#and now its been over two years and im STILL deciphering this
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airaibunny · 4 months ago
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dom!gracie abrams x sub!fem!reader - "everything we never said" (fluff, smut, clit stim, breast play)
a/n: HI GANG‼️ it feels good to be back officially. i say officially because im a rat and i low key released two fanfics on a secret blog while i was gone. anyway, i deleted said blog and now im giving you the fanfics😛. i hope you guys enjoy and i hope yall still love me😞
word count: 1.8k
the soft hum of gracie's playlist fades into the background, melodically blending with her quiet voice singing along as she scrolls on her phone. you've both perfectly nested yourselves on the couch among the seemingly endless mounds of pillows and blankets. her warmth transcends every obstacle with an astound agility. you can feel it positively burning your skin. the dim lamplight is vivid enough to reflect upon every detail on her face, yet you feel as though it's not enough; you crave looking at her closer—you need it.
gracie abrams means more to you than humanly possible. you were by her side the day she decided to become a songwriter, the day she released her first song, and you're still by her side after all of her acclaimed fame. inversely, she has been with you for every heartbreak, triumph, and milestone. she has been your best friend for years and you've created an unbreakable bond.
somewhere along the way, however, platonic love and support evolved into an ardent passion so intense that looking at her became synonymous with imagining her lips on your own. her gaze became indicative of something you couldn't quite decipher, or rather, couldn't let yourself think about. her touch started leaving behind a branded imprint on your skin, one that would linger for ages after she was gone.
the half-eaten bowl of popcorn on the coffee table becomes the object of your examination as she looks up from her phone. her big brown eyes shoot you a look that merits a lump in your throat and a crimson tint on your cheeks. she tosses her phone aside and cheekily smiles at you, winding up for what you assume is an absurd request.
"come lay closer to me, you're so far," she whines and extends her arms for you, to which you swiftly respond by crawling to her side and throwing yourself on top of her. her hand finds its way to the collar of your sweatshirt and begins the all too familiar habit of rubbing it with her thumb as she speaks.
"i have a stupid party to go to tomorrow night, you should come," she sighs, lifting her free hand to rub her forehead. "stupid party?" you question, prompting an annoyed grunt from her.
"i don't want to go, but i have to keep up appearances," you get up and lean against the back of the couch, letting your legs drape over her midsection so that your thighs can feel her abs. she looks up at you expectantly and pouts. "you don't have to do anything, just don't go," you drop your hands between your legs and start fiddling with the string of her sweatpants. she grunts again, louder this time. "i do have to. you don't get showbiz, loser," she rolls her eyes and puts a hand up to your face, clearly just joking.
"fine, ms. superstar, i'll go," she squeals and jumps into your arms with a hug. you hug her back and melt into the feeling of her body pressed against yours.
she flops back down while still excitedly giggling to herself. you stare at her longingly with a smile and you want to reach out to stroke her cheek, but you surmise that would be odd.
your visage must be reflecting your inner turmoil because gracie speaks up again.
"you okay?" her eyebrows furrow as she props herself up on her elbows to look at you. you nod your head in assertion, but she tries again. "c'mon, tell me," she persists, sitting up and taking one of your hands into both of hers. "please?"
"it's nothing, gracie," she shifts, her dark eyes searching yours with an accusatory degree that makes you turn away. "tell me, i'm not dropping this," she grabs your face and makes you look at her. you panic as her searing palm meets your skin, but you don't want her to know that in the slightest. "i can't, just leave it-" she scoffs and throws her hands up, letting them land on your lap which only serves to add another perpetually scorched brand to your body.
"y/n. tell. me."
"i can't!" you want to push her away from you, but she amasses a colossal gravitational pull when she's near you, one that you can't escape no matter how hard you try. instead, you bury your face in your hands as tears threaten to spill out of your eyes. she doesn't hesitate to bring you into her arms as she strokes your hair, humming soft pleas for you not to cry.
"i can't..." you keep repeating, doing your best to hold back the floodgates. she pulls away and looks at you; she looks just as distressed as you. this is all it takes for your emotions to finally betray you, sending one singular tear streaming down your cheek.
her hands comes up to your face and gently wipes the tear away; however, after completing that initial task, it remains there. you catch a strange look in her eyes, like she's having the most visceral fight of her life within her own head. her lips part as she inhales heavily, still evidently not coming to a conclusion.
suddenly, without any falter in her expression, she lunges forward, meeting her lips with yours.
the world around you stops dead in its tracks.
your heartbeat reaches a speed fitting for the peak of a marathon.
you can't fathom that she is kissing you, unprompted, completely by her own volition. the girl who's lips you've spent countless nights fantasizing about is materializing those very thoughts. they feel just as wonderful as you imagined. their sweet, silken sensation is the most intoxicating thing you've ever had the great privilege of tasting.
her other hand grabs the empty side of your face, holding you in place. the kiss is slow and intense, both of you pouring every past second of silent longing into this very moment.
you have no desire to let her remove herself, but she does so anyway. she looks at your face for a moment, taking in every feature as if this was the very first time she'd seen it.
"i actually have something to tell you," she smiles, trying to ease whatever pressure was still on you. "you don't have to tell me anything," you smile back, "i know."
you don't hesitate to invite yourself back against her lips. she gladly welcomes you while simultaneously pulling you on her lap, making you straddle her. "is this what was on your mind? is this what you couldn't tell me?" she pulls away for long enough to ask her question, but goes right back when she is finished. you don't bother to do the same, instead, you just hum a slight 'mhm' against her lips.
"you don't want to talk about this?" she pulls away again, giggling. she knows you too well, she knows that's the last thing you want right now.
"talk later. right now, i just need you. so bad."
she smiles against your lips as you pull her back. the kiss turns heated, electric; you can almost taste all the pent up hunger you share. you momentarily forget to breathe, but you realize you'd be perfectly content to go out this way.
her hands snake up your sides, gradually pulling your top off with them. you don't fight her in the slightest, you just allow her to pull it over your head and toss it across the room. one of her hands goes to your back and she pulls away from the kiss.
"can i?" she asks, fiddling with your bra strap. "please," you reply hastily, still not wanting her lips to depart from yours.
she doesn't miss a beat in unclasping your bra and letting it meet your shirt on the ground. her hands land on your breasts and you realize for the first time that you've soaked right through your panties, maybe even your shorts.
she tugs at your nipples with a chuckle, loving the sounds she's eliciting from you. she pulls away from the kiss and you're irritated for a second, but the anger quickly fades when her mouth makes contact with you boobs. you hold back a guttural moan with the back on your hand as she bares her teeth into your skin. her tongue glides over the same spot she just bit, only serving to worsen the wet spot between your legs.
she fiddles with the waistband of your shorts without saying anything for a second, but she finally speaks up.
"what do you say we get rid of these as well?" you don't think you've ever nodded your head so fast. you lift your hips so she can slide them down, not caring in the slightest that you're now completely naked and she's still fully clothed. she looks at your body on display for her and smiles to herself before looking into your eyes.
"you're prettier than i imagined, holy fuck."
the scarlet tint from earlier is back on your cheeks after her statement, which she clearly notices. she gets closer to you, whispering in your ear. "you have no clue how often i think about this," her hand lands on your core without any warning, causing a jolt to reverberate through your entire body.
she chuckles as her fingers start drawing the length of your folds, idly moving back and forth. "i'm going to make you remember every second."
her mouth goes back to your breast. she begins rubbing small circles on your clit while sucking on your nipple in perfect synchrony. every one of your senses feels sickeningly overwhelming right now. it's embarrassing what she's managed to reduce you to in a matter of seconds. she so fucking good at this, you couldn't form a coherent thought even if you wanted to right now.
her fingers pick up speed and you have to dig your nails into her shoulders, which she very clearly enjoys judging by the sound that escapes her lips. your hips hitch as she presses harder against you. her tongue is still leaving purple bruises all over your boobs, tightening the knot in your stomach.
you feel like sobbing from pleasure as she goes even faster with absolutely no regard for your state. she pulls her head away from your chest to look at your face, flushed and eyes heavily glazed.
"you look even prettier now," she smiles, keeping the same pace against your pussy.
her grin is the final blow. you wince and hold onto her shoulders tighter, bracing for impact.
"gracie..."
you bury your head in her neck and wrap your arms around her as you let the orgasm wash over you. your thighs shake and your muscles contract. you allow a loud whine to rip from your throat, earning endless praises from gracie.
"so pretty," she mutters, slowing down to assure you ride out your high until the very end. you pant, practically gasping for air. "shh, i'm right here, you're okay. breathe for me, please," she continues speaking like this until you're calm enough to look at her again.
"had enough? want to talk now?" she pecks your lips, stroking your reddened cheek.
"no, not even close."
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tinycoffeeroom · 1 year ago
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new home | arthur hill
face claim: none ♡
request: here !
requested: Hey saw you were looking for requests for Arthur hill maybe like going on your first holiday together or like moving in together x
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👤 arthurnfhill liked by arthurnfhill, lisahull_hill and 18,028 others
y/nstagram all moved in ! new roomie seems ok, he keeps singing a song about an old cowboy though?
arthurnfhill FEEL LIKE JOHN WAYNE ↳ fan RIDING THROUGH THE CITY ON MY OWN ↳ fan JUST AN OUTLAW ON HIS WAY HOME ↳ fan THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY ↳ fan I'VE SEEN IT ALL ↳ y/nstagram thanks for the karaoke guys x
lisahull_hill my big boy all grown up :( can't wait to come see what you do with the place x ↳ arthurnfhill mum i've not lived at home for years... ↳ lisahull_hill you've never lived with a girlfriend though! x ↳ y/nstagram lisa i need you to come round soon and help me i'm about to have a breakdown over sofa cushions x ↳ lisahull_hill i'll pop round tomorrow x
fan why is the champagne in the sink tho ↳ y/nstagram freezer machine Broke ↳ y/nstagram on a real note though, fuck currys bc WHY has our freezer been delayed by a week ↳ fan i'll fight them queen ♥️ y/nstagram
fan the books... can't wait to see the book nook!!! ↳ y/nstagram i'm so excited!!! annoyed arthur half to death talking about different bookcase options but i found a gorgeous set on facebook marketplace and its gonna look SO GOOD!! ↳ fan pls give us a tour!!!! ↳ y/nstagram keep a look out on my stories xx
georgeclarkeey it's not too late to come home arthur, your side of the bed feels so empty x ↳ y/nstagram womp womp go shag the other arthur or something ↳ georgeclarkeey he won't open his door :( ↳ arthurtv im protecting my peace ↳ georgeclarkeey im grieving the loss of my boyfriend and you won't even give me a cuddle </3 ↳ arthurnfhill i'm not dead????? ↳ georgeclarkeey it's like i can still hear his voice sometimes... ↳ arthurnfhill i hate it here
bffstagram georgeclarkeey can u have arthur over the weekend, i want a girls night with my gf x ↳ georgeclarkeey only if you take him back on the monday, i have stuff to do ↳ arthurnfhill feeling very much like basil right now ↳ willne uncalled for? ↳ miaxmon i have sole custody of basil pls delete arthur it's a sore spot for will ↳ arthurnfhill only if he apologises for making fun of my mullet AND THEN getting one himself ↳ willne y'know what the basil jokes aren't too bad
fan need a relationship like theirs PLEASE ↳ arthurnfhill all she does is bully me??? seek help ↳ y/nstagram ARTHUR i only bully you like 50% of the time... and you do it too ↳ arthurnfhill i would never bully my girlfriend ↳ y/nstagram the notebook night? ↳ arthurnfhill ok point taken ↳ fan parents <3 ♥️ y/nstagram, arthurnfhill
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Even with all the preparation that had gone into the move, you were still unprepared for the overwhelming amount of boxes that lined the halls of your new flat.
You and Arthur had discussed the idea of buying a house, but with his job being based in central London and the two of you still being young, renting a flat seemed like the best option before diving head first into the nightmare that was mortgages and white picket fences.
The first night the two of you moved in, only the TV and mattress had been unpacked, the stress of bringing all the boxes in tiring the both of you out to the point where the mattress lay haphazardly in the middle of the room and the TV lay slanted against the living room wall.
Arthur lay beside you, eyes half heartedly looking through Uber Eats open on his phone. "Chinese or Indian?"
You took a moment, trying to decipher what you would prefer most. "Hmm, maybe pizza? The other two require utensils and to be honest, I have no idea where our kitchen stuff is."
Arthur hums in response, turning his head to look past you. "I'm pretty sure they're in the bathroom, I think I tripped over our bowls when I went to pee."
Exhaustion must be catching up to you as you don't even question how the boxes labelled "KITCHEN" in black sharpie had ended up there.
After the pizza had been ordered, the two of you lay in comfortable silence, the quiet drone of whichever episode of Friends was queued on the TV floating through the air. A bottle of red wine had been opened at some point and the two half full glasses sit precariously on fake wood floors.
You must have slightly fallen asleep at some point, coming around to the smell of freshly cooked dough and a smiling Arthur staring down at you.
"You were dead to the world, not even the sound of me stacking it over our bathroom towels could wake you." He laughs at the memory, sitting down beside you and handing you a box.
You raise the lid, welcoming the mouthwatering scent of pizza as you shuffle up to sit. "I could smell the pizza."
Arthur guffaws around the piece stuffed halfway into his mouth, eyeing you playfully. "Of course it was the food that raised you from the dead."
Shoving his shoulder with your own, you tuck into the meal in front of you, eyes tuned on the TV as The One with All the Thanksgivings starts playing.
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It had been a stressful few days. You weren't lying when you told Lisa you were about to have a breakdown over sofa cushions. Luckily, she'd popped round the next day, armed with a small mini fridge and freezer which she made Arthur carry into the house. You could have cried when she produced a cute "congratulations on your new home" card and a bouquet of sunflowers.
The two of you sat on the half put together sofa and scoured the Dunelm website for all their cushion options, opting for some light brown teddy bear ones and some darker brown velvet cushions. Arthur stayed out of the interior design chat, instead opting to run some water into a pint glass for the flowers and bring over two cups of tea for both of you before he disappeared off into his studio room to sort out the wiring.
"Typical man, leaving us to make the place look pretty."
You giggled at Lisa's comment, pointing out the framed artworks sitting propped against the wall. "He picked those out, to be fair to him. We decided he'd do the decorating and I'd just focus on the furnishings."
You continued on your Dunelm hunt, bookmarking everything you thought would look good in your new home, Lisa throwing in a few suggestions as to what you may need. By the time the two of you felt you had sufficiently scoured the website, it was nearing dinner time. Arthur popped his head round the corner to ask if you wanted him to run out and grab something to eat, but Lisa shook off his question, grabbing your hand and her car keys.
"Y/N, we'll nip out now and pick up a few bits, including a vase," she eyed the pint glass begging to tip over, "and we'll pick up some dinner too."
Arthur shrugged his shoulders, smiling at how Lisa had taken you under her wing. Ever since he'd introduced the two of you, she'd taken an immediate shining to you, often sending you silly pictures that reminded her of you or organising coffee dates for the both of you to catch up.
One round trip for a vase and some cleaning essentials as well as a nice pub that did takeaway carveries later, you and Lisa bundle through the front door, giggling about the man in the elevator who had assumed the two of you were mother and daughter. Lisa had replied a cheeky "not yet" and had thrown a wink your way.
Arthur had moved from his studio to the living room, head popping over the back of the sofa at the sound of the two of you laughing. "What did I miss?"
One look at Lisa had you both giggling again, waving Arthur off as you unpacked the takeaway bowls of carvery and scoured the boxes for cutlery.
Arthur eyed the two of you warily, directing his mum to the sofa as he came to search for some glasses for the bottles of Coke you had picked up as well. Dropping a small kiss to the back of your neck, he smiled fondly when your eyes meet.
"This is nice."
You hummed, working on taking off the plastic lids. "Yeah, we were lucky to find the pub, Google Maps was useless."
He shook his head, one arm wrapping around your waist as he looks at his mum setting in on the sofa. "No, I mean this. Being sat in our home and listening to you and Mum laughing about god knows what. I was so worried when I introduced you that she wouldn't like you, I don't even know why, it's impossible to hate you. But, it's nice. I'm happy."
You turned in his grasp, hand coming to rest on the side of his neck. A soft smile overtook your lips at the serene expression on his face. "I'm happy too. I'm glad we did this. I love you."
He matched your smile, a small "I love you too" passing his lips before he pressed a soft kiss to yours.
"Hey, hungry mum over here!"
Lisa's voice broke the bubble around the two of you, both of you looking over to see Lisa smiling fondly from the sofa.
"My apologies, dear Lisa, let me bring it over now!" Laughing softly, you press one last kiss to Arthur's lips before sliding out of his embrace.
The three of you eat in comfortable silence, accompanied by the quiet sounds of the TV and the occasional comment about the dinner from one of you.
The sun had long since set and you and Arthur tried to convince Lisa to stay, but she shook her head, stating the two of you needed your own space and left soon after, leaving behind warm hugs and a kiss to both of your heads.
Choosing to tidy up tomorrow, you both head to bed. You slid in first, welcoming Arthur's warm embrace as you settle in for the night. He peppered soft kisses to your shoulder blade, nuzzling his head into the spot afterwards. "Goodnight, I love you."
Brushing a hand through his unruly hair, you dropped a kiss to the crown of his head. "I love you too." Taking in the surprising quietness of central London, you closed your eyes, excited to wake up to a new day in your new home.
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a/n: love love loveeeeee doing arthur hill requests <3 had to include my queen lisa x
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red-dyed-sarumane · 3 years ago
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having been here from the very beginning i think my fave aru sekai series lore is that
• despite it very clearly being a series (it is. it IS i can prove it to u) hiiragi magnetite has never addressed it as such. the fan art tag on twitter is aru sekai bijutsuten However it was chosen via poll and was a listener created tag. hiiragima themself has yet to say anything about it being a series. if u ask them a question (for example when i asked if the charas have names) they wont correct u & know what ur talking about but nope. they dont talk about the content of the songs outside of the songs at all
• possibly not aru sekai but we'll see eventually- they decided to make a song thats one second for every like they got. theyre currently making a song thats 70,000 seconds long (like 19 &1/2 hours). they have the file name saved so that "seconds" is replaced with "illness" which sounds the same in jpn
• the content is so fucking specific every time i see other people try to translate it theyre like "this was so confusing". they are so right but also i promise u it gets 2% easier when u know the songs are related
• sena yuta does the art for the main aru sekai series songs. asa is the other illust. even tho asa tends to do art for nonseries songs (nadenna, uni, rasshaina) marshall maximizer & canon are absolutely part of the series & i cant believe i keep seeing people over look this. the motif is RIGHT THERE. canon says aru sekai de in THE FIRST LINE whats not clicking
• many songs have context as text flashed for a frame in the video background! as of right now aru sekai soushitsu, kyuuyaku hankagai, shuuen touhikou, unplanned apoptosis, marshall maximizer, canon (this ones in code) have text. oumen mokushiroku, kugutsu ashura, laboratory do not. (if u want to get technical oumen has the ou kanji to say its part of the aru sekai shoushitsu order but theres no new information in it)
• all of the songs except for kugutsu ashura & laboratory have the "nami no ne no yume wo miyou" melody from aru sekai shoushitsu worked in somewhere. if u dont believe me ill get u time stamps if u ask. those two songs dont have it but im telling u its thematic, they ARE part of the series, but i cant only really theorize on what it means until we get more songs & content
• hiiragima once said "if u dont know how to read the title of kugutsu ashura you can just call it ashura" this is especially funny bc they always put furigana for their titles in their descriptions.
• they actually do a good job of getting characterization across once u get past the technical language they use. some of them are a lot more obvious than others (unplanned apoptosis. i think this girls so funny bc its so different from everything else) but theres a lot u can get from the word choice/play once ur used to all the weird science (?) terms. sena yuta's art also does an AMAZING job of getting their characters down in a single drawing. u can tell so much from the art for real. this is a whole essay in itself im stopping here for now
• all the characters have names!!!!!! i would know i asked directly & they responded they said yes the characters have names but theyre waiting for the right moment to reveal them. every day this torments me both bc i would like to call her by name instead of saying tenshi everyday and also bc i know this means they have plot significance & im not ready to handle that
• so far all the charas in the songs are girls but if i remember correct the bg text in some songs (shoushitsu & maximzier i think? id have to double check) refers to there being at least one guy in there somewhere.
• this is just a personal note but none of these people have basic lab safety i mean look at their outfits. if the world wasnt ending they die anyway wearing that esp the laboratory chara but i digress
• in general the series is ur "the world is ending and we need to find a way to stop it from ending"typical story i guess. not only plays on destruction of the world but also destruction of the self. its not ur lighthearted easy to handle voca series if u want that may i suggest honeyworks or perhaps last notes mikagura school suite instead
• we dont have a timeline. i can tell u from context the songs arent being posted in chronological order. i have no idea what the order is ive made a guess before but its just a guess.
• theres a paragraph in shoushitsu about a swampman & hilarious as it sounds it actually describes exactly whats going on. both about how the world functions in that no two attempts are the same but also that people who lose their "self" are also The Same But Not. which is interesting to know its so thought out considering the time between songs & how hiiragima claims to just be doing whatever they want. its very cohesive. somehow.
• i have no idea why the english titles of the songs are like that on youtube. i dont know if they did that themself or not but i for one refuse to acknowledge that shuuen touhikou is called "blade" over there. girl what how did we get there u just lost soo much connotation doing that. i want to say the swords arent even a main part of the song but i dont think i can actually. anyway the "eng" titles on yt dont exist to me
• the theme used to be 5 kanji title songs were the main songs and katakana with the first repeating (ex MArshall MAximizer) were more like. sub or context songs. and then we have like canon & laboratory so idk if those are just another type of song along with the others or if they decided they didnt want to follow that anymore. i need more info but still something to note. the kanji songs also used to be sections of shoushitsu (kyuu, shuu, ou, fuu, mei, juu, mou, ei) but then, again, kugutsu ashura threw me off so [vague confused gesturing]
• rain. thats all i need to say really. very few songs that dont have rain or the color blue in it somewhere & that's absolutely intentional.
• i saw sena yuta say something about flower language in regards to the laboratory art but i never saw if they elaborated and my friend whos into flower language was having a time trying to pin point what flower it was so for now another mystery unsolved
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klixxy · 4 years ago
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Genshin Fic Recs
so... i ventured into the vast world of Google looking for some good GI fic recs... only to find such a pitiful amount that i was promptly devastated. therefore, the solution is to make my own! :D
keep in mind most of these will be ChiLi or XingYun, and yes, i will try not to include smut unless it was one i really really liked. if anyone wants a separate list for just smut (though that will most likely be shorter) i can try to make one later.`
ft. my bookmark comments :)
CHILI
wrapped up in pure gold by beyondwinter
(chili; accidental marriage; chili/childe-centric; 22k words; ongoing)
"Do you understand its meaning, Childe?" He finally asks. There's a hard glint in his eyes, like he's trying to steel himself for his answer.
"Yeah." Loyalty and devotion, right? Between business partners? "I do. It's traditional, isn't it?"
Zhongli's eyes glow a warm amber in the near darkness, reflecting the soft shine of the lanterns. He studies his face with a strange intensity, as though Childe were a piece of high quality Nocticulous Jade being sold for suspiciously small sum and he's trying to find the blemishes that would explain the price. The weight of his gaze should be uncomfortable, boring into him like he can see into the very depths of his abyss-tainted soul, but Childe finds himself preening under the attention instead.
Childe accidentally proposes to Zhongli. Zhongli accepts.
The World is Water by Millereflets
(chili; smut; hurt/comfort; chili-centric; 7k words; oneshot)
Childe doesn't visit Zhongli until it's almost too late.
(my bookmarks: HOW DO YOU MAKE A SMUT SCENE SO POETIC HOLY SHITTTTT)
Set in Stone by seredemia
(chili; fake dating au; angst; some smut?; chili/chiilde-centric; 55k words; ongoing)
What do you do when you write about a certain six thousand year old consultant so much in your letters that it somehow convinces your entire family you're not only dating each other, but that you're also engaged?
In Childe's case, the answer is plain and simple: he goes along with it, of course. Absolutely nothing can go wrong if he makes a contract with the God of Contracts, vowing that the two of them will pretend to be lovers for the duration of his family's stay in Liyue. Afterwards, they'll return as normal and speak no more of this mess. No feelings or complications involved whatsoever.
Contract accepted. A fool-proof plan set in stone. Right?
Private Ledger of the Eleventh Harbinger by JuHuaTai
(chili; humor; getting together; chili/ekaterina-centric; 5k words; oneshot)
“So guess what I did next?”
Ekaterina contemplated not answering, but Harbinger Tartaglia was just… grinning and waiting. It’s honestly rather creepy the longer time passed.
In the end, she gave a long suffering sigh that seems lost on him, “You bought him the Erhu—“
“I bought him the antique, cor lapis based Erhu,”
-
When she first left her homeland for the unknown nation of Liyue, Ekaterina was ready to be many things: To be a soldier, to fell Tsaritsa’s enemies in her name, to bring glory to Snezhnaya and her leader.
Being a receptionist in a cozy bank wasn’t so bad in comparison, but she absolutely can do without the front row seat to Harbinger Tartaglia’s (expensive) love life.
i know i'm where i'm meant to go by paperclips (pastel_paperclips)
(chili; humor; fluff; chili-centric; 12k words; ongoing)
"Childe," Zhongli says suddenly. "I am enjoying myself greatly." Childe’s face breaks into a grin. "Then-" Zhongli gasps, grabbing his wrist and tugging him over to an unsuspecting peddler with a cart full of rocks. "Is that an intrusive igneous pegmatite formed in the Inazuma regions?" Childe’s grin smooths into a small, adoring smile. He has all the time in the world to figure the other man out.
OR: Finding the Geo Archon is on Childe's to-do list but hanging out with Zhongli is significantly more fun.
CHILIVEN
Crumbling Stone by avtorSola
(chiliven; ANGST; PAIN; mind control; zhongli-centric; 74k words; ongoing)
When Morax unleashes his plan to test the Liyue Qixing and his adepti, he does not take into account the stirring of the Abyss Order in the north and the corruption of Dvalin - for why would he fear an organization that works in such shadows? He is secure in his power, after all, unlike his flighty ex, the absentee archon of Mondstadt who rises only when his people are in danger.
But, somehow, the Abyss Order discovers his plan. Somehow, they capitalize on it. And he, the God of Stone who cannot sicken, is struck down - taken by an order bent on destroying all of humanity as Liyue crumbles around him. For even Archons aren't immune to Durin's blood, and Morax is no exception. But then the question becomes - if even Archons may fall to the agony of this corrupting burn - how is their traveling friend Aether immune?
The answer comes from beyond the stars - an ancient malice that knows no kindness or mercy. A malice whose legacy the Abyss Order now bears, seeking to topple all the Archons and their people into the void of utter destruction. And they have begun in Liyue.
Fortunately, it takes a long time to erode stone.
(my bookmarks: IM SCREAMING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)
PLATONIC ZHONGVEN
left-behind city by trixstar
(platonic zhongven; angst; ANGST; venti-centric; 1k words; oneshot)
"An associate of mine has just informed me that Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon has been assassinated."
Venti blinks.
Or: Venti and how he copes with finding out he is all that remains.
i circle ten thousand years long; and i still do not know if i am a falcon, a storm, or an unfinished song by birdsofpassage
(platonic zhongven; angst; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 4k words; oneshot)
Venti and Zhongli, and the vignettes of a much-needed vacation around Mondstadt.
(my bookmarks: ; - ;      ;  -  ; )
oh ye with little faith by air_fried_air
(platonic zhongven; angst; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 2k words; oneshot)
Two former archons do a little tour around Mondstadt.
(my bookmarks: why are all genshin angst fics so melancholy.... i feel so empty)
the wind through the mountain tops by glassdrachma
(platonic zhongven; humor; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 21k words; finished)
Boredom brings Barbatos of Mondstadt to bother a certain ex-Archon of the Earth.
(my bookmarks: venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship-)
XINGYUN
the art of exorcism by Agried
(xingyun; ghost au; hurt/comfort; chongyun-centric; 9k words; oneshot)
On the road back from one of his jobs, Chongyun runs into Xingqiu, the wandering swordsman. And then they keep meeting, over and over again. or, alternately; how a ghost and an exorcist learn how to love, one step at a time.
Bane of All Evil by tzitzimeme
(xingyun; humor; romance; chongyun-centric; 24k words; hiatus)
When Chongyun unintentionally offends Liyue's second most powerful adepti, he vows to mend the thorny relationship between Adeptus Xiao and human exorcists-- even though no one has succeeded in currying Xiao's favor for over a thousand years.
His best friend Xingqiu offers to come alone, mainly because he's worried about what kind of trouble Chongyun will run into. Along the way, they receive help from others: Xiangling packs them meals for their journeys, while Zhongli gives them advice on what demons to track.
Childe is just there because he thinks the whole thing is hilarious.
[On indefinite hiatus due to burnout; sorry!]
kiss me slowly (so i don't forget) by xiwangmu
(xingyun; humor; romance; light angst; xingqiu-centric; 8k words; oneshot)
Wangshu Inn Bulletin Board
Guest Message: My best friend whom I harbor affections for kissed me last night, but due to his special condition he does not recall a single moment of it. I am quite conflicted about whether to disclose these events to him or not, because that would most certainly require me to confess my feelings as well. If anyone has experience in romancing boys with excessive positive energy, this one humbly asks you to share some advice.
Reply: Our greatest apologies—although we would like to offer some words in response, we simply cannot decipher your handwriting. Perhaps you may return with a neater message next time?
time trials by idlestars
(xingyun/many ships; humor; modern au; xingyun-centric; 2k words; oneshot)
A modern social media AU.
Xingqiu Teases Demons. Chongyun Almost Cries. [The clip shows Xingqiu, lit by the sickly green of night vision, as he stares bored into a dark room. He’s alone - Chongyun left to see if Xingqiu could lure out the ghosts. Xingqiu glances at the camera, smirks, and then opens his mouth.
“Hey demons, it’s me, yah boy.”]
OTHER/GEN
woe be the wallet of the god of wealth by glassdrachma
(gen; humor; identity reveal; keqing/zhongli-centric; 12k words; finished)
Or, the story of how the Yuheng of the Qixing came to idolize, befriend, and discover the identity of the God of Geo, in that order.
(personal comments: hilarious, made me burst out into laughter multiple times, and was just a masterful piece of writing)
to dream of dust by miao_x
(guili/gen; ANGST; hurt/no comfort; zhongli-centric; 5k words; oneshot)
Some nights, Zhongli dreams.
He dreams of soft light, golden song, and a gentle breeze whispering tales of millennia past. It is warm, familiar, and comforting.
It feels like home.
And then he opens his eyes, and awakes to reality.
(my bookmarks: oh zhongli... made me cry)
To drown in your own tears by C_rin_nyan
(guili/gen; ANGST; TEARS; PAIN; zhongli-centric; 2k words; oneshot)
As Rex Lapis, he had never shed a tear, even as he slaughtered hundreds, destruction following his every step. As Zhongli, he had shed much more than he would like to admit, however.
Or, “Zhongli’s soul gave its last scream long ago, yet even now, the echo of said sound was still strong enough to reach Rex Lapis.”
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pinkchanelbag · 4 years ago
Note
nia- i just pulled a reversed temperance card... i guess the universe knows connie and i have been up at 4 am arguing...
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REVERSED TEMPERANCE — CONNIE + 4AM.
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the wind is loud tonight. 
you notice only because everything else is so quiet. paradis has been bustling with its new renovations for so long that construction became a night and day sound that faded into the background. but tonight there is rest, because by daybreak there will be chaos. 
but the wind is a whisper compared to your voice.
“CONNIE,” and you’re after him in an instant. the way he almost ignores you’re there like he never, never, has before strikes panic into you, because it means he really won’t listen to you. he’s really going to do this.
“you’re gonna wake the squads,” is all he says. his voice is scarily unaffected, and it’s what finally has your blood bubbling. 
“i don’t care.” he’s still just ahead of you on the grass. his path is towards the supply stash shed, his slightly too-worn ODM buckles in his hand as he walks. the compound is fast asleep, or at least trying to be. as asleep as can be less than twenty-four hours before a declaration of war. “listen to me. listen to me.” your pleas hit the back of his head. you look absolutely ridiculous, hollering like a—like a mother, in your sleep clothes in the pitch black. it has you stopping in your pursuit. you force stability back into your voice before uttering another word. 
“you don’t have to do what i want just because i want it. you don’t have to care about what i have to say more than what you think, but it’s me, connie. you still have t...you’re supposed to care.”
your tone isn’t entitled. it’s practically babyish, insecure. but your voice is steady and your words are sincere and that is what finally stops him. his back is still turned, but you see the way his free hand comes up to rub his hand over his face. he sighs. he’s tired. it’s obvious. everyone is tired. tired and scared, but it’s your fear that seems to show more than his. 
“i have to go.” there’s misery in his voice. you decipher it in an instant because you know him. you know everything he needs to say before he says it but you make him say it anyway.
not miserable because he’s going—he’d never dare not to. misery because he has to do this with you and to you. misery because anyone has to go in the first place because of this daft plan only the jaegars could’ve possibly come up with. misery because the world is how it is, because he lives at the centre of the worst of it and never even knew just how bad it was until recently. misery that the concept of hope was obliterated after the crossing of the sea. misery he ever had to find out what a sea is. 
“you don’t.” a weak argument. what else can you do? maybe if you were a soldier you’d understand why he’d go, and you’d be okay with it and you’d go with him. you’d protect him. you would, if you could, but you didn’t sign up for military service all those years ago. on nights like this, it feels like the biggest mistake of your life. 
you realize painfully that you wouldn’t be able to go even if you were in the corps.
knowing your words fell on deaf ears, and with good reason. you try something else. “i don’t want to lose you.” 
his figure is stiff. all you can see are the way his shoulders rise and fall. it’s only when he turns around that you notice how hard his breaths are, and then you’re looking into eyes that have gone a little bit mad with anguish. 
“i don’t want you to lose me.” it’s almost like a laugh. part of you knows the way you’re making this so much harder for him. the burden of your desperation will weigh heavy on him because despite what you said, you know he cares and that care means how you feel and what you say will go with him anywhere. you know you’re making this more painful than it has to be, but that seems like collateral damage. because if there’s even a sliver of a chance that something you can say can keep him from going, can save his life, then you have to do this. you fingers grip the front of your—his—shirt as you re-state to yourself that it’s not selfish, not anymore. because this isn’t just for your sake. 
“you know i’d never let sasha and jean—and armin and mikasa and everyone—go and stay behind. you know i can’t.” there’s something pleading in his own voice now. he’s begging you to understand. begging you to stop this and you desperately want to but you can’t. but you don’t have anything left to try. 
no, that’s not quite right. 
you still have the truth. 
but it may be the cruelest thing of all. 
“connie...” you bring the heel of one palm to your eyes as your face crumples. it’s beyond cruel and yet you can’t keep it in any longer if you tried. silent sobs shake your shoulders for a few moments while connie takes a few steps closer, but not close enough that he really wouldn’t be able to leave when the time came. “connie,” and your voice is so torn apart that he knows there’s something more. it’s not like you to pull him from his duties, ask him to deny his bravery and the things that make him who he is. there’s something mor—
“i went to the doctor.” your words are broken and high pitched. the hand holding the front of your shirt tightens before opening flat and scrunching the fabric to your body. to your stomach. connie’s worried eyes catch the motion. his face is glued to your hand as his ears wait for you to say more, but he knows by the wrecked sob you let out that you’re done talking. and you’ve said enough. 
“no,” he breathes. the ODM buckles fall from his limp fingers. “no, no, no.” his face breaks out into pure pain. he slowly closes the meter wide gap between the two of you. his tears and yours hit the grass beneath your feet. you can sense his gaze at you, but he’s not looking at you, not focused on anything as his vision of the hand on your stomach blurs. you cry like people who are tired of rediscovering over and over again the limits of their own threshold for pain. 
at some point, your forehead hits his chest, and then his arms grasp yours for balance, but there is none for you to offer him, and soon, you’re both crouched into the grass in each others’ arms. you stay that way for some time. for awhile, it’s just the two of you and your hurt and the wind. 
when the tears are gone and in their place is morbid acceptance, you finally speak into his neck in a small, soldier’s voice. 
“stay alive.”
his grip on your sleeve tightens. 
“you have to stay alive.” 
he doesn’t reply, but he doesn’t need to. you know he hears you.
the two of you stay there consoling one another till daybreak, grieving over all the things you’ve lost and still stand to lose. 
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note: WOOOOOWWOWOWOW IM SO SORRY LMAO
NIA’S 999 EVENT (CLOSED). 
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92 notes · View notes
everafterkeiji · 4 years ago
Text
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Song: Getting Over You by Lauv
Summary: Unexpected things happen all the time but meeting him was one of the best parts of it.
Pairings: Atsumu Miya x gn!reader
Word count: 7.1k
Tags, Genre: implied enemies to semi lovers! trope, slight angst, curse words, timeskip! Atsumu
A/N: pls i didn't intend to change it last minute but pls let me know if u liked it cuz im still having second thoughts <3
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“No- I’m sorry.” Atsumu says as you felt your heart snap and break into two distant pieces. You already limited your expectations but there was a miniature amount of hope that you held onto and that was when you should’ve lost your grip.
“It’s fine, ‘Tsumu.”
It obviously wasn’t. No matter how loud the cries of your heart were, what mattered to you in this moment was to forget it ever happened- to run away and never face another failed trial of love. Atsumu can see past your smile and he hated the way it had to end in a way he avoided. There would be a time where his feelings would be up to confrontation but when it finally happened, he’d became a coward.
He was late to realize what the outcomes could lead to. How certain was he that your paths would meet again? How was he sure that he can revert this scenario in a better way that he wanted when you were losing your hold onto him?
“I have to go but it was nice knowing you, Miya.” Your lips were tugged in a weak smile while he questions why his body lacked the power to move but what resumes to play in his mind was the way his name escaped your lips like it was a curse to say it.
Turning your heel, there was an ache in Atsumu’s head. Was it regret? His decisions tied in knots? His emotions unable to declutter themselves? Hesitantly, he reaches for you. His hand wrapped around yours as you glanced down on his soft skin you used to despise to get near to.
His eyes told you stories that were hard to decipher all at once. His stories didn’t start with a setting, it started and ended with you, not a single page where you weren’t there but it seems like the chapters you had in your own story were being torn off to erase the traces of false hope.
“Y/N, I'm so sorry.” He whispers while you felt his hand tighten to make sure that you could stay- even if it lasted for a minute because he wasn’t sure fate could spare you two another moment.
But then, you softly removed his hold on you while the cold sweat runs down his forehead.
“It’s okay, ‘Tsumu. We were just never meant for each other.”
We could’ve been.
-
“Thank you for your time.” You bid the player as both bow each other as a way of manner. You gathered your bag as the athlete turns to you with a kind smile.
“I enjoyed the interview. I’m impressed at how prepared and professional you are. How long have you been doing this?” He asks, adjusting his outfit while you toss your bag on your shoulder with your camera slung around your neck.
“There was a journalism club back in my high school and I joined in ever since I was a first year.”
“You’re in college now?”
“Yes, sir.” He chuckles at your formality while he gives a pat to your shoulder.
“That’s good to hear. Goodluck with everything- I believe that you’ve got bright things ahead of you.” Your heart fluttered at the compliment while you bid your goodbyes. You step out of the hotel feeling the satisfaction hit you like a prize. The report can finally be simplified into a few more subtle fixes and maybe by 1am, you’d be able to present it to your professor without doubting your work.
Sighing happily, you decided to reward yourself to a lovely lunch with a view you often visited due to a reminiscent feeling that bubbles in your system. After ordering, you sat outside admiring the way the sun sets and leaves a lasting beauty before the moon shows.
The stress was fading from you. You had expected that the project would’ve taken weeks for you to finish knowing that some retired athletes usually avoid questions to why they left the sport they used to love. You had called a few, a struck of confidence was enough to make you do so but they often cancel your request because they either paid attention to your young age or because they weren’t ready to be asked such personal questions about them. You were lucky to score and interview with a well-known athlete whose had his fair share of the spotlight during his early 20’s. Sadly, his retirement was due to an accident and his weak body levels couldn’t bare the adrenaline of the sport. He was kind, patient, and understanding. Ever since he agreed, your attention was on the questions you’d lay upon him seeing that this was an opportunity you can’t waste. After gathering some of his past glories, you narrowed down your interrogation on what remains important to benefit the topic of your project. You were more than proud because of the compliment he had given you and the fact that you might be able to catch a break after a hectic week.
Opening your camera and flicking through the photos to decide on which you were going to use. Suddenly, a photo meets your sight. The peak of blonde and gray hair with a uniform that you missed.
The Inarizaki Volleyball Team.
Most especially, him.
A few years has passed since you’ve seen him and his brother. Osamu’s last interaction with you was filled with nothing but sweet memories and a hug that you could never forget the warmth of, while Atsumu’s last memory with you remained bittersweet- like a sour flavor in his tongue that never left. You tried too hard to forget fragments of your time with him but because of how much work you put yourself through, you lost time to reflect on the moments that didn’t hurt.
Half of your high school life was compressed into confusing parts of your story.
But the chapter that seems to be the most influential part of it, was where you got to meet the blonde who has stomped on your heart.
It was funny to be remembered as a person who had the guts to sneeze during the great Miya setters serve.
“Achoo!”
You immediately cover your face with your handkerchief as your sneeze echoed through the gym making Atsumu’s hand lose its power because he was stunned by the sound, the ball hitting the net instead as he almost hits Aran who was wide eyed that ball went his way. The team could hear Osamu’s ‘uh-oh’ and it was enough for them to know what the setter feels after the unfortunate event.
Atsumu grits his teeth as the other team cheers knowing they got the score while his head jolts to the crowd, aggressively searching for the one who messed up his serve. Even eyeing his fans who got scared by the way he turned his head in their direction.
Meanwhile, you’ve got glares surrounding you as your friend nudges you, letting out an exhale of disbelief that you’ve got death stares.
“We’ll get the next point ‘Tsumu, don’t worry.” Osamu says landing a hand to his brothers' shoulder while Atsumu readies himself for the serve of the opposite team.
“Whatever.”
After that certain match, Atsumu was more than determined to hunt down whoever caused the flunk of his serve. Silly as it is, he’s never heard someone dare to speak during his serve. He’d always let out a hand signal for them to be quiet- let it be known that if someone spoke, he’d be fine with it but a whole sneeze? He’d never let it go, especially when it resonated in his ears.
So, imagine the look on his face when he hears the exact same sound when he was just stopping by his locker.
“Fucking dust.” You said sniffling as you closed the door to your locker, and you were face to face with a wide-eyed Miya Atsumu holding out his finger and pointing it to you, as if he was accusing you of murder.
“It’s you!” He shouts making you raise your eyebrow at him, but the raise of his voice had intimidated you.
“What?” You asked him, not finding a single clue on whatever he was pertaining to.
“You messed up my serve by sneezing.” He says in the tone of ‘as-a-matter-of-fact’ making you lick your lips, a hand to your hip as you looked at him.
“I’m not apologizing for something I can’t control.” You were completely baffled by this man. Sure, you were his classmate, but this was your first year and you barely cared to take notice of all of them, only focusing on your school group that had you busy.
“You could’ve held it for like 2 more seconds at least.” You blinked before letting out a tired exhale as you eye him up and down. The setter of the school's volleyball team, you were aware of that because of how many matches you’ve been dragged to, but he’s never come up to you before.
This was a whole other introduction.
“Miya, right?” You asked him as he steps forward, looking down on you with a sly smirk.
“I guess I’m sorry.”
Atsumu stays silent for a few seconds but returns to his angry pout as he continues to stare at you.
“What’s your name?” Atsumu asks, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“Y/N.”
From thereon, it looked like your life’s plot had spiked up. Atsumu was- you could call it as a miscalculation. Someone so loud and had his ego constantly fed was not someone you would stick around due to your strict schedule of balancing schoolwork and papers from your club. It was like a bump in the road wherein the objects in your car would’ve been juggled around because of the impact- that's what it felt like. Thinking that two years would’ve passed by like a breeze, time slowed down with him. The constant bickering and arguments were embedded in you like a tattoo. The way his cackle would echo through your ears when he’d struck a nerve to you, the way he’d purposely call you nicknames you swore you hated, to the same jokes can be dragged on for hours, and how every fiber of your body promised you’d leave when you’ve had enough.
But promises were always broken.
You stuck around and he did too. Atsumu provided you with his trust and company whenever you needed it. It’s a pleasant experience but it surely wasn’t at its best. What comes with it were headaches and harsh words but having a person who knew you until graduation and stayed was a different reason. He was a familiar, a person who isn’t a call away when you needed it but being in their presence would give you a pinch of comfort.
Maybe the only thing you can thank Atsumu for is getting to know his twin brother.
You accidentally sent a text to Osamu about you panicking about a missing file to be passed the following day and Osamu was up and ready to help you locate it. After finding it, you decided to treat him for being a life saver and he of course, was having the time of his life for the free food- it was also his favorite restaurant at that moment. During this time, you’ve got to talk more about each other. Months pass now Osamu and you were way better friends than you and his brother.
You and Osamus’ bond were the type that was just so serene, hardly any type of judgement when you’d bring up a problem, and all secrets were kept tight.
Osamu was the shoulder you can lean on, while Atsumu’s would shove your head away when you do so.
Your friendship drifted away when Atsumu stabbed your heart with the words “No.” and “I’m sorry.” You hesitated that day, to dial Osamu’s phone the way you used to, but it never happened. Your sobs muffled your voice and if you called him, he’d never understand a word that you’d say.
The opposite is that Osamu would understand everything.
Because you and Atsumu mirrored the same amount of pain.
He’d never seen his brother so- ruined. Atsumu’s thin walls didn’t shield his shouts of sorrow while Osamu withstood every bit of the torture show his brother had. Checking him on the next day, the setter was fast asleep with bags under his eyes and a red nose, clutching onto his pillow so tightly.
Osamu knew that day that the damage has been done and not a single band aid would mend the two shattered hearts.
-
Atsumu strolls to the around looking for a restaurant along with his teammates. The sun has fully set making the streets of Japan light up with how busy and crowded they were. Bokuto and Hinata were busy pointing at stands that had their favorite slabs of meat while Sakusa trails behind them with a mask, wanting to be removed from the push of people. As the eyes of the blonde land on a certain stand with multiple notes stuck onto a board, he smiles fondly. He then sees two kids running with smiles on their lips as they held each other's hand, obviously excited to explore the night.
“Come on, don’t be a wuss.” Atsumu says as you rolled your eyes and thought hard about his hand that was held out in front of you. Atsumu grunts before taking your hand in his before you could even decide properly. You followed his lead as he walked you through the sea of people. You were nervous that he had left practice to accompany you. Observing you from afar, you looked devastated, but you continued the rest of the day with a smile like nothing happened. Seeing that you looked dull talking to Karou, he pulled you away from whatever void of sadness you surrounded yourself in.
“Atsumu shouldn’t you be at practice?” You asked sighing, still with his hand in yours as you stopped by a stand.
“I should be but whatever that Karou did is obviously hurting you, you idiot.” Your eyes widened at his statement and this reaction confirmed his suspicions as anger forms inside of him. What could that boy have done to get you this upset? Did he physically hurt you? Atsumu hated how he cared- it wasn’t his business to meddle with but the frown on your lips was something he wanted to remove from you.
“Thank you.” You muttered as he buys you the same thing he ordered. He sees how you weren’t as colorless as before. The lights of the night brought saturation to your features as his eyes adored every feature of yours.
“It’s nothing.”
“Atsumu-san?” Hinata asks, tapping the boy on the shoulder while the blonde awakens from his escape.
Atsumu looks around once more, seeing that there wasn’t a trace of you, he moves on.
Like he was supposed to do in the first place.
-
“For our new assignment, why don’t we take the vice versa of your last project. Retirement is inescapable but why not find the reason they’d got into the sport. What makes it so exhilarating and unforgettable? That will be our topic this week. I’m giving you a week for interviews, photos, and articles. Video format is more suited for this task. Is that clear?” You all nodded as you wrote down the list of possible athletes to meet, jotting down an outline of some key points to remember.
“A tip for you all: look for the younger generations. It doesn’t matter to me what status the athlete stands in right now, it could be a friend or even a child. What I’m looking for the depths of the details in your research.” The professor stands making all of you bid him goodbye as he walks out of the room. You gathered your notebooks, sighing that you won’t have the time to properly rest- an exam was near right at the submission of your new task. You realized that you needed to sort out the things you were required to do before everything would pile up and get tangled in the short amount of time.
Who should I interview? God, everyone is so busy at this season. You thought. It’s true- you realized that matches were always lined up by this month. You also had classes to attend to and your mind could collapse at any given moment. You were more than worried about organizing your time properly but the feeling that you’d have several sleepless nights haunts you. You wished he could have extended the submission- though it didn’t get any better since after exams you tended to be drained from studying all night.
Going back to your apartment, you decided to put sticky notes all over your wall to help you sort out your priorities. Tomorrow would be Saturday meaning that you’ve done all the works to be passed on Monday and that you had zero meetings or classes. Saturday and Sunday would be divided to work parts, by Monday you should be up and running to work again.
You couldn’t let go of this group. It had given you countless of opportunities- even an offering to be an editor at a well-known magazine agency. You were in queue for the letter, so you decided to continue with the tasks of the group. You were thankful that you got used to the craziness of it all. The ability to multitask, to put the phone down once in a while, managing your time, those were just one of the benefits of getting used to it. The things you hated was that you barely had time for yourself. To lounge and just do nothing never met with what you were doing. You envied how some people from your group would plan some hang outs during a busy week and you always questioned how they managed to do it all without panicking.
You yawned as you felt your stomach growl at the scent of the delicious street food. Seeing that you fell short on money because the amount that was in your wallet was enough for your way home, it meant you’d have to wait to eat dinner until you came home. Letting out a groan you decided to walk your way even if you get shoved. God, you were starving and exhausted. The emotions were starting to fill you the more you moved. It didn’t help that everyone was so loud. You could hear the sound of the cackles from the drunken men in the corner, the cries of the baby that brought irritation to your eardrums and even the off-key singing of a (possibly) drunk girl at karaoke. You just wanted to cover your ears and crawl back to your bed not caring if you’d only be able to get 2 or 3 hours of sleep.
As you walked, you felt a boiling pile of liquid drip to your stomach making you let out a yelp as your clothes were drenched in the coffee stain that you despised. The liquid got to your skin making you wince at just how it impacted on your skin. You felt your eyes water as the woman tried to pat away the drink but instead made it worse because you wanted the fabric to be away from you as possible- which was the opposite of what she was doing.
“Oh my god- I'm so sorry.” She kept saying while patting your abdomen while you tried to wave her off, but she kept going making the tears flow from your eyes as you chose to walk away, covering your face at how humiliated you were. You sobbed in your hands as you bumped into someone before removing them from your face to find a bench to sit on but seeing that people were already turning their heads to look at you, you’ve had enough already.
Finally finding your bus stop, you sat down burying your face in the palm of your hands sobbing as your mind replays how you’ve made a fool out of yourself for the last time. Everything was going terribly and you didn’t know how to control it without losing your cool. Sure, you’ve managed to escape the people but the feeling is still badly glued to you.
“Is everything okay?”
Someone asks but the voice became a blur to you because you were so focused on your sobs and the unstable breathing.
“Go away.” You whispered but there was a weight added to your left side as you kept your face hidden behind your hands.
“I shouldn’t have asked.” The man says looking down before standing up to leave the bench, making you intake in a sharp exhale, relieved he left.
“Why does everything have to be so fucking difficult? How am I gonna interview a volleyball player at this state?” You rambled on thinking that guy has exited your business and was free from companion.
“I mean- we’re not close- but I’m a volleyball player?”
You wiped your eyes as your heart started to run a mile now that you’ve familiarized yourself with his voice.
Lifting your head, there in front of you was the one thing that your heart had wished to see.
“Atsumu?”
His eyes widen as his chest expands, his heart growing ten times bigger than it was while it beats like a drum on heavy metal song.
“Y/N- I didn’t know- wow.” Breathless, speechless, weak- those were the words that defined your emotions. You wanted to pass out- to act like you just mistaken him for a person but he was real and you had a hard time believing it.
“Atsumu?" God, he missed it. The way his name would fall of those taunting lips of yours. The tone in your voice leading him back to the memories that he couldn’t push away.
You had to believe it. There was no other way that your starvation can make you this delusional. You called his name like you were unsure that he was ever real- like a character your brain had developed to cope with your sorrows. You dared to touch him, maybe if you did it would be a wisp of air but you were scared that if you reached out to him, you could feel his skin and remember how you wanted it to be within your grasp all the time.
Perhaps it’s a dream but this time you’d never want to wake up if this was the only way you can be together.
“Y/N..I- how are you?” How could he manage to act so civil? Your presence shocked him like electricity in his veins, pumping his heart at an unusual speed. His voice was unsteady and low, experiencing the same thoughts like you.
It’s like he was dragged back to your last encounter. Seeing your eyes filled with so much agony and how you looked so torn from his rejection, it’s the same look that you had now. It’s like his eyes were playing a risky game with him but he couldn’t complain since he’s been wanting to see you ever since you let go.
“Well, I’m burned-out that’s for sure.” You said with a light chuckle as he sits back down, wondering if it’d be alright to be close to you.
“What’s this interview about?” He asks, fiddling with the strings of his jacket while you tore your eyes away from him because you knew the admiration for him would erupt anytime soon.
“What got athletes into the sport in the first place.” Atsumu places his finger under his chin, thinking deeply about what offer he just made.
It’d mean that he could be in the same room with you for more than the hours he spent crying to himself but why waste the chance? You needed it- heck you wouldn’t be this distraught if you weren’t so affected by it. There was a never-ending list of things to do but meeting with Atsumu wasn’t even in your list of expectations because you were over with hoping into something that takes a miracle.
But he is the miracle.
“Atsumu..I don’t want you to see me like this.” You said, looking down on your hands that were on your lap, letting your hair fall in front of you to avoid his concerned gaze.
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t seen you in years, this is not what I planned to look like when I first see you.” Atsumu feels his heart frown at how low you spoke of yourself, but he understood. If you saw him in the state that you were in right now, he too would feel like he could’ve done or look better, even at least handle the situation without crumbling apart.
He knew you were in a troubled place of your mind but he just wonders where you could talk about why everything fell apart.
He missed the way it was casual to talk to you. Maybe an insult as a greeting, or a flick to the arm but he never expected to talk to you with his heart dropping in your hands. He just couldn’t forget the way you’d let him go that day during graduation, it’s almost like the sensation was still lingering around his palm even if he held a ball.
He just wished he said yes, only then, you’d be meant for each other.
“Do you mean it?” You asked sighing, not baring the weight of his silence. The pace of his heart quickens as he starts to worry if this was the confrontation that he held back all these years.
“The interview.” He was more than glad to do it. He was thankful that you weren’t talking about the bad memories or the circle of tension you two were in.
He looks at you while another strike was given to his heart seeing you this way. He’d do everything to bring back the color in your features.
“Of course.”
You smiled at his words as you both stand up but you felt conscious about the stain that was still stuck to your shirt making you desperately try to hide it by pulling your bag to the messed up section. Atsumu didn’t know that the person he had followed was the same person that got coffee dipped down on them. He didn’t recognize you at first because you had your hands covering your cries. He was worried for you when you ran off but when he knew it was you, he couldn’t believe if it was luck or a granted wish.
“Just wear this.” He says, handing you placing his jacket on your shoulders as your heart flutters at how he looked at you, completely filled with sincerity and the way his hand stayed on your shoulder.
“What the fuck do you want?” He asks you with a knife-like stare, purposely bumping harshly into you.
“Wow Miya, I was just walking.” You said returning the same fuel that he had.
“Then get out of my way then.”
“Thank you.” You said smiling lightly. He catches a glimpse of your smile and he feels his world light up at the sight of it.
I missed you.
“So where to?” He asks as you walk beside him just like old times. His height still intimidating you but it was still difficult to believe that this was the same Atsumu you had fallen for in high school.
“My apartment. We missed the bus so I hope it’s okay for you to wait.”
“I can always drive us there.” You’ve never whipped your head faster than this moment. You always trusted Osamu when he said that Atsumu couldn’t be a better driver than his own brother because Atsumu liked to rev up the engine like one of those scenes in a movie.
With the thought in your mind, you laughed.
Atsumu stops walking as he lets himself dwell at the sound of it.
Then there was a smile that he couldn’t contain.
“Sorry for laughing, ‘Tsumu. Never pictured you to have a car earlier than ‘Samu that’s all.” You explained as he chuckles, continuing to be beside you, a place that he finds himself to be the happiest.
“Yeah yeah I get it- I’m a little careless but not all the time y’know?” He says while he leads the way. The breeze felt comfortable now, it had a tweak of coldness but maybe it was just the atmosphere of you two.
When you walked to his car and told him your address, there was another silence but you tried to tell yourself that this was just Atsumu. Nothing to be worried about because you’ve known him for too long to act like all distant.
This is Atsumu- that's every reason that there is to feel nervous around him.
“How long have you been living there?” He asks while you started to feel just how badly you wanted to give in to sleepiness. You shifted once in a while to control yourself from falling asleep in his damn car. Every urge to just lay quiet for a while but you knew this would lead to a deep slumber.
“Ever since graduation.” You answered, annoyed that his jacket was inviting you to lay there and sleep away your stress though you were scared that once you wake up- Atsumu would be gone again.
“And you didn’t call to tell me about it?” He jokes but the chuckle that he expected never came because he knew just how awkward it’d be if you actually called just for that sole reason. Atsumu bites his lip at his failed attempt to drag the conversation on.
Then you giggled.
“I wanted to but I wouldn’t wanna bother the famous MSBY player.” You said smiling at him, proud that he continued on. You knew from Osamu of course, a single update when he had mentioned how well his restaurant had become, you also saw them in a poster once, even recognizing a few of his past opponents.
“Well, it would be a shame.”
There you are.
You finally arrived at your apartment and again you felt the slice of satisfaction as you removed your shoes and placed them on the table. You were partly thankful that your apartment was clean since you never have the time to spend a whole day in it only coming home late at night. Atsumu looks around as you prepare him a drink and a few snacks-it'd be rude not to.
Atsumu sees the photos where you won several awards for your loyalty and hardwork at your club. He sees how time passes and you grew into a version of you that he finds even more flawless then before. Your equipment and how everything was organized on your desk, he knew how much things changed because he used to see you doubt yourself every time you’d finish a paper but now you won awards because of them.
“Atsumu, is it alright if I shower real fast?” You asked while he raises a brow at you confused that you had to ask for his permission.
“Of course, Y/N- you didn’t have to ask.” He said chuckling while he sits on the couch, letting his eyes wonder around.
“I promise I’ll be back.”
“Please don’t rush yourself. Take yer time. “ He says while you smile at him before dashing to your room to gather new clothes, feeling like you’ve won a lottery with how happy you were to remove the coffee drenched top, tossing it to your laundry bin while you step into the shower enjoying the way the water decorated your skin, cleansing it from all the worries. While Atsumu scrolls on his phone to ease himself from the anxiousness. His finger would casually glide over Osamu’s phone number, to ask him what to do.
After a few minutes, you stepped out of the shower like a whole new person. You saw the way Atsumu’s eyes lit up when you walked in but you pushed the thought away. He pats the seat next to him while you grabbed your notebook and pen, ready to scribble down the questions.
“Are there any uncomfortable questions you’d want to avoid?” You asked him while he shakes his head while you took note of the possible questions.
“Is it okay for the interview to be filmed?” He nodded while you leaned onto the pillow, sighing happily at how you’ve managed to calm down from the pile of embarrassment earlier.
“Thank you for doing this, ‘Tsumu- really you don’t know how much I appreciate you for this.” You said leaning your cheek on the side of the couch as Atsumu copies your actions staring at you lovingly.
“You’re welcome, Y/N.” He says smiling while you returned to write a list of questions for him. With every time you look down on your notebook, Atsumu’s eyes never left you while his mind recalls every moment where he msised the opportunity to tell you just how beautiful you were.
Soon, you’ve fallen asleep while he lets the feeling sink in.
I’ve never wanted to hold you more than I do now.
He sighs before placing the blanket on your body while he kneels down and tucks a piece of hair behind your ear, his finger tracing your cheek.
“You’ll never know how much I missed you.” He whispers while you shifted in your sleep meeting his face. Before he stands up, he feels you reach for him while he’s left surprise at your touch.
“Stay please.” You whispered while he smiles weakly, placing a kiss on your forehead.
“I always will.”
-
The morning comes and you felt the blush creep on your cheeks remembering how easily you felt asleep. You wondered if Atsumu stayed, if he left- you couldn’t really blame him. So yawning and stretching when you woke up, you certainly didn’t expect to see Atsumu cooking you some breakfast. You couldn’t even move your legs, every part of you has gone stiff just admiring the way he moves.
“Hey, good morning.” He greets with a wave, a spatula in his hand, a bright smile tugged on his lips.
“Atsumu- oh god I’m so sorry.” You said as you went to him. You caught a whiff of what he was cooking and you swore you could’ve drooled knowing you didn’t even got the chance to eat dinner. Atsumu knew that of course so he called Osamu up in the morning to serve you the best breakfast he could ever make. He was initially supposed to make you dinner but you fell asleep before he could do it so this was his rebound.
“Idiot, it’s fine. Just sit down on the table and I’ll prepare the food.”
“Atsumu-“
“Just go, Y/N. I promise it’s okay- you deserve to rest before you work again.” You couldn’t even think properly with his words. It was so minimum but it was something you’d forget to do- rest. Hearing him remind you that sets a new feeling in your system. You did obey him though, you sat on the table as he even handed you coffee for him and you, placing the breakfast on the table. God, he was everything. You thought that after a few years, you two would completely drift apart but it seems like you were wrong for the hundredth time.
“Please don’t even think about ways to thank me, it’s nothing to me. “ He says taking the seat next to you while you place the food on his plate. You couldn’t even utter a word at how grateful you were for him and he’d be happy to get used to seeing you first thing in the morning.
“Atsumu, after breakfast can we have a run down of the questions first?” You asked him, growing more comfortable.
“Yeah sure.”
-
You sat on the couch, placing your camera on the table aligning it to the best possible angle as Atsumu sits down in front of you. You had your notebook on your lap as he praises how you looked so professional even if it was just a practice.
“Ready?” You asked while he nods with a smile as you pressed the camera to shoot so you could keep your composure, even if you struggled to.
“What does the sport mean to you?” You asked him, your eyes glimmering with the suns rays hitting it perfectly, while the words were removed from Atsumus mind. Seeing his hesitation, you decided to reassure him.
“It’s fine if you can’t answer straight away. I can always change the question if you like.” You commented, smiling at him to make sure he doesn’t feel rushed to answer. He nods, still not finding the exact same words to describe what he wanted to say.
“I’ll change the question for now.” You said while he let’s out a sigh before listening to you once again.
“What was the biggest struggle in your career?” He sends you a worried stare but his mind nearly bursts at his answer.
“Getting over you.”
You dropped your pen on the couch as Atsumu continued to speak since this was the answer his heart was sure of responding to.
“I tried to forget- I did. For every year that passes, the more fucking harder it gets to act like I didn’t love you back when you walked away.”
“Atsumu-“
“I know I said no- I was too late to realize how stupid I was to be scared of falling for you. I couldn’t let myself be the man who could love you when all this time I tried to hate you because I knew I would hurt you- and I already did.”
We get hurt a lot but it doesn’t mean I won’t come back to you.
Love grew and died during your second year at Inarizaki.
Before Atsumu, you found Karou. A boy who was a new recruit to your group whose helped you multiple times and has shared a conversation with you about your similar likes. There was this strange infatuation with him that even Osamu had to question how deep was the bite of love on you. You’ve fallen, of course. Occasionally leaving notes on his desk to just let him know how he made your day but it never worked. He would only paste the note on another persons desk like it was nothing. Not even getting the reaction you wanted, it felt too normal when it shouldn’t be. Realizing how this was just rejection in the shadows, you gave up. Obviously heart broken at the mere thought of how your chances were blown away. When Atsumu saw how gloomy you were that day, he had to show you how much you didn’t need Karou and there grew a different bond between the both of you.
And with a bond like that, you became attached to him.
It was all becoming clearer and clearer as you realized that you fell for the wrong person first.
“You’re too stupid to fall for a douche like him. “ He says kicking the rock that was in front of him.
“You’re lucky with that admirer of yours, Miya. I’ve never seen someone stick around you for so long.” You teased. It’s true the half of the twin hearthrob has gotten himself a sincere admire. It wasn’t one of his crazy fans- this was a person who genuinely cared for him and the words on every note he received would make the poor boy blush uncontrollably and you envied how he’s yet to realize that he too was falling for this unknown person.
While you two were oblivious to the slip up of the universe, it took a toll on you.
Because the notes you’d leave on Karous desk, always ended up on Atsumu’s instead.
“I wanna meet them so bad. Just to see if they actually care and it’s not a prank. They haven’t given me a note and it’s been what a month? I doubt it was ever real.”
“With the amount of effort they gave, I’m sure it was real.”
It’s real for me even if it shouldn’t be.
There wasn’t any other way then to accept the feelings that stayed on your skin. The moments where you thought that being around Atsumu would bring you stressful banters and more, it turned into butterflies that surrounded your room. You chose to deny it at first but remembering that graduation and good-byes were near, you had to tell him at some point.
And when you did, you poured your heart out and not even a single drop was caught.
“Last words before I forget your dumbass?” He taunts while you felt your sweat drip down the side of your forehead as you couldn’t control it anymore. You wondered if there was a simple word to describe just how much you adored him without turning it into a whole speech. This was it- you had to do it or else you’d end up being stuck on the feeling of loving him.
“I..like you Atsumu and I can’t say good-bye without telling you.”
Then there was the awful silence that he gave making you clutch onto your shirt, preparing you for the worst.
But by the way he looked so terrified and frozen, you knew.
“Atsumu?”
“No- I’m sorry.”
“And I don’t know what I’d do if I let you leave again.” He whispers as he leans closer to you, taking your hands in his while your ability to speak has been taken away by how gentle he was as his thumb caresses your hand and a look that looked so fragile.
He takes his hand and cups your cheek, pulling you close to him as his vulnerability increases.
“Do you feel the same too?” He was being so careful because a wrong choice of a word could make it all fall apart again and you could feel how tense he was but he holds you like a gem- something so beautiful that it’d cost him his life if he ever dropped you.
Your hand lands on the same hand that was on your cheek while Atsumu’s eyes widen remembering how you neglected to hold his hand before.
But it stayed.
Closing your eyes and melting in his touch, you spoke.
“I never stopped loving you, Atsumu.”
He lets his forehead rest on yours, a smile on his lips, who was soon to be on yours.
“Then be mine all over again.”
81 notes · View notes
simpsiren · 5 years ago
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coffee or me?
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na jaemin x reader
description: you thought your life was getting boring when all you did was worked as a barista at your father’s coffee shop, that is until you met the med student na jaemin who keeps ordering an unhealthy amount of coffee everyday.
genre: barista!fem reader, med student! jaemin FLUFF!!
warnings: none
word count: 5,105
a/n: so i saw this post on instagram by @/pandawithnojams and decided to write a fanfic on jaemin hehe enjoy :D
your life was a little different from others. instead of further studying your interest, which was architecture after high school, your father immediately asks you to work at his 24 hour coffee shop, Anders, just beside a college. to make you feel worse, the college that was beside Anders was one of the colleges you thought of attending before being told to work.
althought you were not too happy with your father’s decision, you accepted it willingly. your father is the only family member you have left after your mother passed away 3 years ago and you wanted to help your father as much as possible so as to lighten his burden of taking care of himself and you.
“help me clear the tables, princess!” your father shouted from the back of the shop as you moved out of the counter to clear the empty cups on the tables. to be honest, you were starting to like working with your father. you worked as a cashier while you father would be at the back making the drinks, well that is during the day shifts. your father had the idea of you taking on the night shift as well so that you can practice making drinks while not getting stressed over the huge flow of orders that the shop would usually get during the day. you agreed to the idea as you thought of how your father would be able to rest during the night so that he would get plenty of rest for his aging body.
you shook your head with a soft smile as heard your father calling you princess. you were embarrassed that your father kept calling you that but you started finding it cute and you felt the care in his voice everytime he calls you that.
it was 7pm and your father was getting ready to get off his shift before you start your night shift at 7:30. you rushed to your father at the back with the stack of cups in your arms, being cautious of not dropping them. “let me help you clean up.” you said as you saw your father packing up his things. “i can do this myself, please. you dont have to worry.”
you placed the cups in the large sunk and walked over to your father and jerked his side with your elbow. “make sure you rest once you get home alright?” you started to pick up his items on the table, snatching your father’s bag from his hands and putting the items in. you felt his hand resting on your head. you looked up to see his wide and happy grin. “thank you for helping me, elizebeth.” he grabbed you by your shoulders to turn your body to face his before landing a loving kiss on your forehead. you smiled and hugged him tightly. you and your father stayed there away, fully embracing each other’s love. you pulled away shortly after, handing him his bag. he waved you goodbye one last time and you see him off.
you took your phone out of your pocket and one quick look at it and it told you that it was 7:45. you heard the bell on top of the door ringing and immediately went out from the back to attend to the customers.
you have been working till 3am now. it became less and less busy as time went on and you now only had two customers in the shop who were chilling and doing their own thing. fortunately, it finally gave you time to take a break. you pulled a wooden stool beside you and took a seat. you stretched your arms up, interlocking your fingers while doing so and stretching your back in the process, letting out a soft groan. you sighed as you let your arms fall onto your lap and slouched your body.
you leaned forward and rested your head on the palm of your hand, with your elbow on the counter. without you realising, you have drifted off to sleep. well, it was only a short nap. you were able to get some shut eye for about 20 minutes when you heard the ringing of the bell once more. you fluttered your eyes open and turned your attention from the counter top to the door, your eyes were only half open as you watch a figure walking towards the counter.
you heard the footsteps of the person coming closer and finally stopped. “what may i get you?” you asked in a lazy tone, not even bothering to sound like a happy and cheerful cashier at this point as you were not fully awake. you looked at the person standing across the counter, who was looking up at the menu board above the counter. he had round glasses and beautiful blonde hair that was very messy and edgy. a stack of papers were in his arms along with a laptop below it. he wore a large brown cardigan with a white turtle neck, and he looked about your age. with all the observations you made, it was no doubt that the guy was a collage student, and you guessed that he was from the collage nearby.
“can i please get a venti size iced black coffee with 4 shots of espresso? dont add the water, just ice.” his voice sounded as if he was sleepy or exhausted. you clicked your tongue and batted your eyes as you keyed in the order into the machine. you glazed your eyes over the order and sat up straight, tilting your head up to properly look at the man. “woah are you sure that is safe? its going to be very strong.” you warned the person. you have never known anyone who would order something this strong and intense of a coffee ever.
“its fine. i can handle it.” you told him the price and waited for him to give you the money. you placed the money you were given into the cash register and as you were about to give him the change and receipt, he snatches the receipt out of your hand. “keep the change.” with that, he walked away. you raised an eyebrow at him in awe and shrugged, watching him take a seat near the window and placing his stack of papers and laptop on the table.
you took one deep breathe before standing up and going to the back to get his drink ready. it didn’t take you long to make the drink since you were practically an expert in making black coffee, and since he didn’t ask for anything more, you were able to whip it up in a matter of 4 minutes. you poured the drink into a cup along with settling it on top of a small plate before walking out to serve it to him.
you went out and as you were walking towards the table the man was at, you gaped your mouth with shock and tried your best not to spill his drink. the table was scattered and covered with tons of papers and his laptop was placed in front of him, with his fingers typing away from the keyboard. you gulped as you reached there. “your drink.” you said, trying to sound polite as you waited for him to take the drink. you would have placed it down for him but you did not see the slightest bit of space that was not covered with papers. “oh sorry about the mess” he said in a quirky tone.
it took him awhile to realise you were standing there before he reacted though. you eyes were glued to his fingers for that short moment since you were impressed by how fast his typing was. he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and ruffled his hair before quickly running his arm over the table to push some of the papers aside. you placed the cup on the table and said a soft “enjoy your drink.” before going back to take your seat behind the counter.
you went back to the same position you were before, but this time, you were awake and wasnt able to sleep. you looked around the shop and realised that there were cups lying around due to the two customers who were in just now. you didn’t even realise they left you were that tired. you whined to yourself, realising that you have to get back up again to do work just when you took your seat.
you gathered up the strength you have left to stand up once more to clean up the tables. as you were picking up the cup and wiping the table clean with the cloth that was slung over your shoulder, you looked over at the one customer who was still here.
he was writing something on what looks like a worksheet, or perhaps notes. you couldn’t exactly decipher what major he was in based on the sheets of paper laying around the table. you were impressed that he could even fit that many stuff on a small table. he ruffled his hair and scratched his head, tugging on his turtle neck as he stretched his neck from left to right.
it made you chuckle softly in amusement. college really does seem stressful, but maybe he took a major that was difficult. from what your friends told you who did went to college unlike you, there are some majors that are more tiring and energy draining than others.
once you were done cleaning up the tables, you went to the back to clean all the excess dishes that was in the sink, which piled up to quite a height. after awhile, you were finally done with cleaning the dishes and you smiled softly as you thought of how you could finally rest, not entirely but it was still something.
you went back out to take a seat behind the counter and as you were about to close your eyes, you felt the presence of someone standing in front of you. you sighed and looked up to see who it was. “its you again?” you yawned as you took your phone out to check the time. 4am?! and he’s still here? “can i get the same thing i ordered just now?” you furrowed your eyebrows and rubbed your temples. “could’ve told me that before i cleaned all the dishes..” you murmured under your breathe, unaware that he was completely able to hear what you said since it was just you and him in the huge coffee shop.
“im sorry if its troubling you then its fine. although its a 24 hour coffee shop, to which there should always be somebody working.” you heard him say in a sleepy voice, you took this chance to look at his face once more, he looked cute to your surprise. you thought about all the guys that your friends met during college, partying in their dorms and shit. you wished you could experience that. although it sounds depressing, you were living a peaceful content life, not the stressful one that you see his customer experiencing. “um hello?” he asked as you shake your mind out of your thoughts and to reality, realising that you were probably staring at his face like a weird.
“shit sorry sorry ill get your drink ready.” as you were walking to the back, you turned around to see if he was still there, since you completely forgot about asking him to pay. instead, you saw him walking back to the table. you looked down to the counter and saw that there was money on it. you shrugged, assuming that he allowed you the keep the change just like his previous order.
you got his drink ready and went to his table. you saw him laying his head on the keyboard of his laptop, which his arms covering his face completely. you tilted your head as you thought about what to do. should you wake him up? just the drink on the table. you weren’t exactly sure. you let out a soft ‘uh’ as you reached out a finger to poke his shoulder to get him to wake up. “excuse me? your drink is here” you leaned forward slightly and whispered.
you watch the guy lifting his head up and licking his lips, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes. he looked at his surroundings before looking up to see you with his drink in hand. he didn’t say anything to you and just took the cup out of the hand. you scoffed and went back to the back of the counter. you played with your phone for awhile, realising it was getting pretty late and yet you see the same person typing away on his laptop and resumed working diligently. you let out a sigh and waited for him to get out the shop.
it was about 5am when you finally see him packing up his things, stacking the pieces of paper and laptop, along with packing his stationery into his white tote bag. he doesn’t look back and went straight to the exit, opening the door and left in the blink of an eye. you took this time to shut your eyes just until your father came and resumed working just like any other day.
a few days have passed now and you realised that it was the same guy who keeps coming in during your night shift to do his work till 5am. and everyday, he would order the same thing. tonight was no different.
“black coff-“
“black coffee with 4 shots of espresso. i know.” you simply said. “and you can pay me once i add your order of the same thing later when you get out.”
you wouldn’t consider him a regular customer but since he has only been coming in for a few days, but you felt that it would be easier if you just remembered his drink, to make it easy on the both of you. so, you head to the back to whip up the drink that you have already memorised and have it embedded into your mind.
you got out with the drink in hand, walking over to the same table that he always sat at everyday. “dont you think i should know your name if your going to be coming in here everyday?” you realised that he made an empty spot that wasnt covered with papers on the table, placing the cup down and folding your arms with your weight placed on your right leg.
“its jaemin.. na jaemin.” he gazes his eyes up to you while taking the cup of coffee and taking a sip, maintaining eye contact with you. you hummed and nodded your head. “well im elizebeth. elizebeth riza.” the man who you now know as jaemin nodded his head in response. he twirled his pen around his fingers before placing it down. jaemin ran his hand through his hair before resting his chin on top of his fingers interlocked together, with his elbows on the table. “im majoring in the medical field. if that’s what you’re wondering.” he said, gesturing his head to the papers scattered on the table. you looked at the papers, leaning in to get a closer look, and indeed, it was all related to the medical industry, which was not in your interest at all.
“i also go to the college just next beside the shop, if that’s also what your wondering.” jaemin emphasised on the ‘also’.
“you’re so... observant.” you looked out to the window behind jaemin. you saw the college being dimly light. you looked back down, only to see jaemin tilting his head down and writing something on his paper. “i need to be. its a requirement for my major afterall.” jaemin shrugged as he responded to you, not looking up at all. instead of walking back to your chair behind the counter, you took a seat in front of jaemin. the action made jaemin look up at you with a raised brow, clearly in confusion. “why are you sitting here?” jaemin mumbled as he pushed his round glasses up his nose and typed something into his laptop.
“well i dont really have to work. since you’re the only customer here at this hour.” you simply replied, slouching into the chair as you folded on leg over the other. “wont youre boss be mad or something?” he asked as he scratched the back of his head with his pen. you shrugged and chuckled softly, folding your arms. “my father doesnt mind.” jaemin nodded his head slowly as he was able to catch up quick to know that your father is your boss. “anyways im guessing you’re going to be a regular customer here since you’ve been coming for a few days now and i always take the liberty to know the regular customers of the shop.” you stated
that fact was wrong, clearly. you wanted to get to know him just so maybe you could get someone he knows form the college who majors in architecture to teach you about it. well, it may be because he was cute too, but you focus more on the other objective. despite what you just said, jaemin doesn’t respond. he continued working with full concentration. you hummed as you watch him work, wondering if you should even continue talking to him. you continued watching him work, occasionally scrolling through your phone and looking at the door once in awhile to check if any customers came.
you heard him took a sip of his drink and wrote something down. “your coffee tastes good by the way.” he complimented, again not looking up at you. although it didnt really sound like a compliment since his voice was very monotone and lazy, probably from the tiredness of working. “i used to go to another 24 hour coffee shop that wasnt so popular, but it closed down. so i headed here instead.” you put your phone faced down on the table and looked up to face him. this time however, his eyes were off his work and glued to you. you bit your lip and nodded your head. “that’s nice to hear. but why cant you work in your dorm or at the campus somewhere?” you were curious as to why he would want to come to a place like this rather than having an actually learning facility to do his work at.”
“my roommate always has someone over at my dorm so i cant really concentrate. its just something about coffee shops, you know? like the smell of the place helps to keep me awake, and the coffee of course.” he looked out to the window, admiring the night sky and the dimly lighted city. you did the same as well, but you also admired the person in front of you. he really was good looking and you couldn’t help but stare at his perfect features. “you really do have the same mindset as my father.” you whispered, peering over to the cup to see that it was empty. jaemin saw your. eyes and coughed lightly to get your attention. “can i get another cup?” he asked. you could tell he was draining of exhaustion and looked like he was trying his best to stay awake by breathing in the smell of coffee that was all over the place.
“sure. but im added only 2 shots of espresso thid time. you know its very dangerous for you to be drinking that strong of a coffee. more than 1 cup even. aren’t you a medical student? shouldnt you know this is bad?” you pushed the chair back and stood up, walking over to his side to take the cup. “i used to drink 6 cups a day when i went to the previous coffee shop. dont underestimate my tolerance.” you gaped your mouth in shock. “6 cups?! who the hell is that psychotic to pump that much coffee into their blood!” you furrowed your eyebrows as you looked down at jaemin, who seemed calm and had an innocent looking face despite your reaction. “medical students, dear.” jaemin said sarcastically in a sing song tone, you saw him rolled his eyes as well. you let out a soft ‘tch’ and left to do his drink.
“as promised. 2 shots of- jaemin?” you weren’t surprised to see him falling asleep in the shop once more. you stood beside him, realising that you see a post it note on his now black screened laptop that. you leaned forward, now getting closer to jaemin so as to read the note. dont wake me up. thanks.
you tilted your head and raised an eyebrow. dont wake him up? is he going to sleep here till dawn? why cant he just sleep at his dorm? you scratched your head as you think of what to do. you never had someone sleep overnight at the shop before. you know its open 24 hour but does it mean that you allow people to full on sleep here? you checked the time on your phone and realised that your father should be here any minute now. you shrugged and walked to sit behind the counter, thinking that you can just ask him once he’s here.
you waited for awhile till you see your father coming through the door. you immediately stood up and waited for your father to go to the counter to greet you. “morning, princess!” you father greeted with a smile and walked to the back. you greeted and followed your father. “father im not sure if its allowed but one of the customers who came to the shop at night id currently sleeping.” you said in an unquestionable tone. your father stopped walking and turns around to face you. “i would allow it if there arent many customers so if its gets crowded just wake him up alright?” your father replied to you with a soft smile. he’s always kind, and maybe too kind, but that’s what you love about your father. you gave a quick smile and rushed to the front when you heard customers starting to flow in since it was morning.
it was 9am and your father allowed you to take a break for awhile. you took this chance to sit in front on jaemin, who still had his head resting on his arms and his hoodie over his head. he looked like he was wrapped in a cocoon or something. you giggled softly. you picked up one of his pens that you saw scattered around and took off his hood and poking his hair with the pen.
you hear a soft groan as jaemin lifts his head up, yawning as his eyes fluttered open to look at you. “what time is it?” you blinked when you heard his voice. you keep seeing on the internet about how guys’ “morning voices” sound hot and wow did you experience it the first time when you heard jaemin, not gonna lie, he sounded hot. “uh its 9am. i think you should just sleep at your dorm.” you answered, trying to keep your cool. jaemin sat up straight and ran his hand through his blonde hair a few time before looking at you. “alright. thanks, for letting me sleep here.” he stood up and looked around. the both of you realising that there were a lot of customers. he quickly stood up to gather his things. bit by bit, you helped him stack up his papers and such.
“will i see you again tonight?” you asked as you handed him the stack of papers. he pushes his glasses and smiled softly. “sure.” was all he said before he walked past you and headed out the door.
weeks turn into months of jaemin coming to Anders and you began talking to him more. slowly but surely, you were getting pretty close to him and you felt like close friends. you would occasionally go out to dinner with him when he wants to take a break from work. by dinner you meant a random 24 hour food restaurant. it didn’t have to be all that fancy since every time you spend with jaemin, he was able to fill your time with smiles and laughs. you got to know him a lot more and well, the friendship just blossomed between you two.
“guess what?! its our 1 year friendship anniversary!” you shouted as you twirled your way to jaemin who seemed stress with his work. you frowned as you took a seat in front of him. “hey you good?” you questioned him with concern in your tone. “i have an exam next week. just a lil stress.” jeamin knocked his pen against his head a few times before writing something down. “anything i can help with? this is the most stressed ive seen you, its worrying me.” you leaned forward, pushing aside the laptop to see his face. jaemin looked up to you, pouting cutely. “6 cups of coffee?” you giggled as you stood up walking over to him and running your hand through his hair before flicking his forehead with your middle finger. “in your dreams, jae. im making you regular black coffee.” jaemin whined. you raised an eyebrow and gave him a disgusted look. “dont look at me like that. regular black coffee, just a lil bit strong alright?” jaemin nodded in approval. you smiled at him and made his drink.
you placed the coffee down on the table and sat down across jaemin. you yawned as you placed your chin on the table and watched jaemin drink his coffee. “how the fuck can you stay up everyday to do work? i can never.” you closed your eyes for a moment. “its what i need to do, love.” you always thought that the nicknames jaemin called you like ‘love’ or ‘dear’ felt as though the two of you were in a relationship but you tried to only think of it in a friendly manner.
“yeah well im gonna take a nap. if any customer comes in just wake me up alright?” jaemin hums and watches you fall asleep. he admired your sleeping state for awhile, feeling his heart flutter for a moment before resuming with his work. after about 30 minutes, jaemin sighed in satisfaction. at least he was able to complete almost half of his work. he realised that you were still sleeping. jaemin smiled gently and reaches his hand out to pat your head, running his hand over your head a few times. he rested his chin on his free hand, admiring you once more.
“jae?” jaemin jerked back a little when he saw your opened your eyes, gazing up at him. blood rushed to his cheeks. he felt his face getting hot, out of nervousness he chuckled sheepishly. “your hair felt soft.” he blurted out. you laughed as you sat up straight and rubbed your eyes. “sure it is, jae. yours is way softer.” you rolled your eyes and glanced at the table before making eye contact with jaemin. “are you done with your work?” you leaned forward a little. “hm? i can take a break.” jaemin said as he yawned while covering his mouth.
“hey el? come here for a sec.” you raised your eyebrow in suspicion, blinking at him a few times before standing up and walking over to his side of the table. you stood there, looking down at him for at least 30 seconds. “jae what do you wa-“
you let out a soft gasp when jaemin grabbed you by your waist, making you fall down onto him, your body pressed against his. you lay your hands on his shoulders as you widened your eyes at him. “i never got to tell you this. maybe its my tiredness, or maybe i cant hold it in anymore...” your body froze when he places his head on your neck, feeling his breathe against your skin as you shivered at his touch. you felt his hand that wasnt around your waist slowly creeping up to your chin, holding it gently as he guides your face to meet his.
“but i like you, so much, for so long.” you slowly but surely placed yourself on top of jaemin, sitting on his lap with your hand remaining still on his shoulders. “jae..” you whispered, intentionally going close to his ear. his head moves away from your neck and up to face you. “you think i didnt know that?” you giggled softly as your hands slide down from his shoulder to his chest, making him flinch slightly. “all the times we hung out and spent time together, all the cuddles and shit. it’s very obvious we like each other, jae. i was just waiting for you to make a move.” your murmured.
“shall i make a move now then?” you see the side of jaemin’s mouth curving up slightly. you tilted your head and batted your eyelashes at him teasingly. “technically you already did by pulling me to you but another move wouldn’t hurt.” you teased and waited for a moment. jaemin leaned his face close to yours, his grip on your waist tightens as he pulls you in closer. he looked at your eyes before looking down to your lips. you didn’t move an inch, but you were
so nervous. it was nerve wrecking. you’ve cuddled with jaemin plenty of times as friends, physical touch wasnt new in your friendship. but this, this felt so different. it was intense.
jaemin slowly connected his lips with yours. he brings his hand up to the back on your head and through your hair. you kissed his back slowly as you closed your eyes in satisfaction. feeling his soft lips on yours. although you thought that he wouldn’t be comfortable with kissing you since your lips were pretty chapped, you felt that the way his kisses you was gentle and filled with love.
you made out with him for awhile. his hands roaming around your back while you wrapped your arms around his neck and through his hair. the two of you pulled away at the same time, a string of saliva appeared as you two gasped for air.
“can i have coffee?” jaemin breathed out. you made a thinking face to tease him as you watch him pouting cutely. “coffee or me, na jaemin?” you laughed and swiped all your hair to the front. “you make me choose? how rude.” immediately jaemin pulled you in for another long kiss.
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wastelandcth · 4 years ago
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best years - cth
summary: dovey and calum go through a rough patch, leading dovey to believe she gave up her best years. 
author’s notes: hello everyone...this is angst and part one out of two. good luck! inspired by this tik tok. 
warnings: angst and sad overall
masterlist || request || more doves
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I’ve got a million reasons to hesitate and baby a million more are added every day.
Dovey had always been there for Calum. She'd been there through the drama that came along with being in a well-known band. She'd been there through the highs and the lows, through the rumors and controversies. Dovey had stuck through everything and every day it seemed like more and more came into light, like the man she had fallen in love with became a stranger. Suddenly, Calum was no longer her best friend who would tell her everything, he was the stranger in her bed who hardly was around. 
The fight hadn't been intentional. Most of the time, the Doves would talk anything out. Whether it be a disagreement over something small like where the pillows on the couch should go or whether it was something big like how their lives would be affected by the latest album release. This time, it was different, stubbornness and yells meant that Dovey found herself in a lonely bed while Calum locked himself away in his office. And with only a few days left before Calum left for tour with no plan on when or if Dovey would join him, the Doves went to sleep in different beds. 
It had started when he'd left for tour. Usually, Dovey would drive him to the airport and stay until the band's flight was called and she had given him one last hug until they were reunited again. This time, Calum had suggested saying their goodbyes at home that it would be the best since there would probably be a lot of fans at the airport. Although she wasn't too please with their break from tradition, Dovey found herself hugging him on their doorstep, whispering a soft I love you before the man she loved stepped into the car that had been waiting. 
The next time Dovey realized something had changed, she had been on facetime with him. He'd seemed distant, his eyes drifting off from the screen and his interest in whatever conversation he and Dovey were having being torn away at some joke Michael had told. Dovey thought he might've noticed something was off when she had hung up on the call, hoping he'd call her back and she could claim it was an accident, but her phone never rang again that night. It felt like the harder Dovey tried to connect with the man who was an ocean away living his dream, the more she realized exactly how disconnected they were becoming. 
I spent so much of me on you I forgot who I became.
The longer that Calum was away on tour, the more Dovey found herself. Days that would've been spent alone in a foreign city while Calum was in a radio gig were now spent with friends in the city she'd learn to call home. Mornings, where she’d usually wake up in a cramped bunk next to a grumpy Calum, were spent taking Duke on a hike and clearing her head. 
One day after she'd gotten home from the grocery store, a pang in her heart threatened to ruin the good mood she'd been in when she saw Luke's partner post a picture of them all in front of some monument miles away. But with a shake of the head and a double-tap on the screen, Dovey put some music on and danced the tears away. It wasn't until later that night when her mind was awake that she clicked on the picture again, finding those brown eyes she'd fallen in love with two years ago staring back at her. She could tell something was different, that the smile he had on didn't reach his eyes and his eyes didn't shine like they normally did when he was having the time of his life. But things were different now, and Dovey wasn't going to let her life revolve around him as she did before. If he wanted to talk to her as much as she wanted to talk to him, he would've called. He had her number and for some unknown reason, had decided to not use it. 
Finally found a reason to walk away. 
The final straw had been a picture. Dovey had been used to seeing fan meetings on her social media, smiling fans grateful to have been able to meet Calum and talk to him for even just a second. But the second a video of him had started circling around the internet and made its way onto her screen, Dovey had just about had enough of the stupid shit Calum had been putting her through the last two months. She understood being too busy for at least a phone call or text. Touring was hard work and Calum was known for pushing himself to the limit. She understood wanting space from one another that maybe this tour was something Calum needed to do on his own in order to clear his mind and think about what their relationship meant to him. But the one thing Dovey wouldn't stand by his side when he was the one that had been telling people she was the one who hadn't wanted to join him. She wasn't going to stand by his side while he told his bandmates and the rest of the world that she hadn't wanted to join him because she was being dramatic. If Calum wanted drama, Dovey could be dramatic. 
The house that I built you made it a mess. 
Dovey had been out of their house, the house that had been filled with memories of them and their love, for about two weeks now. Duke had joined her in the passenger seat of her car that sunny afternoon when she had stuffed all her belongings into the back seat and rode off out of the city. Her parent’s house that brought along the comfort and warmth she had been craving for months was a few hours away and far enough away that any reminders of Calum could be put aside. The small town she had left all those years ago brought her peace and gave her the space she needed from whatever waited for her back in LA, if anything even did wait for her. 
Her mother had met her in the driveway, a tight embrace and promises of better times made Dovey's heavy heart lighten up as she saw her childhood home still pretty much the same as the day she had left it. The living room still had candles everywhere and the tv was playing the same movie channel her mother loved to watch on her days off from work. The kitchen was still stocked with snacks and fruits that seemed too real to be fake. And the backyard was still a playground for any and every dog Dovey had brought home, even Duke who had settled on laying in a sunspot to nap. 
Her bedroom had brought on a new set of challenges, the posters on the walls and the albums on the shelves brought tears to her eyes as she saw those brown eyes looking back at her. He'd be back in their house soon. Dovey wondered how he'd react to find himself in an empty house. What he would think of when he saw the letter she had left him on the kitchen counter since at that point any attempt to call or text him was met with radio silence. He'd probably try to call her at that point, she hoped, but only to see where Duke was or he'd get Ashton to do it for him. Dovey wasn't too sure about anything when it came to Calum anymore. She wasn't sure if he would even care that she had left the gold band on the counter next to the letter or that she had left her keys to the house in the little ceramic tray they had painted on one of their dates so many months ago. 
I’m left with broken pieces can't help how I ran out of tears.
Two weeks. It had been two weeks since the tour had ended and Dovey hadn't heard from any of them. She hadn't heard from Calum since before she'd left the house almost a month ago and she hadn't even gotten a text message from Luke, who would update her on what had been going on during the tour. It was been one week since Dovey had run out of tears. One week since she had decided that leaving was the best option and that she had made the right choice. 
It had been a week since she realized just how much of herself she'd given away to Calum only to have nothing left for herself. It took her two weeks to realize that if he had wanted to talk to her, he would. If he had wanted to see her or even Duke for that matter, he would've driven to where she was. So when her tears were dry and the pain in her chest was nothing more than a dull pressure whenever she thought about him, she began to fix whatever broken pieces she could. 
It began when she packed away all the old posters that hung on her wall, the smile on every single one leaving her breathless like it always would when she saw it in person. The sparkle in his eyes bringing fresh tears to hers, tears that she would blink away and continue on with taking him out of her life. By the time her childhood bedroom was nothing more than the furniture and bare walls, Dovey felt lighter than she had in months. It didn't last long. As sleep called her name and her eyes closed, Dovey was brought back from whatever dream she was about to enter when the buzzing noise went off next to her head.
I'm sorry. 
I lost all my best years just missing my best years. past love burned out like a cigarette im free now baby all I regret are my best years. 
Sitting in the living room, watching back old family movies and nursing the drink in her cup, Dovey couldn't help but feel like an idiot. She'd given Calum the best years of her life. Gave him all the good times and shared the most wonderful moments with him all for him to leave her with silence and no explanations. She'd gone through the stages of grief, had tried to make her new life without his work, and then he had shoved his way back in with no warnings in the middle of the night. 
The text message hadn't been the only thing Calum had sent, no matter how hard Dovey had wanted it to be. He'd sent her a voice note, a five-minute ramble where his accent had gotten too thick for Dovey to try and decipher what he was saying through the tears and sniffling. He'd apologized for the silence, apologized for the lies, and even apologized for forcing the silence he'd caused from the rest of the band. But Dovey wasn't going to just let him into her life so easily, she wasn't going to let him in after the months of silence and heartbreak. She'd lost all her best years and she needed to find herself again before she could ever consider letting Calum have more of the best of her. 
taglist:  @hoodhoran​ @finelliine @moonlightcriess​ @dinosaursandsocks @mxgyver​ @calpops​ @karajaynetoday​ @notlukehemmo​ @calumrose​ @devilatmydoor​ @lyss-xo​ @lowkeyflop
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ccelinewritess · 5 years ago
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the distance between us
pairing- draco malfoy x reader
word count- 9.7k
summary- the first time draco uses the muggle post system, it goes so terribly wrong, and a letter falls into the hands of a girl who was never supposed to see it, a muggle at that.
warnings- curse words, ptsd, anxiety/ panic attacks, depression mention of death, murder, blood and burns aswell as insomia, seperation anxiety (?) and my grammar.if these may trigger you, i suggested not reading.
a/n- this took me a while to get out, sry abt that. the reader was set to live in a canadian town called kelowna, british columbia. it takes place in readers grade 11/12 and dracos 6/7 year. i hope it’s not to self inserted, and you guys can enjoy and relate to it. big thank you to @dracodear for the help on this, love you! also thanks to everyone who left owl name suggestions, all were awesome and i ended up going with @winnsmills suggestion ‘noctua’ ! tumblrs been acting weird, so i hope it lets me post the whole thing. letters are in italics. also please note, this is off the movies timeline! i tried to fit in as many details as possible but some didn’t make it.
-
the town was widespread. wineries and mountains everywhere, the okanagan lake splitting it down the middle, reconnecting the cities halves by a bridge. little snow and tons of rain. jeep wranglers in every colour roaring around into unholy hours of the night, bustling with life yet all to lonely at times. but hey, that’s kelowna for you.
rain was running down the windows of y/ns most boring class, last period biology. she knew she should be paying attention. she had a high gpa to maintain, and couldn’t afford to fail another class besides french. the last five minutes of blabbering ended after what felt like a year.
‘you are dismissed, ill see you all monday, have a good weekend’ and with that everyone rose, heading to the parking lot as fast as possible in an attemp to dodge traffic. despite pouring rain, the air was hot, and on the ride home y/ns mind raced over every single assignment she had to complete over the next two days, while her hands tapped the steering wheel.
‘english essay, math review, history paper, business management graph’ she muttered under her breath. the town was busy, many students often blew off class to go shopping, or hit a movie, or smoke weed, the possibilities were endless. her house was cool compared to outside, and empty. no one was home, not that it was a surprise to the girl, people weren’t usually home, siblings gone to university, and parents working absurd amounts.
something caught her eye on the counter, an envelope, an ordinary seeming one, but absolutely covered in small pictured stamps with ‘england’ underneath each one. eighteen of them, all different. she knew shouldn’t open it, so she didn’t. at first. but it was irresistible. there was a return address written in the smallest writing she’d ever seen. wogshell, no, wiltshire? she took it to her room, and locked the door before ripping it open. she didn’t want the one time she had something intresting going on to be interrupted by whoever might show up.
her mouth fell open at every line of the same scroll. who was snape? why was this draco boy sending him a letter? he didn’t need his help to kill who? what the fuck was an unbreakable vow and why shouldn’t snape sign it? why was his mum going to see snape? who was the dark lord and why did he pick draco for a task? what kind of name is dumbledore?
what she already knew was confirmed- this letter was most definetly not for her. but newly- she opened a letter from a potential murderer or maybe it was a prank, a sick prank if it was one.
so instead she crafted up quite the response, whoever wrote this was either hysterical or in distress, and needed some sort of company- she thought, atleast.
-
it had been thirteen days, why wasn’t the letter back yet? the owl still couldn’t fly even about the house without damaging itself further. maybe using the muggle post system was a mistake. but better have it land into the hands of a muggle, who would likely throw it out, than a wizard who would know a death eater would soon be wondering around hogwarts.
as if on que, the door bell rang and echoed through the empty manor. on the porch sat an envelope, with only one stamp, his name in the middle and another he didn’t recognize in the corner. shit, this couldn’t be good. his eye caught the stamp. canada? fuck, this was supposed to go to cokeworth not bloody canada. no one was home so he opened it right there in the foyer.
hello, draco.
i am not snape- nor do i know who snape is. i am also very unfimilar with some of the vocabulary you used. dark lord? unbreakable vow? you seem to have quite the situation going on, if i read correctly. im not exactly stupid, but i do know that this letter was most definitely not supposed to be in my possession. i didn’t know who to send it to, id send it back to you, but you probably don’t want a copy of your own letter. i also know you likely have enough on your plate, but if you’d like someone to talk to im only half a world away, have no sort of schedule and am a good listener, well reader in this case. good luck with whatever task you’ve mentioned. p.s. you had about seventeen stamps to many, first time sending a letter? unfortunate fate, huh ? what kind of name is snape and what the heck is a dumbledore? i suppose it’s none of my business, knowing you likely won’t respond, but if you do i wrote my address on the front. have a good day/ night/ whatever time it is wherever you are.
y/n l/n
tears were welling in dracos eyes, he was floored, in a good and bad way. his task was already going downhill. the letter he sent snape had fallen into the hands of a muggle, who did not throw the letter away, but responded. and snape was likely going to bine himself into the task through the unbreakable vow, which draco was more than able to complete. he wouldn’t have been chosen if he wasn’t, right?
not only had she responded, she offered him help, well distant company, to a stranger who obviously had quite a few problems and she clearly had no regard for her own safety. he couldn’t tell her about the wizarding world. not that he could tell her about anything, she could be lying. he had a task to focus on, he couldn’t write her back.
and that was true- at the time. he had no intent of writing the girl back. and yet he found himself reading the 201 words over and over, running his hands across the paper, expecting them to fade away as he wiped. counting and recounting. he surely couldn’t talk to any of the twats at hogwarts, maybe a stranger could help numb the pain. and as long as he didn’t tell anyone- she couldn’t get hurt, she was to far.
draco was packed for hogwarts, the response at the bottom of the trunk, underneath his clothes. he’d just have to get to the damn school, then he could write all he wanted- without his parents knowledge or ridicule. his mind jumbled together what he was going to say while his friends rambled on. the train pulled up to the castle after dreadful hours and he could barely sit still during the opening feast. his thoughts did falter though, when dumbledore gave his speech, he felt guilty- the shame of his family weighing on his shoulders. he looked around, all his classmates staring in adoration at a man who would be dead ten months from now, and they were sitting in the same room as his killer.
the singular room was nice, he knew it wasn’t for lounge, but for plots of death.
before he began he started making promises to himself. if i get behind on the plan ill won’t write, if snape notices anything about it, ill stop. the list went on and on.
he couldn’t put his pen down, the words continued to fly out the end, was he oversharing?
dear y/n
my deepest apologies that my last letter found it’s way to you. im sure you didn’t expect whatever you may have perceived from it. honestly, i don’t know how it arrived all the way over there. im almost positive you have better things to do than listen to my problems, and i know you had no control over the fact it arrived, but i ask you to please not share this information with anyone. i am unsure if i will take up your offer of amity, if you were serious that is. im at school now, so if you’d like to respond, not that you have to- you can send letters back with my owl, it’ll be faster (and i won’t have to worry about stamps- thanks for the tip by the way)
draco malfoy 
and with that noctua was off into the night, and he could only hope that it would make it to her.
-
droll was running down y/ns chin and she was caught in a dream. suddenly a vigorous tapping on the window pulled her into consciousness, the sight of owl knocking her backwards in a scare. a crash sounded, if the tapping didn’t wake anyone up, that surely did. she almost considered just trying to ignore it, until she noticed a letter tied to its neck and reluctantly opened the window. she’d never seen an owl in real life before, but was aware from school that they weren’t exactly the kindest of creatures. this one just perched on the window while she removed the new enevelope, no stamps in sight. just a neatly printed address, and his in the corner.
from the new letter she learned even more- this wasn’t a prank, draco was a real person, was still in school, and whatever the first misplaced letter contained was true. he had some sort of task and didnt want help, but that was all. so with what she could, she wrote another response. it took an hour and she wasn’t exactly sure what she had written by mid morning.
draco
you’d be quite suprised actually, it gets lonely over here. i still haven’t exactly deciphered your original note, so if you would like to help me understand i think i’d be ready. and no worries about me, my lips are sealed. what is an unbreakable vow, im curious? you go to boarding school? and owls, really? what the hell is up with that? im pretty sure it’s illegal to own one here, but we are countries away, so perhaps it’s different all the way over there. send whatever you want. i do not- by the way- have anything better to do in the slightest.
y/n
-
he continued to write throughout the month of september, which bled into october before he knew it. he was avoiding questions about the task, just wanting someone to talk to. it wasn’t easy, she was curious, which draco couldn’t exactly be mad at her for that since he continued to write her, accepting the distant friendship that was forming.
he was learning a lot about her aswell. besides french, which he informed her he spoke fluently numerous times, she was a very good student. she was single, he didn’t remember how that came up but made a note in his mind- he couldn’t date her, nor did he know enough about her to be properly involved.
she read a lot of books, sappy romances mostly, couldn’t cook anything deemed edible by anyone, and her favourite colour was green, he smirked when reading that for the first time. she didn’t know what she wanted to do with her future, just not a doctor like her parents wanted.
-
y/n was sitting in english as her teacher reviewed about univeristy application requirements. only next year they would be getting accepted and denied from their dream schools. she’d spent years dreaming of it, university, and yet somehow a boy half way around the was racing through her mind. she felt horrible about it, the small crush. it was incredibly selfish, falling for a boy with so much going on, he certainly didn’t need her as anything more than a friend to talk to, but he was good with his words, and making her feel important too. her dismissal came and so did a classmate, approaching confident and cocky.
‘hey, l/n’ he said, a smirk on his face
‘oh, uh hey, will’
‘what are doing tonight?’ her mind went blank, any excuse, come on, say something
‘i have plans’ wow real specific, great job, y/n
‘like what’
‘fish funeral, real important stuff, my family is just devastated’ her voice was clearly sarcastic and that was all before she walked right out. no she didn’t exactly have plans, but waiting for dracos owl provided much more company than any date could have. the sight of dracos owl flying towards the pre-opened window was somewhat relieving, she didn’t know why, just the fact that he had not failed yet, and was still out there was nice. she hadn’t had this much company. since last year at least, when her supposed best friend started ghosting her because of some petty shit.
thankfully noctua ad gotten quite good at being discreet when delivering the letters. of all the things on y/ns junior year bucket list, explaining to her parents that she had befriended a british boy with an owl who flyed into her room while her neighbours had a clear view, wasn’t one. she also began keeping a bowl of water under her bed for the owl to drink when it arrived, knowing it couldn’t have been easy travelling back and forth.
y/n
im not fully sure you want to know the depth, yet you seem to want me to corrupt you with my villain with a task baggage. i suppose it couldn’t hurt if i told you about the unbreakable vow. it’s like a promise or a bond, but if you break it then you die. if you can stomach that i may be able to tell you more. how far away do you reckon we are?
draco
-
draco wasn’t falling behind too far, but his first attemp had failed, and panic attacks were taking up most his time. he never had any, at least not this bad until this year. at least once a day he would start sweating, no matter how cold he was, unable to control his breathing or tears, feeling like the walls were caving in upon him.
that is, besides writing y/n as much as he could. apparently she was being honest, she had no schedule of any sort besides going to school. he hated to say, but he was becoming attached, he didn’t exactly know how either, but everytime he recieved a letter a small weight was lifted from his shoulders, even just when he read it.
noctua was doing the weekly, almost daily round at breakfast with the other owls and draco watched with anticipation as a letter dropped on his lap and owl on his shoulder. he tried to conceal the letter into his robes but pansy had taken matters into her own hands. likely jealous that she’d spent collectively around six hours with him the whole year, and he never talked to her like he used to.
‘ou draco whats this’ twirling the envelope between her hands. the letter had no name, no stamp, only a small heart drawing in the corner.
‘hands off parkinson’ he said while taking the letter back. ‘a letter from my mother, if you must know’ he said knowing that neither his mother or father had written him anything, despite having all the time to do so.
he got up and left the second he was done, not wanting to draw snapes suspicion about who could possibly be more important than working on this task.
he rushed to his room, desperate for more of her words. he tried to picture her voice in his head, but had to remind himself she wasn’t british nor was she from southern america.
draco,
so you just die if you break the promise? intresting. it’s not as hard to stomach as you seem to think, very unique tradition i suppose. you are not a villain draco, you haven’t told me much about it but your to good of a person to have picked any of this for yourself. i calculated when we you were home, seven thousand three hundred something, i don’t know where your fancy boarding school where you have owls for pets is, so it may be further. im ready whenever you are.
y/n
her letter was relieving for him aswell, even in the slightest it helped, but she deserved some sort of answer for helping him take his mind off the task for a couple minutes. he could tell if she wasn’t scared off already, this would do it.
y/n
if you are sure, here it is. dumbledore is my headmaster, the dark lord is a very powerful wizard, and snape is my professor. if i don’t kill dumbledore before july, he will kill me and my family, if i can’t complete the task, snape will kill him under terms of an unbreakable vow. im not a very good villain that’s for sure, my first attemp failed, and my classmate is out cold. i understand if you dont want to write to me anymore, just don’t tell anyone about this, please.
dm.
-
the only words to describe the feeling that overwhelmed her senses as she read were devastation and shock. tears pooled in her eyes as she tried to imagine herself with that much responsibility to wildhold until july. another detail that caught her eye, wizard? what did he mean by wizard? is that the word for dictator in england? certainly he wasn’t talking about the wizards she read about in storybooks as a child. her hand shook slightly and she debated mentioning it.
draco
you’re silly if you think i’d stop writing you. you need company now more than ever. please don’t hold things back from your letters, you deserve someone to talk to. that is quite the situation, im sorry if i pushed you, you do have enough on your shoulders and i want to help you as much as i can. i hate to ask, but you mentioned ‘wizards’ and i am a bit confused.
all my love
yn
-
initially, draco went into shock. he knew he was probably oversharing, but didn’t expect to slip up in that way. he begrudgingly admitted; knowing that if this went badly he would likely be banished from the wizarding world, which didn’t seem like such a horrible punishment to him anymore. and yet she was fascinated, by the coins he sent her, the subjects he learned- which she compared to her own much less exciting ones, and everything he told her about it. he could now talk to her about much more, since both his secrets were now out in the open to her. he told her about the about the houses, and they both agreed she would probably be in hufflepuff, well he thought so, her kind and accepting nature, and she didn’t know enough to disagree. and for the first time in the long time he was seeing things differently, completely diminishing the rude behaviour he often displayed towards the house.
she even sent him a picture, the first time he ever saw her face. a large smile spread across her beautiful features, she seemed to be laughing. eyes glistening in the sun even prettier than he could have imagined. he slept with it under his pillow, and could stare at the still image for hours. no it didn’t move around, but he couldnt care less. he only had one picture of himself in his possession and he was young, about four. she was facinated by the moving image, his blonde hair and attitude shining right through. he would owl his mother for a more recent one, but didn’t want to explain why.
the letters were helping him, but the task wasn’t advancing. his second attempt had failed, he was caught sneaking into slughorns party, and harry was onto him. they were also causing him doubt. say they did get the cabinet fixed, he couldn’t see himself killing dumbledore anymore, the more he talked to her he realized he couldn’t be a killer, as cold as he was to some people, but he had to, didnt he?
most importantly every letter she sent gave him a sense of hope. that the second this is over he could move. away from voldemort, and potter, his parents even, england in whole. perhaps not to canada, but it could be a change, half way across the world with the girl who was helping him stay alive through his letters. he just needed to stay alive long enough too see her.
the seasons changed around draco, but his room stayed the same. hot from mysterious potions, for himself and some for dumbledore, he had not had much hope after the wine, though. it was lonely, not that he’d like y/n here, he’d much rather be there, all the way across the world.
-
may came in a blur, and finals were creeping up. one week y/n sat at her desk, every night, waiting for a letter that didn’t come. on the fifth letterless day she cried. not exactly knowing why, it wasn’t her that had much of a reason to cry, but dracos company had filled her lonely life up with light of its own, leaving it darker than it was before she saw the first letter. she was silly to be so attached and silly to expect him to reciprocate the feelings she had proclaimed in the last one she sent, and should have expected him to stop eventually. so she continued on with school, finding it a bit easier to concentrate now that a draco sized whole was missing from her brain, and her heart aswell.
the next week, though, a letter came, very appreciated by y/n as the whole other universe, british boy forgetting thing wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
y/n
im sorry for not writing, the classmate i mentioned all those months ago woke from the curse, and the potter twat hexed me with a spell id never heard of before. i would have tried to contact with you but i couldn’t exactly trust what my brain was planning on writing, and the cuts are still a bit sore. the cabinets fixed, but even if everything works out okay i won’t be writing very much at all. i’ll be home in july, but the manor will be infested with death eaters and i can’t let you get hurt. thank you for everything l/n.
draco
it stung a little, knowing that the empty feeling the girl just experienced would be more frequent, he didn’t mention anything about what she had said, and that this could be the last time she ever heard from him if he didn’t kill dumbledore. in hindsight, practically telling her she loved him in a letter wasn’t what he needed, she knew that.
-
he left out the fact that he the spell put a him in a huge emotinal draught. he was exhausted constantly, crying even more than before. the cuts were sore, so he wasn’t holding everything back.
the last month of school came and went all to fast for dracos liking, and death eaters now roamed around the castle, causing havoc where ever they could. his trunk had been shurken so small it looked like a small muggle toy he put into his pocket easily. the dark mark that was stretched across his left arm was now hanging in the gray sky, and the headmaster was no where to be seen. he paced anxiously around a vacant corridor until he heard a pop in the astronomy tower. he didn’t think people could apparate into hogwarts, it would have made his job much easier.
‘harry, get snape, i need snape now’ he seemed exhausted, maybe this wouldn’t be as hard
‘sir im going to sit you down okay, and then ill go get madam pomf-‘
‘severus, harry, I need severus now, go get him and talk to no one else’ he said in a shallow yet somewhat urgent and angry tone.
draco waited for footsteps to disappear, before whipping the door open with his wand already ready.
‘oh hello, draco, nice to see you on this fine evening’ he said nonchalantly, leaning his weight against the wall.
‘EXPELLIARMUS’ draco boomed, successfully disarming the man without counter attempts before glancing around to see a second broom
‘who else is here?’ he said sounding confident but feeling the opposite
‘i could ask you the same question, acting alone are you? you don’t seem supported’
‘no, there are death eaters in your school tonight, and i got them here’ he snarked ‘they’ll be up, any minute now, their fighting down below. i’ve got a job to do’
‘well done boy, if you don’t mind me asking a few questions, before you get on with it, im very intrested’ was he kidding? he knew draco was about to kill him right? wanting to stall, and not fully wanting to kill him he nodded his head yes.
‘you seem scared to act until they join you
‘im not scared, you should be scared’ he snarled, unable to contain the fear in his voice any longer any longer
‘oh draco’ he sighed ‘while we wait for your friends arrive, care to explain how you smuggled them in here? i never imagined it possible, especially not by a student’
‘i had to mend the broken cabinet that no ones used for years, there’s another one in borgin and burkes. montague got stuck in told everyone stories about it, how he could sometimes hear what was going on in the shop and sometimes hear hogwarts like a passage, and i was the only one who discovered what it meant. not even borgin, not you either, i did it right under your nose, you didn’t realize anything’ he said
‘you are right, i didn’t know that. i do- on the other hand, know that you aren’t a killer’
he raised his wand a little higher, feeling wheezy and as though his legs would give in any second
‘how you know that, I’ve done despicable things, you wouldn’t even be able to fathom’
it was dumbledore’s time to pause, glancing up at the sky and looking around the room before continuing
‘draco i know you almost killed katie bell and ron weasley. you’ve been trying to kill me all year, forgive me for saying this, but they’ve been very feeble attempts. to be honest ive wondered wheather your heart has truly been in it’
‘it has, and if you knew why didnt you stop me’
‘snape has been watching over you on my orders’
‘ it’s not on your orders, he promised my mother-‘
‘ofcourse he would tell you that, but it happens to be that i trust professor snape’
‘your losing it then, he’s a double agent, he isn’t working for you- he’s been trying to get in on the action all year, helping me and all. doesn’t matter now- he probably doesn’t even know they are here yet, he will wake up tomorrow and no longer be the dark lords favourite, he will be nothing compare to me’ confidence was building within him
‘very gratifying, we all like being recognized for our hard work, but, draco?im standing here wandless and weak, unable to defend myself, and you have not made any move to kill me, dont blame me for believing you will not, but let’s discuss your options’
‘my options’ he laughed ‘im standing here with a wand, about to kill you’
‘oh dear boy, if you were going to kill me you would have when you disarmed me, not stayed for a little chat’
‘i haven’t got any options, don’t you understand, i have to kill you, or he will kill me’
‘okay, if you don’t want to join the order with your mother where we could protect you, i only have one more question’
‘better hurry, theyre on their way’ he almost laughed which was quickly replaced when Dumbledore said his next words.
‘who is y/n l/n’ at that a tear fell down dracos face, and he lowered his wand almost completely
‘i-i don’t know who that is, odd l-last words’ he stuttered
‘draco dont play dumb now, not after we discovered you are very intelligent. we left some of the security measures from last year that Umbridge enabled, and I couldn’t help but notice hundreds of letters flowing to and from her. i looked into student files, ilvermornies too, nothing, id never heard the name, a muggle i presumed. but of all the things, that had me the most confused. i couldn’t figure out why you would be contacting her, so i did some meddling’
‘WHAT DID YOU DO’
‘fiesty all the sudden, are you? i felt bad after opening this, it seemed very personal, and i probably should given it too you sooner, but i was a bit preoccupied double checking my drinks and all’ dumbledore said handing him the letter.
draco
how is the cabinet coming? it’s raining even more here than usual, all day and night. and don’t talk like that, saying you don’t have a future. you do draco, you deserve another chance and infinite amounts of them. you are just a kid, you shouldn’t be forced to be a hero. you are protecting so many people right now, but i don’t need any. you have given my life enough light in the last few months than i ever recall, and im so thankful that letter came to me. i wish you were here with me right now, but i know you can’t be, so just stay alive, okay?
y/n
more tears fell, he hated being so weak at the mention of her, crying before he completed the blessing his father and bellatrix considered the task to be.
‘she’s right, draco, you deserve another chance’
he was speechless, and could tell Dumbledore knew he found his weakness.
‘i always pictured you and pansy, never in a million years imagined you to be in a relationship with a muggle’
‘no matter who does it, your about to be killed, and im not here to discuss my love life am i?’
‘so you do love her?’ before draco could even think he heard a door open and raised his wand, hiding the letter faster than he had ever moved.
‘shut up, they will kill her’ he said quietly and desperately
in walked fenrir greyback, yaxley, and bellatrix. they made banter of their own, but her words replayed. he couldn’t do it.
‘go on draco’ his aunt whispered into his ear, making him shiver.
‘DO IT, DO IT BOY’ she yelled, in a high pitched and annoying voice
he felt a strong arm over his chest, pushing him aside, and he saw the whoosh of snapes robes and an already pleading dumbledore
‘severus, please’
‘AVADA KEDAVRA’ snape shouted, a green flash producing from the end of his wand, hitting the old man square in the chest. draco rushed over to the edge, watching him fall. it was a long way down.
-
the rain had sudsided, sunlight leaking into her room during the day. watching the sky at night, failing to find constellations he described many times to her. her wardrobe was mostly untouched, remaining in pyjamas most of the week. the odd time she did leave, she saw her old friends walking and laughing out her car window. eating and socializing felt like a chore, and she hadn’t communicated with the boy since may. he could be dead, she didn’t know. there was no death on the ‘muggle’ news, and draco wasn’t on the top wanted list, not that he likely would be on the television all the way over here. he could be fine, in wiltshire, going to dinner parties and holding balls. or maybe, he too, was sitting in his room staring at the ceiling for days on end. she had now hung the picture of a young draco by her desk, not needing to worry about anyone seeing. her siblings were once again home, but out living their lives so much that it still felt like they were gone. for the first time she noticed his scroll on the back.
‘i was four when this was taken i believe, my hair is very similar, i was quite sassy, im sure that shows without explanation.’ she blushed while reading, it was true. his hands were on his hips whipping his head around.
-
every day was a surprise around malfoy manor. not the kind of surprise draco liked. not the feeling of butterflies in his stomach when he read y/ns letters, those were replaced by a pit as they were summoned around the large table in the dining room. the first one he attended was horrible, watching his muggle studies teacher being hung above their heads, pleading for the help of severus as she died. he bit his tongue in an attempt to avoid raging about about every comment surrounding muggle culture. each one tore his heart, as he imagined the girl all those kilometres away, the girl he had no contact with, but he looked at her picture as much as possible, and hoped one day he could make her smile again like she did in the image.
-
senior year was here, and y/n schedule picked up once again. her timetable was full, maybe it was best, a distraction, after a whole summer of thinking alone in her room. draco was on her mind at night, no matter how hard she tried to forget. she’d made friends with her creative promotions partner, logan. he was certainly not intrested in her in anyway besides friends, but company after all this time was enjoyable, just in the hour of class
-
draco had little privacy, with death eaters in every hallway, conversing with eachother. wherever he went someone was there, until he finally got sick of it and began going to the garden bench. with a book, sometimes, giving some of the sappy love stories y/n mentioned a try or even the poetry books she sent with noctua awhile back, they were okay, but his heart hurt at the feeling of relation in every line. he could only read one or two poems at a time, without tears forming in his green orbs.
sometimes he went with a pen and a notebook. he wrote about everything. the smell of the plants around him, the feeling in his chest when the dark lord called for a meeting. most of the notebook, though, was filled with poems of his own. and letters he had no intention of sending for her own safety. she wasn’t in harms way, though, other followers were preoccupied with ruining weddings and other things they considered fun. he blabbered on for pages, about how he missed seeing noctua fluttering towards him at breakfast. how he rereads the letter that dumbledore gave him the night he died. how she listened to him rant on and on, giving her support no matter how evil he felt. how he found love where it wasn’t supposed to be.
snow was falling once again, he had to dress in layers, making it hard to write often, the plants started dying as cold settled over and his mother no longer babied him like she used to before the death eaters began inhabiting the mansion. he couldn’t keep himself company any longer and gave into the pressure he put on himself. as long as they were careful, she’d be in no destruction- he prayed as he wrote what seemed to be an appropriate response after all this time.
-
like it had been decades, she flinched at the noise of the owl on the window, carrying a much larger scroll that he’d ever sent before, some parts scratched out and written above. his writing was much less tidy than she remembered, like the letters on the page were anxious for her reaction.
love,
after all this time, im sorry you are just now hearing from me. you have ever single right to be annoyed with me, after you listened to me for months, helping me emotionally in ways i never be able to repay you for. you do not need to forgive me, or write me back. i just wanted to keep you safe. but i needed to tell you everything before it might actually be to late. you’ve probably moved on and forgotten about me, like you should, but i guess im saying that i am alive. i didn’t kill him either. snape did. i thought i was going to be able to, but he started talking about you. he gave me a letter from you that he had already opened, the words repeated in my head over and over. you talked about how i deserved another chance, and how you wish I’d was there with you. right before he died he asked me if i loved you. i knew the answer but didn’t have time to say it. ive read your poetry books, they aren’t as bad as i once thought, i can’t read to many at once. i try to forget what dumbledore said that night, and that night altogether. but one day i read ‘that’s how you know you love someone, i guess. when you cant experience anything without wishing the other person was there to see it too.’ when i sit in the garden i imagine you smelling the flowers, myself picking one and putting it behind your ear. when i go on walks i imagine your hand in mine. youre in my dreams. my never ending thought. i remember the way i felt when we started talking a lot, and how I felt when we didn’t get a chance. you listened to me when no one else offered. not even my parents. i hope your doing okay, and smiling and laughing. i don’t care if we talk about absolutely nothing, i just want to talk to you. i know that’s unfair to you after all ive weighed on you. but i guess that’s all, i love you. draco ♡
well this certainly didn’t get him off her mind. she didn’t need to either. ofcourse she was going to write him back, but she needed time to think about her response. she missed the next day of school, and his owl was comfortably standing on her desk, nibbling away at the water and crumbs. she took an hour long shower, multiple naps, raided her fridge, and had to email the school pretending to be her mum, excusing her for the day. before she even knew what she was going to write, she began on a new piece of paper. she’d have thought longer, but was sure draco would be convinced she stole noctua out of anger.
draco,
wow. i don’t really know what to say. i knew you weren’t a killer, and i meant what i said about you deserving more chances. i will admit i was angry, and a bit confused. i sent that letter with high hopes. i don’t know what i was hoping for at the time, i was being incredibly selfish. but couldn’t help myself feel pained when you didn’t mention it in the next letter when you said harry hexed you. i know we can’t be together, especially not right now, but i love you too. i wish more than anything you were here with me right now, and it was you i’d be graduating with half a year from now. i wish you were in the passenger seat of my car while i drive through the city. i wish you could point out the constellations in the sky. i usually can’t read to many poems either, they get me thinking to much. im ready to write again if you are.
y/n
-
draco hadn’t felt more joy in a long time. around seven months. she loved him, and that was enough happiness for a life time. he just needed to stay alive.
they continued to stay in touch, almost as if they never stopped talking, entertaining eachother as much as possible, masking their separate misery and the distance between them. he could get time away from the reality that was his life for a while, he thought, until snatchers brought the trio he spent so long bickering with to the manor.
a very distorted looking harry fell before him, his hair tightly gripped by bellatrix.
‘well, is it him’ he knew it was harry. and yet a part of him couldn’t bring himself to letting the boy get killed.
‘i can’t be sure’ he lied
‘draco, look closely son’ lucius said loudly, getting a grip on the back of dracos neck before leaning in and whispering.
‘if we are the ones that hand potter to the dark lord, all will be f-forgiven. a-all will go back to how it was’
his father and the and a snatcher quickly got into an arguement. lucius was yelling something about the manor before narcissa calmed him with a hiss.
‘don’t be shy, sweetie come here take a closer look’
draco was know level with him. the scar was still visible on his forehead, and swollen eyes staring back at him, hopeless.
‘what’s wrong with his face’ draco said
‘yes what is wrong with the boys face’ a shrill voice repeated
‘he was like that when we got him, something he picked up in the forest i reckon’
bellatrix walked away, laughing away at something. the blonde boys eyes were still on harry, before he felt a tap on his shoulder. bellatrix began acting out, yelling about a sword, putting ropes around snatchers neck from the end of her wand. sword now in her hand she walked over to ronald weasley, grabbing his collar and demanding that the boys be put in the cellar.
a different draco would have gladly watched a mudblood be tortured by his aunt. but he flinched at every scream of hermione, unable to watch he went to the next room, resisting tears as he thought of the girl he fell for enduring the same. she had moved onto the goblin- ridiculing it about who got into her vault- and hermiones screams were now gone.
‘youre lucky, goblin, the same won’t go for this one’ he heard footsteps
‘like hell it wont’ he heard ron yell, followed by the expelliarmus and what must have been harry stupefying his father. draco rushed in, now dueling a more normal looking harry, until their attention caught on bellatrix, a knife to grangers throat. they dropped there wands, and he did as instructed, picking them up. lucius was summoning the dark lord when they heard a tittering on the ceiling, and the chandlier crashing. it all moved so fast and harry was now wrestling draco for his wand back. he tried, but harry had already pried it out of his cold and shaky hands.
‘STUPID ELF. THAT COULD HAVE KILLED ME’
‘dobby never meant to kill. dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure’ the house elf squeaked, and draco had never resisted a chuckle so hard.
‘HOW DARE YOU TAKE A WITCHES WAND. HOW DARE YOU DEFY YOUR MASTERS’
‘dobby has no master, dobby is a free elf, and he has come to save Harry Potter and his friends.’ and with that they apparated out, not without bella throwing a knife into the mix.
-
meanwhile, y/n was receiving letters of her own. not from draco either. letters from the schools she applied to. so far everything was good, except for princeton, but she didn’t have the highest expectations. she was accepted to the university of british columbia, seattle university, even ucla. she only had one letter left, and the large stuffed yellow envelope sat in her hands. she wasn’t sure about it- would she even be able to go to the univeristy of london? it was far, but draco was there, well closer to there atleast. accepted- it read. it was an option, and she still had weeks to think about it.
-
draco was very hesitant to write after the incident at the manor, the screams of Hermione, and the terrifying looking potter still vivid in his brain and nightmares. he often woke from sleep in a sweat, yet freezing cold. whispers of the war around his house also haunted his mind and soul. he’d walk to the window and look up at the the stars, they were under the same sky, at least. eventually he had to write her, it had been half a month and he couldn’t leave her hanging alone again.
y/n
love, im sorry for being hesitant, but there is going to be a war. i hate to leave you contact-less, but i need you to be safe now more than ever. i couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt. potter and his friends were brought here to the manor, it didn’t last long- they escaped within the hour and a half. with that doped elf, and a goblin too. if you don’t hear from me again, remember i love you. and always will.
draco
of all the letters y/n had recieved, from draco in all, that was probably the most displeasing. a war? like with tanks and bombs? tears were shedding down her face as she wrote the shortest response yet. knowing he most definitely didn’t have time to listen to her talk about schools, and how she got accepted to london, but her parents deemed it to far, ubc would have to do, she’d find her way to him eventually, if they were meant to be.
draco
stay safe, i love you.
yn.
-
draco now stood at snapes new office, dozens of corpses on the floor, pooled in blood. the dark lord speaking parsel tounge to nagini. no one needed to speak it to know that the man was infuriated about something potter had done.
-
the information he left was lacking, was he serious? what did wizarding wars even look like? her graduation date was set, June 6th, but it all seemed irrelevant, suddenly picking out a dress didn’t seem as fun as she thought, same with getting portraits taken. should she have said more?
-
next thing he knew the protection spell was countered and he apparated in, grabbing zabani and goyle by the collar. rushing them into a corridor and waited for the door of the room of requirement to completely vanish before approaching himself. they successfully found harry, opening a box carefully before finally drawing attention to themselves.
‘well well, what brings you here, potter’ draco said, softly, much to his surprise as he meant it to sound snarky and rude
‘i could ask you the same’
‘i believe you have something of mine, and id like it back’ was he becoming… kind?
‘whats wrong with the one you have?’ harry replied
‘it’s my mothers, powerful but different, doesn’t fully understand me, im sure you know the feeling’
‘why didn’t you tell her. bellatrix? you knew it was me, and you didn’t tell her’ he wasn’t exactly sure what to say, nor did he know. harry really didn’t have anything to do with his feelings for y/n, maybe he should have just turned in him when he had the chance, it would all be over if he had.
‘don’t be a wuss draco, just do it now’ goyle whispered in his ear, making him chill the same way bellatrix did on the astronomy tower, almost a year ago.
‘expelliarmus’ hermione half shouted, causing narcissas want to fly out of dracos hands and run the other way.
‘avada kedavra’ goyle missed and weaslebee started chasing after them, yelling something about his girlfriend. turning back around after goyle unsuccessfully casted the fiendfyre curse.
fear was making his body almost rattle as he desperately climbed bookcases in an attemp to outrun the flames. he watched goyle fall, into the orange. yes, he was a complete and utter twat, but wasn’t a half bad friend during dracos bullying peek. his foot slipped, now just his hands were keeping him up, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on. in the distance he saw the three, zooming off to safety in the distance, leaving them their to die. not that he blamed them, after anything he did to them, he would have probably left himself there aswell.
but potter was flying towards him, arm out-stretched, grabbing onto his own and hoisting himself on the broom. had he already died? must not have, because the heat had finally caughten up. feeling as though he was going to pass out, he gripped tighter onto harry, maintaining his position on the broom. so much for staying safe. the second they made it out, they crashed onto the ground. he wanted to thank harry, but found himself running off instead.
explosions and hexes were being sent everywhere. people dying left and right. giants and trolls and spiders helping, he found himself in the slytherin common room. partially because he wanted to say goodbye, as he never wished to return to the building again once he had the choice. and partially as he was now aware of a large burn on his arm, and he felt a need to put off fighting until absolutely necessary. he entered through the portrait, for the last time. it felt like an aquarium, looking out upon the lake filled windows, merpeople and the giant squid often zooming by. he sat down upon the sofa, where he spent countless hours avoiding homework, plotting against potter and swimming in lust of his pure-blood status that now felt like a curse. he went up to his dorm, where he did very similar things. he wondered as to what he would be doing if he was a muggle right now. picking out a suit for graduation, buying a corsage for his date, but he wasn’t, so he best get going. running his hands along the furniture before leaving, not looking back.
the noise in the entrance courtyard had completely been diminished and draco found his way into the crowd of students pooling in. death eaters swarmed towards them at a painfully slow place, his mother and father near the head of the group. he noticed hagrid, towering above them, carrying what could only have been harrys corpse.
he watched carefully as they approached, trying to wedge himself inbetween and behind other students.
‘harry potter is dead’ voldemort paused ‘from now on, you put your faith in me’ silence fell over the hundreds of people who were know gathered. he swished his robes and turned backwards facing his followers
‘HARRY POTTER IS DEAD’ obnoxious and deafening cackles erupted
‘and now is the time to declare yourselves. come to our side, or die’ even more silence fell.
‘draco’ his father hissed before repeating ‘draco’
he felt eyes fall all over him, gazing expectantly. tears ran down his face.
don’t talk like that, saying you don’t have a future. you do draco, you deserve another chance and infinite amounts of them. was this what she meant? he’d been looking for another chance, maybe this was it.
he shook his head no, and noticed his father had fallen a shade of pale he didn’t know existed.
‘Draco, DRACO’ he yelled, clearly enranged, but before he could continue - a movement shifted in hagrids arms, and harry fell out. in a heartbeat draco threw his wand to the scar faced boy. he caught it, looking grateful as he could while casting some sort of spell at nagini. death eaters were disappearing into the air- including lucius, narcissa being dragged with him.
draco didn’t know what to do with himself, he was wandless and he couldn’t fight, unless he wanted to engage in an actual physical duel, which he didn’t. he found himself in the great hall, asking professor sprout if she needed help patching those up, she pulled him into a hug, unexpectantly. he never recalled such contact or connection with a professor. he spent the rest of the battle helping healing wounds with dittany, and caring for those left in the wake. it was a nice distraction from the fact he would most definitely be disowned, left a family-less orphan at 17.
-
y/n couldn’t blame him for not writing, he clearly stated that it might be the last time. but every night she cried until she couldn’t cry anymore, or until she fell asleep. how could she like him so much? they’d never even met. she didnt really need to see him to know him, his letters told him enough about him. and she could only hope- that if he managed through his six year without killing his headmaster, he could make it through the war.
-
he delayed going back to the manor for as long as possible, until he decided to apparate directly into his room. he considered packing his things up, but realized no one was home. he was thankful, he don’t think he would ever be able to fully confront his parents again. he fell asleep in his bed, and slept for 48 hours straight. he slept through very vivid dreams, ones of y/n being tortured the same way as Hermione, ones of the dark lord coming alive once again and killing his mother because of his choices. he couldn’t bring himself to sleep again purposefully, no matter how exhausted he was. the days weren’t much better, his mind raced at unbelievable paces. he saw the dead bodies laying around the great hall, the unrecoverable ones. maybe he should have just fallen into the fire, surely that would have been easier. he was slowly becoming thinner, and always needed multiple blankets to even stay at a somewhat warm temperature, his heart beat faster than normal. he often felt pains in his neck, and his eyes were almost always puffy from crying. he spent so much time in bed he almost didn’t hear his owl flutter onto his nightstand mid afternoon, a small package tied loosely around his neck.
he opened it to see a letter, muggle candies and a worn book. suddenly he felt more awake, and be shot up a little to fast then he should have, sitting on the edge of his bed.
draco.
i don’t know where you are, or if youre alive, if youre reading this now. i hope this doesn’t arrive at a bad time. but your 18 now, so happy birthday. if you are seeing this, i still love you. i think about you all the time. i hope you are okay, and safe. in case you don’t end up writing me back, i just thought I’d give you some random information to keep you company and away from your mind. i graduate tomorrow. i look at your picture everyday. I remember what you once told me about following my dreams, so instead of medicine, im going to study literature and business next year. im staying in kelowna aswell for now, hoping maybe you’ll be able to visit someday. im sure you’d like it. my favourite colour is still green. i don’t know what else to say.
always here to listen if you’d like to talk. yn.
was it actually his birthday? had it already been a month since the war? it felt like a year but the visions played over and over like it was yesterday. it took him awhile before it clicked. the war was over, Voldemort was dead and there was no one to stop him from seeing her. he completely disregarded the lightheaded feeling he got when he stood up to fast- and rushed to his wardrobe. it took him a bit longer than he thought to pack up all his clothes, including the thousands of letters he kept hidden in a large drawer. the trunk was a bit heavier than he may have thought, and he ended up needing to take a car, in fear that he may not be able to apparate successfully to the airport without injuring himself. he quickly found out that muggle travelling was harder than he thought, and security and customs were also apparently a thing that all people needed to get through.
he wrapped himself in his cloak and didn’t get a drop of sleep the whole plane ride. it was nighttime when they flew over montreal, and then toronto. the sun rose as they crossed through winnipeg, regina, and calgary. he didn’t know this himself ofcourse, but he aggressively hit the map on the screen in front of him, desperate to know where he was. he only got an hour of half decent sleep before he felt rattling of the plane landing, and he gripped tightly onto the arm rests. he struggled for half an hour before he even got sight of his luggage on the moving thing that went round and round. compared to London, kelownas airport was very small and easy to navigate. the air outside was hot, making draco feel even more self concious about his clothing choices.
-
y/n put her hair back into a twist with a clip taking a suprising amount of effort to make sure it looked okay. her makeup was natural looking, nothing crazy but she looked gorgeous none the less. she slipped into her black romper, some canadians didn’t wear their fancy dresses to convocation, only something simple to go with the cap and gown. she arrived at the ceremony, seeing everyone, with excited smiles and laughs, conversing amongst themselves. and every memory came rushing back. they sat in rows on a stage, listening to the heartfelt and extremely cheesy speech the staff made every single year. she’d never noticed how many kids were in her age group until they were being called up one by one.
‘alex can’
‘ruth lee’
and the list went on and on until finally
‘y/n l/n’ the moment had come, and she shook everyone’s hand, receiving her diploma and flipping her caps tassel to the left. ‘y/n is staying around next year, and attending the university of british columbia okanogan, good luck l/n’ her principal said and claps continued like they had and the rest of the list finished sooner, or seemed to go by faster, she wasn’t sure. 
-
draco had never had to find a taxi by himself, but once he did he gave the driver the only place he knew, the address he saw on the top corner of her first response almost two years ago.
-
y/n pulled away from the school grounds, watching them disappear in her rear view mirror. it was hot with a breeze, but she smiled the whole way home. she’d done it, made it through every assignment and class, dealt with attention hungry bitches, and crappy teachers. the next door was truly opening. pulling up to her house, and closing her car door as she hopped out, she watched her feet carry her up to the house. turning the corner, she saw him, sitting there on her steps, a present wrapped horribly in his hands, looking very out of place in his black cloak. she stopped in her own steps and he hesitantly stood up, before she launched herself into his arms breathing in his cologne, finally together after all this time.
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Text
To the Rhythm of the Ocean
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Pairing: Jake Kiszka/reader
word count: 2,226
warnings: first person POV, the reader is mentioned to be an artist and bisexual but it is not important to the plot. Other than that its just a fluffy day at the beach. 😊
A/n: at last, I finally wrote a fic. It is extremely self-indulgent and was inspired by some anons that @safari-karrot got that I definitely did NOT send ;). I also want to thank Kate for being my beta! I worked pretty hard on it and im proud of it. Hope you enjoy!
-----------
Walking into the elevator of my apartment complex, I was able to let my shoulders relax and my guard down for the first time all day. The day at the studio was intense today, and for all the wrong reasons. No matter how much I tried, I wasn’t able to create anything, as if all of the motivation and drive to do my work had burned out. I was burnt out. I was lucky enough to score an apartment next door to a pair of twins, Jake and Josh, who quickly became good friends. And even more fortunate, they had come back home this week from recording with their band, which meant I could spend my afternoon with them instead of alone in my own apartment. 
I entered my house and set my bags and work down on the dining table. It was impossible to make out where the table was under pile of unfinished sketches and work plans, but that was a tomorrow problem. I put on the kettle to make some tea and shot Jake a text asking if I could come over. 
  Jake... in the last couple of years that i have known the twins, the have become an indispensable part of my life. We take turns cooking for the three of us and hosting movie nights, an even go do laundry together. Having them away for so long felt like a hole had been carved out of my soul, and it also made my harboring crush on Jake ache deeper and deeper. He was unlike anyone I had ever met, we understood each other in a way I never thought I would have with anyone, yet he was still an enigma. He was insanely talented and driven, and he was smart. And kind. And funny. And extremely easy on the eyes. I would never tell him this though, his friendship is all I can get, and I’ll learn to live with that. 
His text came back telling me that his door was open. I finished and drank my tea, washed my face, changed into more comfortable clothes, and made my way next door. 
When I came into the twins’s apartment Jake was sitting on the sofa playing his guitar, a small notebook sat on his lap. At my entrance, he sent a smile my way, but continued playing. 
“Where is Josh?” 
“He’s out filming. Why, did you need him?” 
“No, just wonderin’.” 
“You know, if you just want to hang out with me to try to get into my brother’s pants, you could have just told me. And I want no part of it. Here I was thinking we were best friends.” He teased and wiped fake tears from his eyes, but his smile said that he was just messing. That did not, however, stop my nerves. Best friend.
“I do not want to get into your brother’s pants, Jake. They wouldn’t fit me.” I took of my boots and plopped on the couch next to him. “I’m your best friend?! What about Josh, Danny and Sam?”
“That’s different, they’re my brothers.”
“Hm... I guess you’re a fine friend too, one could even say the best one I’ve had.” Friend. 
“And the best one you’ll ever have.” He set his guitar down to his other side, “how was the studio today? Any new paintings?“ 
I let out an exasperated sigh “I wish. I am incredible burned out, I can barely even pick up a pencil! I have gotten close to nothing done all week and Rachel keeps asking me out, I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Rachel? What did you say?” If I didn’t know better I would’ve thought I saw pain flash across his face.
“I told her no, but that is besides the point. I’m just so out of it...” 
“You do look like you need some adventure.”
“You could say that” 
“You know what?” He got up from the couch and pulled me to stand with him. “I’ll give it to you. Go get dressed, I’ll get everything ready.” 
  “What? Where are we going?”
“If i tell you it wont be a surprise. Now go to your house and get ready.” 
“Then what do I wear?”
He seemed to think about it for a while, then said “something comfortable, but tropical.” 
“Jake, that tells me absolutely nothing—“
“You’ll figure it out. Now leave, and don’t come back unless you’re on party business.” It was futile to keep going so I just stuck my tongue back at him and walked out of the door and into my apartment. 
I settled on wearing a short blue sundress, boots, and a pair of sunglasses. I walked back into his apartment to find Jake in the shortest shorts i have even seen him wear, an unbuttoned white shirt, and his signature combination of necklaces and a bucket hat. “Are those Sam’s?” 
“No, I own shorts too.” He put down two boxes on the coffee table and looked me over once. “That is exactly what I meant! Now carry this to the car.” He handed me a box full of snacks and drinks and we made our way down to the car. 
I rode shotgun. He still refused to tell where we were headed. No matter how much I pushed and tried to wear him down, he just said to wait and find out. We got busy talking and listening to music and I gave up asking. Instead, I admired the scenery passing around us, and I admired Jake, with the windows down, his hair wild in the wind, and rocking out to our playlist. He had the ability to make me happy by just taking me on a drive. He didn’t even have to try. 
Eventually the buildings turned into trees, and the trees to palm trees, until finally we arrived at a clearing by the ocean. Jake parked the car, “We’re here!”
“You brought me to the beach!” He brought me to the beach! The ocean! The one place I loved most in the world. “I could marry you right now!” I threw my arms around him and jumped out of the car. My boots were off in a second and by the next my feet were already in the water. Jake did the same before joining me at the shore. 
“So, was it a good surprise?” I could hear his smile without even looking at him. And he knew the answer before I even spoke.
“The best! Thank you, Jake. Really.” 
We set on an easy pace through the shore, side by side. Each picking out seashells and skipping rocks on the water. The sun wasn’t unbearable, for it was afternoon. The sky was blue and almost cloudless, the only thing that altered it were the shapes of birds flying overhead. The sand was coarse and stuck to our feet, but it wasn’t burning. The sea... it was an array of the bluest blues one could imagine, all coexisting for our pleasure. Jake was glowing,  and I must have been too, I was incandescently happy. 
Back at the car, I set out our snacks and liquor while Jake put in some music. Halfway through our first meal and first bottle, Jake turned up the radio, and waited for my reaction.
“I love this song!”
“I know you do, thats why I put it.” He took our food and put it away on the roof of the car; and for the second time today, pulled me by the hand to stand. “let’s dance” 
His touch sent electric currents up my back. Best friend. “this song isn’t danceable, Jake!”
“It is if we want it to be.” And he held my hand in his and dragged me towards the clearing. The breeze was calming, the sea was a splendid blue. The waves lapped at the shore, not strong enough to disrupt our song.
Turns out, the song was danceable after all; and so were all the others that came after it. We held each other while we took turns twirling and laughing, belting our lyrics and acting out the drama of the songs. Every lick of his fingers on my skin left a burning sensation, yet I couldn't get enough. If he knew what this was doing to me... If he knew I was drunk on him and falling on every shared glance, every smile, every touch. 
The sun started its descend and our dancing got closer. He held his hands of my waist, my chest pressed against his, my hands on his shoulders as we swayed around our little ballroom of a clearing. My spine tingled, with every inhale, I got drunk in his scent of pine and peppermint.   
We got lost in our dancing, and then he got lost in the horizon. The sky had started to turn all shades of orange and pink, the water glimmered upon our eyes like tiny mirrors. A pelican flew over us and dived into the water in search for dinner. 
We had stopped moving, yet his hands remained placed at the small of my back, he looked at ease. My fingers twirled a strand of his hair, he didn’t mind. 
He looked like he belonged in the landscape, to the oranges and pinks that tinted the sky, he belonged to nature.
And I belonged looking at him, within arms reach yet so unattainable. He would always be a mystery. There was always more to him than met the eye, and even after years of knowing him, I hadn’t deciphered him completely. And I didn’t intend to, he was just like that. And he wasn’t mine to understand like that. 
If all I would get were stolen glances with the setting sun as out witness, I’d take it. Because right here, right now, the sight before me was one to behold. Jakes eyes were transfixed on the horizon, his mouth agape. The sun was finally hiding behind the waves, which mean our day was coming to an end. I tried not to think about it, I wouldn’t let the sun steal the light of this day from me. Ocean breeze ruffled his long hair, and as I saw the last light of day melt into his golden brown eyes, I knew that home wasn’t a place. Home is a person. And he was mine. But he would never know, for I doubted I’d be his. 
I was thrown out of my daydream when he slightly pulled back and chuckled. “ So home is a person, huh?” 
“I— “ I said that out loud. Shit shit shit. I just stared at him like a deer in the headlights. There was no way to dig myself out of this, so I remained silent. Though my hear was beating like a drum and I was certain that he could feel it due to how close he still held on. Best friends don’t say that. 
There was a shit-eating grin on his face, one that said he certainly knew what was going through my head. Instead of taunting me further, he said the words I’d most longed fo hear. 
“Then you are certainly mine” 
Nothing could stop the smile that broke out across both of our faces at that.  “And you mine” 
Before he had time to reply, I grabbed his face and pulled his lips to mine. There was static in the air, his lips were incredibly soft and tasted of coffee and chocolate. His mouth moved with expertise against mine, he held me close. Closer. Closer even still, until there was no space left between us. My heart was pounding, he licked at my bottom lip asking for entrance, which I gave, and deepened the kiss. My hands held on to him tightly, as if he would disappear would I let go. He dipped me slightly and I swore I would fall on the sand if he hadn’t held me. The purple sky could’ve turned bright yellow and I would have paid no attention. 
We pulled apart for air and the sun was completely gone. 
“Jake, I—“
“I know, I feel it too. I have for a while.”
“I was so scared that you wouldn't. Ive felt this way for you for the longest time, I—” 
“But I do!” 
“But you do!”
He pecked my lips and whispered close to my ear “And if you want, we’ll make it official. Right now. You and me, and a million sunsets to come.”
“I’m yours for as long as you want me, Jake.”
“And I’m yours forever, y/n. Even when i’m far away.” 
No words could describe what I felt. It’s as if my blood was replaced by honey and my ribcage contained the moon in all her love and glory.  “I wish I could stay here forever, in this moment. With you, and round the world.”
“Check the trunk.” He smiled too wide and untangled his arms from mine.
I reluctantly let go of him and walked towards the car. He tossed me the keys and I popped the trunk open to see the second box Jake hadn’t let me look into. I opened it and found all sorts of camping gear: One tent, two sleeping bags, toiletries, even pajamas. Jake creeped up behind me and slid his arms around my waist. I turned around with an incredulous grin.
“Is that a tent?!”
“That is a tent, sweetheart.”
The end.
—- A/N: I literally CANNOT write unless its in 1st POV. This is 100% self-indulgent, and I have no idea how to write a kiss. Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! 
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urmomsstuntdouble · 4 years ago
Note
If ur still doing the 100 followers thing, well I challenge YOU with deciphering Lithuania.
ok anon thank you so much for asking this question because i have in fact recently fallen in love with lithuania, because they are such an interesting character! (also hhhh im so sorry for how late this is) 
Gender
As you may have noticed, I usually use they/them pronouns to refer to Lithuania. I hc them as being nonbinary and using he/they pronouns, though I personally prefer to use they rather than he in that case because. Idk what pronouns you use. But in my experience it’s really hard to get people to call you ‘they’ when you go by ‘he/they’ or ‘she/they’ or smth like that. Though I don't imagine any of the nations are very attached to their “birth gender” (are nations born???), lithuania is one of those who is a bit less attached. They’re just sort of there, in terms of gender. In my headcanons i also think this has something to do with religion, as lithuania was one of the last european countries to convert to Christianity- just because so much of gender as we know it comes from christianity and what people in the 16th and 17th centuries considered a ‘good’ christian. Thats not to say that there are no gender roles in other religions, but that the way westerners typically conceptualize gender has quite a lot to do with the religious conflicts occurring within christianity. Like you can trace the ideas behind the nuclear family archetype back to the protestant reformation. Additionally, I hc them as being Jewish, which further distances them from the western christian gender roles (though that’s not why i hc them as jewish! More on that later). Finally, i just like myself some trans/nb characters. There’s so few popular trans hcs and that makes me kinda sad ya know? Welcome to the trans agenda its just me projecting onto all my faves
Mental Health
Okay, so, i think it’s pretty well known that lithuania’s mental health is wack. They’re often characterised as being a very anxious person, but i think the ways in which they’re anxious is super interesting. For one, they are extremely conflict averse and like to avoid it by being a sort of people pleaser. It’s a sort of defense mechanism, because nobody can hate you if you do whatever they say. Like, if you let people be shitty to you, they won’t hate you for your personality. This is clearly flawed logic because then people are still going to be shitty to you, but. It makes sense to liet. In their mind, it’s okay to let people hurt if your reason is sound enough- Because if they’re not super emotionally engaged in a relationship that’s unhealthy for them, then they can’t get hurt, right? Of course, they can. A good example of this is their relationship with Russia. I think tolvydas sees compliance as necessary there, in order to avoid being hurt. The thing is…compliance is also hurting them, even if they see it as ‘worth it.’ To them, behaving in a submissive way is a survival tactic. A really bad one, but a survival tactic nonetheless. 
This also plays into their tendency to be self-martyring. I think Tolvydas is very good at fighting, and all around a really awesome warrior (strong aragorn energy), which makes them think that they need to be the one to save everyone. Hero complex, sort of. This, coupled with their almost maternal care for Latvia and Estonia, makes them feel like they have a sort of weight-of-the-world on their shoulders. Though Estonia and Latvia do look up to them a lot, Tolvydas can sometimes fail to realise that they are also their own people and can fight their own battles. He feels a sort of obligation to protect them due to their shared culture and languages as The Baltic Trio, though it doesn’t go much further than a sense of obligation. They spent most of their youth fighting, to the extent that that’s most of what Tolvydas personally knows as ‘life,’ but they never actually got to know the other two Baltics very well until the modern day. They have to protect, have to be a caregiver, but they don’t actually know super well the things they’re trying to protect. It’s both a sense of obligation to protect as well as the sense that this is all they’re good at and as long as they’re fighting for a morally just cause, that’ll do. 
I think something that would expose this flaw would be when they were first taken over by the Russian Empire in the 1790s, they were pretty miserable about a lot of things- Like the loss of all their territory and the sudden statelessness of their people- but a big one would’ve been the loss of Poland. This isn’t meant to be super shippy, but you know. They were united into one kingdom, and they had been for centuries, so i don’t imagine it was an easy separation. Though this is more up for debate where real people are concerned, these characters were essentially a big part of each other, ya know? Regardless of how much Lithuania actually likes Poland, they’re still a part of each other and that separation will undoubtedly be painful. Anyway, all that is to say that this separation was at the forefront of their mind during the beginning of the 19th century, and they let it sort of prevent them from taking care of the other Baltics. The issue with that is that they still considered themself to be protecting Estonia and Latvia, even though, in reality, nobody was. Also in reality, Lithuania was making themself out to be the worst off, and were generally sort of annoying to be around at this point in time. Their whole woe-is-me attitude wasn’t fun, and they were hypocritical in that they saw themself as being a better friend than they actually were. They still see themself as being a great friend, and though it’s improved in recent years, they’re still sort of. Flighty, i guess, where friendship is concerned. There was also a lot of annoyance by the other baltics about them being so self-martyring- Tolvydas was Ivan’s favorite, after all (that’s not necessarily a good thing, but. He was softer on them in certain ways). Anyway, I guess the big takeaway of this paragraph is that Liet often lets their self perception cloud the way they act in relationships. 
Much of the stuff I’ve mentioned so far is a result of them having quite a lot of PTSD. I think Lithuania’s character tends to be explored through a few common lenses, those being the medieval vibes of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and through being oppressed by the Russian Empire/Soviet Union. Not to say that there’s not a lot of other content about them, but this is what I see most often. I think that all the nations have some form of PTSD, but with Lithuania it’s very pronounced, and it’s made clear that a lot of their tendencies are a result of past trauma- Like the need to take care of others. This is likely originating with their childhood, as they grew up in a very violent environment where their survival was never guaranteed (survivor’s guilt much?) and violence was just the way of things. This is where the need to protect comes from. There used to be several more Baltic nations, though you could argue that now there’s only two- Lithuania and Latvia, as Estonia does not speak a Baltic language and would really like to be considered Nordic. 
Finally, Lithuania is also an interesting character where forgiveness is concerned. I think their sense of morality is very black and white, so some people (Feliks) will be easily forgiven where others (Ivan) will not. In reality, I think it would definitely be valid for Tolvydas to hate both of them, yet they don't- Because they decided that Feliks was a friend and Ivan was not. Both Feliks and Ivan care very deeply about them, but neither treats Tolvydas in a very good way. Of course, I’m aware that the situation in the Russian Empire/USSR and the Commonwealth were very different, but I’m talking about these three dudes and their relationships with each other beyond the lens of politics. Because Feliks tried to be their friend in a way that didn’t hurt them tremendously, and because. Look at them, Feliks isn’t 5’4 and can’t hurt you. They’re not an intimidating person and they’re not incredibly powerful like Ivan is. Though that’s not all of it- Feliks’ feelings for Tolvydas are definitely a purer, more selfless type of love than what Ivan feels for them- it makes it harder for Tolvydas to hold a grudge against them. Whereas for Ivan, their relationship was about control. He needed to control them as a way of expressing how he felt about them. He represents a lot of what Tolvydas fought against in their youth, so of course they hate him. Of course, I don’t think they like holding grudges. They want to be able to care for everyone, because they know that everyone deserves to be treated well and cared for and all that. You can't exactly do that if you hold a grudge against someone, so it actually kind of sucks for them when they see someone they hate suffering. It’s a sort of conflict of interest- The caregiving instincts vs the hatred for this person- and they often don’t know what to do in that situation. Usually they wind up helping but not happy about it. They just don’t want to see others suffer, despite the fact that they dislike this person (Russia is of course the exception. They don’t want to help him at all anymore). 
Relationship with family
So, this is a bit of an interesting topic. I think the Baltics consider themselves family just because of what they’ve been through together, but they’re not actually blood related. Though they share similar cultures, and languages, they’re just not related. Maybe Lithuania and Latvia are cousins, but yeah. Lithuania sees themself as the head of their little family, as they have the oldest surviving European culture and language. They sometimes get in their head about that, and can act like both a mom friend and a mom who is bad at mom-ing. It’s a sort of self appointed thing, and can be really annoying to the other two. They don’t pay the utmost attention to their fellow Baltics, and are more concerned with physical well being than emotional well being, so, despite establishing themself as a caretaker, do not wind up actually caring for the other Baltics in the ways they need to be cared for. 
Fighting style
So, as I’ve mentioned, Lithuania is a talented fighter. They go hard as shit, and can very much kick your ass. I think they prefer to be very technical about how they fight, with something boring like a broadsword as their weapon of choice, but are not afraid to fight dirty. Like rip off an ear with their teeth kind of playing dirty. I think they take fighting very seriously. Though Lithuania as we know it is only about 800 years old, I think Tolvydas is much older. The definition of a nation (a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory, according to the oxford dictionary) does not require there to be a central governing body, so I think it’s quite possible for Lithuania to be well over 2000. Anyway, all that is to say that they didn’t grow up in medieval times, so by the time they’re like. Achieving dominance in Eastern Europe, they’re already very old and well versed in many different styles of fighting. In the modern day, I think they’ve learned more different fighting styles from other parts of the world, but will always fall back on the way they learned how to fight in ancient times. 
Religion
So as I mentioned earlier, Lithuania is Jewish in my headcanons (orthodox, specifically. I think they're kinda traditional). I have a couple reasons for this- There has been a historical presence of Ashkenazi Jews in Lithuania, going back to the 13th or 14th century, and this is due to certain legal protections granted to Jewish people under pre-Commonwealth law. They were legally on similar footing to the average free people of Lithuania, and were able to create a slightly more prosperous community than Jews in other areas of Europe. This was also affected by the Black Plague of the 1340s. Orthodox Jews tend to put a high value on cleanliness, and often have two sinks in their houses (my childhood home, for example, had two sinks, and i lived in a majority jewish area). They also happened to be concentrated in Eastern Europe, due to the protections. Because of this, Eastern European Jews have some of the highest sruvival rates for the Black Plague and actually brought up the survival rates of the region as a whole- Though this also resulted in some intense antisemitism, as many Christians blamed Jewish people for the plague even happening, due to their higher survival rates. Despite various expulsions  and the loss of legal rights, the Jewish population remained relatively steady up until world war 2. Jewish people made up about 10% of the total population of Lithuania in 1941, and 45% of the total population of Vilnius. (To put this in perspective, the entire world population is only about 0.2% Jewish). Anyway, all this is to say that it’s not out of the question for Lithuania to be Jewish. 
Extras/Fun stuff
Lithuania loves reading, especially the fantasy/fairy tale genre. It makes them nostalgic without the trauma of reading historical fiction. 
They’re also very musically gifted, and can play the piano, bass, ukelele, and flute. 
They wear docs.
They love hot chocolate. 
They remind me of both Aragorn from lotr and Hozier. They’re such a sweet lad. 
Bicon who has like 5 people thirsting for them at a given moment but is either oblivious or not looking for a relationship right now. 
Here are my fics with lithuania as a main character!
My previous character analyses of lithuania (sorry they’re mostly in shipping contexts, rip) and another good analysis someone else did
My playlist for them
and i think thats it! of course i could always talk more about them, but those are my thoughts for now! thank you so much for the ask, i hope i was able to meet your challenge! 
writing requests
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yugyummygot7reactions · 5 years ago
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Behind The Curtain - Prologue
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| Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Epilogue | 
Updates are Sundays at 5pm PST!
Characters: Got7 x You Genre: No Genre for Prologue, Chapters will all be Smut Warning(s): None this time ;D Word Count: 934
You have one job, figure out who in the Got7 gang are beyond saving. The government agency you work for decided that the gang has gone too deep into the world of crime and need to be stopped. Instead of wiping them all out, you have been tasked to figure out which of the members are truly dark and evil, and which ones can still be saved to be used by the agency for good. You can only think of one way to do that…
The silence in the room was deafening as you took the time to decipher yet another coded message from your handler. This was the fifth one in less than  3 weeks and it was starting to get suspicious. While to anyone else these looked like loving and concerned letters from your mother, there was a code hidden inside, one that had been drilled into your brain since you joined the agency 6 years ago. 
You had only been in the Got7 gang for 2 years, and while your carefully executed bond with the two youngest founders helped you to rise up in the ranks quickly, you knew that some people found it suspicious and kept a close eye on your every move. 
There were close to a hundred members of the Got7 gang right now, and you were one of only 4 advisors with tier 2 security clearance. The top clearance level was restricted to only the 7 division heads. 
Im Jaebeom, aka JB, the leader that everyone obeyed without question. He handled all raid decisions, major business deals, and had final say on promotions in the gang.
Mark (Yien) Tuan, the surveillance specialist. He constantly monitors the base and every mission. He uses sensors and cameras to make sure everything is always in its place. He also handles strategy and the planning of missions with JB. He maps out routes and hacks to make sure the enemy cameras never see Got7 coming.
Park Jinyoung, the head of medical research and emergency care, he took care of acquiring medications, experimenting with new chemical combinations to enhance the body, and he handled all of the serious injuries that came back from missions.
Jackson (Jiaer) Wang, the recruitment and training head. He finds new members of the gang, makes sure they are up to snuff, and gets them to the high standard of the founders. He also recommends placements of each new recruit after they get through training. 
Choi Youngjae, the business lead. He is in charge of not only the relationships with other gangs, but he makes sure that the rest of the world sees Got7 as a legitimate business. His cheerful personality was the perfect front for the outside world and no one ever questions it. 
Bam Bam, the weapons specialist. He could acquire any kind of weapon you could want. He is also in charge of modifying weapons, working with poisons, and developing new kinds of weapons to throw off other gangs. He loves his toys and will spare no expense on them. 
Kim Yugyeom, the interrogator. He was in charge of getting as much information as he could from any and all prisoners. He used any methods necessary and never failed to get what his leader asked of him. 
Taking a deep breath, you looked around the dark room again. There were cameras in the base everywhere and you didn’t know for sure if there were any in your bedroom, so deciphering these messages had to look as plain as possible. After waiting until you knew for sure that Mark was asleep, you opened the letter from “your mom” and began deciphering. 
“Y/N, 
2 years on this mission has been too long. You are needed elsewhere. You have one week to give us an answer on who to save and recruit or we get you out of there and wipe them all out. We understand your concern about needing time to find if they can be rehabilitated, but you know the signs to look for. We only want the leaders who won’t run right back into the underworld when we give them a taste of freedom after their new training. We know you want to save them all, but remember, not everyone is worth saving. Good luck and we will see you in a week. 
Love, Mom”
You folded the letter and sighed. You knew this letter would be coming soon. The letter you got earlier in the week reminded you that this was supposed to be no more than a 12 month mission. What the agency didn’t understand is that even being a high level advisor and knowing almost all of the ins and outs of the gang, all of the leaders kept a constant front up in front of you. It was like being stuck behind a heavy curtain. If you spend enough time with the curtains closed, all you see is the carefully decorated room around you, but if you open the curtains, will you see sunlight or darkness? 
There was more hidden by the leaders that they only showed each other in their private meetings, and you needed to find out what those secrets were. You needed to get those curtains opened for each and every one of them.
After sitting and thinking about how you were going to find out each leader’s hidden side in a week after being unsuccessful for the last 2 years, you decided to take a walk through the base. Maybe something you stumble across would spark an idea. 
After wandering the halls of the high level living quarters, you hear a noise coming from a room you know to be Mark’s bedroom. You walk over and peek through the slightly cracked door before quickly looking away to catch your breath. That slight glimpse of the man in his room made you realize exactly what you needed to do. 
When is a person at their most vulnerable? When do they let their walls down the most? When could you see deep into their soul without alerting them of your true intentions?
During Sex. 
_______________________________________________________________________
That’s it My Lovelies!!! The prologue! I hope you like this story!! It will be 90% smut from here on out, but I think you’ll like where it’s going. 
Next week will be Mark’s ‘evaluation’. What do you all think? Will he be Light or Dark? 
Let me know!!!
~LoLo
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dracosearlgreytea · 5 years ago
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indelicate marks (5)
indelicate marks: chapter five - the first lesson
A/N: here is chapter five! if you have had enough patience to get to here i am very proud and i thank you for putting up with so many arguments haha but dont worry very soon we shall be getting to the juicy stuff! its only the beginning! lots of love - ivy 
warnings: language, pretty awful bullying, implications of suicidal thoughts, draco being mean, everyone is mean, but especially draco (im sorry)
lovely tags: @h-annahayy @okaydraco @fanficflaneuse
indelicate marks index 
Undeniably, you were utterly and completely terrified of Occlumency. The entire act of it threw you back into the Easter holidays of your previous year at Hogwarts. Hours and hours of having your parents force their way into your mind, digging through every memory and every thought. Every time it left you sobbing, shaking, begging for them to stop, often having to run to the bathroom and turn out your stomach. They were two strangers, really. You'd been a year old when they'd been sentenced to life in Azkaban. Two strangers, rummaging around in your head. You were equally terrified of having to let Draco rummage through it, too. After having counted down every day till your decided meeting, there was a slight tremor in your hand to compliment the nausea sitting in your stomach as you climbed the shifting stairs. You were grateful that everyone was in the Great Hall and wouldn't be able to see the direction you headed. Not that anyone would take notice. Not unless they'd found some new threats to hurtle at you, anyway. Although you tried very hard not to, you seemed to have taken up a new habit of paying attention to Draco and his ever worsening appearance over the past few weeks. It was as though he got more and more exhausted every day, and whilst you could feel a very similar phenomenon within yourself, the fact that Draco Malfoy was so concerned about... Whatever it was he was dealing with, was making you - as much as you loathed to admit it - worry. Not just for whatever chaos would surely ensue from it. Of course, it was bound to be related to the mark on his arm, which only made you worry more. What the hell had happened to him over the summer? Worrying about Draco and whatever his involvement with the Dark Lord was only seemed to make your own anxieties multiply. It was a spiral, a steep and downward spiral, that left you with that constant sick feeling. It was as though you were falling, slowly and quickly all at the same time. You had a million questions for him that you would never allow yourself to ask, and he would most certainly not ever answer, but they echoed in your mind into the night, keeping you tossing and turning in your bed. Did he take it willingly? No, surely not, or he wouldn't have been crying about it that time in the bathrooms. Would Draco have just let someone give him that mark? And who did? Does Voldemort have to give each Deatheater a mark individually? Oh, shit, what if I have to actually meet the Dark Lord? No, that doesn't make sense... On, and on. Hesitation overcame you as you finally arrived outside the classroom door and you had to take a deep breath to settle your nerves before you pushed it open. Dust shifted in the air as you entered, illuminated by the days last light, which flooded in through the broken, tinted windows. Desks still sat in rows, facing a chalkboard that would most likely never been used again, papers scattered and worn into the floor beneath your feet. "You're late." The drawl of an increasingly familiar voice still made you jump, and your eyes flicked to the edge of the room opposite you. You'd almost missed him, where he sat on the edge of a desk, partially hidden by the shadows. His wand hung from his fingers, and he flicked it up absentmindedly. "Colloportus." Behind you, the door clicked, locked. "Was that really necessary?" You muttered, edging away from the door, trying to ignore how the action made your heart rate increase. There was no escape. You were now locked in a room with Draco Malfoy - who, was about to delve into your most private thoughts - and was also a Deatheater.   He washed his grey gaze over you, eyes finally coming to meet yours piercingly, sending a small shiver down your spine. "Can't be too careful." He shrugged. Coming to stand a couple meters away from him, you inspected him, noting how pale he looked. More pale than usual. In fact, he looked as though he could have been sick.   "You look like you're about to fucking puke." Draco spoke again, monotone, snapping you back to the situation at hand as he withdrew. Looking you up and down, his lips dragged downward in a vague disgust. Feeling all too uneasy under his scrutiny, but passing off the feeling, you rolled your eyes. "Skip the niceties, by all means." Your mutter prompted him to smirk lightly, your gaze becoming all too focused on the way the corner of his lips then shifted upward. "I'm about to be inside your head. I wouldn't worry about niceties." Dread pooled in your gut at his blunt words, and you pulled your eyes away from him. Standing, he gave you another, rather condescending look. "You aren't about to puke, are you?" "No," You groaned, shooting him a glare. "Let's just - just get on with it." Draco only tightened his grip on his wand, adjusting his stance. "Clear your mind, and focus." Your chest was painfully tight, sending him a nod of acknowledgement. He seemed to take this as a prompt, as his wand came upward, and he spoke clearly. "Legilimens!" Panic flooded your being as his conscious plummeted into yours, thoughts loud and overbearing as you tried so hard to ignore them - but the feeling was overpowering, utterly overwhelming, and your parents voices were too loud in your ears again. Stop being so overemotional! Compartmentalise! It was too much.   The Forbidden Forest, third year. "Deatheaters like Dementors, don't they?" Laughs and shouts came from around you, their grips hard on your arms. They dragged you through the trees, your feet skimming over fallen branches, stopping you from struggling. You were shouting, protesting, but the grips were tightening more and more. There was a dip in the ground, and then you were falling, hitting the dirt with a thud and rolling over damp mud. "You'll be right at home with the Dementors. Mum and Dad ever talk about them?" Winded, you coughed, heaving as the cheers died down. Icy cold spread over your skin, the sound of deathly wheezing echoing in your ears. Footsteps, fell away and you ran your eyes over the lake - cloaked figures descending around you, predator to prey. You let out a choked sob, gripped with fear. Stumbling to your feet, you began to run, one of the vile creatures swooping in close. Your ears rang as it approached you, and the force of the kiss pushed you back to the ground. Terrified, you curled in on yourself, shivering and freezing. Just kill me, please, just kill me- Another dark blur, and then you were plunged into another setting before you could even attempt to take back an ounce of control. The Room of Requirement filled out around you, bursts of white light shooting across the room. Joy - it was such an unfamiliar feeling, but you welcomed it as your lips stretched into a grin. Hermione Granger shot you an equally wide smile as a bright, white otter swum around her, before jetting towards you, just missing you as your own patronus leaped up into the air. A laugh escaped your lips, echoing in your ears as you stared back at the creature, swiftly moving up, up, up, until - there was an awful shattering, the walls seeming to groan, lights flickering around you. The joy dissipated, and you were left with fear. Words scrawled across your hand, etched into your skin, burning. "Harry! Hey, Harry," You were in the hallway, now, after detention with Umbridge. The trio did not stop, Harry's head only turning briefly as you called. "I need to talk to you," You tried, rushing after them, and he finally stopped, only to spin and fix you with a stare. "It's over." He growled. "Stop making excuses. You told Malfoy, didn't you?" "No!" You begged. "How could you say it was me? You saw Cho-" "Don't bother talking to us again, Y/N." There was rage. A lot of rage, but it only simmered into a terrible self loathing, as you watched them walk away, burning inside. Smoldering. Before another memory could take the previous one's place, you threw yourself out of the memory violently. Stumbling away from him, you dropped to your knees, tears stinging your eyes. Bile burnt the back of your throat as gasping desperately for oxygen. That horrible feeling of rejection took a moment to fully fade, leaving you shivering and hiccuping as tears rolled down your cheeks. "Take your time." Draco sounded a lot closer than he was before, and you pushed yourself to sit upright. Dragging in long, deep breaths, your eyes shut as you wrapped your arms around your legs, curling in on yourself. Shockingly, he didn't have that usual taunt in his tone. When the dizziness finally passed, you dared to open your eyes, wiping your face and giving him a glimpse. Draco looked tense, features tight as he stared back at you. The look in his eye was intense - but other than that, you couldn't quite decipher what emotion it was reflecting. Before you could talk, he extended his hand, and you stared at it for a moment. The out of character act eased the knot of anxiety in your stomach, and you took it, allowing him to help pull you up off the floor, his eyes not leaving you once. Avoidant of that persistent gaze, you sighed. "What?" "What?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "If you've got something to say, then just bloody say it." You snapped, lips curling into a small frown. He continued to watch you, silent, for another second. "Why did you help Potter?" Draco asked, tone edged but not harsh. You blinked in surprise, lips forming a small frown. "What do you mean?" "You joined that group." He stated, as though his question had a very obvious answer. "Why? You get treated like shit by Mudbloods." Hesitating, you faltered, struggling to put words together as he continued to search your expression. "I - I guess I had something to prove," You began, carefully, narrowing your eyes at Draco. His eyes were piercing, brow furrowed with his arms crossed across his chest. "Why do you care, anyway?" "I don't." He spoke, quick, cold. "It just seems idiotic." A spark of anger flickered in your chest, and you tensed your jaw, head shifting to the side ever so slightly. "I don't need your input on my choices, Malfoy." You spoke low, warning, his eyes lighting up as his lips pulled into a small sneer of amusement at your tone. "No, I'm intrigued," Draco pushed, a cruel look flushing over his features. "Tell me why you'd want to fight for the side that took your family away from you." "Shut up." The anger was simmering, breathing shallow as you stared at him. "You really want to save the people that carved up your arm? Fed you to Dementors?" That smirk was vile as it crawled upon his lips, eyes set on you as you struggled to keep your emotions at bay, tears now stinging your eyes. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about." "Because as much as you try to, you're not going to get away from it." The grey in his eyes was cold, the smile falling, leaving him with a dead look that chilled you to the bone. "You're always going to be the daughter of two murderers." Ripping your wand out of your pocket, you flung a wordless spell towards him - he managed to react quickly, throwing himself out the way. The spell, instead, hit the wall, leaving the brick black and singed. Draco gaped, eyes wide, from you to the wall. "That could have killed me!" "You're pathetic." You spat, hot with fury. "You will never, never, understand what it's like to not have a choice." Something flickered in his eyes, and his features pulled in painfully tight. You faltered. You'd never seen him look so angry, except for perhaps the first time you'd seen him in the bathrooms. "You think I had a choice?" Draco hissed, eyes stormy as he glared at you. "You think I fucking wanted this? If I don't do this - my mother will die, I will die!" A terrible silence fell between you. Breathing shallow and heart hammering in your chest, you stared at him, horror settling in your chest. Draco seemed to be just as stunned, shoulders rising and falling harshly, rage still echoing in his now fallen expression. "Do what?" Your voice trembled as you spoke. His eyes darted away from you, before he became vacant again. "It's none of your business." He grumbled, stalking toward the door. "We're done for today." "Draco-" But he had already unlocked the door with the flick of his wand, and you came to stand in the doorway as he strode out the room, vanishing into the darkness of the corridor.
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thebluenoteblog · 5 years ago
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Give me That Title
Summary: You have been hooking up with Colton for months and though you have feeling for him you’ve known since the beginning what your relationship with him is. You’re okay with it. You’re also okay with being perpetually single. That is until you meet someone that makes you want to date for the first time in a while. Though Colton’s reaction to hearing about your date... well that’s more surprising than the fact that you decided to go on a date in the first place.
Player: Colton Parayko
Word Count: 5.1k
*Inspired by Meghan Trainor’s Title*
I know girls ain’t hard to find
If you think you want to try
Than consider this an invitation
To kiss my ass goodbye
You were on the floor in front of your floor length mirror, with makeup spread out on the floor all around you when your phone buzzed. You paused with the mascara wand next to your eye, finished what you were doing, reinserted the wand into the tube, screwed on the cap and then picked up your phone already having a pretty good idea of who it was.
Colton had just gotten back in town from his road trip earlier that day and odds were he wasn’t in the mood to go out partying tonight. He wanted someone to come to him. The most recent notification on your phone, right above a few from the NHL app was indeed a text message from Colton. You had been his most regular hook up for the past seven months and at some point, in that time he had given you his phone number when he got tired of dealing with snapchat.
If you were being fair, the two of you did a lot of talking to. If someone were to scroll through your text messages they would never know that you were just some twenty-one-year-old girl who had gotten caught up in a lifestyle that you had no business in. They would probably think that you and Colton were friends. Friends who just hung out a lot late at night.
You unlocked your phone, opened the text and scanned the message. You busy?
You glanced up into the mirror, at your half-done makeup. Yes.
His response was fast, like he’d been waiting for it. No, really. Do you want to come over?
Okay, if you were being fair, it was a very rare occasion that you passed him up on an offer to come over. You always responded to his messages and you were basically at his beck and call. Your only serious obligation was your college courses. Your work hours were pretty much ‘come and go as you please’ and so you did. Whenever Colton asked. He knew when you were in class and he knew it wasn’t now.
Being tied to a man who had no intention of ever committing to you wasn’t a huge issue for you. Committing your time to him wasn’t either because he was gone so much and spent so many nights out with the team that you could still have friends and a life of your own. Besides, you would be lying if you said you hadn’t hooked up with a few other people in the beginning just as he had. You assumed he still did, but you didn’t bother anymore, the sex didn’t compare.
Then two weeks ago, you met Chase. You were sitting at a coffee shop on Main Street, enjoying your tea when he had walked in. He’d sat down on the couch beside you as he drank his coffee. He turned to you, stared at your Blues t-shit for a moment and then said, “Can you believe how badly the Blues got it handed to them last night?”
You’d spent two hours talking after that, about anything and everything. He’d asked you out. You’d given him your number. Now you sat in front of your mirror getting ready for the first real date you’d been on in over a year since you had broken off your engagement and sitting there, on that couch next to Chase, in his faded St. Charles County Firefighter t-shirt, you’d realized something.
This thing with Colton wasn’t enough anymore. You wanted a real relationship. Someone you could imagine a future with and not roll your eyes at yourself for being ridiculous. Someone who would really love you and not just love getting you naked. Someone who saw in you whatever it was that Chase saw that made his eyes light up when he talked to you that day.
You wanted someone who would someday ask you to marry them. You would buy a house together. Make one of those salt plaster ornaments with your first house key to put on the tree that you would decorate together every year. Build a fence in the backyard for your dog and your kids to run around.
Maybe that would be Chase, maybe it would be the next guy you went out with, or the next. Maybe you would find him a year from now. But you knew one thing for sure. No matter how much you wanted him to be, no matter how much you loved Colt, he was never going to be that guy.
He would never commit to a girl who looked like you.
Hell, you didn’t think he was ready to commit at all, despite how nice of a guy he was and his picture-perfect image. He enjoyed living it up, he enjoyed his parties, he enjoyed his bunnies. A girlfriend would cramp his style.
You glanced down at your phone and saw that ten minutes had passed, you needed to hurry up and get your makeup done and you still had Colton to deal with. I can’t. I’m going out tonight.
Again, he responded before you could pick up your mascara to finish your other eye, so he must not have been doing anything. He was probably laying on the couch watching TV. Oh. Are you going out with (Y/F/N)?
You didn’t really think about what you were typing before you just hit send, you just did it and then dropped your phone before going back to your makeup. This time you finished all of your eye makeup and were on to your lips when your phone eventually buzzed.
It wasn’t until you picked it up that you read what you had sent him and actually felt a little bad. You knew you both saw other people. You knew you weren’t a couple and you were both free to do whatever you wanted, but neither of you ever made a point of talking about it. You only knew about it his exploits from the girls who bragged about it online and occasionally posted pictures of them together to corroborate their stories. No, (Y/F/N) is out of town. I have a date tonight.
He’d responded five minutes later with. You have a date?
You glanced at the message, not sure how to respond at first then decided on simply, Yeah, he’s really nice.
The dots appeared and then disappeared about five times before they stayed long enough for him to type out his response. You never go on dates.
You rolled your eyes. Leave it to a guy in the NHL to think he had a girl locked down because she didn’t go on other dates for a little while even though he was still fucking other people. I decided that I want something real. Is that so bad?
You finished your makeup and made it out to your car before he responded. I guess not.
If it ain’t no thing
Then I won’t be hangin around
But don’t be blowin up my shit at three am
Sayin how you need me now
You had now been out on two dates with Chase and Colton had coincidently texted asking you to come over as you were walking out the door to get into Chase’s truck the night you went out with him for the second time. He’d taken your rejection slightly less… diplomatically this time which was uncharacteristic for him. You’d only turned him down a handful of times, but you could never remember him being upset. He’d always continued to talk to you until one of you got too busy to hold up the conversation. This time though, he was clearly upset.
Can you come over? I have food that I shouldn’t be eating that you would love.
You smiled when you read the message, because it almost sounded like he was inviting you over for a date even though you knew that wasn’t what it was. You could still dream. Then you remembered that outside your apartment complex, Chase was waiting for you.
I’m sorry, I’d love to but I’m busy tonight. Raincheck?
He’d responded quickly like he didn’t even think about what he was saying before he said it, Big date tonight?
You narrowed your eyes at the phone. What’s that supposed to mean?
You waited for his response before you walked outside into the bitter February air. Nothing. I just wanted you to come over.
Now it was three in the morning and you were lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. Still thinking about how uncharacteristically spiteful Colton had been that night. Then your phone went off for the first time. You ignored it, because, well, it was three in the morning. But then ten minutes later it went off again. And five minutes after that it went off again. Not five minutes passed before there was another. Then soon after another alert. Finally, you sat up in a huff, grabbing the phone off your bedside table and unlocking it to see the notifications.
All messages from Colton and he appeared to be drunk. Very drunk.
(Y/N) r u home
i miss u
u should com over
r u still with him
u should be here instead
You squeezed your eyes shut then opened them to make sure you were reading the messages correctly. Is that why he had been so spiteful that night? Was Colt… jealous? You couldn’t go over to his house now, because regardless of what you suspected, nothing had changed. He wasn’t going to commit to you. He wasn’t going to give you that house together or the Christmas tree with the first key ornaments or the kids running around in the backyard. It just wasn’t in the cards for them. Besides, he was drunk off his ass right now. He would never, in a million years send u or r in place or you or are if he wasn’t well past the legal limit.
Colton, go to sleep. You’re drunk, you don’t know what you’re saying.
The dots appeared right away but it took him awhile to type the message.
i no wht im saying i miss u com over ur with him arnt u
It took you a moment to decipher the message but when you did, you sighed and responded carefully. Colt, I’ve been home since 10:00. I can’t come over, its already three in the morning and you’re so drunk you’ll be passed out by the time I get there. You won’t even be able to let me in.
He didn’t like that answer. ill take a shower to sober up before u get here
Colton.
fine goodnight
You sighed again, Goodnight Colt.
Don’t call me boo
Like your some kind of ghost
If you don’t want me seeing other guys,
Then here’s what you need to know
Come stay tonight.
It was just those three words. The team was leaving for a road trip and they had the next day off. You had always in the past cleared your schedule on those days for him if he asked you to. The two of you would stay in bed all day, you would cook for him when you got hungry and he would leave for the roadie the next day relaxed and happy. This had started off as an occasional arrangement but had become a routine and now almost every time he had a day off in town, this was the plan.
You cleared your schedule.
When you got to his house with your overnight bag, you had just knocked on the door when it opened. He was standing there looking perfect as ever in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, but his hair wasn’t styled like usual. It was tousled and limp like he’d been running his fingers through it enough to destroy whatever effect the gel had previously had on it.
He stepped to the side to let you in and closed the door behind you as soon as you were out of the way. He turned to face you, “I’m sorry… about the other night.”
You shrugged, not meeting his eyes, continuing to face the living room. You didn’t want to talk about this. You knew your time together was limited. This may very well be the last time they spent a night together before you had a boyfriend and you had to end… whatever this was. you didn’t want to spend it talking about what he’d said two nights ago and how he hadn’t meant it. How he was just drunk. “It isn’t a big deal.”
You slipped off your shoes, leaving them by the door. You always felt weird wearing shoes in his house, everything was so much more expensive than what you were used to. You walked away from him before he could say anything else, placing your bag on the couch and then leaning against the back of it and turning to watch him. He was frozen in place, staring at the spot you had previously been standing. After a minute he shifted his eyes to you and made his way into the living area.
He stood directly in front of you, with his hands in his pockets. He looked unsure for the first time since you’d met him, and you couldn’t quite figure out why. “I made dinner.” He said. “It’s almost ready.”
You furrowed your eyebrows at him, “You made us dinner?” You asked. “I always make dinner.”
“I know…” He said, he shifted, looking over her head at something in the distance, “I just thought… I don’t know. It was an early game and I got home at seven… I don’t mind cooking, so why not?”
You shrugged your shoulders, “I don’t know, I guess I just figured I would be cooking for you tonight.”
He looked down at you, meeting your eyes and smiling softly, “You don’t always have to do stuff like that. You can just come over and relax with me.”
Something was off. Colton was a nice guy. He was an amazing guy. But this was so far out of left field for your relationship that you didn’t know what you were dealing with. Then again, that’s how everything with him had been since the day you told him you were going on a date. He’d make sure to mark you up with hickeys everywhere when you hooked up the couple of times it had happened since. He was usually rough, but he never was one to leave dozens of hickeys all over you. Maybe one or two, nothing like that. His sideways remarks. Drunk texts. Now this?
You were in love with him. You had been for a long time and you knew it. Hell, you’d known when you let this start that you would fall in love with him. He was just the kind of guy you couldn’t help falling in love with. That’s why he had girls falling at his feet. He was a twenty-six-year-old professional hockey player, rich, attractive, with a great personality and he could have any girl he wanted. You never had any illusions that you would be the one to lock him down. Hell, at the time you weren’t even looking for a relationship. You were running from one.
But when he looked at you and said things like that, things like you can just come here to relax with me, it made you angry. Because you were in love with him. And when he said things like that and sent you a string of drunk texts at three in the morning, it gave you this irrational hope that he cared about more than just your pussy.
There was no way though.
And even if he did, did you want that life?
Constantly worrying about whether or not your boyfriend was with some other girl because he could have whoever he wanted? Always feeling like you weren’t good enough for him? Never being able to contribute equally to the household? Would he ever actually marry you even if he did date you? No. Probably not. You weren’t NHL wife material. Not pretty enough or classy enough.
But you smiled at him and pretended this battle wasn’t going on in your head and said, “Why don’t I help you finish cooking? I’m starving.”
After you ate, an amazing meal as it turned out Colton was actually quite the cook, when you made to help him with the dishes he turned around and set you on the island behind him, effectively banishing you from the soap. “I always help.” You protested.
“I’ve got it, (Y/N).” He said, his back muscles working as he washed a pot. “Just sit there and look pretty.”
You rolled your eyes, “As if that’s possible.” He turned to look at you over his shoulder, narrowed eyes and you bit your lip before responding, “Sorry, did I say that out loud?”
“Yeah. Don’t say it in your head either.” Then he went back to the dishes.
After the dishes were clean you expected to end up in the bedroom, but instead he guided you to the couch and handed you the remote, “What do you want to watch?”
You stared at the remote for a moment, then looked back at him. “I don’t know. I only watch movies in the theaters and I don’t think you’d like any of the shows that I watch.”
He frowned, “You only watch movies in theaters?”
“I don’t have the attention span to watch them unless I’m forced.” You said, “I’ll do anything to get out of it. Write, sleep, read, sex. Anything except watch the movie unless it’s a favorite and I’m in the mood to watch it. Which I’m not.”
“Okay, you like the Flames, right?” He asked. You nodded, “They’re playing now. Want to watch that?”
You smiled up at him, “That sounds awesome.”
By the time the game ended, you were curled into his side with his arm wrapped around you and you were ranting about every missed call while going on about Tkachuk’s game winning overtime goal. “Are you like this when you watch us play?” Colton asked, with a look in his eyes that you couldn’t identify and a smile on his face.
“Oh, I’m worse.” You said laughing and shaking your head, “When I lived with my sister she used to get so mad at me on nights you played late games because I would wake her up yelling at the TV.”
Colton placed a hand on your cheek and moved in. He pressed his lips to yours the same why he had so many times before, but this time if felt different. The kiss was long and slow and there were no hands pulling at clothes. One of his remained spanning your cheek and neck and the other rested on your waist, holding you in place.  Your hands, after the initial shock of the randomness of the kiss wore off, went up to his shoulders. He pulled you closer like he was afraid you were about to push him away, but you didn’t. You wouldn’t. You didn’t know if you knew how.
Especially not after the way this kiss made you feel.
You were the one to separate your lips, resting your foreheads together. Neither of you spoke for a stretch of time and the only sound filling the room was the Flames postgame in the background. Eventually he broke the silence. “I don’t like you dating other people.”
“Colton…” You said, squeezing your eyes shut. You didn’t want to hear this. You didn’t want him to tell you how he didn’t like seeing you with other people, but you could never be his. It wasn’t something you wanted to hear and if he said it… well if he said it you were going to have to get up and leave. You were going to have to end this.
“Please listen to me,” He said, his voice barely above a whisper but their faces were so close that you had no trouble picking up his words. “It hurts thinking about you dating someone else. It hurts thinking that I’m so close to losing you and if you don’t want me to stop you then there isn’t anything I can do about it.”
You pulled your forehead away from his and leaned back a little, looking at his hardwood floors, “Colton I can’t just be some girl that you call when you want to screw for the rest of my life.” You said it softly, but the words were harsh and he cast his eyes at the floor along with you, “I want something real. I want someone who is going to take me out on dates. We buy each other birthday presents. Set up a Christmas tree together every year. Have dreams of a future with each other in it. Someday I want a house with a backyard full of kids and a husband playing with them. I can’t have that if all I am is another girl who you mess around with but never want anything more from.”
When you were done he looked up at you and your eyes met. Before you could look away, he said, “But what if I want all of those things with you? What if I want something real too?”
Tears sprung to your eyes. Why was he doing this? Why couldn’t he just let you walk away when it was easier because you thought he would never love you. “Colt I don’t know if I’m cut out for that life. I’m just some girl who got caught up in a lifestyle she had no business being part of.”
“What’s so bad about it?” He asked, looking a little panicked. Like he hadn’t actually accepted the possibility of you walking away tonight for good. “Why couldn’t you date me?”
You shook your head, “I’ve been around your friends. They party. They drink. And athletes… they cheat. I know it’s a stereotype, but I would always be worried about it. Especially since the entire time we’ve known each other you’ve had the ability to just… do whatever you want. Besides the fact that I’m not pretty enough to ever be seen in public with you.”
Colton looked genuinely offended, “I don’t cheat. I never have, and I never will. I was raised better than that.” He placed a hand on your chin and forced you to look into his eyes, “And you are beautiful. I would take you everywhere. You would be all over my Instagram even.”
You blushed, “Colt…”
“(Y/N), give me a chance.” He said. “I messed up. I didn’t realize I was in love with you until someone else was already doing a better job at what should have been my job than I was. Please, let me fix it.”
You studied his face, trying to decide if he was serious. Trying to decide if you should give up what you saw in Chase for what you knew was there in Colton. There were obstacles, many of them, but if he was that determined to make it work then you would give it a try too.
“Okay, we can give it a real shot.”
I’m lovin’ what you got
But I’m hating what you doing
You gotta show me off, off
If you embarrassed,
Then thats the case I’m long gone
You’d been officially dating for four months now and things were going great. He knew how you felt about him going out drinking with the guys, so when he went, he invited you along. There were no more bunnies bragging about their conquest with him online, in fact they were beginning to suspect that he had settled down with someone. You were at every home game wearing his jersey with the other wives and girlfriend and even flown out to one of the away games. Pictures of the two of you together started appearing online, especially on websites that people used to track the habits of players and the speculation started.
Did Colton Parayko have a girlfriend?
The thing was, he wouldn’t confirm anything. People would tweet him, asking him about it. Nothing. People would message him on Instagram asking him about it? He ignored them. He posted a picture of himself with your dog on his Instagram and the comments were filled with the same question.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Is that your girlfriends’ dog?
Did your girlfriend take that picture?
Still he didn’t respond to any of them. You were beginning to wonder if it was because he was regretting his decision to enter a relationship with you. Was that what the issue was? Was he embarrassed of you? He’d promised that you would be all over his Instagram, but he hadn’t even let you tag them in a picture together. Did he wish he’d found someone more conventionally beautiful?
You were scrolling through a speculation post when he sat down beside you on the couch. “What are you reading?” He asked, looking over your shoulder.
You quickly locked your phone and dropped it into your lap, “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
He narrowed his eyes at you playfully, “I know your password and my arms are longer than yours.”
You sighed, “Why haven’t you gone public with our relationship?” You asked.
He looked caught off guard, “What do you mean?”
“You haven’t posted any pictures of us. You haven’t answered when anyone asks about us.” You looked away from him and down at the phone you were twisting in your hands. “If you’re embarrassed of me just tell me. We can end this.”
“No!” He said it before the words had even died on your tongue, “Of course I’m not embarrassed of you.”
You still didn’t meet his eyes, because honestly, you didn’t believe him. “Colton…”
“(Y/N),” He said, “I’ll post pictures of you right now. I’ll tweet out a response to the next person who asks me. I’m not embarrassed, why would I be? I didn’t know it was that big of a deal to you or I never would have kept it a secret. I just don’t like my private life to be all over the internet.” He grabbed your hand and pulled your phone away, setting it aside before taking your hand in his. “Please believe me.”
You looked up into his eyes and all you saw was love. He looked so genuine. How could you not believe him? “Okay,” you said. “I believe you.”
“We don’t have to keep it a secret,” He said, “I love you. I don’t care if people know.”
You smiled up at him, “I would like that.”
Give me that title, title
Come on give me that title, title
Better give me that title, title
Better give me that title, title, yeah
They’d been together for two years now and they had come a long way from the day that Colton had sworn she was going to walk out his front door and end up in the arms of another man. As she sat on her towel with her toes dug into the sand next to him, glass of wine in her hand, staring at the sun setting over the ocean, he couldn’t believe that he’d ever come close to letting that happen.
The words she spoke that day stuck in his mind every single day since she said them. Someday I want a house with a backyard full of kids and a husband playing with them. They already bought each other birthday presents and set up a Christmas tree together every year. They talked about their future together every day. But that was something that he hadn’t given her yet.
She was so distracted by the sunset that she didn’t notice him set his wine glass on the small table between them, low to the sand, before reaching into the beach bag, into the zippered back pocket that she never would have had a reason to open and pulling out the small velvet box. He settled back onto his towel with the box in his hand, but kept his eyes focused on her.
He’d had the whole moment planned out, but now that they were here, and he was holding the ring and she was sitting next to him, it was like he had never planned a thing.
He shifted to his knees so that he was facing her, and that action was enough to pull her away from the sunset. She turned to him with a smile on her face so genuine that it made his heart swell. “What’s that look for?” She asked, “You should be watching the sky, it’s beautiful.”
“I’d rather watch you.” He said, and her cheeks flushed. Whether it was from the tropical heat or his words he didn’t know. He kept the box hidden under his hand as he said, “(Y/N), the day we decided to be together, you said something. You said that someday you wanted a husband and kids and an entire life with someone.” He looked down at his hand which still hid the ring, then back up at the most important person in his life who was looking at him with wide eyes, like she wanted to believe what was happening but didn’t quite want to get her hopes up. He lifted the hand that wasn’t concealing the ring and used it to guide her into standing up. She rose to her feet, burying them in the sand.
He rose to one knee and finally reveled the box, snapping it open, “I want that to be me. I want that life with you. I’m ready for it. If you say yes, I promise that we’ll have a house with a huge backyard and a fence and a swing set for our kids to play on. We’ll be the family that you always wanted to have. So, (Y/N), will you marry me?”
She was completely in shock, staring at him like she couldn’t believe a single word he had just said had actually come out of his mouth. But it had, and as soon as she realized that, she answered him. “Of course, I will!”
He slid the ring on her finger, tossed the box on the towel beside them and then was up and twirling her in the air in a second. Yes, they had come a long way in the past two years. And god was he glad they had.
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megalony · 5 years ago
Text
Power play- Part 2
This is the second part of my King! Ben Hardy series which is like my other series Fatal Attraction, I hope everyone likes it, feedback is always appreciated.
Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogermeddow @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction @ambi-and-sunflowers @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me @peterquillzsblog @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh​
Series taglist: @storiesfrommirkwood​ @onceuponadetectivedemigod​
Ben Hardy masterlist
Part 1
Summary: Ben falls for (Y/n), the Queen of England and is willing to give up the right to his own throne to marry her. But he knows that if he does, there will be a power play in the relationship because one will have more power and control than the other.
Enjoy.
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"When is the engagement ball to take place, ma'am?"
(Y/n) turned her head to look at Mr Hardin who was stood beside the far end of the desk she was sitting behind. Just the mere thought of the engagement ball sent butterflies tingling through her stomach and swarming their way up to her chest.
She knew she was lucky. Her mother had been very close to arranging suitors and getting marriage agreements set up on (Y/n)'s behalf and she knew those people her mother would have chosen wouldn't have the kindest of intentions. People wanted her to marry so she would be tamed, she she would be controlled and whoever she married was clearly going to want to take her position as Monarch and rule the country for her instead of with her.
Ben was saving (Y/n) from that fate, he was giving up his own title and his right as Monarch in his own country in order to marry (Y/n) not just because he loved her but because he knew the danger she was put in. People were hanging around like vultures just waiting to fly in and create a storm. People wanted to marry (Y/n) off, they wanted to control her and influence her opinions and her actions and her rights until she was just a puppet they could control. And with how (Y/n) lacked the information about her rights and politics, she could be easily swayed by someone feigning to try and help her.
Ben knew a storm was going to come by anytime soon because he was helping in the way that no one else would like. He was teaching and coaching (Y/n) on politics and how to use her rights and telling her what was out of her hands and her jurisdiction. But Ben wasn't trying to control her or sway her influence or her mind, he did his best to remain impartial when helping her but he knew people were going to think he was trying to control her. If Ben gave (Y/n) her own voice and allowed her to rule more or less on her own without having to rely on too many people, no one was going to influence her or control her and that was going to upset a lot of people.
"This Thursday." (Y/n) lifted her eyes to spare Mr Hardin a quick glance and a smile before she looked back down to the papers she was sorting into piles.
Ben's lessons in politics were becoming very useful but (Y/n) still wasn't quite up to date on everything so far and she didn't understand everything so she was sorting all of her papers into piles. One pile was the one she understood and would have no problem going through and signing, but the other pile was the one she needed Ben to talk her through because (Y/n) couldn't sign anything she didn't understand. That would be a grave mistake on her part.
"Some of the council are wondering, ma'am, if you're planning on making him Prince Regent? I do feel that this wouldn't be the best idea, ma'am." Hardin held his hands behind his back as he took a step closer to the desk. There was a concerning yet warm look in his eyes like he was trying to give her some advice.
Since (Y/n) had been appointed Queen and then coronated, Hardin had been her adviser and he had done his best to educate her on the subjects she was lacking. He was funny and he understood her views on the people in court who she particularly didn't like and who were always trying to put her under their spell and influence.
"Why on Earth would I do that, Mr Hardin? I'm not ill, and as far as I know I'm perfectly capable of being Queen, don't you think?" (Y/n) couldn't help the way her heart sank in her chest and she had to purse her lips to stop her smile from falling into a frown.
Who was going around saying it would be a good idea to make Ben Prince Regent? Doing that would mean (Y/n) was giving Ben all the rights of a King to do her job for her. That happened with a King who had gone mad, his son was made Prince Regent and did all of the jobs and went through all of the documents as if he were King because his father was incapable. Did people think she was that incapable of being Queen that she needed a husband to take over? (Y/n) wasn't mad and she wasn't stupid or irrational and she knew what she was doing.
"I quite agree, ma'am. But, I am concerned about this engagement, the Prince is getting rather involved in your political affairs. It might not be wise to have someone outside of the government coaching you about their views on politics, after all, his country is far different than England."
"Mr Hardin, the Prince isn't trying to sway my views, he's helping me because he knows more than I do the working of parliament and politics. Him not being from England is precisely why I need and value his input. When we are married I'm going to appoint him as one of my advisers."
When (Y/n) looked up at Hardin there was a certain expression on his face that she couldn't decipher, it was as if she had just insulted him or said something very worrying that he didn't know how to react to. (Y/n) knew she needed Ben's advise and his input because he wasn't biased and he wasn't telling her his own opinions and values, he was telling her what she needed to know from an outside point of view. If he was one of her advisers then she would be very capable of being Queen and speaking her mind and giving her consent or denial to proposals in parliament.
(Y/n) knew Ben couldn't be her only adviser because he was going to be her husband and he was the Prince. (Y/n) had to be seen to have advisers around her so the people knew she wasn't being biased or looking like she was being ruled by her husband.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea ma'am, he's going to be your husband, he shouldn't be your adviser too in case it brings conflict in ideas. You must remember, he is giving up his throne to live here and marry you, I think that by doing that he may feel he has a right to get involved or even to be Prince Regent."
A shudder ran through (Y/n)'s spine as she looked down to the papers she was just about finished sorting through. Why did he have to say something like that?
(Y/n) knew what Ben was giving up and she knew that despite wishing for him to give up his title to marry her, she still felt bad that he had to give up the one thing he had been working towards his entire life, just to marry her. It made (Y/n) feel guilty more than anything else in her life and she felt guilty for loving Ben and wanting to be with him. But the only way for them to be together was for one of them to give up their throne and (Y/n) had only just been coronated and it would be another two or even three years before Ben would get his throne.
Even though he was giving this up for her, (Y/n) knew Ben wasn't the type to wade in and try to take her crown from her. He wanted to help and he wanted to be involved but he didn't want to steal the power away or make himself Prince Regent. (Y/n) was sure of that.
"The Prince isn't like that Mr Hardin, I assure you."
"If you're sure. Now, would you like me to run through these papers with you ma'am?"
Hardin barely managed to finish his sentence before the door to the study opened and Ben walked in. The moment his eyes landed on Hardin they narrowed like a hawk focusing on its prey, he looked as if he was feeling suspicious of Hardin for something like Ben assumed he was doing something he shouldn't be. (Y/n) knew Ben had taken a rather big disliking towards Hardin, Ben seemed to think he was out to gain something by being so close to her or that he wanted to control or her boost his position in the court.
(Y/n) wasn't so sure because Hardin had been nothing but kind and considerate to her and he ran her through anything she was unsure about. He didn't give (Y/n) any reason to doubt him or suggest that he was trying to take control or advantage.
"I think the papers can wait, we have a meeting don't we?"
Ben held his hand out to (Y/n) when she clearly knew he was here to go to the meeting with her. She had said he could come along to any of the meetings so he could get a feel for the politics and to know for future since he was staying. He was going to be getting involved in the business and day to day life anyway, he may as well get a head start.
"Should I brief you before the meeting ma'am? This meeting is about the political parties getting votes-"
"I shouldn't think a briefing would be necessary, the Queen has more of an understanding than you give her credit for." Ben rose his brows in Hardin's direction before he turned to leave the room with (Y/n) following in tow, her hand tightly holding his own. 
"Ben, he's only trying to help." (Y/n) leaned her head on Ben's arm when they were alone in the corridor with Hardin presumably not too far behind. Displays of affection weren't all that agreed with before marriage and (Y/n) didn't want to give anyone any looks or information they could try and use against her and Ben or anything that could be turned into gossip.
"I don't know (Y/n), the advice he gives you centres around his political party and he knows you rely on him, that's a dangerous thing to know for someone in his position. Besides, you can think for yourself and he has to know and get used to that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What's the matter?" (Y/n) moved her chair a little bit closer to Ben's before she leaned over and gently took his hand in hers, resting her free hand on his arm. She could feel how tense he was and the unreadable expression on his face didn't look like a rather good or happy one either.
He was sat slightly slouched in his chair with his free hand rubbing over his jaw like he was contemplating something confusing or serious. He didn't speak during the meeting and as much as that seemed a bit off-putting to everyone else in the meeting, (Y/n) knew it was just because he was getting a feel for how it worked. He was listening, he was learning rather than trying or wanting to take part in what was being said. But clearly what he was learning was something he didn't like or didn't agree with.
"I have a problem with your council and some of the electors of parliament." The way Ben spoke and the low tone he used showed he knew this was a predicament in itself. Ben shouldn't be too bothered but if he was going to try and help (Y/n) with any business when they were married this was going to become a problem if he couldn't get along with the council. He also knew that it was a problem because (Y/n) had no say in who was elected or brought into parliament, that was out of her jurisdiction.
"Why?"
"Five of the men in your council scoffed when you started to speak which shows they lack respect for you. Two men from Parliament dismissed what you said and one man tried to shush you which I have a very big problem with. Hardin tried to speak for you, again, when he knows you understand what is being said and that man Lewis looked like he had a problem with you."
(Y/n) looked down at their entwined hands for a moment as she processed what he said. She heard the scoffs and she knew Morris tried to shush her which he got a lot of dirty looks for but she didn't know what to do. (Y/n) couldn't dismiss anyone from Parliament, they were out of her range she had no control over them even if they were disrespectful. And members of her council thought she was a little girl who didn't know what she was doing and it was a lot harder than it seemed to try and change their minds.
If (Y/n) shouted or got angry they would say she was losing her mind and her temper, if she stayed quiet they would carry on and if she got Ben to speak for her it would be like he was already controlling her or like some kind of servant.
There wasn't much she could do.
"Parliament is out of my hands... and most of my council were already formed before I became Monarch and Hardin helped me select the last few people. Lewis is my mother's adviser, he does have a problem with me, I don't listen to him."
"The man who shushed you wasn't an elector from Parliament so I strongly suggest you get rid of him. Any man who tries to talk over you or is so rude like that isn't worth keeping around. As for Parliament, I think you're just going to have to keep speaking louder, love. They're here to listen and to work and if you know what you're talking about they can't ignore you forever."
Ben didn't want to seem controlling in his suggestions but if (Y/n) didn't get rid of the man who tried to make her be quiet then Ben would do it himself. (Y/n) shouldn't have to put up with such rude and insolent people and it grated Ben's every nerve to have someone treat her like that when she was the Queen and she was trying to talk. All the men in this meeting should listen and want to know what she has to say even if sometimes she made mistakes or said the wrong thing.
Blatantly shushing her, talking over her or trying to ignore her was not civil and it wasn't the way to go about things.
"I think some of them are expecting you to be appointed Prince Regent... maybe they think I'm incompetent or they might even respect you and listen if you speak."
Ben sat up straighter in his chair and turned his head to better look at (Y/n) when she spoke. Her voice showed that she was rather worried about people thinking that was what was going to happen or what Ben wanted to happen and it was as if she thought that was actually going to become a reality. He wasn't here for that, if he wanted the crown so badly Ben would have gone back home and declined the marriage. He wouldn't marry (Y/n) and then try to take her crown when he could have his own proper title rather than a belittled title such as regent.
"I don't want to be Prince Regent because I have no desire to take your control away from you. You're not ill or unstable so you don't need any regent and if I wanted a crown so badly I wouldn't marry you, would I? When we get married I admit I would like to work alongside you and help but I don't want to undermine you, love."
"I know, it's just what people are expecting."
(Y/n) kept her focus on their hands until Ben moved his free hand under her chin, gently tilting her head up so she would look at him. There was sincerity in his eyes and a smile adorning his lips that made (Y/n)'s stomach flutter.
"Well you can exceed their pity expectations. You're the Monarch here, not me."
When his lips pressed to her own it felt like they were sealing some sort of secret deal. Ben wasn't going to take her crown and he wasn't here to control or undermine her, only to help guide and encourage her but most importantly, he was staying here and marrying her because he loved her. If he didn't love her he wouldn't marry her even if it would have saved her from a problematic marriage that someone would have arranged for her.
(Y/n) didn't want the kiss to stop but even when she moved her hands to cup his face, Ben pulled back enough to see her properly with a smile that seemed to shine brighter than the sun itself.
"I think you're meeting the Prime Minister soon, so I'll let you disappear for that and I'll find you in a while."
Ben got to his feet but before he left the room that was vacant apart from the couple, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to (Y/n)'s head before he disappeared. He didn't get very far though before someone called out his name, Ben only managed to get out of the corridor and halfway through the drawing room before he was stopped. More so, he knew who was calling him and he didn't particularly want to speak to him either.
But Ben hadn't been here very long and he was going to be here for a lot longer, he knew it wouldn't be in his best interests to come across as rude or ignorant or make enemies right now.
He turned around and tried to put on a placid expression as he looked at Lewis who was approaching him. This was someone Ben was unsure about but wasn't too happy about either. Throughout the meeting he had glanced and stared at (Y/n) like she was doing something wrong or like he wanted to pull her aside and tell her off like she was a little child. He didn't look to be the happiest of people but he was rubbing Ben up the wrong way.
"Mr Lewis, isn't it?" Ben tapped his index finger against his thigh, not wanting to hold his hands in front of him or behind his back because it felt too formal and could come across as unsettling. But he didn't know what to do with his hands, he was very much hoping that this wouldn't be a long conversation.
"Yes, your Highness. I was hoping I could have a word with you about when you and the Queen are married."
"Really? Go ahead then." Ben's head ticked to the side and his eyes narrowed in dismay. He had a feeling he wouldn't like where this conversation was heading.
"I think you already know that when you're married you will need an adviser and I think it would be preferable if you had an English adviser-"
"Are you giving me advice or are you applying for the job?" Ben crossed his arms over his chest, raising a brow as his lips curved, forming a sceptical key knowing look. Lewis was angling to be Ben's adviser, he seemed to be a man who wanted power and status and what better way to get that than to be an adviser to the Queen's husband? He could try and worm his way over to (Y/n) as well and take a hold over her if he became close to Ben.
"I think I might be of use if I were your adviser, I know the Queen well."
"Right, and what advice would you give me then?"
Ben knew what kind of man Lewis was, he was the sneaky, cold-blooded type that was out for his own gain. (Y/n) didn't seem to be very fond of him and he seemed like he couldn't tolerate her as if she were someone's child who was getting on his nerves. That automatically put Ben against him but Lewis was digging himself a bigger hole right now that no one could get him out of.
"I'd advise you to keep watch over the Queen. Many of the council noticed you seem to be helping her in her study of politics, when you're married you could become Prince Regent and take control of affairs. I can help you with that if I become your adviser."
The anger pooling inside of Ben became clear on his face that became stern and his green eyes darkened like they were being tinted. His nails dug into his upper arms that were tightening against his chest to try and keep himself calm. So it was Lewis that had been spreading the rumours that Ben will or should become Prince Regent. If that happened everyone would expect Ben to take control of the internal affairs and to take control of (Y/n), reign her in as it were because they all thought she was too young and inexperienced when all she needed was a helping hand.
No one could rule alone and no one knew everything, (Y/n) couldn't be expected to know all there was to be a Monarch but no one wanted to help her, they wanted to watch her fail.
"I'm sure you know what a regency means and if you know the Queen you must realise there is no just cause for that to happen. You're self-centred advice comes with very little logic or knowledge." Even if Ben wanted to become Prince Regent- which he did not- he would have to have a reason for that. (Y/n) would either have to be incapacitated, mentally or physically incapable of ruling alone or she would have to be declared unfit or in a state of madness. Something had to be wrong with her for her to have a Regent, simply being naive or lacking in certain education was no reason for (Y/n) to lose her power and control to someone else.
"The Queen is unstable, your Highness, she is prone to fits of terror or anger and if a doctor deems her so-"
"I strongly advise that you do not finish that sentence if you still want your place in this palace. I don't think you understand that for one, you've just accused your Queen- the Monarch, of being unfit for her crown and two, you've just said that to me. If I hear you saying anything like that again or anyone else spouting that nonsense then it will be you deemed as unfit for your position here."
"I only meant-"
"I know exactly what you meant and I do not agree with any of it. I'm engaged to the Queen but I'm not after her crown like so many people in this place. I think I'm going to have to start making some changes around here, starting with the staff."
Ben waved his hand in the air to dismiss Lewis in a manner that he knew would rile up the elder man who had much less authority here than he seemed to think.
If anyone said anything like that to Ben right to his face again he wouldn't be so easy on them like he just was. He could have had Lewis dismissed from his position for what he said but Ben didn't want to be seen as completely ruthless, although he did want to make sure people knew they couldn't walk all over him. It was a shock to Ben to know that people closest to (Y/n) were conspiring to bring her down or deem her as unfit and he himself was being made a pawn in their plan. They would allow a stranger to take over the ruling of this country instead of (Y/n) and that showed something to Ben.
It showed him that they feared how (Y/n) would rule this country but knowing (Y/n), Ben knew that her changes were going to be good ones and her reign was one that would be feared in the best possible way. She may not have the backing or the alliance of her own council, but Ben would take a guess that she had the confidence of the public and that was more desirable and reliant.
The council couldn't overthrow the Queen like the public could but they were trying to bring her down and Ben wasn't going to let that happen. He would be damned before he let anyone try and hurt or undermine (Y/n) in any way.
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supernaturalee · 5 years ago
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Green and Gold: Part 2 - Gwilym Lee x Reader
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Pairings: Widow/Single Father! Gwilym Lee x Reader
Warnings: Some swearing, Mentions of X rated thoughts, and more KAREN
Word Count: 4.4k
Previous Parts: One
Summary: When Gwilym lost his wife two years ago he feared raising his daughter alone in a small coastal New Jersey town would be difficult. In the two years since her death, Gwil and Brianne are finally ready to start moving on. Following the words of a child psychologist, Gwil signs Bri up for cheerleading with the local youth squad, something Gwil knows nothing about. As he is thrust in the world of cheer bows and back handsprings, he will learn it takes a lot more than green and gold uniforms to mend his and his daughter’s hearts. Hopefully through the squad they will find strength, friendship, and possibly a spark of new love for the widow himself.  
Taglist:@the-baby-bookworm​ @ixchel-9275​ @slutforbritdick​ @kurt-nightcrawler​ @radio-hoo-ha​ @imgonnabeyourslave​ @queendeakyy​ @girllety​ @im-an-adult-ish​ @what-wicked-delights​ @drivenbybri​
Author’s Note: It’s almost 2 am EST and I thought to myself, why not post part two. We are getting into meat of the story here, y’all! Again, this update is late, but my writing was hard to come by for a while. So without further ado, he is part 2 of Green & Gold. Please let me know if you want to be tagged in future installments. 
In the four short weeks since Brianne had started cheerleading practice, Gwilym had come to learn three absolute truths. First being that cheer made Bri happier than Gwil had ever hoped. In the time since that first practice, he had seen her smile more than he had seen since before Angela had passed away. Her eyes lit up now whenever she spoke about how the routine was coming along or how she was learning all of these different things. Such as stunts or new tumbling passages or jumps that had odd names like toe touches, herkies, and pikes. While Gwilym cooked dinner or checked over her homework, he could always hear her routine music coming from the stereo in the living room. Once he got her to wash her hands and then settled at the table. It would become Gwilym’s inquiry into the world of cheerleading and Brianne was more than happy to oblige his many questions. 
Bri had taken to cheering like a fish takes to water. It was in her blood, Angela’s cheerleading history flowing through Brianne’s veins now. It made Gwil so happy. She spent three nights a week on the mat now and Saturday during the day at either the home field or away fields cheering on the young football players. The football team’s age coincided with the cheerleaders of Bri's team’s ages. Or the Mustang Pee Wees as Gwil had learned. He had finally found out the difference between the game cheers and the competition cheer as Bri had once told him. He usually sat in the game bleachers trying to decipher how American football was more popular than actual football. Or as Y/N lovingly reminded him every time he complained, “It’s soccer here.” she would say with a smile. At first he thought it was kind of annoying but now anytime she reminded him, he found it endearing. The way her lips curled up in a smile as she said it, he found himself mesmerized by it. 
When Brianne wasn’t cheering and once her homework was done, she could be found hanging out with her new friends Jasmine, Joey, and Selma. The carpool Y/N had promised had been fruitful for Brianne and Gwilym on the friendship front. They had been the type of cheer parents Gwilym had hoped for and luckily he got in with them instead of the others. That was the second absolute truth he learned that, cheer parents were absolutely bonkers bananas insane. Karen Diguimi was just the tip of the massive iceberg that was the “Stepford Stangs” as Joe lovingly coined them. Gwil had now become a member of the mailing list. A dreaded place to be that he wouldn’t have agreed to had he known what a nightmare it truly was. 
He had now started to receive daily emails with updates on fundraising and how close they were to the nice buses. Game schedules, rule changes, and low fat recipes to keep your little cheerleader in proper cheering shape were among the other important articles. Plus little snide comments on the surrounding towns’ teams and how far superior the Mustangs were to them. It was like a tabloid magazine that Gwil now had a daily subscription too.
 Y/N had sent him a long paragraph text about the low carb recipes and how dare the “Stepford Stangs” imply that only certain shaped children could be cheerleaders. ‘It is the middle of October and they are nine and ten years old. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE SWIMSUIT READY?! Gwil, you will have to stop me from strangling Karen at the next practice.’ It made Gwilym feel a swell of pride for a moment that he read her text. It caused the return of a certain set of emotions. These feelings that he was feeling were something he hadn’t felt in a long time. 
Often he would check over the email for that week’s game schedule then file the email away. His new gang of misfit parents would mock the over ridiculous links in the emails or the fact that they received a new one every day. Joe always sent a meme or two about them, while Rami commented on the complete lack of email etiquette. ‘It’s too many emails and too many people hit Reply All instead of reply. It is chaotic!’ Rami had sent in their group chat. ‘I think its nice to keep us informed with the same information that we knew yesterday.’ Lucy had added. Gwil finally being able to put a face to the name as he met Rami’s other half at the first football game of the year. She was blonde, slim, and in a way almost fairy like. Her movements were graceful but she had this hidden strength to her. Rami and Lucy complimented each other well. Rami was a computer engineer, who like Gwil, could do most of his work from home. Lucy, on the other hand, was a certified midwife and a nurse at the local OBGYN. Often traveling between the hospital and the doctor office. Their schedules mostly allow for their twin girls’ busy sports schedules to work. Joe ran an accounting firm but swore he was bad at math. He stated he liked the business but preferred leaving the accounting to his dedicated small team of accountants.
Finally, the third absolute truth that Gwilym Lee knew was that Wednesday nights were now his favorite night of the week. It was the only night parents were allowed to stay for the whole practice. This meant about two hours of watching Bri have the most fun and grow into an even stronger, more beautiful young woman. It also meant getting to spend time with his new friends including Y/N.  Y/N had quickly become Gwil’s confidant in all things cheer related. Any question or need he had, she had the answer and was always there with a smile. It was just another reason why Gwil was now harboring a crush on this woman. He and Bri had not seen her coming. He thought he would scrap by with googled information and keep his head down. He would be quiet and lonely,  knowing just enough to get by. 
Yet there was Y/N with her intelligence, her helping hand, and her kind heart. Bri also loved her and Jasmine. She was treated with so much love, respect, and care by Y/N. Gwil found it hard to keep himself from melting every time he was in her gaze. He felt like a teenage boy with a crush. He had confided in Ben who told him to get back on the horse. However, to Gwil, the horse was a twenty foot tall bear that was very hungry. Angela was still on his mind, in his life, in his heart. He saw her every day in the brown eyes of his daughter. He feared that any new relationship he would start would be doomed to be branded as the rebound relationship for the man with the dead wife. Even if he found someone, they had to pass the most important test in his book, being well loved by the most important person in his life, Brianne. He shook away the heavy thoughts as the red light turned green. He pressed his foot on the gas as he continued the drive to practice. Bri and Jasmine chatting in the back of his car. 
Y/N had asked him to pick Jasmine up from school and drive her to practice. Y/N had a meeting with the college board about one of her students. She would meet them at the cheer gym later. Gwil’s mind couldn’t help but wander to Y/N. He hoped her meeting went well. He knew in just the short few weeks of knowing her that her job meant a tremendous amount to her. Professor Y/L/N had a very nice ring to it. His mind wandering further to dirtier thoughts. If they were ever to be together would she let him play the teacher's pet. His fantasy slowly took form in his head when Bri’s voice snapped him back to reality. 
“Dad?” No answer came from the driver’s seat. “Earth to dad. Father?” She laughed. Gwil pushed all X rated thoughts from his mind and looked to the rear view. 
“Hmm?” He answered, putting on a small smile to show her that he has really been paying attention the whole time. 
“Could Jasmine and Ms. Y/L/N come to dinner with us?” Bri asked sweetly. The two had joined them for dinner every Wednesday night since that first practice. 
“Please Mr. Lee!” Jasmine used the same sweet voice. Gwil rubbed his jaw with his free hand as the two girls started repeating the world please. 
“Please please please please please please please please please please please please please!” Bri and Jasmine begged together. Gwilym laughed, smiling. 
“It is fine with me but we will have to ask your aunt, Jasmine, when we see her.” He said.  Both girls cheered happily as they looked at each other. 
“Of course Mr. Lee!” Jasmine smiled. “Aunt Y/N likes getting dinner with you and Bri.” Jasmine said. Gwil felt his cheeks heat up for a moment. This came as a surprise to him in a way. Sure he knew she cared about their friendship but maybe this meant she also felt something more for him. He quickly pushed this thought away, no it wasn’t a good time for him to get into a new relationship. I’m not ready. His thoughts continued his mantra. 
“Well we like having dinner with both of you as well, dear.” He answered her. Jasmine’s smile grew. She was a wonderful little girl who Gwilym had grown to care for. She didn’t know what she was doing for Brianne, but Gwil did and how it helped her improve immensely. He had known his daughter had tried to hide her sadness from him. It was something she tried to do to prove she was strong like Angela but she didn’t need to. Gwil and her grandparents knew that Brianne had every ounce of Angela’s strength tenfold. 
As he pulled into the parking lot of the cheer gym he saw Y/N’s Jeep had not yet arrived. He also didn’t see Joe’s or Rami’s cars either which meant he would be alone. He would most likely have to face yet another conversation with Karen. Or he could just hide out in his car until his friends arrived. He shook his head for a moment, he had to go inside, he could handle this. As both young girls made their way inside, Gwil followed behind them making sure both safely got in the building. 
He signed both in at the desk where the young man who Gwil had learned was one of the coaches’ sons sat. He gave the teenaged boy a wave before moving to his usual spot in the bleachers. He had settled into the groove of sitting with everyone, Gwil sat on a lower bench due to his height, while Y/N sat on the bleacher bench above him so she could make eye contact easier. Rami would sit above her and then Joe would sit beside her, the four almost making a little diamond of security. His blue eyes looked around the room before he spotted her. 
Karen was talking to some of the other team parents, her eyes scanning the room for him. He dropped his head down trying to hide himself from her.
“Oh Gwilym!” She exclaimed, moving to him. Gwil sat up straight, damn he had been caught. He politely smiled and nodded. Please don’t come over, please don’t come over, please don’t come over… He repeated in his head, it was too little too late. She made her way over to his place of peace and quiet. 
“Hello Mrs. Digumi.” He said politely. Her smile grew. Damn, his British charm. She stood in front of him. 
“Please call me Karen.” She smiled still. “I wanted to ask how everything was going with Brianne. She is quite the little cheerleader. One of the best on the squad. Almost as good as my little McKenna.” 
“Thank you. I will tell her that later. She certainly seems to be enjoying it and that makes me happy.” He said honestly, maybe he was wrong about Karen. 
“You should have her over for a play date with my McKenna. You and I can exchange parenting tips or tips of some other kind.” She batted her heavily mascaraed eyes at him. He gulped softly. 
“I will have to talk to Bri about it and get back to you Mrs. Dig-Karen.” He corrected himself. 
“I am just saying Brianne seems like a very sweet girl and you don’t want her to get in with the wrong crowd before middle school. Popularity is key and my little McKenna is going to be one of the most popular girls in school. Just like I was. If Brianne settles herself with the likes of those children, her social life is over and I don’t want that for her or for you. Popularity is everything.” She said as she sat next to him. No, he wasn’t wrong about Karen.
Wrong crowd? What the hell, they are children not teenagers. He thought to himself before defending the children of his friends. Popularity is everything. What a bunch of bullocks. 
“Jasmine, Joey, and Selma are good kids. They are smart, fun, courteous, kind and they are Bri’s friends. They were the first ones to welcome her with open arms,” He said. Gwil was a bit taken aback that a grown woman would say something like that about ten year olds. If Bri and Jasmine weren’t on the mat about 50 feet away, he would have forgotten his manners and let Karen have it. 
“I don’t appreciate you talking that way about my friends’ children or about your child’s fellow teammates.”   He continued, his tone was serious and sharp. Her eyes went wide as she heard the manner in which he spoke. 
“Oh! I didn’t mean the kids! I meant, um, the parents.” She was quick to backtrack and try to fix her mistake. Her chance with the Welsh man slipping away. “Gwilly, you are new to all of this. I should have specified that I meant that if Brianne settles herself with the likes of the parents of those children, her social life is over. You both deserve so much but you are still so naive, honey.” 
“My name is Gwilym.” He stated. She had called him Gwilly, a nickname that Angela would lovingly call him after a few glasses of wine. How dare this woman even try to put herself in the same realm of love as his wife. 
“I am so sorry honey.” She smiled to try to cover up the large hole she had dug for herself. “Like I was saying to you that first practice those parents you have chosen to bond with don’t understand the mustang way.” It was clear to Gwilym that Karen intended to keep digging. “Especially Y/N, I mean she likes to pretend she was a good cheerleader because she was once a national champion herself. But she was the worst one of that team, I should know, I did date her brother.” Karen said as jealousy slipped between each word. It was clear to her that Gwilym cared more for Y/N than he would ever care for her. “They carried her to the gold medal and she got the recognition for it like everyone else. Even made her brother break up with me, how dare she. That bitch.” That was the final straw for him.  
“I am going to stop you right there, Mrs. Diguimi. I do not want to hear you ever bad mouth my friends or their children. Please understand I am friendly with you because I have to be. You are the team mom and I do not really like having issues with anyone. However, my daughter is the only reason I am here. Y/N, Joe, Lucy and Rami plus their amazing children came as an incredible bonus to all of this. You did not.” He said calmly. “Now please step away from me and know, this is the last conversation we will have that is not about fundraising or cheering information. I do not take kindly to people belittling others or their children for their own personal benefit. Thank you and have a good night.” 
Karen let out a breath of air through her nose, standing up quickly. Moving from the bleachers, staring him down. 
“Oh I understand.” Her voice dripped with sweetly sickening venom. “If you ever change your mind I am right over there with the good parents.” She moved to the other waiting ‘Stepford Stangs’. Gwil let out a long breath as a smile appeared on his lips. God, how good it felt to let her have it and god how he wished Y/N had seen him. She would be so proud once he told her. It was the sudden sound of two voices that drew him away from his fantasy. 
“I see you are on the list now.” Rami said as he and Joe joined Gwilym in the bleachers. 
“List?” He asked, tilting his head curiously. 
“I’ll let Joe explain.” Rami smiled. 
“It is Karen Diguimi’s way of saying you are cancelled until you apologize.” Joe smirked. “We just caught the tail end of what you were saying but from what we heard, it was fucking brilliant.” He said quietly enough for just the three men to hear. “Welcome to the list. I have been on it since the ‘I won’t let my underage child wash stranger’s cars in the shortest shorts debacle of last summer season.” Joe said. 
“Rami, how did you end up on the list? It seems like she likes you the most out of all of us.” Gwil asked. Rami chuckled. 
“I once asked her if the pom poms for adults were necessary at a competition because it was just one extra thing to carry.” 
“That’s not too bad.”
“She also hates my wife.”
“Ah, I see.”
“So we both reside on the list with Joe and Y/N.”
“What did Y/N do to get on the list?”
“What hasn’t she done to get on the list?” Joe laughed. “First it was being Dominic Y/L/N’s little sister during high school. Then it was becoming Jasmine’s key guardian when he died, then it was a few other arbitrary things I don’t remember, but most recently, it was getting you to be our friend instead of hers.” Joe said. 
“It’s a rite of passage to get on the list.” Rami said. All three men laughed as Gwil felt more at peace than ever before. Even though Karen had basically verbally bashed children in front of him and badmouthed Y/N, she did provide one key piece of vital information. Y/N as a former national champion for the Mustangs, maybe even on the same squad as his late wife. He marked it in his brain to ask her later. 
As practice started and the three men continued their conversation, still no Y/N. Part of Gwilym began to worry that something bad had happened. He checked his phone to see if she had called or texted but nothing. He tried to push the worry to the back of his mind as Joe began to talk about the upcoming competition this weekend. It was the same thing Bri had not stopped talking about for the past week. Even as he got her and Jasmine into the car today, they talked about their nervous excitement for it. 
Joe was going to ride up with Rami and Lucy. Figuring Gwil would want to carpool with Y/N. Actually all three of them, Joe, Rami, and Lucy, hoped something would blossom between the two. 
“Oh I hadn’t even thought to ask her. It is probably too late, I will just drive up myself.” He said he was a bit disappointed he hadn’t asked. 
“She’ll say yes if you do ask.” Rami smled. 
“She might not.” Gwil continued. 
“Oh no, she will definitely say yes.” Joe smiled slyly. Both men looked at each like they both held the same secret that Gwil wasn’t privy to. It was at that moment Y/N moved into the gym still in her work clothes. Her blazer that was once covering the purple silk blouse, was replaced by a jean jacket. She wore black slacks and black vans. 
“I don’t drive in heels, I don’t want to be responsible for that many lives.” She had told him their first Wednesday night dinner out with the girls. He knew that she kept a pair of black lace up vans in her Jeep for the drive home from the university. 
“Speak of the Devil and she shall appear.” Joe teased her as she sat in her usual spot. She laughed and Gwil’s heart skyrocketed into flight. 
“Ha ha. Good to see you, Mozzarella.” She snarked. 
“That’s Mr. Mozzarella to you.” Joe answered. Both tossing their heads back gently and laughed. There went Gwil’s pulse racing for a moment. 
“Did I miss anything?” 
“Gwil’s on the list.” 
“No!”
“Oh hell yeah!”
“How? Tell me! I have to know how Karen’s little lust for you somehow got you on the list.”
“Karen’s little what?” Gwil said. 
“Dude, she wanted to bone you.” Joe said. “Hard.”
“Bone?” He asked.
“Sleep with you, knock boots, cherry pick, dude I know too analogies for sex.”
“She’s married!” Gwil exclaimed quietly to the group. 
“Hasn’t stopped her before.” Y/N said. “Anyway, tell me how you got on the list.” 
Gwilym began to tell the story of her confrontation with Karen. His own smile grew as he watched Y/N’s own smile grow as he got to the words match. 
“Mr. Lee you are bloody brilliant.” She said, her hand rubbed his arm for a moment before she withdrew it. Gwil blushed. 
“It was nothing.”
“This is cause for celebration. You being on the list. We will all go out kid free and celebrate soon.” Joe said. 
“Sounds good to me.” Rami agreed. Y/N nodded, her eyes looking up and waving to Jasmine as the girl waved back. 
“Hey Y/N, did you know Gwilym here was going to drive to Trenton all alone?” Joe stated. Gwil’s eyes went wide as he looked at the man over Y/N’s shoulder. He felt his cheeks heat up.
“Really?” She asked.
“Yeah. He was going to drive by himself.”
“Why don’t you ride with me? It isn’t as long as a drive if you have a partner.” She offered him. Her Y/E/C eyes meeting his blue. A small smile on her lips.
“Um, you won’t mind?” He asked shyly. 
“No, it will be a treat to spend time with you alone.” She said honestly, all the room felt almost like it was silent around them. Joe and Rami watching the two just share prolonged eye contact. Gwil could almost swear there was a light pink tinge on her cheeks as well. 
“Then it's all set. I’d love to ride with you.” He smiled. The tinge got a bit darker. 
Joe poked his head between the two, “Is your, um, neighbor coming?” He asked her. His voice was almost giddy, like Gwil’s when he talked about Y/N on the phone to Ben. Who was this woman  that was making Joe act like the same lovestruck teenager he was?
“Oh no. Unfortunately, Jolene had one of her advanced painting classes rescheduled to Saturday. It is too much money to miss out on but she promised Jasmine she was coming to Regionals.” Y/N said as she raked her hair up into a messy ponytail. 
“Oh.” Joe’s smile faded quickly. 
“You know you could just ask her out. She likes you too.” Y/N patted her friend’s shoulder. Joe shook his head. 
“The divorce is still too fresh to Joey. It wouldn’t be fair to him for me to get involved with someone new so soon after his mother and I split up.” Joe admitted. Gwilym understood that point. A divorce was a similar loss to a child as a parent passing. Everything became different over night for them, changing so suddenly. Joe and his ex were friendly enough to a point for the sake of their son. The one thing that will keep them forever linked. 
“Okay honey. One day though, Joey is just going to want his dad to be happy.” She said with a soft smile to their friend. Joe just nodded looking over at his son. 
How Karen could ever call this wonderful woman a bitch was past Gwilym’s arena of thought. He looked at Y/N and smiled. God how beautiful she is even in the lighting of this gym. He thought to himself. As more time passed for the practice, the three experienced cheer parents told Gwilym everything he would need to know to be ready for Saturday. How he would have to have Brianne ready before 6 am to get her to the gym so that the team could take a bus together to the arena before driving there with Y/N. He would have to make sure he paced enough bobby pins, snacks, water, everything. His worry level that he would mess this all up grew. Especially the idea that he would have to do her hair in a high slick back ponytail. Brianne had hair like her mom’s thick and wavy, he could barely get it into braids without at least three Youtube tutorials. 
“How about this? I bring Jasmine over at like 5. I can do both of their hair and you can make sure they have enough snacks?” Y/N offered, once again being the incredible person that she was. 
“Please. I fear what I would do to my poor girl’s head.” He said honestly. 
“I think you would be fine, but the first competition is the scariest for both the parent and the cheerleader.” 
“It will put not only my mind at rest but Bri’s mind too. Thank you Y/N.” 
“Anything for you, Gwil.” She smiled. “Oh and um, thanks for standing up for the kids earlier with Karen. She can talk all the crap she wants about me but Jasmine doesn’t deserve that. It means a lot to me and it shows me how wonderful of a human being you are.” She said before turning her attention back to the mat. His heart raced again. God, Wednesday nights really were his favorite. 
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