it hard to concentrate. The match of water polo going on in the pool had turned into some kind of wrestling match, like it always did eventually. Lizzie and Skye were sitting on Charlieâs and Andreâs shoulders respectively, trying to knock the other into the water; a lot of giggling and shouting was involved as they fought for the upper hand.
What really distracted him though, was the way the sunlight was refracting in the water droplets on Lizzieâs skin when she moved. It let her slender body shimmer, her tan she always got so quickly in the summer months a beautiful contrast to the vibrant red of her bikini. Her wet hair looked a lot darker than it actually was and it was clinging to her back.
Skye almost managed to knock her off Charlieâs shoulder and Lizzie laughed as she righted herself again. It was the kind of laugh that made her stand out amongst all the others, bright and captivating. It gave her an aura that was impossible to escape, drawing eyes whenever she entered a scene. She had the ability to light up a whole room with her smile, as fresh and beautiful as a sunrise.
âIâd say Iâm 95.9 % sure what youâre staring at, my friend,â Orion suddenly heard the voice of Murphy next to him, âor should I rather say who?â
Orion tried not to let his surprise show; he had been so lost in thought that he hadnât heard his best friend approach. âYour meaning is obscure to me,â he answered evasively. âIâm simply trying to work here.â
Murphy couldnât hide his smirk. âWhen youâre working, your attention is usually 87.5 % focused on your work, more if no one is distracting you. Four out of five times you donât even react when spoken to.â He glanced down at the mostly blank page of Orionâs notebook. âToday Iâd say your focus is reduced to abysmal 30.9 %.â Never missing a detail, his eyes flicked to the still on-going wrestling match in the pool.
With a sigh, Orion closed his notebook and rested his head on his arms. Murphy was far too observant to be lied to, but he didnât have to know all the details either.
He indicated their laughing friends with a slight nod of his head. âIt is good that our friends are having a great time, it strengthens their bond of friendship. But they are making a lot of noise, itâs bound to draw attention.â
The dismissive sound Murphy was making clearly showed that he wasnât buying it. âItâs obvious theyâre distracting you. But from what Iâve seen, 95.5 % of the time youâve spent looking at them were devoted to one of the pairs, and while I do have to admit that Andreâs new gold bangles are surprisingly flashy and apparently water resistant, I highly doubt it was him that drew your attention, same goes for Skye, although her hair usually is an eye catcher, Iâll give you that. That leaves Charlie and dear Lizzie, and last time I checked, you werenât one for redheads, thatâs more my thing. Not that I want to say I find Charlie particularly attractive, although some might say so, but I digress. So only one option remains, and as the one and only master of logical deductions, the great Sherlock Holmes, once said, âOnce you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbableâŚâ
â...must be the truthâ,â Orion finished with a sigh. âI know the quote. You're quoting numbers all day every day, do you really feel the need to go into literature as well now?"
Ignoring him, Murphy was grinning from ear to ear, clearly satisfied with his conclusions. âIs there something you want to tell me?â
Orion wasnât answering immediately; he didnât like Murphyâs prying at all. âAre you done, Detective McNully?â
âFine, donât answer me then, I donât need confirmation,â Murphy snorted. âThe stats never lie, my friend.â
Orion rolled his eyes, hoping Murphy wouldnât delve into another one of his statistical sprees. Although he was right in that his numbers were seldom wrong, Orion himself preferred a more open-minded view of his surroundings to Murphyâs cold, analytical observations; especially, if these observations were directed at his own behaviour.
But of course, Murphy wasnât deterred. âTo the attentive observer, which of course you know that I am, all the facts are there. Eight out of ten times your mood changes for the better when Lizzie enters the room. Seven out of ten times she starts smiling when she looks at you. You two look at each other during shows and soundtracks 46.4 % more often than at the others and yes, I factored out the times when you need to because of the cues sheâs giving you, thanks a lot for asking. You hug each other at the end of the shows significantly longer as well. When you leave the backstage area, youâre never leaving together but almost always in close succession.â
The blond sound technician crossed his arms in front of his chest. âAre you really sure there isnât anything you want to tell me?â
Orion was more than a little shocked at all the facts Murphy had just thrown at him. âI had no idea it was that obvious.â
Murphy shrugged, a sly smile appearing on his face. âOnly to me. Youâve been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and my above average observational skills, which of course not everyone possesses, solved 82.3 % of the mystery.â
âWhatâs with the rest?â
âWhat I can offer in facts, I sometimes lack in interpreting. Katriona connected the dots.â
âObviously,â Orion sighed.
âSo, whatâs the deal with you two? Are you dating?â A frown appeared on Murphyâs face. âI thought you had a clause about this in your contracts. Ethanâs not going to like this.â
Orion vehemently shook his head. âNo, you got that wrong. Weâre not dating, everything is just like it has always been. Weâre just enjoying additional pastimes, which - Iâll give you that - may exceed a regular friendship.â
He looked at Murphy intently. âNo one besides you knows about this, and I would appreciate it if it stayed that way.â
Murphy made a non-committal sound. âOf course this doesnât include Katriona.â
âAs if any of us could keep a secret from her.â
âI normally donât go for absolutes but thatâs 100 % true,â Murphy laughed. He looked at Orion curiously. âSo how long has this thing between you and Lizzie been going on now?â
âA while,â Orion answered evasively.
âThe definition of âa whileâ ranges from two weeks to up to a year. Judging by my numbers, itâs definitely not the former. Doesnât sound like a short lived fling to me.â
âI wouldnât call it a fling,â Orion said; it was surprisingly hard to put what was going on between them into words. âBut weâre definitely not emotionally involved with each other. Itâs not a matter of the heart, more of a physical extension built on the base of our friendship.â
Murphy leaned back into his wheelchair and grinned. âThe old classic, friends with benefits.â
âIf thatâs the label you want to stick on it.â
Murphy hummed in response, following Orionâs gaze to the pool again. His voice was quieter when he spoke this time. âDo you really think thatâs a good idea?â
âWhy wouldnât it be? We are both on the same page about it.â
âJust saying, things like these seldomly work out as well as they start. Approximately 89.6 % of physical relationships end in chaos, tears or both.â
The memory of his own initial worry emerged in the back of Orionâs mind. He watched as Skye gave Lizzie a final push that sent her toppling from Charlieâs shoulders. She shrieked before she crashed into the water, but was already laughing again when she resurfaced; Orion firmly pushed his concerns away.
âIt wonât escalate with us,â he said. âBoth of us value our friendship, and the fate of Equinox even more so. Weâve established very clear rules. I appreciate your worries, but they are misplaced.â
âAs much as I love rules for the structure theyâre bringing, rules can easily be broken,â Murphy said. âJust be careful, okay? Mixing friendship with sex can be a lot of fun but the devilâs in the detail.â
They both watched Lizzie climbing out of the pool and heading over into their direction. When she passed Everett, he pulled down his sunglasses and watched after her, his eyes very slowly travelling up and down her body. He said something to her Orion couldnât hear, but Lizzie only rolled her eyes, shot something back and continued on her way. Murphy's eyes flicked from her to Orion.
âArenât you bothered with Ev hitting on her?â
Orion shrugged. âWhy would I? Sheâs not my girlfriend, and she can perfectly handle herself, as youâve just seen.â
âThat she undoubtedly can,â Murphy laughed, âIâll better be off now and leave you two alone. I wonder where my beautiful wife is. I havenât seen her in quite a while now.â
#hphm#hogwarts mystery#harry potter hogwarts mystery#orion amari#murphy mcnully#lizzie jameson#lizion#rockstar au#when stars ignite#wsi#besties collaborate
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Mismatch- Part 25
In my defence I didnât forget about updating here, I just didnât want to.
First < Previous
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âHow do I look?â Marion asks as people fuss around him, not least of all Marinette herself.
âI hoped that would be obvious seeing as I designed this look,â She smirks at him eyes sparkling he can tell since the whites of the Domino mask are removed.
âYeah, yeah, youâre the greatest and all that,â He waves her off as a stylist tries to tame his hair to fit the messy look she wanted.
âWell it is true isnât it?â She teases, someone also trying to follow her with a brush and comb as she flies around the room in a whirl of designing.
"Perhaps," Marion hums, gaze drifting over to the door where he notices a familiar figure, Marinette follows his smile.
âLuka!â Marinette exclaims, wrapping her friend in a hug, âWhen did you arrive?â
âLast night," Luka smiles, she was glad she got the chance to become his friend again as MDC, not that he knew their secret identity, "This city is so majestic,â
âGotham at night?â Marion scoffs, turning in his seat, only to get scolded by the stylist, âAre we talking about the same place?â
âCD maybe you just haven't taken the time to really hear the cityâs song,â Luka strums a few cords to demonstrate, âYou should its melody compliments your own,â
âIâll have to take your word for it,â Marion shrugs, sitting forward again, âDo you think you can use it to reach out to the Gotham audience? I really want to connect with them,â
âWill do boss,â Marion sticks his tongue at him, Luka only ever called him that in jest.
Luka gives a playful wave leaving to go sort out the music. He had his own responsibilities as the opening act. Marinette feels someone watching them and dismisses the stylist, congratulating her on a great job. She looks a tad peeved as Marion's hair is largely the same as when she entered, but many employees are used to the twins randomly leaving anyway. The door to their dressing room clicks closed and the presence makes itself known.
âWhat can we do for you, Batman?â Marinette asks, offering him a seat, although she knows he wonât accept it.
âMDC,â he inclines his head, not showing if he was taken aback by her catching him out, âWe have reason to believe the concert will be attacked tonight,â
âYeah, we thought that might happen,â Marion gets up, stretching, âJust try to keep whoever away from the crowd and we can handle the rest,â
âYou donât seem to understand, after the last attack-â
âSorry to cut you off,â Wow it was weird acing professional around the same guy they had been tormenting the past few weeks, âBut that was an impromptu event this one has been planned out for years,"
Officially not but they had designed the building to help them catch akuma in Paris while keeping an event going, they just applied that design to Gotham.
"If you would like to call in the rest of your coworkers we can show you the defenses we have in place so you can work with them,â
Batman seems surprised. What did he think they were just air-headed celebrities? Well, that wasnât going to be the only surprise of the day then. Sure enough, he calls everyone in and Marinetteâs a little hurt to see he invited everyone but Sparrow and Songbird to join in the fun. She hides this fact leading the ragtag group through the backstage area. Spotting their manager she walks over.
âCould you please clear our schedule we want to give them a personal tour of our security measures,â She asks Kate, to her credit only looking mildly surprised to see the whole Batfam trailing after them.
âI thought you might, Iâve already worked it into your schedule, just make sure you're there in time for the costume checks,â Kate looks down tapping away at her tablet, âAlso call your uncle arrived in town last night heâll want to wish you good luck so watch out for him,â
âWe couldnât do it without you,â Marinette beams, letting her go to attend her other duties.
They must make an odd sight, two superstars guiding a pack of vigilantes like ducklings through the backstage. They go over all the security protocols. Safe rooms that the staff was instructed to go to under certain circumstances. There were carefully lain traps that only a few people could trigger to set off. On the stage itself was a secret compartment Marion could make a quick getaway to get change in, a tunnel leading backstage. The entire backstage was a maze in itself all the staff specially trained to navigate it.
To protect the audience they hadn't packed it nearly as much as they could have so it meant it easier for them to reach the exits. Indeed there were hidden emergency exits that people could escape through if villains blocked the obvious ones, they were set to reveal themselves if that was the case. There were also hidden trapdoors in rows of seats that would glow if people were forced to duck behind the seats. It leads to underground tunnels that would lead them safely away. There were even tunnels connecting to the staff safe rooms so they could come and direct the audience as needed. Marinette had made sure to make the tunnels look inviting ad pleasant so no one would panic at being underground.
Then there were the special (comfy) perches that they showed to the Batfamily, each situated to look over everything and be hidden by the lights. There were wires leading to the stage and audience in case they needed to get down quickly and quietly. They also made a web above that they could run along and run any interference with ariel attacks. They also gave them each a blueprint of the stadium so they could see all the secret tunnels that were perfect for a surprise attack. There were ones leading into the entrance subtle enough someone could be pulled in while walking into the building, for the purposes of catching criminals before they even entered. There was also a trap door that could open underneath, she gave them each a remote control to these, warning them to use them wisely. Each hidden door leads to a room suited for fighting, carefully crafted to give the bats and edge.
It had taken a long time and a lot of money but they had invested, making a safe place they could rent out to other performers so there could be more shows in Gotham conducted safely. She could tell that by the end of the tour even Batman was impressed as they headed back to the stage through the empty audience seating.
âHey! Superstars!â Jagged's voice booms across the arena, waving from the entrance of the place.
âUncle Jagged!â Marion jumps over seats to reach him, Marinette a step behind him as they both tackle him into a hug.
âGood to see you too,â Jagged ruffles their hair, Marinette sends a silent apology to the stylist, âThis place looks Rockin!â
âYou bet just wait till I take the stage,â Marion grins, as they both hug Penny and Fang as well.
âWhy wait! Show me what you got,â Jagged sends Marion off, who runs to the technicians asking if they can do an early mic check, everyone scrambles to make it happen.
âSo howâre you finding Gotham?â Jagged asks her, walking with a side hug back towards the Batfamily.
âOh, you know⌠busy,â
âIâd say the news with Marion? That was wicked!â
âYes⌠wicked,â Penny pales at just the memory, and yeah fair enough.
âYo Batman great to meet you!â Jagged boisterous nature meets Batmanâs stoic one but the poor guy barely has a chance to adjust before Jaggedâs moving on.
âYo Red Hood right?â Hood looks a little shocked as Jagged claps a hand on his shoulder, âYou saved my nephew, I really owe you one!â
âOh-that's not- I just,â Marinette shares a smirk with Jagged which would have surely had Marion screaming.
âYeah, he really looks up to you!â Jagged has him spluttering more, she would show him mercy but they only have so much time before Marion catches on.
âOh Uncle Jagged I wouldnât phrase it like that,â Marinette says in a suggestive tone, the stage is still empty of Marion.
âOf course, no Iâd say it more that...â Marinette could actually laugh as Red Hood practically vibrates from anticipation, âHe likes you,â
I think we just killed  him, Marinette notes as Red Hood internally combusts. Well now wasn't the time to show mercy.
âIâd say that's putting it rather lightly,â Marinette smirks as Red Hood is sent into another spluttering mess, and oh how she wishes he wasn't wearing that helmet.
âRight itâs more like-â
âStop it both of you,â Pennyâs reprimand has them both doubling over with laughter. The Batfamily looking absolutely bewildered. Minus of course, Red Hood who they may have to call an ambulance for soon if he doesn't start breathing.
âWhat are you two laughing at?â Marion walks to the edge of the stage, someone fusses with a microphone not too far away.
âNooothhinggggg,â They chime simultaneously, with matching grins.
âPenny?â Marion all but whines, fidgeting nervously.
âThey havenât said anything bad,â She assures him, Marion foolishly relaxes.
âHey is this the guy that saved your hide?â Jagged asks, having the guts to swing his arm around Red Hoodâs shoulders.
âUncle Jagged,â He hisses at the same time Penny hisses âJaggedâ.
âYou should thank him... sing endless!â Jagged exclaims, and Marinette couldnât be sure he hasn't been planning this from the start, âYou wrote it for him didnât you?â
âNot for him its not-â Marion makes a bunch of vague gestures, âYou know?â
âNot at all,â Jagged grins, dragging Red Hood closer to center stage seats, he plops down Red Hood right in the middle of the stadium. The rest of the Batfam take seats around them. âSing Endless!â
Marion is scowling but doesn't have much other choice as a stagehand tell him heâs all set. He takes the microphone. Marinette mimes at him to breathe, he rolls his eyes but does anyway. The music starts Marion hitting his cue and with just the first few words she could see the tension drain away.
âAnd the world starts slowly caving it~â
It was such a gentle song. So many people had told him and still told him that it didnât fit the violent vigilante. The producers had argued they should just fit it to someone else, someone people liked more. In the end, they had caved to Marion's arguments probably because it wasn't made to be an upbeat pop song so they weren't too attached to the money making aspect. That didn't stop the audience from arguing about it afterwards. Some claimed they just randomly selected the song, or that they shouldn't have done one for him at all.
Marion pointedly told them they were all wrong. And looking at Red Hood now, completely enthralled with Marion's singing she could tell that, yeah it had fit him perfectly all along.
"All the words you said were they true? or just selfish li-es~"
Marinette broke her gaze away from Marion to look at the rest of the Batfamily. Suffice to say they were all enthralled, hopefully they wouldn't be this distracted at the concert tonight. Although she supposed it was a good thing they were doing the mic check now so they could watch now and focus later. Then again she doubted Red Hood would be much use regardless, he was leaning forward in his seat the rest of the world dead to him. To fair Marion wasn't much better. In a crowd he would look around or at least pick a random stop to sing to no one. This time however? this time he was locked on to Red Hood sinign directly to him and he probably didn't even realise.
"Gave all I ever had try to make you laugh try to please you~"
Batman looked uncomfortable at the line. Judjing by the times she had seen them spend together there was a tension between them a past she didn't know. How Marion managed to pick up on that long before they came to Gotham she doesn't know. It was almost like he could see into his soul, a connection there despite never having met, like the pull of a miraculous.
"All I know is gone, now I'm all alone~"
Marion wasnât testing out the mics. That much was obvious. He was straight up performing. And no he hadnât written the song for Red Hood persay. But she had watched him every night and day agonize over the right words to use, the tune, the feeling behind it. Scraping up every bit of information he could it was probably more thorough than any police investigation done on Red Hood. It was then she realized, their room covered top to bottom in pictures of him covering the ones she had of Adrien, that Marion had completely and utterly fallen for the guy. No, it wasn't a song for him, it was a love letter for him, to him, about him. It was a picture that painted exactly how Marion saw him.
And she was willing to bet that the only people that didnât realize it were them, both completely captivated by each other as Marion finished.
âWhat is it~â He holds the next note until the music fades out into nothingness, âInside~â
The music stops, Marion opening his eyes, almost seeming startled that there were other people sitting before him. Itâs only then he seemed to realize that there was more than just one other person in the arena and spirited off to check with the sound. It was as he turned to walk away Marinette could tell Hood had seen it, the robins newly stitched up the back of his jacket.
#miraculous#miraculous ladybug fic#miraculous ladybug#ml fic#ML#bio! dadbrucewaynemonth2020#bio dad bruce wayne#Mismatch#marinette is mdc#twins au#vigilante AU#Popstar AU#MLB#salt#Slight salt#lila#lila lies#class trip au#maribat
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Time to Waste (Aizawa x Gender-neutral Reader)
Summary: Aizawa is displeased when your lengthy going-out routine leads the two of you to arrive late at an event, and you know full well heâs going to get you back for it- after all, that was your plan.
Tags: Spanking, mild public humiliation
Warnings: Minors DNI, 18+
Word count: 3990
Requests are open (any character/pairing/rating)!
Black or blue? Slim or bootcut? You hold the pants in front of you, scrutinising them under your bedroom light. A pile of going-out clothes lies discarded on top of your shared double bed. Youâve known about this event for the last few months, and had even considered your outfit choices during the slow hours of work, but youâve purposefully avoided making any decisions until an hour beforehand.
Aizawa arrives in the doorway. Heâs already sulking at the prospect of having to wear a tie, but his face well and truly drops when he sees you sat on the floor in just your underwear.
âYouâŚyou told me you were ready!â he hisses. âYou told me you just needed to change your shirt!â
You look up as though you werenât expecting to see him in the doorway of his own bedroom, and tilt your head to the side.
âYeah, butâŚthere werenât any good replacements!â
âSo you took the entire outfit off?â
âWhatâs the matter? You donât want me to look good at this event?â
âLike I told you earlier, I could care less what you wear. I doubt weâre even going to make it at this rate.â
You roll your eyes and check your watch.
âCome on, big kittyâŚâ His shoulders hunch at your pet name, and you know heâs trying to suppress a blush. âWeâve got an hour to get there.â
âAnd if thereâs traffic?â
You shrug. âWe get there a little late, so what? If anything, itâs less time spent rubbing shoulders with people you donât like.â âThe earlier we arrive, the earlier we can leave. The later we arrive, the more people there are to block our path to the exit.â
âIâm surprised you even accepted the invitation.â You hold two shirts up, one dark blue and one white pinstripe. âWhich one?â
âI donât care, so long as you wear something.â He leans against the doorframe in despair. You donât miss his eyes coasting over your nude curves as you kneel on the floor. You make a special point of leaning forward to pick another article up, knowing his eyes will snap to your underwear as it rides up the swell of your backside.
âHmm, I think Iâll go with this oneâŚâ You retrieve the shirt and shuffle your butt, as though to shift the material of the underwear somewhere more comfortable. Heâs momentarily distracted, then he spots the red shirt in your hands.
âThatâs the one you were wearing before!â He pushes himself off the doorframe and storms over to snatch it out of your hands. His suspicions are confirmed as he inspects it. âYouâŚ!â
He stares down at you as you kneel on the floor. You employ the big, confused eyes, holding a pair of trousers to your chest.
âYouâŚâ he sighs and ruffles your hair. Your chest leaps with glee, and you nudge your head into his touch, only for his fingers to tighten on the back of your skull. He pushes you into the crotch of his suit pants. âI know exactly what youâre doing.â
âWhat?â you say, letting your lips brush the material. You raise a hand to stroke his thigh, moving onto your haunches. His fly is an inch away from your face, and you let your fingers dance across it, clicking against his belt buckle.
âStop that,â he grunts, pushing your head down and stepping over you. He drops the shirt and moves to the door. âGet dressed, or Iâll make you sit naked in the cab.â
You know heâd never make good on that, but you feel your blood rush towards your pelvis anyway.
âWhat have I done?â you whine, getting on all fours to pick the shirt up. His gaze is fully on you, even as he stands in the doorway about to leave the room. He takes in the dip of your back as it cascades towards your covered ass, which youâve positioned pleasingly in the air.
He chuckles darkly.
âIâll tell you what youâve done. Youâve just earned yourself a spanking.â
He was right. There was traffic.
You had felt extremely pleased with your plan as you exited your house. Aizawa hated public affection, but heâd taken an extra moment to squeeze and maul your ass as you kissed behind the door, only to lay a swift smack on it just as you stepped out. Heâd played it nonchalant, but your eyes had immediately gone to the cab sat right by the door, both mortified and thrilled at the prospect that the driver might have seen- or heard your squeak.
As the driver hummed and tapped his wheel, staring out at the line of cars ahead, you felt Aizawaâs withering gaze squarely on your face as you put all your attention into toying with the window controls.
He moved closer to you, hanging over your shoulder so you could hear his controlled breathing, and smell the shampoo on his hair. At the back of your mind you were happy to discover it was the herbal one youâd bought him. As he lingered, you became more and more aware of his broad, muscled shoulder digging into yours. Neither of you had ever seen the point in comparing body types, but you were always conscious of the sheer brawn he hid under his dark, ill-fitting clothes.
The stinging spank he had given you before you left had only been a taste of what was yet to come.
You squirmed and clenched your cheeks as the memory of it worked its way back onto your flesh, making the skin on your rear tingle. Already you were wondering if the thorough groping he had given you had left bruises, or if the ache in your body was simply it yearning for what was yet to come.
After the event.
He didnât say anything in the taxi, but you could tell from the way his fingers drummed against his folded arms that he wasnât impressed with you at the moment. Both of you kept checking your watches, but eventually the vehicle pulled down the required avenue in a ritzy part of the city. Your heart sank and his scowl deepened as you arrived outside the restaurant, and saw a throng of burly heroes already outside.
Aizawa thanked the driver and jumped out first, before coming around to your side to open the door. You had been avoiding his gaze for most of the journey, horrified at the shock of traffic you hadnât predicted, but now you couldnât find anywhere else to look but his face. His eyes were hard and intense, but it was the fire behind them that made you tremble as the door handle clicked. It wasnât the cold and professional glare he reserved for villains and irksome colleagues.
It was the one that told you that you were going to be sleeping on your stomach for the next week.
You thanked the driver and stepped out of the cab, expecting to take his hand. Instead, his arm snaked around your waist. Uh-oh.
He held his watch in front of your face.
âSeventeen minutes,â he deadpanned.
âI-â
He cut you off with a firm wallop to your rear, the opposite cheek. You jolted and tried not to make a sound as you stepped onto the carpet outside the restaurant, and into the crowd of heroes. They were boisterous and broad, jostling each other in tipsy shows of strength, but Aizawaâs arm kept you pulled close to his side. Your cheek tingled as you navigated through to the entrance, ducking around Aizawaâs industry colleagues as he snubbed them one by one, and it didnât stop tingling until youâd reached the door.
âAizawa,â he said plainly to a woman holding a ledger. You fidgeted in place as she took a moment to read through it. Standing on the spot was making your butt clench in a way that drew attention to your sore skin, and it didnât help that Aizawaâs fingers were caressing the thick flesh at the base of your spine, which created another problem for you below the belt. You flushed and readjusted your pants as the woman let you through. A thrill rushed up and down your spine as Aizawaâs hand dropped momentarily, allowing him to graze your cleft as he pushed the heavy glass door open.
âDonât get any ideas,â he muttered into your ear, eyeing the room for any potential interactions to be avoided. âWeâre getting out of here as soon as-â
âAizawa, you finally made it!â A familiar voice cried. Your heads snapped in the direction it came from.
Having spotted you from the bar, Midnight was waltzing over in a sea of red sparkles, her breasts swinging perilously close to freedom behind her plunging neckline. Her perfume tickled your nose as she swept in to smooch Aizawaâs cheek, a gesture he had long learned to tolerate instead of try and avoid.
You felt your cheeks going pink as she did the same to you. You made the mistake of avoiding her gaze by looking down at her bosom.
âSo cheeky!â she exclaimed, assaulting your shoulder with a bar napkin- a makeshift replacement for a flogger. âAizawa, you need to keep this one under control!â
âBelieve me, Iâve been trying,â Aizawa growled. Your cheeks suddenly became very hot and sweaty as you realised exactly what was about to happen.
Aizawa was a private person, but even he needed an outlet sometimes. Midnight, the single most shameless and salacious person you had ever met, was a match made in heaven.
âIâve already had to schedule one punishment for tonight.â
Sweet humiliation tore into your lower regions as Aizawa squeezed your side possessively, staring Midnight down as though daring her to make a claim on you.
Which she of course did.
âI thought you had a guilty look on your face,â she purred, looking you up and down. âMake him late, did you?â
Trying to keep your lips clamped together to avoid a shriek of delighted indignity, you nodded.
âOh, arenât you bad? Stealing my time with a dear colleague. Aizawa, let me teach them a lesson, too!â
âKeep off,â Aizawa said, tugging you to stand in front of him and resting his head on your shoulder. You could feel his jaw move as he dragged his tongue across his grin. He pushed his hips to your ass, making you stir as you were pulled against his erection. âThis oneâs mine.â
Midnight chuckled and traced your chin with her finger. âPity.â
Aizawa snapped his teeth at her playfully, to which she laughed.
âMake sure you give them a couple extra to make up for staring at my chest!â she called over her shoulder, before vanishing into the crowd to tease some other poor soul.
Aizawa nestled his face into your shoulder as she left, and kissed the back of your neck. Laughter bubbled out of you as he squeezed your sides.
âYouâre not usually this affectionate out and about,â you said.
He stood and laid a single kiss to the side of your head, patting your rear. You both knew that, for all the fuss theyâd make about him not attending this event, nobody was paying any attention to you.
âIâm having a hard time keeping myself from bending you over my knee right here, right now,â he hissed, all but stopping your heart as you gazed around the room. He was.
âDonât you dare,â you giggled as he guided you to make a lap around the room.
âStrange,â he said, grinning wolfishly. âYouâre not the one whoâs supposed to be giving orders to me.â
âLike I listen to your orders to begin- oh!â You leapt out of your skin as he patted you more firmly than you were expecting, your reaction drawing much more attention than the mild spank.
âIâm going to kill you, I swear,â you hissed as you hurried past a group of bemused heroes.
âIâd welcome it,â he sighed, raising his hand and stopping as two heroes you didnât recognise spotted him and started to walk over.
The cab door slammed shut.
âIn,â he said firmly as the cab drove off. Your heart hammered in your chest as you stumbled towards your front door, keys in hand.
He arrived behind you, his impressive body casting a shadow over the door as lamplight caught him. You could feel him judging you as you fumbled with the keys, your fingers shaking, until eventually he stepped forwards and plucked them from your hand. His warm breath coasted down your neck as he leaned over to maneuver them in the lock, much more quietly and gracefully than your nervous hands could have done it.
âOver the couch.â
Not keen to disobey him further, you quickly hopped inside your warm front room, glancing over your shoulder to gauge his expression. Usually you delighted in playful sessions sat on the edge of the bed, but the couch meant business.
You hurried into the living room and headed for your slightly worn fabric couch. It was padded to accommodate Aizawaâs frequent naps, but the height of the arms meant that any time you bent over them, your butt pointed straight up in the air. You got yourself into position, sighing as your face, predictably, smushed straight into the cushions.
His shoes hit the floor in the other room. A swish of material told you he had taken his jacket off. In his socks, he was able to move around the house silently, and his voice from the doorway made you jump.
âPants down,â was all he said, before promptly disappearing.
You groaned as you stood again, catching a glimpse of his white shirt disappearing towards the kitchen. Trying to avoid the gaze of the cat statue on the mantel, you hooked your thumbs into the waistband of your trousers and tugged them down. Being so hasty about getting to the couch, you had neglected to take your shoes off (and you half-hoped that wouldnât result in a harsher punishment, half-hoped it would), and had to settle for pooling your pants around your ankles.
He hadnât said anything about underwear, so you left it up as you got back into position. You sensed he liked it better that way- more to play with.
You blinked the dust from the sofa out of your eyes as you waited for him to return, feeling a chill run down your exposed thighs. It wasnât a comfortable position, and the pants restricting your leg movement made it all the harder to balance.
He couldnât have been gone for more than a few minutes- after all, he was probably as excited to get started as you- but at the same time you were concerned that maybe he wouldnât come back at all. Maybe lying here for the entire night was your punishment- or, worse, maybe he was upstairs right now, hurriedly packing his bags to sneak out the front door.
You didnât hear him enter the room, of course. What you did hear, much closer than you had expected, was the sound of his belt buckle. You craned your neck to look at him, heart pounding and your lower regions tightening in anticipation as he folded the thick leather strap over in his hands. His fingers stroked down it as he saw you staring. They werenât moving in a graceful, easy motion- the belt was too rough and worn for that. He circled them around the top of the loop, staring down at you and licking his lips.
âHow many minutes late were we?â he asked.
You breathed in carefully. âSeventeen minutes.â
âSeventeen what?â
You hung your head.
âSeventeen minutes, master.â
He didnât respond. You assumed he was nodding.
âThat seems like a good place to start, donât you think?â You didnât answer- he didnât want you to. âOn top of that, thereâs those extra few for staring at Midnightâs chest-â
You pushed yourself up on your hands, ready to protest.
âI didnât-â
Crash!
Warm pain flooded through your buttocks. You had barely had time to register his movement. Heart pounding, you took a moment to caress where the belt had just landed.
âAnd one extra for trying to argue with me.â
His fingers appeared on your wrist. He pushed your arm to the side. The material of his trousers brushing your nude skin, he leaned over to play with your underwear, smoothing the waistband against your skin before pinching it together and yanking it upwards. You gasped as you felt the fabric pinch against your body, lifting your ass into the air as he tugged the material into your cleft, leaving a much wider canvas of warming skin.
He tapped the belt against the swell of your rear.
âStart counting from two,â he commanded.
You nodded, and braced yourself.
Wallop! Your entire torso lifted off the couch as the weight of the belt slammed into your ass, leaving you out of breath- and it was only the second strike.
âWere you expecting a warm-up?â he said. You nodded, blinking away the moisture that was already beginning to pool in your eyes. âThen maybe you shouldnât have wasted so much of our time, earlier.â
He tapped the belt firmly against your skin, but hadnât made his next strike yet. He was giving you a chance.
âWhat number?â
âTwo, masterâŚâ you mumbled, tucking your hands away to keep them from springing back to defend your rear.
âGood. You canât get ready on time, but you can count.â
The weight of the belt left your skin.
âThree!â you choked out. âFour!â
He paused again, the cool, warning presence of the belt leather laid against your skin as always.
âYouâre getting sloppy. Thereâs a certain word I havenât been hearing from you for the last two strikes.â
He swung the belt, which landed explosively against your right cheek. You rolled your hips to alleviate the sting, wincing.
âFive, masterâŚ! Six- six, master! SevenâŚmaster!â
âYouâre lucky I didnât make you repeat them.â
The next three hits came with such speed, you were still halfway through counting number nine by the time ten had landed. He gave you a brief moment to recover. Your legs lifted in the air together, still bound by your own trousers, as you tried to jerk the sting away.
As they settled back in place, ready for number eleven, you felt a delightful warmth run across both cheeks. Your privates pulsed insistently, emboldened by the rush of blood to their neighbouring regions.
âAre you sorry for making us late?â
The belt was already making its journey through the air as you opened your mouth to reply.
âYes, Iâm sorry for- eleven, master! Yes, Iâm sorry for- twelve!â
âWhat was that?â He struck you again, his face like granite as he listened to you whimper out the number thirteen.
âIâm sorry for- ah, ow!â
âThat didnât sound like a number.â
âFourteen! Ah-ow! Fifteen!â
You felt his hand on your skin, blissfully cold to dispel the angry heat across your cheeks. He rubbed them soothingly, but his voice still had a warning tone.
âYouâre getting sloppy on your âmastersâ again. Do I need to repeat what I told you with the belt?â
âNo, no!â You shook your head firmly. His large hand suddenly crashed against your ass, once for each cheek. âAh!â
âLucky for you, I decided to use my hand. Wasnât that nice?â You nodded. Two fingers wormed their way underneath the fabric of your underwear, grazing your cleft and making you moan as they tickled the sensitive spot. âI think you should thank me.â
âThankâŚthank you, masterâŚâ you said, arching your ass into his fingers. They left you promptly, only to be followed by another strike from the belt. This one ripped across your upper thighs.
âThatâsâŚsixteen, master!â you gasped. The pain from the blow had made you jolt forwards against the arm of the couch. The couch fabric had caught against the front of your underwear, pulling it down and causing curls of your exposed pubic hair to drag against the material, evoking an unsubtle groan.
Aizawa snorted as he lifted the belt from where it had landed between your thighs, and yanked your underwear back into your cleft. All that did was force your body against the couch, the friction making more soft moans bubble out of your mouth.
âYouâre not supposed to enjoy yourself so much when youâre being punished,â he told you. âI donât want to hear another sound out of you unless youâre counting these blows. If I do, Iâll start over. Understand?â
You bit your lip to keep yourself from making any noise, and nodded your head.
Seventeen landed, its weight coming unevenly against your right cheek again. As you counted it, making an effort to keep your voice even, Aizawa balanced his hand on your cheeks, thumbs swirling against your flesh as he stepped to the other side.
âEighteen, master!â This one seemed to flip the pattern, with the pain searing against your left side instead.
Nineteen was a difficult one to get through. The angle of the belt changed mid-flight, the leftover force causing it to slap against your left cheek and immediately spring against your privates.
âNi-nineteen, master!â you yowled, turning your lustful moan into your words to keep him from hearing it. The strength of your voice seemed to have drowned out an apology from him, and for the final blow, his hand settled against the small of your back.
âLast one, my petâŚâ he mumbled as he lifted the belt. You hummed and squirmed into his touch as you waited for the blow to land.
âTwenty, master!â you said almost as soon as it landed. The pain faded quickly, dulled by the intense need growing in your loins.
Immediately, his hand stroked down your back, and he picked you up from the couch to pull you close to him.
âArenât you so good, taking all those blows like that?â he said, massaging your flushed rear. You both looked down at the visibly sore skin as he pulled your underwear back into place. As you leaned into him to pull your pants back up, you felt a distinct lump against his leg.
âNow whoâs the one enjoying punishment too much?â you teased him, yelping as his hand laid a stark reminder of who got to tease who on your abused butt.
âDonât make me do that all over again,â he mumbled, bringing your lips together in a deep kiss. You nuzzled your face into his scratchy jaw, tipping forwards as he ended it, and started moving towards the stairs.
You grinned as you watched him go, following close behind. The loose material of the suit trousers wrapped around his thigh as he ascended the steps, and you couldnât help but reach out to give him a taste of what heâd been doing to you all evening.
âDonât,â he said as your hand left his firm ass cheek, but he couldnât do much more than simply admonish you as he climbed the stairs. âIâll spank you again. Donât even try it.â
âYou wouldnât do that,â you said, taking his hand and drooping into him as you arrived at the top of the staircase. You pressed a kiss to his cheek, preparing to open the bedroom door. âYouâre too horny. And besides, I donât think I could take another spanking this evening even if I-â
The bedroom door swung open, and the light clicked on. You both stood wrapped around each other in the doorway as you surveyed the scene in front of you. Clothes upon clothes upon clothes- almost the entire contents of your share of the wardrobe- lay scattered across the room, littering the floor, the bedâŚ
His arms tightened around you. The walls of the bedroom flashed before your eyes as he hauled you towards the bed.
âWait! No! Ah, kittyâŚ!â
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Another One?!, Part 3
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Marinette took one long, deep breath.
âWhat the fuck, Adrien?â
Adrien gave an awkward smile that made her want to forgive him⌠but, no, she must stay strong.
âItâs a cool car!â
She clicked her tongue. âYes. Yes it is. But none of us can drive.â
âWe have to learn at some point, though. Dick is going to uni soon, and itâs not like we can homeschool him for that. And there is no way Iâm going to let him take the bus.â
Marinette winced. Okay, fair point.
Adrien must have realized that he was convincing her, because he chose that moment to bring out the pout.
KwamiâŚ
She clicked her tongue once to show she was still irritated but nodded that he could have it.
He grinned and turned to look over his shoulder. âTold you I could convince her.â
Dick popped out of the bushes with a whoop.
Betrayal.
~
âWHY THE HECK DID I GET THE FAST CAR --?!â
âWHY THE HELL ARE YOU ASKING ME --?!â
âSTOP YELLING AT EACH OTHER AND WATCH THE ROAD --!â
âPULL OVER ITâS MY TURN TO LEARN TO DRIVE --!â
âWEâRE GONNA DIE WEâRE GONNA DIE WEâRE GONNA DIE --!â
~
Marinette glared at the three new driverâs licenses they had all somehow scammed their way into getting, then turned her gaze on Dick.
âI love you but if you flunk out first semester I will stab you.â
He smiled and wrapped his mom in a hug. âNo, you wouldnât.â
âBitch, try me.â
Dick wasnât fazed, squeezing her tighter.
She huffed and reluctantly hugged back. âOkay, fine, maybe not, but I will not be happy.â
âI love youuuuuu.â
âLove you too, sweetie.â
~
Adrien sighed as he looked at his kidâs grades so far. Heâd been scared of this. College was a lot of adjustments already, and to add to that he was going straight from homeschool to normal classes and the school wasnât giving him nearly as much help as it should.
Dick was stealing anxious looks at him out of the corner of his eyes, his legs drawn to his chest on the couch.
Adrien reached out and ruffled his hair gently. âItâs fine. Weâll get you a tutor, okay?â
He didnât suggest changing majors. Dick wouldnât do it if he did, though he wished he would. Itâs law school. Everyone knows that you canât have a life and still go to law school, jobs and stuff are supposed to be put on hold when you go and there was no way Dick was going to stop vigilantism anytime soon. ButâŚ
âAlso, try playing a game on your computer or doodling while youâre listening to the lecture. That might help you stay focused.â
Dick nodded with a tired smile.
âAnd youâre going to have to cut down on vigilantism so you can do homework and go to classes. You donât get to choose your own schedule anymore.â
âNoooooooâŚâ
~
Marinette yawned, rubbing her eyes. It had been a long day for her. Sheâd done patrols for a good fourteen hours, and then Nygma had decided to use that exact moment to pull a death trap out of nowhere.
So, when sheâd finally finished everything for the day she was tired and soaking wet (because, for some reason, he thought it would be cool to see if she preferred death by electrocution or drowning). Sheâd called for her husband to come get her because it was winter and she wasnât all that interested in walking through the snow in damp clothes.
Now she curled up in the car, getting the front seat and both her and Adrienâs jackets wet. She didnât care as she pressed as close to the heater as she possibly could.
Adrien brought the car to a stop and looked over, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. âDo you want to wait in the car while I get him?â
She nodded, closing her eyes.
She felt a set of keys drop in her lap and pressed the lock button, sinking into the chair.
And then, a few minutes later, she heard something outside.
She peeked an eye open blearily and looked around, expecting to see Adrien and Dick drumming their fingers on the windows to be let in. A frown made its way across her face when she realized that they werenât there.
She sat back up slowly and her eyes landed on a flash of red on the side opposite her.
She unlocked her door and poked her head out, carefully making her way around the car to investigateâŚ
A person was trying to steal their hubcap.
She groaned softly and rubbed her eyes, then got into a fighting position.
The person looked up at the sound and she winced mentally when she saw they had a crowbar.
They shot to their feet and raised the weapon.
âMarinette?â Called Adrien.
She looked up on instinct, a bad idea when youâre fighting someone.
She took a crowbar to the stomach and groaned, doubling over. They leaned down to grab the hubcap and then attempted to make a break for it.
It didnât work, obviously. Dick caught the person by their hoodie when they tried to rush past him.
They twisted in his grip and hit Dick in the side with their hubcap and, when he stumbled a bit in surprise, swept his legs out from under him.
Adrien scowled as he tackled the person to the ground. Then he stopped suddenly, his eyes going wide. âThis is --!â
He never got to say what the person was, though, because they had socked him. The person had been wearing a lot of rings, so that hurt even more than it usually would. It was a wonder that Adrien didnât black out or, at the very least, fall back to cradle his jaw.
The person must have been counting on this because they cursed and reached out to shove Adrien off of themself, but he caught their arms.
With a bit of awkward shuffling he had managed to pin them to the ground, arms tucked beneath him and legs swinging wildly in an attempt to keep Dick and Marinette back.
He neednât have worried, both of them were pretty incapacitated. Getting hit with a metal instrument tends to do that to people.
Dick recovered first because his blow had been softer and to a less vulnerable part, and he crawled over to Marinette⌠who was currently listing off every swear that she could think of from her spot on the ground.
They leaned against each other for support and then lifted their shirts a little bit to check for blood. Thankfully, the things the person had used were blunt, so they would only have to worry about bruising...
Still hurt, though.
ââ fucking asshole of a person I will fucking stab their cul stupide â!â
âMari, stop cursing, itâs a kid,â hissed Adrien, who was now covering the kid in questionâs ears.
âOh really? Letâs see you get hit by a goddamn whatever-the-fuck-thatâs-called --!â
The kid, who could apparently still hear despite her husbandâs best efforts, supplied the name of the object heâd used: âCrowbar.â
âOh, you absolute --!â
Dick covered her mouth so she could curse without the kid hearing it too clearly.
Eventually, she ran out of curses. Her shoulders slumped.
Adrien and Dick nodded to each other and removed their hands.
Adrien carefully clambered off the kid, though he made sure to hold onto their hands to make sure they wouldnât a) attack again or b) just run off.
They looked him over and Marinette cringed. Definitely a street kid, if the ragged clothes and bruised skin was any indication.
âIt wasnât personal,â the kid said, looking between the three of them anxiously. He must have realized he wasnât getting away, because he had stopped subtly struggling against Adrienâs grip. âI just needed money.â
Marinette nodded. âSure. What foster or adoption system are you in? We can up donations.â
(She was still annoyed about the whole âhitting her with a crowbarâ thing, obviously, but that didnât mean she wasnât going to help out a bunch of kids in need.)
The kidâs eyes widened and then he gave a bitter laugh. âIâm not really in one, itâs safer on the streets.â
Adrien frowned. âSorry? Why? Donât you want a roof and food?â
They rolled their eyes. âSure, Iâd love that, but it doesnât exactly happen.â
The three frowned at each other.
Adrien thought for a minute, then shrugged. âHow about you stay with us?â
âHuh?â Said both Marinette and the kid.
âWe have room and money, and Dick is probably going to leave soon anyways because of college. Why not stay with us?â
Dick hesitated. âIâm probably not leaving, actually, but you can stay if you want.â
Marinette and the kid looked met each otherâs eyes and deemed themselves the only sane ones present, because honestly what the fuck?
But then the kidâs eyes strayed to the pearl necklace Adrien had gotten her the year before, to the car, to the designer bag Dick was carryingâŚ
âI wouldnât mind. What about you, mom?â He said, giving Marinette a cheeky grin.
She closed her eyes so she wouldnât get puppy-dog-eyed from all sides.
Could Adrien, just once, ask her before randomly adopting kids?
Well, she guessed she should just be glad he didnât try and adopt the entire foster system. She should probably say yes before he actually tried...
âFine. Fine. Weâll adopt another one.â She pursed her lips together and then gave her husband a pointed look. âNo more after this, though, got it? Weâre too old for this stuff.â
âWeâre not that old!â Complained Adrien.
She clicked her tongue.
âFine. Iâm not that old.â
Marinette scoffed and threw the keys at him. He caught them without even blinking.
Dick smiled and opened the car door for the kid, who seemed more than a little hesitant to get in the car with strangers. Apparently curiosity won over self-preservation, though, because the kid did end up getting in the car.
âRight, whatâs your name?â
âJasonâŚâ
âCool! Iâm Dick, and these are my adoptive parents, Marinette and Adrien.â
â... is no one going to talk about why your mom is soaking wet?â
âWhy our mom is soaking wet, you mean.â
Jason frowned. âSure⌠why?â
âShe fell in a well.â
Adrien nodded as he started to drive. Marinette groaned and sunk into the front seat again.
Jason, poor kid, just looked confused.
âHow the fuckâŚ?â
~
Adrien was well aware that Jason didnât trust them.
Fair enough. How many other people see a random kid stealing their hubcaps and then say âyeah, screw it, Iâll adopt themâ? He figured they must be the only ones.
The kid seemed genuinely surprised when they pulled up to their house. Adrien wasnât sure he wanted to know where Jason thought they were taking him.
Marinette had taken a quick shower, changed into some warm clothes, grabbed a cup of coffee, and then took Jason out shopping. Dick rearranged his room to accommodate another person.
And AdrienâŚ
Adrien glared down the kwamis.
âAlrighty. We made the mistake last time of not telling you not to show yourselves to Dick, because we thought that was implied. Weâre not doing that again. You are not allowed to in any way help Jason find out that you exist or that we are Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Robin. Got it?â
He made sure to see every kwami nod that they understood and then gave them some leftover macaroons to eat.
Good. So that disaster would be averted.
He heard a loud âOh! My word!â from the next room and sighed.
New disaster.
He ushered the kwamis back under the floorboards and then rushed over to Dickâs room.
He walked in to find him frantically scraping a part of the wall that had been previously hidden by his bed.
Adrien crossed his arms. âHey, buddy, whatcha got there?â
Dick turned around slowly, eyes wide and full of panic. âUhâŚâ He leaned back as casually as he could (it did not look like a comfortable position at all but thatâs not the point here) and flashed a brilliant smile. âAdrien⌠Dad⌠Dadrien... have I ever told you how much I love you?â
âNot nearly enough. What did you do?â
âIâŚâ He looked away. â... should probably get ahead of this. Donât get mad, please?â
âWeâll see.â
Dick slowly scooted away from the spot and Adrien sighed deeply.
Because on the wall, in crayon, was a bunch of doodles.
But, upon closer inspection, he realized they were doodles of Chat Noir and Ladybug and a tiny little person with black hair.
Do not think itâs cute do not think itâs cute do not think itâs cute --.
He took a few deep breaths before turning to Dick. âGo get some cleaning stuff. We have a few hours before Mari gets back.â
He mumbled a thanks and then rushed out to go find cleaning supplies.
Adrien snapped a photo while he was gone.
~
Marinette and Jason were struggling.
It was hard to get this kid to buy anything at all, she had tried to get him just another hoodie and he had taken one look at the price tag before flinging it as far away from him as he possibly could.
Man, how was she supposed to get him a mattress if this was how he was going to react to a bunch of ten dollar hoodies?
She would have thrown her hands up in frustration if that wouldnât have disturbed her coffee. âFine. We wonât buy anything. Do you have anything we can bring?â
Jason hesitated, then shook his head.
Okay, an obvious lie but she wasnât going to call him out on it. He was probably still wary of them and their kindness and wanted to keep that backup open. She understood.
Well, she didnât understand because sheâd never been in that kind of situation, but she would respect it.
âFine. Youâll have to live with hand-me-downs. Are you alright with that?â
Jason relaxed a little, nodding.
She gave a tired smile.
Sheâd have to do something about Dickâs sleeping arrangements, sheâd probably create a hammock or just let him sleep in their bed (it hardly ever got any use, anyways) for the time being. Eventually, Jason might warm up to them enough to let her buy him stuff, and sheâd wait for thatâŚ
Or heâd run away. But, hopefully not that.
Jason ducked his head and pulled his hoodie up to hide his face and Marinette glanced around. People were staring at them. Fair enough, she doubted that the scruffy hoodie and weathered jeans were making people trust the kid. Still, she stepped towards him and gently grabbed the sleeve of his hoodie to say he was hers.
He cringed almost imperceptibly at her touch. She frowned a little bit, she knew all too well what that meant, but didnât say anything.
She opted to just glare at the people giving them odd looks, daring any of them to say anything.
They didnât. Good.
She looked down at the kid and tipped her head to the side.
âIâm going to just shop for the family and you can eat that stuff, okay?â
Jason still looked like he wasnât happy with it but he nodded.
And, so, she took him to the grocery part of the store. She did what she said she would, shopping for things they would need over the week, but she also watched Jason carefully to see if he liked anything.
The kid clearly knew what she was doing, because he spent most of his time watching her with a neutral expression, but occasionally sheâd catch his gaze lingering on a specific product for just a second too long and sheâd drop it into the cart.
He couldnât say anything. He had no proof that they never ate⌠whatever the hell a Chef Boyardee was.
She found he was mostly looking at cheap, instant meals but that was okay. Heâd learn.
She was a bakerâs daughter, after all. Everyone in her house would learn what good food was eventually or die by her hand.
~
Adrien fell back on the couch and groaned. âI have to homeschool another kid!â
âSucks,â said Dick, who was applying a princess bandaid to a shallow cut on his cheek that heâd gotten that night (the goon who had missed had been pissed that their aim was off... but then pissed themself when the two older vigilantes advancing on him made him realize he had bigger problems).
âIt does! I get one kid into college and then I suddenly get another kid to teach!â
Marinette sat on his stomach and he wheezed a little. She didnât pay this any mind, though. âMaybe you should have thought about that before you adopted another one.â
âHe said he felt safer on the streets than in a home! I couldnât just not adopt him!â
She gave a noncommittal hum.
âDick! Agree with me!â
The person in question just turned on the TV and started flipping through channels.
Adrien sighed. He was now talking to what may as well have been an empty room. He looked around for the kwamis but they were very determinedly avoiding eye contact while chowing down on their foods of choice. Still, he at least had one person-god-whatever that had to listen to him:
âPlagg.â
The cat kwami gave a long sigh before looking at him. âAdrien, please donât make me give you my opinion on this. Youâre not going to like it.â
He pouted. âHonestly, though, itâs messed up. Is the system really that bad?â
âYep,â said Marinette.
âMhmm,â said Dick.
âAnd arenât either of you, I donât know, concerned about it?â
âYou guys already donate a bunch of money, what else can you do?â
Adrien frowned, reaching out and pulling his wife down to lay next to him so they both could be comfortable.
Marinette lifted her arms slightly so he could wrap his arms around her and nuzzled into him a little bit (Dick made a gagging noise in the background). âThis isnât really our type of thing, Chaton.â
He nodded reluctantlyâŚ
And then gasped.
âBut what if it is!â
âWhat?â She said warily.
âI mean, weâre in Gotham. Everything is connected to crime here! What if the foster and adoption systems are messed up because the mob or something has something to do with it!â
âDid you stretch before that reach?â Asked Dick as he changed the channel.
Adrien huffed. âMâlady, câmon, I make sense, right?â
She thought for a minute, and then closed her eyes. âAlright, Chaton, if you really want you can go investigate it. If itâs our kind of thing, then we fix it. Okay?â
He beamed.
~
Marinette was⌠tired.
So, when she walked into the kitchen and found Jason flinging cabinets open at random and Dick swinging from a ceiling light, she just continued on to the coffee machine.
âWHERE THE FUCK IS THE TRASHCAN?!â
âLanguage,â Dick murmured absently. He hooked his legs over the light fixture and lowered himself down to open the cabinet beside Marinette, revealing... the trash can.
Jason stared at the cabinet in shock. âBut⌠I opened that one⌠I know I didâŚâ
âYou have to be upside down to access it,â said Dick seriously.
She started up the machine. âSweetie, donât tell him that. Heâll break his neck.â
Jason slowly discarded his plate in the trash can, eyes locked on it as if it would disappear if he didnât keep it in his sight at all times. âWhy donât you just have the trash can outâŚ?â
Dick grinned. âRich people thing. Canât let people know you live here.â
âWhat?â
All he got was two shrugs. They didnât really understand it either, they just didnât care enough to do anything about it.
âI hate rich people,â Jason decided eventually.
âSame.â
âIncluding you.â
âSame.â
Adrien had chosen that exact minute to walk in and was now looking on in horror as Marinette brought an entire coffee pot to her lips and Jason dragged the trash can out into a reasonable place and Dick attempted a trapeze act on the ceiling light.
âIâŚâ
âMorning,â said Marinette, sending a wave.
Adrien looked at the three of them for a few moments before sighing and sitting on the counter.
âMorning.â
~
Listen, if nothing else, Adrien had faith (... in humanity, religious faith is kinda weird when you have a god living in your jewelry).
This faith had never done him any good but it was there.
So, he had to hope that the problems with the system were things that he could fix as Chat Noir. Otherwise, heâd have to just accept the fact that the system didnât care about its kids. He couldnât do that.
The world was evil... but surely it couldnât be that evil.
Unfortunately for his dreams of fixing everything, he found out that he needed to go to university for at least four years in order to get in. He couldnât wait that long! People were suffering now!
Good thing he was rich.
Listen, Gotham is messed up. Heâs been doing his best to fix it but, dang it, if everyone else can exploit it then he can, too!
(But only to help people. His moral compass was a roulette wheel and using his money to benefit solely himself was one of the lines he wouldnât cross.)
Dick gave him a jealous look as he held up his new, definitely legitimately earned degree.
And then Jason had stepped into the room and frowned confusedly.
âYouâre a social worker?â
âAm now!â He chirped.
âNew?â
âYep! Iâm hoping to make it better, if I can.â
Jason gave a tiny laugh. âOh, so youâre NEW new.â
Well, that wasnât encouraging.
That night, he managed to catch Marinette before she could head off for patrols. âDo you think what Iâm doing is useless?â
âA little bit butâŚâ She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. âI knew what I was getting into when I married you. I love you, Chaton.â
He frowned a little bit but returned the kiss and whispered his âI love you, too, Mâlady.â
âWould you like me to drive you to work?â
He smiled and let her lead him along. That would be good. If he was driven to work then he could get someone to pick him up âlateâ and give him time to snoop around.
Well, not today. The staff would know if it was his first day. Heâd have to give it a month or so before he snooped. But it was good to start that kind of routine early.
When they pulled up to the orphanage, Marinette locked the doors before he could get out.
Crap.
He gave his wife a careful smile. âMâlady?â
âListen to me: you are not allowed to adopt any of the kids.â
âBut --.â
âNope. No kids. We already have two when we said we were going to have zero. It has to stop.â
He sighed, leaning back in his seat. âWhat if⌠what if theyâre about to age out?â
Marinette paused. He could see the gears turning in her head as she bit her lip, considering it.
Then she shook her head. âIf theyâre about to age out you can give them money and support to start out. Thatâs. All.â
He pouted a little but accepted this answer. It would have to do.
He heard the doors unlock and stepped out. He looked up at the building and suppressed a cringe. It looked like the kind of orphanage that you see in movies that always have an evil director. This was a good thing for him as Chat Noir but a bad thing when you consider that there are actual kids living there.
Adrien stepped inside, all too aware of his nerves.
After all, he was technically unprepared. Did he know basic medicine? Was he good with kids? Did he know how to teach even kids with challenges? Yes to all of that. Still, he couldnât help but worry that maybe the four years of college that were asked of him could have taught him something that he would need.
Relax, he told himself.
This did nothing, and really only served to make him more anxious, but hush.
He was given the day to tour the place, and he was originally disappointed. Surely, this couldnât be it. All the beds were crammed in one room! Some of the beds didnât even have fitted sheets!
But then his mind wandered to Jason. They never found him asleep in any of the beds, instead finding him passed out with a thin blanket in the corner or, at best, in an armchair. He hardly ever slept alone, either, usually opting to choose whatever room had two or more people in it to sleep.
He had to remind himself that these kids were likely on the streets for at least a few months of their lives, and likely would have adapted to that.
It didnât make him feel any better, though.
Adrien didn't let any of this show on his face, instead smiling as he introduced himself to the kids he passed. A few gave wary looks, others gave awkward smiles, and some didnât even seem to notice him.
He didnât know what he was expecting. He was their new teacher, people usually arenât all that eager to meet those.
He hoped he could help, though.
~
Marinette clicked her tongue when she found Jason reading in his current favorite hiding space: under Dickâs bed.
âSweetie, youâre going to get squished under there.â
He didnât answer, probably because there was a flashlight in his mouth.
She leaned down to see if she could figure out a way that he could stay down there without getting hurt and scrunched up her nose at a smell.
âIs there⌠are you keeping food down there?â
Jason finally looked at her, his eyes wide. He quickly moved in front of the stash so she couldnât get to it and pulled the flashlight from his mouth to speak: âItâs mine.â
âItâs spoiled,â she said, shaking her head. âYou can hoard food if that makes you happy but at least make sure itâs something that wonât go bad, please. How about cereal -- no, actually, the kid would kill me if I gave you that⌠what about nutrition bars?â
âThose arenât actually that healthy, you know.â
She gave a tiny shrug. âYouâre right, theyâre not, but they donât spoil quickly and they have at least some kind of nutritional value.â
He hesitated, then reluctantly pushed the stash of food in her direction. She sifted through it to pull out any food that was still good, and then handed that over.
He looked at the tinier pile and then gave her a tiny smile.
âThank you.â
She nodded. âIâll go out and get some nutrition bars.â
His eyes widened. âYou donât have --.â
âDonât worry about it. I was already going to start buying them to try and wean your brother off of cereal. This is just an added bonus,â she lied so he wouldnât feel guilty about using her money.
He looked reluctant but still nodded.
She beamed and stood again, the spoiled food in her arms.
She yelled to Dick that Jason was under his bed again so he needed to be careful, then put a sticky note on his bed and door so heâd remember, then tossed the food.
And then she started towards the store.
~
Teaching all day and then coming home to teach another kid was⌠something.
Good thing Adrien had the patience of a saint from years of schooling Dick.
Jason groaned and fell back on the couch, covering his face with the textbook. âThis is soooooo boring. I already know this stuff!â
âThe test you took says differently,â said Adrien as he closed his copy.
All he got was another groan.
He sighed and closed his eyes. Whatever. He was exhausted. Heâd take the night off. âAlright, fine, youâre bored. What do you want to do?â
Jason lifted the book from his face so he could send his dad a confused look.
âYou have to enjoy something. Yâknow, a hobby or something?â
Jasonâs face reddened a little and he nodded, toying with some of the rings on his fingers. âI have one... but you canât laugh if I tell you.â
âI wouldnât.â
He mumbled something that she couldnât make out, and Adrien frowned. âSorry?â
He took a deep breath and then whispered his answer: âIliketoread.â
It took a moment for his brain to catch up, and then he felt a wide smile stretch across his face. A kid? That reads?
He pushed himself up to his feet.
âI have a library card thatâs been gathering dust for the past few years. Câmon.â
Jason raised his eyebrows. âItâs been gathering dust? Why?â
âUh⌠letâs just say Iâve been kind of busy with other things.â
âThat sucks.â
He considered this, his head tipping to the side, then he nodded. âIt does. I should read more.â
âYou should.â
Adrien laughed a little. âHave any suggestions?â
Jasonâs eyes lit up.
~
Marinette hummed absently as she stepped into the kitchen and then frowned as her eyes flicked between Dick and Jason, who were looking very intensely at a plate.
She stepped closer and rolled her eyes. It seemed they were dividing up the last cookie from her baking session last night.
Was she concerned that they had managed to eat all the cookies in the few hours since she had finished them? A little. But not that concerned. At least she knew they were getting calories.
But now she was just amused. Because they were using a ruler and a pencil and paper to figure out what exactly half was.
Dick seemed to finish his math first, because he picked up a knife and positioned it over the cookie.
âCareful!â Said Jason.
Marinette snickered. âBoys, I may have a solution for you.â
They looked up with confused expressions.
âI can⌠you know I can just make more, right?â
Jason looked like he was going to protest... but then Dick swiped the cookie and stuffed it into his mouth. He watched on in horror for a few moments before his face hardened.
âYou live up to your name, Dickwad.â
Dick gasped. âRude!â
âOh, so Iâm rude? You want to know whatâs actually rude? Itâs --.â
Marinette grinned as she sipped at her coffee. Sheâd intervene if things went too far but, for the time being, she was perfectly fine just watching.
Jasonâs eyes found her and he brought a cheeky grin to his face. âHey, mom, if youâre going to make cookies then Dickwad canât have any, right?â
âWhat? No! Mari -- Mom -- Mominette!â
âMom!â
âMom!â
She tried not to laugh at the chorus of âMomâs as she started pulling down ingredients.
~
After a month and a half of gaining the trust of the orphanage staff and kids, he managed to sneak into the directorâs room and look through the financial records.
He snapped pictures of every page and then slipped out through the window.
When he got home he pulled the pictures up on a bigger monitor and started looking over them with Dick and Marinette at his side.
The longer he looked the more he frowned.
âItâs not an evil plot. I donât know what to do when itâs not an evil plot,â he said eventually.
Marinette rested her head on his shoulder. âOf course itâs not. Even if criminals benefit from the system being broken, they donât need to do anything to keep it that way. Even good cities have terrible adoption and foster systems.â
âThere has to be something we can do!â
She and Dick exchanged exhausted looks.
âThere has to be something we can do.â He repeated, frowning. âWeâre rich!â
âWe donât have enough to beat out a mob boss in political donations, Chaton, much less a bunch of them.â
He sighed.
Marinette slipped her hand into his and was silent for a while, trying to think of a way to cheer him up. She squeezed a little tighter and he looked over with a raised eyebrow.
âHey, speaking of mob bosses, the kid and I have been closing in on oneâs location. You want in? You always like beating them up...â
âI guess it has been a while since weâve done thatâŚâ
They had been about two seconds away from just pushing the emotions down like they usually did, but then Dick had gasped and pushed himself to his feet.
âWe canât fix homes, but we can always make things easier when they leave.â
âWe already agreed to give them money when they age out, sweetie.â
âNonononono not like that!â Dick was pacing, now. âYou guys know a lot of people, right?â
âI doâŚâ said Adrien carefully.
âThen use that! Help them get into the fields they want to get into.â
âThatâsâŚâ Adrien pulled out his phone to translate the word to English. â... nepotism.â
Marinette shrugged absently. âWe kill people, Chaton, this is hardly the place to draw the line. I can probably get them into the designing world if I wanted.â
âI could do circuses or law.â
Adrien sighed and closed his eyes. He figured he should just be glad that they were trying to help.
â... I can get modelling and any other field that I know someone in⌠Iâd need to make some calls...â
~
The happiness that came along with finding a solution, weak as it was, lasted about a month.
Marinette smiled and wiped some blood from her husbandâs cheek so she could give him a kiss.
âFeel better?â
âA little,â he admitted.
She smiled and tipped her head back to look at Dick, who was tying up the last of the henchmen. âYouâve had faster times, sweetie.â
âI wouldâve gone faster if you were helping instead of âfrench kissingâ over here.â
âWe werenât --!â She clicked her tongue when both of the guys started laughing. âYouâre hilarious. Câmon, we need to get out before the cops get here.â
They slipped out into the streets as sirens blared in the distance and detransformed.
Marinette hummed lightly as they made their way through back alleys. After all, their detransformations only got rid of the suits, not the blood⌠it would look a little weird if three people covered in blood were just walking through the streets.
Adrien opened the door for them, and she stepped insideâŚ
Only to go pale.
Because Jason was up, watching a show. He had probably woken up and decided to wait until people were back to sleep. The three vigilantes went completely still, save for the quiet squeak of surprise that left Dickâs lips.
Jason looked over and his eyes widened.
âUh⌠we can explain?â Said Marinette.
He screamed and scrambled off the couch as quickly as possible and made a mad dash for the kitchen.
The three vigilantes looked at each other, then followed after him.
Her eyes searched the kitchen and found him hidden under a table...
Oh. He had a knife. Fun.
Adrien pushed Dick behind them.
She held up her hands placatingly. âSweetieâŚâ
âNO! WHAT THE FUCK?! NO! I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE TOO NICE TO BE TRUE BUT WHAT?! THE FUCK?! MURDERERS?! COME ON!â
Adrien sighed. âI⌠we arenât⌠well⌠we kind of are⌠but...â
âNot helping,â Dick muttered.
Marinette bit her lip as she considered what to do to make Jason relax, then groaned. âTikki. Spots on.â
Somehow, Jasonâs eyes went wider when she transformed.
âWHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU GUYS ARE VIGILANTES?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!â
Adrien sighed.
The other two transformed as well.
Jason had gone into shockâŚ
Progress?
They detransformed now that they had shown him the truth.
âNow that you know that we wonât hurt you, can you⌠put the knife down? Please? Thatâs the good knife and --?â She felt the glares of the other two vigilantes on the back of her head and winced. âOkay, maybe not the most important reason why... knives are sharp. We donât like sharp things. They hurt.â
The kid did, in fact, put down the knife. This was probably just because he was stunned and on autopilot but at least he was no longer armed.
Marinette carefully walked over and picked it up off the ground. A pout made its way onto her face as she looked at the blade. It had scratches on itâŚ
She saw Adrienâs disapproving look and huffed, tossing it into the sink a few feet away and then turning to the kid next to her.
âThis wasnât how we wanted you to find outâŚâ
The boys made their way over as well and they all sat in a wide circle around the kid. They didnât want him to feel alone but they also didnât want to crowd him.
âWe didnât really want you to know at all, we just wanted to be a stable family for you,â explained Adrien.
Jason was emerging from his shock slowly, his breathing was picking up.
Marinette peeled her jacket off and draped it over his shoulders gently.
âWe promise we won't force you to be a vigilante. In fact, weâd probably feel better if you werenât one. Youâre a kid,â said Adrien.
âBut,â added Dick. His parents glared at him but he continued anyways: âIf you want, then we wonât stop you. Youâre old enough by our family standards, so we canât really stop you if you want to. Just tell us and weâll get you a miraculous that suits you and some training.â
She clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
Dick gave her a bit of side-eye. âWhat? Itâs not like we would be able to stop him if he wanted to be a vigilante. Iâd prefer that he at least be safe⌠-ish.â
Jason curled up in the jacket and closed his eyes. âCan I have some time to think about it? About⌠everything?â
âOf course, sweetie.â Marinette scooted away a little so he could get past her and he rushed out.
The three watched him go in silence. They heard the front door slam behind him.
She closed her eyes. âSweetie, go after him? Make sure he doesnât get hurt.â
Dick gave a quiet âOkayâ and transformed. With a shrill note, he was gone.
Adrien and Marinette were left alone.
She felt him crawl over to her and pull her into him.
âHeâll be okay,â said Adrien softly.
She bit her lip and then buried her face in his shoulder.
~
Over the next few weeks they heard people in the house.
He made sure to never acknowledge it. It could be Dick coming back for food or to grab some homework to do while watching over his brother, or it could be Jason.
He always hoped it would be Jason⌠but now that it actually was he felt a surge of anxiety.
Firstly, Marinette wasnât home. Nygma had just announced his most recent death trap to the city and sheâd had to rush out to deal with it.
Secondly, Dick had a class at the moment.
Thirdly, Adrien was just really tired. Heâd spent the entire day teaching, of course he was tired. He wouldnât be at the top of his game.
This was probably an intentional move on Jasonâs part. It was a good idea to take precautions, Adrien would have been proud if he wasnât so nervous.
He looked up from his spot on the couch and gave a careful smile. âHey, Jay.â
Jason hesitated and then disappeared to the kitchen. He came back with a knife.
Ah. Great.
Adrien knew he could beat a child with a knife, that didnât mean he wanted to.
Jason sat on the couch opposite Adrien and pointed his knife at him. âI want to ask some questions.â
âOf course. Anything.â
He nodded and lowered his knife ever so slightly. âOkay⌠why did you adopt me?â
Adrien frowned a little bit. âYou were a kid that was so desperate for money that you were stealing a bunch of rich peopleâs hubcaps. I couldnât not adopt you.â
âThereâs a lot of people like that. Why me? I attacked you. There had to be better, safer options.â
âIâŚâ His frown deepened. This was true. Why had he felt so drawn to Jason in particular? âI guess it could have been Marinetteâs luck? One of her side-effects is that she has really good luck. I wouldnât be surprised if we adopted the exact kid that was perfect for our family.â
Jason nodded a little bit, though he looked skeptical.
Fair enough. Adrien was also a little skeptical of his answer. He had a theory about what was going on but it wasnât like heâd ever be able to prove it.
âNext question: what did Dick mean when he said that I was old enough to be a vigilante âby your standardsâ?â
Adrien winced a little bit. âYou said youâre about thirteen, right? Well, Dick and I started at twelve and Mari started at thirteen.â
Jason gave him an incredulous look, then apparently got over it. âOh. Okay. And⌠why did you start doing this?â
âUh⌠odd questionâŚâ He pursed his lips. âItâs hard to explain. I⌠had an image to keep up and Chat Noir was -- still is, actually -- my outlet for me to be myself in public. Mari, I think, was more or less thrown into the life and then, when she finally had an out, couldnât imagine herself without it. Dick wanted to get revenge on the person who got his parents killed and then decided to keep going.â
He frowned. âYou make it sound addictive.â
âOh, yeah, it definitely is.â Adrien sighed. âThereâs a lot of reasons why we didnât tell you but that was one of them. When you start you donât stop. We made that mistake with Dick, weâre hoping that youâll not do it.â
Jason set the knife down, finally. âBut you wouldnât stop me if I still wanted to?â
He winced. âNo. If you wanted to then weâd give you a miraculous -- powers -- and youâd get to go out and fight crime.â
âYou trust me?â He said with a laugh.
âShould I not?â
He rolled his eyes. âI grew up on the streets. Most people donât.â
âJay, no offense but Iâm not scared of you. You could have stolen from us or attempted to hurt us at any point over the last few months and you didnât.â
âYouâre vigilantes! Itâs not like I could have done any of that!â
He shrugged and stretched out lazily. âYouâre right, you wouldn't have succeeded. But you didnât know that. You thought we were just some really trusting rich people.â
Jason considered this with a frown, and then he looked at Adrien. âI want to be a vigilante.â
He groaned a little bit but nodded. âFine. Take off your -- Mariâs -- whatever -- THE jacket and the hoodie for a minute so I can see who should train you?â
The kid looked a little uncomfortable but he did comply.
Adrien frowned at all the tiny scars but didnât say anything as he carefully examined his build. Definitely closer to him than Marinette or Dick.
He would take up the physical aspect of training, then.
âRight, how much do you know about self-defense?â
~
The four of them sat on the floor, sifting through the different miraculi for ones that could protect Jason in battle.
Marinette hummed to herself as she sifted through her pile.
After a minute, Dick held up the turtle miraculous. âThis one can keep him safe -- wait a minute, why didnât I get this one?â
âDidnât match your fighting style or personality,â said Adrien absently, his head tipping from side to side as he considered the miraculous.
âIf we want to give him that one then heâs going to need a different weapon. What would you like, sweetie?â
Jason thought for a minute, staring at Wayzz.
Then his eyes lit up. âCan I have a gun?â
âIâŚâ Began Marinette, then she shrugged. âActually, we could probably use another long-distance fighter on the team.â
âAnd it keeps him a pretty safe distance away from the fightingâŚâ Agreed Adrien.
Dick hesitated. âBut guns are pretty lethal. He isnât an adult.â
âDamn, that really is going to come back to bite me, huh?â
Jason frowned. âWhat? Whatâs going on?â
âBasically, we have a rule that says kids arenât allowed to kill,â said Adrien, sending his wife a tired glare.
She gave him a tense smile in return. âKilling people messes you up, so weâre trying to keep you guys away from it.â
Jason hesitated a little bit. âIâve kinda⌠alreadyâŚâ
The three othersâ eyes widened and they gave each other nervous glances. Jason couldnât seem to finish, and they didnât ask him to. They could guess what he was trying to get at.
And they didnât know how to respond. Their problem had been with introducing kids to murder, because they knew that it was something you never really came back from⌠but heâd already done it...
They figured that, from the way he said it, he had probably had no choice in the matter and was regretting doing itâŚ
âI guess⌠we let him kill if he wants?â Said Adrien slowly.
Dick scratched his head. âI guess?â
The three of them shrugged at each other. It was probably -- no, definitely -- not the right decision but they really didnât know what to do.
âI think heâd look cute with pistols,â said Marinette after a few minutes of silence.
Adrien, who was the only other person who had seen the turtle miraculousâs suit, nodded his agreement.
Jason transformed for the first time.
Dick nodded as well. âPistols would be cute.â
~
Adrien smiled as he watched Jason mess around with his new powers.
There wasnât much to them. They created a force field around an item or person of your choosing that held for as long as you stayed awakeâŚ
Still, he was proud of him. Babyâs first powers and all.
The three older vigilantes were casually throwing things and hitting the forcefield in an attempt to break it, and Jason was holding up surprisingly well.
âSo, whatâre you going to call yourself?â Adrien asked as he drummed his staff on it.
Jason thought for a minute and then smiled. âHow about⌠Green Helmet?â
Marinette hit the force field too hard and the cane came back to hit her in the head, which could not be helping her growing headache.
She pursed her lips tightly as she lowered herself down into a chair. âYou⌠you have a hood.â
âI disagree.â
âYou canât -- Iâm literally a designer! My word is law! Thatâs a hood!â
âNope.â
âChaton! Tell him thatâs a hood!â
Adrien sighed. âItâs a hood,â he agreed.
Everyone looked at Dick, who was beginning to look like heâd rather be anywhere else. He eyed the door out of the corner of his eyes as if wondering whether he could get away before they caught him.
He must have come to the conclusion that he couldnât get there in time, because he gave his answer:
âIt⌠could be a helmet if he wants it to beâŚâ
Adrien rolled his eyes as the family erupted into an argument over what constitutes a hood versus what constitutes a helmet.
~
Marinette hummed lightly as she made brownies (she had faith, okay? No one was helping this time so it should work). Jason was sitting in a chair nearby, head resting on the back of it as he watched her.
âWhatâs wrong, sweetie?â She asked. It was normal for Jason to watch her cook, he liked to keep his eye on food when he could, but he seemed almost⌠anxious. She could hear the gentle clinking of his rings as he messed with them.
âI⌠I want to buy something,â he said.
She dropped her bag of sugar into the bowl and hissed a string of curses as she looked at the now definitely ruined batter. Sure, she could technically go through and try to fix the ratios by adding more of everything else, but that would make enough brownies to feed a whole army --.
Wait a minute, what had he said?
Her eyes flicked to Jason. âSorry? You want to buy something?â
He nodded with a tiny smile. âItâs a little expensive, Iâm sorry, but⌠could we?â
Marinette was willing to buy a car if this kid asked, because he was ASKING HER TO BUY SOMETHING OH MY GOD, but she played it cool with a tiny nod.
âSure, sweetie, let me just see how much it costs.â
He pulled up a picture on his phone and showed it to her.
It was a hardcover copy of an illustrated version of a book he liked. For forty dollars.
Okay, so he wasnât asking for much, but it was still something! An improvement!
She smiled. âSure, sweetie, Iâll get it next time I head out, okay?â
Jason beamed.
~
Adrien rolled his eyes when Dick flung himself across the couch dramatically.
âThis isnât faaaaiiiiir,â he whined.
He looked at his wife pleadingly and she clicked her tongue before lifting Dickâs head so she could sit down. She ran her fingers through her kidâs hair in an attempt to soothe him.
âHe already knew a bit of self-defense when we met him so that was fine and we even gave extra time on training in his powers and with guns. We literally have no excuses for bringing him on at this point.â
âBut I had to train for three years! He only had to do one!â
Jason grinned. âMaybe Iâm just better.â
âJay,â said Adrien exhaustedly.
âOr the favorite,â he added, his grin somehow growing.
âJay!â
It was a good thing that Marinette had had a hold on Dick, because if she hadnât he probably would have launched himself at his brother.
âYou werenât of age, he is,â she reminded him. âIf youâd been old enough a year in then we would have let you do crime fighting, too.â
This was a lie, Dick had not been at all prepared after a year of training, but it made the kid smile so at least that was good.
Adrien stretched out from his spot in the window. âRight, we let Dick choose his first mission, what do you want to do first?â
Jason broke into a wide grin.
âThere were some people who gave all the homeless kids troubleâŚâ
~
Theyâd tracked the gangâs activities to a warehouse and had filed inside.
Adrien had helped Marinette carry their kids to the trusses above them (neither of their weapons had an easy way up, though they made mental notes to get them some kind of⌠grappling hook, maybe? It was a work in progress idea).
Dick shrouded them in shadows and muted the squeaking of their boots on the metal as they slowly made their way to the gang.
Adrien stretched his shoulders a little bit and then dangled his legs over to prepare himself for the jump down. Marinette and Dick copied his stance.
They looked at Jason, who gulped a little before copying the stance.
They hopped down as a familyâŚ
Because nothing says family bonding like murdering a bunch of gang members.
~
âHey?â
Adrien looked up and frowned, alarm bells ringing in his ears. Jason was shuffling from foot to foot anxiously from his spot in the doorway. An anxious kid? This couldnât be good...
âYes, Jay?â
Jason messed with his rings.
âSince Iâm going to be⌠here for a while, can we take the car to pick up my stuff?â
Adrien would have pinched himself to check if this was a dream if any of his dreams were ever this nice.
He dropped the book he was reading onto the bed and pushed himself up. âI -- wow! Okay! Of course!â
Jason gave an awkward smile.
Adrien tried not to smile too much as he followed the kidâs directions.
Mainly because this might dredge up bad memories for Jason, and he didnât want to be too caught up in his euphoria of the kid genuinely accepting being part of the family to notice that he was shutting down.
But, to his surprise, Jason actually seemed just as excited.
They pulled up to a mostly abandoned looking greenhouse and Adrien raised his eyebrows slightly.
âWhat? I could grow myself food! It was good,â Jason defended himself.
He gave a smile, rolling his eyes. âSorry, I was just trying to imagine you eating vegetables.â
Jason huffed a little bit and then held up a hand for Adrien to wait. He crouched down and then, after a bit of pushing, popped a pane of glass out of place. He set it down and then crawled through.
There was a bit of rustling inside and then the door swung open.
âBehold! My humble abode!â
Adrien raised his eyebrows as he stepped inside. âHumbleâ was definitely the word for itâŚ
His eyes scanned around and he had to hold back a frown at how little Jason had. There were a few plants. A bunch of vines and leaves had been piled together to make a makeshift âbedâ with a few blankets thrown overtop. A few random clothes were strewn about, all in varying states of shabbiness.
(There was also a bucket in the corner. Adrien was deciding to believe that it was for washing clothes.)
The only thing that Jason had really âhadâ was the entire nook dedicated to books.
Adrien and Jason grabbed everything of importance to him and put it in the back of the car.
And then they started on their way home.
~~~
Taglist
@i-am-ironic @nathleigh @mialuvscats @golden-promises @sassakitty @deathwishy @toodaloo-kangaroo @ladythugs @moonlightstar64
#maribat#adrienette#marinette dupain cheng#ladybug#adrien agreste#chat noir#dick grayson#nightwing#jason todd#red hood#tim drake#red robin#cassandra cain#orphan#damian wayne#robin
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