#you're all like my lil friends travelling with me in my pocket <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[crash-and-live]

So I haven't written anything in a long time, let alone published anything, but I thought I'd give things a try with @bunnyreaper's Secret Santa writing fest. My recipient is @ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff. Hope you enjoy <3

Pairing: John Price x GN!Reader (male pronouns used) with slight John Price x Reader x Simon Riley but a lot is left up to insintuation.

Summary: You're a civilian with a curious neighbour whom you rarely see, yet manage to get roped into taking care of his place when he's gone. You've known him for a while and your relationship slowly develops as the festive season approaches.

Domestic fluff mostly, playful banter and all but essentially a nice lil feel-good fic. Enjoy!

Word Count: 2.8k

The night air was warm as you walked to the door of your flat, reaching into your pockets for the familiar feel of your keys. Pulling them out, you click open the lock before glancing over at your neighbour’s door. You hadn’t seen him much over the years, even less so recently. There were about two times you could recall hearing him move around the small flat in the past couple of months, before he vanished again soon after. He’d always been nice to you, in a gruff sort of way. Asked you to mind his plants on his balcony next to yours which wasn’t too hard. It clearly meant something to him as he always left a thank you note under your doormat with a small token of gratitude. 

He had said he travelled for work, and he wasn’t kidding. Every small item he’d left on your doorstep had been from a different country. Either a small trinket or stamp from places all around the world. You almost wished you could leave him something, but whenever you heard him next door and made plans to visit the next day, he was gone again. It tugged at your heart slightly, the amount this man, John, he’d introduced himself as that first time you’d met him, spent at work. It seemed to consume his life. He’d never had a visitor. Never gotten a parcel or a letter. Not once. No friend or relative ever knocked at your door asking for a ‘John’. It made you wonder… just who exactly was your neighbour? 

Shaking your head, you pushed your way inside and closed the door behind you, locking it before dumping your bags onto the small table before sprawling onto the couch, groaning in relief. Today had been hard. Not only had work been tough, but approaching the busy period brought a whole new level of stress. You could already feel your eyes fluttering shut before you heard a crash coming from next door, followed by a gruff noise. You couldn’t fight the grin that spread over your cheeks as the tiredness left your body. He was home. 

✯

“Sorry that I disturbed you.” His voice was husky, like you’d remembered as your eyes traced his face. His skin was weathered and his beard quite bushy, as if he’d been unable to access a mirror for a while. You’d gone over just to be friendly, to welcome him home because he must be lonely, to check on him and be nice. Or at least that’s what you tried to convince yourself. 

“You didn’t, truly. I’m almost glad I heard you. It’s been a while.” A soft smile spread over your lips as you took in his rugged appearance. Whatever he’d been gone for, you could tell it had taken a toll on him. Lines were heavy on his face and his shoulders were slumped. His eyes weren’t focused like they usually were, instead choosing to check every corner of the flat as if he were expecting something to jump out of the shadows. Your brows furrowed in concern. “Are you alright?” 

“Don’t concern yourself with me, kid. I’ll be fine.” He shuts down the conversation because it could even begin. Pursing your lips, you nodded in acknowledgement. It was the one thing you’d noted about him. He was fine talking to you, asking about you and your life, but immediately shut the conversation down when it came to him. “Just been a rough few months.” 

Kid. He always called you that. A constant reminder of how he saw you. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t disappointed, but practically, you also knew it would never work. So, you sucked it up, soaked in every chance of communication you could with this man. “Anything I can do to help?” You tried to keep your voice neutral, but there was a hopeful lilt to it. John simply chuckled, shaking his head as he did so. 

“No, kid. You’re fine. You do enough for me.” 

“I water your plants, John.” You mused, fingers clutching at the glass he’d slid across the bench to you. “I think I can be a little more of service if you need, even if it’s just company.” 

John smiled, kindlier this time. “You calling me lonely, kid?” 

“Am I wrong?” The corners of your mouth quirked up into a smile in response to his own. 

“I have friends. All of them are like me though. A little off the grid, rough around the edges. Work consumes my life. I don’t have a lot of time for anything else.” His response was measured, as if warning you not to press any further. As if he’d already said enough. You sucked your teeth and gave a half-hearted shrug, letting the matter drop. 

✯

The next time you saw him was a few weeks later. You were bringing groceries in the late afternoon as he was leaving, heavy bag slung over his broad shoulders. He smiled softly when he saw you and you couldn’t help but flash a wide smile to him. 

“I didn’t know you were home.” You said, placing your bags on the front of your door. 

“Had no chance to tell you, kid. Got in late last night and already been called out again.” He shrugged, as if it didn’t really bother him. He would be used to it, you guessed. Didn’t mean that it didn’t take its toll. 

“Ever heard of taking a break?” You gave him a cheeky smile, cocking an eyebrow as he let out a breathy chuckle. 

“Not in my line of work. Always something that needs to be done.”

“Do you need me to do anything for you?” You asked again, hoping he’d take you up on the offer. This time, John remained silent for a beat before nodding. 

“Actually, yeah. Was meant to be home for a bit longer so I bought a bit of food. Take what you want and chuck the rest from the fridge. Don’t think much of it will keep.” He held out his key towards you. Your heart skipped a beat as you glanced between his eyes and the key in his outstretched hand. You nodded in response, reaching out and taking the key from his hand, feeling the roughness of his palm. 

“Thanks.” His voice pitched down slightly, the gruffness sending a shiver down your spine. John gives you a slight nod before glancing at his watch. “Gotta run. I’ll knock on your door for the keys when I get back, yeah? Or if it’s easier, chuck ‘em on my balcony. I’ll get in either way.” And then he was gone before you could even say goodbye. 

You stood there, looking down the corridor where he’d turned the corner before glancing down at the keys in the palm of your hand. It was plain, with two keys and a leather strap with no markings. But it was him. Closing your fingers over the cool metal, you turned to your groceries, picking them up and taking them inside, set on composing yourself for a few moments before you ventured into his flat. 

You’d been in his flat a few times before, but never been past the open plan of the main area. This time, you resisted the temptation to snoop through his belongings, despite the nagging curiosity. He was clearly a private man, who didn’t like to share his personal business. What kind of betrayal of trust would it be for him to hand you his keys, only for you to be nosey and intrude? You didn’t want to think about that. Instead, you dutifully went to his fridge and cupboard, and emptied them as he requested. 

That became a part of your regular routine. He left you his keys when he went away, told you to help yourself to whatever remained of his food. At first, you harboured some sense of guilt over it, taking his food. But as time went on, you convinced yourself he’d been buying more food especially for you, even going as far as to buy a few packets of your favourite treats that always went untouched by him, saved for you. Your cheeks burned at the thought of him thinking about you. So you repaid the favour in kind, making a few extra meals and placing them in his freezer, so he’d have something to eat when he came home.

✯

Amid your usual dinner preparations at the end of the working week, a sharp knock rang through your flat, impatient, and demanding. John never usually knocked like that, you thought, furrowing your brows as you made your way to the door. Maybe he’d had a rough time at work and was more tense than usual. Upon opening the door however, your eyes widened as you noticed a giant of a man, a black balaclava with white markings on his face. The only part of him you could see was his eyes, dark and steely as he held out his hand. 

“Keys.” His deep voice was cold as he stared down at you imposingly. 

“I’m sorry?” You wished your voice was a little firmer but given the sheer size and presence of this man, you could forgive yourself. 

“Keys.” He said again, more impatiently. “For the guy next door. Sent me to grab them for him.” Brows pinching together, you shook your head. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t—”

“Don’t be dense.” He snarled, stepping closer to you, eyes narrowing as he pushed himself over your threshold. Breath hitching, you stepped back, trying to close your door on the stranger, but he barred it with his arm. “Need the keys for John’s flat. Now.”

“Simon!” A familiar voice snapped from down the hall. “Don’t be hostile. He’s not a threat.” John appeared around the corner, hugging his side as he groaned, leaning against the cool stone. His face was pale and bruised, causing your eyes to widen further. 

“John!” Not caring about the stranger in your doorstep, you pushed past him, rushing towards your neighbour. “Are you okay? What happened?” Your voice was panicked as you rushed over to him, hands fluttering around his battered body. Letting out a weary sigh, John pushed off the wall. 

“‘M fine, kid. Just been a rough few days.” He placed a large hand on your shoulder reassuringly, squeezing it tenderly before nodding over to the man by your door. “Don’t worry about him. He hasn’t got manners like me.” 

You flushed slightly, looking back at the other man, Simon, as John had called him. Tracing your eyes over his face, you could see him squint and cock an eyebrow, as though waiting for you to comment. But you don’t. Instead, you reach into your pocket and grab out the keys to John’s flat, throwing them to Simon. 

“The deadbolt is the gold one, door handle is the silver.” Simon nodded and turned to John’s door as you looked back around to face your neighbour. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can bring you anything. First aid? Towels?” But John shook his head. 

“No, kid. I’ll be alright. Got Simon.” He said weakly, pushing off the wall as Simon stomped over, hooking John’s arm over his shoulder before he rushed inside, kicking the door shut with his heavy boots, causing it to slam in your face. 

The next morning, you were out on your balcony with a coffee when John pushed open his door for his morning cigar. He stopped when he saw you out there, before glancing inside hesitantly. 

“Your friend doesn’t seem to like me.” You mused, guessing that was the cause of John’s wariness. Your sly remark was rewarded with a hearty chuckle, cut short by a wince as he clutched his side. Your brows pinched together at the reaction and he noticed the concern laced in your features. 

“I’m fine, love. I’ve had much worse than a few cracked ribs. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” Heat coursed through your body at the term of endearment. He’d never said that to you before. Suppressing a grin, you met his warm eyes, crinkling slightly with a reassuring smile as the cigar smoke surrounded him. “And don’t fret too much about Simon. He’s a just grumpy lad.”

“He could do with taking a few etiquette lessons.” You grumbled, but the corners of your mouth twitched upwards and was met with yet another hearty chuckle from John, the sounds making your heart race.

“You’re a good lad too. Thanks for taking care of the place. I appreciate it.” The mood softened between the two of you as the cold morning wind picked up. You shivered. “Tell me, why’s your heating unit not been on? Weather’s been right chilly.” Inwardly, you cursed that he’d noticed, but of course he would. He’s been far more observant than any person you’d come across. Shrugging, you replied.

“Broke a few days ago. Haven’t been able to get anyone in to fix it, being so close to Christmas and all. Everyone’s either finishing up for the year, or already fully booked.” John clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

“Can’t be having that now love, can we?  I’ll give it a look later but, in the meantime, come over to mine. Want to make sure you’re warm in this weather.” Blinking, you raised your head to begin to protest, but he’d already stubbed out his cigar and turned to his door. “Come on, love. It’s almost Christmas after all, no one should be alone and cold. Let us warm you up.” Was all he said before stepping inside and closing the door behind him, leaving you to ruminate.

Exactly ten minutes later, you were outside John’s door, stomach twisting as you thought about his earlier words. Us. Meaning he wasn’t alone. Meaning Simon was still here. Running your thumb along your knuckles, you debated heading back into yours when John’s door was pulled open. Except it wasn’t John standing there, but Simon. His large, hulking frame taking up most of the space in the doorway, and making you tilt your head up slightly to look into his eyes, the only part of his face visible under the mask.

“You gonna stand there gawkin’ at the door all day?” His words were gruff, but the sentence might have ended with a huff, as if he were making fun of you. Your stomach twisted even more at the rough timbre of his voice. Biting your lip, you decided to throw a bit of cheek to him.

“You gonna slam the door in my face again?” Your ears didn’t deceive you this time as Simon let out another huff, this time leaning against the door frame as his arms folded and head tilted, eyes carefully focused on yours.

“There were more important things to do than chit-chat.” Right. That was a fair point on his part. The two of you entered a silent stand-off, which mostly consisted of you looking anywhere but him as his hard eyes drilled into you.

“You letting the lad in or what, Simon?” John called out and Simon chuckled, eyes crinkling as he stepped aside, head cocking to gesture you in. As soon as your foot entered the flat, you moaned in relief, the warm air circling around you, unsticking your cold joints. Your face instantly heated as you realised the noise you’d let out in the presence of the two men and you ducked your head.

“That good huh?” Simon said lowly, brow raising slightly as he brushed past you, chest against your shoulder as he headed into the kitchen. John had an arm looped over the back of the couch, smiling, waving you over to join him on the couch. Once you sat down, John placed his strong arm around your shoulders.

“Better, yeah?” He asked, raising his brow enticingly. “Can’t be having my sweet neighbour cold when he’s taken such good care of me.”  You face hadn’t quite calmed down from your slip up before, but John’s words brought it all rushing back.

“You didn’t have to.” Your voice was a mumble, eyes glancing over at the telly as it played some holiday movie.

“I did though, love. I really did.” He squeezed your shoulder firmly and you felt your knees weaken at his strength. “Noticed you didn’t do much last year over Christmas and couldn’t have a repeat of that. Not when you’ve been taking such good care of me.” Finally, you picked up the courage to meet his eyes and you saw the intensity there. “Let me take care of you for once, yeah? Let us take care of you.”

Glancing up, you noticed Simon lurking in the doorway to the kitchen, eyes carefully watching the pair of you. Swallowing, you glanced back at your neighbour, his eyes boring into your expectantly. And you only had one answer for him.

“Yes. I want you to take care of me… sir.” John grinned, eyes creasing as his head threaded through your hair to cup the back of your head.

“There’s a good lad for me. Gonna take real good care of ya.”

If there are mistakes, please let me known. As I said, it's been a hot minute.

[piastrinorris]

tag game dump!

my notifs have been shit at telling me when i've been mentioned in posts so i've missed a bunch of these so i'm gonna do them all here n now!

everyone who has tagged me in one game is also tagged in any others here that they haven't done (no pressure of course!!)

other no presh tags to do any number of these that you see fit: @keerysquinn @reysorigins @heartscoops @rodneywaber @vigilanteshit @jamie-tartts

first one comes courtesy of the lovely duo that is @jeysuso + @kingofscoops <3

Last Song: it was 'you can always come home' from deltarune ch1 bc i listen to video game music when i write. also any song from the undertale/deltarune soundrack w the word home in it gives me the warm-n-fuzzies :) Currently Watching: literally right this second, the fundamentals of caring. i remember liking it, but not much about the film itself Currently Reading: my own wip as i slowly go insane lol Current Obsession: oh, you know. gestures vaguely at my url.

next is from @barbienheimer <3

5 drinks to get to know me: iced chai latte, hot chocolate, diet coke, pepsi max (there's a time n place for either one), a cocktail called 'adios motherfucker'

@godseyeaemond tagged me in this one! <3

10 comfort movies: blues brothers, beetlejuice, scott pilgrim vs the world, airplane!, enola holmes, kingsman: the golden circle, spree, ghostbusters: afterlife, the truman show, spider-man: into the spiderverse

and finally, @iero tagged me in this one <3

Name: rj, ridge if we're friends (if we're mewchies, we're friends) Age: [schmidt from new girl voice] TWENNY-NOINE! Favorite season: i like winter bc that's when christmas. and my birthday, but mostly christmas Movies or TV shows?: tv shows, i really struggled to think of 10 comfort movies there lol Do you carry a bag/purse? What kind?: depending on where i'm going and what i'm taking with me, either a backpack or a tote bag, but most likely i just use my jacket pockets bc all i really take out on a standard daily basis is my phone, keys + wallet What color is your water bottle?: sage green. it has stickers of kapp'n from animal crossing, ryuji from persona 5, a raptor from jurassic park, the amell crest from dragon age 2 and a reference to gorgug from fantasy high What color is your phone case?: it's a lilac case with a lil purple metal loop in the middle Do you sleep in silence or do you need white noise/sounds/music?: i have my tv on something familiar, although lately i've been really into falling asleep to sims 4 or minecraft builds Top sheets. Yes or no?: no, they're not really a thing here in the uk outside of hotels, so they just seem like a weird hotel thing You're in the candy aisle at the corner store, what are you grabbing?: crispy m&ms Preferred mode of travel (plane/train/car/bus/on foot/etc.): i have been conditioned to walk everywhere that i can't take public transport for thanks to parents who refused to ever give me lifts as a kid! What's your phone background right now?: my lock screen is my photo op with joseph quinn from philly, my home screen is my cheerscoops commission Are you more of a miminalist or a maximalist?: oh a maximalist, 100% It's time to paint your bedroom! What color are you choosing?: ooh i'm going to get to choose this soon! i'm thinking earth tones, like magnolia/soft light brown/sage green And finally, tell me something that brings you joy: i've been writing such hefty stories for cheerscoops week! i'm so happy to have something that inspires me so much!

[beauleifu]

hi!!! can I request some Ne Zha x fem reader? plenty of hugs and fluff >:D

Oh of course! Sorry this took so long! <3

Roughly 1.6k word count. Enjoy!

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

NEZHA X READER

Lego Monkie Kid

Context: You're invited to a baking competition with your friends. Funny, your partner happens to be none other than the Third Lotus Prince, Nezha. And things go a little chaotic.

TW: None

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

[MEET ME AT MY PLACE ASAP]

That's it.

The text message belongs to none other than your good friend MK, who, coincidentally, had contacted you just when the boredom was two seconds from stealing your soul.

Grateful for the opportunity to visit, you fire back a quick:

[On my way!]

Then, you're off.

Sure, MK can be a bit impulsive and careless, but he's the funniest and kindest person you've met. Besides, they've graced you by letting you sleep in; normally, MK would send a text in the dead of night. These spontaneous messages are at random and without warning. And, slowly, they're growing on you.

Today, however, MK spared your sleep schedule by texting you at 2 p.m., the perfect time to do so.

You eagerly make your way downtown, through the tall city buildings of Megapolis.

What could MK be planning?

When you get to their place (Pigsy's Noodles), your question is somewhat answered. It seems as though your friend already has company over. Could you have arrived too soon?

You pull out your phone.

[Hey, I'm here.]

A few seconds pass.

BANG!

The back door at the top of the stairs flies open and you quickly look up. MK's grinning face beams down at you as he grips the hand-railing.

"Yo!"

"Hey!" You return, offering a wave from down below. "Can I come up?"

The Monkie Kid shakes his head. "Ah- no. Actually, we're doing the baking competition downstairs in the dining area. Everyone's waiting for you! I'm just up here for a few extra supplies," he calls, gesturing all around for emphasis.

Baking competition? Oh, goodness.

"There's more people?"

"Yeah!" MK says, looking positively ecstatic. With that, he departs to his room, calling, "Go say 'hi'!"

Huh.

You stare upwards for a few more moments, then deciding that MK isn't planning on reappearing. So with a calculated huff, you narrow your eyes on the entrance to Pigsy's Noodles.

Who else could be here?

Curiosity get's the better of you. Reaching out, you push past the rolling sheet door and into Pigsy's Noodles. Funny, only now do you notice the conversations filling the room, and your eyes flick wide open at the sight to behold.

It looks like everyone is here. Mei, Pigsy, Tang, Sandy - even the Monkey King, Redson, and Prince Nezha.

You find yourself staring, lips parted.

The Third Lotus Prince glances over, eyes sharp and calculating. You quickly avert your eyes as MK bounds down the stairs in front of everyone.

"OK, gang! Is everyone here?" He performs a quick headcount as you travel further indoors. Mei and Sandy greet you accordingly, to which you return with a wave. Pigsy seems too distracted in making sure MK doesn't trip and fall off the counter he's currently strutting down, while Tang's occupied with leftover noodles. Redson is busy acting unbothered while inspecting his (probably) hand-carved pocket knife.

The Monkey King is doing, well, you don't really know.

Looks a 'lil something like making himself seem as epic as possible while doing absolutely nothing.

Nezha, on the other hand, shoots Sun Wukong an occasional glare, as though peeved by something outside your knowledge.

"Hey," you say, sidling up to the lotus Prince. "What's up?"

His glare is suddenly directed your way, and you almost wither under the ferocity within his dark eyes. You're amazed at Wukong's superpower to ignore such a look.

Thankfully, Nezha's features soften. "Just . . . entertaining my charge."

"MK's your charge?"

"More or less. They've grown on me, as much as I hate to admit it," Nezha says, but the sigh he gives informs you that his words are lies. No sane person would ever hate MK's company. The lotus Prince must feel some kind of urge to protect them.

You smile, but Sun Wukong beats you to it. "D'awww, is my apprentice growing on you? That's cute."

"He's not your apprentice anymore," Nexha spits.

He looks away when MK straightens and calls for attention. "All right, guys! I've invited you all here for a baking competition! So we're all gonna split into teams of two - I will be the judge to even things out. Anyways, Pigsy agreed to provide ingredients-" Said pig huffs irritably.

"Against my better judgement."

"Riiiight. You just wanna show off your skills," MK says, grinning knowingly. With that, he whips out a clear bowl with small slips of paper filling the bottom. "OK! Who wants to pick a teammate first?"

Sandy's massive hand shoots up. The bowl is practically thrown to him, but he catches it easily and fingers out a paper slip.

"Uhhh . . . The Monkey King?"

Sun Wukong's head shoots up. "Aaaye, nice! What're we baking?"

"Whatever you want, Monkey King" MK says, going around to everyone in turn. Mei with Redson, Tang with Pigsy, and since MK will be judging, that leaves just you and Nezha.

Slowly, you turn to gaze at him. "So. I guess we're-"

"I request a refund," he scoffs instantly, going to tap MK's shoulder. The kid whips around, eyes wide, to watch the exchange of comments. "I'd much rather pair up with another instead of you. I've seen the products of your baking, (Y/N)."

"Wha-" Affronted, albeit smiling, you cross your arms over your chest. "I'm not that bad."

"You are."

MK butts in while everyone else departs to their assigned tables. Apparently, you and Nexha aren't the only pair experiencing difficulties. Redson is infuriated with having Mei as his partner, hair and eyes ablaze.

"Guys, chill," the Monkie Kid says, thoroughly amused. "It's not that bad! Besides, there's no backsies on this; whatever you bake, you gotta do it together, or else I take five points off your original score."

You blink. The teams will be judged in this fashion?

Nezha tosses his head, his black fluffy hair bouncing in place. "I, the Third Lotus Prince, will not be paired up with some inexperienced troublemaker who will most certainly cost me a solid victory!"

"Wow, prepared that just now, huh? I'm honored," you say, momentarily distracted by the Prince's lackluster demeanor. Interesting.

Despite his comments, you feel that he doesn't truly despise working with you.

It makes you grin wickedly. "All right, lover boy. Let's get cracking."

"L-Lover boy??" Nezha stutters, but you've already hooked your arm through his and dragged him over to your assigned table.

~~~

"You're doing it wrong."

"I am not."

Nezha snorts, casually - yet gently - taking the measuring cup from you. "The instructions directed to add half a cup of oil to the mix. You tried adding a full cup."

Your eyebrows skyrocket. "What's wrong with going off script?"

He simply gives you a look, like 'oh, woe is this pitiful human standing before me.' But his exasperated eyes are fond. It just makes you smile and nudge him affectionately. Sure, Nezha can be a pain and a wall of unbreakable stone - plus the infinite cold shoulders if you do him wrong -, but you really do like him. He and you are actually really close.

He's kind of adorable.

The lotus Prince suddenly hands the measuring glass back to you, and your smile fades.

"Wha- I thought you wanted to do it."

"You might as well finish the job," Nexha says calmly. "Don't worry, I'll be watching in case you make anymore mistakes. Sound fair enough?"

You frown deeply, taking the cup. ". . . You're mocking me."

"No, I promise I'm not," he returns, but the amusement in his eyes says otherwise.

"You're supposed to be stressed and angry and controlling, y'know," you venture, pouring some oil into the glass cup. Peering at it closely, you continue; "Aren't I making you nervous?"

At this, Nezha tilts his head and smiles. "Not in the slightest. I've come to terms with having you as my partner. Might as well deal with it rather than complain."

"Smart words, lover boy."

His look sharpens, but he makes no comment. Instead, he scoffs, walks off, and returns with his arms full of ingredients. You look up after pouring the oil, eyes wide and glittering with approval as he lays everything out.

"Oh, perfect!"

You raise your hand, and Nezha, after glancing at it, instinctively gives you a high-five.

Oh.

Honestly, you don't know what you were expecting.

He's smiling, though, unaware of your shit-eating grin as he picks up the bag of flour.

"All right," he says, eyes narrowing at the bag. "How much flour do we need?"

"Uh . . . 3 cups," you say, after peering at the instructions.

The Third Lotus Prince nods determinedly, grabbing the measuring cup. "Here, you hold on to this," he says, handing you the flour. With that, he heads off. "I'm going to wash this so we can use it."

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

He glances over his shoulder, fluffy black hair brushing his cheek. "Hmm?"

You set the flour bag down to spread your arms. "Hug."

"Wha-"

"Why not? Aren't we friends?" You jest, but you're not really joking. The Prince would usually give you a warm embrace whenever he'd visit, and this should count. Perhaps he was distracted with the Monkey King's presence? Said deity is currently producing a beautiful batch of brownies with Sandy.

Nezha blinks, then rolls his eyes. "All right, get over here." With that, he holds his arms out, and you eagerly fall into them.

You grin up at him, safe and warm within his embrace. "Thaaaanks."

"You're welcome."

He's quick to walk off, but you feel it's to hide his smile. When he returns, you're wearing a shit eating grin. With the flour bag in hand, you make sure Nezha's got the measuring cup cleaned and dried before pouring some. Or, well, you would pour some.

Unfortunately, you trip on thin air.

The lack of footing makes you yelp as you fall forward, hands flying out to stabilize yourself. And that is where your fatal mistake comes into play; you'd already opened the flour bag in preparation to pour into the measuring cup. Two seconds after you trip, you're blinded with white powder - and so is the person in front of you.

Nezha stumbles backwards, managing to catch both the bag of flour while also still holding the glass cup.

You blink, patting your face free of flour. Damnit.

Hands still outstretched with the ghost of the flour package, you stare.

The lotus Prince blinks once, nose wrinkling all of the sudden. He then lets out a loud, flour-filled sneeze before recovering. His eyes are wide, astounded by what had just happened.

HA.

"What'd you do?" Pigsy calls.

MK shushes him, grinning. "Shh, they're creating a masterpiece."

Honestly, the sight is utterly hilarious. Nezha is covered head-to-toe in white powder, even coughing some of it out. The incident attracts a lot of attention (MK and Mei letting out a huge burst of laughter), and you feel the amused gazes of your friends as you slowly walk up to Nezha and take the flour bag from his frozen hand.

"Uh . . . sorry."

His eyes fix on you. "This means war."

"What?!"

There's no mistaking it; Nezha is dead serious. You have zero time to react as he snatches up an egg - which turns into a blur as it collides with your temple.

Yelping, you cower back, arms going out defensively. "Noho! Stop! I'm sorry!"

"Ohmygod-" Mei gasps-

"FOOD FIGHT!" MK suddenly bellows, and the room goes quiet. So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone shares a glance.

Mei is the first to act, grabbing an entire jug of milk, unscrewing the lid, and pouring its contents right over her poor, unsuspecting partner. Redson flinches away, eyes wide at the assault, before going in for the kill. "How- dare you!"

"Catch me if you can!" Mei teases.

And that's when all hell breaks loose. Food is rushing in all directions; Pigsy is calling for order, Tang is hiding under the counter; Sandy is acting as a shield for the Monkey King. You're vaguely aware of Sun Wukong yeeting eggs at anything that moves before Nezha suddenly flips your table on it's side in one swift movement, tugging you to the floor.

Everything you've worked so hard on is suddenly at one with the ground.

"B-But the competition-"

"You really think that matters now?" Nezha snorts, peeking over the table. He quickly ducks when an egg whizzes past his head. Getting down on your level, he sighs. "Damnit. I have no control over this."

Hhhhh.

You manage a guilty smile. "This is totally my fault."

"Oh, it is. And you will definitely pay for it when we're done here," Nezha growls over the battle cries of your friends.

"Pfft, right. I'm so scared."

~~~

Finally.

The chaos does ebb away eventually. But the noodle shop isn't in great condition when order is secured. There's a burning hole in the wall that's most likely the result of Redson attempting to headshot Mei. Sun Wukong and Nezha eventually duked it out in the center, while you'd joined Tang under the counter to cower.

Luckily, everyone listened when MK called for peace.

So now, everyone's sitting outside on the sidewalk, plates in hand with various desserts piled on top.

You and Nezha had scraped together a half-assed dessert at the last minute, and luckily the oven decided to spare your souls and produce something edible.

Everyones' creations are actually really good. Tasty, like sweet or sugary, or cold and minty.

You savor the flavor of Pigsy's dish (obviously the best, to which MK boasted about), smiling fondly at Nezha. Currently, you're sitting shoulder to shoulder, with Sandy on your other side. As the others chat happily, you nudge your friend's shoulder. "So, tell me. Are you proud of us?"

"I'm proud of my endurance," Nezha ventures.

You smirk. "Ah, you're a scream."

"You think I'm joking? If you had to put up with yourself, you'd quit," he fires back. But, after a moment, taps his chin. "Our batch is pretty good, though."

"See? I'm a baking genius," you hum, finishing your desserts.

Nezha's eyes are fond as you stand up, brushing yourself off. It doesn't do much for the residue baking ingredients stuck to your outfit, but you do your best. Then, you face the group and salute. "All right, guys. Imma go get cleaned up."

MK's head snaps up. "Oh! You're going already?"

"Well, look at me!"

When MK snorts in reply, Nezha locks eyes with you and frowns. "Are you going home?"

You nod, hands in pockets. There are things you have to take care of back at your place, anyways. Too bad you won't have anyone to keep you company-

Wait.

Well, you do have a bunch of potential companions.

Blinking slowly, you tilt your head at Nezha. "Hey . . . you wanna come with me? I know you don't plan to do much else here, considering MK's taking everyone who wants to go to the arcade. Redson is going home, Pigsy needs to clean up . . . and Wukong will be with MK. I'm sure you wanna steer clear of him."

"How do you . . ?" Nezha wonders, albeit smiling absently. He slowly stands up as you reword your invitation.

"Speculation. A-Anyways. Maybe we could give this baking thing a second go at my place? After I finish my to-do list, that is," you amend, eyes low.

The lotus Prince lets out a long hum. "Well, I don't have anything to do today."

". . . Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. You want to leave now?"

Swallowing and fighting the butterflies, you nod quickly. Turning to MK, you snap your fingers. "OI! MK!" The kid glances over. "Nezha and I are going to my place. Thanks for the desserts!"

"Did I make them?? No," MK puffs, rolling his eyes. "Aight. Have fun!"

You smile, heading off.

The lotus Prince catches up with you in no time, and the two of you walk down the street for a second.

Tentatively, as if nervous of rejection, your let your hand brush Nezha's. You bite your lip to fight a smile when his long, slender fingers slip through yours and lace together. What a sweetheart.

Glancing up at him, you meet his relaxed, small smile. "Thanks."

"What, you scared to cross the street or something?"

"Shut up, I'm tryna be nice."

[haikyuu-appreciation-club]

•Class Fight•

Terushima x F!Reader

warnings: language + violence

genre: fluff + a lil bit of angst

word count: 2.6k

———————————————————————

The sound of volleyball’s slamming against the floor echoed throughout the gym. The boys of Johzenji’s volleyball club were currently practicing for an upcoming game with Karasuno Highschool. None of them were particularly interested in practice but it was something to occupy their after school schedules so they attended none the less. Currently, half of the boys were on one side of the net practicing their spike. The other half were on the opposite side practicing receiving the spikes that were being sent over. Terushima stepped up to receive a spike when the door of the gym flew open. There in the doorway stood an out of breath Kazuma hunched over with his hands on his knees. An angry voice caused him to straighten up.

“ How many times have i told you about being late to practice you idiot!” Misaki spat while gripping her clipboard in frustration.

Despite the eyes boring into his sweaty figure, Kazuma spoke between breaths,

“Courtyard.......fight.......Y/N” he managed to get out before slouching against the wall.

Terushima’s eyes widened at the mention of his significant other’s name. He immediately dropped his form and sprinted out of the gym, yelling an apology to everyone while he was still within earshot. This wasn’t the first time you got into a fight. Although it didn’t happen particularly often, you didn’t mind getting physical with people when necessary. Terushima had known that, hell he practically knew everything about you by now. 

You and Terushima had met your first year of middle school. He had been carelessly running through the hallways with some of his friends. You on the other had had just left your classroom, irritated that you had to be held from lunch just to get a pointless scolding from your teacher. Both of you had not been paying attention to your surroundings while traveling down the narrow walkway and ended up colliding. You two ended in an awkward position to say the least. You were laying uncomfortably on the cold concrete while Terushima’s arms were on either side of you, holding himself up, with your legs intertwined. You looked up at the boy, cheeks dusted with red due to the little space between you two and a scowl which softened when he returned your gesture with an award winning grin,

“Hey you’re pretty cute! Probably even cuter with a smile though.” 

He lifted one of his hands while balancing himself on the other and poked the middle of your forehead. Normally you would’ve been pretty irritated with this gesture but you let out a laugh instead. You swatted his hand away as he laughed right along with you. You smirked,

“You aren’t too bad yourself.”

It was now his turn to blush. He pushed himself off of you and got to his feet. He held a hand out to you and you gratefully took it, allowing him to lift you up off the ground. You dusted off your skirt and thanked him. He just smiled and nodded. You were about to continue your walk to the cafeteria until you felt a tug at your wrist. You turned around and looked down to find Terushima gripping you're blazer. You looked up at him as he spoke,

“You wanna come eat lunch with me and my friends?”

 A smile spread across your face as you nodded eagerly. His eyes lit up as he began to pull you in the direction of the others. Before you reached the group of his friends he turned to you once again,

“By the way, the name’s Yūji Terushima!”

“Y/N L/N”

Terushima kept running until he reached the courtyard. There he found a large group of students bunched up in a circle. From the middle of the group he heard your projected voice mixed with another’s. He pushed through the crowd, mumbling what he meant to be words of politeness but it never actually reached anyone’s ears, since they were currently submerged in the scene unfolding in front of them. When he finally reached the middle, he understood the hold you had on their interest. You were currently on top of a girl, harshly pinning her wrists to the ground as you screamed in her face. Your face and body were dusted with bruises and you were sporting a bloody nose. The girl underneath you looked a little more on the unlucky side. She had a nasty black eye and cuts and bruises were scattered across her body. She had tears in her eyes and a scowl on her face as she shrunk back with each word you spit at her. Terushima sensed that if he let this go on any longer you were sure to get expelled or put this girl in the hospital. Weighing on the options, both seemed like pretty poor outcomes so he walked over to you and the girl. You didn’t notice the sudden presence behind you until you felt strong arms wrap around your torso. You tried hitting the unknown figure, angry that they were meddling in a situation that they weren’t involved in, that was until you heard a whisper in your ear,

“ Woah there princess, it’s just me alright”

You stop resisting once you recognized the familiar voice. You peered over your shoulder and met the brown eyes that you knew so well. His eyes scanned over your face and your figure, as if to analyze the damage that had been done. He smiled at you softly as he turned you to fully face him and brushed your messy hair behind your ear. Shoving his hand in his pocket, he dug around and pulled out a handkerchief. He pressed the fabric to your nose, grabbed your hand, and  put your hand in place of his, making sure to have you pinch the bridge of your nose to stop the bleeding.

“ Come on, lets go get you cleaned up.”

His soft smile turned into a playful grin as he intertwined his fingers with yours and pulled you in the direction of the nurse’s office. You could tell he was still worried but he tried to mask it with his usual child-like persona. Your mouth was pulled into a thin line, occasionally letting a soft giggle leave your lips at the jokes Terushima cracked. His attempts to lighten the mood and fight the silence that was slowly filling the atmosphere were somewhat working, but your mind was focused elsewhere. You were disappointed in yourself. You always got yourself into situations that your boyfriend had to save you from. It’s not as if you were some damsel in distress but you were just so stubborn that you always ended up getting yourself into things but never thinking of how you would get yourself out. You genuinely felt bad and wondered how long it would be until Terushima grew tired. Hell, he’s already had to deal with your shit for five years, how much more could he possibly handle.

 You were so immersed in your thoughts that you didn’t even realize you reached your destination until Terushima picked you up by your waist and plopped you down onto one of the beds in the nurses office. He looked around the empty room and sighed,

“I guess Dr. Yūji is at your service!”

he pointed both his thumbs at himself and gave you a grin. You returned his enthusiasm with a small smile as he went around the room in search for the supplies he would need to tend to your wounds. You watched as he pranced around the room, sifting through drawers and cabinets and gathering supplies in his arms. After a few minutes of snooping, Terushima walked back over to you and dropped the things he had gathered on the bed beside you. He grabbed a chair from behind him and flipped it so the back of the chair was closest to you. He sat facing you and rested his arms across the top of the chair. He sat back up and clapped his hands together,

“Alright then babe, let’s get to work.”

Terushima got up and sifted through the pile that was to your left. He grabbed a wash cloth from the pile and walked over to the sink on the other side of the room. He ran the cloth under the cool water and rung it out. Walking back over to you he sat down and scooted the chair closer to you so you were inches apart. He began lightly scrubbing away at the dirt and semi-dried blood on your face, humming a tune as he did. To be completely honest, Yūji noticed your difference in behavior right away and he knew it wasn’t due to your recent brawl. However, he knew you weren't one to spew your feeling so he decided to ease into getting information out of you. He continued to care for your wounds, cleaning off your body and bandaging anything that needed to be bandaged. Your bloody nose was long gone and he had gave you ice pack in place of the now soiled handkerchief.  You stayed quiet until he finished wrapping the last bandaid around your finger. He finished off by placing your face in between his hands and peppering it with small kisses, making sure to be careful of the sore areas. He leaned back, your face still in his hands, and you watched as his expression hardened a bit. 

“Okay, now that you’re good as new, what’s up with you?”

Your heart stopped for a moment. Of course he would notice. You would never guess but Teru was very observant when it came to the people he cared about. He had always been able to decipher your mood swings and rough patches in life, no matter how hard you tried to hide it. You shifted your gaze away from him and tried to get through this interrogation without letting down the front you put up.

“What are you talking about Yūji?”

“Well to start off, I had to pull you off that girl from class 3 earlier and you’ve been acting weird ever since. Don’t think I haven’t noticed Y/N, you’ve never been good at hiding this type of stuff.”

“First of all, that was supposed to be a calm confrontation. If that asshole wouldn’t have tried to punch me, we wouldn’t have had a problem.” you sighed, continuing with trying to soothing your boyfriends suspicions, “ I’m fine, really. I’m just irritated with what happened today.”

You looked up to meet Terushima’s gaze, hoping he bought that crap you just pulled out of your ass. Safe to say, based on his facial expressions, he saw right through your bullshit. He sighed and stood up from where he was sitting, placing the chair back in it’s original spot. He walked back over to the bed, pushed the supplies to the side, and sat beside you. Words began to meet your ears as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and pulled you to lean into his chest. 

“Y/N, I really don’t want to push but I need to know what’s happening in that pretty little head of yours. We can’t get anywhere if we don’t talk to each other and you know that.”

You did know that, probably better than anyone. It was just so difficult to voice the worries that swarmed your head and your heart at the moment. You were nervous about the future. You had gotten so comfortable with the feeling of being with your lover that you genuinely could not imagine life without him. Losing him had been a fear you had ever since you got close to him. You were nervous about his reaction to your overwhelming thoughts which was the main thing keeping you from being honest and open with him. Despite all that, you knew Terushima deserved the truth even if it was difficult to tell him. So, you blurted out the first thing on your mind before you could back out, 

“Why haven’t you left me yet?”

Terushima’s eyes widened as his heart dropped. What the hell were you talking about? Did you want him to leave you? Why would he leave someone he’s in love with? His head swarmed with questions as he looked at you. Your eyes were currently glued to the floor as tears pooled at their brims. Teru finally broke the silence,

“Why would I leave you Y/N?”

You couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down your cheeks and in that moment, every single barrier you put up came crashing down. You could no longer hold your emotions in and you decided to finally let your boyfriend hear what you've been keeping to yourself all along,

“I put you through hell Yūji. You can’t possibly sit here and tell me I'm not a handful. I’m scared that one of these days you’re gonna get tired of my shit and I'll lose you.” you sucked in a shaky breath and finished what you wanted to get off your chest, “I’m sorry, I can’t say it enough. I have no idea how you managed to put up with my shit all these years but I shouldn’t have put you through that.” 

You hated feeling like you were giving him a damn sob story but your filter had been put on hold at the moment. You harshly wiped at the tears that were blurring your vision. Unbeknownst to you, Terushima had his own share of tears sliding down his face. He swiftly pulled you into his chest and wrapped his arms around you, kissing the top of your head before he let his own thoughts spill out,

“Y/N, I'm going to get really cheesy right now but I love you and nothing could possibly change that. Sure, sometimes you can be a pain in my ass but I know I'm equally one in yours. What fun would our relationship be if we were perfect all the time, ya know?” 

He pulled you away from his chest and cupped your face in his hands, using his  thumb to wipe away the remaining tears before they joined the others that had already stained your face. He gave you a toothy smile despite his own tears. You smiled right back at him and lifted your own hands to wipe his tears as well. 

He grasped the hand that was drying his face and pulled it behind him, causing you to gravitate in his direction. He used this opportunity to connect his lips with yours. The kiss was soft and sweet but it spoke so much louder than words ever could. You could feel the love filling your lungs and spreading throughout your body as your lips moved in sync. You pulled apart to catch your breath and his signature smirk painted his face,

“You’re not getting rid of me that easy Y/N, I'm in this for the long run baby.”

You let out a laugh and wrapped your arms around his neck pulling his close to you. He wrapped his arms tightly around your waist, returning the hug. It was quiet for a bit, just breathing in the scent of his cologne, until you felt his breath against your ear. He spoke in a hushed tone,

“I love you so much Y/N”

You smiled as your grip on him tightened slightly,

“I love you too Yūji”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••