#I was just trying to make friendly conversation before The Horrors….and he wants me to break my bones……what is wrong with society…..

[hana-bobo-finch]

I never see anyone talk about this bit of dialogue from the beginning of ch7 but i’m always spinning it around in my head

[cipheress-to-k-pop]

barista (t.d.)

Pairing: Tim Drake x Reader

Word Count: 6.2k

Summary: You have a big, fat crush on your regular—Gotham’s very own friendly neighborhood coffee addict, Tim Drake.

A/N: Please compliment me about the banner I worked very hard on it <3 Also Happy New Year!!!

Getting a job in food service was honestly the last thing you wanted to do. You had heard enough horror stories from your friends who had taken many summer jobs unlike you. They often complained of insufferable superiors, bad working hours, and even worse pay and even though their stories of annoying Karens were extremely entertaining, you didn't think you'd be any good at handling them yourself. Unless your boss was okay with you cussing them out.

So, when your parents brought up you getting a job, you had vehemently refused. It's not like you particularly needed the money, however, they made a good point about needing to gain experience and how you were practically a rotting pile of flesh since you had begun summer break.

You couldn't argue with their points, even you knew that you needed to get back into a routine and get some fresh air. However, a job as a barista was the last thing you wanted to do.

But when your parents mentioned that you'd be working at your aunt's cafe, you were quick to change your tune. You always had a blast with her, and she'd definitely pay you well, lest she face the rath of her older sister, your mother. Plus, she often claimed that you were her favourite niece, despite not having any other but you supposed it was the thought that counted. Plus, you'd make extra money that you could use for pretty much anything.

So, now adorned in an apron, you stood behind the counter and took orders. Your aunt oversaw the pastry making and baking while you were in charge of the register and making drinks.

The thing you liked the most about your aunt's cafe was that it was a rare find for many customers. The cafe was the perfect space for people to sit in the quiet and get some work done. There was rarely ever any rush unless a big party came, however even then you were never really spread thin. You suppose you should feel bad that your aunt wasn't getting much business but she more than made up for the lack of customers with her overpriced coffee and cakes. But you would never tell her that. Besides, she made most of her profits from custom cake orders.

That's not to say that you didn't get any customers, you had very many loyal regulars that were always polite and would always strike up a conversation with you. Most of them were residents from the high-rise building above the shop so they were usually pretty wealthy and thus knew how to tip well.

And of course, the most loyal customer of them all, Gotham’s very own coffee addict; Tim Drake.

You take back your previous statement; he was definitely the thing you liked the most about the cafe.

You would have been down bad if he had just been just good looking; with blue eyes that were unusually bright and clear, like as though God cut the fabric of the afternoon sky and the clear blue ocean and made his irises with them. His pale skin and dark hair definitely made them seem even brighter.

He was so good looking that your customer-service-smile had frozen onto your face when he first entered the cafe, barely hearing his order over the thumping of your heartbeat and your brains incessant chatter trying to tell you to pay attention to what he was saying. Eventually, you had to apologize and ask him to repeat his order in your stupor, giving the excuse that you were new even though you had been there for more than 2 weeks.

He just smiled politely and told you not to worry before fishing his wallet and paying for his drink, tipping 50%. He wasn't just gorgeous but also well-mannered and sweet. You were down so catastrophically, cataclysmically bad.

The next time he came in, you learnt his name by pretending you needed to write it down on the cup and he casually commented how you didn't really do that last time. You said it was because he had been the only one in the store last time even though there was only one additional customer there. And you all were aware that you didn't bother to ask for the other customer’s name.

Tim continued to come almost every morning for the next couple of weeks and once you learnt how to actually comprehend the words coming out of his mouth instead of just listening to angelic singing every time he looked at you, you realized he was actually very interesting.

He'd always strike up a conversation with you and sometimes you'd take your lunch break and sit with him at the table while you talked. He was hilarious and intelligent and creative and the more you talked with him the more your plain attraction turned into affection before you knew it.

"I see you like Red Robin." Tim commented casually, noticing the insignia pin that you had on your apron. You glanced at the enamel pin that you had bought from a bodega on an impulse out of instinct before nodding, "Yeah, he's my favourite amongst the bats."

"Oh really? How come? Most people really prefer Nightwing, like me."

You shrugged, "I dunno, I just feel like he doesn't get enough appreciation as compared to the others. Plus, he makes the papers the least often."

"So, what? You felt bad that no one pays attention to him?"

You shook your head, clutching the screen as you typed in his order that you had already memorized. A brown sugar shaken espresso that you had convinced him to try just once, and he had immediately been hooked onto. You obviously added a couple extra shots of espresso for his caffeine addicted self.

"On the contrary, the fact that he's not seen in the paper probably means that he's getting the job done quietly and efficiently. Or maybe not. But that's just my guess. He's not bad looking either."

Tim chuckled, passing you his card, "Don't let him hear you say that; he might just swoon at the compliment."

"Well, I haven't actually seen his face, so I can't say with full certainty."

Tim lingered by the counter while you made his coffee, speaking loudly due to the absence of customers at this time. You had once mentioned that this was your least busy time; you wondered if he visited during that time, so he'd get to talk to you for longer.

You shook your head, reminding yourself not to get a big head as you pulled a double shot of espresso, quickly adding it to the shaking glass with brown sugar.

"I bet I’m better looking."

You really hadn't meant to laugh as hard as you had; you just pictured Tim Drake, with his posh posture and Gotham elite personality, sniffing at Red Robin as he tried to critique and compare looks. You were fairly sure that Red Robin was a head taller than him as well. The more you thought about it, the harder you laughed.

When you finally managed to wipe the tears from your eyes, Tim was still standing at the counter with a star-struck expression, pink beginning to paint his porcelain skin in beautiful blooms. You bit your lip, smiling in apology. He must have been quite embarrassed at your boisterous laughter.

"S-Sorry, you caught me off-guard." You explained, still giving him a sheepish smile as you grabbed a napkin and straw for him. The red had made its way up to his ears and down his neck before disappearing underneath the hoodie he was wearing.

Great, you had a crush on the guy and just laughed at the thought of him being better looking compared to a guy you had never even seen before.

"It's fine, it was meant to be a joke, so I suppose I’m flattered."

"No, I was being mean, you're definitely better looking." You teased, "If I ever meet Red Robin, I’ll definitely let him know that."

"I’ll hold it to you." He joked, grabbing his drink.

Having a crush was way more physically taxing than you had remembered it being. Every time Tim was around you, your heart slammed so sharply against your ribcage you would get breathless, and your stomach would twist into so many knots you'd find your abdomen getting sore.

You'd grow visibly excited when it was around the time for him to enter the store, making sure everyone else's orders were fulfilled so that you could give him as much of your undivided attention.

After being hopelessly infatuated and pining for him for a while, you had thought that you had gotten used to the incessant butterflies flapping their fingers against the walls of your stomach. However, Tim continued to prove you wrong.

You had just finished wiping down the steam wand of the espresso machine, when the bell above the store door had jingled, telling you that you had a customer.

When your eyes landed on the man standing behind the register, you couldn't help but freeze, stomach squeezing so tightly you could feel your heart crawl up to your throat, stopping you from welcoming him inside.

Tim Drake was wearing a suit.

His hair was styled for the first time you had ever seen him; dark tresses neatly gelled away from his face aside for a couple strands that tickled his nose.

You clenched the cloth in your hands so tightly you could feel the rough fabric beginning to slightly burn your skin. A part of you wanted to collapse into a puddle on the floor, already knowing how weak your knees had gotten at the site of him adjusting his watch. Oh, you wanted to dissolve into a pile of warm syrup, and you bit your lips to hide a dopey, lovesick grin.

Another, more repressed part, wanted to grab his tie in a single fist and yank the handsome man toward you, climbing over the counter and kissing him all over until his white shirt was stained with your lip gloss, his immaculate hair was messed up by your fingers and his cologne had rubbed off on your skin instead. You forced that part of yourself into the corner because she seriously needed a time-out.

"Um, hey?"

This was the first time he had spoken, clearly noticing how you just stood awkward frozen in time. Oh god, his voice was so much more attractive than you remembered. This wasn't fair.

"H-Hi, where are you going off to so prim and proper?" You asked, pulling yourself together by pinching your thigh so painfully that you could feel a bruise beginning to form.

"Oh, I just have a meeting at work. I do most of the work from home, but I’m needed in the office today." He explained, handing you his card like clockwork and you nodded, stepping away so you could start making his drink.

"Wow, how adult." You mused, shaking the tumbler quickly before pouring it into his cup and handing it to him.

"You look good, by the way," His warm fingertips grazed against your own when you handed him the tissue and straw. You watched as a bashful smile grew on his face at your compliment, making your heart flutter like a feather floating through the wind, "Much better than Red Robin."

He rolled his eyes, small smile turning into a full-blown grin.

***

This was the first time since you had met Tim that he hadn't come to the bakery alone and thus it would be the first time in a very long time that you actually had to take the order instead of automatically input his drink order.

Unfortunately, it would also be the last time you would be taking his order. You were supposed to work at the coffee shop for the rest of the month, however you had gotten an opportunity from your professor to be a part of his research team for the next semester and he required you to begin early. Which meant that you would no longer have the time to work for your aunt.

You had yet to tell Tim, upset at the thought of not being able to see him every morning from now onwards.

You had thought long and hard about it last night after you had confirmed your participation on the research team; you didn't want it to be the last time that you spoke to Tim tomorrow, you wanted him in your life.

So, you came to the conclusion that you would finally confess to him. You didn't want to continue the pining and end up in the purgatory that is the friendzone so you figured it would be the least risky to admit your feelings to him on your last day there. If he said no, you'd no longer have to run into him again every morning. If anything, he might be relieved that his regular coffee runs wouldn't be awkward from now on.

However, there was one new detail that was going to make your plan more embarrassing—

"This is my older brother, Dick." Tim introduced and you nodded, recalling when he talked about his extremely big family. Also, there was no one in city who wasn't aware of the Gotham prince, Dick Grayson, the oldest son of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Your eyes flittered between the both of them; despite being adopted, they shared a striking resemblance to each other.

You gave him a kind smile, "It's nice to finally meet you, Tim talks about you a lot."

"Good things, I hope." He responded, ever the ray of sunshine and you found yourself turning toward him like a lone sunflower. You realized he had that effect on people, the other customers also were privy to his presence. It was almost like he had a halo shining on the top of his head. The term 'Prince of Gotham' was certainly well-earned.

"Those are state secrets." You joked, playfully winking at him and he gave you a good-natured grin.

"So, what will you be having today?"

Tim ordered his regular and Dick got a matcha along with a vegan cheese tart for 'Dami' who you assumed was Tim's youngest brother Damian.

Tim held his card out for you to pay for their drinks and you inhaled sharply, digging your heel into your other foot to strengthen your resolve.

It was now or never, (Y/N).

You shook your head, trying your best to remain nonchalant even though your stomach was taking a rollercoaster ride, and you pins began to prick at your toes from how hard you were stepping on it with your other foot.

"it's on the house."

Tim tried to protest but you shut him down, not even making any moves to try and take his card from him, only handing him his receipt with the order number on it.

"Don't let your boss find out you're handing out freebies to everyone." He teased, sliding his card back into his wallet and you dug your nails into your palm, trying not to chicken out in the last second.

"Actually, the freebies are only for the cute customers that the barista has a crush on." You replied smoothly, grabbing the filter for the espresso machine and not looking back at Tim, afraid of his reaction.

Oh god, was your voice shaking? You tried your best to remain collected on the outside even though on the inside your heart was erupting like a volcano, magma flowing through your veins and setting your entire body ablaze.

You spared a small glance at his older brother, embarrassed that he was here to witness this. A sizzling heat began to run up your neck and to your cheeks, fingers stiff as you tamped the coffee.

A chuckle brought you out of your stupor and your stomach sank. It wasn't the usual laugh that Tim had, instead a mirthless sound that made you look back up at him, only to find him staring at the receipt you had given him, now crumpled him in a tight fist.

"Glad I’m the exception then," He said through gritted teeth, "I’m gonna go."

He left without making so much as another glance at you and your cheeks coloured in humiliation when you had realized his brother had seen that whole interaction with an equal expression of shock and pity that made you quickly bite down on an ice cube to prevent any tears from lining your lashes.

You quickly made the drinks, reminding yourself that it was okay since you were never gonna see him again, keeping your customer service smile on until his brother had left the store and then some before you finally let it fall.

***

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?" Dick asked, placing Tim's coffee order on the console of the bat computer, already finished his matcha. The coffee had long been watered down; the ice had melted in the Gotham heat on his walk back home since Tim had just left him there at the coffee shop.

The younger brother ignored him, staring at the screen with a glare that began to get increasingly annoyed. When it became clear to him that Dick wasn't going to move from his side until he got an answer, Tim finally sighed "I’m sorry for ditching you at the coffee shop."

"Apology accepted but that's not what I meant. Why were you so mean to that poor girl? I mean if you didn't like her, you could've at least turned her down gently."

Tim scoffed, incredibly peeved, "Are you stupid? She was clearly asking you out! I've been going there for like 2 months now and she's never been so blushy and nervous before you walked in there with your stupid tall height and stupid big grin and stupid good looks!"

Dick's jaw dropped open; blue eyes wide with shock. Wasn't Timothy meant to be like the smartest and most logical one amongst them? As far as he knew he was also acknowledged by R’as Al Ghul himself as a remarkable detective. Hell, he had discovered the dark knight's secret identity when he was nine.

And yet—

"Are you fucking stupid? She wasn't asking me out! That cute little flirty compliment was clearly directed at you!"

Tim still looked upset, though Dick could clearly see that he was beginning to doubt his conclusions. Thank goodness, he didn't inherit Bruce’s or his brother's stubbornness.

"So, you like her but thought she was hitting on me, so you got all emo?" Dick deftly deduced, watching as an embarrassed rash spread across his pale skin, "Dude, you really hurt her feelings. I think she was about to cry when you walked out like that."

You had really tried to look like Tim's exit hadn't affected you and to an untrained eye it probably would've looked like that, but Dick noticed how you were chewing down on your bottom lip til it bled just to prevent from crying.

Tim's eyes now raised to him, now completely uncertain with a touch of guilt and Dick sighed.

He wasn't the son of the greatest detective for nothing, but it wouldn't take years of training to know what a lovesick boy looked like. He had found out that Tim had been visiting this particular coffee shop every day at the same time when he flat out refused to have Alfred’s French press in favour of driving across town to the penthouse, he'd sometimes sleep in just to get coffee.

Tim would never refuse Alfred’s French press unless he was unconscious. Or dead.

Which lead Dick to do some sleuthing.

Didn't take any effort to check his credit card statement and find out that he had been visiting this particular store every single day. Which is really the reason that Dick tagged along that day, to meet the girl who had so clearly captured his little brother's attention.

He was honestly giddy when he realized that you were shooting your shot right in front of him. Oh, he could see the wedding happening before his eyes already, where he would very obviously make his groomsman speech, telling the crowd how he had been there the day you finally became a couple.

But Tim merely crushed up the paper receipt in his hand before storming out and he was left alone in the coffee shop, having to watch as Tim's future wife kept her gaze anchored to the floor while she tried to make the coffee that she had just given them for free. He left a fifty in the tip jar right then.

This would not be the last time that his brother would do something stupid throughout the duration of your relationship. He supposed you might have dodged a bullet due to the misunderstanding but Dick was biased toward his brother and so he felt obligated to try and get you both together.

"Are you sure?"

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, "Tim, she didn't even speak to me after you left because she was so upset that the guy she had a crush on brutally turned her down."

His eyes narrowed still, "Are you sure?"

This time Dick had had it. He grabbed Tim's ear, unaffected by his shouts of pain and curses at him as he dragged him toward the elevator, "Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne, you go back to that coffee shop, apologize for being a jackass and ask her out. And you better take her to a fancy ass restaurant on your first date to make up for this mess."

"Okay! Okay!" Tim conceded, finally ripping his brother's hand from his ear and he crossed his arms, "You know, this wouldn't have even happened if you hadn't been a nosy ass and followed me to the coffee shop."

"This wouldn't have happened if you weren't an idiot either."

***

Tim had been silent during the patrol and while he wasn't the most talkative, it was unlike him to be this quiet. They were already an hour into the patrol and batman had yet to hear this voice of his son over the comms, but he didn't ask about it. He'd inquire about his son's personal life after patrol when he was back to being his parent and not his partner.

Something was definitely off however, since even Nightwing was more on the quiet side of the spectrum that night, which was extremely out of the ordinary.

It all had to do with what happened right before patrol--

Tim really hoped that Jason wouldn't kill him for stealing one of his motorcycles that he left at the manor but honestly it was the fastest way for him to get to the coffee shop without getting stuck in Gotham traffic. And really if Jason didn't want anyone to be using his motorcycle, he really shouldn't have left it in the garage with the keys there for anybody to take. Hadn't he learnt his lesson after Damian had tried to take one of Bruce’s cars?

Even though there were still a couple of hours for closing time, when Tim entered the store, you were nowhere to be found. Hearing the bell, your aunt had answered from the kitchen instead, telling him that she'd be right there in a moment.

When she finally emerged, wiping her hands on her apron, she stopped, recognizing Tim as a regular but he could tell that she didn't really know anything about him or even his name, "What can I get you?"

He angled his neck, trying to see if someone was in the kitchen but when he couldn't spot anything he turned back to your aunt who waited patiently, "Um, is (Y/N) not here?"

"Ah," She shook her head, "Since it was her last day working here, I let her go early."

Oh, Tim really should've had his coffee today because the caffeine withdrawal was starting to make him hear things. He could've sworn he just heard your aunt say that it was your last day working at the coffee shop.

"Last day? What do you mean?"

Tim returned to the Batcave just in time for patrol, shoulders hunched over and a pitiful frown on his face that had answered Nightwing’s question before he could even ask how it went. He didn't say anything else, just walking over to the change rooms without so much as a glance to his father or younger brother.

Understandably, your aunt refused to give your phone number to Tim considering she had no idea of your relationship with him. If there was any relationship anymore. You clearly had every intention to not be in his life anymore if he had turned you down, explaining why you decided to confess on your last day.

He had asked your aunt to pass his number to you but there was no telling whether she actually would or if you would call him even if she did.

And in retrospect it would be fairly easy for him to find your number or address or which university you went to, but how was he meant to explain how he coincidentally managed to run into you before explaining the misunderstanding and confessing his feelings?

His mind was wracked with questions, and he continued to beat himself up for thinking that you had been flirting with Dick in the first place. If he hadn't been such an idiot, he could've avoided this whole mess and could've avoided upsetting you.

Now even if he managed to find you, there was always a possibility that his reaction managed to turn you off and change your mind.

"Woah Timmy isn't that the girl you like?"

Dick's voice cut across the unusual silence for that night, ringing in his ears so suddenly that for a second, he didn't even register what he had said.

However, when he did, it was almost comical the way his head lurched up like a meercat, spotting Nightwing’s figure a couple of buildings away and immediately grappling toward him, nearly throwing himself off the side of the terrace trying to spot you.

You stepped out of Gotham university, hands clutching a binder to your chest. Tim wasn't sure what had his heart beating faster—the sight of your frost-bitten nose, tinged red from the cold—or that you weren't alone.

You were laughing with a man who, much to Tim’s dismay, was undeniably good-looking and wearing a lab coat, which meant he was clearly smart and shared your interests and oh you both were going to get married, and he was going to be alone and coffeeless for the rest of his life.

"What are they saying?!" Tim leant over the edge of the roof like a right fool.

"This is beginning to get creepy, baby bird." Dick commented from behind him, but all Tim could tell him was to shut up because he couldn't hear just what had you giggling so animatedly.

"it's great that undergrads get a chance to be on a research team; I know it might not seem like much but it's gonna look great on your resume, (Y/N)."

You narrowed your eyes teasingly, "You're just saying that because you're relieved someone is gonna be doing the literature review and wash your empty beakers."

The junior assistant, a postgrad student was in charge of showing you around the lab and giving you a list of your responsibilities. Since it was short notice, you were going to have to learn the ropes quite quickly so as to look competent to the other professors.

He laughed, patting your shoulder and you could've sworn you heard a sound similar to a bird shrieking from above you, "You caught me there. But you'll get your name on your first research paper so that's there."

"I am but a modern-day Cinderella." You grinned, walking with him til he reached his car. He sat in the driver's seat, not yet closing the door when he called out for you just as you were beginning to walk away, "Are you sure you don't want a ride home?"

You smiled but shook your head, "No, thank you, maybe next time."

You watched him pull out of the parking space before driving away, wondering whether you should wait for the bus or just take a cab back home. The next bus wasn't for another 25 minutes, and you didn't want to wait around in the dark, however, a cab would be four times the amount you'd spend using the bus.

You suppose you could've called your father and asked him to pick you up from the university, but he had just gotten home from work, and you would hate to ask him to have to come and get you.

You sighed and muttered underneath your breath, "I should've just asked him to take me home." before beginning your trudge home. A part of you was scolding yourself for taking possibly the most dangerous route home but the other part reminded yourself that it was unlikely for anything to happen.

Besides, you had seen Nightwing patrol the area earlier that night and it was way too early for the bats to turn in for the night. With any luck, he was still roaming around here.

***

Looking back, taking a shortcut through an alleyway wasn't the smartest plan you had ever made. However, you were lucky enough because it seemed like the bats had been watching over you for the night; you didn't even have the chance to get mugged before Red Robin has scared off your potential attackers. You hadn't even noticed them creeping up behind you.

You simply stared at him, starstruck. It was the first time you had ever come into contact with the Gotham cryptids and you had least expected an encounter with the most elusive of them, Red Robin.

You had known he had black hair but through a screen it had really looked more like oily snakes that had further cemented your belief that they were demons.

But up close, his hair was soft and silky, he smelt of sweat and grime but with a slight tinge of cologne hidden underneath. You continued to stare at him, feeling like you could tattoo the sight of him onto your retinas.

"Um," You began, not sure how to even begin the conversation. Should you thank him for saving your life? Or apologize for being an inconvenience. Instead, you found yourself following his gaze to the lapel of your lab coat, only to find him staring at the Red Robin insignia pinned there. It was then you had been reminded of the same interaction with Tim Drake.

"Just so you know, you're way better looking than Tim Drake."

You were in slight awe of Red Robin and also still heartbroken over Tim Drake's scorn earlier that day, so you felt the need to settle the score with him even though it would clearly never make its way back to him.

Afterall what were the chances that the vigilante Red Robin knew the trust fund baby Tim Drake? They didn't exactly run in the same circles.

The masked man just stared at you in surprise, quite frozen after your declaration and honestly you couldn't blame him. He had just saved your life and instead of thanking him you began complimenting his good looks while at the same time insulting a completely random man, when really you had no business doing because you didn't really know what he looked like.

Though the more you stared at his face, finding your eyes drawing lines down the same jawline, cupid's bow, and nose bridge, you couldn't help but find similarities between the man you had just compared him to—

You physically shook the thought out of your head.

"Okay, then," You finished, finally turning around to walk away from him, having had enough of standing awkwardly in the middle of the alley, "Thank you agai—!"

"(Y/N), wait!" His gloved fingers clasped around your wrist, and you cut yourself off abruptly, staring up at him in surprise. It seemed his response had surprised him as well, considering the way he continued to stare at you. You couldn't really see his wide-eyed gaze due to the domino, but you could tell from the slight gap of his mouth and the raised brow.

Your lashes fluttered as you lowered your eyes to the hand still around your own, his voice echoing through your head. He had a modulator but this close to him it felt like you could hear the voice underneath it. His voice was crisper, cleaner and lighter underneath the automated depth, you could hear it just slightly through the syllables of your name.

You looked back at the whites of his mask, "How did you know my name?"

You weren't accusing him of anything, at least he didn't think so, not from your voice. You sounded genuinely curious and your eyes ping-ponged over his features, trying to find something. Then he noticed the ways they slightly narrowed before you whispered, "Tim?"

His jaw went slack, eyes going so comically wide now that you had just known you knocked the hammer right on the head. He took a step back, finally releasing your hand and you cupped your gaping mouth, in shock yourself.

"Wait seriously?! I was just guessing! Why on earth would you make it so obvious!" You chastised.

"I’m sorry, ok?! I didn't have any coffee today and so my brain isn't braining today!"

You crossed your arms over your chest, "And who's fault is that? You're the one who stormed out of the cafe after rejecting me—after I literally gave your drinks for free!"

Red Robin—Tim winced, rubbing the back of his neck as his gaze fluttered guiltily away from yours, "That was...not my best moment."

"Not your best moment? You acted like I spat on your whole family and condemned you to death!" Okay perhaps you were being a tad bit dramatic, but it had been an extremely long day, and you kept being presented with new information which was a lot to take.

You were just a girl, for god's sake!

"Ok, in my defense, I thought you were confessing to my brother—not me! So, if anything, I was upset that you might like my family a little too much!" He retaliated and you gaped at him, incredulous.

"You are just—wow, unbelievable." You finally breathed. Truthfully, you didn't know what to even do now, something told you that you weren't going to be able to walk home completely unharmed. Since you knew his identity, the worst that could happen was that one of his bat friends was hanging over you to put you out of your misery. Best case scenario, you'd sign an NDA and be on your merry way home.

"I’m sorry, (Y/N). This is all my fault, I was being an idiot earlier and I got insecure cuz I thought you were asking out my brother which stung cuz I’ve been crushing on you for like months now." He finally admitted, holding his gaze low.

If you hadn’t been deafened by the sound of your heart pounding wildly in your chest at his confession, you would’ve given him a hard time about how nervous he seemed—just as you had been before he so brutally turned you down.

"You like me?" Your question, simple as it was, still managed to make Tim's heartrate escalate.

"Yes—I mean, of course—How could I not?"

You blushed, a gleeful response already on the tip of your tongue. Well, you would have, if you hadn’t suddenly been shrouded in a bat-shaped shadow that had you instinctively pressing yourself closer to Tim.

"Oh, I’m so dead." Tim muttered under his breath the second he had caught the figure of his father standing atop a building, having heard everything over the comms.

Your eyes widened and you stepped closer to him, a hand tightening around the utility belt strapped to his chest. You had remembered the rumours of what had happened to the second robin.

Tim's attention was snapped back to you the second he heard your sharp intake of breath, "N-Not literally, really (Y/N). I’m probably just gonna get grounded."

That got you to loosen your grip with a relieved sigh, relaxing and letting go.

"Grounded? As in Red Robin is grounded. Or Tim Drake?"

"Probably Tim Drake, Red Robin is still needed in the field. Maybe both." He admitted with a wince, and you have him a gentle pat on the chest that was meant to be a kind of 'there, there'. He gave you a small smile, gloved fingers holding the hand to his chest.

"I suppose our first date will have to wait, huh?"

Tim would be lying if a part of him hadn't kind of expected you to rethink everything. I mean, he had been so mean to you when turning you down after jumping to wild conclusions at no fault of your own. Then there was also his secret that he had been stupid enough to reveal to you.

You didn't deserve this; you deserved much better.

Still these thoughts were extremely fleeting, easily overthrown by his feeling of giddiness and outright joy, a blinding grin taking over his face.

"I guess so. I'll make it up to you, though—Dinner's on me."

You scoffed, "It better be, I’m standing in an alley 15 minutes past curfew with the identity of one of the illusive bats all because you thought I had a thing for your brother."

If his cheeks weren't already bitten from the cold, you would have watched as they went aflame, "I was young and stupid."

"It was this morning!"

"I was eight hours younger."

***

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee

@notslaybabes

@superheroesaremyjam113263

@writers-whirlwind

DC Taglist:

@tchatso

@p--e--a--c--h--e--s

@sometimeseverythingsucks

@sokkas-honour

@unstable1902

@lostgirlheart

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@fuckingjinkies

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[cafelattaes]

beat you at your own game | hrj

summary: y/n has a crush on renjun, who's not that great with people. despite his standoffish nature, she makes an effort to be friendly. but things take a twist when she starts to ignore him.

pairing: renjun x fem!reader

genre: college au, fluff, angst

word count: 3.5k

huang renjun, how exactly would you describe him? well, for starters, he can be a bit cranky. he's all about having his own space, not a fan of dragging things out, and gets things done in a flash. he’s also straightforward and not afraid to speak his mind. people have mixed feelings about him because of it. but oddly enough, it only adds to his charm, making people naturally drawn to him, much to his 'i'd-rather-not' demeanor.

needless to say, you just had to develop a crush on someone who’s the total opposite of you. you’re a people-pleaser; you’d much rather say things that would please others than express your genuine thoughts. confrontations make you uncomfortable, and you lean towards making excuses for those who hurt you on purpose. you also always try to avoid conflicts as much as you can and resort to suffering in silence instead. you're trying to change these aspects of yourself, but since you grew up having these traits, breaking free can be a bit hard. still, you're working on it.

you never intended to let renjun know about your feelings, but your friends were determined to embarrass you whenever he was around, constantly teasing you. it didn't help that despite not being close to renjun and his group, some of them were friends with your close friends, so they eventually joined in poking fun at your crush. one day, you decided to dismiss their incessant teasing and initiated a friendly conversation with renjun. at first, he responded out of courtesy. you weren't stupid though; you could tell that renjun was clearly fed up with his friends and wanted nothing to do with their antics.

he began to dislike being associated with you, offering only short responses and not acknowledging your presence more than necessary. you didn’t pay it much mind, since getting close to him wasn't your original goal. your aim was to ease the awkwardness and shed the embarrassment that accompanied your interactions. you happened to share some classes with renjun, coincidentally, those were the ones where both your friends weren't around. sitting next to him became a default habit, as he was the only familiar face in those particular classes.

one morning, you found yourself running late for your 8am class, prompting you to dash before your professor arrived. you accidentally collided with renjun, who happened to be holding an iced coffee. to your horror, more than half of the drink ended up spilling onto his shirt.

“oh my god, renjun, i’m so sorry!” you looked at him in fear, and it took everything in him to remain calm.

“why are you running around a busy hallway?”

“i’m really, really sorry. i’m late for my first class and i didn’t think i’d bump into anyone.” renjun let out an annoyed sigh.

“whatever.”

“wait!” you started rummaging through your bag to bring out some alcohol and wipes. “do you need them?”

“no, thank you.” he tried to walk past you, but you caught his arm.

“what about the stain?”

“i have a spare shirt. can you let me go now? i thought you said you were late.”

“shoot, you’re right. i’m sorry again, i promise i’ll make it up to you!” you shouted as you ran.

“please don’t,” he grumbled.

later on, you found renjun at the library working on your assignments. you sat quietly next to him and began doing your own. he didn’t spare you a look and just carried on with his work. you spent a few hours completing them, and both of you got it done at the same time. as you got up to gather your things, you spoke to the boy beside you.

“renjun, do you have anything to do after this?”

“no.”

“there’s this new diner that just opened up nearby. do you want to check it out? my friends have prior commitments, and i wanted to make it up to you for spilling your coffee earlier.” you already knew he was going to refuse, but it wouldn’t hurt to still ask.

“sorry, i’ll have to pass. i need to get home quickly.” you nodded in understanding and smiled at him.

“no biggie. take care on your way home!”

“thanks,” he simply said before leaving.

“so, what's the deal with you and y/n?" jaemin asked in a teasing tone. "any progress? are you going out already?” renjun scowled.

“shut up. i want her to back off, honestly.”

“you want everyone to back off.” jaemin pointed out.

“yeah, but most especially y/n.”

jaemin's eyebrows knitted together. “uh, why do you sound so annoyed with her?”

“because she's annoying. i turned her down multiple times, but she can’t take a hint. nothing’s worse than someone who forces themselves on others.”

“relax, man. aren't you being a bit harsh? you’ll see that she’s nice if you give her a chance.”

“what exactly is nice about her being fixated on me? this is mostly your fault, you know. if you guys weren’t such busybodies, she wouldn’t be so pushy.”

you quietly slipped away, making sure they hadn't noticed you. a single tear rolled down your cheek before you could stop it. it wasn't every day you heard someone openly express their dislike for you, and coming from the person you were supposed to like, it stung even more. you never meant to force yourself into renjun's space or push for a connection that clearly wasn't there. maybe it was time to face reality and let go of your feelings for him. it would be better for both of you in the long run to avoid any more awkward moments and misunderstandings.

renjun had grown accustomed to spotting you in your regular seat during your shared class. however, he was met with surprise when he noticed you had moved to a vacant seat considerably distant from your usual spot next to him. he was a bit confused at first, but chose not to dwell on it. he also noted that you didn't notice his entrance into the room, as you were engrossed in some task.

you continued to maintain a distance in your next classes with renjun. he was uncertain if you were oblivious to his presence or deliberately avoiding acknowledgement, given the lack of glances his way. he found it a bit strange that you refrained from initiating any form of interaction, but he didn’t mind. he thought he felt better. at least, for now.

however, renjun was not expecting your odd behavior to persist. it brought another surprise when you ignored him again the following day. even when your eyes accidentally locked for a second, you quickly averted your gaze. renjun wasn’t sure if you really didn’t see him or were just pretending not to. you weren’t wearing your glasses, and your eyesight wasn't the best. but even if you did ignore him on purpose, he didn’t mind… or did he?

it’s been a while since you stopped talking to renjun. at first, he thought he felt a sense of relief, thinking it gave him some space. but after a week, he was confused about why you suddenly stopped. the following week, he could feel his stomach churning seeing you leave class, secretly hoping you’d look back. then, the week after that, he felt a wave of anger because there were more than a few times he bumped into you purposely to get you to talk to him, but you did not utter any word other than a quiet apology. now, nearly a month later, he started to feel dejected because no matter what he did, you always acted like he wasn't even there. renjun wasn’t sure what he did wrong to make you so determined in avoiding him completely.

“renjun’s going through 5 stages of grief,” jaemin said with a smirk.

“what are you talking about?” haechan looked at him in confusion.

“y/n’s been ignoring him for a month.”

“WHAT? WHY?” jaemin shrugged.

“no idea. we’re not close enough for me to ask.”

“what about jeno?”

“he doesn’t want to pry.”

“maybe she got tired of renjun’s grumpy attitude,” chenle piped up.

“could be,” jaemin turned to the boy in question. “look at him, he’s miserable.”

“shut up,” renjun muttered in discontent.

“stop provoking him. it’s his first heartbreak,” chenle taunted, making renjun roll his eyes at their ridiculousness.

“you know you could just talk to her right? ask what’s going on?”

“if she wanted to talk, she would’ve reached out to me by now,” renjun said flatly. his friends could only shake their heads in disapproval.

“don’t be stupid.”

“and i’m begging all of you to mind your own business.”

“if you keep this up, you’ll end up in a situation you can’t fix.”

haechan nodded vigorously. “yeah, don't say we didn't warn you!”

you kept quiet about what you had overheard from renjun in the last month, choosing not to share the details with your friends. you figured they would eventually notice renjun's absence from your life, and when they finally asked you about it, you dismissed their probing questions. you casually informed them that your crush on him had simply faded after getting to know him better. you were quite good at making believable lies, they were convinced by it and dropped the topic quickly.

unexpectedly, renjun sought you out in an empty classroom to confront you about your sudden disconnection. you looked like a deer caught in headlights when you realized who had just entered, walking in long and quick strides to your direction. in your mind, you were already conjuring up excuses to explain yourself.

“why are you ignoring me?” his question broke the silence, leaving you with no room to escape.

so much for attempting to evade this confrontation.

you took a moment to gather your thoughts, unsure how to respond. you tried to conceal your distress as renjun stared down at you while waiting for you to talk. it seemed like he was determined to stand his ground, expecting you to tell him the truth. with a frustrated sigh, you finally spoke up.

“i’m just staying out of your way,” you said after a moment of silence.

“yeah, so why?” his voice was demanding, it ticked you off a little.

you questioned why you were initially afraid of renjun confronting you and why you bothered coming up with excuses. after all, it wasn't his place to interrogate you when you were simply doing what he seemed to want from the start.

“i don’t know why you’re asking. isn’t that what you want? you should be happy.” you began to gather your things so you can leave, but you heard him speak again.

“i never told you to avoid me. if you have a problem with me, just say it.”

“you're right, you never told me directly. you just told other people.”

“what are you talking about?” you turned to face him.

“renjun, i don’t get you. you push me away, you're openly annoyed by me, and you tell everyone you want me gone. now that i’m doing exactly that, you’re still upset with me? what’s your problem?”

renjun ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. “stop speaking in riddles and just tell me what's going on."

“fine. last month, i was passing by the library and i overheard you talking to your friends. you were complaining about how i couldn't take a hint and how you wanted me to leave you alone.” renjun looked a bit puzzled at first. when you were about to walk away, his eyes widened in realization.

“no, y/n, i’m so sorry. i didn't really mean what i-“ you shook your head lightly.

“don’t be. you were completely right, and i’m not even angry about it. i just don’t want to do anything with you anymore.”

“please, listen," renjun said, his voice urgent. "i blurted out those things in the heat of the moment. i regret it, especially now that i know you heard what i said… it's just- it’s not how i really feel about you."

“it’s okay, renjun. i didn’t tell you all of this to get an apology. i’m only telling you why i’m doing what i’m doing, like you asked, and to make it clear that i’m done.” as you turned to leave, renjun stepped in front of you, blocking your path.

“hear me out, alright? i was being overly sensitive back then. my friends were pushing my buttons, and i didn't know how to handle it so i lashed out. i treated you unfairly and you didn’t deserve any of that. a month without you made me realize a few things. i had to confront what i really want and face some truths i'd been avoiding."

he paused, studying your face before continuing. “i miss spending time with you, y/n. and... well, i realized i've got feelings for you, more than i thought. it never crossed my mind that you'd actually distance yourself and it hit me hard. the idea of losing you if you choose to walk away made me lose my mind.”

your heart raced as he spoke, and his confession stirred up a mix of emotions. your confusion lingered, but you decided to reason through it, pushing aside the sincerity in his eyes as you gave him a skeptical look.

“are you… getting your feelings confused with something else? did you consider that maybe your mind is playing tricks on you and making you think you like me because you're used to others chasing after you?”

renjun winced, trying to ignore the implied criticism. it was a struggle for him to open up about his feelings, only for the girl he liked to question it and suggest that he couldn't understand his own emotions.

“i wouldn't be here asking why you've been avoiding me and opening up like this if i hadn't thought it through." he said quietly. "it might be hard to believe right now, but if you give me a chance, i can prove it to you."

“i don’t think this is a good idea,” you said, watching his face fall. he felt lost, trying to find the right words to convince you. taking a deep breath, he gently placed his hands on your shoulders, meeting your eyes.

“please, just give me a chance to make things right. i feel like i've wasted so much time.” the desperation in his voice was clear. still skeptical, you removed his hands as they fell down to your arms.

“i’ll think about it,” you said, turning to walk away, leaving a lingering sense of uncertainty in the air.

renjun’s friends had been observing him for a few days, and he’s become unusually quiet. they contemplated asking him what’s wrong, but they wanted to give him some space. it was glaringly obvious that something was bothering him, and he didn’t want to talk about it. jeno couldn't help but express his concern.

"renjun, you've been awfully quiet lately. everything alright?"

"yeah, i'm fine. just dealing with some stuff." jeno and jaemin exchanged knowing glances.

"we're here whenever you're ready to talk." jaemin assured, patting his back.

he had been feeling down since your conversation days ago. your words had been weighing on his mind and creating an internal turmoil. the fact that you continued to ignored him in all your classes didn't offer much comfort. renjun couldn't help but cast a longing look in your direction whenever he saw you. he wondered if there was a way to make things right, or if he had to live with the consequences of his past actions.

meanwhile, his confession has been replaying in your mind. the idea of him reciprocating your feelings caught you off guard; it was something you never saw coming. after some contemplation, it became apparent to you that renjun really felt apologetic and was filled with remorse. could it be that he genuinely likes you? even if that was the case, you're still unsure whether it's the right move to start something with him.

maybe i should stop overthinking this.

you took a deep breath before releasing a loud sigh, unaware that the boy who had been occupying your thoughts, stood right in front of you.

“y/n,” you looked up to see renjun. you waited for him to speak, but it seemed like he was having a mental struggle, debating whether to say what was on his mind. he mustered up the courage to ask if you were willing to give him a chance. staring at him with an unreadable expression, he didn't know how to interpret the situation. was it a bad time to talk?

“why?” you finally asked. although renjun was hesitant, he answered.

“i was wondering if you already thought about what i said? i mean… i can wait if you need more time.”

“if i say no, are you going to leave me alone?” your heart sank a little when his face fell.

he took a moment before responding. his voice barely above a whisper. “if that’s what you want... i guess i would have to."

“renjun,” you said, causing him to look up.

“yeah?”

“let’s give it a try.” his expression became hopeful.

“really?”

“yes," you nodded. "you said you liked me back, i'm choosing to believe that for now. just... don't let me down."

“i won’t," he promised, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

before you could react, renjun pulled you into a warm embrace. you found yourself returning the hug, allowing yourself to relax in his arms.

"thank you for giving me a chance," he murmured, his words muffled against your hair but filled with sincerity.

“i’m happy for them, really," giselle said, eyeing you and renjun across the room. "but watching those two make heart eyes at each other is sickening."

chenle snorted. "this is nothing. you should see renjun at the dorm."

the group's attention snapped to him. "oh?" karina prompted.

“let's just say personal space is not in his vocabulary anymore."

“huh… i would've expected y/n to be the clingy one."

“yeah, no. but i guess it makes sense, considering how he acted before."

giselle and karina exchanged amused glances, intrigued by the dynamic between you and renjun.

"amazing what a change of heart can do," jaemin mused.

karina nodded, a hint of approval in her voice. "guess he learned his lesson."

the group watched you and renjun for a moment longer, a mix of amusement and fondness in their expressions. it was clear that renjun had undergone a significant change in the way he acts toward you, transforming his initial aloofness to this new, affectionate version of himself.

“i have the dorm to myself this weekend.” renjun said, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

you raised an eyebrow. “and what exactly are you suggesting?”

“you know…” he trailed off, his look suggestive.

“i’m studying for finals," you replied flatly.

“exactly. i find myself more productive when i’m with you.”

“right. because we get so much done when we study together."

“don't you want my hugs and kisses?” he pouted.

“not when i’m trying to pass my classes.”

“i'll behave, i promise.”

“you always say that. i don’t believe you anymore.” renjun's pout deepened. cute.

“maybe i wouldn't be so clingy if you paid more attention to me. you’re always busy, you don’t have time for your boyfriend.”

“renjun, unlike you, i have to put in extra effort to get good grades. i’m not as smart as you are.”

“excuses.” he mumbled.

you rolled your eyes, but couldn't help smiling. “you’re so adorable,” you cooed, giving him a quick peck. “i never imagined you to be the clingy type.”

“baby, there's a lot of things you don’t know about me.” he said, his voice lowering.

“oh? like what?”

he leaned in close. “like how great i am with my hands."

your eyebrows shot up. "is that so?"

“yeah. apparently, i give one heck of a shoulder massage,” he finished with a grin.

you burst out laughing at his endearing silliness. the sound of your laughter made renjun pause. he watched you, a soft smile spreading across his face. suddenly, he felt an overwhelming surge of happiness. taking your hand gently in his, he pressed a kiss to your fingertips, capturing your attention and prompting you to look at him.

"you make me feel the happiest," he said softly. "i love you."

your heart skipped a beat, the euphoria of hearing those three words from him for the first time washing over you. it hit you then - this unexpected journey with renjun had led you somewhere you never imagined. he, too, held the key to your happiness.

“i love you too," you whispered back.

you closed the distance between you two and your lips met his. as he wrapped an arm around your waist, you let yourself fall to his embrace, deepening the kiss.

renjun was met with the realization that while you fell for him first, he descended later, but with an intensity that surpassed a thousand falls.

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

Late Showing

Summary- After a work shift you find Gareth all by himself, waiting for someone that never showed. Although you’ve had your differences, you can’t help but want to make him feel better.

Genre- Fluff

Warnings- None c:

Tag List- @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @munsonology @aidansloth @esme-viridian @morganwrites12672 @hawkinsmafia

(my tag list is always open, if you’d like to be added please let me know 💋)

Word Count- 2.8k

You yawned as you adjusted yourself in the uncomfortable velvet lined chair, head rested on your hand, not paying attention to anything that was going on around you. Being the ticket girl at the movies wasn’t a very exciting job, especially during those days of the week where you were basically getting paid to sit around and look pretty. But, it was a job that paid, and that’s all that mattered. It was just surprising for it to be this slow on a Friday.

You still tried your best to be alert, paying attention to every sound just in case it was anyone trying to make you do your job. Your ears perked up at the sounds of a few familiar laughs.

Every Friday after their DnD session, the older boys from Hellfire Club would usually stop by for a late night showing of whatever horror or comedy movie looked the most interesting. They were decently friendly, save for a few normal stupid teenage boy comments and stereotypical ‘boy humor’ that didn’t exactly translate all that well to girls. They were all relatively nice with you, they’ve seen you once or twice a week for the last six months so it was normal to have a conversation with them every now and then. But somehow, every week, one of them made it seem like it was his mission to piss you off.

At least, that’s what you took from your interactions with him.

And seeing him walking up to your booth with his hands on his pockets and a smirk on his face told you he was definitely going to try and get you today. Good thing you were stubborn enough to get him first.

“(y/n).” He said with a smile as he approached the booth with the other boys behind him.

“Gareth.” You smiled to him and looked just past him to smile at his friends, “Boys. You’re here awful early, aren’t you supposed to be jerking each other off in the drama room right about now?” You smirked to him.

The smirk dropped off Gareths face as he heard the boys try to stifle their chuckles at your comment.

“…We finished early.”

He only realized the error of his last words after the boys laughed harder behind him.

“Is that right?” You giggled, “What are you guys seeing today?”

“What’s playing?”

“Well,” You said, “if you look at the marquee that’s right above my head, it’ll tell you what’s playing.”

“Wow, bitchier than normal today are we?” Gareth laughed to himself.

“Only for you, sweetheart.” You said with an eye roll.

“Ignore him (y/n),” Eddie said as he shoved Gareth aside, “we’ll take four for The Fly.”

“Ooh, that’s a good one!” You smiled and tore off four tickets from the roll beside you, “Lots of gross stuff, really good body horror.”

You handed Eddie the tickets as he gave you the $20 bill from his pocket and he tore them each away as he handed them to the guys.

“You’ve seen it?” Gareth asked with a scoff, “How?”

“Maybe because i work here, idiot.”

Gareth wasn’t even given a chance to respond before getting his arm tugged away by Eddie into the theater.

You giggled and rolled your eyes to yourself, sitting back in your seat and waiting for the next customers to come up and purchase their tickets.

Your constant back and forth with one another couldn’t be traced back to one specific incident, they’ve been happening for so long you couldn’t remember who said what first or even how it began, but it eventually became a highlight of your shifts.

You’d be sitting in that booth for hours, nothing to entertain you except the rare occasion when there’s actual work to do or if you managed to bring in a book or magazine with you. As soon as you saw those boys pile out of whoever’s car they drove in and you saw the familiar red vest on Gareth, you couldn’t help but be excited for whatever nonsense he had to spew at you that day.

You didn’t hate each other. You certainly didn’t like one another, but you didn’t hate him. It was all innocent fun.

A week later, you were in the same position.

Bored, stuck at work in that little booth out front just waiting for the boys to show up again for their normal friday night routine.

You checked your watch and noticed it was later than normal for them, usually they were there around 4-5 pm, but as it approached closer and closer to 7 you figured they probably just decided to switch things up for the night. There wasn’t anything that great showing anyways.

Until you saw a familiar car pull into the lot.

You were glad to see them again, and finally be able to have a little bit of interaction with someone after being stuck alone in that little booth. But when you saw just one person step out of the car and approach the booth, you let out a gentle sigh.

Gareth walked up to the booth with a smile on his face, pulling out a $10 bill from his pocket and placing it onto the counter,

“Two for Chopping Mall.”

You took the $10 and glanced behind him before reaching around and pulling two tickets off of the reel,

“Why do you need two if it’s just you?” You asked, sliding him the tickets, “I figured the guys would be with you.”

“I asked them to stay back this time.” He gave you a cocky smile and took the tickets, “I’m meeting someone. A girl.” He shrugged, his eyes quickly scanning you for your reaction.

“Oh. Alright,” You shrugged, giving him a smile, “enjoy the movie then.”

Your reaction threw him off, and you could tell by the way his eyebrows raised ever so slightly, but you didn’t pay any mind to it. Gareth smiled back and wandered into the theater without another word.

The next two hours went as they usually did for you, handing out tickets to the various families and couples for their friday night excursions to the theater, though there was one thought that you couldn’t get out of your head. There were plenty of guys that came alone, but not one girl had walked inside by herself. You could be wrong, she probably just wandered in when you weren’t looking or came in through a different entrance.

Either way, you wouldn’t let yourself dwell on it for much longer.

You didn’t like Gareth, and he didn’t like you. That’s how it’s always been, and how it always will be.

But when it reached 9:15, and you noticed a crowd of people leaving the theater as you got the little booth ready to close up for the night. Tickets were put away, the little ‘sorry, we’re closed’ sign was turned in the window, and all the cash was locked up for the managers to count. As you switched the light off in the booth, you walked into the theater by the connecting door, but there was a little pit in your heart as the door closed behind you.

Gareth was still sitting on one of the benches inside, alone, in near darkness from the lights inside switching off as it got closer and closer to closing time.

You slowly walked over to him, and as you looked closer at his face it made you regret any time the two of you had one of your little spats with one another. He was sitting there looking like a kicked puppy, waiting all this time for a girl that never even showed up. You didn’t like him, you were so certain, but seeing anyone in that predicament was enough to pull at your heartstrings.

“Gareth?” You asked quietly, catching him by surprise as he jumped slightly in his seat.

“Oh, hey. Just, uh…” He cleared his throat and showed you the tickets still in his hand, “waiting. I think she’ll be here soon, we’ll just see the later showing…”

“Gareth,” You sighed, “we’re closing. The movies over…” He pursed his lips and gave you a slow nod, looking back down at the tickets he held in his lap, “I’m sorry-“

“No, it’s ok.” He stood up quickly, shoving the now useless tickets into his pocket as he cut you off, “i’ll just, uh… See you next friday.”

You gave him a small but friendly smile as he stepped past you, and he copied it.

In that moment there was a switch that flipped inside you.

Seeing him so defeated, all alone waiting for someone who probably wasn’t going to show anyways.

“Hey!” You called out to him as you took a few steps closer. He stopped and turned to you. “Did you still want to see that movie?”

Gareth shrugged,

“I guess so. But you said you’re closed?”

“I work here.” You giggled, “Come with me.”

You grasped his hand and led him down the quiet, dimly lit halls into one of the empty theaters. The lights along the sides of the walls were still on, though it was strange to see a theater so quiet and empty.

“Sit wherever you want,” You gently let go of his hand, though it felt strange to not have something filling that space, “I’ll be back in just a minute. Want a snack or something?”

Gareth shrugged again as he looked over the empty rows of seats,

“Popcorn is always nice.” He said to you with a smile. You could already tell he was feeling better.

“Popcorn.” You nodded, “No problem. I’ll be back in a few minutes, sit wherever you want.” You smiled and wandered out of the theater.

Gareth looked around for a moment before spotting a pair of seats right in the middle. He slowly walked up and got comfortable, smiling to himself as he sat there waiting patiently for you.

It was strange.

You’d never been nice to him, at least not this nice. Gareth didn’t know what it was, if it was you doing this out of sympathy or not, but he didn’t mind it. When he looked past all those childish arguments the two of you had, they seemed almost pointless. Behind the mask of insults and one liners, he could see that you were just a nice girl. And he was hoping you’d see the same for him too.

The two of you had never been alone in any sense of the word, the only time you had was during the five minutes of words you’d exchange over him or one of the guys buying tickets. It felt so weird. There were a thousand and one outcomes he could’ve imagined up from the two of you being around each other alone, each one of them ending up with either him having a black eye or you getting fired for ‘unlawful conduct’ with a paying customer. Never like this.

His train of thought was interrupted as the lights along the side walls started to dim, and the screen started to show the beginning static of a film reel. Just as the trailers started playing he heard the theater doors open and soon saw you with a bucket of popcorn in your arms.

“Here,” You said with a smile as you handed him the bucket, “I hope you like extra butter and salt, cause that’s what i put on it.”

“Who doesn’t?” He smiled back.

Your attention was soon grabbed by the lit screen as trailers started rolling for the newest upcoming movies. It was quiet between the two of you as you sat and watched the screen, but it was in no way an uncomfortable silence. Rather, it felt oddly comforting.

It was nice to be sitting there with him, and without even noticing all that anger that you had always felt for him was melting away. As the screen turned back to black, you snuck a glance over at him. It was quick, and you were certain he hadn’t noticed as you turned your head back to the screen.

But he did. And he liked you looking at him.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t try and sneak a few glances at you as the movie went on, and though it was quiet, you could almost feel it every time he did. It was nice.

It was so strange. You had never gotten along in any sense of the word before. Each time you saw him or he saw you, you had to prepare yourself to come back at anything he said, but this was the longest the two of you had gone without making a quip at the other. You liked it.

He was actually quite nice to be around. It felt comforting to have him there, especially during a scary movie.

You glanced over his way one last time before slowly leaning in to whisper,

“I’m sorry that girl never showed.”

Gareth looked to you with a thankful smile,

“Thanks.” As you looked back to the screen he leaned in closer to you, “I’m sorry for always being a dick to you.”

You quickly looked back to him. His apology caught you off guard. It wasn’t unwanted by any means, you deserved an apology for the things he’s said to you. But you knew he deserved one too, you weren’t going to deny he’d gotten the same remarks from you.

“I’m sorry for always being a bitch to you.”

You both apologetically smiled to one another.

Your arguments were what made your ‘relationship’ worthwhile, it was nice to have someone to lash out on after a difficult time dealing with customers that made it seem like it was their destiny to be a pain in your ass. But it felt even nicer to know how sorry he was for everything. It felt like being nice to each other was going to be a lot easier than being each others punching bags.

“No hard feelings?” Gareth whispered to you as he offered over the bucket of popcorn.

You couldn’t help but stifle back a quick laugh as you grabbed a few pieces of popcorn,

“No hard feelings.”

You smiled at each other once more, your face turning back to face the screen as you ate the few pieces of popcorn he had offered. But you could still sense his eyes on you.

Gareth took a slow, quiet breath, as if he was nervous about something. He leaned towards your ear to whisper once more,

“This is nice.”

As you turned to him, a blush arose onto your cheeks and a smile tugged at the corners of your lips. He was still so close, your noses nearly brushing as you turned your head. Your eyes glanced over his face as the light from the screen illuminated his face ever so slightly in the darkness of the theater. And you had to admit, this lighting made him look a way you had never imagined yourself seeing him in.

He just looked so good.

If you had to be watching a scary movie with anyone, you were glad it was him.

You nodded gently, the smile on your lips getting harder to hide as you could just barely see the pink on his cheeks too.

You both quickly turned away once more, each of you hiding your red faces and wide smiles from the other.

It wasn’t a date, but it was sure starting to feel like one.

A few moments passed by, the tension between the two of you could be cut with a knife, and as you sensed Gareth start to move next to you it definitely caught your attention. Though he wasn’t fidgeting in his seat as you assumed.

His arms gently raised up over his head, and you tried so hard to stifle your giggles the moment you heard an overacted yawn coming from him. And just as you suspected, as his arms came back down, one found its way laid across your shoulders.

You looked to him and quietly giggled as he looked to his lap with an embarrassed, but comfortable, laugh.

“That was so lame.” You said as you raised your hand to your lips to quiet your giggles.

Gareth looked to you with that smile still on his face, his hand gently moving over your shoulder,

“But it worked, didn’t it?”

Your giggles slowly ceased and your lips pursed,

“Shut up.” You said with a smile and an eye roll as you looked back to the screen, your head moving to rest on his shoulder as he pulled you in closer.

Whatever this was between the two of you, it wasn’t a date. But you were hoping he would ask you on one soon.

[syckubota]

illustrated some comic pages based off some writing i have. sketches and flat ink process (alongside a long-winded info-dump) below :)

I'm a little shy about it, but I've been getting into fun self-insert stuff lately. Fallout 4 is truly a dating sim game...

The character in this comic is supposed to be fairly reflective of real-life me, but there's sort of an alternate-universe catch to them; They're like a time capsule of the me in October, 2024. So, there's certain bits of wisdom and knowledge, of which I that have now, that they don't. Essentially, they're prone to making blunders, and still have personal developments to make. I've been having lotsa fun exploring this concept!

The premise of my writing/story is that in another universe, on October 23, 2024, they wake up in Sanctuary Hills, October 23, 2287. This version of me is from our world, so they are heavily under-prepared for surviving the wasteland, and their only advantage is the fact that they have decent knowledge about the Fallout world (due to their fixation on it). They have to navigate this much more brutal environment, coupled with their personal vices and difficulties, including but not limited to the horror of being mysteriously ripped out of their own world. Their social-psychological struggles inadvertently leads to them deciding that lying about their origins was the best course of action. This alternate me initially white-lies about being a psychic, until it spirals out of control and they end up having to break the truth to everyone they've lied to. Nate is also released from Vault 111, and this alternate me has the honors of spoiling the Institute's grand looming scheme, after a bit of convincing.

The specific context behind this scene/snippet depicted in the comic, is that this alternate me hired MacCready, to not only have an experienced wastelander backing them up, but to also, hopefully begin assisting him with his struggles. They let it be known that they have (an unspecified amount of) knowledge about his life, but they still lied to him about where they were coming from, just how much they knew--and--their plans to help him. This me was also strongly in denial about their fascination and affection for him, so they were actively fighting a crush the whole time. They were hoping to help him and get on with their life elsewhere, and hopefully with someone else.

This alternate me planned to clear out the warehouses and to collect scrap for land development, with MacCready's help. They end up explaining a bit about their Minuteman-aligned land development goals, and unintentionally let on that they knew about MacCready's tragedy. When MacCready realizes this, there comes an awkward tension, because he is left blind-sided trying to process everything, and this me is extremely worried he took the information poorly, and may refuse their offer to help. This alternate me feels the need to be avoidant with him, and decides to get the job over with, the sooner the better.

However, since this alternate me was distracted with being evasive to their hired help, they had gotten careless, resulting in a heavily bleeding wound.

For further context, and before I continue, MacCready already sort of felt like he could resign his social-emotional walls to this alternate me. This was due to the fact that they already knew quite a bit about him, but didn't do anything to betray/exploit him. This alternate me also invited him to ask for whatever information he wanted back from them, to keep things fair and square. So, as a result, over the day he'd gotten to know them, he already felt some sense of kinship with them.

This leads back to this scene. MacCready simply offers to check and wrap up the wound (thus the vodka, rag, and bandages). This alternate me is already confused as to why he's being so friendly already, and they have some conversation, but it inadvertently leads back to the awkward tension they were feeling earlier; this alternate me comes clean about how much they actually knew about his life, and their intentions to turn things around for him, but they still hide the exact details of where they truly came from, unsure if it was the right time to do so.

MacCready understands. Taking their word, he truly believes this me was a person from his world, blessed with 'the sight', who was going out of their way to find the solutions to the near hopeless issues that had been eating away at him. Instead of feeling scorn or disturbance, he's glad to be understood, and have a way out of the hole he's in--it is an insanely cathartic thing for him, and he expresses his relief and gratitude accordingly. But this me knows that they were still lying to his face about their own past, and feels that their acts aren't deserving of such high praise. Instead of being able to fully appreciate his gratitude, they carry an immense guilt for their disingenuity, alongside deep humility about themself. There's nothing like being the cause of your own problems.

Anyways, TLDR: I turned myself into an original character and I'm torturing them here! 😁

to further explain why this alternate me didn't just stick a stimpak in themself so they wouldn't have needed help checking their wound:

stims are expensive. YES i know Boston is a stimpak trove but bro just got here...

stims were originally intended as healing aids, and this alternate me realistically needed stitches first. It was also the only wound they got; nor was it severe enough to call for one right away. YES i know that's not how the game treats stimpaks, though.

[jjkamochoso]

You Look Good in Green

Fluff

Gen Narumi x gn!reader

Request from Wattpad: Gen sees you speaking with Soshiro Hoshina and becomes jealous!

Warnings: none

It was always an interesting time when Third Division visited the Ariake base. The rivalries between members led to lots of banter and a renewed sense of pride for being in the First Division; it was like you all got even closer in the presence of your peers-turned-competitors. Nothing was more entertaining, though, than the roast sessions—er, conversations—between Third Division’s Soshiro Hoshina and your very own Gen Narumi.

“I don’t remember inviting a beady eyed brat onto my base,” snarked Gen upon seeing Soshiro, who was smirking as he approached your captain.

“Oh? Well, it’s a good thing you’re not in charge then,” Soshiro replied coolly. Gen was practically growling at the man, his nemesis never failing to push his buttons.

“Nice to see you again, Vice Captain,” you greeted, trying to maintain the peace and take the heat off Gen for a little bit.

“Now that’s a face I love seeing! How are you holding up over here, L/n? Gettin’ tired of being under the command of this dummy yet?”

Soshiro burst out in laughter at his own joke, holding his stomach and wiping the tears that formed in the corner of his eyes. Gen’s eye started twitching rapidly and you knew it was time to wrap this up before things got too out of control.

“May I show you the way to the conference room, Hoshina?”

“First class treatment from First Division? Never thought I’d see the day. See ya later, Narumi!”

Soshiro waved, grinning widely as you led him away from an annoyed Gen. The captain wasn’t too keen on you spending alone time with the unwelcome visitor, not because he didn’t trust you, but because he didn’t want his partner to go through the horror of having to talk to Hoshina. Gen moped all the way back to his room, hoping to find comfort in a video game or two… or three. He was looking forward to spending a slow morning with you by his side, but now that you were preoccupied elsewhere, he was left to his own devices (literally). As he turned on his BS5, he heard his phone ding with new text messages.

Y/n: somehow got wrapped up in this meeting🙃🔫 won’t be out of here for awhile

Y/n: don’t have too much fun without me🥺🫶

Gen: good luck dealing with the bowl cut baby🥣

You sent a laughing emoji and a thumbs up and Gen knew you were busy at that point so he threw himself into the virtual world in front of him, eager to occupy his mind for the time being. Even while on a winning streak that would normally make him ecstatic, he couldn’t help but fret about how friendly Hoshina was to you. You two were supposed to be mortal enemies, the rivalry between First and Third Divisions running deep, yet you got along quite well. It was enough to make Gen sick to his stomach witnessing you greet Hoshina with kindness and a friendly smile. Your smiles were supposed to be reserved for him and him only, not some cocky Third Division jerk.

Am I jealous?

He snorted.

No way, that would be beyond lame. I just don’t like seeing them together at all. I’m looking out for y/n’s sanity, that’s it. I’m totally chill.

That’s what he convinced himself, at least, but the controller being clutched within his white knuckled grasp begged to differ.

After a few hours, many video games won and lost, and copious amounts of retail therapy at Yamazon.com, Gen was finally rewarded with another message from his beloved partner.

Y/n: survived the meeting. total yapathon 🥱

Y/n: come meet me for lunch?😚🙏

Gen had never gotten up so fast in his life. He threw on whatever pair of shoes were closest to his door as he raced down the halls, excited to rescue you from the snooze fest you had been subjected to the entire morning. As he turned the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. There you were, standing in the doorway of the dining hall looking perfect as ever, but something was terribly wrong: Hoshina was there with you. Gen watched with his mouth agape as you laughed at something the vice captain said, your head thrown back in delight. If that wasn’t bad enough, Hoshina’s hand landed on your shoulder, an action much too intimate for Gen’s liking. His mouth snapped shut in an instant, his teeth clenched so hard that he wouldn’t be surprised if a few cracked.

Soshiro Hoshina had made a grave mistake.

Blood boiling, Gen marched over to you, his feet smacking the floor and garnering your attention.

“Sorry I took so long,” you told your peeved boyfriend as he came into earshot, “we got stuck in the meeting. It was beyond boring.”

“Now that I’m here, you won’t have to worry about being bored any longer.”

Gen stood close behind you, a menacing aura emanating from him as he stared down Soshiro, who had calmly dropped his hand from your shoulder.

“Don’t worry Narumi, I kept them entertained the whole time,” the violet haired man teased, and you never knew Gen could feel so tense and bloodthirsty off the battlefield.

“That doesn’t surprise me, considering they love clowns,” he replied, his voice cracking with anger.

“Is that right?” Soshiro asked cheekily, his fangs peeking out. “No wonder you two are dating.”

That was your cue.

“Great talk, Hoshina, thanks for keeping me company. Gen and I are going to eat. I trust that you can find your way out of here?” you asked, softly placing your fingers around Gen’s wrist to stop him from lunging at the cackling vice captain.

“I can. Catch up with you kids later!”

Soshiro walked away, leaving you to deal with a very grumpy Gen.

“Kids? Aren’t we all around the same age?”

You were trying to lighten the mood but Gen didn’t answer you. He barely gave you a second glance as you filled your trays with food and you were starting to worry about what had gotten into him.

“Talk to me, Narumi. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.”

You quirked an eyebrow. “Maybe Hoshina was right in calling us kids if you’re gonna act childish.”

“‘M not childish,” he grumbled, pushing food around his plate.

“Really? Because it looks like you’re pouting right now.”

“According to you, I’m always pouting.”

“And you’re always childish.”

He rolled his eyes but sighed in resignation. “Okay, you got me there.”

You smiled, nudging him with the blunt end of your chopstick. “Spill. I wanna know what’s going on in that handsome head of yours.”

He sighed again. “It’s stupid. Like, really dumb.”

“So, the usual?” you teased, earning a glare from across the table.

“I didn’t like Hoshina talking with you like that.”

You tilted your head. “Like what?”

“I don’t know, like… like he’s your friend or something! Or something more,” he added quietly. What he was feeling, but wouldn’t admit on his own, immediately dawned on you.

“Are you jealous, First Division Captain Gen Narumi?”

“Don’t say that so loud!” he yelled, looking around furiously. “You’re gonna ruin my cool guy reputation!”

“Sure,” you nodded, holding back a giggle. “I take that as a yes, then?”

Gen wouldn’t meet your eyes, staring at his plate again. It was quite endearing seeing him openly care so much about you and you couldn’t deny it felt kind of good having the affirmation of knowing he didn’t want to lose you to another man. However, you hated seeing him sad and stressed out for no reason.

“Gen, baby, look at me.” You took one of his hands in yours as he raised his head, your other hand carding through his floppy bangs and brushing them away from his eyes so he could see how serious you were being. “There’s no need for you to be jealous. You’re the only man I want, there’s no one else for me. You’re it, I promise you that.”

“I hated the way he made you laugh,” he confessed. “That’s my job.”

“Yeah he’s funny, but more in the “coworker-keeps-your-mind-off-the-lame-meeting” sort of way. You’re much funnier.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that?”

You raised his hand to your lips, brushing them across his knuckles as you gave them little kisses. “I could never lie to a pretty face like yours.”

“Ugh, you’re gross,” he complained, turning his head from your view, but you could tell he took your words to heart with the shy smile and light blush on his face he was trying to hide.

“Eat up,” you told him, getting back to munching happily on your meal, “you gotta be energized to be a worthy opponent for me to take on in whatever video game we’re playing for the foreseeable future.”

Gen broke out into a mischievous grin. “You have it all wrong. I’m gonna kick your ass!”

You watched him shovel food into his mouth at an alarming rate as he filled you in on the progress he had made in his earlier gaming session. He then told you about the ridiculous amounts of online purchases that were making your own credit card weep from your pocket.

“I even bought a dartboard,” he said, his eyes gleaming with joy. “I can’t wait to put a picture of Hoshina’s stupid face on it.”

Yep; Gen Narumi was all yours.

[lillmirey]

„Shadows of Fear“

summary: Reader goes undercover for a case. her Girlfriend Alex is worried.

Pairing: Alex Blake x Female Reader

Conten Warnings: Violence, Sexual Harassment, Homophobia, Threats, Panic and Distress.

Readers sensitive to these topics should proceed with caution or avoid the story entirely.

Word Count: ~3000

Authors Note: first fiction this year!! hope you all have a great 2025! <3

Alex Blake had faced countless horrors in her years as a profiler, but this case struck a nerve she hadn’t anticipated. The unsub targeted women who looked eerily like you—brunette, confident, kind-eyed—and his hatred for queer women was evident in the brutality of his crimes.

When Hotch suggested you go undercover to draw the unsub out, Alex felt her heart drop. She knew you were a capable agent, but the idea of you putting yourself in the unsub’s crosshairs made her stomach churn.

“I’ll be fine,” you had assured her, touching her hand gently. “You’ll be watching me the whole time.”

She nodded, unable to voice her fears. Alex knew you were right, but that didn’t make it any easier to let you walk into danger.

The bar was crowded and lively, the perfect hunting ground for someone like the unsub. You moved through the space with ease, blending in as if you belonged. The hidden camera on you fed directly to the surveillance van where the team watched, Alex’s eyes glued to the monitor.

“There’s someone at the bar,” you said quietly, your voice steady through the comms. “Late thirties, dark hair, fits the description. He’s been staring at me.”

“Approach with caution,” Hotch instructed.

Alex felt her pulse quicken as you made your way toward the man. He turned to you as you slid onto the stool next to him, his eyes scanning you with unsettling intensity.

“Here alone?” he asked, a small, predatory smile curling his lips.

“Just enjoying the night,” you replied smoothly, playing your role.

He leaned closer, offering to buy you a drink. You accepted, keeping the conversation light and friendly as you waited for him to make his move.

After a while, his smile widened, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ve got a real nice smile,” he said, his tone dripping with false charm. “Bet the girls fall all over you.”

You laughed lightly, feigning bashfulness. “I don’t know about that.”

His expression darkened slightly. “You don’t seem like the type to waste your time with men.”

Your stomach tightened, but you kept your composure. “I don’t discriminate when it comes to good company.”

He chuckled, though it lacked warmth. “Well, maybe I can change your mind about that. How about we get out of here?”

“Your call,” Alex’s voice came through the comms, tense.

You hesitated briefly before replying, “Sure.”

The man grinned, standing and gesturing for you to follow him.

He led you out of the bar and down a quiet, dimly lit alley. Your heart was racing, but you maintained a calm exterior, your fingers brushing over the comm hidden in your sleeve to ensure it was still transmitting.

“So,” you said casually, “where are we headed?”

He stopped suddenly, turning to face you. His expression had shifted, the friendly façade replaced by something colder.

“You know, I don’t get it,” he said, stepping closer. “Why women like you waste yourselves on each other.”

“Excuse me?” you asked, taking a small step back.

“You’re gorgeous,” he continued, ignoring your question. “And for what? To kiss another woman? You think that’s going to make you happy?”

You clenched your jaw, but forced yourself to stay calm. “I don’t think this is any of your business.”

“Oh, it is,” he said darkly, closing the distance between you. Before you could react, he grabbed your arm, his grip bruising. “You just haven’t met the right man. Someone who can show you what you’ve been missing.”

“Let go,” you said firmly, trying to pull away.

Instead, he yanked you closer, his other hand gripping your chin as he leaned in. “Don’t act like you don’t want this. You just need someone to remind you what it’s like to feel real desire.”

The scent of alcohol on his breath was overpowering as he forced his lips toward yours. You turned your face away, struggling against him.

“Stop,” you said sharply, panic creeping into your voice.

“Oh, I see,” he sneered, his grip tightening. “You think you’re better than me. That I disgust you. But you’ll see. I’ll show you exactly what you’ve been missing.”

The comm crackled in your ear. “Team, move in,” Hotch ordered.

The unsub must have heard the faint noise or sensed the shift in your demeanor, because his expression twisted into fury. Before you could react, his hand shot to your throat, squeezing hard as he dragged you back against him.

“Stay back!” he shouted as the team swarmed into the alley, their guns drawn.

“Let her go!” Hotch commanded, his voice steady despite the tense situation.

The unsub ignored him, his grip tightening on your neck. You clawed at his hand, gasping for air as your vision blurred.

“Put the weapon down, or I’ll kill her!” he shouted, his voice wild.

Alex stepped forward, her gun trained on him, her eyes blazing with fury. “If you hurt her, you won’t get out of here alive.”

Her voice was cold, steady, and full of conviction. The unsub hesitated, his grip faltering slightly as he glanced between her and the other agents.

That was all the opening you needed. Summoning every ounce of strength, you drove your elbow into his stomach. He let out a grunt, his hold loosening just enough for you to twist free and stumble toward Alex.

“Hands in the air!” Hotch barked as the unsub raised his hands in surrender, realizing he was outnumbered and outmaneuvered.

Alex caught you as you stumbled, her arms wrapping tightly around you. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

You nodded, though your throat ached and your breaths came in shallow gasps. “I’m fine,” you rasped.

“You’re safe now,” she murmured, holding you close as the rest of the team moved to secure the unsub.

Back at the precinct, Alex stayed by your side, refusing to leave you for even a moment. She kept her hand on yours as the medics checked you over, her worry evident in her every movement.

When you were finally cleared, she led you to a quiet room, shutting the door behind you.

“You shouldn’t have gone,” she said softly, her voice breaking slightly. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

You reached for her hand, lacing your fingers together. “I had to. We caught him, Alex. It’s over.”

She cupped your face, her thumb brushing over your cheek. “You scared me,” she admitted, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I know,” you said gently. “I’m sorry. But I knew you’d come for me.”

Her lips pressed to your forehead, her touch lingering. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too,” you replied, leaning into her touch.

For the first time in days, Alex allowed herself to relax, the weight of her fear finally lifting. You were safe, and that was all that mattered.

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

been receiving asks in various degrees of seriousness (you guys are very nice) so i might as well elaborate on galaxy duo before any actual toxicity leaks in

first of all. i could care less if you love galaxy duo and think they’re fluffy and cute. there’s only so much objective interpretation you can draw from literal cubes, so at a certain point it’s just your biases forming your opinions, same way you can’t build a house with two bricks. personally, i found them interesting, my interest dipped slightly in the latter half of WL, but who knows? their dynamic could change if/when there’s a new season.

a disclaimer in advance: if it wasn’t already apparent by the asks (anyway the only people who will see this are people who were following me already but this is jic), i am a pearl main. i don’t watch scott because i don’t like the editing. therefore my takes are exceedingly biased but so is pearl, so there’s that.

let’s talk about their dynamic pre-WL. for LL, i’ll accept that they were a cute wholesome duo. i didn’t watch LL so i can’t really say anything, but from what i’ve heard they were your regular alliance. and then in DL. well. the Horrors. i’ve said a lot about DL already so we’re going to settle and say, pearl absolutely deserved to be mad at scott. abandoning her and not even considering a polycule was not very open minded of him

anyway throughout LiL and SL she’s still angry at him and wants to kill him, which again, i find fair because of the tilly death do us part sacrifice (i invite you to rethink the implications of that line paired with what he did next. essentially saying “we break up when one of us dies” and then killing yourself. ?).

and then add in the element of gem in SL. trust me she’s relevant. gem and pearl have a thing going on, scott doesn’t like it because he sees it as gem nearly leaving their alliance for his ex, but still, because gem is Gem, he holds back on giving her the jimmy/pearl/joel treatment and still tries to be nice to her.

WL begins. it’s a lot. gem doesn’t like pearl because she viewed it as a betrayal and also she finds it funny to play around with her like that. scott doesn’t like pearl. pearl doesn’t like scott.

this is where it starts to get contentious, but also a hill that i will die on: the Gs were absolutely toxic, at least for the first four episodes. i don’t really feel like pointing out all the clips of the pointed comments, the veiled insults, the DIRECT QUOTE of “we’re a family whether you like it or not”, so i’ll use two examples, one for scott, one for pearl.

pearl borderline sold her alliance out. mumbo and skizz came up to pearl, explicitly told her that they were trying to kill her allies, and she not only agreed but engaged in friendly conversation with them for the entirety of their hiding. when the rest of the Gs came back (even joel commented on how pearl was alone at the base), mumbo even helped pearl cover up.

this is not normal alliance behaviour, and definitely not normal pearl behaviour. if pearl was happy in the alliance she wouldn’t have practically invited two would-be murderers to kill her allies. neither is she unjustified with how scott and cleo dismissed her feelings from DL. look, pearl is one of the most loyal lifers, to the point she faced a messy breakup with gem. even to mumbo she was reluctant to trash talk scott or cleo, but still, she let them make the hole, because plain and simple, the alliance was toxic.

as for scott; scott was more friendly to gem than pearl. see, i told you she was relevant. this is less black-and-white than the mumbo and skizz trap, but in social terms it means a lot. it’s like your bestie siding with your ex instead of you, which if you think about it was exactly what was happening. scott spouts a lot about loyalty, but he thinks about it very plainly: loyalty is killing yourself for your ally. but in fact what he did was push the “antagoniser” narrative onto pearl and reinforce and encourage it. gem said an inch, he said a mile.

not to say gem wasn’t the one who created it in the first place, but as pearl’s ally, scott’s first reaction shouldn’t have been to side with gem (he admits to pearl that he doesn’t know what she did, but that based off gem’s reaction he just assumes that pearl did something wrong, despite KNOWING that gem has beef with pearl from SL and is thus an unreliable narrator). as pearl’s (and impulse’s, but to a lesser extent because impulse kind of deserved it for going on about the cows) ally, he shouldn’t have brought it up at the start of every session and result in pearl defending herself furiously before he dragged pearl and impulse to apologise to gem.

this is not up for debate. wl!pearl did nothing to gem, or to anyone. scott tried to convince her to apologise to gem, for nothing. again, even gem points this out to pearl, and because pearl is loyal to a fault, she says that scott’s her ally.

anyway. the Gs were toxic for at least the first four episodes, full stop.

here’s where it starts to derail slightly (for me, at least): the sacrifice. but, you know, let’s examine the circumstances a little closer. as background information, pearl was the only yellow/red whose allies didn’t try to get them a kill. like, the Gs’ approach to gaining lives is not to kill others but to spend one session doing nothing before the guy with the most lives offers to kill himself. strange. lots of issues, these two.

anyway, scott offers the sacrifice, and pearl’s initial reaction is to refuse. the alliance talks it through, and decides it would take the target off scott’s back and give pearl a life. pearl and scott have pretty similar playstyles, in that while they do engage in more rp than say, grian or jimmy, they are also, in a way, sweats. the sacrifice was discussed logically, practically, and it turned out to be a logical decision because without it pearl would’ve permadied a few sessions too early.

here’s where i was a little thrown off, by the presenting that this would be somehow cathartic (iirc, scott uses this exact word) because pearl finally gets to kill scott. it’s funny because pearl does admit while they’re going back to base that she would’ve preferred a 1v1, but i don’t think her deal was ever over that she wanted scott to die. sure, she wanted scott dead, but it was because she didn’t have agency in the dl finale. in the same way, the WL sacrifice isn’t exactly because she really wanted the life (she refused it at first), or because she wanted to kill scott so badly (she said she wanted a 1v1), but mainly because both parties recognised that it was the most sensible decision to do in the circumstances that they were in (scott was dark green, pearl needed a life). to me, it didn’t address pearl’s lack of control over the season that she won, or scott’s distrust of pearl.

but whatever. they act friendly for the rest of the season, because technically their story’s been resolved, so there’s no aggression to be acted out. nothing galaxy duo there.

the ONLY OTHER thing of note is the?? matching hoodie?? not on my bingo card at all. i’ve spoken about it in some ask before but it’s just so random to me? like it never went anywhere, and i don’t see why scott wanted to match red hoodies with her anyway. like why her, specifically? pearl hadn’t killed anyone besides martyn, and that was to avenge her allies. they never address this so i suppose this lack of logic is what spurs on the majormoon truthers; that scott loves pearl so much that he wants to match with her so they can be like a #dynamicduo or something.

uhhhhhhhh. i dunno. it’s just so random and again, because it’s never brought up besides pearl’s cursory “oh, we’re matching” (which we now know was planned because scott asked for permission when getting the skin), it doesn’t have any narrative significance to me. maybe scott explains it in his video. idk

anyway, my problem was how a duo with so much bad blood (>3 seasons), to the point that they were at each other’s throats while in the same alliance, was just kinda. rushed? look, i know the life series isn’t scripted, and the players just have to make do with whatever improv they can do, and i do think scott and pearl did the best with what they had, but personally i was hoping that they wouldn’t go the “pearl finally forgives scott! yay scott for sacrificing!” route because it’s pushed under the rug so suddenly in the hopes of achieving any sort of closure.

again, ccs are fine, i think they were great, i wasn’t a big fan of how the story was handled. that’s it

[twst-drabbles]

Azul 28

Summary: You're going to eat him, it says, without a shred of evidence to back it up. You're going to split his head open and consume every single secret hidden within the folds of his brain.

(About time I do something with horror. Originally wanted to do a goofy piece, but eh I need my eldritch prefect and paranoid Azul. It feeds me.)

There is no point in putting any weight into dreams or nightmares. They're nothing more than a complicated concoction of memories, hazy imagination and flickering thoughts. One can be lucid within a dream, but even then, one's logic is always warped into something strange.

As such, Azul knows he can't put any stock into those… repetitive nightmares.

Of his skin being marred with lines upon lines of black ink, of the scarring agony as every face he's ever tricked reached out and plucked out his flesh with their names on it, bit by bit. And when he was nothing more than a writhing mass of raw meat upon the burning sands of the sea floor, you would watch.

You would smile.

You would open your mouth and--

Dreams mean nothing. Nightmares even less so. He would wake up just before rise of the morning sun and spend the rest of the day trying to forget. Success does not come to those that linger on these meaningless things. Victory will always escape those can't learn to box their fears away from the mouth of chained anger.

Today was another day of you and Azul drinking tea in his office. You must know that everything he ever does has a motive attached to it. You and he both know that while he may be proud of his manners and his hospitality, they are nothing more than a tool to create a sense of open friendliness.

You are both pretending. None of you are innocent. That much Azul knows, and it is in that knowing that he finds comfort. At least he has that piece of knowledge tucked in his brain, though it does nothing to solve the ever growing mystery that is you.

"Your eyes," you said, nearly making Azul drop his spoon on the table.

And you didn't say anything more. You waited while Azul struggled to unlock his clenched jaw and relax the tremor in his fingers.

"My eyes? Ha, is my lack of sleep that obvious?" Because why else would you comment on them? Azul would say it was strange that you of all people would notice, but sharp observation was another piece of info he has pinned on you. No amount of make-up or potions would fool your eyes.

So then, why bother with these meetups at all if you're aware of his games? Why attempt to be a host and establish a foundation of trust when you know very well of the jeopardized base?

Because you too like to play along. And because you like to play along, Azul can pick up on bits and pieces of yourself. The more he knows, the more his body will let go of the burden it brought with it from those restless dreams. Knowledge is power, after all. And he needs it.

"Well, yes, but such a look isn't anything special," you laughed and it was the lightest thing he's heard all day.

The skin of his back burned. His arms itched and it took everything within Azul to not scratch, to not pull up his sleeves and see if sand managed to sneak into the muscles of his skinned self.

Azul tapped the spoon against the cup, and the clear sound was enough to force his body to remember its in air, and not in the deepest depths of the empty sea.

"Then, what makes my eyes so special that they've caught your attention?" His voice was steady and yet his spine refused to relax. How frustrating, that his body is still riding upon the waves of that clinging nightmare.

"Simple. I love the way that they're always searching for something. Always looking for answers to things that probably shouldn't be answered." You were having fun, voice almost sounding whimsical. "And always sparkling at things that don't belong to you."

…conversations with you are always so frustrating.

"Such is the gaze of a business such as my--"

"They look ripe for the picking," you wistfully sighed over the shell of his ear, the sharp click of your tongue almost making him gag.

You would open your mouth, and sink your teeth into the bone of his eye socket.

Nightmares mean nothing. Azul can scream such a saying in his head all he likes, but his body refuses to listen to him.

You're going to eat him, it says, without a shred of evidence to back it up. You're going to split his head open and consume every single secret hidden within the folds of his brain.

He banged his knee when you pecked the side of his temple. He scrambled, hit his hip against the sharp corner of the table, pulled at the table cloth, and shattered all the ceramic onto the floor. Azul heaved out breathes, tongue swollen in his mouth, unable to speak, let alone form solid thoughts.

All he could do was stare at you and that smile that continued to haunt his dreams.

"Sorry," you laughed, "I didn't think scaring you would make such a mess. Need help cleaning it up?"

[wisteriaiswriting]

Hi! I’m Bug, Bugs, or Bugsy! I’m looking for a matchup with one of the Ancient Cookies!

I'm agender aromantic and asexual and will go by a few different neo-pronouns, I'm rather pale with short brown hair and brown eyes with a dark ring around the iris. I'm kinda chubby, with a round face, and I often wear large jackets or hoodies (because they’re comfy) and glasses. I don't hate my appearance but there are small things I’d like to change. I'm rather friendly if a little awkward and skittish at times, I often have a hard time starting a conversation for the first (few) times or standing up for myself (getting batter at that) but I’m very friendly and always like giving others a smile and greeting them, especially if I know their name. I'm very caring of others I care about and even considered doting in a way to some.

I really like collecting things! Rocks, stuffed toys, and drawings made by those I care about are most common. I also really like reading, drawing and coloring, being in the sun (even if I sunburn rather easily), murder mysteries and who-done-it's, and animals (especially cats and birds).

I don't like blood (it freaks me out, a lot), horror movies, yelling (at me specifically, especially in anger. In general can be iffy depending on the situation), someone coming into my room and messing with my things

Other stuff to know is I'm autistic with severe anxiety and depression, of which I’m taking medication for both. I'm both very cuddly and yet also not, always wanting to give those I care about hugs and (platonic) forehead kisses although if someone tells me no, either it not being a good time, them not wanting to be touched at that time or if it makes them uncomfortable I will refrain from doing so, but also having times where being held or touched by another can make me uncomfortable. I’m also really trusting to a slightly concerning degree with a slightly hindered sense of danger. Nothing serious but I’ll often move to help someone without thinking about it or if they’d try and hurt me

I match you with...

Pure Vanilla Cookie

He never minds taking the lead in conversations, gladly lets you hang by his side or behind him. Never pushes you to do anything you don’t want to, but lets you learn things when you want.

While you care for others he cares for you, which creates quite a loop. Not that anyone minds really.

Loves seeing your collections, he’ll keep bringing you even more items to add.

He loves either join you in your hobbies or just watching, content to just be around you. Enjoys doing murder mysterys and who-done-it’s with you, it makes for a fun evening together.

When there's any blood around he tries his best to hide it or stop you from seeing it, otherwise he’ll give you a warning. Horror movies aren’t a favourite of his so the chances of watching them are quite slim. Always asks or knocks before entering your room, he wouldn’t dream of messing with your things. Would never yell at you either, would rather crumble than ever yell at you.

Always appreciates some cuddles and affection from you, but he’s also always understanding if you don’t want any for whatever reason. And he trusts that you’d do the same when he asks.

While he also loves helping people and is trusting, he has a bit more sense of danger than you do. So he’ll be by your side if anyone wants your help, he might even step in.

Pure Vanilla Cookie - 8

Hollyberry Cookie - 5

White Lily Cookie - 3

Golden Cheese Cookie - 2

Dark Cacao Cookie - 1

[merakiui]

meraaa !! consider this : 

it's late at night, and you're leaving a party; all your friends are drunk, so none can give you a ride home. you call an uber, and [insert yandere twst character] is your driver. all is going well during the drive; you're engaging in cordial conversation with him until you notice he's not following the directions on the map. you question him –

"don't worry, i'm just taking a shortcut,"

suddenly, everything feels off. his smile didn't look as kind as before, and his attempts at reviving the conversation were fruitless. whether to fill the uncomfortable silence or because he's confident he'll get away with what he'll do next, he reveals the truth. he's been stalking you for the last four months; in those four months, he's learned everything about you. innocent things like your pet peeves, favorite foods, and friend group to not-so-innocent things like the size underwear and bra you wear, how many hook-ups and partners you've had, how many times your heart beats a minute (*cough cough* rook), etc.

you sit there in mortified silence, mind racing to think of a plan to escape, call for help, hijack the car, anything. he watches you through the mirror, observing your countenance, awaiting your response. the doors have a child lock on them, your phone is dead, and you figure he probably has a weapon in the compartment next to him in case you attempt to seize control of the vehicle. even if you manage to, you’ll likely both be killed in an accident.

amidst your anxiety, the car stops. you look out the front window to see woods ahead of you. is he going to kill you here?

he turns back to face you, flashing you an eerie smile.

“don’t forget to give me a five-star rating.”

you hear the doors unlock. 

you quickly open the door and decide to make a run for it.

anddd.. the rest is up to you ! i based this on a horror short on yt. i think this concept would fit characters like rook, jade, trey, and maybe even jamil.  

also, can i be 👁️‍🗨️anon?

AAAAAA this concept is made for characters like Rook and Jade, but then I also agree that it can fit Trey and Jamil. The latter two fall into the unsuspecting types category, in which they just seem so friendly or so average and normal that they couldn't ever do something so horrible. They don't have to try very hard to catch you either. You're intoxicated and it's dark; you'll stumble and possibly injure yourself if you aren't careful, or you'll run yourself lost and they'll easily catch up to you. The night ends with you captured and packed neatly away in their car, where they'll drive you to your new home. It may be difficult at first, having to get accustomed to shackles and a mattress and a cold, eerie basement, but you'll learn to find comfort in him and your surroundings.

And the "don't forget to give a five-star rating" part... please, that's so Jade. T_T he's about to hunt you down, and yet he still wants that rating... he's so troublesome! Although it's not much of a hunt if he's just casually trailing behind you while you stumble blindly through the woods. ^^;;; depending on who kidnaps you, I think the situation will be slightly different. Trey and Jamil are definitely the better out of the four because they won't do anything rash, whereas Rook and Jade just like to walk the line of danger when they're able to. The rush is what invigorates them. But Trey and Jamil are determined to keep you captive, so they won't risk losing you just for temporary excitement.

It's all varying types of logic with the four of them. >_< but we can agree that the worst of them all are Jade and Rook. They're just a different level of crazy and dangerous. ;;;;;;

[chaptersleftunwritten]

(6. New Years Eve and 11. New Apartment) For my ficlet event with Steve Harrington with hints of Eddie Munson! And yes… I did request this one myself , also! Feel free to send any prompts in with your desired character! Xoxo

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, smoking, drugs… let me know if I’ve missed anything.

Apartment block 2, House No. 11

Your new home across the landing from a handsome stranger whose name you hadn’t acquired yet. He was sweet enough to help the moving men you had hired up the multi-storey stair case with your sofa and furniture— unfortunately you weren’t there to witness it. But you had been told.

You would always glimpse parts of his life as you walked by his front door. There would be laughter and noise coming from inside, groans of agitation when the sports games were on and live electric guitar being played throughout the supposing quiet hours of the day. Sometimes you could have sworn that you could smell hints of marijuana seeping in through your open window from the fire escape.

He didn’t seem like a smoker— but who were you to label him? You didn’t know him. Not yet.

It was New Year’s Eve and you watched from the comfort of your sofa as the night fallen city roared to life. People in glittering dresses and party hats. Empty beverage bottles and metal cans littered the streets and you watched drunken revellers sway and sing as they dragged themselves along the concrete below your window. The clock had barely just struck 8 p.m. and you would be lying if you said you weren’t shocked to see people celebrating this early.

However, maybe you were just feeling a little sour because you had nowhere to go. No party to attend. No friends to catch up with.

The joys of starting a new life in a new city.

You feed yourself the last bite of ice cream and as you set the empty ceramic bowl and spoon into the sink with a clank and bang that’s when you first hear the speakers playing through the wall. A thumping bass that seems to rattle every bone in your body.

In the stairwell you can hear people spilling into the apartment next door, not caring to keep their voices down as they pile inside. The masses grow and by 8:30 p.m. the place is packed full of sweaty, drunken fools bringing in the close to the year.

Dread settles within you and you find momentary solace on the fire escape, breathing in the fresh cool air— until someone else seems to feel the need to join you there.

“You must be the new neighbour! Welcome to the jungle.” His cigarette cherry illuminates his face and casts complimentary shadows across his chiselled bone structure. You try to pinpoint if you have seen him before, but your mind comes up blank. You don’t recognise his long, unruly dark hair and the black tattoos inked across his pale skin.

He seemed friendly enough, trying to spark a mediocre conversation with you. But you weren’t in a very talkative mood. You just wanted some peace and quiet. You wanted to be able to hear yourself think.

“Aren’t you gonna come and join the party? It’s New Year’s!” He exclaims as he flicks his cigarette bud across the railing and your eyes watch it as it plummets to the ground below. Still lit at the end.

Horror startles you into a frenzy as the man starts to climb over toward your perched body and you splay your hands out flat in front of you, “No, no! Don’t come over here— you might fall!” To your dismay and bewilderment, he makes it across to you safely and only now are you able to truly look at him in all of his Metal glory.

“M’ Eddie, by the way. Harrington’s friend.” His thumb shoots back to where he had clambered over from and at the confusion that crosses your face he laughs before crossing his arms over his chest and tucking his ringed fingers beneath his armpits, “Steve. Steve Harrington. Your neighbour?”

A newfound sense of clarity washes over you and you nod meekly, slightly embarrassed, “We haven’t been introduced yet, I suppose. It’s nice to put a name to a face.” You shrug your shoulders and Eddie leans lesuirely against the rusted railing behind him.

“Why don’t you come over then? Be all neighbourly and crash his party. I’m sure he would love to see you there.” Alongside the lilt in Eddie’s voice and the wide grin on his face it hinted to you that he knew something that you didn’t and it made you nervous but all the more curious to know what he meant.

You found yourself wondering what Steve’s apartment looked like. How it was decorated; what colours did he like? What colours did he hate? Did he live alone or was he in a relationship? Any pets? What did he do for work?

You were intrigued. So intrigued that you allowed this stranger to convince you to attend the party next door.

And when you walked in side by side with Eddie, you felt as though you had this gravitational pull that forced eyes to wander to you. They would settle on you for a second or two before they would drift back to whatever they were focused on before your arrival. It gave you a brief power trip. You felt desired. Welcomed.

“Hey, Harrington!!” Eddie used his fingers to whistle over the deafening music and the sight of Steve turning his heated gaze to settle on you made you want to melt into a puddle. His eyes were so warm and glossy— like honey. If you weren’t careful, you could get lost in them, “I set up this official meet, thank me later,” with a dramatic cough of his throat Eddie continues, “Steve this is neighbour, Neighbour this is Steve. Enjoy.” With a not so subtle wink Eddie disperses to somewhere located within the premises and you are left standing with Steve. Finding yourself rather jealous of the volume in his hair.

“It’s nice to meet you— finally.” He smiles down at you and you fight back a blush. You were meeting him under totally normal circumstances however you were still quite flustered by the fact that you hadn’t introduced yourself before now. It had been a few weeks and you hadn’t spoken to one another; not even once. You felt you could’ve insulted him— you thought of yourself as rude.

However, with Steve’s soft demeanour, you were led to believe otherwise. Maybe he was just as embarrassed as you.

“It’s nice to meet you too! It’s strange how formal Eddie made it but I’m glad he invited me nonetheless.”

“I was going to invite you,” a sheet of panic washes over Steve, “I just wasn’t sure if you were the type to enjoy parties…”

Excuses, excuses.

The actual reason he hadn’t invited you was because he thought you were cute— gorgeous, even, and he was a bit too bashful to just come straight out and talk to you. He knew that a party invitation could have been a good ice breaker, but he was also aware that it could have made him out to be a total jackass. And that was the last thing he wanted.

“I get it, don’t worry! I’m here now.” You’re smiling up at him, much more relaxed than you were before, and Steve settles into your presence like a you were a friend he had known for years. He liked you. You were polite and respectful.

“So, any New Year’s resolutions? Mines is that I should definitely stop drinking so much beer.” It made you giggle as you watched him finish off his can of Bud and you tap your index finger against your lips, lost in a beat of thought.

“Mines would be that I should talk to my neighbours more often— I met one of them recently and they seem to be really nice. Hopefully he stays that way.” You were proud of how your confidence had sky rocketed within the last 10 minutes and Steve wiggles his eyebrows at you knowingly.

“I’m sure he’ll remain that way. Especially since his neighbour is a total heartthrob and a sweetheart.” He blamed the alcohol for his flirtatious forwardness but he couldn’t help it. Not with you looking up at him like that.

You shake your head as you laugh, scanning around his living room for any signs of an untouched drink, “If he play his cards right he might end up with a New Year’s kiss at the end of the night— but first, I need a drink. Have you got any?”

He nods a little too eagerly and your heart swells and swoons in your chest. You were kicking yourself at the fact you had left this interaction untouched for so long. What were you so afraid of? Steve was like a puppy dog.

“Wait here, I’ll go and grab you one from the fridge.” You watch as he swivels and swerves through the sea of dancing bodies and you keep your feet planted exactly where they were on the hardwood floor. Excited for Steve’s return.

Beer pong, shots and drunken charades had all been filtered in throughout the night. 12 a.m. was fast approaching and the adrenaline flooding your veins at the thought of stealing a kiss from Steve left you buzzing with happiness and nerves.

You eyed him from across the room, admiring his black suit jacket and his perfectly styled hair. You watched as he interacted with his friends and party guests— so kind and nurturing. It only cemented your agenda.

As soon as that countdown began, you were running to him. And luckily for you— you didn’t have long to wait.

“1 minute everybody!!” Someone screams from your side, their voice bellowing in your ear and grabbing your attention. Your heart flutters in your chest and as you look back over at Steve you are pleasantly surprised to see that he is also looking at you. You chew on your bottom lip in anticipation, all girlish and excited for what the near future holds.

“10…” You freeze as the chant begins.

“9…” You prepare yourself, setting your cup down on a random flat surface.

“8…” You feel like your heart is beating outside of your chest.

“7…” Steve’s hands twitch with longing and you watch his face contour with nerves.

“6…” You are making your way over to him, your feet are quick against the hard and slightly sticky floor.

“5…” It’s a fight against bodies and time, and Steve is quick to try and meet you through the crowd.

“4…”You begin to fret that you won’t make it to him in time, sandwiched between a couple who are already making out.

“3…” Steve rounds the couple and takes your wrists into his smooth but massive hands.

“2…” It’s all eye contact now. Unwritten permission being asked.

“1…” You nod feverishly. And in a blink of an eye Steve’s lips are on yours as chaos ignites around your stilled bodies. His fingertips trace and tangle through your hair as he cups your face closer to his. Your shaky hands steady themselves on his broad and plump chest and you struggle to breathe as you devour one another.

“Happy New Year!!” The crowd scream but you and Steve remain unmoved and entangled in one another.

It really was a Happy start to the New Year indeed.

[wildflower-otome]

[Translation] 9 R.I.P. - Kureha - Heavenly Ending After Story

Source: 9 R.I.P. Stella Set Special Bonus Booklet Note: Major Spoilers for Kureha's Heavenly End below.

9 R.I.P. - Kureha Heavenly End After Story

On a certain day, a little while after Misa had become a ghost and we had begun to live together—.

Today, as a breather, we had come out to the shopping mall in front of the train station so I could introduce her to my friend, Koyo, but-…..

For some reason, she seemed to have an interest in him.

Supposedly what she was interested in was his ability to sense spirits, but I, too, had a sense for spirits that was just as good as Koyo’s…or should have anyway. Probably. Maybe.

Hahh…..I was beginning to wonder whether letting her and Koyo meet was such a good idea after all.

‘Hey, Kureha-san. Look, over there. There’s someone staring right at us…..’

‘Hm…..?’

Misa calling out to me, when I looked towards where she was pointing-…..

—Koyo.

Speak of the devil…..no, he was exactly the person we had been looking for.

‘Let’s go, Misa. That’s Koyo. I’ll introduce you.’

‘Sure, I’ve been wanting to meet him.’

She’d been “wanting to meet him”…..

As if trying to rid shake away the murky feeling that had appeared in my chest, I waved to Koyo, beckoning him over.

‘I’ve been looking for you.’

‘That’s unusual. Don’t often see you bring anyone along with you either.’

‘Yeah, it hasn’t been that long since she became a ghost. I brought her with me today thinking I could introduce her to you since you’re a friend.’

‘Hm~m, a friend, am I.’

‘Nice to meet you. I’m Misa Isshiki. I hope we can be good friends too.’

‘Same here. That uniform…are you a Narimigahama High student?’

‘Yes, that’s right. I’m a second year student…..—’

As the two of them began a conversation, I did my best to act the composed observer but…..on the inside, I felt unsettled.

Now that I thought about it, I’d never really seen her talk with other guys before.

No, I had seen her speak with Hibiki, but this situation felt somehow different…..

—While I was fretting, the conversation between the two of them continued.

‘Koyo-san, you knew Kureha-san even before you were a ghost…..or rather, you sensed him, didn’t you?’

‘Yeah, sure did. I was a student at Narimigahama High too. I was aware of Kureha-san’s presence ever since then.’

‘That’s amazing. Ah, but…..now that I think about it, I might have sensed Kureha-san as well while I was still alive…..although it was only the once.’

‘So you’ve got the spirit sense too. Guess we’ve got something in common.’

‘Heheh- I suppose so.’

Aren’t you guys getting awfully chummy rather quickly?

Her encounter with me had been a different matter, I hadn’t expected them to get so friendly quite so soon.

‘Hey, since we’re already here, why don’t we go see a movie together, all three of us? There’s a new one they started showing just today. Ah, are you alright with horror, Misa?’

‘”M-Misa”—!?’

I’d been so taken by surprise it had ended up coming out in my voice, by the time I realised it, it was already too late.

‘…..Kureha-san, what’s wrong?’

‘Ah, it’s nothing…..I was just thinking I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go if it was a horror movie, hahaha…..’

‘Ah, I see. That’s right.’

I thought it’d been something of a strained excuse, but unexpectedly it looked as if she’d believed me.

Still, that Koyo…..I hadn’t thought he’d be calling her by her first name right from their first meeting…..And I’d even gone and made it obvious how jealous I was. Good grief.

‘Koyo, I’m sorry, but about that movie…..’

Just as I went to speak, I realised. That Koyo's eyes were mischievous as he looked at me.

Koyo clapped a hand to my shoulder and murmured in my ear.

‘…..I’m happy for you, Kureha-san.’

So speaking, he went to walk past us.

‘Let’s leave it at that for today. See you later, Misa-chan.’

—!

‘Ah, yes. Goodbye.’

‘Oh, that’s right. Kureha-san, just so you know, I’ll be coming over to make fun of you again tomorrow.’

‘Hmph-, that won’t be necessary.’

As I watched Koyo walk away, I was internally apologising to him.

If this was going to happen, I should have just told you from the beginning. About Misa being the person I love.

‘Koyo-san is a good person, isn’t he? He really gets you, Kureha-san.’

‘…..Don’t tell me you knew what he was doing all along?’

‘I guessed it when he called me “Misa-chan” just before he left. Also, what he said about “coming over to make fun of you”…..Hehe-’

‘When Koyo comes to visit tomorrow, I want to make sure I explain about you to him properly…..would that be alright? I’ll tell him how important you are to me, and that I’m deeply in love with you.’

Her eyes widened slightly, and her cheeks were red as she smiled.

‘That would make me really happy. But be sure to tell him not that “you’re in love with me” but that “we’re in love with each other.”’

Now it was my turn to blush.

‘Yes, that’s right.’

The murkiness that had been in my chest having disappeared before I realised it, I now felt warm inside.

—Let’s be together this way, forever.

I took her hand and began to walk.

[saaltskies]

i think bw is very similar whether hilbert or hilda is the protagonist but there are some differences in my head

for example...

i think hilda would be much more aggressive toward team plasma and kinda despised n at first

she went from what is with this weirdo to OH UR THE KING SCREW YOU

after the champion battle she stops hating him though

part of the reason why she disappeared after the events of bw is because she also feels guilty for how mean she was to him

protag hilbert was more friendly to n at first thinking his views were interesting even if he didnt agree

he also hated team plasma hilda just causes more arson

but ya hilbert was more chill with him and enjoyed talking to him at least until he was like oh btw im the king of team plasma and hilbert was like wHAT

while protag hilda becomes more aggressive and angry with n hilbert becomes more scared of him

hilbert is like ohhhhh shoot i promised my friends i wouldnt get too involved with team plasma but got too involved oh shoot oh shoot oh shoot nonononono

when n is like hey i chose you to be the other hero hildas like excuse me what ?????? while hilberts like shoot shoot shootshootshootshoot

on the whole dream thing they have different responses

see hilbert has a dream while hilda doesnt

n asked hilbert if he has a dream and hilbert never really had a dream his whole life but realized then that traveling the world and hopefully become champion kinda are dreams of his and thought about it for a bit and realized huh ig i do

he followed that for the rest of the game (until the horrors settled in)

then with hilda she doesnt have one

she tells everyone before that that her dream is to win the pokemon league but she actually doesnt care that much about it

its a goal shes working towards but not rly a dream

when asks shes about to say that as usual but then shes like. huh. i dont actually. and she finally admits she doesnt have one for the first time, but that she doesnt really mind, she'll figure it out

after chargestone cave hilbert becomes more anxious he puts way more into training he becomes more desperate because THERES AN EVIL CULT AFTER HIM

his dream changes its focus to taking down team plasma

he also starts to distance himself from his friends and sister more from stress which worries them a bit

hilda also ups her training but shes more upbeat and motivated while hilbert is more stressed

also neither of them are very good at being vulnerable so they dont talk much to their friends about how they're feeling lol

hilda starts to be more niceys to n after the conversation with ghetsis on the bridge because shes like oh wait this is awful while hilbert is like YOU

his bad feelings about ghetsis are confirmed and he more than ever wants to take down team plasma

they are both sickened by ghetsis

in the champion battle their feelings are similar

they both get stressed over the fact that they cant afford to lose and they both wanna also make n see the truth

and of course after the battle they are both PISSED at ghetsis

oh and they both equally want to beat ghetsis with a nail bat but i think hilda is more likely to actually have one and do it lol #girl

they both get freaked the heck out by ghetsis trying to murder them who wouldn't this is terrifying

after the battle hilda wants to apoligize to n for being so mean to him because shes kinda chill with him now and also now that hes no longer doing stuff she has no reason to hate him but he leaves before she can say it :(

while hilbert has all these deep lil things he wants to say to him and also wants to ask him if they can be friends but n disappears rip

some time after it finally registers in hilberts brain everything that happened and that one the pokemon league and he starts freaking out over it all and starts getting imposter syndrome over the whole champion thing and books it to go find n

bye bestie

while hilda is overrun with guilt because she didnt get to properly make up with n so she heads out too

i think hilda does a better job at keeping in contact than hilbert does

hilda doesnt do a great job either but at least everyone knows shes ok unlike a certain SOMEONE

oh and if they arent protags hilda spends all her time at the battle subway like hee hee battle

she also loses interest in the league trains are so much better

and hilbert is like hey imma go do some extra training for the league in the subway and by the time he comes back out his sister is traumatized

[snovaness]

A dream

Was it embarrassing? Possibly but right now you didn't care. There he was in a simple oversized white t-shirt and blue flannel. The t-shirt's neckline showed off his beautiful collarbones you'd be lying if you said it wasn't driving you insane. He looked ethereal while you were in your stained work clothes from the café. You are positive that he could tell that you were flustered by the sight of him. "Han, we're closed what are you doing here?" the man standing before you was practically a daily regular with a few of his friends. The two of you weren't exactly friends, but you were friendly enough that your conversations went beyond typical barista and customer formalities.

"Yeah, I know but I... I remember that you said you hated closing alone and I just was on my way to my friend's place and wanted to make sure you were okay." You felt your face heat up. "Yeah, I'm good! I'm just about to lock up and head home. I appreciate the thought... it's very sweet of you." he stood behind you as you made sure the doors of the front of the café were bolted shut. "How about I walk you home? I imagine you don't live that far from here?" he asks. "I live a few blocks north from here. I can walk alone if that's out of your way. I'm used to it by now" He shakes his head "No really I'd love to. I have to head that way anyway." you nod and he motions for you to take the lead.

"So work on any new songs lately?" you ask casually. He told you last week that he makes music with a couple of his friends and posts them on YouTube and Spotify under their group name 3racha. You can see him smile brightly from the corner of your eye. "yeah! I finished my 4th song this week. I'm actually on my way to record some demos with Chan and Changbin. You remember them right?" you nod "yeah! they come with you often. Not nearly as often as Felix and Lee know though. Oh and can you tell Felix I did try his banana bread recipe and it was really good."

"I can always just give you his number if you want it," he says quietly. you shake your head "No that's okay. I wouldn't say we are that close. If I'm being honest I think your friends only talk to me so much because you come to the café so often. Not that I mind I really enjoy you guys. Don't tell anyone but you are my favorite regular." a blush creeps up to his cheeks and his ears turn a light shade of pink. "well you are my favorite barista." you laugh "Your order is the same every time you come in. You don't exactly change things up which makes things very easy for me." a comfortable silence falls between the two of you. Seeing your apartment in the distance you feel a strange wave of sadness that your walk with Han is about to end. Your thoughts land on the teasing of your co-workers who have grown to notice the crush you have on Han. Was it that obvious? Did he know? It was just a silly crush it wasn't like you planned to confess to him that would be insane.

"Well, this is the building I live in." you motion your hand to the apartment complex about 100 feet in front of the two of you. He laughs "This is crazy but my friend actually lives in that apartment building right there." he points to a gray building across the street. "Oh wow, how close! Funny that we have never run into each other around here then. Well... I hope I get to see you soon. Min will be there tomorrow if you stop by the café." he looks at you through the lid of his cap "Will you be there tomorrow?" you shake your head "I have the next two days off actually! I'm pretty excited even though all I'll probably do is sleep and catch up on some chores." he smiles at your excitement over your uninteresting plans. "well if your free tomorrow night there's this new horror movie out. I remember you said your favorite genre was horror... would you like to watch it together?" you watch him shove his hands in his pockets as the question processes through your brain. He bites his lower lip as he waits for your response. "I'd love to" At this point your cheeks are so hot you are sure he can feel the heat radiate off of you. You truly cannot fathom the fact that Han of all people has just asked you on a date.

"Really? Great! I will pick you up at 5 if that works with you. Can I have your number? I have actually been wanting to ask you for a while but wasn't sure if it was appropriate." you laugh as you type your number into his phone. How sweet you think to yourself. "gosh you're so cute" Your eyes widen when you realize that you said that out loud. "I think you're cute too," he says as he adjusts his cap. "Thanks for walking me home. I look forward to our date tomorrow" you place a kiss on his cheek and head inside your building. A deep breath escapes your mouth. As you unlock your apartment door you realize that you just kissed Han on the cheek. After he just asked you on a date.

You raise your hands towards your face and smile widely. This felt like a dream. You start to convince yourself that you've created this whole situation in your head. That was until your phone started buzzing in your pocket. Your smile widens as you read the message "I'll pick you up at 5 tomorrow." a chuckle escapes your mouth when another message comes in. "This is Han btw".

[hollowistheworld]

Fire

Taash does some target practice. It's not because they're worried or anything.

@datvcompanionweeks started Taash week like two days after my girlfriend and I made an impulse decision to move, so I haven't had the energy to make anything, but I've kept all the prompts and I'm working through them now! It may be more than two months late, but time does not lessen my love of all these characters.

Read on AO3

“Before I help you with this,” Azure said, even as she set up the first target, “is there an actual reason your mother doesn’t want you using your fire?"

Taash glowered at her and Azure shrugged a shoulder. “I’m all for parental rebellion, but if it turns out that doing this is going to cause you to barbecue your insides or something, I’m going to be a little upset you didn’t warn me.” 

Taash snorted. “She just doesn’t want me to get caught using my fire. ‘Cause the Antaam would try and get me in their stupid army. It’s not dangerous to me.”

“Unless your tongue gets in the way,” Azure teased, setting up the next target.

Taash wrinkled their nose up. “I haven’t done that in years.” They hesitated, then added, “She probably also doesn’t want to deal with me lighting the bed on fire again. Or the pots. Or her bookshelves.” 

Azure laughed. “I imagine that went badly.” 

Taash nodded gravely, as though remembering a funeral, or an execution. “I only destroyed two books, so it could have been worse, but she was not happy.” Shathann’s discipline had largely taken the form of writing papers or practicing discipline in the most boring ways anyone could devise. Taash had been made to write up everything she could remember being in those books, along with a long essay about why it was bad for those things to be lost. A few books had been singed, and Taash had had to assist in repairing the damage. 

Azure finished setting up the targets and hopped back up the beach and onto the rock Taash had claimed for their training exercise. “Was it accidental fire, or were you trying a trick?”

Taash winced. “How’d you know?” 

“Are you kidding? If I could breathe fire, I would have been the horror of Ostwick. I would have been six years old, seeing how many market stalls I could catch on fire with one breath. I might even have deserved it when my mother locked me out of the house.”

Taash had started laughing at the idea of Azure puffing herself up to blow down the market, but they went stiff at the last sentence. 

Azure grimaced, as though it had taken Taash going still for her to realize what an alarming thing she’d said. “Forget I said that. Go on, you’ve got target practice to crush.”

Taash eyed their friend warily, but Azure apparently found the wooden target boards incredibly interesting to look at. Taash took a breath as they chewed on their next words, then released and turned the board to ash.

“Bulls-eye!” Azure crowed. “I told you you had no reason to worry about your aim!”

She was dodging the conversation. Taash was beginning to suspect she was pretty good at that. “Is that what you meant at dinner the other night, when you said you didn’t want to find your family?” Taash asked. “Because your mother used to lock you out?”

Taash hated being questioned like they were an essay in need of editing, every word being examined and turned inside out, so as soon as the question was out they spat fire at the next two targets in rapid succession. Both hit, but one of them impacted the target too far to the right for Taash’s liking. All well and good for target practice, but those few inches could be the difference between victory and friendly fire in a real fight. What if they’d been trying to back up Lucanis as he came in from the side, and then they had an on-fire possessed assassin on their hands? 

“Good work,” Azure said, not answering Taash’s question. 

Taash pushed her shoulder. “It was a lousy hit and you know it.” 

“Just needs some practice,” Azure countered. “That’s why we’re out here. So you can practice.” 

Taash frowned at her. 

Azure sighed. “Fine, yes. My mother used to lock me out of the house and make me sleep on the streets if I’d been causing trouble, or if there wasn’t enough food for both of us. And you shoot before you aim, that’s why you’re off-center. You’re going for speed over accuracy, which isn’t a good move with fire.” 

“Aiming takes too long.” 

“No, you just need to think about it the way you do your other fighting. You start aiming for your next target before you even hit your first, right? It’s the same with magic, and, I assume, with fire breathing. Once the fire for the first shot leaves your mouth, it’s going to hit where it hits. Forget about it and start setting up for your next one.”

“But what if I aimed badly for the first one? With my axes, I’m close enough to swing back if I didn’t hit as good as I should have. With my fire-“

“You have to trust yourself,” Azure said firmly. “That’s one of the first things they taught me with my magic. If you’re worried your shield will fail, it probably will. If you’re worried your flame will burn out of control, it will. You have to believe you can do it. You have to trust that if you do get it wrong, you’ll deal with it then. Or the people around you will.”

Taash let out a frustrated breath. “It’s easier when I’m alone. If it’s just me on the beach, no one is going to get singed if I mess up. I mean, the birds all take off as soon as I start.” They waved their hand to indicate the lack of seagulls in the area. Then they swung the conversation back again, as though they and Azure were taking turns being the one who was the most uncomfortable today. “Making you sleep outside is harsh. Shathann disciplined me for all kinds of things, but it was always stuff like making me redo the dar-saam until my fingers ached. I never…” Taash trailed off, unwilling to say never went hungry or never had to sleep out on the cobblestones in the cold. Thinking of their friend like that twisted their gut, and saying it felt like it would make it too real.

“It wasn’t discipline,” Azure said casually, like she didn’t care, but Taash could see the tenseness in her shoulders, could smell the electricity in the air that always rose up when Azure was stressed. It was like her magic would whirl around her in a protective, electrical cloak. “She didn’t want me there. If I brought back food or money, and I was quiet, it was no trouble to have me around, and I could come in. If I was making her life harder, I couldn’t. Like a bad roommate.” The magic crackled. “Go on, do the next couple.” 

Taash hit the first, turned their head to aim for the next one, and nearly choked on the flame when it lifted into the air. They recovered, hit the bottom edge of it, and clipped the inside of their cheek a little as the fire exited their mouth. “Warn me next time!” 

“It’s target practice! The darkspawn aren’t going to stand their like bumps on a log! Come on, you’ve got this!” Azure stretched out a hand and three targets lifted into the air and began to dance across the beach. The smell of electricity faded, swept away by the wind that was now lightly tossing their braids around their shoulders. 

Taash took a deep breath, trying to access that place of deep discipline and battle focus. Shathann had tried to teach them this, but Shathann was not Antaam. This was for battle-hardened Qunari, not scholars. It had always seemed so easy when it was just Taash; whether they were going up against dragons or Antaam or just mercenaries who thought they owned the Rivaini coast. 

Now there was a team to look out for, and Taash couldn’t stop thinking about how crowded together they’d been in Weisshaupt, how they’d been uncertain even in swinging their axes, much less breathing their fire. They’d never felt so far out of their depth before, so unsure in their own skills. That was why they were out here now, as though spitting fire at a few target boards could undo the clusterfuck that had been that fight. 

“Stop thinking,” Azure ordered, her tone now the one of Rook, of the leader who had taken them into Weisshaupt and back out again, the one who never seemed to pause no matter how freaky or awful things got. “Trust yourself, and take them out.”

Taash inhaled and spat. One, two, three. Three direct hits. 

Azure let out a whoop of delight. “There you go!”

“They’re still just target boards,” Taash grumbled, feeling less victorious than they would have expected. “It isn’t a real fight.” 

“If you can’t trust yourself in practice, you won’t be able to in a fight.” Azure gave them a considering look. “Is this about what we talked about the other day? With you being our dragon hunter?” 

Taash couldn’t stop thinking about the horror show that had been Ghilan'nain’s archdemon, and how woefully unequipped they’d been - still were - to deal with it. “We got our asses kicked at Weisshaupt,” Taash said, grateful Davrin wasn’t there to hear them admit it. “All the target practice in the world wouldn’t prepare us for that.” 

“An entire horde of darkspawn, led by an archdemon and an elven god? No, probably not. But we killed an archdemon, didn’t we? And we got out of their with our lives.” 

“But-"

“No, Taash.” Azure’s voice was firm, but kind. “It was bad. It was really bad. But we survived it, and we landed a really good hit, even if we didn’t win. We keep moving. We keep landing what hits we can. That’s all we can do, yeah? You don’t expect to kill a dragon in one big flashy move, do you?” 

Taash breathed in, trying to focus, trying to repress the urge to run around, to scream, to bash their head through something. “No. You hit its weak points over and over until its knocked down enough for you to hit something important.” They’d told Azure that before, hadn’t they? And now Azure was spinning their own words back on them to make a point, and Taash wasn’t sure they appreciated it. Just because Azure was right didn’t mean it wasn’t a damn tough pill to force down. “Like having a conversation you don’t want to have, so you ask two questions for every one you answer.” They glanced at Azure.

She rubbed the back of her neck, looking everywhere but Taash’s face. “Yeah, like that. And building it up in your head to make it this great battle makes it worse. One thing at a time, Taash. Bite-size pieces. You kept your cool while we were in Weisshaupt, didn’t you? It’s only now, looking back at it, that it feels so big. Don’t get lost in that.” 

That was true. While they’d been there, Weisshaupt had been one problem after another. Get to the belltower, get to the library, get to the trap, kill an archdemon. It was after, as Taash was thinking over every near miss, that they’d started to think I got too close to Bellara with that strike or if Assan had spun out of the way a split-second later we might have lost him.

Azure put a hand on their arm. “You’re a good fighter, Taash. With your fire, with your axes, against dragons or darkspawn or whatever else. But if you start doubting that, your skills will start slipping.”

“But what if I-"

“Hit one of us by mistake?” Azure finished, bringing them back to the worry that had made Taash insist on this training exercise in the first place. The reason they’d wanted only Azure there, because somehow the idea of catching Azure by accident was laughable. She was too quick, too careful, too aware. “Have you ever hit someone by mistake during a fight?” 

In Weisshaupt, they had spat fire at a hurlock that was charging at them, massive axe dragging along the blood-stained ground. Lace had darted in front of them, shot two arrows into the thing’s stomach in quick succession, and had rolled out of the way just as the fireball passed over her head. “I almost-"

“Not almost. Actually.”

“…No.” 

“Because you’re good at what you do. All of us are good at what we do.” She raised her hands and the smell of electricity rose up again. A moment later, three bolts of lightning struck near Taash in rapid succession; one in front of them and one on either side. “Almost means you know how much space you have to work with,” she said. “Trust yourself, Taash. Trust us.” The wind picked up again. There were four target boards left in the sand, but it wasn’t them Azure lifted into the air this time, it was a brightly colored shell. “This shell is… I don’t know, which of us is your favorite?” 

Taash snorted. “I am not going to answer that. You’d tell everyone else at dinner tonight.” 

Azure beamed at her. “Of course I would! Okay, let’s say it’s Harding, since she’s the smallest.” She weaved the shell through the target boards, a squint to her eyes the only indication that the exercise was a challenge. “Hit the targets without hitting her.” 

Lace, rolling into and out of the fight, the fire barely missing her as her arrows slowed the hurlock just a little, just long enough for the fire to hit its mark and knock it back, where Neve had immediately frozen it to the ground. 

Trust yourself. Trust them. They braced themselves, leaned forward, and let the fire pour out of their mouth, eyes switching between the targets as quick as they could, keeping the bright shell that was playing the part of Harding in their peripheral. Azure weaved the shell through the targets just the way Lace would have done it, as though she was softening them up before Taash moved in. 

One. Two. Three. Four. 

Azure reeled the shell in and deposited it in Taash’s hands. “Is it singed?” 

It wasn’t. Taash had been moving too quickly to be sure if they’d hit all three targets dead-center, but the shell was undamaged, still cool to the touch. A knot of nerves loosened a little. Taash sat down gently, turning the shell over and over in their hands. Azure sat down beside them. 

“One piece of the problem at a time,” Taash said. 

“One piece at a time,” Azure agreed. 

Trust yourself. Trust them. You didn’t know what the hell that archdemon was, but you killed it anyway, didn’t you? 

“…Thanks.” 

“Anytime, Taash.” 

There seemed to be a lot of things hanging in the air between them. Taash’s fear, and their gratitude. The scraps of Azure’s past, suggesting wounds that hadn’t yet healed. The cloud of Weisshaupt that seemed inescapable - but perhaps that last was a little smaller now. 

Taash put an arm around Azure’s shoulders and tugged her into a one-armed hug. “We’ve got each other’s backs,” they said, which seemed to cover everything that felt too big to talk about. “Whatever those god assholes throw at us next.”